desu~
desu~
!!!WARNING!!!
This review will leave Longcat in its shadow.
Suiseiseki IRL reviews: Rozen Maiden
To celebrate this special occasion I've decided to make some Flower-topped Hamburgers for everyone! They should be done by the time you are finished reading. Don't forget your plate and napkin!
Contrary to popular channer 'myth', Shinku is the main doll in
Rozen Maiden. Not Suiseiseki.
I'm not going to come out and say that that I am the biggest Rozen Maiden fan who ever lived, as I am sure there is always someone out in the world who has named their daughter Hinaichigo. However, not every Rozen Maiden fangirl has almost every statue and access a Suiseiseki costume (complete with props) tailored to her own body. So yeah... I may not be the type of person bombarding Peach-Pit with emails saying "ZOMGOMGOMGOMG I <3<3<3<3<3 ROZEN MAIDEN!!!!1!1!", but it has become a major part of my life (as I'm sure my avatar indicates). I am glad it has become a significant part of me, and I pray to Haruhi every night that it doesn't rot and fall off or become a malignant tumor.
Even though I am a huge fangirl of Rozen Maiden, I was still required to shed my opinions of it and begin anew. Despite having shed my once "clouded" ideals of the series and watching it through the fresh, judgmental eyes of a reviewer, I actually found myself loving even more than when I used to. I guess you could say it's a similar situation to watching a movie you haven't seen in a long time, in that you pick up on new things and either come to love it even more or hate it. I was quite hesitant to actually review this (I mostly wanted to review it because it is my seventh review *and there are seven Maidens*c wut i did thar?) because I thought my love for Rozen Maiden would be crushed like Shinku's brooch. Thankfully I was wrong and only ended up liking it more than I ever have. I actually now have a plan to preserve my DVD Player so that I can one day show my children. The show as a whole is great, but what makes it all the better is the music. ALI Project was heavily involved providing musical talent for the show, and it really shows, especially in the opening theme, which is one of the catchiest I have ever heard. They later come back to lend their talents for the opening theme to the second season, Rozen Maiden Traumend, again for Rozen Maiden Ouverture.
Overview
Instead of reviewing each of the seasons separately, I've decided instead to clump them all together into one review (which would explain why it is so long).
Rozen Maiden
The first few minutes of Rozen Maiden show what seems to be a party during the 19th century. The images have been blurred so it's impossible to make out anything other than a rough silhouette of people. This little scene ends with a girl shoving a midget in a red dress into a suitcase (haven't we all wanted to do that at one time?) stowing a living doll in a red dress into a case and closing it.
Shinku. The fifth of the Rozen Maiden dolls.
You are her bitch, and you will make her tea whenever she asks.
Next is just a scene that provides a brief moment for lulz. We're introduced to Nori Sakurada, the sister to the series protagonist Jun. Jun can be described as your typical angst-filled teenager with an unusually large hard-on for the super natural. He has a habit of buying things online and returning whatever fails to make him laugh. He also seems to treat his sister like she's his bitch (maybe if she beat his ass once in a while he wouldn't). Jun receives a letter from a spirit named Holie, which asks him to circle either "will you wind?" or "will you not wind?" to which he circles option A. After a quick shouting at Nori, Jun trips over an object which turns out to be a beautiful brown case. Inside said case lies the midget doll from scene 1 and a wind up key. Jun takes a moment to inspect the doll real quick and comment on its realism before winding it up. Suddenly the doll comes alive and bitch slaps Jun for looking up her dress. The doll introduces herself as Shinku, the fifth of the Rozen Maiden dolls. Within moments a plush clown bursts through Jun's window and attempts to kill him - what, you didn't think this show was going to make sense, did you? Shinku offers her assistance but makes the condition that "swear" to her by having him kiss her ring like she's the fucking Pope. So he does and a ring appears on his hand that looks similar to the one Shinku is wearing. Jun has now become Shinku's "Medium" (her source of power and energy). Shinku pwns the clown and episode ends.
Hinaichigo. The sixth of the Rozen Maiden dolls.
ZOMFG STFU PLZ! THX!
