Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
AshVampire
Anime is a cultural product, and for most (even non-otaku), that much is obvious. But the importance of this fact seems underestimated by my estimation. When I say anime is a cultural product, I don't just meant that it is set in Japan and infused with Japanese motifs, tropes, and ideals. Those things certainly play a part, but anime is a cultural product in its ethnocentrism as well. Though we western otaku have embraced anime and gone to extensive lengths to do so efficiently, anime is not really made for us. Anime is predominantly set in Japan, utilizes jokes specific to Japanese locales and language, and generally doesn't concern itself with perceptions of reality outside of Japan.
This level of ethnocentrism is, I think, partly why many western otaku go from simply being anime fans t…
Read at the sourceChinaz
Canaan - An Anime in China.
Canaan tells the story of three women and how they met at an Anti-Terrorism Convention in Shanghai, China. One of these women is Cannan, an assassin/mercenary, the other is Alphard, (Cannan's rival who is also a professional and mercenary assassin and who runs a terrorist organization called Snake). The name is even in English to do justice to what happens in the anime (which I can not say).
The latest girl is Osawa Maria, a victim of a biological attack on the streets of Shibuya, Japan for two years. Their meeting brings us to interventions between Canaan and Alphard because the two have a connection in which they have a tragic story in common (which is the same for both but at different occasions).
It is a drama anime that unfolds in passing the episodes wh…
Read at the sourcenunnchii
NABILA’S ANIME REVIEW: CANAAN (2009)
Genre: Action, Drama
Ashamed with no regrets, I admit to finishing this anime in a timespan of 24 hours during the school holidays where I have 3 books to read for english, arguments for and against to create for historic debating, a game to make for multimedia and revision for maths. I only had about 5 days left of the holidays and this was how I as spending it -watching Canaan with as much glee as anyone could ever have. Although as I’ve read multiple times, this is quite common for an anime fan to do; ditch all their responsibilities in order to watch a super awesome looking anime that’ll rock the socks off our own feet.
That very paragraph alone should be able to summarise my heartfelt feelings towards this anime. Regardless of the heavy doubts i…
Read at the sourceBGCLeonK12
I had not heard of the anime Canaan until i was reading a review on Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood trail and noticed it in the recommended section.
After reading a synopsis of the story and watching a short preview i was baffled to see how this could appeal to anybody who liked the gritty, over the top action fest that is the Black Lagoon series.
Still, needed a series to go to after the amazing Black Lagoon saga so i decided to give Canaan a shot anyway not expecting much. I have to say im glad i did since it is easily one of the best anime series ive seen of late, im a very busy person and for me to spend the time to watch an entire anime series it must have very good production value (which is why generally i prefer OVAs).
PA Works did an amazing job with this series, it is impeccably…
Read at the sourceCorruptbomber
If you enjoyed shows like Black Lagoon or Steins;Gate than Canaan would be a shame to miss.
Incredible. Immersed in the present day, a story that faces the ugly that the world ignores. Humans that are tools, experimentation, mystery, action, and connections of the past, Canaan is absolutely inspiring.
Story: (9) It is a pretty short series, so the end left me wanting a bit more. The story is well rounded, and keeps you wanting to see the next episode.
The plot is incredibly interesting entangling horror and action into the present day. The tale sends a strong message to the audience in the characters used. It is difficult to detail this without giving anything away.
Art: (8) Well done. Not incredible, but not lacking anywhere.
Sound: (8) Same as art. Not incredible, but not lacking…
Read at the sourceGonWithARose
“Delightful, alluring, absorbing, attractive, mature and fast-paced. A ‘diamond’ within short anime for sure, deep and beautiful”
REVIEW FREE OF SPOILERS!
The fourth anime I ever watched. So let’s see…
Girls and guns, a combination that ensures the attention of most people –mainly and without doubt males- to be honest. Here’s where “Canaan” comes in, to break the stereotypical –boring- “Girls with guns” type of anime.
I’ll be honest, on the outside “Canaan” –might- look like the typical fan-service kind of anime, focused mainly on the usual action and sexual innuendos, but in all honesty, Canaan is different.in that aspect, it’s deep and meaningful.
In all honesty short anime shows are a bit of a gamble for they usually lack something whether some back story, or the sound or the chara…
Read at the sourcewyhhyw
Canaas is a show with a high overall rating but I disagree.
Plot: the are many ingredients tossed together but unrelated (many characters and elements which you expect to have a role in the story, in the end are nothing more than "empty filling"). If you dont care that much about coherent and complex plots though, then it will still be fine.
