Review of Emma: A Victorian Romance (2005-2007)
Hey, everyone. It's time for a new review.
Two days ago I finished the second season of Emma: A Victorian Romance. Even though they are classified as two separate entries, I will compose a single review for both.
If I had to pick one word to describe this anime, that word would be beautiful. The story is beautiful along with the art, the music, and the characters (I found only two unlikable characters in the whole series). Overall I found it enjoyable.
Story:
The story follows Emma, a polite maid in Victorian era, London, England. Kelly Stownar, the elderly woman Emma works for is a retired governess. One day they are visited by William Jones, a former student of Stownar's. William and Emma meet and eventually fall in love.
Everything seems wonderful, right? No. Both William's family and most of society are against them because William is of the gentry class, and Emma is a commoner. That and William's father has already arranged for William to court Eleanor Campbell, the daughter of a viscount.
Through many events, other characters, and hardships both Emma and William work for a way to their happy ending.
It should be warned that this anime is slow paced. While it may seem dragging at times, I feel that the slower pace works better for this kind of story. For one, it gives the audience time to get to know the characters, and two, it makes the romance more believable when it takes time, Since this anime is supposed to be a historical slice of life, I like that it does take time for the story to get there, rather than having it happen too quick.
Also, I think it's fair to say that I find this anime to be more character focused than plot driven.
Characters:
This is my favorite part of the anime. I just love most of the characters in the series. There are only two I shook my head at, but everyone else is amazing. For the sake of time, I'm only going to touch on a few of the major ones.
To begin with: Emma. She is probably one of my favorite anime protagonists (and that's not something I can say often). Emma is kind, humble, polite, hard-working, and never once complains. Several times we see the other servants mumble a complaint, but Emma mostly keeps a cheery outlook. She stands firmly by what she believes. She is also considerate of others' feelings, as seen in the first episode of the second season by the incident with Nanette--it took a lot of kindness to do what she did when anybody else would have done the exact opposite.
Next up is the lead male: William Jones. He is the kind of guy who thinks with his heart rather than his brain. While that may be excellent several times, especially when it comes to Emma, resulting in romantic delights, other times it was shown to have caused him trouble (mostly with Eleanor). I have to admit, despite how kind William is, for the most part I found him to be immature and selfish; it wasn't until the last fourth of the second season, when he undergoes serious character development that I was able to truly respect him.
On that note, I had the same opinion about Richard Jones (William's father). At first he comes across as traditional and austere, but he too had some growth in the last few episodes of the second season. What he says to Viscount Campbell in that last episode has to be one of my favorite comebacks ever.
Now onto Eleanor Campbell. While she may be the antagonist, as both she and Emma are interested in the same man, she is not a villain. I want to thank the anime for not portraying her as such. In fact there are no villains in this story, just people. Eleanor is shown as being a nice girl who never has anything mean to say about anyone. She is seen as being kind to her maid, is well-mannered, and is trying her hardest to make her relationship with William work. I found her to be a likable character.
Of course the person to thank for the story all together is Kelly Stownar. Were it not for her, William and Emma would have never been introduced. She is a kind woman who practically took Emma in. She views Emma as family rather than a subordinate. Episode eleven shows in detail why Emma loves her so much. Even though the primary focus of the story is on the romance, I also liked watching Emma and Kelly's interactions throughout.
Now onto minor characters that I will give a brief mention. First is Hakim, an Indian prince and friend to William. He acts as William's confidant, and beyond the party boy he may seem to be, he proves himself to be a good friend and offers sound advice to William throughout the series. Next is Hans, a servant who is introduced in the second season, and the competition for Emma's affection. He may seem grumpy at first, but it's interesting to watch how he shows his love for Emma, and how much it differs from William's. And lastly is Grace Jones, the eldest Jones sister. She acts as a mother figure to her younger siblings. She is given a fair amount of screen time, and is my favorite of the Jones children.
While most of the characters are likable, there are two I just couldn't. The lesser of the two is William's kid sister Vivian. She is a spoiled brat who expects the world to bow to her. She is also extremely rude, especially for a girl of that time period. She is particularly rude to Emma when the latter comes to visit. Vivian also runs off at the mouth way too much. They worry too much about William embarrassing the family, when they should be focused on Vivian's mouth as the source of family humiliation. The second is the Viscount Campbell. He despises anyone beneath him. He has such a condescending personality, such as throwing away the glove that he used to shake hands with Richard, or blaming Eleanor for something awful that may ruin their family's reputation, that wasn't her fault. His older daughter, Monica, is obviously aware of her father's character, and loathes him for it. I just found him difficult to like.
I spent a lot of time on the characters and there are so many more who deserve a mention, but for the sake of the review I need to move on. In short, I love the characters in this anime.
Art:
The art is beautiful. The character designs are pretty, the backgrounds are gorgeous, the colors and lighting look nice.
First of all, the character designs here are different from your typical anime. For one the people are designed to look like real people while still keeping an anime charm. There are no bold hair colors, exaggerated facial expressions, chibis, random changes in animation, moeness, or anything else often seen in many anime series. The facial expressions match what you would see in real life. The faces themselves may look a little odd at first, mainly because it's different from what I'm used to.
This is later Victorian, so the fashion is not exactly my favorite from the era, but it's still pretty. There is a flashback scene to an earlier decade, so I did get to see a more preferred style of clothing for a brief moment. To be honest, I'm glad that the creators were careful to make it as accurate as possible. I will get to that topic a little later.
The locations are beautiful. I like the details of London streets: the market, the carriages, etc, especially when compared to the countryside later in the series. The houses are ornate and fun to look at. Even the shop that William frequents has its own unique atmosphere, All the details makes it feel like you're there in that time period with the characters.
The animation, however, is not the best. At times it feels like there could be more. Of course this could go back to the pace of the show. As for the faces, I would have liked to see more display of emotions from the characters. The voice acting is superb, but sometimes the animation itself feels like its lacking, due to want of movement.
Historical Accuracy:
The historical accuracy is another plus this anime had. This is the second anime I have watched that takes place in the Victorian Era. The first was Black Butler, so there are some obvious comparisons between the two. It's no stretch to say Emma: A Victorian Romance is much closer to the time period compared to something like Black Butler, which is more of a fantasy, While Black Butler had several anachronisms, Emma: A Victorian Romance is a good representation of the time presented.
