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Studio : SHAFT
Length : 10 Episodes
Year : 2006
Genre : Romance - Comedy
Synopsis :
Fumihiko invited a co-worker of his to the movies, but was stood up. When he was about to throw away the movie tickets, a young girl convinces him (in a rather strange way) to save the tickets. The young girl ends up watching the movie with him and then dinner. They soon find out that they live in the same neighborhood. However, a large fire destructs the girl's home and she's left nowhere to stay. Fumihiko then suggests she go to his place to stay.
And thus starts the relationship that's a bit further than "just friends", but not quite lovers. During a heated moment, Fumihiko finally finds that her name is Aka, and she's a rookie seiyuu (voice actress).
Side Note : There are 9 TV episodes, but 10 episodes including the bonus 8th ep.
Added : 2006-01-30
Synopsis by : Himitsu
Last update : 2007-12-31
Last update details : Seiyuu modified
Score : 8.47
Number of reviews : 17
Link(s) :
Official #1 : TBS' REC Website (Japanese)
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : Sakai Kanako - Cheer ~Makka na Kimochi~
Ending #1 : BRACE;d - Devotion
Release(s) :
2007-04-06 -- Episode(s) 10 by Eien no Anime. BT Link
2007-04-06 -- Episode(s) 9 by Eien no Anime. BT Link
2006-09-20 -- Episode(s) 7 by Eien no Anime. BT Link
Found 54 releases. Click here to [ Find them! ]
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Posted by : joykimlee
Posted on : 2009-09-22  
Short, sweet, simple = super satisfying. Joy of living together for the first time brings happiness and frustrations that can lead to better understanding of one's feelings for the other. Short drama yet it's able to portray depth into the characters and their realistic reactions to one another, which the audience can easily relate to if you were in the same situation. Sweet sentimental feeling with light laughs here and there, whilst able to steer a tear or two in several episodes. Simple romance for its slow to admit love story which isn't boring but instead adds sparkle to a boring career bachelor's lifestyle. Satisfying for its happy ending that flutters hearts. Must watch for real romance fans of both genders!
Posted by : chile25
Posted on : 2007-05-07
This anime was vey good in terms of pretty much everything.
8/10 story- The two meet with the main character being stood up and this girl goes out with him instead. He later sees that her house burns down and he offers her a place to stay. The whole story is about their love life and how they finally become a couple. I have to admit that I stayed up really late just to finish this series because I was so into it. haha
10/10- characters- I loved the two main characters, they were just made for eatchother. Also the guy gives me a big Manaka vibe and im a big fan of ichigo 100% so that helped me like him even more. The girl was very cute and shy and truly falls in love.
Overall this is a good anime and I hope that they will continue with the story like the manga has.
Posted by : Himitsu 
Posted on : 2007-04-27
Love the OP and ED to this anime. "Devotion" sort of sounds like a song that Ayumi Hamasaki would sing. I'm beginning to like Brace;d, they also did Karin's OP: "Scarlet". The OP song is... well... cheery. It has a great beat where I can't help but dance along to it (alone of course...).
The seiyuu for Aka, Kanako Sakai was really talented, and for good reason. If her performance was poor this anime would be really disappointing. It is about voice acting afterall. Kanako was able to create many distinct voice works (notably two), it's hard to believe that it's the same person. Is it?
I wish I knew more about Audrey Hepburn and her movies. I bet it would have been an extra kick to be able to pinpoint her quotes and their signifiance to the story. But even so, I still enjoyed REC for what it gave.
So what did REC offer?
We'll skip out on the obvious "enjoyment" factor. REC gave realistic situations, and portrayed very real feelings of each character. This is especially noted when they displayed the characters misunderstanding one another - this is seen in every relationship, and while it's annoying to watch, it's very true. Secondly, there were some funny situations where they managed to get a chuckle out of me. Lastly, it was simply charming. An unexplainable attraction to this series, a nudge each time to watch more.
REC is the perfect example for the description, "short and sweet".
