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May 2, 2024
I have to admit that one of things that drew me to this series was the reviews it got here at MAL. It didn't seem all that extraordinary, even showed signs of being comically stale and unoriginal. But that solid 8 for a new summer title really had me curious. So, now, almost 2 years later- after the dust has settled- I can look at it with an even mindset. As I started the series, featuring an idealized and futuristic Japan where violence and apparently all bad things have gone, thanks to the antiterrorism efforts of "DA" "Direct Attack" and their
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highly trained orphaned girls turned super agents (in urban camo that happens to be school uniforms, of course). These girls, called "Lycoris", are seen stealthily and nonchalantly executing would-be bad guys with silenced pistols in the background of people going about their lives, but our plot begins when a hostage situation during a arms trafficking bust goes wrong. One Lycoris, Takina, takes the situation into her own hands and disobeys orders. Hostages were saved, but the guns were lost. Now, she gets banished to the suburbs to partner with Chisato at a base of operations undercover as a sweets cafe, "LycoReco". I wouldn't have puked all that exposition onto the page, but I wouldn't doubt if you're not impressed as of yet- cause, neither was I.
Takina, who is a straight-laced, professional career girl, sees this as a massive demotion and plans to work to return to DA, whereas her new partner Chisato, a care-free maverick, who is warm, goofy, and kind, wants her to enjoy the new detail she's now in. Yup, this is actually a buddy-cop anime. By their side is their chief, Mika, who serves as a silent, strong, wiseman always keeping an eye on the girls as a patient, but protective, father would. Mizuki, a comical, hopeless romantic is usually in the background, gulping some booze, and bemoaning her failures at love, but shows to be a more than competent professional in the field. Later on, they're joined the adorable Kurumi, who provides tech support as a perpetually unshod, ace hacker (a nod to Ed from "Cowboy Bebop", perhaps?) There is even, as so often in buddy-cop pieces, the "other" team of antagonistic rival, colleagues in law enforcement. I began to worry. I was still far from impressed.
This could have just settled down into a formulaic, almost slice of life meets moe, with guns, and for a while it does. I waited for what seemed like a season of it's own for something to push the plot along besides the few seeds being planted, with breadcrumbs to follow, in the corners and backgrounds of each almost repetitive clash of personalities, leading to Takina's iceberg melting a little more, episode. Soon, the main antagonist showed his face, the formidable, yet anarchistic Majima. Majima, is like so many anime villains before him. Life is too good, the powers that be to powerful, therefore he feels the need to introduce a little anarchy in the name of freedom. If he sounds like The Joker, the similarity was not lost to the creators, who gave him green hair and a somewhat festive outfit (but he still looks like a grown-up, emo Deku from "My Hero Academia", sans all the superpowers).
The magic of this show isn't in the art, which is decidedly superb, featuring many slick gun battles and hand-to-hand combat. It really isn't the music, where the opening "ALIVE" by ClariS and the closing "Hana no Tou" by Sayuri feel so stock anime themes, you could put them on any show featuring similar characters and have no issues. No, the magic is in the way to they make you care about the characters and that when the sickly-sweet atmosphere shatters with some genuine, harsh, violence and deaths, the show has your immediate attention. This show was destined to the rubbish bin for me, with an ignominious 5/10, and a "Thank you- NEXT!". But, when the third act comes, it comes together so well as any buddy-cop movie made before it. Majima might not make it on my top baddies list any time soon, but he is made out well as a capable, in both mind and metal, heavy. And after all is said and done, the epilogue feels like as a much deserved break for the viewer as the characters. "Lycoris Recoil" doesn't look to have a sequel coming, even though the possibilities for one are firmly there, but for what it is, a Moe with guns, buddy-cop, show- it does it well and is a strong 7/10. And at only 13 episodes, very binge-worthy, despite a slow start. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 31, 2024
When watching "The Eminence in Shadow", I recalled something I critiqued about "The Irregular at Magic High School" in that the MC in that series was so blatantly overpowered it made for no drama or suspense, because we knew he'd win out in the end and rather comfortably. I say the same thing about "The Eminence..." or "Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!", but instead of a dull thud of predictability it's treated almost as a punchline of a joke you the audience are in on.
