Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku

Shuuzou "Shuu" Matsutani lives his ordinary life in peace. He has friends, a crush, and a passion for kendo. Dejected after losing to his kendo rival, Shuu climbs a smokestack to watch the sunset where he finds Lala-Ru, a quiet, blue-haired girl wearing a strange pendant. Shuu attempts to befriend her, despite her uninterested, bland responses.

However, his hopes are crushed when a woman, accompanied by two serpentine machines, appear out of thin air with one goal in mind: capture Lala-Ru. Shuu, bull-headed as he is, tries to save his new friend from her kidnappers and is transported to a desert world, unlike anything he has ever seen before. Yet, despite the circumstances, Shuu only thinks of saving Lala-Ru, until he is thoroughly beaten up by some soldiers. As he soon finds out, Lala-Ru can manipulate water and her pendant is the source from which she is able to bring forth the liquid, a scarce commodity in his new environment. But now, the pendant is lost, and Shuu is the prime suspect.

Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku is the haunting story of a dystopian world, and of Shuu, who has to endure torture, hunger, and the horrors of war in order to save the lonely girl he found sitting atop a smokestack.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Matsutani, Shuuzou Main

Okamura, Akemi Japanese

Lala-Ru Main

Nazuka, Kaori Japanese

Ringwalt, Sara Main

Nakao, Azusa Japanese

Nabuca Main

Imai, Yuka Japanese

Hamdo Supporting

Ishii, Kouji Japanese

Boo Supporting

Konishi, Hiroko Japanese

Sis Supporting

Matsumoto, Rica Japanese

Soon Supporting

Saitou, Ayaka Japanese

Abelia Supporting

Yasuhara, Reiko Japanese

Kazam Supporting

Matsuyama, Takashi Japanese

Haigney, Michael Producer

Matsuzaki, Yoshiyuki Producer

Kumabe, Shouichi Producer

Morijiri, Kazuaki Producer

Reviews

Apr 20, 2025

Bar3_69

Recommended

Review: Now and Then, Here and There – A Hidden Gem and Unspoken Masterpiece

In a world saturated with flashy animation, endless shonen power-ups, and lighthearted fanservice, Now and Then, Here and There quietly stands apart—a hauntingly powerful anime that few talk about, but everyone who watches it never forgets.

At first glance, it lulls you into thinking it’s just another time-travel fantasy. A cheerful boy, Shuzo “Shu” Matsutani, stumbles upon a mysterious girl and is suddenly whisked away to a desolate, war-ravaged world. But what unfolds from there is not an adventure. It’s a brutal, emotional descent into the consequences of power, war, and lost ... innocence.

What makes this anime a hidden gem is precisely its unwillingness to sugarcoat. In only 13 episodes, it tackles themes that many series wouldn’t dare touch—child soldiers, fascist regimes, environmental collapse, psychological trauma. And yet, it does so without feeling gratuitous. The horrors are real, but they serve a purpose: to make you feel, to make you think. Every scene matters. Every character has weight.

Shu, our young protagonist, is no chosen one. He doesn’t gain magic powers. He doesn’t overthrow tyrants with brute strength. Instead, he resists in the only way he can: by refusing to give up his humanity. His unwavering optimism in the face of hell is not naive—it’s revolutionary. It’s painful. And it’s inspiring.

The art, while dated by today’s standards, is masterfully used. The desaturated color palette, stark backgrounds, and minimalist animation style emphasize the bleakness of the world. But it’s the sound design and music—often quiet, eerily still—that drive the emotional core. The silence speaks louder than action ever could.

And then there's the antagonist, King Hamdo—a maniacal, pathetic dictator whose depiction is both exaggerated and disturbingly real. He embodies the twisted psyche of unchecked power, and the anime doesn’t offer easy answers. There are no clear heroes or villains here—just people shaped by suffering, clinging to whatever they can.

Now and Then, Here and There is not easy to watch. It isn’t meant to be. It’s the kind of series that leaves a mark. It asks you to sit with discomfort. To witness cruelty, yes, but also courage. To recognize that even in the darkest times, kindness matters.

This anime is not often recommended in “Top 10” lists, but it should be. It's not flashy. It doesn’t beg for attention. But for those who find it, it becomes unforgettable. It’s not just a hidden gem—it’s an unspoken masterpiece. One that deserves to be spoken about far more.

If you’re ready for something profound, something raw and resonant, watch Now and Then, Here and There. It won’t entertain you. It’ll challenge you. And you’ll be better for it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Dec 23, 2024

Chloe2ndLife

Mixed Feelings

Given the title I expected this to be some sort of time travel hopping show but it wasn't and the series is PAINFULLY slow and that was with me Literally wactching at 1.5x speed. Cartoonishly silly bad guy, no explanation of how 'the machine worked' could they not just go somewhere else instead of some vaugely explained war, perhaps not recruit children to be soldiers.

