Canaan

"CANAAN" is an adaptation from the visual novel "428: Fūsasareta Shibuya de," which in fact, one of the few games to be awarded a perfect score by Famitsu.

So basically "CANAAN" revolves around a woman named Canaan who is involved in a plot against the notorious terrorist group named "Snake." As Canaan tries to stop the group from spreading a so called "Ua Virus," she finds the killer who killed a close and dear companion, her name is Alphard.

While Canaan progresses through the storyline trying to avenge her companion, anew problem has occurred. By a stroke of chance, Canaan's closest and lost friend Maria also gets ... involved in the same situation.

My thoughts on "CANAAN" are that it's main idea was very interesting and creative, how the story was presented changed the generic outlook about people with "powers" using a virus and how terrorists implemented with this weapon. Now the artwork was undoubtedly amazing bringing out great quality and feel of the anime. For sound, the voice actors actually fit with the characters. The opening song was flawless but the ending could be better. Characters were also explained thoroughly, the anime as it progressed revealed more and more information of the main characters so that you will always keep interested. The enjoyment I had watching this was spectacular, "CANAAN" always came up with lots of scenarios, twists and suspense at the end of each episode, this suspense makes you want to go and watch the next episode.

My overall is that "CANAAN" proved to be a good anime, that's why it will be for me a 9/10.

“Delightful, alluring, absorbing, attractive, mature and fast-paced. A ‘diamond’ within short anime for sure, deep and beautiful”

REVIEW FREE OF SPOILERS!

The fourth anime I ever watched. So let’s see…

Girls and guns, a combination that ensures the attention of most people –mainly and without doubt males- to be honest. Here’s where “Canaan” comes in, to break the stereotypical –boring- “Girls with guns” type of anime.
I’ll be honest, on the outside “Canaan” –might- look like the typical fan-service kind of anime, focused mainly on the usual action and sexual innuendos, but in all honesty, Canaan is different.in that aspect, it’s deep and meaningful.

In all honesty short ... anime shows are a bit of a gamble for they usually lack something whether some back story, or the sound or the character developments, but to put it bluntly Canaan has everything and it’s worth watching.

Let’s start 

-STORY: 8-
Probably the most “lame” thing in the whole anime is its premise, the typical good vs evil kind of environment. But let me tell you that by lame I don’t mean that the story is boring nor interesting, I just mean that it isn’t the most original” thing in the world but it has something unique. It’s a story that is easy to understand even if you haven’t played the game –and base scenario- “428: Fusa Sareta Shibuya de”.

“CANAAN” is one of those shows that -because of its story- it leaves you wanting more, and not because it has plot holes or anything but because it’s that good.

It has one of the most alluring and absorbing starts that I’ve ever watched in a anime.


-ART: 9-
One of the things that captivated me before watching the show was the art. Usually before watching a show I try to uncover or “study” the anime –to see if it’ll be worth my time-. The show is a “role model” of animation. The scenarios –the festival, restaurants and the city- are believable and incredibly well depicted. The art developers “immerse” you inside the show in a way that back in the day I had never seen or felt before. And not just that, the characters were made in such a beautiful way to, the artists didn’t just make a face for the characters, the made simple things a memorable thing –like the eyes (and their expression) of Maria Oosawa, the hair of Canaan and the tattoo of Alphard and Canaan-.
To put it bluntly… whether you’re talking about the scenarios or the characters they’re all “attractive” to the eyes and mind of the viewer.


-SOUND: 10-
As I’ve said before I’m a guy that places the soundtrack/score of a movie/TV show as probably one of the most important things of them all, and I must say “Canaan, oh! Canaan”
It doesn’t matter if you’re watching this show subbed or dubbed (I watched it both, and the first time was in English) the voice acting is incredible, the actors performed beyond words. And the work of Miyuki Sawashiro or Shelley Calene-Black (Canaan) and the work of Maaya Sakamoto or Lesley Pedersen (Alphard Al Sheya) is a work that transcends. It’s emotional.

The soundtrack/score in my opinion is the “jewel of the crown” –as I usually say- it was made by Masumi Ito (under the pseudonym Hikaru Nanase). It’s one of the best works I’ve ever heard on my life. A work very swayed by oriental music/instruments –obviously-. It’s a very memorable soundtrack with some of the most superb violin and piano tracks ever.

In the same way that the art designers immerse you in the anime by the way they depict the surroundings and characters, it’s the same thing with the music, transcending for it isn’t just a plain soundtrack, it’s depicts the mood or creates a mood within the show.

A-MARVELOUS-WORK!


-CHARACTER: 10-
Here’s another aspect in which “CANAAN” excels.

“Oh! Look at that! ANOTHER boring show with pretty girls and guns, right?” Well WRONG. Canaan has both things -YES- but it IS more than that. CANAAN is a show about fighting, about learning the truth but most importantly about relationships. Don’t misunderstand me “CANAAN” isn’t the typical “misogynistic” lame story as twilight in which the MC can’t do anything without her vampire lover. No, this is deeper than that.
It’s a story about changes in a personal level.

