Rozen Maiden

By some coinsidence on the internet, I came into contact with Rozen Maiden through the probably all to known DESU meme, and random recommendations from several websites. I started watching Rozen Maiden somewhere during fall, and finished watching somewhere before December. Here comes my review of the anime.

Story - This is one of the highlights of the Rozen Maiden. The story about Jun and how he comes in contact with the dolls is an action-filled, emotional, yet humorous sotry. The makers of Rozen maiden has managed to make a fine mix between humor, drama and action, and it is rather clear what nature each scene ... is of. It should be clear what episodes make the story go forward. Some things, however, may be confusing, but these are explained in one way or another through the anime. The plot holes in the story leaves the watcher with some questions. Many of these plot holes are filled in in träumend, however, so this makes it even moe worth to keep watching.

Art - There's really only one thing I can say here. The art is outstanding, and is also one of the major qualities of the show. Ranging from the modern Japanese suburban style of where most of the story takes place, to a more 19th century Victorian style of the N-field, the visual range of the anime is simply amazing. The dolls clearly differ from the humans in design. The 19th century style of the dolls clearly stand out from the modern look of the human characters.

Sound - This has to be the only downside of Rozen Maiden. The opening credits may be interesting to hear the first few times, but after you've heard it some times, you will start to feel it gets on your nerves. The opening credits are not really the best I've heard, by far. As for the ending credits, it is not at all as annoying as the opening credits. It is even quite calm and enjoyable, and does not get annoying after a few times, unlike the opening credits. The music that occurs in the show is in good touch with the scenes, with distinctive music for all types of scenes. However, many are played so commonly that you start to recognize them every time you hear them. It is not annoying, unlike the opening credits, but when you've heard the same song for every scene of the same nature, you'll want some different music for a change. As for voice actors, I believe they couldn't have done a better job for the japanese voice acting than what they already did. The voices fit the characters great, and I can't think of any flaws. If there is something that stands out in the sound department, it is definitely the voice actors.

Characters - This has to be another of Rozen Maiden's shining points. All of the characters have their own distinctive traits. For example, the main Character, Jun, is a secluded, traumatized young boy who has an interest in buying supernatural things. As the story progresses, however, one will notice how he changes as a response to the dolls that he comes in contact with. The dolls themselves are rather unique themselves, each housing their own distinctive traits and personalities. For instance, while Shinku may be aristocratic and dominant, Suigintu is cold and full of sorrow, while Hinaichogo is as innocent as a child. The character that seems to help the bond grow between the characters, is Jun's older sister Nori, who treats both Jun and the dolls with lots of love and care. While she is not the most prominent of the characters nor a very integral in the main plot, she is an important character nevertheless, and a strong support to everybody.

Enjoyment - To put it shortly, this is the best anime I have seen. It is rich of humor, action and drama, and is put together in a very good way. You may want to watch this many times just to catch all the aspects of the anime. This is truly an anime to remember.

Overall - As I said before, this is the best anime I have seen. If you like action and drama with a good sense of humor, this is an anime for you. I promise you, that you will not be dissappointed. Wonderful story with a beautiful style, and much diversity makes this anime something you can relate to. And if you like the original anime, then Träumend and Ouvertüre is a must to watch.

Overall score: 10/10 DESU

This definitely isn't a genre I'd usually watch from, but given that, I guess it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

STORY - To be honest, despite this series only being twelve episodes long, it took a while for me to figure out what exactly the plot was, and when I figured it out, I wasn't much impressed. In the beginning, everything seemed to happen pretty arbitrarily. Nothing was really explained, and things just seemed to keep happening for little or no reason. This was annoying, and I found myself losing interest pretty quickly. It was slice-of-life with unexplained fantasy elements. And when the ... story did finally emerge, it still seemed mediocre at best.

Because they were the fantasy elements in an otherwise very ordinary world, the story of the dolls and the Alice Game seemed much more interesting than the social anxiety struggles of a middle school recluse. But really, I found it hard to sympathize with either parties. The dolls were not explained well enough to garner sympathy, and even when they finally were (like, during the second-to-last episode), the situation seemed too absurdly simple, and I still wasn't impressed. Jun's plight was also only described vaguely until the very end of the series, and then, it was even less impressive than the dolls' story. My reaction was pretty much, "Are you serious?" I had expected something much more tragic. To some extent, I suppose it's interesting to consider that even something so simple could have such a great affect on a person, especially considering the pressures within Japanese society, but it really wasn't presented well enough to be effective.

CHARACTER - Given the weak story and the slice-of-life nature of many of the episodes, I suppose it isn't really that surprising that a majority of the characters were very flat and that most of their substance was for entertainment value only. This is the most true for Hina Ichigo and Suisei Seki; the former is the most stereotypically "cute" thing I've ever seen, and the latter is just gimmicky (desu desu desu). Sousei Seki seemed to only exist for a (rather boring) subplot, and while she might be considered a foil for her sister, neither are really explored enough to matter. Nori was your typical older sibling character -- you know the type. She is 100% devoted to her brother and provides unconditional love and support, but isn't able to do much more than put up with his verbal abuse. Really, she just seems overly convenient; she is the character who can cook, clean, and run errands since there are no adults in the house (they just happen to be working overseas; yeah, sure). Generic support character is generic. Similarly, Sougintou was a cookie cutter villain. Seriously, everything from her design to her laugh to her evil grin seemed like a copypasta from every other generic villain in the world. Because nothing was explained until the last possible second, you have no real context for her antagonisms, and it was difficult to relate to either side of any fight.

As the two protagonists, it makes sense that Shinku and Jun are the only characters in the entire series to have any real development. What was the most interesting to me was the gradual progression and development of their relationship throughout the course of the series, especially since it tied into both of their individual plotlines. Both of them grew, though Shinku had less room for change than Jun, and graduated to a higher level as people (or a doll) by the end of the series, which was possibly the only real good part of Rozen Maiden's conclusion. It was cute.

