Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: Anime Review

Title: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Author: Koji Kumeta
Studio: Shaft
Released: July 7, 2007

Genre: Satire

The Plot

Itoshiki Nozomu is a pessimist of epic proportions whose very name even spells out ‘Zetsubou Sensei’ (Mr Despair) when written a certain way. He immediately eases us into this show by attempting to hang himself and is immediately rescued though by a strangely optimistic girl who insists that he was merely trying to make himself taller. She then launches into a rambling monologue informing Itoshiki and the viewer that her parents may well have been trying to get ‘taller’ as well, among other things.

After fleeing this terrifyingly happy young lady Itoshiki proceeds to go to the local high school to take up his new role as teacher, only to be immediately greeted by his saviour, and she’s just an appetiser compared to the rest of his class.

What's Good

Right from the get go Zetsubou-sensei seeks to poke fun at anything and everything it can and construct the most surreal scenes possible at the same time. Each show addresses another of Itoshiki’s dramatic problems with the world, and results in a long, rambling lecture to his students (who are just as strange, if not more so than Itoshiki himself) usually explaining why he is “in despair”. The entertaining thing about Zetsubou-sensei is that the characters seem to be intentionally as strange as possible and while this may seem like something that can damage a show's attempt at being funny, it works. Each of the increasingly strange students Itoshiki has to teach are amusing and interesting in their own way with their dramatic personality traits and hobbies. The opening and ending songs are, in this reviewer’s opinion, fantastic; the opening is a nice little rock number (performed by the wondrous Kenji Ohstuki) and the numerous endings are all such strange numbers that are pleasing to the ears. As is typical with Shaft the artwork is incredible and unique in that strange way that only they seem to be able to manage.

What's bad

As I have mentioned in a previous review (Bakemonogatari) the studio behind Zetsubou Sensei absolutely love sticking in as much background text and flashing images as they can manage without melting people’s eyes and this show is no different. If you’re the type to get annoyed by this then you might not be fussed with Zetsubou Sensei. If you’re looking for a series with a meaningful end or even a coherent plot from episode to episode then Zetsubou Sensei definitely isn’t for you; each episode is split in two parts and they rarely connect with each other, or even other episodes and the only common theme between them is Itoshiki’s depressed rambling and his students' differing opinions.

Conclusion

Zetsubou-sensei is a series that absolutely loves to laugh at the faults of Japanese society and loves to be as ridiculous and surreal as possible. It is worth checking out purely thanks to that but even more so because it does all these things well without hamming it up by over exaggerating these points. If you prefer a coherent story or even a show that has some semblance of sense then you’ll hate Zetsubou Sensei, but if you like seeing satire and surrealism done well then look no further.

Kimi Ni Todoke: Manga Review

Title: Kimi Ni Todoke
Author: Karuho Shiina
Volumes: 9 (Ongoing)
Released: 25th May 2006
Genre: Romantic Comedy





















The Plot

The story of Kimi no Todoke centres around the socially awkward Kuronuma Sawako, a socially awkward girl whose resemblance to the horror character Sadako causes her classmates to fear her and believe she can perform various supernatural feats such as cursing people. Enter Shota Kazehaya a boy whose open and kind nature is the target of Sawako's admiration and she is even more shocked when he talks to her regularly, soon enough Kazehaya's kind nature and encouragement helps Sawako to gather her courage and start to open up to her classmates.


What's Good

Although Kazehaya encourages Sawako to try harder to make herself understood to her classmates he never asks her to be anything other than herself an interesting change to other romance stories where they seek to eliminate defect's but this fact is never over emphasised and its nice to see that it makes no difference either way when it comes to this manga. The fear caused by Sawako is often played for laughs and is sometimes genuinely funny when compared to some comedy in manga and anime which isn't quite as amusing as portrayed in some cases.

What's bad

The typical 'will they wont they' cliché between Sawako and Kazehaya can be seen as a bit tiresome for people who don't enjoy that sort of thing, especially since both characters quite obviously like each other but seem unaware of it. The manga's idealistic attitude may also be a point of scorn for some people, as most characters are nice enough in they're own way (apart from a few exceptions) meaning that this manga can be a bit idealistic.

Conclusion

Kimi ni Todoke is a sweet manga with an entertaining story and interesting characters, although it doesn't stand out compared to other series but it is certainly a good series in its own way and is well worth a look.

Mahou Sensei Negima: Manga Review

Title: Mahou Sensei Negima
Author: Ken Akamatsu
Volumes: 27 Volumes
Released: February 26, 2003
Genre: Harem, Action, Comedy, Magical girl
















The Plot

Magician in training Negi Springfield dreams of being a Magister Magi (Latin for 'Master Mage'), one of the highest classes of magicians who travel the globe helping normal people while keeping their magical ability a secret. Negi's main reason for wanting to be a Master Mage is so he can find his father, Nagi Springfield, a legendary magician known as the 'Thousand master' who has been missing since Negi was young and is believed to be dead.

At ten years old Negi Springfield has graduated from the Merdiana magic academy and as per tradition he is expected to take up a pre-assigned job and continue his training. He soon finds out that his duty is to become a teacher at Mahora academy, where he will be teaching a class of 31 middle school girls. Soon enough Negi is enveloped in his students' and school's chaotic lifestyle.


