Another SHAFT title, so unique artwork is expected — and we certainly got that. The first episode didn’t get me into the series at all, but a friend kept insisting, and when I finally had enough free time, I did try it further. And then I came to appreciate its presentation. The ending episodes are certainly beautiful. The characters may not be the finest, but you end up feeling for them nonetheless.

Somehow I took too long to realize there were separate storylines. I didn’t pay enough attention in the first few eps to realize that Hiro and Renji are two different people, despite their looks and how different girls were calling them different names. I thought one story was in the past and one in the future, but both are actually occurring at the same time.

My favorite is Chihiro; I don’t think we’ve had eyepatch-moe before, but she still pulls off being cute with just one eye. It’s another memory-based plot, but this one’s different, as she realizes she can’t remember anything past 13 hours. So she keeps diaries to refresh her memory. As long as it’s refreshed, certain memories can stay perpetually in her mind. The greatest danger is if she is asleep for longer than 13 hours, which gives her no chance to refresh, and thus she wakes up a 12-year-old again (the time of a car accident which caused this ailment). It’s happened a few times according to the narrative.

Kei and Miyako, on the other tale, are part of a love triangle full of insecurity and hesitance. Well, perhaps Miyako is willing to fight for what she wants, but Hiro and Kei are stuck being conservative or shy about their feelings. This is what creates tension where Miyako is asserting herself on Hiro. At the end of their arc, Kei finally confesses, but Hiro says he looks to her as a sister only, whereas there was once a possible romantic attachment.

Kind of a shame for a missed opportunity like that, but luckily for them it’s not so bad, since they can go back the sibling-like relationship they had and enjoyed as kids. And Hiro still has a lover in Miyako, who seems better for him anyway, as she challenges him more and gets him to open up more. Kei does a great job of taking care of things and protecting Hiro, sure, but it’s really Miyako that brings out the real potential in him.

And my favorite scene is still that telephone call, going all the way from 100 to 0 (in 3-second intervals; do actual Japanese phone cards do that?). When the countdown started I wasn’t expecting it to go all the way; by about 70 or so it was getting really annoying. But then the conversation got serious, and by the time it reached 30 I realized that they wouldn’t have enough time. And what started as annoying came as an element of suspense in the last ten counts. Miyako wasn’t left despairing for too long, though, after the phone cut off. But I think she panicked enough in an earlier episode with the 99 voicemails. That was a little creepy, but so well done psychologically, as Miyako went from confused to upset to angry to worried to panicked to apologetic to desperate as the calls went on. I can relate to that, and the words on the screen piling on top of each other just moved you, as the formely white screen was filled with more and more black text (and chaos).

I do like the last episode; Chihiro wanted to forget about Renji, but that would mean not thinking about him for 13 hours, which she says is a long time. But it still leaves the risk open to something keeping her sick for longer than that, but I suppose both of their resolves are strong enough now to commit to getting through it. Everyone else gets a conclusion in the ‘Coda’ part, although Himura’s story is still kinda left open; I had wondered why Yuko was just .. there. Maybe an OVA, or that ending was an invitation to play the game.

Overall I recommend this series be watched for its one-of-a-kind artistic presentation. The story itself, while suspenseful in the way it was told — and you wanted to see how a problem like Chihiro’s would be solved, wasn’t the biggest factor for me. The music is memorable, though, especially in the emotional moments; I like two of the three EDs for their orchestral parts (Baroque-sounding?). Didn’t really like all the hair on Renji’s head, although he had an awesome mom. And Miyako and Chihiro went to bed awful fast after the first kiss (although they had uncommon circumstances).

[ These don't really feel like reviews that I'm writing; more like final impressions after I've finished watching. ^^; Because I'm probably leaving out a lot that pertain to an actual review. Don't want to mislead people... ]

~Crisu