Fractale (2011) User Reviews (2)

Underrated Show with Engaging Characters

[k-gordo17 · 8/10 · 21 May 2023]

This show would be my vote for most underrated anime show. Based on both votes and popularity, it is at the bottom on my "Best Of" list. In some ways its understandable and in other ways its not.

I'll start with it's obvious issues that I also second. A lot of its sci fi concepts don't get fully fleshed out, are half baked, and don't make a major impact to the plot. There are typical dumb anime moments seen in most shows that are cringe worthy. Some plot threads go nowhere and should've been developed more.

Now here is where I think despite all that, It has plenty good to offer and made my watching experience overall positive.

It has above average hand drawn animation that I miss in current anime. The action moments have some style and enhance the scenes. Great orchestral score that I still listen to. Characters you are interested in. Fast pace with constantly changing settings and plots.

The thing that won me over was the finale. Throughout the show it threw out unexplained sci fi concepts and plots that at first are head scratching. Then in the last two episodes, without spoiling, created twists and revelations that were both riveting and unpredictable. Its one of the few times my jaw dropped at a scene solely based on what was happening story wise. It catapulted this show from a slightly above average show to one of my favorites. Even to this day few animes I've watched have reached that emotional height.

I still look back on this show with fond memories of it even several years later. I don't look back on this show as some masterpiece or visual triumph. However, I remember it as one of the first sci-fis that got me both interested in the genre but also anime in general. For A lot of animes I first watched that I at the time enjoyed, I have changed my opinion on them significantly and in some cases outright dislike them now. Not for this show.

With all that said, I still understand the frustrations people had and I can see how the negatives will be too much to ignore. So please take my opinion with a grain of salt.

A charming short series with a good mix of character and action

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 22 July 2016]

In a distant future a computer system known as 'Fractale' looks after the needs of the people but the system appears to be failing. Those responsible for its maintenance are desperate to fix it but a small group of rebels, known as 'Lost Millennium' (LM), want it destroyed so that humanity can return to a natural state. A teenaged boy named Clain finds himself at the very heart of this conflict when he helps a girl, Phryne, who is being chased by some suspicious characters. She gives him a pendant before disappearing; this pendent contains Nessa, a holographic avatar, known as a Doppel, of her younger self. Clain is determined to find Phryne again and in doing so he learns the truth about Fractale and Phryne and Nessa's importance in either repairing or destroying the system.

When this first came out I recall many people being somewhat disappointed so went in with somewhat low expectations… perhaps because of that I found myself enjoying it far more than expected. The story is enjoyable and the central characters are really likable and when we meet the villains they are suitably unpleasant. The show looks fantastic with some beautiful scenery that is based on the west coast of Ireland… this gives some scenes an almost Ghibliesqe feel. The characters are distinctive and well designed. There isn't much that people would find offensive in the series although there is some violence, including the death of a secondary character and some mild nudity. Overall an enjoyable series that looks great.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.