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I think 'abstract' is the best way to describe this so called 'movie'.

If you read the synopsis and look at the picture - what you see is literally what you get.

To refine it into further detail: legs are dawdling about on the screen - setting up many ways to... wear the shoes, walk on the shoes and dance on the shoes. To add more excitement - an accordion is playing in the background in harmonious synchrony while the legs are doing its business with the shoes. Yeah...

So suffice to say, this 'movie' is... a time waster... that's the honest truth... Even as a skit on ... youtube it'll be something that you'll watch for the first 10 seconds before disregarding it as another shit video.

If you have a foot fetish... you might like it? I don't want to guarantee anything since it'll probably be a massive let down with its close to zero animation detail - you might as well watch grass grow (seriously).

It's art... and it was in the anime section so I watched it - only to realise I wasted 4 minutes of my life... 'Mars of Destruction' is 'The Godfather' compared to this....

So yeah... for the love of God, 'try' not to waste your time like I did. And if you do go watch it... Shame on you...

Whether the medium is anime, books, food or clothes - originality has always been a difficult thing to achieve. As the years go by, more unique materials are used and it becomes even harder to find what's 'truly original'. What you'll get are constant situations of "... hey doesn't this remind you of THAT film?" Luckily, there's very few settings, if any, similar to 'Sakasama no Patema (Patema Inverted)' - it's a breath of fresh air and definitely something that's 'original'.

In a world where gravity has changed, the lives of a young girl named Patema and a young boy called Age (Eiji) are explored - ... whatever falls in Patema's world goes up in Age's and of course whatever falls in Age's world goes up in Patema's. Together they have to traverse a multitude of obstacles as they discover hidden secrets and avoid near-death moments.

While the setting is very refreshing, the same cannot be entirely said for the plot. In its rawest form, the film tackles a lot of the same thematic problems in society that have been portrayed in many other films - differences in religion, racism and beliefs. On top of that the use of 'forbidden love' isn't something we haven't seen before either. However, using the writers own unique world of physics, one cannot argue that this is still an effective way to show the ideas without having the same settings shoved down our throats.

The best parts of the film was definitely the beginning to the middle portion, 'setting up' the unique world. With a simple 'flip' of the camera, a new perspective of the story takes place and your attention will be constantly glued to the screen when this happens. But, as it reached towards the end - it felt rushed and clichés started to become more obvious. What you get is a plot that tries to flow consistently with missing parts in between - something along the lines of: episode 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 15, 20, 26 etc. Not saying you'll lose your interest, just that it becomes... somewhat... incomplete. This is probably due to the short run time - maybe an extra 30 minutes would've supplemented the gaps - it isn't a huge problem, but some of the missing parts may come down to self interpretation in order for you to accept the events that unfold.

However, that's about the biggest gripe I had with the film. Perhaps the deeper themes and plots may not be the strongest points, but what makes the film great is 'how' it explores these two vastly different worlds and I can assure you that it doesn't disappoint.

We start off by following the simple lives of these two youngsters and what they feel upon discovering each others inverted world. There's a real down to earth sense and it's portrayed very naturally. There's chemistry between Patema and Age, their relationship goes through a believable development and their motivations and reasons for doing things feel realistic and instinctive - it's where this anime has substance. Granted they won't necessarily be characters you'll love but you'll enjoy the actions and interactions they have to go through.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the supporting casts - relying more on stereotypes in which we've seen countless times. The word clichéd sums it up nicely. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good, you never truly come to terms as to what their motivations are or why they're doing it. They aren't the main focus of this premise so don't think too much, the film will be more enjoyable if you just focus your attention solely on Patema and Age.

Now we reach the presentation part, the character designs don't stand out too much. Sticking more to the 'down to earth' and simplistic drawings but it works and probably succeeds a lot better had it been completely detailed instead. However, does Sakasama no Patema do a good job in painting this fictional world? Hell yes!

The budget was obviously not really an issue since the detail in a lot of the places definitely shine - I'm talking about the scenery. The film separates the two worlds of Patema and Age very well - one being a worn-down, dark, isolated underground and the other being a bright, vivid and fresh outer world. The colour palette used to differentiate these two worlds help focus on the exploration aspect. Also, I think this contrast plays a pivotal role within the film - while one world may seem cramped and tight spaced; this world is the one with more freedom amongst the people while the supposed independent society of the people on the surface are suppressed. The animation has definitely complimented the overall atmosphere and mood of these opposite worlds and without the quality of the animation it just wouldn't feel... right.

I have to make one quick mention about the detail of the sky as well - the feeling of fear definitely shows on each and individual characters. Never has the idea of falling into the sky been so terrifying - the psychological implications can be quite daunting if you're scared of heights. The combination of 'flipping' the camera and drawings of the sky harmonise well together to create this feeling. I don't believe there's any other anime which make use of it so well so treasure these moments well.

Subtle, is how I would describe the overall music. Unless you really pay attention, the music doesn't stand out too much, kinda like listening to the pouring rain outside of your window. However it's suitable within the context of the film, not really too much to complain. The voice actors/actresses have nicely brought the characters to life; especially the two main casts. They genuinely sound like their age and how they would react to this unexplored setting.

