Un-Go (2011)
15 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: anime, Inga, Shinjuro Yuki, Studio Bones, Un-Go
Mysteries never really go out of style. In the wake revival of savant detectives, the media is able to give us shows like Sherlock on BBC and CBS’s the Mentalist. Studio Bones’ contribution is the series Un-Go, which was created by novelist Ango Sakaguchi and brought to life by dream duo director Seiji Mizushima and writer Sho Aikawa (of Fullmetal Alchemist fame). The plot follows the curious cases taken on by defective detective Shinjuro Yuki and his partner Inga. They are working in an alternative Japan to the one we know and love, where a combination of war and terrorist bombings have ravaged the city. Shinjuro has superior intellect and Inga turns into a buxom woman who can ask a person any question, which the subject is forced to answer honestly.
Together they fight crime.
The Story
Post-war cities always present plenty of intrigue and Inga’s presence allows for a fun and unique twist to an otherwise hashed up concept, but those two elements that make this show unique also lead to its downfall. Initially, Un-Go presents itself as an episodic mystery series, something out of the pages of CSI. This story-telling system maintains for 6 episodes, during which there are plenty of recurring characters, but the mystery is always new. There are a few reasons why this doesn’t end up working well, at least in the current method of execution: 1) While the rules of play for Inga makes sense, her presence does not, 2) While normally a post-war setting would need no explanation, because the mysteries are somehow related to said unexplained war, it can be very difficult to keep up with who did what when for what purpose, and 3) 20 minutes of air-time is not nearly long enough to allow for a fully fleshed out episode crime-solving plot.
Perhaps the writers figured these last points out because around episode 6, the history of the war and the essence of Inga’s existence start to get introduced into the dialogue and by episode 7, the audience is thrust into a continuous and extremely confusing series of related mysteries. Too little too late, however, because without a precedent that the previous episodes could have provided (but obviously didn’t), the reader is not prepared to accept any additional supernatural occurrences (Inga’s included). Un-Go had all the right elements to tell a really excellent story, but really fell short in its execution.
Story grade: B-
Music
A combination of really neat electronic beats and investigative acoustic percussion make up Un-Go’s soundtrack. “How to Go” by School Food Punishment is comprised of borderline haphazzard synthesizer sounds while the ending, “Fantasy” by LAMA, successfully soothes to the finish. As far as themes go, this show does it right, bringing in unique music that could be successful independent of whether or not is was associated with the memory of the series.
Now, the background tracks, while not epic in nature, to exactly what they need to. In solving a mystery, there is the pitter patter of the “there’s a murder” track, the upbeat ”here comes the detective” track, and, my absolute favorite, the almost salsa-sounding “the mystery is about to be solved,” track. My heart didn’t flutter over the soundtrack, but I got into the rhythm of syncing my feelings with that of the music I was hearing, to the point where I was listening for the tune to know if we were at the climax.
Music grade: B +
Art
Excuse me while I geek out about the character designs, which were given to us courtesy of Pako and of Loveless and Earthian mangaka Yun Kouga, who is most recently known for her work in (my beloved) Gundam 00. Some of the eyes look a little evil at times, but overall, every single character in the show gave the impression of being super cool. Even the fashion looked well thought out to the point where I wondered if CLAMP had any involvement (Yun Koga used to do doujinshi of some CLAMP series, which explains that away).
In regards to the animation as a whole, the series really does succeed. The budget is there, so there was never a need to cut down on cells to save money. There were moments that could have been a little richer or more beautifully done, given that Inga eats souls and jumps around all over the place, but they didn’t implement anything that I would consider to be a bad choice in execution. In fact, I think the most notable thing is that the animators never got lazy. I’m always watching the proportions and faces and of the characters as they walk around, trying to see if there was every a time when the artist-on-duty just wasn’t in the mood to put all the parts where they’re supposed to go (it happens a lot) and I didn’t see it at all.
Art grade: B+
Overall view
Un-Go has all the components to produce a great series, but falling short right where it counts – uncontrolled and ultimately confusing plot, appropriate but not amazing music, good but not gorgeous animation – in every venue makes for a less than satisfying resolution to this short series. What might save the show is Episode 0: Inga-Ron, a 45 minute short film which will, in theory, fill the plot holes that the war and Inga’s presence threw into the series.
Final grade: B
Kimi to Boku (2011)
12 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: anime, Kimi to Boku, You and I, J.C. Staff, Shun Matsuoka, Kaname Tsukahara, Elements Garden, Chizuru Tachibana, Yuuta Asaba, Yuuki Asaba, 君と僕
Every once in a while, a show comes out that tries to document what it means to be in the prime of one’s youth. Sure, there are plenty of romance stories, but what about the essence of just being in high school? It’s commonly overlooked because it is not that interesting of a subject matter (people care more about the love-y dove-y stuff than the average goings-on), but J.C. Staff tried it once before with Azumanga Daioh, and now takes a stab at it again in the short series Kimi to Boku. Kimi to Boku follows the lives of four friends who have known each other since kindergarten – Shun, Kaname, and the Asaba twins Yuki and Yuta – in the day-to-day happenings of their average high school. It’s all about making new friends, going through puberty, wasting vacation days, and suffering through homework.
The Story
The premise is not all that interesting, anyone can see that. It does not have the loud bangs and booms of the aforementioned Azumanga Daioh but is instead quiet, subtle, almost peaceful. As I said in my review of the first episode at the beginning of the season, Kimi to Boku takes a little time to ramp up. As a viewer, I needed to settle myself into the idea that this show was not going to be pulling any tricks to get me excited. I needed to meet the characters and get to know them so I could find it funny.
