Gosick

GOSICK

A detective anime set in 1924, in a small fictional European kingdom. Taken from the light novels of the same name. 

OVERVIEW -Set in the fictional (well, semi-fictional) kingdom of Sauville, situated near the alpine borders of France, Switzerland and Italy (much like the historical kingdom of Savoy was), the story is narrated by and follows for the most part a Japanese student called Kazuya Kujo and his adventures with his fellow student, the mysterious, brilliant doll-like girl, Victorique de Blois, as they become involved in intrigues, plots and long-standing mysteries that Victorique solves by "reconstructing the fragments of chaos" using her "wellspring of wisdom". 

REVIEW -Described by some as "one of the best detective stories out there", Gosick is a rather unique piece of work, beautifully animated and produced by one of the best animation studio's out there (BONES, responible for things such as both full metal alchemist series, the cowboy beebop movie, wolf's rain, scrapped princess and even the Escaflowne movie of 2000) and set in an old European setting lovingly created from realistic to the time/location buildings and landscapes, it actually does a good job of re-creating European culture too, something other anime's tend to over-look (things like hot-spring style communial baths in london for example...) and slowly builds from a tale of unrelated misshaps and unsolvable mysteries into a deep, long-standing deeply political intrigue that ties in both world wars (WWII happening a good 20 years early in this fictional setting), the battle for the hearts of the populous between the conflicting disciplines of science and the occult/religion, murder, love and bonds that transcend all of the above. 

By far the best part is the slowly building relationship between Kujo and Victorique, as they face adversity they slowly begin to trust, then depend on each other, the closed-hearted arrogant Victorique slowly opening up to Kujo, and the shunned and feared "stranger in a strange land" finding at first a friend, then someone to protect and become a stronger person for. Victorique plays her part as a tsundere perfectly, and much like an old European "noblewoman" might in fact be, especially one so childish and socially removed. 

Over the course of the various mysteries they come across, all solved by Victorique's ability to effectively put together seemingly un-related and obscure facts to see the truths behind things, they begin to find the truth behind Victorique's unusual situation, the reasons for her birth and a series of divinations and predictions, as well as manipulations and political machinations set in motion by the rulers of the nations of Europe that shaped the course of the first world war, and are setting up to shape the events of the coming "storm" that is WWII. 

There are some great mysteries in the stories too, intricate, clever plots and lies, deceits and half-truths and the anime does a great job of not only setting the scene but in unwravelling it via Victorique's deductions. Nothing is ever as it first appears to be, and a running theme behind it is one of the replacement of "magic" with the use of science, and how the use of slight of hand, suggestion and tricks can explain most of the "magic" the people believe in. Ultimately the story is about Victorique, her past,her heritage, her family and her bond to Kujo, and ultimately ends on a bittersweet but happy note, with both Kujo and Victorique promising to always be with each other. 

At 24 episodes in length, the general opinion upon seeing all of it is a want for more, because its so easy to become attached to the wonderfully realised world and characters.

SUMMARY -

Story - A very clever tale, it comes together in a manner similar to Victorique's own deductive method, with each seeminly unrelated mystery eventually providing insight, clues or direct connections to the overal story of the series. Set away from Japan but written by a Japanese woman, it avoids the temptation of making everything japan-esque, often making use of Kujo's Japanese heritage directly to confuse the "locals". witty dialogue, well designed characters and growth of both them and the story, while still retaining a degree of humour. I would say its only let down is its tendancy to lean towards "happy endings" in most matters, which in some cases is a little unrealistic. 9/10

 

Production - The animation studio, BONES, is one of the top-notch producers of anime in Japan at the moment, an offshoot from Sunrise, one of the longest running and well-respected studios around (producing all the gundam series, escaflowne, the cowboy beebop series, the big O, code geass, dirty pair and InuYasha to name a few) the show is vibrant, making use of brilliant colour, pastel settings and even desaturation techniques to enhance the moods of the story, Its use of 3D CG is almost seemless and exceptionally well done. Voice casting is also top notch, with each character's personality really showing through with ease. One nice touch is the fact that due to being set in Europe all the writing used by people, except for Kujo's letters from home, is written in french, again something often overlooked by other anime's. 10/10

 

Music -While the opening piece is a little too "pop-y" in my opinion to fit with the rest of the show, its ending pieces are superbly fitting for the feel and time-period of the piece. Its score and insert music is also very apt and time-period accurate. While nothing really jumps out and sticks in your mind for the most part, the almost operatic first ending is well worth a second listen. 7/10

 

Accessability - Set in a fictional but mostly accurate early 20th century Europe, the whole show feels very homely for a Brit like me. There's a degree of cultural exchange that happens during Kujo and Victorique's interactions, allowing for some humour and missunderstandings but it firmly sticks to the general populous being European and presents it well, making it very easy to watch without a need to delve deeply into Japanese culture. (though some may want to refresh themselves on European history at points!) 9/10

 Overall Impression -Visually appealing, great stories taken at face value with a subliminal plot exploding into the final arc, it makes great use of actual history and subtlely works its own, fictional story into it, making it very compelling to watch. Its characters are superbly written and portrayed, backed with powerful voice performances that creates a real connection to them. About the only thing that someone wouldnt enjoy about this would be if they dislike detective stories in the first place. 9/10

Final Score - 44/50

Afro Samurai

AFRO SAMURAI

A five part series taken from a self-published manga, supported and aided by Samuel L Jackson. 

OVERVIEW -Set in a world that appears to be an odd fusion of old Japan and the future, the plot follows the Afro Samurai of the title as he journeys to seek vengance on the man who killed his father. 

REVIEW -I'll be honest from the get-go here, within 10 minutes of watching this series, I wanted to stop. I'll go into why as i progress, but I feel it fair to pre-warn you all that it may be very negative. 

The plot, as such, is that there exists in the world of the series two headbands, surrounded in legend. The owner of the No.1 headband is considered the strongest in the world, is meant to obtain near-godlike power and cannot be challenged by anyone apart from the owner of the No.2 headband. The owner of the No.2 headband has the right to challenge the No.1, but can be challenged by anyone. At the start the Father of the lead character holds the No.1 headband, but is killed by a gunslinger in front of "Afro" as he appears to be called from this point on.

Through a series of flashbacks we learn that The boy runs away, carrying his fathers decaying head in a backpack, with his fathers sword and the No.2 headband. Is set upon by bandits and left for dead, rescued by a swordsman who takes care of kids and then grows up learning the ways of the sword. 

