Customer Reviews

Romeo x Juliet: The Complete Tragedy

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

 

 

Romeo x Juliet is vaguely based on Shakespeare's play. We all know the story - Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love, even though their families are sworn enemies against each other. While the story generally follows the original, there are some twists.

The story starts off with Juliet, a young girl who is forced to disguise herself as a boy for reasons unknown to her until her sixteenth birthday. During this time, she works as the city's Zorro, called the Red Whirlwind who saves the people from criminals. Right when the secrets of her past are revealed to her, she meets the love of her life, Romeo, and later both discover the truths behind their families' dark secrets.

I'm not going to spoil the rest of the tale, but the change of events from the first primitive are intriguing. I liked the way they made Juliet with a strong and brave personality and style instead of the weak and delicate nature of the original Juliet. The whole concept of the world being called Neo Verona floating on a cloud and being supported by a tree along with flying horses adds to the imaginative side of the plot.

Although I did not truly get "into it" it was still enjoyable to watch and it kept me interested enough to continue. The last few episodes were extremely intense even though I was slightly disappointed the way it ended. I found it annoying when they never stayed consistent with the language (i.e. switching back in forth between normal English and the Shakespearean English.) The drawing was beautiful and simple filled with color and vigor. The voices of the English dubbed were all right and the music was excellent.

All in all, great anime, I recommend it to anybody who is interested in this era of time or story, or anyone who just wants an incredible tragedy to watch.

I truly loved this anime. I accidentally stumbled upon it on Hulu.com and decided to order the DVD for my collection and to watch it again at a later date.
I was surprised though that Verona (Neo Verona in the anime) was a floating land mass! And to make it more interesting it was held up by the roots of two trees. But what would you expect from animes right? Now if you think this a surprise get ready for another one: a sword wielding Juliet (you go girl!). All this aside I loved the way they developed the attraction between Romeo and Juliet from beginning till end. I also loved that the English dubbed version incorporated Shakespearean dialogue for most of the anime. I think this was appropriate although I would agree with one review that noticed it didn't quite carry all the way to the end. I didn't watch this subbed so I can't comment on the Japanese voices. I think the English voice cast were well-suited for their roles. This is not a DVD for young ones due to tones of violence. I'm glad they weren't any "overly intimate" scenes between the two lovers unlike the one with Olivia Hussey where there was a bed scene. I think if the writers incorporated that in this anime it would kill that innocence and purity of their love. I loved the action scenes as well and since I've already posted spoilers I am not going to give away anymore. Well, maybe just one more: Tybalt's cute with his swords ;)

absolutely amazing. This series is really worth the money, you won't regret it. But Warning, it will bewitch you, and it will broke your heart and still you will be in love with it... great anime series

I've always been a fan of the classic play of the same name, so I was excited that an anime adaption was in the works. But I never expected anything like this... I've been enjoying anime for many years, and I don't think any other series I've watched has moved and warmed my heart more than "Romeo x Juliet."

William Shakespear's classic tale of these two star crossed lovers is taken to a whole new level of excitement, action, suspence, and romance--all housed within a complete series box set. Romeo is a young noblemen and the son of the ruthless Prince Montegue who has brought the helpless and innocent people of Neo Verona to their knees. Juliet is the last surviving member of the slain Capulat family and Neo Verona's only hope for a brighter future. Although they are supposed to despise one another, these two young people simply cannot deny the strong love that they instantly share for each other upon their first meeting. But as they fight to keep their love alive against all odds, will they also be able to end the reign of the vicious tirant Prince Montegue?

This adaption is very loosly based on the play, so not everything is entirely by-the-book. But in the end, the moral of the story is still the same: that the power of true love is strong enough to overcome all obsticals, no matter what.

What more can I say, other than this is an amazing buy! But words really don't do this anime justice--You have to WATCH it. I highly reccomend this product. It may be a little pricey, but you will not regret it!

When starting this anime series I didn't know what to think. Did I buy another childish show? Were my hopes too high? Well no... and no... I fell in love with this anime within the first 4 episodes. The story doesn't unfold right away and the beginning of the series can seem quite annoying with a 'Carmen Sandiego' character as a hero figure. The basic love story is quite the same and the the similarities are what make this anime worth watching. The twists in the storyline are a plus and the fact that an assumed William S. himself is in the story as it is happening is amazing! I had bought this product without knowing what I was getting and I couldn't be more happy. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good classic such as anything written by Shakespeare or a story such as The Count of Monte Cristo (another great anime series).

This was probably the best, and certainly one of the best, animes I have seen to date...all the way up until the end.

