I ended up giving it a 9, although in retrospect, perhaps an 8 would have been more appropriate. My rating remains a tad colored due to my immediate Wikipedia hajj to fill myself in on the plotholes. I apologize for the lengthy post, but if anywhere, it would be here, and I found Zaris's Encylopedia Utawarerumonica extremely insightful, so I figured I'd add a few chapters to it myself.
1. A unique story?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. Indeed, the modern era of media is so obsessed with the concept of hidden post-apocalyptic/ future dream-worlds, it's hardly a surprise anymore to encounter something of the sort. Though a neat plot twist, the moment the novelty of the said plot wears off, things become less enjoyable.
Nevertheless, one of the greatest things about the dream-world story is in how to explain the world-state now that the momentuous revelation is unsheathed. To that end, Utawareru makes certain valiant efforts and other gaping failures.
2. Missing Pieces
I understand that my analysis is biased since I've been filled in by the game, but the anime itself seems truly rushed towards the end, not explaining the consistencies between the various flashbacks (the murder of the archeologist and the subsequent experiments were unclear to me when I watched them, and the anime never mentioned the fossil ever making a pact with the archaeologist). What the Avu Kamu are is also never mentioned, and the mysterious floating space-station which fires the laser down to Earth is an enigma. Why the world is in the state that it is and why the air is unbreathable (despite the pristine, natural wilderness with plants and animals [rather unlike much of the urban sprawl that covers our world today] is neglected. This aspect, though perhaps inconsequential in the greater theme of the story, could have been hinted or alluded to, leaving the watcher with fewer feelings of unfulfillment.
3. Standing Out
That said, the one thing I give Utawareru a great rating on is universe-building. Perhaps the most compelling factor in any fantasy media is the extent of creativity and intrigue placed in creating a new system of existence and explaining the way things work within the rules. Prime examples of good universe building in anime include Scrapped Princess, Evangelion, and Fate/Stay Night (all of the Type:Moon universes (singular, perhaps?) are gorgeously well-developed). To that end, the world of Eruru and Aruru is fascinating: so many varieties of humanoid beings, each with clearly distinguishing factors, but only subtle differences in abilities between the majority (the onkamyu and karura being clear exceptions). The tribal, pseudo-feudal society is also believeable and well represented, with actual Ainu dress and terms being infused (I've been told that 'Hakuoro' means 'White King' in their language). Even the animals, once we find out that they have survived and adapted to a bizarre, harsh biosphere, take on a greater significance than simply fantasty-inspired fuzzies.
In addition, the plot builds upon itself, as too much is not revealed too early. We begin our adventure on a small forest level conflict (Miyazaki, anyone?) but quickly realize the battle is regional, then national. The system hopping grows larger yet with the Rak Shine Arc (I admit, I was impressed), but quelled with the revelation that not all was as it seemed, as Dii is finally introduced as a major character. The arrival of the Avu Kamu leave no doubt that we're dealing with some serious futureshock, and the flashbacks seal the deal. Though detail-level clues are neglected often, the bigger picture completely makes up for this oversight.
4. Personal Complaint of Style
One matter that really dissappointed me about Utawareru arose when I discovered that it aired at 2.40AM in Japan-- clearly a time slot allocated to more mature audiences. If this were the case, why did the director hold back on some of the more extreme or graphic content? Some of the key character deaths were portrayed as rather gruesome, but failed as a whole to come off as such. We were supposed to be disgusted when we realize that the white flowers in the kingdom of Na-Tunk were grown off the corpses of innocents, but that doesn't quite happen. The people of Kunnekamun are supposed to be the targets of ethnic cleansing and genocide in the Utawarerumono world, yet all we see is a small kingdom unhappy with its place in the world. Witsuarunemitea's dismembering of Avu Kamus may have sprayed their blood all over the walls, but came off as trite and unappalling. The dissection of Mikoto is shocking, but not from actual film content-- it is only from dialogue and prior memories of the peaceful maternal figure that we are to feel outraged. The elements of story were there. I fail to see why so much was held back or hinted at.
5. Music... Or Lack Thereof
The soundtrack wasn't particularly bad-- I was impressed immediately in episode 1 with the grand orchestral theme when Hakuoro sees his reflection. In addition, I loved the ending theme-- it's catchy but fits the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the five songs that are introduced in the first few episodes are rehashed, over and over again throughout the rest of the show, regardless of their implications. Sadly, this sat in stark opposition to the plot, which was constantly growing in scales of magnitude. The ED sits in my playlists regularly, but I dare not listen to the rest of the OST, in fear any more repetition may cause my speakers to freeze up and play them forever.
5. Conclusions, and Since It's Fun... Incest
Overall, Utawareru shines in its style and meta-storytelling. It's weak points, as such, lie in attention to detail and plot holes that can only be pieced together from testimony of the game. I feel that the good outweighs the shortcomings, though, which prompt me to give it an 8, although incorporating outside knowledge raises it to a 9 for creativity in story. Perhaps I've been too harsh on it in my dissection, but the general effect of the anime was something definitely worth the watch.
Now, on to everybody's favorite topic of discussion ;D.
To begin, as a molecular biologist, I was highly amused by the farfetched scifi elements of the story, but also intrigued by how much the series flirted with the concept of incest. Even before we know that Eruru was of Hakuoro's lineage, it was clear that there were some awfully confusing psycholgical factors in play. Freud would have had a field day with this relatonship! ;P
It's initially clear that Hakuoro assumes the father figure in the Tuskuru family, taking the two orphans Eruru and Aruru under wing. Shortly after the death of the grandmother, however, Eruru soon takes on the nurturing mother role. I hate to admit it, but it seems clear that she takes some sense of comfort in reconciling the security she feels from the paternal position of Hakuoro with her budding interest in him as a spousal figure. I'm not one to speculate, but Hakuoro's continued insistance that they are "family" without specifing in which sense, and his popularity with the other lovely ladies of the court, aggravate Eruru's feelings towards him. One thing is certain: Hakuoro's social status is of Tuskuru's adopted son. He is Eruru's stepfather.
On Hakuoro's end: was he simply tring to be diplomatic, or did he (in Zaris's hilarious words) have the sex drive of a dead fish? Well, one possible answer lies in his realization of his past in the final episode. Without a doubt, he has made the connection between Eruru and his first true love, Mikoto. In that case, his position is clear: he is a father-figure to not only Eruru, but to all the sentient beings of the world. At the same time, was Mikoto herself not technically Hakuro's child? Mutsumi certainly believes the children of the tests are the children of Hakuoro. Eruru's genome may have spent many more generations undergoing genetic drift from Hakuoro's, but I won't give Mikoto that benefit of a doubt.
Due to possible outcry over this contention, I won't formally reveal my stance, but I think it's pretty clear where I stand, ne? ^^