As for the characters: in the first episode you will notice that you already know one of the female protagonists from another hundred animés. As for complexity dont expect too much (sort of like Noir). Something I personlly dislike is inconsistency and I found that happening with the antagonist, who behaves in a certain way for all the show but then, at the end and with no reason, she acts completely different (if the authors needed that to happen, the…
Read at the sourcebaconrollz
I don't know what I was doing in 2009 that prevented me from watching Canaan when it aired. But as it is, I watched it about a month ago and I was blown away by how great it was. It captured my attention from the beginning, an art that some series could work on.
Story [7/10]
"Soldiers who're born within destruction take hatred as their weapon. Listen, Canaan. You must not counter hatred with hatred...ever".
I just want to say that Canaan has one of the best intros ever. The combination of Siam's solemn voice and the sad, haunting violin music in the background just sent chills down my spine.
The story is quite simple. It's not completely original, but it does have its own uniqueness. Basically, an organization called Snake performed an experiment on a small village, exposing its inhabi…
Read at the sourceDemi_V
Canaan is an assassin anime with excellent animation and intriguing fighting scenes. However, Canaan is a sequel to its game called 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de. Unless you have played this game, the story will be confusing as some important events are left unexplored. The strong female leads, Canaan and Alphard, brought on the fast and furious action, but some of the characters were more comical than serious, especially the villains. Character development is quite slow. Some of the supporting characters seem irrelevant until late in the anime.
Story (7)
The pacing for the anime is excellent. The series immediately begins with fast action and later becomes something deeper with tragic and dramatic events. However, the background behind the story is vague and confusing for those who have n…
Read at the sourceandrewchow
Note: I haven’t played/watched 428 yet, so this is only a review on the animation itself. Sorry if the review is a bit long.
Canaan is one of the most underrated anime I have watched in the past years. This could be easily attributed to how horrible the guns-and-gals genre has been faring lately. One would think that it would be a brilliant concept to link two popular (yet greatly different) topics together, but time and time again the industry has proven that this conventional plot doesn’t work.
Then, you may ask, why would Canaan be any different?
Let’s start with first impressions. Like most of my friends, Canaan seemed like a very underwhelming production at first, probably due to the fact that the pictures that you can find about Canaan often have NO relation to the actual story…
Read at the sourceJerry_M
When you're browsing series to series and look for that next great addiction, Canaan might be exactly what you look for. Even when your preference might be mecha, drama, h-related stuff, you will find Canaan more or so legendary.
At first the story will be completely confusing or startling somewhat like ...Code Geass or such. The story will explain itself as it progresses.
The Art style depends on the viewer, if you watch it carefully, the beautifully drawn backgrounds wlll be with you throughout the whole series.
The music. One of the best soundtracks i will ever hear in my life is contained in this series. after watching. go listen and sit in melancholy.
The characters will grow onto you as the story progresses, please don't give up on anyone of them....except...one. nvm
I watched…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Canaan has a history that's bit unusual. The anime came before the manga or the light novel. But it is a sequel, to the critically acclaimed visual novel game 428: Fusa Sareta Shibuya de. The question is, is this sequel to a game that was only released in Japan accessible to people who have never heard of the game?
Canaan's story opens with two Japanese journalists going to Shanghai. The two of them get separated and one of them finds herself in danger only to be saved by the mysterious Canaan, whom she has some connection with from the past. They quickly become involved in a plot involving a deadly virus and terrorism. Overall, the story is handled very well. You might expect it to get bogged down with references that you'd have to play the game to get but it does a good job of explainin…
Read at the sourcezillion29
Dear lord, what a missed opportunity. Like many anime of this era, we are presented with opening episodes that promise amazing animation, world-class action choreography, and an intriguing story. Then, by episode 7 or 8, you realize that it is all just smoke and mirrors and the director and staff reveal that they have nothing more to offer but a shoehorned and forced final act. The first 2 episodes of this anime have a Bebop level of promise and what you end up with is a weaksauce Madlax imitation. Special thanks to Beretta and Fabrique Nationale for providing the not-so-subtle advertisements for handguns, though.
Read at the sourceleo22334455
As the title may suggest to those familiar to the old testiment of the bible.
A person who is engraved with not only a physical burden, but a mental one, all for the wrold to see.
This anime plays with themes of love, life, revenge, the importance of friendship. All these are clearly evident alongside small more tiedious themes.
