- Created By Dreaygon
Sola(Get it? It means sun and in Spanish mean alone?)*Please Note* The Author Is NOT Emo.
What happens when you get the Main writer of Kanon and Original Character designer of Da Capo? You get an anime called Sola.
From the Animation studio that brought you, Rozen Maiden, Nomad. The Director who brought you Ichigo 100%, the ova’s, Tomoki Kobayashi. The other guy who directed Ichigo 100% the TV series can rot in hell for allowing it to be made and killing it! Tomoki's version of Ichigo 100% was exactly what I was hoping for in the anime series, its really to bad he only made a few ova episodes. Anyways that’s another story. The animation style is way above average, considering the fact that Nomad has helped out Kyoto Animations. Really though, what makes the animation style even greater is the sky. Since the sky has a big theme on this anime, the animation is able to bring out and capture the beauty of it, adding a lot of depth to the anime. The sky is usually filler in most other anime but in this one….it becomes a character in itself and comes alive, not literally of course. Nomad did a fantastic job.
Now let’s get into the characters. Our protagonist in this anime is a high school boy, Yorito Morimiya, who has a weird obsession with the sky. I would say his character is bland, but his obsession with the sky changes that. Then we have his sister, Aona Morimiya, your standard cold sexy chick. Through half of the anime she is sick and bedridden in a hospital, with the plot device, err I mean some generic disease. Although she doesn't show much emotion, when she does I do enjoy how the anime is able to portrait some of the emotion that she does emit from time to time. Then we have Matsuri Shihou, a mysterious girl, who like Yorito has a strange obsession with the sky. This is due to the fact that she isn't human. You see she is unable to see the sky since Sunlight kills her. I know what you’re thinking vampire right? Well you’re DEAD WRONG! .. That’s right I went there. She’s actually something known as a Yaka “calamity of the Night.” So all you Twilight fans out there don’t let the door hit you on the way out...
No wait come back I’m not done D:<
In all serious though Yoka’s only common thing with vampires is that sunlight harms her. SO yeah we don’t get this bloodlust clichés drama that plagues the vampire genre. It's just that she cannot go out when the sun is up. Other than that she just like any ordinary human....Oh yeah she has the power to cause people and objects to decay and they're also immortal. Other than that though they're absolutely normal. Them looking incredibly hot is just a coincendce. We then have Mana Ishizuki the typical Tsunder who goes to high school with Yorito and secretly has a crush on him...duh?(I know right? I thought she was coming on to me at first... but it's all a game Q.Q) She too has a sickly sister, Koyori Ishizuki, who happens to be In the same hospital as Aona, Yorito’s sister.(Geez I wonder what will happen...)
Finally we have Mayuko Kamikawa and Takeshi Tsujidou, that’s right they come in a pair. What’s an anime without your standard Lolita token girl?(A crappy anime thats what) Although, without revealing too much, Mayuko’s age is a big factor in their story, which I’m not going to lie almost brought me to tears. Almost…so I still managed to keep a firm grasp on my manhood (that’s what she said). Who am I kidding I lost that when I saw Grave of the Fire flies. Overall the characters are all believable and are portrayed perfecttly by the voice actors and actresses.(Heh I misspelled perfectly, an oxymoron or just stupid?)
Like I said before the story follows Yorito Morimiya and his strange obsession with taking photos of the sky. To the point were he ditches school and ignores his bed ridden sister. Yeah I told you he wasn't bland. I mean he even ditches her sister's birthday party right in front of her! But as we get more in to the plot we see a deeper significance to his obsession. The anime starts out wit Yorito getting ready to take a picture of the sunrise. As he’s setting up he notices a strange girl abusing the hell out of vending machine.(And no it wasn't a panty vending machine :/) That strange girl of course is Matsuri Shihou trying to get some sort of weird drink to come out. I believe it was tomato juice or something like that... Before Yorito realizes the sun has already risen, missing his chance to take a photo, and Matsuri vanishes just before it does. We then find Yorito ditching his classes on top rooftop of his school having lunch with the daughters of the Kings of both heaven and hell....
