Ranked #646

Tegami Bachi

To be honest, I didn't think I would enjoy Tegami Bachi after I read the plot summary. A government employee delivers letters and fights monster bugs. Great. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Story: 9/10
Although Tegami Bachi may seem extraordinarily childish at first, the subtle, dark undertones are what make it very appealing.

Amberground, the setting of the story, is divided into three sections based on social class: Yodaka, Yuusari and Akatsuki. The land is covered by darkness with the exception of the artificial sun with illuminates the capital (Akatsuki); therefore, the farther away you get from the capital, the darker it gets.

Lag Seeing, an orphan, was found by a Letter Bee, Gauche Suede, who realized that Lag was the package he had to deliver to Campbell Litus, a small town in the dark Yodaka District. To Lag, Gauche was like a hero - he had saved his life numerous times during the delivery. Gauche was also the one who taught him about how letters hold the hearts of those who write it, and how the gaichuu (giant insects) are out to steal those hearts. Overshadowed by his hero, Lag swears to become a Letter Bee when he grows up. Only, when he finally achieves his goal, he discovers that the person who inspired him is no longer working as a Bee. Desperate to see him again, he begins to search for Gauche during his deliveries. In the process, Lag learns of an underground organization plotting to overthrow the capital, and the price that the citizens of Amberground pay for the artificial sunlight.

Art: 8/10
Studio Pierrot has done a pretty good job with the animation. All the colours look very comfortable and eye-pleasing, with fabulous openings and endings.

Sound: 10/10
I really like the music in Tegami Bachi because it really adds to the story. Each piece of music was carefully planned out and they really suit the setting of the story.

Character: 7/10
This is where I really think the story is lacking. Lag is an annoying crybaby who really, is nothing more than annoying. Niche, Lag's dingo, does incomprehensible things almost every episode. Gauche is the only one who has a relatively deep character, that enables you to understand his thoughts and motivations. The occasional flashbacks do help explain Gauche's character, but in general, you can't really relate to the characters.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The light mood mixed with the dark undertones make a nice blend.

Overall: 8/10 read more

Story

There is a strange land called Amberground where it is constantly night, and an artificial sun only partially illuminates it. A mail delivery service known as “Bee Hive” recruits young “Letter Bees” to travel near and far and deliver letters. To make things difficult, the land on which they travel is teeming with monsters called “Gaichuu.” The letter bees are equipped with special guns and a protective pet called a “dingo” to overcome such challenges. Lag Seeing is our main letter bee with a special power and dingo, and he strives to become the top letter bee.

With such an interesting and original premise, was the story executed well? I have to say that Letter Bee started out strong. We first see Lag as a distressed, confused young child whose mother was taken away by the capital. He is nothing more than a “letter” needing to be delivered to a person who will take care of him. You follow Lag as he encounters an inspirational letter bee named Gauche, and upon being delivered safely, he swears to become a letter bee just like him.

Eventually, Lag takes a letter bee exam, finds a dingo, and meets many other letter bees who will occasionally work alongside him. Unfortunately, Gauche isn't among them because he suddenly goes missing before Lag arrives. The series manages to develop a lot of mystery up to this point about his whereabouts, Lag's mother, and the strange events that occur in their world. Letter Bee also becomes a bit political as we gain insight into Amberground's system of government.

Just before midway of the series, all of the mysteries are temporarily forgotten, and filler episodes take over. The majority of the show consists of Lag making deliveries to random people whose personal stories range from compelling to cheesy, looking at flashbacks, blasting up Gaichuu, getting sick with a fever, racing, celebrating Christmas, and so on. After a while, these episodes feel like a waste of time. I personally wanted the story to move back to the mystery, especially with the anime nearing its end so fast.

The final few episodes actually grow darker in nature and return to the mystery that made this series so fascinating in the beginning. My friend and I thought that this was what Letter Bee should have been all along. In the end, the story leaves off with much to be desired; however, a second season has recently been announced which explains why we ended up watching so many fillers. Hopefully Letter Bee’s continuation will explore more of its dark mystery and answer some questions.

To answer my own question, I would say that the story was not executed as well as it could have been, but I do look at this anime under a more positive light knowing that a second season is soon on its way. There is much potential left for Letter Bee to bring out.

Characters

The characters certainly drive the series and make it very interesting. Lag Seeing, as I have so often mentioned already, is an innocent, determined child who possesses the power to look directly into people’s hearts upon shooting his gun. He views himself as delivering the hearts of people rather than just mere letters. However, his major drawback is that he is a crybaby in every single episode. Every little thing seems to touch his heart and bring tears down his cheeks. Either you like him or you don’t. I found him to be quite likeable despite his drawback. Lag travels with his dingo called Niche who is rather compulsive in attacking others and is protective of him. It is very fun to watch them interact during their travels.

