This time instead of reviewing I'll just write my thoughts on the movie Evangelion 3.0
I know lots of you didn't watch it yet so I'll make this short enough to sum it up in 2 images with a minor spoiler (nothing big, it won't ruin the movie)
Here is the first one
This is pretty much how things happened at the producing studios (Khara).
And next one is:
Ok that's it for today stay tuned and subscribe for more anime reviews!
Yeah I was pretty busy these days sorry but I promise to try and write more often.... GOMEN NASAI!!!!
Anyway this time I will be reviewing an anime that deserve much more attention and was dropped by many because they failed to understand the real message behind this anime.
Everything
in life is covered in mystery. Do you choose to live in blissful ignorance, or
do you make a difference against the harsh realities?
Before I begin you should please take note that if you came here expecting a funny and positive anime leave. Shinsekai Yori is not a light watch, it requires you to always analyze the situation, the concept and ideas being discussed to enjoy the serie to its fullest. It also provides you with experience.
This review will be spoiler free, read without hesitation.
With this being said, on with the story.
Story:
The first scene takes place in the modern days with people exploding and dying for some unknown reason.
A thousand years later, the world is ruled by humans with psychic power called Cantus which can make the impossible possible. In this new
world, Man has neither need nor want for technology and reigns supreme over the
New World's indigenous species called Bakenezumi (Queerats) and other new organisms we
come across as the story unfolds. All seems well and peaceful in the Utopia man
has created for itself, however Man's
evolution came at a price and the New World's mysterious history is written in
blood and hidden in secrecy.
The story follows the steps of Saki Watanabe and her friend, Asahina Satoru, Ito Mamoru, Akizuki Maria and Aonuma Shun, at the Sage academy where they are known as group one and learn to control and harness their Cantus.
From left to right: Shun, Satoru, Saki, Maria and Mamoru
Despite the
dark, foreboding tone set from the beginning, it's not until the group uncovers
a secret on their school trip that everything starts to go dreadfully wrong for
them. Disappearances, assassinations, and invincible beasts aptly called
'Fiends' are but a handful of the mysteries revealed to Saki and her friends.
Society is evidently not the utopia that it seems.
There are 2 time skip in the story and all of them will leave you like "what the hell? Why are you doing this you know it's wrong" but we later discover that everything has an explanation.
The story also treats lots of subject; I will discuss a few here:
As if to
defy the conventions of mainstream anime, sexuality plays an important role in
the story. The main characters are not innocent and devoid of sexual feelings,
even despite their young age in the first two arcs. Much like us, they fall in
love, experiment and desire to act out on their feelings. They are not
restrained by otaku concepts such as 'purity', and this is an immense benefit
given the mature tone of the series. One further thing to note is that they do
not only express romantic and sexual desires towards the opposite sex but
towards the same sex as well.
This created so much controversy, I wonder why... Even if the viewer finds
bisexual interactions to be uncomfortable, there is scarcely a scene that
displays such behavior in the first place. These relationships are not used for
superficial shounen-ai or shoujo-ai appeal, but are instead there to reflect
the characters maturing in a society unconstrained by social stigma.
Wow if I'm going to talk about every aspect of the story I'd better make a Wiki page... I guess this is enough story wise.
Characters:
There are
very good characters but not much
detail or development were given to them, aside from maybe Saki. Saki, the main
lead and the narrator, serves as a sort of proxy for the viewer so I will focus mainly on her.
Saki is a calm, smart person who always know how to maintain her cool even when facing danger or learning shocking things (like how their society came to existence). She cares deeply for her friends and refuses to abandon them. She is also very stubborn.
Interestingly enough, most
of the other main characters, aside from Satoru, are mostly used to reveal some
secret of the world. The side characters are mostly people presented to give
the viewer some much needed info.
Sound:
The music is mostly composed of haunting choirs melodies, percussion and ambient noise which serve to "heighten" the tension. There is no opening, just 2 ending theme.