Posted by : taglish123
Posted on : 2007-03-23
This is an interesting anime. First of all, it's only 9 episodes and they're 12 minutes each. I've never experienced that before. Second, Aka's voice sounds a lot more younger than what she's suppose to be. I didn't pay too much attention to that particular detail because it would cause me to give a lesser score.
The story in itself is excellent. It is a true love story. They portrayed the things that most couples in real life go through pretty accurately...both good and bad. I say that because the characters are very relatable. It reminded me some of the things I did with my girlfriend back in the day, now my wife. I had cold shivers going down my spine watching and saying to myself, "I wouldn't do that if I were you" hehehe
Music during the sad moments is really moving. A lot of the emotions were intensified. This was lacking while reading some of the manga.
Posted by : du5k
Posted on : 2007-03-04
This is a very short anime. Well, shorter than any series I know of (I think), which even the episodes span only 9 minutes (without the song). So actually the whole thing is only into taking a quick look into the lives of these two people, some problems they faced and how they took further their relationship, and with a short main climax at the end.
It ain’t bad, but there are very little things in the anime you can relate to and remember after watching it. You might enjoy it, but after that, you probably won’t care about it anymore, unlike anime like Mai-Otome and Fate-Stay Night which probably makes you addicted even after watching it.
I’ve never liked this kind of color style that REC has used; it’s excessively bright. The music isn’t really impressive either, and it doesn’t have a ending theme anyway.
Ironic they chose a VA to voice for a VA, especially when the VA is just a newbie (I mean the real one, not Aka). Well, it might be good that she can sound like Audrey Hepburn, but her crying sucks.
Since it’s so short, it’ll might be a worthy watch, unless you’re looking for development heavy plots (like I do). Though it might be one of the best light hearted anime out there, it’ll most likely just be a watch-and-forget.
Posted by : Ikuzou
Posted on : 2007-01-09
Very enjoyable, though it seems to be like watching a little mini series rather than a full anime due to the fact that each episode is only around 9-10 minutes long. The main characters are all likable and fairly well developed.
Story Overview
When Matsumaru was stood up from a date with a co-worker, he just about had it. But right before he could throw away his tickets, a girl appeared saying that the tickets would be sad if they weren't used. So, she ends up going to the movies with him. Later, Matsumaru learns that this girl is trying to become a voice actress. But later that night, he finds Aka again, only with her house burnt to the ground completely. So he invites her to stay with him. And the story continues as they end up working together...
Animation/Artwork
The animation is fluid and all the characters look just right. The main character, Matsumaru, is drawn somewhat plain, but it only accentuates how fabulous the aspiring voice actor and something of a girlfriend, Aka, looks in comparison. Everything is drawn, for the most part, in bright colors, though there are a few sections where there are really dark environments to suit the mood. Only problem I see is sometimes the brightness makes lines a little hard to see.
Sound
Above average. The beginning theme is catchy and is the typical j-pop type of song. This anime, surprisingly has no ending theme. The sounds and background music don't stand out that much, though they dont interfere with the show either.
Overall
It was very fun watching it. The light-hearted theme and romance going on (despite the denial of the main characters!) make this anime worth watching, if only once. Also recommended with this is the manga, which expands the story a little bit.
Posted by : Volt-Dragonhunter
Posted on : 2006-11-29 
First, this is my first review and english is also not my native tongue.
A lot of courage is needed to write a review in a foreign language, but I brought up all my bravery to write this because this series is just amazing.
Maybe the animation isn't that great, the music is also not bad but not really worth speaking of , but the story is just ways too great for our world.
I almost cried, and that doesn't happen often.
I looked all episodes in one row.
That was the objective review, now the subjective.
Character(8/10)
The characters are really well made, everyone has his one style, the shy Aka, the a little bit stupid but nice Matsumoto, and also Aku's Manager and Matsumoto's Friend.
Music(7/10)
Typically J-Pop, nothing special about it, not too great and not too bad.
Story(10/10)
It's a great story with ups and downs. A really lovely romance between two shy people, nevertheless with great personalities. Nothing more to say, or at least I can't say anything more.
Animation(9/10)
It's not the greatest animation but it's well made and cute, perfect for a romance. None of the people are too beautiful to be realistic, but Aka is cute^^.
