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Jul 11, 2013
WARNING: This review contains an opinion that may differ from your own. I ask that you please read it with an open mind. If you're a fan of this manga/anime, hey I'm completely okay with that. I respect your opinion. Just how you should respect mine.
This will be a review for both R1 and R2. Before hitting the not helpful button, please here me out and take my criticism into consideration. Yeah I know, everyone loves this anime and people constantly list it in their top ten. But I felt like Code Geass had some glaring problems, which really prevented me from liking it
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more then I actually did.
First off, a quick synopsis of story. Code Geass takes place in an alternate universe where the empire of Britannia controls most of the world. The governing powers consist of 3 nations: Britannia itself, the Chinese Federation and the European Union. Japan has been renamed Area 11 by the empire. Since Britannia’s occupation of Japan, tension has been rising between the two nations. Enter our main protagonist, Lelouch Lamperouge, the former prince of Britannia who now lives in exile along with his sister Nunnally after the mysterious tragic death of their mother. One day, Lelouch gets caught up in the cross fire of a terrorist attack and encounters a women named C2, who saves his life. Not only that, but she hands him the power of the Geass. With this power, Lelouch can control anyone by just looking into their eyes and giving them a command. Now of course, there are more rules and guidelines for using this power but that’s the gist of it. With the power of the Geass in his hand, he adopts the identity of Zero and leads a rebellion, in hopes of creating a better world for his sister Nunnally and finding out why his mother was murdered. And blah, blah, blah, I think you got the big picture by now.
For the most part, the storytelling is great. Each episode was suspenseful, intense and it was just plot twist after plot twist; I was always wanting to know what happened next. About 15 episodes into the show, I started noticing some problems. The first being the lack of direction and focus. Code Geass tries too hard to appeal to every single anime fan. It’s like the series doesn't know what it wants to be. To some it up, Code Geass is a mecha action show, political war drama and worst of all, it’s a high school romantic comedy. Which results in the plot straying off from the main focus of Lelouch overthrowing his father along with the Britannian government and getting into these filler-ish types of side stories that no one cares for. Clearly, this was an obvious marketing strategy implemented by Sunrise. Their incentives were to appeal to all types of anime fans, like the ones who value good storytelling and characterization (like myself), and others who enjoy watching trash such as Harems, ecchis and moes/slice of life. Take for example, when they made that giant pizza at Lelouch's school. Wow.....really, honest to god, who the hell wanted to watch that ? Oh, lets not forget about the horribly contrived and cheesy sub-plot/romance between Lelouch and his female classmate Shirley.
Speaking of Shirley, that brings me to my next point, the characters. Lets start off with Lelouch, arguably the best in the series. He is arrogant, manipulative, intelligent and a condescending a**hole overall. But that’s what I liked about him. Easily the most well written and memorable, because he got the most characterization out of the bunch. Unfortunately, it’s a completely different story when it comes to the other characters.
Most, if not all, got no characterization or development. Code Geass definitely has a large cast of characters; but almost all of them were completely disposable. Now yes, you could argue that the show is only 50 episodes and so they don’t have time to flesh out every single one because then the it would go on forever. If that’s the case, then why did they even bother introducing all of them if they weren't going to make them a valuable asset to the series ? I personally, found most of them to be boring ( most of Lelouch’s classmates) or annoying (Nina anyone?). Even the ones who did get a good amount of characterization are later ruined by the writers inability to give them consistency.
Suzaku Kururugi is a perfect example of this. Without going into spoilers, out of the blue, his character does a complete 180 later on. There was no build up, foreshadowing, progression, or development to demonstrate this. Which resulted in some contrived plot devices. To top it off, most of the female cast member’s only contribution to the show was strictly fan service.
For instances, look at Kallen Stadfeld, earlier on, there were attempts at fleshing out her character by exploring why she hates Britannia and her reasons for joining the Black Knights (the rebel group led by Zero), which involved family troubles between her mom and step mom. Sadly, as the anime goes on, she’s reduced to nothing more then eye candy through fan service; exemplified with constant ass shots of her when she’s in the cockpit of the Guren MK-II while piloting it. Not to mention the seductive pink bunny outfit she wore in R2. That’s another problem this show has. Excessive, pointless, bland and tasteless fan service that is spread out over the entirety of the anime. It was incredibly distracting , annoying and unnecessary. There were numerous times when it took me out of the experience. Fan service would have been fine if Code Geass was a harem or ecchi. But it’s not, therefore it’s deemed pointless, out of place and adds nothing to the overall quality of the series.
