Ranked #389

Kure-nai

Kurenai is the 08 spring anime I had the highest hopes for, and I surely wasn't let down by it.

The artwork in the series is amazing. The main reason for this is the coloring - it's so vivid! It's sharp and varied colors, something which - as of what I've experienced - is unprecedented. The detail may skimp a bit now and then - which drags it down to a 9 (yes, I wanted to give it a 10). Oh, and the OP theme animations is pretty whacky - which is both good and bad.

The characters are as colorful as the animation is, even the minor characters. I really liked that, because it makes it oh so more realistic. And it's not only the characters as individuals, but also their relationships which I really loved. That does cover well up for the lack of character development that a 12-episode series is pretty much doomed to have.

The story in itself is very good too. It starts out very slice of life-ish, going with an episode-by-episode format, where Murasaki learns how the real world looks - after all, she's just escaped from being locked into a house with the most woman-discriminating family I've ever heard about, both in fiction and real life. But that being said, the episodes were great, because so much seemed to happen - often they featured parallel stories with Murasaki and someone else (often Shinkurou's two female neighbors) in one, and Shinkurou in another one. Halfway into the series, and a few episodes more, the series takes a drastic turn, and the more dramatic sides of the show starts to unfold, in contrast to the often light and comedic moments of the earlier episodes. It all culminates into two-three episodes with much action and drama, and an end which you're either gonna love or hate - I can't say more without spoiling anything.

The soundtrack is jazzy, and fits right into the scenes and the mood. Personally, I liked it, but it wasn't anything spectacular, and if you don't like the jazzy type of soundtrack, you can find comfort in the fact that you often don't notice it at all.

I really enjoyed this series, both because of its mix of many genres, special animation and wonderful characters, but also because of the calmness this anime presented. Even during the most intense scenes - either emotional or action-packed - I found it to be very calm. Personally, I think that gave the series that little extra which made me love it so much.

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A couple months ago, I decided to scout out some of the series in the Spring 2008 anime season. I found Kure-nai, and decided to give it a try. The OP scared me, and I almost turned this into an instant "drop." Really glad I didn't, because this show was a rare find.

Story
With only 12 episodes, it can be difficult to turn out that perfect storyline. Even so, they did a good job. The show is focused around the inner struggles and relationships of and between a seven-year-old aristocrat girl and her bodyguard, a poor, sixteen-year-old high school student. Nothing mind-blowing, but a sufficient premise all the same. However, it's paced very well, fast when it needs to be and slow when it's appropriate. I never felt the series get dull.

Realize that this is a both a comedy and a drama, and in my opinion, it does an effective job at being both. However, there is some action mixed in. It's enough to give the series an interesting push, but it seldom drives the story. Adrenaline seekers, you will be disappointed. That said, I thought the action was handled quite well, and the fighting that does occur are some of the most intensely emotional scenes within.

Art/Sound
While the media of the show was pretty high-quality, it has a tendency to go into estrogen overload mode, and that proved a bit trying for me. Pastel colors, curvy lines, and high heels galore. I got more used to it as I went along, but I still skipped the OP and ED most of the time. But that's an issue of taste, and in all honesty, it really wasn't all that bad. It was actually pretty well-animated, too.

I didn't care for OP/ED songs themselves, and I felt that most of the background music was pretty unmemorable. I say that because I really can't remember much of it at all. I know the music effectively aided the visuals, but it's probably not what I'd listen to standalone. However, there is one song that struck me, one usually played during the most intense moments of the anime, and it has stayed with me the way few can: a lonely, haunting piano playing a melody as beautiful and sad as the tune of an old music box. This alone may be enough for me to get the OST.

Character
The characters were strong. Certainly Shinkurou and Murasaki were done well, but the support cast was also impressive. In only 12 episodes, there wasn't quite enough time to really delve into most of them, and it could be argued that only a handful of the characters actually play any sort of vital role to the story. But even without seeming "significance," they take the story and make it alive. Shinkurou and Murasaki have friends and neighbors, personal lives, and human bonds with the people around them, and it is those they interact with that gives the series its feel of realism. I found myself interested in the side characters, and I think I could watch Kure-nai again even just to see more of them. I was also impressed with how they took such an overbearingly female cast and a story with romantic undertones and prevented it from taking on "harem" clichés. The support characters all seem to represent different aspects of and attitudes toward life, and each gives the series a unique insight into the story.

Shinkurou and Murasaki were even stronger characters, though. They, too, were very human, and at times painfully so. Murasaki, the lovable, huggable bundle she is, has led a life that has left her bizarrely mature in some areas and frustratingly impossible in others. Shinkurou, for all the good in his heart, has his own set of shortcomings, and sometimes you find that he's not the fearless hero you want him to be. The relationship between them, however, is the best part of the show, and before you scream pedophilia, know that the relationship does not, at least in my opinion, carry sexual undertones. It's really quite a clean and healthy situation between them. Creepy people, you too will be disappointed.

As far as my personal opinion on the series as a whole, I'd love to give it a 10/10, but I do feel it wasn't really masterpiece-level as far as sound and story go. Didn't keep me from enjoying it like one, though. Definitely one I'll be buying if/when it ships overseas.

This isn't a series that I would recommend to everyone, but it is a series that I consider amazing. If you're not sure, pick up the first episode, stay with it until the end, and see if you'd like to watch more. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll never touch it again. At any rate, it's definitely one that's worth trying. read more