Ikoku Meiro no Croisée The Animation

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth was mostly overlooked last season due to it's overlapping qualities with the third season of Natsume and the Book of Friends. If you were watching Natsume, then you already know that they are two very different anime despite them sharing similar pacing and atmosphere. Natsume on one hand received tons of praise, but Croisée mostly ended up getting flack. I was quite upset when I was reading through reviews that quickly disregard Croisée as "moe-trash" and simple pandering. Yes, the show does have a little girl in it, and yes she is adorable. That does not mean the show is ... moe, and more importantly it does not mean the show is trash. I hope this review clarifies some points on the show, and in turn convinces you to pick up this anime. It is well worth your time for many reasons.

The setting is late nineteenth century, France. If you're interested in European art, then I strongly recommend this anime, as the backgrounds and clothing are all very realistic. Many times, I was captured by the scenery and it is a very strong suit Croisée has that many anime simply leave out.

Immediately, the characters are what will jump out at you. There's an old man, a boy in his late teens, and a young girl. Now this set up could have gone horribly wrong and turned into something perverse and offensive, but it did not. The old man, Oscar, was one of my favorite characters in the show. He's an important father figure to both Claude and Yune, and he brings interesting wisdom, making the show worthwhile to think on even after finishing. Claude Claudel is the protagonist of the series alongside the small Japonaise, Yune. The show is about how Yune adapts to her new environment and how Claude adapts to a foreigner living with him in his deceased father's failing sign shop. The characters work off of each other very interestingly, and I felt it was very easy to sympathize with both of them as their problems were more mundane than extreme. This may lead some to think that the show is very melodramatic, but it is in fact the opposite. The execution here is done very well , and all problems are solved in a way that develops the characters in a believable manner.

There are two other characters that are very much the opposite of our protagonists though, Alice and Camille. They are part of one of the richest families in Paris at this time, and they both have unique relationships with Yune and Claude respectively. Alice is very obsessive with the Japanese culture, which at the time, was highly intriguing to the people of Paris. Her relationship with Yune is somewhat one-sided but very interesting and even complex as the show completely unfolds. Camille's relationship with Claude was very interesting as well, but I do not wish to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet.

I digress but I must include this. Alice supplies an anachronism - the only one in the show - and whilst it was unnecessary, I don't think it should soil the reputation of the show. Alice says "moe" despite the show being set more than one-hundred years before the word came into history. This joke is used more as a 4th wall joke in my opinion, so it shouldn't be too heavily stressed upon.

The sound contributes greatly to the setting and I found it adding to an already wonderful experience. Even the opening is an instrumental piece. The show could have abused the setting and sound to create a very pop soundtrack to sell to the masses, but it didn't and I have great respect for that. The one thing I regret this anime did not do, was include more French words into the script. Though that is understandable, as there is a large challenge in overcoming linguistic barriers. Luckily, as a side-effect, choking strange words down the audiences throat is not what happens either.

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth is a piece resistant to much of the failings that can be found in both historical and slice-of-life anime. There's not an over-abundance of fanservice yet it is still incredibly enjoyable to watch. Yune is not sold as sexual, and unlike many shows focusing around little girls, she has great characterization, as does the rest of the cast.

The show is slow, but if you're willing to try out a new experience then this may be a good place to start. If you're hesitant to pick this anime up, then I hope this review has encouraged you to do so. I was too, hesitant to continue this show beyond it's first episode, but I am glad that I did, as it became a very memorable anime. It is certainly worth watching, especially since it is very short.

If you enjoyed any of these anime, then you might also enjoy Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth: Victorian Romance Emma, Usagi Drop, and Aria the Animation.

"There is a little Japanese girl who lives in France, yet only a few know of her presence," probably because they ignore the little squirt, I mean she's so damn tiny!

STORY: Ah France, quite the lovely country isn't it? Famous for many things, their gourmet food, the Palace of Versailles, the Mona Lisa, their classic literature, and... a little Japanese girl who lives in a sign shop... Wait that last one is pure fiction, but it does offer an interesting perspective for an anime to take, if for only the first couple of episodes unfortunately.

Yes, initially, one would have thought this anime was going to ... be interesting story about a foreigner learning about the different customs she's not used to, and tries to learn them... but of course this is anime, and those stories don't fly because the real money is at otaku pondering and brainless moe, and the anime industry knows that way too well and Ikoku Meiro No Croisee is disappointingly another one of those. And you know it's true when one of the characters actually speaks the word moe in a sentence... in 19th century Paris... That character is also quite the japanophile... Makes sense, it does not.

But, it isn't a terrible show, in fact, it's a pretty decent show actually, but there is so much wasted potential in this one. The story is about a little Japanese girl named Yune, who along with an older french man (Insert the a lame pedophile joke, or not, the grandchild of the man already beat you to the punch) return back the man's home in Paris, a sign shop run by his grandson and main male character, Claude. The episodes start off by having Yune being intrigued by several customs, foods, etc, and Claude being put off by the the customs Yune explains that are in Japan, rinse and repeat, but it's actually entertaining and amusing.
Of course the story evolves into a more character driven story, which also introduces one of the biggest nominees for most annoying character that otaku and moe enthusiasts love to love despite how over used the character is in anime, Alice, a little rich girl, who loves anything and everything Japanese (An animated Wapanese girl in a way).