As an adult, the story pretty much picks up at a point where Afro is nearing the mountain where the No.1 dwells, and is set upon by not only oppotunistic bandits but an organisation of sorts who want the headband. The five episodes generally deal with Afro's fights with them, while giving exposition to his background. 

As plots go, its really nothing special, nothing that any other basic fighting anime/manga hasnt already done. The fight scenes, while energeticly animated, are fairly predictable and mostly boring. There seems to be an excessive amount of blood contained in every person Afro cuts as well, with literal gallons of the stuff pouring out in every fight. Afro is basically shown as a cold-blooded merciless killer from an early age, always trying to find the No.2 headband as a kid or simply killing anything in his path once he has it. Honestly speaking, Afro is a one-dimensional character, with no real redeaming features or actions, and in fact could even be described as the villain of the piece. 

During his travels as an adult, he is accompanied by a constantly talking companion (identified by wiki-search as being called "ninja ninja", as he's never named in the series) who constantly talks "street" in the worst possibly blacksplotation-movie style ever. Apparently he's not even real, an imaginary friend of Afro's brought on by guilt and an obvious mental health issue, created when his actions caused the death of all his childhood friends, and just after Afro killed his swordmaster, the man who'd cared, protected and raised him for many years. Ninja ninja is one of the most irritating characters i've ever seen, and i've seen some really annoying ones. 

The animation is fairly ok, with a washed-out desaturated feel to anything but blood or lemonade (apparently Afro's favourite drink). Sadly when any action does take place the animators went for a style which I personally hate, allowing body parts to blur, extend, distort and bend in completely unrealistic manners. Many anime use this style, Naruto being a prime offender. This really detracted from the one possible redeeming feature of this anime, and its sole focus, the battles, for me. 

Finally, lets get to the part that had me hesitant to even begin to review this series, the voice acting. While technically an "Anime", as in written by, produced in and aired in Japan, Samuel L Jackson's involvement appears to have had the impact of having the whole thing shot with an English speaking voice-cast, its initial airings in Japan being subtitled in Japanese. I've spoken before about my hesitation and trepidation over English voice casts, and sadly this anime simply enforced that for me. The voice-acting was hammy, pantomimed and either so far over the top it was laughable, or so completely devoid of any attempt at emotion it was like a kid being forced to read out loud in class. The dialogue was equally as awful, with lines like "fucking fuck! i'll fucking cut you fuck!" or possibly the worst line ever "I'm sweating in anticipation for your kill, CAN YOU SMELL ME YET?" all of which was delivered in a style you'd expect from a bit-part actor, not esteemed talents such as Ron Pearlman, Dwight Schultz and John DiMaggio (thats bender to most other people). The vocal cast was small as well, with most characters voiced by the same people (a total of 8 people voiced the major cast, with one person providing the voices for three of the same group) leading to a real lack of distinction. 

Overall, While a good-looking show, it was almost the complete opposite to what I would enjoy or call a "good" anime. 

SUMMARY -

Story - A very one-dimensional, un-likable lead, a weak plot (kill everyone, avenge father, be No.1) and some awful dialogue really do not help this anime stand out, let alone stand above others. The story by itself fails to compel, or really serve as anything but an excuse to have lots of fight scenes. 1/10

 

Production -Visually striking, with physics-defying hair and headbands fluttering away at all times, the use of the desaturation to give a bleak feel was a good touch. However, the "fluidic freedom of body-structure" animation style used in many points is a personal peeve of mine, it also made use of repeated animation scenes, and none of the fights, save one, felt in any way epic, or appealing. the voice cast were poor, with many performances feeling phoned-in or done in a rush, no real emotional conveyance taking place and far too many of them spoke like it was a 60's blacksplotation movie. its style alone is its saving grace. 3/10

 

Music - Dont even get me started. largely un-scored, when some music did kick in it was hip-hop, very out of place even given the ethnicity of the main character. None of it added anything to any scene it was used in, and in many cases distracted from the scene. Lesson here, dont let hip-hop artists from America score anime, ever. 1/10 (I'd give zero but the opening theme fitted)

Accessability -A weird mix of american and japanese culture is on display, the majority of the characters, settings and world appeared to be pure feudal Japan, then someone pulls out a rocket launcher or a cell-phone, and a robot or cyborg appears. while not offputting to any particular audience, the total lack of background for the setting makes it quite confusing in places. 5/10

 

Overall Impression - I highly doubt that without Samuel L Jackson's involvement this would have got any real momentum behind it, the plot is weak, the animation overly stylised and really lacks any kind of character development. it honestly seems to be to be a vehicle to promote the concept of a samurai with an afro, and nothing else. 1/10

 

Final Score - 11/50

(I want to add, or should i say remind people that this review is *my opinion* and it will vary to other peoples. The show has produced a couple of movies and video games so obviously has appeal to people, just not to me)

Bakemonogatari

BAKEMONOGATARI

The well-recieved series, and its sequel Nisemonogatari, taken from the series of light novels by Nisio Isin.

OVERVIEW -Both series, as Nisemonogatari is essentially a continuation of Bakemonogatari, are in effect a supernatural/high school/coming of age combination, centering around and narrated by Koyomi Araragi, a teen thrust into the world of the supernatural during his spring break. While the main focus of the series are on the supernatural creatures refered to as "Oddities" there's still quite a lot of standard high-school and coming of age aspect to the story, which is why I consider it to be a hybrid of the three.

The name "Bakemonogatari" comes from combining the words "Bakemon" meaning "ghost" or "monster" and "Monogatari" meaning story, and is often translated as "Ghostory", while Nisemonogatari comes from combining the words "Nisemono" meaning "false" "fake" or "imposter" and "Monogatari", and is often translated as "Impostory" or "falstory"


REVIEW -The first thing I will say is this anime is not for the beginner, it constantly referances both the Japanese language itself and modern Japanese culture with little to no explination. Even I, a self-admitted fan of Japanese culture, have had to google/wiki-search a great deal to understand some of the jokes, humour and referances made in the course of the show. However, if you can do that, or already are heavily versed in the "otaku" culture it really adds to the already impressive depth of the show.

The story is centered around arcs, with each one introducing a unique problem caused by a supernatural oddity, with all of them save Koyomi's being "animal" themed. each arc has its own "victim" or central female character around whom the oddity is interacting. Characters from previous arcs are expanded upon as each new arc tells its story, creating an impressively well developed cast.

