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Dear Oshimi,

I have a bone to pick with you!

Most of your works are didactic, describing your feelings on the themes present in whatever work: gender identity in Welcome Back, Alice and Inside Mari, loneliness and parenthood in Blood on the Tracks, and so forth! They're conduits for emotions and your past life, and while most of the time it pays off... yeah, it pays off! But not all the time!

Okay, I'm going to throw that framing device in the trash. This is a review, not Stan by Eminem. Inside Mari is a fine piece of work. The art is middling, but turning a ... body swap story into a horror tale in the early volumes is a smart move. The characters are damaged, their actions are frantic and poorly thought out, but it all works! I guess the issue is the plot twists: they're kind of dumb sometimes! You really see this in the later volumes, where contrivances are made for the sake of drama. I don't wanna hear any whingeing about "but all stories do that", it's a gamble that just doesn't pay off here. But it's not so bad. Inside Mari ends up being very good, just not the master work I've come to expect from a coming-of-age story from Oshimi.

His usual rawness isn't held back at all, and the *general* whole of Inside Mari works. It teeters here and there, but as a drama, it does the job. The characters feel real, their dilemmas thought out pretty well, it's just that the plot wavers a little uncomfortably.

Gundam Walpurgis is a story nostalgic for Zeta, an unusual quality in a medium saturated with tales set during the One-Year War. I'm not complaining though - this has good art and a story just good enough to see it to the end. The primary focus is on the 'big 3' power players of Zeta: Char Aznable, Haman Karn, and Paptimus Scirocco. In most Gundam side stories, that last guy gets overshadowed by the other two, big time. Here, he's the star of the show.

This puts Walpurgis in an unusual niche - it focuses on one of the more unpopular Gundam villains for ten ... volumes, but manages to pull it off rather smoothly. The art is of solid quality and so is the story, imitating Tomino's writing in Zeta competently, even if the finer nuances from that series are missing. The politics and worldbuilding are retained, and I rarely found myself bored. If I had to criticize one aspect of it, it would be the focus on cyber newtypes: it's an aspect of the setting that has been done to death, and Walpurgis does nothing new or interesting to warrant one's full attention.

The characters follow tried and true archetypes and the battles are of good construction, and the mediocrity of the story is often drawn away from by copious mobile suit fan service. Gundam manga, with few exceptions, has a consistent combination: weak story, great art, and plenty of post-story illustrations of mobile suits. Walpurgis follows the same trend to a more polished degree, with plenty of eye candy to distract the reader. If you're a fan of The Universal Century's Gryps Conflict, this is assuredly a must-read. Fans of the aforementioned villains Char, Haman, and Paptimus are sure to dine well here, too. All in all, this is a manga for diehard fans of Gundam.

Mellowlink Arity is good enough. He dodges, snipes, and somersaults across the battlefield, and enables this OVA to be a fine, action-filled adventure. It's a boilerplate revenge story in high form, with an art style that faithfully follows the original Votoms - along with carrying the same level of quality. Most episodes are individual scenarios in different locales: jungles, deserts, etc. And all are opportunities for revenge for Mellowlink.

The story is mostly episodic, though the plots of earlier episodes contribute to the multi-episode finale. Unfortunately not a lot of these episodes are memorable, though there are some diamonds in the rough. A big problem with ... Mellowlink is that the characters are paper-thin: while Votoms has eccentric and comedic characters to contrast with its stone-cold protagonist, Mellowlink's cast is much smaller and everyone seems to carry the same flavor of bland, minus the love interest. While that may seem like a saving grace by mention, it's really not. She's a pretty face with more mercy than the rest of the cast, but disempowered by the plot and kind of boring anyways.

There's still a lot of good here. The character designs are faithful to Votoms, the armored troopers look great, and as a visual package the OVA really pops. I really like the choreography of the action, even if it gets a bit repetitive by episode 8 or so. Seeing Mellowlink outsmart pilots with his AT rifle is great, and as other reviews have pointed out it's solid David vs. Goliath fare.

I'd recommend it, honestly. It's a short action OVA with good action in a gritty world, and it's altogether reliable: when you start an episode of Mellowlink, you won't get any crazy curveballs. It's 24 minutes of solid battles in a gritty world. Although I wouldn't be in a rush to watch it: check out the original Votoms first.

