Anime: NieA Under 7

"Life's tough."
I believe that no other words can sum up this anime better than the statement above.
NieA_7 is simply a slice of life anime that seems like a slice of a slice of life anime. Short, devoid of any ambitions yet strangely soothing and entertaining, NieA_7 has no real strengths except for the fact that it's an anime that's hard to hate simply because of the feeling that it emanates like a divine aura about it and the lead character to whom it's fairly easy for anyone to relate at some level.

Animation
One thing that I can start off by saying is that no one’s face is going to peel off at the sight of this anime, not in a good way, not in a bad way.
Clean character models, kind of sterile I would call them, act in similarly clean backgrounds that can rarely be called stunning, if ever.
The fact that the anime has no real high aims is very well seen in the animation which I would simply call a bit over average since it doesn't catch the eye with anything.
When the over-the-top comedy kicks in and explosions flood the screen, it only looks out of place with the overall feel of the anime.
It was supposed to be quiet, and it was just as such. I could simply say that the animation does its job and nothing more.

Sound
And the lack of perspective stretches even into the sound sector that's so horribly underused that it scares me. That and the fact that the opening song could peel the paint from the wall and your sanity off your brain make this into a piece of anime that is very easy to forget from the fact that the music was boring and ill-inspired.

Story
In all due honesty, I felt like crying while watching this. No, it's not dramatic or a tear-jerker...it's the fact that there was so much material for the anime to truly shine, yet all of it was not used, was scraped aside... for what? For nothing.
Nothing leads to anything in this anime. The character development goes nowhere, the background story goes nowhere, and the events that happen and which are COMPLETELY out of the blue...again, lead to nothing.

Perhaps the comedy is more worthy?
It's not. The extreme jokes like blowing up the roof or the alien-crazed fan-girl are hardly amusing or entertaining. It doesn't get to be redundant but it doesn't get to be really fun either. Ok, so there's the weird alien with an Arabic fetish. Fun the first time around, boring later. The obnoxious alien girl with the weird antenna? If she would've been developed, she would've been funny, but as she is, she's just annoying.

The attempts at drama are also met with very much unsatisfactory result as well. Again, it just doesn't work with the anime. That, and the fact that it simply seems hammered into the whole thing make it a complete waste of air time.

So there's nothing good in the anime?
Wrong!
What's good is the slice of life part of the series. The lead character, while not forced to act out some character comedy, is easy to relate to, the scenes of the life of a struggling student are touching to say the least. This makes the anime almost impossible to hate as it radiates this aura like a divine halo. Too bad that it had no real ambitions...it could've reached some much greater plateau.

Character
And there is some good in this thing after all. As everything else, even the characters dwell in their mediocrity with no desire of greatness. Sure, they're easy to identify with but in the end, the characters are not really something to remember.
I found that the best characters have been the lead (as I believe I've been repeating for a while now) and the little girl from the restaurant. Both of which had been fun, both of which had their great moments, both of which had been forced to undergo some weird comedic transformations at some points, just to serve the anime's purpose. I'd call that to be a bit manipulative, but let's not jump the fence here.
The other characters are grossly exaggerated into one attribute and are really nothing to write home about. The guy with the fire obsession, the Arab fellow, the old alien, the dreadlock wearing tall-guy...I couldn't even remember their names since they have been completely part of the scenery for most of the time.
This anime could have done much with what it had but chose not to...

Value
What can I say...I enjoyed the feeling of the anime but other than that I found too little to be appreciated in this short thing. It had its comedic moments, it had its dramatic ones, it didn't shine in either but it was pleasant to watch. At least that much I can say that it is redeemable.

Mayuko is in an inbetween time before going to college. Her life has no real direction, and yet because she is poor, she has many logistical worries on her mind. Somehow though, there is a positive spin on all of this. It's like a growing pain that you fondly reminisce on. Perhaps it's the sense of community, or home that you feel through Mayuko, but even if her life is the antithesis of glamour, there's still something comforting and attractive about it.

Niea is a slow paced slice of life comedy that doesn't involve romance or any serious conflicts for that matter. It's simply an illustration of a girl's life. Even so, Mayuko provides more than enough emotional value to the anime.

