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Selector Infected WIXOSS- A deconstruction of the ever popular card game anime genre?
Not really…But does it even matter?
Putting the Madoka Magica comparisons aside, WIXOSS is a show that tries to smother the viewer with an array of emotions, as well as unfortunate plot points, bringing up in me that “one…more…episode…” feeling. Yes. WIXOSS has many aspects which make it an enjoyable work that can/will leave one questioning the moral standards of the issues presented. On with it, I suppose.
Without rewriting the synopsis above, we know that the characters in the show play a card game called WIXOSS, however some girls become “selectors,” and are thrown ... into some special circumstances. That is all I shall say regarding the story- this show is definitely best viewed if one knows little to nothing about it, as the twists and surprises will be that much sweeter. However, I can comment that the quality of the story is very good in this show. This can perhaps lead to an explanation of my opening- the card game aspect seems to exist for the sole purpose of being a vehicle for the story. There is nothing wrong with this, as it does the job nicely. The story provokes the viewer into thinking about the show, from character motivations to the consequences of decisions. While it may throw around classic tropes, or be slightly hard to understand- the story of WIXOSS is well done, and this is largely due to the array of characters in the show.
What WIXOSS does well with its characters, besides using them well in conjunction with the story, is the emotions they seems to create in the viewer. It is very easy to feel some sort of emotion to each character- you may despise one, feel pity for one, care for one, etc. This vital interaction between the viewer and the characters are very important in the psychological genre, as the connections you form with them only heighten the drama and suspense of the issues they come across. With their array of personality, as well as the emotional attachment with the viewer, the characters in WIXOSS become an integral part of the story. Unfortunately, some characters receive little screen time, and some are easily forgettable. However, this issue will be discussed shortly.
The characters and story both are portrayed very well by the visual and artistic direction here. What I particularly enjoyed was the differences in the world when a normal situation was occurring, as opposed to a dark, negative situation in the story. The art truly did reflect the state of the characters. Technically speaking, everything was up to standard- art and animation were mostly consistent, although I wouldn’t say they were stellar. The same can be said for the musical score, attributed to Iuchi Maiko, of “A Certain Magical Index” fame. Some tracks certainly stand out more than others, however I must commend the high energy tunes used during the battle sequences. They certainly provide a high note in a score which is fairly normal otherwise.
So…I’d if you reached the end of this review, I’d like to leave you with this- you should probably watch this show. While I don’t feel this classifies as a true deconstruction, (Because the card game aspect is really only used as a vehicle for the character’s motivations and the story, it is not truly explored) this show was highly enjoyable for me. If you make it through the first season, the second, Selector Spread WIXOSS, is slightly different in approach and style, especially regarding the characters. However, I will not say too much regarding that- the WIXOSS series is enjoyed the most when one knows nothing about it. So go forth.
Have fun.

Aldnoah.Zero was a good show.

That's it though. Good.

Go on any discussion for the Summer 2014 season on the internet, and the most prominent show would be Aldnoah.Zero. I mean, I was part of that hype train too. The God himself Urobuchi and the Goddesses Kaijura/Kalafina with the directing talents of once of the most prominent faces in the modern anime world, (Aoki) and you'd have the hype train to hell that was this show. The question is, why was A/Z not literally the greatest show of all time?

Our setting and story is quite standard, although that is not necessarily a negative. Reading the ... MAL description is solid enough to cover that. It's a classic battle between the weak and the strong, the inferior, and the superior. The show plays this well during its course. You feel as if there is a real war occurring, even if it may seem a bit baseless. It really gives off a Code Geass vibe, taking influence from a show such as that is definitely a strong point for A/Z. The show attempts to combine the aspects of multiple back stories for the characters, as well as the war, into one cohesive plot. This works for the most part, as some of the back stories for the characters are quite well done. (Lt. Marito.) However, this aspect stops here, because while the story regarding the war is solid, the aspect based on the other half of the plot, is well...