I like that the characters are limited by whatever technology they had at the time. For instance, all correspondence was done via letter. Also, other than Hakim, they don't have the luxury of cars and have to get by with a carriage (if the character can afford it [one of the coolest scenes was watching Emma chase after and jump on a horse-drawn bus]), a train, or on foot. It's also interesting to get a glimpse at how firetrucks worked during that time.
There are also the social formalities of the time presented here, such as when Richard scolds William for blowing off a meeting with a client. There is also an episode that shows how having to attend all these functions to uphold society took its toll on a more introverted character. In addition, all the characters are referred to by title, and while that is something that is common in subbed anime, it's especially important for this setting.
I also like how important the Crystal Palace, an actual building that was constructed during the Victorian era, is to the story. It was a place where everybody gathered, so I like how it is crucial to four major plot points in this anime.
I already mentioned how accurate the clothing is during the art portion of this review, but I want to touch a little more on that one. The clothes worn in this anime look like replicas of actual Victorian clothing, not just stylized ones that might be seen in Black Butler. I also like the depictions of costume for the different classes. Even when the servants dress up for outings, or parties their clothes are still less elaborate than the ones worn by the wealthier families.
Since the Victorian era was a time of prized propriety, as portrayed when Eleanor complains of how exposed she feels in a modest bathing suit, this anime includes very little fan service, something I'm happy about. In fact, the first season had none (unless you count the corset tightening scene). However, there are two very short scenes in the second season with a bit of nudity, but it's not excessive, or detracting from the plot, so I'm not annoyed with it. While there may be a few underwear shots in the second season, it's only their undress, so you'll only see the character in a corset and petticoat.
Another thing I wish to mention is that there is no break from the time period. There are no pop culture references, or anything done that takes this story out of its setting for an attempt at humor, or to wink at the audience. Everything feels like it is in place. Even though William wants to do something that is unheard of in their social standing, he still has to work around the obstacles of his time, along with adhering to the potential consequences dangling above him (such as his family possibly being tossed out of society).
In all, it looks like the creators put in extra effort to make this story as accurate to the time period as possible. Even in the credits, there is someone whose entire job is historical accuracy. For me, it makes it more enjoyable to watch a period piece without having to worry about ridiculous attempts at modernizing something.
Music:
The opening and ending songs to this anime are beautiful. Something special about the songs used here is that there are no lyrics. Each opening and ending is strictly instrumental. The opening song is the same in both seasons, but a different version of the song is played in the second one. I do like the first ending better with the playful, upbeat song that sounds like something you would hear on a Victorian street, carnival, or marketplace.
In addition, lovely instrumental pieces are played throughout the show. It makes sense as there were no catchy pop songs at the time, once again adding to the overall experience of this series. Even Tasha's song, the only piece of vocal music in this anime is a traditional rhyme set to a melody.
Conclusion:
This is one of my favorite anime series thus far. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. The series is clean: I think there is only one swear word in the whole twenty four episodes, and the art is beautiful to look at. However, due to its slow pace and some complicated social structure, it may not be best suited for kids, but I think teenagers or older might enjoy it.
If you want an animated look at the Victorian era, this is a good choice. If you want a sweet, realistic romance, this is a good one to check out. If you just want something that's different from most anime, this is a good recommendation.
Emma: A Victorian Romance: 8/10
Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act: 9/10
Music: Whitney Houston
Beverage: Fruit Water Black Raspberry
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, April 24, 2015
Review of After School in the Teacher's Lounge (1994)
Review of After School in the Teacher's Lounge (1994)
Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review.
I came across an anime OVA from the mid nineties called After School in the Teacher's Lounge. I looked up a synopsis to find out it's about two school teachers who fall in love. My first thoughts were: Aww, that sounds like a cute story, I want to watch it. After viewing the first half of the first episode (there are only two total) those hopes for a good love story vanished.
In short, this is one of the worst anime I have ever seen. Everything about this OVA (characters, story, music, animation, design, etc) is bad. However, it's one saving grace, and the reason I didn't give it a score of a one, is the fact that it's so awful it made me laugh.
The story follows a teacher Kawase, who is seen watching a fellow teacher Kazama in the pool one afternoon. Kazama is intrigued and develops a liking for Kawase. Kazama asks Kawase out for his birthday where he proposes that they start a relationship. Kawase agrees, but then out of fear lies to get out of a date and retreats to a family-owned inn for the break. Kazama tracks him down and shows up at the inn, where he attempts to fix and further their relationship.
Right now you're probably thinking: This doesn't sound so bad. To be honest, this anime had the potential for a good story. However, all of that listed above happens in the first half of the first episode. One of the major problems I have with this anime is the pacing. There are five major plot points in the first episode that could have been slowed down, expanded, and turned into separate episodes: the meeting/birthday dinner; Kazama inviting Kawase away for the weekend, and Kawase lying to get out of it; Kazama at the inn and Kazuma showing up; Kazuma flirting with other guests and Kawase's brother having suspicions about Kazuma; and Kazuma finally confronting Kawase, and everything that happens in the end. Slowing this down would allow for better characterization for one, and making the relationship more believable.
There is a time skip between the two episodes. I don't recall it being specified how much, but I think that works in its favor, allowing the audience to decide how long they've been together. The second episode is less rushed in terms of its plot, mostly focusing on Kazama being set up with a friend of a friend's daughter. Of all the characters, I do think that Miho is the most likable.
On that note, I'll now discuss the two main characters. I'm not sure which character is the protagonist since both get a fair amount of screen time.
First, there is Kazama, who is ambitious and refuses to give up until he has what he wants. He can come across as kind of intimidating. For one he was able to track Kawase down that weekend he went out of town. Mind you, this was made in the days before Google. In order to find him he would have had to check perhaps a phone book, records, or maybe even ask around. Also, when Kawase suggests them breaking up, Kazama threatens to kill him. Perhaps it was meant as a joke, but he did put his hands around Kawase's neck. Even if it was meant for humor's sake, I'm wondering if Kawase would always have the feel of the hands belonging to the man who supposedly loves him around his neck in the back of his mind. I don't know if maybe I missed something along the way, but Kazama does come across as creepy.