Ending 1
Also there are a lot of OST that really stand out. Here are some of them
Also there is this one soundtrack that some of you might recognize, it is called New World by Antonin Dvorak! It is really a relaxing soundtrack and I invite each and every one of you to listen to it!
Animation and art:
The art is
somewhat unusual but fitting for an unusual story, more so than any other art
style I can think of. Though not much attention is given to detail as far as
facial characteristics go, it beautifully depicts the scenery and maintains an
overall cleanliness to it anyone ought to be able to appreciate. Truly, it is
beyond my ability to describe the fascinating world of Shinsekai yori but I
would wager it is unlike anything you have likely seen; before.
A1 Pictures has
done this series justice in its world building, using just the right colors and
shading to create a perfect blend that is both visually pleasing for the
average viewer and stays true to the story's setting. The studio has done an
above average job the majority of the time with the animation, slipping up only
occasionally and consistently producing quality episodes. It is worth nothing
that there are some scenes - quite a few actually, that are absolutely breathtaking
in their beauty.
And of course this is only augmented by the angelic scores
that play at just the right time, at just the right pitch to deliver a powerful
trifecta performance of story, art and sound in an astonishing meld.
One of the
strongest aspects of Shinsekai Yori is its atmosphere. Throughout every episode
exists an overbearing sense of dread and melancholy: the feeling that something
very bad is about to happen, and indeed it often does. The pacing is also very
much on the slow side, with several expository episodes before the story
finally takes off, but once it does it becomes very difficult to stop watching.
Shinsekai Yori is a macabre, sometimes uncomfortable story that will succeed in
immersing you in its dark atmosphere. There's nothing else quite like it out
there, which makes it an especially enticing experience.
Difference with the Manga and the novel:
Didn't read the novel but the mangas is another story. What I mean is that it is very close to the anime but with some difference.... Also it contains lots of yuri (No I am not making that joke)
Conclusion:
Overall,
Shinsekai Yori is an excellent anime. It’s a chilling tale that will leave you
impressed long after you've finished it. It slow paced and subtle story
actually end up working in the anime’s favor. It’s detailed and intricate story
as well as its themes will leave the viewer immensely satisfied in the end.
Some of the best kinds of stories are the one that make you feel emotion, and
boy will this anime invoke plenty of that. It’s a spectacular show that shouldn't be missed by anyone.
So there it is, my review of an anime I recently watched Boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai (not many friends)
Despite containing lots of fanservice and being very funny, this anime will teach you the value of friendship, that having a couple of trustworthy friends is better than a thousand "fake" friends.... okay now lets get to the review shall we?
Story:
Where to begin? Ah yes I know! With our main character: Hasegawa Kodaka!
Kodaka is a transfer student, he came back to the town where he grew up with his sister to live and go to school because he didn't want to follow his dad to the US.
So this guy is considered by his classmates a delinquent because he happened to always do the wrong thing at the wrong moment (like arriving late at class the first day of school after running and looking like a zombie in front of the innocent teacher scarring her in the process)
That kind of expression
One day while waking at school he notice that a girl in his class, Mikazuki Yozora, who is in general very discrete in talking to someone and laughing happily.
He enters the room and he notice that this girl is kinda complex-ed for creating an imaginary friend and talking to him (her air friend as she likes to call him/her). After telling each other's story, Yozora gets an idea and then leaves Kodaka telling him that she will contact him later.
The next day she catches him and tell him that she got an idea to make friends: founding a club! And thus the Neighbor Club was born.
To recruit member they attach posters all over the school with a special message that only people looking for friends will notice or understand
After finishing posting those flyers, they go back to the club room and are surprised when someone knock at the door saying she wants to join. Unfortunately it is Kashiwazaki Sena, a beautiful and popular girl with only fake friends. She wants to join so she could make real friends.
Things starts to go awry because Yozora hates Sena and Sena hates Yozora. We can see their reactions when Kodaka suggested that the 3 of them can become friends!
