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In these days of heavily policed on identity politics, it is surprising to stumble upon a title which almost seems to retroactively echo it. This consideration set aside, an eccentric production design often makes for an intellectually stimulating watch. The director for Studio Sign was appointed in consequence: Osamu Yamazaki, who has captained his share of somewhat quirky projects, mostly being on the crossroad between science-fiction, horror and romance (Call me Tonight, Cosmo Pink Shock, Ankoku Shindenshou Takegami...). The statement also applies to Joker: Marginal City. sdrowkcab, down under, points out to Robocop influences, but he is incorrect. Elements staged remind more a Blade Runner ... type of story, treading between metaphysical and sentimental disarray, in a context of bio-weapon conflict. Rin Rikudou himself channels strongly Rick Deckard, as a cop witnessing a futuristic turn of era in effect.

This all sounds as intriguing as thrilling in paper but the writing is miserly in providing in-universe clarifications: if androids are state of art bio engineering, how come there is an active special agent able to gender bend at will? How about these electromagnetic waves shortly talked about in the establishing sequence, only to be never mentioned again? Likewise, Joker's gimmick is not even put at use as a valuable plot point, as they only tease their love interest by gender shapeshifting. We don't get any scene where they push for investigative developments thanks to that unusual characteristic. Further undermining this as a valuable plot asset, Saki even recognizes their feminine appearance right away, while she only saw the masculine one. We see wasted potential, for something which can be utilized for angles involving stakeout in disguise or misunderstandings, for instance. So, interest in watching J:MC hardly reside in the scifi/crime investigation intrigue. Are we still on for an action packed ride? Difficult to tip hat off for it either... The first encounter between Saki and Joker is even the object of a narrative skip, as they are set to avoid each other until the final confrontation. Drama appears to be the logical cornerstone of the story. Even then, it is difficult to get invested. As the credits roll on, much is left to rough out. Joker's backdrop isn't conclusively tackled or Saki isn't appropriately made three dimensional to flesh her out as a convincing tragic figure. Much less any major insight about the world building is shown, other than a vague government coverup we will not know further about. The conflict is colored solved as soon as Joker's love interest is saved from the misguided interest of the antagonist, trying to appropriate for herself a semblance of humanity. Nothing more. It is too bad, because Studio Sign delivers in the art department. You can see mastery in animating expressions. The shocked agony of the slain prostitute is startling to see, as the glimmer of passion you see flickering in Joker's eyes at the end of her date is equally lifelike. Background art is unobtrusive, in a worry not to take one's away from the chara design. It doesn't give much away about the unity of place, as the buildings are generic geometric hi-tech frames without much definition to them. The game of panning helps to enliven an illusion of dynamism, during escape scenes among others. It stays basic, nonetheless, due to the aforementioned concern to reach for expressiveness over a more action-focused pliability. Sound is at the image of the art direction, subdued, not exactly injecting extra personality to the body of work through a more experimental approach. All in all, a far from terrible but still underdelivering anime, which doesn't delve into any of its constituents. A waste of potential, for something which could be prefiguring the excellence of "Ghost in the Shell", three years later.
~Praised be unto Sacred Geometry

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: It is an anime having its heights in violence, such as a fatally wounded sex worker, a badly slashed back or a monstrous body repeated riddled with gunshots. Not exactly for tots. The R rating is amply justified.
xXx meter: Not really aiming for any kind of titillation. Saki's nudity is purposely made akin to the one of a mannequin, as she mopes around for feeling like she is a sentient object.
Fishing scene(s): None.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ The intriguing science-fiction premise.
+ An utmost care put in the animation for the time, even more so given the economic situation in early 90s Japan.
+ A rather pleasant to look at chara-design, allowing for a subtle range of expression.
+ The evenly involvement of all the main characters in the intrigue and its resolution.



NEGATIVE aspects:
- The squandered gender swap gimmick.
- Exposition stingy.
- Not developing any of its genres in a satisfactory fashion.
- The brick and mortar characters without much temperament or personality, unable to service the drama accordingly.

Brethren... Today, we gather to give eulogy to an animation team which quit us 20 years ago, exactly.

You were barely known, Studio Junio, and yet you were the witness of a pioneering era. Under the guidance of Takao Kosai and Tetsuo Imazawa, freshly debarked of the defunct Hatena Productions in 1969, you gave a hand on successful outings as "Akado Suzunozuke" or "Hajime Ningen Gyators" for your debuts. As you went on to hold your little fort for 30 years, Mushi Productions were thriving thanks to the business acumen of Osamu Tezuka, you saw Madhouse's birth in 1972 initiated on the impulse Osamu ... Dezaki and many others... Also, Your punctual partners, Daikichiro Kusube's A Productions and Yutaka Fujioka's Tokyo Movie spectacularly rose out of nothing, conquering the young television market right under Toei's nose. You were hardly the best animation producer around but, for the connoisseurs, you will go on as the silently dutiful company which perfected the education of Toshiyuki Inoue, one of the best key animators of all time. You completed subcontracting works after subcontracting works with tedious application for want of mastery.

So what happened with "Gundress"? What annihilated suddenly your hardly acquired financial stability? Simply put, you bite more than you could chew. Sticking to the planning for what sought after to become Bubblegum Crisis' spiritual successor is a whole different deal than what you were used to... It was your first time fully involved with the movie format and you fumbled appallingly. The D day, only half of the total animation was completed, leaving Toei (its distribution branch, not the animation studio) particularly embarrassed in front of their pre-ordered ticket holders. Before spring 1999, cinema goers were promised a new masterpiece around Masamune Shirow's name, but instead of it, they got a ghost in a half shell. As of now, theater seats are priced in average at 1500 yens, which is a relatively high price, so you may picture the indignation it caused. Everything was halfway done, from the visual detailing of the Landmates (the mecha fac-simile of the knight sabers from Bubblegum crisis) to the barely elaborated on art direction which recycled the same backgrounds. Yet, oh woe, it was secondary complaint to the animation shape and size ratios often changing from one shot to another! That is not taking into account the lack of in-betweening during many scenes. Verily, Gundress had the production values of a lackluster OAV of second-class. But it was not completely your fault, Junio. Even if you upheld your part of the deal, this frivolous project wouldn't have flown high. From the get go, it had the soul of a video game adaptation, shouldered by an all female cast as transparent as Girl Detective Club's. Come to think of it, it was not surprising given how the main backer of Gundress was Masaya Nakamura's Namco, which owned Nikkatsu then. Bubblegum Crisis garnered success because it came during the right time, even more so as western audiences got wowed with something they had never seen before. Unfortunately, it was one decade too late after AIC and Artmic squeezed the juice of the scifi mercenary girls formula.
Unsurprisingly, indifference was met when the updated version of Gundress finally came out, following the scandal.