Coming to us from the relatively new studio, Nexus, this light novel sourced anime is a treat for the eyes, if
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nothing else. Stunning visuals from characters, to backgrounds, to the magnificent fight scenes that are treated with a sense of Tarantino-esque comedy in that the brutal violence on display in something of the killing is almost laughable in it's, pardon the pun, execution. All told, this is a anime for anime fans. The MC is Minoru Kagenou, a teenage boy in Japan who- for all intents and purposes- is training to be Batman. A hero who fights the wicked with brute force from the shadows. He succeeds in this, only to die suddenly and be reborn in a new world as Cid Kagenou, youngest of a small noble family. Thankfully, he's retained all his experience and knowledge of his previous life and world. Helpful advantage, because this world is still in a time where technology resembles Victorian/Industrial Revolutionary days but magic is quite commonplace.
He adopts the moniker "Shadow" and establishes a secret organization called "Shadow Garden", made up of his hand selected operatives (all easy on the eyes females who adore him, making this more harem than hall of heroes). Cid blends in as a normal high school student, but thankfully the show doesn't fall into the trappings of becoming another high school oriented show, no- the real fun is in the battles that come with the sinister Cult of Diablos, who Cid intends to thwart as "Shadow" with his agents of "Shadow Garden". Side characters are introduced along the way, mostly still attractive young women who are handy with a sword, yet need saving quite a bit. These characters are often in real peril and put through pain, they are not in on the joke as we are with Cid that things will be alright in the end, they're going through it right up until Shadow arrives to wreck the baddies of the week and walk away with a shrug.
The tempo and repetition of this formula would get boring, if not for some fun thrown in now and again, such as Cid using his knowledge of technology and refinements from our world to add to this one (and his organization's finances). Chocolate is big in this world now that it's been introduced, as is coffee. Thong underwear, too, is now available while on the bookshelves, all the plots we know and love from "Star Wars" to "Dragon Ball Z" are bestsellers. It's shameless, but very realistic in my mind as I would likely do the same.
I wish the first season offered more than just a hero who was acting like Batman, with the attitude of Deadpool, and as overpowered as Goku with a sword, but outside of him and some fantastic looking fight scenes, that's about it. And there was a time where I would smash this title to bits in it's mediocrity, but now that we live in a time where the fashionable thing is to have heroes with doubts and struggles against villains who are evil, but complex, it is refreshing to have a show where the hero is almost Superman and the bad guys get what that deserve in flashy finality. I give this show a solid 7/10, because it promises more to come, but also has delivered a good time already. Looking forward to Season 2. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 28, 2022
It isn't uncommon for around Halloween time to have a taste for horror anime. Even more so a preference for something short and sweet that one can enjoy casually or just binge in a day. "House Complex C" offers that appeal, however, it fails in so many other aspects it's difficult to recommend.
To be fair, I was immediately drawn into this story because I saw early on it's Lovecraftian overtones. For those unfamiliar, H.P. Lovecraft was an American author famous for "cosmic horror". His credits include the creation of Cthulu and the Necronomicon. "Housing Complex C" touches on many themes he is famous for, but
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you don't have to be versed in his work to enjoy this. The premise is an oldie but a goodie, an apartment complex of tenants who have lived there for quite some time offer a picturesque scene of a characters, mostly retirees, highlighted by the presence of a single little girl, Kimi. Things change when a new family moves in, a father, mother, and their own little girl, and brings a group of foreign "interns". Though never stated, I believe they are supposed to be from India. Needless to say, cultural clashes and general friction does erupt.
The two girls become fast friends. Yuri, the new girl, is a bit more reserved than the sunny and outgoing Kimi, but they soon find themselves in the middle of some very strange goings on. Animal carcasses appear in various places on the island, the prayers of the interns cause fear to the suspicious neighbors, and the ancient history of the island where the complex sits causes a sense of mystery as to what has happened long ago- and perhaps is happening again... The premise is a good one. The story builds tension well. The characters are unique enough but hardly stereotypes. But, it all comes crashing down when the realization comes that this was likely meant to be a 12 episode series stuffed into 4 episodes. The last of which boils down to so many twists and exposition dumps, it makes your head spin- and not in a good way.
This is made even more frustrating by the quality of the animation, it's pretty darn good. The backgrounds and settings appear charming in the day and creepy in the night. The voice acting, though I only saw the English dub, was quality. There was genuine care and effort put into the bones of this piece. Even dropping many an aforementioned Lovecraft reference here and there for fans like myself. Especially of the character Kan, a great, bulky intern with an odd face that screams of Wilbur Wheatley. For fans who just want some horror and gore, there is plenty of that. Gruesome stuff, too. I don't imagine I'll be eating shaved ice any time soon.