Koyomi Araragi is the central character, a teenage boy who during the spring break was turned into a vampire, but was saved and returned to being human by a man called Meme Oshino, refered to as a "specialist" with oddities. During this event a girl called Tsubasa Hanekawa was also involved, and is the class rep in Koyomi's 3rd year high school class. 

The first odd thing about this story would be best brought up here. While the above information is hinted at during the first part of the first episode, all of the events that happened to Koyomi are never fully explained or shown. Tsubasa's events are covered briefly in the final arc when she has a relapse. It was due to this bizarre chonology that I actually spent a good deal of time trying to find the film/series that came before Bakemonogatari, only to find its not even been made yet! and will be in a forthcoming feature film with the subtitle of "Koyomi vamp". 

The first arc is "Hitagi Crab" and deals with Hitagi Senjōgahara, a girl who had her weight taken away by a crab. It details the painful events of Hitagi's life, and goes some way in explaining her "Tsundere/Kuudere" personality and her initial violence. It also showcases how wordplay is integral to the whole series, as the crab (pronounced "Kani") is in fact a god (pronounced "Kami") and in taking Hitagi's feelings (pronounced "omoi") it also took her weight (also pronounced "omoi" but spelt with a different Kanji).

The second arc, "Mayoi Snail" deals with Mayoi Hachikuji, a ten or eleven year old girl who was lost that Koyomi tries to help, but is in fact a "lost snail" or lost cow (again, wordplay on the Kanji) a type of wandering spirit who causes those around them to become lost too. Koyomi and Hitagi eventually help her find her way home after a decade of wandering as a spirit. It is in this arc that Hitagi and Koyomi begin dating as well.

Next is "Sugura Monkey", introducing Hitagi's former "underclassman" Suruga Kanbaru, star of the basketball team. She is in possesion of what she initially thinks is a "monkey's paw" (google the term for an explination of the famous ghost story) but is in fact something much nastier. Her unrequited love for Hitagi and jealousy of Koyomi causes the arm to graft to her and control her movements at night. In the end, in an amazingly "tsundere" display it is Hitagi who resolves the problem. 

Moving on to "Nadeko Snake" we're given a little more backstory into Meme Oshino and his work, while being introduced to Nadeko Sengoku, a former childhood friend of Koyomi's sisters who harbours an obvious crush on him. Due to a curse that shouldnt have worked, and Nadeko's own amatuer attempts to remove it, she is in danger of being killed by a supernatural snake. Koyomi, with help this time from Sugura, eventually resolves the situation. 

Finally for Bakemonogatari is "Tsubasa Cat", where Tsubasa Hanekawa is once again possesed by a "bakenekko" or ghost/monster cat, much as she was during the often hinted at golden week. This arc resolves much of the history of Tsubasa, often seen wandering the streets in the previous arcs, and brings in one of Japan's most loved anime situations, a love triangle. It is also a pivotal point in the evolution of the overal story, with the "ruined former vampire" who, up till this point, had simply appeared in the background at Meme Oshino's place and was shown to have been a large part in what happened to Koyomi (though never really explained) first vanishing, then re-appearing from out of Koyomi's shadow, saving his life. It also marks the point where Meme Oshino leaves the town. 


Nisemonogatari revolves around Koyomi's sisters, Karen, the older of the two, and Tsukihi. Known locally as "the fire sisters" they are mentioned a fair few times in Bakemonogatari and often seen at the end of the arcs attempting to wake Koyomi up (normally after he's been out all night saving someone and is tired). The two arcs of Nisemonogatari reveal Koyomi's feelings that his sister's acts of trying to help people are simply games, and that they are "imposters" not actual "Friends of justice" as they proclaim. 

The first arc, "Karen Bee" deals with how the fire sisters are trying to locate the person behind the curse that affected Nadeko, and apparently is causing other problems in the lives of all the middle-school students in the area. When Karen confronts the person responsible, its revealed to be a man called Kaiki with deep ties to Hitagi's past and her violent, angry personality. A man she hates so deeply that she physically kidnaps Koyomi to prevent him from interacting with him, to "protect" him. Eventually Koyomi, with help and advice from Shinobu (the "former vampire" once known as "Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade", the name shinobu being written in kanji as "heart" under the character for "blade") manages to save Karen from a supernatural bee-sting and confront Kaiki along with Hitagi, resolving the situation in the middle schools and giving closure to a lot of Hitagi's past.


The second arc is "Tsukihi Phoenix" and centres around the youngest sister, Tsukihi. A new "specialist" arrives in town, attacking and seemingly killing Tsukihi before revealing to Koyomi that what he thought was his sister, was never "really" his sister, but an immortal oddity. While the specialist calls it a phoenix, Shinobu reveals it is in fact a cuckoo, who re-incarnates into "a human nest" before a child is born. Koyomi decides that regardless of if the person he knows as his sister is human or not, she is still his sister and he will protect her, having a confrontation with the specialist.



One of the biggest things about these series is the sheer surrealism of the animation. Time, Space, distance, physical limitations of architechture are all fluid, dynamic and prone to change, it makes use of realistic backgrounds, near-psycodelic backgrounds and ones that could pass as masterpieces of surreal art as well as real-life photo montages, full-screen text cuts and cartoon physics. It is not meant to appear realistic in any way shape or form, and uses that freedom impressively. It can make it hard to follow at times, and often sections are presented out-of-context, out of chronological order or are cut together in odd ways, but this is part of the style of the anime, not because of poor production. Its this odd, unique sense of art that makes this such an appealing anime.

Another major plus to the series is the music, each arc features a different opening theme, sung from the context of the arc's female "hero", nearly always relating in subtle ways to their oddity and always referancing the causes behind their interaction with the oddity (normally love/relationship related). the score is also stunning, powerfully emotive and so well done. For example many of the moments between Koyomi and Hitagi will have a subtle referance to her opening theme worked into the music, Oshino has a theme that always plays, and with many of the other female "heroes" their theme will be worked into the background music during their scenes. There's also pieces that work so well with the surreal aspect of the animation, adding weight to odd moments, helping them stick out as bizarre. The score alone is worth listening to even without the anime, and several tracks from it have made their way into my personal playlists.

