Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne is an odd experience. One's likely to spend the majority of it's run-time at the very least intrigued by the thematic elements being presented. To a 'new' anime watcher it will seem unique and 'Unlike anything else in anime'! And yet once the finale arrives, and once the series concludes itself, one thought will likely be left in the mind.
“What the heck just happened?”
Story: 8/10
Mnemosyne's plot flows like many other experimental works. By spending the two-thirds or so of it's runtime going through self-contained arcs, it sets up the main cast, and the world itself, in a way that's always open
...
to new developments. And that's a HUGE plus, because this is Mnemosyne's strongest suit. Despite only being 6 episodes, it's very easy to get a feel for the growth and change of the world, from a time still in our recent memory, into a theoretical future swaddled in wonder. Every year covered has plenty of plot points and nods to the smallest social developments and their rippling effect in to the lives of the main characters, and how it alters the way that they must deal with the thrilling mysteries of the current arc.
Make no mistake, this is a Thriller/Detective show at heart...usually. And by usually, I mean whenever it isn't glorifying extreme sexuality and violence. Yes, we're hitting levels of sex and gore that only can be matched by the height of the Late 80's OVA boom, with a tits-to-screentime ratio surpassing even that of Game of Thrones! And this ends up inadvertently hindering the story. With these elements taking up so much of the work, it almost serves as a harsh gatekeeper, slamming a rod-iron fence shut on the face of a casual viewer who might shy away from Yuri, Sexuality, and Gore/Torture. What makes it even more disappointing is that these elements are always meshed in well with the work. I'll point to Episode 5, where in preparation for a conflict, one of the main characters proceed to spend at least a solid minute and a half engaged in a passionate lesbian orgy while overlaid voices inform the viewer of the defense plan. Oh sure, a degenerate such as myself will eat that up, but the visuals and the audio are not complimenting each other or the overall story, and only serve to be the final piece of a character arc that plateaus right afterwards.
And then we have to look at the final episode. Where everything goes off the pre-established rails. What had been a mystery series with an immortal duo weathering the sands of time warps into a bizarre dive into feminist ideology, a study of gender identity, nuclear war, and twists designed to be gut-wrenching that just invoke a 'what' from the viewer. This genre shift isn't the worst thing, and it actually handled much, much better then what numerous other works have tried and failed to do. But it feels closer to a overachieving visionaries' anime-only conclusion to a manga-adaptation then a natural conclusion.
And yet, these are the only real harms. Beyond these significant issues, and the handful of odd hiccups that any work will suffer, Mnemosyne is a rather simple concept to grasp, just a pair of immortals with a few mortal friends tackling thrilling mysteries through time. Meaning that once you get around the gate-keeping 'maturity' and bizarre conclusion, it's not anything to be disappointed with.
Characters: 6.5/10
Think for a moment of other works containing immortal beings as a primary selling point. It usually consists of enough angsting that you could create a Early-2000's era Nu-Metal band. As cringe-inducing as the following words usually are, there is an element in truth in it. Mnemosyne isn't here to angst about the problems of immortality, and that lack of angst alone makes the work intriguing. Oh sure, there's a bit of self-analysis in the opening episode, but its' far from what you'd expect from “Lesbian Sherlock Holmes meets The Highlander.”
The main character, however, suffers from just being too clear and clean-cut. Other then a slight twist to the formula in episode 5, Rin (Our primary character) reads like an open book. She's your typical Anime Woman of the Fighting variety...just that her main ability is being a bullet/blast sponge, leading to her often ending up on the loosing end of a battle. That doesn't keep her from being a solid paragon of a strong female lead, but everything she's going to say is something you'll have heard in some variation from any other 'Take Action!' female lead. Even with other characters, she just doesn't seem to change much from interactions compared to the life-altering events that she's providing others. Maybe this is just a normal development for someone who's been around for thousands of years, and should be expected. But it still leads to a letdown.
Not as much of a letdown as Mimi, our other primary character. As Rin's flirtatious immortal loli girlfriend (with some sprinkles of the Tsundere variety just so we hit every possible mainstream waifu criteria), one would hope that we can get some intriguing dynamics. And we honestly get...nothing. Oh sure, there's nudges and nods to what appears be a strong relationship between the two, but the series spends a lot of time with the two of them separated, or in situations that the dynamics of their character interactions just can't be expanded on, and Mimi just doesn't shine on her own. There is the subtle character arc she goes through as the toll of immortality chips on her mind, and makes her feel gradually more and more bored with Rin and everything in general...but good god the arc just sorta drops off because the last episode casts aside all of these types of things. (More on that in a bit).
The partner-of-the-year characters honestly are the most intriguing characters of the show. As we get the ability to see them grow slower with age and wiser from experience, it's a very engaging showcase of long-term growth. Indeed, if the audience is going to feel any emotional connection to the main female lead, it will likely be because of how solid the supporting character almost always is, and how we're able to pick up on the different types of relationships they have with the main character.
OH yeah, I did say more on that final episode, didn't I? Well, recall how I said that while being transparent and simplistic as glass, our main female lead is at least a strong female lead? Throw that out the window for the finale. IN fact, throw just about all characterization out for the final episode. It's not needed. At any one time, at least one of the three (Four if you count the villain) main character is spending their time grinding their thighs together, fighting against the ridiculous hormonal drives that plot kicks into gear. Not to mention that while that's going on, chances are that at least one character (It may even be the same one!) is groaning from being impaled, sliced, or tortured in some other way. Characters who aren't being made a quivering mess of animalistic lust or bloody stumps are content to stand around, being useless or rattle off exposition for the plot-switch that has happened. If there's anything that the finale does absolutely wrong, it's a failure to use the characters as anything more then plot devices to drag itself from Point A to B to C.
Beyond this though, the series just falls flat on characters, but that's really because it realizes that the extended cast just isn't going to contribute. If it's not our episodic 5-minutes of pointless revenge, or our villain of the episode, no effort is expended at all on them. It's up to the viewer to decide if this hinders the work by cheapening the world, or betters it by spending more time on the story, which is already the strong suit for the series.
Art/Animation: 7/10
The art is a difficult one to tackle. The first episode is solid all the way around, and feels like a work from the mid-2010's as opposed to the late 2000's. But after that the quality drops and wavers, and by the end it's not really much different from anything else during it's airtime. This goes double for the animation, with a wonderful cold-open but an awkward moment during the climax where the blood from a massive gash on the back suddenly phases through a trembling body. The backgrounds are solid, but never anything to really write home about, with the only stand-out being the Tree of Visual Exposition (as I like to call it) and it's spores of Plot Armor! The character designs aren't anything to write home about, and after the fourth episode it's clear that any creativity in this department had already been used up.
If anything, I guess I would say that it's closest comparison for a era-similar work would be ufotable's Garden of Sinners films. Both works have solid background art, and solid particle physics (Even if Mnemosyne's 'particles' are at least 20 times larger and aren't just a a dust-physics simulator). You might even take a few screenshots of the backgrounds and make them your desktop wallpaper for a week or so. But it's not something you'll call your friends up about and tell them about. 7/10 might seem generous, but that first episode is danm solid, and mix that with a handful of other good moments and otherwise average art overall, and you'll get a slightly-higher-then-average score.
Sound Design: 6/10
Here's the thing with Sound Design. Like the art/animation, it seems like all creativity in this department vanished early. It's never BAD, let's make that clear. Galneryus provides a wonderful opening and ending, the first actually being one of the rare, lusted after 'Japanese songs with Understandable English', while the closing work is a somewhat melancholic track that bursts into hopeful energy, creating a usually fitting end for the episodes. But it's telling how middlingly average the sound design is when there is just nothing to say about it.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I'm a sucker for everything this series threw at me, so when it comes to personal enjoyment, yes, it's a 10/10 out of the gate. Even when the work got downright bizarre at the end, it never stopped being true to it's promises. If you like the Hyper-Violent and Hyper-Sexualized OVA's of the 1980's and early 1990's, this might be up your alley. Likewise, if you enjoy a series with mystery elements, yeah, this is for you. And if you enjoy Shoujo-Ai or Yuri at the most explicit, this is definitely for you. For fans of any of these things, Enjoyment is likely to come, because the series is just so honest and out there with it. There's no beating around the bush. No need for senseless debates on if it's just yuri-baiting, or how badly a work has been censored. It's all there, and it's waiting for you to relish in it, regardless if you think its' trashy to like this sort of thing, or a hallmark of mature 'adult' taste.
