Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

I really feel like this anime just has a way of getting you sucked into the story. Yes it's shoujo, yes it's romance, but it's an enchanting story being told. And it's not that typical "oh well he's a king & I'm a princess" *automatically falls in love* Not even close! He threw her in jail when Livi first met Nike xD It's a story that takes place in a distant era, but it's definitely not what you expect!

Story: 8/10- What is to really admire about this story is that it's not that shoujo that's all about the romance and overly sweet moments. There's actions, ... and things you wouldn't expect a princess to ever do! It has a define plot, though it's pretty simple; but it gets it point across without being too complex. Just seeing the level of character building between the two protagonists and how they change gradually is just great. Nothing seems too sudden, but just right.

Art: 9/10- The art is pretty colorful. Nothing is ever bland, but just a balance of beautiful colors. The animation overall is very nice and neat. But it's nothing over-the-top.

Sound: 10/10- The music for this anime is hands down perfect. Maeda Rena's voice is beautiful. She's the voice actor for Nike & the singer for the opening, closing, and of course the "Tender Rain" song! The lyrics for the songs themselves are in sync for the overall anime.

Character: 10/10- It's not common when I find an anime with nice development without over doing it or not enough. The main characters are a winner in this. Livi's past isn't fully exposed to the point where you know EVERYTHING, but just enough were us as the viewer is satisfied. Nike's past is also like this. But since we meet her family later in the series, hers is more developed in a way. Overall, all the supporting characters are nicely done and aren't a nuisance ^^ But even with that, there are still some questions you might be asking yourself by the last few moments of episode 12 ;)

Enjoyment: 10/10- From episode one to now, I have loved every minute. Maybe it's because I am a sucker for romance, or maybe it's because this anime is a refresher. A lot of anime nowadays is becoming redundant and isn't as unique. But this anime hits home of being a new eye opener. Even with the plot being nothing completely special, just the characters themselves are enjoyable & the music. Music in this anime doesn't go wrong, at all!

Overall: 9/10- Loved it! And I recommend this anime is anyone. :3

With the glaring number of praising reviews, and a decent enough of the overall, I had thought to find at least something that would temporarily be a time-killer of sorts. Unfortunately, what I found was a show riddled with problems, unbearable story and poor characters. Throughout the entire show, the only thing that stuck out was production value - something that matters the least in the show of this genre.

What Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii has is not a story - it's rather an abomination, shrouded in overlapping layers of discomfort, insanity and terrible writing. Story is crippled by its inability to stay consistent, subtle ... or thought-provoking in any kind of a manner. By the time the torture was finally over, I could do nothing but laugh at how terrible it was. You can go as far as calling it a disgrace to the world of literature if you will ... and you wouldn't be far off. So, what's wrong with it, you wonder?

The premise in itself is not bad, and the first episode does, somewhat, provide a hook onto the show. However, it already began showcasing the major problems the story has - the writer had absolutely zero idea what the hell he/she wanted to do with it. Plot-hole galore is already present by the time you've watched half of the anime, and you can't help but wonder did anyone even have a grasp of what was supposed to be happening within the world created. If you're looking for a political warfare - forget it. If you're looking for economic discussion of kingdoms - forget it. If you're looking for wars - forget it. If you're looking for struggle to reign over kingdom - forget it. If you're looking for romance - forget it. This story doesn't offer any of those in the slightest measure of what should be considered acceptable. Ranging from the actions of characters that are just completely random, to the drama that's so forced you just cringe, to the sob-filled flashbacks that only add more confusion to what already is "why and how and what" type of a show. I won't go into much detail, but here's one: in the first episode, it's showcased that Nike is unable to use her powers while hungry. While it was done in a comical way, it still set a standard of rule within the world. Suffice to say, you can forget it. Furthermore, she made a big fuss about making rain, but each time she summons it, she's singing THE EXACT SAME SONG. The rules this world sets are ignored on every single corner. Furthermore, in the later episodes, the guards / soldiers / servants / king / everyone, let the princess partake in an event that could potentially lead to her death. No. Just, no.

Then, we get the introduction of "villains". It even pains me to call them so. Their motives and reasoning are pathetic, and even more insulting is that they give up on them so quickly it feels as if it was pointless to have them to begin with. For instance, bad guy number one, was against the marriage because he felt the rain to be bad omen to the Kingdom of Sun. He even went as far as to try and assassinate the princess. Minutes come and go, rain, viola, refreshing, I approve. I won't go into more details for fear of spoiling it (to be honest, there isn't much to spoil so ... ah, well), but, rest assured, that if you're looking for a story, stay as far away as possibly can.

Some may argue that this wasn't supposed to be a story-driven series, and that characters carry it (I'll come to them), but if you bother trying to put a front of the story, at least make sure that front doesn't fall apart before story even begins. The author clearly abandons the rules he/she set, and uses things on convenience of the characters, essentially nullifying any possible conflict that would arise, rendering it pointless in a nutshell.

As I mentioned beforehand, the only thing worth a damn in this show is the production. I enjoyed character designs, the way they did rain on certain occasions, as well as more than a few background shots. Animation, on the other hand, is ... average at best. It does its job, but the factor of excitement is nowhere to be found, since nothing about animation excited me in this show. From the information I've gathered, another thing that's simply worth of another "what?" is that Nike is 17 years old while the King is 15 years old. Why is there such a difference in height between the two of them I cannot answer. This also ties in to the story - is someone who's 17 really that much more of an "adult" than someone who's 15?
On the sound side, there were more than a few pieces I enjoyed, but I really hated the repetitive "call down the rain" song - it wasn't even that good to begin with. You'll be skipping both OP and ED one episode in, so don't even bother.

Now, as far as the characters go, they aren't as terrible as the story, but they're still quite dreadful. The biggest complaint I've got is the inconsistency and the backtrack of development, or rather the sudden development. Nike is referred to as a tomboy, but as far as I'm concerned, she's a bad example of one. She's rash, at times brainless and flat out ignorant, and, while you may say it's part of her charm, I'll say it's part of why she's a terrible character. She hauls the same mistakes over and over again, seemingly, again, abandoning the principle of "follow what you set, goddamnit". For a breakdown: in one of the scenes, she wakes up next to the King, and she isn't embarrassed at all. Same thing happens the next time, she is. She gets pettily jealous when someone showcases affection for the King, but is a complete, brainless moron when it's the other way around. The fact that this show even mustered courage to say that she had charmed the Kingdom into her liking is just impossible. To begin with, I have no idea how she even charmed the King.

