2020 has been a… somewhat cathartic year, hasn’t it? In a dark, Carlin-esque-way, I’m kind of infatuated with it in many respects. The constant stacking of laissez faire capitalism, oozing with corruption of power from authoritative figures paired with rampant political correctness - exposing the true, repugnant husk of a selfish society masquerading as law-abiding citizens. It’s. Just. Ambrosia.
Speaking a tad more seriously, rather, with less malice in my tone - my greatest sympathies go to those effected in the worst of ways by these trying times, from looting, paranoia - etc. And I’m sure each and everyone of us are falling to some
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May 12, 2020
Hellsing Ultimate
(Anime)
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Men. Dogs. Monsters. That is the philosophy of Alucard. That is the thematic throughline of Hellsing Ultimate. And that is why this show - is a masterpiece of Nietzsche, Shakespeare, and is one of the pinnacle bars of action in this entire medium. In truth, I wonder if this is as much of a “review” of Ultimate as much as it is a defense of it and its critiques that, while on a surface level valid, begins to fall apart like a house of cards with a gust of wind. . . then again, that was kind of the work’s intention by its author, Kouta
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Hirano. Allow me to explain.
For the past hundred and more years art has proven the ability to confuse, entice, and manipulate their audience emotionally, logistically, idealistically, and every other minutiae in between. Ultimate is such a significant entry into this category because the work wants to trick you, so very hard; to make you think it’s stupid. This is not a pulled-out-of-a-hat excuse, nor some benighted head canon. Ultimate is a profound subversion of an audience’s expectations. And today, I’m going to prove it to you. But I guess I should make an obligatory Team Four Star reference… eh, later. Ultimate’s plot is rather jumbled in truth. In the course of just ten episodes you have a fairly standard x-files-esque story about a vampire named Alucard who hunts down the rest of his lesser ilk for his Masters, the Hellsing Organization, turns a cute, big-breasted girl into a vampire herself - and by the end of it there’s betrayals and world changing consequences for both the protagonist and antagonist actions. What I must of course tackle right now, and with great pleasure is Alucard, our protagonist. Constantly criticized for being a dull, badass power fantasy, and it could not be further from the truth. Alucard is not a hero. Alucard in my eyes represents every idealistic man at one point in his life, constantly giving off a persona and demeanor of cohesion, charisma, fear, and an infectious carnal lust, but in reality is a deeply flawed individual as well as walking contradiction. Even the show points this out. For 95% of the show’s run Alucard is rarely ever in any true danger whatsoever and laughs off the most mortal of blows, in fact, there is only one time in this show Alucard is actually challenged. Something else that must be discussed is his beliefs. Alucard is a false ubermensch. He looks down on nearly everyone and everything, even his own kind which in his words: “Aren’t worthy of the lowest pits of hell.” He makes it no secret to gain pleasure out of the agony of his opponents, from slowly inching away their lives to making them think they have successfully felled the great vampire when it was nothing but a trick to get him off more. With little if any regard for his allies, if they die, they were too weak to survive in the first place. Alucard believes only in three types of sentient beings; Dogs such as himself, who serve others either willingly or unwillingly. Men, who follow their own beliefs, ideals, and convictions no matter what gets in their way. And monsters, who surrender their humanity in exchange for power. This belief of his is set in absolute stone, and it is his biggest strength, but also his Achilles' heel. Alucard’s philosophy is inherently designed - to torture himself. No matter how much his domineering persona gives off, he is able to consistently judge others on this linear belief, but breaks his own rules which gives him a further reason to whip and lash himself. He refers to himself in one moment a dog, and another a monster, and by the end of this series does a significantly human act. Which one is it, Ally? Which one are you? He can’t decide himself and the show as a whole is a character analysis, and arguing juxtaposition of what Alucard believes. This is exactly why he is - false. Claiming to be the pinnacle, but has even worse flaws than those he looks down on. Don’t you find it a tad bit ironic that the one character who has had all the power throughout the entire show, is the most fallible of them all? Alucard isn’t “dull”, and he isn’t a “power fantasy”, he is the process of becoming a person. It’s something we will all do as we grow older. We start out rather idealistic and strong with convictions about what the truth of the world is, whether these truths and ideals be optimistic, nihilistic, or anything else in between, then grow up. Adolescents, young adults, humans in general sometimes think they know everything, only to realize their own world view has been confronted with a different perspective that changes their beliefs. . . . but that’s another thing! The show itself doesn’t even answer if Alucard’s philosophy was right or wrong despite it thematically being at war with him the entire time. It’s not up for him to decide, it’s up for you, dear reader, to decide. This isn’t just relevant to Alucard himself, but once again, every significant character in the show. Integra who is one of the few “men” Alucard has seen in his entire life which is why she is worthy to be his master. Seras, Alucard’s apprentice, who is currently a dog but so dearly desires to become a man. And a monster - a certain Judas priest. Hellsing Ultimate without a doubt, is a blood bath. Gore all around. Some fan service here or there. But if someone can honestly believe this show does not want you to think in the slightest, I encourage them strongly to watch this series again with these words in mind… or don’t, because the show did its job; It fed you whatever fiction you found the most convenient - just like Alucard. With the thematic throughline of Ultimate out of the way, what of its technicalities and logistics in terms of production? Well it’s a funny story. Ultimate was made over the course of several years by many studios. Hell, the process of it being made took from the course of 2006 to 2012. Its been thrown around like a football during practice, from big names like Madhouse to little fish such as Satelight and Graphinica…. Which I admittedly have not heard of until a few days ago. This begets Ultimate’s quality to be rather nebulous, the first two episodes have such limited animation at time they literally reuse scenes like an old episode of Sailor Moon but just reversed, then the very next two drop tricks such as these and get a noticeable boost in quality and production value. Ultimate and its badass, amazingly designed characters rarely ever falter in design- even when they had to cut corners with CGI in the last few episodes. Alucard when he starts releasing his restrictions and taps a bit more into his true power to become ethereal in nature are scenes that are so intoxicating, I feel sexually degraded and need to take a shower afterwards. This is helped even more by the amazing voice work from Funimation veterans such as the oh-so-godly; Crispin Freeman, Katharine Gray, Tricia Dickson - and don’t think I’m ignoring the Japanese cast in the slightest. . . Even so, I’m gonna risk my neck out here and say Ultimate is one of the few examples of a show that is better watched in English than Japanese. Why this is should frankly be obvious, Ultimate is far more western in its influences (it’s literally based off a western gothic novel. . . Dracula.) from character designs, philosophy, and so on. For reference, I have watched this show around twenty times, around four of those times has been in Japanese and maybe this is due to the script and translation issues, but certain characters don’t have as much weight to their lines as in the English script. My best example of this, for anyone who has seen this show multiple times - is a great speech. A speech is given that is everything about this show; personified. All of Alucard’s philosophy and beliefs. All of the antagonist beliefs. Every major character in this show and what they were thinking are given time to shine in one of my favorite moments in not just this medium, but fiction itself - and it only takes five minutes. . . . the Japanese kind of butchers it. The wordplay and leniency taken with the influences of the west in the dub reaches a crescendo in this moment with a strong sense of literature and idealism, while the Japanese take on it is rather robotic and hollow in comparison to the point I find it nearly disrespectful to the characters. I’m not gonna say anything else on the topic except a small excerpt from both languages take on the speech. Guess which one is which? “Deny it all you want. My humanity is not in question. I still have that one trait that puts us in ascendance even above the angels; it is my will that drives me. The vampires you were so happy to keep in your employ, without the lifeblood of others to keep them going they would shamble to a halt. If it’s a monster you want, look no further than Alucard - and this little one, playing at immortality. Don’t mention me in the same breath as that fraud. So long as I am propelled forward by my own unadulterated will, I am heir to something Alucard can only steal.” Vs. . . “You’re wrong. I am human. The thing that makes a human a human is one thing. It’s your own will. For them, blood is the currency of the soul. If they don’t take it from others, they cannot live. Like Alucard, a pitiful monster. Don’t put me on the same level as that pitiful thing! As long as I have my will. Even if I’m just a brain floating in a jar full of culture liquid, even if that’s all I was. . . Even if I was a memory circuit in a huge computer, even if that’s all I was. . . I am human. A human soul, heart, and will, I have them all!” Official translations from the blu ray box set btw. ^^ Now then, you’ve probably seen the level of amazement this show gives me and hopefully gives you. Based on how I’m praising it you’d think it was without a doubt a masterpiece right? Close, very close. This show does present a few problems that I would be a hypocrite for not looking at. One of them is the soundtrack. I’ve listened to it front to back and there are seldom some very memorable tracks, its precursor 2001 series is far more impactful in that regard. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s a few great ones such as: “Die Fledermaus”, “Monster of God”, “To the Night of the War”, and one of my favorite compositions of all time: “Sleep as a Baby, Vanish into the Dust.” But not much else. Out of the over forty-five songs on this OST, only nine of them are on my phone which, yes, I hate to bring up its precursor again - I have nearly every track of the Hellsing 2001’s OST on there in comparison. It just doesn’t hit as hard. There’s no melodic foot-stompers that invoke a cornucopia of sounds and musical styles, nothing haunting and fear-inducing like a vampiric soundtrack should be. No demonic aesthetic about it, nearly all focused on either action, silly, or somber moments. . . almost like a shounen OST now that I think about it. O.o Next up, there is a very controversial narrative choice in this show that appears at the very last episode, no, the last five minutes of the show itself. It has at this point still split the community apart and has a variety of theories in regards to why this moment exist, from those speculating theories that the author was peer-pressured to do it - to them just making it last minute as an excuse. I cannot tell you this moment, I’ve spoken too much about this show already that nearly delved into spoiler territory. What I can say is: if this moment did not exist, Ultimate would be a 9/10, nearly 10/10 show for me. However, Hirano continued with this choice anyway and while I respect him, I simply cannot agree with it. If you would like to discuss this moment in particular with me, feel free to do so on my profile. You’ve heard my thoughts on Ultimate, this is usually where I present the question: should you watch it or not? Though, I’m going to change it in this instance because: You should watch it. Obviously. Go. Go now. Run off. Drop everything you’re doing besides schoolwork and finish this A.S.A.P. Now for that question being changed, it’s now evolved to: What did you think of Ultimate? It’s a show that holds a very special place in my heart because of its intention. As said this before and I will say it again, I consider it a look into the Heart of Darkness trope because it was meant to divide people. As much as I bash those who think the characters are without substance, Ultimate desires to feed juxtaposing sides of the perspective this show has. You can think it’s nothing but a pointless bloodbath or go my route and find it a masterful execution of many throughlines. And that’s the thing; maybe I’m wrong - or maybe you’re wrong? Ultimate gets you talking about these ideas and makes you believe about it whatever you desire to believe. Your reality is your fiction, and vice versa. What I believe, personally, resonates with me so much about this show is that Ultimate is a reflection of modern culture and society we now live in. Everyone is heard, but nobody is listening. Everyone is correct, but nobody is right. Morality doesn't exist in Ultimate, there's contradictions everywhere and everyone is simply sticking to their guns of what they believe to be right and what is wrong through a confusing turmoil of rhetoric and idealism. It's a sea of pedantic consciousness that is nearly impossible to navigate, so each character is forced to strengthen their own moral compass via shutting out all opposing beliefs and rending their reality with not perspective of an opposing side, but sheer force of will - and this is the price. Nobody truly wins this show. They simply survive. Say what you want about Ultimate, but the fact that it has the ability to stand the test of time for all these years after its come and gone. . . well, all I’ll say is: Smell enough smoke and there’s a fire. Many thanks for reading. I hope to catch you all again. Oh, almost forgot; Bitches love cannons.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 8, 2020 Mixed Feelings
I hate Isekai. And I love hating Isekai. Now before you barrage me with wave after wave of panzerfaust, schmeissers, and 4.8 ton bombshells - can you really blame me? After SAO came out the medium itself has been polluted with the benighted genre ever since, a show that at best looked pretty and at worst was insulting to the viewer. But hey; it made and still makes truckloads of money in both the west and east. We all know how capitalism funding art works, folks - it starts cannibalizing itself with diminishing returns every venture. As much as I play up my disdain to
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this genre it’s because I know there are some great stories we can tell here, they’re just handed off to businessmen who are worried about their pockets and otaku authors writing power fantasy. The deleterious, psychologically tormenting stories that are able to be unearthed in these types of stories; or mass political warfare with engaging characters and intimately told fables. It’s not the fact that none of these really exist in this medium, people can make whatever they want; it’s the fact that 95% of the time only one type of story IS being told in this genre - self insert power fantasies and or ecchi harems. What am I supposed to work with here? I can only be so thankful and so fortunate that Overlord, despite it being riddled with tropes that does drag it down eventually - puts up one hell of a fight.
Overlord starts off with a sad little stumble into its world but afterwards is able to present a decently not just entertaining but gripping tale that all anchors on our protagonist: Momonga. Easily one of the biggest, double-down risk I have witnessed from any author in any medium, and this is because the show practically revolves around him, a footnote that can be laborious at times, even so, I’d argue he is by far one of the most nuanced protagonist in this entire genre, mostly due to the fact he’s an adult, not a teenager, something rare for the rest of his ilk in other works. A breath of fresh air, Momonga is cruel, calculating, has a flair for dramatics and a tinge of narcissism but backs it up from the sheer charisma as well as indomitus he constantly gives off. It’s hard describing just how and why he works so much in this series, why he is overpowered surely, this world establishes that brute force cannot make you entirely infallible. He is by no means a character in the gary-sue-archetype and while he gives off a strong persona of domination, I think, also has feelings of bitter self hatred as this series goes on, or at the very least strong remorse for his actions. Momonga in the “real world” is nothing more than an underachieving salary man who is clearly deprived of some sense of power in his actual life, this almost makes me wonder if he is not a critique of the average isekai protagonist, but showing a darker aspect of life, when someone stripped of power now has the potential to achieve an excessive amount of it. As this show progresses he slowly but surely makes darker and darker choices, granted, most if not always in response to a situation that demands it. While he is a literal lich, bringer of death and all that jazz, he can also be diplomatic and is caring to his servants despite the fact that he views them as pieces on a board. Which. . . I don’t scold him at all for doing because the cast might as well be as bland as a board. As I said before, the author has clearly doubled-down on making Momonga the basically only fleshed out and layered character, the rest devolve to entertaining tropes that are strictly, I’m talking fight to the death loyal to Momonga. While they are for sure visually interesting and fun to watch on screen for a time, as well as getting a few lines and scenes to shine on their own, you’re never going to feel any strong sense of attachment to anyone, there’s no reason to, you’ll like a few of them but that’s far different from legitimate care about where they were in the story, how they are now, and where they’re heading. I want to point this out as a bad thing, yet I find myself in a head scratching logistical nightmare of; should I basically ignore this flaw because the author is transparent about them being tools - or should I still whip this because the author didn’t put more care into them despite that? That’s one you’re gonna have to decide for yourselves, folks, don’t think I’m in a position at the moment to give you a coherent answer, maybe it’s just a little of both? I can say per-usual I am not a fan of how some in particular female characters are obsessed with our protagonist, which is where the ugly little isekai heads start to leer and remind you that you’re still on their turf with their shoved-in charactactures. I will say that I appreciate the show giving us an in-universe reason for their undying loyalty to him, which is a nice touch that wasn’t necessary but is noted. I must say that I’m also impressed this show is determined to actually tell a story unlike many of its kin. There is a plot with progression, as obvious and superfluous as mentioning this may seem, do not underestimate anime’s skill to “not” tell a story, it happens far more often than it should and luckily that is not the case here. There is no formula. Nothing repeats. There is a constant and propellant that does not stop until this show is over with a few, not fleshed out but surface-level-interesting factions and diplomatic layers Momonga has to deal with. Do not get your hopes up too high though, this world is still so uninteresting you could guess it’s copied and pasted from any other JRPG. Guilds. Monsters. Quest. The typical menagerie. The show mostly through Momonga goes into great detail to explain how this world functions, yet this does not change its lack of originality and redundancy. The show plays around with tone in what I would normally cast aside as an ignorant manner, although, there is evidence against this. Brim with colorful images and even so when it wants to get dark, Overlord does so at times effortlessly. Always earned and always through proper recourse. There is clearly a decent author behind this who had a vision in mind not based entirely around catering to the lowest common denominator, not choosing to opt for a breakneck jump into its world, just a casual stroll is fine to it. While personally you could find yourself slogging through the shows pacing I only praise this more because it enjoys taking its time through its cast lens, that is nothing to be ashamed of, I want more of it. This show does not suffer from Momonga being so focused on, it’s entirely dependent on him existing. When he is not in a scene - there is no scene. The comedy? What comedy? There is none. I struggle to understand how someone can think there is comedy in this show, humor is subjective but none really stuck with me and it makes me wince when Overlord tries to make a joke in this often serious and balanced work. Aesthetically Overlord is not exactly the peak of Madhouse, nor a return to form by any means, it can stand on its own two feet but do not expect for it to be completely blowing you away. Character designs are hit and miss, you sometimes have characters that are as intricately layered as Momonga and Shalltear, on the opposite end you’ll have dulls such as Sebas and Demiurge which devolve to around one static color with some accessory, other than that I don’t just struggle to remember anyone else’s name but their outfits as well. There’s no design that is of particular potency, I’m glad Madhouse understood this and put their money where it really counts as they always tend to do - the action and animation. The CGI can creep its way in, even so you’ll often be greeted with fluent animation and one specifically. . . cathartic throwdown between Momonga and a certain sadist that makes me drool. Overlord will be sadistic when a character deserves it and will put out some deaths worthy of Mortal Kombat status. Madhouse has always been transparent about where to place their cards and this is no exception, one of the most veteran-studios no doubt will have you at the very least entertained, just don’t look at the backgrounds too much to realize they put minimal effort into it. . . Applause is warranted to Clattanoia and L.L.L., Overlord’s opening and ending themes respectfully. Clattanoia being an adrenaline fueled head-banger