Yet, like the American comedy series Parks and Recreation, Community, or the Office, each episode can also stand on its own, even in the face of the episodes having a chronological sequence. Plots from previous episodes are referenced on occasion but rarely reoccur, making it easy to jump around or take a nice long break between episodes if you feel, like I did, that the monotony of the lives of the Kimi to Boku characters needed the intermittent distraction of a seriously action-packed show for me to maintain my interest.
But the show is funny (like, funny for both boys and girls funny). Most of the scenes are based around young boys’ humor and while there are some life lessons, some deep moments, and romantic twists (we all know the drill), the essence of the show is pure and realistic hilarity. I’m not sure Kimi to Boku could have survived trying to fill 25 episodes, since it doesn’t have the over-the-top, borderline unrealistic style of Azumanga Daioh, but 13 episodes was enough to keep the plot light, the moments true, and the laughs coming. Maybe it could have a second season, but 25 episodes straight through would have been too much.
Grade: B+
Music
The soundtrack, courtesy of Elements Garden, is soft and filled with plenty of guitar-picking and light melodies, as would be expected of any comedy. It alternates between the background music in a cafe and in an elevator, but such is the life of a slice-of-life anime soundtrack, I suppose. Elements Garden, despite the number of pop stars they have composed for, is new as a group to the anime world. They’re currently making a name for themselves, having done two series prior to this one. You can see their most recent work in the music of the Winter 2011-12 series Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku, which just premiered the other day.
Overall, the soundtrack isn’t meant to leave an impression, so it doesn’t (but OH how I wish it did). However, the show is littered with pop tracks, meaningful inserts sandwiched by well-chosen theme songs. “Bye Bye” by 7!!, the opening theme, is something I would imagine hearing on the radio with its upbeat tempo and enjoyable melody. Admittedly, the ending, “Nakimushi” (by Miku Sawai) is a little too easy listening for my taste, but it is well-chosen for Kimi to Boku’s genre. The members of the team who worked on the music knew what they were doing to assemble a soundtrack that is a little better than the average slice-of-life comedy’s.
Grade: B
Art
Here’s where things get a little tricky. This show is based off a manga by Keiichi Hota (that’s still ongoing and published by Square Enix for anyone who is interested). The animators, as per the tradition of anime adaptations, stayed true to Hota’s work. The colored images from that series are usually done in a very light pastel and the character designs are less detailed than the average artist’s. These sorts of designs leave very few opportunities for the animators to dazzle the audience, since it is their sole purpose is to bring the pages of the manga to life in a meaningful way. Because the show requires no action scenes and the story is meant to be average in setting, everything about the execution of the show feels understated. I’m grateful for the way the simple style allows the audience to focus on the script, but unremarkable is unremarkable, and there’s not much more to say.
Grade: C+
Overall view
Kimi to Boku is light, funny, and real. There is nothing about it that is set to amaze the audience and it certainly will not go down in history books as the hallmark of comedy or high school slice-of-life genres in anime, but it’s amusing and sincere in a way that will reach just about anyone who remembers what it was like to be at that age.
Final grade: B
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (2011)
02 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Haganai, I don't have many friends
In the face of the new year, I’m going to experiment with a much more thorough style of review, starting with the first show I finished from the Fall 2011 season: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Many people have difficulties fitting in, but Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (also known as Haganai) takes it to a whole new low as it chronicles the adventures of a club that gathers for the sole purpose of making friends. The main character, Kodaka Hasegawa, transfers to St. Chronica’s and is immediately outcast because of the blond hair he inherited from his English mother and his mean-looking face (basically, everyone assumes he’s in a gang). He quickly meets Yozora Mikazuki, a girl with such a bad attitude that the only friend she has is an imaginary one. Yozora gets the brilliant idea to start a club, and the harem group accumulates from there.
As some of you may remember, I put this show down as one to keep an eye on, but Haganai proves to be a lesson in relatively misleading first impressions.
Story
As I said, the plot follows this club of high school students as they try and make friends and do what normal groups of friends would do. At first, I wondered if this was a parody, given how sarcastic the Kodaka is and how bizarre and unappealing Yozora (and her imaginary friend Tomo) are by comparison. As more females get tacked on, each is more unappealing than the next: Sena Kashiwazaki is gorgeous but has an addiction to datings sims; Kobato Hasegawa, Kadoka’s younger sister, pretends to be a vampire from a gothic anime; Rika Shiguma is a scientific genius and nymphomaniac; Yukimura Kusunoki is either a trap or a very confused young girl who wants to be a samurai; and Maria Takayama, the adviser of the club, is an obnoxious ten-year-old nun.
Seriously, who could think of any of these girls as fantasy material?
So I dove into this show assuming that it would make fun of itself on occasion. The show was relatively episodic, so each adventure kind of has its own “what shenanigans will they get up to next” kind of thrill. The first three episodes even get to the point of being almost laugh-out-loud hilarious. Yet as the show goes on, the shenanigans seem less like they’re trying to make you laugh and more like they’re trying to make you jack-off. The opportunities for jokes are replaced by awkward sexual tension with no real plot to back it up. By the last episode, the romantic storyline which had been sneaking through as a continuous but unnecessary side-story makes itself the focal point of the resolution, leading to very little satisfaction at all. While it starts off strong, this finish left me feeling a bit betrayed by screenwriters that had started off trying so hard to be the funniest guys in the room.
