That Gonzo show, RomeoxJuliet? Yeah this is the series talkback *SPOILERS*

[Juu-kuchi]

...now seek to pick the mind of William Shakespeare. From the folks who brought you the avant-garde work based on Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo, Gankutsuou, now for some reason see fit to create their own rendition of Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet.

http://www.romejuli.jp/g_move.html - For those who want a choice in movie resolution.

I can't wait now for their rendition of the Merchant of Venice where it's on a land of endless water and Shylock has a bionic arm and a claw hand. Hell while we're on the subject, what classic literature do you guys wouldn't mind being turned into an anime and headed by studios like Gonzo?

This is also my 5,000th post on the forums. Rejoice.

[GWOtaku]

...wow. Actually, I think I'd really enjoy that show. That trailer sure did its job.

When's it coming? Can't read any of the site.

[Juu-kuchi]

...wow. Actually, I think I'd really enjoy that show. That trailer sure did its job.

When's it coming? Can't read any of the site. Here's what an anime blogger I usually frequent said.

Neo Verona… A winged horse… An armored Juliet fighting with a sword… Well, this is a lot different from the Romeo and Juliet I remember reading years ago in junior high. For those of you who haven’t heard, GONZO is going to be animating a version of Shakespeare’s work and is calling it RomeoXJuliet. They still credit Shakespeare for the original story, but this really couldn’t be more different. GONZO’s version is about Romeo as the son of the oppressive Montague dictator and Juliet as the daughter in the Capulet family who rebels against them, all set in an aerial city. It would seem that they’re really only keeping the names and the basic star-crossed lovers concept the same. The reason I’m mentioning this now is because the official site (http://www.romejuli.jp/) now features a trailer (http://www.romejuli.jp/g_move640.html) for the show, and it really made me sit up and pay attention. I assume the tragic ending will still be kept intact, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t still be interesting to watch because of all the changes. RomeoXJuliet is set to air April of next year.

[Rasputin]

Ooooh...the trailer features Tchaikovsky's overture. Hope they keep that.

While Gonzo's adaptations of classics of western literature tend to be abstract, at best, I did enjoy Gankutsuou, and this does look very snazzily done. I'll be looking forward to it, at least.

Teehee...wonder how they'll handle "Did you bite your thumb at me, sir!?" "I bite my thumb but I do not bite my thumb at you, sir!" I'd like those lines of dialogue to appear in my head in an accent other than southern Californian.

And you know what? Why aren't there more adaptations of Macbeth? *exorcises evil spirits*

[Anyone00]

Looks to be alot of extra fiddle-sticking in this version.

I wonder what Mercutio will be like in this version?

And why does one side have to be dictators and other rebel why can't both sides be part of a dictatorship (with the Prince being the head of it all) that jocking for power within it?

[silverwings]

This looks... awesome! :D The fact that they used the Romeo and Juliet overture was just icing on the cake.

I loved their adaptation of Count of Monte Cristo so I'm waiting with anticipation for this one.

And I'll for more adaptations of literature if they are awesome like these are. :anime:

[Space Cadet]

That trailer wasn't that bad. It kinda reminds me of Escaflowne in a way.

*Starts waiting for the Gonzo anime adaptation of Hamlet and Macbeth*

[Karl Olson]

This looks awesome. I can't wait to check it out.

Oh, and I'd love to see Gonzo's take on A Midsummer Night's Dream or Julius Caesar. Of course, they could always switch it up and Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. I mean, existentialist reworks of Shakespeare? I could easily Gonzo pulling that off.

[Rasputin]

Oh, and I'd love to see Gonzo's take on A Midsummer Night's Dream or Julius Caesar. Of course, they could always switch it up and Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. I mean, existentialist reworks of Shakespeare? I could easily Gonzo pulling that off.

KyoAni may just have an eye on the Tom Stoppard play if Haruhi Suzumiya was any indication. :p

The whole fantasy-setting 'rebels vs. dictator' angle Gonzo is taking would probably work better for Richard III. Julius Caesar could be a neat commentary on the nature of modern coup d'etats. I've noticed there's been an awful lot of them recently. Or someone could produce a series about a jealous and spiteful hotshot mecha pilot named Othello.