ARTSTYLE & ANIMATION - It's obvious from the beginning the the artists spent a lot of time detailing all of the dolls' lolita fashions. Each doll accurately represents a different kind of lolita, and they are all beautifully rendered. The human character designs are certainly plain in comparison, but they're only supposed to be ordinary school children anyway. The animation was good and smooth, but some background elements and special effects seemed a little cheap (the swirling clouds, for example). Overall though, Rozen Maiden was quite pleasing to the eye, and I'm always impressed when there are characters so overloaded with minute details. It's one thing to have pimped out backgrounds; it's another thing entirely when they have to animate all the ruffles and ribbons on a character.

MUSIC - I have a bias towards Ali Project. I love Ali Project. But really, I think the fancy, high-strung violins really suit the subject and style of Rozen Maiden. Classical elements are often associated with lolita, after all. The opening, "Kinjirareta Asobi," is pretty typical Ali Project: high in anticipation and urgency, fast-paced while simultaneously beautiful and delicate sounding. The lyrics are actually pretty intriguing, but I'm not sure how much relevancy they have to the series. The ending theme, "Tomei Shelter" by refio + Haruka Shimotsuki followed up each episode fairly well -- I'm always a fan of the more energetic stuff first and the more mellow stuff second anyway.

The soundtrack in the actual series seems to echo the style and mood of the opening, thus reminding me a lot of Yuki Kaijura's work even though she isn't the composer here. There were some very moving violin pieces throughout Rozen Maiden, and it's definitely a soundtrack I would recommend listening to beyond your viewing of the series. Then again, maybe I'm just a sucker for violins and pianos and the classical junk. :P

VOICE ACTING - Average, I'd say, although... As much as I don't really like the character, I think Suisei Seki has a fun voice and her "-desu" on just about everything, while somewhat gimmicky and annoying, is actually pretty original. Certainly she isn't the first character to have words tacked on to almost everything (Chichiri's and Ryuichi's "no da" and "na no da" come to mind), but "-desu" is a first, and it's amusing because it's a grand exaggeration poking fun at the Japanese's own language, which yes, does make frequent use of "-desu." Sousei Seki's "boku" isn't as prominient, probably because she doesn't speak nearly as much, but it's one of the reasons I'd consider her a reverse-trap, a rare creature indeed. I find it interesting when characters' verbal patterns dictate so much about them. It makes them more fun to listen to anyway, and both twins' voice actors do a great job with them.

Somewhat unrelated note: Hina Ichigo's cry for Shinku sounds exactly like Tian-Ze's cry for XingKe in Code Geass R2. That was so weird. D8

OVERALL - Rozen Maiden was kind of disappointing when I consider the fanboyish recommendations that had been thrown at me by my brother, but that makes me wonder if my lack of interest is just rooted in the idea that this isn't really my genre. The actual story didn't make the grand delay in getting to it worth it, and the abundance of two-dimensional, uninteresting characters really dragged it down for me. The series never took the time to explain much of anything, and even now I have tons of questions, but I can't be bothered to really seek out answers to them because even they weren't all that interesting. But it was frustrating to know that they omitted so much when they spent so much time on completely pointless subplots (the quest for flower-topped hamburgers, for example). While I'll admit that it was kind of cute in the end, that cuteness didn't really make up for everything else I had to put up with. Maybe I'm just utterly unaffected by the massive moe though. I'm told the second season is much better, and maybe I'll get around to it eventually, but for now, I don't really feel that inclined.

Second Review from me, just made for fun because I'm bad at writing them...

Story:
A unique story which you will not find that fast. It's about Jun a boy who hase a fear for going to school, which becomes the servant of the beautiful living doll Shinku...

Art:
Great and unique also art, the dolls are made with clothes you won't see mutch in other animes that's what making it special all over again...

Sounds:
Great voice actors, Shinku sounds like she needs to be just like all the other characters they really fit in. Also the opening and ending theme, Ali Project which is in my option one of ... the best ones where singing the opening theme and Haruka Shimotsuki, which I don't know very well the ending theme but it was still good...

Character:
Jun is a boy who fears to go to school and doesn't wanna make allot contact, Shinku the doll who makes him her servant which is always ladylike, Suiseiseki the desu-one and the sister from Souseiseki, HinaIchigo the more little and hyper one, Souseiseki the serious one and sister from Suiseiseki and then we got at last Suigintou the more mysterious type and apears to be there enemy allot... all these characters are perfectly matching with how they look and how they are so this one is a big plus in my my eyes...

Enjoyment:
Even with the allot drama which is in it very mutch, people will enjoy this, also allot funny stuff is happening, I mean who doesn't enjoy a "weird so called now" living doll who lives with a boy... but as I said before it has pretty mutch sad things (more in the second season but this review is about the first one :P)

Overall:
I would recomend this really fast to people, before I thought it wasn't mutch special but after I watched I loved it so mutch which other people I guess also will^^

One of the best animes ever done in my opinion. It contains a unique storyline and does exceptionally well in the character development department. When it tries to be cute and funny, it is cute and funny. When it tries to be serious, it's serious. Since it is first season of the series, it leaves just enough out to stir curiousity in people to encourage people to watch Traumend, the second season, and Ouverture, the story about Rozen Maiden's antagonist.

Rozen Maiden is a gem lost in a world full of more known titles and will be if not yet a classic. While some of taken jabs at this series for not following the source material and being supposed lolibait, I for one must tell everyone that Rozen Maiden is NOT lolibait and sometimes seperating yourself from source material can work. True, it can be extremely risky and may very well end in complete failure as multiple mediums have proved that very thing, but what if the material is both good and really entertaining? Ladies and folks, you get Rozen Maiden.