taking inspiration from primarily alternative rock with a touch of systemic and modern sound, while L.L.L goes even further with this and is full on head-banging, foot-stomping-rock akin to an up-to-date female take on Nine Inch Nails, I prefer the ending theme myself over the opening but both have a melodic and intimate charm that is sure to stick with you long after you’ve seen this show, I’m still taking a trip down memory lane every now and then to listen to them. I only wish the same could be said for Overlord’s general soundtrack which is swept to the wayside. No student of music I may be, regardless, I take a strong interest in a show’s score just as much as I do with its writing and color palette, dedicating myself to listen to the entire OST and I can tell ya - not much to stick around for. There’s around three-to-five good ones, do not be mistaken. Ruler of Death is fitting and dark, YGGDRASILL is comforting with a sense of unease slithering about its harmonic arias and striking orchestra. Other than these first few vanguards on the track, I’m not inclined to tell you the rest is great. In regards to further aesthetic choices, frankly speaking Madhouse was never really the best with lightning and camera angles unless they had a damn good director on board such as Araki, Tetsurou, passable, and you’re going to be hard-pressed to find some shots that stick around in your head for a time unless they’re related to Momonga decimating a target in some sadistic fashion, but that is not a shot you can admire aesthetically for an extended of time, just a blink of an eye. No gripping use of camera angles, palette at times seems unoptimized for the work it's in due to the light-hearted-paint job contrasting, heavily, the blood and gore which we all know this studio has a bias towards. The voices, surprisingly, are another great part of Overlord. The cast is dedicated to their roles no matter how great or low their cog is in this great machine, all stand out in the best of ways, be it our spooky-skeleton’s grim and yet juxtaposingly pleasant growl from the last remnants of his humanity, or Albedo being. . . amorous. Shalltear and the darling work done for her, courtesy of Uesaka, Sumire, was my favorite throughout. What do you get out of Overlord by the end of its run, both this season and the second? A show that reinvigorates some hope amongst this condemnable genre. Regardless of what you think about Momonga, I’m sure we can agree that he is no power fantasy but instead a legitimate character the author wishes for us to explore. Can you say that about, hmm, 80% of the other dregs in this cesspool? This cold sack of bones is oddly warm and comforting when you know that both him and the author are not out for you money entirely, Overlord desires and begs for its story to be told, it’s a shame both its plot and strong character are bogged down from the rest of its trivial, and admittedly amusing cast which have gotten the barebones of effort put into them. You will not resonate strongly with any theme Overlord presents to you, not like the show has any pathos-filled-throughline anyhow, but you will both be entertained and proud of the step this genre took by having the balls to have a protagonist that is as challenging as Momonga in it. I can only hope more takes of his character in different ways continue to prop up, and with a just as colorful, but hopefully better written cast. Overlord, for every good thing it has, will have a bad or mediocre thing to counterbalance it. Great protagonist? Faltering side characters. An actual plot? Boring backgrounds. Great voice acting? Hit and miss OST. With all of this in mind, I still believe this show is worth a shot at. So, go ahead and enjoy Papa Bone Daddy and the raging succubus. In the meantime, I have to continue working on my time machine to stop SAO from ever existing. Many thanks for reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 7, 2020 Not Recommended
“Edgy Kamen Rider”? You wouldn’t be wrong, in fact, we’d be quite congruous. The concepts of Ishinomori Shotaro are what pushed what would become Kamen Rider forward and into the public eye. I can’t help but poke around and find this show very similar in many respects to the latest foot into the Samurai Jack franchise, both creators penned an idea that was censored and had its vision change to a different audience, and both made series afterwards that were more true to their original creation - Ishinomori has gone down and said this is the closest to the original spirit of his design. What
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does it do to separate itself from its nescient precursor? Quite a lot, and that’s not always a good thing.
The show itself, produced by studio Bones, is cold and roughly drawn in a dark, almost 90’s comic book-esque way, dim lightning, trench coats everywhere, minimalist animation and filled with so-so characters. Our main protagonist, Hayato Mikogami and Kiriko Mamiya are in a, what the show believes to be, thrilling cat and mouse game hunting a mysterious vigilante figure in this bordering dystopian town known as the: “Skull Man”, who fights those shadows prowling in the night, whether they be man, monster, and even other things entirely? I say what the show “believes” to be a cat and mouse game because due to some odd pacing issues, it devolves into less of that and more of a slow and monotonous formula each episode until the last-fourth. While I admittedly came into this show with a conceived notion of seeing a fair bit of action, I love having expectations killed and hung dry in the place of an enjoyable subversion, but it’s less of this and more so of our forgettable cast interviewing and stalking around the city to get information about this mysterious figure. Which brings me to the big guy himself: Skull Man. . . he’s really boring. Don’t get me wrong, he’s amazing to watch on screen but it’s less of spectacularly-animated-action and badass character design that makes him enjoyable, but the fact that you don’t have to watch the bland cast anymore and can watch Bones tear something to hell, which to be fair is, once again, done spectacularly. There’s no reason to truly care about him other than getting a sigh of relief when he shows up because you ironically feel saved yourself when he gores something to shreds. Granted, there are some cool elements to the world this show is set in and how the lore of the city itself is interlinked with this Skull figure, a great deal of time is spent setting him up, like a good puppet master or chess player the show is dedicated to meticulously hiding him in the shadows and making not just our protagonist but the viewer get dripples and rations of whatever information you can about him from other characters and scenes. This is by far the best aspect of the show. Furthermore, the show does have some fairly so-so tap dancing around its thematic throughlines, such as political corruption and religious zealotry but in my opinion; it’s less of a throughline and more of a poorly tackled aesthetic that much like the show itself accomplishes little to nothing by the end of it. I oddly find a strange connection with Kyouda, Tomoki who was the episode director who I have referred to as this: “Chess player” writing the show, this is because we have a very similar flaw when playing - we can both get ourselves into the perfect position to win the game - but don’t have the knowledge to execute it a lot of the time and end up a bust. Indeed, the show does toy around with some interesting concepts and presents them in a reliable and fashionable manner, but what’s the point when your guides in this world are so cookie-cutter? There is no reason to get attached to these characters in the slightest, they feel like less of people who are obsessed with the Skull Man and more a cast riding his coattails, barely hanging onto his excuse to allow them to be in the show; that is to have them hunting him. Also, this show has an obsession with quoting and referencing philosophy and religion but once again, it’s poorly tacked on and is, in many cases, a non sequitur - no the Skull Man is not Lucifer or something cast down from heaven and attempting to cleanse the world of - please. Please spare me. What if our main character was solo, and had a traumatizing memory of this figure as a child? What if they were truly, intrinsically linked together and bound to confront each other eventually? What if this memory drives him to become a detective and do some questionable things for information, all while slowly and surely making him become a target for the creature that he has been chasing after all along due to his moral code becoming corrupted? Doesn’t that sound a lot more fun to you?! Don’t mean to brag, but it sure as hell does to me. This really drives home the main problem with the show. We have the ONLY interesting element dancing in shadows and appearing for 5 minutes each time, and you know what? Even during the times he appears, is weak too. All the mystery about him begins to fade away and that badass image of him you saw on the cover of the show seems less cool and more of an artistic leniency with what is the true character - a generic superhero. He’s not a gritty “Grim Knight” Batman and more and more like a cartoon character who can make the hilariously cliche and exaggerated monster of the week bleed and die.I’m super intimidated. The Skull Man overall is trapped in confusing juxtaposition and feels as if it cannot commit to any side of anything it is putting out to the viewer. Is it a methodical and well paced game of hunting a knight of the darkness? Nah, not really. Is it a corny monster of the week brawler with a nocturne paint job? No, because that’s only the last five minutes of every episode before the last three. Some okay voice acting, a dregging OST that doesn’t say or speak much to the tone of the show. Eh? Why was this show made? What did it try to tell me about its cast, Kamen Ri- I mean Skull Man, or about politics, religion, etc? Quite honestly, I’d be far more satisfied watching a super sentai series that, while cheese-beyond-belief, does have a consistent throughline in its ideas that it longs to present to the viewer, like Jetman or some other variation. With this in mind, Skull Man fails at what it even set out to do - explore the more censored topics its precursor explored lightly, but didn’t fail at doing entirely like this show did. I cannot with good consciousness recommend it to those who are not prepared to endure a slogging battle of attrition to try and understand and grasp the “deeper” meanings this show plays around with. Hate to break it to you; but it’s not there. Many thanks for reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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May 7, 2020
Witch Craft Works
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
Guilty pleasure - is an oxymoron to me. I’ve just learned to take the bad with the good. While a show on one hand can be one of the most intrinsically esoteric works Japan has put out in a decade, that doesn’t stop me from being aware that at times it becomes a narrative cluster brimming with melodrama. Meanwhile, I’m sure we all know a few certain films and series in this medium that are tearjerkers but when broken down logistically aren’t exactly that great. I think that we should love biases and embrace them, it’s what makes us individuals. This notion in my experience
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on this site does not really exist.
