Series Review: Rin - Daughters of Mnemosyne (2008)

Konichiwa!

Isn't it weird that there are films that are basically torture porn? You would have thought that societal pressure would have completely rejected any notions of this. To me, torture porn is defined by the horrific and unthinkable actions that happen on screen in a physical sense. So, films like the Saw franchise, The Human Centipede and Hostel fit into this category. Anime is a naturally violent medium - after all, it is trying to bring to the screen with animation that which live action can't. Everyone must have known that at one point or another, someone would try to make something along the lines of Antichrist. The result of that was Violence Jack... which I am never going to cover on this blog because it is fucking disgusting (I'm being serious for once). However, if we're looking for a socially acceptable extremely violent and highly sexualized anime, then you need look no further than this one.

Series: Rin - Daughters of Mnemosyne
Year: 2008
Director: Shigeru Ueda
Screenwriter: Hiroshi Onogi
Studio: Xebec, Genco
Original Run: February 3rd - July 6th, 2008
Episodes: 6

Several questions may be popping through your head right now. Like, what is the writer of several episodes of RahXephon, Eureka Seven and Gundam doing writing a Noir? And why are Xebec, the creators of Love Hina, working with Genco, the producers of Kino's Journey, to create a very disturbed anime? Well, in my opinion, Onogi just decided he was done with Mecha shit for a bit and the two producers decided to combine the best of both their worlds: Xebec's love of the female form with Genco's love of both that and action. Now, if you look at Genco's resume, they don't exactly have the best track record, although they have also pushed through some excellent work (seriously, I can't believe the same company that produced Kino's Journey also gave us Eiken and Ikkitousen the same year). Xebec, on the other hand, barely have a track record at all, leaving them known pretty much only for Love Hina... Something I wouldn't be too proud of. However, between the two of them, I do believe that they made a very good piece of work involving vampires that don't actually sparkle (bear in mind, this was the same year the first Twilight film was made, so old habits were dying hard). So, let's review the show that'll sate any gore hound's mad obsession: Rin - Daughters of Mnemosyne.

Story: 7/10

These new additions to the vampire mythos are not
unwelcome.

Okay, so the first thing I'm going to say is that the story is not exactly original, although what it does with its location, mythos and chronology is interesting. At the core, it's a Fantasy series, although it incorporates elements of Film Noir as well. The basic overarching plot is about two immortals, Rin and Mimi, and them solving cases through their consultancy agency, whilst simultaneously fighting their own kind and constantly running into the main villain Apos. Each case usually involves these supernatural elements in one way or another. However, the reason why I say that it's not that original is because it boils down to a good guy vs bad guy scenario but takes the fun out of it by not really doing anything that surprising and using a Deus Ex Machina to defeat the villain. Writing 101 people: if you want to make a good story even better, then never ever have the problem suddenly resolved by a new character, event or power that we had previously unheard of. Other than that, it keeps your interest, and I think that this is mainly because the cases in the episodes themselves are quite interesting and the passing of time as the series progresses is a smart move from Onogi, as it allows the exploration of certain themes to become more accessible. My favourite episode is probably "Ghosts Don't Scream" because it picks up on a theme that Ghost in the Shell explored, about virtual reality and plugging into electronics, and because it is intensely interesting to explore the possibilities of androids and computer programs. What disappoints me most about the series as a whole really is that there was very little build-up for the ending and with that little build-up there was virtually no satisfying pay-off, although thankfully the ending didn't really indicate that it was to be continued. The first four episodes are rock solid, with very good plots and interesting character motivations but by episode five, it sags when it suddenly jumps from being about individual episodes wound into an overarching plot to only focusing on said plot. And the last episode is both confusing and a bit of a cop-out. However, I don't necessarily think that means the series plot is bad but the ending really badly needed working on. One of my favourite things about the series, though, is its addition to the vampire mythos. And this show is definitely about vampires, no question, but it does it in such a way that at first we don't actually know if the creatures are just immortal or vampires. So, the ambiguity of the creatures is something I give great props to, as well as the designs of the male vampires known as angels. Overall, the changing of time is an interesting feature, as is the mythos and the first four episodes are very well-written, like something straight out of a Dark Horse Comic, but the ending really badly needed tweaking and it left me feeling like there should have been something more to it.

Despite Apos's really nice design and diabolical personality,
his motivation is so unclear that it leaves much to be desired.

Characters: 8/10
The characters in this anime are all-round pretty well-written, with the exception of Apos. Rin is very likeable, she has a sense of charm to her, the outfits she wears give her a sense of style and class like an actual Film Noir detective and her implied bisexuality is a lot more liberal than a lot of anime shows, where for the most part it would be used as tool for fan-service. And whilst there is fan-service (and a lot of it), whenever it's used, there does seem to be a purpose to it, either in order to explore a character or to progress the plot. Mimi, for all her constant annoying reminders that "Vodka" means "Water" in Russian, is also her own character and isn't just relegated to the uninteresting sidekick category like Robin from the Batman comics originally was. She has thoughts, feelings and relationships with other people. The side characters are also quite good but not the most memorable, mainly because there's not really enough time devoted to them in order to make you care. However, my largest complaint comes in the form of Apos, who is by far the most flawed thing in the series. Apos is the villain and he is actually a very promising villain for the first five episodes. He actually does diabolical things, like torture other female immortals for his amusement, and try to have Rin killed several times through different methods. He is really only interested in "time-fruits", the reason why people sometimes become immortal, and will do everything to get them. However, his entire character is completely destroyed in the last episode. Why? Because we find out that all this time his motivation was unclear and extremely confusing, therefore making all of his actions meaningless, simply reducing him to an evil person instead of an actual villain. And I think it's really sad that Onogi messed up this badly because Apos is very, very much evil, and if he hadn't been reduced to being meaningless, then he probably would have been one of my favourite anime villains. Alas, it was not to be.

