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| 5. Chris
 
Now and Then is one of the finest 'depressing' anime
I've ever seen. It basically tells the story of Shu, who, in the first episode,
is sucked into a sort of warp thing when he tries to save a girl and gets to spend
the rest of the show trying to escape a hellish, futuristic, Fallout-esque
version of Earth. Animation: The character
designs are quite Dragonball-ish, which initially turned me off (not a
fan here ;) ), but I quickly learned that it worked quite well in the context
of the series. Oh, and some of the scenes of the machinery and the backgrounds
are fantastic. Sound: Good English dubs on
this one, but King Hamdo is just not nearly insane enough sounding. I really recommend
subbed on this series. The Japanese voice acting is quite good, with King Hamdo
really standing out. Story: The story really
shines here. It's highly depressing (though not as much as some things, namely
Saikano and Grave of the Fireflies) and really gets the point across.
I was in shock during some of the torture scenes that occurred. The story is really
what this show is about. Overall: This is
an excellent series, and for people looking for something a bit deeper and more
effective, this really works well. Definitely one of my favorite shows. |
| 4. Dunpeal
Now and Then, Here and There is a masterpiece of anime,
and frankly, it's the only thirteen episode series I've ever seen that I've even
liked, much less been blown away by. That it is directed by Akitaroh Daichi
(who bought us anime such as Jubei-Chan and Kodomo no Omocha) is
a true testament to his skill as a director. Every single episode of this show
was no less than perfect in this reviewer's opinion. Music, from the opening theme
composed by Taku Iwaski of Kenshin fame, to the beautiful ending
song "Komoriuta" capture the mood of each scene perfectly. This
show is simply a wonder to behold. Being a recently made 13 episode series by
AIC, animation is of the highest quality, with some truly breathtaking
sunset scenes in particular. It's a tragic show, but not without hope and scenes
that truly make you question the value of human life and the horrors of war. Five
stars all the way, this series comes highly recommended. |
| 3. Iodine
Easily one of the darkest and most shocking series ever produced,
the horrors of this alternate-universe war fable are made even more distressing
by the use of children in the central roles. When the idealistic Shuu is pulled
from his idyllic home to the nightmarish Hellywood, he's drafted into their army
of enslaved child-soldiers, led by a warfare-obsessed madman named Hamdo. The
kids here are subjected to every atrocity imaginable, and then pushed to inflict
them on others. But the most frightening part of all this is the realism of the
events. Aside from Hamdo, all the characters are perfectly sane and reasonable.
Most of the other villains are only trying to survive by the only way they know
how. Though "Now and Then" has several fantastic elements, particularly
the inclusion of the mysterious Lalaru, the majority of it is uncomfortably true
to life and utterly devastating in the telling of its story. Like
similar tales, the series uses very simple character designs to allow easier audience
identification and maximum emotional impact. Otherwise, the visuals spare no effort,
including some very high quality cel animation. There are a few characters in
need of more attention and there are several spots where the writing lags, but
overall the plot is carried out magnificently. Lots of violence is used to very
good effect and the messages and themes tackled here are well worth the shocks.
|
| 2. Tempy
Returning home after Kendo lesson, young and energetic Shu
sees a mysterious girl sitting on top of an industrial smoke stack while viewing
the sunset. Joining her, he soon finds himself transported to another world -
the world of Hellywood, a grounded battleship, led by the psychopathic Hamdo,
who utilizes child soldiers in his maniacal plan to conquer the world and rid
it of all who oppose him. This world is a brutal one, where Shu is tortured, children
kill other children, and women are seized to bear children and expand the army.
Through this Shu stays positive, giving hope to others around him - LaLa Ru, said
mysterious girl who can control and provide the scarce resource of water, with
her blank and unmoven gaze; Sara, an earthling like Shu, who has arguably been
the most emotionally traumatized; Nabuca and Boo, Hellywood soldiers beginning
to doubt the world they live in. Now and Then, Here and There provides
a gripping story and interesting characters. It's a violent, sad, tragic, and
depressing tale, but with glimmers of hope. Definitely a departure from the more
lighthearted shows director Akitarou Daichi (Elf Princess Ren, Jubei-Chan,
Kodomo no Omocha, Fruits Basket) worked on... |
| 1. Cross
Scars 
One afternoon Machitachi Suyou spies a girl atop a smoke stack
and so he ventures up to get her attention. But when soldiers and robots from
out of nowhere come to capture this girl Suyou attempts to help her. In doing
so he is dragged into an alternate world where a paranoid leader seeks to wipe
out all those who oppose him. Now and Then, Here
and There is a tragic series but the failing of it is that this sadness fails
to hit home. The characters certainly experience some awful events, but the same
characters appear almost one dimensional to the extent that it is difficult to
really feel for them. For instance it is hard to establish a bond, and therefore
really feel for, a person like Lala Ru who is mostly silent and almost expressionless.
This problem is made more apparent by the fact that the plot is rather slow and
early on, uneventful, even though the series is only 13 episodes long. Now
and Then, Here and There could have been an extremely touching series but
the characters lack of depth means that the series fails exactly where it should
have succeeded. |
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