Ranked #1997

Earth Maiden Arjuna

Message films or those with controversial or social commentary often don’t seem to fair well with the general public. That is honestly the only reason I can see for this series having such a small base of viewers. Arjuna from an art and production standpoint is really one of the better shows I have seen and one that I think everyone should check out. It attempts to deal with some very important issues facing our planet from ecology issues to the over medication of society. For the most part it does a really good job at this, even though at times I felt it got overly preachy.

The story starts out with Juna, out heroine, being involved in an accident which leaves her dead. She feels her spirit slipping away when she is contact by another mysterious spirit who offers to save her life if she will help to save the planet and become the Avatar of Time. She accepts and much to the surprise of her mourning boyfriend, mother, and medical personal she jumps from her death bed and into action. Overall it’s a good start and we are treated to some good action right off the bat. From these beginnings you might think that this anime is going to be a pretty exciting action series. But the action soon lets up and slows down to a crawl. This is sure to disappoint some people who were expecting more action based story. Eventually it becomes a very endearing romance as well. I found this part of the series to be the most rewarding personally. The social commentary is also interesting as Juna learns about the world and what is damaging it and what could be done to fix it. Whether or not you agree with the conclusions or "facts" expressed in the show I think everyone can agree that the problems do exist. Many of these are hot political issues that have strong feelings on both sides of the debate. While I believe that some of the statements made in the show are naive and only tell partial truths at times, I still think it allows you to make up your own mind about what it is saying.

The relationship between Juna and Tokio is one of the best I have seen in a series to date. We get plenty of character development and a lot of back story on the both of them. They both feel like very real and relatable. Juna's struggle to be able to fit in with modern society after some of the changes her body goes through was interesting. This became a major part of the plot for most of the series as well as Tokio trying to understand what she is going through. Most of the supporting characters are left in the background. This is good and bad. Good because it did allow the extra screen time to our leads and was what lead to them being so interesting to me. We do get to see some important side stories regarding Juna's and Tokio's family but some of these stories are left open towards the end without any real resolution. It wasn’t overly important to the story in the end but some of it I would have liked to know how it turned out. Particularly the side story involving Juna's older sister. The most irritating character to me was definitely Chris. I found him to be a pompous know it all who is constantly telling Juna one thing and then when she does it asking her why she did it.

The production values of Arjuna are quite spectacular. From the beautiful artwork to the epic feeling of the music, this series feels like a movie in a sense. The background music in particular really makes the story feel like a grand experience and is really one of the best music scores I’ve ever heard. The animation uses a lot of CG effects which are for the most part very good. Though I am not a fan of this style it did mostly flow seamlessly with the rest of the animation.

Where my score of Arjuna really drops is in my overall enjoyment, this is mainly due to the ending. While it’s not a bad ending, I just didn’t like it and was disappointed almost across the board. There was too much uncertainty regarding the fate of most of the cast and I was left confused by many of the sudden revelations at the end. Also the social commentary got fairly intense and overbearing towards the end too which affected my enjoyment. I felt my intelligence was being insulted to some extent as characters would lament the starvation of millions in Africa yet their policies on farming and livestock production would lead to millions or perhaps billions more starving. I also found it a bit naive that simply turning off ones air conditioner for two weeks in the summer or eating a little less meat would somehow solve the energy crisis or end world hunger.

Despite my problems with how things ended and with some the series opinions, I still found this to be a show well worth seeing. If you just look at it as a work of fiction and a story and not try to take what is said as the absolute truth you are sure to enjoy it for what it is, a wonderful romance and adventure. Those looking for action and intense special effects will be disappointed however. Arjuna is anime that should be viewed by more than it has been to this date.
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Earth Maiden Arjuna...it could be described as either you love it or you hate it. It's hard to say considering I'm one of those who loved it. I'll assume you have read the synopsis and at least have a basic idea of what this anime is about. Very good, on with the review!

Story: The story of Arjuna had a lot of promise, I'll tell you that. With the first and second episodes I was mildly in shock at the premise set out before me. It could have been a true masterpiece, but when you think about it, this is a tricky story to dive into. I refuse to post spoilers, but a good majority of the show is about Juna's 'education' you could call it. With every new thing she learns about the world, another hint towards the ending is revealed. They do this well and I have no complaints about the ending. Although there are a few things I would have loved to know that they just seemed to refuse to reveal (origin of the Avatar of Time for one), though it was nothing that damaged my enjoyment of the series.

Every so often the show would trail off and become (dare I say...) preachy. It goes just a tiny bit over the top with the whole "Save Nature!" thing it's got going on. Luckily this only happens a few times, and if you can get past that and just go with the flow (an open mind is essential), then I promise you'll have an enjoyable experience. If this is the anime for you anyway.

Art: Wow, where Arjuna lacks in story-telling, it completely makes up for in the art. While I myself had a personal hatred for Juna's hair, the art is just downright beautiful. No complaints here. The second time I watched this show, I watched it purely for the eye-candy for a while. It's just so beautiful to watch, especially the few transformation scenes (there aren't many). Seeing the way Juna begins to view the world can be breath-taking.

Sound: If you haven't heard this by now, it's about time someone told you. The music in this show is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Most of the music was done by Yokko Kanno, who I believe also did the music for Cowboy Bebop and Raxephon (don't quote me on that last one). Even if you go into this series feeling skepitcal of the plot presented to you, I believe it's worth it to stick with it just for the music. The music is haunting and fits the scenes beautifully. Combine the music with the art and you have the perfect reason to try this show right there. In this category especially, Arjuna does not disappoint.

As for the voices, I will admit, I've only watched the English dub. Feel free to attack me or whatever. At first the voices for the dub seemed a bit...off, as most dubs usually do, but after a while you could tell they were starting to get a feel for the characters. Lip-synching was kind of off, but it was nothing noticeable in the later episodes. I especially loved the voice of the character Chris. :] Pardon me for being a fan-girl, but the voice made me love the character.

Characters: Speaking of characters! There was some character development, but nothing out of this world. The most was seen for Juna and her boyfriend Tokio...and...yeah...I wasn't left hating any characters by the end, which is saying something because there was a girl who I wanted dead on that show. All of them were true to their personalities. I thought Juna's development from well-grounded spunky teenage girl to Avatar of Time was very good. Not at all like most shows in this genre where the girl gets powers and suddenly they're full of confidence and joy or whatever. That's about it for characters, go Chris!

I'll admit, this show is NOT FOR EVERYONE. You will love it or you will hate it. I can't be responsible for either one. xD I recommend watching at least up to episode 4. Episode 4 is almost like a trial...if you can make it past that episode unscathed (I'm exaggerating, it's not bad) then you will most likely enjoy the rest of the show. I myself love it because the entire thing to me is just so beautiful. I'm a nature-loving girl, so this was just an anime after my own heart. Even if you're not too big on the whole nature deal, I suggest you give it a try anyway. Just remember to keep an open mind and enjoy it for what it's worth. This show should not be overlooked without at least a first glance.
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