Anime is tricky. Not only does the
medium have a long history, but it's own variety of genres. With all
that is available (and missing out on October for personal reasons) I
have decided to turn the month of November into Otaku Month. I will be
looking at anime from different decades and a movie before the month is
over. Now to start with an anime from the year 2007, Romeo x Juliet.
This is an interesting anime, because it isn't from a
Japanese story, but is an adaptation of Shakespeare's tragety, Romeo and
Juliet. Unlike other adaptations that use all the dialogue from the
famous play, this anime creates it's own world and takes an original
approach to the story.
Pros- It borrows elements from other of Shakespeare's plays
to create something not only unique, but also familiar. It creates a
world with a great flow and elements that are helpful in making this
version feel fresh and original. The action and animation is well done.
It feels more western than a typical anime and even the opening song is a
Japanese cover of "You Raise Me Up" made famous by Josh Groban. Believe
it or not, it fits well and establishes the mood of the anime. Most of
the characters are well written and even William Shakespeare has a
character in the series and he is more than a fun Easter egg. He is a
key character and plays a big role towards the end of the series. They
do make Romeo and Juliet individual characters and even show more
development as a couple, while also making them older than in the
original play to add a level of believability to the world. Instead of
it taking place in a typical European country, the creators instead go
in a different direction and create Fantasy world with dragon horses and
a structure that plays a large role by the end of it all. If you have
seen or read the original play in one way or another, you know how it
ends, but it is done in a way that is refreshing and you feel satisfied
by it. Resolves are made and nothing is ignored. Funimation provides the
localization and English Dub for the anime and they go in the poetic
route to feel more like one of Shakespeare's plays. It is refreshing,
because it is kind of a rare thing for an anime dub to be like that.
Cons- Romeo's father is the only character that is not well
done in the localization. He is a villain with a rather weak motivation
for his actions and by the end, he comes off as more of a bad joke when
the real threat arrives at the end of it. While the Dub is beautiful at
times, it can also feel awkward at times... Like a Shakespeare play (he
wasn't perfect. Accept that). Also, not every character is well cast in
the dub either. Some voices are odd with some of the minor characters
in a couple episodes. It's not awful, but it can be distracting.
Final Verdict- Despite the flaws it has, I do recommend it
for anyone new to Anime. It has enough Western elements to feel familiar
and is a great overall story. I do recommend the dub, since it fits the
world better, but you can really go either way. It is a good adaptation
and it had my attention for all 24 episodes. Check it out if you are a
fan of Shakespeare's work, or just want a good story to enjoy.
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