Secondly there is Kawase. I don't even know what to think about him. In the first episode it seems like he can't make up his mind about Kazama. I do tend to think that he just doesn't like conflict, so avoids it in any way possible. Around the middle of episode one, Kazama confronts him about lying--and I will give him that--Kawase should have at least told him. He could have said something along the lines of: I'm scared that we're moving too fast, I don't want a relationship right now, until I get to know you better. I think anything would have been better than lying.
This anime is classified as a romance. However, I just don't see it as believable. Kazama claims to love Kawase. However, his love for him seemed to have come out of nowhere. Also, he never mentions what it is that he loves about Kawase. I don't see any chemistry between the two. This is the strangest love story I've ever seen.
The art is horrible. I understand this was made before the animation technology of today, therefore I don't expect it to look as good as more recent anime. However, even compared to other anime at the time (Sailor Moon, Record of Lodoss War, and Yu Yu Hakusho to name a few), it's lacking.
The characters look odd. I won't necessarily say ugly, but their bodies are strangely designed. It just looks like their bodies are out of proportion. The faces look weird, especially during closeups of the eyes and nose. The only character who looks like a normal human would be Miho. In all it just seems like a strange choice for character designs.
The animation is minimal and at times look sloppy. I will admit that there seems to be better animation in the second episode. As with the art, I don't expect an anime made at this time to be on par with more recent titles, but other anime made in the same years, or even a few before, have much better quality than this one.
The soundtrack to this anime has a kind of soft jazz feel. However, the same kind of music is used throughout the series, so it's pretty forgettable after a while. In the first episode it felt like the same song was being played on repeat for the full twenty-five or so minutes.
I will say one thing this anime has going for it is the good voice acting. Even if the dialogue may be strange at times, the voice talent still shines through.
In conclusion, I found this anime to be a waste of time. This is a unique story idea that unfortunately was too rushed. For the most part the characters were unlikable, and the art even worse. Often times I found myself laughing at just how ridiculous it is. However, I feel that if this anime was remade today with better animation and with a slower pace, allowing the characters and their romance to develop, it has potential to be a good show.
After School in the Teacher's Lounge: 2/10
Beverage: XXX Vitamin Water
Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review.
I came across an anime OVA from the mid nineties called After School in the Teacher's Lounge. I looked up a synopsis to find out it's about two school teachers who fall in love. My first thoughts were: Aww, that sounds like a cute story, I want to watch it. After viewing the first half of the first episode (there are only two total) those hopes for a good love story vanished.
In short, this is one of the worst anime I have ever seen. Everything about this OVA (characters, story, music, animation, design, etc) is bad. However, it's one saving grace, and the reason I didn't give it a score of a one, is the fact that it's so awful it made me laugh.
The story follows a teacher Kawase, who is seen watching a fellow teacher Kazama in the pool one afternoon. Kazama is intrigued and develops a liking for Kawase. Kazama asks Kawase out for his birthday where he proposes that they start a relationship. Kawase agrees, but then out of fear lies to get out of a date and retreats to a family-owned inn for the break. Kazama tracks him down and shows up at the inn, where he attempts to fix and further their relationship.
Right now you're probably thinking: This doesn't sound so bad. To be honest, this anime had the potential for a good story. However, all of that listed above happens in the first half of the first episode. One of the major problems I have with this anime is the pacing. There are five major plot points in the first episode that could have been slowed down, expanded, and turned into separate episodes: the meeting/birthday dinner; Kazama inviting Kawase away for the weekend, and Kawase lying to get out of it; Kazama at the inn and Kazuma showing up; Kazuma flirting with other guests and Kawase's brother having suspicions about Kazuma; and Kazuma finally confronting Kawase, and everything that happens in the end. Slowing this down would allow for better characterization for one, and making the relationship more believable.
There is a time skip between the two episodes. I don't recall it being specified how much, but I think that works in its favor, allowing the audience to decide how long they've been together. The second episode is less rushed in terms of its plot, mostly focusing on Kazama being set up with a friend of a friend's daughter. Of all the characters, I do think that Miho is the most likable.
On that note, I'll now discuss the two main characters. I'm not sure which character is the protagonist since both get a fair amount of screen time.
First, there is Kazama, who is ambitious and refuses to give up until he has what he wants. He can come across as kind of intimidating. For one he was able to track Kawase down that weekend he went out of town. Mind you, this was made in the days before Google. In order to find him he would have had to check perhaps a phone book, records, or maybe even ask around. Also, when Kawase suggests them breaking up, Kazama threatens to kill him. Perhaps it was meant as a joke, but he did put his hands around Kawase's neck. Even if it was meant for humor's sake, I'm wondering if Kawase would always have the feel of the hands belonging to the man who supposedly loves him around his neck in the back of his mind. I don't know if maybe I missed something along the way, but Kazama does come across as creepy.
Secondly there is Kawase. I don't even know what to think about him. In the first episode it seems like he can't make up his mind about Kazama. I do tend to think that he just doesn't like conflict, so avoids it in any way possible. Around the middle of episode one, Kazama confronts him about lying--and I will give him that--Kawase should have at least told him. He could have said something along the lines of: I'm scared that we're moving too fast, I don't want a relationship right now, until I get to know you better. I think anything would have been better than lying.
This anime is classified as a romance. However, I just don't see it as believable. Kazama claims to love Kawase. However, his love for him seemed to have come out of nowhere. Also, he never mentions what it is that he loves about Kawase. I don't see any chemistry between the two. This is the strangest love story I've ever seen.
The art is horrible. I understand this was made before the animation technology of today, therefore I don't expect it to look as good as more recent anime. However, even compared to other anime at the time (Sailor Moon, Record of Lodoss War, and Yu Yu Hakusho to name a few), it's lacking.
The characters look odd. I won't necessarily say ugly, but their bodies are strangely designed. It just looks like their bodies are out of proportion. The faces look weird, especially during closeups of the eyes and nose. The only character who looks like a normal human would be Miho. In all it just seems like a strange choice for character designs.
The animation is minimal and at times look sloppy. I will admit that there seems to be better animation in the second episode. As with the art, I don't expect an anime made at this time to be on par with more recent titles, but other anime made in the same years, or even a few before, have much better quality than this one.
The soundtrack to this anime has a kind of soft jazz feel. However, the same kind of music is used throughout the series, so it's pretty forgettable after a while. In the first episode it felt like the same song was being played on repeat for the full twenty-five or so minutes.
I will say one thing this anime has going for it is the good voice acting. Even if the dialogue may be strange at times, the voice talent still shines through.
