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Note: This review is based on a fansub and not the Disney dubbed version. Although I do want to check out the Disney dub, because Disney’s Ghibli adaptations are the rare movies where I think the voice dubs are really well done.

The story:
Ponyo is a simple love story at it’s heart. And I say "love" in its purest sense, because it’s not quite familial love, but it’s not quite romantic love as well. The relationship between the two kids is unique and full of life. If Sosuke is a bit disturbed by Ponyo’s fish roots, or her tendency to look like a chicken when she’s drawing upon her magical powers, he doesn’t let on at all. Conversely, Ponyo’s love is pure dedication as she literally transforms from a fish into a human and travels across the oceans to get back to Sosuke. The love story is cute, sweet and free from all the typical angsty drama.

Unfortunately, there’s also a more supernatural and dramatic element to the story which is woefully underdeveloped. There’s no backstory to why Ponyo’s father cast aside his humanity to retreat to the seas. There’s also no backstory on what Ponyo’s mother is and what she does. But more egregiously, we’re told at the end that Sosuke’s true love for Ponyo saved the world from annihilation. Why or what that annihilation was is a complete mystery. I think it had to do with the moon getting too close to Earth, but I have no clue, and it’s a curious missing piece from the story.

The Animation:
It’s beautiful. Stunningly beautiful. Maybe not as steampunk detailed like Howl’s Moving Castle, or as bizarre and otherworldly as Spirited Away, but the attention to detail is amazing. You’ll notice an interesting detail, or a flourish of movement in every scene. It’s mind-boggling to me that all this was done without CGI. The character designs are interesting, but typical Miyazaki. But I did like Ponyo in goldfish form actually. She was just so adorably cute.

The Sound:
If the story was somewhat lacking, the animation and sound more than make up for it. The opening sequence reminded me of Fantasia, with the orchestral background and the myriad of sea creatures on screen. From there, it’s just orchestral bliss throughout. It feels like there’s never a moment where there’s not at least a woodwind or a violin playing quietly in the background. You definitely notice it every step of the way, but not because it’s distracting, but because of how good it sounds, and how it always seems to complement the mood so fittingly. I didn’t recognize any of the voice actors, but the VA work is solid, and I especially liked Ponyo’s seiyuu, especially when she’s saying "I want ham!"

The Characters:
Ponyo is a movie for kids, so there’s not a whole lot of character development. Ponyo is a headstrong, high-energy, heart on her sleeve goldfish. Sosuke is the naive but bright-eyed and good natured kid. Risa is the strong backbone of her family and community. While Ponyo’s parents balance out the eccentricity scale. They are what they are, and they don’t change too much during the movie. But the chemistry between all the characters feels so natural, that the characters don’t feel like cardboard cutouts, and instead everything feels natural – even when you’re literally a fish out of water.

Final Thoughts:
It’s not really fair to compare Ponyo to Miyazaki's recent works like Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, because they’re intended for different audiences. Ponyo is a much more straightforward, "what you see is what you get" story. And like I mentioned, even some of the deeper stuff under the surface isn’t developed enough to bother thinking too deeply about. But if you level-set your expectations and you watch it for what it is – a kids story about love – I think it’d be hard to deny the feel-good, cuteness of the movie. read more

This review is technically spoiler free, but if the names, Yomi or Kagura, are unfamiliar to you, I would suggest watching the first two episodes before reading any of the reviews.

Admittedly, when I first read the show's description (which purposely reads generic), I didn't think the show was going to be that good. So when I gave it a shot, the first episode certainly drew my attention, but I expected once the shocking cliffhangers wore off it’d be a pretty generic, demon-hunting, hero-coming-of-age shounen.

Man, I was dead wrong. GRZ turned out to be biggest surprise of the fall season, and one of the best damn shows I’ve seen, hands down.

Story/Characters: GRZ has a simple story at its heart. The whole demon hunting setting is really just a conveniently action/guro-friendly wrapper for the real story: The making and the breakdown of a strong friendship. What makes the show so powerful is the great job the writers did in exploring and developing the relationship between Kagura and Yomi – that’s when the show really starts to become something special.

