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Aug 27, 2011
I don't know how the Nodame Cantabile manga became so popular because there was no way the reader could hear and imagine the sounds and music that were reproduced in the anime. The drama, though featuring real humans, seemed more exaggerated than the anime, and somehow not as realistic in my opinion. The anime, is however, masterfully balanced. With real orchestral music, realistic character development, yet still maintains a light and comedic anime feel. Paris chapter definitely has a lot more to offer than the original TV series, especially in terms of music and development. After all, they are in the real land of classical
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music.
This will be a combined review of both Paris and Finale. You just can't separate them.
Story:
I like how the story is sort of divided into two parts. Chiaki's story and Nodame's story. Not like they are separate but both of them are taking very different routes in achieving their goals, and how they affect and maintain their relationship. The anime also zooms in a lot into each person's approach and values about music and life.
Lots of musical theory is incorporated, like how each piece of music came about. It helps to appreciate Classical pieces, for musicians and non-musicians alike.
Art:
The character design is quite plain, but I've grown to like it. It takes away the focus of admiring how the character looks, and causes you to like the character for their character and their music. Of course, I still liked the faces of the characters, but it's only after being in love with their character that they start looking better and better.
The backgrounds are very beautiful, like impressionist paintings. Throughout the anime, pastel-like colours are used which suits the environments. The feel of Paris and Europe is really captured in the rendered artworks. I loved it.
Sound:
The crux of the anime, and the strongest feature of the anime as well. There are plenty of musical pieces that are used, mostly from Classical and Contemporary period composers. There's quite an emphasis on Ravel's pieces, but generally there's a variety of music that is being played on the anime, both Orchestral and solos of different instruments. The background music is also blended in very well, taking a more subtle role in creating the tempo of the whole show.
The opening and ending songs (both Paris and Finale) are also quite addictive to listen to. I find them stuck in my head for a while.
Character:
I really like the character casting in Paris/Finale compared to TV. A wide array of nationalities and personalities, but still pretty realistic. The most eccentric still being Nodame. As I watched more, I find myself finding Nodame more and more charismatic, and...normal. Her reactions in her relationship with Chiaki is very real and complex (when she's not fooling around). It shocked me at some points, and I could empathise with Chiaki. There's a lot of development of their relationship and feelings in the anime. It's innocent, but at the same time mature. I think it is really hard to pull it off, especially where most anime will try to end it off in a sexual tone, the romance in Nodame is very pure and engaging. It's more like watching a married couple rather than girlfriend/boyfriend relationship. And the little things they do and how they think of each other in their absence, is very touching.
Enjoyment/Overall:
I had the constant urge to keep watching continuously even when I had work early the next day. That was how engaging it was. Couldn't wait for the next performance, or what happens next. As a person who likes classical music, I also enjoyed the music thoroughly, especially with commentary by Chiaki. The ending was a bit unfinished though, but not so badly done.
Excellent anime. Thinking of placing it somewhere in my top 10. Really inspired by Nodame Cantabile, artistically and spiritually. The spirit of excellence is really apparent in the show and now I just want to cling onto my dreams and not give up. And keep listening to classical music too.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 10, 2011
It's refreshing to watch a theatrical anime done by cel, now that every other anime is done by CG. Usually cel anime are pretty poor in graphics, but theatrical ones tend to be very good in quality, like the one we have here, Tenchi Muyo in Love 2. This movie is done in 1999, which is more than 10 years old by now, but it's a gem. I found the DVD lying around in a sale for $1 and honestly I didn't have high hopes for it, but the content far exceeds its price. Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 brought back the excitement I once
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had for animation movies.
Story: 7/10
This movie is an original, meaning it's not a sequel/prequel to the TV/OVA whatsoever, borrowing just the concept/cast/background of Tenchi Muyo, which I like. The story's rather simple but intriguing, with an interesting twist. The pace of the whole show is set steadily and it gives a lot of room for thinking. The setting felt somewhat nostalgic and familiar. The tone is not as comical as the TV/OVA but a tad more serious.
Art: 9/10
The art of Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 is beautiful. I grew up with cel-art, but my generation belongs to CG, so I can appreciate both kinds of artwork, and the artwork is really really gorgeous. Environments are rendered realistically but it fits the mood and setting. The characters are also drawn in higher quality than in the series, with more care of the details and richer colour. There are a few new character designs that I think are better than the old.
