Completed Series: Donten ni Warau
Title: Donten ni Warau / 曇天に笑う
Year: 2014 | Fall
Episodes: 12
Production: VAP
Official Summary: When swords were outlawed in the eleventh year of the Meiji Era, the mighty samurai population began to dwindle. Those who rejected the ban on blades rebelled, causing violent unrest to erupt throughout the countryside. To combat the rise in criminal activity, an inescapable lake prison was constructed. Three young men, born of the Kumoh line, were given the duty of delivering criminals to their place of confinement-but could there be more to their mission than meets the eye? (via MAL)
Catie's Thoughts: So I started this because - anime set during a very specific era of Japan's recent past that I'm very interested in, plus a story about brothers, which is my jam. I did not expect: to get slammed in the face with this show and leave me for dead on the side of the road. That official summary up there makes the show seem a lot less heavy than it ends up being, and when a Certain Occurrence happens at episode six, well ....
I really did like this show a whole lot more than I thought I would. The show does suffer a bit from strange pacing, but by the time you reach the end you understand what the intention of the pacing is. Also, nearly all the characters are touched upon and their stories are all integral to the final bit of the show - and while a lot of tertiary characters aren't really introduced, or others have small bits clearly hinting at a larger story, it's still enough to get the gist of the show across.
On a personal note, I kept cracking myself up because certain characters are expies of Ed and Masayoshi, and, well - that's just hilarious.
Watch It: Funimation This entry was original posted at Dreamwidth and has
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