Anime: Cossette no Shouzou

It's been quite a long time since i first thought about posting a review here about this niche, yet amazing, piece of art. I always felt that the average rating shown by Anidb's mechanics - while understandable - could be misleading to potential fans whose interest in such genre has roots born far away from the anime world.
This even though i'm not an english native speaker, and thus i'll beg the reader's pardon for every grammatical amenities that might - and probably will - slip through. A special affection towards this opera, which not so incidentally brought me to the other bank of the fansubbing world, just requires me to do at least that much.

As i said, an average rating floating around 7/7.5 is probably misleading, since this is a work no one could really ever judge "good" or "decent". Depending on your tastes, and most likely your literary background, this anime will be for you either a masterpiece or a meaningless bunch of crap - maybe pretty yet still meaningless.
Some reviewers before me already pointed it out well enough, though only from an "anime-fan" point of view, which is in my opinion remarkably limiting. This anime, unlikely many others more or less rightfully comprised in the "same genre", doesn't just try to cater to a rather definite, quite archetypal fan base attracted by gothic subculture. It would be more accurate to say that it plunges its roots deeply into the very source of Neo-Gothic literature, in particular Decadence literature. The very source of the plot is a direct reference to Baudelaire's Hymn to Beauty (in the manga the reference is even more explicit, with actual quotes from Spleen and Ideal) and Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

However, this is much more than a mix of the aforementioned works, and the references themselves are elaborate and personalized enough by the scriptwriter to keep the result very far from mindless plagiarisms we often experience in this field of entertaining industry.
The animated version itself is admittedly quite "softened" in comparison to the manga (which has a progressively differentiated plot development and approach), we could say - as much as you could find it hard to believe if you never seen the manga before - definitely "brightened up" to a more romanticistic side of the Decadence themes.
This was indeed a compromise aimed at the chance of catching a relatively broader audience: something we often see in quite every genre when we make comparisons between a manga and its animated counterpart, though in this case we definitely cannot say it was "dumbed down" as we usually have to say. It's just really a different approach, equally charming, to the same theme.

Now, to not indulge furthermore in this rather tedious - though i hope useful - introduction, let's get on to a more direct analysis of this OAV.

Plot Summary

Not so easy to outline without giving away too much or putting in an individual interpretation. The issue here is not just the fact the plot evolves partially in a non-linear way, but that several reasons behind the characters choices - which in turn make the plot develop in a certain way - aren't openly stated by your typical author who just wants to present you his view on a certain argument.
This is also where a certain affinity with the aforementioned literature foundations is often most needed to really catch some of the meanings behind the plot and the charas' personalities. As well as where an unprepared and pragmatic approach at the show could easily make the watcher label it with a nice "WTF, what he did makes just no sense!".
This danger is most prominent in the main character, which isn't as some may think Cossette, but Eiri himself, the one through whose eyes we really see the story.

Eiri is an arts student who manages the antique store of a relative: he's a rather introvert guy, sort of emotionally detached from the social word around him. Don't mistake him for your daily spineless and outright ridiculous emoish cliché anime male lead, there's a lot of depth and credibility in his personality.
Things for him, and for his own emotional world, change suddenly when he receives a shipment of european antiquities: turns out that these objects are cursed by their own hatred towards the man who brutally killed their original owner, Cossette, a 13 years old french girl who lived around 2 centuries ago. This hatred inhabiting the objects has twisted their souls, and their curse has the effect of imprisoning Cossette's spirit in our world, or best said, in that limbo between the material world and the world of the dead. To put it simply, she is a ghost, you got it.
Through these objects, Eiri can sense, view and finally even make contact with Cossette, up to the point where he is dragged into the curse, inheriting the killer's soul and fate and thus becoming the recipient of the objects' hatred and vengeance. But by sacrificing himself to this hatred he can exorcise and put those souls at rest, and thus free Cossette from her prison of stone.

From here on, it's up to you to watch and draw your conclusions.
Why, in the first place, this happened to Eiri? Mere chance, destiny, or did Cossette intentionally chose him? And why is he willing to help Cossette even if this means threatening - if not absolutely sacrificing - his own life? Is it love - the love of a man towards a woman - or something more subtle, that love for Beauty as an embodiment, something at the same time much more pure and twisted, cynical, than common "love"?

