Don't go into this show thinking it'll be your typical magical/fantasy Shoujo. Ayashi no Ceres is a dark and often-times terrifying anime with a lot packed into 24 episodes. From start to finish, it's an intense ride.
1. The Story
The titular character, Ceres, is from the legend of a celestial being who descends onto Earth and has her celestial robe stolen by a human man when she's taking a bath. The man forces her to become his wife, hiding the robe from her, until many years later she retrieves it and is able to return to the heavens. Her story is based off a fairy tale,
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and personally I found this the most original thing about Ayashi no Ceres - the marriage of the fantastical with hard reality and science. If you ever wondered what modern man would do with an angel if they ever found one, this show attempts to answer just that. Another interesting feature in the story is how everything is given an explanation - granted the science of it probably isn't very accurate, but even Ceres herself is (sort of) made sense of.
The anime is very plot-heavy - almost from the get-go you're tossed into its story, which just continues to build tension up until the very end. There's lots of drama, action, tragedy and horror - definitely nothing you'd expect from your usual Shoujo. But there are enough light-hearted and funny scenes in the earlier half to balance all the darkness.
Ayashi no Ceres is also incredibly gory and violent - the show doesn't shy away from gruesome deaths or killing off characters in horrendous ways. And that's what I like about it - the anime is bold and uncompromising, especially given its target audience of adolescent girls. Other mature themes include attempted rape, incest, abuse and psychological trauma, to name a few. But nothing feels forced, it all fits in to the context of the story or characters, so the show doesn't delve into such things just for the sake of being 'edgy'.
That being said, you do get a heavy dose of the usual cliches like amnesia, false memories, coming back from the dead, the miracle-worker Q-san and a plot-device in the form of Mana. But given how such an intricate story concludes within 24 episodes, there are fewer holes in the plot than would be expected, and the tropes can be forgiven - most of the times.
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2. The Characters
The main protagonist is a regular 16-year-old girl named Aya, who by virtue of her bloodline is suddenly thrown into a series of horrible events that really make you feel for her, even if her character comes off a little poorly constructed at times. She's joined by a host of others, all different enough in their own ways to bring something new to the table.
The show focuses more on the story than it does on character development - few of them get any real growth, which is a shame considering the drastic events they have to go through. But they all have enough backstory to keep them interesting and relatable.
The show is also pretty kind to one of the main antagonists, Kagami - we're given enough insight into his past and thought-process to understand why he is the way he is. Sadly the same can't be said for the main baddy (not gonna spoil anything here), who really needed a more valid excuse for himself.
Without giving too much away, the most intriguing character was definitely Ceres herself. Is she good? Is she evil? Is she justified in her actions? The show tosses a lot of the characters at you and leaves you to pass your own judgement - with the exception of Aya, who you're supposed to root for throughout.
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3. The Pairings
While the pairing isn't _the_ main focus of the anime, it's definitely a large part of it. Again it's a little disheartening that the show had to resort to shoving in a love triangle, but with that ignored, the main pairing is nicely done. It's paced out pretty well throughout the show, and Aya is refreshingly honest with her feelings and decisions. She doesn't dilly-dally like most Shoujo heroines and is proactive in her love life at least (if not in much else), which is such a breath of fresh air.
Considering how much the characters have to put up with, the romance is believable and sometimes the only ray of hope against the depressing backdrop. I personally liked it, even if it wasn't anything to write home about.
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4. Art & Music
Although the drawing style - especially for the characters - may come off a bit outdated for modern-day viewers, the show does a brilliant job of creating atmosphere through the background designs. For instance, scenes take on vulgar, disturbing reddish hues when you know something bad is about to go down, and really help make the moment more dramatic. In contrast, the more tender scenes are accompanied by music pieces that really fit the mood.
Scenes that are meant to be scary really come off so, and the show doesn't shy away from being grotesque at times. So despite being over a decade old, Ayashi no Ceres holds itself up well. Not a pinnacle of animation, but decent enough to get you through it, and sometimes good enough to leave an impression.
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In conclusion, it's worth watching if you're looking for something out-of-the-ordinary, especially in terms of Shoujo anime. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer's attention. It's an unforgiving story - bad things happen to good people - but that's also part of its charm. Ayashi no Ceres is a rare gem that doesn't set out to please anyone, but to tell a story - and what a great story it is! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it. And since everything concludes within the span of 24 episodes, it's not like you've lost a lot by watching it.
It's graphic, disturbing, unforgettable and the ending isn't a particularly happy one, but then why should it be? Watch Ayashi no Ceres if you want a show with a story the creator was really passionate about - otherwise, I dunno, stick to those shows about cute girls doing cute things.
Apr 7, 2017
Ayashi no Ceres
(Anime)
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Don't go into this show thinking it'll be your typical magical/fantasy Shoujo. Ayashi no Ceres is a dark and often-times terrifying anime with a lot packed into 24 episodes. From start to finish, it's an intense ride.
1. The Story The titular character, Ceres, is from the legend of a celestial being who descends onto Earth and has her celestial robe stolen by a human man when she's taking a bath. The man forces her to become his wife, hiding the robe from her, until many years later she retrieves it and is able to return to the heavens. Her story is based off a fairy tale, ... 
Jul 1, 2016
Super Lovers
(Anime)
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This anime...was very unsettling. This is my first review so be kind. Now let me try and break it down without giving out too much in the way of spoilers.
1. The Story So our uke/sub/bottom, Ren, grew up in Canada and was more or less raised by wolves (???) but unfortunately that's probably the least ridiculous thing about this anime. The seme/dom/top, Haru, meets him there where he becomes his caretaker and tries to teach him how to live like a civilized human in modern society (Oh the irony, but more on that later). A seven-year timeskip and unnecessarily dramatic plot device later, Ren ends up ... |
