Anime: Full Moon o Sagashite

This anime was something special to watch, but I can't really say it was really good or really bad. Let's go over sections first.

Art & Animation: This is pretty much okay, I like some characters' design. However, it varies. Mitsuki, Fullmoon, Eichi, Ooshige, Wakaouji, Meroko and Madoka's designs are okay. But there are some characters that have something weird.. Tanaka-san always has fuzzy squinted eyes, and seems like a pure-comical character inserted out of place. It's hard to grasp her being as something real, something non-funny. And I really don't know why Takuto has that too short shirt, it looks too weird, showing his belly like a girl in a short summer top-shirt... That combined with his purple hair-lace was something unpleasant to see. His design should have been less girlish.

Sound: Ending songs always fitted right in the spot, while opening songs took some time to get used to. As for soundtrack, I must say there is music that is fantastic and very well depicted various emotions and events that took place in the anime, as well as some specific characters. However, the music connected to shinigamis, mostly Meroko, were usually clown-ish, may I say even ridiculous. Probably targeted at younger audience, but it sure presented some immaturity in this anime, sometimes character-wise, sometimes happening-wise.
As for voice acting, that was pretty much okay, except for Izumi being voiced by a woman..... that's something so unfitting. Well, at least it was in the beginning.

Story: I think the story is unique, and the existence of serious and tragic elements/events in this anime just contributes to the story. In the first 26 episodes or so, the story was decent or semi-decent, it contained some stupid material, as well as 2-3 purely stupid episodes. Those episodes had no connection to the plot whatsoever, they had comic/clown-ish atmosphere, and felt stupid to watch by someone who is above 10 years of age.

The story got much serious in the 2nd half, due to better elements. And also, Meroko got a bit less annoying. The last 4th of this anime was the best, it showed Mitsuki's break-down, and restoration, and again, an ending which was full of emotions and twists. I would DEFINITELY get rid of all those overly childish episodes and scenes, and remake some characters, as follows.

Characters: I will have to point out some individual characters before wrapping it altogether.

Mitsuki/Fullmoon: No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't find a single flaw in her. She is a fun, enjoyable character whom we can sympathize with. She has a kind heart, and is doing her best to overcome difficulties thrown before her. Just like Maron (the main character in other Tanemura Arina's manga/anime, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne), Mitsuki is a character I admire and share compassion with. Both of them are characters that inspired me, and never disappointed me or annoyed me.

Meroko: Most of the time, the SOURCE of all annoyingness, retarderdness and immaturity. Most of the anime she was partially a brat, or at least acting like one. She is a looney-toone over-comic character that makes viewers (at least me) wanna get rid of her and her annoyance. However, she >does< have good qualities, which often get outshaded by her idiotic behaviour. In the 3/4 and 4/4 of the anime episodes, she wasn't so annoying, since she had to conform to the much serious tone of the anime. She even matured a bit, and especially towards the end she became an almost-mature, role-model character. However as I said, Meroko is THE annoying pest of this anime most of the time.

Mitsuki's grandmother: Her character was really poorly developed, only towards the end she got attributes she should have always had. In the great portion of anime, she was repetitive and had weak emotions. When she scolded Mitsuki and forbade her something, she should have had more emotions to come with, she should have been a bit cruel, so it would resonate well with the last 15 or so episodes of this anime. Her character should have been built in a proper way from the start. Usually she would barely scold Mitsuki and say "return to your room, that's all". And she'd always sit in her room, at her desk. She was monotone, and lacked good emotions. And it wouldn't hurt if her thoughts were shown as well, that would have made her more alive and significant. Most of the anime she was barely significant, because she was pushed aside as a grandmother who barely had any significance beyond hating music. In the last 15 episodes or so she FINALLY awakens as a character, at least in some portion, and she realizes Mitsuki's feelings, she realizes what mistakes she did, but since she was never cruel or significant up to those last episodes, her redemption had weak influence to the anime. A contrast like cruelty->redemption would have been much better. This should-have-been-significant character was poorly done.

===So, next to annoying Meroko and emotionless grandma, Takuto's attitude was also annoying from time to time. Also, several side characters could have been more significant to this anime, like Mitsuki's schoolmates, and the people she met during the episodes, but they had smaller roles (although Mitsuki's schoolmates were luckily more involved later). I also think Mitsuki's parents should have been portrayed pretty much more, so we could find out more about them.

