Avalon: Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East) Review
I’m getting rusty at this since its been so long since my last review…hopefully I’ll start writing more. Anyway, this anime was too short. Seriously though, they could have made this into a 24 episode anime and it still would have been great if not better. I don’t really know how to classify this anime…part mystery I guess…what else? It was original I will say that. I was hooked from the 1st episode because I had no idea where the hell it was going to go.
Animation – 8/10
I’ll admit I don’t think I’m really that good at noticing good and/or bad animation unless it just REALLY stands out…maybe. This anime didn’t do anything bad from what I remember and I have nothing to complain about so while it doesn’t get a perfect score…8 seems good.
Art-style – 7/10
Nothing amazing here in my opinion. Characters looked okay, but somewhat simple without too much details…I didn’t hate it though so an average 7 is fine.
Sound – 7.5/10
I can’t say anything really stood out in terms of sound though voice-acting was good and there wasn’t anything I greatly disliked so…
I will say that the opening “Falling Down” by Oasis grew on me over time. Yeah it’s in english, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. The opening scene seemed…more complex than many other animes and I like that too.
Falling Down (Full Version) – Oasis
Higashi no Eden Opening
This song really grew on me to the point where I even downloaded it. I have a video with the full version with the video continuing off the anime opening (so an extended anime opening) and it can be quite fun to watch…I tried to look for that one on youtube, but the only one I found that I think is it had its audio removed so…here is the link to it anyway.
Falling Down (Higashi no Eden Version) – Oasis (No audio…BS!!!)
Story – 8.5/10
I did enjoy the story and while I still have little complaints, they are not enough to really lower my score. My main complaint I have already mentioned: the length. If it was only longer they could have included more characters and developed the current characters even further. I love what Akira is involved in and I would have liked to learn even more through more episodes. Though there are 2 movies I’ve heard so that will add more, but it will probably be a while before they are both released and subbed…That is another reason why I didn’t give this anime a higher score…there isn’t really an ending without the movies so I can’t say if I like the outcome or not ‘cuz I haven’t seen it dammit! This anime has a…fresh feeling to it. How many animes start off their 1st episode in Washington DC?
(Copy + paste description from “Avalon: Spring 2009 Anime Season” Post with a couple additions)
A Japanese girl (Saki) is sightseeing in Washington DC and tries to throw some money into the fountain, but it is too far away. Nearby police see her and ask what she was doing when a naked man (Akira) suddenly appears and “saves” her. (/copy + paste) Akira is another main character with no memory, but he quickly figures out that he was a part of something big and he wants to figure out what it was (duh). It’s interesting how he seems to take a liking to Saki early on. Good enough of a description.
Characters – 7/10
I really don’t think this anime was long enough to really develop all the characters. Akira is an interesting person, but I don’t feel like I got to know him enough…same with Saki. I never really got close to Saki or any of the other side characters in this anime. I’m sure the movies will do something to fix that however…at least I hope they do.
You’ll come to understand what this is when you watch the anime…obviously.
Enjoyment – 8/10
I was easily able to get into and enjoy this anime and like I’ve already mentioned many times, I would have enjoyed it more if it was longer with more in depth development. Even saying that however does not make this an unenjoyable watch. I’m glad I gave this anime a chance because I remember originally before the Spring season even started (and before I decided to give almost all episode 1s a chance) I wasn’t planning on watching this, but man am I glad I did.
Overall – 8/10
It’s hard to give an accurate score without knowing the ending, but just from the anime itself, I did thoroughly enjoy it and am looking forward to the movies. A little mystery and I suppose even a little comedy and slight romance work well in this anime. Not for people who are looking for a lot of action and fighting though.
Wej
Avalon
shortman818
camarilla
haganehare
I haven’t watched this one because it didn’t appeal to me at all. I might try it though, but I doubt that even more now that I’ve read these reviews. It just doesn’t seem like my kind of anime…
That’s okay if you don’t like it. I hope if you do give it a shot that you are pleasantly surprised lol. ^^
What kind of Animes do you like? You don’t like Slice of life/love type things (Except welcome to the NHK because it is pure awsome). What don’t you like about this anime? Mystery? Just curious so I know what ones to recommend you.
It looks dark/creepy/slow-paced. In a way, like Phantom. Or, if you forget the pace, Death Note.
