Now, think of any memorable anime of the magical girl genre. The first thing that would come to mind would be Sailor Moon. If you were me, you would say Cardcaptor Sakura (Can you blame me? Those asshats at the Indian network wouldn't let me see the former. Even then it was great, and you should totally check it out subbed). If you were a fan of Go Nagai, you would say Cutie Honey. These anime set the standard of the magical girl genre, with Cutie Honey setting the standards for magical girl transformation. However, by today standards, it didn't age well. Now, don't get
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me wrong, these animes are pretty good (If you don't believe me, check out the Nostalgia Critic's review of Sailor Moon, though he wasn't mostly positive about it [The guy almost got shot for it!]. But mentioning it was good enough for me), but not many people would be drawn into it today. Kids might get a kick out of it, and we may be no toddler, but we can grow to love these shows too. But showing it to someone else is like showing your mom your hentai collection, it's really uncomfortable. So, Akiyuki Shinbou decided to save the seemingly dying genre, and show fans everywhere, that the way of the magical girl still had that magic. Good news - It worked! It was critically acclaimed and loved by fans, to point of making their own community. It was a cutesy enough to fit the genre, but mature enough for the older audiences. The Bad news.....Gen Urobuchi is the series writer, so childhood memories will burn. So, let's grab our magical talking cats, don our flashy sailor uniforms and dive into the bright, magical, sick and twisted world of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.
Story - 9/10
Now let's take the common elements of the magical girl genre and give it a good ol' twist. In a magical girl anime, we have the girls who gain magical powers to save the world, the cute mascot who gives girl said powers, monsters whose job is to wreck shit up, and the villains who wants to, stop me if you heard this one, take over the world *OF COURSE!!!!*. So, let's twist it a little. Instead of monsters, let's add witches who hold an eerie secret. And instead of a clear villain, let's give them minor ones who will only last an episode, but help interpret the eerie secret. Instead of a cute mascot, let's give them an even cuter mascot, who is responsible for witches who hold the answers to said eerie secret. And let's have the girls go out and save the world, only to lose their shit when they learn said eerie secret. See a pattern? The plot is basically a dark twisted version of the common elements of the magical girl anime. Some people think that a certain overused trope will grow and turn stale after a while. But in the case of Madoka Magica, you can point out the tropes, and notice that it isn't as stale as they make it out to be. Kind of like cheese, you keep it out long enough to remove its 'CHEESINESS', and it tastes great. If you love the magical girl series, you'll love it. Some of you might be riding on you experience and memories to get any enjoyment out of it (Although highly recommend AGAINST depending on the latter, otherwise it will end up breaking up like an egg under a steamroller with DIO doing Gangnam Style and calling you a pussy). If you want to introduce it to someone who just got into anime, then what the FUCK is WRONG with you?!?!?! Oh, and do watch something light-hearted afterwards, it may or may NOT help recuperate your newly added scar.
Art - 8/10 (7.65/10)
Don't let the low score fool you, the art is very well handled, considering the fact that Studio Shaft was behind the pencil of the series. The character designs were cute and very well designed, fitting for the genre. It definitely helps mask the dark themes and undertone. The transformation sequence, which is a staple in the magical girl genre, was pretty good, and it gets an even shinier coat of polish in the Blue-Ray releases. But by far my most favourite part of this department has to be the witch fights. At first glance, the witch's labyrinth looks like a psychedelic drug trip, but when inspected closer, it actually shows an image of who they were. Like the mask that Yamask holds, it reminds them of who they were in their past life. And you know what's even CREEPIER? It's the fact that the anime and the Pokemon Gen 5 games were released in the SAME YEAR! THAT'S #@&*ING CREEPY!! Well, Pokemon conspiracy aside, these battle scenes are very well drawn and choreographed. The witch's design and movement varies from one to another. One may look like a shadow puppet, which adds more to the aesthetic considering they are cruel puppets of fate due to aforementioned eerie secret, to something that came out of Merry Melodies on CRACK, which even helps in showing their inner crazy. Some shot compositions are very well done, showing the emotions and inner workings of the character's mind, even showing scenes where they feel like gritting their teeth and grimace. You ever felt like you want to punch somebody in the face, but you can't because that asshole is your boss, and he is marrying your sister, AND he is giving you a salary of a whopping $500,000, PER WEEK? Kind of like that. So, why the low score?
There are some scenes that fall in the 'what-the-#@&*-happened-in-the-middle' category. There are some scenes where the character's actions feel pasted in, and the middle part is cut off. It's like watching someone dive and that someone is Diavolo. He is up in the air, ready to dive, and the next second he's skinny dipping with Rihanna and a Tunisian Fashion model. WHAT THE #@%& HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE? And there were some scenes where the character's mouth wouldn't move much. I can let it slide, if budget was the cause of this anomaly.
All in all, it's showcases what Studio Shaft is good at, pulling a Shaft, and that's a plus in my book.
Sound - 8/10
Nothing noteworthy in the Seiyuu (I watched the series subbed, and by the way, the Seiyuu for Kyubey is spot on), or in the OST department, unless we are talking about the battle music, with the opera and choir, in the background. Now let's talk about the OP and ED. The OP is pretty nice and beautiful. Definitely says, 'This is definitely NOT a psychological thriller'. The same can be said....for the 1st Ending. It's the 2nd ED, where it reveals the show's TRUE colors. This is 'Magia' by kalafina. Its dark, it has sweet guitar riffs, and definitely matches the tone of the show. For some reason, when I watch this ending I feel like I want to watch the next episode. It's like a glass of water. After you're done with the main course, and one glass later, you're ready for dessert. There's a reason why Watchmojo placed it at #1 in 'Top 10 Best Anime Endings'. It may not be MY favourite ED, but it's definitely ONE of my favourites. That’s a bit contradictory when I think about it.
Character - 10/10
***************Warning - Minor Spoiler Ahead. Skip this bit to enjoy the experience of the best part of the series***************
If there's someplace where the series REALLY shines, its character.
Let’s look at the characters and see what we have here? We have Madoka, the innocent main character, who wants to help save the world. Sayaka, she is the hopeless lovebird who can't find the time for love due to her responsibilities. Kyouka, the smug bitch who is competitive, who is basically a tsundere when boil down to it. Mami Tomoe, the one who introduced the girls to the world of magic. But I guess the best term to describe her would be (if you're a Megaman fan you'll get this) 'Zero'. That means a paramount figure, encouraging the protagonist, or in this case-the girls, to become stronger and better than who they are now. Kyubey is a, as I established before, a REALLY cute mascot who is, since the comic book 'The Sandman' by Neil Gaiman, is an accurate portrayal as the devil. But by far, my favourite character has to be Akemi Homura, who at first looks like your dark and mysterious anti-hero, who is kinda like the opposite of the main protagonist, but once you get to know her story, you want to give her a hug.
Noticed something funny? If you thought, "they were unique", well, with the exception of Kyubey, no. But you were pretty close. After all, unique elements come from original characters with a good ol' twist (YEAH!!!! TWIST IIIIIIIIIT!!!) If you chose "Hey, I saw those characters before", well, with the exception of Kyubey, yes. In fact, you DID see them before, but with a much lighter tone. What Urobuchi did is use those character archetypes and gave it a splash of grit, reality and BOOM! You have the best characters ever concocted by Gen Urobuchi, let alone in a magical girl anime. And can we talk about the side characters, with the little time they were given; they contributed SO much to plot and character development. Especially the mother, BEST MOM EVER! Madoka, you're a lucky bastard (And that's a compliment, considering the fact that the person who said that is living in the Bowels of Pain).
