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Alien Nine
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Animation - 8.1 |
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Sound - 7.9 |
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Story - 7.2 |
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Character - 7.0 |
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Value - 7.1 |
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Enjoyment - 6.9 |
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Average - 7.4 |
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| Average |
6.8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Kleine Mädchen bekommen lustige Froschköpfe mit Flügeln auf den Kopf gesetzt und machen Jagd auf Aliens? Was sich anhört wie die Prämisse eines Kinder-Animes der vor Kawaiiness nur so strotzt, ist in Wahrheit kein bisschen niedlich und entpuppt sich schnell als starker Tobak aus der Psycho-Ecke! Ähnlich wie "Elfen Lied" und "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" nutzt auch "Alien 9" ein sehr niedlich anmutendes Charakterdesign um den "Verstörungs-Faktor" zusätzlich zu erhöhen und auch hier verfehlt dieses Element seine Wirkung nicht. In dieser OVA geht es vorrangig gar nicht um den Kampf gegen fiese Außerirdische, sondern um tiefsitzende Gefühle der Charaktere im Zusammenhang mit dem Erwachsenwerden bzw. dem erreichen der Pubertät und deren metaphorische Darstellung anhand von subtiler Symbolik. In "Alien 9" steckt viel, viel, vieeeeel mehr drin als es zuerst den Eindruck hat, allerdings ist ein sehr offener Verstand Vorraussetzung dafür das auch zu erkennen. Schaut man diesen Anime so wie man jeden anderen Durchschnitts-Anime schaut, wird einem hier vieles wirr und aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen vorkommen und man wird sich am Ende komplett verwirrt sehen. "Alien 9" regt zum nachdenken an, ist dazu in der Lage zu verstören und zu schockieren und hat damit eigentlich alles was ausreicht um mich zu begeistern, jedoch gibt es einige Faktoren die verhinderten das ich diese OVA als "großartig" preise: Zum einen wäre da der weibliche Hauptcharakter. Sie ist inkompetent, kann NICHTS alleine und fängt bei ALLEM an zu wimmern und zu heulen. Klar, es ist ein 12jähriges Mädchen und es ist nicht abwegig das Kinder in dem Alter ständig plärren aber sie ging mir trotzdem tierisch auf die Nerven. Sie ist so ein Charakter der durchaus dazu in der Lage ist manchen Leuten den KOMPLETTEN Anime zu versauen. Deshalb sollte man sich diesen Anime NUR anschauen wenn man der Ansicht ist das man 4 Episoden lang Geheule und Inkompetenz ertragen kann! Die restlichen Charaktere sind zum Glück weit weniger nervig aber dafür leiden sie an Unterentwicklung. Sie zeigen einige interessante Ansätze und werfen auch Fragen auf (was z.B. will die Lehrerin und WAS ist sie überhaupt) aber am Ende wird man mit der Handhabung des Casts nicht ganz zufrieden sein können. Und damit kann ich auch zum nächsten Faktor übergehen der es verhindert das ich diesen Anime feiere: UNVOLLSTÄNDIGKEIT!!! Ja, genau "Alien 9" ist SCHON WIEDER so eine OVA die am Ende etliche Fragen offen lässt, aprupt endet und dem Zuschauer den ausgestreckten Mittelfinger zeigt in bester "Hahaha, lies doch den Manga wenn du wissen willst wie es weiter geht"-Manier (die letzte Szene ist zwar ziemlich krass, kann den unvollständigen Eindruck dieser OVA aber nicht kaschieren). Im Endeffekt hat "Alien 9" verstörende Atmosphäre und starken Tiefgang auf der Plusseite, nervige und unterentwickelte Figuren sowie ein frustrierendes Ende auf der Minusseite. Es ist schade, hier hängt am Schluss noch so viel ungenutztes Potential in der Luft das man sich gleich neben den Hauptcharakter setzen und vor Verzweiflung mitheulen will... Dennoch halte ich "Alien 9" für sehenswert und besonders Leuten die bei ihren Animes gerne zwischen den Zeilen lesen empfehle ich hier einen Blick. Ansonsten dürfen hier noch Fans von Psycho-Horror reinschauen, ganz im Gegensatz zu Liebhabern leichter Kost, denn diese werden mit "Alien 9" mit großer Sicherheit nichts anfangen können!
