Social anxiety is something that I have to deal with almost every day. Though I’m still not that comfortable talking to someone that I’m not familiar with, I’ve learned to control this “illness” by keeping everyone at an arm’s length. I hide behind my personal shell in order to be as professional as I possibly can. Now, back tracking to 2 years ago, a certain show came up. Watashi ga Motenai no Wa Dou Kangaete mou Omaera ga Warui! (yeah, I typed that. No google.), Watamote... a show that has the same premise that people with same “illness” are supposed to relate to. Well, at
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least that’s what the show intended to do… on paper.
Story:
Now, forgive me when I say this but this show… is shit. That’s your cue to get the fuck out if you’re one of the few people who liked this series. I don’t know why people love this show so much when it came out. This show was made not for people with social anxieties to relate with but this show is rather made in order to make fun of them. People go “Oh, I know what it feels to be in this situation. I feel for her.” but at the end of the day, let’s be honest, all the situations she’s been through is created for comedic reasons. I have a hunch that the author of the manga is one of the “popular ones” that knows someone like Tomoko and goes something like “Hah! This human’s situation is ridiculously amusing, I should make a manga even if my drawings are as bad as her situations so I can sell it and make some quick buck.”. I’d like to say that the series HAD potential after the first episode but rather than improving her situation, nothing changes apart from her situation getting worse every episode. To quote Alain from Bakashift, “the entire series is the first episode 12 times”. This is a review of the anime but from what I’ve seen in the manga, nothing has changed. There’s a scene in the manga where she was participating in a marathon then she suddenly felt an urge to shit. What did she do? She knocked on the door of a total stranger and asked the homeowner if she can use their bathroom… *sigh*. That’s the last chapter I’ve seen and decided to never again touch that abomination. Let’s just make one thing clear… I’m not offended on how the series made fun of my previous/semi-present situation. I don’t take any show to a personal level (except ef: melodies & oregairu) so don’t start pointing fingers.
Character:
Every character in this series is more interesting than the main character. See, their personalities are so colorful and interesting that sometimes I wonder what will happen if they’re taken out of the series to be moved to a completely different show as the main character. I can surely watch that show and probably not be pissed about it. In the topic of moving characters from this series to another, I wonder what’ll happen if I move Tomoko and put her in a series like Berserk, Deadman Wonderland, or High School of The Dead/Gyo? I just want to see her get killed miserably and have a good laugh so forgive me. Hmm… Now, for the sake of my reviewing format, let’s talk about the “main character” Kuroki Tomoko.
See, I can understand her situation if she got bullied or something but no such thing was mentioned in the series or in the manga from what I’ve read. Why is she such a despicable tiny little shit? No one in the series (except her younger brother) talks badly about her yet she treats everybody like they’re trash. Maybe, just maybe, this is her way to hide her inferiority complex but still… why? Also, she calls her best friend, the ONLY ONE person that she can portray herself as herself a bitch? You know as an atheist, I don’t believe in hell but let me just say that there’s a special place in hell for people like her. I really don’t think she has any redeemable traits. Wait, let’s be fair, I’ll think about it for a minute… just a minute… Hmmm… She’s a liar, she cheats to beat kids in card games, she searches pictures of penises on her phone during class, she badmouths everybody… nah, nothing. I hate her, that’s that. If you count that as a “redeemable trait” then by all means do so.
Animation:
Silver Link… What are the other shows they’ve made? *searches google*. Baka and Test/Akiyuki Shinbo Jr. directs a show outside Shaft, Kokoro Connect/Four kids exchange bodies while Inaba remains best girl, and this season’s (Fall 2015) “The Worst One” and The 35th Anti-Magic Platoon. Well, the studio’s not really “up-there” by a long shot by they have their merits. In Watamote, the character designs don’t really appeal to my taste but at least it’s better than what is on the manga. It’s pretty normal with some amazing utilization of angles. There are some scenes where everything goes landscape mode and that was amazing. Apart from that, nothing else. I really have nothing cool to say about the animation section because it’s pretty much average with not much about it standing out.
Sounds:
Apart from the OP and the Natsu Matsuri ED, I find everything about this soundtrack forgettable. Like in the animation section, everything when it comes to music, at least from my perspective, is pretty standard. Nothing much stood out and it was probably happy to be at least forgettable.
Now, disregarding that fact, let’s talk about the dub. Monica Rial as Tomoko… is fucking amazing. When I first heard that Monica Rial was playing as Tomoko I went “fucking nailed it!”. See, I hate, I despise, I LOATHE Monica Rial like you can’t even imagine. But that fact aside, I also know her potentials… well, if you can really call it “potential”. I know what her voice is capable of. And when I finally got the chance to re-watch it dubbed, my expectations were not betrayed. She sounds fucking awesome as Tomoko. How can I put this if you haven’t seen the dub and just refuse to? Hmm.. Let’s just say Tomoko’s seiyuu is capable of speaking fluently in English. There, the best example I can think of. Monica Rial and Tomoko’s seiyuu sounds like one person to be honest. Re-watching Watamote was a pain but since Monica Rial finally finds a role that she’s 100% compatible with, it became a bit bearable. I finished re-watching it not because I liked it but because I was deeply moved by Monica Rial’s performance which is coming from a hater, is probably a good thing, right?
Verdict:
I never really wanted to review this series but I found myself having too much to say about this series when I was looking for something to review. This series is one of the few series out there where I question myself as to why it even exists. Apparently, it was popular in 4chan but popularity is pretty subjective in my eyes. The producers were like “Oh… this manga is popular overseas! Let’s make it an anime so we can sell it abroad for a couple of bucks.” Well, I think they’ve succeeded in doing so. Now, can we stop it at that? I heard there is an ongoing petition in the internet to make another season of this series. People, if you’ve indeed signed this petition, please tell me your name and where you live so I can shake your hand personally… and burn your house.
With all that said, I’ll (not) gladly give Watamote an overall score of 4.88 out of 10. I seriously wanted to give it a lower score but since I follow my own formula when it comes to scoring, the score was somehow pulled by the animation and sounds section. I may have talked about how shit this entire series is throughout my show but it’s really not as bad as I claim it to be. Maybe it just rubs me the wrong way and didn’t laugh as much as a chuckle while watching it but who knows? You might like it if your tickle bone is softer than mine. Well, that’s your decision. Try not to use my review as an excuse to not watch it. I still recommend the series, though I don’t want to, if you want to laugh at other’s misfortunes. That’s your call.
Alternate Anime Recommendation:
For alternate recommendation, why don’t you try My Teen Romantic Comedy Snafu (I recently found out that snafu was in fact a word. I was surprised to be honest)? A series that has the same premise: a loner trying to fit in society, or rather in school. But in Snafu’s case, Hachiman, the protagonist is the textbook example of how loners should act (though he crosses the line sometimes). I’ve said before that I consider Hachiman as the torchbearer of loners worldwide and I still believe that fact.
Also, if you don’t want that, there’s always Welcome to The NHK. A show that Watamote should have been but never did. That’s all you need to know.
Well, that’s it for me. Thanks for reading again as always. Bye!
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Nov 8, 2015 Not Recommended
Social anxiety is something that I have to deal with almost every day. Though I’m still not that comfortable talking to someone that I’m not familiar with, I’ve learned to control this “illness” by keeping everyone at an arm’s length. I hide behind my personal shell in order to be as professional as I possibly can. Now, back tracking to 2 years ago, a certain show came up. Watashi ga Motenai no Wa Dou Kangaete mou Omaera ga Warui! (yeah, I typed that. No google.), Watamote... a show that has the same premise that people with same “illness” are supposed to relate to. Well, at
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Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Oct 19, 2015
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
(Anime)
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As I’ve said in my Honey and Clover review, I am not the best judge when it comes to music. I don’t listen to that much music because I really don’t care about it that much. But I like instruments. I love the sound the strings make when I strum on my guitar. I love the orgasmic sound of the violin when played right. I love the different sound a piano produces whenever I press a key randomly. I love hearing woodwind instruments especially when listening to jazz. Overall, I love the unique sound every instrument produces. Transitioning to anime, we’ve had our fair share
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of music anime in the past but “real” music anime can be named. Nodame Cantabile, Beck, hmmm… what else? Nothing much appeals as strong as the aforementioned series. Other than that, we get stuffs like K-On which is more slice of life, and the White Album which series is more romance than anything else. A new series came out exactly a year ago. Her (yes, her, fuck you) Lie in April. Will it join the ranks of Beck and Nodame Cantabile or fall in the pit known as K-On? This review contains some spoilers but I’ll try avoiding spoiling the major one if I can help it so even those who haven’t seen it yet can read this review.
