I'd like to apologize to my handful of lovely readers for really dropping the ball over the past week (and this week!). I've been busy trying to unlock as much crap as possible in Dynasty Warriors 6. In fact, I will probably review the game soon. There are also at least 2 more shows from this fall season I want to take a look at (or rather give you a look at), Kuroshitsuji and e.f. A Tale of Melodies. One is sort of a cross between Hellsing and Majin Tantei Nougamu Neuro, and the other flows like a visual novel (and may very well be based on one; I'll have to look into it).
But for now, all I can do is report on Crunchyroll's newest acquisition - Naruto Shippuden. I am also happy to report that fansubbing group Dattebayo will cease their work on the show when Crunchyroll launches it in January. If you're interested (I'm not), starting January 15, in conjunction with Viz Media, Crunchyroll will begin airing Naruto with English subtitles 1 hour after their Japanese broadcast...for a monthly subscription fee. You can view them for free a week after they air. Joost and Hulu will be also be airing the episodes, as will Naruto.com. It's a fantastic step in the right direction for companies to compete with fansubs (instead of trying to stop them while doing nothing to replace them). Hopefully some better shows will be getting the treatment as well (they did this with Strike Witches, I believe, during the summer, and there are other shows that will get the treatment from this season starting in 2009 as well, including Skip Beat!). I hope it works out well for them.
But for now, I won't have time to write up anything review-like before I'm busy visiting family this weekend. Hopefully next week I'll have time to sit down and work on some things.
For now, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
11/25/2008
11/13/2008
Beck Mongolian Chop Squad
It's a good show. We'll just get that out of the way. FUNimation produced the domestic English release, and for the most part, it's a good dub. Especially considering it's a music anime, and the English voice actors re-recorded the songs (or most of them at least, and it honestly sounds better than the heavily accented Japanese versions of the (English) songs) with their own voices...and it sounds pretty damn decent. I wasn't blown away, but I was impressed. Particularly by Greg Ayres, who voices the lead role of Koyuki, and whose previous roles I've never really cared for.
Beck Mongolian Chop Squad sounds like a pretty weird title for an anime. It's technically TWO titles. Beck is the name of their band in Japan, and when they're released in America it's changed to Mongolian Chop Squad (because a band named "Beck" would never sell in American, hahaha). The name of the band comes from the leader's patchwork dog, the strangest mutt I've (or indeed anyone in the show) ever seen.
The show has a lot of great themes. Growing up, following your dreams, balancing real life with your dreams and goals, friendships, relationships, changes, staying true to yourself, staying true to your music, and so on. 14-year-0ld Yukio/Koyuki comes across guitarist Ryuusuke on the verge of forming a new band (his present band has just broken up and he has made a bet with one of the musicians over who can get a popular band launched first). When Ryuusuke's little sister Maho invites Koyuki to Beck's show, Koyuki's life is changed forever. With encouragement (and a guitar) from Ryuusuke, Koyuki sets out to learn to play the guitar. He receives lessons from a former student turned volunteer swimming instructor Saitou. On Maho's recommendation he is eventually invited into Beck as a back up vocalist and guitarist, along with his friend Saku, who becomes the band's drummer. Koyuki struggles with his relationships between the girls Maho, Izumi and Hiromi, the constant bullying at his school, and with an awkward friendship with Ryuusuke. Chiba, the band's lead singer, struggles with his place in the band, wondering if he really belongs in the group. Ryuusuke's trials could fill a show of their own; the driving force of his troubles come from a mysterious bullet ridden guitar called Prudence. Base player Taira and drummer Saku hang out in the background, working to keep the group together when problems arise.
The show follows the band from formation, to stardom, and then to dissolution. The characters all grow in their own ways, particularly Koyuki, who is the focus of the series. The animation is good, though the concert scenes can be a little boring as the same short sequences of animation are used in repetition throughout the various performances. The music is fantastic, but again, it's mostly the same couple of songs performed over and over again. And there's nothing wrong with that, but with such a good soundtrack, it does leave one wishing that certain songs were heard more often, or that more were written and included to begin with.
The series does fall a little flat in some places. Some storylines aren't completely wrapped up (individually; as a whole there's a clear ending to Beck's journey), and some of the characters sort of drop off the map near the end. Koyuki's on again, off again relationship with Maho is a little strange, especially since two other girls enter into his life in the mean time. None of them really go anywhere at all and only serve to cause conflict between Maho and Koyuki. Or make Koyuki look like a man whore, as he entertains the idea of each of them in turn, even while being obviously taken with Maho. A more concrete "I like this one" instead of "I like all three, so whichever one's left I'll take" would have been better. I mean, it's clear that Maho and Koyuki will end up together eventually, so the rest seems a bit unnecessary.
Ryuusuke is also a complete jerk most of the time, though deep down he really is a good guy and a good friend. He just has, erm, "problems," and he takes out his frustrations on his friends. He grows as well though, as it seems that the concept of friendship is something he doesn't quite understand at the beginning of the show, but he learns it from the others as time passes.
