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- BirthdayApr 11, 1983
- LocationPetawawa, ON, Canada
- JoinedJul 17, 2012
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Dec 6, 2012
Hunt For The Sword Samurai was a blind buy for me and though very little impressed me or could be considered exciting, it was certainly not a waste of time.
The plot has been regurgitated from dozens of other anime series. A thieving samurai faction has discovered where a magically endowed sword hilt is located and is determinted to make this dojo their next hit. If it was that easy though, they would have been able to overthrow the reigning government officials without competition. However, a young samurai named Shinjuro, a recently promoted headmaster to his samurai dojo, will not idly sit by
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and let the evil doings of his rival samurai go without opposition.
The dojo which Shinjuro, our local hero, heads, is composed of his elder sister, a childhood friend, and a mysterious girl from China, who claims she is the daughter a friend of Shinjuro's father. None of these samurai girls have anything more then a familiarity with the sword and are certainly no threat to a skilled weilder. The enemy faction, is composed of a former student of Shinjuro's father, and a rouge martial arts expert, who is deadset on overthrowing the head of state.
Of all the characters, Shinjuro and Mahoro (the rogue) seem to be the most skilled. But the balance is swayed with the addition of Shinjuro's fathers former student, whose name eludes me right now. Two against one. So what do you think happens. Shinjuro's father miraculously shows up to even the teams. Didn't see that one coming. However, now that our hero won't be pitted against two equally strong foe, he can focus completely on annihilating the ultimate threat, Mahoro.
The convenient plot seems almost hastily put together to ensure everything works out for "the good guys". And because it lacks anything even close to an orignal idea, don't expect to be dazzled with plot twists or suspenseful moments. On the bright side though, for a two-part OVA, the story is never rushed. It takes its time to quickly introduce characters, further the story, and ends on a high note. Very few series as short as this can say that.
As for characters, Shinjuro, is a believable lead. He is the only son to a skilled samuari, a student in his father's dojo, and was given the title of headmaster upon his father departure. With a few well timed fight scenes prior to his final match with Mahoro, we the audience, were able to witness his superior skills as a samurai. Thus, when he was forced to battle a more experianced warrior, we knew he was not completely outmatched. He is obviously a man of honor, and will help those that he deems to be weaker then himself, without a second thought for his own well-being. But though he is grown with skills of an adult when it comes to the sword, he is still just an adolesent boy when it comes to being around pretty girls.
Mahoro, the enemy samurai, was never given enough time to develop as a reasonable "bad guy". Why is it that he wants to overthrow the govenment? What has the government done that has tipped this man over to "the darkside?" I think there may have been a quick explaination near the end of the series about a rivilary, but if so, if was not noteworthy of rememberence. I don't remeber discovering how he became an expert swordman, or who he trained under either. Regardless his story, he suited the "bad guy" role fine and was certainly deadset in his goal.
I was very impressed with the quality of the art throughout the series. The characters themselves all looked great, though completely unoriginal. The girl were very cute; their outfits appropriate yet tantilizing. The male cast also looked very good, especially Shinjuro's father. He had a extreamly unique style to him and wore a messy beard that I was very fond of. Plenty of attention to detail was evident regarding the background cel animation, especially during more intense moments. These usually took place at either dusk or dawn and the vibrant use of reds, oranges, and yellows captured the true beauty of the time period.
The best part of the series however, in my opinion, was not the cute girls, or the final fight scene, or the samurai beards finesse. No, it was the boob humour! I'm have always been quite fond of the childish antics that revolve around situational foolery. Shinjuro accidently grabs a girls breast while fighting, tells the wrong person about it, and never lives it down. He becomes the butt of a very impressive and long running joke for the duration of the series. It's been done before, many a time over. I laughed the first time I saw it, I laughed the 10th time I saw it, and I'll laugh the 100th time I see it. Boob joke are dynamite.