Niea_7 is very main character focused. None of the side characters get nearly the same amount of attention as Mayuko. Niea_7 works to make mayuko a very relatable character, and it did a good job of it. Her confusion about how to spend the rest of her life, and her attachment to childhood memories can easily be picked up by anyone. Unlike most anime characters, Mayuko doesn't have any extreme quirks, but she is anything but boring. Most anime characters seem to be built on a 1 dimensional personality, something like ever lasting cheeryness, saint like compassion, or a lolita fetish girlyness, with 1 layer below that develops, such as an unhealthy homelife, or a tragic past. Mayuko feels like a whole person from the start. While we do gradually learn a little more about her life, she doesn't need any "hidden depth" gimmick, nor does she need a single, character defining quirk. Mayuko is a paradox relative to her peers in other Anime. She's neither quiet nor anti-social, but at the same time, she's extremely awkward with unfamiliar people. She enjoys spending time with others in the environments she's used to, but becomes something of a recluse when invited to unfamiliar events. Her personality is plain, but in the most complimentary way possible.

The adjective "realistic" is tossed around a lot when talking about characters. I often hear praise for Honey and Clover that goes something like, "the characters feel real, as if you've known them your whole life." I think a lot of people are confusing relatability with realism, because anyway you slice it, Honey and Clover characters, along with nearly every other character in anime is an exaggerated personality. And perhaps that's for the best in most cases, but a character as complex and contradictorily human as Mayuko is something I've never seen in Anime, and it's quite refreshing.

I wouldn't title the rest of the cast as cliche, but they are simple, and quirky characters, some of whom are entertaining, and others who are lame, and drag the rest of the cast down.

The story in Niea is primarily episodic involving (usually) some economic tribulation with Mayuko's residence: a bath house. There are a few story lines that take several episodes to develop, and a general, overarching story line about the well being of her bath house. Some episodes feel very much like typical, slice of life vignettes, setting up a clear conflict in the beginning, and a clear solution (considering this is a comedy, the solution is perhaps better termed as "punch line) in the end of the episode. A few feel more like character studies on Mayuko and her relationship with another member of the cast. These episodes are slower, and often don't follow the simple conflict-resolution structure, which for many viewers may mean boredom, perhaps some foot tapping. For those that do take the time to explore Mayuko's emotions in these episodes, it is in these episodes that you will find her complexity.

The music in Niea_7 is usually an assortment of all kinds of string instruments, from blue grass banjos to pi pa solos. It's very relaxing, and a little lethargic, depressing even, much like the feeling of the whole series.

Niea_7 has grabbed me more than any other anime. I guess i have a soft spot for this concept. I often find myself in the main character's shoes, clueless about the future, but inexplicably attached to the present or the past. You may consider this review biased if you connect more to the "go for your dreams" type character. I just love how niea sheds the burdens of romance and major character conflicts. Instead of trying for drama (drama in the "no more drama in my life" sense), it embodies what a slice of life series should really be.

First of all, let me say that I am aware that my opinions on this show are going to be in the minority, but I do feel that there needs to be fair warning that not everyone is going to love this anime.

That being said, let me get right into it.

Animation: This was actually quite good. Both the character designs and the backgrounds are well executed, and the show periodically changes style to briefly make a point or express a mood in some very unique ways. Overall, the show has a distinctive look that both fits in with main stream anime and periodically surpasses it.

Sound: I’ll break this up into to parts, soundtrack and voice acting. The soundtrack to me wasn’t all that memorable. In a way that’s good because it means it fit in with the rest of the production, but it didn’t stand out at all. The voice acting on the other hand was above par. In spite of whether I like a character or not, for the most part the actors pulled off some very appropriate and convincing performances. Chigasaki Mayuko in particular is very well done, and the actor who plays the bathhouse handyman has some moments to himself that really shine.

Story: So far so good, but for me this is actually where the show starts to unravel. There are really two shows going on here: One is about a very poor cram student struggling to survive a series of disasters that seem to keep coming her way, while all the while growing into a better and more outgoing person. She makes new friends, bonds with the old ones and shows a real streak of kindness that is quite multidimensional. The segments that star Mayuko stand on there own very well and do an excellent job of making you care about the characters. If this were the whole story, I would give it about an 8.
The other half of this story is, in a almost unrelated way, about a group of aliens that are trying to fit into earth society in their own ways. Some are funny, some are maniacal and some are annoying. This half of the show seems almost to have been written by another, less talented author than the first. It is a mix of highs and lows that al together rate about a 4 or 5.