When I first started Rozen ... Maiden a few years back I in all honesty was not sure if it was my thing because up until late 2012 I was a heavy action and DBZ fan, but any doubt ended when got a few episodes in. Firstly, the story in itself is not completely unique to only Rozen Maiden and idea of being the last one of many standing exists in other titles such as Btooom and Zatch Bell, though judging from how Rozen Maiden operates I feel like the better comparison from the two is surely Zatch Bell. Quickly, enter Jun. Jun is a complete shut-in and has suffered trauma from negative experiences from kids at his school. I feel like middle schoolers or even high schoolers who have trouble fitting in with the society that is school can relate to the guy. I mean, who hasn't been bullied at least once? Continuing on, Jun has the hobby of ordering quite unusual stuff from the web and this is where the story begins to unfold as Jun is given a choice and that choice eventually will change his life as he must participate in the Alice Game and help his partner and blonde doll Shinku win the competition.

You could say the art in Rozen Maiden is somewhat bland, but actually I disagree. While not on the level of the stunning EF: Memories, I really feel like it was good and fine as it was. Rozen Maiden from 2004 just didn't need all of that, though for 2004 I thought it looked mighty fine and appealing. Now, what about the sound? Firstly, both the dubs and subs rock so watch it as you please. Secondly, those openings really are extremely catchy. Are you a fan of the Another opening? Well, check out this tune then because its done by the same people.

Rozen Maiden has a good story, appealing sound and look, but what about the characters? Are they worthy of a positive feedback? Well, that's the thing. Rozen Maiden's colorful set of characters ranging from Jun all the way to my personal favorite Suigintou really makes the anime great. It becomes a journey watching Jun mature, Shinku changing and even seeing Suigintou for who she truly is and was. This is anime at its finest and characters that are top notch. The character development that spans 26 episodes really does this anime justice.

The enjoyment I got from Rozen Maiden was beyond words. Maybe it wasn't as soothing as Aria, as smart as Monogatari or as groundbreaking as Madoka Magica, but being smart or powerful doesn't always relate to enjoyment. Rozen Maiden proves just that.

Overall? 10/10, easy. If you have yet to try Rozen Maiden due to the following reasons:

- Looks like lolibait
- 2004 seems old
- Does not follow source material

Please give it a chance. You may end up finding a gem hidden under your nose. I'm done, make me some tea Jun.

Rozen Maiden was originally an anime I very hesitant to pick up due to the genre of the anime and the premise of the show being talking dolls, but I am glad I gave it a shot despite it's evident flaws.

Rozen Maiden was produced and released in late 2004 by Studio Nomad, which isn't a renowned company but has had successful shows such as OKHC (Ouran Kokou Host Club) and Kampfer. Not soon after it's release, the infamous "Desu" meme with Suiseiseki (It took me about 5 episodes to pronounce her name correctly) was created on 4Chan and the show became relatively popular ever since. ... All of that aside, let's move on to story.

Story:
The main plot of the story was hard to recognize at first, and not even present in episode 1, despite this the originality of the story was definitely refreshing. As the series progressed I came to realize what a simple story the anime had to begin with, and it seemed as if they were only using it as an excuse to initiate battle sequences or to progress character development (in which there was very little of) The mid part of the series felt like warm hearted comedy fillers, and had little or no relevance back to the real plot. The few battle scenes that were in the story weren't very suspenseful, and usually always between Shinku and Suigintou, with occasional assistance from the other dolls, making the whole "action" part of the series seem a bit monotonous, and out of place. One of the few things about the story that did have some merit was the concept of the "Alice Game" where the dolls have to fight each other and only the winner gets to meet the dolls father or "Rozen." Even though on paper, that concept seems like a winner, the dolls involvement in the game was vaguely explained, and ironically the real story felt rushed being pushed out by the "filler" episodes for comedy. The anime attempted to be emotionally pulling on key points of the series, but I felt it wasn't very well executed or effective at all.

Characters:7
For the most part, the characters of the series were quite enjoyable to watch with the exception of the main protagonist:Jun.

Shinku: The fifth doll of the collection owned by Jun, who is also the main female protagonist of the series. Shinku is a lady like doll, who most reminds me of some sort of british nobility, and usually shows no emotion as to what she is doing making her a bit of a Tsundere.

Jun: Typical hikikomori, nothing special here.

Hina Ichigo: The sixth doll of the collection who is the embodiment of childishness, she frequently annoys all the dolls, and she is often perceived as the least favorite of the dolls in the series.

Suiseiseki: "Desu" pretty much sums up this doll, her hatred for humans and her annoying nature to even the other dolls makes her more of the comedic element to the series along with Hina Ichigo.

Souseiski: Suiseiseki's younger sister, who is a lot more likeable and mature than her sister.

Suigintou: The sadistic, arrogant, and rather clever main antagonist of the series that is constantly terrorizing Shinku's group of maidens and Jun, in order to weaken her to steal her Rozen Mystica, her desperateness to win the Alice Game and evil nature makes her one of those likeable antagonists, despite what she is doing to the other dolls.

Nori and Tomoe: Generic, happy go lucky girls, Nori takes care of Jun and the dolls and prepares all of the meals and tea.

Character development was definitely not a strong point of the show, though it was present, but unfortunately not very effectively, as the only major character development in the series was in the final episode.

Animation:
Despite being an older anime, the animation wasn't half bad, but is no where on par with today's standards. The small details that were included in the animation give it a boost. Though there were times where the animation was good and bad, so it was kind of a mixed feeling (That also describes the anime as a whole)!

Sound:
I was actually quite fond of the opening song for the series, proper music was played during proper scenes, such as moments of battle, and sadness. Everything was appropriately placed sound-wise, though there were no songs that really stood out from the soundtrack.