Shakespeare's for all ages, really.

[MonkeyFunk]

How about Twelfth Night? It has crossdressing!

[silverwings]

KyoAni may just have an eye on the Tom Stoppard play if Haruhi Suzumiya was any indication. :p

The whole fantasy-setting 'rebels vs. dictator' angle Gonzo is taking would probably work better for Richard III. Julius Caesar could be a neat commentary on the nature of modern coup d'etats. I've noticed there's been an awful lot of them recently. Or someone could produce a series about a jealous and spiteful hotshot mecha pilot named Othello.

Shakespeare's for all ages, really.

I'm all for a mecha-Othello. :p

Bet they could have some fun shojo-ing up his comedies: Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, and Midsummer Nights would make for some interesting animes, imo.

[Gatomon41]

It would be nice seeing Dante's Divine Comedy or Dostoevsky's work in anime form.

Better yet, why not Gibon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?! Now that would be a challenge to reimagine!

[purplehairedwonder]

That trailer looked pretty snazzy. This could turn out really well. I was intrigued by the Count of Monte Cristo, but never saw that. I may have to check this out.

Now I'd really like to see an anime adaptation of Macbeth. That would be cool.

[rubberchicken]

Ugh.

In other news, Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theatre is back. http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/lesmise/

[Karl Olson]

Ugh.

In other news, Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theatre is back. http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/lesmise/

Les Miserables?

Oh, now that should be amusing. Maybe even good. I'm already dreading the doujinshi possibilities though.

[Space Cadet]

I wonder how many episodes will this show be? This could be a good candidate for a Toonami show, depending on the content.

[Sandoz]

Well, yes, a television show based on a two-hour play is by necessity going to take more liberties than a television show based on a 1200-page novel. I'll definitely check it out, though. Gankutsuou is an excellent show and is surprisingly faithful to its source material, so Romeo x Juliet should be interesting. The trailer also reminded me of Revolutionary Girl Utena, which is another plus.

[Kitschensyngk]

The character design for the two leads looks good, and the music is great, though the floating city and winged horses are a bit much.

Hasn't this story been done to death in a number of other outlets?

I'd much rather see them do A Midsummer Night's Dream or something they could have a visual field day with.

[MagemanSP]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when X is used in a title for a Japanese feature, doesn't the X mean against? For example, the latest Godzilla movie where he fights MechaGodzilla was titled Godzilla X MechaGodzilla.

So, if I'm right, does that mean the title of this movie could be translated as "Romeo Against Juliet"?

[Crash]

Y'know, with the addition of a few mallets here and there, Taming of the Shrew could pass for fairly typical anime.

As for the trailer... Yeah, its Shakespear, but that still seemed...self-indulgant. But its just a trailer, so I suppose it should.

[Will Sturnick]

Hasn't this story been done to death in a number of other outlets?

I'd much rather see them do A Midsummer Night's Dream or something they could have a visual field day with.

I agree totally. I wish they would have picked almost any other Shakespeare work. I highly doubt I'll be checking this one out.

[Sprocket]

Dear Japan: "x" does not mean "and." Please learn to use "&." Thanks. While I'm at it, "~" is not a decoration.

I've never seen Count of Monte Christo, but I'm willing to, with all the praise it's gotten. Hopefully they'll treat the material right, but honestly, it's classic literature as done by an anime studio, so...it'll be interesting to watch, to say the least.

[Duke]

Didn't Gonzo already do Romeo and Juliet when they did Basilisk?

[Vallen Valiant]

Dear Japan: "x" does not mean "and." Please learn to use "&." Thanks. While I'm at it, "~" is not a decoration.

Actually... From the trailer, it looked like Romeo and Juliet were having a dead-serious sword-fight. If they were literally trying to kill each other, the "Romeo versus Juliet" title would actually be quite fitting.