People slammed for liking or disliking something by those who feel differently with blind passion, death threats, just look at some comment sections of people who have disfavorable opinions yourself, folks. Most people will avoid these debates to preserve order out of fear, figuring out that that show you held up as a masterpiece or garbage may not be pinnacle of the industry and the worst of it respectively can lead some immature folks to a mental breakdown, but if we ignore our biases long enough to preserve this order, positions become cemented and people would rather kill each other than admit a flaw in their thinking. You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with Witch Craft Works… well, that’s the reason you’re reading this review. O.o Witch Craft Works is for the first time in years, a show I’m confused about. A show I watched while airing and forgot about, but found myself enjoying it like sugar, a cheap treat but a treat nonetheless. Then came back a few years later and watched again. Still didn’t know what to think about it. And now, we’re both here, Dear Reader, because to this day - I’m still not aware. My best guess to figuring out my true opinion towards this show is to write it down, and you’re along for the ride - no false altruism here my friend, this is as much for you as it is for me. I don’t admit that? I’m a hypocrite. Let’s dive. The premise of Witch Craft Works itself isn’t as much as unique as it is simply an inversion of, or in many respects, an embracing of a common story we’ve seen again and again. Main plot revolves a highschooler named Takamiya, Honoka who lives life aloof at best, tortured at worst, this torture coming from resident popular girl in school; Kagari, Ayaka, who has legions of fangirls that crowd the very bus she walks on and, guess if this is literal or not - kiss the ground treads over.. Wondering if this little Divine Comedy will last for the rest of his time in highschool, he’s soon attacked by automatons out of nowhere during the day, this event leads to him discovering the person he despised was a fire witch from a group known as the: “Workshop.” Why is this all happening? Easy; the boy has a power in him locked-and-keyed away that can basically pull a joker-card on these what is revealed to be multiple factions of witches at war. Sounds pretty awesome? Well don’t get your hopes us. As cliche but cool of a premise this sounds, it will never go above and beyond any expectation you set for it and is content with the bare minimum, no more relevant and shown than in the main cast. Honoka is the typical damsel figure that must in some way shape or form be saved in every episode, while Kagari, being a tad more enjoyable, is a stoic type with a few kickass one-liners and a strong intimidation factor about her. While these two do indeed have chemistry together, I almost beg to differ with my own statement because in reality, it’s no more impressive than putting two random people on an island together and forcing them to cooperate, it’s less chemistry and more necessity. No matter how close these two get on screen, it never feels too real, like they’re still miles apart. Now whether this is a good or a bad thing or was intended narrative-wise I’m not sure myself, nevertheless, I can’t exactly call their relationship good, bad, but just enjoyable to watch for some odd reason not even I can pin down. What I can tell you is that the supporting cast, and everything about the show is far more lovely and inventive, in truth, I’d much rather see a show about our mini-antagonist, those being the enemy faction’s witch goons than anything Honoka and Kagari put out. Filled with quirks, cool cannon fodder in the form of robot… bunnies? It’s going to put a smile on your face sometime eventually no matter how hard you resist. Adding to that, some gags are pretty funny, hell, the ending theme are witches humorously being TORTURED ALIVE in chibi form. While I can say I was interested in where the main characters were going and how the plot would play out, especially in the last four episodes, I never for a second was interested in who they “really were”, as people and not charactactures with a slight gender-bending-twist. Despite having a bland cast the show finds a fairly symbiotic way to balance its compelling and beautifully animated as well as choreographed action with this humor, very seldom did a joke fail to entertain me or make me giggle. Not even that, but the OST is designed to make you giddy as well, from the show’s opening: “Divine Intervention”, to some of the main themes by - . . . a composer that interestingly is not able to be found or pinned down. Don’t get me wrong, there is a sound director but there is no link I’ve been able to find to a composer. Huh, witchcraft indeed. Well, whoever this phantom-artist was they never ceased at doing an amazing jab enthralling me into the world. A few harmonic fairy-tale-arias here, to bombastic Final-Fantasy-esque orchestras when some challenging battles happen. I simply cannot agree when some have mentioned the OST to be lacking “impact” or memorability, it’s just attached to a show that is not memorable. And you caught my opinion on the show in that last line. Witch Craft Works is cute, charming, hilarious, entertaining, but it’s not concerned about what makes a show get everything right, something to remember it by - a great plot and cast. Nothing is truly accomplished by the end of its run and it’s as if the show just resets, almost feeling as if the adventure you just went on was pointless. . . but I still like it. In fact, I personally love and think it’s an accomplishment of 2d and 3d animation on a tv budget. The show itself is stunning. Can I really give it a pass because its plot, writing, and characters are dull and stiff as a board? I mean. . . sure. It’s what I like. Would I be “lying” to anyone reading this because I’m not sure if I can fully recommend it? If you interpret it that way I suppose, but I’m decently confident that despite it being empty by the end of this, you will not lose anything by watching it. It’s certainly a lovely side-venture in between or before tackling a show that you suspect will be amazing. I guess I have my answer, and you have yours. Witch Craft Work accomplishes being; a side-chick. Probably why only weirdos like me still remember and enjoy it, those who get trapped in little aesthetics and design along the way can look back on it with fond memories. Witch Craft Works isn’t as bad as it is passive and non-aggressive with the aspects of it that can be seen as bad. As much as I don’t like referencing original source material, I must admit that I am a fan of this show’s manga and my best guess is that the producers, knowing that they had too little a budget and too little chapters to adapt compromised and made the show mediocre with the manga’s best elements - that being its comedy, designs, and, once again, damn good action. Should you watch Witch Craft Work? I highly recommend it despite knowing it’s not a great, maybe not even a good show.. But let’s be glad that our world isn’t so black and white and there can be little shades of gray in between the lines. Give it a shot, what do you really have to lose?
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 4, 2020
Afro Samurai
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
Every military’s greatest fear has been all throughout our history as a species: An enemy that doesn’t care. Something driven by nothing but pure instinct. Imagine it yourself rookie. You’re in the trenches laying in magazine after magazine into something, or someone, that does not falter the same way you do. Something that doesn’t care about strategic gain, and is just as satisfied and compelled to ravage itself than to specifically target you. Something that uses heavy weaponry and or artillery without any regard whatsoever to its own allies in the blast radius. Fending off an assault from them can seem bordering futile, all the
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strength you and your allies can muster does nothing but devolve into a battle of grinding attrition. A slow chipping away of morale and sanity as one by one you watch your comrades fall to the overwhelming tide, worst of all - any successful defense against them only embolsters and urges them to try again harder. There is no sleep. There is no remorse. Only a relentless swarm of the enemy, and their dark laughter even miles away from them echoing in your ears. You’re faced with the question of: “How do you stop, and analyze something that defies all logic and reasoning?”
