Ef - a Tale of Memories is an amazing, beautiful anime no matter how you look at it. It's unique in so many ways, and is a fascinating anime that, surprisingly, should be more well-known.
At only twelve episodes, you would think that you wouldn't get much story out of it, and everything would happen too quickly. But so much is packed into each twenty-four minute episode that it feels like so much more. Sure, it's tightly plotted. But is it rushed? Not the tiniest bit. No event seems to fly by at all. And if it's long, there's a reason for it. The story itself is outstanding. The story is that of a unique romantic drama, and the problems in here aren't just simple everyday things that people can solve if they get together and talk. Particularly the storyline with Hirono and Chihiro. Because of Chihiro's condition, she gets along awkwardly with him. Every new twist to the story adds to the tension and excitement, all building up to a beautiful ending.
The animation. The animation, the animation. Don't even get me started. The animation is the most beautiful animation I have ever seen in any anime, and is some of the most stylized, too. The opening is animated entirely in flat colors, which give it a strange but appealing look. Text, from Chihiro's book, flies by in the background and also adds something interesting. Even more techniques are used in the anime itself. The background can be seen through the characters when they're silhouetted against black, the color is rich and detailed, and the characters are drawn in a somewhat different style.
The opening music is great. Interestingly enough, for the first eleven episodes, it's in English, and in Japanese during episode twelve. There are several ending songs, each used interchangeably, all of which are also good songs. I have no objections to the music.
ef stands for any of the following: Euphoric Field, Ever Forever, Ebullient Future, or Eternal Feather.
An absolutely must-watch anime.
Jan 4, 2010
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