For the fiasco it is, this movie is a difficult watch if you replace it in its Historical context. As of today, very little may be enjoyed from it. Masamune Shirow's input was limited to the chara-design, so his brilliance only pierced through rare instances. The plot was nothing to write home for, namely a predictable political thriller which did not overlay the breadth of a cutting edge Science-Fiction setting. All in all, past the initial bravado of pre release marketing, this endive begged to be forgotten at once. Too bad the recesses of Internet keep everything in memory...

Junio... Despite this faux pas causing your undoing, despite the upsetting duds you delivered like "Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Brothers", nobody acquainted with you parted with hard feelings. Even the shlocky part of your animegraphy stay somewhat entertaining to rewatch, as a whole. It would be nice to say that you are as missed as the late Triangle Staff, but it would not be true... You remain the little known veteran corporal among a battalion of animation producers. Let us salute you a last time, by quoting Ninja Ryuukenden's dialogue: "Of course you are excited by battle! We all love violence! We all love getting drunk! We all love sleeping with women! Some of us even enjoy sleeping with men! The point is that we are MANLY men and that is nothing to be ashamed of! Now lets go kill some fucking demons and celebrate with some fucking beer!"
Yes. We raise a pint in honor of your fall even though you slayed nothing here, good companion.
~Praised be unto Sacred Geometry

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Nothing too objectionable here, either. People die by bunch, but not in gory detail. The most unsettling of all death involves euthanasia and it is probably the most shocking thing you will get to look at.
xXx meter: There are two naked scenes for anyone amenable with the joy of ecchi fanservice. Nothing too racy, just the main protagonist having little modesty as she is a cyborg without a care for prying eyes. To those interested to male nudity, you may see the main antagonist, Jean-Luc, and Hassan (the arm trafficker) nakedness as well...
Fishing scene(s): Despite being set in redesigned lookalike city of Yokohama, you will hardly see anybody hoisting fishnets shock full with captures


POSITIVE aspects:
+ Masamune Shirow's chara-design
+ A certain ambition, noticeable during the beginning of the movie.
+ The updated version distributed in USA is a decent watch overall, if you pretend it is an insignificant OAV.


NEGATIVE aspects:
- Pretty much everything else

Among the prolific lineage of Light Novel Adaptations, there is a before and after "Shakugan no Shana". This title dramatically modeled the modern scenery of this medium, from 2005 to onwards... But what about its lesser known debuts? The most cultured elements of the community would answer that there is "Slayers" in the 90s, but they would be only half right. Although it is true that this light-hearted 'sword and sorcery' is the first of its kind to be popular in the West, a long running Light Novel was already well established in Japan: that, is Utsunomiko.
Spanning to 52 volumes under the pen of the ... honorable Keisuke Fujikawa, his brain child started in 1984, only to be concluded in 1998.

A prequel movie (which is still untranslated) premiered in march 1989. Even though it was far to be a smashing hit of "Delivery Girl Kiki" scale, it garnered enough success at the box-office to warrant the creation of the present OAV series. The franchise is, at core, a Fantasy Jidaigeki Epic. Themes in relation to piety and chivalry being dear to Fujikawa, his creation sort of comes off as an oriental equivalent of the Arthurian cycle. Replace the Camelot era by the Jinshin-no-Ran civil war of 762, the knights of the round by Shugenja monks, Christianity by Shugendo, the dazzling charger by a celestial boat and you may notice they share like-minded topoi. Furthermore, they both blend a Historical base with a more Fantastic component. The big difference is that Utsunomiko, the main character, is a champion of the people instead of a lord.

As its name indicates, Utsunomiko: Heaven Chapter, merely adapts the second arc of the Light Novel. As such, there is this latent impression to jump on it In Media Res, as the intrigue was defined previously. Indeed, upon completion, the spectator is left with many questions on his mind: How the little goddess Kijimuna joined the Shugenja? What were the events driving the prince Kawashima to betray his entourage? Why was Ootsu no Miko executed? What lead the valiant thief Uokai to meet the same fate? Fortunately, the focused storytelling of this OAV series alleviates the confusion. It is largely due to its protagonist, Utsunomiko, who is a proactive leader. There is no beating around the bush, because he is straightforward in what he aims for. Not even the idealistic romance between Utsunomiko and Kagami, which is particularly elevated, is disruptive. It intersects neatly with the plot, rather than shunting it through unnecessary digressions.

In essence, U:HC is as anti Isekai as it gets: it starts with the small Terran crew departing to Heaven as fleshly VISITORS. That is all the subtlety, as the main protagonist and his companions are not perceived as chosen ones by their hosts... On the contrary, they are seen as intruders who might be up to no good. Moreover, they initially come to seek enlightenment, not meddle with otherwordly affairs. The ascetic outfits of the monks is indicative of their humility, in contrast with the pomp of the Touriden Gods. The tense conflict between the two parties is emotionally involving, as it stems up from a dramatic double truth.

Art Direction has a pivotal importance as its mission is to convince the spectator that the title is not a fraud. Anyone who owned the Laserdisc of the series at the time, was certainly blown away by the gracious ballet of Yukata-clad angels flying in the sky, the frolicking winged horses or the floating lagoons enfolding at screen. The supreme God's castle is itself a imposing structure, harmonizing a rough Chinese style with the exuberance of Art Nouveau. The Chara-design in itself goes for practicality. The distinctive Toei Douga touch, strays somewhat from Mutsumi Inohata's chara-design, who illustrated the source. This matter of fact is further evidenced by the appearance of certain characters; master Ozunu looks like Toki whereas Taishakuten has a vague likeliness with Rei. It would not be surprising if Toei enlisted the help of key animators who worked on "Hokuto no Ken". Thankfully, the mecha design of Katsumi Itabashi adds enough of an extra to avoid it looking derivative.

As for Saki Makihiro's score, it is captivating. The background musics are solemn, yet are neither ponderous nor stuffy. Synth backs up more traditional instrumentation as they pulse at every turn of phrase with epic breadth. A less vibrant contribution would have undermined the show's atmosphere, but a shortcoming the soundtrack is not... All the Seiyuu provide an inspired performance; Toei went as far as casting the voice of Seiya for Utsunomiko, as to associate in the spectator's mind the mythological backdrop of two different series. Personal favorite being Banjou Ginga as Taishakuten, exuding with godly self confidence as his blaring, deep voice echoes like a war horn.

