Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
5camp
Returning to Eden of the East was a little scary, as it always is to return to old favourites you’re not sure will still hold up. A year or two later after the TV series proved to be favourites amongst critics and fans, two sequel movies came out. They were originally intended to be part of the original airing run but had to be cut out to fit into the TV airing. Those movies were not so well received. They’re not actively bad per se. In fact I’d call the second one actually quite good. But almost everyone was so lukewarm on the movies that Eden of the East, so highly regarded a year previously, suddenly dropped off everyone’s radars and I barely see it talked about today. So much of Eden is its potential. With the knowledge that it doesn’t deliver, I was not sure whether it would hold up a…
Read at the sourcepakoko
With any open-ended question, there are various approaches that can be taken to reach an answer. The thing is, there isn’t always a “correct” answer. People have different perspectives, beliefs, and personalities that may all contribute to the answer that feels most correct for each of them. “Higashi no Eden” explores this idea by asking its characters the vague and overbroad question: “Given the resources, how would you improve a nation for the better?” Eleven people that are chosen by the mysterious Mr. Outside are each given ten billion yens to carry out their plans to improve Japan. Each of them, with different beliefs, backgrounds, and occupations, attempts to “save” Japan from all its lies and corruption in his or her own way. Although some players end up shifting their focus to achi…
Read at the sourceLink_of_Hyrule
**SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THE SERIES AND THE TWO MOVIES**
After watching the first few episodes of Eden of the East (a.k.a Higashi no Eden), I was extremely impressed and very excited. I thought I had found a compelling mystery anime with lovable characters, a great storyline, and fluent animation. I couldn't wait to see what Eden had in store, so I sat through the entire series and both of the movies in a huge marathon. You want to know what it all amounted to? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The storyline of this anime goes absolutely, positively NOWHERE at any point in any of the movies or episodes and gives the phrase "dragging it out" an entirely new definition. This is one of the most disappointing anime I've ever seen simply because it gets you so excited with it's engrossing beginning…
Read at the sourceShaythekid
"Noblesse oblige I pray for your continuing service as a savior"
With great power, comes great responsibility ~Uncle Ben
Higashi no Eden (translated to Eden of the East) is a short 11-episode mystery/action with an intriguing premise that basically begins en media res, leaving the viewer wondering what is going on at the beginning as the action unfolds.
Story:
Basically the story begins after previous major events that are revealed over time. You follow the main character Akira Takizawa, who has wiped his memory and is now in process of trying to figure out his previous reasonings for it. The plot is interesting with a suspense to keep you wanting more. However, since it was only 11 episodes, the ending sort of leaves you with a cliffhanger, to be followed up by the 2 movies following i…
Read at the sourceEvil_Mousou
For as long as I can remember, anime of the mystery genre have proven creatively stale. As a rule, trying to find a gratifying mystery is an ordeal much like rummaging for haute couture in a dark, creaky charity shop that smells faintly of mothballs. Foremost amongst the dust-caked offerings, Darker than Black collapses into a morbid mess; low-grade Fantastic Children keeps things cheap and cheerless; and the snail-paced Ghost Hound dulled my senses to such an extent that I never saw its middle episodes.
How delightfully reassuring, then, to discover Eden of the East; this, unlike the aforementioned failures, begins on a much higher bar of quality. In fact, tapping into the hot topics of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, information technology, marginalized geek subculture, and subve…
Read at the sourceThefrozentundra
On a trip to the United States, college student Morimi Saki stumbles upon an odd sight. Of all things, she meets a naked Japanese man, armed with a handgun. As she learns, this man has no idea who he is, or how he got there, and all that he can really remember are films, save for which one his personal favourite was. Soon, it becomes apparent that Takizawa Akira, as he is now going by, is a lot more than he first appears, as he finds out that he may have been part of a terrorist act committed in Japan. Then, he only gets even more shrouded in mystery with the presence of an odd phone; which he is told possesses ten million yen, and all that he is told to do with it, is to continue to be a Messiah.
Now, on the surface, this premise is interesting enough, albeit a little silly. The show sta…
Read at the sourcetrzr23
Eden of the East
JAP title : Higashi no Eden
(Yes, I did not give this anime a score of 10 or 9. Go ahead, press the ‘Not Helpful’ option without even reading the review.)
There, now hopefully, the fanboys are out of the way.