Story grade: C+
Music
Needless to say, the music is not the highlight of the show. The opening (Zannenkei Rijinbu – Hoshi Futatsu Han/The Regrettable Neighbors Club – Two and a Half Stars) and ending themes (Watashi no Kimochi/My Feelings) are recorded by the voice actresses, with the opening being most of the club and the ending done solely by Marina Inoue, the voice of Yozora. Neither is all that exciting to listen to since they were written as high-energy music, the type of which you hear in… well… a harem anime. Let’s not kid ourselves, this wasn’t a big project worthy of a thought-provoking score. The soundtrack is nothing like the more action-packed harems of Mai-Hime, nor is it subtle like something out of a shoujo. Instead, it’s standard, nothing to make it stand out from any other show of its ilk.
Music grade: C
Art
The art starts out a little above average. The one thing I can say is that unlike its predecessors in the harem anime industry, Haganai avoids falling into the pit of actual mediocrity. The animation is smooth and the color remains rich. I don’t believe that it ever looks like they cut down on the number of cells or took the cheap route in animating a scene. As far as the character designs go, they’re… cute. The rounder faces and frequently-blushed cheeks are not something that I’m used to and, at first, I wasn’t sure how to react. For me, it was a little off-putting, but I am not their target audience. I think the difference in character design, however, allows the show to get a foot in the door with perspective viewers who are within that target audience.
Art grade: B
Overall view
I can’t say I 100% regret watching Haganai, but I sincerely wish it had lived up to its first impression of being a quirky and funny show. It didn’t throw much new and exciting into the mix and I could have watched the first and the last episode without feeling like I lost out on much. Instead, I spent 12 episodes watching the same sort of hijinx occur over and over without anything new or exciting to back it up. I’m glad that I watched it as it was airing, though, because I never would want to marathon this.
Final grade: C+
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
01 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: 耳をすませば, Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Whisper of the Heart
Happy New Year to one and all!
I took a brief interlude from trying to catch up on shows to see some of the Miyazaki films that had passed me by, which included today’s feature, Whisper of the Heart. The story starts off following the life of Shizuku Tsukushima, an extremely ordinary girl who is at the crossroads between middle and high school. Her parents want her to study for entrance exams but she is more caught up in finding adventures like the ones in her books. Around the same time, she realizes that all the books she is taking out of the library have been borrowed by a Seiji Amasawa, a cat she follows on the way to visiting her dad leads her to an antique store where, as she puts it, stories begin, and she meets a boy who nosily reads one of her poems. These three things start her on her own adventure of self discovery, living, and loving.
Before I start on the critique, this film deserves a little history. I consider this a Miyazaki film because he wrote this script, but this was actually the first and only film that Yoshifumi Kondo ever directed. It looks as though Miyazaki and Takahata, the brilliant directors of studio Ghibli, were hoping that one day he would take up the reigns. This was his starter film, the one meant to be his first step into Ghibli greatness, but he passed away before we could see how he grew.
Most Americans haven’t heard of this movie. Disney licensed it and released it straight to DVD in a quiet way. They acquired it during their starting partnership with Studio Ghibli, which occurred as a result of Spirited Away. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are far more well known for the adventure films like Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle, so the idea that an older film in a very normal setting, directed by someone who had nothing to his name wouldn’t spark much interest wasn’t far off the mark.
And yet, the film is gorgeous. Following the tradition of quality art and animation, Whisper of the Heart does not leave the viewer disappointed. There are breathtaking landscapes and wonderful colors to accompany the plot. The settings are very carefully planned and there is clearly a lot of spirit behind this story. There’s even a flying scene, a true mark of a Miyazaki film. The music is fun as we hear three different versions of the song “Country Road,” and a whole lot of Yuuji Nomi’s compositional skill (he also wrote the music for the Cat Returns, a sort of sequel to this film which I highly recommend).
The plot, though, is a little too quiet for my taste. I can see how this film fell under the radar. There is no real build-up, no climax, no catharsis. It starts off like any fantastical story would, the characters are introduced in a traditional sense to the point where I don’t feel there are that many holes. Once the plot actually gets going however, a lot of that careful structure seems to get lost. At first, we think that the story is just about Shizuku and her desire for fantasy. Then it seems to be about her relationship to Seiji. Then it goes back to being about Shizuku and Seiji is once again lost. Then back to Shizuku and Seiji and then a little bit of the antique shop. I’m not sure that Miyazaki in writing this script could make up his mind about what the focus on, so he just went wherever he thought the story needed to go. It was almost irresponsible and the director did very little to reign that in.
Yet, I think I am only being harsh because this is a Miyazaki script and I expected more. He’s had a hand in some really amazing works like Totoro and Castle in the Sky, so what happened? Whisper of the Heart is pretty to watch and has it’s moving moments, but not so much so that it changes the way I think. It pleased but it didn’t inspire, and Ghibli moves are supposed to INSPIRE! Instead, like many first-time Ghibli directors after him (the most recent being Goro Miyazaki with Tales of Earthsea), Whisper in the Heart falls into the category of simply okay. It’s a cute tale and it might be one I watch during a Ghibli marathon, but it’s not one I plan watching on repeat.
Art: A
Music: B+
Script: B
Final Grade: B+
Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (2011)
06 Dec 2011 1 Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: Onodera, Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, Takano, World's Greatest First Love
Ah, the things we do for love. Or, perhaps, the things we do to avoid it. Love is complicated, it’s weird, it’s frustrating, and it’s something everyone encounters at least once in their lifetime. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, translated as “World’s Number One First Love” tries to document that. Tries being operative here.