Different from most short shows CANAAN excels in character development. With the unique friendship between the two MC’s –Canaan and Maria- or the relation between Canaan and Alphard. Relations that take this anime to amazing “places”.

The characters are believable. They’re humans and show emotions. Although Canaan is a really stoic person, but her journey will “open her heart”.

-ENJOYMENT:10 & OVERALL: 9-
Super enjoyable and recommended. Although the show leaves you wanting more for being that good.

When you're browsing series to series and look for that next great addiction, Canaan might be exactly what you look for. Even when your preference might be mecha, drama, h-related stuff, you will find Canaan more or so legendary.
At first the story will be completely confusing or startling somewhat like ...Code Geass or such. The story will explain itself as it progresses.

The Art style depends on the viewer, if you watch it carefully, the beautifully drawn backgrounds wlll be with you throughout the whole series.

The music. One of the best soundtracks i will ever hear in my life is contained in ... this series. after watching. go listen and sit in melancholy.

The characters will grow onto you as the story progresses, please don't give up on anyone of them....except...one. nvm

I watched this with friends together and thought it was truly enjoyable, if you think i'm telling lies, go watch it yourself and see.

Overall, i can't describe the hidden greatness found in this series until you pick up a box set, torrent or such and watch it yourself.

If you enjoyed shows like Black Lagoon or Steins;Gate than Canaan would be a shame to miss.

Incredible. Immersed in the present day, a story that faces the ugly that the world ignores. Humans that are tools, experimentation, mystery, action, and connections of the past, Canaan is absolutely inspiring.

Story: (9) It is a pretty short series, so the end left me wanting a bit more. The story is well rounded, and keeps you wanting to see the next episode.

The plot is incredibly interesting entangling horror and action into the present day. The tale sends a strong message to the audience in the characters used. It ... is difficult to detail this without giving anything away.

Art: (8) Well done. Not incredible, but not lacking anywhere.

Sound: (8) Same as art. Not incredible, but not lacking anywhere.

Character: (9) Well balanced with the plot, the characters rarely deviate from their "selves."

Enjoyment: (9) You'll want to rewatch this one.

Canaan - An Anime in China.

Canaan tells the story of three women and how they met at an Anti-Terrorism Convention in Shanghai, China. One of these women is Cannan, an assassin/mercenary, the other is Alphard, (Cannan's rival who is also a professional and mercenary assassin and who runs a terrorist organization called Snake). The name is even in English to do justice to what happens in the anime (which I can not say).
The latest girl is Osawa Maria, a victim of a biological attack on the streets of Shibuya, Japan for two years. Their meeting brings us to interventions between Canaan and Alphard because ... the two have a connection in which they have a tragic story in common (which is the same for both but at different occasions).

It is a drama anime that unfolds in passing the episodes while it is exciting and makes us think of the friendships we have even with the closest friends. It is also an anime captured for the current generation, which consists precisely in giving to think even with scenes and interrogations more than obvious, also by the way is slightly bizarre because for YunYun (a character in the series) nobody lives at the mercy of a box of pills.
Let's say I liked the story, but it's nothing out of this world but I enjoy it, I liked the psychological highlights that the characters have throughout the development of the anime, I found the story interesting in China, I just think that the range of characters could be greater since the UA virus did not spread to an entire population based on a terrorist industry.
I may think that I should recommend because I think the story of Canaan itself would be good to do, but I prefer not to do it because in my opinion the anime would be better seen and better structured if it happened in the city and not on a mountain or a train, etc. and that was what happened.
Finally I want to say that the enemies/soldiers were so few but so few that I honestly did not even miss them.
By the way is to underline the Cannan's "synesthesia"when she have red eyes !

Canaan was an okay anime too me. The first few episodes were intriguing as the anime tries to draw the viewers attention. As the series progressed the quality started degrading.

Story: The story of Canaan stroke as something interesting at first glance but aftert a certain point the plot became kinda obvious and felt a bit generic. And by the end of the series it was all over the place.
For instance- A terrorist organization creating a virus to use people as biological weapons. The P.O.T.U.S being taken hostage. The close friend of the protagonist searching for her purpose and wanting to ... be self-dependant for being able to stand by her friend's side and in the process getting caught up in commotion and making things harder for the protagonist bla bla..

Characters: The characters didn't get much development through out the series. The motives of the antagonist was not clearly shown. Well the protagonist and the antagonist both were raised and trained by the same man. The protag possessed superpower where as the antagonist didn't. So it was kinda like the latter wanted to fight the former at her top level although she outmaneuvered her many times and purposely spared the former's life many times inorder to let her become stronger. Many questions remained unanswered also the protagonist's backstory didn't fully came to light as there were more and the post credit scene seemed like there might be a another season which would be able to cover the remaining story.

Animation: This is the redeeming department of the series. The fight scenes were well executed. The animation was very good.

