[A/S] Pas de Deux

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: "Lune Noir" by Sonitus Vir
Theme: Unknown|N/A
Spoilers: Yes (mild; out of context)
Awards: Honorable Mention in the Anime America's AMV Contest 2012

Review: I think this is an interesting video! I like it, but there are some parts that just throw me off too much to really allow a full endorsement/comprehension of the video. That, and there's no overall theme. While it looks pretty and fun, the lack of a theme or even overarching focus puts me off.
The beginning is great and attention-getting. I do like the sudden throw-you-into-the-fray quality of the music, and the usage of the prologue story elements is great. From about :25-:45, though, it seems a bit hectic. The timing with the music is pretty darn close, but the utter frequency and craziness of it feels a little much. I could probably handle it better if it were the only piece like that, but then it comes again at 1:45-2:05 ish. That is crazy random throw-this-together-ness. Timing was there... somewhere... The music was a similar pace as the others, but the clips just went aaaall over the place. *sigh* Maybe I'm being finicky since it is such a 'small' part, but the insane energy imparted in those little bits affects the whole video. I mean at 1:00-05, it was crazy music, but the theme of Kraehe and Mytho was still being carried. It was a bit hard to distinguish at first, but it was there.
The song itself is good, though, and the rest of the video is fantastic! Far be it to say that I didn't like the music so that's why I don't like the editing at those particular parts - it was just that it threw me off quite a bit. I mean the video started as seemingly a dance tribute in general, but then.... it just throws everything at you. Well, almost everything. Sort of. It's hard to tell, because of the speed of changes and lack of context.
But it's pretty~ :3
Back to the slower portions: they are gorgeous. Part of it is the fact that the clips were used more coherently together and with the music. Part of it may be that it was a little slower. Mostly, I think it was because they had themes! Or at least topics. Rue, Duck/Tutu, Kraehe/Mytho... Being able to single out something that unified the parts, even just to themselves, was great. Perhaps it's in contrast to the chaos of the faster parts that I also love these parts so much...
Overall, it's a crazy, random video that is good to watch for most parts, but don't expect to come away with much except a general: "That was really cool! .... But what was it?" I like it, but I still can't explain exactly why or what about it. And then there are the irritating parts. But I still will watch it repeatedly~ XD

Overall Rating: 7/10

Carol of the Bells

All you who love stories, gather round...

Song: Carol of the Bells (piano version) - EDIT: likely the version by George Winston (as per the creator)
Theme: dance throughout the series/series teaser
Spoilers: No (no context given)

Review: I love this song, and this version is especially well chosen for this series. The focus on dance is exquisitely executed, and flows gorgeously throughout~
Ballet and instrumental music like this just go well together; Princess Tutu just goes right along with it. The piano music highlights a simplicity that the show puts forth, like a fairytale. Sweet and innocent, simple to identify. But then there are background flourishes, accents of emotion, tunes twirling together. It's a blend of all these things, so that something supposedly simple becomes intricate, complex, and even more beautiful.
The scenes chosen are never 'filler'; they all have a purpose, they all say something. One of my favorite parts is from 1:19-1:24, where parallels between Rue and Duck are just striking. There are many other dance parallels pointed out as well, such as in some of the clips before with Mytho/Rue and Fakir/Duck (1:07-1:18 specifically). I love the overlays, the poignancies with the piano's rhythm... And the beginning/ending flourishes with the shoes from the opening narrations just set it all off perfectly.
I feel like the video will probably mean more to those who have already seen the show, but this is a pretty good video to show friends who are (or will be) interested in watching. There isn't any real context given, other than a lot of ballet and that certain characters dance together at some point. While it isn't the most exciting video, and so may not be the best for those who want a flurry of action and suspense, it is a good exhibition of the beautiful dancing involved, and the amount of dedication the creators put into the show. It also shows different sides of all the characters without really attributing anything permanent to them. For those of us who have watched it all, specifics will be quick to recall and enchanting to watch again. For those who haven't, this is a great introduction to the possible intricacies awaiting~

Overall Rating:10/10