Value: This is definitely a good anime, I am glad I watched it. It is unique in a way, and has some characters like Mitsuki that make this anime worth watching. The last episodes are the most profound ones, they save the anime. And another point, this is a Tanemura Arina's piece of work, so it's definitely worth watching. It teaches us many things important in life, and about building one's character in tough situations.

Enjoyment: This is a tough one. There was so much ridicule in this anime, probably because it was aimed at little children. In my eyes, that's a waste, since this anime has a semi-mature or mature tone, which I respect. But this tone should have been obeyed much closer, because immaturity of some episodes, events and characters deteriorated the enjoyment a lot. I had to force myself to keep watching this anime many times, because of the childish tone and clowning around (especially thanks to Meroko). And as for some specially pointless and annoying episodes like those 2 pointed above, I had to skip watching them after the eyecatch, they were way beyond stupidity. Well, Mitsuki's character, some other characters, soundtrack, Myco's wonderful songs and mature, serious plot in the latter episodes make this anime worth watching, definitely. Just be sure to endure the majority of episodes to reach the wonderful goal.

NOTE 1: There is another obvious indicator about the initial immature tone of this anime. There are some supernatural events that happen thanks to Shinigamis, but humans act as if they haven't seen/noticed it, even though there is NO way they couldn't have noticed it.

What I put in this spoiler shows how this show sometimes lacks credibility, and its goal is obviously to entertain little children who naturally wouldn't care about a deep plot and realistic events, but rather fun and laughing.

NOTE 2: I have watched another Tanemura Arina's piece of work 3 times, an anime called Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. It has 44 episodes, so the episode count is about the same as with this anime. However, KKJ (Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne) shows by far much more maturity, and it surely doesn't have any hyper-comedy aspects, or pointless episodes. There are almost no annoying characters in KKJ, but there is humor, there is comedy, and light-hearted aspect as well. Although, characters are much more consistent there, much richer than in FMoS (Full Moon o Sagashite). FmoS presented something beautiful while engulfing it with many doses of pointlessness and clowning around, together with some halfly done characters. KKJ doesn't have most of FMoS's negative aspects I mentioned, and is by far more consistent, mature, and more tense.
I recommend everyone to watch Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, because it's a masterpiece as well, although with KKJ you won't have to skip annoying episodes/events.

FMwS follows a young girl with throat cancer and her struggle to find a boy she knew while at her orphanage. She meets two Shinigami who eventually help her by changing her into a perfectly healthy sixteen-year-old and allowing her to sing as Full Moon.

I watched this show after a large number of female acquaintances recommended it. Being a guy, I didn't expect much from this childish sounding anime (especially after Fruits Basket) but it definitely surprised me, and then some. This anime is a lot deeper than it initially appears and the message it gives is a very positive and uplifting one. If you're willing to go through 52 episodes and like a bit of drama, this is for you.

Animation:
The animation is flawed at times and many aspects seem childish but I guess that is because the majority of the series surrounds a rather young girl. Nonetheless, I really like how Full Moon (the character) was drawn, and the special effects, when necessary, were done quite nicely. Only complaint would be the rather outrageous costumes of the Shinigami.

Sound:
Myco. You hear four or so of her songs throughout this series so some go as far as to say that this anime is just a big promo for Myco. I have no problems with this as Myco has a really nice voice and her songs are likewise very good- yes they play over and over but I didn't get too tired of it.

The OPs are done by a totally different group which I find a bit odd. Their songs are not bad but I prefer Myco's songs. As for the BGM, it is fairly good and can help create emotional moments. However, there are also certain songs that make the anime sound very very childish.

Finally the Seiyuus. I found that everyone did an excellent job in general but I did notice that Mitsuki's voice grew higher after the first few episodes (probably due to Myco getting used to using a high voice?).

Story:
The plot could have progressed slightly faster but the overall message and plot sequence did deliver so I'm still giving this a high rating.

The story also features very tight knit character relationships that change through the course of the anime. Overall, the message of the anime is a very special one that is truly a gem among anime.

Character:
Mitsuki develops greatly in this anime. She goes through many trials and has to face failure on multiple occasions. Her relationship with Eichi seems a little too strong (though aren't all first loves?) and her goal to "warm" everyone with her songs is idealistic. However, these can be dismissed since she still is only a child.

There is also a developing relationship with the two Shinigami as well that is done very slowly and gradually, thus making it seem realistic. The only thing that I didn't like at first was that Meroko acts like a child all the time.

