Rating: 
Summary: Not Jubei Chan, but it does alright
Review: First of all, there is NOTHING funny about this show. Nothing. I got it because I really enjoyed the wackiness of Jubei Chan, but this was nothing like it. It's very serious, and very depressing. I still enjoyed it anyway, despite myself.First of all, the random meeting between Lala Ru and Shu is strange. I mean, Shu is a kind-hearted boy with honor to spare, but he gets thrown into Lala Ru's world, where things are not honorable, and all everyone wants to do is survive the mad ravings of a despot. He doesn't understand what the problem is, only that there is a problem. He believes that everything will be okay, as long as they stay alive. ... And it goes on like that, detail after depressing detail. In a lot of ways, it just reminds me of a wreck, because you can't take your eyes off of it, it's just too gruesome. The animation is adequate, the machinery/vehicles are ordinary, and even the plot is a motley patchwork of other anime storylines, what with a special pendant and a girl with special powers. If I had to say what kept me glued, it was Shu's absolute faith and honor in the face of absolutely everything going wrong. I suppose I wish I had that kind of faith.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Bests...
Review: I had just rented Now and Then, Here and There: Discord and Doom at a local Blockbuster the other day, I was very impressed. This anime was brought to America by U.S. Manga, and was originally done by AIC and Pioneer. It starts with a boy named Shu who meets a girl named LaLa-Ru and they get taken into another dimension where LaLa-Ru is wanted for a pendant she possess. She hands the pendant to Shu but Shu loses it in a fight between himself and a solider named Kabuca. The King, Homda wants the pendant to minapulate their low water supply. They are all on a huge ship called, Hellywood I believe, they are also fighting in a deadly war. The King and Lady Abelia have kidnapped many children age depending to fight as soliders and once they win the war they can go home, basically! It's a really good anime, and trust me I've seen many anime, one of the only anime's that come close to being this good is Martian Successor Nadesico, Evangelion is alright!
Rating:
Summary: "Now & Then..." Blew Me Away
Review: I'm not the biggest anime fan in the world, but I was very surprised by this movie. My problem with most anime that I have seen, which hasn't been a lot, is the stories. The story of "Now and Then, Here and There- Discord and Doom," was great. In the beginning, the way the mood gave you a vague sense of fantasy and mystery worked very well. It gave you the impression that something strange and fantastic was going to happen but you weren't exactly sure what. It added to the pacing of the movie, which was great throughout the entire movie. Also, the contrast between Earth and LaLa Rue's world, after such a serene start, really emphasized the seriousness of the new world. I felt the characters in the movie were great. The issues that they had to deal with were very realistic and made great social commentary. The soldiers and their competitiveness with each other; the sadistic King and his crazy mood swings; and Shu with his untouched and immovable spirit. The movie had real empathy. I finished the movie with a real sense of all the characters and their motivations, which I think is one of the hardest things to pull off in a story. It was great. I can't wait to watch the next one!
Rating:
Summary: Great Anime, though not for the faint of heart
Review: Let me say this, this is by far one of the most depressing anime serials out there. It chronicles the systematic abuse of its main characters, usually through torture of one kind or another. By the time of the third episode you will be crying because of the inhumanity of the situation that Shu, Sara, and Lulu Rue are in. This first DVD is all about misery. However, this is also the best anime serial I have ever seen. It is the Grave of Fireflies of Anime serial. It shows the inhumanity of war, but also the beauty of simplest moment, such as a sunset. The plot is sorta a combination of the miserable anti war message in Grave of Fireflies, but even more dire. But also has fantastic elements that are very familiar to escaflowne(also excellent), in that the main character(s) is whisked away to an unfamiliar place. All be told this is by far one of the best and most depressing anime serials in existance. It is proof that anime, is far more than just a simple cartoon. Even the best live action series cannot reflect this much emotion. It is simply a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Great Anime, though not for the faint of heart
Review: Let me say this, this is by far one of the most depressing anime serials out there. It chronicles the systematic abuse of its main characters, usually through torture of one kind or another. By the time of the third episode you will be crying because of the inhumanity of the situation that Shu, Sara, and Lulu Rue are in. This first DVD is all about misery. However, this is also the best anime serial I have ever seen. It is the Grave of Fireflies of Anime serial. It shows the inhumanity of war, but also the beauty of simplest moment, such as a sunset. The plot is sorta a combination of the miserable anti war message in Grave of Fireflies, but even more dire. But also has fantastic elements that are very familiar to escaflowne(also excellent), in that the main character(s) is whisked away to an unfamiliar place. All be told this is by far one of the best and most depressing anime serials in existance. It is proof that anime, is far more than just a simple cartoon. Even the best live action series cannot reflect this much emotion. It is simply a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Now and Now Then and Then
