It’s really hard to find an anime that has so much impact in this season. I was actually waiting for the series to end before making this post, and the last episode fulfilled every wish of mine. A show that divides viewers, some will consider this to be a classic in terms of symbolism, character development and the active use of abstract objects and colors to explain feelings and emotions. Others will deride this as a nonsensical portrayal of objects and colors that is used simply to complicate things.
No matter which camp you are from, EF ~ A tale of memories ~ is a beautiful story enveloped by the theme of memories. Are there memories that you do not want to forget?
Story
The story revolves around the protagonist Hirono Hiro, a poor high school boy who draws shoujo manga for his living. One cold Christmas night after meeting a very strange woman in a church, who tells him that he’s going to meet someone he has to meet, his bike gets stolen by another strange girl. He runs after her and finds her collapsed on the street. Her name is Miyamura Miyako and her bag got stolen by a man on a motorbike. Soon after, they start hanging out together, enjoying high-school life. Miyako falls for Hiro pretty quickly but naturally finds a rival in his childhood friend, Shindou Kei, who has been dictating Hiro’s life since ever
A second story told along goes with Shindou Chihiro, a girl who cannot remember more than 13 hours of her life due to an accident. She became isolated and enjoyed her stay at the desolated train station that no longer has any train service. One day, she meets Renji, a boy that considers the train station to be his secret hideout. Chihiro will realize that her life, her memories and her goal will be affected by this very boy.
Why you should watch it
If there is something more beautiful in the romance of the two couples this year, please point it out to me. It’s been a while since I last cried at an anime, and the last anime that did was AIR. This makes this show all the more powerful in terms of driving emotions. In that aspect, one must definitely credit the work of SHAFT that generally tends to be rather hit and miss with their common repertoire of quirky comedy. For once, they almost hit the bullseye at every single attempt for storytelling, and that is perhaps worthy of such a statement.
One thing that is perhaps the difference in the opinion of fans is the many symbolism in terms of the color. The mood of the show is often dictated with colors. Miyako, one that does not feel like there is a future with anyone, looks at things with a black and white screen. This is exhibited when everything with Miyako alone turns monochrome. The sky is often a quiet approach to the mood of the scene, changing from yellow, red, purple or simply white.
I personally loved the beautiful story of Chihiro and Renji. Without spoiling you too much, the ending is one that will leave you shocked and happy at the same time, considering how your emotions will be twisted and changed by the plot. One thing about Ef that makes it worthwhile is how it starts off rather mellow and calming. It makes you think that everything that is thrown at you is mindless and senseless until you get absorbed into it. I guess you can call it the classic “starting slow” anime.
Then it arises, slowly but steadying. By the time it reaches its mid point, you cannot but look at how the drama has grown. You start to feel for the characters, you feel for what they think, their relationships with their counterparts and how the story is going to end. You cannot wait for the next episode, hoping that the bad end that seems so likely will be resolved by a miracle. You hope that memories will not bind them to their past, but allow them to move into the future (yes, it is quite cryptic, so watch the show to understand).
Ef ~ A tale of memories ~. That is greatness at its best in 2007.
17 Comments
Hmm. I sort of disagree with what you say but I enjoyed ef as much as you did, it seems. I wouldn’t compare it with how moving AIR was. Honestly the plot to ef is simple, and the relationships are straightforward. Chihiro’s story is really a redux of 50 First Dates, and the one with MiyaMiya/HiroHiro just a regular love triangle. There’s not a lot to them.
But there’s so much to ef that is just incredible. For people who watch serial narratives for the content, they’re probably not going to enjoy ef at all, in other words. But for people who watch anime for characterization and feelings? They will be able to stand above the wave of gimmicks and directorial tricks and get what’s really good about this show.
Mmmm I would have to disagree with a lot of what you said. I can name a couple of series that have impacted more people and garnered more discussion than ef (Clannad and Gundam 00 the most obvious ones). Ef had a big impact on a fairly smallish group of people who really enjoyed it, I don’t think it is an industry-wide bomb that went off. I think it inspired a lot of heated discussion and flames the first couple of weeks because of Shaft’s terrible (imo) handling of the show, and lots of blogs and others talked about it. Once Shaft stopped being blatant with the funky style the latter half of the series I really found the discussion kinda died off and it went back toward being just another eroge adaptation. It hardly holds a candle to Air or Kanon to me, those are what I would consider classics of the genre.
