Birthday Wish Can Come True

So my birthday came and went on the sixth and some was good and some was not. What was good was that my friend Joel was kind enough to give me something I'd been craving to see for a long time: Emma, A Victorian Romance. I couldn't find it anywhere in Best Buy for myself, and he somehow magicked a copy in the space of three days since I'd told him. He still won't tell me where he got it.

I'd just finished reading the manga a day earlier (seven volumes, same name, beautifully drawn and incredibly accurate) and eagerly popped in the first disc last night after getting tired of waiting for someone to watch with me (no one could so far--they all were working). It is wonderful. The pacing is slow (after all, there are only seven volumes--they have to make it last) but you never notice because it actually fits with the atmosphere and the times. Times were slower. Simple things meant more. The animation is wonderful (I don't remember the studio, but it's a small one I'd never heard of before) and the voice acting is great. Although I do actually find myself wondering what the dub would be like. For Emma, a dub actually makes sense. They're English. The voice talent for the sub is incredible, but I find that in my head William sounded a little more hesitant/clueless than his seiyuu portrays him as (he sounds confindent and manly which is also sexy, but doesn't match what I originally thought of the character). Emma herself is very kind and angelic, almost demure. That's pretty much how she's supposed to be, so it fits. She sounds older than I thought she should, but whatever.

Anyway, this is a great look into Victorian England in and of itself as the mangaka was obssessed with this period of history. Very lovingly rendered in both anime and manga with beautiful character designs and interesting characters this is definitely worth checking out. Especially if you like a bit of romance, you old softy you.

^_~