What do we need to for ruling this world?
An army? A high education or maybe have a royal background? No... it is all wrong. What we really need is a cash and the tool which will help us with distribution of it...
But is the 10 billions yen enought to do so? Higashi no Eden is trying to ask this question during the 11 episodes. The new meaning of "noblesse oblige" was just born. But is there any of those random "noblesse" feel the responsibility of "obelige"?
=Storyline=
12 totally diffrent people... 12 saviours-to-be... one supporter, one winner... sounds a like some kind of reality show. In fact it is pretty similar to those shows... but instead of cameras and microphones we have mobiles containing some letters and cyphers... and cyphers hardly ever lies...
So if we compare high amount of money that belongs to the people that are just not the saint ones... yeah it equals a brutal and viloent massacre, the rat race and fast action included :D And what we have in the Higashi no Eden? The beginning of anime- totally rocks and makes watcher just curious how the story of a naked young man from Washington DC will end... Police, collection of passports, full armed closet... yeah it is fascinating and Bond-films like! But it is only a beginning and it can fool us... In fact this anime serves us a 11th episodes of cautionous stalking and then in last two episodes suddenly everything comes to the sunlight!
Well we can weight it down on the main character amnesia, but... generally whole series looks rather like a long prologue than a first season of anime. So the ones who like fast action, car chases, intense firing, can be disappointed... But before those will skip this anime... look around! Today the most powerful force is information and the most powerful weapon is the information plus the tool to share it with someone... And that very essence is shown in Higashi no Eden!
Another think that I just must mention is the other subplots, like love plot in Higashi no Eden... Again, 11 episodes is not enough to even highlight it on account of that the main plot had a problems to fully spread... So I didn't saw the movies connected with Higashi no Eden yet and I don't know what is shown there, but... I guess that Saki need to be patient if she want to get closer to her prince ;)
So, for me the first season is too short, the action is like a snail, but that doesn’t mean this anime is not good. On the contrary, the unanswered question is making us more and more curious… Who is supporter? Who is Johnny? Is the rapists “interests” safe? Is anyone can be a prince or king of county this days? ;)
=Climate&World=
The greatest advantage of Higashi no Eden is it’s climate. The big conspiracy, corrupted people, intimidated society, terrorist attacks… Sounds familiar? :) Yes, it is the very same world we are living in now!
As they saying ‘the devil is in the details’ and you know what? I just love this ‘devil’ ^^ Because the details can make the even anime world more realistic. Prove? Look at the first episode closely…
The Washington DC is so… American! The voices of people, the streets and and and (my favorite ‘devil’ :D) the military like shoes that Takizawa found in his apartment… Yeah, those are U.S. Army model called “Panama” that were used in Vietnam War… Yes… just a little detail but look how thrilling it is for such realistic freak like me XD
Not to mention the refers to the real films like “The Bourne Trilogy” or “Taxi Driver” and many, many others.
But fear not Japanese Fans! After first ep. we are going to our beloved world of subways, huge highways, big corporations and workaholics ^^ And the motive with abandoned shopping center… just epic!
But what really impressed me in Higashi no Eden’s climate is the case of NEET’s… This is the first time I met such a term and I thought it was created for anime ^^ (how foolish I were! XD) So I searched internet a little and… NEET’s are no longer the guy, who cannot fit to the modern society… Today they are generating a huge financial problem for all governments around the world! So… the NEET’s can become an dangerous weapon in bad hands… plus they are well-trained in the art of Information Technology… they can even stop the missile attack ^_- And if such a website like Higashi no Eden would really exist (well… actually we have facebook…XD) I would feel uncomfortable… I could be only hoping that my pic wouldn’t became a “wanted one” like Takizawa’s :P
Oh! I almost forgot the main feature! The cell phones… I guess most, if not all of us, who’ve seen this anime, would like to be owner of SELECAO mobile… and I’m not talking about those money on account (but it would be a pleasure too ^^) but the awareness of having such a cool stuff…
So magnetic and scary appearance of those phones was perfectly shown in the scene in which out weird SELECAO member that loves cigars (and something else :P), was floating with a pair of the black wings and instead of the sword or other stuff which perfectly fits such apocalyptic-like situations… she is holding this thrilling phone…
=Characters=
Akira Takizawa
A couple of words about characters… let’s start from Akira! Yeah, he is a smart and cheerful guy with eternal carefree attitude. He is so exudes with charisma, that people on the streets are even giving him their own garment instead of escaping from the young exhibitionist :P But on the other side of the coin we have a guy with huge sense of altruism, who suffers from what all such good person suffer in our sad world… He was betrayed by the those who he helped :/ But he was so intelligent to that he choose to erase his memory rather than spectacularly finishing life :) In emo-times committing suicide is very trendy XD
Someone can say he is a trifler too much but… for me he is a good actor. Even when in pain, he can smile and keep going… even when broken, he can stand up again and help others once again... Plus he is a gentleman and have a good manners… perfect material for husband and Saki knows this ;D So in one sentence: He is very motivating one!
Saki Morimi
A shy but simultaneously brave girl, who thinks that White House is a center of the world XD Why brave (not to say stupid :P)? Which girl would have a nerve to throw a coin to the garden of the most secured house on the Earth and go alone with a guy, who was chased by police and going all naked? :) Any volunteer there? :P
Morimi might look like a typical girl, but actually she is a strong woman. Loosing her parents, living on a credit of her sister and trying to do an emancipation, she dream to breakaway from the world that surround her. She is a romantic one, dreaming about the prince… And who can give her all that? A prince himself! She believes in uncreated story of Akira and help him instead of people who are full of suspicions about him… I don’t know maybe she is naive or… maybe she’s pure heart is whispering to her to trust Takizawa? But before answering that questions in ourselves just look at the power of the real “trust” … look that this “trust” can make others to stand up again and fight…
In one sentence: a pure loving-girl!
Others
Well generally there wasn’t time to get to know other characters properly. The corrupted detective is dieing too fast and I regret it ‘cause he could be a nice rival for our courageous Akira. Other SELECAO are not better. The cigar-perv woman is the plot which would be (I hope) solved in the future, missile-guy is just a puppet… a doctor with a vision, also killed… but wait… there is those two… The clever government bureaucrat who almost crack the nut of all game… yeah this plot and his story should be spreaded more! Merciless, concrete perfectionist. A rising main bad character ;)
And the last of SELECAO… the guy who didn’t even spend a single yen from his account, but using limousine for transportation… yeah very suspicious.
Instead of SELECAO we have other typical, boring family members, typical jealous-boy and (not that typical XD) friends of Saki. So, old and experienced woman (:P), a leader without leadership skills and a closet guy :) Add to this a cute nerdy Micchon (“I’m not Micchon..” :D) and the panties-named genius and you have a full kaleidoscope of personalities! I like Especially Itazu… the perfect example of a underestimated talent, who is sacrificing his health for the mental causes… And of course there is a 20 000 NEET statists with cellphones without wears XD Yeah they are like zombies ;)
Generally those characters have (or had :P) potential, and I hope their plots will be spreaded in the future too!
=Summary=
Great drawn anime with also great potential which will be fully used in the future… Worth of attention and gives us a lot to think after seeing the last episode… thinking about this damn society system in which many talents are wasting , thinking about how single pure heart can affect a broken man and thinking what people are able to make when they are driven to the wall…
Sorry for any grammar mistakes and so on, and so on...
Special thanks to my lovely kitty, who is my anime guru >^_^< nyan nyan!
