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Mar 7, 2016
I usually don't review manga, but I'm making an exception for this one since it is so popular.
When I started reading this manga, I was tired of seeing the same shounen anime tropes, especially the strong female character who also serves as fanservice and unrealistically strong male protagonists. While I can enjoy shounen anime and manga despite these tropes, I really craved something different. Full Metal Alchemist satisfied that craving.
This manga is set in a steampunk world where some people rely on the power of alchemists, people who can destroy objects and reconstruct them into something else. Some of the alchemists are military officials known
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as state alchemists while others are just everyday people. As described by the manga's synopsis, alchemy is at the heart of the manga's story. However, there is more to the manga than this.
While alchemy was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the manga, other amazing aspects included the use of automail, the characters, and the themes woven within the story. Automail is a type of metal used as prosthetics body parts. It looks cool and is so functional I wish it were real. My favorite characters that use automail are Edward Elric and Paninya.
Speaking of the characters, they are the most refreshing and relatable characters I've ever seen in the shounen genre. The lead shounen protagonist Edward is a realist when it comes to personal faith, but also optimistic, caring, and considerate toward others. A particularly touching scene with Edward occurs when he is yelling at someone (can't spoil who) and he talks about how hard it is for a single mother, speaking from his own mother's experience. Another scene I liked was when he used alchemy to fix the damage he caused with his battles. This was the first male manga character I've seen do this and it was nice to see.
Other characters I liked were Edward's brother Al (he was badass in the armor & has good char. development) and Scar (who has the best char. arc besides the Elric bros.). All the other characters I liked were female. Almost all the female characters in this manga had major roles and practically zero fanservice. No big boobs or boob gags to be found. The closest thing to fanservice is when one character is sitting in a bathtub, but nothing explicit is shown. This is rare in the shounen genre, but as a female reader I welcomed it.
Anyway, the female characters I liked were Izumi Curtis (a tough as nails housewife, alchemist, sensei, and mother figure), Winry (automail mechanic who built Ed's arm and leg and fixes the arm), Paninya (she has automail legs that are also weapons), and Mei (a little girl who is brave, strong, and funny).
Another aspect of the characters I liked was how racially diverse they were. Ed and similar characters were modeled after Europeans, Scar and his fellow Ishvarians reminded me of Muslims, and Mei and similar characters are reminiscent of East Asians.
All together, alchemy and the characters driving the plot are a part of interesting social commentary on things like goverment corruption, personal faith, discrimination, warfare, and more. Depending on how much of it you notice, it may make you think a bit while you read.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series and it has become my favorite shounen manga series ever. After reading and watching shounen manga and anime by men, it was truly refreshing to read a popular shounen manga series by a woman. I don't know if there will ever be another manga series or female manga creator that can follow suit, but other creators could take a page or two from this series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 9, 2016
This magical girl anime is yet another dark magical girl anime that has been influenced by Madoka Magica. There are some similarities between this anime and Madoka, but to me that wasn't a bad thing. It was because I liked Madoka Magica and magical girl anime in genre that I decided to watch this.
The first aspect of this anime that I enjoyed was the animation. It is like Hayao Miyazaki meets the watercolor artwork of Syu (who did the artwork for Nujabes album Metaphorical Music). It is beautiful and there were times I wanted certain images as my laptop wallpaper.
The next aspect of this anime
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I enjoyed were the magical girl transformations and abilities. This is one of the things that reminded me of Madoka, but I actually like some of these girls abilities better than the Madoka ones. One girl has super-powered fists that can do "Falcon Punches", one girl has a large sword, one girl has vines, one girl has a pair of katanas, and one girl has a sniping rifle. Each girl has a basic form and then a "Mankai" form that is like a leveled up version of their original powers. The Mankai forms are basically run by "nakama power", but one girl gets her Mankai form in such a touching and kick-ass way that makes this less cliche.
