Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai

I was already a fan of the Munto series before this series was released so I was quite interested in seeing the conclusion. While I was originally very excited Kyoto Animation was giving Munto a TV adaptation, I was a bit disappointed to learn that it would contain a remake of the original material already released before. Still all Munto fans should not miss this series.

As mentioned this is a retelling of the original series with new footage. So the first 6 episodes are pretty much entirely identical to the two original OVA. There may have been a few new scenes ... intermingled in but there are basically no changes. This also means that it is not necessary for anyone to have any prior knowledge of the series in order to start this. The original series has been at times hard to find so if you have been curious about this show then you can dive right into this version without worry.

Overall I found the plot to be interesting and enjoyable but it does have some annoying flaws. Namely being that it seems to jump around to much and leaves you feeling a bit confused as to what’s going on. Things tend to be adequately explained eventually but there were quite a few head scratching moments for me. Exacerbating this is the schizophrenic way the story jumps from action packed battle scenes back to slow paced school life. In addition the dialogue at times is incredibly silly and pompous. Its possible translator did a poor job with it but I feel it probably sounded just as bad to someone fluent in Japanese.

The story, while it feels like it’s over still doesn’t feel done. I am not going to rant and rave about yet another piss poor anime conclusion because this isn’t one. However there are several key plot elements that are left intentionally vague, whether to either set the stage for a future series or just to avoid having to explain things the plot didn’t tell adequately in the first place.

Munto's main protagonist Yumemi was an interesting character. We get to delve into her personality rather deeply and most of the story is told through her perspective. I think she will be a relatable heroine to viewers as she struggles with just normal teenage girl issues and with her special ability to see the sky in a way nobody else is able to. She grows up a lot as well and discovers things about herself and learns to be more confident.

Munto himself has his own back story and motivations well fleshed out in a series of flashbacks. Though even with this I never really felt that I really got to know him all that well. Most of his screen time seems to involve him grunting and yelling, blowing stuff up in spectacular magical attacks, or pleading with Yumemi to help save the world. I can’t really say I cared much for him.

The only other character with any real depth is Ichiko. She is Yumemi's best friend and struggles to understand her and protect her from all the mysterious things happening around them. I got the feeling that she felt love for Yumemi in more than a friend kind of way but this was never pursued nor did I feel that this love was returned in kind from Yumemi, other than her own deep feelings of friendship.

The rest of the cast is mostly forgettable. Mostly because there are just too damn many of them. Many of them take up way too much story time that should have been focused on the main characters. Other than Suzume your unlikely to even remember the names of any of the others. The series would have been a lot better with half as many. Even the villains are weak and don’t have much depth. If you don’t know the bad guys name or why he is fighting against the hero then how can you care about anything they do? It basically breaks down to, I’m bad so I fight you or I’m a pompous ass who thinks only I have all the answers.

KyoAni is well known and respected for their exceptional animation work. With Munto it’s a bit of a mixed bag. They took the original OVA material and basically just touched it up but the quality of the animation as a whole feels very inconsistent. However the last few episodes which were mostly new material looked quite stunning. So even though I didn’t find it quite lived up to the high standards they have set for themselves it was still pretty good.

The music and acting are solid. Though there was a lot of screaming dialogue and a couple annoying characters who grated on my nerves. The music was good and both the OP/EN sequences were beautifully performed.

I ended up enjoying Munto quite a bit though despite my complaints. As a fantasy-adventure story it makes for an entertaining experience. While it won’t go down as a classic, I think it will be mostly liked by those who view it.

Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai (or Munto TV for short), is the "sequel" to Kyoto Animation's original series Munto. Before you wtf and ask yourself wtf happens to the animation throughout the anime please take into consideration that most of the series consists of the recycled original OVAs that were produced a couple of years ago already.

Story: The story revolves around Yumemi, a normal girl who has a secret power in her which allows her to see the world of the magical beings who live in the sky. In that world Munto, the King of the Magical Kingdom, is in a ... constant struggle in order to save his people from various different crisis who mostly revolves around the world's energy source, the Akuto. Munto seeks Yumemi for help to save both worlds who are in danger. The premise of the story is an interesting one, however lazy writing and a constant problem of leaving plot holes unexplained can leave the viewer confused and disappointed in the story. It is a shame since the story could've felt so much more complete if better explained, and why is it only 9 episodes? extra episodes could've helped get your story pieced together better. Despite all that the story is still rather enjoyable and is definitely not the worst you'll see.