In conclusion, I found this anime to be a waste of time. This is a unique story idea that unfortunately was too rushed. For the most part the characters were unlikable, and the art even worse. Often times I found myself laughing at just how ridiculous it is. However, I feel that if this anime was remade today with better animation and with a slower pace, allowing the characters and their romance to develop, it has potential to be a good show.
After School in the Teacher's Lounge: 2/10
Beverage: XXX Vitamin Water
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Review of School Days (2007)
Review of School Days (2007)
Hello, everyone. It's time for a new review.
A few warnings for this review. 1) There are a few spoilers throughout. The more critical ones I will give a warning with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! with a strike through across the spoiled material. 2) The anime in question is intended for mature audiences (18+), some of which will be discussed in this blog.
I recently finished the nefarious, twelve episode anime School Days. I'll admit the only reason I even bothered watching is because I have seen and heard it listed as one of (if not the) worst anime ever made. I knew what was going to happen up to that infamous ending going into the first episode, but I wanted to witness for myself this show that has received so much hate.
Despite the fact that it has its reputation, I found it interesting that on IMDb, the user rating as of this day is a 6.9 (1), and on MyAnimeList it has a score of 6.38 (2).
In short, I don't think it's that bad, in fact I gave it a six on MyAnimeList. It's not the best anime by far, but I wouldn't consider it the worst; actually, I wouldn't even place it in my top thirteen worst anime list. Yes, the ending did come out of nowhere (which I will discuss in full towards the end of this review), but overall I did enjoy this series.
According to Wikipedia, School Days was originally a popular dating video game meant for an adult crowd (3). Later it was adapted into an anime, which is what I will be discussing here.
I'll begin with the opening. I thought it was clever how in the first and last episode there is no opening. There is simply the title card for School Days followed by a visual of glass shattering. It's ominous, yet intriguing. Not to mention I was impressed that there was no opening song/sequence. However, episode two includes the actual opening (which is used for episodes two through eleven). In my opinion, it is the most boring anime opening ever. The song is okay, but that's all there is to enjoy about it. There is nothing special about the visuals. It's pretty much a cliche anime opening, sometimes juxtaposing the two main girls together, other times having them do the same thing with the male lead, then quick edits of the other girls. Basically, it's nothing I haven't seen before. After the first viewing, I just skipped the opening in each episode.
The story follows a high school student named Makoto Itou, someone who is portrayed as being average for most of the series. The main character has an interest in Kotonoha Katsura, a pretty girl who rides the same train as him to school. A classmate named Sekai Saionji, who's assigned seat is next to Makoto's, takes an interest in his relationship blues, and vows to help him court Katsura. In a short amount of time Sekai falls in love with Makoto, but despite her own feelings, loves Makoto enough to aid him in getting what he wants. In short, the first third of School Days feels like a typical romance anime.
Sekai succeeds in setting up Makoto and Katsura, and the two latter start dating. Since Katsura is more reserved with the physical aspects of dating, Makoto eventually grows tired of her. Since Makoto feels more at ease with Sekai, he confesses that he would rather be with her, and has an affair with Sekai behind Katsura's back.
In the last third of the anime, Makoto is shown having intimate relationships with seven girls other than Katsura. Some of them deceive themselves into believing that Makoto actually has feelings for them, while others are merely interested in sex. Through it all, Katsura refuses to believe that Makoto would hurt her. That sets up for a good drama.
That brings me to the major subplot to this story that follows Kastura's relationship with her peers as she is trying to convince them (and herself) that Makoto is her boyfriend. Katsura's female classmates have a strong dislike for her, and are looking for reasons to torment her. The reason for their hatred is that Katsura has the largest chest in the class, and ultimately that she is pretty, which they view as a threat. While that may sound like a stupid reason to dislike someone, it's important to remember that these are high school girls. I'm not too knowledgeable about school and societal issues in other cultures, like Japan, but this is actually a pretty common thing in America. I can speak from the experience of someone who used to be a teenager, that in high school, girls tended to dislike the more beautiful and popular girls out of their own insecurities. In fact there were plenty of stupid reasons for teenage girls to hate their peers (looks, money, grades, who she had as a boyfriend, extracurricular activities, and other forms of jealousy). Like these real life situations, the girls in Katsura's class would rather humiliate and bully her than face their own issues.
The art style is standard. Most of the female characters look beautiful--I say look, because there are a few that have such nasty personalities (Otome's friends) that I find them hideous. Most of the characters have typical anime designs, a variety of hair styles and token personalities, but not much that stands out. The one exception, in my opinion, would be Setsuna. While she is small, her eyes can be intimidating, which I think is a good representation of her character. In my opinion, she has the most unique design, and also who I find to be the most interesting character.
If there is something that is a constant in most of the school genre anime it would be the school uniforms. I absolutely love the uniforms in School Days. The male uniform looks sharp and sophisticated. The female uniform is cute, I love the the ruffled blouse. Of course the color scheme of black, white, and gray, with the red ribbons for an accent color looks nice. I actually want to cosplay as Katsura, Sekai, or Setsuna just to wear the adorable uniform. Also, the maid outfits they wear in episodes eight and nine are super cute. If you have a large cosplay group that is mostly female, and you want to wear something cute, but also something that is not overdone, the uniform costumes of School Days would be a good choice.
As dramatic as this story can be, this show includes some decent humor. Episode five when they are at the pool has some funny moments, thanks to the supporting character Taisuke. Also Hikari, who is obviously in like with Taisuke, who notices everyone but her, fueling her frustration. I would watch a spin-off series that focuses on the two of them. Another good example of humor would be the episode of the school festival in which the three cafes: little sister, zombie, and maid, are battling for customers. I can't explain why it is funny, it's just something that has to be seen.
I have to say, considering the subject matter of this anime, what is shown is actually pretty tame. There is an ecchi moment here or there, but nothing explicit. Given that it has an R rating, and knowing what the story is about, I was nervous to watch, but I read that there was no graphic content of that nature on screen. I think that is a classy decision on the production company's part. In addition, holding back in that area adds more shock value to the ending.
This anime obviously has some flaws. I don't mean the ending, because depending on who you talk to, that person may love or hate it. But hang on, I'm going to save the discussion of the ending for last.
