Reviews

We as Americans have a different sort of drama preference. And of all these preferences, there is one that sticks to my mind. Shawshank Redemption, Prison Break, Green Mile, all these fantastic dramas have one thing in common: prison. Prison is naturally going to pull American viewers in, but why, I don't know. Perhaps its the despair people feel when they are stripped of everything, even their dignity, and how they struggle to survive in their hostile environment. Or maybe its the strong bonds created through prisoners holding on to hope by sharing it with prisoners who understand the pain and sorrow. Whatever the case may be, Rainbow is nothing short of a great prison drama.

The story follows six youths sent to prison for multiple different reasons. After being violated by the prison doctor Dr. Sasaki and assulated by the psychotic guard Ishihara, they are thrown into a prison sell with a man named Sakaragi. After picking a fight with him and epic-ly losing, Sakaragi and the boys begin to build an unbreakable bond as they struggle to survive, since underneath the surface a horrible secret is being kept by Dr. Sasaki and Ishihara that Sakaragi knows, and if they let him escape alive it would them who are prison. The story is quite graphic and harsh, and may take a mature person to watch. Other than that, the story does wonders in the drama category providing very touching moments as well as tragic. However, every dram should have comic relief, and although Rainbow has it, its very minimal in comparison to the point where it becomes very depressing. This is not a big deal, however, since its so dramatic. Now, the show slows down a little early in the second half, but this doesn't mean it lacks any nice moments.

The art is very nice and has an old-fashioned feel to it for me. Its very clean and simple, and dark tones are used throughout in order to intensify the "darkness" of the story.

The soundtrack was a bit weird for me. The BGMs were the main reason. It didn't really match with the story for me, and although they were nice by themselves, for some reason it ruined the mood for me. HOWEVER, the OP and ED are a completely different story. The OP was badass, and during the chorus you instantly get a feel of sorrow and almost a foreshadowing of what's to come. The ED sends you off in a way that says that they are "never givin' up", and the vocals themselves leave a singer like me pissed off for being as sucky as I am.

The characters are phenomenal. Each character (except for Soldier...) has a big part somewhere in the show, and back stories are explained nicely. Honestly, there isn't anything to complain about, it was a superb job.

This show is a personal favorite of mine is a must-see for drama seekers looking for a different kind of drama. Rainbow pulls the curtain off a hidden reality of crudeness and evil in the world, and how, ironically, the young men in prison struggle against it despite their differences in power and wealth. Its truly a great show, and I highly recommend it.