The show, similar to its counterpart, Junjou Romantica, chronicles the stories of three gay couples, all of whom are associated with the Emerald Shoujo Manga publishing division. The first (and main) couple is made up of Ritsu Onodera and Masamune Takano. Onodera and Takano fell in love in high school and accidentally broke each other’s hearts. Now, Takano is trying to win Onodera back and Onodera is doing his darned best not to give in. The problem is that the two now work at Emerald together and Takano is Onodera’s boss. Then we have the second pairing – Chiaki Yoshino and Yoshiyuki Hatori. The two are childhood friends; Yoshino writes the manga and the Hatori is his editor. Hatori has been in love with Yoshino since they were infants and Yoshino is about as clueless as it gets. The third and final pairing is Shota Kisa and Ko Yukina. Kisa works for Emerald and Yukina works in a bookstore. Kisa is obsessed with Yukina’s good looks and stalks him for it.
And that’s all of them. I know, it’s a lot to keep track of.
These stories each occur over different time spans and it takes quite a few episodes to figure out where it is that each pairing’s milestones occur in the others’ time line. That being said, it’s not entirely necessary to know how they interconnect, just that they do. That is because when the plot of an episode belongs to one pairing, the other plots don’t sneak in. There are very few episodes that end in a cliff-hanger, so it’s easy to jump around or, even better, to watch just one pairing’s episodes and then go on to another’s.
It might be best to start by addressing the elephant in the room: The art sucks. I know people who refuse to watch this show because of how bad it is. The color palate is all pastel, the animation feels cheap and sometimes stilted, and, most obviously, the character designs are crap. Let’s face it, the faces are weird, the bodies stretched, the ways in which they move are awkward, and it’s hard at times to tell characters apart. It’s exactly how the manga-ka designed it and the design was… unique at best. A manga-ka, however, can get away with that kind of art since their characters aren’t in motion. An anime can’t.
The music is not much better. The opening and ending themes are annoying. I can’t even designate much more commentary than that because it was barely worth anything. The soundtrack was 100% unmemorable – something out of an 80′s drama. It reeks of shounen-ai’s cheap budget stereotype.
And if we’re trying to call this a realistic portrayal of true love in the face of homosexual adversity, we’re going to be extremely disappointed. Even examing the basics (the seme/uke stereotype, the presence of sexual abuse, the lack of caring about societal implications), this show trips and falls right into the mistakes that make most shounen-ai series continue to run right into: If this series were about heterosexual couples, it would still feel wrong. Therefore, I’d like to think of as “Otome-service.” Men get women who are 90% boobs making out with each other, women get men having serious romantic emotional issues. And it’s always stupid.
And yet, why did I watch Sekaiichi Katsukoi? I normally don’t waste my time on a show that looks this bad. Yet, I finished it with some sadness, wishing I had more to watch. This is because the script, for all that it sometimes lags and has moments that make me wonder whether “consent” is even a requirement in Japan, is actually very witty. The characters have so much playful banter that I found myself excited to see how they would interact next. It’s far from the best dialogue I’ve ever seen and the characters are not as fleshed out as I would like them to be, but if I’m only watching this show for the comedy, it’s worth it.
The end of this season did not seem to carry in it any sense of finality, nor did the show itself have a real rise-and-fall plot. Instead, it follows an episodic structure. In many ways, this makes the show run dry because what should be climactic moments fall short in the hop from character plot to character plot, and in the end it results in both wanting more and feeling like there’s nothing left for them to give. I suppose I could attribute this feeling to the currently airing second season (that’s right folks, it wasn’t done!), so I’ll have to withhold my judgment on this season’s conclusion until this second season ends.
Art: D
Music: C
Script: B
Final Grade: C
What’s Going On: December 2011
01 Dec 2011 1 Comment
in News and Updates Tags: anime, AuraJanuary
Hello everyone!
As many of you have probably noticed, I’ve switched gears to focus primarily on watching and reviewing anime. My current lifestyle doesn’t allow for much dubbing or convention time, but I’m doing my best to stay involved how I can.
To that end, I want to open the comments in this post to suggestions for future the future direction. Would anyone be interested in me branching out to reviewing manga, J-Pop, AMVs, etc.? Is there any information in the reviews that you feel is lacking? Do you want it spoiler free or spoiler rich? Do you like pancakes?
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (2011)
29 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: anaru, ano hi mita hana no namae wo bokutachi wa mada shiranai, anohana, あの花, jintan, menma, poppo, yukiatsu
There’s something about death that haunts us, despite its inevitability. This is especially true when the person taken from our lives was taken before their time. It sneaks into our thoughts and makes the world a little less bright. In AnoHana, Jintan is experiencing this. His beast of summer, what he believes to be a manifestation of his trauma, is an aged version of his childhood friend Menma. He, Menma, and their four other friends spent their summers playing together until Menma died in a tragic accident, leaving her friends to try and pick up the pieces. Jintan has been skipping classes, avoiding neighbors, and hiding in his room. Now he’s seeing the hallucination of his dead friend. And what does Menma want? For Jintan to grant her a wish – a wish that he cannot fulfill alone. But bringing the gang back together is difficult, especially when they’re each still coping on their own with the trauma of that summer.
AnoHana is a delicate show that starts off as a seemingly moe premise but gradually develops into a story of the ways in which people face tragedy and how even in the most unlikely circumstances, they can come together. The animation, while subtle, rarely lacks and the atmosphere created by the setting, music, and animation gives you this inconsolable feeling of nostalgia. Starting with the opening theme, the audience is shipped back to childhood – running around the neighborhood and not knowing the true meaning of sadness – and then brought into reality by the careful script. I have a lot of respect for a show that addresses these issues without becoming too melancholic.
