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Toshokan Senso
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Animation - 8.0 |
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Sound - 6.3 |
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Story - 6.3 |
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Character - 7.3 |
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Value - 6.3 |
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Enjoyment - 6.7 |
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Average - 6.8 |
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| Average |
5.0 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
| Sounded great in theory but letdown by mediocre execution.
Censorship is necessary to a degree in society. Some ways of thinking, some actions are harmful. Some things need to be kept under wraps until people are old enough to. However, the rights to free thought and free speech are paramount to our basic human rights. As long as thoughts and speech don't hurt other people, they are rights that should be available to anyone within a moral democratic society. But in many democratic countries, properly established Bills of rights don't exist. Such freedoms only exist because those countries don't choose to exploit those gaps in the constitution.
Freedom of information has become a very volatile concept of late. The introduction of free media into countries that previously didn't have those rights has been welcomed for the greater part, whereas communist or tyrannical-led countries invoke very stringent censorship rules, denying access to information even if it is true, particularly on the Internet - the greatest threat to censor-heavy government. Circulating free media is a crime in many countries. Living in a country with liberal freedoms is a privilege - not always a right.
But even in countries that embrace freedom, media is gradually displaying less freedom of thought and more biased/directed opinions. Getting a balanced, unbiased media outlet is getting harder and harder due to corporate and government pressure. To the point that such a huge network like Fox has degenerated into a complete insult that spits on everything free media stands for. Or to the complete insult in Italy where government owns all the major networks - sayonara free media!
So try this for size - what if the social nightmare worlds of 1984, Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 - in the terms of denial of any free thought, speech or media - was taken away? To the degree that classic novels and your favourite monthly manga was banned? Sound impossible? Sorry...it's already happening. And continuing to get even more prevalent.
This is what the series Toshokan Sensou delves into. In an alternate timeline, the Japanese government in 2019 introduced the Information Management department, who inforced heavy censorship with harrowing results. Thirty years on, they're as ruthless as ever. But not unopposed. Librarians take up the fight for the right to information. Kasahara Iku, a passionate, rebellious, over-the-top young woman, fuelled by her vivid memory of having her favourite book saved from destruction by a mystery man in library colours, joins the Library Militia with the intent to protect the right to information under the precious chamomile symbol. Under the eye of her harsh but admiring superior, Doji Atsushi, Kasahara managed to make her risky dreams reality.
Reading descriptions of this series, I had initially high hopes. I was somewhat let down. Because in the animated version of Toshokan Sensou, I can see the right ingredients. Two very determined lead characters with conflicting views that make for an intriguing working relationship. Supporting characters providing mature insight when needed. Very important themes being discussed. (especially since this kind of legislation has been proposed over the last few years in Japan). You can feel what the original manga-ka was trying to do. So then one must ask the question - why were such differing focuses taken for the two different mediums?
Because that is what sells Toshokan Sensou short. Whereas the manga focused on the social issues and packed more action, the animated version sometimes feels like a mere soap opera. Which is a real shame because the messages conveyed are so incredibly valid. With its style and change in focus, the anime falls into mediocrity. It's part marketed as urban guerilla warfare, part social conscience and part seinen. I didn't really find it to be any of the three. It comes off as a very diluted mix instead. The show relies on gossip, silly jokes and over-the-top antics with chibi icons to get through most episodes. Rather than delve into anything significant, it seems content to focus on character interactions instead. Which is fine if the cast is fleshed out enough. (And don't use the 12 episode not being enough time excuse, it doesn't fly. Kurenai showed that you can achieve it and then some) Beyond the two leads, and to a lesser degree a supporting female, the characters aren't developed enough to make moments or interactions significant enough. One just gets the impression that the manga did flesh it out properly (and from people I have spoken to, it did) while the anime wasted the time it had. I really wanted to like this series, but I can't stand seeing potential or time wasted. If only the rest of the series followed the sudden lift in standards the last two episodes did, this would have been a good series. *sigh*
Production I.G., as usual, do the animation well. It's crisp and vivid. But there are two aspects of it that I found rather annoying, particularly in their constant combination. Very thick character lines and overly glossy colours weren't much good for the eyes. As for the music, some find it to be great - personally I didn't find anything to be fascinated by. It came off as very generic to me. Voice acting was average, aside from Doji, who had a lot of conviction and confliction in his manner.
