Romeo x Juliet

"Never was there a tale of more woe, than that of Juliet and her Romeo."

This show is good. Very good in fact. It manages to take a common well known overused story and give characters depth, their world meaning and connect with you on a personal level. Yes, it is at its heart a story of forbidden love in the face of mass adversity. And yes Our star-crossed lovers are still very immature and naive. But there's more to them than unrequited love.

Don't be deceived, this is Juliet's show and Romeo's just in it, hell I'd argue that for the first half of the series he was the weakest part of the show. Sheltered and immature, annoyingly naive and so good-natured you wanted to slap him until he spends time with and then away from Juliet. It's there that the writers begin to forge Romeo from boy to man, without completely sacrificing the ideals that his character was built upon. That annoying sense of commitment to peace and finding the best way out for everyone.

Juliet's character, her whole arc was done in a way that you rarely see for female characters in any medium, especially anime. From her days as the red whirlwind to her coming of age as the leader of House Capulet, to her internal strife dealing with her feelings for Romeo. Juliet was fashioned in a way that her growth was centred on coming to terms with her reality and taking responsibility for it. The ensemble of characters placed around her continued to challenge her even when she was set on running from her fate did so in a way that convicted not just her, but those of us that watched. Juliet came out of this series as a complete character, matured, responsible and sober to the world without sacrificing her emotional connection to it and keeping hope that there is a better fate. Something that I see done in female protagonists far too much is that the only way for her to "grow" is for her to be so good at everything then get trampled until she feels nothing, finally overcoming her greatest weakness, being a functional human being. Writers need to realize that a woman can be strong and STILL HAVE FEELINGS.

Gonzo's Romeo x Juliet takes the Shakespearean play I dislike the most and gives it something it was desperately missing. Intelligence. Calm down I'm not saying this is some Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass philosophical rollercoaster. What I am saying is that Gonzo took their creative license, and made the most of it. Specifically in my favourite aspects of the show. Characters and Worldbuilding. The world of Neo-Verona is clearly defined and simple allowing for the plot to move naturally at its own pace. And most importantly be utilized by the story to grow and shape our protagonists. Although, yes it does get fall into some weird supernatural stuff that we all see coming at the end (but come on we know how this ends). It doesn't just slap us over the head but rather lets it build and marinate until it's ripe for picking. And the Characters, goodness me even the idiots are lovable. But I could probably go on for ages about that. They're well written, whether they're there for all 24 episodes or 12 minutes. They never try to make someone more important than they seem or force them onto us. Hell, they redeemed TYBALD of all people.

At its core, this is a love story but not in the way you might think. This is a story ABOUT love and all its forms. Friendship, family, romance and objective love. It asks the question what are we willing to do for love? And how does that affect the people dearest to us? Whether it is love for another person, a nation or power the actions we take to obtain these things do have consequences. In the case of our Hormonal Hero and Heroine, it's how their love for each other impact their responsibilities. For Romeo, as the Heir apparent to his father's Tyrannical rule and Juliet as the final survivor of her family and liberator of her city. Their situation poses a problem for everyone since it stands in the way of pretty much everyone else getting what they want. The Capulet retainers want the end of Montague so they can restore the county they love, and Montague (although he believes he rejects love) wants to satisfy his lust for power, and unrequited love he may never reach.

Romeo x Juliet asks one final question above all, can love bind together a world that seems bent on tearing itself apart? And ooo boy that's kinda where they fumbled the ball. But again different conversation.

The animation was of the quality you expect 2007 Gonzo to be, which is honestly, pretty good for the time it was made.

Finally the soundtrack... THAT soundtrack. Put it this way, if you're ballsy enough to use a rendition of You Raise me Up as your OP for the entire series, you better deliver. And in my honest opinion, deliver they did. Carrying the intensity, anxiety, calm and joy of each scene. It made the experience whole and I commend them for it.

All in all Romeo x Juliet is a masterful use of taking one of the world's most familiar stories and making something new with it. Not losing any of what attracts people to it, but rather opening it up to a new audience. From gorgeous sword fights, emotionally powerful scenes, the authentic vomit-inducing corniness of teenage lovers and a set of characters you cheer and fear for Romeo x Juliet is a series that I fully recommend. Sit down, relax and watch an epic love story unfold. It will be unlike everything you think you knew about it. Trust me, this is an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. I miss it already. The story of two lovers fighting for the people and places they love the most. In life and in death. A love that could never be, grows and withers for our very eyes to see.

Later Days.

Africanime