Following that the show introduces Tomoe Kashiwaba and Hinaichigo, the sixth, shortest (considering none of the other dolls breach a height of 4 feet, this makes her quite small), and by far most annoying Rozan Maiden doll who is obsessed with playing with people. Shinku meets Tomoe and sends her Artificial spirit Holie (brick shitting time) to follow her home. Hinaichigo flips out and sucks Tomoe into the mirror in her room. Shinku then finds a large mirror and proceeds into what looks like a child's play place which ends up being Hinaichigo's "N-field" (a dimension where the Dolls go to fight. Reality doesn't apply here very much at all). Shinku challenges Hinaichigo to The Game (you lost it) the Alice Game. She briefly explains the Alice game to be a sort of tournament similar to that of Zatch Bell (without all the bullshit). It goes that each Rozen Maiden has been endowed with a Rosa Mystica, their soul essentially. The goal of the Alice Game is for one doll to collect the other six Rosa Mysticas to become Alice, the perfect girl. When a doll's Rosa Mystica is taken from them, they become lifeless shells and can neither talk nor move. Hinaichigo ends up losing due to using up all of Tomoe's energy which would result in her death had Hinaichigo not broken the bond between them. Shinku decides to make Hina her servant instead of taking her Rosa Mystica, making Jun her indirect Medium (as well as making his headache a bigger, mostly due to having to put up with Hinaichigo living with him).
The next episode has an ominous beginning with the Rozen Maiden's villain Suigintou, the first of the Rozen Maiden dolls making an appearance. She doesn't fully show herself until halfway through when she tries to "play" *IT'S A TRAP* with Shinku and Hinaichigo. She's also kept an account of the last time she and Shinku encountered one another, which either suggests a grudge or an infatuation which for make this series even more delicious to fan fic writers than it already is. Jun heads out to find "Unyuu" for Hinaichigo which turns out to be Strawberry dumplings and ends up running into Tomoe. From the way he acts you can sense that there was something between them at one time. It's rather uneventful but does set anther very important piece out on the board.
Suigiuntou. The first of the Rozen Maiden dolls.
Rainbows make her cry.
The first time I saw Rozen Maiden, I was wondering when you-know-who was going to show up, but it turns out it was in the fourth episode. Her entry is rather abrupt and unorthodox, and leads to her getting splayed out on the floor. Suiseiseki's first words are of her bawwwing up, hugging Shinku, crying, and spouting "desu~" at the end of every damn statement. Really, she says it over 9000 527 times <=(click at your own risk). All Jun can do is sit there and consider thoughts of becoming an hero over having to deal with another freaking doll. Suiseiseki comes off as distrustful of humans at first, particularly Jun who seems to scare her. She is told to be one of the Gardener Twins, and is capable of putting one to sleep and entering their dreams by dividing by zero and creating a dimensional portal. She does this to Jun, and what she finds is not very pretty. Jun's dream is a reflection of his heart which at the moment is a dark, depressing place where broken computers form hills, flowers talk, miniature cars fly around like bugs, desks come out of the ground, and a giant paper Domo roams freely (I dare you to watch this while tripping balls on acid). Basically, he's a normal teenager. Through all of this they find Jun's "tree" which is supposed to be his heart, and by its looks it isn't doing too well. Throughout this episode you get the feeling that Suiseiseki wants nothing to do with Jun; however her actions at the end speak otherwise. More fuel for the fan fiction writers.
You'd think they'd follow it up with a serious episode after 4. And many others have as far as I'm certain, but I was in for a surprise to see that this was a fluff episode, and a shocking one at that. I won't go into detail about it, but I will comment that you will not look at Suiseiseki the same way again. You may laugh at this episode (a lot in fact), but please remember that I'm the one with the misfortune of being equated to her.
Suiseiseki desu~. The third of the Rozen Maiden dolls desu~.
She likes to end her sentences with desu~, desu~.
Following that the series take a rather serious tone. There is another encounter with Suigintou which leaves Shinku in a deep sleep that is later solved by Holie *move along people it's just a feather stuck in her wind up slot*. We are later introduced to Souseiseki, fourth Rozen Maiden doll and a lesbian <=(more true than you think) the second Gardener Twin who wields the Gardener's Gardener's Shears (Suiseiseki wields the Gardener's Watering Can). Souseiseki is forcing himself herself to stay with an old watchmaker who has clearly gone nuts, what with his wife being in a coma due to the loss of their son Kadsuki. Eventually the problem is solved, the wife wakes up, the old man finds the missing screws to his head, and all is well (except for Gardener's twins losing their artificial spirits, Lempicka and Sui Dream to Suigintou. Good times.)
Suigintou soon challenges Shinku to a one on one battle at midnight to which she agrees. She refrains from telling Jun and heads off to fight. Suigintou, being the evil (and hawt) bitch that she is, traps Jun in his own dream where his memories will tear him down. The others pitch in and an epic battle ensues, Jun grows a pair, and the drive behind Suigintou's efforts is revealed (which is something you will never expect). Everything turns out all right in the end and Jun even overcomes his fear of school.
Souseiseki. The fourth Rozen Maiden doll.
A rule 34 of Souseiseki can technically be considered yaoi.
