bmcafee_98-257-960319 Reviews

Wolf Children (2012)

Good, but not as good at all the hype.

[8/10 · 13 January 2016]

Let me start off by saying this review will have some spoilers in it, so you have been warned.

Wolf Children is the story of Hana, a college student who meets a werewolf and falls in love, has a whirlwind romance, gets pregnant, and ends up having to raise two werewolf children on her own. Hana deals with problems, some of which will be familiar to most parents, and others which will be familiar to most dog owners (such as chewing on furniture). All things considered, Wolf Children is a solidly good movie. However, it's not as good as the hype it's received.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 9.0 This is full of high quality visuals. Absolutely beautiful, especially the gorgeous scenery once Hana moves to the country! All the motion is smooth, the colors are outstanding and vivid, everything looks amazing. If there is any flaw, I would have to say the initial transformation of the father into a wolf was a bit of a letdown. It's pretty much just a slow morph from man to man-wolf, and it really could have been a lot better. This movie has little to offer in the way of effects, and this transformation was their chance to shine, and I feel it was a missed opportunity. But still, it's a small gripe.

On a side note, I'm a bit confused as to why Wolf Daddy tells Hana not to watch him transform, and then proceeds to transform extremely slowly over a couple of minutes (which of course Hana sees), however it is clearly established later on that the transformation can be instant.

Sound: 8.0 The voice acting was great. Very believable emotions, and the voices seemed to fit the characters very well. The music was good but not great. It was the typical orchestral background music which you would expect for a movie like this, and there really wasn't anything wrong with it. However, there wasn't anything which I could listen to by itself. To get a perfect ten in this category, I have to be looking for the music online after I finish watching the show, and that's not the case here.

Story: 7 The story is good. We see approximately twelve years of Hana raising her two wolf children from infants to middle school. Each has to find their own way, human or wolf, and it is interesting to see how they make their choices and how they deal with their dual natures. This was a great concept, which you would expect from Mamoru Hosoda, who brought us Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, but the concept wasn't masterfully executed. Actually, it did seem like the movie was trying too hard to be a Ghibli film at times, especially once they moved to the country. Specifically it was like watching Totoro, but with less magic and mystery. It had the look but not the feel. There are some scenes which are badly mishandled. (spoiler!)Toward the end, Ame, Hana's son, runs off into the woods during a typhoon. Mom, of course, runs after him nearly dying while trying to navigate the woods during the intense storm while searching for her son. Unfortunately, instead of playing this as an emotional farewell, it is played for unnecessary drama and excitement. Why? Because the show was nearing its end, and they needed a dramatic climax, that's why. It was fairly obvious and I was not impressed by it. Finally, the story lacks any real ending at all. We get to see that the children have decided which world they want to live in, but that's as close to a resolution as we are going to get. This is, after all, a slice of life film, and that's what we get. A slice.

Characters: 7 Hana is the main character, and that may be one of the movie's biggest problems. Miyazaki's films had a sense of wonder, mostly because we experience the world through the eyes of very young characters. In this movie, we mostly experience it through the eyes of an adult going through difficult circumstances. The story is narrated by the daughter, but she is only a major character for the last half of the movie. The father is a real letdown. He is only in the movie very briefly, has only a few lines, and apparently passed on a genetic predisposition to run outside during horrible weather. In fact, we never even learn his name, which pretty much relegates him to the status of an extra.

Overall: 7.75 I liked it. I would recommend it. However, there's nothing here that's going to bring you back for a re-watch. I should also point out that my wife and daughter actually got angry at me for not giving it a perfect 10 rating, so it apparently appeals more to female audiences. But I stand by my review.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: The Rebellion Story (2013)

Get ready to watch it twice.