Conclusion and Final Words
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne is an interesting tale. Interesting not only in itself, but in its' place in anime. Much like the hyper-violent/hyper-sexualized tales from the 80's like Violence Jack or AD Police, there is a market for Mnemosyne. But that market it small. What was once ahead-of-its' time artwork is already becoming dated, and within time it will no longer even be seen as 'acceptable', falling into the trappings of 'ew, old anime looks bad'. Mixed with a story that goes through a very unexpected shift late in the going, and the general lack of 3-Dimensional characters beyond sidekicks, and it's just bound to a sorry fate. It will likely be forgotten to the sands of time, left as just a reminder in blog posts on how 'uncool and over-the-top' anime was before it shaped up and got better.
But if you liked it, it's an experience you won't forget. It's the kind of thing that'll make you smile and say “Hell yeah, that's what I enjoy anime for.” Rather it be for mystery, thematic exploration, yuri, gore, sexuality, or something else, it'll be satisfying for you. And at the end, the one thought in your mind will be:
"What the heck just happened? Oh well, it was super cool and worth the watch!"
End Rating: 7.7, rounded up to 8.
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Nov 2, 2017 Recommended
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne is an odd experience. One's likely to spend the majority of it's run-time at the very least intrigued by the thematic elements being presented. To a 'new' anime watcher it will seem unique and 'Unlike anything else in anime'! And yet once the finale arrives, and once the series concludes itself, one thought will likely be left in the mind.
“What the heck just happened?” Story: 8/10 Mnemosyne's plot flows like many other experimental works. By spending the two-thirds or so of it's runtime going through self-contained arcs, it sets up the main cast, and the world itself, in a way that's always open ...
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 24, 2016 Not Recommended
"It doesn't matter what Fooly Cooly is."
~ Naota, FLCL, Episode 6. Thankfully, words CAN describe the pain that is FLCL. Let us break this down. Story: 2/10 One of the biggest problems of FLCL is the story. It's not accurate to say that there is a lack of story. The issue is that it intentionally tries to muck up every trick and tool used for storytelling. Multiple rewatches are required for any sensible understanding of the show (And sad to say, I did invest time into rewatching this in its' entirety). Rewatching for added understanding is not an issue itself. Serial Experiments Lain and Neon Genesis Evangelion benefit tremendously ... from this, but that is because these series are extremely complex and dense. Nearly everything is relevant in these series. FLCL is just the opposite. It has a story, but the story is incredibly bare bones. The majority of the story is placed in only the final third of the series, mixed with the occasional rambling from the show's primary female antagonist Haruko across the series. This is why I'm not actually going to try and get involved with explaining the start of the story per-usual. It simply doesn't reach any explainable level until two-thirds of the OVA has concluded. The rest of the series has plenty of sub-plots. And in the wake of a thin and weak story, FLCL must rely on the sub-plots to make an interesting story. And these sub-plots on their own could have done so, as while not all of them are incredible, there have incredible potential. Potential that is consistently squandered by the series itself. You see, FLCL has a very distinct style. And the style is to aim for audiovisual sensory overload roughly 80 percent of the time. Anytime that a subplot attempts to develop and kick off, it is almost instantly cut-short by extreme noise. After being interrupted, these subplots are rarely brought up again, and if they are mentioned again, it is merely in passing, in the form of a really quick narrative summary conclusion. To put FLCL's story in a metaphorical sense; imagine replacing a cow's skeleton with the skeleton of a calcium-deficient cat, replacing the cow's muscles with muscles from a donkey and a dog, and then bloating the cow with every kind of junk imaginable. The 'cow' will collapse under its' own weight and lack of any working skeletal or muscular structure. Art/Animation: 6/10 At first, FLCL's art would actually seem to be an extremely strong point in the series. It is vibrant. It is exciting. It is flashy and colorful. And it is really experimental. But all of this is pointless if there is no direction. Again, I must bring up FLCL's distinct style. Audiovisual sensory overload. When it comes to art, FLCL exercises this style by picking up as many different art styles as possible. It becomes the literal definition of jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none. It never sticks with any one style long enough to showcase any precision with it. Granted, there is a loose default style the series does notate toward. And it is the birth of a style that would mature through the likes of Gainax's later works such as Diebuster and TTGL, before maturing into the likes of Studio Trigger's modern works Kill-la-Kill and Kiznaiver. But it is an ugly birth, and is not harnessed in any way that is even remotely pleasing. On the animation front, the audiovisual sensory overload does itself some favor at first glance. With only a small handful of exceptions, something is always happening. But this leads into two problems. The first problem is that the constant motion and action becomes commonplace. What was shocking and exciting 'dynamic action' in the first episode becomes dull and commonplace by the last. The second problem is the lack of direction. Things are happening, but often for no reason whatsoever. A vast majority of FLCL's action scenes serve no purpose. A fine example would be a shootout that occurs about midway through the fifth episode. The premise sounds amazing, at least 20 different guys engaged in a shootout with the female antagonist, in a battle that starts in a barbershop before spilling into a crowded street. Hails of bullets bounce around the scene, smoke fills the screen, stars fly... ...and what was an interesting premise devolves into a scenario where you can no longer keep up with what is happening. By the time the shootout is cut short, the viewer will have noted no change in the status-quo has occurred. Nothing has changed, and everyone is left to go on their own merry way again. On it's own, this wouldn't be a problem, but this is the norm for the show. With the Audiovisual sensory overload style the series uses, and the lack of any meaning behind a lot of it, it will serve to do no more then frustrate the viewer. Sound Design: 3/10 The majority of my Sound Design rating is based on the choice and use of music and atmosphere, with a decreased focus on voicework. It is a bit of a shame, because FLCL does have a strong merit in it's English voicework, and the Japanese voicework never sounds terrible, even if none of the Japanese voice actors deliver a very memorable performance compared to the English ones. The music in the series, on the other hand, is dated. Badly dated. Alot of Studio Gainax's work has a habit of being dated or unmemorable in the music section, but this is some of the most egregious. To draw a comparison, imagine someone using The Offspring's debut album as the musical backing for any animation. Solid as the work might be, it lends itself to being a sign of the times and looses any relevance to the more modern world. Character: 2/10 The problem with the characters in FLCL are two-fold. First up is the fact that they don't go anywhere. None of them actually progress on screen, and the very few times that there is character progression, it is covered offscreen and never brought up again. Naota, the main character, is the ultimate example of this. As often as this show is heralded as a coming-of-age story, the main character never actually matures. He never learns or applies anything 'taught' to him in the show's runtime. He never diversifies or simplifies the relationships he has with others. In terms of progression, he is stuck. And for the small handful of other main characters, the problem is no different. Secondly, none of the characters are well developed. This problem is a bit more significant with the supporting cast then the main cast, but it does apply to both. The supporting cast is repeatedly brought up, mentioned, and we get hints of them being important. But for the most part, they either don't have anything to be based in, and whenever they have an interaction with the main character(s), it is usually cut short by the crazy over-the-top action scenes. Amongst the main characters, we are never given anything beyond the absolute minimum for them to be part of a 'status-quo'. What you can deduce from the main three characters in the first 12 minutes of the show is basically how they stay throughout its' entirety, save for one who comes close to be written out in the last episode and-a-half. Enjoyment: 1/10 When a show is failing so marvelously on all of the above fronts, there ends up being little left to give me any reason to enjoy it. I am not entertained by a show jangling smoky explosions, raunchy comedy, and excessive references to otaku culture, yet these are the only things that FLCL has any strength with. Even upon rewatch and a further general understand of what was going on, I found even less to like about it. There was never anything to invest in, and in the process, there is almost nothing to reap from the show. Overall: 2/10 The rating might seem a bit harsh, but FLCL is truly a horrible experience. Especially after watching it a second time and seeing all the areas that it failed at when it came to basic story writing and character utilization. The only people I could recommend this series to are those who are looking for a piece of Gainax history, people who have no standards, and people who just want some crazy background noise to play whenever occupied with anything more important.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Nov 14, 2016
Serial Experiments Lain
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"I'm here, so I'll be with your forever."