Many people usually complain about Gen Urobuchi's heavy dialogue and exposition. But he will always land an uppercut of good writing and excellent character that would give Charlotte a run for her cheesecake (I'M NOT KIDDING! There's a picture of him beating the poor thing!). But then again, we have the exposition-go-round from Fate/zero, so I see where you were coming from.
Enjoyment -9/10
Did I enjoy it? Gee, I don't know, maybe the 9/10 wasn't good enough to convey the fact that I loved it. My only issue would be the one problem I mentioned in the art department, but does that really matter in the end? I mean, it’s good, no wait, that’s an understatement. I mean, it’s a masterpiece. The charm of the magical girl elements, mixed with mature themes really added to the enjoyment factor. The series twisted elements, that fans like us would appreciate, EVEN today, and what other modern day viewers would deem *ahem* "dated". That is, of course, until they come knocking at your door and asking for a DVD copy of 'Sailor Moon', who definitely watched Madoka Magica, and are now, eating their words with a dash of irony (EAT IIIIIT!!!). It definitely was the anime that saved the magical girl genre. Look at 'Yuki Yuna is a Hero', 'Penguindrum', 'Kill la Kill', 'YuriKuma Arashi', 'fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya' (TwiTcH tWitcH) or the 'Cardcaptor Sakura' manga reboot. If not for Madoka Magica, they would not be here today. For you see, Madoka Magica was to magical girl, what Neon Genesis Evangelion was to mech. However, if you're a magical girl veteran, you might get a kick out of it (Why not? You ARE a veteran, right?). My other issue might be the fact that there will NEVER be a show like this, EVER AGAIN. However, word in the grapevine says, which is weird and creepy considering grapevines do not talk, that Gen Urobuchi is working on a light-hearted magical girl anime. Yeah, why don't you tell that to Lupin III (Maybe we would've believed you, if you were Junji Ito)!
Overall - 9/10
Do I recommend it? Yes, mostly. Like I said, if you like magical girl anime, you'll love this one for its dark, mature take on the genre. If you love shows like 'Psycho Pass', then you'll love it too. If you are a newcomer to the genre, RUN. Stay AWAY from this anime and watch 'Sailor Moon', ‘Cutie Honey’, ‘Princess Knight’ or 'Cardcaptor Sakura' instead. RUN, before you find yourself under a steamroller, with Heaven's DIO convincing Kriemheld Gretchen to join his legion over Ginger Tea and Scones, while Vanilla Ice, not THAT Vanilla Ice, does the Can-Can and calls you a bitch. Honestly, I heard there was a movie trilogy, and I can't WAIT to check it out.
Now, if you can excuse me, I need to work on my next project. Elf spotting, Doppelganger fishing and, of course, a ride to.......the.....FUTURE!!!! Minus the hover boards………*Bummer*.
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Apr 1, 2017
Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
(Anime)
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Now, think of any memorable anime of the magical girl genre. The first thing that would come to mind would be Sailor Moon. If you were me, you would say Cardcaptor Sakura (Can you blame me? Those asshats at the Indian network wouldn't let me see the former. Even then it was great, and you should totally check it out subbed). If you were a fan of Go Nagai, you would say Cutie Honey. These anime set the standard of the magical girl genre, with Cutie Honey setting the standards for magical girl transformation. However, by today standards, it didn't age well. Now, don't get
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Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 22, 2017
Serial Experiments Lain
(Anime)
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If there’s one word to describe Serial Experiments Lain, it’s MINDFUCK. This isn’t one of those anime that would be easy to understand. When it was released, it was considered Avant-garde at the time (That means it was new and unconventional, yet successful). Even today, many people sing praises of it today, while others tend to disagree and call it ‘boring’. So let’s surf the net and delete Navi (Yes, THAT Navi), this is Serial Experiments Lain.
Story – 8/10 If you are a fan of the usual shounen genre, I highly recommend against watching this show. The anime is Avant-garde, so if you like the conventional ... anime style, do stay clear, an otaku fell into a coma for five years, just by watching this show. As for the story, it’s a rather interesting case. The story uses the internet as its source of premise, which is a gold mine; with the likes of Sword Art Online and Summer Wars (One of these anime is not like the other; one of these anime is the better option). We can explore interesting themes like, dual life in the internet, identity theft, hacking, and social dilemma. And for something made ages ago, the anime ACTUALLY explores that. Which is kind of surprising considering this anime was made a year before The Matrix (I looked it up). The story, however, tends to move slowly, not too much to make it boring, but enough to make you feel calm and relaxed. Where am I going with this? I DON’T KNOW, I started writing this when I just woke up and even I don’t know what’s going on in my brain. But, neither does the viewer, as the anime tends to throw a lot of twists and turns (Hence, the MINDFUCK) that the viewer might end up losing his or her ground. But that’s not the selling point. So be sure to not spoil yourself, or you’ll lose the entire fun of it. But there is something about the story that clicks. At the time, the internet wasn’t what it was back then. Social network wasn’t that sophisticated, and the only way to connect to the internet was to survive a 2 minute long ear-rape. The internet or, as it’s called in the anime, The Wired, is a lot more sophisticated than that. Now, let’s loop back to when it was first aired. The only way we can chat is through AOL, and Google wasn’t the ultimate search engine that it is today and Youtube only allowed you to watch 5 minutes worth of Naruto (I checked. We have come a really long way) Years later, Youtube started to gain momentum and Google started working on their e-mail editor, G-Mail. And today, we can communicate and show Otaku pride on the internet, tweet and start a revolution that can topple an entire government, and write reviews like the critics we aspire to be. Notice the pattern? If you don’t, wait till the enjoyment section. Art – 10/10 Ahhhhhhh, I feel so calm. That’s one word to describe the art in the anime. The anime has a rather distinct style never seen for its time that is until Studio Shaft would adopt its own style of animation. But it was Serial Experiments Lain that pioneered ‘shafting’. The entire setting of the show relies more on aesthetic rather than the usual methods, to tell its narrative, which it does a pretty awesome job at. The character designs are also pretty nice. For example, Lain, for one, looked adorable in her teddy bear onesie, and everyone else looked like they want to kill themselves (Don’t hold your breath on that last comment) As for the art direction, it looked stunning, making the entire show a feast for the eyes. At times, it gets unsettling, at others, it gets trippy. The art is something one should go and check out for themselves, so should you have picked this up, just for the art direction alone, then you won’t be disappointed. Sound – 9/10 This is rather difficult, since Serial Experiments Lain barely has ANY OST to work with. But, when you consider that the show uses overall aesthetic to tell its narrative, the show doesn’t need any sort of soundtrack, but rather silence to convey the atmosphere and the tense, unsettling aura the characters give off. As for the OP and ED, I guess it’s pretty good. The OP was rather nice and soothing to listen to; it towers in comparison to the ED THAT’S for sure. As for the Voice-acting, I watched this series subbed. The seiyuu does a good job of portraying a normal family, a normal bunch of friends, and a shy, awkward girl. I highly recommend subs because there will be moments where you will need to read some Japanese and try to make out what they are trying to say, which is borderline tedious in the dub, since they don’t translate them. You sub the Japanese in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, yet somehow you miss the mark here? Characters – 9/10 This is a rather eerie case, since most of the characters are just back-drops to the messiah of our digital world (Insert Digimon joke here), Lain Iwakura. She is a rather interesting case. She’s a student who goes on The Wired for the first time and all of a sudden, she’s a $#^&ing super-hacker! She lives in a comfortable family of four, with her mother, her computer-loving dad, and her bitch of a sis. Her best friend is her classmate, Alice, who worries about her. As the story progresses, and the more we know about Lain, the faster her world starts to break apart on itself. The show did it in such a way, we never see this coming. Honestly, I’m basically out of words in this department. Enjoyment – 8/10 Have you ever watched Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes? It’s kind of like that. As the show gets older, it starts to become better since it becomes more relate-able to our current lifestyle and Internet culture. And it will continue to be so until our great digital goddess decries this as heresy and