Best English Dub actor for definite.

Animation & Sound: 8/10
The quality of the animation is the sort we've come to expect nowadays: quite good, flowing and generally fine for viewing. What really stood out to me about the technical side of things this time was the English Dub. I think that Colleen Clinkenbeard, who is known for playing Lt. Hawkeye in Fullmetal Alchemist and Nice Holystone in Baccano!, really stood out in her role as Rin, which was part of what made the character so likable. Also, huge props to Todd Haberkorn as Apos, who does give his all in making his villain terrifying and applies the sliminess in his voice that he toned down for Death the Kid in Soul Eater to full volume. Overall, there's not really much to say about the technical side, it's just very good in all honesty, although with the Dub there is obviously the occasional hiccup, as is expected.

You see kids, this is why some things are for adults and adults
only.

Overall Enjoyment: 7/10
If there is one thing to be said about this series, it is that it tries it's best to make you feel uncomfortable. Torture, rape, murder... this anime has all that plus failed cloning experiment zombies and Angels that kill Immortals after raping them. What's not to like? I do think that you have to have quite a strong stomach to view this, as some of the scenes can be extremely graphic, i.e. knives and other things inserted into female naughty parts graphic. I wouldn't really recommend under-sixteens viewing it and I think that in this case the R-Rating is very much justified.. Did I enjoy this anime? Well, yes, I actually did, up until the final episode, where I feel Onogi just couldn't really keep up the pace and quality. However, for what it was, I think it did a relatively good job at entertaining me.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

Not terrible, but not brilliant either. I think that your best course of action would be to rent it and see what you think before buying. The series is at an average length, so you could probably get through it in a matter of just over four hours. This anime is licensed by Siren Visual in Australia, Funimation in the U.S. and Manga Entertainment in the U.K. and I do believe is only available on DVD. For other anime recommendations, I point you in the direction of Elfen Lied, one that I have covered before and is similar in its dark elements, with gore and lots of nudity; the other that I recommend is Baccano! because that is also very gory but also has some really good action. Rin is probably more adult than Baccano!, whereas Elfen Lied is much closer to its adult vibe. Between these two you should hopefully find something that you like.

Baccano is what an anime would probably
be like if Quentin Tarantino ever decided
to do one.

Elfen Lied, a show where young girls with supernatural powers
are imprisoned until one of the inmates called Lucy escapes.

So, thanks for reading and until next time,

Sayonara!

Series Review: Puella Magi Modoka Magica (2011)

Konichiwa!

I apologise for my long absence. I actually haven't watched any anime for the past three or four months because my laptop died and I am actually at home right now, so I have the opportunity to actually be able to watch series. When I go back, I'm definitely going to get a new laptop so I can keep updates for you guys. Also, I don't know whether or not Movie Mondays has been scrapped, since I have a blog that now deals with Movies, TV and Video Games. I'll leave a note if I do scrap it. Probably won't scrap Throwback Thursdays though. Anyway, on with the review!

You know the old saying "looks can be deceiving"? There are plenty of things that may seem one thing but are another thing entirely. For example, Evangelion may seem like it's a good show because of its animation and cool action scenes, but then when you get to the thick of it Shinji is one of the worst characters ever created, Asuka is annoying, the whole plot doesn't make sense and the quality of the animation goes noticeably downhill as they go on. There's a review of Eva in a nutshell. Well, this show is the embodiment of this saying but in a more positive way.

Series: Puella Magi Modoka Magica
Year: 2011
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
Screenwriter: Gen Urobuchi
Studio: Shaft
Original Run: January 7th - April 21st, 2011
Episodes: 12

Yes, believe it or not, there was actually a time a few years ago where Shaft actually made good material and not pieces of shit where the plot made no sense and their trademark is automatically identified by the characters being able to somehow not snap their own necks off with a backwards glance (Yes, I am talking about Mekaku City Actors). This series is actually a really, really intense, story-driven anime with tragic characters and mind-bending twists and turns. The poster isn't helping that image but please, believe me when I say that Madoka Magica is one of the best anime series that I have ever seen period. And that is an extremely bold statement to make considering its image of cute, magical girls. So, without further ado, let's get into it and find out exactly why even people who hate magical girl anime like me went absolutely nuts for it.

Story: 10/10

Gen Urobuchi is unrelenting in his
ways of making the main characters
suffer. Thankfully he has now moved
on to criticising the information age
in Psycho-Pass.

The story of Madoka Magica, at first, seems pretty standard. Two girls, Madoka and Sayaka, discover that they have the opportunity to become magical girls and that they get to make a wish in order to obtain these powers and that in order to pay for that wish, they will have to fight witches. However, before they can throw their wishes away, a mysterious girl called Homura tries to stop the unsuspected Kyubey from making Madoka a magical girl. In the middle of the conflict, another magical girl called Mami stops Homura from killing Kyubey and tells her to leave. From there, our story unfolds. And what a story it is. It is probably no secret that this anime is renowned for taking the Magical Girl genre and deconstructing it to the bones and then building a very dark and complicated storyline around it. There are literally so many twists and turns that to reveal anything other than the above would be a huge letdown for anyone who hasn't seen the show. What I will say is that the mood completely changes from episode three onwards. The themes that are incorporated into this anime are also very commendable because it focuses on human emotion, friendship, sacrifice, the tragic life cycle and the greater spirit of humanity. These constantly knock you down in each episode until you are metaphorically on your knees, just begging for something good to happen and for Urobuchi to just give these poor girls a break. I also think the length of the story is perfect. Anything longer than twelve episodes would have been too much and would have dragged the series out. So, I'm absolutely gushing about the story, but what about the characters?

