Two underrated series that I recently rewatched

Can you tell what they are by these ambiguous screencaps?

Most great anime series usually get the recognition they deserve by fans. Evangelion, Code Geass, Air, Azumanga Daioh, Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, etc., have all received much deserved popularity for being credible fan favorites and overall brilliant shows, whether it be through fansubs, DVDs, or TV airings. I’m glad that many fans agree on what makes an anime series good, but of course, there are a handful of series that are excellent and yet don’t get the kind of recognition they deserve. I recently rewatched two such series so now that they’re both fresh in my mind, I feel like writing about why I think these two shows are so great…

Wolf’s Rain
*Click here for a synopsis*

I’ve heard that many fans dislike Wolf’s Rain because of poor pacing and lack of a satisfying ending. But after watching this show for about the fourth time now, I disagree with those claims; I just can’t see anything other than beauty, creativity, and fantastical philosophy amidst a refreshing story and great characters. If you just skip the 4 recap episodes, you have a series with unarguably gorgeous art and animation, Yoko Kanno’s incredible musical score, and a very unique story. I can’t see anything noticeably wrong with the pacing of the show – everything flows well together, characters and plot are developed over time, and as the story moves on, the setting changes from the city, to the forest, to the Noble’s keep, etc., without any feeling of disjointedness. And it’s not just about the wolves getting to Paradise. That’s a big part of it, but most of the episodes focus on other things, such as their character development and their relationships with each other as they struggle to survive in the crumbling world around them. And of course, aside from the wolves, the conflict of the human characters is also prominent and developed enough to be separate from the wolves’ story. There’s never any hyperbolic humor to distract from the seriousness of the show and the philosophy and fantasy-based background of the story are incredibly detailed and revealed progressively rather than all at once, resulting in a lot of suspense and mystery among Wolf’s Rain’s intense drama and action. The show can shift from extreme violence, such as Kiba biting a man’s throat, to extreme beauty, such as Cheza and the wolves dancing together under an enchanting full moon, excelling in both moods and never seeming out of place. And as for the ending, even though pretty much all the characters die, that doesn’t seem too unrealistic since the world is basically ending in the last few episodes. And it’s all necessary for the overall message that the series is trying to convey, which I think many fans who dislike Wolf’s Rain don’t understand. I actually wrote a long interpretation/explanation of the ending here. The fact that this show can invoke so much thought from me and other fans proves that it has more worth than just the facade of “wolves searching for Paradise.”

Another thing about Wolf’s Rain is that its story is very unique. How often to you have a show in which animals are the main characters and yet it’s definitely not a children’s show? Even though the personalities of the four wolves seem like typical anime archetypes, they pull off these archetypes very well, and since they have a wolf’s point of view instead of a human’s, as well as a brilliantly complex setting to work with, this also adds to the uniqueness of their character. The few human characters in the series also do not fall short of character development either and are characterized enough to almost have their own series. The relationship between Cher and Hubb is quite well developed; in those early episodes when Hubb is searching for Cher, you can feel and sympathize with how dedicated he is to her. And by the conclusion of the series, when they start talking about their life together despite the world around them coming to an end, to Cher dying in Hubb’s arms, it’s amazing how you can feel the love they have for each other. Quent is also a great character; even after learning that wolves in fact didn’t kill his family, he doesn’t suddenly become a “good guy” and apologize to the wolves or anything. He remains in denial and continues to hate them. He even realizes this himself and acknowledges it as his own human weakness, his hatred being the only thing that keeps him going in the collapsing world.

I could write pages and pages about the brilliance of the characters, setting, art, and other aspects of Wolf’s Rain but I think this is enough for one post! XD There’s no doubt in my mind, Wolf’s Rain is a masterpiece and will always be one of my favorite shows.

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Noir
*Click here for a synopsis*

Probably more underrated than Wolf’s Rain, I honestly think Noir is one of the best anime series of all. Maybe its animation isn’t top-notch (its only flaw really) but it excels in all its other aspects. And to make up for its not-so-fluid animation, most scenes focus on gorgeous cinematography, background art, and the expressions on the characters’ faces rather than fast-paced movement. In addition, it has a suspenseful and progressively unfolding plot, incredible music from Yuki Kajiura, and since there are really only four main characters, their development is carried out very well.

Noir’s premise may not sound like anything special; girls with guns, mysterious pasts, and secret organizations are fairly common in anime. But Noir does it all so brilliantly. Probably its best point is its two lead characters, Mireille and Kirika, and the distant yet strong relationship they develop. What’s amazing is that their relationship starts off cold and distrustful, and by the end of the series they don’t even get that much more open or affectionate with each other, and yet you can tell what a strong bond they’ve developed. There’s very few instances in the series where they even talk about their feelings or even express any strong emotions, and yet, subtle hints reveal the development of their cold but eventually strong bond. From the obvious distrust they had for each other in the first episode, to the end of the last episode, they never once show much angst or downright express their emotions openly, but before you know it, it’s hard to imagine one of them without the other. Even though they’re assassins, they turn out to be extremely sympathetic characters. Their unique relationship is one of the best and is hard to describe…it can really only be experienced by watching the series. The other two antagonistic main characters, Chloe and Altena, are also good characters but it’s Mireille and Kirika who steal the show.

Despite all the killing that happens in Noir, it’s all very “clean” violence. One shot and the guy’s dead, no intense gore or suffering, and very rarely any blood at all. Although this may seem unnatural, I think it adds to the uniqueness and brilliance of the show; by not glorifying the violence, focus is put on other aspects such as the art, music, setting, and suspense. And even though most of the episodes involve Mireille and Kirika shooting nameless thugs in suits one after the other, the way they do it each time is often unique and suspenseful, for example, when one of the guys grabbed Kirika and was about to choke her with a wire, she pulled off his sunglasses, broke them by hitting them against the wall, then used the sharp tip of the broken frame to stab him in the forehead. And there’s always that eerie melody (called “salva nos”) that plays during these scenes that really pulls you in. All of the music in Noir is great and perfectly matched for whatever scene is occurring, but that particular one is probably the most memorable and engrossing.

Noir also has excellent pacing and a perfectly unfolded plot. We get a good but not too revealing introduction to Mireille and Kirika in the first episode, then the next 9 or so episodes are stand-alone stories that let us get familiar with them while also slowly revealing more about the show’s mysteries, such as the main “enemy” of the series, the Soldats. Then just when the episodic stories start to get a little stale, the series takes a major turn for the better and starts focusing solely on the main plot, developing Mireille and Kirika’s relationship with each other and with the Soldats, introducing Chloe and Altena, and episode by episode brilliantly putting the pieces of the characters’ mysteries together. It’s not until the last few episodes that everything is revealed to us, especially the shocking history behind the Soldates and the thought-provoking universal concepts that the series conveys about the truth of man being to commit sin, of whether hatred can save people, and of Noir being able to continue “bearing the sins of mankind.” Add this amazingly executed plot together with brilliant directing and cinematography, perfectly haunting yet beautiful music and art, and quality characters gives you one of the best anime series of all in my opinion. Like Wolf’s Rain, I could go into a lot more detail as to why I think Noir is so brilliant but I think this is enough for now. I just can’t recommend Noir enough.

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Though there are probably a few more underrated anime I can think of, I’m glad that most of the ones I think are great do indeed get the kind of credit they deserve. If I rewatch any others, I’ll be sure and write about them. Can anyone think of any other underrated anime? =)