Kaze no Shoujo Emily, or Emily of the New Moon as its English title, is the third of what I’d like to call the “big three” of the spring-season 2007, along with Toward the Terra and Bokura no. These three form the cream of the crop of the series that have been released for the past half year, perhaps even for the past year.
The problem is, though that there’s a good chance that many people haven’t even heard of this series. It’s a sad thing, but in addition to being one of the best series of the season, it’s also one of the most neglected ones. Seriously, only the kiddie-shows like Bakugan Battle Brawlers have gotten less coverage than this one. I’ve often said that popularity is no way to determine the quality of an anime, and Kaze no Shoujo Emily is the perfect example of this.
The biggest problem with this is probably the fact that this is a Shoujo-series. I have no idea why, but the fansubbers have always tended to neglect the Shoujo-series. Only half of them ever gets subbed, while there are some true gems among the genre, beyond this series as well.
Okay, enough blabber, what about the content of this series? Well, it consists out of standalone episodes that tell the story of Emily Byrd Starr, a eleven-year-old girl who lives in Canada, about a century ago, and her three friends Perry Miller, Teddy Kent and Ilse Barnley. It’s loosely based on the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, who wrote it and who some might recognize as the author of Anne of Green Gables.
The series is basically a slice-of-life series with lots and lots of drama, and this formula turns out to work so well. Emily is a wonderful character; she differs from the usual Shoujo-lead by acting rude and energetic. She longs to be a writer someday, and she often fantasizes in her own world in an extremely poetic mood, and this personality of her often clashes with those of others, resulting in some amazing dramatic climaxes.
The side-characters of Perry, Teddy and Ilse provide wonderful support for it. They’ve all got their own story as well, and throughout the series, we can see the four of them clash, grow and interact. A major theme of the series is living towards your dreams, and some of the episodes are just incredibly inspirational.
One of the things I loved about this series is how it’s so delightfully consistent. There are maybe four or five lesser episodes, but apart from that, you just know that nearly every episode you’ll watch will leave you with a heart-warming feeling, unlike many other anime, which often need episodes for introductions and aftermaths.
When this already is quite amazing, this series turns even better once the characters actually start growing up. The majority of the series shows Emily as an eleven-year-old girl, but starting with episode 20, we actually see her time in high-school, and the final episodes show the major events of the last years of her youth, ending with Emily being around twenty. During this, this series becomes a real tear-jerker, delivering one awesome episode after the other.
The character-designs will take a bit to get used to, though. Emily is drawn in a really shoujo way, and it’s hard to not label this series as some kiddie-series (trust me, it’s not). The colours used in both the backgrounds and the character-designs are bright and colourful, though the production-values are quite high, and this series ends up looking beautiful, as soon as you get used to it. The soundtrack also consists out of a collection of beautiful classical tunes, which strengthen the series even more.
Overall, if there ever was a series that deserves to get subbed, it’d be this one. Not only does it deliver memorable characters, it’s also a valuable chance to see anime tackle the Canadian culture of a century ago, and I must say that it does a pretty good job. The differences between the Japanese culture are definitely there, probably influenced by the books of Lucy Maud Montgomery. If you ever have the chance to watch this series, I recommend you to take it, unless you really need action.]]>
Category: Kaze no Shoujo Emily
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 26
Yup, the dramatic climax of the series was with the previous episode. This episode closes off her story, with the final important events of her childhood: a small accident of Elizabeth, her first book and of course her marriage with Teddy, which formed the highlight of this episode. While it wasn’t as downright awesome as the previous episode, and while other series have had endings that felt better than this one, it still was satisfying enough as an end.
And Lorna (or however you spell her name) also deserves credit in this episode. I remember noting how she should get some more development, right before Emily went to Ruth to study, and that’s exactly what she got. It seems that the two of them haven’t been interacting too much ever since Emily came back, but with Emly’s new book, the rivalry between the two of them finally disappeared. They looked so awesome during Emily’s wedding. Even though things looked pretty hopeless only a few episodes ago, I must say that this episode shows yet another side of this: if people say goodbye to each other, it doesn’t mean goodbye forever.
Ah well, it’s finally time to say goodbye to this wonderful series. Let’s just hope that a generous person with enough Japanese skills will come one day and sub this series, beyond the first two episodes. I know it’s false hope (Sasami Mahou shoujo Club still didn’t get any subs at all, despite its gripping middle part), but seriously, this Kaze no Shoujo Emily is too awesome to be neglected.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 25
Seriously, ever since episode nineteen, Kaze no Shoujo Emily has been able to dish out one awesome episode after the other; this episode yet again was so incredibly sad. And not only that, but it also shows the link between Emily and Lucy Maud Montgomery. I’ve read somewhere that Emily was much more based on her past when compared to Akage no Anne, and with this episode I fully understand this, after Elizabeth manages to get Emily’s interest in poetry back.
