- Last OnlineMay 15, 9:49 PM
- GenderMale
- BirthdayNov 19
- JoinedApr 18, 2011
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Jan 23, 2012
"A man's dream will never die"
When I started my venture into anime, there were three shows that I told myself that I was not going to watch: Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece. This is because these three show have one thing in common: They're still on the air. Watching a lot of anime is as bad as it sounds, but watching something and trying to catch up with is even worse. Plus, I mocked these three series for their appeal to the younger crowd. Then, suddenly I was told that One Piece, the childish-looking one out of them all, is actually the best out of
...
all of them. To be honest, I always thought One Piece was the butchered piece of crap that was presented to me by 4Kids when I was younger. Then I found out that Funimation picked it up and re-dubbed it when 4Kids went out of business. I watched the first episode of Funimation dub...I have now seen all 10 movies, 430 episodes, and watched most of the OVAs.
In other words, One Piece is one of the greatest and most addicting animes of all time.
How could a show that I once regarded as juvenile be masterful? Well, first off it's not juvenile, in fact it's quite brutal. At first, it's starts off normal. We are introduced to our protagonist, the carefree and determined Monkey D. Luffy, the self-proclaimed future king of the pirates. He seeks to achieve this goal by forming the best pirate crew, sail the whole world, and find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. This is our first step into the brilliance of this show. Luffy, while not the brightest person and well-mannered person, is the character we as the audience want to look up to. While some can debate that his decisions always tend to cause destruction and violence, it's that utter lack of not having fear that chills go down my spine. It's the idea that we must go on our own adventures in life and pursue our dreams even if others say that they're dead and unreachable.
However, we've all seen this story before right? There have been numerous stories about going the distance and following our dreams. What makes One Piece so different then? If I were to summarized One Piece in one line then it would be this: One Piece cuts the bull shit. Most stories about going the distance always have that one point where the characters give up or something happens that prevents and then something happens that suddenly makes them want to move forward. One Piece...there is no such thing. One Piece is all about becoming stronger. Stronger to stand up for the people you care for, stronger to advance on your journey, stronger to be ready for that final goal. This is One Piece's true accomplishment.
The show also has a strong sense of humor. There are so many times where I have chuckled and even laughed out loud from the comedy of this show. Even if it's running gags such as Zoro's lack of direction or Sanji's weakness for beautiful women, there is always something fresh and some sort of new take on it.
This leads me to my next point. One Piece not only emits happiness and laughter, but all other emotions as well. Emotions such as sadness, fear, hope, love, and sometimes even anger. We as the audience feel this because our main characters feel it as well. I can say that you will probably find something about yourself in the form of these characters. For example, like Luffy, I have always have had tried to fight for that one dream. Like Sanji, while his actions are exaggerated a bit, even I have to admit that I have always catered to woman's needs more than men. Like Usopp, I have always have felt like the weakest of group, the one who is inferior compared to my stronger peers. Like Robin, I have always felt like the one who was misunderstood, the one who has been labeled by society as this type of person. One Piece shows that sometimes it's okay to be different because even when the whole world is against you, there are people who will stand by your side and will fight to protect you.
These character only then are brought to life by the people who play them. I have seen the first 205 episodes in English and it shows off what Funimation does best and makes up for what 4Kids did. After that, I switched from the English, as new dubbed episodes are coming out later this year, to the Japanese track where the voice acting is also top notch. It was interesting to know that some seiyuus here are actually well known. For example, Chopper's seiyuu is Pikachu, Zoro's seiyuu is Mugen from Samurai Champloo, and the one that I think that a lot of you are going shocked by is that Usopp is voiced by Kappei Yamguchi, the voice of L and older Detective Conan. Right now I have been introduced to the character Boa Hancock and her seiyuu is Kotono Mitsuishi, the original voice Sailor Moon, the voice of Misato from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Excel Excel from what else than Excel Saga. The voice actors do amazing jobs in both languages giving some truly powerful performances. It should also be addressed that the score to One Piece is unforgettable. The music of One Piece not only matches great anime scores such as Cowboy Bebop's or the original FMA anime, but even stacks up to John Williams and Danny Elfman film scores. Trust me when I say that after watching the show for a long time, background music will become so familiar to which you will start humming plus also indicating the type of situation that lies ahead.
The animation of One Piece is also something of noteworthy. Unlike, traditional animes, the animation of One Piece is more of like of that of a combination of old animes, American cartoons, and in the hi-res episodes like that of conventional animes from today. In a way, it's a something of it's own style, probably the one thing that will make anime fans, who are used to animes looking like shows such as Haruhi Suzumiya, not want to watch to this show. However, the cartoonish visuals of One Piece only makes it unique from everything else. While we do see some carbon copies of characters here and there, not often does a character look like another character and have the same personality. I tell you one thing, I have to admit while characters like Nami or Robin or any of the women in this show do have ridiculous anime proportions, it only makes me wonder are there woman in the world that possibly exist (oh it's times like this that hate that I'm a geek).
However, this also allows me to say what you should know when watching it. Do not question anything that happens. I know that's a weird thing to say considering that "no duh it's a cartoon it shouldn't be taken seriously." However, I say this because the thing is the show keeps you so invested that you forget that a lot of wacky cartoonish things occur and some animes of this nature like to take themselves seriously when they shouldn't. Luckily, the show is aware of itself and often makes meta jokes about the characters and the situations that occur.
