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Apr 23, 2013
"I'll give you guys your final training"
So here we go, One Piece Film Z, the newest offering in the One Piece cinematic line. I'll admit One Piece Strong World was kind of underwhelming to me as it didn't contain that many interesting themes in the story. Though, this is not to say it was a bad film, I just felt like more could've been done with it. I've gone on record and said that my favorite of the One Piece movies was movie 6, Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, which ironically is considered the most polarizing of the One Piece movies with it's unique
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art style and surprisingly dark tone plus the fact that it was under the direction of Mamoru Hosoda, the director of Summer Wars and Wolf Children Ame & Yuki. Anyway now we have One Piece Film Z, is it the best One Piece film to date?
The Good:
This story is the first to take place in the New World with the Straw hats continuing their pursuit to fulfill their goals in life. While cruising the vast sea, Luffy and the crew come across a castaway simply named Z, a former marine who's mission in life is to eliminate all the world's Pirates. Here's one of the things I liked about the movie already. Z is a person who's seen a lot in his life and is experienced in what he does. He's a very interesting villain where the more you learn about him, the more you understand why he has so much rage in him. He's a man gone mad and represents the abuse of power in the story here. He doesn't let anything stand in his why and does try to get what he wants. In a way, he's quite an interesting villain. As for other characters, the Strawhats are the same as they normally are, so nothing of note here. I like how this movie reflects more on the villain than the our lead protagonist because honestly at this point I think we know quite enough about the Strawhats. Not to mention, the animation is great as always especially since this is a movie budget we are dealing with here and the sound is pretty nice even if Avril Lavigne's cover of a Nickelback song is the ending credits.
The Bad:
Although, while I do like that the villain is more of the focus here, it sort of create a smaller role for the Straw hats. This is not to say that the Straw hats don't get their screen time, but it feels like that Luffy and the crew could have much more interaction between each other. I'll won't spoil it, but let's just say that something happens to a few of the characters and I would've liked it if they explored more of this conflict as oppose to quickly finding a way to resolve it. Another problem with the film is also the fact that this is for One Piece fans only. One of the things I liked about Movie 6 and Strong World is the fact that there is not many pre-requisites for the both of those films as they stand alone assuming that some people who watch the films might not know much about One Piece. Where with Film Z, there are numerous cameos and characters from the series that make appearances. So if you don't know One Piece then you are going to be lost with the backgrounds of a lot of these characters.
Overall:
One Piece Film Z is a great entry in the film canon. This is what I expected more from Strong World, a One Piece film that covers a lot of themes and parallels. If anything, it creates discussion for a franchise that been all about shounen action. What makes One Piece great in general is the fact that while it is an action shounen, it still has a lot of themes going for it that makes it relatable and that's why I've enjoyed it for so long. I highly recommend One Piece Film Z if you're a fan of the franchise. For everyone else...well, you got a lot of catching up to do. Now if only Hosoda would direct another movie.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 28, 2012
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,Brown paper packages tied up with strings, These are a few of my favorite things."
Okay people I'm just going to come out with it right now...Kids on the Slope is hands down one of the greatest animes I have seen not of just this year but in a long long long while...and I have seen some pretty great anime recently. Let me tell you from the moment this anime was announced having both Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kanno working on the project, my heart filled up with glee and yours should've as
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well. Even before, I didn't realize how much expectations were going to be surpassed from this anime. Everything about this show is just beautiful.
Kids on the Slope follows the standard Slice of Life formula of having no central plot but rather show excerpts of life as it is displaying dramatic moments, and this show definitely delivers in the drama aspect of things. I mean it every episode of this show delivers, even when an episode starts out slow, it picks up leading to ending that fills you with goosebumps all over. Whether it is a serious or happy moment, you will enjoy this show from start to finish.
I think what I like about this show the most and what Shinichiro Watanabe is good at doing is making relationships between unlikely people. If you have seen Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo (and if you haven't shame on you for not being a real anime fan), then you probably understand what I'm talking about. In this we have Kaoru Nishimi, who is a rich boy who likes to only keep to himself more the like the anti-social archetype. Then there's Ritsuko Mukae, who is the cute naive type. Finally, there's Sentaro Kawabuchi, who's the tough bad boy archetype. However, the beauty of all this is that all these characteristics change through the course of the show and suddenly the characters that you thought were not going to get along end up becoming the best friends...two of them even more than that. The beauty gets even better as these characters start becoming likable and change in the second episode of the show exhibiting the excellent pacing this show brings. I myself was afraid that the show was not going to be interesting considering how fast things evolve and it turned out it kept me interested every week plus love it even more than I already did. I think what I love most about this show is that doesn't rely on forced manipulation. In other words, it doesn't try to be too cute (such as Usagi Drop) or be too melodramatic (like AnoHana). It all comes out naturally and realistically, the way real life drama is like. Unscripted and improvised all throughout.
