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So, an artist is disgusted through and through with his unequal society where the poor people gets to suffer hell at the whims of those with power, and as he's asked to paint the country as it is, he throws everything away for his art, to be able to depict the hell it is.
Really interesting concept, and I liked how art was used as a mean to rebel against the system, and it was better than the last one for sure, but I still didn't feel it.
"No Longer Human", "Kokoro" and "Run, Melos!" were simply great, they were really good. But "In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom", "The Spider's Thread" and "Hell Screen" not so much, maybe their written counterparts are better, but they really don't seem interesting now.
This anime was a memorable experience without a doubt though.
Ah, this is another story from the same universe of The Spider's Thread. Is much better than the last. Madness, egocentrism and cruelty reflected in just one episode.
I like much more the animation and characterization in this episode. It became a surreal experience in the end lol. 8.5/10.
Overall, it was an interesting anime with most of their stories well executed. My scores for each of them are:
No Longer Human: 9.5
In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom: 6
Kokoro: 8
Run, Melos!: 9
The Spider's Thread: 6.5
Hell Screen: 8.5
7.91. I will miss this types of stories.
My final score for this anime is 8/10.
All weebs creatures of the galaxy, hear this message. Those of you who listen will not be struck by western animation. You will no longer know hunger, nor pain. Your Anime have come to lead you now. Our strength shall serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper. However, for those who refuse our offer and cling to their western animation ways… For you, there will be great wrath.
No Longer Human: 10/10
In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom: 5/10
Kokoro: 10/10
Run, Melos!: 10/10
The Spider's Thread: 4/10
Hell Screen: 6/10
I'll give this an 9 since I really loved the three arcs, No longer human, Kokoro, Run, Melos enough to bump up the score from a 7.5 to 9. I really loved how morally grey some of the stories are. How even when they're assholes, they're pretty human.
I wish there's more anime like this. I really enjoyed it.
No Longer Human: 8
In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom: 4
Kokoro: 10 for the first episode, but 6 for the 2nd, so 8 overall
Run, Melos!: 9
The Spider's Thread: 3 (what was the point of this one?)
Hell Screen: 5
So overall a 6, nice idea, much potential, but half of it felt pretty pointless.
desolato said: Wow, just wow. How can this be adapted from a children's book?
That just goes beyond me.
cleo said:
Linalee-Stratos said: Well i still dont understand this sentence "the masterpiece is in blue".
Does it mean that the masterpiece illustration lies within the books written by the male novelist or something??
Blue=boy , pink=girl :P
'Masterpieces are blue'
Blue represents the emotion of sadness / tragedy, so Masterpieces make you feel the pain.
Blue is a royal color.
sorry but none. I spent quite a time on google about it, and the best explanation was this:
"The color blue symbolizes youth in Japan. These works of literature are forever young, in context, the title of this anime series is 'Timeless Japanese Classics'."
also, some fansubber translated that phrase as "the masterpieces are evergreen", which also makes the same point. in case anyone would look it up, i'm leaving this comment here.
btw I just finished the show and regretted for not having watched it for so many years. 10/10 a masterpiece.
Sometimes Aoi means green, so the subs using evergreen are correct.
If you are going to disagree with me, don't bother talking to me. I will seriously hurt you!
I don't do actual numbered ratings so I'll just put them in order of my most favorite to least.
Kokoro - The duality of this story was damn near perfect and it made me really think about how I perceive what I see. Run Melos - Made me ugly cry, what else can I say. Side note, I'm confused by the people saying the BL aspect of this one ruined it for them. Where? Two guys being good friends doesn't equal BL. No Longer Human - I think if you don't understand society's whole "read the room" aspect then maybe this one wont mean as much to you. Obviously there is much more than that, but as someone who doesn't respond the "normal" way most of the time, that's what stuck with me. Spider's Thread - Basic moral told in an interesting way. Hell Screen - Giving up everything for your passion. Also, good riddance to the king. In the Forest - The constant tonal change in this one is what ruined it for me. I think if it had stayed more serious I would have liked it more.
