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"Dear Enemy, all that makeup that you wear... will never hide, there's a devil under there." - Night Club, "Dear Enemy"

Devilman Crybaby- it's a difficult piece of work to truly encompass when you look at its legacy, and the inextricable legacy of its creator, Go Nagai. I could probably spend 10 hours talking about what all anime, creators, writers, and directors have been directly influenced by Nagai, Nagai's works, and creations, but I'm going to try and do it in 9.

A little background on Nagai before we get started: Go Nagai is to anime/manga what Ozzy Osbourne and King Diamond are to rock music. ... Go Nagai is to anime/manga what Gilgamesh is to literature. Go Nagai is to anime/manga what Metropolis is to film, and particularly scifi/special effects.
The guy has a career spanning five decades, many genres, and is credited for pioneering the Giant Robot genre with Mazinger Z, and also credited with creating the progenitor to modern hentai with Harenchi Gakuen, or "shameless school" in English. He would also later codify the magical girl genre with Cutie Honey, and singlehandedly launched the Shonen Jump magazine into popularity with the scandalous (at the time) Harenchi Gakuen. Literally millions of the fledgling Shonen Jump magazines jumped out of the nest of bookstores in Japan at the time to be flown through by readers of the day.

All of this before 1972, mind you. (Yes, i know Mazinger Z and Devilman were concurrent publications, hush.)

Cue June 11, 1972. Devilman Hits the shelf. Japan is wowed by the ultraviolence that Nagai becomes known for- but all is not senseless beatdowns and buckets of blood- for Devilman has a plot! And no, the plot wasn't just to sell a lot of comic books and make Nagai a rich man and household name, though those were unexpected positive externalities!

Skip to today, Devilman as an intellectual property has sold over 50 million copies, has nine novels, multiple anime and manga iterations, and a number of crossover appearances, not to mention its direct influence on the shonen genre as a whole, which we'll jump into now. Hideaki Anno has even cited Devilman as influence for Evangelion. That's how influential it is.

In 2018- Devilman is certainly a breath of fresh air. The landscape of anime is largely square, prefab, calculated risks created by corporations protecting their investments. Anime is an advertising machine, trying to get people to buy the producers' and publishers' newest manga acquisitions with "read the manga to find out what happens next!!!" endings. Anime is a niche market, we know this- but anime has seemingly stagnated in terms of creativity- lots of magical high schools, put upon protagonists with shaggy hair and no parents, etc. Rarely do you see studios or production companies take risks licensing old names like Devilman. This manga is from 1972, it's old enough to be any given manga artist today's dad!

Devilman was certainly a risk. Netflix fronted studio "Science Saru" the funds to create a 10 episode series based on the manga, and probably spent half the budget getting Masaaki Yuasa of Tatami Galaxy fame to direct the thing. Does it help that this anime was produced outside the normal avenues of production? Absolutely. I doubt this anime would have been made any other way.

For one- the best, and probably only way to adapt any of Go Nagai's works (remember that I said he's known for ultraviolence, as well has heavily sexual themes and content) is to do it AWAY from TV. Nagai himself has stated that when he wrote Devilman, he wrote it for adults, 18+, and so the controversy surrounding its depiction of violence, blood, guts, and sex didn't bother him, because it was always intended for adults to read, and not children. As anyone who's ever played an M rated video game online, we know that this is not necessarily the case, that only adults consume media made for adults, but in this case, Devilman got made because Netflix's producers aren't children.

So, we've got a lot of highly stylized sex, violence, and machspeed thanks to Yuasa's frenetic directing style, but where's the substance? Enter hero Akira Fudo, a put upon teen with shaggy hair. He does actually have parents, even if they're away, and amazingly, he doesn't attend a high school where everyone has magical powers. In fact, everyone seems refreshingly normal, except for his bsupremely intelligent, rich, scandinavian beaut of a best friend, Ryo. His powers are more like Batman, however.

Again with the shonen influences, you'd be hard-pressed to find more of (what are now) shonen tropes in a single show. Devilman was the progenitor to supernatural and religious horror in manga, introduced duality of man issues, inner struggles with literal demons, absorption of souls/powers, etc etc. I haven't seen every shonen series ever made, but I'd be willing to bet you could find some example of a shonen trope that was initiated by Devilman.


It's not a spoiler to say that Akira becomes possessed by a demon- otherwise how else would he become Debiruman? However, it would be criminal of me to disturb the plot for anyone else beyond this initial possession. Akira learns of other demons possessing people, and as a half man, half devil, he takes it upon himself to put and end to the malevolent presence.

The series really takes a turn just past halfway through, and though this adaptation certainly skips a lot of the manga in its pithy 10 episode run, I feel like the major points all hit home amid a sexy, violent, blood filled romp. Everything is highly stylized, but graphic and disturbing at points to where it doesn't become overplayed and complacent. As a viewer, I never felt like I expected XY outcomes, and at certain points, it subverts many expectations I had from watching countless other anime play out, turning them right on its head. Nietzsche himself would be impressed with this one, I think.

While the plot itself is breakneck in pace, and has some issues (such as Akira being given a phone early in the show, and his mother calls him, yet she would have had no way of knowing that he even had a phone, let alone the number to call), I think that many of these are caused by pure omission of manga details (cut for time), and by creating a modern day adaptation of a 45 year old manga, in a time when the internet and cell phones didn't exist. The importance of these creature comforts and connectivity we take for granted today are integral to the plot, and I assume were not present in the manga, because social media is an advent of the new age. The show also features some great dark, pulsating electronic music that fits the tone exceptionally well. Top marks for sound design.

Once you get to the end though, like an episode of Arrested Development or Seinfeld, those little plot points from the beginning that didn't make much sense, or that side character that seemed unimportant come into focus and suddenly gain a lot of meaning. Things people say, actions people take, they all have a character and a role to play, and I would go so far as to say that no one in this show has a sweeping 180 of character for no reason, something that can't be said for anime. It all stays tightly wound until the ending, and what a shock it is.

What is the measure of a classic?

The dictionary would suggest that a classic is: n. is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. Something that stands the test of time, is remembered fondly, and has continued appeal.

Historically, the world classic itself typically imbues a connotation of antiquity- Greeks, Romans, ancient literature, artwork, even music. It inspires originality and derives from that a long-lasting impact.

The audience would likely suggest a less abstract definition and instead give examples. In film, you'd ... get a Citizen Kane or a Sunset Boulevard or a Rear Window. In television, a wider range of things.

There are even such things as "modern classics", like my beloved Ringtone Rap.

In anime, the definition of classic- well... that debate is still hotly contested. One name, that continually rises up through sifting of the ever growing mound of coarse sand that is anime however, is that of Cowboy Bebop.


