Rating: 
Summary: It is Art, but it hurts...
Review: Now and Then, Here and There, from the very first episode, struck me as being one of the most beautiful anime series I'd ever seen. The art and direction are spectacular and make the darkness of the world all the more haunting, the nicer parts even more refreshing. The characters are complex and extraordinarily intriguing and you feel pity for them when they suffer - and in many cases, suffer they do - and joy when they get moments of happiness. And the storyline keeps one riveted from end to end. From the interrupted tranquility of the first episode to the gentle hope of the last, N&T,H&T is one of the finest anime works in my collection.That said, it is brutal. The main villains are among the most contemptible individuals portrayed in this kind of medium, and their bloodthirsty will for power literally angered me when I was watching the show. There is severe brutality inflicted upon the unfortunate children of the world of Hellywood. Beatings, in one case a rape, the like. It can get depressing, severely so, and should probably be watched in a group for that reason - but it does deserve to be seen. Perhaps it's not really "enjoyable," but that's not the sole purpose of an animated series. If you can get through the difficulties, there are things that are really beautiful about this show. They're more than worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost wish I'd not watched this series...
Review: Now wait, don't get the title wrong...I ENJOYED watching this series but it REALLY depressed me. It was probably some of the best anime I'd seen in a long time...nothing since Trigun or Cowboy Bebop has moved me quite so much. Heck, those are almost tame compared to this one (although Bebop and Trigun are still killer). I hardly ever have felt such anger, indignance, sadness or depression over a set of characters and a story. Only at times does Here And Now even have a moment you could deem 'heart-warming' and I think I laughed maybe once in the first ep. when Shu rammed his head into a pipe accidently. That's about it. After meeting a mystical girl named La La Ru (nice name...ick), a goody-goody boy named Shu is transported into the hellish future of Earth. He is taken captive into the cruel empire of the tyrannical and totally nutty King Hamdo. There Shu faces a whole other plane of reality...one of utter cruelty and depravity. A place where kids are brought up as cannon fodder for King Hamdo's noble war effort to take over Earth. A place where they are taught to kill, follow orders to the T, and die for King Hamdo if necessary...A place where most females are seen as sex objects or only useful to bear more children for future soldiers (that incensed me the most). Our main hero, Shu, is like a younger Vash the stampede...he hates killing and violence, his motto is "Things will get better...as long as we're alive, good things will happen". As chumpy as he may come across, he's the only ray of light in this series and the only beacon of hope for those he comes into contact with (Nabuco, Sara, Boo, etc.). He stays his optomistic self to the very end, despite the fact that he gets the brunt end of so much brutality (I just kept marveling at his strength every time he'd get beaten.) He's also somewhat unbelievable yet an amazingly good hero. He strives to rescue La La-Rue from Hamdo's grasp and puts up one of heck of fight to keep her away from the king because she plays a very important part as you will find out. So many different other characters with such distinct personalities, you won't forget them. There's the childish and mad King Hamdo whom you will utterly deplore yet he will also amuse you from time to time by his kooky antics. His cold, unflinching right hand woman Abelia, who for some reason puts up with him. Nabuca and Boo, two soldiers who have been brainwashed for so long into killing for Hamdo but are changed after meeting Shu. The kind Sis of Zari Bars and her loving family. And probably the character that breaks my heart the most, Sara, an earth girl taken from Shu's time as well. Her
plight depressed me the most... What can I say? I watched this series attentively...seldom did it ever get boring. In fact, I'm the kinda person who gets sucked into something if its good and really lets it get to me. That's what happened with Now and Here...and that tells me its a good anime. I recommend it whole-heartedly, but be warned it will most likely put you in a funk...I know it did me. Oh yeah, this ain't for kids...it shocked me at every turn (I'm 21). I just bought the VHS tapes separately, but instead of reviewing all three apart, I thought I'd do them together because I think its a cohesive story on a whole. Anime forever!
Rating:
Summary: What a powerful show.....................................
