Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (an anime review by Haruko)
It Has Its Moments
When I watched the first few episodes of Dusk Maiden of Amnesia I thought it was a little too far into the ecchi-harem-verse for me, and at first, it really is.
I don’t generally enjoy things that are so in-your-face-heterosexual-boy-meets-boobies but something kept me from immediately giving up on this one. There are actually two things about Dusk Maiden of Amnesia that hook you within the first few minutes. Literally.
First off, the character design is amazing. Each character is attractive in his/her own way and not every girl the main character, Teiichi Niiya, encounters possesses ridiculously large breasts, which is a plus in my book. Secondly, the animation is beautiful. The coloring is dark and lovely, and the characters fit seamlessly into their world. Scenes go from smooth and charming to scattered and choppy at times and it can be a bit jarring, but it’s essential to the story. Scenes like this remind you that, even though the characters are usually all smiles and teenage crushes, this anime is not meant to put a warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart.
Dusk Maiden has its pitfalls. First and foremost, this is supposed to be a horror, and the romance and pervy moments take away from that. In fact Dusk Maiden of Amnesia rarely feels scary or even creepy. The only thing about the series that’s remotely horror-esc is Shadow Yuuko’s physical appearance. Her glowing red eyes, misty black figure, and jagged-toothed smile are indeed freaky, and I enjoyed her appearances throughout the series more than any other part of the anime.
I also enjoyed the mystery of Yuuko’s past, which doesn’t actually come to light until last few episodes. Thankfully, by this point, the pervy stuff has come to a long awaited end. The romantic aspects have intensified, but it feels like a more important part of the story, and I’ll admit that I even cried a few tears for Teiichi and Yuuko. I only wish that there could have been a stronger paranormal influence in this ghost-story-turned-angsty romance
So here’s my verdict on this one; If you’re looking for something romantic with a paranormal twist, something that’s pretty to look at, has a solid storyline, but gets a bit pervy at times, Dusk Maiden is sure to please you. However, if you’re looking for a horror anime that’s actually going to freak you out and make you feel like you’re being watched at night, this might be a little disappointing. On the whole, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia has its strong points. Unfortunately, fear is not one of them.
Haruko