Comments on: Red Garden – Only in death do they find true happiness

By: xocy

xocy — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:28:20 +0000

Story wise, it has been terribly slow, but I’ve stuck through to episode 15 now and things are suddenly picking up very quickly. I suspect that they wanted us to get comfortable with the characters, who they were, what they were going through, perhaps to understand them better. I agree that it’s too left field for the casual anime fan. I, for one, think the character design is gorgeous. The costume design for it is amazingly realistic. I could honestly see these girls as real people, not just characters. I easily see a Rachel-type girl walking around New York with her designer-looking clothing.

The singing hasn’t come up in a while, either. It bothered me at first, but I agree with what kuromitsu said about the singing. I feel we’re all just put off by the singing because it isn’t the usual kind of singing. Plus, it’s just pretty damn random, but I think that’s part of the point. Isn’t the singing ALWAYS random in American musicals? This anime takes so many elements from American culture, and it does a damn good job of it, too.

By: bateszi

bateszi — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:40:35 +0000

I suspect it’s too left field for the casual anime fan. The art is a genuine stumbling block for most, the same thing happened with MONSTER too – the typical otaku isn’t a fan of characters with noses. I showed screen-caps of Red Garden to a guy in my office and his first reaction amounted to "looks ugly, me no watch".

By: Impz

Impz — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:19:43 +0000

And….this is a really good series. I am very sad that there is not much love for this series. Other than you and me (i kept up to episode 15 currently), I see absolutely no one loving and blogging about it.

Sigh, I really wish more people will be involved and discussing this series because the character complexity is very interesting to say the very least.

By: Hige

Hige — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 08:35:16 +0000

Red Garden is the only anime this season that’s interested me in the slightest. Bar the heinous singing, it seems to be doing something slightly different, and when you’ve got pish like Kanon stinking up the place, that makes a nice change.

Design-wise I agree it’s great; the variety in the girl’s costumes is a refreshing change (and one of the few Shoujo tropes I can abide). It doesn’t hurt that I occasionally get hints of Sadamoto’s work from the character design, either. Plus, the gradient colouring for their hair is mystifying in a good way. I still can’t work out why it works so well. Overall, it’s just a very stylish and attractive show. I’m glad people have stfu’d about the noses.

Story-wise, it has started lag quite badly with the recent episodes but as you’ve said, taking it as a character-driven drama provides plenty of enjoyment when the plot slows down. I wouldn’t mind some more plot development, but the intrigue fuels a lot of the enticement, so it’s a delicate balance. I agree that the fight scenes need to step-up the violence; it gets boring to see the same set of events each time they fight a monster (though the hysterical screaming is bone-chilling and so well done). I’m still waiting for Rachel to become uber again after her bit of acrobatics early in the series.

So yeah, Red Garden is my shining light this season. It’s not as brash or showy as previous favourites, but it has thoroughly enjoyable drama and lots of potential.

By: kuromitsu

kuromitsu — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:09:58 +0000

Just a something that I forgot to mention earlier – it seems to me that people are under the impression that the singing sucks because the seiyuu can’t sing. Now, that’s not true. They can sing, pretty well, actually (at least those whom I’ve heard before). But it always seemed to me that in Red Garden the unprofessional sound is kind of the point of the whole singing. It adds a touch of realism (because, as psgels said, we don’t have to believe that the characters suddenly sound like professional singers), it sounds natural, and in fact, it sounds less like singing and more like some quiet angsting which fits the show very well, at least as far as I’m concerned.

By: bateszi

bateszi — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 03:33:22 +0000

So basically, you like the singing because it sounds bad? I’m not particularly bothered by the voices themselves, I’d just rather there was no singing at all. You’re right though, it’s better that they are not JPOP idols… At least this way it comes off as more of a natural reflex, it’s almost like being at the theater or watching a play.

By: psgels

psgels — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 01:49:47 +0000

I’m actually one of the few people who liked the singing. For once, characters don’t suddenly appear to have the singing talent of a famous J-Pop idol.

By: j.valdez

j.valdez — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:48:13 +0000

I was geared up to catch up with Red Garden a few weeks ago, but I was sidetracked by something (got kicked out of my apartment). Plus, Kanon and Black Lagoon took priority.

I didn’t expect the horror aspect to be that impressive if it were not to be GANTZ type blood shed. As for the singing, it isn’t too bad in my opinion.

By: David

David — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:37:43 +0000

Oh come on. The singing’s very appropriate for a horror series. It’s horrible.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:11:04 +0000

I love the female character design in this, it’s so refeshing, Claire is my favourite. I like the fact that it’s more pyschologcal than limbs flying everywhere, but the missing horror element certainly isn’t made up for by the singing. Make it stop! @_@;