While it is nothing like the real Romeo & Juliet, this series is brilliant and fun all the same. The only similarities, in truth, between this and Shakespeare's work are the names...beyond that, this story of masked adventurers, daring capers, tyrannical princes and bloody coups resembles the original in no way. Which is not a criticism, merely an observation -- if you watch this expecting a true-to-the-play tale, you will be disappointed. Also, for Shakespeare aficionados, approach this with a sense of humor, or you may well be livid -- the flirty, flighty, silly, butt wagging, badgered momma's boy "Willy" Shakespeare who appears in this series is, without a doubt, hilarious...provided you can allow yourself to laugh at good-natured humor.

The main storyline is as follows: the current Prince murdered Juliet's family -- the ruling house of the Capulets -- to usurp the throne. Juliet, as heir to the Capulet line, must defeat her family's murderer, and reinstate the rule of the house of Capulet. That's the plan, at least...until the heir of the house of Capulet unknowingly meets the heir of the house of Montague...and what was straightforward becomes much less so.

The cast of characters is a superb blend of warriors, politicians, nobles, commoners, soldiers, prisoners, villains, cutthroats, traitors, and heroes. Very few of the characters are "black and white" -- from the worst to the best -- but all have their shades of gray that make them thrilling to watch. Romeo and Juliet's love story is perfect; the trials they face, the challenges they must overcome, the vows they must honor...it is all superb stuff.

So, why am I only giving this 3 stars, instead of the 5 that all of the above would indicate it deserves? Because of the plot device the authors used to conclude the tragedy. (Spoilers) The Goddess/Tree of Life must claim female Capulets to keep the floating continent on which the city of Neo Verona resides together...at least, that's what the malicious keeper of the tree says. Juliet is called to make this sacrifice. Romeo tries to save her by killing the wicked tree creature; he succeeds in killing her, but she kills him too. Juliet then -- as the continent begins to crumble -- gives her life to keep the goddess alive, and the goddess' wings (powered by Juliet's life) safely lower the continent onto the planet, beside its fellow continents. Aside from that being one of the worst and most irrelevant-to-the-story ways I can think of to end the story, the entire "goddess/tree of life" aspect could have been nixed in favor of keeping with the rest of the storyline. In fairness, the tree of life-plot had been hinted at a few times during the film...but it felt so out of place that one can't help but wonder if the author didn't combine two story ideas, thinking it would add a beautiful tragedy to his tree story to have the heroes be great lovers who die saving the world. I don't know if that's the case or not, but it really seemed like an absurd way to bring the story to its conclusion.

So, I give this 3/5 stars...fantastic, up until the ending...

The producers or someone must have loved Josh Groben. His "You Raise Me Up" is very common in this series, and a fair amount of other music seems inspired by it. The story is loosely based upon the play by William Shakespeare, but is (IMO) more enjoyable. When reading a play or watching a reproduction - live or in a movie - I've never been particularly fond of any of Shakespeare's tragedies, Romeo and Juliet in particular. (His comedies tend to be more enjoyable, though.)

In this series, however, I have found a version I can wholeheartedly approve of. It's still a tragedy, but there's actually some purpose to it now. Romeo and Juliet have some prominent roles of their own in "Neo Verona", and not just as members of noble families that are at odds. You come to care about them not just for being star-crossed lovers, but because of who they are, as well. I've never felt that the play gave enough depth to them. Here's that missing depth.

I originally came across this series in a preview for another Anime, proceeded to watch it online, and loved it enough to buy it.

Basic Plot:

<Spoilers for the rest of this review>

At the very beginning, the Capulets are the ruling family in Neo Verona, which is ruled by a "prince," not a king. The head of house Montague stages a coup, slaughtering every member of the family he can find, thus seizing the crown for himself. Juliet grows up as a fugitive without realizing it, as she blocks the memories of the tragedy, and doesn't remember her family name. She survives partially because her caretakers insist she dress and act as a boy named Odin. They intend to reveal her identity on her 16th birthday (iirc) and she is fed up with the long wait to understand all the rules and restrictions she must live under. She lives in a theater owned by one William Shakespeare, an eccentric noble who writes plays. She becomes the "Red Whirlwind" to stand up for an oppressed people living under a tyrannical head of state and his soldiers.

Romeo is the son of Prince Montague, and is betrothed against his will to the daughter of another noble. He and his Best friend Benvolio save the "Red Whirlwind" and a companion from some soldiers after they free the soldiers' prisoner - a young girl accused of being heir to the Capulet name. As time goes on, he starts to see more and more injustice in Neo Verona, and comes to see the Red Whirlwind is in the right, and his father is an oppressive tyrant to the people.

