Narrative formulas; conventions; archetypes; genres. In the event that a fictional narrative turns into a series, then later a franchise -a brand of its own so to speak- it comes as no surprise that eventually the formula which had more or less distinguished the work from others will then arrive at a point wherein it is forced to change completely, adapt to contemporary circumstances, attempt to maintain the status quo, dissolve into a state of total irrelevancy, or end for good and become fondly remembered by many faults and all. Such is the case with Macross Delta.
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Macross Delta is representative of the 'Macross formula' in
...
the late stages of its existence, by that I mean that the Macross formula, if one continues to comply to it to a T as it has so done since its inception, only makes the formula age badly. Why? Because unfortunately at this moment in time, Macross as a whole has inexplicably entered into a dire situation of Catch-22. To change or not to change? IF we change, then HOW MUCH SHOULD we change? Do we leave Macross as it is and END it RIGHT NOW, or PERHAPS LATER? The extent of the questions that had ultimately left the Macross formula in this state ultimately consummates into what can simply be deemed as "If we change Macross then we'll end up upsetting the fans, but if we don't change then Macross will start to become stale."
This raises several questions. For one, just what about Macross ESSENTIALLY defines it as Macross? And for that matter, if we experiment around and create variations of the ESSENTIALS of Macross, will that in turn result in Macross no longer being 'Macross' too, or will Macross continue to remain as 'Macross' regardless of how many or what Macross series are produced? With all of this in mind, we can thus say that the first Macross series introduced to the audience the general outline of an archetypical Macross plot -which is itself somewhat of a Jungian archetype- as well as the themes and concepts it wishes to tackle. From there, it can be observed that all Macross series are variations of those ESSENTIALS, with Macross 7 being the zaniest Macross, Macross Plus showcasing Macross in its simplest form, Macross Zero being Macross at its most somber and poignant, Macross Frontier highlighting Macross at its zenith with the successful revitalization of the classic formula that propelled Macross into the world stage, and... Macros Delta with Macross retreading the same old formula in hopes of replicating the success of Frontier but ultimately fails due to the various components that the creators have used in an attempt to differentiate Delta from the rest- hence the formula showing its age REALLY BADLY. That, and well every aspect of Delta's concepts -from plot to characters- are simplistically understood and implemented.
Although it may seem that Macross 7 was unfortunately conceived with and steeped in such mistakes, rather what led to Macross 7's incredibly divisive response and resultant overall identity in relation to the other Macross series was its identity being rooted in an experimental lighthearted absurdism that is implemented in extreme fashions at certain moments within its narrative in comparison to Macross Delta, where as previously mentioned, the roots of its identity and narrative are built upon an attempted resurrection of the cultural impact of Macross Frontier, but that the comprehension and resulting implementation of the elements that constitute the core elements that made Macross and Macross Frontier so culturally impactful and resonant were disappointingly oversimplified, hasty and even outright incorrect.
In any case, to further expand upon the reasons as to why the formula has clearly shown signs of its age with Macross Delta, it can be said that there is just simply not much to expand FROM, without resorting to the constant homages and the mere repetition and toying around with motifs, plot points and the various structures in place, in addition to having to maintain a linear timeline of events, unlike Gundam- but even then, Gundam too is stuck in this stage and both will forever continue to remain in their current states so long as there is no CHANGE.
I'd personally rather not discuss about Delta's plot considering the above reasons, but I believe that nonetheless, whatever plot points that were introduced to us in Macross Delta were adequately developed with straightforwardness in mind, thus allowing viewers to be able to understand it well, even though the scripting of and the actual creative value of events is as textbook Macross as it can get, simply uninspired. In addition, Macross Delta in contrast to Macross 7 left us hanging with quite a few plot points that were simply left unresolved, which makes us question as to why in the Milky Way did the creators designed the plot in such a way so as to add them into it to begin with. There were several heartfelt moments emanating genuine sentiment but with the way the plot's designed, there's just simply not enough of that to bring the plot out of uninspired hell.
When it comes to the overall tone of Delta, it is generally much, much more lighthearted, carefree, optimistic (especially optimistic and carefree) and poppy which likens it to Macross 7, but considering the narrative structure and the various events scripted into it, results in a different product in the end because if there ever was one thing about Macross which gave it its distinctive identity is that as the plot nears its end, the situation becomes SIGNIFICANTLY DIRE thus giving the necessary emotionality to the bleak end game situations, whereas in Delta due to its very nature and uninspired and stock plot design results in the emotional charge of the plateau deflating before the plot had even begun to enter its climactic stage. In short, just about every single aspect of the narrative in Delta simply does not lend itself to the sense of sheer dread and desperation that previous Macross series had, hence the emotional blandness of the show.
The overall dialogue is frankly serviceable as it is simply not creative enough and once again, uninspired throughout to warrant much of viewers' attention, not to mention that due to the tone of Delta, comes off as quite cartoony. I just roll my eyes most of the time, hah.
Indeed, despite the inherent potentialities that lies within a much more carefree approach to Macross, it is regrettable to say that all of that is wasted in an unresolved Catch-22 problem resulting in a trite work which adds little towards fanning the infernos of nostalgia to Macross's past or even towards igniting the embers of Macross's future on fire. Absolutely disappointing- hhmph!
But hey, there's at least some of the songs and all so yeah, let's just move on and talk about that down below. Junbi wa ii ka nen?
Narrative, Thematic, Scripting & Character Design/Direction (Rating: 4)
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Okay, so before we get down to the music and sound, let's just talk about the visuals for a bit. For one thing, this show actually has very consistent visuals throughout, in the form of consistent animation both hand-drawn and computer-generated, consistent drawings, backgrounds consistently full of features, and constant inclusion of plenty of well-done visual effects. Once again, I'd like to reiterate that I'm simply no expert or even that deeply knowledgeable about these technical aspects, but simply put, Macross Delta is competently produced. It's just that, while it is indeed competently produced, it doesn't have many standout and highly creative visual features either, barring the straight-to-TV Macross shows of the pre-2000 years.
