Forum - View topicPatapata Hikousen no Bouken: Secret of the Cerulean Sand
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Amasa
 Posts: 340 Location: Japan |
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Patapata Hikousen no Bouken: Secret of the Cerulean Sand is one of the best anime I've seen in a while. It almost feels like I just watched a 26 episode series of Laputa: Castle in the Sky with Nausicaa as the main character, and it would not be wrong of me to compare this fine series to the best of Miyazaki. It's a shame this won't ever get licensed because it really is as good as steampunk can get and is undoubtedly the best family anime series I've ever seen.
The first two episode are so rushed that I was put off and drawn into it at the same time. The initial events are so compelling that it'd be criminal to stop there but it covers around twelve years of plot in two episodes which makes it a bit daunting for the viewers. You can almost immediately tell that the series isn't based off a manga, or at least it's a terrible adaptation of it (couldn't find any manga in the encyclopedia). The series is in fact based on the same Jules Verne novels that Nadia: Secret of Blue Water was, both of which I have no knowledge of. It's also worth mentioning that this series was directed by Yuichiro Yano who did the key animation for Whisper of the Heart. I found some of the character designs to be very similar. He also directed Mujin Wakusei Survive, which I only got up to episode 25 and then decided to drop it after it became obvious the series was no more than a sci-fi adventure for 14 year olds. Patapata has some similarities with Survive but is so far superior that I'd hurt anyone who decided not to watch it judging from the former. I've never actually seen an anime that can really be targetted at a "family" audience. Usually family means that it's really just an anime for older children but can be entertaining for adults as well, this is not the case for Patapata. There are some dark and brutal moments but they can easily be tolerated by any 11 year old. It's the implications of losing your mother, your step-mother, and then your two older brothers which will really interest the older audience - while keeping it very safe with the younger ones as it does not get swallowed up by any intense angst or over the top violence. Nonetheless you will not like this series if you dislike action. There is action packed from the beginning of every episode to the end and there is rarely a break. I was too involved with it all to really notice how overboard they went with the running and explosions and the yelling, but I like it that they let a lot of it to be slipped inbetween the lines until the last episode. Anyway, after the initial rush of maternal deaths and heart-wrenching emotion that was lost in the editing the story slows down a bit and we get some excellent characterisation. Jane reminds me so much of Nausicaa (from the manga) so I instantly fell in love with her. She also retains a lot of Luna's personality from Survive but this sort of protagonist is so common. Jane is only shadowed by Nausicaa when it comes to the innocent, battler type Miyazaki girls. St. Berain is also a truly great character who was unfortunately lost a bit in the fansub translations. His ultra formal speech never ceases until the final credits but his personality warmed to me a lot. Actually I shouldn't say I have a favorite character out of all of them, they were all such excellent portrayals of different people collected along on the way. From Sir Marcenay to Jeanne, Sasha and Saburi, all the characters showed their personal affection for Jane that it really is inspiring and heart-warming at the end. It's not like me to actually be inspired from an anime as they all get so repetitive but this really showed just how far a bit of guts and kindness and belief can get you. I feel a bit disappointed that the characters who were introduced earlier on were forgotten about until the last episode, such as her father and the sailor's apprentice, but I'm glad at least that they were included in the charming montage at the end. As for the steampunk in this I'm not really one to judge. I've only seen Steamboy which I disliked and I can safely say that Patapata falls short to Steamboy only in animation, which is to be expected. The story is supposedly set somewhere in the 19th century but it's very loose and not accurate by any means. As Jane and her accumulating gang arrive somewhere in the middle east it becomes obvious that they're in a fantasy land with sci-fi mechanics. It's a whole lot of fun as she goes on her unforgettable journey to find her brothers. What I love most about the series is it's very dark twist which I have not ever seen before in anime, that being the malleable main villain who we saw as tragic victim. William (who just screams Freud) goes genuinely crazy. He loves his little sister but feels completely alienated by her family who experienced his mother's death first hand with him. It's probably a realistic portrayal of the mass murderers in the newspaper and the ordeals they went through to attain their insane psychotic mental condition. Patapata shows the very unfair journey that is life, and how it affects people differently. On the Buxton family death seemed to make them all stubborn, George, William and Jane are all lost in their dreams and unfortunately it's Jane who has to face the reality the hard way while George and William are lost in each other's visions of Utopia. We see elements of insanity in George as well towards the end and are reminded that the first two episodes weren't just there for fun. William, completely lost in his love for his mother, Jane and Neo City, forgets about himself and everything he was taught by his mother (and Jane). The series does not hide any subtleties and I suppose some of the younger audience might really comprehend the degree of despair behind the fast paced action. The animation overall is sound. The use of CGI is surprisingly well integrated into the background, sometimes the bigger ships look a little to shiny, but overall I'm very impressed by it. One complaint I have is that the character designs, apart from Jane, were a bit too comical. Sir Marcenay and Saburi especially were really betrayed by their appearance which let the story down a bit. They didn't look like lead characters with good character development and potential, instead they were given generic cartoon emotions which I didn't appreciate. Also Sky bugged me a bit. I suppose he was there for the kids but I don't think it's forgivable to rely on a dog to carry the plot on, which at times is what happened. Overall this is the best steampunk, family and adventure series I have seen. It's a heart-warming and inspiring journey that is easy for everyone to like. At times some significant moments are rushed a bit and sometimes I even thought "I'm definitely going to find the manga so I know exactly what happened". Nonetheless the coherent plot and excellent characterisation and character development should not be missed. Jane grows up from an innocent and determined teenager to a leader and a role-model for everyone. Please watch this series, you will not regret it! |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Wow, I didn't expect to see a post about this little gem popping up.
I really love Cerulean Sand, it's a wonderful little series. It's not a masterpiece by any standards, but it is very entertaining and I felt really emotionally involved with the story, as I spent the last episode bawling. I think the strength of the series really lies in it's main characters. Not so much Jane, though she is a decent character and is exceptional in the fact that she not only acts her age but also physically looks it as well. The real draw for me was always William and how incredibly interesting he was, and watching whole family dynamic play out. I was not put off at all by the first two episodes, they are what completely drew me into the series. Which was a good thing because the next batch of episodes actually turned me off the series, since they are fairly episodic, which really isn't my thing. But the continuing story involving the main family (the Barton family, right?) kept me interested and in the end my patience was completely rewarded with a wonderful conclusion that, as I said before, had me in tears at many points. This series really does need to get more attention than it does, I've never really met anyone else who had seen it, beyond a friend who I showed it to myself. |
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