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| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Alien 9 was a title I was eager to watch. Even after having read the darker and more disturbing manga, still I find the anime to be a very good free adaptation of the manga, with even better characters, thanks to the animation and voice actors.
As far as the story goes, the manga has one of the best, even if very simple, sci-fi stories I read. It requires still many readings. The anime on the other hand, instead of trying to follow the manga's story closely, adds a flavour of its own.
And how shouldnt it when the producers are behind similar animes such as Figure 17 and the screenwriter of Boogiepop Phantom also participates. Add also one of the most disturbing mangas (in terms of psychological violence at least) I've read, together with the mangaka's other work Milk Closet and Alien 9 becomes one of the good OVAs, even if it requires more than one viewing, especially for viewers unfamiliar with the manga.
Still the anime Narutaru and Mohiro Kitoh's work in general are far more violent and disturbing regarding school violence and 12 year old characters, but Alien 9 anime and manga and Milk Closet are not far behind.
Since Narutaru is my favorite manga I couldnt dislike Alien 9 as they share some similarities.
The main characters may look repulsive to a few viewers, due to the extremely kiddy behaviour, a feature uncommon in other sci-fi shows. I have to clarify however that exactly this feature is what made the manga a disturbing read. Putting young girls in such tight situation where they require to kill and adding also the manga's cutely yet peculiar design and adapting it much better in the anime, makes the OVA also one of the more disturbing ones to come out of Japan.
Regarding animation, though in technical terms it doesn compete with titles such as GITS, yet it is effective in conveying the manga's disturbing atmosphere. Since the manga isnt one of the best designed either, the anime enhances it even more.
When I saw the OP and the ED, I thought it catches the manga's atmosphere perfectly.
The sound department hasnt anything memorable, except the OP and the ED and some eerie music during the seizure of children by aliens.
The characters though are very good. Consider we're dealing with 12 year olds here. So expect them to act like ones.
The main character Yuri who always cries adds more to the disturbing atmosphere, rather than getting annoying. I could not say however the same for the catchphrase ''Nya!'' and I'd prefer to read it in the manga instead. But the anime focuses also in other characters, like the teachers who guide the Alien Hunters and the other pupils who wear alien hats to escape boredom. The first 3 episodes build the characters, while the 4th is one of the best and disturbing I've seen.
Regarding the story I couldnt be surprised since I had read the manga, but the anime had some fillers and added also the dream sequences, thus having a touch of its own. The 4th episode comes totally unexpected, even for me though.
Only shortcomings are the short length, but really then the story turns more complex and it is better reading the manga after that.
Overall, if you liked Narutaru anime and manga and have read Mohiro Kitoh's other works, this anime is a must watch. Perfect for sci-fi fans. Read also the manga and Milk Closet. They're one of the best manga's I've read.
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Demon |
(2006-06-18 14:55:39) 2006-06-17 14:48:42 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Dang! Alien Nine is HARD-CORE sci-fi that the bottom line. Were to start? Well, lets start form my personal experience form beginning to the end.
But first, I read all of the reviews so I was "almost" ready for anything! It did not annoy me that Yuri (the major character) cried a lot I thought it was cute. I UNDERSTOOD the plot than most people. I kept an open mind and watch the series all at once by myself with no interruptions.
At first when I watch the first episode I'm like "this is funny, that's cute, so where is the gore?, OK this is stupid!"
Oh how much did I regret those words...very much.
At the end of the second episode I was all "Oh my God... Noooooo! Jesus Christ that's horrible! (silence, shock, fear)" I even stared at the TV with my jaw down. It was about as crazy as being chased by a psycho with a shotgun. And you just got shot! And that thing blew a hole in you about size of a basketball! But your still alive but you want to die...then you cry away the pain and you wish things were all funny cute and stupid again. Then it just ends leaving you speechless...
Well, thank God that the third episode was a refreshing start. After the horror you are glad things a simple again. But the horror still follows you. Yet you feel so much better.
Then episode four... The nightmare returns! But with a happy ending that will hunt you...you lie there dying thinking that you will die alone. But then you realize you are not alone. You and your friend are with you with the same horrific wound like you and for some odd reason you know you are going to live, you are the first victim. Now when the nightmare is over and you and friends healed. Then one week later when things are normal again one of your friends are attacked. You learn that friendship keeps you and you friends alive so you go even if you get hurt again. The cycle goes on and on.
