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Sep 10, 2009
Bleach: Memories of Nobody is the first of the so-far three Bleach movies to be released (despite some confusion, Sealed Sword Frenzy, though predating this movie, is an episode-length OVA and for all intents and purposes a "non-canon" episode). For those fans, particularly English-speaking fans who follow the dub on Adult Swim, who are used to the rather drawn-out storyline and fights of the series, this movie may come as bit of a surprise and even shock. Although following the conventions of the series, Memories of Nobody still offers quite a few tricks up its sleeve that has caused quite a stir within the more
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casual fan communities.
Story: 7 - Good
The story, frankly, is just passable enough to be considered good and in some parts even gets in the way. If you've seen enough of one of the lengthy Bleach story arcs, or even if you're generally familiar with shounen-to-movie adaptations, you can probably see the plot coming from a million miles away - there is a person/object/McGuffin that has ungodly power, there is a group who wants to obtain said person/object/McGuffin in order to rule the world/universe/whatever (M. Bison: YEEEES!) and our heroes of whom we're all very much acquainted with already thanks to the series must go and save them in typical fashion. Specific details will be covered in the other sections, but there isn't much to talk about in terms of the plot, and perhaps would benefit from a greater running time in order to see development. That said, other elements aside from the plot work to elevate this movie beyond the Bleach average, but once again those elements will be addressed in the proper sections.
Art: 8 - Very Good
The art is strangely interesting because, at least in my case, rather than compare it to other anime movies or movie adaptations of the same time period my knee-jerk reaction was to compare it directly to the anime from the series, and it's definitely noticeably upgraded. The typical details that are merely glossed over at most - background details, establishing shots and scenes and even the in-betweens - are much more lively, detailed and animated in the movie, to what I would even go so far as to compare to Knockin' on Heaven's Door (the Cowboy Bebop movie). Overall, the animation is noticeably more fluid and detailed than that of the series - not overly so, and it still retains the distinctive Bleach style, but just enough to make it "pop" that much more. It's clear the animators knew what to do with their budgets.
Sound: 7 - Good
The sound is pretty much what you would expect from Bleach. In the English dub, all the voice actors reprise their roles, and surprisingly enough the voice of the most prominent new character seems to be a relative unknown, with the only significant contribution she's done is the voice of Kiyal from the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann English dub. That said she pulls it off very nicely. The voice acting is where this movie shines in the sound category, especially since really all it has to do is make sure it uses the same voice actors as the series. The music isn't particularly noteworthy, or at least nothing sticks out in my mind, but it's certainly nice.
Character: 9 - Great
The movie doesn't really develop the characters from the series all that much - which is fine, since those characters are already as developed as far as they're really gonna get in a shounen action series like this, and it is a mostly plot-driven movie falling vaguely somewhere in the series (reportedly just after the Soul Society arc and before the Bounto/Arrancar arc, if you really must know). In fact the only character from the series that has any real focus at all is main hero Ichigo - even those characters that help make Bleach Bleach such as Rukia, Orihime, Ishida and Renji are all forced to take a back seat or barely appear at all. Some secondary yet important characters are probably lucky to appear in the movie at all (Kenpachi does get treated to an awesome fight scene, however, totally fitting his character to a T).
The real treat, and perhaps focus of the movie involves new character Senna and her development and relationship regarding Ichigo. To make Senna not only a believable but enduring character, they had to put in the introduction, development and conclusion of a character within the space of roughly two hours, and yet they somehow succeeded. In fact Senna may ironically be one of the most well developed characters in the entire Bleach mythos - she's sweet without being cloyingly so and has an animated personality. She's also given a surprisingly deep, if not truly deep character complete with fears and desires and palpable confusion about herself, and they weren't afraid to pull any punches regarding a troubled past either - well, as far as Bleach is willing to go. Either way, it's clear that Senna is the highlight of this movie.
Enjoyment: 8 - Very Good
Mostly because of that final point, Memories of Nobody truly is, as Tite Kubo himself had hoped, "a story you would be able to keep in your heart." It's not quite Ghost in the Shell or 5 Centimeters per Second, but it's perhaps as close as Bleach will ever achieve.
Final score for Bleach: Memories of Nobody:
8 - Very Good
Also, don't forget to join the Senna Appreciation Club! ^_*
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 12, 2008
Touge is not a seperate manga but in fact the concluding chatper to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. If you do not want to spoil the ending of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, please read that manga first. In fact, I have never seen Touge released separately from Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.