Just don't ask me why they kissed while falling down the tower during the fight...:p

EDIT: Now that I see it again, it appeared Romeo whispered something to her ear... Romantic indeed.:P

[GWOtaku]

posted by Duke:

Didn't Gonzo already do Romeo and Juliet when they did Basilisk?Eh, somehow I think there'll be more to this than a bloodbath drawn out over 26 episodes.

[Kyuss]

I'd much rather see a great sweeping drama like Henry the V or Julius Casaer.

[Weatherman]

Hmm, interesting idea.

As tripped out as it is. A Midsummer Nights Dream would probably look amazing in animated form.

BTW, that was a full on kiss falling down the tower.

[Chris Wood]

While I'm at it, "~" is not a decoration.


Haha. That's a good one. I see it in song titles all the time.

[MonkeyFunk]

As tripped out as it is. A Midsummer Nights Dream would probably look amazing in animated form.

There's a Czech stop-motion movie based on it...

[Rasputin]

There's a Czech stop-motion movie based on it...

Ach, there's a Czech stop-motion movie based on everything.

Really, Svankmajer or one of his compatriots have probably made an animation concerning all time and space. And it features cupboards and teeth. Probably.

[Anyone00]

I wonder what A Midsummer Nights Dream would be like if it was done by the same staff as FLCL.

[Kyuss]

They would probably have mechs involved some how. Probably with faeries and Puck/Robin Goodfellow having his own stylized Megas XLR.

[Beat]

I'd totally watch that.

[Kyuss]

Some how, I'm not surprised that Beat would say that.

[Captain Highwind]

Just don't ask me why they kissed while falling down the tower during the fight...:p

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that scene.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

The fact that Romeo, for no seemingly logical reason, has a pegasus is honestly enough for me to want to watch this.

Is the masked guy supposed to be Mercutio or something (I'm guessing Mercutio because he was always the more mystical one and something about the get up screams his name.)

[Golgo13]

Am I the only one not impressed by this trailer?

I mean, I'm not saying it's bad, but for Gonzo, it's below average compared to their previous productions.

[Conan-san]

Dear Japan: "x" does not mean "and." Please learn to use "&." Thanks. While I'm at it, "~" is not a decoration. I've got this one, The use in X in the title is often a way to note a romantic paring in an anime.

Mind you, i've only seen it in fandom so it's use in ligit japanese is another ball game altogether.

[Vallen Valiant]

Is the masked guy supposed to be Mercutio or something (I'm guessing Mercutio because he was always the more mystical one and something about the get up screams his name.)
Nope. It's Juliet.:D
What, do you really expect her to be a wallflower? Over-powered female characters is all the rage right now.

[Kyuss]

So what it's Xena Warrior Princess 2007 meets Count of Monte Cristo 2007? Doesn't sound like the story I read back in the days.

[Patches]

The character design for the two leads looks good, and the music is great, though the floating city and winged horses are a bit much.Isn't the trailer music something by Tchaikovsky, though? The trailer lists the composer as Hitoshi Sakimoto, who did the music for Final Fantasy XII.

Even though Prokofiev has a Romeo and Juliet Suite. Seems like it would be more appropriate to use something from that for the trailer music.

[Kyuss]

I'm reasonable sure you are correct good Patches. While my knowledge of classical music is limited, (Anything past the 1880s is sketchy at best.) I do believe there was a "renaissance" among many Russian/Cyrillic writers/composers of that time frame. Especially in regards to adapting much of the early European Renaissance to help "modernize" much of the upper classes.

[Nobuyuki sama]

Isn't the trailer music something by Tchaikovsky, though?
It's Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet".

[Kyuss]

Thanks for that tidbit of information, Nobuyuki sama.

[Eden's Truth]

It kinda reminds me of Escaflowne in a way.



I, too, immediately thought of Escaflowne when I saw the sword fights.

When I first heard that there was going to be a Romen and Juliet anime, I had a very circumspect attitude towards it. But I must say, Gonzo can really make use of technology and story. The anime looks like it's going to be very unique. I love how people can take stories farther than before, so I look forward to this, definately.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

Nope. It's Juliet.:D
What, do you really expect her to be a wallflower? Over-powered female characters is all the rage right now.

