異国迷路のクロワーゼ

IKOKU MEIRO NO CROISÉE

Slice of Life

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
12
RELEASE
September 19, 2011
LENGTH
23 min

DESCRIPTION

The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family's ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar's nephew and shop-owner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s.

CAST

Yune
Nao Touyama
Claude Claudel
Takashi Kondou
Narrator
Marc Carpentier
Alice Blanche
Aoi Yuuki
Shione
Mamiko Noto
Camille Blanche
Sayuri Yahagi
Oscar Claudel
Hideyuki Tanaka
Alan
Yuuta Kasuya
Edgar
Tomohisa Asou
Gidrel
Mitsuaki Hoshino
Yannick
Kiyonobu Suzuki
Vagrant child
Yuuko Gibu
Jean Claudel

EPISODES

Dubbed

| | |

Not available on crunchyroll

RELATED TO IKOKU MEIRO NO CROISÉE

MANGA Slice of LifeIkoku Meiro no Croisée

Cover Art for Ikoku Meiro no Croisée Special

OVA Slice of LifeIkoku Meiro no Croisée Special

Cover Art for Ikoku Meiro no Croisée: Yune & Alice

SPECIAL Slice of LifeIkoku Meiro no Croisée: Yune & Alice

Cover Art for Ikoku Meiro no Croisée Picture Drama

SPECIAL Slice of LifeIkoku Meiro no Croisée Picture Drama

REVIEWS

HidamariSeashore
82/100
A real pleasure to watch.
I think it's a good thing to try exploring new cultures. Going to another country allows you to learn about that country's culture while teaching the people from that culture about your own. It's a win-win situation for everyone, as we know more about the world that we live in. As we watch anime, we learn a bit about Japan's culture. However, it's not every day where there is an anime about a Japanese person going to a different country, much less France, and very much less PARIS. Although I don't remember how, why, or when I decided that I would one day watch this anime, it doesn't matter that much, because watching it turned out to be worth it in the end.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my review of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, known in English as "Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth" or in French as "La Croisée dans un Labyrinthe Étranger".

The story of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée takes place in the latter half of the 19th century. Yune is a 13-year-old Japanese girl who was taken to Paris, France by a French traveler named Oscar. There, she helps out at Oscar's family's ironwork shop, Enseignes du Roy. Claude, Oscar's grandson, is reluctant to take care of Yune at first. This anime is basically about Yune and Claude trying to understand each other's cultures.

As you may see, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée doesn't have much of a plot to it. I don't think it needs to, though. Like I've said before, it's not every day that there's an anime that takes place in a foreign country, much less France. A plot like that, no matter whether it has a great story or not, is rather unique, if you ask me. Besides, I do like slice-of-life anime; why would a fan of slice-of-life anime find the story to be a problem at all?

The art and animation, although a bit bright for my liking, is quite pretty. Satelight has done a good job at animating this. The voice acting also fits each character well. The opening theme - "Sekai was Odoru yo, Kimi to" by Youmou to Ohana - is quite catchy; it really gives me the impression that I'm watching an anime that takes place in France (or anywhere in Europe, for that matter) in the 1800's, like it's supposed to. The ending theme ("Koko kara Hajimaru Monogatari" by Nao Touyama), though, is just plain BEAUTIFUL; this is the most beautiful song I've ever heard Nao Touyama sing. There are also very interesting characters in this anime; I can't think of one completely unlikable character. These characters get a decent amount of character development, too.

Overall, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée was a pleasure to watch. Anyone who would like to learn a thing or two about French culture (or at least how French culture was like several years ago) should give it a try. Who knows? Maybe you'll even be encourage to explore a lot of other cultures besides that!
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Babatun
75/100
Japonaise Shōjo adventures in her youth in charming places in Paris. A delightfully well executed short series.
Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth aired as an animated series in the summer of 2011.

Satelight is the studio behind this anime. Kenji Yasuda directed this anime.

His notable works include Somali and the Forest Spirit, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens, Shugo Chara, and Fullmetal Alchemist, which he co-directed with the famous Mizushima, Seiji.

Summarized
The main character is a young Japanese girl named Yune. She accompanies a French traveler, Oscar Claudel, on his way home to France. The master meets her at the family's ironwork shop, Gallerie du Roy, in Paris.

Visuals
_The facial animations are smooth, but the structures are a little dated. They capture the majority of the characters' physiques and how they dressed at the time. The production quality is adequate, and the animation fluidity is sufficient. You can tell that many details in each scene have been considered.

Music/sound
The opening did serve its respective scenes, which later would spoil some scenes that happen in the anime. I believe the opening was not memorable at all. It was standard in my opinion. The ending opening was just a bit cuter in regards to Yun but standard.

Characters
Our main girl, Yune, is quite a hard worker and likable in my view. We get to learn more about her in continued episodes as well as others in the show. She tries her full best to adjust to her life in France and how she learns about the other side of the world.

Some characters might be typical, not memorable in your aspect. They have a significant impact on each main character's past and current lives, which are less complex and simple.

The conservations being held are natural and the characters make sensible decisions based on their experience of the matter. Some of the main characters might be clichés and it is easy to pick up what they are going to do. The slice of life is so calming and you learn quite a few things about Japan and France as well.

The pacing starts slow but picks up in the middle rapidly. Also, considering the fact it is only twelve episodes, it does not rush but ends in its own concluded way.

Pros/Cons
The pros for this particular anime were the exceptionally cute Japanese girl, Yune. Her petite and polite demeanor is worth witnessing for her interactions with others. The kimonos displayed in this show as well as other dresses are SO PRETTY LITERALLY.

The cons, in my opinion, would be better soundtracks and better storytelling of each main character from their perspective. After a few episodes, you could easily grasp what was coming next in regard to what needed to be told about, so it did bore me, but not entirely.

Conclusion
Overall, I'd give it a 7.5. To be honest, a slice of life isn't my cup of tea, but this anime is simply stunning. You become invested in the lives of some of the characters. Adorable and endearing. I hope it wasn't too lengthy lol

____
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