Characters: Again, there are essentially two casts that for much of the series intermingle for about 5 minutes an episode. The Mayuko cast is great. They do tend to be a little stereotypical in general but each character has one or two traits that are quite unique and make them memorable. The interactions between characters are well developed and they grow in interesting ways during the episodes and through the series.
The Niea cast on the other hand is a mixed bag. Some of the characters are really fun to watch, some are just un interesting and others are highly annoying. Right here is the shows biggest flaw. The title character, Niea, is without a doubt one of the most irritating and unredeeming characters I have ever witnessed in an anime or almost anywhere else. There is nothing to like about here at all. Maybe I just don’t get it, because a lot of comedies seem to like sticking in annoying, whining younger sister types as supporting characters. But please, for the love of humanity don’t make them the stars of the show. And if you much make a whining, irritating child the star, give us SOMETHING to like about her. Not only is there nothing to like, but the show seems to go out of its way to make her as aggravating as possible. About the only thing positive that can be said about Niea is that she makes you feel real pity and empathy for the rest of the cast who are clearly suffering along with the viewers every time she appears on screen.
The case of characters, despite how good some of them are, the bad dwarfs the good.

Value: This is a mixed bag. Every 25 minute episode has about 15 minutes of goodness, and about 10 minute of crap. I would say it’s definitely worth checking out the first few episodes and see if you can stand it enough to enjoy the good parts for what they are. For me, I deleted this thing of my hard drive as soon as I was done watching it and was thankful that I hadn’t actually paid for the experience.

Enjoyment: Like I said, there are some things to really like in this series, but at the end of the day I just couldn’t enjoy them because of the pain that Niea’s presence on screen brought. Such a uniquely unlikable character is rare, especially in a title role, so there is some satisfaction it being able to say “wow, that sucked on a unique level”. Last point is I am glad this is not the first anime by Yoshitoshi Abe I have seen, otherwise I would have missed out of some other fine work. Serial Experiments Lain and Haibane Renmei are far superior to Niea Under 7, so just because you liked his other stuff, don’t expect to like this regrettable work.

NieA Under 7... If you've seen just the box covers, you probably have the right impression -- it's a wierd little show does its own thing, and it's mostly successful. The main characters are Mayuko, a poor cram school student, and NieA, an alien girl who lives in Mayu's closet and freeloads off of her. They live in an apartment above a bath house Mayuko's family used to own but sold after her father died. The "under 7" bit has something to do with the aliens' class or status system; its meaning is intentionally left unexplained until the end of the show. The aliens crash landed on earth a few years back, but being as they were peaceful, they soon integrated into society and everything quickly went back to normal.

Character designs are by Yoshitoshi ABe, of Lain and Haibane fame. I think they're fantastic, but I'm sort of an ABe fanboy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Mayuko is very plain-looking, but her appearance still shows a lot of personality. She's a very emotionally diverse character, displaying a very full range of feelings throughout the show, with the possible exception of genkiness; she is at different times tired, beat down, cheerful, strong, indecisive, pensive, furious, or inquisitive. NieA. Well, what to say about NieA? For the first 6 episodes or so, she is the biggest problem with the show -- I would say she is one of the most irritating major characters I've ever seen, period. I like the way she's drawn, but her appearance is very loud and coupled with her often-screaming voice it only makes her more aggrivating. Much later on, she gets her own story and actually becomes a half-decent character, but for the most part she's an everpresent nuisance.

The supporting characters are great, with exception of the other aliens, who are just aggrivating as NieA. I'm particularly fond of Chiaki, Mayuko's school friend -- she's the one with the glasses in both of the above pictures. She provides an excellent foil both in personality and appearance for Mayuko. Her outfit is trendy, she's upbeat and outgoing -- everything Mayu's not Razz. Mayu's childhood friend Genzo is also fun to watch; he's very large, quiet, and gruff-looking, but he has an obvious crush on Mayu and struggles to hide his awkwardness around her. Kotomi, the lady who owns the bath house, is a really good character, and something of an anime rarity -- you don't often see a 40-something woman given this much spark and personality.

