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Dec 24, 2016
As anyone who follows anime on a seasonal basis will know, Yuri!!! on Ice (often shortened to YOI, as I will in this review) quickly became a huge hit and sensation, with some even claiming it was going to be the Anime of the Year. Admittedly, it wasn't one of the series I initially picked up when the Fall 2016 season began since I already had a sports anime in my queue (Haikyuu!! S3), but when I dropped one series that failed to pique my interest and caught up with everything else I was watching, I decided to give YOI a shot to see what
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all the hype was about.
Not gonna lie, I was hooked after watching the first couple of episodes.
Yuri!!! on Ice is the story of 23-year-old Yuri Katsuki, a professional skater who has failed to win competitions over and over again and is on the verge of retiring. Then, in drops Viktor Nikiforov, the current star and living legend in men's figure skating, as well as Yuri's idol. Viktor, having his attention caught by a video of Yuri copying one of his programs flawlessly, offers to coach Yuri in his last season of professional skating, promising to get him gold in the Grand Prix Final.
While the story seems pretty cut and dry, it's actually a rather fresh take at the sports genre. Most sports-focused anime start with the underdog, someone new to the sport, showing their struggle to the top. In contrast, Yuri is actually considered Japan's best male figure skater and one of the best in the world overall. He has the talent and the work ethic, but his critical weakness is his lack of confidence. Added to that, at the age of 23 going on 24, he isn't as young and spry as many of the other top competitors he must face, and as a result, is facing the prospect of retiring without having achieved anything of note in his career. To any young adult, this is a huge weight. So, while Yuri is still something of an underdog, we as the audience know better - he's a world class athlete in his sport, so he skates with other athletes in the same level of competition.
As a result, the maturity of the characters shown in this series is a breath of fresh air. Of course, younger characters like Yuri Plisetsky act like a bratty kid and some of the older characters will act goofy for comedic effect, but for the most part, the characters act their ages. They are competing on national and world stages, spend hours upon hours practicing and training, and must have the mental strength to deal with the immense pressure that comes with high-level competitions. When they lose, they are disappointed and crushed, as expected, but are still gracious enough to thank their supporters and wish their fellow competitors luck.
Speaking of maturity, let's move on to the elephant in the room: the same-sex relationship between Viktor and Yuri. One of the more interesting aspects of this anime is how normal their relationship feels. No one makes a huge deal out of the fact that they're two men who love each other. Their families and friends are supportive. And best of all, Viktor and Yuri have a healthy relationship. Sure, there's the occasional misunderstanding or points where they have their doubts, but in terms of relationship drama, it's far less than most other romance anime out there. When one says something that unintentionally hurts the other, they talk about it, learn more about each other, and move on. Again, it's just a nice breath of fresh air.
Where the anime falls short is all the other characters besides Yuri and Viktor. YOI is unfortunately only a one-cour series, even though it would have done much better as a two-cour. YOI boasts a huge supporting cast, mostly due to the sheer number of other competitors that Yuri skates against. This is inevitable given the nature of competitive figure skating. However, the writers tried to squeeze in in-depth characterizations in addition to showing all the skating routines, and then this is multiplied by the three (yes, three) official competitions shown in this 12-episode series. This means that a character is often introduced in one episode, gets a quick explanation of who they are and why they're skating, and then if they don't move on to the next level, we never see them again (at least, not in a meaningful way).
It almost begs the question: what was the point of dedicating so much time to them, then? I would have much rather the writers focus on a select few characters to develop them further than try to develop some twenty but only at a surface level. Character development feels rushed, and the writers often just tell the audience about them rather than show, which just feels contrived and forced. Having YOI be a two-cour anime would have definitely helped in this regard, though, which is a shame. A lot of the supporting cast are genuinely interesting, but a lack of screen time really hurts them in the grand scheme of things (and by extension, hurts the development of the main cast, as well, since the show takes time away from them to develop side characters that barely affect the narrative).
Which brings me to the animation. The first three-ish episodes of YOI were a feast for the eyes with skating routines being shown with exquisite attention to detail and the skaters' movements smooth and flowing, just like a real figure skater's. After that, it becomes painfully clear that MAPPA had reached its limit and could not continue that level of animation for the entirety of the series. Skating routines became clunky and choppy, with more moments of characters looking off-model. As with characterization, I then have to wonder why they didn't just pick and choose more carefully which skating routines to animate? By the time the series was three-quarters over, it was starting to feel tiring to watch a bunch of skating routines back-to-back, especially when the animation wasn't as fluid and the characters barely make any impact on the story or the main characters.
