Aoi Bungaku Series
Aoi Bungaku Series

Aoi Bungaku Series

The series consists of adaptations of six modern classics of Japanese literature: Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) & Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!), Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro, Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) & The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito), and Ango Sakaguchi's In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita).

No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) - A high school student becomes lost and alienated. Despondent and aimless, he falls into a cycle of self abuse, depression and drugs that taints his life for years. Told in three chapters, each chapter deals with a different point in his life and the final chapter leaves him standing alone - an empty and hollow charicature of his former self.

In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom (Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita) - A love story between a 12th-century woman and a mountain bandit who abducts her.

Kokoro - A 1914 tale of a young man's life journey during the Meiji era. The work deals with the transition from the Japanese Meiji society to the modern era, by exploring the friendship between a young man and an older man he calls "Sensei". It continues the theme of isolation developed in Soseki's previous works, here in the context of interwoven strands of egoism and guilt, as opposed to shame.

Run Melos! (Hashire Melos!) - An updated retelling of a classic Greek tale of the story of Damon and Pythias. The most prominent theme of "Run Melos!" is unwavering friendship. Despite facing hardships, the protagonist Melos does his best to save his friend's life, and in the end his efforts are rewarded.

The Spider's Thread (Kumo no Ito) - The Buddha Shakyamuni chances to notice a cold-hearted criminal suffering in Hell. But this criminal did perform one single act of kindness in not stepping on a spider in a forest. Moved by this selfless act, Shakyamuni takes the silvery thread of a spider in Paradise and lowers it down into Hell, but it falls upon the criminal to seize the opportunity and pull himself out - if he can.

Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen) - A famous artist is commissioned by a great lord to create a series of paintings depicting scenes of the 'Buddhist Hell'. The artist is unable to paint scenes that he has not seen himself, prompting him to torture and torment the Lord's staff to create his imagined images of hell. His creative efforts taint the household, as the story descends into madness and destruction.

(Source: AniDB)

Rankings

  • #26 highest rated of 2009

  • #20 most popular of 2009

  • #7 highest rated of FALL 2009

  • #8 most popular of FALL 2009

Data

  • Format

    TV

  • Episodes

    12

  • Episode Duration

    22 minutes

  • Status

    FINISHED

  • Start Date

    Wed Nov 11 2009

  • End Date

    Wed Jan 27 2010

  • Season

    FALL 2009

  • Average Score

    73%

  • Mean Score

    73%

  • Popularity

    43059

  • Favourites

    474

  • Studios

    MADHOUSE

  • Producers

  • Source

    OTHER

  • Genres

    Drama, Psychological, Thriller
  • Romaji

    Aoi Bungaku Series

  • English

    Blue Literature Series

  • Native

    青い文学シリーズ

Tags

  • Classic Literature

    92%

  • Tragedy

    90%

  • Philosophy

    86%

  • Anthology

    85%

  • Historical

    84%

  • Suicide

    80%

  • Autobiographical

    73%

  • Urban

    70%

  • Primarily Adult Cast

    67%

  • Gore

    60%

  • War

    60%

  • Drawing

    60%

  • Rape

    46%

  • Politics

    40%

  • Trains

    40%

  • Rural

    40%

  • Demons

    40%

  • Ojou-sama

    35%

  • Female Harem

    20%

  • Writing

    20%

  • Fairy Tale

    20%

  • Afterlife

    20%

  • Delinquents

    20%

  • Psychosexual

    20%

Relations

  • Hashire Melos!

    ALTERNATIVE

    Hashire Melos!

    MOVIE · FINISHED

  • Ningen Shikkaku

    ALTERNATIVE

    Ningen Shikkaku

    MANGA · FINISHED

  • Kumo no Ito (2000)

    ALTERNATIVE

    Kumo no Ito (2000)

    OVA · FINISHED

  • Hashire Melos

    ALTERNATIVE

    Hashire Melos

    SPECIAL · FINISHED

Characters

1 / 500

Staff

1 / 500
  • Nana Mizuki

    Nana Mizuki

    Insert Song Performance

  • Tite Kubo

    Tite Kubo

    Original Character Design (eps 5-6, 11-12)

  • Takeshi Obata

    Takeshi Obata

    Original Character Design (eps 1-4, 7-8)

  • Takeshi Konomi

    Takeshi Konomi

    Original Character Design (eps 9-10)

  • Tetsurou Araki

    Tetsurou Araki

    Director (eps 5-6)

  • Tetsurou Araki

    Tetsurou Araki

    Episode Director (ep 6)

  • Tetsurou Araki

    Tetsurou Araki

    Key Animation (ep 6)

  • Tetsurou Araki

    Tetsurou Araki

    Storyboard (eps 5-6)

  • Morio Asaka

    Morio Asaka

    Director (eps 1-4)

  • Morio Asaka

    Morio Asaka

    Episode Director (ep 4)

Status Distribution

  • CURRENT

    1689 Users

  • PLANNING

    25125 Users

  • COMPLETED

    12694 Users

  • DROPPED

    1594 Users

  • PAUSED

    1957 Users

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