Review: ok this show is powerful! I bought this collection cuz I read some reviews that it was sadder and more depressing then Grave of the Fireflies and some that said it was powerful but not as sad as Grave of the Fireflies. Now I have to say Grave of the fireflies is still the most saddest experience I ever had with watching anything in my life. Now and Then, Here and There is just powerful and depressing and it can be sad but not as sad as Grave of the Fireflies. Now on to this review. Everyone but 3 of the main characters die. Mostly every1! I was surprised with how 2 of the characters surviving cuz I thought they would be the 2 ta die. The main character like usualy lives throughout it all. But Lala ru why did she just die off like that!? That was so sad! EVery1 died just died with a blink of the eye. Even lil kids like Boo and the girl kill each other. What a sad show. Now that I think bout it this show is evry sad but not as much as Grave of the Fireflies. I think nothin will top that. Buy this movie! Learn a lesson or 2 bout life and stick with Shu's omtimistic personality and you will go far in life!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!!! ending sucked though
Review: One of the best if not the best anime I've ever seen. Goes up there with evangelion and FMA. I would say even better than eva. But wow, the story, the characters are all portrayed so powerfully. After I watched the first 20 minutes of the series, I was so gripped and finished it in 1 go. everything comes together so beautifully; at first glance the art may not be all that flashy, but as you watch it, its like perfect for a series like this, and the story and plot turns are so compelling and emotional that I almost cried. Not to mention the music. There's only 2 songs, the opening and the ending, but both complement the series extremely well. It may not be an action anime like gundam seed or something but even if you are into action anime, you should watch this. and if after you watched it, you are over the age of 13, and feel nothing, then there's something wrong with you.
PS. to some, the ending may be bittersweet, but to me it sucked. GIVE ME BACK MY LA LA RU
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful, well-written, well-acted anime!
Review: The animation is spectacular quality, even if it is unrealistic-appearing at first. The voice acting is the best I've ever seen/heard since Princess Mononoke. The story is well-written, enthralling, and action-packed. The characters are REAL. The price is quite affordable, the package is well-made and pretty, and the Bonus CD is very entertaining. I highly recommend this set.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting series
Review: There are a lot of things to like about this series. The plot is reasonably thoughtful, as we see if the various antagonists can demonstrate that anyone has sufficient redeeming value to be worthy of salvation. The storytelling is direct and competent, and doesn't get sidetracked in gratuitous action, extraneous filler material or the comic relief that I find distracting in many anime series. The animation is above average, and the art designs are often compelling. I have some quibbles, but they are minor. If the anti-hero Shu is a bit too forgiving and pacifistic, his fellow kidnappee Sara compensates. It's too bad the Great Leader is so over-the-top insane that it's incomprehensible why his seeming intelligent underlings don't simply dispose of him for the good of the people. Overall, folks who like Escaflowne or Evangelion should find this entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: a gripping drama
Review: This anime was gripping to me because it had believable characters and anti-war themes though there were some shortfalls in the story line.
"Now and Then, Here and There" has characters whose qualities were realistic. There was Nabuca who fights for Hellywood only so that he can eventually return to his village. There is the ruthless and despotic King Hamdo who, for example, will give the order to fire a missile at an enemy battleship knowing that many of his own soldiers who have already been deployed will also die. Then there is Sarah, the kidnapped girl who is forced to serve as a "comfort woman" in King Hamdo's army and who manages to escape only after killing a soldier who is trying to rape her. Sarah was an especially moving character because the story goes on to portray how she struggles to cope with her traumatic experiences of having been raped and of having killed a soldier.
This film is also thought provoking because it humanizes King Hamdo's soldiers. Unlike Star Wars where the imperial stormtroopers are presented as undifferentiated masses, King Hamdo's soldiers are presented as people who each have different personalities and aspirations. For instance, Tabool is seduced by the power and profit that comes with serving in the army and he is indifferent to the human cost of fighting. By contrast, Nabuca, another soldier, struggles within himself about the morality of killing and enslaving other human beings. There's also Boo, a boy soldier and Nabuca's friend, who courageously acts on his conscience twice when he both helps Shu escape execution and also when he refuses to shoot a group of village children during the siege of Zaribars.
