[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Dennou Coil 16-18
I’ve come to realise that I can’t properly concentrate on the current season until I’ve seen Dennou Coil through to the end. After a jovial and fragmented middle section (I can’t bring myself to call it filler when it was so entertaining) the story eases back into its stride and effortlessly ventures into darker territory, posing as many tantalising questions as it answers. Fantastic stuff.
There’s still much to enjoy in terms of humour (Re: Mega-ba getting into trouble at the hospital for trying to cook pike in a side ward!) but it’s turned its attention back to the mystery surrounding Haraken’s investigation into Kanna’s death. By the standards of a kids’ show this is pretty scary stuff, dealing as it does with the possibility of people’s cyber bodies and souls being trapped on the ‘other side’, wherever that may be. On one hand this is all dismissed as just another urban legend and humoured by the sensationalist media; at the same time it threatens Haraken’s safety so is quite clearly (at least to us and the kids) a very real threat indeed. Considering Haraken’s supposed clean bill of health, Dennou Coil is expertly blurring the line between the reality of adults and the frightening view through the Dennou glasses: are the grown-ups really missing something serious here?
It’s been a while (too darned long in my opinion) since I last found the time to catch up with Coil, so I’m falling in love with its unique atmosphere and mythology all over again. What youngsters’ TV is so often missing these days - and I count anime in with this too - is the meticulously observed and expertly handled characterisation that allows the viewer to connect with their feelings, adding a sense of realism whose significance is all too often underestimated. That recurring theme of communication (or lack of) between friends - those who should be closest of all - rears its head once again; there’s a stunning scene featuring Haraken and Yasako (above) which highlights the ability of friends to share some secrets but also conceal certain things to protect one another. The great thing is, even though this is a kids’ show the pain, misunderstandings and tension are so palpable and genuine that viewers of any age can relate to them. It’s actually a good thing that the cast are of the age they are in a way because their emotions have a purity that would be complicated by romantic tension that comes with adolescence. There are the beginnings of affection there of course (as in that awesome festival episode earlier on in the series) but the dynamic between, say, Yasako and Haraken, has a certain simplicity to it and ironically these scenes have greater impact because of this.
When things pick up in pace though, they don’t do it by halves: the more action-packed scenes, such as no fewer than five Sattchis trying to locate Isako and her hacker subordinates in a pivotal moment involving the capture of an Illegal, are the stuff that a production with a feature film budget would be proud of. As in the more emotionally-charged segments, this series is able to push all the right buttons in wringing out the reaction from the viewer, in this case that elusive edge-of-your-seat feeling. It then shifts effortlessly into a tense atmosphere of foreboding towards the end, with ghostlike illegals and eerie mist. Bonus points for a major cliffhanger at the end of ep#18 too!
Story-wise the pieces are beginning to fall into place now and even though some are a little obvious it’s a rewarding experience to see questions thrown up and enough being left unanswered too keep the continuity moving along. Now that Isako’s motives are pretty much obvious we can begin to genuinely understand her driven personality, which obviously makes her easier to relate to but also makes her seem more fragile. There’s another moment between her and Yasako, with a rainstorm as a backdrop, which is as eloquent as it is awkward; as so often happens, I’m simultaneously wondering how this story could be resolved, but looking towards that very prospect with reluctance because I don’t really want it to end.
Posted on November 8th, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
” What youngsters’ TV is so often missing these days - and I count anime in with this too - is the meticulously observed and expertly handled characterisation that allows the viewer to connect with their feelings, adding a sense of realism whose significance is all too often underestimated.”
Someone just told me that a couple of days ago,i so wanted to show them dennou coil and another anime you bloged (at least i think so) “the girl who leapt through time”,couldn’t though,doesn’t speak english.
This is all nothing compared to episode 19-21
Posted on November 8th, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
@totoum: I haven’t blogged The Girl Who Leapt Through Time yet, although I will soon (it’s sitting on my hard drive in the Great Backlog Queue). I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with DC though, especially with the way #18 ended. I get the feeling it’s going to become utterly fantastic in the final stretch!