I have. The animation and opening / ending themes were gorgeous. Music was also very high quality. Unfortunately, it was marred by a useless protagonist and I didn't like how the plot went after Five was introduced. I stopped watching at episode eight or nine.

 

Great anime. For me one of the best things was the music. So beautiful and each tune fit perfectly in its scene.

 

A Yoko Kanno soundtrack in an anime directed by Watanabe Shinichiro. You know you're going to get something that has a very different atmosphere and tone to most anime. I made the comparison in the other thread, but it feels like some of the arthousey anime movies that exist and feels quite different to most anime series.

Anyway, it was really well done. The concept isn't one that is easy to pull off well, and I think ZnT did a fantastic job at executing it.

At the same time though, while it is a really high quality anime, it's nothing that will leave a lasting impact for me. Like a lot of things that aim to be a bit different, you marvel at the high standard of execution while also not getting as much enjoyment as you might get over some shitty B-grade anime.

Still, 4/5. Definitely quality stuff.

 

I watched it. I think it had a decent start, but took a sharp nose dive in the middle. The best part was definitely the ending though.

I remember being impressed by the soundtrack, but a few weeks later, I can hardly remember it. Strong points were originality and the 2 main characters. Weak points were five, shitty attempts at speaking english, and an annoyingly incompetent law enforcement.

Rated 6/10.

 

Kids on the Slope and Zankyou were both perfectly executed works of high style and artistry, but looking back, really not all that memorable or groundbreaking. I wish the Watanabe/Kanno team would return to making cool genre-hybrid shows.

P.S. Watanabe already announced he's planning a new original anime. Here's hoping for some steampunk flavor.

 

That'd be awesome. The issue with both ZnT and even Kids on the Slope is as artistic as they are, their concept limits them from being something you really get into. Feel more like something you'd read in high school literature class.

They need to take a more conventional concept and do their own unique take on it (like Bebop for instance).

 

Not my Top3, but they are definitely somewhere in my Top10. I would argue that what anime lack is an epilogue from manga, but some people prefer it that way.

As for ZnT, while I got nothing against Five, she could be used a lot better. The rest was topnotch with an exception of the fate of the main characters.

Spoiler

While it was rather predictable from the beginning in this type of anime, the reason why US killed them felt forced. I would change it somehow.

 

I loved the anime itself, but strongly disliked Five. And I don't even mean her character with that... her English was just fucking jarring. I remember continously facepalming when I heard her and the 'Americans' around her talk.

 

I've heard much worse English in animé.

 

I too stopped when Five showed up... I'll probably finish it when I get the BD batch.