Noein: To Your Other Self (2005–2006) User Reviews

One of the most creative anime of the 21st century.

[Scortia · 9/10 · 26 October 2006]

GONZO did it again! Noein, which was created following the success of GONZO's retelling of Gankutsuou, is a truly mind-altering experience. Kazuki Akane is the creator, he is well-known for his directorial work on the brilliant Vision of Escaflowne series.

Noein is a beautiful series. The plot leans heavily upon principles of Quantum Physics. There are billions of versions of yourself in alternate dimensions. Haruka, a tween girl, finds herself pulled into a battle between the dimensions of Shangrila and Lacryma as Shangrila pursues the destruction of all existence and Lacryma tries to stop them. The key to this is the Dragon's Torque and it is Haruka's good fortune to find out that she's it. Emotions run high as characters meet future alternate versions of themselves as well as confronting images of themselves in the past.

I just can't hype this series enough. The music is beautiful... running from heavy chants for the battle scenes to light-hearted music for the children in the present day scenes. GONZO also pushed their animation to make some of the battles almost completely RAW in how the line work is animated. The characters are interesting in their realism in such unfortunate circumstances... but good as GONZO is, they always have that one blonde crazy guy like usual to entertain the viewer.

If you liked Gankutsuou you will like Noein as well... get the first DVD, you won't be disappointed!

One of those anime shows with a satisfying ending

[Mushino · 7/10 · 19 January 2013]

This sci-fi anime throws up many quantum physics/mechanics concepts and and if I hadn't watched it through fan subs with easy to understand footnotes, I would have been really lost in my understanding of the overall setting of this show.

I would have enjoyed this anime more if I could understand the quantum science explanations (I still don't after watching it again), but there is one thing I'm very sure about this show and would like to say to those thinking of watching this anime: the ending is quite satisfying for me. There is no cliff-hanger or anti-climax. The ending has a kind of heartwarming and peaceful feel to it.

pretty enjoyable

[orozcosamuel1 · 8/10 · 12 September 2008]

Well, I have to say that I actually did enjoy a lot this series.

It starts really strange, so don't worry if you don't get whats happening in the first few chapters, I actually was about to stop watching it which would have been a huge mistake. I never thought I was going to enjoy it this much. I read in a review that the first 15 chapters were the good ones and that the rest didn't matter. I personally feel the exact opposite. I thing you need to give the series a couple of chapters before you really get into it. One of the aspects I liked the most was the animation. Maybe some people don't like it because it's really odd... however this is exactly what I liked, It is completely different to the animation you normally see. Fighting scenes are really well done and character development is also good. Both the Opening and the ending are cool (specially the opening, which I also found strange.

Apart from all the technical aspects, the story is really interesting although I found some of the quantic explanations rather boring (maybe physicists like it). Anyway, I don't know if you'll find this comment useful or not.... I just wanted to tell you that I liked this series and that I think anyone who likes anime would find it pretty enjoyable.

Simply Oustanding!!! The Greatest Anime Series of All Time!!!

[luke-eberhardt · 10/10 · 13 October 2012]

To me Noein (Pronounced 'no-ay-een', sounds a little like "No Pain" but with the 'P' dropped, spelt in Japanese as ノエイン no e i n) is Undoubltably the Greatest Anime Series Ever!!! Yes you heard me! "The Greatest Anime Series Ever!!!", better than cult classics like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Camploo, Ergo Proxy, Afro Samurai. Bettar than ever popular favorites like Fullmetal Alchemist, Claymore, Bleach, Naruto, Love Hina, Death Note (Only the Manga could top this), Ghost in the Shell, Fruits Basket, D. Gray Man, Code Geass, etc.

It also happens to be one of those series I'm self obsessed with, while everyone else around me doesn't really know about it much, so I'm the only person that loves it. I myself may sound self obsessed but I still hold true to this belief. Everything about this series is just wonderful, it pretty much outshines anything you may of ever seen. I remember on my first viewing of this series I was hooked and just couldn't wait until the next episode came. Primarily a Science Fiction Series, its also got a lot of Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Mystery, Humour and Charm. Viewers are just pulled in to this unique and amazing story across time, space and dimensions.

