by Aspire2Be

Created on: March 03, 2011

Sola has found its way into my list of favorites and into my heart. It seems to be a more obscure anime, at least in comparison to the big mainstream titles like Naruto and Bleach and Deathnote. Being thirteen episodes long with two OVAs Sola is fairly short, which is my kind of anime. I like having a beginning, middle, and end. Even when I hate for something good to end, all good things must indeed come to an end. 

"Sola" is a Spanish word roughly meaning lonely or alone. In this case it can be perceived to mean lonely girl, referring to at least one, if not two, of the main female characters.

The plot revolves more around the people within the anime rather than the rest of the world. There is no evil threat to humanity, no "bad guy." The focus is on Yorito Morimiya, a boy obsessed with the beautiful sky, and Matsuri Shihou, a happy young immortal that would love to see the sky but is unable due to her condition. Because she is a Yaka she never ages and, unfortunately, cannot be exposed to the sunlight as it will harm and kill her. The supporting cast is fun, developed, and very important to the story. 

At first the viewer is lead to believe that the conflict is between the two protagonists and a man named Takeshi. For reasons at first unknown he is trying to find and kill Matsuri, whom Yorito wishes to defend fiercely. Despite this he cannot be considered a "bad" person or even an enemy. His reasoning is admirable and his heart is in the right place. Eventually, though, it becomes clear that Takeshi is not the conflict. The story turns out to be much deeper than that. Utilizing flashbacks Sola tells the mournful tale of Matsuri, Yorito, and his supposed sister Aono. Between these three characters there is an intricate past and long kept secrets. Yorito is particularly strange and not just for his love of taking pictures of the sky. There was a couple twists and turns that shocked me, but at least one was easily predictable. It is a plot with a lot of depth that left me with mixed feelings. Overall I was very impressed with the execution of the anime.

Sola manages to be a good combination of drama, action, and a touch of romance. It has real feeling in it and feeds off the raw emotions of love, anger, loss, and sacrifice. The best way to describe it is as beautiful and touching, both in story and in art style. There is huge emphasis on the sky, from the beginning right up to the very end. After watching Sola I had a new appreciation for the blue skies and fluffy clouds. I noticed the sky more and took time to just examine it every so often.

It is a good anime for anyone to get into, regardless of their genre preferences as it caters to a broad audience. By the end of it I felt I had experienced a complete and memorable anime. Speaking of the ending... boy, what an ending. I was shocked and uncertain if I should be happy or sad or both. A great way to finish a great anime. I definitely recommend this short series to anyone and everyone that has a heart.

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