Anime: Le Chevalier D`Eon x4p6r

The premise in a very short description: A little bit before the French Revolution a bunch of wizards want to use poems and psalms to create a new world order and are faced against a man who transforms into his sister.
… LOLWUT???

Just like most anime, this could easily be a gem but unfortunately the makers were no professional screen directors and wasted a lot of its appeal on what I call “sounds good but looks bad”. And I don’t mean the visuals, which are very good. Production I.G. never fails to create aesthetically pleasing series and mature settings, yet at the same time their characters are not exactly the kind you bind with easily. They feel kinda cold and robotic. I mean just look at their faces; they are so distant. Not that I prefer those endless shounen delinquents or those moe cardboards; it’s just that they are good as personalities but lack imposing presence on screen. The director also seemed to be able to make something good about it but eventually didn’t. Furuhashi Kazuhiro did a good job in goldies such as Rurouni Kenshin and the old version of Hunter X Hunter but he then lost his touch by taking up various forgettable shows such as GetBackers and Amatsuki.

Anyways, the story is taking place during the French Revolution and mixes history with fantasy. And I’ll be damned if I don’t compare this to Rose of Versailles or Revolutionary Girl Utena, two of my retro favorites with French overtones, as means to explain why it looks bad. The problem is that it has no memorable characters or setting. What exactly is this show? A mystery/fantasy/adventure/fantasy? If so, what makes it to stand out or worth ing? WHAM! Nothing.

And don’t tell me the French setting is enough because from the fantasy angle Rose and Utena were ten times more artistic and poetic, while from a history angle, Chevalier is very loose about it to the point it doesn’t really matter. And if I am to compare it to other I.G. animated series, Ghost in the Shell or Serei no Moribito had a specific theme, rare to all other anime. Chevalier once again has no specific objective or theme; it is almost a generic fantasy story.

By generic, I don’t mean it is mediocre or lazily written; in the contrary the story is quite elaborate and mixes nicely history with fantasy, while not neglecting to develop and flesh-out its characters. The problems here are both the pacing as well as the character appeal. The first part is easy to excuse; for the most part the anime is DAMN slow and unexciting, heavy on well-written dialogues that are otherwise unrelated to the main plot. As for the second, as I said the characters are interesting as personalities but lack presence. I am referring to them not being over-sexualized or with wacky personalities that would make them stand out because of its extremity. Come on; 99% of all memorable anime characters possess one or both of these features.

There is of course a third element that could help; the artistic direction of the series that bridges the setting with the characters as they are directly affected and affecting their surrounds. Think of Motoko in GitS, the cyberpunk setting fits like a glove. Think of the pseudo-Chinese world of Serei no Moribito and how its themes of obedience and honor were fitting there as well. Once again, this series lacks since the French backdrop is not really related to the characters or the story; it is just a fancy decoration. In fact, the thing that stands out AND is directly related with characters and story is an organization of mystics who collect magical hymns and poems that magically alter reality. Why do you need to show all that? Just so you can show-off with a bunch of historical figures? Maybe to show the intrigue and backstabbing of the nobles of Europe? Yeah, and then a hoard of zombies storms the Versailles; how historical accurate (seriously, there are zombies in this show). Sorry but I don’t see the connecting points in this; the setting is simply unrelated to the story and despite how gorgeous it looks it is nothing more but a fancy wallpaper. Combined with the dull plot for 2/3rds of the anime and no wonder most viewers find it hard to complete this show.

Another point of how dull this show is lies in D’Eon, the protagonist himself… or herself. It is a human being that not only crossdresses but also crossgenders… like a lizard… with magic. It is part of the fantasy aspect of the show and trust me when I say it ends up being more annoying than catchy. First of all the protagonist is based on a historical figure which was JUST crossdressing. Going for this gender bender is an insult to him and history altogether, further alienating the viewer from both the setting and the attempt to be historical accurate. Beyond that, it is again useless to the plot. His sister could easily appear as a ghost or something and it wouldn’t make a difference if he could just crossdress the usual way. Hell, this way it would also attract ten thousand fujoshis to the show. And if I am to compare him with other characters that do the same ( Ranma ½ is the most famous example) he is again found to be the dullest of them all. Just think that something similar counts for all the rest of the characters; they are all very loosely based on the real historical figures which will insult those who know their past, and at the same time make them look all serious and uninteresting.