Iwakura Lain, Serial Experiments Lain, Episode 13. It's a shame that a vast majority of the viewers will never even try to understand what's going on here. A rewatch and some research can do wonders. Let us break this down. Story: 9/10 To make it clear, Lain's story is single-handedly the defining part of the anime. Because at the start, it doesn't make much sense. The first episode is on the 'heady' side, relying on minimal dialogue, odd angles (Imagine Studio Shaft if they were from the 90's), and a mind-numbing mystery that makes no sense in the slightest. To briefly summarize the ... start: Iwakura Lain, the titular main character, receives an e-mail, along with the rest of her class, from a student that committed suicide mere weeks prior. However, unlike the others in her class which blow it off like yesterday's news once the shock wears off, Lain becomes curious. She overcomes her fear of life and delves into the Wired, her world's version of the internet, and attempts to figure out the mystery behind the e-mails. This mystery resolves itself early on, but what it opens Lain up to is a world of deceit, lies, secrets, and confusion. Many, many different concepts are not only touched upon, but are seamlessly interjected to carry the story to a bizarre, yet satisfying, conclusion. But alas, it is easy to be lost. In fact, the greatest thing about Lain's story isn't the story itself, but the process of the viewer attempting to unravel the story. SEL likes to challenge the viewer, throwing many pieces to the puzzle onto the table early on before taking and putting a few pieces together...and then leaving the rest to the viewer. Just because you've spent a certain amount of time with Lain does not mean you have finished Lain. Rather, the viewer revisits the jigsaw puzzle now and again, figuring out where other pieces go and starting to understand the greater picture as he/she discovers where the pieces go himself. And even better yet, Lain has multiple finished perspectives. Theories abound throughout the internet as to what SEL really is saying, and the best part is restructuring the pieces into a possible different state. Talking about this anime's story could easily be the story's greatest benefit. This will grind the gears of people who want a straightforward story, a story that, if they don't understand, they can spend 15 minutes on a wiki and fill in the gaps. SEL is not a show or a tell, it's a "Solve". This alone alienates Lain to a large percentage of people. Art/Animation: 8/10 Onto the easier things to review. The Art and Animation of Lain is sadly dated. To be fair, the series has been around for almost two decades now. There are several scenes where people in the moderately-far distance seem to loose definition upon any sort of movement, and become little more then a vaguely human 'mass'. But despite these dated moments, SEL shines in it's variety and uniqueness. Any quick look at SEL, and it doesn't really look like anything else before, from, or after it's time. There is a slight emptiness to the majority of the shots, with the only noteworthy exceptions being when one observes Lain's room as it becomes more and more overrun with a constantly upgrading computer. And while some elements of the 90's aesthetic do exist, it isn't the sole defining purpose. The characters are designed simplistically, but not completely without detail, as extra attention is often give to the well-detailed eyes and facial hair. The backgrounds swing between being empty to being stuffed, but it is always with respect to what is going on in the foreground. In the more crowded background shots, there are usually secrets hidden to further deepen the meaning of what is currently being said or experienced. But of course, because it is old, and doesn't look good, another large percentage of people will be alienated. Sound: 10/10 Hands down, Lain's strongest section is likely the sound design. Not the soundtrack per~se, even though it is no slouch. But the design of the sound is brilliant. The only exception to this would be the flawed English Dubbing. The sound of Lain alone makes the experience worth watching. From the droning low hum of the Wired, to the busy crowded streets of Tokyo at the start of every episode, the vivid blast of a gunshot, and all the smallest little atmospheric sounds. Indeed, the sound design is on point. But as for the Soundtrack, it is quite strong in it's own right. The opening is melancholy, but despite the lyrically depressing tone (All sung in Crystal-Clear English, by the way), it never dives into depression. The same is the case with the closing theme, but where the opening relies more on it's vocal delivery, the closing theme strikes a upbeat tragic tone with the strength of it's guitar, aided rather then led by the vocals. The in-show music isn't any slouch either. Lain's personal theme commands attention and respect, much like her own online persona, but also mixes the roaring confusion of the titular character's mental struggles. And this extends to many of the other fast-paced tracks. The slower paced tracks, on the other hand, are perfect for a reflective mood, setting up quite fine for the next small drop of exposition or analysis. Special mention to the Club Cyberia soundtrack. I rarely listen to in-anime music during my freetime, let alone older EDM. And yet I frequently find myself revisiting the Club Cyberia OST whenever I'm looking for a rush delivered by a genre other then Metal, Punk, or Rap. Character: 10/10 This is likely the most debatable portion of the review. SEL's focus character-wise is singular. It is ALL on one character, the titular Lain herself. Yes, the various side-characters are all developed and grown, but the show does have a habit of bringing characters up in one episode, and then knocking them out for good in the same episode they appeared in. Lain herself, though, goes through a remarkable transformation, and to go into detail would be akin to spoiling the largest part of the show. But rest assured, her character grows and develops, and does so in a understandable way (I use the term 'understandable' because it would be difficult to use the term realistic. I'm pretty sure people in reality don't go through the things that Lain does). Beyond Lain herself, her family and friends rely more on subtle depth. Her family is disjointed, likely identifiable with families on both sides of the pacific, but they do have just a handful of hard-to-grasp qualities that make them all seem 'off', which fits remarkable into the show's atmosphere. Lain's friends are pretty simple to understand, akin to friends that surely anyone has made before, looking for the next fun moment and often gossiping around before the start of class. Yet both end up bringing massive contributions to Lain herself, and go through their own changes in response to the shifts of Lain and their environment. Enjoyment: 10/10 Of course, the sheer joy of piecing together a mindscrew and making sense of it is the most enjoyable part. And that is fine, but don't forget that while it is the best part of Lain, it's not the only part to it. Lain also stands tall with an incredible atmosphere, oozing with darkness and mystery without getting swallowed into an atrophic emo state. Furthermore, for those familiar with recent world history, conspiracy theories, internet phenomena, and more, there will be a fair number of treats thrown to you also, as the story will unravel even faster into you're own personal experience. But at the same time, this 10/10 rating for Enjoyment is very divisive. For anyone not enjoying the work of piecing the story together, it is unlikely that the other elements will salvage the show for you in the slightest. Overall: 9.5/10 (Rounded up to 10/10) Lain has earned it's title of 'Masterpiece' and 'Anime Classic'. Rightfully so, as it helped to pave the way for many other movies and series to tackle complex ideas and topics. However, it is hurt severely by one thing, and that is just how niche this work is. It is not a title I can recommend to anyone. For those looking for an easy-to-understand story, or even a moderately complex one, Lain is likely to be an unenjoyable mess. However, between an amazing sound design, understandable character development, a very revisitable story, and the multiple interpretations of it's many points, I'll gladly recommend this to anyone wanting to see a trailblazing anime, or looking for some meat in their anime!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 13, 2016
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's
(Anime)
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"Her Friends."