It's worth a watch. It's entertaining, and I think it's very relatable. The characters in the story are the underdogs, the outcasts, the rejects, the oddballs. They slowly climb to something more, and begin to earn the respect of the people around them. As I mentioned before, the music in the show is great, in particular the intro song, Hit in the U.S.A by the Beat Crusaders, and a song called Moon on the Water which is sung multiple times throughout the series. The Pillows' (who did the music for the anime FLCL, and it's FLCL songs that are played here) music makes an appearance near the end of the show, though briefly.
I'm not sure what sort of extras are on the DVDs, as I watched it on FUNimation's cable channel. But it's definitely going on my "to buy" list.
Beck Mongolian Chop Squad sounds like a pretty weird title for an anime. It's technically TWO titles. Beck is the name of their band in Japan, and when they're released in America it's changed to Mongolian Chop Squad (because a band named "Beck" would never sell in American, hahaha). The name of the band comes from the leader's patchwork dog, the strangest mutt I've (or indeed anyone in the show) ever seen.
The show has a lot of great themes. Growing up, following your dreams, balancing real life with your dreams and goals, friendships, relationships, changes, staying true to yourself, staying true to your music, and so on. 14-year-0ld Yukio/Koyuki comes across guitarist Ryuusuke on the verge of forming a new band (his present band has just broken up and he has made a bet with one of the musicians over who can get a popular band launched first). When Ryuusuke's little sister Maho invites Koyuki to Beck's show, Koyuki's life is changed forever. With encouragement (and a guitar) from Ryuusuke, Koyuki sets out to learn to play the guitar. He receives lessons from a former student turned volunteer swimming instructor Saitou. On Maho's recommendation he is eventually invited into Beck as a back up vocalist and guitarist, along with his friend Saku, who becomes the band's drummer. Koyuki struggles with his relationships between the girls Maho, Izumi and Hiromi, the constant bullying at his school, and with an awkward friendship with Ryuusuke. Chiba, the band's lead singer, struggles with his place in the band, wondering if he really belongs in the group. Ryuusuke's trials could fill a show of their own; the driving force of his troubles come from a mysterious bullet ridden guitar called Prudence. Base player Taira and drummer Saku hang out in the background, working to keep the group together when problems arise.
The show follows the band from formation, to stardom, and then to dissolution. The characters all grow in their own ways, particularly Koyuki, who is the focus of the series. The animation is good, though the concert scenes can be a little boring as the same short sequences of animation are used in repetition throughout the various performances. The music is fantastic, but again, it's mostly the same couple of songs performed over and over again. And there's nothing wrong with that, but with such a good soundtrack, it does leave one wishing that certain songs were heard more often, or that more were written and included to begin with.
The series does fall a little flat in some places. Some storylines aren't completely wrapped up (individually; as a whole there's a clear ending to Beck's journey), and some of the characters sort of drop off the map near the end. Koyuki's on again, off again relationship with Maho is a little strange, especially since two other girls enter into his life in the mean time. None of them really go anywhere at all and only serve to cause conflict between Maho and Koyuki. Or make Koyuki look like a man whore, as he entertains the idea of each of them in turn, even while being obviously taken with Maho. A more concrete "I like this one" instead of "I like all three, so whichever one's left I'll take" would have been better. I mean, it's clear that Maho and Koyuki will end up together eventually, so the rest seems a bit unnecessary.
Ryuusuke is also a complete jerk most of the time, though deep down he really is a good guy and a good friend. He just has, erm, "problems," and he takes out his frustrations on his friends. He grows as well though, as it seems that the concept of friendship is something he doesn't quite understand at the beginning of the show, but he learns it from the others as time passes.
It's worth a watch. It's entertaining, and I think it's very relatable. The characters in the story are the underdogs, the outcasts, the rejects, the oddballs. They slowly climb to something more, and begin to earn the respect of the people around them. As I mentioned before, the music in the show is great, in particular the intro song, Hit in the U.S.A by the Beat Crusaders, and a song called Moon on the Water which is sung multiple times throughout the series. The Pillows' (who did the music for the anime FLCL, and it's FLCL songs that are played here) music makes an appearance near the end of the show, though briefly.
I'm not sure what sort of extras are on the DVDs, as I watched it on FUNimation's cable channel. But it's definitely going on my "to buy" list.
11/08/2008
Fall Anime 2008 - Part 2
Well, I got to cheat earlier. Most of the shows I reviewed in my previous post were continuing series that I had already been watching, or a show where I'm reading the manga. So they were a lot easier to review and explain. Now I'm going into shows I know nothing (or next to nothing) about. I'll try to make them sound interesting. :)
Yozakura Quartet:
I'm going to have a hard time explaining this one as I'm having a hard time grasping what it's supposed to be. I don't know why it's called "Quartet" either, since there's actually five of them, not four. Many years ago, the people of Sakurashin planted sakura trees to sent the youkai back into their own dimension. They're basically dimensional gates. So any youkai that falls to earth gathers in this particular town, because it's the only place where they can return to their dimension, and it's the only place on Earth where humans and youkai live together (as some of them wish not to return). Some still wish to harm humans, of course, and they're banished by a process called "tuning," which can only be performed by one person - the successor of the Hiizumi clan, Akina Hiizumi. Akina, along with several others, works in and runs the town of Sakurashin, keeping things in order and protecting the humans from harmful youkai, and also welcoming new youkai into the city. Several of these protectors have super-natural powers or are youkai themselves. Including Hime, a high school girl who has taken on the role of mayor, and is also a youkai. They are ultimately fighting against a youkai named Enjin Hiizumi (not sure if he's related to Akina) who is determined to destroy the barrier that protects the city.
