Anime Review: Ikoku Meiro no Croisee Episode 2

Anime Review:
Ikoku Meiro no Croisee Episode 2

What this is about: Watching all of the anime shows so you don’t have to! For more information about me and my reviews, click here for details on what I am reviewing.

Series Premise: Ikoku Meiro no Croisee, or “Croisee in the Foreign Labyrinth”, is a weekly televised anime series started in July 2011, based on a manga by the same name. Yune, a young Japanese girl, follows a French businessman back to nineteenth century Paris where he introduces her to Claude, who runs a struggling ironworking shop, where she has to adapt to a totally different culture, while he also tries to understand her.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the picture in full size in a new window:

Episode Summary: Yune is disappointed by the simplicity of a Western-style breakfast, and tries to hide her disgust of the taste of cheese. After proving to be a distraction to Claude in the workplace, he takes her on a tour around central Paris, including the shopping district and the local farmer’s market. At dinner, Yune amuses Claude and Oscar by drinking soup instead of using a spoon. The next morning, they go out to the market for fresh bread.

My Impressions: Time for Round Two of AWWWWWWWW LOOK HOW CUTE YUNE IS! Aaaaaaaaaand that’s a wrap!

Seriously. That’s about the sum total of the depth of this story so far. The whole point of Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is to showcase how ridiculously cute Yune can be as she tries to puzzle out the details of nineteenth century France. Look on in amazement as she marvels at the tall buildings. Go all d’awww-faced as she learns about such strange foodstuffs as artichokes. Wince in sympathy as she experiences the shock of sharp cheese and bitter coffee for the first time. Be amused as she tries to use a spoon for the first time.

So far, the entire show is based around the light-hearted slice-of-life adventures of the world’s cutest anime character exploring the wide gulf of cultural differences between Japan and France. That itself is fine. Cute by itself is fine. But is it really something that you can base an entire multi-episode story upon?

I really hope they decide to introduce at least the merest inkling of a story soon, because I’ve just about had my fill of empty cuteness without meaning. So far, the only goal introduced so far is Claude’s desire to buy back Yune’s prized kimono…not exactly a whole lot to build upon. A lack of conflict means I’m just watching a “setting”, and not really a “story”. Time to start advancing the plot, guys, before I lose interest.

One thing that was pointed out is that in some aspects the set-up behind Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is comparable to Usagi Drop. Not the same, but there are certain similarities. So, why do I rate Usagi Drop so highly, yet here I am harshing on Ikoku Meiro no Croisee? I still have some thinking to do on that topic.

The verdict:

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For more information:

• Previous reviews:
  • Episode 1 (October 8)
• Info resources:
  • My Anime List
  • Anime News Network
  • AniDB
  • Wikipedia.
• If you like this, you might also like: Emma – A Victorian Romance or Kure-nai.

Sampling of Online Reviews:

• “I think this is going to be a “healing” style anime, not one with a lot of dramatic conflict, but rather showing how people can open up their hearts and learn to live with each other.” – Abandoned Factory
• “Ikoku Meiro so far has turned out exactly as I had expected; a cute, simple slice of life story, complete with a very small shade of a serious undertones to some of the conflicts. The setup is extremely similar to the Aria slice of life series, though I’d say that Aria had a much more unique setting. This is a series to just kick back and relax to after a day of hard work, and helps you appreciate the simpler things in life.” – Emory Anime Club
• “Oh my god, this show is going to kill me. Seriously this show is going to kill me. I don’t think my paternal instincts have been awoken up so powerfully before this show. God damn it, I cannot watch this show in public at all. I don’t think I can restrain myself at the bundle of heartwarming cuteness that is Yune.” – Kurogane’s Anime Blog
• “This is not a show that thrills and excites, though I’m sure some more traditional plot elements will be introduced once the setting is fully established. But if you’re looking for a wonderful mood piece that speaks from the heart, I think you’ll have a hard time doing better.” – Lost in America
• “Despite the fact that it could be considered boring, I think that the slow pace of Ikoku Meiro no Croisée works out to its advantage. Yune is simply precious and so innocent and watching her is delightful. Her interactions with Claude and Oscar are quite sweet as well. The cultural differences between Japan and France are brought to light as well and are actually intriguing.” – Metanorn
• “This was a delightful little episode. Again, let me repeat.. this is slooooooow. It’s a real slice-of-life show. It reminds me of some of the episodes and scenes in Planetes where not much happens and it’s just the crew working and talking.” – Moe Monster

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ROUND TWO RESULTS FOR SUMMER 2011 SHOWS:

Thumbs-up for Round Two: Mawaru Penguin Drum, Kamisama Dolls, No. 6, Dantalian no Shoka, Ikoku Meiro no Croisee

Thumbs-down for Round Two: Blood-C, Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000%

Coming up next: Nekogami Yaoyorozu, Kamisama no Memochou, Nurarihyon no Mago Second Season, Natsume Yuujinchou-san, Usagi Drop