I feel like I've said the film is about exploration too many times. But seriously, the film is most definitely worth watching for only that purpose and if my interpretation in this review hasn't shown that then I don't know what will :P

It's a really good story, it doesn't waste its potential which I'm glad. Granted it could've been better had it received a longer run-time. I'm not gonna say "if you like shows such as this or this you'll like Sakasama no Patema". I'm gonna just tell you to go watch it. While it isn't perfect, it's one of the rare shows that you could show to any audience (even your parents who don't watch anime) and they'll still find something to like about it. It's comparable to 'Inception', 'The Matrix', or 'A Clockwork Orange' - the initial concept is simply too interesting to pass up, it'll be a shame if you skip on it without stepping into the world of 'Sakasama no Patema'.

ABRIDGED RATING:

Story 8 - Great concept, doesn't waste its potential but could explore the deeper themes if the film was given more time.

Characters 7 - The main characters Age and Patema are nicely introduced and developed, supporting cast are clichéd

Animation 8 - Excellent work with the camera angles. Character designs are down to earth and simple. Different environments portrayed nicely - especially the sky

Sound 6 - Music is suitable in the context of this film. Doesn't particularly stand out unless you pay attention. Subtle is the best word to describe it. Voice actors/actresses portray realistic characters.

Enjoyment 8 - Pleasantly surprised at the original concept, main characters are likable. I can feel the chemistry between them.

Overall 7.4 - Good film, definitely worth checking out.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)
The Cat Returns (Neko no Ongaeshi)

Cowboy Bebop is an absolute classic. Most people would say this is 'the pinnacle of all anime shows'. While there are some aspects of the show I liked, to say that this is the BEST of the BEST seems a little far-fetched to me.

Cowboy Bebop is set in the distant future where space travel has been developed. Bounty hunters exist around the solar system to capture criminals and survive by being rewarded for their bounty. The story centres around 4 main characters - Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV (or Ed) and it tells us of their journeys ... and struggles.

I'll get a lot of the repeated praises out of the way first, before people completely disregard the whole review for the issues I had with the show.

The animation is splendid - that, I simply cannot deny. For a 1998 anime, the quality definitely rivals the most up to date ones and still surpasses a vast majority of them. The movements of the characters and attention to detail in the backgrounds are so crisp clean, it is virtually eye candy for any viewer.

Another thing Cowboy Bebop succeeds in is the soundtrack. The opening song 'Tank!' is one of the most iconic tune in anime history and will be immediately recognised by most anime watchers. Although the opening song and background music aren't suited to my tastes (by that I mean I wouldn't listen to them on my MP3 player) it sets the mood perfectly for a lot of the scenes within the show. Another compliment goes to the ending theme song 'The real folk blues' which I frickin love (Now THAT is on my MP3 playlist).

As for the voice acting, both the English and Japanese voice actors/actresses have done a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. Their performances in their own respective languages has virtually no flaws. So if you ask me which language to watch it in, it would be - it doesn't matter, both are good, it really is up to you.

Now here's where I must be careful of what I say...

So why couldn't I enjoy this as much as the 99% of people who declare that this is the definition of masterpiece? I guess the main reason would be the episodic nature of the show. Of course this is subjective from person to person. I personally would have liked to see the characters have an overall goal where a satisfying conclusion is met rather than individual episodes with their own plots.

But that isn't where the real problem lies. A good show should have a great start which draws the viewer in, a strong central story where character development can take place and finally, it should have a memorable ending. Unfortunately, the first few episodes of Cowboy Bebop aren't that entertaining. It's average at best but nothing spectacular to draw the audience into the show, if anything pretty standard fair to introduce all the characters.

It picks up its pace and starts to get interesting when it reaches the episode 'Ballad of Fallen Angels' (episode 5). I don't want to spoil anything, but this is the first episode where the anime gets more serious. We learn a little about Spike's past and it starts to get more fascinating... BUT here's where I feel Cowboy Bebop fails at. The episode just ends. It side tracks to something else. The next episode is something completely different, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it feels that what I've just seen gets abandoned - tossed to the side. Any tension built up from the previous episode is just gone and this happens throughout the show and I get really irritated.

I want to know more, but it never gives me that satisfaction. It's like the series is about to show something interesting, but then completely forgets about it in .5 of a second. It would be okay if the episodes after the 'serious' ones were JUST AS fascinating. But this simply isn't the case. They are decent/fine at best and this contrast from watching something amazing to plain average constantly gives the feeling of disappointment. Now this doesn't make it a bad show. It just means the series is average to worth watching at best but nothing spectacular for it to be called a 'masterpiece'.

One more thing to add to the individual plots for the other episodes. It is either hit or miss in terms of how entertaining it is. There were some which I would have liked a continuation of, however, in most cases it just ends. It isn't a coincidence that the only episodes I genuinely enjoyed were the ones where they reveal a little about why the characters are the way they are now - a prime example would be Faye Valentines past. And as for the other episodes, I feel "meh" towards them.