Granted, I have to give credit where credit is due. Animation is time-consuming and difficult. There's a reason why slice-of-life anime series are so common - they require relatively little animation (and thus, time and budget) compared to the intense animation sequences found in action or sports anime. Animating figure skating - and numerous instances of figure skating, at that - was an ambitious project to take on, and considering what they were working with, MAPPA did well overall. A lot of attention to detail was put into knowing their jumps and spins and animating them appropriately. Geographic locations are also spot-on in how they were drawn. The opening credits backgrounds change as the series progresses. Personally, as a Canadian, I got a kick out of seeing the upside-down Canadian Tire logo on J.J.'s jacket (as well as the fact that they pronounce his last name, Leroy, correctly). The studio clearly put a lot of work and passion into this series.
Another feather in MAPPA's cap in this series is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is fantastic, featuring a variety of different genres to reflect each character's preferences and personalities. The OP is an uplifting pop song entitled "History Maker", which is about, well, making history - Yuri's goal to take gold at the Grand Prix before he retires. The ED, "You Only Live Once", is a catchy electro-pop song that had me playing it on repeat for a few days, and perfectly captures the feeling Yuri has about his desire to accomplish something before he retires, as well as enjoying the time he has with Viktor. Scattered between these are the numerous songs the characters dance to - from Yuri's sultry "On Love: Eros" theme to Yurio's soft, angelic "On Love: Agape" to Phichit's bombastic musical number, "Shall We Skate?" You are bound to find at least a couple of likeable tracks.
All in all, YOI is a highly enjoyable anime and popular for a very good reason. I really do wish it had gotten a second cour to further flesh out its huge cast of characters, but considering its subject material and the fact that it's an anime original series, I imagine it would have been difficult for the studio to get funding for two whole cour without proving it could be successful first. In that case, I wish the writers had chosen more carefully what to spend time and animation budget on more wisely. Even despite these flaws, the series still feels compelling and fun, as well as groundbreaking in more ways than one. If you're looking for a feel-good sports anime and don't mind two normal male characters loving each other, then I'd highly recommend Yuri!!! on Ice.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 29, 2016
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar ("Grimgar of Ash and Fantasy", which I'll just call "Grimgar" in this review) is one of those series I initially dismissed as another Sword Art Online clone, but after reading a few people's comments about it, I decided to give it a try. To my very pleasant surprise, I did not find a Sword Art Online clone, but instead, a more unique take on a very common idea.
I will preface my review with this: if you're looking for the adrenaline rush of Sword Art Online or the genius chessmaster archetype like in Log Horizon, you'll be disappointed with Grimgar. This
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is definitely not a series for everyone, and if anything, is probably one of the more polarizing series of the Winter 2016 season, for reasons which I will go into in this review.
Grimgar's premise is quite similar to many anime already out there: a group of characters are somehow stuck in some sort of roleplaying game and are forced to fight and survive in the game's world with dire consequences should they fail to do so. However, I read a comment on a review somewhere that was along the lines of this: "These are the people who jumped into a D&D game without reading the manual."
Instead of our characters being smart, well-practiced gamers (like in Sword Art Online or Log Horizon), our small group of protagonists are probably the weakest amongst the "Volunteers", the players who defend the town against monsters. They are so weak that they struggle to defeat just one goblin - the weakest monster of the game - even with their combined efforts. They know little about class systems, about trading loot for money, and all sorts of other things that are required to survive in the game. It is only through the intelligence-gathering work of Manato, their leader, that they learn these things.
As a result, we watch our protagonists struggle, and this is primarily the reason why this series is so polarizing for anime watchers. It's a slow, agonizing, uphill battle for our characters to achieve anything. Some praise this point as being realistic, since there are bound to be noobs in every game but most series don't give these characters much focus, if at all. Others say that it's frustrating to watch characters struggle this much and that this brings the story's pace to a crawl.
I was definitely in the former camp, and here are my reasons why. First of all, I'm generally not a fan of the all-powerful characters, such as Kirito from Sword Art Online. It creates too many plot conveniences and is also unrealistic. Moreover, the slow pace really allowed us, as viewers, to explore the world on the level of a beginner, someone who is discovering the world of Grimgar at the same time as us. It also allows us to get to know the characters, how they interact - for better or for worse - and how they develop, both on a personal level as well as warriors. Each of the group members start out as strangers, but as the days and struggles go on, they grow closer and work better as a team while honing their own individual skills. Lastly, it's satisfying to see our little group of characters start out as complete n00bs and then gradually learn new skills to become decent warriors.
There are, unfortunately, downsides to Grimgar's slow pace. First, the world of Grimgar seems to be very well thought out, but because the characters make so little progression in the game, we only see a small sliver of it. Second is that the slow pace seemed to be very intentional, and viewers are treated to relatively long pans of various scenery accompanied by a music track. I've read that this was intentional, as the show's sponsors are in the music industry, so they wanted to promote their music as much as possible. Unfortunately, this series is only 12 episodes long, meaning every episode has to count, so the slow scenery pans are very noticeable.