I have seen a lot animes and the ones that I consider my personal favorites I wish have lasted longer than just 26 or 51 episodes. One Piece, on the other hand is still running to this day and to be honest when that day comes, it's going to be sad seeing the final adventure of the Strawhats. I love One Piece, it moves away from the standard conventional ideas and gives them the middle finger. Damsel in Distress, screw that, we already have two ladies that that can kick ass. Living by government rules to which One Piece answers, "there is no honor in the government, it's full a people stubborn people who only do it for the sake of following orders." What about villains? Clearly all of them have the same personality right? "who is the real villain here, is it the government hunting the pirates, is it the other pirates, or it could it possibly be Luffy and the rest of the Strawhat Crew who are the real villains here?" One Piece on the surface may look like the average shounen but deep down there is something more than just skinny yet large chested women and cool action fights. I'll just say this right now: One Piece is the first anime that made me cry. More than Wolf's Rain, Clannad, and Grave of the Fireflies. One Piece will be and should be remembered among anime fans as something as a tale of hopes and dreams. If you have not seen One Piece, then there is no better time than to start watching now. How can I put this: If you wanted to choose out of the big three (four if you include now Fairy Tail) shounens, then One Piece is your answer. I love it and I swear you are going to love it as well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
 0
Love it
 0
Funny
 0
Confusing
 0
Well-written
 0
Creative
 0Show all
![]()
Nov 21, 2011
Forgive me for I have not caught up far enough in the anime to watch Strong World, but for a moment lets imagine that I'm a person watching this movie when it was released to the public. Up to this point there have only been 5 One Piece movies. The first 3 are good for the most part, and then once Nico Robin joined the Straw Hats the qualities of the movie went up significantly. You then hear that the sixth One Piece movie will be different and under a new team. The die hard purist are screaming, "WHAT!? HOW DARE THEY!? THEY CAN'T JUST
...
DO THAT TO ONE PIECE!" Then you hear that the director is Mamoru Hosoda, who at the time was only known for the Digimon Movie. Today, people would be freaking out hearing this going, "The guy who did Summer Wars and The Girl who Leapt Through Time did a One Piece movie?" Yes, yes he did and the final verdict: Mamoru Hosoda should do it again because for me this is the best One Piece movie I have seen yet.
Right from the beginning, you know that this movie is going to be unlike anything One Piece has ever done before because this is not traditional One Piece animation. Instead, it has the more gritty animation that we know Hosoda for today. However, even with the gritty animation, this movie is still the colorful One Piece that we all know and love. It's expected though, it's a movie therefore I expect a big budget to come out of it. Therefore, everything is detailed down to the wind blowing into Nami's gorgeous red hair. What's even nicer is that later this movie get very offbeat and probably the darkest I have ever seen One Piece ever be. Visually, the movie is perfect and makes me begs the question: Should One Piece be animated like this for rest of the franchise?
Audio-wise, there's not much really to say. It's the same great voice acting from the Japanese track of the show so not much to say. Though, why Funimation dubbed the unnecessary and pointless recap movie and not this or any of the other movies for that matter just boggles me. The score is also pretty good with the orchestrated piece that you expect to hear from the One Piece franchise. So yeah, audio is pretty good.
So if you are reading this review then chances are you are probably a huge One Piece fan like I am and want to know which of movies you should watch. Well here's the thing, you can actually watch this movie right after Nico Robin joins the Straw Hats (actually I recommend movie 4 first, but you can skip over 5, and go right to this one, then watch 5 after). So what is the plot of this movie exactly? Well, The Straw Hats come across a resort island and decide to anchor for a little R&R. However, the owner of the island, Baron Omatsuri, tells them that staying on the island is not as simple as it sounds as they have to partake in...THE ORDEAL OF HELL DUN! DUN! DUN!...yeah I know it sounds silly but remember this is One Piece, a show that perfectly blends childish antics with adult themes, and this movie exemplifies that here as well.
It's hard to talk about this movie without spoiling anything but here's what I love about this movie that makes it the best of the One Piece films I've seen so far: The character relationships. At this point, the Straw Hats are a family and despite how much they get each other's nerves, they still care for each other to the point where they save each other's hide through thick and through thin (It's the lyrics to the to first theme for Pete's sake). Luffy even says, not exactly of course, to the others, when they are looking at him crazy for accepting the terms of the challenge that basically "Listen, we can do this, we have been through worst shit before and survived, we can do this, I trust you." It was at that point that I realized that I was going to like this movie a lot and understand where the movie was headed. It is then later in the movie, that we see all the characters have one instance where they conflict with each other. However, there is one problem with the movie that I do want to address. While I do love these character relationships, the ending never resolves them that well, and doesn't really show what happened. Did Zoro apologize to Sanji for his lack of support? Did Nami talk to Usopp again right after? Why didn't we see Robin and Chopper ever have a moment? So many questions! However, I don't mind because we all know that in the end that the Straw Hats will be the Straw Hats.
Overall, really check out this movie. It shows what One Piece excels at the most: Great Characters and the bonds that occur between them. If it's not to much to ask, I would love this see movie brought to the states and dubbed nonetheless. Especially considering the animation is fantastic and the story telling is above par and probably one of the darkest that One Piece has ever gotten. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can find a pirate crew just as cool as the Straw Hats.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 10, 2011
"Fun things...happy things...They can't all possibly stay unchanged. Even so, can you keep on loving this place?"
There are many Slice of Life animes out there. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just...well this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKsJunlsgFk&feature=related
On that that list of animes is also a little show called Clannad, based on the popular visual novel. Clannad is about Tomoya (David Matranga/Yuichi Nakamura), a juvenile delinquent who accidentally falls in love with a young girl named Nagisa (Luci Christain/Mai Nakahara), and I'm going to leave at that because the rest of the series your going to have to watch for yourself, but here's the thing
...
about Clannad that I love about it the most: It's put the emphasis on "Life" in Slice of Life. However, for all the praise I give Clannad and the beauty of the series, this series has a lot of flaws that I prevent it from being absolutely perfect. Note: This is a review might be listed under Clannad but this review also entails "After Story" and the OVAs as well.
