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Mar 29, 2010
I should first warn people - if you have not seen anything similar to this series, or anything by Satoshi Kon, you will find this very weird. I'm not saying you won't enjoy it, just that it is definitely more bizarre than a lot of the anime out there. Also, this series reminded me a huge amount of the films by Satoshi Kon (Perfect blue, Paprika) so in reviewing it, I might refer to those a disproportionate amount… sorry about that!
Okay so I’ll start with the art and music. As with Perfect Blue, the art style is a lot more realistic than most anime, which
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I feel makes it easier to appreciate the imperfections of the characters and their scenarios, rather than being distracted by how adorable everything is. On top of that this emphasizes the contrast to the surreal sequences, and it really does fit in with this type of anime.
In terms of music, I am biased because I love music by Susumu Hirasawa (such as Byakkoya no Musume at the beginning of Paprika), and I thought the opening track slotted right into place alongside other elements. It was a piece with haunting lyrics fitting the visuals, yet a cheerful-sounding tune which reflected the contrariness anime perfectly. The only complaint I would have about the music would be the ending theme, which I found boring. However, I understand that this also worked with the dreamy quality of the anime, so I wouldn’t complain too much.
The characters in the series were reminiscent of other characters portrayed in Satoshi Kon’s films – despite having believable flaws, they were generally likeable. The plot flowed well due to this realism, since there were no characters that stood out as being over the top or out of place. I do admit, however, that they were seriously messed up. Without revealing spoilers, I have to give a very short cross section: a trio of online suicide buddies, serious personality disorders, people who find it impossible to accept reality (this pretty much covers everyone actually). The characters really do make the series, and their reactions and emotions drove me to keep watching
At first the series seems to be centred on the exploits of two detectives, looking each episode at a new person with issues in their life, but it takes a different turn at around episode 8, which may put some people off. Basically I would compare the plot with Paprika: although at points you may have no idea where it is going, in the end you should definitely catch up and feel happy for sticking around. Again, to avoid spoilers, I will simple say that the main plot is about an entity called “Shonen bat” which is targeting people, and the investigation to catch said entity, whilst the viewer is shown snapshots from the lives of its victims… sounds ambiguous but I don’t want to give anything away, sorry!
Humorous at times, the story seems to veer randomly, preferring to give time to character development: a good decision I felt, because the characters, as implied above, are the most interesting aspect of the series. As with other Satoshi Kon creations, there are of course surreal moments, seamlessly integrated into the rest – and they contribute to the series in making it so meaningful!
The bottom line is that, like Paprika, this series is something to be experienced. I found it fun to watch, if a little strange, and the plot should stick with you for a while – it should make you feel content at the end. If you are a fan of any other of Satoshi Kon’s creations, it is definitely a must see. For other people, I would recommend it as well – even if only to test it out at first!
I would have liked to give the series a10 out of 10, because it brings to the industry what many series don't: both enjoyment and meaning. However, I could not bring myself to give that score. A 10 from me is very hard earned, and although others may disagree with me, I believe that Paranoia Agent was just out of reach, perhaps being let down by certain odd choices to fill up episodes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 29, 2010
FLCL
This being my first anime review, I thought I would set it out with the basic sections and just see how it goes… so bear with me!
Story:
First impressions of FLCL would suggest it is completely random, with no real underlying plot running through. Of course this isn’t true – there is a storyline seeming to involve robots, aliens and things that appear from people’s foreheads – but I personally found that the plot took a backseat to the experience.
If I had to summarise for viewers without spoilers, I would simply say this is a prime example of ‘willing suspension of disbelief’. Through ignoring the facts
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and the seriously surreal events that take place (I mean, seriously, Naota is supposed to be 12 years old??) you can appreciate underlying elements throughout. There seem to be several interpretations for the series, but I felt the most appropriate was to consider it an analogy for Naota’s coming of age; of course feel free to find your own meaning! There were serious scenes as well, integrated very well with the rest, so that they were not overly dramatic.
The pace of the story is perfect, especially given that it is taken care of in only 6 episodes, and should keep the viewer interested all the time – and even in moments where I found myself wondering what was going on, the humour kept me watching. And of course this humour was key, with the creators being completely aware of the randomness of the show.
Art and Music:
I found the art fitted perfectly, with more frantic colours and drawing during the more frantic scenes. It also added to the humour of the series, using several effects, such as black and white manga panels, for variety.
The music seemed to be of a relaxed soft rock style throughout, which was enjoyable and settled well in with casual form of a lot of the show. My only complaint would be that, even during scenes where more fast paced music would have probably been more appropriate, the same music was used; and I felt his was a missed opportunity. Sometimes during such scenes the music was purely made louder, which, although it did serve to change the atmosphere slightly, did take away the emphasis from the speech, which I thought was a pity.
Characters:
All the characters were likeable, even if a little unrealistic (I felt realism wasn’t very important however), and, despite some of them having real issues that another series might have used for dramatic effect, these issues are trivialised slightly to make room for the wackiness of Haruko.
The series is centred around Naota (a serious, mature, 12 year old boy) and Haruko (a strange older woman who leads the storyline). I felt this worked well, contrating the two personalities for comedic effect while suggesting they have depth.
Summary:
At first I thought the series was a bit over the top, with events randomly pieced together just for humour. However, the bottom line was that I enjoyed it. Once I got over the seemingly disconnected storyline, I was able to appreciate the depth of the characters more, and have a lot more fun laughing at the spontaneous Haruko.
The show probably won’t stay with you, and it probably won’t be one of your favourites, but the ending seemed to me to be more poignant than it first appeared.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone: after all it’s only 6 episodes long, and I doubt you’ll have seen anything else like it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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