Oh, snap...it is! I didn't notice. And she's with a small child no doubt.

Well, that just makes it more interesting. At least it explains how Juliet can go toe to toe with Romeo before making out with him as they fall off a floating island.

...I swear this show will be awesome.

[Kyuss]

*still thinks they could have chosen a different source material for the show* I'm not against Shakespeare but would it kill them to use an actual drama?

[Patches]

*still thinks they could have chosen a different source material for the show* I'm not against Shakespeare but would it kill them to use an actual drama?Agreed. Seems like this style would work better for something like Hamlet, where they could use the murder/intrigue/revenge/plotting already present in the story as an excuse for badass fight scenes.

Hamlet would actually make a pretty badass samurai anime. :P

[Kyuss]

I was thinking more of "Merchant of Venice" myself for a revenge plot. But Hamlet would make a pretty interesting neo-grunge yakuza type drama.

But that is just my opinion.

[rubberchicken]

Agreed. Seems like this style would work better for something like Hamlet, where they could use the murder/intrigue/revenge/plotting already present in the story as an excuse for badass fight scenes.

Hamlet would actually make a pretty badass samurai anime. :P

Since Kurosawa already did the samurai thing to Macbeth and King Lear, I'd be inclined to agree with you.

If Gonzo was doing an anime version, they'd probably find some wtfbbq way to ruin it, though.

[Patches]

The Romeo x Juliet (http://www.romejuli.jp/top.html) site has been updated with some new information and specific airtimes. ... But most notably, its theme song now plays in the background. Someone call Josh Groban, stat!

[Space Cadet]

The Romeo x Juliet (http://www.romejuli.jp/top.html) site has been updated with some new information and specific airtimes. ... But most notably, its theme song now plays in the background. Someone call Josh Groban, stat!

It's obviously a cover of the song.

...although Japan is notorious in not getting permission to do something(Hi Monkey Punch!). I wonder what the ending theme song is.

[Nobuyuki sama]

...although Japan is notorious in not getting permission to do something(Hi Monkey Punch!)
I doubt Universal Music's (http://www.universal-music.co.jp/lenapark/) that stupid.

[FlyByNite77]

It's obviously a cover of the song.

...although Japan is notorious in not getting permission to do something(Hi Monkey Punch!). I wonder what the ending theme song is.

the live action series of the Hana Yori Dango Anime/Manga rips off John Williams Harry Potter score BIG TIME. Like an exact copy of it. lol

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

.what classic literature do you guys wouldn't mind being turned into an anime and headed by studios like Gonzo?



I second the Dante suggestion.

I would also like to suggest the Odyssey or the Aeneid. And various stories from Bullfinch's Mythology.

Some of Voltaire's stuff would also be interesting.

[GWOtaku]

Is it saying it'll air in July? I can't really tell what's what.

[Nobuyuki sama]

Is it saying it'll air in July? I can't really tell what's what.
April (http://www.romejuli.jp/news.html). That ".07" is the year, followed by month and date in their newslinks.

[silverwings]

Just got around to seeing the first episode and I'm impressed.

I love how they worked William into the show, as well as a cast of characters from other plays (Hermoine, Antonio, Emilia, etc).

Beautifully animated with a great OP/ED. :)

[Juu-kuchi]

Ah yes, RomeoXJuliet is released now. May I ask that the thread's name be at least changed or something to resemble a title similar to what is usually found for a talkback thread?

[Tenku]

Ahh yes.

I didn't some people came from the other plays (as I only read a few). But, I love the designs and especially... well, he hasn't shown up.

TYBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT

It took me a while to recognize the OP.

[Patches]

The series is pretty awesome so far, even though the plot bears only the vaguest resemblance to the actual play. It's like they just took a bunch of Shakespeare's plays and mushed them all together.

Kickass soundtrack, though. The official site has a video of one of the orchestra's recording sessions in Sydney.

[Space Cadet]

I wonder when the shows comes over to the shores and air on television, would they replace the OP song with Josh Groban's version?