I enjoy mostly cute and light-hearted animes, and other than that, they must have either good S.-F. (Stellvia, Heroic Age), philosophy (xxxHolic), an awesome storyline (insert CLAMP anime here) and, most of all: some action. Not action-packed like all the mainstream shounen crap, but still, I like when something actually happens, be it a good love story or entertaining fights.
Of course, usually the most of these elements an anime contains, the better.
Hmmm interesting Azarius…I personally LOVE dark/creepy animes and search up things for those specific details or similar. I will agree that CLAMP anime have awesome storylines…I personally don’t NEED action. Of course I don’t mind a good action packed anime once in a while, but I normally don’t go looking for one.
When it comes to Higashi no Eden, there is absolutely NO creepyness and the dark moments are pretty much rivaled by the light-hearted moments…
I forgot one detail, which is maybe one of the aspects I didn’t like in the overall aspect of Higashi no Eden. Animes that I like pretty much need to include aspects of fantasy, or something that doesn’t/couldn’t exist in this world to the extent of my current knowledge. Either that or humour.
Wow, that can limit your choices…You’ve said before that we have somewhat similar tastes, but fantasy is one thing that I CAN get too much of. Though I guess you said, “or something that doesn’t/couldn’t exist in this world to the extent of my current knowledge,” which doesn’t necessarily have to be fantasy right? I love supernatural stuff like Ghost Hunt for example.
Full on fantasy like in an RPG videogame, I can go without. I love games involving fantasy stuff, but for the most part I don’t care for those types of animes. I prefer if it IS more on the realistic side, though it doesn’t have to be fully believable. When I actually think about it…its more a fantasy setting that can be too much for me…I don’t seem to mind anime with fantasy elements as long as they take place in a realistic real-world setting (a city for example). Of course I’m sure there are exceptions, but for the most part that is how I feel.
Yes, I do include S.-F. (e.g. Stellvia), supernatural (Kannagi, Tsukuyomi), superpowers (Zettai Karen Children, Index) and many more types.
Fantasy in its Tolkienish meaning is far from my favourite. In fact, the only anime of that type that I truly liked is Zero no Tsukaima, and the parody elements make it stand out from most others of the genre.
I love all types of animes. I can’t really think of one that I like more then the other. I can say I absolutely hate it when 1 character gets in the way of anothers love even though you know who they are going to end up with in the end (Shana is the prime example of that). Makes things really slow paced…
But if you like fantasy more, then I guess Eden wouldn’t be for you, though Eden is really good.
Yea you know who the main guy is gonna end up with because it seems to be a rule that the main guy absolutely HAS to end up with the main girl. I’d rather they make animes where it isn’t an obvious choice and where you come to like more than just the main girl…not when they focus on the love story however because harem animes are most of the time annoying.
Rant:
Animes like Shana though, where the love isn’t really the main part of it, I don’t want to know immediately who the main guy is going to get and I want to get to like more than just a “main girl”. In almost ALL those types of animes, the “main girl” pretty much gets thrown into the life of the “main guy” and for some reason HAS to stay by his side which of course screws any other girls chances of being with the guy (both Shana and Tayutama are excellent examples). The “main girl” lives with the main guy so of course they are going to have or obtain a greater bond than any other girl will have a chance of getting and that annoys me. Sometimes I DO like the “main girl” better, but other times I like both yet the “main girl” pretty much always wins. During the course of those animes before the “main girl” does win, it is okay to feel sorry for her and is alright for her to get pissy and fight for the guy, but any other girl it seems like it is not alright for them to fight back when they are losing. I don’t understand that.
