Sweat Punch

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

Wow. I don't really know what to say. It's good, that much is certain. It's basically a dark fairy tale about a swordsman and his hobby, and the little girl who finds out about it. I really can't say much more than that without spoiling anything, since it's so short. Just go watch it, there really isn't any excuse since it's just 10 minutes. The animation is very breath taking, in fact it is hauntingly beautiful, and appears as though it was shot through an old film camera, you can see all the artifacts ... and the fleeting frame inconsistencies-- very atmospheric. The artists who did this did a superb job, the effect is not cheesy, surprisingly. Like the other reviewer said, the art is so dark and yet so bright at the same time. The animation is just indescribable. The only thing I didn't like was the rather exaggerated portrayal of the "evil English," which made me laugh. But it's a minor quibble and does not ruin the overall effect. As for the story, it is not very innovative, but it's simple and well executed, as a 10-minute fairy tale should be. Thumbs up.

I am not sure how to write a review for this or what score to pick. Hence, the respectful 6 for "fine". This is a mini anthology series consisting of 5 OVA's. Each tells a vastly different story and setting. With little to connect them aside from the somewhat experimental visuals. They're the easiest thing to attach yourself to and be entertained.

I suppose... it is a mixed bag with a little bit of something for almost everyone. If you're not necessarily into comedy, it's still at least worth looking into and a way to pay respects to the work that went into them.

(This is a review for Kigeki/Comedy)

-INTRODUCTION-

After encountering several one-shots created by Studio 4°C, I told myself that I will not be going anywhere near their works again. I am not a fan of theirs, to say the least. But when I stumbled upon the cover image for Kigeki, I couldn't help but get drawn to it. Unable to fight my own curiosity, I decided to give it a try. How much could ten minutes possibly hurt even if I ended up hating it?

-STORY- 10/10

During such a short time period, the story, or rather an excerpt from it, was very well thought out and beautifully presented. ... The war setting, as well as some historical facts mentioned in the anime, provided a realistic feel despite having fantasy elements. It created the atmosphere of a dark fairytale that could have really happened somewhere far away where nobody would witness it.

-CHARACTERS- 10/10

We face only two characters in this anime -- a skilled swordsman and a little girl. All she wants is to save her village; all he wants is a book of a certain genre. There is very little interaction between the two of them. He reads the book; she watches him silently.

You will not find much character development or additional information, nor should you be looking for it. Kigeki is meant to be very brief and subtle, and the viewer is not provided with facts that would be unnecessary. There is no need for names, no need for words, no need for anything other than a girl and a swordsman. Which is why I thought it was perfect in this category. The two of them and their unspoken relationship was another beautiful component of this masterpiece.

-ART/ANIMATION- 10/10

Both art and animation were stunning. It's difficult to describe in words something so visually beautiful. It was like a moving painting. The little girl running through the forest, the swordsman's cape fluttering in the wind as he rushes through the battlefield, the blood-stained white flowers... The overall atmosphere and melancholic mood created through the art and colors were truly amazing.

-SOUND- 10/10

The two pieces used throughout this anime were Ave Maria and Erlkönig, both by Franz Schubert. The choice in music was perfect; it almost felt like these pieces were composed solely for Kigeki. They shared and enhanced the overall dark and mysterious mood of the story.

---

I was in awe upon finishing it, because it truly felt like a full-length film.

This review is for End of the World.

Like a work by Andy Warhol, End of the World failed to leave much of an impression on me, playing too much on modernism than anything of substance. Maybe if I was in some deluded state, not as quick, not as sharp, insightful or judging, it would have kicked me off my rocker and taken me to la-la land. But, presently, I'm not.

If you've ever watched American 90s cartoons, End of the World has the same feel and animation as those (or at least its closer to cartoons than most anime). Bright colors and a ... whole lot of wtf? Really, it's like Racko's Modern Life on more crack than usual. The sound also made me want to grind my teeth.