I know I'm straining on that character quite a bit (Even before I said who it is), but as the story changes into character stories, it also takes up (wastes) your time with plenty of "Oh my god, your so damn cute it hurts blergeehhh," moments with Alice and Yune. Most of the time, it's Alice showing Yune how much she wastes her time on Japanese things with Yune showing her more Japanese ways of being Japanese, then it's dress up time as Yune wears something else besides kimonos, and Alice and every other moe fan melts at her cuteness... My god, I think I've said enough for anyone to get the point.

Yes it's quite the ponderous outing, but it doesn't shove moe in your face as much I'm trying shove it to you that's it does indeed shove moe in your face. At least in this anime, the objectified moe figurine girl, Yune, is a very likable, sweet and innocent, and very tolerate girl for her age that is open minded enough to try even the weirdest of things (Okay she's more like a curious kitten than anything else), who is just the right amount of sugary sweet cuteness that will not give you diabetes right away for one anime, but throwing in Alice, and you got type 2 diabetes baby.

Okay, to be fair, Alice's introduction in the anime was actually a part of nicely written story bit (She would've been a whole different trope, but the anime avoids that and takes a different route instead), but it's what she insists on doing with Yune after that will truly annoy you about her.

Overall the anime is nice slow paced story, that starts out as a promising cross culture story that turns into yet another otaku catering show, but it's definitely a whole lot better than the garbage dump of otaku moe-blob shows out there.

ANIMATION: The production values are quite nice, everything is detailed and clean looking, the character models are a bit bland, but that's not a big deal at all. Though, it looks like every other moe anime out there, and it definitely doesn't give a damn, no matter how tired you are of same old designs. The anime looks very good in general, and it definitely should be since it's showcasing a beautiful city in the first place.

SOUND: The background music is very nice, ranging from beautiful and calming music, though quite reused a lot though. The voice acting is adequate enough, Yune sounds as cute as she looks, and Alice sounds as annoying as her character unfortunately is. The theme music is also quite soothing. Though the most interesting audio piece is the little introduction it does in the beginning of every episode, as it is spoken in french rather than Japanese, and I'm hoping that a french dub would get made for this show specificity, so that the anime would becomes more authentic than it actually is.

OVERALL:
The Good:
+ A cute slow paced story about a Japanese girl living in Paris.
+ Nice looking animation.
+ Peaceful audio.

The Bad:
- Disappointingly derails from an interesting story to become more of the same over inflated moe anime out there.
- Alice, and her annoying Wapanese ways.
- Overuse of, "Holy shit you're so damn adorable!" moments.

Damn, I talked more about Alice than the actual main characters, but they are not that interesting anyway.

Review is up to Date Episode
At this time, not much have change in the basic impression or story.

This Anime is beautiful and adorable! The collision of 2 Cultures.
You will see an Japanese Young Girl finding the smallest things to be an adventure and exiting. Be prepared to be hooked

This is a very warm, (adorable is the perfect word) Anime. I felt so connected to the story and it's the same connection I got from watching Spirited Away.
Big ++ in this anime, while you watch this, you see traditional stuff in the anime, how France looked like, how the Japanese lived and how it does not ... fit in the France society, and so on. It's very entertaining to see and very nice to get to know and learn.

Story: 8/10
Yune is still struggling and the story has not changed much. Still an 8.

The story of a young Japanese girl during the 19th Century named Yune. She comes to France with a traveller named Oscar. She offers her help to the Ironwork Shop whom Claude owns, the nephew of Oscar.
While trying to help, conflicts occur due to the major difference in cultures and way of living.

The story is very interesting when you starting to watch it, and you definitely want to watch more. Yune is well behaved Japanese girl who knows the Japanese traditional manners very well. Which makes it very weird for Claude whom have lived in France his whole life and is accustomed to his culture.
The beauty of this anime, is the collision of the cultures. Yune want to learn as much as she can from the French Cultures, like the food they eat, shops, marketing, clothes. And the director makes just the smallest thing look like such a big step for this little girl and it's just heart-warming to watch.

Art: 10/10
It's beautiful. A Japanese made Anime/Manga that really have got a lot of the French 19th Century Culture in movement in this anime. It's very good detail. And Yune, this small Japanese girl in her beautiful Kimonos shines on the streets of Paris. Like how the sun shines in a cold morning. That how good the art shows the difference of France and Japan Cultures.

Sound: 10/10
Absolutely outstanding. I love each time they show which episode and the episode name before starting the episode, they have a French, a Real French accent voice speaking the Title. It's perfect.
The Opening songs are beautiful and fits the theme. It's very original in my ears of hearing Openings.

Character: 9/10
Yunu, is the star in this anime. Yes a type of Loligirl, but I couldn't care less on what the characters represent in a matter of general Anime. Because this Anime is so beautiful and unique to my eyes.
A young Japanese Girl with only knowledge from Japan, in France. Try to imagine that and let your mind go wild.
She is every well-behaved, knows how the Japanese cultures works like being a housekeeper, bowing, eating food. Apologizing and so on.
Collides with Claude whom knows the French ways. Dry bread with sliced cheese. Coffee, eating soup with spoon. The Ironwork shop, and a lot of other things.
And Oscar, that acts like a very nice Uncle to Yune. Telling her about the simple things in France that seems so mysterious and big in Yunes eyes. And how hard she tries to be the French Girl and trying to fit in to the French culture.
I miss a few more characters. But it's only been 2 episodes. It surely will be more.

Enjoyment: 10/10
3 minutes played in the first episode, and I feel just so happy and warm that I haft to smile to how adorable Yune is. I'm hooked man. So hooked, I did not take my eyes of for 1 second during my watching time. It's 100/100 if I could rate that.

