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Pale Cocoon
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Animation - 9.2 |
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Sound - 8.4 |
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Story - 8.4 |
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Character - 7.5 |
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Value - 8.9 |
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Enjoyment - 8.7 |
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Average - 8.5 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I happen to come across this anime, and I was filled with awe. Seeing it the first time I couldn't take in all the impressions that it imposes. The animation is the best I've seen for a while and there are very few animes who could keep up with it, and the conducting of the story is simply amazing.
At first one might wonder what it is all about, we have the "hero" Ura working in a restoration department for digital information. He comes across a damaged video and audio file and attempts to restore it. This takes its time, and one gets to learn the sadness and history of the place he and Riko live in - at least what they know about it. Then the fully restored version of the file hits with heavy implications on Uras life, and also on the viewer. The plot twist is very very well done, the visual and audio artwork magnificently implemented.
The characters are explained in the anime in the short amount of time. The technical details of the world surrounding them are very well worked out and it could be like that. The producers obviously thought a lot about how the future technology could look like, but still managed to make it look oldfashioned for the time the anime is set in. Very impressive artwork was implemented here. If you have half an hour of time, watch this anime!
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| OVAs die nur eine einzige Episode umfassen und es dabei nicht nur schaffen mit Originalität zu glänzen, sondern obendrein noch zum Nachdenken anregen muss man förmlich mit der Lupe suchen. „Pale Cocoon“ ist ein Vertreter dieser Gattung und ein überaus gelungener obendrein. Zwar ist die Storybasis nicht unbedingt originell und wartet mit dem bekannten „Menschliche Dummheit führte zur Apocalypse und einer finsteren Zukunft“-Szenario auf, aber was „Pale Cocoon“ damit anstellt ist bemerkenswert und unheimlich involvierend. Mit gerade mal 2 Charakteren und ein paar wenigen Dialogen wird dem Zuschauer vortrefflich vermittelt wie es um die Menschen, die nicht wissen wie die Erde zur damaligen Zeit war, und ihre Gefühlswelt bestellt ist. Während der Hauptcharakter sich nach der alten Welt sehnt und versucht mit dem durchstöbern der Archive seiner grauen Realität zu entfliehen, haben andere längst aufgegeben und die Realität akzeptiert oder wünschen sich das es die Vergangenheit nie gegeben hätte. Ein wahrlich interessanter Konflikt der nachdenklich stimmt. „Pale Cocoon“ erzählt dem Zuschauer keine Geschichte die sich im Detail damit beschäftig verständlich zu machen wie es zur trüben Gegenwart dieser Welt gekommen ist, sondern setzt primär darauf aufzuzeigen wie die Menschen mit dem Bewusstsein umgehen das die Welt damals ein wundervoller Ort gewesen zu sein scheint, während sie mehr in einem Alptraum ihr Dasein fristen müssen. Ich zumindest fühlte mich von dieser Episode mehr und mehr eingenommen. Diese Interpretation einer für uns Menschen möglichen Zukunft hat mich fasziniert und am Ende mit einem wirklich merkwürdigen, schwer zu beschreibenden Gefühl hinterlassen. „Pale Cocoon“ schafft damit etwas was leider viel zu weniger 1 Episoden-OVAs schaffen und hinterlässt am Ende sogar mehr Eindruck als so manche Serie. Fans von anspruchsvoller Kost sollten sich dieses kleine Juwel nicht entgehen lassen!
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Summoner |
(2007-01-03 02:24:11) 2007-01-03 02:06:31 |
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| The archives we know of as history ended at some point. Before they knew it, humans were living in this world. Pale cocoon.
It's truely hard to compare short shows with the long ones, even harder to write a review. Pale Cocoon, yet short, is so gripping and effectual that it managed to give me a stronger and longer lasting impression, rather than the most long shows out here. Really, after the end of the show I felt like I had been hit in the head by a baseball bat. I stared at the blank screen speechless, thinking about both the message and the brilliance of such a short show. Truely an anime of its own league, which all people who call themselves anime fans should watch.
It's 20 minutes long. It's gripping, intense and effective. It has a wonderful message, and it's carried out very well. Seriously, what are you waiting for?
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nauXolo |
(2006-11-01 04:29:29) 2006-11-01 04:21:33 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| At first, Pale Cocoon draws you in with a well-integrated combination of soft colors and a well-done 3D computer generated world. Basically, this one episode piece focuses on humanity, the past and reality. People are stuck in an artificial facility around AD 2600 where the surface of the Earth has been destroyed by the hand of mankind. The focus of this piece is in a nearly desolate and empty archival work center where only a handful of people remain to restore and explore the story of the past.
What is most amazing about this piece is how much we are able to interpret about the current and past world from such a small room with just a simple combination of archival videos and the character's subsequent reaction to these. Even though I currently live in the world that these characters are trying to find more about, I, too, became enchanted and awed by my world as seen from this character's perspective. Truly, in such a bleak and dark prison, the Earth is beautiful and Pale Cocoon does a good job of conveying this sense of longing and awe.