Alright, I walked in with high expectations for this one. I had read so many rave reviews about this particular show and though I would give it a shot. Was I satisfied? Only one way to find out…
[ 1 MINUTE REVIEW ]
Eden of the East puts forward a superb concept: letting a bunch of people, with a ton of money, play a game to “save” their country. This creative story is very refreshing and has and the direction has a Hollywood-like feel to it. With such a mysterious plot and an amnesiac protagonist, this anime should be brilliant shouldn’t it? Well, it is, but not…
Read at the sourceMasterGear
Eden of the East, or Higashi no Eden, is one of the newest ventures of Production I.G, most notably accredited for producing such masterpiece series’ as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Just like the majority of Production I.G’s other series’, Eden of the East does not disappoint, and its intriguing and unique blend of a gripping storyline and well built suspense which leaves the viewer clamouring for more at the end of every episode, cements its place as a well needed forerunner in the modern mystery/suspense genre.
The plotline is very interesting and is revealed at a well managed pace, and this pacing creates the many moments at the end of each episode which leave the viewer wanting more and more from the series. However, the ending is somewhat abrupt, and does not really prov…
Read at the sourceLindle
One day, in 2011, a Japanese university student by the name of Saki Morimi is visiting America. When she throws something into the Whitehouse courtyard, the security guards quickly start questioning her... but she is quickly granted a distraction by our protagonist, Akira Takizawa, who has appeared outside the Whitehouse completely naked, with a phone in one hand and a gun in the other, and absolutely no recollection of who he is or how he got there.
Saki lends him her coat, but quickly comes to realise that she left her passport in there, causing her to chase after him. Meanwhile, Akira finds a large amount of weapons at his apartment, along with several fake IDs. As the series progresses, Akira finds out that he is part of a group called the Selecao, who have each been granted an enormo…
Read at the sourcemastertek
This show really... gets on my nerve. I had to watch all the way to the last episode (11th) to find out the "truth" behind all the mysteries set up across 10 episodes. That is when all my enjoyment vanishes as the "truth" is literally "naked," empty, and stupid. This anime is really a lame implementation from the inspiration of the American movie Paycheck (2003).
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Story: (SPOILER)
A powerful old guy, called Ato Saizou or "Outside" (this is a Japanese pun), after being diagnosed with terminal cancer set up a big game by selecting 12 youngsters, giving each 10 billion yen, and a "magic" cellphone to save the country (Japan) in their own way. The 12 players are called Selecao - the country's Saviors. The 12th player is appointed as a Supporter, who supervises the o…
Read at the sourceTheLlama
"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power". Such is a quote from one of Shakespeare's plays, and it is found in the opening credits of the anime.
What would a person do, if they had a cellphone charged with ten billion yen, and the ability to call a strange person to do whatever you wished for, for a certain payment? What would a person do with that kind of money? The main character is in possession in such a cell phone, but he has no idea just why, as he has lost his memory.
Higashi no Eden is a very interesting anime. It doesn't follow any previously-seen anime conventions, clichés or stereotypes. Indeed, it is more like watching a action/mystery movie or two put into a TV series format. Of note is that it is not adapted from any other media, which allows the anima…
Read at the sourcevitaamin
After reading rave reviews on today's title, Eden of the East, I decided to take a few days to see what all the fuss was about. The first episode opens as Saki stands in front of the White House, launching stones from outside the fence onto the open greens. The police promptly accost Saki, but she is saved by an unknown man, running around naked while waving a gun. The story then follows their adventure back to Japan and into his history which has been erased from his memory. To complicate matters, he has been gifted a cellphone that connects to a woman who can grant any wish a human could dream of, requiring only that the wisher uses his funds to become the "savior of the world."
While I can certainly understand the initial appeal of this series--a title full of average-looking, everyday…
Read at the sourceBurningLeaves
This is a perfect example of the all to familure anime falterings of having a good concept but failing completely to execute it. While the story it self is good enough to keep you interested it never really seems to go anywhere. Hopefully the movies to come will shed some more light on this but judging this as a complete series it is majorly lacking. The story starts off with a series of interesting questions and circumstances that are begging for an absolution, but few answers are ever provided and the few they do offer up just lead to more unanswered questions. You might as well stop watching after episode 1 because the story line isn't going to get all too much clearer to you, and you'll be left asking yourself the same questions at the end of the series that you did at the end of the f…
Read at the sourcesrsng
“ Noblesse Oblige, Please continue being a messiah.”
Even though it was one of the shortest anime to air recently, Production I.G. produced another excellent and satisfying anime again!