Value:
For an anime supposedly targeted at a young audience, this series is pretty deep. It surpassed my expectations and was enchanting enough to stay in my collection, and I've re-watched all 52 eps to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Note that in the manga version Full Moon has a lot more difficulty becoming a star so give the director some credit for not making it 70-80 eps long.

ANIME EVOLUTION SERIES
Full list of the review series can be found on this page, 3rd post from bottom:
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?uid=251338&show=userpage&do=blog&blogid=29009&page=0

TEASER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQyr5rMipQE

Most people reading my reviews would think that I hate anime and that I review just to trash them no matter how good they may be. Which is not true as I occasionally make positive reviews too… like this one.

What is going here? Why is an adult brute like myself giving a good score to an anime that is aimed at little girls while burying a ton of more male-oriented works? I clearly said many times I prefer action and gore over cute girls and fuzzy animals. I also made it very clear how I hate studio DEEN. Am I following Tite Kubo’s legacy and I am trolling you or something? Am I obsessed with series about underaged girls? Or perhaps I see that this series from an objective point of view is damn good?

Ok, here is why. All those amongst you who have watched many anime (and by many, I mean more that 500 and not just the mainstream crap on tv) you will have noticed that most of them have great ideas and interesting premises that at first appear to be elaborating and interesting. Yet along the way they usually get ruined because of bad directing, pathetic plot twists, cheaper animation and loss of focus. So now imagine that this series happens to be doing the exact opposite. It begins with a ridiculously naive premise, yet along the way it builds around it to create a story that is actually very dark and deep at times. So unlike most series, it makes you begin watching it with low expectations yet along the way it manages to become a lot more than it appeared to be at first.

Then it’s the actual pacing of the story which is good from first to last episode as far as I am concerned. There are no actual fillers or useless episodes in this anime, and being 50 episodes long it’s a real feat. So it is laughable when other series with more episodes have far less effective duration and even claim that “The first 60 episodes are shit, but then it becomes great” (aka Hitman Reborn or Gintama or whatever).

Then it’s the actual story, which begins semi-childish and semi-dramatic, yet manages to change, evolve, mature its cast and still maintain that same cozy feeling to the end without becoming Bleach shit. How many anime do you know that can do that? Half of them don’t even have an overall plot yet still manage to lose the feeling, while most others who do have a plot usually mutate to Shiipuuden garbage. Another feat for it.

Then it’s the cast that although naive at first, along the way it becomes likable for other reasons than its cute looks. I can even say most of them are memorable without being original. Yet another feat.

If I am to be more analytical, the story is about a girl who has cancer and who wishes to become a singer than do an operation which will cost her voice but save her life. All of which are done just so she can show her love to the boy she likes that lives in America. I know it sounds far-fetched as heck and frankly speaking the manga version pulled it better with the “actual” reasons she wants to do it. But anyways, the premise, despite sounding silly, is grim and builds enough tension to keep watching. I mean, she only has 1 year of life, her voice is rather off, and she is still too young to be accepted as a pop model, so WTF? Here comes the “magic convenience” in the story, in the form of two cute death gods, who so happen to magically make her older and prettier, thus fulfilling her wish before she dies, which could result to her becoming a ghost if she doesn’t. Yes, it sounds silly, but just try to see between the lines. It’s a story about a dying girl who just wants to show her love. Isn’t that powerful enough? The magic part that makes the show appear like a Sailor Moon rip-off is not of actual importance. For the lead girl does not use it to beat demons and make people happy with it; she simply uses it as means to shine forth her true non-magic talent of singing.

Not only that, but the story is still grim enough as it involves the hardships of being a pop-idol, being treated bad because of jealousy, being controlled by her strict grandmother, being marked for the things her dead parents did. Heck, the death gods themselves don’t get away with it for cheating on the rules. When was the last time you saw the cute critter that gives the shoujo her magic wand being targeted for punishment by its own order?

What makes it even more awesome is how this show is animated by DEEN, by far the worst amongst all famous animation studios. Those asses never care about good stories and just throw in lolis with crappy visuals. In this case though they had an epiphany or something and managed to create something good for a change. So the anime is even more special for not only being made by this studio, but also for deconstructing a whole genre.

I could go on about various other details that make the story awesome but all that would count as spoilers so I will end here by saying “it is not a silly, passable, average, story that gets ruined along the way”. The actual story is of course simple and the progress in each episode is not much, yet the atmosphere is good enough to make you keep watching.

