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I would like to clarify something before moving on with this review. It is important for my readers to realize that a 9/10 for a manga is not the same as a 9/10 for an anime. Manga’s in my opinion are the superior form of storytelling...I think this opinion of mine needs clarification. Anime as a form of media is saturated with many restrictions. What is allowed to be showed (censorship), how long the animation must be, how many viewers, etc… While manga itself does have some restrictions, they are much more minuscule when compared to anime. This is perhaps the main reason why the ... manga of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki is perhaps undoubtedly his greatest work of art. Think of the comparison between novels and movies. Novels will most of the time always be better due to them having more time and less restriction in adding massive detail that expands the story and characters within a specific world. Censorship in manga is practically none existent thus Miyazaki was able to go all out in terms of narrative in order to deliver to us his most poignant and thought provoking story ever penned. With all that said, the reason why I give Nausicaa a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 is because my standards for manga are simply higher than that of anime’s. If this was an anime show, it would have gotten a 10/10 perfect score no doubt about it (a point I should have specified in my earlier reviews such as in Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan...woops). With that out of the way, let us delve into the beautiful world that is Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Going back to my point on how censorship sometimes limits writers, this argument is completely nullified when reading Nausicaa and my god does it show. Miyazaki pushes the envelope of what he usually does by giving us his most violent story ever. The brutalities of war, limbs flying off, women and children burning, fantastical environments fighting back, etc… He really wanted to show and give us an anti-war and environmentalist message that depicted in an accurate way the horror’s that men can do to themselves and their world. Religion and politics is also a very large topic and theme that Miyazaki delves into. Very controversial stuff that makes you wonder just what exactly is Hayao Miyazaki trying to say here? Nausicaa is a very religious and morally incorruptible figurehead who basically saves the world, humans and animals alike. The people and animals in the manga worship her as a savior and the political leaders view her as a threat, but they eventually learn that she is graceful beyond human comprehension. Is Miyazaki trying to tell us that the world needs religion and a messiah in order for it to be saved? Or maybe does it just need a strong leader that can inspire people? Whatever the case may be it would seem that Miyazaki is much in favor of a socialist world where in which the people are in charge of their own lives. Nausicaa and Kushana are both great inspirational leaders, but they refuse to take long lasting charge of their own populace. They consider themselves equal to everyone and they never believe for a second that they are superior. In fact that is how the manga ends, the world at peace and saved but also left without a ruler. Nature versus nurture is also a subject very much discussed within the story. Miyazaki never really takes a stance for one side but rather finds an equal balance between the two which in turn also shows his views on just how precious life in general is. It’s a fascinating story filled with heart, emotion, and intricate themes which are almost all very well thought out.

One also must ask himself whether Miyazaki was partly inspired by Shakespeare caricatures when he wrote Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Many of the characters within the story, especially the King’s, are tragic figures that draw many parallels from Shakespeare’s classic works. I would hate to spoil anything but story elements such as brother killing brother to gain power (hamlet) and mad king paranoid of his own children (King Lear) all make an appearance. The Torumekian King actually has three sons and one daughter which is very similar to the tragedy of King Lear where in which Lear has three daughters and one son. It could just be a coincidence, but it is still hard not to notice these similarities. Actually the Torumekian King by the end of the story gets a sort of redemption just like Lear does and he even walks around with his own personal fool who kind of acts like his crazy adviser…actually forget what I said, this can no longer be a coincidence. This is definitely a parallel and homage to the tragedy of King Lear. Nausicaa and Kushana as described previously are head strong religious and political leaders. Nausicaa can definitely be related to a messiah figures such as Jesus or Buddha but with her own unique personality and moral qualities. She even at one point leads someone into the afterlife, if that doesn’t scream religious leader to you then I have no idea what will? Bravery, unwavering in the face of challenges, loving, caring, motherly, and selflessness are all qualities Nausicaa develops throughout the plot and it is fascinating to read. Kushana on the other hand is noble and honorable when dealing with her own people. She exhibits many signs that make her great political leader of men but she is also vengeful, vengeful towards her father and brothers who constantly fight over power. It is Nausicaa’s influence that cleanses the hate away and turns her into the right leader she was born to be. Her gaining that experience towards the becoming of a better person is the reason why she is the most interesting character in the manga. There are also many other interesting sub characters that help Nausicaa on her journey, the prime example being her mentor called Master Yupa. Many of Nausicaa’s teachings and morals came from him and he has many great moments throughout that story. The roles of the many characters within the story are very well handled and defined.

