Anime #6
It's been a while, so I hope I don't miss something. I've watched some random episodes here and there, but these reviews are only for series I've watched completely.
Toradora!
I'd seen the fansubs but wanted to watch the DVDs. The special edition box sets are fancy but overkill for most series. According to The Right Stuf, the special editions are going out of print (I suspected as much) but will be replaced by a normal DVD release, hopefully at a more normal price. Regardless, I really like this series so I wanted to get it with the extras. Watching it again, I was struck by how much the plot follows a "normal" romantic comedy arc, which I didn't notice the first time around. What sets this show apart are the characters, each unusual and with their own unique issues. One funny part of the book that comes with the DVD is in the cast interview: they ask the lead voice actor which girl he personally would like to date, and he said something like "uh, they all have their issues, do I really have to choose?" As usual, I'm all about the ending, and while this one isn't perfect, it's very good (and I think I read that the anime ended before the manga, so in that case they did a very good job). Highly recommended if you like romance and/or comedies with unique characters.
Shiki
I'm really tired of the whole vampire thing, which is been done repeatedly in anime just like everywhere else. However, this show managed to set itself apart. The first episode reminded me a lot of Shimotsuma Monogatari, probably intentionally, but that was just a setup for what comes later. Despite the outlandish character designs, this show is actually a somewhat realistic take on what would happen if a group of vampires moved into a small town and started killing everyone. Since nobody really believe in vampires, the town doctor would try to figure out if there was some sort of epidemic, and everyone else would be mostly concerned about themselves and their family and friends. This show starts slow but it really evolves over time and rewards your patience if you watch the whole thing.
Blade of the Immortal
I've been a fan of the manga since college, although I haven't kept up with it recently. It was almost inevitable that it would one day be animated. However, I was disappointed with the result. Compared to the excellent art of the manga, the anime seems low-budget and rushed. Actually, "rushed" describes the whole enterprise, because the producers apparently felt the need to cram over 15 years of plot into 13 episodes. It just doesn't work. I was able to follow along because I still remember the main plot points after however many years, but I wish they had taken more time. Also, the violence from the manga is heavily censored, which is disappointing given shows like Berserk were able to make it on television. If I was unfamiliar with the manga, it would seem like a mediocre samurai fighting show. Hopefully it will be revisited someday.
Vexille
If you set out to make a clone of the first Appleseed movie, this is probably what you would end up with. That was apparently the goal of the producers, and since Appleseed was such a great film, it's not that bad of a goal. The plot is a mess, but that's sadly typical of anime movies (I wasn't thrilled with the second Appleseed film either). Vexille is a decent movie, but it probably could have been better.
Highschool of the Dead
I typically stay away from popular harem shows, but when you add zombies to the mix, I had to check it out. The plot can be summarized as an anime take on a Zombieland prequel, with a little of The Walking Dead thrown in. I was fairly impressed with it overall and await the inevitable sequel. The amount of fanservice was a little surprising (to the point that some TV episodes were censored for broadcast) but I guess that's typical for certain shows these days.
Skip Beat!
I'm a sucker for shoujo, and this is shoujo done well. However, maybe due to the marathon session I spent watching this show with a friend, I can't remember much about it. (I'm reading Wikipedia now to refresh my memory.) I do know that there's no "ending" which is always disappointing, and the plot is rather contrived, but otherwise it was very good. It's more of a coming of age story than a romance, and the main character is quirky which leads to a lot of comedy. If you like shoujo, check it out.
Giant Killing
I like when anime focus on unusual topics, like cooking or sports, especially when it's something I know little about. That's what drew me to this soccer anime. The character designs are also unusual, mirroring the seinen manga rather than adopting a more standard anime look. The plot reminded me a little of One Outs, but this is a much more realistic take on a sport and what it takes to build a winning team. It's also unique in that there are a range of characters, from the players and team staff to fans both young and old. Despite the unconventional look, I thought it was really well done.
Zombie-Loan
This show reminded me a lot of Soul Eater with more conventional character designs. The show was interesting and well done, and it has its own take on the supernatural. However, shows like this normally don't stand out to me, so I kind of watched it and moved on.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
This is an excellent movie, and any criticisms I have are colored by the fact that I'd already seen the director's second film, Summer Wars. I was able to see some themes common to both movies, and I feel the second movie is better. The one thing that is a slight annoyance in both films is the simplistic character designs which stand out against the complex, almost photo-realistic backgrounds. You adjust to it, but it's still a little strange. However, this is one of those films that every anime fan should see.