Bande Dessinee - Episode:0 is a political thriller. Yes, there is mobile suit action, but the meat and potatoes of the plot relate to the trickery happening in the EF's backstage before Unicorn. The dialogue is quite exposition-heavy, which works for the most part but is definitely clunky at times. The characters are somewhat likable, but their backstories are cut and dry without much elaboration: I appreciate that this is in service of the plot, but it keeps them two-dimensional at most. Full Frontal is probably the best of the lot, and that's mostly because he questions everything around him in a somewhat charming way.

The ... art is incredibly sharp: the creases in jackets, angled faces, heavy eyebags, everything contributes to a weary-looking post-CCA world. The mobile suits look great too, especially the Geara Doga. Shadows cast over the arms and other parts give a realistic look to the suits, and the aforementioned detail-oriented art makes the visuals pop. Occasionally the story is delivered through TV screens and newspaper clippings, which is a nice stylistic touch. Overall the visuals are the strongest element of Episode:0, with the plot trailing not far behind. Whenever a Gundam story focuses on Anaheim Electronics it tends to be interesting, and that's certainly the case here. Without spoiling too much I can confidently recommend this, especially if you're a fan of Unicorn or CCA.

The original Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) was something of a sleeper hit, having failed to garner a lot of attention during its initial airing. The successful merchandising of gunpla, reruns, and other factors helped it reach a wider audience by the mid-80s. A sequel seemed inevitable. Yoshiyuki Tomino returned as the director, the legendary Kunio Okawara was once again the mechanical designer, and even Yoshikazu Yasuhiko pushed the project forward with his striking character design.

The result is a confident sequel that retains the creativity of its predecessor while throwing in more than a few tricks of its own. The original MSG has been derided ... for its stiff animation, a shortcoming that Zeta dodges thanks to its fluidity and style. My favorite part of the visuals is the character design, which pops on the screen with variety. You need look no further than the second opening of the show to see it in action, with its villain in bright white and heroes in darker hues. The mobile suit design is sleeker and arguably less blocky, with a lot more color variation. The Dijeh and The O stand out in particular.

The story of Zeta Gundam is a brilliant inversion of the preceding entry, and the returning characters are vital in demonstrating that the Universal Century has changed for the worse. The protagonist Kamille Bidan is a young man who has been shaped by cruel times, and his journey on screen is a slow but rewarding one. Supporting characters have narrative arcs that get nurtured and developed alongside the main character, which I found interesting if not occasionally dull (50 episodes stretches it). In particular, I enjoyed the character of Katz, who serves as an excellent foil to characters old and new.

Every episode has a sortie, a new mission, but the danger and events differ wildly with each one. As I watched I learned that every fight would pose a question: who is fighting who? Who are the dreamers, the cynics, the bastards? Zeta uses every scene as an opportunity to build its characters and world but only rewards those who pay close attention. It's closer to a character drama than the adventure show 0079 was, which will understandably throw many off: but if you stick with it, you'll find it's an outstanding tale.

Zeta Gundam is a great franchise entry and consistently ranked as one of the best for good reason. If you are interested in anime and have patience for deep plots and quirky characters, Zeta is a must-watch.

I can tell you right now that this thing is in the critical gutter (by MAL standards) for two big reasons: no Chirico and no scopedogs. Is it fair? Maybe not, but it's understandable. What's here is adequate, serviceable, and watchable. It's a very modest standalone OVA with almost no ties to the series it's named after. The plot concerns scavengers and greedy politicians, elements that aren't out of place from the show, but the whole affair isn't suspenseful or thrilling either. The hero Aki Tesuno is the brash, starry-eyed youth one can expect from shōnen anime, and most of the characters follow archetypes that ... don't step outside their typical boundaries.

The primary saving grace of Votoms Finder is the visuals, which amaze with fluidity and stylish grace. The Altros are a fine design, and the CG meshes well with the 2D animation. It certainly doesn't look like something that was released 14 years ago, and kept me engaged through most of it.

So that's Votoms Finder. A 39 minute OVA with top shelf visuals and no staying power. Is that such a terrible thing? I'd argue not, but it'll be different for everybody.

Sprawling yet stubbornly esoteric, Shin Mazinger is an exercise in delaying gratification. This reboot of Go Nagai's Mazinger Z was headed by Yasuhiro Imagawa of Giant Robo fame, and his talent for restraint is in full force here: the show lets loose with explosive combat only when absolutely necessary, and the characters are shrouded in backstory that is clumsily dumped upon the viewer when the plot demands it. While I may scorn Shin Mazinger for its amateurish storytelling, there is no denying that it is filled with love from a true admirer of Go Nagai: his whole body of work is included in one form ... or another, be it references or entire characters recontextualized to fit Shin Mazinger’s world. Many cringe upon hearing the word “reboot”, but I feel that doing so for this show is to wrongfully dismiss it: Imagawa’s new vision of Mazinger is supplemented by a multitude of plot twists and raunchy humor, making it a not so distant cousin of Nagai’s other work - Devilman comes to mind, funnily enough.