Half extrospective and introspective, half spiritual and grounded, U:HC is a metaphysical Odyssey into Mystery, Enchantment and Danger. Whereas it does not innovate in any way, it extracts a Nekketsu motif and translates it in a near flawless way. It is a most recommended addition, to anyone willing to watch a Fantasy Epic balancing aptly the fun, the tense and the ethereal together. If it were not for the flaws listed on the colophon, this unfairly overlooked entry would have been rewarded with a perfect 10...
~Praise be unto Sacred Geometry

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Nothing too objectionable. There is no gore or blood shed to be seen. Most of the violence results from Utsunomiko intensely suffering his passion, as he learns to concile his dual nature.
xXx meter: What do you think this is? Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai?
Fishing scene(s): Oddly enough, in the second episode, it features the only existing instance of a ship hooked and dragged below the sea level. It is a clever way to introduce the heroes to an exiled deity's plea.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ The timeless fairytale art direction, going for a classicist approach
+ The Laserdisc worthy animation
+ The stakes being adjusted in consequence, as the protagonist is a demi-god. Is there a more fearsome obstacle than a Supreme God, after all?
+ An excellent balance, between the didactic subplot, the romance and the main conflict
+ No cringy Isekai tropes to ruin the premise
+ The limpid narration, helping to immerse into the big-scaled epic


NEGATIVE aspects:
- The esoteric Buddhist flavoring, which may deter a casual western spectator.
- A regrettably necessary In Media Res start
- The concept of physical and spiritual death, not tackled properly
- The recurrent tendency to utilize master Ozunu's appearances as an almighty plot device.
- The cliffhanger ending making one wish for more (even though the Heaven arc was at least fully finalized)

Grundig? The German domestic appliance manufacturer? Ohh! Grandeek, that is right! Glad to see we will not stray too far from the animation topic. You may as well regard this title as a loose portemanteau of Grandiloquent. "If you reach and seize the hilt... then, you will be able to grasp the suffering etched within the weapon"

Lines like these make a fantasy anime's introduction grand-sounding and yet so vacuous. Indeed, Tia, the heroine, does not even need to grab the cursed sword Aihorn (whose name sounds awfully as an Engrish slang for penis, by the way) to casually interact with it, thus making her ... didactic quest utterly inconsequential. Past this stage, Grandeek does not exactly improve in terms of scripting, unfortunately. In fact, it falls on a trap many entries of the genre are tempted to bask in: endless, boring infodump. They shape most of the exposition through flatly shot conversations instead of evocative visual storytelling. That is what get them to founder, by the end. Which is sad because despite its short length, it is not as if this OAV started completely doomed. Actually, if it balanced accordingly the self initiatory mission of Tia, a basic murder mystery angle and the swashbuckling composition, it could have ended with very agreeable outcome.

We have already established that the main protagonist's initial aspiration does not matter. So, how about the murder mystery aspect, you would ask? It can be echoed by this other question: was there even one to begin with? Everyone in the cast (except bounty hunter Luke because he is completely alien to Marcleida) already know fully what is responsible of the predicament the place of action got into. No surface investigation to untangle a thick mystery and involve the spectator with his own speculations.
Besides, in Fantasy, spiritual entities are not intrinsically subjected to a well defined set of limitations which could impede their goal and then, giving the intrigue its needed dose of suspense. The object is too sentient, travel freely (in the case of elemental water based Aihorn, pipework wrecking does not accomplish much to keep it from going where it wants), but first and foremost is overpowered (the cursed sword could have flooded the island anytime it wanted, but did not just because it is like a child who enjoys pulling the elytrons off of an insect). Therefore, the odds starts off rigged right away, making for a disengaging progression not amounting to much.

The sword scuffles are not going to help the narrative either due to their scarcity, as evidenced by the verbose nature of the script. It is not like the title benefited of the largesse of a high budget anyway, which is reflected by the strictly functional animation. While competent, Toshiko Baba's artistic direction goes for weird experiments, at times... As Luke and his escort leave the artistic sword smith's house, they head right towards a beam of light at the right which turn them into a draft version of themselves. Did they just walk into the Storyboard dimension? Is it a tribute to A-ha's "Take on me" clip? A simple wish to figure the sketch-like nature of Luke's memories as he reminisces his situation? The last instance is the most probable, but the flashback is staged in such a mislaid way that it is more intrusive than atmospheric. It is even more so odd that the sequence is voiced with delay, during a fade to black moment.

Talking about the sound-design, it could represent another slim saving grace. Yet, it is a trite as it gets. The music barely draw scores in the surface layer of sand before they are washed away by the cortical waves of the viewer... Except Horie Yui, always putting on a commendable effort (even into the anabiosis of a stock character) the rest of the voice cast sounds about as motivated as a contractor who knows that he will sleep for the fifteenth consecutive time in a Mangakissa booth if he does not do the job. Their overall performance is as lifeless as the setting, cruelly lacking in random people going about their urgent errands.

Overall, one hauls out of Grandeek with the unpleasant last impression that nothing really mattered. Even the conclusion, involving the duo formation of Tia and Luke, is telegraphed forcefully. As such, it represents a cautionary tale about how to not screenplay epic fantasy. Unless you are interested to check out in which exact regards it fails to deliver, you absolutely have no reason to watch this over a more thrilling entry as "The Records of Lodoss War". Do yourself a favor by giving it a wide berth.
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Well, it is a fantasy anime whose plot revolves around a vengeful spirit determined to commit an ethnocide. Of course you can expect some violence. Albeit relatively tame, it is definitely present.
xXx meter: One has to wonder if Tia prancing around in high cut leotard would not liven up the drowsy narrative. There is none of visual titillation, so the incorrigible 2D pervert will not even find anything to gawk at.
Fishing scene(s): None. Which is strange given that the setting is an island... No fisherman in sight, who would volunteer to escort back any illegal immigrants to the mainland.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ A tentalizing didactic/crime mystery premise, although left to rot in foot
+ A competent art direction
+ Horie Yui, for the fans of the Seiyuu
+ The cute fencing waifu (can you tell how desperate the house is to find positive?)

NEGATIVE aspects:
- So much to list, so little space.

Similar to the Japanese flag's rising sun, a sanguine star is setting upon a darkened forest of spruce. Suddenly troubling this quiet sight worthy of a naturalist etching, a shinobi bolts from within the tree line. Far from being on a mission, his endeavor is dashing to escape another ninja party, fiercely resolute to make an attempt on his life... It seems that the fugitive is facing overwhelming odds, but could it be that the prey turn into the predator, thanks to a well calculated gambit?
This immediately sets the tone of Yajikita Gakuen. One notices at once that the shadow warriors appear in their ... traditional imagery. Indeed, they have more in common with the historical Kotaro Fuma than Naruto Uzumaki. That is how it goes. Apart from the dramatically emphasized scuffles here and there, the vision Yajikita Gakuen Douchuuki shows through of martial artists is classicist rather than fantasist...

