Full Moon wo Sagashite

VivisQueen

VivisQueen

Well-Known Member
[sadht]Full Moon wo Sagashite[/sadht]

Synopsis, screenshots, recommendations


Discuss individual episodes and first impressions of this anime here; reviews and final impressions should be posted in the Anime Reviews Forum. Post format and full rules can be found here.
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Here starts the buddy group at a schedule of three eps a day. But anyone else in the AP community is welcome to join in the discussions of the show.

Episode 1:
Wow. Being told the protagonist is going to die in one year right at the start is pretty heavy. But they somehow skip that bit in favour of happy, positive message of 'go for your dreams'. I kinda like that. Clearly, the unhappy themes will continue to simmer underneath the joyous front, and maybe even reassert themselves at EPIC moments. Anyway, on with the rest.

Episodes 2-3:
Hmmm... okay episodes. It doesn't feel like anything major has kicked in yet. One thing I wonder is why her sixteen-year old self is blonde. Some kind bizarre Japanese shoujo wish fulfilment?
 
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Watched the first three episodes early this morning and I enjoyed them, though I think this series is going to be paticularly emotional for me to watch. In the last 6 months both myself and my grandfather were diagnosed with forms of cancer - coincidentally both sarcomas. Thankfully our treatment has gone successfully and we are both okay for the moment.

I had put Full Moon on my to watch list long before this happened and when joining the buddy group I hadn't re-read what the series was about. I only remembered the part about her wanting to be a singer, not the darker undertones and it came as quite a shock to me in the first episode. Still I'm glad that I'm watching it, it feels rather fitting.

The theme of following your dream no matter what is uplifting and a good message for everyone. I get the feeling seeing as they've only touched on her illness that it won't be mentioned much, or briefly if it is, so it'll fade into the background. Then of course something will happen and it'll be dramatically shoved into our faces, that much is probably predictable but it'll be interesting to see what they do with it.

My main wonder about the series so far, is whether it will end tragically with Mitsuki's death, or whether due to some miracle or magic she will be cured or spared. Perhaps by Takuto due to the crush he seems to have on her. It would probably have more of an impact if it ended tragically, but given my own personal circumstances, I hope that doesn't happen, heh.

Sorry if this was too long. Haven't taken part in one of these before and I have a tendancy to ramble.. @__@;
 
VivisQueen said:
Episodes 2-3:
Hmmm... okay episodes. It doesn't feel like anything major has kicked in yet. One thing I wonder is why her sixteen-year old self is blonde. Some kind bizarre Japanese shoujo wish fulfilment?
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Once she was turned into the 16 year old the first time, her hair was still brown and after she looked at herself in the mirror she said, 'I want to try dyeing my hair too!' so maybe Takuto just changed the colour for her? They didn't explain that bit very well.. Oh well, not that important overall.
 
Long posts are great posts. The more discussion the better. I too am interested to know just how good this show will be. The beginning seems fluffy and safe, but I will let FMwS's reputation precede it in this instance (trustworthy voices hail it as a great shoujo). My hope is that the show will go for something bittersweet - a factual sadness but a metaphorical/thematic/moral victory because I adore those kinds of endings. But yeah, we are so getting ahead of ourselves.

And for what it's worth coming from a faceless stranger, I'm glad you and your grandfather made it through okay.
 
Just got done watching the first three episodes. As for the first episode I thought it was solid, the more serious nature of the show blended surprisingly well with the comedic aspect of it, and I felt it did a good job of introducing all of the characters as well as laying down the plot of the series. The second episode I really didn't care for, her relationship with Eichi is going to be very important throughout the series I imagine but I could really care less about him or their relationship at this point, seeing as how that entire episode focused on that I really didn't care for anything about it other than Meroko's part. And the third episode was decent, I'm liking Wakaoji so far, so it was good to see him get a bit more screen time. Overall it seems like Meroko is going to be the best part of this show, I don't really like Takuto at this point and Mitsuki just isn't all that interesting to me. But I dunno, we're only three episodes in so I suppose this series has plenty of room to grow.
 
Interesting. I warmed to Takuto immediately the moment he told Mitsuki to get over the guy (gotta love a grouch). Meroko on the other hand is currently a bit too slapstick for my tastes. It'll all depend on her development.
 
VivisQueen said:
Long posts are great posts. The more discussion the better. I too am interested to know just how good this show will be. The beginning seems fluffy and safe, but I will let FMwS's reputation precede it in this instance (trustworthy voices hail it as a great shoujo). My hope is that the show will go for something bittersweet - a factual sadness but a metaphorical/thematic/moral victory because I adore those kinds of endings. But yeah, we are so getting ahead of ourselves.

