Riya, the lead singer of euphonius ROCKS MY WORLD and I’m definitely getting their singles CD when its out.
Their opening single for True Tears titled Reflectia (リフレクティア) will go on sale on 23rd of January 2008. You can faintly see the Katakana in the first screenshot I’ve provided.
For those unfamiliar with euphonius, they did the opening song for CLANNAD titled Mag Mell, which is equally beautiful. In fact the truth is the only reason I was interested in this was because euphonius was doing the opening song; something that I definitely could not miss.
The first episode of True Tears left me wondering whether it would turn out as a haremic borefest, but half way through the second episode, I changed my mind. It suddenly dawned on me that this definitely wasn’t your average Bishoujo game adaption.
Most renai anime, or anime adapted from Bishoujo games, do not share the slow pacing employed in True Tears which is typical of slice-of-life anime such as Lucky Star, Aria or Sketchbook. On top of excellent character design and beautiful scenary, most renai anime employ over the top humour (think CLANNAD) that is sorely absent in True Tears.
What really struck me about True Tears was even though it was blatantly ecchi, it didn’t feel dirty or “forced”, so to speak. In fact, it actually felt pure and serene. This is the feeling usually evoked by iyakeishi, or healing, anime such as Sketchbook ~full colors~ or Aria, not renai anime. True Tears has managed to synergize some of the emotions evoked by these two kinds of anime, and the overall sensation is fascinating.
I also applaud True Tears for being engaging without relying on fetishes to reel in the audience. Sure, the basic school uniforms are there, BUT, there isn’t a single moe character at all. Shoujo-Ai fans will also be sorely dissapointed. You’ll have to go back to CLANNAD if you want to see more of Kyou hugging a blushing Kotomi, as Noe has clearly expressed her current distaste for Hiromi in episode 2.
True Tears really isn’t something simply for renai fans. The animation is lip-smacking, the character designs are exceptional, and there is a certain warmth in it that cannot be found in the moe-fest which defines current anime. To those who think that this is just some stupid harem, just give it a try and you’ll be more than just pleasantly surprised. : )
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January 18, 2008 at 1:57 am
sz3
sorry for moving it here but this doesnt have a shoutbox thingy (as u said)..
what i gather (rather know):
moe: something of a turn-on for pple whether cuteness, innocence, etc.. usually pure right?
tsundere: kinda like tough-on-outside but actually kind on the inside (like etoh mei?).. currently “mis-used” as split/bi-polar personality disorder thingy right?
GAR: wth issit? i still dont get it.. is it cool? or like *wow* factor or something else?
hmm.. sorry for spoiling your first comment.. =P
January 18, 2008 at 12:03 pm
dKiWi
You got moe and tsundere roughly right. Tsundere is spot on, but moe is more complicated. Its possible to write an entire thesis on it. Some bloggers argue that moe existed “since the beginning of time”.
GAR is hard to understand now since we’re all like nearing ORD and are arguebly matured men.
A GAR character is basically someone very strongly masculine and “fierce”. You can think “garang” if you want. He is also undefeatable and merciless. Stuff like that. Basically someone that boys look up to.
Oh and GAR characters rarely die. This underlines the unrealism in Shounen anime. I’m sure everyone has at least watched Bleach so think Kurosaki Ichigo. I mean, no boy will want their hero to die.
January 18, 2008 at 12:33 pm
dKiWi
Oh yeah and the biggest tsundere in anime/light novel history is none other than Suzumiya Haruhi ^^ Shana from Shakugan no Shana is close behind. And interesting, both characters were designed and drawn by the same light novel/eroge illustrator, Itou Noizi. Remember this name as she is a very talented character designer
I guess I’ll take the opportunity to explain some of the other jargon used in
this blog post.
Ecchi: Partial reveal of female skin, basically one level lower than hentai. Hentai isn’t allowed to air on Japanese TV, no matter how many bad rumours you hear our fellow Singaporeans spread. Hentai is underground, so the furthest most anime will go is ecchi.
Shoujo-ai: Occurs when a female shows affection towards another female, most prominantly used in both CLANNAD and Manabi Straight! Shoujo-ai is another feature predominant in Seinen anime, together with moe. It is one level lower than Yuri, which is full blown Shoujo-ai (i.e. EXPLICIT), thus almost all Yuri works are also underground.
January 18, 2008 at 1:56 pm
sz3
yup.. ecchi i know.. been reading a few anime blogs for mild distraction.. shoujo-ai 1st time i heard that tho.. interesting.. =P
actually was also thinking on the GAR = GARang thingy a while back too.. oh well.. at least its safe (and thankful) to say that GAR doesnt appeal to us greatly.. =)
oh well..
I also came to the conclusion today that the child-ver kotomi is actually extremely cute when drinking tea in the latest clannad epi..
pedo? or moe? only time will tell..
(seriously not pedo tho.. that would be.. wrong.. extremely so.. kinda like the pervy sensei in azumanga daioh.. =P creepy..)