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- BirthdayMay 25, 1980
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Jan 2, 2009
Based on the manga by Masaki Segawa which itself is based on the novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada published in 1958, follows the story of two ninja clans, Tsubagakure of the Iga and Manjidani of Kouga. They are tasked to battle each other to determine which grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu will become the next shogun. Breaking the peace agreement between the clans, 10 deadly ninja from each clan unleash a century old hatred for each other.
The 24 episode series was pure entertainment from start to finish. If you were a fan of Ninja Scroll then you will love this series. Once
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the foundations have been set in episode one, what follows is an all out war between the clans. The sheer variety of ninja and their abilities make for some interesting battles. However what hooked me on this series was not the battles, but the step further Gonzo took, in terms of character development for each ninja. You get to understand the motivations of the ninja, why the hatred is there, the suffering some ninja have due to their particular art form. The series has an epic feel about it, due to the moving soundtrack, high quality animation and story. There are scenes which will make you have a lump in your throat - sorry as a man i will not publicy say i cried!! ;) and there is a scene which you will have hatred for one particular hairy ninja!! After all the entertainment of action, violence and nudity, the one thing i did take away from the series, was why? why the need for such bloodshed, such a war. The sacrifices people will do for each other and the love of their people. It also shows how such a war can destroy peoples dreams/lives for political justification, a theme we still see in our times.
The anime follows the manga pretty closely, but i feel the anime slightly humanises some of the ninja more and in my opinion makes the anime superior. The anime is violent and has nudity, but nothing too excessive, and personally think of it as a mature anime. Animation quality is top notch and shows what Gonzo can do with the right budget.
Opening and closing themes are pretty catchy, shame about the 1 minute speech every episode! Thank god for fast forward.
All in all highly recommeded series and worth the investment in time if you enjoy historical action tragedy fantasy, with some moving drama. Phew!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 2, 2009
After getting back into anime, manga and comics in general a few years back, Priest was one of the first titles I picked up. Even though this is a Manwha title, don't let this put you off, as we are lucky to have this translated and released in the west.
It is easy to dismiss Priest as a generic action title, with a cool gun slinging anti hero battling the undead. I nearly did. However the story goes much deeper after the volume 3 where we start to see the back story to why things are so screwed up in the old west!
As you
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would imagine from the title, the story is a very religious orientated affair, questioning the existence of God, faith and purpose of man. If you are easily offended by blasphemous comments then I would not recommend Priest at all. The concept of a fallen angel and his mission to prove to God that his creation of man is an inferior race is both compelling and understandable. Understandable in the sense when you see what happens to the lead characters, you can understand the reasoning behind his actions.
With the story going back and forth in time, keeps the story fresh and exciting. The action scenes play out like a storyboard for a movie, while remaining very clear due to the distinct art work. Stark, straight lines, sometimes minimalistic, but very effective in conveying emotion. Hyung Min-woo depicts some great symbolism in his work, for example, when a Father holds onto his prayer beads too tight they snap and fall, signifying that if you hold onto your faith too tightly, it will break - sometimes faith is not enough. There are some horific images which stay with you but also make you fill with rage and question your own faith. With the story panning over centuries right to present day, there is an epic feeling to Priest which makes it an appealing read.
As someone who believes in angels, demons and God, each volume was a heavy and intense read, but also made me want to read the next volume. If you like horror, action and the old west, with heavy dose of religious doubt then this series is highly recommended. Although ongoing - currently 16 volumes are out, with no news of volume 17 yet, it is still worth the investment.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 31, 2008
Set in a medieval environment, Claymore takes an interesting take on the girls with guns genre swapping the guns with a broadsword (or Claymore).
Starting off, the first few episodes set the foundations of who the Claymore are, and how they are tasked to battle the the Yoma (demons that have crossed into this world whom have a taste for human flesh - guts especially!). Although a tad boring but a necessary set up, the series really doesnt become addictive until episode 4 when we see the backstory of the lead character Clare and the entrance of fan fave Teresa (I love her!).
Although action heavy,
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as the series progresses the question of "what does it mean to be human" does come into play, as does the concept of fighting for people who fear/dislike you. Clare is a likeable lead, with striking beauty and you can feel the emotions she goes through. Which was a difficult feat to represent given that the Claymore are emotionless killers. Some of the higher level Yoma have interesting designs and you can sense the fear in the characters when they are in battle.