The animation was decent, but there are many low budget moments, i.e. still shots, times when the characters are drawn kinda sketchy, etc. I didn't really mind this; NieA is the sort of quirky show that really should be low budget.

If you have a taste for slow and winding in a good way type plots, you'll really enjoy the story. Mayuko's experiences are very real and tangible. There are some pretty long stretches where almost nothing happens -- sometimes the show will spend like a minute just showing Mayu sitting on the bus, or panning around the town while you hear crickets chirping. It's a very reflective sort of story. This isn't a bad thing -- the slower moments of the show are intentional, and fit very well, and it's never as agonizingly draggy as something like Night on the Galactic Railroad. Also, the pacing of the individual episodes is excellent. Each one feels nicely individual and finished on its own, but still leaves you wanting to know what happens in the next one. The story's overall resolution leaves a bit to be desired, though -- it has an "and life goes on as usual" kind of ending. Little to nothing seems to change as a result of the events in the story -- the two potential romantic subplots are left almost completely undeveloped, and we're left with only some vague ideas about Mayuko's plans for the future. It's almost like they took the slice-of-life bit a little too far and used it as an excuse to cop out, as so much anime seems to, on the ending. The resolution isn't a complete disaster though; it does fit well with the story, and while some plot elements are left hanging, the philosophical ideas of the show feel nicely completed.

The biggest problem with the show is the slapstick humor. It sucks. It's loud, obnoxious, and not funny. Maybe Japanese folks get a kick out of this kind of thing, but I didn't, and I don't think I know anyone who would. I'm not an anime comedy hata' either -- I laugh till I hurt at silly stuff like Azumanga Daioh or Nadesico. This is not to say that the show is entirely un-funny; some of the more reasonable jokes in it are very good -- I laughed out loud several times. It just degenerates into pure idiocy on a too-regular basis. The aliens' group meetings are a nightmare to watch.

Which brings me to the final point -- the dub is actually better than the subtitled version. I am like the biggest sub nazi alive; I HATE dubs. But the english voice acting on this is pretty good, and NieA in particular is a thousand times less annoying. I think it may just be a matter of intelligent localization; really low-brow humor can be a bit culturally specific. Funny-stupid for one group of people is just stupid-stupid for another.

Edit: I forgot to talk about the music! It's good, wierd, and fits the show perfectly. The opening theme and ending theme have really stuck with me -- the former is sung by some guy who sounds like he's 80 years old and hasn't had a glass of water in about as long. I had an "ick" reaction to it at first, but it really grew on me.

In short, if you enjoyed shows like Haibane Renmei or Someday's dreamers and can put up with the obnoxious humor, you'll enjoy NieA Under 7. Its quirkiness is at times charming and at others grating. It's definately not a show for all tastes, but it's not supposed to be. It's such a curiousity of a show I'm surprised so few people have checked it out. If you do decide to watch it, I hope you'll post your impressions; I'd really like to know what other people thought of it.

NieA under 7 caught me because of the fantastic animation. Even though the normal anime is not the best, there are scenes in it which are so beautiful that I can't vote anything else but a 10.

The story is weird though. Everytime when the story focuses on the girl, it feels like a good drama (with beautiful scenes!) and whenever NieA gets into the picture, it becomes a comedy - not even mentioning the weird animation when NieA gets involved with the 'Alien-meetings' :)

Overall, the story isn't much; it's all about the girl trying to do the best she can in order to buy herself (and NieA) some food. It's very nice to watch, and with the beautiful scenes it's fantastic - but if you want a very funny series, or one with a good story, then this one isn't for you.

The characters are great. The girl is actually a very nice, shy girl and she is a very nice character to see. NieA is the uncommon hyperactive kid which doesn't care about anything but her food. And the friend of the girl is very interested in NieA ... also a wonderful made character :)

Also, the ending seems not to be a real ending ... more like an open ending, able to make room for a 2nd season - although I doubt there will ever be one.