Romeo and Juliet Goes Anime!!

A new trend in anime takes storylines down the path of much tred classics done in a revamped fashion. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's tragic romance masterpiece, is the next anime on the list to receive an "anime treatment." It now joins such classic literary adaptations as The Count of Monte Cristo.

Romeo and Juliet is the latest release by anime production team Gonzo, an anime team well known for such titles as Peacemaker. However, Gonzo is also infamous throughout the anime world for titles that rarely make the list of most popular. Perhaps this is why Romeo and Juliet is causing waves in the anime community. Interest and intrigue surrounds the well-known love tragedy while apprehension over the quality of Gonzo's previous productions stirs cynicism over whether the series will be well done or not. Perhaps this is what sparked Romeo and Juliet producers to air the series online through streaming downloads for anime enthusiasts interested in getting a sneak peak into the story, quality, and animation of the series. In fact, Gonzo has added a great deal to Romeo and Juliet, and fans of the original may or may not find them to their liking.

While the series is still a romance with Romeo and Juliet being tragic lovers, many of the similarities save for basic themes end there. Juliet is daughter to an assassinated father in the city of Neo Verona where the Romeo's family, the Montague's dictate over. Juliet's family, the Capulet's were the previously rulers of Neo Verona, and as such she is forced to hide her identity by disguising herself as a man until her 16^th birthday. These new additions to the classic tale may spark new interest in the series and storyline, as did the former adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by director Bas Lurman. However, at this point it's up to fans to decide the fate of Gonzo's new controversial release. Interested anime enthusiasts can check out information on Gonzo's website.

Japanese Website featuring streaming download: http://anime.goo.ne.jp/special/gonzo/romejuli/