To address the show’s presentation, the animation wavers between suitable and good - nothing struck me as particularly great, with the exception of an action sequence near the end of the show, and most of that was due to an excellent application of sound and editing. It feels slightly odd to draw attention to something as nebulously large as ‘editing’, but Shin Mazinger’s must be commended for consistently bringing great excitement to the table almost every episode. The sound design is definitely on-par with Mazinkaiser’s, with the new seiyuus bringing vigor to the classic Mazinger characters - and those that voice the newcomers are no slouches either!

Speaking of the characters: new and old, they are all handled with care and entertaining all around. The crossover characters don’t feel out of place, and work organically with the original Mazinger cast, bringing levity and drama when needed. The only major problem with the characters is that many are intrinsically tied to the show’s sloppy flashbacks: at many times I felt that characters were simply exposition machines, outlining events that happened decades ago within the show’s universe. The concept “Show don’t tell” must have been shot dead in an alley before the production started, because it truly feels like Imagawa is insistent on telling Shin Mazinger’s story ineptly as humanly possible: it’s not even a bad plot, it’s just that the mode of communication is infinitely bland.

Shin Mazinger is worth your time if you’re big into Mazinger/Nagai and want more - it’s a fun ride that just has a few too many bumps to be considered exceptional.

A stable entry in a long running franchise. Not much to write home about, but amusing in small doses.

The story starts promisingly, depicting the lives of a scavenger crew as they travel a post-apocalyptic world. It is through these adventures that new characters, motifs, and plotlines are introduced: it works well, and operates similarly to Gundam 79 with enough differences in the setting to set it apart. Regrettably, the last cour dissolves these differences for the sake of producing a sappy ending, with the writing being about as subtle as Wing’s. In this aspect the journey is definitely better than the destination, with the adventures ... in the settlement of Fort Severn and seawater battles standing out from the rest of the pack. I wouldn’t mind an OVA or side story in the setting, as there is some good potential here. It’s just a shame that the direction the show takes is so lackluster. One thread that I do enjoy is the love story - it’s heartwarming, effective, and has tangible effects on the characters and their attitudes. I believe it’s a strong point in its favor that saves the plot from total mediocrity.

In terms of characters, it is a relief that the antagonist twins are the only ones that fall into similar pitfalls as the story. At first, the older brother is defined by his even-keeled nature and belief in superstitions, using tarot cards to draw the duo's fortune in battle: this was a cool moment when it was first introduced, but is never used again. I am certain there is a logical explanation for this, but it doesn't solve the problem that the twins are pretty flat otherwise. The younger one is even worse: his defining traits are that he’s protective and ends all of his sentences with nii-san. I can understand that they have a greater endgame in the story, but they are a boring pair nonetheless. The upshot to this is that the minor antagonists get to shine on-screen: the archetypal crazed raiders, genteel warlords, and all the rest are more than welcome after the wooden twins spit out their lines. The supporting characters are excellent as well - they’re cheeky yet good-natured, providing solid levity whenever there’s slack or exposition. Very few of them are batshit crazy like the ones in Zeta or ZZ, which will either sour or please viewers with little room in between. The protagonist’s arc is an interesting inversion of what I’ve come to expect from a Gundam series - I won’t spoil it, but I believe it works in the show’s favor. A good showing overall.

The animation is something I am lukewarm on. The designs look like outtakes from Wing, and the artstyle can look pretty rudimentary at times. A benefit to this is that the action is quite fluid, with movement and dynamism to back it up. A couple of the designs are nice, like the Bertigo and Virsago chest break. The character design is my least favorite part of the whole deal, but can be forgiven when the characters themselves are generally entertaining.

The sound is serviceable but unmemorable. I think people sing the OPs’ praises enough for it to go without examination, and the Human Touch makes for a nice ED. But while the sound effects do their job suitably, the BGM is weakly nondescript. Not much to love here.