The actual cast is again not fully developed or exposed in the fullest and does end without proper catharsis for most. All I can say is that they still get ten times more exposure than most anime casts and that the manga version did a much better job at providing backdrop stories and fewer events. So on paper (lol) it is superior to the anime version.

The animation is nothing great yet manages to captivate you with its simplicity, being the cute characters or the whole pop idol fascination with clothes, promotion and song making. Voice acting is also good, with humorous high-pitched voices for most, yet still cruel for others who work as antagonists. The lead girl’s voice may be hard to accept at first, as she does sound weird with that cancer of hers. And while her songs are very good (performed by the same voice actor) the do lack in variety, repeat too often and may eventually tire you (two songs, twice heard per episode).

Now about the dying part, I have seen it before in other anime. There was also Mahoromatic and Saikano, which were about dying girls who just wanted to have a happy time until their demise. Both those shows ended in quite the WTF ways and felt very alien with the rest of the series. Once again, the ending of this anime is not unexpected, and it sure is not mindfucking weird. So again, Full Moon manages to excel even in its final impressions with a powerful and solid ending, another hard thing most anime seem to miss.

In conclusion, not all anime are bad at storytelling, even if they have a high amount of naivety in them. This anime is the living proof of it that most anime producers should take notes from instead of going for the brainless moeblob shit of the late 00’s.

That’s it from me; I did a positive review for a chance. Now excuse me as I return back to my usual self while looking angrily at all those mediocre anime I intend to criticize.

SUGGESTION LIST
The manga version
Princess Tutu

And now for some excused scorings.

How to begin about this show? I made one big mistake before watching it, really huge mistake, I read manga first. Manga Full Moon wo Sagashite is so great, one of best I ever read, story is pretty short (just 7 volumes), perfectly made with lot of unexpected things. Then I got stupid idea to watch anime too and I am bit angry how stupid it was compared to manga. And now some more details about this anime.

Plot

Young girl Kouyama Mitsuki likes singing and always wanted to be a singer. When her boyfriend Sakurai Eichi was leaving to America, they made a promise that both of them will be closer to they dreams, when they meet again. But everything in life is not so simple, soon doctors discovered tumor in her throat. To cure her a surgery is necessary, but she will mosty lose her voice and it's not a price she is willing to pay. When she is twelve years old, she is visited by two Shinigami (gods of dead in Japanese), Takuto and Meroko. They told her that she has only one year of life left. She convince them to help her fulfill her dream. Is she able to become a singer in just one year? Will she ever meet her loved one, Eichi-kun? Why is the singing for her so important?

This anime is pretty long, 52 episodes. And that is I think biggest problem at all. There are lot of fillers (especially whole first part), which are predictable and boring (whole episodes in School, meeting with fans and so on). First part is trying to be funny, but humor there is unbeleaveable stupid. Why are all these parts in manga so better? I don't get it, same as Bleach, manga is really great, but anime is terrible (fillers, stupid scenes). Second part of show is much better, much more serious and I like it. End of anime is little different of manga ending, I like manga one more, but anime is also good. Story of anime is lot more inconsistent. Manga is much more serious and depressive and I like it much more.

Animation and sound

Animation is here pretty nice, it fulfilled my expectations. Voices are really great and their emotions are beleaveable, so I can't compare at all. Songs are wonderful, one of the best parts of anime. I really like second opening (both animation and song) and first two endings are also marvelous. All songs of Mitsuki are nice and beleaveable, but sometimes you are listening them too often in the show. But I think pretty good work here!

Characters

All characters of show works pretty fine, they are changing during the story and you can only like them. Maybe both Shinigami are too childish sometimes (aspecially Meroko) in first part of story, but later everything is well explained. Mitsuki's singer opponent Madoka is also well made and I really like Guu-chan, her little piggy :).

Value and enjoyment

Value of story and everything here is pretty fine. I really like some parts of it, they are really great and full of emotions. But some parts of story are terrible stupid and that's the reason why I couldn't enjoy watching of the show.

So my recommandation here is NOT watch anime, get wonderful manga (it's one of best I ever read) and play soundtrack while you are reading it, it's best think of this show!

SPOILER WARNING!! Comperation of manga and anime ending!