Speaking of the King, his name is Livius, or Livi for short. He's introduced as heartless and lacking in compassion - by that introduction, he should have had Nike beheaded in the very first episode. But that's just a nitpick. His character takes turns in every episode, round and round, like an never-ending roller-coaster. He first lacks love, then he doesn't, then he suddenly does again, and so on and so forth. Honestly, with the way he is, the idea of him "conquering the world" is not just unfathomable - it's impossible. I'd rather live alone in the desert than have him act as my king. You can attribute that to the age, sure, but how was he able to conquer the world then? No, he wasn't. He acts more like a spoiled prince rather than the King, even before Nike "changed him". I won't dwell into much detail (for fear of spoiling, again, I guess ...), but rest assured that neither the characters nor the story can salvage somewhat above average production.

The only other character that's worth a damn in this show is the butler, but he's mostly just a comedic relief. Other characters are there when it's convenient or when the "conflict" is required. The only and only way this "story" progresses is when a random character, unheard of before, is introduced and our heroes must find a way to overcome the obstacle. The. Only. Way. Think about it for a moment.

Did I enjoy SSwU? Nope. Aside from a few funny moments, this one's nothing but the soup whose main ingredient, the characters, are terrible, coupled with even worse story, and a decent production to cheat you off the foul taste. The "resolutions" of "conflicts" aren't satisfactory, the "conflicts" themselves are just nonsensical and boring, the writing is often so over-the-top it crosses the "cringe-worthy" barricade, and a few laughs that you can get from it won't satisfy you in the tiniest bit.

Do I recommend it? If you can stuff through 12 episodes of terrible writing, just to get the predictable ending you saw coming first episode in, sure. IF you can stuff through 12 episodes of nothing but random conflicts (and I mean, NOTHING else), that somehow "develop" our characters, be my guest. If you can do all those things and more, and after finishing it can still say "Yeah, I enjoyed that", I commend you. You are bigger man than I am.

Does rock-paper-scissors determine the fate of everything? Not really but for Nike Lemercier, the fourth and youngest princess of Rain Dukedom, she’s about to find out just how much her life will change with just a game. Despite her reluctance, she is to marry the Sun King Livius, not for an everlasting relationship but for her country’s sake. Facing the problem of annexation, she travels to the Sun Kingdom for a marriage, one she thought was never meant to be. And boy, was she wrong.

First thought regarding the series primarily deals with its adaptation. The anime covers roughly 18 chapters of the fantasy shoujo manga, ... written by Dai Shiina. The author’s expertise in the field of shoujo has earned her the 34th Hakusensha Athena grand prize in 2009. Now her current work Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushii (This World is Still Beautiful) is a centerpiece to her ideas. Crafted by classic shoujo themes in a fantasy setting, the series tells about a very oddball duo – a young princess and a king of a kingdom.

Despite the show displaying some crass and generic concepts, it is surprisingly light on its feet. The show takes the direction of a fantasy shoujo and transcends it into an elevated atmosphere of energy with its characters. As the king of Sun Kingdom, Livius Orvinus Ifrikia (better known as Livius) is one such character with a huge prowess despite his age and appearance. From what we know, he was able to conquer the world, rid of government corruption, and seize power through conquest in a short span of just three years. But for someone his size and age, it’s hardly believable at first. That is, until we find out more about his inner character. That’s where Nike comes in who brings the best out of him. For starters though, Nike herself is shown to be a curious girl. Her journey to the Sun Kingdom ends up her losing her luggage, getting almost mugged, and treated with dismay by some of the commoners there. Rather than going vengeful at her condition however, Nike displays a more responsible personality when she is helps out some folks out of her kind heart. And from there on, it’s easy to realize that Nike is a selfless girl, one with philanthropic traits and puts others above herself. It’s from these traits that we see a different side between her and Livius as a couple.

Much to Nike’s shock and perhaps some of the audience as well, Livius’ appearance is not much different than those of a child. Standing perhaps at only 5 feet, he is a character who has accomplished unbelievable tasks. We also learn that Livius, as a person, wasn’t always born like this. Through the resourceful flashbacks inserted into the series, it’s shown that Livius’ life wasn’t always as glamourous as his current self. While his father is a king, Livius’ mother is no more than a commoner. And after her death, it seems to awoken something inside of the child. As for that moment, his desire to set about a new world order comes to fruition. Throughout the series, Livius displays leadership traits and rules his kingdom with an iron fist. Although not necessarily violent or power hungry, he has a commanding presence with an ability to lead. Perhaps this could also be a façade though. One could interpret that his ambition to conquer the world is for her mother’s sake or rather for forget about his past and painful memories. Because whenever he thinks of his mother, she really would be dead in his thoughts. Thankfully, we have Nike who plays a princess, savior, and wife all the same time for this young boy.

Taken for granted, there’s much capability between Nike and Livius. They came from different backgrounds, vastly contrasting personalities, and appearance wise makes the duo look like they came from different planets. Although this isn’t initially a good set up for partners, the two progresses throughout the series. They risk lives for each other and develops an attachment that goes from marriage to lovers. In essence, Nike is the light that shines upon Livius’ darkened heart. It’s shown in the series that Livius’ personality can contrast vastly depend on various circumstances. In one instance, he becomes so jealous and angry that an order to send his own uncle to prison simply for a misunderstanding was issued. His actions could be interpreted as those of a child in this way; almost like a metaphor like a toy being taken away from him. But that’s not entirely true at all, because Livius doesn’t treat Nike like a toy. As the series progresses, he shows different sides of him as a person rather than a king and even develops feelings for the princess. In respect, Nike also seemingly holds similar feelings that connects the duo through their very unusual bonding. It’s a fantasy story of two people coming together in all the unbelievable ways. Nike’s ability to summon rain is just one such astonishing way, a technique that even make Livius in awe.