However, even more poignant in this story was how many people dealt with this reality of the past. "It is no longer real anymore", thought all those who had lost hope. "We must live in reality and deal with our current situation..." However, through his persistent and unwavering curiosity towards Earth's past, the main character seeks to escape his current reality. Temporarily satiating his curiosity but always wanting more... he spends day after day surrounded by artificial pictures of the Earth's past. Whereas others either accepted the truth of the past with bowed heads or wished that the past never happened, there are only a few who still dream about living in such a world. What an interesting conflict to think about... and relevant even now.
In the end, I was totally absorbed by the dark yet soft environment created by this anime. The themes, setting and subject matter peaked my interest even more as I watched through this. This interpretation of our possible future is definitely something to think about. But even more so, the everlasting aspect of humanity as represented through the main character's desire to return to and know more about Mother Earth is something that evoked a primordial feeling within myself. I often think to myself, "If I was in such a bleak artificial world, what would I do knowing that the past world, no longer reality(?) once existed?" Even now, I wish to return to the world before our modern civilization... if only we can stop this development in order to avoid the disastrous situation as presented in Pale Cocoon.
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| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Pale Cocoon is a short anime that concentrates around one concept or ideea of two human points of view without filling it's time whith irrelevant sidestory or characters... similar to Hoshi no Koe...
An anime that adopts the very used "dark future caused by human recklesness" from the simple point of view of the people that never knew what the glorious and beautiful past was... two characters that represent the two sides of human thought over the question... should we hang on dreams of long gone paradise and plunge into the guilt of the present situation? or maybe is it the search of the future in the past? or just forget about the past? (the girls dialogue with the boy make a very interesting point)... it seems that none hold the real solution, as living in the past doesn't build a brighter future, and forgeting the past means repeating the same mistakes... the boy's thirst for knoledge, for the final answer to what happened to the once green... and the girl's resignation and consolation in the fact that the once green wasn't theirs in the first place so not knowing what it felt like means not suffering more from it's loss....
The background animation made from GC is beautiful, but the character design lacks detail, even so they still manage to integrate well enough as to not to bother me. The ound was Ok, the final song working great with the actions depicted.
All in all the ideea is very interesting, nostalgic, the tile is quite symbolic and filled with the hope that we recieve at the end of the anime, the Pale Cocon, death and rebirth, in the imense darkness a dim light that could once again bright up the sky, if only they would realise... It might not be for everybody's taste, it might not be one of the best animes, but still worth watching by those who prefer human nature.
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Freddy C |
(2006-05-26 17:46:01) 2006-05-26 17:44:05 |
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| The easiest way to achieve perfection is through simplicity, this is partly the reason why short animes and film can come closer to perfection than long ones can.
Pale Cocoon is by no means perfect, but there were traces of it. Mixing a simple and original idea with great visuals and sound is something you need to experience. The bittersweet and nostalgic feeling was immense. Watching Pale Cocoon felt like watching an ending of a beloved anime, but the magic lies in the fact that there exists no previous episodes of it and thus I have watched none, yet the interest I showed indicated otherwise.
The sound and music to Pale Cocoon was great, sound effects and the main theme were both top class, crystal clear and heavenly. And indeed this contrasts with the setting, which was enveloped in darkness and coldness for the most of it. Therein, I got the feeling of the character’s little piece of heaven amongst the junk.
There were negative points too, firstly although the graphics and CG were top class, the actual character design and animation is questionable. Then, there’s the fact that it’s not to everyone’s taste, some may find the lack of explanation and completeness a real obstacle for appreciating this anime. One things for sure, there’s not many animes out there that can fill 20 minutes with such wonder. Treasure this.
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| Average |
7.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
3 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Animation is superb. You can't ask for more. It combines CG with 2D art. They got all the basics right, and also added a nice radiance/glow to the show. But that is not why I gave it such a high score. Pale cocoon has one of the most original designs I've seen. The buildings and the technology goes well beyond many other animes would. The world is very dark and very mechanized.
Sound incorporates well into this anime. The music half the time is slow and gloomy, giving this anime the right feel. The music even had sounds that would give a futuristic feel as well, but the music wasn't grand though. There's only one song in Pale Cocoon, everything else was orchestrated, but it was a very pleasant song. It not just fit into this anime, but was smooth and meaningful when listened to. For voice acting, there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm needed to go on. For sound effects, it's all there.
The story isn't too original. Pale Cocoon is just another anime based on the "dark future brought on by technology" possibility. Instead of trying to discover the past, everybody wanted forget about it. That was one thing that stood out. And the whole music video restoration was a nice twist: I thought it was going to be some important thing that talks about the past, instead it was a meaningful part to the theme of this anime: a happy, spritual song in a sadistic, gloomy world. Basicly, I liked the story because it is thought provoking and everything was stringed nicely together.
