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Jul 24, 2018

Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven (Anime) add

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"Even our favorite things in life have flaws. Even so, we continue to love them regardless."

As I thought of this generic, cheesy, probably already existing line, the first anime that came to mind was Eureka Seven. Not only because it's the main theme throughout the show regarding its characters and their relationships, but also because it perfectly describes my general thoughts on the show itself.

Let me start off by pointing out where Eureka Seven truly shines. In my opinion that would be the general lively atmosphere and vibrant color palette. Man, this show is the definition of fun! The character designs are award-winningly awesome, the ... animation (while still having dips and hiccups here and there) is gorgeous, the background art mesmerizing.
And don't even get me started on the soundtrack. Not only are most of the OP/ED themes memorable, but the OST itself is FILLED with absolutely amazing, memorable tracks, most notably including catchy techno beats that fit surprisingly well with action scenes on one hand, and captivatingly ambient experimental rock tracks which make you feel like you're lifting on trapar waves without a care in the world on the other.
Everything about Eureka Seven screams creativity, and you can tell that the whole project is filled with love and passion from its creators.
All of these components give it that special, nostalgic feeling that kicks in as soon as you start the show and never goes away.

I believe that this nostalgia in particular is what makes people love this show so much and sometimes even neglect the show's problems, which, if you manage to wake up from that ecstatic, youthful, pure fun feeling this show puts you in, you'll realize aren't that small.

First of all, I'd like to point out the show's length. It's 50 episodes long, which is not the most common length. Maybe one that you see once a year or once every 2 years. This relatively chunky length springs up 2 major problems.
The first one is the fact that the show is filled with unnecessary filler. I'd dare say almost half of the show is weird, out of place slice-of-life stuff that drastically slows the story down. Now don't get me wrong, I'd take the development of the characters (most of which are, mind you, surprisingly deep and realistic already) over awkward, badly explained politics/military/sci-fi shenanigans we will get into later. However, most of the filler doesn't even develop the characters much, but instead puts them in weird, one-episode gag situations which end up serving little to no benefits to the story later on (for example the mission where Renton goes out in the field as an in-disguise spy, or the infamous soccer episode).
The second problem which is sprung up by the length is the show's "identity crisis". What I mean by this is the fact that the show changes its core genre way too much. It starts off as a shounen-esque adventure story, but shortly after switches to an organization-based rebel story. Then, it starts really focusing on the characters' psyches and problems, which works fine until the show starts focusing on Renton's and Eureka's relationship, at which point the other parts of the story get more and more neglected and unexplained in order to focus on those two as much as possible. The show's final... let's say approximately third focuses on the sci-fi part of the story which still somehow manages to be outshined by the beloved Eureka-and-Renton part. That, combined with the aforementioned filler chunks make the pacing of the story feel like one big mess.

I saved the most glaring problem for last, that being the sci-fi/politics/worldbuilding part of the show. Let's face it, it's not the smartest thing ever. Most concepts that are introduced (and there's many) are either explained very briefly/poorly and not in the most understandable way, or just... not explained at all. It's not uncommon while watching this show to start thinking things like "Wait, am I supposed to understand what they're talking about? Did I miss something? Am I dumb for not understanding it?" only to realize that you indeed were not supposed to understand it, at which point a character just pulls out a bunch of info out of nowhere. However, you then realize that if they knew that all along, they could have done something about some situations that have already happened beforehand, which then makes you pull out your hair in frustration because of how dumb these decent characters end up looking because of weird directing decisions. And yes, I do blame the aforementioned two problems for this one to a certain extent. If only the pacing was better and some of the filler left out, they would have been able to explain and flesh out these concepts properly and make them feel less dumb/shoehorned in.

Final verdict:
Eureka Seven is not a perfect show. Far from one, in fact. However, its real charm lays in its characters, world, atmosphere and just sheer fun factor.
It's like that one game from your childhood that isn't anything amazing objectively, but it still feels special to you no matter when or how much you play it because it brings you back to those simpler, better times when you were just a daydreaming playful kid without a care in the world.
It explores themes such as family, love, jealousy, happiness, loneliness, etc. in such a way that really makes you invested in these characters to the point where they end up feeling almost like best friends to you.
When I look at the members of Gekkostate, I don't just see a bunch of fictional characters. I see a group of friends, a family, people who'll always be by my side no matter where I am.
Renton, Eureka, Holland, Talho, Stoner, Hap, Mattheiu, Hilda, Maeter, Linck, Maurice, Moondoggie, Gidget, Mischa, Jobs, Woz, Ken-goh, Gonzy, and last but not least, Nirvash. They'll always hold a special place in my heart and I'll never forget the fun times I had on Gekko alongside all of them.
That feeling is something that's really hard to find nowadays, even in the best of shows. That's why I think Eureka Seven deserves all of the love it gets, and why it should remain to be a timeless classic for all of eternity.

Thank you for reading.

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Oct 23, 2017

Shiki (Anime) add

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WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS

Shiki....Ah, Shiki, what do I do with you? The thing is that this anime is terrible and fantastic at the same time. It's quite the unique experience, so join me in this review as I explain the reason why I think of it like that.

First of all, Shiki has a very slow start, which is not necessarily bad. The process of seeing the villagers die one after another before reaching the realization of the existence of the Shiki in episode 6 or 7 makes for a really good twist, especially if you're like me and don't even read the genres, ... let alone the synopsis before watching (got this anime on a roulette).