The overall vibe I got from this show is that it should have just been a movie, It really has that 90's Anime feature with weird unexplained concepts, I dare say this could Easily be edited down into 1h 15min movie ... and lose absoluetly nothing. I didn't hate this show usually I will drop one after 3 episodes but I hung on for some explanation and world building .. and there isnt any.

If you like your protaganist to be a one note wet blanket this is the show for you

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Dec 22, 2022

RebelPanda

Not Recommended

*This review contains spoilers in a marked section*

I finally watched the cult classic "Now and Then, Here and There" the anti-war series released two decades ago. Over the years, it has been labeled a masterpiece and one of the best Isekai anime ever. I had to see it for myself, but all I can say is… Seriously?

Throughout 13 tedious episodes, I found a beautifully produced but ultimately poorly written anime. Although I liked the sound and art direction, I couldn't get invested in the plot or care about any of the characters. Despite the story's attempts at social commentary, it has a surprisingly 1-dimensional view ... of war. It presents war and violence with the subtlety of a wrecking ball that often feels more like shallow exploitation meant to disturb you.

The story is centered around a classical shounen hero: A boy named Shu. He's a free-spirited kid with a loud voice but a heart of gold. After losing a kendo tournament, Shu climbs on top of a smokestack to watch the sunset, pictured in the anime's poster. After nearly falling to his death, he spots a quiet blue-haired girl on a smokestack parallel to his. Suddenly both of them are surrounded by soldiers piloting flying bizarre snake mechas, ordered by a bitter woman attempting to kidnap the girl. Shu selflessly tries to save the girl while being shot at; his blind desire to help those in need gets him into much worse danger. In a burst of white light, the girl is summoned to another world by the soldiers. Shu is accidentally whisked along with them to a dystopian barren wasteland—this world is bathed in sunlight, sand, and rusted metal architecture similar to Mad Max's setting. This alternate reality is controlled by a brutal military composed of young men—which is often said to be inspired by child slave soldiers in the Congo wars (occurring simultaneously as the anime's production).

On Shu's first night in the foreign world, he is tortured by the comically over-the-top antagonist, King Hamdo—a sadistic villain who chokes cats and beats innocent people when he's upset. The King is an unpredictable antagonist because he's insane; there's no depth to his crazed persona. His goal is to find an ample water supply because the scorching hot sun has gravitated dangerously close to Earth. He needs water both for his soldiers and for "fuel" ala Mad Max. Please don't ask me how water is used as fuel, and the show certainly didn't give me an answer. A dead cat blocks half the frame throughout the torture scene to remind us how Evil this man is. It frequently dabbles in this variety of misery porn to disturb the audience, which the show succeeds at in the same way Cannibal Holocaust repulses ordinary viewers. I cannot comprehend how anyone could possibly take this character seriously. The series often juxtaposes over-the-top situations with bleak and depressing story beats. Violent abuse in the same episode as Shu exhibiting laughably non-existent survival instincts, the comic relief he almost falls to his death, and his sudden burst of super-strength (even after suffering a beating). His character is more akin to Naruto than a normal human being in a life-or-death situation.

Shu's primary motivation is to rescue the quiet blue-haired girl named Lala-ru. The pain he endures to save Lala-ru is unbelievable; he constantly risks his life to save someone he does not know. When he's asked why he keeps chasing after her, he is speechless; his reasoning is that they're friends, except they're not. They briefly met, and he knew nothing about her, but she asked him for help. He has a good heart, even sparing the life of his first enemy who tried to kill him. Though his intentions are always pure, his perusal of Lala-ru is obsessive and borderline unhinged.

(Spoilers below)

By the end of the first episode, Shu is defeated, lying on a metal floor, covered in bruises; beside him is the deuteragonist, a girl crying in pain. He attempts to jump on her, assuming he was Lala-ru due to their similar faces—immediately asking the question, why would he jump a girl he barely knew anyways? The crying girl is also from Earth, an American, but she speaks Japanese for reasons. Her name is Sarah Ringwald; She is both the most relatable but worst-written character in the show. At least Sarah is the only one to call out Shu for his overly idealistic personality, but that is one brief occasion that doesn't change his character in the slightest. She is sexually abused by soldiers off-screen, and Shu's response is to "Just forget about it." What's the metanarrative point? Nihilism? We already know the dystopian setting is cruel to outsiders, so why? If it was meant to characterize Sarah, then why were we alienated from her thoughts? If we can hear the thoughts of supporting characters, like Hondo's minion Ebillia, why can't we hear Sarah's? Sarah is irrelevant—forgotten by the story and Shu in favor of his irrational fixation with Lala-ru. Sarah wasn't the focus of her own abuse, and that's damning for a story attempting to make us empathize with a victim. All we see is her screaming and crying, and that's all.

When Shu suffers abuse, we at least hear his thoughts and understand how he feels, even though the portrayal of his trauma is shallow and the aftermath is short-lived. He quickly returns to being complacent and forgetting about trying to escape and rescue Lala-ru—instead, he continues to live as a prisoner until the plot demands he continues his journey. Only through lucky coincidences is he set on the correct path. Sarah was kidnapped because the soldiers thought she was the Lala-ru. Shu earnestly promises to escape with her, but unfortunately, this is ignored until the end.