But the enjoyment was quite good. The majority of the characters were female and they were hot, specially the antagonist If you want to watch hot chicks fighting around, shooting and dropping karate moves to kick ass then go for it. Not just that, you might end up liking the show yourself, despite it being an average one.

A thirteen episode Action/Drama series, Canaan is based on the manga written by Type-Moon. The manga is published by Kadokawa Shoten, but has yet to reach the states. The anime had it’s original run in the summer of 2009 from P.A. Works Studio, and has been dubbed in English by Anime Network in September 2010. The story actually takes place two years after the Nintendo Wii visual novel, 428: Fusa Sareta Shibuya de. I already watched the subbed version and recently watched the dub, so I’m gonna take on both versions.

Two years ago, Shibuya was ravaged by a biological terrorist attack using the deadly Ua ... virus. Maria Osawa was saved when her father inoculated her against the virus, but is left with partial amnesia from the shock. She works as a cameraman when she reunites with a girl named Canaan in Shanghai, China. A gifted assassin with synesthesia, she is under orders from an unknown organization for a yet unspecified mission. (Anime News Network)

There are two types of people who are infected by the Ua virus, Borners and Unbloom. Borners are those who survive being infected by the virus, some gaining powers (Hacko) or just some extra body parts (Yun Yun). Unbloom are those who also survived the Ua virus, however gain no special abilities and become extremely vulnerable to UV rays and outside noises. Snake, a terrorist group run by Alphard, ran experiments on people in a distant village a few years prior to the events in the anime. Their goal, to study the effects of Borners and Unbloom in order to use the Ua virus to, pretty much, cause war. The only person really standing in their way is Canaan.

The look of the series is pretty much your basic Action anime series with decent animations. The most interesting look of the series is Canaan’s synesthesia powers. Whenever we look through her eyes everything becomes color coded, depending on people’s emotions and condition(her targets are blue, hungry is gray, kindness is yellowish gold). The story is pretty basic: a girl working for an mystery organization (Canaan) and is also out for revenge against the person who killed her mentor (Alphard). At the same time she also befriends another girl eventually turning her into her new reason for living (Maria). Add in a strange virus and some sadistic characters and you’ve got this anime.

There are a few parts that are never explained at all in the series. For instance, in the beginning we are just told that Canaan and Maria are friends. The only thing about their past that the anime calls our “explanation” is a) Canaan saved Maria from bad guys and b) the two of them bond over Cat’s Cradle. Another piece that is never explained is why Minrou went to Shanghi, besides trying to get “the big scoop”. What kind of “big scoop” are we looking for? Did the gossip magazine get a tip that a teenage girl who can see colors and can shoot like a ninja-monkey would be tearing around Shanghi? However I did find out that Minrou was actually one of the main characters from 428: Fusa Srenta Shibuya de, and a survivor of the Shibuya incident two years prior. So if you haven’t even heard of the game then you are completely lost.

Both the English and Japanese versions aren’t bad, but if I had a preference I would stick to the Japanese. The voice actors in the Japanese version match the idea of the characters better then the English. Although both versions have very good portrayals. Both Maaya Sakamoto and Lesley Pedersen give a good performance as Alphard, as well as the actors for both Minoru and Santana. Shelley Calene-Black plays a decent Canaan, but I preferred Miyuki Sawashiro’s more tom-boyish and naive Canaan better. When it comes to Maria and Yun Yun the Japanese voice actors are certainly superior. But I believe the best portrayal of a character in either version is Liang Qi. Both Rie Tanaka and Jessica Boone do an amazing job with this role. Playing out not only her obsession for Alphard but the insanity that goes along with this character. You almost feel sorry for her and the torture she goes though both mentally and emotionally.

The downside to this series is, again, the fact that it’s your generic action series. It has huge gun fights, secret organizations bent on taking over the world, and the occasional necrophilia.... Oh wait.... That’s just this show..... however that’s also the major downfall of this series, the story itself. The characters are decent, with some of them developed nicely while others not at all. There are patches in the story where, unless you have seen it’s proceeding visual novel, then you have no idea where some parts of the story come into play, or why some of it matters. It’s still enjoyable to watch whether you want to see those gun fights or watch the complex mind games between Canaan and Alphard. Or, hell, see Liang Qi lose her marbles!

In the end, Canaan is a good action series that has a few twists to keep the audience’s attention. It sticks to the story through and through with a few fun parts at times. Mostly from seeing Yun Yun and her many many jobs, plus the jokes about her boobs(or lack thereof). It’s one to at least take a look at, and either you’ll love it, hate it, or just go “eh”.

NABILA’S ANIME REVIEW: CANAAN (2009)

Genre: Action, Drama

Ashamed with no regrets, I admit to finishing this anime in a timespan of 24 hours during the school holidays where I have 3 books to read for english, arguments for and against to create for historic debating, a game to make for multimedia and revision for maths. I only had about 5 days left of the holidays and this was how I as spending it -watching Canaan with as much glee as anyone could ever have. Although as I’ve read multiple times, this is quite common for an anime fan to do; ditch all their responsibilities in order ... to watch a super awesome looking anime that’ll rock the socks off our own feet.

