Look, I'm not a Mahjong fan. Actually I don't even know how the fuck you play it. Not even after watching Akagi. They don't explain shit, so what kept me watching this show? The suspense and the main character. Akagi offers nothing special. Decent art, good but non memorable sound effects and soundtrack, a somehow passable plot. But boy did they do great on the suspense and the main hero.
It all starts with one 13-year-old, Akagi, walking one night into a Mahjong bar. He offers a man to take his place at the table in order to win the debt that man already accumulated. Although not familiar with the rules and playing for the first time in his life Akagi wins, thus the legend begins. What follows next are a couple of matches, a total of 4-5 throughout the series. Each time there is something special about the game, and each time Akagi must use his mind games to win and destroy the enemy.
The art is kind of good. Not bad, not extraordinary. They really didn't have anything to draw, as the whole action happens at the Mahjong tables. I can't comment on how well they drew the tiles or the table, so I'm going to stop here.
The characters development is weak. Extremely weak. No side plots, no background story, nothing. We don't see any action outside the bars. Nothing about the characters themselves. Just plain Mahjong. There is really no point in watching this show if you don't like board games. It's like One Outs (I think the same Madhouse department created both), but this time it's Mahjong and not baseball. Or if we put it chronologically, first they did Akagi, and then decided to do the same thing but with baseball. If you enjoyed One Outs, you should give Akagi a chance, as the suspense and the mind games are kind of similar although One Outs offers a little more consistency and plot development, but if you are looking for something ore than that, look elsewhere.
Art 7.5/10 Sound 8/10 Storyline 8/10 Characters 8.5/10 Overall 8/10
Yurumates (pronounced yuru-mates as mate in Halo thar mate!) is a series of unrelated shorts stories compiled in a 35 minutes or so OVA. It is simple, enjoyable and funny with the cast of four simple and standard archetype characters: Yurume, Sae, Kumi and Matsukichi. It encompassed everyday life storyline; from surviving the hot/cold to eat hotpot together with everything else in between. All these happened in a rundown low rent building where these four struggling students live. It may sound like you have seen all these jokes before but that does not mean that it is less funny. The story, as you would have predicted from the title evolved around Yurume, the country girl who is adjusting the life in the big city. Then you get introduced to Sae and Kumi who constantly tease Yurume for her naivety. I like Kumi a lot because one look at her, you would think that she is an airhead but the fact is she is more than meets the eyes. She also has a dark sense of humor compared to Sae. Matsukichi is the only male in the building and it is a nice change to see a non-perverted male character in a cast of women. He often comes in a tad too late, or a tad too early.
I also enjoy the cicada segment a lot. It is funny on its own.
Like everything else, the art is simple too. It fits rather well with the whole theme of the OVA in my opinion. They are also have that chibi like quality about them. The seiyuu performance managed to bring out the characters personalities and with the simplicity of the animation and the story, having strong voice performances was critical to its success. As for the ED, it is pretty catchy and adorable.
Overall, Yurumates is a really cute, fun and simple show. Like crazyanimegyrl who influenced me to watched this, I am glad that Frostii fansub picked it up. It definitely deserved to get more attention (hence why I am writing this review).
If you have zero sense of humor and personality, it is best you avoid it, since you are fucked up and wouldn't appreciate this show anyway.
I love OVAs. For those of you that don't know what OVA means it's Original Video Animation. Those kind of series released on VHS and later on DVD because they are too awesome to be shown on TV. Also it's not the Pokemon bullshit you see on TV, it's pure entertainment. OVA usually bring awesome animation and DOGS didn't disappoint me at all. It delivers 4 episodes of pure action, some bits of drama and incredible animation. The soundtrack is also enjoyable, but I have found it too similar to the Cowboy Bebop theme, and Hyperion (the other anime nerd) and I actually had a fight whether they ripped off Baccano! or Cowboy Bebop when they created the opening theme. Just listen for yourself under the post. And now some information about the story. It revolves 4 characters, each episode being attributed to one of them and their own life. An assassin, a girl whose parents have been killed and is now seeking for vengeance, and 2 friends, one of them which is immortal from what we get in the final episode of the OVA. As I have already mentioned the animation is gorgeous. The fighting scenes remind me of Matrix though, and I actually found some reference in the Wiki page of the DOGS. Although some may say that 4 episodes of 15 minutes can't make a great anime, DOGS proves everyone wrong, delivering a good package that will keep you glued to the screen for the whole hour.
