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One of the problems with anime these days is the tendency for studios to stick to formulae, and to capitalise on what has gone before (also known as jumping on the bandwagon). It's unfortunate then that GA: Geijitsuka Art Design Class is a victim of this mindset, especially given the subject matter and the potential for experimentation.

Originally a yonkoma (4-koma), manga by Kiyuzuki Satoko, the anime adaptation is actually based on the 2005 serialisation that was published in "Manga Time Kirara Carat", and while the series is very much aimed at the moe market, it has benefitted from the directorial talents of Sakurai Hiroaki (Di-Gi-Charat, Sweet Valerian, Majokko Tsukune-chan), and the art direction of Kasuga Reiji.

The story follows the lives of five girls who attend a specialist design school, where they learn about various aspects of art and design, art history, and various other art related subjects.

And that's it. Seriously. That pretty much describes the entire show.

One of the biggest problems with GA is that the entire show has been done before, be it with Lucky ☆ Star and K-On, or with more relevant comparisons like Sketchbook ~full color'S~ and Hidamari Sketch. In truth, GA offers nothing new or different in terms of settings or characters.

What it does offer though, is information, and this is ultimately it's saving grace. Unlike most other school based slice of life shows, GA is far more informative about it's related subject matter, and much of the humour is actually derivative of this. The plot focuses far more on art and design than it does on the characters, and while this may be an anathema to some, it's actually a rather refreshing approach as the viewer doesn't then need to worry about things like plot or character development.

One way to describe GA would be to call it a moe documentary about art, and the show makes good use of the subject matter to produce some surprisingly well executed sequences and comedy scenes. In truth, the majority of events are designed to provide visual examples of whichever style of art is the current topic (Kisaragi's surrealist dream being a good example of this at work), while the rest of the show is more along the lines of a typical slice of life comedy.

Given that the show is about art and design, it would be fair to expect some great visuals and animation, and while GA is good in this department, it lacks a certain something...

Let me explain. Visually the show is a bit too "cutesy" to be taken seriously. The characters are designed to attract a specific audience (the moe marketor younger children), and the over-use of soft focus scenes reinforces this aspect. While there is nothing overtly wrong with this, it does mean that the show will only really appeal, at least in visual terms, to those who like shows like Lucky ☆ Star, or to those who simply don't care what the characters look like. That said, the series is colourful and cheery, and while the majority of the design falls on the side of cute, there are some superb moments when the designers really get experimental with the show.

As far as the animation goes, the series is actually pretty well executed. The characters move well, and while the general animation is of a good standard, it can't quite make up for the "too cute" feel of the show.

The voice acting is pretty decent for the most part, but here again the show adopts a more "cutesy" approach. While the seiyuu are able to deliver the humour fairly well, the show lacks a certain depth of character due to some wooden moments.

The OP is a fairly upbeat track called "Osaki ni Sil Vous Plait", which is sung by the female seiyuu who play the lead roles, and bears a surprising resemblance to the infamous "Happy Material" (Mahou Sensei Negima), in terms of it's composition. The opening sequence is very well choregraphed though, and while the track is a little on the boppy side, I found that I didn't actually get too bored of hearing it (unlike a certain other song I mentioned).

The ED is an altogether different story. The show actually has twelve different ending songs, and the artwork depicts the girls at three different stages of life prior to them entering their current school. What makes the ending sequences even more unusual is that each of the five main seiyuu take turns at singing the ending theme, and each time the song reflects a different aspect of the current episode. The final ED is a group effort, sung by all five main seiyuu, and shows all three stages of life in one sequence. Because of this, I never once found the ED to be boring as each song is highly reflective of it's respective character, and effectively adds to the charm of the series.

Aside from that, the show is reasonably well served in terms of it's sound and music. My main gripe though (although it is admittedly only a minor one), is that there is very little in the way of quiet time in the show as almost every minute involves some form of accompaniment.

The characters aren't that bad for the most part, however they are formulaic at best, and far too moe for their own good. Each of the five main girls represents one particular moe archetype, the clumsy, ditzy meganekko; the brash, monkey-like tomboy, to the cute-but-evil master of games; the normal girl who mothers everyone; and the wierd, quiet girl who has strange powers (like talking to chickens).

One of the problems that some may have with GA is that the characters lack anything resembling a personality, however this is due to the show being focused on art. Effectively, the characters are simply there as a point of reference, a means to better facilitate the viewers understanding of the various forms of art (basically they're tools for teaching, like a pencil or a calculator). However, even with this grandiose intent (to teach using anime), the director and writers should really have found a method to make the audience relate to the characters more, as this would have facilitated a better appreciation of the subject matter.

Think about it. If your teacher is fun and interesting, then you want to learn the lesson. If they're dull and boring, you want to do something else.

On the whole though, this isn't a bad show at all. While there will be direct comparisons made to Hidamari Sketch and Sketchbook ~full color'S~, as well as with shows like Lucky ☆ Star, Azumangah Daioh, K-On!, etc, GA is able to stand on it's own due to it's novel approach and focus. Where those other shows were very much about the daily lives of the characters, GA only uses this as a point of reference. Granted it is very firmly on the moe bandwagon, but the show never really pushes this aspect too much, which actually made it more pleasant as a series.

In this respect it more resembles Sketchbook, as the moe aspect is simply there, nothing more than that.

GA would appeal to fans of any of the shows mentioned above as it has a fair few things in common with each of them. Likewise, those who are interested in art and producing artwork, or are artists themselves, may find this as enjoyable as I did, as there are numerous moments when I found myself thinking "that happened to me as well" or "I did that too". Younger viewers may also find the series interesting, in particular for it's rather simplistic approach to "teaching".

That said, some may be disappointed if they go into this show expecting a moe-fest as, aside from the characters being cutely designed, there isn't any.

GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class may not be as experimental in terms of art and animation as I'd hoped, and it may be a little too tooth achingly cute at times, but behind that there is actually a pretty decent show that takes a completely different tack to almost every other anime in recent years. The series isn't really trying to tell a story, but is instead trying to impart knowledge - something that is always laudable, and is remarkably absent from anime as a medium. While the show does have it's flaws, the intent and purpose should be appreciated and applauded.

You never know. We may end up seeing mahou shoujo wildlife documentaries in the future, or the news read by shounen icons like Goku, Luffy, Ichigo, etc, or even Yagami Light in a Judge Judy style reality show.

Now wouldn't that be something to see :) read more

Over the years animation has progressed from the basic "onion skin" technique through to cel shaded CG, so it's only natural that the next step would be full 3D animation. It's thanks to companies like Square-Enix, Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky, Toei, and a whole heap of other studios, that 3D animation has evolved rapidly since the turn of the millenium, and while the presence of such movies may still be a rarity in anime, there are some that appear from time to time.