Remember how back in paragraph two I stated at the end how all the themes are “almost” all very well thought out…well this almost comment needs to be brought up since all stories have flaws. The biggest flaw in this manga is the drop in a specific character trait found in Nausicaa, being her uncontrollable rage and battle prowess shown in the first volume. It is as if Miyazaki completely forgot about it and never spoke of it again. One can argue that the inner rage was controlled once she traveled and developed herself as a morally incorruptible leader, and I would have been willing to buy that excuse if there were at least one or two signs of violence exhibited by Nausicaa later on in the plot…which there isn’t. She always does the right choice and violence is never an option she comes across or even thinks about. She always rejects it completely and chooses the non violent method. No display what so ever of inner turmoil about the use of violence. Why bring up that character trait if it is never going to be seen or read of again? If it had been used then it would have made Nausicaa much more interesting. Even under all her moral perfection, even she is not immune to human violent tendencies and instincts. I could see the potential right now. Kuchana learned from Nausicaa how to overcome the path of vengeance and Kushana in turn could have taught Nausicaa how to control her violent instincts. Makes sense since Kushana is a proper warrior and army general. I would expect her to have control and training over her own combat skills. Kushana herself in the story does not get proper closure. She becomes a much better person thanks to Nausicaa but then the story kind of forgets about her and puts her on the sidelines for the ending climax of the series. It is a shame because the ending climax has to do with her father’s redemption (the Torumekian King). The redemption itself could have had much more impact and emotional investment if it involved Kushana in some way. Kushana helping her father see the error of his ways would have been a very rewarding conclusion to all the experience she amassed throughout the story. Instead she is just tossed to the side after volume 5 and becomes a normal sub character.

The art style Miyazaki employs in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is very well detailed and beautiful to look at. The fantasy world itself, the creatures, and people are rich with emotion and life. My only problem with the art in the manga is the panel sizes. While the art itself is well detailed, it is sometimes hard to depict what is happening due to how small the images are on the page. It’s like Miyazaki crammed all panels into seven volumes just because he wanted seven and nothing more. I would have welcomed an eighth volume in order to see better what was going on. In order to prove my point even further, the last volume is about 230 pages long which is about 70 or 80 more pages than the average earlier volumes. He really did want seven books for some reason? For symbolism maybe, I have no idea but it does hurt the quality a bit...just a bit.

Whether you agree or not with the morality themes found in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, it is impossible to deny the intricacies and fantastic execution of the plot. Many if not all characters are likeable in their own way and almost everything including story and themes blend in together thanks to fantastic writing and art. The characters and story do reference to many other works, but the references in and of themselves are unique in their own way. That word “almost” popped up again didn’t it, and yes I did have complaints about the story but one must not let that get to them. This is a definite must read and remember that my 9/10 is really a 10/10 when being compared with anime. The rating scale says a 9/10 is “great” but that is an underestimate because it is more a masterpiece than anything else. No doubt about it.

Madoka Magica is a smart and yet cursed show. Many including myself have applauded the show for being a brilliant take and twist on the magical girl genre, a genre that is usually meant to be an inspiration to kids. Madoka Magica changes this concept of Magical Girls by making it realistic. Fighting monsters (or witches in this case) would be a dangerous task in our reality and that is the case in point Madoka Magica tries to bring forward. A great idea on the part of the creators but unfortunately some great ideas can only go too far and the story suffers a bit ... as a result.

Thankfully, it is the characters that are the best part of the anime. Sayaka, Homura, Mami, and Kyoko are all fascinating to watch and each have their own layered characterization and moral philosophical themes that drive the story forward. Themes such as individual dreams, wishes, societal views and conflicts, relationships, etc... It's all so fascinating and brilliantly told. What is even more amazing about the characters is that they develop not only through great dialogue but also through visual means as well. Characters will change stance and opinions but the audience needs to pay attention to facial expressions and character actions throughout the show in order to determine where and when these amazing characters grew. The main protagonist Madoka is probably the most straight forward character of the bunch. She's definitely less fascinating than the rest of the cast but she is still fun to watch due to her kind nature and expressive personality. She believes herself as being a coward who can't help people, but low and behold she ends up being the smartest, wisest, and bravest of the show. She's a fine character and role model, but not a very deep one. Another little problem I had with the show is the adults of the world are all morons. How come the teenagers are the ones talking smart and philosophical while the adults are the unbalanced irresponsible weirdos who have no clue about anything? Also, there is some questionable character morals that will make you scratch your head and wonder if it is a legitimate reason to be frightened/traumatized, but they are still interesting to ponder about none the less.

*MINOR SPOILER*
Finally we must talk about Kyubey, who is probably one of the greatest villains ever to appear in an anime. This little cat like alien is fascinating in so many ways. He deceits, plots, scams, and lies all the way through the entire series all the while always having a permanent smile on his face (creepy). He tortures and plays around with the lives of these little girls all to further his plans, plans that are a bit understandable but completely unacceptable in the method that he's doing it in. He is the stark contrast of the usual talking cat side kick character found in magical girl shows which is once again the writers trying to play with our expectations. I love this villain yet hate him for being such an awful manipulator. This is exactly how amazing villains should be written.
*END OF MINOR SPOILER*

But now unfortunately we must talk about the curse of the show and how the magical girl theme while being its strength is also its weakness. The reason the Magical Girls genre is targeted to kids is because the premise is meant to make kids feel like they can be heroes with good moral values, but in a realistic premise it is simply ridiculous and implausible. It is also at points very silly because intricate plot details and philosophy concepts are being discussed by teenage girls, girls who have probably only recently been through puberty. There are many times when I simply laughed at serious smart plot discussions because I couldn't believe little girls were talking about such things. Just the concept of Magical Girls itself is ludicrous and yes, the story does try to explain why an alien cat would give little girls powers of incredible strength but it unsurprisingly doesn't make any sense and feels forced. The conclusion as well is a very lame and predictable anime plot ending. I don't want to spoil it but all I got to say is, "I bow down to our lord and savior Madoka, the perfect moral being!".

