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May 8, 2017
Sakamichi no Apollon is to anime as Vinyl is to American TV dramas: a cheap generic story with extremely boring characters disguised in good music, big names in the industry, and nostalgia.
I was skeptical of this show at first, as the art and setting seemed nothing out of the ordinary. After learning about the creators and the history behind the creation of the show, I felt optimistically inclined to give it a chance.
The first episode isn't bad! So I thought there was some promise. The style of the art is bland, but we've all seen anime characters with bigger eyes, smaller noses, and bigger tits,
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so it wasn't pathetic. A good thing about the animation is that the musical scenes are done well. Really well. The players match the music they are playing, and they move as real musicians do. The score is pretty decent, which is obviously thanks to Yoko Kanno. However, this was not one of her standout works in any way. This is representative of Yoko Kanno's capability in her craft, but certainly not in her art. The music is a nice medley of jazz and classical pieces, but nothing extraordinarily new or interesting by any means. The musical scenes were still the best moments of the show, and if Sakamichi no Apollon kept their focus on jazz then I think I might have a better taste in my mouth writing this review.
Now... the reality...
Back to my initial point, Vinyl was a highly anticipated show about the American rock industry in the late 70's, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger (pretty analogous to Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kanno right?). This show ended up flopping (at least by critics) because the show had the following structure: reel in the audience to reflect on music they are familiar with and love, then make an absurd over-dramatic plot to catch the viewers off guard and keep them reeled in. The 70's music was never a vital part of the story or any message or theme.
My point is that a burnt piece of horse meat doused in steak sauce is not on-par with a well-cooked steak. It is easy to want to like Sakamichi no Apollon: most people like jazz (or at least want to pretend to try to like jazz), and most anime fans love Watanabe and Kanno. But after watching it is hard to believe that they had much creative input into this production, and the jazz theme does not save this burnt horse meat. There are maybe 2 brief moments where the themes of jazz are tied into the story. As the series progresses, jazz is completely irrelevant and it becomes pretty transparent that we have another soft-hearted uncreative waste of production at hand.
Literally, within a mere 12 episodes, we have not only 1, and not only 2, but THREE FUCKING SCENES in which a main character is riding a train, leaving behind a crying loved one who wishes they could've stated their true feelings before it was too late... One time is permissible, but certainly an avoidable cheesy cliche. But 3 times within 12 episodes......noooooo....
Come on Watanabe.... What happened?...
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 5, 2017
Diving into the Ghibli works outside of Miyazaki comes with an inherent risk. However, I am usually the one disappointed by non-Miyazaki Ghibli films. That being said, Pom Poko is the non-Miyazaki film that proves itself.
While many Ghibli films have an underlying environmental theme, Pom Poko addresses this theme with full force. Avoiding subtlety isn't bad. This is great. Watching Totoro and Spirited Away give us a nice warm emotional hug from the beautiful scenic displays of nature and old Japan, but then we walk away from it into each films fantasies, and then back to our 21st century lives. Pom Poko humanizes the tanuki
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to turn a Japanese myth into an ecological looking-glass for the damaging industrial expansion of mankind. It is not suggestive. It is informative.
The production quality is as expected of any Ghibli movie. Plus, the animation quality and musical score are not just stacked on top of the story but are actually quintessential to the development of the film: each tanuki varies in animated complexity throughout the film, and much of the music arises from moments of the film (the party music, and the parade for example).
The development of the tanuki as characters is nothing short of brilliant. The use of their transforming ability allowed the artists to establish motifs across their different physical forms. These thematic forms act as an indicator for what type of creatures are in contact with the tanuki at any given scene. They have a comedic cartoony form, a serious battle form, even a mating form. Noteworthy among these is their realistic form, where they embody how we humans see animals in reality: they rely heavily on their instincts, and struggle to consciously analyze their environment. They usually take this form when they are being seen by humans, and thus it emphasizes that these moments are how we see tanuki, as opposed to how other beings in nature see them. The scenes with tanuki in their realistic forms tend to be the scenes in which we pity them most, and they are often hurt or patronized by the human world. In these scenes we directly see how our actions, which we have the ability/responsibility to make consciously and wisely, should be more considerate to the remaining world. This world of organisms may not be as inherently clever as we are, but still experiences the emotions that all humans and animals are endowed with.
Throughout the film there are many key figures in the tanuki community, but the film never revolves around any particular character. This can be problematic for many films, but this works well for the themes of Pom Poko. Pom Poko is centric around the tanuki as a group, and it is another nudge toward being less ego-centric as human beings, and being mindful of our ecosystems as a community. By the end of the film we still end up being very attached to a handful of the tanuki who have experienced a coming of age throughout the story, without ever realizing that we were following these characters. The development of character and attachment to these characters is a reflection of how an honest community works. We don't choose our friends and loved ones at the beginning of our lives, but we build them as we go through our trials and tribulations.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 5, 2017
Cowboy Bebop: highly rated in the anime community, abnormally well received outside of the anime community, accompanied by a cult fan-base... sounds too good to be true...