It's just unfortunate that most of them aren't really all that good.

Hanare Toride no Yonna is one of those rare, fully 3D animated movies that, like CENCOROLL and Hoshi no Koe, is almost completely the work of one man (aside from the music andthe voice acting). Conceived, written, directed and animated by Takeuchi Kengo, the movie received mixed reviews upon it's release in April 2006.

The movie is about two siblings who live in a remote castle - Stan and Yonna. Both possesses certain abilities that have caused them to be driven from their original home, and because of the unjust cruelty they have both faced, Stan has become fiercely protective of his younger sister. However, the government believe that Yonna in particular would be a useful asset to them, and send two agents to "liberate" her.

One of the problems I've found with "one man shows" (i.e. made by one person), is that the plot is often lacking in certain areas, and it's in this area that Yonna really fails to deliver. The main problem is that the story never really covers anything about the powers that Stan and Yonna possess, nor does it explain how they may be useful to the government. In addition to that, the plot has an aimless quality, as if the writer couldn't make up his mind where he wanted the story to go.

Another problem with the plot is the pacing of the story. Yonna is very slow at times, but can switch gears in an instant, and it's this "stopping and starting" of the plot that can really throw the viewer off, especially given the lack of detail in the story.

That said, Yonna does look good - on paper anyway. The art and animation has a very Final Fantasy feel to it, especially the character designs. The characters are expressive enough, but have a decidedly odd look about them which makes them look not quite human. While this is acceptable because of the fantasy setting, the pixie-like quality of the characters makes some scenes difficult to take seriously. Character animation is good for the most part, however there are quite a few occasions where the movements look strange, especially during action sequences, while other bits of animation can appear jerky or unreal.

Yonna's biggest plus is the artwork. The castle and surrounding countryside is very well rendered and detailed, with great use of colours, tones and shades, which is more than can be said about the interior of the castle. Visually, Yonna's biggest problem is lighting, and this is especially noticeable in the confines of the castle.

Pretty much the only part of the movie not made directly by Takeuchi is sound. The voice acting isn't bad, however the seiyuu are decidedly wooden in their delivery, something which is especially noticeable during the more emotional moments. The music used throughout the movie is actually rather good. Okazawa Toshio, who also worked on the music for 5cm Per Second and The Place Promised in our Early Days, has done a fine job with the score for Yonna. The only problem is that the music is sometimes at odds with the on-screen action, something which is mainly due to poor choreography rather than Okazawa's musical ability.

The single biggest problem with the movie though, is the characters. As this is only a 33 minute "movie", there is understandably going to be a lack of development, however this could have been offset by making the characters more interesting, more real, more approachable. Unfortunately the movie suffers from poor characterisation, and because of this the characters are one dimensional and uninteresting.

To be completely honest, this is a show that can only really be recommended to fans of 3D animation, as there's very little else to it aside from that. A lot can be forgiven given that this is the work of one man, however even this fact can't lift Yonna out of the realms of mediocrity. The audience has no reason to sympathise with either Yonna or Stan, especially as there's very little history given about them, and this plays a major part in whether one likes the movie or not.

This isn't a bad effort though, and the biggest positive about Hanare Toride no Yonna is that it's another example of one man animation at work, and no matter how mediocre the movie may be, it gets a lot of kudos for that reason.

And now I'm off to watch a fifty foot woman fight aliens :) read more

There's a huge misconception in the Western world about the word "otaku", especially regarding it's usage. Most Westerners believe that the term refers to someone who is a zealous fan of something, in particular (but not exclusively so), anime and manga, with the word gaining a distinctly positive bias over the years. This is partly due to Gainax's tongue-in-cheek usage of the term in their 1991 movie "Otaku no Video", however the word has much darker and far more derogatory meanings in Japan, something which continues even now.

Bit of a sombre beginning to a review of a comedy series, isn't it? Well, it does have a purpose, particularly as Genshiken is a series about otaku in their various forms, from the cosplayers and fujoshi's, to the doujinshi mangaka and the game junkie, and everyone in between.

Created by Kio Shimoku in 2002, the manga quickly filled the void left by Comic Party, and established itself as a firm fan favourite due to it's more realistically humourous take on otaku subculture. The story focuses on a university club called GENdai SHIkaku Bunka KENkyūkai (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture - the capitalised letters show where the title "Genshiken" comes from), which, in truth, is nothing more than a collection of oddballs and social misfits who are only linked by a love of anime, manga and games. Into this strange environment walks freshman student and closet otaku Sasahara Kanji, a shy young man who wants to join a club that he would enjoy (and where he might be able to watch/read some hentai/porn).

If there's one memorable aspect of the slice of life plot that the manga adopts, it's the quirky, and often humourous, manner in which the various characters interact with each other. Genshiken is very much a character driven piece which, ironically enough, is also the main reason why the comedy works so well. In truth, the series is very much an otaku sit-com, and much of the humour is derivative of social stereotypes, particularly the more derogatory ones.

The thing that is most pleasing about the plot though, is that it presents a broad spectrum of otaku subculture rather than focusing on one single character type. Each of the characters brings something unique to the story, especially Kusakabe Saki, who is basically the only "normal" major character in the series. Whilst it's true that otaku are portrayed through rose-tinted lenses throughout the manga, Genshiken also presents the characters as plausible human beings, something that no other otaku based story had done (until NHK ni Youkoso! that is).

The plot does have it's flaws, but in truth, these are mostly niggling annoyances rather than anything major. The story progresses at a good pace, neither too fast nor too slow, and because of the emphasis on the characters, there are very few occasions where "events" are used to move it forward. Some readers may find certain chapters rather placid, especially those where nothing seems to happen, however it should be remembered that such small tales present the characters in ways that the manga may have only hinted at before.

As far as the artwork goes, I was honestly impressed by the level of simple detail in each panel. The author has taken great care with the designs of each character in an effort to make them as individual as possible while at the same time playing on the social stereotypes. This is particularly notable in the case of Kousaka Makoto, who is unlike the other members of the club (more on this in a bit). Given the focus on the characters, and the fact that they are sometimes quite literally under the microscope, it's nice to see that the author has made them expressive in both mannerisms and actions. Facially the characters are pretty simplistic, however they are extremely emotive, and it's easy to tell what each character is feeling at a given time from their expression.

The backgrounds and settings, especially the clubroom where much of the story takes place, can sometimes seem hapazardly drawn, yet they are highly detailed, with very little in the way of open space used throughout the series. Each chapter takes place in an area that is literally filled with "stuff", and while the art may be a bit messy at times, each panel has a sense of realism about it because of the detailed nature of the artwork.

