Anime Avenue |
- Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge episode 1 review
- Finn’s Manga Review: Worst Vol. 1
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Finn’s Classic Anime Reviews: Slayers
- Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone
- Aoi Bungaku Series
| Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge episode 1 review Posted: 19 Nov 2014 10:22 AM PST
Title: Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge Producers: SHAFT, Starchild Records, Square Enix Genre: Comedy, Romance, Seinen Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older Finn here with the first of 3 new season anime reviews. This fall is such a fantastic season for new anime that it is actually pulling me away from my hobby of reading manga until my eyes bleed. It’s really tough to find the time for all the new series so I have to be careful and only watch the very best of them. Arakawa Under the Bridge 2 is one of those that I will be watching every week. This is a continuation of the absurd adventures of the uptight perfectionist Kou “Ric” Ichinomiya and the various vagrants who live along the banks of the Arakawa river. If you are wondering how a wealthy young bachelor like Kou ended up living under a bridge with a woman who claims to be an alien then you should probably watch the first season or read the manga. This episode starts with Nino waking from a dream about being abandoned on earth. Ric takes this opportunity to suggest her moving in with him. She misunderstands the proposition and they end up trading houses. Ric finds himself dealing with the clinically insane residents of the riverbank who keep dropping by to visit Nino at her house. Most of the second half is about a yearly marathon the vagrants hold along the riverbank. Though Ric is at first unenthusiastic about participating his competitive personality comes out after a little taunting from Star.
Art: 4/5 Bright and colorful backgrounds make this a pretty nice looking anime. The opening song is “Cosmos vs. Alien” performed by Etsuko Yakushimaru. The song was alright, but I think I prefer the previous opening “Venus to Jesus”. The animated sequence for the opening was a little confused. It didn’t really work for me. Story: 4/5 This anime is all about the community of insanely oddball characters. Ric seems to look down on most of the other characters for their senseless behavior. Yet he always ends up getting dragged into their pace and seems to even enjoy his unusual lifestyle. There was a little bit of plot development in this episode with a few allusions to Nino’s mysterious background. Just like the first season this is an enjoyably amusing show. Well worth watching.
I also really like the opening tho this series, super catchy: |
| Finn’s Manga Review: Worst Vol. 1 Posted: 19 Nov 2014 10:11 AM PST
Worst is a manga that is about gangs of juvenile delinquents fighting for dominance and respect. The story begins with the main character an amiable country boy named Tsukishima Hana arriving in town to start high school at the notorious Suzuran high. Hana is staying at the Umihoshi boarding house with a bunch of violent Yankees who all make an oath to treat each other like brothers. The plot thickens as on the first day of school at Suzuran a contest to see which first year student is the strongest. Hana declaresin front of everyone that he will unite and lead all of the many gang factions afterwards Hana’s rival Amachi is revealed when he attacks a prominent gang leader who was conducting the “First Year War”. That’s what happens in the first volume, but now I have to talk about what I absolutely hate about Worst. For starters this manga seems to take place in a town populated solely by roving gangs of male high school students. Im not even sure if there are teachers at Suzuran, and no character ever goes to class.
