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May 31, 2013
"Maybe it’s fitting…
A faint clap of thunder,
Clouded skies,
Perhaps rain will come?
If so, will you stay here with me?"
Makoto Shinkai's latest film, "Garden of Words" (Kotonoha no Niwa), tells the story of a boy captivated by the mysteriousness of a woman he meets on a rainy morning, meeting again and again during the rainy days, where they both enjoy musing about the lazy flow of time the rain seems to bring with it. Through a few short encounters, starting off as strangers and gradually opening up to friend and companion, they soon start to wish every morning was greeted by rainfall.
Primarily told through the eyes
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of Takao, a high school student, viewers get a glimpse of his thoughts as he admires the simplistic beauty of the rainy days, his ambitions of becoming a shoemaker, and his captivation by the woman he meets by chance, who ended their first encounter with a poem from classical verse. Interestingly enough, both Takao's name and the woman's name, Yukino, are hardly every mentioned, and Takao at least, realizes this simple fact. They both happily chat and share meals, but Takao realizes he hardly knows anything about her, not even her name. This ambiguity and lack of concrete information plays an important part in both of their developments as characters and adds to the uncertainty of their budding friendship.
Characteristic of Shinkai's work, the film itself is incredibly beautiful and a visual wonder. Like falling cherry blossoms, or an infinitely reaching tower, all of Shinkai's films are notable for their exceeding beauty, photographic elements, and rich use of color. For example, "Garden of Words" is bathed in a deep, verdurous green, accented by the lightly blue rain and the faint traces of sunlight peeking out from the rainy clouds. It was very visually appealing and the animation quality was nothing short of astounding. It is as if you could jump into the garden yourself, and immerse yourself in its world of color.
The soundtrack of the film is a simple piano motif that varies with the mood, from frantic and quick meetings to more mellow moments. Indeed, if it isn't clear, one of my favorite scenes is still when Yukino recites her short poem to Takao, leaving him dazed. The piano motif accents the mellow, slightly sad poem, beginning the first of many encounters. The ending theme is, fittingly enough, "Rain" covered by Motohiro Hata. It was a nice listen, and while probably not as memorable as say, "One More Time, One More Chance" from "5 Centimeters per Second," it gave a fitting close to the story. The voices of the main characters are Miyu Irnio and Kana Hanazawa (HanaKana), two very proficient and talented voice actors, and gave a great and emotionally charged performance.
While elements like sound, animation and visual quality for this film are undoubtedly really high, the most conflicted I feel with rating this film higher is actually in the story in itself. While I watched it, I couldn't get a clear impression of whether this was a wonderful tale of unusual love and personal hopes and fears, or if this was about a guy who gets a little too involved with a stranger he knows nothing about. Some of the plot points regarding Yukino weren't as fleshed out as much as I would have liked, and both of their growing affections for each other is somewhat misplaced and unclear, I felt. The short duration of the film works against it, leaving some things not elaborated, but in the reverse it means we can watch a sweet love story unfold in a relatively short period of time.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't greatly excited for seeing this film, given that I love Shinkai's work and close to everything he does. "5 Centimeters per Second" remains my favorite film by him, and I don't think that's ever going to change. For "Garden of Words," the trailers were amazing, the visual quality was undeniable, and the piano music was soothing to listen to. The first 5 minutes being released early on made me want even more. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I had the opportunity to see the full movie earlier than I expected. While it probably doesn't succeed as much as his other films, Shinkai's "Garden of Words" is a lovely addition to the tales of love grounded in reality and worlds of beauty that Shinkai creates and shares for everyone to immerse themselves in.
It's a story of unusual love and growing hopes and expectations, and being true to your own feelings. It's your choice whether or not you want to enter the Garden of Words for yourself and see what words of comfort and mystery it can offer you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 14, 2012
A review of "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai"
This book was recommended to me by a certain place, and I find it extremely interesting. I also got it at a very reasonable price.
The characters all felt like they were just copies from other works I've read, and that's quite alright, cause I love when an apathetic guy gets dragged into the creation of a club! Looking at you Kyon, you lovable, sarcastic, unwilling club member. Oh, and Kodaka too I suppose.
The plot development is what you'd expect from a romantic comedy, full of the standard anime shenanigans and your share of odd characters.
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It's a hotblooded and rebellious adventure about trying to make friends! No friends? Look no further than to this story to encourage and inspire you to stop staring at your computer screen and make some comrades! Not once was I bored reading this.
I can't say the writing was very good, b-but it's not like it was bad either! I-It's just that...ah! Go away!
