Shinkurou Kurenai is a 16-year-old student by day and a dispute mediator by night. Though kind-hearted and patient, due to his tragic past, he has trained for years to live on. Now, despite his unimposing appearance, he is a strong martial artist, who also possesses a strange power.
While taking various jobs for his employer, Benika Juuzawa, one assignment leads Shinkurou to live with Murasaki Kuhouin as her bodyguard. Murasaki is the seven-year-old daughter of a plutocratic family, who escaped her home under peculiar circumstances with Benika's help. Commoner life, in her eyes, seems bizarre. However, by interacting with her neighbors, she grows more accustomed to the daily routine, and rids herself of her snobbish behavior, gradually growing attached to Shinkurou.
Though many details of the job remain unclear, Shinkurou still strives to protect the young lady. But to make things more complicated, he also lacks a crucial fact—what is the real threat against Murasaki?
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
TheLlama
Kurenai is the 08 spring anime I had the highest hopes for, and I surely wasn't let down by it. The artwork in the series is amazing. The main reason for this is the coloring - it's so vivid! It's sharp and varied colors, something which - as of what I've experienced - is unprecedented. The detail may skimp a bit now and then - which drags it down to a 9 (yes, I wanted to give it a 10). Oh, and the OP theme animations is pretty whacky - which is both good and bad. The characters are as colorful as the animation is, even theminor characters. I really liked that, because it makes it oh so more realistic. And it's not only the characters as individuals, but also their relationships which I really loved. That does cover well up for the lack of character development that a 12-episode series is pretty much doomed to have.
The story in itself is very good too. It starts out very slice of life-ish, going with an episode-by-episode format, where Murasaki learns how the real world looks - after all, she's just escaped from being locked into a house with the most woman-discriminating family I've ever heard about, both in fiction and real life. But that being said, the episodes were great, because so much seemed to happen - often they featured parallel stories with Murasaki and someone else (often Shinkurou's two female neighbors) in one, and Shinkurou in another one. Halfway into the series, and a few episodes more, the series takes a drastic turn, and the more dramatic sides of the show starts to unfold, in contrast to the often light and comedic moments of the earlier episodes. It all culminates into two-three episodes with much action and drama, and an end which you're either gonna love or hate - I can't say more without spoiling anything.
The soundtrack is jazzy, and fits right into the scenes and the mood. Personally, I liked it, but it wasn't anything spectacular, and if you don't like the jazzy type of soundtrack, you can find comfort in the fact that you often don't notice it at all.
I really enjoyed this series, both because of its mix of many genres, special animation and wonderful characters, but also because of the calmness this anime presented. Even during the most intense scenes - either emotional or action-packed - I found it to be very calm. Personally, I think that gave the series that little extra which made me love it so much.
To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =)
mr_utopia_man
A couple months ago, I decided to scout out some of the series in the Spring 2008 anime season. I found Kure-nai, and decided to give it a try. The OP scared me, and I almost turned this into an instant "drop." Really glad I didn't, because this show was a rare find. Story With only 12 episodes, it can be difficult to turn out that perfect storyline. Even so, they did a good job. The show is focused around the inner struggles and relationships of and between a seven-year-old aristocrat girl and her bodyguard, a poor, sixteen-year-old high school student. Nothing mind-blowing, but a sufficient premiseall the same. However, it's paced very well, fast when it needs to be and slow when it's appropriate. I never felt the series get dull.
Realize that this is a both a comedy and a drama, and in my opinion, it does an effective job at being both. However, there is some action mixed in. It's enough to give the series an interesting push, but it seldom drives the story. Adrenaline seekers, you will be disappointed. That said, I thought the action was handled quite well, and the fighting that does occur are some of the most intensely emotional scenes within.
Art/Sound
While the media of the show was pretty high-quality, it has a tendency to go into estrogen overload mode, and that proved a bit trying for me. Pastel colors, curvy lines, and high heels galore. I got more used to it as I went along, but I still skipped the OP and ED most of the time. But that's an issue of taste, and in all honesty, it really wasn't all that bad. It was actually pretty well-animated, too.
I didn't care for OP/ED songs themselves, and I felt that most of the background music was pretty unmemorable. I say that because I really can't remember much of it at all. I know the music effectively aided the visuals, but it's probably not what I'd listen to standalone. However, there is one song that struck me, one usually played during the most intense moments of the anime, and it has stayed with me the way few can: a lonely, haunting piano playing a melody as beautiful and sad as the tune of an old music box. This alone may be enough for me to get the OST.
Character
The characters were strong. Certainly Shinkurou and Murasaki were done well, but the support cast was also impressive. In only 12 episodes, there wasn't quite enough time to really delve into most of them, and it could be argued that only a handful of the characters actually play any sort of vital role to the story. But even without seeming "significance," they take the story and make it alive. Shinkurou and Murasaki have friends and neighbors, personal lives, and human bonds with the people around them, and it is those they interact with that gives the series its feel of realism. I found myself interested in the side characters, and I think I could watch Kure-nai again even just to see more of them. I was also impressed with how they took such an overbearingly female cast and a story with romantic undertones and prevented it from taking on "harem" clichés. The support characters all seem to represent different aspects of and attitudes toward life, and each gives the series a unique insight into the story.
Shinkurou and Murasaki were even stronger characters, though. They, too, were very human, and at times painfully so. Murasaki, the lovable, huggable bundle she is, has led a life that has left her bizarrely mature in some areas and frustratingly impossible in others. Shinkurou, for all the good in his heart, has his own set of shortcomings, and sometimes you find that he's not the fearless hero you want him to be. The relationship between them, however, is the best part of the show, and before you scream pedophilia, know that the relationship does not, at least in my opinion, carry sexual undertones. It's really quite a clean and healthy situation between them. Creepy people, you too will be disappointed.
As far as my personal opinion on the series as a whole, I'd love to give it a 10/10, but I do feel it wasn't really masterpiece-level as far as sound and story go. Didn't keep me from enjoying it like one, though. Definitely one I'll be buying if/when it ships overseas.
This isn't a series that I would recommend to everyone, but it is a series that I consider amazing. If you're not sure, pick up the first episode, stay with it until the end, and see if you'd like to watch more. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll never touch it again. At any rate, it's definitely one that's worth trying.
Ranivus
::QUICK REVIEW:: Story: 5 (For an ass kicking bodyguard, this guy is feckless) Art: 8 (Some anim. are laughable but overall its beautiful) Sound: 7 (Sound was good... can't think of anything else) Character: 7 (Shinku X Murasaki are the only 2 worth watching) Enjoyment: 4 (Don't watch it for the action... you'll get 'boned') Overall: 31/50 = ~6 (...what is that car doing THERE?!?!?) ::FULL REVIEW:: After reading through all the reviews, I have noticed there is nothing but praise about this show, and only one review that doesn't really explain the faults of the show. I'm here to fill in that gap. Personally I felt this show suffered from anime-itis. Don'tknow what that is? Read on dear reader...
Kure-nai in essence is, a rom-com of the 'brother/sister' sense. As you already know, Kurenai is supposed to protect Shinkurou from her plutocratic family. On the outside, it sounds like a very serious anime. It even boasts a fairly impressive backstory explaining how everything is run in the Kuhouin family. Specifically in regards to religion, polygamy, and sexism. But don't be fooled. The main story is only found in the first few episodes and the last 3 episodes. So what about the other ~6 episodes? Just typical bodyguard/vip antics and a little shounen on the side. All that is good and fun for a little bit of grins and giggles. But this show is littered with so many bad ends and inconsistencies it starts to become laughable. Bad ends in terms of only a complete idiot that doesn't value his life or the life he's protecting would do something like that. In terms of the many inconsistencies I found, feel free to read the episode discussions and find my name since they're 100% spoilerish.