For one, I just don't see what is so special about Makoto. It's even mentioned that he's an average student, he's not a member of any clubs, he's a pervert, and there's nothing spectacular about his looks. Basically he's a less than average Joe, but for some reason every girl in the school is throwing herself at him. I can understand Katsura--who has fallen in love with him, Sekai--who has developed a crush on him due to time spent together, and even Otome--who has known and cared for him since junior high. However, I can't see the reason that all these other girls are interested, especially SPOILER!Hikari, who came as a huge shock for me. I'm assuming her frustration over Taisuke, but enough to sleep with her friend's supposed boyfriend? The same can be said for Setsuna. As much as she professes to love her best friend, and tells herself she's doing it for Sekai's benefit, it doesn't excuse the fact that she, herself was the reason Sekai was cheated on. END SPOILER! In all I don't see what is so appealing about Makoto to cause all these girls to fall for him.
On that same note, the character of Makoto is difficult to like. I felt empathy for him in the first half of the series. Even when he was battling with himself over which girl to be with, I could understand. He's a confused teenage boy--a time in life when emotions and hormones are all over the place. However, I find it unacceptable that he leads Katsura on for a good point of time. If he was finished with her, he should have ended it like Sekai suggested in the first place. That may have even avoided the ultimate ending. Also the fact that he SPOILER!kisses Setsuna in front of Katsura, and allows her to view that he doesn't love her before he actually breaks up with her is pretty low. END SPOILER!
I also wondered throughout this anime where all the parents and teachers were. The students were having sex on school grounds, and even after it was revealed in a shocking way, there never seemed to be a staff member intervening. All I could think about while the girls were watching that tape of the rest area is how the girl showing the video would possibly be expelled, and potentially arrested, which led me to wonder why there was no teacher present during that gathering. The parents were never around, nor did they care about the activities their children were involved in. Also, there seemed to be no police activity at the end of the twelfth episode. The absence of responsible adults (even though we know they exist since Sekai mentioned to Makoto that her mom was working late in one episode) ruins the realism of the story.
Now onto the moment you've all been waiting for: the ending. Just a reminder, I knew about the ending going into this anime. I actually prefer the ending to episode eleven. It's cleaner for one, and sort of a happy ending, well, except for one character. If you want a somewhat happy ending, you can just end the series with episode eleven and go about your day. If you want something crazier, continue on to episode twelve.
Warning. If you haven't seen this anime, and don't want it ruined for you, continue on to the conclusion.
SPOILER!
Then along comes episode twelve. The best way I can explain this episode is uncomfortable. The image of Makoto and Katsura passionately kissing in front of a horrified Sekai was harder for me to watch than the graphic violence. Again, Makoto is showing just how messed up he is by not accepting responsibility for his possible child growing inside Sekai, and more so willingly taunting her. What makes it even worse is that Katsura is joining in, showing how being with Makoto has tainted this once kind girl.
That bloody ending seemed to come out of nowhere. Then again, I haven't played the original game, so I'm not sure if that actually happens in the source material, but it felt out of place for me. It didn't seem to fit the personality of either of the girls. They are teenagers, and emotions run high for them, but I can't see that justifying murder. It's shown earlier how Makoto's absence caused Katsura to go a little insane, but not to the extent that we see in the last scene.
Since it is so dark and graphic compared to the rest of the story, it makes me wonder if this ending was done on purpose just so people would talk about it. After all, I only watched it because I heard it had an awful ending. If that is the case, then I would have to say that is a clever strategy on the creators' part.
I can't help but wonder how this could have ended differently had Makoto never sought after Katsura, and just allowed her to be a pretty face on a train. For one, two people would still be alive, but how many others would not have been affected by his insatiable lust? Sekai may have still ended up pregnant, but perhaps without other girls involved, Makoto might not have been such a jerk about it. It's just a thought I had there towards the end.
END SPOILER!
In conclusion, I found School Days to be an interesting watch. I'm glad that I have seen this anime, if just to say I've seen it. No, I don't think it deserves its horrible reputation (though I can't say the same for Makoto), but I won't deny it has its flaws, since it obviously does. I don't sympathize with the protagonist, but for the most part I like the two main females, and even they have their unlikable moments. The art is decent, and there is some good humor along with the heavy drama. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not for everyone. I would advise that no one under the age of sixteen, nor anyone with a weak stomach watch this series.
School Days: 6/10
Music: Anime openings
Beverage: Power-C Vitamin Water
1. "School Days" IMDb.com (April 19, 2015). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068993/
2. "School Days" MyAnimeList.net (April 19, 2015). http://myanimelist.net/anime/2476/School_Days
3. "School Days (Visual Novel)" Wikipedia.org. (April 19, 2015). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Days_%28visual_novel%29
Hello, everyone. It's time for a new review.
A few warnings for this review. 1) There are a few spoilers throughout. The more critical ones I will give a warning with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! with a strike through across the spoiled material. 2) The anime in question is intended for mature audiences (18+), some of which will be discussed in this blog.
I recently finished the nefarious, twelve episode anime School Days. I'll admit the only reason I even bothered watching is because I have seen and heard it listed as one of (if not the) worst anime ever made. I knew what was going to happen up to that infamous ending going into the first episode, but I wanted to witness for myself this show that has received so much hate.
Despite the fact that it has its reputation, I found it interesting that on IMDb, the user rating as of this day is a 6.9 (1), and on MyAnimeList it has a score of 6.38 (2).
In short, I don't think it's that bad, in fact I gave it a six on MyAnimeList. It's not the best anime by far, but I wouldn't consider it the worst; actually, I wouldn't even place it in my top thirteen worst anime list. Yes, the ending did come out of nowhere (which I will discuss in full towards the end of this review), but overall I did enjoy this series.
According to Wikipedia, School Days was originally a popular dating video game meant for an adult crowd (3). Later it was adapted into an anime, which is what I will be discussing here.
I'll begin with the opening. I thought it was clever how in the first and last episode there is no opening. There is simply the title card for School Days followed by a visual of glass shattering. It's ominous, yet intriguing. Not to mention I was impressed that there was no opening song/sequence. However, episode two includes the actual opening (which is used for episodes two through eleven). In my opinion, it is the most boring anime opening ever. The song is okay, but that's all there is to enjoy about it. There is nothing special about the visuals. It's pretty much a cliche anime opening, sometimes juxtaposing the two main girls together, other times having them do the same thing with the male lead, then quick edits of the other girls. Basically, it's nothing I haven't seen before. After the first viewing, I just skipped the opening in each episode.
