Reviewed: December 2012
Version: English sub
World building is the key to any good fantasy; without a fully developed, believable background, even the most interesting characters can fail to hold the audience in thrall. Fortunately, the creators of 07 Ghost have seen fit to develop an intricate and unique setting for their stories, and it, as much as the compelling
...
Reviewed: December 2012
Version: English sub
World building is the key to any good fantasy; without a fully developed, believable background, even the most interesting characters can fail to hold the audience in thrall. Fortunately, the creators of 07 Ghost have seen fit to develop an intricate and unique setting for their stories, and it, as much as the compelling characters and driving story arc make 07 Ghost an entertaining viewing experience. The 25-episode first season is a rough adaptation (and not in one-to-one correspondence) of the first 25 chapters of the ongoing manga, and although there is more than enough material for a second season to draw from, as well as a strong fan base, it does not appear that a second season will ever see the light of day—an unfortunate situation, as 07 Ghost is one of the best series of the early 2000s.
There are three main ingredients to 07 Ghost: story, setting, and style. All three draw the viewer in almost immediately. Episode 1, “Where Heartache Leads”, jumps right into the story, introducing the protagonist, Tate* Klein, who is not only a cadet at the Barsburg Military Academy but also a slave to the military, an amnesiac, and a user of zaiphon, or living energy converted to magical power through the manipulation of physically manifested runes. Along with his roommate and only friend, Mikage, he is on the verge of graduation, but he soon begins to have memories of his past, and when he recognizes a senior officer as the possible murderer of his father, he attacks the officer and is imprisoned for his crime, escaping at the very end, with Mikage’s help. The first episode contains much backstory but it is presented at an enjoyable pace in the course of events unfolding, and the second episode continues with the introduction as Tate finds refuge at the Barsburg Church. The rest of the story unfolds from there, occasionally slowing down and nearing tedium, but always picking back up before interest can be lost.
Part of this slowing down is due to the style of the series. 07 Ghost draws heavily upon Romanticism, with its emotionalism and focus on aesthetics; German Romanticism is especially influential, especially with the importance it attaches to humor as an aspect of life (the interactions between Tate and his mentor, Bishop Frau, are especially notable). This means that, at times, the series can seem to be weighted down in emotion or tending toward melodrama, but rather than being superficial and “emo”, there is always that “higher” strain of true Romanticism to make these scenes and subplots tolerable. If nothing else, striking visuals and a beautiful soundtrack keep the eyes and ears focused on the world within the screen.
That world, the setting of 07 Ghost, is exotic, detailed, and engaging. Besides being peopled with three-dimensional human characters, it is also home to gods, demons, and other supernatural creatures, such as the Noel mermaid, Lazette, who serves as the Barsburg Church’s organist. The history and politics of the Barsburg Empire are fleshed out at least as far as necessary to the plot; its architecture (ranging from neo-Baroque to futuristic urban), technology (both biological and mechanical), and complex culture are too. Religious beliefs and practices are prominent facets of the series, and they are quite well developed, as is the magical system of zaiphon. As the story unfolds, the audience continues to be immersed deeper into a world the richness of which never ceases.
Even if the storyline and characters weren’t as well written as they are, the setting and soundtrack—the world of 07 Ghost—would be enough to draw the attention of viewers, but fortunately, Tate and the rest are all compelling characters and their stories are intricately developed and easy to get caught up in. There is little about the series that isn’t excellent in both concept and execution, from its artistic style and soundtrack to its plot and character development—all of which make this one of the must-see anime series of recent years. Unfortunately, as mentioned, only the single season of 25 episodes exists, and the general consensus is that no further seasons will ever be produced; nevertheless, the series is well worth watching, and for anyone whose interest is piqued by the series (and, really, whose wouldn’t be?), the original manga contains a wider world of adventure in which to immerse oneself.
*Note: Although the subtitles leave the Japanese name “Teito” untranslated, given the German-style setting, other German-sounding names, and the character’s own German surname, I have chosen to render “Teito” with the Germanic “Tate”.
The breakdown
Story: 8
At heart, 07 Ghost is the standard heroic tale as outlined by Campbell and Tate Klein just another of the Hero’s thousand faces, but far from being a rehash of the same tired clichés, this version of the tale makes the journey seem fresh as we follow Tate along on his adventure to discover himself and the truth of the past. Although occasionally bogged down by aesthetic and emotional flourishes, it is nonetheless a compelling narrative with enough originality and flair to keep the viewer wanting more, even long after the final episode draws to a close.