The Story has two settings; One is in the distant future where a violent battle between the two dimensions La'cryma (Protector of Humanity) and Shangri'la, bent on the annihilation of all time and space. It is here a group of time travelling soldiers known as Dragin Knights are dispatched through space and time searching for something called the "Dragon's Torque", which holds the key to stopping the invasion of Shangri'la.

Now onto the present, or in most cases the mid-noughties, in the town of Hakodate located on the southern tip of Hokkaido, Japan (Yes a real city). Lives a young 12-year-old girl named Haruka, she lives quietly with her divorced mother; who makes her living as a comic artist, while Haruka's father is a Quantum Physicist in Tokyo. For a while she and her best friend Yuu are contemplating on running away from home. But while its their last year of Primary School and the Summer break is looking bright, Yuu must prepare for a high school entrance exam and won't be able to see or play with his friends. It is on one fateful night that the both of them come across one of the members of the Dragon Knights named Karasu (crow in Japanese). He believes that Haruka is the Dragon's Torque and claims that he is in fact Yuu 15 years in the future.

Thus begins the mysteries and battles across time and space. The Sci-Fi elements of the series are the core to the series, how it works? and what roles does it play? Its incredibly thought provoking; the mysteries, the scientific ideas of time travel and philosophical elements destiny, choice and existence. That is the driving power of the series, viewers will be incredibly rewarded if they keep up with every episode, facing full on twist and turns.

Viewers spend a lot of time with the main characters that you can also think of them as your old school friends or best friends. I should mention a few more from Hakodate; along side Yuu and Haruka the gang also includes Miho; a smart, nerdy and passionate young girl whose obsession with paranormal phenomena like Ghosts and UFOs seems to drive them mad even if they don't really think she is. Ai; Haruka's most respectable friend, tall, very athletic, and head strong at times, she's also very caring and has a crush on Isami. Isami can be seen as 'the-cool-kid' very good at sports, charismatic but also dim witted at times, he cares a lot for his friends and has a crush on his teacher Miss Yukie; whose also surprisingly close to the gang helping them out in times of need. Yuu's mother; Miyuki plays a key role along with Haruka's mother; Asuka. There's also common appearances from Tokyo physicists Uchita and Koriyama investigating Hakodate for particle and quantum signs. The rest is for the viewer to discover.

The Animation is Superb, The settings are richly detailed with colorful and eye catching visuals that really draws viewers into the world. Some of the battle sequences have a combination of traditional anime techniques and CGI, incredibly unique in every way for a full scale impact.

Voice Acting is good, I've mostly watched it in English which was pretty impressive, its got several names other anime viewers will recognise; Melissa Fahn (Ed from Cowboy Bebop), Yuri Lowenthal (Suzaku from Code Geass, and others. etc) and Crispin Freeman. However I didn't like their pronunciation of Noein (as no-ween, pretty lazy and uncool if you ask me), that aside the voice acting is watchable on both sides. Check the DVD for some Hilarious random funny English out-takes.

The Soundtrack almost sounds like something you'd expect from a Studio Ghibli film. Its really that with a mix of epic orchestral scores and harmony. The Soundtrack is definitely one of my favourite anime scores, an unusual mix for something like this but aces it perfectly to capture the mood and drama of the of the entire series.

I highly recommend this Gem of Noughties anime, It shall never be forgotten and remain a cult classic for years to come and will always hold a special place in my heart. If Donnie Darko was a big mystery beyond its time, you haven't discovered the marvel Noein has to offer. Get your asses round to buying this and I'm sure you'll never forget it. Whether your a Sci-Fi fan or not Noein is for You.

I'm oddly fascinated

[papabearEG · 9/10 · 15 February 2010]

I'm not an anime fanatic so my list of anime series Iike is short. As an animator I tend to like the higher budget shows like Akira. Most are so crudely animated it's painful to watch. I almost didn't bother with this series for that reason. However, the story captivated me. I knew it was going to be difficult to follow until more of the future plot line had been exposed and so far, I'm not disappointed.

