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[SPOILER FREE]

The movie is enjoyable in reliving the strengths of our favourite characters and shows their capabilities in adapting based on Sibyl system continuous progression for evolution. The story allows the viewer to get a glimpse of the characters' improvements and strengths that speak volumes of their years of experience.

However, the storyline played an unfamiliar tune.

Psycho-Pass season 1 and 2 focused on individuals that brought forward an opposition against the system. By exploring a world where we are introduced to the different types of people accepted or denied by the society, we are treated with a myriad of perspectives and social psychological warfare. It was ... a show that focused mental strength and intelligence.

The movie, on the other hand, heavily focused at bringing out the "Brains" counterpart: raw muscle strength; the fighting force of an army, the individual and the people. Because of this, the storyline of the movie was simplistic and a "lazy" attempt at uplifting what the show was supposed to explore. It was a simple goal, a simple manipulation and eventually, a simple solution handed on a silver platter at solving the crisis. There were no individuals or groups that were forward-looking and thought-provoking like Makishima or Kamui; in this sense, no solid antagonist to bring out the potential of a thriller.

One could argue that this was because the two antagonist from the series were accustomed to the system and knew how to play by the rules to cunningly twist around with it, while the movie was set in a world who was very new to Sibyl System, therefore their aims fall short to the visions presented in the series.

Overall, as a fan of the series and its characters, I really enjoyed watching the movie testing out new waters (literally) and its expansion to the possible potential progress it can bring forth. Personally, as a tribute to the series, I would have preferred a direction which focused more on the essence/discussion/consequences of Caged Reality vs Freedom rather than have implications of a one-sided argument (in this case: Caged Reality). 8/10

If you've completed watching Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai and looking to Tenjou-jin to Akuto-jin Saigo no Tatakai as a source of new footage, then you better turn around, because this movie has absolutely NO NEW FOOTAGE from the ending you see in the series. There was only this brief moment in the ending where they just showed Munto in the human world overlooking the 3 girls and Yumemi notices. It lasts for only 5 seconds, and that's the only difference you'll get, besides the opening. (which sorts of explains why Munto was missing at the end of the series when ... the meeting with the representatives of the Lower World was about to commence)

Like I mentioned, there isn't any difference in terms of animation, storyline, etc, so I'll just give comments on the ending in terms of both the series and the movie. If you skipped the series, the movie would have fitted nicely with the previous two OVA.

Story:
Conflicts between two different types of people have always been the basis for war, and Munto is no different. The way they set their stages in determining the rights of each party is somewhat shaky. Those who can't use the power but uses it in the form of external energy have to compete with those who grow and internalise them. Take Akuto as electricity. If you had a group of people in the world who lives based on the consumption of that energy, they'll 'definitely' use it up more. But what these Heavenly people fail to understand is that eliminating those who posses these powers is only a temporary solution.

Then we move on to when a very 'unreasonable' and 'clique' solution. A girl from the other world is the 'chosen one' with no connections of whatsoever with the world above besides her ability to see them. She contains powers beyond her imagination and ya-dah ya-dah, by simply the touch of a human and a Heavenly being, an establishment has been restored.

As for this movie that carries onto the conflict of now 'too much power' instead, it felt like as if the producers were just piling up content for the sake of continuing. This is taken from a perspective if you're the type who accepts that after both world have taken a stand, each world will live as their own, but no. Interconnecting the two worlds is what is seem as the solution, which I thought was surprising, because then that wouldnt make the girl any special anymore since now others can see it, but hey, at least people will see her as sane now.

Segments that built now preparing one's mental state to conquer the beliefs of the heart were appropriate. At some points, the show achieves the notion of show-not-tell and does it so that the viewers may interpret to their own desires.

I thought the scene when Munto narrates the Heavens past was too heavy. But the storyline of their past was a bit dull in explaining more of the existence of Akuto. It was just there to give a further clarification as to why transfer of Akuto to both worlds is necessary.

Art
I was initially appalled that the animations during the first OVA. The third definitely brought along HD quality, and the effects that brought fighting sequences and fluid movements alive just made them more radiant. I fell in love with the way Gass' marks revolved and the way his powers strikes out; simply amazing! If only they were slightly more colourful than all black, because then we could have a seen a more intricate circle. But even so, black has always had this association to dark magic, so it was a good mix of animation when he strikes.

Munto's fights are really a treat to watch. It's rare to see that much impact in some of the battles today. When you see Munto doing it, you can really feel that he has that ability to release that high intensity of magic, but when you see shows like Katekyo Hitman Reborn, their flames don't bring much justice to the impact that they give.

In terms of character design, it takes some time to get used to their high chests and long legs. They also really make sure that they have a 'pretty boy' in every category; king, commander of the army, average school boy (delinquent), etc, but for girls, Yumemi is the only striking one as compared to the rest.

Sound
I thought the sound blended adequately. Times when I thought background music could have brought out more emotions, left the scene in silence, and it makes the situation a drag at times.

