Aug 22, 2009
Gankutsuou
(Anime)
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Gankutsuou is, like Death Note, a series that is often ascribed a depth it does not possess. Based on the Dumas novel, the anime retains the players and the plot, but throws out all the passion and coherence. The characters are completely bland - even the Count, whose plight as a wrongfully accused man sentenced to rot in a horrifying prison is reduced from a driving force to a come-lately flashback. The Count's revenge, which is supposed to be completely selfish and personal, is supplanted by some strange scenario about an alien demon invading his body. The interactions between the characters are even more abysmal
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Mar 19, 2009
Karas is mostly style over substance. But it's the kind of style that very few anime can beat.
The plot of the first movie (or the first three episodes, depending on which format you're watching) is left 100% in the dark. Bear with it. Enjoy the beautiful animation, the variety of characters, the amazing fight scenes. The second movie explains everything the first one failed to, giving you much-needed background information on top of even more amazing action. Because of this huge disparity in the pacing, it's the kind of anime that gets better and better the more you re-watch it. Even if you manage to somehow ... 
Mar 17, 2009
Vampire Hunter D
(Manga)
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There is a phrase that exists to describe works to which we are unreasonably attracted to despite their utter awfulness: so bad it's good.
The writing is laughable. This guy is like Dan Brown... in third grade. Words like "vermilion" and "phosphorescent" abound. The story itself is not that bad. It's very cliche, but that's part of the appeal. With its thoroughly developed world, frequent homages to earlier vampiric lore, and an unwaveringly stoic hero, it has a very cult feel despite the lack of quality. Basically, the foundation of the story is fantastic. What is subsequently done with that foundation is anything but. Would I recommend reading ... 
Mar 16, 2009
Simply amazing. I'm very much compelled to just advise you to immediately open up a new tab and start watching this anime, but something this good demands thorough praise.
STORY: Original, thought-provoking without huge philosophical pretensions, complex without being misleading, excellently executed. The morality of everything that occurs is left to the viewer's discretion. It is extremely tight and well-wrought, with not a single plot hole that I can think of. And, more importantly, everything makes sense. I must also commend the ending - a lot of anime ends on an ambiguous, too-open-ended (sequel cash cow), ultimately disappointing note. Monster ties up its loose ends, and ... |