On a technical sense, this is a very beautiful looking anime in high definition. It was so great I was actively trying to find faults in the animation and all I'm going to say is that you will laugh out loud when Kurenai puts his 'serious' face on. Other than that, they manage to have a large number of licensed products in this show, namely Maserati and Mercedes-Benz gained my interest. Another thing to notice is how the rooms at the apartment compliment the characters perfectly in style and function. And they did a real good job in making Kurenai's apartment completely dilapidated thats very unfit for a princess.
Speaking of princess Murasaki sure does act like one. Most people loved her from the beginning, but I'm betting its because she gets naked more than once in the first 3 episodes. As for me, I loved to hate her. The attitude towards others was something I would beat ('time out' for political correctness) my child for. But of course, since its a shounen-ish rom/com, I'm sure you can guess the outcome. The characters are a double edged sword, some you will love, others you will hate, but most you will love and hate at the same time. Thats another strong point of the show though The character chemistry between Shinkurou and Murasaki is something that most viewers don't see very often. Unfortunately, at times, some viewers can feel a little uncomfortable at some of those two's actions but apparently in this day and age its fairly acceptable. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. As for the support cast, they are just that... support. The show will act like they're important, but in the grand scheme of things, it just comes down to the Shinkurou and Murasaki show. People can say the support cast are unique, if you can call a poorly dressed emo, a horny college girl, a languid bodyguard, or a plain-sight undercover (oxymoron) agent as unique.
I really, really, REALLY tried to enjoy this show considering how many people kept telling me how great it is. But there are so many episodes going off on a tangent. It also got me disappointed so many times at so many different outcomes that, after a while I just lost faith in rooting for the good guys. And for icing on the cake, 1/2 of the final episode is just pure ridiculousness. I certainly felt gypped, especially when they didn't exploit the back story as well as they should have.
Why does this suffer from anime-itis?
A) If you show me a fascinating plot with a deep background story, don't bother putting a romantic comedy in as fillers.
B) The pacifist bodyguard character is played out.
C) Ending takes a crazy turn down unrealistic alley.
D) Short term outcomes becomes very predictable and uninspired.
E) ...ITS 12 EPISODES!! WE DON'T NEED TO SEE A WHOLE EPISODE ON WHY TAMAKI CAN'T GET A BOYFRIEND... (I had to get that off my chest)
Master10K
Kure-nai is for the most part, a Slice of life, Action, Comedy, Drama. There are some that will begin this series without knowing what to expect but one thing I can assure you, is to expect a very intriguing and fairly entertaining short series. The beginning of this series is fairly confusing and can make it difficult to understand what it’s all about, as it seems like a bunch of random events; however what is easy to grasp is the main story. Shinkurou Kurenai is a high school student who undertakes numerous odd jobs and becoming a bodyguard for Murasaki Kuhouin (daughter of a powerful plutocraticfamily) is the newest job he decides to take on. During this time the two grow strong bonds with each other, as Shinkurou becomes sort of a parental guardian, but then something more to Murasaki. Each episode does a fine job in focusing on a random issue, yet sometimes it can seem so random that it doesn’t make much sense (the musical). Nevertheless this is a short series that’s worth every minute, except the ending, which does leave a few things unclear.
For a short series, it does boast a strong cast of peculiar characters nevertheless I believe it to be the best thing about this anime. Shinkurou Kurenai is a dispute mediator, with a very troubling background and Murasaki Kuhouin is a secluded pompous girl, who’s longed to see the outside world. These two a forced into the current situation they are in, by the enigmatic adults they are involved with. Not to forget the friends of Shinkurou who very interesting and provide a bit more to the show.
What stood out to me, in this series, was the lavish animation. The distinctive backgrounds and plush scenery were extraordinarily detailed. Also the character designs were nicely crafted and smoothly animated, however their definitions were very inconsistent when moving around. As for the music, Kure-nai sure has a good calming soundtrack but it is fairly unnoticeable. The appealing OP and ED themes are the tunes that you will notice, not to forget the amazing SFX.
Overall Kure-nai is a very uplifting anime about being bound by customs and wanting to protect someone; although it can be difficult to determine the true nature of this extravagant series. This series provided a good deal of comedy; shown through the characters’ interactions and also some drama through the characters’ experienced hardships and gripping dialogue. Surprisingly there’s also a great deal of action, in this carefree anime, so there’s plenty to satisfy anyone taste. This truly is the type of anime that the average anime viewer wouldn’t really consider watching but the experience you get from watching it is one you wouldn’t want to forget.
^_^
Slacks
It is difficult to assign a proper rating to a show as unbalanced as this one. This uneveness isn't even a case of certain elements of the series being handled better than others; Kurenai is both pleasing and disappointing in every one of its aspects. The animation is distinct but marred by noticeable low-quality moments, the characters are as engraging as they are entertaining, and the plot moves from being confusing to entertaining to downright stupid. There are no triumphant highs or deep, dank lows in Kurenai, but this anime does enough seesawing between entertainment and disappointment to lead to a mediocre viewing experience overall. Kurenaidoes do some things right. This show's biggest strength is its complex setting, which the viewer is thrust directly into from the very first episode. The characters and their actions make little sense at first, but each of their personalities and histories is revealed as the series progresses, leaving the viewer with a very thorough understanding of the situation by the time of the climax. Another one of Kurenai's most enjoyable aspects is the relationship between Shinkurou and Murasaki. The boy-suddenly-acquires-loli plot device has been used in other works, but it's handled well here. The most enjoyable moments of this show and found in the midsection of the story, where Shinkurou is simply trying to get through daily life while putting up with Murasaki's eccentric behavior.
It's a shame that the staff had to throw in some hamfisted attempts at action and heavy drama into the mix as well, because Kurenai does well enough up until these scenes are introduced. It's not that these moments don't belong in the show, because they are most-likely included in the light novel source material as well, but they are handled so poorly that I almost wish they were left out. During these scenes, whatever was interesting about Shinkurou is brushed aside to make way for a bland "I'll protect you" male lead, and towards the end of the show, none of the characters behave consistently. The series finale is especially insulting because it absolutely trashes the intricate plot that was being weaved up until that point with a complete cop-out of an ending. It just might be better to stop watching this two-thirds of the way through.
I wouldn't say that I wasted six hours of my life watching Kurenai, but I wouldn't suggest that you set aside your valuable time for this.
ten6cha
This anime is absolutely HORRIBLE!! Okay, to be fair, it only became horrible after episode 8. At the beginning I was rating it a 10 and placing it among my favorite animes. The plot was somewhat unique, and there was the mystery as to exactly what the girl was running from, and shinkuro's past. But as the answers start to become revealed by each episode somehow in the 9th episode the author of the anime has no idea/clue where to take the anime. The action goes downhill, which is disappointing since it is supposed to be an action genre and they turn a possible bourneultimatum-type action genre down to something you see on madtv (basically ridiculous). And just the way it ended was soooo pathetically random, I was just speechless as to how irritating it was. The only part that made my mood any better was the last 2 seconds where the focus was on shinkuro.
Anyways, if you MUST watch this anime watch it to episode 8, and skip to the last episode 12 if you even feel like finding out how it turns out. Otherwise, I recommend not to even waste your time on this anime since you will be horribly disappointed.