Story: “I met a girl under (a) full-bloomed cherry blossom and my role begun to change.” Well, that’s the series in a nutshell… moving on… This series is not even a music anime. It’s a competitive sports anime revolving around piano and violin. Nah, just kidding. But yeah, the entire focus of this series is to enter a competition. But mostly in a show where competition is a main focus, the main characters’ goal in this series is not to win but to be remembered… well, at least Kaori for the most part. Many “music” shows tend to forget their roots and just use the “music” as a crutch to tell stories of a different narrative… see K-On, Ajimu, Love Live, and Gundam SEED (What? Gundam SEED has “music” in it. Fuck off) But this series stayed true to its roots throughout 22 episodes and 1 OVA. From episode 1, the series made it clear that this series is about music. Though it has both dramatic and romantic undertones, most of the themes concerning these undertones rely more in music. “I’ve loved you since I first heard your music”, “I’m disappointed that I’m ill because I can’t play music”, “I’m music and I’m music because I can’t music music”. But yeah, the music serves as a metaphorical sun that the series revolves into… which appeals just right to my taste. I’m a real big fan of music-themed shows. And it makes me a bit sad that not much music anime are really music shows at all. Gladly, Her Lie in April, went down the road where I wanted it to go. It may never achieve what Nodame Cantabile has established but for what it had, it made use of what it can and I’m really fine and happy with what they did. Sure, it can never be the best ever when it comes to music, but hey, real music anime are a rarity and let’s at least be glad that we are given something that is a music show that’s actually about music and not something that is so pretentiously misleading. I love it, alright? And I ain’t biased, kay? I’m just calling it from an analytical standpoint. Characters: This show has a wide array of characters ranging from supporting characters to rival characters. And most of them, if not all, have been utilized quite properly. Side-main characters like Watari and Tsubaki are human characters. You feel for them whether they’re happy and feel sad when they do. They secure the role of best bro/sis in the series. Now with the rival characters like Emi and Takeshi, they’re awesome. See, rivalry, especially in a young age is a pretty heavy thing. Kids’ ego is far greater than the ego of an average adult. Though they don’t know much about it, they want to be better than others. They will use this “jealousy” toward their friend or someone popular as motivation and become better themselves. Hell, I still have this mindset even today. I’m not embarrassed to say that I idolize someone because he’s better than me. No, you use them as an example of what you want to become and someday, through hard work, you will be just like them, or maybe even better. Which is what Emi and Takeshi did. Without Arima, they wouldn’t be as good as they are right now. Hell, maybe Emi never even touched the piano if he didn’t see Arima’s performance. But yeah, that’s admiration, jealousy, and rivalry in a nutshell. Now on to the two main-main characters. First we have Arima Kousei; a puppet, a machine, a human metronome, a slave to the score, and one handsome SOB. Arima is one hard book to read because he keeps everyone, including us, the viewers, at an arm’s reach. He hides behind his man-made shell and tries his hardest to keep everyone outside… well that is until Kaori decides to change his role from being “Friend A” to “Mr. Main Character” . He’s a real good character but I don’t like his indecisiveness. I mean, come on. If you want to say something, fucking say it. Don’t be afraid to sound bad about yourself because your monologues are fucking heartbreakingly amazing. He has such amazing ways with words that he can earn a living by just talking. I can use his heartfelt quotes and I will win an award for it. He’s just too indecisive to even try and I hate that trait of him. A good example, Kaori and he talking face-to-face or on the phone and he will monologue all the important things that he should say out loud while saying only what he thinks will not sound bad to whoever he is speaking to. Man, I know you’re just a kid but even kids mature at some point, right? Overall, I like his character but I hate some parts of him. I really think if he says what’s all in his mind out loud, this series would have gone a different route. I just realized that all I’m complaining about his character can be said about myself too. Man, it sure is easy to slap what you want to do to yourself unto others, ain’t it? Now, Kaori Miyazono. Well, for one, I like her character being as energetic *smirks* and sunny as she was. It’s as if all of her problem can be cured *smirks* with a being cheerful *smirks*. She dragged Arima out of the bottomless ocean just to make a different bottomless pit and throw him there, all alone. Well, they did make airs to it that she will someday leave Kousei not even in the halfway mark but I don’t think what they did to her was justifiable. No, I’m not sad because of what they did to her but come on. You did that in the final episode for what? Kousei was slowly being cured of his disease thanks to Kaori. What’s the point of doing that to her? The letter? Why the fuck doesn’t she just tell her himself? What happened to her was stupid and would mean nothing unless they make a sequel where Kousei had to deal with the fact that the events here happened and should either break or make him in the future. I really think there’s room for a sequel because of what they did to Kaori, but I don’t think it would have the same spark. But apart from that, I like Kawori. She’s glorious, strong *smirk*, and was a good romantic interest. Without her, Arima would’ve been a boring character and his disease would not have been “cured”. Animation: This series in present time is probably the best thing A-1 Pictures made, animation-wise. Yeah, I would go out on a limb and say that right now. Yes, we can argue on whether SAO is better (I’m talking about animation here to be clear) but personally, I prefer this show’s animation more than SAO. But as good as it is, I wouldn’t say it’s perfect. Though the animation is so fucking beautiful in some points, there are some scenes where the animation turns into something like a melted dick. Man, if only I can post pictures in this review, I’d put up pictures of what I meant. At some point, they weren’t even subtle about it. I mean, there is an entire episode where the animation suffers greatly that even someone with an untrained eye can see it. If you don’t believe me, try watching episode 5 again with what I said in mind. Some scenes were obviously rushed while some scenes have so much frame silence. The characters are talking and all you can see is their stale head with the mouth missing. But apart from that, everything about this series when it comes to animation is just superb. It’s just beautiful. This statement’s probably a bit controversial but let me say it anyway. I think this series can battle head-to-head against ufotable. It can stand on even ground if not higher. It’s just that damn good in my honest opinion. On the topic of animation, let’s talk about the character designs. How can they grow that big in just 2 years? Arima, Tsubaki, Watari, Kaori, Emi, and Takeshi. When Kousei first lost his hearing, they all look like toddlers and 2 years after they look like that. That’s a bit odd, doesn’t it? I also have this gut feeling that some of the characters are almost the same. Case and point, Seto-sensei and Saki (Kousei’s mom). Is it just me or do they look like the same? Some characters in the background also share their looks. Maybe it’s just the hairstyle. But apart from that, everyone looks cool. I mean look at Kousei. That guy is one of the most beautiful anime character in existence. He has the audacity to say “no one will fall in love with me” while looking like that? Man, I’d gladly go gay for you. Now, Kaori, yeah, I can agree with you that she’s glorious but I prefer her geeky-girl look they showed in episode 22. Why the fuck did she remove her glasses just to replace them with those evil contact lenses? She looks more charming when she had glasses on. Imagine if both Kousei and she wore glasses throughout the series, it would’ve been fucking amazing. I also prefer her earlier hairstyle more than her usual wavy-long hair style. I don’t know how it’s called, maybe a low pigtails? Something like that. I also like her ponytail look, she looks absolutely stunning. Sounds: The soundtrack that I can listen to outside the series it originated is very limited. However, the list may need to be updated with the arrival of this series’ soundtrack. Various music pieces that revolves around piano and violin (well, that was to be expected) can be enjoyed throughout its almost 2 and ½ hour run. I have never yet heard another soundtrack whereas my kokoro felt so happy and shattered at the same time to the point that I had to squeeze my chest while listening to it. No exaggeration or joke. It feels so empty (but still good) that the sound of my beating heart enhances the overall experience. They say that music transcend words. If so, then this set of music is probably telling me: “Be sad and happy at the same time.”, “Feel the emotions”, “Cry”. In all honesty, I have never shed a single tear while watching the series but when I listened to the complete soundtrack, some manly tears were shed. I didn’t bawl but just a single tear went out. You know, kinda like when you’re yawning and a tear will sometimes fall... that same thing. Also, I’m the type of person that if a story is good, I get completely immersed that I forget about the animation and sound. But in the case of this series, yes I did enjoy the story, characters, and animation but I never once disregarded the background music. It’s a rare feat for someone like me if I say so myself. In regards to the OP, both are pretty amazing. When I was watching the series as it airs, I like the OP 1 more than OP 2 but as time goes by and I listen to both OPs outside the series, I now lean more on OP 2. Not to say that OP 1 sucks but I really liked OP 2 more probably because of the overall feel of it and how it was more “atmospheric” than the first opening. I liked OP 2 more but OP 1 is probably just a step lower. I mean come on! OP 1 was performed by Goosehouse and I fucking love Goosehouse. OP 1 of this series, the ED of Silver Spoon, and their various covers, man, I’m telling you, these guys are freakin’ amazing. Now, in regards to the music they performed in the show, I really like it. My knowledge on who Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven and classical music is limited but that did not stop me from having an eargasm while listening to the pieces the characters plays when they perform. Though all of the music played by the characters is pretty much prerecorded, you will still find yourself immersed with everything they play. When they played Laputa’s theme in episode 1, I was completely sold. I just loved the series from then on. With the first episode alone, I was convinced that this a genuine music show and not a show that is labeled as music but does nothing throughout 39 episodes other than eat cake and drink some motherfucking tea. My main problem with this section though is that I kinda would’ve enjoyed the music a hell of a lot more if they fucking reserve the comments for last. I was watching character play music, right? And some of the fucking character would go: “Wooo… colors!”, “Hey, you guys see that? A sakura tree just fucking bloomed on the middle of the fucking stage! Are you guys seeing this or am I just fucking high?”, “Autumn leaves are inside the building! Who the hell left the fucking door open?”, “Oshiete yo, Oshiete yo…”. Seriously, shut the fuck up. I want to savor the music they play! Can you reserve the comments for after they play? Verdict: When I first finished the series, I wished that, and I quote myself (it’s on my anime list review), “I wish the music just continued on… forever..”. Funny enough, after re-watching the series, my exact thoughts did not change one bit. In this medium that we all love, real music-based show can be counted in just one hand. But thanks to this show, we can add another finger to that count. This series is a real music show. Though there are underlying drama and romance, it still didn’t fail to deliver what it intended to do, and that is play music. It stayed true to its roots and did not even sway (well, maybe just a little). So, with all that said, I’d gladly give Her Lie in April an overall score of 8.86 out of 10. This series, along with Nodame Cantabile, Beck, Nana, and (maybe) White Album 2 is one of the few anime that I will label as true music anime. Though some will hate me that I put this new series along with these other classic shows, in my defense, I’ll just say that it’s just that good. Story is pretty reasonable, characters are lovable and not too stale, animation is crisp just with some few inconsistencies, and the music is just heavenly. How can you hate a series with that lineup? Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, try watching the ever popular Nodame Cantabile. Both series has lovable characters, compelling music, enjoyable romantic elements, and a story that you will definitely love. I really wish there’s more season of Nodame Cantabile but that’s something to discuss at a later time. *wink wink*. The next one is not really an anime but a light novel but why don’t you check out Sayonara, Piano Sonata? Personally, I just started reading it last week and I’m already getting the “music vibes” (though it’s a novel) from it. I maybe wrong but don’t blame me totally for I have seen probably about just 5 to 10 pages. But hey, if you’ve finished reading it and it’s good, and then feel free to tell me, you will help me a lot. And if it’s not, then all is well as well. So, yeah, that’s about it, thanks for reading as always (if you’ve read my previous review) and… *tries to mimic Kousei’s voice from episode 22 while crying buckets of tears* Sayonara…
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 24, 2015
Owari no Seraph
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
Have you ever been compared with someone? How does it feel when you’re being compared with your sibling and your sibling turns out to be praised yet you’ve been degraded? You feel sad, don’t you? Personally, it makes me sad too. I’m always being compared to Brad Pitt when in reality, I should be compared to Hugh Jackman (my repertoire of actors is old so please forgive me). But what does it do? Do you strive harder to be more different so that comparing you to others would be avoided?How about Owari no Seraph? A show that is obviously comparable to 2013’s hit series, Attack
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on Titan? Will it stay the same throughout or will it break from the chain? Let’s find out on my first review in 4 months!