On the technical side of things, the animation will throw people off. For me, I love it being that it's animated by the same person who did Paradise Kiss, another favorite of mine. However, a lot of people not used to this art style will be swayed a bit, but then again I think that you'll love it even if you don't like the art style. Plus, if anything this is probably one of the more accurate depictions of Japanese people than most anime in general. I think however another huge strength of this show would be it's music. Once again, the music of Kids On the Slope is done by none other than the great Yoko Kanno. The OP and ED are good but they don't really go with the Jazz feel of the show, but they are great nonetheless. The soundtrack is great with classic Jazz hits such Art Blakley's Moanin and Lullaby of Birdland, and when these tracks are played, you remain silent and are breathless at the cinematography of the scenes.
Once again Shinchiro Watanabe brings us another show that not only is a masterpiece of it's own right, but is also something that can be appreciated by the Xenophobic type. Really, Bebop, Champloo, and now this are among the shows that I believe any person can watch to get into anime. I cannot recommend this show highly enough. GO WATCH IT NOW!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 6, 2012
Guys, I'm not going to lie to you...Another is probably one of the funniest unintentional comedies I have ever seen in awhile. WAIT DON'T HIT THAT DISLIKE BUTTON JUST YET! Hear me out. I'll tell you my reaction to the first episode was that it was going be a great horror series complete with a mystery that would keep you gripping to your seat every week.
BOY WAS I WRONG!
Another is about a group of school kids who are the victims in a ancient curse and BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH I STOPPED CARING BY THE FOURTH EPISODE. You see that was one of the
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first things that threw me off. You have this curse that goes around killing all the kids in the High School, but the thing is they never "Really" explain it. I mean yes it is explained but in dialogue that's uninteresting and dialogue you will fall asleep during. Then once I stopped caring, I started not liking the show...until I saw the way they handled their death scenes.
I'm not going to lie to you, as time went by the show just got more silly with all the people dying and the way they were dying was just absolutely ridiculous. It was then Another turned from being disappointing to hysterically entertaining. I mean it. Another made me laugh so hard that I was in tears from the amount of ridiculous. Instead hoping for all these characters to survive, you instead were awaiting their deaths just wondering how ridiculous could possibly get. I might as well tell you: People just randomly get struck by lightning, people that you think will survive die out of sheer convenience, and...well just click this youtube link replace one of the words with bulldoser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=616WIdWwuLM
Do you honestly do care about the characters? No, not really. Without spoiling to best of my ability, one of the characters who ends up being the cause, you don't even know that much about other than they were there as a supporting character and somehow is the cause of the what happens. Characters that were meant to be liked, but then suffer a demise ended up a getting a cheer for the fact that no one cared by the end. Not to mention, there's a beach party episode and the show ends a light hearted note as if nothing really happened.
Now I know that there are people out there that actually liked this show and I like it too...but for the wrong reasons. Honestly, I don't how to recommend Another to people. On the one hand, it's a poorly done show where at first glance looks promising, but then spirals into something completely absurd. On the other hand, that absurdity could be looked at from an angle were you just don't care and have fun with it. I say if you choose the latter, then I promise you will have a blast. If anything I recommend watching Another with a group of friends and just riff on it. Tear it to shreds, drink to it, just don't give two shits about what happens. Honestly, if you're going to think hard about the show then you're going to hate it. If you don't, then you're going to love it for bad it is. If you were expecting a horror anime, then let me recommend two for you: Higurashi (which is 10x scarier) and Paranoia Agent which is more of a thriller than horror. Basically, if I were summarize Another in one phrase it would be this: It's Final Destination: The Anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 1, 2012
Before I really got into anime, my only knowledge of the medium was what most Americans know of it (Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and Yugioh). Although, even then I knew that some animes were popular before that wave came in (Voltron, Battle of the Planets, Captain Harlock, and Robotech). So while watching newer animes that everyone praises as strokes of genius, I thought I'd look back at the some animes that established themselves as true anime classics. Through my search, I found a little show called Macross, which in the states was known as Robotech. However, I didn't watch Robotech, I went for the
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real deal. You see in 2006, a little company called ADV films took the original Macross (full name Super Dimension Fortress Macross) and released in the U.S. the way the Japanese originally saw it. Long story short, Robotech was a localization not an import, so if you grew up with Robotech expecting our main character to be named Rick Hunter then get used to Hikaru Ichijou. Anyway, so I finished watching Macross and my final verdict...
All anime fans should watch this show...NOW!
First of all, by all means do not and I repeat do not write this anime off due to it being outdated. While the animation is from the 80's, I have to admit this animation holds up extremely well. Sure, there are times where facial expressions just seem creepy and you will spot a fair amount of continuity animations. One instance I saw a character throw a bottle of liquor on the floor, only to have another magically appear in their hand (@_@). Outdated animation aside, this show actually looks great. Characters are distinctive and backgrounds are detailed. Trust me when I say they were times I said to myself that the animation is really good, but there are also times where I said the animation was pretty bad, but I can excuse that.