For a detailed review, please read my review of the Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou manga.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 22, 2008
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Quiet Country Cafe (or just Quiet Country Cafe) is a sequel to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and an OVA adaptation of the manga of the same name. Having been made four years later, in 2002, and by a different studio (SME Animation Works, which would later become Aniplex), there are quite a few noticeable differences between the two OVAs as well as from the original manga source material.
Story: 9 (Great)
The story doesn't necessarily pick up from the previous OVA, and can stand alone on its own without having watched the other OVA before hand.
Alpha Hatusueno is a very human-like robot in the form
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of a young woman, who has befriended Kokone, another female robot much like her. Alpha runs a cafe on the outskirts of a Yokohama devastated by rising water levels as she waits for the return of her never-see owner; however, a strong typhoon approaches, and threatens to wipe the cafe off the map. Her human friend Ojisan comes to "rescue" her and wish her away to his gas station which can weather the storm better, but Alpha is still left to worry about the future of the cafe and of herself.
After the typhoon, Alpha decides that it's time to leave Yokohama and explore what the world beyond has to offer. In her absence, some of her friends will move on and explore the world in their own ways, while others will not be so willing to let go and explore Alpha's world in her absence.
The first episode corresponds to Chapter 62 Typhoon and Chapter 63 My Place in the manga, while the second episode is a massive condensation of what some fans like to refer to as the Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (or Yokohama Shopping Log) arc, comprising the next 15 chapters, with more focus being given on some chapters than other (some chapters are compressed to just a few seconds). The second OVA also adds details not present in the manga - for example, focus is added to Kokone's relationship with Alpha, arguably changing the nature of that relationship in the process. The OVA also seems to suppose that the Misago is an Alpha-type robot, a notion Ayase shot down in the manga, plays up some of the dynamics between Takahiro and Makki (a welcome change) and other subtle changes YKK fans might be able to catch.
The remaining things the OVA changes from the manga in regards to story are generally done very well. Through the dynamic subtleties and nuances added through animation, the characters and story flow are able to expand and show additional depth. Though the story does suffer from the massive compression, like the OVA before it brings to life the story of Alpha's journey.
Speaking of which, Alpha's journey is given subtle yet significant changes as well. The manga presented it mostly as an exploration of Alpha's world through her eyes, but the OVA's presentation is set up more for exploring Alpha herself with her world as a backdrop (perhaps to compensate for the compressed time in which to characterize her). Personally, I actually like the OVA's presentation better in this regard, since Alpha herself is one of the reasons why I was drawn to the manga in the first place and why I find it so endearing.
Also, +1, yay, overtly lesbian Kokone ;) Also, boo, -1 for seeing Alpha using the restroom :p
Fun fact: Persimmons never grow to be that size, which, at best, are only able to grow to about the size of a grapefruit and are normally the size of tomatoes. YKK fans who have read chapters taking place after this would probably consider it an interesting clue as to some of the events responsible for Yokohama's devastation in the unseen past.
Art: 9 (Great)
In my opinion, the art doesn't quite match up with the manga and is even a slight retrograde from the previous OVA (despite being done four years later and by the predecessor of Aniplex, who would later be attached to such groundbreaking projects and personal favorites as FullMetal Alchemist and my favorite anime of all, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The character designs are especially noticeable; don't get me wrong, they're still great, but somehow they strike me as being more "generic" compared to the manga. Not to mention, once again, for some reason, the colors still seemed washed out.
The scenery and backgrounds do get some improvement and benefit from the digital art technology that was becoming more in-vogue and mainstream in 2002. It really is something to see these locales come to life, to the delight of any YKK fan.
Sound: 10 (Outstanding)
The sound is pretty much unchanged from the first OVA, including the soothing, calm gekkin music. We're also treated to a new ED song, Furawura, Furawura (Wandering, Wandering which is just an amazing musical piece, and definitely worth sticking around for (not to mention the story continues after the ED, and even incorporates the ED into the storytelling). It is a rather saccharine scene to watch Alpha review her memories as the song plays.