We also get to really know the other letter bees and Bee Hive officers. They each have their own personality, strength, motive, and unique dingo. Their backgrounds are slowly revealed through flashbacks; however, a few of them have yet to receive proper development which I suspect has been saved for season two. Nevertheless, they are strong and memorable characters.

The rest of the cast consists of people whom Lag meets while delivering letters: a lonely little girl, a pair of lovers, a worried mother, a con artist, you name it. While a few of them are pretty interesting, it is hard to just care about them all and to see the show focused on them so much. Their purpose more or less serves to give Lag and the other letter bees some character development.

Animation, Setting, and Music

The animation is a mixed bag. The character designs are great, as well as the background scenery for the towns and such. However, it has not been a thrill ride to watch the fights that occur during every delivery. The animation there is so-so, and the monsters are a bit too CGI for my tastes. They never feel like they fit quite right in the show.

This season worked very hard on developing its setting and atmosphere. They are simply Letter Bee’s strongest points as of right now. The atmosphere can be rather haunting because the world is always dark and bleak beyond the lively, warm towns. The background music largely contributes to this with its gentle, spooky tunes and classical music.

Overall

Letter Bee is a very unique and atmospheric anime full of deep mysteries and strong characters. Its story might have gotten a bit weak midway with all its fillers and flashbacks, but it has so much potential for the second season. This season was all about building up the characters and atmosphere; the second one just might get straight to business. With high anticipation for its continuation, I recommend this anime. read more

STORY 9/10
"The story takes place in the land of Amberground, a place of perpetual night only partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing works as a "Letter Bee" (delivery boy) at the "Bee Hive" (a delivery service), with his Dingo, Niche, and her "pet", Steak, traveling with him. As a Letter Bee, Lag's job is entrusted to deliver letters and packages from town to town while avoiding Amberground's deadliest hazard — a species of giant armored insect known as Gaichuu, who attempt to feed off the "heart" that reside within these letters and packages."
~Source WIKIPEDIA

When I first heard the plot for this series, I wasn't very impressed. How in the world could a story about MAILMEN, of all things, be interesting in any way, shape, or form? Regardless of these fore-feelings, I decided to look into this series, and I must say, I am very glad that I did.

The story is kinda simple: "boy meets older boy, older boy goes missing, boy must find older boy." Seen it a hundred times before, so why should it be any different this time? Well, throw in some magical Amber, giant metallic insects, a little girl with swords for hair, and letters that carry peoples' hearts... and you've got a smash hit recipe for success! The plot moves a little slow at first, but it quickly gains momentum after a few episodes, which is just plain lovely.

Overall the story is very unique, despite how many things within it are from other pre-existing ideas and series. It can be very heart-wrenching at certain points, but it's also got its funny moments, which makes for a good and easy watch.

Originality level is very high.

ART 10/10
The thing that caught my eye the most was the art. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it before. While the story is an obvious shounen, the art reflects more of an aesthetic view of something that would be shoujo. It's, in a word, beautiful. The art of the anime does not reflect the detail and colouring of the manga, but both are just gorgeous in their own right.

Definitely eye candy.

The openings, by the way, are AWESOME!

SOUND 10/10
Mixing was fantastic. Soundtrack was beautiful. Loved the openings and endings.

CHARACTERS 8/10
The biggest issue with the characterization was the names. They're original and unique, YES. BUT... seriously? It's names like JIGGY PEPPER that just make me sit back and go "WTF?!"

The other issue was Lag. DO NOT GET ME WRONG. I love the little boy to death, and he has many many great qualities to him! On the other hand, he does come off as being a crybaby. At times, this can be a bit more than annoying. Take into consideration, though, that this boy is ONLY 12. It's completely natural for 12-year-olds to cry a lot. Especially when they've had hard trauma. Once I came to that realization, it was easier for me to sympathize with him. I hate crybaby characters, but Lag is one that I simply adore.

Niche was one of my favourites throughout the serie. She's so weird! She shows various animal-like qualities, such as licking wounds and sniffing the air for scents, which are quite amusing from a third-person view. All-in-all he is alittle slow on things, but she is loyal and adorable, not to mention the epic ability to stab people with her hair. I mean, come on! AWESOME.

There are cheery characters like Lag and Niche, but this series is not without it twisted and darker personalities. Gauche Suede, Aria Link, and Lawrence are prime examples of this. When you take a look at them, it's as if they almost don't fit, considering how the main character is, but they blend perfectly.