I have to say though if there is one thing that you will remember from Macross, it would have to be it's unbelievable soundtrack. When I say unbelievable, I mean seriously this soundtrack is freaking fantastic. Epic sounds of horns and 80's guitar makes you feel pumped up for every battle in the show. It's one of those scores that once you hear it, goosebumps will crawl on your skin and chills will go down your spine. From the opening theme song to the ending credits, the music truly exemplifies what Macross is and what it stands for. Honestly, if you don't remember the music of Macross, then I believe you have no soul.
Like I said earlier, ADV released this show in the states the way it was supposed to be, with original flawless soundtrack and the original un-localized writing. They also included a re-dub (which is what I watched). If you've seen an ADV dub before, then you know who to see here. Vic Mignogna, Monica Rial, Luci Christian, Chris Patton, and John Swasey all do a great job here showing their dynamic ranges especially in a show like this that has some very intense moments. There are some criticisms I do have with this dub, such as some pronunciations ("Hee~Kaaaa~Ru Eee~Chiii~Joe is heard a lot) that could drive weeaboos crazy and very hammy acting from cast extras (which I think is somewhat intentional to make fun of hammy 80's anime dubs). However, there is one reason why I recommend everyone to watch this dub: The inclusion of Mari Ijima. You read that right, Mari Ijima, the ORIGINAL Lynn Minmay, from the JAPANESE track was asked by ADV to dub her character in English. The point being that Minmay is meant to be a foreign character, therefore Ijima provides the character with a thick accent. The best part being is that her performance does not feel tacked on at all. Sure there are times where I feel like she is struggling on how to execute certain lines, but most of the time she does extraordinary well and honestly it's her presence that the credibility of the English dub, of all dubs for this matter, is increased. If you don't want to watch the dub, then that's perfectly fine. I did watch the alternate re-telling movie in the original Japanese and I liked it fine except for maybe Hikaru's performance which I felt sounded too old for the role. Anyway while I do highly recommend the English re-dub, it's one of those common cases where no matter what language you hear you'll won't be disappointed.
So you ask yourself: Why should I bother with a show like Macross, with a show this old what's the point of caring about it when there are animes with much better production values and are relevant? The real question is why should you not watch Macross? Really, there is no harm from watching this show. I mean okay, sure, the story is campy and there is one scene that while I watching I kept asking myself "what?" However, can you really blame the campiness of Macross? Not to sound like a broken record, but it's from the 80's it's meant to be campy. Although, to be perfectly honest, I've not been this engaged with an anime in awhile. Macross is gripping. From the first episode, you are introduced to likable characters and a cool scenario (I might as go far to say that Mass Effect got some of it's inspiration from Macross). Even the really campy episodes like Minmay's participation in the beauty pageant doesn't feel that entirely silly but rather fitting for the show. Not to mention, the show's themes, while been used to death today, are handled quite well and do leave an impact on you even after done watching. You see while Macross on the surface looks like a regular mecha show, once you watch it you realize that it's a show about the significance of love and the impact it has on us, whether that impact be negative or positive. Macross is about that feeling you get when you're with someone and the internal struggle you could feel if they don't have know who or what is the right path for you. That's why Macross is so damn beautiful and why everyone should watch it.
Overall, while in some aspects is outdated, Macross is definitely a show that still completely holds up to this day. The music is great, the visuals are actually good for the time given, and the message is timeless. I say if you are an anime fan, then check this one out. If you're a mecha anime fan, then seriously check this one out. I believe that you'll be touched by Macross one way or another. Seriously, there is no way that you will dislike this show. Is it flawed? Yes, but that's because (all together now) it's an 80's anime and there a lot of the things you'll see that we have seen before. Although, if you put that all to the side, then I believe that you'll enjoy this show as much as I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 17, 2012
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you all: The worst anime of all time.
First let me tell you about Go Nagai. He is very influential anime director, who has actually made such classics as Getter Robo and magical girl Cutie Honey, and has inspired people such as Hideaki Anno and the director of Tokyo Gore Police. He is also known for bringing erotic themes to manga and anime, which back in the day was considered taboo but today is not as bad. However, what happens when you take a risque subject and make it the basis for your anime...YOU GET GIANT STEAMING PILES OF SHIT!
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That's right not one pile of shit, three piles of shit, and yes I did watch all three of them for the sake of curiosity and tell you all to stay away from these OVAs at all cost.
So what is Violence Jack about? It's about a guy named Jack...and he's violent. You think this all a joke do you? I'm not joking, this is it. The only other thing we know is that the setting is based in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are rare, men are evil, and women are all walking pieces of meat. Yeah, sounds like a whole barrel of fun isn't it? No, no it is not.