What's Good

Author Ken Akamatsu is famous for his harem Manga Love Hina and it's nice to see him try a new genre although the romantic style comedy elements are still present. Slowly (at first), as the series progresses, the shift to a more action oriented plot is soon established and it is amazing to see how well some of the fight scenes are pulled off. The ever present perverted moments played for laughs due to the main character's young age and a lot of alike moments are more like subversions of the original jokes. Although a few of the characters play up to the typical clichés such as the 'shy girl' Nodoka Miyazaki, the nervous bookworm with a crush on the main character, it doesn't mean that it's tiresome. Rather these walking archetypes are comfortable to see and as with any tried and tested archetype or model they can still surprise you every once in a while.

What's bad

A major problem I feel I must mention is the whole 'creepy' angle the series can give off, with a ten year old pre-pubescent boy running around giving 'proper' kisses to girls to make 'pactio cards' (magical cards that grant the magicians 'partner' special abilities). There is also a point where the main characters get a hold of candy that can give the illusion of the characters being older or younger when consumed, which while tame by itself it does get a bit weird when characters remain in 'loli' form far longer than they actually have to. In one case the girl has, for reasons known only to the author himself, taken the opportunity to dress in frankly downright revealing clothing while in 'loli' form. With all this paedo-bait it can be a bit uncomfortable for even the most desensitised reader. Frequent breaks from the main story to mess about with comedic elements means that the Manga can be slow moving sometimes, and the latest two arcs have been ticking along for such a long time now that it might be seen as annoying by some readers. A more personal gripe for me is the claim that Negi is Welsh; while I always enjoy seeing my country referenced in anything I do wonder if the author actually understands exactly how the whole England and Wales thing works, because at times it can seem like he knows precisely what he's talking about (especially when talking about magical myths and such) and at other times I truly wonder if he actually has a clue what he's talking about (Negi often refers to himself as an 'English gentleman', for example).

Conclusion

If you can get past the slightly creepy nature sometimes seen in some of the chapters then this series is about average. It is a refreshing change from other action Manga with its blend of fighting, more traditional slight romantic elements and comedy, but it's still very mediocre in some ways. Although I personally enjoy the story I wouldn't exactly call it amazing, and although they don't detract from the overall enjoyment of the series the typical archetypes spotted in some characters do nothing to actually add to the story. I would recommend this Manga only if you're in the mood for a blend of magic, fantasy and harem.

Bakemonogatari: Anime Review

Title: Bakemonogatari
Author: Nishio Ishin
Studio: Shaft
Released: July 3, 2009
Genre: Supernatural, Romance, Comedy




















The Plot

Koyomi Araragi is a third year high school student who, after being made a vampire for a short time, is finally recovering. Unfortunately for him, he is soon thrust back into the unnatural when he catches fellow classmate and loner Hitage Senjogahara after she falls down the stairs and is amazed to find she weighs next to nothing...literally. After being threatened Araragi soon volunteers to take her to the same person who helped him overcome his vampirism, the homeless middle aged man Meme Oshino.

What's Good

The series' primary focus is on conversations between different characters. It is delightful to see some of these interplays and I find it enjoyable to see the different characters interact with Araragi and each other. The attitude of main character, Araragi, is also entertaining as he can go from calm and laid back to distressed and comically panicked in a split second. The series' new spin on the traditional supernatural monsters and main character saving the day formula is certainly interesting, especially since his first port of call after encountering people afflicted by the supernatural is to approach the expert, Meme.
The artwork is frankly gorgeous and I find the colouring of the art especially appealing, but that is an aspect you need to be shown rather than told.
The music for the opening and ending is also fantastic and are some of my favourites of this season.

What's bad

With the series focusing primarily on conversation, its habit of flashing up various words every now and again and the Author's well-known love for wordplay it is understandable that the inability to understand some parts of conversation and text can be frustrating, but this is a rather a gripe at my own inability to understand the language, although I do wonder how many Japanese people themselves are able to follow some of the wordplay. As well as being a conversation-heavy show the show can be rather slow-paced and this can become tiresome, especially if your interests are more action-oriented.

Conclusion

Bakemonogatari is a good series if you can look past the insanity of various flashing cards with words like 'red' and 'black' on them (a habit that Shaft is notorious for and it is certainly used just as often in their previous production “Zetsubou Sensei”) and losing out on some of the word play and satire. Even missing that the series is still fun to watch, though the slow pace can be off-putting and despite watching several episodes I'm still working my way slowly through the series.

Mirai Nikki: Manga Review

Title: Mirai Nikki
Author: Sakae Esuno
Volumes: 8 Volumes (ongoing)
Released: January 26, 2006




















The Plot

Amano Yukiteru is an antisocial boy whose only two interests seem to be writing in his diary on his cell phone and visiting his imaginary friend Deus Ex Machina, the lord of time and space. One day Yukiteru goes home and visits his imaginary friend only to be told that his cell phone has been gifted with the ability to tell the future. Yukiteru soon learns to enjoy his new toy and everything is going smoothly until the diary's latest entry foretells his own death.

After narrowly dodging his own death Yukiteru is soon stunned to find out that there are other people with future telling cellphone diaries and he has unwittingly become a player in the Battle Royale to decide who is going to be Deus' sucessor.

