Tesla Bethel
Lantern Staff
Orange is a fairly new animation that is wonderful, deep and dark, yet it leaves the viewer to question their own lives. If there was one regret a person could change, would they do it? Or perhaps they would leave things as they are. According to Crunchyroll (one of the most popular anime websites), like many animations, Orange was based of the manga that was written by Ichigo Takano. It is only comprised of five volumes and was eventually published by Shueisha Futabasha in 2012. It is astonishing that such a deep personal storyline was created in as short as five volumes.
The anime didn’t come for years. The series is short, comprised with only 13 episodes averaging around 23 minutes each, if there are no commercials. Needless to say, it is quite easy to get through the entire season in a single night.
According to the Anime News Network, it was the company Funimation that helped bring this animation to life and make an English dubbed version. The main character is a female high school student named Naho Takamiya who is voiced by Jill Harris in the English dub. When she receives a letter from her future self, Naho is a little skeptical until she notices striking similarities between the letters contents and real time. In the letter, future Naho tells present Naho what she regrets and the decisions she wished she would have made at the time. She also tells her to keep a close eye on new student, Kakeru (voiced by Micah Solusod), because the letter says Kakeru will no longer be with them in the future due to an “accident.” It is later discovered that Kakeru’s death wasn’t an accident. Kakeru suffered from depression with suicidal thoughts. Not being there to realize or help Kakeru is Naho and her friends’ biggest regret.
As the anime progresses, the group of friends make connections and learn how to properly lean on each other for support. It also continues to mention a theory of multiple universes also known as alternate dimensions or parallel universes. So, the past the letters that were sent actually aren’t the past they were in and therefore will not alter their future, but the future of another universe parallel to their own.
This is an animation that pulls at the heartstrings and makes one realize that listening and caring can help. The logic behind this anime is intriguing and holds a deeper meaning making this not the average run of the mill high school drama, romance animation. Once again, an animation has come along that can stand on its own without preconceptions holding it back. Overall, I would rate this anime an eight out of 10. It performed well in its category, but left the viewer to question the futures of both universes.
