Yikes. Sorry it has been a while. Spring Break bogged me down further than I though. However, this did not stop my anime viewing. At least not much. This time, I'm taking on three, hopefully to make up for missing that week. Let's get to it.
Inuyasha The Movie 3: Swords Of An Honorable Ruler
Animation: ****
Music: ***
Story: ***
Overall: ***
The rivalry between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru heats up as the sword of their father makes an appearance at Kagome's family shrine. After being sealed for so long, it awakens and attaches itself to Inuyasha, turning him into a full demon. It takes some time (and a fight with Sesshomaru) before he is loosed from the sword, but the sword has a mind of its own. It goes to find Takemaru, the man who tried to kill Inuyasha's human mother and was her suiter. Because of his hatred for the father, and thus his sons Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, he is revived as a demon to fight the brothers. While things may be bleak, it gets worse when the only way to defeat this sword is to have Inuyasha and Sesshomaru work together.
I definetly liked this one much more than the first two (especially the second one). The story was more intersting and the memories Sesshomaru has of his father were very intriguing. The animation was good as always (they really know how to spiff things up for these movies). And the music was solid as before.
Overall, this is the best of the three I've seen, but I do have #4 waiting for me. I've been told it's the best, so I'll find that out for sure.
Elfen Lied
Story: ***
Animation: ****
Music: **
Overall: ***
Elfen Lied is a truely strange tale and definetly not recommended for minors due to its violence and nudity. An intense tale, the length seems appropriate at 13 episodes and one OAV.
The story deals with a creature called the Diclonius. At first look , they are girls with pink hair, horns in their head, and invisible hands that can cut through anything, as seen in the first episode as the main Diclonius, Lucy, hacks through everyone to escape. Just as she is about to leave the facility where she was being confined and studied, she is shot in the head and knocked into the ocean. She floats from the island and comes to the shore of mainland Japan where she if found by a couple of college students. Kouta and his cousin, Yuka. Kouta decides to take her in to his home because all she sees is a shy, innocent girl who can only say "Nyuu," showing evidence of a split personality.
From there, it gets hectic as villains other Diclonius show up, sent by the research facility to get Lucy back, only to find an innocent girl. That is, until she hits her head again. Then, Kouta's repressed memories start coming back about how this tragedy has happened once before.
It strange to see this tale ride up and down the roller coaster. The killings are sudden and the action is fast, but its more than just a violent tale. Each of these characters have depressing backgrounds that affect the story. It really is unique to see such cute characters have such dark histories.
While the action is well animated, the real treat is the backgrounds. Each scene seems to have a very detailed and vibrant environment, even if it is the bleak facility center. It feels very cinematic and really helps fit the characters in a believable place, making them more believable.
The downer is the music. I know the song has significance to the story, but doesn't make it a good song. The score is just okay, simply playing in the background of what's going on, never really enhancing the show.
Overall, this is an intense tale that I watched with my hand over my mouth at some of the tragic and more violent scenes. Full of emotion and action, this is a sad tale that does come to a nice end. It's not a complete resolution, but it will leave you with a smile on your face. The real reason why I left the overall score at 3 stars is that I can think of anime that I thought was better. So it's above average, but that's about it.
And as for the OAV, it doesn't really add as it is just a funny diversion. While it does explain the origin of how Lucy came to the reseach facility, it has a different tone from the rest of the series and, even though it takes place in the middle, it is almost better seen afterward, to keep the happy feeling it ends with.
Love Roma (5 Graphic Novels)
Score: ***
Love Roma is a truly unique romantic comedy. In the midst of all this action I've been reviewing, it must seem strange to see a this series, but I do like shojo manga. It is often some of the funniest stuff in the world. Kodocha was one of my favorites, and I am truly enjoying the anime.
Love Roma deals with a guy and a girl who are blunt and honest. Hoshino, the most blunt guy in the world, walks up to Negishi, and confesses his love for her. She doesn't know this guy from Adam. However, as he tries in unusual and over-the-top methods to get her love, she eventually warms up to him. The series mostly goes over their unique relationship and all of the pitfalls and comedy-of-errors.
This series is really funny. Some of the things Hoshino does are so extreme, it makes me wonder if Negishi is the only one who could accept him for who he is. As other characters get involved, usually in sneaky plots to get Negishi to go with Hoshino, the hilarity grows from there.
In the end, it's a story of the exploration of love for these two strange characters. I give it an above average score of 3 stars because it sets itself apart from most any other romantic comedy. I definetly recommend this short series (I wish there was more) to anyone looking for a good laugh.