If you are even just a bit familiar with Decadence literature, you'll recognize here its very main fulcrum, and see why a bit of knowledge in that field may help in having a better insight of the story presented.
Though, mind me, everyone with enough brain and sensibility can enjoy and understand it as well: from a certain point of view maybe even better, since he wouldn't be influenced by a preconceived perception.


Direction

The last very distinctive point of this show i wish to deal with before summarizing your more usual rating sections, is definitely its unusual direction. Shinbou Akiyuki is a well known director who, though often "sold" to very typical and commercial products, has a remarkable portfolio of experimental works. And i would say this is if not one of his boldest ones, surely the one which turned out best.
They gave him two things: one of the best composers out there, Yuki Kajiura, and a rather low budget. And, while he managed to handle such a low budget making this anime a feast for the eyes even with technical limits, he modelled it around one of the best - in not THE best - scores ever written by Yuki. Her music becomes indeed probably the main starring of the show, amazingly blending with the animation, and with a direction that often reminds of an actual music video more than the one of a traditional, prosaic "filmed story".
The rythm of the video is entangled with the rythm of the music, they complement each other every beat and every frame.
A feast for both the eyes and ears which leads to an unparallelled experience.


Animation - 8

As i introduced before, the visual impact of this OAV is simply astounding. However, this is mainly thanks to Akiyuki's direction and a great work by the staff in managing the colours and an inspired research of a distinctive artwork style. If we have to judge the mere technical level of what is shown, we have to admit its shortcomings.
When the characters are depicted from afar, they are not rarely over simplified, as is the fluidity of their animation. Most of this is well masked by the artwork style and the saturated, vibrant colours, but still is rather evident.
On the opposite, they sometimes manage to offer you subliminal details adding to the charas depth in a fascinating way. This is obviously most noticeable in Cossette, whose appearance, Beauty, is the main detail the video has to depict in all of its subtleties.
And sometimes they manage to ship that to you with extraordinary finesse: one of the best examples is in the third episode, just before a major plot twist, where Cossette embraces Eiri and we see a close shot of her profile. There's something almost uncatchable here, right after the buildup in her facial expression when Eiri was painting her potrait just before, that just feels wrong, which transmits you uneasiness if not even repulsion about her. All this while she still is, from every "material" point of view, still as beautiful as always.

All in all, it wouldn't be fair to rate this component more than 8 because of the technical limits it shows. However, believe me, these animations, from an artistic point of view, are far greater than those of certain series that deserve an higher, pragmatic rating.


Sound - 10

As i stated, the music score is by far one of the greatest works ever made by Yuki Kajiura, imho superior to her already great performances in shows such as Madlax, Noir, .Hack or Tsubasa Chronicle.
She manages to make you shiver with suggestive tracks that never fall into redundancy, and bittersweet melodies that never fall into dullness or buttery.
Even the two singles (Houseki which is the series ending theme, and Ballad), performed by a Marina Inoue at her best, perfectly keep the quality and mood of the show, something that often producers fail to achieve, presenting songs that differ a lot from the actual background score of the show. Truth is, anyway, rarely Yuki's music is "background".

Marina Inoue doesn't only lend her voice to Yuki's songs though, she also lends it to Cossette, and she does it very well indeed. Again, as in visuals, Cossette is as expected the best treated character, and Marina masterfully manages to express her emotions and feelings, often with the very same subtle finesse shown by the animators.
The rest of the voice cast isn't as remarkable, though they all do a good job in which you can't really find any noteworthy faults.
The only chara who, at times, could sound a bit wierd is Zenshinni, the buddhist priest, though i would say her sometimes exaggerated tones aren't unfit for the chara itself.

Really, if you don't give a 10 for the sound in an anime like this one, you either believe Beethoven was a pop singer, or you are utterly deaf.