Despite having the same setting as the previous tale, Hell Screen surpassed the relatively low expectations I had for it because the scenes before Kandata fell into hell were my least favorite parts in the whole anime by a mile! Yoshihide really showcased the tyrannical Emperor's Clown World in all its glory by painting it as it is. It was very tragic to see that his daughter was sacrificed for artistic inspiration but as much as anyone would've liked to deny, her death had some seriously awe-inspiring beauty to it and her dad clearly saw it much to the surprise of that Clown Bastard.
It might be a bleak and dreary ending but they sure knew how to go out with a bang. Very nice!
..the two final episodes pale so much in comparison to all the earlier episodes :( They're disturbing, trippy, eccentric, but compared to earlier episodes fall short in substance.
I would rate all the earlier episodes 10/10, but the final two episodes 7/10.
That despicable king got what he wanted even if it wasn't what he imagined it like that
Guess this is the last story, In my opinion "No longer human" and "Kokoro" were the best with the "in the woods beneath the cherry blossoms in full bloom" being my least favorite one
No Longer Human -> 8/10
In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom -> 6/10
Kokoro -> 6/10
Run, Melos! -> 10/10
Spider's Thread -> 7/10
Hell's Screen -> 10/10
Great anthology series! I like that Madhouse took some creative liberties here and there, in order to accomplish something new with the original material, while also paying respect to it.
That was all really phenomenal! Loved it!
No Longer Human - 9
In The Forest - 7
Kokoro - 8
Run, Melos! - 9
Spiders Thread - 6
Hell Screen - 7
Overall - 8
The last two stories in this series have easily the best animation. So many incredible, visually striking images that will stick with you.
This series as a whole was fantastic and very underrated. I hope that someday we'll get another anime similar to this that adapts classic Japanese literature.
Story 1: 10/10
Story 2: 5/10
Story 3: 9/10
Story 4: 6/10
Story 5: 7.5/10
Story 6: 5.5/10
The first one really clicked, seems to be a story I'll vividly remember for a long time. Stories about suicide in general feel quite personal for me, so they always land.
Great series. I can't believe I was sleeping on this for such a long time. I loved how each story had more than one possible interpretation.
No Longer Human: 9/10
In The Forest: 7/10
Kokoro: 9/10
Run, Melos: 10/10
Spider's Thread: 8/10
Hell Screen: 8/10
Overall, my favorite was Run, Melos. I think it depends on the personal interpretation if the story had BL undertones or not, however, I did see them and I thought they added an additional layer to the relationship. I felt the voice acting and the animation was top-notch there, combined with a great ending and tears from my side. Kokoro and No Longer Human were also excellent and will stay in my memory for a long time.
I feel like In the forest had the potential to be a masterpiece but it didnt really deliver in some places. The tonal shifts were too jarring and Sakai Masato's VA was not doing the best job there. However, the story had a creepy vibe to it and was quite refreshing. I still don't get the talking boar and the headphones though.
The last two stories were visually stunning. The last painting will stay with me for a while. However, the VA work from Sakai and surprisingly from Miyano was not that great.
Overall 9/10. If only they would make more animes like this these days.
Series as a whole is very inconsistent, that makes it far less enjoyable then it should have been
Novels picked for this anime are great choice
If the point of this anime was to make me more interested in Japanese literature, it sure did a good job
So overall I will give it a 7, personally I think this show could have gotten a 10 from me, only if the series took itself more seriously
Enjoyed this anime overall. My favourite tales were "No Longer Human" and "Run!Melos"...basically adaptations of Dazai Osamu's works. Might have to just buy his novels to feel some despair :)
I put this anime on hold during the "No Longer Human" arc. But glad I finished watching. Unlike the majority, "In the forest, under cherries in full bloom" is my favorite arc. Overall 8/10.
