Synopsis:
Aoyagi Ritsuka must live alone with his abusive mother since his brother, Seimei, was suddenly killed. He is now torn apart as he takes little interest and finds no meaning in his life. At his new school, he encounters new acquaintances and a mysterious man named Soubi, who claims to have known his brother. He used to be Soubi's "Fighter", while Seimei was his "Sacrifice". Seimei has left Soubi to be Ritsuka's Fighter, but the reason is unclear. Hesitant to trust this man who is told to love him under his brother's command, Ritsuka slowly tries to earn his trust as he seeks the truth of why his brother was killed.
Rating Key:
Excellent
Good
Average
Bad
Not worth your time
= half a rating
Story-
Music-
Characters-
Video and Sound Quality-
Series length- 12 episodes
Released in the U.S.?- Yes
This series contains-
Drama, Shounen-ai, Supernatural, Romance.
Some facts about this title-
* The U.S. release only has a subtitled version. No English dub is available for this release.
* There is also a manga released for this series.
Where can you purchase this series?
DVD Empire,
Animecastle, BestBuy
One of the very few new anime series that I couldn't stop watching until I saw it to the end. The director really put this series together well, from beginning to end. It opens nicely with a prologue that goes into a beautiful opening theme. The animation is filled with soft colors and a gentle look with added CG effects that make it very enjoyable to watch. The audio in this series is also unlike any I've come across. It is very well recorded with a unique sound quality and clear output, everything from the music to the voices are extremely well done. The music especially captures the true beauty and nature of this show and is the best I've come across in a long time, so I also highly recommend the soundtrack. The voice actors are top-notch for this series and they really put a lot of emotion into their characters no matter what the situation.
Story-wise, there is definitely a lot of mystery in it even from the start. It will keep you guessing, wondering and even attached, that it's hard to not want to see the whole thing. There is also a soft melancholic feel to this series, but yet a mellow drama feel to it as well, that could be comforting yet sad at the same time, but very enjoyable. This kind of series would be appreciated by those with a slightly more mature/serious taste and those who are comfortable with Shounen-ai. However there are some comedy scenes to lighten the mood, which is cleverly weaved in and fit nicely with the flow of things. This is also the kind of series you should give full attention to, because you don't want to miss a single moment. Make sure to buy the DVDs of this series, because there is a special bonus chibi SD theater where they show the two main characters in chibi form as they discuss or even exaggerate some scenes in the show, very funny and cute.
The characters are all very likeable, even the minor ones (maybe except for the teacher, who can be a bit too whiny and immature >_>), but you will eventually be comfortable with all of them. I only wished the series was longer so they could show more of some of the characters. I also did NOT want the show to end when it got to end of episode 12, because it was that good. However, you will really enjoy and be moved by the music and the story in this series. I highly recommend this series to whoever likes drama and shounen-ai as well as supernatural and fantasy, you won't be disappointed. You will want to see another season!
My Final Opinion: A beautifully composed series with stunning effects and visuals. If you love drama and shounen-ai, this series will be an instant favorite. Highly recommended to be a part of your collection.
Screenshots: Here are some high quality shots I took of this series.
