KoshPatel756-7 Reviews

Code Geass (2006–2008)

The Perfect Anime Series... A Must Watch Series that Excels in all Areas

[10/10 · 13 May 2011]

I have tried to avoid any major spoilers and I hope I have succeeded.

The world of Code Geass is set within an alternate universe, or alternate time line. Much like our world today Code Geass's world is corrupted by the human race's never ending lust for power. The main oppressor is the Britannian Empire which controls 1/2 the world. The world has been reduced to a playing ground for these superpowers and those in the lands they take over are oppressed and stripped of even their nationality, forced to go by a number. We pick up the story in what was once Japan but now is part of the Holy Britannian Empire and is now known as Area 11. In Area 11 we are introduced to a Britannian School boy who is more than he seems. This boy is Lelouch a Britanian Prince who has given up his claim to the thrown and now lives in Japan hidden as an ordinary Britannian student with his little sister Nunnally, who is blind and unable to walk.. Lelouch encounters a mysterious girl who gifts him the power of Geass, The power to compel anyone with whom he makes eye contact to do whatever he wants. Little does the world know now Lelouch now has what he needs to put his plans in motion. Lelouch will now turn the world into his chess board and put the pieces in motion to realizing his 2 wishes: To seek revenge for the murder of his mother, and to create a kinder gentler world in which his sister Nunnally can live happily.

Above is only a short outline of the world in which the events that define this story are about to unfold. Code Geass takes just 2 seasons to tell its brilliant story. Does Code Geass deserve the hype it receives, is it one of the best Anime shows ever conceived? I believe it is The Best anime I have ever seen!

There are many reasons why Code Geass works as well as it does, it has an excellent story, fast pace, excellent animation, but most importantly Code Geass works because it has possibly the best developed group of characters in any anime. Throughout the show as the events unfold we learn something about each and every major character we encounter. Code Geass does not possess clear cut Good and Evil sides, as all characters have a shade of gray to their character containing aspects of both ends of the spectrum. Not only are there characters thoroughly developed there are 20-25 major characters that we encounter throughout the show. Each with his or her own emotions, opinions, and motivations. The story is woven through the interaction that these major characters have, each and every woven thread helps build the character and their relationships with other characters. This is where the beauty of the show lies, while epic battle scenes are nice, they mean nothing without the emotional connection the series manages to evoke through your connection to these characters and their relationships.

While at times the world in Code Geass can seem to be alien compared to ours, due to the dominance of the world by just a few superpowers, and elements such as Geass, and the Knightmare frames, the characters in the story make it easy to relate to it because they are all in their own way human. Their decisions, motivations, and relationships are all realistic and part of our every day life. Additionally the story is very well written and directed as the Characters really adhere to their core, they are not twisted to earn the sympathy of the viewer or the favor of the viewer, they just are who they are.

Code Geass R1 is a brilliant roller-coaster ride of emotion and relationships. It moves at a break neck pace so that one will never feel like a episode was too strung out like other anime in fact sometimes you'll wonder how they managed to fly so through much material so quickly.

You may hear someone trying to compare this series to another but it is truly one of a kind. If you are an anime viewer I urge you not to miss this epic story. I assure you it will be one ride you will not regret. Code Geass is an instant classic that should be enjoyed by all who can get their hands on it.

Words are insufficient to describe the pure genius of this series so I hope that everyone who has not seen this series it is truly a Must Watch, a Masterpiece. I would rate it 100/10 if I could.

Code Geass gripped me, made me laugh, and made me cry. It is by far the best anime series I have ever seen.

R1 or Season 1 is just the beginning it is incomplete without continuing and finishing the series through till the end of R2.

5 Centimeters per Second (2007)

A Brilliant and Emotionally Shattering Masterpiece

[10/10 · 21 January 2011]

The title of the film "5 Centimeters Per Second" signifies the speed at which cherry blossoms fall. It also is a metaphor for how our lives and our relationships slowly evolve over time. This is fitting because 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the most real and emotionally moving movies I have ever come across, and a 10 star rating isn't enough to do it justice it should probably be a 12 stars out of 10.

