Grumble Grumble Grumble
I finished off two more series last weekend, with both of them being 'really really different' from your normal Anime series fodder...
'BECK', school slice of life, coming of age, Rock Music, drama. A dark and gritty series about a group of High School aged teenager boys as they attempt to form their own rock band and go professional. But between clashes of ego, girls, lack of income, recruiting new members, and corrupt band promoters and criminal record label execs, this is not a smooth process. Rated M-17 for brief nudity and sexual themes. Also be forewarned that its based on a ongoing Manga series and has no conclusive ending, (but does complete its chapter story well..)
8/10 a series that is highly recommended.
The Official Beck Anime Website from FUNimation
'Princess Tutu': (fairy tale) Fantasy, Magical Girl, Romance, Ballet Dance, School slice of Life, drama. Once upon a time, in a walled city where fantasy and reality intermingle, A young prince and the Raven demon king escaped from their story. The Prince used a forbidden technique to shatter his heart to seal away the Raven, scattering his heart shards throughout the city and leaving him with no emotions. And in the city there is a small duck, who feels sorry for the Prince. When given a magical amulet, the duck becomes a young girl ballet student (name 'duck') who sets about gathering the scattered heart shards to return emotion to the prince to make him happy. But if she utters the word 'quack' (out of force of habit) she transforms back into a duck and needs to be splashed with water to return to a young girl. And in moments of crisis, the girl name duck can transform into the Mythical and legendary 'Princess Tutu' (who is destined to confess her love to the Prince, then disappear in a flash of light)
'Princess Tutu' is one of the most significant sleepy series I have seen. A sleeper both by being a 'Magical Girl' series, and unfortunately being released when ADV Films was having a money flow crisis, resulting in over a year passing between the first DVD release, and the continuation of the rest of the series. Recently released in an affordable brick collection, 'Princess Tutu' is composed of two 13 episode seasons. The first season is good, with the battles in the form of ballet dance, set to a selection of the best of European classical orchestral music (which really adds to the drama of the dramatic scenes!!!). But its the second season where this series really excels, having avoided the destined tragic ending in the first season, the characters, while still playing out their roles in the story, start to actively rebel against the story and the secret author behind the scenes. For someone looking to watch something really really different, this is a series that is highly recommended
9/10 ADV Films Presents: Princess Tutu