It has been two years since Ayumu Narumi's brother, Kiyotaka Narumi, mysteriously disappeared.
Ayumu does not know the real reason behind his brother's disappearance; his only clue is the mysterious note his brother left him regarding what Kiyotaka refers to as the "Blade Children".
What is Kiyotaka thinking, and why is he leaving the matter of Blade Children to his younger brother?
What will Ayumu do once he knows what the Blade Children really are, and that he is their only hope?
Based on the synopsis by PrincessMeyrin023.
Story & Characters
Young Ayumu Narumi had been living peacefully with his elder brother Kiyotaka and his sister-in-law Madoka until the day
that Kiyotaka vanished without a trace, leaving only the explanation that he was going to uncover the mystery of the
Blade Children. Now, two years later, Ayumu finds himself more resolved than ever to find his brother while also facing
the challenges set before him by the deadly Blade Children.
At first glance, Spiral seems like a fairly straight forward, episodic whodunit story. However, after the first couple
of episodes, it becomes clear that this isn’t the case. Instead, the series follows Ayumu and Hiyono, his hyper,
ever-faithful assistant with connections, as he must outwit the Blade Children who seem to be out to get him for reasons
beyond his understanding. What starts as a seemingly isolated incident of attempted murder soon becomes a continuous
flow of events, as each encounter leads to the next while all spiraling down to the conclusion.
While the life-threatening puzzles presented to Ayumu are certainly intense and intriguing- leading you to wonder how he
can possibly escape the various trials- the show’s real hook for me is the character development. Through the puzzles
and his encounters with the Blade Children, Ayumu must continually try to overcome his lack of faith in his own
brilliant abilities brought on by his constant feelings of inferiority to his nearly-perfect older brother. However, the
character depth doesn’t stop there. The antagonistic Blade Children are just as well developed, as each begins to
question the murderous life-style they lead and contemplate whether or not they can fight fate to save their souls
instead of their lives.
Character bonds are another absolutely vital aspect of Spiral. Though many characters are distant in the beginning, they
begin to rely on and trust one another as stakes rise. In fact, many even begin to pick up each other’s habits, as
evident by the fact that Ayumu unconsciously begins singing Hiyono’s nonsensical song at random moments. The reliance
on other human beings brings the entire cast together, making each person that much stronger for it.
Of course, while Spiral is captivating and keeps you one the edge of your seat, it has one very significant flaw: its
ending. As a mystery, its very premise is built upon several frequently repeated questions, yet it fails to adequately
answer any of them. Though the character development is fulfilling, the failure to accomplish what it set out for is
certainly disappointing for those who actually care about the mystery aspect and makes the happiness achieved feel
somewhat superficial. Still, the story is exhilarating and nearly flawless for the first twenty three episodes, and the
ending is probably not enough to ruin a watcher’s enjoyment.
Rating: 8
Art
While not spectacular, Spiral’s art will not disappoint. All of the characters are well designed and unique, with
facial expressions and eyes that really contribute to communication.
Unfortunately, cities and backgrounds are not particularly eye-catching. However, they do serve their purpose in the
show and are well enough drawn that they don’t distract from what’s important: the characters, their actions, and
their expressions.
As a whole, Spiral’s art is lovely, even if not outstanding. While it may not shine next to more recent shows, Spiral
has great art for its time and knows how to make the art contribute to the story.
Rating: 7
Sound
First things first, the opening: frightening. Not because Spiral is a mystery and therefore has an intense opening
theme, but because the vocalist sounds far too cutesy and childish as she sings to the banging drums in the background.
While this doesn’t sound particularly good in the first place, it becomes even more out of place among the maturity of
the show, contradicting the lyrics that actually fit the character development.
The ending theme, on the other hand, fits much better. The lyrics still worked for the character dilemmas(well, the TV
size one does, anyways), but this time goes for a more melodic, piano-accompanied song that better suits the series and
fits with the piano theme that is repeatedly brought up in several episodes.
Voice acting, like the ending theme, was well-done. And while the Japanese voices are good, I actually feel that the
English voices overall better portray the characters and their personal quirks. Although one character has a somewhat
annoying accent without any real reason to even have an accent, voice actors such as Greg Ayres, Monica Rial, and the
lesser known Daniel Katsuk each do a great job as their characters, accurately conveying the emotional distress that
often occurs.
Background music is yet another well-done area of sound, as scores that- though frequently repeated-change tempo and
intensity as needed. While thoughtful moments are accompanied by slower, more melancholy tunes, moments of danger and
suspense are at a quicker pace and heighten the level of emotion.
Rating: 7
Presentation
Simply put, Spiral is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys with an ending that makes about as much sense as one. Truly,
though, Spiral manages to provide new, interesting challenges to its characters in each episode that leave you wanting
more while still having interludes in which characters just go about their daily lives. In fact, Spiral manages to show
the character’s day to day lives without a single episode of filler not only by showing the emotions faced every
single day, but also by sprinkling in well-placed moments of humor that remind the viewer that while things might be
going south the characters are still just teenagers who want normal lives.
Whether you are interested in Spiral for its character development or its mystery, you will enjoy it. Mystery seekers
will probably feel disappointment at the lackluster conclusion, but even the ending can only somewhat tarnish the
excitement at watching the clever puzzles and character interaction. So if you’re looking for a show that is fun,
exciting, and deep, Spiral is probably right for you. All good things must come to an end, however, and Spiral’s
ending is like running straight into a brick wall-one that I would gladly run into again and again for the joy of the
first twenty-three episodes.
Rating: 8
Final Verdict
7.6667 (good)
Reviewed by SnickerdoodleNinja, Jul 07, 2011
