Shu's life has always been pretty ordinary... that is until he meets a
strange, quiet girl named Lalaru while watching the sunset.
Some equally
strange soldiers pop out of nowhere to capture Lalaru, and Shu is compelled to
help her in whatever way he can. Thus Shu is transported to another world with
Lalaru, but it is a world that knows no peace...
Review: Now and Then, Here and There
A number of people had warned me beforehand of how sleep-inducing Now and Then, Here and There was. But in fact, it's not. I was shell-shocked at how
dark and disconcerting it was, yet I wanted to see what was going to happen
next as soon as possible.
Get this, I finished all thirteen episodes in two
sittings -- and the second sitting started at midnight, a timeslot which is
notorious for putting me to sleep.
Now and Then, Here and There starts off with a scene in a typical household. A
boy named Shu, who looks like he's anywhere from 12 to 14 years old, is
wolfing down his breakfast while chatting with some family members. Shu goes
to school, gets into a kendo match, etc. Just another regular day.
Afterwards, Shu goes off to watch the sunset atop a smokestack. There he meets
a strangely pretty young girl named Lalaru. Suddenly, some hostile soldiers
appear and take Lalaru by force. Shu tries to help but is unwittingly
transported along with Lalaru and the soldiers to Hellywood, a military
fortress ruled by a psychopath named Hamdo... and this is where the real story
begins.
When I first saw Shu and Lalaru, I half-expected this series to be a teen
romance between a boy and an alien girl
(I thought Lalaru was an alien).
Now and Then, Here and There is
nothing of the sort. Right after Shu is transported to Hellywood, he really
goes through hell (I'm not exaggerating in the least) for the sake of
his quest to aid / save Lalaru. But see, not only Shu suffers. Any character
who has the least bit of goodness in him / her winds up either thoroughly
abused or dead.
We have innocent children kidnapped and forcefully drafted into military
service, young girls (minors for crying out loud!) kidnapped and raped
so they can bear Hellywood's offspring, villages and villagers burned to a
crisp just for being there...
Yes, this series paints an awful picture. So
awful that I wanted to strangle Hamdo with my own hands. The fact that most of
the characters involved are kids makes it all the more disturbing.
The art and animation are quite good. Character designs are on the simple
side. No one is exceptionally attractive, except maybe for Lalaru who
possesses an ethereal beauty / cuteness that is inexplicable... but then that
is how she is meant to be.
The overall visual effect suits the series nicely
though. While there are implications of rape, there is no nudity or sex shown
anywhere in the series.
Dark and disturbing as it is, Now and Then, Here and There is undeniably an
excellent piece of work. In the midst of the bad things that keep on
happening, Shu's indomitable spirit manages to get you through it all.
Even
after I finished the last episode, I couldn't stop thinking of what had just
transpired. This is definitely one of the most memorable series I've seen in
recent times.
Miscellanies: Now and Then, Here and There
Now and Then, Here and There anime was directed by Akitaro Daichi, who also directed
"Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl" and "Elf Princess Rane".
Now and Then, Here and There (Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku) | |
| Genre | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 13 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Oct 14, 1999 to Jan 20, 2000 |
| Producers | Victor Entertainment, Pioneer LDC, Rakuonsha |
| Studio | AIC |
| Rating | R - 17+ (violence & profanity) |
| Themes | Isekai, Military |
0 comments
Post a Comment