Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)

Eden of the East caught my interest after I saw a promotional trailer. The art looked good, it looked a little dramatic and had some intrigue. Two episodes later, I am impressed by a lot of different facets so far. The dialogue is natural. The setting feels "modern" (mobile phones are utilized and a key device in the series). The artwork is nice and even the backgrounds catch my eye. Although, the CG waslking people can take some getting used to. The pacing is comfortable and kicks up at all the right times without tiring me out.

Forget all that vague stuff, the real story is all about a young lady on a school trip and a young man that manages to steal all the attention with a few waves of a gun. Mid-rescue the two get tangled up in each others' business and stick together while the situation mysteriously escalates around them. On the run, trying to stay out of harm's way, and trying to recover his past are all it takes for these two to bring a good chemistry and a few light moments.

It doesn't get too mushy to detract from the main mystery, and it doesn't get too actiony to take away from the bond the two are forming.

Revealing clues to a forgotten past, while building a greater mystery adds to this series' appeal more than the extra characters that are shown sparingly.

The Opening theme is english, but catchy and set the mood for the anime, with the graphics and dramatic music. The ending theme is more artsy and drums up even more memories of Honey & Clover (The main characters look like Hagu and Morita to me). They've got paper and they know how to use it.

Additional Note: The term NEET is used in the anime. In Japan, the classification comprises people aged between 15 and 34 who are unemployed, unmarried, not enrolled in school or engaged in housework, and not seeking work or the technical training needed for work. (See NEET it on Wikipedia >>)

Recommendations:

• Gankutsuo >>...drama whose players have been collected and set, gruesome details of past crimes are revealed
  
• Ergo Proxy >>...more post apocalyptic, hope is lost, robots, darkness, hidden agendas and secrets everywhere
  
• Hachimitsu to Clover >>...similar devotion to artwork, more characters figuring out who they are and deciding where they are going in life
  

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See the description for Eden of the East on AnimeDB.net >>