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Jul 2, 2010
I came into this OVA with high hopes and expectations. I am going to be straight forward with this one, instead of the way I did my other reviews with Stages 1 & 2 of Initial D. This OVA was pretty terrible. I have seen mixed reviews on this OVA, but I will explain my reason for giving it such a bad rating.
First i noticed some differences between the first two stages and this one. The Dialogue, more specifically in the flashbacks, isn't the same. Also some events happened differently also. For example: When Zak faced Lan-Evo and crashed his car into the wall, his
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headlight broke. Whereas in this it just sparked but did not turn off. This may not be that big of a deal, but when added with the other inconsistencies it is hard not to be bothered by it, at least for me.
So i want to put it out there that the first stage i watched with my friend, while the second stage my little five year old brother watched with me. The first two stages were mildly family oriented... at least there was nothing that would upset the family type person or a parent. However, when I got to this Extra Stage I noticed some major changes in the group of people it was oriented towards. Instead of it being oriented around everyone they cut of the family type. They threw in some adult oriented parts. A couple examples: there was a whole scene where Zak was staring a girls boobs while she talked. (focusing more on him staring that her talking). Also, a little further into the OVA there is partial nudity (a topless girl in the shower). Luckily i had sent the child to bed before I watched this OVA. Don't get me wrong, i personally don't think anything is wrong with it. alltho a little heads up or a not so drastic change would have been nice ;D
I don't mind nudity as long as it is tasteful. Also, on top of tasteful it also has to have a good plot, which this one sadly lacked. Yes, I understand it was about Maya's relationships and the Lan-Evo challenging the rest of Gunma. To be quite honest it was pretty dang boring. I got no enjoyment out of watching this OVA. It was a total waste of my time.
I am going to watch Extra Stage 2, and see if Extra Stage one is really necessary. If you want to see if I think you can skip it, go ahead and look at my next Initial D review. It will be the first thing in the review. Not to mention i don't include spoilers. So reading it will be safe anyways. (otherwise, i may just edit this one later).
Rewatch Value: NONE
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 2, 2010
This is my second Initial D review. This one being, obviously, about Stage 2. If you are looking at the reviews for the second stage you more than likely know a little about the series already. That, or you are looking to see if -all- the stages/seasons will be worth your time. Either way, i will write this for both of you. I recommend reading my original Initial D Stage 1 review, because I may make references to it on occasion. (http://myanimelist.net/profile/AuronSurmount/reviews)
This will be somewhat a comparison to the previous Stage. In comparison, stage 2 has improved tremendously over stage one. Stage 1 focused
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more on the crazy intimidating races while stage 2 threw in other elements on top of the races, while maintaining the original quality. (If not exceeding the previous quality).
One element they threw in more so than the first season they got quite a bit more technical with the talk. They explain why things work certain ways, and just my listening you learn more about them while enjoying exciting street races. In the two seasons I have watched I learned a little about cars, that i wouldn't have learned otherwise. It wasn't anything drastic, or too important, but awesome nonetheless. I mentioned in my previous review that I had little to no knowledge about cars nor did i really care. However, this series peaks my interest, if only by a little.
Another element, and I believe this is a huge improvement from the previous season, they threw in more side stories for the characters. It is quite obvious that they developed the characters drastically more. Using the example i mentioned in the previous review I will explain more about what I mean. I mentioned the annoying Iggy character, Tak's best friend, they made significant progress with this character. It is obvious the changes around him effected the character, along with the side story they included around Iggy. It most definitely made this series more exciting than the last.
I was very disappointed at the quality of art in Stage 1, both with the characters and with and the cars. However, they decided to go to a better CG route this season. In my opinion, i think it made the series look a whole lot better. Tho, some may disagree with that statement. It makes they stand out and be a bit for flashy. Not to mention They go into a whole lot more detail than the previous Stage. The cars were not the only improvement they made in this season, they also tremendously improved the character art too. It is still not as great as some of the art seen in other anime, but it is most defiantly better. They placed more effort into the cars than the characters, which was a smart move in my opinion.
I downloaded this season, so i didn't get a chance to see how the Japanese version compared to the Dub version. However the sounds, both with the cars and the soundtrack were decently picked and nicely done.
Now that I have mentioned most of the key points for this anime, i should get down to the Enjoyment and overall. There was one major thing that I liked about Stage 2 compared to stage 1, besides the ones stated previously. The length of the anime. It was half as long as stage one which did wonders for this season. I never once complained about the length, nor did they have any real fillers. That itself kept it up to the standard of stage 1. As for the enjoyment... It made it at my must see list. This season didn't slow down any from the previous. It was definitely worth watching. Rewatch Value: Medium - High.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 2, 2010
A friend told me about this Series, the other day. I was skeptical when he explained what it was about. He said it was about street racing and mainly about the cars. To be honest, I am not all that interested in cars. I am like the next person and have a mediocre interest, but not enough where I would be overly excited to watch a series about cars.
I was hanging out with my friends at his house when he insisted that we watch Initial D. Still skeptical, i try to convince him to put in something else.. but he was dead set on
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me watching this series. We started watching the series in the morning, and by the time we stopped I had watched nearly every episode in the first stage.
