It has been a long while since I read Romeo and Juliet. It has also been a long time since I’ve watched any adaptations made into film. Romeo and Juliet is such a well known story that it has pervaded the essence of tragic love stories. Although, some may argue that it isn’t exactly a tragedy in the classical sense. Honestly, putting that much thought in to the whole thing isn’t my bag, man.

If you haven’t realized it yet, I am a sappy romantic who happens to really like tragic endings. So, I’ve already a bias for Romeo x Juliet.

Premise: One has to try to screw up the story of Romeo and Juliet.

I already really like the character designs. Look at Juliet. We spend a lot of time with Juliet during the first episode. I found that I enjoy the character portrayal here. I’m not all that pleased with Juliet being introduces as a girl masquerading as a guy. I mean we are talking about Juliet, the quintessential innocent feminine love interest of Romeo. Yet, they have her jumping all over the place and fighting. At least she seems fairly placid in girl form, and she doesn’t seem all that masculine as a guy either. So, we have two good points.

The animation is excellent. I say over and over that sub-par animation will not exactly kill a show for me. However, what I usually fail to mention is that good animation does give a show points. Romeo x Juliet seems to like using the background world a lot. There is a lot of panning and movement. The background scenes are rather detailed, they draw you in.

Hatred, sorrow, death…love. Everything necessary for a terrific story is present. I’m still on edge about the comedic aspect of the show. I may learn to live with it. Now all that is left is to build up the characters, and then tare everything down.

Sometimes love is a game, cruel and unjust. Is it worth all the sorrow?

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We know the source material for this story. Obviously, it will be changed because it’s anime. However, it is likely that the central meanings will stay that same. I have really high hopes for this show.

Edit: 04/18/2007 : “quintessential innocent feminine” – to avoid confusion in my wording, I meant that to mean “girly” or not deriving male characteristics. After all, she is just a teenage girl. Although, through the events in the play one could argue that her actions are less “girly,” more adult in an ignorant sense. Still, even though it has been a while since I’ve read/seen the play, I think the actions of Juliet could not be defined as masculine, which was my point to begin with. She shouldn’t be sword fighting and jumping around.