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Now in Japan
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Thursday, 08 February 2007 00:00 |
 Momo and Daniel return for another two visits to those left behind, as they help one boy avoid making the mistake his grandfather made before moving on to help a young girl deal with filling her mother's shoes. Makes you wonder if she ever has time to do the duties a shinigami should really be working on...
3 - Beyond the Light
Kantarou's grandfather was always a fan of role-playing games (as witnessed by the boxes of the things he kept stored in his room), even to the point where when he died, he left behind a series of notes for Kantarou setting up one last game to play with his grandson. Seeing it as his grandfather's last wish, Kantarou decides to play along, with the help of classmate and possible love-interest Tomato. The "game" involves a trip out into the countryside, to a remote village, and along the way Kanta keeps seeing visions of a young boy & girl that Tomato can't see herself. Is this part of the game..?
4 - The Magic of Autumn
Junior High student Chiaki Kazama's been filling the role of mother in her home since her mother died, and with her father often away on business trips and little brother Fuyuki to look after, it's a difficult job for her. When Fuyuki tells her about the shinigami that's been coming to play with him, she's at first convinced he's made it up after reading too much manga - but then she remembers that just before she died, her mother had described a shinigami, a young girl all in white with a black cat that seems to match Fuyuki's description, and she begins to worry that Fuyuki could be the shinigami's next target...
The first episode here is a case of matchmaking from beyond the grave, and an attempt to stop history from repeating itself. Kantarou's grandfather had had a childhood sweetheart when he was young, but after she'd moved away he never made any attempt to keep in touch - now his grandson has a childhood sweetheart who's about to move away (although he couldn't have really known that before he died) and wants to make sure Kantarou doesn't make the same mistake. It's a good little episode - Tomato tries to make it look like it was a last-minute decision to tag along with Kantarou, but she's clearly come prepared and her feelings for Kantarou are quite clear. The episode's got a slow, countryside atmosphere to it that's really appealing - and the animators spend a lot of time concentrating on Tomato's behind, which can only add to the appeal.
The second episode goes back to high-school / city life, and feels a lot more "normal" as a result - countryside settings bring a unique atmosphere with them, and that's obviously lacking here. Momo's just been babysitting for Chiaki - nothing sinister at all. Their mom was so worried about how Fuyuki and Chiaki would cope after she died that Momo felt she had to help out. Daniel could be quite a good male role-model, apart from the wings, and definitely has that kiddie-friendly touch. Seeing Momo doing things that clearly aren't what you'd expect a shinigami to be doing are a large part of this show's appeal and that's what this episode delivers.
Shinigami no Ballad is slow, slice-of-life stuff with Momo and Daniel providing a slight supernatural twist. They play such a small part in each episode that you almost forget they're there for most of it, and just go with the flow of the individual stories. I'm not sure that there's even an overall point to what Momo does, other than just filling her own need to be something other than a very cute goddess of death when she gets the chance. The atmosphere of each story is a real draw, as is the laid-back pace of events. It's a really engaging feel-good show, and well worth a look. |
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