(L) Romeo x Juliet

[desi09]

The last episode was a tear jerker of course!

Spoiler for Episode 24:

I prefer it more than the original ending in the sense that they died for noble reasons: Romeo for Juliet and Juliet for the fate of the people (and to stay with Romeo). All I can say is that this was a great series and I hope to see more from Gonzo. Also, the ending obviously provides a time skip into the future (it looks to be about a few years later).

[Guido]

Oh, my God! I'm just one more episode away to conclude this adaptation from Shakespeare's novelesque play.

The before-last episode was purely memorable.

Spoiler:

Hats off to Tybalt. He was simply imposing and marvelous. I thought at first that his initial reaction towards Romeo was rude, but it quickly made sense to me what he told to his little brother.

Romeo and Juliet both made a vow to be with each other at the end of days and in life & death. So why both have to split paths and sacrifice themselves for other people's sake if they had endured so much pain, tears, and bloodshed?

It's time for those two lovers to reap their own happiness.

The music was just delightfully sad and touching. I felt it was made more tragic while Romeo and Juliet were fighting as the earth shook and was falling apart.

To tell the truth I have imagined that for this anime adaptation the two of them would end up fighting, and my expectations were fullfilled. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I honestly believe that their feud is meaningful because two conflicted over love threatened by fate to be torn apart.
It was a magic and transient moment frozen in that little space of time.

And truth to be told, Ophelia fullfilled fate and tore Juliet away from Romeo in order to offer her to Escalus.
I must apologize for misunderstanding the kiss that she gave to Juliet. She gave her the kiss of death, and I think she did to reap the seed that was planted within Juliet. The seed has Juliet's life force and pure soul, the last hope to become the pillar for the land.

It's really both unfair and climatic as Romeo helplessly watched when Juliet fell into the sleep of death.

Ophelia's behavior seemed suitable for a Lilim. A female demon who steals the children from their mother.

[kauldron26]

wow... thanks to "anonymous" for subbing that last episode. i am truly grateful. what a phenomenal show. absolutely incredible. i am in awe. i am content. rxj is truly a show that should be marathoned. i am glad i waited till all the subs came out. thank u gonzo. thank u.

[Guido]

A tale of conflict, hatred, sorrow, and above all... love has come to its conclusion.

The voyage that I started last year when this thread was first opened, as of today I have walked the last line.

My praise and thanks to studio Gonzo and to all the staff involved in the making of this production, which includes as well Junichi Sato, head supervisor in charge of the voice and sound directing.

Today, at last, I have watched the very last episode to this anime incarnation of William Shakespeare's reknown play, Romeo x Juliet.

The directing, voice acting, cinematics, music, and animation were visually astonishing in the climax.

Spoiler:

As Juliet offered her last prayers to Neo Verona and its people, Escalus granted her her wish to walk side by side with her beloved Romeo, thus fulfilling as well her vow to him. "In life and death, together for eternity".

That climax became a snapshot carved in my mind as a memorable and magical moment now frozen in time.

Words cannot express my euphoria when the English version to the OP song, "You Raise Me Up", played from the climax to near the end.

The anime may have had downturns when the plot progressed to the halfway point, but the atmosphere and the mood generated by the plot were kept consistent throughout the course of the story.

Liartes Montague consolidated itself as a memorable villain. The type that you hate due to all the sins and atrocities he committed upon others, but not for the sake at being evil or unjust. But because of his fear at getting betrayed for falling in love; to consume himself with vengeance.

On the other hand, Tybalt for the last two to three episodes turned into my favorite character for giving Romeo the needed push to walk forward into the path that the latter chose to accept.

Spoiler:

I don't know what to make about Ophelia.

My best guess was that she only played her part in order to save Escalus.

Escalus itself was ambivalent, neither good nor evil. It intended to take upon a necessary sacrifice in order to save the world.

I believe that what Romeo and Juliet taught to both Escalus and everyone was simply to learn how to love everything that is held dear.

As for the very last scene at the end, I interpret that Romeo and Juliet reached their destination after fulfilling their vows, and they can be now together for eternity as Escalus is watching over them while they watch over the people of Neo Verona.

A beautiful masterpiece made possible by Gonzo's crafty storytellers and ingenious animation, that's all I have to say.

I recommend it to everyone else that is deeply fond of romance stories which involve fantasy elements and epic drama with a twinge of a sorrowful hope in the climax.

This was the eighth and, likely, the last title I concluded for the spring season.

[kauldron26]

First off, i dont believe that there is much of an introduction i can give to arguably the most famous characters in literature. we are all familiar with them regardless of race and origin. shakespeare`s work is immortal and all known.

