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- BirthdayOct 3, 2012
- LocationOlympia, Washington USA
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Apr 3, 2012
Wow. Talk about an under viewed, underrated wonder.
I'd been wanting to watch this since I noticed it as a "similar to" recommendation in relation to Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 but it took a long time to find it streaming and subbed.
Although the animation started off pretty stiff, I instantly recognized the hand of Kawaguchi, Kaiji, the creator of my beloved Zipang as well as a number of other sophisticated seinen manga. It doesn't take long for the impact of the story and the characters to overtake the rough animation, animation that does, by the way, show definite improvement in the second half
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of this two part TV Special.
Each episode is 77 minutes long. The first half focuses brilliantly on devastation, death, heroics, self-sacrifice, and survival as a series of earthquakes and volcanic activity literally tears Japan in half. Having experienced the eruption of Mt. St. Helens (yes, I'm that old) I found the way they illustrated the side blowing off Mt. Fuji interesting and the focus on the ash rather than streams of lava interesting and yes, quite realistic. I'd put it right up there with most any disaster film. The second part of the story is set 15 years later and centers around a less than comfortable Japanese refugee camp on Taiwan where new friendships and loyalties are formed, old connections are renewed and the struggle for survival continues but in a new but equally dangerous way.
The story and characters warrant a 10 but the art . . . . well, not the "art" but the animation, does drag it down. Just don't let it put you off. The story is worth it.
Apart from some good background music during the disaster scenes, I didn't particularly notice it so I'd say it does its job just fine.
There are no robots, no school festivals, no magic, no ecchi, etc. Taiyou no Mokushiroku: A Spirit of the Sun is solid Seinen. Kawaguchi deftly plucks bits and pieces from current headlines and weaves them into a gripping tale of geopolitics, economics, gangsters, street thugs, terrorists, racism, family ties, and loyalty that stung my eyes with tears more than once. As with Zipang, it is really pretty realistic if a touch "over the top" at times but in a good way. It stops in a good place but does leave you ready for the next installment but, seeing as how TnM was aired in 2006, I'm just going to read the continuation and conclusion in Taiyou no Mokishiroku Dainibu: Kenkokuhen . . . . if it ever gets translated . . . .
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 9, 2012
I HATE SCHOOL COMEIDES and sentimental twaddle and will not watch "cute girls doing cute things." -- BUT I LOVED KIMI TO BOKU. -- It 's as easy to watch and as mesmerizing as a trout stream in the sunshine. It just flows along, easy, and happy, with the occasional surprise. Like potato chips I kept consuming one episode after another and was surprised when I hit ep 12. With only one ep to go I was glad to know that a second season is slated for Spring 2012.
It is a simple slice of life about four boys who have
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been together since kindergarten plus one radical misfit that gets dropped in to the mix. Sounds tedious, boring and trite, right? It isn't. It is funny without being silly and endearing without being sappy. It's about a lot of little things we overlook or take for granted that make life good.
There is no action or adventure, no high drama, no random wacky silliness, no ecchi, no sci-fi or horror and IT IS NOT SHOUNEN-AI. It is funny but not in an over the top guffawing kind of way but you will smile a lot, chuckle, and occasionally laugh out loud. KtB is true slice of life about a few charming characters you'd like to know personally.
Some say it has no plot. I'm not sure that is an accurate statement because each consecutive episode does build a bit on previous episodes as more and more is revealed about the character and characteristics of each player. Some say it is a "show about nothing" and that I openly disagree with. It is about love and acceptance, seeing someone's foibles and loving them just the same. Yes I said love but I mean universal love and and not the romantic sort. KtB is about friendship, reflection, and personal growth. How is that "about nothing."
I could care less about the opening and ending songs and found the sound track in no way annoying, jarring or distracting so it must have done its job well. I found the voice actors very well suited to the characters.
The art is nice. It is as mellow as the overall tone of the show. Then there are the cats. CATS? Brilliant, beautifully executed and illustrated vignettes of cats mirroring the actions and attitudes of the human characters -- ored cats. playful, mischievous cats, annoyed cats. Each character has a signature cat that reflects his personality and character traits. These aren't overly round, stylized cats but very realistic and richly detailed cats. Ah, the Japanese do seem to appreciate and understand cats. The "cat mirrors" is likely the most brilliant aspect of KtB. Hope they continue it in the 2012.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 13, 2011
Wow. What an under watched, underrated gem of a movie with a bit of a Studio Ghibli feel to it. It isn't. Brains Base did it.
There's no need for me to go into the story because the synopsis does it very well . . . . for a change.
It takes place in an alternate world that has the of 1930's Europe. There are some pretty fantastic airships, bi-planes, tanks, and storm troopers. The background art flows from dark, menacing snowy nights, bright island life, rain on ruins, to hope filled sunrises. It is very effective
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in setting moods that range from the grim, to innocence, to anguish and despair, to the heroic and hope filled, to the spiritual.