And here the story goes on, more people will join the neighbor club to try and make friends.
It is a really interesting story so I won't spoil it. You will love it!
Characters:
Despite his
looks, Kodaka is actually a calm and collected individual who is soft-spoken and
kind hearted. Kodaka would have initially called Yozora and Sena by their last
names if not for the two demanding him to call them by their first names
instantly. Kodaka would remain calm even when provoked or angry and is the only
one among his club members who is still trying to get friends. Kodaka is always
depicted to be somewhat "dense" at the feelings being expressed by
most female characters towards him. But in reality, Kodaka is well aware of
this, but only pretends that he does not know since he doesn't want anything to
change from the relationship between him and most female characters
Mikazuki Yozora: Although
Yozora looks nice, her personality is far from that. She is extremely
manipulative, and would often trick the people to do her bidding. She have no
qualms on who her victims were and have probably tricked almost all of the
Neighbor's club members (save Rika) at least once, directly or indirectly.
Kashiwazaki Sena: On the
outside, Sena appears to be an ordinary high school girl but in truth, Sena is
arrogant and prideful by nature and is well aware of this, even once stating
that she should do that since she's that good. Sena considers herself like some
sort of queen or goddess to the school and would often treat her fellow male
students as servants (not that they mind). Because of her personality and her
beauty, she has no female friends. Sena also believed that there are two types
of girls, the ones who would be her friends and the others are all not worthy
of her. Sena also does not treat the boys in her class with much respect due to
them constantly oogling at her and doing whatever she told them to, as such, Sena
merely sees them as her servants. However, whenever Sena's ego is shattered by
someone else (mostly Yozora), she bursts in tears and flings childish insults
before running away. Sena was also shocked to see that Kodaka does not act like
the boys in her class (wanting to be stepped on) and hence, views Kodaka in a
different light. Her feelings have
increased to the point where she says that she wouldn't mind marrying him and
that she was in love with him.
Sound:
The soundtrack is awesome. It really fits the situation and you will find yourself always singing or humming them. The opening is also great as it is sung by many well known seiyuu (Kana Hanazawa among them).
What I
really loved while watching the anime were the piano themes.
Here have some example
The opening theme
Ending theme
Animation:
The art is actually one of the I've ever seen. Especially when you look at the character's lips. They have something that no other anime has. The animation was almost flawless, the background was well designed and it is really enjoyable.
Playing on PSP
Difference with the light novel:
Didn't read the novel personally but I was told the anime follows the novel very well
Conclusion:
This anime is hilarious, the jokes were simple cheesy and they managed to pull them off
again and again and yet you find yourself laughing hear-tidily again and again. So if you are looking for an episodic anime to watch while you
are cooking or whatever or just wanna have a good laugh this is the one.
So today I will be reviewing a relatively new anime: Another
Before you begin let me warn you: If you are under 15 turn away, this anime is bloody, gory and this review will contain some sensitive material.
Also this anime will change your perception of life and death (and dolls). I personally loved it (even though I swore to never ever rewatch it I found myself watching it again the other day)
Story:
Well this is a tough one... Another is full of twists and stuff but I'll make it "spoilerless" (hard)
Anyway the story takes place in Yomiyama and follows Kouichi Sakakibara, a young boy with lung disease who just transfered to junior high at Yomiyama North (actual name of the school) from Tokyo. He lives with his grandparents and his aunt Reiko.
A little spin off here: There is a rumor in Yomiyama that 26 years ago a person called Misaki, who was in class 3-3 and was very popular, died with all his family in a house fire. Misaki's classmate's unable to accept this horrible truth began to act as if he was still their with them and acted along (even the teachers did). Anyway at the prom's picture it is said that Misaki appeared on it. It would have been nice if this had stopped here but...
The story begins with Kouichi waking up at the hospital.
