gwindler - 2015-08-14 00:43:52

[Old review is old.]

Air’s general critical response isn’t anything noteworthy. Fans of the traditional visual novel format will slam a jarring storyline, and adaptation perfectionists will declare the translation between mediums a failure. General acceptance of the vague composition is scarce, leaving this piece an estranged and underwhelming work of art for consumers. However, due to many intriguing aspects from this hasty adaptation, I can say that I find many merits in this show, even if they may be unintentional ones.

A traveling performer named Yukito winds up in a beachside town looking for work and stumbles across an eccentric, childlike girl named Misuzu who has difficulty forming basic relationships with others. He is allowed to stay in her home with her guardian Haruko, and as he continues to explore the town, he comes across some other girls who seem to be having troubles of their own. Unbeknownst to all of them, Yukito is actually looking for something else on his travels: a legendary girl in the sky, told through many generations as a tale of supernatural events that occurred many centuries ago. But he may have a good lead as various fantastic events unfold around him, bringing hardship and turmoil to the people he encounters.

What baffles me is how many people are quick to slap the “romance” tag onto this show when it really has nothing at all to do with it. Though clad in the robes of a harem visual novel, the show turns out to be a more dextrous display of topics focusing on maternal relationships rather than male-fulfillment romance. The slew of manipulative sob stories reveals itself to have no connection to moe romance, bringing focus to simple stories concerning family issues with a fantasy twist. Comparing it to a visual novel (or the hentai game it was based on, no use hiding that now) would be out of the question by the end of it. I found more parallels between this anime’s script and that of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Far fetched indeed, but the disjointed narrative style with overarching categorical themes reveals an intricate structure underneath the visual novel clothing.

Of course the argument holds that the story became jumbled in the attempt to fit too much of the original material into a short runtime, and this appears to be the case with Air. But the result is much more interesting and effective than what would have been a drawn out adaptation like KyoAni’s later adaptation of Kanon. The intentions to condense the material purposefully into some profound are also debatable (in my opinion, I highly doubt that this was the case), but the final piece certainly ends up handling and connecting its subject matter with more ease than other pieces that attempt this style of narrative.

Turning back to thematics, the focus on maternity itself is very romanticized (the only type of romance this show offers), and while said content is very emotional and blends well with the supernatural aspects, you’ll want to look elsewhere for super serious motherly advice if that’s what you expect. Air focuses on the relationship and struggles between mother and child, and does so with its mystical plumes that bring about misfortune in extreme versions of real issues like depression from early loss or miscarriage of a child. Glamorized as hell, yes, but I still think they’re effective given the premise and mood of the show, which just to bask in the fantastic events and the emotional aspects of life.

The other big aspect in the script was the portrayal of the actual town and the characters. Everyone that Yukito encounters is rather likable, and those who get dedicated time to tell their stories end up being effectively memorable. Recognizable moe character traits end up being treated along the lines of mental handicaps to a surprising degree of seriousness relative to the aforementioned maternal scenarios. Yukito himself is not only an effective observer in the beginning by having his own significant snarky attitude and a distinct design, but ends up being a character that amplifies the themes of family and ambition himself. While some of the narrative shifts to older times (suddenly we’re in Edo period?), the elements that make the present setting work well carry over. The characters are still likable and the emotional content leaves impact and fully connects to the issues and plotpoints in the present time. Misuzu and Haruko end up being the main driving force by the end of the show, and their relationship is easily the best part of the anime. Enough time was given to them beforehand to build up their problems, all while the narrative still jumped around and the other girls were getting their tragedies fleshed out. By the time we can connect everything after witnessing a bunch of characters handling their own distress, Misuzu and Haruko act as the final kicker, and do it so well that general memory of the show is often linked to them.

Though praise is not without major complaints. Due to the gnarly storyline, the overall tone of the show never feels placid or stable. There was rarely a time where I felt like I could breathe for awhile without quickly being led to the next development, which could range from lighthearted pastime to drop dead sorrow. If the rush to fit content into twelve episodes isn’t relevant in the theme exploration, it definitely affects the pacing. The atmosphere still works and it’s great how the story doesn’t drag, but a break every now and then would have been nice. Also notable is the very last few scenes. The show offered a great climax, but afterwards there were a few too many scenes that just didn’t work. One beach scene with a kid couple that added nothing to parental themes riding solely on interpretation coupled with a poetic dinosaur montage was way too much for me. Everything had been wrapped up taken care of after the final scene with Haruko and Yukito, and the following was just pointless epilogues. Those and my occasional thoughts of “I really don’t have to be told this three times to get it.” worked against the anime quite a bit. Regardless, the story was unexpectedly thought provoking in its design, detaching itself from traditional moe and diving into absorbing fantasy storytelling.