As for the recommendation potential of the show. If you like samurai series, this will not be a complete waste of time. It has a great structure, decent fight scenes, and somewhat believable characters. The art is mangaed nicely, the music suits the mood well, and the humour is low-brow, yet very enjoyable. If however, you like to be blown away with an epic series, given vast amounts of character development, and enjoy meaningful dialogue, you might want to skip over this series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 30, 2012
Everything that was wonderful about the first season continues on during this second part of the Spice and Wolf saga.
The plot continues where the first season left off. Both Lawrence, our beloved travelling merchant, and Holo, his goddess (literally) travelling companion, continue their adventure to the north in hopes of returning Holo to her native homeland. During their travels, the duo run across old friends and new enemies, making this mecca no easy feat. And of course, Lawerence, being a skilled barterer and sly businessman, attempts to make a few extra coins to ensure they both travel in style and luxury.
There are
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a number of reasons why I enjoyed the second season just as much as the first and reasons why this season signifiantly fell short of my expectations.
The story itself was enjoyably simple. However, Lawerence and Holo spent most of the season hunckered down in one of two cities, trying to line Lawerence's pockets with gold and silver, then on breaking ground on a well beaten path. The adventure part of the first season, one of the most exilerating aspects of the show in my opinion because of its uncertainty, takes a back seat to second-class economic lessons spewed from the lips of our Wolf's protector and his collegues.
Now this was not necessarily all bad. Exileration comes in many forms, and the sheer excitment of making a fortune or losing the same can be just as heart pounding, if not more so, then escaping the clutches of evil. Spice and Wolf certainly takes its time in explaining exactly what deals are being made, the risks involved for both parties, the the possible outcomes, be it possitive or negitive, should the deal be struck. And then they explain it again. And then once more. This may come as tedious to some viewers, but I do enjoy the concepts of ancient dealings, and how they closely resemble todays trading as well.
As for characters, Lawerence is not only a skilled merchant, but as suave and charming as they come. His background knowledge of trade items obviously comes in handy, as do his trustworthy contacts and friends. He also preforms due dilegence before stricking a deal with an unknown client; a new, yet very necessary trait found in merchants. His character is that of a classy businessman, based off todays standards, and he is well rounded in his morals. Because of his trade, he is sometimes required to trust scoundrels, barter those dearest to him, and take the shady path in order to make a profit.
Holo the Wise Wolf is Lawerence's beautiful and enticing travelling companion. She is the love interest of the series, either beknown of unbeknownst to those who are willing to lay their hearts at her feet. Her beauty is unparelled, her tounge is sharp, and her taste buds seek only that of meat and mead. She is truly a goddess, not only as a term of flattery, but as for the fact that she has existed for centuries. She has amassed a great knowledge of many things worldly, yet is a complete virgin to others. She lives a care-free existance, with no stress in her life, and enjoys all the small things the world has to offer. She is a perfect counter-balance to Lawerence.
The animation thoughout the series sored on high standard wings yet again and I was often dumbfounded by the absolute brilliance of the architecture skewed throughout this season. The authentic look of churches, markets, and townhouses literally were jaw-dropping. The lightening was perfect, and with flawlessly timed background music, set the mood, so the viewer could feel like a fly on the wall.
But the most enjoyable part of this season was in the interaction between characters. It should go without saying that the most passionate and profound conversation invovled Lawerence and Holo, but all the dealings with all the minor characters were just as enjoyable. Each one felt very thought out. Words were not wasted and it felt like I was sitting in on two intellegent people conversing about meaningful topics. This was a nice change from the usual one liners, mindless quips, and filler speechs throwen in to extend many other anime series of today.
The slow pace, lack of adventure, and dialogue marathons, took some time to get used to. And the ending of the series, without spoiling anything, was very lack-luster, and empty feeling. But once you get into the series, once you embrace it for what it is (a unique and interesting story, a lesson in trade, and a "finding yourself" series), you will be hard pressed to not enjoy it. Without question, worth a watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 22, 2012
Unlike many people, I was unaware of the premise of this series before I started watching this it. I just went off the English title: Yamada's First Time. The image painted in my mind was this cute, blonde, high-school girl, discovering herself with the boy-next-door. Within the first minute of the show, all my expectations were blown out the window.