Art 8.5/10 Sound 8.5/10 Storyline 9/10 Characters 9/10 Overall 9/10
This show is f*cking incredible. I love every bit of it. The story is original, the characters are a bunch of mysterious kids, the opening theme is gorgeous and the animation is breathtaking. It is a perfect combination of drama, mystery, sci-fi and action. The fillers are also well and it actually feels as a whole. I really can't tell you much about the whole plot because that would mean ruining it's originality. Just try watching 3 episodes of this and I promise you that you won't be able to put i down. It is a little confusing but trust me, it is incredible.
Taddaaaa!!! This is my version of K-ON! review because god knows how many reviews are out there about this show who has taken the anime wurado by storm. Hate it or love it, you must have seen it, or at least heard of it. If not, you are not deserving the animetard title.
Most of my guy friends who have seen it hated it. I can see why because K-ON! is definitely full of cuteness and girls stuff which only females or gay guys can relate too. Although I am not girly by all means, I still find some of the jokes funny. Yes, K-ON! makes me laugh... occasionally.
There isn't too much depth in K-On! storyline. It pretty much about girls doing girly cute things. 4 girls (will be 5 later on) joined the Light Music Club and having fun while trying to achieve their musical goal. Most of the time, it wasn't even about the music as they have teas and fucked around the club room doing nothing but discussing mundane thungs. These are the moments when the girls antics will either entertain you or makes you wonder why are you wasting your time watching this shit.
Each of the girls have their own distinct personalities. My favorite, Ritsu Tanaka is the lead of the group and the club president of the club who takes the role of energetic idiot. She plays the drum and pretty much dragged everyone else into the club to attain her own dream to play music. Mio Akiyama, the moe of the show, is Ritsu's bestfriend. She's the voice of sensibility in the group and always appeared serious but quickly turn moe/meek whenever someone teases her. Mio writes the song and play the bass. Yui Hirasawa, the main character of the show, is an airhead in every sense of the words. She is clumsy as well which only add to her adorableness. She plays the lead but has zero knowledge on music. She learns by listening to the music, which is quite impressive in my opinion. Tsumugi Kotobuki is the pianist, but since they don't have a piano, she ends up playing the keyboard. She is filthy rich and responsible for their tea breaks. Azusa Nakano is the latest addition to the group. At first I thought she was Mio's little sister because they are very much alike. She plays the guitar and the driving force for all the practice sessions.
Supporting characters like Ui, Yui's younger sister, Sawako, the club advisor and Nodoka help add more spice and humor to the show.
K-ON! is produced by the same Kyoto animation that did Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon and Lucky.Star. You can pick up a hint of resemblance here and there throughout the anime. The character designs are really cute. It pretty much help exudes the cuteness level of the show. The background art is consistent with the animation which provides good fluidity. You can see another level of details being displayed whenever the group does a concert to the point you can lips read the lyric (given that you are excellent in Japanese, that is).
From the OP, to the ED to the songs that are sang at the concert, they are really light and fluffy, a perfect match for the overall theme of the show and they are pretty catchy as well. Fuwa-fuwa time...
Overall, I do enjoy K-ON! but I'm not like 'O-Emm-Gee!! this is the best show on earth evar!!!' because it is not. Watching K-ON! is like eating cotton candy, nothing more than a tasty treat. For a good meal, I watch something like Seirei no Moribito.
Wait, what? Why would you? Oh my God! What is that? Who are you? Huh? What's up with the light? For fuck's sake! Stop!!!
These are word by word my reactions during the Boogiepop Phantom marathon I put myself through. It was horrible and just unbelievably boring. I also hated that fucking yellowish light the whole anime was created in. The story is about...well..I don't know really. It's so idiotic. One moment you see a guy eating spiders off peoples souls, the other second you see some girl. But then you see someone else. And everything is actually in the past and now is the present and WTF? It's just bad. Stay away from this horrible piece of shit. The soundtrack is almost not even there, the plot is clearly waaaay too complicated and retarded and the characters are just a mess. A giant mess of shit. It's just an abomination, a tumor that grows in your brain and eats the living shit out of you.
Art 5/10 Sound 7/10 Storyline 6/10 Characters 7/10 Overall 6/10
I have put Bakemonogatari on hold for some unknown reason. I guess after I took a peek at the first episode, I kind of forget how intrigued I am with what I've seen. I blame it on my ridiculous busy life. It caused me short-term memory lost >_>
The scene I remembered the most about that first peek was when Senjogahara put a knife in Araragi's mouth. The stapler soon follows. I thought it was strangely erotic (go figure XD). I knew right away that this series is going to be creepily good. I even recommended it to some of my friends who asked of my opinion about the must see Summer anime of 2009, besides Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.
Shame on me for not watching it.
Until tonight. Thanks to Gabsicle, even though he gave me a half-ass reason trying to convince me.
