However, anime is more than just a script. IMO, the flow of events is mechanical, while scene composition and action cinematography are poor. There’s a very half-assed feel to the production, which fails to do the original work much justice.

Having just watched the beginning of Noir (even worse filmmaking), it’s clear that this is a Beetrain problem. However, I do feel that the latter boasts vastly superior integration of visuals and music, which helps the presentation a lot. With Phantom, the stylized elements are rather forced.

You should definitely take a look at Noir. While some of the production is a bit off (no blood?), for the most part it’s a mature girls-with-guns series with a beautiful setting and a spellbinding soundtrack.

Oh, for sure. And after being so impressed by Phantom, I’m definitely going to take an extended look at Noir in the very near future; I’ve always heard good things about it, especially the soundtrack.

@noir001

It all depends on the context/style of the show; you’re right in saying that a lot of anime are unrealistic, but whether that works or not totally depends on the atmosphere of the anime in question.

For example, Gurren Lagann is unrealistic, but that’s fine, because it’s a straight-up fantasy. Phantom portrays itself as a moody, serious story, set within the gritty world of an underground crime syndicate, so I find it hard to believe that a character like Lizzy is a long-range dead shot with a hand-gun in one scene, but then can’t even hit someone standing just ten yards away in another.

Other, little things bug me too, like how Reiji enrolled in a Japanese school using his real name and then seems surprised that Inferno tracked him down?! And why do so many of the characters look 10 years older than their biological ages?

It all piles up, and while I can forget things like this in a much less ‘realistic’ show, it seems like given the kind of anime that Bee Train produces, they really want Phantom to be taken seriously.

@0rion

I suspect it’s all about the quality of the source material; Phantom is an adaptation of a much beloved visual novel, while the likes of Noir and Madlax were original anime. Regardless, provided they can keep on producing anime at this level, I’ll always be willing to give them as fair a chance as any.

Phantom, though, is really something else. I’ve been enjoying the show immensely, and while it might not have some of the really standout moments or musical scoring that Noir did, overall I think it’s a much more cohesive and well presented story.

Hopefully this is a sign of things to come from Bee Train, and they’ll start cranking out a show of this caliber every year. If they can, I’ll be happily entertained for a long time to come, even if it is just more girls ‘n guns extravaganza.