The series itself is build on the fact that Yamada wants to have 100 sexual partners before graduating high school. WHAT??? That's awesome. Pretty girls want that too!!! The concept is amazing and the events that unfold before her
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draw the veiwer in quickly. She is cute, confident, smart, and lusts after the opposite sex. She's every highschool boy's fantasy come to life. And this is certainly evident through her unparelled popularity and the fact that she is singlehandedly the only topic that "the guys" talk about. However, even though she knows she is beautiful and desirable, she is still self-conscious about certain parts of her body (wink wink) and has no knowledge of sexual acts or how to seduce guys. With these ingrediants, B Gata H Kei formulates a hiliarious 12 epiosde series that many people can relate too.
The main characters, Kosuda, Yamada's first conquest, is a very standard, cliched, high school boy. He thinks about sex all the time, but has no experiance. He is somewhat shy around pretty girls, but has no difficulty interacting them. He over-thinks things which should be blatently obvious. He has "geeky" hobbies, and lives a very normal life.
Yamada on the other hand, is a very attractive, outspoken girl with a single track mind. Getting her cherry popped. She has no filter when speaking and says exactly what she is thinking. She has no tact or "morales" and wants what she wants, when she wants it. All this being said, she does not exactly know how to get what she wants, so she bumbles through, and hope her actions result positively.
The interaction between these two character will no doubt make you laugh. The up-to-date dialogue used thoughout the series speaks volumes for the youthfulness of the writers. I literally grinned the entire series and laughed so hard I rewound parts to watch them again. And though the adolsent jibbing was the most enjoyable part of the series for me, the love story was just as beautifully done. Never, in my viewing history, have I ever hoped that two people would "hook-up". I always hope for the underdog to get the princess, and Kosuda/Yamada fit these roles to a tee.
The art throughout is clean and stylized. Using classic beiges and black for school uniforms was a nice choice, and the characters all look very good in both school uniforms and regular street clothes too. The background animation was spectacular and detailed, and brings out the true beauty surrounding the story.
The OP and ED song choices were both upbeat pop songs and set the mood for series wonderfully. Never once did I skip over them, but instead allowed myself to get excited for the events in which to come. The BGM was unmemorable, but certainly at the time captured the mood perfectly. But for sound, what takes the cake was the English voice acting. These roles were done flawlessly. Not just our leads mind you, but all the supporting characters sounded exactly the way you would think they should sound.
If someone asked me to name something I didn't like about this series, I would slap them across the face and say, "how dare you?" This series had everything I could want. Beautiful art and smooth animation, a slight dose of "classy" fanservice, a VERY unique storyline, and characters you get excited for. Guys will no doubt love it for the boob and panty shots and the fact that we hope for the "nerd", and girls will like it for the love story and silly situations our characters get themselves into. Doubt me, watch for yourself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 16, 2012
I feel foolish even trying to write down how good this series actually is. Nothing I can write will truely adhere to the beauty, and awesome splendor that this series is. This is the first review I am writing for a series that I consider to be a genuine masterpiece.
The first aspect I fell in love with is the crystal-like and pure animation style. The minute detail in every cel draws the viewer into a world unlike any seen before. Each blade of grass dances with ten thousand others during a spring breeze. The clouds slowly thicken, shreaded with dozens
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of shades of whites and greys, threatening rain. The mountains, towns, forests, and rivers are given a life of their own. It was drawn so vividly that the viewer is brought back in time, to feudal Japan, and gets to experiance it first hand.
The characters themself are another addition to this series' wonderfulness. The beautifully clean, crisps lines detailing their original costumes, faces, and expressions are only strenghten by perhaps the best voice acting in anime history. Each individual character has strenghts and weaknesses that the viewer can relate to and empathize with. They are surrounded with difficult situations and deal with each in a calm and well-thought-out manner.