Closing thoughts:
In conclusion, RM is definitely an enjoyable anime, despite it's flaws. Unfortunately, the anime only truly shines in the first few and last episodes of the series. This anime gave me mixed feelings throughout the entirety of the show, but the loveable characters and decent plot made up for it.

Score Breakdown:
Story: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Animation: 7/10
Sound: 8/10
My enjoyment: 7/10
Final Score: 7/10

I do take requests for reviews, so just comment on my profile if you would like to submit one in. Thanks for reading!

Rozen Maiden was the first anime I've seen and it was the very reason I got into the medium. That's why this title is so special to me and because of that there might be some sentiment speaking through me.

The main character of this story is Jun Sakurada, a shut in teenager, who lives apart from his parents, doesn't attend school and rarely ever goes out. He orders many extravagant things online and returns them before he has to pay for them. One day he receives a mysterious letter which he doesn't take seriously, and being asked whether he will "wind or not", he ... agrees. As a result, he becomes the owner of a living doll, Shinku. (Or maybe it's Shinku that becomes his owner?)
As the story goes on, more dolls are introduced and the reason behind them appearing is being unveiled. Long story short, the dolls are supposed to fight one another in order to decide which one is the closest to being the perfect doll their 'Father', the legendary doll maker Rozen seeks.

In this first season of the Rozen Maiden anime, it's Jun's case that is the main focus. Partly because of that, the progress of the battle between dolls is slow. Personally, I found it a little disappointing that a lot of time is being spent on silly comedy / slice of life scenes of our main characters playing house. I can't help it but feel like some potential is being wasted. On the other hand though, thanks to those light hearted everyday scenes we get to know the characters better.
The best point of this show is probably said character development, which is mostly noticeable in Jun's case. You might not like all of the dolls, even being a big fan of the story myself I didn't like them all either, but I still think they are good characters. There is some uniqueness to each of them. The first season doesn't introduce all of them, but the second season (which is a lot better imo) makes up for it and this is where the proper battle between them begins.
The anime addresses some thought-provoking problems, like isolation, escapism or being unable to deal with a loss of someone important. Those motives are handled well, but like I said before, a feeling of wasted potential might be present sometimes.

Rozen Maiden is a pretty old anime, so the art style is rather specific. There are many simplifications in the background, but generally it doesn't look bad. The character design is very good in the dolls' case. There are many details and a lot of uniqueness. The animation quality is also fine. Overall, the art doesn't stand out but it's at least decent.
The music on the other hand is very good. The soundtrack is unique and very fitting to the series' climate. The opening song is sung by my beloved Ali Project and sounds very typical of them, but also fits the anime. The ending song, "Toumei Shelter" by Kukui is a calm, nice song.

Even though Rozen Maiden isn't flawless, it's a well done show that might be more than it seems to be. In spite of some flaws, it's for sure an unique anime that is worth giving a try. These 12 episodes aren't that much time and you might find yourself charmed by this magical, fairytale-like story. In my case, this is the show that will always have a special place in my heart, even if I can't say it's the best thing I've seen.
I'm giving it a solid 7.

Exciting, Heartbreaking, Heartwarming, Adorable, Dolls..? Fun.

A simple anime series, yet quite satisfying all around. Rozen maiden dolls, simply put, a group of dolls that are wound by hand by use of a special key.

At first I was afraid watching this anime. I thought it's some childish doll kind of story. Well, it turns out..not! Shinju, Kanaria, Ichigo, and the other six Rozen-Maiden dolls was made by Rozen. He was a maestro in doll-craft. All the dolls love him, but they have to fight one another to become "Alice"-a symbol of a perfect woman that Rozen always dreamt of. Through each seasons they (and us) will ... learn the importance of significant others, bonds between sisters, how great a daughter could long to see her father, what is the real beauty, and the most important is...how to rise after you fall. This is a very nice, touching, yet a simple story with a dash of action :)

Keeping this review simple, this is my favorite anime out of my anime list. I shall split this review into each catergory.

Storyline: The story is very interesting. The concept of dolls fighting is an interesting one which has sparked interest all over the world.

Art: The art is very bright and cheerful at times however at times when needed, can change to the dark and gloomy theme effectively as well when needed. No complaints over this.

Sound: There is a very diverse soundtrack with Rozen Maiden however there is one or two events where other songs in the soundtrack could have been used.

Character: There are a wide ... variety of characters in the anime that have different personalities. Such characters have become some of my favorite out of any show. Especially Suiseseki who is famous for her "-desu".

Enjoyment: 110% satisfaction!

Overall: A flawless anime which is definitely deserving of at the very least, an attempt at watching.

This is my very first MAL review. I've had this account for years, but this anime left SUCH an impact on me that it made me break my silence. I hope that impresses upon you, dear reader, how much I adore Rozen Maiden. I apologize if this is too personal, but this anime just hit so close to home, I had no choice but to make it personal. If you want to skip what basically turned into my life story (again, Rozen Maiden is VERY personal to me...), skip to the tl;dr at the end.

*sigh* Okay. Here goes!

