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Jul 15, 2012 7:04 PM
#1

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Apr 2012
845
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Well, that was unexpectedly bleak.

Rintaro produces some beautiful animation as usual but I found the story hard to get involved in or care about the characters.

At least this explains Gao's nose in later installments. Well sort of.
Feb 26, 2014 2:23 AM
#2
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Oct 2013
4
I don't know if this is the greatest film of all time or just top ten. In any case it is amazing that a film so short could pack such a punch. This is truly the adaption that the manga deserved.
Feb 14, 2015 10:41 AM
#3

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Mar 2014
2752
This was great!
Definitely a classic tragedy tale, and I thought the characters were super interesting.
The story took some hard swings, but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Easily a 9/10 for me.
::End of Transmission::


Feb 12, 2016 2:04 PM
#4

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Jun 2015
3461
Quite entertaining to watch. The sound played an important role in building a proper atmosphere. Which is true is that aside of the two main characters, the rest had a rather poor characterization. No big deal whatsoever, this was one of those unexpected, yet rewarding watches.

I also liked the ending song.
Mar 24, 2016 5:21 PM
#5

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Jun 2015
2573
Smells like a bad adaptation of a good manga, even though I haven't read it.
Apr 29, 2019 4:04 PM
#6

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Nov 2016
31342
Uff, this short movie hit me harder than expected. Heavy themes and really good presentation.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Sep 4, 2020 1:13 PM
#7

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Nov 2018
399
FMmatron said:
Uff, this short movie hit me harder than expected. Heavy themes and really good presentation.
- I felt almost exactly the same!

The way that Akanemaru looses himself to his ego and to his desire of leaving his name in eternity is painfully real when it comes to human nature. I felt so guilty at the thought that I myself, struggle so often with similar ambitions. It's awful how such an ambition can make you so inhuman and cold with another.

And he acted cowardly too. If he had lost to Gaou, he should have fought to become better, not discredited his rival. I would have liked to judge Akanemaru, but it was clear to me that he was also a victim somehow, a victim of his own desire. I was scandalized and pained at the same time.

I was also shocked about Gaou killing Hayame. He was a really suspicious and impulsive man. What should have I expected from a criminal? But somehow, I had hoped that his life together with Hayame would have, eventually, soften his heart and temper. I was obviously wrong, or not?! I also felt that Gaou was not only a criminal, but a victim too, a victim of his own fears...

This movie depicts so well the changing nature of the human heart, and also how easy the heart can be corrupted or influenced. You get easily enraged by the injustice and cruelty, but then again, if you look closer you can see that each character can turn from a victim into an aggressor and vice versa. This really complicates things, because you finally come to the conclusion that there are no good people and bad people and that everything depends on the context and on the weaknesses of everyone. This is how real life is and it makes you think that you should be more careful in your judgement and also in controlling your deepest desires. No desire worth harming another or yourself. The damage is irreversible as we can see with Gaou. His life changed dramatically, his heart became warm, humble and compassionate, but the pain of his loss and the regret remained.

The story of Gaou and Hayame also reminds me of an old japanese fairy tail that my japanese teacher showed us at the course.

The fairy tale was about a young boy that saved a beautiful bird during a cold winter day. Some days later a young woman comes to live with him and after a while they get married. As they were really poor, from time to time she was weaving secretly, out of everyone's sight (even her husband was forbidden from seeing). He was selling the cloth to the market. One day he is convinced by one client to take a look at his wife while weaving. When he does, he discovers that his wife was the bird he had saved long ago on a winter day. Because he had discovered her she is bound to leave him, although she would have preferred to remain by his side.

I found a very close resemblance between this fairy tail and the story of Gaou saving a lady bug, that afterwards becomes a beautiful woman, lives with him and loves him. He gets convinced by a comrade that she is an enemy and he kills her. Gaou and Hayame's story is more dramatic and violent but we have pretty much the same pattern.
KonokoAsadaSep 4, 2020 1:54 PM
"The me today will not ever make the future me to regret!"
(Emily Adachi from Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Break on the Sky)

Aug 6, 2021 8:12 AM
#8

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Feb 2020
5797
It is full of unlikable character. So this is a tale of two extremely unlikeable and obnoxious guys who suddenly get a girl who dies because of them and then they both suffers eventually too. Phoenix is the unexplainable narrative background. I mean really what a waste of time. It reminds me of ayakashi. I am having doubts whether to continue or not. I really wonder whether I will ever find a tezuka anime which I would like.
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Still not gone bandwagon u, keep crying. Here u are welcome to CRINGE at my EXISTENCE


Sep 8, 2021 10:43 AM
#9

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Jul 2013
1229
This just fell short and should have been extended to movie length because the "good woodcarver" just didn't get enough development. If he had some more scenes at the beginning establishing him better and then more scenes later on to make his fall feel "more satisfying" then this could have worked well.

I also think the whole phoenix thing does harm to the whole thing and i would have preferred it to be more of general Buddhist piece but then it would have been pretty lose adaptation (not that i have read the original story)

The music was great btw. Very unusual for anime. Shame that i could only find the ending song.
It’s time to ditch the text file.
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