And for what it's worth coming from a faceless stranger, I'm glad you and your grandfather made it through okay.
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I haven't heard anything about it so I'm just going blindly into the series. It is true we are getting very far ahead of ourselves, but being given a ticking time bomb like that in the first episode, it's kind of hard not to wonder! ^__^;

Also that is kind of you, thank you! :)

carnificus said:
Just got done watching the first three episodes. As for the first episode I thought it was solid, the more serious nature of the show blended surprisingly well with the comedic aspect of it, and I felt it did a good job of introducing all of the characters as well as laying down the plot of the series. The second episode I really didn't care for, her relationship with Eichi is going to be very important throughout the series I imagine but I could really care less about him or their relationship at this point, seeing as how that entire episode focused on that I really didn't care for anything about it other than Meroko's part. And the third episode was decent, I'm liking Wakaoji so far, so it was good to see him get a bit more screen time. Overall it seems like Meroko is going to be the best part of this show, I don't really like Takuto at this point and Mitsuki just isn't all that interesting to me. But I dunno, we're only three episodes in so I suppose this series has plenty of room to grow.
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I like Wakaouji too. Mitsuki's father was a musician and Wakaoji was a keyboard player, so perhaps they were in the same band together? He seems to be closer to Mitsuki than just a 'family doctor' so I'm guessing he was a friend of her fathers.

I normally eat up love stories but I don't really find myself caring that much about Mitsuki and Eichi. Also I am a tiny bit creeped out because when they were in the treatment centre together he was 16 and she was 10.. That's a pretty big age difference for them to be in love. I don't think age really matters that much, but 10? Would have been a bit better if she was 12 in the treatment centre. Also what is Eichi's deal? As Takuto says, he really should have contacted her in some way during the two years that have passed if she really meant something to him.

Not sure what to think of Takuto and Meroko just yet. They seem to compliment each other well though.
 
Episode 1

The colourful and generic animation/character designs will take some getting used to and it would appear Mitsuki is voiced by a pop star as opposed to a seiyuu so that might explain why she sounds so old. The shinigami strike as me the more interesting characters so far. Would love to know a bit more about the shinigami would. I wonder why Mitsuki can see them.

I like the fact they obviously specialise in the passage of child spirits so that's why they have animal ears :laugh: Takuto seems like a bit of a trouble maker and he has developed some kind of immediate connection to Mitsuki which is likely going to be revealed as some previous relationship in his living days or transition as a shinigami. Right now, the way Meroko acted with jealousy makes me think Mitsuki reminds him of a past love... but maybe even a sister or daughter.

Loved the way this blended an upbeat feeling yet we have a character dying of cancer. This could get a bit sentimental but I don't feel like it'll be long before I get into this. At the end all the music executives were very excited about Mitsuki. She seems very naive and I can see a lot of drama unfolding surrounding her alternative identity and the reality of the music business.
 
Episode 1:
I didn't even read the synopsis or look at screen shots before joining the group or after I literally went into this thing sight unseen. So I was a bit shocked after watching the almost too cutesey colorful OP, only to find out Mitsuki had cancer like five seconds into the episode. They kind of glossed over it in the first episode but there is plenty of time for them to get into later. My only worry is they might try to use the cancer in a gimicky kind of way and not treat the topic with some respect. It looks like cute magic girl fare but it doesn't mean there can't be any darker moments.

I like Mitsuki's voice when she's singing but hate it when she's speaking probably because she sounds too old when speaking. The shinigami were an interesting pair and depending on how corny this show is I'm guessing Takuto is going to be Mitsuki's dead father. We already know he's kind of new to the job and that he already feels some kind of bond with the girl. Oh and I was waiting for the sour old grandmother to say music was the devil's work or something equally ridiculous.

Other than that the animation is a bit too bright and colorful for my tastes but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
 
coffeebreath said:
... and it would appear Mitsuki is voiced by a pop star as opposed to a seiyuu so that might explain why she sounds so old.
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Aha! Not sure how I feel about this. She doesn't sounds like a twelve year old at all, BUT she also doesn't sound like her voice was recorded while in a vat of helium.
 
AirCommodore said:
Aha! Not sure how I feel about this. She doesn't sounds like a twelve year old at all, BUT she also doesn't sound like her voice was recorded while in a vat of helium.
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Yeah, I'm slowly getting used to it even if it feels out of place. But then I might be complaining if she had the 'helium' voice too :laugh:

Marius2000 said:
Episode 1:
The shinigami were an interesting pair and depending on how corny this show is I'm guessing Takuto is going to be Mitsuki's dead father.
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Now you've said this I can't stop thinking "what if" when Takuto is on screen.

Episode 2

A bit confused what exactly is going on in this episode. Shouldn't teen Mitsuki be diving headfirst into a recording studio already?

Eichi is six years older than her? Damn. I'm sure that it's no coincidence then that she can now transform into a sixteen year old girl. I really like the way Mitsuki wants to reach her dream not just for herself but also for the promise she made with him. She has the right level of naivety for a 12 year old. What Mero did seemed really cruel but Mitsuki put a positive spin on it.

Would like to know why her Grandmother is such a bitter old hag.
 
Episode 2:
Given their age difference it is likely that Mitsuki is making a lot more of her relationship with Eichi than it actually was. I doubt Eichi had any romatic feelings for her at the time, he probably just saw it as them being friends and he was just being encouraging.