The opening and ending gives a really nice calming feel and that is what the show has achieved in synchronising. It sets the bar in what you're supposed to feel, and it radiates through the entire series, and it gives you that warm fluffy feeling at the end. That I can give much credit for.

Character
Before I start on this, I'd just like to say, GOSH, I WISH MUNTO AND YUMEMI GOT TOGETHER!!! Ahem, ahem, anyway.

Munto came off initially as a demanding character; one who feels that he has the right to everything and is expected to feel all high and mighty. His character improves further with the second ova, as he is shown that despite the need for Yumemi again, he is more reluctant now as he is afraid that she was too fragile to contain the burden. In the third, the viewers are given a more sympathetic view towards Munto. This is when we finally understand his full past and the reason he acts so rash in the first two. Then upon meeting Yumemi, he opens up and we see a mended heart. I thought that lil joke that he made with the girls at the end was enlightening because it shows that even he can have a fun side.

For Yumemi, I can understand how she feels like being pursued by a stranger who keeps on telling you to give him something you're not sure you have, so her actions, even though they portray her as a weak character, it is believable. How was she to cope with all the stress she receives when the only person she could really turn to to talk is so far away? The trigger point was really when she had to accept her responsibility, then that was when she told herself that she'll do what she believes in and not to look away at the other possibilities. Definitely, she is one of the few characters that have grown.

I'll give short reviews on others. Ichiko is really a good friend, but her methods were of a different justice. To her it was okay to retreat; indeed in some cases running away would be wise, but Ichiko lacks sympathy and empathy to truly advice Yumemi. Honestly, she's my least favourite of the show.

Susume is a mystery. She's the kind of person who says the strangest of things, but most of the time, they're the most heart-warming ones. I really envy her optimism (and boy, is she really lucky to have Kazuya for her boyfriend).

Gass was looked as a respected figure. He held onto his beliefs despite knowing the cost and was often shown as a character who was ready to lend a hand in need. He is one of those characters that will leave a mark in the story other than your main characters because he had a huge step in the entire process.

Enjoyment
Yes, I enjoyed the series. Storyline was a bit annoying at times because they were vague and too heavy on words, but I liked the way their 'unexpected' romance blossomed even though the show never set it in hard stone. There were moments which I thought were pretty irrelevant, like the time, Yumemi and her friends were about to head to Munto, but were stopped by people and they continued to interact, make light jokes, ate heartily when at the back of your mind, you're like, "YOO HOO! THE LATER TO GO TO MUNTO, THE LONGER HE SUFFERS!!!" kind-of-thing. The show has a few of these irritating moments.

Overall
Pleasingly good. You won't be disappointed with fight scenes, you'll come to love Munto and Yumemi as a couple, but you'll have to brace yourself to the clique storyline.

This Ginga Bishounen really spiced up my days during its times.

To be frank, I kinda contemplated watching this show because the promotional picture of the series had lots of girls flaunting over the only-two guys there, and my preferences-wise, I'd prefer a non-harem show (all-girls and all-boys alike) with loads of action, adventure with that sprinkle of lovely romance (shounen anime, to be exact). And Star Driver is just that.

It's funny, now that I think back. The element that kinda made me continue watching this anime was because of the Galactic Pretty Boy transformation. Takuto is just so swag, it takes a real man to ... shake that pretty ass like how he did! XD

Ok, veering off topic. Anyway, similar to any of BONES' original series, the story flies off automatically. Translation: it just means that the main character ALREADY knows what he's doing and everyone knows what their doing. Typical shounen animes would start off with a clueless boy who stumbled upon something magical..then POOF!!! "THY POWER LIES WITHIN THEE AND THY IS THE CHOSEN ONE FOR..." ...ya-daa ya-daa. But this series just slams the main plot concept in your face! First episode was like a "Huh? What?" because there's the protagonist whom everyone addresses as The Galactic Pretty Boy, characters who are high schoolers working underground as masked freaks and, if you're the type who is so familiar with the mecha designs from Gundam stories, lemme tell ya, Star Driver's mechas...have high heels.

This series depends on its first episode. The first episode is the one that either breaks or makes this anime. I've seen alot of critiques going, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT A TACKY NAME TO CALL SOMEONE GALACTIC PRETTY BOY", and boy, it gets worst. And the story? Ambiguous starting, yes indeed. But further into the episodes when it goes into repeat mode (every episode, school-time -> zero time -> battle time -> new bad guy comes out!!! -> saves the day (or the girl) -> returns back to time -> all smiles), you'll get used to what powers that are adapting to and how they operate.

Now this repeat mode, it's kinda frustrating sometimes. There are times when the protagonist does a brand new power to a battle that was difficult to win, and i'm here like "urmm, excuse me, when did you learn that power? and why didnt you just use that for your other previous battles? it would have been SOO much easier!"

But things take a great turn of events once the second season kicks in, and the real plot gets serious and surprising.