Hikaru no Go
Like the soccer anime above, I watched this mainly for the unusual subject, in this case the game of Go. It actually taught me how to play the game, and I've been trying it out with a Go app on my phone. At first, you wonder how they'll make an anime about people playing a board game interesting, especially when you realize they're going for realism rather than trying to jazz things up. However, this is really a coming-of-age story with the world of Go as the setting, and it has surprising depth. I can't think of any other anime where I've seen as many male characters cry, and it's a sign of the emotions that the characters are investing in the game. The anime does end before the manga, but the endings (the last couple episodes each feel like an ending) are very satisfying. There are some anime specials continuing the plot that were aired after the TV series ended, but I haven't seen those yet. I should mention I watched this on Netflix as part of their new deal with Viz. Thank you Netflix for adding subtitled anime! It's also available subbed on Hulu, if you want to sit through commercials.
Haiyoru! Nyaru-Ani
What if the Cthulhu mythos were turned into an anime? Well, apparently you end up with this. It's really impossible to describe, but basically gods from the mythos appear as anime babes (the main girl is Nyarlathotep, or in this case Nyarl-ko) and it turns into kind of a twisted harem anime. It just needs to be experienced. All the episodes are short, so it's easy to watch in one sitting.
Kimi ni Todoke
More shoujo! I really enjoyed this series. The plot sounds somewhat like Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge but it's actually much more reminiscent of Toradora. The storyline itself is a fairly standard high school shoujo romance (heavy on the romance -- there's some comedy but it's not the focus), but I noticed that it was treated very realistically. There are very few of the deus ex machina coincidences or awkward situations that typically pop up in shows like this, and instead the characters are allowed to act naturally and grow at their own pace. I also appreciated that the plot is kind to the characters, rarely putting them in painful situations just to extend the storyline. In that regard, the show is as much about friendship as it is romance. The second season was a little disappointing in that it tends to lapse into some of the genre stereotypes and lead to some impatience about when the plot will finally be resolved. However, the show wraps things up nicely and overall was very well done.
Miracle Train
The weird thing about this anime was that it was even made. It's basically an advertisement for the Tokyo Oedo subway line, where each of the bishounen characters is supposed to represent a train station. The early episodes are kind of what you would expect (if you expected this anime to be made) with the characters showing a female passenger around a particular location along the train line while helping her solve a problem. However, there is a little bit of a deeper plot, and the later episodes manage to play with the established convention a bit to keep things interesting, like when a male passenger boards the train by accident. If someone out there is both a train otaku and loves bishounen anime, this is probably their favorite show. For the rest of us, it's an interesting diversion.
If you think the previous list was long, you should see the list of things I've got queued up to watch. I actually got sidetracked for a while watching other shows, like the first four seasons of Dexter and all of Veronica Mars. My Netflix subscription is both a blessing and a curse. Lately I've been back in the anime groove, though.
Toradora!
I'd seen the fansubs but wanted to watch the DVDs. The special edition box sets are fancy but overkill for most series. According to The Right Stuf, the special editions are going out of print (I suspected as much) but will be replaced by a normal DVD release, hopefully at a more normal price. Regardless, I really like this series so I wanted to get it with the extras. Watching it again, I was struck by how much the plot follows a "normal" romantic comedy arc, which I didn't notice the first time around. What sets this show apart are the characters, each unusual and with their own unique issues. One funny part of the book that comes with the DVD is in the cast interview: they ask the lead voice actor which girl he personally would like to date, and he said something like "uh, they all have their issues, do I really have to choose?" As usual, I'm all about the ending, and while this one isn't perfect, it's very good (and I think I read that the anime ended before the manga, so in that case they did a very good job). Highly recommended if you like romance and/or comedies with unique characters.
Shiki
I'm really tired of the whole vampire thing, which is been done repeatedly in anime just like everywhere else. However, this show managed to set itself apart. The first episode reminded me a lot of Shimotsuma Monogatari, probably intentionally, but that was just a setup for what comes later. Despite the outlandish character designs, this show is actually a somewhat realistic take on what would happen if a group of vampires moved into a small town and started killing everyone. Since nobody really believe in vampires, the town doctor would try to figure out if there was some sort of epidemic, and everyone else would be mostly concerned about themselves and their family and friends. This show starts slow but it really evolves over time and rewards your patience if you watch the whole thing.
Blade of the Immortal
I've been a fan of the manga since college, although I haven't kept up with it recently. It was almost inevitable that it would one day be animated. However, I was disappointed with the result. Compared to the excellent art of the manga, the anime seems low-budget and rushed. Actually, "rushed" describes the whole enterprise, because the producers apparently felt the need to cram over 15 years of plot into 13 episodes. It just doesn't work. I was able to follow along because I still remember the main plot points after however many years, but I wish they had taken more time. Also, the violence from the manga is heavily censored, which is disappointing given shows like Berserk were able to make it on television. If I was unfamiliar with the manga, it would seem like a mediocre samurai fighting show. Hopefully it will be revisited someday.
Vexille
If you set out to make a clone of the first Appleseed movie, this is probably what you would end up with. That was apparently the goal of the producers, and since Appleseed was such a great film, it's not that bad of a goal. The plot is a mess, but that's sadly typical of anime movies (I wasn't thrilled with the second Appleseed film either). Vexille is a decent movie, but it probably could have been better.
