The End of the World

[Categories: Anime Reviews]

Dennou Coil 22-24

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Dennou Coil]

I’m finding it increasingly hard to review this series - the jargon and double crosses are piling up and I’m resisting the urge to cop out and sum it up in fanboyish raves peppered with superlatives. What other series paints such a rich and immersive world in seemingly simplistic watercolour? Or presents a conspiracy, the possible cover-up of a fatal experiment and a dangerous new technology in a fashion that is accessible to all ages? How will I even put off seeing it through to the end in order to wake in time for work tomorrow morning??

If we take off the metaphorical dennou glasses and view this purely as a real-life drama piece, it would still be miles ahead of pretty much everything on offer this year; add the mechinations of Megamass, the Coil phenomenon and the shadow of Michiko claiming the lives of the unwary and the end result is a show so extraordinary it goes beyond the realms of ‘a great anime series’ and can stand alongside the classics as an example of how good kids’ TV can be…if I could actually think of a similar series that does everything Dennou Coil does in the same way. Oh yeah, these particular eps also feature Densuke being awesome. Again.

Looking at the characterisation first, which I guess is the proper way of going about such things, it highlights the way in which the children’s experiences are shaping how their feelings and perspectives change and mature. After seeing Isako’s psyche being torn down so painfully, we see her outwardly crying like a child…I actually had to remind myself, “wait a minute, she actually IS a child…” because an outpouring of emotion was up until this point so out-of-character for her. Thanks to Yasako’s kindly nature, there appears to be a genuine bond between them that may or may not go the distance - I really hope it does because this is apparently the closest Isako’s ever had to a genuine friend. There are several moments where Yasako references back to the early episodes and their first meetings, which hammered home for me just how far the kids, and the show as a whole, have come.

The central messages of the series are now clearer than ever: the aftermath of Densuke’s heroic fight back against the Null Illegals (I’ll say it again: that dog’s only a Dennou pet but he is pure awesomeness) brings up the issue centred around choosing real feelings over those of the Dennou world. Yasako’s reaction to losing Densuke led her to question if, just because the loss wasn’t real in the physical sense, are the feelings of loss real? It is after all, loss of mere data; the emotions and memories that go with it are however as real as anything we can see or touch.

Another pervading theme, brought sharply to light by Isako’s (hopefully not) final exchange, is that of friendship and its overwhelming importance in any situation. As the scenes at school after the glasses’ confiscation showed, kids are adaptable so Daiichi’s 1337 martial arts skillz are just one example of how they rekindle old allegiances and hierarchies in their social circle, even after their main source of fun and amusement is taken away. Because, after all, the Circle of Children is fundamentally about friendship and that old adage of how we are all separated by a distance between one another that may take a lifetime to bridge. It’s a well-worn message but a universal one, and Dennou Coil portrays it more eloquently than many others. The episode #25 preview seems to show Isako alive too, if only on the Other Side for now, so I really hope there’s a reconciliation for the two Yuuko’s before the end; I’d hate to see either of them have to make a Lain-esque sacrifice, even if it’s for the sake of the others.

The business regarding the Coil Space, Megamass and Yasako’s late grandfather left me tied up in knots actually (late night viewing is always less than ideal…I might give it a rewatch on the train tomorrow) but I did get the impression that it’s one big cover-up and those behind it all even know how to get Isako to play into their hands. Is her brother still alive? I hope for that too. In fact I’m hoping for a happy ending all round, in which nobody has to lose their soul to a virtual world and all have the opportunity to walk that narrow, winding and sometimes lonely path to the future. I don’t know why, but I have a distinct feeling that even if the final episodes do something unexpected, they won’t be disappointing. My only justification for believing this is that a series that’s been so solid and consistent in quality, and have so much careful thought behind it, cannot possibly fail us now.

[Filed under Anime Reviews]  [Tags: Dennou Coil]

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