The supporting characters are just as fascinating to watch if not more due to their differing personalities, and if this is show doesnt inspire the ladies for a new hairstyle i dont know what will! ;) This was in my opinion one of the series' strengths, the development and focus on the supporting characters. The sense of camaraderie between the Claymore is apparent and their actions are worth your attention. Also it is refreshing to see the Claymore as intelligent, tough, skilled female warriors without the ecchi factor thrown in which would've made the series a joke. The last 6 episodes do have an epic feeling to them which makes you want to keep watching.
The series is not perfect however. Some of action sequences become generic and slightly boring. I also felt that the fights couldve been a bit more "cooler" for a better choice of words. There is also a tendancy that in a middle of a battle, a long speech or story is given that does ruin the pace, and couldve been handled better - i think this is where the manga is superior and somehow works better when reading. The supporting character of Raki is so annoying and nearly ruined the whole series for me. He is important in Clares development however, but did he really have to be such a whiny, annoying t*t??!! The conclusion to the series was a bit of a let down and didnt make much sense, however the ride getting there was worth the investment, if anything a good introduction to the manga.
The opening and closing themes will grow on you, and the soundtrack - although the guitar riffs sound okay, i think this series wouldve been suited to a more natural orchestral sound track given the lush environments and medieval settings. The rock just didnt seem right, but nothing too distracting to the overall enjoyment, and that what this series is, entertaining.
An overall 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 30, 2008
Having mostly dark gritty (depressing!) manga in my collection i'd thought i'd branch out and try something different and saw Sundome in my local bookstore. It wrapped up so couldn't preview it, mature series...has to be up my street!!
After reading the first volume (just finished the 3rd) the first word that came into my mind was - PAINFUL. Not in the sense it was a bad read, but due to the feeling i felt for the main character Hideo. His relationship with Kurumi is so fascinating to read, and to see how the guy started off in volume to what kind of guy he
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has become in just 3 volumes was entertaining to read. I keep questioning to why Kurumi behaves the way she does towards to Hideo, is it because she does like him, or is it because she is a sadist? And thats what keeps me hooked as you want to see how their relationship pans out and develops.
The book actually made me laugh out loud which is very rare. The supporting characters crease me up, but again its great to see their development too.
Is it perverted? yes! is it entertaining? hell yes! is it worth the read - if you dont mind the blatant fan service - altohugh not as bad say Battle Vixens, then give this a go, you'll either like it or hate from volume 1 alone. If you dont like masturbation (?!?) then avoid this manga like the plague!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 30, 2008
I was on the lookout for as mature anime series - mature in the sense of gritty and adult themed plot - and following some surfing I found this gem - Speed Grapher.
Once the I saw the opening with Duran Duran's Girls on Film, I knew I would like this. The idea of the main character using his camera as a weapon was an interesting concept, kind of reminded me of the horror PS2 game Project Zero (Fatal Frame), and although this series has slight horror by the way of various monsters making their entrance in the show, I felt this series to be more
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of a action drama.
The relationship between Saiga and Kagura was sweet and core to the series. It was his teachings to Kagura about the reality of the world which was interesting to watch and you can really see their affinity for each other grow as the series progresses. However it was the villain Sitengu who stole the show for me, after seeing his background and motivations in what he is doing and I personally felt - good on him and hope he succeeds, which to have that kind of feeling for the villain for the peice proved to me that this was good story. YOu even start to have feelings for his back up crew of villains, which again I have only seen in Black Lagoon.
I did feel however the series did become a monster of the week scenario, and the series could have been shorter, but its a TV series so I think we all have to live with this!
Fan fave - Ginza was welcome humour relief to the series, however she was a much needed contrast and flip side of the coin in protection Saiga. It was nice to see that similarity portrayed. Plus she fulfilled a guys fantasy of taking control of some situations - if you know what i mean! ;)
With regards to the sexual themes, were they required? I think this aspect is where Speed Grapher was trying too hard to aim for its intended mature audience, and could've been handled better, but I think it was probably a way of enticing people to watch the series,m thankfully it didn't interfer with the story.
Animation wise - not as good as Gonzo could be, but not that bad that it effects enjoyment. Sound track wise - fiited the series well, but nothing too memorable that makes you want to OST.
At 24 episodes not much of investment of time, and if you do like a dark gritty character driven story, and you dont mind some OTT, give Speed Grapher a go, especially past episode 4 where it starts to shine.
An overall 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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