But I must say, that I don't believe the show has helped with any cures to diseases, scientific achievements, breakthroughs in technology, or advances in diplomatic relationships.
So I guess it does have flaws.
But if you haven't watched this show and are an anime fan, or even if you are just browsing this website, then you have spent some time devoted to anime that could've been better spent watching this show.
I find it a shame that anime is clouded by
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people who complain about the episodic nature of the show. Compared to Bebop, a series that relies on overly-dramatic cliff-hangers is shallow. Bebop is developed: from the complexity of the characters (if you only see the main cast as their surface presents, I suggest to rewatch and pay more attention to the details of the characters pasts, as well as their present) to the vivid animation (and I don't mean flashy colors, I mean how the pieces move, their shape, design, etc...)
Lastly, the quality of the music can not be understated. Almost every single anime on the earth suffers from its cliched garbage music. Thank you Bebop, for bringing us a soundtrack that I don't want to skip over, but I can even call a masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Apr 26, 2017
I'm baffled by the low reviews on MAL for The Big O. To this day I find it to be one of the most beautiful animated series of all time.
I don't think it deserves a 10 due to a few production errs. For instance, a few of the villains were designed a bit cheaply, and clearly there are differences in production quality across certain scenes. While I understand the complaints made about the final episodes of each season, I personally liked the endings to both seasons. Also, the intro theme song is TOO similar to Queen's Flash Gordon, and seems out of place (but still
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better than 99% of anime intros).
Aside from these things, I can only rave. Very few anime (or any production) have such a unique aesthetic. Yes, Roger Smith is batman and Big O is Giant Robo. As they're fucking meant to be! The Big O takes these two classics (both of which the creators had been working on) and creates something completely new in the perfect noir setting of Paradigm City. In a way, the Big O is one the best fan-fiction anime series of all time. The Big O takes a collection of aspects and themes from these 2 staples and constructs an extremely well-blended new genre (gothic-mecha-noir?), highlighting certain pieces of the Batman and Giant Robo stories that were never focal before.
But Big O is not by any means a rehash. Roger Smith's life is not quite as luxurious as Bruce Wayne, as he has his job as the city's "negotiator". His history (which I won't spoil) aligns itself with the intriguing amnesic history of Paradigm City. The supporting characters (aside from Norman) are all original and well-crafted. In fact, Dorothy may overshadow Roger in terms of an interesting character, and her existential crisis is a nice parallelism to the crux of the internal conflicts found in the residents of Paradigm City.
I shouldn't have to say much about the music and animation.They are both phenomenal, and boast originality, quality, and aesthetic. Watch the first episode, and you should agree within a few minutes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 22, 2017
Hunter x Hunter is a clusterfuck of perpetually unfulfilled potential. I think the general framework behind what it means to be a Hunter, the use of Nen, and the animal kingdom make for a great stage. Unfortunately these aspects were never looked at carefully, and instead were only used as tools to make another generic shonen.
Given that there already exists the old show, the goal of the new edition should have been to improve on the older episodes and finish the story. Which to many, they did: obviously they completed the story of the manga, and gave the animation new touches... but making an anime
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have a generic modern look doesn't mean the art is any better, so I don't see any improvements. For those who think the original beginning is too slow, I (along with many others) was originally interested in the show because of the intro scene with Gon and Kite, as I saw thought-provoking potential in this scene. Alas, anime remakes tend to adhere to an action-addicted audience, removing the character development found in the slower episodes and replacing them with flashy animation and slow motion fight scenes (the emphasis on fighting is not AS BAD as Naruto and DBZ, but does " not as bad"="good"?).
The animation is fine. It's not interesting, nothing stands out as shockingly different or beautiful. It is top notch in terms of budget and cleanliness, but certainly not noteworthy for style. The voices are great, music not so good.
There is an enormous cast of characters, and most are given at least a few episodes to be somewhat developed. This is probably the strongpoint of the series. That being said, I really find that the main characters only become more ridiculous than the beginning of the show. My favorite character was Netero, who met my expectations of a great character.
Story.... it pains me to truthfully say I didn't enjoy it. I can't believe how the philosophy of being a hunter is completely side-swiped. Such a shame. Instead of embracing such an innately interesting topic, the aspect of hunting is abused just to carry Gon from one arc to the next.