A part from these main gripes in the story, the rest of it is very good. The plot moves along with the character development very well and the main themes of the story are well handled. Themes such as natural order, space and time, etc.. all come together exceptionally well with the themes of the characters in order to create a very fascinating 12 episode anime series. The art is also very good but nothing too exceptional. It does its job well by showing us the character feelings and expressions, but it never "wowed" me in any way. I also never got used to the casts chubby looking faces (but that's just a bias opinion). I will say that the art style works well in order to create a magical girl feeling and the action was very well handled. The sound was also amazing in the show. The openings and endings of Madoka Magica worked in with the themes and moods of the series, and I found it very intelligent in how they used it. For example, the ending song of the first two episodes are very happy sounding melodies, which fit in with the happy magical girl mood the show first puts on. But then the third episode is where the series becomes serious and violent, thus it plays with the audience by having the ending song sounding dark and depressing as if it is stating, "prepare yourselves people because things are about to change". I like it when shows play around with music like that.

I definitely recommend Madoka Magica to any anime fan. It is a brilliant and adult like take on the magical girl genre. It takes the stereotypes and reverses it. As I explained before, there are limitations to the reversing of this genre, but it is none the less a brilliant effort that deserves praise.

It's a hard thing talking about Haruhi Suzumiya since there are just so many versions of it that I could possibly not know which is the more definitive way to go. People will probably yell at me telling me to read the light novels, but unfortunately those are not available for me to read and I have to settle with what I can get my hands on...which is quite clearly the manga. From a clearly deductive standpoint, I've heard people say that the light novels and anime are quite similar. Having watched the anime and read the manga, the events themselves were spot on exact ... a part from the order. That doesn't bother me because the different order of events only apply to filler. So in the end, it really does not matter. The manga flows very well and I never had the feeling that some things should have happened after or before. It all made sense.

The strength of Haruhi Suzumiya is the story and characters. It can be quite hard to remember that at it's heart, the story is a high school drama. However, it disguises itself so well with creative time travel mysteries and characters that you can't help but enjoy yourself immensely while reading it, just wondering what exactly is going to happen next? The time travel mechanics are very well developed and many of the main cast such as Asahina, Haruhi, Nagato, and Koizumi are very well developed over time. They can at times be annoying and/or self centered, but their charming personality and features keep you constantly entertained.

However, this manga isn't without its share of problems. The first one being the main protagonist Kyon. For a manga with such a varied interesting cast of characters, its quite baffling that the main protagonist is quite literally bare bones boring. He's a normal guy who is very nice and with a good sense of duty. He barely goes through any development throughout the story and he almost always does what's right. That might of been partially what the author was going for by including a normal student among a bunch of supernatural students, but there is no reason what so ever for making Kyon uninteresting. Normal I could handle, but boring with no character arc is just unacceptable. Maybe this changes in the later volumes after 15 (still waiting for the rest of the English releases), but I highly doubt it.

The manga also tends to ramble on for quite a long time in order to explain itself. The author feels the need to explain everything including it's sometimes complex plot points, to character motivations in the form of many inner monologues. It does hurt the enjoyment factor quite a bit. This is a visual medium after all, a bit of subtly would be nice. Some of the best moments in the manga were subtle character changes that were expressed only through drawing. Unfortunately you can count those moments on one hand. The art also is pretty good but nothing great. The artist however definitely got much better since the first volume and I find myself liking it more and more.

Overall, the manga version of 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya' is just as enjoyable as the anime was, perhaps even more so due to the thankful reduction of the Endless Eight arc. It hits all the key story points accurately and I had fun reading it. Once again, I haven't read the light novels but I doubt it is much different than what I got (I could definitely be wrong). The writer is after all the same in both the light novels and manga.

The unwarranted hate towards this movie has been baffling. Many critique the story for not explaining much, others critique it for having dumb characters that simply do not trust each other, and other critics simply go for the idea that it wasted our time. To those people I say, what is your point? This is Evangelion for crying out loud. The Neon Genesis Evangelion TV show was precisely all those things combined except it was much longer and much more monotonous. This film definitely has a lot of value to it and is much better handled than anything the TV series ever did.