Admittedly, the show itself isn’t that revolutionary in its execution. While I praise the script, there are many places in which it falls short of the expectations that it builds up in its viewers in the first three episodes. The animation, while good, is nothing groundbreaking. Even the soundtrack isn’t that memorable. AnoHana only has 11 episodes and sometimes it can feel like too many; the fun whimsical side-tracks can cause some frustration and the last two episodes felt both too fast and unnecessary. Where this show is successful is the way in which it tampers with the feelings of the viewer. It carefully balances slapstick, serious, and tear-jerker moments and, although overused (thereby deadening the impact), the insertion of the ending them into the climax of the episode certainly directed me toward needing a hug and a chocolate bar.
While AnoHana makes itself out to be a quiet mystery adventure about a dead girl’s wish, expecting this to be the case can leave very low expectations. It isn’t about Menma’s wish. It isn’t even really about Menma as a ghost. It’s about these six friends as people, all struggling. Ignore the music, the animation, the art – accept them for what they are – and you can appreciate the core of the show – feelings. That is where AnoHana makes it’s mark. That is why so many viewers considered this show one of the better ones of the summer.
Art: B+
Music: B+
Script: A
Final Grade: A-/B+
Hanasaku Iroha (2011)
18 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: 花咲くいろは, HanaIroha, Hanasaku Iroha, kissuiso, ohana
Poor Ohana was forced to raise herself as a pragmatist. At the age of 16, she has only one friend, Koichi, and her mother alternates between being physically present and emotionally absent, or absent altogether. One day her mother sits her down and tells her that she going to elope with her boyfriend and that she’s sending Ohana to live with her grandmother. Ohana has been told very little about this woman – her mother doesn’t like to talk about her childhood – and all she knows is that she will be living in her grandmother’s inn, Kissuiso. And living there is no picnic either – her grandmother isn’t looking for a granddaughter, and instead puts her to work to pay for her room and board. Hanasaku Iroha, which means “The Fundamentals of Blooming,” is the story of Ohana and her interactions with the people in this place she calls home as she learns to grow into the woman she’ll become.
HanaIroha presents itself using sophisticated coloring – lush sunsets, pastel characters, deep evenings. The animators didn’t need a lot of fancy tricks to satisfy what little action appeared, but the consistency from beginning to end made me feel like with every scene, the artist responsible for the cell or the backdrop was trying their damned best. I never felt like the budget was weak or the character-design slacking. The last episode was just as well-executed as the first, and each scene was designed and colored to complement the script. This show was balanced.
In addition to the art, the story-line provides and number of characters and situations to sink your teeth into. From the first episode, we are presented with the difficulties of customer service, family relationships, romantic relationships, and just plain growing up. While many of the people watching can certainly say that they’ve never had to fill the role of working in a traditional in, there are many elements of the plot that they can identify as analogous to their own. When I was discussing this show with my friend Suki, however, she exclaimed in a fit of annoyance, “This show doesn’t know what it wants to be. There’s just too much!” And perhaps she is right.
HanaIroha, for all that I fell in love with some of the characters, had trouble keeping its story together. I’m not saying there were consistency problems – more like the tone of one episode would not always directly relate to the tone of another. In the episode where we meet Tarou, the show seems to want to be fanservice-based, when we’re interacting with the tsundere Minko, it’s moe-centric. If Koichi comes into the picture, it’s a flower-ridden shojou-esque series. On the frequent occasion where we see the grandmother blazing the trail, it borderlines josei. HanaIroha does not blend these genres, it flip-flops between them, which can lead to a certain level of confusion for the viewer. If you don’t know what kind of show you’re watching, you won’t know how to sit, how to react, what snack to pick. Normally I say that shows could use more episodes, but I think that HanaIroha suffered because it had too many. 11 to 13 episodes would have been just enough to tell the core story while still giving a nod to the other characters. Visits around town did not require a two-episode plot line, and the episodic nature of the show could have been retained, thereby allowing a bit of fluctuation between genres. 26 episodes is two times longer than it needed to be (and perhaps with a better opening theme – the singers’ voices were absolutely grating).
Ultimately, though, despite its flaws, it’s a fun show. It has its subtle moments and while all the characters feel a little exaggerated and type-cast, the general feel is relatively real.
Art: B+
Music: C-
Storyline: B
Final Grade: B-
Blue Exorcist (2011)
14 Nov 2011 2 Comments
in Anime Reviews Tags: ao no exorcist, blue exorcist, okumura, rin okumura, yukio okumura
On the list of things that you don’t want to happen to you in your life, I’m pretty sure that finding out you’re half-demon and the offspring of Satan would take the top spot. Although, I’m also pretty sure you never considered a possibility. Well, Rin Okumura was one of you until one day, the innate demon in him could not be suppressed any longer and the blue flames of Satan emerged. He and his entirely human twin brother Yukio were born on Blue Night – the evening when Satan came to the human world (Assiah) from the demon world (Gehenna) and killed prominent exorcists. Their adoptive father, a top exorcist, has been keeping their identity a secret from both them and the world for years. But there’s no hiding it anymore.
My experience in this show was a lot like entering into a relationship.
It started off with a great first-impression and honeymoon phase. Needless to say, the pilot episode is an intense ride of religion, violence, gorgeous animation, and death. The moment-to-moment action is complemented by a careful and strong introduction to the three most important characters of the show (well, four if you include the villain). There clearly was a lot riding on this show – excellent quality pilot, big-name opening and ending theme artists, and a whole lot of advertising. When I looked at the anticipatory comments, all I could think was “shounen-fest,” but any judgment one could impart upon the show is immediately silenced after episode one.