Balsa (our heroine), was so beautiful, strong and kind, with a thoughness usually found in the stronger sex. Her love interest (though not specificlly so) Tanda, was a perfect counterbalance to her. Intellegent, submissive and knowlegable, he was the only one who could talk Balsa down from bad decisions. The child prince left in Balsa's care, Chagum, was portrayed perfectly. Slowly growing up and into a new world he knows nothing about. And finally Torogai, a spell-weidling old hag, skilled in both magic and fighting. She added the perfect amount of humor, and was a little too fond of the drink.
The story, in my opinion, is where this anime stands in a league all of its own. Each epiosde furthers the plot slowly, ensuring the viewer can take in all the events that are occuring while still leaving the slight hint of whats to come next. Characters are introduced at a comfortable rate, never overwhelming the viewer with new faces and names, and many secondary and tirtiary characters continue the adventure throughout the entire series. On top of that, the originallity of the series was a welcome bonus too. Rarely do we have a heroine, a skilled martial-arts expert, who refuses to kill an enemy, dispite being put in dire situations. Her conviction to her cause, saving lives instead of taking them, was a interesting take, especially during a time where death and murder was almost commonplace.
My absolute favorite thing about this series was it's fight scenes, and this series had many. The fluidity of the art obviously inhanced the experiance, but what I liked was the unique weapons that were utilized. The spear is an under-rated weapon. However, when used by someone who has mastered every technique, the enjoyment of watching it is signifitantly increased.
I love this series too much to find even one flaw in its unblemished quality. The series has interesting and unique characters, an art style second to none, fight scenes worth rewinding, and a plot unlike any other. If these are what you look for in a series, then this one is for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 7, 2012
Dangaizer 3. Hmmm...where to start??
The plot itself was lacking some serious substance. This may be partially due to the fact that Dangaizer 3 is a four episode OAV and therefore not given enough time to develop, or it may be due to the fact that the writers tried to cover too much ground without the ample ability to properly clearify what was supposed to be happening. Regardless, because of this huge misfire, the veiwer is left unsure and unconvinced of the actions taking place before them.
As the world nears its end, our three main female leads, try to undermine an evil corporation
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named Goma, who want nothing more then to use the power of Dangaizer for their own purpose. Does this sound familiar?? Nothing specifically original in the story concept, and certainly constructed poorly enough to warrent a tedious and drawn out watch.
The characters themselves are all very one dimentional. The series does not spend any time on character development and instead expects the viewer to believe what is laid out before them. And what is that?? We are expected to believe that three very beauiful, very young, and very like-minded individuals are mankinds saving grace. That these three women are the only ones that an ancient God-Like mecha has chosen to do his will. Very improbably, but not impossible. However, because of either the poor voice acting or poor script writing, the girls come off as nothing more then attractive, nitwits, who think of nothing more then their next snid remark aimed at each other or one-liners aimed at the enemy.
The art style of Dangaizer is somewhat below standard for the timeframe when it was produced. The late 90's held some epic and groundbreaking styles that paved the way for future series, however, Dangaizer chose to skimp out of some necessary details that could have made up for other lacking areas. The costume designs were original but completely absurd, the backgrounds were very generic and lacking any detail, and even Dangaizer himself looked like any number of mecha's found in far better series.
All this being said, there were a number of things that the series did well. The jesting between the girls seemed real and was well thought out. The fanservice and nudity was not over-the-top and did not feel out of place. And a number of secondary characters lightened the mood with genuenly enjoyable humor.
Comparing the positive points of Dangaizer 3 to the negitive ones, the latter would certainly outweight the former. The odd boob shot and rare snicker don't hold a candle next to the certain lack of plot, ill portrayed female heroines, and sloppy art form. Not worth your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 5, 2012
As with all series, RahXephon had certain aspects that were truely wonderful and captivating, and some that completely missed the mark.