The paper (?) used for the cover was nice enough. Buriki proves once again that s/he is amazing at making Sena and Yozora jaw dropping. If you see this somewhere and the cover caught your eye, give it a shot. You can also get it at a very reasonable price!
Overall score: ☆☆☆☆
(If you get the joke, good for you. If you didn't...read the book and find out! It's really enjoyable. You can also get it for a very reasonable price!)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 29, 2012
From the same creator of the ever calm "Natsume Yuujinchou" series comes "Hotarubi no Mori e," a tale of the developing friendship between a young girl, Hotaru, and her youkai companion, Gin. Through brief glimpses at their time spent together once a year in the summer, viewers witness the passage of time and the changing of seasons, and the growing bonds that develop as the young girl grows up, while her youkai companion remains relatively the same. Even though this difference in age is negligible in her younger days, it becomes an increasing problem as she grows older.
Although this aging problem specifically deals with
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the supernatural, a more realistic problem is: How do people deal with the passage of time and distance? Gin has been placed under a spell such that no human can ever touch him. Otherwise, he will disappear. Hotaru learns to deal with this as a child, but as she grows up and starts becoming more attached to Gin, she yearns to physically touch him and spend even more time with him. Gin, while ever friendly, always seems so distant in his speech, more so when Hotaru is a teenager. They are close emotionally, but the unreachable is always looming above them.
Through each stage of Hotaru's life, we see and hear her thoughts about Gin and the strange, magical world she has wandered into. Viewers see how a little girls childish affections of her savior develop into friendship and then finally love for him. The only obstacles are the magic that separates Hotaru and Gin, and time. These underlying problems are the force that develops the two characters until the long awaited Summer Festival, something the two will never forget.
On a technical level, the film has extremely crisp, clean, and detailed artwork that brings to life the lazy summers that Hotaru and Gin share, and the ordinary life Hotaru has outside of the youkai inhabited forest. It resembles a moving watercolor painting, with soft colors and colorful, blended backgrounds. Background music is minimal, but the silence adds to the nature that surrounds Hotaru and Gin.
"Hotarubi no Mori e" is a heartwarming story that shows the deepening bond between a young girl and her supernatural companion, and how there is always an unreachable desire that follows the two as Hotaru grows up, and as Gin remains ever the same. It is a fairy tale that is slow, calm, and relaxing. I enjoyed watching this short, thoughtful movie, and it was something that I have thought about since then. I think of this movie like this: Do things always go our way? No. But it doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we spent trying to make it so.
And here, I'll end with a little something from a movie called "When Harry Met Sally..."
"...when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 22, 2011
With Christmas fast approaching, I can safely say one thing: All I want for Christmas is Meat. Delicious, delicious, Meat.
Ahem.
What do you get when an ambitious and rather oddball girl drags an unwilling male into forming a club for whatever reason? You get the "Save the World by Overloading it with Fun (SOS) Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade!" Oh wait, wrong show. You alternatively could get the "Neighbors Club." Yes, that seems about right. This fabulous club is composed of Kodaka and Kobato Hasegawa, Yozora Mikazuki, Sena Kashiwazaki, Rika Shiguma, Maria Takayama and Yukimura Kusunoki. Watch as this rebellious group takes on one of the
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world's most challenging of tasks: making friends!
"Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai" follows the misadventures of our assembled group of social misfits as they chase after the ever elusive rose-colored campus life of "popular" people. And what a daunting task this seems to be. After all, when your club is made up of such interesting people as a misunderstood "Yankee", two girls who assert themselves as goddesses (though only one of them is truly worthy of the title), a gender-confused-full-of-fighting-spirit-samurai and many others, the task of making true friends would seem quite difficult. Unknown to them, however, perhaps they will make friends with the very misfits they set out on this journey with.
Let us quickly get this out of the way. The artwork in "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai" is flat out awesome. Those familiar with "Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko" will immediately recognize the similarities, since they were done by the same artist. And how fortunate that is, because depictions of Meat are as glorious as they can be. Backgrounds and characters are very colorful and animations are fluid enough, giving the viewer delicious eye candy. Look at those sultry lips on the females for instance...Check out official arts if you are having doubts.
"Haganai" (which is what I will be calling this show now) gives us the rather touching message that it is not necessarily the number of friends one has, but its about the one friend that is worth a hundred. The de facto leader of the Neighbors Club, Yozora, once wisely proclaimed this as a child, but now has trouble even maintaining normal conversations with other people. She above all wants to make friends, along with the rest of the club. However, most of the show is focused on comedy that usually arises with clashes between Yozora and Sena, and not actually making friends. I mean they try, and by that I mean Kodaka tries, but they usually end up having their share of laughs without establishing that close connection they desire. The club is already in trouble in the beginning, seeing as we have two tsunderes with a liking to the main character, Inde--Maria and Kobato fighting for Kodaka's brotherly affections, and Yukimura and Rika, who are both plain weird. Rika more so.
