| Extremely Disappointing |
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| written by Daedalus |
August 13, 2004 - 5:18 PM PDT |
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4 out of 8 members found this review helpful
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| After reading the two reveiws of Now and Then, Here and There, I was expecting a well animated, well thought out, well planned commentary on the effects of war and violence on the world around us. Instead, I got a movie with boring animation (The main character's head looks startlingly like a baked potato, and with the exception of the robots, the fighting is un-inspiring and un-original) , in which I was unable to identify with any of the charaters beacause most of their actions, make little if any sense in the real world. I prefer animes where we can relate to the characters because they react like real people, not ones in which people randomly decide to risk their lives again, and again, and again, because the heroin is a stereotypical anime girl, with opalescent eyes. I can't believe thst this anime got 7 out of 10; come on people, where is your desire for quality? |
| Horrifying alternate reality where commonplace brutality has devalued human life |
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| written by hneline1 |
January 27, 2003 - 9:33 PM PST |
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9 out of 11 members found this review helpful
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Unlike other shows where violence is used as entertainment (Biohunter, Hellsing, Ninja Scroll, The Terminator, etc.), Now and Then, Here and There uses violence to convey a strong message against war and human degradation. Director Akitarou Daichi (Fruits Basket, Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl, Kodomo no Omocha) could have made this into yet another "boy-goes-into-an-alternate-world-and-has-a-fun-adventure" story, but instead he creates a horrifying alternate reality where survival is not guaranteed and commonplace brutality has devalued human life. Our hero, Shu, is an appropriate guide because he refuses to kill, although he is quite capable of fighting when attacked -- wouldn't the rest of us normal people refuse to kill too, simply because we retain our humanity?
I'm impressed with the storytelling, the dialogue, and the complexity of the various characters -- Hamdo the mad king, Abelia the king's harsh right-hand woman, Nabuca the stern young squad captain who fights in the army solely so that he can go back home when the war is over. Some of the imagery is breathtaking, such as Lala Ru and Shu sitting on the industrial smokestacks against the golden sunset in Shu's home world, and then Shu staring at the bloated blood red sunset over a devastated landscape after being transported. Much of the implied brutality is disturbing, such as the mad king ordering a weapon to be used that destroys many of his own soldiers and what happens to Sara when she is taken to those dark rooms.
This is a well-told tale with a message, and I look forward to seeing how the story progresses. Just be warned, this is indeed a dark series with violence, death and hints of rape in this first disk. |
| Powerful and unforgettable |
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| written by PGraydon |
January 20, 2003 - 2:11 PM PST |
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10 out of 13 members found this review helpful
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| This series is incredible, both for the strength of its message and its brutal treatment of warfare and violence. In watching this I was reminded at once of Lord of the Flies, Grave of the Fireflies, Jin-Roh, and the more serious parts of El-Hazard. All three discs are part of one continuous story, so you will rent discs 2 and 3 to find out how it all turns out. The violence in this series makes it unsuited for children, and be warned that if you use the first disc to judge the content of the series the violence gets more graphic as the series progresses. This is animation that draws us in and demands that we remember the worst parts of our past so that they will never be repeated. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. |
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