The characters were the third thing I enjoyed. While three of them are reminiscent of Madoka Magica characters, all of them have genuinely care for each other as friends and get development that makes them sympathetic. My favorites included the siblings Fu and Itsuki, Togo, and Karin. Togo in particular, was enjoyable because she was a less crazy version of Homura from Madoka Magica. I also liked that even though she is a wheelchair and can't walk, she could still be a magical girl without having her disability magicked away.
As for the fourth and fifth things, they are the soundtrack and the plot. The soundtrack is nice, particularly during the girls' transformation sequences and certain battles. The plot has some nice symbolism involving flowers, a dark and interesting take on gods and sacrifices to them, nice behind-the-scenes commentary through "a hero's play", and a happier ending than that of Madoka.
With all the good aspects, you'd think I'd consider this a masterpiece. However, I feel like there is one small loose end involving a certain secondary character that prevents it from being so. Nontheless, this might be the best post-Madoka Magica magical girl anime out there and I may rewatch it (and Madoka) again sometime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 19, 2016
I remember that people on here recommended this anime to me a while back when I asked for a good music anime. At the time, I didn't want to give this anime a chance because I thought it would be a dude-bro rocker anime. How wrong I was!
While this anime is centered on Koyuki, this anime is just about a band with a group of guys trying to make it big. I liked all the band members because they are decent guys who really care about their music & each of them bring something different to the band. You've got Koyuki, the budding guitarist &
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vocalist, Ryukuse the lead guitarist whose is blues based, Chiba, the rapper-singer whose loyalty to Koyuki is touching, Sakurai, who is Koyuki's best friend and a drummer, and Taira, the secondary guitarist.
I also liked some of the other characters, particularly Maho, Ryukuse's sister. She has a beautiful singing voice & I wish she had done more songs with Koyuki. Her and Koyuki sound great together & look cute too! Another character I liked was Eiji, a character that served as a bully to Koyuki. As time goes on, he gets some good development that makes him sympathetic. Finally, the character Sato was funny (esp. with his pet bird) as well as a tough and kind teacher to Koyuki.
Besides the characters, the music in this anime is pretty good. It may not be for everyone, especially since Beck's music is mostly rap-rock. However, I really liked some of it and I also liked a duet that Maho & Koyuki sing called "Moon On The Water". If you are watching this anime for the music, I recommend you watch it subbed b/c Koyuki's singing voice is good even if his Japanese accent is a bit heavy. And as stated earlier, Maho's singing voice is great.
As for the storyline, I liked that it focused more on the band than on any coming of age stuff. There is romance and drama, but the band doesn't take a back seat to any of it. Instead, the romance and drama happen right alongside the going-ons of the band. The only thing that I didn't like about the storyline was the subplot with Ryu's guitar Lucille in the 2nd half, which was interesting, but a little hard to believe at times.
One last thing I like is the rock facts sprinkled throughout the anime. As fan of many rock musicians and genres, I liked hearing & seeing things like Chiba was influenced by Tom Morrello from Rage Against The Machine and the fictional origin of Lucille (which is the name of a real guitar own by blues guitarist B.B. King). These things made me take the anime seriously as a whole and made me appreciate the huge tapestry of genres that make up rock music even more than I already do.
There isn't much I dislike about this anime, except the Mongolian Chop Squad name and the ending, which I felt was a little bit rushed. Overall, I'm glad I gave this anime a chance. If you liked NANA, but wanted to see more of the band stuff, then check out Beck.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 31, 2015
Ah, parodies. You can find them for hit pop songs, films, and in this case, anime. With anime, sometimes you never know when you're watching a parody unless you know how to look for one. This was the case with me.
Based on the anime's summary, I thought I was watching a cute romance shoujo anime until the 2nd episode. That's when I started to notice the signs of a parody through the anime's characters. There are seven key characters in this anime: the heroine (Sakura), her crush (Nozaki), the playboy (Mikoto), the tomboy (Yuzuki), The Prince (Kashima), Hori (The Tsundere), and Wakamatsu (The
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Athlete).