From the very first frame of the movie you will be struck by the awe inspiring beauty of the animation. Unlike the saying that "beauty is only skin deep" this movie has a soul that is more beautiful than its animation. Unlike many other movies 5 Centimeters Per Second keeps its theme simple, LOVE. The film explores the emotions, pain, and evolution of even our most cherished relationships when strained by time and distance. We take this journey over 3 phases of life with Takaki Tono, Akari Shinohara, and Kanae Sumida with each phase dealing with a different aspect of the relationships.

The Music in the film is on par with the animation, in that it is completely mesmerizing, after seeing the film the soundtrack has the power to bring back those emotions long after the film has ended. The music is just natural and beautiful as rest of the movie.

Makoto Shinkai has done an excellent job weaving a movie that is so deeply moving and so beautiful around a very simple but powerful story. If you have not seen it yet 5 Centimeters Per Second is definitely one to see. I've seen it 4 times already since discovering it and have loved it even more every time. This movie is truly a masterpiece especially when you add the fact that there are no science fiction or fantasy angles to it, but it is a view into real life through anime. The film really reaches into your gut and grabs your soul.

5 Centimeters Per Second is a brilliantly emotional movie that will touch your heart and ingrain itself in your soul. A must watch for anyone who has not seen it yet.

*** Spoilers Beyond This Point Do Not Read If You Have Not Seen the Film!***

I was moved by all 3 of the main Characters in this film as I could feel how true their love was, as well as feel their pain.

Takaki Tono - From the start of the movie we see Takaki tell the story from his point of view, and there are several points where you really feel his pain, such as when he is on the train to go see Akari after one year of distance, and despite his longing to see her, when he realizes how late he will be he thinks to himself "Akari please don't wait for me". His concern for her over himself shows that he really does care for her. There are many more instances in the movie when you feel his pain such as when you realize all the emails that he is writing are actually not going out to anyone but to no one.

Akari Shinohara - You feel Akari express her pain when Tono flashes back to when she had called him to inform him that they would not be lucky enough to attend the same Junior High together because her parents and her were moving away. Tono says he could feel her pain through the phone, and this same pain is conveyed to the viewers. It is also evident that Akari does love and care for Tono because she waits far beyond the expected time for Tono with no guarantee he will be there but her heart telling her so.

Kanae Sumida - She is probably the character I sympathize with most because throughout the second part we see that for years she has lived in an obsession and love of Takaki Tono comparable only to His for Akari, but a the same time despite her obsessive love Kanae is able to realize that Tono does not love her and in fact never seems to look at her. Her understanding of the person she loves, and selflessness of not revealing her feelings to him after this realization really make her love mean something, and this also makes me feel the most pain for her because she is the one character that does not even get a grain of the love she gets back.

The 3 parts the movie is divided in also explore different kinds of distance and the pain that it can cause.

The first part is about the physical distance and the pain and longing that it creates within both Akari and Takaki. The second section is about the emotional distance between Kanae and Takaki. And the 3rd Section is about the pain of not being able to let go as Takaki is still unable to let go of his memories of Akari, and in some ways is more in love with them than Akari herself.

The brilliant ending scenes with the song, especially the train crossing really cap of an excellent movie.

***** End of Spoilers *****

Makoto Shinkai manages an emotional connection with anime that very few live action movies can even claim to produce. All in all this is one of the instant classics, and masterpieces. If you haven't seen it this is absolutely one to watch as it is a brilliant film on every level and from every aspect. This is art at its best in all phases. The story, animation, and music are brilliantly woven into the soul of this movie, not only mesmerizing you with its beauty, but moving you and leaving a permanent impression on your soul

12/10

Must Watch!!!! An Anime Masterpiece!

Let Me In (I) (2010)

Let Me In Will Quietly Haunt You Long After the Lights Come On

[10/10 · 16 October 2010]

"Let Me In" is an adaptation of the Swedish Horror Classic "Let The Right One In". Being an adaptation many fans of the original may have been against the idea of an adaptation on the basis of many adaptations of other films in the past which had failed to do the original justice, those fans should be happy to know that "Let Me In" not only does the original's brilliance justice, but builds upon it to give an even better experience, and a new take of an excellent story to those who will see this film.