Our six main characters from left to right: Kyoko, Homura,
Madoka, Kyubey, Sayaka and Mami.

Characters: 9/10
There are about six characters in this anime that are important to the plot. There is Madoka, who is a young, peace-loving girl; Sayaka, her fiery best friend; Homura, a new mysterious arrival in town; Kyubey, the alien who makes wishes come true; Mami, Madoka and Sayaka's mentor and Kyoko, a rival magical girl out for a new hunting ground. All six of these characters are developped superbly and all have different motivations for becoming magical girls that are quite real in the situations they are thrown into. Of all the character arcs, my favourite was Sayaka's slow deterioration as she begins to see how meaningless the wish she granted actually was (at least from her perspective). The tragedy of this character was something that really hit me hard and I loved her transformation over the course of the series. It also helps that each character has a distinct personality that separates them from each over. It is also funny how the development of all these characters makes you think something else of that character at the end of the series as to what you thought at the beginning. My only complaint is that I think that Madoka is a little bit bland. Since she is the main character and her name is in the title, you would think that they would give her something interesting to do. They do, but it's not til right at the end. That's my only complaint but overall these characters are definitive anime characters with definitive identities.

Just an example of the different artistic elements incorporated
into the show.

Animation & Sound: 10/10
One of the best things about this show and the thing that everyone seems to remember the most are its striking visuals. The very first frame lets you know that you are in for a visual explosion not experienced since Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004). The animation director clearly decided that he did not just want typical anime stuff but also blends an almost collage feel for the labyrinths and the witches of the show. The result is an animated feast or the eyes that just seems to do every frame right. As for the sound, the music by Yuki Kajiura is just one of those soundtracks that is a delight to the ears and probably one of the best anime soundtracks I have heard. The English Dub is also excellently acted, with Cristina Vee, Sarah Williams, Lauren Landa really going for it and giving probably some of the best performances of their lives. But in this category, the visuals are what really matter because they are just stunning.

Overall Enjoyment: 10/10
Are you really surprised? From how much I've just gushed about this show, you can probably guess that I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, it goes deeper than that. For me, Madoka Magica is art. It's very strange of me to say that considering it's about magical girls fighting witches at its core but it really is a piece of art. The visuals alone would be enough to warrant it tons of awards and accolades, but the story (with its massive amounts of mindfucks and shock moments) and characters also make this one of the most special and unique viewing experiences I have had since I watched Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). And, despite my hatred of magical girl anime, I really, really enjoyed this. It's a step up from Sailor Moon, to say the least.


Final Verdict: 9.75/10 with







Yes, the highest score I have ever given on this blog goes to a Magical Girl show. Blow me. I am absolutely encouraging you to buy it and it is one of the essential titles that every anime fan should have on their shelf. This anime is licensed by Madman Entertainment in Australia, Aniplex in the U.S.  and Manga Entertainment in the U.K. and is available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats. For other anime recommendations, I have to point you in the direction of Neon Genesis Evangelion because, hey, it's one of the closest things to it, except when you see Eva, you'll immediately run back here, screaming about how awful it was; the other one I will tell you to watch is Black Rock Shooter for its unusual art style. I would have recommended Gankutsuou but I thought that Black Rock Shooter's story was more akin to Madoka Magica. Between these two, you'll probably find something you like, although I will warn you that Eva will either drag you into enjoying it or absolutely hating it.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: A show that
you will either gush over and become
passionate about or tear your hair out with
frustration whenever you argue with one
of  its fans.

Black Rock Shooter, a show about a
mysterious, black-haired and blue-eyed
girl who shoots rockets at high speeds.

So, thanks for reading my review, it's good to be back and hopefully I'll stay for good this time. Until next time,

Sayonara!

Discussion: The Popularity of Anime

Konichiwa!

So, something I have noticed recently is that a couple of relatively well-known names on YouTube have been coming out with videos on anime. The Fine Bros. did a Teens React to Attack on Titan (which I previously covered) and as recently as the 13th August, Chris Stuckmann, arguably one of the most popular reviewers alongside The Nostalgia Critic and Jeremy Jahns, announced that he would like to do more reviews of anime movies and series in a video entitled "Why Anime is Important". The video and the sudden surge in popularity of anime have gotten me to think that it is quite possible that Japanese animation is in another Golden Age, where the popularity is quite high and the quality of shows is also at an excellent level. However, it not only got me thinking of that but of the general popularity of anime: it's history, the various opinions and what it means to people if you tell them you're an anime fan. This is a discussion-based article, so please, feel free to leave your comments below and give me your opinion. And please, no trolls.

The "Golden Ages" of Anime

For many anime fans, there is varied opinion on which time the Golden Age of anime happened. Some point to the late 80s, others to the mid-late 90s and even to the late 00s. The opinions are extremely divided. But in order to understand why fans are calling these particular times the "Golden Age", we must see why they may think that way.

