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| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
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| Rent | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | Dreamer | # |
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This wasn't that bad.... but it wasn't really good either. The story was average and nothing special. But it did keep me interested enough to want to see it through the end. The animation was nice. Better then many but average nevertheless. However, there was one thing that kinda got me rolling my eyes, and that was the many "transformations" by Ichika, our lead actress. One thing I'm not a fan of by any means is the whole entire transformation sequence, all the clothes swapping, camera angles, flashy lighting and cheese, super cheesy sound effects. And this goes for any anime. It wasn't overly bad in this series however. The music wasn't anything special, although the opening song did catch my interest slightly.... which is above the norm for me. Aside from that, the rest of the music wasn't noticable. As for the plot, hmmmm, nothing "amazing" or "good". It was just "okay". I think what made me curious to see it through the end was the fact that it hid some things about the characters from you. Such as what really was Manatsu-chan and where did she really come from? How were the two brothers involved with the plot, and what was Ichika's real role? The good news is near the last few episodes, everything gets revealed.... which made this series somewhat worth watching. Still, there was some questions unanswered, which made it that much more "okay" on the series story. Overall, this series was an average watch, nothing special. If you're short for time, then skip this and come back to it later. Last updated Wednesday, August 06 2008. Created Wednesday, August 06 2008. | ||||||||
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| Buy | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | Devil Doll | # |
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[Score: 85% = Buy. Other recommended Silent Drama animes: : Haibane Renmei, Asatte no Houkou, Aishiteru Ze Baby, Binbou Shimai Monogatari, Piano, Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto]
The final line of the OVA explains the title of this anime: "One day we'll painfully experience this separation, just like uta-kata", which as combined term means "ephemeral; transient; bubble on surface of liquid" while its separated Kanji mean "poem" resp. "fragment". Friendship and separation, honesty and lying, that's what this coming-of-age Story is all about.
Certain elements of the first two Episodes I found rather silly (such as the overly forced soccer interlude of episode 2 where too many people happen to be at a certain place at a critical time for no apparent reason), and certain fan-service elements (see above) don't exactly give this show bonus points from my point of view. But beginning with episode 3 the side characters are getting more transparent, the issues being handled become a lot less trivial (child abuse is clearly hinted at in one scene), and the tone of the story becomes more depressing. Halfway through the series (i. e. when Ichika's eyes turn red) this story makes another leap forward into drama, and while you learn about what's going on and who's who here, the finale is being prepared slowly but thoroughly, and then executed in a climactic showdown. The additional OVA episode is more like an add-on sequel, again similar to Kanon's Kazahana, and not really necessary for the understanding of the story. All side Characters become relevant to a certain degree - some as active players, some as examples for certain elements of the process Ichika is going through. All of them are becoming more and more important instead of being mere also-rans, and over time their actions become plausible (including Ichika's parents). Art and Animation aren't outstanding but good quality without anything to complain about. I hardly noticed the Music at first, but while the drama element grows during this series (up to the level where it enters horror territory not that different from Cossette no Shouzou) the music remains its close companion, sometimes reminding me of Haibane Renmei with its string pieces, and providing such a large a number of beautiful yet slightly disturbing instrumental tracks (Furimuki no Kage, Kagami no Himitsu, Namida no Ato, Ooinari Chikara, Torii no Tamot, Tsuki no Shizuku, Wake) as well as a decent OP song (Omoi wo Kanadete) that this attibute needs the highest value available. Despite the thorough explanation about the sins and virtues I'm not completely happy with the ending that leaves certain questions unresolved (such as whom Saya-san reports to, or why Ichika was chosen in the first place). Then again, this is an ending, unlike in Alien Nine or Narutaru that would be my best bets for similar animes (with Uta-Kata having the least degree of violence amongst these three), and as such calls for a solid "Buy" recommendation for a series without any particular downside. If you want something similar without the strong fantasy element, I'd suggest Piano, or perhaps even Whisper of the Heart as the shorter form; if you liked the music and the horror elements, then give Cossette no Shouzou a try. Last updated Friday, June 06 2008. Created Saturday, April 21 2007. | ||||||||
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| Unevaluated | Jan-Chan | # | ||||||
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I have only seen two episodes of this series so far. It is appearing to be a very charming teen-girls story of a summer of magic and adventure. Manatsu has followed Ichika home, and has been introduced to her parents as being a visiting email friend, and has asked to stay with Ichika for the summer. The web page listed below is very well designed and worth a visit. Last updated Sunday, October 31 2004. Created Sunday, October 31 2004. | ||||||||
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Other Sites
| Name | URL |
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| Japanese Uta Kata site | http://www.uta-kata.com/ |
| Wikipedia entry for "Uta Kata" | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uta_Kata |
| Story summary (including spoilers), character descriptions, and interpretation of the story's underlying meaning | |
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