Be aware that there is violence and death. It is grim, realistic, and sad but not "twisted" or "splattery". Not really one for the kiddies to watch alone and certainly not just for the kiddies.
Character designs aren't unique or particular beautiful, but neither do they get in the way. With the exception of the "evil dictator" most characters are drawn to convey ordinary people. Come to think of it, I did like the look of some of the supporting characters. The music is equally noninvasive. Besides a flute piece played by the main character in one scene, nothing really stands out.
TBWStW can be enjoyed as a fine bit of fantasy. If you want to go deeper it can make an anti-war statement whilesaying it's o.k. to fight back when threatened. It also dips its toes into philosophy, quantum theory, and theology with its presentation of energy manipulation, many metaphors surrounding flight, and the continuation of the "soul." (Take a moment to wiki C. W. Nicol, the author of the book the anime is based on. He's fascinating.)
I liked it. I liked it a lot, enough to give it a 9. Actually it is more of an 8.5 but I can't do that here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 10, 2011
I'm not into rap and I can't say I care much for the whole "gangsta" style/ lifestyle. Neither am I a connoisseur of exaggerated character designs. Needless to say, I went into Tokyo Tribe 2 with a certain amount of trepidation.
IT PUT ME OFF AND PULLED ME IN AT THE SAME TIME. The first four eps were weak but intriguing enough to keep me going. It is grim, gruesome, and exaggerated, but with a grain of gritty reality too. The back story and character development is good. Plus there are a couple disgusting characters, both visually and
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psychologically, that make you love to hate them and shout, "Oh, just kill him!" at the screen. When I start talking to the screen, you know they've got me. (Part of me wants to know how Buppa got to be, well, Buppa . . . . and part of me doesn't. Shudder.)
There are no pretty people in this show. As stated, the character designs are stylized and exaggerated and all the women, with one possible exception, are trashy. Could it be that Tokyo Tribe 2 is more of a caricature of the "gangsta" style/lifestyle than it is a celebration? Hmmm . . . Ultimately, I'd say it is a bit of both.
There is enough testosterone driven machismo to power Las Vegas and its surrounds for at least a year - You got your territoriality, your colors, your honor codes, guns, baseball bats and katanas, cars, and essentially disposable females. Death, with a couple exceptions, is highly trivialized You also have young men maturing the hard way and friendships that somehow manage to endure.
The last four eps go way, way over the top with gangs wearing nazi uniforms and a guy driving a tank through downtown Tokyo and wearing a samurai helmet. Made me think of Sengoku Basara for a split second or two and in a good way.
If you are into rap you are going to love the sound track. I found it well engineered and very effective. There were a couple non rap cuts I'd like to get my hands on, one being a percussion piece featuring what I think was bongos.
Voice work was excellent. I'm not sure but I think Inoue, Kazuhiko, the voice of Natsume Yuujinchou's cat, Madara, aka Sensei, Nyanko, is the same as that of the slimy little character I kept talking to the screen about.
The backgrounds were wonderfully detailed and motion flowed well even in the most frenzied action scenes. I could have done without the cyborg-golem-thingy though. Seemed a little out of place but no big deal.
From the music to bloody action to women whose sole role is that of sex slave or servant, this show is definitely targeted at a young male audience . . . of which I am neither . . . and I liked it anyway.
If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, this is it. Go in open minded and be prepared to be appalled and enchanted all at the same time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 7, 2011
Most folk were hooked by Ga-Rei: Zero's extreme action first episode, I was bored. Demon hunting, poorly done CG monster of the week, zombie like creatures, guro blood splatter and flying limbs, crazy fan-boy weapons, comedy. yuri girls in school uniforms, and run of the mill music. Meh. Seen it all a zillion times. Watched a few eps, discovered nothing new and engaging and dropped it.
Picked it up again in dub for something to have on in the background while I multi-tasked and was totally unimpressed until somewhere around episode 6 or 7. THEN IT GOT GOOD. Make
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that Good with a capital G. Character depth, relationships, motivations, it all worked and engaged me and ultimately surprised me with the ending . . . . which is actually the prequel for the manga and yet the anime manages to stand on its own merits. Frankly, I found many of the supporting characters more interesting than the two lead girls but, given the fact that it was only a 12 ep series, there was no time to explore them further. As usual, many of them ended up cannon fodder.
With the exception of the awkward CG monsters (they really put me off), the show has a very good look - nice character designs, and a color palate that hints at foreboding events yet to unfold.
I wish they had given me enough of the sophistication shown in the latter half of the show a little earlier on. I would have enjoyed it in its entirety and not in fits and starts before I got to the tasty surprise inside. For me, the first half was little better than average. The last half an 8+. I'll average it out as a 7 which really isn't a bad score. 7 = Good and ultimately GRZ was indeed good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 29, 2011
Five Numbers is an anime version of the kind of short story we used to get in Science Fiction anthology magazines - a group of people tossed together in an unfamiliar and/or hostile environment trying to figure out where they are, why they are there, and how the hell they are going to get somewhere else. There is little time to get to know characters and every nuance counts. And there's the problem. Five Numbers is a good story but all the nuances and titillating hints miss the mark just enough to make you feel there could have/should have been something more.