Rozen Maiden Traumend
Rozen Maiden Traumend picks up shortly after the first series. Everything seems to be at peace and Jun is attempting to catch up in school (but then again this is anime, nothing ever stays peaceful for long). Suiseiseki and Souseiseki burst into Jun's window demanding to see Hinaichigo who has drawn on their tools. Shinku also has a nightmare involving Suigintou most likely brought on by remorse from season one. A challenger appears who goes by the name or Barasuishou and claims to be the seventh and final Rozen Maiden doll. At this point the field has been set and now the pieces are slowly being placed on the board. We also meet Kanaria, the second Rozen Maiden doll who continually tries and epicly fails to ambush Shinku and the others. This is a source for much comic relief.
Suigintou comes back and finds herself a Medium who happens to be a sickly girl in a hospital named Megu Kakizaki. Megu has an apparent problem with living and wants to an hero, to which Suigintou says she will gladly oblige. Megu continually refers to Suigintou as Angel-san (as in Angel of Death). As Traumend progresses you see Suigintou grow somewhat attached to Megu and at one point even shows that she cares about her (mind you it's at the worst time possible). We are also drawn a little deeper into Suigintou's past and are hinted at the grudge which she holds with Shinku.
Between Episodes 1-8 we bear witness to many more encounters and watch as the situation deteriorates. There is at least one fluff episode that involves letters to Jun. Jun also swears to Suiseiseki and becomes her Medium as well. Following this we also see another shift in Suiseiseki's personality as she alters her opinions about Jun and actually takes a strong lusting liking to him. However this change is short lived and is buried under what happens next.
Barasuishou. The suspected seventh Rozen Maiden doll.
She will murder you in your sleep on Christmas.
Things happen kind of slowly through most of Traumend as Barasuishou and Suigintou attempt to split Shinku's group and weaken their morale. Sadly this works [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS]. Things suddenly go to hell as the Alice Game heats up. Events suddenly take a nose dive in episode eleven when the real fight begins. [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS]. Everything turns out somewhat fine in the end, but leaves room for a follow up season...which thankfully doesn't occur.
Rozen Maiden Ouverture
Though Rozen Maiden Traumend did a good job of tying up many loose ends and concluding on good note, Nomad decided it wasn't enough, and set out to create an OVA. Most would suspect that it would pick up where Traumend left off, but instead it seems to take place between episodes six and seven (supposedly). The OVA, named Rozen Maiden Ouverture, was to be a two episode season that told the tale of Shinku and Suigintou, and how they came to be rivals. Like most OVAs, the art and sound received a major overhaul and the results are quite beautiful. In comparison, it would be as if you finished playing Metal Gear Solid 2 and immediately switched over to Metal Gear Solid 4. The improvements are quite visible.
Ouverture, like the first season, begins with a flashback, only this time it's taking from the perspective of an incomplete Suigintou witnessing "Father" putting the final touches on the newly completed Shinku. Suigintou seems somewhat heartbroken and desperate to be in his presence. This only lasts for a few minutes though as it quickly takes a jump forward back to the present.
Kanaria. The second Rozen Maiden doll.
Hide your mail from her.
It goes that one day Jun stops by a doll shop which he visited on a regular basis in Traumend to get some more red thread. He comes across a brooch which he thinks would go great on Shinku's bow and proceeds to take it home. Upon seeing it Shinku turns to super bitch and offers no explanation as to why. Souseiseki then pulls Jun aside and fills him in.
The story takes a HUGE leap back in time to somewhere in 19th century London. It begins with Shinku and Souseiseki duking it out when Suiseiseki comes in and interrupts the fight. The first episode paints Shinku as slightly more rigid character who seems to approve of the Alice Game more than she did previously. Her Medium is a well off child named Sarah who is perfectly aware of the Alice Game, more so in fact than Jun. There is a brief mentioning of Hinaichigo and Kanaria, but they do not appear here. Shinku and the others however are perplexed as no one has yet seen the first Rozen Maiden doll. This is remedied quickly with a weak and sickly Suigintou stumbling through the mirror in Sarah's room. The episode ends here.
The next episode begins exactly where the first left off. Shinku attempts to ask a few questions only to have the somewhat depressed/crazed Suigintou go nuts over the brooch on her bow. Suigintou goes into a frenzy constantly uttering "Father" while trying to remove it only to be tossed back. Out of what we think is pity Shinku decides to help Suigintou out and teaches her to walk and do other things. It's a somewhat heartwarming moment that shatters what you previously thought of Suigintou and leaves you to form a new opinion. Souseiseki and Shinku challenge each other once more only to be interrupted by Suigintou. Her secret from the first season is revealed once more and is precapped. What happened next I will admit made me cry. Following this the other Maidens break their bonds with their masters and head off into their N Fields. Shinku however winds up in a familiar place (to the viewer) Suigintou reappears, words are exchanged, and the Suigintou we've come to know emerges. Suigintou is able to grab the brooch off of Shinku's bow and proceeds to crush it. Before they can rip each other to shreds they are cast away to sleep until the first season picks up. *flash forward* End.