Character: 9
The majority of characters who inhabit the world of 07 Ghost, although filling their roles as types, are more than merely that. Besides exhibiting a range of emotion and reaction based on stimuli around them, each is unique and intriguing in his or her own way; many—including Tate, Frau, and even the villain Ayanami—exhibit enough complexity to string the viewer along with revelations throughout the single produced season and well into any hypothetical seasons that might have followed (with the possible exception of the three nuns, who could have been more fully developed).
Art: 9
The artistic style of 07 Ghost is amazing, and the animators adapted it almost perfectly and made it work well on the screen. The artists display deep knowledge of their craft and use light, color, and space both logically and emotionally, to invoke mood. The contrasting styles of both the futuristic and the neo-Baroque technology and architecture are smoothly blended and add to the series’ particular atmosphere. While some details are perhaps a bit rushed, the important ones are crafted with attention and care. Overall, I feel that the art is some of the best to be seen in serial anime.
Sound: 9
There are few technical flaws in dubbing and sound effects these days, so what really draws the audience’s attention in the sound department is the music, and 07 Ghost has some of the best. Noria’s renditions of the ending theme, Hitomi no kotae, and the Raggs’ Requiem, as well as Suzuki Yuki’s of the opening theme, Aka no kakera, are perhaps the most notable pieces of music, but the incidental score itself is amazing. Perfectly fitted to the events on the screen and evocative of the proper moods, Nakagawa Kotaro’s music, like so many other facets of this series, is some of the best in its class—and, for those who are into soundtracks, it is all available on a three-disc, eighty-four track collection called The Melody of Michael.
Enjoyment: 8
With all the necessary elements of a true Hero’s journey—yet bringing to these elements a fresh originality in both general ambience and in specific details of the world and its characters—07 Ghost is one of the better anime series to come out of the first decade of the 2000s. Unfortunately, it suffers slightly (and only slightly) from the occasional slow pacing and emotional flourish, although such flourish is, really, an integral part of its neo-Romantic style and should not count too much against it. Anyone who loves a compelling storyline with complex, intriguing characters, and an intricate, original world in which to set it will certainly enjoy 07 Ghost and find themselves, like I did, wanting more and wishing that there were further seasons to come.
Overall: 8.6
Final Score: 9/10 or 4/5
Grade: A
Rating: PG-13
07 Ghost contains some violence and vulgar language. It doesn't yet have an official rating, but the manga has a teen-level rating, so, although some more liberal parents might be willing to allow children younger than 13 to view it, I'm erring on the side of caution and assigning it PG-13.
Language/Thematic Elements: Language is typically pretty mild, but a few episodes throw in some harsher curse words and epithets. Politics and the military feature heavily, including warfare, the use of people as weapons and slaves, and the roles of church and state. The series explores the themes of love, friendship, growing up, responsibility, revenge, forgiveness, religion, morality, and good vs. evil. While much of this is suitable for those under 13, I feel that children younger than that might not fully grasp the situations.
Violence/Gore: Although there are a number of battles throughout the series, most are waged using zaiphon, the “magic” of 07 Ghost's world and few end in major injury. Blood is an uncommon, but not altogether absent, sight. Death and torture do occur on occasion, but they are primary plot points and are not gory or explicitly violent.
Sexuality/Nudity: 07 Ghost contains no nudity and, aside from the occasional reference to the pornographic magazines some of the characters own, there is little to no sexuality encountered at all. Some have termed this series yaoi, but any sexual attraction between any of the characters, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is left to be inferred by the audience. One of the primary themes of the series is friendship and many cultures—including Western culture of the recent past—have allowed for an emotional and physical closeness between male friends that much of modern society reserves only for a romantic or sexual relationship, so while some might interpret the series as romantic, it is meant to be so only in the capital-R sense of the term.
Final words
+: a compelling storyline balancing drama with lightheartedness, set in a unique world, focused on interesting, three-dimensional characters, and accompanied by visual and auditory splendor
-: occasional lapses into slow, somewhat unnecessary and occasionally redundant narrative, focusing more on emotional impression than story development
Recommended to: anyone 13 or over, with the caveat that the emotional focus and Romantic style bordering on melodrama won't be everyone's cup of tea
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