Finally, i will talk about how well the characters have been designed. Its noted in the series that the oddities have reason to attach/target the people they do, that there is something about the person that is attuned to what the oddity is. This is carried on in themes and aspects of each characters personality and styles. Hitagi, targetted by a crab, is often referanced with staplers, that represent its claws, while her personality is hard, aggressive looking on the outside but soft and tender once past her "shell". Mayoi, with her over-sized backpack and hair-style is obviously snail-like, and her meandering, wandering appearances also suit the image. Sugura is athletic, lithe and nimble, very monkey-like, and her cheeky, playful personality is also much like a monkey too, Nadeko's initial appearence is remminiscent of a cobra's, and her sly, sneaky but intelligent manner could very well be a huge threat to Koyomi's relationships, like a "snake in the grass". Tsubasa is noted in the series as "being made to have cat ears", her stand-offish, almost aloof personality a well known trait in cats, and i'll be honest, when possesed by the cat-spirit, she is just so damn cute! (case in point.. http://youtu.be/wyV3SksAKRY ) Karen's choice of clothing is obvious (yellow with black stripe) and her "always on the go" personality suits a "busy bee". The only one I have trouble with in this regard is Tsukihi, as if she's fitting in with an animal stereotype based on birds I have no real point of referance in regards to japanese/far eastern stereotypes. Its worth noting however that her bed appears to be in a type of cage-design. I suspect that the same is also true for her character as well.

The light novels carry on past where the anime has reached, and I am hoping that further series will be produced. As i mentioned earlier, the story of how Koyomi became a vampire, and was turned back, will be covered in a feature film, and i honestly pray that once that project is complete, they will continue to tell the stories from the light novels in series form.

While tricky to follow, and requiring a reasonable understanding of japanese culture, this is one series any semi-dedicated fan of anime should NOT miss..



 SUMMARY -

 Story - In a word, Epic. While each arc on their own is a fun, complete story, what is building behind them, foreshadowed and hinted at on occasion, seems even more impressive. Its noted several times that oddities have their reasons, and there is some reason why so much activity is centred on Koyomi, its just not been explained yet. As more and more is shown, the connections, the backstories of all the various characters are becoming more complex, yet ever so more intertwinned. Its not-always-linear style may be a problem for some to follow, but it does a good job of explaining what is a flashback and what isnt, and in showing how events connect. Strong characters with impressive evolution and growth backed by bubbling undercurrent of intrigue, it also has a great deal of humour, of almost every kind, present. 10/10

 Production - Beyond good, its surreal, non-structured style may be freeing in some ways, but its just so well put together.. changes in art style, alterations of perspective, focus and jokingly inserted moments (like a text-screen popping up saying "next, adverts!" or various almost 4th wall breaking jokes) all flow together in a manner Terry Gilliam at his best would be proud of. There are so many styles its hard to really comment on them all individually, but the overal effect of blending them together is astonishing without being overwhelming. 10/10

 

 Music - one of the best soundtracks to any anime I have come across, each character's "opening theme" was written by the talented and well-known (in japan) Meg Rock, and each one was in fact sung in full by the voice actresses of the characters. The ending theme for Bakemonogatari was performed by one of the most impressive new songwriters in Japan, Ryu of supercell, and sung by another rising talent, Nagi Yanagi. The ending for Nisemonogatari was written again by Ryu of Supercell and sung by the recently discovered two-girl group ClariS. The score used during the anime is also top notch, making use of the character themes, and really adding impact to moments. simply stunning work. 10/10

 

 Accessability -Finally a let-down.. Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari heavily use word-play, based on how japanese words sound and how Kanji are used and pronounced. There's almost no way I can see that all of that could be translated to english, the subbed versions I've seen require many translator's notes and often I had to use wikipedia, translation sites and google to work out what was going on. Then there's the usual type of thing associated with japanese high-school drama's and coming-of-age tales, very dependant on how a "proper" relationship should be. (i mean, who in the west would still find hand-holding something to blush over aged 17?)  A hard anime to follow without serious understanding of the culture it came from 1/10

 

 Overall Impression - A fantastic series, I for one adore it, it has its detractors, people who think none of it makes any sense, and claim its simply one step away from being porn because of Koyomi's "Assumed perversion". It bugs me somewhat that many see Bakemonogatari as a "perverted anime", simply because it has adult themes to it. The main characters are all mostly around 17, 18. If there wasnt sexual innuendo, talk of kinks, fetishes and perversions in a group consisting mainly of women and one guy whom most of them have an attraction to I would worry the show was unrealistic in its portrayal. there's no "accidental" obvious panty-shots, no deliberate "fan service" or bad excuses to draw the character naked that many anime have. That said, it has its moments and would not be suitable for young people, people with hang-ups over sex or anyone who thinks that cartoons shouldnt show people in a sexuall attractive manner.

Its story is unique, as is its way of telling it. there's a real sense of a bond that grows between the characters, and its very easy to find yourself attaching to them. The big mysteries are still waiting to be revealed, such as the truth behind the connection of all three of the "specialists" Koyomi has come across, just what happened between Koyomi and Shinobu when he was a vampire, the relation between Hitagi and Tsubasa and why all this activity seems to be centering on Koyomi.. but even as it is now, it is an immensely fun series, full of laughs, drama and emotion. I would suggest anyone who understands a bit about Japanese culture check this out. 10/10

 
 Final Score - 41/50

Katanagatori

KATANAGATORI

A story about an alternate feudal Japan, taken from the light novel of the same name written by Nisio Isin of Bakemonogatori fame. 

OVERVIEW -Set in about the 1800's in a Japan who's history differs from the real one, The series follows the journey of Togame, a self-titled strategist working for the shogunate and Shichika Yasuri, The 7th generation head of a sword-fighting school that uses no swords, known as Kyotoryu, as they travel around japan seeking to gather up 12 "swords" created 300 years previous by a legendary swordsmith, these swords being known as "the deviant blades" for being impressively unique. It is said that one who posseses all 12 could rule the world. As the story moves on the truth about the blades, Togame's past and the reason for the existance of Kyotoryu is revealed. A "journey"/"Fighting" anime, it also weaves in aspects similar to a "coming of age" as well as a romance. 

REVIEW -The anime has a very unique style, and its characters are very stylised, and in a very "modern cartoon" style too. In some ways it reminds me of a less blockly version of Genndy Tartakovsky's style seen in "Samurai Jack" or the better known "Star Wars - Clone Wars" cartoons produced in America. It also has a very tounge-in-cheek approach to itself, with a narator often referancing things to come and ending each show with a comment that affirms its existance as a story. 

Its characters are quite fun, with a lot of the enemies being over the top, the ninja's they battle being as un-ninja like as possible, in gaudy colours and plain silly outfits. In many ways I think they may have been done like that as a subtle dig at Naruto and other "ninja" manga/anime that show ninja's in a similar manner. The story clips along well too, with each episode being set roughly a month apart from each other and culminating in the pair gaining one of the deviant blades. 

