Zettai Shounen

I'm writing a review in an attempt to express my feelings on an anime I feel few have heard of. Zettai Shonen is in my opinion a masterpiece of storytelling and is my favorite anime/tv show of all time. The guidelines say not to summarize, but I'll give my take in this paragraph if anyone is interested: The story is split into two halves. The first deals with a city boy spending a summer in a small, somewhat boring town, quiet but for the constant, tremulous calls of cicadas, but the summer becomes more interesting when supernatural occurrences begin to take place. In the second half,we are taken to a city in the winter to follow a reclusive girl who has stopped going to school, whose life also changes due to similar supernatural events. The two arcs are related but loosely. The story is not ambitious or complex, and it is actually this simplicity that lends it such strength. The conflicts are small, perhaps even microscopic; but in the attention to minutiae I perceive such a deep love for the characters that I've rarely if ever seen matched in another visual storytelling work of art. I actually do not like supernatural events in animes I watch and prefer slice-of-life; however, the supernatural blends so well with the day-to-day that it doesn't feel like a gimmick or a ploy to keep you interested. Instead, the characters interact authentically with these happenings in a way that deepens your perception of them, rather than distracting you from them for the sake of a showy plot. The story-telling is slow. Don't watch if you are looking for revelatory twists, sabotage, or some slow build-up leading to a fantastic climax where all the questions are answered. The twists are more "hmm" than "aha!", there are no grand schemes, and the climaxes come, but again, they are focused more on the characters than on the universal ramifications. We're not here to scientifically chart out something new but to just spend some time with some individuals. With that said, I will state that the characters are somehow a bit simple in their depth. They are SO un-distracted in pursuing their personal truths that they don't seem like people you would actually run into on the street. Watching I felt almost as if I was getting to see humans who were more human than actual humans, due to the busy chaos of how life goes. But that's more of a pleasure than a complaint. The art and sound are somewhat marked by the time the anime was made, though I personally like it that way. They seem old-fashioned but still beautiful. Even though the rural setting of the first arc is more naturally arresting in my opinion than the city setting, the team has a way of making even the crowded metropolis seem humanized and rightful in its existence. I feel there really isn't a drop of hate, fear, or outlandishness in this anime. I suppose the closest it comes to outlandish are the supernatural child characters, which I forgive them for. As for hatred, the characters can be quite cruel--don't get me wrong. But it is the patience the anime has for these characters, somehow even supporting these cruelties, and its inclusiveness of them as a part of life, that make me feel as though the anime reveres the human experience like no other I've seen. I'm sure I haven't done the anime justice, or perhaps I've soured its qualities by speaking too highly of them. If I've exaggerated what it is, that's my mistake. But I truly believe it is an anime worth watching--certainly not for everyone, but perhaps for some, even worth watching again and again. If you are in the market for a slow-paced anime to chill you out or perhaps get you to think about things you don't always have time to think about, I recommend Zettai Shonen. In its embrace of the mundane, it is a character-driven powerhouse.

Once in a while, we see Slice of Life shows that are incredibly slow paced and are heavily atmospheric. These shows have a pretty static setting and allow you to dive into their world. I like to call these shows Slice of Nothing shows, simply because there's not a lot happening that actually contributes to the plot's development. Zettai Shonen is a slice of nothing show that slipped under the radar when it aired and never really saw the light of day. Which is a shame really, because it was a breath of fresh air and off the beaten track. Zettai Shonen is an animeabout Ayumu, a guy who moves to his Dad's (yes, the mythical species known as normal fathers exist in this anime) house in Tana. He spends his days exploring the countryside and meeting the local residents. However, he soon realizes that things aren't quite as normal as they seem. Mysterious objects that look like tiny UFOs start to appear all over the place and seem to have a special affinity for Ayumu. There is also a second arc, which focuses on another protagonist, this time a girl called Kisa. She too attracts these UFOs. Slowly, the two teenagers start to wonder what these things are and why they're attracted ti them. All they know is that it has something to do with their dark and murky past. First and foremost, I have to warn you. This anime is slow. Incredibly slow. Its buildup is even slower than Goku charging a Spirit Bomb...and trust me, that is slow. There's almost no action and hardly any movement. Generally, it may be a bad thing in case of other anime, but it works out really well in the case of Zettai Shonen. The plot isn't really moving forward, but the atmosphere feels so...atmospheric! It just has these melancholic undertones with an air of mystery around - an experience not too unlike Haibane Renmei or Ghost Hound. It's one of the most unique features of the anime. And I say most because this anime stands out from the rest for many of the quirky little things it does. Let's start with the realistic and down-to-earth characters. Despite what the title of the anime says, this anime isn't really much of a shonen. The guy doesn't have any superpowers, the women don't give him any (neither are they cliched tsunderes) and the side characters don't fit into any particular TVTrope either. The supporting cast is bland, but hey, rather bland than annoying (read: Any random Hana Kanazawa character), right? Ayumu, the main character of the first arc isn't really the most charismatic or lively guy you're going to see. To be frank, he has the emotional range of a tea-spoon. But again, he fits well into the Zettai Shonen niche of being a low key and mellow anime. Kisa is a pleasantly creepy girl whose anti-social side has gotten the better of her. And no, she is not his childhood friend. Her character is something like a mix of Yuki Nagato (of Haruhi Suzumiya franchise) and Moeka (of Stein;s Gate). The thing is, all these characters have this rustic charm to them and seem to grow on you. One of the things I really liked was how the interactions between the characters shaped the story moving forward. The conversations were normal and weren't blown up or exaggerated. For example, most anime contain this scene where the protagonist is talking intimately with the female lead and suddenly an adult walks in and they jump, scream and fumble all about "I-It's all a misunderstanding!". See how neatly Zettai Shonen does it (video at 4:20). The animation too, is funky. It's drawn like a childish cartoon, with very little detailing. You'll also notice immediately the heavy usage of still frames. They're gonna have one picture and move slowly across it and probably repeat the footage in another episode as well. The studio probably knew this anime wasn't gonna sell a lot of DVDs...and they were right. This anime comes from Genco, the studio that's produced some of the best Slice of Life anime in the past decade such as Nodame Cantable, Kino's Journey and Honey & Clover. Zettai Shonen is a mystery and supernatural blend that works out really well. The two arcs come together nicely and while the show doesn't really explain much, it hardly matters, because it's a case where the journey matters more than the destination. Although I described this anime as a Slice of Nothing anime, it's not that there's completely nothing in terms of plot, it's just that there's relatively less action even by a SoL anime's standards. Overall, this is an anime you have to be patient with. And if you are, it rewards with you some of the most gripping story telling you'll ever see. If you're looking for an anime that's off the beaten track with a really spellbinding atmosphere, then this show's the real deal. It's calm, yet compelling. A definite recommendation for fans of Haibane Renmei, Dennou Coil and Ghost Hound.

