Now and then, here and there - L'autre monde

I first saw this at BAAF 2003 this past labor day weekend. I only caught the first two episodes and was intrigued by the storyline, the stunning visuals, and the unique feel. Seriously, I was stunned by how we can take a sunset for granted. This series uses it as its main theme and it works really well.

First off, this anime holds no punches and comes running right at you. Not like I was screaming or in uproar (I'm too jaded for that), but I was more fascinated and perplexed. Something as innocent as childhood is flipped 180 degrees and thrown into a world of chaos and anarchy. There's also some sci-fi and a post apocalypse twist in it. While there are some light humored parts, this one makes its stand with some dark, yet poignant moments. The characters play a big part too: Shu constantly promoting pacifism whose determination and bravery really make him very amiable. The enigmatic Lala Ru (I love that name especially when Shu would say it!) with her distant blue eyed gaze. Don't forget the mad Hamdo. If there's ever been a more vicious, psychotic maniac in anime, this King is definitely up there.

NTHT is not afraid to take risks and I was hooked on this series. I watched all 13 episodes rather quickly because I would be at work thinking about what would happen next! It's hard for me to go into it too much without spoiling it and NTHT ties together well as a whole. It can be seen on many levels, but I definitely enjoy what I call "thinking" anime and this one stirs up emotions as well.

The next time you see the sunset, think about it...won't you?

This is a good series to explain the implications of war to older children. I know a lot of people think that it is only for older teenagers and adults, because themes like child soldiers, rape, and totalitarianism are shown and/or implied, but the story is told in such a simplistic and naive way that it might leave older audiences feel rather patronized.

The animation is very good, and some of the backgrounds look great. The characterizations are simple, people are good or bad, but most are presented as having some history, and shown as leaning towards the opposite at first. For example, a character/child that commits war crimes is then revealed as a victim of war crimes itself. But that is the most ambiguous the characters get, mostly its very black and white. And the series uses obvious emotive images to drive home its point, such as the child soldiers leaving tiny footprints in the desert sand. The irrational behaviour of Shuu, the main character, also adds disbelieve to situations (such as being whipped) that would otherwise seem more dramatic.

I liked this series, but found it a bit clumsy. Other anime series that use a cutish style of animation, like Full Metal Alchemist, show a far more mature approach in the way they tackle issues of violence, responsibility and loyalty. This is for the kids only.

For most of the first episode of this series I was thinking it would be fairly worthless. The main character, Shu, is annoying and not too bright, and I actually fast forwarded through about 15 minutes of the show just to see if anything would ever happen.

This opener, however, is just a brief taste of the life Shu will be leaving behind. Once he is transported to a disturbing other world (it is never explained how he gets there or where there actually is) the show takes on a completely different tone. It is, in fact, a horrific study of the consequences of war that contains murder, kidnapping, pedophiliac rape, child soldiers and mass murder.

The show has a very clear perspective: the people who wage war are evil, insane or dupes, and are sometimes all three. But while the series is incredibly grim, it does insist that a few good people can make a difference.

While the series has some typical anime elements, including weird technology, mystic powers and a heroic, headstrong boy, episodes are true to the human experience, with characters acting pretty much as one would expect. Fairly uncompromising, horrible things happen with great frequency, and for the most part, nothing can be done.

I think it would be pretty easy to find huge plot holes and inconsistencies. But the show doesn't really care about that, never even bothering to explain who or what Lala Rue is. All that matters is, war is very very bad, and peace cannot be won through war.

"Now and Then, Here and There" is a thought provoking, and emotional story about war, and the way humanity's perception, reaction, motive and consequent future as a whole differs from person to person when faced with war-time situations. This 13 episode Sci-Fi story is set within a world of 10 billion years in the future. Although categorized as Sci-Fi, backdrops and settings mainly consist of desert land territory, with the exceptions of a few villages, the towering "maze-like" fortress of Helywood, and a few side locales; all adorned with realism styled artwork.

