Review of Den-noh Coil

電脳コイル – Dennou Coil is an excellent and unique science fiction anime that gives a glimpse of what a possible fusion of the real world with the digital world might look like in the near future. In 2007 it was futuristic, but today it seems to be available to everyone tomorrow. The show is credible and convincing, even if the beginning is a little confusing, because many of the little things make no sense at first. Be patient, as the series progresses the overall picture becomes clear and offers enthralling entertainment. Story: good idea & directing & well constructed story with substance (10/10) We become acquaintedwith a small group of children, who make the diverse possibilities of the overlapping virtual world, in short called "space", which is generated by special glasses, an integral part of their social life. Children learn a lot fast than adults and it is amazingly believable descript, how children act and explore technology until they even find a way to hack it. By the way, "Dennō" is a prefix that helps to differentiate the virtual world from the real world.
Yūko moved with her family to Daikoku City. It is the headquarters of Megamass, the Company that produces the cyber glasses and her father was hired as a manager for the company. The Anime includes Slice of Life elements such as joining the detective agency and meeting new friends, as well as mystery elements, such as revealing secrets about the cyberglasses that the Company tries to conceal. The core element of the plot is very strongly rooted in the fantasy of the world itself and can not be explained without telling the entire context and thus spoiling the fun. It's a mystery series whose underlying plot is related to a vague event in the past. Throughout the series, along with several twists and misleading assumptions, the puzzle of the past slowly dissolves. The Anime has many flowing transitions from a Slice of Life episode that gently evokes beautiful childhood memories to exciting mystery episodes that captivate the viewer. I personally liked that the series neither condemns nor glorifies the use of cyber glasses. It was presented as a tool, a functional combination of smartphone and a powerful web browser that offers an augmented reality.

Characters: large cast, realistically presented (8/10)
The characters portraits are excellent. The first half seems a bit easier at first sight. However, the easily comprehensible character development makes sense, in order not to overtax the viewer right away, because there are also many information offered, which will become important in the further course. In the second half this changes a bit, here the focus is put on the mystery element, which partly leads to the side characters that are not directly related to the story taking a back seat. I did not rate that as negative, because it is a logical consequence, so that the story does not get out of hand and streches unnecessarily.
Okonogi Yūko:
The quiet and friendly girl nicknamed Yasako (=gentle girl) is the newcomer to Daikoku City. She is not very familiar with the technology that the glasses and the city offer. Due to special circumstances she is at first, involuntarily included in her grandmother's cyber-detective agency, and the recurrent fragments of her memories quickly make her realize that there is still an unrevealed mystery in her past.
Amasawa Yūko:
Her nickname (Isako) is also very appropriate and means roughly tough girl. At first glance Isako seems to be cold and is driven only by the interest in collecting mega-bugs. But that's superficial, she uses her skills as a hacker, or rather as an encoder, to manipulate the virtual infrastructure, of course. She tries to catch an "Illegal", but for a good and honorable reason. Even if she appears as a tsundere, she has a good heart. Unfortunately, with her character a little potential remained untapped.
Hashimoto Fumie:
Fumie is quick-witted and playful, and her cheerful nature makes her the perfect counterpart to Yasako, so it's no coincidence that the two girls become friends. Fumie is also a member of the cyber detective agency and, with her skills as an experienced hacker and her digital assistant "Oyaji" she is always helpful in the Agency's investigations.
Harakawa Ken'ichi:
Haraken is also a member of the cyber detective agency and in his way resembles Yasako. He is shy, reserved and has something mysterious, which is reflected not least in his personal relationship with Searchmaton (Satchii). Haraken is personally involved in the research of Internet viruses and illegals. He has a crush on Yasako, but the death of his schoolmate Kanna under mysterious circumstances and his hope that part of Kanna might still exist on the other side are a strong distraction for his emotional world.
Harakawa Tamako:
Tamako is a very important charakter and embodies an antagonist in the broadest sense. She is Harakens aunt, but also consultant for Daikoku's cyberspace administration and responsible in particular for the programming of Searchmaton. Her strong will to make the virtual world a safe place is due to the fact that she has begun the fight between outdated and new space. This is also the reason for the programming of Searchmaton's very aggressive behavior. She closely monitors the activities of the little detectives and tries by all means to prevent Isako from achieving her goal.
Okonogi Sanae (Mega-baa)
She is the most important supporting character (nice Trivia, the name Mega-baa is made up of the words Megane = glasses and Baa-chan = grandmother). Just in case it's surprising that her cyber candy shop is called Megasi-ya and not Megabaa. In Daikoku City, Mega-baa is the capacity in terms of producing metatags and also a very experienced software programmer and directs the cyber detective agency. Yasako`s grandfather did research for medical application of dennō technology, since he has died (scene at the Beginning), his secret legacy is slowly revealed in the series.

