cokesque

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Kouyama Mitsuki dreams of becoming a famous singer, famous enough that her music will reach Eichi, the boy she loves, who has moved to America. So determined is Mitsuki that she refuses the medical procedure that could cure the throat cancer threatening her life.

When the two shinigami¹, Takuto and Meroko, appear to Mitsuki and accidentally reveal she has but a year to live, she convinces them to help her achieve her dream.

Impressions

Full Moon wo Sagashite feels like a magical girl Kodocha, with some bright and bouncy character designs, transformation sequences, cute outfits, and mystic sidekicks of both the powerful and kawaii nature.

Early on, all of this sugar and bubblegum is blurred by Mitsuki’s isolation from the normal daily life of a twelve year old. She doesn’t have any real friends and hardly interacts with her grandmother, with whom she lives. And even in moments of what seem to be genuine connections with new people, the feeling of detachment remains—above all, we understand the Sword of Damocles is always there, just out of frame.

In fact we suddenly see the arc of the sword all too clearly, and at last this draws Mitsuki closer to others: her manager, doctor, grandmother, and classmates. Like Honda Toru in Fruits Basket, Mitsuki’s bright personality grows more warming when it shines with the reflected light of those around her (_I’m paraphrasing the anime itself here_). By the final quarter of the series, the plot has become heartbreakingly mesmerising.

The success of an anime about a jpop idol depends greatly on its music. Fortunately, the producers made a bold choice in casting, picking real musicians with no prior voice acting experience. Mitsuki is played by Myco, lead singer of the (I think now defunct) group Changin’ My Life. Rival/idol wannabe Madoka is voiced by the similarly mononymic Kana². Though initially Myco’s somewhat husky voice seems inappropriate for a 12-year-old, the singer quickly settles into the role, providing a much more convincing pitch³ and delivering a wonderful musical performance.

The anime commits only one unpardonable sin in my eyes: the second season introduces a recurring comic relief character who is visually little more than a giant sperm with a top hat. Gah.

Nevertheless, Full Moon wo Sagashitte succeeds in its delicate balancing act of kawaii comedy, mortally serious drama, and musical affirmation thanks to some strong and sympathetic characters and an excellent soundtrack.

Random Thoughts

THE★SCANTY, the band who recorded the OPs, makes a cameo appearance in a several episodes.

Mangaka Tanemura Arina says Mitsuki was modeled after her assistant Airi, who looks like an elementary school girl. Mitsuki’s hairstyle came from my favorite Morning Musume member, Yaguchi Mari! (Apparently there’s a Hello! Project fetish at work here; she mentions Matsuura Aya as well)

Gu-chan the pig is so named because “gu” is the last syllable in the Japanese pronunciation of “pig”—ie, piggu.

Notes

¹ A shinigami is a god of death, though traditionally sans bunny ears.

² Whether this is the Kana, gothic lolita, or simply a Kana, random unknown jpop singer, is something I cannot determine, though I find it unlikely that the Kana would’ve done bubblegum pop themes for shows like this and Pokemon.

³ Comparing a second season episode with the premier reveals a shocking pitch difference in Mitsuki’s voice. And I thought I had just grown accustomed to Myco’s husky tones…. I plan to investigate further to see exactly how quickly the adjustment was made.

Neko Factor

I don't think that is a real bunny.

- 2004-07-01 21:50 -