Hunter x Hunter is very strange in how the arcs are so different from one another. The way they are set up, each arc is incredibly distinct from the last once it begins. I have seen many reviews in favor of this, and I just don't understand why. This is a classic taboo in storytelling that seemed to be successful only by stuffing all the Shonen things into one story: young boy characters, video games, aliens, crime syndicates, magic... yet after the Greed Island arc I found myself thinking "that was pointless", and the complete separation of the Chimera Ant arc made it difficult to watch.
I actually really liked the show up through Yorkshin city, and I even thought Yorkshin was the best arc (probably a rating of of 8ish). Hisoka, Chrollo, and the other spiders were good antagonists, and like others tend to rave about, Nen seemed like a magical super power that was a little more interesting than the ones found in other Shonen. All of these pluses get completely shit on by the end of the show.
The Chimera Ant arc in particular really sealed the deal for a lower rating. You find yourself asking (in this order) "Why does this matter? What happened to the main antagonists? Maybe there will be some interesting insight into animal nature? Wait, how did Gon and Killua just happen to get involved in this event? Is it really going to get more Shonen than it has already become?..." Nen becomes just like every other superpower, Gon goes super saiyan (which is fitting since Meruem is basically Cell), and NO use of the ants biology to ask bigger philosophical nature/nurture questions. Ugh.
Finally for those who praise the epic nostalgic words of Meruem and Ging: this is a writing cop-out of diving into the meaning of the story. After any long dreary story, one can say "life is about the journey, not the destination". That's why there are thousands of tramp-stamps out there with that exact quote. Say it over a montage of the 148 episodes of said journey, and TADA! You've got yourself a suckered audience. Every lengthy anime can do this...
If you are pretty set on giving Hunter x Hunter a try, I recommend simply watching the original incomplete version. While finishing that series may leave you wanting closure, you won't find it in this version either. The best arcs are in the original, and you get a better less-cliche feel for the characters.
If you disagree with my comments, please let me know what I may have been missing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 19, 2017
Golden Boy's Kintaro is one of many anime characters that are impossible not to love. By the end of the first episode, the show is already an instant classic without any niche insane twists that makes this show interesting.
As far as the anime's style is concerned, it is similar to many anime series from the 80s-90s. I will admit that I have an upward bias for this style, but I find this classic hand-drawn look very captivating, and I have no complaints about the music or art. It is relatively ordinary, and that is fine. But don't let me bore or deter you: Kintaro's character
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make the show a must-watch.
Essentially, Kintaro is not very different from a majority of the anime characters we always love: the seemingly idiotic, perverted, ridiculous, heroic genius. For me, what I find unique in Golden Boy is the incredible unravelling of the viewers understanding/admiration of Kintaro through a mere 6 episodes. While Kintaro never really changes his behavior throughout the show, he is portrayed under a large variety of environments that reveal how incredible a seemingly unsuccessful person may be. After 1 episode he is already interesting, but by the end of the series you realize how the author is constantly sticking in pieces of their own ideals into Kintaro, even taking the opportunity to critique/parody the anime industry. In many ways Kintaro is even a personal hero of mine in the modern world in the way he disregards his opportunities to make money or chase women, despite the fact that through his hard work ethic we see that he is capable to achieve any of these shallow desires.
Lastly, I would like to note that it is really impressive how collective this show is by the 6th episode. While most anime series take 5 episodes to get through one small part of a huge arc, by the end of 5 episodes Golden Boy has established an incredible character who has established an array of supporting characters that have grown to love him just as we have.
Only 6 episodes!!! GO WATCH IT!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 5, 2017
This is a positive review. I am going to express my spite for many parts of the show in a brutally honest way, but overall I am arguing that this is a beautifully rare specimen of the world.
The FLAWS of One Piece:
1) It is an epic, and it is dragging us around. It is too long and slow, and they want it that way: to keep us watching for 10 to 15 more years. (I personally think that the series could have had an open-ended finale at the Summit War)
2) It's a Shounen. We are all familiar with the flaws here, some weird race to
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"who is the most powerful in the universe", nonsensical arguments about the rankings of strength, Highlander "there can only be one" sentiments, shitty intro music, etc. What really irks me is that this has really gotten worse over time. The first few seasons are actually guilt free these problems. During the Skypiea saga Oda really signs the lease on a Shounen when enemy attacks have DBZ sound effects, and the action scenes are outsourced to fight scene specialists that botch Luffy's facial expressions (which are a highlight for me).
3) It's repetitive: as said in other reviews, every country they visit has more or less the same dilemma: evil ruler, Luffy kicks their ass. Except it takes 100 episodes. Every female character is mostly boobs, supporting characters have weird laughs, Luffy protects his nakama, and anyone who sees Luffy fight believes he will become pirate king, which is meant to keep the drug-addicted super fan on the edge of their seat for another 15 years thinking "OH MAN IS HE REALLY GONNA DO IT??"
