But I was utterly wrong. Simply bear in mind that this is the Anime Version of Romeo and Juliet, and expect what you'll expect from most anime for eg, fantasy. I'm no fan of Shakespear's work but I do know the general outline of the story and the important scenes such as the balcony which audience will get to enjoy during the course of the series (although I'm guilty of laughing at that part).
Story wise - Firstly, I'm very impressed by the various climax and exciting moments in this series. The first 10 episodes or so will keep you on your toes while tugging your emotions along with the sweet and tragic moments of our main characters. Following episodes then mellow down, and just when I thought it's gonna get boring here forth the story picks up again and you just have to keep watching. ie. damn high priority. However, you may find yourself with a big "huh?!" at the last few eps. Yes there's where the Fantasy kicks in although if you have watched enough anime, you'll know that this is a typical storyline and thus befitting for this series as well. In general, the story was well remade for an anime indeed.
Art - The style may be a little hard to stomach for some but fret not, you'll get used to it in 1 or 2 episodes' time. The background was beautiful in some scenes especially the extensive flower beds. In fact, during the course of watching this series, I actually felt that it's well drawn because the characters doesn't have oversized eyes (or boobs) or overly skinny limbs, unlike some other animes.
Sound - Needless to say, the opening is one where you'll keep listening to even after completing the series. Images from the anime will then naturally float into your mind. Yes that's how influential Lena Park's version of You Raise Me Up is.
Character - For this portion, I'll really have to give the director a big hug. Setting the side characters aside, the mental development of both our hero and heroine was well-balanced and developed. The romance between the 2 was nicely presented while slowly telling the audience how they fell in love. This part was absolutely perfect because a plain love-at-first-sight thing would cause the story to lose its meaning and turn me off quickly.
Despite it being a great anime, I've gotta admit the presence of my fan-girling moments during the exceptionally sweet and touching moments which were strewed here and there. So fellow babes, watch this to ignite the shoujo heart in you!