PBz0r
Kure-nai is one of the more peculiar shows of the 2008 spring anime season. It's not Kaiba in all its glorious artfaggotry but it's definitely not Soul Eater either. Most viewers can already gather from the first episode that over-the-top shounen battles are not what this show is about. Basically, Kure-nai is a story about two characters growing up, while discovering which kind of power is the kind that really matters. The kind that really matter accroding to Kure-nai is not a Kamehameha or a Rasengan, but the ability to make your own decisions, finding your place in society on your own and upholding yourvalues at any time. You know the deal.
Main character Shinkurou Kurenai could definitely use some of this "power" as he is an orphan, having lost both of his parents in a terrorist attack. He's currently employed by a woman by the name of Benika Juuzawa, working as a so-called "dispute mediator". Which is a dangerous job; Shinkurou's activities include beating up Yakuza and protecting various people from harm and even though he's only 16 years old, he does a great job of it. In hand-to-hand combat, you do not want to face Shinkurou since he's been trained in a secret, clan-specific type of martial arts and has some type of special weapon in his body to boot. One day he asks Benika to assign him a more complex mission, hoping to impress her and get some extra money out of it while he's at it. Benika then wants Shinkurou to protect a little girl who appears to be the heir to a traditional family called the Kuhouins. Only later Shinkurou finds out about the cruel ways of the Kuhouins and why exactly he was chosen to protect the girl.
Now the one thing which carries this story is the bond between its various characters, most notably between Shinkurou and Murasaki Kuhouin, the seven-year-old girl. This relationship is so touching it really leads you to believe this is a romance anime about these two characters, but as one is only 7 and the other is 16, you can see this is not the case. It is really hard to describe how these characters exactly relate, but it is a very interesting bond they share nonetheless. Both characters possess loveable personalities, Murasaki being the cheeky preschooler with an extraordinary take on modern society and Shinkurou being the caring and somewhat indecisive pushover who slowly takes the form of an strong and admirable parental figure. Kure-nai is a story about its characters and the characters are great. Not to say the rest of the show is bad, but this aspect really saves it from mediocrity.
The first half of the story is decidedly lighthearted as we see Shinkurou and Murasaki interact with their environment in a slice-of-life sort of fashion. This is where the 8 for "enjoyment" comes in. While even these early episodes aren't particularly humorous I found them very enjoyable, once again thanks to lively characters such as Shinkurou's roommates Tamaki and Yamie. After a while though, the happy-go-lucky atmosphere grows old and especially episode 6 felt particularly forced. From that episode on however, the story turns gritty, new information regarding Murasaki's family comes to light and the family itself shows up as well, in their attempts to take Murasaki back at all costs. Shinkurou's situation becomes pressured and he starts to question his own strength after realizing how this job was probably more than he could handle. After seeing Shinkurou has grown in his determination to finish what he started and protect the ones he cares for most, Benika also finally starts to show her human side. By the end of the story the viewer will also find out a little about what exactly drives her, though it's really kind of an afterthought compared to Shinkurou's story.
The final episodes however, are undeniably silly at times. At some point there is a carchase in the snow which in my opinion was entirely unnecessary to the plot and really was there just to entertain action-fans who stuck with the show until the very end for some unknown reason. The ending itself was pretty powerful in my opinion because it was unexpected and it made me think if the characters had really made the right decisions, however at the same time it was very unrealistic and it would've been much better once again, if Brain's Base would've just toned down on the violence and ever-apparent murderous intent everywhere in the final episode. There was much more hand-to-hand action than usual near the end, which wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't for two things:
Firstly, it was important to the story the combat was done unarmed, to really see the link between one's physical strength and ones inner strength. This has been done really well overall, but when you really look at just the story and not all the themes woven into it, it really begs the question why not a single person opted for a firearm throughout the show. One 9mm handgun could've easily turned the tables on Shinkurou.
Secondly, this show is not Gurren Lagann. Art-wise, Kure-nai looks excellent, but the animation quality was rather inconsistent. As mentioned before, there weren't a lot of challenges for animators to overcome as the show mainly revolves around its dialogues, but when things heated up, the animation disappointed me greatly. It always caught my attention at the moments that really mattered, and that's never a good thing. At first I was really impressed by Kure-nai's visuals but the aforementioned issues turned my rating down to a low 7.
Lastly, let's discuss sound. The first thing that will definitely catch the viewer's attention in Kure-nai is the OP. Not because of the music, but because of the visual style. If you want to know what I'm talking about you really have to go and see it for yourself. My problem with this OP is that while it's certainly not generic (which is almost always a good thing), it doesn't suit the show's feel. At all. The ED is a little better but far from a reason to watch the show in itself. It seems Brain's Base realized this after a while and they decided to fix this. How? By completely removing the OP and ED. That's right. From around episode 7 on, this show has no OP or ED. Which is sort of lazy. The last time I can remember watching an anime with no OP was FLCL.
However, FLCL still has its excellent ED and overall J-rocky soundtrack going for it. Kure-nai only has some instrumental tracks which are hard to notice while watching, but most of the time there's just silence. Which also works. In that regard, Kure-nai's "sound" isn't all that bad, but the Kure-nai OST is definitely not a must-have.
Overall, Kure-nai didn't exactly turn out the way I wanted it to. With this show, Brain's Base does some things not many studios have, but the the themes and morales that encompass the entire show sometimes really cause its credibility and plot to suffer. At some point, Kure-nai turns almost Shakespearian in its approach, with long, complex dialogue, even from seven-year-old Murasaki. I'd say these are things that are good to know beforehand, and that is also the reason I write this review. I hope that after reading this review, you will have an idea of what to expect from Kure-nai and perhaps you will be able to enjoy it even more than I did, because I had to figure all this out along the way.
Kure-nai's a great change of pace from the more generic shounen and high-school series, but in the end one's opinion of this show is really something personal. Shinkurou and Murasaki's story was touching enough to me, but there's no saying if this goes for all viewers out there. Still, if this sounds like your kind of show, don't miss out.
NeverKnowsBest26
Kurenai is a show that blends several different story elements together. It's an action thriller, complete with secret organizations and trained teenage operatives. It's a story of personal growth, with the two main characters learning what is most important to them and how to fight for it. It's a slice-of-life with quirky characters and hints of romance. This all adds up to a 12 episode show that gives you a good taste of each, while managing to tug on your heartstrings from time to time. Yet, unfortunately, for all the juicy morsels it offers up, Kurenai is oddly un-filling. There is a feeling Kurenai couldbe better had it developed some of its ideas further, and cut off some parts that were needless. The result is uneven, yet ultimately rewarding enough to warrant a watch.
Some suspension of disbelief is required to fully accept Kurenai's story, though that can be said for a lot of anime. Our protagonist, the titular Shinkurou Kurenai, is a regular high school student at first glance. However, outside of school, he works as a mediator for an underground organization; a "problem fixer" of sorts, as he puts it. His next assignment is a big one, he must look after a precocious 7-year old girl named Murasaki Kuhouin, who escaped the cruel fate of women of the Kuhouin clan with the help of Kurenai's mentor/employer, Benika. This will be no easy task, as the Kuhouin clan is searching for their runaway. The other meddlesome tenants of Kurenai's apartment building don't help matters, either.
The focal point of Kurenai's plot is the relationship of the two leads. Kurenai and Murasaki are interesting all on their own. Kurenai was orphaned at a young age, when his parents died in a terrorist attack. He has a deep admiration for Benika, and he aspires to be as strong as her one day. He works under her in order to reach that goal. Still, he is rather meek and humble, and doubts himself. Murasaki is articulate and mature for her age, forced to grow up quickly by her clan's traditions. She's also rather haughty from being pampered, and naïve about the outside world which she was raised to have no connection. The bond between the two is one of mutual growth. In the case of Murasaki, she learns from Kurenai (an the other tenants of the apartment building) the mannerisms and ways of common people. She also learns do deal with strong emotions as the relationship between her and Kurenai deepens, as well as how to truly treasure a relationship. For Kurenai, Murasaki becomes someone to fight for, someone to protect. This not only drives him in his attempts to grow stronger, but builds his convictions; even to the point of defying Benika if he must.