Production values is where Code Geass excels the most. As far as the OST goes, it was a solid one. Most of it was orchestrated but it works just right for the show. That includes the openings and endings as well. All were good listens, and I don’t even like J-Rock, but my favorite has to be the first opening for R2. I’ll come out and say it. The art style here doesn't complement the tone and atmosphere of the narrative and overall experience. Code Geass is a story about imperialism, war, politics, power and corruption. Yet the art style looks like something you’d find in a moe/slice of life, a harem or an ecchi. This all leads back to my previous statement where I said that sunrise was trying too hard to appeal to every anime fan. Animation wise, Code Geass is top notch. It never lets up, especially during the mecha battles. It flows very smoothly and there’s little to no problems. You can definitely tell the creators put a lot of time into the visuals and aesthetics of the show. In terms of dub vs. sub, you decide. For the most part, the dub is good. But it never quite reaches the same level of excellency like the Cowboy Bebop, Death Note or Hellsing Ultimate dub. Nevertheless, Johnny Young Bosch gives a standout performance as Lelouch and possibly his best since his portrayal of Vash the Stampede. So yes, I’d say the subbed version is superior but it all comes down to preference.
Code Geass is far off from being a masterpiece in my opinion. The inconsistent characterization, under developed characters, excessive fanservice and lack of focus prevent it from being one. This anime is one of those types of shows where you try and want to love it but you just can't. Despite that, I still think it’s a decent alright show that’s worth a try; just don’t go rushing yourself to watch it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 22, 2013
WARNING: This review contains an opinion that may differ from your own. I ask that you please read it with an open mind. If you're a fan of this manga/anime, hey I'm completely okay with that. I respect your opinion. Just how you should respect mine.
Horse s**t......that pretty much sums up how I feel about this anime. Ha ha ha, no but seriously, I honestly couldn't fathom how awful this show was. High School of the Dead was the most popular anime that came out in 2010 and this completely baffles me. No, I take that back because I know the answer, 3
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words.
Tits & Ass.
The fan service here is extremely excessive and unnecessary. It distracts and takes you out of the show. Clearly the creators of this anime are strong believers in the whole "sex sells" mentality. In all seriousness though, the ecchi genre and fan service in general needs to die because it embodies everything that’s wrong with anime. Crap like this continues to enforce negative stereotypes about anime and it's fans. Like how anime fans are all nerds, losers and have no lives. Fan service and ecchi’s are also the reason why anime isn't taken seriously as a true art form and is mocked at and looked down upon. When non-anime fans think of anime, do they think of tragedies like Berserk, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal or Grave of the Fireflies? How about thought provoking philosophical anime like Ghost in the Shell and Serial Experiments Lain, maybe the multi-layered complex plotting of Monster or 20th Century Boys. No, none of them do, because they think it’s either stuff like pokemon or trash like ikkitousen and this god awful thing that I’m reviewing. It’s such a shame, because anime in my eyes deserves a better reputation then what it has. Sorry that's enough of my ranting.
Now wait, let me step back and look at this show from an objective viewpoint.......eh, it’s still horse s**t and here’s why.
Excluding all the unnecessary fanservice, from a story telling standpoint, High School of the Dead is nothing new nor innovative. We've seen this s**t before a million times; the story is incredibly formulaic and mundane. It follows this exact formula: a Zombie outbreak happens, a group of survivor’s band together, they fight their way from one safe house to the next and that’s pretty much it. If you’re a fan of George A. Romero’s work like Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead, then this anime has nothing new to offer. Don't get it confused, in no way is this piece of sh*t on the same level as those brilliant films. It's just story wise this anime borrows from those movies. To top it off, it doesn't even have a proper conclusion, it just ends. The manga is still ongoing, which is to be expected, but still, they could have given it a standalone ending.