Animation The only reason I'm going to this much depth in my review of the animation is because other reviewers didn't feel qualified to make comments. As an animator I don't feel much more qualified but like most animators I'm stubborn and opinionated when it comes to my trade. Take with a grain of salt. Obviously my taste in animation is a bit different than the style represented here, so I'll do my best. To poke at those Sins committed in this film that are basic to any animated show. Animation is, after all, a form of acting and a story telling tool. The way it's drawn and timed can impact a story just as much as a actors reading for a voice or editing does. I want to get this out of the way first. The line work is intentionally rough and I really like the sketchy look of the show. It has an unfinished, raw quality that influences your reaction to the characters and gives the show a more honest impression, if that makes any sense. The lack of polish let's you feel that the characters are more personal and believable. The one thing, and it's a big thing, is they extended this rawness to the frame count as well. Here it has the opposite impact on the story, making it feel cheap and rushed. There are entire fight sequences that are around 12 frames per second or much less. Often to the point it looks more like an animatic (placeholder) than a finished product. I had a difficult time watching those sequences. Over all the show stays around the 12 fps range, which is really a shame. This story deserves better. It's obvious this is where the shows budget hit hardest. I especially dislike the exaggerated reactions (screaming, crying, anger) that are often the hallmark of anime. I expect them in anime but the bad frame rate makes it seem as if they were cheating or trying to avoid working on something difficult to animate, and in the end made me feel the people with the money were stingy or didn't get the story well enough to invest in it properly. I've seen work come out of high school art departments that were far better. I hate when things are handled so carelessly. It's an insult to the audience.

Audio I hope someone can clear this up for me. why is it that anime has such horrible over acted voices? At first I thought that it was intentional from the start. A trademark if you will. Then I got Akira on laser disk and watched the program in it's original language. The acting was subtle and very well done. The English translation, however, was loud and horribly exaggerated. It was like someone trying to talk to a hearing impaired individual. I felt as if they think American audiences are dumb so they scream at you instead of acting naturally. For example, a bar scene at the beginning of Akira, a patron leans back in his chair and yawns. In Japanese, it's a normal, somewhat subdued yawn. The English track the guy leans back and in a very loud exaggerated voice goes ERRRR YAAAAWWWWWNNN! AHHHHH It bugs me. Badly. Am I just missing the joke here? Story professional complaints aside, I found myself unable to turn off the player and go to bed. The characters are charming and easily identified with. I wasn't happy with the explanation of quantum theory but it was one of the better attempts at a very difficult to grasp concept. I felt they brushed over important concept and focused on less important ones. The explanation of "entanglement" confused me and I understand the theory! They Have an animation depicting Schrödinger's cat. Rather than explain that theory they used a more convoluted example of sand on a beach, all the while using boxes holding the cat rather than sand. I found the description confusing and far less effective than if they had just stayed with Schrodinger's Cat.

The concepts around quantum mechanics is what make the story hard to follow at first. Eventually you get it just because the events around the characters.

I was enamored with all of the characters. The lady with the southern accent cracked me up. I grew up in Texas so the accent was a bit hard but it coming out of an anime character was jarring to say the least. Ioved it.

This review sounds far more negative than I intended. I have very positive feelings toward the show and highly recommend it. It's entertaining and has a unique take on a common sci if element in today's shows. It is creative and refreshing. I agree with all the other reviews. Don't give up after only a couple of episodes. You won't be disappointed. That being the common theme in other reviews. I really don't see many people doing that though. After all, none of us did, and Im not even that much of a fan. Not to mention animation problems that made my eyes bleed. If I can enjoy it that much then you should love it.

Great but too confusing and would have liked to see more reality...

[jjnoahjames · 7/10 · 18 February 2010]

This Anime is very enjoyable! The only problem was that I probably wouldn't watch it again because it was confusing and hard to follow.

I also would have liked to learn more about the original characters, and I wish they spent more time developing them, in their own reality.

I also felt like the artwork started to get sloppier on the forth disc...might even get worse haven't finished it. I liked the computer animation but it didn't make up for this. A little bit more detail would have been nice.

Also it seemed like everything was taking place in a really small world. I didn't get the feeling that they lived in the same world as me, and they did. I had a slight claustrophobic feeling.

