Unlicensed Preview: Zettai Shounen
I like the fact that the Japanese have four different seasons for anime. Just as one group of series ends, another begins. And the summer heat also brings in some very hot anime too! And as I’m seeing some of these screen caps for all these new series that started in the past couple of weeks, my list of “must watch” shows has gotten pretty long. So throughout my summer schedule, I’ll be bringing you a sample of what’s out there, JASCII-style! First up will be a show that’s been out for a little while now, but has also been making quite a buzz, Zettai Shounen (”Absolute Boy”). But judging from the first episode, this buzz looks like just a fizzle to me…
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With the first episode being titled “The Beginning of a Depressing and Strange Summer”, this series starts off very strange but not quite so depressing. A young boy of divorced parents spends the summer living with his father in a boring town. But after a little while, he discovers something very unusual going on around there. Namely in the form of a cute little boy, floating orbs of light, and flying toys. You are kinda thrown in the middle of the situation with absolutely no information or narration as to what’s going on. The first time I watched this episode, I thought that the boy’s mother had passed away so now he was living with his father. I would recommend reading Matt’s post to get some background on the series translated from the show’s website.
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The pacing of this series is very slow, which may turn off a bunch of people. The combination of the speed and lots of cicada sound effects become very reminiscent of the early episodes of Evangelion. Also, the character designs, color, and voice acting are all pretty dull. Hopefully the story becomes more exciting in future episodes because so far I would have to consider this one of the most boring anime I’ve ever seen.
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One theme I do like, though, is that there are lots of animals shown through out this series. The boy’s father is a vet and has a fascination with with cats in particular. So you’ll see plenty of cats around, along with dogs, cows, and even snakes. Then, in the previews for the next episode, the animals (in very cute voices, I might add) talk to and tease each other about themselves and what’s happening next episode. A very, very cute way to end such a show!
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I also enjoyed the theme productions to this series as well. The OP is a catchy cute tune. The visuals show different characters and things from the show, but with very bold outlines. My first impression was that it looked like a cell shaded video game. The EP is sung by one of my favorite Japanese artists, Masumi Ito. With past works such as “Azumanga Daioh” and “Magical Meow Meow Taruto”, this singer has a very unforgettable voice that I just find to be so cool.
So to sum up, Zettai Shounen is a sci-fi series that is so deep into it’s own mystery that is is hard for it to become entertaining or even interesting. However, I did like the animal theme and theme productions. And if the buzz is any indication, it seems like this series’ storyline will eventually pick up the slack that the first episode is having. But as far as this initial impression goes this boy is not quite as absolute as many say it is.
Don’t belive him
Zettai Shounen is great. I’m really enjoying having something completely different and original to watch.
I didn’t really have a problem with the pacing, its kinda laid back and has a relaxed feel to it though.
Also i would not say the art is bland… Its just got a different style..
I guess because it lacks gratious amounts of fanservice, some people may not like it… they same way i found DearS the most boring and annoying show of the season.
Comment by Willuknight — July 9, 2005 @ 3:24 pm
Ya know, too much fanservice is bad for you. It can ruin a good story. Or further ruin a terrible one.
But with a slow pacing, this may be put on the back-burner of licensing due to all the shelf space issues.
Comment by Alex — July 10, 2005 @ 6:14 pm
The rural setting and refreshing art style of Zettai Shonen not managed to grab my attention at once, but the very interesting storyline and cliffhanger at the end of episode one baited me into watching some more.
No, it won’t dissapoint, so Scott, please don’t give up on it just yet. You will be surprised how it turns out by episode 4 or 5.
Of course, unless you can’t live without some kind of violence present in the anime, then don’t follow my advice I guess. ^_^'’
Comment by Rainy — July 12, 2005 @ 12:50 am
Wait wait, forgot to mention one more thing, is JASCII dead? the webmaster hasn’t updated his wonderful site for ages. Sigh…
Comment by Rainy — July 12, 2005 @ 12:51 am
Whoa, whoa, whoa, everybody! Since when did I only watch anime only because of sex and violence? Of course I love anime that doesn’t have that kind of stuff. Take my two favorite movies for example, Millennium Actress and Spirited Away. And while it’s true that my favorite genre is sex comedy, I actually don’t like violent anime at all. Geez, why does everyone assume I’m a pervert?
Anyway, let me just clarify that the reason I didn’t like Zettai is because nothing really happened the first episode. I really believe that when I get around to watching the rest of the series, I’m gonna enjoy it. I think I’m going to have to do a follow up post at the end of the summer to say that my initial impressions were wrong and that the show was pretty good. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, huh?
::goes back to watching “Bloody Bishoujo Harem Wars”::
…
What?
Comment by Scott — July 12, 2005 @ 1:13 am
Last I heard JASCII was playing World of Warcraft. Maybe that has taken all his time now? I hope that’s the case and he’s not sick or worse.
Comment by docbrazen — July 19, 2005 @ 12:42 am
Absolute Boy is great! It keeps me getting curious about what happen next. Maybe it’s because the preview for next episode didn’t tell much. But the story is different from any other anime series I’ve ever watch. I just can’t wait for tomorrow, I think it will be the final episode. Actually, I love sci-fi and this anime really gives me both the ‘other world’ mystery and daily conflicts.
Comment by dyane — September 27, 2006 @ 10:03 am