Now and Then, Here and There
Now and Then, Here and There (今、そこにいる僕, I who am Now There) feels older than it is, in many ways. The show aired in 1999, but its artwork is a distinct throwback to the rounded, organic style of 80's and early 90's anime. Its plot, too, feels out-of-place among modern anime: slow, deliberate pacing; meticulous care devoted to realism (despite the fantasy/sci-fi setting); little comedy and no breaking the "fourth wall." It is very much like Fantastic Children in those respects, so much so that I would consider Fantastic Children the spiritual successor to Now and Then, Here and There.
Matsutani Shuzo
The style that worked so well for Fantastic Children also works wonderfully for Now and Then, Here and There, giving its story a gravitas that makes it heartwrenching to watch at times. The characters are eminently believable, from the honest but painfully naive protagonist Shuzo ("Shu") to the megalomaniacal antagonist Hamdo and his right-hand woman Abelia. That's due in large part to the skillful voice acting: especially given the lack of background for Hamdo and Abelia, good voice acting performances are essential to the characters' credibility and coherence.
King Hamdo looks quite friendly and not at all threatening, doesn't he?
I hereby nominate Abelia for Best Henchman, 1999.
The plot goes part and parcel with the characters: very few exaggerations or coincidences, and no pulled punches. With few exceptions (assuming the show's initial premises), the entire plot seems like it could easily happen in reality. There aren't many surprising "plot twists" so much as a carefully woven, mostly straightforward tale that relies on its characters for tension.
Lala Ru has quite possibly the fewest lines of any major character I've seen, and she pretty much always wears this expression. Despite (because of?) that, I like her.
The art looks old, as I mentioned, but it is well-animated (as in Fantastic Children); the music complements the story perfectly, establishing or assisting the creation of mood as necessary. The only overall flaws I found, in fact, are the two I mentioned: a lack of background or motivation for Hamdo and Abelia, and one or two cases of stretched credibility in the events of the plot.
Why is King Hamdo such a mean person? The world may never know.
The verdict? Excellent. Now and Then, Here and There excels in all the ways Fantastic Children does, and I can't imagine anyone liking one but not the other. You need to watch this, but do so when you're in the mood for something serious.