As their relationship progresses, there are also obstacles whether it’s characters such as Livius’ fiancé Luna and Uncle, Nike’s side of her family, or just being with someone with the status of a king itself. The way the show takes direction shows how strong their connection becomes on various circumstances. And responding to these circumstances become pivotal to create a dynamic atmosphere for their relationship. In retrospect, the show crafts this concept with clever development. Although it has cliché ideas, the show portrays it as honest and charming. It’s also delightful to see how the King progresses not as a ruler, but as a person doing normal things thanks to Nike. In fact, Nike display the anti-thesis of a spoiled princess. She is able selfless and kind at heart. Their constant bickering can be interpreted as amusing as they learn what it really means to be ‘engaged’. Such a simple term mean a lot in this this show for it brings out the best out of both of these characters in the end. Don’t believe me? Try laying even a finger on Nike and you’ll feel the wrath of a very pissed off king.

The show has its side of humor that is displayed with tricky bits of execution. For one, the relationship between Nike and Livius can seem a bit substantial given their contrasting appearances. It can give the audience a wrong impression with their appearances as husband and wife in a bedroom. But rather than seeing them from an inappropriate angle, it’s more thoughtful to view the duo as a pair with much more to learn. What we also get from the show is also the amount of energy both appealing and emotional. For the appealing side, there’s the delightful moments between Nike and Livius. The emotional aspects flirts with human nature and instinct such as insecurity, jealousy, and pride. These aren’t just bestowed upon our lovable duo but to other characters such as Livius’ personal butler Neil. His overprotectiveness can be borderline out of control. For Nike’s side, the higher ups in her family has plans of their own to keep Nike as “theirs”. Onto a more childish angle, we also get the oldest trick in the book – childhood crushes. Do understand that the show does also appeal to its more dramatic side. Like mentioned before, the show’s flashbacks aren’t just for show-and-tell but rather as a way to dissect piece by piece of the characters’ image. We learn a lot from childhood pasts especially for Livius that we can also feel pity for.

Artwork is bright and colorful with Studio Pierrot in charge. Known for their habits for adding anime original content (as seen from the first half of the pilot episode), there’s an incentive to make this show’s visuals look credible. And thankfully, I’d say they pulled it out beautifully. As the title “This World is Still Beautiful”, the show’s animation quality is exactly that. The Sun Kingdom has lavish landscapes, natural features, and the castle that Livius resides shows his testimony in power. Character designs are also creative with decorative clothing that characters wear on traditions. Other characters also display credible appearances whether they are soldiers, maids, or even a prime minister. Perhaps the one character that contradict such credibility would be the king himself with his appearance.

While soundtrack doesn’t score the home run for the series, its message does. While the main OP song has a smooth pacing and coordination, it’s the theme song in the show that truly counts. Nike’s singing is an embodiment for symbolizing hope and rebirth. The song “Tender Rain” is a prominent feature throughout the series that is much more than just simple water pouring down on earth. It acts as a symbolic way for Livius’ progress as a character with him undergoing changes. The song itself is also sung with energy and empowerment as Nike’s voice really means it for every word. Otherwise, the OST of the show balances itself well along with characters’ voice mannerisms.

Surprise is a word I would describe my feelings towards this show. What is seemingly a cliché shoujo here is presented with an attractive appeal for its setting, characters, and ideas. Its balance of the show’s story and comedy matches well. It’s insightful to see how much Livius change especially after getting acquainted with Nike. And while the story is predictable with cheesy lines and moments, it’s also honest and innocent. For a story to be bought out this way, it’s also definitely beautiful.

Romance is the oldest story in the world. The story of Romance that involving two kingdoms/empire is one of the most classic stories that ever made. Several authors write the story by giving the sweetest moment between the couple that exist in the story. And now, Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii continue the legacy of that classic era. Well, if you look deeply inside the plot, Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushi have the same typical romance comedy plot, but it's capable to represents the main feeling of the story itself. Soredemo succeed brings all the emotion on the screen, it has great plot although not the greatest ... plot that ever exist.

The animation of Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is clear and neat. It has well-produced backgrounds, and visual effects. The eye maybe a little bit different from the manga series, but it's fine though since the animation is neat.

As for the sound, Soredemo have decent sound settings. The opening "Beautiful World" is matched with the entire series, while the ending "Promise" sung by Rena Maeda (The seiyuu of Nike) is more forgotten when compared with the opening song. The voice actors did decent jobs while bringing such character to the screen.

The main character in Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is not flat, they classified in a beautiful way. There are developments between the main characters, as the story running, they learn each other past, and with that past, they can create a beautiful relationship. The other characters besides the main character is a bit flat, there has to be an explanation for this.

Sometimes exciting, sometimes not...., Soredemo has a see-saw enjoyment, I found my brain hard to deciding when I stop or when I continue to watch the series. The main enjoyment is at the edge of the story or should I say the climax. But in general, it entertains me...

It is recommended for the fans of Shoujo genres. Since it's a shoujo, male viewers maybe not recommended to watch this anime, some of them may found this boring. My passion in this anime is an adaptation of a second season..., well just hope that happen

Soredemo sekai wa utsukushii ( The world is still beautiful ). As described on the tittle,this anime really portrays the beautiful side of the world. At first glance,it just looks like your typical prince and princess get together life happily ever after shoujo anime,But don't let your first impression fools you. This show is more than that,it is an outstanding anime indeed

Story : 8
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This anime starts off with a strong foundation of story.At first,it won't give you a special impression but as you watch each episodes,you'll find yourself captivated by this anime's story charisma.The story will keep going on and without you notice,you are already ... at the end of the story. Each episode is interesting and it will make your curiousity get better of yourself. As it starts strong and going on steadily charming,it also ended in a wonderful way

Art : 9
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As you can expect from anime which is released on 2014. The art is great and it really fits my art criteria well,the comical art is also great and not annoying,the eyes colors are deep and charming,the background,clothes,and how the clouds appear and rain fell down are all great and its greatness are beyond my expectations