To conclude, After War Gundam X is a series that is not a trainwreck, but not quite a success either. It’s something to pick and choose pieces from to enjoy: certain mobile suits, openings, characters, etc. Even so, it’s a lot more consistent than lesser efforts like IGLOO and ZZ - I would like to think that the silver linings it carries make it worth a try.

Amnesiac protagonists are tricky. In the worst cases, they are used for gotcha moments or insane contrivances that do the narrative no favors. On the opposite end, they can be used as fresh perspectives to introduce the audience to settings, characters, and ideologies in a way that doesn't seem overbearing or amateurish. Gunnm doesn't always stick the landing, but it falls into the latter category more often than not.

The story structure is free-form: you see Alita partake in numerous jobs, varying in danger and rewards, all the while watching her grow up. In this way it combines genre to both widen its scope and heighten ... the stakes in exciting fashions: bounty hunting, romance, sports, and many other threads crossing over the course of the story. It's a thrilling ride from start to finish, and watching Alita stumble then succeed in her various occupations never gets old. The best parts of Gunnm are when Alita’s numerous jobs inform the reader about the setting, painting a picture of a desolate world divided by class. Working in tandem with this are the motivations of each occupation’s villain - most of the time, their motives are related to the injustice of the setting, making them understandable if not a little sympathetic. Exempt from this is the manga’s final villain, which lets Gunnm down somewhat.

A good chunk of the cast are archetypes, but their execution and moments outshined their origin in my eyes, e.g. the regretful old pro in the Motorball arc, the young kid saving up cash to go to the big city, the grizzled soldier with a heart of gold, etc. This is all well and good, but an issue arises when an archetype begins dominating a story despite their flatness - such is the problem with the manga’s final villain. Without spoiling anything, he lacked the charisma of prior antagonists, and his link with the setting was underutilized in my view. Add this with the fact that he's undoubtedly the flattest archetype of the lot, and the last two volumes of Gunnm feel like a bit of a slog compared to its high energy beginnings. Alita herself is handled remarkably well, providing a fish out of water perspective that allows the reader to learn about the world in a natural manner. This makes her journey to maturity even more satisfying, as the reader sees her start from nothing and fight for her place in the world. Her amnesia is overall a net positive for the story, despite some slipups near the end. As it stands, Alita is a great protagonist and fits the story just fine.

Gunnm's art is of remarkably high quality. The characters look bouncy and detailed, with shapes being stretched and exaggerated to great effect. The action is paneled fantastically and rarely if ever hard to follow, and is tied with Alita herself as the best part of the series. The setting is perfectly realized, and color (or lack thereof) is perfectly distributed. Gunnm is one of the few manga where I cannot imagine ever reading it in color - it is a testament to the power of black and white, and is worth reading for that alone.

In short, Alita is awesome, the art is next level, and the setting is cool. Give it a try.

Gorgeous but artificial, Knockin' on Heaven's Door resembles a summer blockbuster that is occasionally creative but largely standard fare. The stakes are massive, but not interesting - episodes like Brain Scratch played with genre expectations and defied easy answers, but the film is a straight shot from start to finish. The antagonist is something out of an airport novel, spouting famous quotes and waltzing in a trench coat whilst spouting his half-baked ideology to anyone who passes by. Plot aside, the film is able to maintain interest with high level animation and thrilling action. Seeing the Swordfish II in combat during the last stretch was ... impressive, a sentiment that can be extended to much of the set pieces within the film. The film's soundtrack is excellent as well, with Seatbelts delivering many solid tunes to heighten scenes of action and investigation alike, with Diggin' being a great track for the latter.

Thematically, the original series was something of a loving elegy for analog technologies, though chiding of unhealthy nostalgia was intertwined with the message. Knockin' on Heaven's Door carries much of the same love and warnings in its quieter moments, something that I appreciated to a good degree. The cast of Bebop are great devices for this message, especially Jet, who is tastefully used. In fact, I can compliment the Bebop crew's depiction in the film on all counts: everyone gets at least one or two good scenes on their own, and it's cool watching them act in isolation. On the other hand, the film's original messages on the manipulation of soldiers and warfare are as boilerplate as they come, and are told quite clumsily. Again, it belongs in an airport novel. Just weak storytelling all around.

The best parts of Knockin' on Heaven's Door are where the plot takes a backseat to characters: Spike walking the streets for info, Faye squabbling over petty problems, Edward hacking and warbling, etc. Seeing these moments in tandem with the fresh high budget action and animation make the film worth it in the end, and should be a good watch if you can ignore the abysmal story.