Bebop checks off all the boxes for an enduring, beloved series- it has the characters, it's easy to follow, it's got the tunes, a tightly controlled artistic direction that sets it apart from the rest of the pack, and most importantly- it's entertaining. There is a reason why certain shows like Seinfeld, Spongebob, Andy Griffith, The Flintstones, Friends, Star Trek, and many others continued to air on TV long after their expiration date: accessibility. Many of the longest running shows on television center on a long running, slow unfolding story arc, often involving a large family or group of them- such as Dallas, the Sopranos, or Game of Thrones. They tell interwoven stories with a myriad of characters over a period of years, and as such, length of the show is hampered only by the creative output of the creators.

To create such a show that, within its relatively short length of 26 episodes (everything listed above numbers in the hundreds of episodes, or will, by the end of the run) manages to cover such a wide range of topics and stories in a self contained format is a feat indeed. One of the most common criticisms of scripted shows like this are their episodic or short arc nature. The people want a singular story to follow- a goal, a direction. Episodic series often feel uneven in tone and pacing, not to mention disjointed due to the constant shift and restarting that's necessary to keep the show accessible to new viewers who may not have seen previous episodes.

Cowboy Bebop doesn't necessarily rely on viewers to have seen all of the preceding episodes to be able to enjoy any given episode, and to me, this is one of the great charms the show has- the ability to pick it up wherever, and enjoy it. I think this is also why it's had lasting success on Adult Swim since its original airing in 2001. Bebop is a lot of fun to watch, no matter where in the series you pick it up; and that enjoyability is due in no small part to the writing and direction. Certain long running shows can have very interesting plots, and be loaded with poorly written characters, but still manage to garner a large viewing audience who want to follow along- shows that have intriguing concepts, but poor execution.
For an episodic series like Bebop to succeed, the emphasis doesn't necessarily need to be on making every single story plot the most interesting and wacky thing out there, but rather to be anchored by /characters/ you want to watch interact and react to situations. Indeed, it is characters that drive this story, and not the other way around.

A show's greatest sin is to be unentertaining. If a show is "boring", it has failed at its' most fundamental level- being entertainment.


Boring, Bebop is not. The characters are unique, and how they work, play, and fight together is decidedly endearing. Each character has their charm and their wit. Spike, the central protagonist, is a mysterious James Bond-esque man of many skills- particularly in combat. Throughout the show, there are several overarching questions about his past, which are revealed through about 5 episodes throughout. However, this kind of information about the character is really just a bonus, because it takes all of one episode to know what kind of character he is: the sharp dressing, sardonic, quintessential cool- cigarettes, guns and all. He's not without depth or flaws, however. There's more behind the man than the mask of calm, cool, and collected.
He is set opposite the very antithesis of calm, cool and collected in Faye- a beautiful young woman with an equally mysterious past that's explored in several later episodes. She plays an important role in the team though, instead of just being the token female or there for fanservice. She's another multifaceted character with more than meets the eye, and frequently steals the spotlight.
The trio is rounded off with Jet- the "I'm too old for this crap" retired cop archetype. Jet exists as the grounded personality between Spike's frustration and Faye's outbursts, and generally serves as the voice of reason between the two extremes: his crewmates, hothead and impulsive.

Soundwise, the show is superb. I make no secret of being a fan of Yoko Kanno, but this is the show that catapulted her to stardom in the anime industry. It's got a fantastic blend of moody orchestral pieces juxtaposed with the titular bebop jazz. There's funk, there's electronica, and there's even an episode devoted to heavy metal. A more diverse soundtrack you are unlikely to find, and there will certainly be something for everyone to enjoy with such a variety of tunes. As far as the voice acting goes, Steve Blum, Wendee Lee, and Beau Billingslea all do fantastic jobs as Spike, Faye, and Jet respectively.

The art, too, is fantastic for the time. In 2017, Bebop could be considered an "old" anime, clocking in at a geriatric 19 years of age. Don't let the number fool you though, as the hand drawn art maintains a great consistency in quality and fluidity throughout the show's run. The show features a great variety in locales, vehicles, and characters. Due to the episodic nature, very few episodes take place in the same locations, and a number of different themes in art direction show up in the show. There are full on neo-noir episodes, complete with the black and white look, detectives, etc. and other more darkly colored ones with slow fades to reveal a what looks to be a puddle is actually blood. There are a number of western themed episodes, mafia, casino, and others. Definitely no shortage of different motifs.

One of my favorite episodes was the magic mushroom episode, where, due to a food shortage, Spike, Faye, and Jet all end up eating psychedelic mushrooms they've mistaken for portabellas, and it's up to Edward to actually track down some real food. Though it's a silly episode played for laughs, it actually succeeds in taking a needed break from the action. The "Pierrot Le Fou" episode, which reminded me heavily of the 1992 Batman Animated series, involves a superhuman test subject that resembles The Penguin, who loses his mind and goes nuts, attacking anyone and everyone. The episode is downright creepy, and Spike's showdown with him at the end is quite clever, and, as mentioned before- really seems like a Batman episode.

That said, and being episodic, some episodes are a mixed bag. A few that are supposed to be touching just felt a bit out of place, and others that were more comedic in tone fell a bit flat when it involved someone other than the main three. The recurring "Spike and Faye manage to screw up somehow and lose the bounty they're hunting, or they unexpectedly die" gag wears thin pretty quickly, and the formulaic nature of the first few episodes gets kinda old, too. The second half of the show is definitely where it all comes together though, and the ending was rather unexpected for a show of this type, and succeeded in grabbing me by the heart.

All that to say: Cowboy Bebop is exactly what I would consider to be a classic.

See you, Space Cowboy.

Imagine for a moment that you're a recent graduate of a prestigious art school in Japan. You land your big boy job at a studio known for their terrible ecchi adaptations. Months of slavishly working late nights pass, drawing frames for trashy harem comedies after garbage light novel adaptations, and all the magic and wonder of animation has been replaced with a visceral hatred and complacency; because, face it, you can always quit and get a lower paying job drawing hentai.
You get a promotion, all of a sudden you're key animating, and life gets a little better. The next day, the first thing that ... drops on your brand new mahogany desk is a manilla folder. Your line director tells you that you need to draw frames for a dynamic action sequence where a swimsuit clad girl slams her cooch down into another scantily clad girl's face before performing a movie that would make Mortal Kombat cringe: an "Ass Guillotine". You're told that the show is called "Keijo!!!!!!!!", with 8 exclamation points.

And people wonder why karoushi is particularly high among animators.


"Keijo begins with the butt and ends with the butt
And so did any possibility of this anime being anything other than pathetic, titillating fanservice with the utterance of that line.

It seems like every year, right around Christmas time, we're given gifts. Some gifts are good, useful, and necessary in our lives- like when I got my bicycle. I was elated, it was useful, and I still cherish it, because it keeps my ass from having to walk!

And then at the other end of the spectrum, that weirdo at work or school gets your name for secret santa and gives you some useless piece of crap like a duct taped ball of change, someone's Pottery 1001 class final project, an electric can opener, and some used deodorant. I mean, imagine waking up on Christmas morning to find you got a new computer, a new phone, a new car, and oh... a Keijo dvd... who gave me that?