This part can really destroy your enjoyment of tho story, so do NOT read it, if you have NOT watched entire anime (and/or read whole manga). Story in manga is much better, it is shorter, more beleaveable and also contains lot about some characters that are not so important in anime (like Izumi - he is not so bad guy like in anime, Meroko - in manga is much better and stronger character also with her bad parts, Mitsuki's grandma is also better). In anime has been added lot of stupid simple characters that are just boring and I don't like them at all (like her schoolmates, some fans). Greatest part of manga story is, I think, in volume 4, there is revealed truth about Eichi. Both in manga and anime is Eichi dead already. But in manga Mitsuki knew about it whole time, it was the reason, why she was not afraid of death, she just wanted to be closer to her dream and then meet Eichi again. In anime she was really desperate after she knew about his dead, she wanted to be dead and never sing again. And this part of anime is really sad, good, but also not beleaveable, sometimes emotions there are just overacted. Also whole ending is worst than in manga, it's not bad, but manga is better. I really don't know why is this anime so good rated. Maybe because lot of people have just watched anime without reading manga and in such situation I would really like it too.

Full Moon wo Sagashite (Searching for a Full Moon) really has a lot of potential, but in the eyes of this cynical reviewer, this anime is very much overrated (I hate using this word... :P) by a lot of fangirls and fanboys. At 52 episodes, there are lots of adventures, ups and downs, successes, depressions, and MUSIC; however, in accordance to the rankings at this current time, I feel that FMA (similar episode count, rival genre, etc.) deserves to outrank FMWS in these terms, of pretty much in every category.

I can understand how a lot of people would like this anime: it's got a tragic but cheerful main heroine, teasing romance angles, morals about inspiration and life, lots of subarcs, and a main story surrounding the ups and downs of a pop idol with the theme of music. Kouyama Mitsuki is an excellent lead girl, full of determination, and evolves with an expanding peripheral - who doesn't like her for who she is? She has goals in life, great friends, and a great voice actor to back her up. With pop music being, well, popular, a story through the ups and downs of a pop idol isn't a bad idea, either. Add in some supernatural elements, life lessons, and entertaining subarcs, it's a sure success to win over viewers everywhere.

However, where this anime tries to shine, it doesn't. As I've said, FMWS has quite a bit of potential, but it's only about 66% of the way there, with the main problems being mostly in the execution of the story, the story itself, and the music. Yes, I said music (if people have read my other reviews, DN in particular... I do enjoy all genres of music except for country and such, so don't use this argument against me!).

To start off, my favourite little arc would probably be the rivalry between Mitsuki and Madoka. When that first started, I had lots of expectations and hopes of a wonderful rivalry that would dig pretty deep and serve some good drama. Though it completed the arc no problem, I just wasn't satisfied with what they presented. Actually, it seems that they took the most conventional route through it and didn't bother to try to expand on such a goldmine. That's pretty much what happens throughout the entire series - it's all conventional, predictable, and as it's the most common way to tell a story, it's the most boring way to present it. There just weren't any surprises - just the most common way to proceed through the story. Sure, some scenes had good drama, and some had good tension, but it just doesn't shine anywhere.

As for the story itself, I was actually (accidently) revealed a spoiler... okay so I am going to be expecting some sort of good drama when I get there, especially when people around me left and right said it was one of the saddest episode/arc they've ever watched. I was extremely disappointed. At that point, there was only one more hopeful arc I could think of that could elevate this story from average one more time, but that arc disappointed as well. To me, the plot twist seemed to come out of nowhere (from the wrong side of the field!) and seemingly overused. Though it made the past 40 episodes seem like an entire waste of effort... that was pretty much the idea, and it conveyed it in a bad way. Overall, I was very disappointed with the only good elements to the plot that I thought were the ones that gained such fandom, so thus I must label "overrated" to this anime. (No, I shall not reveal the spoiler!)

As for the music, I don't have complaints on the production of the songs, but I have complaints on the usage of them. Firstly, I feel that the anime was one big "myco" commercial for the masses. Secondly, they only played (excluding the OPs, which are played by an entirely different band and singer) about 5 songs throughout the series, overusing 2 of them (as they were singles, of course) to saturation point. And the two made up the EDs as well!!! That's extreme overplay, especially since this is an old anime that you can't watch weekly (unless you're lazy or something). This is why "Sound" is now a lowly "6". If there was more variety and used different songs for the insert songs (WHY they play the same song 2-3 times an episode is beyond me!), this category would have faired better. But for now, the overusage of music bombs this category from what it should have been.