The story follows a high school student named Makoto Itou, someone who is portrayed as being average for most of the series. The main character has an interest in Kotonoha Katsura, a pretty girl who rides the same train as him to school. A classmate named Sekai Saionji, who's assigned seat is next to Makoto's, takes an interest in his relationship blues, and vows to help him court Katsura. In a short amount of time Sekai falls in love with Makoto, but despite her own feelings, loves Makoto enough to aid him in getting what he wants. In short, the first third of School Days feels like a typical romance anime.
Sekai succeeds in setting up Makoto and Katsura, and the two latter start dating. Since Katsura is more reserved with the physical aspects of dating, Makoto eventually grows tired of her. Since Makoto feels more at ease with Sekai, he confesses that he would rather be with her, and has an affair with Sekai behind Katsura's back.
In the last third of the anime, Makoto is shown having intimate relationships with seven girls other than Katsura. Some of them deceive themselves into believing that Makoto actually has feelings for them, while others are merely interested in sex. Through it all, Katsura refuses to believe that Makoto would hurt her. That sets up for a good drama.
That brings me to the major subplot to this story that follows Kastura's relationship with her peers as she is trying to convince them (and herself) that Makoto is her boyfriend. Katsura's female classmates have a strong dislike for her, and are looking for reasons to torment her. The reason for their hatred is that Katsura has the largest chest in the class, and ultimately that she is pretty, which they view as a threat. While that may sound like a stupid reason to dislike someone, it's important to remember that these are high school girls. I'm not too knowledgeable about school and societal issues in other cultures, like Japan, but this is actually a pretty common thing in America. I can speak from the experience of someone who used to be a teenager, that in high school, girls tended to dislike the more beautiful and popular girls out of their own insecurities. In fact there were plenty of stupid reasons for teenage girls to hate their peers (looks, money, grades, who she had as a boyfriend, extracurricular activities, and other forms of jealousy). Like these real life situations, the girls in Katsura's class would rather humiliate and bully her than face their own issues.
The art style is standard. Most of the female characters look beautiful--I say look, because there are a few that have such nasty personalities (Otome's friends) that I find them hideous. Most of the characters have typical anime designs, a variety of hair styles and token personalities, but not much that stands out. The one exception, in my opinion, would be Setsuna. While she is small, her eyes can be intimidating, which I think is a good representation of her character. In my opinion, she has the most unique design, and also who I find to be the most interesting character.
If there is something that is a constant in most of the school genre anime it would be the school uniforms. I absolutely love the uniforms in School Days. The male uniform looks sharp and sophisticated. The female uniform is cute, I love the the ruffled blouse. Of course the color scheme of black, white, and gray, with the red ribbons for an accent color looks nice. I actually want to cosplay as Katsura, Sekai, or Setsuna just to wear the adorable uniform. Also, the maid outfits they wear in episodes eight and nine are super cute. If you have a large cosplay group that is mostly female, and you want to wear something cute, but also something that is not overdone, the uniform costumes of School Days would be a good choice.
As dramatic as this story can be, this show includes some decent humor. Episode five when they are at the pool has some funny moments, thanks to the supporting character Taisuke. Also Hikari, who is obviously in like with Taisuke, who notices everyone but her, fueling her frustration. I would watch a spin-off series that focuses on the two of them. Another good example of humor would be the episode of the school festival in which the three cafes: little sister, zombie, and maid, are battling for customers. I can't explain why it is funny, it's just something that has to be seen.
I have to say, considering the subject matter of this anime, what is shown is actually pretty tame. There is an ecchi moment here or there, but nothing explicit. Given that it has an R rating, and knowing what the story is about, I was nervous to watch, but I read that there was no graphic content of that nature on screen. I think that is a classy decision on the production company's part. In addition, holding back in that area adds more shock value to the ending.
This anime obviously has some flaws. I don't mean the ending, because depending on who you talk to, that person may love or hate it. But hang on, I'm going to save the discussion of the ending for last.
For one, I just don't see what is so special about Makoto. It's even mentioned that he's an average student, he's not a member of any clubs, he's a pervert, and there's nothing spectacular about his looks. Basically he's a less than average Joe, but for some reason every girl in the school is throwing herself at him. I can understand Katsura--who has fallen in love with him, Sekai--who has developed a crush on him due to time spent together, and even Otome--who has known and cared for him since junior high. However, I can't see the reason that all these other girls are interested, especially SPOILER!
On that same note, the character of Makoto is difficult to like. I felt empathy for him in the first half of the series. Even when he was battling with himself over which girl to be with, I could understand. He's a confused teenage boy--a time in life when emotions and hormones are all over the place. However, I find it unacceptable that he leads Katsura on for a good point of time. If he was finished with her, he should have ended it like Sekai suggested in the first place. That may have even avoided the ultimate ending. Also the fact that he SPOILER!
I also wondered throughout this anime where all the parents and teachers were. The students were having sex on school grounds, and even after it was revealed in a shocking way, there never seemed to be a staff member intervening. All I could think about while the girls were watching that tape of the rest area is how the girl showing the video would possibly be expelled, and potentially arrested, which led me to wonder why there was no teacher present during that gathering. The parents were never around, nor did they care about the activities their children were involved in. Also, there seemed to be no police activity at the end of the twelfth episode. The absence of responsible adults (even though we know they exist since Sekai mentioned to Makoto that her mom was working late in one episode) ruins the realism of the story.
Now onto the moment you've all been waiting for: the ending. Just a reminder, I knew about the ending going into this anime. I actually prefer the ending to episode eleven. It's cleaner for one, and sort of a happy ending, well, except for one character. If you want a somewhat happy ending, you can just end the series with episode eleven and go about your day. If you want something crazier, continue on to episode twelve.
Warning. If you haven't seen this anime, and don't want it ruined for you, continue on to the conclusion.
SPOILER!
END SPOILER!
In conclusion, I found School Days to be an interesting watch. I'm glad that I have seen this anime, if just to say I've seen it. No, I don't think it deserves its horrible reputation (though I can't say the same for Makoto), but I won't deny it has its flaws, since it obviously does. I don't sympathize with the protagonist, but for the most part I like the two main females, and even they have their unlikable moments. The art is decent, and there is some good humor along with the heavy drama. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not for everyone. I would advise that no one under the age of sixteen, nor anyone with a weak stomach watch this series.