I was really enjoying myself for a bit, but then I realized that something was really bugging me about this show. And that thing were the characters. That being said, let's explore the "terrible" part of this anime that I mentioned earlier.
It felt like for every good character in the show, there were multiple bad ones, my most prominent example being Masao. That guy feels like a damn Looney Tunes character, which is not a good thing for a depressing, serious horror story. Everything from his voice acting and the way he moves to his psyche and actions makes him such an obnoxious character that completely kills every scene he was in (and he was in some pretty important scenes).
Another example is Natsuno himself. His character just felt so shallow. One second he's determined to stay human and fight the Shiki, but as soon as he hears his friend's voice he reaches his arm out the window. And literally all that happened since he became a werewolf is that he changed clothes. No matter how many situations he's been through, no development, no emotion. It's the same shallow husk of a character, from who all we got is "ugh man vampires sure do piss me off".
Some more examples of bland, undeveloped, shallow or unrealistic characters would be: Chizuru, Seishiro, Natsuno's father and of course the infamous Megumi.
On the other hand there were also some characters that were actually good, like Sunako, Toshio, Ikumi, and Muroi.
All the other characters I didn't mention, for the most part, are bland or boring. Which is kinda not good since a pretty big number of characters was involved with the main plot.

I imagine that first part was probably hard to digest so let's take a break to appreciate the show's OST and overall atmosphere. The tracks manage to range from spooky choral singing to funky hip-hop beats, while never really shifting the show's seriousness or its depressing atmosphere and I've gotta give the OST props for that. That, combined with the over-the-top character designs in a realistic environment, really makes Shiki a show that's not afraid to be a little experimental, which is something I can always appreciate in an anime.

The story is actually really good and this is where Shiki, in my opinion, really shines. Seeing the village die out, person by person is really depressing throughout the show, but it's only near the end that you realize why this show really is depressing.
Up until the end, for the most part, we are shown the human side of things and it's common sense for us that we are on the side of the humans who want to stop the countless deaths, and of course, the Shiki. However, as the story was approaching the end and I got to see the Shiki's perspective I started questioning who's side I was really on. The Shiki aren't necessarily all villains, they just can't live without human blood, and I think that Sunako's character tells that the best. Throughout the story she is shown as this mysterious character that could very well have a villain personality, however at the end we find out that she's just a girl who wants to live, and at that point I started feeling some kind of sympathy for the Shiki.
Suddenly torn between the two sides, all I felt was a bitter sadness that not many anime manage to spark in me. And that depressing tone wraps around this show very nicely.

In the end, I found it funny that the words of one of my least favorite characters, Megumi, would make me think the most, and those were the words: "You guys are the ones who're strange!".

Overall, I'd say Shiki was a potential masterpiece with too many problems to be one, and nearly all of those problems were its characters.

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Sep 3, 2017

ReLIFE (Anime) add

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Ah, ReLIFE, where do I start?
I'm not much of a binge watcher, but every once in a while there's a show I just can't help but watch it all in a really short time. ReLIFE was one of those shows. -an experience I'd recommend to anybody.
So here's a quick review, just my overall thoughts mashed together in one place:

Story:
Failed adult takes pill that turns him back to highschooler. When you see that premise, you probably think it sounds interesting but could possibly go wrong/boring. And let me tell you, it does not. The story is great, the pace is great and the twists, while ... (at least in my case) pretty easy to predict, are still really impactful and strong, most of the time giving you a completely different look on the characters you thought you knew. The anime ranges from very funny and lighthearted to dealing with serious problems like suicide, NEETs and various everyday struggles.

Art/Animation:
While the art isn't anything to write home about, it does have its charm. Same thing with the animation. They certainly do surprise you with for example a realistic looking sunset or far-away shot at the city. The characters, while looking fairly generic in the design department, look pretty good and the transitions from regular to chibi comedy characters don't feel forced. Also, different stylistic animation choices really give a refreshing feeling to the anime despite it looking a bit outdated.

Music:
The music is, in my opinion, the most memorable part of the show. The OP is catchy (PENGUIN RESEARCH, didn't hear those guys since DRRR!! x2 Ketsu and they still sound awesome), the OST pretty memorable for a slice of life, but the real treat are the EDs, which are mostly late '90s and early 2000s rock songs which will give you that warm feeling of nostalgia. Those songs, combined with the slightly outdated feel of the animation, will possibly make you feel nostalgia for this show a lot sooner than for other "new" anime.

Characters:
The characters are fun. While they do fill tropes, they still feel unique and relatable. Can't get too deep into characters without stepping into spoiler territory, so trust me when I say they're enjoyable.

Enjoyment:
The story is good, the characters are fun, the music is fantastic, it's funny, the running gags don't get old and the show is really addicting.

End note:
If you're in the mood for a fun slice of life with a twist, go for it. I cannot tell you enough how much fun I had watching this and I recommend it to everybody.

I personally wanted to watch this show back when it aired, but I kinda forgot about it so I got it in an anime roulette a year later and I'm so glad I did. Can't wait for season 2 coming in about half a year.
I'm actually starting high school tomorrow and I can see ReLIFE being a very important show to me because it certainly encouraged me to make the most of my time there, because at the end of the day there is no ReLIFE in the RealLIFE....or is there?

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