And this is where the show really fell flat in one important area for me: the characters. It is simply astounding how lacking these characters are in this show. The show cycles through a mid-sized cast, although it mainly centers around Kaizuka Inaho, who is...I don't know, to be honest. Who is this guy? One look at his bio on MAL tells me that he is a high school student who “has a peculiar interest in eggs.” There is a problem if that was literally the most interesting aspect of him in the description. I hate to break any air of professionalism that I may have kept up so far, but this character is so damned bland. I literally wouldn't be surprised if I opened up my latest edition of Merriam-Webster to find his name under the definition of the word itself. He had little back story to speak of, and almost no development in the show whatsoever. Now, it is perfectly fine for a character to be fully developed from the get go, but they have to hint at how they developed, or be slightly interesting in the first place. Inaho fails on all levels. The main character from Rail Wars (Whatever his name is) has more depth than him.

The show attempts to have another character mirror Inaho on the opposing side, Slaine Troyard. While slightly more bearable and interesting than his male lead counterpart, he still has nothing of importance to speak over. A fighter on the superior side of Vers, he has an undying loyalty towards the Princess of Vers, Asseylum, and that is honestly his only notable point. Speaking of the princess, the show does a good job of making you care for her. Every time she finds trouble, I always sympathized. However, once again, this is all to her. Notice a trend here? All of the characters in Aldnoah.Zero are one-dimensional. In depth analysis of any actions are useless, because they simply do not exist. Each character exists for one specific role in the show, and nothing more. That is just not good writing. The characters needed to be strong for this show to be strong- the story solid, but not good enough to hold the show to a high quality, and the characters failed as a pillar.

Not all is lost, however.

What A/Z does extremely well, and I mean extremely well, is the sound and visual department. These aspects of the show do more than enhance the show, they genuinely add to the show itself. Starting from the top, the OP is phenomenal. I mean, everything is done well here, as the song provides the backdrop for each episode- it thrusts the viewer into each episode. It is very well done, as the visuals for the OP add on to the already phenomenal job done by Kaijura and Kalafina. Kaijura also works magic into the show itself. Battles feel epic and important, even if it was just the product of the lacking story. The BG adds an atmosphere, and does it damned well. Pair this up with the visuals now: while not of the highest quality in recent years, certainly do fall under the category of high quality. Backgrounds are vibrant and well done, and still shots do well of portraying emotion. The show does suffer from wonky faces and animation from time to time, however, which unfortunately, has become a sort of a standard. The voice talent for the show mainly consists of a mix between very modern seiyuu who will undoubtedly become popular in the next few years, and already established seiyuu. There is a lot of talent here, and while not a show-saver, the acting is clearly done well.

So in the end, A/Z rounds out to be a show with a decent story, low quality characters a strong soundtrack/visual aspect. I really did want to enjoy this show more, but I just could not. A/Z has failed on many levels, and simply does not deserve a large amount of praise. The ending was actually quite entertaining, the last episode being of high quality. Unfortunately, the show's weak points certainly marred it, and it did allude to a second season or movie heavily. (I mean it's already announced for January.) Considering all of this, is the show bad? Not at all. 7/10, according to MAL, is good.

That's it though... Good.

Have fun.

Oh god this show is impossibly difficult.

On one hand, it was actually pretty badass. I mean the concept itself is something very appealing to many fans in general, and the manga was already quite well received. But then, once you actually watch the show, all the hype turns into...confusion. Well here it goes, Tokyo Ghoul:

The show revolves around Kaneki Ken, an introvert who spends all his free time engrossed in literature. By the miraculous hands of the anime gods, he ends up on a date with Kana Hanaz- I mean Kamishiro Rize, a purple haired beauty with the same tastes as him regarding novels and ... books. A few plot points later, and our friend Kaneki turns into a ghoul. Now, ghouls are a huge problem in Japan. They essentially live off of eating humans, and they are hunted by various police investigators, known as “Doves,” who aim to end the ghoul threat once and for all. Now this sounds pretty interesting, and at some points during the show, it genuinely is. For a majority of the show, the issue between the ghouls and doves is a point of high contention, as well as the moral boundaries of the ghouls themselves. Other characters include Kirishima Touka, the other purple haired beauty (ha) that acts as Kaneki's superior in a way, and a varied secondary cast that is really not worth mentioning. This leads me into the main issue with the show.