[9/10 · 13 January 2016]

This is the direct sequel to the TV series, or the two recap movies. It picks up shortly after Madoka's transformation into her ultimate form, where she changed the fate of all magical girls, became "The Law of Cycles," and disappeared from the world, forgotten by everyone but Homura. So why is she in this movie? Why is Sayaka present? Why does Kyoko go to school with the rest of the girls? Why can't Kyubey talk? And where are the wraiths that I expected the girls to be fighting?

The movie expects you to pick up on all these things which aren't quite right. It starts off basically re-playing the events of the first episode of the series, but with lots of differences, which quickly add up to "everybody is way too happy!" Homura eventually realizes this, and starts searching for answers. She's fairly certain everyone is supposed to be miserable, and she's going to fix things. Sayaka even blatantly confronts her about the inevitable outcome of her quest to set the world right, but Homura just won't listen.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 9.5 You can really tell the budget for this show was much higher than the series. Everything is so detailed, crisp, and beautiful. The series used the witch labyrinths to showcase some outstanding and heavily symbolic imagery courtesy of Gekidan Inu Curry. We get more of that here, and perhaps a bit too much. Akiyuki Shinbo has gone completely ballistic with the symbolism and imagery, to the point of sensory overload. This overdose of imagery is really the only negative I can find with the art of this movie. It's definitely an eye-popping extravaganza.

Where the original series story was told with 80% actions/dialogue and 20% visual symbolism and metaphor, you get a complete reversal here. Rebellion's story is told, perhaps as much as 80% in visual symbolism and metaphor, and only 20% through character dialogue and action. Get ready to watch this again, 'cause there ain't no way you are going to take all this in on just one viewing.

Sound: 9.5 Yuki Kajiura has knocked it out of the park once again. This soundtrack is very original and memorable. Clara Dolls, Mada Dameyo, Flame of Despair, etc. Some songs here will definitely get stuck in your head, and you won't mind it at all! Still, I can't give it a 10 since I do like the music from the original series better. Still, this soundtrack is pure magic.

The English dub is quite good. Cabanos did a great job as Madoka, and the entire cast did a fantastic job. Of note was Christina Vee, reprising her role as Homura. Her performance in the series was outstanding, and this is more of the same high quality work. The translation was extremely faithful, with a few exceptions, all of which I felt were improvements (let me explain before you take up arms). Subtle changes were made during the pivotal scene where Homura and Madoka are in a field of flowers, talking around the issue of Madoka's decision to become the Law of Cycles. Many fans completely missed the fact that this conversation fully justified (in her mind) Homura's actions at the end of the movie, and the dub does a much better job of conveying that idea. Also, Kyubey is used exclusively as an exposition fountain near the end of the movie, explaining to the audience what has been going on behind the scenes. This explanation seemed to flow nicely and was easier to follow. The glaring exception to all this is the Cake Song. I wish they hadn't had to translate it. The English dub of the cake song just isn't the same.

Story: 9.0 Its very hard not to compare this to the original series… Perhaps impossible. Still, while it may be fair to compare the music or the animation to the original, Rebellion lacks the running time to compete in the story area, but wow, what they did in the two hours they were given is still outstanding. To paraphrase another reviewer (http://kotaku.com/the-new-modoka-magica-movie-is- the-sequel-you-never-kne-1453844468#), it's fantastic that watching five girls having fun and eating cake can inspire a feeling that 'something is horribly wrong!' It's also a fun ride following Homura as she realizes the world is not as it should be and searches for the reason why. And the ending! You will either hate it or love it. I haven't found anyone yet who wasn't totally polarized by the ending. I'm firmly in the "Homura did nothing wrong!" camp. After all, when the series ended, she was the only magical girl whose wish had not been granted, and after everything she went through, she earned that ending. Bought and paid for. And before you say that her actions overrode, or disrespected Madoka's wish, remember that Madoka's wish overrode Homura's. Turnabout is fair play. When you sell your soul for something, and you don't get it, it's time to go to extremes.

