Now and Then, Here and There #1:
Discord and Doom
CPM
125 minutes
English/Japanese
English Subtitles
01/08/2002
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Now and Then, Here and There #1:
CPM
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You could make the observation that the images at fan-service.com could be accurately described as a gallery of "Girls looking somewhat perturbed while off center on the screen" and you'd be justifiably correct. I wouldn't argue with you, anyway. I don't know exactly what it is that makes me choose those pictures when I'm sifting through the DVD but if there's one in there you're basically assured that it will show up. Please, don't ask me for reasons because I don't got 'em. I guess I just figure when I see those, that the director had something to say in that scene with all it's wonderfully awkward silence and total lack of animation. Or you could chalk it up to the fact that I'm all about the chicks with short hair, albeit I prefer those who are animated in bed and not on the screen. Either way, it doesn't really matter to me. This was another show I deliberated long and hard over what kind of rating to give it. I know that people probably don't care, but I enjoy holding myself to the idea that there's a large group of people out there who hold their breath to find out what I'm gonna review next, and what group I'm going to attempt to offend. While this isn't true in any sense, it's a nice confidence builder. At least I know I've got Andrew, my proofreader, on the case 24/7. As for anyone else, who gives a damn? Sure I'd love to be one of those famous type people, but honestly, I kind of enjoy writing here, for whatever reason. |
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So I gave it a five, normally reserved for things with robots. And while Now and Then has its share of stove bellied monstrosities and your occasional dragon robot... mechanized monsters are not the normal fare of the show. No, it's about something way more important than that. I hadn't been entirely enthralled with Akitaroh Daichi's work before, I liked Jubei-chan for some reason, but I couldn't really explain it and I was hesitant to inform my friends of that because I didn't want them to think I was some sort of loser anime pervert. All in all, I think those reasons are entirely fair. Mr. Daichi does something completely different here. I came into Now and Then with the expectation of some trite show about happy preteens saving the sad world of the future by teaching the evil dictators how to love, and I assumed that very triteness was the reason why it was getting such high acclaim everywhere else. It's been awhile since it came out, and all I really remember is people on the AnimeonDVD.com message boards raving about how good it was. "Yeah, right." I spat, scornfully, "If you like crappy anime about talking pets and people who never stop smiling." |
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But crap man, I don't know if ANYONE smiles after the first episode's over, except for the mad king of Hellywood, the tower where the main character Shu and the silent girl he's trying to protect end up after a pretty eventful battle on top of the smoke stacks of an abandoned factory. And I really don't think King Hamdo really counts, because the dude is crazier than the Trix rabbit and twice as ugly. But at the same time, while his attitude seems absolutely ridiculous it's more real than you'd imagine. If I could choose one word to describe Here and There it would be frank. If Nadesico is the kind of show that can grab you by your lapels then this show is the kind that rips your shirt off and ties you to a chair for a good old Hanoi-style whipping. Daichi is more excellent than I would've ever expected here, just judging by his earlier works. Many times during the show I bit down too hard on my delicious Junior Stiko** as some totally unexpected cut broadsided me like a fat chick at Eygpt. Unexpected yes, but without a doubt well placed. Daichi knows exactly what he's doing, so much so that I can forgive even the white flower floating away in the wind used to symbolize the character's loss of innocence. A bit predictable, yes, but appropriate all the same. Mr. Daichi is the man with the plan, and if you intend to take him up about it you'd be wise to remember what I was saying about those Hanoi beat downs. |
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No time is wasted in informing you of how shitty a place like Hellywood is and how much better of you are simply by not being there. Consider yourself fortunate that you're not some weird son of Tattoo from Fantasy Island. Dubbing is generally excellent, with Crispin Freeman (a favorite of mine) voicing the Vegeta look-alike Tabool. Ed Paul, a name unfamiliar to me, does a real bang up job with the main character. The only real problem I could pick out of the dub, if I had to, is that all the younger characters sound a bit too big for their britches. But when you think about it, wouldn't you rather have that than all the children being acted by women? After awhile, that really started to piss me off. I know there are men that can raise their voice an octave out there... barring that, make some of them eunuchs. I'm sure they won't mind the sacrifice once they heard how it was going to a very noble cause, my perfectionist tastes in regards to anime. What I most appreciate about Now and Then is that it doesn't blow it's wad too early like most (basically all, upon thinking about it) anime is wont to do. What happened to all the water in the future that it's in such short supply? Why does the army of Hellywood consist almost entirely of young teenagers? What the hell is a character that might as well just be Whip from King of Fighters doing there? Most importantly, how come all the guns are tied up with string like so much amateur bondage work? It would unthinkable for something as mundane as Cyber Madamoiselle Hinata not to answer all these things within the span of four episodes, but Now and Then proves that it's only too willing to forge ahead into new territory. Unlike myself, who is very afraid of virgins. |
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