Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

[Ryllharu]

(La croisée dans un labyrinthe étranger)

Description: A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family's ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar's nephew and shopkeeper Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the late 1800s. (Source: ANN)

Genres: Historical, Slice of Life, Culture Shock
Links: AniDB, ANN, Official Page

[Ayako] Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - 01 [720p]
[Ayako] Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - 01 [400p]

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While I really enjoyed this, I have to admit this made me feel like a bit of a pervert. I mean a Ryuugu Rena kind of thing. Yune is just so goddamn adorable.

Aside from that, it was a very strong first episode. The pacing was great, the animation is really good (way better than Satelight's average) and the cast was awesome. Touyama Nao really made Yune's performance. She's gotten even better since she debuted as Kanon in The World God Only Knows. She sings the ED too. Kondou Takashi makes Claude sufficiently gruff and unwelcoming, though he eases up nicely toward the end of the episode.

I love a good slice of life series (that isn't about high school girls doing the same things in every series), so this one is definitely a keeper.

[shinta|hikari]

This is excellent. Yune's sincerity got through to me as well. It made me tear up when Claude performed a dogeza.

I wonder why Yune can speak french though.

[RyougaZell]

Aside from that, it was a very strong first episode. The pacing was great, the animation is really good (way better than Satelight's average) and the cast was awesome. Touyama Nao really made Yune's performance. She's gotten even better since she debuted as Kanon in The World God Only Knows. She sings the ED too.

Sold. Will download this afternoon. Lately I've been listening to her Kanon 'Birth' album so new songs from her are a must. Plus I was already interested in this series settings.

[Ryllharu]

It was really the clacking of her wooden shoes on the tiles in that first two minutes that sold me on the series.

Something about that scene (for me anyway) imparted so much about her character. Youthful excitement (the pace increasing rapidly), a slightly playful nature (stomping lightly to just to explore the noise it makes). Sound direction should be applauded for that scene alone.

[Kraco]

I was convinced for good the moment she dropped and broke the fancy sign. Hard to describe why, but of course it assumed I knew everything would turn out okay in the end. There's just something very touching about her character and situation when you think about the setting: During those times Japan and Europe might have as well been on separate planets as far as average citizens were considered, and an Asian servant's life would have been worth very little in Europe. Yet she still pulled through after breaking the sign as almost the first impression she gave to Claude. And maintained her lively and joyous personality.

I'm really happy there's a show like this airing this season. Should make a wonderful combination with Usagi Drop.

[Dark_Sage]

Super, super boring. Would rather jam toothpicks into my eyes than watch this.

[David75]

I was afraid by this anime description in the season preview.

I have to admitt production standards are pretty high. Nice animation, nice scenes. I was able to recognize each place in the blink of an eye (except one that might have changed too much since then). They really worked their documents, pictures. I did not see any problems with anything written. They really worked hard to make it very precise.
I'll probably have to rewatch the ep, I almost never do this, but I also want to get a better sound immersion. Thanks for your comment Ryll.

I guess the quality should drop sometime in the season, because the treats we had here are a lot of work->money. But I'm happy they did it.
After all, even Yune in Kimono was magnificent. The butterfly was very nice too. Seems like she could be 7 to 9 years old, that's a bit of a problem for me... Depends on how the story will evolve later.

Edit:
BTW, during the OP, Yune is impressed by a Molière statue. Down that street (on the right) is a Japanese restaurant that opened in 1958 and as such the oldest Japanese restaurant in Paris (even France).
Hard to tell if they did it on purpose, truth is less than 15minutes walk from that point you have lots of nice japanese restaurants.
google maps link
http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=rue+mol...201.43,,0,3.93

[Kraco]

Btw, I watched the version by IB, not Ayako, and based on what I've seen and read, it should be better.

Seems like she could be 7 to 9 years old, that's a bit of a problem for me... Depends on how the story will evolve later.

I'm not expecting this to go down any such route that would make her age troublesome. Ryll commented on irc this has a lot of Aria staff involved, but even without that I'd say this looked more like a historical wondering and wandering show than any drama. Thus, I actually like it very much she seemed so young. I like stories where a kid is being brought up under unusual circumstances.