[anime_guru]

The series is pretty awesome so far, even though the plot bears only the vaguest resemblance to the actual play. It's like they just took a bunch of Shakespeare's plays and mushed them all together.

Kickass soundtrack, though. The official site has a video of one of the orchestra's recording sessions in Sydney.

I have to agree. Watching RomeoxJuliet last night (finally getting my tape of episode one from a friend of mine that gets the channel), my mouth dropped. All I could think was, this is shakespeare!? I do love a lot about the series

the capulets being killed by the montaigue's in the beginning creates a sort of discourse that will make the plot very interesting in the latter part of the anime. Seeing Juliet not remember who her family is, well that is a plus too (odin). Probably my favorite part was seeing willy [aka shakespeare] in the play himself. I think we know willy will get "inspired" to write a play based on the exploits of Romeo and Red Whisper, er, Odin, er, Juliet...wait which name are we going by? Gah

Overall, I love the parts that did include Romeo and Juliet thinking of their first encounter. Overall, the soundtrack is awesome, the visuals are stunning, the plot is actually a bit above average. So I'll give it for first episode
8.5/10

[silverwings]

Have finally got around to seeing episodes 2 and 3.

I really love the music and the direction the series is taking. It seems that Romeo is taking on a lot of the parts that Juliet had (finace, etc) in the original play. Makes me wonder if Paris will still be involved.

Also, I'm loving all the references to different plays, whether it be through characters or dialogue.

[Beat]

If all these cameos keep up, perhaps a better title would have been Super Shakespeare Wars.

[Scirel]

If all these cameos keep up, perhaps a better title would have been Super Shakespeare Wars.

is the evil magic tree from another play?

I hope they do Macbeth or hamlet after this one if they choose to do more.

any word on an episode count? 12 or 13, right?

Mercutio is badass though, reminding me of Gin Ichimaru(or should it be vice versa?). Really looking forward to how his death scene will be done.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

Holy poot, this is airing? I had no idea it premiered already...

I've been really interested in this...I hope it comes to America.

[Patches]

Given how much they've been altering the story and throwing in all sorts of other plays, I wonder if this show will even end the same way the original play did.

[Mr. Pedro]

Just got the first epidose out of the way. A gorgeous-looking show upon first glance. Looks like it chugs along at a decent pace. I can't quite shake the whole "Fire Emblem" vibe I have right now (I blame the winged ponies), and it's just a little jarring to hear the ED (since J-rock really isn't the first thing I associate with Shakespeare). But on the whole, it's very impressive.

[purplehairedwonder]

I just caught the first episode and despite the fact I hate this play with a passion, I really liked it. There are enough twists and changes for me to disassociate it with the play, heh. It was absolutely gorgeous to look at, the background music was very nice, and I really like the angle they are taking with this. Looking forward to seeing more.

it's just a little jarring to hear the ED (since J-rock really isn't the first thing I associate with Shakespeare).My thoughts exactly!

[Tenku]

Ep 5 is out... and I'm just going by memory, or at least what I can gather.

Betrayal by that short friar (?).
Romeo being wishy-washy from the ending of Ep 4.
Juliet... well being Juliet. Gets embarrassed when she is sneaking back in by William.

Glasses-guy (can't remember his name), takes Juliet's/Odin's place of being the Crimson Wind to free the people imprisioned by the Montague guards and the new evil guy. Judging from the preview, he ain't gonna make it.

And still, no Tybalt.

[Patches]

Glasses-guy (can't remember his name), takes Juliet's/Odin's place of being the Crimson Wind to free the people imprisioned by the Montague guards and the new evil guy. Judging from the preview, he ain't gonna make it.
I only recall him being referred to as "Doctor". And, yeah, a guy looking over his kids and reassuring his wife before going out to do something is typically a good sign that he's about to die. ^_^* Sucks, too, because he's pretty cool.

[silverwings]

Just got around to watching episode 4.

I'm still wondering when Romeo will find out who Juliet is. I'm also a sucker for cliche romantic ploys, so the whole bit at the end made me giddy. :D

We also got references to the famous "what's in a name" speech given by Juliet, which is from early in act 2.