What's Good

For starters the characters in Mirai Nikki are nothing if not entertaining and watching how different characters take to their new powers is certainly something interesting to see. The way the different diaries work is a nice touch, especially with some of the more unusual ones such as the audio diary for the blind player and the 'escape' diary which allows its owner to find any possible way out of a situation. The story moves at a nice pace without dragged its feet much, and the build-up towards parts of the series is as intense as you would expect from a thriller. The characters' back stories are also exciting, especially those that are even now shrouded in mystery.

What's bad

Some of the scenes are a bit unrealistic; such as feats of strength and accuracy that aren't exactly believable at times. Some parts are a bit idealistic in the way that things seem to go smoothly at just the right moment, though this can also be reversed in respect of that things also go phenomenally bad at just the wrong moment, a minor flaw that has been pointed out is that the characters are able to foretell up to 90 days into the future and yet most characters don't seem to bother doing much more than checking their diary right after or just before a momentous event, though it has also been pointed out that the future changes so often that it becomes pointless to bother. This brings up the flaw of how quickly things can change in the Manga, which could be seen as confusing sometimes.

Conclusion

While it has its good points and bad points I feel that Mirai Nikki is definitely a must see . While it may not be for everyone I have thoroughly enjoyed the plot (thus far) and the characters, and while some of it may be unbelievable and convenient in places I personally loved every second of it. After all, even if it is sometimes unbelievable it doesn't suffer from it. In fact in places the unbelievable feats may leave you cheering for more. If you're looking for a good psychological thriller then look no further, if not then I definitely recommend you give it a try regardless. Who knows, you just might like it.

Rec: Manga Review

Title: Rec
Author: Hanamizawa Q-Tarou
Volumes: 9
Released: Q4 2002 – Ongoing



Matsumaru Fumihiko is your everyday salary man who dreams of a position in the marketing department of his company. After being stood up by his beautiful co-worker he goes to throw away his cinema tickets when Onda Aka interrupts his tantrum, saying it would be a waste to throw away the tickets and that she would like to watch the film with him. During the film Matsumaru can't help but notice Aka is mouthing along to the film, and is told upon questioning that she is a voice actress, and dreams to one day be the voice over for Audrey Hepburn. At the end of the day, they walk home and go their separate ways.
While getting ready for bed, Matsumaru notices smoke and sirens. Noticing that there is a fire nearby he rushes out to watch, because apparently everyone loves an emergency and watching people die horribly in fires is a great source of entertainment. Lo and behold, Aka is there sitting outside with the few items she was able to save from the inferno that is currently burning in, surprise!, her apartment.
With nowhere to sleep, Matsumaru recommends that she stays at his own apartment, at least until she's sorted everything out. They then proceed to go to his place, get undressed, and have sex. After waking up, Matsumaru realises Aka is missing and finds a note from her saying “I have to go, goodbye.”
After getting to work, it turns out that a proposal Matsumaru made to the company for a commercial (while he was drunk, no less) has been accepted, and he's the one to sort everything out. When introduced to the voice actress chosen for the commercial, he's in for a big surprise (I say surprise...), as Aka is the one who was chosen!
The Manga follows three main points, those being her progression in Voice Acting, his progression in Marketing (I say progression, he just seems to stay in the same place but does lots of things) and the relationship between Matsumaru and Aka.

Yet again I have begun reading a Manga series after watching its animated comrade, in this case, however, I can't say I'd recommend watching or reading one before the other to prevent disappointment or amplify excitement. The Anime consists of nine episodes, each one around ten or twelve minutes long.
Now normally with such a short amount of time to each episode I had expected the series to be a big confusing mish-mash of stuff that would make the series seem rushed and half-arsed, but it turns out that was completely the wrong assumption. Rather than cramming as much as they could into a small container, small, important bits from the Manga were selected and moulded together to make a finely crafted piece of art. It even had a good ending that left the door ajar, so it was final enough to satisfy the viewer, yet if another series was to be made there would be nothing stopping them. Had I read the Manga before watching the Anime, I have no doubt that my satisfaction in the latter would be just as fulfilling.

As you would expect, the Manga goes far deeper into the story than the Anime, but without confusing the reader with horrible intricacies and plot twists. At the same time it goes against any romance cliché, without there being the stereotypical characters you'd expect in romance stories. Aka is not tsundere, shy, lively, sporty, cool or mysterious. There isn't really any category you can place her in other than 'human'. The same goes for Matsumaru, he's just your average salary man; kind-natured, hard working and slightly lecherous.
That's one thing I like about slice-of-life series: characters are realistic, and while they portray the average human being, they have personalities, skills and traits that make them individuals without having to rely on the characters in other genres than seem to have been generated using some kind of Character Creation Wizard.
The story itself isn't so far-fetched either. Okay, so there are unlikely conveniences here and there to help the story progress, but a deus ex machina here and there never hurt anybody. What I like is how real the story is. There are no epic backgrounds filled with death that cause a shitty little “oh hey the main character is depressed because a repressed memory was brought to the surface now watch her struggle for a bit before her friends help her get over the ditch” story arcs. The most adventure you get is when they go to an island in the south to shoot a commercial, and there aren't really any surreal scenarios with a level of depth and confusion that rivals The Mask's pocket.
Now while I am harping on about the realism of the series, it isn't without its quirks. One character, a prestigious Anime director and director of an Anime Aka stars in, is one of the quirkiest characters I've seen in slice-of-life productions, and the mascot for the actual commercials itself is a weird fusion between a cat, a tree, and sweets.