Though there is quite a bit of symbolism to be intriguing, its warped to the point of being too cryptic for the average anime watcher. The execution of the elements is underplayed, as much of the more interesting stuff in the atmosphere is never used. The characters are also forgettable, with their interactions and motives being something too 'forced' to be entirely beleivable.

But this anime doesn't want to be believable does it? It wants to bring you into a wonderland, "The end of the world" as it calls it. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), this 'world' isn't a place you'd ever want to go to. If that was the point of this short animation, then I applaud it for convincing me to never to want to go to that wonderland again- in other words I never want to watch this again

Perhaps it was all some of kind of parody or metaphor for society- there are multiple ways of looking at this piece. However, like anything, it cannot stand, or stand well, without substance- of which it has little of. It can almost be said that it lacks a certain 'beauty' that makes anime so enjoyable to watch.

I can see how you might enjoy this if you are intoxicated or something to that measure, but if you don't prefer to be airy or 'glazed over' stay far away from this. If you came here looking for something surreal, there are better anime that would give you more foundation (and be more memorable) than this. And there are plenty of other anime more enjoyable than this one.

This review is for Garakuta no Machi (Junk Town).

As always Studios 4ºC provides us with a good animation and a unusual story. This time the story centers in a not so far away future, where robots are regular view in the streets.
Our main character is a little kid, while passing by on a street discovers this little robot head eating other robots parts and other mechanic in general and forming this stange tail on its back as soon as it eats a new part. Later we learn that the "tail" that the robot formed was just assimilated parts to form its own body. When the ... robot achieves its goal he becomes rather twisted and even tries to attack humans. In the end the robot it's just a little head again trying to do the same thing again, it seems that it didn't learnt its lesson. We can take a lesson from here. In Portugal we have a saying that goes something along these lines "Who wants everything looses everything", and I think it goes along fine with this short OVA.
It's good view. If you are familiar with short OVAs from the 4ºC gang this will not disappoint you.

Rate: 6.4/10

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

This is a very, very unique OVA. I was very surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did, but there was no denying that I loved every minute of it. Well, considering it was only nine minutes long, that isn't very hard... but that's not the point.

Story (10): Well, you don't understand a lot of the story, it seems like. It's just sorta... there. Take it. This is all we're going to give you, so be happy with it. But I still really liked it. You started to understand what was going on gradually, and the whole time, things ... just start to click. It's kind of hard to explain...

Art (9): I loved the character designs for this! Although there were a few things I wish I could tweak, it was still amazing. Very slow, dark, pretty scenes throughout the whole thing. Not an eyesore like some OVAs I've seen...

Sound (10): There was pretty much only one voice through the whole thing, the main girl narrating it, except for two lines where the Swordsman actually said something. I was happy that they didn't have an annoying girl voice, like most girl voices tend to be.

Character (10): If I could, I would marry the Swordsman. I'm serious. He's so awesome. And the five year old girl is just so adorable! They are pretty much the only characters in this whole thing, so there isn't a lot to criticise.

Enjoyment (10): I enjoyed this so much. Since it was only less than ten minutes long, it was very easy to stay with it the whole time. There were scenes that made me sad, ones that made me laugh (specifically when she throws the rock at him and he kicks her in the face xD), and ones that just made me happy.

Overall (10): I suggest that you go watch it. Like, right now. Seriously, it's one of the shortest things ever (besides Hetalia) and is very interesting. The ending was a little surprising, but very enjoyable. Big recommendation!

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

The visuals in Comedy are magnetic, more so than anything I`ve seen to date. There is an overall attention to detail like camera, and weight in the character`s movements but it`s the color palette and visual style that`s so aesthetically pleasing. Most everything in Comedy is dark, deep colors, if not black. Anything lighter, like the unnaturally pale skin of the characters and the little girl`s blond hair feels almost as if it`s on a different dimension than everything else on the screen; it just jumps out.