Characters: 7.0 This is Homura's movie, and she is the main character, and the focus of any and all development. It works well if, like me, Homura is your favorite character, but if you are looking to see more of any other character, you may be a little disappointed. Still, Homura's journey from meek to powerful, from stable to demented is a ride worth the ticket price.

Overall: 8.7 Not as epic as the original series, but how could it have been? When a show has such a solid ending as Madoka Magica, adding new content is usually a recipe for disaster. Everyone hopes that the unnecessary sequel will be more than just a bid to make more money off a successful name. This new chapter of the Madoka Magica story is definitely not resting on its laurels.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)

Definitely worth a watch, even if you aren't a fan of Magical Girls.

[9/10 · 4 January 2016]

I normally read up on a series before I buy it, but I lucked into this one without doing any research at all, and I'm so glad that I did. I'm a 42 year old male, so you might think I'm outside the demographic for this show, and so did I. I've been collecting anime since 1988, but I've never been into Magical Girl anime. I loved Tenchi Muyo, so I was able to stomach some Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, so I'm not completely unfamiliar with the genre, but it's really not my thing. I only watched this because Christine Cabanos, the English voice actress for the main character was going to be at a local anime convention and I wanted to be familiar with her work before meeting her. I did absolutely no research whatsoever. After watching the first two episodes, it was headed in exactly the direction I expected it to be going, and I wasn't too excited to hit play on episode three, but I'm so glad that I did. The first two episodes aren't all that interesting to watch, but believe me, you will enjoy them a lot more when you re-watch them, and you will. Once you finish episode ten and realize just what has been going on, a re-watch is practically mandatory.

It is absolutely imperative to avoid spoilers, but you do need to know one thing: Give it at least three episodes. The end of episode three marks a major turning point. To say that the plot gets serious at that point is an understatement. Everything changes; the story loses its frivolous nature, the art, settings and even the music change to suit the new dramatic nature of the plot, and it's at this point that you should make your judgment on whether or not to finish the series. Don't get me wrong, this is a Magical Girl anime to the end, but if you are a fan of extremely well written stories, and I mean on the level of Shakespeare, Goethe, and classical Greek legend, then this is for you, regardless of whether or not you like Magical Girls.

Lets break it down:

ART: 8/10 I've seen better animated shows. Especially close-ups on the character's faces leave something to be desired, but still, this animation is above average. The use of backgrounds and lighting to set the mood for the scene is done with masterful skill. The use of a completely different art style to set the witch labyrinths apart from the real world is jarring at first, but you can't deny it IS effective. Every image is meaningful.

STORY: 10/10 This is the real selling point of the anime. I have never come across a better written show, bar none. Again, I'm not going to give anything away, so I'm just going to ask you to trust me here. I can say that if you have heard that this is a deconstruction of the genre, then you heard right. It asks questions that other shows in the genre don't ask, and plays out the consequences of the character's actions and choices in a fully serious manner. However, its more than that. It borrows heavily from the classics to give a surprisingly deep and well thought out story.

MUSIC: 10/10 If you have never really paid attention to Japanese composers, this show may change that. The music is absolutely perfect. Where the show wants to be light and uplifting the music does that quite well. Where the music really shines is in the dramatic scenes and the action where the music can set the tone for a scene equally well, if not more so, than the visuals. Previously, my favorite anime composer was Yoko Kanno, but after watching this, Yuki Kajiura is now top of my list and not likely to ever be deposed.

THE DUB: 8/10 Some other reviewers have given Christine Cabanos a bad rap, but I don't agree. She does a good job here as the main character Madoka. The role was demanding, with a LOT of emotion, and I think she delivered that emotion believably. Christina Vee does an outstanding job as Homura. Her character is almost the opposite of Madoka, with little emotion (at least in the first half of the series) and an intensity that doesn't really suit a middle school student, but once you have seen the full series, you will understand that this is exactly what her character called for.