Ah now the characters, arguably the worst part of the show. Now yes, I know that this is meant to be a mindless popcorn action show, so I shouldn't expect the characters to be incredibly complex and have massive amounts of depth. But that’s not my problem; it’s the fact that none of them were the least bit likable, entertaining, memorable, funny or interesting. They can all be described as being annoying, disposable and were nothing more then caricatures. I should at least have something to latch onto so I can care about them. Take Shizuka Marikawa for example, she perfectly fits the slutty blonde stereotype and is an air headed bimbo who probably has the largest pair of breasts in the group. Then there’s Rei Miyamoto, a moody stuck up whore of a character who deserves a good b**ch slap now and then to keep her in check. Back and forth, back and forth, she goes from being a bitchy heroin to a needy damsel in distress. Saya Takagi is next, she’s also a stuck up shallow b**ch (yup, women like this don’t deserve to be called women, we call 'em b**ches) who only cares about her looks and nothing else. But hey, thank god the creators gave them big tits to compensate for the lack of depth. - _- In terms of voice acting, you decide between dub vs. sub, both were pretty average, same thing goes for the OST.
High School of the Dead has got to be one of the worst animes I have ever had the displeasure of watching; it’s bland, generic, trashy, tasteless, clichéd and is devoid of any redeeming qualities (excluding the animation and visuals which were probably the best part about the show). I recommend it to fans of low budget grind house exploitation flicks and chronic masturbators.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jun 8, 2013
This anime was a very unique experience. The show introduces a very interesting concept called the mushi. It'd be very difficult to describe what the mushi are precisely. In a nutshell , they're essentially spiritual beings, but at the same time they inhabit the physical world ( Yeah I know what your thinking, you just completely contradicted yourself. I know, I know just go with it) and they use humans as a host ( very similar to a parasite). One aspect in particular that struck me about the show was how it was devoid of any western influences whatsoever. Many anime fans don't realize
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how anime is indeed heavily influenced by Western culture. But Mushi-shi primarily borrows stories from many east Asian folklore and myths. Although Mushi-shi does offer an original and innovative premise/concept, the execution is most certainly flawed.
Story
The story of Mushi-shi follows the exploits of Ginko, who is otherwise known as the Mushi-shi or Mushi master in the English dub. Ginko's job as a Mushi-shi is to go around and help people who have been infected by the mushi. This is one of the flaws to Musi-shi, which is it's formulaic plot. As you go through these episodes you'll notice that 90% of the them play out like this: Ginko is wandering around, he encounters a village, group of people or an individual who have had an encounter with the mushi. Which in turn, leads to them being harmed to the point were they're crippled or their lives are hanging on by a thread. Ginko attempts to save them. His efforts leads them to being cured or sometimes the episode will end off tragically where the one infected dies. Basically, this formula repeats for 26 episodes.
Yeah.....the series is a tad bit repetitive.
Notice how I said a tad bit repetitive and not overly repetitive. Because what saves it is the mushi themselves, there isn't a single episode where the mushi are exactly the same; it's always fascinating to observe them, because the way they interact and work with humans is so compelling. Oh and did I forget to mention that Mushi-shi has no main storyline ? Yes, this is an episodic anime where each episode is it's own standalone story. This wasn't a problem for me, but I know it will be for some. Because of course, most people generally prefer a main ongoing story. Again this wasn't a problem for me. Also, when I say episodic, I mean it. It's not like Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo, where it's episodic in nature but it has an overarching story. That’s not the case with Mushi-shi. Plus there's no recurring characters in the show except Ginko. I mean, if someone was to walk up to me and say "hey, I found Mushi-shi to be a phenomenal anime and I absolutely loved it," I'd completely understand. If somebody else walked up to me and said "hey, I found Mushi-shi to be extremely boring and I didn't like it," I'd also completely understand. Because of how literally quiet and subtle it is (not recommended if you got A.D.H.D), which isn't a bad thing by the way. Mushi-shi is definitely not for everyone; it's not meant to appeal to the masses, its meant for a niche audience who can truly appreciate its fascinating concept and artistry. It's very reminiscent of an independent arthouse film.