Character: 9 (Great)
The characterization is overall great, and overall benefits from the transition to animation as with the previous OVA, but at the same time this OVA takes liberties to change perhaps the one key relationship in the entire manga. Particularly, the OVA goes out of its way to change the nature of Kokone and her relationship with Alpha; in the manga, for example, the relationship is presented in a rather neutral manner, allowing the readers to make up their minds on their own and fill in the details. There's an in-joke within the YKK fanbase that Kokone is a raging lesbian who has a hard-on obsession stalking Alpha, but for the most part their relationship is just presented as being on some level above a regular friendship. This OVA, on the other hand, takes the "raging lesbian" in-joke perhaps a little too seriously for some YKK fans to swallow - Kokone goes so far as to fondle sleeping Alpha's breasts in the opening of the first episode, and in the second episode appears to be having a little too much fun and anxiety (and perhaps even obsession) being in Alpha's room.
Alpha, on the other hand, is treated with more respect, and we gain a true sense of intimacy with the character (the good kind, for us, not the kind Kokone apparently wants). The viewers really do begin to feel what kind of person Alpha is, what brings excitement to her life, what her hopes and anxieties are, and some of the loneliness and nostalgia she begins to feel as she decides its finally time to head home. Once again, the animation, for the most part, uses the new medium to its advantage to add and intensify the characters through movement and voice.
Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)
Quiet Country Cafe isn't perfect; it isn't a perfect transition to animation and it's not even quite as good as its predecessor, but we're still treated to more of what many YKK fans have been wanting since the end of the manga: more of Alpha and getting to know her rich character in greater depth. Whether or not you'll enjoy the somewhat re-imagined characterization of Kokone or the attempt to compress 15 chapters into 30 minutes, you'll still come away with a great feeling of warmth and satisfaction from what this OVA has to deliver.
Final score for Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Quiet Country Cafe:
9: Great
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 21, 2008
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a two-episode OVA based on the manga of the same name (please read my review of the manga for more details). Specifically, it is based on a few early chapters in the manga. After reading over some other reviews, it seems that the transition from still images to animation has been somewhat of a hit-or-miss kind of thing with many people, but for me, I think it weathers the transition very well; the OVA takes advantage of the medium to showcase the world and characters, but in some ways doesn't go far enough.
Story: 9 (Great)
The story concerns Alpha Hatsusueno, an android
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(or gynoid, to be gender-specific) who lives on the outskirts of what's left of Yokohama, Japan after rising sea levels destroyed most of the city. She spends her days running a cafe and waiting for the return of her owner, who has left for reasons and parts unknown. One day, she receives a visitor - a young woman named Kokone, who is here to drop off a special package for her along with a message. When Alpha asks for the contents of the message, she discovers something special about Kokone - she, too, is a robot!
Alpha and Kokone quickly become friends, and the two begin to explore the world around them, aided by the gift sent by Alpha's owner - a camera that can directly interface with robots. Kokone returns to her delivery service, leaving Alpha feeling lonely again. She then decides to head out on her own to discover for herself what the world offers for her to photograph and preserve.
After going out to pick up a new rake, the skies above Alpha's little scooter start to darken; before long, a heavy rain sets in. Suddenly, a lightning strike out of nowhere! Alpha will now have to cope with trying to survive and the changes she'll face after her recovery.
Alpha decides to try out her new camera and becomes greatly dissatisfied with some of the shots she takes. She searches for the perfect shot, but is suddenly overtaken by a faint memory she barely remembers, one that goes back to the very day she was first activated.
The corresponding manga chapters covered by the OVA's two episodes are, in order,Chapter 7 Afternoon February 2, Chapter 8 1 by 1, Chapter 9 300 Image Capacity,Chapter 4 Rain and After, Chapter 12 Navi and Chapter 22 Yokosuka Cruise - note that Chapters 8 and 9 and Chapters 12 and 22 have been combined into a single half-episode each.
The story faithfully reproduces the ones told in the original manga chapters, but adds special touches as well. We see the dynamics of the wonderous splendor of Alpha's world, as well as the dynamics of her special relationship with Kokone (special in more ways than one :). Many of the subtleties of Alpha's character that can only be told through movement are revealed to us as well. We also see a little more backstory and a few changes here and there between the OVA and the manga - Alpha remembers or at least admits a little bit about what it was like being around before robots were common. Overall, the execution is great and it's clear that the animators and producers were careful to preserve and enhance the environment and characters of the manga, though I wish we could've seen the world through the perspective of Alpha's camera more often.
Art: 9 (Great)
The art is terrific and faithfully reproduces or even enhances the art style of the manga, but sadly the colors come off as a little washed-out, especially in regards to Alpha and Kokone.With that said, the animation takes us one step closer towards experiencing this futuristic world of Yokohama for ourselves, and brings Alpha and Kokone one step closer to our world.