Story - 8

As delicate and enjoyable as it can be, it must be said the plot isn't exactly neither that big nor absolutely original. It is indeed convoluted - in a nice way - and a well thought tribute, but as a tribute there's only so much merit in the scriptwriter's work.
The theme itself is fairly "simple" for those not new to the genre, though it is extremely dependant on the individual sensibility.
And while it has the merit of being deep and full of shades encouraging you to view it more than a single time to grasp every nuance, at the same time it has the demerit of needing you to rewatch it for the very same reason. This can - and does - discourage several viewers.
I could think that this makes the difference between a viewer blessed with taste and brain and one not, but that would be being excessively subjective (and maybe a bit arrogant... but, oh well, i'm not an hyprocrite at least...). Definitely the story, the approach to it, and how the plot develops isn't for everyone. Or better still: it really is for few.

Also, i have to admit that while, as i stated before, the approach to plot chosen by the anime isn't less deserving than the one in the manga, the latter feels a bit more faithful and in harmony with the writings which inspired it. At the same time, though, the former is probably more "satisfying", warm even if still bittersweet, while the manga leaves you with a bit of a bitter after-taste of unfulfillment.

Last thing to note, though not relative to the rating itself: much of the enjoyment in the story comes from a precise comprehension of it. Which means an accurate translation is essential. And it's not easy in this case, where the dialogues are as rich of shades as everything else, and a single if not "mistranslated" just "misinterpreted" word can ruin a scaringly high portion of comprehension of the whole.
This is not the place to suggest a translation or another, what i can suggest you is to be careful like you have never been in choosing one: most of those available have some faults, some are plainly wrong. One thing i can tell you though: stay damn clear of the "official" ones. When i translated this OAV in my language, i used as references for checking the English, French, German and Norwegian (yes, even THAT!) dvds. Let alone the not surprisingly ridiculous and amateurish english dubbing, each and every of these versions had amazingly wrong translations, full of holes and big faults. The only one i can define "decent" is the French one (again, unsurprisingly). It's evident they didn't only treat this OAV as the mainstream market usually treats niche products which aren't expected to bring great incomes, but their only knowledge of the neo-gothic literature must have been Disney's adaptation of Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. They utterly fail at noticing, and thus correctly translating, tons of references.
If you don't know japanese your best bet would be, if you plan to rewatch the anime (something i suggest you to do regardless of the version chosen), to watch different versions each time. A hole in a version can be filled by another, and vice-versa.


Character - 9

This is really where this anime shines content-wise. While all the minor charas orbiting around the main "couple" Eiri and Cossette have indeed very little development and depth, let's not forget this is just a 3 episodes OAV, and a story where they really are and have to be minor chars by all meanings. They are part of that real, common, daily world Eiri is so far - so different - from. Some of them are intentionally void, their role is to depict that environment and how Eiri perceives it. They are ordinary, they are dull, they are not beautiful: thus they are uninteresting to him; and to you they have to be.
And if some - actually really only one - would like to act as, if not embody, his anchor to that world, his real anchor is only his art, that very same art which is drawing him away. Eiri is his art, his art is his very soul and identity, as well as self fulfillment; all they can do and have value for is recognizing it, and thus make his art, and so Eiri himself, alive. Do not mistake them for characters, they really are not: they are part of the setting itself, nothing more, and their valence is more often than not purely allegoric.

The only characters here are Eiri and Cossette, and they are both greatly rendered. On one side we have Cossette, whose feelings and motives aren't really that complex: she shines in how they are depicted, with elegance, rich of details.
On the other we have Eiri, from whose perspective we are presented just about everything. Though he hasn't the same impact as Cossette, his development is much more elaborated and full of meanings: after all, this development is itself the main theme of the story, and Cossette is anyway just a bit more than a naive child. Her development is what is expected and plausible from a thirteen years old girl who knows love only as a girl who's just began to develop womanhood can. Pure, indeed, as Beauty must be, and as such very simple.
In Eiri's development we are offered a vast allegory of themes, from the main, fundamental one of the perception of beauty and the egoistical though self-destructing nature of love in all of his incarnations, the dualism and interconnections between contemplation and desire of possession, to the achievement of adulthood, maturity and wholeness, through the struggle between his heart with his illusions, and his mind with his dis-illusions, with his talent - his soul, his identity, his own existence itself - in an ever unstable balance between the two.
Where in the former we see Baudelaire's shadow, in the latter we see Wilde's.