Bakemonogatari or literally translated to Monsters Tales, is just as the title says it is. Araragi, the protagonist of this series encounters people who are experiencing strange phenomenon, one way or the other related to the supernatural stuff, like demons or monsters.
After watching the first two episodes, I was reminded why I didn't put too much effort to see this series. Senjogahara kinda pissed me off and I tend to be bias when I have a character that I dislike in an anime. It can pretty much dictates the rating and effect my readiness to watch the show.The earlier half of the second episode is totally useless. Fanservice much? The fact that Araragi waited there to be verbally abused does not sits well with me. I like my man with a back bone and good sense of humor. 3rd and 4th episodes are kinda WTF for me as well. I am slightly disappointed.
Bakemonogatari was produced by Aniplex and SHAFT. So as to be expected SHAFT once again wow us with their artistic techniques in portraying abstract scenes. The series optimized the full usage of camera angles that consequently produced the uniqueness of some of the scenes. Viewers are also assaulted with various pop up images/texts and multiple screens to further enhance the abstract experience. It can either add more of understanding or totally messed it up and left you even more confused than before.
Bakemonogatari reminds me a lot of Shikabanehime and at other time of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Mostly Shikabanehime. Even Oshino looks like a reincarnation of Keisei, which makes me reminiscing, which makes me sad T__T
I cannot say much about the characters as they aren't thoroughly developed. I like them though (except for Senjogahara). Probably because they were so beautifully designed.
Oh by the way, let me be clear on one thing though: I'm not getting on Araragi/Senjohara 'ship boat.
The sound effects are splendid. It gives you the creep when the needed arise. I thought I recognize Araragi's voice. When I checked him out, his seiyuu is Hiroshi Kamiya. The same guy who VA Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Takemoto Yuuta from Honey and Clover. So naturally I like his voice. I have no complains for the other voices either so it is all good. Interestingly, only certain episodes have OP and ED. They also switched them between the episodes so you are not stuck with the same OP and ED playing over and over again. OP: #01: "staple stable" by Chiwa Saito (Eps. 2, 6) #02: "Kaerimichi (帰り道)" by Emiri Katou (Ep. 4) End: #01: "Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (君の知らない物語)" by supercellxnagi
I do enjoy Bakemonogatari however at times I feel like it was being dragged on unnecessarily, which kinda turn me off slightly. Nevertheless my interest perks up immediately when it comes to the rituals. It is the best part in my opinion.
If you like trippy anime that deals with monsters and demons, this one is a must see. If you are not, it is still worth a watch.
As of the time I wrote the review of this series, there is only one episode that has not been released yet which mean I have watched the other 5 episodes. The reason I did not wait for the series to complete is simply because I am too damn impressed by it. It wouldn't matter anyway. A gem is a gem after all.
Eve no Jikan is an ONA produced by Studio Rikka and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, who by the way, owned the studio. Naturally, with a guy of his talent, Eve no Jikan does not disappoint. If you don't know how talented he is, he has been compared to Makoto Shinkai, who was responsible for Voices of the Distant Star, 5 Centimeters Per Second and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. That itself speaks volume of his talent and explained why do I have such a high regard for Eve no Jikan.
Eve no Jikan tells the story of a (not so distant) future where humans are living with android. It is a name of a cafe where you can't discriminate androids and treat them as equal. Not that you can tell who is an android and who isn't since they didn't where their 'halo' inside the cafe. Two teenage boys, Rikuo and Masaki often visited the cafe and most of the stories evolved around these two boys.
The story progresses nicely and actually makes you think of what would you do if you are living in that future, which lets be honest, is totally plausible given the technology growth and change. Even though it is a science fiction, it is not overly futuristic. There are some hilarious moments. I remember in episode 4 where this robot walks into the cafe and start behaving so ridiculously retarded. It was fucking hilarious. It also touches some of the more serious issue. I shuddered at the thought of androids getting their independece. For a 15 minutes per episode, the story runs pretty deep.
I have no complains for the sound effects. It was perfectly composed to complement the anime. The voice actors does a good job at it too. Everyone is in character and no one sounds obnoxious.
Even no Jikan has a certain charming originality to it and has diplay quality that is rather rare in anime nowadays. The digital painting fascinates me and I like how they utilized the camera-like imitation to make the story feel more real.
Eve no Jikan is like a breath of fresh air. I wish it happens more often than once in every two months.
I have a habit of downloading all the anime of the season. Then I'll check them out. I'll watch the good one that I thought have potential immediately. I put the average one on hold while the shit one... well, directly to the bin.
Needless definitely one of the most shittiest anime I've ever encountered. The WTF-ness of this series is well... FUCKED.
(Please take note that this review is based on the first episode only. I just can't continue watching the rest of this shit.)