But what exactly is Yajikita Gakuen Douchuuki? Unknown in the West, the OAV series is adapted from a long running serial from 1984 to 1992, published in the Bonita comic magazine. The manga version appears as more Shoujo connoted, as the covers and the image album's illustrated pictures suggest. In itself, the manga was not completely created ex-nihilo, as it drew inspiration from Shank's Mare, a popular novel from the Edo period. However, it is noteworthy that the YGD anime significantly distances itself from the tone of this literary classic. Indeed, the revised Yaji and Kita of Ryouko Shitou do not match with the original Picaresque disposition of the duo. Here, they are more or less martial artists for hire, who never turn a blind eye to shocking misconducts, that being said. What is flagrant, is how they act as a neutral party interceding in conflicts, as they go about on a late Showa era Japan still torn between conservation of traditions and modernity. Rather than setting off to punish, their agenda is to bring common sense where there is mortal grudge. While determined to restore calm and justice, they never do so without compassion, in spite of their adversaries' sins. As such, we cannot stray as far from the typical Nekketsu vision as it gets: there is no climactic slaying of a one dimensional evil fiend nor anybody standing out as a clear victor. On the contrary, the antagonists whose honor is badly smeared, walk off, recovering from their inner turmoil. Their path is of the evasion of mortification and our two heroines simply give the push towards their catharsis. At the light of this interpretation, their concern is then to replace martial art as a tool of pacification instead of self serving worth. Which is also why we do not see them wield any weapon (Kita only hurls a kunai once at her target to test his dodging expertise), even though they face opponents set to exterminate any outsider standing in their way. Overwhelmed as they are by sheer number, this makes for more tense storytelling when things get nervous. At the same time, Yaji and Kita are not made the narrative's primary focus. The summary way they are fleshed out would usually be considered negatively, but as they're more or less cast in the background, it works in the benefit of the cases they investigate about. They feature tortured souls, misguided they are by their outdated codes of honor or passion. While the main characters are somewhat attaching, the underpinnings of this two parter OAV remain the lead villains. Personal favorite is the leader of the Shadow Military clan, who associates her fondness for gardening to a warlike disposition. The game of contrast between this gentle hobby and her brutal "no holds barrel to meet the result" mindset is simply awesome, in its staged subtlety. Likewise, the script is admirable, with inspirational dialogues that never sound too grandiloquent or preachy. Even the final catharsis of the second episode takes said game of contrast into account. It is this kind of gravitas that makes the conclusions bittersweet and yet rewarding.

This anime is not without its flaws though; the kind of writing it uses delivers best under the movie format. It is a little too short for OAV's. What makes for a dynamic pace is somewhat lost in scenario intelligibility. What is the connection between the fate legend and the leader of the Shadow Military Clan? How Kotetsu, Yaji and Kita's aide, find some of his crucial information? By the way, that Kouga ninja is problematic... Unfortunately, not as much employed as he should be, he is made into a plot mouthpiece rather than an organically woven character. Besides, what is with his whirlwind teleport? What seems to be the only super power in this anime is employed for rule of the cool appearances but is never shown or talked upon during other instances. Also, in the first episode, a ghost girl, directing Yaji's tracks, is seen at key points. These lone supernatural elements, on an otherwise grounded production design, are jarring. Going against certain of Knox's commandments, they undermine the crime mystery aspect in the process. Even then, YGD still makes up for it with its fine dramatization.

The art is fairly competent. Chara-design translates emotions well, overall, such as the majestic contempt in Yaji's face as an innocent student is about to get punched in the face or when the fearful chairman of the Martial Arts school, trapped on his car with sabotaged brakes, tries to mean he needs help even though nobody can hear his plea. Sometimes there are misses, such as this student nosing into the militaristic club's affairs, who seems more like he is beaten to a pulp than being on the verge of death. Animation is fluid as a whole. Action scenes being the most tricky part, the key animation does an alright job at staging dynamic fight choreography through the use of gyrating camera shots, parallax and other shortcut effects. As dated as they may appear, JC Staff and T-Up did a good enough job to not let it break spectator's immersion.
Soundtrack is an engaging blend of Japanese folk instrumentation, kinetic keyboard, and supporting electric guitar and violins for certain middle eights. It goes along smoothly with the unity of time and place of the OAV series. Sound design in the actual anime is not ill chosen as well: in the first episode, the opening is the tonally fitted Kaze ni Koishite and as a relief to a rather heavy conclusion an upbeat Ban Hana ra, which channels the more light-hearted roots of the Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige novel.

To cap it off, Yajikita Gakuen Douchuuki is a sensible tale articulated around the topoi of forgiveness, acceptance of fatality and allegiance to overly rigid codes of conduct. Its dregs make it a title only standing a Gi away from being psychological drama classic. Its relative obscurity is undeserved. If you are ready to overlook its slightly outdated production values, it is largely worth of the one hour and a half you give it. One can hardly go wrong with this old-styled item, if searching for something more cerebral than a run of the mill actionner. KingMenu gently fansubbed it in February 2017, check the forum discussion below to watch it in its entirety...
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Nothing too objectionable, there is bloodshed but no gore. YGD is an anime scarce when it comes to write on-screen death, which accentuates its seriousness.
xXx meter: With JC Staff behind the tiller, you would expect at least some Ecchi but surprisingly enough the staff showed discipline and modesty. Not even a voyeuristic intent behind the main protagonists outfits, as demonstrated with the presence of the long skirts, senior schoolgirls normally sport in Japan. The only titillation for the perverted spectator is a couple of panty shots lost in the screenplay, and even so they are barely discernible as the heroine counter an assault. Thus, they are not completely gratuitous. There is also a little yaoi bait tied to the boss of United Kanto Group but it does not go too far (in fact, it is played out for comic value), thankfully.
Fishing scene(s): None.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ A solid concept, balancing feminine cast's sensitivity with masculine cast's roughness
+ No tonal whiplash caused by disruptive comedy or romance
+ The brilliant dramatization, escalating towards the final catharsis
+ The brainy characterization of the antagonists

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Better fitted for a movie format with higher production values and more length
- Not as deft in handling crime mystery genre as psychological drama
- Too short of a series in regards of the promising production design

Rokudenashi Blues, Shakotan Boogie, Taiman Blues Hen... If you take a close look at most of the Yankee animes, it seems like there is no shortage of these titles branded with music genre typology. Turning an uninterested head, video distributors never distributed completely any of these. During their heyday, little was known about their high growth character in the market, so they never knew an overseas release past an episode or two. Yet, it is not a sub-genre as monolithic as one could think, because creators may decline it enough tonally, to preserve its founding spirit while still introducing some variety: for instance, directing it ... around a gang rivalry with narration taking side for nobody, a raunchy process around a couple of car jackers, a serious tale about street's code of honor or, in the case at hand, a comedic foray into the lives of a tough duo of goons. Obviously, breaking apart comedy is a risky exercise but at least, the present review's humble ambition is to enlighten you about whether "Be-Bebop Highschool" is satisfactory as a delinquent student title.