Was good
I love those kinda series
The don't waste time to jump into real story
Everyone should watch each eps
No longer human - 9
Charry blossom - 5
Kororo - 9
Run Melos - 8
Spiders thread - 5
Hell screen - 5
This anime has a really realistic feeling to it, the story, the art of the characters, the scenery and setting. It's like a psychological "movie".
This is the exact feeling I was looking for in an anime. The way they make the frames and sound effects, and special effects. I dont know how to explain it but that what I want! In my movie!
It seems they will all have weird thoughts based on them of how they were created (the animes).
"No Longer Human" - is [dark, mature, psychological genre/feel]. The main character is like literally "depressed" and kinda crazy.
"Cherry Blossom[...]" - Wanting to make us think that cherry blossoms turn you crazy? Kidnaps a city women and lets himself get influenced by her, and kills his former wives (probably also kidnapped).
... [FROM 2011 TO 2015.] I will properly resume this awesome anime that I have been missing out on. I'll start with Episode 5 where I left off but I will rewatch the first 4 episodes that I do not remember.
August 21, 2015. Watching Episode 5.
[Episode 5-6:] "In the Woods Beneath the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" 7/10
Shigemaru, a bandit living in the woods with '6 wives' and a young girl fends for himself. He finds and kills two men to make the gorgeous woman with them his wife. From manipulation and love for her, she demands to kill his 6 wives to keep her as his wife.
Second Episode. Now in the city. She demands him to steal and kill and bring their heads. Unique. Psychotic. Deadly. It's gory. Very Psychotic, too much to explain. Her songs are beautiful too. ... I don't understand the story.
But, a Psychotic Man who lives in the Wild kills his 6 wives to replace with a gorgeous women that was love at first sight. A Psychotic Couple, she loves to see death and have beheaded faces. Loves his killing. They are weird crazy psycho's. ... And in the end, returning to the Mountains. With the cherry blossoms, his psychotic mind ... see's her or himself both as a demon, and strangles her to death. And he vanishes in the cherry's.
... What does that mean? I just see it as a Psychotic Couple, and you can't explain psycho's because their mind works different.
This story by the author Ango was inspired by one of his experiences in war, seeing men burned dead with the silence of blooming cherry blossoms, alone.
... While there is a lot of comedy in this anime, it is very dark and unique.
[Ep 7-8:] About two classmates, one who invites the other, while one falls in love with the Oujo and she as well. A hidden love, after the main marries her, he commits suicide.
Skipped second episode because I don't like K, I don't care about his point of view and it was a ... lame story to my taste. Fuck dat romance.
Run, Melos. Episode 9-10.
A story of a writer with a past of a former actor best friend who tricked him into going to Tokyo. As he writes a play based off a story it torments him how much it resembles how his friend betrayed him. An interesting bond.
His friend randomly comes back telling him to finish, as he's about to die. He finishes it.
The Spider Thread, 11.
In a festival. A cold blooded psychotic killer, Kandata. Finally caught, he gets executed and goes in Hell.
Hell Screen. Episode 12.
A father/artist, the best in the world is asked by the emperor to draw. He draws him hell in this city on his tomb.
... Not all the episodes are super enjoyable, they're all quite great in their own unique way. Even though I don't love them all for my taste. I do love the approach and style this studio brought to these stories in animation, it's inspiring and beautiful. Along most story's being from crazy author's.
Most of them are psychotic but great.
No Longer Human: 9/10
In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom: 3/10
Kokoro: 8/10
Run, Melos!: 10/10
The Spider's Thread: 7/10
Hell Screen: 8/10
Score: 7,5 -> final score for this anime is 8/10.
I actually quite liked the anime in general. Some stories more than others, especially Run Melos and No Longer Human really stood out. They were really interesting from a narrative point of view and they also really got me emotionally involved.
I also thought it was very good that a moderator guided the viewers through the series and gave some background information about the authors so that you could better empathize with their works. That was truly unique. Actually, I would have liked more episodes as I really enjoyed this format. Also I am considering reading some of the books mentioned in this anime myself.