Togame is shown to be ruthless, calculating and not above using cheap or unfair methods to achieve her goal of collecting the swords, but lacking in any kind of physical strength she needs someone to do the actual work for her. later revealed to be the daughter of the head of a rebellion 20 years ago, her father was killed before her by the 6th head of kyotoryu, Shichika's father. Betrayed by those who work for money (the ninja's) and those who work for honour (the holder of the 4th blade) she decides to have Shichika work for her out of love, and demands that he "fall for her". Along their journey she grows close to Shichika and there are a few tender moments between them. 

Shichika is shown as a simple man, having grown up on an isolated island with only his father and sister, his father being exiled at the end of the rebellion 20 years previous, he knows nothing of the outside world. His encounter with Togame being the first time in his life seeing someone who wasnt his family. Trained since childhood in the kyotoryu school, he sees his own existance as that of a sword. highly skilled and almost superhumanly strong yet completely naivé he agree's to be Togame's sword after finding out the connection between their fathers. Following Togame's orders without question, he acts without feeling or care to begin with, but in time begins to learn more about his own feelings, and his reason for fighting. 

For the most part, this anime is about the fighting, showcasing the fictional kyotoryu style and the increasingly odd deviant swords, along with Shichika's ability to overcome the strange advantages the swords provide their owners. As it progresses the truth behind it all is revealed, and it is shown that the swordsmith who made the weapons (as honestly weapons is a better description for the items rather than swords) came from a long line of "soothsayers", basically people who could see into the future. The family had become aware hundreds of years before of a time when Japan would be destroyed by foreign nations (possibly talking about WWII) and had decided to create a new history that stopped that from happening. The deviant swords were created to this end, all by taking construction techniques from the future, which is why they appeared magical and gave such distinct advantages to their owners. It is also revealed that the final, completed deviant sword was in fact the kyotoryu school. 

tucked in to all of this is the odd relationship shared by Togame and Shichika, the horrific secret of Shichika's sister, the tragic story of the ninja corps and their reasons for betraying Togame, the political manipulations of Togame's "arch rival" and of course, the overall scheme to alter history. A lot of people die in the course of the story, but its not until the end of the 11th episode/start of the 12th that any of them convey any emotion across to the audience, although some do hold an emotional effect on the characters. In fact, i would say the final episode makes the entire series worth watching, as it not only manages to reveal all the truths hidden and hinted at in the series but also some of the best fighting scenes and hardest hitting emotional points. 

Another feature of the series, while not as pronounced as it is in the more famous "Bakemonogatori" series, is the writers ability to play on words and pun in a very subtle yet humourous way. While some of this this lost in translation or requires a "translator's note" to explain it, other parts just convey regardless of language. The most prominent example of this would be Togame's "Cheerio!" catchphrase, caused by her misunderstanding of a custom in which one would playfully punch another saying "Chest" (pronouced "chest-u" in japanese in a manner similar to cheerio). Togame also prompts a lot of the over-the-top behaviour due to her wanting her reports to be interesting, such as forcing Shichika into using a catchphrase, something he eventually carries on, with the very ending line uttered by him being "However, by that time you may have been torn to pieces". 

An enjoyable anime, with a strong story, amazing production and a nice mix of action, humour, romance and drama, at 12 episodes of approximately 50 minutes long its a nice warm-up for launching into the huge beast that is the author's Bakemonogatori series. 

SUMMARY -

Story - A well written piece, it introduces mysteries, intrigue and concepts then slowly deconstructs them, with the characters discoveries also serving to enlighten the audience. Clever dialogue, developed characters (even the bit-part ones) and a good few shocks, twists and turns. While not world-shattering or epic its still one of the better anime stories out there, with no real plot holes, deus ex machina moments or unresolved aspects. 8/10

 

Production -Very well done on this front, stunning backdrops, fluid animation even within fight scenes, and making use of various different techniques and styles on occasion, with examples such as the "omake cut-outs" used for some of the "plan explaination" scenes, or the mock computer game moments, appearing like a top-down beat-em-up or a old RPG conversation scene. The story allows for a degree of self-mockery which is carried off superbly by the methods used. 9/10

 

Music -Sadly, all i can say to this is "uurrgh". It has two opening themes, the first one being an awful run-of-the-mill J-pop piece that bears no relevance to the anime or its mood and setting, the second one sounds like a bad attempt at giving an "Indian" feel to a J-pop number, again in contrast to the rest of the anime. Most episodes have their own unique ending theme, but again, most are jarringly at odds with the anime itself. The Score used during the show is a hit-or-miss affair, with some pieces used well and fittingly, others being at odds with the whole feel, such as the awful "rap" piece used way too often, or the "portishead"-esque piece used with almost every appearance of Togame's political rival. 3/10

 

Accessability -Set in feudal Japan, the series makes full use of that setting, and has a lot of referances to old japanese culture. I would say it would probably be quite confusing to someone who hasnt seen any anime or films set in old japan before, so scores fairly lowly in this area. 4/10

 

Overall Impression -A good, fun, visually impressive piece of work, let down by a musical score that seems more about marketing than fitting in with the show. With its strong character development and a plot so well developed its a shame that its setting will make it tricky for many to fully get into. Best for experienced anime fans. 8/10

Final Score - 32/50

Kimi Ni Todoke

KIMI NI TODOKE

One of the most popular High School romance animes out there, taken from a manga of the same title that has also recieved public and critical aclaim.The title has the literal translation of "Reaching you".

OVERVIEW -Set in contemporary times, in a normal Japanese high school, the story follows a girl called Sawako Kuronuma. please note - this is not an action, supernatural or anything like that type of anime. simply a "coming of age" type of which there are surprisingly many of. 

 REVIEW - This show is extremely well recieved, and its easy to see why, the main character is so endearing, so well written (and expertly voiced by Mamiko Noto) that you cant help but feel sympathy for her situation, and want to urge her on to succeed in her goals of becoming friends with everyone and to be able to express her feelings.

Sawako is called "Sadako" at school, because of her resemblance to the character from "The Ring", and people believe she can curse others, summon ghosts and bring misfortune. People normally scream and run from her the moment she tries to interact with them. This however contrasts with who she really is, an optimistic, bright, cheerful girl who works hard at everything she does, and goes out of her way to be as helpful to others as she can be. Due to the rumours about her imagined supernatural abilites however she is very withdrawn, very shy and socially awkward, to the point of struggling to interact, yet she still tries.