Review: Like some other people who wrote a reviewI rented now and then here and there from a local blockbuster and if I didn't see the first episode on comcast I may have never seen this wonderful anime creation, but anyway this is one of the best drama anime serie's i have ever seen.This serie's is almost like Escaflwone but very depressing as in There Is No Hope. I don't like to spoil reviews by revealing things about the story so I only encourage readers to see it.This is such a powerful anime show that it starts to make you feel for the characters right off the bat. Some things in this story are hard to understand like why lalaru acts the way she does evan after act's of good she holds the same face only smiling here and there, and why shu will stop a nothing to protect her, he is so concentrated on protecting her that he doesn't think a lot about his parent's or sister but he makes you love and respect him for his strength and dedication.Even tho this is a depressing story Shu brings a little hope back when it seems to be completley gone. Again this is one of the best and I hope you find my review helpful this series will make such an impact on whoever watches it and will probably change your views on how you live life.
Rating:
Summary: "Now & Then..." Blew Me Away
Review: Now and Then, Here and There is grim, brutal, powerful and beautiful all at once. From what I understand it's loosely based on a documentary about child soldiers in Africa that the director saw, the violence in this series isn't disturbing because of it's gorey nature as in more typical anime, but in that the acts of violence ring with a disturbing note of truth and reality. Despite this however, the protagonist Shu, is so noble and optimistic that there's always a glimmer of hope through all the darkness, and you never hit rock bottom while watching. Some people may not be able to stomach it, but if you're not sqeamish it's a very rewarding series.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely in my top 5
Review: Now and Then, Here and There is grim, brutal, powerful and beautiful all at once. From what I understand it's loosely based on a documentary about child soldiers in Africa that the director saw, the violence in this series isn't disturbing because of it's gorey nature as in more typical anime, but in that the acts of violence ring with a disturbing note of truth and reality. Despite this however, the protagonist Shu, is so noble and optimistic that there's always a glimmer of hope through all the darkness, and you never hit rock bottom while watching. Some people may not be able to stomach it, but if you're not sqeamish it's a very rewarding series.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This is a GREAT anime. I admit that I was at first discouraged by the very simple and somewhat goofy looking character designs (what can I say, I like pretty things). Even more so when I read a review about it that was far from encouraging. my, how misleading first impressions can be.This show touched me deeply. The characters have so much emotion and life that they feel real to you. The situations that these people are in are enough to make wanna jump in and save them yourself. The Story is about a very cheerful and optimistic boy named "Shu". He accidently gets transported to a mysterious world while trying to save a new friend. There he gets mixed up in the crazy problems of this warring world and is subjected to intense torture. This show greatly focuses on the use of severe physical abuse to train the soldiers fighting in this world, most of them still mere children. The leader of them all is a blubbering, crazy king, who I find to be one of the most interesting anime characters I've ever seen. The background art and use of color and lighting is absolutely breathtaking as well. This is a series that will never leave you bored or feel as if it's too long. It is a show definately worth puchasing.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best series I have ever seen, period.
Review: This is one of the best anime series or movies that I have ever seen. Although it is set in a fantastic setting, there is a level of realism rarely encountered in most "realistic movies". It is dark, but at the same time well paced and entertaining. It shows suffering and hardship without sentimentality and tear-jerking. There is at the same time a Peter-Pan - ish quality to the story of children doing battles, and at the same time the emotions and motivations of the children are complex and real - this movie portrays real children better than most movies I've seen, which tend to make children either too mature or too immature for their age. In fact the most immature person in this movie is Hamdo, the king - a person of no nobility whatsoever. Hardship brings out the best in people sometimes - there is a certain nobility and solemnity to the child soldiers that is a product of the environment they are in and the pressure put upon them.
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