If there was ... one saving grace the TV series ever had, it was its main character Shinji. Many people might call that blasphemy, but it is no further from the truth. Going psychologically into the mind of a depressed kid who has the entire weight of the world on his shoulders is something you do not see much in anime. In this movie, they go full force with this concept. Shinji through his one shining moment in the last movie where in which he tries to save Rei, actually ends up being the one who causes the third impact killing probably millions...OUCH! It's like kicking down an already beat up puppy. To make matters worse, his old friends do not trust him anymore and he never was able to rescue Rei. Everything is once again thrown all at him, causing him unbelievable pain. Also, his father Gendo still does not care for him...things just don't go well for Shinji. However there is one more light of hope in his life. Kaworu becomes friends with Shinji and acts as the stool that keeps him standing in order for him to never give up. The friendship is incredibly well handled and much more believable than his short appearance in the TV series. The ending of the movie uses all of the above themes such as the friendship/relationship, Shinji's ongoing fight with depression and him trying desperately to make things better no matter what the cost. The ending is incredibly emotional and tragic because like I said before things just simply never go well for Shinji.

As for the plot point of his friends not trusting him, I believe that they have good reason. He not only killed millions, but he could potentially be used in a ploy by Nerv (who are the bad guys now) to crush the rebels. Them being not trusting towards him is understandable because they do not want to reveal their own plans to the enemy. Though I must admit, the rebels not revealing anything to Shinji at the end when he is about to make things worse was quite dumb on their part. Oh, and Asuka is still as annoying as ever!

The movie is incredibly well animated thanks in part to the large budget, and by god do they like to show it off! Many minutes are wasted with montages of preparing for battle. The other flaw with the movie is that not much of the actual plot is revealed and things are still incredibly clouded in mystery. That is to be expected in an Evangelion movie but I still wish they could have given us more instead of wasting our time with mech transformation sequences and some abnormally long pauses. Once again, to be expected in a Evangelion movie. I do wish they could have stepped away from these flaws though. Also, gratuitous pointless clone Rei nude scene...ONCE AGAIN, to be expected. LOL! Let's hope that the last movie at least resolves the plot and gives us the answers we want.

In the end, I enjoyed Evangelion 3.0. It ain't a masterpiece and has many flaws, but Shinji's depression psychology and friendship with Kaworu is the main focus of the story, and it does it extremely well. That is what this movie is about, a point critics tend to gloss over.

Being emo is genetically related to characters within the story.

That's it, that's my review. I don't really need to write anything more because it speaks for itself. That is the extent of how awful the writing in Naruto has gotten. Kishimoto has completely given up in making any kind of sense in terms of characters and story. If he's too lazy to write proper motivations and story points, then why should I waste my time doing a proper review on the plot itself.

The art is still very good for what is a weekly manga and the enjoyment factor is still very high as well because ... of how bat shit insane the story has gotten. We just have to keep reading it to see what insane terrible idea's Kishimoto is going to end the story on. We got to see it through till the end, right everyone? :P LMAO!

"To me, a friend is something else. Someone who would never depend upon another's dream. Someone who wouldn't be compelled by anyone, but who would determine and pursue his own reason to live and should anyone trample that dream, he would oppose him body and soul...even if that threat were me myself. What I think a friend is, is one who is my equal." – Griffith

Words of wisdom and complete despair. Griffith’s speech at the top of the ballroom stairs is truly sublime and grotesque in nature. Many would agree with what is being said but only few expected the horrors this speech would imply. ... Welcome everyone to my review of Kentaro Miura’s masterpiece, 'Berserk'.

Spoiler-Free Review (In the sense that I don’t discuss major details on plot or characters):

Every person and their mom know how much I love 'Berserk', to the point of obsession. It is the perfect blend of many genres and styles of literature. It borrows many concepts including: tragedies (ie: Shakespearean tragedies, Death of a Salesman, etc…); literature classics that involve themes such as life experience (ie: Siddhartha, The Catcher in the Rye, etc…); the bible, organized religion and philosophy (ie: Plato and the realm of ideas); fantasy adventure classics (ie: Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, etc…); and many western movie epics (ie: Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, etc…). The scope of this story is incredible but the main problem some might point out is: do all these big themes and concepts mesh well together while at the same time keeping a cohesive pacing and plot? Yes it does because all these big themes are separated by story arcs and sections where they each get their moment to shine while at the same time creating a perfect transition for the next part of the story. These shifts in themes also keep the story from not ever becoming stale and/or boring. All the while, the word “berserk” is the over arching theme of the entire manga. The uniqueness of the story in 'Berserk' is also unrivaled. While it does take many aspects of traditional and modern literature such as the tragic hero (Golden Age Arc) and individual societal drama (Conviction Arc), Miura added his own twist to everything like his opinion on the moral values of the themes he presents (which are all great might I add) and his own unique fantastical elements (Behelit, demon’s, God-Hand, etc…). Childhood rape is another topic that Miura delves into and it is safe to say that he handles it with complete respect and understanding. It is not a topic he simply glosses over in order to shock the reader, but is a full on subject and consequence within the story. The subject is handled with great care, subtlety, and realism. Miura makes sure that every moment, theme, and action taken within the story is a build up for the final act within the certain arc. 'Berserk' is not simply a bunch of ideas blended together but a mix of different puzzle pieces that are carefully fit in place in order to create a truly monumental achievement in story telling.