Overall I rate the first volume 2.5 out of 5. |
| Posted: 19 Nov 2014 08:26 AM PST
I was down with the flu and I was curled up in my room, looking for something cozy to watch. Flipping through my collection, I suddenly remembered the My Neighbor Totoro DVD I had received as a gift a while back. Needless to say, I popped it into my player, sat back and had one of the most relaxing and peaceful 90 minutes of my life. My Neighbor Totoro is hard to synopsize because of the tranquil and laid back first half. I suppose it would suffice to say that this classic 1988 Studio Ghibli movie is about the innocent fun of two little sisters who move into a house in a village, along with their father, only to find out that the picturesque place can be more mysterious than they thought. My Neighbor Totoro has bagged several awards over the years and helped bring Japanese animation into the global spotlight. The basic driving force behind the story is this: Don't you want to be a kid again? Don't you want to go back to the days when your only responsibilities were to show up at school and be home on time? Don't you want to look forward to each day, because there was always something new to learn, find and discover? This universal, yet eternally successful theme is what made My Neighbor Totoro click. The story is so beautifully crafted that kids look at this movie as the adventures of two sisters, while adults while adults perceive this anime to be a timeless classic that will forever remind them of their innocent childhood. Another positive aspect of the story is that it's character driven, but not in the traditional sense. Instead of developing the characters or making them take on hard decisions, this movie's characters are the diamonds in the rough because of their simple and lifelike charms. They think, act and behave just like any curious and energetic children of their age would. The two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, are sure to inspire kids and bowl over adults with their sweet and loveable attitudes. The seiyu also deserve a lot of credit here, because they bring out all the energy and emotions necessary for their roles.
If you were wondering why I didn't make a mention of Totoro, the giant chubby ferret/forest spirit, it's because he is (in my opinion at least) present for appealing to the kids and doesn't really play an important role otherwise. A contributor to the entertainment (and cuteness, if you like) factor. I got my hands on a re-mastered DVD edition of this one, so I won't be able to judge the quality of the original theatrical/VHS version. Still, you can't make a good sculpture without good clay, so I think it's safe to say that the art was outstanding. The backgrounds were very neat and looked exactly like a 1950s Japanese village. Characters were drawn in trademark Ghibli style, which is never a bad thing. A perfect ten. The soundtrack added to the straightforward atmosphere of the show. Nothing fancy, just the good old piano. The OP, Stroll, was a nice upbeat song that reminded me of The Sound of Music, especially the English version. This anime would get a sure ten from any kid who's below 10, but looking at it from a more mature perspective, My Neighbor Totoro does have some minor issues which deny it the perfect score. Because of its age, it is rather predictable and I felt the mood swing from the lax and serene atmosphere from the first half to the more fast paced and fantastical approach to the second half was a little unnecessary. The fantasy aspect is played around with to please kids, but older viewers might not approve. The dialogue and script could've been a tad tighter too. But that's about all the flaws I can come up with, after a lot of time I spent on nitpicking. Regardless of whether you're a kid, adult, otaku, casual viewer or just plain bored, My Neighbor Totoro is most certainly worth your time.
[ THE WRAP-UP ] My Neighbor Totoro is a landmark anime that garnered critical appeal and international fandom. Although primarily intended for children, this 90 minute movie is bound to appeal to the taste buds of anyone, even if they're not a big fan of anime. The story is uncomplicated and easy to watch, which is always a good thing if you're looking for something nice and comfy. The undeniable charm of the characters also adds to the realistic atmosphere of this Studio Ghbili movie. Despite its release date, the animation is solid, just like the fitting soundtrack. My Neighbor Totoro is an anime that gained mainstreamed recognition and popularity for good reason. In other words, watch it.
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| Finn’s Classic Anime Reviews: Slayers Posted: 13 Nov 2014 01:29 PM PST Number of Episodes: 26 Episode Length: 22 min Year of Release: 1995 Producers: FUNimation, SoftX, Easy Film Genres: Adventue, Comedy, Fantasy
In a world of fantastic adventure where monsters plot the destruction of mankind everyone’s hope rests squarely on the shoulders of a band of stalwart quest seekers led by the infamous and undeniably powerful sorceress Lina Inverse. Can Lina save the world from darkness or will she be distracted yet again by shiny treasure? Artwork: 3/5 I have to try and remember that the mid 90’s were a simpler time when it comes to animation. There’s a lot of pan and zoom type animation in this. For example, Lina is falling off a cliff so the animators take a still drawing of the forest below and zoom in to simulate the descent. Actually, the only thing that really bothered me was the design of the fishmen. It’s mystifyingly silly looking. Plot: 5/5 The setting is typical for fantasy anime. Imagine any fantasy rpgs you’ve played and that’s pretty much the world of Slayers. You have the adventurers travelling through forests, mountains, and ruins whilst fighting off monster hordes. Occasionally they visit a town and stay at the inn or try to sell loot they found adventuring. While that stuff gives me a nostalgic feeling it is not what makes Slayers a classic. It’s all about the characters. They are by no means typical. Rather the characters of Slayers are in every way memorable and unique. Their zany antics are what make Slayers an enjoyable anime with immense replay value. As such I have decided to end my review with character profiles. Enjoy!