Emily and Elizabeth remain the most important characters in this anime, and this episode shows it. When Emily is down because of the los of nearly everyone close to her, Elizabeth manages to save her, especially when the former nearly entirely abandoned her younger self because of it. This was a magnificent episode that only contributes to this show’s quality.
And seriously, I’m anticipating on how the creators were planning to end this series. Will Teddy or another return? Will Emily chose her own path? There are so many interesting possibilities!]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 24
Seriously… despite the fact that this is supposed to be a slice-of-life-series, ever since episode nineteen this has been one non-stop roller-coaster ride of bittersweet awesomeness. I was wondering how the creators would spend the final three episodes of the series, now that she’s back in New Moon, and now that her dreams have failed to be accomplished, but this episode shows that they know exactly what they’re doing. This episode was utterly sensational!
I’m not going to say what happens during the main climax. That’s for you to find out, if it ever gets subbed. Let me say though, that it was so sad. It’s times like these when the fact that the fansubbers dislike shoujo-series really becomes a bad thing, because the English-speaking-only community is missing out on a masterpiece because of this.
About the other events of the episode, I still love the irony that surrounds Emily. Throughout the entire beginning of the series, we see her twelve-year old version be extremely enthusiastic about her dreams to become a poet. She keeps working hard, and her enthusiasm forms a great source of inspiration for her friends. I seriously doubt whether Teddy, Perry and Ilse could have gotten this far without Emily. Ilse probably would never have realized that she likes acting if it wasn’t for that play that Emily set up. If Perry didn’t have the hard-working Emily as an example, he probably would have taken longer to say something to his grandmother, and if I remember correctly, Teddy used to love to make drawings of Emily. And now all three of them are going to make it big, while Emily ended up back home.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 23
Yay! Yay! Yay! The Teddy-episode! Interestingly enough, this episode turned into a tragic love-story when it doesn’t focus about his problem with his parents, unlike the others, but about his relationship with Emily. In the last episode, we already saw hints that they liked each other, and they continue to get closer together throughout this episode as well…
…until Teddy is offered a scholarship in Paris!
I absolutely LOVED the amount of realism in this episode. The entire series has been building up to living towards your dreams, and for the past couple of episodes, it really looked like everything went perfect. And now this episode comes with a slap in the face: people are going to have to say goodbye. To make matters even better, it seems that both Ilse and Perry will be able to reach their dreams, though things are different for Emily: she didn’t really reach anything, and plans to actually go back to the New Moon after school ends! Her sole salvation was that she’d be going back along with Teddy, though now that he’s going away too, she’s probably going to feel really lonely.
The thing also is: Teddy is really gone now. There are three episodes left, and we won’t see him in it. This makes me much more curious as to how the creators are planning to finish this. Kaze no Shoujo Emily is without a doubt my most favourite ignored series ever since Mahou Shoujotai, and somehow I just know that the final episodes are going to become awesome, now that there’s no way for Emily to remain with her former friends in the end.
I also loved how, against all clichés, Emily didn’t reach the train Teddy was on in the end. He didn’t even notice her as she was standing next to the train. I think that’s a first for such a scene.
I’ve probably said this before, but my definite favourite series for the spring-seasons are Bokura no, Toward the Terra and Kaze no Shoujo Emily, and all three of them are definite recommendations, not to mention that the finales of all three of them are promising to look awesome!]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 22
OMG! The characters have really grown up significantly now! This brings so many possibilities with it, and Kaze no Shoujo Emily grabs all of them! This was such an awesome episode, since just about every character that appeared in it showed a different side of him or herself. Seriously, never have I seen a sudden introduction of romance work SO well!
The thing with romance is that it can completely ruin characters when handled the wrong way. But with characters as awesome as in this show, it only strengthens them even more!!! To give a short summary:
– Perry still remembers the promise he made to Emily, and he confesses his love to her.
– Emily declines.
– Perry gets angry.
– Emily realizes she likes Teddy
– Ilse gets fed up with Perry’s angry behaviour after being dumped by Emily, and confesses her own love for Perry
– A few days later, during a local dance party, Perry and Ilse officially become a couple. The same would have happened with Emily and Teddy, if Emily didn’t get some sudden inspiration for her new poem. ^^;
Aunt Ruth, the most underdeveloped character of the cast also shined in this episode, when she suddenly managed to prevent Emily and the others from being expelled, due to some false rumours that have been spreading.
