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Nov 16, 2015
Purple Haze Feedback is a spinoff novel written by Kadono Kouhei and co-authored by Hirohiko Araki who drew the insert art and offered story guidance. This review will contain spoilers for the manga "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo," so read that before reading this review. There will be no spoilers for Purple Haze Feedback, except for the events set up in chapter 1.
Purple Haze Feedback takes place about a year or so after the events of Vento Aureo. Giorno Giovanna is the new boss of Passione, but not everything has changed since he ousted Diavolo. A narcotics group is still running wild in Passione, but
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they cannot be stopped by Giorno himself. To defeat them, Giorno sends his subordinates Guido Mista and Sheila E. to recruit a friend of his who abandoned him and his group during the events of Vento Aureo. This person is Fugo Pannacotta, the user of the Purple Haze stand.
By far the most interesting aspect of Purple Haze Feedback is how it delves into Fugo's psyche. His extreme anger is alluded to in Vento Aureo by the appearance and abilities of his Stand, but nothing ever really came of it. Here, the reader is able to get right into Fugo's head and truly understand his motivation both during Vento Aureo and with his new mission given to him Giorno. The way he's fleshed out is both consistent with his actions in Vento Aureo, and also very compelling from a narrative standpoint. You slowly start to see Fugo's attitude change, and it happens in a very natural and believable way.
The new characters created for Purple Haze Feedback are also very interesting and unique. Fugo is joined by two companions to take down the narcotics gang, and the narcotics gang itself is made up of four members, all very distinct and memorable. Although Fugo gets the most attention, the side characters certainly add a lot to the story and don't feel as if they were written to be defeated or add another fighter to the mix. Aside from Fugo, most of the scenes with Vento Aureo characters are flashbacks shown from Fugo's point of view, and some of these scenes were already in Vento Aureo to begin with. However, they all benefit from knowing what Fugo was thinking at the time, and as such are a necessary addition.
Another aspect of Purple Haze Feedback that bears mentioning is the exquisite attention to detail. Kadono Kouhei demonstrates his knowledge of Italian culture and Jojo itself with very clever references and allusions that will leave fans very pleased. His treatment of the pre-existing characters is very much in line with Hirohiko Araki's, and as such it feels like a proper continuation rather than an inconsequential fluff piece. The new stands themselves feel a bit grounded compared to some of the insane ones in Vento Aureo, but they're all different and unique enough to not feel as if they were already done in Jojo before.
There isn't many negative things I have to say about Purple Haze Feedback. It should be obvious, but the book does not work as a standalone piece. Various plot elements will only be understood by readers who have already read the Jojo manga, and several concepts are simply unexplained since it's assumed the reader is already familiar with them, such as stands. The ending is also a bit rushed, but it suitably wraps up the story in a satisfying way.
Overall, Purple Haze Feedback is a must read for anyone who read Vento Aureo. It fleshes out a character who was in dire need of fleshing out, and also adds interesting details to both Vento Aureo and Jojo as a whole. This review was purposely kept as spoiler free as possible so that anyone who hasn't read the book will give it a shot. It's debatable if it can be considered canon, but seeing as it doesn't contradict anything in Vento Aureo or future Jojo parts, I feel it's safe to say it is. It's a short read, so give it a chance.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 4, 2015
THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS AND SHOULD ONLY BE READ AFTER READING OPUS
So, assuming you just ignored that warning, I'll say again that I will be spoiling the ending of Opus fully in order to discuss it, so readers be wary. If you just want a recommendation from me, this is it. Go and buy Opus on Amazon or wherever you can. It's a great read and completely worth your time, especially if you enjoy Kon's other work. The purpose of this review is to give readers some food for thought about the ending, and perhaps change how they felt about it if they were
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disappointed or unsatisfied.
My experience after finishing Opus mirrored that of finishing Neon Genesis Evangelion. Although both had troubled endings, I found myself satisfied with the result regardless. Both of them also later received an "actual" ending, though the ending to Opus wasn't available until very recently and doesn't undo the ending readers were left with in 1996. What's bound to anger many people is that there is no actual "end" for the characters. Just who is The Masque? Is everything eventually set right in Resonance and Nagai's world? What happens to the characters after Nagai finishes his manga? We'll never truly know, but I personally thought the current ending sent an interesting message about the relationship between author and creation. Much like how Nagai can't finish Resonance, Satoshi Kon was unable to finish Opus, and this comes to an interesting climax when Nagai confronts Kon in manga form. It purposely leaves the narrative to Opus and Resonance incomplete, but it strengthens the message that an author doesn't necessarily have complete control over their work. Although Opus focused more on how an author doesn't have complete control in terms of character and plot progression, the end shows us that sometimes the author doesn't even have control over finishing their own story. Nagai doesn't finish Resonance, Kon doesn't finish Opus, and the two clash over this fact in the final chapter. Although it's still a bit disappointing that we'll never know how Resonance and Opus were originally intended to end, the ending we got was far from a bad one and should hopefully leave the viewer thinking about the relationship between fiction and reality, which is ultimately what Kon originally intended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 31, 2015
At one time or another, we've all seen them. They lurk within our houses, waiting for an opportune moment to strike when we least expect it. They're nearly invulnerable to nuclear attack, and are capable of flight and moving at high speeds. Just want kind of "thing" is this? Well, you'll have to read Gokiburi Buster to find out.