Intros and outros have some typical songs. "Make Believe" by Ivan Kwong is a nice pop rock piece to get you into the mood, with a nice montage of the characters and setting, perhaps a bit too friendly for what the subject matter is, but the effort and care is what matters and they do a good job. The ending credits tune, "Secret of the Day" by De Tesla offers a more calming song that has photographs of little Kimi growing up to distract from the likely terrifying note the show just left off on. The finale song is a warm, yet mournful, piece that caps off the show appropriately but I can't recall the title of it. Perhaps it's just meant to sooth my aching head from the chaos of the last episode...
I cannot defend the poor way this was handled and question if this should have been made at all. The tension was just getting settled when it was bulldozed by every big reveal at once. What is the point, then? Perhaps the producers and studio just wanted to get something, anything, out of this and just had it run the best they could? I'm greatly puzzled by all this. I really wish this had been a dozen episodes or so to allow a slower burn and a greater impact of twists- of which there are many- and allowed a more enjoyable horror experience. Alas, we are left with what there is. The bad execution of a good idea. It's short, sweet, spooky, and splatter-filled. So, if you're down for that and have no expectations- enjoy. Perhaps it's fitting I now ponder the mystery of what happened as the characters do in this show, but I doubt I'll get the answers. 4/10. Take it or leave it. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Aug 20, 2022
It is safe to say that after many, many attempts over the years, someone making an adaptation of a video game for the purpose of TV or film is going to be perceived, at best, with a sense of high scrutiny. Such was my reaction when I saw Crunchyroll and Adult Swim had teamed up to create "Shenmue the Animation", based on Sega's open-world fighting game franchise that is more notable for it's long-hiatus between Vol's 2 & 3. As a younger man, I played some of the Shenmue games on the Dreamcast and enjoyed the beat 'em up aspect and the freedom of a
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sandbox world, while trying not collapse from the woefully poor voice acting. I felt this was a fine choice to adapt into an anime. Lots of martial arts fighting, a spiky-haired, teenage protagonist, and the long, winding road of a quest for revenge and the friends and lessons learned along the way. But the thought occurred to me also, how much artistic license and creative liberties would be taken to make the show unique? Would fans of the game even recognize it? I can report back it is, for better or worse, a loyal representation of the game.
The story is simple. 1986, Japan. Ryo Hazaki is a teenage martial artist who's father is attacked and murdered in the family dojo by a Chinese man named Lan Di. The motive is revenge and for an ancient mirror. Lan Di easily defeats the capable Ryo and then leaves, and the journey is now set as Ryo swears revenge. Simple, even cliched plot. The story then continues much as the video games did, perhaps even too much. Ryo finds clues left behind as to who and why this happened, he asks characters questions, which leads to more items, and checkpoint discoveries are made as the bigger picture starts to slowly come into focus. I even laughed as I recalled some of the scenes from the games- "There's a guy named Charlie..."- and enjoyed the faithful adaptation before me in a sense of nostalgia. Thankfully, the voice acting has improved, but I still sense a lean towards the poor dialogue of the game. Ryo is a very dry hero. He asks questions, gets answers, and then often repeats the answers in the form of a question. "You'll need a tea cup." "A tea cup?" Yes, Ryo- did the lady stutter? These fetch quests and less than enthralling dialogue exchanges are made up for in the case of some decent fight scenes. The settings are loaded with street toughs, gangs, and martial artists looking for a sparing partner so exchanging blows is common as it was in game. Thankfully, less clunky.
The meat of the show itself would really make for a poor show in it's bland story, almost cookie cutter characters, and the mediocre animation that is provided by the normally good studio of Telecom Animation Film. But what keeps the show from being anything but skippable or just a niche product for fans of the game is it's message. Concepts of honor and perseverance are highly spoken of, Ryo is not without his faults (he gets his ass handed to him many times) but the lessons he learns are not just new moves to fight with but lessons for life. It is almost Saturday morning cartoony in it's messages, but it's not something touched on enough in my opinion. To experience the learning portion of a journey, to question one's self and motives, and not just out to make the world a better place by off-ing a bad guy, but making yourself better by doing what is right. Even if the latter means not doing the former. Ryo's journey in Japan and then Hong Kong changes many lives for the better, even helping take down some mafia syndicates, which was made easier by the fact he seems to live in a world where guns don't exist. I kept waiting for a gangster to draw a pistol on him, but the worst that ever came his way was a chainsaw.