However, it's not the fact that plot of Violence Jack is bad, but more of the sense that the subject matter is probably the most heinous looking thing I've ever experience in my whole entire life. I've seen exploitation before, some people don't like it, some people do. For me, some of the best movies are exploitation (My favorite movie of all time: A Clockwork Orange technically is an exploitation flick). However, Violence Jack is wrong. It's just wrong. Seriously, there is no other way to put it, it's just horribly wrong.
The first OVA is called Harlem Bomber and it is the most shocking out of all of them. I'm going to just put it shortly what happens. There is a character known as the Slum King that owns a sex slave ring, and I'm stopping there, because what follows are nonsensical acts of pure heinousness towards all of humanity and what it stands for. It tells no message and is not in anyway justified. It is simply there just for shock value. The other two OVAs, Evil Town and Hell's Wind, are the same exact thing, just horrible portrayals of what "could" happen to people in a post-apocalyptic world. Some might say that yes, people could succumb to this kind of nature, but if you are going to do that then at least provide with some good story-telling as oppose to pure exploitation.
Let me tell you an anime that did this right: Elfen Lied. Elfen Lied can be debated to be same exact way. I mean Elfen Lied is similar that in that it also portrays human as despicable beings and does dapple in the same territory of woman being used for experimentation. However, where Elfen Lied at least told a interesting story, Violence Jack is pure shock value for the sake of being shock value and nothing else. In short, Violence Jack presents nothing and flaunts it in your face just for the hell of it.
It's not even we know much about Violence Jack other than the fact that he's this guy who kills whoever stands in his way.
Art and sound-wise there is nothing to gawk about. Even for an 80's OVA, I've seen better animation from Macross and Space Captain Harlock, two animes that were made on TV budgets and came out before Violence Jack. That's saying a lot of how bad this anime is if that's the case.
Overall, the three Violence Jack OVAs just piss me off completely. If you were asked to give someone a lesson on how not to make an anime, or any medium for that matter than Violence Jack should be at the top. I never want to see Violence Jack ever again. Go Nagai may have produced some very classic animes, but this is definitely not a work that he should be remembered for, so let's just hope that this anime is never touched and heard of ever again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Apr 4, 2012
One of the things that has bothered me about anime these days is the lack of originality among them. How many times can I see the same moe schlock about a bunch of high schoolers who do nothing but angst everyday about their problems? There are exceptions of course. Like Haruhi Suzumiya that while on the surface may look like it's about nothing but actually has an interesting fantasy concept underlying it. Then, there was Clannad which took some guts by taking this cliche and adding a sense of magic realism to it and even following the characters to adulthood. So, with that said, comes
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the next show in this line of moe with a twist: Angel Beats!
I do in fact like it when any property decide to take it's initial genres and changes it up for distinction, and that's what Angel Beats! does. However, I don't believe it does it well. The concept of the show is that a bunch of teenagers are locked in a high school because they're dead. Yes, they are in fact in purgatory. Some of them don't remember their death and some of them do. Some don't understand why they're and etc.
Do you understand what I mean? This is the kind of anime that I don't want to see. I don't mind angsty characters, but when they don't try to do anything about it and leave it to the side, it starts to bother me. Yes, I know it's resolved in the end, but even the main character start bitching and moaning (I won't say why because of spoilers) However, that's not my biggest problem with the show. My biggest problem with Angel Beats! is the overall plot. It's unbelievably complex and contains so many things that just don't make sense. I get it, it's wants to be unique in it's own way, but you can still be unique and still have a simple story (i.e. Clannad). Angel Beats! tries to hard and never hits the mark. What bothers even more is that there are so many unique concepts here and they are wasted on episodes that are played for laughs.
I don't care about what's happening now, but rather what happened before to these characters that led them up to this point. A more interesting show would be seeing all these character's backstories leading up to a climax showing how they all intertwine with each other. Sure, we get some backstory for characters and we definitely know the backstory of our main character. Then again, why didn't the character die regularly, what did he possibly do that so wrong of him to end up in this purgatory? All this anime does it's just raise more questions that don't REALLY get resolved by the end.
For example, why was there a squad in the school chasing an Angel in the first place? I don't understand what was it about her that was so threatening. Was the Angel the guardian of the purgatory or no? I mean isn't that why they call her an angel? What about those monsters that popped up at one point? Forget the seemingly harmless little girl, I'm more concerned about those freaking blob monsters.
The show never takes the time to really explain what's going on. Episodes involve either the backstory of our main character (which doesn't explain why he's there), stories about other characters, and then episodes that are just played for laughs. Honestly, by the end of it all, I really was not caring. There is no emotional impact that you feel with these characters. It's a shame too because Angel Beats! has so much going for it.
Audio and Visual-wise, this show is pretty good in the technical department. However, it suffers from lazy moe designs that we all have seen before. However, the show does look good in HD and is very colorful. Audio is pretty good too with some okay insert songs and a very good opening. For this show, I highly recommend the Japanese track. The English track, while having such talents as Brittany Karbowski and Greg Ayers, suffers from bad writing and some annoyingly bad acting. Not to mention, Sentai's annoying tendency to keep insert songs in Japanese even when it's an English dub. Plus, Sentai stems from ADV and Funimation, two companies that hire(d) very talented English voice actors, in fact a lot of them are in this dub. So why not dub the songs in English? The Japanese singing just feels completely out of place. Yeah, so stick to the Japanese.