The characters form the centrepiece of Genshiken in terms of both the story and the club itself. Each of them are individuals to a tee, with their own thoughts, feelings, prejudices, hobbies, etc, etc. Genshiken is nothing if not a lesson in characterisation, as each of the club members, together with the supporting characters, are complete characters from the start of the series. One needs to remember that because the story is set in a university club, the characters are adults for the most part. This gives the whole series an edge that many other otaku based tales lack in that the humour, the relationships, the prejudices, the emotions, the hang ups, etc, etc, are all presented in a manner that is more mature, more subtly humourous, and more accessable to fans of anime and manga, especially the older ones.

One of Genshiken's biggest achievements is the degree to which the characters develop over the course of the series. This isn't simply a story based on one year of life, but covers several years during which members of the club leave, whilst new members are admitted. Over the course of the manga there are many notable progressions for each of the characters, Madarame's attempt at shopping for "decent" clothes, Sasahara being made club president, Ohno and Tanaka's cosplay based relationship, and a whole heap of other points where the characters learn something new about themselves and the world.

Probably the most notable and interesting character though, is Kusakabe Saki, who is very much the epitome of normalcy. She is in a relationship with Kousaka Makoto, a self confessed otaku who, against all of Kuskabe's reasoning, logic and judgement, looks nothing like the stereotypical "freak". He is handsome, smart, stylish, sociable and amiable, and cares for her deeply. He is also the king of eroge, an anime junkie, and a dedicated club member. It is because of his association with Genshiken that she meets the other characters, and although she has a deeply rooted dislike for all things otaku, this openly conflicts with her desire to be with Kousaka, and with her gradual realisation that otakus may not be as bad as she first thought.

Kusakabe's relationship with Genshiken is probably the most important point of the story, as even though the otaku characters are very much plays on social stereotypes, she represents the voice of "society", and her gradual understanding of otaku subculture plays a huge part in the development of the story and every other character. In truth, one could say that Kusakabe is the most important character in the story, and that while Sasahara may be the main lead, she is the one who's influence on the other characters is the most telling.

Genshiken is a series like no other, not simply in terms of it's realistic portrayal of otaku subculture, but also because of it's sensitivity, humour and maturity, as well as the depth of it's characters. Any fan of anime or manga will find themselves relating to the story in ways that they probably never thought of, no matter the age of the reader, and it's this level of accessability that makes the series truly great. The dichotomy between normal and otaku is handled extremely well, however it should be noted that this is very much based on the Japanese perception of otaku.

At the beginning of the review I mentioned that the word "otaku" is misinterpreted in the Western world, and it's understanding this fact that brings new depth and meaning to almost every aspect of the manga, from Ogiue's unwillingness to "come out of the closet", to Kusakabe's efforts to have a "normal" relationship with Kousaka. If the readers remember that, for Japanese people at least, the word "otaku" is purely a derogatory term (although admittedly this perception is changing as anime becomes more and more mainstream), then much of the story actually makes more sense than before.

One thing I think will clear things up a bit more is the current anime series called Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. In that show, the lead female character is a closet otaku who was shunned, teased and bullied to a degree when her schoolmates found out she was a huge fan of anime and manga. It may surprise many to know that this sort of reaction to fans of anime and manga was once considered acceptable, as otaku were, for the most part, shunned like lepers. This is how the word "otaku" is viewed in Japan. Not as something positive, but as something purely negative and derogatory.

Genshiken may be a comedy series, however it is in no way like Comic Party, Lucky Star, or any other otaku based comedies. The series possesses a sense of realism that is unlike many other manga, especially in terms of it's interactions, and key to fully appreciating the story is knowing how the word "otaku" is meant to be used.

Now that you know the difference, give Genshiken another try. You may be surprised at how different it is. read more

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for anime based on folktales, legends and mythology, with the only proviso being that such references or inspirations are used in an intelligent or innovative manner. While there are many successful anime that have used these platforms as a basis for their plots (Tears to Tiara, My Neighbour Totoro, Miyori no Mori, Mokke, Wagaya no Oinari-sama, etc), there are also some truly awful efforts that are nothing more than pandering to the audience (Kanokon being a prime example).

One of the more worthy efforts of recent years is, surprisingly, not Japanese at all. Yobi, The Five Tailed Fox is a Korean animated movie made in 2007, and directed by Lee Seong-kang (who also directed the critically acclaimed Mari Iyagi), and while the film does have it's problems, the end result is pretty good, especially given the penchant for viewers to make comparisons with Ghibli movies.

The story follows the life of a five tailed fox (a slight variation on the kumiho, or nine tailed fox), called Yobi, who lives in the forest with her friends, a group of stranded aliens who crash landed on Earth 100 years before.Yobi has lived with her friends for all that time, having been abandoned in the mountain forest when she was a cub. She spends her days wandering, playing, and generally having fun, until a group of children come to the forest on a test of courage.

As far as plots go, Yobi begins in fairly well. The first portion of the movie follows a fairly placid progression through the story, with much of the emphasis on Yobi and the aliens, however the film takes a very sudden and unexpected turn to the dramatic. It's actually unfortunate, especially as Yobi had a lot of potential, that the plot for the latter two-thirds of the movie is nowhere near as good as the first portion, and this is because the movie loses it's focus in a big way.

To put it simply, there's just too much going on. For a good portion of the movie it seems as though the screenwriter(s) were simply putting every idea they had on paper instead of sticking to the point, and while the movie does make an effort to tie up the numerous loose ends, it ultimately fails to do so as there is simply not enough running time. For a story to be as busy as this one, then it must, by any logical standards, be at least a twelve episode series - not an 85 minute movie.

The simple fact is that while the movie has several very interesting paths of development, it would have been better served if the director had chosen one (at a push, two), of those routes for plot progression. It's unfortunate that the end result is confusing, and the repeated use of "conveniences" simply reinforces this.

In terms of art and animation, the movie is at times breathtaking. The artwork especially, is lush, vibrant, and extremely eye-catching in both it's detail and composition. There are many moments when the background scenery will cath the viewers eye far more than the foreground action. The characters are designed fairly well, and I particularly liked how Yobi's human form (child), still retains the look of a fox due to her age and inexperience, while her adult form just looks wierd. The human characters are all well realised, especially the children, and my gripe (and a minor one at that), is with the design for the aliens as they reminded me of Ewoks more than anything else.

The one design that did puzzle me though, was the spirit in the shape of a wash basin.

The animation is actually very good for the most part, however there are some occasions where the characters look or act oddly (and no, I don't mean during the wierd song about the Sphinx). The movie also makes some good use of CG, and while it's generally encapsulated well into the whole, the CG does sometimes stand out because the colours don't quite match the rest of the scene.

The music used for the movie is very good throughout, reflecting a good range of emotive nuances, and the various tracks used for mood enhancement work well in their respective scenes. The ED is a rather pleasantly melodic ballad that reinforces the bittersweet ending to the movie, and rounds the whole thing off rather nicely.

