The Gintama x EXILIM camera, a digital camera where you can take pictures of yourself with characters from Gintama, can be purchased by made-to-order.
*wants*
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Gosick - Review
Gosick finally draws to a close and still I don’t know what to make of it. The entire series inhibited a perpetual state of good moments succeeded by weak moments. The overall inability to remain constant – either good or bad, really let the show down as a whole. Gosick would have certainly benefited from a little more editing and a lot more sense-making! Chuck out the uninspired mush and condense the finer episodes and Gosick would have received a higher rating. Through that still would not have explained the show’s title – what exactly is ‘Gosick’?
Nevertheless the series did offer something worthwhile in the form of the oh-so-adorable Victorique. Wonderfully well written and superbly executed, Victorique more than carried the series, especially considering her supporting cast. Gosick fell into the trap of accompanying its leading lady with a hero completely void of a personality that his only faculty seemed to be screeching Victorique’s name at any given opportunity. Other than his ‘Japanese sense of honour’ Kujo has no real purpose to befriend Victorique nor is there any chemistry between them as heavily implied love interests. It’s a shame that within 24 episodes the writing staff was not able to develop this character is to someone vaguely three dimensional. There were nevertheless much more badly written and annoying characters throughout this series, all eggs were undoubtedly placed in the basket marked Victorique.
Rating: 6.5/10
Friday, 8 July 2011
X-MEN - Review
Here it is, the third Marvel/Madhouse studio instalment and the one crossover in particular I was eager to watch being a self confessed X Geek. I couldn’t begin to express my enthusiasm with this little project and yet here in lies the problem. Given that I’m already familiar with the comics, I can’t say I was entirely satisfied with the anime adaptation. Despite the strongest offering to date, I can’t help but feel nagged by the little inaccuracies that held the anime back from complete brilliance.
To start with, I found the choice of cast or rather lack there of to be a consistent problem. Considering the vastness of the marvel universe, the primary x-men roster was fairly limited which seemed a real shame overall. While the anime made the correct decision of making Cyclops its lead character, something pretty novel in recent media history, the supporting cast received a mixed reception. Wolverine actually restored my faith in the character, Emma Frost gave a good suspicious sexbomb and first time animated Hisako was your standard tween, slightly annoying but unexpectedly proved her worth in the end. However the likes of Beast and Storm were audaciously overlooked, all but whitewashed into the background.
The villains on the other hand were a colossal let down. The U-Men were incredibly tedious and one dimensional. Fortunately a mutant baddie did make an appearance and Mastermind did a reasonable job if somewhat clichéd, still he was just not the one I wanted. The sheer lack of Magneto really undermined the whole piece, especially with several references and artwork in the credits, nothing more then empty promises. Nevertheless I have my fingers crossed after watching the epilogue, same goes for Rogue, Nightcrawler and
I was further frustrated by Japanese versions of pre-existing characters in the form of Yui Sasaki and Takeo Sasaki who were blatantly based on Moria MacTaggert and Legion respectively. Their personas and appearances are all but identical, why not just use the names as well and thereby acknowledge the original characters? Then again this is little more then a personal regret since both Moira and Legion are old favourites of mine.
Another more prominent problem concerns the script. Despite an interesting premise and a rather gripping opening couple of episodes featuring a concept that’s familiar to long term x-fans and self explanatory to x-newbies, nevertheless the main plot took a massive detour about half way through the season when the X-Men hot tail it out of
Nonetheless anime X-Men has some strong advantages in its favour. For one thing, it’s visually stunning, the animation remains true to the comic books while having placed a sleek twist on character designs, giving very striking individual appearances. I have to take my hat off to Madhouse studio, particularly when you compare to the last American X-Men cartoon, which frankly had such a worse animation and flat character designs, I’ve ever seen in an x-related cartoon.
In all, the anime had a lot of squandered potential but that doesn’t necessarily make the series bad. Perhaps the main problem was that the series was an adaptation and therefore open to interpretations. Hopefully there will be a second season and hopefully it can improve on some of these flaws.
