Despite the title being the exact same name of the original Rozen Maiden series, fan should not be confused with this anime. This series is called Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen but should be seen as an alternate series that follows the events of the second manga from its beginning. Fans of the original Rozen Maiden series of both the anime and manga should be delighted. This is because the series is the first reincarnation of Rozen Maiden since Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre that debuted years ago.
The first thing viewers might notice is the overview of its characters and themes in the first episode. There's that sense of nostalgia that bites back from years ago if you've been a loyal fan. More honestly though, this series assumes that you are already somewhat familiar with the Rozen Maiden franchise. Even if you're coming into Rozen Maiden completely fresh, it is okay because of the material covered in this series isn't any sort of direct continuation from its prequels. However, the experience might be somewhat lessened to a degree.
As for starters, this series follows two sides of a story. For one, we have Jun Sakurada that plays the role of the main male protagonist. Like many people, he has a talent but it turns out to be something that doesn't fit well for his gender role. The story follows Jun and his life as a seemingly lonely man. He has an average life with an average job and no girlfriend at his age. We get to see from his point of view on the typical life of a young man whom seemingly have no particular goal or dream in life. What he does have though is a terrible experience during his middle school years. That has left a scar in his life that continues to haunt him since today with his memories.
The other side of the story covers a more fantasy field in Jun's life. That comes from the arrival of a strange text message on his cell phone. The twist here involves a bit of fantasy element as the messenger on the opposite side is someone he never thought to be. It plays around the boundary between fantasy and reality because his new situation becomes much of a problem than he had ever imagined before. For now, Jun has to deal with his newfound problem whether he likes it or not.
But the real star isn't just Jun from this show. From the depths of fantasy comes our lovely dressed doll, Shinku. She is not just elegantly dressed but also comes with a lady like personality. Her constant demand for tea and service from Jun is often played on a joke of annoyance. In fact, the master should be Jun, not the other way around considering he is Shinku's maker. The problem isn't that though because Jun can suddenly deal with annoyance in his life. Rather, it's this new twist involving a game known as the Alice Game. In that game, there are seven different dolls identified as the Rozen Maidens each with a different human partner. In order to win the game, one must steal the others' Rosa Mystica through battle and in turn become the perfect girl known as Alice. It sounds difficult. It proves difficult. It is difficult. This is because Jun wishes to win the game without actually taking anyone's Rosa Mystica. This task is considered impossible because it would defeat the purpose of the game. Whoever is because the scenes for this game suddenly won't be happy.
As if unhappy is a word to describe this series, just look carefully at Jun's college life. He's suddenly not happy about his job especially the way his store manager treats him. Not only that, he is constantly judging what others may think of him. The thoughts he forms sometimes borderlines on delusional. But who can blame him right? After all, he's suffered a past that he hopes to never to relive again. In essence, the overall tone of this series spells out a more serious atmosphere as we explore Jun's loneliness as a young man.
Character dynamics are explored throughout this series. There's two sides to it as well. First comes the more realistic side once again with Jun. In this series, Jun is works at a local bookstore where he doesn't seem to be happy. The store manager always seems to play the role of a bully. In many ways, Jun feels the scars of what he has suffered in the past as in the form of humiliation. Luckily though, there's some hope with his fellow co-worker Saitou. As someone who has a talent in the field of acting, she is sympathetic for Jun. The relationship between Jun and her is typical. It crosses between the lines of both friendship and possibly even romance. On the other side is the relationship between a human and doll – Jun and Shinku in this case. The series leaves their relationship as ambiguous. There's a sense of annoyance, appreciation, and bonding that can be all packaged by the duo's relationship. On other other hand, Shinku has rivals in form of antagonism towards another doll in the series – Suigintou. It can be seen as serious and comedic the same time; take it how you receive it. Unfortunately though, there's not much exploration of the other dolls with their masters besides Shinku and Suigintou.
Although the premise sounds interesting, there's a sting in its pacing. What I'm referring to here is the story and its main purpose. The Rozen Maidens are designed to fight each other for the title of Alice but the premise itself doesn't engage itself as well as one may hope. In fact, the majority of the first half adapts more of a slice of life tone that can be repetitive to watch. In particular, this relates to Jun and his life. Then, there's a problem with the other characters as the show seems to only highlight two particular dolls for the majority of its run. The series details the Alice Game so each doll should have its purpose. Instead though, this series only gives them a minimal amount of screen time. Not all the dolls gets their own spotlight and some may feel disappointed. The sense of emotions might also not be as strong as one may hope for due to a lack of exploration in the other dolls' backgrounds. Perhaps the amount of episodes could be a problem here but that shouldn't be an excuse for its pacing. Finally, the concept of fighting for a grand title or accomplishment isn't new in the anime industry. Other shows such as Mirai Nikki, Mai-Hime, Fate Stay Night, and recent Crime Edge has adapted such themes before. It's been done.
The artwork for the series suddenly feels a bit different. By different, I mean in terms of realism. The place that Jun is living at is designed to look very simple to give viewers an outlook on his average life. There's not much fancy going on in his life besides Shinku. The way his character is designed also looks plain with his face and figure. On the other hand, the Rozen Maidens are designed with fashion. Shinku's red clothes is covered with elegance and that lady-like atmosphere that matches her personality. Others such as Suigintou is designed to give off her darker personality through those lolita golita style of clothing while two other Rozen Maidens in the show has noticeable colored eyes.
Because the show is more serious and covers a more realistic side of Jun's story, viewers should also expect a more straight forward soundtrack. There's no funky beat or rock style music in this show. Instead, it has an eerie like OST that often depicts a more moody side of the story. Also, remember that Jun is isolated with himself. Therefore, viewers should expect the soundtrack to also convey that feeling of loneliness. The OP song, "Watashi no Bara wo Haminasai" by ALI PROJECT gives off a feeling of mystery and possible foreshadowing as well. As with the ED song, there's the sense of eerie loneliness once again.
For whatever reason you decide to try out this show, just be aware that it can feel a bit different from what you might be used to from the original Rozen Maiden series. By different, I don't mean as necessarily an unpleasant experience. Instead, it conveys a different and more realistic side of Jun and his story. The boy is not in kiddy clothes anymore but lives a new style of living. Although it's not pleasant, there's also some signs of joy. The lines of reality and fantasy are often crossed throughout various times. This can also bring on a different feeling for viewers. But more importantly, patience should be a key to deal with this adaptation. Rozen Maiden is often interpreted as a girly show because it has dolls. But for Jun, making dolls isn't just about fun. It's about a talent and his way of life.
