12:27 a.m. - Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014
Le Chevalier D'Eon Review (9/10)
*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
*THE FOLLOWING ANIME IS FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE, AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Hello animejournal lovers! It has been a while, but yes, I am back to watching my loooonnnggg list of animes. I finally finished one of the horror animes I've been dying to watch for a long time now: Le Chevalier D'Eon.
I don't remember the last time I watched a horror and shared my review with you guys...
What can I say...WOW. I can only say that this anime was very interesting. I really want more animes like this. I wanted more from this anime, but I'm fine with what I have. It's a bitter-sweet feeling.
I've watched a lot of horror animes, but I must begin by saying that very few were as engaging as this one.
The 24-episode story began with the body of a woman named Lia floating in a casket with the word Psalms on the top in the Seine river. Her body was discovered by her brother, D'Eon, who was a part of the Secret Police in Versailles, France and was a Knight. The story follows D'Eon, and somewhat his sister, as he uncovers the truth behind his sister's death. The story takes place initially in 1742 Versailles, at the brink of the French Revolution, and at a time when independence was the main focus of many European nations. Many people consider it the era "Independence Was Born" because monarchies crumbled during this period.
In this story, as D'Eon goes throughout the story, he discovers that his sister's spirit is resting within him. Through his sister's spirit, he is able to fight the "poets", a group of revolutionaries who use the power of Psalms to get rid of the monarchies in their lands.
Surprisingly, the story progresses from Versailles to Russia and England, focusing on the decaying monarchies in those lands as well, and shedding light on the more independent "New World" (Democracy, New World Order, a bit of both). There is an Illuminati group called the "Revolutionary Brethren" that drives the story at first, but everyone present seemed to have their own agenda. Many oppose each other, and have different goals, even if the outcomes turn out the same...
There were many different scores that I would like to point out with this anime. This is not only a horror, but a mystery. One of the things I appreciated most about this story is that things happened unexpectedly all the time. Often, it didn't give you time to prepare. There were quite a few plot twists that were surprising enough not to seem forced. This was one of the reasons this story was so engaging. It caught you in its intriguing web of lies and deceit, and you just couldn't help wanting to know what happened next.
Throughout this story, the line between good and evil was VERY thin. Who is right, who is wrong? It's all left up to the viewers' interpretation of right and wrong. There are no true villains in this tale, only many different viewpoints. That's just how deep this story is.
But isn't that how history truly works?
As a history major, I truly appreciate animes like this. I can't disguise my pleasure.
The story focuses on the power of words, and through a particular "book of psalms", the truth and history of the royal families of Europe are revealed. It seems the book of "Psalms" holds incredible power, and only those who are of royalty can open it and read it. There is a lot of fighting of both parties to both protect these "Psalms" and obtain them.
Revolution, Political Hypocrisy, National upheaval, religious warfare, religious hypocrisy, and the true meaning of "honor" and "loyalty" all are main themes in this story. It is a story that questions the system from all angles, but proves to be no different from that system.
All of the characters are loosely based on REAL historical figures. They carry the same name and status. But remember the term "loose". They are developed characters with wills of their own, and re-tell the story of the French Revolution through a more spiritual and supernatural lens. The historical figure that D'Eon is inspired from is particularly interesting. This man spent his first 49 years as a man, and his last 33 years as a woman. He was a French diplomat and a spy. The character D'Eon carries the same traits. He dresses androgynous often, as he merges with his sister to "take her vengeance" on those who were involved in her murder. He becomes so interlinked with her, that they become one, and many times he doesn't know whether he's himself or his sister. Often times, he looks so much like his sister, when he dresses like her, no one can tell the difference! D'Eon is by far animation's most rare and unique male protagonist. As an androgynous man, he loves women, but embraces his feminine side. He never shows shame, though I'm sure this character is bound to be shamed by others in even today's modern world. D'Eon is the future of male heroes, and speaks to others in a different way. He is an original and innovative character, one that many will have to challenge themselves to imitate. There are many, many characters in this story, all of them interesting, and they all play a role in the development of the story. Even the characters you may initially think are useless eventually play a role.