Grimgar is, at its heart, a character-driven show. As I mentioned earlier, the story is slow, so the characters must shoulder much of each episode's weight. We have Haruhiro, the thief and our main protagonist. He's an observer and a thinker, often taking the form of long monologues, but has a sensible head on his shoulders. Manato is the priest and de facto leader, the big brother type of guy that everyone relies on. Ranta is the hot-headed dark knight, the brash loudmouth who causes the bulk of the friction in the team, but is certainly one of their better fighters. Yume is the spunky, if clumsy, hunter, whose positive and bubbly personality balance out Ranta's negative. Shihoru is the timid dark mage. Rounding out the lot is the gentle giant and knight, Moguzo. Another character is introduced later: Mary/Merry, another priest whose cold demeanour initially causes the group to dislike her, but whose past explains why she is the way she is.
Overall, the characters start out as pretty archetypal. However, they still thrive within their assigned roles. For example, after a major event that significantly shakes the team's dynamics, Haruhiro learns to push some of his self-doubt aside, stops being just an observer in the background, and begins to take an active role within the group. Ranta is eventually shown to have much more depth than his foul mouth would lead one to believe. And Shihoru, while remaining relatively timid, grows more of a backbone and becomes a mage to be reckoned with. Still, unlike the story, they don't really break any new ground here, and some characters (like Moguzo) don't get nearly as much attention or development as others, which is unfortunate.
Speaking of characters, I do have to mention one very interesting twist: the monsters of Grimgar are shown to be rather sympathetic in a way. Like humans, we see that goblins have societies - they are shown passing time by playing board games or joking around a camp fire. As Manato says in episode 1, both they and the goblins want to live. It is literally a battle of life and death for both sides, and you can see the desperation of our protagonists reflected in their enemies. Moreover, their enemies are not simply pixels to slice through; they are flesh and bone and blood, which our protagonists feel with every hit.
On the more technical side of Grimgar, the art and animation of this series is gorgeous. The background art looks like a series of watercolour paintings, with lush scenery and a brilliant array of colours. The character designs, while not groundbreaking or particularly unique (if anything, they are consistent with the typical RPG classes), are well done and each character feels unique. The animation - when there isn't long pans over still scenes - is generally well done and the fight scenes are smooth and well directed. I did, unfortunately, catch the occasional moment where characters were off-model.
The sound ranges from average to good. Again, I believe this series was made to promote the music of its sponsor, though none of the insert songs or background tracks really stuck out to me. Some tracks are a bit overused, but nothing too horrible. I also really enjoyed both the OP and the ED. I became particularly fond of the little violin riff in the title card sequence of the OP, and it's rather catchy. The ED is much more pensive in tone, reflective of the characters' expressions.
Another interesting aspect about Grimgar is that none of the main voice actors are the usual big-hitters, like Tomokazu Sugita or Aya Hirano. All of them are relatively unknown with much less main roles to their names, yet they still manage to deliver. My only complaint is that Haruhiro's voice sounds too deep for someone who looks so young, though it does, in a way, suit his more pensive personality.
Overall enjoyment was, for me, high. I looked forward to each episode of Grimgar every week, wondering how the characters might develop or handle a difficult situation despite their underdog statuses. And the payoff at the end (while maybe being just a bit deus ex machina-like, but not so much that it hurt) was worth it. I do hope for a second season, mostly because 12 episodes is much too short for a slow-paced story and a world as detailed as Grimgar's.
Is Grimgar for everyone? Well, no. Is it perfect? Well, no to that, too. But if you don't mind a slower pace and enjoy a good underdog story with realism, then give Grimgar a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 15, 2013
All flash, no substance. That's what I would say if I had to sum up my thoughts on Karneval.
Just looking at it - either the promotional artwork, the first few scenes of the anime, or the manga artwork - you can easily tell that it's pretty. Characters are drawn in pleasing ways and colours are bright and sharp. The animation of the series is also very well done - everything moves smoothly, action scenes are generally well directed, and CG is used to great effect. I have to admit, even the soundtrack is pretty solid.
That's the flash I mentioned. In terms of substance, this is
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where Karneval suffers.
Let's start with the plot. The story revolves a mysterious boy named Nai who encounters the thief, Gareki, and the defense organization, Circus, in his search for an even more mysterious man named Karoku. Through Circus, the two also get involved in fighting against a criminal organization by the name of Kafka.
It's quite straight forward, but for some reason, the anime goes through the motions of having a plot that's a lot more convoluted. For several episodes, antagonists seem to be plotting something or other, having to do with capturing Nai for whatever purpose, and in the meantime, Circus fights against human-like monstrosities; however, there is no direction or purpose for a long time. Random things just seem to happen inexplicably with no apparent end goal. Kafka as an organization doesn't even come to play until about the halfway point of the series, and even after the finale, I'm still uncertain just what Kafka's exact goals are.