That very paragraph alone should be able to summarise my heartfelt feelings towards this anime. Regardless of the heavy doubts i had for it during the first 3 episodes where I had absolutely no idea what was going on but still rather enjoyed the whole plot that was slowly unfolding out in front of me. Although with this in mind, while watching an anime that you absolutely no clue as to what was going on, your mind conveniently flows towards the thought of quickly looking everything up to add that needed background information and then forget about it as though that whole research session did not happen as soon as you continue onto the next paragraph.

This was exactly what I did.

The Canaan plot was all too random for one to somehow understand all in one go without looking bits up. Even during episode 4, I still had no idea as to who I wanted to play out good and bad (as what is considered good and what is considered bad all goes back to the person).

Surprisingly, this pre-research did not hinder my ability to enjoy this anime. Rather, with a strong hold of the actual plot and characters, I (personally) was able to enjoy this anime quite a bit.

Now let us go into the criteria of my reviews:

STORY: 9/10

Understandably, this anime was trying to control what was essentially given out to the audience -which I can understand completely as I myself am an aspiring author with no motivation (YES THAT IS MY PUNCHLINE I AM SORRY). Wether you do research before wait for the anime itself to essentially ‘reveal’ itself to you, there really shouldn't be negative effect. I personally found the unfolding of the plot quite exciting and I quite thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes I did know a few things before jumping into the anime (well more like episode 5), but like I stated before there’s absolutely nothing that hindered my ability to enjoy this anime to it’s extent. For that, I will be giving the plot line a strong 9/10.

ANIMATION: 8/10

As much as I agree as to how stunning the animation was (especially considering the release date ((yes it is not ancient but still))), I’ve got to admit -I’ve seen better. The animation in this anime isn't bad. It passes the level of ‘good’ and ‘enticing’ but doesn't quite make it into the ‘HOLY COW WHAT IS THIS PIECE OF BRILLIANCE THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH’. For that, I will be giving the animation an 8/10.

CHARACTER: 8.5/10

To be completely honest, I don’t know how to summarise my feelings towards the characters and their development during the anime. It was a bit of everything really. Sometimes, character development got pushed back due to an issue or a conflict -and Canaan is perhaps one of the strongest anime in this category. The character development is amazing, but again, I myself cannot word its amazing-ness myself. Just watch the anime.

ENJOYMENT: 8

I don’t really need to explain myself do I?

OVERALL: a SUPER SUPER strong 8.5

DO I RECCOMMEND? Yes

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Fourth Review - Canaan

Well where to start with Canaan then, this anime in my opinion was actually really good. I loved the plot of the anime and thought that it was well planned out, although you have to pay attention to the anime to keep on track. The development of the plot helped with character development as the plot at the beginning is quite empty and it picks up during the course of the series.

Characters were already involved with each other before the beginning of Canaan, however as the anime went on you could understand what terms the characters were on and after awhile ... this shown how closely planned out each character was. The one thing that lets down the whole character development with the main protagonist (Maria) is the way she was portrayed, a 'damsel in distress' and a 'dumb girl'. This was good as it grew closer with the other main character Canaan however it was the same story of what happens when the 'bad people' are around.

To me Canaan had a good animation for the year it was made, it shown detail and different lights in animation during the anime. The animation was well created and gave the 'realistic' anime look rather than a sketchy look, this is what made me like the anime more. The sound in Canaan was also good, the opening especially was well produced and went with the genre and style of the anime Canaan was.

Putting on my 'Yuri-Goggles' now, Canaan shows Girls love like a normal real-life love, the characters weren't on top of each other like other anime. The Yuri was slim and was discreet, however you could tell there was something there between the main protagonists. If your into Yuri anime then this is one that could be nice to see. (Sorry shouldn't go into too much detail here.)

I personally enjoyed Canaan a lot, I found that the enjoyment was good as it kept you wanting to see what happens next, it kept you engrossed to see what the story is about and what happened in the characters pasts. I loved how Canaan itself was quite a smooth running series that didn't just have random fillers in the storyline and didn't have just random unexplained parts.

If you love fighting anime that is not overpowering in the fighting, If you love a simple plot in a story with really no fillers and an anime that keeps you wanting more. I would recommend Canaan, a good anime about girls with guns and some discreet Yuri bases.

Canaan ~

The short of it is that this is a very action-oriented anime similar to Black Lagoon - but with a better story and characters - all while being only 13 episodes long.

Story:

A relatively generic affair overall; Canaan's story blends Full Metal Alchemist and a little bit of Ghost in the Shell - but ultimately falls short of both of them in terms of emotional impact and comprehensiveness. It makes you care and remains consistently engaging through all of the thirteen episodes. There's nothing terribly original about it but it does everything well; it struck me as being more Western movie inspired.

Art:

I don't remember ever ... being stunned or impressed by the visuals, but I don't remember seeing anything bad, either. The action scenes flow nicely and have interesting, fairly detailed, backgrounds and the characters move fluidly - coming together in some well-done fight scenes.