It never accrued to me that I would have any interest in cars or street racing, until i watched this show. I found myself getting excited or anxious about the coming scene. We ended on episode 20 of 26. Immediately upon going home I decided watch the remainder of the stage online.
I won't say this series was the best I had ever watched, because it most definitely falls short of my favorites, but it definitely made my must see list. The series had a couple major downfalls in my eyes. 1: The Animation was little to be desired. 2. The Animation of the cars did not mesh very well with the animation of the characters. However, the plot and entertainment of the series definitely made up for the shortcomings of the two. Besides those two it was very enjoyable. It doesn't matter if you have interests in cars or racing, it is enjoyable nonetheless.
In my eyes the characters were "iffy". I didn't so much enjoy some major traits in a few of the characters. For example Iggy. I understand that some people are naturally like Iggy, but to me he was pretty annoying. Then again, the series wouldn't be what it is without him. I'm just saying, i get frustrated with him while watching. Looking back in retrospect, that was more than likely what the developers had in mind; to keep the viewer interested.
As for the sound: They did very well in the Japanese Version. The opening theme for the Japanese Version is much better than the opening for the English version. The Japanese version seemed to have more crisp sound compared to the English version. It simply fell short. However, I only watch English Dub. So the English Version sufficed.
Overall the series was very enjoyable. It made my must see list. I will recommend this series to anyone. It was worth my time, so I believe it is worth yours too. Rewatch Value: Medium- Very High
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 25, 2010
I am going to be straight forward, i honestly thought this series would suck the big one. The idea behind it seemed little more than a nearly plotless series completely revolved around comedy. Let me put this out there; was i wrong!
When it comes to animes such as this, in my opinion, plot and characters are number one. After that how well they combine funny and serious. Everything else just improves the series.
Ouran High School Host Club, honestly meshed everything very well. Though the funny drastically overpowers the serious, there are a few episodes devoted to getting the plot down (seriousness). There were times when
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i couldn't stop laughing, and other times when i was so totally and utterly grossed out.
If you are looking for an anime to make you smile, while not completely losing quality in the plot, the Ouran High School Host Club is for you. If you don't mind some "homosexual" scenes (mind you nothing ever happens, but it is quite disturbing if you do or do not mind it. I personally think it was funny. =D but you can be the judge of that) then this anime might be for you. But if you want an anime that has ALOT of action scenes this is defiantly not the one for you. There is only like 2 episodes with real action scenes.
The series is a must watch, in my opinion. This anime far surpassed my expectations. It may not be a masterpiece but it is damn close.
oh, BTW: Beelzenef is awesome :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 25, 2010
Before I start I want to let you know what order I have been watching the .hack series. 1. Sign, 2. Liminality, 3. Legend of Twilight, 4. Gift, 5. Roots, ect......(I have watched through Gift.)
This anime makes a whole lot more sense if you watch them in the order I listed above. Though, it is not necessary to watch them in this order, the first three can be watched in any order but above is in chronological order.
Compared to Sign and Liminality, this series is way better in my opinion. Unlike sign and liminality there is actually real action in this one! I swore
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to myself if this series was like sign I was gonna quit this whole series. The creators wised up while making this one. They needed to put some action and cram less dialogue into the series.
I don't specifically remember anytime that I was bored or wondered how much longer I had left in the series. This series was perfect and length and never seemed boring. There was just the right amount of suspense and curiousity in the anime to keep me going.
Some of the attack and spells were pretty sweet. so in that sense it was pretty awesome.
Looking back at the anime one thing really stood out: "BROTHER!" & "RENA!". Once you have watched it you'll understand.
OVERALL: 9/10
Rewatch Value: Med-High
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 24, 2010
I came into .Hack//Sign with mixed reviews and no knowledge of the characters or the plot / setting. I was pretty skeptical because a couple of my really good friends said it was very boring. Then again I had friends that said it was amazing. With that being said, i just had to see for myself.
Right off the bat I need to address one HUGE CON of this anime. The use of flashbacks and how many episodes they used. The large majority of .hack//sign was used having flashbacks. But not even stuff that we haven't seen yet. There was one scene (that was several
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minutes long) that was played AT LEAST 10 times in the series. Not to mention for a WHOLE episode they did a review of everything that had happened thus far. When you are dealing with an anime that is only 26 episodes long there is no need to do a 20 minute recap of everything that happened in the first 14 episodes! I can understand if you are on episode 150 and want to recap what has happened, because a lot of information can be forgot... but not in 14 episodes.
It is my personal opinion that this anime could have been finished in 12 episodes. There were moments when the anime was boring as all Hell. Where I wanted to just say "screw it" and go to the next anime or skip that episode. There is tons of pointless information that could have been left out or scenes that were just not necessary. But in the end, within a couple episodes it had my attention again.
Now for some Pros. There was many times in the series where I was very into the series. For example the Grunty scene where Su Casa was searching for the purple berries. It was very emotional and kept me on the edge of my seat. I did find myself yelling at the characters from time to time, At how stupid they were or in anticipation of what would happen next.