The thing also is: there are still four episodes left. I’m dying to know how this anime will choose to finish! This episode was so incredibly cute, it’s actually getting sad that it’s about to finish.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 21
Yes! With a new school come new outfits! I’m not sure why this is the only show where I pay so much attention to them. I know most characters in most shows never really change their outfits, but it’s definitely not unique for Emily and the others to wear different garments once in a while. Mai from Ghost Hunt, for example, also had a diverse wardrobe, but I never noticed this until somebody else pointed it out. I think it’s either because Emily’s clothes only change once in a while, or she just looks awesome in them. ^^;
Anyway, it seems that the final six episodes are going to fast-forward through Emily’s youth. In the next episode, it’s already going to be winter. It’s going to be awesome to watch how Emily and the others will change. I loved how this episode made them look subtly older, and Ilse finally realizes that she’s got great talents as an elocutionist, when she recites some of Emily’s poems in front of a bunch of kids.
And Ruth is even worse than Elizabeth! I actually wonder why she agreed to let Emily stay in her house to let her study, as she treats her horribly. Emily can’t even open her window. I wonder whether the next few episodes will develop this more. I continue to admire Perry, by the way. He’s now reached the point where his grades are at the top of his class. It’s nice to see that everyone is now really beginning to work towards their dreams.
I’m actually wondering, are there still people who watch this series? When it started, it was blogged by two others (Impz and Usagijen), but it seems that they dropped this show. For the past few episodes it’s really felt like I’ve been the only one who’s watched this show. Obviously, I don’t care whether I am (I’ve had this before many times), but it does make me curious. This show is just way too good to be just neglected like that.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 20
Awesome; an Emly/Elizabeth episode, and quite an important one as well: Emily, Teddy, Perry and Ilse have finished their current school, and are ready to move towards the next one. Ilse and Perry’s parents are really enthusiastic, and happily allow them to go to Shrewsberry School in a nearby city. Emily and Teddy have problems, though. Teddy believes that his mother will never allow him to part with her, since they’ll be staying in dormitories at their new school. Surprisingly, though, she lets him go and study. 🙂
Emily’s problems are worse, though. Elizabeth still doesn’t approve of Emily, studying things like literature. She still believes that things like these are useless. To make thing even worse, she finds and reads Emily’s diary, where Emily liked to complain about how evil Elizabeth was. Of course, she wasn’t 100% serious when she wrote it, though Elizabeth does take it seriously, and the two of them get into a fight.
I must say, that seeing the two of them fighting, and eventually making up again was really adorable. And it shows exactly why I love this series so much. This series is in for an interesting finale, by the way. Now that Emily has gotten permission to go and study further as well, it really looks like the last six episodes will be taking place on Shrewsberry School, without Elizabeth, Jimmy and the other adults. I wonder how the creators will decide to go from there. I’m definitely hoping for more time for Emily, Ilse, Teddy and Perry to be together and develop.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 19
This episode focused again on Emily, but it seriously was an awesome one. It’s definitely one of her most thought-provoking ones, even though none of the other side-characters were involved. As much as I’m hoping for the Teddy-episode, I can’t deny that this episode was pure awesomeness.
It starts when Emily’s poem finally gets printed in a local magazine. The previous episode definitely had an effect, as Emily is starting to get known in the town now, and people are actually recognizing her. With that comes her first job, and the first time that Emily needs to learn about responsibilities, and a hard lesson it is.
The job is writing a poem about a recently deceased guy. The problem is, though, that from the outside, he lived a really boring life. He just worked and worked, and when he didn’t work, he drank alcohol. Emily needs to get lectured by both Elizabeth and her teacher, before she really understands the job that she’s been given. She’s obviously very inclined to just give up. Heck, it doesn’t hurt her at all. But I can imagine how much it must hurt the family if Emily broke her promise.
Still, it’s great to see both Emily and Perry growing considerably. Notice how Perry continues to study really hard, in order to catch up with the others? This episode also shows that Emily is continuing to develop her skills, and I can imagine that Teddy has been sketching as well. I’m just a bit disappointed that we never got to see Ilse’s talents. According to Wikipedia, she’s a talented Elocutionist, but I’ve yet to see that from her.]]>
Kaze no Shoujo Emily – 18
This episode was another one, aimed to develop Emily. It follows a basic plot, that you see more in shoujo-anime: there’s a party, Emily is invited to a party (Oda’s birthday party), where she’s pretty much an outcast. At the same party, one big celebrity is invited as well, though she doesn’t like all the commotion and she and Emily come together in the end and make friends. Still, it was carried out decently. Emily first has to embarrass herself when Lola suddenly invites her to cite her new poem out of nowhere, and the fact that one of her first supporters was none other than Emily’s father.
The side-characters were the one who stole the show with their commentary in the background, though. Perry and Ilse were brilliant in their attempts to infiltrate in the party. There are those kinds of characters who are perfect when they watch from the side-lines. Souta on Otogi Juushi Akazukin was one of them, and Perry and Ilse are also really good at this. While the episode was nice, this show really shines at its best when the side-characters also play a big role, instead of a random adult.
One thing that I do hope is that Oda’s going to receive some background in one of the future episode. She’s about the only flat character of the cast, and it’s getting a bit annoying to see how she just doesn’t develop.]]>