Story: Humans cower in fear because their natural predator, Vampires, are wrecking shit and is killing humans on the drop of a hat. Our heroes join the Moon Demon extermabullshit to hunt and kill them all to save humanities and settle their personal grudges… Wait… Seid ihr das Essen? Nein, wir sind der Jeager! “SHINGEKI NO KYUKETSUKI!!” Talking about the story without mentioning Attack on Titan is blasphemous because the story is almost a page per page copy of the story of Attack on Titan. I don’t think it’s the same author coz I’ve tried checking a couple of chapters of manga and the art is nothing like Attack on Titan. Well, I’m not ruling out the possibility that maybe Hajime wrote the story and another guy drew it. You know, kinda like Ashirogi Muto in Bakuman. I don’t know and I’m too lazy to look so fuck me. But apart from the obvious Attack on Titan format, a lot of things do not make sense in the story. 1. Where do they get their cursed weapons? I know this is a “fantasy” world and shit can happen and the excuse that “its fantasy” can be used every time. We do know for a fact that Hiragi Mahiru (or whatever the fuck her name was), Shinoa’s (or Lil’ Senjougahara as I’d like to call her) older sister made them but we do not know how. If that isn’t explained in season 2, I’ll rage quit. 2. Where did those “Four Horsemen of John” came from? And let me just say that that name is probably the worst name of a monster in all of anime. If they name it Horseman of John, then it would have been fine. But why the fuck FOUR WHORE-SEMEN OF JOHN? It’s just one “thing” where the fuck does FOUR come from? Seriously? Where did they come from? Did the Vampires bring them with them when they annihilated “all of humanity”? If so, why can’t they control them, and hell, they even kill them to offer protection for their “livestock”. And 3. Who is the real enemy? Maybe I’ve been watching too much Gundam but when I was watching this series I did not have a solid team which I wanted to win. I remained neutral throughout the entire series. Yes, Vampires are mostly evil but can we really say that they are the antagonists? They offer protection to humans in return for food. They fight back because if they don’t they’ll be killed. And can we really say that what they did in episode 1 is an extermination and not a salvation? And look at the human side of the spectrum. Politics, power struggles, human experimentation, and most high ranking officers are as arrogant as the noble-class vampires. Can we really say they are the heroes and the real enemies? Well, in a nutshell, the story, at least in season 1, have ton of inconsistencies and plot holes that made me question every little thing. And if you really want my honest opinion, I did not like this show and I should now call it Attack on Vampire. Characters: Unlike Attack on Titan characters, the characters in this series seem to have a thicker layer of plot armor. As of 12 episodes, no significant death has taken place… yet. But like Attack on Titan, almost all of the main character follows a straight formula. We have the typical shounen protagonist (Yu, Eren), the strong childhood friend (Mikaela and Mikasa. Both are Mika… weird), and a pussy (Yoichi, Armin). I wish you could see my face right now. Did Hajime really have something to do with this? HAH! So, yeah, let’s talk about a couple of characters just to open up discussion. Hyakuya Yuichiro… Eren Jeager… fuck it… I don’t even… I don’t even need to talk about this. Wait… Does anybody here not know who Eren Jeager is? No? Okay then… No need to talk about him then. Moving on… Hyakuya Mikaela… what to say about Mikaela? First, her name sounds gay. I'm sorry but no parent would name his son Mikaela… or Kamille… Kamille: Kamille is a perfect name for a boy!! *punches my face* Awww… Anyways, moving on. How did Mikaela became such an arrogant piece of shit? When he was a kid, he was a cute, kid Nadeshiko. But once he became a vampire he became an ice-cold dandere? How does this work? Is it a requirement in being a vampire? And also, some weird, random, question. Do vampires age? No, seriously, think about it, in all the vampires of literature, no one seems to age once they’ve been bitten. Vlad (well, he wasn't bitten but once he became a vampire, his aging stopped), Seras, Araragi, and even that motherfucker from Twilight. Years and years yet they still stay the same but Mikaela breaks the status quo and became a hot looking young men. How the fuck does that happen? And Hiragi (Hitagi) Shinoa. During the first few episodes, I liked her. She made me remember how much I used to like Senjougahara. Her sharp tongue was really cute for her size and I loved it. But as more events happened, she becomes too dependent on Yu and loses the light that I once adored. Though she still talks shit, she does not do so frequently which just makes me sad. I also like her “ahahaha” laugh. Shout-out to Hayami Saori for that. Can you imagine Yukino laughing like that? Ahahaha Animation: HAHAHAHAHA… Did you know that WIT Studio was the one responsible for animating this show? If you didn’t know WIT, the subsidiary of Production IG, also made Attack on Titan? It is now complete… Story, characters, studio, composer, director (the director is not Tetsuro Araki but he, I forgot his name, was an episode director on Titan), and even its licensor, Funimation… Everything is the fucking same! Ahh… Animation-wise, the show looks good but there are parts of it I wish they could have done better. I’ve been comparing it to Attack on Titan this entire review but if I there’s one thing I can differentiate Attack on Vampire from Attack on Titan, it’s the animation. The animation in Attack on Titan is its proudest joy. WIT seems to have at least spent a fortune when they made it. In Attack on Vampire, the animation did not looks as fluid as Titan. To wrap it off, I’ll sum up the animation of Vampire and Titan in just 1 word… Titan – Awesomejawdroppingamazingfabulousactionpackedthicklines. Vampire – Sad. Sounds: As a solid Hiroyuki Sawano fan, I’m a bit disappointed with the musical lineup of the show. Apart from the OP, X.U., I did not like anything in the entire soundtrack. Hell, even in the series, some scenes were so eerily quiet and I was going like: “Please insert a song… any song.”. You know those moments in Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, Aldnoah.Zero, or even Guilty Crown where you go: “Hah! He used don’t lose your way (Before My Body is Dry) again! Typical Sawano!” Attack on Vampire did not have any of that. It was just silence. Clashing blades, characters talking, and some generic background noises… that’s all you can hear. The closest comparison I can name on the top of my head right now is God of War: Ascension. If you played that game, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Bombastic orchestral music for boss fights that was used in GoW 3 was removed and nothing can be heard apart from Kratos’ grunts, metal meeting flesh, and splattering blood. That’s how sad Attack on Vampire and GoW:A is when it comes to the music. Micah Solusod, Ian Sinclair, and Chris Burnett… Soul Eater Evans, Space Dandy, and… Romeo?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! That’s hilarious. No wait… I don’t “don’t like” the dub. It’s just funny that these 3 people are gathered in one show. But in all seriousness, the dub is really fucking good. Monica Rial as Krul Tepes is a nice choice. I actually don’t have any problem with her playing as Krul which is surprising. I really hate all her roles apart from Kuroki and Stocking but as Krul, she was perfect. I could not ask for a better voice actress for Krul apart from Monica Rial. Now… Sub vs Dub… Hmmm…. Let me think about this carefully. The subs sound cool (and I’ve finished it in sub) but I kinda wish I waited and watched it dubbed. Maybe I’m biased because I like dubs but I don’t think that’s the case. It’s probably because the Funimation lineup is better than the japo lineup. And even that guy (forgot his name) who played as Mikaela, it was his debut (according to MAL) in voicing anime. His debut… What… the… fuck?! I’m out! *smashes door* Verdict: All in all, I actually enjoyed watching this series. It was a car crash, but it was an entertaining car crash. It was fun and mind-numbing which opened up discussions among friends. Overall, the show didn’t even try to break away from the mold. It did not do anything to escape the shadow of Attack on Titan which is sad because when I watched the first episode, I thought it had potential to be Anime of The Year. And of course, like always, I was wrong. I actually have high hopes for season 2. What do I know? I haven’t read the manga past what was shown on TV. Maybe it will turn out to be just like Aldnoah.Zero whereas S1 was good but S2 was shit. Maybe it’ll do the opposite and season 2 will be the best season in all of anime. Who knows? Only time (and those who have read the manga(without hype)) can tell. And with all that said, after pulling random numbers out of my ass, molding it into a tablet to be consumed to become a black, Sepiroth-like creature (shout-out to FF VII Remake! Fuck yes!), I’d give Attack on Vampire an overall score of 6.46 out of 10. Just watch Attack on Titan. Though it’s incomplete, it’s a much more enjoyable experience and I think S2 comes out on 2016 so… yeah… You do that. Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Shiki? Though not in the more shounen-like formula, Shiki also revolves around the concept of “killing vampires to save humans”. Ending is a bit out there but it’s still a fun series. There’s also… hmm… Ah! The ever-popular, Hellsing Ultimate. Hellsing Ultimate is not that good but the gore, the dub, and the Alucard will be worth the 10 hour experience. That’s it for me as always. Thanks again for reading. And see you, next time!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 15, 2015
Zankyou no Terror
(Anime)
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Shinichiro Watanabe is considered by many as the best anime director of all time. With works such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on The Slope, and Space Dandy, one might agree that he is. So when Zankyou no Terror was first announced, a lot was really happy and excited for it. Not a big fan of Watanabe myself, I was quiet when the whole thing was happening. At the back of my mind I thought it was going to be the same old episodic stuff again. But once the first episode was released… *boom*. So, a simple question to find out in this review
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would be: Does it live to the hype or was it ruined by it? Hopefully, by the end, we can come up with the same answer.