Comedy flows completely around Schubert`s Ave Maria. It manages to tell its story ... while following the cues and the moods of the music. The first minute of the film is a grotesque monologue put against a still image of a seriously creepy looking tree. The setup is that of a horror movie, or perhaps a thriller, and that is supported by its dark visual style. In stark contrast is the sweet young woman who narrates the story after the monologue. She`s reminiscing, almost fondly, on her frightening, yet at once endearing encounter with a swordsman she sought for help when she was 5. The woman`s voice is like a sugar coat. Dark and mellow as the images often are, her narration keeps the film on the lively, cute side of this dichotomy between horror and innocence.

The story is rather simple, befitting a 10 minute film. I have already spoiled half of it, as will any synopsis. It`s concise, but doesn`t feel hurried. In other words, it takes time to smell the roses when appropriate. It does all this with a storyboard that was designed around a piece of music. This is precisely what I love about good short films. They always feel more visionary than features. Each scene has a more direct contribution to the grand scheme and all its parts work in greater harmony. The final product ends up being cohesive, leaving you with little criticism to offer.

There isn`t much to criticize Comedy on, but I will leave something of a warning. I almost expect short art films to have a "point." Something as simple as an argument about philosophy, or as complex as highlighting a rare emotion. Comedy is an atmospheric, and perfectly told story, but seems to lack a resounding message.I can`t in any fairness call that a fault, so as far as I can see, there`s no reason NOT to watch Comedy.

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

Story: For the length, this story is perfectly suited. However my one gripe is that it's really hard to fully understand.

Art: WOW! I came across this anime on youtube of all things, and opted not to watch the entire thing, instead i immediately started looking for a better copy. My word this anime has the best atmosphere of any anime i have ever seen. I Could have watched this on mute with subtitles off for any random two minutes and i would have enjoyed it. Just the way it's presented is the stuff of nightmares (i mean ... that in a good way). It's really quite hard to describe...

It is mostly high contrast, with very little color. It's almost like Lithographic Photography. Some of it is also very stylized, and the combination of the two works pretty well.


sound: Brilliant. Plane and simple (not the music the brilliance of course).

Character: Given the length you cant learn that much about the characters, but despite that, the anime benefits from unique interaction, and great portrayal of the two (and only) characters.

Enjoyment: This was just great to watch. Ten min of candy for the senses.

Kigeki is in fact a brilliant old dark comedy before comedy of this day actually meant funny. Its a Dark Comedy in itself where it precieves one thing but is in fact another thing. In this series they are short so it would take you maybe an hour or 2 maybe not even that long to watch the full series but it is a defiantly must see series.
It draws you into its illusion the first second you start to watch it and it keeps your attention until it finally ends. This was a very amazing series to me I have never seen anything like it ... and so long when it comes to animes. I would have to say I do recommend this to everyone who is interested into it.
It will be worth your while to watch it and its very astonishing how things go in it to where you will be surprised and you will be taken into a new way of thinking about things. Its a mystery of how things go but very brilliant in its own way.

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

The story of how a girl manages to enlist the help of a mass cannibalistic murderer to get the rid of the evil brutish British because thats what they deserve...yes, we will add lots of special effects to disguise it.

What struck me at first was the well designed backgrounds and art in general of this 10 mins of fairy tale story. The special effects were particularity good and the visuals were well created, the characters emotions, rather, lack of emotion, was evident from this which fits in with the whole mass murderer feel to the story.
I can see why ... the creators decided to portray the British the way they did, but, the fact is, isn't the story about the mass murderer. Isn't the whole idea to show him in a good/bad light, just as Macbeth is shown in Shakespeare? Mercilessly killing British troops who look like bad guys just says to me "yea! He killed the bad guys!...oh, wait, isn't he supposed to be a cannibal?"
This says to me that the creator either intentionally or unintentionally made a sort of pseudo-propaganda piece against the British. It would have been better if the British were more "human" in stature and he mercilessly slaughtered them it would give the "bad" side of the murderer more evident and make the story have a much deeper meaning akin to Macbeth and the great works of romantic heroes.
Yes, he did save a village, but he killed and ate British soldiers which stood no chance for a girl that gave him an apparently hilarious book.
Freedom and Liberty of Irish independence? I think not.