Afro Samurai - is that something. Trying to get a solid, firm and mental grasp around this show will do nothing but agonize you more and more, and eventually it will either force you to submit to its madness, or you’ll simply give up. Either way, it’s going to win. We all know there are shows where you just need to: “Turn your brain off”, fine, understandable, even so, Afro Samurai stands out due to never being concerned about the story as more than a prop to get you to the next action scene, and it doesn’t admit this - it loves and relishes it. Simply beginning how to break it down on a logistical level will give you a a migraine. So, what are you supposed to think of it? What are you supposed to make of it? I don’t think that was a concern from the producers in the slightest, this is almost like a show made for one’s personal deliverance. I guess… this is usually the part where I try to explain stuff. O.o Young boy who watched his father die grew up, became a samurai, and wants vengeance - done. . . . what? You know there’s nothing else to it. Fine, I’ll get serious. Afro Samurai’s lead, voiced by the oh-so-bombastic Samuel L. Jackson, who is named. . . Afro, isn’t exactly a character as much as he is a stagnant concept and caricature for the story to continue its pace, rather, to string itself along to the next fight scene. If I had to say anything about our protagonist it’s that despite being as bland as wonderbread he does have an air of charisma, no doubt due to the VA himself voicing him that will make you not exactly root for him, you know he’ll win every encounter, but become enthralled into what creative way he will discover to defeat his next opponent. Strategy is not a thing employed too well in the series itself but the jaw-dropping acrobatics and animation used do make a joy for the eyes to gander at. I never cared for him or his goals, but he did keep me going along the way which to be fair deserves a slight bit of praise as, in the hands of a less competent-catharsis would be a horrible and numbing experience, there are seldom worst fates than a protagonist being someone who is unfavorable to watch. The supporting cast, what little there were, are somewhat entertaining if not and once again only due to the voice acting in the English dub - with another character who of course is also voiced by Sammy himself. Otherwise, Jinno if not typical was a decently interesting concept that at times I nearly wanted to see more of than Afro and was the only bit of true pathos the show could siphon from me in this flick - I say “flick” because the pacing at times is so breakneck it can feel like a western Hollywood blockbuster, either that or an arcade game. Only sad that there is no music as catchy as those found in arcade games, pardon if I don't give the OST much of an eye, but there's piss-poor to talk about, some cliche Japanese strings here, a decent foot-stomper when Afro rushes into battle, nothing you'll listen to by itself. Also, while this was done by studio Gonzo let me assure you - this is NOT Gonzo - this is Gonzo when they actually care/have money. One of the studios I am fascinated with the most because their works either rival madhouse or might as well move at one fps. They have done an amazing job putting Sammy’s vision to work, he forked up some big-money for them to get off their arses and put their hidden talent to use. The animation is consistently arousing in every action scene on screen, though with a keen eye you will notice that on occasion not just the designs in the distance, but the backgrounds themselves can begin to show their rushed-job if you’re paying close attention, then again who is from the pretty fair lighting used along with some intimate camera-angles when the scenes really start to get gory. Speaking of which when blood does spill it’s, promise, not a psychopath - majestic to see explode into the air and land gracefully on the ground. It’s extremely obvious that the aesthetic was lifted from western action shows that themselves were inspired by Japanese animation, such as Samurai Jack and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it rides this aesthetic till the wheels fall off, its dedication to the craft while something you may be tempted to look over, does garner at least a fair bit of respect, the amount of detail put into capturing adult, western animation is astounding if you grew up with them (past your bedtime) like me. The antagonist of the show is about as depth-filled as Afro, that is to say not very much, but also has a pretty damn good voice actor too and you got me - I was at least curious to see how Afro’s final confrontation from them would play out from a story perspective rather than a battle one, which is something I thought would never happen, the two do not share a good, if any dynamic at all, but from the show’s narrative perspective these are two titans clashing, do you actually feel anything when they fight? Hell no but it's one of the best fight scenes of the 2000’s when it comes up, seriously, this is what Hellsing 2001 COULD have looked like if they just had some extra dough. By the end of Afro Samurai, what do you exactly gain? It’s certainly not a waste of time, but also not something to make fun of and laugh at ironically.` I was absolutely entertained during my time watching it, but I can’t help but make the comparison of eating mountains of candy. It was a hell of a ride, and you would do it again another time, but you’re left rather empty when the high calms down. Do you regret your decision? I wouldn’t say so at the time, and you had some fun looking back on it after it's over. It’s such a nebulous thing to break down because the show’s primary audience, no kidding, was for Sammy himself, which confirms my statement at the start that this was his own catharsis. We weren’t meant to view or care about the show like a traditional work of narrative and structural art, regardless of it possibly appearing otherwise due to this having a three-act-structure. Its only concern is having a good time - with itself. But you know what? It never lied and tried to tell me otherwise unlike many other works of benighted talent in this medium. Should you watch it? Why not. You have nothing to lose and it’s a decent pit stop in between your next arthouse contender. Turn off the Kurbick, turn down the Vivaldi, shut that hardcover of Paradise Lost closed, and go wild every now and then. You could say I recommend this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 3, 2020
Black★Rock Shooter (TV)
(Anime)
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Not Recommended
Be honest, Nomura made this, didn’t he? You cannot convince me otherwise, has his fingerprints ALL over it. Who directed this catharsis? Who wrote it? Mari Okada? I ain’t buying it, I’m sure as hell that’s a ghost-name for Tetsuya Nomura, he probably got bored and made this in between the hell that was Final Fantasy 13 vs’s development! . . . fine, I won’t play that gag out forever, but can you truly blame me for making the comparison? It’s uncanny.
Great character designs - but horrible and confusing narratives that by the end always raises more questions than answers. Breathtaking visuals, but with a ... cast nobody really cares about. In the end you’re left with a story that is patchworked at best and pretentious as hell at worst. Let’s dig into what little meat is here. This anime was based on a loose concept adapted from the illustrations of Ryohei Fuke, which was also lifted from. . . a music video for a song contest - bloody hell. Basically, this, not just titular franchise, but character has been all over the block. From music videos. Vocaloids. Video games. Manga. It’s hard to pin exactly where the original concept came from, so I will choose to view its source material as a non sequitur, even though it no doubt plays a part in this haphazard handling of a project. Black Rock Shooter as a narrative revolves around the mental instability of a young girl named Kuroi, Mato, these instabilities and anxiety is only fed to more from the conclaves of her mind creating (I guess?) the alternate dimension known as Black Rock Shooter to which many characters in her own life appear to in twisted as well as exaggerated forms who she also does battle with. Now I must admit; I could be wrong. Why this is? The show doesn’t explain it well, while this could be viewed as an ambiguous mystery to the viewer, I get a feeling that it was less of a free-flowing concept that can be studied for years by the viewer, and more of a jumbled cluster of not even the show knowing what this is. Is Black Rock Shooter an alternate dimension? There are clearly hints that it does manifest in our protagonist's reality. Does this girl just have the Shining?! What drives my belief further is that by the end of the show you’re still given little if any hints of what is objectively true or not, which in the hands of a far more skilled author is a godsend, but in the hands of lesser artists - becomes the exact opposite. Furthermore, the show never gave me a reason to question what was true or what was not, it’s almost as if it’s not playing by its own rules, especially by the latter half. The characters on top of being unremarkable nor memorable have sporadic actions that seldom make consistent sense which, granted, are traits of mental illness which this show is attempting to portray, but comes off more as to what someone “thinks” mental illness is rather than someone who has done consistent research on the topic as well as seen it in action. You won’t just not care about the cast, you will hate everyone of them - except the ones that, you know, don’t talk! Which. . . is actually where the fun begins. I would be struck dead if I didn’t speak in regards to how beautiful the CGI is when it takes its place on screen in this alternate reality that exists within Mato, featuring action scenes that to this day are some of the best ever put to screen in the medium, eight years later. Our protagonist in this world, the Black Rock Shooter herself, is pale as a ghost but her design, animation, are undoubtedly filled with life, and that is what I believe makes her such a joy to be on screen. This is by far not the best, but only great aspect of the show. CGI that is so great it’s something you can point to when a contemporary says it rarely ever works in the medium and inherently cannot be amazing on its own. Stellar designs, intimate and gritty fist-fights, lasers, it’s practically a different show in general, a much better one that you will curse being torn away from. Back to our cast with such awkward dialogue you will cringe and wince every five minutes. Back to yelling at the screen pointing out plot hole after plot hole. What makes this even worse is by the end of the show where these two worlds start to merge together - and that is not a spoiler, they were always a reflection of what our characters were dealing with - actually saying specifically what they