Being one of the earlier works by Kyoto Animation, Air proved that the studio was able to produce skillful animation on the technical side. Character actions are always lively and unique, creating great facial expression and body movement. The execution and timing turned simple scenes into genuinely funny gags or heart-wrenching breakdowns. While the extreme designs aren’t exactly my favorite, I can stomach them fine with the commitment to quality portrait. The 3D work blended pretty well with the lush backgrounds, making for intense summer atmosphere. Though even with the great 2D animation and the alluring surroundings, a considerable amount of polish would have gone a long way in making these elements mesh better. Even though they came out a year after, Kanon and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya still look great today while Air has aged considerably. The high temperature of the colors are noticeable in many scenes, and thus aren’t particularly easy on the eyes. It helps in portraying the summer setting where everything is bright and illuminated, but it would be easier to behold if toned down a notch.

The music was pretty damn good overall. Many of the repeated tracks work their magic in whatever scene they’re in, providing good accompaniment for moments of exposition, depression, and magic. The tracks that I didn’t like as much were those that sounded too much like run of the mill visual novel background tracks. The more stirring pieces caught my attention, specifically Summer Lights which ended up being a two minute favorite. Also noteworthy are the Opening and Ending sequences, both of which I never skipped. Fantastic songs by Lia complemented by sweeping visuals and subtle imagery always got me in the zone to watch more, and gracefully bid me farewell afterwards. They were breathtaking supplements that reinforce most of what makes the show work.

I also liked the original voice acting, which is a rarity for me since I find the same types of voices to get grading after awhile. The leads demonstrate skillful deliveries, particularly Misuzu and Haruko, and shocking moment for me was when I found that one of the actors who I thought did great only had a repertoire of two roles! This whole cast felt more organic than most of what I’ve listened to, though it’s likely due to how long ago it was done. I haven’t seen the anime dubbed, but from the clips I’ve heard, most of the voice actors seem to mesh with their respective characters fine. I can’t imagine that there would be some wild factor that would suddenly make the dub horrible. Unless they change some significant part of the script, that could irk me pretty bad.

So what do we have here in the end? Intentions of the team aside, we have a well produced anime with unexpected profundity, riding on decent non-linear storytelling. As a dynamic exploration of specific concepts, Air surprisingly excels. As that perfect visual novel adaptation that the general audience expects, Air fails altogether. But I could care less if it was a perfect visual novel translation. I want a quality anime that doesn’t need other sources to explain what it skimped on, a complete work of art that can stand on its own and uphold its own identity. Air does so well enough, and I respect what it ultimately accomplished.

Air (2005):
7.4/10

jcarter - 2015-07-23 11:13:55

I am not going to lie while watching this anime i totally did not understand the plot of the point of it but when i re-watched it I am somewhat got a clearer picture. (Oh well I guess I am dumb) However this anime is good if you like that whole the anime touches your heart and make you cry kind of thing.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WAS LITTLE TO NONE.

This anime has

1. No action (well it is not a action based anime there might be a loud pow here and there but nothing major)

2. Romance (Anime has a healthy dose of it)

3. Supernatural (YES IT does you wouldn't expect that kind of thing do you)

Overall 11+ should watch this anime. This is a basic anime watcher starter pack anime. Total tear anime. Anime is good to watch don't shy away now.