Story: I’ll be honest, when I first heard about this show; I wasn’t really that much excited about it. Having seen only two shows directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy), I thought I knew what to expect: “an episodic anime with new stand-alone stories every episode” like Bebop and Dandy. Boy, how wrong I was. Though ZnT is a bit episodic (at least during the first episodes), it is not like Bebop and Dandy in storytelling. It doesn’t really follow a weekly “stand-alone” episode formula but a rather interesting story with an overarching plot. It was rather surprising for me because it’s a fresh new thing in which Watanabe’s name was attached to. After the first episode, I was immediately hooked and I continued watching it from then on. Though I would never rank it higher than Bebop because I would get a lot of hate from the old fags (well, I’m one of them), I would say that it is “up there”. For the first show that fully tackles the aspects of terrorism, it surely deserves praise. The closest shows I’ve seen with terrorism aspect in it are Code Geass and Guilty Crown. And terrorism was just like a statement in both series. It was like “these groups are terrorists.” And that’s about it. Though the story may not be that fleshed out, I think it is one of the few recent anime that will stand against the test of time and 10 years from now, it will still be talked about just like how Bebop is still being talked about today 17 years after it first aired. Characters: The characters are a bit hard for me to talk about. I don’t really know how I feel about them. I like them but I know that they have a lot of problems. Though some of them might be likeable for the most part, they all share a ton of problems that one might just ask why. I refuse to talk about Nine and Twelve because they’re fine (at least for me) so let’s just talk about the 2 obvious ones. First is Mishima Lisa. Though Lisa is a dunce, I liked her character. Not because she was a well written character but because she was just fun to watch because of her role/curse. It’s as if her role in the series is to be a disaster magnet. Throughout the series, she has been in dozens of close calls and unfortunate events. It’s as if every day in her life is Friday the 13th (I’m actually writing this on Friday the 13th. What a coincidence). Every time she goes out, something bad happens. Let’s take a little peek at the life of Lisa Mishima, shall we? She was bullied at school, she became an accomplice for terrorists, her mom is so protective that it’s so scary, she almost died every episode since Five showed up, and finally, the guy she kinda likes gets killed in front of her. Seriously, has she ever seen a happy day in her life? I feel so sorry for her… I seriously do. *muffled laughter* Then we have Near… Oh, sorry. Wrong series. I meant Five. The one who holds all the “why” in the series. Why is she so obsessed with Nine? Why did she team up with the ones who tormented her? Why does she look like a gender-bended Near? Why is she such a fucking bitch? Why is she such an extremist? And most importantly, why did she kill herself when she finally cornered Nine (it’s almost too funny that after she killed herself the first thing we see was Shibazaki saying “why”)? Five: I finally cornered you! I’ve won! I can kill you but that’s not what I should do. I should just kill myself just because lol I want to! *bang* WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY????????!!!!!!!!!! Animation: The animation for the series was handled by a fairly new animation company in MAPPA. Though it was the first big-name anime that they put out, it really looked fucking amazing. It really makes me wonder where they pulled the budget to make the amazing things that they did in the series. From the banging explosions to the quiet, tranquil moments, I think it is safe to say that for their first project, MAPPA surely delivered. If I can give out an award for 2014, I’d probably give the “Best New Studio” award to MAPPA rather than to the other new “big-name” studios like TROYCA and Trigger. If I could produce a new series, I’d gladly give it to MAPPA. Just please don’t involve CG. CG made by MAPPA is just utter shait (Bahamut & Garo). Sounds: The soundtrack for this series is just heavenly. For a series that is covered by banging explosions throughout, it sure stood out during its quietest moments. Tranquil music plagues (in a good way) the entire series and it was just beautiful. By far, it is the only soundtrack that I have listened from cover to cover. I always tend to skip something when listening to OSTs but this one was different. I listened to every track there is and I was seriously asking for more when it ended. It was that good. Its tranquility mixed with some variations of rock (lolol. It’s not “lol lol” it is seriously the title of the music) and techno (veat) is just too good for the ears. These are the type of music that is perfect after a long day at school or at work. When you feel down, just put on your earphones, press play, sit back, relax, and just soak everything in… it will just cure your heart, take away your fatigue, and make you feel good. Amazing music like “von” (Used in the Ferris wheel scene. And is by far my favorite) and “is” (This one was used during the motorcycle scene) were really used well in the series. Though mostly used once, hearing it one time is enough for me to buy the soundtrack. It was so good that I bought it in order to give this section decent information because listening with just the couple of clips in the series might not give it the justice it deserves. If for some weird reason you don’t even consider watching the series, just listen to the music. Composed by the one and only Yoko Kanno, your money will surely be not wasted. Just don’t make the same mistake I did of playing it while driving after work. Fatigue, stress, plus relaxing music. Makes you wanna sleep, doesn’t it? Since I can’t really understand Japanese, I really don’t have that much to say about the dub. Though with an obvious dub by Funimation shortly incoming, it’s probably safe to not point you in watching it in Japanese first if you’re a dub lover, right? I mean come on! It’s a Funimation dub. I rarely see dubs they put out that are below average. Hmmm… I really wonder if Funimation will pay me for advertising them. lol. But if you are a solid sub fan, then you surely won’t be disappointed. Though I can’t understand what they were saying, I can certainly feel the emotions that the seiyuus wanted to portray. And with that, I say well done. Verdict: Shinichiro Watanabe along with Yoko Kanno delivers once again. After watching the season 1 of Space Dandy, I felt that these two have lost their magical touch. I will now go down on my knees (and *toot* *toot*) and ask for forgiveness. You two are still the golden combi of the anime industry. I’m sorry if I ever doubted you because of Space Dandy. If you ever decide to make another series, be sure to make it like this one. Though episodic shows aren’t bad, I still prefer a story where characters can grow much better and a plot that I can fully get attached to. That’s all I want. It probably isn’t that much to ask right? *sparkling puppy eyes* And with all that said, and after computing some imaginary numbers, I’d gladly give Zankyou no Terror an overall score of 8.73 out of 10. Though not in the masterpiece level, it’s still a very good show with an okay story, fun characters, amazing animation, and heavenly soundtrack. Even if both the story and characters are really not that good, one can still look past that because of the unique premise it presents. Since it’s the only anime that fully tackled the concept of terrorism, it’s hard to find a good comparison to say that it is bad. As 2014 was a pretty good year of anime, I’d be proud to say that I consider ZnT as both Anime of The Season (Summer) as well as Anime of The Year. With all the amazing shows that come out last year, it was rather easy picking an obvious winner. Many may not agree with me but I personally believe that it deserves what I gave it. Though not that well received by others, I can vouch that this show deserves all the hype it got… unlike a certain show about “killing” which was just decimated by the fanbase in its ass. A bit disappointing towards the end but it’s passable. It’s like I always say: “It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey.” Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation why don’t you try Death Note. Both series revolves around a cat-and-mouse stereotype between the protagonists and antagonist… though it is really hard to determine which is which because both the series’ protagonist are anti-heroes so you’ll either cheer them or hate them. I personally don’t think this is a good recommendation since I believe that 95% of users here on MAL have already seen Death Note… more than once. But if you’re the other 5% then you will surely thank me for it. If you’ve already seen Death Note then there’s still Cowboy Bebop. Also made by the one and only Shinichiro Watanabe, you sure as hell know what to expect before even watching the show. Almost made by the same team, you can see some similarities between the two. I’m sorry if I can’t put out a decent recommendation this time since I can’t see much more suitable anime in my list that fits in ZnT’s premise. For a show about terrorism, it sure is hard to find a good recommendation since there’s only few of them. I can always point you to shows I haven’t seen yet but I can’t vouch for its authenticity. As a bonus, here are 2 more. Guilty Crown (a review might come out before the end of the week. I’ve finished 50% of it) and Code Geass. Though both show didn’t focus that much about terrorism like ZnT did, both these show have terrorism aspects to them. A bit similar since almost all of the protagonist are anti-heroes too. And that’s it for me. Thanks as always for reading. I might pull out a couple of reviews this week since spring break is coming and I’ll be busy working so look forward to it. Thanks as always and buh-bye!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 9, 2015 Recommended
Horror in anime… how does it stand out? When I see a horror tag in an anime, I know it’s more gore than it is horror. “It’s gore not horror”. When we say horror, it’s supposed to be scary not icky. It’s rare to see some really good horror in anime. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a really good horror anime. Maybe Corpse Party but it’s more gory than scary too. Let me think quickly here. Nah, I really can’t find anything that scary in my list. But what about Another? It’s a bit eerie will it suffice as a
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horror anime? Let’s just see shall we?