ENJOYMENT 10/10
There was not a moment I did not enjoy this. It was fun all the way through. Each episode left me begging for more.

OVERALL 9/10
A good solid series, but alas, many ideas and plot points were unclear, therefore I can only give this series a 9.

Do I recommend it? YES. I cannot stress this enough. I think everyone should watch this series. It's definitely worth it. It has something for everyone, a perfect mix of heart-wrenching, fantasy, steampunk, shounen, and shoujo.

A must-watch.
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This is my first review so please take it easy on me. I will do my best not to write a lot of spoilers.

Story 9/10: The story takes place in a country called Amberground, surrounded on all sides by the sea and is composed of three separated areas. There are the capital, Akatsuki where nobles live which is brightly lit by a man made sun, The second is the middle class, Yuusari and Yodoka the lowest city which is covered by darkness. In the whole story so far its always night time. The story begins about a boy named Lag Seeing chained to a postal sign as he is a letter who was found by a Letter Bee (Specialist who travels around and deliver Letters and eliminate monsters called Gaichuu. Letter Bee uses weapons called Shindanjuu a spirit amber weapon that uses their heart in order to shoot) named Gauche Suede there Lag's adventure begins. The story will have many emotional scenes, great adventures and many unexpected things to entertain you's.

Art 10/10: The art is great as the characters eyes are more detailed then your average anime that you watch everyday. The art is really enjoyable to look at, some will find the monsters weird as it looks cg. But overall the character designs are very nice, the environment is quite detailed the sky has a lot of pretty stars. The colors on the characters are great nothing to bright or to dull.

Sound 8/10: The OP & ED is enjoyable nothing disturbing I find it suited for the anime. The voice actors in this anime are quite good Gauche Suede who is voice by Fukuyama, Jun Yeah! you know it the awesome guy who voices Tama & Lelouch. Some may find the voice actor for Lag seeing Sawashiro, Miyuki quite disturbing or not suit the character but please note: that Lag is only 12 and haven't matured so might suit him a bit in my opinion.

Characters 8/10: The main character Lag Seeing is a boy who might be spoiled at beginning but tends to be really friendly as he sees Gauche memories and becomes a great person in the future. Gauche may be cold at times but volunteered to deliver Lag and who is later becomes Lags goal he is a kind hearted person but only thinks of saving enough money for his sister and doesn't treat those around him as friends at times.

Enjoyment 8/10: The story is quite slow paced at first and might bored many who enjoys fast paced anime. Fast paced animes tend to have rushed endings the animation follows the manga but has slight changes like removing minor characters from the story. There are many emotion scenes and unexpected situations at times which brings me to enjoyment. The weapons won't be as cool as you think they are so any weapon freaks out there might go "lame" when seeing the weapons they use.

Overall Its a great anime who many will find to like. The story gets better as the story goes on introducing new interesting characters and many unexpected scenes. read more

Man, Letter Bee was mondo cool, bitchin' cool. Goddamn AMAZING.

Well, perhaps not, it's not the crunchiest peanut in the turd, but it holds it's own above many of todays moe moe anime.

The biggest fault with this series is that nothing happened, or very little.
You can get away with watching perhaps the first 3 episodes, and the last, as the entirety of the middle eps are all very filler, but this doesn't take away from the fun of the show, and the ending at very least, does hint towards a more fleshed out season two.

The animation is great, twilight skies etc and has a vibrant lovely colour palet that makes me squirt rainbows of happiness, i mean take one look, and try to argue it's not beautiful, i dare you.

The main outcome of most of these "filler" episodes is more or less LAG WILL CRY.
Yes, LAG CRIES, ALOT. But it's adorable because he is adorable and stuff.
The girls are all adorable too though probably not as much so as Lag, but despite this there is no fanservice which is always a nice change of pace.

Overall it is a good watch and i reccomend it to anyone who enjoys nice unique artwork and setting, but perhaps this isn't for you if you seek the worlds most gripping plot and DEEP characters. read more

This review will contain some minor spoilers but those spoilers are only there so you could get a better understanding of the story.

Tegami Bachi is a very unique anime. The way it tells it story is amazing and the story is pretty damn good too. The story is not about save the world or anything like that.
The first 2 episodes of Tegami Bachi is a introduction so you must se them and the 3 episode to understand the serie.
Tegami Bachi is about Lag Seeing who in the first episode gets saved by Gauche Suede. Gauche Suede is a Tegami Bachi (Letter bee), they deliver letters or any kind of package. This time Lag is the package.
So he finds and save Lag and in the end of the second episode delivers him.
Lag and Gauche becomes really good friends and form a strong bond.

