Review of Den-noh Coil
Dennou Coil is a rarity: it's a show driven by pre-teen characters and at a glance seems to be geared towards younger demographic, yet it possessed so much more maturity and depth than many other supposedly "grown-up" shows.No creepy pandering, no annoying stereotypes, and no excessive violence; just a fun and thoughtful sci-fi adventure. The kids in DC wear special type of glasses nearly all the time in order to access 'augmented reality', a virtual world with alternate space, communication tools, collectible items that can be parlayed into software goodies, virtual pets, and mysterious black creature known as 'Illegals'. Mitsuo Iso, the series' creator anda renowned animator in the industry, did a very fine job integrating this speculative high concept into mundane daily settings, and as a result created a near-futuristic world that feels genuine and unique. The overall production value is top notch; while there's nothing mind-blowing or exceedingly gorgeous, it has distinct aesthetic and great creature design ranging from quirky (Satchi, the ruthless anti-virus program with smiley face), adorable (Densuke is giving Cowboy Bebop's Ein a run for his money as the best anime dog), and creepy (the Illegals, often presented as black mass of shapes). The music is also very good, with fun and memorable audio cues as well as lovely OP & ED sung by Ikeda Ayako.
The anime does have some problems with its narrative. Pacing tends to be sluggish for most of the series, and it can be quite repetitive with way too much time being dedicated to scenes of kids running around from errant anti-virus program. There's also a daunting number of jargons and terminologies being tossed around at the very start, so understanding how the whole augmented reality thing works could take a while (*although I certainly appreciate the show not over-explaining and trusted the audience's intelligence). On the other hand, while the central mystery takes a while to gain steam, there are some nifty world-buildings presented in the filler episodes; in fact, a particular episode concerning digital beard is one of the most brilliant anime episodes I've ever seen, filler or otherwise.
Somewhat surprisingly, the tweener cast ends up being the best aspect of Dennou Coil. It's uncommonly good how the kids ae being portrayed here, from the timid Yasako, feisty Fumi, and icy Isako, to the goonish Daichi, quiet Haraken, and hyper-active Kyoko; there's a great dynamic between them and they behave and interact in very age-appropriate way, with their determination and resourcefulness being consistently highlighted. Design-wise, they're also a lot more expressive and adorable than your typical anime kids-especially the moe-ified crowd. While I certainly didn't get to have crazy adventure while wearing virtual glasses back in the day, seeing these kids in Dennou Coil evoked a lot of childhood nostalgia. Discovering and collecting this cool stuff that all kids your age are crazy about, forming attachment with you sibling, having first pet, having a petty rivalry, sharing urban legends... DC should reminded you of these stuff, while exploring some heavy and serious concepts that all children will eventually have to face.
There's really a lot to like in Dennou Coil: an intelligent premise, very likable cast, and one of the most emotionally resonant resolution I've ever watched. What a breath of fresh air.