But for me, yeah, this was it for me.
Dark, gritty, beautiful, emotional.
It's hard for me to watch this show (I've watched it at least three times through now) without being absorbed by it. I have to take it sparingly because it digs deep down into emotional territory that can be weird and scary if you aren't ready for it.
I like stuff that gets me thinking, and what can be deeper than contemplating mortality.
Story- Compelling, deep, and intentionally vague in some areas. I have my own theories about what some of it means, and what things weren't said outright, but those are things best kept to the forums and not a review in my opinion.
Art- This has a really retro-gritty dismal feel that's just amazing. It's beautiful to look at, and I couldn't have asked for more. They really pushed the envelope with this series.
Sound- I think the sound track, one song in particular (the song played for the preview at the end of each episode) is just amazing. There was one song that was unmistakably similar to the Terminator theme, but hey, it's hard to write original music without running parallel somewhere.
I preferred the English dub in this one, but both are just outstanding. One of the best dubs I've ever watched.
The opening theme is strangely upbeat considering the meaning and the rest of the show, but I think that's probably good. You need a splash of cold water in your face sometimes. And it's a refreshing hopeful distraction to help ease the needle in.
Character- I found myself loving a lot of the side and one-off characters. Hell, I liked them all I think. Even the characters I probably should hate, I couldn't. Friggin' Leda tho... Why aren't more people compelled by that character. I feel that her voice in the dub, is amazing. Definitely has a lot of depth conveyed in simple short instances that left me wanting to know more. Anyway, I could write about the characters, and the inferences all day and night.
Enjoyment- Yes. All of it. From the lowest depressing lows, to the highest triumphant highs, I was compelled, riveted, engaged.
Overall I just love this show. It's hard to recommend it to just anyone, but man, do I wish I could get more people to just sit down and drink this in, and reflect on it. It's a thing of beauty. An animated masterpiece.
