Disclaimer Maho is my waifu and the best of girls This is a review of the dub which I believe to have a superior soundtrack and voice acting Series about young boys searching for themselves and their place in life are not rare by any stretch of the imagination but ones that really grasp the viewer and provide something more than a simple coming of age story are astoundingly rare. Beck takes the coming of age story and introduces two characteristics which help to distinguish it greatly from other series of its kind: a deep immersion in the world of underground rock and a deep involvement with its subject matter which lends emotional weight and a sense of honesty to a tired premise. Koyuki the main character is unremarkable at first glancea currently unskilled boy who shows a lot of promise what sets him apart is how quickly Koyuki is established as a real person. A kind determined hardworking student Koyuki often finds himself discouraged by his current situation and is prone to melancholy and bouts of hopeless resignation. As we watch we see firsthand the profound impact that the introduction of a new form of music along with Koyukis growing love of it and rapid immersion in it has on the young protagonist deeply rooted in his newfound friendships and initially rooted in a superficial desire to impress and spend time with the girl he fancies. This assessment is true of most of the cast all of them interacting together in something which often remarkably resembles real life and at others completely abandons realism but still remains fundamentally grounded in the series profound sense of humanity. The characters in Becks main cast all retain an honest human feel to them. This is juxtaposed against the fantastical nature of most of the series supporting cast and solidifies the sense of closeknit family which develops within the band and the people close to them. This down to earth feel persists even as the characters gain wider and wider success making what might have been a completely unbelievable and unsympathetic story decidedly the opposite. The animation in Beck is decidedly high quality with only a few minor complaints to raise. Foremost among these are the often jarring uses of three dimensional models particularly during some of the performance scenes. These performance scenes represent both the best and worst of the animation in Beck usually incredible but occasionally clunky and amateur. It is good to note however that all of the major performances are almost universally on the better end leaving only the minor scenes to suffer this fate. Characters visual design shares the nature of the characters themselves the main cast simple and real and the supporting cast fantastic from black record executives who encapsulate a good percentage of relevant stereotypes to shop assistants resembling Swedish guitar virtuosos. At times this difference is striking at other times simply odd but undeniably the fantastic designs of the supporting cast make the main characters seem even more human by comparison. Becks soundtrack and voice acting represents the strongest point of the series. Because of the nature of the story in Beck a great deal rides on the audiences impression of the soundtrack particularly the tracks performed by the bands within the series. Unfortunately this is a dangerous position as disliking the music gives much of the series a false feel in part nullifying the humanity of the story and the interactions within it. The soundtrack does however perform its task admirably throughout the series and I personally enjoyed the insert songs played by the various bands from the series a great deal. But while the series stands on its strong points well even should you dislike the insert songs it becomes nearly impossible to view the series the same way particularly towards the conclusion if you find the music to not be your thing. The core plotboth the growth of Koyuki and Beck and the relationship between Koyuki and Mahostands as Becks greatest achievement a remarkable journey through the life of several remarkably real people. Many of the sidestories however leave a great deal to be desired. Subplots are all well and good but Becks subplots leave one anxiously awaiting the series return to its core and in many cases simply go on for too long. Though generally interesting and still rather wellwritten they lack the emotional weight and honesty that propels the core of the story forward and in some cases cheapen that quality. Especially guilty of this is the story involving Ryuusukes guitar which especially during the times when it takes center stages drags the series down right when it should have otherwise been strongest. Ultimately Beck rises from the mass of coming of age series by providing solid writing and a uniquely honest take on the whole notion of growing up. It suffers from occasional animation hiccupsparticularly with the use of three dimensional models in some of the minor performance sequencesand a heavy reliance on the audience to enjoy the soundtrack particularly the songs played by Beck but manages to minimize these weaknesses while bolstering its strong points.