Erementar Gerad

Characters/Development
I was surprised after watching this one as I expected it to be your average adventure anime with the same old story, characters that get forgotten and bad flow in story. I am glad I was wrong, this was a great viewing. The story is a rather simple one but flows very well throughout the anime having some interesting action and emotional moments. Fights aren’t too alike to each other and the emotional moments aren’t the same each time because they are sometimes sad, sometimes cute. The plot also has its interesting moments, with a few awkward ones too but theres nothing overall disappointing about ... it. The action in this one as I said aren’t too alike to each other throughout the anime as the enemies have different styles for battle and different terrains were they happen at. I did however get bored of Coud getting pushed around without getting hurt too badly at the start and towards the end. I like the emotion the most in this one, especially the way Ren gets upset and learns she starts to feel jealous later on. There are also some sweet romantic moments I don’t wish to spoil, but quite unexpected which is very good. Something I’ve Noticed, the way this anime is set out and the characters, it really reminds me of Outlaw Star. First, the girl is found in some sort of container in both of the animes and are both wanting to go to a certain place with the main character who promises to do so. Second, the characters are alike. You have Coud and Ren who are like Gene and Melfina. Then you have the beast girl character. You also have a good warrior in both and the annoying “kid” if you like in both of them. Thirdly, there are always people getting in the way, some people trying to kidnap the girl and some other adventures inbetween.

Animation/Scenery
Animation is rather good as well, but there were a few repeated scenes in a few spots. The Reacting scene did however got repeatative and boring half way through but at least the studio made those scenes end quicker than near the start. The art style also looks very soft with good tones of colour, with nothing too bright or dull. I did notice the art did get more sharp and better later in the anime too. Backgrounds were interesting but nothing fantastic except a few areas in the later episodes. Character designs are interesting, Ren is very cute with the way she looks with her purple hair and green eyes which is quite different than a lot of female characters and suits her very well. Coud is also rather decent looking for an adventure anime which doesn’t go over the top with hair design and clothes. The others are also interesting without being too far fetched, except the hair style of Wolx, but I rather liked it. Characters also never get forgotten as ealier characters return later in the anime.

Audio/Music
Music adds to the atmosphere and feeling of the anime, especially the music used to explain what happened in the previous episode. They sound like some old folk/country tunes and fit well with the style.

Conclusion
A very good adventure anime, without being too farfetched. Good action and great emotional scenes with an overall good flow for the story.

Ah yes an Action show that's actually worth it. You heard me right. While short indeed, this show doesn't fail to deliver it's action. From the Manga by Mayumi Azuma a splendid story emerges from the pages of the manga to an Anime series that has all the fun you need. A fantastic blend of Sci-Fi and fantasy, with the touches of romance on top.

This show needless to say stands out to me more than most action series. Unlike typical action series, namley naruto the female characters aren't easily faded into the background. While Ren can be the damsal in distress, there's no denying her ... own strength and abilities and there is certainly no denying her desires to protect Cou as he protects her. But probably Cou impresses me the most. At first appearance he seems to be your typical male character full of christma a bit cocky but you can clearly tell that he not only loves Ren and wants to protect her with all his might but he can be humble as well. Mostly it's because he can be humble respectful and take defeat that makes him a mature character almost unheard of in series like these. I think this probably only one I've seen, with a strong ensemble cast of males and females. He doesn't act macho all the time and doesn't have an enormous ego.

Animation wise well it's probably not THE most impressive in the world. Especially in the way it will suddenly go Chibi on you, or the fact background look like colored sketches. However the characters look splendid.

Ah music. Yuki Kajiura seldom disappoints me. Giving the mystical and bit of Irish-Celtic feel to the shows original score, while occasionally breaking out into her trademark style, of vocals and elaborate piano melodies. But I wish she would do her fanciful violin trademark some more! Music scores often suffer in action series but the original score for this show shines out as another bonus quality.

However the show is not with out it's flaws. Some beaten down clichés (Namley food food food!) are quite used as well as gender confusion, for the one of the characters who looks a bit boyish but really is an adorable little girl. (In her words anyway) It can be funny yet amusing at the same time. Fortuantley the cliché doesn't always fall into the lap of the male character. (As is commonly done) Admist these clichés the series isn't beaten down with them. Hey what show doesn't have it's share of flaws? (Even my most favorite have a fair share)

My final thoughts it's pretty unusual that I review and Anime before I even finish it. But this I just felt strongly that I should.

Elemental Gelade (also known as Erementar Gerad) is an anime about Coud Van Guiret and his journey from being a simple apprentice sky pirate one who is responsible for the outcome of the entire world. In this world, Edel Raids are special people that react to humans to give humans tremendous powers for fighting and other means. Of course, there are people who want to use these Edel Raids for an evil purpose, and then there are those who want to unlock the deeper, more mysterious power, of these Edel Raids.

Without going too much into the story, you can already imagine, or simply ... take a guess from what it could be from the background information I presented. The plot is by-and-large fairly predictable and offers very few plot twists. And even those few plot twists can be seen coming for a few episodes. However, the over-used story of a pre-teenager kid saving the world using special powers always has some kind of mysterious charm, and that is what prevents the plot from being unwatchable. It\'s a fairly decent story.

The art is drawn well. The main characters all have some kind of uniqueness to them by their appearance. However, the non-main characters all pretty much are drawn with the least amount of detail to make them different.

The soundtrack is done by Yuki Kaijura, so you know that the score is going to be at the very least, exceptional, and that is no different with Elemental Gelade. There are many tracks in which you\'ll want to download for your private collection or find yourself humming along with the show.

The characters themselves are also somewhat predictable. After watching Coud for the first 5 minutes, you\'ll get a feel of what kind of person he is and after those first 5 minutes, you won\'t see anything different. The only character I found to be pretty much unpredictable was Cisqua, and that\'s because half the time you\'ll probably be laughing at her antics, too busy to predict what she\'s going to do. She is a very enjoyable character and makes the series much more enjoyable to watch.

In the end, if you\'re looking for something unique, different, thought-provoking, or something of the sort, the plot and characters to Elemental Gelade will provide you with none of that. However, with the formula that the series has stuck with, it is still generally enjoyable and will have you rooting for Coud and Reverie (Ren). Also, watching the romance blossom between them is also something that is interesting too.