A letter bee has a weapon, a spirit amber who uses the power of ones heart and with that power a letter bee destroys monsters that lurks out in the wastelands. The world is pretty big so there is a lot of wastelands between the towns / cities and that’s the road a letter bee must take. For some reason the world is always dark but there is an artificial sun but that sun is only were the capital is, the rest of the country is dark.

When a person uses spirit amber it can reveals what’s in a persons heart and when Gauche save Lag he sees what’s in his heart. Gauche want to go till the capital to become the head bee and earn a lot of money so he could make his sisters life better (She is in a wheelchair).
When Gauche delivers Lag he sets off back to his place and Lag promise him that he will also become a Letter bee.

And then there is a time skip. 2 years later the cry-baby Lag (Yes, he cries all the damn time) sets off from his new hometown to become a letter bee and find Gauche. And this Is where to story begins. Gauche is no longer a bee and no one knows where he his. People are saying he died of using his spirit amber too much. Every time you use it a fragment of your heart disappears. So he moves in with his sister and promise her to find Gauche.

The music is surprisingly good. There are many animes out there who has some good songs in the soundtrack but Tegami Bachi is one of them who only have awesome songs.
The songs are everything from piano, violin to orchestral scores.

The animation is wonderful and very detailed. Tegami Bachi has one of the most amazing animation ever if you asked me. Its not because of the details but mostly because of the colours. And due to that this serie will give you an amazing feeling that you only can achieve by watching Tegami Bachi.

Characters are also amazingly good. One of the best series in this department. They all are great designed.

I can only give this 10 becuse so far this serie is perfect and i watched 18 episodes.
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Tegami Bachi or Letter Bee is a cool anime. It's one of the best to me, really. The characters are lovable and awesome. The anime got me hooked the moment I saw the opening; they show a lot of the action, so by the time they show the title, you have a million questions buzzing (lol, bad pun) through your head. Even if you don't watch the previous episode, you will still understand what's happening. What's more is that this is not your typical save-the-world, be-the-number-one-in-the-whole-universe anime. It has a good plot, lots of originality and it's just plain awesome. I highly recommend this anime to everyone. read more

I'm only six episodes in and so far, it's amazing. It has a similar feel to it that Escaflowne (the movie) or Baccano! has. I can't really describe it any other way. The emotions it evokes are similar, I think, as is the fantasy. It's more subtle and the story is very well crafted so far. I love the characters and the music fits it so well. I highly recommend it!

My only complaint is the cg monsters, but I can deal with them.

How to start....How to write a review that will do this great anime justice...Let me first apologise if my review doesn't make a lot of sense. I am still overwhelmed with emotion at this point. Well, Tegami Bachi or Letter Bee is a beautiful anime much, much more than the simple letter-delivering. I had wanted to watch this anime for a long, long time, falling in love with the concept, artwork and when I had finally had the time to watch it all my previous expectations were blown away by the standards of the anime; which are absolutely amazing. I watched all 50 episodes for two days straight. Me, who has severe commitment problems was so capivated by the essence of the anime as it challenged everything that life meant for me.

STORY: At initial glance, it doesn't seem very original, NOT CLICHE either, but hardly something very unique. Letter-delivering. Very mundane. Not so in this anime. Letter Bees go on very dangerous missions, transversing many miles through the flickering light of Amberground, they face the constant threat of 'gaichuu'. This particular story follows Lag Seeing- the world's most adorable/lovable protagonist, a letter bee searching for his idol and his saviour - Gauche Suede; in the most basic, basic terms.
The first season has very llttle plot development in terms of the previously mentioned concept, IN fact, it is safe to say the first season really just 'sets the scene' in 25 episodes, so by the time you reached the finale, you have a very thorough understanding of what being a letter bee entails, their impact on the lives of the civilians, the huge social divisionsof Amberground, basic knowledge on all the characters encountered so far, etc.etc.
The Second season is when the plot really gets moving. Don't get me wrong, the first season was absolutely beautiful exhibition of the greatness of the human spirit. Beautiful and extremely moving. However, the second season is so extremely addictive and exciting because you are immersed in the journeys of all the protagonists and all their successes and failures are amplified tenfold for you, and in the most basic terms, season 2 retains little episodic elements of season 1 and is also much more exciting because there is significant plot movement.