It is good that the relationship between Kurenai and Murasaki is strong, because it is ultimately what holds the show together. The narrative of this show is not the best constructed; it consists of very loosely structured arcs, which can become unfocused. The mid-series episodes in particular are meandering and sort of aimless. This does not mean there is no development, Kurenai and Murasaki's relationship grows slowly, but the plot just sort of comes to a halt. The episodes themselves aren't unenjoyable, there are some fun situations and misadventures. However, the novelty of seeing things like the residents of Kurenai's apartment building practicing for a musical wears thin quickly. It is a godsend when the plot finally gets moving again in the last third, though the use of coincidence in kick starting the plot is a bit irksome. From there, the show delivers some hard-hitting emotional scenes, majority of the show's fights, and a mostly satisfying conclusion.
The supporting cast is a bit of a mixed bag. The brightest piece in the bag being Benika, who fills her role as Kurenai's mentor and employer very well. Their relationship is somewhere between business and personal. She holds the reins loosely on Kurenai and her other subordinates, but doesn't hesitate to exercise authority when it is necessary. She genuinely cares for Kurenai, but keeps a professional distance from him most of the time. Kurenai's mischievous land-lady, Yamie, is fun comic relief. As is equally as mischievous college student Tamaki. Their shenanigans with Murasaki provide most of the enjoyment in the meandering middle episodes. The same cannot be said for Kurenai's schoolmates/ potential love interests, Yuno and Ginko, who are essentially just window shopping. Both have feelings for Kurenai, and neither goes anywhere. The Kuhouin provide some note-worthy villainy, mostly from Murasaki's menacing older brother Ryuuji and the battle-crazed Lin, but aren't given all that much screen-time.
This show was animated by Brain's Base, but before they hit the peak of their popularity, and is one of their lesser known works. The show is a testament to the studio's quality work even before it gained notoriety. This show looks really good. The character designs are distinct, vibrant, and expressive. Murasaki's design in particular is fantastic; it hits the right balance of childish youth and demure beauty to illustrate both Murasaki's age and her upbringing. Benika's casual and yet commanding appearance fits her perfectly, as does the very formal look of her subordinate Yayoi. Ryuuji looks every bit the well dressed sleaze he is, and Lin's facial expressions are fittingly deranged. Kurenai's design has a bit of bishounen flavor to it, but is still distinctive compared to the worn generic designs that plague all too many male anime leads. The animation overall is good too, but there are some rough spots. These rough spots are most evident in the show's fighting scenes; characters don't move quite as fluidly as the trained combatants should. Sometimes their movements look kind of unnatural. Editing-wise, the transitions into fights sometimes feel choppy or abrupt, though some of the editing also makes up for the animation short-comings.
The music is dominated solemn orchestral and jazz pieces. Piano in particular is heavily used in the soundtrack. Usually, a show will have more energetic pieces with high tempos for action sequences. However, with a few rare exceptions, this is not the case in Kurenai. Slow solemn pieces are often used for fights, and remarkably, this actually works. The melancholic tone of the music is used to give gravity to the fights, making them serious and visceral occurrences. At times the music choices can get a bit tiresome as a few tracks are often repeated, many times in the same episode. However, this does what a good soundtrack should do: support the visuals and content of the show.
Kurenai is a solid little show worth watching despite its various flaws. At its core is a strong central relationship that carries the show through its rough patches and remains endearing throughout. The middle episodes do drag and lose focus, but once the plot pulls itself together, it delivers some emotionally gripping moments that really accentuate the relationship between the two leads. It even throws in a few good laughs and fights when it is at its best.
Nervin
There are fantastic anime that focus on slice of life such as Usagi Drop or the Aria series, and there are action based anime such as Black Lagoon or Hellsing Ultimate; then there is Kure-nai, which mixes both genres. This is a difficult task, and if handled improperly, it can tear down the whole story, which in fact happened in this anime. While it executed the slice of life part well, blending in the action was poorly done to say at least, resulting in major plot holes, as well as an unnatural story progression. This anime would have been much better off by focusingon the slice of life aspect, yet sadly didn't.
~Story~
The premise of Kure-nai is simple: 16-year-old Kurenai Shinkorou, a master martial artist and professional mediator, yearning for better paid jobs, receives a request from his boss Benika to protect the young 7-year-old girl Murasaki Kuhoin. Mystery surrounds both the girl and protagonist himself, which possibly ensures a great story. This sadly not the case, as it jumps from action to a prolonged slice of life setting, than to plunge once again in the action scene; which disturbs the overall continuity of the anime.
As stated earlier, the slice of life moments in this show were well executed, which in this case was presenting somewhat realistic character relationships in addition to satisfying crafted everyday life events. Viewers observe how these two main characters interact between themselves and their environment, as well providing some background stories for the little Murasaki. These interactions and events can be amusing at times, which is enhances the atmosphere the anime is trying to portray. However, there is often also typical school type situations which viewers are used to see in romcom school comedies, which can be a drawback.
Now as mentioned earlier, Kurenai needs to protect the girl from her powerful family, yet there is a problem to this: the viewer isn't provided with enough knowledge of the family to understand the reason why she even needs to be protected, even after it is revealed nearing the conclusion. Consequently audiences never or hardly ever feel any kind of tension whatsoever whenever something happens to her, be it wandering out on her own, or going out with the protagonist.
This brings me to the drama aspect of Kure-nai, which was poorly executed and difficult to take seriously due to various reasons: first of all, the fact that a teenager is protecting a little girl from a very rich and powerful family while attending school normally and leaving the kid alone is a huge flaw already. Other issue was the continuity of the show, that either totally focused upon action/drama or just switched to normal everyday life events. Then there is the fact that the protagonist himself is a pretty useless bodyguard, which raises the question why he even was assigned this job. Finally, the motives and characters themselves were shallow, but I will treat this topic below.
~Characters~
There is a handful of characters present in Kure-nai, naturally being Murasaki and Kurenai of utmost importance. Murasaki is a young, talented martial artist and naturally being young makes it difficult for him to live on his own, consequently working as a professional mediator. His past is explored upon very superficially, and the motives on why he has this particular job are weak as well. Then there is Kurenai, a girl from a rich family with elitist behaviour; she undergoes the most character development and fleshing out of the whole cast, though her sudden change in lifestyle: from a rich environment to a dirty little room.
The secondary characters are of importance as well, yet these undergo near to zero character development or fleshing out. This jars the narrative of the anime, as they are one-dimensional characters with very lacking motives, which seems to make them out as simple plot devices. The friends of the protagonist, as well as his boss felt redundant in the anime.
~Animation and sound~
The animation of Kure-nai was well executed, as times very well done with fluid character motions, as well as the environment. This could not be said about the background, which was well drawn in the beginning, towards the end being of lesser quality, especially when comparing it with the character's detail. Character design were slightly different from what anime viewers are used to, but was rather lackluster in fact, being the defining feature their hairstyles, as faces of the main cast were basically the same. This was however a small drawback.
The voice actors performed their role well, matching with each character voices, though at times emotional states of these didn't come over too well. The soundtrack used was nothing outstanding, yet fulfilled its purpose in creating the different atmospheres it was trying to relay to the viewer.
