In the near future, a violent battle takes place between the dimension La'cryma (protector of humanity) and the dimension Shangri-La, bent on the annihilation of all space-time. A group known as the Dragon Calvary is dispatched through space and time, searching for the only thing that can stop the invasion: the Dragon's Torque.
In the present, twelve-year old Haruka and her friend Yuu, are contemplating running away from home when they meet a member of the Dragon Calvary named Karasu (Crow). He believes that Haruka possesses the Dragon's Torque and claims to be Yuu from fifteen years in the future...
If you blended teenage anime drama with The Matrix and ran it through a university level course in quantum mechanics, you'd end up with Noein, a metaphysical mish-mash of spirituality, science, relativity,and time traveling that would send Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking into frothing fits. For my money, it's probably the most unique and entertaining anime on the market right now.
Much of Noein’s appeal finds its source within the children and their blossoming relationsh...ips, who defiantly suffuse a resounding optimism through the show’s dark and brooding overtones. From the despair and somber urgency that motivates La’cryma to the conflicts that ravage the emotional states of Haruka’s parents and Yuu’s mother.
The concept of melding individual realities to establish a sterile, fetal, uniform state of being is reminiscent of Evangelion’s Instrumentality Project, though there are consequential differences. Regardless, on some level, I sympathized with Noein’s quest for utopian absence and numbing bliss. Can one really be condemned for coveting a world in which sorrow is exiled, where one would never have to be herded into irrationality by the throbbing ache of loss?
According to Noein, the answer is both yes and no. Noein’s actions, however misguided, are humanized rather than belittled; yet both Haruka and Yuu demonstrate the essentiality of sorrow in our lives. Haruka exists as an outsider linking various dimensions through her ability to penetrate them, briefly able to view herself and others within these timespaces with a persistent impulse to rewrite the sorrows that encapsulate them.
The show is careful not to liken the frivolities and convictions of Haruka’s childhood with Shangri’la, for it is through her desires and sorrows that she seeks to realize her own vision of a worthy future. The ashes of past regrets are often the muses of our present, a simple truth that Haruka, Yuu, and Karasu all impart to viewers patiently willing to observe their emotional progression. Too often do we become spectators of our own lives, requiring validation and affirmations from others who are likely as jaded as we are. Rather, as Noein suggests, our memories of sorrow and joy should be our intimate motivators and tools of rebirth, cocoons sheltering us from the trials of the present and impelling us to ensure that our futures aren’t by-products of recycled mistakes.
Noein’s enticing charm also lies in its unpredictability as it can shift precipitously in tone within moments. Giving careful attention to the human condition, our quest for contentment as well as the rusted shackles of our own weaknesses, the show equally privileges trivial yet intimate occurrences, swiftly exchanging pleasant moments among friends for melancholy contemplations of war, anguish, and defeatism. Take the first few minutes of the first episode, which commences with an epic battle followed by a cheerful, quirky Haruka waking her mother as she dashes off to school. I was also drawn to the ways in which the members of La’cryma, having traveled to Haruka’s dimension, gradually assimilate into her own life, cultivating friendships among themselves and Haruka’s companions.
Yet I don’t seek to camouflage the show’s flaws with my genuine enthusiasm. Never would I expect an anime to appeal to all audiences, and those such as Trinity Blood often enjoy little success in their attempts. While Noein’s scientific and existential discussions were a beneficial addition to the intricate storyline, it may progressively lose viewers due to its execution.
Think of a student whose intelligence the class cannot appreciate since he/she insists on conveying ideas through inflated, esoteric language. Noein is a bit like this; it’s not at all condescending, but takes for granted our ability to follow its complex discussions with its own rapid understanding. In other words, it would have benefited from making these concepts more accessible to audiences, particularly casual viewers who enjoy a complex story but are not inclined to invest their attention in every dialogue that is spoken. I can also appreciate the mystery and intrigue that emanate from La’cryma’s members and their quantum-based abilities, though a little more time could have been spent nurturing their backstories (particularly Karasu’s). And while Haruka’s innocent, undaunted optimism has a magnetic allure, at times it bordered on naiveté and airiness.
Visually, however, Noein is striking. There is an endearing innocence to the designs of the principal characters, though the artwork’s true resonance rests within La’cryma’s members. I was initially taken aback at the eerie awkwardness and almost caricature-like quality of their designs, as though they clashed with the bewitching detail of their surroundings. And these environments are truly breathtaking; the show recreates Hokkaido beautifully and with lush, vibrant detail, infusing crystalline realism that complements the harsh, unearthly intensity associated with La’cryma.
The show effectively exploits color schemes as well, with bright or soft tones often marking joyous or reflective moments and shadowed hues of red or black designating scenes of somber intensity and intrigue. Character designs have an almost chameleon-like quality, able to adapt to various environments and colors while retaining their distinctiveness.
Admittedly, much of Noein’s appeal concerns my own personal perceptions and emotional discordance as I was driven to probe for some comforting message of redemption. It is, like all else, not without its flaws, and the plot unfolds slowly, my curiosity reaching its crescendo only around episode 11 or 12. However, patient viewers who appreciate both heated, fast-paced action and emotional resonance without exaggeration should give Noein a try.
Regardless of the threads of despondency that glisten dully throughout the story, there remains a more lustrous glint of optimism. Our unique footprints, left in the soft ground of a world in perpetual motion, may be worn by stoic tides that leave no residue of our existence. But somewhere in the ocean drifts this soil that once bore our imprints, now assimilated into something much larger than itself. To borrow words from the English dub, there exists a vast “future of infinite choice”; if you’re like me, Noein might bring this future a few inches closer to your grasp.
Recommended particularly for patient viewers who enjoy intense action, a complex storyline, and emotionally-resonant characters.
Recommended particularly for patient viewers who enjoy intense action, a complex storyline, and emotionally-resonant characters.