~Fate Testarossa, Episode 1 SQUEEEEEEEEEE ~Fandom's Collective Reaction, Episode 1 This is where that investment I was talking about earlier starts to pay off. Let us break this down. Story: 7/10 Roughly six months after the events of Lyrical Nanoha's initial season, life is looking good. Nanoha eagerly awaits the return of Chrono, Arf, and Fate, the later two finishing up sentences for 'crimes' from the first season. Fate and Arf are beginning to settle into a more steady family environment. Chrono is doing...things for the Time-Space Administration Bureau (TSA Bureau for short, as I can't ignore making that joke). But on the night that the group is destined to meet ... up, Nanoha finds herself under attack by a powerful character who refuses to talk before taking action, and promptly beats Nanoha into the ground in one of the most brutal Magical Girl beat-downs witnessed by man. Just as all seems bleak and loss for out titular heroine, none other then Fate arrives, and in just the nick of time! And all of that is the first episode. By the sound of it, the series is going to be much more expansive with it's story then the initial season. And you are right, it is. But despite being larger, it is not necessarily better. As the story in Lyrical Nanoha A's goes along, it makes itself a bit...difficult to swallow. It's not unbelievable, and it's easy to express and communicate to others. (I merely refuse to do so here, as I want to avoid spoilers if at all possible). But the execution is clunky. To put it simply, the Wolkenritter, our group of 'misguided villains' for this installation, work very heavily on Idiot Ball and Single View mindsets. Even when blatantly better alternatives exist, they insist on sticking to their guns, regardless of reasoning. This makes them cross from being 'loyal' to downright 'ignorant'. In addition, a third party that makes itself known throughout the story serves as little more then to beef up a story that otherwise would have simply been a rehash/re-imagining of the first season's story. It's nice to have, but plainly feels tacked on. And herein lies what keeps Lyrical Naonha A's story from being downright amazing. It's merely a bulkier rehash of the first season's story at heart. And while I'll give A's the credit and higher story rating for doing a bit more with itself, I still find that the original season's story is much, much easier to swallow, but only due to it's simplicity. Art: 6/10 There are some improvements from the prior season going into this season. Is the improvement jaw-dropping? No. But it is there, and is subtle and nice. The biggest benefit to the art style, though, would be the larger variety of things to animate. Throughout the first season, the art and animation stayed relatively conservative, not really doing anything eye-catching in design save for the Testarossa space-mansion, and not really doing anything eye-catching in animation save for the battle and transformation sequences. But in A's, that changes radically. Because A's takes place on various worlds, considerably more freedom of expression can be given to the artists. Sure, the designs of the aliens look generic. The foreign worlds are also pretty generic in design. But despite this generic feeling, or perhaps through it, the bombastic style of the character designs shine through. Fate, Nanoha, Chrono, and Arf, our main heroes, don't benefit from this as much as the Wolkenritter do. Each one has a radically different design, and while the design itself says just about everything needed about the character, the effort put into it, in and out of universe, is wonderful. Brief mention to the show's "Final Boss", which looks downright Painful and Nightmarish without being Narmy. The animation itself is also slightly improved. Again, it's not in a way that is instantly detectable, and it's not going to blow your mind away. But it is there, and worth taking note of. Sound: 6/10 The only area where Nanoha's second season didn't improve on the first would be the sound design. While Nana Mizuki continues to put a stunning effort into the opening, and while I do prefer Innocent Starter from the first season, Eternal Blaze is undeniably a more exciting track. The closing theme, Spiritual Garden by Yukari Tamura, does a decent job of calming the viewer down after an exciting episode, but feels a bit out of place with the rest of the series. The rest of the show's OST is not bad, by any means, but I can't particularly think of anywhere that it stands out at. The music compliments the show well, but doesn't really do enough to stand on it's own. In addition, the amount of enhancement in brings to the table is reduced from the enhancement from the first season. Characters: 8/10 Remember that investment I was talking about earlier? This is where that investment pays itself off at. Nanoha herself continues to be the same Shounen-archetype in a Magical Girl world. Unsurprisingly, she really doesn't get developed much farther despite being the main character. What little bit we do see is more of her loyalty and 'never-say-die' attitude, which is enough to at least enjoy her as a character in the story if you aren't able to directly enjoy her character. Fate, on the other hand, completes her development arc that started in the prior season. And she completes it wonderfully. Hands down, Fate steals the show when it comes to character development and manifestation. Not only does she end up overcoming her 'family' issues from the prior season, she begins to take a strong interest in other things. Friends, school, her 'adopted' family (Yes, Fate is adopted into the Harlaown family in this series. Hardly a spoiler, as this information is dropped on us halfway through the first episode), etc. Even her fights contribute to her character, as she shapes her style into a flawed-yet-effective Speedy Glass Cannon style. That's not to say the other characters involved in this work aren't great, they truly are. The Harlaown clan, mother and son alike, both get a chance to showcase impressive character depth. Both are marked by a tragedy, but they have overcome it and press on rather effectively with their lives. Even when said tragedy comes bubbling back to the surface, they keep a nice level head and continue pressing on. And yet, they also are more then just Space Navy Seamen, as their relationship with Fate, Yuuno, and Nanoha is extremely human. Even when they interact with other members in the TSA Bureau, the interactions are professional yet smooth. The 'villains' are actually well developed also. As mentioned above, they are given a case of 'Idiot Ball' and blind loyal stupidity a bit too hard, but it's not to the extent that it breaks their character. The defacto 'leader' of the group, Signum, hits the 'valiant, honorable knight' trope to a T, but it doesn't seemed forced. The same goes for their hot-headed action girl Vita, their calm and thoughtful medic Shamal, and even the team's familiar/pet have character types that we've seen before, but don't come off nearly as forced. To attempt to elaborate more on their personalities, however, would significantly spoil the story's middle parts, something I wish to avoid. Nanoha's friends get special mention, because they seem to be the inverse. Suzuka and Alisa have about the same amount of screentime that they did in the prior season, but the utilization is decidedly less effective. For supporting characters in the first season, they actually were the best the show had to offer, as they both dealt with the frustration of Nanoha's double-life in a realistic way (Well, realistic for 9 year olds). In A's, there simply isn't much that they do except serve as tools to deepen Fate's and Hayate's characters. Speaking of Hayate, she's the newest young female in the series, and while her personality is pretty typical of a disabled girl in anime, she does end up tying heavily into the overall plot of the series. Her character investment starts in this season and pays off in the third season. Enjoyment: 9/10 More then likely the biggest selling point of Nanoha A's is it's sheer enjoyment. By improving on nearly every already solid point from the prior season, it's weaknesses are left in the dust. Nearly every episode consists of warm character moments, or hyper intense battles. Speaking of the Battles, this was easily the single greatest improvement from the prior season. In the initial season, Nanoha and Fate were the same in battles. Sure, Fate had more 'skill' and Nanoha had more 'willpower', but despite that, they basically both had the same tactics. Fly about, shoot the crap out of eachother, and in the case of Fate, occasionally get in close for some dicier attacks. Here, every character ends up taking on a battle style, and that makes for wonderful battles. Fate and Nanoha take their battle experience and better their craft throughout the season, which has a decidedly large effect on their battle abilities, nearly as much as the mid-season upgrade they get. And this specialization goes to all the characters involved in battles. Nanoha is a hyper-accurate powerhouse. Fate's a speedy glass-canon. Vita is a close-range melee fighter. Arf and Zafira are fist-fighters. Chrono and Shamal play defense, etc, etc. These styles make the conflicts much more intense, as we see certain fighting types go against each other and the various strengths and weaknesses of that type come into play. Overall: 8/10 Between amazing characters, an abundance of great moments, and an overall solid, albeit clunky, story, Nanoha A's earns the solid reputation it has. The Spectacle-driven show from the prior season both deepens and expands, allowing the story to be sold in a marvelous fashion. Whenever I recommend the Nanoha franchise to someone, it's typically because of this season. It is enjoyable. Fun. And deep down, that is what anime is supposed to be. A means of telling a story that is fun, and able to do what live action can't.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 21, 2016
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
(Anime)
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"It was a small incident that happened to me, Nanoha Takamachi, a girl who was supposed to be a third grader."