I have a feeling the writers were going for the approach wherein there's a mystery and tidbits of information are gradually given to the audience to heighten the anticipation and excitement. However, as I said, the plot of Karneval is actually quite straight-forward when laid bare, so the added convolution and vagueness makes it feel too confusing for its own good. The worst of it is the whole search for Karoku. By the end of the series, he's even made a few appearances but we still have no idea who he is or why he's important.
To make matters worse is the issue of pacing. Karneval is 13 episodes long, which is relatively short when you have a plot involving mysterious organizations, plenty of action, and missing persons and lost identities to be found. This means that, ideally, every episode should count. However, Karenval squanders away good chunks of its time with having the cast go to parades, put on circus shows, or help a boy find a restaurant...or something.
Now, this might all be a little forgivable if the characters were interesting. All right, they look great and, initially, they all seem really cool, but remember how I said "All flash, no substance"? Yeah, that again.
As the story progresses and each character gets their screen time, I came to realize that there was literally nothing original about any of them. Nai is innocent and cute, but ultimately weak and a crybaby. Gareki is the "Jerk with a Heart of Gold", the guy that doesn't like getting close to people but actually cares for them deep down inside. Also, for being a main character, he doesn't actually do a whole lot, something he actually realizes by the end. Tsukumo is sometimes hailed as a strong female character, and yeah, she can fight, but ultimately she's an emotionless, detached girl who isn't all that interesting. Yogi stands in contrast to Tsukumo - he's cheerful and bright, which is a nice breath of fresh air, but later on in the series, his continued exuberance and idealism make him more of a man-child and I found myself wishing we could see a different aspect of him.
There are a number of other characters in the story, but they aren't given as much screen time as the main four and they, too, suffer from the same lack of depth and/or originality. It's really a shame because a number of them have the potential to grow into very interesting characters.
All in all, Karneval was a huge disappointment for me. Obviously, a lot of work and money was poured into this, but it was wasted on a cast of derived characters and a lacking plot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jan 2, 2012
Kimi to Boku is a series about a group of four (later five) teenage boys and them finding things to do in their everyday lives. And...that's it, really.
KtB is truly a slice-of-life show, but I am of the opinion that even SOL series deserve actual plots and in this way, KtB falters. There isn't much plot to speak of. Most of the time, the "plot" deals with the boys doing ho-hum everyday things, like reliving childhood memories, drawing manga, or even contemplating what to do because they're bored (I kid you not). Every now and then, things get somewhere interesting - for example, the cultural
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festival episodes were fun, as was the venture to the boys' former middle school, where they meet Shun's younger brother. Other episodes were downright boring and entirely forgettable; these mostly dealt with the boys sitting around and talking about things (I can't even tell you what of because I don't remember and frankly don't care). Indeed, I nearly fell asleep during the first episode because all the characters did was talk and relive flashbacks that weren't that interesting.
Now, a lacklustre plot can be somewhat forgivable if the series had great characters. For the first few episodes, our main cast of boys numbered four - Shun (the soft-spoken, effeminate one), Kaname (the straight man and the glasses guy), and Yuuki and Yuuta (the twins). However, they're all either so quiet or deadpan that they don't make for a very entertaining group to watch. Like I said, the first episodes deals entirely with them talking about things. Even the introduction of the stereotypical tsundere in the second episode doesn't help spice up what little plot there is. In fact, the tsundere, Masaki, is one of the more annoying characters, who is more "tsun" than "dere" and gets upset at the tiniest offer of help. For the record, she doesn't get much better by the end of the series.
The group only really livens up when the fifth member, Chizuru, is added. His boundless energy and enthusiasm adds a different dynamic to the main cast - he contrasts well with the deadpan twins and the quieter Shun and gives the straight man Kaname a better character to work off of for comedic effect. At the same time, he adds a bit of a love triangle with Masaki (the tsundere). Still, Chizuru alone isn't enough to save the plot from its own blandness. Nevertheless, the show does become less boring with him around because at least when they sit around and talk, there's some energy in it.
Also, in later episodes, the group comes across other characters who, through their own plots or development, give the main cast some depth that we would otherwise not see. For example, when Yuuta goes on a date with a shy classmate, we get a glimpse of his personality underneath his emotionless exterior. Unfortunately, such instances seem to occur only when they meet people outside their group rather than when the main cast is together. I would have liked to see the main guys develop within their group as well as without, like in the case of Ouran High School Host Club.
Animation-wise, there isn't much to see. That's not to say it's bad; it's just simple because that's all the show requires. Basically, there's nothing notable about it, good or bad.
In terms of sound, the music, like the animation, isn't very notable or memorable for anything. I'll admit, though, I have a fondness for the OP "Bye Bye" by 7!!, which has cute melody and a catchy opening beat. I have no complaints about the voice actors/actresses, who I guess had to work within their given characterizations.