Overall, I can say this made for some decent casual viewing. Enjoyable enough for anyone who's never heard of the game, but faithful enough for game fans to enjoy, too. Thankfully more the former than the latter, as to be too loyal would've featured an entire episode of forklift shenanigans and difficulties for 20 mins straight. And as Shenmue the game certainly wasn't bad, neither is the animated adaption here. I give this show a solid 6/10. And if the creators want to be as accurate as possible to the game, they can wait 18 years before releasing the next season. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 7, 2020
"Opposites attract". It is a cliche, a tired one at that, but nevertheless it works. The cliched premise of having a secret identity is also tried and true. Anime is not immune to this either, as it seems all plots must take place in a high school. Throw in the stereotypical "Tsundere" type leading lady and you have the basic elements of "Kaichou wa Maid-sama!" aka "Maid Sama!" a mediocre, predictable, but also enjoyable manga adapted into anime by the respected J.C. Staff studio.
Our plot centers around Misaki Ayuzawa, a strong willed young lady who has gotten herself elected the first female class president in
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her formerly boys only school. As the school still consists of 80% boys, she rules with an iron hand and a dragon lady persona. But after the final bell rings, she is simply "Misa". A popular server at the Maid Latte maid cafe. A fact she tries with all her power to hide. Until it is discovered by Takumi Usui, the idol of her school, and rather than reveal her secret he uses it to his advantage. Resulting in many a comedic moment.
A lovely group of side characters helps round out this show, each relatively distinct in their own way and capable of generating laughs, but the story is that of the expressive, loud, and fiery Misaki and her foil and comedic straight man Takumi. Her often explosive animation sequences are off-set by the too cool for school, bleach blonde fella who seems to never be fazed by her constant outbursts. Usui is not a creul kid, he is in fact a warm hearted, yet quietly mischievous kid who cares for Misaki as much as he enjoys tamely pushing her buttons. This is the essence of the show. The dynamic of the two. One practically is begging for them to kiss by the show's halfway point.
This was not a show I was glued to, there were episodes where I honestly spaced out and couldn't tell you what happened, and others I was genuinely engrossed in. It's a very uneven product and frustrating at times. Usui is tall with blonde, spiky, hair and brown eyes. But we are introduced to no-less than 3 other characters, thankfully not all that reoccurring, that look EXACTLY THE SAME. Are they related? No. Is this ever brought up? No. Is this the animators way of saying, "Handsome = This"? Perhaps. But it just feels lazy after the 3rd time. The music itself could have used some variance. The primary theme, with it's catchy beat and bells, is used more times than I can count and makes it feel like a Christmas celebration is about to break out.
A show that is cliched, stereotypical, and repetitive. How is it possibly any good? Well, it takes some effort for a storyteller to get you to keep paying attention to a story that we know the ending to. The formula stays roughly the same throughout the first 3/4 of the show, "Conflict at school or the cafe. How they gonna figure this one out? If Misaki's good natured, strong will can't fix it, Usui comes to the rescue as cool as a cucumber. Rinse. Repeat." The latter 1/4 of the series formula only changes when another boy enters the picture. It was a nice change.
So, why did I finish this series? Because, honestly, the good moments are charming. There are some heart warming romantic moments. There is some fun to be had. Some suspense to be endured. And some moments that should be scary but are played off as funny. It's not a good thing when you're asking, "Should I be laughing at this?"
I certainly didn't stick around for the voice acting. But, you can certainly tell these actors are having fun in their roles. Be it either Ayumi Fujimura or Monica Rial's Misaki and her over the top screeching, or David Matranga/Nobuhiko Okamoto's Usui soft retorts, the cast does pretty well. But this is best enjoyed in Japanese for 2 reasons, first- it's in Japan and the Japanese just sounds crisper. Second, the pain of not hearing the terrible Santry Rush's Hinata Shintani. His Southern United States accent is meant to make the character sound like a hayseed to convey he's from the country. But it's bad. Mr. Rush is, from what I can tell, not a proper VA. He sounds like Forrest Gump doing a bad Mr. Rogers impression (So, Tom Hanks?). It's the worst thing about this series. And thankfully is in only a handful of episodes.