I've wanted to watch Rozen Maiden ever since ... I was a little girl and I saw clips of it on Youtube. Back then, the idea of it appealed to me because I had a collection of ball-jointed dolls, which I have since given to my niece. I adored those dolls (more about that in a second), but I never knew much about them. My aunt gave them to me (seems to be tradition to pass this on from aunt to niece!) and, well, she passed on shortly after that. She was not herself towards the end of her life, so she did not do a good job of explaining how these dolls... uh.... worked? I guess you could say? That might not make any sense, but from my tiny eight-year-old perspective, these antique dolls (coincidentally, I had seven of them) were a mystery. I almost never "played" with them in the way I played with my other toys. Part of that is because I was never very much of a doll girl, but what dolls I had, I RUINED with my hyperactivity and carelessness (think "Weird Barbie" from the Barbie movie). The other reason was that they seemed almost too PURE to be touched. As a result of the enigma they seemed to carry, I sort of subconsciously imbued them with a life of their own in my mind. Playing with them almost seemed like I was subverting their (imaginary) agency. Instead, I started making up stories with them in my head while I laid on my bed and stared at them, sometimes for literal hours on end. Later on, I would even write these stories down in a journal (which later got found by my bullies, but fortunately, none of them could read English as I was living in a foreign country at the time. but they destroyed it nevertheless...). The little Native American one and the Victorian lady in a pink dress were friends. The one in the yellow dress was a bit of a tomboy and she was in love with the one with the lovely red velveteen gown who did not reciprocate her affection (a foreshadowing of my own story as a shy and timid little lesbian girl growing up up with unrequieted affections for all the pretty girls in my class who only had eyes for the boys...)

Okay, I got off topic. My point is, this anime is VERY personal to me. And I'm glad I finally watched it, despite the fact that part of me feels I would have enjoyed it even more had I watched it as a little girl. On the other hand, I am glad I waited this long because at the time, I wouldn't have been able to look back on my own story and how it paralleled Jun's in many ways. As odd as that sounds!

Oh, let's talk about Jun.

Jun's character arc (and it's a REAL character arc! I love seeing that in anime!) is the other reason this anime hit SO HARD for me. When I was Jun's age, I was living in a foreign country whose language I was not confident enough in to actually speak. I was effectively mute even though I could, myself, understand the vernacular (French) pretty well. The kids in my class just saw me as the weird, too-small-for-her-age American girl who couldn't speak French but had a notebook full of anime-style sketches. As a result, from the ages 9 until 14, I was basically a complete loner. My bedroom and the lovely countryside my dad would take me on adventures and fishing trips in were my only friends. My terrible rural Canadian internet connection was enough to get my fix of AMVs and godawful fanfic, but I never really made friends online during that era. Jun's arc sees him progress from a shut-in who had been bullied to a motivated individual who seeks to rehabilitate his social skills (the same way I had to after moving back to America with my mom). This resonated with me a lot, but what also hit hard was his relationship with Shinku.

Jun and Shinku I think has to be the most underrated part of this show. It is so STINKING sweet that it hurts. The fact that this bitter and kind of bratty preteen boy could develop such a bond with this pretty little Victorian doll with a haughty attitude is very sweet to me. Shinku's façade of arrogance breaks down in the moments she shows Jun an ounce of vulnerability and we see that she is just as vulnerable as he is. See, they're so much more than an odd couple - we soon find out that these two characters have more in common than we might think! They're both hiding from their past and their future. In the final episode (I won't say what happens because this is spoiler free), I was so touched by the love he showed and by her vulnerability that I was actually SOBBING. And let me tell you, I am NOT a person who is very prone to tears from a piece of media like this. I didn't even cry during the end of Titanic. My eyes watered a bit when I watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica. But that last episode of Rozen Maiden had me ugly crying. That's a BIG deal for me.

Conclusion (AKA, the important, non-rambly part. The tl;dr.):

Overall, Rozen Maiden is just perfect in almost every way, especially the first season. That rating might be a little too personal, so you'll have to judge it for yourself, but I really do think it has something for everyone. I know that most people who watch this show do not watch it for the reasons I did (for instance, I have noticed that the male side of the fanbase seems to not love Shinku as much as I do, which is fair I guess), which doubtless contributes to why I regard Rozen Maiden as an actual masterpiece. Nevertheless, I do think it has something for everyone. There's humor, there's romantic tension, there's drama, there's fighting, there's actual STAKES (which many anime lack) and there's cute dolls acting on their own agency. Lord knows, I am a sucker for cute things with agency (see also: my fascination for PMMM and Made in Abyss...). If any of these things appeal to you (or if you grew up with a certain kind of antique doll!), do yourself a favor and give Rozen Maiden a shot! I think it's criminally underrated and even if you don't end up with the same kind of love I have for it, there will at least be more Rozen Maiden fans for me to share my fangirlishness with.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to procrastinate on writing my thesis for a bit longer by shopping online for fabric I intend to make a Shinku cosplay with. I'm actually in the lab RIGHT NOW, ostensibly cataloging samples. Do not tell my professor I'm writing a MAL review about a stupid anime about dolls!

Rozen Maiden, how I love thee.

Seriously though, I adored this anime more than any other that I've watched. I laughed, and during the last two or so episodes, I cried. I couldn't help it, it was all so touching!

Story: 9/10. It's kind of cliche, with the kid getting teased and stuff and going into hiding, but living dolls that help? That's pretty unique.

Art: 10/10 Oh my goddd, I love this art. Bright and cheerful when needed, but also dark and stormy when the time is right. I do adore the outfits for the dolls, and would even wear them! The doll's eyes-- especially Shinku's-- ... held so much emotion that it was almost heartbreaking. The only problem I had were the hairstyles for Jun and his sister. I didn't like them at all.

Sound: 10/10 The voices for the characters were very fitting. Even Suiseiseki, who was shy at times, had the perfect evil, sadistic laugh for the Snow White "rehearsal." The opening song is very cheerful and it allows the viewer to get into a peaceful mindset.

Characters: 10/10. I loved every character, even when they irritated me. Shinku irritated me the most though but she definitely grew on me. Same with Hina Ichigo, the annoying four-year-old-appearing doll.. Her voice was just so highpitched [very suiting though, for her age]. All of the characters had their flaws yes, but that's what made them more realistic. I even felt sorry for Suigintou at the end!