Story: In the beginning, (there was darkness?) the series tried to make the viewers believe that Mei Misaki is a life-form that only Sakakibastard… Sorry, I meant Sakakibara can see and interact with. I, for one, was actually fooled by it. I know, I was really stupid for falling for it. Anyway, if you try and get yourself absorbed by what the series is feeding you, it’s a really cool series. A simple comparison: It’s like pro-wrestling, you know it’s fake, but you still watch it and still get absorbed by its various storylines. It’s the same in Another, if you just absorb everything, don’t question every little thing, you will surely enjoy it. But if you’re not that type of person, maybe you’ll hate it because the mystery is really predictable, the characters are really plain, and the re-watch value is almost zero. I want to say I’m currently re-watching the series, but in truth, I’ve only seen episode 1 and a half of episode 2. It’s a bit boring when you sit back and try to watch it a second time. I’m a bit indifferent with the story overall, but once I tried to just accept everything; it was a really fun suspense-horror anime. Characters: I really hate the characters in Another. Not just the main ones, but every single one of them. If you think about it, the main role of a supporting character in this series is to just basically die. Many of them died before even a proper characterization is made. I really can’t remember much about them apart from how they died. Let’s try it shall we? One died from falling down the stairs then an umbrella pierced her in the throat, another (hah!) died when the elevator she was riding took a nosedive from the rooftop to the basement, another one was crushed by a truck, one was crushed by a glass… you know what, I should probably stop now, trust me I know how all of them died, I just don’t want to waste that much time. Anyway, back to my point. Every supporting character is just a disposable guinea pig that has no role other than dying… just like well, a guinea pig. Let me just please talk about 3 characters to make this section a bit longer. First, Mei Misaki, the Rei Ayanami clone of the series (Rei Ayanami clone, get it? Hahaha. Fuck me, that’s funny). Like Rei Ayanami, she is a useless character. Tell me, what is the most significant thing that Mei Misaki did in 12 episodes? Apart from determining who was the extra person was, she really did nothing. This is probably the reason why I don’t like kuuderes. Almost all kuuderes in anime have no real use than just to exist. Nothing else. Kouchi Sakakibastard, the blandest anime protagonist in existence. I remembered during the first episode when his classmates visited him in the hospital. The camera went POV mode (Random fact, POV means point of view. I researched that a long time ago since some porns are labeled POV and I didn’t know what it meant) and it looked like a fucking visual novel. It didn’t happen just then but a couple of more times. He’s like a typical visual novel main protagonist, bland and no motivation whatsoever. He uses other character’s motivation just to keep on moving forward. I really hate this type of character. And a little honorable mention, Akazawa, the leader of countermeasures. She is the one who should prevent the students of Year 9 Class 3 from dying. Can I just praise her for doing such an amazing job? She saved uhhh… wait, how many did she prevent from dying again? Oh, she didn’t prevent anyone from dying? Oh, and what’s this? He tried killing another student just to save herself? Haha! What a failure as a character she was! Bitch with an attitude that was all talk. I just can’t deal with this. Let me just facepalm for a second. Animation: Animation for Another was done by P.A. Works famous for works such as Angel Beats, Canaan, and my personal favorite, Nagi no Asukara. If you’ve seen at least one of their works, you probably know what to expect. Well, if you don’t, watching Another will surely introduce you to them. Just like in most their shows, the animation was just superb. Some of the backgrounds were just purely amazing too. I remember the hospital where the main characters met for the first time. It is really dark (not because of the lighting, duh) and will tell you, with that scene alone, what to expect in this show. Apart from that, the death scenes are probably the best looking part of the show. Blood has never looked so sexy in a series. In a series, yes, because Kara no Kyoukai is a movie and it has the sexiest blood in all of anime. Anyway, back on topic. The blood in Another is just so realistic that you might cringe while watching. The character designs are a little odd for me, but I’ve dealt with it. Middle school with big boingers? We all know Japanese boobs aren’t that big… wait… Hitomi Tanaka?! I forgot about her. lol. Okay, moving on… hopefully a little less pornographic. Sounds: If there’s one thing that I can praise this series for, it’s probably the music. I don’t know why but I’m really a sucker for suspense/thriller-esque music. When I’m watching a horror show, I want to hear music that is compatible to it. Imagine watching a horror anime then suddenly a rap song was inserted (I’m looking at you Shiki). That will just ruin the experience, wouldn’t it? In a series that is dark it is only natural to hear thrilling music; which Another really did amazingly well. I remember the very beginning of the series, the soundtrack called “The Story of Yomiyama” played during the introduction. It really did send a chill down my spine, no joke. Apart from that, the simple background sounds are just so eerie that it’s just perfect. The soundtracks for Another is not the type of music you don’t want to hear when watching this series at night, with the lights out, alone… It will surely take a toll at your heart. In regards to the (English) dub, I personally think it’s shit. Monica Rial and Greg Ayres: isn’t it just a recipe for disaster? Though Monica and Greg are good talents in their own right, I really think they miscast the two lead roles respectively. Monica Rial’s voice (which is so upbeat and irritating) in an emotionless doll’s body is probably the worst miscast I have ever seen. And please don’t let me start with Greg Ayres. I’ll be here all day. So, if you’re planning on watching it, I recommend that you watch it subbed. Do yourself a favor. Avoid the abomination that is known as Another’s English dub. Verdict: Another is a good anime if you don’t listen that much to what it’s trying to tell you. Don’t take it seriously and you will experience one hell of a creep. Though the story and character is somewhat underutilized, the animation and sound are both really good that it might still appeal to your liking. Just don’t set your hopes up that much since you might (and will) be disappointed. A tip from the wise: watch it, don’t take it seriously. And with all that said, after some random computations, I’d gladly give an overall score of 7.12 out of 10. I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone but it’s still an enjoyable show when you try and absorb everything that the series is feeding you. Though a bit disappointing, it’s still a really interesting series. I’ll just leave it with the same quote that I once said about Elfen Lied: “Don’t watch it for the story. Watch it for the killing.” Alternate Anime Recommendations: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Corpse Party: Tortured Souls? To this day, I still consider Corpse Party as the “goriest” anime I have ever seen. Be sure to watch it uncensored so you can enjoy its content in its entirety. Though be warned that like Another, the series is not that good at storytelling and building up the characters. You’ll probably just watch it for the gore anyways so go nuts. If you’re afraid to hurl then why don’t you try Ghost Hunt? Though not as gore as Another or Corpse Party, Ghost Hunt present a much more mystery-based story(ies) that involves the supernatural. Though I haven’t finished it myself, it will surely quench your thirst for horror… well, maybe. I think some arcs are scary while others are pure shait but that’s just me. You might like it. Who knows? Just give it a few go. Well, that’s it for me. Thanks for reading as always. Bye!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 5, 2015
Hoshi no Koe
(Anime)
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Have you ever tried having a long distance relationship? It’s not easy, believe me. I once tried it for a year and a half and it was really hard. The trust issues men, they’re killer. You don’t know what she’s really doing because you are not always together. Though she tells you want you want to hear, you will not know if it’s really the truth. After the relationship, we became friends (can you believe it?) and she told me she was having an affair during that time. What a bitch! Anyway, my situation was just one of the millions of long distance relationships all
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over the world. Being apart from the one you love by just a couple of miles is really, really hard. But can you imagine if the distance is light-years away? Will you still love her even if you have no idea if you’ll ever see her again? Hoshi no Koe: a story of love written in the stars.
Story: When I was having a long distance relationship, I’m very strict when it comes to communication. If I send her a message, I want a reply as soon as possible. If a response came 5 minutes after I sent mine, I transform and become The Hulk. But what will someone feel if responses come years apart? Hoshi no Koe is about waiting for text messages that both party is not sure if will ever come. If this is real life, the guy would have probably found a replacement after just a couple of months (Days if he’s good looking like me, and years if he looks like you). But since this is an anime, the guy stays loyal (M). Throughout this short 20 minute one-shot, imagining what these two lovers feel is just really heart-wrenching. Having felt it myself (Well, at least 0.5% of what they experienced), I understand the pain. A bit tragic-like but with an open ending, Makoto Shinkai delivers once again. Oh, yeah! This is a Makoto Shinkai film, if you’ve seen some of his works, then the ending wouldn’t surprise you… or rather, wouldn’t satisfy you. But I personally like it and (byfar) is my favorite Makoto Shinkai movie. Character: Nothing much to say about the 2 characters rather than they gained my respect. They can continue loving each other even if they’re not sure if the other still loves them. If I can point out one bad thing about it, it’s probably the guy. The guy is too masochistic. He can easily pick up some of the girls that like him then he wouldn’t be lonely but he still decided to stay loyal to the girl to continue his hardship. His morale is a bit respectable but more laughable. No man can do that in real life. Temptation will always win. I somehow relate their situation with Chise and Yuuji from Saikano (Saishu Heiki Kanojo aka. I’m Sorry - The Animation). I don’t know. I just think the situation is somewhat alike. Apart from that, I have nothing else to say about them. They’re still likable characters even if the series just runs for 20 minutes or so. Sound: Makoto Shinkai seems to like his violin and piano. In almost all his movies, piano and violin will never be missing… I think. The music is really emotional. It perfectly matches the premise of this one-shot. In regards to the dub, I really like it. You can surely feel the emotions that the voice actors portrayed. You will hear loneliness, sadness, and agony in it. I really like it specially Adam Colon. His dub is really emotional… it’s as if he can feel the exact same thing that his character is feeling. Well done. Animation: Makoto Shinkai. That alone is enough for one to know that the animation for this one-shot is really good. Though the character design and the animation are a bit dated, it still follows the typical Makoto Shinkai quality. Though it looks a bit old, the quality of animation (in its time) is really beautiful. The one-shot also features some mech and action which looks really cool. Typical Makoto Shinkai fashion. Verdict: I consider Hoshi no Koe as a tragedy because of the heart-wrenching portrayal of long distance relationship. Because it just ended when he was about to follow her, I was a bit disappointed. However, because of the ending being as open as it is, I was fine with it. It is one of the few shows that even after I finished watching it, I was still thinking of possible scenarios that might happen because of how it ended. An ending such as this is one of my favorites because even if it ends, it feels as if it didn’t end. Makoto Shinkai, he teaches us that love isn’t always about sunshine and rainbows since 1997. With all that said, after some random computations, I’d gladly give Voices of a Distant Star an overall rating of 7.9 out of 10. Even if you haven’t experience being apart from the one you love by a couple of miles, watching Hoshi no Koe will show you the hardships and trails that comes along with it. A bit sad upon initially watching it, but once you sit down and think about it, it’s really a good romantic one-shot. Why not check it out? It’s just 20 minutes nothing much to lose, right? Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Aoi Bungaku? Not all of it (Well, it’s a good series so watch it all if you can) though. Aoi Bungaku episodes 9 and 10: “Run, Melos!” specifically. Both stories revolve around the concept of “waiting” and the hardships that can be tied with it. Both stories present a rather sad question of: “Who experiences the most pain? The one waiting or the one waited?” Also, as mentioned, there is also I’m Sorry – The Animation… I mean Saikano. Both series have masochistic guys, both the girls in their respective series is away from the one they love because of military duties, and also, unrealistic (yet dreamy) romance. Between the two, I’m hope you find something that you would really like. And that’s it for me. Thanks for reading all of that as always. Bye!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 19, 2015
Romeo x Juliet
(Anime)
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Have you ever seen Romeo and Juliet? It’s a really popular play written by William Shakespeare. Countless variations of the play have been adapted in different mediums. Movie, book, TV Series, Anime. You name it, they have it. It’s considered by many as probably the best romance story in all of literature. But does it live up to the hype? Is it really THAT good? Is it worth watching when I already know what will happen in the end? If this is a Q&A, I would’ve easily answered that, but this is a review so just find out as you read along. Romeo x Juliet:
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a tragic tale of love and revenge. Is it truly love that can never be?
