青い文学シリーズ

AOI BUNGAKU SERIES

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
12
RELEASE
December 27, 2009
LENGTH
22 min

DESCRIPTION

The series consists of adaptations of six modern classics of Japanese literature: Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) & Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!), Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro, Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) & The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito), and Ango Sakaguchi's In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita).

No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) - A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years. Told in three chapters, each chapter deals with a different point in his life and the final chapter leaves him standing alone - an empty and hollow charicature of his former self.

In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) - A love story between a 12th-century woman and a mountain bandit who abducts her.

Kokoro - A 1914 tale of a young man's life journey during the Meiji era. The work deals with the transition from the Japanese Meiji society to the modern era, by exploring the friendship between a young man and an older man he calls "Sensei". It continues the theme of isolation developed in Soseki's previous works, here in the context of interwoven strands of egoism and guilt, as opposed to shame.

Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!) - An updated retelling of a classic Greek tale of the story of Damon and Pythias. The most prominent theme of "Run Melos!" is unwavering friendship. Despite facing hardships, the protagonist Melos does his best to save his friend's life, and in the end his efforts are rewarded.

The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) - The Buddha Shakyamuni chances to notice a cold-hearted criminal suffering in Hell. But this criminal did perform one single act of kindness in not stepping on a spider in a forest. Moved by this selfless act, Shakyamuni takes the silvery thread of a spider in Paradise and lowers it down into Hell, but it falls upon the criminal to seize the opportunity and pull himself out - if he can.

Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) - A famous artist is commissioned by a great lord to create a series of paintings depicting scenes of the 'Buddhist Hell'. The artist is unable to paint scenes that he has not seen himself, prompting him to torture and torment the Lord's staff to create his imagined images of hell. His creative efforts taint the household, as the story descends into madness and destruction.

(Source: AniDB)

CAST

Yozo Oba
Masato Sakai
Kandata
Mamoru Miyano
K
Rikiya Koyama
Sensei
Masato Sakai
Akiko
Nana Mizuki
Takada
Hidenobu Kiuchi
Yoshihide
Masato Sakai
Shigemaru
Masato Sakai
Joshima
Tomokazu Seki
Melos
Masato Sakai
Mitsuki
Aya Endou
Ojousan
Houko Kuwashima
Tsuneko
Romi Park
King
Daisuke Namikawa
Big man
Kenji Nomura
Yoshiko
Mamiko Noto
Madam
Atsuko Tanaka
Joshima's wife
Emi Shinohara
Shigeko
Tomoko Kotani
Melos' Sister
Mikako Takahashi
Sayo
Taeko Kawata
Horiki
Wataru Takagi
Widow
Shouko Tsuda
Shizuko
Aya Hisakawa
Dionysius II
Ryuusei Nakao

EPISODES

Dubbed

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Not available on crunchyroll

RELATED TO AOI BUNGAKU SERIES

MOVIE ActionHashire Melos!

Cover Art for Ningen Shikkaku: Director's Cut Ban

MOVIE DramaNingen Shikkaku: Director's Cut Ban

MANGA DramaNingen Shikkaku

OVA FantasyKumo no Ito (2000)

