REC Recommended

Director
Ryutaro Nakamura
Production
Shaft
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
9 episodes
Year
2006

REC Anime Review

By Shabbir
23rd Jan 08

REC is a rather unusual anime series, firstly it is only nine episodes long. Along with that, each episode is only between 15 and 20 minutes in length. At first, I thought that it must be difficult to get an entire series with a decent story in that length, but after watching it, I was fairly surprised.

The title REC stands for “Recording” used with recording audio. The heroine of the series is a young cute girl called Aka, who’s sole dream is to become a voice actress. Her very first scene in the series involves her reciting a line from her favourite actress Audrey Hepburn, showing how devoted she is to fulfilling this dream.

On the other side of the spectrum is boring middle-aged Matsumaru. He is an average man, working at an advertising agency. However, his career has been less than delightful since he hasn’t been terribly lucky when coming to receiving acknowledgements for his creations. Therefore, we see Matsumaru as a boring and lonely guy.

The odd combination of the two first meet when Matsumaru is expecting a co-worker who he invited on a date. The woman does not show and Matsumaru is about to rip up the ticket to the cinema when Aka appears, reciting a line from a movie.

Matsumaru then sports the lady whom he was supposed to go out with, but after he had seen the movie. Just as he’s about to run out to see her, a large brute appears, showing that the lady already has a boyfriend! Matsumaru is heart broken at this point, and walks home.

Due to a fire breaking out in Aka’s home, who happens to live in the same complex as Matsumaru, Matsumaru takes her in to give her some shelter. This is where the bulk of the series is centered around, the interaction between the two and how their relationship grows.

Being a short series is a good thing in this case. We’ve seen all too many series that are around the 20-episode mark and go back and forth too often. Over here, it’s very short and concise with a great blend of humour and emotions along the way.

It’s highly unlikely we’ll see this dubbed or even officially subbed into English and brought over on DVD. The series just does not demand enough profit for the anime distributors in the west, so unfortunately it will remain hidden from the majority of anime fans.

However, if you get the chance, grab a copy from somewhere and watch it when some subs, since it’s definitely worth the viewing.

-- Shabbir 23rd Jan 08

REC Images