Value - 8
Enjoyment - 10

This is a work which value is, as already explained, distinctively subjective. If you can, and have the means to, grasp it to its deepest corners, it will gain an incomparable sentimental value.
As an Hymn to an Hymn, however, you got to have a certain predisposition to it.
Point is, it was thought for a very specific niche of audience, and while enjoyable to different extents by this whole niche, those with a certain preparation will undoubtedly have a much easier life with it. As such, this isn't a show you can really "recommend" to anyone who isn't already predisposed: otherwise, chances are that even if he will like it, he will not see much more than the tip of the iceberg.

What i can personally say, is that when i first saw it some years ago, not knowing what i should expect from it but indeed very well acquainted with its inspirations, i fell in love with it. A love somewhat resembling the one depicted by it, that is, a slightly troubled love for both the parts i liked and those i didn't, where it was colliding with my already sedimented views on its theme. Nevertheless, or rather because of it, a love which made me want to go deeper into it, to grasp and understand more, trying to adapt it to my perceptions and my perceptions to it.
And, even if when i translated it i must have seen each single frame dozens of times, ad nauseam, from time to time today i still feel the desire of watching it once more. And each time, it still has its impact on me.

Jeez, look at how long of a review it made me write when i was just jumping from a suggested link to another searching for some titles to download, this alone clearly depicts how much i enjoyed it :P

Right, where to begin?
Firstly I would like to point out that this is a very unusual anime in that it is unlike anything I have seen before. It is indeed, not for everyone and has very correctly been identified in Digironin's review. However, I would like to add that although it has a Lolita feel, it was not unusual for girls of her age from the time period she was alive to be loved and engaged to adult men. I know she looks young but I had her pegged as 15years old (made me feel better accepting!)

Plot Summary:
The story is set in the modern day, in an antique store where a young man by the name of Eiri becomes obsessed by the visions of a beautiful young woman from the early 18th century (Cossette), embodied in the antiquities which once belonged to her, and the lengths Eiri will go to repent for the sins of her persecutor in order to be with her. (This isn't all there is an excellent plot twist which will blow you away - but I'm not going to give it away).

Animation:
The animation, in a nutshell, is absolutely STUNNING. It is very gothic and dark at times, uses beautiful brush strokes, warm colours and like the underlying theme of art, is very artistic in design, stroke and detail. The characters are left simple which I feel enhances the real beauty of the story, within the scenes themselves. In other words, the animation itself is the real artwork.

Sound:
Wow, I usually despise the music that is played during animated film, it never quite sits well with the theme But the music fits perfectly, is simple yet effective and contributes fully to the overall ambience of the film - very eerie and dramatic, sometimes even beautiful.

Story:
The story can be very confusing at times, a riddled timeline which can only be described as "piecing together a puzzle", but it does form a whole picture, that I can assure you. If, like myself, you literally despise the very concept of love and romance, than please do not be deterred. For although this centres around the love of the Eiri and Corsette, the events that occur are by no means romantic and if anything horrific and grotesque displays of affection. The animation and sound are saviours of any such.

Character:
The characters are only understood through the experiences of Eiri, and so it is all we will understand for certain. However, there are many hints to their true nature and their personality, not that it is essential to understanding the plot. There are a few characters that are unnecessary and almost pointless to the main plot that are completely undeveloped - I was unsure of their relation to Eiri to begin and still do not understand their relevance.

Value & Enjoyment:
It is such a 'busy' anime that you will be constantly entertained and the plot twist makes it very worth while watching through to the end.

Overall, I decided that regardless of the plot I wanted to watch it again just for the animation and the music, and will keep doing so until I have fully absorbed all of the artwork and am bored senseless of the music..... could be some time then.

I wouldn't recommended it to everyone because I believe that it would only appeal to certain audiences. If you are mature, and enjoy horror/mystery, intrigue and suspense, gothic design and a plaguingly beautiful music - than to you I recommend this gorgeous piece of art.

Also about the subtitles - do as mentioned get a good translation - this is essential - 'Ani-Kraze' also do a good job.