delete its existence from our realm (And sneak a DVD copy for Mondays). You might not have enjoyed it back then, but after all we’ve been through, you might find the similarities quite surprising. Overall – 8.6/10 Serial Experiments Lain is an anime best enjoyed when you’ve had your fill the best anime has to offer. It was a pleasant joyride for me, and I hope you enjoy it too. ? You might not enjoy it, but hey, it’s okay if you don’t get it. I know the feeling. Yikes! Was my writer’s block THAT long? I intended to finish this in one month, but it took MONTHS after 2017! Man, 2016 was a lame year after all! Oh well, my writer’s block is over now, so it’s best that I end my reviews here. Jeez, I always thought that my last review for Sci-fi marathon would be Steins;Gate and my last REVIEW would be RWBY or Gurren Lagaan. Look like this might be my last *finished* review. Well, looks like 2016 killed my reviewer side, welp THAT sucks. I guess I’ll stick to the numbers and start ENJOYING anime for a change. If you want my opinion, check the tag and the ratings, in the end however, it doesn’t amount to how I really feel about the anime. In my last written review (I guess), the last words I can say as a reviewer would be, “Don’t be prick and appreciate what life has to offer.” Old Lady- Even the little stuff? “ESPECIALLY the little stuffs.” That’s right. Even Angel Beats, Sword Art Online and *shrug* Re;HAA…HAAAAA………..Re;Hamatora.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 29, 2016
Psycho-Pass Movie
(Anime)
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Psycho-Pass, one of my favourite anime besides Pokemon, Gurren Lagaan, Steins;Gate and Cowboy Bebop. Nothing else ever drew me in closer and made me binge-watch the hell out of it. Heck! While I was watching Trigun, I put it On-hold for a day or two, and I started watching it, WITH NO BREAKS IN BETWEEN! But when I heard there was a movie, I had to look it up. And let me tell you, it was mid Trigun ALL OVER again (except this time, with Serial Experiments Lain [The show was good, but in a battle of engagement, it was pretty one-sided]). So let's clear
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our Psycho-Pass and file in our cases, this is Psycho-Pass-The Movie.
Story - 10/10 The show explores a pretty interesting concept, what the world would be like if we implemented the Sibyl System to Third-World countries. Some might say it would work, others might argue otherwise. And that’s what makes the story so engaging. Our main protagonist is also dragged into the conflict of the country of SEAUn, trying to piece the jigsaw pieces and to see the big picture, just like the first episode of the main series. As always, Gen Urobuchi nails this part of the story. Making the world more relatable, engaging, breath-taking and fleshed out, all while going through all kinds of themes, such as, ‘when it’s over, what do you do?’ Or ‘Is the Sibyl System REALLY the best choice?’ Or ‘Is Psycho-Pass 2 part of this movie?’ To the latter, I say, No (PRAISE THE LORD!). To the others I say, watch the movie and see for yourself. Yes, the dialogue can get a little heavy at times, but knowing Gen Urobuchi, he can make ANY exposition engaging. When we hear exposition, we think ‘droning’, ’boring’ or ‘is it lunch time yet?’ When we hear exposition in movies, we think ‘Oh God!’, ‘How much LONGER!!!!’ and ‘Kill me NOW!’ But in this case, none of these points EVER popped up. We think ‘engaging’, ‘wonder’, ‘thought-provoking’, ‘educating’, and ‘Yup, its Gen Urobuchi.’. Art – 10/10 What did you expect? Of course, the art is great. It has Great shot composition, atmospheric settings and, of course, gorgeous visuals. And we can NOT talk about Psycho-Pass’s visuals without talking about the gore, and talk about gore I shall. You know it’s Psycho-Pass when gore is kept to a bare minimum, but show it SO well. For those of you who were unlucky enough to watch Psycho-Pass 2, you must have noticed that the Dominator was used too many times, as opposed to the first season, where the paralyze mode is used the most, and the Lethal Eliminator is preserved for the perpetrators. This is akin to the rules from, where else, OUR world. Police are highly advised AGAINST using guns on an unarmed civilian, but rather as a means to intimidate criminals and force them into a corner. The gun holds a LOT of responsibility, just like our Dominators. How will they be used? Who will be at the receiving end? Is this gonna look like a sexual innuendo? Why use it? There’s a lot to consider it. It’s not just a weapon of awesomeness; it’s a glow stick of HEAVY responsibility, with enough firepower to WRECK SHIT UP!! Sound – 9/10 It’s the same as always. That’s what I like about this movie; it stays true to what Psycho Pass is about. However, in the case of the sub, it gets kinda shaky. Approximately, one-third of the movie is plastered in ‘engrish’. It really gets in your nerves from time to time. I know they’re foreigners, but couldn’t you ask a foreigner to do that? It’s not that hard. If there’s one engrish I can handle, it’s from Kana Hanazawa. Her English was pretty fluent, even though it falls into engrish territory. All in all, this might be the weakest point, but I can’t tell, not until I hear the dubbed version (which might take a while). Characters – 10/10 Just like how we cannot talk about Psycho-Pass without the Dominator, we can’t talk about Gen Urobuchi’s work without talking about the characters. The story takes places after the events of Psycho-Pass (NOT the second season, as I do NOT consider it canon), and the character’s growth is quite evident. Akane Tsunemori is back, and she’s not as naïve as she was before. She now has a lot of responsibility on her hands, considering she’s going on a business trip to SEAUn to determine the worth of the Sibyl System. She was one of my favourite characters of the series, and it’s good to see her character grow. Some of you may be thinking, “HEY! Where’s Shinya Kougami? Well, he’s here too, but for spoiler reasons, I cannot disclose what he is doing at the moment, but it does show what would happen when someone from a highly sophisticated justice system quit and try to look for some peace and quiet. He’s a man looking for some piece and quite, only to find wherever he went was a battlefield. I mean, COME ON! He went through a LOT, and the guy couldn’t just catch a break. And here’s where the movie throws a curve ball of jaw-dropping proportions. The characters from the second season, is back, though minor, and their characters are more stable. Yeah, even I couldn’t believe it. If you saw the second season, your perception of them might be little critical. But when I saw it, it kind of makes sense. And let’s not forget about the side characters, they played a HUGE role in the series. From the twists, the climax, AND the action scenes, they never lose their spotlight. And let’s not forget about Sem. He fought with a machine gun, WHILE WEARING A LUNGI! For those of you who don’t know, a lungi is a long piece of cloth. It’s like a poor man’s towel; less absorby, it's more like a substitute for pants. It is to Bangladesh, what the towel is to space (So long, and thanks for all the fish). Enjoyment – 10/10 Guys, I put Serial Experiments Lain on hold, just to watch this gem. OF COURSE I ENJOYED IT! However, this time I won’t factor in my enjoyment, but rather the enjoyment of the fans. I am a fan, but this isn’t about me. It’s about YOU. The movie came weeks after the second season, so people might have been turned off and avoided it. For those who didn’t, were REALLY lucky bastards. For those who didn’t watch the second season, they’ll definitely enjoy it. But for those who did, will find it to be a breath of fresh air. It’s like wearing a pair of fresh new underwear on the morning of New Year’s Eve after taking a bath. It feels GREAT!!! But will newcomers enjoy it? If they want to, they’re better off watching anime first, and avoid the second season for the sake of not ruining their vibe. Overall – 10/10 (Of course! WHY NOT 10/10?) Ask me if I recommend it or not one more time, I swear I’m going to douse your face into a bucket of freezing water, and then punching you in the face while yelling’ “NO SHIT SHERLOCK! OF COURSE I RECOMMEND IT!!” Many people thought that Psycho-Pass 2 would give the series some closure, when in reality; this movie did a better job of doing that. Being a Psycho-Pass fan, this movie really put me in déjà vu territory again. Just like how I put a series on hold just to watch Akane get pushed into the action right away, I put another series on hold just to watch Akane go back to where she was in the first episode, but this time, she’s better and stronger. Strong enough to take the job and make it out even stronger than before. You can tell that the staff pulled absolutely no punches on this one, and it definitely shows.But this is not the end of the sci-fi marathon. Oh no. Next we’re diving into an anime that just seems to get better and better, as time goes by.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 29, 2016
Psycho-Pass
(Anime)
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I LIIIVE!!!!!! After what may be the most traumatizing moment in my life, I guess I’m ready to write my 10th review. And what better way to kick it off, than to start with a marathon, or in this case compilation, of Sci-Fi reviews, and start with one of my favorite Sci-fi anime, besides Cowboy Bebop, Psycho-Pass.