The characterization and characters themselves are what drive this show to the ground. Honestly, nobody really gets fleshed out during the period of the show. 12 episodes is generally enough time for this to happen, but Tokyo Ghoul could not accomplish this at all. It force feeds emotional situations down our throats, expecting viewers to sympathize with whomever is having an issue during any particular episode. The problem is, no character is developed to the point where I'd care about them in the first place. Speaking on Kaneki a bit, his characterization is not particularly weak, however, the way the creators went about it was quite counter productive for a show of this type and length- it was not until very later on in the show did we see some real development for him, and by that point, its effectiveness was little at best.

The characters are not the only seemingly lost aspects of the show, as the direction the show wanted to head in was quite skewed. This is a common problem in anime: the show does not know where it wants to go. At one point it will focus on the Ghouls vs. Doves, then it will jump to deep character relations, etc. The problem is none of these individual parts are fleshed out enough for viewers to really understand motivations and enjoy anything. And the ending. It certainly came as a surprise. I have not read a lick of the manga, (which ironically ended the same day as the anime.) therefore, I have no basis of comparison. However, the ending of Tokyo Ghoul is the largest example the skewed directions I just mentioned. It came out of nowhere. Literally nowhere. Everything about the show changed instantly. To be honest, it would have been enjoyable if the show gave itself time to get to the point. However, it fails in this regard as well.

As a positive, the show for the most part, looks great. Ghoul forms are uniquely designed, and overall quality is medium-high. The show is not consistently good looking however, as many have pointed out. Animation can also be a bit wonky, but for the most part, is solid. This may deter a bit visually, however compared to the story flop, it is quite minimal. Sound wise, the show performs quite well. The OP and ED are simply superb, the OP being one of my favorites for the Summer 2014 season. The BGM did its job well, especially during the final episodes of the show. The sound, and to a lesser extend, animation and art, are strong points for this show.

Finishing Tokyo Ghoul, I really didn't know how to react. Honestly, I liken this show to Evangelion in many ways, for those of you who have seen it. However, this show fails on so many basic levels, that it simply does not deserve a solid score. However, if you do choose to watch regardless, it is highly recommended to wait for the BDS, as the show is quite censored in the visual department for blood and gore. I don't necessarily regret watching this show, but could it have been done better? Hell yes.

Have fun.

I am a straight male.

This show is pretty good.

I initially wrote off this show after seeing the now slightly famous intro scene, but soon, a joke amongst friends turned into a marathon of the six episodes that were out at the time. Every week after that, I looked forward to Wednesdays, where I'd get to see the next episode of Love Stage. At this point, after completing the series, the true question is this:

Why did I enjoy the show to the extent that I did?

I mean, it is quite normal for one to enjoy a show that is that is directed towards a different target ... audience, (I.E. shoujos) and I have nothing but respect for yaoi and the culture, but me enjoying this would seem as a bit extreme...except its not.

What this show does well, and likely the biggest reason to why I enjoyed it, was the characters. I will say, I enjoyed the mere presence of almost every single character in this show. The first of the two protagonists is Izumi, the more feminine character of the relationship, and the youngest member of a family of world class entertainers. He has a dream to become a manga artist, however his complete lack of skill causes his family to worry to quite a large extent. Now, there is more to Izumi's wonderful eyes- His character is well developed throughout the show. We get to see all the trails and tribulations he goes through, whether it be with the relationship between him and the other protagonist, which I'll get to in a sec, or the constant tension with his family, who almost sees him as a lost cause. Izumi certainly does go through some entertaining developments throughout the show. The largest cause of this is the other male in the relationship, Ryouma. Ryouma is a growing celebrity in Japan, being seen in commercials and dramas frequently. As the masculine man in the relationship, is it his duty to take charge and progress the relationship along, and this works to create a dynamic between the two characters that I personally found quite entertaining to watch. The other characters, while not particularly developed, certainly add to the overall show- They accentuate the protagonists, while at the same time, being likable. Characters like Izumi's brother, a member of a rock band modeled off the actual manga writer's brother, make for good laughs, as well as Rei, the manager of Izumi's family. The beautiful thing is, all of these characters are likable: you can relate to their issues, and actually care about what becomes of them. When a character cried, I felt sad. When they were happy, so was I. This is the shows strongest point. All characters have their own moments in the story which makes for a good time.