This review is for Kigeki (Comedy).

Amazing. As short as it is, Kigeki is a wonderful short-film. It's 10 minutes long, but trust me, it'll be worth your time. I can't say too much because it will spoil it for you.

Oh and don't be fooled by the title, which translate into "Comedy". Kigeki isn't all that funny (though it does have its moments)

Story: 10 --- Original and nice. It's a dark story, but kinda heartwarming at the same time.

Art: 10 --- I love the dark theme. It's very nice, yet kinda scary.

Sound: 9 --- There's some nice opera-like music in there, and it adds a ... nice touch to the movie.

Character: 10 --- Though you don't know that much about either characters, I think you'll love how they have a mysterious atmosphere around them.

Enjoyment: 10 --- Love it. Really nothing more to say. :]

Overall: 10 --- Well, I'm sure you saw this coming. Give Kigeki a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

It is quite simple, but i absolutely loved it, it is a different style of anime, and that is the reason some people dislike it, and this happens cause they dont understand this anime is not here to compete with Hellsing, Gantz, Devilman lady, bleach, Fullmetal or other animes released during the early 2000´s, this here is a OVA of short animations, not a full series, but a compilation of short stories ! So, no ofense to you, but if you hated it cause "that makes no sense" than you probably watched it waiting for the wrong reason, OR, maybe you just disliked it, if ... you got the second option, total respect for you, as we all have different opinions, but if you are the first, you should give this a second chance. Well, enough with the talk, the first story is a quite bizarre and funny story about aliens/supernatural beings/weird people with powers, it is quite enjoyable with a simple but nice art style, the characters are insteresting and their desing was really cool, the story holds up quite good and just the ending is a little "WTF ?" but you gonna like it, believe me. Then comes the second, which tells the story about some soldiers fighting in a futuristic warfare and all of them die, it is quite strange, i really didnt like it, it probably has a message of how objetified the soldiers are and how we should respect these men who give their lives for their country, but is is really bad executed. Then we have the robot story, which is the cutest XD i got some "The Iron Giant" vibes from this one, really relaxing story about the friendship between a weird little robot and a boy. Then there is the Dan Petory´s blues, it is the story about a teacher teaching us stuff about UFO´s and perspectives, displaying how we project our egos towards stuff to make them more confortable to our own knowledge. And the last one "comedy", it is by far the best, i am not going to tell much about cause i want you to fall fresh into it. And also i love the soundtrack of the whole series, especially un comedy, "ave maria " is one of the most beautiful tracks ever made.

This review is for End of the World.

If I were listening to The Resistance by Muse on LSD, this is what I would see, and I would wake up and never want to have a high like that ever again.

MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS! (not that it matters... it's only 10 minutes long)

Story: The story itself had a dark underlying meaning behind. For example, aliens taking over the world in the future and killing us all. You'd never want to see that world. It was decent story an anime short. If I say more, I'll just give away spoilers, but I can say that it was ... very unique.

Art: I liked the old school artwork. It remind me of an animated Sims. I would have to say that it is the art that saves the anime. The colors also give you the feel of being high... very high... like outrageously flamboyantly high. But overall, I did like it.

Sound: Music was almost absent besides the OP. I did like the OP though. The name of the song is Saloone by Lolita No. 18, which the anime does a job of promoting. Ah, shameless self promotion... I love music.

Character: I actually did like the main characters Kazumi and Yuko. Japanese Punk Rock chicks in a psychedelic dream about defeating aliens? Pretty sweet. Fight scenes were decent too. Pink blood...

Enjoyment: I won't lie. I enjoyed the short somewhat... But I'm a hippie so... I'm not surprised I did...

After watching Sweat Punch's Kigeki which was an absolute masterpiece, I have to say... I expected much, much more.