Forum - View topicWant to see SaiKano.
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Lately, I've been in the mood for something depressing. I started rewatching Kare Kano for the sweet lovey-dovey romance and hardships that Arima and Miyazawa face and will finish the last volume sometime this week.
And recently, although I'm out of money right now, I was considering a few new purchases to exapand on this theme. For some reason, SaiKano was the first thing that came to mind. I haven't seen it yet, but have already ordered Volume 1 for a friend for Christmas. In any case, I am curious to know peoples' opinions on this title in terms of story, dubbing, and overall presentation. I would really like to get it soon, but I'm not quite sure yet if Viz will release a box set sometime, now that all 4 volumes are out. Also, I'd appreciate any other recommendations that could be similar. A few titles I hear are good inculde Voices of a Distant Star and Now and Then, Here and There. Remember, the theme I'm looking for is a depressing (or at least melancholy) romance (comedy won't hurt, but for the mood I'm in, I prefer something that makes me feel sad). |
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Tasha
Posts: 57 |
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I'm a fan of depressing tragedies myself. However, I have a very low opinion of Saikano. I found very little to shed a tear about, and I found the story to be boring. It's very hard to care for the characters and the plot is manipulative and almost inane. Very poor narration in Saikano, but it's by GONZO so I sort of expected that. Chise is a very insipid character and, although something terrible is happening to her, she stays insipid and forever blushing throughout the entire anime. Her boyfriend is just your typical bland male lead that plagues so many anime of this kind. And it doesn't have a very good ending. However, the masses ate it up and describe it as being "tragic" so perhaps you may still want to check it out. I have no idea what the dub sounds like for I saw it fansubbed. Now and Then, Here and There, however, is excellent. Though having an unrealistic premise, it's dead on in portraying the darkest sides of human nature. Voices of a Distant Star is also great. Though only about thirty minutes, it has more heart than most movies and TV series. Rose of Versailles also has a tragic and moving romance, as well. The romance is more like the one in Full Moon wo Sagashite. If you haven't seen that anime, well, I mean that the true love story isn't revealed until the end. But there's enough buildup and development before that point so it should come as no surprise. And it has one of the most touching scenes ever. Truth be told, after Berserk, Rose of Versailles is the best anime I've seen. You may also like Kanon. I didn't like that one either, but you may. Half the series is some of the most boring material you'll ever have to sit through, but it tries to redeem itself in its later half. There's also Shingetsutan Tsukihime (or Lunar Legend Tsukihime). Another one I didn't like much, but it's much better than Kanon. It's a vampiric love story.  Then, finally (and you probably already watched it, but just in case) there's Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. I hated this anime, and it's truly a "love it or hate it thing." But if you've already watched it and liked it, then you should watch Saikano because I have little doubt you'll like that one as well. Well, that's it.
Rose of Versailles tops them all, but if you're looking for something that's licensed only, I'm of the opinion that Now and Then, Here and There is the best anime mentioned. Well, hope that helps.... |
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Maclam
 Posts: 104 |
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I have to agree o Rose of Versaille.... i've watched this serie in french many many years ago, this is one of the best old time anime in my opinion... but there's a little problem... i can't seem to find it available anywhere on DVD
Saikano is also depressing... even a little too much for me... i did enjoy the serie and all, i dunno beside the first half an hour of the first DVD the rest of the serie was bad to worst in term of depressing... Voice of the distant star is another great piece of work... it's very short only half an hour long, but there is all it need to be one of the best out there also
Also i really like Ayashi No Ceres.... this serie is different from the one above as well... it's more of a legend and stuff than real life story. It happens in the present and all, but there is an nice twist and plot involve... This serie is definitly a must see if you like romance and depressing stuff. |
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Perfectsword
 Posts: 527 Location: Somewhere in NY |
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I haven't seen any of those except for voices of a distant star. When I saw that tears came to my eyes....in just half an hour too. It's dubing isnt very good but the sub is exelent.