The sound of "Haganai" is quite enjoyable in its own charming kind of way. The opening theme is "Zannenkei Rinjinbu" by all the female members of the cast, and is an extremely cheesy J-Pop song detailing aspects of friendship. It is upbeat and disgustingly catchy, with a good indication of what the show is about. The ending theme is "My Feelings "by Marina Inoue (voice of Yozora) and fits well enough. It is yet another disgustingly catchy theme accompanied by a very enjoyable sequence of Yozora and Sena interacting in a rock band...The voice acting is excellent, and Marina Inoue's deeper voice for Yozora is quite enjoyable, in particular when she is on one of her many rants and shenanigans concerning Sena and general social values.
"Haganai"s comedy is generally pretty funny. Most of the comedic scenes are the club's fruitless attempts at making friends, such as establishing connections through multiplayer gaming, karaoke, and keeping in touch via cell phones. Of course, these attempts go horribly wrong, such as griefing each other and keeping things too literal....It is a fun and rather cheerful series, but Yozora is usually there to give the brutally sarcastic remarks she characteristically has, giving glimpses of her underlying attitude. I did not dislike her, but I certainly wished that she had tried a bit harder in making friends with the others, rather that step all over Sena and try to get closer to Kodaka. She may even have become much closer friends with Sena if she did not act that way, giving her just one more friend. The last episode just might change your opinion of her however...
There was a slight plot interwoven throughout the episodes, but it does not really leave much of an impact, at least not on me. You will have to be the judge on that. I however, simply watched "Haganai" for my weekly servings of Meat and shenanigans of the "Neighbors Club."
"Haganai" is an entertaining show depicting the doomed attempts of the "Neighbors Club" in making friends and ultimately becoming popular. Even though most of their attempts fail, it gives a rather nice message that friendship can come from the most unexpected of places. It covers basic methods of interacting with others and the hilarity that follows. The comedy is good, and the delicious eye candy may be enough to draw you into the series. Check it out if you ever need an anime guide on how NOT to make friends!
Oh, and to those who have bothered to read this far, I am a Sena fanboy. Sorry, Yozora, move over for the REAL goddess. She, along with a certain brigade leader, will be the only Gods I'll ever worship!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 15, 2011
A beautiful thing that I finished.
It was a work of art that displayed a realistic and simplistic story filled with heartwarming moments and times of deep thought, thoughts of whether or not our current actions were correct, whether or not it truly was worth giving one's dedication to something more important than them. Life isn't a fairy tale. Things happen, and people endure. It's the simplest values, like family and presence, that stay true in the end.
The world in Usagi Drop is unremarkable. That is, the same kind of world many of us live in. We go through a routine that follows us
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for the rest of our lives. We eat, we sleep, we work, we weep, and we love. Each episode gave us just another taste in the life of Daikichi, who willingly chose to take care of a child she barely knew. For him, it is a strange thing, suddenly being given responsibility over something worth more than one's self. How many other people would give up their leisure and free time for something like this? He partied, and he lived his own life. Then, he learns what it means to have something to work for, a semblance of what thinks a parent should do.
The entire story is an anthology of one year that Daikichi raises Rin Kaga. He watches her grow up, perhaps too fast. They go through life just as someone else would, by doing our daily duties and then coming home.
Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone. However, interactions between Rin and Daikichi show that they aren't alone. For Rin, who was shunned by her family, and Daikichi, who has lived by himself for a long time, they take comfort in each other. Usagi Drop displayed human emotion in its simplest form, that is, simply finding happiness for taking care of one another. The people around Daikichi have all had their own struggles, whether they be marriage or raising children. For him, it is an entirely new but thoughtful experience. Family is an important part of everyone's life, and Daickichi and Rin give form to this idea. It was heartwarming, and it was lovely to see them grow up and teach each other.
Art and animation were incredible. It was like watching a water color painting come to life. It was colorful, detailed, and created Usagi Drop's ordinary life. The opening and ending themes gave the show a very upbeat and optimistic feel, something very appropriate to the story it tells.
It was a masterpiece, and an amazing experience. It was a story about growing up and looking at life in a simpler way. Not many slice-of-life's can compare to how well it told its story. It teaches us that parenthood/childhood is something to be cherished.
