"The story takes place in the land of Amberground, a place of perpetual night only partially illuminated by an artificial sun. Lag Seeing works as a "Letter Bee" (delivery boy) at the "Bee Hive" (a delivery service), with his Dingo, Niche, and her "pet", Steak, traveling with him. As a Letter Bee, Lag's job is entrusted to deliver letters and packages from town to town while avoiding Amberground's deadliest hazard — a species of giant armored insect known as Gaichuu, who attempt to feed off the "heart" that reside within these letters and packages."
~Source WIKIPEDIA
When I first heard the plot for this series, I wasn't very impressed. How in the world could a story about MAILMEN, of all things, be interesting in any way, shape, or form? Regardless of these fore-feelings, I decided to look into this series, and I must say, I am very glad that I did.
The story is kinda simple: "boy meets older boy, older boy goes missing, boy must find older boy." Seen it a hundred times before, so why should it be any different this time? Well, throw in some magical Amber, giant metallic insects, a little girl with swords for hair, and letters that carry peoples' hearts... and you've got a smash hit recipe for success! The plot moves a little slow at first, but it quickly gains momentum after a few episodes, which is just plain lovely.
Overall the story is very unique, despite how many things within it are from other pre-existing ideas and series. It can be very heart-wrenching at certain points, but it's also got its funny moments, which makes for a good and easy watch.
Originality level is very high.
ART 10/10
The thing that caught my eye the most was the art. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it before. While the story is an obvious shounen, the art reflects more of an aesthetic view of something that would be shoujo. It's, in a word, beautiful. The art of the anime does not reflect the detail and colouring of the manga, but both are just gorgeous in their own right.
Definitely eye candy.
The openings, by the way, are AWESOME!
SOUND 10/10
Mixing was fantastic. Soundtrack was beautiful. Loved the openings and endings.
CHARACTERS 8/10
The biggest issue with the characterization was the names. They're original and unique, YES. BUT... seriously? It's names like JIGGY PEPPER that just make me sit back and go "WTF?!"
The other issue was Lag. DO NOT GET ME WRONG. I love the little boy to death, and he has many many great qualities to him! On the other hand, he does come off as being a crybaby. At times, this can be a bit more than annoying. Take into consideration, though, that this boy is ONLY 12. It's completely natural for 12-year-olds to cry a lot. Especially when they've had hard trauma. Once I came to that realization, it was easier for me to sympathize with him. I hate crybaby characters, but Lag is one that I simply adore.
Niche was one of my favourites throughout the serie. She's so weird! She shows various animal-like qualities, such as licking wounds and sniffing the air for scents, which are quite amusing from a third-person view. All-in-all he is alittle slow on things, but she is loyal and adorable, not to mention the epic ability to stab people with her hair. I mean, come on! AWESOME.
There are cheery characters like Lag and Niche, but this series is not without it twisted and darker personalities. Gauche Suede, Aria Link, and Lawrence are prime examples of this. When you take a look at them, it's as if they almost don't fit, considering how the main character is, but they blend perfectly.
ENJOYMENT 10/10
There was not a moment I did not enjoy this. It was fun all the way through. Each episode left me begging for more.
OVERALL 9/10
A good solid series, but alas, many ideas and plot points were unclear, therefore I can only give this series a 9.
Do I recommend it? YES. I cannot stress this enough. I think everyone should watch this series. It's definitely worth it. It has something for everyone, a perfect mix of heart-wrenching, fantasy, steampunk, shounen, and shoujo.
A must-watch.