ART AND ANIMATION: I've combined these two because there isn't much I can say about them as I'm not an expert, but the art is beautiful and the animation is excellent. While watching this anime the last thing you'll be unhappy with is the art, (which is actually pallettable ART), and the animation, (which is smooth, non-jittery and enjoyable to watch, I.E. looks like it's done by ACTUAL professionals) 0o0

SOUND: WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUl.... Music that is actually music, voice-acting that is actually done with emotion, openings and endings you actually want to watch, all in all, very impressive.

CHARACTER; Ahhh, the characters/ protagonists were most definitely a hiighlight of the anime. On a general note, every single character of the series is an actual character, with emotions, development, (however small), history (however much touched on), hopes, dreams, and aspirations, NOT 2 dimensional stereotypes, which many animes have succumbed to. Not this one. The main character - Lag Seeing, is the biggest crybaby I have ever come across. EVER. But in a weird warp he is also the most endearing and moving and emotionally sensitive soul I have also come across in all fiction, and the real world. He is type of character you wish you knew because he would be the greatest friend that would always be loyal to you and love you. AND FOR ONCE THE PROTAGONIST IS NOT A PERVERTED TWAT. AND you LOVE HIM FOR IT. Also, Lag Seeing, from the very first episode undergoes a huge emotional journey. Wrenched away from everything ever known, he grows a great deal in only the first few episodes; he learns the meaning of the words 'friendship, love, and journey.' Understanding first hand the experience of being a letter, it inspires him to able to give what Gauche Suede, (the letter bee that delivered Lag) gave him. This character development does not stop for one second in the duration of the both series.
His dingo - Niche is an equally interesting character. Adorable, but equally deadly, in many ways, she is the polar opposite of Lag, but in another weird warp they make an unbeatable team. The relationship entails many hardships, as all realtionship do, but also triumphs through them, which really contributes to not only the likability of these two characters, but the whole series.

THEMES: I could write a whole essay on this one. And I would. Happily. But for review purposes I will TRY to keep it succint. :P Sorry reader. OKK... Tegami Bachi is chocablock filled with themes. In fact, I don't think the word 'themes' quite entails what this show offers intellectually. Obviously, it can be interpreted very differently, but this is just my personal opinion. But Tegami Bachi is most definitely about communication. Duh. Delivering letters is just the front. In Tegami Bachi, letters are communication devices that allow addressers and addressees to read into one another's innermost feelings and wishes. It is a portal into one's heart, where people can really use time to think carefully and articulate what they really want to say ONTO paper. And it is the letter bees job to carry all that emotion and 'heart' emanating from that flimsy bit of paper that could have so much significance on someone's life, safely to their destination. This immortal secret is what (I think) the series tries to teach us. Unlike many deep meaningful series it doesn't preach right behaviour or good morals. It TEACHES. Yes, teaches. Teaches about friendship, explored through the interaction and the community of all the letter bees, and the friendships between letter bees and their dingos, that immortal bond so overlooked, prime examples constantly dotted throughout the series. (I'm trying not to spoil it). It also teaches, about respecting others, and in not the way you'd expect. That particular lesson broke my heart to pieces. It really exemplifies the meaning of sacrifice, and what true friends do for one another. Another major theme explored is 'good and evil'. Suprisingly I felt absolutely no enmity for the villian of the second season. I did hate a particular someone for the atrocious betrayal of trust but I won't specify who. Watch if you want to find out. :D Anyway, the series goes back deep enough into a character's history that I was able to emphasize enough with the villain to understand the reasonings behind their actions. weird....

On a smaller note, the one thing that I wish that some important questions were answered. It seems like, while the series is absolutely great, the producers/directors forget about a few aspects of the Lag's history, and while it touches on it lightly is not nearly enough for fans to draw respectable conlcusions from it. Which is extremely unfortunate.

ENJOYMENT: I think it's pretty clear from the rest of my review how much I LOVED LOVED LOVED this series. There has been a couple of negative reviews and what I really plead to you is to give this anime a chance. This anime really changed what I thought of anime as a whole, it was a refreshing, touching, at times heart-breaking series, forever immortalised in my heart, and I believe with every inch of my soul that it'll have some place in yours too.

If you found this review unhelpful could you please tell how I could improve it for future reviews? Thanks!! read more

Tegami Bachi takes place in the land of AmberGround, a place of perpetual night only partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing works as a Letter Bee at the government travelling with his Dingo, Niche...
___________________________________________ ___________

Tegami Bachi has a very simple story, the letters which are the people hearts and the Bee employee which deleveres them in harsh ways sometime

...the main character Lag Seeing meets Gauche who was a governmental employee, at the age of seven. For him lag was the letter to be delivered to his aunt. During their journey they become friends. After five years Lag becomes a bee 2 and with his dingo niche starts their missions and the look of Gauche who wen't missing meanwhile.