Sudden change can be overwhelming, but sometimes, it may not be all that bad.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 2, 2011
Sometimes, anime characters are put into such unfortunate circumstances that you can't help but shake your head in pity. Now, this isn't the type of misfortune where you go "Barnacles, I procrastinated and didn't do my boating essay," or "Such misfortune! A certain Sister bites me all the time!" The misfortune I'm talking about is when Heaven itself seems to abandon you, when it seems all the forces in the world are trying to guarantee no salvation for you.
The subject of this particular tragic treatment is Ganta Igarashi, who starts as a completely normal middle school boy with all of the nice, usual things.
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Family, friends, and a sense of security. Sadly for him, this was not going to last. On the very first episode of Deadman Wonderland, a mysterious figure, which Ganta dubs the "Red Man," appears and butchers Ganta's entire class, leaving him the sole survivor. Framed for the massacre of his class, Ganta is incarcerated in the social experiment prison, Deadman Wonderland.
Deadman Wonderland isn't your everyday kind of prison. For starters, there is an amusement park built right on top of the prison, with the usual cute and fuzzy mascots roaming around. Here, the prisoners are used to operate the attractions and entertain the audience, with sadistic attractions such as the Dog Race and most importantly, the Carnival of Corpses.
Since Ganta is housed on death row, there isn't much hope for him in this place. Tagging along with him and constantly saving his life though, is a mysterious girl named Shiro, who claims to be Ganta's childhood friend, and possesses near super human feats of strength and agility. Her presence is a mixed blessing for Ganta; she's rather clueless and childish, but doesn't hesitate to save Ganta. Deadman Wonderland follows Ganta's experiences in this bizarre world.
Deadman Wonderland certainly has an interesting concept. Modern day gladiators, supernatural powers, and plenty of violence. What's not to love?
The problem with Deadman Wonderland is that it's trying to fit too many things into a very short 12 episode anime. Halfway, an important concept and fighting ability called "The Branches of Sin" is introduced. It essentially gives a mastery over using one's own blood in a variety of offensive and defensive ways. Somewhere along the way, a rebel group is introduced, an old geezer who never really gets an explanation, a very feminine looking boy, and Undertakers are also introduced. There simply isn't enough time in 12 episodes to flesh out these things to make it flow with its other concepts, resulting in little character interaction and development. Even at the end of the series, there are lots of unanswered questions.
Let me elaborate. There is a staggering revelation near the middle of the series, a revelation that could very well shatter what little logic is present in Ganta's situation. What would happen if Ganta found out about this certain secret? Would he go insane? Would he crawl up and die? Or would he take vengeance?
I don't have a clue, and you're guess is as good as mine. The series introduces this extremely interesting revelation and yet does nothing with it. Given time, this could help make Deadman Wonderland a much better show. And yet, this won't happen, because of Deadman Wonderland's lack of time to flesh out events. It's disappointing, but something in the future could elaborate on this and give a new dimension to the show.
As for characters, I've read a lot of complaints about Ganta's weak attitude. I really can't blame him though, since he's just a middle school student who suddenly finds himself on death row. I think it's be unrealistic to think that he'd suddenly toughen himself and willingly face the dangers of Deadman Wonderland so quickly. The entire story takes place in less than 2 weeks I believe, after all. There are a few interesting characters that appear, such as the Crow, Kiyomasa Senji, who is my personal favorite character of this show. He becomes somewhat of a friend to Ganta, though he is unwilling to share the former's optimism of escape.
While on characters, I have to applaud this show for introducing some truly hate worthy characters. I'm looking at you, Promoter Tamaki, man who plays with life like a toy. You too, Genkaku Azuma, you sacrilegious mediocre guitar player. And you too, Hibana Daida, unladylike gorilla who wields Zabimaru. Enough ranting though.
Aside from characters, the art in this show is pretty decent. Plenty of dark colors and tones in the prison, while bright colors are usually in the form of sadistic, cute mascots with a gun hidden in them or something of the sort. There isn't much diversity in setting, since it takes place in a somewhat futuristic prison after all. That means lots of corridors, cells, stone, steel and things of that sort. Fight scenes were pretty interesting, though animation quality takes a dip sometimes.
Moving onto sound, the background music was just that, background music. I didn't notice any real noteworthy melodies and such, but the music was appreciated where it was. The opening is "One Reason" by Fade. It's a typical rock song with, surprise, English lyrics. It's very appropriate for the dark tones of the show, and it's a pretty decent song.