After the critical success of Mahu Shoujo Madoka Magica, Katsuyuki Motohiro reached out to Gen Urobuchi as the series writer, and Naoyoshi Shiotani, as the director. He wanted to make an anime series inspired by live-action movies like L.A. Confidential, Minority Report (One of my personal favorite), Brazil, and ... Blade Runner, and Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor. They went as far as to ban ‘moe’ from the development of the series; going as far as to forbid anyone to mentions the word. I am a sucker for crime detective TV series, like Person of Interest, Castle, and, my personal favorite from the category, The Blacklist. So let’s start the compilation and suit up for Psycho-Pass. Story – 10/10 I have to be honest here, the moment I laid eyes on the first episode, I was hooked. Just from the sneak peak to future events, we are already pumped for the fated encounter of our man, Shinya Kougami, and every one’s bad boy, Shougo Makishima. And then the episode cuts to present day. Just from that one introduction alone, we know that our protagonists are already embarking on an epic journey that will change, NOT who they are, but what defines them. The story has a neat way of dragging the protagonist, and by extension the viewer, into the fray. The story also does a sound job of world-building. When the team takes on a case, we, the viewer, also get to learn a little more about how the world works, and see how it fits into the case. The thing about dystopian fantasy is that it shows how perfectly flawed it can be compared to our world. Sure, it looks better, but do you REALLY want to live in a world where posting videos of cute kittens are considered taboo, and shaming a woman, who only asked for seconds, appropriate? Mr. Bumble might agree, but then again he’s not the guy getting shamed, but rather doing it *shrug*. It looks utopian, yet upon closer inspection, you might end up changing your mind. And the show portrays that very well. We don’t like it, but what other choice do we have? It’s not like there’s any other country where you can get the BEST burritos. The show also deals with stuff like revenge, individuality, independence from the higher ups when it comes to making our own choices, etc. And the best part is that the show never lets the viewer slip from its grasp. It’s engaging, and the cliffhangers are spot on, enough to make you want to watch the next episode right away. Art – 10/10 (9.9/10) Ah, the art. What is there to say when Production I.G. is behind the wheels of the series? They did a good of implementing CG at the right moment, the coloring and background perfectly sets the mood for the series, and characters give off a noir feel to them. The characters are designed so that they do not stand out. Which is why most of the characters are seen wearing black, white and a variety of dark colors, rather than yellow, orange or, dare I say it, pink (No detective in a dystopian setting would be caught in a gunfight….wearing pink). The show also does a good job of using color as more than just coloring the characters. No, no, no, rather they are used to convey the character’s inner ‘Psycho-Pass’, which is used to measure the individual’s mind to check for any possibility of a potential crime. For example, turquoise is calm and clear-minded, red is anger and violence, and black, is just downright bad. If you didn’t notice the readings get lower and lower as the color darkens, let’s see you name a show where colors accurately represent the emotions of a character. Now after around episode 16, the team ‘ran out of stamina’ and the animation might falter. However, I didn’t find this problem in the extended version, so you might want to watch that version. See where the 0.1 went? Overall, it isn’t that bad and the error shouldn’t faze you out of the show. I guess that’s everything. Either that or I’m too lazy and I just want to get to the Sound and Character section already. But I’m not done yet. Let’s talk about the Dominator, the series’ signature weapon. It looks sleek; its neon blue (Who DOESN’T want a neon blue gun? Definitely not the tactical squad, that’s for sure). In the world of Psycho-Pass, it’s the very symbol of justice, which is cruel when you take a closer look at it. And there’s gore, plenty to make you beg for more, but scarce to make sure it doesn’t get boring. Sound – 9.8/10 The OST was orchestrated by Yugo Kanno, who would later work on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable. Was it good? THE GUY DID THE OST FOR JJBA, OF COURSE HE’S GOOD! The OST reminds me of the aforementioned TV series, but with a good old futuristic twist to them. Whenever they’re chasing a criminal, whenever they investigate a crime scene, when the job is done and they call it a day, or even when they’re having a conversation, the OST always does a good job of making us feel pumped, interested, relaxed, and tense, respectively. And this helps in the immersion, it’s the other reason I got hooked. Now, as for the OP…..other than the 1st one, which was pretty good, the 2nd one is total shit (Cut open my skull, really?) in the opening lyrics department, but least it’s hummable (Just censor the cut open my skull part if you’re feeling squeamish), but visually it was more deep than the 1st OP, which was more of a tone setter, so, looking back, it wasn’t that bad as I thought it too be. As for the ED, it’s a masterpiece. The ED is just great, it’s brilliant, and also does a good job of ending the episode on a brilliant note. And get this, the 1st and 2nd ED was done by, drum roll please! EGOIST!! Yes, the same bands from Guilty Crown, who would later come back in Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. If you don’t know what I mean, check it out. Although I highly recommend against that, since its best experienced when watching the show. As for the Seiyuu, well judging from the word ‘Seiyuu’ alone, I watched it subbed. Kana Hanazawa voices Akane Tsunemori, and does a great job of portraying her role (It’s fricking Kana Hanazawa, what did you expect?) And on the topic of doing a great job of portraying their role, Tomokazu Seki voices the brooding cop with a tragic past, Shinya Kougami, and Takahiro Sakurai as the white-haired terrorist who wants to return individuality to humanity, Shougo Makishima (Well, he has been known to voice, surprise surprise, other white haired characters like Griffith from Berserk (2016), Haine Rammsteiner from Dogs: Bullets and Carnage, and Ja’Far from Magi. but he also did the voice of Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass, and Rohan Kishibe from JJBA:DiU). Everyone did their job so well, I don’t know if the dub the can top that. Now let’s lazily finish off this section so that I can move on to the next part – the Characters, which makes the efforts of everyone mentioned above well spent. Characters – 10/10 (9.99999999999/10) The best part of Gen Urobuchi’s work, is that the characters are the best part of it. He made Caster, from Fate/Zero, one of the most questionably likable characters (As for me, I’m on Team Lancer), and made the back story of Emiya Kiritsugu so tragic and painful. In this case, the characters of Psycho-Pass are no different from amazing. We have Akane Tsunemori, an honest woman who wants to uphold justice, Shinya Kougami, a brooding enforcer whose tragic past got him demoted to the place he is in and is now struggling whether he should uphold the law, or just say, ”Fuck it, I’m going to kill that *%^$#^%^&!!!” , Nobuchika Ginoza, Akane’s superior who does not always agree with her views on how to handle the situation, no matter how humane it is, but does it so that she doesn’t end up like ‘all the others’, and then we have the main villain, Shougo Makishima. The interesting part of this is that they represent ideological views, such as individuality, human logic and the right choice. As for the side characters, they were just as good as the main ones. Tomomi Masaoka and Shuusei Kagari are my favorites from this category, because they‘re always there when they want to take things down a notch when things get too heated and help Akane grow and adapt to the very system, that put them in the really crappy position they are in now (Who wants to be called a dog by the higher ups, let alone your own children? I thought black was supposed to be cool!?!). However, the most underdeveloped character *MEGA GASP* has to go to Yayoi, they mentioned her back story and they didn’t explore that, which was rather off-putting. At first, we see Akane as a rookie, she doesn’t have enough experience in the field and usually ends up in REALLY deep shit, but as the series progresses, we get to see her grow more as an investigator