I sense that this show is meant to get people to read the manga which ran from 2005-13 and spanned 18 volumes. For what it is, it does fine. Worth checking out. 6/10. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 3, 2020
I don't think we appreciate just how helpless children are in this world. They are the future, but are often handed a world that is less than what it once was when the last generation got it. The new perspective and ideas they bring are often met with disdain and resistance. The world fights to protect the status quo. In "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" Season 2, the children of Tekkadan learn that lesson the hard way. What follows is an exciting and emotionally gripping 25 episodes of a group that fights to keep what they won in Season 1, but all the time events
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move faster and stronger than they can possibly imagine or even hope to defend.
Resuming not long after Season 1 left off, Orga Itsuka and his band of young mercenaries are now settling into the relative comfort of legitimate work. Each man startled at the number of his first paycheck. They look forward to meeting girls, drinking, and still trying to shake off the ways of the past. Miss Kudelia gladly has them as business associates while she involves herself in one act of philanthropy after another. All while McGillis Fareed, now sitting at the high council of Gjallarhorn, The Seven Stars, continues to shark his way up the food chain Frank Underwood-style. McGillis and Tekkadan serve as two sides of the same coin. Both determined to take on the world, but both unaware events are already moving against them.
Fresh antagonists in the form of Rastall Elion, another one of the Seven Stars and the one with the most pull, who is well aware of McGillis' treachery and aided by the duo of Julieta Juris- a capable pilot and equally loyal and willful servant- and the painfully pretentious and over the top Lord Qujan are keen to take McGillis and his Tekkadan allies down to restore Gjallarhorn's former glory. Elion is also aided by a wild card, the masked (because what would a Gundam series be without a masked character?) "Vidar" who has a personal vendetta against McGillis. Making his identity painfully obvious and rather frustrating. And Tekkadan themselves have irked the ire of many others, who form a rogue's gallery of enemies for our heroes to combat.
But while all this operatic plot is certainly grand, yes there IS lots of battle! We wanna see the mechs! And they've got some new ones. New MS. New Gundams. And even the triumphant return of the Mobile Armor, which returns with a vengeance and new concept that serves as the height of the season. The battles that were once new and exciting have no devolved into noisy, clanging and banging sessions while the pilots scream at each other the same old debates about purpose, right and wrong, and alike that we've seen countless times in other Gundam series. It's noise on top of noise. The voice acting is decent all-around. It's hard to choose a winner in the Sub/Dub battle. Mikazuki's VAs, Kengo Kawanishi and Kyle McCarley match so well. Johnny Yong Bosch as Orga is outstanding as always, but I adored the performance of Yasuaki Takumi as Akihiro. His voice has such a deep resonating quality that just fits the character so well. I think the Japanese version gets the win just for that.
After such a strong showing the first season, the music takes a bit of downturn towards the mediocre. As "Rage of Dust" by SPYAIR and "Fighter" by KANA-BOON just don't seem to get the blood going like Season One's opening music did. While "Shounen no Hate" by GRANRODEO and
"Freesia" by Uru do serve as gentle closing themes. Not to say the sound department doesn't make up for it with distinct sound patterns for each super mech. A wolf's growl for Gundam Barbatos is fitting and an ear piercing shriek for the Mobile Armor that just emphasizes the madness and danger of this machine. You get almost miniature soundtracks for each machine that helps drown out the clanging and clashing of metal that just endlessly drones on. It is an endurance battle for the viewer sometimes.
And that is something I should point out, this will not be a very pleasant thing for the viewer. It is an emotionally bruising journey that causes pain I haven't experienced since Zeta Gundam. You cannot take on the world and expect to win. It's unfair when the world can be so wrong and cruel sometimes. Tekkadan and McGillis each suffering tragedy in their youth are justified in saying, "Never again." They will seek power and the freedom that comes with it. But freedom can also be found in the battle itself. The choice to take a stand against the powers that be may not be a rewarding one in the long-term, but it was a choice the oppressed got to make themselves. In facing death, one finds life. Such is the story of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" Final score: 8/10. Check it out. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 16, 2020
The Moe genre is something that has really gotten about every treatment under the sun. It's not a genre I'm particularly fond of because it's just too cutesy, sickly sweet, and all rather pointless. However, I am a big Second World War buff. So, here I go with "Girls & Panzer". An adorable original production from Actas, who are best known for, well, "Girls & Panzer". I have to admit I was skeptical going into this series as it involves the usual bunch of high school girls who look like they're 8 years old forming up a band of misfits into a club where they
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compete with a rogue's gallery of opposing schools.
