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Apr 4, 2018
Leiden, Leidenschaftlich
April 4th, 2018
Dear Reader,
I hope this letter finds you well. Much time has passed since our last correspondence and I humbly apologize for going silent this long. However, rest assured your patience has not been wasted. I am now able to relay to you, in full, my truest insights and reflections of Violet’s journey as I have experienced it. And in doing so, I believe you will be swayed enough to bear witness, yourself.
Visually, first impressions of Violet were quite favorable. She sported a slender face, flowing blonde hair, azure eyes, and a quiet disposition. Many would compare her to
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an idealized version of a dress-up doll. But as you know, first impressions can be deceiving. Upon listening to her speak, I and those around her quickly realized the doll analogy was even more appropriate. Despite her fair outer appearance, she was a shell of a person: cold and unexpressive. Her emotional development up until this point had been terribly suppressed from years of brutality and armed conflict as a weapon. Allowing herself to feel was a sign of weakness and that left her potentially vulnerable during the war.
But in these newfound times of peace, with no battlefield to return to, Violet became a lost puppy desperately seeking out new orders from her Major, Gilbert Bougainvillea, to validate her existence. Thankfully, Colonel Hodgins was there to pick up the pieces and guide her towards a brighter future. Without him as a guardian, I daresay, she may have been caged emotionally for the rest of her life. Under the employ of his CH Postal Company, it is from here that Violet embarks on an emotional odyssey, the likes of which were an absolute pleasure to observe.
Working as an Auto Memoir Doll, Violet struggled, in the beginning, to transcribe her clients' feelings onto paper. Her letters more akin to combat reports, consisting of direct and machinelike replies. While she was quick to acquire mechanical typing skills, her ability to sympathize and be sincere were lacking. Realizing an ineptness to do her job, she goes to her senior colleagues, Erica and Iris, for help. They too had trouble finding ways to relate to Violet at first. Nonetheless, as time passed and they shared their issues in becoming dependable Dolls themselves, the two become friends with Violet and gradually she opens up to them about her pursuit to learn what the Major meant when he told her “I love you.” At this juncture, she does not possess the emotional shelving necessary to support a feeling as significant and complex as love.
Further along, Violet begins to build a foundation for understanding the different forms love can take and improving her skills as a Doll. Sibling love, a mother’s love, a father’s love, a friend’s love, fated love, first love, unrequited love, blind love. With each new client interaction, Violet explores these feelings of love and unlocks another part of her emotions she previously kept sealed away. A few of these vignettes were awfully heart wrenching. In particular, the stories of Oscar, the playwright, who loses his only daughter, and Anne, a bluntly honest child whose mother is bedridden, had a profound emotional impact on me. I was reduced to a sobbing mess, even. Seeing Violet smile and cry for her clients, it is impossible not to empathize with their situations.
As her travels wind down, Violet gets to a point where she is able to recognize what her emotional state means as it connects to a more abstract understanding of what it means to feel. When Hodgins eventually reveals Major Gilbert’s fate, she feels genuine anger and betrayal. In shattering her belief that the Major would one day return, a large part of her identity is lost. The scars of her past come back to burn her up inside now that she can contextualize her role in the war. Survivor’s guilt, self-loathing, and grief plague her conscience to the point where she regrets ever having regained emotions.
Violet’s pain and suffering cause her to believe it’s wrong for her to continue living. This leads to a climax where she speaks with Hodgins who forces her to confront the fact that just like the lives she has destroyed, the lives she has enriched cannot be undone. A difficult truth for anyone to face but it allows her to finally accept the reality. Despite still not fully grasping the Major’s love for her, she understands his intent and finds the will to carry out his final orders to live for herself. Ghostwriting as an Auto Memoir Doll becomes her purpose and though the Major may not be alive, he lives on in her heart.
Presently, Violet is one of the top Dolls in Leiden. There are constant requests for her to ghostwrite letters from people all over the country. While physical beauty does not beget an inner beauty, I can assure you that her emotional maturity has outshined any outward charm she possessed at the outset. She has become a wonderful, caring, young lady and I personally cannot wait to see what her future holds in store.