I really like the animation style. It's well done, though the character designs are rather simple. There are fight sequences and things, so I guess it's a super-natural action drama, if that's the sort of thing you like.
One Outs:
It's a baseball anime. And that's about where I lost interest.
Decorated baseball player Kojima has never won a championship; it's the only honor he has yet to attain. He forms a camp to search for a certain something that will help him reach this goal, and he finds Toua (or rather, his friends do), a cocky, but talented, pitcher.
The title of the show is based on a gambling game called One Outs which pits pitchers against batters, and the pitchers win if they strike out the batter or the batter doesn't hit the ball out of the infield, and the batters have to hit the ball into the outfield (but not a foul).
The show is kind of silly (like haha funny), but it's way over dramatic. Now, I don't watch many of these kinds of shows (none at all), but the intro song and animation look very shoujo-y, with the pitcher guy walking around, and then falling through space with his shirt off and his pants unbuttoned, followed by several more scenes where his shirt is either unbuttoned or off (and his pants are still unbuttoned, which is some bizarre fashion thing in Japan). He's also rather a pretty boy. It doesn't really scream "male sports anime."
Earl and Fairy:
An Earl named Edgar is looking for something called the Noble Sword of the Merrow, during the 19th century (in England). And I mean FAIRY fairies, like nymphs and stuff. Anyway, he's directed to Lydia Carlton. Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor; she takes care of fairies and helps out humans who are being troubled by them, because she's the only one around who can actually see and talk to them. If you recognize Lydia's voice (like I did), it's because she's been all over the place lately, staring in Itazura na Kiss, Allison and Lilia, Tales of Symphonia, and Rosario + Vampire (she's done some of the theme songs too; her name is Nana Mizuki). Edgar is a bit of a rogue, especially compared to the more innocent (and rather ostracized) Lydia, but the characters play well off each other. He also happens to (supposedly) be the descendant of the Blue Knight Earl, the ruler of the fairy kingdom. For some reason everyone seems to recognize Edgar as the descendant, but at the same time they disregard the existence of a fairy kingdom. He basically kidnaps the poor girl on the way to greet her father, and ropes her into helping him find the sword that has gone missing, which he is unable to find on his own because he does not possess the powers of his ancestors (ie: he can't even see fairies). In order to claim his birthright, he has to present proof of his lineage, and that proof is the missing sword. But he's not the only one trying to find it. Nor is he quite who he claims to be.
It's cute, though not as cute as you might think given that it's about fairies and has a talking fairy cat. I actually kind of like it; the animation style is really appealing to me. It reminds me a little of La Corda d'Oro (which is about a girl whom a fairy teaches to play a magical violin so she can compete in her school's music competition), which I also enjoyed.
Clannad: After Story:
Like other shows of this ilk, Clannad is based on a Japanese visual novel (and the game was made by the same company (Key) that made the adult games AIR and Kanon, which also have anime versions; all three shows are also animated by Kyoto Animation). Clannad: After Story is a chapter of the game that opens up after you complete the main story.
In the previous season we met Tomoya, a former basketball player with an injured shoulder that keeps him from playing. At the beginning of a new school year he comes across the shy Nagisa. She desires to reinstate the drama club so that she can perform a play that has been in her memories. Having nothing better to do, and realizing that the quiet Nagisa wouldn't be able to this on her own, he decides to help her with her goal. He enlists the help of his friends and the people he meets at school - the twins Kyou and Ryou, soft spoken genius Kotomi , the aggressive Tomoyo, his delinquient friend Youhei, and the wandering consciousness of Fuko - to build the drama club and help Nagisa realize her dream. Tomoya lives with his drunken father (who injured Tomoya's shoulder in a fight), but spends a lot of time at Youhei's and Nagisa's homes. Nagisa lives with both of her parents who run a bread shop.
The second season picks up where the first left off, and follows the relationship of Nagisa and Tomoya. If it follows the story of the game, it's going to be a very sad story indeed, but right now it looks like it's just Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship in high school (with some new characters in the mix...or maybe old ones I just can't remember). The game follows them well after that, and based on some hints in the show, it seems it will go the same direction. It's going to be a full season (20-some episodes), so there's plenty of time to get there.
Not sure how many more shows I'll be reviewing, as I'm starting to settle into the shows that I'm going to stick with. There are a couple others I want to check out, but I can't say which ones I'll be looking at next.