Characters & Themes
Now on to the themes and characters. This anime excels in that department. Mushi-shi does a fantastic job of exploring themes of loss, despair, self sacrifice, suffering and tragedy. Whenever the mushi infects people, family bonds are tested and death is always around the corner. If someone does in fact die or suffer a heavy loss, it always resonates with you. So yeah, clearly the show has a lot of emotional depth. Lets get into the characters, now as I mentioned before there are no recurring characters except for Ginko, and for the most part the anime does a fairly good job of fleshing out these nonrecurring characters. Especially considering the fact that each has only about 21 minutes (excludes opening and closing songs) of screen time. On to Ginko, whose obviously the main protagonist. You'll definitely take a liking to him as he's a very kindhearted individual. He does get a good amount of characterization and we do get a back story as to how he became a Mushi-shi/Mushi master. But really compared to other main protagonists its wasn't enough in my opinion. That's another one of my problems with Mushi-shi, Ginko needs to be fleshed out more. Nevertheless, he's an all around good main protagonist
Sound
Arguably the best part of Mushi-shi, from the score, to the voice acting and even just the sounds going on in the back ground. The opening track is called " The Sore Feet Song" by Ally Kerr and its a solid one overall. You'll probably enjoy it if you like folk rock. Something that is also very unique about Mushi-shi is the ending theme, or should I say ending themes, because every episode has its own closing song and I got to say, I liked all of them. It's hard to describe them because the instrumentation is so unique and each one feels so surreal and atmospheric. They have an otherworldly vibe to them. Then we have the actual score within the show which is also great and complements the mood excellently. Like the closing themes, the score has an otherworldly vibe as well that I can't put my finger on. Finally on to the voice acting, which is outstanding on both the Japanese sub and English Dub. No seriously, it's that good, especially the English dub which in my opinion surpasses the original Japanese and it ranks up there with Funimation’s best work like Baccano, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Fullmetal Alchemist. Both Yuto Nakano and Travis Willingham embody the character of Ginko perfectly, and all the other cast members do a great job as well especially considering that fact that they only appear once. Also, pay attention to the tone of the voice acting on both languages and notice how monotone and subtle it is. Don't let it discourage you. This is completely intentional because it's meant to match the quiet and subtle tone of the actual show.
Art & Animation
Finally, we get into the last part of the review, the art and animation. The animation is very good and smooth, but the art (especially the backgrounds) is absolutely stunning. You'll know what I mean when you watch the series for yourself, just pay close attention to the detail that is given here. From the lush green vegetation, to the mountains and rivers. It's absolutely gorgeous. I recall when I was watching it, I had to pause the show for a moment because the backgrounds were so beautiful to look at. Hands down, some of the best you'll find in all of anime. I guarantee it.
Final Thoughts
When it's all said and done, Mushi-shi has it's flaws and at the same time it has a lot of good things going for it. It's formulaic tendencies really held it back. Plus, Ginko could have been fleshed out more. Regardless of that, this anime was a joy to watch and it's a good solid one at that. If you have an open mind, I recommend you check it out, especially if you want something that is unique and original.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 1, 2013
WARNING: This review contains an opinion that may differ from your own. I ask that you please read it with an open mind. If you're a fan of this manga/anime, hey I'm completely okay with that. I respect your opinion. Just how you should respect mine.
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I know I'll get some hate for this, but whatever, this must be said. When you create a manga, there are three things that you can judge it on. First is the characterization, then the story and lastly the art. Hellsing fails when it comes to story and characterization. Before I go any further, I'll tell you right now there will be some very minor spoilers but there's nothing that will ruin the series for you and I'll warn you ahead of time.
The story takes place in the United Kingdom where the British government employs a special group named the Hellsing organization. They defend the country from things that go bump in the night. It' run by Sir Integra; (SPOILER UP AHEAD) it was originally started by her great grandfather, the notorious vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing. They incorporate a powerful vampire named Alucard. So yeah, you can kind of see where this is going, the Hellsing manga is like one of those "what if" stories. In this case, it's with Bram Stroker's “Dracula” Novel where instead of killing the count, Abraham Van Helsing keeps him alive and uses him to fight off demonic entities, vampires and ghouls(SPOILERS ARE OVER). I won't go any further, because I don't want to ruin what's left of the story (which isn't that much anyways).