So, really, is there anything truly notable about Kimi to Boku? Well, no. Is it a bad show? Well...that depends on how you see it. Frankly, I don't think of it as bad but it's far from memorable. Other slice-of-life series I've seen had something to distinguish them - Aria had a beautiful utopian society with a dash of fantasy; K-ON! had catchy music and "moe" girls; Azumanga Daioh had off-beat humour and even more off-beat characters. Kimi to Boku has...cats? Look, I don't know, I'm trying.
If you like action, drama, and fast-pace plots, then Kimi to Boku is not for you. If you like slice-of-life, give it a try but if you don't like it by the third or fourth episode, it's probably not for you, either.
EDIT: It's been about 2 years since I finished this series and wrote this review. Suffice it to say, I can barely remember a single thing about this series. It was simply that forgettable for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 25, 2011
“I have no choice but to pretend I am a warrior who knows no fear.”
Truer OP lyrics have rarely been attributed so well to an anime series.
Fifteen children are tricked into participating in a battle for Earth itself. However, don’t be fooled by video clips of huge mecha fighting each other – this is not a classic mecha series with epic space battles and the like. Instead, each child who comes to pilot the mecha known as Zearth faces not only the struggle to save the world but also a struggle of their own. What do they fight for? Some fight for their loved ones.
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Others fight for themselves. A few see it as their duty. Some don’t know why and struggle to find a reason to look death in the face for the sake of complete strangers.
Each story arc deals with the next pilot set to fight on Earth’s behalf. Each child has a story to tell, a conflict of some sort to work out before they fight. One wants to prove himself to his workaholic father. Another deals with bullying because of her mother’s reputation. Another grapples with his disappeared dad while supporting his three younger siblings. And so on and so forth. At first, getting to know all the kids all at once is overwhelming, but as each one is explored and developed, they become unique and well fleshed out. Each arc then becomes a “coming of age” story for each of the kids, culminating in their final battles as they reflect on their lives and the world they fight for. In the meantime, the group of children draw unwanted attention to themselves from the government and military and they must deal with the implications of their actions.
As you can imagine, it’s heavy on drama and it gets amped up even further as the story progresses and the children learn more about this twisted “game” (but to discuss them here would be very spoilery). Bring tissues.
For the more technical merits of Bokurano, it fares pretty well. Animation and art aren’t overly detailed and there aren’t any bright, glaring colours. Realism is what the animators seemed to be aiming for. Still, it slips up here and there, and sometimes obviously so. I also caught some re-used animation a few times, too. The mecha are done in CG and while it’s noticeable, it doesn’t stick out too much in a bad way, and Zearth and some of the other mecha designs are well rendered.
The OP and the two EDs are all sung by Chiaki Ishikawa. The OP, “Uninstall”, carries a rather haunting melody and is well-suited to the anime. The EDs are, unfortunately, more forgettable. Still, it’s notable that the lyrics of each song fit the anime to a T, so the translated lyrics are well worth paying attention to. The background music is, for the most part, unremarkable – not noteworthy but not bad, either. I have no complaints about the seiyuu as they all did a great job.
Overall, Bokurano was a surprisingly strong series that gives viewers plenty to think about. No magic tricks here, no fairy tale endings. Nevertheless, despite all the hardships the characters face, I can’t help but feel a bit hopeful, like I should appreciate life a little more and all the good things in this world. After all, we never know when it’ll all be over.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 2, 2010
Pandora Hearts is a prime example of wasted potential. It starts out with an interesting premise that grabs you at the start, but after a few episodes, it’s nothing but downhill from there until it finally crashes and burns at the end of its 25-episode run.
Why do I say this?
There are many interesting plot threads and ideas that are introduced at various points in the story, but they are almost never followed through with or they’re executed in a way that, frankly, makes them boring. For example, when we learn about the four dukedoms of Pandora, I get the sense that there’s a lot of
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history and political machinations going on in the background but it hardly ever gets explored, instead focusing on the development of our main heroes, Oz and Alice (which doesn’t sound that bad, but more on that later). Then, we are introduced to the main antagonists, the Baskervilles, who seem really cool and threatening at first, but when we meet them, are like Team Rocket without the silly speeches. In other words, they’re there just to have antagonists in the show and don't do a whole lot to further the story.
The cherry on top was the notably craptastic anime-only ending. I have never even read the manga and I could tell the ending was shoddily put together at the last minute, just to have some sort of conclusion, but honestly, I’d rather have an open ending over what they did here. For fear of being too spoilery, I will just say that the writers thought to throw in a bunch of generic Chains to provide some sort of “ultimate challenge” for the protagonists, but as a result, it comes off as completely random and badly-written.