~Nanoha Takamachi, at the start of every episode of this series. If this is a 'small' incident, I'm rather curious as to what defines a 'large' one. Let us break this down. Note: For clarification, I will refer to this series as 'Lyrical Nanoha'. The titular character, I will refer to as 'Nanoha'. I hope this will ease confusion. Story: 6/10 ... Lyrical Nanoha's story is simple. There is no way around this fact. But in it's simplicity, it works quite well. Our main character, Nanoha, comes across an injured ferret-like creature named 'Yuuno' with a strange bead, after thinking that she 'hears' it calling her. After a 'small incident', she ends up working for said creature to capture Magical McGuffins, known as Jewel Seeds. Using aforementioned bead, loaned to her quite generously by Yuuno, she is able to access typical Magical Girl clothing/armor and abilities, allowing her to more vigorously chase after said McGuffins. But she soon comes across another Magical Girl who also is pursuing these Jewel Seeds for her own reasons, which are unknown to Nanoha. While this new girl is quite quick to battle, Nanoha is reluctant, wanting instead to use diplomacy to see if the two can work together. Even after getting her ass handed to her. And thus, Nanoha continues to try and break the cold outer shell of this new girl with 'sad eyes' and her familiar, to attempt to form a friendship. Oh, and about midway through the season a Space-Navy ship shows up to destabilize the show. Between this, and one (two, depending on how you think of it) surprise turns in the middle-to-closing stages of the show, sums up the majority of Lyrical Nanoha. By being simplistic in nature, it leaves itself little room for failure, and in addition, little room to actually break out in an amazing way. The 'twists' are dark and jarring, yes, but they are aimed more toward the characters and changing them then altering the overall story. Art: 4/10 I was actually surprised as my rating for the art and animation for this series. Because all in all, it's not bad. But it never really shines. While the battle scenes are impressive, such impressiveness is based more around the characters and soundtrack. The animation never downright fails either, but it never really takes off. In addition, as this original series is now 12 years old, it's age is actually showing. And not in the 'graceful' aging way either. Sound: 7/10 To make up for the mediocre art, the soundtrack kicks ass. The opening theme will burn into your mind during the short 13 episodes you spend with it. Nana Mizuki, who is the singer behind the opening, brings an energetic and anticipatory rush to your mind every time a new episode starts. This would become commonplace in this series, as many of her works pop up in the Lyrical Nanoha franchise as a whole, each of them shining in their own way. Sadly, on the other hand, the ED lacks any real memorability. OP and ED aside, the in-show soundtrack not slouching. While it wouldn't exactly be fantastically memorable on it's own, it is well mixed into the show, emphasizing moments of combat wonderfully, subtly adding to the drama whenever a sudden reveal occurs, while setting the viewer at ease for the more relaxed sections. And it's a great supporter of the 'less is more' concept. The 'sudden twist reveal' in Episode 11 is musically built with faint piano keys and other moderately soft instruments, used more for subtly punctuating the first reveal then drawing on in an unrealistic silence, all the while staying quite calm. So while the soundtrack itself is only slighty-better then average, it's execution is wonderful. Character: 6.5/10 The issue of Character in the Lyrical Nanoha franchise's first installment is something that could easily come hotly under fire. Interpretation of character development, depth, and backstory varies from person to person. One might view the titular character as a realistic 'everygirl with honor' thrown into an otherworldy scenario, while Fate would be an edgy 'Anti-hero' left-over from the nineties. Another person might view Nanoha as a two-dimensional heroine that would feel more at home in an action Shounen then a Mahou Shoujo, while Fate is a stunning portrayal of a girl with massive power cracking, and eventually breaking, under surmounting pressure. (My personal viewpoint is that Nanoha is a simply written character for a simple story. No need to make a convuluted hero in a mostly simple story. Fate, while going through typical expected motions of a young girl in her scenario, goes through them with quite a level of believablity.) The supporting characters become more bland and dull the farther they are from the main story. Yuuno and Arf, the secondary characters, are written quite well, as is the overall 'big bad'. Nanoha's family and friendS are more placeholders then anything else, filling in her 'normal' life without really adding anything, save for the typical 'Main character seems divided from the real world' occurrence that shows up in Magical Girl shows. (BUT HEY, HER PARENTS ARE SOMEWHAT INVOLVED IN HER LIFE! THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OVER 90 PERCENT OF ANIME RIGHT THERE!!!) . The Space-Navy's members are really...flat. This would get fixed in the following season, but they really have nothing behind them to make them memorable as characters. Enjoyment: 8/10 Lyrical Nanoha nails it with it's enjoyment factor. By setting up the characters and music well, each confrontation is made amazing and memorable. The sudden twists have their effects punctuated with it's execution. As a moment of badassness occurs, one will likely find themselves fist-pumping and gasping as it occurs. The cutting points for each episode stradle that boundary of 'wanting more' and 'being satisfied' just right. Granted, this enjoyment factor can easily go the other way. Someone who is overly familiar with Magical Girl tropes and/or is well versed in anime will likely be more detached from this series, seeing it just go through the motions. Overal: 6/10 In short, Lyrical Nanoha survives more on great execution of it's spectacle and show then actual depth. And you know what? That's perfectly okay. As an individual show, Lyrical Nanoha is something that will likely excite you at first, and for some time you'll think 'danm, that was awesome'. After the initial awe finally wears off (assuming you didn't immediately jump into the next seasons, something I didn't have the privilege of doing), your recollection will be tempered, but upon review, all the small things that add up, along with the soul of the show, will make you recall why exactly you enjoyed this so much. Would I recommend this series to others? I would, and I have. This isn't a waste of time. Sure, it's not 'over the top' like Kill-la-Kill, or 'deep and edgy' like Neon Genesis Evangelion. But it doesn't need to be. It sets out to tell a 'small' incident that occurred to a third grader, and executes it quite well. The payoff, however, isn't from this first season. This first season establishes characters and makes them familiar. They become much more enjoyable and personable in the following two seasons, and there is where the payoff is, as they become much more fleshed out, people that you can recognize beyond their archetypes and tropes. It's a good start to a great franchise. So my final word is: If you even somewhat liked Lyrical Nanoha, jump into the next season(s). That's where the payoff comes in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 16, 2016 Not Recommended
"Cut yourself to fit the world? Or cut the world to fit you?"
Both please. Ahhhh, Shadow Star NaruTaru. I sure do wish I could give you a Shadow Star rating. And here I thought Evangelion 3.33 was going to be my lowest rated anime that I reviewed. Story: 1/10 The concept is amazing...on paper. Take the well beloved 'Mon' Genre and run it through the gauntlet of Deconstruction tropes! Our main character, Shiina, is spending a summer at a relative's place at a beachside. During the August that she spends there, she ends up meeting, and on some level bonding with, a strange creature. She quickly 'adopts' the creature ... and proceeds to call it Hoshimaru, and take it back home with her. She ends up meeting other young teens that also have similar bizarre creatures, some which look similar to Hoshimaru, while others have about as much in common as a pile of feathers and a pile of bricks. These other teens have a very strong bond with their creatures, to the point of being able to direct them to commit acts from tens of hundreds of kilometers distance. Shiina never seems to find a bond anywhere near that deep with her Hoshimaru. Why? It's never answered. There also are two different factions that want to take over the world and enslave it toward their own whims. The first 'faction' dies off in pretty much the same episode it/he is introduced in. The second faction...well, we never find out anymore about them after Episode 9, do we? Another part of the story is how the Japanese Self Defense Force finds out about the existence of these creatures and their reaction to them. Slight spoiler, but after getting their asses handed to them in a long drawn out battle that ends with an entire city and a signficant amount of the JSDF chemically gassed (A blatant violation of the Law of Armed Conflict), the JSDF responds by... doing nothing... IN addition an interesting little subplot makes it's way shown in the series is basically an Anti-Bullying PSA stretched across three episodes. And while this one does actually conclude itself, the issue with this little story is that all the 'dramatic, edgy, horror' that occurs in this series really only appears in this part (Except for the Chemical gassing of an entire town). Oh, and did I mention that this little Anti-Bullying PSA trifecta of episodes take place in the LAST THREE EPISODES of the series? You know, after the ENTIRE GOVERNMENT now knows of these things? And here is where we get into the first major flaw in this series. The order of events and lack of relation between said events. Serial Escalation never really takes place, as the series gets to it's highest and most dramatic point by episode 8, and only begins to try picking back up in the final two episodes. In addition; there are not several several cleverly interwoven plots that lead from one bad possibility to another. In fact, most of these plots are quite isolated, and only interconnected because the lead character is somewhat involved. Episode 10 is the most egregious. In a short stand alone OVA it wouldn't have been