...
Flower-topped...
Dialogue & Writing
The dialogue is golden. The voices in both the English and Japanese dubs are of very high quality and only add to experience. There is a little room for improvement though, but if it could be measured on a ruler, it would probably be no more than two centimeters in length.
In my opinion the biggest flaw in Rozen Maiden is its writing (in the sense of "amoebas are among the biggest microscopic organisms"), but this is easily balanced out by the dialogue. It did suffer a little bit from its desire to slow down every so often and re-explain the Alice Game. It may be a momentary nuisance whenever this happens, but thankfully it doesn't sully the experience in its entirety.
Sound
The sound in Rozen Maiden is some of the best I have heard in any series, even after it being 4 long years since I first opened my mind and senses to it. The voice and effects are extremely well done, however I have no Michael Palin-esque gushing to do over them as that is saved for the next paragraph.
The music. Oh the music. I can gob on about it for ages and barely scratch the surface of just how brilliant it is. When Nomad hired Mitsumune Shinkichi to compose the background music they knew exactly what they were doing. The music at times can be a mixture of several instruments, the most prominent and often present being the violin, and some minor sound manipulation. Since most of the songs are orchestral in nature, they often convey emotion and are very effective at setting the tone. It's very easy to become attached to this music and you will quickly develop favorites. I would provide links to a few songs, but showing off one or two doesn't do the rest justice. If you want to listen to a complete collection, you can find them here, but if you like the music I highly suggest buying the OSTs like I did.
Well...do it. It's rude to refuse an offer from a doll.
Art
The art is pretty good. It may not be quite what we expect today but it was good in 2004 during the time where artists were considering newer art styles. The environment is nicely rendered and there is never a lack of detail, especially in the N Fields. Certain N fields have a nice filter to them which effects both the environment and character's color which such as a copy pasta reality that is seen in sepia.
The animation and effects are excellent and character movement is quite fluid and constant. The battles are a highlight of any episode and the artists get to show off their hard work to mummy viewers. I wasn't gushing with praise for it until I saw Ouverture, which as mentioned before was a major upgrade to the first two that also paid more attention to lighting and effects which only make it so much more beautiful in the end.
Character Development
Like Valkyria Chronicles, Rozen Maiden prided itself on a very smooth and visible character development. Every character other than Barasuishou and Enju seem to become something new by the end. As the series progresses you will (oh you will) become slowly attached to the characters and hope that everything turns out alright. You never get an idea of just how attached you will have become to the characters until you get to latter half of Traumend where [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS] and is wrapped up with a slight degree of relief. The side story told by Ouverture was the sweet, sweet strawberry on top of this already delicious cake.
Crunch time.
Final Comments
Rozen Maiden is a treat for the senses. The art is beautiful, the sound is great, the characters are vivid, interesting, and develop very well, and the plot is quite solid with many twists and surprises. Even though the anime differs from the manga in several key ways, it is still an awesome show and deserves more attention and praise than it has received in the past. OOH! OOH! Did I mention Jun is a total dollphie? Sick man!
It's not very often that a studio can say that one of their characters made it into the top eight of 2channel's Anime Saimoe Tournament, but Nomad had not one, not two, but three characters place higher than 4th in three different competitions. In 2005 Souseiseki grabbed the position of runner up with Shinku taking third. If that wasn't enough, Nomad did it again in 2006 when Suiseiseki stole the winning position (at least I know I'm moe). The following year Shinku rose through the ranks once more and secured the #3 position once more. For one show, that's quite something. And let's not forget about Suiseiseki being a time-honored meme.
Time to get sentimental. Sadly it's about time to wrap this. I kind of feel sad that it has to end (and that forums have a limit on how many characters you can have in your post). By the time I was typing this sentence I felt like I had accomplished something great. Over 72 hours of combined writing and re-writing went into this review that you've just read and spread out over the past few weeks (a bulk of the activity has been after the Hellsing review). I'm really glad I had a chance to do this and I hoped you liked reading about it. My wish is that after reading this review, you go off and watch it yourself.
I have been saving this up for a special occasion. Rozen Maiden receives my special Platinum Seal of Approval.
FINAL SCORE: 10/10
Review by: Suiseiseki IRL
Editing by: Amnestic - NeutralDrow
Inquisition by: Kuchinawa212
Line ASK Productions 2009
Next time on Suiseiseki's Anime Review
FOR GREAT JUSTICE Triple feature
TIME TO EAT!