But wait, if there was anything about Delta that I could consider to be very creative, it would have to be the first ED sequence. It's basically a very well-made sequence featuring one of the main characters Freyja Wion going about locations in real life, in which all of that is animated via a technique that I'm frankly not knowledgeable about but can be described as utilizing captured video footage to set up as the visual basis for the sequence, then after animating and inserting Freyja into that footage, having the footage go through intensive post-processing with image filters and such which ultimately gives the sequence its highly distinct look. Very interesting and quite impressive I'd say.
Visual & Animation Design/Direction (Rating: 7)
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The overall sound design in this show is once again, just like the visuals competently produced- voice acting included. As for the music, wherein due to the tone of Delta, it is essentially designed to be as contemporaneous and poppy as possible- what with electronic and brass based music timbres, dance pop based song structures, generally faster time signatures, group based synchronized vocal performances in the style of so-called idol groups and whatnot. Not all of Delta's music consists of such style of pop music however, as there're some slower, more soulful songs as well, in particular the general vocal track sung by the opposing faction featured in Delta, as well as one Walkure song which is composed as more of a ballad than the more electronic dance pop based fare.
As for me, I generally really liked a fair bit of Walkure's songs, particularly Ikenai Borderline as well as the first OP song, and both main ED songs.
Sound Design/Direction (Rating: 8)
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The drive to constantly recapture the success of the original Macross in the post-2000s straight-to-TV Macross shows has resulted in the Macross formula becoming increasingly stale and trite, unless it changes or utilizes the formula to tell more different narratives like Plus and Zero did. In fact, one could even say that Macross Delta is ironically the antithesis of what was sooooooo extremely archetypal -in the Jungian sense- of the original Macross; Frontier came close to replicating this, but it was ultimately created in such a fashion so that it may stand on its own, i.e., with its own sense of identity, so as to become a fine addition to the over-arching narrative of the setting of Macross.
Speaking of which, you know what all of this "formula aging badly and getting stale" reminds me of? The entire post-1990s career of the rock band U2 and -in a different way but still quite the Catch-22- the Resident Evil series of games as a whole, go figure. That and well, there's just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy less combat-based action in this show compared to previous ones.
Personal Enjoyment/Appreciation (Rating: 4)
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And with that, I shall bid all of you farewell and thank you for reading. Till next time then!
(Personal Rating: 5)
(Critical Rating: 5)
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Sep 28, 2016 Mixed Feelings
Narrative formulas; conventions; archetypes; genres. In the event that a fictional narrative turns into a series, then later a franchise -a brand of its own so to speak- it comes as no surprise that eventually the formula which had more or less distinguished the work from others will then arrive at a point wherein it is forced to change completely, adapt to contemporary circumstances, attempt to maintain the status quo, dissolve into a state of total irrelevancy, or end for good and become fondly remembered by many faults and all. Such is the case with Macross Delta.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Macross Delta is representative of the 'Macross formula' in ...
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 25, 2016 Recommended
Although the story may be told in a different way, the anime adaptation of Atelier Escha & Logy is by all accounts a solid and competent one; as an avid fan of the game I can vouch for that- allow me to explain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The story of Escha & Logy is but a simple story centered primarily around the themes of cooperation, ambition, caring for the natural environment and the perils of the unbridled lust for wealth. In fact, such are the themes that deeply pervade the Dusk series in the Atelier franchise of video games. However, what differentiates this anime adaptation from the video game is that ... the game focuses more on establishing and developing the setting of the world of Dusk while less so on the individual characters themselves. The characters themselves do have many interesting, heart-warming and heart-felt moments, but they are all ultimately overshadowed by the melancholic bleakness of the seemingly never-ending Age of Dusk which has continued to go on for many millennia. Which contrasts it with the anime, whereby the story instead places greater emphasis on the characters and how their individual motivations are deeply connected to the aforementioned themes; thus, while the games are a fair bit more complex as it seeks to further elaborate upon the world of Dusk, the anime's story line is more simplified and the core themes of the Dusk series are constantly reinforced via individual plot points that are developed based off the characters for a thematically stronger, more concise narrative. This is true for the tone of the narrative as well, for just as the games are bleaker and much more melancholic and aims to inspire awe at the grandiosity of the ancient alchemic civilization, the anime is much more lighthearted and optimistic in return. In regards to the overall scripting of the anime, many events and character arcs have been rewritten to a significant extent in order to promote this alternative narrative focus. The anime features many original and altered plot points that are actually creative, well-constructed and cohesive while paying homage to the first 2 games. The anime also features additional lines of dialogue that are exclusive to the anime, as well as integrating many lines that were originally found within the game and reworking some of them to better fit the altered events and character arcs. And while this does lessen the poignancy of several plot points within the game, the anime however manages to compensate for that by ensuring that its new and altered plot points and dialogue are up to par and faithful to the source material. Very impressive work indeed, I must say. Narrative, Thematic & Scripting Design/Direction (Rating: 8) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The visual qualities of the anime adaptation are well-made and many of the artistic designs from the game are faithfully recreated and adapted. This can be found in some of the backgrounds which feature solid watercolor and pastel work. In general, the color scheme of the anime is much lighter and softer than what can be found within the game where it is very deep, rich and vibrant, but this change in color scheme helps to further accentuate the lighthearted tone that the anime adaptation opts for- thus sufficiently differentiating it from the game and providing it a distinct identity. Animation wise, the show is overall decently-animated with hand drawn and computer-rendered animation being used in tandem. The hand drawn animation is rather decent, however it frequently suffers from characters being off-model when they're portrayed at a distance (especially the details on their faces- eyes specifically), but the computer-rendered animation on the other hand is surprisingly well-made and very well integrated with the aesthetics of the show, wherein it adopts the same color scheme. There's no choppiness in the frame rate of the computer-generated models either which only serves to enhance the seamlessness of the viewing experience- minus the