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Lupin III is a genuine classic in the world of anime and manga. Originally written and illustrated by Monkey Punch in 1967-1969, it was later adapted into an anime in 1971. It would be the first of several anime and movies that follow the adventures of Lupin III, and would lead to the franchise being one of the most recognizable titles in anime. So what's the series about? It follows the antics of master thief, Arsene Lupin III, as he travels around the world stealing the most valuable and challenging treasures the world has to offer. He's assisted by his allies, Jigen and Goemon, hunted ... by the determined Inspector Zenigata, and challenged by his ally/rival/kind-of, sort-of, not really, love interest, Fujiko Mine. Fujiko often played the part of damsel in distress and wily seductress. But despite that, she stands out, even today, for her charm, her cleverness, and the fact that she was often the one who got the last laugh. Even now she has her own following of fans and, in 2012, got her own spin-off titled Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. A prequel to the original Lupin III that brought the series back to its roots (and possibly even more primal) and gave the spotlight to Fujiko instead of Lupin. It was an interesting idea. Giving the leading role to someone aside from Lupin, and Fujiko was a cool enough character. But could she carry her own series? The answer? Absolutely!

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine almost immediately asserts itself as different from the original series though its visuals. The direction was done by Saya Yamamoto, who's best known for directing Michiko to Hatchin, and being one of Shinchiro Watanabe's proteges. The series ambition is clear from the start through its sensual, yet unsettling, opening theme that makes it clear that this series planned to be far more than what we would expect from Lupin III. Filled with dark lines, earth tones, and some rather fantastic imagery, the series comes off as gritty and retro yet artistic. But, Lupin III has never been a completely serious show and, while this series is definitely different in tone, it never truly loses its sense of humor. But instead of overshadowing it, the direction blends with disproportionate character designs, cartoonish movements, and rather fun action scenes to make a series that looks neither stuffy nor silly, but just really cool. The budget doesn't always match up to its ambitions. But it succeeds most the time, and it's always a treat to watch. The only big issue with the visuals, is that they completely outshine the music direction done by Saya Yamamoto's mentor, Shinchiro Watanabe. Watanabe, best known for his work on the classic Cowboy Bebop (which is fitting considering the series seems to go for a Bebop feel, and Lupin III is a big influence on Watanabe) goes for a smooth jazzy feel that sounds good, but never gets the attention it deserves. The only time the music is prominent is during the aforementioned opening theme. Filled with a haunting and growing piano and strings that builds up as though it comes closer to ensnaring you in its clutches (similar to Fujiko herself).

But it's impossible to talk about this series without mentioning just how explicit it is. In just about every episode of the show, we're exposed to Fujiko's bare breasts and butt. This series has no qualms about showing you every square inch of Fujiko (the parts they're allowed to show anyways). But, this should be expected. Sex is a large part of Fujiko's character and image. It's her main weapon and she's not afraid to use it to get what she desires. She's not ashamed of it or her actions, and that's a large part of why the nudity in this show works. Almost all nudity and ecchi out there tries to be sexy, but comes off as gross for how voyeuristic it comes off and often happens at the expense of the character's dignity. Fujiko comes off as sexy (or as sexy as an animated character can get) because her main appeal comes from her charm, and her body is simply used as a means for her to come out on top. Which she has no problems with and even gets a sense of freedom from, giving a strangely empowering message through it. Hell, they even put a clever twist on her nude scenes in the last two episodes, which I can't go into great detail of for fear of spoilers.

To those who are familiar with the never-ending antics of Lupin III, the choice in visuals might seem a little strange. Despite Lupin III's erotic humor and gunfights, the series itself was more like a saturday morning cartoon. Almost always silly and never having an actual plot. Well, the ambition of the show also carries out into the rest of the show. Rather than having a bunch of episodic vignettes, the show goes for an overarching plot to explore the mystery of Fujiko. Not to say the show never goes into the vignettes itself. The first half is filled with creative and silly adventures, such as a hunt for treasure in a pyramid, a samurai taking on military planes with nothing but his sword, and an episode that ends with a cult swimming in a literal sea of drugs and getting high off their asses (Best. Ending. Ever!). But it's all coated in a darker shade and chooses to explore its characters more, wondering what makes them tick, and explaining how they all ended up together to begin with.

However, the characters are also far more gritty than you might remember them. The most notable one is Inspector Zenigata, who was once a pure-hearted, if not bumbling, officer, but is now more corrupted and ruthless, but still contains some noble sense to him. They also add a new character into the mix, Oscar. A prideful yet pathetic Lieutenant to Zenigata, who both despises and envies Fujiko Mine for being and having everything that he desires. Then there's Lupin himself, who's gone from being a womanizing Dennis the Menace with a gun, to being a far more conniving and selfish version of the gentleman thief. It's not a bad character change, and it actually fits the show far better. But it causes some problems for the dub. While almost all the english cast brings a good performance, Sonny Strait was a poorly cast choice for Lupin. While acceptable for a more goofy Lupin, Strait just feels out-of-place in this reimagining, despite him trying his absolute hardest to make it work. It's a good dub overall, but that one aspect is rather unfortunate.

But it's made very clear in the show that all these characters are nothing more than a supporting cast in the tale of Fujiko Mine. So what about Fujiko herself? She's a selfish, somewhat even, vicious thief. Through it's opening theme, a soliloquy spoken by Fujiko's voice actors in each language, she speaks about how wicked she is, and how much joy she gets from it. She entrances you into her world and challenges you. 'Figure me out, if you dare'. She's fun to watch, yet morally reprehensible. She's charming, yet most likely to stab you in the back and make off with all your money. You feel her touch, only to ignore her claws sinking deeper into you. She's dangerous, and yet you can't help but feel drawn into her world. As the show goes on, each character she comes in contact with wonders, who is Fujiko Mine? Though eventually the question becomes, what made Fujiko Mine into the person she is? By the end of the show, every character has their own answer to these questions, based on their own experience with her and point of view on the situation. Yet not even Lupin, who's probably the closest to her, can truly put their finger on what makes her tick. But the answer to those questions the show gives us, is so obvious, and yet so powerfully brilliant, that it'll leave you thinking about the woman called Fujiko Mine for many days to come. Making her possibly one of the best female characters in all of anime.

Yes the show is thematically fantastic. Always visceral and sincere, even at its harshest. The woman they make Fujiko out to be, the numerous situations she gets herself that connect to her character, and, strangely enough, even Fujiko's objectification, all provides for a very powerful and rare feminist message that you would never expect from Lupin III. I'd be ready to call this show an absolute masterpiece. If not for one thing. The plot to this show is really, really, dumb. From the beginning the series hints towards a large mystery, always providing a few visual hints to connect all of it together. The result though is a contrived mess of conspiracies and a wholly excessive amount of owls and butterflies that makes you question what the writers were smoking when they wrote this. Even the vignettes at the beginning of the series aren't safe from criticism, as the two Goemon episodes, written by Dai Sato, are the sole weak episodes of the entire series. Being overly political and taking the spotlight away from Fujiko, but resulting in no new development for Goemon's character. But by the end of the show, you're presented with two major twists involving Fujiko's past that almost makes you think the entire thing was pointless. Until you look at those final scenes and really think what the show was truly about, and you realize that there is truly brilliance within this series. The catch is that you have to look past the plot, and focus more on the themes and characters, to truly appreciate it.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is everything we never would've expected from Lupin III. Some older fans of the franchise might be turned off by the darker tone and strange art style. But others will find what the series has to offer to be new and rewarding. Plus, seeing as it's a prequel, it can be watched by those unfamiliar with Lupin III, and might even encourage some to check out more of this classic franchise. Despite the show's nonsensical plot, it's fulfilling narrative, direction, and Fujiko Mine, is enough to outshine the negatives and make this a show worth checking out. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.

Why can't stories be fun anymore? Why must a majority of shows and books be washed with dark themes and tones? Now I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy some darker stories. Hell, some of my favorites, in and out of anime, are rather dark themselves. But what makes those stories good in the first place is the high quality of writing that brought out the potential of the darker themes and tones. After all, the dark stories that lack actual writing talent almost always turn out abysmal. Likewise, it seems that the majority of the stories we get nowadays that attempt to ... be fun are riddled with groan-worthy jokes, the same repeated plot in different form, and the attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator, the tits and ass crowd. But it's not like this is new. For years, it's been like this. Yet, every now and then, we get a truly fun show that towers over the rest. When School Days plagued us with it's hate-filled contrivance, we had Baccano to combat it. When Air Gear tortured us with an onslaught of ecchi and stupidity, we had Ouran High School Host Club to show them how it's really done. So, when shows like Diabolik Lovers and the return of Valvrave the Liberator were upon us, and Samurai Flamenco failed us, who would step up to the plate to show what it truly meant to have fun? It's time, for Kill la Kill.