I have to admit that at first I was a little confused given that the speaking language in the movie is Korean (and with me being so used to hearing Japanese), however once I got over that little hurdle, I found the acting to be surprising good. Emotively, the Korean seiyuu are at least as talented as their Japanese counterparts, and the cast portray their roles extremely well, especially Son Ye-jin (Yobi), and Ryu Deok-hwan (Hwang Geum-ee), both of whom do a sterling job with what are effectively the two lead roles (although it does take the movie a while to make this clear).

This is actually a rather enjoyable, if at times confusing, movie to watch. Given that the story heavily involves spirits and a forest, I found the distinct lack of an environmental message to be rather refreshing. There are, however, those problems with the plot, in particular the busy nature of the story and the seemingly wilfull use of deus ex machina. There are also several loose ends that never get tied up, in particular why yobi was abandoned, why are there aliens in the story, what the hell is that wash basin spirit all about, etc, etc.

Even with the various problems it has though, Yobi is still a good movie, and while it ultimately can't shake off all of the issues it has, it does, at the very least, resolve some of them (which is more than I can say for certain other titles).

To be honest, I'm not sure who would actually enjoy the movie more as the whole thing is designed to appeal to children and adults alike. Fans of nature and spirit based anime like Mushishi, Miyori no Mori, Mokke, Mononoke Hime, My Neighbour Totoro, etc (why do most of them begin with M?), may find this to be a pleasing addition to their viewing lists. Fans of mythology and legend (like me), may also want to check this out as, while it deals with what is ultimately supposed to be a nine tailed fox, it is the Korean kumiho rather than the Japanese Kitsune.

At the end of the day, even with all of the spirits, nature, antics, drama, and other stuff, Yobi, The Five Tailed Fox is at heart a coming of age story, and not for the humans, but for Yobi herself. The movie makes the point of highlighting the fact that although Yobi is over 100 years old, she is still very much a child both physically and mentally, especially as kumiho can live for over a thousand years.

It may have it's flaws, and it may not appeal to everyone, but Yobi, even with it's problems, is a great example of what Korean animation is capable of, and bodes extremely well for the future of Asian animation. read more

Most people will probably have heard of the 2005 Hollyood movie called "Dark Water", starring Jennifer Connelly. At the time, this was the latest in a stream of horror movies, the most famous of which is The Ring, that were originally spawned in Japan, China, Korea, etc, and had been remade because of their popularity with Asian audiences. It's unfortunate then that, while Hollywood may be capable of better special effects, the atmosphere in the original Eastern versions of many of these films is often far more gripping and, at times, terrifying.

However, Dark Water didn't begin as a movie, nor did it begin as a manga. Originally, the tale called "Dark Water" was part of a collection of short stories published in 1996 by Suzuki Koji, and was originally titled "Floating Water", while the original book was called "From the Depths of Dark Water". The collection was released in English in 2004 with the title abbreviated to just "Dark Water".

The manga adaptation, released in 2002, had an enormous amount of input from Suzuki himself. Working with manga illustrator Uchiyama Ko (Meimu), the pair managed to rework Suzuki's original collection into something easier to read. Now, one of the problems with adapting an existing written work into a visual form is that the end result will never be as the writer visualises it, and because of this there are quite often alterations made to plot development, setting, characterisation, etc, so that at least the essence of the tale is told (you know, all the important bits).

Because of this (and other), issues, the manga only features four out of the seven short stories, and while the spirit of the tales remains true to Suzuki's original work, each of the stories has been changed in certain, sometimes major, ways.

As with the original collection, each of the stories share no common ground other than that they all involve water in some way. The four stories - Dark Water (originally Floating Water), Island Cruise (originally Dream Cruise), Adrift, and Forest Beneath the Waves (originally Forest Under the Sea) - place a heavy emphasis on certain aspects of human behaviour. While it's true that there are some supernatural elements to certain stories, Suzuki downplays these in favour of a far more elemental perspective (i.e. that how humans treat each other is far more horrific than any supernatural entity could manage).

The tales, originally well crafted pieces of fiction, have made the transfer to manga reasonably well, even with the changes. The important aspects of the original stories have been maintained, and in some cases, enhanced (given the visual format). This makes certain scenes far more dramatic than they were in the original work, however the tales themselves do suffer from a certain "flatness", which is one of the biggest issues with adaptations of this kind. The reason for this is simple - the images created by our imaginations are always far more vivid and "real" than any pictures we see - "the book is always better" so to speak.

The artwork is pretty good throughout the manga, and is particularly suited to the content of each story. Although the imagery may appear "dark" because of the heavy black tones, stark contrasts, strongly defined lines, and "swirly" dark background effects, this is actually a purposeful measure to provoke a degree of "empathy" from the reader. Many manga with similar themes utilise similar techniques, and while there is nothing new or groundbreaking here in terms of art, what is there is well crafted and used.

The characters represent something of a problem. I could talk about characterisations and development, and the lack of it withing each tale, however doing so would completely miss the point of the entire work. The characters are simply tools for the story, nothing more, nothing less, and in this context they aren't bad at all. Each story, being a completely individual tale, naturally features different characters, each of whom are pretty decent within the confines of that story. That's not to say that the characters are excellent as, to be honest, most of them are fairly wooden. However, the important aspect of each tale isn't about how the characters think, feel or act. Instead, it is about getting the reader to think about what is actually going on.

In essence, Dark Water isn't so much a collection of short stories, but a collection of morality tales - parables if you will - about how a person's thought processes can become distorted, no matter the cause, and in these sorts of stories it is the message that is important. "The Good Samaritan" is a great example of how this process works, as nobody ever considers the Samaritan or the man he helps as "characters", while everyone remembers the message itself.

So, will you enjoy this? I certainly did, but then I'm partial to story that have a good degree of catharsis, and each of the tales in the collection do close off nicely. Dark Water is a long way from being a collection of "horror" stories though, even with the supernatural bits included, however fans of the original collection, or either of the movies, should definitely check this out. Fans of psychological tales may find this a rewarding read, especially with it's emphasis on human behaviour and distorted thinking.

On the whole, this is a good effort at adapting an existing work (I've seen worse, believe me). While there have been some alterations to settings, characters, plot points, etc, the essence of the original tales remains true. Although the movie adaptations placed more emphasis on the "horror" aspect of the titular story, it's nice to see that the manga has kept the focus firmly on the human perspective.

Whilst there are some issues with the plot development, the decidedly wooden characters, and the fact that our imaginations are "always better", the collection itself is more than the sum of it's parts. While each of the tales is pretty standard in their own right, as a themed collection they work very well together, imbuing the element of water with mysterious, humbling, and sometimes frightening, aspects.