off-model characters. The particle effects, lighting effects and camera work overall are also well-done, and can be quite impressive at times. The shot composition and editing of the material is very creative in several scenes, but can sometimes be uninspired or sub par during conversational scenes where the characters are mostly static. Finally, the OP sequence is easily the best animated aspect of the show, what with fluid animation, energetic editing, and stellar camera and effects work. The ED sequence however is slower-paced, focusing on developing a calm, wistful atmosphere when an episode comes to an end. And therefore based on the points that I brought up, I can unreservedly say that this adaptation is without a doubt, competently produced... Just work on those faces alright? Please? Visual & Animation Design/Direction (Rating: 7) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sound design in the anime adaptation is well-done overall. Sound effects are very varied and adequately depicts the action on screen, in addition to being professionally made. The anime's approach to the soundtrack on the other hand consists of original material that are faithful to the style of music found within the more recent Atelier games, in addition to incorporating a few of the tracks found within them as well. The voice acting is once again well-done with the voice actors from the game reprising their roles in the anime adaptation. There are simply no complaints in that regard or even to the overall aspect of the sound design, for the standards are high and the quality assured. Sound Design/Direction (Rating: 8) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {See P.S.} Characters Rating: N/A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To conclude, I would like to express that I personally found this adaptation to be quite enjoyable, and am delighted that it's a creative and well-made alternative retelling of the overall story of the video game. It's just that perhaps due to many constraints, the anime adaptation was just simply unable to greatly expand upon and incorporate both the character-focused and setting-focused narratives into a larger whole. This is disappointing but regardless of such constraints, I can very easily recommend this anime to anyone who's a fan of the Atelier games or even to those who are interested in history and fantasy in general. Personal Enjoyment/Appreciation (Rating: 6) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And with that, I shall bid all of you farewell and thank you for reading- till next time then! (Personal Rating: 6) (Critical Rating: 7) P.S.: I have stopped using the 'Characters' dimension as a separate category of analysis in my reviews, as I have found it to be redundant since incorporating discussions on character design as part of the first analytical category.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 24, 2016 Recommended
The biggest regret that I've had with this show, is in not writing a timely review praising its delectable outrageousness. Welcome to Bakuon!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's simply nothing to gush about when it comes to the basic plot of the show, rather what isn't explained outright is that this show is an absolutely irreverent parody of the subject matters it features- complete with random scenes of sheer absurdity drenched in over-the-top -and at times, subtle- goofiness. Which brings us to question just what on earth does it make fun of? Biking perhaps? Why of course, the whole thing is essentially about biking, but it makes fun of it in ... spades! And what else does it make fun of as well? Oh plenty really, anything from traffic laws to business practices- not to mention the characters themselves whom are all relatively quirky, downright bizarre and completely ridiculous at times. The script is also relatively well paced and imaginative, wherein it's loaded to the brim with various situations where >70% of which is outright designed to be soaked in comedic value. Other than that, there are also a few surprisingly charming but brief scenes spread throughout the show centering around such topics like friendship for instance. But above all, if you can't already tell, this show is a parody of K-ON! Plot & Themes/Script & Dialogue Rating: 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the visual front, there really isn't that much to comment on actually. Generally speaking, the show is decently made. The art is well-drawn, and while the colors can be slightly over-saturated at times, they are at the very least rich, vibrant and 'poppy'. The designs of the backgrounds and characters on the other hand aren't meant to break new ground, but are at least creative and distinctive. There're also plenty of real-life visual references in the form of scanned magazines, posters, photographs and artwork. Animation-wise, this show is surprisingly well-animated at parts, especially when it comes down to the character movements and comedic scenes. The 3D-rendering of the bikes in the show is also rather impeccable- exquisitely detailed down to the most minute of particulars, the bikes themselves move very seamlessly on screen with very little to no choppiness in fact. There're also several instances of experimental or at least, out-of-the-norm animation and artistic techniques being used in the anime, and the lighting -which utilizes extensive bloom to create the show's distinctively warm and bright look- and particle effects greatly enhance the visual appeal of the show. The camera-work is also very creative and the shots well edited to great effect, all flowing together very well in many of the scenes thus creating a consistently seamless viewing experience. The OP sequence is a well-made though only somewhat creative sequence which introduces the characters and their bikes, before proceeding to showcase them embarking on a road trip in its second half. The ED sequence on the other hand is very comedic and simple, with mini versions of the characters on their bikes journeying back to school. Art & Animation Rating: 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For one, this show's sound design is bloody amazing, wherein an appropriately joyful rock-oriented (BIKES = ROCK- PERIOD) soundtrack featuring some uncommon track structures and musical timbres, in addition to more conventional bluesy and poppy rock tunes, and various other goofy and idyllic tracks utilizing an eclectic selection of instruments used in the more slice-of-life moments drenches the show in an inviting musk of gleeful hilarity that's just simply hard to shake off. Not only that, the sound effects themselves are superb- ESPECIALLY the greatness that is the bikes' engines... OOOOOHHHHHHH PURE ECSTASY. Ahem, I mean, in general they are carefully chosen and professionally made but yeah you get the point, no complaints there. But hold it! There's just one more part that we MUST absolutely discuss before going in any further and that is the ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC voice acting! Oh God, the voice acting, the sheer amazing balls that is the voice acting is what REEEEAAAALLLYYY makes this show shine. Skilled, emotive and hilarious, the voice acting for the characters are all incredibly well done, with the only hiccups possibly going to the 'extras' on screen. However! The one character who received the BEST voice acting chops in the show is by far Sakura Hane, voiced by the highly talented Ueda Reina. Her portrayal of Hane as this absolutely dorky, cheeky, simple-minded, childlike dunce of a character drove me to intense elongated bouts of teary-eyed gut-busting laughter that is hard to top save for the likes of Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou. Man, I sure haven't laughed this hard in ages! Sound Design Rating: 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Like I've briefly described at the end of my POFITs on the show's sound design, the characters of this show are absolutely absurd and ridiculous