Well, that covers everything here. I think I may need to explain my scoring a little better though. It will be tough to give series and shows an overall of 4 or 5. 3 is a good score for a quality title. But a 4 is a title that I consider a must own. A 4 is great. And then a 5 is a favorite. Stuff like Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Gundam Wing are 5's. Very few will get this high.
Maybe you think I'm a little strict, leaving many titles with scores of 3, but it will make a 4 title or a 5 5 title seem that much more.
Well, I should be back on for next week. I plan on reviewing Soul Hunter, and Inuyasha 4.
Showing posts with label rating system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rating system. Show all posts
3.02.2007
Heh, here we go. Astro Boy and FLCL
I realized last night that there really isn't much left of this week, so I figured I'll just post now with what I know. One of the other things I didn't mention is I will be reviewing anime as I watch, not necessarily as it comes out. So I will review anime that may be 3 to 23 years old.
I should also explain my rating system. I focus on three things when I watch anime. First is the animation. Does it look good? Do the characters flow with the background? Does the action seem convincing, creating that sense of reality. Second is the music. All though this isn't as big of an issue as animation, music can really have a big impact on whether I (and maybe you) like an anime or not. Third is the story. I like a series that can keep me riveted to my seat by making me care about what's going on. Then after I've considered these, I give an overall score which is NOT reflected by the previous three scores. There have been series where the first three aren't much, but I still give it a high overall, and, when I do, I'll explain why. I score on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (*). 1 is awful, 2 is average or okay, 3 is decent, 4 is good, and 5 is great.
Now, as I decided to write again so soon, I challenged my mind to think of what series have I finished recently and two came to mind (psst- they're mentioned in the title). I got around to finishing the newest remake of the Astro Boy saga and I rewatched FLCL at roughly the same time. So lets begin!
ASTRO BOY
Animation: ***
Music: **
Story: ***
Overall: ***
Now, one may ask, why would I review, let alone see, a well known kid's show? I guess it comes down to the idea that Astro Boy was really the first anime, and his creator, Osamu Tezuka, was a genius in making both manga and anime a major source of entertainment. Without him, we may not have all of the stuff we enjoy in cartoons and comics today.
In any case, this remake of the classic story line does take some liberties. Astro gets some new powers and some of the circumstances have changed, but the core of the story remains the same. Astro is the recreation of Dr. Tenma's lost boy, but as Tenma realizes that he will never grow and progress like a child, he abandon's him. That's when Dr. O'Shea (changed from Ochanimizu, I think), finds him and revives him as Astro Boy, the example of a robot with a heart. They call it "kokoro," which is heart in Japanese.
The stories, though extremely episodic, take on a very Asimov feel, showing the benefits and issues with robots capable of thinking like humans. They often talk about rights for robots and creating a sense of equality between them. Another major concept is trying to reason instead of fighting. At the end, this is Astro Boy's stance as the robots and humans come to war. As simple as the show may seem, and I do admit it caters to a young audience, it still creates some thought about robots and humans, or even the relations between people.
As for the animation, it is a step above normal, creating some pretty cool stunts. And the whole world setting is very much like Tezuka's style, a very far future that is a full environment of its own.
The music is nothing special, just it's occasional themes that come in at the right times, and the American opening is a fun song. But it's nothing remarkable.
I gave this show 3 stars, mostly because its more than just a superhero show that beats a villian every episode. The struggle for what is humanity, though simplified, is a major part of the show, and helps it stand out from other kid's shows, and was even enjoyable for an adult like me.
FLCL
Animation: *****
Music: ****
Story: ****
Overall: *****
If you have never heard of FLCL (often said, "Fooly, Cooly"), you are missing on one of the most unique, original, and bizzare series of all anime. It's even hard to pin down what the story is. It starts with this boy, Naota, who is hit on by his older brother's girlfriend, attacked by an alien on a vespa scooter, and has robots come out of his head. And then it gets weird.
Mostly, the series is a parody of many other things. If you listen (and know your stuff), they mention and parody several different other anime titles and various J-pop stars. Episode 5 is a spoof of John Woo films (done very well).
The animation is spectacular, being extremely zany and incredibly well done. Despite the forgettable surburia that story is placed in, everything fits, even the weird stuff, in its seemly uninteresting podunk town.
The music is also memorable, most (if not all) of it being done by the Japanese band The Pillows, which gives the show a very punk feel with it's loud and strange rock chords. The music just amplifies the weirdness of the show.