All I need to do now is find another collection of one-shots that are just as good, and that aren't cheesy shoujo highschool romances.

read more

Now I will admit that change can sometimes be a good thing as it can bring new perspectives, a new feel, and a new avenues for the plot to explore. The only problem is that all too often in anime, change simply means demeaning the existing work and it's fanbase by producing, well, crap.

It's unfortunate then, that a pioneering show like Comic Party should suffer the ignominy of having a sequel like Revolution, and while the two shows share many qualities, they are sometimes used in very different ways.

The story initially follows directly on from the original Comic Party, with Kazuki and Mizuki now attending college. Kazuki has continued to work on doujin creation in his spare time, while Mizuki's attitude towards otaku has softened slightly, although she does still hate the majority of them. The rest of the gang from Comic Party are all present and correct as well, and the show also introduces a few characters who, if you've played the game, were noticeably absent in the first series.

The biggest problem with CP Revolution is the lack of any coherent or cohesive plot. Now I will be the first to admit that some shows work really well on nothing more than a "what if....?" premise, however this isn't one of those occasions. CP Revolution suffers from a fundamental lack of plot and, while there is a lot of comedy in the show, much of it, especially during the first few episodes, is generic and overblown. The problem with the show is that it suddenly strikes off in what seems to be a vaguely new direction from time to time, something which really upsets the overall flow of the story. The reason for this is simple. CP Revolution was originally intended to be a two-part OVA, but was bumped up to four episodes after the release of episode one.

Many will have noticed that there are actually two versions of CP Revolution, an OVA and a TV series, and potential viewers of either need to know one important fact - the OVA is basically the first four episodes of the TV series (with some minor editing). The OVA, directed by Sakata Junichi, was extended to a 13 episode TV series in 2005, and the four episodes were edited and shortened to ensure they fit in the show's time slot. The following episodes however (5-13), were not direct by Sakata, but by Tougo Mitsuhiro, and the difference in style really shows midway through the series.

The production schedule is actually the main reason why the directors have tried to compensate for the show's failings, however in respect of the comedy they have tried a bit too hard. The show's focus is also different from the original series. Where Comic Party focused on Kazuki and the creation of doujins in amongst all the antics, CP Revolution focuses more on the female characters.

As far as the design, animation and backgrounds go, CP Revolution is every bit as colourful and well animated as Comic Party. The character designs largely follow the first series and the game, however there is a certain genericism that permeates the show, reflecting the fact that CP Revolution is also a harem rom-com. The change in production companies hasn't really brought anything new to the show, and in truth, the fact that CP Revolution was made by a different comany, with a different director (on both occasions), is actually a hindrance rather than a help.

In terms of production, the biggest letdown was in the music and voice acting. The score was particularly bland for a show that is essentially trying to be a madcap comedy, and gives much of the humour a rather "forced" feeling. The voice acting in the Japanese dub is pretty decent, which is understandable since the cast is much the same as that for the original series. The problem is with the English dub, as the cast, for some reason, really try to ham up their roles, especially when it comes to accents.

The English dub is the main reason why I've scored the sound as average. If you're planning to watch this show, stick to the Japanese dub and subtitles.

Character-wise, the show runs on the assumption that the viewer has already seen the first series. CP Revolution isn't bad as far as development goes, with certain characters having an entire episode devoted to them. Unfortunately, this type of development is artificial and haphazard, especially in comparison to the first series. The reason for this is, once again, the messed up production schedule. The characterisations were pretty decent for the most part, especially with the characters that continued on from the first series. That said, because the show tries to be a harem rom-com it very much needs the characters to be developed, and developed well. The characters in CP Revolution only grow sporadically, and it's truly sad to see the huge missed opportunity here as the characters in CP Revolution are older than in Comic Party, and college students to boot.

This show could very easily have become a real rival to Genshiken instead of the lacklustre attempt at otaku based humour that it is.

That's not to say that the show is so bad that it's unwatchable. In comparison to the first series, CP Revolution is hands down the loser in pretty much every department, but that doesn't automatically make it bad. The humour, while being over the top, is sometimes pretty funny. The characters are okay for the most part, with the biggest plus being that none of them are overly annoying. Although the story is on the "here and there" side, it isn't so bad that it won't keep fans of otakudom watching, and the show has just as many references as the original Comic Party did, so playing the spotting game is always an option.

I'll be completely honest though - this show could have been so much more. All the chopping and changing in the production schedule meant that there was simply no time for other options to be examined, so everything was simply thrown together and everyone hoped for the best. Strangely enough this has worked - and it hasn't. The viewer is able to see just how much potential the show had as either a rom-com, a slice of life comedy, or a zany, surrealist comedy (like Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu). If the director and studio had chosen any one of those paths, then CP Revolution would have been a much better show than it is, especially as the seeds of all three types of comedy are there within the series.

It seems as though the old adage "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" only exists for certain anime, and sadly, Comic Party Revolution isn't one of them. read more

One of my pet gripes with multi series anime is the tendency to make major production changes from one season to the next. The main issue I have with this is simply that there is a lack of continuity in the look and feel of the show once this has been done, even if the different series are equally as good as each other (Top wo Nerae 1 & 2 are great examples of two equally good shows that look and feel completely different).

Thankfully, Slayers Next doesn't suffer from any of those problems, and it's great to see chief director Watanabe Takashi (who also directed both seasons of Shakugan no Shana, Shin Hokuto no Ken, Boogiepop Phantom, and almost all the Slayers anime series and movies), continue to work his magic with the show.

Slayers Next is a little different from the first series in that the show has a bit more bite to it than before. This time around Lina and the gang are searching for an item called the Claire Bible, a book that supposedly contains knowledge imparted to man by the Mazoku, and that Zelgadis believes has information on how to return him to normal. Aside from that Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis spend their time fighting, playing tennis, getting kidnapped, destroying castles/towns/anything that makes Lina angry, dressing in drag, and generally making nuisances of themselves.

The "bite" that I referred to stems primarily from the fact that all of the character and scenario introductions were done in the first series, so Next can simply crack on with the story. As with the first series, there are some pretty obvious holes in the plot, but once again the comedy comes to the rescue, and while the humour will be familiar to anyone who's watched the first series, it retains a degree of freshness thanks to the overall feeling of continuity and the acting talents of the seiyuu. The one area where the plot is actually better than the first season though, is in it's development of Lina.

As a character, Lina Inverse was pretty one dimensional in the first series. That's not to say she isn't fun and approachable, especially in terms of female leads. During the course of the first season though, there was very little in the way of development for her, and while she and the other characters had some very good characterisations, the development on her part doesn't really begin until Next. While she remains as happy-go-lucky as she was before, certain events in Next serve to temper her personality and actions, giving her character a more rounded persona. That said, these changes are also the cue for some laughs, and become an important factor to the climax of the series, so it was nice to see this tempering process handled in a manner befitting the show.