Oh wait different series... Hes taking photo the sky thats right. Mana Ishizuki is with him as they talk about the girl he meet while he was trying to take a picture of the sunrise. After school both of them go of to see Yorito's sister Aona Morimiya who's at the hospital for her birthday. We find Aona hanging out with Mana's sister, Koyori Ishizuki, who are playing with themselves...
er >.> wrong series again.... origami thats right. Anyways we then have Mana schooling Koyori for not addressing her as onesama she then proceeds to karate chop her on the head(D:< I ain't kidding either!)... gotta keep that karate chop hand strong I guess... and Aona not really happy with Yorito's present which is some weird troll-orge plushy thingy?(I liked it Q.Q...) Anyways halfway through the party at the Hospital Yorito hears some bells, bells from the old church outside. As he begins to open the curtains to take a closer look Aona tells him to stop but its to late, he has an orgasm?(and I thought I had issues) He rushes outside to take a photo of the setting sun. Ditching his sisters birthday party. Visiting hours are closed when Yorito is finally finished. He and Mana are forced to leave the hospital. Mana then begins to lecture him on his treatment of his sister with a KINFE!!(Put that thing away you crazy bish!!) Ok yeah shes cooking with it >.> Yorito is then forced to go to the Mini mart to buy some ingredients that hes ran out of. On his way back from the store it suddenly begins to rain. Hes then forced to find shelter and ... tries to wait out the rain I guess? I guess they do that alot in japan. I mean most people would hurry home... but w/e. As he waits for the rain to stop he suddenly meets Matsuri again chasing after her umbrella which has pictures of clouds and a blue sky under her umbrella. As they begin to talk they both notice they both have love the sky. Matsuri ask Yorito about the sky and he begins to tell her the many different types of sky they're. Both are lost in their fantasies of a beautiful sky. She then leaves him with the umbrella and her name. What await these two? Why is the loli chick living in a box? Why do I find that so adorable and hot at the same time? o:
Now this anime has a twist...and don't take that lightly either. I mean it has a BIG TWIST, even M night would go WTF!
The music to this anime is just breathtaking. They do an amazing job setting the mood and adding even more depth to the story. Fujima Hitoshi, although not well known did fantastic job with the soundtrack.
Now to me what is really important in an anime is the ending or the closure rather. Now to me the ending can make an anime memorable (Cowboy Bepop Ending gets me evry time). Or utter ruin the whole thing, DID YOU HEAR THAT TO LOVE RU ROT IN HELL!! Oh no... the memories are coming back. They're so unbearable AHHH!! Why wont they STOP LAUGHING?!!! DAM YOU TO HELL CLAMP DAM YOU TO HELL!!!!!!!
*Ahem*
Like I was saying closure, and this Anime manages to give some closure, it could have used a bit more but overall I was satisfied on how it ended. This is why I give this anime an over all score of 4/4 a perfect anime. Sure its only 13 episodes but you get so attached and the anime manages to capture your attention that those 13 episodes really feel a lot longer. Really it does have just a few and minor flaws that you wont notice unless your looking for something to put down this anime for.
What really made me give this a perfect score has to do with timing. At the time I decided to start watching this anime I had lots of free time one Saturday morning and I this anime caught my eye. Thus I started to watch the anime, which I have stated countless time on this review, has a lot to do with the sky. On that particular Saturday it happened to be cloudy but the sun still manage to penetrate through (thats what she said). With the sun coming and going, the far of sounds of rain, the wind softly blowing in the gentle cold breeze, the sounds of wind chimes, the smell of the wet earth. It was as everything was right that day. I saw all thirteen episodes in that one siting. I was left amazed for I had just seen something so amazing. I literally went out onto my porch and watched the sky till it was night. It left a big impact on me. Simply amazing.
This anime is really a must watch and must buy! What I find really cool is that Bandai acquired the right to it for distribution here in the US. It's out and boy do I recommend it.
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