and as a character we can grow to care for. But then again, if I write one more word about her, let alone the other characters, I’ll only ruin the fun. Characters like them aren’t something descriptive, but rather, theological. So, it’s best that I stop talking about the characters before I accidentally suck the fun out of experiencing them. Enjoyment – 10/10 It’s one of my favorite anime of all time, OF COURSE I ENJOYED IT!!! There’s always enough action to keep you pumped, enough psychological drama to keep you on the edge of your seat, and suspense to keep you wanting for more. I binge watched this series and it took me THREE days. Normally it would take around five, but I didn’t give two craps about everything else and just kept watching. It’s no wonder it still holds up today as one of the best Psychological/Thriller/Crime/Cyberpunk/Suspense anime series ever made. There was a giddy TV lover in me that came back and made comparisons to the TV shows I watched in the past. If the producers want to make a series that translated well when made into a live-action adaptation (I see Liam Neeson and Scarlett Johansson as NY investigators, in a world where New York City has embraced the Sibyl System, with Cristopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino as the director, or you can call the guys behind the Marvel movies. That’ll work), then they did an excellent job at it. However, one thing that bummed me out was the sequel, which sucked balls. It was criminally subpar compared to its predecessor. It was SO bad, that electric chair, guillotine and Batman & Robin, was not worthy enough as a capital punishment for it. However, the movie did an excellent job at doing what the sequel should’ve done, and that closure is good enough for me. HELL! There’s a visual novel out RIGHT NOW, and sadly, being where I am, I won’t be able to enjoy it. *thump thump THUMP Spludge SPLAT thump bump* Overall – 10/10 In the grand scheme of things, do I, SirKnight007, recommend Psycho-Pass, a modern masterpie….NO SHIT SHERLOCKE!!! If you like Psychological, Crime Noir, any work by Gen Urobuchi, or TV shows and movies that I mentioned before, then Psycho-Pass will be an experience you’ll treasure for days to come. It never loses its audience no matter how long the exposition, the characters are interesting no matter how much the main protagonists shine, and the underlying theme of a perfect society and what it is worth will always haunt us no matter how many literary references you can find. If you want a show like that, then I highly recommend you give it a watch RIGHT NOW. Chances are you might finish it in three days or less. Well, looks like the compilation is going smoothly. Do check out the next review where I cover a movie that REALLY knows how to give the best Crime/Psychological/Thriller/Cyberpunk/Suspense anime good closure.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 9, 2016
Black Lagoon
(Anime)
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Finally, it's been SO long since I wrote a review. So let's start this comeback with the Crime/Action/Black Comedy bullet hell, Black Lagoon.
Story - 8/10 You can't tell because of the eight, but this is the weakest part of the anime. Let's say, you were to split an arc into three. The first is slow and sluggish, and throws some decent amount of exposition. The second part is half the first one, and the second part of it is where they build up the action. And the third part is where the action is, aka the best part. That is basically the entire series. I have ... to admit, the story was pretty good, if not for the pattern I mentioned earlier. Honestly, the story does a pretty good job when it comes to character development and showing the dark gritty side of Roanapur, I mean, after all it IS a Crime anime, so I guess that fits well. But if ther's one thing I can clarify, two words- GUN PORN. As you can tell from said two words, the series glorifies guns, and boy OH BOY, they glorify to the nth degree! I guess another has to be the narration. The main protagonist does a real good job of describing the world around him in a pretty well-done fashion, like your listening to someone reading a book. Not that modern anime does this anymore...SEE, THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS. Art - 9/10 I have to give it a solid A okay. The environment is very breath-taking, portraying the lush scenery, the deep seas, and the bloody glory of someone's head getting blown up, it does that job pretty well. Roanapur is no stranger to this treatment, by day, it looks like your regular run of the mill market place, with occasional gunshots heard in the distant background. By night, the market closes and the brothels light up to show it's true colors. And did I mention the guns, MAN you gotta love those smooth, sleek details. You can tell from the attention to detail alone, that these people, REALLY love their guns. Sound - 8/10 If you make a trailer, make sure that whatever you show in the trailer is well worth , well executed and well delivered. In the early promotion trailer, Mel's 'Red fraction' was played in the background. No surprise when they made it into an opening. It was awesome, and definitely got you ready for the chaos that will ensue. Even going far as telling the inner workings of Revy's mind. However, the first part of the arc, might bog down that euphoria. The ending was pretty solid. Nothing beats ending an episode like playing some slow melancholic music and then end on a rocking note. That ED I mentioned, was 'Never look back' by EDISON. Now for this review, I watched it dubbed. And let me tell you, it was BEAUTIFUL! We have Brad Swaile did a really solid job of voice casting as Rock, the main protagonist, who is thrown into the gritty world of crime, of his free will. The same goes for Maryke Hendrikse, who voiced the badass Revy, complete with 'FUNKY FRESH' swears and profanity. but the gold medal goes to Dean Redman as Dutch. DAAAAMN SON! That voice, that authenticity, this is THE ideal voice of a mercenary who will KICK your ass! I mean, we are looking at a Hollywood actor who trained in martial arts and weaponry, thus adding to the authenticity. DAAMN! I haven't listened to a dub this good since 'Cowboy Bebop'. Speaking of which.... Character - 9/10 If there's one thing I love about this series, it's the characters. If you liked how the characters were executed in 'Cowboy Bebop', then you'll like the crew of the Lagoon Co. There's Rock, the new recruit of the Lagoon Co., who joined of his own free will, like I mentioned earlier. He is basically the Devil's Advocate of the series, joining the dark side to see their side of the argument, and is loving it! We also have Benny the hacker, whose job is to navigate and crack codes, Dutch, the cool black guy (I'm Sorry, if I insulted any African-American by saying the word black), and then there's Revy. Revy, Revy, Revy. This HAS to be the BEST character in my opinion. She is the foul-mouthed, gun-toting, ass-kicking, Bullet Hell incarnate that acts as the Nuke of the Lagoon Co. Nowhere else will you find a female character portrayed so well in any anime, EVER! The rest of the cast NEVER gets side-tracked. From the leader of Hotel Moscow, Balalaika, to the 'Maid-at-arms' Roberta. Everyone has their time to shine and show their character, no matter how little the time may be. Enjoyment - 9/10 YOU DARE ASK ME, if I enjoyed this anime? FUCK YEAH, I did!!! The lush scenery, the bloody showdowns, and raining bullets should be enough to tell you, HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS SHOW. Honestly though, this may get 9, but the second season, 'Second Barrage' gets a solid 10. Something tells me that the studio behind the series knew of the weaknesses and leveled up the awesome factor to the 1000*nth dimensional degree. Overall - 9.25/10 Do I recommend 'Black Lagoon'? HELL YES. Now if you can excuse me, I have to make a phone call. ********************************************************************************* Me - Yes, is this Lagoon Co.? Hotel Moscow? Oh, looks like I got the wrong number. - Are you, by chance, looking for someone to deal with your rival problems? - Oh, don't worry, I'm a professional. I can be a demolition expert as a cover. - Let's just say, I have a high affinity for guns and explosions. - Yes, THAT Tim.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 28, 2016 Recommended
After a long time, I finally found the time to write a review. And what better way to start a topic then Hellsing? It is considered by many as one of THE action anime to watch, if you are an action anime fan. But does it stand the test of time? Let's check it out, and see for ourselves.
