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Jul 6, 2018
As a stand alone run of 12 episodes, Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These is well worth watching. Essentially it is the story of two military leaders who are thrust into an interstellar war. One is a reluctant hero of a democratic society, the other is a covetous visionary and growing force in an authoritarian monarchy. Both make their choices to best serve respective societies, but perhaps more importantly - they make choices to win. Ideals and visions are important, but without victory, both are irrelevant. There is a large cast of surrounding characters, but all are connected to the
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central two, and their exploits. Characters may well be one of the weakest qualities of this show - background information is generally very shallow, and character motivations (while clearly stated) are not fleshed out. I like the characters, and am interested in their fates - but more as a result of the story arc.
Technically, I feel a lot of pieces are in the right place. I'm not critical of any of the style, design or mixing CG with traditional animation. In fact, Legend of the Galactic Heroes often emphasizes an audio/visual experience for the viewer - which is immediately evident with the OP. I also have not watched the original (and obviously highly regarded) series, so I really have no expectation in that regard.
I feel the moments that shine the brightest would have to be the space battle sequences - or really any of the sequences that occur in space. There is something really special about the scale of these scenes, which is juxtaposed in real time with individual characters making choices that effect thousands of lives. The sound, music and visuals of these scenes is a reason to watch this anime alone. Worth noting that these scenes are occasional punctuations, and there are entire episodes of dialog driven story, without any significant action. But the world building in the more sedate episodes is critical to understand the opposing sides, and why they are at war.
Besides being an entertaining, there is another quality I really like about this series: it's contemporary relevance.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes - either by design or coincidence, examines a very real power struggle happening on the globe at this moment. Authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracies around the world are descending (at least seemingly) into confusion. This anime takes a very sober look at the intoxicating nature of a strong military combined with unified leadership. It also examines the double edge sword of personal freedoms, elected officials and majority ruled democracy. One is clean, simple and strait forward - the other is all shades of grey, messy, and enduringly complex. It might be argued that one system enforces a rule book, while the other attempts flexibility with regard to the complex nature of reality. This anime is a fun playground for looking at divergent political values, choices, and ultimately military engagements in response to policy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 28, 2018
There is a great deal about this anime that I like. Really compelling ideas are both thrust into the viewer face, and with a little thought there are ideas lurking beneath the surface of what is seen. I know that is very vague, but it's the great ideas this anime plays with that entertains me the most.
Basically this anime focuses on the relationship between an android (called hIE's) and a high school adolescent. There are a wide variety of events the two go through, which is pretty well foreshadowed by their initial meeting. One can expect excitement to find the pair
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because of their importance to many outside forces.
The female lead (hIE) Lacia is (surprise!) a very special android with advanced capabilities. Arato, the male lead is (surprise!) a strait forward nice guy who can come through in the clutch. These characters are not original in any shape or form, but their roles work well within the larger context of the story.
And this is why this anime will be enjoyable for some. There is a lot of play with artificial intelligence, robotics, social engineering, brainwashing, software protocols and potential future changes that can effect the entire landscape of reality. So even though this anime may appear cliche, trope, whatever - it actually isn't if you follow all the dialog and the potential implications.
However, I'd be the first to admit, I am completely forgiving some blatantly bad elements of this anime. Namely frequent flash back moments, complete episode recaps, and diversions from the overall arc. Also, in spite of all the fun had with smart ideas - their is a great deal of potential squandered. Stakes could be higher, characters more complex/developed, clearer motivations, and more consistency from episode to episode. There really are strong and weak episodes. There is a lot of discussion right now about FB and social media, and how peoples minds are being steered or even altered as a result of media interaction. This is an idea Beatless hints at, but doesn't really fully take advantage of. I mention this, because I feel this way about a lot of the ideas presented - unrealized potential.
I'm a big fan of the opening. There's solid artistic detail, the music is excellent, and a lot can be learned about the anime just by watching it - in other words, it's what I want as an anime fan. In almost exact contrast, the credits exemplify some of the worst parts of the anime. Don't get me wrong, still good music, and it's well made - but for me a montage about the main character's sister's daily life has no relevance.
Probably not an anime just anyone can really like - but if some of the core elements sound appealing (androids, AI, relationships between machines and people, social engineering) - might be worth a look. Overall a 7/10 for me so far
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 7, 2018
Enjoyment of this anime really comes down to one thing - can you invest and buy into the dramatic content. The first episode is easier to like than any other (imo) because it has just enough action and conflict to bring in average anime fans.
But after that? Each episode follows the path of some ass kicking dramatic situation that the main character must resolve the best she can. The main character, Violet, is lacking in any social skills and understanding of basic emotions. It is though this journey that she evolves, and this is the emphasis of the complete story
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arc.
I fully admit I am an absolute sucker for dramatic content, as long as I like the characters. This anime absolutely would crush my emotions time and time again. I could feel it coming at the beginning of each episode, build, and release near the end. This leads me to believe there is a lot of well placed foreshadowing at the beginning. And the structure of each episode is built on unleashing powerful emotion before each story concludes.
I love the emphasis on the power of the written word (letters), which is something in real life that most people are getting further and further from. I used to write meaningful letters. I used to write meaningful emails - now it's all texts and instant messaging - and the power of a well thought out, written letter is being lost. It's an absolute shame, and I think a lot of people who have not shared my observations or experiences? Just don't care. It's not a problem, because it was never part of life in the first place. So I get it. To a lot of viewers, this anime may seem contrived, and pointless - especially if you can't slip into the story, characters and their experiences.
But if you can? Violet Evergarden isn't just good - it's an instant classic. My only complaints are nit picks about the world building and technology. It's all cool, but there is a lack of balance or explanation as to the 1950's style machinery, and the highly complex augmentation which is literally part of the main character. But does this really matter in the larger picture? No. In fact, symbolically all the world building may be in exactly the right place.