When you watch this you're going to notice something oddly familiar about the animation. Can you guess...THAT'S RIGHT! It's from Kyoto Animation, the same studio that brought us The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Which is not a bad thing! I mean overall the animation in Clannad is very good. Backgrounds are very well made, locations and settings are very distinct from each other, and while there is CGI, it's not forced at all. My HUGE problem with the animation, however, comes in the character design. I'm sorry if people don't mind this, but these characters are lazy and are not that unique from each other at all. It's like the animators were basing this off a game and where you could pick which girl you li...oh. STILL, that doesn't excuse the fact that Tomoya and Yoshino are exactly identical, or that Akio is a taller Tomoya with a cigarette and brown hair, same goes for girl characters too like Kyou and Tomoyo (By the way, Tomoyo and Tomoya, I believe they're real Japanese name but is that supposed to mean something?), who's only differences are height and hair color. Another thing, if time does pass in the show, why don't these characters show real age (Like Nagisa's mother can have at least some wrinkles can she). Even in Haruhi Suzumiya, the characters had a distinction in their design that made them unique from each other even you can argue they do look alike. You know what though this isn't my biggest problem with the show itself, but rather just an annoying nitpick. The show can be absolutely beautiful and draw you into this gorgeous world.
The Music in Clannad is also a nitpick that I have with the show. Don't get me wrong, the score is gorgeous. The Dango theme just sends chills down your body and makes you want to sing along every time you hear it, because it's the only thing that's going to keep you sane with this tear-jerker of an anime, oh yeah keep the Klenex by your side, this show gets intense. However, my nitpick with the score is how it sometimes gets obnoxious in some situations and sort of sounds like something that came from a visual nov...shit. Though what I mean is for example, the score could be playing something for a touching moment, but I sometimes don't think that it carries the scene on a emotional level. I would be better off with silence and have the actors just emoting, or just be silent to be artistic. Speaking of which, The voice acting is very solid in both languages so whatever you choose you'll enjoy it no matter what. I think the Japanese wil be slightly better though as the dub gave me a few problems. One, there are not that many well known voices in this except for Luci Christian and Greg Ayers, who do their roles very well. Two, there are some lip flap problems here and there. Three, this dialogue: "What does it say?" "I don't know, I don't read English" 0_o. With that aside it's a pretty solid dub.
So yeah guys this show made me shed a tear. A very manly tear. This is by far one of the most emotional things that I have ever seen in my entire life. Every episode gives me a new emotion, you name it: Sadness, Happiness, Hysteria, Depression, Awkwardness, etc, etc. Seriously, you will be moved by every episode as the characters, who are all fully developed and very likable I might add, face challenges that ultimately come close to reality. This is where I consider Clannad, the best Slice of Life ever made, this is life, this is how we face it, these are our troubles.
However, Clannad has one problem with it that a lot of people who read this are going to disagree with me on: The Supernatural Element.
Honestly, this anime would have been Masterful if it weren't for the fact that there are supernatural elements. I mean it works fine and I'm okay with Magic Realism, but then the ending, which made me scream and cry NOOOOOO! at the screen by the way, just kills what I think could made for a much better tragic ending. You guys all want your happy ending don't you. It's still a great ending, but then again, this is not a series that I think needed symbolism and philosophical understanding to enjoy it.
I mean really. This series is amazing and entertaining up until it gets symbolic with that ending. Luckily, I now understand it (I had to look it up and I have to say now that I know it...MIND BLOWN!). All I'm saying is while I don't mind it at all, it takes away from the overall realistic relatable aspect of the show. I like to see these characters face challenges and the fact that it gets resolved in the end sort of makes me disappointed. Although, I can't complain.
Overall, this show is beautiful to the utmost degree. Normally in a show like this, I would probably be like "Oh barf"...but no. I was so close to crying and I wanted to do but then the character Tomoya read my mind and said "Sometimes people want to cry when they just can't" (MIND BLOWN NO 2.) So if any of you haven't seen this series yet, please do, you will not be disappointed. Ask me about this review, discuss the show on my page, I want to get feedback from you guys. Now if you'll excuse me, I going to buy the new line of Dangos.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 9, 2011
"There is one Earth! If it splits in half, there'll be two! All mankind is scum — and bee-yoo-ti-ful!"
Okay, so here's how I explain Excel Saga: imagine if FLCL lasted for 26 episodes, took even more liberties, and was even more bat-shit crazy. In other words, Excel Saga just doesn't break the fourth wall...It breaks every wall and shreds it into billions of piece to a point that you can't see it anymore.
Confused? Let me tell you the first episode and don't worry I am not spoiling anything: A high school girl is skipping down a street all happy, then gets hit by a car,
...
is in an ambulance where the EMT actually sees her memories projecting right behind him. She then dies, but is then saved by the embodiment of the universe, where we find out that she is actually an alien who lives underneath the earth, working under an evil Emperor who kills her all the time by sending her down a bottomless pit. The universe then comes back again to save her and her Emperor tells her, that her mission is to go assassinate the author of the manga that this show is based on.
I am dead fucking serious. DEAD. FUCKING. SERIOUS. So you're probably wondering does the show actually follow a plot...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...actually yes it does. Granted, there are actually many plot lines and yes as you expect they are all unbelievably ridiculous, but they are all freaking hilarious. For example, you have the story of Pedro, the Hispanic worker who lives in Japan for some odd reason, then dies, but for the rest of the series is a ghost who finds his family has forgotten him. Then, there are the three guys, who live next door to Excel and Hyatt, who work for the Department of City security and their shenanigans. Even the dog Menshi, who is terrified of Excel as she calls her the emergency food supply, has a backstory that actually out of all the episodes in the series was the most intense. I just told you less than a quarter of the craziness that happens, there is so much more to this show that you have to watch it for yourself.