(Spoilers end)

Shu is the hero of the story because he helps those in need, refuses to kill helpless criminals, and maintains his morals even when facing assassins. There's a dichotomy between him and Nabuka, the soldier he saved in the beginning. Shu refuses to follow orders, but Nabuka follows the rules no matter what. Through their contrasting choices, the story informs us of the mind prison caused by authoritarianism. Shu's unshakable morals show how expressing free will is the antithesis of authoritarianism. Nabuka believes the solution to war is genocide, making him as brain poisoned as the rest of the soldiers. The military has conditioned him. While Nabuka doesn't really grow as a person until the final act, Shu imparts heroic wisdom. There's an odd dichotomy in that Nabuka is inferior to Shu, who is seemingly perfect in the eyes of the narrative. Therefore he never grows. Every time Shu abides by his morals or breaks the rules, he or others get harmed—yet it is never treated like his fault because he has good intentions. Seeing him constantly get away with being foolish infuriates me. He kept making the same mistakes until the end. However, it's easy for me to root for a hero who protects those in need and has good intentions. Shu is just an idiot. If he has a choice between shooting someone and letting an orphanage get shot up, he will throw his gun on the ground and cry because the decision is too hard for his tiny brain to comprehend.

For a series entirely about war and its horrific impacts, it has a black and white idea of war. You're either good or evil. In this fictional world, victims of war, trauma, and abuse will suddenly monologue all of the horrible things that happened to them because of war. They lash out in anger, beating innocent people and making irrational choices to exact revenge. The way it views mental illness is detached from reality at best and offensive at worst. Nearly every character suffers from a mental disorder, so it is impossible to ignore: For one, villains brutally beat innocent people for no other reason than to relieve anger. Occasionally people will spout the origin of their trauma like they're at group therapy, one says side character say, "Soldiers kidnaped my sister. They left her in the desert. She died of dehydration. Eaten by animals." Then he proceeds to kick the shit out of a person who's trying to protect him. This kind of nihilistic portrayal of violence is juvenile, unrealistic, and a sign of terrible writing.

The main point is "War is bad." No matter how often the anime plays its one sad song, the theme does not become more complex. When praising this series, people often cite the mature subject matter and the beautiful production design—but neither of these aspects makes a story great. Art, animation, storyboards, music, and editing, enhance the narrative. In a series as slow-paced and artfully framed as this one, it leaves plenty of room for the viewer to make their interpretation, like Evangelion, Ergo Proxy, and Haibane Renmei. It has plenty of still close-ups, silent longshots, and characters staring solemnly at the sky. Remember the iconic elevator scene from Evangelion? Take that and do it every other episode, except with none of the emotional weight. One great appeal of Now and Then is its ambiguity—But I need to get invested in the characters and plot before analyzing the symbolism. While others may love it, to me, it was mind-numbingly dull and pretentious.

There is symbolism in this series, such as the water and flowers. Water symbolizes life, and flowers symbolize love. The themes boil down to "War is bad." Over and over. Sacrifice yourself for the war. If you like the story and characters, you can appreciate analyzing the symbolic framing and thoughtful storyboards. But without a good story or characters, there's no point in symbolism. The issue for me was, I despised every character. Shu was an idiot and made illogical choices. His infatuation with Lala-ru creeped me out. Lala-ru could sacrifice her life to save others but chooses not to because charity does not suit her if she will eventually get exploited. In Sarah's brief scenes, she cries and/or screams; she is forgotten by everyone (including the writers) until she returns to be used as an obstacle for Shu to overcome. Consequently, the writers used her as a mouthpiece to spurt pro-life ideology.

Now and Then, Here and There left me empty, frustrated, and utterly disappointed. There's no reward for suffering through this exercise in nihilism. As someone who has seen most modern isekai anime, I can say this one does not belong in any 'best of all time' conversations. It is a relic of a bygone era of anime that’s best left in the niche corners of the community.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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	Poll: Now and Then, Here and There Episode 10 Discussion Kayro - Apr 2, 2008	37 replies	by WilliamMinerva20 »» Apr 30, 3:29 PM
	Why is everyone against Sara’s decision in the final episode? ShogunofSorrow12 - Mar 13, 2022	9 replies	by Ilhan391 »» Apr 13, 12:36 AM
	Poll: Now and Then, Here and There Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Kayro - Apr 2, 2008	190 replies	by mal_user_2022 »» Apr 5, 8:50 PM
	Poll: Now and Then, Here and There Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Kayro - Apr 2, 2008	72 replies	by Baskarite »» Feb 28, 8:23 PM
	Poll: Now and Then, Here and There Episode 5 Discussion Kayro - Mar 31, 2008	48 replies	by beatgoezon »» Feb 19, 4:36 PM

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