In this review I aim at only one element that I think is the most important: The emotions that I had throughout the story. I believe that the story can be interpreted in many way according to the person. There are moments that are really funny and I know anyone would love and It really puts a lot of emotion into every scene once you get used to it. Having the series end on episode four I was totally cool with so no regrets! The last episode can ethier crying or bound with wounder. I was both... It leaves you thinking for weeks at a time. Like the end of a good video game like HALO.
Well with the fact that it leaves you amazed and leaves you imagination to wonder. It's really not about what you are watching but who is watching the it! If you are a gamer that reads subtitles, sci-fi lover, amateur writer and poet, or future hypercomplex sci-fi game designer then this series is "Perfect"! If not "very good"! I'm all of the things listed ^_^
Alien Nine is an "unforgetable" ride that I totally recommend for anime lovers only. Well, this is my second purchase on for anime and I love it!
I recommend looking into my review for more detail on other elements! MORE...
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Another one of my aboslute favorite anime series. This blew me off my feet with it's amaizing and impacting quality. It's only a shame it only produced four episodes...
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Kevin |
2005-05-25 04:53:53 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This anime has completly caught me.
On the start, it seems to be a cute anime with young schoolgirls catching some aliens...
But in fact this is a very deep anime. You will see the total plot the second time you see it. And you discover more after !!
I recommend you to read the very good review of Hamsters Anonymous on this website, but maybe after you have watched this anime.
The ending song is top. Animation is top. The characters are typed, but in fact very human ... "real".
I really recommend this anime.
It's too bad the anime stops at the third of the manga, foolowing the reviews I have read on this anime.
I cannot wait to receive the manga I just ordered to see the real meaning of the plot.
Enjoy it (but don't see it if you are in a depressive state...)
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lefty |
2005-01-27 03:56:02 |
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| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| I have to admit it, this anime was DEATH the first two episodes. I could feel that there was something there to the story, but it was all so disconnected that for the first two episodes I just found myself wishing to end it.
Soon after the middle of the third I started to get the underlying themes. By the last episode the main characters crying no longer pissed me off, but I found myself wanting to cry myself along with her.
This anime has too many dark concepts that at first tickled the fringes of subconcious. After watching this I was left in a dazed state for a day or so.
A must see if you like those animes that mess with your mind a bit, and if you like ferreting out the symbols and meanings.
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This is one of the most underrated animes in existence. How sad. I like the animation. The eyes are a little weird but everything else is wonderfully detailed and colored. The sound isn't anything to boast about and is sort of creepy, but hey, this is a sort of creepy show. The main reason why I like this show so much is the stark contrast between the bubblegum cute animation and its extremely dark theme. Characters are really good. Yuri is like the Shinji (NGE) of Alien Nine. Sure she cries a lot, but what I noticed is that the dub is ten billion times worse than the sub. So take my advice and stick with the sub. Otherwise you'll probably punch your television screen. I also read the manga so things make a bit more sense to me than it would if I had just watched the anime instead. Although either way, I think that the story is highly original and nicely executed. You'll be hard pressed to find another show out there that can mix strange downright weirdness with scraps of girl power alien terminators like Alien Nine can.
And if you can make it all the way through to the end, take note of the last couple of scenes in the ending theme. Outstanding I say.
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Ridian |
(2005-05-17 01:19:25) 2004-10-21 21:27:40 |
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| Average |
6.0 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
3 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| Before one sets out viewing Alien Nine, one should ask him or herself "Can I handle constant whining and/or crying and/or utter incompetence?" If so, then you may be properly equipped to deal with the infamous Yuri Otani. If not...well, I recommend watching a little more Evangelion. Alien Nine is a solid sci-fi romp that is offset in appeal by a protagonist that absolutely no one can garner sympathy for, and that is a shame considering what she and the girls constantly saving her ass are going through. It would have been a strong foundation for child-abuse dilemmas, but instead the viewer merely asks themselves "When does Yuri die?"