Hellsing's narrative is really lacking, there isn't much depth and it doesn't engage you. Not to mention, it's way too simple (especially for a seinen manga), and isn't that multi-layered or complex aside from a plot twist that occurs towards the end of the series. I wouldn't have had a problem with it if the manga was shorter, but at 92 chapters, I was expecting more story. Obviously, Kouta Hirano knew this, so he needed a way to entertain the reader; which was to throw in a whole bunch of action and graphic bloody violence to the point where it became borderline exploitation. I remember reading Hellsing up to the halfway point and kept asking myself when will the story take off? It never did. Even though the story isn't that well written, I'll admit it's very well paced and there's always a smooth transition from one scene to the next.
Now on to the character's, okay let me start off by saying that Alucard has to be one of my all time favorite characters in all of manga and anime. He is the definition of badass and is a great example of the anti-hero. It's always fun to see him destroy his enemies mentally and physically. Not only that, but his whole persona and appearance is memorable. With his red duster and hat, to his large pistols and circular framed glasses. Of all the characters in the manga he had the most depth and was the most fleshed out. But still, he could have gotten a little more development. You couldn't imagine how frustrated I got when finally, we were given some back ground info on him but it turns out that it was only about 5 or 6 pages worth of material. Then it went back to nonstop action and violence. :( Furthermore, as for the others, they got little to no characterization whatsoever. For example, Seras Victoria, she barely got any development. Aside from trying to adapt as a newly turned vampire, there wasn't much else to her. About midway through, I began thinking that Kouta Hirano just put her in there because she had big tits. Don’t get me wrong, Seras is put to good use in the series but she just lacks depth. Like Alucard, we only get a small amount of info on her past later on in the manga. The same thing applies to the other characters as well. Sure, some of them had personalities that might make one stand out from another, but they were all one sided and flat. As I read further on, it became apparent that Hirano was too caught up with making them look cool and badass when they're fighting. And so, he completely forgot to develop them.
Finally the art, the best part about the Hellsing manga; the manga author may not be able to write, but he sure can draw. The character designs are distinctive and fit perfectly for this horror themed manga. Implementing thick lines into the designs was an interesting idea. Backgrounds were very detailed and crisp as well. Although, Hellsing’s art doesn't start out that great in the first 8-10 chapters (especially the design for Alucard). But by volume 3, it changes for the better.
All in all, Hellsing is a mediocre Seinen manga in my opinion. If you're looking for great storytelling and Characterization, look someplace else (Berserk, Vinland Saga and Monster). But if you want action and graphic violence then you’ll probably enjoy this. My suggestion to you is go watch Hellsing Ultimate instead, it’s a very faithful OVA adaptation of this manga. It’s a little more enjoyable than its counterpart because there is an OST, animation and of course, Crispin Freeman’s AMAZING dub performance. This all distracts you from the fact that the story and characterization isn't so great. So I think you’ll definitely have a more enjoyable experience with that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 31, 2013
To be honest, I’m somewhat baffled by the mixed reaction this anime has received after the release of Brotherhood. Because prior to Brotherhood, this anime was often considered a classic by most anime fans. In my opinion it’s still a classic and essential for all fans. I’m probably in the minority here, but I feel as though the original FMA and Brotherhood are equal in terms of quality. Enough of that, lets get into the review.
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Now I’m sure most of you already know the story. The Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse attempt to bring back their mother and as a consequence for going against the law of equivalent exchange, Ed loses his right arm and left leg. And Alphonse loses his entire body to only have his soul become bonded to a suit of armor. With the help of their childhood friend Winery, she constructs an automail leg and arm for Ed. Soon, they learn about this special artifact known as the Philosophers stone, it has the ability to defy the laws of alchemy and perform the taboo known as human transmutation. Eventually they come to the conclusion that their best bet in hopes of finding the stone would be to join the military. Although, Ed is the only one who joins because he insisted on doing so. And so they embark on their journey. Along the way, the brothers encounter corrupt government officials, homunculi, chimeras and more.
As far as the story goes, it’s fantastic. Especially considering the fact that this anime is a shonen. FMA has a far more intricate and complex plot then shonens like One Piece, Fairy Tail, Naruto or Bleach. Thematically, it delves into area’s that you wouldn’t expect a show of its kind to do. What’s a life worth? An arm? A leg? An entire body? Can human’s play the role of god ? Should we even be allowed to play the role of god in the first place? Can we disrupt the flow of nature? So yeah, Fullmetal Alchemist is smarter then your average shonen!
