Ranked #838

Spiral

Spiral is one of those animes that gets a lot of mixed reviews. In my opinion, however, it is one of the greatest animes ever created for many reasons. It's not completely perfect, of course -- I don't believe anything is perfect -- but it comes pretty darn close.

---Story---

"I'm going to pursue the mystery of the Blade Children." This single line, spoken by Kiyotaka Narumi, is the premise for the entire show. Above all else, Spiral is a mystery anime, and it centers around what, exactly, the Blade Children are. It's a fascinating idea, that, most unfortunately, is never fully fleshed out in the anime (I won't give spoilers, but the ending is definitely... not the best). Despite its shortcomings, the plot is gripping, fascinating, and, on a level, horrifying (and no, I don't mean that it's just that bad, although some may disagree. :P). I would suggest reading the manga -- which comes out in October 2007 -- to fill in all the holes the anime leaves.

---Animation---

I was completely overwhelmed by the characters and story so, honestly, the art didn't really catch my attention the first time I watched Spiral. The character designs are all very pleasing, but there's nothing really spectacular.

---Sound---

The music of Spiral, without a doubt, always fits with the current scene. While I thought the opening song was absolutely horrendous, the ending theme is one of my personal favorites. The music definitely catches the mood, going from bouncy to dark and dangerous in a heartbeat.

---Character---

Aaaah, here's where Spiral really shines through. In all the anime I have watched, I haven't come across a single one that matches Spiral in terms of characters. Every single one of them is interesting, multi-faceted, and has both strong points and weaknesses. Spiral simutaneously holds my ultimate favorite character (Kousuke Asazuki) and my most despised character (Kanone Hilbert). At some point or another, every character in this show goes through some developement and revelation. Ayumu Narumi, the protagonist, is pleasantly different from most main characters you see in anime.

I must also give a nod to the females of Spiral. There are no weak damsels in need of a rescue here! They are resourceful, brave, and just as good as any of the guys. For those of you who are tired of wishy-washy, constantly-screaming females, Spiral is your answer.

---Enjoyment---

Obviously, I enjoyed Spiral very much. While there may be things about it I didn't particularly like, the sheer pleasure I recieve in watching it far outstrips those little quibbles.

So, my friends, I highly encourage you to at least give Spiral a try. If you haven't seen it, you really don't know what you're missing.

Pros: Amazing characters, theme-fitting music, engaging storyline

Cons: Less-than-satisfactory ending, somewhat corny dialogue read more

Spiral was an interesting show. The story grabs you right away, spins you around and confuses you (in a positive way of course) It really makes you want to keep watching to find out what happens next. Unfortunately the story doesn't keep up with it's great start. It starts to slow down and less questions get answered. This is my biggest disappointment with the show, if the story had kept up with the beginning it would have been an absolutely incredible show.

The art work is mediocre and at times poorly done. The colors seem kind of dull. The purple irises always stand out from everything else in the show.

I felt the sounds and music worked well with the show. I enjoyed listening to the opening theme as well as the ending theme. There is a lot of piano played throughout the entire series as well which adds a feeling of uniqueness to the show.

The characters in the show I thought were the best aspect. Narumi was fascinating to watch throughout as he solved and figured out puzzles and traps. Hiyono and some of the blade children were well developed especially Rio, Kousuke, and Eyes. We learn a lot about their personality and care about them almost as much as Narumi.

I for one love puzzles and that made many parts of Spiral very fun to watch. Narumi solves a few detective cases early on, giving a feeling similar to CSI. It then changes to figuring out traps and outsmarting the opponent which reminded me of Death Note. If you enjoy problem solving or puzzles, You will definitely enjoy watching Narumi in action.

Overall I liked the show and wish I could have rated it higher especially for how much I enjoyed it early on. The series as a whole had one particular point it was trying to make and it's easy to understand in the end but I felt let down overall. The ending didn't really answer any questions or even leave possibilities open, it seemed too focused on making the point that it detracted from the reason I watched the show. Also the progression of the story and the answering of questions went so slow that I started watching only for the puzzles and stopped caring about the outcome.

But I do recommend Spiral for anyone who enjoys puzzles or mystery/problem solving type shows. Otherwise it's still a good watch, just don't expect it to be the greatest thing ever. read more