Back to EpicSaxGuy's Profile EpicSaxGuy's Profile

Guns are blazing and bodies start to drop like flies left and right. Hollywood action is back in town, it is called Black Lagoon!

Black Lagoon is a story that is set in a real world but actual realism is thrown away as expected. It offers nothing but flashy and bloody gunfights. As a fan of action movies and stuff, it is safe to say that this show made a fine job in general. My favorite action scene in the anime was in the second episode, where our lovely mercenaries manages to make their boat fly and shoot the enemy helicopter in mid-air. That one ... made me laugh out loud. I wish there were more ridiculous scenes like that. Also, I'd love to see some more hand-to-hand combat, it is always fun to watch close combat scenes.

When it comes to the story, it is a mixed bag. I like the episodic structure of the show, it suits the non-chalant nature of the anime. It doesn't take itself seriously that much most of the time. There is no full-fledged story in here and that's fine. Basically, what happens is our crew have some gigs from various clients and complete them in one or two episodes. The problem is all these small stories kind of feels the same. They don't really stick with you that much. The only one I liked was the one with Roberta in it. That one had different dynamics and was fun to watch.

The cast of the show looks quite versatile on surface. All these badass characters with different ethnicites must be fun to watch for sure. However, I think there are some wasted potential in here. Anime focuses on our fun duo, Revy and Rock. Both characters end up in the same shitty business but their perspectives are quite the opposite. Their ideals and philosophies clash several times in the show and I appreciate that. We get to know these two fairly enough but that's it. There are more good characters like Balalaika, Benny and my personal favorite Dutch. I personally prefer Balalaika over Revy any day. She's a veteran boss-lady in the business and I'm sure she'd kick Revy's ass when it comes to being a badass. Dutch is also a great character. He's the calm and collected captain of the crew with experience. He prefers diplomacy over violence unlike Revy but when gunfight is inevitable, he's almost skilled as Revy. Also, Dutch is black, it means he is extra cool. The show fails the explore these characters properly unfortunately, it is a missed opportunity without a doubt.

In short, Black Lagoon is a stylish Hollywood-esque action flick with a colorful cast. It is a fun experience but it fails to give a lasting impression at the end of the day. There is some wasted potential for sure.

What makes us to move forward? What is it that we all seek in our lives? Happiness? Power? Fame? Stability? This larger than life anime somehow manages to discover all these fundemental concepts in life with finesse just in eleven episodes.

Ironically, Ping Pong the Animation is not about table tennis. It is a personal journey rather than a straight-forward sports adventure. All the characters who happens to play ping pong have their own unique perspective in life. Every single one of them have their own reasons to play this game. However, they are still young and so full of themselves. Most of them think ... they are superior over their peers. But throughout the show, they learn that the life doesn't go the way they think. Every character affects the others like a domino effect and they start to evaluate their own ideals and desires. At the end of their journey, they all find their own true motivations and become their own "heroes" as the show emphasises from beginning to end. And the self-realization of the characters happens the most organic and authentic way possible. Basically, this anime is the perfect encapsulation of the process of being an adult.


I am aware that the art style is controversial but for me it is unique and distinctive. It stands on its own compared to other shows. Animations are fluid and sometimes very abstract but in a good way. Especially, I love the surreal visuals during the matches. They all were deliberately chosen to represent the unique mental state and personality of each characters. Tsukimoto as a robot, Hoshino as a colorful "hero", Kazama as a vicious dragon and so on. The symbolisms are just spot on for each character.

The same goes for soundtrack too. It is versatile and fits the overall narrative as well. Particularly the upbeat techno music suits the back and forth dynamic nature of the table tennis. Ping pong is not just a test of physical endurance and reflexes, precise decision making and unpredictable tactics are also vital in order to stand against your opponent. While you're watching the match, you can feel the mental and physical battle between players to the fullest. And the mental battle is not just about the game itself, it is also the clash of ideals and principles of life. At the end of each match, both characters discover something new.