Indeed. Very often, you hear people telling that comedy is difficult to apprehend objectively. It is not something you can break into a basic formula working all the time. However, centering sense of humor around a keen observation of the surroundings often leads to conclusive outcome. So does B-BH fully succeeds in that regard? Assuredly. Its firm stance is to paint its characters with unembellished colors, making their everyday adventures all the more natural looking. Toru Nakama is a mischief maker who seems innocent but love to bamboozle his people, as for Kato Hiroshi he is seemingly an impulsive guy prone to terrible fits of anger, which never turn into grudge. Their chemistry at screen is remarkable as they play each others out, through squabbles and moments of complicity. They're larger than life, and yet their approach of the world isn't dumbed down in a stereotypical fashion. While they appreciate to be dignified as strong brawlers, on the surface they're mostly unruly clowns chasing for fun and skirts... Like almost any bully idiot you have probably seen in your school years. The characters, while rowdy and cocky, are all far from the caricature of the seedy sadist we often see in the medium. The only thug matching this description is Kameman, and is consistently portrayed so while others are played out differently. Whereas the characterization absolutely does not allow for depth (it would be beside the point, anyway), it features a diverse and properly fleshed out cast... The crazy weasel so afraid of Toru he can turn into a beast if pushed in a corner, The capable right hand man who cannot help but stay under his leader, The tough dull witted guy with a funny moniker, the sukeban who enjoys to tease Kato, the biker highly protective of his girlfriend, the temperamental gang leader who gets riled up every time his shameful nickname is brought up, the boisterous tailor with a knack for brawls even though it is past his prime, you name them and they brandish their enthusiast fists before your eyes. Also, all of them are not bunched together in one town. It is Nobuo, at the beginning of the series, who suggests to grope around the JR lines to see what really lurks in the area. Once Toru and Kato meet all of them, they appear as recurrent parts which, as stated above, get them to be more explored along the way.

So, character writing and world building are sturdily laid out. However, in a Yankee anime, there are still three easy temptations. Does B-BH avoid them all? Firstly, turning the main characters into invincible steam rollers for the rule of the cool. They are not. In the second episodes, the duo ends in a place so packed with delinquents they have to flee and kick their way out in extremis. Or in the one where Kato faces the biker as he is sorely humiliated, left tied with his brief showing... What also makes a difference, is how items as knife or knuckle-dusters are presented dramatically. The anime does not joke around with their dangerous nature when they are brought up. As a result, the odds never are completely rigged in favor of our good Joes. Secondly, over reliance on fight scenes. Here again, B-BH shows how interested it is in being an opened window in the daily routine of its cast: they do nanpa with differing degrees of success, they go to the Pachinko parlor to try their luck, they head into another city to buy discounted tuxedo pants or they fool a naive brute into going to a perilous location only for amusement. In fact, past the initial introduction of the strongest students of the sector, the direction even completely changes focus as scenes of fisticuffs are barely shown. Thirdly? Overstaying its welcome. In the case of this 7 episodes long OAV of 50 minutes each, you get too little to ever get bored from it. If anything, the abrupt conclusion of the last one makes you wish for three more. It is difficult to reproach it as it is as if the spectator barged into the protagonists' daily lives to begin with, though.

Now that it is out of the way, let us talk briefly about Art and Sound; chara-design is solid and functional. The mood is perfectly conveyed in their expressions during the intense or lighter moments. There is appropriate diversity in translating the beauty of the feminine cast, as well. With her pulpy lips, among other assets, the biker's girlfriend is a different type of cute than the low-key girl Kato falls for, for example. The action sequences animated by Toei, giving their age away, sometimes in a slightly stilted manner but not to an unforgiving extremity. Art direction is competent. Nothing to write home for its dazzling creativity but fair enough. The soundtrack is your typical Yankee anime fare. Its Rockabilly coloration burst with the energy necessary to bolster the narrative. These departments don't exactly struggle for uniqueness but tonal consistency and it works just fine.

All in all, there is little negative to hold B-BH accountable for. A true genre classic brimming with infectious effusiveness, which in return makes you more receptive to its sense of humor. Whereas high profile action staging is definitely not its primary focus, the colorful storytelling is self sufficient enough. Seasoned anime watcher or beginner, it strives to be a straightforward experience, so even somebody not completely familiar with the socio-cultural backdrop presented is not left clueless as about what is going on. As such, it is then warmly recommended as a gateway into the sub-genre. Unlike what the others preliminary reviews suggest, "Be-Bop Highschool" was finalized as a project in January 2019, so you may now watch it in entirety, courtesy of Saizen-Fansubs and Hokuto no Gun. These lines are dedicated to the fruit of their investment...
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Nothing too objectionable, the violence in this anime is present but never displayed under a shocking or a mean-spirited light. It is more as if you witness a bunch of unruly brats battling for the last remaining pork dumpling. There is a little blood, indeed, but if it makes you turn the eye, just grow a spine...
xXx meter: It is not a graphic anime but it is certainly not shy when it comes to tackle certain topics in a salacious way, such as when Chappie is affected with a venereal disease and Kato proceeds to shame him in front of everyone.
Fishing scene(s): More like fishing for trouble!


POSITIVE aspects:
+ A fairly realistic and yet entertaining take on the delinquent student fringe
+ The main cast's chemistry
+ The sheer variety in episode direction
+ Organic world building
+ The effort put into avoiding reliance on power scale

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Not as keen to depict exciting action scenes past the third episode
- A little too short in regards of the sheer potential

As ever, feel free to to skip most of this review down to the last paragraph before the colophon, if you want to avoid any spoiler and just know whether it is recommended by the house.
~

How much sacrifice are you ready to consent in the name of love? It is a simple question Kasei Yakyoku offers to answer through the pang of four characters, during a tumultuous era of Japan. KY [thank you to banish on the recess of your mind any salacious joke in relation to a certain brand of condoms] is a original Josei tale geared around the very idea of emancipation. Indeed, ... the personal dilemma of Taka, Akiko, Sara and Kiyokuni hinges around it. Akiko looks to escape the confinement of the prestigious house of the Marquis Hasho, her father. At the light of the first wave feminism ideal (which is in vogue at the time) she thinks of the traditional Omiai as a dusty matchmaking device, to the dismay of Kiyokuni. Her assertive femme du monde composure breaks like a shell past the harrowing reality check, after she first interacted with the man she fell for. As for Kiyokuni, the heir of a solid banking company, he occupies an unique place in this tale for he is the only one to relinquish any vague desire of self made independence. He thinks of his arranged marriage as a necessity as much as a benediction. It highlights his complete unselfishness and then an attitude improper for a healthy romantic relationship. As for Sara, the maidservant and childhood friend of Akiko, she embodies the old-styled maiden ideal. She wants to owe nobody but ends with manifold predicaments due to her ingenuity in regards to the cruel world she steps in. Taka, the main protagonist is simply prisoner of his situation as a high-ranked mobster, whose talent to dispatch "wordly" affairs is much coveted by his organization's boss. It pretty much forged his seemingly reserved and detached character. As you notice, there is an interesting quator to weave a compelling story around. KY's success is heavily dependent on a right dramatization. So, does it deliver at it? Yes, it does!...