Sound:

Good FX compliment the fight scenes; bullets hit with a solid thud and punches and kicks are delivered with a muffled thump. There aren't any annoyingly voiced characters or poorly done stuff (like "engrish"). As long as audio doesn't hurt an anime it's good in my book, and it certainly didn't in Canaan.

Character:

This is where Canaan really shines - there are no unnecessary side-characters, everyone is important to the main story line and is treated as such. All of them really feel like they develop and evolve from beginning to end. Canaan also has a really solid villain that takes you on a rollercoaster of feelings. Had the actual story been a bit better, Canaan's characters could've shined even more.

Enjoyment:

A semi-believable action-thriller with great characters and fight scenes, Canaan made me happy that I chose it over the innumerable other anime I need to watch at some point. It isn't a classic or anything - nor do I think it should regarded as such - but Canaan left me feeling satisfied; if I had to watch it all again, I would.

Overall:

A flawed gem, Canaan impresses with its character development despite a fairly derivative story line.

To me, Canaan is the perfect kind of entertainment. It has a story intriguing enough to pull someone in and keep them there through it's entire run, I went into this show with zero expectations and found myself finishing it with them blown out of the water. Nothing I have ever seen has kept me interested in a story as well as this one, and I've re watched it three times... That alone speaks volumes of how well it does it's story telling, even if the story itself isn't groundbreaking, all of it was enough for me.

The characters of this story were developed and nuanced ... pretty well enough to keep me coming back time after time. Everybody gets their time to shine and be fleshed out in their own ways. Canaan is a story about a multitude of things, big and small, but what stood out to me was character relationships and how they interacted with each other. I am inclined to say that the characters are where its at with this show, but that was the case for me and might not be the same for everybody else.

Set in China, Canaan is considered to be a spiritual successor to 428 Shibuya Scramble, a visual novel of which I have personally never played. Apparently there are a few returning characters from that game, but I don't believe that not playing the game has any effect on the enjoyment of Canaan, It hadn't for me.

The animation is probably what a lot of people are here for, every action scene is filled with tight editing and choreography, and good sound design to compliment it. The fights themselves are weighted and impactful, every punch and kick landed is felt by the receiver, all guns are loud as well as deadly, getting shot is actually a real problem. The animation quality itself is always on top of the game, never failing in quality. The music to me wasn't bad, but not exactly worthy of high praise, Its all well made and a perfectly adequate soundtrack.

Ultimately if you are indeed interested in watching Canaan, I would recommend it to you. Every bit of it is enjoyable to experience for the first time, and being an action show with cute girls and the such, I do not doubt that there it always something of value for everybody who watches.

The girls-with-guns movement is spotlighted again during my time and this show has come to mind to have some elements of shows like that in the past and wondering that will this be a déjà vu comparison to those other shows? Well, first, the name “CANAAN” is a reference to the Old Testament, describing a land with milk and honey. Also, the anime is based on the scenario of a visual novel game 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de made for the Nintendo Wii and onto a sequel to the game, it centers around three women and their connection to an anti-terrorism summit two years ago, ... Shibuya was ravaged by a biological terrorist attack using the deadly Ua virus. Maria Osawa was saved when her father inoculated her against the virus, but is left with partial amnesia from the shock. She works as a cameraman when she reunites with a girl named Canaan in Shanghai, China. A gifted assassin with synesthesia, she is under orders from an unknown organization for a yet unspecified mission.


You know what? I already sensed the déjà vu situation describing the plot details of this anime…….mainly because it all reminds of the Bee Train trilogy of Noir, Madlax, & El Cazador de la Bruja, three shows whose plots are not really that different from each other and the fact the latter two are spiritual successors to the original. Personally, I do like the Bee Train trilogy more or less (Madlax being the less, El Cazador being the more) but I have developed a sense of what to come across to these types of show, for example:

1. The show is set in an exotic place other than Japan.
2. Sometimes the theme is war (either inner or outer) and an organization unknown to the world is somehow involved.
3. Main female character is an assassin or bounty hunter; the other one has amnesia and can’t remember shit.
4. Sometimes one is stoic (or both in Noir’s case); the other can be the picture of innocence and naiveté.
5. The tone of the relationship between the two female characters has more or an equal amount of Yuri tones. (i.e., I sense a lot of fan fiction about these girls wink wink).

So that’s basically what I sense when I watch these types of anime………
Now as for characters, Canaan herself is the basically stoic female assassin we seen and she can get pretty dull to know about (she became an assassin due to death of her parents and her mentor Siam and wants revenge against the person that offed him) but she was interesting for a while. Maria Osawa is the archetype character of being the eyes of an innocent naiveté young woman and she was a likable character from start to finish (and cute, too. I’m just saying). There is also her boss Minorikawa or Mino-san, who feels more like he’s just in for the ride, like a role reversal considering Maria would fit into that role. Then there’s Yun Yun, the eccentric and energetic young girl and the comic relief (which is kind of new in my book of these types of shows) and one of the surviving test subjects of the Ua virus experiment. The prominent antagonist of the show is Alphard Al Sheya, the leader of the terrorist organization Snake and Canaan’s archrival and there is Alphard’s top lieutenant Liang Qi and I got to say that she has got to be one of the craziest, obsessed, and deranged secondary characters I’ve seen……..it scares me a bit but, hell, I love that about her. Her almost OTT appearance makes it seem believable that she is that fucking insane about what she does. I actually cared more about her than the main villain or the main character.