SPECIAL DramaHashire Melos

MOVIE ActionHUMAN LOST

MOVIE FantasyKumo no Ito

REVIEWS

Peng
50/100
A smorgasbord of grimdark
_Aoi Bungaku Series_ is an anthology of six adaptions of classic Japanese literary works that share similarities in their sinister overtones as well as the general era in which the original works were written. The series attempts to convey a stylistic array of provocative commentary on the human condition whilst maintaining a heavy emphasis on pathos, and, to an extent, succeeds. The final result is a mix-mash of both individual stories and overall quality, dark and disturbing, yet definitely not without its flaws. Given the structure of the series, it's best if I give my individual thoughts for each of the six arcs, as there are major discrepancies in terms of production quality and overall effect. # _No Longer Human_ - Osamu Dazai *** The first and longest of the six arcs, _No Longer Human_ is the flagship story of the series and focuses on the demise of teenager Yozo Oba as he enters a cycle of depression, substance abuse, sex and insanity. The arc excels at establishing a tenuous relationship between the main character and the audience, where his emotions and angst are communicated with disturbing vividness, prompting a sort of apprehensive sympathy. Similarly, it does a brilliant job at presenting the world as an ubiquitously twisted and troubled one, where the general feelings of disgust in our main character are easily understood and to an extent, even justified whilst setting the atmosphere for the rest of the series. My biggest qualm with this segment lies in the development of Yozo's character. We never really gain an in-depth insight into the reasoning behind his demise. Sure we grasp the basics, but we never fully understand the intricacies behind his psyche at the different stages of his life. Whilst the feelings of sorrow, guilt, humiliation and fear are easily comprehended, the cause of these feelings isn't, and thus all we're left to follow is a disturbed man lacking in any substance. The pacing of the story is also questionable, where awkward flashbacks and time skips leads to the arc becoming slow and repetitive. Visuals are characterized by a dull color palate which works well in establishing the mood, same can be said with the soundtrack (a trend maintained throughout the series). _No Longer Human_ succeeds in drawing our attention, but it doesn't perform so well in conveying anything besides the general themes and emotions. # _In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom_ - Ango Sakaguchi *** Probably one of the most perplexing of the stories, this arc focuses on a countryside bandit who falls in love with a city woman he captures and marries. On the visual level, there is an immediate shift from the sombreness of _No Longer Human_ to the bright and vivid style of _In the Forest_, with even a few quirky jokes here and there. Make no mistake, however, as the sinister and violent undertones are just as prominent here as they are in the first arc. Personally, the juxtaposition between visuals and atmosphere wasn't as much unsettling as it was distracting, but you may think differently. It was rather interesting to observe the progress of our two main characters, ultimately culminating to a somewhat challenging conclusion that really makes you think about what this arc was trying to communicate. If anything, there is a heavy emphasis on self-awareness and self-understanding, where the consequences of not being able to grasp the truths of one's own character and nor being able to penetrate the outer-fronts of others may be incredibly dire. # _Kokoro_ - Natsume Soseki *** One of the more fleshed out stories, this arc follows two friends, a physically imposing monk and a more refined man as they compete for the affections of the same woman. What this really excels in is structure, where two episode are dedicated to the story, one from each man's perspective. As such, an immensely deep insight is gained into the two different characters, where stereotypes collapse and motivations and actions are explained, leading to interesting commentary on the jealousy, prejudice and mutual misunderstanding common to both men. It ultimately is rather tragic, and a sort of poetic beauty is established. This is easily one of the better arcs. # _Run, Melos!_ - Osamu Dazai *** My personal favorite of the series, _Run, Melos!_ once again has a unique structural presentation where it follows a playwright writing a version of the classical Greek tragedy "Run, Melos". This leads nicely into a mise-en-abyme scenario, where we have a play within the events that are actually occurring, which is utilized to great effect. Our young playwright struggles, however, as he does not agree with the themes of the play due to a past experience where he was seemingly betrayed by his best friend. The end result in a beautifully orchestrated story which addresses the question 'is it more painful to wait or to keep someone else waiting?' Our characters are incredibly dynamic, as both childhood friends are constantly transitioning between embodying either Melos or Selinuntius respectively, which in turn raises some interesting questions regarding the fickleness of trust and conveys various emotions of guilt and despair. It gets a bit melodramatic at times, although considering its roots as a Greek tragedy, it's forgivable. The production quality was notably of a higher standard, and this arc is easily the most uplifting. # _The Spider's Thread_ and _Hell Screen_ - Ryunosuke Akutagawa *** _The Spider's Thread_ follows a violent outlaw and his journey into hell whilst _Hell Screen_ addresses a painter who feels obligated to paint the atrocities of the world around him; both take place in the same setting. An intense and vivid visual style is utilized, which leads to some truly spectacular and confronting scenes. There two arcs are undoubtedly the most simplistic, each only a single episode long- and it shows. The main characters in both stories are horrendously underdeveloped and are molded to fit a single, archetype/caricature in order to convey the principal themes. Speaking of which, the principal themes aren't particular complex either, and the commentary presented is more or less a simple statement of a particular aspect of human nature (with a heavy focus on self-egotism) as opposed to an actual exploration of said aspect. The end result are two stories that, although successful in effectively emphasizing these various aspects of the human condition, (there's some interesting stuff on artistic integrity thrown into the mix as well), are lacking in any real depth of character or analysis. Whilst the stories of _Aoi Bungaku_ do an excellent job at conveying emotion and atmosphere, some do a far better job than others at presenting genuinely thought-provoking material. This inequality can be attributed to a number of things, whether it be actual construction or how dynamic the characters are. Ultimately, it is this discrepancy in depth that prevents the series from being truly amazing. Horror fans in particular are sure to get a kick out of this.
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dihahah
70/100
My analysis of the six fascinating and symbolic stories
This review inevitably contains spoilers as it is merely my interpretations of what I viewed. However, this is a review after all so I'll say that Blue Literature Series helps to bring Japanese classics written by famous writers to life. There is symbolism in every story and each of their narration was unique. Serialising the stories helps to add another layer to them, something which solely words cannot do. It is a good way to bring literature to the masses and is an enlightening watch.