The Late 80s

The Late 80s were around the time that Western audiences not only started to hear of anime, but also began to play Japanese RPGs. Why do I mention gaming? Well, because Japanese gaming and anime go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly. The amount of series and movies based around Japanese video games is astounding. Visual novels in particular are very popular for translation into an anime

Akira is groundbreaking both
visually and thematically, as
this could be considered one of
the first adult anime films.

series. Some hit bullseye (Clannad), whilst others fail miserably (Angel Beats!...Yeah, we'll cover that one at some point). As the popularity of Japanese games grew, so did anime. The late 80s were also the time in which excellent anime movies were made and Studio Ghibli began to make films. Many fans point out that films that are very important to the genre were made at this time, including the 1988 trio of My Neighbour Totoro, Akira and Grave of the Fireflies, three of the most popular anime films of all time. The late 80s were also the beginning of possibly the most popular anime series of all time other than Pokémon: Dragon Ball Z. However, whilst fans do have a strong argument, many of these aforementioned titles wouldn't get English dubbing until the early 90s and even then, it was extremely hard to get them, as they were expensive, rare and the overall quality of the dubs was pretty bad. I don't agree that the late 80s was a great time for Western anime fans.

The Mid-Late 90s

Classic anime characters from that awesome period, including
Spike Spiegel, Inuyasha, Goku and Pikachu.

Now, if there was a time when Western anime fans had it good, it would definitely be the Mid-Late 90s. This was the time when anime started to really become popular. Dragon Ball Z was translated into English, Ghost in the Shell was released and inspired The Matrix (1999) and the exposure of anime was heightened to little kids who watched Cartoon Network via the Toonami block. This is when the really popular shows began to hit the Western market; the ones that are deemed "classics": Dragon Ball Z, Gundam, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star... all of these gained massive exposure and, to many, are considered childhood gems. The majority of my friends have seen at least one episode of Dragon Ball Z, even some girls whose older brother(s) used to watch it. That is just the exposure that anime was getting in the mid-late 90s. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel even covered several anime films on their TV show "Siskel & Ebert". There is literally no other time in my mind when anime was a haven of great shows and for me this was the Anime Golden Age. Although another group disagrees...

The Late 00s

End of an era: Toonami provided an outlet
for young anime fans to sink their teeth
into juicy animated goodness for over 10
years.

The late 00s were a time where there were several great shows but simultaneously it was a time when popularity began to dim. Even as excellent shows such as Death Note, Code Geass and Samurai Champloo came out, the Toonami block, the childhood of many anime fans, was closed seemingly forever, ending with Steven Blum (Spike from Cowboy Bebop) giving a speech when the block closed. In my opinion, despite the sudden swell of great shows, this was where anime hit it's lowest point in it's history. Not only were a lot of production companies going bankrupt, but anime was starting to be seen in popular opinion as childish and only for nerds, geeks and weirdos.

Opinions on Anime

Although I personally don't think it's Miyazaki's
best, I applaud Spirited Away for bringing more
exposure to Japanese arts and culture.

Now, when it comes to general opinion on anime, I believe the average person on the street will say "ani-what?" This isn't because they're ignorant, like screaming Naruto fans would have you believe, but it's simply because anime doesn't really get a huge amount of exposure. The highest point of exposure was pretty much when Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki won Best Foreign Film at the 2003 Academy Awards, but generally, anime has a cult following. In fact, I'd say that manga is more popular because of the huge comic book subculture, which only grows bigger as time goes on and Marvel and DC keep on making movies of their superheroes and different stories. Manga translates better for more people because of this.

 Now the people who have watched at least one anime series or movie fall into diverse categories: there are those who love it, like myself; those who like it and will usually catch a show like Death Note or Attack on Titan; those who think it's okay but really only base it on their young exposure to Dragon Ball Z; those who don't like it and usually think it's childish and silly; and finally those who think it's awful. Now, modern anime fans are actually for the most part unaware of how lucky they are to live in the internet age, where exposure to anime is extremely easy, through streaming and sites like Crunchyroll and Netflix. Back in the day, like a reviewer like Bennett the Sage would tell you, it was extremely hard to be exposed to anime anywhere outside of television. Distribution had not yet been properly founded, so lots of shows only made it on to Toonami and Adult Swim. My point of all this is that a lot of fans nowadays are too busy trying to squash the hatred of anime and its fans, when really, as a subculture, we should really just enjoy what we have and ignore the people who try to put us down. And because of people defending what they love tending to get very highly passionate, anime fans become more and more shunned by the haters and society. Why support a medium that seemingly has a fanbase that is entirely dedicated to cartoons acting childishly in the YouTube comments section or having social media wars with others?

When we have fans like these... Yeah, I can see why some people
hate us or think we're weird and creepy.

I don't have an answer, mainly because I am extremely disappointed with a large amount of anime fans, because lots of the fans are teenagers, mainly aged between fourteen and sixteen, and teenagers tend to argue pretty much about anything, so long as there is something to argue about and the keyboard wars can actually get pretty personal towards the other person who doesn't like anime. The result? A person who automatically makes a judgment based on past experience about someone who says that they like anime. If our community became a little more accepting of other people's opinions and also a lot less personal, I think the reputation of the subculture would be more reputed.