Alien Nine has a very strong premise with a few notable holes. I would like to know, first and foremost, why the schools appoint 12-year-old girls to do the alien fighting for their campuses. This sort of combat could be scarring to a girl at such an impressionable age in her life, and it would be just as easy to employ the services of a third party to exterminate these aliens. Going off of that, why are these aliens even attacking schools in the first place? Why do they not leak to any areas outside of the various schoolgrounds? (Though we only visit the campus of School 9, it is implied that other academies also use young women to kick alien ass off of their grounds.) Even the premise has holes. Fortunately the anime's plot development never really contradicts itself, staying on a fairly safe but decently interesting path. The problem here is its third episode, which has almost no plot development and instead tells an excruciatingly boring tale about the girls' summer vacation. Why is this necessary at ALL? I'd rather have had the anime gloss over the one-month period than sit through games of 'smash the watermelon', 'bury people in sand' or 'be really damn useless some more'. I suppose that the developers set this episode aside to develop our attachment to the characters a little more, but all it really did was serve to escalate my impatience for the anime. I didn't want to watch Yuri get an orange from a temple at midnight on a dare; I want to understand more about the aliens. Now, like many OVAs this has a corresponding manga which most likely fills in a great deal of the plot, but it goes without saying that I don't want to purchase a whole different media just to get closure for an anime that wasn't that incredible anyway. Sales tactics are wacky.
Here we arrive at AN's definite biggest downfall. Responsible for the detriment of about three points of her own is the one and only Yuri Otani, a protagonist so whiny, useless and overall unlikeable that any given viewer would wish death upon her in a heartbeat. Yuri is responsible for an innumerable amount of disasters and problems in the course of the girls' alien-fighting agenda, and her sniveling ass does little except bring both her team and the anime down. Just about any sixth-grader capable of basic critical thought could act more reasonably than Yuri ever does in the span of the series, especially in the final episode, in the midst of an incident that truly colors her as a worthless pimple upon the anime world. By the end of Episode 2 I was just about ready to quit, simply because her character is that unbearable, and the clincher is that she never gets better. Think you can handle four episodes of her snitty, self-absorbed nature? Go for it!
The other two teammates, Yuri's best friend and the teacher who guides the team are completely undeveloped, not evolving at all from their original personality. Even their characters are little more than anime archetypes, rounded out by a Responsible Girl, a Spunky Girl, a Laid-Back Comforting Girl and a Reasonably Hot Teacher (respectively). Characterization is certainly Alien Nine's downfalling, and the factor of the anime that makes me not want to watch it again.
Don't let the characters deter you from watching Alien Nine. Actually, if those don't kill you, then most likely nothing else will; the anime is a fairly good sci-fi/action feature with some fun action and decent humor as well. If you can bring yourself to numb your brain to the unerring antics of the despicable Yuri Otani, then Alien Nine might be a worthwhile OVA experience.
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Wombat |
(2004-09-16 12:37:03) 2004-09-16 12:33:18 |
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| Average |
6.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Entertaining in a strange sadistic way. Appears innocent and humorous on the surface, yet we are subjected to blunted brutality.
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| Average |
5.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| Short and Sweet, but with no real value to it. For a 4 episode OVA this stands up pretty well with some nice solid animation with some good music.
Once past the sweet layer, in comes a sour core which may be hard to swallow. Its story and characters were painfully average at best, with no real effort made in explaining a story. Though there is a story, it wasn't really noticable.
Overall though, treat this small little OVA as something nice, though you may initially be delighted with it, it won't be amazing as the end draws closer
6/10
Grade: C
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| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Nice animation. Quite a neat soundtrack. The borg are quite cute. The character animations are nice and non-ordinary. The story, while some parts are left unanswered, is fine within itself, especially given that it was only four episodes. The characters were fine. Yes, there is a lot of crying. What else would you expect from elementary school students that are told to fight aliens? Especially in Yuri's case, since she was pretty much forced into the situation and when she tries to get out, no one seems to support her decision to quit fighting. If she hadn't cried, it would have been quite silly to see such a tough and unemotional elementary school student in the given situation. Pretty enjoyable overall, and its short length keeps it from getting boring. Recommended to someone that is not completely void of emotions and is interested in watching something nice and "different." If you do watch it, I recommend keeping in mind that these characters are elementary schoolchildren, and not high schoolers nor fully-emotionally-and-mentally-developed adults.
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| the least i can say about this series is that it was a total surprise. like most people, i didn't get the symbolism at all, and found the ending confusing and incomplete. but for the moment lets ignore that and look at it from a first impression view.