What, did you forget I was making hamburger? I finished them around the time you were reading the Ouverture overview. Now hand me your plate and I'll-
NO! NOOOOOO!!! Suiseiseki ate all the Hamburger!
For Fans of Rozen Maiden!
desu~
desu~
!!!WARNING!!!
This review will leave Longcat in its shadow.
Suiseiseki IRL reviews: Rozen Maiden
Rozen Maiden. Not Suiseiseki.
I'm not going to come out and say that that I am the biggest Rozen Maiden fan who ever lived, as I am sure there is always someone out in the world who has named their daughter Hinaichigo. However, not every Rozen Maiden fangirl has almost every statue and access a Suiseiseki costume (complete with props) tailored to her own body. So yeah... I may not be the type of person bombarding Peach-Pit with emails saying "ZOMGOMGOMGOMG I <3<3<3<3<3 ROZEN MAIDEN!!!!1!1!", but it has become a major part of my life (as I'm sure my avatar indicates). I am glad it has become a significant part of me, and I pray to Haruhi every night that it doesn't rot and fall off or become a malignant tumor.
Even though I am a huge fangirl of Rozen Maiden, I was still required to shed my opinions of it and begin anew. Despite having shed my once "clouded" ideals of the series and watching it through the fresh, judgmental eyes of a reviewer, I actually found myself loving even more than when I used to. I guess you could say it's a similar situation to watching a movie you haven't seen in a long time, in that you pick up on new things and either come to love it even more or hate it. I was quite hesitant to actually review this (I mostly wanted to review it because it is my seventh review *and there are seven Maidens*c wut i did thar?) because I thought my love for Rozen Maiden would be crushed like Shinku's brooch. Thankfully I was wrong and only ended up liking it more than I ever have. I actually now have a plan to preserve my DVD Player so that I can one day show my children. The show as a whole is great, but what makes it all the better is the music. ALI Project was heavily involved providing musical talent for the show, and it really shows, especially in the opening theme, which is one of the catchiest I have ever heard. They later come back to lend their talents for the opening theme to the second season, Rozen Maiden Traumend, again for Rozen Maiden Ouverture.
Overview
Instead of reviewing each of the seasons separately, I've decided instead to clump them all together into one review (which would explain why it is so long).
Rozen Maiden
The first few minutes of Rozen Maiden show what seems to be a party during the 19th century. The images have been blurred so it's impossible to make out anything other than a rough silhouette of people. This little scene ends with a girl
shoving a midget in a red dress into a suitcase (haven't we all wanted to do that at one time?)stowing a living doll in a red dress into a case and closing it.You are her bitch, and you will make her tea whenever she asks.
Next is just a scene that provides a brief moment for lulz. We're introduced to Nori Sakurada, the sister to the series protagonist Jun. Jun can be described as your typical angst-filled teenager with an unusually large hard-on for the super natural. He has a habit of buying things online and returning whatever fails to make him laugh. He also seems to treat his sister like she's his bitch (maybe if she beat his ass once in a while he wouldn't). Jun receives a letter from a spirit named Holie, which asks him to circle either "will you wind?" or "will you not wind?" to which he circles option A. After a quick shouting at Nori, Jun trips over an object which turns out to be a beautiful brown case. Inside said case lies the
midgetdoll from scene 1 and a wind up key. Jun takes a moment to inspect the doll real quick and comment on its realism before winding it up. Suddenly the doll comes alive and bitch slaps Jun for looking up her dress. The doll introduces herself as Shinku, the fifth of the Rozen Maiden dolls. Within moments a plush clown bursts through Jun's window and attempts to kill him - what, you didn't think this show was going to make sense, did you? Shinku offers her assistance but makes the condition that "swear" to her by having him kiss her ring like she's the fucking Pope. So he does and a ring appears on his hand that looks similar to the one Shinku is wearing. Jun has now become Shinku's "Medium" (her source of power and energy). Shinku pwns the clown and episode ends.ZOMFG STFU PLZ! THX!