Finally, for the ending... it's very good... I don't want to talk about it as it contains spoilers. All I can say is, it's a very fitting way to end the show. (yay! another compliment!)

Maybe I'm being too harsh in this review... hmm... okay... so if the story isn't a masterpiece, surely the characters should be able to 'carry' the series - so entertaining that simple actions by them make the whole show a masterpiece. Unfortunately, they aren't the most jaw dropping fascinating characters I've seen. Now before you shoot me down with a bazooka: allow me to explain; the main characters are very interesting but I feel that the show does nothing with them. I understand that Spike is supposed to be cool but the story doesn't do much to show that. Yes he is good looking, yes he has a sense of justice, yes he fights like a boss but... that seems like a stereotype to me. I would have liked to know more about his past, what did he suffer to become the way he is? Why is he so attached to Julia? These kind of questions pop-up not just for Spike but for the other main characters too. One possible reason for this could be Cowboy Bebop only has 26 episodes, it's quite difficult to explain everything in such a short time span.

Though the biggest problem for me was the supporting characters. I simply didn't give a damn about them. I wasn't particularly attached to them nor were they particularly memorable. Naturally for an episodic show like this, there are guaranteed to be characters which will be more interesting than others. The problem is, I felt no attachment to approximately 95% of the characters.

Let me give an example of one of the supporting characters, Vicious. He is the most interesting support character (in my opinion) and is supposedly the villain of the show but I can't help but question things like "why is Vicious like this?", "why is he supposedly the villain?", "what are his motivations?" It feels as though he's just there for us to 'agree' that he is a bad guy when there's no real reason for it. This is what I mean by the contrast of the serious episodes to the non-serious ones. I'm about to learn something from Vicious but the next episode just completely abandons the idea with the metaphorical 'episodic reset button'.

All in all though, the main characters aren't bad but they aren't ones where I would stare in awe at everything they say. The supporting characters are - well to put it bluntly, weak. By that I mean they simply aren't memorable and it's not something where you would look back and go "maaan that young child who shot Spike is so cool - he's one really likable character" I hope at least one or two people can catch the gist of what I'm trying to say.

Now, let me just say Cowboy Bebop is by no means a bad show. Far from it actually. It passes with flying colours in the presentation aspect but I simply couldn't buy into the episodic style of the story with characters that didn't really do anything. I just don't think it truly is the 'pinnacle of all anime shows'. However, it harbours a 'worth watching' in my rating system and should be viewed by anyone as it is STILL a classic.

This anime is pretty darn interesting! (what a dull introduction).

I mean for a harem/ecchi anime, it was just pure mindless fun. The thing that needs to be noted though is that this shouldn't be taken too seriously. If you are expecting deep character development and an amazing story line, then this anime isn't for you!

Now for the rest of you... I'm gonna keep this short (hopefully) since it's my first review.

If you are feeling down or your brain needs a rest after writing a 10 000 word thesis, Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou is a pretty good cure to prevent you from slitting your wrists. No ... need to think deeply about plot twists, or your life problems... Just sit back, watch and enjoy...

I do have to warn viewers that I had low expectations for this so I may be kinda biased haha, don't worry though it shouldn't be too bad.

Story:
It's a harem/ecchi anime, there really isn't much of a plot till you start reaching the end of the show and even then you'll hardly care much for the plot. It's mostly just a bunch of entertaining characters doing stupid or perverted stuff, which you should be expecting anyway when looking at this genre.

Art:
It really depends on the person if they enjoy the artwork style. To me I feel consistency is most important and there's absolutely no problem here. If anything, the animation is pretty good, implementing CG effects throughout the show as well as beautifully drawn female characters (duh!).

Sound:
The opening and ending songs are suitable for an anime in this genre. They are neither catchy or memorable. Again, this is just opinion. Music throughout the show seems non-existent, you'll hardly know it's even there.
As for the voice acting, I've only seen the Japanese dub and there was no problem here. In fact the voice actors/actresses are pretty well known (Yuuki Aoi, Toyosaki Aki, etc) so good quality acting is most likely guaranteed.

Character:
The characters are pretty much your one dimensional females (its a harem anime what do you expect!). Despite this, you are bound to like at least one of them depending on what your ideal girl is.
As for the main character Akuto - he certainly isn't one of those typical main guys who seems to either be an ass, *cough* Makoto Itou *cough* or a pussy. In fact, he is a bad ass character who seems to have appeared from an action anime. He is the only one that develops in this anime. He tells us his ideals which are pretty admirable or agreeable.

Enjoyment:
Again I have to reiterate that this anime is for pure fun. It should be watched when you are bored and it shouldn't be taken too seriously. If all these factors are taken into account, I would have to say that this is definitely one of the most memorable and funny HAREM/ECCHI animes that I have seen. I also think that this is quite underrated, probably because it's in this genre and no one can take it seriously.

Final Score is 7.5/10 (can't get half ratings, but I'm trying to be nice here!) purely for the reason that it's the first and only harem/ecchi anime that will stick in my head compared to the hundreds that are out there.