This is yet again one of those anime that most find dull yet those who are mostly interested in the theoretical aspect of the story or the superficial looks of the setting will love it. Oh sure, turn a blind eye to the dull plot, the cold characters, the lack of a central theme, the absence of memorable scenes and EVERYBODY can like it. You might as well give the script and the brainstorming sketches to these people, they will still love it the same even without watching the show. In the meantime the rest of humanity actually cares if a series is boring to follow or the characters look like statues.

… What else? Oh yes, the sound part; I always have very little to write about it if the whole series is boring. So yeah, the soundtrack is some pop/ballad/electronic guitar combo. Nice to hear but nothing memorable. The voice actors do a fine job in making the characters sound as serious as they really are and again nothing memorable. Sound effects ARGH ANNOYING PSALM EFFECTS!

So there you go; a show that sounds good but looks bad… and I don’t mean the soundtrack is better than the visuals. It’s not. I HATE THOSE PSALMS! The appeal is simply off.

And now for some excused scorings.
[/spoiler]

I just finished watching this and now would be the best time to share my thoughts about it. Having read most of the manga before actually viewing it, I have to say the story was not exactly what I expected - in both the adaptation or the pace. This is not to say it was not an enjoyable or even memorable experience. Le Chevalier D'Eon provides entertainment in spades; twists, hidden meanings and agendas at every turn and a rich textured plot that lends itself to multiple viewings.

Part of the appeal of D'Eon is how well and thoughtfully the historical setting of pre-Revolution is recreated. The landscapes and buildings are drawn with rich detail and exquisite texture. The one aspect where the recreation fails is that the landscapes have nothing distinctive about them. Another series with a similar setting called Rose of Versailles managed to capture the allure of French artists such as Claude Monet or Van Gogh in the recreation of those landscapes. The artists/animators of ROV captured that allure and liveliness in their rendering of the beautiful landscapes, and sadly the creators of D'Eon failed in that regard. What the series does possess over Rose Of Versailles though is technological progress. Scenes are animated with great skill and panache. The Psalms that appear on the Poets and the possessed are very well depicted. The character design is beautiful, if again lacks the identity of shows like Revolutionary Girl Utena or Gankutsuou (both series that bear resemblance to D'Eon in the setting and character development).

The aspect where D'Eon as a whole excels is in the storyline department. Much like ROV before it, D'Eon is narrated - which not only gives a classic storytelling quality to the show, but also a historically relevent one. Sure, the adaptation is fictitious but it is blended so well with the setting that it does not ring false enough to be of particular annoyance to purists. The storyline is so convoluted it might take one quite a few viewings to fully grasp every aspect and every motive why everything takes place. This is to me, a quality in a series - one that requires mutiple viewings is the more enjoyable for them and also one with tremendous value. The only clunk in that department is that the pace was a little flat in the middle of the series, this does not take away from the richness of the content however.

Without the great cast though, the story would fall flat - and the creators hit gold again with a rich, multi layered and diverse cast. The main cast of D'eon, Lia, Maximillien, Robin, Durand and Teillagory are well fleshed out and ring true to their convictions and historical settings. Some ing characters might have benefited from some more attention but given the 24 episode format, they are adequately moulded. The cast also does a great job voicing the characters and the soundtrack further highlight the characters' emotions and turmoils. With the soundtrack, the songs are strong and diverse enough to please and be relevent to the locations where the characters find themselves - however they lack the identity to truly shine.

Overall watching D'Eon was a very pleasurable experience, if at times a little heavy to take in with the amount of information thrown at you in any given episode. The inconsistency is the pace towards the middle takes away from making this a classic in the league of Gankutsuou, Utena or Rose of Versailles - it is however an excellent, enjoyable series with lots to offer.

