"I was made to hit in America"
Beck (Mongolian Chop Squad) was an accidental find. A friend bought it for us for Christmas without knowing anything about it aside from the reviews on Amazon. Amazon ratings didn't fail him. This is an incredibly enjoyable show, though the ending leaves much to be desire-- namely a whole second series.
Beck tells the story of Koyuki, a 14 year old boy who grows into a man over the course of the series. The series spans two years of his life as he discovers rock music, learns to play the guitar, and joins a destined band. The show is about rock and roll and about the band, but at its core it really is a coming of age story.
What my husband and I enjoyed most about this show was the way that it handled adolescent romances. So many animes sexualize 14-year-old characters in a way that is intended to arouse adults. It's a problem I have with a lot of otherwise great shows. This problem stems partly from targeting an adolescent audience, but for adult viewers it tends to be disturbing.
Koyuki's sexual awakening is done in a way that almost desexualizes it. The emphasis of these scenes is on the awkward, the mysterious, and the new. You remember what it was like to be fourteen-- not just the memories, but the emotional quality.
As for the disappointing ending, I won't spoil much except to say that the finale is done with B-roll and still frames and rushes a whole season's worth of plot in one episode. I get the feeling like they ran out of money and wanted to end it. Still, there is supposed to be a movie soon that should wrap it up, so the series is definitely worth a watch.
Last word of advice-- even for Sub-Purists, get the Dub or you'll have to listen to awkward Engrish singing. The American actors have prettier voices, too.
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