I would say that Bee Train is somehow involved in the production and they are, but they don’t do the main animation, it’s the work of P.A. Works, the same animation team behind Angel Beats and Another and it looks absolutely beautiful. There was no noticeable mistake and hiccup in any of the fight scenes and I applaud them for that. The character designs were a bit basic for anime design of character although I keep thinking of Yun Yun as a little girl rather than an older female. The opening song of the show comes out a bit obnoxious especially with the electric keyboard in the beginning. The rest of the BGM and ending song were quiet, melodic, and sometimes stealth for a while.


The dub by Sentai Filmworks was alright, however I should have talked about this guy already the last time I reviewed something from Sentai (that wasn’t a re-release from Geneon) and yes, for those who know what I’m about to say is about the ADR director/writer Steven Foster, who is responsible for the dubs of High School of the Dead, Ghost Stories, and the majority of most Sentai Filmworks dubs today and he can be either decent or awful and fortunately for him, it’s on the line of listenable for me. I will give praise to the voice actors/actresses including Shirley Calene-Black, Hilary Haag, Andrew Love, Serena Varghese and especially Jessica Boone for her role as Liang Qi. Yeah, you can tell I really loved that performance.


FINAL VERDICT: I can easily say that I really did enjoy the series all throughout the run, even if most of the plot either seems already done in an anime but some of the time the dialogue is a bit awkward and jarring to hear because of the adapted writing, but I’ll say that if you like any of the girls-with-guns anime trilogy, you’ll like this. If you don’t (and I know some who don’t), then you might want to skip this.

WARNING Minor Spoilers (I guess lol)
CANAAN is an anime that really blowed-up my expectations. It started as what may appear as a common action anime with just battle scenes (greatly animated though), but it also surprised me with the story that it unfolds, although at first could be somewhat confusing to understand.

One of the may things that I'd like to point out is the excellent work of the voice actors and actresses, they really did an excellent job!

Lastly, I'd also like to point out somewhing that most animes don't achieve and that is character growth and story-telling through the series. It's amazing to ... see the psychological effects on the characters due to the atrocious events of their past and the way the anime portrays it it's just excellent (specially Hakko's character)

Overall, it's an 9 just because the story is a bit difficult to grasp at first and it's very easy to get lost if we're not paying attention to what the characters are saying.

Canaan proved to be quite the mixed bag for me with its fair share of worthwhile aspects and some major flaws that keep me from wanting to rate it higher. Before I get to my praises, I shall tackle my issues with the show. The show's plotting proved to be Canaan's weakest area where there wasn't much in the way of buildup concerning the plans that the Snakes had with the Ua virus as the show's central focus was more on the character relationships between the major female characters of the series than the virus plot. As a matter of fact, this plot element seemed ... so irrelevant that the show ran it alongside a typical case of government corruption by the American government without much explanation as to why and what was ultimately being planned with the virus seemed like something you could pull out of a science fiction/ horror movie. Adding to my snags with the series would be some over-the-top characters among those of the villains such as psycho lesbian Liang Qi and a childish-behaving old man with ridiculous speed and agility.

What does save the series from complete mediocrity for me would be the character interactions and developments involving the major female characters of the series. The connections between Alphard, Canaan and Maria are a complex one as all three are essentially conflicted over how to treat one another in regards to their past relationships that are hinted at points through flashbacks. For example, Canaan cares for Maria dearly because of her desire to care for somebody yet does not consider Maria's feelings of helplessness from her encounters with the Snakes. Maria desires to be someone on Canaan's level yet because of their different upbringings, they can never truly have a deep friendship with one another. Alphard detests Canaan for getting the attention of their mentor Siam, yet does not have any desire to kill or make her rival suffer as she halts attempts made on the lives of Canaan and Maria; as well as having the desire to fight with Canaan at her potential. The chemistry between the three proves to be an interesting one because of the internal conflicts the three have over one another and it does more than enough to make up for the weak plot buildup with the virus.

Canaan was one of the better-looking 2009 anime titles I've come across in terms of visual presentation. It sports clean and defined details plus a bright color tone with scenery and character designs; as well as having some great looking action scenes where you can expect fluid movement to be the norm without too many noticeable shortcuts in the animation. Animation highlights for me in the series included a gun-fight on city rooftops during a festival and an intense fight on a train between Canaan and Alphard.

Overall, Canaan is quite the mixed bag of an anime. While it sports a high-quality visual presentation for a TV series with interesting character dynamics between the three central female characters, the series really suffers in its plot buildup and had to toss in some characters that seemed too over-the-top to be in a series as serious as this. While a decent watch, this isn't a series I would be willing to hop back to anytime soon.

