A very skilled, but lonely and (too) nice, but clumsy swordsman keeps losing his job until he meets the leader of the "Five Leaves". But there is much hidden from the past of this what-seems-to-be a quiet thief, it seems. And he is not the only one. A plot full of secrets uncovered in different kind-of-hero thievery stories, but with a remaining sense of mystery and doubt. (Just as life usually is?) Are these group of people heroes or lousy thieves, or maybe just people trying to survive? I think everyone watching it would think different. ----- This is not an action movie at all, rather kind of zen with a touch of mischief and melancholy, mixed with a note that would say "the sun will rise again tomorrow" . ----- The drawings and animations are fluid and artistic, rather impressionistic than colored "between the lines". Together with the mostly calm music, this series is a piece of brilliance!
2 Reviews
A gripping tale with unique visual style
Krabur27 August 2017
Without going into the details of the plot, I have to say that this is a masterful anime in almost all respects.
Highly recommendable for mature viewers, as the themes explored in the anime deal with complex questions of society morals, finding one's one place in society, creating relationships and following them through and carving one's path in life. There are almost no one-dimensional figures here, and no clear-cut good or bad characters.
With basically no action or fighting scenes, no overbearing internal monologues that explain what the characters are feeling or thinking, and no use of the usual tropes in order to engage you in the plot or characters, this anime stands out from the rest with its mature approach and nuanced storytelling. What "draws you in" is the brilliant script, as well as the completely believable and well developed characters.
I found the pace of the anime and the fashion in which the dialogues are made to be incredibly refreshing, as it takes its time for relationships to fully develop, pieces of the storyline to uncover, but never feels like its lagging behind and keeps you intrigued at all times.
The visual style of the series complements the storyline brilliantly, as the art style does not aim to be flashy and overly complicated, but remains masterful in its simplicity. I was particularly surprised in how the faces of the characters were drawn, as if you can tell their character from their expressions. For instance, just looking at Masa and Yaichi you can tell that they are worlds apart, one is shrewd, calculated and well informed about the harsh realities of his surroundings, while the other is naive but at the same time kind- hearted.
To conclude, a somewhat off-beat series both in terms of substance and form, which I wholeheartedly recommend for any viewers that are looking for something that tries to stand out in its own right.
Highly recommendable for mature viewers, as the themes explored in the anime deal with complex questions of society morals, finding one's one place in society, creating relationships and following them through and carving one's path in life. There are almost no one-dimensional figures here, and no clear-cut good or bad characters.
With basically no action or fighting scenes, no overbearing internal monologues that explain what the characters are feeling or thinking, and no use of the usual tropes in order to engage you in the plot or characters, this anime stands out from the rest with its mature approach and nuanced storytelling. What "draws you in" is the brilliant script, as well as the completely believable and well developed characters.
I found the pace of the anime and the fashion in which the dialogues are made to be incredibly refreshing, as it takes its time for relationships to fully develop, pieces of the storyline to uncover, but never feels like its lagging behind and keeps you intrigued at all times.
The visual style of the series complements the storyline brilliantly, as the art style does not aim to be flashy and overly complicated, but remains masterful in its simplicity. I was particularly surprised in how the faces of the characters were drawn, as if you can tell their character from their expressions. For instance, just looking at Masa and Yaichi you can tell that they are worlds apart, one is shrewd, calculated and well informed about the harsh realities of his surroundings, while the other is naive but at the same time kind- hearted.
To conclude, a somewhat off-beat series both in terms of substance and form, which I wholeheartedly recommend for any viewers that are looking for something that tries to stand out in its own right.
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