Steampunk! Almost anything with a steampunk aesthetic is awesome. Throw in some dystopian society and militarism and you’ve got a great recipe for an anime.
There are quite a few series that take the route of a post-apocalyptic future, but none do it quite as well as Now and Then, Here and There (Ima, Soko ni iru Boku). Its mix of the horrors of war, child indoctrination, and futility leaves the viewer in awe and robs the viewer of all hope by the conclusion. And this is exactly where this series’ genius lies. For my full impressions, read on.
Plot & Characters
Shuzu Matsutani is a normal high school student. He tends to be overzealous when it comes to anything, as demonstrated by his strategy of all-out attack in the opening Kendo club scene. This becomes a central theme to his character, and you can’t help but sympathize and even root for his optimism and never-give-up defiance. While walking home from school one day, Shu notices a strange looking girl sitting atop a smokestack. He tries climbing up that one, then ascends a second when he finds the ladder broken, and attempts to engage this strange, quiet, blue haired girl in conversation. As is par for the course for Shu, he tends to do most of the talking, all the while remaining upbeat and optimistic. The girl, after asked her name, mouths the name Lala Ru, causing him to remark that this is a strange name.
At the end of this scene, a number of mechanized dragons and mechs attack and try to apprehend Lala Ru. The viewer instantly knows that these machines and people are otherworldly because of the fantastic visual contrast between them and Shu’s world. Shu engages the pilots of the mechs in battle, and almost wins, even when armed with only a stick. He is then transported into another dimension, a desolate wasteland, and eventually captured.
Shu spends the majority of the anime searching for Lala Ru. Along the way he meets a facsinating (and depressing) cast of characters.
The maniacal and genocidal King Hamdo rules Shu’s new world of “Hellywood”, a giant mechanical land ship. Most, if not all, of the problems experienced by Hellywood’s inhabitants are a direct result of Hamdo’s psychosis. He spends the majority of the series interrogating Lala Ru or waging wars against enemies that may or may not be figments of his imagination. The children that Hamdo steals from villages all across the world are then conscripted into service into his military in exchange for the lives of their parents (or so the children are led to believe).
Abelia is King Hamdo’s right hand woman, and wholeheartedly (until the end at least) believes in his vision and that he is doing the best that he can for his people. She sees the madness in his eyes, but feels that everything is necessary in order to achieve the end goal for the people of Hellywood.
Nabuca and Boo are two soldiers within the Hellywood army. Nabuca holds an officer position and fights only because he feels that when the war is over, he can return home to his family. Nabuca is a very noble, albeit mislead, individual. He spends the majority of the anime questioning then reassuring himself that everything he is fighting for has a purpose, and that to reach his goal, he must kill.
Boo is a child of about seven and until the end of the anime, has never fired his weapon. He is naive and pure, as a child should be, and often idolizes those more mature than he. This sort of naivete is explored in great detail, along with the loss of innocence that gives this anime such impact.
Sara is an American girl who was kidnapped from Shu’s world. Her’s is perhaps the most tragic story arc of them all. At first, Sara is mistaken for Lala Ru. She is perhaps the most innocent and out of place in the entire anime. The manner in which she loses her innocence is heartbreaking, and even disturbing. You’ll find yourself wondering what Sara did to deserve what happens to her, which reflects the thoughts of the character herself. This is the mark of fantastic storytelling.
In many parts of the world today, fresh water is a scarce commodity. Wars are raged over this essence of life, and in many landlocked countries, access to fresh water is something seldom experienced. The central plot point of this anime comes down to H2O. Water is rationed in Hellywood, with the soldiers receiving the most so that they can wage the perpetual war produced by Hamdo’s madness.
Lala Ru is not human. Her crystal blue eyes, cyan hair and overall divine personality distinguish her as something more, and something very important. It is revealed that Lala Ru can create water using a pendant around her neck (this is revealed in the beginning of the series, no spoilers!), and this tends to be the focus of King Hamdo’s obsession.
Why You Should Watch It
If you consider yourself a fan of anime or drama you absolutely need to give this series a watch. The utter depth of the characters over the series very short episode count is a marvel to behold and an accomplishment in storytelling. The way this anime gives you hope, only to dash it at the last second absolutely wrenches at your soul.
The atmosphere of this series serves as a parallel to the desperation in the characters lives, and only serves to enhance the feeling of hopelessness in the viewer. Everything is a massive, barren desert (that the audience is shown anyway). This is important because we tend to see the backdrops through the characters’ eyes, and our scope is limited to their scope. Everything from the desolate wasteland to the groaning, rusty metal machines that Hellywood uses to wage war only serves to enhance the characters and themes of the series.
The interactions between the very stoic, yet tragic Lala Ru and the absolutely insane King Hamdo are the highlight of this series. I cannot convey to you the absolute tension that this series demonstrates in conveying the deterioration of the King’s mind, while Lala Ru soldiers on, knowing that she is condemned.
Shu slowly matures because of this entire ordeal. This isn’t a case of a child learning life lessons and growing as a person, this is the case of a child forced to grow up too soon. This series makes Shu the focal point to demonstrate this loss of innocence of all the characters involved that I spoke of before and its impact cannot be understated. Throw into the mix what happens to Sara and Boo, and all hope momentarily fades.
As the characters realize that there is no escape, no respite, no lessening of the suffering, so do you. In much the same way that the characters were parched for thirst, this anime left me parched for hope. The bittersweet ending can only be described as the last drop of water in the desert, quenching my thirst of actually seeing something hopeful and good. The ending is satisfying, yet tragic, and works on multiple levels.
Fans of the Ender’s Game series and A Clockwork Orange will find much to love here, along with fans of dystopian novels, especially those by Orwell and Huxley. While the premise is completely different than these works, the overall themes tend to be the same. I would honestly rank this series up with the best that written fiction has to offer in terms of overall storytelling, character development, and atmosphere.
Please do yourself a huge favor and watch Now and Then, Here and There. It is truly one of the best works of fiction, and I sincerely hope that it’s not overlooked by those that cannot appreciate anime. You can catch it right now on DVD and Netflix.
As always, you can leave your comments below. You can also catch me @JamesMcCaulley on twitter or email me at jmccaulley@pixelatedgeek.com.
TL;DR: Srsly go watch it!