Like I said earlier, this show is just as crazy as Fooly Cooly, though this actually came before, but a similar thing they share is that they experiment different animations and genres. Hell, the subtitle of the show is Quack Experimental Anime…what ever that means. I really like the setup of this show. I love how every episode starts out with the manga creator stating that this episode will be this or that. The episodes range from high amount of fan service, sports anime, to romantic comedy. It’s interesting how the show is not afraid to be ridiculous possible and tries to do new things. I love how it reminds the audience that what we are watching is a parody and not just something we should just go with. However, it’s the ridiculousness that makes it not one of the best plots out there.
Audio-wise, the show is opening theme is infectious, the eye catchers will make you do air piano, the ending theme is hysterically dramatic, and the score is simply awesome. The voice acting on the Japanese track is played a little more natural than the English track, but oh lord is the English track truly something of a spectacle. Two Voice Actresses play Excel in English, because literally halfway through production Jessica Calvello lost her voice, therefore she was replaced by Larissa Walcott. Once you watch the series, you’ll understand how Jessica lost it. Larissa holds the performance up but I kind of like Jessica more because Larissa gets a little annoying with the scratchy voice where as Jessica keeps a sugar-hyped valley-girl tone. This show is also probably the earliest role of Monica Rial as Hyatt, however, this time she’s not the loud mouth character she always plays but actually the exact opposite. I love how Pedro actually has a Hispanic accent in this show as well. Also, Vic Mignogna is in an episode as a talking dog. Here’s the thing though, while the English track is amazing, the Japanese track probably could be the superior track on the account that Shinichi Watanabe (NOT THE DIRECTOR OF COWBOY BEBOP), the director of this show, voices himself. Not to mention the voice actresses in Japanese of Excel and Hyatt mention themselves in the show. Either which track you listen, you will not be disappointed.
Visual-wise, the show holds up well for a show that was made at the beginning of an era where anime would garner a larger international audience. Character models might be standard but at least no character is copy of each other. I’m surprised how visual the show is considering how wordy and unorganized it is. Characters move at an intense speeds and are brilliantly animated. One episode where the animation shines the most is in episode 17 and let me just say my view of animation has changed forever. I’m serious.
Overall, Excel Saga is hilarious. It’s a show that basically takes everything we love about anime and expresses it in a way that is completely over-the-top but not taken seriously. I think everyone should check this show out especially is you thought FLCL was too short. I also recommend watching the OVA successor, Puni Puni Poemi. In short, it’s actually less organized than Excel Saga, but just as hilarious and outrageous. Now if you’ll excuse me, I going to train to become a Quack Experimental Anime Voice Actor.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 1, 2011
"Once upon a time, there was a man who died..."
Okay so, Princess Tutu...Go watch it. Review over, done...**Leaves**..........**Comes back**............Fine, you all want a review rather than I say just watch it, but that's the thing. Words cannot describe how amazing this anime is. What makes it even weirder is that I am a guy watching this show and I really enjoyed it...alot. Yes, I do watch MLP: Friendship is Magic, but you know what...I feel more comfortable watching this show than MLP. I'll try my best to explain why.
The story revolves around Duck/Ahiru (Luci Christian/Nanae Katou), a literal Duck, who is granted the opportunity by
...
a reality-warper named Drosselmeyer (Marty Fleck/Noboru Mitani) to become a human so she can be there for a boy she likes named Mytho (Jay Hickman/Naoki Yanagi), who lost all of his emotions and is under the influence from his friend Fakir (Chris Patton/Takahiro Sakurai) and girlfriend Rue (Jessica Boone/Nana Mizuki). Thus, in order to save Mytho, Duck must transform into the legendary Princess Tutu, a fabled heroine who uses ballet to fend off evil.
Sounds like an average children cartoon right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA WRONG! This is one of the darkest, most mind-bending, most twisted children's animes I have ever seen in my life. In fact, is this even for children? I don't know. It looks like a children's cartoon, reminds me of Sailor Moon being this is a magical girl...Oh shit! Someone got stabbed! Though this leads me to my next point as to why you should watch this show.
I'm not going to spoil anything, but here's the thing. There is minimal violence in this show. The fighting is done gloriously through these ballets sequences and I love this. It's basically makes a statement the viewer who is normally a fan of violent action movies and shows that not all fights need to use physical pain. You soon figure out the theme of the show, expression emotions through non-hurting actions. Every episode is about a character containing a part of Mytho's heart and all of it is fixed through the expression of dance. It's really makes the ballet aspect of the show more than just a plot scenario but rather more of way that it is life itself. We repress emotions and when we express them, most likely it would be through a distinct action. And that right there is what makes Princess Tutu so freaking awesome, it shows bloodshed is not always the answer.
Is that not good enough? Okay! Well then this is one of the greatest soundtracks ever just because of the fact that it's all famous classical pieces. You'll be hearing excerpts from The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, and Carmen. And it blends so well that after hearing it in the first episode, you just sit there and just get hooked and lost in the show. For the sake of the review, I'll talk about the dub, but I firmly believe that the Japanese track is excellent as expected. However, I think you'll be more than okay with the dub as the performances by Luci Christian and Chris Patton are outstanding. You would think that Duck would get annoying but she doesn't. Luci Christian portrays her at one point as this clumsy ballet student but once she's Princess Tutu, she soon becomes this majestic heroine who talks with a soft mature voice, that tells you that everything is going to be okay. Also, LISTEN UP YOU WEEABOOS AND PRETENTIOUS PURISTS! Luci Christian and Nanae Katou both were at a convention for this show and I swear to you that both were probably very accepting of each other, SO STOP WRITING OFF DUBS! For dub watchers out there, forgive me of accusing you. One last thing, Chris Patton...please come back to voice acting, hearing you talk in German was honestly one of the greatest things ever.
