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Three very different (and conveniently color-coded) junior high
schoolgirls, Shidou Hikaru, Ryuuzaki Umi, and Hououji Fuu, meet by
chance during a school trip to Tokyo Tower. A bright light blinds them,
and before they know it, they have been transported to Cephiro, a land
of magic and monsters, where the power of will is the very foundation of
all existence. Thankfully, they already have talents which allow them
to survive in this new world, with the initial guidance of the
youthful-appearing Guru Clef, who sends them on a journey to become the
Magic Knights, to rescue the Princess Emeraude who summoned them in the
first place, but has been ostensibly kidnapped by the Dark Priest
Zagato, and, in the process, save the world of Cephiro. They are not
alone, either, for they are accompanied by the bouncy, rabbit-like,
uber-cute Mokona (named after CLAMP member Mokona Apapa), who seems to
always have they need (unless they are confronted by monsters, of
course). Throughout their various adventures, the three girls soon
become close friends, and really that by sticking together, they just
might have the power to save this world. But not all is as it seems in
the world of will.
Review
At first glance, Rayearth seems
to be a silly take on the RPG genre, from a shoujo-manga (girls-comic)
point of view. The main characters, while charming, are drawn from the
archetypes of the hundred or so girls comics before it. The genki
tomboy. The spoiled ojousama. The demure smart-girl-with-glasses. And
then the girl-with-glasses says, "Oh wow, this is just like an RPG!" And
the audience laughs, because she is cute (and SD), and this show has
suddenly become rather funny.
Rayearth, much like its characters,
its mascot, and the very world it portrays, is full of surprises, and a
good deal more inspiring and deep than it ever claims to be. It is a
series that unfolds lightly, but steadily drops you into more and more
interesting situations, while the characters develop nicely into some of
the most likable heroines in anime fantasy. I found myself consistently
rooting for the spunky Hikaru, the graceful Umi, and (my personal
favorite) the smart-or-is-she-just-silly Fuu as the episodes went on,
laughing with them and crying with them as they went through trials I
did not even imagine were ahead of them. Yeah, Rayearth has its silly SD
bits, but with villains and allies who change sides, fall in love, and
sometimes, die, this series takes its turn to the deadly serious. And
the ending will definitely hurt - and you may not expect it. The girls
certainly don't - but one of the neat things about this series is
watching the girls overcome their obstacles, learn from their mistakes,
and keep on going when all seems hopeless. It's as much a coming-of-age
story as a fantasy, which certainly adds points in my book.
But
then, we shouldn't expect any less from CLAMP. The manga form of
Rayearth was intended to be a lighter, more audience-friendly work from
the group that produced the angsty and brooding Tokyo Babylon and,
later, X. But even in its lightest material (Card Captor Sakura), CLAMP
has a tendency to present forbidden relationships, tangled romances, and
heartbreak, and Rayearth is no different. But it is done tastefully,
cleverly, and well, and the animated series is no different in that
respect. However, the character designs might be a bit jarring to those
used to seeing the styles of Clover, Card Captor Sakura, and Angelic
Layer.
The animation itself is about average for a TV series, if
maybe a little bit below average, but that doesn't detract at all from
the storytelling. THEM is certainly quite used to the low frame rates
and still-frames and pans that are used in most shoujo anime, but shoujo
anime generally don't run towards high action sequences anyway. (Also,
halfway through the series, Fuu ditches the bow and arrows, and her
specialty in archery, for a two-handed sword which she couldn't possibly
wield realistically, but whatever floats CLAMP's boat, I guess.) And
the action sequences, while simply done, are certainly emotionally
intense, which is what the creators were aiming for, rather than slick
or detailed (which the creators that was comparatively unimportant). Of
course, diehard action fans usually stay clear away from this sort of
stuff anyway, which is a shame, really. And the music is pretty good,
too, though I advise the viewer not to play the soundtrack's Mokona
image songs on endless loop, due to the risk of brain damage. "Pu! Pu!
Puuuuuuuu!!!!!"
Of course, I haven't yet mentioned the titular
Rayearth, which is one of the "Magic Gods" (literally Mashin) that the
Magic Knights eventually use to defend and save Cephiro. The Mashin are,
in fact, sentient giant robots, which presages (by about a year or so) a
similar fantasy-themed usage of the giant robot genre in Vision of
Escaflowne.
But the series is never really about the robots, who
meld with the backdrop for the real story, a rather good hero's journey,
with three winsome leads, a funny mascot, a good supporting cast, and
one heck of an ending. It's a good thing it doesn't stop there, either,
or otherwise I'd be screaming for more. But that's another review in the
making, for another time
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