Unfortunately, much like herpes, Keijo was a gift that kept on giving this season, too. Boy, did it ever give- but mostly just what it stole from other anime. My biggest criticism of Keijo is certainly that it has not one original thought in its disgustingly voluptuous body. I just reviewed Akame and bashed it for misappropriating setpieces and scenes from other anime, and Keijo takes this to 11, with the least amount of tact and taste possible. Half the characters are just reincarnations of Jojo characters- down to the sound effects and power abilities (stop time, ORAORAORA, take your pick, it's in there), rips from Fist of the North Star, Fate Stay Night (replace GIlgamesh's noble fantasm with butts, how original), Attack on Titan, and a myriad other hamfisted "references" that you could file under fanservice as well.

See, the problem with Keijo isn't that it's just a stupid tournament panty fighter like Ikkitousen, the problem is that it shows all of its cards way too early, dissolves tension, and gives all of its characters the Code Geass treatment of way too many fanservicey butt and boob shots to the detriment of the fight. Panty fighters can be funny and still have a semblance of a story, like Butt Attack Punisher Girl. Panty fighters can be narrow, shameless and tasteless displays of female sex objects too- which is what Keijo falls under.
To the tension dissolving point- we see every character's "SUPER ULTRA MEGA MONSTER" move within the first few episodes. You know that they have the ability within them, and that they're only going to use it right at the climax of the battle when all looks lost- swoop in and save the day, ride off into the sunset, the end, everyone wins, power of friendship!
Take for instance, Jotaro from Jojo part 3. In the beginning, his Star Platinum ability is barely controllable, and while still strong, beatable by many early opponents. The nefarious DIO shows that he has the power to stop time with ZA WARUDO right at the beginning- but his ability to do so also grows. When the final battle comes, not only has Jotaro learned new abilities, but he also pulls one out of the hat that we didn't expect, though it fits in perfectly with the show, enabling him to do what I said before- swoop in and claim victory from the jaws of defeat. Keijo? You learn the super move day 1, use it to win in every battle afterwards. That's neither interesting nor fun to watch, it's just a matter of taking bets on when it's coming.

You know, if you rearrange the letters in Keijo, you can get another world that describes it better... Kojei: which means shit in Okinawan.


Keijo is like a bad gag gift. Some gag gifts can be funny, because they put the recipient in a situationally funny or embarrassing position in front of a bunch of people, like getting some sexy underwear and a dildo. Except you're a guy. And the lingerie won't fit. So what do you do? You just throw that shit in the trash, and move on with your life, just like Keijo.

"There's one thing about this job you need to remember: doing this job never feels rewarding." -Isla

Well thanks for that, Isla. Sometimes that's the reviewer's life too.

Onto Plastic Memories-


The Good Stuff:

Sound and Voice Acting: 7
...
So, we've got some super veterans like the awesome Megumi Toyoguchi (Revy, Black Lagoon, Winry, FMA/B) as the underutilized, but funny psycho boss, Kazuki. Sora Amamiya (Touka, Tokyo Ghoul) also heads up as Isla, and does a good job playing the airhead, naive character. There's also Mr. "Screw The Rules" Seto Kaiba himself, Kenjirou Tsuda. The OST is a bit underwhelming, and during some key moments is actually silent. Very forgettable.


The Aight Stuff:

Artwork and Animation: 5

Pretty plain, run of the mill animation. Nothing flashy, nothing outstanding, just does what it does. You've got the different characters you can tell apart by their hair color, and pretty much everyone else fades to the background in shades of brown and gray. Chibi faces, blue with shock, and all kinds of blushing are here, and teasing the girl with big boobs, if that kind of stuff appeals to you.


The Rest (Rest in RIP, more like):

Story and Characters: 2, 1

I'm going to be frank- Plastic Memories is a case of false advertising. Oh but the fanboys will cry foul with how "feelsy" and "sad" it is. Yeah, it's "feelsy" and heartfelt if you're a complete sap sucker. Anime fans seem to be drawn to this nebulous and utterly trite idea of "feels" over and over in these pathetically thin "tragic love stories", and for no good reason. It's turning into a genre of its own, this recycled tugging-at-heartstrings narrative- so much to the point where we're literally watching the same kid and his dog die every week, with a slightly different coat of paint. If I want to watch that crap, I'll go to the Hallmark channel, dang. This show is grasping at straws for a romance narrative after starting out onto the path of what seemed to be an interesting psychological show.

You see, the Plastic Memories fans have conveniently forgotten how terribly paced and off topic the first several episodes are compared to what it transitions to later in the show. In the beginning, Plastic Memories was dropping lines like "Ripping apart memories is our job" and "Having happy and beautiful memories won't always bring you salvation. The more beautiful a memory is, the more painful it can become". That's some dark and heavy shit. That's not romcom material.

Furthermore, the plot was asking questions of itself like, "what happens to these androids when they're retired?" and "why is it that science only allows for them to have this limited lifespan?" which are never addressed.

It's this taste of a psychological narrative about loss and the meaning of kinship and companionship that I thought this show was going to be about that interested me in it in the first place. If I were to infer what the story was about by the synopsis provided by MAL, I would not conclude that this was a story about loss and coping, along with maybe some action and a touch of comedy, mostly serious stuff. I never make note of the tags that shows are listed by, because they're irrelevant anyway, but Plastic Memories takes the irrelevance cake- it has one tag: Sci-Fi. Well Ho-lee crap, tell me something I don't know.

Kind of like the title implies, Plastic Memories has an identity crisis going on.

-----

The Giftias (the androids central to the show) are imprinted with varying personalities. One of the ones retrieved (the universe term for being disposed of when their predetermined lifespan runes out) was a bodyguard for a Mafia man, another was a child for a parent, one a parent to an orphan, and all sorts of other familial relations. The effect of the loss of what's effectively a close family member is touched upon early, but dumped in favor of yet another teen romance show.

While this could be a great setup for "is it human love that we require, or a sense of companionship?" or another existential theme about "are the androids capable of their own thought?" but no. They even touch on a deep political and sociological subject of "since the Giftias are owned, can they even become people?"

No, Plastic Memories is too heavy handed in exposition for that. Rather than leaving it up to the audience to decide, they just lay it all out there. Despite the completely arbitrary "Made For TV™" drama of a 10 year life span, it's explained that Giftia owners have the option to re-use the body of the Giftia when it's retired, and they can even REPLANT THE SAME PERSONALITY inside of it! There are murmurings of "Can the Giftias remember anything from their past incarnations?" But this is quickly dropped in favor of "OMG HOW SAD THE GIFTIAS ARE THIS POOR TIME BOMB OF FEELINGS WHAT DO YOU DOOOOO!?"

-----

So, despite the fact that you're hit with what you know to be end of the show in the first two episodes, and the solution is also already given... the authors decide to change gears to this melodramatic sob fest filled with tsundere side chick, overbearing people trying to live Tsukasa's life for him, and a general clusterf*ck of slice of life and cheap romance.