And then the flaws and quirks started to surface. The honeymoon period was over.
I’m not quite sure when the budget started to run out, but I couldn’t help but notice that as the show continued, the animation devalued from spectacular to about average. Maybe once they figured there was no one else to impress, they got lazy. Maybe the popularity didn’t keep up. I don’t have an answer, but by the end of it, I found myself wondering what I was so excited about. The deep, emotional resonance was only resurfacing once every few episodes and it took until the end to get past all the filler to the real core of the show.
What’s important to know is that Blue Exorcist fell into the manga-copying trap that many shows fall into, where the manga hasn’t ended before production has begun. Some series, like Air Gear, choose to simply cut it off at the end of the season. Others, like Nana, stop and wait for the series to end before making another season. And then there is the Fullmetal Alchemist approach, which is what we have here – the series is rewritten from where the manga was during production. In Blue Exorcist, the switch comes at episode 17. The difference between Fullmetal Alchemist and Blue Exorcist is that Fullmetal Had 51 episodes to make it work, while Blue Exorcist only had 25. The filler stops and the plot starts going somewhere, but it doesn’t seem like what the series was building up to. My kingdom for a foreshadow!
The reason why I’m bashing the show is because the reception from the fans of the manga has been generally negative. I don’t blame them – the manga sounds like it could be infinitely better. That being said, I enjoyed the show. I’m not sure I agreed with the choices that the writers made, especially in regards to handling the introduction of Satan as an actual character and his follow-up behavior, but ultimately I walked away semi-satisfied. I loved the characters despite all their annoying quirks and I made a marathon of the last five episodes because I couldn’t walk away. All-in-all, it’s not a game changer by any stretch – it will break your heart as soon as you fall in love – but you may walk out of the relationship friends.
Art: B+
Music: B+
Storyline: B
Final Grade: B/B+
Fall Season 2011 – Marry, Screw, or Toss
12 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Anime Reviews Tags: Ben-To, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, c-cube, C³, Chiyahafuru, Future Diary, Guilty Crown, Gundam Age, Hunter x Hunter, Kimi to Boku, Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai, Maken-Ki, Mashiroiro Symphony, Mashiroiro Symphony: Love Is Pure White, Mirai Nikki, Mobile Suit Gundam Age, Persona 4, Persona 4: The Animation, Phi Brain, Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle, Sengoku Paradise, Sengoku Paradise Kiwami, Shinryaku! Ika Musume, Un-Go
It’s fall break, a perfect time to check out the anime appearing this fall! I tried this a year ago for the summer season and found it very doable. However, this season, there are a ton more, so I’m going to prioritize them. This means no sequels, ovas, or films, so if you were hoping for me to comment on “Hotarubi no Mori e” or “Last Exile” (which I’m excited for), you’ll be out of luck. Also, I’m only watching shows that have been subbed in English. My Japanese is not good enough yet to dive head first into Japanese broadcasting.
For those of you who don’t know the deal, I’ll be reviewing the first episode and determining whether I think it’s a show to marry, screw, or toss. If it’s a show to “marry”, then it’s worth getting excited about and watching all the way through. If it’s a “screw,” then it’s not bad and may be worth checking up on at some point, but not worth putting in the effort of following every week. If it’s a “toss”… well, you know.
So here we go.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Invasion! Squid Girl)
Summary: Squid Girl (Ika Musume) has decided to invade the earth in response to humanity’s endless abuse of the ocean. However, despite the strength of her tentacles, she’s naive and spacey, certainly not qualities associated with the ability to conquer the human race. In a demonstration of her strength, she damages the Aizawa sisters’ restaurant and is roped into working for them to repair it.
First Impression: I was immediately freaked out by the cutesie opening music and big-eyed characters and had to steel myself. Admittedly, this is not my kind of show, but I think if I stick with it enough, I might like it. The humor is light-hearted and as of episode one, no one has tried to make inappropriate tentacle jokes (thank goodness). It seems to be along the same lines of humor as “Working!!” – filled with slice of life moments and very little intensity. It’s one I could come back to with friends when I need a pick-me-up, but that’s about it.
Choice: Screw
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon (Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere)
Summary: Musashi has thus far avoided being caught up in the feudal disputes of the surrounding territories of this future-set Japan. However, an attack on the city forces the current knights in training into battle.
First Impression: Pretty music, cool scenes, boobs. This is a show that compensates for its characters’ lack in depth by adding boobs or muscle, but clearly put some effort into the “everything else,” such as setting and background music, that many fan-service anime like to disregard. However, I’m fairly certain that since this show does only exist for those boob and panties shots, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle going past episode 1 unless someone really advocates for it.
Choice: Toss
Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai (Do Love Me Seriously)
Summary: Kawakami City cares a lot about fighting and has even encorporated battle into their Physical Education curriculum. Yamato, a second year student, is an active participant in these games with his close-knit group of friends. However, two women have shown up on the scene with ulterior motives. Dun dun dun.
First Impression: More boobs! This one is based off an adult dating sim so my hopes are low. Seriously low. It’s all fetishes and little characterizations or plot. A first episode that is entirely battle and has little-to-no introduction of plot is very frustrating to my eyes, despite the fact that I can see its artistic value when employed in other shows. One other issue is that all the men have character and all the women just have feelings for Yamato and some sort of distinctive sex appeal. It’s annoying to watch.
Choice: Toss
C³ (aka C-Cube)
Summary: Haruaki receives a cube from his father. Inside the cub is Fear, a girl who has been given form because of all the negativity she has been exposed to. She is a cursed tool who can pull weapons out of thin air and become a sword herself. She’s been sent to Haruaki to break her curse. However, not only is she difficult to contend with, but Haruaki is constantly troubled by people trying to get a hold of her.