He is visited by 3 of his future classmates (because he didn't get to go to school yet) who claims to be representatives from his class.
Visit's over, Kouichi went to take a walk, he catches the elevator quickly and gets in. He doesn't notice that someone was already in there, a girl who is also at Yomiyama North wearing an eye patch and carrying a doll.
She is going to the B2 floor (the morgue) claiming that she has to meet her other half (creepy eh?)
First day of school (for him) he isn't greeted the way he was expecting it, the mood in class is gloomy, dark, tense etc... Some people try to get to know him but there is obviously something going on (from their attitude)
He meets the Eye patch girl again on the rooftop, her name is Misaki Mei (suspicious eh?) who tells him to do not get close to her and to stop trying to talk to her.
That's mostly it for an introduction, the plot is simple:
one tightly-written, carefully thought out, involving a relatively
small number of characters, which proves surprisingly durable as a twelve
episode series, having avoided the trap of the same cliff-hanger ending every
time; they always manage to throw in a new and interesting variation. The
resolution of the story-line was amazing; it managed to bring all the strands of
information which we had gleaned and wrap everything up in a style which was
paced exactly right; fast, but not hurried or rushed. I certainly didn't see
the final twist coming- not many people did- but it was masterful. It was also
the most emotional moment of the series; even those of you who have laughed
like maniacs throughout the entire series will suddenly become somber during
the final five minutes. Being mindful of the strict limits on what I can
actually say about its specifics, I shall merely say that it was a perfect
ending to a brilliant series.
Characters:
Kouichi Sakakibara is a regular junior school students, interested in arts with some cooking skills who always gets involved because of his high curiosity level in the most dangerous stuff. Oh and I forgot to mention he is a horror story lover. He is always trying to find what is happening, we can say he is half clueless...
Misaki Mei: A mysterious girl who apparently can only interact with Kouichi.
Izumi
Akazawa, the class representative, is blunt to the point of being rude, but is
quite the deceiver and manipulator behind the scenes, as it later turns out.
Not every character is what they seem to be. Only the end will tell you everything!
Sound:
Well... how to say it... the sound is the key (bad musical pun... sorry). From the
start, the music creates a sense of eeriness, from simple melodies to
electronic effects and string sections. As difficult as it is to describe, I
would like you to imagine a full orchestra having a psychedelic freak-out (think
of that section of A Day in the Life) with a hair-raising selection of
electronic hums and whines added, and then multiply that by about ten. That's
about what it's like (or as best as I can put it into words). The music never
quite goes away, unlike in other, lighter series; it drops right down to a few
notes on a piano, but still gives you the sense that something's always just
about to happen.
The opening theme
The opening is one of the freakiest thing. Just read the lyrics, they are all about death, emptiness, void and blood... And the video doesn't help to ease the tension!
The ending (it is quite relaxing and gives you a sense of peace)
One of the many scary OST
The scariest OST
Animation:
The art is
simply beautiful. This might actually be quite near the top in terms of the
best series I have ever seen art-wise. The characters aren't that different
from any other series, but the backgrounds are amazingly well defined; they
really are just bliss to watch. The art mostly depicts death, lots and lots of
death, with some dismemberment and impending doom thrown in. In almost every
scene, there's a sense of decay, everything looks decrepit and rusty, the
buildings look deserted, and there's gratuitous use of deep, dark reds wherever
possible. If it's outdoors, there are crows perched on the roofs, looking
hungry. If it's indoors, like the hospital, then the lights are dim and
flickering occasionally
Difference with the manga and Novel:
Concerning the manga some stuff might change but you will get the same feeling as the anime.
I haven't read the novel, a book can't be judged by it's cover but THIS IS TOO MUCH
Conclusion:
If you are
still with me (and it's quite likely if you are indeed reading this sentence),
I recommend you go and watch Another now. It's only a few hours out of your
spare time and you really have nothing to lose except a night's sleep if you
are easily scared. If you are going to watch it, I can recommend watching it at
midnight, it's surprisingly good fun (if your idea of 'fun' is the same as
mine, that is).