Violet Evergarden has absolute top notch production. 10/10 for art and animation as far as I'm concerned. Everything else is way above average. My final rating a 9/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 4, 2018
Hakyuu Houshin Engi clearly has a very small viewing audience atm, and (seemingly) has been attacked at various angles that will likely prevent many from starting this anime at all.
Which is a shame! Hakyuu Houshin Engi has merit. It's art style is unique. The storytelling, while strait forward, includes a lot of moving parts. The characters are probably the weakest link, with all of them fulfilling roles in which they stay within a certain margin. The hero is a hero, the villain is diabolical - so on and so forth. I feel this approach is ok though, because (imo)
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this anime focuses on the overall story arc, and not the character interactions.
Who will like Hakyuu Houshin Engi? Fans of Chinese action cinema - especially the really far out type movies like Swordsman II, Master of the Flying Guillotine, & (especially) Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain. Hakyuu Houshin Engi feels like it takes place in the same world as Zu: Warriors in fact. So, my guess would be both draw heavy inspiration from Chinese folk tales.
What is the world? Classic asian middle ages where humans and senin (immortal demons) work for or against one another in various ways. The main character is a senin who's goal is to protect humans from his own kind, which makes his position a constant challenge. Many senin want to rule, or do as they want without interference, while others strive for more peaceful co-existence.
There are a lot of characters, and they are not all on the same team - and there is subtlety to allies and their motivations. This isn't four main characters, who always are together, each with defined roles. There's a bunch of grey areas with regard to characters, which (I guess) is complicated? Not really - this anime is strait forward as long as one brings a little intelligence to the experience.
I would put all the production values at above average, but not spectacular. The strongest element, to me, would be the art design. Everything has an interesting look, from the architecture to the floating islands, clothing, character design, and all the magical effects. It's just a cool looking anime, and fun to watch.
I rate this overall as a 7. While far from classic, this anime does a lot of things right. It does occasionally fall flat on it's face in a scene or two - odd, tonally separate scenes that can really feel out of place. Other times a lot of the characters just talk there way through long sections, where it feels like the writers are unloading story without showing any action. But these moments are outliers through 11 episodes. Still a long way to go, but I feel this anime could go in either direction (better or worse) from here.
While there certainly is some fan service and predictable elements in Hakyuu Houshin Engi - by and large it has a unique approach that separates itself from most anime. If the viewer feels a bit out of place? The old rule, watch at least 3 episodes, maybe 4 or 5 in this case, and judge for yourself at that point.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 3, 2016
Story:6
Characters:6
Animation: 6
Music:8
Overall:7
One might think because I played Phantasy Star, PSII, & PSIII, Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast and Gamecube, PSO episode 1&2 on the Gamecube and Xbox, PSO portable 1 & 2 on the PSP, and PSO Zero on the NDS that I might have a bias for this anime. How could I? Because I never played PSO 2! Just not core enough to make that happen. In reality I only allowed my love of this series to add a point to my final score. PSO2 the Animation is at best a 6, but 7 to me as an enormous
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fan of the video game series. Just for reference I also play a ton of Monster Hunter, Freedom Wars, Ragnarok Odyssey, Soul Sacrifice, God Eater, Toukiden, and all the Dark/Demon Souls games - so clearly I’m a well rounded gamer… It is worth mentioning that every hunting game/action RPG has it’s roots in PSO, and the influence this game has had on the world of video games is no small matter.
What I like. If someone had never played a video game, let alone an action massively multiplayer online game, the first few episodes of this anime are like an instruction manual teaching the viewer what these games are, including a smattering of etiquette within the online multiplayer realm. I loved this, and thought PSO2tA mixed these qualities in admirably into the introduction of characters and story. To any gamer of merit, this may of come off as obvious and redundant, but I’m sure i’m not alone in my appreciation, and suspect more than a handful of people gained something while watching the lighthearted presentation. I considered the animation quality to be slightly above average, except in isolated “in-game” sequences that I found astonishing. There is an appealing hand drawn/CG video game quality. The visual mix of black backgrounds with neon outlines from the video game is captured perfectly. Sadly these sequences are infrequent, and not always consistent in quality. The sound and music are (in my mind) the best qualities in the show, with strong opening and closing credits. The background soundtrack music does a good job setting the tone, and VG sound effects are used just enough to keep the PSO connection. This anime may have attempted to present online gaming as mainstream and desirable, but this community is still niche. While not a fan of advertisement, I still liked the homage payed to interactive online experiences. Anyone who has spent 1000’s of hours online may question the value of time spent, but there are true moments of fleeting greatness that can be shared in this unique environment.
What was adequate. Character and Story. An academy setting, female dominated cast with a dorky/naive/overachieving/ultimately cool male student protagonist… wow, I loved this character mix in Martian Successor Nadesco, however this anime is 20 years old - and *it* used this mix in an intentionally stereotypical manner to make fun of itself and the entire anime medium.
What I didn’t like. It took too long for the story to kick into gear, and the important events to unfold. Even when it does, there is a lot of filler for a short run anime. This does not have the spare density of say, a FLCL. Like so many video games of this type, all PSO incarnations rely heavily on style, atmosphere, and music for overall addictive success. The soundtracks from PSO and PSO episode 1&2 are hauntingly epic, with an electro clarity that made these game experiences unforgettable. While the music in this series is very good, it isn’t good enough to live up to the standard from many of the games. The same might be said of the visuals, which gamers hold in such high regard.
Ultimately I rate this anime as a 7 because of my bias, being after all Phantasy Star trash, and I enjoyed watching every episode.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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