The story is about a kid named Cruz or Yamada or who-the-fuck-cares, a crazy ass chick who supposedly to be the relief comedy of the series yet phailed miserably, and a priest who oh-tried-so-hard-to-be-effing-cool because he so wants to be the incarnation on Kamina-sama but OH-FUCKING-WHY did he thinks he's capable of such feat?! These three travel around saving the Needless. Needless is the survivors of the Blackspots who obtained powers or some shit like that. Whatever right? Right.
It was all irrelevant because you don't know what the fuck you are watching anyway. You just stare at the screen and get yourself brainwashed. Not good. Definitely not good. It was 12 minutes of torture trying to get through the bad humor before you get mentally scarred with the appearance of a bad guy who surprise-surprise! exactly like Viral. Yes, another reference to Tengen Toppen Gurran Lagann (TTGL). PHAILED incarnation.
As for the art. It hurts my eyes. They want to do something similar to TTGL but the immitation is far too inferior. I hate it.
The characters are so unoriginal like I have mentioned before. So lets not even go there.
OMG... here comes the best part. Or the worst. The ED vid. I mean WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK? It has nothing to do with the story at all. Yuri? Really? WHY? HOW? JUST WHAT THE FUCK?!! fanservice or fuckservice? You tell me.
Conclusion: Stay the fuck away from this shit unless you are willing to get your mind raped (not the good kind of rape either).
While the beer-hangover-beer period is still in season for me and Animenerdz, we keep thinking about what else to review. Now i know i still have to deliver one more review from those i promised, but it's kind of hard due to certain... circumstances, so instead i will tell you of some of our future projects that we will be doing after Animenerdz returns to his country. When he does that, we will return with a more active role, but for now all we can give you is this list:
1) Akagi
Will it be the psychological thriller you've been looking for, or will the suspense fade away.
2) Boogiepop Phantom
Will you be afraid, or will you regret.
3) Pokemon Movie Marathon
We all now a little something about the series, but what about the movies?
4) Fafner in the Azure
How does it stand as a mecha anime?
p.s. If you've seen them, then would you please refrain from writing how they were, cause you will spoil all the fun xD
I didn’t know much about Ergo Proxy when a friend recommended it. He said that it blew his mind (in a good way) and that I definitely have to see it. I said ,,Ok…” but like ,,I’ll do it if you shut the fuck up”, and I didn’t even bother researching it. But I have to admit that it surprised me (in a good way). It’s no ,,mind-blowing” material, but it’s certainly worth the watch.
The world is in a desperate state. After a huge catastrophe, the Earth is largely barren, with only a few domed cities doting the empty and bleak plains. Humans are no longer produced by natural means (which sucks balls) and instead are grown like plants in special factories. In the city called Romdo humans and AutoReivs (some kind of androids) coexist with one another peacefully. But a recent murder streak committed by berserk robots infected with the Cogito virus (something that makes them self-aware) threatens the delicate balance. Behind the scenes, the government is conducting secret experiments on a mysterious humanoid life form called Proxy, which is believed to hold the key to the survival of mankind. Re-l (also spelled "Real") Mayer is assigned to investigate some of the murders with her AutoReiv partner Iggy (which is a most ridiculous name). She encounters a Cogito-infected AutoReiv and a fast and flexible monster. She later learns that the monster was a Proxy. The other central character, an immigrant named Vincent Law, is revealed as being the eponymous proxy, but his memories of his time in his native dome of Mosque are suppressed, or perhaps he suppresses them. After being hunted down, Vincent and Re-l leave Romdo, only to discover the truth behind the Proxies and the domes. So as you can see the story is complex, but it isn’t very hard to follow. Toward the end there is an episode that gives you a lot of back story to what happened to the world, as well as different clues as to what’s happening and to explain some things about the proxies. I don’t want to spoil anything, so know that these clues are kind of subtle, but you will understand if you put everything together. Some people say this is a mind-fuck, but I have to disagree. Sure, it has mystery and secrets, and it has one episode which I would definitely qualify as a mind-fuck, and one I would qualify as fucked-up, but overall, this is by no means a mind-fuck. And at the end of each episode there are some scientific notes for you to read. They aren’t necessary, but it’s fun to know (I think).
