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Jan 29, 2023
I finally got around to watching Patlabors second film, i can say i was honestly incredibly impressed. This review may contain spoilers.
Lets start with the overall vibe of this film: It is dark and gritty & very serious when compared to both the OVA, TV series, and even the previous first film. Some might even say the plot and story of this would fit more along the lines of Ghost in the Shell, the interesting part being it was directed by Mamoru Oshii and he is a master of his craft in my opinion. I felt the plot and story for this one worked extremely
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well.
The story and plot is wicked interesting, the film has a sense of realism with a big focus on politics and philosophy, rather than constant mecha police action (at least not until the very end where it makes sense for a buildup) One of the greatest scenes in my personal opinion was JSDF trying to intercept Wyvern. That was the most realistic and tense scene I've ever seen in any anime and the best part was they did their research using real military terminology and the correct jet types; they even named real bases like Misawa for example. The film actually borrows a lot from real life and real life situations during that time as discussed by Oshii and Ito so i think it heightens the viewing experience. Looking at a lot of the themes and messages, a lot of this stuff can still hold true today which is the scary part. I do kind of wish the main antagonist was delved into more deeply though, we get a brief background of who he is and what he's doing and what his goal is but it is what it is.
What about the cast? well a lot of the previous cast makes a return but we also get introduced to new character's at the same time. One of the things that shocked me was some of the character development, for example Noa Izumi's character, didn't expect that to happen but it was great to see. My favorite character out of the whole unit is Gotoh though lol.
The Art and Animation was honestly amazing, the amount of dedication on display here is basically bar none; what i mean by this is the backgrounds are hand painted with a crazy amount of dedication to detail, sometimes almost looking like photorealistic drawings of actual places in the city for examples. This also goes for shadowing, lighting, and color use the films color palette was on par with the first ghost in the shell film. Characters are drawn between a mesh of Masami Yuuki's original art and the same art director for Ghost in the shell. I am also a big fan of Oshii's camera work in a lot of the scenes, it feels like I'm watching a live action film at times.
Sound design was on point with firearms, explosions, footsteps etc., actual sound effects were very well done. Voice acting was great with all of the original seiyuus reprising their role. The Music though oh my god... I'm a huge fan of Kenji Kawai's work. The man knows how to create an atmosphere or tension in his compositions. Haunting chorus voices, loud tribal drums, synthesizers and orchestral strings. Sometimes even just his ambient tracks like "Unnatural City" really just grab you in to what's going on visually with the art direction.
In short i highly recommend watching Patlabor 2, if you want an experience similar in vibes to the first Ghost in the Shell film you wont be disappointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 14, 2022
What an incredible anime, I've finally got around to finishing Ashita No Joe 2 and let me say that I was holding back tears near the end of the anime (this is coming from a person who takes a lot to get emotional)
The story itself has a feeling of authenticity; everything feels grounded in reality and that's what made me keep watching. Even if you are not into Boxing, the story feels more like a tragic drama, a Journey of a Character is how i saw it. It feels like you're watching Joe's story from the side lines. Joe is such an interesting character and
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his backstory is very depressing. It was amazing to see his character grow from the beginning all the way up to this sequel anime (as well as the characters around him)
The Art and Animation: The artwork and animation in this sequel iteration is a big step up from the first part (not to say i didn't love the first part) but what Ashita No Joe 2 try's to do is that it keeps that 1970s anime artstyle but spruces it up a bit with some 1980s anime elements all while retaining the sketchy pen & pencil look and watercolor stills. The animation has been improved with better lighting, more sakuga animated scenes and overall beautiful background artwork and the still shots.
What to say about the Characters? well what i love about this series is that the characters themselves and their interactions with each other feel very human; they don't feel like anime characters to me. Joe Yabuki himself goes through some amazing character development like a real life person, it was very endearing to watch.
The Music and Sound Design: Music was fantastic, it has a 70s & 80s mix of different genres with a big one being Jazz. Trumpets, Saxophones Synthesizers and Fretless bass pieces makeup the soundtrack. Coming from a musician myself I'm a huge fan of 70s and 80s music so this felt right at home with me and i loved it.
Overall i greatly enjoyed it, it was something totally different for me and i feel it needs to be shown to more people, I'm currently trying to get friends to watch it with me.
I dont think there will ever be another series like this ever again, Megalo Box comes close but i have to give massive respect to Tetsuya Chiba, i find myself getting back into writing itself after being invested in his work from this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 21, 2020
I was extremely impressed with Gundam: The Origin. I was always curious to know what happened before the start of the main story in the Universal Century timeline in the Gundam Series. This review is spoiler free and I will be short and sweet in regards to each aspect of the anime.