Rating: 7.5/10
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-Tachi wa Mada Shiranai Review
Animes like We Still Don’t Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day, neatly nicknamed Anohana for short, are rare to come by. Wrapping up this month after a mere eleven perennial episodes, Anohana is fairly short but definitely sweet, remaining on the mark for the entirely of its run. It was smooth sailing for the most part with a couple of hiccups along the way, in particular the melodramatic minor characters, however strong planning and execution gave the show a greater purpose, more compelling then the sum of its parts.
The storyline focused on the complex relationship between five childhood friends who have drifted apart three years prior after the death of their sixth member, Meiko ‘Menma’ Honma. The primary protagonist, Jinta ‘Jintan’ Yadomi, the group’s former leader, now social recluse, is the only person able to see or communicate with Menma of whom he initially dismisses as a hallucination, a manifestation of his guilt. The relationship between Jintan and ghost girl Menma is both moe-humorous and deeply troubled at the same time, as Jintan struggles to come to terms with the supernatural return of his former friend. In essence Anohana is a coming-of-age drama, which has its characters enthralled with typical teenage dilemmas such as unrequited crushes, depleting friendship circles and social alienation, all the while having to deal with significant childhood trauma.
Anohana not only crafts great chemistry between Jintan and Menma, but also amongst the other four side characters, Anaru, Tsuruko, Yukiatsu and Poppo. The characterization is nothing short of wonderful, each teenager depiction is detailed and trendsetting, while primarily consisting of angst-ridden teenagers, and none come across as annoying, whiny or vastly unlikable. I’m almost impressed. This has to be a first. A primary strength of Anohana is that each character faces their own brand of grief which transpires into very different reactions. It explores the many ways that grief can be felt or expressed through physical escapism, falling in with the wrong crowd to irrational feelings of jealousy and resentment.
Nevertheless this tactic is not without its flaws. Whereas some characters are subtle and realistic in their anguish, others are overplayed. None more so then cross-dressing Yukiatsu, who’s youthful love for Menma drives him to impersonate her, white dress and all. You’ve seriously got to question how sincerely a child can not only comprehend an intricate emotion such as love but also hold a flame indisputably for three years. On the other hand Tsuruko was severely downplayed, while she remained the most ‘together’ member of the group, I couldn’t help but find her primary reason – the unreciprocated crush aspect, rather disappointing since it was already relevant to Anaru.
As a whole Anohana is a fine example of how well simplicity and innovation can bounce off each other under firm direction. The anime might have ended with one of the more emotionally charged climaxes this season, but it didn’t come as wholly unexpected, given the flow of the series. Reconciliation of the group was the ultimate goal, despite the obvious the series reframed from becoming sloppy or derived, and managed to pull of a touching and exceptional finale. Excellent series and highly recommended.
Rating: 8.5/10
Saturday, 11 June 2011
May: In Retrospective
This month has been difficult, catching up has been a problem and so some shows have had to be dropped. I’ve not had time to watch either Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko or Hyouge Mono, but fully intend to continue with these shows.
16. Nichijou Rating: 3/10 Dropped
I’ve put up with the one long enough and it shows no signs of improving. Aside from slight adorable moments curtsey the professor segments, there is nothing remotely interesting going for it. One dimensional randomness for the sake of one dimensional randomness does not make an anime good or even funny, unfortunately Nichijou never cottoned on to this.
15. Maria Holic
There is no story, there is no point. Just mindless bullying of an obnoxious protagonist who is so annoying that is impossible to feel any sympathy for.
14. Hen Zemi Rating: 5/10 Dropped
I’ve reached the conclusion that the heroine is a moron. Why would anyone want to date her crush? Aside from the initial shock factor, Hen Zemi is rather flat. Its primary concern, to gross out the heroine/audience as much as possible, is predictable and tiresome.
13. A Channel Rating: 6.5/10
I didn’t think it possible but A Channel has really pushed itself this month. Considering that it doesn’t have a lot to work with, it’s almost impressive how A Channel has been able to pull of quaint drama without becoming stale.
