US Distributor: Nozomi Entertainment
Production Studio: http://www.nozomient.com/
Was this provided by the publisher? Yes
More Info: Anime News Network
Come along and take a bite of the delicious pastries served at the Antique Bakery. On the surface, it’s a lovely place, run by four charming young men, though looks can be deceiving. At first glance, audiences may think four young men working together would be the perfect fodder for boys’ love.
Well, yes, there is that arc.
That said the series dives deeper than that, as it looks into the lives of the various players, and those closest to them. Tales of kidnapping, murder, scorned lovers, and regret mix with laughs and good times, to create an almost melancholy feel. There’s the knowledge that nothing lasts forever, be it good times or bad. And, with that knowledge, people should live in the moment, and really take the time to appreciate the small things. The Antique Bakery’s pastries are the very embodiment of that: little slices of bliss, forever waiting regardless of what happens.
Four young men run the Antique Bakery: Keiichiro Tachibana, Yusuke Ono, Eiji Kanda, and Chikage Kobayakawa. Each has his own dark secrets and, of course, his own fleeting moments of bliss, though they all work to ensure that everybody gets a taste of happiness, regardless of the situation.
The show’s animation is nothing short of breathtaking, with a surrealist cross of 2D animation and 3D CGI that must be seen to be believed. For example, the opening credits are made up of a series of “cut outs” featuring the cast, set to a 2D background as they serve customers in the bakery. This interplay of various media and formats is used within the show, whether it’s a 3D car speeding along the highway, or 2D characters that artfully clash with a 3D exterior, that really sell the theme that looks can certainly deceive.
To sum things up, Antique Bakery is a delightful series that shouldn’t be missed. Whether it’s through the anime, the manga original, or even the Japanese or Korean dramas, everybody should find some way to visit this comfortable little corner of the world where the littlest things are the biggest attraction.