I will be honest though. As much as I love the characters it should be noted that Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis receive only token development, however in the case of Gourry this can be forgiven since he's an idiot (all brawn and very little brains, like any good fantasy "hero"). However, the characters remain as good as they were in the first series, and fans will find that they like them even more come the end of Next.

After all, character development isn't always necessary, and can sometimes ruin a great show, especially one as action oriented as this is.

In terms of art and sound, there's very little that's different from the first series - both have aged fairly well. The biggest plus points are that Next retains the whole cast from the original TV show, and that the director and production company are the same as before. This gives the show feeling of continuity in terms of how it looks and sounds, and while one can watch Next as a completely separate entity, it's advisable to watch the first season of Slayers in order to fully appreciate the second.

Slayers Next is a little different from the original series, but only in terms of how focused the show is this time around. However, the series retains all the charm, humour, action and adventure that made the first season great. Next takes the adventure one step further, and where the first series liked to show Lina as almost god-like at times, Next isn't afraid to show some of her weaknesses (slugs, for example). While the characters are as likeable as ever, Next gives them a little more room to get themselves into trouble.

Suffice to say that Slayers Next is at least equal to the original Slayers, and is one of the few occasions where the sequel not only adds to the whole, but also improves it (much like Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd Gig, and the Aria: The Natural & Origination).

If you're a fan of Slayers, then this is a must. If you're a fan of wanton magical destruction, then this is a must. If you're a fan characters getting into trouble just because they have "a bit of a bad temper and a complex about their breast size", then this is a must.

If you're a fan of action, adventure, romance (the off-the-wall kind that sometimes involves crossdressing), tennis, and magical hijinks and shenanigans, then Slayers Next may be up your street. read more

When one looks back one the history of anime in the West, it's easy to see the progression from the initial "cartoons are for kids" perception to it's current position as a viable storytelling medium. It's only natural then that both anime and manga have begun to creep in to our everyday lives, from modern "cartoons" for children, to games, advertising, even quiz show questions. The influence of anime and manga is literally all around us, every day. However, like anything in life, both anime and manga are also susceptible to influences as well, and Miyori no Mori is one of the few titles that has not only utilised this influence, but has openly embraced it.

What am I talking about? Well, the movie is based on the manga of the same name by Oda Hideji, and while the style of both the manga and the movie is very much Japanese, there are overtones of European comic styles, in particular those from France. This is because Oda is one of the growing number of mangaka to be associated with "La Nouvelle Manga", a movement which gathers French, Belgian and Japanese comic creators together, and the influence of this is telling in the designs of the characters and settings in both the manga and anime.

Miyori no Mori is about 11 year old Miyori, who has been sent to live with her grandparents in a remote mountain village due to her parents divorce. At first she is unnerved by the sudden upheaval in her life, however as events settle into a much calmer pace, she begins to appreciate her life in the country, until she begins to see the spirits that live in the forest that is.

One of the biggest problems with Miyori no Mori is simply that it has a distinctly sanitised feel about it. The plot, which proceeds at a decent rate, lacks a certain punch that could have made the movie great. Most of this is due to the fact that the movie places a great deal of emphasis on cooperation between the spirits of the forest and humans, however the actions and feelings of the spirits have been heavily doctored so that the movie will appeal to younger audiences. That's not to say that the movie would have been better with people being ripped to pieces, no, it's simply that the spirits feel like something out of a children s book instead of a folk tale.

However, the story is still enjoyable in it's own right, and while there is a distinctly environmentally friendly theme to the movie, this is balanced in some measure by the fact that the tale is also about a girl coming to terms with the "loss" of her family.

In terms of art and design the movie feels very "Ghibli-esque", which is not surprising as even though the movie is Yamamoto Nizo's directorial debut, his previous work includes art directionon several well known movies, including Mononoke Hime, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo and Grave of the Fireflies. Probably the most pleasing thing about this though, is that Yamamoto's and Oda's styles seem to mesh rather well within the movie. Oda's designs for Miyori, the forest, the spirits, and the other humans have been carefully transferred to anime, and while there has been some minor alterations here and there, the end result is pleasing, if a little quirky at times.

Animation-wise the movie is very good. There is a smooth, sometimes fluid, feel to the movie, especially in it's depiction of more ephemeral beings. The characters move in a very relaxed and natural manner, and while the movie features very little in the way of "action", the more hectic sequences are very nicely realised. The background art is also very well rendered, and is the main reason why many people initially believe the movie to have been made by Ghibli. This is no surprise though, as the director is also responsible for the background art and, like most directors, he has found a way to stamp his mark on the movie.

As far as the music goes, the movie is well served with the various scores used throughout, many of which have a distinctly pastoral feel to reflect the environmental message of the film, an atmosphere which even extends to the more dramatic pieces. The nice thing about this is that the music doesn't have that "mish-mash" feel that can sometimes appear in anime, giving the film a more "continuous" atmosphere than it may have otherwise had. The effects are also very good, and are clear and distinct even when there are several effects occuring at once. However, the movie does suffer a little from the inevitable clash that occurs between sound effects, music and speech, something which can lead to re-watching the scene in order to decipher what is being said (hurray for subtitles!).

The voice acting is of a very good standard, especially for what is effectively a fringe movie (i.e. not based on a popular manga, game, etc - yes, it had a large budget for a TV movie, but that doesn't mean it was well known to begin with). Yuu Aoi plays the role of Miyori extremely well, imbuing the character with all the feelings, fantasies and frustrations of an 11 year old girl with a chip on her shoulder. Although Yuu is relatively unknown as a seiyuu (her only other role is in Tekkon Kinkreet), her performance in this movie makes her one to watch out for in the future. The rest of the cast are also relatively unknown for the most part, yet they manage to portray their characters with aplomb and, especially with the older characters, grace.

One of the things I liked about the movie was the degree to which Miyori is developed. At the beginning of the story she is understandably depressed, upset, and more than a tad angry about the events in her life, and it was nice to see that the reason for her emotional distress was rooted firmly in reality. Granted the supernatural element helps her to come to terms with her new life, yet this should not be used to diminish the growth in her character come the end of the film.

That said, where the movie suffers most is in the fact that Miyori is the only character to receive any continuous development. While there are sme sparing nods at developing certain other characters, these are simply token gestures that don't really go anywhere. The upshot of this is that Miyori actually stands out too much in the film, which isn't necessarily a bad thing until you reach the point where nothing can happen in the story unless she's around, and it's unfortunate that this is exactly what happens on several occasions.

This is a rather quirky and charming story on the whole. The animation and sound make this pleasing to watch, and the designs of the characters and creatures, as well as the lush backdrops, give the movie a nice, relaxed feel. The plot is well laid out, with understandable reasons and goals for the characters, however the strong environmental message is reinforced somewhat by the supernatural element, and can become annoying for some people as the movie progresses. Also, while this is very much a Japanese production there are distinct European tones present throughout, something which adds an air of surrealness to both the plot and the characters, and some viewers may be put off by the slightly "alien" feel inherent in the film.

