Anime Meine Liebe

[Dagger]

[url=http://www.meineliebe.jp/][u]Official Site[/u][/url]

Meine Liebe, which means "My Love" in German, is the latest series from the studio Bee Train. Directed by Koichi Mashimo (an industry veteran who has worked on Noir, .hack//SIGN, Madlax, Avenger and many other anime), and graced with character designs conceived by the incredibly popular manga-ka Kaori Yuki (known as the creator of Angel Sanctuary, Count Cain and Ludwig Kakumei), it's loosely based on a girls' dating sim of the same name.

The six main characters attend an exclusive boarding school in a fictional European country. The top students at their academy are frequently chosen to become the king's advisors, and so every student strives to become one of the "Strahl candidates" who will eventually go on to attain tremendous political influence. Orpherus, the protagonist, is a young noble who is determined to best his bitter rival at the school and also find out why his older sister [spoiler]was killed.[/spoiler]

The artwork is lovely, with plenty of detail, a nice color palette and beautiful shading. The animation, too, is unusually attractive and smooth--there's a truly spectacular swordfight in the second half of episode 1. I've been anticipating Meine Liebe for several months, and right now I couldn't be more pleased with the series. It's chock-full of bishounen and dramatic-looking cloaks, but doesn't come across as being cheesy. The dialogue is somewhat formal and very intelligent, almost to the point of feeling vaguely like something one might read in a classic novel.

I've gradually been converted from a Bee Train/Mashimo skeptic to a tentative fan... this director often uses certain visual techniques (i.e. slowly panning across characters' eyes) and storytelling devices (i.e. flashbacks) to excess, but if you learn to tolerate or ignore that, his anime can be quite entertaining. I liked Madlax much more than I expected, and now that Bee Train is has plunged headfirst into the world of shoujo--well, I can't help wanting to cheer them on. So far, at least, Meine Liebe is a great one for the ladies. ^_~

EDIT: Attached some screencaps for your viewing pleasure.

~Dagger~

[CaptainAnarchy]

Hello there. I am very interested in this "Meine Liebe" series you speak of. Not only does the animation sound good, but I have very rarely seen an anime that has been set in Europe. Where could I see or purchase this anime? I am very curious about this series since you say its a good one "for the ladies". What era or time is it set in? I would love to see a "medieval" era anime, since it is such a rarity (even though I still anticipate seeing it if its modern time or what not). So fill me in!

[Dagger]

It takes place in 1935, but there appears to be very little in the way of modern amenities (or maybe the aristocrats of this country are all technophobes). Horses and horse-drawn carriages are apparently the primary modes of transportation. To me, the show seems sort of 18th century; the characters' rather elaborate clothing definitely adds to that. Amusingly enough, many of the locations in Meine Liebe are named after German words for different types of candy and sweets.

I've PMed you, so if you're still interested in seeing it, check your inbox. :)

~Dagger~