Sound : 10
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This anime really picks awesome songs for opening,ending and each moments in it. For seiyuu to sing and fill the main character's voices isn't an easy task but she did it really well.When she speaks,she isn't showing a wimpy-squeak voice,instead it shows a brave yet kind voice and when she sings,it shows an elegant and kind voices which makes me shiver in aweee-ness. And for each moments,it can insert the songs in without any annoyance to the mood,the rain's sounds,the songs' sound,the cloud's sounds,the wind's sounds,the supporting characters' sounds, each of them is beautiful and really fits the anime well

Character : 7
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each of character in this anime is interesting and likeable,i can't help but to try to understands each of characters' feelings and find them reasonable for their act. The specially interesting characters are livius and nike. Nike isn't your typical lady-like princess,instead she is a tomboy and often do something you never expect a princess would do,but she is who she is and it is interesting and succeed to charmed every viewers. Next,we have a king who has conquered the world 3 years after he took the throne who unexpectedly is a young brat. He may seem like one but in inside,he is even much more mature than a 60 years old man all thx to the sour past of his life. Both of them is interesting but the others are also likeable,they are also well-done sketched so you will have a hard time to seek for their flaw

Enjoyment : 9
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this anime has a great romance,a fantasy kind of magic which you can't grouped as magic either,a lot of not annoying comical comedy in each episode and a great voice singing in each episode so it is an OF COURSE i'll enjoy this anime a lot

Overall : 9
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Overall,this anime is a great flawless anime which will worth for a marathon and rewatching. If you like a romance anime with great art and songs then i'd highly recommend this to you. Trust me,once you give it a shot,it will make u fell in love in it

For those helpful and not-helpful voters out there, Feedbacks are appreciated ;)

This is one of the best shoujos I've watched so far. It stands out with it's unusual setting, great and not cliché at all characters and the great music.

Story:
It was pretty original. I like the world the author created, although I couldn't understand everything about it. The story was a bit too fast paced for my taste in the first half, but it got more well balanced towards the end. It felt a bit over dramatic to me at some parts, maybe because twelve episodes are not enough to really get into the story and feel moved by the drama. I did feeled pretty moved ... in the last 2-3 episodes though.

Art:
The art was nothing outstanding, but it wasn't bad either. I liked the way the eyes were drawned.

Sound:
This was my favourite part of this anime. The music is great. I really like the rain summoning song, it's so touching and I can never get enough of it. The opening was pretty nice too and the ending was great. The voice acting was really good too. I liked how Princess Nike didn't have a over high pitched voice like most girls in anime.

Characters:
The two main characters were really well developed. We got to learn about their past and how they became the way they were. The way their relationship developped was really nice too, it felt realistic. Most supporting characters like the butler didn't get much development, but they were funny and interesting. Some of them could have been removed without changind anything, like the elder trio (I never understood what their role in this story was).

Enjoyment:
I really liked this anime, the first episode really got me hooked and I enjoyed most episodes a lot.

Overall:
It is a great shoujo and I don't get why it isn't more popular. I really liked the older woman with younger man (or child here) kind of relationship. It's so unusual but worked great here. A must watch for fans of romance that are getting tired of the typical shoujos with shy girls and strong boys.

What does this anime remind me of? Ans, "The King and I" yes a classic 1956 movie (with its 1999 re-make) that you're great grandma has probably watched when she was younger and re-watch several times in some of those classic channels.......that is, if they have access to 'Turner Classics" or "MGM Classic, " hey, let's face it, it was almost identical to the classic where the king is a cold and uptight ruler and the girl is an independent outspoken individual, even thought there is that reverse thing, where in the classic it a east meets west kind of thing, here it was ... more of a west meets east and also it has the element from beauty and the beast where beauty was force stay with the beast, while in this anime in was more of a reverse lolicon or more like a sotacon where beauty ( I'm guessing she's somewhere between 18-21) was forced to become this kiddo's (I'm also guessing that he is somewhere between 11-13 years old) bride ( or maybe his playmate) but either way the romance and adventure really did play well or at least plotwise, so here are my ratings for this anime:

Story: Outstanding 10.

Refer to the explanation above. Take note the score is only for the plot where it does have some similarities with the classic movie.

Art: Good 7.

I like the way Nike is illustrated, though she more of a sexier version of Anna Harriette Leonowens. Also, I kinda like the Chinese Tibetan motif that were featured in the last 3 episode of this anime.

Sound: Poor 3.

Now, I may have liked the opening theme, and Nike's song "Tender Rain" but for the song "Tender Rain", well it was touching at first, but it becomes annoying later on. Also, Livi's voice would have been better of if it was continuously done by seiyuu Kudou, Haruka, instead of Shimazaki, Nobunaga, because an early teen's voice doesn't matured up until he is 14 years of age and frankly Livi doesn't look like he is 14. Nike's voice on the other hand should have that tsundere tone co'z quite frankly Maeda Rena's tone wasn't tsundere enough, also, I can't understand why Nike's grandma's farewell rain was done by a younger girl, it would have been more appropriate if Granny's farewell rain song was done by an opera singer, so its either studio Pierrot and VAP were cutting cost or Japan doesn't have any local opera singers.


Character: Dreadful 2.

This is the part were I would ask......as to WTF was series creator Shiina, Dai thinking for conceptualizing such thought about a grown up being in a relationship with a kid? Such character concept of this series' creator was enough of me to give this category a low score, let's go over the main character's

Nike Remercier- Ok, I have no problems of her marry off to a person of nobility, but my peeves about her stems from the fact that she is a person of nobility who happens to be rough around the edges, now to me I see it as a good thing where it shows humility, what I don't like was that her suppose husband is a brat and she doesn't do anything to get away from him, in fact whatever bet she had with her sisters can be declared as null and void. Now the conflict here was how does she sees Livi, does she see him as a poor soul that she took upon herself to comfort him or has she already develop that lolicon thing for him?

Livius Orvinus- He is another reason why I give this category a low score, I just couldn't fathom as to why a boy like him would go for a MILF like Nike, when he could have just went looking for Amaluna, also WTF was series creator Shiina, Dai thinking for letting a kid do a man's job. Frankly, I kinda see him as a kid entering puberty and probably he can see Nike naked and do get punish and I'm thinking that he gets to loose his virginity to her as well.


Enjoyment: Fair 6.