Honestly, I don't know how I'd even begin to describe this show. If someone were to ask me, "So what is Canaan even about?" I don't think I'd be able to give them an answer. But I think this ambiguity works in Canaan's favor as the series can point the audience in the direction of the characters as they slowly unravel the mystery of everyone's past. You're thrown into the story as if you were halfway through a season, and the show puts together the pieces as the episodes go on. I'd liken it to Darker than Black, which happens to be a favorite of ... mine. Another thing I found to be incredibly compelling about this show is the way it depicts the downfalls of living your life solely for another person.

"Canaan" throws the audience right into the middle of the story, introducing multiple characters who seem to know far more about the backstory than you do. Some may dislike this since it makes the series harder to follow in the beginning, but as for me, I think it's a very intriguing concept that more narratives (whether they be manga, light novels, anime originals, and any other form of western media as well) should take advantage of, as a story that builds the past, present, and future around itself as it progresses is something I really enjoy. Such a method of storytelling also allows for the audience to really get to know each character and how they fit into the grand scheme of things, and considering how interesting and complex every character is in Canaan, this works immensely in the show's favor. Every episode you're made aware of how two seemingly unrelated characters know each other, or what some character did in their past and how it affects the present day affairs of everyone. There's a lot of great things to be said about a plot that continuously thickens from beginning to end.

My 2nd point isn't quite as straightforward as the first, as your interpretation of this may be different than mine. I found that the show really emphasized the importance of living for yourself, and how devoting your life entirely to one person will only lead to more pain. I've heard a lot of people online saying things like "I stay alive because my mom would be sad if I was gone" or "My dogs would miss me if I died" and it's always bothered me that people place such little value on their lives. The story of Maria and Canaan's friendship lends credence to my point, in that Maria's constant dependence on Canaan as the light in her life only left her more troubled as the ending neared. My favorite quote from the show is proof of this: "You're my light, Canaan. You keep shining straight on, even to the end of the world. But being loved and illuminated by you has cast a shadow inside a corner of my heart." Leaving no room in your heart for yourself is a dangerous game that led to the downfall of multiple others throughout the series, which is what led me to believe that this was the message the show aimed to present: one of putting yourself above others and valuing yourself as a person.

I started Canaan looking for all the cool action scenes I saw in an AMV and left feeling more grounded in my ideals regarding self-worth. If you're just looking for something that'll keep you occupied for a while, I'd suggest finding another show to watch. This is a show worth paying attention to, and it's been my goal in this review to prove that.

I'm not really used to seeing female characters being the hero so I was afraid to watch this. But I'm happy that I did decide to watch it since I would've missed out on one of the greatest female rivalries ever. I can't say no more, just that this anime has great art, music and a solid story to keep you in your seats, till you gotta move that mouse again for the next episode. Watch this, especially if your a girl, I know this because girls like to fight, I know from experience, lol.

Enjoy this!

This review will contain spoilers.

I didn't expect much from this show when I first decided to watch it. I was planning on watching this between shows to fill the gap - turned out it was a good call.

Story: The setting struck my immediately from the first seconds of the first episode. I remember thinking to myself "I think I've stumbled across a hidden gem again". For anyone whose a fan of Darker than Black or Speed Grapher, this will be up your street. I found the story to be unique, particularly the focus on a main character who uses a real life condition (Synesthesia) ... as a combat ability. The way the virus introduced through the strange masked folks at the carnival who die when exposed to sunlight sets up a great deal of mystery in a really nice way. The show grips you, and it doesn't pull its punches either - I love a show that isn't afraid to get gruesome and/or kill a few main characters off (or at least put them in extreme danger). The only let downs for me is that the series felt a little too short, or at least that it had been set up well for a sequel. There were also a few things I didn't fully get, like the masochistic relationship between Liang Qi and Cummings. Overall though, I was impressed with Canaan's story.

Art: The art is really nice. The character designs are interesting and colorful enough to be interesting and aesthetic, but not too extravagent as to seem out of touch with the rest of the setting. The setting itself - the urban complex of Shanghai (and the desert of Central Asia for a while) really set the stage nicely for a gritty plot. The action was high tempo and well animated in my opinion, without going overboard.

Sound: This really was a high point for this show. The high-stakes intro and melancholic credit tracks are a nice contrast to each other and reflect the different sides of the characters - the blood thirsty assassin (Canaan) and her caring, gentle friend (Maria). The music throughout the episodes was great and did a particularly good job of conveying the gritty setting and the suspense of the story.

Characters: There really weren't many characters in this show that I didn't like. Canaan, Hakkoh, Alphard, Maria and Santana all had really cool designs and had interesting backstories that kept me wondering. I was quite invested in Canaan and Maria's friendship, and I wonder if perhaps this show could be considered on the periphery of the Yuri genre, as their relationship seemed to be to be slightly more than just good friends. Minoru's character let me down a little as he seemed to be a little bland in terms of development and design compared to the others. Li Qiang's character confused me a lot, as did her relationship with Cummings as mentioned previously. I'm not exactly sure what the message of that relation was meant to be, or what they were supposed to represent. I suppose you could consider them good characters if you like to be kept wondering long after the series has finished.

