The art and atmosphere is surely not something you see in anime often - they are unique and some might think childish. The story and the plot though, bring up really mature topics.
Story : 9
What if after you die, your memories can be transferred to a young and lively body and you can live on? Can you imagine what a world where memories and bodies can be changed would look like? What moral issues would be brought about? These are the subjects that this anime deals with. The mc is a boy who has no memories whatsoever and tries to find himself. Along the way he meets many interesting characters and learns about their stories and their valuable memories as well.
Art : 9
Childish and simplistic you say? Well I am so into weird staff like this.
There are barely any shades and colorings. The lines are apparent and the colors are bright and compact. But man its uniqueness, it really got me. Animation was also outstanding. Movement and voices were well fit, accurate and synchronized.
Sound : 10
I usually don't give much attention to the music and sounds of the anime. But this had beautiful pieces and the effects were really something. OT and ET were very well fit with the futuristic theme of the series, and the singer had an eerie yet warm voice. Action scenes and sad moments were nicely accompanied with the appropriate piece. When goofy characters were around, goofy music was present as well (something like the Super Mario for game boy music). The 'Tree song' (or else 'Chronico's melody') still haunts me.
Character : 9
Character development was another strong part of this anime. The mc is an interesting character with an interesting backstory and so is every character he meets. All of them have an interesting story to tell, which is also really touching (tears came to my eyes quite a few times). There are characters that you like from the beginning, characters not so likeable but their actions at some point surprise you in a good way or their backstories justify them and characters not likeable at all - each of them play a significant part in the story and plot.
Enjoyment : 8
If everything is excellent, why did I give it an 8? (8.5 to be exact)
The truth is that the plot twists and all those details the viewer has to memorize and absorb are too many. After finishing the series you have many questions about motives and may think that there were many plot holes. The way to solve this is to re-watch either parts or the whole series.
The series as a whole though is really something that, if you are up to these sort of anime and you have an outstanding attention span, is worth a shot. After you have sort most of the plot out, it will be one of your favourites.
NOTE: There are some 'mature' scenes, too, so you better be sure that you are alone in the room with no parents around, in order to not find yourself in an awkward position.