What really made this anime for me was the fact that its a prequel origin story (origin story's and prequels being my favorite when it comes to shows and writing) the anime delves into every single character and in-universe event before the 1979 anime starts; it also gives characters more depth than before especially
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with one of the main focuses of the anime: Char Aznable
The anime uses a mix of 2D art & animation while also using 3D animation. The 2D backgrounds look so good & characters are drawn akin to their old style anime artwork from 1979 which is amazing. I was actually surprised by the 3D CGI, usually I'm not a fan of 3D stuff especially when it comes to mecha but everything in the anime had a cel-shaded vibe and the animation framerate was very fast and fluent, a very nice surprise.
When it comes to sound design it was seriously on point throughout the anime. From the use of the old style sounds to brand new realism style sound effects, it was great to hear them. I was even more shocked that Sunrise went the extra mile to even remake some of the old OST tracks from the original 1979 series soundtrack, bravo. I also have to note how amazing the voice acting is in both Japanese and English.
This is seriously a must watch for Gundam fans including myself, the depth of the writing and characterization as well as the art, music and sound design is all on point. This has to be one of the best anime origin story's to an anime series and for a character like Char Aznable he's definitely up there in my top ten favorite anime characters of all time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 13, 2018
I decided to checkout Akagi after watching Fukumoto's other famous work Kaiji. I've heard of Mahjong before but never knew how the game was played and always had a hard time grasping it. However while watching Akagi ive started to grasp alot more about Mahjong to the point where i even bought myself a japanese riichi mahjong set in real life because i enjoyed the Akagi anime so much.
I like that the story takes place in the 1950's / 1960's japan and that it focuses on high stakes gambling in the form of Mahjong games against the mafia. I dont really see too many animes
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set in this time period that focus on gambling or in general mahjong style gambling.
Character wise i like a majority of the characters but the two that stand out to me the most are Akagi and Washizu. While Akagi isnt as relatable as Kaiji hes still an incrediby mysterious and interesting character. Washizu was both disturbing in appearance, backstory, and voice acting.
Animation was great and even better in key important scenes. As for the artwork, madhouse kept fukumotos unique artstyle which is something i really like alot.
Sound design was on point and like Kaiji, Hideki Taniuchi composed for the Akagi ost as well. The music tracks on Akagis osts are more dark electronic with some experimental ambient vibes and grungy guitars combined with pianos. I felt it was very fitting especially in the second half as things escalated story wise. Voice acting was great especially from Ichikawa, Washizu, and Akagis voice actor plus he also voiced Kaiji as well.
As a final verdict Akagi was very tense and entertaining to watch. First time viewers who have not heard of Mahjong or may not know the rules may have a hard time grasping it but the matches and mind games in the anime are great and interesting to watch progress. Madhouse did their best to make it easier for the viewer to understand what is going on in the games and explain some of the rules and situations.
Definitely recommend watching Akagi and i wont spoil it but my only gripe with the anime is that it ends abruptly with a cliffhanger which was kind of dissapointing but other than that it was an enjoyable watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 16, 2018
Kaiji Ultimate Survivor is an incredibly underrated anime in my opinion and i had to give it a ten out of ten. I’ve never really been into gambling but Kaiji changed my mind.
I find the Story & Plot interesting because it takes place in the 90’s during japans great recession and it has a good hearted relatable main character that has to go through gambles to get out of his crippling debt. Some of these gambles escalate to life or death situations with the possibility of paying back his debt almost instantly or he’ll end up working for years to pay it off wasting his
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life away.
Character wise you can really relate to the characters especially the main character Kaiji. Over the course of watching the anime I was surprised to see how intelligent Kaiji was and the amount of character development he goes through. The characters felt human and grounded in reality. The amount of psychological mind games is also incredible combined with the extreme amount of detail involved in the gambling explanations via the narrator. This is a rare anime that has made me tense up and be on the edge of my seat every episode because of the unpredictability. Kaiji is written in such a way that no one is safe and no one can win a gamble every time; it’s all up to luck and pure chance even for the main character.
The Kaiji anime was adapted by Madhouse, one of my favorite anime production companies so I knew this was going to be incredibly good. The animation is good while the artwork is really something I thought was unique; Nobuyuki Fukumoto set it apart from other works I’ve seen/read by giving it his own identity with his artwork specifically facial designs (stretched eyes, pointy noses, and pointed heads etc) and despite the artwork looking the way it is the anime is really dark and serious.
The music was composed by Hideki Taniuchi who I remember composing music for Death Note. His musical compositions fit Kaiji perfectly from the eerie experimental electronic tracks to the mellow/desperate sounding guitar tracks. Speaking of the music the opening song is incredibly good but also incredibly deceiving compared to what the actual anime is like (which is something I found interesting) and it is sung by Kaiji’s voice actor himself too. I really enjoyed the ending theme as well.