You can't even blame these plot holes on a crappy adaptation, because Plastic Memories is a WHOLLY ORIGINAL anime! The writers at Doga Kobo started off with a passable concept, and then passed the pen to somebody who just got done reading some garbage ass, written with an 8 year old's concept of love Twilight fanfic, and then tried desperately to plagiarize it while drunk!

-----

The characters, much like the story, fit the title perfectly. Plastic. Fake. Artificial. Phony.

What's perhaps the most damning part of how fake this show is, is that we're shown through Isla's words and actions that she, as a Giftia, has NO EMPATHY. (For the vocabulary challenged among us, empathy is being able to UNDERSTAND emotions, not feel sorry for someone- which is sympathy.) {Have sympathy for people who suffered through this show, but empathize that you understand their anger and frustration.}
That's right- Giftias can't understand human being's emotions. They MANUFACTURE their own """Plastic Feelings"""", emotions and moods and project that outwardly. Kazuki herself explains what the feeling of regret is to Isla in episode 10, on top of how many times we see "love" and "sadness" explained to the Giftias.

So my question to the plot and writers is now, "why the hell should anyone in the show {much less a viewer} even care about Giftias being taken away when their lives end?" Sure, something that's been a staple in your life for 10 years being excised one day could hurt, but they're not humans. They're basically just glorified pets. Doga Kobo makes NO attempt at trying to make the Giftias more human, particularly because the other Giftias in the show are even more robotic than Isla is! Guess what? The best part is that they replace the Giftia's personality with a new one, for FREE! Who's to say that Isla's body isn't someone else's long gone child or girlfriend??

Make some new memories, Tsukasa, preferably with a real person this time. They have OKCupid in this world, right? (Also, wtf happened to nepotism in the future?)
Tsukasa Mizugaki:
Age: 19
Sex: No
Location: Terminal Service (lol not the hospital morgue, but I want to kill myself)
Interests: crushing on robots, being a sappy, bumbling idiot, having no sense of social cues, and ignoring the advances of real women in favor of robots.
Looking For: A clumsy girl who refuses to talk to me and/or a hot and cold spicy redhead.


Overall and Recommendation: 3

If you want a really generic SOL romcom that starts like crap and ends with THA FEELS (or inversely, an interesting premise of a psychological show that goes Hindenburg after about 4 episodes)... Knock yourself out.

Drop me a line for whenever you feel that fanboy rage building up after reading this one- I look forward to it.

Anime is a production.
As of late, there are few genres of anime (aside from the ever popular time travel) that I've seen take off as much as the MMO/Fantasy RPG/Living inside a video game. 2014 had more SAO, "No Game No Life" and "Log Horizon", 2015 had such hits as "Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?" (Danmachi), "Overlord", and "Bikini Warriors". Given that many anime consumers in Japan (keep in mind, this is who anime is made for, despite the odd trend to the contrary) also consume video games- it makes sense from a demographic and market share ... perspective- offer your audience something they can relate to and find engaging.

It's a tried and true method of marketing, and just like sex, video game themed anime sells.
The next step in selling your product, after you've figured out what you're going to make, is to differentiate it; because, let's face it, these anime are so manufactured and soulless that they were made by a committee of suits, just like horror movie sequels and Disney. So, you've gotta find a gag, since we've all seen what happens when you play it straight: SAO.
As far as I've seen, you've got about 3 choices: fanservice, humor, or some combination of the two. Overlord went the humor route in depicting a ridiculously overpowered MC in an underpowered game. Danmachi went full fanservice and showed off nothing but ridiculously overdone T&A. Where does Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo fall on this? Somewhere roughly in the middle, along with Bikini Warriors, which sold out on BOTH extreme fanservice and humor.

Allow me to explain, Kono Subarashii takes a very self aware and 4th wall breaking style of humor in its setting- a nameless NEET dies in the stupidest way possible- dying of shock after buying a new video game, and in return gets reincarnated into a fantasy world he hopes will be like the game he never got to play. As it turns out, life in the fantasy world isn't all T&A (but there's a lot of that anyway).

I'm watching Kono Subarashii, and wondering what people liked about it so much. The comedy is hit or miss, as with most MMO themed shows (depending on if you've played the specific game or experienced the scenarios in RPG games the characters run into), but it's just a cast of cardboard cutouts with no personality to speak of, acting like the median character archetype they're based on. Like, even Bikini Warriors managed that, and it was like 3 minutes per episode.

Character archetype list:
You've got the wisecracking sarcastic shaggy hair NEET MC who knows everything about how the game functions, or should function. Can't suffer his idiotic teammates, but of course, is also a horny bastard.

Then there's the arrogant, bitchy character who's actually an idiot and completely useless other than running their mouth, crying, and getting in the way for the sake of humor.

What's an anime without another useless airhead character? Oh, and make them a cute little girl, because you need lolis.

And finally, the token female masochist character that tries to elbow your ribs with the completely punchless erotic jokes that wear thin within 5 minutes of their appearance. This character type is only moderately better than the spicy red head tsundere archetype who gets violent with the MC for no reason and the big tits loli dumbass.


I'm pretty sure Bikini Warriors did exactly this, in 20 less minutes of runtime. In fact, Bikini Warriors does do this, and does it better. For a 3 minute short to be effective, you have to be very focused and get the point out there, quickly. They did exactly that: pick one poignant video game humor joke, like repeatedly getting the same loot, armor that looks exactly the same, but better, pot smashing, dumb AI, etc and making that the focus of the episode amid a flood of pointless fanservice. Bikini Warriors borders on hentai at times, but the jokes land in the crosswind, and it's actually funny.

Kono Subarashii tries to use these same jokes- grinding endlessly for a pittance of money, ineffective equipment or spells, useless teammates, etc and they work at times... but their reiterative feel and how similarly each episode plays out kills the effect- Kazuma wants to get money, accept quest, some weird combination of fudgery allows them to complete it, Aqua messes it up and costs the team all their money, (or some variant on that, rinse, repeat). Bikini Warriors didn't wear as thin because it was a short burst, but Kono Subarashii just doesn't have enough content to fill out a 23 minute episode, although this may be a shortcoming of the studio Deen for not effectively adapting the LNs... as they're known for their crap quality in 2016.

The last two episodes were the highlight of the show, honestly. The whorehouse part was actually funny- because they played up the gamer humor AND the fanservice in an acceptable way that wasn't just shoved in for no reason. That succubus episode would have been filler in literally any other show, but in the effectively all filler, no progression SOL style of Kono Subarashii, it takes the cake as the cream of the pants. I mean, crop.
It's not fair to rate a largely episodic comedy series on how it progresses plots or characters, but at least the overarching plot is addressed, even if it's for the sake of humor- as in, "lol we're never going to reach our goal of finishing this adventure, because we SUCK!"
The last episode wasn't bad either, if entirely predictable. It's always nice to see the idiosyncrasies of the ragtag group of characters finally work out the way it's supposed to, even with all their blunders.

