220http://pa1.narvii.com/6628/adb9f3488c86450b47afc0221b6e4ac6a99cd13700.gif 220https://64.media.tumblr.com/11ca5fbb8180c3eec0a0cc6d3854d803/tumblrmn9e7g2EcQ1s7mjgzo1400.gifv Noein is ultimately a story about relationships and connections and empathy. Validating the existences and difficulties of others. Being there to help people and allowing ourselves to be helped. It is about surviving the past and hoping for the future. Noein is about a lot be it its huge scope scifi narrative and quantum physics or its many emotions and important themes to that effect. Its a grand show in both ways. A big show with a big heart. Noein is a messy show for sure but ultimately quite fantastic. I would definitely place it in the realms of Lain and Eva for its scifi existentialism themes and conclusions. Yet despite similarities it is very much its own thing with copious amounts of genuine heart. Firstly to get the audiovisuals out of the way first it is visually quite gorgeous despite some definite occasional inconsistencies. The CGI stands out but works with the house model being the only main thing that occasionally feels weird. The creatures are all alien and scary and their difference through CGI works within the multiple world structure. Part of me mildly wonders if they influenced Land of the Lustrous with similar shapes when cut too but its very unlikely. 220https://otakuthoughts.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/11/noeinshangrilaship.jpg1024x576.jpg Continuing on the shows general art direction aesthetic is quite nice with a softness to it and hints of pastel that come with Akanes works. Of course this aesthetic changes wonderfully when necessary towards greater stylisation with saturated reds and blues coming in a lot and with other stark or striking colours or atmospheric busyness to the backgrounds coming in at times when effective. 220https://otakuthoughts.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/11/noeintimestopharuka.jpg1024x576.jpg Of course Kishidas character designs are super unconventional but so personable and really good. I really like these very angular and interesting character designs. The designs lead to very expressive work in general with some great poses and sharp animation work. The most notable thing about this though despite the overall wonderful art direction unconventionally great character designs and good direction/ storyboards in general especially in key moments is the animation. 220https://pm1.narvii.com/6844/624e2c932f67efbc4903a2d7e14b01d804fdb4ebv2hq.jpg The animation is a really early example of artists at the forefront of digital animation or maybe digital action animation is a better term Im unsure. Ryotimo and Norio Matsumoto pull off wonderful feats which are even more consistently applied to Akanes next directing work on Tetsuwan Birdy Decode where Shingo Yamashita turns up and does wonderful work. Anyways this is not about Birdy Decode For example the first episode and last episodes of Noein are wonderfully animated in very expressive and malleable ways courtesy of not only Kishidas designs and animation but also other animators unafraid to abstract and move away from them and Akanes allowance of that. Episode 12 is perhaps one of the most impressive feats of animation I have seen especially in TV as sketchy linework as well as elastic animation create superb action scenes from Ryotimo and others. Moreover the overall episode just has great character acting such as from Norio Matsumoto or what may be his AD corrections. Perhaps my favourite action scene in anime in this episode. Wonderful stuff. Mild spoiler: https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/030b44ff241ea90e986a0e7d40c1dc3a.mp4 Also talking about audiovisuals I cannot miss the audio part. The sound design seems very effective at many points such as in memories and dimensional movement and such. Moreover the music by Masumi Itou can be wonderful be it lighthearted and catchy music for slice of life parts or deep or powerful orchestral swells some of which have chanting and so on for other parts. NOW Enough of the audiovisuals lets get on to the exceptional plot and wonderful characterisation. Sadly this is all spoiler territory so will be marked as such. Amongst all the grandiose Noein is ultimately a story about down to earth things. The grandiose if anything reinforces how fragile precious and small yet large those human connections relationships and existence validations are. Those slice of life moments interspersed. There are lots of slice of life moments in parts of this or at the very least a clear focus on these children being together even if the relationships can get strained and importantly grow and remain throughout. They all have distinct and likeable personalities to match their distinct and likeable character designs and this focus is essential to the rest hitting and having true meaning. Through its focus on empathy and other themes Noein explores the hope for a good future. Through its themes and narrative Noein also explores the pains of the past and living with them. Keep going everyone as best as you can. Its hard to keep going through pain it is but please try try to reach some happiness. We should all try to make the world a less painful place.