With the exception of Sakura, these characters are more than what they appear to be and have various quirks that make their interactions with each other hilarious. There was not one episode where I wasn't laughing at them! The characters were the major strength of the anime and kept me clicking on each episode to see what happens to them next.
As for the plot, it is basically just a parody of shoujo manga disguised as a typical shoujo manga. One memorable bit involves Nozaki and Sakura attempting to share an umbrella. If you go into this anime for the romance, then you may be disappointed by the time you finish. There are small moments of actual romance, but most of it isn't meant to be serious.
The only other notable aspect of the anime besides its characters and "plot", is the artwork. The colors are eye catching and sometimes certain details make it beautiful and vivid as a watercolor painting. The most memorable thing I remember is Sakura's eyes, which were a lovely purple with little intricate details.
I watched this anime because I wanted a feel-good series. If you want an anime that will make you chuckle or laugh out loud, then I recommend this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 23, 2015
"Sometimes life is like jazz and moves in an unexpected direction."
This one line from this anime sums up this series well, especially in terms of its story and characters. One thing the synopsis doesn't tell you is that this anime is about learning to be open to new experiences, because life doesn't always go up or down or in a circle.
The character that best embodies this lesson is Kaoru Nishimi, who is one of the main characters and the main focus of this anime. Before he meets Sentarou (a tough, imposing male) and Ritsuko (Sentarou's female childhood friend), Kaoru is an intelligent stiff with social
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anxiety issues so bad that he feels ill when he feels stressed about interacting with others. Kaoru encloses himself in a metaphorical circle and walks through life with a metaphorical "down" perspective that he gradually comes out of as the series progresses and he learns to play jazz.
Sentarou and Ritsuko embody unexpected directions because of the impact they have on Kaoru and because they aren't what you expect, especially from reading the anime's synopsis. If you have any doubts about this, I recommend watching the first four episodes before you decide to drop this.
The most touching thing about the complexity of Sentarou and Ritsuko is that with Kaoru, they form a deep bond that is like a family. Even when those three are in a love triangle, the familial bond is still there. Despite their romantic feelings, Sentarou is like a elder brother, Ritsuko is like a sister in the middle, and Kaoru is like the youngest brother. This familal bond that causes them to try not to hurt each other and feel remorseful when they do end up doing so.
Besides the characters, the soundtrack is incredible. Composed by Yoko Kanno, the jazz music provides an atmosphere similar to that in Cowboy Bebop, except this jazz isn't bebop. It's relaxing stuff in the vein of John Coltrane (whose work is featured a bit in this anime btw), except during action scenes (which are scored just as well as the stuff from Cowboy Bebop). I downloaded half the soundtrack after watching just the 1st episode, b/c I knew Yoko Kanno would make it great.
The next-to-last notable thing in this anime is the setting. Since it is set in the sixties, a bit of historical and cultural stuff is sprinkled throughout the anime, such as racism, the popularity of rock n' roll (esp. The Beatles), and political student protests. This added depth to the characters' world and made things more interesting for them at times.
Finally, the last notable thing in this anime are little details (probably provided by Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Wantabe) such as the episode titles being named after jazz songs, the early love confessions (thank you for not occurring at the very end) and the way music ties the three main characters just as much as their drama.
I've only seen two other music-centered josei anime (NANA and two seasons of Nodame Cantabile), but this one has become my favorite one (sorry NANA). If NANA is the best josei anime with post college grads, then Kids on The Slope is the best josei anime with high school students.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 3, 2015
"Whatever your past, you still have a future."
One of the main characters Spike, says this in a particular episode of this series. This line stayed with me throughout the rest of the series & resonated during certain episodes. Eventually, this line formed what I thought was the big question that forms the plot of this of the show: Can you truly feel alive and have a future if you are constantly reminded of the past and how corrupted the world maybe you yourself are?
This question surrounds the main characters (Spike, Lee, Faye, and Edward) and some secondary characters they meet as they travel the galaxy
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hunting criminals with bounties on a ship called The Bebop. Each main character has interesting personalties and mysterious pasts that gradually get revealed as the series goes on.