Visuals: very good, animation and art convey a natural feeling (9/10)
It's easy to see that director Iso, Mitsuo has many years of experience as a key animator for Studio Ghilbi and with Studio Madhouse, Dennou Coil has become a very visually appealing anime. At first glance, the colour palette is a bit simpler, but that's exactly why the series does not look artificial. On the other hand, the fact that no details are missing in the series, makes it clear that this is intended. The character types are very different in their looks, so it doesn't get boring and and it's great fun to see them. The whole technique and the augmented reality are very well coordinated, seem modern and futuristic like a cyberpunk, but the futuristic seems just not so unlikely. Since CG is not my cup of tea, I see another plus of the series in that there are hardly any annoying CG's. I personally liked the effort put into small details and visual clues as to how the virtual world works and interacts with the real world. There are immediate brick walls for protection, but on the other hand slight error signs, especially when the kids are trying to hack the virtual reality. The real suburb is a wonderful contrast, with small winding side streets, beautiful parks and temples showing signs of decay, such as small cracks in the walls and color differences. In combination with a fluid and expressive amination it is a pleasure to watch. While one can find a reason to criticize the visuals and say that this section is not excellent, they must admit that even now, more than 10 years after its release, it is very good.

Sounds: beautiful and well-accented music, good VA & sound effects (8/10)
The BGM was composed by Saito, Tsuneyoshi and has very appealing, playful orchestral melodies. I particularly liked the guitar melody. The music is a successful and appealing addition to the visualization and the fact that the BGM is increasingly being used in action and flashback sequences underlines these scenes well. On the other hand, more attention is paid to the characters and their interaction in the other sequences because the BGM is not so present here. This is really well done and leaves room for the development and expansion of the good dialogues.
The meaning of the OP "Prism", sung by Ikeda, Ayako, also becomes more understandable by the stronger emphasis on the characters and their dialogues. Also, the animation of the OP fits very well with the meaning and the beautiful melody.
The ED "Sora no Kakera", also sung by Ikeda, Ayako, has a pleasant, melancholic character that completes the episode in a gentle way and wakes the desire for the next episode.
The voice performance leaves no room for further wishes, because it was a cast with experienced voice actors. I particularly liked the voice of Okonogi Yūko, spoken by Orikasa, Fumiko. She was very convincing with her portrayal of the role of a normal, young and slightly shy girl, especially in conversation with her little sister Kyoko.
On the other hand, Kuwashima, Houko in the role of Amasawa, Yūko presented herself as a really fitting counterpart. She spoke loud and clear that suited to Isako very well.

Dennou Coil is very special anime. Although appropriate for a younger audience and carrying a valuable message, with a story about children experiencing adventures in the virtual world, nicely wraped with comedy. On the other hand, it's also intellectually appealing and satisfying for an older audience. The Storytelling subtly questions the dangers of separating one's online selves from the physical self, in combination with high-tech technology, urban legends and a drama driven by an emotional core of loss and grief. I highly recommend this anime that unfortunately is often overlooked or postponed in favor of more popular titles, and agree with Mike Tool's words: "One of them shows where the end of each episode immediately triggers the desire for the next episode (ANN, Mike Tool Show, Jan.2011).
If you like the anime, then some of the Ghibli movies are certainly of interest to you. Somewhat darker, consider "Serial Experiments Lain" or "Boogiepop Phantom". If you want more SciFi then GitS: Stand Alone Complex or Cowboy Bebop could be interesting.

Thanks for reading and have fun watching!