The story unfolded very nicely throughout most of the series. Characters were slowly introducted, each given a moment to demonstrate what role they would be playing, perhaps even given some background knowledge. Each episode covered new, and interesting plot developments, taking its time to explain exactly what was happening, and covering sufficient points to make it all believable. This all changed somewhere near episode 18 or so. For whatever reason the enjoyablely comfortable pace which was unfolding before the veiwer rapidly
...
increased and became very confusing. Characters actions became far-fetched, absurd, and nonsensical. The plot was rushed and nothing was explained. What was once close to being a perfect anime, crumbled away to medeorcrisy.
The characters themself were all extremely thought out. Our protaganist, young Ayato, your average high school kid, is thrust into an unbelievable situation which he has no control over. Everything he has ever known and learned to believe has been chalked up to lies and fantasies, and now he must learn some hard truths while dealing with it all. All he can really do is go along with it and hope things work out. His main responsibility consists of piloting the RahXephon, a giant mecha which only he can manouver. He is complimented by an arsenal of military men and women, a small number of friends, and a mother. All have a certain role which they are doted with an each play that role very well.
The art is a very simple, very clean, 90's style of animation. It's honest beauty is unparalled with todays standards, but in my opinion, there is absolutly nothing wrong with it. It's perfect. The character designs were unique and not overused. The costumes had a certain chic futuristic look. The backgrounds were swarming with small details that tied entire scenes together. And the camera angles captivated me and left me wanting more. All in all, one of this series best qualitities.
My favorite aspect of this series, however, were RahXephon's enemy. The D1 are one of the things that I found were rushed and not explained properly. This being said, each one was designed and drawn perfectly. Each one was completely original. And when each one "sang", with its mouth gaping open, its eyes poppping from its sockets or squeezed shut, its face distorted, it transformed into an unimaginablly frightening (literally) experiance. And its shrill voice topped it off like nothing I have ever experienced. I want to give the guy or girl who developed those mecha beasts a huge hug and tell them that what they did changed me. They are THAT cool.
Other then the confusing and rushed plot during the last 8-10 episodes, and the very confusing last epiosde, I would say that I really liked the series. I tried to keep pace with what was going on during those last few, but in the end I just sat back and took it at face value. The interesting characters, classic art style, beautifully rendered BGM, excellent voice acting, and certainly the D1 enemy made this not only an enjoyable watch but one I would highly recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 16, 2012
Let me start by saying that I had no preconception of what this series was about, or the genres that it would be labelled as. This being said, once the initial episodes were over, I relised that I was watching my first yuri (is that the right word??) What was the first thing that I did when I discovered what I had uncovered?? Looked at the DVD rating of course. PG-13. That to me meant 26 episodes of cutsy girls and no skin. This made me sad.
I wanted to dislike it. I wanted to turn it off.
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But the series quickly grew on me.
The plot was simple. A transfer student starts her first day at St. Miator's All-Girl High School and goes through the trials and tribulations that accompany high school life. She embraces love, friendship, heartbreak, and adventure with a virgin outlook towards it all. If this was the entire plot however, it would have been near impossible to stretch it out to a full 26 episode series. Inter-twining Nagisa's (our lead characters) story, are numerous (and dreadfully wonderful) sub plots involving dozens of secondary and tertiary characters. I believe that its these plots and situations that keeps the audience craving more, even if they don't want to.
The girls get up to the usual young Japanese girl adventures: tea parties, school clubs, autumn walks through cherry blossom leaves. Some excel through academics, others through athletics. They fall in love. Some find the girl of their dreams, others will have their hearts crushed. It's high school. It's elegently destructive. It's horrendously addictive.
One of the most appealing points to this series are the characters. Comprised entirely of girls, (and I do mean ENTIRELY) they range from very cute to absolutely breathtaking. Most have a completely unique look so the viewer has no hestitation in the recognition of their favorite girls. Many of the main characters are dotted with colorful hair and often times, a costume other then the standard school uniform, both helping in differentiating betwwen the large cast.
The personalities vary as immensely as the girls themselves. For the most part, all the girls have your standard giddy, naive, super cutsy, attitute. But all have "that one thing" that makes that person stand out among the others; be it an obsession, a unique voice, they way they carry themselves. On top of that, the entire lead cast is very different from the standard, high school drama.