Sound effects were spot on in my opinion as well as the voice acting. The Zawa sfx for an uneasy atmosphere gives the anime its own visual and audio identity; kind of similar to JoJo in the sense of the text albeit vocalized.
I honestly highly recommend Kaiji Ultimate Survivor, it’s really an experience. You will be on the edge of your seat every episode.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 20, 2015
Rurouni Kenshin is another classic 90's anime that i got introduced to via Toonami when i was younger. It's high up on my scale alongside other famous anime. It's also Nobuhiro Watsuki's most well known work.
The Story and Plot of Rurouni Kenshin is really interesting, and i also like the realism mixed in with some of the shounen elements; it made it that much more enjoyable. The story can go from being happy to dark with sad very intense moments; its a variety of emotions.
I honestly felt for its time the art was very clean and crisp while the animation was also very
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good as well. It really has that 90's spirit in its production work with both its art and animation.
The Characters were the strong points of this anime . I loved every single character both in design and personality; very well made characters. Even side characters had a bit of depth to them.
The Music was composed by both Taro Iwashiro and Noriyuki Asakura. Every single composed music track in this anime is absolutely amazing and memorable. It fits the anime in many different contrasting ways. Even the opening and ending themes are great like T.M. Revolution's "Heart of Sword" for example.
This is also one of the rare anime's where i prefer the dub compared to the sub. However this is an opinion and all up to preference.
My only gripe with the series is some of the "subtle" filler i did not pick up on. The filler in Rurouni Kenshin is very subtle in the range of episodes 10 to 20 but try's to flow into the canon. However when it comes to episodes 63-94 this is not the case. This is where the anime stops being canon and has anime only filler story's/arcs and doesn't follow the rest of the manga.
Regardless of this i highly recommend watching Rurouni Kenshin if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 20, 2015
I found out about Hunter x Hunter through a 2003 issue of Shonen Jump where they showcased the first chapter in English (before I knew what it was) I first started to watch the 1999 version in 2012 and then when I finished the 1999 version at the cliffhanger point, I switched to the 2011 version for the continuation. This anime rivals Yu Yu Hakusho and I never realized it was by the same author Yoshihiro Togashi.
Hunter x Hunter breaks from conventions of the standard Shonen genre; Hunter has its share of Seinen esque elements and shocking situations. One of Hunter’s trademark things is that
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it does not focus on fighting 100% of the time when compared to other Shonens. Its focus is more on strategic tactics, and psychological aspects. The narrator does a great job at explaining and showing this. Also since almost anyone can die in this anime, it really adds a lot of Drama with the characters because it avoids cliches.
Nen is one of the main ability’s in the series. Being able to manipulate your own life energy and use it as a weapon. However Nen has a strict set of rules and it has limitations. What I like is that it is not plot armor and it can only do so much; I would say it’s more of a tool. I also like the classification system and different types of Nen people possess and can use.
Story & Plot: The story starts off and takes place on Whale Island. A boy named Gon Freecs adventures out into the world to find his father from learning about his profession as a Hunter. Gon wants to find out what being a Hunter means. On his journey he meets people, makes friends, and experiences a lot of things.
There are 7 arcs in total for the Hunter x Hunter anime. They are all unique in every aspect, but fans will tell you that the Yorknew City Arc and the Chimera Ant Arc are fan favorites and among the greats of anime arcs.
Characters: The main cast consists of 4 protagonists
Gon Freecs – Gon is a young kid who is the main protagonist of the story. He is very friendly, adventurous and determined kid. Gon also possesses inhuman senses and is very athletic and rustic. Gon is an interesting character like none other I’ve ever seen.
Killua Zoldyck – Killua is an assassin of the Zoldyck family. He is shown to be similar to Gon in his happy attitude and mischievousness. The other side of him however, can be extremely violent and bloodthirsty. He is also extremely fast and is a quick thinker. His relationship with Gon is the most intricate thing in the anime.
Kurapika – Kurapika is the sole survivor of the kurta clan. Kurapika is a very distant person and he does not open up to people easily. He is very intelligent while also being heavy on morals. Kurapika is a very distant person and does not open up easily to others. He is the friendliest in the group and has some interesting interactions with the other main three.
Leorio Paradinight – Leorio is a guy who aspires to become a doctor to help the poor and many others. Although Leorio can be impulsive and short tempered at times, he is very trustworthy and he puts his friends first before himself and his dreams. He is often the comic relief character and he is closest to Kurapika in friendship.
Animation & Art: Studio Madhouse really does justice to Togashi’s work. The animation is top notch and the art is always solid, colorful, and very grungy at times.
