Customer Reviews

Fantastic Children, Vol. 1

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This series is for those who like mysteries. We are given small, tanatizing bits and pieces about the children and their past lives, and then in episode four it begins to give the three new characters some depth so we'll care about them and want to find out more. This series has many layers, which stir up questions like: What does that picture of a moon and a boat mean? Who are the 'ghosts' that only some people can see? What is the source of what seems to be super-technology that the white haired children possess, for which they have been called 'demons'? And how in heck are they reincarnating themselves? I'll definitely be checking out disc 2.

I was introduced to Fantastic Children by its soundtrack, which I enjoyed for it's unique selection of instruments. Though I got the soundtrack with this special edition, it took me some time to watch the included volume of the anime. That being said, I will say that the soundtrack was what made this box so valuable, because after I finally sat down to watch the DVD, I found myself a little confused and put off by what I was seeing in the early episodes.

I'll explain: The story, from what I was able to read about Fantastic Children, was actually what drew me to this rather unremarkable anime. It's about a group of children who seem to be hunting for someone important to their future while running from someone who has hunted them from their past. All of these kids have one major thing in common, and that is their white hair. Some have magical powers, and others are exceptional at fighting, but what is clear is that these children have a history that dates back quite some time. They are known as "The Children of Befort."

This is established in the first episode, and in the first episode the main problem I had was also presented. Not only does it jump a decade and more into the future, but it introduces three entirely new and very regular children. One is a martial arts expert who seems to actually be the real hero of the series (a conclusion I came to after watching the DVD the whole way through); the other is a quiet girl who likes to draw pictures; and the last is a young boy who is very protective of the girl.

And then, later, a detective is introduced who seems to be hunting for the Children of Befort... It all was actually a bit too much, and this was in the first three episodes. The bouncing around in the time-lines, and the constant stream of characters, had my head spinning. I was unable to grasp any real storyline until the plot finally focused itself in the fourth episode on Thoma (the martial artist) and his quest to help Helga (the quiet girl) escape from an orphanage. But it still left a lot of questions unanswered, especially regarding the Children of Befort.

Despite all of that, though, I was surprised by how angry I was at being left out of the story. Could it be that Fantastic Children had tricked me with a very subtle cliffhanger? I think so, and looking back I realize that this volume had just enough to catch my interest to where I would definitely purchase the second volume. And not only that, but the animation, which at first seemed a little childish and somewhat dated, turned out to be refreshingly unique with a lot of fluid moments of action. And of course this collection contains the soundtrack, which matches this mysterious anime very well. Because of that, I added a point to the rating. In fact, with the exception of the confusing story (and maybe a somewhat lackluster dub) this is a solid purchase.

As for recommendations, if you enjoyed Now and Then, Here and There then you may find something in Fantastic Children worth watching. While the story in this anime isn't nearly as dramatic as Now and Then, it definitely is the focus over the animation.

Mysterious anime can be either some of the best or most painful around. The key deciding factor seems to be if the series quickly establishes a solid bedrock around which the hows and whys are obscured or if it just throws a bunch a plotlines out there in a confusing manner. Fantastic Children is one of the latter type which mistakes confusion for mystery and suspense. Plus is it just not entertaining to watch. Each episode lasts only fifteen minutes but the plot is so obtuse and incoherent that it feels three times as long.

These first five episodes introduce no less than five different plotlines. The story primarily centers around the Befort Children, a group of white-haired gifted youngsters with a severely limited lifespan that resurrect in a new body every hundred years. The Befort Children apppear to be looking for something and the key lies in a painter named Christine. Unfortunately, the artist dies before they can track her down. Add to all this, the Children's enemies, both human and supernatural, that seek to impede them. A subplot is also introduced involving a police detective that is tracking missing children, children which happen to be the Befort group's hosts. The perspective then shifts to a tropical island. A boy named Thoma helps a girl named Helga, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Christine, escape from an abusive orphanage. While on the lamb, they encounter a fugitive who appears to be a shriveled old woman but claims to be a teenager. You can definitely see some overlap in these plotlines but Fantastic Children would have been better served to develope one or two of them. The story as it is lacks purpose, shape, or coherency.

On a purely aesthetic note, Fantastic Children utilizes a style of character design that went out with cel-animation. This retro-style uses simple designs and rather unattractive facial features like long beak-like noses and misshapen potatoe heads. This might be a barrier if you are used to the really stream-lined look of recent anime series.