To thine other self be true
Dimensional apocalypses, quantum physics, and preteen coming-of-age. Not a lot of series could manage all that.
But in fact, the tightly-woven story of "Noein" succeeds in everything it attempts -- an eerie, other-dimensiony storyline with some complex characters and well-placed comedy. The animation is a bit simple, but the story it's wrapped around is complex and well-developed.
As the story opens, Dragon Knights are fighting a Shangri-la ship over a barren landscape. The ship explodes, taking Karasu with it. In Japan, a young girl named Haruka spots him standing on a church spire.
Months later, Haruka goes on a ghost hunt with her pals Ai, Miho, Isami and the troubled Yuu. Then Karasu appears, and identifies Haruka as the Dragon Torque. As he battles another Dragon Knight, the deranged Atori, Haruka finds that she can unintentionally manipulate time and space. And Karasu seems eerily familiar -- turns out he's Yuu from the future.
Soon...
A decent box set for Noein
This box set takes the five individually released DVDs and puts them into one package. The first four discs contain five episodes, while the fifth disc contains only four.
The first disc was the best when it came to bonus features. The second and third disc had decent features. The fourth and fifth discs, however, were a disappointment. It felt like they put too many special features on the first disc, and then ran out of features and were forced to repeat a feature from the first disc.
The series itself is very well done, and I would recommend this box set. For fans of Noein, this is definitely the way to go get the full series. Instead of having to pay $90-$100 to pick up all five DVDs individually, you can purchase this box set for about $40.
Complex Universe... x100
Plot: 8.5/10
Rich in detail and very complex. The idea of different universes existing for every choice, with the you in that universe going down a different path, is truly fascinating.
I have to mark it down a little because of the slow pacing and unexplained elements of the story. However, I'm sure someone who has a better understanding of quantum physics would add 0.5 to this rating.
Characters: 9.7/10
Watching the main characters develop in Noein is different than in any other anime I've watched. You see how they *possibly* look and act in the future throughout the show (sometimes even more than one possible future version), which creates thoughts and shows the characters from different angles.
My favourite characters were not the main two (Haruka and Yuu), my favourites instead being Ai and Isami. It's both funny and cute seeing them try to hide their feelings for each other as the series progresses, Ai being a fiery...
Click to Editorial Reviews