Overall, you should watch this series just because it is so weird. Even though it only has 6 episodes, it would be hard to imagine what else they could do and keep it's style. And, because the show is so random and moves so quickly, repeat watchings help fill in some of the details, so of all anime, this has a very high replay value, something one doesn't necessarily consider with anime.
Well, I hope that satisfies you. I don't know what I'll review for next week, but keep an eye out. I'll definetely share something with you.
Thanks for reading, and lemme know what you think: bj_waters@hotmail.com
I should also explain my rating system. I focus on three things when I watch anime. First is the animation. Does it look good? Do the characters flow with the background? Does the action seem convincing, creating that sense of reality. Second is the music. All though this isn't as big of an issue as animation, music can really have a big impact on whether I (and maybe you) like an anime or not. Third is the story. I like a series that can keep me riveted to my seat by making me care about what's going on. Then after I've considered these, I give an overall score which is NOT reflected by the previous three scores. There have been series where the first three aren't much, but I still give it a high overall, and, when I do, I'll explain why. I score on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (*). 1 is awful, 2 is average or okay, 3 is decent, 4 is good, and 5 is great.
Now, as I decided to write again so soon, I challenged my mind to think of what series have I finished recently and two came to mind (psst- they're mentioned in the title). I got around to finishing the newest remake of the Astro Boy saga and I rewatched FLCL at roughly the same time. So lets begin!
ASTRO BOY
Animation: ***
Music: **
Story: ***
Overall: ***
Now, one may ask, why would I review, let alone see, a well known kid's show? I guess it comes down to the idea that Astro Boy was really the first anime, and his creator, Osamu Tezuka, was a genius in making both manga and anime a major source of entertainment. Without him, we may not have all of the stuff we enjoy in cartoons and comics today.
In any case, this remake of the classic story line does take some liberties. Astro gets some new powers and some of the circumstances have changed, but the core of the story remains the same. Astro is the recreation of Dr. Tenma's lost boy, but as Tenma realizes that he will never grow and progress like a child, he abandon's him. That's when Dr. O'Shea (changed from Ochanimizu, I think), finds him and revives him as Astro Boy, the example of a robot with a heart. They call it "kokoro," which is heart in Japanese.
The stories, though extremely episodic, take on a very Asimov feel, showing the benefits and issues with robots capable of thinking like humans. They often talk about rights for robots and creating a sense of equality between them. Another major concept is trying to reason instead of fighting. At the end, this is Astro Boy's stance as the robots and humans come to war. As simple as the show may seem, and I do admit it caters to a young audience, it still creates some thought about robots and humans, or even the relations between people.
As for the animation, it is a step above normal, creating some pretty cool stunts. And the whole world setting is very much like Tezuka's style, a very far future that is a full environment of its own.
The music is nothing special, just it's occasional themes that come in at the right times, and the American opening is a fun song. But it's nothing remarkable.
I gave this show 3 stars, mostly because its more than just a superhero show that beats a villian every episode. The struggle for what is humanity, though simplified, is a major part of the show, and helps it stand out from other kid's shows, and was even enjoyable for an adult like me.
FLCL
Animation: *****
Music: ****
Story: ****
Overall: *****
If you have never heard of FLCL (often said, "Fooly, Cooly"), you are missing on one of the most unique, original, and bizzare series of all anime. It's even hard to pin down what the story is. It starts with this boy, Naota, who is hit on by his older brother's girlfriend, attacked by an alien on a vespa scooter, and has robots come out of his head. And then it gets weird.
Mostly, the series is a parody of many other things. If you listen (and know your stuff), they mention and parody several different other anime titles and various J-pop stars. Episode 5 is a spoof of John Woo films (done very well).
The animation is spectacular, being extremely zany and incredibly well done. Despite the forgettable surburia that story is placed in, everything fits, even the weird stuff, in its seemly uninteresting podunk town.
The music is also memorable, most (if not all) of it being done by the Japanese band The Pillows, which gives the show a very punk feel with it's loud and strange rock chords. The music just amplifies the weirdness of the show.
Overall, you should watch this series just because it is so weird. Even though it only has 6 episodes, it would be hard to imagine what else they could do and keep it's style. And, because the show is so random and moves so quickly, repeat watchings help fill in some of the details, so of all anime, this has a very high replay value, something one doesn't necessarily consider with anime.
Well, I hope that satisfies you. I don't know what I'll review for next week, but keep an eye out. I'll definetely share something with you.
Thanks for reading, and lemme know what you think: bj_waters@hotmail.com
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