Thankfully, the story isn’t the only thing that makes this show worth-wile. As mentioned, there are more proxies scattered throughout the world in their domed cities (or more like doomed cities). And each time Vincent travels to those cities, he faces them. If it weren’t for these battles, I would say that no matter how great the story is, it would’ve been God-awful boring. I mean if it weren’t for the proxies there would be very few action sequences. Cause aside from a brief assault by drones on Vincent and his friends, and a short battle between humans and AutoReivs, the battle between proxies is the action that keeps you going. And even so, there are some complaints I have about it: 1) Some battles tend to be short; 2) There are to few; and 3) Some aren’t even battles at all, more like ,,confrontations”. What’s the difference? Well in battles there is action, while in confrontations, action sometimes isn’t necessary. The end battle is the only high-light of all the battles, but it doesn’t make-up for the overall lack of action. But the action isn’t the only thing you should be focusing on; these are just word coming out of a guy how eats 10 pounds of sugar a day. But still, I think they could’ve used more proxy battles. What’s bad is that there are episodes when nothing happens at all. They just wander aimlessly, or not wander at all. Remember, this isn’t Disney-World (God knows why I made this reference). This is a world where all you can see for MILES AND MILES are just dust and clouds. Just that. No vegetation, no landscape, NO NOTHING. These are the episodes I usually skip.
I also like the character cast. They have good development, and some are just fun to watch. Take Pino for example. She is a little girl/AutoReiv that has been infected with the Cogito virus, so she travels with Vincent. She almost always is in a good mood, and while some may say ,,Well that’s cliché (or something like that)”, I say that that’s the beauty of it. In this entire bleak and desperate world, she is the only colorful and vibrant thing. Cause I have to admit, Re-l is practically always in a bad mood, and Vincent… well Vincent… he looks pretty retarded if you ask me. When he is in his Proxy form, he kicks ass, but in his human form he is soooo boring, that you want to hang him with a camel’s anal hair. Not to mention that he keeps his eyes closed a lot of times, so he developed something I like to call ,,Brock syndrome”. If you want to know more of it, check my Pokemon review. But overall, I’m pleased with the character cast.
Animation-wise, Ergo Proxy has a good way of giving you the depressing and desperate feel of this post-apocalyptic world. Too good. I found myself drinking anti-depress pills, just so I wouldn’t cry. I’m kidding, it wasn’t that bad, but still, they were kind of dull. That’s in contrast of course to the proxy battles (NOTE: BATTLES). They are flashy and quick, and always look cool thanks to certain camera angles (of course I have no idea what I’m talking about right now). Sometimes the character models look goofy for no reason, but overall the animation is decent. The sound department does a good job as well. It has a kick-ass opening and believable voice-work.
Overall this is a good watch. Personally I don’t think it’s a ,,Must see before I tragically die” but still a fun ride. If you want a good story, philosophical nonsense and some (key word: SOME) awesome fighting sequences, then by all means, ENJOY.
When I first picked up this anime, I didn't expect much. It just one of the anime DVD that I happened to come across upon and bought without much thoughts to it. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the cover that I started to anticipate what is coming because there I saw it, this anime was produced by Production I.G and directed by Kenji Kamayama.
Yeah, I have a thing for the production studio especially when Kamayama is involved because he has never phailed me before.
Seirei no Moribito (or Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) is not your typical normal anime. Instead of hero rescuing a heroin, we have the opposite. Balsa, is a spearwoman warrior who takes the task of guarding to atone for her past sins. The story starts when she is put in charge by the Empress to guard a prince who said to bring catastrophe to the land. So the Emperor himself has ordered his own son to be killed. It was up to Balsa to save the prince's life.
You can't talk about Seirei without mentioning the stunning production. It blew my fucking mind away and my faith in Kamayama is affirmed. It was like you were watching a movie instead of an episodic anime the entire time. Never have I seen anime that has such beautiful and stunning background before. The level of details that were put in and the way they enhanced the atmosphere with vibrant and striking settings, were unbelievable. The use of cel-shaded CG has also been put to good use in Seirei. This means that the scenes such as in town or in the palace are brought to life with a higher level of details to match the surroundings. Everything was done so marvelously fluid which will left you with an amazing feeling of fulfillment. It has certainly left a profound impression on me.
One of the things that captured my heart was the fighting sequences. Kamayama has so cleverly used camera angles to make the fights more engaging while not drawing away from the choreography. I dare not blink because I don't want to miss a single thing. I want to soak it all in. It was that fucking amazing. I think I squealed and fangasm a lot during these moments.
The characters were designed with realism in mind, facially and physically. The designs are exceptional throughout the show, including the animals. For once a horse looks like horse, if you get what I mean. These, I think help to pull the viewer into the show in a big way.
It goes without saying that the star of this anime is Balsa. Hands down, she is one of the most strongest and unique female lead in anime world today. She possesess many skills and has a strong sense of right and wrong. Chagum (my favorite character in this series) is exactly how you expect a young prince to be, spoiled. However, throughout the episodes, he receives a lot of character development, as much if not more than Balsa, and in the end, he turns out quite a different character then when he first started. As these two characters develop, we will see changes in their relationship as well.