Story: Romeo x Juliet like its origin, Romeo and Juliet is a true masterpiece. Not only that it tells the beautiful story of love and revenge, but there’s also a fantasy twist which will just make things much more interesting. Having seen Romeo and Juliet plays for about three times now, I always felt that there is something missing. The original story feels somewhat 1D in comparison to the “remake” though I will never say that one is better than the other. They’re both good in their own ways but it feels like adding something new to the story makes it standout even more. I don’t know. Maybe I was just tired of seeing the same old story over and over again so when a bit of a fantasy element was added, I enjoyed it a lot better. The title in it of itself is enough reason for you to watch this show. Characters: Though the series mainly focuses on Romeo and Juliet, it is not right to say that the supporting cast is not that good. You’ll either hate them (Lady Hermoine and King Montague) or love them (William Shakespeare appears in his own creation. lol.) but they are made for you to do so. You’ll hate a character because they were made to be hated. It like professional wrestling: Heels (Chris Jericho is the natural heel in my book) are made to be hated while Faces (Super John Cena) are made to be cheered for. Now, with the supporting cast out of the way, let’s talk about the 2 characters that gave the series its name: Romeo and Juliet. At first, we have Juliet Fiammata Asto Capulet (No google. Fuck yes!) who is not your typical damsel in distress. Throughout the series, Juliet is always fighting. Not just for herself, but for everything as well. As Odin, her “superhero” alter ego, she fights the system for the right of every citizen of Neo Verona. While as Juliet, the rightful heir to the throne of de Capulete, she fights not only for her right for the throne, but for her love as well. In the course of 24 episodes, Romeo and Juliet had too little screen time together because they we’re always apart. This in turn made Juliet a little weaker but not helpless. She is a fighter down to her core. Shows a feminine side often but produces testosterone higher than even Simon, the personification of testosterone (in my book) himself. Okay, that’s enough. lol. What I’m trying to say is that, she may be a damsel in distress but she is definitely not that helpless. She’s just madly in love with Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig, I mean Romeo. Then, we have Romeo Candorebanto Montague (I googled that! Fuck yes!), a noble gentleman (Like yours truly) who died a virgin (Like you. Haha, burn! Just kidding! lol. )… Or did he? I think. Probably. Lesson? Be a gentleman but never abandon your perverted side. Be like me, I mean like Sanji. He’s a good example. lol. Anyway, back on topic. He, like me (*grins*), treats women really good (right Hermoine? *winks*) and does anything for the one he loves (aka. Andres de Saya. It’s an expression in my country. Send me a PM or comment if you want to know what that means. lol.). The personification of chivalry and that’s about it. I have nothing much to say about his character other than that. He’s not a bad character but I didn’t give a shit about him that much. He’s just a bit perfect for my taste. I sometimes imagine him walking and the words noble, gentleman, handsome, and perfect will simultaneously pop on top of his head. You know, like that one in Seitokai Yakuindomo (Fun show. Go watch it.). lol. I’m getting a little sexist but that’s fine, right? I’m a man after all so I think it’s natural that I care about Juliet more than him. In all seriousness though, I feel like he’s a male nadeshiko, perfect, just too perfect for my taste. Animation: Romeo x Juliet was animated by Gonzo back in 2007. But if you’re familiar with Gonzo, you know that they are a bit hit and miss. Though they can make amazing stuffs like Full Metal Panic, they can also do things like Gantz. It’s as if they flip a coin and be like: “If its head then let’s put all our effort in it, but if its tails then let’s just fuck it”. Well, going back on topic. In Romeo x Juliet’s case, I think it’s safe to say that the coin landed on its head. The animation is nothing too fancy but definitely still worthy of praise. I don’t remember seeing any CG which is like Gonzo’s trademark. I just might not have noticed it but I’m pretty sure they didn’t wave their 3D cocks in this series. Not much bombastic scene other than the few battle scenes and the “thing” in the end so the animation was a little stale but I think it’s not enough to deter future viewers. Overall, the animation is pretty polished for a Gonzo show. Sound: If I can marry a voice actress, it would probably be Brina Palencia. She’s got the looks, the voice, and the wits (Go check out her con-session videos with J. Michael Tatum on Youtube, it’s really cute). So when I heard her dub for Juliet, I was seriously fangasming. Just like how Crispin Freeman is the embodiment of Alucard, Brina is the only one meant to play as Juliet. She nailed both her damsel in distress persona as well as her Odin alter ego. In regard to Chris Burnett who played Romeo, it’s a real good dub; however, I think there are other ones who are much more suited for the job. I can’t really think of a name, but I just felt that his dub was not as powerful as Brina’s. And because I have only seen the dub, I don’t really have anything to say about the sub. I’ve never seen the Japo dub line up as well, so I can’t predict if it’s a good dub on their part. So, if you plan on watching it for the first time, it’s only obvious that I suggest that you watch it dubbed. It’s a Funimation dub so it’s really good. The soundtrack is really good too, specially the different variations of the original “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. Though repetitive, I wouldn’t say I was unhappy about it because it was always used at the right moment. One perfect time when it was used was at episode 7. Oh my god, I swear to God (even if I’m an atheist), my testosterone level have never been so low my entire life. I was about to squeal but I was watching it with my friends so I had to hold back a little. Anyway, yeah, at that time when a certain event happened at episode 7, the way they used You Raise Me Up was just godly. To this day, every time I watch it, I still get goosebumps. All I can say is, well done. There’s also this instrumental version of the song (I really suck at identifying sounds. It might be a guitar or a piano or neither) and when I hear that, I naturally sing along with it. Verdict: If there’s one “flaw” in this series, I would say it was its ending. Though technically not a flaw, I feel like as a human being, you have already been spoiled even before you watch this show (If you don’t know how Romeo and Juliet ends then you, my friend, have been living under a rock your whole life. And since I’m a bit generous today, here’s a gift: Romeo and Juliet both die in the end. You’re welcome). Though the means differ in both mediums, the tragedy is still present and may deter some people because they know what will happen. No offense to those who have that mindset, but I personally thinks that’s a stupid reason for not even touching the show. Romeo and Juliet is a true masterpiece in any medium and we should all watch it at least once in our lifetime. Do not be deterred by the spoiler, even if they both die, their trials and hardships are what make the story incredible. “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. With all that said, after some random computations, I’d gladly give Romeo x Juliet an overall score of 9.06 out of 10. As a true masterpiece made by the one and only William Shakespeare, no human being have the acceptable excuse to not watch it. It is a beautiful story of love and revenge that I’m sure 95% of viewers will really like. The other 5% probably have poor taste or just men with really high testosterone level. If you have not seen it yet, you have my full pledged recommendation in doing so. If my reviews have somehow helped you in the past then this one will surely end up to your liking as well. Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo? Both series centers around love and revenge that somewhat led to a tragic end. Though do not be deterred as both series have an outstanding journey in between them. And funny enough, both series was made by Gonzo back in the day and both of them are adaptations from really popular stories; Romeo and Juliet for Romeo x Juliet and The Count of Monte Cristo for Gankutsuou. If you don’t like classic literature that much then we have… hmmm… *checks list* Ah! Got one! Nisekoi! I know what you’re thinking: “WHAT A SHITTY RECOMMENDATION FOR ROME X JULIET!” I know! I should probably punch myself. Though in defense, let me give some obvious comparisons. Both series have family feuds, romance (hahahaha!), and tragedy (because Nisekoi is a harem! Hahahahaha!). Though be warned that even if both series are somewhat comparable, they could never be much more different. I just couldn’t find another anime in my list that had the same premise so, yeah, fuck me! Hahaha! And that’s it for me! Thanks for reading! Bye!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 16, 2015
Aldnoah.Zero
(Anime)
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Watching a certain show last year opened my eyes in a lot of things. One of them is probably what the real reason behind every war is. Not only fictional, but in reality as well. Greed. Let’s face it, no one admits it but it’s the truth. The government says it’s for freedom, for integrity, and for pride, is that really the truth? An interesting conspiracy theory once said that America itself was responsible for 9-11. It said that 9-11 was just an excuse made by America so that they can go to war in the Middle East. But why would America do this? We
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all know that the Middle East is rich in oil. Isn’t that reason in it of itself? To this day, a titan-like country like China is still in dispute with a microscopic nation in the Philippines because of some small island. Is it just a simple territory dispute? No. That island is packed with resources. In the now, a group called ISIS/ISIL butchering men from other countries because they didn’t join forces with them. Why do they need countries to join forces with them? Simple. Their military ranks will grow then it’ll be a walk in the park to conquer other countries. Greed. Even if I’m an atheist, I think I understand why it’s one of the mortal sins.