Spike is a tough, aloof guy with impulsive tendencies who can handle a gun, pilot a ship, and do martial arts. He is also empathetic in toward others in a big brother kind-of way. Jet is a pilot and mechanic who equally tough with guns, level headed (rarely impulsive) and empathetic in a fatherly way. Faye is a woman who is frivolous with money, has avoidance tendencies, and can handle a gun and won't hesitate to use her feminine charms to make other men drop their guard. Last but not least, Ed is an androgynous and energetic genius hacker who is very free-spirited and child-like.
As for the secondary characters, many are notable because they either serve as commentary on the real world in and/or they are sympathetic. One example is an animal rights group that threatens to turn people into monkeys unless they stop hunting a certain animal. Another notable aspect of the secondary characters is that they are diverse in body, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and personality. The depiction of gay and intersex people in this anime is really progressive when you consider that the anime was made in the late 90's. Also, the way many dark-skinned characters are sprinkled throughout the anime is nice too b/c they are rarely seen in anime.
Besides the plot and characters, the world building is really creative because it mixes several genres including spaghetti westerns, sci-fi, noir, and in one episode slasher films. This created the major themes of the anime (nostalgia and freedom) and makes you want to keep watching to see what the characters will encounter next.
In addition to the plot, characters, and world building, the soundtrack is incredible. Composed by Yoko Kanno, the soundtrack is rooted in jazz (specifically bebop jazz), but also features other genres like heavy metal and a dash of J-Pop. The fast-paced upbeat bebop jazz really compliments action scenes well. Furthermore, the opening title theme & its visuals are truly striking and memorable.
Last but not least, the animation is really beautiful at times and not so beautiful at others. The beautiful moments are focused on the sky, like in one scene where Spike is smoking while watching the sunset. The not-so-beautiful moments come during the jump to hyperspace.
Overall, this was a really entertaining and enjoyable anime. If you are interested in sci-fi or saw Samurai Champloo first like I did & enjoyed it, then give this anime a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 30, 2015
This second season is mostly better than the first in some areas, but still the same in others.
One of the things that I felt had improved was the character development. No longer restrained by the mystery surrounding the card game in the first season, characters such as Ruko, Tama, and Ulith are developed quite nicely. While other characters are pushed aside to make room for that development, it didn't bother me too much.
The other thing that developed pretty well is the storyline. There were times that got even darker than it already was and that kept me going to the next episode to find out
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what happens next. There is also a philosophical theme about choices that develops to make the story richer.
Other than these things, everything else is about the same as the first. The art is still garish yet sometimes gorgeous. The sound is still soft electronica that provides ambiance to battles. The battles are still thrilling.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this season even more than the first. If you enjoyed Selector Infected, then do watch Selector Spread.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 25, 2015
I decided to watch this anime after seeing a review that said it was "Magical Girls Meets Yu-Gi-Oh!" They turned out to be absolutely right.
The most important thing I love about this anime is that there are lots of girls involved in the anime's card game WIXOSS. The one gripe I always had about Yu-Gi-Oh! was that there weren't that many girls playing Duel Monsters as skillfully as the main character of that series. To have all the key players in this anime AND the cards they fight with be girls was awesome!
Besides this, I liked the "magical girl meets Yu-Gi-Oh!" concept because
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it took two of my favorite anime things and put them together to make a cool dark magical girl anime with plot twists and animation reminiscent of Madoka Magica.
In fact, the most notable thing in the anime besides the storyline is the animation. The animation is at its best when the characters are in a card battle. Most of the time, it made the battlefield look like a garish version of The Shadow Realm from Yu-Gi-Oh!. It amps up the tension and makes you itching to know who is going to win and what will happen to the loser.
The weakest aspect of the anime is the characters. The "what will happen to the loser?" question and the wishes of each character are the most defining things about each character. Other than these things, each female "Selector" can pretty much by pegged by a "Dere" stereotype. While the wishes and the consequences of losing makes the viewer sympathetic toward certain characters, it doesn't add too much depth to them either.