Sound: 7/10
I don't usually pay attention to the music/sound unless it stands out, but definitely the sound/music helped to create the magical mood/setting of the show. The ending song is very appropriate and soothing as well.
Character: 8/10
There are some new characters in the movie and I like the characters as they are and how they fit into the movie. The older characters didn't get so much air time but I think each character is given enough screen time to make a significant impact on the main character. The main character gets a lot of development and gets shown in a different light than usual. I felt like I got to know the main character a lot more from this short 1-2hours than the whole TV/OVA series.
Enjoyment: 8/10
I enjoyed it a lot. It's my cup of tea. The ending was done rather well, and the length of the movie is just nice.
Overall: 8/10
Anyone who enjoys a good cup of a romance movie should try Tenchi Muyo in Love 2. It doesn't really matter if you watched the original series or not. Definitely a must watch for people who likes older anime and cel graphics.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 4, 2011
Destiny is honestly a really good sequel that addresses the issues that were not complete covered in Seed. I find both series very different, which also makes Destiny a success. If both were similar, it's really hard to expand. People who are expecting a same kind of genre/presentation from Seed will probably be disappointed, or at least shocked.
Story (8/10):
The way the story is presented was really mind-boggling. For the moment, you think things are this way, the next moment you are confused whether is it really the way it looks. I liked also how the dialogues and philosophical issues really make you think and reflect,
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without being too morbid/psychotic. It was so exciting that I was literally watching more and more episodes. I think this may be the fastest I've ever watched an anime.
Art (6/10):
The art style is the same as Seed's. I like Seed's artwork, so I'll explain why I gave destiny a 6/10. Destiny had a whole new range of new characters, not to mention the old characters, and because of that I think some of the characters were poorly designed, or even look re-used. The mobile suits were also hardly distinct, and did not leave as much of an impression as Seed's mecha. Inspite of that, there were a few good character/gundam designs. I especially liked the Hawke sisters.
Sound (8/10)
The BGM blended pretty subtly with the series, which was nice. The OP/ED of Destiny was really good in my opinion. The way they integrate the ED with the last few seconds of the anime really set the mood to make you want to watch another episode. The See-Saw endings were the best and most appropriate for the entire series. And changing the OP/ED every 12-14 episodes retained the freshness of the songs.
Character (9/10)
The strongest point of Destiny. My favourite part of the series were the episodes when the characters had a destined/special encounter with each other face to face (not robot to robot). I think these special conversations make a huge difference in the whole show (to me at least) and makes it more interesting. There were a few characters that really touched me as a viewer, and I thought it they were very adorable. Generally, the new cast were good, and the developments of the old cast were improved too.
Enjoyment (8/10)
I thoroughly enjoyed Destiny. It's definitely the better series I've watched in a while. For those who want maximum enjoyment, instead of watching episode 50 (last episode), watch the OVA Final Plus instead. It's essentially a revamped last episode that has a much better ending.
Overall (8/10)
I gave Destiny an 8 because 8 to me is really good. It's a quality series and a proper ending to the entire series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 19, 2010
Just finished Ga Rei -Zero- today! It has spurred me to write yet again. Here's my non-spoiler review:
I'm not too familiar with the anime that came out in recent years, and Ga Rei Zero was one of them. I suppose it had a pretty low profile, and I didn't bother to read any synopsis of it either. I picked it up after viewing one of the threads in this forum about "The Best First Episode". It seemed that unanimously, it was chosen as -the- anime that had the best first episode. Being rebellious in nature, I decided to check it out for myself.
The first thing
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that surprised me was the Art of Ga Rei -Zero-. Somehow it looked like cel-rendered anime for a moment when I started it. A theatric cel work at it, meaning it's really beautiful. I loved the cel-anime era, so yeh it's personal bias. But really, it's CG and the style it is done in really blew me away. The environment is pretty colourful but not overdone such that it appears really flowery. It just felt really original and new.
The second thing that pumped up the mood was the insert music, or some will call it the soundtrack. I'm not sure if the O.S.T. will sound great standalone, but it's inserted at really appropriate moments, especially the first half of the series. It plays a really important role for the anime as well.
Lastly, I think the success of this composition is attributed to the brilliance of the direction. The sequencing, screenplay, and harmony of all the animation elements fall nicely in place. The screenplays were notably excellent.