Best Regards,
Activelee,
Your Comrade-in-arms
In appreciation of KyoAni’s uniquely beautiful and detailed series, I chose to write this review in the style of a letter to prospective audiences. I wanted to have some fun and to give this a slight tinge of realism. I chose to focus solely on Violet and her character growth because a letter discussing sound and animation felt disjointed. Don’t get me wrong, the art and music are both deserving of extreme praise. I feel they’re best experienced for yourself, though. The show was not without its flaws but my gripes with the slow pacing, undeveloped side characters, and awkward action sequences didn't fit the letter either. Finally, it’s important to note that this is all from the perspective of someone with no prior knowledge of the light novel series or its plot. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading this. :)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 31, 2018
When I look back on this show after everything has concluded, I find my thoughts to be at odds. On one hand, I really loved the way Akira and Kondou’s relationship was handled and developed over the season. On the other, I felt as if the show lost momentum when it focused on their interactions with the supporting cast.
For those of you expecting a straight age gap romance plot, I’m here to tell you now you’re going to be disappointed. The romance ends up being the lens through which to tell a story about two people confronting their inner struggles and how those inevitably
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shape their identity.
After a leg injury that leaves Akira unable to run for months on the track team, she finds solace in working at a family restaurant whose manager has caught her interest. She sees Kondou as a responsible, compassionate, humble, and mature man. She would be hard-pressed to find someone with those same qualities in her high school environment.
Ignoring the age differential, she moves forward in her attempts to start a romantic relationship with him. In the beginning, this is the main focal point. Akira makes many moves to slowly become closer with Kondou and this, in turn, puts him in an awkward spot as not only someone much older than her but as her manager as well. Kondou sees himself as just a deadbeat father working a modest living in the service industry. It’s tough for him to turn down Akira’s affections when she’s such a charming girl. You really root for her because of how genuine she is with her feelings. Of course, it helps that she’s a real head turner too.
As Kondou tries to contextualize Akira’s love to her so that she might stop looking at him in a romantic sense, he unwittingly starts to rediscover his youth. He views Akira as this naive beautiful young woman with so much potential. She is a mirror reflecting his past as a young man charging straight into love without a second thought. Reminded also of the literature he once threw himself into which he no longer pursues. Exploring this youth and the feelings that come with it, the plot’s focus begins to shift and ultimately we get to the true heart of the show. Upon realizing that Akira is potentially exhausting her youth on him he maneuvers to distance and reposition himself as a supporting figure in her life. More a good friend than a lover. It’s painful knowing those feelings won’t be reciprocated but Akira learns to accept the reality as things progress.
Afterward, Akira starts to really think about her love for running again and Kondou does the same revisiting his writing passions through an old friend. Now, this is where the show sort of dipped in momentum for me. Haruka is a girl introduced as Akira’s best friend and teammate on the track team before all this. Several times throughout the show she is presented as this opposing force trying to get Akira back on the track team because of a promise they made when they were younger. There is hinting that she also has somewhat romantic feelings for Akira but that’s less important. I think she was meant to be another pillar of support in line with the way our main characters were changing but she comes off as this passive jealous person who wants her friend back for selfish reasons.
Another character acting in opposition to the way things were developing is Kase. He’s the restaurant chef and playboy who tries to discourage and mock Akira’s feelings for the manager for one whole episode. His purpose in the show I don’t fully understand because he’s barely shown or mentioned after. I’m actually thankful his interactions were somewhat limited.
These pauses in the plot, mostly caused by Haruka, were what hurt my overall enjoyment of it. Had Haruka taken more of an active role like Akira in expressing her sentiments and not just stared at her from afar for way too long, maybe she’d be more of a fleshed out and likable character.
But let’s get back on track. As the series came to a close, I felt Kondou and Akira’s relationship was in a great spot and that it was clear skies from there on. I was a bit saddened because if I wanted to know more about the direction it was going in I would have to read the manga. So despite the show’s weaknesses in its supporting character interactions and somewhat disjointed transitions, it was a beautifully animated narrative about two people’s journey to discover themselves and the role that love plays in the process.