At the moment, Rec is a fantastic read, and I doubt it could disappoint a single human being. If it does, then I will need to be presented with proof that the person is actually capable of sentient thought.

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Anime review

Title: Higurashi no naku koro ni (When the Cicadas cry)
Author: 07th expansion (creators of the original visual novel)
Studio: Studio Deen
Released: April 4, 2006













What's it about?

When High school student Maebara Keiichi and his family move to the rural little town of Hinamizawa everything seems peaceful and idyllic at first, it's not long before Keiichi is befriended by four girls who soon initiate him into they're after school games club and everything seems to be nigh on perfect, but Keiichi will learn there is more to his new friends and his new town than meets the eye, revelation after revelation are followed by a string of brutal murders in this enigmatic series told in a variety of scenarios and viewpoints, just what is it that links these scenarios together? All is revealed as the series progresses.

What's good

If you like mysteries then Higurashi will certainly deliver, and the series will keep you in suspense well beyond the first season. Interesting and amusing characters along with light-hearted segments in some of the scenarios means that this series is a definite favourite for this reviewer. I especially liked seeing characters portrayed in different lights depending on the scenario, giving the characters a somewhat more complex feel. Being a fan of mystery stories as well, I also enjoyed watching the story unravel as the series progressed.

What's bad

If you're not a fan of being kept in the dark this series won't be for you, being based on a visual novel the series stays true to the original, taking you through the first few scenarios designed for the viewer to try and piece together their own idea of what's going on before seeing the truth with their own eyes. Another downside is that fans of violence might be disappointed with the second season while conversely squeamish viewers won't be too fond of the first one. The series can also be somewhat confusing at times, with a sometimes convoluted plot combined with a pair of characters who are twins who like to switch places at times. Mix all this together and you have a chaotic recipe for viewer confusion.

Conclusion

Despite its few bad points this is a solid series, the long and drawn out suspense creating the foundations needed to make the plot deep and interesting. In this reviewer's opinion Higurashi is an amazing series, though that is a somewhat biased opinion. Will you like it? Chances are if you're put off by anything mentioned in this review then you already know the answer. But if you're looking for a gripping new series I recommend you give this one a try.

Hello from the new guy

Hi, I'm Turbo Weeaboo and I am the newest reviewer to this blog. I will mainly be reviewing Anime and Manga along with Gilder and Casinha, and will also review other things from time to time. My reviews will be posted on Saturdays

I love watching Anime and reading Manga, but I am able to see why series are considered 'bad' and will faithfully try to make sure these points are reported. I will also try my best to list good points and things that I myself enjoyed about a series, as well as the points I didn't like. This way I will try to find an unbiased opinion and express my own judgement of a series.

Yotsubato: Manga Review

Title: Yotsubato
Author: Kiyohiko Azuma
Volumes: 8 (60 Chapters)
Released: Q1 2003 – Ongoing



If there is a cuter entity way out there in the universe somewhere you would have to show it to me before I could possibly show a hint of believing you and then proceed to melt with said cuteness. Yotsubato is a Manga about a five-year-old girl (called Koiwai Yotsuba) who moves to a new town with her father and proceeds to have various small adventures with her father, the god-knows-feet tall Jumbo and her next door neighbours, the Ayase family. The Manga consists of Yotsuba wandering around on these adventures infecting everything with various deadly levels of cuteness, her childish naivete and misunderstandings fuelling an even higher level of the word “cute”. To be honest I do think I will be using the word “cute” more than a schoolgirl in a soft toy shop, so you'll have to forgive its abundance in this particular review, otherwise you either haven't read Yotsubato or you don't have a soul. Kiyohiko Azuma's art style really shows in this series, which has a likening to her other series, Azumanga Daioh, and is thus tailored to be cute beyond what the average human being can handle.

One thing that is always apparent is her innocence. She could annoy the shit out of you and you would still forgive her thanks to those watering puppy-dog eyes and quivering lip. She doesn't know that what she's doing would be considered bothersome, and simply follows the advice of whoever is around. The fact that she is easily distracted doesn't really help her situation, either. There was a particular point where she is sent on an errand to get pot noodles for her and her father. She isn't fond of spicy things, but her father is, and so she gets the shiny red spicy pot for him, and a less spicy one for herself. Not really know what to get next, she comes to the conclusion that the next item on the list is candy, and gets a few small snacks. Unfortunately the money her father gave her doesn't cover it all, and so she is told she needs to put an item back. While she is confused about what to put back, the shop assistant offers the solution of “Put back what you like the least.” Completely forgetting the original reason the went to the shop, she proceeds to put back the spicy pot noodle, and the chapter ends with her arriving home happy as a daisy. While the chapter ends there, it's not hard to imagine her father sighing, giving her a bonk on the head and going to the shop to get the pot noodle himself.
Each character adds his or her own element to the series. Jumbo is the guy who everyone finds amazingly huge and stares at like a zoo exhibit. Her father is probably one of the best fathers in the Manga world, teaching her lessons by making her go through the ordeal, always watching her to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. The Ayase family is also filled with some pretty interesting characters. Ena is the friend closer to Yotuba's age who goes to school, does her homework, and enjoys the company of her stuffed bears. Fuuka is the procrastinating high school student, forever putting off her studying for something else, like exercise balls. Asagi is the older of the thee sisters, but this doesn't show in her attitude. She is constantly playing around with Yotsuba, tricking her into some funny situation, making her, oddly enough, the most childish of all three sisters. Between these characters various friends and acquaintances are slotted in and the all make a bunch of happy peas in a happy pod.

