Higashi no Eden Movie I: The King of Eden

Amnesia. The same feeling the protagonist has at the beginning of this movie, and the same feeling I got while watching it. The beginning made me feel a bit lost as to what happened in between Higashi no Eden and the King of Eden - which was supposed to happen. But this lack of cohesiveness disappointed me in the form that it couldn't "build" up as much as it "should". Overall, I enjoyed the rebuilding from "ground zero" and the quick pick up of pace that is selecao game. This middle piece lives little room for disappointment.

This will be a review for both Higashi no Eden I and II since the narrative runs consecutively between both. Some spoilers from the previous episodes but none for the films. The initial 11 episodes of Higashi no Eden were quickly in the higher ranks of the my beloved anime list, simultaneously feeding my need for absurd science fiction survival and a goofy, sentimental romance. The artwork is gorgeous and endearing while still allowing for a sense of urgency and disarray. The narrative presents a very ethically blurry set of decisions for the protagonists that don't rely on excessive violence or needless characterdeath to underline this. All the characters feel very precious. This continued right into the movies, which takes place 6 months after the last episode, and - despite what I am about to say - are worth watching if for nothing else than that. That said, the movies ultimately felt like stretched episodes in their pacing. I was expecting the narrative to go off the rails (in a good way) considering the series started off with a naked protagonist waving a gun in front of the White House and the sheer grandiose and conflicting machinations of several of the Selecoa. Characters like Shiratori, who made an elaborate display of busting out of a hotel window on exaggerated black wings in an ambiguously symbolic gesture, or Yuuki, whose multiple missile attacks were thwarted by Takizawa, make lackluster appearances considering the aptitude for violence and destruction they both previously demonstrated. Much of the edge and mystique of the other Selecoa is muted. Though the "gang" of East of Eden all are developed nicely, each having a moment to evolve and grow by making hard and/or brave decisions. The plot ends up getting snagged on small details that end of getting dragged out and don't result in anything fruitful. One snag in particular focuses on one detail of Takizawa's past - revealed by Juiz while attempting to make him "king"- that ends of up being inconsequential to both the mystery behind the Selecoa, his confrontation with Mononobe, and romance with Morimi all of which ends in a rather abrupt and unsatisfying way. There did not feel like there was any consequence for a supposedly high stakes game which really dulled on an otherwise amazing series.

THIS REVIEW CAREFULLY AVOIDS SPOILERS! I think "King of Eden" is an unfit title for this. They could have at least added an interrogation mark ("King of Eden?") and it would have portrayed what's about way better (actually, it would be very on-point), while also making it more intriguing. This won't be a negative review, though; I actually found this to be a decent continuation of the first season. If you've seen that one, you really should watch this, and the sooner the better. It not only follows the style and spirit of the first season (you can tell the same creators are behind this), but it also explains andelaborates on a couple of details that seemed to not make any sense during the last chapter, that with time you may forget about, and you'll miss what they are referencing here in some scenes. In the end, things make more sense after all, and you can tell that the whole progression up until this point was thought-out from the beginning, regardless of what it seemed to me back when I finished watching the prior season. So, as much as I don't think that this has any big problem like the first season had (in my opinion, the rushed crazy ending with all its justifications and explanations popping up suddenly, feeling almost random), I think that this lacks any outstanding strong points in comparison; I'd say this "season" is more average, for the good and for the bad. And I say "season" because this doesn't really feel like a movie; it doesn't build up like one (introduction, climax and conclusion). Instead, it totally feels like a bunch of episodes meshed together; the build-up is a flowing continuum with its ups and downs, and I think it would have benefited from being released in a series format again instead, as the ending is by no means conclusive either. It feels, in fact, like the first half of a second season. So I understand that those who watched it strictly as a movie left disappointed reviews. All that aside, among the list of things that are properly inherited here in King of Eden, is, once again, how tasty the main characters are. We are reminded of how good the character... characterization has always been in EotE. Just like in real life, you can read their personality just by looking at their body language, that's how real they feel (at least, the two protagonists). Props to the artists there. On the other hand, this time around we have a way more evident use of 3D graphics meshing in, and it's not precisely seamless; sometimes it's somewhat abrupt. In some scene they even put a cartoon character among 3D-model characters, and it really stood out to me like a sore thumb. Not many people seem to realize about these details, though. The vegetation and background of half of the places also uses 3D in an almost obvious way. It doesn't degrade the visual aspect too much, but sometimes it's counter-immersive, and it's a pity. King of Eden also inherits the first season's inability to be completely serious when it probably should. It still tilts a little to the light-hearted side in the situations that ask for a more suspenseful and dramatic mood. Something else that bothered me, also part of this light-hearted vein, is how they wiped all the negativity surrounding a particular character, whose personality and story was a little more interesting precisely because of it (wasn't he grumpy and distrustful? Shouldn't he be in a way worse physical condition...?). I'll take character development anytime, but please, don't do it overnight without telling us how the process was at all. Another example of this problem, to me, is the film-maker character. He is just an extremely shallow character that's totally unfitting for comic relief -or whatever they were trying with him here-, that waters down every scene he is in. One last inherited mistake that I need to point out: in Eden of the East, no matter how good the ideas are, how good the decisions are; they are always made on the go. It's just a fraction of a second. Except for Saki, we are not given any show of doubt, mental processing, remembering, considering... the characters just seem to adapt to the course of events immediately, and that steals a little of potential depth from them. I think that, in fact, this is what waters down the whole show the most. So, all in all, I'd say that this also suffers the "shortening/shallowing" problem that seems always present in Eden of the East; great ideas, great main characters, but everything's just too fast, there's barely any introspection, and the light-hearted extra touch only adds another grain of sand to its shallower side. It's not severe, but I think that the project as a whole had way more potential than it was really exploited. The opening and closing songs are not bad and I think they create an appropriate mood, but they become almost irrelevant in the movie format. The ending reminds me of the ending of the first season, which was quite good. In the end, being as inconclusive as Eden of the East has been up until King of Eden (and its potential before the final conclusion not being as impressive as it could) it will be the last movie (II: Paradise Lost), to me, what will decide if the whole of EotE was worth it to watch or not. For now, I'm interested in seeing the ending, so this gets a slightly positive score from me. As much as I wasn't surprised, I wasn't bored or disappointed. Even if I didn't like it as much as the first season, I can recommend it with more confidence as a proper follow up to it, and a seemingly adequate bridge to whatever is to come. Rating: 6.1/10 (rounded out as 6).