~Enjoyment~
What started as an interesting and amusing anime, changed for the worse as it progressed through a badly handled blending between slice of life and action; the character were no great help either in providing a somewhat realistic story, yet what "saved" it from being a disaster were the slice of life moments present its duration. I personally think this would have worked much better if it focused on the slice of life aspect. In addition, the protagonist should have been an adult rather than a teenager, as this makes it very difficult to take the series seriously, in addition to the additional question that arises as how a simple teenager could be taking care of a 7-year-old girl without arising suspicion.
So do I recommend this anime? Honestly I don't; I have grown to dislike the school-type of setting more and more, which may have influenced significantly. Naturally, for newcomers to the anime scene all this issues wouldn't bother that much, yet for the more seasoned viewers, I would say stay away from it.
Thank you for reading.
AlexFernandez03
Spoiler filled review to the one person that cares about this show:Plot: This show is horrible. One of the major complaints I have is what decisions the characters make. In the second half on the show, The main character's hiding place becomes compromised and he STILL decides to go back there even after knowing that it is a huge risk. Not only does it result in his friend being kidnapped, but him and his friend both become depressed as a result of this. My other major complain is that a fucking 7 year old girl kisses a high school boy on the lips. This is just absolutely repulsive and I have never cringed or been more disgusted at a screen in my entire life. If you enjoyed this scene, I think it is safe to say you are a peodphile.
Now on to my minor complaints. The animation. The animation just isn't good. It's not terrible, but it isn't winning any awards. The characters look very weird during long dialogue scenes, like they are almost unnatural. The fight scenes are so bland, almost to the point it feels like you're watching some sort of fan animation on youtube that someone made on microsoft paint. Another minor complaint I have is about the person who kidnapped the main character's friend. This was the largest ass pull since Lana Rhodes pulled her fist out of Riley Reid. He was never mentioned throughout the entire first 9 episodes of the series, and didn't even appear on screen, but there he was. The main character is some sort of yakuza eliminating badass with a bone blade, but the show throws in this villain that can just shit on everyone and everything the main character can try to do. This was the worst attempt at introducing a new villain I have ever seen. The last complaint I have about the show is that int he first episode, the MC is mentioned to have won a 15 inch TV. That thing is definetely atleast 25 inches, that wasn't even close to 15 inches by far.
In conclusion, this show was an absolute waste of time and I regret having watched it because I am now less of a man than I was before pressing play on episode 1 a few hours ago.
Sanchez
A few years down the line Kurenai won't be remembered as a classic, hell I doubt many people will remember it now; it deserves more attention. But maybe it should be remembered as a classic. I believe kurenai has the biggest advancement in quality in production of anime ever. Going in I didn't know what to expect, when I loaded up the first episode I was a little taken aback by the OP and my expectations were lowered a little, it seemed kurenai wasn't the type of show I might have been looking for at the time. But the OP is deceiving, catchy but deceiving. Thesecond blow to my expectations came in the first few minutes with an apparantly supernatural element. "another crappy super power anime" I thought. But I soldiered on and by the end of episode 2 I was hooked. Kurenai is a breath of fresh air.
At first I wasn't sure what it was I liked so much about it but eventually it dawns on you. The characters, are having conversations. In every anime up till now, everything I've watched has had statements with arkward pauses inbetween, you might not have noticed it but after watching kurenai you might. The secret is, and to my knowledge kurenai is the first to do this, the show is animated based on the voice actor's recording. Finally the actors are released from the shackles of arkward animation timing, and the result shines. Kurenai is wonderful to listen to, you can hear more emotion in the voices than ever, lines are said at the right pace and I felt like the actors had even been allowed some improvision in the script to fit their characters. The advantages don't stop there, so far kurenai has the best lip syncing of any show i've seen (not so say it's perfect, far from it) but the dialogue flows wonderfully and there are conversations with 3 people at a time (to fansubbers regret) which help give the show so much character.
Kurenai isn't a one trick wonder.
The art is above average, with some varied enviroments beautifully drawn (especially towards the end), although a good amount of the show is set in one or two locations. The animation however, is not amazing. Although usually the characters move quite fluidly in some high movement episodes you can see they were stretching the budget and some of the animation becomes a little arkward. Some of the fight scenes look a little silly as well but in general the show has good art direction. The characters are all very uniquely drawn and you can see some of their personality in how they move, more subtely than other shows.
Before I talk about the characters, I should explain what type of show kurenai actually is. kurenai is not harem, despite being surrounded by woman. Kurenai is not a super power show, despite Shinkurou arguably having one. Kurenai, to me, is primarily a coming of age story for Murasaki and Shinkurou. It unravels the show using a mixture of comedy, drama and action (to a lesser extent).
The story is good. It uses the past of some characters to explain their motivations while others are revealed as the story progresses. Although the story is initially quite sinister, it lightens up to the Shinkurou - Murasaki relationship for the bulk of the series, before taking a darker dive than I was expecting for the climax. The story is paced well and serves its job well enough, the really great thing about kurenai is the characters. it's a little bit of a shame this show wasn't given a longer run. I know theres more manga material out there (which it follows, except for the ending which they had to improvise). On that subject, the ending wasn't the best ever, without giving too much away it seemed like a compromise was made which didn't really fit with the circumstances and the attiturdes of some of the characters but it does tie up the show and leave some space for a sequel (please?).
During the "slice-of-life" part of the show you learn about Murasaki, Shinkurou and his neighbours, friends and "employer". The character's all have a fun, strong personality without exaggerating to the point of Naruto or something. Infact subtelty is one of my favourite part of the show. It doesn't shout everything at you, rather it treats you like an intelligent viewer more than most and lets you make your own conclusions. The character history is incomplete, and a lot is implied, much of it through dialogue.
The humour in the series is great, amazing. Cross gender jokes without "haha she fell and you saw her panties" and the most mature humour i've ever seen in an anime. Episode 6 put me to tears actually and the show is littered with funny dialogue.
So I better end this ridiculous wall of text here. Kurenai is one of the best shows I've ever watched and if other shows took a page out of its book the quality of animes would increase greatly. Huge kudos to brain base, the creators. I refrained from giving it a 10 for its flaws but its definitely close. So in conclusion watch this because it might be the best under appreciated show ever and then get everyone else to watch it so it gets the attention it deserves.
_Rika
Once in a while you come across anime from which you expect pretty much nothing to begin with but you see a couple of episodes and find yourself having the urge to continue watching until the very end. ‘Kurenai’ was one of them for me. The story revolves around Kurenai Shinkurou, a high school student who works as a dispute mediator. He possesses abundant martial arts skills and accepts requests from his employer Juuzawa Benika to resolve trifling conflicts and the like. When he demands for something more challenging, Benika consigns him the job of protecting a seven year old kid, Kuohouin Murasaki who belongsto a highly influential and plutocratic household- the Kuohouin family. Having no clue about the young girl’s background, he accepts the job after a bit of hesitation. How Murasaki responds to the world of the commoners and forms bonds with the people around her while constantly battling against the depressing memories of her mother and life at the Kuohouin household are the main focus of the story.
While the plot, in itself, may not sound much unique or intriguing, the way it is carried out is quite good. For a short anime with twelve episodes, it was an enjoyable watch. The premise of the first few episodes is Murasaki learning new things and getting acquainted with the people related to Shinkurou, and how she finds joy in little things which she was devoid of. Every episode was fun to watch and none of them felt boring. Not to forget, there were a few moments which were quite amusing to me.
