*review may contain vague, minor spoilers*
+Anima is a very unique manga: oddly engaging and memorable, lighthearted and fun but with some occasional emotive moments, and a charm that I haven't quite seen in any other series to date.
STORY (8): There are plenty of series out there that involve shifters or animal-human hybrids in some form or other, but +Anima manages to give it a fresh spin and its concept still feels relatively original. With the tension between the +anima and the regular humans, there is plenty of room for battles and epic confrontations. However, this isn't what this series is about or ever attempts to
...
be. It's a character study about how the dislike and fear of their kind affects the lives of four, otherwise normal children who struggle to find their place in a world that largely rejects them.
Set in an original, yet not too far-fetched world in a time before technology came to exist, the manga follows the four main character's meetings with each other, and the resulting journey they head out on, trying to find a place for themselves where they can simply live in peace. Of course, they have various adventures and misadventures along the way, and meet up with all sorts of other side characters. The pasts, motives, and histories of each of the main characters are also revealed. While I don't think it completely falls into either category, as it does have a set progression, it's somewhat similar in feel to a slice-of-life or episodic series. There isn't a whole lot of direction to the plot (though, staying vague to avoid spoilers, there is an interesting twist later on that reveals that there was perhaps more going behind the scenes than may be initially realized), but it's a highly enjoyable venture throughout.
The feel of the story is mostly lighthearted, and generally carefree and cute in tone. You can tell that the manga was likely targeted for a relatively young audience, but it's the type of series that all ages can enjoy and be sucked in by, with depth appearing in some of the chapters that can still be interesting to older readers and characters that are very easy to get attached to. It's also unique in that it contains elements of both shoujo and shounen, but strong elements of neither. There are small amounts of action and hints of romance, but neither is real a focal point of the series.
It's also a mixture of comedic and more serious moments. Even though most of the chapters are lighthearted in feel, there are some chapters that are surprisingly moving and emotional, as well as a few that have slightly darker and more serious undertones, especially when it gets to the second half of the volumes, where the character's pasts start getting more focus. Avoiding any specific spoilers, some of their histories are surprisingly tragic or bittersweet, which provides nice contrast to the series' general lightheartedness.
Even in these chapters, though, the manga maintains its unique charm and aesthetic throughout, but that's part of what makes the manga so likable.
I've seen many people complain about the ending, saying that it's not memorable or that it lacked a real climax. I personally highly disagree, however - +Anima had one of my favorite endings out of all the manga and anime series I've seen! The tone takes a noticeable shift towards the last two volumes, and unlike most of the chapters, which are pretty straightforward, there are some questions that are left unanswered or that require some thinking, but I thought it was overall very satisfying. True, the two-page or so epilogue was a bit rushed, but it definitely had a climax! It's just that the climax is an emotional one as opposed to a physical one - like with the rest of the series, just don't come in expecting epic, large-scale battles; the series remains concerned only with the four main children all the way through to the finale.
If you have to have constant action or unwavering seriousness in your manga, then +Anima probably isn't your cup of tea, but for those who want something charming, fun, and with a focus on the characters, you'll probably highly enjoy the plot throughout all of the 10 volume series.
CHARACTERS (10): Where the series really shines is in its characters, which is fortunate, because without good characters that you could get attached to and care about, the main plot would've lacked emotion and fallen flat. The characters really bring it to life and make you care about the movements the story makes.
Some of the side characters lack real depth, coming and going quickly, but the main four characters are all well developed. There's Cooro, an energetic, food-loving boy who seems to constantly be smiling, Husky, a rather irritable and defensive boy who claims to not be able to stand girls, but is rather effeminate himself, Nana, an outgoing and just slightly bossy, but rather insecure girl, and the oldest of the group, the oddly silent Senri. In description, they might sound a bit like typical character archetypes, but they all have a lot more depth and uniqueness to their personalities, lively dialogue, reasons behind why they became who they are and act the way they do, and are fully fleshed out as characters. They're all quirky and likable to the point where it's hard not to become attached to them, and the interactions between them are entertaining and slowly start to shift over time.
Cooro, in particular, stands out as a very interesting, surprisingly unique character. His personality is actually very complex, and not really as it seems to be at first glance, which is one of those things you'll notice if you read between the lines in a few of the chapters. This becomes increasingly apparent as the series goes on, but unfortunately some people still seem to miss this all together, which I think is too bad, because it gives the series some more emotional depth. The more you really pay attention to the characters, the more interesting the series becomes.
However, if by chance you do take a disliking to the characters, it's unlikely the manga will hold anything else for you, either. As previously stated, the plot is almost completely character focused and driven, so how engaged you become in the story depends directly on how attached you become to its likable, memorable cast of characters.
ART (10): The high quality art is another thing that really makes the series. The art can switch from striking, surprisingly beautiful pieces of work to chibi-style drawings on an almost panel to panel basis, but it works here, making this a very eye-catching and eye-pleasing series. The mangaka draws in consistent, large amounts of detail, too, from the finely crafted environments that the characters come across to the intricate patterns, layers, accessories, and laces on their clothing. The character's also have great, readable facial expressions - you can almost always tell what they're supposed to be thinking or feeling, which is another aspect that really brings the characters to life and makes them memorable.
ENJOYMENT AND OVERALL (10): With an interesting setting and concept, character-driven story, striking artwork, unique, lovable cast, and a satisfying mixture of lighthearted fun with just enough seriousness to keep it interesting and emotion to make it memorable, +Anima is a rare, underrated gem.
It was one of the first series I read when I started getting into manga several years ago, but it still stands as one of my all time favorites today. Again, just don't go into it expecting it to be action-driven - there are plenty of series for that, and with its setting and concept, the manga could've easily gone in that direction, but it doesn't, instead opting to give the spotlight to its characters and uniquely charming aesthetic, and I've yet to see another series that does this better.
It's not for everyone, but if this sort of thing appeals to you, even if just for a change of pace from the more serious, dark series out there, then I highly recommend +Anima.
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Oct 5, 2010
*review may contain vague, minor spoilers*
+Anima is a very unique manga: oddly engaging and memorable, lighthearted and fun but with some occasional emotive moments, and a charm that I haven't quite seen in any other series to date. STORY (8): There are plenty of series out there that involve shifters or animal-human hybrids in some form or other, but +Anima manages to give it a fresh spin and its concept still feels relatively original. With the tension between the +anima and the regular humans, there is plenty of room for battles and epic confrontations. However, this isn't what this series is about or ever attempts to ... |