Animation
The animation is fantastic, and would have been some of the best of 2004 but for one crucial flaw: the CGI. While the style of the anime is fantastic and easily the highlight of the show, the creator’s insistence to rely on decidedly sub-par computer graphics for a large part of the show definitely hampers it.

However, the rest of the visuals are amazing. Like in Soultaker, an anime from the same director, Cossette no Shouzo is amazingly adept at using color, visual perspectives, and striking backgrounds together to meld an amazingly cohesive and impressive visual package. Like in Soultaker, the visuals are basically unique to the director, and are a strong point in the show’s favor.

Sound
I’m actually torn as to how much the music contributed to the show. The OST is undeniably excellent (I’m downloading it as we speak), but at the same time I understand the argument that the music doesn’t fit the show as well as it could. There is definite merit to that complaint, but in the end I think the OST is just too good to really discount. The fact that that the mood set by the rest of the show differs from the OST is still a point against it, but a fairly small one.

The voice acting neither impressed nor annoyed me.

Story
Some will think that the story is “confusing,” but in these cases the person will be more befuddled by the style of the story than the actual complexity. The actual plot is fairly simple, but provides a decent backbone for the OVA. Additional depth would have been nice, but would most likely be impractical given the show’s length and focus.

Character
The characters are fairly shallow, and serve more as pawns in the overarching plot than actual human beings. Cossette, the title character, is the only one interesting enough to mention. However, even her appeal is more derived from how she is viewed by other characters than her actual development. All in all, the characters are decidedly underdeveloped, and probably could have been done better.

Overall
Cossette no Shouzo, above all else, is a niche title. The entire OVA is designed with a certain target audience in mind, and the work will do little for those who fall outside this group. That said, I enjoyed the show a fair bit, and would recommend it to fans of the horror genre.

This is one of the most impressionist works that I’ve seen, in that its plot is so clearly secondary to its mood. Many of the more traditionally valued aspects of anime are discarded in favor of creating a decidedly gothic feel.

The result is a fairly abstract and bizarre work that lacks mainstream appeal, but which will most likely please those that enjoyed similar work like Requiem from the Darkness, Hitsuji no Uta, Pet Shop of Horrors, etc.

While I would have loved to give this anime 10s across the board, I did have a few gripes with the way the story was told.

Animation:
The art was top notch. At times, the art seemed so real, it was like watching an actual movie. Breathtaking animation which definitely contributed greatly to the story.

Sound:
The music was excellent. It matched the mood of this anime extremely well. It got my attention and certainly was a great yardstick to figure out the intensity of any given scene.

Story:
Fascinating story. The soul of a girl being trapped in a glass...a little creepy, but interesting nonetheless.

Character:
There weren't many characters to pay attention to, and they weren't developed enough across the 3 episodes. It would have been nice if the series was extended a few more episodes to make the characters more easily understood. After watching the series, I'm still a little lost about how the characters were feeling, etc. (or maybe I'm just slow)

Value:
Overall, the value is definitely there and I would recommend it anyone who enjoys anime.

Enjoyment:
I definitely liked the anime, but would have enjoyed it more had I better understood the story. It will definitely help to watch it twice to catch the things that you missed the first time around.

It is my habit to go straight to the point and I hope readers can forgive me if this review lacks the often poetic and fancy language found in other "professional" reviews.

One-Liner:

Cossette is no drama or horror, it's more like a well done art film that conveys its ideas through imagery.

The Good:

#1 Music - Definitely top-notch music done by Yuki Kajiura, one of the most active and well known composers in the anime scene. Pieces are a perfect blend of ancient folk, techno bass and classical violin. It has the distinct 'Kajiura' sound that viewers who are familiar with her other works like Noir, Hack and Tsubasa chronicle will recognise.

BGMs deserves special attention here because Cossette is an art film where visual and sound are two essential components. BGMs invoke dark feelings and a certain sense of helplessness that complements perfectly with the story.

#2 Symbolic Appeal - This OAV does not really have a strong storyline. Its appeal stems mainly from the frequent use of symbolic apparitions to get its point across. Do not expect to see scary monsters popping behind for a cheap thrill, the "enemy" is an idea rather than an actual entity.