Following that the show introduces Tomoe Kashiwaba and Hinaichigo, the sixth, shortest (considering none of the other dolls breach a height of 4 feet, this makes her quite small), and by far most annoying Rozan Maiden doll who is obsessed with playing with people. Shinku meets Tomoe and sends her Artificial spirit Holie (brick shitting time) to follow her home. Hinaichigo flips out and sucks Tomoe into the mirror in her room. Shinku then finds a large mirror and proceeds into what looks like a child's play place which ends up being Hinaichigo's "N-field" (a dimension where the Dolls go to fight. Reality doesn't apply here
very muchat all). Shinku challenges Hinaichigo toThe Game (you lost it)the Alice Game. She briefly explains the Alice game to be a sort of tournament similar to that of Zatch Bell (without all the bullshit). It goes that each Rozen Maiden has been endowed with a Rosa Mystica, their soul essentially. The goal of the Alice Game is for one doll to collect the other six Rosa Mysticas to become Alice, the perfect girl. When a doll's Rosa Mystica is taken from them, they become lifeless shells and can neither talk nor move. Hinaichigo ends up losing due to using up all of Tomoe's energy which would result in her death had Hinaichigo not broken the bond between them. Shinku decides to make Hina her servant instead of taking her Rosa Mystica, making Jun her indirect Medium (as well as making his headache a bigger, mostly due to having to put up with Hinaichigo living with him).The next episode has an ominous beginning with the Rozen Maiden's villain Suigintou, the first of the Rozen Maiden dolls making an appearance. She doesn't fully show herself until halfway through when she tries to "play" *IT'S A TRAP* with Shinku and Hinaichigo. She's also kept an account of the last time she and Shinku encountered one another, which either suggests a grudge or an infatuation which for make this series even more delicious to fan fic writers than it already is. Jun heads out to find "Unyuu" for Hinaichigo which turns out to be Strawberry dumplings and ends up running into Tomoe. From the way he acts you can sense that there was something between them at one time. It's rather uneventful but does set anther very important piece out on the board.
Rainbows make her cry.
The first time I saw Rozen Maiden, I was wondering when you-know-who was going to show up, but it turns out it was in the fourth episode. Her entry is rather abrupt and unorthodox, and leads to her getting splayed out on the floor. Suiseiseki's first words are of her bawwwing up, hugging Shinku, crying, and spouting "desu~" at the end of every damn statement. Really, she says it
over 9000527 times <=(click at your own risk). All Jun can do is sit there and consider thoughts of becoming an hero over having to deal with another freaking doll. Suiseiseki comes off as distrustful of humans at first, particularly Jun who seems to scare her. She is told to be one of the Gardener Twins, and is capable of putting one to sleep and entering their dreams by dividing by zero and creating a dimensional portal. She does this to Jun, and what she finds is not very pretty. Jun's dream is a reflection of his heart which at the moment is a dark, depressing place where broken computers form hills, flowers talk, miniature cars fly around like bugs, desks come out of the ground, and a giant paper Domo roams freely (I dare you to watch this while tripping balls on acid). Basically, he's a normal teenager. Through all of this they find Jun's "tree" which is supposed to be his heart, and by its looks it isn't doing too well. Throughout this episode you get the feeling that Suiseiseki wants nothing to do with Jun; however her actions at the end speak otherwise. More fuel for the fan fiction writers.You'd think they'd follow it up with a serious episode after 4. And many others have as far as I'm certain, but I was in for a surprise to see that this was a fluff episode, and a shocking one at that. I won't go into detail about it, but I will comment that you will not look at Suiseiseki the same way again. You may laugh at this episode (a lot in fact), but please remember that I'm the one with the misfortune of being equated to her.
She likes to end her sentences with desu~, desu~.
Following that the series take a rather serious tone. There is another encounter with Suigintou which leaves Shinku in a deep sleep that is later solved by Holie *move along people it's just a feather stuck in her wind up slot*. We are later introduced to Souseiseki, fourth Rozen Maiden doll and
a lesbian<=(more true than you think) the second Gardener Twin who wields the Gardener's Gardener's Shears (Suiseiseki wields the Gardener's Watering Can). Souseiseki is forcing himself herself to stay with an old watchmaker who has clearly gone nuts, what with his wife being in a coma due to the loss of their son Kadsuki. Eventually the problem is solved, the wife wakes up, the old man finds the missing screws to his head, and all is well (except for Gardener's twins losing their artificial spirits, Lempicka and Sui Dream to Suigintou. Good times.)Suigintou soon challenges Shinku to a one on one battle at midnight to which she agrees. She refrains from telling Jun and heads off to fight. Suigintou, being the evil (and hawt) bitch that she is, traps Jun in his own dream where his memories will tear him down. The others pitch in and an epic battle ensues, Jun grows a pair, and the drive behind Suigintou's efforts is revealed (which is something you will never expect). Everything turns out all right in the end and Jun even overcomes his fear of school.
A rule 34 of Souseiseki can technically be considered yaoi.