Yozakura Quartet:
I'm going to have a hard time explaining this one as I'm having a hard time grasping what it's supposed to be. I don't know why it's called "Quartet" either, since there's actually five of them, not four. Many years ago, the people of Sakurashin planted sakura trees to sent the youkai back into their own dimension. They're basically dimensional gates. So any youkai that falls to earth gathers in this particular town, because it's the only place where they can return to their dimension, and it's the only place on Earth where humans and youkai live together (as some of them wish not to return). Some still wish to harm humans, of course, and they're banished by a process called "tuning," which can only be performed by one person - the successor of the Hiizumi clan, Akina Hiizumi. Akina, along with several others, works in and runs the town of Sakurashin, keeping things in order and protecting the humans from harmful youkai, and also welcoming new youkai into the city. Several of these protectors have super-natural powers or are youkai themselves. Including Hime, a high school girl who has taken on the role of mayor, and is also a youkai. They are ultimately fighting against a youkai named Enjin Hiizumi (not sure if he's related to Akina) who is determined to destroy the barrier that protects the city.
I really like the animation style. It's well done, though the character designs are rather simple. There are fight sequences and things, so I guess it's a super-natural action drama, if that's the sort of thing you like.
One Outs:
It's a baseball anime. And that's about where I lost interest.
Decorated baseball player Kojima has never won a championship; it's the only honor he has yet to attain. He forms a camp to search for a certain something that will help him reach this goal, and he finds Toua (or rather, his friends do), a cocky, but talented, pitcher.
The title of the show is based on a gambling game called One Outs which pits pitchers against batters, and the pitchers win if they strike out the batter or the batter doesn't hit the ball out of the infield, and the batters have to hit the ball into the outfield (but not a foul).
The show is kind of silly (like haha funny), but it's way over dramatic. Now, I don't watch many of these kinds of shows (none at all), but the intro song and animation look very shoujo-y, with the pitcher guy walking around, and then falling through space with his shirt off and his pants unbuttoned, followed by several more scenes where his shirt is either unbuttoned or off (and his pants are still unbuttoned, which is some bizarre fashion thing in Japan). He's also rather a pretty boy. It doesn't really scream "male sports anime."
Earl and Fairy:
An Earl named Edgar is looking for something called the Noble Sword of the Merrow, during the 19th century (in England). And I mean FAIRY fairies, like nymphs and stuff. Anyway, he's directed to Lydia Carlton. Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor; she takes care of fairies and helps out humans who are being troubled by them, because she's the only one around who can actually see and talk to them. If you recognize Lydia's voice (like I did), it's because she's been all over the place lately, staring in Itazura na Kiss, Allison and Lilia, Tales of Symphonia, and Rosario + Vampire (she's done some of the theme songs too; her name is Nana Mizuki). Edgar is a bit of a rogue, especially compared to the more innocent (and rather ostracized) Lydia, but the characters play well off each other. He also happens to (supposedly) be the descendant of the Blue Knight Earl, the ruler of the fairy kingdom. For some reason everyone seems to recognize Edgar as the descendant, but at the same time they disregard the existence of a fairy kingdom. He basically kidnaps the poor girl on the way to greet her father, and ropes her into helping him find the sword that has gone missing, which he is unable to find on his own because he does not possess the powers of his ancestors (ie: he can't even see fairies). In order to claim his birthright, he has to present proof of his lineage, and that proof is the missing sword. But he's not the only one trying to find it. Nor is he quite who he claims to be.
It's cute, though not as cute as you might think given that it's about fairies and has a talking fairy cat. I actually kind of like it; the animation style is really appealing to me. It reminds me a little of La Corda d'Oro (which is about a girl whom a fairy teaches to play a magical violin so she can compete in her school's music competition), which I also enjoyed.
Clannad: After Story:
Like other shows of this ilk, Clannad is based on a Japanese visual novel (and the game was made by the same company (Key) that made the adult games AIR and Kanon, which also have anime versions; all three shows are also animated by Kyoto Animation). Clannad: After Story is a chapter of the game that opens up after you complete the main story.
In the previous season we met Tomoya, a former basketball player with an injured shoulder that keeps him from playing. At the beginning of a new school year he comes across the shy Nagisa. She desires to reinstate the drama club so that she can perform a play that has been in her memories. Having nothing better to do, and realizing that the quiet Nagisa wouldn't be able to this on her own, he decides to help her with her goal. He enlists the help of his friends and the people he meets at school - the twins Kyou and Ryou, soft spoken genius Kotomi , the aggressive Tomoyo, his delinquient friend Youhei, and the wandering consciousness of Fuko - to build the drama club and help Nagisa realize her dream. Tomoya lives with his drunken father (who injured Tomoya's shoulder in a fight), but spends a lot of time at Youhei's and Nagisa's homes. Nagisa lives with both of her parents who run a bread shop.
The second season picks up where the first left off, and follows the relationship of Nagisa and Tomoya. If it follows the story of the game, it's going to be a very sad story indeed, but right now it looks like it's just Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship in high school (with some new characters in the mix...or maybe old ones I just can't remember). The game follows them well after that, and based on some hints in the show, it seems it will go the same direction. It's going to be a full season (20-some episodes), so there's plenty of time to get there.
Not sure how many more shows I'll be reviewing, as I'm starting to settle into the shows that I'm going to stick with. There are a couple others I want to check out, but I can't say which ones I'll be looking at next.