Kasahara is the true protagonist of her series. This is someone who has immense passion for what she wants to do, plenty of youthful energy and a near unbreakable will. Sounds good up to this point. Then mix in her constant over-reacting, high-pitched yelling and her inability to follow the mature advice her peers give her - especially her close female friend Shibasaki, who is a very measured balance of diplomacy and beliefs that allows her to go far. Kasahara does gradually develop into a person that is more respectable, but her inability to follow advice until she has made a great deal of mistakes that ends up hurting those she cares about is what I found most frustrating. If she wasn't such a stubborn, whining young woman, she would have been a far more suitable lead. In the end, it depends on whether you fall for her excessive antics or are repelled by them. She isn't the type everyone will be able to respect or relate to. I wasn't impressed by her, save for parts of the final episode, when the girl finally grows into a woman and becomes what she always had the potential to be. Which is an utter pity because it is such short lived and so much more enthralling than her actions in the episodes past.
Doji, I found to be the best character on offer. He knows he has possibly the best recruit he will ever have in Kasahara, but that her resistance to authority and her immaturity will be the death of her one day, unless someone helps her control her emotions and use them to add decisiveness to her actions. He has a hard job on his hands and doesn't exactly warm to being Kasahara's most despised person. He does what no one else can - help a young woman with so much potential channel her strengths and do her duty responsibly. That said, Doji is a very emotionally devoid person. Kasahara ends up being a trigger to filling it, something Doji is not in favour of. But as the two survive through more experiences, Doji becomes as grateful for Kasahara's influence on him as she is for his influence on her. The conflict between the two is the main grab of the series. Unfortunately, how it ends up between the two is rather predictable. And beyond that, supporting characters weren't developed enough to register a decent memory.
Toshokan Sensou - a concept with limitless potential that was given average treatment. It hurts to see what should have been great to never reach those heights.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
7.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| A literal war between a Censorship Party and Freedom of Expression Group - where book burning is brought back to modern society, and guns are required to protect artistic freedoms in Japanese society. With the introduction of the new emperor, laws are passed that prevent vile material from polluting the minds of Japanese citizens. However, one young girl, inspired by one particular event stands behind the symbol of the chamomille and a team of dedicated Library Task Force will put their lives on the line to protect their beliefs.
I felt like I had the need to really give this anime a good summary in order for one to understand what this anime is about. Toshokan Senso has got to have one of the most unique "modern realistic" anime I have ever seen. With people fighting over censorship in a modern age, I was very interested to see how things would unravel with military tactics and modern technology. Furthermore, I really enjoyed watching the personal lives of the handful of characters as they dedicated themselves to the cause. The first 5 episodes were very enjoyable, humorous and interesting - which kept my attention. With engaging action scenes, lovable characters - I felt like I had found a diamond in the rough.
However, like many 12-13 episode animes, the middle is full of useless filler that really lost steam in the story department. We start focusing on unessential characters, and start bringing up lackluster dilemmas that really just grind the momentum to a stop. My suspicion is that this anime is based on manga where these stories were fleshed out in more detail. I mean, there just is not enough time to bring in the point of view of dissenting parties within the anti-censorship group. Instead, I believe they should have just focused more on the funny antics of Kasahara (main character) and Dojo (her instructor), and developed their relationship more. As a result of these less-than-ideal episodes, my excitement for this anime immediately dropped. Nevertheless, as expected, the final episodes ended with a great military skirmish and was a good ending.
I would recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys a very clumsy yet good-natured main female character who does her best to brighten the atmosphere around her. If you enjoy casual military operations and tactics that are reminiscent of Full Metal Panic (minus the mecha), you found yourself something you might like here. Animation is very clean and beautiful, which grabbed my attention initially. They did put lots of detail in little character movements, so the viewing experience is enjoyable. Overall, Toshokan Senso is quite good, it is just that the middle episodes weren't as exciting as I hoped. Nevertheless, this is a pretty safe and enjoyable anime that few people will get the chance to watch.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Toshokan Senso, Library War, is a heartfelt action/drama that takes place in a future world where the government enforces the censorship of media. Though the ideas presented in this anime are by no means new the creators managed to take something thats been done before and make it interesting, so much so that twelve episodes leaves you wanting more.
The future in which Toshokan Senso takes place has two factions that are literally fighting each other in the name of media (be it books, art, movies, anime, etc.). One faction, Media Enhancement, seeks to limit publics access to works that could be considered subversive or controversial by seizing and destroying the targeted media. Their counter part, the Library, fights against this censorship by protecting those books and art works that have become subject to inspection by media enhancement. As said the idea of government sanctioned censorship isn't new (1984, Bravenew World, Fahrenheit 451- to name the most famous), but I appreciated seeing the libraries long established stance against censorship glorified. Also, the creators acknowledged previous use of the theme by refering to Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as the book of prophecy and there was reference to current issues of government censorship and the role of the library when a librarian refused to release a list of books a patron had checked out.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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