Other characters such as Tanda, Touya, Saya, Jiguro, Shugo etc also receive a decent character developments because of their association with Balsa. What interesting though, the developments are often linked to the development of Balsa and/or Chagum. The various references and flashbacks to these characters will slowly begin to make sense as the series progresses which also provides us a better understanding of Balsa as a character.
There is a slight romance going on between Balsa and Tanda and I was hoping they get it together in the end, but alas, Balsa is not your typical woman although in my fantasy land, I kinda imagined that she and Tanda will make babies eventually.
Like any other great anime, Seirei is emotionally engaging. I remember crying in certain scenes like during Sagum's death and when Chagum says goodbye to Balsa. It was sad knowing that he might not be able to be as carefree as when he was with Balsa. Even if Seirei is meant to be a serious fantasy action drama, there are some genuinely humourous moments too.
The OP of Seirei is a very nice and rather catchy J-rock/pop ballad called "Shine", which was performed by L'Arc-en-Ciel but never released as a single. The rest of the music in the show is composed by the well-known Kawai Kenji. The music delivers in every respect and is a really crucial contributor to its dramatic impact. The score is produced in a traditional cinematic way to fit it with the visual style of the show which served its justice. The sound effects are exceptional as well. Every grunts, clucks, clashes of steel, etc breath into life in this series which makes the show more "real".
Once again, Kamayama has successfully created a visually captivating series. Seirei no Moribito is a fine example on how to make a good fantasy action anime, the right way.
Finishing the series is like finishing a good book that you just couldn't put down. You realize how enjoyable the trip has been and sadden by the fact that it is over.
I heard that D.Gray-man was an awesome thing that you should NOT miss. And I tried it myself and… HOLY SHIT – 103 episodes. Oh well, I hope it will be something good, right? RIGHT? And… right, it is. I mean it’s no fucking masterpiece, but it was good, entertaining and had some laughs. I was pleased that I saw it.
The plot is mostly about a kid named Allen Walker and his fight against demons and their creator, the Millennium Earl. In his childhood Allen was abandoned by his parents due to a 'deformed' left arm and was adopted by a travelling clown called Mana Walker. At some moment Mana died and Allen was approached by a person named Millennium Earl, who offered to revive Mana. The Earl revives him but Mana reappears as a machine called an akuma that is ordered by the Millennium Earl to kill him and take on his skin, as akuma do. During that moment Allen is gifted with the ability to control his left hand and turn it into an anti-akuma weapon because of a substance called Innocence is embedded in it and against his will, kills Mana. Before Mana dies, he curses Allen's left eye, which later gives him the ability to see the souls of akuma. Allen then is found and ,,trained” by Cross Marian, a powerful exorcist that tells him after 3 years of training to go to the Black Order Headquarters, which has a lot of exorcists. Their mission – to gather Innocence in order to defeat the Millennium Earl. The Millennium Earl is helped by the Noah Clan. Yes, apparently the guy who built a frigging Ark was the father of these murdering fucks with crazy powers. So basically it is about the fight between Good and Evil. Although it is cliché, it’s a good story. At least a lot better than Blassreiter. It had some twists, and it has what to offer.
But what captured me was the compelling character cast. It’s big, it has variety and characters aren’t as simple as they look, some have internal conflicts, others have interesting motivations, while some are more or less cliché, wanting to protect everyone and all that. Also they have some awesome powers. I mean they can be complex and original, while other powers are simpler. But all of them are satisfying. Just Allen has a rich array of abilities, with the eye and all. I mean his hand can take other forms than just a gigantic hand, and in time he gains new abilities and power. And from all the good guys, Allen is my favorite character. Yes, he is a typical do-gooder, but he has a certain charm. He has some serious issues and doubts, which he has to confront. It’s like he doesn’t know what he wants and he has to solve this in order to advance. Also you see him with fears. In most anime of its type (long and filled with super-powered beings) when faced with certain death, the heroes usually act all angry and swear a lot. But with Allen, you see the fear in him. Maybe I’m talking nonsense (which I do about 80% in my life), but I think Allen is an awesome character. But what I think this anime has to offer more than an awesome hero, is an awesome villain. The Earl is one of the greatest villains I’ve seen in an anime. And if you don’t believe me, well… just look at him. He looks like he was drawn by kid hyped up on crack. He is laughable to say the least. Well… aside from his monstrous teeth that is. I mean look at his grin. Not once has he ever closed his mouth and take of that grin. Well actually, not once has he opened his teeth, so when I think about it, he is kind of fucked up. But that is just what makes him interesting. He looks all fucked up, and you wouldn’t say he is menacing at all (aside from the teeth), but he is so frigging powerful. Also he acts like a Victorian age gentleman. And he treats the Noah like family. So he also has a more kind and family side to him than just a genocidal maniac. When I will make a top 10 villain list, he will be there.
