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Jan 5, 2014
Cowboy Bebop was one of the first anime that truly impressed me.
One of the first anime that convinced me the anime genre as a whole had something going for it, that anime has qualities that separate it from other forms of entertainment.
It is a show that has withstood the test of time and is often viewed as a masterpiece by many. With such popularity and praise there is bound to be a group of the opposite extreme that dislike the show. Now I bear in my mind that although this group is a minority their points are valid. As a reviewer I look at
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all angles and try my best to keep bias at an all time low.
Having said that, regardless of my attempts to locate the flaws of this show my overall consensus is that Cowboy Bebop is in multiple ways a masterpiece.
Here Goes The Review (Spoilers are at a Minimum)
Story~9.5
When most people think about what society would be like by the time space exploration is achieved they imagine a society that is more organized, coherent, and advanced. This is one of the key misconceptions that cause Cowboy Bebop’s story to shine.
We start our episodic space journey in an environment that is futuristic yet in many ways primitive. Watanabe Shinichiro’s depiction of the Cowboy Bebop universe seamlessly fuses the attitudes and tensions of a western shooter with the atmosphere of vast unexplored space. Due to the inability of the police to handle all criminals in such a large area bounty hunting is encouraged through media. Our four main characters (discussed more in the character section) just so happen to be bounty hunters that are all unwillingly bound together by greed, revenge, coincidence, and or desire. Furthermore, little to no background information is given about any of the characters from the beginning. Each character has a past that is hinted throughout many episodes. Slowly, the audience learns of the sins, misfortunes, and tragedies that quietly haunt those aboard the spaceship of Bebop.
And so this is the world us, the viewers, are thrust into and what an amazingly unique barren world it is. Being for the most part episodic, viewers may be deterred by the looseness and seemingly pointlessness of certain episodes. Be aware that although episodic, each episode develops the characters and is key to forming the bonds that will ultimately culminate the multiple climaxes of the story.
Art~9.5
Do not let age fool you. Despite being over a decade and a half old the animations in Cowboy Bebop are amazing in providing the dangerous rugged environment of criminal filled space. In fact, the 1998 art is more of a positive than a negative. Gone are the crisp saturated art of modern day. The outdated animations contribute greatly to the classy western style of the anime. Everything from the smoke of cigarettes to guns ablazing are portrayed brilliantly. The choreography of martial arts and space flight is done in a fluid and smooth fashion. The characters look great and production never seems to dip for a single moment.
Three simple words can summarize the art: Rugged yet Classy~
And so in trying my absolute best to pinpoint the flaws of the art I am both reluctant and glad to announce that I have failed in doing so. Cowboy Bebop’s art is amazingly well done even for today’s standards. Knowing in the back of your head that this art originates from 1998 is just icing on the cake.
Sound~10
Earlier in my review I talked about how with much praise and popularity ultimately spawns a group with ideals of the opposite extreme. I wholeheartedly believe that it is safe to say that regardless of your ideas about Cowboy Bebop, everyone can agree that the music in this anime is absolutely amazing. So amazing that without the music I believe that Cowboy Bebop would never have achieved the success it has had to this day.
Never have I come across another example such as Cowboy Bebop where the music is such an integral part of the show.
From the Blues riffs of slide guitars to the unmatched soul of harmonica solos, the music in Cowboy Bebop does its job 110%. To say that the the music is fitting would be an understatement. Cowboy Bebop’s music boosts the atmosphere and situation of every scene to its highest potential and provides a convincing atmosphere like no other.
The dub of Cowboy Bebop is the arguably the most highly praised dub ever produced in the anime industry. Watanabe Shinichiro himself has even stated that he believed the English dub surpasses the Japanese dub, a feat that is notoriously rare. Every character’s voice is portrayed brilliantly with every word filled with real human emotion. Convincingly raw and powerful, I have yet to stumble across another instance where the voice acting was this well done. I honestly can not think up a single flaw of the voice acting even while keeping bias at a minimum. The English voice acting is truly a one of a kind in a world of horribly ear wrenching dubs.