Story - 7/10 This is a bit of a stretch, since this one of the anime's weak point, in the early part of the series. Have you ever watched Hentai, and asked yourselves, "Gee! I wonder what it would look like if there was no hentai, in a ... hentai.". That's what I felt when I watched the first six episodes of Hellsing. Why? Well, Fun Fact, the one-shot manga that inspired it was a hentai featuring a prototype Seras, and prototype Alucard. The author, Kouta Hirano, used to work as an H mangaka.Yes, I did my research. But to all honesty, at least the story gets better near the end, where they **************************SPOILER ALERT************************** Introduce Incognito, the main antagonist. ***************************************************************** The story isn't for everyone, especially myself, but if you love vampires kicking the ever-living shit out of each other....Yeah, You'll enjoy it. Art - 7/10 Sadly, I wish I could give it an 8, if not for the censored gore. C'mon, this is Hellsing. Give me blood, gore, flying brain bits and guts being splattered all over the place, give me something to satiate my blood-lust dammit! At other times, the action scenes are pretty well done, my favourite being the one from the episode and vs. the main antagonist. You can instantly tell, that when the sky turns red, shit is going to hit the fan. Sound - 8/10 DAMMIT!! I want to give this part of the anime a 9, I SWEAR! I loved the battle theme, especially when they play that music from the first episode, it set the tone so well. And I loved the OP AND the ED, those were my favourite part of the anime. The ED, Shine, was done by the American Band, Mr. Big. This was a HUGE thing before JJBA (2012) series hit the screen. And I loved it. So why didn't I give it a higher score? The voice acting. NOTICE - If you liked the dub OR the sub in any way, do ignore this part of the review. Because chances are, some of you might try to CRUCIFY ME in an attempt to prove me wrong. LORD! I'm SOOOOOOO DEAD. This is the reason why I put the anime on hold and gave it 6 (that and the headache, but it didn't help). This HAS to be the anime's BIGGEST weak-point. I had to watch the rest of the anime in subs, but did it help? A little. Okay, maybe I'm being too critical. Crispin Freeman did a really good job of playing Alucard. In fact, Sir Integra, Alucard, Anderson and Walter, were the only good voices. Other than that, GRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAANNNNN!! I really AM feeling like I'm watching a washed up hentai, WITH NO HENTAI! The subs wasn't THAT good, but at least it's bearable. That I can agree on. Let's move on to something that might cool you down and make you feel better, and hopefully, NOT crucify me. Characters - 7/10 If there's one thing the voice acting can't ruin, it's the character. We have the immortal badass, Alucard, the woman behind the reins of said badass, Sir Integra. But the best character has to go to Seras, who is trying to cope with her new life as a vampire and tries to stay human, EVEN after abandoning her humanity. And then we have the antagonist. **************************SPOILER ALERT************************** Truly, an asshole that gave the Helsing organization a tough time and a worthy opponent for Alucard to face. ***************************************************************** Sadly, we don't see much of Anderson. That's a downer. And the voice acting doesn't help either. It grated my ear-drums and I couldn't even focus on the character. It wasn't until I lost the earphones and switched to sub, that I can fully appreciate these characters. Enjoyment - 7/10 It may seem like you're going up a mountain and it just drags on, but when you get to the top, there will be a sleigh waiting for up there, ready to give you a high speed decent into awesome. All in all, it was fun, when I reached the near end. Just, take my advice and watch it in subs. If you wanna go for dubs, then lose the earphones. Overall - 7/10 Well ,this review took quite a while to do, but I finally made it. I, as of the is review, put Hellsing Ultimate On-Hold. Once I get a couple of other animes done, I'll finish it and see which of these two are better (And in terms of the voice-acting department, Ultimate already dominated Round 1).
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 16, 2016
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai
(Manga)
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Well, it's about time I wrote a manga review. And which manga did I start with? Why, with 'The World God Only Knows' ofcourse. Why this? Because I recently finished this gargantuan manga. But first, a confession. I HATE the Harem genre. I could make a list if I wanted to, but I guess I'll save it for later. Let's dive in.
Story - 8/10 Now this has to be the one section that stands out. This what drew me to THIS Harem manga in particular. For those who watched MatPat's video about how Dating Sim game can actually help you find love, you'll find this manga ... quite mindblowing (EAT THAT MATPAT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR IGNORING MY COMMENTS). I do find some parts of the manga as needless filler, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. However, you will find plot-holes in the most uncanny of places. Like, what happened to that bitch from ten years ago? Funny, because you won't see her again in the future, thus rendering her irrelevant to the plot, and thus mentioning it does not count as a spoiler. Art - 9/10 Behold, the strong point of the manga, the art-style. We are looking at Tamiki Wakaki's magnum opus (in my opinion), the guy ended up collaborating with Team Ninja (YES, THAT Team Ninja) in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and designed the Senran Kagura and Deception-Themed outfits. The characters look pretty gorgeous, making it difficult to determine 'Best Girl'. My favourite part HAS to be the use of chibi art-style to help convey emotions like joy and 'AWWW MAAAN' moments. In terms of character design, I liked Keima, Tsukiyo, Ayumi, Chihiro, Haqua And Elsee's (Or Elucia) design much better. But Elsee's a winner in my book, she looks 'adowable' and troublesome at the same time. Character - 8/10 It's about time I addressed one of the problems of the Harem genre, and this section gets hit by it the hardest. In Harem, it is downright DIFFICULT to nail a good character development, let alone a character arc. Let's say, you did a character development for a girl who is sun-shy, next you did a character arc for a girl who is secretly a lesbian, but along the line, when the manga run is over, you realized, that you forgot about the girl who collects baseball cards as a hobby and the perverted classmate, who has feelings for said lesbian, even though she has a boyfriend. It is difficult to keep track of these characters, and it gets worse as the roster expands. TWGOK does not do that. Each character is well defined with their own quirks and charms and the character arc does not leave them out of the spotlight. Hence making the characters more memorable. *Spoiler Alert* Take for example, Keima Katsuragi, he is a gamer who denies reality and lives in his fantasy world. Chihiro Kosaka is a girl who, after being released from her runaway spirit, wants to make her a dream a reality, no matter how much of a novice she was at the guitar. And then there's Elsee, my favourite, who is carefree, gives Keima hell, even though not intentionally, but wants to be the best little sister through and through. Oh, and she loves Fire Twucks (Fire Twucks has never been so adorable). *End of Spoiler* That's what I like about the manga, good character arcs. However, there are some characters, whose motives we are never disclosed to. Like that Vintage devil from the later arcs (Do-M, as they say), or that aforementioned Bitch from ten years ago. Enjoyment - 8/10 Overall, I enjoyed the manga. Other than the fact that it is a Harem manga, it had great characters, a good premise, and a lesson for everyone to take home. I have to admit I was drained from reading a whopping 271 chapters in approximately 11 days. I have to admit I enjoyed a good chunk of it, and I wasn't afraid of discussing it (I even discussed some memorable scenes in Chapter 121 and 207, in particular) Overall - 8/10 (Raw Score - 8.25) Do I recommend it? If you like the harem genre, Definitely. If you're tired of the common harem genre tropes, HELL YES!! Just be careful, you might find a trope or two, but that's what it is, a trope or two. The lesson I learned today, DON'T READ AND ACCEPT SUSPICIOUS E - MAILS!!!! Yeah, Didn't see THAT life lesson, did ya?