What you want more? How about the fact that this is show is beautiful. This is why you must watch the show dubbed, because if you watch it in Japanese you are going to miss the amazing visuals. Every character is distinct and female characters have **AUDIBLE GASP** realistic proportions (They're ballet dancers, they're supposed to be slender). Since this is based around fairy tails, the visuals are whimsical, odd, and full of life. There is also CGI, but it's not forced or obnoxious which is a good thing. One complaint I have though is the Tutu transformation scene that is lazy and is used in every episode, but you get used to it because you remember that you're watching a magical girl, it's convention. Outstanding visuals, truly one of the greatest I've seen.
Final thoughts:
GO WATCH THIS SHOW NOW! This is the best magical girl ever made. It's artistic, it's beautiful, it's fun, it makes you feel-good, and VIC MIGNOGNA MAKES AN APPEARANCE (Granted probably the inspiration for Tamaki in OHSHC). YOU ARE NOT MANRY UNTIL YOU WATCH THIS ANIME! SCREW SENGOKU BASARA! FORGET FIST OF THE NORTH STAR! HELL, THIS SHOW MAKES YOU FEEL MORE LIKE A MAN THAN GURREN LAGANN. I am dead fucking serious, this show is a masterpiece of animation and is now one of my favorite animes of all time. UNBELIEVABLE SHOW! Now if you'll excuse me, I must attend my rehearsal of Swan Lake.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Sep 12, 2011
"This is a giant robot saga the same way Twin Peaks was a cop show."
It took me awhile, but I finally found the will to watch to what is often considered one of the most influential and greatest anime series of all time: Neon Genesis Evangelion. This show is known for reinventing the mecha genre and made it evolve into what it is today. Now that I am done with it what's my reaction...let’s just say that this required some huge thinking. Note: This is not just a review but is also an analysis of the show. This is going to be a long one.
...
MAJOR SPOILERS LATER IN THE REVIEW.
Art:
The art in Evangelion is absolutely spectacular. People are distinctive and actually are realistically drawn. I was surprised how much detail is in show especially since this was the 90's. Mecha battles are fluid and not jerky at all. Colors are not grey often and overall it's a pretty bright show. There are even sometimes where their is complete silence and we are the viewers are to interpret the scene and appreciate the animation. So the animation probably gets a perfect 10 right...no not at all and it has to do with the ending.
Sound:
Three Words: BEST OPENING EVA (see what I did there XD). Seriously though, I always skip opening sequences in animes, even for Cowboy Bebop. The Cruel Angel's thesis however, truly is the greatest thing I have ever seen. It's catchy and awesome I love it. Not to mention every episode ends with Fly me to the moon, however, it becomes REALLY unfitting after some episodes that I rather have the episode end in silence. The score is good, not much to say. The voice acting...not bad dubbed, but there were some episodes where I felt the actors performed the lines for the first time and the sound editor decided to just go with it. It's sounds awkward and really bad, but that's not to say the overall dub is bad because it is definitely listenable not to mention the acting is so much better in re-dubs of the show. Overall, sound is great.
Story and Characters:
Okay here we go. Time to talk about the overall story and characters in this show because some of you may of heard or probably has seen this show and knows what happens at the end. Before I get to that let me say one thing. The first 16 episodes are really fun to watch. They're pure action and actually some funny comedy. It's just pure unadulterated fun and I honestly wish the whole show was like this...but it's not.
In case you don't know, director and writer Hideaki Anno wrote this show as a parallel to the state of depression he was going through at the moment. At first, I thought I was going to love NGE, because I love psychological stories, hell my favorite movie is A Clockwork Orange (you can't get more psychological than that). However, NGE is psychological but the way that it is presented is just terrible. Let me start with another thing about the story of Evangelion. This story is very very very vague and it's one of those instances where you just don't understand the plot at all. My biggest questions all have to do with the villains: The angels. Who are they really? What is their motivation? Are they just fighting robots from space like Transformers, or do they actually have a biological form? What do they want with the humans? When we are told about the Angels, we are only told in passing conversation and that still does not explain anything about who they are and what they want. Next thing you find out is that they are actually part of a philosophical allegory left only to interpretation, which is okay except for the fact I know jack about them.
Also, The End of Evangelion, while a better ending to the series and definitely recommended for viewing, is still vague because once again it fails to explain what it is motive for everything that is going on. It’s weird though because the final scene was actually the only scene I understood in the whole movie.
Then there's the most infamous part of Evangelion: our protagonist Shinji Ikari. Shinji actually has been known to the anime world as probably the most hated character in all of anime and I see why. Simply put he's a whiny little bitch. Although, to be honest, I actually did not hate Shinji that much as I thought I was going to hate him because despite his exterior all he really wants is the world to be happy. He wants to protect everyone and make sure especially he hurts no one. Not to mention he has daddy issues, a very traumatic childhood, and is going through that time of maturation in life. Yes, Shinji is annoying and yes I do hate him but not to the extent that he's a terrible character. However, this leads us to final episodes of Evangelion.
So let's see what we got:
HUGE SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!
Studio Gainax was actually going through major financial problems at the time and decided to make the final episodes of Evangelion one giant tacked on psychological case study with cheap visuals and mostly presented in title cards. There are three characters that I want to take time and talk about.
-Misato Katsuragi is Shinji's guardian during the course of the show. She cares for Shinji and believes that he has much more to him than Shinji's father sets him out to be. However, here is what bothers me about Misato, why does she have her own case study at the end at all. She doesn't need it. Misato is a highly ranked in the NERV unit, she is very beautiful, and Kaji, another member of NERV who can be seen as a brother to Shinji, doesn't mind being her significant other when she is alone. You can argue that the ranking and taking care of Shinji is too much for her, but then again this was her decision and she decided to do this. If she found it to be too much, then she could've easily step down and let someone else in NERV take over for her plus she didn't need to take care of Shinji, in fact the characters even ask her if she can handle him to which she responds what the worse that could happen. On top of all this, she's really a very strong female character in this show and seeing her like this bothers me a lot.