Overall, Angel Beats! is a big disappointment. It's the kind of anime that's coming fresh out of Japan right now that has a lot of effort put in it yet lacks a big perspective. There are so many things I could change about this show and the fact that it has a lot acclaim perturbs me. If you like the show, then more power to you. Honestly, there are much more better animes out there that are worth your time. If you want to see an anime with similar themes but done better than watch Clannad. If you want to see how I wanted this anime to be set up, then I highly recommend the darker Paranoia Agent. Maybe Angel Beats! will be like other animes we are seeing today and getting a reboot. We will just have to wait and see.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 16, 2012
"I think it's time we blow this scene, get everybody and the stuff together... okay, three, two, one, let's jam!"
Out of all the animes I have ever watched in my life, none has ever touched or graced the perfection that is Cowboy Bebop. For a lot of anime fans, including myself, it is probably the greatest anime of all time. It's my favorite anime of all time, but then why is that?
No, seriously, why? I ask that because the show from a critical point of view, Cowboy Bebop should not be that perfect.
For one thing, it doesn't follow an actual story. I mean look at
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we have here: a bunch of bounty hunters on a ship with no real goal other than to collect bounties. Are they trying to accomplish anything big? No, besides one of them is not even an actual bounty hunter but actually an androgynous little girl with excellent hacking skills. That's another thing, Faye only joins because she's a moocher and Ed joins because...(Insert Reason Here) and that's basically it. There is nothing else that these four try to accomplish in their time together.
...or so they don't think
You see here's my theory with Cowboy Bebop: The ship is a purgatory. These characters might think they have nothing in common but in reality that's not true. If anything, these characters have one huge big thing in common: They are all not at peace with their inner selves. I guess that's what the beauty of the series is. You are introduced to these characters and discover the kind of people they are and by the end you realize that they have finally discovered what has been plaguing them throughout the whole series leading to a climax that makes you want more but then again is overall a satisfying conclusion to great journey.
So in other words, while there is no real story to Cowboy Bebop, it's all the individual backstories that connect it all into one amazing tale. Maybe that's why I love Bebop a lot, and on top of this, the show gives us a presentation that is beyond unbelievable.
Cowboy Bebop's most significant trait is its ability to blend so many western genres into one. In one case, there is one episode that tributes Blaxploitation film and another that is a throwback to classic noir films, and the best part about all this that it's actually done extraordinarily well. Plus, for an anime that was released in 1998, visually it really holds up extremely well. Not only does Cowboy Bebop match its genre visually, but it also does it audio-wise. Yoko Kanno's status as one of the greatest composers in anime really shines here (in fact I believe that is the anime she is really known best for). For one thing, just like director Shinichiro Watanabe, she knows how capture the essence of a episode. For example, when the episode calls for Heavy Metal she goes all out, and so on.
Voice acting is great in Japanese, but as any anime fan would know, Cowboy Bebop was the first prime example of how American dubbing got it right. In surprising twist, not only does the English track prove the quality of dubs wrong, but it is also the one of those rare times where an anime's English track is superior to Japanese track. You have Steve Blum as Ice-Cool Spike Spiegel, Wendee Lee as the voluptuous Faye Valentine, Beau Billingslea as the gruff yet fatherly Jet Black, and Melissa Fahn as the hyper and playful Edward (which compared to Aoi Tada makes her more likable then creepy). Four talented voice actors who to this day still get praised for their portrayals. I say if there is only one way to watch Bebop then the English track is only way to go.
So with all this in mind (the surprisingly deep story, the amazing visuals, the pitch-perfect soundtrack, and the absolutely lovable characters), this still doesn't answer the question: what is the one thing that makes Cowboy Bebop, at least to me the pinnacle of anime in general. Well I think if I were to put it simply it would have to be this: It's probably the only anime that actually feels mature when compared to other animes.
Sure, Cowboy Bebop has some anime conventions going for it: Edward's presence, Faye's physical anatomy, and character's unrealistic hair colors. However, none of this is forced, if anything, it feels kind of real. This is where the show succeeds, for once I am not sickened by Faye's fan-service, again I'm not annoyed by Ed, Jet while the tough guy really has a heart of gold, nothing about this anime feels over-the-top. When it does go over-the-top (and it does), it's handled carefully and doesn't go so far that it feels out of place in the show. That's why I love Cowboy Bebop the most. Let me tell you something: You might be like me with people judging you for watching anime, with me it's hard to sit in public with my computer open with me watching an episode of I don't know High School of the Dead, however, when I'm watching Cowboy Bebop, I don’t mind who’s glancing over. If anything, I would want them to come over and watch.