It may take a few re-runs before it makes sense. This three parter is something that grows in you as you learn to appreciate the subtlty.

#3 Voice Acting - Very well done especially for Cossette. The voice actress managed to bring out the gentle and tragic side of Cossette behind her "devil" front that is displayed initially.

#4 Character - Focus is only on Cossette and Eiri. Even within the limited time span (only 2 hours in total run time), the downfall of Eiri from a normal teenager to a deranged lunatic is convincingly played out.

The Standard:

#1 Animation - Unfortunately, the animation does not lift up to the standards of an art film. It's not lousy or anything the like, just nothing spectacular compared to all the plus points mentioned.

The Bad:

#1 Title - I'm told by people who understand French that the title "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette" is grammatically incorrect.

Additional Notes:

It is quite clear that this OVA is geared towards a more mature audience and younger viewers may well find the entire idea ridiculous and nonsensical. Many events that transpired including the ending is open to interpretation and this may not sit well with some people who prefer a clear cut conclusion.

Verdict: Insanely fascinating.

This one is likely to be one of those titles that a viewer will either loathe or love. Why?
Well for starters, the artistic level is very high - which, among other things, means plenty of unusual scene-cuts, a nonlinear narrative timeline and an unconventional charadesign. On top of that, it plays on themes that might be a bit hard to stomach for some. Among those death and a never-carried-out but undeniably present lolita undertone.

Basically the genre here is a composition of a 'gothic' background with its typically somber elements and the portrayal of a human's slowly degrading sanity - a mix thats equal parts unsettling and fascinating.

Sounds deterring to you?

Well it can be, but know that unlike many other mysterious or 'chiffre' anime titles, this one is actually meant to be understood - which means it is quite possible to do so. In other words, it takes a bit of concentration and observation, but unlike other titles you won't be required to delve into stuff like... don't know, ancient sumerian mythology, for example. :)



Animation:
Very artistic while being fluid and high-detail. There are some experiments with unusual techniques and CG, but they are sufficiently skillfully implemented - resulting in a really well-orchestrated visual mix that conveys the gripping plot and deep atmosphere without being distracting or even annoying.
And yes, the facial designs are unusual to a certain degree, but it's nothing really deterring.

Sound:
Superb. I freely admit that I'm not much of a music fan, but the soundtrack of this one is so good that even I noticed it's drive and class. Lots of mid-paced yet catchy choral pieces make this one a delight - and will probably make you look for the OST afterwards.

Story:
The main focus lies on the feelings of the main protagonist and his relationship towards Cossette, which, in turn, means that the story itself is not the most prominent element of this one. Surprisingly enough though, the plot's main concept is still fresh and fascinating.

Characters:
Some complained that there are few characters and that the support cast is not fleshed out. Well, there's a simple reason for this: the narrative perspective of this one is almost exclusively Eiri's. Meaning that you see what he sees and know what he knows. As a result, only Cossette and Eiri really get a fully-developed (and well done) character display, while the others are only briefly shown whenever Eiri encounters them.



Finishing line:
People always tend to be a bit hesitant when it comes to watching animes designated as outright "mysterious". The reason for this is that doing so is usually a gamble on how well one grasps the plot during the first watch - which directly affects how much fun you have with it. Of course, this isn't entirely different when it comes to "Petit Cossette". Regardless, I got the impression that the producers succeeded in "getting the mix right" in this one, making it neither too shallow nor too hard.

Furthermore, even though the themes sound somewhat dark and controversial (gothic love, sacrifice and a bit of rori), the surprising thing about this is that the resulting atmosphere is neither too necrophile nor too depressing nor perverted. Instead, they actually serve to make the show a really unique and interesting watch.

Of course this does not mean that everybody can like it - but even so, I urge anybody reading this review to at least give "Petit Cossette" a try. Since on one hand, you may find that it's not to your liking - but then you will only have wasted a mere 60 minutes of your time. While on the other hand, chances aren't too bad that you might find a real jewel in this one.

I for my part did.


Note: be sure to grab a version with good subtitles. I went with Af-F and found their translations to be fitting and on-the-mark.