At start i said this anime is not good because was a bit slow , but while watching every episode became good, having funny moment but sad to and liked a lot and many of the characters are enjoyable and the story gets better while they are introduced. Lag always a crybaby, niche so cute , zazie a cat lover etc. Every character is unique in his own way

The soundtrack could had been better but is nice and calming, but the opening and ending is pretty nice . The art is great and very detailed, the monsters from it to many might not like.

Second season continues from were season one finished

Maybe to most will not be an interesting anime but i say try it ...u can always have the choise to drop it if u don't like..


I gave to first season 8/10

Sorry for the bad grammer....i tried to not write much spoilers
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This series was like refreshment for our usual taste.

The story was about a young boy who was delivered as a letter for unknown reason. He was inspired by the postman-like person who delivered him and so he dreamed to become a TEGAMI BACHI like that person. A tegami bachi was like a postman in the story with a post-apocalyptic setting where the world was engulfed with complete darkness except for one city where they have an artificial sun and only with the high class status resided. 5 years later, he finally achieved his goal but found out that his inspiration was no longer a tegami bachi and was missing. The story was all about the protagonist journey on becoming a full-pledge tegami bachi and his mission to find his long lost friend and bring him back home to the people who love him.

The series was so original, story wise, because it’s not every day you encounter an anime with a postman as a protagonist with a plot of delivering letters. In fact, I even don’t remember ever watching an anime with this type of story. It was very refreshing. You may think it would be a boring story but you will experience a lot of drama, action, and somewhat comedic relief with this series. It was amazing how they managed to make the story so interesting even with the simple type of story it had. It’s not your everyday anime with stories about adventures that deals with superhuman powers. They story was about the strength of the heart and the journey of delivering it to people.

The main character was the cutest and the most crybaby in any animes in the history. In fact, he was crying in every episode of the story. He would cry for every little thing. He was so kind-hearted and very chivalrous for his age. He struggled to fulfill his dream even with his sad past and would always think positively. Though he can be very hypocrite at times because he was so pure and naïve. With the dark and sad settings, his naivety was his strength but most of the times his weakness. The most interesting character was his dingo, Niche. Niche was a rare species human being from a strong bloodline which gave her superhuman strengths considering she was so small but she can be so cute with her naivety of the world. She cared a lot for Lag and would always protect him from harm. She swore to be the best and only dingo for Lag. To add it up, the seiyus’ voice were perfectly match to the personality of every character. Especially, Niche’s seiyu! Her voice acting for Niche was just so cute and perhaps one of the reasons why Niche was so unique and cute among the characters.

One of the strong points of the series was its animation. Well, that’s to be expected considering it was made lately. Even though it has a dark background the whole settings was beautifully made. The characters and landscapes were amazingly created.

If you’re fed up with the usual stories of animes today then watch this one. Though the ending was so much of a cliffhanger, you don’t have to worry because it would be continued in the second season. In fact, it’s as if the two seasons is really one series cut in the middle so they can create a second season.
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I love this anime because it reminds one of that far dream that you don't want to wake up from, but then you do and you don't quite remember the details, just that it was the best dream ever...well for me.

but honestly, the story is touching, reminds me of (Sandybell) where she goes on a journey to find someone,

I love the setting, the world, the endless night sky... it's just great!
a must watch anime ;)

STORY:

This series focuses around Lag Seeing, a young boy living in the world of Amberground. While weaving a very interesting tale of Letter Bees, who deliver letters for a living, and fight off Gaichuu with the help of their dingos and soul shooting pistols. Inspired as a child by Gauche Saude, who delivers Lag as a letter, he becomes determined to become a Letter Bee, just like Gauche was. When he reaches this goal, he finds out that Gauche is no longer a Letter Bee, even though he was one of the best ever. And so the mystery sets in.

With such a great premise, the series seems set for greatness. Unfortunately, for about 2/3 of the series, they pretty much forgo this story and just have random slice of life, monster of the week delivers that Lag goes on. The ending strongly hints at a sequel, however, and, hopefully, the sequel will do more for the series.

Since this is the case, I have split the story score in two: The actual story of Lag and Gauche, being amazing and original, getting 9 out of 10 and the crappy slice of life stuff that takes up a large part of the series, getting a 5/10.

ANIMATION:

The animation in The Letter Bee is great, the characters are all original, the sceneries are gorgeous. There isn't much more to be said about the visuals other than they are well done, getting a score of 8/10.