The bonus here is that their sport is "tankery". Think of it as a war game, but not war itself. Tanks fire live rounds that can take out other tanks and buildings, but never seem to harm actual people. Despite several big explosions and high impact collisions, there is nary a spot of blood shed by the cast- although they at times appear to suffer mild injuries, broken eye glasses, and a lot of soot covering fires. We must remember they *are* cartoons. And this is a game. Played with tanks. Real tanks.
When I say real tanks, I mean they really went out of their way to add as much realism as possible. The descriptions and designs of these vehicles are true to history. While most are CG produced, it fits fairly seamlessly with the hand drawn animation of the characters, producing some wonderful combat scenes with the most impressive sound effects I've heard in quite some time from an Anime. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were watching a WW2 film with all the quality sound editing and mixing going on. Masterful work! Added into this mix is a wonderful soundtrack that sounds like something Elmer Bernstein would have written along with ballads from other nations. I particularly enjoyed "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for the American tanks and "Panzerlied" for the German ones.
I guess in all this fuss over the accuracy of the tanks and songs I forgot about the plot. It's not a new one, a new student with a past must lead a band of oddballs and misfits to glory in a tankery tournament to save the school. Along the way they grow as a team, as people, and learn the value of friendship. I don't recall many of the characters names, despite decent attempts to give them depth. It's not really a big deal, because this was not going to be a character driven show. This is literally a TANK driven show. Neither the Japanese or English voice cast left much of an impression, as there isn't much dialogue to shine with, so you can go either way when it comes to Sub or Dub.
I want to mention this however- despite the Panzer being given top billing and center stage in this show, NO attempts are made to glorify Nazi Germany or war itself. Names of various legends of tank warfare- Rommel, Guderian, and Wittmann- are mentioned. They are recognized as pioneers and innovators in armored warfare. A status they hold to this day, despite wearing the uniform and serving under the flag of an army of darkness.
Attention to detail and production values save this from just being an adorable little show about cute girls in tanks. It's a good bit of fun. 7/10. Check it out. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 16, 2019
Another day, another review of an Anime that has been reviewed to death. What can I say about "Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2" that hasn't been said already? It's been lauded as an all-time great. It's been criticized as an inferior sequel to it's preceding season. It's even been trashed as an overrated mech mash. But, do you want to know what I think? Well, you're reading my review, so I bloody well hope so. It's another classic case of setting the bar so high at the intermission that it becomes impossible to conclude satisfactorily. They flew too close to the sun. And the
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finish is not so much a glorious finale to a wonderful show, but salvaging a quantum of greatness from the collapsing wreck that was the second season. So, how did they manage to do it? I think looking at the second season as a whole would be the best way to start...
In terms of quality, the artwork and effects are still magnificent. I didn't particularly care for the way the characters were drawn while watching the first season. Everyone so tall and lanky with very pointy chins, but looking back now the designs are- and continued to be in Season 2- some of the best I've ever seen. Everyone so distinct, you could tell them apart if it were an 8-bit game. So rich in color and scale, with few resembling each other to show hereditary relations (and character similarities) it's sad that I don't see more of this in Anime. For the mech-heads out there, there are plenty of new bots around to enjoy. But, the sudden increase of these super weapons really robbed the show of it's magic- that focus on tactics and strategy- that made Season 1 really stand out from the other mech shows, and it slowly devolved into a very "Gundam Wing"-esque series of sweet, sweet 'splosion porn while everyone pontificates on the folly of it all and preaches their various philosophies while they smash suits. It got very tiring very quickly.
I wish there were some redemption to be had in the characters themselves that was as strong as their visual design, but I found things just so poorly written in this aspect that every plot twist and sudden change of heart that a character had (simply for reasons convenient to the story itself, I'm guessing) felt random and frustrating. One minute Lelouch despises his little brother Rolo and the next he's very warm to him, Suzaku has a trust of Lelouch that seemingly operates like a light switch, constantly clicking on and off whenever it best suited the plot, and there are a litany of revelations behind character motivations that raise too many questions for me to come close to accepting. It was a very clumsy effort this time around. Perhaps it was rushed, perhaps the writers ran out of good ideas- save for one that I'll get to later- but it left a bad taste in my mouth. And I can't let it go.