All these different themes seem very good but is the story any fun to read or is it all just standing around and talking? Well do not fear because there is action a plenty in this manga which is all very well detailed. The action in and of itself is brilliant, and character movements are all drawn and dictated with precise panel accuracy to the point of obsession. To add to how incredible the action is, 'Berserk' itself is probably the most beautifully drawn manga (this includes comics and graphic novels) of all time. This statement of it being the best could probably be debunked, but I have not yet come across a better art-work. The character proportions and details, the world and backgrounds, the fantasy creatures, etc… are all marvelous to look at. Do not be surprised if you start staring at the art for hours on end, it is that good. Kentaro Miura in an interview said that it took him about 24 hours to finish drawing just one panel and be satisfied with it. Goes to show how much he cares about detail.

The main character Guts is the very definition of a tragic hero. His character arc is beyond that of any other protagonist and his emotional torments are unrivaled. To truly understand this man’s point of view is to go through hell itself and beyond. Every arc adds to his growth, redemption, and eventual becoming of a hero and mentor. It is truly beautiful and poetic in nature. His character complexity just continues to grow (the manga is still publishing) and eventually he will become the definition of enlightened, or so we hope he will be? One of the many ways for a great protagonist to shine is through a great villain. Thankfully, Griffith is the very definition of a perfect villain. Taking on the classic tragic literature elements of the villain once being best friends with the protagonist, Griffith takes this idea and magnifies his betrayal to the point of complete horror. Imagine taking a man, forcing him to watch everything horrible in life and everything personally horrible to him. Griffith does exactly that and the magnitude of his crime is unbelievable. This crime is all done in the name of his own goals and dreams. The starting top quote of the review spoken by Griffith is taken all the way to the extreme. Griffith was once a man who was in love, happy, childish, angry, intimidating, fearful, compassionate, heroic, etc... But he replaced all that in order to simply follow his dream. He became the very embodiment of the anti-Christ, a man who cares only about his own selfish ends, who looks majestic in nature but is a complete and utter villain, who schemes and fools the world into believing that he is the savior of mankind. As for Guts, he learnt from this betrayal and became the very man Griffith should have been. He became the hero that everyone now looks up to. The last and only step he must now face is to defeat his inner rage, which has been building up since the beginning of the series. He must rid himself of this berserk instinct and darkness inside him. In doing so he will turn into the true hero he is meant to become and defeat the anti-Christ known as Griffith once and for all.

The secondary characters are all incredible in their own right. Guts’ friends are divided into two groups. The first group of friends are the ones that gave him a family for the first time while at the same time each giving their own advice on how he should go on in life. They all have an interesting back story and are quite well developed, some more than others. These friends feel like people and each one of them is smart in their own way. However things change with the second group of friends. Guts’ is introduced to a new family but this time it is him that gives them advice and guidance thanks in part to the experience and knowledge he’s gained through out his journey. This second group of friends are much more interesting than the first because since they all have issues they need to overcome, each and every one of them have an incredibly well handled character arc. Guts through experience, learns to rely on his companions and they all connect with each other in different ways. The fantastic thing about each and every character in 'Berserk' is just how natural and subtle their development is. Nothing ever feels forced or thrown in your face. It is all very well paced and sometimes poetic in nature which are either done through great dialogue or subtle character actions that are well detailed. Paying attention to the drawings and art is crucial not only in terms of beauty, but character development as well. Character expressions are all taken into account and are very crucial to the story. Every interaction between the main and secondary characters has a purpose and that includes the comic relief characters/moments. The amount of attention to detail is simply astounding.

The final subject that must be touched upon is the tone and violence of this manga. Many have complained that this series contains too much gore and nudity. If one is too delicate to look at grotesque and violent actions, then this manga can easily turn some people off. However, I assure the readers that the nudity and extreme violence all have a purpose. What does it mean to be human? Love, hatred, pain, pleasure, life, and death (readers of 'Berserk' know what moment I am referencing) are all taken to the complete extremes in order to find out that answer. Like I stated in the beginning of my review, 'Berserk' is the definition of sublime and grotesque. It is beautiful in both aspects of the extreme. This is the tone that is kept through out each and every arc. That is why the story has that “epic” feel which no other manga has ever been able to replicate.

To call 'Berserk' perfect after all the praise I’ve given would still be a lie because the series is not over yet and nothing is ever truly “perfect”. There are many ways in which Kentaro Miura can make a mistake in the later upcoming chapters. There is also one more minor companion among Guts’ group that has not had much back story or development, something I’m hoping Miura will fix in the later chapters. Some people have criticized some certain parts of the manga like the first intro Black Swordsman Arc or the beginning of the newly started Fantasia Arc, but the nit-picking can easily be rebutted. The Black Swordsman Arc was meant to introduce the world of 'Berserk' which includes: the main protagonist and antagonist, the fantastical and medieval world they live in, the tone and intense action, and the over arching theme of the whole series which is Guts’ inner “berserk”. It is a fantastic set up and gets the reader aware of what type of journey they are about to embark on. As for the beginning of Fantasia Arc, the same introduction argument can be used because the world and rules have changed drastically since the last arc. This is all really pointless to debate because this story arc has only just begun.