Like Gankutsuo which is in my all time top 10 anime, Gonzo attempts to adapt another classic story to anime. and it was a tremendous success. Gonzo used the genre of science fiction to tell the story of the count of monte cristo. But with Romeo and Juliet Gonzo uses the fantasy genre to tell the story. ofcourse not all the characters act or do exactly what was in the play, but they all serve a purpose that is ultimately fulfilling to the story.

The story takes place in a continent in the sky that was once governed by the Capulets, but the Montagues committed treason and assassinated them. the last surviving member of the direct capulet bloodline is juliet and she has been in hiding from when she was 2 till when she turned 16 and was told of her family heritage. unfortunately she finds out about her family heritage after she meets romeo. and to further constitute the tragedy, romeo is unaware of his father`s treason and the capulet history.

The animation is simply stunning. the world that these characters live in is really like a visualized fantasy novel. there are magical creatures yet just enough realism to portray the time, place and the consciousness of the people.

The characters are what makes the show incredible. romeo and juliet have never been better. infact i would say that i have never found their characters relatable nor likable. but in this anime you can actually understand their feelings, how they deal with them and how it affects not only them but those around them. i think i would name juliet as the best female character of 2007.

in regards to value, i have to say the romeo and juliet has one of the greatest first episodes ever. i remember how stunned i was. i was instantly enthralled and captivated. it was so good that after the first episode i decided to torture myself and wait for all 24 eps to be release so i could marathon the show. most importantly i have to say that to truly enjoy this show to the fullest you really have to marathon it because you really become immersed in the world.

i should also let you know that this show does not shy away from death and violence. it is not watered down at all and believe me... u will actually feel what the couple actually feels and loses. it is surprisingly powerful.

words cant really describe how amazing the music in this show is...

All in all i will say that this is bar none one of the best anime of 2007. most of all i think it is the best romeo and juliet adaptation ever. hope u enjoyed it as much as i did.

[Guardian Enzo]

Maybe - but probably not - this will shut up some of the Gonzo-bashers who say they can't finish a story properly. This was pretty much a win all-around for me, but I've never felt quite so conflicted about the ending I was hoping for - I wanted something suitably tragic to honor the source material, but then again, R & J were so well-drawn and endearing that it was impossible to really hope for their deaths. In the end, I think Gonzo did a fine job finding a conclusion that honored the original and took it in a new direction, and mixed tragedy and hope.

Terrific stuff by Gonzo all-around - loved it. Beautifully drawn, beautiful music, and accomplished the task of adapting as elemental a story as we have in the English language and finding new vision in it. These guys deserve so much more than the mindless trashing they get from most fans.

But who took over as Grand Duke?

[alexa999]

OMG I burst into tears at the end! The animation for the final episode was just so breathtaking, and Gonzo definately knows how to write.

[CuXe]

OMG ........I'm just watching this anime series and episode 7 where Romeo kisses Juliet is so touching........and then the part on ep 8 when he sees Juliet crying on the arms of that weirdo who wanted her to kill the priest.......OMG OMG OMG...........I think this anime series is going to make me shed some tears just like Saikano .......ALSO what a beautiful adaptation of the song "You Raise me Up" gosh!!!......so far I can tell this is the whole package when it comes to romantic anime..........for some reason I don't want it to end like the original........I guess I have to keep watching and then Look for an action/comedy anime to "Raise me up" after this emotional crash!!!!

[Shikimori Kazuki]

this is one of the best anime i have ever seen, and made by Gonzo. I feel a sense of sadness when i see both Romeo and Juliet left the world. I have forseen this to be happening at the end, but I myself can't seem to take this huge wave of drama.

The ending is great, closes everyone's story. However, we didn't know what happen to the mine workers after the ending...perhaps they have been re-united with their family?. Near the end, it shows Romeo and Juliet together again, keeping their vow "In life or Death, they'll be together forever". A nice sense of smooth touch to end the shpw.

I believe if theres any anime i would buy, i'd definitely would get this one. Everyone at the beginning of the show says "Oh, the ending will be something from the book, bla bla bla". But it turns out to be a different story.

Romeo x Juliet will be one of my all time favorites in the romance category, most definitely earns the 1st place in my view.

A score of 10/10 would be what I would give if I were to rank this show.

Thats it for me, time to watch some comedy shows to ease up my tears .

[CuXe]

Originally Posted by Shikimori Kazuki

this is one of the best anime i have ever seen, and made by Gonzo. I feel a sense of sadness when i see both Romeo and Juliet left the world. I have forseen this to be happening at the end, but I myself can't seem to take this huge wave of drama.