Synopsis:

The story takes place in the 18th Century, on the eve of the French Revolution. It is the era of King Louis XV. Versailles glitters and its full glory and the great river Seine sees beautiful Paris in a ghastly chaos. One day at dawn, a lady's body is found in a casket floating along the Seine. Her name is Lia de Beaumont, and there is a mysterious word on the lid of the casket: PSALMS.
Lia's younger brother, D'Eon de Beaumont, is a member of the secret police and is investigating the mystery of a series of disappearance of young women. Now his sister has become one of the victims. And as D'Eon goes after the case, a history of taboos opens its door.

Review:

I loved history as a subject in school specially the years preceding the French revolution the reign of Louis XV and the history that follows after it. The story is loosely based on the historical figure named Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée Éon de Beaumont. Who lived in the middle of 18th Century pre-revolution under the reign of Louis XV. He claimed that he had been born a girl but that he was raised as a boy because her father could inherit from his in-laws only if he would have a son. Later he disguised himself as a woman known as Lia de Beaumont in order to become closer to the queen. If u like politics, history, intrigue, historical battles and figures then Le Chevalier D'Eon is for u. It is perfect balance between fiction and historical fact and makes for compelling viewing.

Story:

The story takes place in the 18th Century, on the eve of the French Revolution. It is the era of King Louis XV. Versailles glitters and its full glory and the great river Seine sees beautiful Paris in a ghastly chaos. One day at dawn, a lady's body is found in a casket floating along the Seine. Her name is Lia de Beaumont, and there is a mysterious word on the lid of the casket: PSALMS.
Lia's younger brother, D'Eon de Beaumont, is a member of the secret police and is investigating the mystery of a series of disappearance of young women. Now his sister has become one of the victims. And as D'Eon goes after the case, a history of taboos opens its door...
This is were Le Chevalier D'Eon's strong point lies is in the way Production I.G took what was 100% fact added a bit of mythical legends and added the Japanese unique way of story telling. The story builds up and from episode 15 onwards. It is perfect balance between fiction and historical fact and makes for compelling viewing. (Like I noted earlier).

Animation:

The characters are drawn incredibly detailed and the fights scenes are done amazingly done as expected from Production I.G who brought us titles like Blood+ and Seirei no Moribito. The Animation is sharp and the visuals backgrounds are drawn well.

Sound/Music:

The background music is nothing to write home about the only thing that stood out for me here was the opening and ending credit: "BORN" by Miwako Okuda and "OVER NIGHT" by Aya.

Characters:

This is also a department where Le Chevalier D'Eon shines. From Historical characters like: John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, King George III, King Louis XV to the not so historical characters like: Robin, Durand, Teillagory, they are all beautifully animated Not all of the characters history gets revealed from the start, but it happens gradually during the course of the show. And not everything gets revealed about the occult side of the story which well leaves it open to some extent. But that doesn’t really distract from the enjoyment of the show.

Enjoyment:

I would recommend this to anyone who likes French/British history before and after the French revolution. And even if u don’t like historical anime piece it can still be enjoyed by people who enjoy anime with occult themes in them.

Le Chevalier d’Eon tells the brilliant story of the years before the French Revolution, during the reign of Louis XV in a setting with fantasy-elements. It follows d’Eon de Beaumont, a chevalier in service of the king (hence the title), who suddenly discovers the death of his famous sister, whom he ired.

If you’re interested in politics, realism, cross-dressers, historical anime, battle tactics or comionate characters, then look no further as Chevalier brings a compelling combination of these elements. The storyline is incredibly detailed. Characters act because of complex reasons, and in most of the cases these reasons are explained as well. Through the course of the anime, the countries of , England and Russia show a bit of their political system they used during the timeline in which the series takes place. And some of the characters get fleshed out incredibly well.