Unfortunately, this anime resolves some conflicts in ways that are too artificial. For example, when Shu and Lala-Ru are in the desert running away from a plant monster, they just happen to find a bag with explosives. The monster, which I presume can only feel and not see, just happens eat an explosive inadvertently so that it blows itself up. Moreover, the fact that Shu, an Earth person who had never been to Lala-Ru's planet before, was able to find the town Zaribars without any guidance either from Lala-Ru or from a map also seemed to be too improbable in the story.
Though "Now and Then, Here and There" doesn't have animation that is as high-speed and lifelike as Armitage III and though its story is too contrived at times, it nevertheless offers an array of individualized characters who are vividly portrayed as each struggles in his or her own way to deal with the hardships of war.
Rating:
Summary: Saddest show ever created
Review: This has honestly got to be the saddest movie/tv show ever created. Schindler's List is a walk in the park next to this. Old Yeller was a joke next to this. Grave of the Fireflies would make you happy after watching this. Titanic was a cheerful movie next to this. Saving Private Ryan shows just a glance at the horrors of war. This movie is just as sad as it gets. Think about anything thats horrible in life and this movie has it -death, torchure, rape, suicide, murder, apathy, genoside, yeah, its all in here. Saying "enjoy the show!" is like saying "Wasn't mom's furnal fun!". Now, I personally didn't cry, but I haven't since... gosh i don't think i ever have in a movie, i just gasp in horror. Honestly, if this movie doen't at least make you sniffle or give you a lump in your throat, you have one icy cold heart. Onto my real review....
Okay, now that I got that out of my system, I'll tell you a little bit about the series. The main character, Shu, (who tends to be overly optimistic, but if he wasn't the movie would fall apart crying itself to death) ends up in a war-torn future (to make a long story short). Little kids are kidnapped and made into soldiers, the so called king is mad and calls this the holy war which will end all wars. The story takes different view points to see how the war effects differents types of people.
It sort of reminds me of "Candide" by Voltaire which i read in school. It really makes you think about why bad things happen, and what the meaning of optimism is. I think part of the reason this movie really gets under your skin is because of its animation. The characters are somewhat childish and innocent, and look like they might come from dragonball or cardcaptors. This innocent style really makes you think differntly about war. Instead of tough looking guys beating each other up (making them look like they deserve it), you have innocent looking five years olds shooting guns just to keep themselves alive. I'm not going to tell you to if you should watch this or not, because it's really for you to decide. This movie is increadably sad and somewhat emotionally involving, so if you're up to it, goahead and watch it and be moved. However, if you're the type of person who already hates the world or is suicidal, go watch Tenchi or Spirited Away instead. I could be wrong though, maybe you might be touched by Shu's optimism.
Rating:
Summary: A movie of emotions
Review: This movie moved me. It depicts the hardships of everyday life. How good and evil will always exist, and the search for absolute power will always bring about the destruction of mankind. Its a story about love, death, happiness, sorrow, guilt, and pleasure. It shows how man will always dig himself a hole to obtain his wants rather to live life with his needs. Not a lot of movies scratch the surface trying to touch such deep subject manners. This movie touches all of the above and some. It ranks up there with my favorite films no doubt. My only advice is just to view this film and get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions.
Rating:
Summary: Draining
Review: This was very draining. At first I found ti very mockable (elements seem to constantly repeat) but as I went on, it really did seem like a journey. The preview for the last episode was just a scene of everybody posing comradely together giving you some hope... which is not to be. Its kinda like Grave of the Fireflies, where you slowly slide into despair, with it punctauted (in Grave, it was the junk food) by something. Seeing it once is enough.
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