OVERALL: 9/10 If you are looking for a light, fun piece of entertainment, then this may not be for you. I wouldn't recommend this for younger audiences either. It really is written for a more mature, discerning, intelligent audience, and may even be off- putting, if not inappropriate for young viewers. Hint: Parents, don't buy this for your eight year old daughter. Now, by inappropriate, I don't mean it has a lot of blood, gore, and sex. In fact it has no sex, only the briefest nudity (like during transformation sequences, as is typical for Magical Girl anime), and although it does have violence, it isn't all that bloody and definitely not gory. Still, the story deals with very serious material, and the realities of being a Magical Girl are atypical of the genre to say the least. This is a deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre in a similar sense that Unbreakable was a deconstruction of the Super Hero genre.

If, on the other hand, you grew up with Sailor Moon and would like someone to write a Magical Girl story for your now older and more refined tastes, with a story that will change the way you look at the genre, then get this. If you just like well written stories, that don't pull any punches and make you feel like you've been on an emotional roller coaster by the end, then this is definitely for you.

Ponyo (2008)

Ghibli's version of Disney's version of The Little Mermaid

[4 January 2016]

Spoilers, but really, there's not much to give away, its Ghibli's version of Disney's version of the Little Mermaid.

Synopsis: Ponyo is a goldfish who lives under the sea with her wizard father and many goldfish sisters. One day she ventures to the surface to satisfy her undying curiosity about the world above the surface. She meets a boy named Sosuke there, and a strong bond of love develops between them. She gets into her father's magical elixirs, miraculously acquires legs and goes to live with Sosuke on the land as a real human girl, but Sosuke must make a commitment to her, or she will dissolve into sea foam, and the world might end (not really sure about that last part, it wasn't very well explained)

Story: 6.0 This, as the poster says, is the Little Mermaid. Well, kinda. Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Sea-Maid was actually a tragedy, and had an appropriately tragic ending. Now, there's nothing wrong with doing a Miyazaki version of the Little Mermaid, but I still can't give it high marks for originality, unlike many of his other movies which had brilliant stories. Really, the thing I had the biggest problem with was that Miyazaki set everything up to follow the Anderson version, even adding the sea foam element, but at the last minute, the great "test" ended up being nothing but an underwhelmingly simple question. Lots of buildup, and then the story Disneyed out, lacking the courage to stick with the Anderson ending. Just like Disney, they take Anderson's The Little Sea-Maid and tack on a happy ending, but this was obviously tacked on with little effort. Perhaps if the "test" had been more of an ordeal I could have accepted it. We might as well have been watching an animated version of one of Shakespeare's tragedies, but everybody lives in the end, with nothing more than a single line of dialogue to explain the difference.

I understand that this was supposed to be a movie for five year olds, but Miyazaki seems to have forgotten that five year olds don't pay for movie tickets or buy DVDs, their parents do. This movie, unlike his other works, has little to offer older audiences. It doesn't have to end with the mermaid dead, but you could have at least let the tension build so audiences felt relief when the expected tragic end was avoided.

Animation: 8.0 The animation here is not as strikingly beautiful or detailed as Spirited Away, but it's still gorgeous. The character designs are typical for Ghibli. Perhaps the best of the visuals appears about half way into the movie, where Ponyo has acquired the magic she needs to become human and she runs along the surface of the stormy ocean to get to the land and see Sosuke. It's impressive, and worth watching the movie if just for this sequence.

Sound: 7.0 The Japanese cast definitely put more emotion into their performances. I wish Disney would hire more professional voice actors rather than going for big names. Not that Liam Neeson or Cate Blanchett did a bad job. Actually I enjoyed their performances. It's just that they are so recognizable, and also that there are so many truly great voice actors and actresses out there that could have done this, possibly better. A good example is during the scene where Sosuke and his mom are driving in the storm, trying to get home from the Senior Center while the waves crash around them. Tina Fey's performance is good, but Tomoko Yamaguchi was superior, vocally conveying the peril of her situation where Fey sounded more "in control." The music was almost entirely orchestral, and fit the feel of the movie. There were very few vocals. The credit song, "Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea," is cute and fun. Overall, it's a good soundtrack for the movie, but not one I would buy.