My point is I wish more animes were like Cowboy Bebop. That’s not to say I think all animes are bad because they can’t replicate it, definitely not that at all. My point is rather that I wish anime creators understand what Cowboy Bebop does right in terms of catering to certain audiences. Like I said, High School of the Dead may look and be intended for adults, but then there’s the fact that the show bases itself around gratuitous amounts of gore and well…fan-service, catering to specifically the male demographic of around 16-25.
Overall, Cowboy Bebop is the highest point of animes. It truly is, at least to me, the greatest anime of all time. It does everything that it wants to do right and it makes watching the show over and over again all the more refreshing. Seriously, I can pop in any episode of this show and have the same reaction I had the first time. Shinichiro Watanabe truly has completed a masterpiece and I believe if you are among the people who haven’t watched this show, then I suggest that you go out and watch it immediately. When you’re done, don’t be afraid to share it with people. Show your friends, show your friends who don’t like anime, show your parents, show your siblings, show your English teacher, I DON’T KNOW JUST DO IT! Also, I suggest you do it now, as in buy a copy of the show now because Bandai Entertainment will soon stop distributing this work of art at least to the U.S. market. Support this show and the anime industry anyway. Believe me when I say out of all the animes you will ever watch in your life, I swear that Cowboy Bebop will be the one you will enjoy no matter what. Even if it doesn’t become your favorite anime, I swear that you will feel satisfied that you have watched it at all. Until then, See You Space Cowboy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 28, 2012
"There's no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary; you can't gain anything without losing something first. Although, if you can endure that pain, and walk away from it, you'll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah...a heart made Fullmetal."
When FMA came on to the screen in 2003, anime fans went nuts over the likable characters, well-done humor, and overall engaging story-telling. However, some fans criticized the show for not being true to the source material. Personally, I was satisfied with how the show ended, and since then it became one of
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my top 5 animes of all time. Fast forward to 2009, where we now have the release of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, an adaptation that is truer to the source material. Does Brotherhood make up for the faults of the original series? Yes...and No.
Technically speaking, Brotherhood truly is a visual marvel. Studio Bones is probably the best animation company in the anime industry. This is true with FMA (2003), Soul Eater, Wolf's Rain, OHSHC, and with Brotherhood as well. Colors are vivid, backgrounds are detailed, and overall art direction is superb. Definitely watch this show on a HDTV. Sound, however, falls a little flat for me. Granted, I think the OPs and EDs of Brotherhood are definitely a step up from the 2003 anime, but then there's the score to Brotherhood. It's certainly not a bad score, but it's not as memorable as the 2003 anime score. The 2003 anime score carried emotional weight whereas the Brotherhood score I feel doesn't leave that much of an impact. That's not to say it's bad, in fact, it's very good. However, a score is great when it gives me goosebumps, sets the tone for what's to come, and I don't feel that with the Brotherhood score. Voice acting is just awesome as you expect. Both Vic Mignogna and Romi Paku both return to Edward, a role that both of them are known the most for. In fact, most of the voices actors from the 2003 anime, both dub and sub have returned, but there are stand-ins for those who couldn't return. For example, Aaron Dismuke couldn't reprise his role of Alphonse due to puberty, however, his replacement Maxey Whithead does an amazing job in the role. Plus, Aaron does makes a cameo so watch out for that. Overall, voice work is excellent in both languages so personal preference what it will come down to.
FMA as a whole is just beautiful. As you watch the show you believe the these characters and their relationships with one another. You believe that these two Brothers want to get their bodies back. Edward, while very-short tempered, knows what his priority is and tries his best to be the best older brother a person could have. Alphonse, while in someway may be the weak one, is really the one who is stronger of the two becoming the voice of reason in situations. Then there are the side characters such as the serious yet cocky Col. Roy Mustang, and Winry, a girl that while on outside looks likes your shoe-in love interest, is really inside a tough strong female character. There are so many other characters I could tell you about like Scar and Riza Hawkeye, but if I told you then we would be here all day. Hell, FMA even has likable villains. There is no character I hate in FMA, not a single one. However, Brotherhood's narrative while great suffers from many flaws.
First of all, this could be just me, but compared the 2003 anime, which also had comedy, Brotherhood is very goofy. Meaning, throughout the series, there were a lot of moments of humor that just didn't fit right. It's not that I don't like the humor, but it's with this humor in Brotherhood that I feel that it is more of a straight up comedy. I do laugh when there is humor but for me it ruins the flow of certain scenes of intensity. I say if you want to do comedy then do it at a time where it is appropriate.