with varied personalities. I've already described Hane just now, but what about the rest? Well, there's: 1) Amano Onsa, who serves as your average, friendly teenage girl who's a little quirky with a deep passion for bikes and a good sense of humor. She switches from reacting to initiating jokes in a variety of ways 2) Suzunoki Rin, who's a smug, easily embarrased yet spunky girl with an elevated sense of self and a sore loser, in addition to being a diehard fangirl of Suzuki's bikes. She's a daddy's girl but has over time lost some respect for him due to his bike-related hijinks 3) Minowa Hijiri is your eccentric, air-headed rich kid who fantasizes about doing the 'naughty', 'socially transgressive' things that 'delinquents' tend to do or at least that's the impression that she has in her head. She's frequently accompanied by her butler Hayakawa who rides a Ducati 4) Kawasaki Raimu is an enigma of a figure who's utilized by the plot as a conduit for bizarre, unexplainable acts. No one knows what's underneath her helmet and she never speaks. She's a parody of The Stig from Top Gear Apart from those 5 main ones, there's a host of other side characters as well, in addition to one who we're later introduced to before finally being bumped up to main character status- just like K-ON! Tee-hee! Characters Rating: 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To sum all of this up, I just simply couldn't get enough of Bakuon!! and waited extremely eagerly each week to know just what kinda shit that the cast are gonna get themselves into the next time. Not to mention those nights when I simply couldn't sleep at all, laughing my ass off just thinking about all the absolutely hilarious situations and dialogue that occurred throughout the day's episode. Without a doubt, this show was easily my most favorite show of Spring 2016 and I wonder in excitement as to whether something similar to this BUT WITH CARS would get animated one day. Hope you guys can see the charm of this show just as I did when it aired months back. Enjoyment Rating: 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And with that I bid you all farewell, till next time then. [Personal Rating: 8] [Critical Rating: 8]
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 28, 2015
Death Parade
(Anime)
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I've come to realize something...
It relates deeply to the concept of 'entertainment' in general. Though I could go on a rather lengthy opinion piece regarding the aforementioned concept, what concerns us most here is not the very concept of 'entertainment', nor what 'entertains' us best- but, something different. Something very... very different. And to think that I'm exactly 2 decades old by now... I never could've expected something like this to come to me at such a timely moment... Nevertheless, I'll put together, to the best of my ability, the many things that I've been able to obtain from my experience with this work of fiction. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now, ... what we're presented with in Death Parade is that it is a multi-layered and multi-faceted work of fiction; yet, unified by overlapping themes with a disconcertingly relevant subtext that gradually arises the further one allows it to present the viewer its thesis, its mission and its vision. But, why EXACTLY do I speak of it as such? Indeed, what are these themes? And hence, the underlying but gradually revealed subtext? To begin with, it presents its thesis through a series of seemingly disparate yet interconnected situations that gradually progresses the overarching plot. The overarching plot however, isn't immediately apparent until halfway through. The reason why this is so, is because the narrative of Death Parade isn't tethered to its setting, but its themes; the subtext arises out of the themes, and the very factor that drives forth the message of its subtext lies in the recurrent motif of the side characters that appear in each 'situation'. Allow me to further elaborate upon my case. If the primary focus of Death Parade was to thoroughly examine the concept of 'evil', it would've done so by introducing to us characters that committed atrocities such as manslaughter, persecution, bribery, robbery, genocide, etc., but it did not. Instead, the characters that appear within each 'situation' were either couples or complete strangers. But therein however, lies their connection. Each and every single one of those that appear in the various situations are linked to each other thematically and subtextually- with each 'situation' in and of themselves building upon each other as well as focusing on different aspects of one theme that ultimately trumps all: HUMAN INTIMACY. And the subtext that ensues from that crucial theme being that we as a species, who are in possession of a reflexive consciousness predisposed to being "beside ourselves" and lonely whether alone or in the company of others, severely and desperately lack empathy to understand other fellow consciousnesses. In short, we are unknowingly dooming ourselves to unwilling self-alienation. But there are also other themes, made more apparent than others. Themes such as the concept of 'judgement', in addition to the theme of what constitutes as to having lived a 'good life'; trust, mercy, forgiveness, love, suicide, fidelity, sincerity, vengeance, anger, nihilism, apathy, purpose, responsibility, happiness, tolerance, the value and importance of emotion, the complexity of human emotional and social expression, as well as religious themes pertaining to the afterlife, such as the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, what constitutes 'true hell' to a reflexive conscience- all of this are MASTERFULLY orchestrated and conveyed to us, prodding us to rethink our understanding of our self-concept as well as that of others. Let me tell you that nothing, and I mean nothing, in this work of fiction ever felt rushed, underdeveloped, unexplained, improperly or inefficiently conveyed, and nothing was ever exposed to us in such an overt fashion that we immediately start to perceive as if both the director and writer are lacking skill or being especially preachy and perhaps even insincere as per its main theme and underlying subtext. Concurrent to the running themes of the show, also lies subtle and highly implicit cultural and social critiques of worldly affairs and particularly of contemporary Japanese society, especially since current Japanese society is experiencing a severe but most commonly self-denied problem in regards to human intimacy and interpersonal relationships as well. Horror stories abound, but at the very least, this anime provides some hope, as well as a few ways that one might be able to overcome such barriers to relationships between the many disparate and isolated consciousnesses of human beings. Simply put, the story is nothing short of being masterfully crafted with profuse attention to the nuances and complexities of life itself. Story Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In regards to the visual qualities of this animated work, it is par excellence- one of the best in recent years. Incredibly well-done with careful attention to detail, the production team has managed to maintain visual standards throughout the course of the show. No off-model characters, no mistakes in the actual animation of movement, the non-utilization of many visual tropes inherent in the medium of anime, the accurate depiction of objects from multiple perspectives, a deep understanding of the effects of lighting and camera-work, the careful integration of 3D animation within the confinements of 2D animation, heck, even considerable attention was given towards the depiction of human tears and water, have all immensely contributed to the seamlessness of the viewing experience, leaving viewers at ease as to whether or not something felt missing from the visual narrative, but instead makes them ponder and examine what was on screen even more- not in terms of animation