11/05/2008
RROD
My 360 just bit the dust. Got the Red Ring of Death. It lasted a lot longer than most.
I blame Fable 2.
I blame Fable 2.
11/02/2008
Fall Anime Preview 2008 (Part 1)
Alright, I'm going to do things a bit differently this time. It will be easier for me, and hopefully easier for my readers. Instead of doing single, long posts detailing the first 1-2 episodes of each new series (which I never manage to get around to doing for all of them anyway), I'm going to do one post (maybe break it up; we'll see how quickly I get to them) that lists each new series I checked out with a brief description of what the show is (or seems to be) about. Ie: a Gundam show, a moe high school show, a fantasy epic, a space opera, a romantic comedy, etc. And a few details (like studio, basic critiques on animation, etc, things like that).
So let's get started!
Skip Beat
I have to start this one out by mentioning that it's based on one of my favorite (and still ongoing in the US) manga, by Yoshiki Nakamura. I think it's delightful, funny, romantic, and well written and drawn. She does have some problems; the plot occassionaly errs on the side of super cheesy and disbelief. Her profile images (meaning the view of her characters from a straight side perspective) need some work as well. But I really do enjoy the book.
From what I can tell of the anime so far, it matches up with the manga very well, though it adds an extra little scene here or there which work into the story just fine. It has some good voice acting, which is saying something, because the main character Kyoko has some insane mood swings and I'm sure it's a lot of work on her voice actress (Marina Inoue), The show is very bright and colorful as well. The plot follow young Kyoko Mogami, fresh out of Jr High, who moved to Tokyo with Sho Fuwa, the boy she was in love with. Sho wanted to move away from home to pursue his dream of being a famous musician/celebrity. We soon realize that Sho is vain, spoiled and fairly cruel, making one wonder what the innocent and selfless Kyoko is even doing with him to begin with. If she was in the dark to his true self, it doesn't take her long to discover that he essentially only brought her along as his maid, and finds her plain and boring. This infuriates her, and she vows to get revenge on him by becoming more famous than he is. Pure, innocent Kyoko vanishes and is replaced by a vengeful, desparate, grudge bearing woman. To get her revenge, she joins rival talent agency LME. Unfortunately she lacks the most important thing to being a celebrity, nay a human being - the ability to love and (want to) be loved by others - which she lost when Sho ditched her. So she joins the agency under a special Love Me section, where she is charged with regaining this emotion, which will lead to the agency sponsoring her debut. Too bad fellow LME talent and major celebrity (and Sho's biggest rival) Ren Tsuruga is trailing around telling her that her goal of becoming a celebrity will never be accomplished with her attitude and motives for revenge.
Tales of the Abyss
I am really enjoying this one. Anything with a creature as cute as a Cheagle is worth taking a look at, at least. But I have a soft spot for super adorable animal-like sidekicks. Like genius dogs, cuddly space ships in disguise, flying foxes, and patchwork pooches.
If you've enjoyed previous iterations of this series, then I see no reason why you shouldn't like this one as well.
Main character Luke is a boy of prophecy. His birth was spoken of in the Score of Lorelie, an ancient script read and recorded by Yulia Jue that details all of time. The Score is enormous; as big as a mountain. But it broke into pieces, most of which is in orbit around the planet. However some of it landed on the planet and is now the cause of war between the two main kingdoms of Kimlasca and Malkuth. Nothing in the prophecy has ever not come true, but no one has ever really tried to go against it either, instead using the prophecy to dictate their actions. Luke has the power to bring destruction (according to the prophecy) or peace to the land. The story is certainly intriguing, and the characters are more interesting that in the previous Tales (Symphonia, I believe, earlier this year).
Vampire Knight Guilty
This is a sequel, or rather the second part. The first only ran 13 episodes. So more than just being a sequel, it's like the second chapter of the story. I've been reading the manga for this, which, in the US, is caught up with the end of the first season of the show. So I'm not sure where it goes from there. But I can give you a summary of the first season, though I think the manga is a lot better. The anime feels a little choppy somtimes; like parts of the story are missing. It feels that way because it IS that way. Now, understandably, not everything can get in there, but sometimes it just seems like you miss part of the story somehow, or that certain character choices and reactions don't make a lot of sense. It all makes sense in the manga (as much sense as it can given the secrets and mysteries of the plot).
So anyway....
In Vampire Knight, students attend Cross Academy. The school is broken up into a day class, attended by normal students, and a night class, attended by vampires. The purpose of the school is to promote healthy, safe corespondence between vampires and humans. Or to teach vampires that they can live without harming humans, as they are not allowed to feed on human blood (the school is testing blood tablets and substitutes), and actually have very little contact with the students of the day class (with some exceptions like the time when the day class ends and the night class begins, or the school dance). The main characters are Yuki, Zero and Kaname. Yuki is the adopted daughter of the school's headmaster, and was saved from a rabid vampire's attack by the vampire Kaname. Kaname is of an elite, noble class of vampires; meaning that he's a pureblood, and he carries a particular status among other vampires. Zero is from a family of vampire hunters, but his family was attacked and killed by a pureblood vampire, and Zero was bitten and is now a vampire himself (the idea is that if you're bitten by a pureblood, you become a vampire, but you eventually degrade into a mindless monster). There's an obvious love triangle between the three, with the obvious catch that either Zero or Kaname, if they give in to their feeling for Yuki, could end up killing her.