It could be a bit longer, but its great for a story with such a length.
Posted by : Baboonbutte
Posted on : 2006-10-15
I like this anime. I think it's so sweet. The couple just suits so well. =>
I especially like nekoki! It's so funny! I like how the characters get caught up in real life embarassing situations and how the short anime can show the ups and down of their relationship. I also find the lively opening theme very good, and that the animation perfect for the story. The characters are not over-beautiful or out of proportion, they look like the average japanese person, which fits in with the story. The characters' emotions are conveyed very well in this anime, and the personalities of the main characters are excellently portrayed.
The anime were very easy to digest as each episode is only about 10 minutes, and there are only 9 episodes. Although the story isn't widely expanded, it managed to give a clear and rounded ending, which I like. I recommend this to everyone because it doesn't really take too much time to watch the whole series, and it's worth the time! =)
Posted by : xristyan
Posted on : 2006-09-26
This is one of those animes I would call a sleeper hit. How so? Well for one thing there wasn’t a big hubbub about it before it got out. Another is that it is an uber short series, heck; even the length of each episode was short. And the story isn’t that all encompassing like other animes. But what made this thing click? Well, I don’t know really. It’s just one of those animes that are just entertaining to watch.
Barely making 12 minutes each episode you will find that you are actually satisfied with each showing. They show just enough to make you hang on and enough for you to figure out the episode. And with an easy enough to understand story you will just focus on being entertained.
Art/Animation (8): I know it isn’t the best one out there but they made it well enough to have me entertained and not finding myself commenting on how bad the art is when I do find an anime with uber crappy art/animation. Basically im saying its so-so… :D
Story (9): It’s not complicated at all to understand. Just a slice-of-life of a seiyuu with a romantic twist. I don’t think there has been any other anime that features a seiyuu as their character.
Music (7): Like most other music I have heard in animes this is just so-so. Enough to compliment the show but not that radical enough to be an all time great.
Characters (8): Since this anime is short there won’t be much development on them but the series did manage to develop the two main protagonists of the story which left me satisfied enough.
To end I would advise for you to give this series a shot. It won’t be an all time classic but a good watch nonetheless. It won’t be that much of a sacrifice seeing as how short the series is… :D
Posted by : StrykerBlue
Posted on : 2006-09-13
Going into this anime, I didn't realize that each episode was only twelve minutes each. That coupled with the fact that there are only nine episodes leaves me with mixed feelings.
Ups:
REC is a fantastic romance. After Aka and Matsumaru's passionate encounter, not five blocks from the smoldering ruins of Aka's apartment, the two seperate physically to protect their reputations as professional businesspersons. The fiery love that they shared that first night, however, was never doused. In the short time that the anime runs, the two experience several difficulties with their peculiar relationship, but grow more fond of each other by the day. In the end, the two decide to start going out, and the anime ends with a touching scene where Matsumaru welcomes Aka home one last time.
The art itself wasn't all that remarkable, but the cinematography (or the anime equivalent) was something special. Many scenes were shot from unusual angles, so the viewer is always surprised by what he sees. Smoothe character reaction and movement was also a boon to the anime overall.
The humor in REC was especially enjoyable. Almost all of the next episode previews had me slapping my thigh due to the frankness of what Aka would say. Several scenes during the anime forced me to pause and laugh until it hurt.
Downs:
As aforementioned, the anime is extremely short. After watching REC in one sitting, which was easy enough, I was left feeling unfullfilled. I'm a sucker for romance, and this anime does a wonderful job portraying some of the awkwardness the two roommates experienced; but in the end, after both had acknowledged their love for each other, there was no further development.
The opening song is ridiculous. Sakai-san's voice is incredibly high, and almost makes me feel like I'm watching Chobits. It does set the overall light mood of the anime, though. Intra-episode music was nothing special, either.
Overall:
REC was definately worth watching. The style that the studio used was unexpected at times, and always fresh and new. The fact that Matsumaru looks like a regular person while Aka is the stereotypical anime girl was a nice change from all characters having anime eyes and only looking different because of their hair style. The fact that the story doesn't go off on tangents to explore secondary characters was a welcome change as well.