quality but in the active searching for visual cues to help them to better know and understand the story and its characters even more. Accompanying the sheer impeccability of the visual narrative is the imagination and variety that was put into its many scenes. There was never an instant where boredom is nothing but inevitable, and I was constantly engaged with what was on screen. One episode especially was hilariously over-the-top, but later experienced a gradual tone shift which was properly foreshadowed in its beginning scenes, thus making it transition fluidly and seamlessly. Also, the opening and ending themes were immensely creative and impactful in their presentation, and it is a real delight to know that what may seemingly appear to be nonsense in the opening theme is actually an extension to another facet of the show's narrative, is remarkable; while on the other hand, the ending theme is symbolic and cryptic in its presentation, which fills us with a sense of despair and doom. Also, the character designs in this anime are varied, appealing and incredibly befitting of their roles within the overall context of the narrative. Each design subtly and ineffably conveys certain archetypes, certain impressions, certain ideas that pertain not only to the show's themes, but also in regards to the cultural and lifestyle choices of the characters (especially the side ones). Art Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The voice acting in this anime is impeccable. It was as if one could actually, and emphatically feel the emotions (perhaps even the voice actors themselves felt the emotions that they were portraying on screen) coming forth from the voice actors as they acted away their respective roles. Heartfelt, heart-wrenching scenes are not overacted to the point of insult and unintentional parody, and nothing felt stale, stilted, or underacted thus allowing us to properly empathize with the characters, even if they had appeared only once in an active role; also, due to the sheer effort -emotionally and orally- devoted to their portrayals, no character was ever out of character. The sound effects are very well-done and accurately represented the content on screen. No sound effect sounded cheap, nor were there reductions in audio quality within any instance. Furthermore, all pieces of music are used effectively, and scenes are never overwhelmed by music or insufficiently conveyed by a lack of it. If a scene demands silence, then it shall be so; and no musical piece ever felt blatantly out of place for set scenes. The opening and ending themes were also nothing short of amazing, as the opening was an incredible piece of jazz rock that presented to us a more light-hearted side to the narrative, which simultaneously excited, entertained and emotionally prepared us for what was to come within an episode; the lyrics too, were also fitting as they revolved around human individuality. The ending theme was also just as impactful for it was a subdued alternative-rock based song with lyrics that dealt primarily with the emotions and feelings of loneliness and despair; which contrasts it with the style of Alice In Chains with massive, heavy, murky riffs, in which I heavily doubt that such an approach would even fit the general idea and concept of the narrative, aurally and visually speaking that is. Sound Rating: 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Characters, by far, are simple and not EXCEEDINGLY complex, but rest easy as they're also not overhandedly contrived to the point where the expression "attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole" immediately comes to mind. Which thus leaves us with having to factor in the quality of the execution of the characters' characterization. In short, they were effective- highly effective. Once again, reiterating that characters do not feel out of place, or exist within the scope of the story simply as mere fluff. Every side character had a role, no matter how small, and characters are sufficiently, realistically and adequately developed within the constraints of their respective roles in relation to both the themes and the plot. Information regarding the characters are carefully disseminated and conveyed via carefully placed introspective reflections, the distinguished point of views of characters who do not possess ALL information and at times lacking sufficient insight, in addition to the usual modes of conversation, monologues and audible self-directed utterances that lie outside the temporal constraints of the immaterial mind, or conscience. Then, there's also character information that is conveyed via the axiom-now-turning-literary-doctrine of 'show, don't tell', whereby well-paced and highly nuanced flashbacks of individual memory are shown on screen for any set period of time. With all of these factors towards the excellent characterization of the characters in hand, it's no wonder that they felt real to us, even if of course, they're not as SUPREMELY complex and convoluted as some individuals would want to witness unfolding before their eyes in an orgy of inscrutiny. Character Rating: 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Surprisingly though, when it comes to facing and embracing life, it isn't just about braving through or withstanding the severe downs that can come crashing into us and perhaps pulverizing our fragile selves into oblivion, but in also treasuring and cherishing the big and little 'happy' and 'joyous' 'stuff' that comes our way. I would've expected this show to depress me exceedingly, but it didn't because it offered me some degree of hope for the future, as well as some gentle nudging towards the obliteration of nihilistic doctrine that is THE central tenet of dogmatic post-modernism. Were there light-hearted moments? Of course, but even without those, the opening theme alone was enough to entertain me to a certain extent, because its jazzy sound had a peculiar timbre to it that was archetypal of hope to begin with. Indeed, perhaps you don't need grand, bombastic, salacious, gratuitous, debauch, rhapsodic, orgiastic, WTF spectacles to entertain your hedonistic, apathetic id who clings to its ideological appetite for a hedonistic and wholly pleasurable world, but in a certain je ne sais quoi combination of hope and emotional expression presented as 'zeitgesit fiction'; I hope that makes sense. Appreciation Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What's most important from all of this however, is that I was finally able to piece together a suitable thesis for life itself; existentially (in both the conventional and philosophical sense of the word) speaking, not only that we need a reason to live, but also that a reason to live comes forth from our desire to break free from the solipsistic confines of the temporal mind and extend ourselves to the material world around us, which usually manifests itself in the desire to love someone, or in appreciating beauty and nature, or in dedicating oneself towards a worthy -or many, worthy- social or personal causes. And hence, if there is no stimulation outside the confines of the mind due to any and all manner of distraughting realities, then the continual plunge -the metaphorical downward spiral- towards self-annihilation is nothing but inevitable, which almost always manifests itself in depression and hellish loneliness, for just as it is shown throughout the show itself, there is no greater hell, no greater insanity than perpetual isolation stuck in temporal time- thus, the 'void'. [Personal Rating: 10] [Critical Rating: 10] Seals bestowed: [Recommended Viewing], [Socially Important] {NISHIZAWA APPROVED}
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 22, 2014
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova
(Anime)
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I know, I know, I fricking know... This review is WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY overdue but hey, as per the good 'ole saying, better late than never now, right? RIGHT!?