So let’s move on to the protagonists beginning with Oz. Oz is a lovely young fellow – cheerful, caring, loyal, and brave. However, he’s apathetic, taking everything in stride even when he’s faced with some terrible Chains in the Abyss. It’s completely unrealistic and makes it hard for anyone to connect with him. How can you care about a character who, well, doesn’t care? To his credit, he does get some character development but it either never follows through (e.g. his father issues) or it takes the form of someone lecturing him (this is probably more the fault of the writers than an actual character flaw, though).
Then, there’s Alice, Pandora Heart’s main tsundere. She doesn’t end up being nearly as interesting as she first presents herself to be, although her little quirks make her more endearing than Oz, such as her insistence that Oz is her manservant and her fondness for meat (LOL since when does a rabbit like meat so much?). Still, I’m afraid to say she doesn’t have much depth to her, the most being her desire to regain all the fragments of her memory. The rest of the time, she’s relegated to being a source of humour and/or romantic tension with Oz or, in her B-Rabbit form, being the series own deus ex machina.
There are some notable characters – namely Gil, Break, and Vincent – who receive some notable time and developing on top of interesting histories and colourful personalities, but they’re supporting characters who must eventually step back to let the main plot take center stage.
As for the animation, overall, it’s poor. There are some nice designs floating around, but when it comes down to making everything move, it’s lacking, especially for such a recent and (relatively) short series. I’ve seen longer and older series with equal or better animation, to be honest. I swear, I have never seen so much floating hair and clothes in anime in my life – it was like a gust of wind went by and the animators simply took a single frame from that and kept it for the entire sequence while keeping the mouths moving. Even in the opening sequence (which are nearly always of high quality), there’s a shot of Oz running that looks odd and clunky.
Most reviews will also point out the lovely music, but then it’s by Kajiura Yuki, so that’s a given. If you’ve heard Kajiura’s music before, you’ll recognize her style almost immediately, so whether that’s a positive or a negative is up to you. For me, it’s generally a positive since she pulls through with another solid soundtrack, but personally, I’d like to see her try something different from what she usually composes. For Pandora Heart’s purposes, though, it’s good listening material here, although certain tracks tend to get overplayed. Voice acting was pretty solid, so no complaints here.
So overall, Pandora Hearts began as a very promising series with a lot of great ideas that could have continued being great until the end if executed properly. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen and the series falls flat on its face by the halfway point. I would say either read the manga (which I’m told is better?) or find another fantasy series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 25, 2008
xxxHOLiC is one of my favourite series (though, I only read the manga) so when I heard that there was a movie for it, I immediately jumped and went to find it. I was not disappointed!
Story -- If anything made me hesitate about seeing this movie, it was the story. For most movies based off of an anime series, their plots generally leave something to be desired. For the most part, they tend to feel like one long episode rather than an actual movie. However, xxxHOLiC's movie actually felt like a movie. I can't quite put my finger on it, but regardless, this movie delivers
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on plot. The mystery and intrigue build and build, occasionally relieved by humour (mostly on Watanuki's part) or heightened by some frightening scenes. Near the end, the story got a little confusing, but that's quite typical of xxxHOLiC and CLAMP in general, so it wasn't all that unexpected.
What was interesting, though, was that this movie explains the meaning of the series' title. This hasn't even been done in the manga to my knowledge, so I do wonder if this is something CLAMP has confirmed themselves or if it was made specifically by the movie's director. Still, when it was revealed, it made sense and sheds more light on the manga's themes, which I really enjoyed.
Art -- If you know CLAMP's latest art style, you'll know that they're in a tall and lanky character phase. This movie carries over that style into its art and it takes a bit to get used to - all too often, the heads seem to small, the limbs too long and rubbery, etc. But putting that aside, the art is fabulous. The colours and rich and vibrant, and the scenery in the house is especially something to be marvelled at. On my DVD, I even took a few minutes to go over the slides of the background art so I could get a closer look at them (because you only get a few seconds to see them in the actual movie!)
Sound -- As usual, the seiyuu did excellent jobs. Even the English voice actors didn't do too badly (the only exception, for me, was Mokona's English voice but Mokona has such a small role in this movie that it wasn't too detracting). The music was wonderfully done, as well, thanks to the work of Saitou Tsuneyoshi. There are some very good tracks on the OST, and they really contribute to the atmosphere and feeling of the movie - everything from building mystery and wonder to Yuuko's jazzy, fun theme at the end. And maybe just as importantly, silence is used effectively to build suspense at the freakiest of moments.
Character -- I really suggest knowing what xxxHOLiC is about before going into this movie because you really need to understand who the characters are. I showed this movie to my non-otaku friends and I had to explain who everyone was and what they did before they could understand it. And because this is a movie and not the actual series, there isn't too much character development here (since most of that seems to be reserved for the actual anime and manga), which is where it may fall short. This movie is more plot-driven than character-driven, after all. The original characters for this movie were average - not particularly memorable but not bad, either.