bad. But the introduction of the main character into the events of Episode 10 actually are counter-intuitive. The information of what is going on is spoon-fed to the viewer, and the entirety of the events here have no effect on the main character, her 'mon', or the rest of the series, not even in a retroactive manner. At this point, you might have noticed that my review seems to veer off into different directions rather then go along one simple all-encompassing tangent. That is because the story really goes in many different directions and can never seem to deliver a solid finishing point on either of them. Henceforth, it actually becomes a bit harder to judge the work. Amongst the other works I have reviewed (and those I have watched and not reviewed) which received ratings of 4/10 or lower, there was at least a story. But Shadow Star Naru Taru fails at that, and only gets by via having a concept driving it, a concept which is free to take as many detours and side-routes as possible during it's brief run time, leaving us with an ending that isn't as much ambiguous as it is a mere fade out. The overall lack of effort into a story leaves me to rate this section as a '1'. Sure, sometimes the subplots were a bit interesting...but there is no overarcing story. There is only an over-arcing concept. And what is this concept, might you ask? It's the exact concept I expressed at the start of this review. To compare, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Madoka Magica, two of the best known 'Deconstruction' works in anime, had a story. Yes, there was a driving concept in these series. NGE went through two of them subtly with one being the deconstruction of Mecha pilot(s) in the Mecha genre, and a bit more subtly, a deconstruction of isolation depression vs interaction depression, via the Hedgehog's Dilemma. Madoka Magica's concept is primarily to apply themes of deception to the typical Mahou Shoujou genre. But both of these series had a plot and a story, and stayed with them to the best of their abilities. As opposed, Naru Taru never actually develops a story as much as it does 'attractions' based off of this theme...this concept. A concept alone is merely the suspension and parts of the engine for a story. You can't drive a car with only a suspension and engine pieces. Art: 2/10 In most of my reviews my 'Art' rating is pretty consistent. And that is simply because I pay more attention to the story, characters, and message shown then the art. Yes, it is great to look in the background and see a living world. It's great to look in the foreground and see life through the characters and effort through the objects! And the better the effort, the fewer the immersion breaking errors, and the most amazing a world can become. But alas, Art is still the thing I pay attention to the least, unless it is executed well in a way that adds to the narrative (Like the sharp contrasts of Madoka Magica, the out-of-bonds roughness of Kill-la-Kill, or the smooth upper-class look of Code Geass). Or it has no effort whatsoever. And this is the problem here. Save for a few scenes here and there the art, and to a greater extent the animation does nothing. Action scenes are muted by poor animation, character's ranges of expression is intensely limited, and the environment comes off more as a drawing then a world. The amount of effort put into this was nil. Granted, maybe this is because it came from a small studio. But...laziness blatantly set in. For example, take a picture of all the female characters in the series within the same 'age' range. Now remove all of their hair. And suddenly, you notice that there is pretty much no difference between the character designs. It was as if the creators, to save money/time/effort/scotch, decided to just use five body models (Teenage girl, Teenage Boy, Adult Male, Adult Female, Overweight Adult Male) and swap faces and hair amongst them. To add onto this insult to the viewer, who I'm guessing they thought wouldn't notice, they try to give each character an identity by leaving them with primarily one facial expression type. This ends up severely limiting the expressiveness of the characters showcased throughout this show. Shiina always looks school-girl happy! Akira always looks about ready to cry (or she is showcasing a bizzare meme face), Takeo is always expression a smug grin, Aki always is expression a female smug grin, etc, etc. The list goes on, and on, and on. Couple this with the overall lack of total faces in the series, and everyone seems to be borderline...unexpressive. In addition, the foregrounds are dull and lifeless, and the backgrounds are empty. Sound: 2/10 Sound, along with art helps to make a world feel alive, and in many cases, bring it, in some way, parallel to our own world. Not to mention that the music within a work can heighten or depress the mood in tune with the latest turn on screen. Naru Taru's non-musical sound is horrendous. I could give numerous examples, from the flat delivery from the voice actors (Flat Japanese voices, even from my monolingual English ears...) to the strange car sounds. Even the dull sound of the jets. If you have ever heard an A-10 Warthog in real life, and then hear the pathetic sound the A-10's in this series give, you also would be dissapointed. But I choose to sum up the poorness of the sound quality with a single sound. The gunshot. In real life, a gunshot is loud. Overwhelming. It blurs out everything going on. Multiple gunshots somewhat tend to dull this effect, as one's ears somewhat adjust to it and begin picking up on other occurrences (Assuming your ear drums are not being blown out). But a single gunshot is deafening, and in anime, is often used for dramatic effect. In this series, a single gunshot is akin to a popping sound, somewhat like a single kernel popping in a popcorn bag. The most gun-like thing it could be compared to would be the handgun in Resident Evil 1 on the PS1/Sega Saturn. This might be excusable, if not for the fact that the gunshot IS used as a dramatic moment marker. But in the process, it actually sucks all the dramatics out of the scene. Again, there are other examples, but this was the most prevalent one in my mind. On the music side...it was similarly underwhelming. While the contrast between the music and the occurrence wasn't as blatant as Evangelion 2.22's was, it is bad in it's own right. The very few times it isn't contrasting with the mood or the tone of a scene, it becomes downright generic. Almost Hentai levels of generic. There would be two exceptions to this, the opening theme and a few dread-inducing piano pieces in the middle parts of the series. The opening theme is actually pretty darn catchy, with it's little kazoo and spoken lyrics. Time and time again I find myself humming or whistling this catchy little bugger. But two or three decent music pieces being the only pleasant thing across the entirety of a 13 episode series is downright pathetic. Character: 1/10 The issue with Character is simple. No character is enjoyable, and no character does anything particularly memorable unless they are the arc villian. You'll recall Shiina only for being the generic happy-with-everything girl that the series is breaking apart. You'll recall Akira only for being the dull one that gives early Shinji Ikari and Yukitero Amano meaningful lives. Tomonori is recalled for wanting to kill everyone who has higher education. Hiroko snapped and killed everyone she knew. Etc, Etc. The characters are all one-note characters. The only place where this is reasonably acceptable is the new characters tossed into Episode 10, who we spend less then 22 minutes with, so to expect more from them would be pretty darn foolish. As one note characters, the interactions betwixt characters never really goes anywhere. Nobody really changes over the course of the series. Akira from episode 2 is the same as Akira from episode 12. As is Shiina. And every other character who had more then one episode of screentime. Even Hiroko, who snapped and killed everyone she knew, never really demonstrates much of a personality change in the event. Enjoyment: 1/10 Hahaha, enjoyment? Minimal. It peeked to it's highest in Episode 8, with the interesting (Yet poorly showcased due to poor animation and poor sound) three way battle between two teams of mons and the JSDF. But it's hard to get invested into a series where every action scene is really subdued, and every character stuck in a virtually unchanging roll. If not for the shortness of the series, I likely would have dropped it by episode 12 and not bothered any farther. There is nothing in this series to invest in, and in the process, there is nothing to reap from the show. Overall: 1/10 There are other things in the show I could point at. The blatant bashing-over-the-skull with a 'deep' theme is hyper prevalent, for instance. Events were played for drama...but never really came off as dramatic, and in some cases the problem would be fixed and explained away offscreen, which actually made the show invert the drama it was going for. And the schizophrenic usage of some of the supporting adults, from being well-intentioned yet strict parents to misguided store owners to abusive pricks...*sigh*. Rape is played as drama in the most sickeningly way possible, as if to ok the later graphic deaths and second rape scene. I legit can't recommend this series to anyone. For those looking for horrific elements, go ahead and just watch the last three episodes, and maybe you'll be entertained. For those looking for 'edgy' incest, it's a brief two minute scene that just makes the 'villian' of that arc a more blatant villain. You'll find more edgy incest in hentai. For those looking for an interesting deconstruction, I point to Madoka Magica and Neon Genesis Evangelion. For those looking for a deconstruction of the mon genre, I'll point you toward Digimon Tamers. For masochists, you'll likely be bored out of your head by the fourth episode. And for those looking for a series with a deep message or messages, I would point you to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell:SAC, or any number of other series. Just...don't do what I did. Don't waste your time on this series. Of everything I have watched, it's actually the first thing that offended me at one point. And I wouldn't wish that onto anyone else.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Apr 25, 2016
Hi☆sCoool! SeHa Girls
(Anime)
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Mixed Feelings
"It seems like it wasn't that long at all." ~ Sega Saturn-chan, Episode 13.