The OP and the ED of Cowboy Bebop are probably one of the most popular Opening and Ending Themes of all time. The OP ("Tank!" by The Seatbelts) is a jazzy explosion of adrenaline. Listening to it is a joy and pumps the viewer’s eagerness to watch the episode. It keeps you on your feet and is in many ways the most famous trademark of the Cowboy Bebop series. The ED for most of the show ("The Real Folk Blues" by The Seatbelts feat. Mai Yamane) is equally as amazing but instead of pumping the viewer’s eagerness the ED in turn helps the viewer digest what was just displayed on the screen. Listening to the ED causes heartwarming scenes to be that much more heartwarming while heartbreaking scenes to be that much more heartbreaking. The Real Folk Blues is a beautiful jazzy blues inspired song sung over with Mai Yamane’s powerful voice. The ED only changes twice in the anime, each change being only for one episode. As a reviewer I would not feel right about spoiling the timing of the ED changes because they are in my opinion some of the most powerful moments of the anime. And so this last bit I shall let the viewer experience.
Character~10
Cowboy Bebop has one of the most memorable casts of any show I have ever watched. They are eccentric, unique, strong willed, and powerfully convincing.
We have Spike Spiegel who is a male bounty hunter in his late twenties that is trying to escape an inescapable past; Jet Black, the father like figure of the spaceship Bebop who has been stricken by unjust tragedies; Faye Valentine, the strong independent con artist who is kept in the dark about her own life; and last but not least Edward, the androgynous female teenage hacker with a background as confusing as herself.
As mentioned earlier they are for the most part unwillingly bound together by greed, revenge, coincidence, and or desire. This is what is so great about the characters in Cowboy Bebop… they all start off the show hating each other!
The reluctant and slow change of their relationships is humorous,real, and convincing.
The climatic points of the show are the episodes in which bits and pieces of each crew member’s past is slowly revealed. We get to see and feel what they were hiding and the raw emotions that they feel. Each character is its own little mystery that keeps the audience in the dark.
Easily the most impressive aspect of Cowboy Bebop is the portrayal of the characters. The crew deals with grief, anger, sadness, and all else in their own unique ways and rarely deviate. How Shinichiro portrays this uniqueness is simply amazing. The characters NEVER falter and always stay true to themselves. As the episodes roll by, the audience starts to understand why each character acts the way they do and can relate. This understanding makes it unbearably easy for the audience to become emotionally attached to each crew member as we share their pain and memories.
All in all, the characters of Cowboy Bebop are outstanding. Their strengths overcome their flaws when united as a whole. Beautifully drawn and creative, Shinichiro has invented a golden cast.
Overall/Enjoyment~10
Even after watching dozens of anime after Cowboy Bebop it still strongly remains one of my few masterpieces.
Amazing Story
Beautiful and Impressive Art
Gorgeous Heart Pounding Music
A Cast like no Other
Cowboy Bebop is in my eyes a masterpiece of entertainment with its flaws being few and far in between.
An instant classic and an easy 10 out of 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 3, 2014
An Introduction
I remember being very hesitant to dip my toes into the josei genre due to a silly chemical called testosterone. This all changed when I watched H&C. Finally, I could watch romantic comedies where moe, fanservice, unrealistic sexual situations, and cliches were absent. By the end of H&C I was thoroughly convinced that I would never find another josei of a similar caliber. This is where Nodame Cantabile comes in. Nodame Cantabile has far exceeded my expectations and has captivated me from episode 1.
I will to the best of my abilities review the Paris Chapter in a way that will hopefully prove helpful
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to any interested readers.
Note: Many References to Season 1 will be made. If you haven’t watched it… well why are you watching Paris Chapter? >.>
Story~ N/A Pacing~ 7.5
The story takes place right after episode 23 of season 1. As the title of the anime may suggest our two beloved MCs will explore the extravagant land of Paris as they struggle with their musical careers ... and quite honestly there's really nothing more to it than that, its simply a slice of life. I don't believe in judging a slice of life anime on story, especially when we're considering a sequel that has already had a majority of its core development taken care of in the previous season so I will now talk about the pacing.
Now from multiple perspectives the pacing was good and bad. Good in the sense that they fit a surprising amount of character development into a mere 11 episodes and bad in the sense that the season was … well 11 episodes. The runtime does not do the sequel justice and it just does not feel the same as season 1. Characters are very abruptly introduced, months go by within minutes, and so on. It is good to mention that for the little time the producers did have they displayed a very good amount of development between Chiaki and Nodame. In the end the producers did the best they could with what they were given and the short run time is only one of the sequel’s few flaws.