Alright so... Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova, or just Ars Nova for short is basically an "Annihilate the ultra-malicious sentient A.I while politicking and surviving at the same time" story revolving around a small group of naval cadets who came into contact with one of the 'sentient A.I', went A.W.O.L., sailed off into the horizon in their souped-up alien sub, torpedoing enemy ships into the deep depths and basically gathering more intel throughout their mission. If that ... kinda story doesn't make you go "OH MAI GADD, that is SOOOO what-EVVAR", and that it excites you as you see things 'blow up', then this might just wanna make you shout out into the dark sky DEMANDING more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First off, the story's premise is actually pretty interesting to those who fancy these kinda stories, though I must admit that premises such as these are getting increasingly saturated in fictional media. Nevertheless, what manages to salvage this particular one from being "just another one a' those" stories is in the manner it actually keeps steady the element of mystery surrounding the sentient A.Is' origins and motives for their mass invasion of Earth. The steady introduction of plot elements that explore the nuances of the sentient nature of the A.Is, the political landscape of the remaining human survivors, as well as the goals of the primary protagonist allows depth in the storytelling, which would be lost if the story was just about BOOM-BOOM-KABOOM-BOOMs 24/7, ala. Michael Bay. But, there are a few misconducts here and there, in particular the lack of exploration in the primary protagonist's back story (which was implied and stated to carry great significance in the plot), as well as the utilizing of some rather odd (read: 'tropey') directions in the development of the sentient A.I characters' personalities, and a very debatable Deus ex Machina scene as the series nears its end. Story Rating: 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Artistically speaking, this series is a stunner. Buuuut, it might just not appeal to everyone due to its use of 3D-CGI graphics as its main animation style. The series bleeds with rich, vibrant and vivid coloring at almost all points throughout its run time and the 3D animation frame rate doesn't experience any considerable, or noticeable drops. Also, the sheer detail put into the backgrounds, the naval war vessels, the numerous action scenes, the opening and ending sequences, character design variety, ship transformation sequences and so on and so forth is astounding! But best of all, for an anime that greatly utilizes water as the primary background setting for much of its course, the depiction of water in this anime is a downright pleasure to look at, as it just leaves one in a state of awe and admiration at times. And yes, very few to zero animation hick-ups or inconsistencies. So rest easy on that. Art Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the art and animation themselves are great enough, then the sound-based aspects of this show are equally as great, for they are nothing short of meticulous and very well-produced. The sound effects are truly a pleasure to listen to, highly nuanced, and very accurate to what actually happens -or might happen- when the conditions are right and the chances for occurrence are high. Notwithstanding that, even the voice acting in this show is definitely up to par, especially with the show's main A.I antagonist, the primary protagonist, and several of the side characters. The VAs really bring forth the life and personality of each character and no scene felt stale, amateurish or over/under-acted. One particular standout scene appears as the series nears its end, though figuring out which scene that was is up to you to watch the show till its conclusion. Sound Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Riiiight... Even though the VAs really breathe life and personality into their roles, unfortunately the characters themselves are rather lacking, as many of them -in particular the sentient A.I characters- are based off well-worn tropes in the Japanese anime/manga/gaming spectrum. The main A.I antagonist gets more complex character development later on, but the conclusion to that antagonist's character development is rather stale and standard, unfortunately. Despite all that though, there were several scenes that show the willingness of these characters to become more serious as the situation arises accordingly, even though their motives during such situations are still very tropey in nature. Overall, this is easily the weakest part of the series. Character Rating: 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frankly, I enjoyed the heck outta this series. Not only is it intellectually stimulating at times due to the addition of political and philosophical elements, it also excites the more militaristic and battle-oriented side of me as I just simply love to get to know more, or see anything related to the military get referenced in a piece of fiction. Action scenes are everywhere, but nowhere are they gratuitous, as the battles that take place in this story actually impact the story line and help steer it towards its conclusion. And ah yes, THAT OPENING THEME! Easily ONE OF THE MOST EPIC ones that I've seen last year. Woah, just woah. Greatly excites me anytime of the day, save for when I'm really, really down in the dumps. Enjoyment Rating: 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hah, should I recommend you this? Why, OF COURSE! But, then again, it really does depend on whether you actually like these kinds of stories, and that yes, the tropeyness of some of the characters really does leave one with second thoughts on whether this thing is really something that one can dedicate time to. And now, the final verdict: [9 For Personal Rating] And [8 For Critical Rating] I bid all of you farewell, till next time then.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 28, 2014
Zankyou no Terror
(Anime)
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And thus, what is easily one of the most politically charged anime in recent memory has come to a close. People are primarily attracted to it for its value as a piece of visual entertainment, but is that all there is to works such as this?
