Kita he – Diamond Dust Drops
Wednesday, March 30th, 2005What is diamond dust?
This is the boring definition (taken from wikipedia.org). Diamond dusts are near ground level ice clouds. It is a meteorological phenomenon where microscopic ice crystals form in midair without the need for a seed. This phenomenon can only happen at temperatures at or below water's dynamic arrest point of -39°C, much lower than its freezing point of 0°C.
So let's see how the Japanese interpret to such a phenomenon. They say (or at least the Kita he anime and games say), someone who has seen diamond dust would have his/her dreams come true. Also, when a couple sees diamond dust together, they can find eternal happiness. Very hopeful and romantic, isn't it?
Kita he – Diamond Dust Drops is an anime based on… hmm… actually I haven't found much info on this. For one, I don't know if I can still call this a ren'ai simulation console game or bishoujo game. Some sources say it is called a 'travelling game', in which you, the player, travel across some scenic spots and destinations in Japan. Along with that, the usual bishoujo game dynamics come into play. A travelling game? That's quite nice. The player would travel and see pictures of real-life places, while hearing the story of some girl characters along the way. Kinda like an interactive travel guide isn't it?
Okay, I was initially turned off because the game CG art of the Kita he games isn't my cup of tea. The anime also embraces the art, but in a way that's not quite as weird as the game CG. The anime setup: There are six girls. Each of them has a story, in which five of the girls have two episodes, one girl has only one. Unlike typical bishoujo game to anime conversions, there is no male lead/player viewpoint here. These are different girls in separate stories in separate settings. I don't wanna spoil each girl's story too much, but I can assure you that this is prime storytelling (highlight each girl picture to see a little bit of her story).
It is rare that an anime can provide a coherent story in just one or two episodes. Every story is fast-paced, but also admires the beauty of the surrounding places and scenic spots, it is after all paying homage to the 'travelling game'. Each story has its own levels of humor, romance, and melodrama. And I enjoyed each one up until the end. The last episode shows the all the girls in one city (Sapporo), some intertwining with one another, and then finally enjoying their first experience of diamond dust.
There are also two characters who show up in cameos, randomly in each girl's story, it's kinda funny to see them. In the last episode we know their names and their own little story. It's very nice. Actually, this anime is very nice overall, a recommended watch.
This is a Summer of Bishoujo feature