Sound: 10 (Outstanding)
The music sets a benchmark for anime of this genre and is performed by Choro Club who also gave us the soundtrack for ARIA; much of it is performed with a gekkin, the same type of stringed musical instrument Alpha plays in the manga and seen in the OVA. Background an incidental music factor in heavily, much more so than other works. The music very much correlates to the imagery on-screen and tells us through audio the type of laid-back world Alpha sees, despite the many hardships she and her friends have to put up with.
Character: 10 (Outstanding)
In many ways the characterization of Alpha, Kokone, and the others exceeds that of the manga, since we're treated to many nuances the manga is simply not able to show. We see in Alpha a certain kind of endearing naivety as she begins to see things for the first time from differing perspectives, yet at the same time, we see a strong-willed young woman who is not only capable of taking care of herself but highly values the bonds she has with what has become her human family. The animation does much to bring these characters alive through these nuances and interactions with others and their environment, bringing these characters one step closer to reality.
Enjoyment: 9 (Great)
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is almost as much of a masterpiece as its source material but is not without its flaws that detracts from its enjoyment. The washed-out colors are distracting, especially when I was expecting the vibrant green and purple of Alpha's and Kokone's hair to be carried over from the manga. Despite that, the OVA still does a magnificent job of breathing life into Hitoshi Ashinano's still images and ephemeral snapshots, and for this alone it is a highly recommended and regarded piece.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is given a final score of:
10: Outstanding
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 21, 2008
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is one of those works that just comes along and doesn't manage to gather a huge fanbase, but the cult following it does gather will remember this story for a lifetime. It's simply outstanding, and manages to carry a story larger than its obstensibly slice-of-life tone with just enough subtle hints to carry it into the realm of mystery and science fiction.
Story: 10 (Outstanding)
The story is about Alpha Hatsusueno, an unusual young woman living in the outskirts of Yokohama, Japan. After a brief conversation with Ojisan, her closest neighbor, we quickly discover that this sometime-in-the-future Yokohama has been wiped out by rising
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water levels, and we also discover just what makes Alpha so unusual - she's actually an A7M1 android (or rather gynoid, to be gender-correct), a practically perfect mechanical representation of a young woman constructed for purposes not even she is aware of, other than to serve as a prototype for mass-produced others like her during some forgotten time. She spends her days looking over a cafe waiting for her never-seen owner, until one day a package arrives delivered by another young woman named Kokone, who just happens to be a robot herself. Their mutual loneliness gravitates them towards each other, and Alpha learns to venture further away from Yokohama on a voyager of self-discovery while learning more about the few people left in her life.
A fantastic story indeed, heavy on character and storytelling visuals, we get a true sense of what this world is like and what these characters are experiencing.
Art: 10 (Outstanding)
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is masterfully illustrated in both its character designs and landscapes, something most closely matched by the grand works of Myazaki. Alpha and her fellow female robots are downright gorgeous (admittedly a major part of the appeal of this work for the author :) and the scenery is breathtaking. What really elevates this work to a masterpiece is the magic integrated into the art - the surreal imagery of streetlights glowing underwater and having an out-of-body experience in midair is something that has to be seen, especially when it's done so well on the static page.
Character: 10 (Outstanding)
Alpha Hatsusueno is a very well-done character who has everything to offer to the reader - a gorgeous young woman who learns to have a love of life through the friends that surround for her and love her. I realize what I just wrote may make her sound out to be the ultimate Mary Sue but this characterization is carried off very well. Her character is an interesting mix of various things, ranging from childish naivety to piercing wisdom and insight, serving to illustrate the contradictions of living as a young woman who is in fact older than most people left alive. The other characters around her are just as richly told, with Kokone displaying many of the same degrees of naivety-to-wisdom but in a different manner, reflecting her different interests, motivations and aspirations; the humans serve to reflect off the robots, and to reminds us that these robots are reflections of ourselves.
Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)
All of these factors come together to make Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou an absolute triumph of storytelling. Truly, it is a deep experience that one is not likely to forget and reminding the reader as to why it may just about be perfect.
Giving Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou a final score of:
10: Outstanding
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 21, 2008
This is going to be a pretty short review because it's a pretty short story (a single chapter, a mere 16 pages) and not a lot could be said about it plot-wise without giving away a lot of story details that should be enjoyed while reading this. With that said, White Clouds is a very sentimental sort slice of life piece that, even in a genre becoming known for uniqueness, is quite unique.