Overall: 10/10
I think this anime is a definite 10. The Story is interesting, well thought up and can develop in many ways.
The art is fantastic.
The characters are adorable, classic in the way they should be because this is a historical Anime that occurs in the 19th Century.
My enjoyment is, I want all the episodes now, and watch it all now!

One great anime! This is a Seinen Anime, meaning this Anime is dedicated to an Audience of 18+male. It is similar to that, but I can see that anyone could like this. Because this is clearly an anime for everyone! It should be Josei aswell if anything. Josei/Seinen.

*Will be updated* Cheers :)

Cultural differences can make it difficult for one to understand and get along with a stranger. But when two people are able to make it past this obstacle, their eyes become opened to the wonders and marvels of the other's world. Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is the story about a young Japanese girl adapting to life in the boisterous city of Paris in the second half of the 19th century.

Art (8/10)
This category is generally the hardest one for me to score given my usual lack of attention to fine, artistic details in the animation. Anyhow, the animation is on par with today's standards which, ... in my opinion, is enough to satisfy the mass majority of the audience. I also appreciated the fact that foreigners (i.e. the Parisians) were not shown to be "different" in terms of physical appearance. Since I haven't been to Paris, I can't really say anything about the accuracy, but I must say that the buildings and surroundings are quite detailed.

Characters (7/10)
Right from the start, it was obvious that character development would largely focus on Yune, the Japanese girl adjusting to life in Paris. Although she was not used to living the life of a Parisian at first, as time went on, it was evident that she learned to accept and adapt to her new surroundings. In turn, the other Parisians also got to know her better and worked on accepting this unique girl into their family. The difference between Yune's interactions with the people in the first and last episode is truly astounding. But aside from Yune, the other characters were more or less poorly developed (e.g. Even after the whole series, Oscar didn't really change that much).

Sound (7/10)
A slightly upbeat, country-style OP to ready you for an episode and a calm, soothing ED to end it - a great combination for a show of this genre. BGM was average and fit in well, though none of the soundtracks were particularly memorable. And even though there weren't any big-name seiyūs involved, the voice acting was done quite well. Don't expect anything grand and you'll be satisfied.

Story (7/10)
The story is honestly quite interesting. Although it seemed a bit slow (and slightly confusing) for the first two-thirds of the series, the last third picked up the pace and tied up all the loose ends, making the series as a whole enjoyable to say the least. The idea of a young girl travelling to and living in a foreign country by herself is intriguing, and is what caught my attention when looking through the plethora of anime series for Summer 2011. Although, at first, she faced many difficulties, most obvious of which was the transition from Japanese to French culture, Yune was soon able to enjoy her new life with the help of the other residents. Looking back, it is truly heartwarming to see how she came lonely and empty-handed but ended being so deeply cared for by others.

Overall (7/10)
While Ikoku Meiro no Croisée does appeal to a wide audience, it is not for everyone. Those who enjoy slice-of-life anime would most likely be more entertained by this than those who look for action-packed or psychological anime, for example. Nonetheless, it doesn't hurt to give this series a try; I'm glad I did. As a whole, it's not particularly outstanding but the story and characters make it a worthwhile watch.

IMnC is one pink fluffy cloud of a BBC documentary. This is one of those soothing anime that delivers a slice of life where the drama is kept to a minimum and all is nice and soft and sweet.

Story:
A tiny teenage Japanese girl in the 1900s leaves her home and sails away to Paris to live with two grown men and keep house for them. Now, at first this sounds like it was written by Pedobear but nothing could be further from the truth. There is no fanservice and no pervy stuff, which can only be counted as a blessing. The story deals mainly with ... culture shock on both sides of the equation and comes to the inevitable conclusion that no matter how different we seem to be we can still find common ground. Don't read any romance into this, there is none. In general, the story is refreshingly innocent and all sorts of sweet.

Characters:
Yune is the diminutive Japanese expatriate. She is a sweet presence and in a miraculous manner she has been saved from the moe-tard stain. She may be soft-spoken but she's not an airhead and she has a will of her own. She is infinitely more charming this way and she does not need any cutesy antics to make us like her. I do wish more anime paid attention to this carefully balanced female character creation.
Claude is one part of the French host family. He is a good sort of guy, if a little too broody at times. He is abrupt and outspoken and these elements play off nicely against Yune’s more reserved and polite Japanese nature.
Oscar is the other part of the French host family and Claude’s grandfather. Always in the grip of wanderlust and a total flirt, he is nevertheless the sort of grandfather anyone would want. Kind, insightful and gentle. He is a sort of bridge between the two worlds, France and Japan.
Alice is a spoiled rich brat with a fetish for Japan and determined to make Yune into her pet. A truly obnoxious character but who nevertheless adds an extra layer of comparison for Yune. There is the French-Japanese and then there is the rich-poor layer to the story. Necessary, I admit in retrospect, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't gladly bludgeon her to death with any convenient spiky object so I could have the pleasure of seeing blood and brain bits flying…ahem, back on topic, back on topic.

Animation:
Simple yet above average. There is some repetition and most frames don't need any extravagant angles that would complicate things. The backgrounds are pretty and surprisingly accurate for the period and place. It so happens that Japanese animators are often baffled by the architecture of European houses and end up drawing a generic box with a generic roof and generic windows. This has been mostly avoided here since it is apparent the studio worked with references. Where references were not available the generic box makes a slight appearance. Character animation is soft and beautiful.

Sound:
Cheerful and fluffily melancholic. Feels like being in a French bistro so I guess it was spot-on.
OP & ED: The OP is a very pretty travelogue of Paris 1900 and the ED is just pretty nonsense which I mostly skipped.

