Now and Then, Here and There Vol 2

Hooked by the drama and sheer brutality of the first volume - Now and Then, Here and There is shaping up to be an all favourite of mine. How will Shu, Lala-Ru and Sara escape from the fortress of Helliwood and just how far will one person go to survive?

Age Rating: 16+
Company: Central Media Park/US Manga Corps
Genre: Sci-Fi, War, Epic Drama
Running Time: Approx 100 mins
Region: 1



I can say that the first five minutes of episode six, was among one of the best fight scenes in anime this side of Perfect Blue! Sara is forced yet again into a soldier's room but this time King Hamdo wants to make pregnant for the good of his nation. The soldier in question isn't too bothered, but brags about his special water that he got for killing the most enemies. Sara might get some if she is a 'good girl'. In desperation, Sara plucks up some courage and smacks the soldier with the water bottle and grabs a nearby shotgun. Soldier isn't too pleased and tries to smother her with his brute force, of course our Sara prevails over evil and kills him in a cool yet brutal manner. Overcome with shock but determination, she manages to flee the Helliwood Fortress and cuts that ties that bind her there - via some nice imagery with Sara cutting off some of her hair. She runs into the desert..and that's the last time we see her in this volume! How cruel! :x



Shu however isn't having any luck. He is sent on a mission with the rest of the army to a nearby village, but he doesn't realise how low the army will go. They ravage the poor village; capturing children for soldiers, any women to get pregnant by their soldiers and finally any men that resist get killed on the spot. Shu is horrified by how easily everyone can kill innocent people and tries to defend one of them, but in his act of kindness he gets beaten up by his superiors and thrown into the local pit of sewage and doom. But Shu managed to get through to one of the little soldier boys named Boo who by throwing down a stick - Shu manages to escape. His next target is to save Lala-Ru! He saves the girl and gets the pendant and escapes from Helliwood! The water that Lala-Ru leaves gives Hamdo and Abelia an advantage! Helliwood will now be a flying fortress in no time! Lala-Ru isn't so impressed with Shu saving her however, she is a cold thankless girl whom by years of witnessing cruelty seems to have changed her into an ice maiden. Shu doesn't give up on her and they hop onboard a Stars Wars style hovering machine and flee into the desert. The rest of soldiers follow suit and a powerful scene-where Nabuca finds them in a cave but let's them go - makes Shu realise that there is no turning back.
Lala-Ru and Shu travel onwards through the desert and get to know each other a bit more on this alien landscape, before a huge maneating plant interupts! Even the plants are after Lala-Ru's 1337 water-giving necklace! Due to 'scoring' some bombs in a rucksack they escape near death once again! (as always!) and travel onto an Oasis village in the desert.
Here the villagers live a peaceful life and Shu wants to live one as well. But yet again after a sob story by one of the village men - there is neither a good or bad way to end the war. Sometimes fighting is the only answer. Lala-Ru says nothing much as usual when they are taking in by a kindly woman named Sis who is like an Orphanage there.
But the peaceful ways of the village will come to an end soon, as Hando and his Helliwood gears up for an all out invasion - a world domination bid worse than Ghibli's Miyazaki!



While I didn't feel that this volume was as striking or powerful as the last lot of episodes, it has some great scenes (Sara's 0wning scene in particular). The alien lanscape Shu and Lala-Ru traverse was imaginitive and vibrant - like something out of Star Wars. I didn't think much of Lala-Ru though, she seemed too bitter and cold for me to like her - but hopefully we'll see a change in this in the last few episodes.
A good range of episodes if letdown by the overuse of the 'escape' storyline which could have been wrapped up a bit sooner. Great plot and characters and maybe a good ending as well in the next and final volume? (I hope!)

Overall: 8/10

More Sara and we'll do just fine! ;)