A chance meeting at the start of her first year in high school with a boy she gave directions to leads to an admiration of him, as he appears to be everything she isnt, outgoing, the centre of attention and loved by everyone, and while talking to the one person in her school from her previous one who knew her, he overhears her expressing her admiration. This leads to the start of a friendship between the two, and from that grows both the story and Sawako's personal journey.

The thing about this show is its so well done. the casting of Mamiko Noto as Sawako's voice was pure genius, as her soft, gentle tones and ability to convey emotion really fit with Sawako's character, and after her turn as "Hell Girl" there's also enough scary menace in the voice to really add to the mythos that surrounds Sawako at the start of the show. The animation uses a lot of "Chibi" style, the whole "over-sized head, simplified drawing style" thing, but doesnt over-do it like some shows (teen titans i'm looking at you here...) and also makes use of very well drawn stills, often monochrome and/or coupled with the "bubble/sparkle" effects some shows over-use (sailor moon, i'm talking 'bout you here...) to great effect, really emphisizing points. It'll drop out the normal background to do the same as well, but all of it is done in such a way that it enhances the show, never detracting from it. The same can be said for the score, while the same "themes" often play, the "dramatic" music, the "panic" music (most often accompanied by Sawako's internal monologues), the "silly" or "Action" musics too, while they appear a lot, they do genuinely increase the emotional point, really driving home the story as it happens on-screen.

There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by either their teacher, Pin, or the class idiot, Joe. slapstick, bad puns and terrible situations surround these two and add lightness and fun to the show. Also a lot of Sawako's reactions to things can be quite humourous too, really highlighting just how awkward she can be in situations which again, will endear her to most.


The first season builds up the cast, with Sawako's best friends being made and solidified, introducing Sawako's skills with homely things such as cooking and knitting as well as her academic abilities. (her "Cursed notes" raising her entire class average early in the season) and shows the mutual attraction between Sawako and Shouta, the boy she admires so. Its also hinted that Shouta is allowing Sawako to come out of her shell more before he lets her know how he feels. It also introduces the main cause of trouble regarding Sawako's "love life" in Ume, a girl who's been stalking been infatuated with Shouta since middle school.

The second season shows Sawako's increasing acceptance by her class, but a breakdown in the relationship with Shouta, with miss-understandings and interferance widening the gap between the two, Sawako becomes not only the star of her class, becoming the focus of the class's school festival project, but a legend in the school itself. The two eventually manage to overcome all the obstacles in their path and begin dating.


For me, I think a large part of what I enjoy about this show isnt just the fantastic production, beautiful scenary and emotional impact, but because I identify with Sawako a fair bit, being socially awkward, shy and generally shunned for how I look. I think in many ways thats why the show has been so popular, because its very easy to feel empathy for Sawako, she ends up in a great deal of situations that i think most people have experienced yet never gives up, and fights her way past her own fears and worries to her goals.

In short, an extremely well written, produced and visually beautiful anime, with a heart-wrenching, touching story driving it. Never sexual, though possibly the talk of "hidden desires" that permates through the second season might be an allusion to it, its simply a love story about a shy girl overcoming her own limitations to achieve what she desires.


SUMMARY -


Story - Top notch story, with every episode bringing something new. It avoids a great deal of the "high school drama" tropes that are so persistant in most high school animes, like the beach episode, the field trip, the school nurse. Yet those it does use, it uses in an original manner. Emotion drips from every line of dialogue, and the whole acting cast do an amazing job of getting that across too. It never feels forced, nor clichéd and runs at an amazing pace, just right to convey both the story and the passage of time. The subject matter is a question of taste I guess, not everyone will enjoy a romance story, but of the many i've seen, this would have to be the best. 10/10

 Production -Exceptionally well done, with characters never "distorting" while moving, and consistant in how they're displayed, even with the shifting styles. The show uses three different styles constantly, the "normal" style is very realistic, using stunningly beautiful backgrounds, all well realised. The "Chibi" style, normally used to show silly events, shock, embarresment or awkward reactions is very well done too, never overpowering the events or story. Finally the "serious" style, normally a monochromatic still that is panned across, is a powerful technique that can really drive home a point, such as why Shouta fell for Sawako (her smile). The use of all three of these isnt something I've seen too often, and never with this much effect. As noted before, the voice casting was top-notch too, as not a single character fails to provide weight and emotion in every scene. 9/10

  Music - The opening theme to the first season is a personal favourite, really sets the scene for the show, while the ending theme in season 1, while fitting and a great performance I cant listen to too much, as there's something about the singer's voice i find annoying! the opener for the second season I didnt find that appealing, especially given the ending music for the season, a powerful, moving piece thats even more emotive when the lyrics are translated. The score used during the show is a little over-used, but effective. you'll definately spot themes happening with them too, like "Pin" always has the same music. 9/10

 
Accessability -  Sadly letting down a near perfect score, as being set in a Japanese high school almost dictates certain cultural themes as being needed. while avoiding many of the typical school anime themes, there's still enough of them in there to make it tricky to understand unless you're already familiar with them. Its also a fairly large plot point early in the first season how Sawako talks "formally" to everyone, which adds to her social awkwardness. I would not reccomend this, nor any high school based anime, to someone just starting to explore and understand Japanese culture and anime. 4/10



 Overall Impression -Kimi Ni Todoke is one of the few anime i watch over and over. its enjoyable every time, because its so easy to relate to the characters, so well produced that there's little that pulls you out of "the moment" as you watch and you really do end up wanting to know what happens next. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, tear-jerkingly touching in others, its little wonder the manga and anime itself have won many awards and has even been made into a live-action film (I do NOT reccomend you watch the film however, its no-where near as good). If you're looking for a good romance story, one thats gentle and moving then you're really not going to find much out there better than this one. 10/10
 



Final Score - 42/50

A quick Aside - Subs or Dubs?

Something that I've been thinking about mentioning for a while now...


When I review an Anime, in fact, when I even just watch one, for a very long time now I've been sticking with purely the subtitled versions.

I have two main reasons for this, but they basically boil down to one thing. the perception of the publishing companies of the "American market"

My first reason is simply because with the recent exceptions of mega-budget high-end animations (including 3D ones like you get from Pixar) 90% of the dubbed voices are simply terrible. Voices that mis-match the characters, emotional stresses that are WAAAAAY over the top, like a pantomime performance or cheaply produced 80's saturday morning cartoons and really poor translations of subtle jokes/cultural referances.

