Aug 8, 2012
Eden of the East was one of the better anime programs in recent years and it is probably reasonable enough to argue that the amount of good quality animes have decreased consistently since the mid-naughties. The King of Eden does suggest that the audience should have prior knowledge of the show either as a display of the writer and director's confidence or as a suggestion of its popularity in Japan.
It is difficult to grasp that the film begins six months after the show's climax in the program as the characters hardly discuss the events that have passed. The fantastic character of Takisawa appears fairly late
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in the film which wasn't hoped for as the other lead character, Saki Maromi, is a dull and one-dimensional character who is far to obedient towards Takisawa's erratic requests; Even the film poster displayed on the left-hand side looks as though Moromi is just being dragged around Times Square against her free will.
All of the other recurring minor characters were lumped together in one room and the scenes that contained them were particularly dull and the problem they suffer at the end of the film was too laid out as the solution to the problem was referenced earlier in the film (regarding the phone). The new characters that were introduced did not seem to have much personality and it added to the sense that little time or effort had gone into the script-writing. The character named Number Eleven, for example, refers to herself as being a guardian angel - therefore the way her scarf blew in two directions (to metaphor angel wings) seemed slightly obvious and incomprehensible if stood near a plane engine.
The story itself was never particularly engaging, at least not to the levels of its previous program and very few locations seem to be explored, despite the backdrop of New York City. The animation was beautiful and the music was also gratifying, though the theme-song was again, a step down from the program.
Overall, it is a disappointment that does little to add to the franchise that lacks the pace and mystery of its ancestor. It is a perfectly acceptable watch in which the sheer beauty of its animation alone could be worth watching - but it seemed fairly unnecessary and lacking in conviction.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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