Enjoyment & Overall -- Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and have watched it multiple times and intend to watch it more in the future. If you're familiar with xxxHOLiC, it stands on its own well enough, but you might also want to check out the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles movie, too (if you buy the DVD, they come as a set), since like the original series, they intertwine and events that occur in one movie affect what happens in the other. Still, I thought the xxxHOLiC movie did a much better job in terms of presentation and plot, but that'll lead us into a completely different review. In any case, I'd definitely recommend this movie to any xxxHOLiC fan.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 25, 2008
NANA is perhaps one of the better shoujo series out there, and I give full credit to Yazawa-sensei's beautiful characterization and plot developments. This series is very character-driven, and without its memorable characters, it wouldn't be half as good as it is. And when it comes to plot, yes, it's filled with your typical shoujo elements but they're all done well, which just goes to show that it is possible to breathe life into old cliches.
Story -- As I said, the plot is very character-driven, focusing heavily on two girls who, by amazing coincidence, are so similar but also very different as they walk their
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paths of life. It really would be nowhere if it weren't for all the wonderful characters that Yazawa-sensei has created. Furthermore, the story in the anime is so heart-wrenchingly told at certain points. The narrations at the beginning and end of each episode are told as if the future Nana or Hachi are looking back on old memories, reminiscing and possibly regretting, questioning and hoping, leaving you to wonder if Nana and Hachi ever got their happy ending.
Meanwhile, the pacing of the story was very well done. At times, especially near the beginning, I thought it lagged a bit much by going over the Nana and Hachi train meeting, but after that's over and done with, it goes at what I considered a perfect pace. I never felt once that the story was dragging and was always wanting to know what would happen in the next episode.
Art -- The art was done very nicely. The colours were vibrant but never too unrealistic, and the animation and CGI were smooth and never felt cheap. If I had any complaint, I'd say that the characters were often drawn too thin to the point where they looked anorexic or even completely unrealistic, even for anime characters. Otherwise, it was all very good.
Sound -- For anime series revolving around music, I tend to judge the music a little more harshly. Still, I loved all the songs from both Blast and Trapnest. Anna Tsuchiya provides a harsher, rougher tone, that nicely reflect Nana's character and style, while Olivia Lufkin's softer vocals provide a more romantic and feminine tone, which again shows the theme of contrasts. When the OPs or EDs were used as insert songs, they were done very appropriately and suited the situations well, so they didn't feel randomly thrown in for the sake of having music. The other background music tracks were less noteworthy and barely noticeable, to be honest.
The voice acting was done very well and I applaud all the voice actors here because they did a terrific job. They were very believable from when they were laughing and having fun to when they were crying, yelling, or frustrated.
Character -- Like I said, this series is so character-driven it would be nowhere near this level if it weren't for them. The contrast between the two Nanas was done excellently - you really get the sense that they play off each other well and that their friendship is so deep that it's hard to describe in words and is something that can only be felt. Meanwhile, the relationships between all the other characters are complex and tangled, and the ways in which they deal with these complexities is incredibly realistic.
Junko summarizes it nicely in the later episodes when she says, "There really is no right answer to these questions" because in real life, there really isn't. You have to do what you can do and make the best out of a bad situation, even if it means that someone is going to get hurt in the end, and it's these things that Yazawa's characters contemplate and face. They hurt others, get hurt themselves, make mistakes, and as a result, they learn and grow. Or in the end, they might realize it's an "eat or be eaten" kind of world and that "justice doesn't always prevail" (as Yasu puts it). And as they face these problems of life, you can really identify with them and cheer them on to simply do their best. After all, that's all anyone can ask, right?
Overall -- NANA is truly a series to watch, especially if you like shoujo. But it's not your typical shoujo. It's something different and goes beyond your simple clichés, but in order to truly understand it, this is something you have to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 18, 2008
xxxHolic is a series that ties in quite closely with Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, but for the most part, you don't really need to read TRC in order to understand xxxHolic until you get to about volume 11 or 12. Once you get to that point, though, the two series get heavily intertwined with each other so it might be a good idea to read TRC, anyway, so you don't end up reading 100+ chapters in one go like I did in order to understand what was going on in xxxHolic...Even so, it's interesting just to see where the two plots meet and how one thing
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that happens in one story makes an impact on what happens in the other.
The story begins quite simply, and for the first bit, the story arcs are somewhat episodic - Yuuko gets a customer, Watanuki gets involved, something happens, and the issue is resolved for better or for worse. At the same time, however, little by little, more is revealed about the big underlying plot and about each character. On the surface, everyone is one way but underneath, you find that there's much more to them than originally thought. And reading back on the older chapters, it's clear that the hints were all there. In typical CLAMP fashion, however, once something is revealed, it seems to be even more complicated and confusing than before, but gradually, things become untangled. Nevertheless, be prepared for some confusion.