First Impression: And now an ecchi anime. This one has very pretty and soft animating styles, which makes me drawn toward parts of it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this show doesn’t exist for much else than getting boys turned on.
Choice: Toss
Hunter x Hunter
Summary: Gon, like his father before him, is dying to become a hunter and look for interesting animals and treasure. But before he does that, he has to pass the hunter licensing exam, which is filled with all kinds of difficult and dangerous challenges. Gon and his newly acquired friends will do everything they can to become successful hunters.
First Impressions: HOLY CRAP THEY’RE REMAKING HUNTER X HUNTER! I had never watched the original anime but I’d read well into the manga and thoroughly enjoyed it, if I recall correctly. The style of story-telling is very clearly traditional shounen and the characters are both light and interesting. The plot itself doesn’t feel all that deep, but the action is gripping and great for younger kids to watch with their families. It’s not my kind of show, but I appreciate where the story is going and would be more than willing to recommend it to others. In addition, this rendition, like its predecessors, will be long-running and it’s best not to fall behind on the action.
Choice: Marry
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
Summary: Kaito is a self-proclaimed puzzle genius (and actual jerk-face) who gets caught up in a pretty serious ring of puzzle solvers. And these aren’t just your little sudoku challenges in the paper, these are real, life-threatening games.
First Impression: Phi Brain starts you off right in the middle of the action, something I’m a fan of. The plot seems to be on the deeper side and the animation is very good (nothing special, but it meets the quota). And yet, it does seem to fall into the more mature shounen dynamic. What I did notice, though, is that opportunities for excessive fanservice were shut-down in favor of strong but stereotypical girl-next-door characters. It’s not mind-blowing, but I’m a fan.
Choice: Marry
Kimi to Boku (You and Me)
Summary: “Kimi to Boku” is a very subdued slice of life show about four boys who have been best friends since early preschool and how one girl entering their friend-group changes their lives.
First Impression: It’s a very quiet and subtle show. Kind of boring in the first five minutes, but given that it qualifies as a shoujo anime, you have to give it those five minutes to warm up. But once that time was up, I was laughing out loud at some of the things these guys were saying. Their friendship feels very real and old because you get to see moments from their lives in preschool and their lives as high schoolers. It seems like it’s a great show to follow, not just because of its humor, but because the lack of depth may make the show tiring if someone tries to marathon it.
Choice: Marry
Sengoku Paradise Kiwami
Summary: Inspired by the mobile game, this show shows snippets of hilarity featuring everyone’s favorite Sengoku Paradise characters!
First Impression: Oh, look at all the pretty boys! I was expecting this show to pretend to be a serious and thought-provoking take an a clearly otome premise, but it surprised me by being 100% ridiculous and only half devoted to actual show-time. The other half of the 7-minute episode is spent visiting random locations. Fun to see, but given that there’s this expectation that you’ve played the game and get some of the character jokes, it’s not really my thing.
Choice: Screw
Chiyahafuru (Impassionate Chihaya)
Summary: Chihaya is the younger sister of a model and is herself quite beautiful, but a little strange. She had hoped to come to high school and make a ton of friends, but has yet to truly succeed in that. As a little kid she had started playing karuta with two of her childhood friends as a way of bonding and figuring out her own goals.
First Impression: I’ve heard much excitement about this show, so I was looking forward to it. So far I don’t seem to be let down. The animation is super pretty, the music upbeat, and the plot wholesomely fun yet driven. I had to firmly resist going on to episode 2! The energy is somewhat reminiscent of Hikaru no Go, but with a more mature edge that has a josei feel.
Choice: Marry
Mashiroiro Symphony: Love Is Pure White
Summary: The co-ed school (Kagamidai) and girls school (Yuiji) in Kagamidai are testing out a merger. For one year, the freshman class of Kagamidai is going to be taking all of their classes at Yuiji. And what does this mean for our main protagonist, Shingo Uryu? Well, he has a lot of potential new female friends, but some are going to be a lot easier to win over than others – especially when some aren’t too excited about the merger.
First Impression: It’s just so fluffy! It totally looks like something along the lines of Kanon – same super sweet music and flat characters. I find it endearing enough that I can believe in a deeper plot somewhere…. maybe…. I’m just not willing to wait for it.
Choice: Screw
Maken-Ki
Summary: Takeru is a super perverted but otherwise average kid who recently transferred to a new school and is now studying with his childhood friend. He’s extremely excited about Tenbi Academy: It only just went co-ed and he’s been studying at an all boys school until now, so the idea of fully blossomed women is very exciting to him. But the joke is on him. He just transferred to a school that specializes in harnessing one’s special magical combat ability, or maken, and he doesn’t have one. In addition, 3 of the girls he was so excited about love him, claim to be engaged to him, and want him dead respectively. And they’ve all moved into his room.
First Impression: Boobs are huge and brains are small. Every opportunity for a panty-shot is taken. Also, who applies to a school and doesn’t see in the description that they teach magic? And what kind of uniform allows skirts to be so short that you can see panties REGULARLY! Those are just my problems with the plot; the music does nothing for me and the art fluctuates and holds a pretty average animation quality. If there’s something there worth redeeming, I may just be too straight to see it.
Choice: Toss
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (I Don’t Have Many Friends)
Summary: Kodaka is a transfer student who is having the hardest time making friends because of his intimidating “Yankee” appearance. One day he stumbled upon his pretty but aloof classmate Mikazuki chatting with an imaginary friend. The two bond over their friendlessness and decide to form a club dedicated to it.