It gives us an aspect and a veiw, a small peek into the mind of a strong-willed female lead as well as a weak, wavering one.
Though some aspects are rather dark, supernatural and maybe hard to believe. But with a little patience the world of CANAAN envelops you, pulls you in to a fascinating world.
I could not have asked for a better anime, lacking a bit in the animation area, though not in the action department! Very sold and beautiful art though The story…
Read at the sourcemilkman57
Believe it or not, the name "Canaan" is actually a reference to the Old Testament of the Bible, describing a land "flowing with milk and honey". Naturally, the name piqued my curiosity when I first saw it. I was quickly surprised when I saw that this anime is set in modern day, with the protagonist of the show bearing the same name as its title. I was left pleasantly surprised in the end, and found myself considering a re-watch of the show at some point.
Canaan is essentially the story of a photographer named Maria, and her friendship with the mysterious girl named “Canaan”. Maria heads to China to do some investigative work, but quickly finds herself in need of protection from her friend as she winds up getting in way over her head. This anime is an excellent mixture of action, character…
Read at the sourcezabu_san
So the Spring/Summer season has come to a close this past week for most shows, and it was one of the more memorable seasons in recent memory IMO...However, there was one show that stuck out to me that just seemed to do everything right: Canaan
With a concept from the writers of the Wii game: 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de, the plot of Canaan has a lil' bit of tie-in but enough ground to stand on it's own...Basically, it's a scenario from the game written specifically for the anime...
With a deadly virus poised to breakout across the world, the titular heroine (Canaan) must step in and prevent it...While it may sound mildly cliche, the story is rather complex and with lil' twists and turns throughout the course of the 13 episode series, it satisfies...Though I did require a lil' insight for…
Read at the sourceA2ZOMG
Guns, explosions, superpowers, and hot chicks duking it out in fast-paced action. Yeah, if there ever was a reason to watch this show, there you have it. I guess that's legitimate enough. Sorta.
What's good about this show is the action, artwork, and sound/music. So at the very least, the show is aesthetically pleasing.
The problem with this show is pretty much everything else. The plot, whatever it was, was pretty difficult to follow. Maybe it was a combination of this show being hard to take seriously during random hilarity (like the HIGH TENSION taxi chase done CHINA STYLE) that ensued during the first few episodes, or maybe it was due to people making a lot of metaphoric statements that really don't relate to the viewer very well until the last three episodes. The intentions of the…
Read at the sourceWilio
Anime based on video games are nothing rare. Even though it might seems like a terrible cross over, it is not to take into consideration. Just like books to anime, it could be either good or terrible. Based on the game 428,which earned a perfect score from Famitsu Weekly, CANAAN is a series with a predictable and slightly cliched story, but will still be fairly enjoyable for the viewer.
The story of CANAAN is predictable and cliched, but it does not mean it sucks. I have seen animes of the same length trying too hard for an original plot and in the end was filled with massive holes. For a 13 episodes series, it would be a stupid move to try looking "intelligent" and offer a complex plot. Gladly, CANAAN as a simple plot and very easy to folllow. While the main story is based on revenge a…
Read at the sourceasdfrq2dg
Right from the start, a certain "emptiness" can be felt as the general atmosphere. In a ravishing, but flawed universe set in Shanghai and later the deserts of the Middle East, a puzzling battle between several parties takes place.
Amidst this chaos painted with many sentiments, an impressionistic tale of friendship, unrequited love and subconscious search for one's true nature. This hollow in the heart of each character isn't easily filled and tends to expand to the anime as well, leaving it flawed and to be taken as-is, without any resolve to tie up the loose ends.
Story: 7/10
Plot itself is original. The "real world" conflict involving terrorists, secret organizations behind the government of USA and Japan, with a dash of genetic experiments (this is dealt in a realistic fashion) is…
Read at the sourceThaiberium
To tell you the truth, I had no interest in CANAAN at all. That all changed when at a local con, they decided to show CANAAN's Opening. Solely from that, my interest in it grew and with it, I set out to find the promised land, CANAAN.
Now let me begin with the story. First of all, it is by no means badly paced. No doubt, it was written in the anime description itself that anime was about all walks of life pulled together by a global conspiracy. A conspiracy in which only start to come together as the story progresses. You'll not figure out everything from the start and by the end, most if not all your questions will be answered. For some it may start off slow, but to tell you the truth, starting up like a Hong Kong action movie (set in Shanghai) is anything but slow. The progression as th…
Read at the source