Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku, Toshokan Sensou Recommendations
After watching "Toshokan sensou", I had the feeling that it was somehow in some way similar to "Now and Then, Here and There"..
Although these two series are thinking in two completely differenty ways (Toshokan.. has strong comedy in which the drama of the "battlefields" sneaks in, on the other hand, however, Now and Then.. is not the least a happy story, but rather has a very tense atmosphere), see the world from two different viewpoints (Toshokan.. features adult or teenage characters, while Now and Then.. has children as its heroes, resulting in the fact that there cannot be balance between the two parties fighting, the
mad dictator and the rebelling children-soldiers; also, Now and Then.. gives its characters more personal an unique traits, details them more), in spite of all these crucial differencies, both series think about (among other issues, of course) the same thing: WAR (actually, Now and Then.. is rather about the soldiers forced to fight by their commander, than an actual and particular war, though they do invide a village; here the "war" is rather the suffering and enduring of the children in hope of survival and, of course, the Lala Lu-hunting in search of water - which makes the dictator's end pretty ironical, by the way, not to spoil Your fun..).
Anyways, wathing either of them, you are bound to think "Why?", why the whole war, "Is it worth it?", especially in Toshokan.., since it brings up the dilemma of the possibility or impossibility/propriety or impropriety of measuring human life and books (also knowledge and cultural inheritence, the "life" of humanity as a whole) as equal; Now and Then.. presents the dictator's obsession with water as such a problem, though it might not be the centre issue in the story. Both make you think further..
As for my recommendation, for those who liked Now and Then.., I can gladly recommend to watch Toshokan sensou, as the latter is a more light-hearted one; however, -although I think You would like them vica versa, too- those who liked the mentioned light-heartedness (not in the last few episodes, though) of Toshokan.. should prepare for a more "serious" tone in Now and Then..; still, I am not saying "gloomy" because the hero is optimistic and trying to change his fellow little soldiers, however, it is another question whether his efforts are welcomed by the others or they think that he has no right to interfere, but they should rather hold on to the status quo, in favour of sheer survival..
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