/Rant
I rather have a girl and a guy, who are somehow thrown together, and go through how they get closer, then one where quite a few girls go for him, even though the point isn’t supposed to be a love story, and it goes by INCREDIBLY slow, and you want it to get to the damn point. Who cares if it is unfair to the other girls who don’t play an important role to the real story. For fucks sake, stick to the god damn plot. Is it that hard? Shana and, most recent, Koukaku no Regios, the main point isn’t the love, but since there are multiple girls going for the same guy, it takes half the fucking anime to get through pointless and slow paced points. At least in Shana, they end up together in the end. In Regios, you don’t know who he is going to end up with (I did want him to end up with a certain girl though), and he never does end up with anyone. In fact, I think the ones where a guy has multiple girls going after him and you don’t know which one is going to win, always ends with none of them getting him…
By Index do you mean Shocker? Because in this so called “Index” anime, the main character is a third party girl that, sure can be interesting, but doesn’t have to do with what the anime started out with… Index ends up being the third party character of her own anime. WTF? Anyway…i have plenty more to complain about with that…and this isn’t really the time or place for it…
Yes, I agree that most harem animes suck, but when it’s only a couple girls, I’d rather not have it obvious that 1 girl is going to win over the other (especially when its the “main girl” who’s known the main guy for FAR LESS TIME than her rival yet only because she lives with the guy she is able to win in the end). Its partly the fault of the creators though for not doing the development of BOTH girls enough and only sticking with the main. They don’t HAVE to take a lot of time to develop the girl who is not considered the main girl if they only did it right.
You know you want to review Index Wej!
If that is what you like, then you should LOVE Index. Main girl is supposed to be Index, but Shocker becomes more centered around. Which means, in turn, she becomes the real main character. I know you like it more then me, but that anime has many many problems.
It is way to hard to develop both girl characters the same and make them an even fight for the main guy if you want actual content in the anime. So it is either the main girl, or no one. Because all others suck. And if anyone knows of an anime where there actually is many girls you want to end with the guy, and he actually chooses one with good logic behind it in the end, and it develops them all equally, and has actual content instead of being just another school girl anime, tell me. I don’t believe there is one…
I don’t think you can say you like that type better when there isn’t one to compare it to, you can only guess that it could possibly be better.
Shana. I didn’t really care who he ended up with because I liked both of them, but it was obvious he was going to go with Shana so there was no reason to complain about it considering I like both of them. Of course Shana does more stuff, but I don’t think I have to explain why whats-her-name has no chance against that.
So I obviously disagree with “Because all others suck,” though I do agree that there aren’t TOO many animes that do it right…probably some of which we haven’t seen.
Oh and you don’t have to tell me there were problems with Index because I know it. I DO like Shocker better, but that’s because the creators screwed up and made her development far better than Index’s who is supposed to be the main character. It just means that I’ll hopefully enjoy Shocker’s anime more than I originally would have.
But Shana isn’t one that stuck to the main plot, and developed the girls equally (That is partially because the main guy was a fucktard. In fact, I was more interested in the love/loyalty between breasts and the other 2 guys because at least they had their priorities straight). It moved far from it… And then on the second season, it added yet another girl that is in the way. Try again.
I didn’t take the time to read your entire – very heated and intellectual – debate, but according to my understanding, I’ll comment that love triangles and such don’t bother me at all, even when we know from the beginning the girl which the main male character will choose. In fact, I tend to find them quite entertaining, as my two favourite animes illustrate (Shakugan no Shana and Zero no Tsukaima…)
Nope, no try again. I thought in Shana the two girls I liked were both developed fairly nicely (or at least as nicely as they can develop a girl who doesn’t fill the “main girl” slot) and the addition of the girl in the 2nd season was pretty much suspicious to all of them. If whats-his-name wasn’t able to figure that girl out than that is once again him being a fucktard like you said.
If they decide to put romance in the anime then they ARE going to diverge from the main plot at least a little. No I don’t plan on finding an anime with a bunch of girls going after the same guy because I already said most harem animes suck.
“intellectual” lol…ok…
I like love triangles like Toradora. The girls don’t really get in each others way so it isn’t really slow paced. Could have had a better ending though…
“Nope, no try again” to what? That Shana didn’t follow the main plot half the time because of the love aspect? Sure they developed them well, but that is all they did (And i am not arguing against that part)… at least for the second half of the first season and first half of the second season. When we had this type of argument before, you even agreed with that. Don’t go changing your answer now that we are arguing on the internet…
Shana isn’t an anime that had good character development of both girls and stuck to the main story at the same time… so TRY AGAIN.
Unless the anime is a romance anime you won’t find an anime where they focus on love and whatever the main story is at the same time and I NEVER SAID THAT YOU WOULD!!! I mentioned it above too, “If they decide to put romance in the anime then they ARE going to diverge from the main plot at least a little.”