Characters: 7.0 Characters are where Miyazaki has always excelled. He is such a keen observer of human behavior, especially that of children, that his animation captures them like magic and this is no exception. However, when re-creating the story of the Little Sea- Maid one character was left out, and that robbed the story of its necessary tension. In the original, there is another girl. The Prince has to choose between the Mermaid and a human Princess. It's a triangle, and that is of course why the ending fell flat. Of course he was going to choose Ponyo, there was nobody else. Also, Sosuke has a dad who is captain of a ship. The part seems to have been added just so Matt Damon could have half a dozen lines in the film. Add to this that earlier in the movie, Fujimoto, Ponyo's dad, states that he wants to rid the world of all the nasty humans, but now he's fine with his daughter becoming one and going off to live with them. That's a hell of a flip-flop to let go completely unexplained. Unfortunately, Fujimoto's miraculous change of heart seems to be the only development we get from any character in the show.

Overall: 7.0 There were moments of pure magic in this film, as there are with all Miyazaki films. It was beautiful. While there may have been issues with the story, the animation and sound were still worthy of a Ghibli film, and that makes it worth watching. I recommend it, but only to those who have already seen all the others. If you still haven't seen Spirited Away, Mononoke Hime, Nausicaa, or My Neighbor Totoro, see those first.

Knights of Sidonia (2014–2015)

Derivative, but still quite good.

[7/10 · 4 January 2016]

Synopsis: Knights of Sidonia is a Netflix original, and it packs a great look and outstanding music. Earth has been destroyed by mysterious aliens called the Gauna. Sidonia is a multi-generational seed ship sent out to find a new home for the human race. It's been a hundred years since the Gauna were last encountered, but the arrival of a mysterious young pilot, Nagate Tanikaze, coincides with the return of Sidonia's ancient enemy.

Tanikaze has spent his entire life (he seems to be in his late teens) underground with his grandfather, who has apparently restricted him to two activities: eating, and training to fly giant robots. When Tanikaze ventures above deck to steal some rice, he is captured and taken before the ship's captain, who instantly recognizes his innate piloting skills and assigns him to the mech pilot program, just in time to fend off the return of the Gauna. To make things worse, the Gauna can only be killed by spears made of an extremely rare element, of which Sidonia only has twenty-something left, and they can't make any more.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 9.0 This anime is completely 3D CGI. It looks great, allowing seamless integration of the characters with their environment. The series does have a distinct lack of color, in the technology, the environment, and especially in the characters. Everyone has the same skin tone, hair color (except for Midorikawa and Seii), and if they had different eye color, I didn't notice in the two times I watched it. The lack of color and often of lighting makes it hard to determine where computer displays end and the panel/wall/etc. begins. The action, on the other hand, was fantastic. I love a good space mecha fight, and this didn't disappoint.

Characters: 6.0 There is practically no character development. Some die off too soon, others are just there for window dressing (like Lala, who happens to be a bear with a robotic claw, and is never explained.) Tanikaze, the main character, starts out as a socially awkward (for good reason) outsider who happens to be an outstanding pilot, but develops into a socially awkward (for no reason) outsider who is an outstanding pilot. After defeating every threat facing Sidonia for twelve episodes, you would think he might develop a little confidence, or a cocky attitude… but no. He's also painfully oblivious to the fact that he's a chick magnet.

