Romeo x Juliet (2007): ANIME REVIEW

I have never been a huge romance fan but I am glad that I watched this one. Though romance might be the first thing you think of when you hear these two names, but the anime version of this epic tale has so much more to it, especially when it comes to the main heroine. 

It surely has been a while since I last posted an anime review on my blog and this time I dug up an anime form 11 years ago. Is it worth watching 11 years after? Let's find out in today's review: ROMEO x JULIET. Enjoy!

STUDIO: Gonzo
GENRE: Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
EPISODES: 24
LINKS: MY ANIME LITS | PV TRAILER

Plot & Story Line 

First thing's first. The anime doesn't follow the exact story line of Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. There are not two influential families in (Neo) Verona, only one, which is the Montague family. They took over the rule over Neo Verona by slaughtering the whole ruling family, the family of Capulet, 14 years ago. One of the few survivors of that night was the true heir to the throne, Juliet Fiammata Asto Capulet who was later on hidden by loyalists in wish to, one day, overthrow the Montagues and take over the rule over Neo Verona. 

Juliet would eventually find out the truth on her 14th birthday but even though she never knew what had happened to her family she tired to protect the people of Verona as the Red Whirlwind. She is basically a Red, European version of Zorro from the movie The Mask of Zorro (I guess we all know that one).

And there's also that part when she meets Romeo, the prince of Neo Verona, son of the man that murdered her family. But of course, they don't know that yet and fall madly in love. In addition to that, an ancient prophecy will also try to get in the way of their love but will they be able to actually 'defy the stars'? Now, in my opinion, the anime would have been truly amazing if it weren't for the prophecy/fantasy part and here's all why. 

First of all, let's talk about the story in general. It was outstanding. The whole part about hiding Juliet until she is fourteen and then coming up with a plan to take over the throne was both intriguing and exciting. I just love what anime do to classics like this one. Gonzo Studios turned a romance tale into an action/fantasy drama that should definitely be seen. If only I had seen it before but I always though that the anime would be only about the romance. 

Secondly, Juliet as the Red Whirlwind was amazing. A strong and fierce swordsman fighting for justice in her hometown. Not only is she accounting for most of the thrilling action in the anime but also building up a strong relationship to her people which would be of uttermost importance in the end of the anime. Her fight for justice is what is giving the people of Neo Verona hope that a better time will come and I was truly happy and excited to see how her destiny literary guides her all the time. 

The romance was of course an indispensable part of the story and it was as cheesy as I expected it to be, but it was still nice. Their relationship might look like love at first sight but you can actually see how it develops trough the anime. It is not forced nor rushed and as cheesy as it might be I must admit that I enjoyed it for most of the time. 

And now the part that I didn't like that much. As the anime progresses, a prophecy is slowly introduced to the viewers in a really intriguing way and I was definitely excited to see where it goes. But as it turned into a supernatural/fantasy I slowly lost interest. Not because it was bad, I love fantasy, but it just didn't fit into the whole story. It was too much and in my opinion the anime would have been ten times better if it stayed that way. A realistic setting of two families fighting for the throne and a young love in between was truly enough for Romeo x Juliet to be a masterpiece, but it was not. 

Still, I cannot deny that the story is brilliant with or without the fantasy part and I'd really like to add that it is better than most of the anime stories I have seen recently. 

Characters

I might not remember the Juliet from Shakespeare's play, it's been way too long since I read it but I definitely love the anime version of her. As I said in many of my posts, my favorite type of characters are those amazing, fierce, strong and independent female characters and Juliet definitely made it to the top. She is all that and still a sweet and caring person that is not afraid to take the lead when it comes to fighting for her people. Romeo's personality was just as great. Just a sweet, down-to-earth prince that is trying to change the way his father rules over Verona. He was a great support to Juliet and a well written character despite his somewhat cliche personality. Many of the side characters were equally as well presented in the anime and I'd like to mention three: Cordelia, who was a mother/older sister figure for Juliet. She was such a sweet character and a great support to Juliet in her hardest times. Tybalt is a mysterious character that joins the Capulets later in the show. It is his secretive personality and his history that make him stood out among the other characters And in the end, Romeo's father Laertes Montague.  From the looks to his behavior, he was the perfect antagonist and scary as hell if I may add.  

Animation and Style

It is really interesting to see how the design of anime animation evolves from let's say the 1990's over the 2000's and from the 2010's to now. Just by looking at the design,  not the animation quality, you can predict what year an anime is approximately from. What I dislike about Romeo x Juliet is not the animation quality (it is 2007 so I cannot compare it to today's animation) but the dull colors in the anime. I have the feeling that the makers somehow decreased the saturation of the whole anime. Still, I must mention that there are many beautiful scenes and backgrounds in the anime that I loved especially the flower beds. The character design was also great so on the whole, the animation and style were actually pretty good. 

Conclusion

The story of Romeo and Juliet has been told so many times but is seems that the world will never get enough of it. Tragic or not (no spoilers 😉), it is a story that gives people hope that love can defeat any evil. Romeo x Juliet is the same yet a completely different tale set in a fantasy version of Verona that is waiting for the return of the righteous heir of the throne, the daughter of Capulet. The story is so much more than a simple drama or romance. It is a story about freedom in every sense of this word that is both emotional and thrilling at the same time. I might not like the fantasy part about the prophecy, thinking that the story would have been better if it remained in a somewhat realistic setting, but it still far from not being good. It was amazing. 

So, to all you having doubts that Romeo x Juliet is just a cheesy romance anime, it is. But it is at the same time so much more. Don't miss it, I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I did. 

Your Anime Girl 💖