12. Hana Saka Iroha Rating: 7/10
I’m really starting to struggle with this series. It has far too many ups and downs. The love triangle or square is a bit mundane. It feels like a source for more unnecessary conflict between Minko and Ohana. Minko is total bitch. This character just infuriates me. If and when Ohana has enough, I’ll start rooting for this show again. Until then, meh!
11. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi Rating: 7/10
Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi had a weak opening, a problem with the format of the series, one similar to its predecessor, Junjo Romantica, is its sudden desire to feature unrelated characters in near identical dilemmas. It’s annoying that there doesn’t seem to be enough material for the main couple/cast, fortunately the latter two episodes brought the series back on track.
10. Gintama Rating: 7.5/10
Gintama wasn’t on form this month at all. I’m even more disappointed that the worse episodes featured my favourite character, Sa-chan and still felt lifeless. Through Gintama has a habit of breaking the fourth wall and reusing material, the following recap episode was the first time I took offence to this. It was lacklustre and lazy.
9. Ao No Exorcist Rating: 7.5/10
As one might expect from a tween series with a primary tween cast, the main environment becomes that of a school, so cue tweenage hijinks and dilemmas. While this does have several ups and downs, most notably downplaying the gravity of Rin’s heritance, it is still enjoyable regardless.
8. SKET Dance Rating: 8/10
Surprisingly SKET Dance has turned out to be a good series. So far there has not been one mediocre subplot, the main characters make good humour and are likable. However I wish the animation budget was a bit better, sometimes the cast look so basic, it’s a tad disappointing.
7. [C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control Rating: 8/10
Far from what I expected, C has really grown on me. It’s certainly imaginative, fast-paced and very intriguing, not to mention brimming over with potential. Please don’t fizzle out.
6. Gosick Rating: 8/10
Gosick has been floundering since the beginning, this month however something miraculous seems to have happened. The show pulled itself together and delivered, presumably because we are now entering the final stage, the big mystery surrounding Victorique. Let’s hope Gosick can end on a high.
5. X-Men Rating: 8.5
I’m still disappointed with the lack of Magneto but at least there has been a single reference to the Master of Magnetism. The storyline is a tad choppy for my tastes. It seems to fumble back and forth with no real direction. Again the series would have been much better as an episodic platform rather then dragging out this one plot for 12 episodes.
4. Deadman Wonderland Rating: 8.5/10
From a shaky start, Deadman Wonderland is going from strength to strength, in particular with the additional cast members. There is still a problematic formula nevertheless the series is doing its best to get around these minor discrepancies.
3. Tiger & Bunny Rating: 8.5/10
What is awesome about Tiger and Bunny is the heroes themselves. Each character is complex, rather then standard superman cookie cutter, each has ulterior motive for being a hero, whether it be to find their parents murderer or launch a pop career. Finally an actual villain seems to have grace the scene, but as with the heroes, our villain is no necessarily an all out bad guy. Still, it has me on the edge of my seat.
2. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shirana Rating: 9/10
AnoHana is unbelievably powerful. Of course it has a very sad undercurrent, it’s dealing with some pretty heavy themes, notably the death of a childhood friend, and yet it’s kinda uplifting at the same time. Still, I’m crossing my fingers that this is all a bad dream and Menma isn’t really a ghost girl. I doubt this anime will cut the viewer a break through, I have a feeling the ending is going to be a tear jerker for sure.
1.Steins; Gate Rating: 9/10
There has been a halt to Steins; Gate this month while I wait for anime-on-demand to catch up on episodes. I’d always prefer to watch anime from a legal site anyways. Nevertheless the two episodes I have watched have continued the shows rich subtly in plot and character development. Steins; Gate is really good at crafting context above anything else. Top notch sci-fic
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Deadman Wonderland 06 – Hummingbird
We’re now half way through Deadman Wonderland and I have a sneaky suspicion that the series is going to be too short. Perhaps a good thing, perhaps not, only time will tell. In light of reaching the middle, Deadman Wonderland takes a break from physically tormenting its protagonist and opts for psychological abuse in the form of a pretty face, Takumi Minatsuki, the sister of Yoh.