Story: 5.0 Highly derivative. Giant spaceship with a city inside, mysterious aliens want to destroy the ship, multi-generational mission to a new home. Sound familiar? It should. It's been done, and here it comes again. It was done SO much better by Macross Frontier that if you enjoy this show at all, you need to immediately start watching Macross F. It's not a complete copy of Frontier, there is the immortal council, like the one in Ergo Proxy. And the part where Tanikaze and Hoshijiro are trapped together for three weeks; that was totally copied from Original Macross, not Frontier. There are also a few scenes that will get you thinking, like when Saitou breaks into a cloning facility to steal an unauthorized copy of himself. When he comes out, he is met by the security forces… armed with swords and bows? He actually gets shot with an arrow. If they can produce giant robots, cloning facilities and particle cannons, why the hell can't they figure out how to make a taser or a handgun? Actually, (and I'm not making this up) it's later revealed that they do have tranquilizer dart guns, but they shot Saitou with an arrow anyway. Total dick move!

This series has been praised for its realistic physics. It's good in some parts, but bad in others. When the giant ship makes dramatic course changes, the occupants feel the G forces, sometimes to fatal effect. This is something that almost ALL giant spaceship anime neglect. However, in the scene where Tanikaze flies away from Sidonia to rescue Hoshijiro, he passes, "the point of no return!" What the hell? I'm supposed to believe that if he goes past that point he won't have enough fuel to get back? That's not how space works! All you have to do is get going in any direction, and you will continue to go that way FOREVER! Regardless of if you have fuel left or not! Also, when the mecha have to travel any long distance, they all join hands to form a "clasp formation." Apparently holding hands gives you greater thrust from your engine? Well, yes, four mecha holding onto each other do have four times the thrust but they also have four times the MASS! Meaning no net gain! However, the morale boost from a squadron group-hug cannot be quantified.

Sound: 8.0 The opening song is an outstanding march, which kept me from skipping the credits. I watched it in Japanese and English. Both sound quite good. I didn't really know many names on the cast list, which is strange for me, but I did recognize Christina Valenzuela, who played my favorite character from Madoka Magica, and plays the Honoka sisters here. She sounds nothing like Homura here, and if I hadn't read the credits, I would never have known it was her, which is high praise for any voice actress. The way in which the mouth movements were rendered made the English version problematic. The CGI may have just been too detailed to get the words to match the mouths.

Overall Impression: 7.0 Despite the flaws, it was fun to watch, and that's all I expect from my entertainment. It helps that I like this sub-genre of mecha anime. And even though the story was super- derivative, the action was thrilling. It's just too bad that their weapons were the only aspect that actually developed by the end of the series. Still, I'm looking forward to the second season.

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna (2012– )

Japanese history... kinda.

[7/10 · 4 January 2016]

Synopsis:

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a gender swapped retelling of the end of the sengoku, or warring states period of Japanese history. Most of the major historical figures have been transformed into girls, and time traveler Yoshiharu Sagara, a high school student from modern day Japan, full of knowledge about the period from playing simulation games, uses his knowledge to change the events so everything works out the way he wants it to.

The series is a mostly interesting, definitely entertaining, a bit disturbing, historical gender swapped harem comedy. I'm currently working on my masters in ancient and classical history, so I'm very interested in Japanese history and I was intrigued by this anime. Now that I've watched it, I'd have to say I enjoyed it, but I'm definitely scratching my head at some of the decisions the creators made.

Lets break it down:

Art: 7.0 The animation is competent, but not outstanding. I don't have a problem with using still frames when used appropriately, but I think they relied on them a bit too much. One scene in particular, when Nobuna's army is besieging her little brother's fortress, and everyone is chanting Nobuna's name. It looked weird that nobody was moving, not even their mouths. Still, the character designs were interesting, especially Inuchiyo, and while a purple haired girl wearing a tiger hoodie and wielding a huge spear sounds strange, it looks pretty cool. I understand the gender swapping, and that does make for an interesting premise, but the age reduction went a bit too far. The character who would eventually be Tokugawa Iyeyasu was a little girl with mouse ears and a tail, probably about eight years old. I can't imagine what inspires an army to follow that into battle. I'm sure this was played for laughs, but it elicits more of a WTF than an LOL. The action and the fight scenes were well done, and I wish there had been more.

