a5c7b9f00b On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later… Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash. This series, made by Kenji Kamiyama creator of 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' is quite different to his earlier work; while both involve a complex mystery this is fair more light hearted, both in the tone of the story and the way it is animated. As the story begins Japanese student Saki Morimi is outside the White House in Washington DC when she meets Akira Takizawa. There is something very strange about him; for a start he is stark naked holding a phone in one hand and a pistol in the other, he has no idea why though as he has no memory. Clues lead them back to Japan where he learns that he is one of twelve people recruited to play a strange game; they have each been given a phone and ten billion yen, they must use this to save Japan and if they spend the money before completing the task or somebody else completes the task first they will be killed. Using the phone they can contact a woman known only as Juiz, she can arrange just about anything for a price. Over the course of the series Akira attempts to discover why he erased his memory and also to find out if he was involved in 'Careless Monday' an event where several missiles hit Japanese cities but amazingly killed nobody and if he caused 20,000 unemployed people (NEETs) to disappear.<br/><br/>This was one of the most engrossing series I've watched in a while; I certainly plan to get the DVDs when they are released here. The only real flaw was that it ended so soon and several mysteries remain unsolved; these will presumably be dealt with in the two feature films that follow; I hope they get released here too. The animation was really good for a TV series and the character design was most appealing; reminding me of Studio Ghibli characters. While this was a mystery there was also plenty of humour such as the computer hacker who is rumoured to have become a recluse when his only pair of trousers blew away, there are also one or two wince- inducing moments involving a serial killer who uses a cigar cutter in a particularly nasty way on her male victims! Don't worry though we don't actually see the deed. I'd certainly recommend this series; especially as it can currently be viewed legally on Funimation's YouTube channel.<br/><br/>These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles. Eden of the East, a backwards translation of the John Steinbeck Novel East of Eden, is a very mysterious and thrilling anime, following Takizawa and Morimi. The series starts following a series of ten missile strikes on uninhabited areas of Japan, which do not claim any victims. We then move on to three months later where we meet the two main characters of the series: Takizawa is first seen outside of the White house naked, and it becomes apparent he hasn't any memory of his past. He soon meets Morimi and they create a tight bond. Takizawa seems to be involved in an organization consisting of ten 'Selecao', each of whom are given ten billion Japanese dollars, which cannot be directly made into money, but can be used at there disposal. He is also given a phone like gadget, with which he can contact a concierge name Juiz, who in no time at all seems to be able to make any request a reality. The job of the Selecao is to 'Save the Nation', and if they cannot do so before there 10 billion budget runs out, they are killed by the 'Supporter', which is someone no-one knows the identity of. The organization however becomes more and more mysterious, as do the other 9 members.<br/><br/>To try and be balanced i will first try to outline what i believe isn't good about this SHORT anime. Well that is one of the points right there, it's length. Each episode runs about 23 minutes, and there are only 10 before it's all over. That means that the series is all over before you know it, and in my case i was more than ready for more. The second major problem is one which is a big let down in my own humble opinion, and that is that other than the main few characters, the other characters hardly gain any depth, and just seem like cardboard cut-outs, shipped straight out of the typical anime character guide-book. However there is much good to comment on. Firstly the anime has a lot of charm; a unique sense of humour, and great character design. The main characters are also very interesting, and are never short of an interesting situation, and aren't just cardboard cut-outs; they have a lot of depth. The plot is not only very interesting, but also very well crafted and executed, with each episode running smoothly, adding more and more to the story.<br/><br/>So overall the series is very good. If there was more attention to the smaller details, such as the lesser characters, and if the series was longer, the rating could be higher.
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