I'm guessing the reason for this is simply because the majority of the western audience see "cartoons" as being for little kids, and as such voice-acting isnt taken as seriously over here for the most part, this has been getting better in recent years as the anime industry is taking off, but its still cringe-worthy far more than it isnt, there's also that a lot of the time its done quickly and/or cheaply so the american publishers can get it out quicker.

(i make one exception to this rule, and thats dragonball, because i first saw this on TV, dubbed, I grew used to the american voice for Goku, and when i heard the original i found it grating and irritating... this is the only exception however!)

the second reason is editing.three great examples of this are:

• Macross/Robotech - a HUGE reworking of the original macross series, in fact the robotech saga after the first season isnt even taken from macross but two completely unrelated animes that happened to feature transforming machines and aliens
• G-force/Battle of the planets - I watched these shows growing up, and while i recognised the robots/vehicles and characters across the two, I never really got why one of them spoke only in noises in one of the shows, but normally in another.. 

At this point you're probably thinking "aah but those are really old shows, before people realises the fact that anime was poplular in the west! they dont do that now..." which brings me to number 3..

• One Piece - Not one i've watched or followed but its re-editing is exceptionally well know and mocked, such as here http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=145 

its also present to a degree in other shows, to a lesser degree, with shots being altered, changed, skipped or re-written because "they dont make sense in the west" or because "western censoship is stricter" because the shows are seen as "for children, maybe teens" and frankly, i find it annoying to say the least.

So when I talk about an anime, i'm talking about how it was released in Japan, not a westernised version. I'll also not review how fan-subbing is, because in my experience to see a whole series, by download or by stream, you are likely to come across several different fan-sub version, all of which will be slightly different. some will use tiny fonts, some will insist upon using a different colour font for every person who speaks, leading to words being lost into background colours, some will use FRIGGING GIANT FONTS THAT COVER UP THE ENTIRE SCREEN IF MORE THAN THREE WORDS ARE SAID.. and as i dont link to specific episodes, and the version you watch may be from a different fan-sub group, there's little point in me commenting on the subs themselves.

(I will go over the download/stream debate another time, because thats a whole other kettle of fish)

I know some folks dislike having to read subtitles, saying it distracts them from the events happening on-screen, and I respect that, no point watching something if you cant follow the action because you're trying to make sense of the plot.. but growing up on jackie chan films and stuff like that i'm fine with subs, and having seen the difference between western voice actors and Japanese Seiyu, not only in respect but devotion to the art and training, and just how much that comes across when you watch a show in both languages, i'd prefer to watch the original language version, with its emotional impact intact. 

oh.. and if you're wondering why i'm bringing this up? i'm following a few anime, possibly for review, that feature the vocal talents of one Mamiko Noto, most likely well known for the voices of Fiona from "Allison & Lillia", Ai Enma, the hellgirl from "Hellgirl" for all three seasons and for Sawako in "Kimi ni Todoke". there's a certain quality in her voice that really allows the feeling, or in Ai's case, a lack of, to come through so naturally. 

here's a subtitled collection of hellgirl's "signature line" from various episodes, but watch the first one most http://youtu.be/jj6_E7tgZyI

this is the same scene as the first scene in the above video, from the english dub.. can YOU feel the difference in emotion between the two? http://youtu.be/FXD7GN0EJ2I

End of the day, its personal preferance, but please be aware that as I review the Japanese versions, I may comment on things that have been cut/altered/mutilated in the conversion to an english language dub...

Allison and Lillia

ALLISON AND LILLIA

Another anime from the light novels of Keiichi Sigsawa, Author of the "Kino's Journey" books.

OVERVIEW - Set in an alternate world, on a large continent divided in two by a mountain range and river, The anime begins by following the adventures of the Allison of the title and her childhood friend Wil, orphans raised in the eastern kingdom of Roxche in an orphanage run by a woman from the western kingdom of Sou beil, with whom Roxche have been at war with for as long as anyone can remember. An adventure story with a strong theme of romance, justice and secrets, its broken up into two halves, both following smaller arcs or adventures. The first half deals with the teenage years of Allison and Wil, while the second half is focused on Allison's Daughter, Lillia and her childhood friend Treize. 

REVIEW -The world in which the story takes place in, while obviously not our own, is very much comparable to the 1930-40's of Europe, in terms of social mannerisms, technology and lifestyles. The introduction of this world is cleverly disguised as a history lesson right at the start, which i thought was a nice touch. Wil makes his introduction first, then Allison arrives. The two are like chalk and cheese, almost complete opposites, the studious Wil, quiet and bookish compared to the outgoing, energetic and carefree Allison but a bit of their long history together is explained as they catch up. Events overtake their carefree day and Allison's carefree attitude drags the pair into something that literally changes the world, ending the war between the two kingdoms. 

However, the two convince a newly made friend, Karr Benedict (Karr is his surname) who was there at the time, to take all the credit, and both resume their normal lives, Allison going back to the military to carry on flying planes and Wil to his studies. Their next meeting also renunites them with Benedict and introduces them all to Fiona, sparking their next adventure that solves a 10 year old crime and restores a lost monarchy to their throne, is also sees the start of the love story between Benedict and Fiona.

The third arc center's on the growing relations between the East and West, and brings in a classic thriller-on-a-train storyline, with twists and turns and a final shocking revelation that will change the lives of all four of them forever. 

In the Second part the story's focus switches to the now 15 yr old Lillia, daughter of Allison and Wil, and her childhood friend Treize, Son of Fiona and Benedict and twin brother of Meriell. Lillia has a very normal life, unaware of many of the secrets kept by her friends and family, such as the history of Allison's adventures, the fact that her father Wil didnt die before she was born and is living a secret life with a new identity so he can help keep the peace between the two kingdoms and is in fact her mothers "boyfriend" who visits often or that Treize is in fact a prince of the kingdom of Ixtova.

Treize has to keep his secret due to an old law in Ixtova that only allows the royal family to have one child, and his sister was chosen to be the heir. He lives in the small village where Fiona was raised and that Lillia and Allison visit every year, mostly so Allison can spend time with her friends, the Queen of Ixtova, Fiona, and her husband Benedict. Treize is also in love with Lillia but wants to tell her who he really is before anything else. Lillia however sees him as annoying and just the child of an innkeeper in the village she visits with her mother.

With Allison's assistance, often to the annoyance of her daughter, Lillia and Treize are often together during Lillia's breaks from school, with Lillia being oblivious to Treize's feelings and treating him like an idiot. However in the first arc they encounter trouble after trouble, and it is Treize's cool head and training that save not only them, but others too, causing Lillia to begin to re-asses her opinion of him. 