Story: 7.0 Overall, I liked it. There were a lot of historical details which made me happy, such as Yoshiharu taking Toyotomi Hideyoshi's place as sandal bearer in the Oda court, and Nobuna dancing and praying before the battle of Okehazama, but there were some blatantly anachronistic things which made me cringe. Imagawa Yoshimoto and Tokugawa Iyeyasu playing soccer (that wasn't kemari, there was a net), an assassin using a sniper rifle with a modern scope two hundred years before the RIFLE was invented, Yoshitatsu Saito running around with a cannon which can fire repeatedly without reloading, Hisahide Matsunaga attacking Kyoto with war elephants? So many historical details, balanced with so much absolute nonsense. It would be different if it were explained, or played for comedy, but it's not.

Characters: 6.0 There really isn't a lot of character development. Nobuna and Yoshiharu make in interesting couple. I'd have to say that the male leads in most harem comedies are the worst kind of fish out of water, ineffectual, plankton of any characters in anime, but happily, Yoshiharu actually drives the plot of the show, and is incredibly knowledgeable about the world he has been dropped into. He's actually a strong leader and that made for a pleasant surprise. The rest of the harem are fun to watch, and Niwa Nagahide's running gag of assigning point values to other character's actions is amusing. But really, we are never told anything about Yoshiharu's life before he magically gets transported into bizarro sengoku Japan. Nor do we know how he got there. We do get some of Nobuna'a background, but the rest are pretty much blank slates. The biggest problem I had character wise was definitely Takenaka Hanabe, who is supposed to be some incredible strategist, but never comes up with a single plan or strategy, but instead uses marginally effective magic to little effect. Sometimes I get the feeling Hanabe is only included in the series so we can have a scene of an eight year old girl with her shirt off, and that's pretty disturbing. More on that later.

Sound: 7.0 The dub was actually quite good. I thought all the voices fit the characters well. The high point would definitely be Hilary Haag as the ninja Goemon. The little girl ninja with a lisp was actually very entertaining. The music was competent, but not outstanding. It worked to complement the scenes, and the opening and closing songs were good, but nothing memorable and certainly nothing I'm going to listen to by itself.

Fan Service: This isn't a category on which I usually comment, and I'm normally cool with fan service in a show, but here it needs to be addressed. There isn't too much of it, quantity wise, and some of it is actually kinda funny, such as Shibata Katsuie's boobs bouncing… in armor! How that works is beyond me, but it's worth a laugh (or a giggle). The real problem is the younger characters. Goemon, the little ninja girl with a lisp is followed around by a gang of grown men who cheer about how sexy she is… awkward. Yoshiharu's "little sister" Nene, who in real history would have been his wife, is like five or six years old, and we still get the occasional kimono slipping off her shoulder, etc. The worst, however, is Hanabe, who is apparently about eight, and gets sick and has to be undressed and 'cooled down' to reduce her fever (why is Yoshiharu present for this?). I think we are supposed to laugh at Yoshiharu's uncomfortable predicament, but I felt like I was the one in the uncomfortable spot.

Overall: 6.75 For all its faults, this anime has an interesting story and likable characters. I found it enjoyable. If you like Japanese history, and you'd like to see it thrown in a blender and mixed with a healthy dose of romantic comedy, then give this a try.

Deadman Wonderland (2011)

Great on the visuals, but lacking in originality.

[7/10 · 4 January 2016]

Synopsis:

In the near future, Japan is rocked by a cataclysm which wipes out most of Tokyo. Afterward, some people manifest an ability to control their own blood and use it as a weapon. This can take the form of blades, nets, projectiles, etc. The different blood based powers are called Branch of Sin.

The story centers on Ganta, a student who is about to go on a class field trip to Deadman Wonderland, a prison/theme park which funds itself by putting the prisoners through deadly sporting events for the enjoyment of the paying public.