But D.Gray-man has its little downfalls. First is the title. What does it mean? Why is there a dot between D and G? What does D stand for? Who is the Gray-man? And why Gray? Maybe they gave an explanation, but I’m sure it was so subtle or stupid that I didn’t even pay attention. Also, the story is set in the late 19th century. So why in the Holy loving Fucker of Fucks, are there robots and computers present? It’s like they wanted a sci-fi, futuristic kind of fantasy, but then changed their minds for something more historical. But half the script was already done, so fuck it, just leave the robots and computers. I’m sure no one will notice. It made me wonder, if they could make giant robots and computers, then couldn’t they mass-produce weapons to fight these demons, WITHOUT HAVING INNOCENCE AND POWERS? It makes no sense, and there are other details, but it will take too long for a written review (I’m thinking on going video-review sometime in the near future).
The presentation is decent. Animation is good, has pleasant character models for the good guys, and disturbing and sometimes grotesque models for the demons, and the special effects are beautiful. The sound department is also on top level, with good music, and believable voice-work and sound effects.
Overall this is a good anime. It can be frustrating, sometimes feeling like it dragged for no reasons, and it has some senseless moments. But it is entertaining, and if you have the guts to watch it for 103 episodes, then go for it.
Well I think it’s time to get over my hangover, or… something like that. And what better way to exercise my brain than with a review. Now if I try to sum up Blassreiter in a couple of words all I can say is… it’s a pure and simple piece of entertainment that just blows you away and doesn’t disappoint. Much…
The plot is something I like to call ,,Bare basics”. We have a bad guy that want to kill everyone in the world cause he feels like it, and we have a good guy that wants to stop him. Well at first you don’t know that. At first you know about demons appearing in modern Germany called Amalgams. These demons can fuse with technology and thus enhancing their abilities. But of course there is a group called XAT who hunts and kills the demons. So these demons usually appear from dead people, but those that appear from living people are much stronger. So as you can guess more such people start appearing and some use their powers for good and some for evil. But trust me; the plot is simple and easy to follow. The series is made out of story arcs, kind of like chapters. Each arc is about another person who transformed into an Amalgam (and would you guess there is an actual word ,,amalgam” which means an alloy that dentists use to cover holes in your teeth?) The arc starts in the episode of his transformation and ends with his death (or just another transformation). It’s an interesting way to reveal the story, cause instead of following the same character, you follow different characters, and it’s easier to grow attached to some of them. But even if it is a nice sci-fi setting with a nice way of revealing the story, it still falls short of an amazing plot. I mean it’s not bad, but it has no suspense or reason to want more. Basically I felt it was there just to keep everything going and for the action to make sense, as in ,,Why is he doing it? Why is he fighting this person?” But it has no mystery, and the bad guy’s motivation is cliché… ,,Ohhh I hate that guy…and that guy…and that guy…and that guy too… I think I’ll just kill everyone in the world” Also there are things which could’ve used some more suspense, some more mystery. I’m afraid I’ll have to spoil, but to give an example. Later a traitor in the XAT will appear. Now one would think that they will use subtle clues as to who he is, and you strat suspecting him, but then it turns out that a missing piece of the puzzle was found and you put everything together and voila… this other person is the actual traitor. But as I learned, this anime is anything but subtle. You just see a bad guy come up to him and say ,,You wanna live?” ,,Sure” ,,You want power?” ,,Of course” ,,Then ally with me and betray your friends” ,,Hmmmm… Ok”. And that’s it; you see it from the start. It would’ve been so much better with the subtle clues. But all in all, it is a decent story.
Now what attracts me still to see many scenes from it again is… the action of course. Cause that what it is created for, right? To deliver pure mind-numbing fun and kick-ass entertainment. Some of you might disagree, but I think the action here is awesome. I mean pick some random fight scenes, put Phenomenon and you got yourself a winner. The fighting reminds me of Karas (more on that later) but it takes it to a whole new level of entertainment by delivering more and diverse. A personal complaint for me is the amount of drama. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s nice, powerful, and sometimes I actually ALMOST cried. It gives a good message about the world, how the weak and poor get abused by the rich, how discrimination of racial and national backgrounds still exists, and sometimes does a good job of affecting you emotionally when you see these abuses, and sometimes you can understand some of the characters and their motivations. BUT GOD, HOW MUCH CAN YOU DWELL ON THIS!?! I mean it’s nice to get a feel of what’s going on, but when you get constantly reminded of it, and you see it happening for ENTIRE EPISODES with no action, it just gets a bit frustrating. You just wish that some scenes would be presented in form of flashbacks, and not episodes. But, I say again, this is just something coming out of a guy who prefers action over heart-breaking drama that has no end.