Highschool of the Dead
I typically stay away from popular harem shows, but when you add zombies to the mix, I had to check it out. The plot can be summarized as an anime take on a Zombieland prequel, with a little of The Walking Dead thrown in. I was fairly impressed with it overall and await the inevitable sequel. The amount of fanservice was a little surprising (to the point that some TV episodes were censored for broadcast) but I guess that's typical for certain shows these days.
Skip Beat!
I'm a sucker for shoujo, and this is shoujo done well. However, maybe due to the marathon session I spent watching this show with a friend, I can't remember much about it. (I'm reading Wikipedia now to refresh my memory.) I do know that there's no "ending" which is always disappointing, and the plot is rather contrived, but otherwise it was very good. It's more of a coming of age story than a romance, and the main character is quirky which leads to a lot of comedy. If you like shoujo, check it out.
Giant Killing
I like when anime focus on unusual topics, like cooking or sports, especially when it's something I know little about. That's what drew me to this soccer anime. The character designs are also unusual, mirroring the seinen manga rather than adopting a more standard anime look. The plot reminded me a little of One Outs, but this is a much more realistic take on a sport and what it takes to build a winning team. It's also unique in that there are a range of characters, from the players and team staff to fans both young and old. Despite the unconventional look, I thought it was really well done.
Zombie-Loan
This show reminded me a lot of Soul Eater with more conventional character designs. The show was interesting and well done, and it has its own take on the supernatural. However, shows like this normally don't stand out to me, so I kind of watched it and moved on.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
This is an excellent movie, and any criticisms I have are colored by the fact that I'd already seen the director's second film, Summer Wars. I was able to see some themes common to both movies, and I feel the second movie is better. The one thing that is a slight annoyance in both films is the simplistic character designs which stand out against the complex, almost photo-realistic backgrounds. You adjust to it, but it's still a little strange. However, this is one of those films that every anime fan should see.
Hikaru no Go
Like the soccer anime above, I watched this mainly for the unusual subject, in this case the game of Go. It actually taught me how to play the game, and I've been trying it out with a Go app on my phone. At first, you wonder how they'll make an anime about people playing a board game interesting, especially when you realize they're going for realism rather than trying to jazz things up. However, this is really a coming-of-age story with the world of Go as the setting, and it has surprising depth. I can't think of any other anime where I've seen as many male characters cry, and it's a sign of the emotions that the characters are investing in the game. The anime does end before the manga, but the endings (the last couple episodes each feel like an ending) are very satisfying. There are some anime specials continuing the plot that were aired after the TV series ended, but I haven't seen those yet. I should mention I watched this on Netflix as part of their new deal with Viz. Thank you Netflix for adding subtitled anime! It's also available subbed on Hulu, if you want to sit through commercials.
Haiyoru! Nyaru-Ani
What if the Cthulhu mythos were turned into an anime? Well, apparently you end up with this. It's really impossible to describe, but basically gods from the mythos appear as anime babes (the main girl is Nyarlathotep, or in this case Nyarl-ko) and it turns into kind of a twisted harem anime. It just needs to be experienced. All the episodes are short, so it's easy to watch in one sitting.
Kimi ni Todoke
More shoujo! I really enjoyed this series. The plot sounds somewhat like Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge but it's actually much more reminiscent of Toradora. The storyline itself is a fairly standard high school shoujo romance (heavy on the romance -- there's some comedy but it's not the focus), but I noticed that it was treated very realistically. There are very few of the deus ex machina coincidences or awkward situations that typically pop up in shows like this, and instead the characters are allowed to act naturally and grow at their own pace. I also appreciated that the plot is kind to the characters, rarely putting them in painful situations just to extend the storyline. In that regard, the show is as much about friendship as it is romance. The second season was a little disappointing in that it tends to lapse into some of the genre stereotypes and lead to some impatience about when the plot will finally be resolved. However, the show wraps things up nicely and overall was very well done.
Miracle Train
The weird thing about this anime was that it was even made. It's basically an advertisement for the Tokyo Oedo subway line, where each of the bishounen characters is supposed to represent a train station. The early episodes are kind of what you would expect (if you expected this anime to be made) with the characters showing a female passenger around a particular location along the train line while helping her solve a problem. However, there is a little bit of a deeper plot, and the later episodes manage to play with the established convention a bit to keep things interesting, like when a male passenger boards the train by accident. If someone out there is both a train otaku and loves bishounen anime, this is probably their favorite show. For the rest of us, it's an interesting diversion.
If you think the previous list was long, you should see the list of things I've got queued up to watch. I actually got sidetracked for a while watching other shows, like the first four seasons of Dexter and all of Veronica Mars. My Netflix subscription is both a blessing and a curse. Lately I've been back in the anime groove, though.
posted by David at
1:11 AM
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