At the end of the day, I know that this anime does not appeal everyone with its unconventional storytelling and art style but it offers so many things in just eleven episodes. I genuinely did not expect to be blown-away this much. Ping Pong the Animation is an ambitious and bold project without a doubt. It is a beacon of hope in this industry. Shows like this need more love and support from the community.

As an avid Batman fan, I've heard of this anthology a long time ago but always thought it was a cheap promotional project for Nolan's Dark Knight. I had my doubts and never bothered to look it up until this day. And I have to say that I'm very surprised.

This film manages to encapsulate the very essence of Batman. Every story is independent from each other and each of them focuses on a certain aspect of our Caped Crusader.


When you look at every story altogehter, you can see that Batman is more than a hero. He represents something different for every part of ... the community in Gotham.

For the civilians, he is a mythical entity, like an urban legend. They find him very mysterious but also fascinating. People are having a hard time to describe him but they trust him dearly because of his work. Behind his enigmatic and dark facade, he is a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham. You get to see this in the first story.

For the criminals, he's like a creature of the night. He's relentless and inevitable. He's watching all of them day & night. If you're doing something wrong, he will get you eventually. He won't kill you but he will hurt you really, really bad.

When it comes to the authorities, Batman is a contoversial and divisive figure. He's a righteous man who's devoid of any personal gains and ambitions. His moral code is beyond any authorities and he cannot be stopped. He cannot be tempted by any powerful and influental people in Gotham. He is totally incorruptible. Even though trustworthy and virtuous men like James Gordon believes in him, his reckless and independent nature scares the authorities.


Aside from these qualities of Batman, the film also explores Bruce Wayne, especially in the fifth story which is also my favorite one. Bruce Wayne is a man who can't overcome his tragedy in his life. He is scarred forever and the pain he suffers from is unbearable. He goes on a long journey to find out how to bury this pain but he finds out that the only this he can do is to become one with the pain. He cannot escape this eternal suffering and the place he belongs to, Gotham. Hence, the sad story of our Dark Knight begins.


I see that the art style is a bit mixed bag for the viewers. I personally liked every single one of them. They're pretty unique and fit their respective stories like a glove. Especially in the first story, Batman's vague urban legend like status is portrayed perfectly with hip-hop like fluid and abstract animation and colors. Also, since the first story is told by bunch of skater dudes, I think this art style fits the narrative and characters.


Overall, this film will be a great experience for open-minded die-hard Batman fans. It's like a Batman 101. Highly recommended.

Hellsing is one of those shows I heard long time ago but never had to chance to start it. What I was imagining Hellsing was as an over the top and cool action anime. Since Ultimate has always been told as the actual manga adaptation, I thought this is the one I should watch first.

It is safe to say that the anime keeps its promises. As I was expecting, it's a flashy action anime packed with full of brutal and vicious sequences. Blood is spilled and limbs are flying all over the place in every single episode. Animation and the color scheme are ... wonderful and fit the overall atmosphere like a glove. Character designs are also pretty exceptional, they feel like they're out of some wacky gothic fiction which this anime is all about. Simply, for people who crave for endless destruction with a stylish fashion, this is the perfect place for you.

However, it does not offer much except some of those aspects above. In the show, there is no character development whatsoever, plot is bland and meaningless. There are too many things that should have been fleshed out but haven't unfortunately. I never expected an original storytelling and a scenario in this anime. I was sure and wouldn't take it seriously but there is a wasted potential here for real.

The protagonist, vampire killer Alucard is a well designed character on surface. He's wielding massive dual pistols and wearing a sick red jacket. He shows you his amazing set of skills every episode. When I watch the first episode I thought he'd be a solid anti-hero, a bit standoffish yet charismatic and charming. I thought he could even crack a couple of subtle jokes. I imagined him as a bit more grounded version of Dante from Devil May Cry. Unfortunately, as the show goes on, what you see in this character is nothing but an unhinged psychopath who just desires to slaughter and consume his enemies. He considers himself as a monster who's destined to kill forever. It is impossible for the audience to somewhat sympathize with the character.
Later in the show, his origin is kind of discovered and Alucard is a little bit regretful but it's not really convincing because he keeps to act this way after that.