Animation-the missing noses and huge ears didnt bother me at all, actually felt the style was quite refreshing, and was totally for the Borg, first time i saw those things in action really got my hopes up for future episodes. overall animation is pretty consistent throughout and on-par with other OVAs.
Sound-like the series, the sound is a double-edged sword, specifically the OP and ED themes. the OP is just downright deceiving, probably adding to the whole illusion of the show, and imo, is one of the things that makes the symbolism hard to grasp. on that note, the ED is without doubt one of the best pieces ive heard in a while. most of the time i stopped paying attention when the credits start rolling, but due to the engaging final end sequence, and the ED to support it, all I can say is that they couldnt have chosen a better track, not because it's a good track by itself, but was a perfect complement to those few quick scenes.
Character-after some careful consideration, i find this is yet another deceiving aspect of the series, in that it tells you from the start to concentrate on just Yuri, making you believe she's the problematic one, the one needing help, and the other two will be the ones to do so. Kumi, the independent leader, and Kasumi, the over-achiever. to be honest, i dont care that character development was a bit low, simply because of being able to find out the true nature of the other two girls.
Value-will definitely be rewatching this in the future, regardless of not understanding the symbolism. value however is something that really grows with time. i gave it a high rating due to the potential that i saw in the OVA as a whole.
Enjoyment-had me interested from the very beginning. the only thing that deters from the enjoyment are the questions raised at the end where it warrants a dazed and baffled look from the viewer, who wonders to him/herself what the hell happened to the story.
inevitably it was this that led to go and search for any future plans for a series, simply to have some questions answered. this led to that article posted here so many times which speaks about what the series is really about and all the symbolism supporting it, and i think this just adds to the enjoyment.
so finally i recommend people to go and sacrifice a few hours for this show. if the familiar feelings pop up, and you're really curious about what happened, watch it again. then go and read up the article referred to earlier, i mean there must be something good about it if its been mentioned so many times. hopefully it'll make it all that much better. yes, it is one of those that you'll other love or hate, but at least it implores the viewer to do more than just watch and accept things for what they are. it's a refreshing wake-up call that anyone can embrace. after all, something that manages to disguise its true colours so effectively just begs praise.
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| I love the animation! It's got so much style, like Furikuri (in the fact that it is unique). It's really cute yet it doesn't conflict with the more serious part of the story. In fact, for some reason, I think it enhances it. The music's good, but it is the voices that are the true gems. Yuri's voice is about the best cast ever. The story suffers from a lack of explaination (like the teachers) and a typical anime ending (as in a cut off with no conclusion). The story could also be argued to be a little pointless (overall there's not much character development for Yuri, the main character). Kasumi is a bit more developed. Kumi's the best explained. As for the characters themselves, all are great; though Kasumi's a little annoying with her mannerisms. Yumi's the first BIG (and I mean BIG) crybaby that I am not annoyed by. I fact, 99% of the time you can feel for her (she's not crying for no reason here, unlike, say, Shima in Stellvia or Shinji in Eva). It's an interesting story, worth a look at.
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Anjin-san |
(2004-01-23 09:23:28) 2004-01-23 09:18:16 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| I suppose there is a type of symbolism to this series, how much you understand depends on how much you want to/are able to read into it. Different people will see different things.
I see that much of it is taken from Japanese society, where kids are thrust into life, positions of responsibility and adulthood quickly and brutally. Many Japanese kids must face much harsher conditions in life than say their European/American peers, which may be why we don't understand this right at once.
Personally, the first time around it didn't occur to me what the series is portraying, but after a few years of animewatching and study of Japanese society and lifestyle, some of the events can be traced back to what i mentioned earlier.
Well, that's my take on the whole thing.
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r0d3n7z |
(2003-12-26 11:21:01) 2003-12-25 23:56:42 |
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Actually a deep anime, but not easily understood. The underlying concept is good, and the context interesting, but the anime is disappointing.
At the beginning the plot seemed to be teeming with potential, but development was blurry. Most characters can definitely stand up to closer scrutiny.
Yuri is often seen as a coward who whines too much. You have to give kudos to her seiyuu for all that bawling. But she's not a crybaby for nothing - her fear is very real, and that is what makes her very human and sympathetic. The conflict in her can be explored further, though - how she is thrust unwillingly into her position, and how her parents and teachers offer little support yet do not allow her to quit. She gains some strength and courage from her good friend Miyu, and team mates Kumi and Kasumi - too little focus on this, though, methinks.