Overview:
This was a nice anime, a soothing slice of life. There are no stellar characters or elaborate plot twists; if you are to enjoy this you enjoy it for the simple sweetness and innocence. If you are fed up with the borderline hentai crap and moe-tard gimmicks and are in need of something genuinely sweet, pick this up.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is by the director of Aria, and the preview made me think that I was going to get something similar to Aria. So far, I haven't been disappointed. Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is a light and sophisticated slice-of-life series. Like Aria, there's occasional tension, and also like Aria, the tension exists only to be broken down into something more relaxing and positive. The cityscapes of Paris that we are regularly treated to are very reminiscent of those of Neo-Venezia, although the art doesn't quite match up to Aria at its best.

So, how is it different? Well, there's a definite potential for ... them to do things with romance that never really existed in Aria at all. Fans were happy to ship Akari with Akatsuki, and some attraction crept in between Al and Aika near the end, but really, the three central characters were girls, and the story was very much focused on them. On the other hand, the two central characters of Ikoku Meiro no Croisee are very clearly a single guy and a single girl, with all the potential angst that comes with that. Frankly, I'm rather hoping they don't do anything along those lines. As I get older, I find the usual pattern of a guy and a girl who get together at the end of the series increasingly frustrating; I always find the relationship itself more interesting than the lead-up. In any case, the angst that comes with romance inevitably detracts from the relaxing atmosphere that a healing series is trying to create. But I'll reserve judgement on that for now; it isn't clear where they're going with the two central characters yet.

What has it done well so far? Well, the best thing about it is the amount of scope they've given themselves for character growth. Aria had character growth, but only very slow, gradual growth. With the possible exception of Alice, all the Aria characters mostly finished the way they started: perfect. On the other hand, the two (three? I imagine Alice will become a major character pretty soon) central characters of Ikoku Meiro no Croisee are clearly well-meaning but imperfect, and still find it pretty difficult to relate to each other. Changing the characters as the series goes on could add a really interesting extra dimension.

And could it be better than Aria? Well, call me premature, but I'm going to go ahead and say probably not. Aria was the best because Aria was the first. Both the characters and the setting were incredibly original, and this gave the author unlimited scope for what they could do with it. You could tell that Aria had ideas absolutely spilling out of it, and every single one is fresh and new and unexpected. Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is going to have to work very hard to both improve on it and be original, and I don't think it's going to manage it. It's possible I'll be eating my words. The first time I watched Aria the Animation, it didn't make it into my top ten series of all time - it was only by the time that I had finished The Natural that it reached that level, and only by the end of The Origination that I considered it my second favourite series of all time.

So, I'll give Ikoku Meiro no Croisee time, and I'm pretty sure I'll continue to enjoy it (because I definitely did enjoy the first three episodes). I don't think it will top Aria, but I will watch with interest. It's the first time I've seen a really concerted effort to copy what Aria did so directly, and it does a pretty good job of that, but what will be even more interesting is if it finds any ways to improve on Aria (even if it can't be better as a whole). I can certainly recommend what I've seen so far to other fans of Aria, but probably not to anyone else.

(Original: http://james-neve.com/post/Ikoku+Meiro+no+Croisee+Another+Aria/39/ )

Ikoku Meiro or Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth is a very special anime for me. because this anime is about western culture ,a Japanese girl and the setting is on the Victorian era. Since I'm not a westerner nor a Japanese. although I am Asian this kind of anime is really.. really quite intriguing for me. Foreign Labyrinth is like a candy to the eye for the likes of me. so remember that this review is from a point of view of a person who isn't from a western country nor a Japanese.

Story:

Set in the 19 century of France. a little Japanese girl ... name Yune came to France to help to a shop called Enseignes Du Roys. that's all the story of this anime.

What I think this anime is:

the world is still not that globalize. and curiosity of the western culture and eastern culture was still being shared and learned by both parties. in this time, people has no cellphone nor internet or anything that can describe you what country you're going. so, you don't really have a clue on what will you expect when arriving to the destination that your're going in. plus seeing people with different hair color and eyes. the experience is like earth going to Mars. you've heard it but, you don't have a clue what to expect from it when you land on it. it's like going to Atlantis.

Characters:

Claude -Blacksmith - owner of Enseignes Du Roys which is Smithy that makes signs,candle holder, ceiling decorations and etc. for shops and etc.

Yune - Shop Keeper - little cute Japanese girl who wears beautiful kimono while attending Claude's shop. came to France to learn how to attend a french ironwork shop.

Oscar - Claude's grandpa - one that brought Yune to France.

Alice - A rich little girl who is so curious about the eastern culture that it appears like she's obsess by it. (mostly Japanese stuff)

Camille - Alice's big sister. a very fine respectable woman. has glamour and poise.

Art:

art is very good just seeing the buildings in this anime was really so attractive to me. for an outsider like me, who doesn't know about the old France like I said, eye candy for me.

Sound:

sound was also very good the violin and the other instrument in this anime.
gives me the feel of serenity. just hearing it play feels like it takes me to a bar while drinking champagne. very good 10/10

enjoyment :

very good! if you are a person who isn't familiar with Japanese and western culture.

overall:
10/10 baby!

Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth is not for everyone but to be honest this is one of my favorite anime. so why not try to watch it then you decide : )
if you think it is shit then you are shit too... nah just joking! : )

Culture is unique upon one's own setting and which people have pride upon, but when a new culture is introduced clash occurs between the two and the differences need time to settle in.