SOUND:

Many great Voice actors are put throughout this series, doing a good job of making the characters sound like they should. Although about 3 out of 4 sounds that come out of Lag's mouth are crying of some sort, Sawashiro Miyuki still manages to let the viewer be able to tell a difference in each sob, be them happy, sad, or pain. Also, the first OP is awesome. Other than that, the sound generally fits how it should be, getting an 7/10.

CHARACTERS:

There is a wide range of characters in this series, many being fairly original, and many being great overall. Unfortunately, the main character... pretty much cries more than anything else. Despite this, I think the characters are, overall, pretty good, getting a 7/10.

OVERALL: This series has some of the greatest and most original material I have seen recently along with great visuals and voice actors... but it falls into a very slice of life monster of the week form... completely killing itself for the majority of the series. That being said, overall, the series is somewhat good. This earns it a 7/10 overall from me. read more

Tegami Bachi is probably one of the BEST ANIME EVER. It has all the key components an anime needs to have.

Fabulous art: CHECK.

Epic characters: CHECK.

Dramatic and suspenseful storyline development: CHECK.

Charismatic scenery and setting: CHECK.

Action, plot twists and guns: CHECK.

Manly men vs. Childish hero: CHECK.

Hero who cries like a 5 year old: CHECK.

Fanatastic sound effects: CHECK.

Random cat-wolf-dog (?) animal-pet, whose name happens to be Steak: CHECK.

Addictive: CHECK.

Suspenseful cliffhanger ending, persuading you to continue on to the second season: CHECK.

BE SURE TO COMPLETE YOUR ANIME-WATCHING (of Tegami Bachi) WITH THE NEXT SEASON, 'TEGAMI BACHI 2: REVERSE.'

You'll be kept on the edge of your seat, satisfaction guaranteed. (:

I really thought that this anime wasn't going to have any depth to it at all. Ok yea they deliver letters and kill monsters. After a few episodes I was hooked. This anime is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites.

Story: I think the sheer emotion in Tegami Bachi is what makes it so interesting. Some parts are filled with happiness and joy and others filled with sadness and sorrow. They do a great job of projecting exactly what each character is feeling at that moment. It's one of the few animes that actually brought me to tears. Lag is such a cry baby that sometimes it's impossible not to cry along with him.

Art: The animation is absolutely stunning. Towns,characters, setting..everything is made to look realistic. You don't have scenery that repeats itself, it's very original. It's some of the best I've ever seen. Despite the dark atmosphere, they do a good job at showing you every emotion through the animation. TBLB's animation is absolutely amazing.

Music: Most of the music is slow,sad, sort of gives you a bitter-sweet kind of feeling.They usually play something that is appropriate for each situation. The only thing I think Tegami Bachi was lacking was some up-beat music. Slow/sad music is great but when you have an action scene, or someone comes to the rescue, they should play music with a faster beat to it. That's my only complaint as far as music goes.

Characters: The protaganist Lag Seeing, brings a new,fresh, exciting feeling to this anime. He may be overly-sensitive but, I feel that he isn't so cliche. He inevitably causes the viewers to feel the same pain,sadness, or happiness that he experiences. As for other characters, they are also very well made. Specifically Gauche Suede, he is a character that every body adores. He's very hard to dislike, and the heart-wrenching twists that come with him keep you watching until the last episode.

Overall: I was impressed and surprised. I never expected so much out of Tegami Bachi. I was expecting a childish cliche anime but instead I got an emotional,heartfelt, stunning story. I've come to respect Tegami Bachi, due to it's grasp of reflecting the characters personal feelings and emotions. It has an entirely different focus then most animes and is definitely worth watching. read more

Story: 8

- Starts out five years before the present setting (meaning Ep 2 is five years in the future) so impressions on the first episode may not be valid, try watching to the second before you make your opinion.
- Various side stories introducing many side characters, these are used to build the main characters
- Base story plot is about a boy working hard to be the best at his job while searching for a missing older brother figure

Art: 7

- Nice character designs, monster animations are well done

Sound: 8

- Excellent voice acting (I am a Jun Fukuyama fanboy thus giving every anime with him as a voice role a +1 point in sound.)
- OP and ED songs do not stick out to me, they were not bad at all
- Never remembered any BGMs to this anime, thus I come to the conclusion that it isn't anything special
- I have found Steak's animal sounds slightly irritating...

Character: 8

- Most of the mains are nicely built stable characters, side characters come and go
- Protagonist might cry too much for some viewers but it is forgivable. Makes something annoying humorous and tolerable which is something very difficult to do, all credits are to the Protagonist of course.

