What I was referring to is the life and death situations that Haraken, Yasako and Isako found themselves in towards the end of the series. I know full well what Asian primary school students are like - I grew up in Hong Kong, where the competition is as fierce as anywhere else in the world.

– Didn’t work? What do you mean? Are you suggesting that young people cannot break down after being wallowed up in isolation, sadness, and/or hate for several years? Do you not know the three stages of aftereffects after someone you deeply care for dies?

I did write that the breakdown scene of Isako was one scene that DID work for me. What I can’t take seriously is seeing these kids in situations where their lives are threatened, situations they are very often put into by a 17 year old whose motives I find cannot possibly justify the kind of insane actions he’s taking. Or how they can act the way they did in the face of death.

– Wow - what an ignorant comment. Believe me; these physical and mental abuses happen all the time, even more so in developed Asian countries , where competition is fierce - this series is not exaggerated at all

Lupus: Yet a lot of the other dramatic moments just didn’t work. Not when Yasako spent a whole episode pondering the meaning of reality after Densuke’s death, not when Isako struggled to come to grip with her betrayal…

– Didn’t work? What do you mean? Are you suggesting that young people cannot break down after being wallowed up in isolation, sadness, and/or hate for several years? Do you not know the three stages of aftereffects after someone you deeply care for dies?

Lupus: “It’s probably my pre-conceived bias of how primary school kids should act. Daisuke and Fumie are the common primary school kids I expected, and I failed to come to grip with Isako’s and Yasako’s actions and reactions.”

– Wow, you must have went to an elementary school where everyone acted bratty. There are lots of children like Yasako and Isako. Actually, even Fumie has an ambition that many children don’t have.

I appreciate all the comments which state why they disagree with me without feeling the need to insult me on top of that.

I think this series was trying to make a wake-up-call to young children, and to lift them from social ignorance: playing with something that looks harmless at first can transform into something deadly. There’s nothing wrong and out-of-place with teaching serious materials to a young audience. The light-heartedness at the beginning was just to get children adjusted to the characters and the future environment/tech - nothing but fillers - and that’s also what’s interesting; not many series use this approach. Once the young audiences get adjusted, the series transfers to a more didactic and dark tone. I think many children, both older and younger, can learn and enjoy this series at the same time.

OH WAIT, it’s because those pacing issues are secondary in comparison with the great execution of the rest of the series. There’s no perfect series, but there are some series that are cut above the rest in some areas. In Dennou Coil, many of the middle episodes help with the transition between the early, more playful episodes, and the latter, serious ones. The themes in those episodes range from the childish to the more serious, right before the final run that slowly begins to reveal all of the series’ mysteries.
So, yes, in some people’s eyes, this show might seem like a let down, but to people who know and appreciate a good mystery, this show is solid gold, all around.

One particular moment that stood out was when Isako broke down at Yasako’s home - this young girl, who has stood on the strength of her belief for so long, has finally lost it. It was to me a very well written moment that made her more realistic to me, and I loved it.

Yet a lot of the other dramatic moments just didn’t work. Not when Yasako spent a whole episode pondering the meaning of reality after Densuke’s death, not when Isako struggled to come to grip with her betrayal (what was that whole scene at and after the empty hospital room? What are we watching, some conspiracy theorist spy flick?); and, most importantly, when Michiko and Yasako fought over where Isako should go. They didn’t work at all. At least, I couldn’t take them seriously.

It’s probably my pre-conceived bias of how primary school kids should act. Daisuke and Fumie are the common primary school kids I expected, and I failed to come to grip with Isako’s and Yasako’s actions and reactions. I expected Miyazaki, a journey of growth and realisation (which I suppose it is, seeing how the latter half dealt with how Isako came to grip with the death of the brother she relied on), but what I got was a whole lot more melodramatic than what I was prepared to deal with.

It needn’t all be light-hearted, but I certainly did not expect life-or-death struggles involving vengeful and rogue computer AI, separation of body and soul/consciousness or a ruthless murderer seeking revenge for the wrong done to his dead father.

Personally, I thought the darkness gave the series a strong finish, but I can understand that it is can be a turn-off as well. ^^