Mainly, there were Episodes that I find entertain and there are those that were a drag and that's the reason why I give this category its score.

Overall: Decent 4.

The story plot may be good, but the real let down was the fact that this anime has that reverse lolicon thingy, but then again it was decent enough to be view by everybody, except if kids would be watching this then their parent are gonna have a lengthy explanation about the cougar and tadpole relationship.

I was hesitant to watch this anime, given the synopsis explained led me to believe it would be a lighthearted comedy, a genre to which I am not particularly partial. I put off watching it for quite some time, until I had caught up with all the currently airing anime I'd been interested in, and in my idleness, I decided to watch it.

I marathon-ed this anime in two days.

The story was not the most colorful or elaborate, but it was rich in culture and backstory. I must say, if you are a sucker for backstory, it shall be sated here, rather ... than left out to wither away in the recesses of space and time, like so many other anime.

The art, while well above average, fell short of remarkable. It made the anime much more visually appealing than I was expecting, and despite the "bishounen" vibe throughout, the characters were not overly flowery and obnoxious in that regard. The environment was done beautifully, with especial care given to the sky and to the castle art.

The sound in this anime was quite nice. I would say it was not necessarily unique or remarkable in the everyday moments, but the anime focuses a lot around the heroine's singing, which is done in such a way the viewer enjoys it more each time, rather than a taxing noise to fast forward through as the producers provide tiring filler content.

The main characters were enticing and colourful, providing a refreshing reprieve from the blase stereotypes of females who are over sensitive and never forgive, and males who are either too brutal or too soft. The heroine is strong, but nothing superhuman, and the male character is emotionally realistic to the experiences he owns. I would say my only desire would have been for the secondary characters to be a bit less flat.

This anime carries a dark and flavorful theme throughout, and I would recommend it to everyone.

!!!Warning- This manga can make you go all "awwweeooooiii,blush,tears,laugh,feels" and In case like mine combination of all. Before, I start reviewing I need to say 2 things

1. This is just my opinion,feel free to give your suggestions.
2. I will try my best to ignore the story as much as possible, so it won't ruin the fun for you.


~ I never felt this good watching a shoujo anime since lovely complex.Its literally a lot similar to lovely complex too because of the height difference between the main couple and humor, what surprised me the most the animation is done by "Studio Pierrot", YEA YOU HEARD ... ME RIGHT "Studio Pierrot" which is responsible for naruto's artwork. It has total 12 episodes, Each episode is interesting and as it starts strong and going on steadily charming,it also ended in a in a wonderful way. I feel sad for not watching this gem last year,considering the fact I am a huge shoujo fan!

Genres-Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Psychological,Comedy

Plot- 10/10 ( No annoying love triangle, MC with a tragic past. I won't spoil anything more, just this if you are looking for lovey dovey romance and Psychological as addon to spice up things a bit, then you came to the perfect place.)

Characters- 9/10 (Aside from main couple, side characters don't get much development, but its okay from the start you will be hooked up with Livius and its dark myster past though it remains mystery most of it because the manga itself ain't far ahead)

Artwork- 9.5/10 (Its really rare for a shoujo adaption to have an epic artwork, not sure how many of you readers knows about this, but most of time Shoujo anime are given low budget artwork. Fortunately its adapted by a shounen studio)

Sound- 9/10 (Nike's song in the anime {It's a tender rain} is beautiful. One more thing I must tell, you must not skip the opening song as the character builds up in the opening episode after episode, it feels great to see that)

Enjoyment- I gave it 9 because by the end there are still some questions that left unanswered, but definitelty has high re-watch value for me!

I found this series rather uninspired. Lacking in intrigue , it tries too hard in all the wrong ways while leaving its potential strengths to languish in the derived mediocrities of the shojo genre. The plot mechanic of the age disparity between the protagonists, especially in light of their genders, was the sole unique feature that drew me to this anime (as I'm fond of unconventional romances) and partially redeems it after the fact. Perhaps I was expecting too much of this series but like an initially idealistic parent later turned sour on the realities of life; I am left simply disappointed at the waste ... of potential. The suspense and drama in this series felt artificial and plainly predictable, as though they were set pieces (and not in the intriguing Machiavellian way) used to force the movement of plot or check off tropes from a list. Aside from the aforementioned plot mechanic this series was very much analogous to a stereotypical harem anime and like the rehashed harem anime, this series probably won't be well received outside its target audience aside from as a guilty pleasure. The short of it is: if you are an older veteran of anime who has a taste for the cerebral in shows or being kept on your toes as a viewer of romance/drama, then look elsewhere. If you are however a younger viewer, perhaps even a virgin to the genre, and you have a fancy for the Japanese re-imagining (i.e. stereotyping) of western high fantasy settings then this series might be for you.

This is my first review, so please bear with me!
I don't want to spoil anything so I am just gonna summarize the "feeling" of watching this anime.
I did not want to see this anime at first because of the plot, but I decided to see it anyway today because I had nothing better to do.

I am so really happy that I decided to watch this anime, for the feelings that this anime have brought me. The leading characters of this anime are outstanding, I could not help to love that sassy young king, and I love an outgoing female like Nike.

Dont let the fact ... that the king is a "kid" scare you from watching this anime, he is probably my favorite male protagonist (of romance anime) ever, you can bear in mind that he is about 2-3 year younger than Nike, the female protagonist, so the age difference is not that big anyway

There is a uniqueness to this anime, I loved the sory and the art, it is fitting, and the music is really bringing it all together, I really enjoyed watching it, and that is why this anime receives a strong 10 from me.

WARNING! This is an anime that gets you so hooked that you will watch all the episodes in one day. Haha :D

There goes another anime that I've really enjoyed. I felt like its been ages since I had another one that really can suck up my time with. I've literally finished the whole series without stopping. I don't usually write reviews , but I just had to write this one.

What's more , it is a Shoujo Anime where you expect a handsome prince pops out fells in love at first sight to a not famous princess . Well no. A Shoujo, but not the typical ones.

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (The World is Still Beautiful) really caught my attention after watching the 1st episode. Not just ... the 1st, each of the episodes just had its way to make you continue watching . I tend to get very excited when each episode have its climax. Guess what? Every single episode has achieved that. To me, a good anime means craving for the next episode and the other.

