Often compared to Fushigi Yugi for some apparent similarities, but has more elegance and essense of a historical setting anime!Synopsis:
A highschool student named Akane Motomiya is pulled into another world through a mysterious well with her classmate Tenma Morimura and underclassmen friend Shimon Nagareyama. In this world that resembles Kyoto during the Heian Period, the young scion of the Star Clan, Fujihime, claims Akane to be the Priestess of the Dragon God, who is the only one who can prevent the Oni clan from achieving their ambitions. Akuram, the leader of the Oni clan who was behind the summoning of Akane into this world, wants to make use her powers for his own goals. But with the support of the Haichiyou, the eight guardian men, they are sworn to protect the Dragon Priestess with the help of their powers.
Rating Key:
Excellent
Good
Average
Bad
Not worth your time
= half a rating
Music-
Characters-
Video and Sound Quality-
Series length- 26 episodes
Released in the U.S.?- Yes
This series contains- Drama, Fantasy, Romance, and lots of bishounen or male harem. XD
Some facts about this title-
* The English translation for the title is "Haruka: Beyond the Stream Of Time: A Tale of the Eight Guardians."
* Based on the PS2 romantic adventure game in Japan by Ruby Party and published by Koei.
* Due to the success of this series, there also has been other franchise releases such as several sequels (2, and 3) as well as numerous CD dramas, manga series, 2 OVAs, a movie, and a live-action theatrical.
Where can you purchase this series?
dot-anime, Anime Nation My Thoughts:
When I first looked up this series, I found that it was filled with superb character designs and lots of appealing characters. That alone for me was a huge plus, so I decided that I had to watch it as soon as I could. XD
My first impression was that it had strong similarities to Fushigi Yugi, and I've heard many other viewers thought the same. o_o Considering how it focuses on the four gods: Seiryu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. The female protagonist is also pulled into an ancient world (except for a female friend with her) and becomes the priestess, who is said to be the only one able to save their world. That theme alone was not exactly original, but I have to say that aside from that, it has it's own aspects that make it unique. The character designs, for one thing, is much more detailed and much more appealing. Also it being a more recently made series, it has the ability to mix various kinds of animation and more realistic elements to capture a more magical and more crisp feeling.
The colors used for this series are very vibrant yet gentle and the animation isn't choppy like some series out there. The historical setting that this story takes place is also refreshing how it is colorful and drawn with a softer look. The characters themselves also have more of an "authentic" feel to them when it comes to aura of an ancient traditional Japanese setting. Not only that, but the music also enhances and compliments everything so well, because of the nice quality of the traditional instruments used. It often gives you a relaxing feeling and takes you back in time to ancient Japan as if it were in a dream... At least that's how I felt when I watched it. ^^
As the storyline progresses, you will begin to notice that it actually has it's own unique story path, so it strays away from being "similar" to Fushigi Yugi. You will be more easily captivated by the characters, story and artwork, because it doesn't overdo certain elements that make it repetitive or boring. It has a much higher quality and a more sense of elegance to it that makes it much more enjoyable to watch.
One of the greatest parts of this series is that the majority of the male cast are done by many of the veteran Japanese seiyuu, such as Tomokazu Seki, Shinichiro Miki, Soichiro Hoshi, Akira Ishida, Ryotaro Okiayu and Tohoshiyuki Morikawa (What more can you ask for... XD). I find it interesting that they didn't dub this series, even though it was released on DVD in the US. Only a subtitled version exists. Perhaps it was difficult to find a voice cast that could compare to the veteran seiyuu of the original Japanese or the production costs would have been a lot for a series that is not well known. XD But maybe some series are just best kept the way they were, such as Loveless and Princess Princess. ^^ Fans of series with bishounen characters protecting the main female protagonist will enjoy this, because there's a big lineup of attractive male characters in this. There's so many, each with their unique qualities and personalities, that it almost seems impossible to like just one. XD
Since this series was adapted from a Neoromance video game or a "girl player and boy characters" visual novel/dating sims game in Japan, it becomes apparent that there could many possible "pairings" between her and another male character. There are many editions under this title ranging to manga, CD dramas and games for it that were also released in Japan, but it's very difficult to keep track, since it's not all translated yet. But this series definitely has a lot to offer to the fans with it's range of many appealing bishounen characters and beautiful artwork. If you're into this genre, then I highly recommend this to be a part of your collection.
My Final Opinion:
With lots of appealing characters and tons of eye candy, this series will take you to a beautiful world of ancient Japan that you only wished existed. Filled with action, drama, romance and fantasy elements, this is a great series for any shoujo anime fan that enjoys something with more bishounen characters than they could handle! XD
Screenshots: Here
are some high quality shots I took of this series.
