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4.0 out of 5 stars
3 Japanese animated stories of the difficulty of young love, August 4, 2003
This review is from: Animated Classics of Japanese Literature: The Season of the Sun/ Student Days/ The Grave of the Wild Chrysanthemum [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Anime buffs should not be put off by the series title, "Animated Classics of Japanese Literature," which has an unmistakable classroom feel about it, on the order of, "This is GOOD for you." While it may indeed be enriching after all, the fact remains that this particular volume offers powerful storytelling with a distinct literary tone that should intrigue serious anime fans. All three 24-minute stories here share the common theme of the difficulty of young love and all are relentlessly downbeat. "Season of the Sun" follows the whirlwind affair of a trim, handsome high school boxer and a thrill-seeking girl during summer vacation. "Student Days" follows the efforts of a student in early 20th century Japan to cram for a university entrance exam and win the heart of a pretty, vivacious neighbor, only to find himself competing, on both counts, with his younger brother. "The Grave of the Wild Chrysanthemum" shows what happens when two cousins, a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, in a rural Japanese farm town find their close relationship gossiped about by townsfolk and other family members. When the boy goes off to school, family pressures on the girl lead to tragic results.
The character design is probably a little simpler than these serious stories require. The animation of the characters is noticeably stiff throughout, although more so in the first episode than in the others. The second story is easily the best designed and animated. The background settings in all three are meticulously detailed and beautifully rendered. The first story is set in 1955 and is surprisingly erotically charged, featuring love-making and nude shots of both of the main characters, making this segment the least suitable for showing in classrooms. The two remaining stories are more chaste and feature the characters in traditional Japanese garb. While all three stories have tragic elements, the third is particularly tearjerking.
For anime fans who develop a keen interest in Japanese culture and history, the most rewarding anime productions are the ones that offer insight into Japanese customs and mores. Aside from the introduction to three works of Japanese literature, this tape, in Japanese with English subtitles, shows western viewers a vivid and fascinating look back at earlier eras of Japanese life, which at first glance may seem far removed from the seemingly more freewheeling antics of "Tenchi Muyo," "Love Hina" and "His and Her Circumstances," to name a few, but on closer inspection, actually have much in common with them.
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