Enjoyment: The few flaws only became apparent a while after I'd finished the show. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of watching this anime and was always eager to start the next episode. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of action-packed, gritty shows.

Overall: This is a really good show, with a great atmosphere, aesthetic and interesting characters and an intriguing plot. 9/10.

Canaan was a HUGE surprise for me. As I am familiar with TYPE-MOON I was a little bit worried when I heard about it, since two girls is not their normal choice of main characters, and I feared it may be some common Yuri anime with flashy action scenes and a little bit of science or religion (like they do). I was glad to find how wrong I was, as Canaan is both enjoyable and profound.
Story:
The story is kind of complicated, which is part of the enjoyment of the anime. you need to finish the anime to understand it. it does have some hardcore action ... scenes that every action lover will enjoy, but they are all according to the plot. there is a perfect balance between story and action, so don't worry about it.
Art:
normal TYPE-MOON goodness. nothing left to say.
Sound:
same. I only wish that the song they hum would be louder.
Characters:
BEST CHARACTERS IN THE WORLD. Canaan is just a normal girl, and Alphard isn't perfect. usualy, the hero is so powerfull and gracefull that only wants to be a loser, or a loser who wants to be a hero, but Canaan is different. she doesn't want to change, she is so normal it hurts. even though she is a cold blooded killer, she is still just a confused little baby girl. Alphard on the other hand seems very mature and looks as if she has it all figured out, but her character is dramatically developed in the end, unlike most of villians.
Who would enjoy it:
smart people that love actions and boys who like hot girls fighting half naked.
Who won't:
shojo lovers, romance lovers, and people who don't like complicated plots.

This show had promise, but it utterly fails to deliver on anything except a couple cool gun fights because all of the characters are utterly terrible. The main characters are mostly lifeless and unengaging, and the villains are so utterly irritating that I could barely bring myself to finish this. Specifically, the villain on camera the most has an onee-san fetish and is constantly screaming and horny; it's extremely offputting (not only because that's inherently offputting, but it also clashes intensely with the serious tone and setting). This show's tone and premise are good, but the characters and writing are just so bad that I ... actively urge you not to watch this.

Just go watch Phantom Requiem for the Phantom instead of this. It's similar in tone and overall feeling but it's better in every single way.

This needs to be as popular as Fate and KnK, I mean, darn.

Story:6
The story is certainly not what I liked best about the series. The story kinda gets the job done and that's about it. Not that I didn't like a lot of moments, but it is overall very obscure and introduces discussions about bunch of vague emotions that just come and go. Also, while the Siam backstory is very interesting, there is not quite enough focus than I would like, compared to Fate/Zero or Elfen Lied, where the main character's backstory is the main focus of a couple of episodes, . There are great ... standout moments, but the story itself is kind of a mess. Though to its credit, it ties up everything better than fellow 13-parter Angel Beats.

Presentation (Biased Version): 15
Holy crap these action scenes are amazing 15/10 would watch again

Presentation (Sureeus Verzhun): 10
But seriously, the action scenes are very fluid and are very exciting. Even quieter scenes have a decent amount of fluidity to it. While a lot of time is spent in dark military bunkers and the gritty streets of Shanghai, it is actually a pretty gorgeous anime. While some scenes seem a bit jagged, these are merely nitpicks and are overshadowed by the gorgeous action scenes

Sound: 9
While this isn't the usual pairing of a Type/Moon property and Yuki Kajura that was pretty much made in Heaven, the soundtrack is very strong, espescially the themes of Alphard and Siam. The OP is amazing, flashy, and catchy as hell. The ED is meh, and I skipped it a lot of times to see the OP again.

Characters: 8
I had a lot of fun with the characters, the taxi driver, though he only appears in a couple scenes, is freakin' awesome, and makes singing Jpop songs about China cool. Yun Yun was a combination of adorable, yet annoying, she doesn't get too much focus and is more of a comic relief vehicle and does the job adequately well, at least better than Jar Jar. Hakko is probably one of my favorite characters in the entire series, though, at first, she seems a bit off since she rarely speaks, when she does speak, she is very awesome, even if it often ends up bad for her. I'll have a hard time discussing the titular character without spoiling anything, but she is very interesting. One of the biggest problems I have though, is the relationship between her and Maria, it seems that they keep teasing the Yuri audience frequently with what I can only assume is just a strong mutual friendship. Oh I almost forgot The Snake Organization, here's a haiku for you weaboos out there

Alphard bleeds awesome
I could care less 'bout Cummings
Liang is cray-cray

FINAL VERDICT

8/10
Pretty freakin' cool
But the plot kinda sucks
Liang's still cray-cray

RECOMMMENDATION: MEDIUM-HIGH