Rozen Maiden Traumend
Rozen Maiden Traumend picks up shortly after the first series. Everything seems to be at peace and Jun is attempting to catch up in school (but then again this is anime, nothing ever stays peaceful for long). Suiseiseki and Souseiseki burst into Jun's window demanding to see Hinaichigo who has drawn on their tools. Shinku also has a nightmare involving Suigintou most likely brought on by remorse from season one. A challenger appears who goes by the name or Barasuishou and claims to be the seventh and final Rozen Maiden doll. At this point the field has been set and now the pieces are slowly being placed on the board. We also meet Kanaria, the second Rozen Maiden doll who continually tries and epicly fails to ambush Shinku and the others. This is a source for much comic relief.
Suigintou comes back and finds herself a Medium who happens to be a sickly girl in a hospital named Megu Kakizaki. Megu has an apparent problem with living and wants to an hero, to which Suigintou says she will gladly oblige. Megu continually refers to Suigintou as Angel-san (as in Angel of Death). As Traumend progresses you see Suigintou grow somewhat attached to Megu and at one point even shows that she cares about her (mind you it's at the worst time possible). We are also drawn a little deeper into Suigintou's past and are hinted at the grudge which she holds with Shinku.
Between Episodes 1-8 we bear witness to many more encounters and watch as the situation deteriorates. There is at least one fluff episode that involves letters to Jun. Jun also swears to Suiseiseki and becomes her Medium as well. Following this we also see another shift in Suiseiseki's personality as she alters her opinions about Jun and actually takes a strong
lustingliking to him. However this change is short lived and is buried under what happens next.She will murder you in your sleep on Christmas.
Things happen kind of slowly through most of Traumend as Barasuishou and Suigintou attempt to split Shinku's group and weaken their morale. Sadly this works [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS]. Things suddenly go to hell as the Alice Game heats up. Events suddenly take a nose dive in episode eleven when the real fight begins. [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS]. Everything turns out somewhat fine in the end, but leaves room for a follow up season...which thankfully doesn't occur.
Rozen Maiden Ouverture
Though Rozen Maiden Traumend did a good job of tying up many loose ends and concluding on good note, Nomad decided it wasn't enough, and set out to create an OVA. Most would suspect that it would pick up where Traumend left off, but instead it seems to take place between episodes six and seven (supposedly). The OVA, named Rozen Maiden Ouverture, was to be a two episode season that told the tale of Shinku and Suigintou, and how they came to be rivals. Like most OVAs, the art and sound received a major overhaul and the results are quite beautiful. In comparison, it would be as if you finished playing Metal Gear Solid 2 and immediately switched over to Metal Gear Solid 4. The improvements are quite visible.
Ouverture, like the first season, begins with a flashback, only this time it's taking from the perspective of an incomplete Suigintou witnessing "Father" putting the final touches on the newly completed Shinku. Suigintou seems somewhat heartbroken and desperate to be in his presence. This only lasts for a few minutes though as it quickly takes a jump forward back to the present.
Hide your mail from her.
It goes that one day Jun stops by a doll shop which he visited on a regular basis in Traumend to get some more red thread. He comes across a brooch which he thinks would go great on Shinku's bow and proceeds to take it home. Upon seeing it Shinku turns to super bitch and offers no explanation as to why. Souseiseki then pulls Jun aside and fills him in.
The story takes a HUGE leap back in time to somewhere in 19th century London. It begins with Shinku and Souseiseki duking it out when Suiseiseki comes in and interrupts the fight. The first episode paints Shinku as slightly more rigid character who seems to approve of the Alice Game more than she did previously. Her Medium is a well off child named Sarah who is perfectly aware of the Alice Game, more so in fact than Jun. There is a brief mentioning of Hinaichigo and Kanaria, but they do not appear here. Shinku and the others however are perplexed as no one has yet seen the first Rozen Maiden doll. This is remedied quickly with a weak and sickly Suigintou stumbling through the mirror in Sarah's room. The episode ends here.
The next episode begins exactly where the first left off. Shinku attempts to ask a few questions only to have the somewhat depressed/crazed Suigintou go nuts over the brooch on her bow. Suigintou goes into a frenzy constantly uttering "Father" while trying to remove it only to be tossed back. Out of what we think is pity Shinku decides to help Suigintou out and teaches her to walk and do other things. It's a somewhat heartwarming moment that shatters what you previously thought of Suigintou and leaves you to form a new opinion. Souseiseki and Shinku challenge each other once more only to be interrupted by Suigintou. Her secret from the first season is revealed once more and is precapped. What happened next I will admit made me cry. Following this the other Maidens break their bonds with their masters and head off into their N Fields. Shinku however winds up in a familiar place (to the viewer) Suigintou reappears, words are exchanged, and the Suigintou we've come to know emerges. Suigintou is able to grab the brooch off of Shinku's bow and proceeds to crush it. Before they can rip each other to shreds they are cast away to sleep until the first season picks up. *flash forward* End.