This anime is set in the late 19th century France. The anime shows the culture differences between European and Japanese culture, but shows that they're similar in more ways than you may think. From the outside the anime looks like a typical "moe" with a cute girl, but it offers a lot more to give the viewer entertainment. It's a little slow paced, but really does a good job working with what it ... has.

The anime has a story that is nothing new, but it does a good job adding its own touches to distinct it from others. The anime has wonderful art that I enjoyed throughout the entire show. The realistic details that are given to the surroundings and the characters are wonderful. They also tackled both cultures to show the differences and how they relate beautifully and gives a little insight to those who don't know the other culture. The sound was always fitting the mood and made the anime a lot more calm and gave it a nice feeling from start to end. The characters were all unique and had some sort of relation to the development of the story and was really important for the anime to be the anime that it is.

The story in this follows Yune, a Japanese girl, going to 19th century France. It's a basic story that has the concept of a person going to a new land that they're not use to and has to adjust to it. Although the story is nothing new, that doesn't mean it's bad in anyway. The idea of her being introduced to a new culture brings a lot of comedy and realism to how different or how similar cultures can be.

If there's one thing this anime excels in it would be art. The art in this anime is just wonderful. The detail to the buildings and the style of clothes that the characters wore really reflected on the feel that the time period would have given off. Even with the Japanese culture, all the kimonos and the items that are used show excellent detail and really shows the cultures to the fullest. The characters were all drawn really beautifully and actually had really nice art. The quality never did dip which I loved and stayed top quality.

The sound for this anime was something I enjoyed through the entire anime which made it overall better. The background music always fit the mood the anime was trying to give off and complimented it to make it even better. The opening is really peaceful and gives off the right type of mood to start off each episode and really makes you relaxed. The voice actors were wonderful and really portrayed the emotion that the characters were giving off.

The characters are all wonderful and really made the anime what it is. You have Yune who is a girl introduced to a new world, but how did she get there? She got there from a man named Oscar Claudel. He's the father type of person in the anime and gives off the nice mood when needed and tries to help Yune and his grandson Claude whenever help is needed.

Second you have Claude. The grandson of Oscar and is the one who takes care of Yune. His character is built from his past and really shows the precautions he has of a new person being around. His character development is wonderful and really shows growth over the entire anime.

Third you have the Blanche sisters Camille and Alice. Alice is the carefree sister and tends to love having Yune around and playing while learning more about the Japanese culture. Shes more of the comedy character while Camille is the more serious sister. She partakes in all of the family activities and shows some secrets of the past between Claude and her.

The characters are well developed and are interesting due to the fact of the anime having a serious tone in some parts. It adds more depth to the anime and really makes the characters more well rounded and all around better interaction between all of them.

This anime is not a masterpiece, but worth to watch. It combines every element to make beautiful interactions and an overall warm theme. I'd recommend anyone who enjoys historical anime to check this out. Even though the show may seem bland, the anime really steps up and proves its worth.

I think it's a good thing to be exploring new cultures. Going to another country allows you to learn about that country's culture while teaching the people from that culture about your own. It's a win-win situation for everyone, as we know more about the world that we live in. As we watch anime, we learn a bit about Japan's culture. However, it's not everyday where there is an anime about a Japanese person going to a different country, much less France, and very much less PARIS. Although I don't remember how, why, or when I decided that I would one day watch this anime, ... but watching it turned out to be worth it in the end.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my review of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, known in English as "Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" or in French as "La Croisée dans un Labyrinthe Étranger".

The story of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée takes place in the latter half of the 19th century. Yune is a 13-year-old Japanese girl who was taken to Paris, France by a French traveler named Oscar. There, she helps out at Oscar's family's ironwork shop, Enseignes du Roy. Claude, Oscar's grandson, is reluctant to take care of Yune at first. This anime is basically about Yune and Claude trying to understand each other's cultures.

As you may see, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée doesn't have a strong plot to it. I don't think it needs to, though. Like I've said before, it's not everyday that there's an anime that takes place in France. A plot like that, no matter whether it has a great story or not, is rather unique, if you ask me. Besides, I do like slice-of-life anime; why would a fan of slice-of-life anime find the story to be a problem at all?

The art and animation, although rather bright, is quite pretty. Satelight has done a good job at animating this. The voice acting also fits each character well. The OP is quite catchy; it really gives me the impression that I'm watching an anime that takes place in France (or anywhere in Europe, for that matter) in the 1800's, like it's supposed to. The ED, though, is just plain BEAUTIFUL; this is the most beautiful song I've ever heard Nao Touyama sing. There are also very interesting characters in this anime; I can't seem to think of one character that was completely unlikable. These characters get a decent amount of character development, too.

Overall, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée was a pleasure to watch. Anyone who would like to learn a thing or two about French culture (or at least how French culture was like several years ago) should give it a try. Who knows? Maybe you'll even be encourage to explore a lot of other cultures besides that!

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is about a Japanese girl named Yune who moves to France in order to become an apprentice sign/glass maker. We are introduced to Oscar who knows Yune and his grandson Claude- who works at the sign shop. Claude at first didnt' like Yune : ( But he warms up to her. Yune is new to the cultures/customs of France which Oscar and Claude teaches her. It seems Claude is taking an interest in Yune's customs/cultures/way of life in Japan. : ) Perfect slice of Life anime. Thanks Myanimelist : )

Ikoku Meiro No Croisee is a beautifully told story which was matched by a wonderful artistic flair, and an emotional roller coaster between the characters.