There were many characters that I connected with. For example Sora. Sora was by far one of the greatest characters on the anime. His use of humor and whatnot was unparalleled.
In the end the anime was good. It had its cons and pros. But evened out the anime was good. even Though it was good, the chances of me watching it again are not too high.
I recommend watching it at least once and come with your own conclusion.
OVERALL: 8 / 10
Rewatch value: Low
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 20, 2010
When I started to watch this anime I was under the assumption it was just going to be another shoot 'em up pointless killer story. Similar to the type Ninja Scroll (the series) was like. My cousin showed me a couple episodes of it, and I was not impressed at all. There didn't seem to be much point to it. Well that was starting at a random episode.
Despite my feelings toward the anime I gave it a shot anyways. To my surprise it was much better than It let on to be. It was very suspenseful for the first couple episodes, it made me
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want to keep going on. After awhile the details of the show became evident. It was far more in depth than I first thought.
Unlike some characters from animes where the main characters are pretty flat, Trigun does character development quite well, especially with Vash. Like with many good characters there is FAR more to the character than meets the eye. Or even what is told about the character. What is so great about this anime it keeps you guessing what the truth behind the character's actions are.
The story was written very well. It was quite enjoyable. if you are looking for something a bit more than shoot 'em up anime. That is more than none stop action. If you are looking for something that has depth but still has the action many desire... Trigun may be for you.
Even after my initial thoughts about Trigun, it ended up surprising me and being very good! I would recommend this anime to have people watch at least once.
Overall Score: 9 / 10
Rewatch Value: Medium
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 14, 2010
This movies wasn't half bad. It was fair. It did have its moments when it was pretty boring. There were a lot of times when they drug out the movie with pointless pictures. For example there was a scene where they were at the bus stop for quite some time. I got the reason later but they didn't need to make it that long.
Like I said, it was a decent movie. It wasn't a complete waste of time and it might be better if you are younger. I watched it once and i am pretty possitive i will never watch it again.
As for
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the totoro: creepy freaking things. If i was ever standing and suddenly one of those things walked up to me, i don't care what it could do for me, i would be keeping my distance. But, that is just me.
Overall: 6 / 10
re-watch value: Never.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 13, 2010
I really have no real need to write a review for this movie. As I saw may of the other reviews get the jest of everything you need to know. But for the sake of writing... here we go.
This is a very powerful movie. I was skeptical I will admit, i figured this movie would try to pin all the blame on the United States. To my amazement not one shred of blame did i hear come in that direction.
This movie does an excellent job of showing us what it was like in a war. Not in the front lines where many movies are
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based off of, but back home where the women and children reside. Many people overlook how much harm is done to the women and children in war time. The typical focus is more so on the soldiers apposed to their families.
The movie's story plot is a masterpiece. I am not going to jump around it, it is simply a masterpiece. This movie shows quite well the tolls war takes on children whom are in the effected areas of war. Many get hit with most everything, Air Raids, Family Deaths, Lack of Money, no place to live, even to way to clean themselves, and even nutrition.
This movie is just sad, having to see so many people die from war. It is just as terrible when the victims are those of children. No child should have to go through the Hell that is displayed in this movie.
In the end this movie just makes you step back from yourself and think about life. Well at least, that is what it did for me. It reminds me that our life could always be worse. We could have been on of these children, forced to go through Hell. Instead we are where we are, at least a little, better off then them. The least we can do is be educated about the things that happen with war. Man of us are but at the same time there are so many that are completely oblivious.
This movie should be watched at least once.
Overall Score: 8
Rewatch Value: Medium-Low
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 13, 2010
This anime felt more like a movie than an Anime. I wasn't all that impressed with the animation, but the acting was decent. It didn't have me wishing I was doing something else, so on that note it was pretty good. I felt quite silly when I got all tensed up at certain points of the movie, for example the blimp scene. It was well dramatized. I even sat up a bit in anticipation of what would happen.
Character development was pretty decent. I could almost feel how some of the characters were feelings. They got the point across quiet well, sometimes it was a bit
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over-dramatic tho, which of course took away a bit of it.
The random laughter kinda got me. I wasn't sure if this was such a bad thing or good. For some reason it stuck in my brain. In my eyes it was a bit more of a downfall than a pro. It seemed to be used more as awkward silence filler than anything. something that actions or scenery couldn't fill.
I liked the way the movie started. i got a taste for who everyone was and what the story was about quite quick. It didn't leave you hanging like most movies do. In addition it didn't leave you hanging with too little information.
The ending was little to be desired. I found myself wanting to know a little more about what would happen. With those feelings in mind, I would have to say it took away a bit from it. Having the movie end right after the peak of excitement.
When it came to the rating I judged as this:
1. The animation wasn't all to great. 6-7
2. The story plot was decent, almost kind corny tho. 7-8
3. Attention getting: like most movies it had its moments and its downfalls. but it kept most my attention. 8
4. Length: There wasn't really all that many times that I wondered how much longer it had. It kept my attention like I said in # 3. 9
5. Beginning: Start was fairy smooth and got info across. 8
6. Ending: Little to be desired, but it still worked for an ending. 6
Overall: 8
Rewatch Value: Medium
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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