This success can partly be attributed to the solid direction of Osamu Dezaki. Properly efficient at conveying a melancholic atmosphere to his pre earthquake disaster love tale, it unfolds with drawling gravity, earnest key dialogue lines and Dezaki's trademark use of pastel freeze frames, which accentuates a transient and yet etched intensity. While it lacks foreshadowing regarding certain questions (as how and when exactly Taka fell for his assistant's sister), the story holds itself well together with the limited available length it has. Probably due to time constraint, the animation can somewhat look stilted at times, which is particularly noticeable during certain action scenes. Also, the cuts to earthquake's countdown information would have gained in being inserted into the screenplay, rather than being simply shown with a drab static card. However, these are minor concerns and overall the cinematography aged finely thirty years later... Art direction in itself is lavish, particularly in the wake of the introduction. The establishing sequences, brimming with Jazz age imagery, are a sight to behold... Akiko climbing down the stairs, donned with her slanted sequin dress and her headscarf, takes one back to a dated and yet charming ambiance. A clear disruption is noticeable past the first OAV, as to signal a clear disruption between the happy-go-lucky modernity of the roaring 20s and the ever lingering Japan of traditions, holding people captive of its desiderata. The soundtrack, a low-key one, is at the image of this dichotomy with a dominant sway in favor of traditional instrumentation. It fits the mood perfectly, as a more ostentatious sound-design would have made the dramatization too overbearing.

Stylistically, the chara-design opts to go for what could be called a Gekiga approach, if this term ever applied to animation. The obvious concern is to graphically convey maturity, rather than blooming innocence. Tonally, a last word has to be addressed in defense of the open ending: KY is all around rounded as a period drama. Providing a decisive ending would be as arduous as unnecessary. How Sara is supposed to find back Taka when the only clue she has is that he is alive? How the ex-yakuza can possibly reach for his lost half when he has to lay low because of a bounty on his head? How can it end in a significant way for Akiko as her sentiments are as unrequited as Kiyokuni's? What is usually considered as taunting cliffhanger does not apply here. It is a conclusion more in the style of Kayako Ebina's biopic, Ushiro no Shoumen Dare. Just like a harshly smite Tokyo recovers, the scarred protagonists hold on as good as they can. That's how life naturally goes, with its share of dead ends and wasted opportunities.

If you are set to watch a period drama/romance series capped off in a bittersweet way, you cannot go wrong with Kasei Yakyoku. It is mature, paroxysmal, elegant in spite of some cheesy melodramatic accents. It is going to leave you hanging, and that, is the evocative magic the underrated studio of Satoshi Dezaki prides itself in.
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraphs, the potential spectator gets hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Violence mostly permeates from the unfulfilled distress of the protagonists. The action scenes aren't too racy even though the conflagration in Hanai's house shows some teeth.
xXx meter: There are bare breast scenes. They're not staged through a voyeuristic lens though, as they are there to evidence a couple's sincere passion or in the case of Akiko and Taka's pair the glacial, loveless reception of sexuality.
Fishing scene(s): None.

POSITIVE aspects:
+ A rare Josei tale foreshadowing a little known Historical disaster
+ Osamu Dezaki's literate cinematography
+ Care for characterization and cast interactions
+ Tonal consistency in complete favor of tragedy (without gratuitous misery pornography or jarring bits of comedy)

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Lack of build up regarding certain key plot elements
- Somewhat campy lines, here and there
- A slightly unlined editing at times (instance: the love scene between Sara and Taka. It's as if it had two different takes and the staff was unable to choose one so included the two redundant together)

It is always tricky to find a balanced Christmas themed production to approach, all mediums taken together. For an amazing one such as "A Nightmare Before Christmas" there are plenty of atrocities creeping in the shadows like "Santa with Muscle" or "Santa & the Martians", which would make the tales of this shamelessly eggnog guzzling uncle of yours sound perfectly grounded...

There are many trends under which these belong to, split into two categories: firstly, the Western ones. They mainly attach importance to what is commonly branded as the "spirit of Christmas". They are either Family or Romance shows revolving around hackneyed themes such as the ... need to observe the act of contrition, greet forgiveness in own heart, the belief in miracles, self-realization and the acceptance of differences. They tend to be sickeningly goody-two-shoes given how overly preachy they tend to be... It is as if they are family footage, but screenplayed in a professional way in order to be adapted into the little screen. It lives to be experienced and forgotten at the end of the year. The second is the category occupying us here: the Eastern one. Japanese openly consider Christmas like a commercial great event with an added gimmicky charm, unconcerned they are by traditional christian values. As such, in animation, this time of the year translates as being plotline's flavor rather than a pivotal element of the narrative. While Christmas Specials of established franchises are not uncommon (much like as an episode setting, as widespread as the local festival or Tanabata), Standalone movies and OAVs are. The ubiquitous recommendation I get when asking what to watch is "Tokyo Godfathers". "Ichigatsu ni wa Christmas" does not exactly compete in the same category, yet, it is worth of consideration, to the point you may recommend it without blushing to anyone who has already completed Kon's movie.

InwC (abbreviated as such for the need of this review) is the infant of another Satoshi, Satoshi Dezaki. I know, it is difficult to take the figure seriously, taking into account he directed a series about a gigantic cop screwing prostitutes and downright acting as their pimp while his colleague is in the middle of a stakeout. Yet, Satoshi drives the Magic Bus at the right station: when it has to be consistently serious, it is. Straightaway, InwC stands out thanks to a short apostrophe tinged with sarcastic affection:

- Would you come at the Christmas party?
I have invited you every year but you have refused to come every time;
"I can't suffer it, these celebrations, I detest the December month and particularly Christmas"
You hate a lot of things
I would love to see you at one Christmas party
So that I'd strive to make it as boring as possible
For you, who find funny things distasteful.

But what is it serious about it, would you ask? Romance? On the contrary to what the official genre indexation on Myanimelist suggests, InwC doesn't really dwell on it. It is more of a red herring. Indeed, early on, Fujioka and Seiko are established as a couple. The love triangle is mostly employed as a thread to explore Mizuki's facets. The OAV only becomes interesting when you renounce to anything resembling shipping mentality. Mizuki's infatuation is simply doomed to not happen as nobody could be loved back out of pity. On the other hand, you start to realize how witty InwC is, broken apart as a Fuzokuga. One obvious instance of it is in the opening scene on the shoes store as Fujioka ponders about what lead young maidens to be so keen on pulling pranks, trying on all the footwear to choose nothing... It is indeed a seemingly mundane situation any salesman faced at least once. Another is the dialogue ensuing after Fujioka ensures that the neighbor house is not scouted by a burglar, thus being culprit of a misconduct himself. It comes off as ironic, in answer to the common preconception. However, Mizuki's seemingly sassy nature dissimulates her true colors, which are those of the winter scenery. Much like the official poster shown in this profile page, a part of her opted to fade away from the reality as the snowdrift melting at the end of January. This is one of the numerous instances of play of parallelism outlined by Satoshi Dezaki. Another obvious one is the teddy bear. In the hospital scene, one shot alternates with another as a cinematographic metaphor for arrested development of the girl. The bittersweet end offers a realistic cope out, ultimately reflecting the will of a childlike maiden giving up on an ill-fated love. An intellectually honest direction to branch for, mostly in a production lasting less than 45 minutes...