Story + Character 9/10 - Since this anime contains fantasy with anime logic. I'll go with the flow and not to mix whats real and whats not. As how the story flows , I fell in love with both the MCs. It is beautiful looking how these two progress after each episode. Its amazing that the story understand's a viewer mind. They make it in a way, that all viewers would want. Simply amazing.

Art + Sound 8/10 - Coming from a 2014 Anime, Art was good. Ah yes, the openings, endings, the song that the Female MC sung. - Tender Rain. Everything just fits . Listening twice is more than enough to love the song. I also love how the Female MC sang the song - tender rain. Judging from her character , don't you think it fits just fine? Gave an 8 , as you might realize the song 'tender rain' has been used quite often at the start of the first few episodes. But later that, the mood was spot on, just right . Instead, you wont get tired listening it over again.

Enjoyment 10/10 - Not much to say here, I've clearly enjoyed myself after watching this anime. You can tell that everything was planned perfectly to make such a good romance story. Good way to attract a viewer's mind.

Overall 9.5/10 - I don't see why such Romance/Shoujo Anime like this , is not well known. You may consider this as a typical Shoujo Anime since this is kind of romance that most people wants. All I can say that this anime is more than a level higher than average. Definitely one of the best shoujos animes out there. You will definitely like this.

This is all based on my own opinion . No hard feelings . Any feedbacks is appreciated .

I don't understand how this anime is getting good reviews when it's quite literally pedophilia.
She's 17. He's 12. That's absolutely horrific and gross; doesn't matter the setting or situation.
There is nothing romantic or cute about a GROWN ADULT grooming a child.
I urge anyone who finds this sort of thing cute to re-evaluate your moral values. Maybe get a therapist.

Nothing more needs to be said about this anime. Pedophilia is disgusting. End of story.

I wish this anime lived up to its name, but if anything it makes me feel like the world is more depraved and disgusting than I thought.

This is technically the first time I encountered an anime that had a beautiful scene every single moment. All you think at the end is "I want more" and "I need to read the manga now!!!" This is by far my number one anime of the year. Everything about the anime is astonishing and beautiful. When I mean beautiful I mean beautiful.

Story: Everything about the story had a cause and an effect. They had moments where love, had, sadness come into play. You can tell that each and every scene in the story would touch your heart in a second. It was fun and hilarious. ... Everything was well put together. The idea of a saddened child sun king falling in love with a princess from the rain is so cute and so well developed. You can tell that they start gradually have feelings for each other. Also when the princess can't stop falling in love with him and keeps thinking about him makes me want to scream with delight. It will satisfy you, trust me.

Art: When I looked at the art the first time, all I could think was how beautifully all the characters were made. They each had their own personality which matched how they looked like. The flowers, trees, rain had their own little sparkle in them and it was overly perfect. It was brightly colorful and when the characters have their own little emotion fit it was cute and funny.

Sound: The singing was amazing! I could never stop listening to it to the fact where I downloaded the song to my I-pad, computer, and CD. The opening song was fun and light. The character's voices didn't have any flaws and matched the mouth movements which some animes lack. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful sound than this.

Characters: Livi and Nike are my most favorite anime characters in the whole world. They were fun and loving. They had a spark to them that most animes don't contain. The side characters has their own story behind them which makes the anime more interesting. Everyone was so enjoyable and I couldn't get enough.

Enjoyment: I love love love it! Like I said it was fun, sad, funny, and every other emotion you can think of that'll fit this anime. I could never ask for less.

Overall: I mean of course i'll give it a 10! Why wouldn't I? It was a truly amazing anime to watch and I enjoyed every second of it. I'm not just saying it, I literally mean it and I recommend this anime to you and your friends. It's truly amazing and at the end you want more of it!

The World Is Still Beautiful is a shoujo fantasy romantic comedy-drama set within a fictional land where a princess of the Rain Dukedom named Nike is arranged to be married to the Sun Kingdom's young ruler Livius in order for the Rain Dukedom to maintain its sovereignty. The series is mainly focused on the growing bond between Nike and Livius, exploring Livius' traumatic past and exploring the political hostilities that erupt among both factions in response to the marriage.

The biggest strengths to this series come in the nice amount of exploration it offers up to with Nike and Livius' lives. In spite of its 12 ... episode run, the series explores the types of rule that both the Rain Dukedom and Sun Kingdom fall under, characters within the series with varying levels of relationship to our two leads and hostilities with both sides that involve the marriage with our leads. Beyond a few shallow characters connected to the Sun Kingdom, many relevant characters within the series get enough fleshing out for you to understand their personal beliefs, connection to our leads and what desires they have for their marriage thus there isn't much in the way of black-and-white morality to this series except for the early episode arc of Nike trying to get her marriage to Livius approved by a crooked Sun Kingdom priest. The arc where Livius and Nike visit the Rain Dukedom offers the best developments in the series for me thanks to the credible and relatable concerns that members of Nike's family have with the marriage that lead them to cause the arc's main conflict in regard to Nike's power to manipulate rain.

Our main leads also get their developments as well with fleshing out of their characters and the gradual development of their relationship. Due to Livi's tragic past, he developed a cold outlook on life and found it difficult to trust others. The presence of Nike in his life leads our king to mellow out of his cynical mentality as he comes to gradually open up to her and settle hostilities he had with close acquaintances while still maintaining his cold facade. While "opposites attract" style romances are nothing new in anime, the one between Livius and Nike is a convincing one thanks to the two coming to understand and trust in one another throughout the show's run. Only low points with the storytelling are some hit and miss efforts with comedy coming from spats that our two leads get into and some unexplored elements of the series when one of Nike's family members voiced their concerns about the potential abuse that could arise with Nike's power.

Visually, the series is on the average side for a 2014 title. There is a good amount of detail and color shading put into scenery and character designs, but it is nowhere as rich and vast in detail as what titles like Nagi no Asukara and Terror in Resonance delivered that year. The animation is also a bit on the average end as well as there are noticeable shortcuts that are taken and the only notable high points with it came from Nike's use of her power to create rain.

