Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth: Complete Collection(2011)

An utterly charming anime about a Japanese girl in Paris circa the late 1800s provides laughs, drama, and a severe case of the warm fuzzies. It has a gentle heart while still facing the hardships of life, for there are many challenges for little Yune to face while dealing with culture shock . Not the least of them is the proud young Frenchman she lives with.

This 2011 anime series was expected to be a breakout hit by a lot of people in Japan and other countries, so it was a huge shock when it bombed at home. Culture clashes and the most moe of main characters should have guaranteed success, but the otakus in Japan were not impressed. Thanks to Sentai Filmworks, Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth is now available to own in the United States. With the preordered set finally in my hands, I can review how Sentai did.

The main character is Yune, a very young looking girl brought to Paris by Oscar Claudel as part of the effort made by the Japanese to increase knowledge of the West after the Meiji Restoration. From her first entrance on screen, she is a delightful character, a bright, intelligent soul fascinated by everything. Sweet, but stubborn in her own way, she is destined to shake things up for the Claudels.

While grandfather Oscar is a laid back geriatric womanizer, his grandson Claude is very tightly wrapped. Driven by the mysterious tragedy of his father’s death, he is the epitome of Gallic pride to the point of being xenophobic. Yune is not exactly welcomed with open arms and her ways often baffle him to the point of extreme frustration.

Those two and their interactions form the core of the story which appears to be a superficial plot at first, however it soon becomes clear that things are not as simple or straight forward as expected. There are mysteries hovering in the background about Claude’s father, Yune’s older sister, and why exactly did Oscar bring the girl to Paris.

Adding to the mix is Alice and Camille, the daughters of a nouveau riche family that own a department store that is slowly killing the business of the gallery and in turn Claude’s  family owned metal working shop. Alice is a typical anime character with an obsession, in this case anything to do with Japan. She constantly plots ways to force Yune to live with her, much to Claude’s ire. But Camille, the older sister, has a fading flower aura about her for she is at the age to be married off to enhance the family’s status. Just what is her connection to Claude?

The Galerie du Roy, and Paris by extension, is as much a character as any of the humans. Beautiful backgrounds filled with intricately depicted architecture make the series a visual delight. It also is perfect to depict the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution on the daily lives of Parisians, with the disappointing results of the French Revolution haunting things as well. Class division and warfare is very much part of the story, adding a depth I did not expect.

Starving children, racism, economic distress, chauvinism (in its real meaning) and other problems are not ignored in the slightest. A vivid tapestry of daily life is both a constant backdrop and source of storylines, bringing a plausibility to Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth.

But do not think conflict is what the show is all about. One of the voice actresses in the extras commented on the show’s content creating “the warm fuzzies” and there is an undeniable sweetness to the story. Much of it is due to Yune and her personality, but it would be a trifle without the Claudels. The evening meal is often part of an episode and as the season progresses, the trio at Ensignes du Roy begin to feel like a family.

Another big part of the show is the understated romance that develops between Yune and Claude. If you have not seen the show, you are probably thinking, “Great, a pedophile story.” There is something of a turning point in the manga in how Claude views Yune when he finds out how old she really is. I’ll give some historical background: when this was set, the average Japanese woman was below 5’ and closet to 4’ 8” due to nutrition of the era. So do not be worried, Yune is only a couple of years younger than Claude.

But I have to say this kind of character design in anime annoys me no end. If it were not for the flawless execution of the animators and the wonderful story, I would not have been able to stand it. It reminds me of the cheap paintings/prints floating around in the early 1970s that had little kids with huge sad eyes. They still give me the willies just thinking about them.

The one knock on Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth is that the story is unfinished. Apparently the manga it was based on was never finished too, so it is up to the audience to speculate how things will turn out. Don’t let this deter you from watching the series for it is well worth the journey alone. Some of the mysteries are revealed by the end and it looks like more than a few hints are made at what the outcome is intended to be.

It is TV-PG rated since there are some scary moments, Yune is caught bathing and her bare back is revealed, and an orphan on the street is mistreated. I suspect the lack of sexual exploitation of the main character contributed to the series bombing in Japan. Yune is always treated with respect and as a person, except when Alice treats her like a dress up doll. Hey, she does look like one!

I highly recommend this series based on my philosophy of rewarding things that are of good merit and add to human culture. Endearing does not begin to properly describe Croisée and it celebrates life in all its facets. Fans of Kimi ni Todoke and gentler shoujo romances will find much to like and it has plenty to appeal across both genders, what with the manga being published in a boys magazine.

Technical

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth: Complete Collection consists of three DVDs and one audio CD contained in a normal sized DVD case. A very sturdy leaf holds a disc on either side and the inside walls each have a disc. By the way, the case has that chemical smell that cheaper cases have, but seems to be good quality.

Disc 1 has episodes 1-5, including the OVA (more on that later). Disc 2 has episodes 6-10, while Disc 3 has episodes 11-12 plus the special features. All three have lovely full color prints of artwork from the series that have to be seen to be appreciated.

The audio CD is somewhat disappointing, though as a bonus at this price it is a testament to what a tremendous bargain the set is. Instrumental music from the series comprises ten tracks. While delightful, the sung main and closing themes are absent, as well as the songs from the OVA.

Video is excellent anamorphic 16:9 widescreen and while I wish it was Blu-ray, it is top notch for DVDs. Colors are strong and vibrant, detail is great, and it scaled up very well on my Samsung BD player and on PC.

Audio quality is good as well, with only the original Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 track. It is clear and really shows off whenever music is played, which is often.

Where Sentai Filmworks really delivers is on the special features. There is a lot to be covered, so here goes:

OVA aka Episode 4.5: Music Party – This incredible extra episode is hard to describe. Most bonus episodes of anime tend to be either pure comedy or titillating or both, but this is one of the best entries in the entire show. It is also one of the most melancholy and contains spoilers for later in the series.

When Yune hears Japanese childhood songs played on a strange instrument, she finds a Bohemian vagabond girl with a guitar in the Galerie du Roy. Alice soon finds out about it and sets up a small party with poor Yune made to sing. A hauntingly sad song reveals an unexpected connection and more. It is one of those tunes you will never forget.

Picture Dramas – Going from the sublime to the silly, these comic semi-animated shorts start out with a continuance of Claude’s strange impression of Japan from Oscar’s descriptions.  It is all fluff and silliness voiced by the anime cast.

SD Yuni & Alice Special Movies – More silliness with chibi versions of the girls introducing looks at things from the show. Production art and Yune’s various kimonos are part of it along with comic comments.

Radio Dramas – Well, they become stories after the first four minutes or so of the voice actresses of Yune and Alice goofing off on air. This is an interesting look at how animes are promoted in Japan for me. Voice actors are expected to do radio shows that are about as vapid as you can get to promote the series. This is aside from interviews and such.

Club AT-X Double R Video – Another promotion for the show, this time on the television network it aired on. Don’t ask me why the show is called that, just accept that Japan does things… differently.

Japanese Promos – Videos teasing the series.

Japanese Commercials – Short commercials promoting the series.

Sentai Trailers – Other anime sets available from Sentai are advertised. Why is this a special feature? Because the back of the box and DVD menu say so.

This is a very nice set and a steal being around the $30 mark online. It is a great pity the series failed in Japan, for a lot of money was put into it and it shows.