You're probably now wondering what my own opinion of anime is, especially after the tirade I just delivered where I may or may not have painted the majority of my subculture as screaming children. Anime, for me, is a groundbreaking medium from the points of view of story, setting, characters and animation. This is because animation opens up so much more for film to do with its visuals and in my own opinion none do it better than anime, especially when it comes from a dedicated studio like Bones or Madhouse or Studio Ghibli. From a story, setting and character point of view its also interesting because it comes from Japan, a country that's culture is a wonderful melting pot of opportunity, from its history to its mythology. So, for me, anime is a very special part of my life and one I get very excited about when directors announce new shows or films that grab my attention. Anime doesn't rule my life but it's something that is quite addicting and it's such a good thing that a lot of the shows I watch tend to turn out to be things I enjoy. And, with that, I hope to see you sometime soon, when I haven't got university to worry about or work to go to.

Sayonara!

Throwback Thursdays: Here and Now, There and Then (1999)

Konichiwa!

So it's been about a year now since I became a devout watcher of anime series and films. I began with Attack on Titan in TV Shows and Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke for films. In a year, I think I've gotten to know what A) I've come to expect and B) like. I'm the sort of guy who will watch anime that has action, clever plot, comedy and/or romance. However, with today's offering, I had very mixed feelings about it. It has clever plot and action but the themes presented in it made me really freak out.

Series: Here and Now, There and Then
Year: 1999
Director: Akitaro Daichi
Screenplay: Hideyuki Kurata
Studio: Anime International Company
Original Run: October 14th, 1999 - January 20th, 2000
Episodes: 13

Here and Now, There and Then is a series that I can only decribe as being an emotional trainwreck. Despite the fact that Akitaro Daichi's most famous credits are for romantic comedies such as Fruits Basket, he created a genuinely dark and disturbing anime series which analyzes themes of depression, hopelessness, rape, child abuse and war. Although the series begins a light-hearted adventure, don't be fooled: This is, in terms of plotting and themes, one of the most hardcore anime that a fan could hope to watch.



Story: 10/10

Hellywood, the bleak and miserable setting
of this story.

The story is excellently plotted but not so complicated that we have a hard time following it. Shu is a carefree teenage boy who decides to one day climb atop of some smokestacks. There he meets Lala-Ru, a mysterious girl who barely speaks. All of a sudden, soldiers riding mechanical snakes appear and time is stopped by Lady Abellia, who takes Shu and Lala-Ru to her home, Hellywood. And this is where any notion of lightheartedness stops. The story suddenly takes a dark turn in episode two and the viewer discovers that this is not a stereotypical adventure anime. No, this is a story that contains extreme themes, some graphic, others not, but still enough to make the viewer feel extremely uncomfortable. Hellywood is a place where children are forced to fight alongside men in order to make King Hamdo, the ruthless dictator's, dreams come true. The series may only be thirteen episodes long but that is more than enough for Daichi to keep his viewers on the edge of their seats. The overall feeling is one of tenseness and fear. The viewer comes to actually fear what may happen next. This is a world where child slavery is rampant and women are nothing but tools to produce more soldiers for King Hamdo's army. There are practically no bright spots apart from Shu having his moments but to find out more we need to look at the characters.

Shu and Sara are easily the best-written characters
in this anime.

Characters: 9/10

All of the characters are extremely well-written, especially Shu, who is the only person to provide a spark of hope in a world of ultimate human degradation. Despite being tortured (which is extremely graphic) and forced to serve in Hamdo's army, Shu maintains hope that people can be good to one another and that one day there will be peace. Shu is an ultimate representation of everything good about humanity: he never kills, never wants to hurt anyone and just wants a peaceful life. King Hamdo, on the other hand, is the ultimate representation of evil: selfish and cruel, he will hurt and kill anyone standing in the way of his goals. His right hand woman, Lady Abellia, carries out all of his orders without question. Nabuca, one of the soldiers Shu meets, hopes one day to return to his village, whereas Tabool doesn't want to return and craves power over others. However, out of the entirety of the characters, the best-written is Sara, a girl who was mistakenly taken from Shu's world and imprisoned in Hellywood. Sara is the person who suffers the most in this anime: she is kidnapped, raped, forced to commit murder, almost dies and becomes pregnant because of her treatment in Hellywood. She sees very little point in living after all of this and tries to commit suicide but Shu, being the essence of good, stops her and by the end of the story, she decides not to return to her and Shu's world, instead raising Sis, the woman who saved her's, orphan children and her own child. All of the characters go through a pain of some kind and many would see the anime because of this as just a pointless exercise in showing the worst of humanity. However, I believe, because of Shu, that this is an anime that shows how, ultimately, good triumphs over evil and that good things can still come after so much pain. The only bad thing I have to say is that some of the characters motivations are not explained. Why does Abellia follow a man whom she seems to know is insane without question? Never explained. Why is Tabool so needlessly cruel to others? Sort of explained but not really. These do bring the anime down

King Hamdo, the ultimate representation
of evil.

somewhat but overall all of the characters are well-written, other than Lala-Ru, who is reduced down to basically nothing other than the McGuffin of the series.

Animation & Sound: 7/10
This is where the anime actually falters most of the time. The animation is fluid and the cinematography in very theatrical in its own right but the art is a little too cartoony and not as anime-ish. However, I am slightly thankful that it wasn't as detailed as others since more detail would have made this series almost unwatchable. As for sound, this is where major complaints come in. The English Dub isn't horrendous, but there are several really poorly acted roles, such as Jack Taylor as King Hamdo, where the problem is in the character's name: way too much ham and not nearly as creepy as Kouji Ishii's portrayal. I also thought that Dana Halsted as Abelia was just flat and boring but the real surprising awful role was Crispin Freeman as Tabool. Yes, that's right, Crispin Freeman, one of the best voice actors currently alive, was terrible in a role. The man who played iconic anime characters such as Alucard (Hellsing & Hellsing Ultimate), Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) and Itachi Uchiha (Naruto & Naruto Shippuden) was just terrible as Tabool. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Ed Paul as Shu, Dan Green as Nabuca and Kayzie Rogers as Sara. I also feel that the opening and ending themes were not exactly fit for the anime and kind of down-graded it for me but with that said, the animation and sound is all-round good.

