Little premise: I watched this show dubbed in Italian. This obviously affected, to some extent, the way I experienced it.
I was 8 when I first watched it, and since then I rewatched many times with great pleasure.
The Italian dubbing is fairly good. The script could have been better, but the voice acting is just great.
The relationship between Ichigo and Masaya is very mature, considering their ages. The gradual development of their feelings is basically the foundation of the show. Ichigo's love and trust in Masaya, and vice versa, is the real key that determines the defeat of Deep Blue.
I would have preferred them to be just a little older, like in the recent reboot. It would have felt more natural (and probably fit better with the Italian dubbing as well, as the voices make the characters sound more like high-schoolers).
The characters (particularly Ichigo and Masaya) feel solid, as the emotional dynamics develop naturally.
Fascinating the love cube between Ichigo, Masaya, Ryo and Kishu. Each of the male characters seems to represent different facets of love.
Masaya embodies a selfless love, freely expressed and experienced, while Ryo's emotions are clearly hidden and suppressed, as he already knows Ichigo's feelings towards Masaya. Kishu's feelings are possessive and toxic. He eventually redeems himself, risking and losing his life for Ichigo and, later on, using the last remains of Mew Aqua to reverse the destruction caused by Deep Blue.
A shout-out to Masaya's character building. Extremely lovable, from start to finish. He sensed from the very first encounter with Mew Ichigo her true identity. Noticing Ichigo's clear uneasiness, he pretends not to know her secret until she herself feels comfortable enough to reveal it. Feeling remorseful for hiding the truth and having inadvertently exposed him several times to life-threatening danger, she reveals the truth and gives up on their relationship for the sake of his safety. He finally admits knowing the truth from the very first interaction and sticks with her no matter what.
For most of the show, despite his strong willpower and caring personality, Masaya is perceived as being helpless, physically unable to assist Mew Ichigo and protect himself.
Finally, the cards are turned over, as we come to know that the mysterious Blue Knight, always ready to save the day (appearing for the first time halfway through the show) is in fact Masaya himself. Such a great plot twist!
In conclusion, I'm in love with this show. It has many unnoticed facets worthy of being discovered. It will always be my favorite anime and one of my dearest childhood memories.
I was 8 when I first watched it, and since then I rewatched many times with great pleasure.
The Italian dubbing is fairly good. The script could have been better, but the voice acting is just great.
The relationship between Ichigo and Masaya is very mature, considering their ages. The gradual development of their feelings is basically the foundation of the show. Ichigo's love and trust in Masaya, and vice versa, is the real key that determines the defeat of Deep Blue.
I would have preferred them to be just a little older, like in the recent reboot. It would have felt more natural (and probably fit better with the Italian dubbing as well, as the voices make the characters sound more like high-schoolers).
The characters (particularly Ichigo and Masaya) feel solid, as the emotional dynamics develop naturally.
Fascinating the love cube between Ichigo, Masaya, Ryo and Kishu. Each of the male characters seems to represent different facets of love.
Masaya embodies a selfless love, freely expressed and experienced, while Ryo's emotions are clearly hidden and suppressed, as he already knows Ichigo's feelings towards Masaya. Kishu's feelings are possessive and toxic. He eventually redeems himself, risking and losing his life for Ichigo and, later on, using the last remains of Mew Aqua to reverse the destruction caused by Deep Blue.
A shout-out to Masaya's character building. Extremely lovable, from start to finish. He sensed from the very first encounter with Mew Ichigo her true identity. Noticing Ichigo's clear uneasiness, he pretends not to know her secret until she herself feels comfortable enough to reveal it. Feeling remorseful for hiding the truth and having inadvertently exposed him several times to life-threatening danger, she reveals the truth and gives up on their relationship for the sake of his safety. He finally admits knowing the truth from the very first interaction and sticks with her no matter what.
For most of the show, despite his strong willpower and caring personality, Masaya is perceived as being helpless, physically unable to assist Mew Ichigo and protect himself.
Finally, the cards are turned over, as we come to know that the mysterious Blue Knight, always ready to save the day (appearing for the first time halfway through the show) is in fact Masaya himself. Such a great plot twist!
In conclusion, I'm in love with this show. It has many unnoticed facets worthy of being discovered. It will always be my favorite anime and one of my dearest childhood memories.