Also, the setting of the anime takes place in a fictionalized version of early 20th century Europe during the industrial revolution. The majority of the show takes place in Amestris. A key part of the plot that I almost forgot to mention involves the neighboring nation of Ishval. Long ago, after the tragic incident of when an Amestrian officer shot an Ishvalan child in cold blood, a chaotic war erupted between the two nations. In the midst of the war, state alchemists were brought in to exterminate the Ishvalans through horrific acts of genocide. This is where the revenge driven Ishvalan named Scar comes in.
Speaking of characters, character wise, FMA is just as good. From Roy Mustang, to Riza Hawkeye, to the Elric brothers. All are given considerable amounts of depth. Take for example, the Elric brothers. Ed feels as if he got off easy because he still has his body and is burdened by this. Alphonse is constantly questioning his humanity, existence and whether or not he was a human to begin with ( his memory was erased when Ed bonded his soul to a suit of armor). And I just barely scratched the surface.
When it comes to the production values, yet again, this anime doesn’t disappoint. The animation is very crisp and fluid. It never lets up, character designs are good and remain consistent until the very end. The OST is also worth mentioning here. Michiru Oshima did a very good job. One track that stood out in particular was “Brothers.” Simply put, it was a beautifully done string instrumental over some harmonious Russian vocals. In regards to the opening and ending themes, they’re solid. Opening 4 was my personal favorite. Lastly, the voice acting. I’ll tell you right here and now that it is mandatory that you watch the dub instead of the sub. Why? Because, hands down without a doubt, Fullmetal Alchemist has one of the best dubs you’ll ever here in anime. It’s definitely one of Funimation’s best efforts. All the performances were fantastic from Vic Mignogna, to Aaron Dismuke, to Dameon Clarke, to Colleen Clinkenbeard.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of flaws here and there that prevent Fullmetal Alchemist from achieving perfection. Most notably the first 15 episode, these episodes were unevenly paced and it really didn’t get interesting until Scar showed up. Episodes 4, 5, 10-12 were completely unnecessary and felt very fillerish (I’m not sure but I think they were actually fillers, but don’t quote me on that).
Now of course, I can’t write a review without addressing the ending because it’s one of the reasons why anime fans have such a polarized reaction for this show. I personally liked the ending, it was very bitter sweet. It wasn’t like every other ending for a shonen where everything works out in the end and all the characters hold hands and sing Kumbaya. Plus there are no beach episodes (Jesus Christ, I f**kin hate those g**damn beach episodes in anime). Well, time to wrap this review up, all in all, FMA is an amazing anime. I highly recommend it to anime fans and non-anime fans alike.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 20, 2013
Miyazaki has got be one of the greatest filmmakers of time. Not just anime, but films in general. Without a doubt, definitely in my top 5 directors of all time along with Scorsese, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, and Leone. Including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke is one of his masterpieces. The plot here is about our main protagonist, Ashitaka, trying to find a cure for a curse given to him by a boar god, after an attack on his village. During his journey he meets a monk named Jigo, who tells him that his best chance to rid himself of the curse is to seek out
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the Great Forest Spirit. Later on, Ashitaka eventually gets caught up with a conflict between a town and the guardians of the forest. Now this is one of the many great aspects of Princess Monoke; there are no good guys or bad guys. Both the forest gods and the towns people, have justifiable reasons for why they are involved in this whole situation. No character here is down right evil nor good; each one has their own faults and setbacks. The film very much explores the grey areas of morality(similar to Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven). Through out the movie, you’ll question who here is right and who is wrong. Which perfectly adds a layer of depth and complexity to the plot; so yeah, this definitely isn’t your conventional narrative as expected from an innovator like Miyazaki. To top it off, the narrative is filled with fantastic action and stunning set pieces; so there isn’t a dull moment. Thematically, Princess Mononoke mainly delves into the theme of man vs. environment, a trademark of Miyazaki directorial style, and I got say that he handles it most effectively here. In regards to the score, it doesn’t disappoint. A lot of it is orchestrated which fits in perfectly with the epic scope and grandeur of the film, complementing the tone and atmosphere of the experience. In terms of production values, Studio Ghibli delivers some of the most breathtaking animation that you’ll ever see as always; seriously, this film is an orgasm for the eyes. With the art style included, from the beautiful panoramic shots of the landscape, to the well choreographed action sequences, to the character designs, it’s pretty much perfect. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the CGI. Originally, when I first watched this film, I was shocked when I found out that it actually incorporated CGI. I mean, they did a magnificent job of blending both traditional hand drawn 2D animation and 3D CG. This, in my opinion, is how CGI should be done when it‘s put into anime. It shouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. CGI should be smoothly incorporated when being used simultaneously along with 2D animation. Just pay close attention to the scene where Ashitaka took out those group of bandits after he had receive the curse, and you’ll see what I mean. Overall, this is a mandatory viewing for not only anime fans but film buffs as well. It’s a personal favorite of mine and I highly, highly, highly recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 6, 2013
Yu Yu Hakusho is probably one of the better shonen action shows out there. Many people that I know who don’t like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Bleach, Naruto or any of these other shonen action shows, have said that they actually liked Yu Yu Hakusho. Now yes I maybe a little bit bias, considering the fact I remember when I was about 8 or 9, I stood up late at night till about 11 PM watching cartoon network and it just so happens that it was the same day Adult Swim premiered their Saturday night action block which is
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where Yu Yu Hakusho first premiered and then it was moved to Toonami. But I’ll try to be as constructive and subjective as possible. But anyway, I digress, lets get in this review. The story revolves around a 14 year old boy name Yusuke Urameshi. One day, he see’s a boy crossing the streets who is about be run over by a car, and out of an act of kindness, he jumps in front of the car to save the boys life and is killed in the process. Then he meets Botan(she’s considered to be the grim reaper.), informing him that he has been given a second chance for getting back his life. So Yusuke eventually does get back his life but is told that if he wants to keep that life that he has, he must become a spirit detective, a person who hunts down demons and protects humanity from them. Now Yu Yu Hakusho is divided up into 4 saga’s, the first being the spirit detective saga, the dark tournament saga, the chapter black saga and finally the 3 three kings saga. If I had to complain about the story telling in this show, its that Yoshiro Togashi uses the tournament arc structure a bit too much. There is a total of three tournaments, one at the beginning the Genkai tournament, one at the middle, the dark tournament and there is one at the very end, the demon world tournament. The first two tournament I thought were well done, they were exciting, unpredictable and engaging. But the last tournament felt like a cop out, it felt rushed and it was if the author wanted to hurry up and finish the series. But from a story telling perspective, chapter black is no doubt the best part of Yu Yu Hakusho, this saga delves into very dark territory that is uncommon for shonens which is a huge plus. On to the characters, first start off with the main protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi. Out of all the characters in the series he is probably the one that most western audiences can relate to the most. He’s a 14 year old juvenile delinquent who has no respect for authority and nor does he care what most think of him. Right off the bat this is one of many aspects that distinguishes Yu Yu Hakusho from other shonens, the main protagonist isn’t this nice guy who constantly acts all goofy and silly like a lot of other main protagonists in shonens. Don’t get me wrong Yusuke has a sense of humor but its not to the extreme like others. But as the show goes on his character begins to develop and grow, so by the time it ends Yusuke is almost a completely different character. Next is Kuwabara, he has very strong sense of honor and a code that he lives his life by. He always try’s to keep up with the other 4 main characters and at the very beginning he is Yusuke’s rival but as the show progresses you begin to see the two of them become very close friends. Then we come to my favorite character, Kurama. He’s a former thief who escaped from apprehension by transferring his spirit into that of a human, in doing so he gained the many qualities and characteristics of a human being. Kurama is a very smart and strategic fighter who always helps out his friends and has a very close relationship with his mother. Lastly is hiei who is probably the most complex character out of the bunch, he’s the type of character who is quiet and secluded but he won’t hesitate to kill you if you anger him. Hiei is a fire a apparition who at the beginning of the show, Kurama is his partner in crime. Later on in the series we find out about his troubled past and the challenges he had to go through and why he is the way he is. In conclusion Yu Yu hakusho is a fantastic anime with a cast of memorable and deep characters, a solid OST, amazing fight sequences and a story that’ll keep you engaged through out. So yeah, I highly recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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