Shortly before her birthday when Juliet will learn who she is, one of the actresses who work for "Willie" presses "Odin" to go as a female companion to a Ball the actress has been invited to by a noble patron. Due to some confusion, the noble takes Juliet and leaves the actress behind. At the ball, Juliet meets Romeo, but doesn't realize who he is. Over time, she comes to love him, and then finds out who he is. Then, the truth is revealed about her identity, and she remembers her family's slaughter. She is torn between her new love for Romeo and her sense of duty to her family's loyal retainers, who demand of her to seek retribution against Montague. In the middle of this, her good friend, Doctor Uzuki, sacrifices himself as the "Red Whirlwind" to protect her and save a group of people who have been seized on suspicion of being the Red Whirlwind themselves. Then, the Capulets are routed by a group of Montague's guards, and she is taken into hiding, again, by a man known only as Tybalt. She is distraught, and wanders out of her hiding place, collapsing in front of the nunnery Romeo's mother has inhabited since the coup was staged by her husband. Romeo's mother takes her in, concealing her from Prince Montague, and sends for Romeo. When Juliet recovers physically, she and Romeo leave Neo Verona to seek a place they can live in peace, and they find a church in a forest where they exchange vows. His father, however, sends guards to seek his son, and when a nearby town is seized, Romeo and Juliet realize they have to go back.

They fight the guards and are captured and escorted back, where Juliet is promptly imprisoned and sentenced to execution. Romeo assists her retainers in rescuing her, and she goes to Mantua to hide again. Romeo is banished to a mine when he refuses to submit to his father. At the mine, he makes a friend, Petruchio, who subsequently dies of illness, and his actions towards Petruchio and his memory impress the other miners, who were sentenced to the mines for "crimes against the state," such as stealing food for their families. The mine collapses and Romeo takes the miners and staff to the abandoned village he and Juliet found when they were looking for a place to live away from the conflict, when his father refuses his request to pardon the prisoners and return with them. They start to rebuild.

Juliet, meanwhile, is still in Mantua, where Willie has finished his latest play - her life story. At the opening performance, she appears as the Red Whirlwind, returned from the dead, to incite a revolution. She leads a force against Neo Verona, and when they capture the outer city, she is revealed by an enemy archer's arrow to be Juliet, heir of house Capulet. Then, when visiting her parents' grave, learns she will have to sacrifice herself to "Escalus", a divine tree that sustains the land, or the people will all die. Romeo comes back to Neo Verona, despite his father's commands to the contrary, to stand beside Juliet, hoping to get his father to abdicate, bringing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Romeo's father rejects the proposal and sends his soldiers out to burn Neo Verona. The nobility is disillusioned, and the soldiers start to realize what kind of monster they're serving, and surrender the inner city. Tybalt confronts Prince Montague, having disguised himself as a soldier, because he's learned of Escalus and how Juliet will sacrifice herself, and he wants to find a way to save her, and he thinks Montague may know a way. Also, a short while ago, it was revealed he is also Montague's son, Romeo's illegitimate half-brother. Romeo shows up to execute his father for betraying the people he is supposed to protect. Then Juliet shows up with her retainers. Tybalt and Romeo stand down, and just as it looks like there may be a peaceful resolution after all, Mercutio stabs Montague in the back. Romeo renounces his claim to the throne, Juliet's retainers start planning her coronation, and Tybalt stands in the background. Montague's body is laid out to prepare for burial, and when Romeo visits the body, Tybalt tells him about the sacrifice Juliet intends to make.

Back at the palace, Juliet has left her retainers to go to Escalus, and they are searching for her when Romeo returns to find her and keep her from killing herself. Escalus is dying, and earthquakes are becoming near constant, but he can't bear the thought of such a sacrifice. He finds her just before she reaches Escalus, and they fight. In the fight, they learn through how the other is fighting exactly what the other is feeling, and Juliet agrees to not go to Escalus, since neither wants to live in a world where the other doesn't exist. Then, Escalus drags Juliet away magically, and Romeo pursues. He ends up fighting Escalus' priestess, and Juliet's retainers show up and aid him. He manages to kill the priestess and save Juliet, but the priestess' last action mortally wounds him. He and Juliet say goodbye, then she tells her retainers to flee. She channels the last of Escalus' power to drop Neo Verona - which is revealed as a floating island - safely into the ocean below. She dies as a result, joining Romeo in death. Their friends survive, and Willie has his masterpiece.

Dvd box is nice with complete episodes in one package. Video quality is top notch and no parts were cropped to make t widescreen. Audio quality is good with 5.1 audio support. Dvd menu was only simple and can easily be done by any editing software.

It is a very lovely DVD. But I can't watch it in Belgium!
They could have shown on this site that they only sold DVDs for American DVD-players exclusively!
Now I'm stuck with a beautiful DVD that I can't even watch and for which I probably will have to pay again 5O euros for shipping to sell it in America because nobody will ever buy it here!
I'm very disappointed in Amazon and I will not buy anything again from this site.