Okay, so after having just completed the whole anime series and seeing that, of the people who wrote reviews, nobody had seen the entire thing prior to writing them. I have decided to write this! Please be aware, this review details the nature of the various elements of the anime, it does not specifically reference any parts of the anime. I don't think describing an anime is called spoiling, or is it? If so, I apologize, please tell me how to better censor myself in the future.
Without further ado, the review:
This is really one of those Anime that goes into extensive detail to get the
...
audience to understand the world of Masamune Shirow. True to the other series that he has created, his limitless imagination and creation of technology surfaces once again; this time we are introduced to the concept of "The Metal". Throughout the Anime, the audience sees the roles which such futuristic pieces of technology play in the daily lives of the anime's characters. By being able to 'experience' the applications of Masamune Shirow's fictional technology through the characters, we gain better insight to the anime as a whole.
The story carefully unfolds as each of the episodes draws to conclusion, the accumulated knowledge which the audience receives is key in appreciating such a masterpiece. In other words, it is really a good idea to pay attention to what is going on in the anime so you don't get lost later! I'd like to emphasize that the story unfolds with time, unlike many action-based fast-paced anime of today. People should not be quick to judge the quality of the anime based on the first episode or even the first few episodes. At first it may not appear to be following any particular storyline but as I said, it all comes with time.
Unlike Ghost in the Shell, which can be called a predecessor of this anime, the environment is very vividly colored. However, all of the characters, objects, and buildings are uniquely designed. All of this gives the anime a sort-of exotic or 'new' feel. The art of the anime also presents the mood, and as such the audience is left with a less serious atmosphere than that of Ghost in the Shell. CG rendering is used sparingly and only as needed, akin to more 'traditional' animation. It feels as if more work is put into doing animation than CG nowadays. I guess, I'm a fan of crisper and detailed images, but the slight blurriness of the background allows the audience to not be overloaded with images. I am referencing Ghost in the Shell because it is the only other Masamune Shirow work that I have seen. There are also some almost psychedelic colors and patterns, in "the Metal" to contrast the bright, paradise-like environment of the Real Drive world.
Perhaps one unique quality, in this anime, which can be noticed immediately are the characters. The characters are generally a bit on the chubbier side, which is fine, considering, in reality, how many people are actually as thin as characters portrayed in many anime. This contributes to the believability of the anime as a whole. After all, not all anime have to conform to the typical, aesthetic pleasing, character design in order to be considered good. Perhaps it can be said that the characters behave true to their appearances, e.g. behavior. Each of the main characters undergo varying levels of development and thus each character is unique and brings forth their own contributions to the story.
At first glance, the music in this anime is quite different from the OP/ED themes. In fact, they appear contradictory of each other. The OP/ED are kind of like hard rock while the BGM fits smoothly and refreshingly into the art and with the characters of the anime. Much of the upbeat music in the anime had been synthesized with a computer, perhaps has to do with the fact of being futuristic. However, some less upbeat tracks are simple and use few instruments such as the piano, glockenspiel, violin. All of these tracks suit the changing moods in the anime. Getting back to the OP/ED themes, though they contrast the BGM, I don't believe they are bad decisions. They aren't bad to listen to either and hey, if you're bored they're a good wake-me-up, ha ha ha. One thing about the OP/ED of this anime is that they are shorter than the usual OP/ED, instead of being around 1:30, they're only around 1:15. This makes for less interruption I suppose, I definitely did not mind them being shorter. They also make each episode a smaller filesize and such benefits people with less storage.
The journey from the beginning to the end of the anime was well paced and advanced accordingly. There wasn't ever a feeling that there was no story left or too much story at the end. Perhaps though, being a more evenly-paced anime would cause some viewers to get bored really fast. Even more-so when not even all the subs were out. Having fine details yet needing to wait for weeks until the next episode, definitely does not help to tie the anime together as a whole. I suppose it is more suitable to watch it all the way through over a shorter period of time.
Though the first impression is often the lasting, the careful planning involved in introducing the anime's world in detail to the audience, makes me give a:
8/10 for Story.
Detailed and colorful are words that come to mind when recalling the world of Real Drive. Sharpness and blurriness are used appropriately to soften or heighten the anime's vivid colors. The uniqueness of the infrastructure, environment and characters design in the anime get it a:
9/10 for Art.
All of the music is crisp and cleanly composed and fits well the changing environment and moods of the anime. You can listen to the OST on its own and it would still sound good, preferably on 5.1 surround sound please!
9/10 for Sound.
The characters are uniquely designed and should be accepted for that fact; it should not deter the audience's perception of the character as an individual . As well, as individuals and groups, undergo substantial development and growth throughout the anime. This makes them seem more believable, real even.
9/10 for Character.
Each of the individual elements (such as the ones above) of this anime were tied together well, everything was place somewhere for a reason.
8/10 for Enjoyment!
As with many others, this anime started off a little on bland in my mind though, slowly but surely, I began to appreciate all of its fine details. True uniqueness is very difficult to accomplish when dozens of anime are broadcast throughout japan every season but, I will remember this as something truly different from the rest.
Overall: 9/10
Edit: After reconsideration, I have lowered Character to 9 because not all of them really, noticeably, develop over time.
