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Reviewer: Rowena Lim Lei Synopsis: Review: To say that Boogiepop Phantom is an anime series is something of an inaccuracy. First and foremost, each episode features a different set of situations and characters -- with a few regulars criss-crossing from story to story. There's a brain-damaged mother who can't remember giving birth to her own daughter. There's a high school boy who can read people's minds. There's a weird guy who's so obssessed with bishoujo games that his whole life revolves around it. Boogiepop Phantom features about a zillion different characters, each with his/her own personal burden / trauma / dilemma. I can't even remember who's who, much less enumerate them all. Since the episodes are presented in a disjointed manner, I can't really elaborate on the plot much. In one episode, a young girl put down by her music professor is driven to suicide. In another episode, some people are murdered by a serial killer on the loose. There are constant characters such as Boogiepop, Nagi, Poom Poom, etc. but what can I tell you about them? Boogiepop is supposedly the other persona of an ordinary girl named Toka, and Boogiepop supposedly surfaces whenever there is a threat to the world. Nagi is a brave young lady who feels it is her duty to fight for justice... alone. Poom Poom is a fictional character who somehow comes to life and tries to get people to be his "friend", but eventually lose their sanity in the process. There's no clear-cut connection or continuity between eps, and I learned about most of what was happening from the character profiles and descriptions that came as a bonus on the fourth DVD. I fell asleep approximately every other episode due to the sluggish pacing as well. There were times the 12 eps felt more like 112 eps, and it took me nearly a month to finish watching everything. Of course, not everything I have to say about Boogiepop Phantom is negative. Sheer artistry exemplifies this series in most aspects. The visuals are composed with great care -- featuring some very creative camera angles, color schemes, and character designs. The first 11 eps are shown in dark, monochromatic tones. My guess is that it is because these instances are more of flashbacks. The last episode, however, suddenly bursts with color and life -- which I suppose represents the present time. Music and sound effects are also effectively used to enhance the mood of each scene. There's enough happening to make you think, but what I didn't like was the obvious extra effort to make everything seem profound. With its intriguing theme and artistic merits, Boogiepop Phantom is quite good overall -- but it sure as hell not as great as most people make it out to be. It's like you're cool if you dig it, and stupid if you can't appreciate it. Maybe I'm somewhere in between if we follow the general opinion, but I'm not going to sing all praises just because everyone else is. It's only worth a look if you're looking for something different, or if you're into profound stuff. Miscellanies: Screenshots: Shopping - click on title to purchase: [ Anime Series Index | Back to Main Menu ]
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