One of the nicer things in this Manga is how happy everyone and everything is. Even the torrential rain is made into a cheerful event with Yotsuba running out and yelling “Wheeeee! Raaaaaain!” Typhoons are turned from horrid weather into mesmerising events, and every time Yotsuba trips, falls or screws something up, you can't help but look into her eyes and go “gyaaaaaawwww.” There isn't a single unhappy moment in the entire series (not yet, anyway), and I want it to stay that way. Plenty of Manga and Anime will get a smile out of me, but there are few that actually make me feel happy while reading them, and Yotsuba is one of those few.

Nodame Cantabile Paris Chapter: Anime Review

Title: Nodame Cantabile Paris Chapter
Author: Tomoko Ninomiya
Studio: J.C.Staff
Released: Q4 2008



Having watched the first season of Nodame Cantabile I have had to fight with my biased opinions while watching the second season and writing this review to come up with a quaint little neutral observation. Happily enough, though, I did not have to fight for long; the second season has more than lived up to the standard set by the first one.

If you haven't watched the first season I recommend that you stop reading and go watch it. Either that or read the first ten or so volumes of the Manga considering the Anime follows it like a carriage follows a horse. In fact, you could probably say the first season walked the exact same path as the Manga, taking in the sites as it ambled along, content and enjoying itself. As for the second season, all you need to do is take that description, add a bottle of Vodka and a pogo stick and you've got it. Considering the second season addresses the thicker part of the story, it covers everything quite well, however certain things are skipped over and when compared to the Manga some of it can seem rushed or unsteady.

In the first season we watched the characters go through various changes according to the influence of each other; Chiaki Shinichi learned to tolerate an orchestra that might seem terrible, but had the ability to become the fantastic R*Star*S Orchestra, something that he helped create thanks to the efforts of himself and everyone around him. Noda Megumi (Nodame) learned that if she wanted to be able to stay by Shinichi's side she would have to be more serious in her playing just to keep up with him. Other smaller characters also go through small changes as the first season progresses, making the overall watching process pleasant and enjoyable.

The second season leads on directly from the end of the first one, Shinichi having invited Nodame to join him in Europe. Nodame herself passes the exam and enters Paris' “Conservatoire”, a music school that cultivates the talent of young musicians. She was invited, in fact, by the teacher Auclair at the end of the first season after he saw her astounding performance in the competition. During her studies she is staying at an apartment filled with music students and artists (the artists get the attic...yay for Art), and it's not long before both Shinichi and Nodame have friends and the series has a cast.
There aren't only new characters, either. The second season sees the return of perverted conductor Stresemann, his dominatrix PA Elise and Samurai-like Oboe player Yasunori Kuroki. Throughout the series both Shinichi and Nodame have their own challenges and events to pass through, always coming back together at the end of each one, and always giving each other support.
This series is filled to the brim with some fantastic humour and great variety of characters. Paul Dubois is a Bassoon player with a whimsical attitude who fights against the trend of French orchestras replacing the Bassoon with the German Fagott. On the other hand Song Rui is a Chinese piano prodigy whose relationship with her mother nicely defines the situation of a parent pushing and pressuring their child to “be all that they can be” without concern for what the child actually wants to do, even when Rui is in her 20s.

One of the funniest parts of this series is the relationship between Nodame and Shinichi, compared to in the Manga as something like a Manzai comedy duo and the Anime is no different. Shinichi's air of maturity and intelligence greatly contradicts Nodame's impulsive and childish nature. What I loved was Nodame going around telling everyone she was his wife, and him eventually not bothering to even correct her when meeting other people. It starts off as a blatant “We are not married,” which eventually broke down to him just thinking it rather than saying it out loud.

Something else that I realised while watching this series was my ignorance of how musicians actually learn. There are so many classes including analysis, history, sight-reading, language and practicals that I can honestly say I was greatly underestimating the amount of effort needed to play classical music at a professional level. Even so you can see that this effort does not go to waste, and the rewards are great. Nodame herself gets to play a recital during the series, which was amazing and funny to watch.

When comparing the Anime to the Manga it is important to note that both are delivered completely differently. Manga doesn't have the advantage in audio that Anime has, it needs to rely on the imagination of the reader, which is all well and good until you bring in something like Classical music, something that not a lot of people might be able to recall by ear. You can show me some Liszt or Beethoven and I'll think “Well hey, that's classical music, that is,” but chances are I won't be able to place names, and in a Manga that constantly brings up names and genres, it doesn't have the ability to communicate through sound. It substitutes that with simple explanations and analysis of the music, as well as going through the history and feelings of the composer, and the actual story behind the piece itself.
The Anime, on the other hand, is able to use both explanation and sounds to communicate to the viewer, making it a more powerful experience overall. While I would urge you to both watch the Anime and read the Manga (in that order, considering the missing out of certain parts might annoy you while watching the Anime if you read the Manga first), if you want to for one go for the Anime. While a couple of interesting parts of the Manga are missed out, it doesn't have any particular impact on the story, and you won't really notice it unless you have read the Manga, in which case you know everything you need to know so it's all good.

