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U.S. Distributor: Funimation

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Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Izumiko Suzuhara has grown up on a shrine compound where her life has been very protected. This shy girl is about ready to enter high school and strives to be more out going and true to herself. Except for electronics like computers and cell phones going haywire when she tries to use them, she was unaware of her true nature and destiny. It is when she meets Miyuki Sagara again (they knew each other as little kids), that she finds out she is one of the small number of humans still in touch with the spiritual world and is considerd rare and endangered. Miyuki is training to be  a mountain monk and he is charged with protecting Izumiko.

The two enter into a special high school in Tokyo where there are other students who also have various connections with the spirit world. Izumiko’s roommate is Mayura  Soda. Her brother is Manatsu. They also have a special spiritual being that is deeply connected to them.

Mayura seems to be the leader of one side of a high school rivalry. Is it just teens with powers bigger than they are really capable of dealing with because of their immaturity or is there something much bigger going on? Either way, they must be vigilant because their lives may be on the line.

Izumiko has to deal with a new school, becoming a mature teenager and unraveling the mystery of who she is and her assumed destiny. Miyuki is at her side but his attitude isn’t always positive. This is almost too much to handle, but finding strength is what she is learning to do.

Commentary:

Red Data Girl is a interesting series but sometimes things seem to jump, as if there wasn’t enough time for all of the information. Some of the background details or the evolution of things, or even the resolution of things goes too quickly and leaves reason or facts missing. We just have to not know and move on. This was originally a series of novels and I can only assume those were better fleshed out.  I had plenty of what and how questions staying with me through the anime that never get answered. This may have been better served in twice the episodes. Even so, I enjoyed the anime. I like the mix of reality and the secrete otherworldly events that surrounds us hidden away from regular people. It brings an element of familiarity and possibility to help bring the viewer in.

Visually this is a nicely done anime. The scenery and costuming were beautiful, colorful  and well thought out. Even though they were high school kids, their spiritual lives and school festival gave quite a variety to their clothes. With the setting of the mountains and shrine contrasting to the modern day, we also got to see a variety of the Japanese scenery. The action scenes usually went well, but occasionally I had the impression that they had to skimp on time of effort. There is this one really cool scene where one of the kids is running away and leaps onto a ghost horse and rides off into a different plane of existence.

I think this anime would be great for a lot a people, from a lot of categories and interest groups.  There really isn’t anything very scary(a bit of stylized blood on ghost) and no fan service, so age is not much of a factor. With a true mix of everyday life, the supernatural, relationships, self discovery, mystery and action, Red Data Girl has something for everyone.

Note: The title comes from a book called Red Data which list endangered species.

Overall Grade: B+