haley.larry - 2017-07-17 04:36:57

sucked

jan.fisher - 2016-03-22 13:56:17

It seems most people seem to have a problem comprehending this anime... admittedly this may be due to there being a discrepancy between the novels/manga and the anime (manga ended in 2014, anime in 2013, although the novel came out in 2012)... and, I suspect, it contains more than the anime reveals. Still, every individual episode on its own seemed to make sense, especially if one makes sense of the abstruse language characters often use.

It is a Shinto tale, so some researching could be useful at times (there are quite a lot of references, although not knowing the legends behind them doesn't necessarily preclude enjoyment of the anime) - it's really multi-faceted, though... even if it mythologically makes little sense, one can simply view it as a coming-of-age tale, as ultimately that is how it turns out... it is by no means conventional, and while some viewers might focus too much on the relationships of the characters to the exclusion of the surrounding narrative, in this instance their interactions are a crucial part of the storyline, as there was, throughout the series, a certain political struggle within the school... that was rushed, but the twelve episodes did in the end surely develop the main character.

The ideas presented, though, I think are the interesting aspect of the story here... one might be confused by them, but from an imaginative point-of-view, and with what limited explanations there are in the twelve episodes (and there are, even if viewers drop the anime after becoming very confused indeed) - concepts from having different ('spiritual') 'phases', to dancing to specifically access the subconscious, as only once suggested by a character, to summoning a spirit (unconsciously) due to loneliness - all understandable ideas (but, as this isn't a documentary they don't go on very long about them, which is why a curt or oblique explanation may be frustratingly confusing).

Ultimately, I don't think it was at all not done well... only twelve episodes, another season certainly useful, but the twelve existent episodes felt to me like they could be self-contained, although more of it would be nice...

mable.sawayn - 2015-07-01 02:38:53

Red Data Girl was really interesting and sometimes adorable, but the ending really left you hanging. Suzuhara, the main character, was very quiet and frustrated me through out the anime, but does develop and change (slowly). Miyuki's, the other main character, personality changes very abruptly with Suzuhara. Miyuki would go from hating to befriending Suzuhara very suddenly. The plot was very undeveloped with many unanswered questions about the Himegami, the Souda siblings, and so much more. Overall, a decent anime that's worth the watch, but in the end, will lead to so many questions.

kennith05 - 2014-06-03 19:45:53

This visually stunning masterpiece combines beautiful animation with organic emotional power to create a great coming of age story.

Story - Izumiko is a young timid fragile girl with long hair and glasses. She is a mysterious and special teenager who wants to change herself and live as a normal girl but can't due to the fact that she is the vessel of an ancient spirit of a vengeful goddess. Izumiko embarks on a spiritual journey of self discovery that is mirrored by her coming of age story when she enrolls in Hojo Academy.

Red Data Girl starts off with an interesting premise enveloped in mystery and subtle romance, and a promise at a compelling coming of age story for characters in less than ideal family situations. The problem is it develops very slowly and unless you can handle slow moving plots then this won't be very entertaining.

Animation - One of the most beautiful anime series I have ever seen. With special attention to the art work on the ending theme. The animation is very fluid and consistent throughout the entire series. It really pays attention to the details and scenery so well.

Sound - The soundtrack is really good. It has some really nice melancholic and gloomy tracks in the OST. The opening and ending themes are above average as well, and they are very good at setting the tone of the anime. With their mellow and ethereal feel they're a perfect fit for this anime.

Character - The anime is divided with arcs for the supporting characters that let them shine and still have time to show the main characters. Each character has they're own little story and are motivated to overcome their insecurities or fears. Honestly not all characters develop by the end of the anime, and this mostly falls on the side characters.

Enjoyment - I really enjoyed this anime and most of my enjoyment comes from the fact that I connected to it in some way. Most people won't enjoy it as much because of it's slow moving plot or slight underdeveloped characters or other reasons. I really liked it because I got something from it.

I recommend watching it for the animation and sound, and if you end up liking it along the way then great. If not then that's fine.

payton.grimes - 2013-07-30 14:15:55

This was a series I really wanted to like and that I had high hopes for, but that ultimately fell flat. The story starts out clear enough (Izumiko is to be the new vessel for the Himegami, a mysterious and powerful goddess that could destroy the world, and Miyuki is her reluctant protector… together they must find a way to overcome their differences and figure out the mystery of the Himegami, etc.), but then descends into a mire of seemingly irrelevant side stories and confusing plot points involving clingy triplets, a sick horse, school festivals, student rankings, traditional dancing, and something called the “World Heritage”.

I found that the series had quite a lot of exposition – only it was all about things that were seemingly extraneous to the main story and often longwinded, such as the relationship between the triplets, or the reason why Mayura is so focused on beating Takayanagi. Episode 9 had the most informative exposition about the origins of the Himegami, but even so, there was really not enough action to really give substance to it all. With so little of the main plot is actually explained, and a lot of poor pacing, I was left wondering what the point of it all was.

As for the characters, they felt mostly static the entire time, with the exception of Izumiko, who at least actually made some visible effort to change herself. Miyuki seems to have some development in his feelings towards Izumiko, especially in the last 3 episodes, with his growing concern about her, but he’s mostly petulant, and it’s not quite enough to get me to care at all. I can’t say that I felt much attachment to any one in this anime, which is disappointing since there was a lot of potential in the first 2 episodes.