The cast is entertaining to say the least. The characters are so vibrant that you can’t help but like them. The protagonist Shinkurou, the cheeky Murasaki and their neighbours— they are such an interesting bunch. One character I personally didn’t like was Houzuki Yuuno, not only because it is infuriating to see people who try hard to gain attention but also because she didn’t seem to have much of a role except that of following around the protagonist. Well, every harem anime needs one I suppose. On that note, this isn’t exactly a harem. While it will be incorrect to say that harem doesn’t exist, it is more or less a side dish which is good in this case at least.
The OST is average. Most of the soundtracks were barely noticeable. The only soundtrack that I like is ‘Wasureenu Omoi’ (look for it in Youtube) which played during a dramatic scene in the last episode if I remember correctly. The OP is nothing great either and the same goes for the first ED. The second ED on the other hand is catchy and I liked it.
The art is sharp and vivid, and the animation is done really well. The backgrounds are simple yet attractive. The character designs are pretty good too.
‘Kurenai’ is not something that I’ll recommend but even so, do give it a shot if you ever feel like.
Theowne
This anime has good animation and a likable lead character but ultimately is somewhat mediocre. For one thing, the plot is not believable. A girl must go into hiding, and thus she is given to a high school student who is absent half the day. She is freely taken into public places, her appearance is not changed, and frequently there are moments where disbelief cannot be suspended at the actions done with this girl who is supposedly "in hiding". This could be ignored if the characters were very good. The lead, Shinkurou, was interesting enough, but very few of theother characters are. Murasaki is alright, but somewhat repetitive. The female love interest is dull, while another, more interesting female character from Kurenai's school is ignored for the most part. Frankly the series simply feels a bit aimless.
AngelsArcanum
Preface: The Kure-nai anime is a truly underrated gem of the medium; it is a shonen that transcends the limitations and trappings of its demographic into something adult and intelligent, and into what I find to be one of the best shonen anime of all time and it also happens to fall into that 1% of "anime adaptations that are better than the manga/light novel/visual novel they are based off of." *I would go into length about the differences between the anime and manga, but it would be too extensive for this review, so I'll have it on file if anyone wants clarification later* When Iheard about Kure-nai back in '08 and read up on the premise, my tastes were too underdeveloped at the time and I dismissed it as some dull slice of life (in a laymen sense) story that wouldn't satisfy my adolescent male cravings for boisterous shonen action. A few years later, as my tastes have become more refined and open, I come across a review on the series and decide to take a look at it and seeing that it was a rather favourable review, I decided to check it out under the assumption that it was almost purely slice of life (again, it a laymen sense) which I was more accepting towards. Ironically, it turns out that Kure-nai does have action in it; some of the most visceral, well choreographed and intense martial arts I've seen in an anime that is. With that said, the action was a great bonus, and for those of you at the very least looking for some quality martial arts battles, then definitely give Kure-nai a shot for the fighting and stay for the story. I think that it can serve as a nice entry way into good storytelling in shonen anime and other anime in general. As to why Kure-nai is such a great anime and happens to be my current #3 top anime, let's dig into the meat of the review shall we?
Story: Kure-nai, at its core, is a simple story; a young man working as a part time mediator is assigned an additional job on the side to take care of the young daughter of an aristocratic family while trying to juggle his job as a mediator, his school life and his home life where he lives in a shoddy apartment with 2 other eccentric patrons. Our titular "protagonist" Shinkuro Kurenai is the 16 year old mediator in question whose parents were murdered when he was young and he was rescued by his mentor and fellow mediator Benika Juzawa, who left him in the care of the Hozuki family household where he would learn their style of martial arts and get a special bone blade transplanted into his elbow for emergencies. He eventually moved out of the place and found an apartment on his own with the payments from his job as a mediator to support his stay. Then there's the other most important character in the anime, Murasaki Kuhoin, who is seen being taken (rescued) from her family's manor at the start of the series by Benika and her assistant Yayoi Inuzuka, and being entrusted to Shinkuro. She is initially very impetuous and haughty, speaking in a sophisticated yet arguably archaic prose and believing the world around her to be her personal oyster, like treating a bath house clerk like a servant and not giving thanks, expecting to be given treats and such regularly. Shinkuro begins to teach Murasaki about societal folkways and mores that she is not used to due to her sheltered upbringing in a prestigious family and we see the contrasting lifestyles and norms collide. From there, the series starts to take off. Being predominantly character driven, the story focuses on our 2 characters growing their bond, growing as individuals and growing as members of society with all these different scenarios and characters coming into play to help them blossom with things like Shinkuro trying to negotiate with shady figures that usually end up getting rough, Murasaki trying to occupy her time at the apartment while Shinkuro is at school, the 2 going out shopping or on play dates, and many more. We later learn about Shinkuro's tragic past and the reasons for Murasaki's kidnapping. It's all executed so well due to the exceptional writing that doesn't let things become formulaic, allows for balanced tones and conflicts, creates smart, subtle humour and not crude trite often seen (episode 6 is a riot, don't skip it), doesn't become steeped in melodrama and moves the story at a slower, but more enriching pace to its benefit coupled with some interesting cinematography and things like juxtapositions to add value to certain scenes. The action is interspersed over a few of the earlier episodes before becoming the focus in the last third of the series, but I'll refrain from delving into spoiler territory too much. The fights themselves are visceral in every sense of the word; you can almost feel every little contortion of flesh and bone with each blow, the movements are very fluid and expertly choreographed while making the environment feel like it actually has obstacles to it that get in the way. The characters aren't flying around all over and blasting beams at each other, and typically the place they are fighting in isn't conveniently spacious, so a character might get cut off by a chair, get caved in, etc, it is believable and well executed. Overall the story centralizes character growth and living as aforementioned, so early episodes involve some mundane stuff and a lot of conversation, but the mature dialogue, nuanced emotions, solid interplay, refined prose, natural tension and precise timing all culminate to make for a really engaging and really human drama. Whether it be Shinkuro chatting at school with friends, doing negotiations with people, him and Murasaki doing chores, Murasaki doing stuff by herself or anything else, it is all captured with meticulous detail for realism and not a single event feels superfluous or unnecessary. The final arc also happens to be a tour de force, really bringing the themes home, with Shinkuro questioning his strength in an refreshing and hard-hitting way unlike the typical shonen executions of it, along with the morals behind breaking out of an impersonal worker-client in order to make a change which leads up to a battle not of good and evil, but of freedom of expression for man as an individual v.s. punctual tradition for fortifying a status quo, making for a well constructed grey area as ideals clash as well as the morals behind family and the love shown to members of a family unit (trying to be vague to avoid spoilers) and all topped off with an ending that has reasonable goals and compromises for all sides that may be initially bittersweet, but touching in the end, and overall, I found nary a flaw in the whole thing. To conclude the story portion, I'd like to draw up comparisons to 2 anime: Bunny Drop and Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal (moreso the former). I really love Bunny Drop, but I find that Kure-nai balances events better in terms of the child raising, not to say that Bunny Drop is bad by any means at doing its child raising well (quite the contrary) I just find Kure-nai is less linear and is able to show the events of both Shinkuro and Murasaki in an episode where they are apart whereas Bunny Drop will focus on either Daikichi at work or Rin playing in particular episodes besides the scenes where they are together, so I like how Kure-nai is able to handle multiple focal points like that and we aren't kind of left out on certain subplots or events for one side or the other, so it is more cohesive and rounded. As for RuroKen, it is mostly a stylistic thing, but I'd just like to note that Kure-nai's final arc also has a rich, picturesque snow blanketed locale with a very heavy and tense atmosphere due to the content, and things proceed with just as much elegant pacing and tone as Trust and Betrayal, so do be sure to keep going with the series if you are having doubts and/or love Trust and Betrayal to see such a powerful and splendid final act. 10/10
