Forum SettingsEpisode Information
Forums
New
What did you think of this episode?
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
May 18, 2010 1:44 AM
#1

Offline
May 2009
932
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
----------------------------------------
So this anime series starts with some really nice scenery in the middle of XIX century. A Dutch boy named Conrad has some strange paranoid dreams/hallucinations and he's followed by the albino kids who may be the protagonists. They want Conrad to join them but for some unexplained reason he freaks out at the proposal.

Fifty years later those kids go somewhere in the Pacific ocean to meet a woman but she died minutes before they could meet her. The children are so much desperate that one of them, Mel, freaks out and she gets amnesia. And then another child (this one without the black coat), named Dumas, comes in with some huge bodyguard and captures Mel while the others run away.

Fifty years later again, in 2012, a boy named Thoma lives in an island in the South-Western Pacific (Is it the same where that women died?), and meets a kuudere (maybe orphan?) girl on a buddha statue (maybe this is not the pacific but some island in the southern chinese sea) and a street brat named Chitto who seems to live in the same orphanage.

Thus far, I didn't understand so much of the plot and I don't know what are the objectives of the black coated children, and this confuses things even more. But the music is really wonderful, especially the opening, and the XIX century scenery is my favourite, so I give this episode 4/5
May 21, 2010 1:57 PM
#2

Offline
Apr 2010
86
The ending theme is the best I have heard in quite a while. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this series.
May 21, 2010 2:03 PM
#3

Offline
Apr 2009
1530
The character designs in this show are about as minimal as you can get, but I've never seen artwork as detailed as the environments in this show in any other anime.
This is a serious post. You're not allowed to delete it.
Feb 21, 2012 12:31 AM
#4

Offline
Jul 2007
6105
I agree the character animations are similar to the 60s and 70's designs. But nerveless that won't keep me from watching the show.

This episode was for the most part very confusing, but i like how it introduced the children and the different time frames in the series. I love a series that revolves around alternate time streams, so I may enjoy this. Will just have to see where it goes from here.



May 31, 2012 10:43 AM
#5

Offline
May 2008
3861
I guess Conrad was also one of them but got attached to his new family and to actually have a home since they are traveling most of the time. Dumas seems to share the same features as them too but I wonder why does he chase after them then? There are quite a lot of things I don't understand yet but it seems to be the kind of show to bring some fresh material out so I can't wait to see how it turns out.

I love the atmosphere of the show and the ending from Origa is amazing.
The art style is also rather unique, kind of similar to the western animation and sometimes I get the wibes of Miyazaki's works too. I think I'm gonna enjoy this~
sayamiMay 31, 2012 10:48 AM
Aug 10, 2012 5:24 PM
#6

Online
Nov 2011
127905
Some older designs that seemed to make this look like a cartoon a bit.

Going to put this series on-hold for now. Might come back to it someday. Maybe.
Feb 3, 2014 5:05 AM
#7

Offline
Aug 2013
4759
First episode and I already got a ton of questions. Those white-haired kids are certainly mysterious. Definitely reminds me of Village of the Damned.
"May those who accept their fate be granted happiness."

"May those who defy their fate be granted glory."
Jun 6, 2014 2:34 AM
#8

Offline
Jul 2010
318
After ten years I finally got round to watching this. It was actually pretty interesting.
Jul 23, 2014 6:23 AM
#9

Offline
May 2012
25827
Pretty interesting start, the overall atmosphere seems a bit wanky and I'm not directly sure where this anime is heading to but it seems interesting together with the slightly different than normal art style I kinda like it! So let's see what's next!
Aug 29, 2014 4:01 PM

Offline
Feb 2013
6196
The first 15 minutes had a nice dark-mystery atmosphere to it. It was at least slightly interesting.

Then we jump 111 years into the future and it turned to complete garbage. Bratty kids being brats isn't my thing.

Soundtrack quality: 9/10
Animation quality: 1/10
Directing quality: 0/10
Mar 10, 2015 12:33 AM

Offline
Jul 2008
10509
Yeah the opener here raises many questions and jumps across time. Guess I'll see where this goes.
Oct 15, 2017 7:10 AM

Offline
Jul 2016
1651
i haven't felt this confused in a while, usually i take things at face value to avoid being confused but yikes. from the moment paruza/palza screamed and melted my earbuds, i was like wtf is going on? the timelines, tina, and dumas just made it worse. i'd expect the first ep to be more slow and informative...
oh, of course. how could i forget the ending? that was what brought me here and it's really good. love that.
Cazqui-09Oct 15, 2017 7:14 AM
Apr 14, 2018 6:11 AM

Offline
Apr 2014
1167
Looks like I'm getting myself into quite the adventure.
Mar 1, 2019 5:15 PM

Offline
Nov 2016
31357
Intriguing to say the least.