I wouldn’t consider this a classic nor a beautiful story, it earns an “ok.” The Chihiro and Renji story just didn’t appeal to me at all and ended with a pretty silly deus ex machina ending that inspired an eyeroll in me. The Miyako/Kei/Hirono story was ok, but when half of the show is a story that holds little interest to me I can’t really give a show a good review.
So overall I’d say maybe 5 or 6 out of ten, but if you really like this type of style/show I see where you would think it’s great. Just doesn’t do it for me. I could get back into the stylistic problems I had with this show but that would eat an entire blog entry I don’t feel like writing~
I have to disagree with all the ef bashing really. It did have a generic setup and all, but the storytelling just elevated it to 11.
And there really is a lot of buzz about the essential storyline techniques and revelations about ef than most other shows. The only buzz Clannad tends to get is how funny its lead-up episodes are and Gundam 00 for its typical politics.
ef definitely is worth being one of the most buzzworthy anime and also being a really big experiment for Shaft.
Calawain, I find it funny you blame ef for deus ex when Air and Kanon had them in SPADES and without any explanation at times, compared to ef having a lot of it rooted in the psyche of characters. I think you got it all wrong, though I loved Air and Kanon too. But storytelling-wise, I have to give it up to ef. I daresay it’s the best of its genre.
It seems half the blogs out there cover Clannad, and I see massive discussion posts on the boards I frequent about it, so I think that qualifies as “buzz.” And Gundam 00’s bad goodness has inspired leagues of comments even on our homely blog. And Gundam’s politics are hardly typical, they are in fact ludicrous, and that’s half the reason why it’s so fun to make fun of it. Ef on the other hand had a few bloggers and other enthusiasts talk about it a lot at the start, the second half of the show I can barely remember any discussion about it.
Um, Kanon’s deus ex machina ending made sense because the entire show had a theme of miracles. Air I’m not really sure what is deus about it, Show ▼
On the other hand, Chihiro and Renji’s ending was just silly Show ▼
And the storytelling is leagues behind Clannad, Air, and Kanon to me, one half of the entire storyline was mediocre, as I said before.
LOL Kanon 2006. It’s pretty much something people watch simply because that’s what’s on, and it’s what’s popular (far majority of bloggers only blog what’s popular, by the way). Kanon, AIR and CLANNAD are massively popular franchises way back in the day, and that finally got anime to go with, so a lot of people follow them because they were fans way back when (lol 6-7 years ago). Then you got all these groupies who follow those shows simply because of their high production value, word of mouth, or simply because it’s just what is there to watch.
A lot of people watch Gundam 00 and CLANNAD but don’t think very highly of them. But it’s rare to find someone indifferent about ef after finishing it.
And if you think Chihiro and Renji’s ending as silly, then you’re just stupid. There is only one ending to their story and you can see it a mile away, and they pretty much followed it to a tee. Or you could just watch 50 First Dates or read about the plot for that…
The volume of discussion over a popular anime doesn’t equate to ‘buzz’, Calawain. So just because people discuss Beetles because they are so popular, does that equate to buzz? No.
Also, I have no qualms about the storyline of Gundam 00. That’s the thing I was getting about. The politics are very rudimentary and standard of any Gundam show, most of them being downright ridiculous in conventional, real-world wisdom ever since Gundam 0079. But that’s what space opera is all about. Again, standard, normal, ho-hum, Gundam buzz. Typical.
And Kanon being about miracles is quite vague. Also Air being tied to former lives basically jumped the gun near the end and with a lot of the girls’ angles (mainly because there were so few episodes to flesh out the plot).
“And the storytelling is leagues behind Clannad, Air, and Kanon to me, one half of the entire storyline was mediocre, as I said before.”
I’m sorry, but ‘leagues’ behind? More like leagues ahead to me. Like I said, I love Kyoani shows too, but the ef bashing just sounds like typical Kyoani-fanboy bashing than any balanced subjectivity.
@Omo: With Christmas finally over, I can reply to people! Well, I never watched 50 first dates but I felt that Chihiro’s story feels like a fairy tale unlike the more realistic love triangle between Hiro, Kei and Miyako. If anything, the symbolism and style builds on the good part of the show, but it is the basic storytelling that entrenches the heart.