If that sounds like a story worthwhile to you then please give it a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 15, 2011
“Daikichi… Daikichi, wake up.”
“…mmhhh… Yes.”
I’m happy. Why? Well, because this show did so much right that it’s tough not to be. Usagi Drop stayed true to the essence of the manga (before the timeskip) and didn’t stray far, if at all, from the original story progression. It captured splendidly the little nuances of an abnormal parent-child reality.
Our lives are full of insignificancies. Waking up irritable and half alert, washing your teeth, brushing your face, fumbling to find your valuables, grocery shopping without a list. The shit we wade through daily but clean up and forget soon after. These are experiences almost all can relate
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to but never share with one another because it’s stuff not worth sharing. Then of course, spliced in between those bits of irrelevance are the undoubtedly meaningful moments to be remembered. And we want to save those precious moments by documenting them. It’s in our nature to try and preserve the best times of our lives in some form or another. So when something like Usagi Drop comes along that personifies ‘life’, in both the boring and the beautiful, we’re able to really connect with the characters and their story on a more personal level.
Rin is modest, caring, independent, and responsible. She’s very mature but then not without those traits which you find ever-present in kids around her age. Joyful, curious, and downright adorable! In terms of lovability, she’s on par with Ushio in my book. You just want to squeeze those little cheeks and embrace her till she dies of asphyxiation. She’s that HNNNGGable. Needless to say, her expressions are genuine signs of love and appreciation, even for something like a poor attempt at tying pigtails. How she feels shows on her face clear as a sunny day. And the window through which we get to see all these sides of her is Daikichi.
Daikichi’s a very straightforward guy, both in personality and appearance. On top of that, he’s nurturing, compassionate, and protective. A little awkward at times but it comes with the job. Not to say I don’t like my dad, I love him, but Daikichi is the kind of father I wished I’d had growing up. He juggles his new responsibilities well with work and still manages to maintain a good relationship with everyone around him. Standing in as a guardian for your past grandfather’s illegitimate kid probably isn’t easy so I think he deserves a break here and there for his goofups. Watching Daikichi is a true breath of fresh air what with all the high school/university kids hogging most of the attention in anime. What you get is a middle aged guy just trying to do his best to provide for himself and his new little house warmer.
TWO little house warmers considering the frequency of Kouki’s visits. He and his mother are two more people you’ll find to be endearing as they interact with Rin and Daikichi. Aside from his apparent cheekiness, Kouki’s a good kid and it shows in his submissive yet protective behavior towards Rin. Looking at their close friendship and the overt chemistry between Yukari and Kawachi, it’s quite easy to envision them becoming a family in the near future. In fact, beyond the show’s conclusion you could say they’re already family.
And because of the relatively fluid art and animation, we’re able to see how they become so close. Soft watercolour-esque scenes start out each episode before the opening song rolls. It’s really a nice way of preceding the bulk of the episode. Character designs are markedly simplistic but there’s no need to fuss over it. With some added touches of realism, it’s nice knowing they do change clothes each day and night and that Daikichi does grow a stubble if he doesn’t shave every day like any other grown man. The backgrounds are subtle yet detailed; from pavement cracks to packaged market meat, everything in view is easy on the oculars.
To supplement the animation is the writing which shines through in the dialogue. Ayu and Tsuchida’s performance as the voices of Rin and Daikichi leave little more to be asked for. Thanks to them and all the other seiyuus, the talking that goes on in the show becomes one of its strengths. For example, in one episode, Daikichi and Harumi, Reina’s mom, have a serious discussion about Harumi’s marital problems which is eavesdropped on by Rin. But noticing this, Reina takes her aside and shows her how she copes when mom and dad don’t get along. Not something seen every day, you get both the child and parent’s perspectives of when things aren’t going so smoothly at home. Really, kids are keen in times like that and it’s great to see that the anime picks up on this detail. And it’s not only those I’ve listed who have depth of character but everyone has their own charm about them and grows, if just a little, in their own way in the span of only a year.