Overall, the spice of InwC is its characterization put in relief by the competent presentation. The art isn't particularly remarkable; it is in the average of most of the Shoujo-ish designs of the era. The animation does not benefit from a high budget as evidenced by the copious use of panning and recycled animations. It is not a main concern for a production of this type, anyway. The soundtrack manages to sound eerily forlorn and merry at the same time, rendering well the discrepancy between the tragic backdrop of the heroine and the festive atmosphere experienced by everyone else. It is particularly surprising that this OAV has ended to become so obscure, given the participation of one of the most notorious seiyuu/singer of all time: Megumi Hayashibara. It was certainly her presence in the cast which decided Onion no Fansub to complete the subs in the fist place. She delivers here a powerful performance which is likely to please her fans. All in all, InwC is a reminder that you should always give a second chance to directors like Satoshi Dezaki. He may not be Osamu but he remains a strongly capable worker when given a solid framework to weave around. Thank you, Magic Bus. Thank you, Iwadate Mariko, for writing such a spiritual Christmas tale.
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~


..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: The core of the violence in this anime is the amount of self loathing Mizuki has to deal with for being unable to become the hyphen of her dysfunctional family.
xXx meter: Thankfully, InwC does not bake this bread! No tonal whiplash, then.
Fishing scene(s): None.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ Representative of a true Fuzokuga
+ A rare Christmas addition, free of happy asspull
+ Well balanced character development in spite of the short length
+ Cinematographic density
+ Powerful voice acting

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Lacks character build up
- Modest production values for OAV standards

After 180 years of discovering nothing but Terran artefacts, the Hartz Bouken Corporation found significant evidence of an alien civilization's existence. Subsequently, the next step of this rogue Research and Development company is to anticipate a third type encounter with them. In parallel, Volg productions, a documentary filmmaking group has managed to get a snap on the leaked footage of a dark-skinned, golden eyed fellow arousing interest of all parties... This summary makes for an intriguing premise. A couple of interesting themes could have been further explored such as "Is a culture unethically allowing the exploitation of Historical heritage any more worthy than the one ... it plunders from?" or "how far extends the power of language? Could the sheer might of performative words means obliteration of mankind in the long course?"
Yet, Al Caran no Isan chooses to overlook these questions in favor of relating Shana's tale of self discovery... By following a linear path towards the curtain fall, Visual 80 ends to deliver an OAV falling short in all departments through a combination of lack of imagination, ineptitude, lack of budget and screen time.

The present adaptation is emulating a novel from Michihara Katsumi. Some hints suggest that success might have led to the creation of a series. A quick research indicates that it was the only one of her career, thus highlighting the failure of this eventuality if there was any. It is not difficult to understand why as the plotline evokes more a third rate role playing game than the science-fiction classic in the vein of Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".
There are plot holes which are never addressed, as what makes the Hartz Bouken Corporation the official firm to unearth and utilize artefacts. The Volg Productions crew themselves practise clandestine excavations but aren't worried in the least by the forces of law. In Planet Seralat, they are welcomed with open arms and left unmonitored! If the only limit is finances, what prevents philanthropic billionaires to oppose the Bougen group? It is not as if credentials are needed to become excavator, in this reality. The spectacular plot twists, far to be objects of a careful build up, come at the worst moment, such as the one casually blathered by a flustered professor Jason at the end of a communication. Even the conclusion echoes as a smite, letting patient watchers mundanely know with a elliptic card how pointless the unfolding events had been...

It is not as if the world building redeem the flimsy narrative. Instead of supporting it through the presentation visionary concepts, Visual 80 juggles with torches, burning themselves as they handle a genre they obviously do not master. It cruelly lacks garnishing. What you practically get is a superimposed eighties template, thereby emphasizing the hilarious squareness of the production! One would be damned if these punks seen racketting the heroine don't shop in Space Hot Topic! Besides, in an intriguing uchronian scenario, Disco hasn't died. If disregarding the sheer ridiculousness of this fact, it doesn't help that nightclub goers dance with zero gravity. Would not that be unpractical as people keep bumping into one another? Also, it would not allow for a particularly subtle controlled range of moves, as the body mass are opposed little to no pull. To put the finishing touches in this feat of failure, the nightclub is located in the passage of a highly frequented artery. Anyone could barge in and stir some trouble, including the above-mentionned Hot Topic enthusiast rebels. Let us face it, the very concept behind a zero gravity city is moronic. After months of this regime, the citizens of this place would suffer dramatic muscular atrophy resulting from the scarce recourse to their limbs. Indeed, after returning from long missions, astronauts are treated like persons in need of physiotherapy. It would not be so ghastly if the concept was at least executed properly: to the regret of Michihara, it is simply not possible to sprinkle juice downwards with absence of gravity. The outcome would be bubbles wobbling around, possibly even drowning the idiot pressing it out! This is a basic rule of the mechanics of low density fluids, yet!

Very well, scriptwriting is down for the count, then. What about characterization? It is nothing to shoot love on top of a datcha roof under snow storm. Shana is your typical Mary Sue, the last representant of a long gone culture. For the plot convenience, she is also highly skilled in martial arts despite being only 17. Toryune, the very first encountered alien may be sumed up as a space Muslim Elf: just replace Allah in "there's one god named Allah and we live to serve him" with Al Caral. He is so one dimensional that it is dubious you are going to buy the attachement the protagonists nourish for him. Talking about Harmer, the naive male co-protagonist, he shows more nuances in his behavior torn he is between his curiosity, his good hearted nature and his desire to steer clear from troubles. He would cut it better as the main focus of the OAV... Unfortunately, as banals have thick skin, everyone is forced to cope with a red vinyl clad strong female lead for the sake of sex appeal. On the other hand, the direct antagonist, the professor Jason, is a competent villain despite the questionable lack of security on the premises of his facility. The two other worthwhile characters are Zack Isedo (also known as Zack Iznable for the sassy ones) and professor Hinagi. The first one, a sort of long haired offshoot of Char Aznable, clearly demonstrates potential. He subverts expectations by trying to win over the trust of the humanely Hinagi through an alliance despite the initial backlash of their first interview; if given proper devolopment the interaction between these two could have laid the foundations in making amazing villains. Too bad it does not really matter as the OAV fizzles out in an anticlimatic fashion. Simply underwhelming.

Could art be the saving grace? Unfortunately, you are not going to be dazzled by the visuals as well. As stated above, the art direction lacks personality, right to the relics which look more like termite mounds than hieratic alien monuments inspiring awe. It is not surprising that Zack Iznable looks down on them!
All Visual 80 translates is a recycled template you would see in most animes of the era. The chara-design is above average in comparison of the rest. It is animated with egregious lack of budget though: no background character moves or cast is shown standing around in simplistic postures, the arms all along the body; their simple walking motion in empty looking areas only adds to the overall misery. The only positive thing that can be said to its credit is that it is not as incompetent as the all-time low Tsui no Sora. The sound design is fair, going for an ambient approach. It gets certainly dreary after a while but this monotony also bolsters the hypnotic, eerily tribalistic character of the synth and windpipes tracks...
A quick word about the voice acting: the OAV cashes in on the presence of Hisakawa Aya, particularly known for her role as Sailor Mercury. It is rather amusing to imagine Shana telling the Volg productions to study more to get better outcomes or yell for the bubble spray catchphrase as she assaults Jason's guards!