So, I am left with some beautiful looking, poorly written, and badly misused characters. Some above average mechs with some average and very disappointing fight scenes, combined with a plot that went off the rails several times and not well aided by solid, yet far too limited, soundtrack and a voice cast in both English and Japanese that are both worth watching and both some of the best around. (Sub vs. Dub is a tie). Why am I not stomping this season into dust? What could possibly save it from making history as one of the most disappointing sequels of all-time? Well, that one good idea... the ending.
I won't spoil it here. But for those of you concerned with the season as it progresses, whether you're concerns reflect my own, or you're enjoying it much more and waiting for letdown, let me just say it all wraps up as close to perfectly as one could hope. The road there may have been loaded with plot holes and poorly planned out, but the salvation at the end is what saved this show from getting a 5/10 from me. An ending that raises a show's score two points? Yeah, they did that. It was almost worth the suffering I had to go through to get there. But not enough to make the show a great one, in my less than humble opinion. Very good. So close to greatness, Very tragic. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any sympathies for this season. I pity it so much. How do you follow the first season? They gave just enough to avoid disaster. And maybe that's impressive enough on it's own. Final score: 7/10. Check it out. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 14, 2019
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Or so the saying goes. It certainly holds true with "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn", the next installment of the main timeline of the Gundam franchise, taking place a couple years after the events of "Char's Counterattack", this OVA attempts to bring new life into a tried and tested, yet repetitive, franchise. In that, it succeeds in some areas while falling into the traps of the past.
U.C. 0096, things have settled down for the most part in space after the defeat of Char's Neo Zeon. But, naturally there are still forces waiting for the opportunity to
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settle scores and they've got a lot of scores to settle. We're introduced to our protagonist, Banagher Links, a teenage student who rescues a mysterious young woman calling herself "Audrey Byrne". And young Banagher quickly finds himself caught up in events that will lead to the next great conflict between the Earth Federation and the remnants of Zeon. Naturally, he ends up piloting the latest Gundam: the RX-O Unicorn, a wonderful piece of hardware capable of transforming into a second form when sh*t gets real, and a nice addition to the lineage of Gundams before it.
The intrigue surrounds a plot device known as "Laplace's Box", a mysterious thing that holds untold potential to perhaps overthrow the Federation government or save humanity. It is built up so much that it really doesn't matter what it turns out to be, and we do find out, it's going to be a let down. But it does add an element to the plot not used by the franchise before; a race. The remnants of Zeon, led by "Full Frontal" who has the much deserved nickname, "The Ghost of Char Aznable", are after it, as is the Earth Federation who's motives are entirely different, yet equally sinister. Along the way, Banagher meets many interesting characters and battles many impressive looking mechs, but even for 7 one hour plus episodes, it seemed to get repetitive very quickly.
Banagher Links is not an unlikable character, cast more in the mold of Kamille Bidan than Amuro Ray, his constant shift between handlers is matched only by his constant cries of the horrors of war and killing and hope for humanity, etc. His arguments have been made by someone in every installment of this franchise and are no less as repetitive then as they are now. He nonetheless however succeeds as coming off as a person, albeit an unoriginal one. The best characters in this show are the supporting ones. Marida Cruz, who starts off a simple antagonist, evolves into so much more as her backstory and character arc unfold. Ensign Riddhe, a well-meaning capable Federation pilot, has his whole life and being torn up and tested by the events of the series, goes through so many phases that you genuinely feel sorry for this guy more than maybe anyone else. I could name many others, even the Char Aznable wannabe gets overshadowed by the cool, conniving, and positively wicked Martha Vist Carbine, who seems more like a character from "House of Cards" than Gundam, yet induced my overwhelming hatred like no one since Jerid Messa from "Zeta" and for different reasons. This series deserved (and eventually got) a full series treatment and well it did for the depth of a cast it has.
For all it's shortcomings in terms of main characters, it's so-so plot, it does bring an A-game when it comes to it's effects budget. The battle scenes are nothing different, but absolutely beautiful, with a vast number of different mechs going at it, the number of Zeon mobile suits on display that range from modern to looking like recycled scrap from the original series, are enough to make you pause the show and just enjoy the amount of work that went into creating these things. I felt like a kid in a toy store again. The star of the battlefield is, of course, the Unicorn Gundam who dazzles with effects as it transforms, and constantly reveals new and impressive attacks. It is a wonderful looking show, hands down, accompanied by an excellent score from Hiroyuki Sawano. Add to this a wonderfully capable cast, headlined by the legendary Shuuichi Ikeda, the original voice of Char Aznable, who now lends his talents as Full Frontal- adding to the "ghost" factor of the character, and is the main reason I would recommend the Sub over the Dub. It is good to see him continue going strong after all these years.