are dealing with, would be one. And frankly, you shouldn’t care at this point about being spoiled because you should not watch this. So far within my reviews, this is the only show I cannot recommend and firmly believe is a waste of time. Don’t watch it unless you want to see how bad it is or contribute to the discussion of it. Know what you should, and can do? Listen to the pretty-decent soundtrack attached to this, I’m neither privy nor a fan of vocaloid but even I have to concede and say there are some pretty decent bangers here. Instead of forcing yourself through this show, tearing your hair out waiting for the next fight scene in the alternate dimension like some dope addict waiting for their next fix - go watch the show with ONLY the alternate dimension, which indeed exists for free on youtube. Play a game that exists in this IP, it’s so-so with some gripping levels. Go play some of the songs on OSU. What’s the alternative? This? You can count me out. Yes, the show, even outside of this dimension, is technically stunning. This is some of the best stuff Aniplex has put out in terms of visuals. Even the lighting is superb as well as a fairly good use of camerawork. But it’s not worth sitting through, and for me, that is exceedingly rare. This is without a doubt a show you would love if it was your first time getting into the medium, but as the years went by and you got more experience - I assure you you would and will at some point come back to this, and shutter in terror, realizing that this show you thought was a gem; was an ersatz prop, that, looking back on it, was probably just made to generate money for the franchise. O.o No surprise, we all know how much Aniplex charges out-the-ass for their anime box sets. As I am nearing the end of this, I’m trying to figure out what makes me so infuriated with this show, and I’ve come to the conclusion that; because it really could have been something special. Honest to god, it could. There are some ideas in here worth talking about, teenagers do delve off and escape into fantasy worlds in some attempt to leave reality as a sort of coping mechanism for many types of abuse. Implications of what escapism can do to a psyche in excess is a fascinating topic explored by geniuses of the medium in the past, present, and surely in the future. Black Rock Shooter doesn’t tap dance around these ideas, it toys with them like a cat with a yarn of string. I feel made fun of for dedicating so much time into this show. The worst part to me is; I know the screenwriter thinks it’s good. You can feel it in every obscure and pompous exchange of “philosophical” and “gripping” dialogue, every grim shot of Mato contemplating the weight of her existence and actions. This is what a teenager thinks is great. Which is why I’m glad that has changed. Over the years Mari has directed some highly substantial works after this, hell, even before this with Ano-Hana, a step into the Aria franchise, and my personal favorite; Nagi no Asu kara - the last being a work done after this stumble here. And to be fair, what the hell else did the poor woman have to work with, huh? A loose story from a music video? With all this context, it’s okay to hate this show, but there is no reason to hold a grudge against the woman who penned it. She did the best she could and added a, indeed, somewhat gripping script that could not breathe under the conditions she was placed with. So, Black Rock Shooter, while you were one of the worst things I’ve watched in my near decade of the medium, in some way, I forgive you because your author did not become you. She didn’t become trapped in a world believing that her work was flawless, but pinned down, nurtured, and grew from these flaws, while her scripts indeed have a very high concept air to them that still occasionally stumble into the pedantic about the topics they tackle, Mari undoubtedly grew. Still not gonna stop me from thinking in some dark corner of my mind she's Nomura in disguise though. . . You have my thoughts.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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May 1, 2020
Bakemonogatari
(Anime)
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Recommended
Throughout my near decade being part of the community, from when I got into it, to this day, I have never failed to hear this on a regular basis: “Nothing is original anymore.” Gotta admit, for the longest time I agreed and waved that same banner of hatred like my contemporaries are doing now. However, now I adopt a different belief: “Nothing is original - and that is a great thing.” Following the previous notion, I have often been criticized for comparing in-constant Japanese animation to other works of art, such as western literature as well as films, etc. This is something I’ve never really
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understood and at this point makes me chuckle. Making claims that anime is not original, but you also don’t want it to borrow traits from sources outside of Japan for inspiration? It creates such a paradox so amusing that the ouroborus itself would blush. All art from its very inception has taken and cannibalized itself, don’t believe me? Just look at our mythology and esoteric theology, you’re gonna find similarities everywhere, from The Hero’s Journey being presented in Star Wars, to figuring out that The Wizard of Oz is a film that revolves around occult philosophy - shocker, right?
My prime example as to why we as fellow tourists in this darling medium should embrace outside sources has for the longest time been: Bakemonogatari. This show, and indeed its source material, is a monogamous cornucopia of various ideas that root their inspirations from genius’s in other mediums, from Kubrick, to King. Bakemonogatari is painfully difficult to write about in depth for nearly anyone with an instinctual, dare I say, carnal lust to break down and analyze anything they enjoy to a decent degree. I can tell you what Bakemonogatari is about, but I can’t tell you what it’s “really” about, and that’s its saving grace. It treats the viewer as a cheshire cat, chasing its untraceable tail across an endless vista. Sure, I can tell you that it’s a story of a teenager trying desperately to help terribly broken people. . . but there’s also vampires, possessive spirits, and a catgirl. I can tell you that it’s a coming of age story filled with quirky characters, but at times it will focus more on the side-cast than our actual character. Is this, despite all the fluff, a harem anime hidden in disguise? That presents another series of questions. Bakemonogatari is like trying to study Hannibal Lecter, he doesn’t want you to figure him out because he knows once he’s been cracked, he’ll be tossed away and forgotten, a blight that unfortunately looms its way over to the sequels of this franchise as time goes on. To be basic, the story of Bakemonogatari focuses on Araragi Koyomi, a highschool student who meets a girl named Senjougahara, literally falling down from the heavens as she weightlessly lands into his arms. The first arc of the series centers around Araragi both figuring out how Senjougahara became this way, and how to fix it. This formula follows with each other (waifu) character he interacts with throughout the series. While this sounds laborious and can be at times, the show goes to great lengths to give each character that appears a reasonable explanation for their personality, and a strong motivation for how they became and no longer want to be this way, this is shot to the audience in mountains of dialogue that can spew exposition at you just as quickly as it can fire-off cathartic and amusing humor that is most of the time taken word-for-word from Isin’s light novels, which brings me to another herculean task; talking about the writing. Love it or hate it, it’s a non sequitur, what we can all agree on, I’d like to believe, is how unadulterated and shamelessly Monogatari’s characters interact with each other, the dialogue puts the viewer in the state of a fever-dream, constantly questioning and contemplating what has been said and where the next line will lead to in a way that no other anime can, one minute they’re cracking jokes to Araragi about his own perversion, and thirty seconds later questioning his ideals and moral codes as a human being. What weighs and anchors this down is Koyomi himself, I’ve heard him at times whipped at by contemporaries that he’s a self insert for the viewer, and while I can certainly see where those people are coming from, I find him to be more of a narrative tool to keep all of these volatile personalities together. In many respects, I’d call him a decently “realistic” portrayal of a male teenager. On this topic, I have to praise to the heavens themselves for the amount of care taken into this show by SHAFT, adding on little touches that were not even in the light novels. For instance, my favorite addition by far is the camera flash effect in Araragi’s eye when sexually ogling his peers, an obvious nod to pornography and the “male gaze”, which begs. . . a very funny question. Are the girls even this attractive, or are we, someone seeing these characters from Ararargi’s lens, more sexualized than usual? The questions pop up again and again as the show goes on. Where is this town? Where are the other people? If you think about the setting of the franchise itself more, nothing really makes sense logistically from a geological level. The town is massive it seems, but there’s rarely any cars. Thousands of houses, but seldom anyone… anywhere besides our main cast and some cardboard figures. You will start to wonder if our characters are trapped in some Silent Hill-esque-purgatory (which are theories I actually have heard). You’ll get one note here, an inkling of information there, but most of the time you’re left out in the rain in terms of specifics. This not only keeps us engaged, but saves time on superfluous details of the world that sadly many writers get caught in the trap of. The color palettes of Monogatari along with the expert camerawork make the show chokingly intimate and uncomfortable to watch for extended periods of time, especially when a few specific scenes can get particularly aggressive in one way or another. The character designs are solid, clean, even if basic and paper thin. SHAFT has gone to great lengths to make this show pleasing to look at, what helps them out as well is that most of the time, there doesn’t need to be a lot of action going on from the very nature of production and the work itself, so when they actually need to have characters moving at a frantic pace from an action scene here-or-there, you can put money down you’re about to see a spectacle. Something to point out about this art style is the show’s nuanced take of presenting information about the state of every character or the world in general to us, such as cutting to a real-life-photograph, or having a quick frame of venomous text from a possessed character