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
Producers
Source
OTHER
Genres
Drama, Psychological, ThrillerRomaji
Aoi Bungaku Series
English
Blue Literature Series
Native
青い文学シリーズ
Relations
ALTERNATIVE
Ningen Shikkaku
MANGA · FINISHED
ALTERNATIVE
Hashire Melos
SPECIAL · FINISHED
Characters
Yoshihide
MAIN
Masato Sakai
JAPANESE
K
MAIN
Rikiya Koyama
JAPANESE
Kandata
MAIN
Mamoru Miyano
JAPANESE
Takada
MAIN
Hidenobu Kiuchi
JAPANESE
Yozo Oba
MAIN
Masato Sakai
JAPANESE
Akiko
MAIN
Nana Mizuki
JAPANESE
Shigemaru
MAIN
Masato Sakai
JAPANESE
Sensei
MAIN
Masato Sakai
JAPANESE
Joshima
SUPPORTING
Tomokazu Seki
JAPANESE
King
SUPPORTING
Daisuke Namikawa
JAPANESE
Staff
Nana Mizuki
Insert Song Performance
Tite Kubo
Original Character Design (eps 5-6, 11-12)
Takeshi Obata
Original Character Design (eps 1-4, 7-8)
Takeshi Konomi
Original Character Design (eps 9-10)
Tetsurou Araki
Director (eps 5-6)
Tetsurou Araki
Episode Director (ep 6)
Tetsurou Araki
Key Animation (ep 6)
Tetsurou Araki
Storyboard (eps 5-6)
Morio Asaka
Director (eps 1-4)
Morio Asaka
Episode Director (ep 4)
Status Distribution
- CURRENT
1689 Users
- PLANNING
25125 Users
- COMPLETED
12694 Users
- DROPPED
1594 Users
- PAUSED
1957 Users