The quote above refers to the tagline of the series and sounds very poetic and nice IMO. Since this show is an anthology of six different stories(although the last two have a minor connection) I will review each story on its own, and then the show as a whole.

No Longer Human: Brilliant. The mood of this story was so heavy and thick you could practically touch it. His monologues really sold his pain, anguish and aspiration of wanting to be normal. Also his inner monster was really well designed. Simple, yet oh so terrifying. Rating:5/5

In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom: I guess you could say that this story is an excellent example of the saying "love makes you do stupid things". There´s no real arguing from the guy, he just follows his womans order and aids her in her very disturbing hobby. And what is up with his fear of sakura blossoms?! I mean I know, most phobias are irrational, but I just don´t see the point of having it in there, unless you´re going to give it an explanation and a meaning. Maybe I missed it. Oh well, the action was decent. Rating: 2/5

Kokoro: Intresting but very short story. Doing it from two perspectives also shows how very different a series of events can be interpreted depending on who you are. Some minor inconsistencies between the versions(that actually shouldn´t have been there, I know they have to differ somewhat since it IS different perspectives) knock it down a little though. Rating: 2,5/5

Run Melos: Really liked this story. Especially the way they weaved together the past and the present into a coherent plot. It was also very emotional. That greek play sounded very intresting as well, would have been intresting to see an extended version of that :) Rating: 4/5

The Spiders Thread: Simple, but still entertaining. Probably would have helped if the writers gave the viewers at least something to sympathise with the main character. As it is, you feel somewhat indifferent to what becomes his faith. Still, the ending is really well done and the symbolism with the spider and everything is outstanding(really trippy interpretation of hell as well :D ). Oh, and the feudal environment it takes place in was a nice touch. Rating: 3/5

Hell Screen: Takes place in the same setting but follow slightly different people. I like how effectively it shows the emperors ruthlessness, and the artists dilemma is a classic one. There is a pretty tragic twist near the end that strengthens the whole story very well. Rating: 4/5

Before each story there was this clip of a guy standing in what looked like a library giving a short introduction to the author and story you were about to see. It was really smart and makes you want to look into the original novel the episode is based on.

PS! The title of the show literally translates to "Blue Literature".
Overall rating: 4/5 (show less)

Animating five classic Japanese stories is an amazing concept. And each story is executed so differnently and artisticaly; the artwork reflects the mood of each story. Every story offeres somthing new and unique: comedy, drama, romance, action, philosophy, you name it, it's there. You go from the seriousness of the story, "No Longer Human" to the morbidly hilarious "Sakura no mori no mankai no shita", to the saddness of "Kokoro" and the heart wrenching beauty of "Run Melos" to the visually stunning world of "The Spiders Thread", and "Hell Screen". They make me want to check out the original stories, which are hard to aquire as I discovered. If you are the type of anime fan that only watches mainstream, generic anime then this series is not for you. If you are the type of fan that branches their interests to many different things and wants to watch something visually appealing and thought provoking, then you shouln't pass this one up. (show less)

Dark, depresssing and has great meaning behind it. A complelation of many different japanese literature turned anime. Wonderfullly portraied in beautiful and dark colors. A dive into the minds of people who know longer want to live and try to restart again only to fail. Ups and downs of a normal ife combined with the random occurances of daily life.

The animation varies from story to story. In No Longer Human the style is dark and grainy to add to the dark theme of the story. Pay close attention because the scenes tend to switch instantly and you can get lost if you're paying attention. Action is limited due to trying to keep the story in the mood. Under the Cherry Bloosom is probably the most action you'll get but also one of more disturbing one. Run, Melos has the sadest story and a very deep meaning to it as well.

Overall great and makes me want to go out and find the actual books. To anyone who likes drama, horror or psych anime this is a must watch. (show less)