As for Kumi, it would have been interesting to explore her relationship with her mother, as well as expand on her role as the leader of the trio. She had issues with having been class leader for many years, and was at first reluctant to help Yuri, but eventually became a good friend. As the stoic one out of the trio, she pent up her troubles and frustrations much of the time.
Kasumi's relationship with her brother was not evident until the last ep, where it emerges as her greatest vulnerability. On hindsight it is easy to see what the hints in previous eps were pointing to, but it was not obvious at first, for me the climax in the last ep came as a great shock, a sudden strange turn to very dark themes.
As a deep meaning anime, the symbolism in Alien Nine is excellent. However the presentation is not so good; it was difficult to comprehend and the plot development is somewhat disjointed, jumping from one point to the next and making sudden turns. If viewed casually, this anime would seem almost totally incoherent!
The aliens, the strangeness of the adults, order-your-alien-invasion-online, and many such queer things are left hanging as unanswered questions. It will require a good deal of interpretation to figure out what it all means.
The most sudden and shocking part is the ending, which rates high on the hard-to-understand scale. It flashed by awfully fast, and I don't think anyone saw that coming. I originally thought the show was over and it was transtitioning to the endtitles! I won't spoil it for those who have not watched, though.
The animation is of reasonably good quality, I like the cutesy feel to the show. However this may not be entirely appropriate given the dark themes that are explored. The CG drill bits that the aliens sprout are pretty cool, too.
The music is alright, and the opening in particular can get stuck in your head.
I didn't feel quite satsified after watching this. It holds little value as a show to watch for pure enjoyment. But as an anime with a deeper underlying meaning, this one is hard to beat. I still find it hard to understand even after doing some research and much thinking.
Certainly not for casual viewers. But if you have an open mind, give it a shot, then read Kat's paper (http://www.katandnekomanga.ca/alien9paper.html) to kickstart your thought processes.
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kyoshiro |
(2003-12-13 06:15:18) 2003-12-13 06:12:33 |
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| Average |
4.8 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
2 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
| Cute cute cute cute animation. The dark theme associated with this anime throws off the character designs so much it's not even funny. There's blood and killing and some nakedness along with strangling and alien skewering. So watch it and don't expect anything cute from this anime.
sound is not bad, most of it is unconventional using instruments that i've never heard before. suitable and very effective giving an off-world feel to the environment. I LOVE the ending theme so much.
story is not good... fighting aliens with alien abilities. not much of a conclusion at the end giving a cheap feel to the anime.
characters are typical, a biiiiiiig crybaby along with a tomboy, and a girl that's interested in weird stuff like aliens.
decent way to spend time, though i don't recommend it. it's one of those anime that you have nothing else better to do
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damo65 |
(2003-11-28 07:55:48) 2003-11-28 07:50:49 |
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| Average |
7.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
1 |
| When I got this anime I was only attracted by its looks, the first few minutes of the first ep changed all that.
Surely the most disturbing anime I've ever watched. Multi layered storylines intertwine relentlessly. And none of the stories are pleasant. (Hence my 1 for Enjoyment.)
It took me a long time to work out the meaning of this anime, but when I did it was a powerful shock.
The critical character is not the central character, Yuri, but the leader of the three. If you watch the end credits of ep 4 you'll see why, and it explains everything. (Pardon me for not naming her, at least at this point.)
Not a series for everyone, and I'm not sure I could watch it again, but I'm glad I did, and would recommend it to anyone with an open mind.
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| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Not for the casual viewer. A true work of art in many ways. I will watch this anime many times!
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| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Ahhh yes. /me likes this anime a lot. Lots of people have said it before: if you expect cutesy schoolgirl vs aliens action, go far, far away. I liked the philosophy in this one, and it was fun too. (Since I like insanity and this is what it looks on the outside)
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| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| An odd anime... Interesting and possibly even quite intelligent and insightful, but not without some serious flaws.
I recommend that everyone who wants to try to understand the symbolism in this show read the article at www.katandnekomanga.ca/alien9.shtml, as previously referenced by Fat John. It's not that you should take the article at its word for everything it says, but it's a good example of how you could approach analyzing this kind of anime.
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