(NO duh Saturn-chan, the total runtime of the series is only about 3 hours) I guess this is what you call pandering to the most niche audience possible. Let us Break this Down. Story: 3/10 Story is often one of, if not the, most important thing in any media. So with that in mind, one of the most damaging things for Hi*sChool SeHa Girls is the overall lack of an interesting story. While a story that can be simply summed up is a good thing in some cases (See: Lyrical Nanoha's first series, Highschool of the ... Dead), it actually hurts this series in a worse way. The story is summed up as such: SEGA consoles inside of Anthromorphic bodies go to this Sega Academy to graduate and do something with their lives. School is run by a dickish rabbit. To graduate, they must be transported into a SEGA game and do XYZ to earn gold coins. 100 gold coins = Graduation. (And inflation is apparently a thing in this series, anyone with a basic understanding of economics and education will likely find this hilarious.) Of course, this being a Slice-of-Life comedy series, a simplistic and weak story is, sadly, expected. Art: 5/10 And now for the hardest part of the review, simply because it is complicated. SeHa Girls' Art style of Art alternates between being cramped to being empty, showcased between the two types of settings in the series. The Highschool setting, and the Game-world settings. Both have significant strengths and weaknesses, and it's really hard to explain such weaknesses without the viewer having already watched some of the series, or at least have decent knowledge of old SEGA games. Cramming excess amounts of outdated product placements (aka, the Nostalgia for SEGA fanatics) into the first of the two setting types, the Highschool setting itself, is a massive issue. The Highschool environment always looks small and cramped, because of excessive STUFF. This issue is slightly averted by having the girls be in 'chibi form' while in this setting. But, it is still crowded. Granted, for the hardcore SEGA fan, this is beautiful. It becomes a game of 'How many references can I get before the scene changes!?' (I was quite guilty of playing that game while watching this). On the other hand, uninspired world copies and Windows Movie Maker level effects cloud the second of the two setting types. Every time the girls would go into a game world, it was a literal rip off of the game world's setting. While I'm sure this is GREAT for those looking for a taste of SEGA nostalgia, it worn on me quickly. We already know what Jet Grind/Set Radio's location looks like, same with Virtua Fighters' arenas, and Space Channel 5's space port. Borderline nothing has changed. This really isn't too much of an issue considering that something is almost always going on in the foreground, but... (Yet, maybe this is to grab the Nostalgia of hardcore SEGA fans?) As for the characters, they really aren't anything amazing. The psychotic teacher who runs it all is a pixelated rabbit (I'm sure this is a massive reference, but I'm not getting it...), and the three girls are decently done, especially in their 'game forms'. But outside of the giant ass Dreamcast controller on Dreamcast's head (and other controller symbols on the other girls), none of them feel very inspired, or even connectable to the consoles. Whenever a game character appears, it is either ripped right from the game's models (Primarily if they came from a Saturn or Dreamcast game), or have a basic 3-D model built from their old 2-d one (Primarily if they came from Genesis/Mega-Drive games). Somewhat overlooked in my entire diatribe of the art here (Which is something I rarely, if ever, bother taking note of), is the type of art used. CG/CGI. Virtually everything not lifted from a game is done in CG. And this is...ok. At many times it feels uncoordinated and sloppy, but when comparing the animation of many of these older games to that of today's games, they also feel uncoordinated and sloppy. It all kind of balances out in the end...which is actually sad when one thinks about it. Sound: 4/10 At no point did the sound in the game catch me. The voices were uninspiring, the sounds were either generic tunes or ripped straight from the games with no change attempted. At least Pokemon Origins, another short series which was based on some level of pandering, attempted to spice up the music. I saw nothing here. It wasn't egregious. It was just...there. A pointless detail that was only added because anime is an audiovisual broadcast. Again though, maybe I'd love it more if I was of the Nostalgic SEGA fanboy type. Character: 4/10 Most characters that came from the games stick with their original purposes in the game, save for the exceptions of two suitors (Some baseball player and a dwarven axe-wielder) from other games who only have the personality of 'Being there to chase/annoy Saturn-chan' or 'Be used by Dreamcast/Mega-Drive to taunt Saturn-chan'. If a character was memorable from a game, you will still only recall that character for what they did in that game, and not from this anime. The rabbit that runs the school has two personalities. 1 is: 'Be dickish to the girls and torment them with technicalities (Especially Saturn-chan)' or 2: 'Be video game exposition dumper, in case you don't recall this game'. The girls are mostly uninteresting. Dreamcast is the genki-girl stereotype with no attempt of making her anymore. Mega-Drive/Genesis is the shy bookworm stereotype with only minimal attempt of making her anything more. Saturn-chan is the most interesting, but only by nature of being the butt-monkey of the series (And being abnormally eager to be fan-service girl...) Enjoyment: 6/10 This was the show's only strong point. It was funny at numerous points, but for every hilarious moment, there was a roughly equal number of flat-on-your-face-this-is-dull moments (And then the entirety of episode 13, which tries to be emotional but just feels flat and forced). When the humor shined, it SHINED. Everything is funny about the 2nd episode, and it rolls like the perfect joke stacked ontop of a joke. On the other hand, episode 6 feels like a very bland Sonic fanfiction. When the show tried actually doing something other then comedy, it failed. Bad. A sense of adventure never went anywhere, a sense of emotional drama was stupidly flat. Comedy was the only area it shined, and yet so many jokes were either so Meta or so forced that it deadened it's effect. There were subtle references here and there. (Saturn-chan not knowing who Sonic was, Dreamcast being slow as all f* on the internet, the girls' aversion to Smartphones, etc). These were cute little nods to anyone worth their salt in SEGA console/game knowledge. But cute nods and the occasional good joke does not salvage a show. Overall: 5/10 In all honestly, I'd say the numerical rating should be closer to a 4.5 or so, but 5 will do. This project never went anywhere, but it would be silly to expect it to actually do something. The concept is pretty niche, and that alone alienates alot of potential fans. The execution was...off to say the least. There was nothing to save the show, but it almost doesn't need to be save as the possible rock bottom SeHa girls could have even hit is only slightly less then the best it could have been. By being marketed to a niche audience, and by trying to do not enough of too much (Only 15 or so SEGA game franchises were touched upon of the hundreds), and having such a short runtime, it never went anywhere, partially because it never got the chance to go anywhere. With that said, I fully believe that your enjoyment of the show will be directly influenced by the viewer's familiarity and enjoyment with SEGA's franchises. I love my Dreamcast and my modest collection of DC games to death, but I only ever got the chance to start playing games in the last 4 or 5 years of my life. I did not grow up with SEGA consoles, as by the time I even started caring the DC was out the door, the Saturn was forgotten, and the Mega-Drive/Genesis was already considered 'ancient'. I never got emotionally attached to the consoles and their games as a child, so the excessive Nostalgia bating in the show never pulled me in. And here in is the biggest issue of the show, worse then the inconsistent comedy and the lack of anything else: By being so niche, it alienated not only fans, but possibilities. Expanding the concept would have been out of the question, expanding the length would have likely dragged the show down even more, and constricting it downward the same would have happened. It was a concept that never could go anywhere to begin with. Outside of the likes of Adam Koralik, there is no one I would recommend this too, because there is nothing there for the majority of anime viewers. (That said, even if you were emotionally attached to the consoles as a child, I do not see representation of the consoles in these girls. At all.) ...Why did I go through this entire review, only using honorifics for Saturn's name?
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 6, 2016 Not Recommended
This...This thing.
It is a thing. A Bad thing. A very disappointing thing. *Sigh* A time-wasting thing. IN all the wrong ways kind of thing. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's do this. Story: 1/10 (And HOLY BOMB BATMAN Did this thing just get a lower story rating then Evangelion 3.0?) I can summarize this borderline non-existant story in one small paragraph. Group of friends perform a bad ritual and get sent to a haunted pocket universe. Said -verse is only made up of an old school and the corpses/ghosts of other dead people that came before them. As the cast member slowly die off they try to come back to the real world. ... Lots of death and force tragedy happens. I kid you not, this is the majority of this little four episode OVA. The actual game has considerably more story, and story-wise, this OVA is an insult to that game. Art: 7/10 Not particularly memorable, not particularly bad either. It was good enough to mess me up the first time watching it. So at least it did that well. Sound: 9/10 Yeah, this was actually the best part of the anime. The music, opening, and ending themes were all really good. The voice work was spot on. The sound effects were bone-chillingly great. Character: 3/10 Characterization? Oh yeah, that feature that makes a person in a show memorable. This little thing has none of it. Sorry, but the only characters that had an interesting dynamic played their part out in the first episode. Seiko was the most interesting girl, and even then I say that with a bit of hesitance. Even when a few characters descend into insanity, it is not memorable. Enjoyment: 2/10 I guess if you like pointless gore and murder for the sake of gore and murder, here you go. For horror? Not quite, as this never pulls off a good scare (But the atmosphere is marvelous!). The use of fanservice was squicky and plain weird in placement, usually put during or just before a shot of severe death (Because we want to see the panties of an underage girl just seconds before she is slammed into a wall in a way that would make the late Dale Earnhardt cringe). I can't even think of a term to use for this section of the review. Overall: 4/10 I'm still not even sure what to say about this. I waited months to actually post this review, and I still feel unsure about it. This isn't something I could recommend, mainly because it fails interestingly at appealing to any demographic. All in all, this little four episode ova is a disappointing waste of time. Not upsetting, not angering, not stupid. Just disappointing. It offers little and gives you even less.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Nov 2, 2015
Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
(Anime)
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I was hesitant to write this review. While my stance on this series is well known amongst friends and family, I was hesitant to actually step up and make a public statement on the reasons WHY I rate this like I do.