However, the ending song is a completely different story. It's an interesting song called "Shiny Shiny" by Nirgilis. It has a pretty upbeat pop style to it, an interesting contrast to the heavy rock and violence of the show. There are also some melancholic sounds in the song, another contrast to the happy. However, hearing this after the blood has been spilled in a particular episode, gives an interesting feel close to pity. The ending basically shows pictures of the lives of many of the characters before they experienced the hell of Deadman Wonderland. Innocent things like being with friends, embracing loved ones, and appreciating childhood.
Deadman Wonderland isn't for everyone. There's tons of blood, gore, and some rather disturbing scenes (ahem, Penalty Game). The first episode is remarkably similar in levels of gore to Elfen Lied, so if you can handle things like that, be my guest and enjoy the attractions at Deadman Wonderland. This show should be viewed with enjoying the interesting atmosphere and action as much as possible. It's about a boy with all of the misfortune in the world, living in a twisted environment, trying his best to understand what it truly means to be a "Deadman."
In Deadman Wonderland, we do our very best to kick the loser while they're down. So sit back, and enjoy watching our prisoners suffer, minds shatter, and play the part of fool, all while I watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 1, 2011
1924.
A mere 6 years after WWI, the fictional European country of Saubure is the location of the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where "The Golden Fairy" spends her days in chronic boredom eating sweets and reading in the tower library. One student that attends this school, "The Black Reaper," ventures to the very top of this tower library to see this legendary student literally rolling around, and so, an unusual bond forms between the two.
Gosick follows the story between Kazuya Kujou and Victorique de Blois, as they either dive headfirst into the various ghost stories or legends that frequent their school and try to unravel
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the mysteries surrounding each, or these troubles find them. These mysteries however, are rather mediocre and can be solved by the viewer with a little common sense. Victorique's flawless explanations at the end of these short mysteries (usually 3-4 episodes) really only make others look rather lacking in intelligence, mostly Kujou. However, I do not believe the main appeal of Gosick is the mysteries themselves, but rather the superb character interactions.
Many times, I found myself watching an episode of Gosick to watch more of the very entertaining interactions between Kujou and Victorique rather than learn more about the mysteries they found themselves in. Victorique, who was ever charming and typically tsundere, displayed cute antics with Kujou passively sighing and laughing. They had excellent chemistry with one another. Their friendship deepens quite a bit in the course of the show, and that was what made the ending and overall experience quite enjoyable. There are some particular moments which were heartwarming and quite emotional, after they realize the importance their presence has for the other. Clutching a small necklace in times of desperation, after all, is sometimes all one needs to keep on living, to see another day, for the sake of the other.
To make a comparison, this is also particularly one of the reasons I enjoyed Spice and Wolf so much, not for the rather confusing economic and business sense, but the interactions between the two main characters.
Art in Gosick was very well done and detailed. Saubure was rich and colorful, and characters were animated wonderfully. There are many settings to enjoy, such as the tower library, the town itself, theaters and the rich countryside. It's always nice to see the artist giving viewers a pleasurable viewing experience and diversifying things.
There was a plot weaved in carefully at around the middle of the series, involving a particularly despicable Marquis and his own self centered plans. Though somewhat unnoticeable in the beginning, the final few episodes of Gosick manage to explode this plot into a hotpot of emotions, ranging from completely despicable to heartfelt. After a great wind has descended on the world and splits nations apart, comes the time when the relationship between Kujou and Victorique becomes most difficult. Even so, they live for the sake of the other.
Sound is minimal, but I felt this helped to enhance the atmosphere of Gosick. What little music is present was fitting for the situation, whether on a speeding train or a platform addressing the country itself. The opening is "Destin Histoire" by yoshiki lisa, a catchy pop-rock song with quite the nice animation to go with it. The opening utilizes a pleasant and unique water color style of art, giving even more diversity to the already beautiful art style Gosick utilizes. There are two pieces of ending music, "Resuscitated Hope" by Komine Lisa and "Unity" by the same artist. They were appropriate for the mood that followed the ending of an episode.
I want to especially applaud Victorique's seiyuu, Aoi Yuuki, for an excellent and laudable performance. She gave a great range of voice for her character, from the bored, sarcastic tones of Victorique to her emotional tones especially as the "wind" approaches, with particular mention to Victorique's despair. I do believe the end of episode 22 will tug at quite a few people.
Gosick is an overall enjoyable anime that tells the story of two very different people as they tackle fables, legends, stories, and their own shortcomings. Gosick should be viewed not with the mysteries themselves as the focal point, but as the story of Kujou's and Victorique's slow friendship that keeps them together, even with the tragic "wind" that will inevitably separate the two. Holding hands, the petite Fairy looks over the shoulder of the reliable and forgiving Reaper, as they face the world.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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