The plot, posted on MAL, told that Yune was brought to help out in 1800s France, and though it was correct the story took a far different twist then I thought it would. Instead of focusing on the struggles with a language barrier, different beliefs, food, and more it instead focused on the people. It is not that the series completely ignored those facts, it just transended the obvious, glazing over them and diving into how people of completely ... different worlds interact and grow. This fact made it much more interesting on a social and emotional level then focusing on the struggles could have ever done.

The art work was masterfully done. It was light and elegant just like Yune the small soft spoken Japanese girl. It was as if the artist was able to draw from the prospective of Yune, and tell the story through her eyes with his drawings. The buildings which depicted marvelous works of western architecture were beautifully reconstructed as if new just like they would have appeared in the 1800s. The soft lines made a realistic yet almost dreamlike world which I could only assume is exactly how a person from such a different place would describe it in words.

In Ikoku Meiro No Croisee the characters were key, because this story depicted their differences and how they could interact despite the vast cultural divide covering, foreign, peasant, commoner, and even the wealthy aristocratics. All of the cast was well depicted and you felt how they felt as they took common courtesies and traditions for granted, and slowly they began to realize that their courtesies and traditions are not shared by the world. As they grew together I felt as though my eyes were being opened outside my world as well as I grew a bit with them through them realizing their differences.

I really enjoyed this series all the way through however the final episode though showing great character growth seemed to leave alot of loose ends especially with a few key characters. I will do without more specifics than that as I do not want to spoil this artistic work of art for any of you out there looking into watching it. If you like sweet stories of relationships you will definitely enjoy this series.

Rating 8/10

POSTED BY @GameJok3r

Yune may be small but in my opinion she is one of the most strongest female characters that I've seen to date. Going to a foreign land which you only see on books and stories and working there leaving everything including your family behind is one of the bravest things that not everyone can do. I just wished this anime had a second season because I feel that the story was not finished and there are many MANY more rooms for character development between the whole cast. I am thinking of reading the adaptations but it seems the manga is not finished and decided to ... wait for it to finish. Backgrounds are beautiful and captures the whole classic Paris vibe though on certain scenes there is a feel of sadness and gloom to it. Also the character proportions are insane lol Yune is too small even for a 13 year old Japanese. Soundtracks are very lovely and laid back. It helps of contrasting a sad episode and making a happy episode feel that you are in heaven already. I enjoyed my weekly dose of Yune when i watched this series and is very much missing her now

Very few anime can pull off what Ikoku Meiro no Croisee can. It perfectly balances lightheartedness with drama with a cast that's unforgettable, and it just brings about a sense of magic that can be felt fiercely.

Story: The story perfectly balances sadness and joy in the environment it is in and has created. The balance transitions very well from the dramatic aspect to the joyful aspect with little to no awkwardness surrounding the situation. The situations themselves aren't sappy or uncreative either. The sad moments are sad and the happy moments are happy. The moments are all full of emotion and just are very great ... to watch. The many different situations are all very creative and wonderful. The many aspects of society's ups and downs are very much present and well though out. It also does a good job at expanding the characters and making them come to life with its magic. The cultural difference in the anime is also very balanced. It's there, but it's not forced down your throat either, and as a result you get to enjoy watch the difference in culture, without feeling like it's what the anime focuses on instead of the situations, settings, music, and characters. This story is just great at its balancing act and very creative situations that it just touches your heart.

Characters: The characters in Ikoku Meiro no Croisee are just brilliant. Yune and Claude compliment each other very well as leading roles. Yune's innocence, joy and determination just makes her all that she can be. The fact that she's now in a country that's rather far away from her own doesn't seem to shake her one bit, because she knows to trust people. Now that doesn't men she's stupid by any means. She is a joyful character, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have any other emotions. Quite the contrary actually. Yune does get worried, shocked, scared, and yes sometimes even sad about what's going on. She is a well-rounded character, and should be known as such. Claude on the other hand, isn't a very open character at first. He's stubborn, aggressive, skeptical, and brutish. However overtime, he learns to give up his little insecurities one by one and become more open about himself and his concerns. It is shown he cares about people, but only those he trusts and cares for. Claude's development is justified and understandable.

Now that I've touched on the main cast, the other characters are in need of explanation. Oscar and Alen are more or less comic relief. They're generally seen picking on Claude, or being there joyful selves, they do get worried when something bad happens. Alice is just amazingly over the top. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to hate her, but she's so over the top that I just find it hilarious. Her antics are just vivid and very funny. Camille is a reserved character that doesn't force herself to be true to herself. While she could have been expanded on just a tad bit, for the most part she is interesting in her development. The vagrant child is a bit of an enigma. While he doesn't talk a lot, he's better that way. We can see his emotion conveyed well, and while we don't know much about his past, I feel it's better when shrouded in mystery. Overall, the characters are just amazing and well thought out a lot.

Art: The art is just perfect. The settings and backgrounds are well thought out and designed flawlessly, so it looks amazingly real. The character design also works really well, in the sense that it has a lot of thought and talent put into it. It looks real. The art is just very realistic and amazing. You can see that they didn't waste effort making it.

Music: The music is just pure magic. It sets the mood of the anime very well, and it fits perfectly with the surrounding. It has that touch of subtlety that makes it more grand. It works at conveying the emotions perfectly and it is just amazing.

Overall: Ikoku Meior no Corisse is just a fantastic anime. It is just beyond awesome. Its story is heart felt but fun, the characters are creative but human, the art is captivating and the music is just fun. It's really hard not to like this anime.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is a touching slice of life anime based in 19th century France. The theme is largely about understanding those different from you and learning to appreciate what makes each person unique.