Now soundwise, the piano melodies and environmental acoustics fit well with whatever present surroundings were onscreen. The opening/ending songs are two very cheery jingles. Catchy it was but not enough to my taste to warrant a replay every week. Though, I would’ve never known that the group who did the opening is the same group who did the Teen Titans theme song (one of my favorites) had I not looked it up. Nostalgia, woo! From their tower they can see that all together, the music worked in pacing the way scenes played out.
Usagi Drop was an engagingly heartfelt tale of an atypical family living and learning how to adjust to their odd circumstances and the intricacies it affords. It handled themes like the importance of family values and the trials of child raising with great consideration for its audiences.
Despite its title I advise against dropping this anime because sitting down to watch Rin and Daikichi go through child/parenthood is an experience to be cherished. And I, for one, certainly have.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 16, 2011
[C] The Lack of Responsible Spending and Viewer Sympathy
It’s clear from my reinterpretation of the title that I flat out didn’t like it. I sat through the season hoping it would get better as it went along. It didn’t. So to sum up what this show did wrong: Almost everything… except the central concept and opening/ending scores.
Honestly, this anime didn’t give me anything to justify my watching it. Other than its interesting premise of another world called the Financial District which controls and inevitably destroys the economy of each respective country in the physical world, there’s nothing else to see here. Our protagonist, Yoga, Kimimaro,
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is a kid with no drive to do anything productive with his life. Right off the bat, we’re presented with the generic “guy with no redeeming qualities” to play with. Mr. Boring here hates his dad, has no girlfriend because he was too much of a wuss to ask out his childhood friend, is an econ major, and works part time at a convenience store to pay for living expenses. His existence is double its original worth once he’s paid a strange visit by a guy named Masakaki.
Masakaki is actually kind of an interesting dude because he represents the law of the Financial District and is a guide to those introduced into this new world. There’s not one of him as each District has their own Masakaki of sorts. Throughout the anime, he pops up several times to inform people of major events going on and announce duels between those involved in the District.
There’s a plethora of supporting characters but I’m getting too long-winded as it is with just the main ones to detail the rest so I’ll tell you now that the show isn’t worth watching for them. Msyu is Kimimaro’s Asset and eventual love interest. Blehh. Jennifer is an exec of IMF, an organization attempting to bring down the Financial District. She, for some reason, is always eating burgers when she’s out investigating. Hanabi is the childhood friend mentioned earlier. Takedazaki is an informant in the District and general creeper with a crazy laugh.
Now, everyone part of this other world uses something called midas money to duel others and spend in the real world which is why it gets screwed over. Apparently, almost all of them are money grubbers who only fight for their own benefit. Of course, bringing “fake” money into circulation in mass quantities throws off the balance of the economy. I won’t delve too deep into the logistics because they don’t matter and I don’t fully understand the system myself. Each person has an Asset which is like… an astral being?... I don’t know, anyway, they represent their respective owner’s future and they fight in battles (duels) against other Assets like their goddamn Pokémon or something. And the whole micro-, mezo-, macro- flation based attacks are just silly. There’s a bunch of other stuff that happens in between the fighting but it’s irrelevant to the overall scheme of things. For example, you don’t find out what C is until the end. The hell?
The show doesn’t do an adequate job of explaining anything in enough detail to really understand what’s going on at any given time. As the story progresses, it gets more convoluted once you see cities digitizing into nothing along with the people inhabiting them. Countries disappear by ways of economic collapse. Organizations inside and outside the Districts have a hand in abusing midas currency, trying to prevent the future loss of nations, or attempting to preserve the present condition of those same nations. The antagonist, Souichirou, is an advocate for the present. He’s a suave businessman who holds a lot of influence in Japan as he’s at the top of the chain in the Far East District. He blames his father for the death of his sister because he prioritized his company over family. Ironically, Souichirou’s ideals become more like his dad’s after the event in that he starts believing money is power. To me though, he’s just a kid with a lot of toys but wants to play with everyone else’s. A stubborn man who pushes his values onto others because that’s the only way he knows to gain control over everything and mold Japan to his liking because he doesn’t believe in a future anymore.
