Ranked #448

Tegami Bachi Reverse

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. read more

You can read the full review on my blog here : http://wp.me/p1eZbN-ce

From my point of view this season's story was really good. I liked that a lot of secrets were revealed.I espacially like plot twists and was really satisfied with the outcome. Some of the things that were said really took me by surprise and I re-watched some episodes just because I didn't understand it the first time or rather sometimes I simply didn't want to believe it.

Nonetheless I can say that I prefer this story to the first season, because it wasn't linear. I got to know a lot about the supporting characters and really liked it. I was rooting for Connor because he is one of my favourite characters, also Zazie isn't all that cool inside.

All in all I would say this story line was really good and nothing was missing.

MfG Chison read more