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“Remember? How could I ever forget?”

Digimon Adventure 01, a household name, a childhood memory, what did this blast from the past have in store for us?

That one time at band camp... I mean summer camp. Seven children dubbed the Digi-Destined find themselves in an alternate world, filled with bizarre creatures and a luscious ecosystem, where they soon discover the inevitable path they must walk, together. Although initially hostile, they are each partnered with one of these bizarre creatures known as ‘Digimon’ whom they must work together with to not only save the Digital world, but human world as well. Digimon is best described ... as a coming of age tale. Each of our Digi-Destined must fight their own demons, in order to progress and ultimately have enough to strength to defeat the “Dark Masters” of the digital world.

When you think about it, there’s no way these children who aren’t even teenagers yet could handle a situation such as this without any hiccups. Each have their own shortcomings, insecurities and past memories that haunt them, which correspond to their crest, allowing deep character progression. Although their emotions are easily manipulated, the maturity to come to their senses and read the situation is also shown consistently throughout. But don’t forget their partners in crime, the Digimon. They resemble the voice of reason in each partnership, almost like a parental figure, although they are shown to be quite childish at times themselves. They switch from cute and cuddly, to imposing beasts in order to protect the ones they cherish, as if they were protecting their young. The evil Digimon are similar in an aspect, they generally represent adults and their personalities tend to stay the same throughout the show.

For 20th century animation, I think Digimon is still top notch. Scenery is blended in beautifully, character emotion is easily distinguishable and the animation is fluid. But let’s not forget the action scenes. I still get goose bumps from almost every digi-evolution that took place even with the hints of poor CGI. It’s the unique character designs that allow the action scenes to truly stand out, each with their own outrageous special attacks, such as breast rockets. What more can you ask for? If you can think of something, they’ve probably already done it.

Although repetitive, the soundtrack for Digimon Adventure is well done in both English and Japanese. But for the sake of this review we’ll look at its English counterpart. The trademark OP/ED of the Dubbed Digimon franchise is memorable if anything. It isn’t an addictive theme, but it gets the job done. The second major theme used “Hey Digimon” on the other hand is as enticing as they come: upbeat, light-hearted and catchy. Used during the last few minutes of most episodes, it portrays the strength of the digi-bonds created. The background music which usually incorporates deep brass instruments and melodic strings tends to suite the mood well.

Not just a children’s show, Digimon adventure breaks this conceptualization and showcases its strengths in a suitable fashion. Deep character progression, a loveable cast and hilarious humor and just some of the reasons that will make this show an enjoyable viewing. Both English and Japanese versions presented very well, so it basically comes down to personal preference, which personally, dubbed wins based on nostalgia alone. So with the upcoming installment Digimon Adventure Tri right around the corner, what are you waiting for? Give Digimon Adventure 01 a Tri.

An incredible work ethic and boundless determination should never be underestimated.

At first glance, Naruto Shippuuden, the continuation of Naruto, has a few noticeable differences. Firstly, Shippuuden shows its complexity and serious undertone early on in the series, through the obvious change in Naruto’s personality. And secondly, protagonist is easily defined as Naruto, opposed to our duo of Naruto and Sasuke in the previous season.

The story of Shippuuden is driven through the ploy of the Akatsuki, whom are fixated on capturing the jinchuriki and extracting the tailed beasts within. The canonical plot of Shippuuden is definitely attention grabbing, through the use multiple plot twists and ... numerous life or death situations. The non-canon plot however, is not so great. Overused flashbacks, dwelling on insignificant season one plot, and the apparent need to remind us of events that take place no less than a dozen episodes ago gets tiresome, quickly. It’s truly a shame that the amount of filler in Shippuuden is so high, because the canon portion is outstanding.

Once the storyline unfolds after a few episodes the character cast of Shippuuden presents great depth and variety. Each of the reoccurring Hidden Leaf Village shinobi and kunoichi are developed to a great extent, they each have a unique back story and you’re almost certain to find someone you can relate to, if not, become attached to. The ninja of the other main villages and the antagonists all display distinctive features that allow them to be memorable, be it the untouchable Kazekage, Gaara or the cunning missing-nin Orochimaru.