I know I gave the movie low mark, but please read the review instead of immediately voting down with fanboy rage. I am writing the review for people who haven't seen the King of Eden yet, but who've watched Eden of the East/ I begin by stating I loved the original Eden of the East. The story was fresh and the main characters were loveable. The art style was modern and realistic and the show didn't take itself too seriously, even with a political plot. This isn't always the case with the movie. ---Story--- score: 5 As always with a movie, time is a limit, a storycan't always be carved out with the depth afforded by a season. The King of Eden is a direct continuation of the original Eden of the East. That means it doesn't try to stand alone as a movie. It requires a lot of prior knowledge - if you haven't watched Eden of the East, stop reading now! This need for prior knowledge is the first problem: with such a diverse cast from the first season, the movie tries to give everyone some screen time for the sake of it. Characters flit in and out for no apparent reason, all the time detracting from the dynamic between the central couple. In this respect there is very little development, if fact, I would argue that the entire movie is a zero sum game, as Takizawa has lost his memory and most rebuild a relationship again - in preparation for the movie's sequel. The second problem is that the story feels stretched. The plot, the bits which have any meaning to the story, is quite simple, and it feels like it was one episode fleshed out in order to make money as a feature film. The movie has moments of long stills and pauses after speech. Long monologues are what's to be expected here. Don't make excuses for the movie as other reviewers did by saying things like "it's not afraid to be slow in order to develop the characters". It is clearly being slow for the sake of stretching this meandering conclusion over 3 hours. The characters are forced to give long monologues as exposition to the plot. One particular discussion of the inheritance tax system really destroys any pacing or credibility that the film has as a non-money grabbing venture. The third problem is partly covered above. There are unnecessary plot points popping up for no reason, much of which goes unresolved, such as a random object wielded at a playground. In addition, the story introduce another Seleção that apparently provides comic relief, but fails. The person also doesn't add any value to the plot. After watching the movie I feel empty inside as nothing of importance actually happens. --Art-- score: 8 Not much to mention here. It is still the high standard set by the television show, with the addition of more obvious cgi that looks out of place. You can decide for yourself whether it's a sticking point that it hasn't changed from the TV series, but this is a movie base on a TV show, I liked it then and I like it now. --Sound-- score: 5 The movie has an OP just like a regular episode, but the new opening lacks the same impact and catchiness as Oasis' Falling Down. ED was standard. I really enjoyed some of the background music, but why a 5? Well, the sound is great, when it's there. The music was totally and notably absent for much of the first hour of the running time. No music that would make those long awkward pauses, unnecessary cutscenes and wrist-slittingly long monologues more bearable. When it is there, for the climax, the suspenseful music is so dominating it was like watching Wagner. Bombastic music coupled with the poor dialogue about nothing in particular made certain scenes more unintentionally hilarious than gripping. --Character-- score: 7 The cast is the same as the one we all got to know and apprecaite in the prequel. However, while it takes on the guise of an extended episode, The King of Eden is still a movie. A movie that falls into the classic trap, where other characters are paper cutouts apart from the leads. Having scenes of other characters "interacting" by talking at each other or repeating behaviour traits from the first season in a vain bid at humour does not constitute character development. What makes up for are the main characters, while there is also very little development, Takazawa and Saki are both loveable and believable, and their (re-)budding relationship is the only redeeming feature of the movie. However, their screen time is encroached on by pointless dialogue from other characters. If you were to watch this for the characters you will not be disappointed by inconsistency but rather the shallowness. -- Enjoyment -- score:5 I've watched this twice, once by myself and again with my friends. I can tell you my friends laughed 3 times in this film. The biggest laugh came from the unintentional Engrish. It's not a bad film, it's just that after you finished you wished that you had spent your time better. --Conclusion-- As a fan of Eden of the East, the King of Eden is a requirement for concluding the story, however, it's not necessarily enjoyable. Nonetheless, just because the movie isn't great, you should not treat watching it as a chore. The artwork is intricate and incredibly realised, and some backgrounds are worth seeing. Unfortunately, the other parts are very bad and really bring down what could have been a shorter, tighter and more focussed sequel. I'm just starting to write reviews so any feedback would be kindly appreciated! =D, agree of disagree, just write me a comment and I'll be happy to discuss it (or any series I watched) with you.

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