Both Meroko and Takuto acted thoughtlessly this episode and it is obvious that they are both unused to dealing with humans. They weren't intentionally trying to be cruel though, they mean well in their own way. Although if you think about Takuto's actions they could either be interpreted as a jealous boyfriend or a father afraid of losing his daughter so my theory could still be correct. Of course with a 16 year old body it would make a possible relationship with Eichi less creepy.The grandmother is a real bitch even if she is worried about Mitsuki there is no reason to act like that and unless music personally murdered Mitsuki's parents her attitude toward it is kind of ridiculous.
 
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coffeebreath said:
Now you've said this I can't stop thinking "what if" when Takuto is on screen.
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Same! That didn't even occure to me either. I did think that Takuto developed a feeling of some sort for Mitsuki way too quickly even for a love at first sight thing. The power of her wonderful singing? :/

Also wonder why the grandmother is such a hag and why she hates music. It was one thing for Mitsuki not to be singing, but just to hate music in general. Perhaps Mitsuki's father died in a freak guitar accident or something.
 
Marius2000 said:
Episode 2:
Although if you think about Takuto's actions they could either be interpreted as a jealous boyfriend or a father afraid of losing his daughter so my theory could still be correct.
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Yeah, this is exactly what I kept thinking now you've mentioned the possibility. Also, the fact Mero seems to be trying to persuade us he has romantic feelings for her makes the opposite all the more likely. Although that part is being done in such a way that we get the feeling Mero is clearly misunderstanding him.

Episode 3

Well, I guess it's a given that since this is aimed at young girls there will be a noticeable level of inconsistency and unbelieveable moments. A lot of shoujo are enjoyable despite this, and this episode was amusing but at parts felt pretty retarded. It will surprise me if Mitsuki isn't sectioned for multiple personality disorder or schizophrenia by Wakaouji before this is over :sweat:

But on a serious note, I can see the whole alternative identity/hiding the truth thing getting old. I really hope Mitsuki lets someone in on it soon, there's just no way she can carry on like that.

These were ok introductory episodes, hopefully things start to unravel from here on out.
 
AirCommodore said:
The strings went right through his heart!
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Dang, don'tcha just hate it when that happens.. D:

coffeebreath said:
But on a serious note, I can see the whole alternative identity/hiding the truth thing getting old. I really hope Mitsuki lets someone in on it soon, there's just no way she can carry on like that.
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Definitely going to get old. I didn't understand why Meroko or Takuto couldn't just use their shinigami magic to make Wakaouji and her grandmother believe she was older, instead of having this bizarre carry on about her being a little sister.

Also it's going to become apparent she isn't exactly telling the truth when she doesn't appear in 'the commercial' she is doing the voice training for.. :@_@:
 
Ooooh. Fun.

I'm going to keep an eye on this group. Should be amusing to see the conversations.

I liked this show a lot and some of the later episodes had me crying a good bit as it got really morbid/depressing (rather surprising for fluffy-shoujo.)

My main overall complaints were primarily that:

A) They repeat the same J-Pop songs way too many times to an extremely annoying extent.
B) Meroko has a tendency to repeat the same style of humor too much, again, to an annoying extent.
C) Too much filler. I like the developments the overall story had and such, but they have a tendency to throw in a few fillers every couple episodes which drags the pacing out more than necessary. Could have probably benefited from being a shorter series in my opinion.
D) Some of the minor side characters are missing backstory completely which is in the manga.
 
Episode 3 was really annoying. I really hope Wakaouji is faking that idiocy.

Anyway. Why do Meroko and Takuto disguise themselves as stuffed animals that are visible to humans when their default forms are invisible? :@_@:
 
Marius2000 said:
Episode 1:
The shinigami were an interesting pair and depending on how corny this show is I'm guessing Takuto is going to be Mitsuki's dead father.
Click to expand...

This is a very interesting prediction indeed! I am going to specifically wait for such a revelation.

AirCommodore said:
Aha! Not sure how I feel about this. She doesn't sounds like a twelve year old at all, BUT she also doesn't sound like her voice was recorded while in a vat of helium.
Click to expand...

I didn't really notice her voice was too deep until she started singing, and then I was like 'Christ, what?' Generally, I find her voice bearable and I think I'm leaning towards appreciation of the latter. FMwS is soooo cute and soooo fluffy right now (even with the cancer) a squeaky voice like Ahiru's for instance would have given me diabetes.

AirCommodore said:
Anyway. Why do Meroko and Takuto disguise themselves as stuffed animals that are visible to humans when their default forms are invisible? :@_@:
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Don't question animez magic.

And regarding the grandmother,
there's no way this isn't a setup for some deep, emotional turnaround on her part. She will have her reasons and she will turn out to do it out of love but just be bad at expressing herself. Either that or this show is adding child abuse to cancer. @_@
 
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Marius2000 said:
Episode 2:
Given their age difference it is likely that Mitsuki is making a lot more of her relationship with Eichi than it actually was. I doubt Eichi had any romatic feelings for her at the time, he probably just saw it as them being friends and he was just being encouraging.
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Yeah, I really don't see Eichi being in love with her, he hasn't contacted her in two years after he said he loved her? It just doesn't seem to fit, something is obviously up with how she remembers the past going down.
 
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