Story (8/10)

Our story begins in the future of, what appears to be, an alternative world to ours. In this world, Nazi Germany won the war, or at least it's implied, and Fascism reins supreme. In Japan, there lies Honnouji Academy, ruled by it's iron-fisted student council president, Satsuki Kiryuin. At Honnouji, the students are divided by rank, in the form of stars, and your social class reflects the amount of stars you have. Not only that, but the higher ranked students are given specialized uniforms, known as Goku uniforms, that enhance their own physical abilities, with the highest ranked students having the most powerful uniforms. One day, this organized society has a wrench thrown in it's works when a girl wielding a scissor blade, named Ryuko Matoi, enrolls in Honnouji, looking for answers involving her fathers murder. As she spends more time at Honnouji, her path crosses with Satsuki Kiryuin, she partners up with a living sailor uniform named Senketsu, and finds a friend in the schools nut job, Mako Mankanshoku. But as she goes deeper into the conspiracies, she's forced to confront the one thing she's been searching for this whole time. The truth.

As you can tell by the description, one thing you can't call Kill la Kill is unoriginal. What you can call it weird, crazy, over the top, eccentric, and silly among other things. But one thing that I rarely hear anyone call Kill la Kill, is smart. In fact, many people often describe it as mindless or stupid. I find this kind of sad considering that Kill la Kill is, in fact, smarter than many people will give it credit for. Kill la Kill is, in fact an allegory. For those who don't know, an allegory is an extended metaphor with hidden meaning, conveyed through characters and symbols. For reference, some other examples of allegories in anime are Wolf's Rain and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Kill la Kill often provides scenes, actions, and symbols that are meant to represent different forms of control, fascism being the obvious one, but others including indoctrination, traditionalist bigotry, and plutocracy, and these are shown to paint a picture of the conformist dictatorship that the world, or at least Japan, has submitted to. I'm actually surprised that many will write this off, considering that the symbolism and metaphor in Kill la Kill is some of the most blatant that i've ever come across.

Yes, Kill la Kill is smart and clever, but it's in no way deep or complex, and you don't have to work all that much to find meaning in it. But that's not really a bad thing, because the show is still meaningful in just how sincere it is in its endeavors. The ideas are simple and the writing is straightforward, but it's all done incredibly well. But it's not exactly necessary for you to notice these touches, because the show is so fun that you can enjoy it regardless. Yes the action, which can be best described as visual insanity, the humor, which is downright silly in the best way, and the ideas, which you should already be able to tell are strange and creative, is just so enjoyable that it's hard to not end an episode, particularly the later episodes, feeling starry-eyed and wanting more. Sadly this isn't true from start to finish. The show gets off to a rather weak start, with plenty of info dumping and cliches tossed left and right in the first episode. But it continues to improve with each episode, until the epic climax that made my jaw hurt from the giant grin I was wearing the entire time.

Art (9/10)

Kill la Kill is brought to us by the good people at studio Trigger, the new anime studio that was founded by former Gainax employees, and it also serves as their first televised series. Before I can actually talk about the animation quality of the show though, I have to talk about the director. The director, and co-founder of Trigger, Hiroyuki Imaishi was best known for his directorial works on Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt, and the massive success known as Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann. His style often consists of grand scale settings, over the top action scenes, and just plain insanity that borders on nonsensical, and I have to say, I think Kill la Kill probably accomplished his style better than any of his other past shows.

The animation is top notch when it needs to be, but often needs to cut corners. However it's hard to take points off for this when they cut corners in all the right places, to the point where the untrained eye might not even notice the drop in quality to begin with. When the animation does decide to shine though, it's truly a visual marvel, making for some top notch actions scenes. There's plenty of detail put into this show too. It might take a little while to notice it, but there is always something going on on-screen, whether it be simple visual gags, or just little subtle touches that make a scene just a bit more prominent. You can tell there was a lot of time and care put into the visuals of this show.

But of course, anyone's who's watched Kill la Kill, or even just knows a little about it, knows that you can't talk about the visuals without bringing up the f-word. Fanservice. Yes, Kill la Kill has scantily clad girls in it, sometimes even fully naked women in it. However, I don't see this as a flaw. Putting aside for a second that the fanservice is actually a plot point and connects to the shows themes both symbolically and metaphorically, I'm being completely serious, there are still two reasons why I will defend it. First, one look at the character designs should tell you, this fanservice is meant to look silly not sexy. The character designs are very cartoonish, with hardly any detail put into their, well, assets, and there is no attempt to make them look like wank bait. Second, even if you don't agree with my first point, I should point out that Kill la Kill has an equal amount of manservice. Yes for every half naked girl, there is a fully naked guy showing off his buff body. So, at the very least, you can't accuse the show of only trying to appeal to a certain audience. The only fanservice scenes I have issue with are the ones between Satsuki and her mother Ragyo. I understand that it's supposed to represent Ragyo showing dominance through sexuality, which is certainly nothing new, and that they were intended to be creepy, which actually works in a way. But there was no need to have 4 entire scenes of Ragyo molesting her daughter. Even so, that's just four scenes compared to 24 entire episodes. Kill la Kill, while not dazzling or progressive in it's visuals, still proves itself to be a visual marvel in it's own way.

Sound (9/10)

“DON'T LOSE YOUR WAAAYYYYY!!”- Before My Body Is Dry

Every good anime needs a good OST to deliver in the context of the show it's accompanying. So for Kill la Kill's soundtrack to be good, we'd need it to be over-the-top, insane, somewhat cheesy, diverse, loud, and unforgettable. Luckily Hiroyuki Sawano, the show's composer, does not fail to deliver. There's a certain charm to the shows soundtrack that only grows on you further and further as they smartly place the most blood-pumping and spine-chilling songs at the most excessive parts of the show's action scenes and the most thrilling parts of the shows turns. From the stupidly awesome Til My Body Is Dry, to the subdued I Want To Know, and of course the fan favorite, the soft yet chilling German aria, Blumencranz. It's no surprise that the OST has even seen stateside success with Aniplex's release of it.

As for the voice acting, there is no dub as of this review, though there will certainly be one at a later date, so there isn't too much to say. As for the quality of the Japanese track, it's excessive, it's hammy, and it's impressionable. In other words, it fits the show perfectly. I admit, and I've said this before in the past, it's a bit hard for a non-japanese speaker like me to fully judge a japanese performance, but it's clear that the seiyu of the show were able to deliver a passionate performance.

Characters (9/10)

“Not making sense is kind of our thing”- Ryuko Matoi

I've said before in the past that, at times, simplicity can work better than complexity. Sometimes, all a character needs is to be well-defined and engaging. In that sense, Kill la Kill passes with flying colors. Most, if not all, of the shows characters start off as the haggard old archetypes we've seen a million times before. Ryuko is the hotheaded rebel, Satsuki is the prideful ice queen, Mako is the out of this world best friend/comic relief, Senketsu is a blood-sucking sailor uniform........okay maybe not all of the characters are haggard old archetypes. But what sets them apart from their archetypes, is that every character in this show has purpose, both to the story and to themselves. Each is written with unique motivations, goals, and flaws that make the cast far more fleshed out then I thought was possible when I started the show.

This is only furthered by the show's theme of individuality. Yes, as a primarily teenage cast living in a conformist dictatorship, each of them are bound to, at some point, question who they really are, what they want in life, and how they live their lives. Every character, either before or during the events of the show, goes through this journey that ends up defining them and their role. It's this that turns Ryuko from the hotheaded rebel to someone who craves a sense of identity, Mako from a comic relief to an emotional anchor, Senketsu, who I remind you is a blood-sucking sailor uniform, to one of the most lovable characters of the show and Satsuki goes from a prideful ice queen to spoiler spoiler and more spoilers. Even outside of the main cast we have memorable characters like the muscle bound, yet surprisingly moe, Ira Gamagoori, the theatrical and attention-grabbing Aikurou Mikisugi, and then there's Nui Harime. Oh Nui, you cutesy, detestable, little troll you. Her words are like nails on a chalkboard, her presence is like a shadow looming over a playground, and by the end of the series you will want her to die a slow painful death. My god, did I enjoy having her around. Yes, all that I just said is true, but she just has such charm to her, you can't help but love to hate her, maybe even just love her period for just how much deadly fun she is.

Overall, there's just a certain charm that comes with all of these crazy, strange, nonsensical, and wholly loveable characters coming together to create one giant family of awesome, while simultaneously saving the world. The characters of Kill la Kill, don't have much depth, except for perhaps Ryuko and Satsuki, but they don't necessarily need it. They're familiar, yet distinctive, likeable, and unforgettable, and sometimes that's all a show needs to have a great cast.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10) (9/10)

You know, if you told me after I watched the first episode of Kill la Kill that it would end up being one of my favorite shows, I would have to think that you knew next to nothing about what I enjoy in anime. But lo and behold, I am writing an extremely positive review of the show and declaring it one of my new favorites. There's been a little joke ever since Kill la Kill was announced, even before it aired, that Kill la Kill was “saving anime” made mostly by people who wanted to mock the idea of over-hyping shows, and yet ironically only ended up hyping it even more. Do I agree with this idea, no. Anime doesn't need saving, despite my jesting in the opening paragraph, and hype is something that shouldn't be considered when judging any type of work because what's important is what's right in front of you. So what do you get from Kill la Kill? One of the most fun anime i've seen in a while that manages to be well-written and full of heart. I can't, with good conscience, give it a perfect score, but that does not stop me from adoring it as much as I do. It's a show that may not be for everyone, but I highly recommend checking it out nonetheless. Anyways that's all for now. Til next time.