Once you get into the main storyline, the plot really shoots forward. There are still a couple pacing issues since, even when there's a big revelation, the story seems to revert back to another normal story arc like before. To me, anyway, it was a little jolting. However, the story is always interesting and you can really see how the story unfolds, slowly but surely, and it's interesting to see how each story arc changes the characters and allows them to mature - and it is this theme that I see recurring through each arc.
Which brings me to the characters! xxxHolic enjoys a relatively small yet diverse cast. Here, you won't have to memorize two or three dozen names like in some other series. Instead, you have your main characters - Watanuki, Yuuko, and Doumeki - and then a handful of recurring characters. At first, they all seem to be somewhat stock-type characters, but like I said, there is more to them than originally thought, and as the story unfolds, they grow and mature. And interestingly, even Watanuki's positive traits are turned against him and he is forced to question his motives and his decisions, and he matured as a result. Ichihara Yuuko, the enigmatic Time-Space Witch, is perhaps one of CLAMP's best creations yet. She's as full of mysteries as she is of laughs, yet at the same time, she's realistic and human (seen more towards the later developments in the series). Despite being one of the most powerful characters in the CLAMP universe, she has her limits and vices like anyone else.
The art, like any of CLAMP's works, is simple yet detailed. There are little to no screentones, and CLAMP makes good use of the contrast between black and white. Yet, at the same time, their designs are something to be marvelled at. Yuuko only has perhaps two outfits that she's worn more than once (always at key points of the story), and even Watanuki once notes when she's worn the same thing before. However, CLAMP does seem to be going through a tall-and-lanky-character phase (they've always had tall and thin characters, but they've recently gone into extremes if you compare it to their past works). It takes a bit of time to adjust to, but once you do, you can really appreciate the detail they put into everything.
Overall, xxxHolic is one of my favourite series to date. Its themes are quite mature and there is much to be thought about and explored here. For example, one of the big questions raised early in the series was about fate and destiny - is our path laid out for us when we are born, or do we carve our own path? However, I'll leave the exloration of themes up to you. While the plot, at times, leaves something to be desired, it's still very enjoyable. To me, xxxHolic is like a deep pit of mysteries just waiting to be explored, and watching the mysteries - and their answers - unfold is somehow very satisfying. Yet, even as these mysteries are explored, more questions come up, leading the reader even further into the story.
So, give it a try. I'd definitely recommend this story, especially if you've liked some of CLAMP's other works.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 11, 2008
I will say this first: there are very few series that have wrung out such a wide array of emotions from me in such a way that Dennou Coil did. One of my friends even said I was cold-hearted for the way in which I didn't cry at anything she cried over. Still, Dennou Coil has made me laugh, cry, and feel downright freaked out (as in, scared, not "OMG THIS IS AMAZING" freaking out, though I do think this anime is quite amazing).
I will admit that the first half of the series is a bit ridiculous and feels very episodic. It's more of a
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"slice of life" anime than anything else, but I still got the sense that there was something much deeper under the surface - and I was right! Don't get me wrong, though. The first half of the series is still enjoyable, but it just doesn't feel deep enough to really draw you in or to feel unique, as if you've stumbled on a rare jewel of an anime. Still, once you get into the main plot, it's hard to get away from. The tension skyrockets and our young heroes (and antagonists?) get pulled into something they never fully expected. Even in the end, the true nature of the cyberworld and the Illegals is never 100% explained, and some interpretation is left up to the viewer as much as it is to the characters themselves.
While the show seems to be directed towards kids (especially given the ages of the characters), I found that the real storyline is actually very mature. After I finished the final episode, I had to sit and think about it for a while. There is such a mixture of themes here, including love, the complexity of friendship, the difficulty of relating to another's feelings, dealing with death and loss (ranging from the loss of a dear friend or family member to a cyber pet), the consequences of being too greedy, and chasing after your dreams and never looking away from your goal, even if the goal is ridiculous. Not all of these are very obvious, but it's all presented quite realistically and it's all there for you to think about should you want to.
For the technical stuff...
The art was in general very well done, if a bit simplistic in style. It almost reminds me of Miyazaki's art style. However, it does the trick well enough. The computer graphics are superb in creating the cyberspaces and all the technological stuff. As for sound, the ED "Sora no Kakera" has a special place in my heart - I absolutely love it. The OP is good, too, but a little lacking. The animation sequences for both of these, however, are great, especially watching Densuke walk across various scenery (and then fall at one point!) in the ED was unexpectedly charming. There is also one track featuring a violin that caught my ear and it brings about a really tense atmosphere quite nicely. The other tracks sort of faded into the background and I didn't notice them too much, which probably means they were neither good or bad.
Overall, I definitely recommend Dennou Coil. Give it a shot and get through the first half of the series, though don't skip them! They contain important tidbits of information (for example, the legend of Michiko-san/Miss Michiko) and the episodes after would be confusing without them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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