The characters in this anime don’t stand out much. You have your typical lone wolf hero, delusional villain, a silent guy, a noisy guy, a woman that doesn’t know how to act when faced with family problems, etc. But they’re good and some are likable, I mean you’ll really feel bad that they died, and they tend to do that often. I hate to spoil much for those that haven’t seen it yet, but let’s just say that at the end you’ll think it was a genocide. But really, I felt bad when some died, especially since I wanted them to be till the end. I won’t say it is a complaint, just a personal desire, or something like that. But what really stand out are the Amalgams. Every model is different and awesome to look at, cause they have a lot of detail and character. Every time I see them I’m reminded of Karas, cause there really is a striking resemblance, but I think some are more awesome than Karas. Not all, but most have more color and character. I think it’s just a choice of tastes.
The presentation is great. The animation is rich in color and detail, character models look great and make you believe that an ACTUAL PERSON can look that way in real life. And let’s not forget the Amalgams, which look awesome and have some nice CG effects. The music is good. The opening is fast-paced and gives you a feel of the action, while the ending gives you a sense of the drama. But sometimes if you read the lyrics (and in this case hear them) they don’t make much sense. ,,Don’t touch me, baby, freedom baby” WTF? I mean if you read it, maybe it sounds Ok, but when you hear it, there are certain pauses, and the way they sing, well… maybe an ignorant Westerner like me can’t grasp the subtle concept.
Overall, this is a certain recommend to all those action fans out there. If you want some nice kick-ass action with good animation, then I say go for it.
hehehe I've been waiting all day for my Kara no Kyoukai torrent to complete its download. At 11:04pm, the notification that I've been waiting for from u-torent makes me giggling like a fangirl that I am.
This is the 6th installments of the 7 series movie. I've rated 10 out of 10 for movie #2, #4 and #5 while I rated 9 out of 10 for the first installment and the 3rd one.
For this one, I'm giving it a full mark yet again.
Seriously, I couldn't stop giggling or squealing. Part of it was because I'm too effing excited to watch it and also because this time around, the mood started of lighter compared to the previous installments, thanks to the incest thing going on --
Wait, where the fuck do you think you're going? Just because you can't tolerate incest, that doesn't mean you have to stop watching the whole damn thing. Stupid faking moe...
Anyway, like I was trying to say earlier, the theme of incest doesn't go that far. It was implied but we all know that it never going to happen because we all know who Mikiya really likes anyway. And to be honest, I am a 'lil jealous when she holds his hand. She doesn't know it, but besides Shiki, she has to compete with me too *giggles and blushes*
Shiki is funny without trying to be one. That's why I like her from the very beginning. I wish I could say the same about Mikiya's sister, Azaka. She's trying oh so hard to be tsundere and moe at the same time. Phailed. But I have to give her some credit though. she did a good job making this movie enjoyable with her antics and she kinda redeems herself in the end.
This time around, the movie focused on fairy that stole memories. These fairies are being used by a magician to cover up certain something. Shiki was sent by Touko to Azaka's boarding school to investigate the matter since she has the 'eyes'. Oh you guessed right, she's cosplaying a school girl this time around. Thehehe... See why I got excited? *cough* moving on...
Like the other movies, this one gets really dark as the story progress but... Shiki is more human in this one, talking to Azaka about Mikiya, of her feelings/unfeeling. It also gave us flashback of Mikiya's past, albeit it's related to Azaka.
The characters are simple enough. Art is superb and flawless as well as the sound effects. I think Kalafina did the ED for this movieas well. All in all, I don't have any complains at all regarding this movie. Excellent as always.
Now I can't wait for the final installment! Did you see the preview? Oh. Em. Gee! Bloodfest!!!!!! *squeals*
Another mystery who-done-it wannabe, but is it worth the fuzz? Well, after seeing 2 episodes of this game-made-anime series, I can proudly say this should be interesting to watch. The first episode sets up the plot, introducing the large amount of characters that are on an island. It's all about a witch, some gold, and some family. And there is a lot of mystery going on. I have only seen 2 episodes, and at the end of the second 5 person die, so it's a good start for a who-done-it, with everyone blaming the so-called Beatrice, the witch that made the family rich. The animation is kind of gloomy, and it just builds the horror-like atmosphere. Didn't notice a great soundtrack, but there are these cliche effects when the tension builds and the climax arrives. Like I said, after 2 episodes, I am really waiting for more, therefore will definitely watch it as soon as has its full release.
