Now and Then, Here and There is a real wall-gazer. The kind of show that you pause to reflect upon, and then find yourself gazing deeply into the nearest wall. Spacing out, utterly deflated, with that melancholy soundtrack echoing through the halls of your mind—like an empty ballroom, with only you left sitting at the bar. The dance is over, but the mood lingers, and there's not much you can do but sit and sigh... and realize you're a little bit older.
The hero of this story, Shu, is actually not so much a hero as he is just another victim of an
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Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku
Japanese: 今、そこにいる僕
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
13
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 14, 1999 to Jan 20, 2000
Premiered:
Fall 1999
Broadcast:
Thursdays at 19:00 (JST)
Studios:
AIC
Source:
Original
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#14802
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1564
Members:
144,857
Favorites:
1,199
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 84 / 86
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Your Feelings Categories Feb 16, 2009
Now and Then, Here and There is the most emotional engaging anime series I was ever lucky enough to watch. With it's amazing directing (Akitaro Daichi famous for directing Fruits Basket and Kodacha), and incredible writing (Hideyuki Kurata, famouse for writing Excel Saga, Bamboo Blade, and both the ROD OVA and TV series) this is a series that deserves a place in any anime fan's top ten spot. Don't let it's happy-go-lucky first episode or it's director or writer trick you into thinking this is a comedy or easy-going slice of life show. This is a dark, disturbing, and violent sci-fi/drama. It can become
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Aug 12, 2010
"Now and Then, Here and There" seems to be a big hit with the more critical sections of the crowd. Scouring around the web, it's hard to come across reviews of it that are not overwhelmingly positive. But despite all these glowing reviews, I honestly didn't find the show to be that great, and since there's an abundance of opinions stating why it's good already, here's my take on why I don't think it's all that.
I don't really like the "Lord of the Ring" books all that much. One of the main reasons for this is that there are points in the books when it ... Mar 14, 2015
Very rarely does something come along with such detail, such characterization, such perfection that it is able to ascend being just something on a screen, canvas or a musical chart, truly reaching the pinnacle of what we call art. To be able to convey so much in so few episodes, Now and Then, Here and There is one of them. With this in mind, like any art, its not going to be appreciated by everyone. This is a dark, depressing series that masterfully - almost to a horrifying point - is able to illustrate the true terrors and setting of war. Understandably so, it is
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Jan 16, 2010
Simplistic Silly War Melodrama
Following rave reviews from plenty of sources I came onto Now and Then, Here and There with guarded optimism. I was promised a brutal and uncompromising look on the atrocities of war that would bring real emotion from characters. The only thing phonier than that statement is how absurdly fake the main character Shu is. Coming back from a devastating loss in Kendo, Shu notices a mysterious girl on top of a precarious smokestack. Deciding to investigate, he climbs onto another smokestack and engages with a short one-sided conversation with the blue girl named Lala-ru when suddenly a giant rift in time-space ... Aug 27, 2021
"My sorrows are overwhelming, but my virtue is left to me."
Before starting "Now and Then, Here and There" I was sure that I've seen everything that isekai genre has to offer. However to my suprise it turned out that there are still anime that I was wrong and that fantasy anime that explore themes such as war, trauma, torture, exploitation and totalitarianism in a ways that neither fall into the exploitation of cheap shock value category nor are they pretentious and too in-your-face exist. "Now and Then, Here and There" is a mature anime that tackles it's themes with respect and understanding, despite being ... Mar 5, 2008
Seldom have I found it so difficult to grade a series with a simple 'good'. Not because I found it difficult to provide a rating itself, but because I feel this series could have been so much more.
The basic storyline should be clear from the synopsis and the other reviews: boy from Earth travels to war-torn world lacking abundant natural resources, becomes embroiled within a war, of which some of the horrors are shown in some detail, and struggles to explain his own moral code to a society that has a tendency to name it baseless idealism unfit for the grim reality. All the ... Feb 12, 2015
Well, I couldn’t put this off forever. Whilst I’ve made it perfectly clear in the past that I think all non-Ghibli war anime, war movies, and war fiction in general can suck someone else’s critically acclaimed dick far away from me, I’m also aware that there are times when you have to step out of your comfort zone and review something that you only like because “based Shaft”, whatever the fuck that means. So let’s take a look at that late 90s tear-jerking piece of anti-war propaganda that everyone considers to be a classic but I consider to be exploitative rubbish.
Admittedly, it’s kind of awkward ... Nov 13, 2007
This is one of those anime you really can't judge from the cover!!!
Its animation and music weren't spectacular, and its starts off like many other steryotipical "out of this world" Shounen development stories; but it is infact much more than that. The basic plot of the story is; A young boy named Shu meets a mysterious young girl named Lala Ru, and is sucked into a mysterious choatic world that is engulfed in an Apocolyptic war. In this world, even small children are kidnapped from their villages and forced to fight in the armies. The mysterious girl seems to have a mysterious power the enemy ... Jan 20, 2009
"Because ten billion years of time is so fragile, so ephemeral..it arouses such a bittersweet, almost heartbreaking fondness".