Miyori no Mori is surprisingly enjoyable in many respects, especially if one likes certain Ghibli movies (or others of that ilk). It may even be the case that fans of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Mokke, Mushishi and Ghost Hound may find themselves warming to the film because of the numerous similarites, not the least of which is the fact that they all have rural settings and involve the supernatural.

As far as directorial debuts go, this is a pretty good showing for Yamamoto, and one hopes this movie will be the start of better things for him and Yuu Aoi, as well as the other cast members. read more

Every so often anime throws up something completely out of the ordinary, not simply in terms of content, but also in terms of production. There's many a title that can boast an extremely original plot, or cutting edge animation, or some other aspect of it's production that has the potential to shake the foundations of the entire medium. A case in point is Shinkai Makoto's much acclaimed Hoshi no Koe, which proved once and for all that a quality anime could be produced by one person (with some time and effort of course). It's a sad fact that the current trends within anime have precluded other such innovations in favour of what's popular or what will sell.

With Cencoroll though, the winds of creative change that were long thought becalmed, may have started blowing once more.

The anime is simply about a boy named Tetsu, a girl named Yuki, a mysterious amorphous blob with a transformation ability and eyes in odd places named Cenco, and a fight (kind of).

It sounds completely uninteresting right? That's what I thought too before I watched it, and to say I was extremely surprised by Cencoroll would be an understatement.

The anime is based on a one shot manga called Amon Game by Uki Atsuya, and it deviates from standard anime practices in almost every aspect, from plot to production. The story itself is laced with a large number of metaphors and symbols, some of which are easy to spot while others are far more subtle. While this can sometimes be a bad thing if used too much, in the case of Cencoroll it can, more often than not, promote discussion about the various references or symbolisms present in the anime, and more importantly, their usage within the context of the story. An example of this is the scene with the giant pudding that carries Tetsu for a while, which made me think "I wonder what King Kong would be like if it was made by Salvador Dali?". This is merely one of a large number of "I wonder.." thoughts that popped into my during the 27 minutes of this anime.

The entire show has a large dose of surrealness about it which is reinforced by the presence of Cenco and other "creatures" like "him". The symbols and metaphors present within the show also lend themselves to the overall sense of wierdness, and while the show can sometimes feel like it's overdosing on odd, it always manages to reel itself back to the main plot. That's not to say that the story is great though. It's too short to do any serious development in terms of plot or characters, which some people may find unfulfilling, however the show has a lot to offer if you approach it with an open mind.

Aside from the ED, which was produced by Supercell (an 11 piece doujin music group), the anime has almost no thematic music whatsoever. This lends the show a strange, almost eerie, feeling of calm (bordering on apathy). Unlike most anime that are reliant on music to heighten the impact of a scene, Cencoroll studiously avoids using such techniques for the most part. The impact of this is most apparent when one considers the characters in the show, and while some may find the lack of music a little disconcerting, leaving the major part of the anime free of music enhances the characters in a big way (more on this in a bit).

The one area where Cencoroll really separates itself from the crowd though, is in it's art and animation. While the character designs are a little on the plain side, they are extremely expressive, and their actions are well animated throughout the show. This, in particular, goes for Cenco's transformations which, although surreal, are extremely fluid. The backgrounds are very well rendered from start to finish, with some scenes reminding me of the stunning artwork from Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~, and it came as a real shock to find that this level of quality was the work of one man.

That's right. You didn't misread me. Cencoroll is, aside from some bits of music, the work of Uki Atsuya, who wrote the screenplay, designed the backgrounds and characters, directed the show, and animated everything. In that respect it has a great deal in common with Hoshi no Koe, yet even this can't keep the show static for any length of time. Unlike Shinkai, Uki actually received the backing of Aniplex for the production of the film, something which made his job easier. This marks one of the first occasions where an established production company has backed a single person in this way, and while producing an anime alone may not be a rarity nowadays (there are hobbyist animators after all, who regularly publish their work on the internet), the ripples from Aniplex's decision will be felt in anime for years to come.

In terms of characters there is very little in the way of characterisation or development, which is due to the running time of 27 minutes. That said, there are those who would argue that the apathetic nature of the characters signifies that they are not believable in any way, which is a fair assessment for the most part. There is an argument in favour of the characters though, and that is the fact that they are teenagers. Consider, for a moment, that the majority of teenagers actually do display a degree of apathy, uninterest, boredom, etc, and one begins to understand the character's reactions in the show. While all three characters display a certain amount of boredom, Yuki also shows a good deal of curiosity during the first part of the show. In the case of Tetsu though, the strange occurences and wierd creatures are everyday occurences, so much so that they are no longer astonished by events, and this "boredom" with his daily routine is what is most emphasised by the lack of music.

Cencoroll is a surprisingly well designed show, so much so in fact that it managed to catch me completely off guard. There are a number of aspects to the show that deviate greatly from normal anime practices, with many of those deviations occuring as part of the story. There are also several scenes which are simply moments of creative genius, the giant pudding being one such moment, however the scenes that occur inside Cenco's stomach are also memorable for their oddness. Granted the story and the characters lack a good degree of development, but given that this is only one episode, and is mainly the work of one man, I believe such failings can be forgiven.

After all, many forgave those same failings in Hoshi no Koe, and while Cencoroll is decidely wierder than, well, most other anime out there, it also challenges the medium in a way that, in recent years, no other show has done.

read more

Many people will know the name of Hideaki Anno, in particular because of Neon Genesis Evangelion. His directorial debut though, was an OVA called Top wo Nerae (known as Gunbuster in the West), and whilst NGE has many, many advocates, I will admit to being one of the few who consider his debut work to be superior in almost every aspect. That said, I approached the sequel, Diebuster, with a degree of trepidation, in particular because the directorial reins had been handed over to Tsurumaki Kazuya, who also directed FLCL, NGE: Death & Rebirth, and the first two installments of the NGE remakes.

To say I was surprised by the end result would be an understatement.

Top wo Nerae 2 takes a bit of getting used to, especially for fans of the original series. The style, plot and scripting are very different to the original OVA, however the feel of the show is remarkably similar to it's predecessor. Part of this is because the story is set around ten years prior to the final moments of Gunbuster, at the very end of the 12,000 year period. Humanity is still at war with the "space monsters", but they are more able to cope now thanks to the efforts of the Fraternity, which is made up of teenaged pilots who possess "supernatural" powers (known as "Topless"), and their Buster machines.