Lina Inverse - Where ever there is treasure to be found Lina will be there to take it even when it belongs to someone else or could possibly lead to the destruction of the world. Often Lina’s greed is the focal point of the anime. She is a well known trouble maker and a frighteningly powerful sorceress. The two things Lina loves is treasure and food. She will stop at nothing to obtain mass amounts of both. Even though Lina can be rather cunning she usually ends up resorting to using her powerful Dragon Slave spell to wipe out anything that gets in her way, and everything else nearby too. For a hero she is downright evil sometimes.
Gourry Gabriev – A virtuous swordsman, weilder of the sword of light, and Lina’s constant companion. He joins up with her when he mistakes her for a lost child. At first she let’s him stick around so that she can steal his magic sword, but his skill as a warrior becomes indespensable. Gourry is a simpleton. He has no knowledge of the world and often forgets what just happened. Which works pretty well as a plot device to get Lina to explain characters and events to both him and the viewers.
Zelgadis Greywords – The heartless mystical swordsman. Skilled in both elemental magic and physical combat Zelgadis is a powerful warrior motivated by his own interests. At times he is great ally or a fearsome enemy depending on his whims. Through unknown magic Zelgadis has been transformed into a chimera part demon, rock golem, and human. He sometimes travels with Lina’s party while trying to find a way to turn back into a human. Of all the heroes he has the most normal personality. Compared to Lina he is relatively neutral.
Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun – The fourth usual member of Lina’s party is the princess of Seyruun. Amelia is a holy priestess who is entirely consumed with an obsession for heroic justice, and dramatic entrances. She can often be found climbing to a high place before flinging herself headlong into danger. She has a naive idea of absolute good and evil. Perceiving any crime as a threat to humanity she tags along with Lina for various reasons, but mostly in an attempt to play hero.
Rezo the Red Priest – An enigmatic wandering sage who has a reputation for being a great healer and champion of the people. His true nature is wrapped in mystery. |
| Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone Posted: 09 Nov 2014 08:34 AM PST
This review is purely of the first Neon Genesis Evangelion movie/rebuild, "You Are (Not) Alone", and does not cover (and isn't compared with) the original anime series or the subsequent movies. This review is spoiler free. Earth is being attacked by gigantic creatures called Angels, whose purpose is to annihilate the human species. Shinji Ikari, a meek little boy who's seeking to win his father's approval, is chosen to pilot Evangelion Unit 01, a mecha which is capable of killing Angels. Can Shinji overcome the difficulties of growing up and accept the fact that no human can walk without a burden on their shoulders, all while defeating the monstrous Angels? From the point of view of someone who has not watched the original 26 episode series, the story is very confusing. Why are mechas that are larger than skyscrapers piloted by kids? What are these "Angels"? Why do all the Angels attack only Tokyo? I had no idea what the hell was going on for the first 20 minutes of the movie. The movie didn't answer any of these questions, but the MAL synopsis of the original series did. It wasn't very hard to deduce through the course of the movie though, considering it was the usual shonen fare, mixed in with a lot of sci-fi Hollywood elements. The plot is nothing standout. But then again, what did you expect when the main character was a boy (whose father is a genius) is The Chosen One and once again, the fate of the world and the human species is put in the hands of a Japanese kid. Oh, and throw in a female tsundere and two goofballs while you're at it. Adding fuel to this sci-fi letdown fire are the clichéd scenarios. You have just about every single one of the usual shonen scenes, such as the boy seeing the girl naked unintentionally, memories flashing across the screen whenever the hero is losing the battle, eyes going into the shadows when talking about the past – you name it. You can see the climax coming from a mile away and I had a hard time stifling my yawns. Totally predictable, unless you're new to anime.