Characters: Again, being a character driven story, it is all about the characters, and the core duo and most of the supporting cast are multi-layered and believable human characters that you will grow on; although there are some hindrances, they are largely subjective. Shinkuro is a timid, humble and self-sufficient teenage boy just trying to get by in life with having to juggle so many things in his rough life; he is sincere and earnest, but can still be adamant and strict with Murasaki. He lacks some personal confidence, but is nonetheless devoted and compassionate. Murasaki starts out as a spoiled and whiny little girl with a brazen attitude, but over the course of the series, she settles down and blossoms into a very considerate, responsible and mature little 7 year old. Benika tends to be a rather reserved, sometimes stern person but also has a sharp tongue and is very optimistic and caring. Yayoi happens to be a tad thinner in personality than most of the cast, being mostly one note, brazen and subservient to Benika, although she does undergo something of an epiphany learning about strength through Shinkuro to help loosen up a bit. Ginko also is a little lackluster compared to some others, but has some subtle little soft spots beneath her blunt veneer and also happens to have a bit of a backstory with Shinkuro. Yuno is very kind upfront, but equally as assertive and strong with her convictions, being a sweetie with a rough side you don't wanna mess with. Tamaki is the eccentric, promiscuous patron living in the same apartment as Shinkuro, she is somewhat like Yuno only more carefree and playful whereas Yuno is more of a quiet yet passionate person, however, while Tamaki tends to wear her pride and flirtatiousness on her shoulder, she still feels some resentment towards herself for being too loose and not willing to settle down or be able to maintain a long relationship. Yamie is...an enigma really, so you could consider that a flaw in that little is exposed of her, but that is also part of her charm as the cunning witch that she is. Renjo Kuhoin is Murasaki's father, he appears to be a tightwad who simply amounts to the principles of the Kuhoin namesake rather than being a real person, when in actuality he cares deeply for his family and feels there is a bit of injustice in his family's system, but he is too fearful of the burden of being one to go against tradition and listen to his feelings. His son (whose name I'm forgetting) is something of a foil to Renjo, he's extroverted and merciless and puts his pride as a Kuhoin above anything else and is very blatant about it. There's also Renjo's wife Kazuko who is one of the most arrogant and vile individuals in the series with that being the only real feature to her character, however if you want to take into account Western beliefs on characterization for villains or those of a similar ilk, having a real backstory for her and demistifying why she is so cruel would ruin a bit of her presence, similar to how people panned Kevin Smith for making a comic about the Joker's backstory. This is also seen in Lin-Cheng Shin, Renjo's son's bodyguard who is absolutely a psychotic nutcase who only desires for a fight, serving as a byproduct and raw exemplification of the son's spite and cruelty, sans the social and political connections to hold her back, making her a devastating individual. Lastly Souju Kuhoin is Renjo's sister who is the anti-thesis to Kazuko as a sweet-natured person and cared far more for Murasaki than Kazuko did, but she isn't shown too much. All in all the characters all serve a purpose and have well rounded personalities for the most part explored sufficiently while sticking to their more prominent traits to make them stand out, with a lot of subtleties to illuminate on them more which you catch onto after watching. 9-10/10
Art: The artwork for Kure-nai is exceptional. The characters don't have super moe, over the top features and their faces all look well drawn and seriously designed to complement the nature of the series. Settings have a diverse palette with rich colours including lots of sensual reds (heck, Kure-nai translates to 'crimson') and other exquisite tones that give it such an alluring feel. There's stellar use of shadows and lighting to accentuate the fantastic palette and make superb gradience. Backgrounds possess a lot of life evoked by the complements of aforementioned factors to make the mundane settings feel alive and lifelike, and then there's the Kuhoin manor's outside with a heavy atmosphere, great texture and an invigorating air to it all with the almost ethereal snow fields caressing the trees in winter and all the leaves and different things in the frame, and the Kuhoin manor itself which touts the most of those vibrant reds with a nicely stylized old Edo-esque aesthetic and all of these vivid designs to make things really pop. Kure-nai has a lot of eye candy, moreso innately with stuff like the Kuhoin manor, but nonetheless is great to look at. 10/10
Animation: The animation for the series is a bit inconsistent, but has a lot of high points, evident by the fight scenes which spare no expense and don't use any shortcuts or stylish standalone frames, everything happens real time, non stop and right on camera. Meanwhile it can sometimes render things with kind of a 'soup-y' quality to them, kind of melting off and not being totally clear. Episode 6 seems to have an abundance of it, but it is more for effect in that case and something of a more comedic episode. Still, at times it can look a tad awkward, like this one scene in the final episode involving Shinkuro, it's pretty obvious when you see it, and it comes off as a bit inadvertently comedic for an instant. Overall it still has great highs with special complements to the fight scenes for how stunning they look. 9/10
Music: I'm no expert on music, but the soundtrack for Kure-nai just sounds lovely, simply put. It further complements the stuff on screen with mesmerizing piano songs that are very romantic and captivating, like going to a ritzy, sophisticated bar or high class outing or cozying by some regal fireplace quality. Refined and relaxing, these songs total justice to the series and are great for savouring and unwinding yourself with. 10/10
Enjoyment: Kure-nai is not for those with short attention spans or those who need something large scaled to happen every couple of minutes, but for myself and others who enjoy anime of a more heart warming and tender nature that's audacity builds gradually, Kure-nai does wonders. The dialogue had life and realism to it, the atmosphere was both enchanting and immense, the pacing was natural, the writing and plot was sharp and investing, the production values were excellent, the fight scenes were breathtaking, the composure was refined, the characters were memorable and the themes were poignant. I have no complaints, Kure-nai was a belly full for my soul. 10/10
In conclusion, Kure-nai is a seductress, or a tamed lion even; it has all the looks, the composure and the atmosphere to make it a captivating creature and it has bite with its bark. Although it may not always speak loudly, when it does, it is ferocious, and when it is quiet, it is beautiful and touching. The manga can't hold a candle to this adaptation; it is juvenile in comparison, although I still must give thanks to the manga creators for laying the groundwork for this liberal, but far superior adaptation. Despite the anime adapting about 1/5th of the manga, it tells it with a much more resolute passion, and quantity should not take precedence over quality, nor does quantity equate to quality. The 2008 Kure-nai anime is quality. Do yourself a favour and watch it, even if you are big on crazy supernatural shonen fests, if you like a good story, give it a shot and you might get more diversity to your tastes while having the great fights to hold onto. I can't recommend it enough, it is an underrated anime gem and one of the greatest shonen anime of all time, and perhaps even one of the greatest anime period.
TrashTTGLReviewr
Kurenai was an incredibly enjoyable anime. The characters were done really well. The design was good and the animation was pretty fluid. There’s also a wonderful amount of character development. And I definitely can’t forget to mention the great voice acting. The story was different. There were several conflicts building into one major conflict. Kurenai is full of action, a suspenseful drama with intense fights, yet at different times, it can be light-hearted and just hilarious. The peeps really did a good job putting together this anime into a short but satisfying 12 episodes. The music was okay. I personally thought it fitthe anime well. It wasn’t absolutely amazing, but it matched the moments of the anime and that’s what’s important. And yeah…the opening is definitely one of a kind x)
Kurenai was enjoyable, cute, powerful, funny, exciting.
It was a great anime. I recommend it to EVERYONE.