Alternative Titles
Japanese: RD 潜脳調査室
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
26
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 9, 2008 to Oct 1, 2008
Premiered:
Spring 2008
Broadcast:
Wednesdays at 00:59 (JST)
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
Production I.G
Source:
Original
Duration:
22 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#38222
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#4235
Members:
27,490
Favorites:
52
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 10 / 10
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Your Feelings Categories Nov 6, 2008
Okay, so after having just completed the whole anime series and seeing that, of the people who wrote reviews, nobody had seen the entire thing prior to writing them. I have decided to write this! Please be aware, this review details the nature of the various elements of the anime, it does not specifically reference any parts of the anime. I don't think describing an anime is called spoiling, or is it? If so, I apologize, please tell me how to better censor myself in the future.
Without further ado, the review: This is really one of those Anime that goes into extensive detail to get the ... Jun 26, 2008
*Review completely rewritten as of 11/06/08*
Real Drive is a sci-fi series that deals with the impacts of the dependence on the Internet(the Meta Real Network, in the setting) on society, other than focusing on the effects on single individuals. Set in 2061, it seems to expect a slower evolution of human technology then we see on other similar works. The story mostly occurs on an artificial island that is itself built as the pinnacle of the present technology, but most of it's design and features are not something one would be surprised to find on an high-tech experimental facility today. The plot starts very slowly, with single ... Jun 12, 2008
After watching episode eight, I said to myself:" Thank god it's over. Now I can finally drop it." And I'm not saying that just because of the female character design, even though I don't understand why the directors thought that the audiences would like to see a bunch of fat girls running around (there is a reason why getting fit has become a trend and not the other way around). IMO, either the writers are all amateurs or the show is aimed for little kids from the start. First of all, RD hasn't shown any signs that it's going to present a serious theme. Up
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Jun 30, 2008
I know it's still quite early in the game to be writing a review for this series, but after having just finished episode 8, I'm feeling somewhat agitated, and this will help cool me down.
STORY: 3 (Poor) Thus far, even though it's early, Real Drive seems to have no discernible plot what-so-ever. In fact, it's quite boring. The beginning of the series started out alright and showed a huge amount of promise, leaving me full of wonder and intrigue, but now... Meh, it's all I can do to keep watching (in agony). ART: 6 (Fair) Quite frankly, the art for the background scenery, most of the male characters, ... Nov 14, 2008
Story
Real Drive is tough to write a review for. As promising as this series is, it has a major downfall: it can't find its balance. The 1st and 2nd episodes are a great start, giving you all of this information and an interesting and slightly mysterious lead in Haru. I found myself immediately wanting to know more about the Artificial Island these characters inhabit, and, most of all, about what exactly happened 50 years ago to Haru. While the main character may be Haru, this series really switches the focus up after the 4th ep. After that, it becomes Minamo's show until a little ... Dec 11, 2008
RD is a sci fi/cyberpunk anime that is highly reminiscent of Ghost in the shell. It also sends out the same message in regards to a person's humanity (what is it that makes us human?) and the overall effects of humanity on the world around us. Real Drive is probably one of the more "ethical" animes that I have seen recently.
The show comes with a variety of characters, including androids and "cyber-brained" people. So, unless it's watched from very early on, you can easily confuse between the two. I doubt that this is the sort of anime that you can start ... Jan 27, 2013
My first review. Shirow Masamune's collaborative work with Production I.G. about a diver who awakens 50 years later from an accident that left him in a coma. Now, despite the assumptions of the staff involved, please do not come into this series with Ghost in the Shell in mind. I believe the reason why so many people who initially reviewed this anime did not like it was because they came in expecting Ghost in the Shell: Sea Adventures, or a more action-paced series. This is what turned off many from appreciating this show for what it was.
That said, this anime focuses mostly on the ... Jan 24, 2018
This is a classic case of marketing not selling a show based on what the show actually was, and I think that threw off a lot of people's expectations. Given Production I.G. and Masamune Shirow's involvement, people were likely expecting something along the lines of Stand Alone Complex.
The show is actually slice-of-life with sci-fi elements in the background. And I loved that. While there's an overarching plot lingering in the background, the majority of the runtime is enjoyable characters having low-stakes, personal adventures in a vivid, brightly colored and mostly optimistic future world. The production values are high and I liked the more zaftig approach to ... Aug 30, 2017
Real Drive depicts a series of episodic and storyline-driven cases where a group of cyber divers are tasked with diving into the cybernetic network known as the Metal when delving into any cybernetic-related cases. Throughout the series, each case tends to vary from the mundane to the serious which can involve anything from Minamo's school life to more serious cases that require physical work from Souta and Holon. It also serves to explore various implementations of how the Metal can affect the lives of the island residents for legitimate and illegal activity, in the same vain the Ghost in the Shell franchise explores how the
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Jun 2, 2021
"The problem with RD is that you expect Ghost in the Shell, and instead get Aria the Animation."
"Actually, you get their bastard child, but oh well..." -Anidb comments The first statement wasn't fair, but the second one was more accurate. I just wouldn't refer to it as a bastard child of slice of life and scifi, because there's no intrinsic reason that this wouldn't work. It seems a lot of people were disappointed with this series because of its episodic slice-of-life approach centering around a teenage girl with no technical ability, as opposed to an action show utilizing the cyber world promised in the description as ... |