"Let Me In" (LMI) will make you do what the title asks, it will make you open your mind, heart and subconscious where it will plant a seed that will grow and continue to haunt you long after you have left the theater. Unlike most Horror genre movies these days LMI is a movie that doesn't lean heavily on visual effects and gore to scare you. Instead LMI builds its foundation in an already excellent story, complimented with great direction, acting, and cinematography. Normally the horror genre is one I choose to avoid due to the frequent use of cheap visual thrills rather then hard hitting emotional trauma and mental unrest. This is where LMI transcends the genre, as it is a film with depth and emotion that will truly stay with you long after the lights come on.

The acting in LMI is award worthy, especially Chloe Moretz as Abby, who's acting is amazing and makes the film's most complex character work. Give her the statue please! Worth mention for those who have seen the original is compared to Lina Leadersson who did an exceptional job as Eli, Chloe was responsible for both the acting and the voice, while Lina was dubbed. Also award worthy is Kodi Smit-McPhee as Owen, without Kodi's Owen to compliment Chloe's Abby the film would have lacked a soul and fell flat despite a great story.

The one area I thought the film lacked compared to the original was Musical Score, whole LMI has an excellent musical score, it is far more direct than the brilliant and creepy Score that supported the original, just nitpicking here though.

In my opinion LMI is a brilliant movie which perfectly compliments the original, as well as one of the best this year.

9.6/10

***Spoilers Below This Point***

I hope my review doesn't come off as disjointed since I have separated the spoilers from the rest of the review.

LMI is driven only by the relationship between Owen and Abby, two brilliantly conceived and acted characters.

Abby is a very complex character, many on the IMDb boards have taken Abby to be a pure evil, calculative, and manipulative 200 year old lady who has perfected the art of tricking others into helping her, I do not agree with this. Abby's character is brilliant because despite these 200 years that she has lived, she is still a 12 year old trapped inside of a monster. There are many hints throughout the movie that evidence this. For example when Abby's caretaker fails to bring back blood for her she is furious because she will now be forced to do the sinful deed herself. Abby's reluctance to get her own hands dirty is evidence that somewhere inside her the 12 year old girl still lives, rather than an insatiable monster who would jump at the chance to enjoy adrenaline pumping moments of a kill. This makes Abby kind of an ironic character, she is defined by her disease as a creature that lusts for human blood, as well as one with the power to obtain it herself, but instead she is reluctant to do so when it can be avoided, because somewhere inside her the 12 year old human girl still lives.

Owen is also a very complex character, but in a way that almost is the inverse of Abby. Owen is a helpless school boy constantly tormented by bullies in his school. He is weak, and has a poor family foundation with his parents going through a divorce. But, when we look into his character, and in certain scenes, we see he has a desire to do harm to his tormentors. One example of this is the scene where he is stabbing the tree with the knife and pretending that it is the group of bullies that torment him on a daily basis. So his character can be described as a weak 12 year old human boy, who wishes for the power to exact his revenge on his tormentors and imagines doing them as well, yet he still lacks the power to do so.

If one looks at this Owen and Abby work sort of like the puzzles Abby loves in that each of them compliment a void in the other, hence when they are together they are complete and they are happy. This is what makes them a perfect match, as when Abby is with Owen she can be her 12 year old self which the majority of her clearly prefers to be, and on the opposite end of the spectrum Owen is no longer lonely and at the same time has someone who has the power to defend him.

Neither of these characters would be even remotely believable without strong performances to back them up.

LMI is also one of the greatest Romantic Tragedies ever made, because despite the happy tone the film ends on, one is assured there is nothing but trouble ahead. Either Owen will outgrow Abby and due to his love decide to keep himself useful and become her replacement caretaker, or she will choose to share her curse with him, where both will have to share in the curse of what a Vampire is a Victim.