Unfortunately, before the class can go on the trip, a mysterious, super powerful, 'Red Man' kills everyone in Ganta's class, except him. The Red Man also gives Ganta a red crystal in his chest which gives him the power to manipulate his own blood as a weapon. Since Ganta didn't die in the attack, he is immediately prosecuted as the obvious perpetrator. His lawyer is also the guy who runs the prison, so definitely no conflicts of interest here. Ganta soon finds himself as an inmate at the prison. He quickly learns how prisoners are kept under control. They wear collars which inject poison, which will kill them unless they regularly eat nasty tasting candy. The candy must be earned, and so the prisoners do what they are told.

In his quest to discover who the Red Man is, and who framed him for the murders, Ganta discovers a secret area of the prison, G Block, where others with the same blood based powers are kept and forced to fight gladiator style battles in a giant birdcage. There is also an albino girl who can kick giant robots and jump out of tall buildings and land on angry dogs.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 8 The use of color is done quite well. In the prison, many of the other colors are washed out, or subdued, in order to bring out the color red. It also adds a kind of depressed feel to the prison. Additionally, the opening credits are entirely in red, black and white. Fight scenes are well choreographed, and the blood effects are well done. The character designs will immediately remind you of Eureka Seven. This is because the manga for both Deadman and Eureka were illustrated by Kazuma Kondou.

Sound: 7.0 The music was appropriate for the feel of the show. The opening and closing songs were the highlight of the show. The opening song, "One Reason," is a high energy rock piece, with an almost grunge sound to it, which fit well with the feel of the show. The end credit song, "Shiny Shiny," is the best in the show, and doesn't fit at all with the feel of the series, but it plays over pictures of the characters before they came to Deadman Wonderland, and has an appropriate retrospective/nostalgic feel to it. The voice acting in the dub is done by many familiar names. Ganta is voiced by Greg Ayres, the warden Makina is Colleen Clinkinbeard, and Shiro (Ganta's albino girlfriend) is Monica Rial. All the voices are well done, although Ganta's constant whining is a bit hard to take. Rial is really the highlight here. The youthful and innocent voice she lends to Shiro is at times adorable, and at others comedic, and it's exactly what is needed to balance the seriousness of the rest of the show. It's no exaggeration to say Monica Rial steals the show. I have read other reviews which had a negative reaction to Kana Hanazawa's (normally critically acclaimed) voice for Shiro. She sounds good to me, but I have to admit she comes across a bit normal (if not serious), where Shiro should really sound quirky, which is why Rial gets so much praise for her version.

Story: 6.5 A disastrous cataclysm happens in Tokyo, destroying much of the city and leaving behind people with unprecedented powers, like in Witchblade, or Akira. And they are kept in a prison, where they compete in deadly games as part of their sentence, like in The Running Man, or Deathrace. Unfortunately, the basic premise lacks a bit of originality. Also, he show stops, not ends, abruptly, without any conclusion, because the series only covers about half of the story laid out in the manga.

Characters: 6.0 They do take the time to give backgrounds to most of the characters in the show, but unfortunately, I never really got too attached to any of them. The real exception here is Shiro. Without her, the series would be fairly forgettable, but her innocence and cuteness effectively create a counterbalance to the ultra-violence of the series, and the mystery of who and what she is keeps you interested.

Overall: 6.9 Unfortunately, the show tries really hard to be dark with the death games, gladiator combat, and the penalty phase where a slot machine decides which body part the losers will have cut off. I don't mind violent anime, but this was a little over the top. Why would the security robots spew acid? Couldn't they just shoot, electrocute, or laser the inmates? I guess because acid is more gruesome, and that's what the show is going for. The language was a bit of a shock too. I have never heard so many F-bombs dropped in an anime before. But hey, if that's what you are looking for, then this is your anime. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it had answered its own questions, but unfortunately, we are left with a story with no ending. Still, it has a good side too, so if you aren't turned off by the above, watch it for the fight scenes, the animation, and most of all, for Shiro!