So Serafine was the reincarnation of Christina and the girl that appeared 111 years later at the same archipelago where the former died is in turn the reincarnation of her. I wonder why it takes 100 years, tho and what kind of organisation is after the children.

Quite excited for this ride.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


May 26, 2020 8:59 AM

Offline
Oct 2019
1456
Just like the title the 1st episode was also fantastic which created a strong mysterical atmosphere where most anime fail. I look forward to a good series.



Jan 1, 2021 12:02 PM

Offline
Feb 2012
771
An interesting start. For now I see potential for a good mystery show, but I don't even know what genre this is going to be. The second half of the episode had a Ghibli feel to it, not sure why. Maybe it's the innocence of children, always happy and running around, and adults being kind, or perhaps something about the way fast movements were animated, a bit too smooth to be realistic.
Feb 7, 2022 1:33 PM

Offline
Aug 2017
2977
The panic of the opening scene felt really intense

This smells very much like NOT Ghibli, some really dark things must be going on inside the "shelter". Plus, well, it's Nakamura. Maybe "Dark Ghibli" can apply.

Character names are super unique

Takashi Nakamura for the win! I really dig the designs, especially the big noses haha. They're awesome. Remind me of Tezuka.
St0rmbladeFeb 7, 2022 1:46 PM
Nov 29, 2022 6:33 AM

Offline
Nov 2021
68
Upon first trying to watch this series, I was iffy on the way this anime presented itself.. Mainly with the animation style being older but over the past year couple of years I've actually hardcore into older anime so I decided to dive back in and I really enjoyed the first episode this time around. It was actually a really captivating episode full of mystery. : ]
Jun 30, 2023 9:51 PM

Offline
Jan 2021
5840
Surprise, I haven’t actually haven’t seen this
Right from the get-go, a few things immediately stick out to me, presentation-wise: the opening is hauntingly beautiful and sounds more like an insert song than an OP. Regardless of what it is, I’m digging it. The scene selection is intriguing. Also presentation-wise, this first soundtrack is atmospherically fantastic. Sounds like something out of the Fate/Stay night visual novel. And also like something from Fate, this first bit of voice acting sounds eerily like Kiritsugu.
Now to the story… There appears to be a group of 13 children known as “The Children of Belfort” that never age and don’t die, only pretending to die before taking the place of normal children. That’s if you trust this narrator.
I think it’s a great idea to start out the show with an example of one of these “children” that decides to run away from his life with the rest, for whatever reason. Actually seeing what happens to the children that stray away (I’m assuming they start to age normally and live normal lives) is much better than just hearing about it. And showing the fear in the eyes of Conrad really makes you wonder what he was subjected to, living as one of them. Meanwhile, the rest of the children appear to have a strong bond and unwavering determination to… well, whatever they’re doing with their lives. Everyone except Dumas, that is. He seems to have a very negative opinion of the group of children. And perhaps seeing how the “ex-children” have turned out has some type of psychological effect on the mind, which led to Mel forgetting who they were.
I really like the time shifts. It’s seeming like Thoma is going to be our protagonist and it looks like he already has his suspicions about the girl who is most likely one of the children herself. The girl running away from an orphanage has a striking resemblance to an anime adaptation that came out just this winter…. And the atmosphere and tone of the story and the children remind me of the children and atmosphere from that story as well.
The ED is just as soothing and emotionally powerful as the OP. Great first episode and I can’t wait to find out more!
Sep 7, 2023 10:43 AM

Online
Dec 2022
4214
Perplexing first episode. Many names and timeskips thrown at you without much context. It is a mystery anime, so that's par for the course. Reincarnation mischief at work?


Shaded Horizon


Nov 24, 2023 12:02 PM

Offline
Aug 2020
7675
Really artistic, complex and everything in between. Head scratching story, that has what it takes to have a great payoff.

Dec 2, 2023 5:58 AM

Offline
Jul 2012
3268
Where to watch thiz animu 😭??




Jan 15, 11:06 PM

Offline
Nov 2012
2112
Time has not been kind to the animation. The style looks older than what it is. That being said it's compelling.

More topics from this board

Poll: » Fantastic Children Episode 25 Discussion

ArtimesGamer - Mar 13, 2012

5 by KitsuFrost »»
Dec 24, 2023 8:28 AM

» The best anime of all time - It's a bummer how few people know about it

MyllerPhiem - Apr 2, 2022

15 by MyllerPhiem »»
Dec 3, 2023 3:59 PM

Poll: » Fantastic Children Episode 2 Discussion

Arashi89 - May 18, 2010

12 by KitsuFrost »»
Nov 25, 2023 9:49 AM

Poll: » Fantastic Children Episode 24 Discussion

MagEarwhig - Aug 7, 2009

25 by Archean-Return »»
Sep 8, 2023 9:31 AM

Poll: » Fantastic Children Episode 23 Discussion

ArtimesGamer - Mar 13, 2012

4 by Archean-Return »»
Sep 8, 2023 9:04 AM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login