When I first heard this anime i thought it was the anime version of Romeo and Juliet of Shakespeare. But then i found out that it only uses the characters name and a twisted story. This anime is so beautiful that you can’t resist to watch.
The animation is absolutely stunning. Gonzo (the animation studio) really took huge care to make the setting, character designs, and background images portray a realistic feeling of Neo Verona. There aren’t very many series’ in which every scene is a work of art, but I think this one may be one of them, or at least it comes close. The music is also beautiful, especially the song and the images used in the opening. The fast-paced, rock music of the ending song doesn’t really match the gentleness of the series though. Oh well. For the characters, so far they seem a little on the bland and archetype side, but I’m sure they’ll get better later on. At least our two main characters, Romeo and Juliet of course, are likable enough. They seem to be the only really important characters that we’re made to focus on, so if their relationship is given proper development as the series’ progresses, it won’t really matter too much if the other characters get pushed into the background. A few of the “anime-only” characters, like Cordelia and Antonio, may get more screen time and development as the series progresses. But for now, they also seem to be mostly undynamic, supporting characters. One other character that really sticks out is “Willy,” who’s obviously a comical, anime characterization of Shakespeare himself. I think it was a pretty clever idea to throw him in for parody and comic relief’s sake.
So far, what I like about the plot of the series is that it seems to only be focused on the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, and how they will (or will not) eventually end up together and possibly unite their feuding families. I don’t think the series is going to bombard us with a lot of complex fantasy elements and endless subplots, ’cause like other alternate fantasy world stories, it definitely has the potential to do so. But it seems to be character-driven above anything else.