The reason why the anime receives an 8/10 instead of a high score is only because of the disappointing length.
Posted by : Faebinder
Posted on : 2006-06-07
Funny, I don't know how I ended up watching this anime. I was very impressed. The romance in this story was very typical of real life situations. Details.
Artwork: 8/10. Above average but nothing to write home about. The characters were well drawn but all done very typical of anime characters. No fluid scenes.
Music: 7/10. Unimpressive music. Opening and heading were weak. Intraepisode music was unremarkable.
Story: 10/10. Probably one of the best romance story put together. What made the story great was the fact that it was 9 episodes and each episode was approximately 12 minutes. This made it like a long movie and no fillers were present. Many of the feelings and situations in the series was pretty much like a real life relationship.
Character Design: 8/10. Not the best I have seen because there are typicality in much of the setup such as the manager being a woman taking care of the voice actress who happens to be shy. Many of the characteristics were unbelievable but overall the characters were well done such that if you overlook the typical setup for them then you will see a well constructed character.
Enjoyment: 9/10. I had to add this part to mention how much I truly enjoyed this anime. While there was nothing unexpected in the story, there was multiple situations where I was able to relate to my past experience with work and relationship. So for someone older, this anime probably comes close to resembling past experiences to watchers, thus enjoying it more.
Watch it... Even if you are not into romance animes, it's short so it wont be a heavy load.
Posted by : seefutbow
Posted on : 2006-05-04
REC is a short and sweet series that tugs at your heart strings and makes you pull for the characters to come together. I really enjoyed watching REC, as it encompassed a lot of the different aspects that I look for in anime.
REC is about an aspiring voice-actress named Onda Aka, who one day coincidentally bumps into Matsumaru Fumihiko, who happens to work at an advertising agencies. Due to some unfortunate circumstance, the two end up living together. The series details how the two experience and deal with the successes and failures that the characters themselves face and also the successes and failures the other faces.
Highlights:
-The characters had very attractive and colorful designs. Onda Aka was animated very well, though she didn't look like she was 20 years old. Each character also had very colorful hair. The animators used a grayish color to line the characters and their features, such as eyebrows and eyes. The gray coloring really provided a unique look to the characters.
-The voice-acting was very well done as it was a series about a voice-actress. Each voice-actor and actress really brought their character to life. The feelings each character was experiencing was personified by their voice-actors.
-The music in Rec was very good. Each song reflected the mood in its respective scene quite well. The opening song was also very upbeat and matched the fun and upbeat character that Onda Aka is.
-The characters in REC all felt very real. Their actions and reactions to their situations were very human, in that I could definitely see people reacting like they did. The likeness to real people made it easier to sympathize with the main characters.
Lows:
-The only thing I didn't enjoy about REC would probably be the short length. I really looked forward every week to watching Rec, yet each episode would only last about 10 minutes. Though the series did a wonderful job of fleshing out the relationship between Aka and Matsumaru, I just wish it was longer.
Er...:
-REC had some very unique coloring in a few of the night time scenes. The characters would be colored in unique colors that were not just darker variations of their original colors (i.e. red to dark red). The unique coloring made the characters look quite awkward at times.
REC is a short and sweet romance with a little bit of humor thrown in from time to time. With an attractive female lead, great characters, and good music and voice-acting, REC is definitely a show I'd recommend to anyone. Though REC doesn't seem to fail anywhere, it also doesn't exactly excel in any of it's aspects as well as one would like. The series deserves an 8 because it doesn't excel to the point that it is able to push itself above other series. If you're looking for a fun, short, romance series, REC is for you.
Posted by : Acextreme
Posted on : 2006-04-16
Synopsis:
Read fRoZeNhEaRt's review (below mine). That's the synopsis...well, I think fRoZeNhEaRt did a really great job writing it so read fRoZeNhEaRt's work... ^.^
Review:
Well, REC is definitely unlike your typical anime. First off, it's a very short series of 9 episodes, each episode with about 10 minutes of actual content, meaning after deduction of the opening and ending. In other words, you can finish the series in 90 minutes. It's very short, as you can see.