Art~8
The art is more or less the same as season 1. JC Staff still provides the very warm, plain, simple animations that drew me into the first season. Something great about the art in this season is the difference in setting. The Paris backgrounds look beautiful through the Nodame Cantabile art style. It makes the watcher truly feel that Chiaki and Nodame are far from home, in a distant fairy-tale. The one major difference I saw between the seasons is the usage of CGI animation. Having well rendered CGI animations would have been a huge step up from the still shots of orchestras playing but unfortunately the CGI was very stiff and poorly executed. Rather than enhancing the experience of watching the orchestra perform the CGI made the performers seem very robotic and unnatural and ultimately became a distraction rather than an improvement. Other than the CGI flaw, the art of Paris Chapter stays true to its roots and is well done and strong throughout the whole show.
Sound~8.5
Now how did an anime so heavily based on classical music not receive a 10 in sound? Don't get me wrong the pieces chosen for Paris Chapter were beautiful and an absolute joy to listen to but I felt like the time devoted to music paled in comparison to season 1. I kept in mind that this is most likely accountable due to the air time being less than half of season 1. The producers were likely trying to keep the music feel of the show while having enough time for character development. Unfortunately, the lack of devotion to the musical segments do hamper the joy when Chiaki and Nodame perform. Putting aside the fact that the pieces are played for short time segments, Paris Chapter’s choice of classical pieces is still very varied and diverse. Being a complete stranger to classical music, Nodame Cantabile gave me a new appreciation for this genre of music and Paris Chapter did it again.
The voice acting is still very strong. The trademark “Gyabo!” and “Myuka!”s are well timed and done in a hilarious fashion. Chiaki and Nodame still stay true to their personalities in season 1. A large amount of new supporting characters were introduced but each of their voice actors did a very good job. None of them seemed out of place and the warm, cozy, Nodame Cantabile atmosphere was left undisturbed. All in all, the voice acting was great with the flaws being largely unnoticeable.
Now for the OP. The OP for the whole season is Sky High by The Gospellers. To be frank, I didn’t really care for the OP. The song was average and the animations were a bit boring. I found myself skipping it almost every single time. The ED (Tokyo et Paris by Solita and Emiri Miyamoto) on the other hand was great. A gorgeous violin piece was played with the soft touching voice of Solita. The whole song is in French and so it just adds to the overall Paris feel of the anime. Listening to it after every episode was joy as you saw the credits rolling accompanied by still shots of our beloved characters.
Character~9.5
Now THIS is where a slice of life truly shines. Chiaki and Nodame’s relationship take a very sudden change in direction from the first season. Gone are the subtle developments and the ever so slow realization of love that were present in the first season. Chiaki and Nodame’s relationship is no longer one sided and is portrayed in a way that convinces the audience the long 23+ episode wait was more than worth it. Although this change in approach to their relationship is great I felt as if sometimes certain things were rushed and just completely out of no where due to the short air time. Other then that, the romantic scenes in Paris Chapter are well done and numerous. A huge step with Nodame is her increasing independency. She no longer clings to Chiaki as he mercilessly whacks her away. This in turn causes both individuals to become jealous, uncertain, and worried about each other. In other words, finally being an acknowledged couple, we get to see development in ways that could never be addressed in the first season. This only greater strengthens their bonds with each other and the audience.
Now a huge minus to Paris Chapter was the complete disappearance of the supporting cast from the first season. The only characters that were still around were Kuroki and Stresemann although Kuroki was one of the more boring characters while Stresemann appeared very infrequently. This results in most of the screen time for supporting characters being directed at the new cast. In no way is this bad, but like almost everything else in the show, the new supporting cast suffers greatly due to the short air time. No real development really happens with any of them which is completely fine because most of the emphasis is put on Chiaki and Nodame anyways. The new supporting cast does a great job in providing an authentic college atmosphere but don’t get expected to feel attached to any of them.
Enjoyment/Overall~8.5
In the end, Nodame Cantabile Paris Chapter was a great watch. Although it did pale in comparison to the first season in many fields, it also had its strengths. A relatively short run time causes the anime to suffer as a whole but should not be a reason Nodame Cantabile lovers shouldn’t give it a try. We get to see a new side of Chiaki and Nodame as they explore the musical wonderland called Paris. Each episode was filled to the brim with events, sometimes too much. But it keeps the audience busy and the absence of pointless fillers is always a plus.