@Shippoyasha: Even generic shows with a generic setup can be good if it’s done properly. In this case, EF clearly shows that it is done exceptionally well. Many a times, it is not something that is completely new that is critically acclaimed, but a basic formula with some twists and following it to perfection. That is EF.
@Calawain: I personally often disagree with you on the opinion of EF. In my opinion, you really have to watch the last episode because it is not the end but merely a cliffhanger. It might make you think of it in a different light since the theme of memories and holding it comes into light by then.
I think that moe and the fact that it’s Kyoto Animation makes it extremely popular, and it is little wonder why they do get more buzz. Bishoujo series that are easy and light to digest are more fan friendly, and series like this that might polarize fans tend to be appreciated by a smaller target group.
That said, I couldn’t care less about Kanon simply because I felt that it is pretty average despite the great graphical sense. I also agree with Shippo that the story telling in EF is leagues ahead of Clannad at the very least. Clannad has so many fodder material that will be slammed as crap filler if it’s not Kyoto Animation. If they do not have the graphics they have (get the makers of Kimikiss), you will probably scream out in pain at the rubbish thrown at you.
That claim of Clannad, or even Kanon being good story telling in the anime is rather unestablished imho. EF never deviates to fanservice, but sticks to the plot while maintaining the feel of memories. So, I am not sure why there is such a bias.
Of course, as of yet my opinion wouldn’t be qualified, seeing that I have not yet finished the series, but I’d say the relationships in Kimikiss are more evocative, at least for me. The first two episodes of this series have not really made me interested, but I will still watch it, of course, because perhaps my opinions will change later on.
I would have to say, though, kimikiss besotted me instantly. This series so far is a test of patience for me.
Haha I knew as soon as I wrote this stuff that I was going to draw out the ire of many, but hey, everyone is entitled to their opinions right? At base I just prefer the KyoAni style to this, I am a card carrying fanboy. There really isn’t much to debate for me, I’m pretty stubborn about these things. With that type of background I just didn’t find ef to be all that great, people shouldn’t take it as a personal affront or anything.
@omo
I would respond but someone who uses part of their argument to call me stupid isn’t deserving of a response.
@Shipp
I would disagree, I think that if you want to signify “impact” at this stage of a show you can use volume of discussion and buzz to test just how big an impact it has said. A couple of years down the line you can judge impact by stylistic influences and whatnot on other shows, but at this point it’s the only type of measurement I can conceive of for impact.
And Kanon spoke of miracles many times throughout the entire show, and it was a pervasive theme. It would take me a long time to point them all out, but I’ve watched it 3-4 times and that’s what I pulled from it at least. I’m not quite sure what point you are trying to make about Air though. But yes, as I mentioned in the preamble and my other posts, I found half of ef’s storyline to be uninteresting, so personally I can’t say that ef is anywhere near a show like Kanon, where I enjoyed every storyline immensely.
@Impz
Yeah as I said before, that’s the only way to measure impact right now, and as you said it is really popular, so that equates to “impact” for me. And Clannad is in a totally different style, it has a lot of comedic elements that a show like ef doesn’t have. I don’t think it’s not being flamed because it’s KyoAni (in fact because it is KyoAni it gets flamed by the anti-fanboys), it’s just done very well. If any other studio did it as well they would be praised for it as well. And like with Kanon, I find myself immensely attracted to all the storylines so far and I couldn’t say that with ef. And no, I wouldn’t be flaming the show if the animation was not as well done. Kimikiss is mediocre because the characters are uninteresting for the most part, the story does nothing and goes nowhere, and the writing has little humor or effective drama. The art style is just a small part of why that show is weak.
@Calawain: Seriously? I personally feel that Kyoto Animation hardly get a lot of flak due to the fact that their graphical ability is far superior compared to many other animation companies, rather than the other way round.
Nevertheless, going back to your argument, the way you approach the show does have a bit of bias toward series with a good balance of comedy + drama, rather than truly about storytelling. If you are using the yardstick of having a mixture of everything, then it does make sense. However, that is not how I see it, but more of a subjective matter in bringing emotions.