Let us break this down. Story: 10/10 The story feels like your generic Magical Girl series at the onset. Cute cat-like creature wants to make a contract with one (or more) 'everygirls' in order to have them fight against a grand evil. There is your token main character, her friends that do know about this world of magical girls and those who do not, your typical ... dark magical girl, pretty gems that the females use to channel their abilities, the girls occasionally butting heads over how to go after the evil enemy, and this side-lifestyle beginning to show its' negative effect on the main character's normal daily life. The similarities slowly drop away from there. Death, which is occasionally addressed in other Mahou Shoujo series, is more then just a kick in the teeth to make the viewer pay attention and give the show a 'raised stakes' feel. Here, Death is treated as the traumatic situation it truly is, especially to a cast of 14-16 year olds. The effects of seeing a fellow companion die weighs heavily on the main cast, and rather then the characters just 'moving on' with their lives, they never do recover. The series analyzes how such an evil can come about, rather then just presenting it as a long-present force that wishes to wipe out the world from behind it's giant chair beneath the earth. It looks at the effects that power gained by strange means has, such as the effect on relationships with others. And these are just some of the topics, all of them weaved cleanly into the story, flowing marvelously. As one situation comes up and is dealt with, another one rises up from the ashes of that, each piece bringing the 'answer' of the previous problem to it's logical conclusion. In short, it is a complex plot and story line, but it never gets too deep. (Note: Despite all of this, I hesitate to call this a deconstruction, as in nature PMMM fits the definition of a Darker and Edgier take on the Magical Girl franchise. Most of those elements which are deconstructed in here have already been done in many other Magical Girl shows, such as Lyrical Nanoha.) Art: 10/10 While the original TV airing was a bit on the bland and empty side, you'll typically just end up watching the DVD/Blu-Ray releases of the series, where the animation teams went back and added to the scenes, along with spicing everything up. It shows. The Art is scary when needed, and beautiful when need also. It pulls this off by actually showcasing two different art styles, both being vividly different from the other. Yet on either side of this contrast, everything is literal eye candy. Your eyes will never bore. The foreground is just as pumped as the background with things, but neither is so obtuse that it breaks immersion. Personally, I don't worry to much about the artwork and artstyle in a series, as my only real request is that the art reflects the mindset of the main character(s). PMMM does this with flying colors, using two alternate styles of presentation, the first being 'cute' but never feeling quite right, representing the start of the series and the character(s)' mindset, while the later is plain 'wrong' and does a great job showcasing everything that is wrong with the situations it is used in. Furthermore, the more observant viewer (or the viewer re-watching the series) will notice many things hidden within both styles of artwork. The foreshadowing is cleverly placed in every episode, but it is never so extreme as to give away the entire plot. Sound: 10/10 Every piece of music does the job it is set out to do. If the situation is somber, the music either shuts off completely or sets off to mimic the somber nature. In the middle of the fight scene, the beats are well timed to compliment the flow of the battle, rather it be swift and quick, or harsh and violent. The background noises never clash or take away, only add. The voice acting in both the Japanese and English dubs are marvelous. Many other series have issues with one or the other, but upon rewatching both several times, I will say that both were an example of voice actresses and actors putting their best feet forwards each time they came to the mic. Character: 10/10 A good story goes nowhere with a bland cast. A bad story can be salvaged by a good cast. This, however, is a case of a smooth, flowing story being complimented by a well written group of characters, both primary and supporting. Above, I made mention as to the flow of the story. This flow is aided by the characters. While the titular character is Madoka Kaname, the focus of the story shifts along with the situation at hand, often using Madoka herself as the tool for the perspective shift, but never neglecting her even when another Magical Girl is the topic. All of the cast are also quite active for the majority of the show. The very few times that character(s) do not jump to advance the plot, they have reasons, and the reasons they state are actually reasons that anyone with a more mature mindset wold be able to resonate with. Each magical girl has her own trove of troubled pasts and dark secrets, and even toward the end of the series the cast expands the lore behind them and alongside the world around them. Enjoyment: 10/10 This is a really subjective section. Those who love tragedy or bittersweetness will likely be roped in quickly. On the other hand, the intense darkness of the series, which overshadows nearly everything else in the final four episodes does clash with the lighter sections of the first few episodes. The transition is smooth and never terribly over dramatic, but the end result of the overall atmosphere could very easily turn off viewers that are more familiar with lighter and softer series such as the Classic Sailor Moon or Pretty Cure. Personally, I would say that due to the smooth transition and emotional investment, the enjoyment and satisfaction of watching and completing this never abates. Watching a collection of characters interact also adds to the enjoyment. Along the likes of Lyrical Nanoha or Sailor Moon, the primary characters interact with each other in a variety of situations, and they all bounce off of eachother in a natural way. Even if the story itself is a turn off due to the extreme darkness in the closing stages, the characters themselves make it worth watching. Overall: 10/10 'Outstanding' is the term used by this site for 10/10 ratings, and I have to fully agree. PMMM does what many other series do, and runs with it without stumbling over any hurdles, major or minor. On the emotional level, intellectual level, and the 'pure-entertainment' level, you will always be interacted with and treated to a wonderful and terrifying work. Personally, I can not stop recommending this series to anyone, regardless of their stance on the Magical Girl genre or on Deconstruction/Dark series. And without exception, everyone I have recommend this series to was quickly pulled in, and found the same investment and love for it that I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 24, 2015
Pokemon: The Origin
(Anime)
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Ah yes, Pokemon Origins. How could I ever forget you? The one thing that actually restored an amount of interest in the Pokemon franchise, if only for a 5 month period.
Let it be known, I do not wax nostalgic for the classic Gen 1 Pokemon games I do acknowledge that this series is designed just to cash in on the people who are nostalgic, and I can applaud or insult this series accordingly. Let us break this down. Story: 4/10 The intent of this short 4-episode OVA is to showcase the major events of the original Pokemon Red and Green games. It is the real 'Anime of ... the Game', while the long-running Pokemon series is little more then a cash-cow franchise's anime spin-off. Being a condensed direct adaption though, it is naturally very short on story. Of the many events within the games, the OVA only focuses on the opening hour or so of gameplay, the Lavender Town situation, defeating Team Rocket's boss, beating the Elite four along with the champion, and capturing/beating the Final Boss. I seriously have surmised the majority of the story. The simplicity could have worked in its' favor, if not for the fact that situations in one episode rarely tie into the others. Individually, they stand on their own quite well. Together, they feel a bit more like episodes plucked from a long-running anime series. Art: 9/10 In itself, the art is not the most spectacular thing about this OVA. The character designs are pretty flat and bland, though there is enough give to them that allows the characters to express what limited emotions they have. What makes it great is the effects. Every battle is a case of pure visual Mon-fighting eyegasm, each blow and strike making itself exceptionally memorable. Sound: 9/10 For anyone who waxes and wanes nostalgic for the classic games, this would easily be a 10. In many cases, the music feels as if it was lifted straight from the classic gameboy cartridge itself. I would have to give it a 9, because while the tracks themselves are amazing in delivery, never once failing to energize the viewer, there is a lack of noteworthy change applied to them as a whole. Very, very few were actually expanded and brought beyond the old 8-bit tracks. While what we got was great, I do wish there was a bit more effort put into this thing. While the simplicity of delivery (and the blatant abuse of other's nostalgia factor) works well with the Story, it hurts the Sound just a bit. Character: 5/10 I do feel that I might be giving this rating abit...too much leniency. Every character is terribly flat and bland, all just going through the motions. Yet rather then giving it a lower rating, I do feel that this is a case of the simplicity of recreating the source material works in favor of this anime for characterization. Red himself was always a mute character, and while he does talk in this, his lines are all simple enough that it makes him feel like someone other then a player expy. Green, who was the primary rival character, does go partially beyond his antagonistic nature in the game, and it is easily for the better. However, it never runs far from the ole' classics, and so again, he always feels recognizable. The various support characters are nothing special, many of them just spewing slightly edited lines from the game, but it helps give the world an identifiable nature to those who played the classics. Enjoyment: 10/10 I'm not afraid to give this an ten in ratings. It is pure solid, something that you don't need to feel embarrassed to watch. The low episode count (and thus, the low total runtime) helps also, as you never really waste that much time watching the series. It makes it easy to pick up and watch again and again, and you never really want to skip any part of it, even if you know the thing by heart. Overall: 8/10 Originally I thought of giving this series a solid 9 out of 10, but I tinkered the rating down a notch, mainly because the story and character, while simple and easy to follow, will make it a turn off for anyone looking for something of any real substance. But that is fine. This is not for everyone. This is the anime that the fans of the Pokemon games deserve, rather then the long running anime that still has no real end in sight. If you ever want to share the concept of Pokemon with someone, this OVA might be considerably more effective then just making them play a game or watch the main anime series. Yet at the same time, it plays on the effects of nostalgia, and does it in a way without shaming the viewer on a conscious or subconscious level. The simple and quick, yet eye and ear blowing delivery, won't fail to amaze you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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