The show succeeds in bringing something different, but still familiar, to the franchise. I did enjoy this and it did tug on my heart strings at times, the criteria which I judge all Anime by, but it was nothing as bold and different as "Iron-Blooded Orphans", but didn't feel as tiresome as "Double Zeta". I highly recommend this to any Gundam fan as it does feed nostalgia and the appetite for some sweet, sweet, 'splosion porn, but those who only dabble in Gundam I advise to skip it. "The God of Possibility" is something often mention in this show, but not put into practice by it. It could have been better. But perhaps that will come another day. Final score, 6.5/10. Gundam fans, check it out. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 13, 2019
One of the most difficult things involving Anime is what to show someone who hasn't seen one before. Many suggestions come to mind, but most of those are probably dozens upon dozens of episodes long and most people don't have that kind of time and the shows themselves are usually genre specific. So, what can you show someone that more or less covers all the bases of Anime but is short enough to watch in one sitting? I submit "Fight!! Iczer-1"
Based off the manga "Golden Warrior Iczer-One" and brought to us by the studio AIC, known perhaps best for "Tenchi Muyou", this 3 act OVA
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has so many staples and tropes of Japanese Anime both of it's own 1980s origins and even the modern pieces of today, that it serves as a wonderful orientation for what to expect from the most popular animation in the world today. Even for those initiated already it's an enjoyable little title with some unique twists and turns and a retro charm.
The plot can be best boiled down to this: an alien being known as Iczer One has come to Earth and chosen a human girl named Nagisa to be her partner to fight an evil force known as Big Gold and the alien forces soon to arrive to take over the planet. It seems Nagisa is the key to powering Iczer One's counterpart Iczer Robo, a giant robot, with enough energy to successfully vanquish the foes they face. This leads to some wonderful action sequences involving mechs, monsters, hand-to-hand combat, laser sword combat, and some very unsuccessful assists from the Japanese military as they attempt to fight the invaders. If you've seen any Godzilla movie, you know how well that turns out.
The whole experience feels like a dozen episodes boiled down into 3. Meaning there is very little time for character development but it also doesn't dilly dally. Things move quickly and pretty well considering how many questions one probably has with so much going on. I'm not someone who needs to know why everything is happening and everyone's motivations, so I was more than keen to enjoy the show. Beyond featuring things similar to mechs, magical girls, and ecchi fan service, there are some genuinely creepy moments with monsters and lots of gore making it a mature experience and certainly not something for the kids and definitely NSFW.
Even though it's from the mid-1980s, the art itself isn't too bad. It's definitely got that VHS feel to it, but it holds up well and features a very brass-heavy soundtrack of uplifting heroic fight music that is indicative of the genre and the time. I was somewhat reminded of "Doctor Who" at times with the situation of an alien showing up to Earth and a poor innocent girl being snatched up into the chaos and adventure that is saving the world, but I think even The Doctor is more gentle than Iczer One in some cases. You definitely feel for Nagisa at times, though I can't help but think they did a better job giving depth to the bad guys than the heroes. The first two featured, Cobalt amd Sepia, are lovers and when the first one falls, the other is quite devastated and you feel sympathy for her. Something Anime is often good at, giving us villains with understandable motivations.
While "Fight!! Iczer-1" is a good bit of fun, it doesn't deliver anything ground breaking for the time or even since then. Having only seen the English dub, the voice acting leaves A LOT to be desired. Weak performances all around. Very Fox Kids quality. And just as your starting to enjoy yourself, the whole thing ends. Yet with an odd feeling of having had enough. That more would have been too much. I was happy that it ended sooner rather than later. This could have been a wonderful backdoor pilot for a longer series, but it works well as what it is. A modestly entertaining R-rated Anime. Quintessentially 80s with lots of gore, nudity, and mindless action but with enough care to the characters that it salvages itself from being mindless.
I recommend this to anyone interested in starting Japanese Anime but also for anyone just in the mood for an old-school bit of fun. A solid 6/10. Check it out. Cheers!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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