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It's single biggest flaw is character design and the animation of human movement. Stiff, awkward, and generally unattractive. I think perhaps it is so distracting that you just can't develop any kind of feeling for the characters. All the background art and mechanicals were quite lovely, though.
I didn't pay much attention to the sound so it must have been o.k. I did find the ending song fun and wonderfully ironic.
Again, I'll say it isn't a bad story and if you stay as hungry for something passably close to hard science fiction as I do, you will find it a good way to spend less than an hour.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 28, 2011
[b]TO[/b] is really two beautifully illustrated science fiction short stories presented in classic anthology style. Generally speaking, I am a "CGI hater" but [b]TO[/b] is a glimpse of what we can look forward to as the art evolves. It is high budget CGI at its best featuring stunning spacescapes, ships, equipment, and interiors, but as usual, human movement , facial expression, and lip flap leaves a lot to be desired. Human movement does seem a bit more fluid in the [i]Symbiotic Planet[/i] than it does in [i]Elliptical Orbit. [/i]Thankfully the voice acting, even in the English dub, helps make up
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for it.
Overall, I found [i]Symbiotic Planet[/i] generally more interesting and moving than [i]Elliptical Orbit [/i]but both stories were very worthwhile.
If you are a fan of hard science fiction this is a must see. Granted it has its squishy physics moments but generally it's pretty good. As with most science fiction, there is also some romance, political intrigue, action, and a touch of suspense.
The opening and closing songs didn't do much for me but the overall sound was impressive on good speakers.
For me it really isn't quite a 9 but it is more than an 8. Yes. I liked it that much.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 7, 2011
Chikyuu Ga Ugoita Hi centers around the 1995 Kobe earthquake and its aftermath and is a great look at the positive aspect of the collective conscious that holds the Japanese people together in times of crisis. While not on the same level as Grave of the Fireflies, or Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, it is well worth watching, especially in relation to the recent earthquakes and tsunami in northern Japan as it
Background art is pretty good but the character designs and animation are nothing special. Sound must have been average because I didn't notice it either way. Just set some of the technical
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esthetics aside and focus on what is important about the story.
The action and drama revolves around a 6th grade boy, his family, classmates, and teacher. We get a look at their reactions to the trauma of loss, how it changes their take on the important things in life, and how they continue to live and grow even under the weight of unimaginable devastation.
Some of the supporting characters are quite memorable, particularly one venerable old woman in the group shelter who taught the kids the true meaning of survival. A few of the volunteer workers were quite endearing as well.
Even though it isn't perfect and a bit dated, don't hesitate to give this movie an hour+, but be advised, if you are a bit of a softy, you will shed a tear or two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 6, 2011
Although 1,001 Nights is really quite beautiful, is is not what most people expect when they think of anime. There is no dialogue at all and, if you are not familiar with the story of a concubine who kept the sultan from killing her as he had all the other women he slept with by transfixing him with fascinating story every night, it will make no sense to you whatsoever. Some of the tales spun over the 1001 nights include Alibaba and the 40 thieves, Aladdin's Magic Lamp, many more. At just short of 30 minutes, this festival of stylistic hand
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drawn and early CG animation dancing in a dream to full philharmonic music is targeted at the connoisseur of animation. If you are turned off by symbolism and the surreal, 1001 Nights is not for you. If you are intrigued by the unique, it is definitely worth a half hour.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 16, 2011
Masou Kishin Cybuster is buried treasure. Based on a video game and released in 1999, MKC shows its age but don’t let that stop you. MKC offers a compelling story, engaging characters, and crunchy mecha goodness and, much like a good Gundam series (nothing to do with Gundam - just drawing a comparison), it presents open ended questions regarding science, ecology, warfare, and relationships.
For its time, the art is lush with great backgrounds that range from post apocalyptic cityscapes to an unspoiled “sea of trees. Aircraft, weapons, and mecha detail is pretty good and character designs not overly stylized. But then I
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actually enjoy the warm look of hand drawn anime over CG anyway. I also liked the music and sound track, but some may find it as dated as the visual. There is a rich mix of characters, some who start out annoying but end up pivotal, some who start off stereotypical end up revealing something unexpected, and others who leave you unsure as to their role while the secrets of “DC” unfold at an excellent pace.
I went looking for MKC in an effort to make sense out of Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector. I finally found a dub of it on Veoh. The dub wasn't bad or distracting. In fact, once I started it I couldn’t stop until episode 10 when I had to give up and go to bed still thinking about what would happen next.
Obviously I think highly of this 12 year old series. If you are bored with more current fluff and looking for a solid, meaningful story, and/or classic mecha, don’t wait to watch Masou Kishin Cybuster.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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