or demon. I have a feeling this was not due to budgetary concerns, but on purpose by SHAFT to assault us in every-way they can, every chance they get without it becoming too tasteless. The sound fairs the same, while I’m not a fan of the openings to the show, I will say that the OST is mesmerizing and at times, skin-crawling when placed with a tense scene, yet can be uplifting and calm a moment later, repetitious as I’ve sounded already attempting to explain why this show just. Works. The ambience composed by Satoru Kosaki is one of the things that has kept me rewatching this show through the years, coupled with the near-perfect voice acting from medium-staples - looking at you, Hiroshi, and can a show be any less perfect? Yes. Yes it can. There is a fair amount of exposition that can be taxing when watching the show in excess and when it does border upon this point is thankfully, and most of the time counterbalanced by other departments in the work, such as the OST and cut to a different angle, as well as the voice actors themselves doing their best to strike a tone change when they can feel that something, maybe a line here not flowing right, needs adjustment, such as a little more or less energy, but I won't lie and say this can be a chore at times. The fanservice, *sigh*. Bakemonogatari is my best example of saying: “I like fanservice if it contributes to the story.” It truly is, doesn’t stop it from graining on you when it doesn’t follow the rules it has set. What I’m saying is: Bakemonogatari has established that the fanservice is from Araragi’s male gaze, so during practically all the scenes where he’s not aroused, well, what’s their point? I too play by my own rules, and refuse to let it get away with this when it does start to drip into tasteless territory. Also… hate to tell you, Isin, but molesting an elementary school girl isn’t fun, and has always rubbed me the wrong way. Bakemonogatari can occasionally be riddled with tropes seen again and again in the medium, but that doesn’t stop Isin’s writing from breathing so much, let’s not call it “life”, but hedonistic indulgence from them being at play for so long so masterfully, though gags will grain on you eventually. Yes, Kanbaru, I understand, you’re very flirtatious and horny - I know that comes back later to haunt you and give you character development in a sequel of this work, but at times I do not want to be beaten over the head with it. Overall, that’s as few flaws as I can point out, and it’s telling that the only faltering ligaments of the show are due to its own gluttony, obsessed and narcissistic about its own unique grandeur. Luckily, SHAFT’s direction is precise enough to have these stumbling moments, a seldom affair. Bakemonogatari is not an anime, for everyone, that’s why the split between it is so black and white, quite honestly, I’m highly confident it depends on the specific personality of the individual viewer that determines the show’s worth. You could either see it as a nuanced take of adolescence, or a slog so arduous you may want to pry your eyes out by the end of this. What you get out of Monogatari, perhaps, isn’t up to you, maybe it’s predestined by some queer hand of fate if you’ll love or hate it? Well, it’s a good thing I don’t believe in fate. I don’t think you should either. You owe it to yourself to give this girl a whirl, and see what you get out of it. Personally, I love this, not show specifically, but franchise, and champion that idea that everyone needs to watch it just once. So, Dear Reader, if you came here looking for a: “Should I watch it or not”, stop reading this, and tackle this gem you probably put on your plan to watch for five years, because you have your answer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 30, 2020
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
(Anime)
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Not Recommended
Every parent at some point in their life will be forced to watch a direct-to-dvd movie of their darling child’s favorite franchise, and don’t laugh at their suffering, Dear Reader, chances are you will know this fate as well. You know the ones I’m talking about. Let’s say for this instance: Bionicle: Web of Shadows. The flick gives little if any reason for someone unfamiliar with the franchise to pay exact attention or hold on, a monologue here; a slight explanation of this character there. The parent finds ways to get through this. Some shots are cool. Some fight scenes are pretty great. Even so,
...
this is how these experiences usually end, the parent saying: “Well that was okay. Time to change the channel to what I want now.”
Why do I mention this? Because Kingsglaive is that movie. No matter how much it disguises itself in a gorgeous, enchanting - but hollow veil. This is most evident in how the film itself looks. Kingsglaive to this day, nearing four years later, is the most technically beautiful entry into the medium, would you expect any less from Square Enix pumping twenty million dollars into this? It’s simply unfair to compare it to practically anything else in its category. . . but, if you analyze it just a tad more you’ll realize that despite how magnificent the film looks, it doesn’t know how to engage you in that world consistently. Kingsglaive borrows the aesthetic of Final Fantasy 7, which 7 itself borrowed from Blade Runner. Grim and somehow alive feeling-cities toned with a gentle nocturne palette, characters bathed in shades of onyx with this to only be contrasted by the film’s antagonist faction of Niflheim. What I believe makes Kingsglaive a joy to look at is how Nozue, Takeshi, well known for his work on Advent Children, creates a pleasing and thematically potent collocation of vibrant colors contrasting and shining through the almost predestined lens ordering for everything to be black. Pardon any confusion, but what I’m saying is: Kingsglaive is beautiful because its colors exist in contradiction, but also harmony, which is even more fitting considering the themes of - well - not this film but the game which this is meant to be a prequel to, and fails miserably at. You’ve more than likely read the synopsis so I will gall with details as briefly as possibly, frankly this isn’t as exactly enthralling or complex as Macbeth anyhow. Two kingdoms, Lucius and Niflheim, have been at war with each other for god-knows how long, Nifleheim uses clankers (one person will get that reference) and monsters, while Lucius employs the titular Kingsglaive who are basically battle-mage-badasses. The majestically both designed and acted Ardyn Izunia proposes a peace treaty when your typical menagerie of political chess ensues as both sides rush to get tactical advantage over the lands before this treaty can be officially signed. Sounds cool? You have the right idea, but try more: “satisfactory.” While this idea is awesome on paper and does shine through in some breathtaking action scenes, it makes me wish that, unlikely as this would be, we could get a full, half-budget series that would slow the pacing of movie down a tad, maybe a twenty-four episode series if Square would have been so kind, allowing this would have given the audience a chance to get attached to the characters that, guess what? I still can’t remember after watching this movie five times now. Don’t blame me or yourself after you get done watching it, they’re paper thin at best, it’s as if the writers put more effort into the etymology of their names than developing any traits for us to actually REMEMBER THEIR NAMES. Uh, I guess our main protagonist is cocky, hot-headed and arrogant, and his throughline of learning to be humble is fulfilled by the end of the film by atoning with some sense of martyrdom? The plot is a bloated-corpse but ironically not hard to follow at all from our viewpoints, it’s only difficult to understand because our characters are basically the only look into this, in theory, engaging world, yet our tour-bus driver is a bore. Soundtrack? What soundtrack? Not a single song is stuck in my head which is frankly disrespectful to the amazing Yoko Shimomura who composed Final Fantasy: XV’s soundtrack. Did Square really not want to bring her along for the ride or at least borrow a few of the masterfully composed tracks from the game, maybe compose some quick three-to-five little notes? Anything would be better than the typical cacophonous, Hollywood-stir that this film claims to be an OST, it will only sound pleasing when characters are in motion and engaging an enemy, nothing you can listen to on your own in the slightest. To make matters even more dire, these character’s have odd dialogue and some pretty awkward scenes together when they’re not kicking the enemy’s ass, which by-the-by is the only time they’re palatable, and looking back on it more it seems that whoever was shooting these action scenes excelled when the battles were at a distance, such as the opening warfare at the beginning of the film, but it becomes a boggled and deranged mess in close-quarters combat, meaning that they’re only cool to look at about half of the time they’re on screen, the rest of the time before the film’s endgame you will be cringing at awkward writing I think they’re mistake for chemistry? What’s particularly sad is that the VA’s are doing their best to make this work, I can tell Lena and Aaron tried digging through the scripts as well as motivations to breathe some semblance of life into these pale concepts, these are renowned and high-level talents in this movie, yet in the end they only achieve barely making these voices heard due to being smothered by terrible lines. Characters do have arcs and throughlines in the film indeed, though don’t expect for any of them (besides Nyx just barely) to be fulfilled in a satisfying way. If a death does happen, you will not care. Perhaps this is just the curse of Kingsglaive being based on a JRPG, which are known to be jumbled messes of metaphysics and fate with shaky stories and some stand out, but most of the time forgotten characters - but hey, it looks pretty, right? Sure. No denying that, but I also cannot deny that there's nothing worth looking at twice. I get an impression that Kingsglaive does not desire to be a work of art on its own, but more so telling the viewer to buy Final Fantasy XV. Hell, it’s even in the title of the film. So, what else is there to say about it? Not much, really. Should you watch it? When you have two hours to kill on a boring Friday night, but I don’t blame someone for having this on their plan to watch list for years and never actually looking at it. Kingsglaive, despite how beautiful it looks is an afterthought. At its best, it will make you buy Final Fantasy: XV. At its worst? You’ll feel like you’ve just thrown away two hours of your life - and change the channel.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Apr 29, 2020
Hibike! Euphonium
(Anime)
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Recommended
“Is this really what it’s like?”