Slow to start, entertaining in the middle, but disappointed by the end. Is this worth 52 episodes? I don't recommend this to those who 1) hate generic pop music, 2) are cynical, and 3) get bored easily by any shoujo anime.

Let me first say that this anime truly astounds me. After letting this one with its boosted rating sit on the rooftops of my favorite animated series, I began to grow bored of the theme, as well as the music. Therefore, as a response to this feeling, I decided to watch this one again, and see if it would be just as effective.

Well, it turns out that it doubled the impact. Now not only do I feel the story more deeply, but I absorbed much more of the story, it's meaning, and the full effectiveness of the cast. Some things about it can be really annoying, but there is too much about it that makes me feel so empowered. Amongst my favorites, Full Moon wo Sagashite touches me in the most personal part of my life - the desire to sing.

Before I get into details, allow me to explain myself. Many of you might already know that I'm a serious musician, intending to go into music on relatively any field that is possible (although I would prefer classical/opera, but hey, I could do pop.) I feel this is important, since it dramatically changes my view on this anime compared to someone with no desire to sing at all.

Your dreams, and only one year to live...

Kouyama Mitsuki is 12 years old, and absolutely loves to sing! Unfortunately, her voice is facing peril, as a tumor has formed in her throat, which is threatening her life as well.

Suddenly, two Shinigami (Japanese word of "Death God" or "Grim Reaper," Takuto and Meroko, come bursting into her life. They explain to her fate, and that she will face inevitable death one year from their meeting. Mitsuki, now freed from the disciplines of living, seeks only to sing for her sweetheart in the time she has left. She will turn into Full Moon, a 16 year old, healthy version of herself, and make her dream come true.

How about that for a storyline? One day you wake up, and you realize that your existence has a countdown. What is there to fear, then? Why would one worry about tomorrow, when there is already a mark for your doom? Full Moon wo Sagashite studies a tearful event unlike any other. "Living life to the fullest" shines the brightest amongst the themes, and seeing Mitsuki's determination, it is believable that she would become the singer she so desired to be in the first place.

The first part of the story is rather cute, but it lacks a lot of discipline. Easily I could reduce the point count here, but that would really be unfair to the intent of this portion. MUCH drama is on its way, so as the characters develop and fatefully embrace each other, the story unravels in a very silly, undisciplined sort of method.

After episode 15, though, the story sheds light on more serious issues about life in music, as well as the difficulties of handling a disease. This part of the series is where most people can begin to like Full Moon wo Sagashite. I recall some of the people I talked to about it, and relatively everyone said that at some point in the middle they all began to feel an addiction to the anime. This is the strongest point of character development.

Some silly episodes occur here or there, but during episodes 30-40, the story really starts to take a step. Many, many painful things unfold, and a tale about Mitsuki's sweetheart begins, despite his name being uttered relentlessly throughout the entire series.

Then, after episode 42, all the light fades away, the snow falls, and the darkest, deepest part of the series takes place. I am positive that this portion could easily grasp any anime hobbyist, although it may not exactly touch them as deeply as it would me and other FMoS fans. Sometimes the pain seems unbearable, and the well-developed characters begin to take on actions that really prove their worth. This part of FMoS convinces me that no matter how many silly filler episodes or stupid, girly, cutsy-wutsy jokes, this series deserves nothing less than a perfect score for the weaving of its storyline.

Last of all, the ending is just perfect. I won't lay any light on my feelings about it, since the shroud of mystery over Mitsuki's fate needs to remain for the series to be as touching as possible.

I'm tempted to say it's "wrong" to hate this series.

I know I'm not the first person ever to say this, but there really are some animes out on the market that are wrong to hate. True, it is okay to hate them, but they often put light on issues that most people don't really think about, and are ignored for their efforts.

In this case, it is easy to degrade Full Moon wo Sagashite because of it's shoujo-ness. Meroko and Mitsuki do an insane amount of cute things, and as a result their characters can look shamefully childish and flat if looked at without appreciation. In reality, Mitsuki is a thoughtful 12-year-old girl with a sense of living, and is desparate to make herself a star. Meroko and Takuto are her executors of the wish, though deeply they feel something for her that isn't natural of a Shinigami.