Gokiburi Buster is a oneshot written by ONE (One-Punch Man) and drawn by Yusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21, One-Punch Man redraw). At the risk of spoiling this very short single chapter, I'll refrain from posting any plot details
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as a big part of the enjoyment is just reading it for yourself. I would recommend just about anyone give this a shot, especially if you enjoy the work of ONE and Murata. Both authors have done a wonderful job making this a very enjoyable, albeit short, read that has some kickass art to go along with it. For how enjoyable it is at such a short length, it gets a hearty recommendation from me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 31, 2015
I think it's only fair to start this review by mentioning I'm a big fan of Osamu Tezuka's works. He's created some of the best manga in history and his influence has been absolutely integral to the growth of anime and manga as a whole. However, despite Princess Knight paving the way for future manga and anime, by today's standards it's a tough pill to swallow.
Princess Knight (Known in Japan as Ribbon Knight) is a fairytale story set mostly in the kingdom of Silverland. In the world of Princess Knight, unborn children are given either a girl heart or a boy heart, and this influences
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which gender they will be when they're born. The story starts with an angel named Tink who accidentally gives one baby both a boy and a girl heart. To make matters worse, this baby is the daughter/son of the king and queen of Silverland, and so God sends Tink to take back the baby's boy heart since they were supposed to be a boy. Several years later we meet Prince/Princess Sapphire, a young man/woman who is able to be both genders as he/she pleases. This proves to be a problem as the king of Silverland dies, which means Sapphire now has to ascend the throne despite truly being a woman. The story takes many twists from this point, but this is the gist of what makes up the story.
The first problem some people may have with Princess Knight is the art. Personally, I liked it. It's a bit simple, especially with the backgrounds, but it's all done in Tezuka's signature style and has a lot of personality to it. Even this early on, Tezuka had a knack for portraying emotion well, and it really helps elevate the story to be so well drawn. The panel layout starts off a bit strange, but by the end Tezuka seems to have adopted a consistent layout that's easy to read and makes sense. Tezuka also includes some of his signature jokes, most notably the gag character Hyoutan-Tsugi, AKA Gourdski. The art isn't incredible, but it's certainly serviceable and nice to look at.
The story and characters are unfortunately where Princess Knight falls apart. At times it feels like the characters act in a way that is either hard to follow or doesn't make sense to the reader. I can't give examples without spoiling things, but there's a notable example of a character's hatred disappearing seemingly on a whim, and it's hard to relate to since there's never any conflict over how this is resolved. As for the plot, it unfortunately employs deus ex machina far more often than I'm comfortable with. It's excusable in some cases where it actually does lend to the story and isn't too distracting, but by the end of Princess Knight it becomes a distracting way to lengthen the story beyond what it needed to be when it was already wrapping up just fine. A new subplot and villain are introduced at the end after the main conflict is resolved, and this is arguably the most disappointing aspect of Princess Knight. It ends in a very haphazard way, which leaves me with misgivings about recommending it.
So in closing, I can't really suggest reading Princess Knight from an entertainment perspective. Fans of Tezuka and manga history should definitely give it a read as it's actually quite good given that it's now over 50 years old. But for casual readers, it's a hard sell.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 13, 2014
Hunter × Hunter (Which will hereafter be referred to as H×H) is an action/adventure series produced by Studio Madhouse and adapted from the manga of the same name by Yoshihiro Togashi. This is the second anime adaptation of H×H, the first being done by Nippon Animation, which was divided into multiple contiguous parts by OVA (Original Video Animation) that continued the story from where the original series ended. This was done because the manga is still ongoing and the studio needed to wait for the author to publish more chapters to continue adapting the material. This new series, coming much later than the original, starts
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from the very beginning of the manga and discards everything about the original anime, and as such it doesn't have any issues the original had. They both cover the same material, but this adaption manages to go much further in the story. I haven’t seen the original series and thus cannot comment on the quality of it, but I can tell you this newer adaptation is easily one of the best manga to anime adaptations I have ever seen, and any fan of ongoing series aimed at the younger male demographic will find a lot to enjoy here.
H×H stars Gon, a gifted young boy living on Whale Island. Gon was left on Whale Island by his father, Ging, to live with his Aunt Mito. This is because Ging is what is known as a Hunter, a special rank that allows him to travel the world and use the resources of the Hunter Organization to aid his “hunt.” There are many different kinds of Hunters which you’ll see throughout the show, and the first part of the series focuses on Gon’s quest to become a Hunter himself. To do this, he must obtain a Hunter’s License, but doing so won’t be easy. Early on, he’s joined by a few friends. Leorio, a tall young man who is always seen in a business suit and wishes to become a Hunter for monetary gain. Kurapika, a young man from the Kurta tribe who wishes to avenge his people. And finally Killua, a boy the same age as Gon who also seems to be incredibly gifted. All four of them are trying to become Hunters for their own reasons, and the focus on each of them shifts throughout the entire 148 episodes. Side characters also occasionally get a piece of the limelight, but this is always a temporary situation that changes from arc to arc. The series also has somewhat of a main antagonist that is present in almost every arc, but this character isn't purely evil and his role isn't even entirely antagonizing Gon and his friends. All of the characters are enjoyable for the most part, although some of the side characters can be a bit bland, notably the main villain in an arc during the middle of the series. This is an uncommon problem though, and for the most part you’ll enjoy the characters populating the screen whether they be good or bad.