That is the question that ran through my mind after the second episode of Euphonium. “This”, being, well, being a teenager and a part of something that is bigger than yourself. I’m certainly no old man, so I will not attempt to recall some nostalgic sense of youth, but I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to experience feelings like these. Me personally: I was asocial: homeschooled: and bonded with others, yes, but not in this manner, I got along with the people who I punched, and punched me right back in the face due to boxing being my only consistent ... way to meet others until I got older. Not through a grand epic full of people united under artistic passion daily. Due to this, I find it extremely difficult to relate to works of art that present themes such as those in Euphonium because we are at an intrinsic and contrasting precipice. So I ask again: Is this what it’s really like? If so, wish I got a chance to go back in time, because Euphonium unlocked a well of emotions and ideas in me I didn’t even know I had the capability to wonder about. I can barely get across how surprised I was that this anime had not just the toolset, but knowledge of executing its throughlines to the point that I admit, I shed a few tears. There is something about this work, this work specifically, that resonates with the human condition’s sense of youth others of its ilk have failed to do. The concept of the story is fairly mediocre, I’d dare say redundant. Highschool boys and girls in a concert band working their best to follow both their passions and dreams, all throughout this journey they are faced with both internal and external problems that slowly but surely leer their ugly heads. Again and again, we’ve seen this before: how does this one work? I have a few ideas. Saying that a character feels “real”, frankly, is a misnomer at best and a hollow statement at worst. All characters in one way or another “feel real”, they’re simply exaggerations of concepts we as a species live with on a day-to-day basis, whether those concepts are humor, wrath, depression, and everything in between. I can spout that rhetoric all I want in my head, yet throughout my time with Euphonium my stalwart thoughts of this faded. The narrative of Euphonium is not of particular potency, but its characters damn well are, or at the very least are good at tricking you into believing so. Kumiko, our protagonist, is at times chokingly relatable to the viewer and the struggles we eventually will face in our life such as feelings of insecurity, a longing to improve ourselves, doing your best to be confident but also questioning yourself every now and then from the occasional minutia of a problem making you backstep. Kumiko by no means is a trope or exaggeration of one particular idea, that is what makes her nuanced presentation so malleable, yet palatable to us. While she can fit into any slot of your life where there has been turmoil, this most certainly does not degrade her value as a rather complex character. It’s not just our main protagonist that offers us a tad more depth to the table. In fact, I’d argue that every character in this work satisfies the viewer in some way shape or form. Each character has not quirks but specific personality traits that can exert themselves in a variety of ways depending on the situation they’re placed in when, sadly and often in this medium, it’s the other way around; the characters control the surroundings they’re in due to not having enough complexity to react in a decently interesting way, but I’m not going to lie to you and say I remember every single part of the supporting cast, that’s not to say the show didn’t do its hardest, in the best of ways, to give me a reason to remember them one way or another. Each of these characters too are faced with struggles that our main protagonist are dealing with, you’re certainly not going to understand all the ins-and-outs of them naturally from time restriction, but I’m fairly confident if given more screen time, they could just as easily have their own series as well, it’s all a matter of perspective. And that is what being human is like. When someone is just as interesting as you, you simply don’t see life from their worldview. Euphonium’s cast revels and radiates with chemistry and comradery due to the writers being so on-point, and the voice actors adding even more life to the cast. It breathes and exhales in every shot, angle, color palette, and sound. The amount of care put into it by KyotoAni is astounding, it almost makes me wonder if they were going to run out of business if this thing flunked like the original Final Fantasy. As far as I am aware of, very few big names are attached to Euphonium in the industry in terms of directing and sound design, which is exceedingly curious. The animation flows like water, the character designs seldom if ever falter, shots are methodically, but not cold and cruelly held like a Kon-flick. There is a profound feeling of safety, brightness, peace, serenity, and security Euphonium constantly permeates - but if it wants you to feel something, by god, it will - looking at you, episode 12. There can be feelings of goliath level tension that the show has the ability to flip you with on a dime, which in a cathartic way was somewhat intoxicating, knowing that this calm show can quickly turn into an emotional tear-jerker. With all of these elements coming together, writers, art, sound directors, etc, is it of anyone’s guess that if this show does have a problem, you will barely notice it? Which trust me, it does. I am not a musician myself, but I did find it odd that a show that, not in-part, but indeed based around music, goes very little into the nuances of it. O.o It is of my opinion that you don’t really get enough insight into “why” the characters enjoy these instruments, songs, etc, but more so of their personal lives and relationships, which is all well and good surely, but there is a feeling of unevenness in this regard. Sure, it’s there in the first few episodes, however, while the band itself is a massive character, it is the only character you will know nothing about by the end of it due to its massive cast, there’s no room for it and the musical world to shine on its own two feet as well. I don’t feel like this was a show about music and humans, but just humans, and that is frankly disappointing considering that the nuances of this very music is what the characters are striving to understand while also learning to understand themselves. Didn’t I say at the beginning that Euphonium executes its throughlines well? Indeed, I did, and will say again: and that’s because Euphonium unfortunately, seems to rarely if ever truly care about this music the characters it’s so good at presenting care about themselves. I’d even say at times it feels like an ersatz, false idol that, while certainly would not be the same if slotted in with something else like basketball, karate, etc, is unwelcomed. Sad to say, to Euphonium, music is an afterthought. While it is most of the time sharp I must point out that I’m not the biggest fan of how romance is handled in this show and while I’m all for experiencing these emotions, think that it was in many respects not needed for this work, and that is the distinction; not poorly handled (though certainly not greatly either); simply not needed. Furthermore, teenagers have problems and I’d like to think I have decent grasp on Kumiko’s, and the rest of the cast mindset and psyche, yet there’s a lot of pressure looming on them, too much at times, the CW-esque melodrama can take you out of the mood and this is only tolerated once again due to so much “heart” by the staff being put into Euphonium itself. I would be foolish not to mention the tinges of fanservice that oddly still find a way to worm themselves into one of KyotoAni’s best in years. . . why? Why is it here? I dunno. I guess sex sells. . . even when it in no way contributes to the themes, plotlines and throughlines of the work, only bogs them down. You could cut it out and it wouldn’t just not change anything, it’d be better. I can take this further, and that’s a telling sign. Euphonium is a show that more than easily pleases the ole’ amygdala, but as soon as you start thinking about it slightly harder, you’re going to notice a few gaps in this resonant work. But that’s the thing; I didn’t notice them until much later. All art is simply an illusion, no matter what, even so, Euphonium had such pure talent from a technical standpoint that nearly all of the logistic flaws took hours and days later to figure out with a more critical eye, while I consider myself that “critical eye”, this was clearly not the show’s prime demographic, nor aim. It wanted to tell a heartwarming and emotionally-felt tale that at some point in our lives we will have to experience, obviously in a different way, but there’s no avoiding it. Despite my grievances with the show, I will not lie and say that for what it was, and set out to do, it won me over through sheer talent and passion, and not to humble-brag, but that’s not easy, and by no means devalues the accomplishment KyotoAni got making this. Should you give it a go? Sure, even if you’re a fan of bloodbaths and psychological mindfields like me, I assure you that if you do not get something out of Euphonium, you will feel something out of it. Whether that “something” is acknowledging the beautiful palettes; the harmonic arias; or anything else in between. In the end Euphonium is a well done shot into the medium, if not a somewhat benighted stumble into its own genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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