Overall, I have to say that even as a former MMORPG player, I have never really been a fan of the presentation of it in series form... the potential for humor is there, if you can harness the memories/nostalgia of mutual experience among the audience... and while I "GET" the jokes, and I "GET" that humor is subjective, I'm also the target audience for this kind of show, and I just didn't find it that funny. But, there are certainly worse ways to blow 23 minutes.

Yeah okay, I get it. I’m about two years late to the party. I had just joined MAL when Akame Ga Kill ended, and I thought the flood of reviews for it was never going to stop, so I just kept sitting on this review and never published it. Then I went on the Maury show and they determined that the previous statement was a lie, and that I’m also the father of 18 month old Jimbob. Thanks a lot Maury, you jerk!

No, I finished Akame recently, and while I can’t say that it’s exactly deserving of all the praise that was heaped on ... it in late 2014, neither does it warrant the Sword Art level of hatred it got in due time. It is what it is, and it’s not what it isn’t… and it isn’t a whole lot of things- namely very good.
Akame takes influences from a lot of different anime- Dragon Ball Z, Neon Genesis Evangelion (Leone does the exact same animation for drinking her beer as Misato, and Allison Keith voices both, even!), Naruto, Inuyasha, a healthy dose of Sword Art Online, a dash of Kill La Kill, and basically every other shonen series in existence. In particular though, I find that Akame borrows heavily from Blood+, as well as Mirai Nikki and Fullmetal Alchemist. In fact, you could say that Akame Ga Kill is what would happen if Mirai Nikki and FMA had a baby- it would come out with a weird deformity, really wacky, tonally inconsistent, and with a few extra chromosomes… which is exactly what AGK is.

Now, I could probably talk for 10 hours about how many issues this show has with tone and characterization… but I’m gonna try to do it in 9.
If I were to describe AGK in just a few words, I would say “FMA lite with Mirai Nikki’s direction and characters.” It has similar tonal shifts to FMA; from dead serious (very literally) to stupid chibi comedy in the span of 10 seconds. A character crucial to the plot might die, and someone will drop a line like “oh well, it was a fair trade off- one of ours for one of theirs”, and then continue their meal… like someone’s death means absolutely nothing- despite the fact that most characters in the series have some major qualm about the moral righteousness of their killing duties as assassins. Also like FMA, everyone is given a very shallow, tragic backstory, but given the size of the cast and the length of the show, there’s just not enough runtime to flesh anyone out, which minimizes the impacts of deaths even further 95% of the time.

Coming back to tonal consistency; the tone in AGK is like very roughly shredded cheese on top of a dumpster salad- that is, pieces of trash bags, used toilet paper, and paper plates with old pizza cheese (and maybe another kind of cheese) stuck to it for the leaves of the lettuce. For a tastier, but perhaps less colorful simile: imagine Ergo Proxy was put into a blender: it came out nice and smooth, and homogenous. It carries the same dark and foreboding tone throughout its runtime. Akame is said dumpster salad- about as heterogeneously mixed tonally as they come; and a good ladle full of dumpster juice dressing on top for good measure.

The characters may be the best part of the show… and like the lack of stupid teenagers with superpowers in Spice and Wolf, it may be more of that lack of something in the show that’s good about it. That’s not to say the characters are good or anything, but that they could have been a whole lot worse. Nowhere in Akame do you have THAT character… you know, the loli character with huge boobs that exists only for fanservice and self insert pleasure? In fact, Akame is relatively low on fanservice in the usual sense- the fanservice is in the violence, but more on that later.

Akame herself isn’t even much of a character- particularly for a title character. Her presence is really only felt in the first handful of episodes, and then again at the end when the writer just outright stole Blood+’s climactic swordfight, but sans the meaningful drama, and tangible tension buildup between two characters we watched develop for the preceding 40 some odd episodes. She’s just kind of “there” for the bulk of the series, but this is a positive, in all honesty. Thankfully though, we never have to hear some half-baked sap pie about how she’s in love with the MC and talk about her future and what he means to her or how she’s feeling after having murdered thousands of people, or anything like that. Nah, she just kinda hangs out and eats… a lot. In fact, that’s basically how you can define the character: she kills people when necessary, and eats a lot. There were a lot of moments when I wanted the show to switch from
アカメ“が”斬る to アカメ”は”斬る。Japanese speakers- ayyyooooo.

The, hands down, two best characters in the show are easily General Esdeath (oh my, Satsuki has grown up, dyed her hair, and found a hobby in torture and murder) and Seryu Ubiquitous, who wins the LawlMartz Anime Award for “Most Anime Name”. Seriously, Esdeath is probably the second campiest character in the show, after Dr. Stylish, but her ridiculous character traits can be summed up as: “violent, but determined loving attachment”, and “murderous”. In fact, she says herself that she has only three interests: “murder, torture, and finding new methods of torture”. She adds a fourth later- the aforementioned love. This is the sum total of Esdeath, and boy does she ever live up to it. These are literally the only four things she does in the show! 10/10 characterization, positive development, and staying true to her ideals! What a woman!
If anyone could be more hardline than the infinitely badass, reskinned Satsuki Kiryuuin of AGK, it would be Seryu Ubiquitous, who somehow escaped banishment from the Shadow Realm and into an entirely new show. Honestly, Seryu Ubiquitous (yes, I’m going to keep typing her name out because it’s just THAT cool) would have been the best Yugioh villain, ever, period. She exists for one purpose: GREAT JUSTAAAAACE! She even has a chibi pet justice dog that morphs into a hulking steroid beast that eats people, and she also has all manner of gun implants inside her body, including in her stomach that she can hock up and somehow fire while talking. It’s truly a sight to behold how ridiculously over the top this character is- and on top of that, Kira Vincent-Davis absolutely MURDERS this role with a performance appropriately hammed up and oh so campy, darling on the level of Kurtwood Smith in Robocop, Tim Curry in Rocky Horror, and Nick Cage in… well, anything. Also Pegasus J Crawford. Don Patch. And DIOOOOOOO BRANDO!

Plot-wise, there’s not a whole lot to say but EDGY ALERT! You might cut your eyes on this one. The action stills and reaction shots that look like high res concept art are cool, and so are the hyper-detailed death shots, but these are highlights in an otherwise pretty dreary anime full of unimaginative, banal action. Think about that trainwreck Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, and you’ve got something close. It’s almost as though Akame Ga Kill doesn’t have an original thought in its entire body- as almost everything in it is lifted from some other anime. It’s basically a collection of setpieces, character archetypes, weapons, and scenes that were all cool or good ideas in another show and just rammed together (more of that dumpster salad. Sprinkle a little toejam on it, some dirty socks, and some moldy food for flavor). Indeed, I find that Mirai Nikki is probably the closest comparison to Akame with its completely nonsensical, crazy plot and equally absurd cast of characters. You’ve got the weirdo BDSM NiceGuy™, siblings who are trying to murder each other, a very scary lady who is super ultra strong and she’s in love with your MC, a gay dude, a gay scientist, an MC analogue who’s there to try and make you feel empathy for the bad guys, Scar from FMA, women with eyepatches, including a girl with a boob eyepatch, beast girl (for those animal fetishes), and other campy, themed villains who usually come in trios or quartets.