However as events quickly transgress, Minatsuki is a little more then a moe character, she is a stark raving mad psychopath. The whole helpless female, abused by her father was a complete act, one that even fooled her brother for a time being. Nevertheless this particular storyline did have similar issues to that of Ganta own conviction. If Yoh thought he was guilty why didn’t he confess? Surely Minatsuki could have played the self-defence/daddy was abusive card? And again, who is it exactly that is placing children on death row? In short the justice system is pretty much a joke.
Verdict: Great
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Deadman Wonderland 04 & 05
With every passing episode of Deadman Wonderland, the producers find a new means to torture Ganta. In Crow, Crow, Ganta is introduced to a new, even more sadistic survival game, one that has he screaming for no more and I don’t blame him. It would be very easy to criticize the character for his whiny/annoying/prone to girly screaming qualities, but then you have to remain yourself that the situation he is in would be horrific even for an adult. I think I prefer the angst Ganta to an unrealistic portrayal, and there is still plenty of time for him to man-the-fuck-up.
The pieces are steadily starting to fall into place. We learn that Ganta’s imprisonment was indeed a conspiracy perpetrated by the promoter (duh), and we also have an explanation, through somewhat vague. The red man choose to let Ganta live and this prompted the high-ups to target him.
Carnival of Corpses triumphed. This is probably the best episode of the series so far. It was nice to see that the producers pointed out the flawed logic of fighting with blood and did not give their characters an endless supply. Fantastic job all round.
Potential spoiler: I think Shiro is the Red Man
Verdict: Great
Monday, 16 May 2011
Hana Saku Iroha - 06 & 07
To be honest, I haven’t got a lot to say about either episode. They’re certainly not as bad as others have been and yet Hana Saku Iroha seems to have hit a lacklustre patch. It is becoming more prominent that the
Verdict: Average
Gintama 207 & 208
Like any long running series, Gintama is prone to its ups and downs. This minor arc is a good example of a step down from the usual standard. It was clumsy, starchy and despite featuring my favourite and frequently underused female character, Sa-chan, borderline dull. This kinda surprised me, I have to say.
I think the major problem with the story was that the characters were acting outside of themselves. Sarutobi is a straightforward obsessive stalker of Gintoki, yet when she changed her fixation from Gintoki to the glasses he had brought her, she lost everything that made her such a brilliant character. I was rendered completely bored.
Please get it together Gintama!
Verdict: Average
Sunday, 15 May 2011
X-MEN 05 - Unity Power
I don’t buy it one bit. Emma Frost is playing the x-team, one hundred percent. Especially considering that Masterminds powers are illusions. Nope, sorry Emma is as guilty as hell! Unfortunately it seems even Cyclops, the only x-man with a functioning brain, has now been duped. Alright he did get what he asked for, evidence seemingly proving Emma’s innocence with regards to Jean Grey’s death. Of course I remain dubious and Cyclops, rightfully so, remains guarded.
The majority of the episode focused on Hisako, the young girl archetype standard to the x-team franchise for generations. However unlike my all time favourite Rogue, the haughty Shadowcat or even the loveable Jubilee, Hisako is starting to get on my nerves. She can’t control her powers (which are being overplayed) so she gets upset and everyone has to take time out comforting her. Yet Xavier still decides to add her to the team and even including her on dangerous missions. Honestly how useful is Hisako going to be?
In all the episode didn’t deliver as well as it could have. From the preview I was expecting an in depth focus on Emma’s back story, thus introducing many beloved x-faces. Unfortunately I received a very brief walk through within the final fleeting moments and only new x-face shown was Mastermind, with a couple of unimportant figures in the shadows. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the x-universe! The anime cast is way too small and here it had the perfect opportunity for some overdue cameos, but nope, nada, zip! I’m going to be hugely disappointed if Magneto doesn’t feature! Another minor dilemma concerned the subbing. David Haller syndrome was referred to as Daemon Hale syndrome. I really hope this was just a typo!
Verdict: Fine
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