I just finished watching this anime and I have to say OMG!!!! what a beautiful way to spin a classic novel! I read the original and let me tell you it was a HUGE disappointment it lacked everything for my taste, however this remake was MASTERFUL! I now have a sweet memory of the famous love story Romeo X Juliet. Gonzo has defenitively the best anime/manga writers around I also loved the work they did with The Count of Monte Cristo which turned out to be exquisitely written.

The ending is great, closes everyone's story. However, we didn't know what happen to the mine workers after the ending...perhaps they have been re-united with their family?. Near the end, it shows Romeo and Juliet together again, keeping their vow "In life or Death, they'll be together forever". A nice sense of smooth touch to end the shpw.

Well, at the end they show the mine workers doing their stuff on the fields so I assume they came to live happily after all happened, this is one of the small chain bonds left unhooked but it's not very critical for me. The ending was masterful, truly touching. This is the second time an anime series makes me cry (the first one was Saikano which totally devastated me) however, with Romeo X Juliet you have a somewhat "happy-aftertaste"

I believe if theres any anime i would buy, i'd definitely would get this one. Everyone at the beginning of the show says "Oh, the ending will be something from the book, bla bla bla". But it turns out to be a different story.

I completely agree I'd definitively buy this one, it entered my favorite list since ep 1, the ending, the pace and the way the story was written are simply beautiful, Shakespeare simply couldn't think of a way to make Romeo X Juliet THIS GOOD, he must really be happy on his grave if it was my work I know I would after such delightful interpretation!

Romeo x Juliet will be one of my all time favorites in the romance category, most definitely earns the 1st place in my view.

Same here, on an additional note I also have to say I watched in its entirety the opening sequence (every time during all 24 eps) because of the beautiful way it was animated and the song "You raise me up" interpreted by Lena Park, I simply won't forget about that opening/song that's for sure!

A score of 10/10 would be what I would give if I were to rank this show.

I agree on a 10/10, some may say I'm being childish for rating this show so high but it was simply THAT good and IMHO it deserves it!

Thats it for me, time to watch some comedy shows to ease up my tears .

I will do the same, not because I want to forget about it but because I need to recover from the emotional turmoil this anime left on me.......I'll see if "Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai" does it for me

[KholdStare]

I didn't really like the ending, but it was impressive until the end. Of course, I place the utmost importance in the resolution of anime, so this is to be expected. At least I can say I was entertained while it was still on AnimeSuki.

[Ferozban]

I didnt really understand what happend to julia.

She didnt became the tree, she became wings thats carried the flying isle smoothly to the surface.
and then? what happend to her? romeo and juliet are shown in the final scene, but both are dead arent they?


And it really disturbed me that nobody knew that the country they are living in is flying. how yould they not have known?

[BluWacky]

Originally Posted by Ferozban

I didnt really understand what happend to julia.

She didnt became the tree, she became wings thats carried the flying isle smoothly to the surface.
and then? what happend to her? romeo and juliet are shown in the final scene, but both are dead arent they?

Yes, they are dead. It was a flashback (IIRC?).

And it really disturbed me that nobody knew that the country they are living in is flying. how yould they not have known?

Probably no-one ever went far enough to find out. Escalus was a pretty damn huge tree - it's conceivable that the whole of the continent on which Neo Verona was placed (Neo Italia, maybe?) was much bigger than we ever saw in the anime.

Personally, I suspect that the Capulets knew, but Montague didn't.

Besides, that was all a bit weird. I remember watching the (awesome) trailer for this show and that told us Neo Verona was on a flying continent. Was it supposed to surprise us?

[Ferozban]

Originally Posted by BluWacky

Yes, they are dead. It was a flashback (IIRC?).

ok but then what did became of Julia? she's dead yes but how did the die? the tree is not there anymore isnt it? so in the end she didnt became the tree but she extendet her wings so the continent could hover to the ground. did she just vanish in the process along with romeo?

[Kenn]

I believe it had something to do with Esclaus (spelling probably wrong). She used it's power to slow down the descent of Neo Verona, and in exchange for its power, she gave up her life? Ophelia did say something about Esclaus needing a sacrifice of some sorts.

[xris]

FUNimation have announced the license for Romeo x Juliet. All 24 episodes will be released in two 12 episode boxsets in Spring and Summer 2009.

ANN report

[xia]

^Yeah thats good news, since I hadnt been able to finish it while it was being broadcast.

The scene on the bridge was always one of my favorite kiss scenes.

[The Chaos]

Finally After 5 months...I Saw The Ending of This anime
OMG...I Know There are Gonna Die ..But Not Like This...It Really Made me Cry A lot

Poor Romeo & Juliet ...They Never Been Happy Together

[hirahira]

This anime was surprisingly good. Juliet was pretty cool. But I didn't find the ending sad at all.

[Lostdreams]

This anime was the best gonzo produced anime I've ever seen. Enough said.