That's when this series gets the attraction and praises of many, because this is the essence of the anime that viewers are waiting to see. I'd rather not peer into spoilers here, but it's a worthwhile ride and this show really fits the quote "Expect The Unexpected". The ending is just spectacular as well! :D

Though if you're the type who needs to know in how the characters know about the history of their mechas or how the 'evil' organisation was created or how the characters know of their powers or how the characters even get their powers to ensure that you feel complete satisfaction for the story, then my take is..don't watch this.

This anime will end with that note. I'm the type who willingly accepts that this ending is a result from this cut-off plot that BONES is delivering.

For the art, it's simply amazing! This show practically uses every single colour available in the world! It's seriously full of rainbows! Character designs are wonderful, and vaguely describes what kind of character they are which is good because not everyone is what they seem. There's a good variation to the characters, and all of them are just beautiful.

The music in the background fits very well with whatever happening on the scene, and I must say that the maidens' songs are definitely something that many will look forward to. The music has that tension vibe that brings chills to your spine and it has that space-galactic-star-trek feel to it too.

Overall, this show was, well in the words of the ginga bishounen, very fabulous. It's original indeed, with the unique hand motions, gestures and names. It certainly stands out among the rest as something outstanding. And after watching the entire series, you'd come to realise that the repeat mode episodes, unlike some animes, dwells greatly on character development and not just on the power-ups. The characters interact splendidly and the story never fails to give insights on everyone to ensure that the viewers are given their own judgement to determine if the characters are bad or good.

So if decimal points exist, I'd give it a 9.5 out of 10.

Fav male character: Tsunashi Takuto
Fav female character: Mizuno Yo

[THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!]

Before taking on Sacred Seven, I’ve read of many critiques about it. Though there were a minority number of people who liked/loved the anime, there was a majority of those who did not. Even on YouTube, when I took a glance at their opening song by FictionJunction, comments stated that the Stone Cold awesomeness didn’t complement the awful plot Sacred Seven had.

Well, that was what I heard, but decided to take it on anyway.

I must say that the anime wasn’t that bad. Certainly, it wasn’t those kind that will make one go WOW! or OMG! type of ... anime. In fact, it was a pretty average type of anime. Those type that will have a new different bad-guy minion every episode sort-of thing. This was a wait-and-see-what-happens anime. Honestly, there was never anything that stood out and it didn’t leave me dying to see what happens next.

What I pretty much like was the artwork, animation and the character interactions the characters had. Makoto Kagami is totally a combination of Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji (butler-like figure and hair colour) and Sugata from Star Driver (hairstyle). When they first introduced Kenmi, it was kinda obvious that he was the main antagonist, no less. I thought Knight was pretty sweet with that smexy body that the show keeps emphasizing on. Personally, I loved Alma’s and Knight’s outfit, both light and dark. I thought that was very cool.

Now for the plot. It was pretty confusing for me at first, but I guess, once i’ve watched more episodes, more pieces fit the puzzle. The Sacred Seven’s cores reside within Alma, Ruri, Knight, Fei, Aoi, Hon, (assuming that it’s Sacred Seven, shouldn’t there be one more character with the core?), regardless of whether they possess the light or dark core. On their own, they can transform into cool body-mech suits that gives them some kind of power. Alma, being a dark core, loses control when transforms into his original form. This leads him to require Ruri’s assistance in merging lightstones into him whenever he needs to transform to let him fight. In the finale, my guess is that Alma’s core turned from dark to light, Knight’s core was absorbed by stupid Kenmi, and Fei turned into the almost-gonna-destroy-the-world antagonist.

Actually, I thought the finale’s twist from Kenmi to Fei was a good try to make the story different, but I felt that the story lacked the proper build-up going into the finale.

Overall, the anime series was rather alright. Personally, I’d give it a 6/10. I feel that if you have absolutely nothing to do, and you wanna waste your time watching some anime after you’ve watched all the awesome cool anime series in the world already, then i recommend Sacred Seven. Honestly, I feel that calling this anime ‘horrible’, ‘awful’, ‘bad’, ‘mediocre’, etc, is a bit too much. It wasn’t SOOOO bad, the show had it’s plus points too. ^^ I enjoyed the series even though it didn’t have that X-factor in the plot. :)

Side-note: The series reminded me of Bones Studio’s Star Driver Kagayaki no Takuto. The main guy character, the main girl character, the other main guy character who is supposed to be with the girl before the other came along. Takuto-Wako-Sugata much? XD Star Driver was actually something like Sacred Seven, with the every-episode-new-bad-guy-minion-to-destroy. The major difference is that Star Driver was unique in many aspects of their plot that was original and outstanding. There was the X-factor, the element of intense suspense in every episode and this quote “Expect the Unexpected” certainly describes Star Driver. I feel that if Sacred Seven had continued with more episodes with a deeper breathtaking plot baseline, I feel that it will pull it off.

Fav male character: Makoto Kagami
Fav female character: == none == but if i need to say, it’ll be Wakana
Best character in Sacred Seven: Hellbrick

~*【★】Chione Ice Dyrken【★】*~