The story begins with Nono, a clumsy girl living on Mars who dreams of being a space pilot. She runs away from home to follow her dream, only to find that reality is very different. Through a chance encounter she meets a Topless called Lal'C Melk Mark, and is completely bowled over by the experience. She follows Lal'C into space, ultimately to meet her destiny.

In all honesty, the plot is actually the weakest part of the whole OVA. Although the story is well paced and the scripting is tight but flowing, there are some obvious homages to Gunbuster which, all told, the show could really have done without. That's not to say that all the references are bad, especially as this is set within Gunbuster's timeframe. It simply means that the show is too reliant on knowledge of the original OVA at times, and would have been better served by trying to be more original on occasion.

The biggest problem though, is that the director and the writers have tried to cover this by making Nono a fan of Nonoriri, the girl who saved the Solar System thousands of years ago. This attempt at deus ex machina didn't sit too well as it gave a certain falseness to the characters thoughts, feelings and actions at times, especially on the occasions that mirrored occurences from the original OVA.

However, while the story may have it's problems, it is actually enjoyable for the most part, and it's to the credit of the writers that a number of flaws can be forgiven (not all though, more on that in a bit).

One area where the show does excel is in it's animation. Gainax have, once again, produced some stunning work in terms of character movements and set piece action sequences, and it's fair to say that in this department Diebuster is actually better than Gunbuster. The character designs, created by Sadamoto Yoshiyuki (who was also the character designer for FLCL), are very good on the whole, although they are, at times, a tad cartoonish. The backgrounds, especially the renderings of space and it's wonders, are very well done, and some of the visual effects used in the show are truly inspired.

The OVA does fall down though, in it's usage of nudity. Where the original series also had a degree of nudity, it's usage was minimal at best (aside from the bath scene), with the most prominent example being Noriko's famous shirt ripping moment in the final episode. Diebuster, on the other hand, seems to take any excuse to show the fans some skin, and whilst there are times when this mimics the first series, there are far too many occasions where it serves no purpose other than to please the fans. I'm all for pleasing the fans, but Tsurumaki and Gainax should have tried to do this in a different way instead of choosing to be "cheap".

Diebuster is very good in terms of it's sound effects, not simply in their usage, but also because of their timing. The sound department has paid a great a deal of attention to matching specific effects to the on-screen action, and whilst there are times when the sound is a veritable cacophony, closer examination will reveal that each individual effect stems from an individual action, item, character, etc. In truth, Diebuster is one of the few anime that is worth watching with surround sound to truly appreciate the quality of the effects.

In terms of music, the show has a generally martial tone to the various thematic pieces, however these are offset by some mellow tracks that work well with the more relaxed moments. The show has a certain feeling of continuity because of the music used throughout the series, some of which is taken directly from Gunbuster, while others have the same feel. The ending theme in the final episode is very much in keeping with that of the original series, and given that both OVAs finish at the same point in time this, like many of the other tracks, is well used and choregraphed.

Once again though, Diebuster is let down by something simple, in this case, the OP and ED. Where the ED from Gunbuster was a pretty staid ditty about love, the OP had a "get up and go" feeling to it that was reflective of the whole OVA. Diebuster, on the other hand, has two J-Pop tracks for it's OP and ED, both of which don't really reflect any aspect of the show, and seem to have been chosen to make the OVA more "trendy".

That said, the voice acting was very good throughout the show. Fukui Yukari's Nono possessed a bubbly personality that was tempered with determination, while Sakamoto Maaya's Lal'C has an aloof, and slightly disgruntled air about her. In terms of acting ability, the cast is truly excellent, and while there are occasions when they do ham up their roles a little, this is very much in keeping with the "excessive" feel of the OVA (more on that in a bit).

As for the characters themselves, they are the second weak point for Diebuster. Nono, in terms of the story, possesses no real motivations other than to be a space pilot. While she is most definitely an enjoyable character, she doesn't actually develop in any real way, as much of her drive and conviction remains the same even after her memory returns. Much of the development in the show actually happens on the part of Lal'C, especially in the way her thinking changes to reflect that of Nono.

Unfortunately, the show has a number of recurring characters who really get little to no development, and whilst it's true that this is only a 6 part OVA, if all the development was only supposed to occur on the part of the main characters, then the director should have focused on this instead of making lame attempts to round out other characters, a case in point being the furore involving Tycho and Buster machine Quatre-Vingt-Dix. The time could have been better used to round out the story instead, and it's ironic that while Diebuster hasn't done this, Gunbuster actually did.

To many it may seem as though I don't like Diebuster, especially as I'm an advocate of the original OVA, however nothing couldbe further from the truth. I found Diebuster to be very good, however not in the same way as Gunbuster. The reason for this lies solely on the shoulders of several people, including the director and character designer. Like many directors, Tsurumaki has tried, and in some measure succeeded, to stamp his mark on the series proper, and his influence, along with that of certain other staff members, is readily apparent throughout the anime, so much so in fact, that there are occasions when Diebuster resembles FLCL or Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann more than it does Gunbuster.

This is not a bad thing though, as it does give the OVA a different feel to the original, but therein lies the problem as well. Where FLCL and TTGL have an excessive, over-the-top atmosphere that is prevalent in Diebuster, the original Gunbuster opted for a quiet heroism that was truly touching, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the final episodes of both OVAs. The final scenes in Gunbuster are quiet, with an emphasis on personal sacrifice - the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few being the most appropriate sentiment. Diebuster, on the other hand, opts for a much flashier ending, with lots of noise and action, and to be honest, very little emotional impact. In truth, Nono's transformation scene and what follows is actually far more memorable than the ending itself, which says a lot about the actual scripting of the show.

The problem, at least for me, is simply this: the entire series is supposed to be about how far humanity will go in order to survive. Given that fact, the method chosen to combat the "space monster" in the final epsiode doesn't equate with the core of the story, especially as there are other planets in the Solar System that would have been more suitable. That particular method was an attempt at mimicking the usage of Buster machine #3 in the first OVA which, unfortunately, doesn't have the same effect, mainly because the element of personal sacrifice for the greater good is missing.

It may sound strange to say this now, but Tsurumaki et al could have easily channeled their collective creativity into creating a show that not only captured the spirit of Gunbuster, but also encapsulated the style of FLCL and TTGL, and, in all honesty, a show like that already exists - Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still. That said, Diebuster is surprisingly honest in a number of ways, the main one being the fact that it makes no excuses for it's numerous homages to the original OVA. While there may be those who think that using so many references is simply a method of capturing fans of the original anime, this method gives the entire show a feeling of continuity that is so often missingfrom sequels.

On the whole Diebuster is a great addition to the franchise, and while it has it's flaws, it's definitely a worthy successor to Gunbuster. While the story and characters may not be as good as the original OVA, Diebuster has a style and flair of it's own that elevates the show to a whole new level.

I wouldn't say that it's truly equal to Gunbuster, but it comes very, very, close. read more