You know, it's actually kind of hard to write a positive review. It's not that it's hard to point out positive aspects of something. But it's a bit harder to justify your praise for it, without coming off as a fanatic that choses to ignore it's flaws. By contrast, it's far easier to justify a negative review. My last review of School Days was one of the easiest things i've ever written. A show that i detested for so many reasons, and that others felt the same about, so it was easy to justify my negativity. But what about a review of my favorite show? ... One that i believe to be a masterpiece, yet many do not, either out of ignorance of the shows existence, or out of spite for it's similarities to the elephant in the room of anime. It's been a review that i've been a bit fearful of writing, but i simply cannot hold back any longer. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my review of my number one favorite anime, RahXephon.

Story (9/10)

In the year 2012, a human-like species called the Mu invade Japan. But that is not where our story begins. Our story begins in the year 2015 in Tokyo, where a young artist named Ayato Kamina is attacked by government officials, only to be saved by the mysterious woman, Haruka Shitow. When Ayato learns that those government officials have blue blood, Haruka promises him the truth that has been kept from him for so long, only for him to run from her to chase after a mysterious girl by the name of Reika Mishima with whom he stumbles on a giant egg that holds the RahXephon, an ancient mechanical titan than can only be piloted by Ayato. With this, he learns that there is a separate world, right outside the one he's lived in all his life, with a 12 year difference to that of Tokyo's time. With Haruka and the anti-Mu organization TERRA, Ayato will find the truth. About the RahXephon, about the Mu, and, most importantly, about himself.

As you can tell by that not-so-brief description, there is a lot going on in RahXephon. It's a series filled with lore, mystery, and symbolism that is just begging to be answered and analyzed, yet the series always chooses to hold close to it's chest. The show always gives you enough to work off of, and plenty to keep you interested, but the answers come quite slowly, and there are plenty of times where you're left in a state of confusion where you simply have to sit down for a minute or ten, and think about what you just saw. This makes it such a joy when you finally do get those answers and everything finally comes together, but so frustrating to actually continue on with. Many will find themselves fascinated with the show, and invested to find out it's secrets, but there are plenty that simply get fed up with being kept in the dark. This is understandable, but RahXephon is definitely a series worth sticking with, and and even greater joy to revisit, once you know all the secrets, and realize that the show gave you a lot more to work with than you gave it credit for.

RahXephon is a show doused with Mayan lore and Aztec culture, mixed in with the studies of the fictional continent of Mu, thought up by James Churchwood, plenty of classic literature influence, and plenty of reference to surrealist art. But above all, RahXephon plays with the concept of music. Each episode ends with the words, "The world, suffused with sound", and many music terms are often brought up in cryptic riddles, for example. All because one of the main themes of RahXephon, is the idea of music changing the world, though put in a much more cryptic and spoiler-ish manner, and as such, the show itself plays out like a symphony, playing until it reaches it's coda, and ends with a striking crescendo.

But, while you may further enjoy the show with proper knowledge of it's influence, you don't need to know them to like the show. RahXephon is a cerebral art piece indeed, but it's primarily a romance that centers around revelation and inner strength. It shows how easy it is to come face to face with reality, how hard to is to accept it, and how strong you have to be to move past it in order to find happiness in the bonds that you spend time creating and strengthening, and while it may come with occasional heavy-handedness, the show itself it so genuine, honest, and respectful to it's audience with how it's presented, that those moments never dampen the show, and the shining moments are ones that will linger on with you for quite a while.

Art (9/10)

RahXephon is brought to us by Studio BONES, a studio which few, if any, anime fans are unaware of. How could they be when BONES brought us some of the most noteworthy anime to come out, such as FMA and it's reboot FMA Brotherhood, Wolf's Rain, Eureka Seven, Soul Eater, and Ouran High School Host Club. What some people might be unaware of though, is that RahXephon was one of their first works, and their first big success. While RahXephon is somewhat of a small title these days, it's possible that without it, BONES wouldn't have the same illustrious future. It seems that BONES may have been aware of this at the time of RahXephon's conception, because the show is beautiful, even by todays standards.

The show is surprisingly bright and colorful, despite it's ominous tone, brought out through the simple yet effective design of the island of Nirai-kanai where most of the show takes place, making it all the more relevant when the tone changes and the backgrounds go dim and eery. As a cerebral show, it loves it's share of symbolism and imagery, such as the ever present contrast of red and blue, the reappearing dove portrait, modeled after Rene Magritte's "La Grand Famille", the use of common day items as representation of characters emotions, such as windshield wipers and a chime. But the most distinct aspects of the art in the show has to be the character designs, done by Akihiro Yamada. It's often said that body language speaks louder than words, and RahXephon has proven, possibly more than any other show, that animation is no exception. It's almost baffling just how expressive these characters are. The show says more in it's character expressions more than some shows say in entire series worth of dialogue, and some more subtle touches, like someone taking a few seconds to look someone in the eye, or just a look that the camera panders on for a second or two too long, can almost tell you everything you need to know about that character.

The show doesn't slack in the animation department either. In fact, i wouldn't say that it'd be too much of a long shot to say that some parts of the show rival that of modern theatrical releases. But there are two reasons why this section doesn't get a perfect score. The first being the actions scenes. The animation for the action scenes isn't bad, far from it in fact, and the designs for the dolems are actually quite eye-catching, but it doesn't really have the cool factor that you find in most mech fights, and can be a bit formulaic. The second reason is episode 20, which was outsourced to another studio, and looks positively dreadful. Mind you, it's the only episode that looks dreadful, but that simply makes it all the more noticeable. Still, what the show delivered in visuals is far exceeded expectations, and made for a defining point in the career of one of anime's most beloved studios.

Sound (10/10)

To match the show's outstanding visuals, the soundtrack provides a score of equal quality. RahXephon's OST was composed by Ichiko Hashimoto, providing a divisive score, mostly orchestral pieces, where every song stands out from the other and fits the visuals of the show perfectly, but because of this if actually hard to describe, and you'd be best listening to some tracks yourself and then judging it.

As for dub vs sub, you can't go wrong with either one, but they actually provide fairly different experiences. The Japanese track is very subtle and sedated, bringing in some real talent with names like Hiro Shimono, Aya Hisakawa, and, my personal favorite, Maaya Sakamoto, each presenting great performances. The dub on the other hand, is actually a little clunky at first, with some performances starting off rather rough, but eventually evolves into one of the better dubs you could possibly listen to, with Chris Patton and Monica Rial giving possibly their best performances to date with their respective roles as Ayato and Haruka. Unlike the Japanese dub, it's much more emotional, and more fitting to a drama. Both tracks cater ideally to the show, but in different ways, so it really all comes down to personal preference. RahXephon is a show that centers around sound, so it's only fitting that the sound for the show itself comes out with near perfection.

Character (10/10)

RahXephon is a story of love, determination, realization, and acceptance. These are themes that can only get across with a great sense of humanity in it's cast. Luckily, RahXephon delivers fully in that category. The characters follow archetypal designs for it's cast, with Ayato being the calm competent protagonist, Haruka being the protective older woman, Quon being the mysterious doll like girl, so on so forth. But there's one thing that evolve them far past these tropes and labels into something so much more. Their interactions. No line of this show is unimportant, and often, when one character says one thing, they're actually saying 10 different things. It may sound simple, but to achieve it to the level that RahXephon has done is far from an easy task.

By the end of it, these characters seem lot less like works of fiction, and more like actual people, complex with genuine desires, motivations, attitudes, and feelings. It's this that makes a simple fanservice character like Sayako into a tragic case of solitude and unrequited feelings, or a despicable character like Isshiki into a pitiful being of inadequacy and unfilled hopes. While there are some standout characters, like Maya Kamina, who is one of the best maternal characters period, or Johji Futagami, whose basic role in the series is to just keep being awesome, you'll be hard-pressed to find just one favorite character, as there's something to love and adore in nearly all of them. Similar to how i liked the School Days ending because it gave the characters exactly what it deserved, i love RahXephon's ending because it does the same. Only in this case, it takes an incredible cast of characters, shows them true suffering, but eventually gives them the fate that they had deserved right from the beginning.