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 11, 2016 Recommended
I finally finished 'FLCL', the anime everybody is talking about.It's one of Gainax's OVA, and you cannot call yourself a true Gainax fan until you watched it. Was it good? Was it bad? was it TOO much for the human brain to compromise? Let's find out.
Story - 8/10 I have to be honest here, when I first started watching the show, I had mixed feelings about it. Mainly because I was stuck on whether I should watch it in dub, or sub (I chose the latter). When I watched the first two episodes, I was rather confused and turned off (Not THAT kind of "turned off"). ... The story was bizarre and haphazard, it didn't make sense. Then, the most funniest thing happened. I took a nap, and when I woke up and gave episode 3 a go, I was enjoying it. The story was more comprehensible now. I guess I was a little tired and sleep-deprived when I watched the first two episodes. When I watched the series, I knew it was a coming-of-age story, with hidden meanings and deep symbolism, which I will get to later. Just a word of caution, this anime is TOO insane for your brain to handle. So be sure to eat plenty of WTF chips and Mind#@&* soda (For an affordable price of nigh-d-nigh sense!!!) Art - 7/10 Now we get to the weak department. You know Gainax is notorious for having a small wallet when it comes to the Art department. Just look at Gurren Lagaan and Evangelion (Though the latter was smart, yet heart-breaking, the former was downright sad *cough*Episode 4*cough*). However, that does not mean it does not utilizes this weakness.Very few media form EVER managed to use a weakness to their own advantage. Evangelion like before, though controversial, felt rather well used, compared to other media that stumbles in this department. FLCL uses it's hand-drawn childishly wacky art, to convey the insanity you are about to experience. Small reminder - Do take a break every now and then, and don't watch this anime if you are feeling groggy. It will only ruin the quality of the anime. Same goes for the others too. And when the anime cranks it's art quality to the max, it does it well. The 1st episode,the 3rd and the later part of the 5th(The latter two being my personal favourite), showcased this VERY well. Sound - 9/10 I loved it. The soundtrack has to be the most hum-able ones I've listened to since 'Cowboy Bebop' and 'Soul Eater'. The show does an excellent job of playing music when you feel like going crazy and say "#@&* logic! GUITAR PHYSICS!!!!!!!!!!". Preference might change. What we CAN agree on, is that the ending is #@&*ing awesome. Truly reflects the tone of the show and gives you that much needed break. Now where's that sentient scooter that was seen picking up hot chicks not that long ago? As for the voice-acting, I went for the subs. But you can enjoy it dubbed too. However, there were times when the cast, especially in EXTREME situations, would pull out a Trolls 2 (oh my gooooooooooooood.). My favourite seiyuu has to go to Haruko's. She was insane, yet normal, crazy, yet reasonable, maniacal, but reliable. Naoto's Seiyuu was pretty good too. They did a good job of portraying a young boy who is going through a serious case of puberty NO human can bear to go through. Character - 8.6/10 Yeah, 8.6. You can't see it, but I gave it 9, but the raw score is 8.6. Sure, some characters might be your token characters, but the main cast is well written. They might sound dull due to the voice-acting, but admit it, was there a time in your life where YOUR reaction was anime-like? No? Good (Unless it's another news that HxH is in another hiatus, or that Attack on Titan S2 is getting another delay, or Boku no Pico is getting a live-action adaptation). There are only two words to say about the characters, Normal and relate-able. However, there is only one word for the Gal that steals the show, Haruhara Haruko, Insane as #@&*! (Wait, that was THREE words). Anything else. Enjoyment - 9/10 I actually enjoyed it. This is definitely one of those anime that is so good it's bad, or at least I think. But that's my opinion. The story is not for everyone, but if you turn off your brain from the logic and try to breathe the craziness, you may or may not find it enjoyable too watch. One of the anime's strength is that it's easy to REwatch. It's only six episodes. So, you are most likely to enjoy it on the second, or third re-run. But one thing's for sure. You'll never fully understand the ENTIRE message of the anime. This is one of the few animes that made me realize MY flaws. When I was watching 'Hellsing' (Dubbed), I was getting mixed feelings. Why? Because of a fricking head-ache. So I couldn't enjoy it, and I had to put it on hold (GREAT, Now I'm going to get executed!!!). And just as it made the protagonist get over his puberty, it made me realize that if I'm gonna enjoy an anime, I have to enjoy it without ANY external variables, especially head-aches. Overall - 9/10 (Gained an extra point for the reason that I will now mention) In the end, FLCL is like 'The Big Lebowski'. The plot doesn't seem to go anywhere, or for any reason, but there will be colleges talking about it's deep meaning and symbolism.People will be writing books about it, and no Philosophy class will be complete without a Blu-ray disk of FLCL, to use in lectures. To the point of people calling it a masterpiece! Not everyone will agree though, but hopefully, they will after a couple of re-watches (OR not). I was totally blown away when I heard a sequel in the making, coming next year, and I just can't wait.Hopefully, it will be just as good as the original, with double the mind#@&*s. Should you watch this? If you like Gurren Lagaan, definitely, and if possible, you might even love it. Just don't think and SWING that guitar like a crazy, hyperactive maniac, because Life isn't going anywhere, YOU are.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 9, 2016
Soul Eater
(Anime)
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Recommended
Previously on my Blue Exorcist Review -
GO WATCH SOUL EATER!!!! It's considered one of the best Shounen anime to hit the screen and has excellent art direction and OST, and the opening is helluva lot better, since the tone match so well with the show. Well, you heard him. What's not to love about this series. It has, in my opinion, the best any Shounen anime could ever offer. Great premise, Great Characters, Best OST, and one of the best OPs in anime history (The latter two guaranteed to give you Ear-gasms). Let's dive into the pool of awesomeness that is Soul Eater. Story - 8/10 Now, ... some of you may be surprised to hear this, but this is one of the weakest points in the anime, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It has an excellent premise and, though minimal, a good chunk of world building. I mean, we have a world where People can become weapons, and team up with their Meisters to kick ass. If I was a Meister, I'd be a gun- wielder. But if I was a weapon, I'd be a lvl-100 Aegislash. See what I did in the last sentence? That sentence alone, showed how much I loved the premise of the anime. And what better way to tell a good story, than to add good characters to the mix. Some may have mixed feelings about the ending, but, in my opinion, I like it. As for the weak points, yeah, the characters seems to forget why they were here in the first place (Want a hint? It starts with 'Death Scythes'). Art - 10/10 Guy's, Studio Bones was behind the reins of Soul Eater. OF COURSE I'D GIVE IT A 10!!!! They always know how to emphasize the feeling of a given situation. And when there's suspense, they'll change the atmosphere of the setting to FIT that suspense.Another strong point is the character design. Each characters are designed to suit their personality and they do it well (I'm lookin' at you, Death The Kid).And the action scenes are SPECTACULAR.One of my favourite fights are the ones involving Kid, Maka and Sword-God Mifune, what more do I ask. No other words can describe the art of this anime. Should I continue, I'll only ruin the beauty of this anime. Sound -10/10 You can't tell, but my pant's wet from the Sound. The OPs are awesome, and 'Resonance' is the best of the bunch. It knows exactly how to pump up it's viewers for a roller-coaster ride of awesome, and it does it well. As for the voice-acting, I watched this anime in dub. Though there were some hiccups here and there (BLACK STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!), I found the voice acting to be great. Todd Haberkorn did an excellent job of portraying the OCD-ridden Death The Kid. And for a moment there, I thought Johny Yong Bosch was Soul (but he wasn't) and that's how good the voice actors are. Dub, or Subs, either way is fine. Characters - 8.5/10 As for the characters, they're pretty well diverse and quirky. We have Maka, the bookworm who wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and nuke her father's presence. Soul, a scythe who wants to become a Death Scythe, but is willing to protect Maka at any cost, even if it means risking his own life (much to Maka's chagrin). Black Star, who is an annoying self-absorbed jerk, who wants to surpass God (provided it's the God of Evil, I'm okay with that), but want's to keep his loud image, so that he can boost his friends' morale and lead them under his banner (Much to EVERYONE's chagrin.). Tsubaki, the quiet Death-arms who always supported Black Star to the very end, and keeping his ego in check. Liz and Patty, Death's twin pistols, with opposing personalities, yet a compatibility so high and symmetrical, that it would give Naruto a run for his money (Much to Kid's delight), And Death the Kid, my favourite character, the OCD-driven, symmetry-obsessed, perfectionist badass. And that's just the ORIGINAL main cast. The characters, in my opinion, are the selling point for me. In Shounen manga, it is easy to botch up characters when you are busy trying to appeal to massive male audience, but Soul Eater doesn't do that. Much to Kid's delight, the characters are all compatible with each other. If they are not on terms with each other, they will work it out. If someone has a problem, but doesn't want to share, their friends be more than willing to help. Since their teamwork and compatibilty as Meister and Weapon is a must, in order to defeat enemies and defy the odds, it's easy to see why. Enjoyment - 9/10 It was a good watch, but holy snap, was it long. I enjoy anime, I really do. But 51 episodes is more than I could chew. I'm used to the 26 episode per season format. But then again, this is coming from a guy who threw a hissy fit, when he heard that Gainax didn't want to give Gurren Lagaan six seasons. Overall - 9/10 Now children, what did I say about this anime in my Blue Exorcist review? (This is where you look up to the first paragraph of this review) VERY GOOD.It may have it's minute flaws, but you are guaranteed to enjoy. I mean, if I enjoy it, so will you (I hope). Now pick your ass up and watch Soul Eater, if you have the time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 3, 2016
Pokemon Best Wishes!