The set up for the show is a young Japanese girl named Yune being sent to a shop in France to work as a "sign girl". Her primary goal is the upkeep of the store and to bring in customers.

Both Yune and Claude Claudel (best name ever) start out in complete contrast to each other. One of the huge problems with Yune is that she has no real aspirations ... or relateable goals to the viewer. A comparable show, like Aria, the main character had a clearly defined goal and noticeable growth. Yune lacks both of these.

Claude on the other hand has a lot of back story and development. The issue here is that not a lot of it gets resolved and you're basically left wondering how things are going to get resolved. He basically has some sort of ties to everything in the show. Every character adds to Claude's development in some way or the other.

It's worth noting that the primary supporting character, Alice, while not a bad character in any way (she actually has a more clearly defined drive than Yune), completely changes the feel of the show when she's introduced. It goes from a two guys being fatherly like figures to Yune to a type of rivalry between Alice (the rich) and Claude (the working man).

The show does have pacing issues. It seems to introduce one problem and move onto another before something really gets fully resolved. On an individual basis each episode is actually very enjoyable, but as a whole package you're left wanting more.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée turns out to be a pretty good show that could have used more time to flesh out the cast. While it has strong development and realistic characters, the execution is rather weak.

OK you've probably read the other reviews and you have a definite opinion whether this series is worth your time. But still I just want to share my two cents, as this is the first anime I've watched in its entirety after a long hiatus on anime.

Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth is a Slice of Life series that revolves around Yune - a japanese girl that was given privilenge to live in Paris, France in the late 19th century.

Well this series is definitely right for my cup of tea since I tend to like slow paced series. But Croisee lacks something that the other ... slice of series has, and unfortunately it lacks a story. Of course I know that most "slice of life" genre doesn't have a particular story rather a collection of everyday instances in the main characters life.

In Croisee though, instead on focusing on Yune's everyday life in Paris we are given an insight on the cultural clash between Japanese & French customs. It's very informative but most of the time it just felt that the series tried too much too be angsty that sometimes its gets irritating. Almost the entire series focuses on such values that you are better of reading a book on Japanese customs.

The series did a pretty good job developing a Parisian backdrop, but as I said, Croisee's main focus is to show you the different perspective of a two different culture. It's nice that we get to be informed but then again sometimes it presents a rather redundant subject.

While the series tried to give Yune, Claude & Camille a deeper story it was a little to late since it was presented in the last couple of episodes. A would like to see a season 2 of this so that we could've a much better resolution behind these characters pasts. But until then this series is lukewarm.

Unlike Natsume Yuujinchou or Mushishi - slice of life series that can have a single episode to be a stand alone story. Or even Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou that gives you the "mono no aware" or nostalgic/sentiment feelings. Croisee chose to focused on the cultural clashes that it forgot to create an actual story. It took almost the entire series to have Yune get accustomed to her new surroundings that by the time the "cultural problems" were settled it was too late to introduced a deeper stories to its characters.

The animation is nice though. It's still a pretty decent anime if you run out of something to watch as 12 episode is just a breeze to devour. It's relaxing but then again don't expect to have a character driven series instead a cultural lessons.

There were no sudden plot developments or real changes to the show’s slow and steady stroll through the Galerie. For any anime fans who gave this a look-see at the start of the Summer 2011, their first impressions were most likely correct. Yune is a young Japanese girl brought back to late 19th-century Paris by an older French gentleman. There she works as a live-in maid at the metal shop, Enseignes du Roy, run by the gentleman’s grandson. The story features these three and a small handful of supporting characters, and is made up of slice of life moments between those characters, particularly Yune and ... Claude.

If that simple set-up sounded good to you at the start of the series and you enjoyed the characters and the leisurely pacing of the show, you’ve probably watched the whole thing with no regrets. If your first instinct upon watching 1 or 2 episodes, was that the pacing was too slow, the characters too simple and/or poorly designed, nothing happened over the course of the series that would have changed your mind.

There’s not much to the actual story. Over the 12 episodes there are some minor happenings, the most blaring being the arrival of Alice and later her older sister Camille, both being the center of some additional plot development. Again, it never really changes its main story for better or worse. The character’s themselves aren’t too deep emotionally or designed for great moments of serious drama. Almost without exception, the characters don’t change or grow much. Yune is straightforward in her ideas of honor and duty. It’s nothing an anime fan hasn’t seen before. The hot-headed Claude, cold on the outside, not wanting to get attached and battling his past, is a another combination of common tropes.

Surprisingly, my favorite characters ended up being Oscar, the elderly traveler, and Alice, the young french girl. The two supply, or ignite, most of the more enjoyable moments of the series. The characters’ animated designs however, and unlike the rest of the production elements, were abhorrent. It’s true. I’ve mentioned it several times since episode one, so forgive me if you’ve read all the reviews here.

Yune is cute, right? Well.. mostly right. Sometimes she looks completely alien. With her sharpie-sized neck and wheel of cheese sized eyes, she finely ambles on that border of oh-my-god-so-cute and oh-my-god-chupacabra. Thankfully more so the former. The big problem with the character design, was that Oscar and Claude are twins. As ThatOtherGuy (co-blogger) mentioned, while watching the first couple episodes, he was waiting for Yune to pull off Oscar’s beard to reveal he’s really Claude. It could be just me, but the European people in the show look silly. And similar. In complete contrast to the character designs, I loved the all the backgrounds and the city scenery. I loved the colors, especially all the night-time scenes lit only by street lamp or candlelight.