I barely even remember the 1st season and the 1st half of the 2nd season (from what I remember which isn’t much) Shana and whats-her-name just freaked out that whats-HIS-name spent some time with a girl that wasn’t them. They were still developed yes so how the hell am I changing my answer now?
Like I said. No animes I have seen have a great story and love that is put together strongly. They diverge. You don’t have to diverge. I mean, take 10 – 15 mins having a fun love scene makes it all the better (possibly even an episode), but not 10 – 15 episodes… Shana does not meet this requirement. That is what I am saying and have been saying. That is all. You can develop a story and characters at the same time, contrary to many anime’s beliefs.
Answer me this. If he ended up with the other girl, and Shana ends up being completely left alone and not happy, would you like that better then the other girl? The story does get you closer to Shana, but because you like her less then the other girl, you don’t care who the guy ends up with… (I already clearly know you don’t like it when the girl picks on the guy because she can’t state her feelings because of the things you say about Index, you much rather him end with a childhood friend.)
I want to know of an anime where the main point of it isn’t love and it develops more then 1 girl going for the guy, but also the story at the same time and you don’t want a particular girl to get the guy and the guy actually ends up with 1 of them. It is possible but I don’t know of one. A great anime with love in it between 2 people can develop a story at the same time, and is seen to exist, Gurren Lagann for example. Which is why I love it so much better then stupid slow paced love triangles that just slow the story down.
That is what I was asking for, and you said Shana and I said try again.
^ Da Capo
On another note, my views on this significantly differ from yours. It is mostly a matter of preference…
I haven’t seen Da Capo yet, but if it wasn’t one Avalon watched on Veoh, he should have it downloaded… Have heard a lot about it though.
I agree, it is about preference, and I prefer the 1 guy and 1 girl somehow go through whatever and fall in love more then love triangles. (Fate stay night the main character is awsome and fights for someone even though he is weak. The definition of a strong character. 2 sided love with no one in between if I remember correctly… Could have had a better ending, but then again, it was a fitting ending…)
Once again my comment went almost to the top wtf! Dammit I’ll reply.
Anyway…
(Copy + Paste)
Well for Da Capo, love is one of the main points of that anime…they just enhance it with fantasy stuff. Oh and yes Da Capo is a Veoh anime for me.
Your right in the fact that it is hard to come by, but animes that do have more than 1 girl going after a guy (and they are all developed nicely) only really happens in anime where one of the main points is love. Didn’t I mention at the start of this that I would like more animes like what your describing because there aren’t many (as far as I know)?
To you it may seem like I’m changing my opinion, but I also prefer 1 guy and 1 girl, but for animes that do have more than 1 girl I’d like to see more of like what your describing with better development with characters and story.
No… the definition of a STRONG character: Kyousuke Hyoubu (Zettai Karen Children), Mikoto the Cat Goddess (Mai-Otome), Chise (Saikano) or Clow Reed (CLAMP universe).
Such things should be self-evident
*damn… my comments keep being posted at the top…*
In D.C., Sakuranbo isn’t “developed nicely”…
And didn’t I say that I like love stories? I don’t really care about the number of girls though.
Looks like I won’t be watching it any time soon then… i need to download it, but right now, i don’t care…
And I want to see more of that type too, but I don’t know of any…
They are going to the top because whenever we reply to comments passed 3 times, it puts those on the bottom. So when you just type a comment, it puts it near the top. I think the only way to fix that would be to change templates of the whole blog. Or I might be able to dig into the CSS or something and fix it, but I have no idea where to start…
Haven’t seen Zettai Karen Children or Mai-Otome. Chise…I guess she is strong considering what she has to go through…Clow Reed…was that the bad guy? I should know this lol but I can’t remember.
We can deal with the comments…annoying though.
I still haven’t finished everything Da Capo. I’ve seen Da Capo and Da Capo S.S. Haven’t yet seen DC II or DC II SS…which I think exists… I do have Da Capo II, but not the 2nd season of it…
Chise annihilates entire cities in the blink of an eye. Clow Reed is the magician who created the Clow Cards in CCS, and is the ancestor of both Syaoran and Fei Wong Reed. No need to elaborate on the fact that he’s awesome. Even more so if you’ve seen CCS…