So today I will be reviewing a new anime that only finished airing recently: Sword Art Online.
Before I begin I would like to say that yes it is a popular anime, yes it has flaws but it is really enjoyable. Even though the beginning is a bit rushed, you will still enjoy every second for different reasons: The original story (and no it's different from .Hack// you hater, the Light novel was released before the .Hack// fanchise) the enjoyable music AND the lovable characters.
Story:
The story begins in 2022 when the first virtual gaming console with a full diving game was released. The game, called Sword Art Online created by a famous scientist Kayaba Akihiko, offers real life feelings and needs, like you have to eat, sleep and all.
The story follows the adventure of Kirigaya Kazuto (ingame: Kirito) a geek/gamer who lives with his uncle and aunt and has no friends. Kirito was one of the beta tester of the game thus having a direct access to the game without the need to buy it.
Things start to go awry when players try to log out only to find out that the "Log Out" button does not exist. The creator shows up claiming that all the players are now his prisoners in-game and that the only way to get out is to clear the game. Also in-game death means death in real life, "once you die in a world you die everywhere" - Kayaba Akihiko
Upon realizing what is going to happen, Kirito runs to the next town in order to clear quests and raise his level (this is a plus because these days most of the anime protagonist would have sat in a corner and cried... Yes I'm looking at you Haruyuki from AccelWorld)
Anyway Kirito start searching for the 1st floor's boss. While searching for him he joins a temporary party and meets a girl: Asuna.
While raiding the boss, the party leader gets killed and Kirito is the one who slays the boss. Other people understand that he must have been a beta tester and label him as a beater (combination on cheater and beta tester).
And thus begins his real adventure as a solo player in that jungle-like world.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, I will just say that the second arc (arc not season) is focused on the relationship between Kirito and his sister: Kirigaya Suguha.
Characters:
About Kirito, he's the badass type of boy who get girls easily and can solve all problems without even sweating a bit and has many friends. The boy most people want to be.
He’s a guy
with a heart of gold.
He’s always
at an advantage.
He can
accomplish whatever he wants to with little effort.
He has an
‘ideal’ girlfriend/wife.
He’s
admired by those around him.
He can
‘unintentionally’ make every other chick adore him, romantically or otherwise.
About Asuna: Asuna as
the female lead is as stereotyped as they come. Much like Kirito, her character
is heavily idealized. She’s pretty, popular, kind, caring and every other man
wants to have a piece of her. Oh, and did I mention her cooking skills that
level up with each passing day? After all, her foremost duty is to cook for
Kirito and show how much she cares for him. While initially she’s portrayed as
a strong, independent female player with a tsundere-ish attitude, it doesn’t
take her long to make a transition from that to a deplorable damsel in
distress, requiring her knight in black robe to come to her rescue whenever
she’s in a bind.
Other characters like Silica, Klein, Agil, Lisbeth and Yui are here just to add some humor and make you laugh!
Sound:
The music
is composed by one of the most renowned composers in the anime industry, Yuki
Kajiura (nuff said!!!!). While the soundtracks aren't bad by any means, none of them stand out
much except the one that plays during combat/intense scenes. In fact, that’s
the only track that can be heard playing most of the time in the entire show.
Opening 1: Crossing Field
Opening 2: Innocence (didn't put the original video for spoiler purpose)
Animation:
Within the
game, the vast tracts of greenery, the beautiful cities during the night, the
castles… they’re all a pleasure to behold. The animation is also well-handled
for the most part. Initially I wasn’t much pleased with the character designs
but they gradually grew on me, and I personally find a few characters like
Asuna, Klein, Heathcliff and Lisbeth to be very well designed.