-Asuka Soryu is the one of the EVA pilots along with Shinji and Rei (BTW I'm not touching Rei because she truthfully didn't have a major case despite the nature of her character). Asuka physically is developed for her age and she uses this to her advantage especially around Kaji who she goes out of her way for. My problem with Asuka is similar to how I feel about Misato: Why does she have a case study? Again she is one of the pilots, she is also very beautiful, and if she wanted to be loved so much then why does she resent Shinji, who actually does like her a lot. Not to mention she is jealous of Shinji when he is around Rei, so is she in major denial and if she is why does this mean that he hates herself after this? Is it because she believes that Shinji is such a loser that seeing him with Rei makes her inferior when she is not at all? This all leads to me believe that Asuka is just stubborn and can't accept anything, but why must her stubbornness affect her psyche, everyone is trying to help her not abuse her. Can't she just move on especially when a lot of high school boys lust over her especially Shinji (seriously there's a infamous scene in the beginning of End of Evangelion that is just eww). Asuka has a lot of to flaunt and the fact that she can't get what she wants and is ungrateful for the things she has just makes me actually hate her more than Shinji.
-Shinji Ikari is our main character and main psychological focus in this whole show. Where do I begin? Shinji is going through a tough time in his life, he has no mother, and his father decides to put him in control of the EVA so it is justifiable for him to be depressed about himself because this is really some heavy stuff. Three gorgeous females; one who he is fascinated by, one who is fascinated in him, and one who he feels the most passionate with surrounds him. All boys at his age can't get women out of their heads and even more he actually has to live with the two of them, so he gets into numerous situations where he can't control his urges (Once again End of Evangelion). Not to mention he is also jealous of Rei, because Rei has a stronger connection with his father than he does. I would be upset too if my father loved another person before me. To top it all off the fate of the world is on his shoulders. Listen, I hate Shinji because he is meant to be our protagonist, but I can’t blame him at all for not being screwed up because he is, one more time during that infamous End of Evangelion scene he even says to himself, “I’m so F*** up.”
There are so many flaws with the psyche with this show that I can’t really see it as something of accurate analysis. Shinji maybe the best head case in this show, but the other characters I don’t find any reason for them to be analyzed. Thus, it’s hard for me to like these characters if their attitudes on life are like this. However, seeing the things that they go through in this show do gives me good reason to believe that there is something wrong with them, but that still can’t excuse how easy these can be avoided.
Enjoyment:
The actual plot and characters psyche may make people uncomfortable and confused about this show, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Like I said if the show was actually a fun fighting robot show with a more coherent plot then I would’ve loved it so much more because when it is a fighting robot show, it’s really fun to watch and it was like that for the first 16 episodes of the show and I was enjoying it a lot. Then it got psychological which would’ve been absolutely fine but the delivery is just really bad and full of so many holes that it makes it so hard to enjoy.
Overall:
So far my track record with Studio Gainax has been weird. First, there was FLCL, which I loved a lot because of it being just an experiment of how much bats**t insanity one can handle telling us not to take it seriously at all. Then there was Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which I already established as my most hated anime of all time being that it was just as bats**t insane as FLCL but tried to take itself seriously when it shouldn’t have. Finally, there is Neon Genesis Evangelion, which I can’t decide whether I really hated or actually really loved it. I would hate NGE because of the fact that the whole ending was completely full of holes, tacked on, and super vague. However, I would love NGE because how much I just analyzed it. Do I recommend it? YES GO WATCH IT NOW! It’s known as one of the greatest animes of all time for a reason and honestly if you watch anime and have not seen this yet then you are missing out big time. However, there is no guarantee at all you are going to like it. Right now, NGE is actually in the process of a rebuild. This rebuild is to actually fix all the flaws people had with the original series. I watched the first movie and it was great, so much better than the series. For now, watch the original series first because it’s better if people knew the roots of this show and see the reason why so many anime fans talk about it. Now if you’ll excuse me this show has made me contemplate my life a lot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Sep 5, 2011
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth."
Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the greatest animes ever and for good reason. However, here's what bothers me the most. I've seen all of the first anime and I have seen all of Brotherhood. I love both equally but I hate the fact that Brotherhood exist. Meaning I hate the fact that Brotherhood has to overshadow the first anime as the first anime did
...
some things WAAAAAY better than Brotherhood even with everyone on Myanimelist giving Brotherhood high ratings.
Art:
Fullmetal Alchemist is just beautiful. Studio Bones really knows how to make things detailed and distinctive. Every single waking scene is filled with life and color. Even with the grimmest locations like in the middle of a desert, the serious inside of a military, or even at night in the pouring rain, there are so many little details that should be appreciated here. Even better, no one truly is a carbon copy of each other, they are all different and their uniqueness adds to their personality. Truly of work of art as far as animes go and I love every moment. Also, one thing that the first FMA anime has that Brotherhood doesn't have was that in first anime the characters have the absolute most terrifying faces when a shocking situation emoting the fear in their eyes sending chills down the spine.