Do we know how many episodes the show is supposed to go on for? 26 seems to be a good length at the pace their going, just because 13 episodes seems so short. :sweat:

Still waiting for Sasu...I mean Tybalt to show up. ;) Still wondering if Paris will make his way into the show.

[Tenku]

Y'know, I think that in a Shakesphere play, anyone who doesn't have a name will probably die. And, that was the case with the doctor. And, last ep, he told his wife that they should probably move to the countryside, so that their kids could grow. :/

And Romeo finds Juliet at a real bad time and she reveals to him that she's the Red Whirlwind (I think) and she escapes.

Next day, Montague and Romeo are at a... gathering. Someone's reading from a scroll... and judging from Romeo's reaction, it's not good. Montague speaks [he sounds muted]. He probably pwned Benvolio's dad, from that smug reaction. More speaking, shocked reactions. I think it's a vote on something. Clapping.

Romeo is questioning his father about the gathering and Montague probably pwned him too.

Ah! Antonio, Curio, Juliet, and Francisco are on a ...bandolin? Fran makes the ladies go wild...

Romeo and Benvilio speak. I think Ben's leaving Neo Verona or something.

Uhoh. Now the other crew is at the Doc's house. Juliet is looking real guilty. Hell, EVERYONE is looking guilty. Ah, they're moving the family. But the wife is taking it very well. Either that or they didn't tell her. Now they're heading back.

Who's this figure in the shadow? Uh-oh, shot of Benvolio and family. I sense a assassination/ambush. Oh snap, it is. Oh no! Odin/Juliet and crew is on the way. Odin deflects a blade and it looks like she's about to be s. But... that can't be Romeo. He doesn't have a black horse. Unless it's...

SAS... TYBALT!

Well, that was a twist of events... despite me just watching.

And I just noticed, Curio is really tall. D:

[Patches]

Hey, it's Tybalt! Except he doesn't do much in this episode except show off some badass sword skill and have everyone go "OooOOOoooOOh" before he flies away. Looks like he's back next week, though.

I wonder if the theme song will be a stumbling block for companies trying to license this series. I seem to recall that the releases of Ghibli's "Whisper of the Heart" and "Only Yesterday" were delayed because of all the legal mazes they needed to go through to get proper rights to use "Country Roads" and "The Rose".

[anime_guru]

yes tybalt and his awesomeness...I finally caught up and watched 4,5,6
and Romeo is a dim lightbulb
Poor lancelot...but the iris must survive...
but come on! tybalt ok...I'm convinced...I like this show

[silverwings]

Episode 6 - another great one.

Was tybalt the guy in the cloak (who told them about the assisination) as well or was that someone else? :confused:

[anime_guru]

Episode 6 - another great one.

Was tybalt the guy in the cloak (who told them about the assisination) as well or was that someone else? :confused:

that was tybalt and he revealed who he was in episode 7 and yes he kicks major *****

episode 7...romeo isn't so dim as I thought! Poor Hermoine though, but I can see how this will develop into something as you see in the previews to episode 8 that
romeo gets slapped by his dad...again...dang he gets hit a lot...

As far as this episode goes...

1. LOL to mercutio not knowing what a broom was
2. LOL to the day of celebration
3. Big claps to Romeo for keeping up with juliet...
4. Tybalt and his awesome


But yes...I was happy with the end of this episode. Can't wait for 8

[Patches]

1. LOL to mercutio not knowing what a broom was
That's Benvolio, not Mercutio. We haven't seen Mercutio in a while.

[silverwings]

That's Benvolio, not Mercutio. We haven't seen Mercutio in a while.

This confuses me. Mercutio is supposed to be Romeo's best bud, so when Tybalt kills him, it sparks the tragedy. Though I suppose Benvolio could be switched with Mercutio...

Though Tybalt needs to become closer to Juliet.. *ack brain hurts*

Still loving this show. The bit with the broom was great. I actually loved the cheesy ending. It totally fits in with what the romance they are supposed to have.

[Scirel]

gonzo wins at adaptations of classic literature. Can`t wait to see which work they try next.