It's a bit of a comedy, but it's meant to be a drama. The manga-ka, Matsuri Hino, has previously written comedies, and it's clear that it's difficult for her to break away from that. She manages alright though, as a bit of comic relief is welcome in an otherwise deadly serious story (pun intended). The art/animation style is one of my favorite things about the show, and the colors which, though dark, are still vibrant and beautiful.
Nodame Cantabile - Paris Chapter
When we last left Nodame and Chiaki, they were on their way to study abroad in Paris. They had just finished their schooling at a Japanese music school. Nodame studied piano, hoping to become a kindergarten teacher, and Chiaki studied conducting. With (sometimes harsh) encouragement, Chiaki convinced Nodame that she could be something more if she continued to practice. And Nodame hypnotized Chiaki into overcoming his fear of flying in airplanes. Not wanting to lose the man she loved, Nodame, and Chiaki, who desired to continue watching the clumsy pianist improve, agreed to go to Paris and study together. This is where the new chapter picks up. Nodame is still clumsy, unorganized, and a pain in Chiaki's side. She is as much a chore as she is an encouragement. Chiaki is still the handsome, confident student who is revelling in his new opportunities now that he can finally study seriously abroad. They will continue to grow as people and as artists in this new country.
It's a very charming, adorable, fantastic show, and it's first season was my favorite anime of the season (spring '07). It's still full of great classical music pieces, and although the music scenes aren't fully animated, you're still listening to full orchestrations (or solos) of some great songs. It's also a whole new cast of characters for the most part, since they left everyone from the previous season behind in Paris; but some of the more notable characters do make appearances.
So let's get started!
Skip Beat
I have to start this one out by mentioning that it's based on one of my favorite (and still ongoing in the US) manga, by Yoshiki Nakamura. I think it's delightful, funny, romantic, and well written and drawn. She does have some problems; the plot occassionaly errs on the side of super cheesy and disbelief. Her profile images (meaning the view of her characters from a straight side perspective) need some work as well. But I really do enjoy the book.
From what I can tell of the anime so far, it matches up with the manga very well, though it adds an extra little scene here or there which work into the story just fine. It has some good voice acting, which is saying something, because the main character Kyoko has some insane mood swings and I'm sure it's a lot of work on her voice actress (Marina Inoue), The show is very bright and colorful as well. The plot follow young Kyoko Mogami, fresh out of Jr High, who moved to Tokyo with Sho Fuwa, the boy she was in love with. Sho wanted to move away from home to pursue his dream of being a famous musician/celebrity. We soon realize that Sho is vain, spoiled and fairly cruel, making one wonder what the innocent and selfless Kyoko is even doing with him to begin with. If she was in the dark to his true self, it doesn't take her long to discover that he essentially only brought her along as his maid, and finds her plain and boring. This infuriates her, and she vows to get revenge on him by becoming more famous than he is. Pure, innocent Kyoko vanishes and is replaced by a vengeful, desparate, grudge bearing woman. To get her revenge, she joins rival talent agency LME. Unfortunately she lacks the most important thing to being a celebrity, nay a human being - the ability to love and (want to) be loved by others - which she lost when Sho ditched her. So she joins the agency under a special Love Me section, where she is charged with regaining this emotion, which will lead to the agency sponsoring her debut. Too bad fellow LME talent and major celebrity (and Sho's biggest rival) Ren Tsuruga is trailing around telling her that her goal of becoming a celebrity will never be accomplished with her attitude and motives for revenge.
Tales of the Abyss
I am really enjoying this one. Anything with a creature as cute as a Cheagle is worth taking a look at, at least. But I have a soft spot for super adorable animal-like sidekicks. Like genius dogs, cuddly space ships in disguise, flying foxes, and patchwork pooches.
If you've enjoyed previous iterations of this series, then I see no reason why you shouldn't like this one as well.
Main character Luke is a boy of prophecy. His birth was spoken of in the Score of Lorelie, an ancient script read and recorded by Yulia Jue that details all of time. The Score is enormous; as big as a mountain. But it broke into pieces, most of which is in orbit around the planet. However some of it landed on the planet and is now the cause of war between the two main kingdoms of Kimlasca and Malkuth. Nothing in the prophecy has ever not come true, but no one has ever really tried to go against it either, instead using the prophecy to dictate their actions. Luke has the power to bring destruction (according to the prophecy) or peace to the land. The story is certainly intriguing, and the characters are more interesting that in the previous Tales (Symphonia, I believe, earlier this year).
Vampire Knight Guilty
This is a sequel, or rather the second part. The first only ran 13 episodes. So more than just being a sequel, it's like the second chapter of the story. I've been reading the manga for this, which, in the US, is caught up with the end of the first season of the show. So I'm not sure where it goes from there. But I can give you a summary of the first season, though I think the manga is a lot better. The anime feels a little choppy somtimes; like parts of the story are missing. It feels that way because it IS that way. Now, understandably, not everything can get in there, but sometimes it just seems like you miss part of the story somehow, or that certain character choices and reactions don't make a lot of sense. It all makes sense in the manga (as much sense as it can given the secrets and mysteries of the plot).
