Writer: Harold Sakuishi
Director: Osamu Kobayashi
Production House: Madhouse
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Shounen, Music, Slice of Life
Vintage: October 2004-March 2005
Episodes: 26
Synopsis
Beck revolves around an average 14 year old boy named Yukio, or Koyuki as addressed by his friends, who enters junior high with two childhood acquaintances. Coincidentally one of his childhood buddies is kind of a perv, and ironically the other is one of the most popular girls in high school. Koyuki's seemingly uneventful life takes a turn in the opposite direction when he saves an odd-looking dog going by the name of Beck, from some kids that was bullying him. As it turns out, Beck's owner is a budding rock musician named Ryusuke Minami, who soon influences Koyuki to learn playing the guitar, even giving him his first one to practice with. As time goes by Ryusuke and Koyuki formed a band named BECK, and proceeded to play a few gigs. The plot mainly focuses on the trials and tribulations, and also the hardships of the band, and also Koyuki's relationships with its members, particularly Ryusuke and his sister Maho.
Chibi's Chop Squad Comments
Being a music student, a came across Beck during my first year in college. I didn't come across the anime with people's recommendations though, it was just me trying to link both my loves of anime and music together, and upon shopping for some anime I got recommended by the friendly store owner to purchase a copy.
I was pleasantly surprised at how addictive the anime was. You get a story in the veins of a coming of age of sorts with Koyuki, who was a nerdy little kid who wasn't very popular (what'd you expect? It's a shounen title), blooming into a really good frontman and guitarist for his band, also making a name for himself along the way. For rock music fans, Beck pays homage to a lot of rock icons past, present and future, and many references are strewn about each episode. Even the band itself is an homage to a few rock stars, with Beck's main vocalist Chiba's appearance, style and attitude are based on Zach de la Rocha (from Rage Against the Machine). Ryusuke is a merging of Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) , and the way Koyuki sings is reminiscent to the pose Liam Gallagher makes when he sings (Oasis). Even the guitar Ryusuke covets, nicknamed 'Lucille', is a reference to blues legend B.B. King's guitar with the same name. With this much attention put into all the little details, I spent many an hour re-watching the anime over and over looking for any reference to any rock icon that I may have missed during my first viewing of the show.
The pacing of the plot is set at a slower pace than most shounen fare, which in my opinion is a wise decision on the director's part. This helps the viewer to ease into the story, and significant developments are well placed in terms of delivery, making the flow more of an easygoing kind of feel than the usual frenetic pace often seen in standard shounen fare. The transition from Koyuki's humble beginnings to enigmatic frontman are also set in a logical pace (where most shounen stuff are highly illogical), and you don't actually see Koyuki getting from zero to hero quickly, rather he has to practice and practice to actually get that good, much like in real life.
Beck's strong point is in the unique focus on rock music, but it might also be it's weakest point. Viewers who aren't fans of rock music (if there are any) might not find this series as interesting or relevant. The sound however in this anime is awesome, the songs are catchy and I would think that most rock music fans would enjoy its soundtrack. It was also quite amusing to see some of the characters trying to converse in English (as Ryusuke and Maho used to study in the States), and most of the English dialogue include a good amount of cursing. The quality of the animation, although quite decent, is pretty questionable given today's standards, but seeing the focal point in this series is actually the music, I guess it is permissible (hey it's not like we're watching Beavis and Butthead here).
All in all, I would recommend Beck to newcomers and also veteran otakus looking for something new than the usual shounen fare. The story and character development are good, and watching Koyuki's social life and musical talent grow are both pretty compelling, particularly when the band starts taking off. A must watch for musicians and music fans alike.
Chibi's Review
Storyline: 4/5
Character Development: 5/5
Art: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
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