[GWOtaku]

Man, this just keeps on delivering. Along with the tragic romance stuff the rebellion gets organized only to run into some problems. Figures that Conrad would end up misjudging, he got way too eager after Juliet took up her father's sword.

And woohoo, even more cameos! Very interesting & ripe for analysis, this.


We have an Ophelia character, who seems to be an oracle of sorts. And a new plot element with this great tree, Escalus, that is withering. In Shakespeare Escalus is Prince Escalus, who disapproved of and tried to mediate the feud between the Capulet and Montague houses.

Odds are the health of these great trees are very important, perhaps even essential to Neo Verona's existence. Now, the decay could simply mean disapproval of Montague's ways.

However if the will of Escalus follows that of the Prince in the play, the decay will stop only when the Capulet/Montague feud ends. So we may have a plot where the fighting must stop in order to save the kingdom. A bit cheesy, but cool.

Of course, the other view to take is that this will play out as a tragedy, the two sides will kill each other, and Escalus' punishment is to let the entire civilization rot into nothing. The middle possibility is that we have a tragedy following the play but a rebirth of sorts still happens because the feud is still over.

Whatever direction this show goes, IMO Montague is a dead man. He pretty much HAS to die for any of the aforementioned possibilities to occur, and plus he's a bastard and its nice to think that he's going to get slaughtered one of these days.


Aaah, good stuff.

[Captain Zechs]

I hope nobody minds me discussing my thoughts on this show...7 or so months later.
Caution: Spoilers!


Anyways,

I have gotten up to episode 21, and I must say, this anime is simply amazing, although I usually don't go for the ones centered around love, as one would think this would be, I am really surprised how well the action has been done.

Characters:

Juliet: Such a lovely girl, having to take the stance of being the only survivor of her murdered family. She isn't just cute though, she packs quite a punch, parading around as the Crimson Whirlwind, helping people for the greater good of Neo Verona, and then later taking it to the full scale of overthrowing Montague. I really enjoy every moment she has with Romeo, the innocence in her character is ridiculously loveable, and when she needs to be she is strong. I am saddened to think she will most likely give up her life in order to save the one thing she wants to be revolutionized.

Romeo: Most of the time I find myself enjoying his character. While I liked the fact that he helped out in the mines when he was banished from the Keep, I thought they overdid that a bit much, he is perhaps a bit too angsty at points. I wish he hadn't let go Cielo, but if he hadn't the pegasus probably would have been killed just so his father could get in a good laugh. Overall though Romeo is a strong character, whom is also innocent like Juliet, maybe that is why they work so well together.

Cordelia and Benvolio: Cordelia is a really likeable character, always hardworking and she really cares about Juliet and the people of Verona, hence why she got so upset at the guards when they broke down the door to find a dead girl. Benvolio was very humorous due to the fact that he literally knew how to do nothing at first, and kind of annoyed Cordelia, to later become her husband. However, I did feel as if the wedding had just a bit of bad timing, maybe that is just me.

Francisco, Curio, and Antonio: Out of this group I'd have to say that I dislike Curio the most, just not my type of character. Though I like how he is a badass with his ace, Antonio provided good comic relief, and Fransisco was...well, Francisco, I am still a bit confused by him.

Tybalt: My only complaint about this character is that he wasn't in the series enough, or as far in as I am. Dual swords makes him fool of pwnage, not to mention his pegasus. I like the fact that he is so dedicated to the downfall of Montague.

Mercutio: What a sniveling brat, I can't believe he turned out the way he did, he really is blinded by power.

Hermione: I can honestly say I felt really bad for her, it must suck to be told you aren't loved, especially by the one you are to be married to. She really did love him, so I can feel for her in that aspect.

Moving along...

The plot, I like the fact that they have incorporated several references to Shakespeares other plays, not just Romeo and Juliet as that would get better. They have done a good job of adapting a story and making it...well, interesing (IMO) just doing the same thing over would have been boring.

More to come when (if) I finish the series. To those of you who have finished the series, send me a PM, I have a question I'd like to ask.