[Ryllharu]

According to Divine (who has read the manga) on RandomC, Yune is thirteen. She doesn't look more than eight to me.

[shinta|hikari]

I thought she was 12, though admittedly I have a tendency to highball ages of young girls.

[RyougaZell]

Btw, I watched the version by IB, not Ayako, and based on what I've seen and read, it should be better.

Watched this version too. Yune is way too cute. And like Ryll says... Toyama Nao did a great job voicing her.

[Inazuma]

The Design of the croisé is taken from a croisé near Republique in center North of Paris near Rue de Saint Denis.

This feels - warm and fuzzy but I damn sure want to know where that slice of life is going to go especially with the ultra perverted situations the whole thing can lead to.

Sons of bitches made their homework about the whole setting and scenery - I'm impressed.

[David75]

The Design of the croisé is taken from a croisé near Republique in center North of Paris near Rue de Saint Denis.

I'm interrested in the source for that

After your post, I searched a little and found that they might have been inspired by the "Passage des Princes" too.

Sorry for the link in French, but there are 3 pics there:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passage_des_Princes

List of passages:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passages_couverts_de_Paris

Funny how watching that show entices me into getting curious about Paris

Regarding the image I wasn't able to fully recognize, although I had the idea it was at the end of the Pont d'Iena facing the Trocadéro (Tour Eiffel behind you)... it was in fact "Le Palais du Trocadéro" that has been replaced by "Le Palais de Chaillot" .
Le Palais du Trocadéro was built for the Exposition Universelle of 1878 and was detroyed in 1937 for yet another Exposition Universelle.
here a picture:

[Buffalobiian]

Ayako - Episode 02

[Inazuma]

This thing just works. I don't know why - even though I dont like slice of life anime.

[Buffalobiian]

The feel's definitely change now that Yune's actively participating and talking - neither for the best nor worst.

The dude really does suck at managing his store. It's not only prices that are luring his customers away.

[shinta|hikari]

That's where his new kanban musume comes in.

This show succeeds at creating a unique atmosphere, just like Aria did, and I think it is what separates it from other SOL anime.

[David75]

Some spelling/French mistakes.
Also, cheese is odd for breakfast. You would have it in the morning in a "collation" mid-time between breakfast and lunch for people who get up very early and/or have a very demanding job.
I was also disappointed to have things from the "marché" spoken with their English names.

The department store "Au Joli Temps" is in fact "Le Printemps". They had to change that because of the brand name and also because they do criticize a little, don't they?

Regarding coffee, I'm a little surprised of the process they showed, because instant coffee did not exist at the time and something does not feel right.

The "café au lait" scene was a tad misleading in what café au lait is, but no big deal for something so trivial.

I was happy to see some "Baguettes" for bread, they might even be "Pains" which are the larger/heavier version of baguettes for people needing to eat more (and generally less expensive for the same mass). Why? because "Petits Pains" are a lot more expensive and do not fit with the tight budget.
I liked the scene where Yune refuses to enter the "Papeterie" when she realizes that a single sheet of paper is more expensive than the piece of meat they wanted to buy and had to cut in half for budget reasons.
Oh, and I hope they do not use "bacon" for "Pot au feu" because you'd find bacon in "Potée"


Pot au feu is with beef




Potée with pork



Now I need to appreciate the show... and I admit I'm more into details and the image of Paris reflected, than into the characters and the story.

[Ryllharu]

...
Regarding coffee, I'm a little surprised of the process they showed, because instant coffee did not exist at the time and something does not feel right.
...
Now I need to appreciate the show... and I admit I'm more into details and the image of Paris reflected, than into the characters and the story.

I really like your details, particularly about the scenery. Keep them coming as far as I'm concerned.

As for the coffee, I figured it was a percolator. They have been around since the late 1700s. The tip-off was the grandfather putting it back on the stove after he added the coffee.

[shinta|hikari]

It's too bad they made mistakes in the food aspect. It wasn't anything major, but had they gotten it right it would have been awesome.