The music and animation in H×H is excellent as well. The soundtrack is composed mostly of orchestral music, and it has a very exciting and fun feeling to it. During the more serious scenes, it also manages to set the mood right, although many pieces end up being used quite a bit due to the long length of the show. This extends to the opening which only features changes in animation and occasionally the lyrics of the song being different. It’s still the same song throughout, however, so you may end up getting sick of it by the end and wish to skip it. The animation amazingly manages to stay consistent over all 148 episodes. For a series of this length, it looks surprisingly good, and Madhouse should be lauded for managing to keep the animation and art quality so high over such a long run. The actions scenes in the show are blazing fast and look fantastic, and the slower parts look equally as good with little motion going on. Although I found there are very few points where the animation manages to overly impress, the standard set through the entire run is impressive and should be very pleasing for the viewers watching.
However, there are a few areas where H×H falters. My biggest gripe with the series was the inconsistent tone between the first and second half. The first 70 or so episodes are all fairly light-hearted, barring the occasional violent moment, but the second half pulls out all the stops and becomes brutal both with its themes and the violence depicted. The change in tone is very sudden and will either be a breath of fresh air from the previous arcs, or a huge disappointment if you really enjoyed everything from before and didn't want it to change. I personally enjoyed the mature shift in tone, but I also wasn't the biggest fan of the first 70 episodes. They were enjoyable for me, but not to the point that I really loved the series. The last half really did it for me, but your mileage may vary. Unfortunately, the final arc also has some pacing issues. There is an all-out battle where several characters are fighting separately towards a common goal, and during this portion, the pacing is very grating. Certain minor characters end up overstaying their welcome, which really dampened my enjoyment of these episodes. The events that happen are still interesting, I just wish they could have condensed this part so it didn't go on for as long, but I was otherwise pleased with how everything else went. Another thing that may hamper your enjoyment is that the manga H×H is still ongoing, and as such this anime adaption does not cover the entire story. Luckily though, Madhouse still managed to end things on a satisfying note, so even if you never see more H×H after this, you will still get a sense of finality, albeit with a few loose ends not tied up. Another point that may turn you off to H×H is the various plot holes and bizarre story elements. The story for H×H is unfortunately a bit of a weak point, and at times the author employs narrative devices that feel cheap and don’t really make sense in the context of what’s going on. I found this to be a relatively minor problem until the final arc where a certain character is introduced that is completely broken in terms of what they are capable of. Again, it’s a pretty minor problem, but not one I can ignore.
In the end, H×H is an enjoyable experience marred by a few problems. It’s definitely worth watching if it interests you, but the experience is not perfect. A show of this quality definitely deserves attention, so give it a shot if it seem up your alley.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 12, 2014
Zankyou no Terror, or Terror's Echo as I like to call it in English, is an action thriller anime about two young men and the terrorist acts they commit in Tokyo. Their names are Nine and Twelve, both names being numbers since they are never given proper names at any point in the show's run. Terror's Echo primarily focuses on them and what they wish to achieve through their acts of terrorism, although their intentions aren't entirely known until a bit later on. Other characters featured throughout the series are Mishima Lisa, a high school girl who is constantly bullied
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by her peers and coddled by her overbearing mother. Kenjiro Shibazaki, a detective who is quickly caught up in the riddling schemes of Nine and Twelve. And lastly Five, an American FBI agent who appears later in the series and is somehow connected to Nine and Twelve.
The main cast gets the most character development here, which is good given the series rather short length of 11 episodes. Some may be disappointed that it doesn't continue longer, but I believe it has just the right number of episodes so as to not overstay its welcome. The pacing is quick and tight, and the blend of action, character development, and story are perfect all the way up to the final episode.
The visuals and audio are no slouches either. The animation is fantastic throughout, with good animation during the action sequences and fantastic art when things are a bit calmer. Even minor characters with little screen time are drawn incredibly well, and you'll never feel taken aback by side characters who look overly generic. The music is composed by Yoko Kanno, perhaps best known for creating the soundtrack to Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex. Her work is truly excellent here as well, giving the series a very modern feeling soundtrack that manages to be exciting, somber, and haunting all within the span of a single episode. The opening and ending theme also deserve praise, boasting beautiful animation and featuring excellent music to accompany them. I never once felt like skipping the opening or ending because of how good they are, and it really helps set the tone for each episode both going in and finishing it.
If you're looking for a good thriller series with interesting themes and excellent writing, Terror's Echo may just be what you're looking for. It may be a bit heavy for some, but it is incredibly rewarding and highly entertaining, and as such gets my highest recommendation. Watch it, you won't regret it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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