I'd definitely recommend this anime. It deserves a high 7/10 for overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 2, 2010
I just finished Clannad and I'd say I'm quite impressed. I've been looking forward to Clannad since the day I started Kanon'03. In my opinion, I think Clannad is the most well adapted renai-game>anime that retains a lot of the essence of game. I would recommend this title to people who like a dose of high school life anime, or just anyone who's looking for a quality piece of animation. For those who loved Kanon, you shouldn't skip Clannad too!
On with the review:
Story. The portrayal of the story is quite similar to Kanon. Each girl is given some air-time and a short story and encounter
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with the main character, and everything blends together. The individual stories connect very naturally. I liked most of the encounters, and a few of them touched my heart.
Art. Try it for yourself. It's stunning (just be sure to use a good screen. preferably TV, otherwise you're missing out). Usually I'd need some time to get used to artwork of most anime, but I was totally in synch with Clannad from the start. I watched the game promo vid and screenshots before, and I think the anime is as good, or even better than the game (that's a rare occurrence for game>anime series). Definitely, the artwork is the highlight of Clannad, though the story is the one that gives it the substance. Character design is not overly cutesy too, just right I'd say.
Sound. The OST fits rather nicely into the scenes of Clannad. I got really absorbed into the OST at certain points of the anime. I liked how the anime incorporated classical pieces like Maurice Ravel's Ma Mère l'Oie. The OP is the same as the game's, which I could relate well with. The ED, really cute, but I couldn't bear hearing it too many times.
Character. There are many characters in Clannad. Majority of the air time was given to the protagonist. I find the protagonist's character unbalanced, a bit overkill at times. He's a little too perfect, which makes it a little unreal. That's not too much of an issue though. The girls in Clannad are adorable. I grew to like them over time after progression of the story, and I could see the beauty of each character.
Enjoyment/Overall. I enjoyed Clannad thoroughly, but more so at the 2nd half of the whole series. The first half was a little monotonous I thought, but the art blew me away. The story lacked a good punch, otherwise I'd gladly give it a 8 or 9 for Overall. Don't ever ever watch it streamed, otherwise you can't appreciate the intricacy of the detailed and vivid art.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 24, 2009
Out of the FMP, Fumoffu, and Second Raid, I think I liked The Second Raid the best. It's simply the most beautiful work from FMP.
I was told by many people that TSR (The second raid) was very serious. And I kinda took it to heart. I thought it'd be like warring and warring with 0 humour. But that's just exaggerated.
TSR has the best graphics (beautiful graphics). It's a must try for anyone I rkn.
Story-wise, it's like a continuation of FMP. I'd recommend watching FMP first, because it IS the original and there's always this thing about originals that you have to watch it before
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you watch a sequel. Usually the first work is the best but not for FMP (in my opinion).
Again, it's by Kyoto Animation (Fumoffu too) and I think after watching a few Kyoto Animation products, you'd find a similarity in style. Colourful settings, beautifully rendered. The character design looks slightly different from FMP, not as pointy. The op-ed and music were really catchy as well.
And the good thing about TSR is that it's short and sweet. Redundant side-stories (that are bad) and miscellaneous episodes were not added in. The focus in TSR is a lot more on the character development than any other thing. A bit emotional at times but the screenplays were creative.
Overall it only lacks that little bit of magic (I can't particularly explain it), otherwise it would've probably ended up in my top 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 24, 2009
There's really not much of a story to fumoffu. It's just plain fun and comedy, using Full Metal Panic! as a base.
I must say that my comical sense is a little different from most people. At first when I watched the first few episodes of Fumoffu, I thought I couldn't watch it anymore. It wasn't funny (they were trying to be funny but it didn't succeed in making me laugh), and neither did it leave an impact on me, like 'Whoa that was good'. The character design was somewhat different from FMP too (Fumoffu done by Kyoto Animation - the company that did Suzumiya Haruhi).
However
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the latter part of the series picked up and...it was hilarious. I was laughing my head off really. I hadn't laughed so much since the likes of Akazukin Chacha, Sakikage Cromartie High. Psychologically, I think I also thought that my expectations were dropped. I just wanted to enjoy fumoffu the fumoffu way, not compare it to FMP (it's not really a continuation so you can't really compare).
The jokes were presented way different from FMP (I thought FMP was really funny the first few eps) and probably universal as well. Meaning most people will find it funny. It's a great series to catch if you're in for some fun. The comedy is pretty pure, though the series had a fair bit of fanservice.