Zettai Shonen is the type of anime you might only want to watch if you find yourself needing to take a break from watching whatever type of anime you normally do watch. Otherwise if you pick this title with the same level of expectation you would have for your favorite anime then you might be in for a let-down. Still, it's pretty far from what I would call un-watchable or a “bad anime.” Zettai Shonen is a quirky, slow-paced, sci-fi/fantasy anime series that's a little bit off the beaten path. If you are in the mood for something quirky and different then pick this show,if not then stick to safer territory and the titles you normally like. Simplistic, Children-style art. It has a very Pokemon/Digimon look except the color palette is different and a bit more sophisticated...tho, not much. Most children's shows tend to use overly bright, explosive colors which can be a bit distracting so I can understand the choice of colors! Still, Zettai Shonen does very much has a very simple aesthetic appearance overall, everything had a very bold outline and there was not a lot of detail is given to any particular object except the “Material Fairies” and “Material Evils” which have a lot of little lights and such. The art isn't cheap-looking or anything and it's not like it's an older anime series or that they didn't have any money. I have a feeling this was a deliberately chosen style which does work for this show. Both the OP and ED music were good, the ED might have been a little better since it was just as unusual as the series. I watched this show in the original Japanese since it was a fansub version...I don't think I would have watched this show in English though because it has to do with Japanese superstitions and such. And I've started to discover that a lot of the shows that deal with superstition and cultural folklore are better off in their original languages, This show is no different. Also the voice acting was great just as it is in the original Japanese language, if this was dubbed in English I think that they might have ruined it with voices that are too high pitched and overly emotional. Zettai Shonen isn't supposed to be like that. This is a very slow-paced story that doesn't ever fully unfold.....ever. Do not look for extreme action, do not look for overt explanations and plot lines, do not look for logical conclusions. I don't think Zettai Shonen intended to define whether it's all about aliens, monsters, fairies or spirits so there was not special focus on any of that, it's more about the human interaction between the characters and also how they each reacted to as well as interpreted the increasingly recurring phenomena. My favorite character would be the main guy name Ayumu, a soft-spoken, introspective sort of fellow. He doesn't really like a lot of attention or drama and often prefers to be by himself [very much like me in that way.] Although he's not the first character to witness the weird occurrences in the rural Japanese town when he visits his father, he's the only one that pursues the investigation with a reserved, self-reliance that does not bring any undue attention to himself. I love Wakkun because of his voice, Sakakura I love because he has very intense eyes and he may be a beefy jock-type but he's very perceptive and devoted. Lastly I love Kisa, the girl in the 2nd half of the series that loves reptiles. She is like Ayumu in that she is also a loner, though I guess the correct term for her would be outcast, she also doesn't have the same kind of quiet strength that Ayumu has. She is rather fragile, but not as fragile as people think. Overall not a bad show. Again, I would recommend this only as a break from the norm. This series is like reading a book, there's a lot of attention to detail for things other shows would have found inconsequential. But the things that you want pointed out to you or the things that require a more detailed explanation are only mildly inferred or subtly defined so therefore, you are more or less left to draw your own conclusions.

I'm writing a review, yet again. The story is pretty simple really, people got involve with the spirits sprites in the Summer Arc (Ayumu), and the evil sprites in the Winter Arc (Kisa). If I got the information all wrong, sorry, because I didn't wacthed this on youtube. 8/10 The art is pretty good. Zettai Shounen's artwork is kinda like Kamichu, but with slight weaker animated thingimajig. Oh with 3-D. 9/10 Sound? Well, you get to hear a lot of it, and yet, I'm not impressed. For an anime that doesn't 'talk much', the backround music kinda irks me. The dub where i 've watched it? They've improve it.7/10 The characters doesn't give themselves much histroy, but it's enought to understand. 9/10 Enjoyment, is really good, it ups points if you watch it at dawn, where the sky is dark (Not at night, that's a good way to watch horror series.) BUT, I don't recommend you watching this anime by force. It's really broing unless you have nothing else to do. Those who wat to watch it, cannot stay for more than a few episodes, you should have a strong will of heart if your watching this online. (There's a big difference on your attention span between TV and Online, so if this is broadcasted on your local station. WATCH IT.) 9/10 Overall, well I have nothing to say except, the only real excitement here is on episode 17. (or was it 18?) 8/10

Merchandise

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