Full Moon wo Sagashite

Searching for a Full Moon

Also Known As: Fuuru Muun wo Sagashite, Mangetsu wo Sagashite, FMwS

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Format: 52 Episodes

Allegiance: Studio Deen/NAS

Director: Kato Toshiyuki

Vintage: 2002-2003

Intelligence Agency Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Because of a promise she made two years ago, 12 year old Kouyama Mitsuki desperately wants to become a singer. However, this is impossible because of a life threatening throat tumour that makes singing or talking loudly very painful. But when the Shinigami duo Negi Ramen tell her that she has only one more year to live, Mitsuki seizes the day and attends the Seed Records New Artists Audition in secret. With a little help, this act starts her on the road to becoming an idol, and puts her closer and closer to fulfilling her promise.

Field Agent Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

8.50
9.25
10.00
8.25
9.75

Overall

9.25

(not an average)

Wow. Simply amazing. It’s not often that I can be absolutely blown away by an anime, and a mahou shoujo to boot. Full Moon wo Sagashite, while appearing to be stereotypical shoujo fare from the outset, quickly develops into one of the most powerful dramas I have ever seen. Trust me, it’s not just another “little girl given magical powers to look cute type�Estory at all.

Like most mahou shoujo anime, Full Moon wo Sagashite starts out slowly, in order for the viewer to get a feel for the characters. However, the show slowly starts to pick up steam by the middle of the first 26 episodes, and by the start of the second 26, has become an unbelievable roller coaster ride, with plot twists and emotion-wrenching moments right up until the powerful grand finale. The characters are all fleshed out rather nicely, and their personalities complement each other and the plot very well. This story also is unique in that it functions without having a direct villain. Instead, there is a very powerful message conveyed to the audience through the story and character of Mitsuki, revealing the true villain of Full Moon wo Sagashite.

Naturally, since it's a show about idols and singers, music and sound play a huge role. Full Moon wo Sagashite’s music can be divided into three categories: songs that have no relevance to the plot, songs that do have relevance to the plot, and background music. The songs that have no relevance to the plot, namely the OP songs by The Scanty, are nice, but don’t really add anything and are generally forgettable. However, the songs "by" groups featured in Full Moon are absolutely amazing, not only by themselves, but in contributing to the mood of various scenes in the show. I remember getting chills down my spine the first time Myself was played. Seiyuu work is commendable, although Mitsuki’s might take some getting used to, and the background tracks, while less spectacular than the vocals, perform their tasks amicably.

With so many high points, it was very hard to find any faults with Full Moon wo Sagashite. Besides the pacing at the beginning being a bit too slow, the songs were slightly overused throughout the series. Other than that, there were no real weaknesses to the show.

Full Moon wo Sagashite is easily one of the best mahou shoujo anime ever made, up there with the likes of Card Captor Sakura. Even if the first half puts you off, don’t stop! Endeavour to make it to the second half and you’ll be rewarded with one of the most powerful and moving dramas in anime.

Field Agent Report by: Lady Sage

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.00
9.75
10.00
8.75
9.25

Overall

9.50

(not an average)

Full Moon wo Sagashite, in many ways, bears more resemblance to mahou shoujo series of old such as Creamy Mami in which the young protagonist is given powers not to save the world, but to simply become an idol and enjoy herself. However, most of those series were nothing more than lighthearted fluff, whereas Full Moon wo Sagashite draws from its rather depressing premise to bring us a series that is, while often bright and fun, at heart a very moving drama.

Admittedly, there is little at first to distinguish FMwS from other series of its breed. The first ? of the series mainly deal with Mitsuki�fs life as an idol singer. While it is necessary to cover such events integral to her rise of fame, some of it is distinctly filler. Some such episodes are very good and entertaining, and serve the series and characters well; a few are frankly dull and serve the series no purpose.

The characters of Full Moon wo Sagashite truly shine. Many of them start of unlikable, from the angry and antisocial Takuto to the selfish and clingy Meroko, but every one of them grows throughout the year that the series takes place over. Mitsuki�fs optimistic, buoyant personality saves the series from becoming a constant downer ? yet, she does have moments where she must cope with her tragic reality, and such moments are heartbreaking. The single character that does not receive sufficient development is Jonathan, an obnoxious Shinigami that serves no purpose.

The music of Full Moon wo Sagashite is consistently good and often excellent, which is fortunate considering how much of the series centers around music. There are only so many songs so they tend to get repetitive, but all of the songs are lovely enough that they are always a pleasure to hear. Myco is a lovely singer ? but she does not, by any stretch of the imagination, sound like a 12-year-old girl. However, she adjusts quickly enough, so that she is on par with the rest of the cast. The seiyuu work is nothing short of outstanding, from newbies including Myco and Saitou Yasuo to veterans Honda Chieko and Ogata Megumi, as everyone brings out the multiple layers of their respective characters.

As the show reaches its final quarter, the filler disappears suddenly, and the tragedy apparent in the premise starts to show through. Everything starts to come together into an emotional rollercoaster ride, building up to a three-hankie ending that is most definitely worth slogging through tedious filler for.