Evangelion Comparison

In reviews, it's rarely a good thing to compare the work you're reviewing to another work. To be honest, i didn't really want to have to address the RahXephon/Evangelion comparison, but the show has become so associated with Evangelion, that it's almost impossible to avoid. RahXephon came out years after Evangelion, giving the world of mech anime the boost that they needed, and one that would've be given again until the release of Gurren Lagann years afterwards. Since it's release, RahXephon has often been compared to Evangelion by fans and critics alike, some saying that it's an improved version of Evangelion, while others label it as a blatant rip off. Both of these, i highly disagree with.

What makes something a rip off, is when a work tries to ride the coattails of another popular work because the writers simply lack the talent to make something of their own. RahXephon, is an original work with superficial similarities to Evangelion, but is practically it's opposite in themes, tone, and execution. But even if they weren't, would it really matter? Does it matter that the show in front of your face got it's idea from something else, when it provides you a smart, well-written, and emotional story? To some people, it does, and you can spend your time moaning and groaning about it on forums and message boards. But, i will be spending that time watching a fantastic show.

Enjoyment and Overall (10/10)

RahXephon is an anime that has been all but forgotten, in the West and in Japan. But even so, it has it's own loyal fan base that continues to support the show even to this day, and i am proud to call myself one of them. RahXephon has it's flaws and could be considered a bit esoteric to some, but it's imperfections only make it more beautiful in my eyes. RahXephon is my favorite anime, and i doubt that any other show will be taking it's place anytime soon. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.

I wonder, why is it that today's audiences are so invested in stories that center around people suffering through harsh trials that, more often than not, showcase the worst aspects of this world? Is it some sadistic pleasure at seeing others jump through flaming hoop after flaming hoop, despite deserving better? Is it some internal relief that we get, knowing that regardless of our own lives tribulations, that it's possible for others to suffer far worse than us? Either is possible, but i choose to go for a third, more positive option. Through these works, we see the best of humanity in the worst of ... situations. Whether it be Battle Royale, Game of Thrones, or, for this review, Attack on Titan, we see a strong sense of will, determination, and faith, that shines in the center of the worst the world has to offer. But, with so many of these kinds of stories out there these days, what makes Attack on Titan stand out from the crowd to gain it the immense popularity it currently has?

Story (8/10)

In an unknown part of the world, during an unknown time period, colossal monsters called Titans, whose only purpose in life is to feed on humans for pleasure, have taken the place of apex predator and forced humanity into hiding. With only a small percentage of humanity left, they build walls to surround cities in order to keep the Titans out, and live their lives trapped, yet alive. But after 100 years of not seeing a single Titan, a colossal Titan kicks the wall in and sends the outer layer of the city into panic. In the frenzy, one boy named Eren Jaeger, watches first hand as his mother is devoured by a Titan. Driven by rage and a desire for vengeance, he joins the Survey Corps with his childhood friends, Mikasa and Armin, to fight against the Titans, and satisfy his thirst for retribution, and find freedom beyond the walls they've spent their lives trapped in. Attack on Titan is a classic tale of overcoming trials to find what you desire, but, where most of these tales often chart the progress of their goals, Attack on Titan follows a "one step forward, two steps back" program. It seems that the closer Eren and the Survey Corps get to rising up against the Titans, reality always follows to rub just how hopeless it is in their face. Question after question arises, with no answers in sight, and by the end of the series, humanity has yet to take their step towards defeating the Titans. Normally this would all be very frustrating, if it wasn't for the fact that the story never just strings us along. It is a hopeless situation, and the characters actions towards rising up are never completely in vain. It's a story about overcoming suffering, regardless of how futile it seems, and charging forward with nothing more than hope, which is enough to make a compelling, and somewhat optimistic series for people to find themselves invested in. Sadly, Attack on Titan suffers from being an unfinished show, ending on a cliffhanger and leaving it's audience unsatisfied. Considering it's success though, a second season should be on the way as soon as there's enough source material to work off of. Unless, that is, Studio Wit all of sudden starts hating the oodles of money the show has put in their pockets.

Art (8/10)

Attack on Titan was done by Studio Wit, a subsidiary of Production I.G, and their first major work. The art in Attack on Titan is eye-catching to say the least. The backgrounds are surprisingly detailed, implementing the CGI to good use for the buildings, and vibrant forests for outside the wall. The character designs are worth noting as well. Seeing as the setting has more German influence than Japanese, the characters are designed for a more Western look, putting aside the show's token Oriental, Mikasa. What's more each of the characters are outfitted with thick black outlines, giving the shore a more comic book feel. Though the most notable thing about the designs, would have to be those of the Titans themselves. Their bodies are, large and misshapen, with sickening flesh tones, but the faces had a bad habit of getting more and more ridiculous as the show went on, to the point where the Titans were more laughable than intimidating. As for the animation, it looks absolutely marvelous when it wants to, implementing a three-dimensional style to match the humans maneuver gear, not to forget about the splendid choreography that goes into using said 3-D maneuver gear, making for some flat out gorgeous action scenes. The rest of the time though, the animation can be quite lazy and often lags. That's not even bringing into account the times when the show would decide to stop the animation all together to implement still screens. It's not a bad looking show by any means, but it could've looked better. Of course it could've looked a lot worse too, if not for three simple words. Tetsurou Fucking Araki. Simply looking at his track record, comprising of Death Note, High School of the Dead, and Guilty Crown, tells you two things about him. The shows he directs look really good and usually end up being huge successes. Araki often implements a style of bombast and erraticism, taking complete advantage of the animation medium, and simultaneously creating copious amounts of online memes, providing his shows with free advertising. While Attack on Titan isn't as gorgeous as Guilty Crown, or as stylized as Death note, his directorial style still provides enough passion and adrenaline to take this show's visuals to new heights.

Sound (9/10)

The OST for the show was done by Hiroyuki Sawano, whose previous works include Blue Exorcist and the aforementioned Guilty Crown. The show itself is a driving force of adrenaline and blatancy, so what better to suit it than heavy dramatic sounds, fully orchestrated with the obligatory choirs, crashing down on you while one of the characters charges off dramatically to go decapitate a Titan. Outside of the action, the show is complimented by vocal chorus pieces to suit the more moody and less intense scenes. Of course, you can't talk about Attack on Titan, without talking about it's openings. One of the things that sold Attack on Titan to so many people right off the bat, was it's first OP, Guren No Yamiya by Linked Horizon, which soon became an overnight internet sensation with hundreds of parody videos. To be honest, it is kind of as good as people say, but that shouldn't detract attention from the show's second opening, Jiyuu no Tsubasa, also by Linked Horizon, which is just as good if not better than the first opening.

Characters (8/10)

One of the bigger criticisms of the show is about it's cast of characters, where the words, undeveloped and bland most often appear. I'm going to respectfully disagree. Attack on Titan is not a complex show, nor does it ever try to act like it is. It's a straightforward action/adventure show meant to touch base with it's audience's own humanity. So doesn't it seem fitting that it's characters do the same? After all, sometimes simple characters are more effective than complex ones, especially when the point of these characters is to bring out human traits that the audience can connect with. There's nothing wrong with complexity in characters, and some shows even manage to blend complexity with humanity. But there are plenty of cases where a story might focus more on analyzing a characters inner workings that they come off as unnatural and robotic. In a 25 episode anime, where the themes are about the inner will and determination of humanity, simplicity works better. Eren is bitter and angry at the Titans, yet still desires freedom and the safety of his loved one above all else. Mikasa wants nothing more to protect Eren out of gratitude and love, gained from his part in providing her with a new life. Armin wants to find the courage within him to use his own abilities to assist his friends in the hope that they may someday live in peace. It's hard not to feel sympathy for the characters of this show, even those that don't necessarily deserve it, because the emotions they feel are justified and honest. Not to say they didn't need development, and some got it. Eren eventually learns to put his anger aside so it doesn't get in the way of what's important. Armin learns to put his fear aside so that he can use his intellect to help out. Jean decides to end his own selfish streak and step up as a leader for his fellow cadets. Not to say the cast doesn't have flaws. While i will defend Mikasa as a great female character and not just some emotionless guard fog, but she is a bit predictable after a while. Plus there are plenty of characters like Sasha and Connie which have yet to get any real attention outside of comic relief to bounce of the main characters. I've read the manga, so I know whether or not they develop, but this is a review on the show, so i'll be judging the characters on what they are, not what they could or will be. Still, Attack on Titan does give us an engaging cast to resonate with, whether it be their desire for vengeance, for freedom, for reason, and, of course, to protect what they hold dearest. Some people may criticize the simple designs for these characters, but i can't help but prefer humanity over complexity.

Enjoyment (9/10) Overall (8/10)

The question i expect to hear at least once after posting this review is, "does it live up to the hype?" and, quite frankly, it doesn't matter. Hype is a result of the community not the show itself, so to say something to overhyped or overrated is not a flaw of the show, but your own personal flaw. I hope that you can ignore the hype, and decide for yourself whether it's a show deserving of it's attention based off it's own quality. In my opinion, it kind of is. Attack on Titan is a thrill ride of action, impact, and pure enjoyment. It may be unfinished, but it was clearly planned with a second season in mind, which is all but confirmed, and will most likely clear up any loose plot threads and unresolved character arcs. I won't dismiss it's flaws, but i can look past them to see a quality show, one that i can recommend for all anime fans. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.