And if the girls themselves are constructed with perfection in mind, so were the backdrops and scenery surrounding it all. No detail is overlooked in the animation for this series, and it is vividly appearent throughout (incuding the OP and ED credits). Exquisite shading and lighting truly brought every scene to an almost magical feel.
All this being said however, there is still something about it (especially in the beginning) that I truely disliked. Perhaps it was the strong use of dull shades, prominant primarily in the character design, Perhaps it was the overused storyline. Regardless, whatever the reason, the series needed some time to grow on me, I was not immediatly enthralled.
But if you are into yuri, then this title is a must see. If you are in to romance, this is a must see. If you are into beautiful animation, this is a must see. Honestly, if you willing to overlook a few minor defects and embrace what this series has to offer, you will embark on a worthwhile journey.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 12, 2012
Many things in life have made me stand up and cheer. A goal in overtime, my daughter learning to crawl, an amazing encore at an Alkaline Trio concert. Now, after watching s-CRY-ed, I have a new reason to cheer.
The intro credits blast a mixture between a Mexican mariarchi band and jazzy rock number. You find yourself head bobbing while being caught up in character profiles and fight scenes. You're hooked before the first word is ever spoken. And then the series begins.
Right off the bat, you are introduced to our main lead character, Kazuma. He's not your typical hero.
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This guy is a fighter, not a lover. He doesn't care about anyone. He doesn't care about anything. Hell, he doesn't even care about himself. He just lives for the next chance to knock someone out. Does that sound like the greatest lead character ever?? Trick question. If you answered no, you're an idiot. Kazuma makes this series a spectacular journey.
Sure there is a plot involved. Two opposing factions battle for what they believe in to be right. Is either one right or wrong. NO!!! But who are you going to be pulling for. The bad ass kid from the wrong side of the tracks (Kazuma), or the spoiled rich kid who's perminantly "on the rag" (Ryuho).
It's the characters that truely make this a series worth not only watching, but owning as well. And I am not just referring to our protaginist. Sure he's cool, but the supporting cast is just as awesome. Each one has a "power" not seen in other "power" shows. You know the "powers" I'm talking about. Invisible, strong, mind control, speed, transformation etc. Boring and overused. These kids have unique physical attributes that make them stand out from the others. One can control a situation by writing it into a play. One summons a 20 foot pistol. One turns everything into water. Different and one of a kind powers. Another bonus.
The art style is your typical 90's art...AWESOME!!! Simple character designs and spectacular backdrops leave the eye wanting for nothing. The color schemes chosen for outfits and uniforms not only fit each character, but bring the character to life. They gives each one purpose and matches their personality perfectly.
As for the animation, another genius work of art. This show is plastered with some of the coolest and most addictive fights in anime history. You get to see how all your favorite characters stack up against our main dueling dude and watch them get pulvoristed. I don't mean to spoil anything, but he never losses.
All this being said, the show is not perfect. The plot is a little weak, some of the characters look and feel a little generic and one diminsional, and they could have finished the series (I strongly repeat COULD have) on a better note by ending the series an episode early. But these are very minor flaws.
All in all, if you love watching a good fight and love pulling for the underdog, this series is for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 12, 2012
I am very skeptical when it comes to "new" anime. I will be the first to admit that I believe animes glory days were found in the late 90's and early 2000's. But once in a while I'll break from my skeptisism and venture outside my comfort zone. Rideback was my break from the usual.
Immediatly with the opening credits I was hooked. A somewhat techo-pop song rips through my body, shattering all other introductions, and with its stunning visuals and perfectly blended 3D graphics, grabs my attention like it hasn't been grabbed in a while. The main lead, Rin, tears
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through Tokyo on an altered motorbike that now looks like a robot. The music pumps on. Now she's dancing, ballet it looks like, in front of thousands. Who is this Rin? What's Rideback all about? I needed answers.