Comedy aside, Brotherhood's real problem comes from one simple fact: it's very cliched writing. Don't get me wrong, story-wise, I do find it superior to the original in that it resolves certain characters by the end. Although, the resolution is plagued by so many things we have seen before and many things you see coming. I won't spoil the ending for you, but the end is shall I say...silly. It's a totally justified ending and reasonable ending, but it's the actions of the main bad guy that really tick me off. It's not that he is bad at being a bad guy, but rather, he's the bad guy that we have all seen before. He doesn't do anything new nor bring anything special to the table. We know what he will do and we know how this is going to end. I know that I'm making this more of a comparison as opposed to an actual review, but once again, the 2003 ended in a way that made it felt unexpected. In Brotherhood, I knew what was coming. This doesn't make it necessarily bad writing, just semi-lazy writing. Then comes another flaw in the resolution, that while steps up the cliche writing, feels a little bit too complex for this show to begin with. Luckily, it's one of those head scratchers that even if you don't understand it, you can still just go with it.
I think Brotherhood while a excellent adaptation of the source material, still has some problems with it that prevent it from being 10 out of 10 material for me. However, I really enjoyed Brotherhood, nonetheless. While I do believe that the first anime is significantly better as a stand-alone, Brotherhood is still a very faithful adaptation. If anything, here's my order of how you should go about this: first, go watch the 2003 anime and movie, and then watch Brotherhood. Seriously, if you are an anime fan who hasn't gotten around to this franchise yet, then I highly recommend you check it out immediately.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 21, 2012
"Follow the path you truly believe in! That is what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!"
There are three big animes that anime fans find a niche to: One Piece (^_^), Bleach, and Naruto. However, in 2009, a new shounen anime came into the fray: Fairy Tail. To this day, I consider it the fourth shounen and with Funimation licensing and dubbing the show in America, I thought why not check it out. Does Fairy Tail stack up to the other three...well, it's better than two of them.
Fairy Tail is based in a mystical land where magic is key to prove your strength. In
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this land, magicians either stand alone or they belong to a guild. Thus, the one we follow is the probably most popular of them all: The Fairy Tail Guild. Led by their owner Makarov, the Fairy Tail Guild is a family that works and celebrates together no matter how dire the situation is, and the team we follow consist of The Summoner Lucy, Armor Wizard Erza, Ice Wizard Gray, Fire-Dragon Natsu, and their loyal companion Happy. Together, they fulfill duties to society and take on whatever challenge is on their way.
Ok, now, right off the back you are probably going to notice something about Fairy Tail that seems quite too familiar...this show has a striking resemblance to One Piece. Art Style, themes, and character archetypes are going to seem very similar when you watch the show. Although, that's not really a bad thing, so then how does Fairy Tail compare to One Piece?
Both definitely have a sense of camaraderie and yes, Natsu and Luffy are practically the same character. Being that both are not too bright, don't take shit from anyone, and have insatiable appetites. However, there is a big difference between One Piece and Fairy Tail that really have a problem with. You see One Piece has goals: To well...find the One Piece and to become the greatest there ever was. Fairy Tail does not have that type of story yet. The way Fairy Tail starts is that we are introduced to Lucy, who want to join Fairy Tail, stumbles across a Fairy Tail member, and suddenly she's in. Then, stuff happens. However, it's not random stuff that happens. In fact, it is stuff that pertains to our main characters telling us more about their history, where they came from, and how they became who they are now. It's not only interesting backstory, but within the first 48 episodes I have seen, there has already been character development with the all main characters. However, then again, I would believe there would be more time these to see characters develop as I imagine this show is going to be on the air for awhile. Once again, if these characters are now developed then what becomes the goal for them that we want to see in the end? Until that goal is established, I can't really say the story is great, but it's still good nonetheless.
Artwork in Fairy Tail is quite good. Characters are very defined and very distinctive. Backgrounds are colorful and breathe light into every seen. Although, it does suffer from SOME lazy characters designs. Most of the time characters look like each other just with different hair colors and clothing. Not only that, and this is a bit of a nitpick, but it also bothers me that these characters have typical anime designs with the spiky hair and body types that don't match their age. However, that's only a nitpick, not a real flaw.
Sound in Fairy Tail is also quite good. I love the medieval soundtrack as matches the setting of the show. However, OPs and EDs that I have watched so far...are a mix bag. The first OP and ED for the show are great. Then, the second OP came, and I didn't like it at all, but I did like the ED more. Then, the third time, the OP was better than the ED. It's not that they were bad songs, it's just it didn't match with the show. I have watched the Funimation dub of this show, but I did check the Japanese Track for comparison. Both tracks are great, but I have to be honest, I kind of do like the English Track better. I find Cherami Leigh compared to Aya Hirano to be much better as Lucy. Cherami provides that teen girl tone of Lucy but also manages give me goosebumps in those really intense moments of the show. Aya Hirano does a fine job as well, but I feel like she's toned down, which is a shame considering she is known for playing hyper characters such as Haruhi Suzumiya and Misa Amane. Todd Haberkorn, I also find slightly better than Tetsuya Kakihara, because, vocally, Haberkorn fits Natsu better for me than Kakihara. Although, I think personal preference is perfectly fine for this show.