The second half of this series is a pure delight because of this. Starting from episode 15, there isn’t even one bad episode, and each one delivers, with four or five absolutely amazing episodes. Unfortunately, though, the first half is just too slow at times, and it spends perhaps a bit too long on building up. There are a few climaxes, but they weren’t really that special when compared to the second half, and I can imagine that they cost this anime quite an amount of viewers because of it.

The music is good, but forgettable. The graphics however, shine. Not literally, but characters are drawn incredibly detailed, and they’re greatly animated. Battle-scenes also are greatly choreographed as well. But the thing that really made this anime was its cast of characters. I probably won’t be able to forget the charming Durand soon, or the naive Robin, or the knightly Teillagory. Each of them was so worth to watch. It’s a shame you don’t hear so much about this anime, as it’s really the highlight of last year’s summer-season.

Based on the story up till episode 16.

Animation:

This is a joy to look at. I found the first couple of episodes genuinely scary.

Sound:

Voice acting is spot on. Background music suits the period setting fine. The song from the ending credits is quite catchy. I had a car accident while listening to it through my iTrip.

Story:

I shouldn't start with a negative but the first thing to note is that there are many things in the show which are just plain stupid. Perhaps the best way to watch this is to pretend it's taking place in an alternate reality. How else could everyone be so unfazed by

**spoiler!**

transformation of D'Eon into his sister, lipstick and all. Not to mention the sudden power the psalms assume despite being known for millenia before the 1700s. Sure the special effects when the Poets start reciting are cool, but I think the story would have worked just as well (and be a lot cleaner) without them.

/**spoiler**

The plot basically concerns occultists engaged in a political conspiracy involving the whole of Europe to bring about a new world order. Mainly the story is told through the experience of the protagonist (D'Eon) as he finds himself retracing his sister's (Lia )steps so that she may rest in piece after being mysteriously murdered.

In the process he comes across (without always being aware of it) countless different factions in different countries trying to play their own little political games, most of them being manipulated by the occultists for reasons kept secret even from the viewer. However it emerges that all the major players are seeking a lost Psalm that it would seem holds the key to a catastrophic power.

It's almost like a new facet to the story is introduced in every episode - sometimes concepts and characters introduced early on seem to be neglected later (though this is partly because they simply lose relevance to the story as the characters carry on their travels).

Character:

Probably the strongest part of the show. The only character that is fully exposed from the beginning is D'Eon, for obvious reasons. Everyone else has a complete backstory that's only gradually revealed over time through their actions (you don't get the villains gathering together and conveniently spilling all the beans while on camera). Even Lia's motivations are obscure. By far the most mysterious character is King Louis himself. My main motivation for sticking with the show is to find out what makes the characters tick, which I think says something.

Value:

You'll probably need to watch it a second time in order to work out what all the symbolism and obscure references meant at the beginning.

Enjoyment:

Once I suspended disbelief like I suggested above I found this show quite enjoyable. True, the reasons I started watching it (occult conspiracies) are different from the reasons I continued, but I don't feel like I was cheated. This is probably worth watching.

We have strange plot, behind French Revoliution, some historical personalitys and a guy, who can became a woman. What else do we need?

Animation
People have proportions. Colors are wonderful. Background is impresive, even realistic in many ways. However, faces of characters are a bit standartic (some faces reminds me KURAU) and in some scenes quality decrease.

Sound
OP/EN is good. I like ending more, but it depends on your taste. Background music fits mood, sometimes you hear only silence. Good way to make scene more creepy.

Story
Main character is D'eon, noble, who serves for people in Paris, not for king in Versailles like other nobles. His sister was murdered by secret organization, which plot against the king. She can possess D'eon and demands revenge. Of cause, he have a few fellows, who are helping him.

Character
When story is fast and complicated, character development suffers. This anime isn't exception. D'eon sometimes looks too idealistic, fellows - shallow. Villains are bad, good guys are good and so on.

Value
This anime is great. You can see secret organisations or figth against them in many anime, but in this it's done impressively.

Enjoyment
I like this anime and could recomend it to everyone, who likes action and mysteries.