(Speaking of good time, I will warn that the show, while not a hentai, does contain its fair share of...*scenes* in it, so do be prepared for that.)

As for the story, it is actually nothing quite special, however this is not necessarily a bad thing. Does it take risks? Not particularly, but for what the show is trying to accomplish, (Displaying the relationship between the main characters.) it is quite serviceable. Without spoiling too much, the show begins with a standard romantic, almost love at first sight affair, but quickly turns into a comedic tale about a yaoi relationship. The best part about all this, is that it is quite hilarious. The actual chemistry between the characters is almost more important than the story said chemistry is attempting to progress in the first place. Every scene attempts to have a funny moment, whether it be regarding the hilarity of Izumi's manga, or the conversations between him and Ryouma. So honestly, the story may be weak, but that may be the point.

Technically, the show is quite decent. Animation is quite solid here. Nothing to write home about, honestly, but character movements are crisp, and the palette is quite vibrant, adding much to the style of the show. (I mean, Izumi's eyes!) Keen eyed individuals would notice some shoddy art quality on occasion, such as inconsistent character drawings, but this is a nit-pick at worst. Regarding the soundtrack, I would not likely listen to the tracks outside of the show, but they do serve the show well. Songs play at the right times, while the tracks do not stand out, they certainly do fit well with the emotions a particular scene is trying to emanate. The OP, but SCREEN mode, fits in very well with the show. These guys are fairly new to the anime scene, and I do hope to hear them featured in more shows down the road. The ED is slightly less appealing to me, but still works quite well.

So yeah, Love Stage. This is the first yaoi show that I've every completed, and while I do not believe that I'll be actively searching for more in the genre, I would be lying if I say I did not enjoy this show. The show is only 10 episodes, and while the length did not hurt the show, I definitely believe that it would have slightly benefited from the extra two episodes, for developmental reasons which you will likely see. Nonetheless, I'd recommend it. Go watch it, you will invested in the characters, feel their emotions, and...yeah I still cant believe I watched a yaoi.

Have fun.

Spring 2014 had a lot to overcome and prove.

Why?

On March 28, 2014, a little show called Kill la Kill ended its 24 episode run, and the anime community proceeded to jump into a collective orgy of hype, memes, and skimpy cosplay. (Which I certainly did not mind.) The show became the next big thing, (Previously held by Attack on Titan) and we all wondered if any show in spring could attain even a fraction of the popularity.

Enter No Game No Life.

The show features a plot that might seem like common fare these days: People in video games. Although this is not exactly the ... case for NGNL, it shares many themes, such as vibrant worlds and otakuish characters. Our main characters are Sora and Shiro, a brother sister match made in heaven. Sora is the classic Light Yagami/Lelouch super genius, but replace the suaveness of those two with an undying love for a sibling, as well as being an otaku. The sister, Shiro, is quiet, but as smart as Shiro. Together, they form the collective entity of blank, gamers unbeatable in any game. Suddenly, by some twisssssted turns of events, they are summoned into a magical world of- well, you know where it goes from here. (Fight our way to the top! Huzzah!)

Other characters include Stephanie “Steph” Dola, a dim witted character, used mostly for fanservice and other gags by our main heroes, and Jibril, big breasted and ready to serve. As you can tell, the characters are nothing close to revolutionary, but their interactions certainly make the show interesting. Wether it is Sora fawning over his love for Shiro, or Shiro's torture of Steph, NGNL's character interactions make for a fun time. All these characters, by the end of the series, all become lovable by the end- this is GOOD.

Now, one great thing about the characters is that...well, they look damn good. Hell, this entire show looks damn good. One of the best looking shows I've seen in a long time. It uses a technique that has recently gained populatiry- drawing everything in a red outline. In NGNL's world, this works especially well, as the beautifully designed characters, landscapes, and buildings pop out in a fashion that makes you want to fill your room with wallscrolls of the show. (Unfortunately, I don't have one currently.) This art is poppin, yo, its GREAT.

