A Moving Experience
rockyroad
"ef The First Tale" is a part one of a two part entity, "ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two", with "ef: The Later Tale" being the second part of the story. As a stand alone, "ef: The First Tale" is a solid story, transformed into a magical experience via Minori production techniques. In combination with "ef: The Later Tale", the entirety becomes a dear, an enchanting, a haunting experience that will stay with you long after finishing the last lines.The quality production that surrounds the well scripted story is multi faceted, with the gorgeous graphics ever present for ones eyes to feast upon. The art is of very high quality, with further enhancement by tricks typically reserved for cinematography. The lighting techniques used in the high quality art of the ef tales add to the stunning and captivating CG's in a way that can most easily be described as mesmerizing. Panning, focus and off character framing combine to create unique and dramatic effects that only enhance and deepen the experience.All of these efforts support and create a rich environment for the characters and their stories to take place. The characters, while so very unique, still seem to be of a "familiar" style; familiar in a sense that they have almost a commonness about them, neither alienating nor over exciting, almost in spite of the artistry used to create them. The characters are then presented as the unique, endearing and flawed individuals that they are, individuals that you ever increasingly wish to know and grow to love. As with the backgrounds, unique effects added to the character sprites combine to create some wonderful effect. Facial expressions, eye movements, poses, and other unique techniques which combine to make the characters almost animated. These techniques combine to create characters that feel far more real than others, and when viewed within context of the story, ones' affection for the characters of "ef" surely grows strong and runs deep.The musical score of "ef" does nothing but enhance the story, providing emotional backdrops to the story of the characters involved and the supporting and enriching the presentation of the world in which they dwell. The musical score succeeds in its use as both a backdrop and as a piece of the productions foundation.Playback of the various musical pieces from the extras gallery soon invokes memories of the story, of the characters and of the emotions felt at the time. Within "ef: The First Tale" we are presented with a prologue involving Yuu and Yuuko, then are moved into the world of Hiro, Kei, Miyako, Kyouske and Mizuki. Within this world, the story explores issues of youth, of love, of relationships, of self discovery, of gain and loss, issues of life.Within the drama of the story, the experiences, interactions and lives of the characters, slowly but surely, the underlying themes begin to manifest. The themes of the human will and of connection which the story strives to present, progressively become more and more apparent, and in the end, whether for good of for bad, are fully and satisfyingly present.I find "ef: The First Tale" to be a most satisfying experience on it's own. I will say, however, that if taken as a stand alone, one may be left confused by the prologue, though the rest of the story pulls it together well enough to allow that flaw to slide. As a stand alone, "ef: The First Tale" is a beautiful, mesmerizing work that will satisfy and entertain.In conjunction with "ef: The Later Tale", the set becomes a masterpiece. "ef; The Fairy Tale of the Two" is a work which mesmerized me, charmed me, enraptured and devastated me. I hold dear my memories of this story and recommend it to all.
