Full Moon, Vol. 1: I Want to Sing [DVD]

This is such a beautiful anime that anyone of all ages is sure to enjoy!First, let me discuss the DVD itself...This DVD contains the first four (4) episodes of the Full Moon wo Sagashite anime, in both English and Japanese. It also includes a "sneak preview" - the first (dubbed) episode on a separate DVD so that you can give it to your friends and get them into the series, too! It's well worth the price.As for the anime, FMwS is the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Mitsuki Kouyama who dreams of becoming a singer. Unfortunately, she has a throat tumor that prevents her from singing in a loud voice. One day, two Shinigami (Harbingers of Death) appear before her and tell her she's only got one year left to live. Her determination to achieve her dream inspires them, and they use their powers to turn her into a healthy sixteen-year-old girl so she can use the remainder of her life to follow her dream.This anime has beautiful artwork and amazing music, and I must admit that I've already seen the entire series multiple times. It's one that I'd recommend for anyone and everyone, with themes of love, friendship, and perseverance through hard times.

Mitsuki is 12 years old, and dreams of being a singer. Sadly, she has a tumor in her throat. She promised the boy she loves that she will become a famous singer one day, and that her voice will reach him in America. One day, a couple of death spirits visit and tell her that she has a year to live. They reluctantly decide to help her achieve her dreams. She can change into a 16-year-old version of herself with no tumor. She is on her way to stardom and uses the stage name, "Full Moon".\This anime is really fun. There are several very good characters, decent animation, and a good soundtrack. The story is very cute. It has lots of comedy, drama, and some romance. I am very happy that I came across this adorable series. I only have 2 complaints. 1: They only dubbed season 1. The 2nd season is hard to find, and in Japanese only. 2: The dub is very mediocre. I have heard many that are worse, but they didn't spend much on this dub. It isn't as bad as others may lead you to believe though. Aside from those 2 little flaws, this is a great series with a fun and infectious vibe. I highly recommend it.

I absolutely love this series, so I'll try to be as short and sweet about this as possible. This is a very lovely, endearing story about twelve-year-old Mitsuki (which actually means a 'full moon' in Japanese). This anime is adapted from a shoujo manga by Arina Tanemura, who has created the most beautiful manga I've ever read. While she tends to reuse certain character facial types, etc. which she has created, if you can get over this she has a talent which is not matched by very many manga-ka. In fact, the repetitive look of the characters can actually make you like her even more as her work is easily recognizable. Not only are the facial expressions bewitching, the clothing she gives her characters at certain times are elaborate and interestingly outlandish. The anime is not quite as detailed as her original artwork, however this is the case with most manga-based titles.Now, about Mitsuki. Singing is her passion, but it is not an empty ambition driven by glory...she wants to sing in order to attract the attention of a special someone in her life who was separated from her long ago. She has a voice that could rival any Japanese pop-idol to boot. There's just one problem...She has a cancerous polyp in her throat which doesn't allow her to sing in a loud voice.So how does she overcome this and win the heart of the boy she has been longing to contact? And how will she climb the staircase to fame?I won't spoil the whole plot, since you want to find that out on your own. What I will say is that the animation is very true to Tanemura's unique style, and very pleasing to the eyes, which is what is important for this genre. The characters other than Mitsuki are also instantly lovable, almost fairy-tale like but with a modern twist. This series is targeted at younger teenage girls, however I think there's something everyone will enjoy about this series. It is very hope instilling, and while there are serious moments there is also a good balance between these times and the comic relief.The only complaint I have is that the ending sequence has...no sequence. At the end of the show you just hear the closing song, and the credits roll against a pink starry screen. Luckily the song is good enough to keep your attention. The opening theme song is very upbeat, and while The ' Scanty (the group who sings the opening theme) was grating on my ears at first, I find myself dancing to the theme song now. It is I' LOVE YOU, a very catchy j-pop number.You can get the individual DVDs on Amazon for a very reasonable price (I believe volume two or three costs $8.00 total), so I would suggest to buy it on this website.Any shoujo anime fan cannot be without Full Moon wo Sagashite. In an anime world of harems, vampires and guns, Full Moon stands alone as the series for anyone who's looking for something different and refreshing.

Taken from the same title of the episode on disc 2, for the show itself the question is "Is It Really a Hit"? One word: YES!!! Full Moon is my all-time favorite anime, along with Princess Tutu. The story, the music, the characters, the humor, not to mention the various highly realistic morals of growing up, falling in love, the tragedies of life and death, moving on from those tragidies, and most importantly, what it is that we live for, and following our dreams inspite of the hardships. And don't let the occasional cutesy little-girl feel fool you. Even though only the first half of the show was released on DVD, it gets quite dark and traumatic later on. I recommend it for adults and children alike