Buy it. It is Definitaly worth it. Also it comes with she and her cat if you get the dvd. For some reason its abstractness also seems too create weired feeling inside...especially if you watch it right after Voices. |
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3904 Location: CO |
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I must say that I heavily disagree with Tasha when it comes to Saikano. I found the characters to be very genuine, especially in their feelings for one another. Chise stays the same sweet girl throughout the series because that's who she is-- a clumsy, wide-eyed girl that got thrown into this mess without really realizing it. All of these bad things are happening to her and Shuuji, but instead of violently reacting against them, they're so bewildered by it that they instead just try to focus on the things that they *can* control, like spending time with each other, and being a normal high school couple even in the middle of the war. They can't control the war around them, and all of the bad things happening, but they do whatever they can to protect what's most valuable to them-- they're friends, and their relationship. And that's what makes Saikano worth watching. That no matter the tragedy that befalls the characters, that the only thing that remains constant and real for them is their love, and it's the small, "trivial" things like that they put so much of their hopes and dreams on, because in life, it's the small things that matter the most. Knowing that they can carry this throughout, even to the end, makes the ending very touching and very depressing.
Full Moon wo Sagashite may not be too accessible right now, but if that ever gets released, I'm sure you will enjoy it. It starts off a bit flaky and fluffy, but once the romantic aspects kick in, as well as the more... depressing aspects of the series, the show really turns into something wonderful. For now though, I think you should watch Saikano, NTHT, and Voices of a Distant Star. There will always be a chance that you won't like them, but if you're looking for melancholy romances, that's the direction you should take. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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I agree with SakechanBD, but I want to add that I think this is precisely the common ground between SaiKano and Now and Then, Here and There - namely, the strong determination of the protagonist(s) to hang on to whatever scraps of normality and hope are left to them. It's this resolve that makes both of these anime so very moving. BTW, if you're looking for a list of melancholy anime, I should mention that this sort of thing is my particular specailty within the anime medium. Accordingly, one of my public lists is devoted to anime of this kind. Check it out for a glance at my short list. - abunai |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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SakechanBD has said what I was thinking about, so I don't have much else to say but encourage you to watch SaiKano.
Those are excellent choices and two of my favorites. I happened to have both of them on DVD, and I couldn't control my emotion after watching Now and Then, Here and There. It was not only sad and sorrowful; I was totally devastated at the last screenshot of NTHT. However, NTHT has relatively less romance elements, so if (realistic) romance is what you are looking for, try KoiKaze. Note it contains spoiler[incest] elements that not everyone would take it easy. Kanon also has a good story, although not as solid as aforementioned ones.
Start with abunai's list. EDIT: AAAHHHHHH!! You posted it yourself when I'm still typing!! 
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abunai
Old Regular
Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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うふふふふふ！ 
- abunai |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18458 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I fully agree with SakechanBD on Saikano. I would also add that the music for it (both the scoring and the opening and closing themes) is wonderful. As for the dub, I felt Melissa Hutchinson did a superior job as Chise; the wobbly tone she puts into the normal Chise is right on the mark, the emotions are convincing, and the way she shifts the tenor of her voice when transitioning between Normal Chise and Weapon Chise is a chilling effect. The other English vocals are at least adequate. The character design is a turn-off, but it closely follows the designs of the manga and can be overlooked against the quality of the story.
I would also add that you may or may not like the way it ends, but either way you won't feel cheated. It's an entirely logical ending given the way the story plays out. And watch out for episode 9 in particular, which is a potential monumental tear-jerker. I also strongly endorse Now and Then, Here and There, which is a superior and emotionally powerful dramatic series but isn't a romance in any way, shape, or form. Voices of a Distant Star is, however, and it lives up to its billing. Regrettably its dub doesn't translate on-screen text, which can be significant. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Ah. Thank you all. I will keep these titles (both licensed and unlicensed) in mind.
I'm not really feeling depressed anymore, but I'd still like to see these just for the exerpience. 