Generally, my score for this anime doesn't justify the comedy part of it. There's no rating for Comedy sadly.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 24, 2009
I re-watched Shin Kimagure Orange Road just a while ago. This is my second time watching it.
Have to admit that the experience wasn't as good as the first time. Shin KOR gives you a semi-old feel, so as a person exposed to post-AD2000 animations, it doesn't really give you a full retro feel or a new feel. Once you get used to HD quality anime, you'll need to take some time to get accustomed to Shin KOR artwork. Nevertheless, I kinda liked the artwork. It has lost a bit of the original appeal, but the change in artwork makes it easier for later generations to
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appreciate Orange Road.
Before I start, just a warning that I may reveal some spoilers subtlely, but I try not to (as for all my other reviews soon to come).
My ratings (y'know like 9 for story, 7 for art, etc) are kinda biased for Shin KOR because I simply love KOR too much lol. But pretty much this was the kind of rating I'd give when I watched it 5 years ago, or perhaps better. I'd highly recommend this to everyone who watched and liked Kimagure Orange Road (TV/OVA) because it is sort of an ending to the story. One reason I liked Shin KOR was because I could relate with the characters and I know what happened in the TV/OVA/MOVIE.
The story was pretty well-made. It followed the KOR series chronologically and it put a stop to the story itself. The feel and direction was very different from the original though. The kind of experience you'd get is different from KOR, and the climaxing points are emphasised on different areas.
Shin KOR is slightly aimed at a more mature audience I rkn, with many suggestive sexual content. Pretty mild but enough to feel that, hey the characters are already adults. I didn't quite like the mature direction it was heading to, but it was still alright. I loved the idea about time travel though, and how it was pieced together. It kinda came to me that "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o kakera Shoujo?sp)" was inspired by orange road. The romance was awesome and refreshing, which is what I love about KOR.
The artwork is similar to 1990+ animations. Colours used give you a warm feeling, and brings out the landscape really well.
The OST is really nice. I was shocked that it's by Yuki Kajiura because it's not her usual kind of 'opera-sensation' music. I think this was one of her earliest works in Anime. The music brought life to the movie. In fact my favourite part of the movie was the piano pieces played in the movie.
Character development wasn't very much present, because the foundations were still based on the TV series. But really, the characters have grown much in this movie. It was really fun to see how they become like. The change was rather great (inclusive of the character design). Quite a lot of dialogue between characters, but the feelings of the characters were well portrayed. It touched me.
Overall it's an enjoyable movie for me on Christmas Day. I'm starting to miss KOR. Maybe I'll continue with the manga. KOR really made me enjoy my memories so much.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 15, 2009
The first time I watched FMP, I only watched till the second episode. It was really a stunner then. I got my hands on a really high quality video FMP and it was really eye candy for me. Loved the first two episodes as well. Laughed my head off real bad. I think it's equivalent to any good comedy (considering FMP is not really comedy).
Well I just finished the series recently and I thought I'd do a write-up on FMP. I think overall it's a pretty good series. The whole package wasn't half as good as the beginning 2 episodes though.
Story 7. The story's
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military-related. I could relate really well with it since I'm in the army currently. The story was pretty well drawn out but not very exceptional in my opinion. There's a good mix of suggestive romance, war (not exactly war but it's a war setting), school-life, comedy, mecha?.
Art 9. The artwork is pretty unique, not overly cute (thumbs up for me), and the characters look mature. The colours used are very bright and vibrant, it'd be really nice if you had a really high quality version of FMP e.g. the dvd, and play it on a CRT or good LCD panel.
Sound 7. Honestly I can't really remember the OST of FMP. But I guess if I didn't notice it too well, it's not that impressive. I remembered it was pretty nice though. The opening and ending were quite nice.
Character 8. I liked most of the characters in FMP. Quite likable. And it's rare that I'd come to like the protagonist. I didn't really like the main girl's attitude that much. FMP has a full array of characters and it was built well. Most characters have ranks so it's quite interesting (if you know about these things). The main characters are too powerful though lol.
Enjoyment 7. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. It's bad to bring expectations when you're watching anime imo. Unless it's really that good. If only the standard of the first few episodes dragged on till the end, it may just end up as one of my favourites.
Overall 7. I'd give like a 7.8 if they allowed decimal points. 7 is a bit unfair for FMP I find. It's a quality production, just whether you like it or not.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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