[Anime Reviews]
15 Jul 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: This Ugly Yet Beautiful World]
*Screencaps to follow*
And so, we reach the end of what could possibly be my first Gainax disappointment. To be fair, the ending isn't half bad in that it provides closure and answers the main questions posed during the course of the series. Other than that my criticisms for the series as a whole still stand, but at least I can point the finger of blame at someone.
Sorry Saeki-san, I'm placing the responsibility of 'what went wrong' largely on your shoulders. I know the production involved a number of people but apart from the contributions from old Gainax veteran Hiroyuki Yamaga (you sir should know better), Saeki was in charge of the overall concept and execution - his relative inexperience really shows, which I think is what let it down in the end. Even in the interview in the DVD extras, he highlighted how challenging the project was to direct, which goes a long way to explaining why it seemed so directionless and muddled; sadly there was no time for him to explain the excessive fanservice but it's a recurring issue I have with anime in general and isn't something that'll go away any time soon.
The underlying themes and overall concept of TUYBW are actually pretty good, however. We can only imagine how great it could have been had Yamaga or (dare I say it) Anno been at the helm, but you can't take away the fact that its aims and central messages were thought-provoking and quite clever. I'm not sure whether halting the next wave of evolution is such a good thing since it's an integral part of life on Earth: Hikari defers the extinction of humans through her own will, but what about those red butterflies that would have gone on to create the new life forms? Do they not deserve a shot at living on our planet, even if it is at the cost of our existence? It's all very well saying that Takeru and his friends averted destruction of the human race, but I suspect that mass extinctions are thought of as A Bad Thing because we view them from our own perspective, as a species that's at risk. As Pearl Jam said, that's evolution baby.
I don't know whether the series intended to portray the ending as a 'happy' one per se, or whether it was impartially showing one species that decided to stop the Goddess of Destruction wiping them out. Another interesting aspect of the show is how this is placed side-by-side with the emotional effects, and how the two threads change the course of one another. What does happen when an all-powerful force of nature is given a human heart?
On another level, the series explores the more well-trodden paths of romance and family but as far as that's concerned the writers of TUYBW are trying to be a poor fan's Hideaki Anno because such themes have been tackled within Gainax's back catalogue (and other places too), and in my view done better. The whole issue of Takeru's mother leaving him never really grabbed me as much as it should, and the issue of Ryo's and Kimi's parents still being alive and well came across as an afterthought thrown in at the last minute.
Summary
Although it has some fascinating underlying themes and sets up an interesting range of character interactions, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is let down by distracting fan service and a lack of confidence in the direction. In terms of art work and character designs (the latter are a cosplayer's heaven) it can't be faulted but for a show that's supposed to be a Twentieth Anniversary piece, it's a disppointingly average experience that's lacking in one or two crucial aspects.
[4 Comments]
[Anime Reviews]
08 Jul 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: This Ugly Yet Beautiful World]
This is a show that I wanted to like. Unfortunately it's turning out to be a Gainax-by-numbers of sorts, not least because its production was pretty much a Mahoromatic staff reunion - this alone makes it an odd viewing experience at times because you have to remind yourself that it's a separate series. As Hikari and Akari experience the joys of life on Earth, the relationship between Hikari and Takeru starts to develop further and a new character, in the form of a mecha named Ionios, appears. There's an especially interesting scene towards the end too, which gives hints to the background and finally justifies the infuriating Jennifer's place in it all.
I could write these episodes off simply as "they didn't really click with me" but it would be more informative to explain in detail exactly why
TUYBW isn't working as a whole. The truth is, the concepts and situations are so formulaic that this could be a parody of the sci-fi romance genre - except that this is very much a sci-fi romance. The humour comes from the situations and fanservice, which unfortunately didn't really make me laugh much. Even the nudity doesn't feel necessary any more - it's pure fan service for fan service's sake, which bored me after a while.