Story: 10 (Outstanding)
The story is told through the perspective of an elderly dog watching over his equally elderly caretaker as his granddaughter comes to visit. Being a slice of life one-shot story, there
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isn't much to stay without ruining detail, but it's a very soft, warming sentimental story about life and moving on when it's time to go.
Art: 10 (Outstanding)
The art is actually very simple, but takes advantage of that simplistic style to achieve almost a surreal, softened image as if being peered through the foggy depths of memories gone-by. Lacking any color, the art instead uses the ample white space to create a surreal, almost heaven-like feel.
Character: 10 (Outstanding)
There's actually quite a bit of character development concentrated into 16 pages, and subtle actions are used to tell who these characters are while telling the story it has to offer.
Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)
Perhaps "enjoyment" is the wrong word to use here, since it ends with a rather sad note, but, to put it simply, it gets you every time. This is simply a piece that, rather than just reading about in a simple review, you should just make an effort to go find and read it for yourself.
Final score:
10: Outstanding
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 20, 2008
I take it from the number of recent reviews that, much like with Negadon, most of the people will probably be familiar with this through Sci-Fi's 10/20/08 airing. Strait Jacket is definitely an OVA worth watching, and a pretty easy one to watch at that. Not too hard on plot elements, backstory, or technobabble/magibabble, it's not exactly a laid-back anime but it's something that can be enjoyed with a full bucket of popcorn, just be careful not to spill any after seeing a few "OH SNAP!" moments here and there.
Before going into detail, I should add that what makes this OVA work for the English-speaking
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world is its nearly spot-on dub. The dub isn't perfect, and in some areas can be less than stellar (I'm less than impressed with the dub of Mary Simmons, who comes off as a pretty weak character, despite being voiced by Bridget Hoffmann) but with a cast made of up, get this: Steve Blum, Crispin Freeman, Vic Mognogna (yes, you read that right: all three in the same OVA!) Kari Wahlgren, Jamieson Price, and Lara Jill Miller along with the aforementioned Bridget Hoffman, you just cannot go wrong.
Story: 7 (Good)
The story is not exactly exceptional but far from bland and unoriginal: it's the late 19th century, and people have figured out how to mechanize sorcery, basically. Since practicing too much sorcery can have nasty side effects, mainly turning people into homocidal demons, sorcerists wear "mould suits" which allows them protection. However, sometimes these suits fail, and the number of demon transformations have risen due to mold suit sabotage by a terrorist group calling themselves "Oddman." It's up to the Tactical Sorcerists, or "Strait Jackets" to deal with these demon outbursts. Hammond is one of these sorcerists; he considers his rival Steinberg to be an extreme danger due to his unlicensed status, unrestrained methods and sometimes downright suicidal attitude, which may have something to do with the relationship he has with the strange little girl Capeltata.
The story alone is not what makes this OVA great, but it's not something just tacked on either.
Art: 7 (Good)
Anymore, the art really can't be considered all that special, but given the average state of art in anime in recent years (a pretty big jump in quality, and pretty much light-years over some of the darkest days in the medium; see M.D. Geist, Mad Dog 34 or Vampire Wars) that's almost becoming a compliment, and if you can't be spectacular, at least being average beats the other alternative, especially when "average" is becoming pretty darn decent lately.
Though, speaking of M.D. Geist this OVA doesn't spare on the blood and gore either. It lacks the sheer cheese factor of that particularly ancient and bad OVA, but take it as you will in regards to whether it drags the OVA down or props it up.
Sound: 8 (Very Good)
It's hard to determine, really, whether all the points that contribute to this category being so high really deserve to belong here or over at the character column, because the voice acting really goes far towards making this OVA work. But even if you take all that out, we get some pretty awesome sound effects.
Character: 8 (Very Good)
Ahh, now we get to the best part. The characters are great, and its entirely thanks to their English VA's. Mary Simmons, despite having Bridget Hoffman behind her, does tend to fail, but given the opportunities for the rest of the cast (hey, it's got Steven Blum and Crispin Freeman as the leads) there's not much that can be said other than you simply can't go wrong. If you want to experience just how awesome Freeman and Blum can be, let alone together, you owe it to yourselves to see this.
