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Now and Then, Here and There

Now and Then, Here and There has for many distinguished itself as an instant classic, and at the very least I can say that it is a series not quite like any other. The set up sounds similar to other series: a young boy gets accidentally sucked into a post-apocalyptic future world where he is caught up in a war and his own attempt to rescue a mysterious girl from the insane leader of a military cult. The look and feel, likewise, is much like Green Legend Ran, but Now and Then, Here and There is something else entirely. This series hits hard and fast with unrelenting, unflinching brutality, painting a picture of a military regeme and its child soldiers that is both chilling and all too close to reality. (Some of the scenes of uniformed boys in paramilitary training are frighteningly reminiscent of images on television only a few months after this series was completed, but they were more likely an analogy to Japan's own practices during World War II.) But thanks to the humanity and will of its protagonist, it also stands out as a moving testament to the human spirit.

Perhaps too grim and painfully violent in its opening episodes, Now and Then, Here and There is nonetheless an undeniably powerful series as a result, and I am very interested in seeing where it will go.

-Akemi's Anime World