Thus in my determination to explicate on the matter as thoroughly as possible, I would like to present to you with my POFITs on the anime Zankyou no Terror, or as it is in English, 'Terror in Resonance'. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To begin with, allow me to present my case for what is most definitely the primary objective behind this particular anime's conception. For ... one, this anime, though it utilizes plot elements from a multitude of genres in fiction such as the thriller, psychological and police procedural genres, it is in reality much more akin in spirit to that of satires (albeit a very dry and analytical one utilizing extensive irony, analogy and juxtaposition), social commentaries and political fiction. The heavy usage of highly subtle and somewhat in-your-face symbolism that are intimately connected to events that had occurred outside of fiction, in addition to explicit references to key events in real world history is indicative of the overall direction that this anime is taking, and on what themes, ideas and messages that it attempts to convey to the general public. And because of that, whoever was in charge of conceiving such ideas and putting them onto the screen is personally expounding his or her views within the permissible scope of free speech. Which in this case, revolves around the increasingly dangerous and alarming resurgence of Japanese ultra-nationalism, as well as the current ongoing debate regarding the proposed amendments to Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. Other subtle critiques against the current state of Japanese societal affairs include, but are not limited to the increasing political apathy among the Japanese, as well as the increasingly alarming state of interpersonal relationships within the Japanese population. Now, were those symbols and references used to maximum effect? Yes and no, as their placement and timing is at times too subtle or multi-layered that it tends to make the audience lose track of or interest in them amid the very fast, though expertly paced plot sequences; no scene drags, and no scene ever feels too fast. As to the actual plot itself, it is relatively straightforward and very dense though halfway on, the plot takes on a rather chaotic turn as new plot elements and characters are introduced, though only momentarily before returning to a somewhat more stable state of affairs before the climax. The 'lull' so to speak. But is all of this 'completely original'? Not really, and at times not exactly necessary either. Especially in regards to the themes, a far more elaborate and metaphorical take on the plot would greatly lessen the impact of the message itself. {EDIT} A note on the script-writing pertaining to the story as a whole, I have made re-assessments in regards to certain plot points and thematic concepts, and I have concluded that they were unsatisfactorily handled, i.e., that they were either stretching the limits of believability or simply not explored thoroughly enough, in that ideas were merely referenced rather than expounded upon via a variety of means to properly convey the sheer gravity and scale of the series' themes. Indeed, perhaps one of the key expectations that numerous people have when they think of the show, is that it possesses a certain 'je ne sais quoi', a certain 'revolutionary seriousness' or 'zeitgeist quality' to it which demands that it be taken very seriously, whereby the very fact that it possesses this very element signifies a 'do or die' expectation from the audience. Thus, notwithstanding the slightest inconsistency in logic, or it not being bold, challenging or transgressive enough, the show's very nature, now weighed down by the 'just not quite there yet' execution in its thoroughness, is probably the biggest reason why despairing disappointment, is all too prevalent. Story Rating: 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I speak of the artistic qualities of the anime, I would like to say that this is easily one of the best animated animes in recent years. There are few still shots, and whatever still shots there are are expertly crafted to represent as close as possible to the essence of what it means to be in Japan during summer. One particular still shot that stood out, especially to me as I've experienced being in Japan before, is the still shot that depicts a school hallway in the summer daytime. Absolutely stunning and near realistic, reminds me very much of my own experience. No scene feels lifeless, and no scene is in lacking of much needed detail. The extensive use of cinematographic elements in this anime adds value to certain scenes by heightening their suggested emotional or physical impact. The 3D animation used in this anime in relation to certain objects as well as background extras are impeccable, and blend extremely well with the 2D drawings. Particle effects, lighting effects, the fluid movements of objects and people, the extreme attention to all these elements can be summarized in one word: meticulous. The same goes for the symbolism and references as well. Art Rating: 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As for the sound-based elements in the anime, the characters are well-voiced, lending credibility to the emotions displayed on screen. Miscellaneous sound effects such as gun shots, explosions, object movement, footsteps and the like are very well done and do not sound in any way cut and paste. There has been debate in regards to the depiction of the English language used in some scenes, and overall, I would like to say that it is rather adequate though still underwhelming. One secondary character and one side character in particular are noted for their bad English pronunciation as well as their surprisingly good English pronunciation respectively in accordance to their characterization. As for the background music and soundtrack, they are excellent. The soundtrack has enough variety and flair to facilitate the overall mood and tone of their respective scenes. If I can remember correctly, there are set piano pieces to set a tone of calm, set guitar riffs to heighten tension as well as a myriad of songs used throughout to provide symbolic meaning, which are mostly in English or even Icelandic. A little trivia is that all pieces used in the soundtrack are natively composed in Iceland to provide a degree of authenticity to some of the sounds, and that the anime itself also makes references to Icelandic music when pertaining to one main character's musical tastes. Sound Rating: 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alright, characters..... Unfortunately, I would have to make certain comments in regards to the characterization of characters in this anime. For the most part, the characters are simple, rather 'tropey' characters. In fact, at certain points throughout the anime, one would see that the characterization of the main characters, as well as some secondary characters are a bit lacking and leaves one questioning as to whether they have much or any purpose within the overall plot, and one would also question as to whether the utilization of such characters or their assigned characteristics is even effective in advancing the plot or in helping to ease the conceptualization of the themes. That said however, despite the characters embodying very specific 'Jungian archetypes' so to speak, they still do receive further development in their overall personalities, it's just that due to the very short runtime of the series, their identities are simply not developed to their fullest potential. Character Rating: 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strictly speaking, the visual entertainment medium, in fact, all entertainment are primarily created for profit-seeking enterprises as well as entertainment and artistic merit and prestige. Sometimes however, works such as this emerge that immediately warrants not an evaluation of whether one was able to derive 'pleasure' from it, but whether one was able to appreciate and ponder on its messages, themes and whether its artistic elements helped one come closer to a better understanding of them, or of life itself. At times, the best fiction, and even the best works of art and music aren't for enjoyment's sake but are attempts at better conceptualizing and clarifying what is known as 'worldly truth' depending on their scope of exploration. And for that, this show does it relatively rather well. Appreciation Rating: 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overall, I would like to conclude my review on the anime Zankyou no Terror by offering both a 'Recommended Viewing' and 'Socially Important' approval seals to it despite areas of unsatisfactory development, in addition to providing total aggregate scores of: [9 For Personal Rating] And [8 For Critical Rating] I bid all of you farewell, till next time then. {NISHIZAWA APPROVED} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (P.S. If you happen to want some music recommendations since this anime makes active use of music composed in Iceland, then I would like to point you to the Icelandic artists Bjork and Sigur Ros. And yeah, Sigur Ros's first album is titled Von as well)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 17, 2014
White Album 2
(Anime)
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In the beginning, I looked over it. At first, I thought, "Hmm, I dunno. I'm rather skeptical about it. Looks alright but..."