The story of Eden of the East is very creative. It reflects the current political and economical situations we are in today. Terrorists, NEETS, missile attacks and 9/11 shows that Eden of the East wants us to relate its story to what is happening in the real world. Aside from the realism that it presents, it also has its own share of mystery and suspense that adds up to the twists and turns of the story. Even though it is a political-type of anime, there’s also a dash of humor so as not to make the atmosphere heavy and also to balance the complex plot.
Comprising of 11 episodes, the series was able to pr…
Read at the sourceZilveari
Higashi no Eden(Eden of the East) it a magnificent foray into a world of enigmatic intrigue the likes of which I can't remember seeing since Serial Experiments Lain. The opening sequence itself opens the way for questions and the thirst for information right off the bat, reminding me of the opening from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Throughout the series you are basically confronted with confusing information left and right, leaving you to glean what you can from what is given. Afterwards you are left pondering this information as you watch, actively trying to decipher it for yourself. Though there is a need for a bit of practical sleuthism on your part. If you don't read the entries in the cellular phones, you will still be stuck scratching your head after the "end".
Even with this, you are…
Read at the sourcekevo
Though not exactly a foray into the unknown, Eden of the East does just enough to make it unique and memorable. Combined with near perfect technical execution, Eden of the East is a solid anime.
I was already thoroughly impressed with Eden of the East after about five minutes into the first episode. There is this cool edgy feel to it as soon as you start watching. The series begins in Washington D.C. when Morimi Saki (cv. Hayami Saori) meets a stark naked Takizawa Akira (cv. Kimura Ryohei). The first thing that really stood out was the conspicuous lack of engrish. Production I.G. seemed to have the good sense to cast people who actually speak English for the American background characters. While this takes away from the hilarity factor, it adds a sense of realism to the series. Contrary t…
Read at the sourcegame8910
Higashi no Eden (or Eden of the East however you want to call it) is a new anime series produced by Production I.G, and it was one of the most anticipated series of the Spring 2009 season. After quite an impressive trailer before the anime aired, I just knew I had to watch this show which looked like it had a lot of promise. Did it live up to my expectation? Read ahead to find out.
Story:
+ This anime definitely brings a very interesting plot.
+ The level of mystery and suspense will leave the viewer wanting more every episode.
+ Definitely one of the most refreshing stories in recent seasons.
- Its is only 11 episodes long, a very uncommon number for an anime.
- The ending leaves you with a cliffhanger that the movies are expected to resolve.
- Because of the # of episodes, plus the an…
Read at the sourceukiuki
First of all, Eden is an anime geared towards a more mature audience who pays attention to details.
You must not expect a typical shonen/shojo/moe based anime.
This anime is one of the most well made series I have seen in a long time.
First off, the summary of the show may be a turn off and doesnt tell you much about the show. Here is my attempt at a summary without too many spoilers.
Takizawa Akira is a Selacao, a player in a game, where the goal is to save Japan using 10 billion yen and a cell phone with "magic powers". Having erased his memory, he meets Saki and as thier relationship grows, he tries to find out his past and what his purpose is as a Selacao.
Story: the plot is so well planned out. You are led from episode to episode, where you learn new plot developments every time.…
Read at the sourcePirotechnix
Eden of the East came out of nowhere in the Spring 2009 season - with no works preceding it, not many people knew exactly what to expect, and with only 11 episodes, there were questions as to how one could possibly explore such an ambitious plot successfully.
Luckily for all of us, however, Eden of the East, even with its brevity, managed to set itself apart, providing a winning combination of engaging characters, unique plot, and surprising depth to present itself as one of the best shows of the season, perhaps of the year so far.
PLOT: 9/10
With only 11 episodes, the show pulled off a rather amazing feat - not once did the story ever feel rushed, and not once did it feel like there was too much information packed into too small of a package. Starting off with the "amnesiac hero" vibe…
Read at the sourcesillyanna
Eden of the East is an anime in which I have never seen the likes of before. The plot is strange, the characters are strange, and the humour is strange - but somehow it all works. Brilliantly. But first of all, I should say this: if you're a really big fan of fan service, harems, hardcore romance, hardcore action, and/or gore, then this is not the series for you. If you like plot, character development, catchy music and brilliant animation/art then read on.
STORY- 9/10
For one thing, although the plot has a bit of a fantastical element to it, it reflects what is going on in the world today. It shows the dark and corrupt side of society, but at the same time shows it with a kind of hope for the future. It's a sad, yet warm series.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should explain just wha…
Read at the source