THE GOOD PARTS OF ONE PIECE THAT MAKE THESE THINGS FORGIVABLE
1) It's really fucking original and creative. On one end, the Shounen aspects seem unoriginal. But I don't think we can overlook the fact that the main character is a happy-go-lucky adopted straw-hat rubber-man, and he is but one of the hundreds of amazingly interesting characters. I haven't seen any other anime that unleashes the author's insane ideas as much as One Piece. In terms of content, this show is definitely one of the most unique I have come across.
2) The dramatic side is actually really interesting. Earlier I mentioned a shift in the show during the Skypiea saga. While I dislike much of the production quality that changed at this time, this saga added an additional layer to the show that I think becomes one of the reasons that keeps us watching. While each individual saga is predictable (mean ruler, Luffy beats them up, nobody dies), the overarching story has multiple levels of intrigue, and the length of the show is actually effectively utilized to create a multi-dimensional story arc.
3) The MOST important: the universe... it's amazing. The characters, the geography, the islands, everything. Since the show is so slow, I almost want to recommend the manga, but truthfully it's fun to see these ideas come to life with color, movement, and sound. While I have mostly talked about suspense, I would here like to say that One Piece is good because it is FUN. Despite the repetition, I think it's amazing to see Oda/Luffy/Roger's idea of what a pirate is: someone who sets sail in search of adventure. With that premise in mind, Oda took aspects of Earth and made them cartoony, dangerous, and exciting for Luffy to encounter throughout his journey. This craving of adventure sets an optimistic tone for the whole series, and while it is often cliche and predictable, that doesn't depreciate from my liking of the Strawhat pirate crew when they are already such a unique hodgepodge of individuals. I truly believe that buried in this crazy story, are Oda's opinions about how people should genuinely treat their human position.
Any hesitance to watch the show due to the fact that its is already almost 800 episodes long is totally valid. But if you are capable of diving into a lengthy series, and are making the decision betweens epic sagas, I think that One Piece is the king (yeahyeah, funny) of this genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 5, 2017
Shin-chan is an underrated legend on MAL. Somewhere in between Japan's Ren and Stimpy, the Simpsons, and Calvin and Hobbes, Crayon Shin-Chan is nothing less than an essential classic for me. While I am nostalgic towards the show for being one of the first anime series I ever watched, I can honestly say that as I grow older I only dig deeper into the depths of comedy in this ridiculous show.
I personally find the art to be minimal at an optimal level. These are true drawings coming to life on screen. Any animation update would hurt the aesthetic. The show is funny, it it needs
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to look funny.
It surprises me that people care about the English dub. Just don't watch it! I agree that the English dub is awkward, but so are at least 90% of dubs. Just stick with the original, and the cute little soundtrack is great.
Along with most comedies, the characters make the show. The entire Nohara family are characteristic of the messy Japanese families that classic anime sitcoms tend to convey: dirty grandpas, intelligent dogs, alcoholics, the works. Shin himself is iconic of a LARGE amount of loveable anime classics (remember the One Piece "family jewels" scene?). He's the son you never want to have, yet after watching 15 episodes you occasionally feel he is the son you'd love to have. Or maybe nephew. He is somewhat of a creative genius within the limited spectrum of a 5 year old understanding.
Shin-chan isn't a show that's good for binge-watching, and it doesn't really leave you "wanting more" like a lot of good anime. It's more of a show that is reliably classic and heartwarming.
If insanely dramatic cliff-hanger types of anime are like a hot new crush, then Shin-chan is the good friend that you can come home to, relax, talk about the good ol' days, and drink a beer with.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 4, 2017
FlCl is one of those things that is so unique that it is difficult to compare it to other things, and it's tough to rank it within the realm of anime. Other anime are not in the same league, although I tend to reminisce about Scott Pilgrim after watching this show.
6 episodes, some robots, aliens, perversion, confusion, bikes, guitars... every so often something comes along that understands the difference between rehashing cliches, and utilizing the very cliche itself to make something brilliant (Kill Bill, Cowboy Bebop, One-Punch Man, etc).
I actually think FlCl is a great way for modern anime-lovers to be introduced to comedy. This
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obviously isn't the anime for those looking for an epic adventure full of cliff-hangers, being only 6 episodes and what not. It really is kind of simple-minded and mostly comedic, but the use of classic anime features should make it a great show for anyone to watch.
The complaints I hear about this show tend to focus on brevity, and lack of coherence. But length and clarity are for other shows. This is a show that is fast-paced, funny, visually stunning, nostalgic, and most importantly: creative and fun. It's a show where you sit back, and spend a couple hours of your life enjoying the clusterfuck that is FlCl. It's such a small commitment that it really can't hurt. Go watch it!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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