Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - Review

Cultural differences can make it difficult for one to understand and get along with a stranger. But when two people are able to make it past this obstacle, their eyes become opened to the wonders and marvels of the other's world. Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is the story about a young Japanese girl adapting to life in the boisterous city of Paris in the second half of the 19th century.

Art (8/10)
This category is generally the hardest one for me to score given my usual lack of attention to fine, artistic details in the animation. Anyhow, the animation is on par with today's standards which, in my opinion, is enough to satisfy the mass majority of the audience. I also appreciated the fact that foreigners (i.e. the Parisians) were not shown to be "different" in terms of physical appearance. Since I haven't been to Paris, I can't really say anything about the accuracy, but I must say that the buildings and surroundings are quite detailed.

Characters (7/10)
Right from the start, it was obvious that character development would largely focus on Yune, the Japanese girl adjusting to life in Paris. Although she was not used to living the life of a Parisian at first, as time went on, it was evident that she learned to accept and adapt to her new surroundings. In turn, the other Parisians also got to know her better and worked on accepting this unique girl into their family. The difference between Yune's interactions with the people in the first and last episode is truly astounding. But aside from Yune, the other characters were more or less poorly developed (e.g. Even after the whole series, Oscar didn't really change that much).

Sound (7/10)
A slightly upbeat, country-style OP to ready you for an episode and a calm, soothing ED to end it - a great combination for a show of this genre. BGM was average and fit in well, though none of the soundtracks were particularly memorable. And even though there weren't any big-name seiyūs involved, the voice acting was done quite well. Don't expect anything grand and you'll be satisfied.

Story (7/10)
The story is honestly quite interesting. Although it seemed a bit slow (and slightly confusing) for the first two-thirds of the series, the last third picked up the pace and tied up all the loose ends, making the series as a whole enjoyable to say the least. The idea of a young girl travelling to and living in a foreign country by herself is intriguing, and is what caught my attention when looking through the plethora of anime series for Summer 2011. Although, at first, she faced many difficulties, most obvious of which was the transition from Japanese to French culture, Yune was soon able to enjoy her new life with the help of the other residents. Looking back, it is truly heartwarming to see how she came lonely and empty-handed but ended being so deeply cared for by others.

Overall (7/10)
While Ikoku Meiro no Croisée does appeal to a wide audience, it is not for everyone. Those who enjoy slice-of-life anime would most likely be more entertained by this than those who look for action-packed or psychological anime, for example. Nonetheless, it doesn't hurt to give this series a try; I'm glad I did. As a whole, it's not particularly outstanding but the story and characters make it a worthwhile watch.