'Berserk' is by far the smartest, most diverse and well developed story I’ve ever seen and/or read. This includes comics, movies, novels, TV series, anime, etc… It is perhaps the greatest piece of literature of our generation and Kentaro Miura deserves ever single praise he gets. It is in my opinion the closest story to have reached perfection and I feel truly privileged to be reading such a masterpiece. Thank you very much Mr. Miura.

First off, I'd like to thank the MyAnimeList community for making me aware of this little gem.

Our Happy Hours is a very heart wrenching read that grips you the moment the characters are introduced. These characters are quite intelligent and smart when it comes to interactions, dialogue, and actions. It is quite easy for a story like this to have very gullible and moronic characters that are willing to believe anything. But not in this story. The main character Juri does not warm up right away to the prisoner on death row called Yuu. She does not feel the need to feel bad for a ... man who killed 3 people even if he did have a very rough life because there are many people out there in the world who have had just as hard a life as he did...and they didn't kill people. Her thinking is all very logical and this story is riddled with great character moments like this. Juri only later warms up to Yuu because she needs advice that only he can give her, since they are both similar in a way. I do not want to spoil more but these smart and complex characters are what make this manga a joy to read.

As for the story itself, it flows along at a great pace and never drags. It is only 8 chapters but the story knows where and when to stop, and 8 chapters was perfect. Since this is a small manga with only 8 chapters, I won't be going too much into detail. However if I did have a little gripe, the story for as good as it is never takes any risks. This becomes apparent in chapter 6 where it is revealed why Yuu killed 3 people. Its a very sad moment but it is a moment that is meant for the reader to have a bit of sympathy towards Yuu even though he committed the horrible act. I would have preferred if they kept Yuu a simple murderer who committed a one time act on people he didn't know or have a grudge against. For as good as the scene is, all it does is enforce the idea that Juri and Yuu are similar in a way. If they went with the simple murderer route, it would have really left Juri to question her liking towards Yuu and it would have made the story a lot more tense. Also would have made things just a bit more complex too...all I'm saying is that I was itching for a better twist.

Nitpicking aside, the art was very good. It's nothing incredible but it has a very murky feel to it, which goes perfect with the story and theme. The theme itself is about not dwelling on the past which caused you hurt. Revenge and hate could only get you so far until someone else gets hurt. It's all about accepting what happened, dealing with it in a respectful manner, and then moving on with your life. This kind of theme has been done many times before but this story handles it exceptionally well, so I personally have no complaints about it. It is handled in a very smart manner and I'm thankful.

This is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a great drama manga.

(PS: Originally posted on August 23, 2011)

Warning: this review contains copious amounts of sarcasm.

2nd Warning: the many sarcastic remarks done by the writer of this review does not detract from the fact that this anime is actually freaking horrible.

3rd Warning: I'm sorry but this review contains "SPOILERS". So if you want to watch it without being spoiled, then do not continue reading. However, let me just give you some advice and stay away from this god awful anime...PLEASE STAY AWAY!

I wanted to like this anime, I really did. But things started really going bad once I knew what this anime was trying to do. This ... anime was about friendship…AGAIN! But in Gungrave it simply does not work. Crime syndicates, friendship prevailing, and honor do not go well together. There is nothing honorable and friendly about killing people to make money. Also, when your best friend betrays you, kills everybody you love, and then kills you as well, you are way past the best friend stage at that point. But the main problem with Gungrave is that every character, down to the last one (except probably Mika), is a hypocrite.

Within the first few episodes you kind of know a bit where this might be going. Brandon loves Maria but when she is adopted by the big boss of a crime syndicate known as Millennion, Brandon decides to join with his best friend in order to protect her. His best friend Harry on the other hand wants to climb to the top to satisfy his own ambitions. What I was expecting was Brandon to try and free Maria from the clutches of this crime organization so she can live a peaceful life without murder and violence. Thing is, that is not what happens. Brandon ends up becoming friends with the big boss dude (known as Big Daddy) and hopes that Maria has a happy and peaceful life LIVING WITH A CRIME LORD. To make things worse, she ends up having a child with Big Daddy because Brandon doesn’t want to be with her because he has become a murderer who serves the organization. He doesn't want her to lead a tragic life along side a man who is a killer. BRANDON YOU FUCKING DUMBASS, what the hell makes you think she will lead a more happy life and non tragic life with the boss of Millennion? Oh and guess what, Maria dies. Wow, I'm so shocked.

This anime also loses a lot of focus going from Brandon wanting to protect Maria from a life of crime, and then wanting to protect the Millennion "code of honor", to then wanting to help his best friend Harry climb up the latter of the organization. Dude, decide which one you want because this is getting annoying. This show also doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a love story, a friendship story, or an honor/betrayal story? I don’t have a problem with it being all of the themes I just mentioned, but it’s all just mashed in there together like one big mess and in the end it really makes no sense. All this talk about Big Daddy being a loving person who honors everyone and wants to help everyone around him is just a bunch of bullshit. Harry, who betrays Brandon and becomes boss of Millennion, even says at the end that Big Daddy was a hypocrite who killed many people as well. Brandon however rebutted that statement saying it wasn’t true since Big Daddy knew some of the stuff he was doing was bad but the reason he created Millennion was to protect the people he loved and also the citizens around him. So let me get this straight, Big Daddy wanted to protect the people around him and so in order to do that he founded a crime organization which makes money by killing and stealing from people…incredible Big Daddy, you truly are an inspiration to us all. That is the equivalence of me wanting to bring peace to the world by creating a weapons manufacturing company. I can just imagine my slogan, “Firearms, the road to peace!”

