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Mar 22, 2015
Originally aimed primarily at the young male demographic, shounen manga today is consumed around the globe by old and young, male and female alike. However, shounen has been bombarded with numerous series trying to breakout throughout the years, causing saturation. Few are able to be prominent amongst their contemporaries. Regardless, "The Seven Deadly Sins" (七つの大罪) written by Suzuki, Nakaba, is able to unify many clichés creating a unique narrative that can only be experienced firsthand.
The tale begins within a rowdy bar ran by a short-statured man, Melodias, and his talking pet swine. Wasting no time, Suzuki takes advantage of the bar's chatter and introduces
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"The Seven Deadly Sins," through bar gossip, as a group of rebels who previously tried to overthrow the current kingdom. After a chance encounter with Elizabeth, a young girl roaming the lands, the readers, as well as Melodias, learn of her intent of locating the notorious seven in hopes of opposing the unjust Holy Knights who are oppressing the commonfolk. Melodias quickly reveals himself to the wandering girl as one of the rebels after her honesty and kindness shines in the face of death. And thus, the two embark on a journey to reunite the remaining outlawed revolutionaries in order to "save" the kingdom from its own knights.
A cliché to say the least. In all honesty, this introduction can easily give the wrong impression of the work as "lazy" or "boring." The plot is expanded as the chapters progress through the mangaka's use of literary technique. Suzuki incorporates multiple point-of-views to give a voice to each character and is not afraid to utilize shounen staples such as flashbacks and information dumps. However, it is not done carelessly, but rather organically. The story flows in such a way that using this formulaic approach does not degrade from a reader's satisfaction. Plot is kept lively and ever-so entertaining despite common literary tropes and pitfalls. "The Seven Deadly Sins," is not a narrative masterpiece by any means, but manages to stay refreshing and consistently enjoyable throughout its many chapters.
The characters, for the most part, are varied and distinguishable amongst themselves. It is not uncommon to relate personalities of this series with those of another shounen only to conclude similarities between, however, to suggest these similarities act as a detriment is not reasonable. Within the context of the series, each character Suzuki introduces is overflowing with canonical back-story and personal voice. Personally, I found myself disliking certain characters early on only for them to go under gradual development and progress to roles I also grew to enjoy (or even dislike more intensely). The parallel happens as well, where strong, likable characters change for the worse as the story advances. From the manga's main cast to the vast supporting personae, the conflicts derived between individuals create memorable scenes for the readers to enjoy.
As for the artwork, "The Seven Deadly Sins" does not disappoint. The manga is only in its infancy, however in just a short period of time it became evident that Suzuki is constantly growing his illustrations. Each page is filled to the brim with minute features, from the landscape to the characters themselves, the mangaka utilizes all frames to his best ability. Action sequences are fluid and incredibly comprehensive, characters are animated to suit their nature, and each grandiose set piece is given life vibrantly. For example, you'll know the scale of an army as it approaches its destination in such detail that it invokes the scene's direness and hostility to the reader. Not only is that amazing in itself, but Suzuki continually manages to use that technique in his art to further develop the plot and characters. It is great to say the least.
Overall, "The Seven Deadly Sins" provides yet another enjoyable journey filled with resolve and determination. Suzuki may have utilized ideas and techniques prevalent in other works, but does so in such a way that remains fresh and exciting chapter to chapter. If you are a fan of shounen, this manga surely will give you some sort of amusement. If you aren't a fan, giving it a chance is up to you. Ultimately, "The Seven Deadly Sins" set out to create an enjoyable tale for those willing to listen, and I feel it has accomplished that goal while humbly continuing to achieve it.
8/10
If you're looking for a decent shounen, this is a good pick. It's fun, enjoyable, and appeals to those who desire it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 13, 2008
GaoGaiGar Final is the continuation of the mecha shounen, GaoGaiGar. As expected, don't watch this until you have seen the original to some extent. I won't be touching up on basic stuff you should already know since you saw the original.
The plot of Final takes place, I'd estimate, roughly 6 to 12 months after the final events of the original series. I'd spoil the whole thing if I delved even into the slightest detail, but let me just say this: The story resembles that of the original's second half, totally getting rid of the "Villain of the Week" formula. You should know what you're getting
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yourself into. Let's just say the main antagonists were to be activated after the Zondars and the 31 Primevals had been defeated before hand.