All in all, Al Caral no Isan is a sad cover crop mixture... Of the kind used in low quality bread to feed the poor wretch. This entry is very difficult to recommend, unless you also happen to be interested about the intellectually stimulating task of breaking apart poorly put together obscurities. It has virtually zero replay value to speak of. Ô, careful readers who gently scoped through all of this, go watch "Please Save my Earth" instead. One of the sub-themes is the dilemma alien scientists face to either save themselves and enter in contact with our species or die of a horrible sickness, secluded in their moon base. It is infinitely more thrilling than anything ACnI would ever dream to become.

Let us have a last thought for Orphan Fansubs. In their commiseration for the forgotten contributors of the industry, they took patient dedication to cover this waste of reel. They are the more successful and sympathetic Hartz Bougen corporation, in a way. Therefore, the review is devoted to their drive to unearth hidden gems. Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~


..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: ACnI is not devoid of violent moments. It is cathartic as most of the amoral scientists perish gruesomely, having their throat slit or being forced into suicide. Due to obvious lack of budget, these scenes aren't depicted in a realistic enough fashion to be memorable... So don't expect death scenes on-par with Akira's.
xXx meter: You get to briefly peep on a naked Shana as she recovers in suspended animation. There is also the cleavage part, as Harmer fishes for the alien artifact Shana stuffed into her cup. Pretty tame as a whole.
Fishing scene(s): None.


POSITIVE aspects:
+ An interesting premise insighted by the synopsis
+ An original setting (heroes as part of a documentary filmmaking crew)
+ Some promising characters that could use development
+ A pleasant psychotronic soundtrack

NEGATIVE aspects:
- A sore lack of creativity art-wise
- Blatant disinterest for theme exploration
- Dumb scifi concepts
- Bum poor production values
- An utterly revolting conclusion! What an effrontery!

Throughout centuries, China and Japan have maintained a conflictual relationship. The Middle Kingdom particularly resented for the Wokou pirating on their coast around the 16th century, at a time when it was relatively flimsy as a political entity. Later on, the World War 2 massacre of Nankin cemented this mistrust in a national scale. It partly explains how the leaders of Maoist China feel the need to establish a one-lap lead ahead of their insular neighbors. The manifestations of this mindset are, among other things, the man-made agglomerations of uninhabited islets at the coast of the Spratley. These Chinese polders are a costly, but efficient ... strategy to push further the boundaries of the country towards new energetic resources. Territorial contestations are one of the main reasons for geopolitical frictions, nowadays.
It definitely makes for an intriguing context, utilized by an anime...

Do you get the big picture? Fine, because now you may forget about it, reader. What do you think Soliton no Akuma is? An art-house animated movie rising up against the imperialistic ambitions of a communist dictature? It'd be to misevaluate its true aim. First of all, the source is a novel written by Umehara Katsufumi... In essence, the adaptation is closer to a Kaiju-Eiga, a highly fun but politically removed genre revolving around giant monsters duking it out. Do you love utter destruction of lovingly crafted maquettes? Rejoice, as you witness a lavishly designed oceanic Technopolis getting torn apart in a gruesome roar of crushed iron and helpless cries! This marvelous futuristic infrastructure is indeed a mere Mcguffin to capture your attention. Not that it is a bad thing... By the way, the ones among you sensitive to retro mechanical-design are going to have a field! Between the submarine outposts used to monitor petrol extraction, the pods of the subordinates of Kurase, the telesurveillance system positioned at strategic places or the concept-design behind the depressurization cabin of Kit's place, the care for realistic depictions is commendable. Of course, these elements hinge tp be immediately disposed off plot devices but one gotta acknowledge it constitutes fine garnishing. There is also the recourse to CGIs. By today's standards, they look rather primitive but are still serviceable nonetheless. Triangle Staff's touch behind the virtually rendered sonar graphics is flagrant... After all, they're the animators who brought us Serial Experiment Lain. In short, you get the idea... Art-wise, SnA is a movie which benefited from a decent budget, at the heydays of an innovative studio.

Sound department? Tanikawa Kensaku's score is fair, if you like rhythmic orchestral music. Voice acting is alright as well. Not that they are a particularly memorable facet as the artistical focus is all on the background art. Let us move on forward and talk about the plot, instead. In this instance, it is all over the place. To the point the characters look like they are written by Production I.G., in their typical robotic trademark.
Indeed, they are mostly defined by functions. Kurase take on himself to neutralize the monster, putting forth his responsibility as a chief of project for Helios Petrol in Okinawa. His ex-wife is the acoustics engineer in addition of the love interest of the hero. His daughter is the innocent caution of the tale. Not even the two navy army men at the head of the surveying submarine (Yamada and Nishii) experience significant character development, after being forsaken by their hierarchy. They freak out, but not for long. Even as they are surrounded by a scary cryptid with unknown intentions, they take time to sip on a cup of (bad) coffee... Talking about the armies, it is also rather humorous to see how stubborn they are to settle things straight with torpedos, missiles and various artillery. After realizing how it is worthless, you think they would report the situation to Military Staff, focus on evacuating the survivors and withdraw to define a new strategy, but no! By the power of Sharur, there sure is appetite for war and honor sputtering within these chests! They do live for the scent of cordite!

Overall, the cast fits the Kaiju-Eiga standards; it is taken to the back seats as it is victim of a disaster more than it addresses it in synergy.
The true star of the show remains the monster of the show, of which I will not spoil the nature. While the core concept behind it is going to raise some eyebrows, it's still executed competently enough to stay compelling throughout. Only the punctual sequences of infodump are eventually going to throw off the less courageous ones. However, dreary storytelling is an inherent setback of Scifi. Keep it in mind and nothing else is going to get in the way of appreciating the highlights of an otherwise unpretentious little piece of entertainment. Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~


..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: For something which has a body count akin to Barefoot Gen, graphic violence is toned to a minimal amount. The most shocking thing you will see is drowned corpses from afar and Yamada aiming at Kurase with his gun before being tossed back and wounded. The thrill of action is mostly composed of wreckage, pulverization and smoking ruins.
xXx meter: There is no time for it, captain! And no, the monster is not a tentacled pervert either.
Fishing scene(s): If anything the fish are immediately feasting on the ones who could have caught them...


POSITIVE aspects:
+ The Triangle Staff's touch. Innovation and care
+ Great Art Direction
+ Under represented genre (i.e. disaster movie)

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Some pace issues related to infodumping
- Robotic characterization
- Apparent lack of dramatization as a whole (no change of perspective, no geopolitical frictions as red herring to hide the real stakes...)