Sound:
This is what Brotherhood should've at least kept: The excellent score. I remember the score of the first FMA more than I remember the score of the Brotherhood. Granted, I do think the openings and endings are better in Brotherhood, but the score in Brotherhood was not that all memorable. There are times in FMA where the score would have string instruments to show beauty of one scene then switch to a more cheerful piece to signify more comedic relief. It comes in at the right time and knows how to set the mood. The sound design is also great with one of the most memorable sound effects in anime, the sound of Alchemy. On to the voice tracks, if you read my reviews you know that I watch shows dubbed and FMA is no exception in fact to all you weeaboos who think dubs suck should watch FMA's dub. We all know that Vic Mignogna is legendary as Edward Elric. A little criticism for Vic is that while I do love him in every role he does small or big, he probably has the most narrow vocal range because you just know it's him every time. Though as Edward, he fits the role well being serious when he needs to and breaking out into one of his memorable Edward rants. We all know Vic, but there are so many other notable roles here. Laura Bailey, providing her sexiest performance as well Lust, Travis Willingham and Colleen Clinkenbeard as Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye, respectively, Aaron Dimuske, before the voice maturation as Alphonse, Christopher Sabat as the oh so lovable Major Alex Louis Armstrong and even Johnny Yong Bosch makes an appearance in one episode if you could believe it. Got to watch this show dub, it is excellent plus it makes sense being all these characters have english names.
Story and Characters:
Before I get to talking about how this show compares to Brotherhood let me just say something about FMA in general. FMA is one of the most emotional and powerful stories ever. It is a triumphant tale of two brothers, their big mistake, and their journey to return to the way things are. On this journey, they gain and lose friends, overcome obstacles, and make the best out of every situation even if there are disadvantages. The other thing about FMA that even my other top animes don't have: THERE ARE NO CHARACTERS IN FMA THAT I HATE NOR FORGET! Every character large and small is memorable, all of them have personalities, all of them have their moments, and all of them are just the greatest characters. Even Shou Tucker, the character that people hate the most in FMA I don't happen to mind because at least he is interesting because the sick act that he has done. FMA truly is unbelievable and I love it.
We all know why people don't like this first anime that much. It is because halfway through the series, it strays away from the manga to an ending that while not completely ridiculous, is a little out of the blue. Now I am going to say something that you all have to think about: FMA Brotherhood has a better story, but the first anime told it's story better. I'm dead serious. Brotherhood I felt was a story on steroids with things going at a faster pace which is great. Here's what I like about the first FMA. Some characters are around longer and have more significance to the plot which I like a lot better. Brotherhood is dark but the first anime is even darker. I feel the Homunculi are more evil and nihilistic. There were more conflicting and somewhat psychological situations between characters. I think the show conveys more atmosphere and gives the audience much more time to breathe and enjoy the scenario. Unlike Brotherhood which I feel everything is rushed, plot threads gets solved faster, and things are all happening at once. Brotherhood, however, is the much better story and is how the original creator intended but then again she was satisfied with the direction the story of the first anime went and to tell you the truth I really think the first anime is somewhat superior. Yes, the ending the was a little random and the fact that it continued in a movie that while not entirely bad was absolutely pointless. Seriously though the first FMA anime is excellent on it's own and I really wish that people didn't write it off at all.
Enjoyment:
FMA is an emotional roller coaster. It makes you laugh, cry, cheer, and even can get pretty scary at times. After you watch one episode, all you want to do is move on the next one. Even when I go back to revisit an episode I am tempted to watch the whole show again because I forget so many things and remember the reasons why I love this show so much.
Overall:
If you haven't watched this show, or really loved Brotherhood, then get to it. This is one of my top 5 animes of all time and even I who hasn't watched it second time through yet can safely say that you will not forget this anime. I don't care if it doesn't follow the manga. I agree the story of the manga and Brotherhood is way better but the first anime has it's own story and it is presented so much better than Brotherhood. Don't pass this up please. Now If you'll excuse me I have to study my alchemy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Aug 16, 2011
"Go beyond the impossible, and kick reason to the curb! That's the Team (Dai-)Gurren way!"
On a lot of people's top ten list, including the top anime rankings list for this website is the show Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. So I took a good look at this show and said why not let's give it a try. However, just like any review on this website, this is just a personal opinion and not factual statements. In fact I will say it now: Go watch this show despite what I say in this review.
The art is good...for the most part. Why do I say that? The early
...
episodes are pretty weak in visuals and while there is some great animation here, the actual art of the show is pretty sloppy and often a just a big mess. Often things will happen at once and the colors will be splattered everywhere not giving the time to take in scenery or you know appreciate the animation. The animation certainly gets better as the show progresses but sometimes it become inconsistent and makes everything seem out of any control. The animation is pretty good, I just feel like it needed more artistry and needed to be more visually-stunning.
Sound is a step above the animation. The score provides epic music for those big moments that the show puts fourth and actually does it in a way that will send chills all over the body. The soundtrack is pretty good and yes is probably one of the best soundtracks of an anime. Trust me, after this anime you will not get "ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH" out of your head, which is actually a good thing. I did watch this show dubbed which is actually pretty good with strong performances by Yuri Lowenthal, Johnny Yong Bosch, Kyle Hebert, Michelle Ruff (despite the fact that she annoys me a lot), and Steve Blum in probably his strangest yet awesome role. I heard that the subbed Kamina is actually pretty epic but I believe that nonetheless that the show is great in both languages.
By this point, you the reader are probably thinking that I really must've liked this show because of how good it is on the technical side of things. Well, all of you who have seen this show, get ready to push the Not Helpful button in 3...2...1...: I HATE GURREN LAGANN. There I said it because to me this is the most overrated anime of all time. I really don't get why this is so critically acclaimed. Why do I hate this show? This story is dumb and things that occur do not make sense at all. You are probably thinking "Well can't you excuse it for not having logic?" To which I answer NO!
Well okay, I do get that a lot of people like this show because of how manly it is and its conveyance the message of going the distance. I applaud the fact that this is a very inspiring story. However, there are so many flaws in this plot that prevent me from taking it seriously. Things just happen without any logic or acknowledgement for the laws of physics, most evident in the climax of the show. A lot of characters are forgettable, and the ones you get to know the most have moments where you just hate them such as when the most likable character gets killed off leaving one of the characters in an unlikable depressed state. Deus Ex Machinas happen all the time and honestly things happen so fast that trying to understand it will take you a long while. It's amazing how something like this gets made without these flaws ever being acknowledged...but despite all I say about the plot, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it at all, in fact it is the opposite.
