Now & Then, Here & There; Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku

Last minute thing before I crash. Here's a review I wrote not too long ago for Anime Obsession on Now & Then, Here & There:

Wow, where to begin? This underappreciated series is one every anime fan should at least try once. Anything I type here would not portray how much I love this series and how much of an emotional impact it has on it’s viewers, so I’ll jump right into the meat of this review.

Plot
Our story begins with our main character Shu on a walk home from Kendo class. He spots a girl sitting atop one of towns smoke stacks and climbs up one beside her to great her. She tells him her name is Lala Ru, a being from another world, and before she can go further they are both attacked by a woman and countless robots. They both then get whisked away to an alternate universe. Now, before I go further, the first episode is what it sounds like. Cliché, I know. But let me tell you it gets much better.

This new world they end up in is ruled by a vicious dictator known only as King Hamdo. This man is ruthless in his methods, willing to enlist children as soldiers, and torture and/or kill anyone who stands in his way. He wants Lala Ru captured because she has a pendant that withholds an entire reservoir of water, something Heliwood (the land/aircraft they live in) is severely lacking. In a twisted turn of events, Lala Ru’s pendant ends up disappearing and Shu becomes enlisted in Hamdo’s child army. There he meets Nabuca, a conflicted soldier who is willing to do anything to go back home. He cares for a little boy around the age of 5 named Boo, and used to be friends with a disturbed boy named Tabul, who favors Hamdo’s methods.
At some points the plot does tend to drag, though the finale manages to deliver the emotional punch to the gut that, frankly, left me depressed for a week after. This series is one that builds the emotion bit by bit, until the very end, where all hell manages to break loose. By the end of this series I could barely keep track of how many main and side characters had died. And since I have to mention this somewhere: This show is not for the impressionable, young, or easily depressed. Believe me on this one. There is implied rape, attempted on-screen rape, violence, torture, violence and torture against children, slight nudity, and overall dark, mature themes. All of these themes of course, are portrayed in a negative light, though it does not make them any less shocking.

Animation
Simplistic art is sometimes the best, and this show is a perfect example of this. Done in 1999, this show makes use of absolutely gorgeous backgrounds, including sunsets, sunrises, desert and rocky cliffs, that put some backgrounds of today to shame. Many of the characters have simple designs, which lend to very fluid animation. In a few instances the characters seem off model, but these are far and few in-between. Also, the simple model design lends more detail to the face and facial expressions, which to help make a scene in this series.

Music
Both the ending and opening themes are memorable. The opening, which carries the same name as the series, has no lyrics, yet is an enjoyable tune, though it doesn’t lend itself to a re-listen more than 3 times. This of course though, depends on your personal taste. The ending theme is a soft, soothing lullaby that is probably meant to calm the viewer after the many horrific scenes this series includes. This one includes lyrics. The background music though, is forgettable. This series, on the other hand, does make good use of silence, not overwhelming a scene with robust music.

Voice Acting
I watched this show subbed, mostly because I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me. Each seiyuu fit each role very well. The voice actors that did end up playing characters that meet their untimely demise enacted their roles perfectly. In some ways, I was sad I didn’t have a dubbed copy available to me, mostly because I had read Dan Green (of Yu-gi-Oh! Fame) did the voice of my favorite character, Nabuca, which scares me. I can only pray to god he didn’t screw it up.

Overall
I believe that any anime fan out there should at least give this show a try. Some people will be turned off right away, while others may burn out part way through. But for those of you who enjoyed Grave of the Fireflies or Saikano, this should be the next thing on your list. Though don’t watch it right after watching GOTF or Saikano, you will kill yourself if you do. It’s a show that will leave an impression on you weeks after your done, something anime rarely seems to do anymore. This is one that has become a personal favorite of mine and one that managed to make me cry by the end. I’d suggest it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, provided that they know what to expect.

So, there ya have it. Watch this:



'Kay, good night!