Wow, where did the characters go? I mean they barely have any design or development. I barely got to know and understand them. Throughout this anime, there was only 2 characters shown and 3 characters heard. They all appear the same: all wanted to quit their jobs and not look into the past again. In other words to describe the characters, they were there to forward and present the plot.
Pale Cocoon presents a nice plot backed great animation. Presentation was unique and original. But Pale Cocoon doesn't do anything to get me to rewatch this. It does a good job with the atmospheric mood, so I think anime fans should at least watch this once.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
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(Doremi & HF & Shakugan fansub, excellent translation)
I agree with the rest of the reviewers that for its short length this is perhaps one of the best animated features I saw. I'd say the same even if the animation wasnt so detailed.
So many sci-fi elements are included here that it works like a prologue for something much bigger. This could easily have been a hit if extended to 6 or even 13 episodes.
Everything in the direction department works perfect. The SFX set up an atmoshere of angst and mystery, not knowing what really happened or will happen next. Unfortunateky from a spoiler I knew before watching the anime where it took place, but it didnt ruin the enjoyment much.
I didnt think the song around the middle was necessary but when combined with the short clip it was enthralling to watch.
For serious anime fans this is a must watch, though I guess most of you know what titles to watch already.
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Among all the special OVA I saw, this is one of the best in terms of animation and concept/story. Instead of telling you a dark tale of Earth's future directly, it shows you various details subtly and really allows the viewer to think.
The animation is amazing, especially scenes where the snow was drifting down. The environment was designed to be high-tech but yet radiated a sense of loneliness at the same time. The animation will draw you into the story and be completely immersed within the 22 min tale. My only complaint is that sometimes the characters stand out too much from the CG background but overall it is well done.
The sound isn't too special here. But I do like the insert song they had near the end of the story. Well implemented to create an emotional scene.
The story isn't something you would understand entirely on the first viewing. It's amazing how they managed to compress such a realistic world into one episode spanning 22 minutes.
There are a lot of small details that you might have missed during the first viewing and definitely demands a second or viewing to catch them all. It's very intriguging and rewatchable.
Recommended for any Sci-Fi fans. This is a very well done OVA.
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Avalanche |
(2006-03-20 00:08:49) 2006-03-20 00:03:05 |
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Pale Cocoon takes the same cliched concept of a "dark future where the Earth has become an unfit place for us to live in" and turns into a something which leaves you asking questions and a weird feeling inside.
The story for a 22 minute OVA was extraordinarily well done. It sucked me in within three minutes of running time. A story of a man, trying to find what happened to Earth, and why it is so now. Sure the ending is left open, as in Hoshi No Koe, but its more satisfying and leaves you with a wierd feeling *can't find any other word* inside. A very tantalizing tale indeed.
The animation was as expected, top notch and in the league of Hoshi No Koe. Bright colouring with Oodles of CG effects. The sound was top notch. It takes the path of a subdued BGM, using silence as a tool to give rise to a mysterious atmosphere. The insert song of Yoko Yamaguchi was very beautiful, its lyrics spellbinding.
This anime will undoubtedly be compared and labeled as the next thing after Hoshi No Koe, and numerous discussions will ensue. Overall, I found this OVA much more satisfying than Hoshi No Koe. While Hoshi No Koe deals with the emotions of the characters, this one goes to a further level with a better story and IMO a better ending.
Hoshi No Koe left us with an open ending which leaves the viewer "WTF? Is this the ending?", Pale Cocoon is much more in the sense that the ending can be discussed and intepeted in so many ways. And unlike Hoshi No Koe, this doesnot take the route of being a 100% art and 0% story. I give this OVA an excellent rewatch value, for its subdued plot and a multi-intrepeted ending.
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| Average |
7.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| This is kind of like what would happen if Shinkai Makoto, the genius behind Beyond the Clouds and Hoshi no Koe, had directed Serial Experiments Lain. Subdued, vivid and intensely different, Pale Cocoon represents anything a good anime should be.
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Famas |
2006-02-20 10:05:27 |
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Very original cartoon, from the plot to animation.
This ova was almost entirely done in CG, except characters. And it wasn't cheap, believe me.
The world were the events take place reminded me of "Blame!" - everything about technology, nothing alive.
They also managed to put some intriguing plot into mere 22 minutes. It would be a crime to spoil even a bit, so just believe me - it's not typical, it's interesting and it makes you to think (and even more important - to feel). Definitely not for kids.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. I mean, it gives the feel of an entire world, the despair, the utter hopelessness. I could not believe that such an amazing story could be told in half an hour, but this piece does just that. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
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| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This is a very good anime. Its almost like Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no basho, but this is slightly short and even wierder.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.2 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Wonderfully done OVA, with an interesting plot.
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