As far as sequels go, Paris Chapter did a great job. Honestly, if there’s 11 more episodes where I get to experience Chiaki and Nodame I’m going to watch it regardless.
The humour was great.
The characters were great.
The romance was great.
A well done sequel to Nodame Cantabile. Now onto the finale~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 10, 2013
Shinsekai yori was something else...
First let me say Shinsekai yori was not a light watch at all. This is a thinker's anime. Casual viewers will probably be very turned off by the serious nature of the show. Having said that, for those of you who are looking for an anime that shows the story of a dark, fear ridden society in a brutally honest way keep on reading!
Shinsekai yori is unique in which it has no correct set of morals. The line between good vs bad is blurred to the point where the viewer sympathizes with the antagonist.
Why is this?
It is because Shinsekai Yori is
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very realistic.
Let me give an example to further the meaning of the previous statement: In modern society many consider stealing to be a sin while others justify the act in order to feed their families.
In other words survival is all that matters and that is what Shinsekai yori is, a situation in which survival is the only thing that justifies an action or not.
Now logic such as this will undoubtedly result in very disturbing outcomes and decisions so viewers should brace themselves for very gruesome events.
If anyone is expecting to see plenty of action/comedy/happiness I suggest you think twice about trying this anime. Positive moments are stretched out far in between and thus rare throughout while tragedy is almost always present. Also casual watchers should beware that Shinsekai yori requires some degree of analysis for it to be enjoyed to its utmost potential.
If you are still with me, Great! Here goes the review. Everything is spoiler free!
Story: 9.5
The setting involves a dystopian society 1000 years into the future that has actually reversed progress regarding industry and technology due to human beings obtaining telekinesis. We observe the society of year 3000 through the eyes of 5 children who are just as clueless as the viewer. The story is narrated by one of the children, Saki, as the anime shows the events of the children's lives and their fates from the ages 12-26. Throughout the anime the group of five learn of the evils and secrets that society has hidden away. Upon learning, life changing events take place throughout their lives, affecting not only their relationships but their sanity as well.
The story of Shinsekai yori takes the concept of a dystopian future but applies it in its own very original style. It explores various sinister and dark themes of the human mind through solving the thrilling mysteries of the society and its past.
The story was highly original and refreshing due to its thought provoking and mature layout. Taking a story such as this and adding the amount of realism Shinsekai yori provides results in a story that is close to flawless.
Art: 7.5
Now I must admit, the art would amaze me one episode and then would make me cringe the next. For example there were many instances where some of the character's faces and bodies were so warped it shocked me that such mistakes were made in production. Although having said that, there were various instances where the art was absolutely stunning. Gorgeous still shots and surreal dream sequences beautifully portray the gloomy environment.
Just try searching up Shinsekai yori and looking up some HD scene pics.
I give the art a 7.5 because the production team really made some episodes look absolutely horrible while others were done brilliantly.
To sum it up the art is inconsistent and is a hit or miss depending on the episode.
Sound: 9
Shinsekai yori did not have an OP, which may bother some. I skip the OP 95% of the time so the fact that Shinsekai yori had no OP was not a negative factor personally.
The soundtrack was spot on in providing the gloomy dark atmosphere for the anime. It really stood out. Each time a track played it would send shivers down my spine as I watched in awe as to what was happening on screen.
For the episodes where the art was done well, once the music played, it would produce some of the most chilling scenes of any horror anime I've ever seen.
One thing that should be noted about the music is that it is very repetitive and is rarely varied. Although in Shinsekai yori's case this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Why change something that does its job 110%?
Character: 7.5
Now I have to admit that the characters are decent at best. I doubt that even Shinsekai yori lovers and fan boys would put one of the characters in their favorites. Although they are not very memorable the reason I gave it a 7.5 was because their actions and reactions were very realistic (something the whole anime has going for it). From tough decisions to shocking news, all the characters reacted in ways that the viewer could relate to.
Other than the realism most viewers will likely not be very attached to the characters which will thus reduce the emotion induced upon tragic events.
Nonetheless, I still give it a solid 7.5.
Overall: 8
Boasting a plot and environment that could have potentially catapulted it into my group of masterpieces Shinsekai yori falls short due to suffering to a tedious build up with some unmemorable characters and inconsistencies in art.
Overall I highly enjoyed Shinsekai yori and its wonderfully refreshing story and believe that any anime fan that truly loves mystery, horror, and plot twists must give Shinsekai yori a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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