Overall, The World is Still Beautiful offers an excellent exploration of the developments of Nike and Livius' relationship, as well as focusing on how others connected to them are affected by the relationship. If you're a fan of shoujo anime, this is one of the more better recent offerings for the demographic worth checking out.

If the process of having an identity disorder could be physically condensed into an anime this would be that anime.

Never have a seen a story that knows less what it wants to be. Characters veer wildly between being good guys and bad guys, not in a realistic grey area way, but in a "flipping between extremely cartoonish poles" way. Characters will be attempted rapists one episode then become a silly comic relief guy later. Characters will be painted as evil and trying to control Nike and then turn around and be extremely genuinely written like "we were just worried about her." The biggest flip is ... constant; Livius will be a love interest hopeful that Nike is falling for but then will radically flip to being a little evil tyrant who is abusing her.

All because it cannot decide if it wants to be a silly funny anime or a dark serious anime. It honestly should have just picked one and stuck with it so the tone wouldn't be wildly flipping around all the time. I think it does the dark and serious sections better, actually, and would have preferred if it struck to being a dark tale about an evil tyrant Livius and his unwilling betrothed bride Nike. None of the half baked and clumsy attempts to be a romcom.

It is well animated and nice to look at. The production value for this is easily the best part of it but that means very little in the grand scheme of things. It's basically the thing saving it from being a 1 and netting it at least a 2.

I’ll start off this review by making it clear that I haven’t read the manga and knew nothing about this story when I decided to start watching the anime, therefore my opinion is purely based on the latter.

This being said, I was less than impressed with it, in fact I’m surprised that the vast majority of the reviews are positive and praise this enough to rate it with a 10… but anyway, everyone’s entitled to their opinion and here’s mine: Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii was mediocre at best. Let me break down the reasons:

Story 4/10

Knowing nothing about this anime or its characters, I must say ... the premise was good enough to catch my eye, even though it is obvious that sotries relating to arranged marriages are nothing new, but anyway, they’re my guilty pleasure. However the story fell flat. Everything happened way too fast and everything seemed to be a BIG PLOT DEVICE to get the main two characters to fall in love with each other and I must say it was not believable at all and seemed to be quite forced.

Art 5/5

The art was mediocre, and even though it’s not so bad that it becomes an eyesore to watch, it was somehwat unconfortable. I just can’t with lazy animation and backgrounds, it’s a big no-no for me.
Also, it seemed to me that all the efforts were centered on the main two characters, Nike the princess and What’s-his-name the (Kid) King; but even so, their design was boring and I must also say that I was not impressed by the efforts to make their clothing mildly interesting.

Sound 4/5

The soundtrack was just meh… I skipped every single song in this anime, they were very annoying and the background music was very cheesy at times.
The rest was ok I guess.. nothing remarkable.

Characters 5/5

The characters were decent, at least the main two. The heroine wasn’t a damsel in distress and the King wasn’t your usual main male character, he was a kid and that fact made it somewhat interesting even though the reverse lolicon scenario bothered me. The rest of the characters were 2D, mere plot devices. And that’s all I can say for them, seriously.

Enjoyment 3/5

The episodes dragged, that’s why I dropped this anime really fast. I normally give animes a shot even when my first impression of them isn’t all that good. I at least give it the chance to present the characters, explain the main plot, etc, but when I’m halfway through the third episode of an anime with a total of 12 and I’m mind numbingly bored and constantly distracted with just about anything and I can’t even be bothered to pay attention that’s when I know for sure it’s a lost cause for me.

Overall 3/5

I really wanted to like this anime, I promise, but there were far too many flaws for me.

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii. A great romance anime. This was an anime I was really looking forward to, but I waited until it finished airing. I'm just not patient enough to wait for a whole week every time after watching just one episode. Never mind, I'll start my review:

Story 10/10
The story is about Nike, the fourth princess of the rain kingdom. As she lost a rock-paper-scissors match to her sisters, she has to go to the sun kingdom and marry the king. When she arrives, she finds out the king is a kid. But that apart, the king has a very closed personnality and orders ... people around. Nike, who often gets frustrated about it, tries to change him. Through the episodes, you will see how they will grow to each other, and a romance story will develop.
Personnally, I thought the story was original, because I haven't really seen a story like this before. Of course, someone gets married of, but most of those story's are about a guy who is older than the main girl. And this is different in this story.

Art 9/10
The art was good, it was realistic and it fitted the characters. I liked the way everything looked, their emotions were well shown and there was also attention paid to the surroundings. I thought it was pretty well done.

Sound 9/10
I thought the voices fitted the characters very well, there were no annoying voices or sounds in this anime (thank god). I also liked the opening and ending song, as well as Nike's own song when she calls forth the rain.

Character 10/10
Because there are two main characters I will just talk about them:
Nike: I already said she is the forth princess of the rain kingdom, well, if you can really call it a kingdom. But never mind that. She speaks her mind and cares a lot about others. She is also troubled by Livius' behavior and he slowly opens up to her. She is brave, and doesn't change her mind when she wants to achieve something.
Livius: I have no idea how old he is, but het acts like he is the same age as Nike, maybe even older. In the beginning, he is stiff, a workaholic and doesn't want ayone to say a word against him. Except from his mother, he doesn't really see anybody as his family. In the beginning, he finds Nike annoying and doesn't want her interfering with stuff. However, he gradually loosens up a bit, begins to trust Nike and wants to protect her.

I thought both main characters where great, they stand up for themselves and for each other. They 'fight' pretty much, but that's just funny to watch. I definitely loved the way how they began to trust each other more. There relationship develops trough the episodes. Of course they have some trials to go through. It's not just an anime with a lot of happiness, then I would probably have thought it was to sweet.

Enjoyment 10/10
As I think you already can see it through what I said earlier, I really enjoyed this anime. It got me addicted, so I kept watching. It has a fantasy element because Nike can do something special. Also this makes the story original. And of course, I'll say it again, I liked the romance, it was cute in it's own way. I was actually pretty glad that, even though Livius was still a boy, he didn't act like he was one. Well, he got trough a lot of grief so that made him act like that. Anyway, I enjoyed this anime really much.

