Alps Monogatari: Watashi no Annette

First off, this was a very slice of life show. The pacing is very slow but it worked for the show in the long run. The actual plot of the show doesn't reveal itself until around ep 15. As far as visuals go I mean you get what you get, its nothing amazing, a lot of the backrounds are pretty, but everything is pretty basic. As far as characters go, there are going to be times were your just going to be upset with a character in this show. However I can promise you it doesn't last long as problems (besides the main plot) in thisshow seem to get solved pretty quickly. Other than that the main characters are all children and they all act like such, Annette is the classic tomboy with a quick temper, Lucien is her closest friend with a talent for wood carving who at times lets his temper get the best of him as well, and Dani is just a happy go lucky little boy unless he's throwing a tantrum. As far as story goes, it's a good story. Solid 8/10 story. It's going to feel like it drags a bit towards the middle, but if you commit yourself to watching the whole thing there are several emotional payoffs when you get to the end :) So let me just say this, I liked the show. It's not in my top 5 world masterpiece shows, but it was still charming, memorable and all around worth watching. I'll admit there were times were the show just seemed to be dragging on, but by the time I reached the last ep, I was actually a bit emotional. Annette, Lucien and Dani all came a long way in this and I invite you all to watch them on there journey in My Annette :)

At first glance Watashi no Annette might appear to be aimed at children since it’s based on the children’s book “Treasures of the Snow” published in 1950 and it’s a faithful adaptation of the book, however its plotline and themes are certainly mature, heavy and sometimes even dark. After the 14th episode, the series takes a dramatic turn, loses its cheerful and relaxing atmosphere and one by one tragic events occur in many forms. The concept of forgiveness is a natural and inescapable part of being human. Is it possible for a person to live their whole life without making any mistakes or without hurting anyone?It’s not, since we are not some kind of machine. The necessity of forgiving and being forgiven is an essential requirement of human nature, and this anime contains many well-thought-out examples of this situation. Various cases such as denial of wrongdoing, occurrence of untimely pride issues, failing to share someone’s pain due to the lack of empathy, seeking revenge rather than forgiveness, delayed apologies and the consequences, self-forgiveness and self-sacrifice are examined thoroughly. As you can see it becomes indeed nerve-wracking to watch this anime from time to time. On the other hand, our lives are full of ups and downs, none of us can spend a perfect and uneventful life. Therefore I think it’s essential being patient even if it becomes occasionally unbearable to watch. Reaching maturity doesn’t happen suddenly out of the blue and you know, heart-wrenching angst is a must for children and teenagers to become emotionally mature. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense and I can assure you that the ending is definitely worth waiting for. About the animation, nothing special due to the technology of the date, I personally like classic art style of World Masterpiece Theater and must say each character is distinguishable. Facial and bodily expressions of short and long bursts of intense anger, sudden rush of nerves or other emotions like guilt, hatred, remorse, fear, resentment, anxiety, relief, pleasure, joy are reflected particularly well. I’d like to end the review with a text from the author’s autobiography: "The world was settling down after the war, but as the atrocities came to light there was so much anger and hatred. I remembered the boys coming back from the war to wives who had proved unfaithful. I remembered the faces of those who had seen the first photographic exhibition of the horrors of Belsen and the state of the bombed cities of Europe; the resentment of those who could not forgive others, the remorse of those who could not forgive themselves, and I knew that this generation of children needed, above all things, to learn the meaning of forgiveness."

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