Akitaro Daichi, the man who
directed Here and Now, There
and Then

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
I like this anime. Notice I said "like" and not "enjoyed". I like this anime for its story and characters. The animation and sound aren't bad either. When it comes to judging my overall enjoyment of this anime, enjoy would be the wrong word to use. No human being in the right state of mind would enjoy this but they would be invested in Shu and the other characters so much that they have to keep watching. The anime is a lot like watching a bad car crash: you wish that you could stop watching but you simply can't because the horrific things happening before you are so terrible that it's impossible. With that in mind, I can't give a full 10 or even 9 for my overall enjoyment, as to do that would make me fear for my immortal soul. However, this is an anime that I think needs more attention and I consider it a severely underrated contribution to the genre.

Final Verdict: 8.5/10 with a very reluctant

I give it a very reluctant "Goku Seal" because really the "Goku Seal" represents the fact that it's an anime everyone can enjoy or should view. Eventually, I decided to put it on because this is absolutely a series that everyone should view for its plot and characters, both of which are of a rare high quality. This anime was originally licensed by Central Park Media but after their liquidation and bankruptcy in 2009, it was given to ADV Films, who re-released a boxset, which is unfortunately now out of print. I absolutely recommend buying this series, as it is a must-have. For other recommendations, I point you in the direction of Grave of the Fireflies, Isao Takahata's masterful war film showing the suffering of two Japanese children at the end of World War II, and Future Boy Conan, another anime that shows the effects of war and suffering on the planet and holds similar themes to HNTT whilst maintaining a more optimistic perspective. Between these two, you might find something to your liking.

Future Boy Conan: A more light-hearted
take on the post-apocalyptic genre.

Grave of the Fireflies: One of the saddest
war films ever made.

So, until next time, 

Sayonara!

Movie Mondays: My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Konichiwa!

So, this is a new feature that I have decided to do as part of my blog. Movie Mondays is when every Monday I review an anime film. That's basically it. And, as a follow-up to the article on Studio Ghibli, I have decided to start with My Neighbour Totoro, arguably Ghibli's first really successful film.

Film: My Neighbour Totoro
Year: 1988
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki
Music: Joe Hisaishi
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Genre: Fantasy
Running Time: 86 minutes

This is a movie that all Ghibli fans love. It's praised for it's characters, it's story, the overall presentation, etc... Basically this is a flawless movie from the eyes of practically every Hayao Miyazaki fan I've met. Roger Ebert listed it as one of his Great Movies, with 4 stars out of 4 given. What do I think of My Neighbour Totoro? Well, I think it's a great family film. And you will find out why if you get on my Catbus and read the rest of my review.


Story: 10/10
The overall story of this film is a melancholic trip through the lives of a small family who have recently moved to the countryside in Japan circa 1958. The mother is in a hospital, extremely ill with a disease unknown to the viewer. The two girls, Satsuki and Mei, discover that forest spirits exist and interact with the great spirit of the forest, whom Mei decides to call Totoro after he emits a series of roars she interprets as his name. And the whole movie is basically little instances where the girls play with the spirits and await the return of their mother. The story of the film works because it is made up more of moments rather than overarching story. One minute the girls could be playing with Totoro, the next they could be waiting for their father to return from work. If there was one word that could describe the story of My Neighbour Totoro, it would be "life". What we the viewers experience are the lives of two girls at a particularly difficult time, which is fascinating because not many other films try to do that. This film not only functions on the concept of life but also on emotions - again, something very few films try and are successful at. Comparisons between this film and the early Disney films such as Snow White (1939), Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942) can be easily made, as they are all films that at basic levels function solely on emotion. The story of My Neighbour Totoro is one of emotion and childhood and it has rarely been done as well since.

Characters: 10/10
Of all the characters in Miyazaki and Ghibli's roster, I don't think they come as iconic as this. Every anime fan knows what the Totoro and Catbus are. In toy stores in Japan, you can find little Ghibli toys and the Totoro and Catbus are the most sold. The logo of Studio Ghibli features Totoro! Of course, the characters in Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away are just as famous as the ones in My Neighbour Totoro but, from a personal viewpoint, I see these characters as the definitive Ghibli creations. Of course, Totoro and Catbus are the most-loved but I have to also praise Satsuki and Mei. Mei, in my opinion, is a perfect representation of a little girl. She's cheeky, she's pouty, she likes to explore and play and do all of the things that little girls do and she's actually much more clever than her age tells us she is. Satsuki is also a good archetype of an older sister, as she is always concerned about where her sister is and what she is doing. As for the rest of the characters, they are not as important as these four but are still wonderful in their own right. The granny and the boy Kanta are both realistic interpretations of their ages, as is Satsuki and Mei's father, who is a typical hard-working dad. Overall, I find the characters to be wonderful creations and probably the most definitive cast of all the Studio Ghibli films.

Animation & Sound: 10/10
The animation is typical Miyazaki: hand-drawn and beautifully rendered. But the although the animation is top notch, it's the sound that is the best part of this film. The effects used that mimic the sounds of the country are very accurate and it almost feels as though you yourself are being sucked into that world with just how good the sound design is. The score is fantastic, as it always is when Miyazaki works with Joe Hisaishi and both dubs are very well-acted, although the Japanese version typically flows better. However, props to Dakota Fanning for her role as Satsuki. You could watch this movie in either language and it will be as good any way.

