Search - Now and Then, Here and There - Discord and Doom (Vol. 1) on DVD

Something that can't be expressed in words...

12/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've watched the whole series a few months ago when it first aired on cable. I have to say that no matter how many times it was replayed, I never got sick of watching it. The simplicity of this series is something that shouldn't fool you to think that it is lame or boring; it doesn't have any cute or cool flashy characters, swordfights, magic spells, romance and comedy. The characters are simple in appearance yet their emotions give them plenty of personality, to the point that you begin to feel for them as the story progresses. The plot is beautifully written and makes the quite lacking animation seem fluid. Even if the show seems to have designs similar to old classic cartoons, this show is definitely not for children, as it shows quite an amount of violence and touches topics such as killing, torture and even rape. The series is short and the whole story leaves you wondering in the end; and that is what makes it special."

WOW

monkeys_and_anime | Euclid, Oh United States | 06/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a GREAT anime. I admit that I was at first discouraged by the very simple and somewhat goofy looking character designs (what can I say, I like pretty things). Even more so when I read a review about it that was far from encouraging. my, how misleading first impressions can be.This show touched me deeply. The characters have so much emotion and life that they feel real to you. The situations that these people are in are enough to make wanna jump in and save them yourself. The Story is about a very cheerful and optimistic boy named "Shu". He accidently gets transported to a mysterious world while trying to save a new friend. There he gets mixed up in the crazy problems of this warring world and is subjected to intense torture. This show greatly focuses on the use of severe physical abuse to train the soldiers fighting in this world, most of them still mere children. The leader of them all is a blubbering, crazy king, who I find to be one of the most interesting anime characters I've ever seen. The background art and use of color and lighting is absolutely breathtaking as well. This is a series that will never leave you bored or feel as if it's too long. It is a show definately worth puchasing."

You'll never look at life the same

Keith A. Jones | Philadelphia PA | 10/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like some other people who wrote a review I rented now and then here and there from a local blockbuster and if I didn't see the first episode on comcast I may have never seen this wonderful anime creation.This is one of the best drama anime serie's i have ever seen.This serie's is almost like Escaflwone but very depressing as in There Is No Hope. I don't like to spoil reviews by revealing things about the story so I only encourage readers to see it.This is such a powerful anime show that it starts to make you feel for the characters right off the bat. Some things in this story are hard to understand like why lalaru acts the way she does evan after act's of good she holds the same face only smiling here and there, and why shu will stop a nothing to protect her, he is so concentrated on protecting her that he doesn't think a lot about his parent's or sister but he makes you love and respect him for his strength and dedication.Even tho this is a depressing story Shu brings a little hope back when it seems to be completley gone. Now and Then Here and There leaves a very strong memory in your mind it makes you appriciate life and see that torcher seems worse than death. Even tho this is a animated show it shows what a lot of children in the world suffer and to see a child this brave and strong go threw this and still keep the will to survive will inspire all .viewers"

Where is the pendant... WHERE IS IT?!?!?!

William F. Soule | Clearfield, UT USA | 09/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow... What a wonderful little anime we have here! It's surprising it's not more popular than it is. True, the animation style is a little more simplistic than your typical anime, but it has its unique charm that strengthens the anime rather than mitigates.

This is quite the depressing anime. You watch different characters going through horrible situations, such as torture, murdering, rape (although, it's done tastefully. It's not a total gorefest or anything, but it suggests and shows enough for the viewer to get the point)... All the characters are struggling to survive, each with the glimmer of hope of better things to come, including the protagonists, antagonists, and all the characters in the blurry line in-between.

The characters are each pushed further and further onto the brink of sanity, and you'll have to wonder what their motivations are. Why is Shu always so blindly optimistic? Why is Lala Ru so cold and detached? Why is Hamdo a total psycho and why is Abelia so loyal to him? Not all questions are answered, leaving the viewer to wonder about some of the characters past lives that influence their present decisions - which is a good thing, in my opinion.

Character development is very well done and it's sad seeing some of those characters start to fall apart emotionally and beaten up physically, but the anime leaves you with an important lesson at the end - something you'll need to watch for yourself.

This is the first of three volumes, though, and contains 5 episodes. It starts off well - introducing you to the most important characters. It has its funny, shocking, and disturbing moments, and it quickly introduces you to the conflict. It's fast-paced, but not too fast where all the characters are lost in the action. You might want to get all three volumes simultaneously because you'll want to see the other two volumes after finishing this one."