However, Akame prides itself on one thing, and one thing above all else: gratuitous bloody violence. Oh, and character deaths, like it’s Game of Thrones or something, but I talked about that before. Yes, Akame loves its jelly blood slowmo closeups. There are more dismemberments than Ninja Scroll, and disembowelments, decapitations, dissections, bisections, vivisections, bootlicking, cutting, snaring, crushing, slashing, slicing, whippings, beatings (including a hilarious beatdown of the MC with a plastic recorder), shootings, stabbings, and shankings galore. Yeah, that was a lot of adjectives.

However, gory, envelope pushing violence and grotesque imagery a story does not make. If you could rate quality in the amount of blood spilled, this would be an easy 10, but given the complete mess of tone from the first episode to the end, the punchless character deaths, and obsessive need to try and manipulate the audience into feeling something brings it down considerably. At least the last two episodes make up for it a little bit; they subverted my expectations almost entirely, and I was honestly rather satisfied by the ending, because it’s not something you see in every shonen battle series.

So, tl;dr

Art: Solid effort from White Fox, has some very pretty, high res stills and shots.
Sound: Kira Vincent Davis. That’s all I’ve got to say.
Characters: Transplant half of Mirai Nikki’s cast, a few from Blood+, and FMA, and you’ve got Akame Ga Kill
Story: A lot of people die in bloody messes.
Enjoyment: Much like Mirai Nikki before it, Akame is juuust far enough out there to be enjoyable if you turn your brain off and just go with the crazy.
New Chromosomes: 7

Vulnerability is the essence of romance. It's the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say, 'This is me, and I'm interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more important, all that I am not.'

Nope, not a Tennyson quote. This one by Ashton Kutcher, of all people. I never would have guessed, myself.

What do we think of when we hear the word romance? A vision of a couple sitting in the sunset, fingers intertwined, lips together? A complex, irrevocable, inimitable bond formed between ... two people over time? Perhaps something as goofy as even Mr. Krabs and his money (you can't tell me that's not true love). No matter your idea of the term- there are basic tenets of romance that everyone can agree upon- the building of a relationship between two people out of mutual respect and love for each other.

As my muse Mr Plinkett once said, "I'm no expert on relationships, as most of mine have ended in several large trash bags" but I'm going to do my best to analyze what it is about Spice and Wolf that makes it an exemplary romance anime, and what sets it apart from others in the genre. First, I must pose a question, though. Like the concept of romance as a nebulous term, everyone who's seen any romance based anime has expectations of them.

I would pose this question: is the bar set so low in romance anime that even a modicum of realism in terms of how the relationship is formed and nurtured is perceived as a romantic masterpiece? Is our idea of what a romance in anime should be like so skewed that when something comes along with even a small amount of something believable that's not "5 girls fall in love with a guy and he chooses none of them after solving their problems", that we think it's the most romantic thing since pick-a-Jane Austen?

I'm seeing Spice and Wolf through this lens. It stands with authority among the best romance anime I've seen, but I've seen heralded romance anime that are supposedly notable examples- but it's a shallow, childlike romance- like your first middle school relationship with that girl who makes you sign a contract of things you can and can't do, which may or may not include talking to, or even looking at other girls, and you have to text her after EVERY class and sit with her at lunch, and walk her to the breezeway to get picked up.
Wait, is real life getting in the way again? Whoops.

But, like my silly example of a middle school romance- romance anime seemingly follow a checklist like my 7th grade girlfriend's contract - a list of things they need to contain to be a "successful romance" anime. Or, as most people know it- the formula for "AUGH, MY FEELS".

Spice and Wolf, fortunately, takes a turn away from the formulaic, and trailblazes down a largely uncharted path of showing how a slowly nurtured relationship develops and evolves over time- no one is thrown into action immediately. (Fans of the falling on boobs, prepare to be disappointed. Lawrence doesn't have a seizure when he sees his lady friend naked (multiple times) nor does he act like he's being electrocuted when she touches him). They even remark about that in episode 11 of the 2nd half, where Holo says that "you don't even tremble slightly when I lay against you anymore".
No, it starts off small, like real life. An awkward introduction turns into a friendship. A partnership emerges, and trust is built. A budding romance is born, but it's not without its tenuous and fragile moments. Real insecurities such as defining the relationship, jealousy, learning how to give your partner space, and knowing when and how to talk with them when they're pissed off, sad, drunk, or acting crazy, plus a myriad things that happen to real couples appear in the series- and aren't dismissed with laughing it off. No, the show treats its audience with some respect and maturity, trusting that they're able to watch people act like real people- not a cookie cutter feel good romance. There are moments where Holo and Lawrence are legitimately angry or put out with each other, and it very well could be the last time they see each other- and how they deal with that- forgiveness, rage, acceptance, rejection, all of these make an appearance- as it would with a real couple.

No one is smitten at first sight- no love is declared within the first half hour of our characters having met. No, their circumstance of being together develops entirely of their own volition, not out of any convenience by the writers as an excuse to shove in romance. It's a fact, that audiences love the tease, the threat, the promise, the unspoken between two romantic partners- and that when the moment finally happens- whether it's the achievement of couple status, the first kiss, marriage, or whatever the goal may be- there's a relief in the audience that their wishes (or perhaps to the contrary) have been fulfilled in the characters. The buildup of tension (sexual or otherwise), emotion, and sometimes frustration is all paid off at some point in romances.

Take Star Wars Episode V for example. The budding romance of Han and Leia from A New Hope reaches a height of nearly tangible tension when Han is taken prisoner by the Empire and they finally confess their love for each other- despite having shared a first kiss and plenty of sexual tension in the preceding 3 hours of film between the two movies. It's a very real and raw moment, with Leia never knowing if she'll ever see the man that she's grown to love again, and there's not much she can do about it. Find me a moment like that in an anime not named Spice and Wolf, and we'll talk.

To its credit, the romance is largely between the lines. Outward displays of affection are great as visual aids- but in this case, show, not tell. It's in how Lawrence and Holo edge closer together through their experiences throughout the show, in their growth as partners, their verbal sparring and teasing, their mutual respect and trust, and in the contrast between how traumatic and peaceful/happy events shape their relationship.

So is the bar for romance just set really low, and that puts Spice and Wolf high up the list, or is it that it's just a really good romance? I'd say that because of the care and maturity with which the story is handled, that this goes above and beyond any other anime by showing a true love story between adults, and not a childish, shallow tale of middle school romance with a checklist, physical attraction, or convenience. Any one episode of Spice and Wolf has more actual romantic content in it than almost any other show I've ever seen.


Enough about that sap, though. Excuse me, I just need to close off the spigot and dump the bucket of sap i just drained out, and get to the real pulp of the show now.