Difference with the Light Novel:
The light novel goes more into details explaining things and deeper, especially the relationship between the characters. And it has more side story that are pretty enjoyable.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, sword art online is a great anime, even though the two main protagonist are very criticize-able the plot always has this thing that pushes you to continue watching it. For those who don't know it the Light novel is much more in advance, meaning that it goes after the end of the anime. I have read it and I can personally understand why were all these choices made. Bear in mind that every decision taken has a consequence in the future.
Final Grade: 9.7/10
Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and subscribe for more weekly reviews.
Hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing one of the best anime out there that really affected me: Angel Beats
Before I begin let me say 2 words about why I began to watch this anime:
1- The original idea (the plot take place in the after life)
2- The beautiful art/animation
3- The presence of guitar
With this being said I will begin the review (you can read relaxed, I won't be spoiling the story)
Story:
The story takes place in school acting as a limbo for those who died. People who are sent there are those with lingering attachment to life and are rebelling against there past; In other words people with a hard childhood (sickness, paralysis, un-achieved goals etc...).
Note that people who committed suicide are not allowed to go there and people there can still feel pain, sadness and can "die" (they will awaken sometimes later with no injuries)
The story begins with Otonashi Yuzuru, a boy who awaken there not remembering anything about his life.
Upon awakening he is approached by an armed girl: Yuri Nakamura
Yuri tells him that she is a member of the Afterlife Battlefront (Shinda Sekai Sensen or SSS), an organization she founded and leads against the oppressing God and his messenger Tenshi (Angel in Japanese).
Tenshi
There is a rock band called Girls Dead Monster that act as a diversion for the SSS missions and a guild that mass produces weapons.
The rest of
the afterlife school is populated by a large number of "normal"
students and teachers Yuri deems "non-player characters" (NPCs) as
they are not human, but look and act the part.
Also if they just do like everybody (go to class and everything) they will be obliterated and reincarnated as a sea barnacle (or so they say)
Now I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers, I will just say that the story is really not what you might believe, things are very complicated. We have some childish humor but we also have this dark atmosphere when some of the SSS member's past is revealed. Each one has a unique story, torturous,
depressing tale.
The ending will leave you in tears
(image pretty much accurate of how I felt at the ending)
Characters:
As I mentioned before the story follow mostly Yuzuru and the SSS in their fight against Tenshi. Though we might notice that not all the character's past is covered (the Manga and the Light Novel do)
Each of them also have a special way to make you laugh as they are funny as hell.
Sound:
Nothing to say, the music is awesome, perfect, you will never forget it.
Opening theme "My soul"
"My song" One of the most emotional
And the ending theme which is relaxing after an action episode
Also the music really fits the situations, happy songs in happy moments, sad songs in sad moments.
Animation:
The
animation in this series is quite detailed and beautiful. The school campus
looks good and the scenery is close to flawless. The character designs are wide
and different for every character. It doesn’t rely on sex-appeal or moe
characters, which is refreshing. The amount of detail put in the weapons and
instruments is impressive. If you’re knowledgeable with these kinds of things,
you can clearly see what model, brand and such the different items are. The
violence is dramatic, but not «gory» or noticeably special.
The action
scenes does not disappoint as well. It gets your blood pumping, and that’s all
it takes for a viewer to want to see more.
The series
has its own band called «Girls Dead Monster». The amount of detail put into
their performances is incredible. If you watch closely, you can see that the
guitarist holds the correct chords, the drummer hits the right drums and the
bassist plays as if it was a real performance. Now THAT is amazing since anime
often just lets the guitarists hand slide up and down the neck of the guitar
and so forth.
Difference with the Manga:
The manga is still ongoing, and it is wider since it covers more the SSS's members story.
Conclusion:
Overall,
this anime is one for all tastes, and it will have you crying and laughing at
the same time. You will start thinking about your own life in comparison to the
pasts of the members of the Battlefront and get caught in deep thought. It is
visual and musical brilliance, and I would recommend seeing this if you want a
mix of everything. It did turn into one of my favorites the moment I finished
it, and the same may happen to you.