What I'm also having a hard time to understand is his relationship with the Hellsing organization. Somehow, a deranged psycho like Alucard is exceptionally loyal to the organization and his master, Integra Hellsing to the end. Why does he think himself as a mere tool of Integra rather than just ripping her head off and feasting with her blood? It is never explained properly. Is it just because of those seals that restricts his powers? However, he had the chance to unleash his full powers despite those seals. I guess we'll never know.

When it comes to the villains, unfortunatelly, they are no different than Alucard. All of them are rotten to the core and their motives are unclear at best. Their pretentious and cryptic monologues were a chore to endure. This is the case especially for the main villain, head of Nazis, the Major. The only thing I understand from this guy is that he is in love with waging war. That is all you can get from him. And his generic but somewhat amusing German accent. I can't deny that I like to see Nazis as villains, it's easy to place them as pure evil in any plot. (Disclaimer: I do not think Germany as an evil nation. And I feel like Nazis as a whole were not pure sadistic evil as it has been told us. Because history is written by the victors. The term evil is all subjective).
Anyway, I think only so-called memorable scene about the Major is his infamous war speech to his comrades. The speech just oozes madness and it kinda appeals to my inner sadistic side. So, it's not that meaningful, just amusing.


Speaking of wasting potential such case as Alucard, another one is Seras Victoria. She's a young police officer and brand new member of the Hellsing organization. Also, Alucard made her a vampire in order to save her life. What you can see is from start is, unlike other characters, she's just an ordinary person who's thrown into all of this mess. I expected it'd take some time for her to adjust. She wouldn't accept herself as a vampire, as a monster and might have an existential crisis or an emotional breakdown at best. Then Alucard and Integra would help her to develop and teach her to embrace her new identity. She could be the only redeeming quality among all these shallow characters. On the other hand, what actually happens is really underwhelming. She is instantly willing to accept and embrace her nature and becomes the puppet of the organization. She literally becomes a mass murder machine just like Alucard.


This will be a little bit irrelevant but I really want to talk about it. While I was watching this anime, I realized that I could love Hellsing as a videogame much more than as an anime. Imagine Hellsing as a hack & slash action game! It has the perfect setting for the genre. Totally overpowered protagonist, completely rotten evil characters, dark and violent atmosphere brimming with concepts like militarism and religion. Instead of just watching Alucard slicing and dicing his enemies, you get to kill them with style since he has multiple forms and great set of skills. Then in some chapters, you get to play with Seras. She could use her massive rifle and miniguns. I think it would be at the same level with the titles like God of War, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta etc. You hear that Platinum Games? Get the licences of this show right now and do something good with it.



Anyway, in short, turn you brain off and enjoy the endless carnage to come. Because there is nothing else memorable or worth the praise. It's wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle.

As an ex-metalhead, I'd adore such a show back in high school. DMC is a shining example of over the top, violent and vulgar humor. Plain and simple, it's on your face! Show doesn't even care about making some character development or creating an interesting plot, which is understandable because it's pretty short. Just 12 episodes and each episode consists of 10 to 12 minutes.

The protagonist is as bland as you can get. He's a shy and naive guy who wants to be a pop singer. However, he has a secret life that he despises, which is being an underground death metal god. Our ... guy is a frontman in a metal band called DMC and his stage name is Krauser. Krauser is more than just a name though, it's a persona. Unlike his original personality, he becomes the personification of chaos who's against everything humanity holds dear. His songwriting revolves around two themes, rape and murder. Yeah, this show doesn't shy away from making jokes about these concepts. Be aware of that.

Even though how Souchi, the main character, hates his career, he cannot abandon this life because Krauser is much more than a stage show. He's the mere display of his inner anger and frustration. Whenever things don't go his way, Krauser comes out of nowhere like an alter ego and literally fuck shit up! It's one of the funniest aspects of this show, how hilarious and random it is.