First Impression: I thoroughly enjoyed this first episode. I was hesitant due to signs of it being a harem anime (which it is) and a fanservice show (which it isn’t too much), but it turned out to be a rather fun experience. The characters and situations are all ridiculous but in a way that can be viewed as satirical. The animation is gorgeous and the plot is cute and intriguing. I’m interested in seeing where this goes.
Choice: Marry
Persona 4: The Animation
Summary: Based off the game of the same name, Persona 4 is about a boy, Narukami, who has just moved in with his uncle in the town of Inaba. Inaba is experiencing some strange deaths and rumor is going around that it has to do with a supernatural phenomena revolving around watching a turned off TV set. Needless to say, Narukami and his new friends want to test that theory.
First Impression: I must admit, I’ve never played the game. However, Rachellular is obsessed and so I can already feel her excitement at this coming into being. Persona 4′s animation does not disappoint and the eerie feeling is there from the beginning. The music can get awkward at times and I definitely feel like aside from a couple of things, I’m really just watching cut-scenes from the game. The characters’ behavior also feels forced on more than one occasion. However, out of respect for the games and with patience toward getting the ball rolling, it’s worth moving on to episode 2 and seeing what this show really has to offer.
Choice: Marry
Ben-To
Summary: Satou was just going to grab a bento at the local supermarket when he is brutally attacked. Because the school doesn’t provide lunch or dinner, competition for meals is high, especially when it revolves around supermarket bento. And boy is the competition tough, and the most competitive of all is his new mentor, the Ice Queen Yarizui Sen.
First Impression: This is the strangest parody of a high school fight club that I’ve ever seen. I think the humor is pretty decent, the fanservice moments are witty and well-placed, and overall it’s so ridiculous that it’s hard to have a problem with it. However, the comedy of it is pretty half-baked as of yet and could do with a little more effort. It just feels like something is lacking. It’s worth checking out, but it’s not high on my priority list.
Choice: Screw
Mobile Suit Gundam Age
Summary: Flit Asuno comes from a long line of mobile suit manufacturers. When he was young, his mother was killed in an attack by the “Unknown Enemy” on his home colony of Ovan and the construction plans to the Gundam, the Asuno mobile suit, was passed on to him. Years later, Flit is a middle school student on the colony Nora with a fixation on rebuilding and piloting the reconstructed gundam and fighting the enemy that destroyed his home.
First Impression: The art and tone remind me a ton of Megaman and I am immediately thrown back to the feeling of watching a Saturday morning cartoon. The Gundam franchise as of late has been targeting an older and more mature audience, so it’s unusual to see it refocused to the kids it used to be made for. However, the violence is still present and the art, as per Gundam tradition, is pretty top-notch for being so traditional.
Choice: Marry
Mirai Nikki (Future Diary)
Summary: Amano is an anti-social kid who focuses all his energies on writing all his observations in a cellphone diary. His only friend is an imaginary one, Deus ex Machina, the God of Time and Space. However, this friend is not as imaginary as Amano thinks he is – Deus is actually a God of Time and Space who has orchestrated a game and dragged Amano into it. In this game, each participant gets a future copy of their diary and can use it as a tool toward achieving their ends. By this rule, Amano gets a list of all the things he’s going to do the next day. The goal, to kill all the other players within the next 90 days so as to become the next god of time and space. A girl in Amano’s class also received a future diary, but because she is his stalker, her diary follows his movements as well. But because of her love for him, she is anxious to be his ally – at least for now.
First Impression: This seems to be the season of big names making their move – Mirai Nikki has fallen on my radar before, but I never thought to pursue it. However, I’m already mega creeped out, and that’s a good thing. The character designs are interesting and the animation is smooth on all accounts. I’m intrigued by where this is going because of it’s quality, Battle Royale feel and basic but strong script. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Choice: Marry
Un-Go
Summary: Shinjuru Yuki is known as the defective detective because in every mystery he solves, he’s usually wrong. And yet he seems to turn up at every single crime scene. This show chronicles the mysteries that they solve together.
First Impression: Well, for starters, the design is extremely intriguing. When I hear Studio Bones, I usually assume something classic along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist, but this is definitely its own kind of show. Turns out it’s a lot of the same FMA people and it has the same spirit deep down, but I love love love the differences. My one complaint is that it is difficult to keep track of all the new characters and I’m almost positive that all but a few will never turn up again. However, the intrigue makes me want to keep watching and I’m sure that as the setting becomes more established, the learning curve will grow steeper.
Choice: Marry
Guilty Crown
Summary: Japan was exposed to a deadly and quick-spreading virus ten years ago and had to depend on outside support. Now, GHQ, the group responsible for saving Japan, has taken control and instituted a tyrannical reign. Shu Ouma, an average kid who tends to duck out of trouble and just drift through life, stumbles upon a well known internet idol tending to very serious wounds. Turns out she’s a member of an underground terrorist organization. In assisting her, he gets dragged into the resistance and inherits the power of the Guilty Crown.
First Impression: I wasn’t sure what to think of this show when I started watching. On the one hand, it was nabbed by Funimation right off, which meant that it was a show to watch, but on the other, the main female character wears a very revealing outfit and poses quite awkwardly in one of the official anime posters. However, aside from one fashion choice, “Guilty Crown” is looking to be a real hit. The plot is complicated, the animation is beyond gorgeous, and I’m already hooked. It’s an action show with real depth, something for everyone (but the 5-year-olds).
Choice: Marry