If Hikari hides a darker side, is Akari the inverse of her 'evil twin'? Ot perhaps they are two halves of the same entity? There's plenty of food for thought there, at least. Strangely the relationship between the two of them had my attention more than those of the other characters, although I've been wishing good fortune on Mari all along; fully aware that it's all been done before, I still have a passing interest in the relationships between the cast members and the things that happen to them. Since this is supposed to be an apocalyptic and dramatic series, I can only assume that the trivial and everyday events will take on much greater significance in the final episodes so for this reason alone I tried to make mental notes of the dialogue that flowed between them as best I could.
All this is frustrating because I can sort-of see how this series could be truly great - or at least, better than
Mahoromatic was. It has some great moments of character interaction too, which will deliver some heart-rending emotional clout - sadly I'm losing faith in the possibility that they will be used in this way. We're two thirds of the way through the series already, yet the story is still stuck in 'hot springs episode' mode. Unless we're treated to an extra-special and un-Gainax style ending, this could prove to be a disappointment with only appealing character designs and high production values to remember it by.
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[Anime Reviews]
15 Apr 2007
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gainax, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World]
Okay, I bought this DVD because I'm a GAINAX nut. Normally this sort of show would scarcely catch my interest but I have some sort of blind faith that it's going to take a formulaic premise to places it's never been before...because that's what GAINAX do. For TUYBW I hope to hell that this is what's going to happen. There are a few signs that it will turn things on their heads in a big way, although it's not yet obvious; for now, the fanservice is cranked up into the stratosphere and it's the ecchi-flavoured saccharine stuff that I normally sit through with gritted teeth. On the other hand, there are dark undercurrents that bubble to the surface on occasion, so the show has potential in my eyes.
The premise really is thoroughly formulaic. A teenage boy sees a falling star that takes the form a beautiful (naked) girl who coincidentally is the picture of his ideal woman. After somehow acquiring momentary super powers (that are not seen for the remainder of the volume, I might add) he rescues her from a vicious monster and she ends up living in his house...with predictable results. That's pretty brief I know, but it's very difficult to discern what's significant and what's part of the normal run of things. Being part of the studio's 20th Anniversary (along with
Gunbuster 2), it's visually impressive at least - the colours are bright and vibrant, and the animation quality is pretty good too.
The show shares a lot of the production staff with
Mahoromatic, another sci-fi romance that hid a darker streak amongst the fanservice and the fluff. That series was surprisingly enjoyable, and I have similar hopes for
TUYBW; it also shares
Mahoromatic's high quota of fan service - there are plenty of breast shots and the like here but it's (mostly) in context. You see a girl half-naked but that's because she's just fallen to Earth or is taking a shower: the nudity isn't exactly essential for the story but it doesn't feel forced either. There are one or two moments of excess, mind - the show could do without the character of Jennifer Portman altogether - but overall it comes across as GAINAX twisting the tried and tested again. Let's face it, what other studio has this much practice with the fanservice genre anyway?
That said, my moe tolerance levels are very low so the characterisation is going to be the main thing that will keep me following the series. Takeru is an engaging lead and it's novel having but not one but two 'mysterious' girls turning up, in the form of Hikari and Akari; the dynamics between the members of the cast are impressive considering how we are introduced to a relatively large number of them very quickly. The character designer allegedly worked hard to pull off the feat of making them individual and interesting while keeping to the 'cute' template and I have to say it shows; I'm still not convinced that they need to fit this 'cutesy' archetype but that's the course the writers have decided on so I'll just have to live with it.
There are some inconsistencies or rather moments that feel out-of-place, though. The initial meeting between Ryou and Akari for instance feels like it was thrown in a bit suddenly, and everyone seems quick to accept that Hikari is an entity from outer space; this all feels like sloppy plotting but it could just as easily be the first signs of something very unusual going on.
Summary
The first episodes of
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World show much promise, provided the sugary and moe-laden aesthetic doesn't put you off first. There are hints of darker and angstier times ahead though, so I suspect it's going to live up to its title and deliver a satisfyingly hard-hitting tale as the series progresses. At least, I hope so.
[4 Comments]
