Fractale DVD Review

Director: Yutaka Yumamoto

Starring: Yu Kobayashi, Brina Palencia, Kana Hanazawa, Luci Christian, Minami Tsuda, Caitlin Glass, Mitsuro Miyamoto, Bucky Pearl,

 Running Time: 275 minutes

Certificate: 12

Extras: Episode 1 Commentary, Episode 7 Commentary,

In an alternate future humanity prefers to live its life through avatars known as Doppels. However one boy, named Claim (Kobayashi/Palencia) prefers to live life normally in a beautiful house upon a cliff, where he collects old-fashioned technology. One day Claim finds himself wrapped up in an adventure that involves a young woman and a mysterious Doppel, which leads him to the resistance, which fights against humanities reliance on Doppels.

FRACTALE has a unique and marvellous feel to it. The majority of the art work and the music is heavily influenced by Celtic culture. It adds an old-fashioned sense which is both calming and beautiful to look at. This is just the initial tone set, as we soon discover that the world is also very futuristic in certain regards. Mixing two very opposing worlds can sometimes be clumsy, but FRACTALE is able to juggle both worlds by intertwining them organically. Claim may be old fashioned, but his parents are Doppels, so from the outset we are living in a contrasting world.

This series is essentially one long movie cut into episodes. There are no diversions in terms of the main plot, and not a single episode could be described as filler. With a slim 11 episodes, this is a perfect series for those coming to anime for the first time, as the mythology, characters and events all run their course and have respectable conclusions. Not only that, but FRACTALE is clearly influenced by the Studio Ghibli in the best possible way. There were plenty of times the show brings back memories of Hayao Miyazaki’s seminal CASTLE IN THE SKY without ever copying it. The additions of futuristic technology certainly allow FRACTALE to maintain a safe distance from its influences.

The cast of characters are also a fantastic array of diversity. At least five of the main characters have distinguished arcs and they easily change in realistic and relevant ways. The characters are also complex to begin with. Claim loves old technology and refuses to use a Doppel, and yet when he sees the resistance struggling to treat their sick he becomes visibly angry, as using Doppels prevents you from becoming sick. Claim is joined by Nessa (Hanazawa/Christian), a Doppel that seems to be a new and unheard of upgrade. Some will be annoyed by her talking about herself in the third person, but the voice work is done with such conviction, that most will fall under her spell.

The themes are very in tune with where we are in the world today. It looks at the risk of living too much of our lives in some kind of virtual reality, but is also not so naive as to ignore the benefits. The end credits perfectly sum up the entire show. Nessa sits on a rock as a calm Celtic song plays, until she sees a butterfly which she follows with her eyes until she leans so far back she falls over. FRACTALE is calm, with moments of cute humour and sudden bursts of action that can become quite violent. The plot knows exactly where it is going, how to get there, and how long to take. If you go on a journey with FRACTALE you certainly won’t regret it, although you may find yourself hoping for more in the future.

FRACTALE is released on DVD on 15th April via Manga Entertainment.

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