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
Although this is an excellent movie, this is the most childish of Miyazaki's movies. The majority of Miyazaki's movies have been meant for both adults and children but this is a movie that I typically think is meant for kids. I do love this film, just not as much as other works like Princess Mononoke (1997) or Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind (1985). But I could easily sit down and watch this movie for an afternoon. Plus the running time's quite short and is perfectly paced.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10 with

With that rating, are you even surprised that I am telling you that you should buy it? The film and all of the Studio Ghibli works are currently licensed by The Walt Disney Company, where you can find this and all of their films on DVD and Blu-Ray. For other recommendations, I point you to Howl's Moving Castle, another of Miyazaki's Fantasy masterpieces, and Wolf Children, a Mamoru Hosoda film that is similar in setting, characters and themes. Between these two you should find something to your liking.

Wolf Children: My favourite Mamoru Hosoda
film about a young mother raising half-human,
half-wolf children.

Howl's Moving Castle: A wonderful Fantasy
adventure about a girl who gets turned into
an old woman.

So, until next time,

Sayonara!

Throwback Thursdays: Elfen Lied (2004)

Konichiwa!

So, I've decided I'll do a new feature for this blog: Throwback Thursdays! This is where I review an anime series that is at least ten years old and whether as a complete series it still works. This is a feature that I think will be less frequent than Movie Mondays, another upcoming project, as a movie is much easier to watch than an entire series comprised of episodes that can be up to a hundred long. However, today I'm going to begin with a simple anime series that is infamous for gore, nudity and a beautiful soundtrack.

Series: Elfen Lied
Year: 2004
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Original Writer: Lynn Okamoto
Adapted Screenplay: Takao Yoshioka
Studio: Arms Corporation
Original Run: July 25th, 2004 - October 17th, 2004
Episodes: 13

Elfen Lied (meaning "Elf Song" in German) was first published as a manga back in 2002. It grew a large fan base and eventually Studio Arms decided to take the first half of the manga and adapt it into a 13-episode anime series. Studio Arms doesn't have the best reputation in the anime industry, with names in their roster such as Ikkitousen and Queen's Blade. It also doesn't help that when they were first set up, they were intended to only produce Adult OVAs. That's right, they were only going to make hentai! However, for all their massive faults, the two series that stand out from all the others in their collection are Elfen Lied and Brynhildr in the Darkness, although of the two, Elfen Lied has a less messy story and more memorable characters. So, let's get on with this!

The Story: 6/10
The story of Elfen Lied is one that is fascinating but is rushed out way too quickly. Lucy is a Diclonius, a being that looks human but has horns on its head and has telekinetically controlled arms that can manipulate and cut anything in their reach called "vectors". Because of her race, she has been kept for the majority of her life in a lab, where experimentation and imprisonment go hand-in-hand. At the beginning of the story, she escapes in one of the most violent opening sequences in any series I have ever seen. As she makes her way out of the compound, she is shot by a sniper and falls into the sea, washing up on a beach in Japan. There she is discovered by Kohta and his cousin Yuka. However, the shot to the head has made her forget everything: what she is, her past, even the ability to speak. She can only say "Nyu". Kohta and Yuka take her into their home, where for the rest of the series she is pursued by the military and other Diclonii. Whilst the plot is structured well and has a very solid opening, the overall presentation is quite messy. Lucy will suddenly come out of her Nyu shell at very convenient times and the rest if the story is a lot of repetitive melodrama, albeit interesting repetitive melodrama. The plot is constantly in danger throughout the series of completely breaking apart but just about holds itself until the end. The ending was also, I feel, quite rushed and just overall unsatisfying, as the ending does seem quite abrupt and sudden. However, the story is okay in my opinion. It could have been better executed but with an anime where tits are openly shown and there are shocking scenes of violence and murder, you know the main focus is not going to be the story.

The Characters: 7/10
Lucy/Nyu is one of the most iconic anime characters of all time. This is mainly to do with the anime's reputation for extreme violence, which bolsters the image of Lucy/Nyu. However, I really don't like the Nyu side of the character. She is basically brought down to fan service levels and is turned from complex character into a Pokémon. The rest of the characters are also not that complex or interesting. Kohta is a boring male protagonist, Yuka is your typical bitchy character with feelings for Kohta and the rest are just really not that memorable. The only two characters that really do stand out are Lucy and Kurama, the doctor in charge of the Diclonii facility. Kurama's back story is so sad and brilliant and Kurama himself first appears to be a terrible human being but the viewer comes to gradually understand why he does what he does. Lucy is also one of the most badass and simultaneously vulnerable anime characters I have seen. I think her breakdown at the end of the series is a fantastic representation of what being outcast can do to a person.

Animation & Sound: 8/10
This is where I think the anime overall really shines. The opening is beautiful. Notice I said beautiful and not fanatstic or terrific. The opening to Elfen Lied is BEAUTIFUL. It is a simplistic sequence: "Lilium" by Kumiko Noma is played whilst several still images are shown. The images were inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt and in particular a piece of his called "The Kiss". However, the simplistic artistry and the soundtrack make for one of the best openings I have ever seen. The animation throughout the series is also very well-done, although character design is a little too weird, with everyone having massive eyes other than the villains. The soundtrack is vibrant, the action scenes well-animated and the backgrounds really accurate to the setting of Kamakura. However, the English Dub is straight-up terrible, especially with Adam Conlon as Kohta. I really feel that Kira Vincent-Davis was trying as Lucy/Nyu but the rest of the cast is just bad. Try and watch it in the original Japanese if you can, because the script is also a lot better in Japanese.