davin18 - 2013-07-16 09:56:55

The sky may represent endless beauty and wonder, but it doesn't take rocket science to fathom this as shown in this quaint lil' show.Key's first adaption is quickly looking to be like FMA 1st series; overlooked for newer stuff, under appreciated for subjective reasons that insult its worth, and undeserved treatment as being taken as the "lesser" ver. of the new stuff.For shame.Air isn't rocket science, but compared to how many half-assed premise based moe fodder gets churned out every single season these past 2-3 years, it feels like it is!But I won't start a holiday over passable entertainment so don't worry.Right off the bat Air does two things that both, subsequent Key series and recent moe, wrote off:1. Connect with the character with easygoing, folksy behavior.2. Allows the thematics to come from simple understandable passions.Our hero, Yukito may be the lead, but he doesn't really care at first for why he can do uninspired magic tricks; he's just using it to feed himself.So he comes across a town that is as simple and mysterious as the air itself and becomes "acquainted" with three girls.No, they do not love him within 1-2 eps.No, they do not make him lunch after he does something shallow (he takes it! WA HA HA!)No, they do not place him higher than people they've known for years- wait. There's other people that know the heroines?! Wow... in most other series, we just have the underaged characters and that's it... fascinating...To summarize, Air keeps itself in check; to be cute is only half of its gain, the other half is to solidly mystify.So Madoka is labeled with doing the same, but why?Air may not be heavy on plotting, but means do justify the ends it wants; think of a wishy-washy Spielberg film where you know its melodramatic, but within reason.Yukito is ambiguously aged which serves his case as being a lightly seasoned wanderer, and plucky enough to associate with such spirited teens.The heroines' passions are all based on unconditional love that which they've cherished but has remained stagnant.Intelligently, Yukito isn't used as the "answer" so much as the overlooking catalyst; once a heroine has her affairs settled, they "move on".So abandoning some heroines to expand upon another might be considered "convenient", but I wouldn't rule it out as being brainless. There's worse... (Clannad...)Made in '05, Air is a treat of its time; KyoAni's destiny was set from here.Earthy lighting, breeziness fitting of its ocean side, distant sweeping camera angles of town and beach. This is a trademark to be milked and milked so one could watch this to see roots of a now "classic" technique.Air's OP is, in my book, legendary. It's spirited; like the heavens. It's unrelenting; like the gusts. And it's resonating; like....... wind chimes..... :PThe END is disappointingly conventional so the less said, the better.Soundtrack wise, it feels like a video game at times but almost to an idiosyncratic point; perhaps Jun Meada was playing it safe here but at least it doesn't add an extra layer of pretentiousness that invades later series.Air's eclectic blend of lesser parts comes out to be emotionally satisfying for those who're inexperienced with moe, and for those that don't like cutsy OTT.This, obviously, makes it much more accessible to a wider audience and doesn't even have any fanservice! (the one positive trademark about the Key franchise is thankfully preserved)It's not a piano (the show, not the soundtrack), but it makes an honest and sustainable entry to modern moe.Whether it stands the test of time however depends on whether its values are recognized and defended against.Your welcome. :)Letter Grading Time (LGT)Story: B (does what it sets out to do with solid footing all the way)Art: A- (the template is crinkled up and worn now, but it feels fresh here despite the age)Sound: B- (eh, a little humdrum and overused [think Naruto] but that OP ROCKS!)Animation: B (touch and go, but sturdy)Character: C+ (typical for moe, but with greater reinforcement and wittier humor)Enjoyment: B- (typical for moe, but, like the story, matches sentiment with intent more so than not)Overall: B (if you like moe, pay respect to its roots. if you're curious, good as place as any)

jaquan01 - 2013-05-22 09:19:55

The prob­lem with cri­tiquing Air is that the many reas­ons I have for not lik­ing it are also reas­ons why oth­ers do like it. A small example of this would be the extent this show went to show how imma­ture Mis­uzu was. It went to quite ridicu­lous extremes. The sum­mer diary, the teddy dino­saurs, the ‘will you play with me’, right up to the point when she cut her hair, she could have just as eas­ily been 6 years old and I wouldn’t have bat­ted an eye­lid. But that’s not really cri­ti­cism, is it. It’s just some­thing I didn’t like. It’s like cri­ti­ciz­ing Hanamaru Kinder­garden because no real child has the depth of know­ledge Hiiragi has. It’s like “so? that’s what makes her awesome!”.The entire second half of the show was basic­ally one huge sob drama story. Everything was tossed in to make this story even more sob-inducing than before. I’ll keep away from spoil­ing any­thing but mak­ing the lead female char­ac­ter sicker with every passing epis­ode and mak­ing the mother feel even more attached to her with each epis­ode felt way too manip­u­lat­ive. Not that there’s exactly any­thing wrong with being manip­u­lat­ive. Often it’s the sign of a good story teller. But never once did I give a fuck what happened to any­one in that show. Some people get sucked in incred­ibly eas­ily into sob stor­ies and for them, Air con­stantly throws them moments to feast upon. I sup­pose you could say that Air needed more epis­odes to make me care about these char­ac­ters but I don’t buy that. Double the epis­ode count and all I can see hap­pen­ing is doub­ling the amount heart­break­ing situ­ations involving Misuzu.I don’t care. I just don’t care and fail to ever care about these manip­u­lat­ive sob stor­ies. I liked Clan­nad for the double blow of excel­lent storytelling and the char­ac­ter of Tomoya, but rarely cared that much about the sob stor­ies bey­ond how they fit­ted into the story. Air never felt like it was com­pos­ing a coher­ent, well struc­tured story. It was just fling­ing these bloody baawwww situ­ations at the screen over and over and never once did I care. In fact, I can only think of one time I did care. That was when that winged girl was try­ing to juggle for her mother. As someone who’s quite good at jug­gling myself, I know the pain of hav­ing to con­stantly pick up those blas­ted things, although I get the feel­ing that wasn’t what I was meant to be sad about.The first half of the series wasn’t exactly that bad either. At least it cre­ated the atmo­sphere of sum­mer well and I quite liked the lead male char­ac­ter. If the second half of the story had con­tin­ued the for­mula of ‘guy spend­ing two epis­odes chat­ting, two epis­odes solv­ing magical prob­lems for these girls’ I might have made some unenthu­si­astic review where I said it was a rather aver­age anime. But the second half wasn’t that at all (they turned my favour­ite char­ac­ter into a fuck­ing crow!). The baawww heap­ing is what made me severely dis­like the series, which is also why oth­ers love the series. Hence it’s not really cri­ti­cism of what it did wrong. Just what I didn’t like about it.