In terms of how the story is presented and the artwork- the art is serviceable- but far from being Akira or anything. Having undergone a studio change between seasons and more than a year between the airdates is certainly not the best for a show, but the quality improves somewhat between where Imagin left off and Brain's Base picks up, without being jarring. What is jarring, however, is the pacing, particularly in the first season. It has a lot of weird jump cuts that will throw you off at least twice every other episode. They try to do the "rosebud' thing couple times, and it just doesn't work for the story they're trying to tell. There are also breaks where you can tell there was a commercial edited out (and this wasn't some bootleg, either) and the return shot is completely different, like you missed half a scene.

The music however, is excellent. The little madrigal insert tune works perfectly with the atmosphere, and there's a lot of Baroque and Renaissance style music- with heavy solo/quartet vocalists and frequent use of violin.

Spice and Wolf is set in the 1450s, a time that was honestly pretty crappy to live in. Life expectancy in the Renaissance era was approximately 35-40, and despite the advances to come in medicine (ayo Leonardo Da Vinci with the autopsy) life was short, brutal, and hard. Lawrence enjoys relative wealth as a merchant, but the show doesn't shy away from showing that life isn't always peachy with the threats of death and the consequences of being in debt or broke- but all that glitters is gold, and for a merchant of the times- that was your (short) life's work. With the church and the inquisition out to get you if they discover you sheltering a witch (read: Holo the Wise Wolf girl), vicious, greedy trading companies and guilds trying to rip you off, dangerous bands of thieves and wild animals threatening on the country roads between towns, and the chance of just going broke serve to provide a compelling period drama that's surprisingly accurate and representative. The treatment of women as near-property, slavery being a shockingly normal thing in addition to self imposed indentured servitude, the consequences of being broke, or worse, in debt, and the church being the ruling governmental body are also certainly signs of the times- and provide a realistic backdrop onto which the story is set.

The show is also known for its presentation of economics... and as far as I know, is probably the only anime that's tackled economics as a main theme for the plot. The story's drama revolves largely around tension and dramatic moments from Lawrence taking risks for huge payoffs involving contractual obligations, market manipulations, credit, money exchanging, and some other Renaissance era innovations in trade and finance come into play, making Spice and Wolf, at times somewhat of an info-tainment show. As an economics major myself, I can verify that the premises in the show are generally valid, if fairly basic. Someone did their homework, anyway.

All told, Spice and Wolf is a unique show, blending a mature romance with an economics based theme to tell a period drama with convincing results. They sold me on it, anyway.

"Nothing is nonfat. That's why the world is going to explode one day."
"nonfat? exploding world? what the fuck? is he crazy?"

Yes. Yes he is. His name is Pete Meat, and he dubs hentai.

After running a train on the world of laughter with "Sextra Credit", Media Blasters saw fit to buy up several more disgustingly misogynistic, filthy hentai and turn them into uproarious black comedies; among them was 2004's "Time to Screw". Headed up once again by the awesome Pete Meat and a bunch of voice actresses who couldn't give any less of a shit, Media Blasters prepared their second assault on the world... and ... stuck their pinky in its collective asshole. (yes, the pinky line does make an appearance in Time to Screw too!)

Once again, the dub itself is the only reason to ever watch a disgusting show like this- because, like Sextra before it, the Japanese audio version is played straight and is a depraved, misogynistic power fantasy. The art is crap, and they have no value as any kind of... personal aid... but as a comedy, it's "Time to Score"- and only 10s in the scriptwriting and delivery department. Pete Meat is the single greatest hentai dub voice actor, ever. He hams it up, sounds totally disinterested, and then switches up and even sometimes comes off like he's disgusted with himself at having to read these lines! It's all for a ridiculous comedic effect though- and I laughed out loud more times at the creatively nasty humor than the Cleveland Browns create ways to lose games.

With lines like:

"Have you ever tried to fuck a box?"
"are you pregnant?" "why, do I look fat? I'll start a diet tonight!"
Which then led to the first quote
and "Can you imagine how many faith healers would be out of work if they knew about the powers of kinky sex?" - in direct quotation to an old woman miraculously being able to walk again after having sex with a maid.

I needed to change my pants. Twice.

This goes on and on for an hour- an hour of filthy sex acts involving a vacuum cleaner, a 3 course meal, a billiards set, a washing machine, and a wheelchair. You do the math. It's got bondage. It's got rough sex. It's got maid fetish. It's got FOOD fetish ffs! The maid girls in the sex mansion cover Pete Meat in all manner of food they cooked- steak, salad, pudding, casserole, everything- then proceed to vomit all over him (using it as lube) and then have sex with him. By the end of it, he looks like Pizza the Hutt, and I couldn't tell if I was tripping or just laying on the floor clutching my sides watching a hentai dub. If you can't find something to tickle your funny bone, you just have no sense of humor.

All told, "Time to Screw" is inferior to its stablemate "Sextra Credit", with its poor attempt at a mystery/mind bending plot vs Sextra's straightforward revenge plot, but it succeeds in all the same levels of quotability, hilarity, and sheer ludicrousness. But since I'm scoring this on the hentai scale (maximum being a 4, because they're all complete crap anyway), a 3 and my shining recommendation of the dub make this another can't-miss, 2sexual, black comedy romp that's worth the price of admission: your sides.

"And then there was the matter of time; Einstein and Oppenheimer, the theory of relativity, and the conundrum of big balls in your face. It was all a continuum, like one long winding turd, snaking its way through the universe. And, like a turd, the smell was not to be forgotten."
The End.

"Kintaro Ooe - age 25. He withdrew from Tokyo University law school, but only after he'd completed all the requirements for graduation. Ever since, he's traveled the highways and byways of Japan, trying out new jobs and positions and learning about life to the fullest. Striving ahead on his bicycle, the Mikazuki-5, he continues forward, seeking his destiny. And who knows? perhaps he's destined to save the Japanese animation industry, or even the world! Or maybe not."

Well, that was educational.

Kintaro Ooe- Goofy, clumsy, idiot, complete moron, incorrigible pervert, and endlessly entertaining protagonist. You know, Kintaro sounds a lot like きんたま, or kintama- which means ... BALLS! And boy, does the Golden Boy ever have a pair of big brass balls. (He also eats the booty like groceries) This is a story about a man that pulls hoes wherever he goes, leaves a trail of wet panties behind, and only calls back once- when he needs the help of the whole harem!
He is... the Golden Boy!

Prepare your lungs, because the laffs coming are going to destroy them like 40 years of cigarette smoking in deep space.

See, what makes Golden Boy so great is the blend of juvenile, irreverent sexual comedy that totally appeals to your inner middle schooler self, combined with this lovable goon of a main character that you just can't help but guffaw at. Kintaro is such a klutz and moron that there's no possible way he can screw anything else up harder than he does- ruining software development, animation, food, you name it, but the idiot savant has another facet to him- he's genuinely interested in helping the ladies that he's smitten with at first sight. His awkward, goofy, spoony self is always getting him into trouble with whatever part time job he manages to ingratiate himself into before screwing everything up... but, like the moments of brilliance that Patrick Starr occasionally shows that cover up his asininity, Kintaro always manages to save the day, fix everything up, and swerve on them hoes!