As much as I despise this anime and the disgustingly high amount of accolades it gets, you have to realize, I watched this show till the end. Yes, the plot is god awful and really needed a lot of tuning. However, this show can be very fun to watch and when it is fun, it is really fun. There is one episode that I keep watching over again and that is the uncensored episode 6, which in my opinion is freaking hilarious. When I like the characters, I root for them and I know that's the real appeal of the show, the passion and likeability of the ambition of these characters. There are epic mecha battles here and they are fun to watch. If this enjoyment wasn't swayed by the fact that a lot of things doesn't often make sense, then I would've liked Gurren Lagann a lot, but my opinion is my opinion.
GO WATCH THIS SHOW! Seriously, if you have not seen this anime then you are missing out. I may hate Gurren Lagann a lot because of it's ridiculous plot, high amount of forgettable characters, and inconsistent animation, but I think just like Neon Genesis Evangelion, a very similar mecha anime that also despite the accolades it gets is also considered overrated, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann should not be passed because trapped in all the nonsensical bullshit there is an inspiring story. I wish I actually did love this anime like the rest of anime fan base but I honestly can't bear myself to believe that this can be high quality show. In the end, this show really should not be passed up by any anime fan because everyone should experience this anime and make up their own opinions.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Aug 15, 2011
The reviews I have done so far have been fairly positive as I like to talk about highly rated anime. Now it is time for me to talk about an anime that I actually did not like: Afro Samurai. It's probably the most disappointing anime I have ever seen yet.
Art:
The art in this show is pretty bad. It suffers from the fact that it has no artistic value to it and what probably is the worst part is the fact that most of the time it is dark. REALLY REALLY DARK. So dark that you might as well be watching a black screen set to
...
dialogue and the only animation being sword slashes and blood. In fact, that is exactly what happened most of the time, every scene is just of blood and flashes of light. Character models were even lazy as all the characters just fell to standard design choices not making any effort to standout above the rest at all. The animation is the worst aspect of the show because honestly the supposed style that this anime wants to convey brings absolutely nothing new to the table and is just a big mess.
Sound:
Now moving on the best part of the show, but not enough to save it, the sound. If there was one reason to watch this show and the reason that I myself was interested in the first place, then that would have to be the most notable feature: Afro is dubbed by Samuel L. Jackson. What I can say, he's the only thing you are going to remember about this show as everything else is forgettable. If it weren't for the badassery that was Sam Jackson, then I honestly would have left this show alone. Thank god Sam Jackson delivers because the rest of the cast does not. Note to all the casting directors, never ever cast James Arnold Taylor in a serious role again because honestly the voice of Tidus from FFX is the last person I want to see do a serious role. The music is what it is, nothing special but not unlistenable.
Story and Characters:
Afro Samurai is boring. Just like that it is boring. The story doesn't come out across well and most of these characters are completely unmemorable. One could argue that the story isn't great because they were stuck with five episodes and a movie. That's stupid though because most anime fans know that FLCL is only six episodes and managed to actually see a plot in it despite all the random insanity that happens. I will tell you one thing though that I will give Afro Samurai points for. One of the characters. Ninja Ninja (the character where Sam Jackson does what he does best) who follows Afro around, is actually the one aspect of the show that I actually thought was interesting as we don't know whether he is real or Afro's conscious. It's a thing like that can actually make Afro Samurai more interesting to watch, however everything else is just makes the show not entertaining.
Overall:
Afro Samurai is a huge dissappointment. From the way it is presented, it would seem like that this would be a cool show especially when you get cinema badass Samuel L. Jackson. However, since the show lacks a lot and is so lazy I can't highly recommend it. If you are a Sam Jackson fan like me, then check it out and give it a try, for the rest of us, spend your time on an anime like Samurai Champloo. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put the head of a bear costume and get revenge? This anime doesn't give me a good send-off.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jun 30, 2011
"What are you talking about? I'm just a slightly overgrown and slightly mischievous normal frog. I've never even thought about invading Pekopon."
I normally don't watch anime that go on for several seasons. Rarely will I consider watching an anime that has gone over 51 episodes. Which is why I never got into Bleach, One Piece, or Naruto. Then I saw Sgt. Frog. The show has been on since 2004 and recently ended this year. I watched the Funimation dub. After watching the dubbed seasons, I can say one thing...Sgt Frog is the funniest dubbed anime of all time.
There are many animes that many people consider
...
the funniest. Golden Boy, OHSHC, Kenichi, Lucky Star, Hetalia, Fumoffu, the list goes on and on. However, a lot of times these animes have all been on top 10 funny list and rarely do I see Sgt. Frog on the list. Well let me tell you the reason that I love Sgt. Frog so much.
Now a lot of anime watchers prefer sub to dub. I, however, love anime dubs, not because I find them better but just the fact that they are more dramatic and over the top in the voice acting, not to mention, the same voice actors appear every time.
The dub for Sgt. Frog is hilarious in that it's the humor that I like...slapstick screwball humor. What do I mean by that? Every episode thrives on references to American pop culture, breaking of the fourth wall, physical humor, and overall celebration of being a geek like the sarge. It's like the anime version of a Mel Brooks film, my favorite comedies.
I love Sgt. Frog and I hear that Funimation licensed more episodes, and I will be watching. So if you like outrageous screwball comedy like me and like dubbed anime, then I highly recommend Sgt. Frog. Now if you'll excuse me, I going to get the new Gundam Models on sale.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
|