Anyway, I’m not here today to talk about politics and world disputes. I’m not into that shit. What I’ll talk about is a show about war and greed. As you may already know, this is a review about Aldnoah.Zero. This is a review of the first 16 episode of the series because mainly, at the time of this review, season 2 is still airing. Please be warned that this review might contain some spoiler for both seasons. So, yeah, LET JUSTICE BE DONE! Story: Being a war-flick freak that I am, this series was just pure gravy to me. It tells the beautiful story that every nation (or in this case, planet) always have hidden desires every time they start a war against another country. It’s not just about pride, not just about freedom, not just about integrity, not just for revenge. Every war always starts with a hidden desire in both sides, no exception. The focus of the series might be not that globally (or galactic in case of season 2) but the entire war is still there (as seen on episode 2) and a little imagination isn’t really that bad, right? Characters: If there’s a problem in this, it could be the characters; specially the main ones. They are a bit too 1D if compared to the rest of the cast. I might as well talk about the 3 to make this section longer. Firstly, we have PRINCESS ASSEYLUM VERS ALLYUSIA!! (Sorry. I feel like that was necessary) who is the token “My existence alone can stop the war” character. Throughout the series, most of her appearance showed her talking, walking, and dying (twice) and nothing else. It was like her reason for existence (at least in season 1) was to make contact with the Martians in order to stop the war (Guess how effective that was) and nothing else. She spends almost the entire series doing nothing. She was just deadweight in Deucalion. However, one might argue that without her, the Deucalion wouldn’t even move. Fine, I’ll give her that at the very least. But apart from that, what other use can she give? Nothing except die every 3 episodes. Her character is as useless as Orihime and Sakura. Shots fired! *insert reloading and firing shot here* The second character I’d like to talk about is Char Aznable. The Red Comet. The Prince of Zeon. Sieg Zeon! Oh wait a minute. This isn’t a Gundam review! Let’s get this right. Slaine Troyard, the 2nd coming of Char Aznable (Sorry Full Frontal). Many people say that Aldnoah.Zero is like Gundam. I, for one kinda agree with them. One of the many reason I say this is the obvious comparison between Char and Slaine. Both of them are blonde, they both wear red (Spoiler for Aldnoah.Zero 2), both are anti-heroes, and both joined the enemy to destroy it from the inside. If Slaine paints the Tharsis red, put a scar in his forehead, then wear a mask, he will become Char. In regards to his character, he is probably the most interesting character in the series. This might be an overstatement in season 1, but in season 2, his character developed and he is now the torchbearer of the show. He’s my favorite character in the series just like how Char is my favorite character in the Gundam U.C. timeline. To wrap things up in this section, I would like to talk about the obvious. Godnaho. If Gen continued writing the series, I bet his character would have been my favorite. He, like most Gen Urobutchi protagonists (Ein from Phantom, Ledo from Gargantia, Homura from Homura Magika, and Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero to an extent), gives off a distant/emotionless aura. But throughout the series, these characters developed and somehow captured my kokoro and they immediately became my favorites in their respective series. Inaho, however, after 16 episodes, stayed the same as he was in episode 1: A fucking rock. Emotionless and cold. No explanation on how he became like this, and I doubt we will ever see him change. Animation: The animation for this show was done by the ever popular A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online, Black Butler, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) and a rather up-and-coming studio in TROYCA. I don’t know if they divided the work between 2D and CG, but my guess is that A-1 is doing the 2D while TROYCA is doing the CG. If that’s the case, then A-1 seems to be doing well like they always did. However, TROYCA’s CG in season 1 was just, uhhhm… Crap. I’ve seen bad CG before but this was just another level. Look at the time when Inaho’s friend got killed in the 2nd episode then tell me if it’s a good combination between 2D and CG animation. If you say yes, I will gladly slap you on the spot. Gonzo would’ve done a better job (*insert “This is Bait” pic here*). HOWEVER! In season 2, they did their homework. I bet they looked at threads and realize that fans hate their CG and made it better. Compare the scene where Inaho’s friend died in episode 2 side by side to episode 15 where Tharsis and the orange Kataphrakt does battle for the first time; there’s absolutely no contest. I’m really happy in that huge jump in CG animation between the 2 seasons. Sound: My main problem in the composer, Hiroyuki Sawano, is that he tends to not compose much which leaves the director repeating the same music over and over again (Good example are Shingeki no Kyojin’s Attack on Titan OST, and Kill la Kill’s Before My Body is Dry which was used almost every episode). In 2 seasons, only 3 songs left a good impression to me: aLIEz (I said cry. 2nd ED), Bre@th//ess (Inaho’s theme), and No Difference (Slaine’s theme). There’s also that 1 music which I don’t know the title of. It was used just once throughout the entire series. It was at episode 2 during the 1st attack of the Orbital Knights. That music was really good but in 16 episodes, that song has only been used once which is really disappointing. Some situational OST’s was also used well, but I prefer the ones with the lyrics when it comes to Sawano’ compositions. I really like Sawano (more than Kajiura and Kanno) but I just wish he present the viewers with a wider variety because his compositions are just really good. Well, at least in my eyes, errr… I mean ears. Verdict: First, let me apologize at pointing my fingers at the countries/groups mentioned in the introduction. If you belong to the aforementioned countries/groups, then I sincerely apologize. I was just trying to make a point. So, yeah, I’m sorry. Anyway, onto the verdict! Now, after pulling random numbers out of my ass and dropping it to Earth while mizuki sings aLIEz (8.1 for story, 6.8 for characters, 7.4 for animation, 8.7 for sound, and 8.8 for overall enjoyment), I present Aldnoah.Zero with an overall score of 7.96. Even if you haven’t seen any mecha, you will surely like this series because of the action and story that it presents. It portrays a realistic view in war while also inserting a sci-fi twist which only makes it much more interesting. The characters and animations are a bit disappointing at first but it will be sure to grow on you as the series progress. Alternate Anime Recommendation: If you liked Aldnoah.Zero, why don’t you try Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn? Both series is about war between Earthlings and Spacenoids because of their personal desires (Greed in Aldnoah, Hatred in Unicorn). Both series also has princess characters (if you grew up to Disney and have a princess complex, then this is gold for you) which fights against their respective factions. If you don’t like Gundam, Code Geass is still available. Though not the galactic scale, Code Geass still focuses on war between Japan and Britania. Though unlike Aldnoah.Zero, the mechs in Code Geass doesn’t have supernatural abilities. The pilots in Code Geass possess that ability. And yeah, that’s it for me. Thanks for reading. Bye!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 16, 2015
Shinseiki Evangelion
(Anime)
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When watching anime, controversies can never be avoided. Simply liking certain shows can be considered controversial. If a person says that X anime is the best anime ever, there will always be a group of individual that will surely bat an eyebrow. No one is safe. Everything a person say can lead to a controversy. I was watching a show at Discovery Channel about simple controversies when I think about doing this; reviewing the most controversial anime of all time: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some consider it a masterpiece; some consider it crap, while other considers it the most blasphemous creation in history. So today, on
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its 20th year anniversary, a little review of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Not End of Eva (yet), not the Rebuilds (yet), just the series.
Story: Evangelion starts up really slooooooow. For about 20 episodes, they followed a formulaic monster of the week kind of thing. Sure it helps the characters develop throughout the series but they can definitely cut some of it out to save some money which they can use for the animation side of things (Not now. I’ll talk about it in the animation section). It isn’t that slow that you will feel bored the entire series because almost every episode, a new monster (or in this case Angels. IT’S AN ANGERU! IT’S A GUNDAM!) appears and wreck havoc while the pilots tries to kill it. Though the story is sidelined for the most part because of the action, there’s still this interesting thing brought up almost every episode: The Human Instrumentality Project (The Human Instrumentality Whatnow?). I watched Evangelion without having seen too much anime (I think I watched it after only watching 20 shows) so I didn’t actually get the HIP that much. Though I understand its purpose, I didn’t actually get why. And that is one of the things that EVA is excellent as: Not answering questions. Throughout the series (and the Rebuilds), questions tends to pile up without Hideaki Anno (The director of the series who if you didn’t know made an anime cameo in Shirobako as Mitsuaki Kanno. Yeah. You’re welcome) answering anything out of it. Viewers tend to have the same reaction every time they watch the series: “What the fuck is going on?”. Though most people don’t understand what’s going on, that is where the magic lies. You will want to watch it over and over again (I never did until now) just to understand it. Sometimes, having things not handed to you directly is a good thing; Death Billiards (Not Death Parade) is a very good example. Characters: Almost every character in the series, though they appear to be one-dimensional, has a hidden dark inner personality. Let’s give a little example; Misato Katsuragi appears to be a happy-go-lucky guardian to the pilots but she, herself, is a survival of the 2nd impact and hides behind a façade in an attempt to forget her past. Most character suffers from this similar trait and is one of the good reasons as to why I like this series. They appear to be one-dimensional in the beginning but throughout the series, you get to see their back stories on how they became the people that they are now. In my opinion, a good character building strategy not just for the main ones but for the supporting cast as well. Now, speaking of the main characters, let’s talk briefly about the 3 main pilots. Starting out, we have Shinji Ikari, the story’s main protagonist. Many viewers who have seen the series considered Shinji as a (pussy) girl because of his lack of testosterone throughout the series. I, for one, beg to disagree. Shinji is a 14 year old kid who was thrown in to pilot the EVA not because he wanted to but because THEY (NERV. Dafuq does that stands for anyway? Nervous Erection Reaches Vagina?) wanted to. Even if he doesn’t want to, NERV wanted him to continue piloting the EVA. Though they succeeded in doing so, deep down, Shinji still doesn’t want to do it because of the pain and some other things. He clearly doesn’t care about the world because the world clearly doesn’t care about him so he lacks the resolve to save it in the first place. Being technically orphaned at a young age, he felt that the world was being unfair to a kid like him. So why not just let everyone suffer just like him? Well, that’s my conspiracy theory that Shinji is actually a God. Haha fuck me, right? Anyway, as far as I remember, never once has he willingly piloted the EVA because he wanted to (Then 3.0 happened) and he also never once said that he wants to stop the Angels in order to save the world (Which was evident in 2.0 where his actions clearly states that: “Fuck the world, all I want Rei”). Shinji is by far, the most human anime character that I have come across to. If you, or me were in his situation, we’d probably do the same things he did. In character number 2, we have the pilot of EVA 2.0, the narcissistic bitch from Germany, Asuka Langley Soryuu: The grandmother of tsunderes worldwide. In all the anime I have seen, I have never met a tsundere that is older than her (Eva came out of 1995, right? If you know someone older than her at being a tsundere, please introduce her to me. I really want to meet her). In regards to his character, Asuka is praised by many (including me) because of her badassery. Considered to be the best pilot throughout the whole franchise (I think Mari’s greater but that’s just my personal taste. *cough* Bias because of Megane? *cough*) by the fans, she definitely shows this in every battle she has participated in. Her character is very fleshed out thanks to her back story which is