That is pretty much the stupidity of this show in a nutshell. I could even bring more examples of why every character is so damn stupid and unlikable. Maria in the beginning doesn’t want Brandon to fight and be a criminal. She even tries to talk him out of doing such things. But what does she do after? She ends up fucking Big Daddy and farting out a child with the head leader of Millennion even though she knows what type of occupation the man is involved in. What happened to you being all righteous and good? Another example of hypocrisy and stupidity would have to be the Henchman who always has glasses on (I forgot his name so I’m just going to call him “glasses man”). Glasses man allows Harry to marry and go out with his daughter even though he knows how much of an asshole he is. The reason why he lets his daughter be with Harry is because he wants her to be happy with the man she loves…even though that man is a murdering psycho! Glasses man, if you want your daughter to be happy, do not let her stay in a relationship that you know will not end well. Oh and guess what, she dies too…WOW, I AM SO FUCKING SHOCKED!

This anime is however not all bad. A really amazing episode I loved a lot had to be episode 8 called “Family” which involved the killing of Glasses man closest friend called Sid who ended up betraying Millennion in order to save his own son. It was very emotional stuff and it showed us how tragic life is when you get involved in the mafia. This is what the show should have been about! It should have been about our main protagonists trying to escape the life of organized crime, not embracing it and talking about how honorable one is when being part of one. It really pisses me off because this show started out good and its moral dilemma’s seemed to make sense, but then it just lost focus on what it was about and took a right turn into bullshit land.

Everyone in this show dies and I’m happy about that since everyone is a douchebag. It’s not like I cared anyways because everyone is so stupid. The ending has to do with Brandon and Harry dying together because even though Harry did all those horrible things to Brandon (like killing everyone he loves), their friendship is eternal. See how stupid these characters are! Actually I think I finally found an overall theme for this anime. It has nothing to do with friendship and love. It all has to do with dying when serving in the mafia. Even if you do find love and happiness when you are in league with a crime organization, horrible death is the only thing you will get in the end. Mafia is evil, evil is stupid, stupidity eventually leads to death. It all makes sense now.

(PS: Originally posted on July 5, 2011)

For this review of Neon Genesis Evangelion I’ve decided to take a different approach on how I will be tackling it. Instead of giving a very nice detailed overview of why I either liked the Anime or not, I’ve decided to do a step by step re-enactment of all my reactions when watching this show from the beginning till the end. Also, these reactions are from an outsiders perspective. I did not research this anime or anything. I went into this with a fresh mind.

Reaction 1: Well this is a good start, the main character Shinji may be a ... complete pansy but he is well developed and so are all the rest of the characters. Also, Shinji may be a pansy but he at least has a reason for being so. The fate of the world is thrust on his shoulders out of no where and his father is a complete douche bag. I actually pity him :( The fights are all really cool too and so is the music. This might just turn out to be pretty good.

Reaction 2: I am now half way through this show and I still have no idea what this show is about? Plot holes are starting to show up in great amounts. Who are these Angel beings, what exactly are the Evangelion’s, why is Rei such a boring and lifeless character, why are there betrayal’s happening left and right, etc…? Doesn’t really matter though because I’m only half way, so this might be all explained down the line. The characters are still good so I got not too many complaints.

Reaction 3: Alright, so I’m nearing the end of this show and I still don’t have much answers. Some of the answers I’m getting aren’t exactly making much sense either. I know what Rei is…kind of…but it doesn’t make sense! Why is it that they are putting new questions out there that need to be answered, don’t you guys have enough plot holes to answer already? Stop adding new ones! Also how come your turning all the characters into unlikeable pricks? Stop ruining your own characters, they are becoming really annoying and emo!

Reaction 4: Ok, can someone explain why exactly Shinji’s father is such a freaking douche bag? What exactly is his role in all of this? It was said before that he had a plan and everything was in motion but up till now I haven’t seen jack shit! Why is it that nobody dies in this show? Almost every person in this Anime gets caught in an explosion that destroys cities completely but they survive with only minor wounds…what the fuck! The characters may have been good before but up till now I haven’t seen a single character growth. They have all become worse instead, like they de-evolved. Also some characters don’t even get any development at moments when they should and instead of developing them like they should, they are completely forgotten about instead.

Reaction 5: So there are three episodes left and why are they introducing this new guy? Don’t you people think this Anime has enough problems already? Oh wait…so he’s one of those Angel bad guys disguised as a human…and he just died. Am I supposed to feel bad for him? He did infiltrate the base to kill everyone, so now that he’s dead I couldn’t exactly give a shit. Good riddance. But why is Shinji being all emo about it…THE GUY WAS AN EVIL MONSTER THAT TRIED TO KILL EVERYONE! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THIS SCENE TENSE AND SAD BECAUSE IT ISN’T!

