Review of Eden of The East the Movie II: Paradise Lost
Eden of the East : Paradise Lost JAP title : Higashi no Eden : Gekijouban II Paradise Lost “It’s time to draw the curtains on this game…” [ 3 MINUTE REVIEW ] With this second movie, Paradise Lost, the Eden of the East franchise comes to a close. And what a ride it has been! This movie picks up from the exact moment where the first movie finished. Akira and Saki are on a plane that’s on its way to Japan. There, they meet with the late Prime Minister’s wife and get things sorted out. Meanwhile, the other Selecao start plotting their way to victory. That’s about all I cansay without revealing any spoilers.
Right, this movie is more action packed than the previous one, in a way more different than you think, because when I say action packed, I don’t mean car chases and gun fights, I mean political action. The show FINALLY realizes the magnitude of the situation and the non-existent police come to life, which speeds things up a little. The mundane and boring side characters finally have a role to play and the quick transition from the activities of Akira and his Eden buddies are really smooth. The pacing is improved, but still inconsistent.
The plot is, by no means, unpredictable. You can see what’s coming from a mile away, but it’s still fun. The movie is exciting and the reason for this is because the viewer knows that after this 1 hour and 42 minutes, there will be no more Eden of the East. A lot of the questions left unanswered are finally dealt with. Although, the answers aren’t satisfactory, it was a relief to see that the producers had at least tried to tie up most of the loose ends.
The ending may appear ridiculous, abrupt and stupid at first glance, but after a re-watch, things become much clearer. I repeat - If you are left confused by the ending, then you MUST re-watch this movie and even bits of the first one. That being said, the ending is still not up to the mark. The producers tried to be smart by providing a classy and sophisticated ending, but they just fail pretty miserably.
The side characters themselves are as tiresome as ever, but at least this time, they have important roles to play, so they’ll keep you engaged. Saki finally shows some new emotions, but still not enough to compensate her disastrously monotonous role thus far. Akira is as eccentric as ever. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m gonna miss that crazy dude.
The animation is as gorgeous as ever. Nothing more to be said here, as fans of the original series and the prequel must be aware of the stellar animation quality.
Both, the OP and the ED, are done by SchoolFoodPunishment, which is really cool. The BGM for this movie is far better than the original series and the first movie and the music finally stands out.
Overall, a great concept, an eccentric main character, brilliant animation and a super background score are this anime’s strongholds, but poor pacing, boring side characters and an overambitious ending pull it down. But, Paradise Lost did have a more movie feel to it than its predecessor King of Eden.
The Bottom-line:
This movie gets a 9 purely because it marks the end of such an innovative show (and also because I feel slightly guilty for giving the show and the first movie an 8). It goes without saying that this is a must-watch for fans of Eden of the East. This movie might not be epic and isn’t a good ending to the franchise, but it’s still watchable.