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Oct 31, 2014
A weird anime and commercial combo, Sega Hard Girls's is all about Sega and its franchises. Even the show's characters get in on the act, each embodying one of Sega's systems (or HARDware) through the ages. To graduate from university, Dreamcast, Saturn and Megadrive enter various Sega games, including Virtual Fighter 1 and Space Channel 5.
Sure Sega Hard Girls's plot won't win any awards, but its an excuse to get the girls into games where the comedy and nostalgia can take the reins. Style-wise, Hard Girls's shiny CG works given the show's light and cute comedy tone and its focus on old
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games. And although its squeaky characters can get annoying, I found the show's funny in-jokes and game nostalgia enjoyable. Occasional guest appearances, like the dwarf from Golden Axe, spice things up and help to quell the main characters' quirks. Longtime sega fans should find Sega Hard Girls's nostalgic walk down memory lane enjoyable, but if you're not a Sega fan, Sega Hard Girls isn't worth your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 15, 2012
Some movies are instantly recognizable by a single iconic image. For example, Silence of the Lambs has the moth, Fight Club has the bar of soap and Full Metal Jacket has the army helmet. In fact, it's hard to imagine Full Metal Jacket without the iconic camouflage helmet decorated with bullets, a peace sign and with “born to kill” written across its side.
Grey: Digital Target can be best summed up by a single iconic image as well, and like Full Metal Jacket it's the main character's helmet. Yet unlike the dark camouflage helmet of Full Metal Jacket, Grey's helmet serves as a
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bright red beacon. Just as his iconic helmet stands out from the bland landscapes it's cast against, Grey stands out from the other inhabitants of his post-apocalyptic world. The wanderer's sheer number of kills, ability to survive and meteoric rise in the ranks made him a legend, earning him the nickname "Death."
Yet the helmet is more important than a simple symbol - it has a story of its own. The original owner of the helmet and Grey's lover, Lips, died in pursuit of her dream- to become a “citizen.” In Grey's world, lower-class “people” of “towns” yearn to join the privileged upper class “citizens” in “cities.” Luckily there is class mobility of sorts - by joining the army and raking up kills "people" earn points. As points add up, ranks increase until "people" can finally become citizens. Grey dons the helmet in Lip's place, continuing her quest for citizenship.
On the surface, Grey: Digital Target seems like a typical 80's sci-fi anime. It takes place in a post apocalyptic future, where life is a nightmarish struggle for survival and technology serves only to repress or kill. But beneath the cliches, Grey has immense potential.
Grey: Digital Target's jargon is one of its most endearing features. Terms like town, citizen, bird, and mama that take on new meanings. The words always fit, never become confusing and serve to enrich the story's world and history.
Another great aspect of the series is Grey's harsh and unapologetic plot. One would be hard-pressed to find any positives in Grey's nightmarish world. Few series dare to be so bleak and even fewer see it through to the finish.
Yet Grey undercuts its good points with bland art and mundane animation. The drawings lack detail and the animation lacks flow. Poor animation ruins the robots', tanks' and other warmachines' interesting designs. The machinery begs to be brought to life with movements and vibrations, but remains stagnant and dull. Even the battles and explosions fail to impress. Although Grey has many opportunities to offer viewers memorable visuals, it fails to do so.
Grey's bgm doesn't do the movie any favors either. The simple midi is unengaged and uninspired. Grey's world deserves a soundtrack that would allow viewers to feel the atmosphere, making for a deeper experience. Instead the soundtrack matches the movie's bland visuals, making for bland visual and audio experiences.
It's unfortunate that Grey: Digital Target's poor presentation undermines its dark plot and great machine designs. Overall, the production values are more typical of a TV series than a theatrical feature. That isn't to say Grey isn't worth checking out - it's still a good watch. Yet it's hard not to think of what might have been. Unlike Lip's charismatic helmet, Grey: Digital Target does nothing to stand out from the vast landscape of anime it's cast against and has deservedly fallen into obscurity as a result.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 11, 2011
Before there was a great teacher named Onizuka or a school called Cromartie, before the crows of Suzuran battled it out or Kishidan held a one night carnival, and before Yankee-kun met Megane-chan or Oga Tatsumi found a naked baby by the river- there was a notorious bike gang called Shonan Bakusozoku. At first glance one might dismiss Shonan Bakusozoku as a generic 1980's anime. But to do so would be to overlook an extremely influential, fun and downright enlightening series.
Eguchi Yousuke is the second generation leader of the small, but infamous Shonan Bakusozoku bikers. The series revolves around
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the lives of Eguchi and the entire Bakusozoku gang, in and out of school. In doing so Shonan Bakusozoku maintains a great balance between the comedy, romance, and drama that make up the average high school student's life. However, whereas most high school hobbies include sports or the arts, Eguchi and company sport pompadours, customized gakuran (school uniforms) and ride especially loud motorcycles. While this hobby affords it's own series of unique conflicts and adventures, it's not to say there's nothing normal about the Bakusozoku's lives- they have jobs, girlfriends and belong to school clubs (Eguchi is president of the school's embroidery club).
As for the technical aspects, Shonan Bakusosoku shines in every category. The production values are surprisingly high. The animation is slick and beautiful, especially considering its 1986 release date. The rock soundtrack pops and fits the subject matter and time period perfectly. Though the voice acting is great, some of the high school students' adult voice actors take some getting used to. But these are tough, sometimes bearded and mustached students, so how can anyone complain? It may be worth noting that each episode runs about an hour long, usually combining two stories from the manga. So although Shonan Bakusozoku will take a little more time than the average 22 minute episode, it's well worth it.
Perhaps Shonan Bakusosoku's greatest strength lies in its depiction of Japan's bosozoku and yanki subcultures. In the book "Kamikaze Bikers," Ikuya Sato argues that Japanese bosozoku and yanki were not the extreme menace that the Japanese media had portrayed them to be. He concludes that most were in it for fun, friendship and as a last hurrah before settling into adulthood.
If Mr. Sato is right, Shonan Bakusozoku is an extremely accurate portrayal of these subcultures. The series creates a sense of the youthful lust for fun, style and recklessness. Unlike some of its successors, Shonan Bakusozoku never limits its focus to the exploits of its bike gangs. Instead, it presents various aspects of the gang members' personal lives throughout the series. The characters are high schoolers in a bike gang, not simply bike gang members. The result is a multidimensional experience, offering insight into rare aspects of Japanese culture- far more so than any of its successors.
Although almost forgotten in Japan and nearly non-existent overseas, Shonan Bakusozoku's influence cannot be denied. If Crows is the "Yanki Bible," then Shonan Bakusosoku must be... the Yanki Bible's Bible? Bottom line is it's a must see for anyone interested in the Japanese yanki, bosozoku or delinquent subcultures. And considering the genre's renewed popularity, there is a huge audience just waiting to check it out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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