Basic Plot line: Shu (as he is referred to throughout the movie), a (more then likely early aged)teen resident of Japan, briefly meets a young girl named LaLa-Ru. Before solid information about her can be received, the sky opens up, and a machine captures both of them, taking them into the future. Shu, not even knowing where they have been taken, attempts to rescue LaLa-Ru from their captives. His nobility is short lived as they become separated and ultimately captured. Through a series of events, Shu learns that he and LaLa-Ru are being held captive in Helywood; a place where children are enslaved and enlisted as army recruits under the border-line (if not surpassingly)insane King Hamdo. In addition to this fact, he also learns that King Hamdo plans on using LaLa-Ru to fulfill his plan of domination. Shu has not dismissed his determination to rescue LaLa-Ru, but his current incarceration provides an obvious hurdle that does not appear to be easily traversed.

" Now and Then, Here and There" relies heavily on war themes, although the central focus appears to be more on the psyche of the individual players and the entangled bystanders. This is truly exposed through the Protagonist, Shu. He acts with his heart, and is optimistic in the worst of situations, and feels it only natural for others to do the same, although he will find out things aren't always that cut and dry.

This movie is recommended age 16+, due to some gritty scenes/themes involving child enslavement, child sexuality/rape ( although not literally depicted, there are a few scenes where acts are foreshadowed but tastefully cut to a different scene before anything is shown), violent acts performed by/towards children, and general bloodshed. There is very minimal, yet, existing profanity use. There are occasions where partial nudity is displayed.

Visually, this movie is in the traditional Anime style, but maintains a seriousness throughout, departing from other light-hearted tales by keeping a dark war-time overtone. Realism is stressed in all aspects, example; no one can come back to life, fight situations are human in that no one has inhuman capabilities, and character injuries heal (or don't heal) as any normal person's would.

MY FINAL STATEMENT/RANKING: As I said, this movie is thought provoking and insightful on several levels. It is not top-heavy in regards to one aspect, but smoothly rounds out all aspects of the plot from start to finish. I found time to fly by as I was completely captivated and drawn into every detail of "Now and Then, Here and There". I found myself empathizing with the characters very easily, even struggling to hold back tears at certain gut-wrenching scenes due to my level of connection with the characters portrayed. The musical arrangements echo and reinforce the mood of the movie's events. I found this piece of work to be intelligently made, and i enjoyed every minute of it. I give "Now and Then, Here and There" a 9 out of 10.

I rate this OAV drama PG-13 for acts of war described, including torture, rape, death, and just plain miserable life. This is an anime for adults or teenagers.

I enjoyed viewing this OAV: it has a solid movie-quality storyline that got me through all 3 DVDs in one shot.

It compares favorably to Jin-ro or Roujiin-z and would probably hit a 7/10 for an anime fan. It's not as good in my book as Grave of the fireflies, Wings of hoannemise or the hard to follow Akira classic, which I all rate 8~9/10.

The drawing is pretty standard Japanese animation style, of pretty good quality, though the DVD sleeve has nice but misleading stylized drawings with no relation to the actual anime.

Plot line:

Shu, a teen meets a strange girl, and get kidnapped into some parallel world or other planet...

Lalaru the girl is sought after because she has the power to control water in a world where water is rare, by a mad dictator who plans to rule the world with her help. He already has decimated most population not under his rule, most being peasants with little means of retaliation against his powerful army.

This story describes a pitiful humanity struggling in misery; people making deliberate choices that eventually can hurt others hoping for a better future for themselves. There's no good vs bad guy, and like good non-Hollywood movies, and still... it gets from bad to worse while Shu the hero stays hopelessly positive the future will be better.

The only downside is the dictator is hard to believe (character too monodimentional), and reasons for the soldier's motivations for obeying are a little weak. Also the going back-and forth between universes is not explained, and for example why not steal water on earth? That part is just an excuse to get clueless characters in that world.