The music and sound were ok. I enjoyed the jazzy little opening all season, while watching the ending only once, before fast forwarding the rest of the way. The background noises never come much into play, as a bulk of the series takes place in the Galerie and in the sign shop. The background music however was wonderfully warm. They consisted of some classical-like accompaniments heard throughout the series, usually for the more dramatic or somber segments of the show. I never once noticed the voice acting, besides some annoyance at Alice.

If there was a show that could have truly benefited from some slick animation and sleek character designs, it would have been this one. Even with its shortcomings, I still enjoyed Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, and would recommend it to people interested in owning a little Japanese girl. I’d also recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical slice-of-life themed anime based in late 19th century Paris. Seriously, though, if you don’t mind the slow pace and rather bland looking characters, give this a shot. It has a perfect length at 12 episodes and is a (mostly) well-done slice of life series.

This was originally posted on my blog found here -- http://moemonster.com/2011/09/20/ikoku-meiro-no-croisee-episode-12-finale/ I had also reviewed the finale, which has been edited out for spoiler purposes.

I love to known more about Yune and Claude latter on. Like they go out, Yune is to small I wonder how old is she. Overall everything was awsome.

This is pretty different from other animes and mangas when it comes to plot.

I enjoyed most of the chapters, which is pretty hard when you know everything almost from the manga.

The design of the characters let me a little disapointed, after seeing the job of Hinata-sensei in the manga, but that doesn´t mean they aren´t enjoyable. Also, the relationships are deep and well-built,and the personalities are pretty funny in a way.

The music isn´t something that let me in awe, but it´s pretty good (my favorite is the ending) and accomplish it´s purpose very well. The title and the introduction are told in french, what it´s ... a ¨well-done¨ from the guys of Satelight, as it gives the animation a touch of originality. Each chapter ends with the image frozen, giving you the feeling of a picture book full of tales.

What I liked the most was to see how the relationship betwen Claude and Yune slowly evolves. Seeing how hard was it for Claude to get a hold of Yune´s habits and way of thinking, and how the hig-spirited Yune tries hard to acustom herself to life in Paris, doing her best and wanting to help everyone, while they slowly start to know and understand each other, makes it a rather enjoyable story.

It´s one of those storyes that you usually don´t find and that, if can be seen in a go, also are good in little pieces.

In Paris, a little girl from Japan has just arrived. Her existence isn't widely known, however those who do know of her, are touched by her being.


Every once in a while, you'll come across a very melancholy or nostalgic anime, something that touches your heart in a certain way. Its a little slower than most, however thats something that this anime relies quite heavily on. The fact that all the characters are taking life day-by-day.


The story was rather simple, and it was supposed to be. It was a character analysis type of anime, delving into the hearts of each individual and finding out what ... exactly makes them tick, and how they grew emotionally.

The art in this anime was beautiful, smooth animation with a softer set of colors, nothing too flashy (unless of course, it was Alice.). It was soothing to the eye, and is reminiscent to reading a good book on a rainy afternoon. The music went perfectly with the overall theme, and at the beginning and middle of each episode they'd add French phrases, which added much to the overall atmosphere/immersion effect.


Overall this deserves an 8.4.
From episode one, it was easy to develop a liking to the main character; Yune. A charming little girl from Japan, curiously exploring France. We see the Parisian lifestyle through the eyes of a little girl, and a little foreign girl to boot. Through her eyes, everything is new and wondrous, a magical land in a faraway place. The supporting cast is charming in their ways as well. They're all flawed, very human characters, and one by one you delve into their hearts, their pasts, what drives them. And this is what makes this anime special. The ability to fully humanize its cast, and successfully create a hypothetical cultural clash.

This is an anime that is about everyday life in Paris, in the eyes of a young Japanese foreign girl named Yune.

The Characters:
There are some nice characters here and not so nice characters here like the stuck up Claude Claudel who seems always grumpy for no reason - probably because of his past. Yune, on the other hand is a very cute and kind girl, appreciative and enthusiastic in her little ways, living in the care of Claude and his grandfather in a metal-smithing shop somewhere in Paris. Another interesting character is Alice, the rich girl who finds Yune adorable and treats her really nicely, ... how she makes some difference to the mundane lives of the main cast.

The Art:
Backgrounds are superb. Very artistic, very scenic.You will love or at least appeciate Paris more with the art.

The Music:
Fits the art, it's relaxing, it's classical music,either if it's french or Japanese themed songs - it fits perfectly with the mood or the situation the characters are in. Which is usually mellow. I also love how there was a french narrator telling the Title and episode title every episode.

Story and Enjoyment and Critique:
It's sometimes boring to be honest, but at the same time the simplicity of the anime - it's art, music, and no-aggression story gives it some appeal. I think it could also be of the Josei category. The pacing is really slow at times and I feel there are some unnecessary parts that take too long or are slow. Some characters need to have more development. This is a show where there's a lot of questions unanswered. Lots of missing chances to get more character development or at least more clarity in relation with the character's behavior and his/her back story to make more sense to things. Lots are missing ad were replaced by cute moments like enjoying the day with Alice, or a show on the slide projectors. which should have been cut short because it holds no importance as a whole.

This show makes you relaxed for some reason. Would add Josei to the category - more like a less touchy-feely josei genre.
Similar animes that I feel that have a similar vibe to this anime are:
- Victorian Romance Emma
- Ristorante Paradiso