While there are many loose ends by the end of the anime, I personally excuse them because there is a second season called Selector Spread WIXOSS.
Overall, I really enjoyed this anime and plan to watch season 2 as soon as possible. Give this a try if you like magical girl stuff or Yu-Gi-Oh!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 16, 2015
If you combined certain elements of Revolutionary Girl Utena with the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, you'd get Rose of Versailles.
One of the best aspects of the anime is the plot, which revolves around the years leading up to the French Resolution. Not only is the historical aspect of it based on real events (with some creative liberties taken), but also real people such as General Francois de Jarjayes (who inspired the main lead character Lady Oscar).
Another great aspect of the plot is that discusses classism (discrimination btw. classes), gender roles, power struggles, and justice in a way that entertains the viewer, pulls
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at their heartstrings, and makes them think. There is a LOT of death in this anime, some of it so cruel and tragic that you'll want to stop watching, yet keep watching to see the deaths not be in vain. There is also symbolism (particularly with roses) that enhances the themes of the anime and make them linger in the mind long after certain episodes (and the entire series) are done.
In addition to the plot, the characters are very well done. The main lead character, Oscar, has a strong sense of justice, can handle herself with a sword and gun, and lead an army. However, she also human struggles with what it means to live as a man and (in certain episodes) a woman.
There are numerous secondary characters who are either good, bad, or a mixture of both. You will cheer on some, hate others, and feel a lot of pity overall. The most poignant ones for me were Marie Antoinette, Andre, Jeanne, and Rosalie.
As for the animation, it can sometimes be a little over the top with glittery scenes, but for the most part it is very good, esp. for an anime from the 70's. Sometimes, certain scenes looked like a beautiful painting. Also, the fight scenes were amazing to watch!
Finally, the music was very good, esp. the main theme of the anime. If you pay attention to the English translation, then you can see them forshadowing Oscar's fate. The instrumental pieces were lovely and made certain moments very touching.
Overall, this anime was very tragic, yet enjoyable. As an Utena fan, I loved seeing how this anime would influence Utena in terms of the symbolism, character design, and sword fighting scenes. Also, the anime, like Les Miserables, made me think about the world we live in today and wonder if such events could happen again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 8, 2015
This review is based on a rewatch of the anime. Three years ago, I watched this anime for the first time and was totally confused from the first episode to the last. Now, perhaps due to some gained experience with watching and analyzing serious and meaningful anime, I've been able to understand this anime better and appreciate it more.
This anime uses a lot symbolism from various things including roses, Biblical stories, Greek mythology, shadow puppetry, and more. There are many interpretations of this symbolism as it relates to the story's main plot. I didn't figure all of it out, but I'd figured out enough
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to be really entertained by the anime.
This anime discusses what can cause self-actualization and what can prevent self-actualization. For the most part, the anime is focused on self-actualization in teens. Some teens struggle to self-actualize themselves b/c they are attempting to make certain moments eternal. Once you near the end of the anime, you see that everyone in this anime is trying to hold on to something eternal (i.e. precious memories) b/c they are dissatisfied with their personal lives which make up their world. As a result, they try to get "the power to revolutionize world" in order to make whatever they want eternal. Yet, the true power to revolutionize goes beyond holding on to precious moments that you can't experience again. That true power is the freedom to live unhindered by restraints from family, friends, and the world around you through self-actualization.
To review the characters, soundtrack, and animation separately is pointless because they all revolve around the symbolism. They are all engaging, poignant, and complex aspects of the anime. Some of it may be too repetitive, but to me that repetition just serves to drive home the theme of self-actualization.
The only final thoughts I have is that there are some things that may make viewers uncomfortable including implied yuri and yaoi as well as incest. Stay clear of this anime if you don't like this stuff.
Overall, I enjoyed this series A LOT better than I did the first time around. I felt like I was watching a mythological tale play out, and it was very satisfying. If you don't mind analyzing a lot of stuff to understand what's going on, then I recommend this anime. It is a masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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