The Phantom Memory

It started with Kurau…it ended with Kurau. If I was to sum up this whole show with only one word; that word would be…Kurau.

Wow!! I’m speechless! This was one of the finest anime stories that I have ever seen. It really puts a lot of those Hollywood science fiction movies and even a lot of anime science fiction shows to shame.

Animation and Art

The show was animated by Studio BONES which has done more than an excellent job in the animation department. From the futuristic designs of the buildings and gadgets in the big cities to the beautiful scenery in the Swiss Alps; the show’s animation style oozes with quality. Even the opening animation is very artistic. I didn’t notice any dips in animation quality throughout the series which tells you something about how good it is.

The character designs are one of the highlights of the show. Kurau is one of the very few anime that I know with realistic character designs and for that it gets extra points. Not only that but many of the character designs remind me of the designs used in the World Masterpiece Theatre shows which is more reason for me to like the designs. (^_^)

Music

While the opening song (Natsukashii Umi) is nice, I can’t say that I’m a big fan of it. The ending song (Moonlight), however, is a completely different ball game! I’m obsessed with it! I can hear it 10 times in a row and never get bored of it. It definitely captures the spirit of the show and its tragic tone lends it more power. The still image of Kurau staring into the distance which accompanies the song is just perfect. You can even sense the sadness of the story by looking into Kurau’s eyes as they move away from the screen.

The background music is actually sparse but what there is was used effectively. The music that was used during Kurau and Christmas’ shopping trip in episode 2 (and used again only once near the end of the show) was a nice and cheerful tune that I really liked. The most commonly used background music was actually the instrument version of the ending song which was used during sad and tragic scenes (mostly near the end of episodes) and since I made my position clear on the ending song, I think you guys should know what I think of this instrument version.




Characters and Voice Acting

All the characters in this show were believable and realistic. Each one of them had his/her own motives that dictated their actions. Drawing the line between good and evil wasn’t as straightforward as you would find in other shows because every one of the characters behaved according to their own convictions and what they believed was right. There were times when you thought Inspector Wong and sergeant Ayaka were on the bad side but it was later proven otherwise. Dag at the beginning seemed like a guy who was after Kurau and Christmas for his own purposes but that also was proven to be untrue later on. Even the commissioner had reasons for doing what he did which are related to his troubled past. This grey treatment of characters raises Kurau way above many of the other anime that I have watched because it lends a sense of realism to characters.

The voice acting was top class and this applies to all the characters. I didn’t find any of the vocal performances annoying. Ayako Kawasumi, in particular, was spectacular in her role as Kurau. Maybe I should start adhering to the Ayako Doctrine (^_^).

Some people mentioned that the relationship between Kurau and Christmas is on the yuri side of things. I have to disagree with this. You have to remember that both Kurau and Christmas were possessed by the Rynax and as such, they have to adhere to Rynax rules. The concept of love is a human concept and I don’t think you can apply it to an entity that is beyond human rules and perceptions. Yes, each rynax needed its pair in order to remain stable but whether you can categorise this need as love is highly debatable.

Story

It may not seem like that at the start but this show is very tragic. Many people have lost their lives from the start of the show to its end and many people have been traumatised and scarred for the rest of their lives. For a show that is set during a time of world peace, it sure is heavily emotional. Episode 12 in particular was a powerful tear jerker. This, however, provides for some of the finest drama that anime has to offer.

I don’t want to make it sound like its all doom and gloom though. The show has its light hearted moments and most of these moments are related to our young heroine Christmas. Her innocence leads to some very funny scenes at times which isn’t bad for a show that is not meant to be a comedy.

The story highlights what happens when two incompatible entities interact with each other. It clearly shows how things can go really wrong under these circumstances. Unfortunately, human tend to have this devastating effect on their surroundings (environmental pollution and wars are cases in point) and they sometimes tend to poke their noses in unwelcome places. This show utilises this phenomenon to its full effect. You know, I sometimes wonder whether humanity might actually pose a real threat for others if they come into contact with extra terrestrial life one day (unlike what Hollywood tells us)!

The action scenes were well performed and one of the things I like about this show is that Kurau doesn’t always win her battles which makes it more realistic. No matter how powerful you are, there is always someone who is more powerful than you.

Another aspect that I really like about the story is the cross cultural interaction. The characters within the story belong to various ethnic backgrounds but that hasn’t prevented them from dealing with each other. Another example of leftist ideas within anime. Cool!

I have to say that I love the bitter sweet ending and I don’t think any other ending would fit this show like this one. Definitely one of the best anime endings that I have ever seen. It’s a shame that there has been a lack of good anime endings recently. A lot of shows can learn from Kurau when it comes to endings.

That’s all I have to say about this great show and I would encourage anyone to give it a try. In related news, ADV Films has finally woken up and decided to release the Kurau region 1 DVDs after more than two years after it licensed the show. The first DVD should be released in April. As usual, ADV doesn’t know where to place its priorities. Go figure (-_-).