In the art and sound department, [C] tries to blend 3D and 2D animation together, like in the case of duels. However, sometimes they don’t blend too well and it just starts to feel disjointed. The character and Asset designs are pretty ordinary. Although, some of the Assets are definitely more out there than others in both looks and abilities. Now as far as songs go, I enjoyed them both. The rock opening paired with the fluid animation of currency falling from the sky and flythrough into the streets of the Financial District got me pumped up for what was to come but obviously the anime itself fell short of what the songs did to hype it up for. And the endings electronic beats, percussion, and great vocals served as a great way to close each episode as the show was in a way an RPG considering how Yoga and Msyu fought tougher opponents each time to eventually end up going against Mikuni, the BOSS if you will. I think partly why I fancied the ending score was because it reminded me of East of Eden’s ending for some strange reason. The voice acting was sufficient when it was in Japanese and god awful when they started speaking English. Seriously, everything was terrible when it came to the English talk. I’ll leave it at that and you can see for yourself if you still feel the urge to hear it firsthand. Fair warning, you could be audibly raped.
My final grumbles about [C] is that I couldn’t relate to anyone or anything in the show and that made it so every emotional event that was supposed to evoke something out of me just failed miserably. Msyu losing limbs and crying out in agony didn’t even make me blink because I knew that she’d regenerate right once the duel was over. Kimimaro’s attempts to be heroic were not only boring but obvious and as a result I started liking him even less as a character. His existence value started at zero and doubling a zero is still only zero. My indifference towards it all was mostly due to the weak character development as you can tell. Msyu was probably the only one whose character evolved (not a Pokémon joke) within the story and that’s only because she didn’t know anything about being human until Kimimaro came around and ate ramen noodles in front of her. I know, right? Eating?! That’s insane!
Ultimately, what this anime boils down to is its lack of any real flow to the plot and missed attempt at drawing emotion out of the viewers whilst giving us a crash course in finances which to say it didn’t do a good job of that either. Maybe, and I’m being generous here, if they didn’t do such a horrendous job of mimicking English speakers, I’d give it one score higher. Maybe. But if time was currency, I’d definitely spend it on something else worth my attention.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Apr 23, 2011
Taro is sick in the head. Mio is sick in the head. Yuno is sick in the head. I think you can understand where this leading. Fundamentally, every single character in this anime is sick to the extreme at one dimension of their personality.
MM! is a story about the curing of a closet masochist by a sadist and the resulting shenanigans involving an androphobic, cross dresser, cult leader, prodigious inventor, lolicon etc. etc. It's basically a freak show, a twisted school drama, an exhibition of corrupted youths. But is that good?
Well, overall, the fetish humor had its moments. I especially found it golden when they
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spoofed another classic of an anime during a pervert battle sequence. I know it's been parodied a hundred times before but I still liked it. And I chuckled when the mom and sister had their scenes. Other than that, most of the time it jumped back and forth between the boundary of funny/distasteful.
What really brought the enjoyment down a level for me was that from beginning to end Taro made as much progress in his rehabilitation as a homosexual trying to turn straight. It's funny because that situation is the primary conflict in one of the episodes and yet I found it irritating instead of entertaining.
I really believed from the first few episodes that there would be some honest character development for Sado and the others even with the mass amounts of bodily abuse and constant vulgarity. After sitting through half of the season, I realized it wasn't going anywhere in terms of plot advancement. How frustrating. As for romance, that portion sort of rubbed me in a familiar fashion. Not in a good way, however, because it's a formula that's been done and done better by other animes.
All in all, it's not a memorable show. If you're strictly seeking potent perverted comedy and nothing else then I recommend you watch this. If you're not of the "scum of the Earth" or "pig boy" demographic than I beseech you to pass up MM! in light of something aimed at "upstanding citizens of society"...
Just a joke. You're not scum. Don't hurt me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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