My only hang-up with this anime is the introductions of each character. They often appeared rapidly and randomly, with quick introductions and no clear enough reasons as to why they were "involved". They came so suddenly, I barely got to know their purpose, and I ended up confusing them for other characters. It was especially hard to keep up with all of the French names, almost as if we were expected to know these people. D'Eon knew every character well, even before the start of the series, and I suppose they wanted to emphasize that, but it still left me disconnected from the characters. I held no emotional bond to anyone.
On another note, we have to remember that this is a horror, and possibly that disconnection is what made this horror watchable. I couldn't really cry as hard with characters I barely "knew". What really made me appreciate this horror was the "addition" of horror. It wasn't stuck in there just to be there. There weren't guts spilled for just any random reason, like I've seen with others. There were no sexual connotations like I've seen in other adult animes. No one was objectified. The story stuck to the point, and every character, man or woman, served a greater purpose. It carried a hint of realism, and never gave a glitz atmosphere, though ironically, King Louis's Versailles was considered one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. This story added a dash of melancholy and a sober feeling surrounding this palace, almost as if all of the phony glamour was hiding a dark, cold, back-stabbing, and sinister feeling behind a facade of love and beauty.
The Opening song was personally written and composed by Michiru Oshima. ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA: Composer Michiru Oshima stated that this is "the first time in years" that she was given the chance to compose pieces that were "very classical". She stated that while she was composing the music for the series, she was "consciously trying to add depth that's typical of European classical music", and that she believed that orchestral pieces suited the series well because the characters "are all serious and weighty."The song "BORN", composed and performed by Miwako Okuda, is used as the series' opening theme for all twenty-four episodes.
The Ending song was by Aya. ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA: The series' ending theme ("OVER NIGHT" by Aya), which is also used for all twenty-four episodes, was specially composed for the project. Aya stated that she drew inspiration from the first illustration she was shown, which was of "D'Eon, splattered with the blood of his victim, [walking] in the burning city of Paris holding Lia's hands."
So the music carries depth and meaning. Though the Japanese lyrics seem out of place in an anime focused on France, the heart, the message, and the sound are attached to this anime. They are memorable works of art. I applaud the music artists.
I have to hand it to I.G. Productions once again. It's another one of their great productions. They are responsible for "Ghost in the Shell" and this new anime I want to watch "Psycho-Pass" that has received excellent reviews. "Ghost Hound" was another one of their works. You can see that review in "older entries".
But the true geniuses are writer Tow Ubukata and artist Kiriko Yumeji.
From Wikipedia, we learn a lot about the writer and where he draws inspiration:
"The series' themes center around 18th century France, which Ubukata believes to have resulted in a new set of cultural traditions as well as several tragedies. According to him, "the problems stemmed from the fact that no one knew exactly which ideas would lead to greater happiness. In a word, they were forced to live under the burden of contradiction." This is what made Chevalier D'Eon "fitting figure to cast as protagonist" because he embodied all of the contradictions of that time period, which Ubukata lists as "Wealth and poverty, faith and heresy, diplomacy and conspiracy, king and commoner, even the devastation of war and the flowering of culture." Ubukata also used this theme in conceptualizing the use of psalms as "dark magic". He said that he "hoped that the irony of using the abstract idea of 'prayers to God' to describe evil would be seen as equally tragic by people of many different faiths and religions."
The animation style carried a sense of realism. I appreciated this look, as it highlighted everything in a way that was both appealing and realistic. The settings were designed in ways the audience could relate to. Many of us may find ourselves in front of many of the historical monuments depicted in the story, and we all may remember the price of revolution told in the story. The real "look" helps us believe that this is real, and not some fiction or fairytale. I suppose that's the most chilling part of all.
So, overall I give this anime a 9/10. It was an engaging story that kept my interest throughout. The plot twists truly surprised me. The message was thought-provoking, but the story never forced an agenda. The animation style was realistic and put the viewer in the story. The music was deep and meaningful. It attached itself to the anime. The characters were interesting, but perhaps introduced too quickly, to the point the viewers' relation to them was cut off. Otherwise, I recommend this anime to anyone who loves horror and a good mystery. I also recommend this anime to history lovers. You won't be disappointed.
~Over and Out~