However, sci-fi fans will be entertained to nerdgasmic proportions thanks to the drop-dead-gorgeous animation. Gainax went all out on this one. You can almost see the cash on the Angels. The characters are very well detailed and the movements are fluid, even with CGI. Mecha battles are a real treat and will have you nerd-drooling all over the place. The whole thing looks fantastic. My only complaint was that Shinji's mecha looked disproportionate at times and that the NERV logo was drawn inconsistently. Still, good enough to get a perfect ten from me. One thing I did find very distasteful was the (mild spoiler) nudity of kids. There were certain moments in the movie when I felt the Youth Ordinance Bill was justified. Soundtrack is fitting. Not much else to be said here, other than the fact that I found the OP, Beautiful World, to be an awesome track. The seiyu were doing a great job, but I felt the English dub wasn't nearly as good as the original version. As if Shinji's whiny personality wasn't enough, his voice actor makes you want to pull your hair out in annoyance. It was a problem of miscasting more than the language itself. NGE You are (Not) Alone was fairly entertaining. It wasn't adrenaline pumping awesome nor was it excoriating to watch. It was somewhere along the middle, slightly leaning towards the former, but comes nowhere close. The movies was completely devoid of emotions and it felt hollow. Never did I find myself emotionally connecting to the characters, even in the most dramatic scenes. It's pretty good for killing time, but I don't think I would ever watch this more than once.
[ THE WRAP-UP ] Neon Genesis Evangelion: You Are (Not) Alone is a great shonen-mecha anime. But if you're looking for anything more than that, chances are, you aren't going to find it in this 100 minute movie. The plot is predictable and will rarely surprise you because of the avalanche of clichés, which pile one on top of each other. That said, it's still a fun fare for shonen fans that are looking for a couple of hours worth of good entertainment. Spectacular animation reflects on the (extremely) high production values. The ending wasn't very conclusive, but it left you wanting for more. However, this movie does no justice to the tremendous amount of hype (and acclaim) is received. Rating: 7/10
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| Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT
For a long time now, the psychology genre has been dominated by the likes of Elfen Lied, Higurashi, Monster and Requiem for a Phantom. All these anime looked at psychology as the mindset of a murderer or the troubled past of the protagonist, and there were also shows like Death Note, which focused on the mental abilities of two geniuses. This has been the way anime have defined the psychology genre for years. But, as always, along comes a player that changes the way the game is played. Aoi Bungaku Series thrusts you into the shows of the protagonists and synchronizes their brain to yours. It gives you a spectacularly detailed insight into their thoughts and feelings, all while following an intense storyline. The show is the anime adaptation of several literary masterpieces in Japan (much like Ayakashi Classic Japanese Horror), some of them dating back to the late 1920s. ABS portrays six such immortal classics, each of them highlighting the complex and fickle nature of the human mind. Except for the first arc, each arc lasts only two episodes. Writing an in-depth analysis of each of the stories would be giving away too much and might ruin the experience. If you want absolutely no spoilers, then I recommend you do not read the MAL synopsis either, as it contains nearly half the story. Here's a quick breakdown of the basic elements of each of the stories, while keeping the spoilers to a bare minimum: (NOTE: Each arc is a completely different story, are in no way interrelated and can even be viewed as a standalone anime. That's the primary reason why I'm reviewing each arc separately.)