Let me preface this review by saying that very rarely have I met paths with an animation that potently sheds light on the very tragic state of our world by charmingly forcing it's viewers to remind themselves that they are a part of that reality. "Now and Then, Here and There" is one of such, and it truly is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Perhaps one of the most praise worthy attribute of this animation is the fact that it draws it's viewers into it's own world and it is ... Feb 4, 2021
Edit: Hi, Just to let you know I wrote this review when i was young so its admittedly pretty bad.
Now and then, Here and there might be one of the best anime I have seen yet and here's why. The story follows a head high young boy named Shu , one day after practice while walking home Shu stumbles upon a mysterious blue haired girl sitting on a smoke stack named Lalaru, Shu decides to climb to the top of the smokestack to greet her but soon realizes she's a quiet girl, Then the girl is suddenly attacked by a women with these strange mechas, ... Nov 8, 2007
You're thinking not another end of the world anime...wrong. Now and Then, Here and There is probably the best end of the world anime I've seen. Even better than other great end of the world anime i.e. RahXephon, and Saikano. Heck it's one of the best anime I've seen.
Before I go on let me say this, this anime in my opinion isn't for anyone under 16 years old. There is a great deal of violence, rape, torture, and language. If you are older than 16 than this anime is a must. The story is like nothing you've seen and will keep you ... Jan 27, 2014
Anime is a medium, like video games and comic books, that has struggled to attain the label of "art." But what is art? Is it mere scribblings on a piece of paper? Is it the words in a book? Or is it much more? Can art make you question your perceptions of the world around you? Can it evoke strong feelings of sadness and joy? If that is what art is, then Now and Then, Here and There is the epitome of art. It is heartbreaking, and cruel but it never ceases to be starkly realistic in its depiction of war. It is a true
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Apr 26, 2007
Tired of mentally unstable and whiny mecha protagonists? Or the ubiquitous bitchy damsel in distress? Well fret no more, "Now and Then, Here and There" has neither.
This is an anime that blew me away the first time I watched it. A deceptively gory and disturbing piece with perhaps the most proactive and "ballsy" hero of all time. The story is nothing spectacular, quite cliche really, with subtle political undertones, the animation is mediocre, the sound is satisfactory but the character design is absolutely brilliant. From the insanely narcissistic and delusional dictator to his most basic minions, every character ... Nov 9, 2012
If you hadn't heard anything about this series beforehand, watching it would be a hell of a shock. The cover image depicts only a determined looking young boy with a stick standing protectively in front of a fragile looking young woman, and the first episode of the show gives no indication of the radical tone shift and hellishly bleak atmosphere that sets in during episode two. I weep for anyone who, lacking the forethought or desire to read a brief synopsis, thought this was going to be a "for kids" show, only to find out that it is an all-out assault on the state of
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Dec 7, 2013
Now and Then, Here and There is said to be a masterpiece, but is it? I was curious to find out without prejudice. I watched the entire series quickly thinking I would love it and its characters. The first episode made this series look cool, but then it went from bad to worse. Heck, its title is unmemorable with no other associations.
Story: The main character is pretty much a pinball protagonist. He starts the plot by talking to a blue-eyed, blue-haired plot-device girl (a complete stranger), and failing to rescue her when she is assaulted by mechanical snakes, which take both of them to a wretched ... Jun 24, 2008
Modern anime seems to have taken a favor to 'eye candy'. 'Eye candy' is profitable after all. Huge budgets, gratuitous fanservice, and bright colors have surely made many rich men in Japan; else the industry wouldn't be drowning in such scum. Refreshingly, "Now and Then, Here and There" could be called the 'anti-eye candy'.
As such, NTHT is decidedly understated in its visual aspects. There are no panty shots here, nor are there glorious, shiny, ten minute battle sequences. NTHT achieves something much more elusive: powerful, compelling storytelling. Foremost, this is a story about war. And there is nothing romanticized about ... Oct 12, 2010
Almost everything that has happened until now are on my "please don't let THAT happen"-list. I hate everything that has happened; in fact, I hate the whole show. But the sheer emotional impact each episode leaves me with is enough for me to want more, hoping for the "please let it end well" or something similar. Each episode has its own denouement, only to be completed by the best ED I've ever heard: Reiko Yasuhara's "Lullaby...". It's a true tear-jerker, I must say.
Whether or not you like emotional animes, concentrating on the character's psychology rather than immediate character development, this is an anime that will ... Dec 6, 2011
“Because ten billion years’ time is so fragile, so ephemeral…it arouses such a bittersweet, almost heartbreaking fondness.”
“Wow,” I thought as I saw these words in the opening, “what sort of deep, philosophical questions is this show going to tackle?” I was shocked to learn that the list included children being forced to fight, rape, kidnapping, starvation, and an insane dictator who wanted nothing more than war. After reading a few reviews, I was optimistic that I was really going to enjoy the show, especially since it covered such dark themes. Being “dark” isn’t always the easiest thing to pull off, and this show may be a ... Dec 22, 2022
*This review contains spoilers in a marked section*
I finally watched the cult classic "Now and Then, Here and There" the anti-war series released two decades ago. Over the years, it has been labeled a masterpiece and one of the best Isekai anime ever. I had to see it for myself, but all I can say is… Seriously? Throughout 13 tedious episodes, I found a beautifully produced but ultimately poorly written anime. Although I liked the sound and art direction, I couldn't get invested in the plot or care about any of the characters. Despite the story's attempts at social commentary, it has a surprisingly 1-dimensional view ... |