Ranked #1475

Amatsuki

I'll start by telling you that the manga this thirteen-episode series is based on, has been running for over three years now. From this alone, you can deduce that it's too short, and doesn't end properly. That's very true, and these thirteen episodes seem like an introduction arc to something much more grand. But despite being too short, it showed so much potential that I'm gonna read the manga. And hope for a second season.

Read the sumamry, and you'll have the basic premise of this show. Rikugou Tokidoki gets trapped in an alternate world, where demons and the like isn't an unsual thing. After getting trapped here, he is suddenly confronted with a lot of things; he has to change the way he thinks about and lives life, and he's the one person in that world who doesn't have a fate, which has resulted in him possessing a special power. Amatsuki also begins to explore the relations between demons and humans: are either good or evil? Is there something else behind it all?

As I said, it sets the base for one helluva great show, and then stops. Fortunately, they didn't try to resolve things that much during the course of the thirteen episodes. I say fortunately because this definitely leaves room for a new season to continue the show, something they might not have been able to if they tried to close up the ending.

The characters are all okay, with some great supporting characters and a new kind of main character in Tokidoki. He's not the completely laid-back type, and he's definitely not the overly rash type of guy. He's just a kind guy who cares for those around him without having to show it by killing everyone around him.

Studio DEEN did a great job on the animation. The coloring is good, shading effects are good too, backgrounds are great, and characters designs are fine, with the exception of their eyes; the pupils are a bit large compared to the size of the eyes. I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of it. Nevertheless, the animation's great.

The soundtrack is really great, though a bit unvaried; it was the same few background songs that played during the series, and I noticed that one of them was just an instrumental version of the ED theme, which in its original vesion is astounding. The OP theme's good too. The soundtrack did a decent job for this series, but it lacked a few things to become truly awesome.

One more thing to note is that things may happen a bit quickly at times; this is most likely a product of its short length. I've noticed other people complaining about this, and true enough, I didn't quite catch what was happening without pausing and/or rewinding a few times to think over things.

All in all Amatsuki is a series that may leave you a bit confused, and it'll make you long for a second season, but it's definitely good, and it holds the potential to become truly great. It just needs a second season!

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =) read more

Passed during a mysterious parallel thought of Edo period, Amatsuki is a very interesting anime that explores the relationship between the basic religious classes of Shinto: Demons, Humans, Kami and the Heaven.

The first thing we have to remember to be able to fully enjoy this is that these "classes" are completely unrelated to anything you may find in the montheist Western religions we're used to. Demons, Humans and Kami (the spirits of things, if I am allowed to simplify) live in unrelated worlds, bounded by thin bridges, while the Heaven is a higher place where everything belongs. It is in Heaven (Ten) that the destiny is forged and inserted in matter. Everything is ok in Amatsuki, the Edo mirror, until this young man Toki appears. Happens that young Toki also has the ability to forge destiny! Which dwells into the desire to change it.

The story is absolutely interesting because of this setting. Some of the characters know what the destiny will be and will want to change it, while the main character is driven through a madness of a world that he does not know, trying to fit himself, please everyone and keep up with the people he loves.

The art is not refined, but appropriate, and the portrays of demons are very amusing. It fits well the characters: an assortment of hot guys (for my fangirl pleasure), original designs for the paranormal beings and delicacy of clothes for the girls. The personalities of the characters are also very interesting, from the lazy demon boss to the shy and short tempered possessed girl. However, the main character fails them. A boy that never had any problem, has no reason for being kind, accepts everything just because... Too ideal.

A beautiful world surrounded by a beautiful musical score, with the great defect of being too short. The secondary story (heart-taking and inspiring, for what matters) took all the time, while the primary was left open with a declaration of war to the Heavens. This outrageous ending makes Amatsuki deserve its fair score. All we can hope is that a second season is written in our destiny. read more