We all have things in life that we treasure and hold close, whether it be friends, family, possessions, dreams, or just life itself. We tell ourselves that we will do everything in our power to preserve them, that we would never risk betting and losing them. But what, one day, you were given the opportunity to be granted a wish? A miracle, with no limits, that could give you something that you always wanted. Would you be willing to risk losing everything, the things you treasure, your humanity, and even your life, to have that one wish granted? If you would, would you regret it, ... would you curse it, or would you fight to protect it? Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, or Puella Magi Madoka Magica, whichever you prefer, centers around these questions and gives us an outlandish tale of love and friendship, and how it can all disappear in the blink of an eye. Madoka, or "Dokes" as the internet now loves/hates to call it, has become a phenomenon in the anime community since it's release in 2011, garnering endless praise and a massive fandom in Japan and in the West, and like all popular works, the question that always arises is, does it deserve it? Well let's find out.

Story (10/10)

In a vague futuristic city in Japan, lives a girl named Madoka Kaname. She's entirely ordinary, and not very talented, but she treasures her life nonetheless and loves her family and friends entirely. But one day a mysterious transfer student named Homura Akemi gives her a warning, that if she truly loves her life and the people around her, that she shouldn't do anything that would change it. Her warning quickly becomes prevalent as she meets a mysterious being in the shape of a cute fuzzy entity named Kyubey that offers to turn her and her friends into magical girls. They will be granted one wish to gain these powers and in return they will be obligated to fight the witches that hide in the shadows of their city. Then..... well i can't really say. Basically everything that follows that basic description could be labeled as a spoiler, so if you want to know more, i suggest you watch the series for yourself. Hint though, if you're familiar with the works of Faust and Hans Christian Andersen, you might get some kind of clue as to what goes on. After 3 years since its premiere, it's common knowledge now that Madoka is not the moe fluff that it appears to be. There are many fans out there that will describe the show as a dark subversion that deconstructs the magical girl genre, and to this claim, i say that it's true. In the first two minutes of the anime, Madoka shows that it's not the happy-go-lucky magical girl anime from our childhoods, but a dark story that, along the way, points at some of the flaws and inconsistencies of the magical girl genre. But the thing is, Madoka is not good because it's a dark subversion. Madoka is good because it's terrifically written and has ended up being one of the few good modern tragedie. Nothing the show presents to us feels arbitrary or manipulative, but it feels inevitable, as though there was no way around it, even though our own ideals hoped that reality would stop crashing down on these girls. Of course this only works because the writing in the show is airtight, filled with foreshadowing, both subtle and obvious, and not wasting a single moment on scenes that could be considered meaningless filler, there is purpose to every interaction and every conversation. In fact there's so much detail in these short 12 episodes, that it doesn't just give it rewatch value, but it practically demands to be watched more than once, and from personal experience, it just gets better with each viewing.

Art (9/10)

The art and animation in Madoka was done by Studio Shaft, a studio known for it's high animation quality and obtuse visuals, and who i personally dislike for their vanity. Yet, i acknowledge good work when i see it, and to say their work on Madoka is just good is an understatement. Madoka's design has one thing that most moe shows lack, distinction. Their color palate, their ordinary pastels made extraordinary by crayon tones, and a certain flexibility that makes you really appreciate the work put into it. Not to say anything about the ever present city itself, large in scale, and containing areas both lavish and hollow. As the series progresses, the city continually gets more bleak and ill-boding to fit the tone, yet never losing the presence that it's had since the first episode. Still the highlight of the shows visuals is easily the witches labyrinths. Each of them is abnormal, outlandish, and unique with different themes and designs for each one, like one is designed after a hospital, another looks like a scrap book, and my personal favorite is where everyone in the labyrinth is depicted as a silhouette. It's unorthodox to it's core, and like the city, only gets more grim and uncomfortable as the series progresses. Not to say anything about the animation which meets the usual Shaft standards of high quality, with fluid and fast paced action scenes, and the notorious “sideways glance” that we see in every single Shaft anime. Madoka is art from anyway you look at it, and it's visuals to good to match it.

Sound (9/10)

The score for the show was done by, Yuki Kajiura. Yuki Kajiura's soundtracks are well known for shedding a tear or two, and Madoka is no different. With a glorious blend of synths and electric orchestra's, weeping strings and piano, and, of course, a towering choir, the soundtrack to Madoka is attention getting to say the least. Haunting, mysterious, and at times sad, needless to say, the OST is good, almost too good in fact. It's actually kind of hard to talk about the soundtrack because it's, honestly, just something you have to listen to for yourself. As for voice acting, i'll have to go sub over dub. It's kind of hard for me to judge Japanese voice acting since, I myself, do not speak Japanese, but still, it's not hard to notice a great performance when you hear one. In Madoka, it just so happens, that all of the actors are equally great, both subtle and overwrought for whichever situation. As for the dub, well, it's listenable. To be fair, it's not a bad dub, but it's not very natural sounding and very wooden on places. I will give special props to Cassandra Lee Morris for her performance as Kyubey. She obviously got what kind of character it was and captured its essence enough to rival its Japanese counterpart. If you prefer dubs then go ahead, the dub doesn't really do anything to hurt it, but i recommend the Japanese track.

Character (10/10)

As a tragedy, Madoka only works to it's fullest with the stellar cast of characters they provide, although it may not seem that way from an limited standpoint. By limited standpoint, i mean those who follow a formula to judge what makes a character, one such as "background A + situation B = reaction C" characterization", rather them what's in front of you. The characters are humanized beyond their archtypes and over time, things like motivations change and the characters are corrupted by a situation that, despite being ideal candidates for, none of them were mentally, physically, or emotionally prepared for. Of course, in classic tragic fashion, the situation was a near impossible one that could've been avoided, if not for their own personal flaws. Their naivete, their desperation, their love, their desire, even things that seem like good attributes like kindness and courage prove to be more harmful than they seem. This is brought out through the contrast of the rookie magical girls and the veterans, those who went in with hope and the best of intentions, and those who have learned the hard way about the price of being a magical girl. Of course this applies to all the main cast, except for two. The first being out ordinary protagonist, Madoka, who consistently goes through the series with a justified indecisiveness towards becoming a magical girl, feeling the guilt of not doing her part, but fearing for what will come when she makes her wish. Her natural sense of what's right and what isn't, her own insecurities, and being witness to the consequences that unfold is what ultimately drives her character throughout the series, slowly building her up until the climax, and while she isn't the best of the characters, she is the one most suited for being the main protagonist. Then there's Kyubey, who i sadly can't go into much detail over, so i'll just give you the gist of it. Kyubey is the representation of logic versus emotion, and the needs of the many versus the needs of the one. It's indifferent towards the ideas of good and evil and acts however it feels is necessary to get what's needed. The mere fact that i've been using it for Kyubey, over him or her, should be indication that Kyubey is more than it originally seems. There's not much to talk about outside of the main cast, as there's only 6 other characters that aren't just nameless background fodder, but they still contribute their fair share to the story. The conversations between Madoka and her mother Junko often reveal a lot, how close they are, how much Madoka admires her, and often works as vessels for foreshadowing, and were always interesting to watch. Madoka and Sayaka's friend Hitomi is another story. She's not a bad character, but her switch from comic relief to super serious seemed a bit sudden, but even that's just a nitpick. The characters is Madoka are surprisingly complex and give off more than enough humanity to make this series exceed expectations.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10)

Gen Urobuchi has stated in interviews that his intention with Madoka was to make an interesting, thought-provoking, fantasy set in an established genre. Did he succeed? More than i could've ever expected. Madoka is a masterfully written modern tragedy that works on par with classic european literature. Some may claim that Madoka is nothing more than shock factor with cute girls designed to be an instant hit, to which i recommend you rewatch it since you missed the point of what the series is about in the first place. As for others, while i can't guarantee that you'll like the series as much as i do, as with any other work, but i recommend you watch it, sooner than later. Few series seems to hit every target, from characters, to story, to themes, and work every way, inside and out, to make a series as, for lack of a better word, perfect. Anyways, that's all for now, til next time.

It's strange, don't you think? How in a world filled with otaku that crave action or moe, and sometimes both, that possibly the most popular anime out there is Death Note, a psychological thriller that spends 90% of it's time talking. Perhaps it's because it's a product of Shonen Jump, or maybe because of the directing style of Tetsuro Araki, or maybe because the anime itself is just that good. After all, over the years we've had plenty of anime trend and take up the majority of discussion on forums, Steins;Gate, Sword Art Online, and probably the biggest being Attack on Titan, but Death Note ... has stayed a major anime in the community for 7 years now. So now the questions are, why is it so popular, and does it deserve it's popularity? Let's see if we can find some answers.