So anyway....
In Vampire Knight, students attend Cross Academy. The school is broken up into a day class, attended by normal students, and a night class, attended by vampires. The purpose of the school is to promote healthy, safe corespondence between vampires and humans. Or to teach vampires that they can live without harming humans, as they are not allowed to feed on human blood (the school is testing blood tablets and substitutes), and actually have very little contact with the students of the day class (with some exceptions like the time when the day class ends and the night class begins, or the school dance). The main characters are Yuki, Zero and Kaname. Yuki is the adopted daughter of the school's headmaster, and was saved from a rabid vampire's attack by the vampire Kaname. Kaname is of an elite, noble class of vampires; meaning that he's a pureblood, and he carries a particular status among other vampires. Zero is from a family of vampire hunters, but his family was attacked and killed by a pureblood vampire, and Zero was bitten and is now a vampire himself (the idea is that if you're bitten by a pureblood, you become a vampire, but you eventually degrade into a mindless monster). There's an obvious love triangle between the three, with the obvious catch that either Zero or Kaname, if they give in to their feeling for Yuki, could end up killing her.
It's a bit of a comedy, but it's meant to be a drama. The manga-ka, Matsuri Hino, has previously written comedies, and it's clear that it's difficult for her to break away from that. She manages alright though, as a bit of comic relief is welcome in an otherwise deadly serious story (pun intended). The art/animation style is one of my favorite things about the show, and the colors which, though dark, are still vibrant and beautiful.
Nodame Cantabile - Paris Chapter
When we last left Nodame and Chiaki, they were on their way to study abroad in Paris. They had just finished their schooling at a Japanese music school. Nodame studied piano, hoping to become a kindergarten teacher, and Chiaki studied conducting. With (sometimes harsh) encouragement, Chiaki convinced Nodame that she could be something more if she continued to practice. And Nodame hypnotized Chiaki into overcoming his fear of flying in airplanes. Not wanting to lose the man she loved, Nodame, and Chiaki, who desired to continue watching the clumsy pianist improve, agreed to go to Paris and study together. This is where the new chapter picks up. Nodame is still clumsy, unorganized, and a pain in Chiaki's side. She is as much a chore as she is an encouragement. Chiaki is still the handsome, confident student who is revelling in his new opportunities now that he can finally study seriously abroad. They will continue to grow as people and as artists in this new country.
It's a very charming, adorable, fantastic show, and it's first season was my favorite anime of the season (spring '07). It's still full of great classical music pieces, and although the music scenes aren't fully animated, you're still listening to full orchestrations (or solos) of some great songs. It's also a whole new cast of characters for the most part, since they left everyone from the previous season behind in Paris; but some of the more notable characters do make appearances.
10/29/2008
Here Is Greenwood
Here is Greenwood is an OAV, and only runs 6 episodes. It was produced by Media Blasters for the US (though Central Park Media originally released them on VHS), on two DVDs. Extras include commercials, trailers, Japanese voice actor interview. It's based on an 11 volume graphic novel series by Yukie Nasu. It also received a recent live action interpretation, which I have yet to watch, but the guys are certainly cute. Especially Hasukawa's older brother (hooray hot guys in glasses!). And that's about all that matters to me. :)
Main character Hasukawa Kazuya has fallen in love with Sumire. Unfortunately his older brother Kazuhiro just married her. To get out of the uncomfortable situation of living with them, Hasukawa decides to attend an all boys high school and move into one of their dormitories, affectionately known as Greenwood. Little does he know that Greenwood is home to the campus misfits, but he finds out soon enough when he is put into a room with Shun Kisaragi, who, Hasukawa has been told, is actually a female masquerading as a male - and Hasukawa is only 1 of (now) 4 people that know Shun's secret. Toss in dorm RA Mitsuru Ikeda and his troublesome former (female) classmate who wants to hide out in his dorm. Add Shinobu Tezuka, the student body president with a vengeful older sister who is always out to get him. Mix in Kazuhiro, who just so happens to be the school nurse at the school Hasukawa attends. And an overly affectionate sister-in-law who doesn't understand that her familial love is driving Hasukawa insane. Things are interesting in Greenwood.
Due to how very short this series is, the story line is fairly jumpy and very rushed. It's actually not really a problem as the main points come across fine, and it saves the show from replaying jokes and instances that could otherwise become too repetitive. But it also leaves you wanting a bit more. Similar to Cromartie, the characters will direct you a couple of times to the manga story, but again, it's not necessary to enjoy the story, though I'm sure it wouldn't hurt any either. It's a fun little show that started airing in 1992, so it's going to be a bit dated; but the animation is still done well. The boys are meant to be "pretty boys" ... I think. The girls are a little too masculine looking sometimes though.
There's some familiar voice talent here for those who watch English dubs. Wendee Lee plays Shinobu's older sister Nagisa, Dave Lelyveld/Wittenberg as Shinobu, and Kate Higgins as Miya.