(Anime)
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Not Recommended Preliminary
(2/84 eps)
Let me tell you the story of a young boy. He was an idiot, a spoiled brat and a growing jerk, but he always wanted to be a good guy. He is completely unaware of the dark future that lies in wait for him. One day, he found a toy drum, with a cute,yellow creature on it. Sadly, some asshole stole it, along with all his other toys (It was the house butler, or as we like to call them, the bat-man. I'm not kidding, I was facing an existential crisis when I heard that). A few months later, he saw a new TV show
...
on Cartoon Network. It had a young boy, who wanted to be a Pokemon Master, along with a yellow creature, named Pikachu. He loved it, and became a die hard fan. This lead him to a world of wonder, where his stupidity had a heavy price (worth his sister's love), and that studying will get him a new pack of Pokemon cards (Who needs drugs, when you can pop open a booster pack full of your favorite Pokemon?). He finished Pokemon Gen 1, then Gen2, then his favorite, Gen 3, and so forth. He didn't like Pokemon, he LOVED it. He even has a username based on one of his favorite Pokemon. Who is he you ask? That boy would grow up to be known as, SirKnight007, ME, the anti-social nerd, who joined MAL and is here to give you an honest to goodness review. And as a Diehard Pokemon fan, I tell you this-
POKEMON BEST WISHES SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! Let's move on with the review. Story - 3 - For those of you who watched the anime, you know the story by the back of your hand. Ash wants to be Pokemon Master, yada yada yada yada. But here's the kicker. When you watched the show, some of you might have noticed that, somethings off. It's itching at the back of your mind, and then it hits you. I'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE!! Yes, you guessed it right, this season recycles everything from the previous seasons and makes it cringe-inductively childish. We have the filler, showcasing all the Pokemon, but they are just downright LAME. In the previous seasons, the fillers would be more interesting and captivating, making us wish we were in the Kanto region, or go surfing in the Orange islands and check out the female Swimmers and the Beauties, if you what I'm saying ;-). But here, NO, just NO. If someone gave me the choice to live in Vampire Nazi infested England or Unova, I'll take the former and get me some Harkannen (did I spell that right?) and blow that New York-wanna-be to pieces (I still look forward to going to New York though. I heard it's awesome in comparison to THIS monstrosity). Art and Sound won't be here, because I cringed so much I didn't give a damn. So I'll add in a new segment (Please forgive me admins of MAL, but THIS must be addressed) called The Works, and break an anime down to it's core and find the reason for it's ascension, or it's downfall. By the way, both Art and Sound got 4. The Works - 10 - Why 10? Because it explains everything. You all should know that the anime is based on the Gen 5 game, the series that, in my opinion, jumped the Sharpedo. It had an excellent premise, but the Pokemon introduced were....er, let's say, recycled. You can make a list of recycled Pokemon and it still wouldn't be enough. You see, what I concur is that the anime decided to recycle the best part of the previous seasons, just like they recycled the Pokemon in the game. There were good writers and staff, and the fact that they tried to recycle the previous seasons, kinda makes sense.Maybe they were pissed about Gen 5 too, and they let their rage get projected into this pile of Mudsdale Poo? Still confused? Don't worry, it gets worse. Character - 2 - EVEN THE CHARACTERS WERE RECYCLED!!! We have Iris, a poor man's Misty, and Cilan, a Poor man's Brock (Bring back Brock Senpai, YOU BASTARDS). The characters were just borderline forgettable (EVEN the Gen 4 game was more memorable than this!). The previous seasons had a female lead (Misty, May and Dawn) who all have their lovable charms. My favorite, May, was a trainer who wants to be a Pokemon Coordinator, and even meets rivals of her own, like the suave and handsome Drew, to the sneaky a-hole Harley (Who I think looks gay, for some odd reason). Dawn also has rivals, but they represent her troubled past, and by overcoming them, she overcomes that trauma (remember that Bitch who gave Dawn, the diamond dust? Man, I hated her guts). Iris..........meh. She has no personality and no charm whatsoever. Brock was everybody's favorite lovable idiot, who chases love but gets whacked, smacked, dragged and Poison Jabbed away, just to avoid getting sued (Maybe he's trying to get a Restraining Order with Officer Jenny's signature. That's a win in my book), but he is a great cook and pioneered the art of the Frying Pan (Rapunzel is a very devout student of this sacred technique), and though love slips through his grasp, we will ALWAYS love him. Cilan is, like I said, a Poor man's Brock, who shoehorns in that fruits is good for you, and that you need to eat healthy (Yes, they did that). Ash............................he never changes. Enjoyment - 1 - Guys, I watched two episode and dropped it. Wanna know why? Because the show was so cringe-worthy that I dropped it altogether. So I spoiled myself, and I shook in disappointment and told myself, "I'm glad I spoiled myself." Overall - 2 - Guys, this has to be the worst anime I have EVER watched. I mean, it's bad, like REALLY BAD. Any die hard Pokemon fan can watch this and lose their faith in the Pokemon anime altogether and just play the games instead. Or so I thought. One day, I was surfing through Youtube and something caught my eye. It was an episode of Pokemon XY&Z, the Gen 6 anime, subbed, and it was made by the very same staff. And so I decided to give it a shot, out of sympathy, and the fact that it was subbed (the dub made my ears bleed). And then, I saw it. After watching that one episode, just ONE, I knew what this meant, This Pokemon anime isn't going to be good, This anime is gonna be AWESOME. And I look forward to watching it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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