Overall though it's still one of my favorites.

Complex Universe... x100

[ffxi-aion · 9/10 · 26 February 2008]

Plot: 8.5/10 -- Rich in detail and very complex. The idea of different universes existing for every choice, with the you in that universe going down a different path, is truly fascinating.

I have to mark it down a little because of the slow pacing and unexplained elements of the story. However, I'm sure someone who has a better understanding of quantum physics would add 0.5 to this rating.

Characters: 9.7/10 -- Watching the main characters develop in Noein is different than in any other anime I've watched. You see how they *possibly* look and act in the future throughout the show (sometimes even more than one possible future version), which creates thoughts and shows the characters from different angles.

My favourite characters were not the main two (Haruka and Yuu), my favourites instead being Ai and Isami. It's both funny and cute seeing them try to hide their feelings for each other as the series progresses, Ai being a fiery red/orange-head and Isami being your average male - Unable to pick-up on signals. Isami's character is probably my favourite due to the future versions of him shown.

The only real bad character point I can think of is Yuu's character - He gets quite annoying with his attitude. The annoyance is worsened by slow plot progression.

Art: 9.5/10, Animation: 9.5/10 -- I can't rate art and animation accurately since I know nothing about it.

Noein looked amazing and fairly unique to me from the moment I first saw it. The start of the show showed that it obviously had quite a big budget, combining CG with excellent art and animation. The show kept up the high quality visuals until the end, although the less important episodes didn't get the attention the more important ones did.

Sound: 9/10 -- I'm probably being quite harsh here - The soundtrack is outstanding. The the choral battle/action music really gets you excited, the dramatic music does its job, the cute/funny music is fun to listen to... It's all great. My only reason for not rating higher is because there aren't too many tracks I'd want to listen to when not watching the series.

Total: 9.2/10 -- All in all, an amazing series. This is a series every anime fan should watch.

Wholly Overrated

[moo_man222 · 6/10 · 14 February 2011]

I can't count the number of times I had seen rave reviews for noein and had been told that it was, as is quoted on the cover of the dvds, "one of the best sci-fi series of the decade" blah blah blah.

In short, throughout this series I remained steadfastly bored. The children are whiny and annoying, accurately depicting their age and incapability to actually comprehend what is going on around them. The fact that even they had no idea what they were doing made it very hard for me to make myself care about what happened to any of them. The plot, while being scientifically thought out and intricate, was more akin to a Tolkien novel that indulges in nerd-realm technobabble. The more I was introduced to the kids lives, the more I wished they would just get on with the story, and all the while the haphazard and sketchy visuals were attempting to draw my attention away from what I was clearly not enjoying.

The plot, while not terrible though hardly anything new, is presented in a way that gives the show its only level of credibility. Given age appropriate characters and visuals that suit a sci-fi series, it has promise. The sound track does what a soundtrack should, but hardly steps beyond those restraints. These things in mind, making it to (and through) the last DVD was a chore. If you want sci-fi, I would suggest a better series, like Ergo Proxy.

Great series from Satelight

[redkanary · 8/10 · 26 June 2007]

I want to agree with the prior review wholeheartedly, but I have to point out that GONZO didn't have anything to do with this series (a notable omission from the staggering number of studios in the credits). The production company was Satelight.

"Noein" is an unconventional looking anime, but the story is rock solid all the way through, and it builds up from a slow beginning into something really wonderful and compelling and unique. It's rare these days to find a show that the creators obviously spent so much time and effort on. The quality of the production is staggering, especially the animation. Highly recommended.

More than meets the eye

[theredmare · 8/10 · 19 June 2013]

This is an amazing story. Yes the artwork isn't all that much to my taste, though I got used to it after a few episodes, yes there are plot holes, yes it starts slow. I don't care about the above to be honest. The story is gripping, the characters really well developed, I cared for them, though I'm old and cynical. And there are more twists in the plot than in the local roads in county Kerry! Nearly all an entertaining surprise.