The music used in this series is one of the best examples of how music can be used effectively to express emotion, easily setting whichever atmosphere the director wants. Simple, light, happy music is used in the background for the more common scenes, while a powerful orchestra and a hypnotising piano are both used to provide and awe-inspiring experience.
It's unfortunate but I can't quite say the same for the opening and ending titles. The OP (Sky High by the Gospellers) is a standard Jpop-ish song that's nice enough to listen to but doesn't really capture the series and seems more happy-go-lucky than anything else. The ED (Tokyo and Paris by Emiri Miyamoto x solita) is more or less the same. It sounds better, but I think could be better again.

I don't think there is any way possible that I could regret seeing this Anime without someone pushing a gun against my head and saying “You shouldn't have watched that,” and even then the regret would be half-hearted.

Spice and Wolf - Anime Review

Title: Spice and Wolf

Studio: Imagin

Released: Q1 2008

Episodes: 12

Spice and Wolf seems to be set in some kind of fantasy era where everything is bright and everyone is happy. The series shows people who live a simple and pleasant existence, all of them content with a life in which you only really need to remember two things to get by: Church = good, Pagans = bad. Unless of course you're a merchant, in which case you have to think about every possibility for profit under the sun in the most complicated ways available. Complicated to the point where I was confused more often than not and had to have a long hard think at the end of the episode before I got an idea of how the plot worked, at which point I needed an aspirin and a nice lie down.

Lawrence is one of those merchants. He rides around the country with his little horse and cart trading whatever he can get his hands on that will bring him a profit; wheat, furs, salt, armour, pepper, anything that'll get him some extra money. I don't find that strange, really, but as the series progresses, his obsession with earning a profit would leave me with little surprise if he started smuggling illegal immigrants and selling children to salt mines. On his trading route is a small village called Pasroe. Each harvest a festival is held where the villager to reap the final bundle of wheat from the fields is called “Horo” and locked away in a cold, dark barn for a week. Apparently this is a good thing, and the winner of this competition is Chloe, a budding young merchant of the town and Lawrence's sort of student. While all the villagers are competing to be put in isolation Chloe collects the final bundle of wheat.

Enter Horo, wise Wolf spirit and ancient pagan deity of the Pasroe. According to legend, she lives in the wheat, and even if the wheat is cut, she is able to move to another bundle of the stuff as long as it is larger than the amount cut, and it is nearby. As it just so happens, Lawrence has a big bundle of wheat in his cart left over from his previous transactions. One loud thump later and she's sleeping soundly in his cart unbeknownst to the villagers and Lawrence himself.

That night Lawrence's plans to sleep with comfort in his cart full of furs are disrupted when Horo wakes up, stretches back and howls at the moon. After telling Lawrence that the village of Pasroe has forgotten about the importance she played in the prosperity of the town's crops, and the promise she made with a young boy many years before, Lawrence isn't really buying her story. He asks for proof otherwise he might turn her over to the church as being possessed by a daemon, at which point she munches on some wheat and gives him all the proof he needs. The first episode ends with Lawrence promising Horo that he will accompany her back to her home in the north, a legendary forest where the “Summers are Short and the Winters are long” called Yoitsu, and so begins their journey.

Watching this series was kind of like having a Teletubby punch you in the face. Sure it's a soft one, but it's a punch nonetheless. The environment is an awesomely colourful place; the days are bright and blue, the sunsets are serene and picturesque, the nights are filled with shining stars, and the people are cheerful and helpful. That is until Lawrence ends up being hunted down by thugs hired to kill him. It is around this point that the two-faced attitude of the merchant world shines through brighter than the aforementioned stars and suddenly everything has turned bad for Lawrence. He finds himself alone and helpless with only a bastard to turn to. Turns out that this bastard would much prefer a heap of profit over the life of a small-time merchant, and has to be blackmailed into helping him out by the bastards who hired the bastards that tried to kill Lawrence in the first place, so it's all one big circle of bastards with Lawrence stuck in the middle not really knowing what to do and I can't tell where the knife in the back begins and the confusion ends. Actually, that's kind of a lie, the confusion never really ends. Each plot is as complicated and vague as the next, and it never really gets sorted out, the plan just kind of “stops” with Lawrence having gained little more than experience and a slap on the wrist.

Regardless of the complications of the merchant's plans, the story itself is the opposite when it comes to how difficult it is to follow. Lawrence and Horo enter town, Lawrence and Horo trade stuff, Lawrence fucked/fucks something up, Lawrence and Horo argue, Lawrence finds a way out of the mess, rinse and repeat and you have Spice and Wolf. The actual story itself rarely looks at the reason why they're together in the first place, and it never really seems like they've made any progress towards Yoitsu until around the end of the series where Lawrence tells Horo they'll be going to a city in the north to trade some more, and so the actual series itself ends around half way through the actual story without any sort of conclusion or answer at all, leaving all of that up to its younger sibling, “Spice and Wolf 2”.

Even so, I did enjoy this series. While more often than not Lawrence's situation more than adequately described “in a pinch,” he is an intelligent character, and watching him get out of those dire, life-threatening situations is just as fun as watching him fall into them. Horo herself lives up to her title of “Wise,” and is constantly helping Lawrence make more of a profit during his trades. Her personality can switch from sage to child at the drop of an apple, and her ears and tail are used very well to help outline how she's feeling. When she's depressed her ears droop, making her cute, and when she's excited her tail wags uncontrollably, making her even more cute.