Story 8/10

Our story begins with the introduction of Light Yagami, a genius high schooler who's completely and utterly tired of his daily life, finding it dull because of how easy the work he does is to him, and frustrating because of the "rotten" state of the world. One day his life changes completely when a black notebook with the words "Death Note" on the cover falls from the sky. He picks it up and reads that by writing the name of anyone in it while picturing their face, that person will die in 40 seconds of a heart attack, unless a cause of death is also written down. He originally tosses it aside as a twisted joke, until he tests it out for himself, and in a clever case of "curiousity kills", the Death Note appears to work and he's now convinced that it is real. The Death Note actually came from a Shinigami, or "death god", named Ryuk, who was just as bored as Light and tossed the Death Note into the human world for fun. Now wielding immense power in his hands, Light takes it upon himself to kill all the criminals of the world and create a new world which he stands as a living god. After making a name for himself under the alias Kira, this case catches the attention of Interpol and the world famous detective, known only as L. Now the battle is on between Light and L, as they both use their intellect and resources to try and find out the others identity and win in this battle of good versus evil. Though whether justice is Light, L, or simply whoever wins, is left up to you. One thing i can say about Death Note's story, that i so rarely get to say, is that the idea for it is quite original. Yes there are other anime out there that have very similar feels to them, such as Code Geass or Gankutsuou, i've yet to see an anime that took the idea of "the pen is mightier than the sword" to such extreme and creative levels. Concept aside though, this is a psychological thriller, specifically a game of cat and mouse, and Death Note never fails to deliver with it's twists. It seems as though every episode ends with a cliffhanger making you want to tune in to the next episode as quickly as possible to see what happens next. Even so this only works because of the rivalry between Light and L. I'll get into it them more in the characters section, but it seems these two are able to make such a seemingly dull story into an adrenaline fueled thriller, despite the anime being mostly dialogue. Actually, the anime is at it's best when it's focusing on the dialogue, particularly L and his uncanny ability to see the importance in everything, including things i wouldn't have even assumed were important until L pointed them out. In the rare occasion that the show does choose to show a shootout or a car chase i just want it to finish so i can get back to the talking. Light however proves to be quite clever himself as he's able to use the Death Note's many rules, and when i say many i mean enough to write a book on, to form long complicated plans, that when revealed you can't help but feel a sense of awe. The rivalry between these two is what made this show, which leads me to bring up the matter of it's last 12 episodes. Around that point, the battle between Light and L ends, for major spoiler reasons, and a new battle starts where it left off between Light and L's two successors, Near and Mello. Now anyone who's talked about Death Note knows about the infamous reputation that these last 12 episodes have, and quite frankly, it's not untrue. While i don't find them as bad as everyone else, i still enjoyed them to a degree, they are a major letdown compared to the show's first 25 episodes, with Near and Mello turning out to be disappointing replacements for L, and Light no longer having anyone of worth to bounce off of. Luckily, the ending was able to save the show. While i know that some people disagree with me, and prefer the original manga's version of the ending, i couldn't help but be amazed with how well they were able to end it and conclude the game between Light and L, and just how fitting it was. But there's also the issue of the game itself. The game between Light and L is that of good and evil, but is transformed more into that of a game of chess, with everyone else being used as pawns and the murder being played off as almost horrifically fun, and despite me not having any issues with this, many others are bound to be turned off by the idea of it. Still if you can get past that, then the story of Death Note is airtight and heavily engaging.

Art (9/10)

Death Note was done by studio Madhouse, who's name is quite well known amongst anime fans for it's, mostly, high quality of animation, with Death Note being no exception. The art for this show is very pleasing, being pretty yet dark and gothic, tons of shading and detail to both the characters and the background designs. The animation is usually very simple but nice. Death Note is mostly a talking head anime, with characters just standing around and having long dialogues and monologues, and sometimes both at the same time, yet there's such precision to every small movement that they make, it's actually quite impressive. However, every now and then, the animators are basically given permission to go nuts, and go nuts they do, with fluid, fast, and erratic movements, adding a sense of chaos to the show, very nice looking chaos mind you. This is most likely thanks to the director Tetsuro Araki, famous for other works like High School of the Dead, Guilty Crown, and most recently Attack on Titan. He adds a bombastic flair to the show that could never be found in the manga, really taking advantage of the fact that it's animation rather than just adapting the manga to a T. But what really makes him and his works, Death Note being no exception, standout is how well he knows his audience. He purposely puts over the top scenes in his shows knowing that the viewers will turn them into gifs and memes and share them through sites like Tumblr and Twitter, unknowingly bringing free publicity to his shows. Death Note seems to take advantage of that more than any other anime of his though, the over the top reactions, the obvious repetition of scenes, and of course, the famous Potato Chip scene. Some people may look at this as manipulation, but i look at this as the show standing out and taking full advantage of the privileges it's given, which is always a plus. The only issue i have, is that while the show still looks good, the animation is kind of dated now, but you can't really call that a fault of the show, just the times.

Sound (9/10)

You know it seems like every anime out there nowadays seems to think that nothing could possibly make for a better soundtrack than a good latin choir, Death Note being no exception. In fact, basically every song in this show is a latin choir, and you know what, it works. They do nothing short of put even the smallest even on some grand scale that keeps your attention in place, though i will admit, it does become a bit overused. The only two notable exceptions to this being the themes to Light and L, with Light's being sinister sounding electric guitars to represent his passion and L's being haunting sounding pianos to represent his cunning and precise nature. There's also the OPs and EDs of the show, with the first OP, The World, and ED, Alumina, being by a Japanese visual kei band called nightmare, and while they were great and fitting sequences, i couldn't help but be annoyed at times by the whiny tone of the vocals. The second OP, What Up People, and ED, Zetsubou Billy, on the other hand are done by a Japanese metal band called Maximum the Hormone, and despite popular opinion, i prefer these over the first sequences. The screamo lyrics are not only fitting, but also just different from most other anime, making them stand out as memorable and even catchy. So with a well done OST to match the well done art/animation, the only thing that could bring the production values up even more is good acting, and Death Note does not fail to deliver. Death Note is 90% dialogue, so the only way this could work is with talented actors, which both the English and Japanese tracks do not fail to deliver. For Light we have Brad Swaile for the english dub, and while he has issues at first, seeming to try to match the Japanese track, he eventually finds his own footing and really owns the role. But despite Brad Swaile owning the role, his Japanese counterpart, Mamoru Miyano practically invented it. Mamoru Miyano is a pretty big deal among Japanese voice actors, playing a wide variety of roles and absolutely nailing everyone of them, and Light is among one his best performances, capturing all the passion, the intensity, and the charisma that Light incorporates. For L we have Kappei Yamaguchi for the Japanese track,. He plays a more monotonous L, which adds a layer of intelligence while simultaneously creeping you out, which does fit his character. But unlike Light, i'm going to go with the dub performance for L played by Alessandro Juliani, who seems to encapture the role perfectly, blowing away Yamaguchi's performance, giving a sort of musicality and nuance to the character, capturing both what L says and what L truly means. The rest of the cast is done well on either track so you can't fail with either dub or sub for Death Note.

Characters (7/10)

Throughout it's 37 episode run time, Death Note provides a wide assortment of characters, from detectives, to other criminals, several Shinigami, the members of the Wammy House, and one bubby, yet annoying, pop idol. But they are hardly the focus, and are more present to add more allies and enemies for Light and L to play around with. There are some standout roles like Ryuk, acting as the in house audience member with a front row seat to Light and L's battle, Light's father Soichiro, who encompasses the ideal of what justice is, and even Matsuda, the idiot detective with the heart of gold, but they rarely act as the focus, and therefore get far less attention compared to Light and L, leaving them underdeveloped and lacking any true depth. It should also be note that Death Note is a tad bit misogynistic when it comes to their female characters. There are really only two female characters that actually play a large role in the game between Light and L, those being Misa Amane and Kiyomi Takada, both of whom's roles are to fall in love with Light with no reason, and do whatever he tells them two without any second thought. Though the worse offender is easily Misa, who is full on obsessed with Light to the point where she would allow him to kill her if that pleased him, which added to the reasons of why she is often hated by Death Note fans everywhere. But enough of the side characters, let's get to the real meat of the show with Light and L. Light is intelligent, handsome, and charismatic, but also manipulative, arrogant, and kind of an outright bastard. It's often argued what kind of person Light really is, a hero, a villain, or an anti-hero, and if he's a villain, whether it's the kind of person he always was or if he was corrupted by the power of the Death Note. I personally think that this question can be summed up with a quote from historian and moralist, Lord Acton. It goes, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.". What i'm getting at, is that no one is ever truly good or evil, it simply depends on how you look at them, and whether their actions meet the ends. At least, that's how i interpret it. Me personally i look at Light as a villain that was able to kill even those closest to him without a second thought and even go so far as to taunt those that fell victim to him, but others may find that his actions were justified and his goal was pure. L is, in many ways, the exact same person as Light, despite appearing to be his complete opposite. L is a notorious liar, and despite fighting on the more just side, often sees this as a game. He's an accidental sociopath, meaning his being was corrupted by the nature he grew up in rather than being born the way he was, often selfish, but knows better than to allow others to see the true him. He encourages his allies through talks of justice but never truly believes in what he says, he mourns when one of his allies dies but more out of fear that kira is closer to catching him rather than actually feeling remorse. He's in many ways, just as bad as Light, but far easier to support because he's fighting on the side of good. Despite the battle being good versus evil, neither of them could be called good because of their desires, but neither of them could be called evil because of the ends that their actions meet. It's actually quite gray. Yet while both of them are psychologically complex, emotionally they are rather simple. Neither of them really changes throughout the show, except for Light becoming more extreme and unstable, and are highly underdeveloped. There's also the matter of what the true nature of Light and L's relationship really is, but honestly i'm not going to even justify that idea with a response. Let's just say, that fujoshi have quite a bad habit of assuming that guys in anime that fight and have a habit of clashing, tend to swing the other way, and they've imposed their ideas far too much on Death Note. To wrap it up, all of the cast is interesting and entertaining in their own way, and Light and L are fascinating characters to explore, but you'll end up a bit disappointed if you go into the show looking for complex characters.