Overall 10/10
Yeah, I know, I know, I didn't give all the categories a 10, but still, I give the overall a 10. As someone who's fond of romance animes, I really enjoyed this anime. I had high expectations and they came true. So if you like romance animes with a small fantasy toutch, this really is an anime you should watch.

I really hope my review helped you a bit, you should watch this anime. Don't hestitate, just watch it. That's all I can say. I loved it. I hope you will too.

With this anime, there were both things that I enjoyed, but there were also things that I didn't like. I rated the story as 'Fair' for a couple of reasons, mostly on the basis of my bias towards shoujo anime. I usually don't like shoujo anime and manga in its original, flowery, roses and sparkles and hot anime guys form. Although, there are, of course, exceptions. Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii, aka Still World is Beautiful, aka The World is Still Beautiful, is, I admit, an exception. (Toshokan Sensou is also definitely an exception...okay, so is Lovely Complex. Lovely Complex is hilarious).

The story, although amusing ... and depicts that there are still beautiful, pleasant things in life in the midst of all the bullshit we have to deal with as human beings, like, for example, anguish and grief and being ostracized and all the things that just aren't fair, still has the shoujo element of two characters meeting each other, not liking each other at all, and then somehow falling in love(p.s - I know this says to avoid spoilers, but it's very blatantly obvious who's going to fall in love with who. I really try to avoid spoilers).

Even though I hardcore ship the main coupling in this anime, at the same time I coped with the whole 'tsundere-love-obvious-love-happening' thing that goes on. The story line does have a uniqueness to it that I haven't seen in other anime, which is a plus. The story is simple, however; no hardcore, complex, masterful, and well thought out plot lines and connections that exist in something like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Canaan, Darker Than Black, or Baccano!. It's not as plotless as something like Full Metal Panic!, however. It's just, as aforementioned, simple. Not that simple is bad. Sometimes after sapping up the intricate details that appears in anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or in shows like White Collar, I need something nice and clean cut and simple and short. Something like Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii, for example.

However, it's also not the most realistic...well, realistic isn't the right word. Anime isn't really realistic like other types of media because of dramatic effects and whatnot that you don't notice in real life in intense situations, or aren't flared up for a dramatic effect that you can utilize in anime and other shows, movies, etc. I mean...like...accurate responses to situations and hardcore, sheer animation that properly, beautifully depicts someone shooting a gun, for example...kind of like when Re-L Mayer shot a gun in this one scene in Ergo Proxy...wragiojeijtwrj ohmygoodness the sheer amount of detail...the realism...oh yes. Shoujos aren't realistic like that. They're lighthearted and amusing. I'm usually a seinen kind of person, whose brain mentally jacks off to carefully placed details and realistic reactions to certain situations and whatnot, but regardless I was still able to enjoy this anime.

I enjoyed the character development, for one. I really liked the main characters. However, the two mainmainmain characters were much more fleshed out and paid attention to, overshadowing all the other less-developed characters, which I guess wasn't that hindering, but at times I wished I could have stomped into the anime and got to know the characters that I didn't get to know while watching it.

Another thing I really liked about this anime was its emphasis on how beautiful life really is despite all of the ugly, grotesque, unpleasant chaos that's very often mixed in. One of the main characters, after experiencing one of life's not-so-pleasant things at a somewhat young age, is very cold and hardened after the fact, and there's something just so realistic about that particular character. They are human, they have good moments and equally bad, more darker moments, which I really liked while watching this. It made it easier to emphasize with them and understand why they didn't find much beauty in anything, really. I felt like I could just hop onto the bandwagon of their pain and what they've gone through and then jump off the bandwagon and understand. Also, the bond between the two main characters gradually grows stronger over the duration of the series, which was a plus.

I liked the art style; it was pretty, but it wasn't over-the-top or generic either. It was pleasant. The sound was very impressive. One of the main themes from the anime, 'The Tender Rain', is a very beautiful song. So that gets a '10' under the sound category.

I really enjoyed watching this anime despite its drawbacks; it was very amusing, easy and fun to watch, and it wasn't hard to grasp what was going on. However, at times, the reactions of the characters and what happened was a bit too laid back and dolloped with a bit too much shoujo sparkly rosy frosting on top at times when it should have been slightly more serious because it would have made more sense, but other than that it was pretty good. I rarely got bored with this anime, which somewhat surprised me. There were a few not-too-detrimental lulls in the plot line, but it didn't make me grimace and click away from the anime.

So, would I recommend this anime? If you like a laid back, easy-to-understand plot and a bit of deep meaning and thought sprinkled on it, and you're willing to watch a shoujo that isn't too uncomfortably shoujo if you cringe at the term 'shoujo', then yes. This isn't exactly one of my favorite anime(Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Toshokan Sensou are very precious to me *u*), but it's not one of my least favorite, either. 7/10; 70%! This anime got a C. Barely passing, but it's still solid enough to enjoy. I hope you liked this review! This is my first review. Also, I don't mean to insult anyone with what they like; we all have different tastes, after all. :3

Story: I can sum it up in two words: Stockholm Syndrome. That's what's going on in this anime and there isn't a more obvious example available. It isn't a true romance. The king essentially holds the girl hostage and then she gradually falls for him. She begins to see what she wants to see in him (the fact that he's emotionally damaged and needs to be loved) and soon forgets the fact that she's there against her wishes.

Characters: I'll start with Livius. He's the child of a king but since his mother was a commoner both he and his mother were treated like outcasts. As ... a kid he somehow ascended the throne and became king after his mother died. He acts like a spoiled brat and nobody likes him. So how did he become king and why do people accept that he's king? If he's so hated, why hasn't anyone just killed him yet and made life better for everyone? No idea. The first questions are never really answered which bugged me. The second question isn't answered either which bugged me more. It would have been so easy to kill and replace him and nobody would have cared.

Nike is a princess from a far off kingdom that has been promised to the Sun King. She starts off as a strong willed, likable character who can be a bit stubborn at times. But over the course of the show I came to dislike her more and more. Almost certainly because she softens and somehow falls in love with her captor, the child king Livius. She has a unique ability to bring rain when she sings.

Art and sound are both great and there isn't much to say about them. Overall I didn't enjoy the show for reasons I've given above.