As the credits end, you quickly see that the painstaking efforts put into the art and animation in the opening scene, are going to carry on throughout the series. Jackpot!!! For someone used to bright neons and dull hues found standard in early animation, the crisp lines and shading stand out like a midget on a basketball team.
Each character is beautiful. And unique. The clothes they wear, their hair styles, their movements. No time or money was skimped on when the animation team was put on the task to create something truely beautiful. And then you have EVERYTHING else. In each scene, in each background, you are completely blown away by how perfectly the lighting captures the mood and totally inhances a scene, transforming a simple conversation between two people into an epic dialogue or a high-speed chase around a track into a life and death road race.
After the inital shock of the animation you relise that the plot itself is a true work of genius as well.
You have Rin, a ballet dancing prodigy, who hurts herself somehow. This is a blow to her ego and perhaps her way out of something that she was never REALLY that into in the first place. So she quits and goes off to school instead. There, she finds herself attracted to "the next cool thing" to hit Japan. Ridebacks. They are half motorcycle, half robot. 100% bad-ass. This is the first aspect of the show that I really liked. These Ridebacks, thought not feasable yet, COULD, ONE DAY, MAYBE, exist. And that's an exciting thought.
Somehow, Rin is a born natural on the back of these futuristic machines. You get to see her race her rival and in competitions. But that's not what the show is about. It's about when she Rides against the GGP. You see in the future, the GGP (and organization) takes over every country and every organization and becomes the ultimate rulers of the world. A dictatorship of such. Anyways, when Rin Rides against the worlds superpower, when she Rides for what she believes in, that's when you get that tingily feeling running through your body. That's when you start getting excited.
I'm not going to get to much into the plot, but the great thing about the story is that this normal girl gets put into these situations, reacts the same way any normal person would, and gets deeper and deeper in trouble. This makes the plot very believeable and easy to like.
Until now, I have raved about the series, and with due cause. The one thing that was lacking however was character development. Now I am not one that needs hours and hours of background information pertaining to each and every person. But the ONLY individual to get ANY kind of story relating to her past experiance is Rin. Rin is an amazing lead, no question about that. Her struggle to come to terms with who she is and what she wants, is very appealing throughout. But with the sheer volume of secondary characters, you would expect a little more than a 10 second flashback for each.
Other then the simple, cardboard cut out characters, Rideback, to me was a huge success.
The animation and unique story telling, along with many humanistic emotions that Rideback will throw at you, will easily make this series a fun and exciting watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 6, 2012
The Slayers Motion Picure felt like a quick after-thought from the outstanding orignal "The Slayers" TV series.
Though the plot was pretty straight forward and even somewhat thought out, I felt as if everything was rushed. I have never been one who overly cares if a series spends hours developing the characters within, but if I hadn't already seen the TV series I would have no idea who these people are and why they are doing what they are doing.
The art throughout also seems a little less vibrant, using darker shades of all previous colors. Even Lina herself was less imaculate then before.
...
She still looked the same, but different, if you catch my drift.
One of the great things about the original series was the interaction between Lina and her cohorts. This time she was travelling with someone completely new, and though certainly easy on the eyes, she was given no time to develop as a main character. She was passed off as Lina's closest rival, yet with what was seen in the movie, most half wit wizards could wipe their ass with her skimpy wardrobe without breaking a sweat. It just seemed forced.
The music was sub standard, but not dreadful. Basically the type of music you would hear from an 80's video arcade game. Lots of keyboard smashing and no layering. The voice acting on the other hand I liked. Lina was as perfect as usually, Nana (her companion)(I think that was her name) had even a higher pitched voice and a laugh that most would find annoying, but I was really into, and the supporting casts did their jobs well.
The main villian was given a complex that screamed evil and with a short flash-back and a breif moment of actual story development, you learn to hate the bastard. I'm into hating the "bad guys" so I guess that was another plus.
All in all, I can't say that I hated the motion picture, but don't go into this movie with the same expections as the TV series. You'll be let down too.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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