The design and art of Final have vastly improved over its predecessor. Not only that, but the animation has been revamped and is superior in fluidity. The mechas are colorful and detailed, though some transformations could use a bit of work. As for the environments, they are superb, especially if you consider when this was drawn. You're taken to India, China, France, and multiple real life areas where (oh my god) real life monuments are seen! Overall, a vast improvement over the original, which was subpar even in the color department.
Musical scores are spot on with the tone of the episode. They managed to fit it well with the scenes. My major complaint is that I felt the background music could have been more varied instead of rewashing the same one over and over. You have to consider they use mostly the same background music from the original, but I guess that could be considered a plus to some people. Sound effects have improved, but not dramatically. Most of the robot movements have been given the "UC Gundam" startup sound, if that makes any sense. You'll hear it when you hear it. I don't recall it being in the original, but regardless they're in Final. As for the voice acting, most of them were great (Guy, Soldat J, Renais, etc.) but some were just outright annoying. Atleast Mamoru definitely improved.
For the most part, Guy is the most memoriable of all. Shishio Guy is very hot-blooded and proves himself time after time after time. Soldat J is heroic as usual, and yeah you get the idea. All of the returning characters have the same thought processes from the last few episodes of the original. As for the new characters, well they're great addutuibs. Renais is a cyborg similar to pre-final Guy, who was raised to be some sort of human weapon (literally.) Her owners were part of a criminal organization called BioNet, which was the antagonist of the first episode. Her personality resembles that of a tsundere to some extent. The two new "Ryu" robots are awesome! First off, they're female! That's right, female robots! Really, that's all you need to know.
8/10
If you've seen the original series, you'll find this add-on to be superior in pretty much all regards. Excitement is rampant and neverending; you're sure to enjoy this sequel.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 12, 2007
It is important to note that this is a continuation, and as such, will be reviewed under the assumption one has seen the prequel.
Lets get down to it. Top wo Nerae! 2, alsno known as Diebuster is the indirect sequel to Top wo Nerae/Gunbuster. I enjoyed this short OVA substantially because of its presentation.
Plot
The story follows a girl called Nono who wishes to be a "Topless," which is basically an ace mech pilot to put it simply. Instead of dragging the story out with pointless episodes and scenes you often see in 26+ shows, Diebuster goes straight to the point and sticks with it.
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Most of the scenes show multiple different conflicts (whether they are big or small) which are tied together with the main plot quite nicely. Pacing is great, but since it's so short you might forget some of the smaller details as the series goes on.
Visual/Personality
This anime brought with it a wide variety of moods and atmosphere simply due to its visual direction. In terms of overall quality, Diebuster falls by today's standards however considering its age, the key animations were memorable to say the least. The fights were all very fluid, everything in the scene seemed like it was flowing together. Usually, emotion is hard to convey, however Diebuster was able to successfully convey those emotions through its visuals. Not only that, but character design was excellent, they managed to turn a basic style suit into each character's individual style, and personality wise, none of them (at least to me) seemed to follow the stereotypical route.
Sound
Diebuster had a good OST when it comes to sound. The BGM's were nice and, all though not Gurren Lagann-type memorable, they stood up there with some of the good ones. The voice acting was pretty good too (see emotions being memorable). Some might argue Nono's voice was annoying, but I liked it. Even the enemy grunts/noises, those were superb, for grunts and noises anyway heh. Everything that had a distinct sound keep that sound though, for example beams sound like beams or explosions sound like explosions, but when tied with Diebuster's BGM, it sounded better. Lets not forget the OP and ED, both of which totally owned face. Groovin' Magic stands to be one of the best songs, at least in my opinion, to match this series (plus it was done by Round Table feat. Nino, who are one of my favorites). ACKO's Hoshikuzu Namida is a catchy single as well, pair it together with the slideshow ending, it's perfect.
Enjoyment
The reason I enjoyed this so much is because of the memorable scenes and the similarity between the original. Gainax seemed to keep the trend of hotblooded epicness going after they finished Diebuster with Gurren Lagann, which doesn't relate to Top wo Nerae at all, but they all share the same principles. If you are a fan of mecha, shounen, or anything of that sort, I'm am confident Diebuster will give you some enjoyment.
Overall
All in all, I give Diebuster, rather Top wo Nerae! 2, a solid 9 out of 10. I have to admit, those seeking to watch this typically already know what they are getting into. A story about believing in yourself and overcoming difficulties and struggles; these things are common to us all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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