In terms of weak drama, I really disagree. The pervasive theme of memories strings the seemingly loose stories together, and I feel that many of the little touches make you understand more of the characters and realize how their memories have impeded them. So, I really cannot understand where the lack of drama argument comes from.
In terms of pervasive themes, memories are also strongly embedded within the plot. We have Hiro, following his path as a manga artist due to his memories of a belonging with his “sisters”. Kei is haunted by her memories with Chihiro’s accident.
Miyako is haunted by memories of being abandoned. Chihiro, well, she can’t remember any memories. Renji is trying hard to keep Chihiro’s memory alive. All of them are fighting to find the path against their given road, trying to find a life from death and the past. Hence, it is personally a weak point. I do agree that Kanon’s theme is decent too, but as argued earlier, the fillers can be overpowering (though good fanservice nevertheless).
However, I guess when we measure impact, it can be rather subjective. I do not really feel that either Clannad or EF have that much buzz actually, at least not as much as I expected it should have. I do not think that it’s easy to convince of anyone about personal preferences because there are things that just does not work for others.
EF ~ A tale of memories ~, as stated in the entry is one such anime that divides the crowd. Even though it’s hardly anywhere near the divide in the “epic/crap” NGE, it does have that same form. People who appreciate it like it, those who don’t, feel that the anime is trying too hard.
You know what would make ef better for me? A tsundere maid robot from the future with a scarred past.
@Calawain: And the answer is revealed. There’s no tsundere in Ef ~ A tale of memories ~ to keep you entertained ^_^;;
“I would disagree, I think that if you want to signify “impact” at this stage of a show you can use volume of discussion and buzz to test just how big an impact it has said. A couple of years down the line you can judge impact by stylistic influences and whatnot on other shows, but at this point it’s the only type of measurement I can conceive of for impact.”
That’s what strikes me. Just because something is more popular, that doesn’t automatically lend itself to having an impact. Kyoto Animation Key shows are done by the book, albeit done incredibly well. But there is nothing profoundly new about any of the themes other than that they really like to inject a lot of humor into them for the masses.
ef is more like an arthouse movie. It probably won’t ever be WILDLY popular, but those in the know will remember it and its style probably sent shockwaves through the industry as to how they can flesh out an eroge story though jarring imagery and alternative ways of telling a story directly through the paranoia of the characters instead of only the outward expressions of drama.
Also, I find it incredibly shallow of anyone to equate popularity as the only means of making an impact in an artistic sense. I have no problem with popular things, but if you say that less popular forms of art are to be ignored just because they are not popular, that is a hollow argument.
And you say that Kanon showed the idea of ‘miracles’ early on? But it never really did. Miracles happened and the characters were caught in it and even in the end, very little was ever explained or even fleshed out. The characters went by without much of a reconciliation of it all the way ef have. Not a bash on Kanon since its journey was the fun part, not the end.
are yuko and yu lovers before? maybe…
I never really got Kanon and the current Clannad. Sure, the humor was/is fun, the drama was/is ok, but I had and still have an edgy feeling towards the mixture of the two. EF on the other hand focuses mainly on the drama, is able to maintain the moment and carry it to heights I never thought was imaginable.
I’m a drama slut though, mind you.
And how can you not call a miracle deus ex machina? That’s nearly a synonym. D=
anyone here played this game?
Impz should have made an episode blog on this one.
I didn’t really think I I would like ef at first, but it surprised me a lot, mostly for the stylistic choices they made more so than the actual plot, which was fairly straightforward. The one strike against it in my mind is that they seemed to be pushing the limits of their budget (either that or they got lazy) every so often. Still, I did appreciate the fact they even bothered with trying something different.
As for the actual plots, as others have pointed out, loads and loads of drama, but at least everything got ended on a note that made sense. At first I thought the ending to Chihiro and Renji was a huge deus ex machina, but after seeing it again, I changed my mind.
As far as I can tell, Chihiro’s condition hasn’t be magically cured at all – the reason she didn’t forget about Renji was because she couldn’t stop thinking about him for 13 straight hours. The whole “breaking of the chains” makes it a little unclear, but I ultimately figured it was more figurative than literal – she’s decided that she won’t let her condition hold her back any longer.
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[...] The opening image is startlingly similar to that of Impz review on ef. [...]