Enjoyment: 8 (Very Good)
And that's just what this OVA is: awesome, and Blum's and Freeman's voices are just dripping of it. Trust me, you may not enjoy all 90 minutes but you'll enjoy darn near close to it. The only real damn shame about Strait Jacket is that unlike Read or Die there's no series to follow it, but given how recent this OVA is hopefully that will change soon.
Which gives Strait Jacket a final score of:
8: Very Good
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 19, 2008
Howl's Moving Castle is, ultimately, just one example in the ever-growing pile of evidence as to why the word "miss" is never associated with Myazaki.
Story: 10 (Outstanding)
It's hard to say that Howl is original when not only does it draw very heavily from established conventions and tropes from high fantasy and nostalgic works but also happens to be the anime adaptation of the British book of the same name, but it manages to be surprisingly original nonetheless. The story begins with Sophie really just minding her business when she happens to cross paths with an ornery witch who curses her with advanced aging. Desperate to
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find a cure, she later bumps into another magical being, the mysterious magician Howl and his moving castle. Howl quickly reveals his true colors as a friendly and simple nice guy and shelters Sophie while he helps her track down the witch responsible for the curse, who just happens to have been jilted by Howl in the distant past. All of this gets swept aside as Sophie, Howl, the witch and their companions are caught up in a devastating war between two powerful nations and are left to fend for themselves and remain a step ahead of warfare's perils.
Art: 10 (Outstanding0
Nothing more can really be said other than "it's Myazaki". As usual and par for the course for him, the scenery is breathtaking, and is just as much a part of the actual storytelling as the narrative. Myazaki went all out for this one and his imagination went full tilt to give us a world populated by early 20th century European sensibilities with just the right amount of magic thrown in.
Sound: 10 (Outstanding)
Once again, Myazaki is an expert in terms of choosing who to score his work, and the musical score is just as outstanding and breathtaking as the visuals they compliment.
Character: 10 (Outstanding)
The characters are both lovable and deep, from Howl to Sophie to the scrappy little Calcipher (brilliantly voiced by Billy Crystal, perhaps one of his most memorable roles period) to even the mean-spirited but later gentle witch responsible for cursing Sophie, who is also very memorably voiced by none other than Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall.
Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)
Anything less would be an outright failure for a Myazaki work, and Howl's Moving Castle is certainly not a failure. It's a solid work through and through, and there's little wonder as to why Zack of Anime News Network's Answerman column would adopt the personality of Howl as his favorite.
Which leads us to an unsurprising final score of:
10: Outstanding
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 19, 2008
Tactics is, summed up in two words, nothing special. A pretty average anime with a generic "monster of the week" plot with a loose overacing story that is connected by only a few episodes, lacking memorable characters, what characters there are being pretty bland, and ending as a fair piece of work that, while certainly viewers wouldn't actively want to forget, is pretty easily forgettable nonetheless.
Story: 6 (Fair)
The story revolves around Kantarou, a demon exorcist living in what is presumed to be Meiji-era Japan. He has an unusual ability to see and speak to demons and often communicates with them in order to discover the
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truth behind hauntings and possessions. All his life he has always wanted a goblin, a very powerful type of demon that often serves as companions and servants to humans. After following a trail of rumors he finally finds the sealed away Haruko, a demon so powerful they call him the demon eater. After breaking the seal, Haruko joins Kantarou and his friend Yoko (not to be confused by that other Yoko, sadly enough), a shape-shifting ktisune demon; a young girl named Suzu also tags along as she deeply admires Haruko. Other darker forces from Haruko's past may also be stalking him as well.
Although that may sound like an interesting premise, the plot mostly hold together only when necessary, and the series is for the most part just a series of loosely connected episodes about the adventures of Kintarou and Haruko as they investigate one demonic haunting to the next. If you think this sounds eerily like Inuyasha, that's because it is, and a few people have claimed that Tactics is just a blatant rip-off, with Kintarou filling in the role o Miroku, Haruko that of Inuyasha, Yoko combining Kagome and Sango with Shippou's kitsune traits, Suzu filling in for Shippou sans the magic, and the dark forces that stalk Haruko can easily be mistaken for Naraku and Kagura. Take it as you will, but at least the shorter length of Tactics allows for a more successful, filler-free formula than Inuyasha.
Art: 6 (fair)
The art style is rather bland and indistinctive from other anime of the same vintage. Locales are as vivid only as they need to be, and leaves little in terms of memorable impression.