Such thoughts appeared in my mind after I scrounged around this website for reviews on the previous 2 iterations of the series. And, judging from what I bore witness to, well, let's just say that I became decidedly put off by the series as a whole. I've heard of it many years ago, but I was confused then as to which is the first in the chronological order of events. UNTIL late last year... After a Japanese correspondent of mine Tweeted to me on what ... shows he'll be watching for the Fall 2013 anime season, in which he said that he'd give the VN adaptations a try. (And a big etchi lover this guy was, sigh...) One such anime that he mentioned was this anime right here, White Album 2. And so, in keeping together with the Japanese injunction to "relate to one another in a spirit of 'similarity'", I decided to give it a go. If only I knew what I was getting into... OH-MAI-KAMISAMA!!! Immediately after I went through this existentially scathing emotional-wringer of a romantic drama, I started to question my own relationships (not the romantic ones for I've no such thing) to that of other people- in a way. For one, the plot of White Album 2 is rather straightforward in what it aspires to present: it is by all accounts, a story of a young man who wishes to end his final days of high school leaving behind good, fond memories. However, he happens to chance upon two beautiful young women, each with their own distinct set of personality traits and histories, and goes through the motions of becoming closer to them as friends. UNTIL... *Spoilers* Now, the strength of the series's plot isn't in its 'astoundingly original' premise, but in the execution and emotional depth of it. All too often do we see aggressively optimistic, comically pessimistic, melodramatically sappy, maniacally nonsensical depiction of romances being bitterly regarded as the standard staples of fictional narratives, but few are truly a force to be reckoned with in its depiction of the subject matter. Never once did I feel that everything that ever was presented before me was needlessly amped-up or dumbed down so that they can elicit a reaction from me. No, not once at all. The key to their presentation of the three protagonists' struggles in love and friendship lie in the subtle cues and psychological subtext that are carefully spread out throughout the plot. Though there were instances of heated verbal fights and emotional reticence, such things do not come by without the plot's masterful handling of back story exposition, character personality traits and character motivations, all of which are utterly decisive in heightening the emotional impact of scenes while driving the messages that the plot attempts to convey. As for the art, though there are quite a few occasions of rather sub-par animation, it for the most part succeeds in setting the overall tone of the series. The artwork is deep, vibrant, subdued, perfect for the series's intention to properly convey its narrative and accompanying themes. I'll also have you know that the opening sequence to the show is very impactful and will, if nothing else, leave a deep impression upon you, particularly as the plot progresses- both in terms of content and music. No profound romantic drama can ever succeed without superb voice acting on the VA's end, for they have truly brought these characters to life in their stellar depiction of the characters' emotions during a particular scene. Sadness, anger, resentment, joy, all of it were properly executed. None felt that they were overacted or underacted in attempts to compensate due to atrocious directing or lack of skill. Musically speaking, the series's soundtrack is greatly fitting as it succeeds in conveying all manner of emotions to the audience, just like the voice acting. The lyrics to some of the songs are also rich in meaning and will leave you thinking when the series concludes. When it comes down to the characters, considering that this is a heavily-character driven narrative, let's just say that they were unmistakably well-written and that their overall interactions and responses to one another's actions is within the realm of plausibility and possibility. However, if you are looking for tremendously complex characters with an immense amount of variance and depth within them, then this series will not be able to suffice your desires for they are very much portrayed as ordinary Janes n' Joes, save for one who stands out rather considerably. Personally, I did not expect such a narrative to be so impactful once experienced, but the fact that it was left a profound impression upon me, and by the end, I am left ever more wondering if in the future we will be able to encounter such rare, underrated gems in storytelling. However, I could hardly say that I 'enjoyed' this in the most technical sense for there is no pleasure in witnessing hardship and sadness- unless if one was emotionally sado-masochistic towards oneself, I know I was. And that concludes my first full review of an anime series. I hope you found it helpful in some way or another in clarifying your thoughts of whether you should take a gander at the show- or not. Till next time then. [Personal Rating: 9] [Critical Rating: 9] {NISHIZAWA APPROVED}
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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