Dennou Coil
Review By: John Fragglepuss Evans
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Sci-Fi
First aired: Spring 2007, 26 episodes
Summary: Eleven years after the introduction of internet-connected, augmented reality eyeglasses and visors, Yuko Okonogi moves with her family to Daikoku City, the technological center of the emerging half-virtual world. Yuko joins her grandmother’s investigation agency, comprised of children equipped with virtual tools and powerful metatags. She quickly crosses paths with Yuko Amasawa, an expert hacker of the virtual reality. Amasawa is seeking to uncover the mystery of a computer virus that emerges from an inaccessible corrupted space.
Dennou Coil gives an interesting idea of how technology changes the way we live. The line between reality and virtual reality is not clear. What makes something real? That is the big question that you find yourself asking throughout the anime.
The animation is complementary to the story. The glasses that are worn by many characters do not make the character, they are quite subtle. There are many characters, but they all have their own unique personalities and you tend to have feelings, whether they are positive or negative, about most of the characters. This means that you like some characters and you dislike others, but there are very few that you remain indifferent about.
You might enjoy this if: You are a fan of technology and everything technology-related. Also, this anime will make you ask yourself questions about your reality and existence, so be ready for that.
You might not like it if: You are looking for a fast-paced anime. Dennou Coil takes the long and lengthy path in getting its point across.
Note to the Viewer: Episode 12 and episode 13 will make you laugh and cry. One of them will make you laugh and the other will make you cry.
EXPANDED REVIEW FROM SLC ANIME: WARNING, MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS!
SLC Anime reviewed Dennou Coil this month. There was widespread approval for this anime. It is rare that the entire group agrees on an anime, but this anime received all positive reviews. It was mentioned several times how the characters felt real in their personalities. Most of the characters were children, and they acted in a way that children would act in certain situations. They would show their immaturity even though they tried to cover it up to act cool in front of their friends. They looked like children as well, meaning that the 9-year-old was not a fully developed woman.
Another note that was brought up was how besides the advances technology, the anime felt like a slice of life genre anime. This goes back to how the children acted like children, but goes on to how the adults would act and also how people had to deal with real life in addition to all the craziness that was happening around them.
One negative comment about Dennou Coil that was expressed by a few members was the slow progression of the storyline. There were 26 episodes total. Among these there were some filler episodes, some episodes that weren’t necessarily filler episodes but did not do much for the story, and a recap episode.
In conclusion, SLC Anime approved of Dennou Coil in a big way.
