Earth Girl Arjuna

5 reviews - 23.5 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.7)

5. Iodine

There are few anime that really polarize viewers the way that Arjuna does, with its blatant ecological messages and questionable philosophy. We start with an average high school girl named Juna, who is given a second chance at life after an accident, on the condition that she awaken her latent spiritual powers and help save the dying Earth. From that point on, Juna begins to learn the truth of modern society's relationship with nature, and the frightening consequences of her own way of life. However, her new outlook distances her from her friends and family, especially Tokio, her fiercely protective would-be boyfriend. It's obvious that the show pushes too hard, using questionable factual support for its views and resorting too easily to extremism. The near-fanatical pro-nature themes are relentlessly pushed in a manner more fitting for propaganda. Still, there's no denying that the show is also one of the most fascinating and effective pieces of work in recent memory. There is plenty of originality and creativity in the way the central concepts are presented, and the sizable effort that went into every minute detail of the show is clearly visible.

The visuals are an interesting mix of 2D and 3D, with inevitable clashing, but are noticeably well done in spite of this. Character designs are a little oddly stylized for the mostly realistic settings, but appealing. The soundtrack, by Yoko Kanno, is one of the best she's ever done. Writing is perhaps a bit single minded, but does take the time to get in some nice character moments, which serve to anchor the series, particularly Juna and Tokio's changing relationship. In the end, this is a very challenging show that presents a strong, if faulty opinion that demands to be addressed. I highly doubt there has ever been another anime this ambitious or uncompromising.

4. Yogi

This show is about a girl who was living a normal life, but then is brought face to face with the problems that plague the world today. She (and by extension, the viewer) is given the ability to see things as they truly are, to view mankind and the earth in all it’s imperfect polluted corrupt glory ("glory" is used in the loosest sense of the word here). However, when she tries to deal with the problems using the abilities she was also given (yeah, she gets Super Powers too) she discovers that she can’t deal with these problems the same way she does in life, and must change the way she thinks about the world. This would have gotten five stars, except that it was a bit TOO preachy, and the ending was too philosophical for me to understand (and I understood the Evangelion TV ending).

3. Himiko

Earth Girl Arjuna is a wonderful anime which lifts us into another world where everything matters around us. I fell in love with this anime after the first few episodes. Only a few anime series I have seen has that certain 'spirit' which makes it unique and special to the individual. This anime is one of the few ^_^ Set in Japan, Juna is a young teenager who feels 'suffocated' by the world. An accident on a motorcycle ride sends her into an abyss with a boy by the name of Chris, a servant of the earth. Chris tells Juna he can bring her back to life if she accepts her fate to save the world. She accepts because by her dead body is Tokio, her one love. As she comes back to life she flees the hospital and takes a helicopter to see Chris who gives her a seed that implants itself on her forehead. The seed is used to call upon magical powers to save the world. This is one of the most realistic anime I have seen yet, it shows pollution and how the world REALLY is. Character designs and music make this anime enchanting to the anime fan and a definite favorite among many.

2. weasl

Earth Girl Arjuna is an interesting piece. It's a distinctly Japanese show, with the roots of its story based in the beliefs of the Shinto religion. Our story revolves around Juna, a high school girl who, following a tragic accident, gains special powers, most importantly the ability to experience the pain of the earth. What follows is a series of episodes dealing with a variety of environmental, and social issues as well as a slowly developing story of the rise of the Raja, creatures who are destroying the earth. Earth Girl Arjuna is a visual stunning, and thought provoking anime that comes highly recommended. I do however suggest that a bit of knowledge of the Shinto religion, and Japanese culture to any that want to fully understand the themes presented.

1. cron

You either fall in love with the series or hate it and the latter seems to be the category that most people fall into. The story centers around a high school girl named Juna Ariyoshi and her well death, rebirth, and realization that she is the sole person responsible for saving earth from Rajel (Raja's?), and this is the first-ten minutes of the first episode. The animation is simply jaw dropping, were talking Mononoke-hime, Jin-Roh, level of quality. The music featuring Maaya Sakamoto and composed by Yoko Kanno is stellar and compliments the visuals. Story is murky and people say it's a preachy series about protecting the environment and striving for humans to evolve and be one with the environment, each to their own. It's an amazing series and worth a watch.