The quality of artwork in Shippuuden’s canonical differs greatly from the non-canon. It’s painfully obvious that the filler in Shippuuden is of a lower standard than its counterpart. With that being said, in the main storyline, Studio Pierrot has done a great job. Battle animations are fluid and eye-catching, the scenery is vivid and emotions are portrayed outstandingly.

Simply, an outstanding soundtrack, those are the first words that come to mind when I think of Shippuuden. With outstanding openings such as OP3 “Blue Bird” almost welcoming you into an episode with open arms, and endings such as ED12 leaving you begging for more, the soundtrack of Shippuuden is definitely a memorable one. The composer Yasuharu Takanashi incorporates gritty strings, rhythmic percussion, penetrating woodwind instrumentals that captivate the moment, from intense, heart pumping battle music, to calm, vivid emotion evoking melodies, no expense is spared.

Overall, Shippuuden is an amazing ride if you can either grind your way through the filler, or skip it entirely. The canonical plot more than makes up for the shortcomings presented though out its counterpart. Comedy is used at appropriate times, the action is engaging and the emotions are high. If I’ve learnt anything from this viewing ,it’s that sticking through the bad times with your head held high whilst never lowering your work ethic will rewarded, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but definitely someday, believe it.

Life is what you make it, if anything, it’s far from perfect.

In order to experience the true beauty of the world, we must accept the unimaginable situations we’ve been placed in, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.

Dive into the world of agriculture ‘Gin no Saji’ otherwise known as ‘Silver Spoon’ in English. Our main character, Yugo Hachiken, who in desperation separates himself from his family and their ever growing expectations, enrolls into the boarding school Yezo High School. Carrying a quirky and half assed attitude, Hachiken quickly realizes that escaping the expectations of not only his family, but others as well without ... having any aspirations of your own isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. This realization is even further amplified when he is surrounded by peers who seemingly already have their life planned out. If you can relate to this even in the most miniscule way, you should do yourself a favor and give this 11 episode season the time of day.

As we journey deeper, it is Gin no Saji’s extremely strong cast that truly allows this anime to shine. With an episodic-like structure and an array of unique supporting characters, the awkwardness that is the situations Hachiken is thrown into, know no bounds. Through the eyes of the beholder, we are initially shown the ugly side of the agricultural world, filled with the squirms of Hachiken as he collects fresh chicken periods, becomes overly attached to baby livestock and witnesses the butchery of countless animals. But ever so slowly, Hachiken begins to settle in his new found home, and the beautiful side of this world begins to shine through. As previously stated, the supporting cast Gin no Saji is exceptionally strong. The unique personalities of each character are truly showcased, whether it’s Tokiwa’s eternal struggle with studying, the tit loving Holstein Club, or the iron will of Komaba. Each have their own aspirations which become evident throughout their daily interactions which creates a heartwarming tone.

A-1 pictures generally have a high standard when it comes to artwork, and Gin no Saji is no exception. The vast majority is animated cleanly without any majorly distracting blemishes, characters are easily distinguishable, the scenery is drawn beautifully and the food is at a tantalizing level of animation. Heck, even the eggs fresh out a chicken’s bum looks delectable.

If there was anything worthy of complaint in Gin no Saji it would be its background music, which more often than not doesn’t benefit the atmosphere the scene attempts to create. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a poor soundtrack by any means… it just doesn’t add much to the premises most of the time. It simply exists at an acceptable standard. Both the opening and ending themes give off a light hearted, rural feeling which compliments the themes of the anime quite well. When taking the above elements into consideration, the soundtrack as a whole is presented to an above par standard.

In conclusion, chances are you’ll most likely enjoy this series even if you have absolutely no interest in the world of agriculture. Put plainly, Gin no Saji is a warm hearted slice of life filled with plenty of comedic and relatable moments, with an exceptionally strong cast of characters and beautiful visuals. Gin no Saji portrays its story in a simple, yet enjoyable fashion. So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge into the world known as Gin no Saji, and who knows? Maybe you’ll fall in love with the world of agriculture just like Hachiken did.