Flower-topped...
Dialogue & Writing
The dialogue is golden. The voices in both the English and Japanese dubs are of very high quality and only add to experience. There is a little room for improvement though, but if it could be measured on a ruler, it would probably be no more than two centimeters in length.
In my opinion the biggest flaw in Rozen Maiden is its writing (in the sense of "amoebas are among the biggest microscopic organisms"), but this is easily balanced out by the dialogue. It did suffer a little bit from its desire to slow down every so often and re-explain the Alice Game. It may be a momentary nuisance whenever this happens, but thankfully it doesn't sully the experience in its entirety.
Sound
The sound in Rozen Maiden is some of the best I have heard in any series, even after it being 4 long years since I first opened my mind and senses to it. The voice and effects are extremely well done, however I have no Michael Palin-esque gushing to do over them as that is saved for the next paragraph.
The music. Oh the music. I can gob on about it for ages and barely scratch the surface of just how brilliant it is. When Nomad hired Mitsumune Shinkichi to compose the background music they knew exactly what they were doing. The music at times can be a mixture of several instruments, the most prominent and often present being the violin, and some minor sound manipulation. Since most of the songs are orchestral in nature, they often convey emotion and are very effective at setting the tone. It's very easy to become attached to this music and you will quickly develop favorites. I would provide links to a few songs, but showing off one or two doesn't do the rest justice. If you want to listen to a complete collection, you can find them here, but if you like the music I highly suggest buying the OSTs like I did.
Art
The art is pretty good. It may not be quite what we expect today but it was good in 2004 during the time where artists were considering newer art styles. The environment is nicely rendered and there is never a lack of detail, especially in the N Fields. Certain N fields have a nice filter to them which effects both the environment and character's color which such as a copy pasta reality that is seen in sepia.
The animation and effects are excellent and character movement is quite fluid and constant. The battles are a highlight of any episode and the artists get to show off their hard work to
mummyviewers. I wasn't gushing with praise for it until I saw Ouverture, which as mentioned before was a major upgrade to the first two that also paid more attention to lighting and effects which only make it so much more beautiful in the end.Character Development
Like Valkyria Chronicles, Rozen Maiden prided itself on a very smooth and visible character development. Every character other than Barasuishou and Enju seem to become something new by the end. As the series progresses you will (oh you will) become slowly attached to the characters and hope that everything turns out alright. You never get an idea of just how attached you will have become to the characters until you get to latter half of Traumend where [section removed to avoid MAJOR FUCKING SPOILERS] and is wrapped up with a slight degree of relief. The side story told by Ouverture was the sweet, sweet strawberry on top of this already delicious cake.
Final Comments
Rozen Maiden is a treat for the senses. The art is beautiful, the sound is great, the characters are vivid, interesting, and develop very well, and the plot is quite solid with many twists and surprises. Even though the anime differs from the manga in several key ways, it is still an awesome show and deserves more attention and praise than it has received in the past. OOH! OOH! Did I mention Jun is a total dollphie? Sick man!
It's not very often that a studio can say that one of their characters made it into the top eight of 2channel's Anime Saimoe Tournament, but Nomad had not one, not two, but three characters place higher than 4th in three different competitions. In 2005 Souseiseki grabbed the position of runner up with Shinku taking third. If that wasn't enough, Nomad did it again in 2006 when Suiseiseki stole the winning position (at least I know I'm moe). The following year Shinku rose through the ranks once more and secured the #3 position once more. For one show, that's quite something. And let's not forget about Suiseiseki being a time-honored meme.
TL;DR
Time to get sentimental. Sadly it's about time to wrap this. I kind of feel sad that it has to end (and that forums have a limit on how many characters you can have in your post). By the time I was typing this sentence I felt like I had accomplished something great. Over 72 hours of combined writing and re-writing went into this review that you've just read and spread out over the past few weeks (a bulk of the activity has been after the Hellsing review). I'm really glad I had a chance to do this and I hoped you liked reading about it. My wish is that after reading this review, you go off and watch it yourself.
I have been saving this up for a special occasion. Rozen Maiden receives my special Platinum Seal of Approval.
FINAL SCORE: 10/10
Review by: Suiseiseki IRL
Editing by: Amnestic - NeutralDrow
Inquisition by: Kuchinawa212
Line ASK Productions 2009
Next time on Suiseiseki's Anime Review
FOR GREAT JUSTICE Triple feature
TIME TO EAT!
What, did you forget I was making hamburger? I finished them around the time you were reading the Ouverture overview. Now hand me your plate and I'll-
NO! NOOOOOO!!! Suiseiseki ate all the Hamburger!
For Fans of Rozen Maiden!