Reaction 6: TWO EPISODES LEFT AND THEY BETTER START EXPLAINING BECAUSE THIS IS SUCKING SOME SERIOUS ASS!!!

Reaction 7: ………………………what the fuck is going on?

Reaction 8: ARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! FUCK THIS ANIME, FUCK THIS ANIME!!!!!!!! IT CAN BURN IN SOME DEEP PIT IN HELL!!!!!!!!

(PS: Originally posted on June 27, 2011)

Now to be honest I wasn’t exactly going into this with high expectations. But I got to admit that I actually started liking it right when the first episode started. It really just clicked that fast for me. This review contains minor spoilers so I won’t be discussing the plot in great detail just so people can read my review and then watch it if they want to.

Vashe the Stampede at first glance seems like your typical bad ass western shooter who can’t miss anything he aims at. Well the second part is definitely true but he is definitely ... not your typical bad ass. If he was then it honestly would have been boring. Right in the first episode when they introduce him, he takes aim with his gun towards the villains in this whole cool looking fashion, but then he runs away screaming because he just realized that he forgot to reload his gun. Not only was it funny, but it was very surprising…and I loved it! Vashe the Stampede is a fantastic protagonist who is very unpredictable, and that is what makes him so fun to watch. The thing people also will notice is how the tone of both the story and Vashe's character changes half way through the show. Vashe goes from a comical character to a very serious and dark one. It all feels very natural however and even with all the crazy stuff that happens to him he still manages to slightly keep that comical side of him.

The other cast of characters that follow Vashe through out the story are also pulled off well. Meryl and Milly were surprisingly very good and entertaining. The character that really surprised me however was Milly. At first she seems like a dumb, dorky female who would most likely contribute nothing but comic relief…wow, was I wrong. Milly ended up being a person who might not be all there (in the brain that is) but she’s very kind hearted, strong, and willing to achieve whatever she desires. She kind of reminded me of Forrest Gump. She even gets into a relationship with the other supporting character called Wolfwood, who is also very well developed and acts like the opposite of Vashe who believes in different methods of tackling problems and situations. Wolfwood and Milly’s relationship kind of ends sadly but my problem with it is that it could have been a lot better done and even more impactful. Wolfwood and Milly share a relationship that is hinted at through out the show but we never really see much dialogue between the two. If the relationship was a lot more developed, the sad conclusion to it would have been a lot more depressing (in a really good way obviously). As for Meryl she also has her own character arc and she is kind of there to serve as a female support for Vashe. A relationship between Vashe and her is also hinted at but it never goes anywhere...again. Damn it Trigun, if you developed your relationships better, you could have been an amazing Anime!

When it comes to the enemies in Trigun, this is where the problems start showing up. The enemies and the actions scenes they contribute to are really great to watch, but my main complaint is, who exactly are these damn enemies? The bad guys are called the “Gung-Ho Guns” and they honestly come out of no where. Who are these people, why are they so strong, and why do they follow the main villain called Knives? Knives on the other hand is actually pretty cool, well developed, and has a pretty good motive. My only problem with his motive is that it basically comes out of no where as well. At first he seems like a very normal boy who is optimistic even though humans treat him like crap, and then two seconds later he’s gone evil and is killing everyone…why and what the hell happened? His story arc after that is good but that beginning part always bugged me. Also, the powers that Vashe and Knives have at their disposal are very intriguing yet it isn’t really much touched upon. Those are some serious crazy powers! Aren’t you going to look into it more…no…fine, be that way!

When it comes to the actual story, it is very well told and even though the villains have not much back story, they still contribute to the plot and to the development of the main characters quiet well. Also the futuristic aspect of the story is very cool and I never would have guessed where it was going. I actually watched the English dubbed version of Trigun so sometimes characters would talk when their mouths weren’t moving. I didn’t really care much however because the reason this was done was to have good or at least decent dialogue, dialogue that could not have been achieved if they actually followed with the lip movements of the characters. I’m not exactly sure if I should comment on the animation since I know nothing much about stuff like that, but from what I saw it was ok.

In the end, is Trigun actually worth checking out? Yes it definitely is and I had a lot of fun watching it. The characters are very good, especially the main protagonist and if your protagonist is amazing then that is definitely a good sign. I could nit-pick at the shows episodes individually by pointing out all the stupid things. An example would be in episode 21 where in which a friend of Vashe is killed at the end of the episode. They make a very big deal out of it but the problem is that Vashe only knew this friend for like 2 episodes which in Anime time was only a couple of hours. So when Vashe was crying for the loss of his friend, he would enter flashbacks of the only scenes him and this friend had together which happened literally in that episode. It was like, “how could you die friend I’ve only known for a couple of hours and I’ve only been with a couple of times!” Showing those pathetic flashbacks of them being together in that same episode just made it even worse and really funny at the same time. This of course is nit picking and I wouldn’t do that because this show is actually very good and really entertaining. It gets my recommendation stamp :)