Also, what I love about the anime is the fans of the band. They remind me of those nutjob Slayer(my favorite thrash metal band) fans that literally carve the name of the band to their arms and backs. These die-hard fans glorify and praise every demented act of Krauser, also explain and analyze it. Krauser frantically humps something, or anything, even the fucking Tokyo Tower, fans are there by his side and astounded by what he does. They shout "Krauser-san!" at the top of their lungs all the time and it's such a comedy gold. Both Krauser and his fans are such a funny, exaggerated and ironically accurate representations of some of the extreme metal bands in real life. These metal bands desperately try to become so extreme, just for the sake of it and they end up being hilarious. I'm looking at you, most of the black metal bands. By the way, I love metal music and metalheads are wholesome people. Just to clarify.

There are some memorable characters such as the drummer, punk girl band, rapper guy and so on. However, my favorite is manager of the band. She's an aggressive sex maniac that loves violence and death. She literally gets wet when Krauser unleashes his full potential but not like having a crush on him, just with a kick-ass pleasure. The way she says "fuck" gets me every time.


After all this praise, why it's not a 10/10 show? Because it's way too short and not that impactful. Rather than a main course, it feels like a sweet snack. It's good but doesn't leave you a lasting impression. And I think that was the intention of the creators of this show. They just wanted to make this anime as a love letter to the metal music and the fanbase. Nothing more than that. I respect that.

Still, it does what it does best. Which is fucking shit up! Stay strong fellow metalheads!

------IT MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS------



First of all, I must say that I normally don't like Japanese humour at all. It is quite immature, slipshod and shallow, like American humour. However, One Man Punch surprised me big-time with it's unexpectedly excellent surreal humour and witty references to shounen animes and American super-heroes. The humour in anime is really smart and presented to the audience very efficently.


Main character of the story, Saitama, is the crucial element of the humour in anime. He is portrayed opposite of shounen anime protagonists literally in every aspect. He has a quite simple appereance, he is bald as a ... protagonist! Can you believe that? He is the protagonist and he doesn't have that famous cool hair! Also he doesn't have those flashy anime costumes. He just have a simple yellow costume with red gloves and cape. He doesn't have a logo on his chest.

Another important thing is, unlike shounen protagonists, he doesn't have a meaningful, dramatic origin story. Simply, 3 years ago, he saved a boy from an evil crab man. Then he realized that he should be a super hero. Also, he didn't even have a job. So, he could have spared his time for training. By the way, his big secret behind his invincibleness is just an ordinary workout plan. Not an extraordinary, hard training like other anime characters do. It is just a workout. Then, after all these trainings(!), he beats his enemies with one single punch. Nothing else, just a single punch. No one ever made him to push his limits slightly not even once in the entire anime. Eventually, he got bored with his superhero career. He has reached his full potential in 3 years easily. It is another clever irony to shounen anime. It mockes with them in a great way.


Except for Saitama himself, this fictional Japan is also designed perfectly for surreal humour. Names of cities are just alphabetical letters, you know, "A City, B City" etc. Villains just randomly show up and mess up with cities all the time. The villains are just all the same and they're all absurd characters, fits well with the atmosphere. If you think villains are awkwardly funny, they are nothing compared to heroes in this fictional Japan. Their attitudes, styles and names so wacky, they'll make you laugh. There is no logic behind them as it should be. For example Mumen Rider, a C class hero, is just a guy who rides bicycle. Even S class heroes(top class heroes) have some weird ones, they look like a joke such as Pri Pri Prisoner, Metal Bat, Child Emperor, Watchdog Man, Pig God and much more.


Technical elements such as visual effects and sound designs are executed amazingly. Action scenes are dynamic and gripping, flashy enough. The great thing about these scenes are, they are mosty hand-to-hand combats. They are much more gripping than weapon fights. Soundtracks are great and fit well. They're heavily metal music influenced.

Lastly, I must say a couple of things about a common critique. People complain about how the story is repetitive and predictable. It is true. In fact, this is how should be. It is not a shounen anime, do not expect some "twists". That is the joke. Saitama will always be invincible, he will always beat the enemies. He has reached his full potential. He is not making progress like other protagonists, actually he does in terms of fame but that's another thing. All I am saying is, this anime is focused on it's humour, not to the plot. You should seek for good references and absurdity rather than an interesting plot.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the next season. That's all...