It's cute, it's humorous (though not side-splitting), and it's short. And it has ghost girls.
Main character Hasukawa Kazuya has fallen in love with Sumire. Unfortunately his older brother Kazuhiro just married her. To get out of the uncomfortable situation of living with them, Hasukawa decides to attend an all boys high school and move into one of their dormitories, affectionately known as Greenwood. Little does he know that Greenwood is home to the campus misfits, but he finds out soon enough when he is put into a room with Shun Kisaragi, who, Hasukawa has been told, is actually a female masquerading as a male - and Hasukawa is only 1 of (now) 4 people that know Shun's secret. Toss in dorm RA Mitsuru Ikeda and his troublesome former (female) classmate who wants to hide out in his dorm. Add Shinobu Tezuka, the student body president with a vengeful older sister who is always out to get him. Mix in Kazuhiro, who just so happens to be the school nurse at the school Hasukawa attends. And an overly affectionate sister-in-law who doesn't understand that her familial love is driving Hasukawa insane. Things are interesting in Greenwood.
Due to how very short this series is, the story line is fairly jumpy and very rushed. It's actually not really a problem as the main points come across fine, and it saves the show from replaying jokes and instances that could otherwise become too repetitive. But it also leaves you wanting a bit more. Similar to Cromartie, the characters will direct you a couple of times to the manga story, but again, it's not necessary to enjoy the story, though I'm sure it wouldn't hurt any either. It's a fun little show that started airing in 1992, so it's going to be a bit dated; but the animation is still done well. The boys are meant to be "pretty boys" ... I think. The girls are a little too masculine looking sometimes though.
There's some familiar voice talent here for those who watch English dubs. Wendee Lee plays Shinobu's older sister Nagisa, Dave Lelyveld/Wittenberg as Shinobu, and Kate Higgins as Miya.
It's cute, it's humorous (though not side-splitting), and it's short. And it has ghost girls.
New shows, fall 08
Working on a review for the fall 2008 anime season. I'm going to do it a bit different this year and bring everything together into 1-2 posts or so, instead of a single, long post for each new show. It might take a bit longer to get it together this way, but I think it will be easier for me, and it will hopefully be easier for readers as well. It will also keep me from going on and on with a full episode synopsis as I am wont to do, and instead do show summaries based on an episode or three of each show (that I have picked out) with the important stuff.
Skip Beat! is reviewed, and I am moving on toward Tales of the Abyss right now. Vampire Night Guilty, Clannad After Story and Nodame Paris Chapter should be easy as I watched their first seasons. Hint - they were all good shows (though Nodame blows the other two out of the water, and VN is the lesser of the three). One is about vampires (duh) attending a school with normal humans (but not like Twilight, which sucks), one is about high school kids and has a story along the lines of Kanon or Tokimeki, and the last is about music school students (a pianist and conductor specifically).
There are many others piling up as well. I also just finished watching Samurai Deeper Kyo, but I'm not sure if I will review it. I wasn't really happy with it, if that helps. It tried to be too much, I think, and fell a bit flat. And I finished up Here is Greenwood last night, which was cute, if incredibly short. I'm also watching Beck on the Funimation channel, and it's brilliant, so if you're looking for a show that deals with rock bands, musicians, and the trials of school life (like bullying and grades), then it's a must see (and it's a must see besides all that).
If you live in the United States, don't forget to vote! Early voting ends on October 31st, so if you don't get in there by Friday, you'll have to wait unil the 4th and vote then. I recommend going early if you can. We went this past weekend and waited in line...well I'm pretty sure it was under an hour at least. Would have been quicker if they'd had enough personnel, because they had 2 checking in when we arrived, but they had 4 by the time we checked in half an hour + later. Anyway, go vote!
Skip Beat! is reviewed, and I am moving on toward Tales of the Abyss right now. Vampire Night Guilty, Clannad After Story and Nodame Paris Chapter should be easy as I watched their first seasons. Hint - they were all good shows (though Nodame blows the other two out of the water, and VN is the lesser of the three). One is about vampires (duh) attending a school with normal humans (but not like Twilight, which sucks), one is about high school kids and has a story along the lines of Kanon or Tokimeki, and the last is about music school students (a pianist and conductor specifically).
There are many others piling up as well. I also just finished watching Samurai Deeper Kyo, but I'm not sure if I will review it. I wasn't really happy with it, if that helps. It tried to be too much, I think, and fell a bit flat. And I finished up Here is Greenwood last night, which was cute, if incredibly short. I'm also watching Beck on the Funimation channel, and it's brilliant, so if you're looking for a show that deals with rock bands, musicians, and the trials of school life (like bullying and grades), then it's a must see (and it's a must see besides all that).
If you live in the United States, don't forget to vote! Early voting ends on October 31st, so if you don't get in there by Friday, you'll have to wait unil the 4th and vote then. I recommend going early if you can. We went this past weekend and waited in line...well I'm pretty sure it was under an hour at least. Would have been quicker if they'd had enough personnel, because they had 2 checking in when we arrived, but they had 4 by the time we checked in half an hour + later. Anyway, go vote!
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