Enjoyment: 7

- Not the first thing I wanted to go to when I had the chance to watch anything
- Never really bored me, although I skipped a few filler minutes to the end to speed things up, to be honest I never lost anything important in the middle so all is well
- Gets really interesting at the end, leaves you anticipating the next season
- You 'like' the characters. Yep, just like. You might love Lag and Niche however.

By all means, if you have some spare time check it out. If you have a decent attention span, you'll be able to swallow it (and enjoy it). Check it out for the second season, I think it's worth investing your time. Don't expect yourself to go out of your way to watch it when time is thin and anime is plenty.

Overall: 7 read more

this anime made me cry a lot but i gain a lot of happiness and i've learned a lot of lessons through watching it. i can somehow relate to some parts of the story. it touched my heart deeply coz im also a crybaby, reall a crybaby! T^T

i love this anime that's all i can say.

A mixed bag, but a great setting and interesting concept.

PLOT: Letter Bee is a strange series and therefore difficult to review. It’s very slow paced, fairly episodic and stuffed full of filler for being only 25 episodes – but it’s hard not to like the show. Some episodes are wonderful; others are among the worst single episodes I’ve ever seen. Some characters are excellently put together and developed, others are paper bags or extremely irritating. However despite its rather inconsistent nature, my overall impression of Letter Bee is very good.

The world setting and concept are what drew me to the series to start with – and the sense of mystery that surrounds the central plot is what kept me interested throughout. It’s slow, but there’s enough hints dropped that you don’t lose interest. The end of this season is a cliffhanger though – you have been warned! There us a sequel though, so the vast majority of this series is scene setting and character development. Letter Bee makes good use of its filler episodes to further establish the world and develop some of the characters further (although there are a few fillers that are just godawful!). Saying that, when Letter Bee is good, it’s very good – the highs of this show are characterised by a melancholic atmosphere and some very touching scenes that just warm the heart.

In terms of characters, Lag is a complete cry-baby. Not a single episode goes by where he doesn’t cry about something. It’s annoying sometimes, but Lag really got lots of development over the run and his cry-baby nature is part and parcel of his identity. Niche turned out to be a really fun character – her innocent presence kept the mood from being too heavy or melancholy and she’s both the source of comedy and action. Some of the side characters could do with a bit more fleshing out, but overall they’re quite well done and provide a solid support for the main characters.

ANIMATION: The character design and colour palate is the other thing that attracted me to Letter Bee in the 1st place and Studio Pierrot turned out a very attractive show. The animation is wonderfully consistent and everything is just pretty! Amberground is a world of perpetual twilight, and the primary colours used in the series are purples, blues and white – it’s striking and very visually appealing. The use of CGI on the Gaichuu was a bit obvious, but not distracting.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: The soundtrack to this series is wonderful. Both OPs & EDs were excellent (the 1st OP & ED in particular made it onto my most played lists) and the score itself is also very well produced. The voice acting was also excellent – although Miyuki Sawashiro’s portrayal of Lag could be a touch on the whiney side occasionally. The supporting cast is peppered with great names who brought a lot of personality to their characters.

Overall I’d recommend Letter Bee, but would also have to warn you of its inconsistent nature too. It would probably be less annoying to anyone marathoning it though, watching it weekly just seemed to highlight the fact some episodes were rubbish! read more

Letter bee is one of the rare shows that remind me why I love anime. It is truly a unique, virtually unheard of, totally underestimated anime.

Thoughts
All jokes aside, this anime is personally one of my Favorites. Although this anime lacks an English dub and a decent fan base I feel this is definitively one of the better animes to come out in the last 15 years. Besides the ending; this anime has a very well thought through plot. The Art in this series is absolutely some of the best I've ever seen in an anime Ever. It's to be noted though, that the Gaichuu look really bad in comparison; but on the flip side this weird combination of beautiful artwork contrasted by the fake looking Gaichuu makes for a very unique and eerie feel. That being said I definitely wouldn't watch this anime for the occasional fight scenes; not that they're bad or anything. I do however do give major props to the writers who thought up these characters.

Unlike more serious animes such as Neon gensis or welcome to the N.H.K. this anime has a lighter, more positive feel. Although this anime does have its moments; it presents some pretty cool ideas pertaining to what memories and what a person really is. Overall, this anime is one of those animes u can just sit back and enjoy the ride; a relaxing bona fide adventure anime where fan service is virtually non-existent.

Pros
+Animation
+story line
+character design
+OP/ED

Cons
-Gaichuu
-Ending(WAY to many unanswered questions)
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