Thaiberium
Rifling through the anime I had to get through, I remembered that Kure-nai had piqued my interest after the first episode, and in the lull of things, I decided to finish what I started. Now the story is about young dispute mediator asked to guard a young girl. Now at first the only thing that came to mind was, there is something deeper afoot. Sure enough, Kure-nai is rather shy with it's revelations and that just begs for the viewer to continue on until everything is over. In this regard it is well executed. As always, some of the scenes may notmake sense until it is later explained but that is to be expected of this offering.
They went for a realistic approach in Kure-nai, which works well at points but sometimes results are either a victim of the uncanny valley or just plain disturbing. Especially the a fight scene involving our protagonist and his principle's brother. Speaking of fight scenes, though they may be brief at points, they are a visual treat thanks to the fluid animation. What I especially liked as well was the background art. The hues and lighting really set mood and are very well done.
Sound on the other hand, could have been better handled. The background music is satisfactory already but what I really had a gripe with were the sound effects. Physical contact sounds like they were sprung out of a can of stock sounds or out of a video game (which I must admit I feel as if I've heard them from somewhere else before but I digress).
The plots is character driven and thus characterisation was given some priority as well. Our protagonists lives charmingly mature in to real people as they live, struggle and come to grips with each other. What is really admirable is their courage. For our protagonist hero it is how he deals with the mistakes of youth and protagonist heroine how she stands up for her freedom. Our supporting characters are not forgotten as well. Each have a deeper side to them as it is slowly revealed by others or inferred from what they say and how they say it.
Overall, I enjoyed Kure-nai. The well written characters and the plot that surrounds it. And to a lesser extent I enjoy the somewhat more realistically grounded fights. Personal favourite scene would be the episode involving the musical, which I would describe as classy. I'm heartily recommending this as something may not be unique to some but well executed. If you're looking for something nice and quick, this isn't for you since Kure-nai takes good time to enjoy.
jcrowly
For my first ever review, I wanted to give it to the show that showed me the joys of low expectations. I was watching a bunch of Top 10 Anime videos with a couple of friends just for kicks when one of them recommended this show to me. The guy reviewing the shows was downright embarrassing to listen to, I think it was probably the weird accent, but I guess he must've been pretty good if he got me to watch the show. So with pretty low expectations, I decided to give the show a try. Story: 8/10 So to begin, the story was pretty original from whatI've usually seen and you may even learn something about the history of some of the darker parts of Japanese culture. You have the protagonist, Shinkurou Kurenai, a high schooler, who takes on odd-jobs for his employer, Benika Juuzawa. One day Benika brings a young girl named Murasaki Kuhouin to Shinkurou, asking him to take care of her while she is in hiding from her family. Although Shinkurou seems pretty serious about his work and agrees to the job, he doesn't fully understand how hard it is taking care of another person until he comes home from class to find Murasaki missing after her first day away from home. Without spoiling too much, the rest of the story is about the heartwarming relationship Shinkurou and his neighbors have with Murasaki. At the final stretch of the series (which to me was the most satisfying part) the show changes from a lighthearted slice of life, to a melodrama revolving around the dark past of the Kuhouin family.
Art: 8/10
I really appreciate how the anime uses a different style from the source manga to differentiate itself. Although I haven't read the manga myself, from what I've seen, the changes were well called for. I personally enjoyed the dark color pallet used throughout the show and I thought the character designs were great and very fitting for each of the character's personalities. I also really appreciate how Murasaki actually looked like a kid instead of a typical loli-type character (looking at you manga Murasaki).
Sound: 10/10
The performances were incredibly believable, especially Aoi Yuuki's performance as Murasaki. Yuuki seems to capture that immature brattiness of kids really well without making them seem too unlikable. Miyuki Sawashiro is also very talented in most of her roles and Shinkurou is no exception. The supporting cast also does very well with what little screen time they are given.
The soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites in anime ever. I guarantee you that even if you don't notice it while watching, the dramatic scenes are greatly enhanced with the use of those amazing piano pieces by Ken Muramatsu. From the upbeat slice-of-life tracks to the tempo downed drama tracks, the OST has it all. To this day (at least at the time of the review) I still listen to the OST because it's that good.
Character: 9/10
There was not a single character I disliked, which I think is pretty amazing considering there was only 12 episodes to flesh out each one. Even if the antagonists aren't really the type you're supposed to sympathize with in this show, their motives play a crucial part to the story. Shinkurou's neighbors, Tamaki and Yamie, were the most surprising characters of the story. I don't want to spoil too much, but I think because I didn't really expect much from them, I ended up enjoying their presence and relationship with the kids a lot. A special shout-out to Benkia's assistant, Yayoi, who does a lot more than what she's asked to do.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I love this show with all my heart and even though it's not really smart or special in any way, I was seriously happy watching it. Although it was not long ago when I watch it, I feel a sense of nostalgia just remembering that I had. If I could erase my memories and watch it again with the same low expectations, I would. Sorry to anyone who reads this review though, your expectations might be a little higher because of me.
Overall: 9/10
On my official list I gave the show a 10/10, simply from the enjoyment and comparison to other shows I've watched, but if I had to rate the show in a vacuum, I'd give it a 9. It would be hard for me to recommend this show to other people simply because I can't guarantee that people will experience the same nostalgic feeling I had when watching it. Even so, I hope that whoever reads this review will give it a shot. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my opinion.
alx222000
Kurenai is about a young girl, Murasaki, on the run from her families' strict traditions, and Shinkurou, a poor student, who also has the job of settling disputes (usually violently), hired to be her bodyguard. (You'd think a dangerous job like that would have decent pay, but whatever) The series mostly follows daily life, as Shinkurou learns how to deal with Murasaki, goes to school, and takes a few other jobs. While Murasaki learns about life, and how to have fun, with help from Shinkurou, and the other inhabitants of the apartments where they live. All the characters are interesting in their way, and each fits intotheir part of the story well. The humour in the series is all character driven, just watching the way people (particularly young and impressionable Murasaki) act/interact, such as during the 'family' dinners the apartment dwellers have. Whether being dramatic or humerous, I never really felt the characters acted in a way that didn't make some sort of sense.
Near the end, the series switches to mostly action, and it's well done, though it might not be as interesting after the character-based parts. Still, it's hard to imagine the series getting to the end any other way.
The ending is open, possibly TOO open, and many will probably have a sense of annoyance at the fact. However, in all other aspects, the ending is well done, and avoids being entirely predictable.
The art is generally nice, but there are times when the animation quality drops, and things get ugly, usually people's faces. Though, when combat kicks in, everything moves fluidly, and looks great.
Overall, this is a good, humerous, character-driven series, with some nice action thrown in for good measure. The fact that the series seems to place the focus on character-development over story might bother some people, however, I think that given the interesting characters, it works well.
edgewalker00
on the shell, kure-nai is a very dull anime. the music is boring especially when the next episode is previewed and there are lots of local fanservice made to mention. however, after watching it, you would surprisingly find the anime deep. every episode rarely has relation with one another but it features lots of things reflecting culture, beliefs, change, and resolve. take the simple squabbles between murasaki and shinkurou. they always quarrel over petty things but they are only acting on their belief of their own right. they who live on different cultures and circumstances, when given before a problem or a point of discussion,they would fight over what they believed in.
the same goes for all other characters within the story. i believe that there's no such thing as "minor" in this anime. the playgirl tamaki, the emo yamie, the flirt yuno, the stern ginko, the carefree benika, up to the serious yayoi. everyone lives in their own principle, guided by their own circumstance and belief and i think that factor makes this anime a success.
an anime coated with boredom and differences but gives everyone a sweet taste of understanding and appreciation of life. that's the true strength of kure-nai
