Romeo and the Black Brothers
ロミオの青い空To get the money to pay for a doctor for his father, Romeo bravely sells himself as a chimney sweep. On the way to Milan he meets Alfredo, a mysterious boy on the run heading to the same fate. Upon being separated and sold to their new bosses, the two boys swear eternal friendship. Romeo has to learn the hardships of a chimney sweep's job. His boss' daughter, Angeletta, is a girl with a heart illness who is not allowed to leave her room. She asks Romeo to bring the blue sky to her. Alfredo unites the sweeps in a secret union, the "Black Brothers" to face together the "Wolf Pack" gang, who constantly attack them. With their help, Romeo succeeds in bringing Angeletta's dream to her. Soon the brotherhood faces more hardships than cruel bosses or street hooligans. Alfredo reveals his secret: he has sold himself in the name of his sister Bianca. It is now up to the "Black Brothers" to stand up for the truth, to save Bianca and to protect their leader's life with their own. (Source: ANN)
Reviews
marks.gerson - 2014-08-26 14:35:50
Romeo no aoi sora, also known as Romeo and the black brothers, is not a flashy anime. Romeo no aoi sora tells a quite humble tale, but you even can find beauty in this simplicity.
Romeo no aoi sora is a world masterpiece theather piece, who are known for adapting classical European and American novels into anime. Romeo no aoi sora is no exception. This time, the classic novel 'Die schwarzen Brüder' is being adapted. Please bear in mind that I haven't read the original novel, so I'll be judging the anime as a stand-alone piece.
Story(8)
Since you can find a summary on the page of this anime, I'll keep it brief. Romeo no aoi sora is about a boy becoming a chimney sweeper in Milan, and the adventures he has with his fellow chimney sweepers.
If you're slightly familiar with the industrial revolution in Europe, you might know that the life of a chimney sweeper isn't an easy one. They worked under harsh conditions, and many didn't last through the winters. Add in the fact that plagues weren't rare under the poor, so the chance of getting an illness was high. Although the anime is fairly child friendly, it shows the life of a chimney sweeper; There are times where the anime shows the harshness of reality.
The events that happen have good foreshadowing, and there were times when the anime was genuinely touching. It has some religious elements here and there, but it's subtle enough even if you're an atheist to not get annoyed.
Animation(5)
There is not much to say about the animation. It is average for 90s anime, and the character designs are really simple. Though it is nothing remarkable, it does its job.
Sound(7)
The opening and ending of the anime are quite lovely. While the ending is upbeat and mood lifting, the opening shows the general attitude Romeo(The main-character) has during the show. It fits perfectly with the general mood of the show.
The voice acting is good, but nothing really amazing. They did a good job conveying the emotions of the characters, but nothing really stood out. The soundtrack did its job, and fitted the mood.
Character(9)
This is what made the anime interesting. Although the characters were simple, they were mostly fleshed out. They acted in a fairly logical way, and they had their own motives to do stuff the way they did. Their actions didn't revolve around the main-character's actions, they led their own lives. The way characters act is realistic for their ages and upbringing.
Although it's only touched briefly, the anime also touches the subject of racism. In this case some of the Chimney sweepers experienced racism from the children who are native to Milan. These native children view the chimney sweepers as outsiders and 'bully' the chimney sweepers for that. This makes one of the examples that makes the character interaction seem realistic for its time.
Another interesting thing thing about this anime is the fact that some characters can't, while others can. Since the anime takes place in a time before education was obligatory in most countries, most of the poor characters can't read. In the anime it is shown that when the chimney sweepers receive an opportunity to gain knowledge, most of them actually want to grasp it.
Enjoyment(9)
This anime made me laugh and cry. Although the characters were very young, it was easy to relate to them and their situation. Even though this anime might not be for everyone, I do believe that people of all age groups could be able to enjoy this. So if you have an interest in History or classical literature or child suffering, Romeo no aoi sora might be a hidden gem for you.
Overall(8)
Overall I'll give the anime 4 stars, it was a very decent watch. It achieved to be an interesting story without the use of too much anime tropes or flashiness. It told the story that it wanted to tell, and managed to be slightly inspiring to me. Even though chimney sweeping a practice like that any more, it doesn't mean that there aren't still people suffering all over the world; The anime gives you a touching reminder of this.