Enjoyment: 10/10. I couldn't wait to watch the next episodes, and since I was watching this on megavideo, I growled at the "You have watched 72 minutes...." popup, and made Google be my slave trying to find other places to watch it. I am going to buy this on DVD as soon as I can, for sure.

Overall: 10/10. If you're looking for something bright and cheery, but still carrying dark undertones, Rozen Maiden is definitely the anime for you. It has its moments of boredom, but what show doesn't? But even despite that, it picks back up immediately.


Recommendation? Oh yes, even for people who don't like Shoujo anime, I would definitely recommend Rozen Maiden to them.

Rewatch? As many times as I can. Like I said, I'm buying the DVD.


Go watch, you won't regret it.

Rozen Maiden, an anime that can have drama, action and comedy all in perfect harmony.

The anime revolves around a creator of dolls created a legendary collection of 7 living dolls, called "Rozen Maiden", he puts them in a game, in order to know which doll is worthy of becoming "Alice" the perfect girl. The story follows Jun, a hikikimori which has a school trauma and accidentally becomes master of the fifth doll, Shinku.

The anime has a melancholy and mysterious air, this can be seen mainly in the opening of the anime and in his scenarios. It has a very interesting story and endearing characters.
Something very ... interesting in this anime is that the author did a story with a boy as protagonist surrounded dolls, breaking the stereotype that only girls should be involved with dolls without this seems strange. It's that kind of anime that even when not focused on the plot can arrest you with comic situations.

It is not very faithful to the manga, and unfortunately the features of some characters have been modified: Shinku in the manga is not as serious as this anime, the same thing with Suigintou doll, which in the manga makes many sarcastic jokes, but in the anime is more serious. The Jun sister also makes many jokes about puberty, but in the anime it is virtually nonexistent. Even with these differences, the anime still manages to get the main ideas of the plot.

During the anime we can see the evolution of the protagonist in relation to their trauma, and even over the characters, like his sister and dolls, in which he did not get along very well.

The only thing I think was missing in anime, that was not much talked about the creator of Rozen Maiden, nor how he did it and what were his exact reasons for this. In the manga it has been said more clearly, but in the anime it has gone a bit unnoticed.

If you are looking for something different, with comedy and a bit of drama, Rozen Maiden is a good choice.

Story (7.0) - The plot is not bad, but its nothing great..
The story of this anime tells us about a boy, Jun, who is different from normal boys, since he has a lot of fears and dont face them...as a result, he ends up spending most of his time at home, not going to school. But one day, a doll appears on his life - shinku...who is a special doll, involved in a special war with other living dolls. From that moment, jun life will change ...
Nothing great..story is very cliche, not very original .... just a 7 in here.

Art (7.3) - This aspect is ... what i would say acceptable. Is neither bad or amazing...There are some parts where the design is good, in other situations are not so good, the animations are just enough for give some credit to the anime.


Sound (7.5) - Background music is not something really great...the ed and op are just enough not to ruin the anime.. the voices are ok.. again, i would say this is in the average, i´ve seen much worse and also much better.

Character (7.5) - Again, this aspect is only average. however, i have something to say here..The main characters, especially shinku and jun are something that definetively didnt catch my attention, however, I ended up sympathizing with the villain, Suigintou, since in my opinion she was the one that gave more interest to this show. Suiseiseki also got some of my attention, but from this anime my favourite is for sure Suigintou.
Not all characthers are equally develloped, some of them lack devellopment and more protagonism in the series. But i give an 8 in here.

Enjoyment (7.0) - Some action, some funny parts, however, the story is too cliche as i said before. Some parts got some of my attention, others almost made me quit, well, but i cant consider it bad. a 7 here.

Overall (7.0) - This is what i call just an average anime.. Its nothing that really got me interested, the only nice thing i take from this one is maybe the fact that Suigintou is one characther i liked, but not much more than that. Not an anime i would strongly recommend..

When I first saw this anime I thought: 'looks quite scary!'
But you get over that.
After the first episode.


You can like Rozen Maiden for just the basic plot line in itself, which is simply unique. However those who can decipher another meaning will notice how it could symbolize how women and girls today are made to think they can reach perfection, and should do so to please others.

Story:
If you like your sinister anime, this is for you. Though of course; it's not all sinister. There are funny parts to balance it out.

... Art:
The art is lovely, and matches the theme well.

Sound:
I love the BGM ^ ^ it's amazing, and adds a sinister air, tension or a jolly *feel*.

Character:
The characters are, by far, some of the most developed in my opinion.
The first-vengeful,slightly depressed,lonely.
The second-jolly,bossy,has a large ego.
The third-loud,cheeky,bossy.
The fourth-quiet,caring,thoughtful,wise.
The fifth-bossy,commanding,sensitive.
The sixth-cute,happy-go-lucky,charming.

Overall it's a beautiful anime. I'd suggest it to anyone ^ ^

Rozen Maiden has ruined my life, like it has done to so many others.

Less than a week ago, I thought the premise of the show was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. Suiseiseki was just a meme, and I didn't even know any other characters. But then I watched the first episode. And then the second. And couldn't stop until I was done with Traumend. That was four days ago. By then, I was hopelessly entangled. I was in love with the show and the dolls. I started daydreaming that I was a member of the show's cast, or that I had a Rozen Maiden ... of my own. I suddenly had a craving for tea, so I went out and bought some, and it's all I've been drinking these past few days. And then it got even worse. Two days ago, I watched Overture. Now, I'm hopelessly in love with Suigintou. All I want from life is to be able to hold Suigintou and be able to cheer her up, make her happy again, so I can see her smile again. I fantasize about her becoming human, so I can go out with her, make sweet, sweet, love to her, and marry her and have a happy life with my dear Suigintou. The show's given me other side effects, too, which keep getting worse. Whenever I see porn or hentai now, all I can think is "no dolljoints, not hot." All I can fap to is Suigintou doujins. I see Shinku's face and get in a bloodcurdling rage like I've never felt before. She made my Suigintou cry! I've stopped caring about my car, which for years was everything to me. I've stopped caring about what I eat, except for a craving for Flowery Hamburger. I don't care about any other anime, manga, or any video games. My only realistic desire right now is for an accurate Suigintou doll that I can cuddle while I sleep. I get jealous when I see anyone talk about her or post her picture, and pissed off when I hear the word junk.