The fine arts always include two things. Besides visual, music is quite important. Music for this show is done by a collective group of musicians by the name of SuperSweep. (Never heard of them.) It's a romp of exciting tunes, which certainly add to the flair of the series. However, it isn't Kaijura or Kanno level. On the topic of music, the opening song, “This game,” by Konomi Suzuki, is GREAT. I be singing that all da time yo. GOOD. (sings the part of the op that goes NO GAME NO LIFEE)

Onward to the story that I neglected to elaborate 3 paragraphs ago. Our characters are sent into a world in which everything is decided by games. Yup, no war. (Lennon would be proud?) However, this does not mean that racism and class divisions are not rampant. The world is divided into different races, ranging from monsters to ANIMAL PEOPLE YES.

* ahem *

Sora and Shiro find themselves attempting to take over all of these races, and their respective lands, in an Oda Nobunaga style unification. Unlike Nobunaga, however, they must win games agains the best of the best in each country to finally make their way to the ultimate position to challenge GOD HIMSELF. THIS IS HYPE THIS IS NO GAME NO-

And the credits roll. End of Review.






Wait.



WAIT.


If you're wondering why I prematurely ended the review, its because I wanted to provide some artistic symbolism as to how NGNL ends. Yeah, like that. I mean, one can say it's not their fault. The source material (Light novel, surprise, surprise.) started in 2012, and is ongoing. However...the ending is not acceptable. It makes you think that the next episode would have aired next week, but no...it was OVER. No excuse for it. There are many ways you can end a show in which the original source material is still going, but this is not one of them. This is my biggest problem with NGNL. Its pretty glaring. BAD.

* takes deep breath *

Well, now that that is over, did NGNL successfully kill Kill la Kill. Noo. But is it damned good? Yeah. Yesyesyes watch it cause its good and steph is so god damn-

VERY GOOD 8/8 MATE (8/10)

Boy, I remember when I first heard of this anime, I just came off watching School Rumble. I thought, "huh, another love triangle one perhaps?" And I just put it off, until I kept hearing about how it was amazing and terrible and the such. I then started to watch it, at about 4:00 in the morning. At the beginning, it WAS a love triangle one. The guy. The energetic girl. The shy beautiful girl, The comic relief friend. But then soon, it turned into something special. That made it a very loved/hated anime. So lets get on with it.

Story~9 The story picks up ... like any other love triangle based anime. In a way, it's kind of similar to "Rumbling Hearts" and the "ef" series. As you might know, those shows take a turn, and this one takes an even bigger one. It gets very intense, and even though the story got a major bashing by the fans, I enjoyed it very much. It will have you wanting to take a hammer and smash your screen, or yell at one of the characters. And the ending is just on a class of its own. You will love it, but hate it also. Well, I guess I'll let you find out why on your own. I swear during the ending scene, I took a nearby clothing hangar and broke it in two.

Art~ 8. The art wasn't terrible. It also wasn't amazing. The anime had its good art moments, but it wasn't groundbreaking, hence the 8.

Sound~ The music was good. It's kind of like the art. They play the right music at the right moments, The sound effects are good. Its just the the song played during the ending made my opinion on the sound a lot better.

Character~ 10 Like I said, the main 3 characters start off very cliche and normal, but as the series progresses, their true personalities were revealed... That made the show even better. Also, in no anime series have I ever felt such emotions towards the characters. Especially the main character. I have found myself ready to pop him off in the head at a couple moments. I just hate him. That emotion shows something is being done right. The female leads are equally as good. They each have their emotional moments, unlike other people, I think they are done really well.
Enjoyment~ 9 I enjoyed this anime. I also hated this anime. You can say that I "hated enjoying it" and that I "enjoyed hating it." Weird, right? Thats because its hard to get a true opinion on this show. It can change in 5 minutes. That's why this gets a 9.
Overall~10. Yeah, this gets a 10. I can go on and on about the show, but that is up to you watching it. Enjoy the emotions, and be wary of kitchen knives.

~Rogeta.