grand and humble to the end (bonen no xamdou 26, finale)

I woke up this morning full of anticipation. I was finally going to witness the last episode of a series that, surprisingly, easily made its way into one of the best anime series I had ever seen. I'm going to hop right into the review, so if you have any desire to watch the last episode (or the entire series at that), please feel free to not finish this post. 

WHERE BONEN NO XAMDOU FALLS

The diverse cast of characters was much more powerful during the first half of the series, when character development was rampant. The whole idea of distance between Haru and Akiyuki, while building an entirely new environment on the postal ship, created excellent scenes of separation anxiety between the "main characters". (I say "main characters" because towards the end of the series, there is no real "main characters", because everyone is allotted a hefty amount of lime-light.) During this time, there are all sorts of great plot devices occuring: the love triangle between Haru, Akiyuki, and Furuichi, the hardships and cruelty of war for those on Sentan Island, the trials of Nakiami as she searches to find the way to her past, the inability for Ishuu to express her love towards her friends. It's not that things get bad either, but the story drags away from just Haru x Akiyuki, which causes the final scene to pale a bit. Now that we're there, I want to say a few things about the final scenes (the only other negative input I have about the series). The ending was extremely safe. Now generally I'd bash an anime to death for something like that, because I love bittersweet, memorable endings. When you start necroing characters, it really takes away from the impact of their death during the storyline. Now I'm glad they didn't decide to necro the wrong characters, because bringing back Ishuu and Kakisu were mild enough to actually enrichen the final moments. The part that really got to me was Akiyuki's death. He turned into a stone, I get it. It was a bit too sudden and the relationship between "The Girl and the Big Rock" seemed weak at best. I didn't get a feeling of bittersweetness or eternal longing, just separation anxiety. Was that all they were really going to do for Akiyuki? And at the very end, when he comes back, she seems a little too mellow for waiting 9 years. But then again, I suppose that's what their relationship had always been - a sort of mutual and calm understanding that they'd eventually find their way together...though that's besides the point. I'll make another post when I finally find out, but what exactly caused Akiyuki to break from stone? I know it probably has something to do with the Ongoro and what Nakiami said (maybe I missed the timing? Did she say something about 9 years?). Either way, it wasn't reinforced enough throughout the series for me to rack my brain and pick up the answer. Shallow dissapointment, I know, but the last shot seemed almost too unemotional and borderline cheesy. 

WHERE BONEN NO XAMDOU MAKES ITS MARK IN HISTORY

I criticize the anime so because I had high expectations for it. In all of its grandness, I will not deny the fact that it delivered in full. The series was full of deep, meaningful, and complex interactions between a multitude of unique characters. The mood set forth by excellent execution only further bolstered the anime's beautiful schematics. At the very heart of Bonen no Xamdou lies a story rich with character development and growth, illustrating the affect of war times on a wide variety of personas. The animation is, undoubtedly, one of BONES's finest works, featuring an attention to detail that is rarely seen in a lengthy series. There's only good things and more good things to say about Bonen no Xamdou, for anything but the paragraph above this is one, purely positive. 

I think Xam'd easily makes it into my top 10 of all time, maybe even the top 5. I gauge anime by: story, execution, character development, how well it stirs my emotions, and how much of a lasting memory it becomes. Xam'd scores high in each category, and while I wouldn't say it was the best thing I had ever seen, it definitely leaves a permanent mark.

AOOOOZAKKIIIIIIII. Honestly, I think that I just can't give anything a good review now just because of how much I loved Mujun Rasen. It's seriously over-shadowing everything lol. I don't think it's just me either, I've heard from several other anime fanatics that it's probably one of the best things they'd ever seen. Don't call me crazy! Either way, Xam'd was amazing, to say the least. I wouldn't discredit it at all. (Mujun Rasen was better though :X)