The episodic setup of Golden Boy is perfect for the comedy that they're selling, and it's even self aware at times- which takes it to the next level. The basic idea is that Kintaro gets a new part time job in a different city, runs into a hot chick, and does his best to impress her, while being an enormously clumsy idiot that eventually lands him fired or on the run... but he always saves the day and fixes everything, because, after all... he's the Golden Boy.
That's right- despite his intense perversion and fetishes (every episode, you just know that toilet worship is right around the corner, and it gets funnier every time), he's a selfless and helpful person at heart- and never takes advantage of the women who throw themselves at him through some circumstance- whether he's on the run, dippin out, or just not there- he ends up building a true harem, and all the ladies are after that D. This all leads up to the ending, where they really pull the rug out from under the viewer with how you expect Kintaro to go after the girl-of-the-episode, but it turns out entirely differently, and with hilarious results.

As a friend of mine here said, "Golden Boy predicted the fetishes of the 21st century with total accuracy tho". And he's right. At times, Golden Boy almost reaches into the hentai realm, but quickly falls off a cliff, and into the next dimension with some ludicrous scenarios that are so off the wall batshit crazy that you can't help but fall out of your chair gasping for air.

The people behind the show, studio APPP and Tatsuya Egawa (who even fictionalizes himself in the anime (trademark of his) in a ridiculous caricature of himself) are also a bit of an interesting history tidbit. APPP made only a very small handful of anime (were mostly auxiliary producers for other shows), including the old school Jojo OVAs, Roujin Z, and Now and Then, Here and There, but they did have one real, honest to goodness hit, and it has stood the test of time well (hey, something to be said for going out on top). Tatsuya Egawa, the writer and illustrator of the Golden Boy manga, was also a college math professor before he turned to manga, and later, even directed several porno films. Safe to say the man has had an interesting career.

Art-wise, Golden Boy looks solid for a mid-90s anime, but what really sets it apart is another trademark of Tatsuya Egawa- FREAKING INSANE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS! Anyone who's seen the show knows exactly what I mean- hyper detailed, grotesque, wacky, goofy, and zany are the myriad of faces- which only add to the hilarity. Perhaps Steven Hillenburg took a few cues from Egawa, because Spongebob makes EXCELLENT use of the grotesque/weird stillframe shots of extremely detailed closeups of the characters.

Sexual comedies and toilet humor might not be the average viewer's fetish in their anime, so what would make anyone want to watch this show, anyway? It's old. It doesn't look like Akira or anything, and there are only 6 episodes, so what gives?

The English dub. That's what. ADV had a number of impeccable dubs in their time, like Kanon 2006, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Grave of the Fireflies, but Golden Boy stands proudly among them as one of the best they ever did.

The star of the show though, Doug Smith, who regrettably only ever did 3 other anime roles, absolutely slays at making Kintaro the most awkward, goofy, and raucous protagonist ever. He somehow brings out new levels of craziness and gonzo and the bizarre voice really gives the character life, and takes the breath out of your lungs in the form of near constant laughter... AND HE'S ALWAYS SHOUTING!
DAMN GOLDEN BOY IS A LOUD ANIME, BETWEEN ALL THE MOANING AND SCREAMING AND EVERYTHING, BUT HOLY COW, IS IT EVER GREAT! This is truly an anime classic- and is probably the absolute best example of a pure, non-disgusting wish fulfillment ecchi with actual humor that's ever been made. I've been singing the praises of Golden Boy for about 911 words now, but lord help, I haven't laughed at an anime this hard in years. I don't think there was much better of a series for me to come back to after having not watched anything in months- and I can't recommend it enough.

study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study study!

That was very educational.

Long before the Naruto craze and a myriad other ninja themed shows, there was Ninja Scroll. Premiering in 1993, Ninja Scroll could probably be the anime movie that fans everywhere could point their fingers at, saying that it jumpstarted the ninja trend, much like Gundam for mecha, Tenchi Muyo for harem, or Akira for cyberpunk, and what a spectacle it is. This is one of those movies that a lot of oldtaku were exposed to as kids, and is probably at least 50% responsible for the once-stigma of anime being sexed up, ultraviolent, and DEFINITELY not for kids.

Madhouse blends this winning combination of stylized, ... but grotesque, bloody violence with a touch of sexuality, and an unhealthy dose of visual awesomeness to bring Ninja Scroll to life. The story follows a lone wanderer, a ninja swordsman by the name of Juubei. His introduction is by and large unnecessary, because the viewer is generally aware of the wandering swordsman/ronin trope that's not unique to this series, but more of a culturally osmosis'd idea that we're aware of. The man has a dark past, and a lot of dangerous enemies who have nothing but bloodlust and revenge on the mind. After being tricked into accepting a job from the mysterious old man, Dakuon, Juubei is poisoned, and told that if he does not complete the task given to him in 3 days, he will die. This task, naturally, involves foiling a plot by a shadowy ninja clan who plan to take over feudal Japan through a power struggle created by ownership of the currency of the time: gold bullion.

The setup for the movie is quite simple, but the story itself is not where Ninja Scroll shines through its brightest. No, that element would be the presentation of the Ninja, and the great care and detail that Madhouse put into the production of the movie. The aesthetic of the movie reminds me much of a previous Madhouse production; another darkly stylistic and incredibly detailed film: Wicked City. The fluidity is incredible, the character models and scenery gorgeous, and the cinematography and direction are top notch as well. Maybe I'm a sucker for old school animation, but this is incredible work. Its focus on aesthetics and style coupled with brutal action and a number of buckets of blood lend edge to the visual feast- in a way that Mad Max Fury Road was visually striking- Ninja Scroll does a similar thing with the posturing and manner of attack and movement of the characters. There's none of the silly handwaving and yelling out attacks, but ALL of the awesome mystical powers of the fabled ninja: body clones, melding into shadows, invisible wires, poison, incredible speed and strength, proficiency with all manner of melee weapons, and other just cool sh*t. Ninja are cool- and Ninja Scroll shows off the best of the genre, in all honesty. The 8 antagonist characters never progress much beyond being Ninja with XY skills, but the powers they're given keep the action interesting, and it never devolves into a drawn out shonen filler battle that, if it were a TV show, you KNOW would take up at least half a season.

No, Ninja Scroll is practically the antithesis of that, as most of the 8 major battles are over in a matter of minutes. This lends a very quick pace to the movie (which is far better than plodding), which may be offputting to some, but I was glad it was not incredibly drawn out or overblown for each battle. Everything was summed up succinctly, and satisfactorily. Even the romantic and intrigue elements were handled well. The atmosphere is nearly tangible in its dark done, and gritty is the name of the game. We see the plight of the peasants and warring feudal factions that are immediately indicative of Sengoku period Japan (warring states). The movie even mentions the Tokugawa shogunate, and, supernatural elements aside, could have been some form of historical fiction if bent somewhat. All that to say: the presentation is time period appropriate- which lends an air of realism and credibility to it. All told, this is a true anime classic, and one that everyone should see once, especially if you like a good action romp.