Saki is not amused at the Johnny joke.
Eden of the East has been one of the more commonly talked about anime series of the spring season, with good cause. Having been an avid watcher of the first two episodes, here are some insights about this strange little concoction from Production I.G. (Spoilers follow)
Well, this certainly was one of the better surprises for this season. A high-calibre mystery thriller with a dose of simple romance and high production values. Production I.G. has always been a supplier of quality goods, and this is no exception: Eden of the East is a heckuva house. See: They hired actual English VAs to do the voices in the first episode. None of that horrible Black Lagoon Engrish crap.
Whiteblot censorship ftw.
The premise is as wild as it is unforgettable: A girl by the name of Saki decides to visit the White House before heading home to Japan. However, she gets into a bit of trouble when she tries throwing coins through the fence in an act of childhood self-vows. She is rescued by an amnesiac man who happens to be stark naked with nothing save his gun and a phone with over eight billion yen in it. And that’s just the beginning. This eventually develops into something quite large as we learn that the memory loss was definitely not natural, and the mysterious woman behind the scenes, Juiz, who is scarily efficient at carrying out the orders of her ‘clients’. Struggling to find his path, the amnesiac man takes on the name of Akira, and follows Saki back to Japan, where the threat of missile attacks loom overhead…
Well, what can I say that hasn’t been said already? Despite the odd premise, Eden of the East has proven to be quite the juggernaut of the Spring season. It’s got a way with storytelling that’s engaging and at the same time lets the viewer see things as they unfold in a manner that ranges from the humble to the spectacular. The background music greatly helps in emphasizing a scene, and the wierd adventures that Saki and Akira get in and out of makes for quite the ride.
Episode two, so far, has only helped tremendously to heap more mystery and tension to the plot, as the newcomer Kondo seems to be able to track Akira’s expenditure via his own cellphone, which is similar to Akira’s. Furthermore, he seems to have no hesitation in abusing his connection with Juiz to order the execution of some debt collectors, as well as an unfortunate witness at the scene.
I don’t think I need to say that I’m waiting for the next episode with bated breath. If Eden of the East is able to keep its juggernautian approach, it could very well have a place in my top ten.
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Eden of the East might be the best show of the spring lineup. Two episodes in I don’t really know what exactly to think about Eden of the East except that it’s enthralling. Just when you get settled in and think you know what’s going on, it throws more mysteries at you, which is what a good mystery does to keep you hooked.
Despite all my praise for EotE though, it’s far from being my favorite show of the season. It’s certainly still a good one at any rate. My only complaint so far is Saki’s character design. Chika Umino’s females are just so… Ugh.
@Noirsword: Ditto on the female character designs. But that’s close to being my only nitpick about what looks like will be a great spring entree (NB: I’ve only seen the first ep so I’m in no position to judge).
I was seriously concerned when I heard that Umino Chika was doing the character designs for this series, but apart from Saki I’m relieved to find them generally palatable.
On the side, the animation reminds me of Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora. Probably the attempt at photorealism or something.
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