Art: This one is tricky to judge. As previously said the first couple of episodes consists of pretty much copy/pasting scenes from their original OVAs and then just giving it a color adjustment. This is a real letdown since this creates big inconsistencies in the animation as the show progresses. The first 3 episodes are OVA 1, which was produced 6 years ago, which if compared to today's animation it will certainly look inferior. The next 3 episodes are OVA 2, which where made 4 years ago, the animation is greatly improved from the first 3 episodes but the sudden change in styles may not get on people's good sides. The final 3 episodes are completely brand new Kyoto Animation animations and as expected it looks great with very fluid motion, however the sudden changes in art style might not please some people. The end result however was not a bad one and I really did enjoy the visuals for most of the show.

Sound: Something the original OVAs lacked greatly was a good OST, and this anime gives you a rather awesome one. A lot of the scores in the anime sound very impressive and gives a sense of epicness to some of the great action that this anime brings. I was really pleased with this soundtrack and it really made the show much more enjoyable.

Character: Another one of the animes rather weak points were the characters. Aside from Yumemi and Munto the anime just kinda throws characters at you whose roles end up being insignificant in the end. The main villain of the show was not that interesting, and was rather unimpressive to say the least.

Enjoyment: Despite having some issues, I really enjoyed this show, it was quite an interesting thing to see KyoAni tackle a more action oriented show and I was not disappointed by the end result. However it does feel like the production got lazy for reusing 6 year old animation instead of just remaking it from scratch in the beginning.

Overall: Munto TV was a pretty enjoyable show. If you like seeing great action accompanied with good music in a magical/fantasy setting. Then I recommend you check it out.

Well, I figured I ought to weigh in on the opposite side of the scale, with a less positive review of the series. I'm probably going to end up comparing (i.e. contrasting) this more than I really should with Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, which is (was?) my current benchmark in bad fantasy anime.

Story: 3/10

Munto TV is a rerelease and continuation of two OVAs from KyoAni in 2003 and 2005, if I recall correctly. The story itself (go check the synopsis) is fairly generic, although that's not a problem if the storytelling is excellent. Of course, therein lies the rub; Munto TV's ... storytelling is anything but excellent. When I say "rerelease," I mean it almost literally; Munto TV feels like it's cobbled together, lacking a proper flow between OVA segments. Additionally, it turns out that not a whole lot actually happens. It doesn't even have a melodramatic and focused (although still cliched as hell) finale, unlike in Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora.

Art: 9/10

What can I say? KyoAni is good. Really good. If you want high production values, they'll give 'em to you. The art is crystal clear, and the animation is fluid. Backgrounds are detailed, designs are fitting, both for the environments and for characters. I can dock one point only for the fact that they're not animating very many really awesome sequences, therefore wasting the extraordinary fluidity.

Sound: 7/10

The soundtrack is decent, although it doesn't always manage to create the perfect mood, unlike Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora. That series wasn't salvageable either, unsurprisingly, as it's from the fantasy genre too. Instrumentation seems to be of high quality. OP and ED are disposable, as usual.

Character: 6/10

Munto TV had a neat thing going with Yumemi as a realistically reluctant and skeptical heroine, but this was wrecked by sudden character shifts required by the OVA timeframe. Lord Munto was pretty cool, but he was also affected by the timeframe. Suzune got way more characterization than she should have, given the timeframe, although I understand that her section of the story was metaphoric. Ichiko was...meh. All other characters might as well not have had names or faces. Really, Yumemi from the first third of the series netted an extra 2 points.

Enjoyment: 4/10

It was honestly painful to watch this. This was mainly due to my hopes shattering, with the shards subsequently working their way deeper and deeper into my skin. Maybe that's unfair, but that's the only basis I have for a rating of enjoyment. Episode eight made me want to stop watching, but I was so close to the end that I just sucked it up. It didn't even give me the satisfaction of terribly amusing (and amusingly terrible) screenshots, unlike Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora.

Overall: 4/10

Go watch Vision of Escaflowne if you want good fantasy anime. Or go play a fantasy adventure RPG. You really have better things to do with your time than watch this. KyoAni needs to stick to adapting pre-existing material if this is the pinnacle of its story-writing ability.