It's not a tale for cretins though, it can get nerdy and convoluted, and something which nobody mentioned, it's fairly deep philosophically as well. You can just watch the story and run away with it but there are questions all along the way, important questions. Who or what are we, what is reality, what is illusion, what is perception and what link has it on reality ....also there are great lessons in life: we CAN change, for the better or the worse, regretting the past or fearing the future will ruin your life, be brave, don't give up, so on. I have the feeling there are some references to Buddhism in there but I'm not familiar enough with it to say more. This series I thought was very intelligent, and is not necessarily aimed at teens, on the contrary there is something in it for every generation.

As usual I thought the American dubbing was a disgrace, (what I heard of it, I always watch in Japanese - excellent voice acting there, if clearly shaky subtitle translations) and only Crispin Freeman who dubs Karasu appears to make some sort of effort and have a clue on how it should be played. I'm not sure I could have stuck with more than one episode in English.

Oh yes, and the soundtrack is brilliant.

8 out of 10, and I will watch it again, knowing what I know now, I need to watch it again. Besides I miss the characters already. Minus some bad art IMO in places, this is one of the better series out there, right up with the better known usual ones. I can't recommend it enough if you like to use your brain while watching entertaining TV.

Sub-par animation, random (at least at first).

[chacham · 4/10 · 7 May 2020]

This is not really a review, as i dropped the series partially into the second episode. Nonetheless, i thought i'd add a comment here about the quality.

The animation here is pretty cheap, the cgi, the lack of detail in many scenes, and the action sequences in strange colors, make for sub-par animation. It isn't terrible, and i kind of got used to it by the second episode, but it already made me not want to like it.

As other comments here explain, the story will make little to no sense in the first episode. Because i read the description and comments here i was able to make a little sense of it, especially with some explanation in the second episode itself. Still, it makes a lot of things seem random. Not in a let's figure out the mystery way, it's just weird stuff happening.

So, if you want things to make sense, or you require decent animation, unless you really want the story here, i would skip this. Obviously, ymmv.

Noein

[darshangood · 10/10 · 23 March 2012]

looking at this at 1st glance is not impressive but if you keep watching it is more then you expect and there is an interesting story line most of the characters are not all that interesting or likable but there are a few who are really cool and well made

the reason why i watched this was because of the animation the story was just a big bonus and i have seen this series about three times

the animation was really good in its own style the mixtures is how all animation should be which is 3d backgrounds and hand drawn characters because 3d animation dose not do justice to living beings because it lacks the fluid movement that hand drawn animation has such as in this anime

Melds Teen/Kid feature, Adult Drama and Nerd Sci-Fi Adventure

[Rabh17 · 9/10 · 31 December 2017]

I found this while searching Anime features on Crunchyroll for a long Holiday Weekend...and the short synopsis about a girl, her friends and Quantum Dimension travelers was so off the beaten track I had to give the first episode a try.

It blew me away. Other posters have noted the series delve into Quantum Theory and such, and while there is usually a bit of Handwavium science in most Sci-Fi anime, Noein differs from the usual in that it 'lightly' swings the viewer thru actual light Quantum Theory.

As for the Story itself, it's a Sci-Fi adventure that is one part young adult/Pre-teen coming of age that doesn't dive into the usual anime school age 'soap-opera' formulas. Light hearted and funny at times, and yet it can go into some of the dark raw issues of Growing-up. This part makes it very watchable for kids.

But what makes this story a masterpiece in my eyes, is how the story can appeal to adults. An Adult can watch this story and root for the kid characters while trying to understand where the other adult characters are coming from and why they are the way they are: Yuu's Mother is one poignant case in point. And last, there is the question of the Dimension Travelers themselves.

As for the rest of it, what makes this series work for me is the fact that I could NOT figure out what was going on. WHO were the Dimension Travelers? WHERE or WHEN do they come from? WHO or WHY are they fighting? And WHO is actually on WHOSE side? There is no Prologue explanatory of everything. The Viewer is given bits and glimpses of Who, Why and What as the story progresses, and the Viewer is tasked with putting the puzzle together as things move along. Because this story doesn't follow the usual anime tropes, even a jaded anime watcher can't run thru half an episode and say to themselves: "Okay, I already know what Happens from this point on..."