Come to me, Suigintou! I'll love you, let me make you happy! You're not junk, let me give you my devotion and love and you'll see that you don't need to be so sad!

I'm crying as I type this.

I loved this series! It was great! One of the things that made it so great was the character development that went on. For example we can see Jun progress through out the series and gradualy pully himself out of his world and stop being such a complete lonner.

The art is also great. This is one of the prettiest series I've ever seen, the art is un usual and very pretty. It just helps make the anime even better.

ROZEN MAIDEN: An interesting concept ruined by poor story direction

Battle to the death is actually an overused concept -- we have Battle Royale, Hunger Games, Fate/Zero, you name it. But a clichéd concept can be interesting by adding a new flavour into it. In the case of Rozen Maiden, the new flavour is the fact that the participants of the battle are dolls.

This is an interesting twist because dolls can easily be associated to symbolism. Rozen Maiden imposes philosophical insights on what it means to be a ‘puppet’, what it means to be ‘perfect’, and other concepts that could be linked to the symbolic doll. ... But sadly, Rozen Maiden has problems with execution, wasting its brimming potential.

Like Fate/Zero, the Alice Game involves Master-Servant relationship, and whoever wins will receive an ultimate prize -- achieving the state of a ‘perfect’ doll and meeting their creator, Father. I expected a battle of wits and magic, but the story doesn’t go in that direction.

Instead of epic battles between dolls, the story goes to the direction of Harem. We get to see Jun Sakurada and other dolls having petty fights about strawberries and nonsensical tea ceremonies -- the least I expect in a battle to the death story.

It’s such a waste, really, because episodes 1 and 2 are really good in setting the tone of the Alice Game, but episodes 3 to 9 seem to throw that away and focus on random character interactions.

But episodes 3 to 9 are not purely random. From time to time, they do have sequences that involve the Alice Game. But in the least, it should be the other way around! They should focus on the Alice Game, and only from time to time, they could add sequences about strawberries and tea. But really, why are the dolls even together? They should be fighting each other.

The direction of the story is not all bad though. It redeems itself in episodes 10 to 12, wherein the story brings the focus back to the Alice Game. Just the mere fact that the story goes back to its real focus, the Alice Game, makes these episodes really good. The concept alone carries them. What more if the anime has focused on the Alice Game all throughout the series? It could have been intense.

Another thing I particularly like is the music. The soundtracks have a quasi-Victorian feel in them, with occasional uses of orchestral instruments. There are also some gothic tracks that fit perfectly to the Victorian impression.
Speaking of Victorian impressions, I really like the designs of the characters, particularly the dolls. Their dresses are very complex and have some nice touches of Victorian and Lolita fashions. The designs of the other characters, the humans, are nothing groundbreaking though.

As for the characterization of the show, it’s somewhat weak. Jun Sakurada has an inherently interesting archetype, but it is not pulled off, primarily because of the writing and execution. Most of the dolls too are not well-moulded. The only solid one is Shinku, the feature character of Rozen Maiden. Suigintou is also an interesting character, but she has not been expanded enough to make her a solid character.

Overall, I think Rozen Maiden is such a waste of an amazing concept. If the direction of the story didn’t change from episode 3, it could have been an above average anime at the least. If it dived deeper into the Alice Game and created well-moulded characters, it could have been the feminine version of Fate/Zero.

Despite the negative things I have said, I still find Rozen Maiden an interesting watch. And since the story has no proper conclusion, I will be seeing the other Rozen Maiden titles too and review them on the blog. I just hope that, in those titles, the problems in story direction have been fixed. Really, I want to subscribe to the Alice Game, and not to the tea ceremonies.

There are probably not many who actually DON'T know of the Rozen Maiden series, even if they haven't watched it, there is no way they could actually not know about it, because of its popularity and 'Lolita' styled characters. I always feel awkward when I watch popular anime, probably because I feel like some sort of brainless, chatspeaking weaboo.

(I actually had to delete a huge chunk that was just a rant about the lack of decent local anime fans who aren't weeaboos, where I live. I should be shot sometimes, when I go off topic. Such a bad habit.)

STORY: Series that have that servant/master, fighter/user, ... etc thing going on, like Loveless, tend to make me want to smash my head against something. Freak sakes, they're so unoriginal and boring. There is just something so lame about them. I guess the plot is a little cliche; one bad guy, good guys need to defeat them, main good guy is the one who defeats bad guy, with the help of the 'fighter'. It felt like there was no depth in the story whatsoever. The only good thing about Rozen Maiden, is that the humourous atmosphere created by the characters makes up for the fighter/user theme.

ART: Peach-Pit is (apparently) well known for their splendid art, which I happened to see for the first time in Ookamikakushi. The design, in both, are good, but, nothing really to get excited over. Peach-Pit definitely is the best for character designs for dolls/doll-like characters though. A lot of effort has been put into the designs for the dolls, but I feel that the human characters had been left out, because they look so... plain. As for Jun and Nori (particularly Jun), they look like they're supposed to be out of something silly like Digimon or Beyblade. Actually, Jun reminds me of Hiroshi out of Ookamikakushi, which I thought was ironic. Even their seiyuus almost sound the same. As for animation... animation was good, no more no less. It was clean, so no complaints.

