A little something funny happened on my way to finishing Sola. A few episodes from the end, I just up and stopped watching. Why? I haven’t the foggiest idea.
Granted, this sort of thing has happened before. Sometimes, I get around to finishing the show. Other times, it gets lost in the shuffle and carves out a perpetual niche in my, “I really need to finish watching this show when I have the time,” list. Like Emma, for example. Oh, how many times I told myself, “I really need to finish watching this show when I have the time.” Next thing I know, hell has frozen over and it’s been licensed for North American release. I suppose I’ll have to add the show to my, “I should really buy this on DVD when I have some extra money laying around,” list. That’s a crowded list, by the way.
Sola, however? Well, I did say something funny happened on my way to finishing the show, didn’t I?
And that I did.
If you asked me to describe Sola, I’d have to do it in this fashion: Great show. Absolutely forgettable. And I say that in the most gentle way possible. Like a lot of people, my initial interest in Sola stemmed from its much touted Kanon and Da Capo connection. As I watched the show, however, my attention turned to its efficient storytelling. Perhaps with its short episode run in mind, the show wasted no time introducing its tiny cast and establishing a basic plot line. Even despite the fact I hadn’t the slightest clue where the story was headed, I didn’t expect it to take the scenic route on its way there. For that alone, the show was to be commended.
Except, I was wrong. The show ended up taking the scenic route after all. And it’s perhaps for that reason that I stopped watching for a brief period. I was shocked. Not disappointed, really. Just shocked and a little apprehensive about continuing. After all, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing what had been an enjoyable ride up to that point go to pot simply because the show tried doing too much. It’d be like watching a runner collapse from exhaustion with the finish line in sight, all because he pushed himself too hard when it really wasn’t necessary. Talk about painful.
Yet, thankfully, Sola somehow managed to pull through in the end. It was an awkward ending, however: a bit longer and more involved than necessary (so much for efficiency, eh?), full of plot holes, and not very filling, even despite it’s effective appeal to emotion. Great show. Absolutely forgettable.
Still, I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their bishoujo shows without all of the bishoujo show trappings. As a short and compact drama series, it was reasonably well done. And I wouldn’t complain at all if more shows of Sola’s type found their way on the air in the future. As much as I enjoy standard bishoujo game adaptations for their, “Hey, we’ll get to the story when we’re good and ready,” slice-of-life approach, short and sweet is fine, too. Perhaps School Days will deliver?
Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Sola featured one of teh Mamiko’s best vocal performances of her career thus far. It’s funny… used to be, I didn’t care much for her. Now, I can’t get enough of her beautiful, forever to be typecast voice. If any of you see her at Otakon in a couple of weeks, give my regards.
Noto-sama + ROD-ness = good show. ;)
the word “trappings” caught my eye, but apparently the kind of trap i’m looking for is too trashy for the likes of SOLA
I wanted to disagree with your four-word assessment, but… I just can’t. You nailed it.
Sola could have been great if they chose to focus more on the internal conflicts within each characters and concentrated more on how characters coped with various dilemmas they encountered. The trouble is, I would be expecting Oscar Wilde or George Bernard Shaw stuff instead of standard Anime series, and I believe those darkness emanating from the characters would have turned off most of the casual anime viewers that is vital for the commercial success.
Argh. You’re right. I hate to say it, because I liked Sola and placed it fairly high on the list but, I haven’t finished the show, and yet I didn’t even notice that I haven’t finished it. That alone tells me enough.
I found the ending very well-done as I was expecting a plot-twist involving a miracle or such, Its the Kanon writers after all. So it was a pleasant surprise that the two main characters actually die as they should’ve. (And no the drinks at the end, I’ll pretend didn’t exist) As a side-note I found Mai-Nakahara’s role as Aono stellar as usual. I kept on getting Mai-Hime vibes from her during the Yorito dying scene which was very similar to the Takumi dying scene in Hime. Oh well a nice ending to a great show. Later hee
I’ve only seen three shows where Mamiko Noto was in the main cast. I didn’t find her voice too unique in Elfen Lied, but she definitely caught my interest in School Rumble, and sounded really great in Sola.
I like Mai Nakahara, too, but in Sola, Aono was as laconic as Ayaname Rei, up until the conclusion where it felt like she spoke more than all the previous episodes combined!