Enjoyment (9/10) Overall (8/10)

Death Note is a very fun anime to say the least, that grabs you and never lets go from the start until the explosive finale. The second half though, leaves a lot to be desired, and the characters were a bit too cold at times for my liking. Despite absolutely adoring Death Note on my first viewing, after gaining much more experience with anime, i've found this story done better particularly in Naoki Urasawa's Monster, which i can easily recommend that anyone check out if they enjoyed Death Note. Still, i must admit having a soft spot for this show, and for what it is, it's a great psychological thriller for the teenage audience. So i recommend that any anime fan out there check it out, and i also recommend it as a gateway anime for you new fans out there. Anyways, that's all for now, til next time.

Quick note, considering that there aren't many differences or changes between either of the first two seasons in any category, and it'd be kind of pointless to do two separate reviews that say the exact same thing, this review with be covering the first two seasons of The World God Only Knows. There will however be a separate review for the third season at some point in the future. Now that that's out of the way, please enjoy the review.

You know, i'm pretty sure that i'd be hard pressed to find many anime fans that aren't also gamers, at least to some degree. After all, ... the two cultures have always blended well in the past. But right now i want to talk about a specific type of game, visual novels. Visual novels are a type of video game that are basically interactive stories, you play through listening to the story unfold and occasionally you make choices that decide how the story will play out. There are some that are popular on an international level such as the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright, but it's only in Japan where visual novels have a strong popularity and a wide variety of games taking up the market. So the idea of making an anime/manga series where the concepts of visual novels are a large part of the story and characters doesn't exactly seem so farfetched. In comes The World God Only Knows, which implements the idea of these games into the harem genre to make an anime that has spawned quite a popularity since it's debut. But does it follow the plan that leads us to a happy ending or a dead end?

Story (6/10)

The story is about a teenage boy named Keima Katsuragi who is obsessed with games, specifically visual novels of the dating sim variety. He has the uncanny ability to be able to capture the hearts of every girl in his games with ease earning him the title of God of Conquest. One day, however, he receives a strange email asking if he can truly capture the heart of any girl he chooses. Keima, considering it a challenge, replies yes, accepting the challenge, when all of a sudden a young girl named Elucia de Lute Ima, Elsie for short, appears out of thin air claiming that she is a demon from hell and that he has just signed a contract with her. The contract states that he will be her partner in capturing the loose souls that have escaped from hell and have found host bodies in other people, primarily women, and if he refuses to do so then he will lose his head, literally, and Elsie, being bonded with him, will also die. So now Keima has to use his extensive knowledge of dating sims to make these girls fall in love with him, to fill the emptiness in their hearts and kick the invading soul out. And that's basically it for the first two seasons, Keima and Elsie find a girl who's carrying a loose soul, Keima seduces her, they kiss, the loose soul is captured, and through the element of plot convenience, the girl forgets all about the conquest so Keima can move on to the next girl without being considered an adulterous asshole. Throw in a couple filler episodes and that's it. Still, despite it's formulaic and repetitive nature, it's actually quite entertaining. The different heroine arcs are well executed, the humor is always silly, and i was never bored with the show. And i think one thing that makes it all work is that the show is in fact, a parody of visual novels. It kind of pokes fun at just how predictable and unrealistic they can be, but it's never mean spirited, always choosing silly humor over scathing criticism, which makes the show very lovable. However it does bring up some questions. How did Keima get tricked into the contract when he never signed a contract, he just pressed a button on an email? That's not exactly something that would hold up in court hell or otherwise. Also while the girls do lose all their memories, it's kind of hard to not say that Keima is cheating on them when he never actually breaks up with anyone. And it's hard not to say that the show isn't just a bit hypocritical when it says, more than once mind you, that reality and fiction are two separate things, yet Keima always succeeds in seducing women with what he's learned from his games, things that would never really help in the real world. Honestly it's best to not try to use your mind to much during the show, or else you'll be wondering why your laughing at an antisocial teenage boy manipulating women into falling in love with him, only to make out with him, force them to forget their memories, and move on to the next girl to do the same exact thing, and all with the help of a demon ad the powers of hell.

Art (7/10)

The World God Only Knows along with all of sequels and OVAs were done by studio Manglobe. The thing about Manglobe, is that they're great when it comes to action shows, Deadman Wonderland, Samurai Champloo, and Ergo Proxy are all perfect examples of this. But for everything else, they're mostly just decent. Overall, The World God Only Knows is a good looking show but there's nothing really special about it. The only notable thing is it's style. Despite the fact that the show does have a default style that it uses most of the time, they'll often change the style for the sake of gag humor, which was actually quite nice. I was never bored with the visuals because of their ever changing nature and often times, it tended to work in their favor for more comedic results. One last quick tip, when going into the show, be prepared for bright colors. Seriously, trying to watch this side by side with a show like Texhnolyze like i did, so freaking jarring.

Sound (8/10)

The soundtrack is definitely the most impressive part of the show. They could have easily put in a couple of bouncy catchy j-pop numbers and be done with it, but they put some time and effort into it, resulting in some very nice orchestral pieces. The song that plays during the final stage of a conquest in particular, always left me on a good note. Although you will probably have the song "Happy Crescent" sung by the heroine Kanon stuck in your head for a week after watching the first season. Another thing that should be brought up are the openings, both of which are done by a group called Oratorio and are each quite good. But i'd like to specifically mention the opening to the first season, often regarded as the best opening by fans, called "God Only Knows", however the part we hear in the show is only a small snippet of a nine minute long epic, which is worth giving a full listen too. To quickly regard sub vs. dub on this, i'm going to suggest going with sub. For the dub, Chris Patton does great as Keima, and Luci Christanson is acceptable as Elsie, but that's about it. Besides, if you choose the dub, then you miss out on the heroine Shiori delivering her famous "baka/aho" lines, which i consider to be some of the greatest delivered lines in the Japanese language.

Characters (7/10)

There is no doubt that the main pull for a large chunk of fans of the show is the God of Conquest himself, Keima Katsuargi, whose kind of what you'd get if Lelouch Lamperourge was an eccentric otaku. Keima is basically the opposite of what you would expect from a harem protagonist. Where the average harem protagonist is average in every way and only gets girls by being extremely kind, Keima is an intelligent and handsome young man who puts plenty of work and effort into winning over his target. But that also brings up another point of his character, in his eyes, the girls are nothing more than missions that he needs to accomplish. He has been nothing but disappointed by reality and seeks solace in the games that he's so obsessed with, because of this he's an antisocial problem student, and an outcast to his peers. He looks at everything the way he would look at a game, so rather than winning over women with a genuine kindness and understanding, he manipulates them through scripts and planned situations, caring more about getting the conquests over with so he can go back to playing games rather than the girls own happiness. But still, he is still a good person underneath it all and had shown the occasional subtle moment where it seems he does care about the girls he conquers and is also bothered by his own personal situation. Then there's the demon from hell Elsie. I'm not even gonna poke around the bush, Elsie is freaking adorable, everyone who's seen the show knows it and i'm not even going to deny it. She herself doesn't have all that much to do with the conquests, only showing up to capture the loose souls when they're kicked out of the host body. She instead takes the role of Keima's little sister, doing everything in her power to impress him and make him happy just for a little bit of praise, but often fails either because of her own ditzy nature or Keima's stand-offish nature. Also she has a weird obsession with firetrucks. I don'y know why she does or how it's relevant to the series but goddammit it's adorable. The only other character worth mentioning is Haqua du Lot Herminium, Elsie's colleague and friend from hell who also captures loose souls that was introduced in season 2. Haqua is very prideful, not coming from a noble family and instead rises to the top through hard work and determination, but because of this is unwilling to admit her own faults and, at first, doesn't choose to openly acknowledge Elsie as a friend, despite treasuring their friendship. There's not really much to say about the rest of the prominent characters are the heroines and they can basically be summed up with a trope, such as athlete, rich girl, and book worm. Still the show does like to mix things up a little bit by adding new twists to their tropes, like the rich girl is actually poor, or by having the loose souls give the girls powers, like having a personality literally escaping from a girl. But even so, none of the characters outside the heroines really get any development and are basically the same people they were when they were first introduced, and the development that the heroines get are fairly predictable and melodramatic. Still by the end of the series you will most likely have your own favorite heroine.