SOUND: Sound was pretty good. I adore the Victiorian instruments like the harpsichord, mixed with violins and such, because of my love for Emilie Autumn. Sorry I can't expand much on this.

CHARACTERS: The real charm out of the anime. You really can't not love the dolls. Each one has their own individual personality/traits, yet all of them are naive, to the point where they all act like young children despite how elegant they look, including Shinku. I hate children, but even I would love to have the around the house.

Overall, pretty happy about series. Even if the story was perhaps a little bland, the characters and art helped me overlooked that, and give a final score of 7. I'd even be tempted to by the DAL/Pullip/Blythe Rozen Maiden dolls and the DVDs after watching this.

This series first caught me eye when I saw a picture from the manga version of this series and when I found out that there was an anime version of the series, I decided to check it out. I thought that the plot was interesting and original since I've never seen a series that have moving dolls that can move on their own (when they're wound) and can also talk.

I thought that the battle sequences were done pretty well and I found the concepts of the Alice Game interesting. The series I thought was done pretty well, though I felt that the ending was ... rushed and the last few episodes were a slight disappointment to me.

The music was good, though I didn't like the OP or ED (well... the ED really isn't that bad, but it didn't leave any real impression on me) songs that much and the art was done pretty well, though, it wasn't as detailed as the manga, which happens to many series when they're transferred into anime form. Overall, I liked the series, but I had wished the series wasn't as short as it was and that the ending of the series didn't slightly disappoint me like it did.

This is an anime I selected more for visual style than anything, as it was just airing at the time. The term "hikikomori" was new to me, and I started watching at a time when I was struggling with issues in my own life. So I immediately identified with Jun and his struggling, or rather, fleeing from demons in his life.

Enter a letter worded oddly like the blue and red pills from The Matrix, only Jun has no idea what he's getting into when he accepts. Likewise, I didn't expect a living doll with extraordinary powers locked in an epic struggle with other dolls for ... supremacy and to become the perfect girl. Now I was thoroughly hooked-- here's a story with potential for greatness.

At first blush the dolls seem to be well-designed but two-dimensional-- there's an aristocrat, a sadist, a crybaby, a tsundere, and a tomboy. But as the show progresses, I learned other facets of the dolls' personalities, and through their interaction with Jun they grew on me-- even the main antagonist is brilliantly written as a product of tragic circumstances.

The brother and sister at the heart of the show have a journey of their own in the series, as they both grapple with the brother's trauma endured in school. Little is mentioned about Jun's self-imposed exile from school, but this is one of the works that started the conversation about the problems of bullying in Japanese education and society in general, and the kids who shut themselves away from a cold reality.

To cap off the outstanding design and characterization, the casting should be held up as an example for the industry to follow. Miyukichi's alto voice is perfect for the proud but gentle Shinku, Nacchan as Suiseiseki is the quintessential tsundere, and few can match Rie Tanaka for her performance as an aspiring queen and sadistic tease. I found that, despite her reservations over her performance, Sakura Nogawa made a cute and hilarious Hina Ichigo, particularly when she was directed to ad lib. Some might find her annoying, but since I have heard actual 5-year-old girls be obnoxiously loud, hearing this performance was a relief.

If that weren't enough, the Peach-Pit members and the production crew have a sense of comedic genius expressed through how dolls accustomed to 19th-century European ways adjust to life in modern Japan. In many works, breaking character is often considered bad form, but this anime turned it into a hilarious gag instead with Shinku.

When the series ended, I remarked that "It ended, but it's screaming for a sequel." The manga was still in progress at the time, and this was probably as far as they could go with the original, present a complete story in 1 cour (albeit a subplot in the whole saga), and still have enough material to work with in subsequent seasons. On the anime's own merits, the story is pretty solid if episodic, and very effectively draws out conflict and tension among the dolls and humans very effectively. However, important questions regarding the power struggle and the "ideal girl" were barely touched upon, and the ending gave the studio enough flexibility to either make the sequel to tie up these loose ends or abandon the adaptation. While I understand the motivations, I don't know if this was a particularly good approach to adapting the original material, and as it turns out, the studio would set themselves up for a world of hurt in Traumend.

Visually, the anime is outstanding not just for the character designs, but also for the environments that serve as the battlefields for the dolls. From a land full of pink toys to a desolate city, this showcases the remarkable imagination of the artists behind the original manga.

The soundtrack with its partly classical instrumentation is a beautiful backdrop to the production. "Battle of Rose" is one of my favorite pieces of all time, combining the emotional depth of piano and strings (piano quartet?) with the driving beat of a rock band. The decision to use an excerpt of it for the teasers was a great way to play up the "life is a battle" theme and embed an earworm (a good one) in my brain. The more modern themes to Jun's life in his self-imposed exile contrast with the Baroque and Classical-inspired themes of the dolls, playing up the "invasion of the evil Gothic dolls" in Jun's mind. Best of all, even the composer Shinkichi Mitsumune has a great sense of humor, as his themes for troublemaker Suiseiseki are as hilarious as the scenarios. Who knew a harpsichord could be creepy in one scene, foreboding in another, and side-splittingly funny in still another?

I thought Ali Project's song for the series was an interesting choice for the opening credits. When I first saw the show, I half expected a very dark anime that tortures a kid for the sake of dolls, but it didn't prepare me for the slice-of-life and comedy aspects of the show (but then, I never read the manga). After 3 episodes of what some bloggers called "wailing siren music", I skipped the opening credits until I decided to fansub the series to keep my mind and hands occupied. After finishing that, I can't imagine the series without the opening and ending themes.

Overall, 9 out of 10. While the production is outstanding and the plot is solid, the studio took liberties with the original material (though not to the extent of season 2), and as it turns out, didn't position themselves well to continue the story. That said, it helped me a great deal in breaking free from a paralyzing battle with depression.