Story 1: No longer human

Being the longest story, No Longer Human takes us through the ups and downs of Yozo’s life. Suffering from alienation and trauma, Yozo feels dissociated from society and this makes him feel like he is not human. This idea was hard to grasp at first but with flashbacks and symbols in the story, it becomes clearer but still not fully understandable. It fails to explain things from Yozo’s perspective, his thoughts and beliefs, which are crucial to the story. The original book is written from Yozo’s perspectives and explains his worldview and the show did not manage to capture the whole story. From what I can interpret, humans are social animals and they belong to a social enclave like their family or friends. However, Yozo was shunned by his father and also in school. He even pretended to be a clown just to fit in, or to please humans. We see the same thing happen in the very first scene where he joined the rebellion just for the sake of fitting in, not because he actually wanted to oppose the government.

On the outside it may not be obvious but Yozo had this delusion that there was indeed a monster inside of him. The women whom he interacted with all saw the good him but after the incident society labelled him as a murderer, as a monster that he could not run away from. Even in his happiest moments, living with the journalist and later on with his wife, the monster which he created when he was younger still followed him. The last episode moved me the most as we see Yozo live as a normal human being, living in his own house with his wife drinking with his friend. Yet, that moment had to be ruined because of someone else.

We eventually come to realize in the 3rd episode that the monster within was not him but actually from society which planted it inside of him. His surroundings, his father, his manipulative friend and the press portrayed him as a monster. It depicts the bitter truth about society that once society labels you as something the label stays throughout your life and you are unable to take it off. Something like cancel culture during the Meiji era. The guilt of his failed double suicide would carry with him for the rest of his life. It is also worth noting that the show does have the backdrop of the beginning of WW1, a time where humanity is really being questioned. This idea hit me when Hiroki reveals that he is enlisting in war and straight up says “ I am going to kill people around the world” with a sense of pride. I always saw him as sadistic as he always had tried to leech off Yozo’s demise.

The “foggy” animation helped to complement the dull and tragic nature of the show. Some scenes were very well done and there were some good special effects. The show was depicted in a very dramatic way, to bring the symbolisms seen in the story to life.

Story 2: In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom

The introduction at the start had me intrigued as it explained that the author had a different perspective of cherry blossoms. Despite the tranquil nature of the show, being set at the top of the mountains surrounded by nature, the show can be classified as pure horror. In a sense, the show is a bit cynical as it tries to weave in humorous scenes in between threads of horror. Hence, it felt a bit odd watching the show especially after Shigemaru’s (final) wife entered the scene. She was a whole new level of tsundere, bossing Shigemaru around and having a weird obsession for human heads. I was curious where the story would go with her character and when Shigemaru would reach his limit.

The episodes did try to present itself as a musical, which added to the cynical nature of the show. Hearing a seducing tune whilst women are running for their lives, leaves you stunned for a moment but in the next instant, the mood returns back to its tranquility. This runs parallel to how the mood of the cherry blossom changes as well. When Shigemaru goes underneath the cherry blossom tree, everything seems peaceful and pretty. However, the scene changes drastically at the end and he envisions his beautiful wife as a repulsive devil, causing him to kill her with his bare hands. Overall, the show clearly presents the author's view on cherry blossoms and it was an interesting watch.