Character: 6 (Fair)
Once again, the characters fail to make any memorable impressions, largely being stock and carrying on as viewers would expect. Perhaps, ironically enough, most memorable in how they behave like Inuyasha's cast in this regard.
Enjoyment: 6 (Fair)
Perhaps a bland series, but not a bad one either. If no better anime is on, it's certainly worth watching, and is fairly entertaining. There are some twists and turns (including one right out of M. Night Shaymalan's playbook, and an earlier one straight out of Silent Hill) that are just enough to keep the viewer engaged.
Which brings the total score to:
6: Fair
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 19, 2008
It might seem a bit pretentious if not outright outlandish to award Gurren Lagann a perfect 10, but meh, I'm doing it anyway. Just simply put this is a masterpiece of animated storytelling. Everyone, regardless of whether or not they're an anime fan, owes it to themselves to see Gurren Lagann before they die.
Story: 10 (Outstanding)
The story is deceptively simple yet simply hits all the right notes where it needs to. Kamina and Simon are diggers living in an underground village. Their job is to dig - digging is the lifeblood of the village, it's what allows the village to expand and grow in population.
...
But it's not the kind of life Kamina wants. Kamina wants to kick logic to the curb and drill through the heavens, just like his long-believed to be dead dad who, as the rumors go, actually makes it to the surface. The desire to drill to the surface is Kamina's one great ambition in life, an ambition that earns him the ire of the rest of the village, and he frequently has to be tempered by his adoptive brother Simon.
Then one day, Simon stumbles upon a strange, drill-like object buried underneath the dirt. He races over to show Kamina, who tells him that the strange object rightly belongs to Simon and shall forever belong to him. Soon afterwards, Simon stumbles upon an even stranger object - it looks like a giant head! Once again he races to tell Kamina, but before he can show him a giant mechanical beast crashes through the heavens and onto the village, along with the beautiful "surface girl" Yoko.
And all of this and more happens in just the first episode!
The plot evolves quickly and is very fast pace, and soon an expanding team headed by Kamina, Simon, Yoko and a field of friends and former enemies soon find themselves staring down what may very well be the complete annihilation of the entire universe!
Art: 10 (Outstanding)
The art is just terrific, and does much to carry on the incredible fast pace of the series. Simple when it needs to be, detailed when it needs to be, the featureless plains of a desert earth contrasts with a vast, detailed and colorful sky to bring the viewer into the desolate world these characters reside in. The character designs themselves may very well go down in history as some of the best remembered and most celebrated, at times looking more like an animated superhero comic book than a shonen anime. The mecha is fantastic too - very distinct with the main body of most mecha being dominated by a face (indeed, halfway through the anime everything, and I mean everything the humans and beastmen build seems to have a face for unexplained reasons, which only adds to the charm) and the Gurren Lagann itself will probably go down as an icon of mecha alongside EVA-01, Ray Armuro's Gundam and the VFS-1 Valkyrie.
Sound: 10 (Outstanding)
...is perhaps the least that can be said about the sound of Gurren Lagann. The OST is probably filled to the brim with the most memorable music in all of humanity's existence, from the OP Sora ino Days to all three EDs (including Happy Endings, which accompanied only a single episode, the appropriate and unusually well done compilation episode). Perhaps the most legendary of them all is Libra Me aka ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH!, which is now known far and wide to even those who have never heard of Gurren Lagann thanks to its memetic power.
Character: 10 (Outstanding)
The characters of Gurren Lagann are an interesting lot - some are memorable because of their singular motivations and two-dimensions, such as Kamina and his sole ambition to be the best living specimen he can possibly be, a notion so strong it cannot help but infect everyone around him and even his enemies. Other characters are actually very well mapped out and surprisingly deep, such as Simon, who is conflicted by his own insecurities and his aspirations to be just like Kamina. Even Boota, Simon's mute pet pigmole, gets a lot of character development, especially in regards to an incredible, jaw-dropping twist near the end. The bad guys show up as amazing characters as well, especially Viral, who surprisingly only tries to do what he believes is good and useful, and Lord Genome, whose character development turns out to be one of the many developing twists in the series.
Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)
As you may have already gathered by now, there is nothing not to like in Gurren Lagann even for those who hate mecha anime. Nary a single second is boring, and the action and story is a non-stop whirlwind.
With all that said, it comes as no surprise that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann gets a final score of:
10 - Outstanding
Really, nothing more needs to be said.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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