Enjoyment (8/10) Overall (7/10)

You know those series that you can never consider a personal favorite for one reason or another, but you still love to death for one reason or another. Well for me, The World God Only Knows is one of those series. Yes it's formulaic and simple, but it's always entertaining, and the characters are still memorable. But you should take to mind that this series is not one to be taken to seriously. It's mostly silly and even the melodrama is there for parody rather than emotion. There's not real drama to be found in this series...at least, not until season 3. But that's a review for another day. Until then, remember to find your ideal route in life, because i can see the ending....No i really can't but that'd be pretty cool though wouldn't it.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first law of equivalent exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world’s one and only truth."

I'm typing this review, and i wonder to myself, "Why am i doing this? What can i say about a show that's been talked about to death?", and you know what, i don't exactly have a clear answer. Fullmetal Alchemist premiered a decade ago and is still to this day, one of the most beloved and well known anime of our recent generation. It's ... so well known that talking about it almost seems redundant as about 90% of anime fans have already seen it, and if they haven't seen it then they at least have heard of it, know the premise, and might even know some of the more shocking twists in it. But over the past few years, more and more people have begun to disregard it all thanks to a little thing called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, to the point where i've heard Brotherhood fans say to people on several occasions that they shouldn't watch the original series and just go watch Brotherhood, which i answer to with a big, "Huh?". But this isn't about Brotherhood, i'll cover that elephant in the room if i ever choose to do a review of it. No this is about the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, and why if you haven't already seen it, then you should check out as soon as possible.

Story (10/10)

As i said it's almost pointless to sum up the plot that everybody already knows but, formulaic procedure wins. The story is about the two Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, who try to use a blend of science and magic called alchemy to bring their mother back from the dead. Things go terribly wrong however, and in the process Edward loses an arm and a leg, and Alphonse loses his entire body, being forced to fuse his soul with a body of armor to survive. They soon join the country's militia, the state alchemist division to be precise, in order to search for a item of great power called the philosopher's stone, in order to revive their bodies back to their original forms. The idea of two brothers setting off on a journey is already a concept that could fill an entire show, but then there's also the story of the them joining the military and how their more childish outlook and views clash with the military's actions, which is also enough to fill an entire show. But then there's also the military itself and it's mission to reform the country, and also the soldiers that wish to change the military to better the country, and then there's the evil forces that the Elric brothers encounter with their own mission and backstory, and so on and so forth. Fullmetal Alchemist has enough plot lines to fill up 10 different anime, which could easily just make for a cluttered mess of ruined potential, but the story in Fullmetal Alchemist is a well written, perfectly paced, and air tight. But even so this seems like a lot for just a battle shounen, but you can't really call it just a battle shounen as it seems like the show has just about every genre you can think of all in one. There's action, adventure, comedy, drama, supernatural, super power, military, romance, mystery, thriller, horror, shock jock, fantasy, and sci fi, all in one. Once again, having so much in one show could easily be the death of it, but all of these genres are performed well and at just the right moments, even having them clash at times just to prove a point. And if that wasn't enough, this show completes every plot point and every character saga, and still has room for filler. To some the concept of adding filler is a bad thing, but in this case i find being able to have filler more of a compliment than anything. If you haven't gotten what's good about the story of FMA from this, let me sum it up for you. Fullmetal Alchemist is an emotional, action packed, well written saga and above all, is fucking big, displaying a vast world of different cultures, inventions and religions that just sucks you in from the very beginning.

Art (8/10)

Fullmetal Alchemist was made by studio BONES and is probably the show most responsible for the seemingly endless pockets of money that the studio had for many years. But this was an early work, so it's not exactly perfect. The show didn't have all that much of a budget to work with, and there were times when it showed, inconsistent character designs, jagged edges, and one or two episodes in particular that looked fairly cheap. But the show is still overall a good looking show. What impressed me most was probably the shading in it and how perfectly it was used to represent different emotions and foreshadowing. The character facial designs also helped this, done well enough at times that two characters could just share a scene together, with zero dialogue, and in just one stare, convey all the emotions they need to get across. Of course this is a battle series, and you can tell that this is where a good chunk of the budget was spent, with fluid animation and splendid choreographing that kept your eyes firmly glued to the screen. Fullmetal Alchemist is a good looking show with some dents here and there, but the moments of brilliance shine right though.

Sound (9/10)

The soundtrack is comprised completely of orchestral pieces, all of which compliment their scenes quite well. It's in the background, always noticeable but never overpowering, a perfect accompaniment to the show. But, to tell the truth, nothing on the OST really sticks out on it's own and it's not really a soundtrack that you listen to on it's own. A good soundtrack nonetheless but nothing spectacular. If i was only judging the sound based off the soundtrack then i'd probably only give it a 7 or 8 out of 10, but there's one more important thing to talk about. The dub. This was an early Funimation show, but i'm guessing that they knew ahead of time how big the show would be, because they really brought their A game for it. Talking about Vic Mignogna as Edward Elric is almost as redundant as telling people about the plot to FMA, he's great as the role, and it's the number one reason why he has so many fangirls. Plus this was also the show that launched Travis Willingham's career for his performance as Roy Mustang, which is well deserved. And i'd be remiss to not mention Christopher Sabbat's performance as Major Alex Louise Armstrong who just does the role complete justice as though IT WAS A PERFORMANCE HANDED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS. There are plenty of other big names like Johnny Yong Bosch and Luci Christanson playing ver small roles which are always nice to hear. But the thing that really impressed me about the dub is that they had actual kids playing the kids including a 12 year old Aaron Dismuke doing a bang up job in his first performance as Alphonse Elric. It's definitely a show worth checking out dubbed.

Character (10/10)

A story as big as Fullmetal Alchemist need a big cast, and not only is this cast supplied, but their also just as well written as the story itself. First off we have out two main characters Edward and Alphonse Elric. Edward is the prodigy of the two, the genius who often makes the decisions of what the two of them will do, which can proof to be disastrous at times, considering that with great intelligence and curiosity comes an overwhelming temptation to the dark side. He's the one who decided to resurrect their mother, he's the one who decides to join the military, and he's the one who constantly has to struggle with doing the right thing and doing the things that most benefit them. But he's still just a kid, and with so comes a certain naiveté towards things. He's quick to learn from his mistakes and often feels guilt for what his actions have causes, and is driven with a strong determination to set things right, making him the ideal protagonist. Alphonse on the other hand is the philosopher, usually being the moral compass of the two and keeping his older brother grounded to the right side. Between the two brothers, he loses the most, but instead of being angry and bitter about it, is often friendly and optimistic and hates to see people suffer for his sake, giving him great guilt as well for what his brother has to go through for his sake. These are of course, only the two main characters, and Fullmetal Alchemist has nearly 40 supporting and recurring character, meaning characters that show up for more than two episodes and have a role in the overall plot. And you know what, each and every one of them is left unresolved. Like the story, the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist are memorable, well written, and big. But the most important thing that these characters do in the series, is acknowledge and represent the importance of family bonds, from the relationship between the Elric brothers, to the relationship between the military soldiers, and event he weird relationship between the Homunculi of the series that form their own little family in a way. From the arrogant but gentle hearted Colonel Roy Mustang, to the incredibly manly glittering Major Alex Louise Armstrong, to the Homunculi that oppose the Elric brothers, all of the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist are fleshed out and memorable.

Enjoyment and Overall (10/10)

In case you haven't been able to tell, i love Fullmetal Alchemist, very few series have made me love them this much. I'm not really sure what i can say about this series that i haven't already said. It's an epic tale of love, determination, and passion that every one should check out. We never needed a movie, the series ended fine on it's own, and just because Brotherhood now exists, doesn't mean we should disregard this series, personal tastes aside. Fullmetal Alchemist is a series that is completely on par with the original manga and proof that a series doesn't need fidelity to succeed. I'll leave off with this quote, which is technically from Brotherhood but screw it, it works.
"There’s no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don’t exist. Sacrifices are necessary. You can’t gain anything without losing something first. Although, if you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you will find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yes…a heart that's Fullmetal."