Just as you'd expect, one of the main focuses of the series is the relationship between Lawrence and Horo. I actually enjoyed this aspect of Spice and Wolf. The development is made apparent without the need for the typical “I d-didn't do this for you, you idiot. G-geez” said with a red face. Subtle milestones are passed as the series progresses, and the characters eventually get closer and closer to each other. Again, this is done without much physical interaction, so if you prefer a more in-your-face development you might be a little disappointed, although I don't doubt that their relationship will go even further in the second series. Horo herself seems to develop quite a bit during the series as you learn more about her and her ancient promise to the child and people of Pasroe village. Lawrence, however, seems to be anchored in place as far as development is concerned. He is more the catalyst for Horo's own development, sparking her change rather than his own. While this is all good and well some advancement from Lawrence would be appreciated. Of course, through experience his ability as a merchant is developed, but this is never really used.

Looking beyond the story, the animation is nothing spectacular, but it's more than enough to paint the scenery that comes about. When thinking of Yoitsu the big trees and pure white snow offers a fantastic picture of a magical and legendary place beyond human imagination, and everything from the bustling cities to the sheep-filled, quiet country roads are clear and well done.

The music is the same. While nothing actually stands out, the happy flute music and the relatively fast-paced dramatic tracks envelop the series in a manner that isn't harsh to the ears when switching from one to the other. The transition from content to danger is smooth and fluid while maintaining the drama that comes with it.

I guess you can't really say that any individual part of the series stands out, but in the end everything complements everything else in a way that makes the series itself a bright beacon in a pile of dead bulbs.

Ergo Proxy: Anime Review

Title: Ergo Proxy

Studio: Manglobe

Released: 2006

Episodes: 23

Ergo Proxy doesn’t so much as throw you in at the deep end, rather it pulls back the curtain to reveal that you were already treading water.

The setting will be familiar enough to anime fans, set very much in the post-apocalypse, the air has been polluted to the point where it is uninhabitable, forcing humankind to seek refuge in some form of sterilised citadel. The gathering place of this tale is Romdeau, a colossal dome raised above the wastelands and sealed off from the contaminated air, enabling human life to exist within it. However, as is so often the case, it becomes apparent that Romdeau isn’t the perfect haven it seems to be, in fact it is rather more dystopian, with all-controlling Bureaus overlooking the goings on of the dome a la 1984.

The city is also filled with subservient androids, or Autoreivs, that come in a number of varieties, such as the high-level and highly skilled Entourage autoreivs that assist Bureau operatives, the Law-enforcing Armed autoreivs that keep people in order, and the highly-suggestive Companion autoreivs that, well, keep people company.

The story follows a number of characters, the main players being: Re-l Mayer, an Information Bureau operative decked out in blue eye-shadow, skin-tight nu-goth attire and a seemingly perpetual impassive glare; and Vincent Law, an immigrant worker grafting away in order to become a ‘Model Citizen’. Also in the limelight is stony badass Raul Creed, Chief of the Security Bureau, and also, obsessive bishounen Dr Daedalus Yumeno, Chief Physician and Head of Research.

The other main player is Pino, a companion autoreiv infected with the Cogito virus that’s troubling Romdeau. The Cogito virus in essence does exactly what it says on its Latin tin, enabling infected autoreivs to think, allowing them to disobey humans and essentially listen to their emotions. This progression is displayed brilliantly using the melodica-playing child-autoreiv Pino, in no small part due to a brilliant and nuanced performance by seiyuu Yajima Akiko.

The series catalogues the journeys of these characters, with each one of them progressing and changing hugely. The main through-line is each characters search, or perhaps quest, for their raison d’être, or ‘reason for being’. It is hardly surprising that it is philosophical searching and existential quandaries that abound in Ergo Proxy, as even the language it uses is steeped in philosophy, both the title of the series and the virus within it borrowing from Descartes’ ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’. The characters, in their own way, are escaping from the authoritarian 'Don't Think Just Do' rule of the system, which is perhaps summed up by the reprimand: “Preaching generalizations is for those who do not practise business”.

The dystopian feel of the story is very much in sync with the style of the animation, with much of the settings being shadowy, brooding and unsettling, though this is contrasted by the brightness of other areas. Contrast is perhaps one of the themes of the series, with the main visual example of this being the ruin and darkness of the outside world compared with the sterilised false glow of Romdeau.

There is also much contrast in the pacing of the series, with the slow, thoughtful nature of the characters developments being interjected by delicious mind-boggling episodes, which are both surreal and disconcerting, and also viciously sidelined by bouts of severe violence.

The series isn’t tastelessly violent, inasmuch as you aren’t flooded by it at every turn. However, when these scenes do crop up, they are unreservedly sadistic and filled with enough animated blood to seriously upset a Viking. Or alternatively, to drown one in. For violence devotees this will be good news, but it is also worth noting that these action scenes are also visually arresting, the fighting is furtive and nervous, but also slick and smooth. It is disturbing when a series has very little remorse early on, and Ergo Proxy follows in the footsteps of Elfen Lied as it casually brutalises its way through a number of characters that seem as though they could be integral parts of the plot, only to be so much fodder mere moments later.

