- Last OnlineMay 3, 2014 9:32 PM
- GenderMale
- BirthdayNov 8, 1993
- LocationWisconsin, USA
- JoinedOct 19, 2012
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Apr 8, 2014
Mahou Shoujo of the End is a pretty terrible manga. It's about a kid who's having a really bad day. First, he sees one of his teachers get his head blown off. That's pretty bad. Then just about everybody else gets killed, too. Even worse, they get killed by a walking, talking doll. I don't know about you, but that's not a very cool way to die. Anyway, after that a whole bunch of people turn into zombies and this guy's day just goes downhill from there. I don't know. Like I said, it's pretty terrible.
The manga itself isn't anything too special. The plot isn't
...
too incredible and the characters are pretty boring. But that's OK, because about 90% of them get killed by the first 90 pages. So you don't have to worry about their archetypes for very long. The rest will probably die in the next volume. BUT, if you like to see people get hurt, then this is the manga for you. There's about fifty people who literally have their heads blown off their bodies, I think there's a few arms and legs ripped off, a couple dudes get burned to death by a fireball, and a big old pile of people get dropped off the top of a building. So, if you don't like people, you will love reading this. I guess that makes me a pretty bad person, because I made it through the entire first volume myself. I guess I just don't like people very much. So, I guess the only reason you should read this is if you like shock horror.
Nevertheless, it kept me entertained. Oh, and I read it in Japanese, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I learned the phrase "頭が爆発した". It means "his head exploded". I don't know about you, but I think that's a very useful phrase to remember.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
What did you think of this review?
Nice
 0
Love it
 0
Funny
 0
Confusing
 0
Well-written
 0
Creative
 0Show all
![]()
Dec 10, 2012
Strike Witches is the story of some flying panties, a bunch of girls and a few pairs of breasts. If that’s all it takes to make you happy, then great, because Strike Witches offers very little else.
This is a fanservice anime, so if you're expecting anything deeper than a puddle in terms of plot or people, you might as well give up now. However, that's not an excuse for a truly awful anime.
The premise is about as dumb as it sounds. We have eleven girls with magic powers and airplane propellers strapped to their legs, who are apparently the military’s only hope of defeating a
...
bunch of outer space aliens.
Sounds like fun, huh?
The bad part is, the story doesn't really go anywhere from there. More than half of the episodes have absolutely nothing to do with the plot. Most of the show is just a bunch of girls running around doing goofy things, taking baths, and beating up the obligatory bad guy. The ending tries to scrape together a plot at the last minute, but it’s so full of plot holes and unresolved stories it ends up being a mess, too. If you were waiting for a conclusion to the loose ends strewn all over the place, you’re out of luck. At the end of the series, all I could say was, “zuh?”
The characters are pretty paper-thin. Only about four of the eleven characters get regular screen-time, the rest of the gang is pretty much scenery. In lieu of character development we’re supposed to be satisfied watching cute girls do cute things. (But really, who doesn't love watching cute girls do cute things, right?) By the end of the series, the only things you’ll remember about the characters are their hair color and sexual orientation.
The villains (if you can even call them that) of the story are a band of aliens called the Neuroi, and they’re among some of the most laughable bad guys in all of anime history. First of all, nobody knows a blessed thing about them, not even the military or the Strike Witches themselves. We never figure out who they are, what they are, where they come from, or what they’re doing. The design for these extraterrestrials is baffling. Most of them look like they were lifted from some bad Cinema 4D tutorial. In one episode, we have the girls fighting an alien shaped like a giant Rubik’s cube. On top of that, the enemy isn't even remotely threatening. Apparently they’re so little of a threat that the Strike Witches don’t even bother to go after them, they just laze around at home base until one flies overhead.
The fanservice isn't anything you haven’t seen before. If, for some reason, you haven’t seen enough of girls scrabbling at each other’s breasts, it might amuse you. But, while I like naked lolis as much as the next guy, the fanservice is stuck in place of a coherent story. There’s literally an entire episode about panties. After a while it just feels like a waste of time.
Strike Witches is an absolutely terrible anime, and I can only hope that I have saved you from the pain of watching it. In the end, the only reason you should ever watch this is if you need an anime that will make you sit back and think, "What the hell am I doing with my life?"
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 14, 2012
I don’t watch horror movies. I’m the kind of guy who hides under his covers during thunderstorms and checks behind the shower curtains for serial killers. So, being the weak-willed man I am, I was a little apprehensive about starting Another. I shouldn't have been. Another is psychological horror done right. It’s bloody, gruesome, and flipping scary, but it’s also got a strong story, beautiful animation and powerful characters.
The story is good. Not great. It could have been a lot better. The first five episodes are great. It's mystery, suspense, and terror, and it's done masterfully. After that, the plot starts to crawl. The big
...
mystery is unraveled, and all the suspense is sucked out. The music even admits that things aren't mysterious any more. This, surprise, is the main plot, which - don't get me wrong - is still interesting enough to occupy your attention. The story picks itself back up for the finale. The final three episodes are fantastic, and it brings a good finish to all the loose ends.
The plot itself is pretty simple. I can’t say too much without spoiling it for you, but the series does a good job of keeping it interesting with good pacing.
The middle school ensemble is pretty typical. We have best friend one, best friend two, the shy girl and the strong girl. Their personalities don't go too much deeper than that. The supporting characters aren't anything you haven't seen before, but they each have their share of secrets and it’s interesting to watch their personalities evolve. They’re a good bunch. The real strength in characters, though, lies in Misaki Mei. She's an absolutely fascinating character. The air of mystery around her is the backbone of the whole series. Kouichi, our endearing protagonist, is also a very strong character. He’s the kind of guy who gets stuff done. Unlike a lot of protagonists, he’s not clueless, he’s not retarded, and he’s very interesting to watch.
The artwork and animation are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There isn’t really any other way to describe it. Every scene and environment has meticulous detail and does a great job in capturing the dark atmosphere of the series –rusting guardrails, flickering lights, and a thin layer of dust over everything. The characters look great and the animation brings life to everyone. I couldn’t find an awkward animation among them. It’s one of the best-looking series you’ll see.
Another really isn’t very scary. The music is. It’ll freak you out. It sounds like the brainchild of an orchestra having a seizure and a drunken pianist. It’s dark, gloomy, and creepy, and it’s brilliant. The OP is Halloweenie pop song sung by a wannabe goth. It sounds corny, but it works pretty well. The ED is fantastic. It’s a soft, beautiful piano solo, and it’s the perfect ending.
In conclusion? Another is a great anime. I’d recommend it to everyone, even if you don’t like the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed Another. Well, that’s enough out of me – go watch it for yourself. You’ll be a better person because of it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
|