Unfortunately, the short 12 episode season doesn’t allow them to provide much background on the other characters and also leaves some loose plot ends hanging (which is probably to be expected, since it’s a prequel to the Ga-rei manga).

But all that’s forgivable, because everything is really all just a foil to Kagura and Yomi in the end. The dynamic between the two drives the whole show. The comedy, the action, the drama and ultimately, the tragedy – everything – hinges on how much you come to like their characters and relationship.

Art: The battle scenes were well-animated and ranged from stylistic to quick and brutal, which despite the fantastic setting, made the show feel more realistic. The character designs were streamlined and attractive, with particular attention paid to Kagura and Yomi's cuteness/hotness. The monster designs were pretty generic, but they make up for it by making the mythical creatures, Ranguren and Byakuei, look appropriately fierce and majestic.

Sound: The producers of GRZ took some bold sound design chances - such as forgoing the OP/ED in the initial episode - that helped to amp up the show's atmosphere. The music also stood out throughout the series, especially during the battle scenes: ranging from a rock/techno mix during the exciting, stylistic battles, to the haunting and emotional, vocal-driven arrangement during the final battle. It always seemed to hit the right chord. Voice work was very good with special kudos due to Kaoru Mizuhara (Misao in Lucky Star) and Minori Chihara (Yuki Nagato in TMoHS), as Yomi and Kagura, doing excellent jobs in roles that I wouldn’t have expected from them.

Enjoyment/Overall: If you're looking for a well-written, action-oriented show (admittedly, not for the squeamish) with really strong character development, I highly recommend GRZ.

Hopefully this review was helpful to you. (Positive/negative) feedback is always appreciated. Thanks! read more

I wasn’t familiar with the manga, but based on the buzz, I had pretty high hopes for Kannagi, and by the end of the season, the show managed to meet and exceed most of those expectations. If you're looking for a zany, episodic, slightly romantic comedy with a lot of heart, Nagi hits the spot.

Story:
I may as well get this out of the way right now, but in case you're wondering, Kannagi isn't a harem anime. With that said, "crazy shrine maidens" sums up Kannagi pretty well. Its "storylines" from an episode to episode standpoint were comedic gold and occasionally brilliant. The closet ep, the love square ep, the karaoke ep, the maid cafe ep. Kannagi had the most memorable episodes I’ve seen since Haruhi. However, the overarching dramatic storyline faltered as the season went on, as they seemed to forget and move away from storylines they introduced earlier in the season. But that aside, there wasn’t a single episode that didn’t at least bring a smile to my face at one point, if it didn’t leave me in side-splitting laughter.

Art:
I’ll always caveat myself by saying I’m not an animation expert, but the show looked great to me. Obviously there’s no battle scenes or heavy action animation, but all the character designs standout and a lot of attention was paid to the little details and expressions which made it a joy to watch.

Sound:
The OP is great, it’s an upbeat song with some cool choreographed dance moves. Otherwise,the music doesn't really standout, the BGM was pretty plain, and the ED is your standard mellow ballad. The only exception would be during the Karoake episode, in which all the songs and performances were pure win.

Character:
The characters are what makes Kannagi so awesome. You’ve got a good mix of the standard character stereotypes: the bashful and inexperienced harem guy, the unpredictable, loud-mouthed girl who walks in on the main guy’s life, and the insecure childhood best friend. And then you’ve got the crazy, zany characters like the light prostituting Nun-cosplay idol, the hardcore otaku, the perverted fujoshi, and the huge, but sensitive art prodigy. They’re all loveable and enjoyable on their own merits. But the best part is the relationships between them gives each of them a chance to shine, without it making them seem like they’re one-shot, one-dimensional punchlines-in-waiting, which makes them, and the show, that much funnier.

Enjoyment/Overall:
If it hasn’t been clear, I loved this show. It's a light-hearted comedy with a lot of heart that I looked forward to watching every week, because I knew it wouldn’t fail to deliver the comedic goods.

I hope this review was helpful to you, if it was/wasn't, i'd love to hear feedback. thanks! read more