The one area in which this anime shines, however, is in the visuals. The backgrounds are really lovely, and the dance sequences and depictions of Izumiko’s kimonos look beautiful. Character design was good but not outstanding. Unfortunately, visuals alone are not enough to carry a series.

In the end, the show does pick up just slightly around episode 9, but the ending is inconclusive and dissatisfying – probably a byproduct of having too much source material (6 novels!) and not enough episodes to really develop the world or the characters. The ending is left open and nothing is resolved, suggesting the possibility of a second season. I liked the premise, but this series really needed to have more than 12 episodes dedicated to telling the entire story in a cohesive and comprehensive way, instead of cramming everything into one season with hopes of resolving the confused narrative if a second season was green lit.

Final impressions: Started out with a lot of potential, mired by a host of side stories in the middle, and ends with its head just barely above water.

Verdict: Source-material syndrome combined with an ailment in pacing.

ckris - 2013-07-22 23:28:48

When I read about RDG: Red Data Girl airing in Spring 2013, I was kind of excited. The whole Synopsis sounded really good. Now that it has finished airing, I can safely say it was not what I expected!Story: The story centers around a girl, that is "possessed" by a goddess and can't handle anything electric, since it breaks the moment she touches it. She has been raised in the mountains, but one day decides to go to Tokyo and enter a High School there.The Plot is based on different Shinto legends and sounds quite intriguing. Reality though looks a bit different. I liked the whole concept the show had and in principle I liked how they executed it too. My only problem was, that I didn't understand anything. The whole show was full of fillers, that sometimes seemed kind of pointless to me (even if they weren't always). The explenations were , where I had my problems. It got me confused everytime.6/10Characters: We have our main protagonist Suzuhara Izumiko. A girl that has a goddess in herself. She is a really shy person. She does get some developement, but not as much as I hoped it to be.Then we have the next character, Sagara Miyuki. He is something like Izumiko's servant. At first he seems to be really rude towards almost everyone, but it's not long into the series until we realize that he is a lot more kind than you might've thought at first glance. He probably is the one developing the most in the whole series.In total the other characters were ok. Nothing we haven't seen before, but nothing I would dislike either.6/10Visuals: The show was produced by P.A. Works, who published other shows like Angel Beats! or Another. The visuals look really nice. The character design is beautiful and the backgrounds great. The Animation is fluent and everything seems to fit.9/10Sound: The sound of the whole show is in total quite ok. I didn't hear a lot of the OST to be honest, but when I heard something, I heard something it wasn't anything extraordinary. Both Opening and Ending aren't anything special either. They are both slow paced.The voiceacting was good and the emotions reached the one watching, if there were emotions needed.6/10Enjoyment: My main problem was, as I stated earlier already, that I didn't understand it at all. It was confusing that was it. I found myself being bored while they tried to explain me things, because I had lost track already. Of course it might be that I am too slow at getting things, but that's just how I felt it.5/10The Show in total was a bit of a disappointment for me as one of the people, that really were looking forward to this show. Still it wasn't crap. It was just mediocre.Overall: 6/10

marques.schneider - 2013-07-10 01:05:41

I think it's a very hm... emotional anime. In the beginning i thought the story was very confusing and i was going to drop it but then things started to get clear.But the whole thing is very deep and you need to think about it to understand it. Some more episodes would do the thing.

I will have to criticize the character development. Some of them had a detailed and complex personality but some were just there to be a background or were just stereotyped.

Anyways, i think it was totally worth it and i loved the ending :) i have to complain about something: i was waiting for a kiss ;P but thats my opinion.

rolando84 - 2013-06-30 15:15:07

RGD: Red Data Girl is an anime about a young girl, Suzuhara, who has had a mysterious ability since birth and why she has it and how she copes with it. It's also about a lot of other things, but the whole show is just so confusing that I can barely comprehend any more than that.

The anime is based on Shinto legends, but I admittedly do not know any of these legends myself. It takes place during the modern era, but has a great deal of magical and supernatural elements to it. In fact, due to the main characters "condition" there is not a lot of technology present in the show at all. I want to say there was a plot and plot twists, but I really don't understand what happened enough to really say anything about that.

Suzuhara is the Red Data Girl, and the story is basically how she balances being special with being normal. She is inherently shy, to the point where it can be annoying. Sagara is tasked to protect her, even though he does not really like doing it. There are other characters, but I'm not even sure how they matter, characters just get thrown at you and have no development at all. Suddenly bad guys appear and I'm thinking "where did these guys come from?" I will go as far to say that the mains get some development, but while Suzuhara's is extremely slow and ballanced, Sagara's is very abrupt and seems kind of fake.

Among the most problematic issues in the show is the pacing. Nothing happens in the first 4 episodes and then you finally get to an important plot point which should have been revealed within the first 2 episodes at the most. Everything just seems very scattered, it goes with all this supernatural stuff to trying to be all mysterious and all, and then suddenly they are in school doing school stuff.

I think the consensus is that the show would be better if it had double the episodes. I'm not really sure about that since the show not only seemed incomplete but also slow, and confusing due to how the show was put together and not because of any constraints. I mean, some shows need fillers episodes for a 12 episode season, I'm not sure what happened here.

Overall, I'd suggest you stay away. Use your special powers to shut this show out of your watch list, whatever.

aaliyah.rogahn - 2013-06-28 01:24:51

I liked this series. The story is somewhat flat but the visuals are great! This show is very pretty~ And the characters are really cute. So that's enough to get high marks from me ^_^;