In order to avoid losing charisma from such serious circumstances, this anime treads on a much lighter, comedic side of the issue. It is really easy to pick on FMoS becuase of the childish behavior that occurs throughout it, but it's nothing short of the childishness I've seen many other mature animes of this day and time. The point is altogether, that regardless of their stereotypes and weaknesses, they imitate the feelings of humans facing a true conflict. Nobody who is alive now does anything less, so why does it matter? This just proves that sometimes immaturity isn't the cause, but that to decide to hate a series because of it is the cause. Nonetheless, the audience can't help but exalt the characters for their actions in the end, so I could care less if this turned into a Japanese Nursery TV show.

I, strangely enough, believe that the best character in the series is Wakamatsu Madoka. Though she gets on my and everyone else's nerves, her character truly demonstrates the ability to change and be honest with oneself. Also, I love how her goals, despite her antagonism throughout various chunks of the series, still remained intact despite the evils she committed. By far I found her the most developed, and the most colorful.

I normally would have labeled Meroko to be the worst character in the series, but it occured to me why she really isn't (and ultimately, why nobody is a "worst character.") Meroko's actions and silliness are brought about by her natural characteristics as a rabbit. Often times her energy, her attitude, and her opinion would be so exaggerated that she could easily look like the idiot of the series. However, later on one can see that her character truly is deep, and that her value is no less than Mitsuki herself.

As for minor characters, I can only say that each and every one of them plays a vital part in the series! This includes one-episode-nerds that appear once and never show again. Each character takes a serious effect on Mitsuki and her goals, as with the precious time left and the desire to peak in fame, Mitsuki's possibilities lie entirely on eggshells.

Yes, there is a transformation sequence.

And that is what I determined to be the WORST thing about the entire series - a repetitive transformation. Still, even then, it isn't all that bad, since it's short and doesn't occur too much.

Some people might overlook the beauty of this animation, since the character designs have gigantic eyes and wild hairdos. First of all, throughout the entire series, Mitsuki/Full Moon didn't have a "defining outfit." The change of clothes adds a sense of human beauty to the series, since Full Moon/Mitsuki almost always looks different every time she is on the screen.

Last of all, ultimately what matters in this animation is the emotions displayed through the face. The gigantic eyes suggest a much more emotional appearance during crying scenes, or when the series is trying to suggest something deeper. It's elegant in it's own kind of way if you think about it.

And of course, Myco.

I can't deny it - her music is incredible. I recall having an argument with a friend in Animereactor regarding Changin' My life's lead singer, Myco. After some careful analysis as a singer, I can say that she is a real professional, and proven herself able to communicate her music as well as she could. My biggest gripe with her is her scooping and high notes - her most beautiful sounds are low and gentle, since the greatest part of the overtone series of her voice comes out, and her vibrato resounds perfectly. She has been trained, but I think she needs a little more control altogether.

My favorite song of her's is Smile. Not only does she use the most touching part of her voice, but the beat, and her blending with the male harmony is just unbeatable. I have been listening to the song constantly for a year now, and despite growing uninterested it for a short period of time, it has remained as a favorite in my playlist. Also, songs such as Myself and Eternal Snow used to pass right through me, only retaining my interest enough to listen to them once in a while. Now I can't help but appreciate both songs entirely, since I understand Myco's music a lot better. Changin' My Life and Myco are in my belief part of the few that are truly talented out on the world market. I really wish the best for her and her band as the music community grows thinner and cheaper all around the world.

As for the background music, there are many cute songs dispersed throughout this anime that I embrace. One in particular is "Soredemo Utaitai," a nice little synth melody that plays during the most emotional parts of the series. The use of the music on this soundtrack is practically genius; every single mood had the right music to enhance the atmosphere.

It's a love story, a drama, and a message to us all.

Words alone aren't enough for me. Even reviewing this now, I feel like I accomplish nothing just praising the series endlessly. Talking about it is almost pointless, since experiencing it is a new world within itself. I feel like I need to say so much more about the characters and their relationships, but that's all something for you to figure out. Ultimately, to appreciate this series, watch out for Mitsuki and Takuto. These two are what hold the series completely together, and the shapes of love that draw out this series' resolution are all affected by their relationship alone.

Beware that as I said before, there is much talk about Mitsuki's sweetheart. I suggest to anyone who undertakes this anime to grin and bear with it, since the series makes sure to resolve that area as well.

Finally, I sit back in my chair in absolute astonishment again. I as a singer have visually experienced the world of someone who actually made it, and now can only take for granted all that I learned. Too much of this anime reminds me of the determination I need to have to earn fame in this world, so I can't help but love it.

It's just proof that I need to search for my full moon as well.