You would probably think how far can the story develop in such a short time, right? Well, you are in for a surprise. In fact, I would say story development and plot is WAY better than most of the full-blown anime series out there, it's that great.
And I really enjoyed this series, very satisfying. It's a very sweet romance between the 2 main characters. Even in such a short time span, the anime did exceptionally well in developing the 2 main characters, which is just amazing. No beating around the bush. Very straight to the point and concise. All animes should be of this quality.
Apart from the romance, bits of comedy are planted throughout the series, making for some pretty humorous instances. Something else worth noting, both the drawings and the personality of the lead female character is very cute, I would say. Oh, how very sweet she is...and the voice too. Cool!
This series is definitely highly recommended!
Posted by : fresh_no_concept
Posted on : 2006-04-14
REC comes from out of the blue. Running at the length of nine 12-minute episodes (two of which are devoted to the opening sequence), it sure has its work cut out. Most animes cannot successfully flesh out characters and stories in the usual 26 episode span, so for REC to pull it off in a 90-minute window is absolutely ludicrous, right?
There's nothing truly flashy or outrageous in REC's storyline. In fact, much like the series was during its nine week run, the story runs under the radar. In the end, it is a simple love story through and through. What caught my attention, however, is the exploration into the life of seiyuus. Surely, the seiyuu business should have been exploited and abused by anime plotlines by now. Surprisingly, REC is the first anime that I have come across to present the struggles and stories of those who bring life and voice to the entertainment medium that we all know and love. It does come off as unique and refreshing and because of that, I will forego harping on the cliched and predictable love story (it does deserve mention, though). Then again, there is only so much you can stuff into 90 minutes and I applaud REC for flowing as smoothly as it does.
REC does not have the time to introduce many characters, let alone develop them. To that end, the series focuses only on two characters: Aka Onda and Fumihiko Matsumaru. It is quite interesting how these two end up living together. They surely do not go through the typical anime relationship in the beginning and I found that to be a nice little spin. Aka is the true star as she is the one who strives to be a popular voice actress, ultimately reaching for her goal: a chance to dub an Audrey Hepburn movie. Her constant quoting of the famous actress is really cute as Aka tries to live her life based on what her idol has said in the past. Matsumaru and Aka have friends and co-workers but they only serve as means to further the story and not much else.
The technical side of REC does not dissapoint. The animation is bright, bouncy and pleasant to the eyes. Given its short span, I should expect nothing less but the fact that the animation studio didn't cut corners still deserves praise. The music is embodied by its opening theme and can be described much in the same manner as the animation. Nothing really stands out visually or audibly, but at least REC wasn't painful to look at or listen to. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
In the end, REC does very little to stand out from the rest of the romantic anime crowd. However, it boasts a light-hearted love story and mild comedy to provide an entertaining series. The fact that the anime runs under two hours only raises the appeal to at least give the episodes a try. I'll say that I am quite satisfied with what I was presented with and would not mind more stories involving Aka and Matsumaru in the future.
Posted by : SSS
Posted on : 2006-04-12
I give this anime a 9, one for each episode in the series... haha, but seriously this is why I gave this anime a 9:
Animation:
I liked the drawings a lot, the plainess of the guy character made Aka stand out even more, plus she's cute to begin with. It's very comfortable to watch.
Characters:
The characters develop well throughout the series, Matsumaru and Aka are the main characters with supporting characters on each side (co-worker and manager, respectively) that mesh well with both moving the story along and making the main characters more human.
Plot:
The great thing about both the short series and short episodes is that everything moves at a good pace. There aren't really any fillers and its very impressive that they were able to fit a very interesting story into this small slot of time. Unfortunately, 9 episodes of 15 minutes just seems a little too short, I wished it would have gone for another 3 episodes or so and that's where I took off the point.
Opinion:
To sum it up, it was a very interesting and sweet series that can easily get suckers like me to be very mushy, but nonetheless, the 15 minute episodes are perfect for in between classes or a short break, so check it out, it doesn't take long.
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