School Days: 6/10
Music: Anime openings
Beverage: Power-C Vitamin Water
1. "School Days" IMDb.com (April 19, 2015). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068993/
2. "School Days" MyAnimeList.net (April 19, 2015). http://myanimelist.net/anime/2476/School_Days
3. "School Days (Visual Novel)" Wikipedia.org. (April 19, 2015). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Days_%28visual_novel%29
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Review of Amnesia (2013)
Review of Amnesia (2013)
Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review! There are a few spoilers which will be warned with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! There will be a strike through across the spoiled content.
I recently finished watching a short anime series called Amnesia. In all I think it is good. I think it is wrongfully labeled as a reverse harem, and while there are lots of guys that are in a relationship with the main character, that's only a small part of the story, and it is only one at a time. There is no doubt that this series would classify as a romance, but there is much more to it than that. I feel it is fair to consider this one more of a mystery, as the audience finds out information at the same time as Heroine. I made some predictions, and sometimes they turned out to be true(as with what Toma was doing to Heroine in episode nine), but for the most part I only knew what was gradually presented, making it a more intriguing mystery than having too much given early on.
From what I researched, this anime is based on a dating video game marketed for a female audience. (1) The main character has no name and is referred to as [The] Heroine. I actually didn't even catch that until episode six when I thought, "I know all the guy's names, and the names of some of the supporting characters, but I can't remember what the main character is named." As it turned out, she doesn't have one, and she is never called by name in the English dub. (I only watched this series in English, so I don't know if she is referred to as Heroine, or something else in the original audio.) Heroine doesn't seem to have much of a personality in the anime, other than what the other characters mention about who they know the past her to be. I think this can be attributed to two things. 1) She has no memories, so I'm assuming that might have an affect on her behavior and mannerisms. 2) Since this is based on a dating game, perhaps Heroine is a chance for female viewers to use her as a self-insert into this world.
The story follows Heroine having lost all of her memories thanks to a spirit named Orion who accidentally caused her amnesia when he entered her world. Together they try to piece together what was lost while Heroine attempts to live her life as normal. Not knowing who to trust, she has to rely on clues given by the other characters. Each time she "dies" in one of the worlds, she is transported to start over on August 1 in a parallel universe, in which her life is similar, but somewhat different. For instance, in each version of the world, Heroine works at a maid cafe, but her co-workers are liable to change, and more importantly, so has her current boyfriend.
Over the coarse of the story, Heroine is shown to have romantic relationships with five different guys depending on the world. Each guy has his own unique personality (which I'm assuming is based on the potential dates in the original game). First up there is Shin, who is the bad boy with a good heart. Secondly, Ikki--the man who all the girls like, who, in addition to being handsome, is shown to be kind, and a good co-worker. Thirdly, there is Kent, a math genius, who looks at things from a logical viewpoint (similar to Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory). The fourth choice is Toma, who seems to be the normal, nice guy, who Heroine has known since childhood. And lastly, there is Ukyo, who is the mysterious one. Heroine's relationship with each of these guys: whether romantic, friendship, colleagues, or total strangers differs in each universe.
I think that the fact that there are five guys interested in the main character is the reason this anime is considered a reverse harem, but I disagree. For one, she is only allotted one boyfriend at a time depending on the world she is in SPOILER!: However, that can be debated in the Toma arc, as it is never specified if he truly was her boyfriend from the beginning in that one. END SPOILER!. Also, I feel that this series fits more along the lines of a mystery or a drama. There are some good twists in here. For instance, the middle of episode nine surprised me (and also made me dislike that character). Episodes eleven and twelve are full of suspense and drama.
In each world Heroine is trying to regain her memories. Since certain memories pertain to a single world, Heroine sometimes is confused by what happened in a previous world, and what has yet to happen in another. I think what makes it a good mystery is the fact that the viewer him/herself isn't even sure what to think. The audience is piecing together the clues as Heroine and Orion figures them out. A few of the characters catch on to the fact that Heroine has lost her memories, as they notice her acting different from usual, or she falsely remembers something that never happened in that world. Since Heroine has no basis on what to go on in each new world, the risk of her remembering something wrong puts her in danger a few times.
Some parts do seem rushed, such as Kent's arc. I feel he didn't get as much time as the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Ukyo's relationship with Heroine, especially given what he said when he introduced himself to her. Perhaps if two extra episodes were given, particularly for Ukyo, his confession in episode twelve would have had more of an impact.
Something I really like about this anime that I feel the need to mention is that it doesn't take place in high school. That's not something that can be said about most romance anime. The characters attend a university, and even then very little time is spent in a school setting. The majority of the plot happens at Heroine's workplace, in one of the characters' homes, or in one of the marvelous outdoor settings.
The art of this anime is beautiful. Of course the characters are all stunning. The main five guys are obviously intended to be attractive since this is a game for females, but even the minor characters (Waka, Mine, Sawa, etc) are pretty. The use of color in this anime is fantastic. For one, each of the guys have their specific color. I especially love the costumes. Heroine's rose motif is lovely along with the pretty argyle stockings. I like that four of the main guys' costumes are based off playing card suits. The cafe uniforms--both male and female versions--are adorable.
The settings. Wow. Even if some of these worlds are only temporary, the animators take advantage of using such beautiful settings. There are some gorgeous, spacious landscapes, especially of the sky. Screenshots of the landscapes alone are something worth looking at. Even the locations, such as the cafe, is ornate, and, as is its theme, enchanting. The park the characters visit, the location of their retreat, the shrine in the eleventh episode--magnificent details.
As mentioned earlier, I watched the English dub of this series. I think the dub is pretty good. I love the actress selected to play Mine, as her voice is as adorable as her personality. Other good voice acting choices include: Ikki, Kent, Shin, and Waka. Heroine seems like a difficult character to play, as there is so little to go off of with her, so with that in mind, the actress did pretty good.
I think the ending to this anime is brilliant. It works well for the story, and fits with its original source material. Some people may not like the choice that this anime made for its ending, but I find it satisfying, and in a way it's something that everyone can be happy with. SPOILER!:As the audience gets to choose who Heroine ends up with, it fits well with the choices that can be made in the game, Some may not like a vague ending, but I think it's the best decision for an anime that includes many different worlds and outcomes. END SPOILER!