Oh...and just one artistic shout: The Theme Song/Sequence is simply Beautiful to watch.

Noein: to your other self

[WeAreLive · 10/10 · 19 August 2018]

==Watched in English Dub== I just watching this series yesterday and in all honesty I really enjoyed it. The whole anime was satisfying.

Trust me it's worth it, the first few episode do take time to get your head round the series and the characters themselves which raise a lot of questions as you go along but these questions all get answered in good time.

In plot wise: This anime is about a group called the Dragon Knights who have been sent through time and space to find a person called the Dragon Torque. Meanwhile on planet earth present day, a teenage girl called Haruka and her friend Yuu (who is being held against by his mother to do whatever she wants him to do in his future) decide to run away from home. This when they meet a member of the Dragon Knight by the name of Karasu, he is Yuu in 15 years in the future. He believes that Haruka is the Dragon Torque and he must protect her from other members coming after.

The plot is interesting and as you watch along you notice each episode get better and better as the story moves along. Yes there some bad episodes but you come across many different events like sacrifice, growing up, getting stronger and redemption, while learning good morals and life lessons on what it's like being an adult and how can you make your future better. It focus on many different scenarios at once like The Dragon Knights finding the Dragon Torque, the relationship with Yuu and his mother, Yuu fixing his future, Karasu fixing the past and protecting Haruka and Yuu wanting to grow up and do what he wants. The music for both the end credits and intro were good but I didn't like how at the end of each episode Haruka kept on saying "I am dreaming again" it was okay at first but for 23 episodes it does get pretty annoying and repetitive. I also think the series had a unique art style which has aged pretty well even now.

Not trying to pick on other people's opinion or anything but theredmare and papabearEG people like you nasacrists are the reasons why I don't like watch anime when it's subbed, you are saying that "As the American dubbing was a disgrace and only Crispin Freeman made some effort on how Karasu" well you are right about Crispin Freeman but from the sound of your statement you seem to be a person who thinks Goku from Dragon Ball or Eric Edwards from Fullmetal Alchemist girly voices sound better than the English version. Well to be fair it is pretty pointless that you are comparing two different languages. People like both of just love to go out of the way to moran about dubbed anime and think you are better than everyone else

I watched a bit in Japanese and honestly, I couldn't take Yuu seriously at all in the subbed and I am aware that Yuu is twelve in the series but honestly, the women who they hired for Yuu's voice sounded like a 4 year old girl and to be honest I just laughed every time I heard it. This is why I think Yuri Lowanthal did a far better job voicing Yuu when it came to his personality and his determination to protect Haruka. Yes, I have to admit it didn't suit Yuu's age but if anyone read my review for Anohana and I said I would take personality of over voice so it's the same thing. I don't think I would have lasted for more then ¾ of an episode with the subbed. The rest of the voice acting was good in both versions.

theredmare since you stated I would watch this show again. I have got an idea how about if you stop being a weebo and watch the rest of the dub then just one episode because the voice actors are talented people and only one episode is not giving the series a chance. Yes, there is mispronunciation (Noein is called No-wen) but it is a good dub trust me. To be honest, I don't think even to this day you have any idea how a dub a work adaptation works and the fact that someone can be ear poisoned by listening to their favorite characters speak English is unbelievable, typical excuse for a sub elite I have seen on this site and more to come that are like you .

After making this statement I am not forcing any of you to watch it in English or in Japanese. It's your decision at the end of the day. If you want to watch it in a different language more power to you I am not here to make this decision for you because at the end of the day it's the same product only with a different language. To be fair comparing this series with it's Japanese and English is like watch the Avengers movie in English then later on in Hindi with English subtitles. If there is one thing i hate it's webos and dub haters and you two are pathetic excuses for ones we are not in the 4kids era anymore just choose one or the other. Jeez It does sadden me the fact that even if the review is good sub elitism still exists even on good reviews.

Sorry I just wanted to clear that up. As I have said it is very good anime and it's definitely worth it honestly, just buy the Blu-Ray/DVD or watch it somewhere like on Netfilx or Hulu trust me you won't regret it.