This seemingly uncaring attitude towards certain characters is, again, misleading, as more often than not these characters are not forgotten, and attain far more importance as the series progresses. Contrast is, again, apparent as the series can not only present horrific suffering blatantly, it is also able to bring a deftness to bear, with more subtle, suggestive scenes evoking poignancy, rather than out-and-out shock, such as showing two body-bags, one adult sized, the other the size of a child, rather than spelling this out with blood. Although if spelling things out with blood was a competition, this series is certainly in with a chance of winning, and, to be fair, it brought an enormous pen.

When watching the series, it feels less like a story that is travelling on a linear path, and more like a picture that you are slowly being allowed a fuller view of. What may seem at first glance a sci-fi blood-fest is in reality a suspenseful mystery / psychological thriller, with tinges of both steam and cyberpunk.

The series is also coloured by delightful and, more importantly, unique character design, with designs that are interesting, arresting and memorable. The characters fit brilliantly within the visual ethos of the world created in the story, with some reflecting the futuristic sterility of Romdeau (Re-l), and others the grittiness of the wasteland (Vincent). The technology is also tastefully unique, from the sleek minimalism of the autoreivs, to the distinctiveness of Vincent’s gun, which looks like a malicious Pez dispenser. In terms of sheer style, there is a frankly inspired, and for me, iconic scene featuring a helicopter which goes in my ‘wide-eyed, open-mouthed and dribbling’ scrapbook.

On a complete side-note I would suggest that viewers keep an eye out for a very minor character sporting a toothbrush moustache, more commonly known, perhaps, as a Hitler moustache.

On the downside, some of the more surreal episodes are slightly difficult to follow, though a challenge is always welcome, and they all help to round out the world and the characters, not falling prey to the lazy filler episode trap. There are also sporadic sequences of, non-gratuitous, near-fan-service, from the scowling Underworld-era Kate Beckinsale lookalike Re-l, though not frequent nor overt enough to put off those of you that may have a dislike fan-service. It’s quite tasteful actually, if you must know, now stop badgering me *cough*.

For me the icing on the cake of a good series, or even the icing on the turd of a bad one, is the music chosen for the opening and ending themes. The track which opens the show is Kiri by Monoral, which is a fittingly bleak track, the sound of which is similar to what I imagine would happen if you injected U2 with Oasis (the band not the drink). It is fitting then that the ending music is not a Japanese band with the sound of an alternative British rock band but a bone fide alternative British rock band with the sound of, well, of an alternative British rock band. The track is Paranoid Android by the legendary Radiohead. Despite their legendary status I am unfamiliar with them, and I am therefore unable to assess whether I am for or against, and therefore there is no witty Radiohead-based quip here. The track itself is well suited to the feel of the anime, which is the most important aspect of a theme (in my opinion). I think it is very easy indeed to scupper a good series with inappropriate music.

The series as a whole, then, is very well paced, choosing to take a lull in the middle for some surreal episodes, rather than plough on at breakneck speed. The characters are all very well rounded, where you will come to understand them, and their motives, over the length of the series. It is astoundingly polished in all aspects, with the sound, look and feel of the series being just right throughout. The story itself is masterfully completed, being told adroitly, with all loose ends drawn together at the end, though without it feeling forced or contrived.

Ergo Proxy is very much a series I would watch again, and one I would highly recommend.

Similar: Post-apocalyptic Dystopia: Appleseed, Sky Blue

Mystery, Intrigue, Killings: Death Note

Greetings from some room that you'd expect to be dark and cold but isn't really all that bad. In fact, it's quite pleasant and bright.

Well a hello and a hiya to all of you who are reading this, and I must give a thanks for the time you have taken to check this place out, even if you are just clicking on random links and buttons for the sake of a boredom-driven quest, because I'm still totally counting that as a form of fandom, whether you like it or not.

Ultimately this blog will be used as a place to hold reviews for Anime and (sometimes) Manga, two things I thoroughly enjoy in life. Other media such as books, films and music might also be reviewed at points.
My own reviews will be accompanied by those of another author (and a friend) of this blog and will range anywhere from old manga to the latest episodes of anime. I'll do my best to avoid series that are currently running, although may pop up from time to time depending on my mood and whether or not it has been requested along with a good reason.
While I am drawn to specific types of Anime and Manga, I will try to be unbiased in my observations, although don't be surprised if certain signs of bias do trickle through. I'd like to think that my opinions are well founded, but don't hesitate to argue or criticise if you feel like it. Bear in mind I will be completely ignoring idiots, dunces, eejits, dolts, fools, dimwits, morons, fucktards/wits, twits, arses, imbeciles and nincompoops. Yes, you are completely welcome to think of me as a douche for listing eleven different synonyms for "idiot" (twelve if you count fucktards and fuckwits as seperate beings), I'd probably agree with you.

I don't have any particular intention of promising regular posting times, considering my sense of organisation could hardly be gathered and put into a small water balloon used to change an unsuspecting party from mildly content to slightly miffed.
I will try to write up a review when I finish a series, or when I dsicover a particularly good/bad ongoing one, but I repeat, I promise you nothing. Whether you care about that or not has nought to do with me.
Criticism of my writing ability (or perhaps 'lack of', if you feel that way) is also welcome and, to be fair, expected.

Anyhoo, thanks for giving the time to read this little introduction, and if you intend to continue reading our reviews, you have my utmost gratitude.