In all I found this anime to be original and enjoyable. I think it is a good mystery in which the romance is a secondary trait. It can be confusing at times, and I would agree that maybe twelve episodes was too little time for the plot to expand as much as it could have. The art is beautiful in all aspects: characters, settings, and animation. It's not for everyone, but I would recommend it.
Amnesia: 9/10
Music: Blackmore's Night
Beverage: Mio Berry Acai
1. "Amnesia (visual novel)" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (April 4, 2015). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia_%28visual_novel%29
Hey, everyone, it's time for a new review! There are a few spoilers which will be warned with SPOILER! and END SPOILER! There will be a strike through across the spoiled content.
I recently finished watching a short anime series called Amnesia. In all I think it is good. I think it is wrongfully labeled as a reverse harem, and while there are lots of guys that are in a relationship with the main character, that's only a small part of the story, and it is only one at a time. There is no doubt that this series would classify as a romance, but there is much more to it than that. I feel it is fair to consider this one more of a mystery, as the audience finds out information at the same time as Heroine. I made some predictions, and sometimes they turned out to be true(as with what Toma was doing to Heroine in episode nine), but for the most part I only knew what was gradually presented, making it a more intriguing mystery than having too much given early on.
From what I researched, this anime is based on a dating video game marketed for a female audience. (1) The main character has no name and is referred to as [The] Heroine. I actually didn't even catch that until episode six when I thought, "I know all the guy's names, and the names of some of the supporting characters, but I can't remember what the main character is named." As it turned out, she doesn't have one, and she is never called by name in the English dub. (I only watched this series in English, so I don't know if she is referred to as Heroine, or something else in the original audio.) Heroine doesn't seem to have much of a personality in the anime, other than what the other characters mention about who they know the past her to be. I think this can be attributed to two things. 1) She has no memories, so I'm assuming that might have an affect on her behavior and mannerisms. 2) Since this is based on a dating game, perhaps Heroine is a chance for female viewers to use her as a self-insert into this world.
The story follows Heroine having lost all of her memories thanks to a spirit named Orion who accidentally caused her amnesia when he entered her world. Together they try to piece together what was lost while Heroine attempts to live her life as normal. Not knowing who to trust, she has to rely on clues given by the other characters. Each time she "dies" in one of the worlds, she is transported to start over on August 1 in a parallel universe, in which her life is similar, but somewhat different. For instance, in each version of the world, Heroine works at a maid cafe, but her co-workers are liable to change, and more importantly, so has her current boyfriend.
Over the coarse of the story, Heroine is shown to have romantic relationships with five different guys depending on the world. Each guy has his own unique personality (which I'm assuming is based on the potential dates in the original game). First up there is Shin, who is the bad boy with a good heart. Secondly, Ikki--the man who all the girls like, who, in addition to being handsome, is shown to be kind, and a good co-worker. Thirdly, there is Kent, a math genius, who looks at things from a logical viewpoint (similar to Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory). The fourth choice is Toma, who seems to be the normal, nice guy, who Heroine has known since childhood. And lastly, there is Ukyo, who is the mysterious one. Heroine's relationship with each of these guys: whether romantic, friendship, colleagues, or total strangers differs in each universe.
I think that the fact that there are five guys interested in the main character is the reason this anime is considered a reverse harem, but I disagree. For one, she is only allotted one boyfriend at a time depending on the world she is in SPOILER!:
In each world Heroine is trying to regain her memories. Since certain memories pertain to a single world, Heroine sometimes is confused by what happened in a previous world, and what has yet to happen in another. I think what makes it a good mystery is the fact that the viewer him/herself isn't even sure what to think. The audience is piecing together the clues as Heroine and Orion figures them out. A few of the characters catch on to the fact that Heroine has lost her memories, as they notice her acting different from usual, or she falsely remembers something that never happened in that world. Since Heroine has no basis on what to go on in each new world, the risk of her remembering something wrong puts her in danger a few times.
Some parts do seem rushed, such as Kent's arc. I feel he didn't get as much time as the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Ukyo's relationship with Heroine, especially given what he said when he introduced himself to her. Perhaps if two extra episodes were given, particularly for Ukyo, his confession in episode twelve would have had more of an impact.
Something I really like about this anime that I feel the need to mention is that it doesn't take place in high school. That's not something that can be said about most romance anime. The characters attend a university, and even then very little time is spent in a school setting. The majority of the plot happens at Heroine's workplace, in one of the characters' homes, or in one of the marvelous outdoor settings.
The art of this anime is beautiful. Of course the characters are all stunning. The main five guys are obviously intended to be attractive since this is a game for females, but even the minor characters (Waka, Mine, Sawa, etc) are pretty. The use of color in this anime is fantastic. For one, each of the guys have their specific color. I especially love the costumes. Heroine's rose motif is lovely along with the pretty argyle stockings. I like that four of the main guys' costumes are based off playing card suits. The cafe uniforms--both male and female versions--are adorable.
The settings. Wow. Even if some of these worlds are only temporary, the animators take advantage of using such beautiful settings. There are some gorgeous, spacious landscapes, especially of the sky. Screenshots of the landscapes alone are something worth looking at. Even the locations, such as the cafe, is ornate, and, as is its theme, enchanting. The park the characters visit, the location of their retreat, the shrine in the eleventh episode--magnificent details.
As mentioned earlier, I watched the English dub of this series. I think the dub is pretty good. I love the actress selected to play Mine, as her voice is as adorable as her personality. Other good voice acting choices include: Ikki, Kent, Shin, and Waka. Heroine seems like a difficult character to play, as there is so little to go off of with her, so with that in mind, the actress did pretty good.
I think the ending to this anime is brilliant. It works well for the story, and fits with its original source material. Some people may not like the choice that this anime made for its ending, but I find it satisfying, and in a way it's something that everyone can be happy with. SPOILER!:
In all I found this anime to be original and enjoyable. I think it is a good mystery in which the romance is a secondary trait. It can be confusing at times, and I would agree that maybe twelve episodes was too little time for the plot to expand as much as it could have. The art is beautiful in all aspects: characters, settings, and animation. It's not for everyone, but I would recommend it.
Amnesia: 9/10
Music: Blackmore's Night
Beverage: Mio Berry Acai
1. "Amnesia (visual novel)" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (April 4, 2015). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia_%28visual_novel%29
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