Fairy Tail is a very fun show to watch. The fights are exciting, the humor is pretty good, and yes there are moments where I do get goosebumps. I love not only our main characters, I also love the side characters, and just like One Piece, I don't forget them even if they are only around for a short time. Like I said, though, my problem with this show is that it doesn't go anywhere. It's just story arc after story arc and that's it. Sure, I enjoy watching this show but how can I continue when I don't know what climax I am expecting. It's this that I'm afraid of one day dropping Fairy Tail and it would be a total shame when it happens.
Overall, Fairy Tail has so much potential going for it. It has characters I enjoy and actions that I want to watch. It's a really fun show. However, I can't call it great if it's only fun to watch, it needs a purpose, a reason to go on (the reason why One Piece is so appealing to me). I say if you are a fan of the shounen genre and want an very good action anime, then I definitely recommend Fairy Tail. However, if you don't want to follow another shounen, I would still recommend the show to you, but chances are you're not going to stay with it considering that it doesn't really go nowhere. I like Fairy Tail a lot, and I think it's because it reminds me so much of One Piece, that I do so. I would say what's the point of watching, but I really can't since it's still airing. Until then, I will enjoy with what I have of Fairy Tail.
Note: There is clarification to why Fairy Tail looks like One Piece, turns out creator Hiro Mashima, and Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), went to the same art school, along with Akira Toryama (Creator of Dragon Ball).
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 7, 2012
Up to this point, all of the One Piece movies have either been a big hit or a big miss. Then comes movie 10, Strong World. The big thing about this movie is that it's the first One Piece movie that is actually written and produced by creator Eiichiro Oda himself. So after finally watching it, does the movie surpass all expectations? Well, I'm going to get to a little flack for this review because to be honest I don't believe this is the best of the One Piece movies, BUT that doesn't mean I find this movie bad. In fact, it's more of the
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opposite really.
So let me just get something out of way that I don't even need to go into detail about. The animation and sound are perfect. Just absolutely perfect. The One Piece score is what you expect from the franchise and the animation is on a movie budget, so things on the technical side, flawless.
Alright, so what's the story of Strong World. Well, first of all there are some things you must watch first before you watch this movie. For one thing, I would believe the only reason you are watching this movie in the first place is because you are a One Piece fan, but even if you are, you must've first watched episodes 426-429. It reminds me of Star Trek 2 in a way, that you actually don't need to see the first Star Trek movie but rather an episode from the series. There is also an OVA prequel titled Strong World Ep 0 which is worth a watch but is not entirely necessary.
In this movie, Luffy and the gang are drifting along as they normally do when they suddenly come across a floating island (not like Sky Island). They discover the reasoning behind this when they encounter the legendary pirate and user of the Float-Float Fruit Captain Shiki. Shiki then gains an interest in Nami's navigating skills and kidnaps her. Thus, in glorious traditional One Piece fashion, the Straw Hats go out of their way to save their navigator and stop the evil pirate lord Shiki.
The story of Strong World is where the film falls flats for me. It's not a bad story, but for One Piece, to me this film does not catch the emotion and power that I have seen in the franchise before it, not mention it's very cliche. I mean the power is there, but it's not as powerful. If I were to give an analogy, I would say that the story of Strong World is like eating your favorite meal. A meal that wherever you go, you enjoy it no matter how it's made. Sometimes that meal is prepared bad, sometimes that meal is prepared great, and sometimes that meal has a new spin on it providing an unforgettable experience. Where am I going with this? If One Piece is one of my favorite meals, then Strong World would lie in the place where my meal was prepared great enough to make me want to have it again.
Okay enough with the food analogies, what I am saying is, Strong World is a great movie and very welcomed addition to the One Piece franchise. It has the One Piece name to it and the One Piece characters we all know and love wearing suits and shooting guns...wait what? Okay so this is a nitpick, (Btw don't worry this is not a huge spoiler) but at the beginning of the third act the Strawhats crash a meeting, wearing suits, and start shooting with guns-a-blazing. I shouldn't be complaining as it is a badass scene plus Oda did write it in, but even for One Piece, this still bothers me because of the fact I would never EVER expect the Strawhats to make an entrance like this. Well, because for one thing, IT'S THE STRAWHATS IN SUITS WITH GUNS, but the beauty of all this is that being One Piece, I can let it slide.
Overall, I highly recommend One Piece Strong World. Is it my favorite of the One Piece movies? No, but it ranks second. To be honest, all the One Piece movies, aside from movie 7, are pretty good. My favorite among them is movie 6 because it did something that caught my interest. It took One Piece into a different direction while keeping what make the series so great intact making it a much more interesting to watch and kind of what I expected out of this movie. Strong World, however, does what the other movies needed which was do what the TV series does best. Provide us with great characters and their devotion to each other conveying stories so powerful that it sends chills down your spine and could even shed a tear. Unfortunately, I only feel a little bit of that power from the series in Strong World, but that little bit of power is great enough to make this film a must watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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