Sound & Music: The sound effects are really high quality. The music was composed by Yoshihisa Hirano. At first the music didn't click for me but after listening to the soundtracks again I have to say the music works very well.
Voice Acting: Japanese voice acting is great; familiar voice actors in the industry are present in this anime.
Final Verdict: You have an intricate and detailed cast of characters, a very well written story for each arc/plot for it to flow nicely, and you have an interesting world as well. I would definitely recommend Hunter x Hunter to anyone. If you’re a fan of Togashi’s previous work Yu Yu Hakusho, you will definitely enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 18, 2014
Probably one of the greatest Anime's ever made in my personal opinion. It is a timeless classic that really stands out. This was the second anime I ever watched back in the day thanks to Toonami. Here is my thoughts and opinions on Yu Yu Hakusho.
Story/Plot: Yu Yu Hakusho’s setting is in Japan. It tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi who was hit by a car while trying to save a child’s life. Now Yusuke has to survive ordeals and investigate cases concerning apparitions and demons all while trying to get his life back. Yusuke gets new found powers and has to defend spirit
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world and human world from the demons. There are 4 arcs in total for the series.
To note: In my opinion I do feel like the Demon stuff has been overdone a lot, but the Demons in Yu Yu Hakusho were interesting for me due to Togashi's portrayal of some of them being nightmare fuel creatures to creatures similar to human beings. Also to note that even though Yu Yu Hakusho is Shonen, there are actually a lot of elements that would be Dubbed as Seinen (some stuff in the manga that was not allowed to be shown for the anime)
Characters: There are a lot of characters in Yu Yu Hakusho but let's cover the main four.
Yusuke Urameshi – Yusuke has the most growth and character development in the whole anime. He is a delinquent/tough guy attitude in the beginning but actuality he’s a jokester who is kind at heart. Yusuke is also very protective of his friends and is very self-aware of things around him.
Kazuma Kuwabara – Kuwabara may seem clumsy and short tempered at times but he is the most loyal and nicest character in the show. Kuwabara has a strict code of honor and he’s very honest. He is one of the best characters in my opinion next to Yusuke.
Kurama – Kurama is one of the most intelligent and cunning of the main four. He is the type of character that plans ahead while also analyzing and thinking deeply into things or a situation. He is usually very nice even while having a detached emotional state. The other side of himself is shown to be very merciless and cruel.
Hiei – Hiei is the most distant and cold of the main four. Hiei is very cynical and usually mocks or talks down to humans. He also has misanthropic views of the world and people. Hiei in actuality is very protective and actually cares deeply for the people in his group, notably Yusuke. He is a character that is having an internal struggle but projects himself as being cold on the outside.
Even the minor characters in Yu Yu Hakusho are interesting.
The 2 most important main antagonist characters of the story are probably my favorite antagonists in all of anime in terms of personality and design and even their fighting methods. They are not the stereotypical "evil" bad guys, but antagonists you can actually agree with or relate to and feel sympathy for them.
Animation & Art: Even for it's time the animation still impresses me both for nostalgic reasons but also because of the huge process they must of went through for all of the hand drawn animation. The only minor complaint I have is when they zoom in on the same shot 3 times or when some animation is repeated and reused; though I heard they were on some budget constraints at times so it is understandable. When actual big fights happen, the animation gets really good though and even fluent. The Artwork is very 90's of course and you can distinguish it too from Togashi's style of doing a half-anime style and semi realistic style at times.
Sound & Music: The sound effects for the fighting sequences are chosen very well and they match up perfectly with what’s going on. It's also a little on the nostalgia side for me because of the 90's anime sound effects; you don’t really hear them anymore. The music is absolutely amazing in my opinion. Part of it is 90's ambient with funky elements and dark electronic tones. The one thing that bothers me is that there’s a lot of unreleased music from the show. At least thirty plus music tracks are missing on the osts. None the less the music really fits and is very intense.
Voice Acting (English Dub & Japanese Dub): This is one of the rare animes where i actually prefer the English dub compared to the Japanese voice acting with subtitles. All of the character voices fit perfectly especially Justin Cook as Yusuke. This is one of the English dubs you can't forget especially if you watched it back in the day; it stays with you like the dragon ball z dub. I have listened to some of the Japanese dub though, and I have to say it’s also very good too.
Final Verdict: I would highly recommended Yu Yu Hakusho to anyone. It has everything right going for it and is a good example of an anime done right. The best part about Yu Yu Hakusho is that it has no filler and gets straight to the point even with 112 episodes. Yu Yu Hakusho is very actiony, supernatural, comedic, and serious/dark when needed. You don't really see anime like this anymore.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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