No Longer Human – This classic, written by Dazai Osamu, focuses on a psychotic and troubled mind – that of a congressman's son. Set in 1929, this dark and gloomy arc was the longest, lasting four episodes, which proves to be more than enough time to let the viewer unravel the protagonist's twisted perceptions of society and how he bears the pressure of being crushed under the weight of his own ego. Drenched with sadness and pregnant with hope, each of those four episodes is memorable to say the least. After watching this arc, you understand why No Longer Human was the defining work of the author and the most read literary piece in Japan. Under Cherries in Full Bloom – Probably the most bizarre two episodes of an anime I've ever seen in my life. Ango Sakaguchi, the author, tries to tell a tale of how people need to speak their minds in order to live a peaceful life. However, his idealistic approach on decadence falls short in this anime adaptation, because of unnecessary humor, inappropriate chibi animations and dreadfully boring jazzy songs. The sudden light-heartedness and lackadaisical pacing feels like a fish out of water after watching the melancholy and sorrowful No Longer Human. Kokoro – Natsume Soseki is considered the Charles Dickens of Japan for good reason. I felt like I was drifting along in a sea filled with the characters' emotions. When I talked about this anime being the game changer, I was mainly referring to this arc. It weaves a bittersweet story of love, lust, trust, jealousy and friendship. Run, Melos! – "Is it more painful to wait, or to make someone wait?" The most straightforward story of the lot. The storyline is very basic and is about a playwright's life, as he spends his life waiting for his childhood friend to come and meet him. Once again, this was written by Dazai Osamu and is the retelling of a Greek legend, the overall theme of the arc being unwavering friendship. As I said, it's a very simple story and it can get a tad predictable, but since it lasts for only forty minutes, it's an enjoyable ride. The Spider's Thread – What starts off as a brutal Assassin's Creed anime, ends up as a crude moral story that is far too short to convey any real message. While the basic idea of Ryunosuke Akutagawa was to entertain children with this novel, the anime adaptation is aimed at a much more mature audience because of its gore and profanity. A good story, but 20 minutes proves to be too short to convey the author's ideals. Hell Screen –Penned by the same author as Spider's Thread, Hell Screen succeeds exactly where The Spider's Thread fails – it gets its point through in a single episode. This arc is about an artist and his struggle to paint his masterpiece, much like O.Henry's "The Last Leaf".
The animation in this show is one of the best I've ever seen, if not the best. The show features some of the highest production values to date. It's also one of the very few anime that managed to use CGI well. The generous use of the morose red in the first arc, No Longer Human, was what contributed to the eerie atmosphere of the anime. The soundtrack is great. While the instrumental pieces were fitting, the series doesn't have an OP and the ED was not very good. As far as content warning goes, this show is rated R17 for a reason. Not only does it feature a large amount of blood, gore, sex and profanity, but it also contains strong messages about the society, which younger audiences will neither understand nor appreciate. The subbing by Masterpiece was perfect and provided T/L notes wherever necessary. But when it's all said and done, Aoi Bungaku Series is not a show that will ever have universal appeal. Due to its complex nature and dark atmosphere, this show will most probably never see the light of the day.
[ THE WRAP-UP ] Aoi Bungaku Series is one of the darkest and most complex anime out there. Not only does it show 'psychology' in an entirely new light, but it also provides an artful insight into Imperial Japan. Excellent animation and a strong soundtrack make sure that this anime is technically sound. Being an adaptation of six different novels, each arc is bound to have a different impact on the viewer, but maintain an overall consistency in the intensity of the storyline. Aoi Bungaku Series is definitely not for everyone and is made for a limited audience. If you don't like the first couple of episodes, then I don't think you're going to like the rest of the series either. Those looking for happy endings or lighthearted storylines are not going to be impressed with this one. However, if you're in the mood for a dark, depressing anime about the world's cruelty and a gripping psychological anime, then Aoi Bungaku Series might fit the bill. Individual story ratings given below: No Longer Human – 9/10 Under the Cherry Blossoms – 7/10 Kokoro – 10/10 Run, Melos! – 8/10 The Spider's Thread – 8/10 Hell Screen – 9/10 Rating: 9/10 |
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