probably one of the many reasons that she is many viewers’ favorite character in the series. She is a bitch but we get to see why. Which is in my honest opinion, makes a bitch a good tsundere. Lastly, we have Zero. Not Lelouch, not that one from Megaman, but Rei Ayanami, which is like Asuka, the flagship and oldest (in my book) kuudere in anime. Thanks to her character, we get to see characters like Yuki Nagato, Kanade Tachibana, and Kaizuka Inaho (*grins* I know Inaho is much more of dan rather than than a kuu but fuck it. They are the same in my eyes) to name a few. In all of EVA, her character is probably the character that I hate the most (probably more than Gendo. It could be a tie). I don’t know, I think I just hate emotionless characters in general (Weird because I really like Yuki Nagato. She’s my PC, PS3 and CPs wallpaper. It must be my fetish coz she used to wear glasses. lol). Apart from being a key item in the Human Instrumentality Project, she never really did anything throughout the entire series. We see her injured at episode 1 in order to convince Shinji to pilot the EVA, but after that she almost did nothing throughout the entire series. She, like her character is supposed to be, is just like a doll in a doll-o’-rama. You’ll see her, but you wouldn’t care for her in general. A simple decoration. She can be considered a catalyst for Shinji’s character development but that’s about it. I don’t even know why Shinji has a thing for her. Mother complex perhaps? lol. Animation: The animation for Neon Genesis Evangelion was done by Gainax back in 1995. The animation in itself is really good if you consider that this came out in 1995. I think it looks better than Gundam Wing when it comes to animation but that’s just my personal taste. Yeah, when you look at the battle scenes in every episode, you might not have guessed that this came out in 1995. The details are amazing and the Angels and EVAs just look fantastic. If there’s one thing this section is bad at, that’s probably the obvious lack in budget. Throughout the series, we get to see obvious (and lame) budgeting strategies. A good example is (I forgot what episode it was) when Shinji was about to leave NERV for the first time and Misato tried to stop him in the station, there was about 5 minutes of frame silence. No movement was produced and the only thing that lets you know that you didn’t hit the pause button by mistake is the sounds in the train station. I want to talk about the animation in the last two episodes but I’m scared that this might turn into a rant about the ending rather than a review of the animation itself so I’ll just leave it at that. Now, if you look at the animation during action scenes, you can clearly say that they at least save the budget for that and that alone. This might be a bit controversial, but if they cut at least 5 episodes in the series, they might have pulled a good ending and the sequel films plus the rebuilds would have never seen the light of day. Well, from a business standpoint, that’s a bad thing, but if you’re doing it for the viewers, then it would have been an amazing ending a la End of Evangelion with a closed ending. If I can send a D-Mail to the past, I would have told Gainax to hire a good budget specialist. Sound: The soundtrack for Eva isn’t really bad, but I feel like because of the lack of budget, they recycled some famous music from some famous movies. There’s this one sound track that sounds like it was from a James Bond movie, I’m not kidding, it really is there. Having finished the show subbed for the first time, I really prefer the sub over the dub. The dub was a little weak in comparison to the Rebuild dubs (I know it’s almost the same voice actors/actresses but the dub for the series sounds a bit dated) but I think it’s still good if you consider it was dubbed yeaaaaarrrrssss ago (I don’t even know when). Verdict: Neon Genesis Evangelion is a different kind of anime. It is one of the few anime that you can’t just watch once for you to understand everything it presents. A friend watched it trice and he still don’t get it. Watching it the 2nd time, some information that I didn’t absorbed the first time suddenly wants to enter my mind. I still don’t know what Hideaki Anno wants to say in this ever popular franchise but I know I enjoyed the hell out of it. A bit of advice if this review somehow convinced you to watch the series; don’t just go into EVA on a whim. Have the right mindset unless you won’t get shit. Expect good action, mindfuck, lack of explanation, End of Eva, and Rebuilds, then maybe, another set of Rebuilds (Restarts?). Now, after pulling a couple of numbers out of my ass, sending it to Japan to fuck Shinji while Holden says “IT’S AN ANGERU!”, I present Neon Genesis Evangelion with an overall score of 8.16. Evangelion is a bit of a formulaic mecha anime but once it starts to pick up, you will be scratching your head due to confusion. It also has fleshed out characters that some might not like but no one can deny that they are well written characters that surely carried the show through its bad times. It’s one of the all-time classics and is a good anime to add on your credentials. If you have not seen it yet, go forth, you have my full pledged recommendation. Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica? Both series starts out rather slow and formulaic but once they pick up, you will never realize when the sun came down. They are also classified as “deconstruction” of their respective genre with main characters with almost the same personality. Pussies. There’s always Bokurano if you want to stick to mecha rather than shoujo. Both Evangelion and Bokurano revolves around battles with other mechas but there is a dark secret that both series posses; which I won’t talk about because of spoiler. Well, that’s it for me! Bye!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 1, 2015
Hachimitsu to Clover
(Anime)
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In life, there’s always moments of happiness. Happiness, in general, can be achieved quite easily; receiving an unexpected gift, having great success in your career, and most especially, falling in love. But have we once thought that every time happiness comes our way, there will always be someone around us that will be on the opposite side of the coin? Failure comes with success, bitterness come with love. These are bundled facts in life that no human being is immune to. In my first review, I’ll be talking about Hachimitsu to Clover or Honey and Clover. A series that tells the story about a group
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of people that tasted both success and failure in life. Honey and Clover. What an ironic title for a show that gives off both happiness and bitterness.
Story: Talking about the “main” story is hard because every main character have different goals and aspirations. Takemoto and his continuous journey to find himself, Morita and his path to revenge, Hagu and her desire in becoming a great artist, & Mayama and Yamada in their pursuit for the love of the ones they love *smirk*. These stories are all really interesting because they are so realistic. It tells the viewers throughout the series that not all things in life go how they want it to be. The sad reality that there will always be someone better than you, and that love can sometimes be one-sided. However, in spite of the “negative” side of the show, there’s this mysterious magic that appears almost after each depressing scenes. It feels like a figurative pinch in the heart. As I’ve said, a beautiful tale of happiness and sadness. You will feel happy and sad at the same time while holding back tears of... I don’t even know. There’s one time I felt sad and happy at the same time so it’s really difficult to describe the right feeling. A really good show if you want to feed birds at a park while feeling empty inside. Not a bad price to pay for an amazingly good show. Characters: Because there are many main characters in the series, I will avoid talking about a specific character in general. So, yeah, I’ll start. In spite of my continuous bitching about the show’s sometimes depressing atmosphere, it might be hard to believe that every character in this series also have a fun and fluffy side to them as well. Every character might (and WILL) send tears running down your cheeks, but always remember that these tears are not limited to only the emotional moments, they can also make you cry out tears of joy (A little bit of an overstatement, but you know what I mean) with all the really funny comedy. Some might love them, some may not, but you will surely get attached to them in just a couple of episodes throughout their long journey. Animation: The animation for both series of Honey and Clover was done by J.C. Staff, famous for works such as Ano Natsu de Matteru, Golden Time, Nodame Cantabile, and my all time favorite anime: Eiken. The animation for this show is pretty standard compared to most of their show but that’s understandable because not much special effect is used. It’s a simple slife (slice of life) romance show. It doesn’t have bombastic scenes like Shana’s flames (Random tangent. J.C. Staff’s fire is probably the sexiest fire in current time. If KyoAni made water look sexy, J.C.’s selling point is fire. *points to Shana, Index, and Witch Craft Works*) or Nodame’s 3D orchestration so it’s pretty simple, though, not bad. I kinda hated the character designs but that’s a personal thing. It feels a little too shoujo/jousei-ish for my taste but its fine. As my policy goes, Even if the animation/character designs are bad, if the story is good, I’ll watch it. So, yeah, cool. Sound: I don’t think I should be reviewing this section because personally, I don’t have confidence in my taste in music. I like music, but I don’t think I’m a good judge in this field. So, don’t hold it against me if my opinion in music is that bad. Now that’s out of the way, maestro, music! Since I rarely listen to whole anime soundtrack, I’ll bring this down on the actual music that was used in the show. I’ll start with the OPs. OP 1 was really amazing. Nakushita yakusoku wa hoshi…. Enough on my weeabo karaoke. lol. Anyway, that OP was really good not only because of the music but also because of the visuals. What a really fun foodporn. I never once skipped that OP which made me sad once it got replaced. I wish the OP stayed the same throughout the whole series. You know, like what they did with Log Horizon 2’s OP; new foodporn but same music. In regards to the music used on the show, I can’t quite remember it except the mellow piano version of the OP during emotional moments, then that wacky party like tune used during funny moments. Those ones were really well used. Though repetitive, it fits the moment perfectly and adds to the overall feel of the show. And allow me to make a confession, I rarely watch EDs (I watch a show’s ED once then that’s it). With that said, I don’t really have anything to say with the ED since I don’t remember it, I just remember a Ferris wheel and that’s it. lol. In regards to the dub in both sides, I haven’t seen the English dub yet so I’ll limit this in the japo dub side. Since I can’t understand much Japanese, I’d probably say it’s a good dub. Hiroshi Kamiya, one of my favorite seiyuu played as Takemoto. Kamiya always has this weird accent but in Honey and Clover he used the dialect from Osaka and it was just amazing. Verdict: Now, after pulling random numbers out of my ass (8.6 for story, 8.4 for characters, 7.3 for animation, 8.2 for music, and 9 for overall enjoyment), I’ll gladly give Honey and Clover with an overall score of [b]8.3[/b]. Honey and Clover is a show that really excels in making you feel like crap in the rain, but tells you that once the rain stopped, you’ll be mixed in the water, evaporate, become rain, fall in a river, then be made as a drinkable water (What the fuck did I just made up?). Uhhhh, If I somewhat gave you a trauma because of that scenario, feel free to kill me in my sleep. Anyway, back on topic. Yeah, Honey and Clover is an amazing show, if you haven’t seen it yet, you have my full-blown recommendation. Go on, watch it, but just be warned of the void in your heart that will come once you finish it. Alternate Anime Recommendation: For alternate anime recommendation, why don’t you try Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo? Both shows are pretty similar in the “You’re shit. You have no talent. Go die in a fire.” section. Though, slight spoiler, Sakurasou has too many depressing moment. If Honey and Clover pinches your heart, Sakurasou will stab your heart. Both have pretty decent comedy too. The romance in both series is really unsatisfying but cute. And they’re both made by J.C. Staff too. You can also try Nagi no Asukara if you want too. Though not as depressing as Honey and Clover, Nagi no Asukara have some rather sad moments as well that might make you shed a tear. Another important thing to point out is that both series have love n-gons (not just triangles. Not just squares. They have too many to even count) that went completely nowhere. Well, that’s it for me, thanks if you read all of that. I might do this again if I have the chance to. If you like it, feel free to send me a PM if you want me to review other shows. I’ll see you (whoever’s reading this) around. Bye-nara!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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