Overall Enjoyment: 8/10
I like Elfen Lied, I really do, but it undeniably has problems in its story, a couple of its characters and its English Dub. However, Elfen Lied does have several high points in its animation, opening and soundtrack which I really feel can't be overlooked. Top that with an impressively well-known character from a studio that mostly makes hentai pornography and you have a relatively enjoyable series that can literally be viewed in an afternoon.

Final Verdict: 7.25/10

Elfen Lied is a good series to view, if not for you, then for your overall anime knowledge banks. The series is currently licensed by ADV Films in the U.S. and 101 Films in the U.K. Whatever you do, try and get the Complete Collection, which has four DVDs and comes with a nice case, artwork and a double-sided poster. For other recommendations, I point you in the direction of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, a horror anime in which different scenarios play out, and Future Diary, which also contains copious amounts of violence and a lot of dark humour. Between those two you should find something you will enjoy.

So, thanks for reading my review, until next time

Sayonara!

Review: Knights of Sidonia (Sidonia no Kishi)

Konichiwa!

Is it me, or are apocalyptic scenarios really popular in this day and age? In the past ten years, we've seen the rise in popularity of zombies, nuclear fallout and just general doom for the human race. We've seen movies like The Book of Eli, 28 Days Later and The World's End, video games such as The Last of Us, Mass Effect 3 and God of War 3 and pieces of literature exemplified by World War Z and Metro 2033 become extremely popular and hit the mainstream market with an impact that the apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre has never had before. Of course, this is a trend among anime viewers now as well. The biggest anime last year was Attack on Titan and now it seems as though the copyists are here. Two anime came out this Spring that functioned on the same level as Attack on Titan: Black Bullet and Knights of Sidonia. Both were set in a city that was constantly under threat by monsters and the characters all faced dilemmas that were very similar to the sort SNK's faced. Today, I'm going to review the one which I preferred: Knights of Sidonia or, in Japanese, Sidonia no Kishi.

Story: 8/10
The story of Knights of Sidonia is actually quite interesting. The setting is 1000 years after the humans fled Earth after it was destroyed by giant shape-shifting and tentacled aliens called the Gauna. One of the ships which the humans escaped on is called Sidonia, where our story takes place. Nagate Tanikaze has lived his whole life underground, until one day he is discovered and taken up to Sidonia, where he is selected to be a Guardes pilot, Guardes being huge Mecha that carry spears and fight the Gauna. The overall story presentation is well done and in each episode the viewer feels that they have learnt something important about either the history, the environment or the characters, which is something any good story should do. The show is definitively story-driven; I did not see in any of the twelve episodes anything that deviated from the overall plot. The only complaint I have is that it is left extremely open-ended and, unless the creators make a season two, that overall diminishes the score.

Characters: 8/10
This is the department where I think the anime really does suffer overall and this is mainly because Nagate, the main character, is boring. You know those stories where there is a chosen one who will topple evil? Well, in those, I really do tend to hate the chosen one, especially when he is declared the chosen one only after about seven episodes. The thing is, Nagate's growth as a character is not really that well handled. We know he's a good man and that he is learning about the world around him, just as we are, but there isn't much that goes on from there. We don't know his likes or dislikes, something that I think should be essential to any character growth. However, with that said, Nagate isn't the most boring character I've ever seen and the rest of the characters are quite interesting in their own right. The Immortal Crew Members, for example, are absolutely fascinating as they have a history of making Sidonia what it is in the present time of the story. Izana Shinatose, one of the main characters and Nagate's best friend, is defined as not having any sort of gender, as part of a hermaphrodite race that grew after the humans left Earth. The characters are all filled with ideas of what a post-apocalyptic sci-fi scenario may look like and it's little touches to the characters that pretty much save the fact that Nagate is not very interesting.

Animation & Sound: 9/10
One of the things that bugs a lot of anime fans about this anime is the splicing of CGI and hand-drawn animation. Many have criticised it for being quite ugly and unnatural. However, I disagree, I believe the splicing of CGI and 2D animation is a good idea because it accentuates the sci-fi art style and the action scenes look a lot better with it. I also loved the way the characters and environments were drawn into an almost ancient-looking civilization. The sound is just fantastic. The opening and ending themes are awesome, the sound effects are cool and the voice acting is pretty top-notch. I loved Aki Toyosaki (Anohana, K-On! 2009) as Izana and Satomi Arai (Code Geass) as Hiyama. There is no English Dub as of yet, so when it finally does air, I will make sure to tell you whether the dub or the sub is better.

Overall Enjoyment: 9/10

I really, really liked this show. From the opening theme to the sci-fi setting, I couldn't get enough of it. However, when I look back on it overall, my overall enjoyment was still high but not as high as it was. I think I've realized to just how much of an extent this rips on SNK's story. However, while it was definitely a knock-off, the overall enjoyment is still at a good level.

FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10

My recommendation of this show is that you should probably stream it rather than buy it and it seems that it is your only option at the moment, as Netflix are the only ones legally broadcasting it. An English Dub is under production as we speak, with Johnny Young Bosch, Todd Haberkorn and Spike Spencer to fill in roles. As for the open ending, it appears that it will be fixed as production on the second season is happening even as I write this review. So, until next time,

Sayonara!