By the way, I heard about a few other shows, School Rumble and Aishteruze Baby. They both sound intriguing and I may check these out as well. But again, thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate it very much. 
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v1cious
 Posts: 6229 Location: Houston, TX |
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is Haibane Renmei any good? ii've seen a lot of good reviews, but i'm not crazy about the character design. is there a lot of emphasis on the drama aspect?
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Godaistudios
Posts: 2075 Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment) |
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Tony: I haven't seen all of Saikano, but I'm well aware of it's aspects, and it is most definetly depressing.
As far as Aishetruze Baby, the only real problem I have with it is that there seems to have a lack of any real resolution at the end of it. This isn't to say that it's a bad series, and I suspect the manga goes much further, it's just that I'm disappointed with where the anime ends. v1cious: While Abe isn't my favorite artist by any means, I enjoyed it thoroughly. There is a lot of drama, although the greater aspect of it doesn't start untill about halfway through the series. Since it's only 13 episodes, I doubt you will feel like you wasted any time watching it all. It's actually one of the few series I feel compelled to show non-anime fans because of just how different it comes across as being.
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Bruce Lee
 Posts: 715 Location: Seattle, Washington |
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I loved NTHT, but wouldn't really list it with these. Yes, there were some sort of sad parts, but it ended on a fairly happy note, with not too many really devestating events except for spoiler[the assasins daughter getting shot]
On the other hand, I strongly endors Voices of a Distant Star. Even though it's only 25 mins long, it deffinately sounds like it's right up your alley. Some other ideas are RaXephon - some elements, mixed with good action and a great story, Fruits Basket - again, some elements, mixed with cutesy nutrasweet, and Grave of the fireflies - a great movie, but the most depressing thing I've ever seen. These are all pretty popular, though, so maybe you've allready seen them. |
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MasterFuu
 Posts: 434 Location: Phoenix, AZ |
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Just as usual I will make this short Tony. Saikano is very depressing and emotional series. Considering the length it's overall very well done series:). The story is really well developed and music is very nice. I'll be honest with you and tell you that there are thing or two I didn't like. One is that the voice acting is sometimes (sub) over-acted and the girl looks 12 years old and the guy in his early 20's
 . Considering this is a love story then you should get my point.
Overall excellent series and worth the purchase but get yourself emotionally prepared for this one. Fuu |
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Innotech
Posts: 234 Location: Louisiana |
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Haibane Renmei is a very laid back series, and yes the main story of it is very dramatic. It isnt a romantic drama but more of a human one. Sort of discovering who you might be and realizing things about other people that might shock you or give you great sympathy for their situation and the overwhelming sense of joy with helping them to achieve a dream. In short, it is my favorite series. Is hard to eplain more without ruining the surprises and main storyline. It starts out slow, with the main character adjusting to the new settings and people, but like I said, it starts to pick up around episode 5 or 6. The imagery and art and music in the show is absolutely beautiful. Saikano is my second favorite series. It is extremely depressing once you get into it, and marathoinnig it completely will give you the full effect, but depending on how you handle it it may seriously leave you feeling suicidal or hopeless. Its really that sad and downbeat at times. I feel the ending is bittersweet, but still very tragic. The whole show has absolutely frightening visuals, and since its war, people die in some pretty gruesome ways. Its not a show for kids and its not a show to be taken as comedy or as an action show. It is a surprisingly realistic approach to a extremely difficult, and practically impossible relationship between a guy and a girl who is abducted by htem ilitary and turned into the ultimate fighting /killing machine. It raises questions about war, and also some defenses for it, but ultimately it is anti-war in its message. Chise, the girl has a very memorable phrase. I fight so I can live. I live so I may Love. If I can love I can still be human. Chise is a really cute, frail, and sweet girl also, so it really tears your heart up what happens to her and Shuji. But the characters in htis show are multi dimensional. they make mistakes, they cheat and lie, they do stupid htings any person would do. Saikano is also a very great show that I really recommend. |
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