Story 3: Kokoro

The story is actually quite simple in terms of plot but the way the producers presented the 2 perspectives gave it more depth and meaning. The major themes I picked out were about self indulgence and also “ the heart wants what it wants”. K who seemed stoic and self disciplined can develop feelings for someone overtime. It also talks about friendship and trusting one another. The multiple perspectives really helped to amplify this as interestingly, both the characters were seen as the villain in each other's lives. K did not live up to the expectation that Sensei had on him and felt that he was committing a crime by having basic human emotions. Whereas Sensei felt that K let him down by caving in to vices. The key takeaway here is that we are so blinded by the expectations we and society have on certain people that we do not actually get to see the truth and the reality. I like that we are presented with 2 alternatives as we will never know the true story. Even though K’s story seemed like a rebuttal to the first part, it is worth noting that it was in a different time period and the events were not exactly the same

One thing that stood out to me in this episode was the recurring motif of flowers as a symbolism to the girl. Both men saw her in a different light. Sensei saw her as a bluebell and she was dressed in a purple kimono in the first part. Bluebells signify gratitude and humility. Her personality complemented this as she was portrayed to be gentle and naive. However, in the second part we see a drastic change in her appearance as well as personality. She is donned in a red and yellow kimono, colors which are bold and fiery. Her personality changes as well as she is the one who makes the advances on K who is the gentle and meek one in this part. Instead of bluebells, he sees her as sunflowers, which signify happiness and warmth, as explained in the show. What I can infer is that the girl represents something that is missing in each other main character’s life. Sensei is looking for how to live a peaceful life and a more philosophical one, hence the girl's personality represents just that. However, K is trying to get out of his shell and yearns for human warmth and love. In the first part we see that he doesn't mind his stoic lifestyle but in the second part his humanity is revealed.

Story 4: Run! Melos

This story was another multi perspective story but unlike Kokoro, it was told chronologically across 2 episodes. The original story was just a Greek play but producers decided to add another layer by including Takada’s story which is parallel to the play that he is writing. I found this really fascinating as it shows how the play emotionally impacts him and unearths his past. This presentation was interesting also because when the story reached its climax and the trauma kicked in, it felt as though Takada’s life was a play itself. The emotions and expressions were really dramatic and I think this was done on purpose to make it seem like play in a play. Stageception perhaps? To complement this, the animation was really fluid and it was visually pleasing. This story perhaps had the best animation in this show

It was obvious that Takada’s life ran parallel to the play and while writing it, he could relate his past experiences to the play. But to who exactly? Was it Melos? Was it the King? Or Was it Serinetius? It was set up in such a way to shuffle the roles as the story progressed. We questioned Takada’s stand throughout the show: Did he not believe that people are trustworthy like the King? Was he the scapegoat like Serinetius? I really enjoyed the drama leading up to the revelation that Joshima had a fight with father which did not allow him to reach the station on time. It was in the end that Takada, who was seemingly Serinetius this whole time, became Melos who raced to meet his friend in his last moments. The ending will tug your heartstrings which shows that despite the circumstances and misunderstandings true friendship still prevails.

Story 5: The Spider’s thread

Before going into the episode, I was pretty familiar with the plot because of its reference in many other anime such as Erased and Death Parade. Therefore, the story was simple and straightforward. What made the episode entertaining to watch, however, was the animation. The trippy animation during the king’s parade and the brightly colored made the scene lively. In contrast, Kandata was jumping from roof to roof killing innocent civilians. The lively celebrations and colorful atmosphere as the backdrop to blood curdling cries almost seemed cynical. Kandata’s appearance did justice to his character with his crimson red eyes and spiky hair showing his thirst for blood. He stood out from the rest of the residents in his tattered clothes as compared to their brightly colored hats and gowns.

The main highlight of this story was when Kandata, enters hell after his grand grand execution which he mocked. The whole 2-3 mins scene where he is suffering and hallucinating is very well done, and gave a Satoshi Kon vibe (especially the scene where the flowers were laughing at him). His hysteria was also captured nicely as well as his desperation to climb up the Spider’s thread to go to heaven. I felt that scene was a bit rushed considering that was the crux of the whole story. The key takeaway is that Kandata was happy to be killed as he was tired of the life he was living but soon regretted it when he was thrown into hell.

Story 6: Hell Screen

This story was the most simplest out of the 6. Set in the same, colorful and brightly lit world as the previous story. However, we were revealed the atrocities that took place in the city. The king, who seemed docile in the previous episode, was seen as a heatless and narcissist leader. Juxtaposed to the scenery of the city and the cheerful processions, Yoshihide felt he was living in hell. This can be considered a continuation of the previous episode as Kandata went around ruthlessly killing citizens. The animation was really spectacular and artistic in this episode, especially the climax where Yoshihide’s daughter burned and he witnessed the “flames of hell”. I suppose a key takeaway from the story is that not everything is pretty on the outside.
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