Now and Then, Here and There

Scary. I kind of knew what I was getting into, but I didn't expect this result. Cruel, really cruel. No matter how it ends, the journey is hard, tough, and painful. I couldn't say “now they’ll get away", I couldn't say “now they’ll win the fight", I couldn't say that a given character would live to see the end. The deaths were ugly, the killings uglier. Nothing far-fetched, just a painful and raw portrayal of war and suffering. Definitely a powerful anti-militarist piece that can stir the heart. I really can't think of any words other than pain, destruction, suffering, cruelty. Various thoughts float through my mind and heart, and I can only add that I won't get more out of myself after watching it, it will just swirl around inside me, and I'll keep wondering how Shu ended up on his journey. BTW.: I would say that due to the scenes where they kill still small children, this anime is not for the faint of heart. (16.05.2010)