Romeo X Juliet Review

 Romeo X Juliet

Story: 8.5
Almost everybody knows the sad love history of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s work has been used on several occasions already, so it was only a matter of time before there would be an anime made. That this story is one of success has already been proven, and Gonzo’s version is no exception of this rule.

Gonzo took the liberty to play with the story, which caused some to me appealing outcomes. They added a touch of fantasy to the historic reality which I enjoyed. Of course the story on itself isn’t an original one, however because they added new elements, the story comes across as refreshing and new. Even the ending is somewhat unexpected because of this.

Another strong point was the flow of the series. Most romance series have a very slow pacing, but nothing of that in this case. The romance aspect mixes well with the action and tragedy aspects of the series and all are displayed in a fantastic way, making the story complete.

Animation: 9
The animation is splendid in lost of different ways. The characters are drawn according to their personalities. This means for instance that Romeo comes off as really innocent while his father is anything but that. They aimed for a realistic look, where characters aren’t just cute, or just dark. The main characters are beautifully color coded: Romeo in various shades of blue and Juliet in various shades of red. To me this was a very appealing choice. Action scenes are fluent and brilliantly drawn while romance scenes truly are endearing.

Audio: 8.5
The opening song is the most beautiful one I have heard in a while. It really captures the atmosphere of the series in one glimpse. The first ending theme is a funky rock theme. I was surprised they would choose a song like that for this series; still it is a great song to play DDR on, though I like the second ending theme better because it is more fitting for the series. The voice actors did an awesome job with the characters. I especially fell for the voice actor who did Romeo’s voice. It was the best out there of the already amazing cast.

Character development: 9
Of course this animes main focus is the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. Their relationship is full of development from the moment they met till the final moments of the series. There is a lot of chemistry between the main characters. They are struggling with their feeling for each other and the fight for the one they love is very believable every step of the way. Next to their growing relationship, both main characters also grow as persons, making individual decisions that affect the relationship between them.

The supporting characters are also growing alongside Romeo and Juliet. The main supporters of Juliet all have their own motives for helping her and making the choices they do. I really enjoyed the odd and some-what feminine character of William Shakespeare himself.

The cast surrounding Romeo first seems like a bunch of average noble snobs, with exception of Romeo’s mother, however they also have a story of their own. The background story of Romeo’s father was quite unexpected and it gave the final episodes a nice twist.

Overall: 9
Romeo X Juliet is a perfect example how a mix of a great story and a strong character development, can become an awesome whole.
I think that because of the action and the tragedy next to the romance, Romeo X Juliet will please a rather board audience. Even those who aren’t normally into the romance genre, I would advise to try this show. Chances are you might end up pleasantly surprised.

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February 15, 2008 :: Action, Drama, Reviews, Romance ::