The following arc follow the same sort of pattern, with events and adventure's constantly preventing Treize from not only getting his feelings across but also telling Lillia the truth about himself. Its only in the final arc of the anime that he actually achieves this, and is believed only due to the exteme situation the pair were in. 

Extremely well animated, one of the earliest examples i've seen of a near-seamless blend of CGI and traditional animation. with all the vehicles animated by CGI (even the little bumps and differences in movement during the motorbike ride in the first episode were handled by CG techniques) set in a rich, well imagined world and filled with colour and life in the backgrounds with a background who's introduction and explination is cleverly put across as part of the story. The characters are not only likable, but so well written and put across its very easy to grow attached to them. while not huge on action as such, when it does happen it is again extremely well done, with the dogfights seeming so close to footage taken during wars that i've seen that the animators must have spent ages studying for it. 

For me, its a must-see for anyone. 

SUMMARY -

Story - Simply one of the best story's i've seen in a long time, with clear character progression and overal story growth and movement. Very few "deus-ex-machina" moments, as a large part of both sets of stories focus on the analytical prowess of first Wil then Treize, its most often used to prevent having the children actually kill someone, which to me is fairly acceptable. the interactions and relationships between the characters is warm, well written and touching, and with the story set in a period of growing relations between two ancient enemy states there is also a real sense of transition in the world they inhabit at the same time. 9/10

 Production -Done by one of the better animation studios out there, the whole world is vibrant. the characters are lifelike and realistic, never really falling into the "cartoon" trope by breaking the laws of physics or behaving in a manner outside human ability. CGI is used but in an almost seamless manner, and almost exclusively for vehicles and their movements. Backgrounds are unique and not over-used or repeated, the same goes for animation sequences as well. I can honestly say that I cannot think of a single instance where the production caused me to jar out from following the story and action on screen. 10/10

 

Music -While the same song is used in all 26 episodes for the opening theme, it is a haunting piece, elegant and gentle but convaying a powerful emotion behind it. The in-show score is again very subtle, never really over-ridding the events taking place and supporting them very well. That said, nothing really jumps out and forces you to remember it, with the exception of the opening theme. Well used but ultimately not memorable, its higher-than-middle-ground score is due to the hauntingly unique opening. 7/10

 

Accessability -This may well have got a perfect score in this regard, due to its "alternate world" setting, but sadly Lillia lets down the team. In her actions, behaviour and design she appears far too much like a "stereotypical Japanese teenage girl" which grates against the 1930-40's style of the rest of the world. From her "typical private academy" school uniform through to her personal clothing in the last arc its far too much like the majority of the "high school life" styles seen in anime's of that type. In all other ways this anime avoids typical anime tropes however, and due to its "alternate world" style, it cant be said that Lillia's appearances are not how all girls her age are in that world, but that would be a very convenient matter.. 8/10

 Overall Impression -With its well realised world, touching characters and gripping settings, coupled with its mysteries, intrigue and romance, this anime draws you in to its world and leaves you rooting for its heroes. It has high production standards, a great story broken up into smaller arcs, each a great story by themselves, the only need to suspend disbelief comes from how all these world-shaping events are centered around basically two people, Wil and Allison, but even then its partially explained in-story. Its not the best story ever written, there's ones with more action, more powerful characters, greater love stories and "change the world" epics out there but its a damn good show, taking just enough of what it needs from the various genre's to put together something that leaves a lasting impression. All of that backed up by some great animation and cinematography, supported well by its score, I'd reccomend this to anyone wanting a change of pace from high-action series. 9/10

 

Final Score - 43/50

Kino's Journey (Kino No Tabi)

KINO'S JOURNEY

A 13 part series, also known as Kino No Tabi in Japanese, based on a series of light novels. 

OVERVIEW -Kino's journey is a fantasy "slice of life"/"journey of exploration" type anime, taken from the light novel series of the same name. set in a world filled with "countries", most normally equating to about the size of a village or a town, each country has its own unique quirks, customs and beliefs. The story follows a traveller called Kino, who along with her talking motorbike, or "motorrad" to use the in-series term, travels between these countries, spending three days, two nights, in each of them they encounter.

REVIEW - Kino's journey was a reccomendation to me by a friend, So it wasnt one i probably would have found by myself. Thats not to say it wasnt to my liking however. 

The Kino of the Title is a young woman, not that its easily shown that she is, and one would easily assume her androgynous appearance is intentional given the harshness of the areas between countries, appearing as a man would likely invite less trouble, attacks and attempted robberies etc, than appearing as a woman. Kino however is skilled in defending herself, with many knives and two guns, with which she practises daily. She also travels with a Motorrad, a type of talking motorbike, and apparently quite a common thing in the world they inhabit. The Motorrad is called "Hermes" but when pronounced, the "H" is silent. The two discuss their lives, their world and the journey they are on, as well as the events of the episode as it happens. In a way Hermes is a writing tool used to allow for easy exposition via dialogue, in much the same way as the gravedigger in hamlet, or Robin does for Batman. The interaction between the two is also quite amusing, with them bickering often like an old married couple. 

The world they travel through isnt exactly a "magical" world, though it has its quirks, such as areas where the land changes itself, Hermes and other Motorrads and the massive differences between each of the "countries" in spite of the apparently small distances and common language and currency among them. Most of the countries make use of technology to some extent, some more than others.

Kino herself is somewhat of a mystery, even with the episode that deals with how she came to be called Kino, and to be a traveller along with Hermes. Her real name forgotten, where she learnt her skills is never really shown, how she earns money to pay for food, fuel and ammo is also never shown, and as the different episodes, even the sections that cover each country, are non-sequential and mostly unrelated its difficult to get a grasp of how Kino is having the journey. The why is often discussed between Kino and Hermes, and the truth is never really gotten to, its possible Kino herself doesnt know why she's travelling. She is shown as being a highly skilled marksman, combatant and survivalist, being able to live off the land, defeat multiple opponants, create her own ammo, outwit professional assasins and think on her feet yet rarely shows any kind of emotion, except around Hermes occasionally. 

In many ways, this killed the entire series for me. Kino shows no remorse for killing people on many occasions, yet ponders over the ethics of taking the lives of three rabbits to feed starving men. She assinates the king of a country and throws the entire society into chaos yet carries herself off with the same empassive look, not caring in the slightest for what she'd done. at times she laughs, smiles or appears to care or worry for others, but its almost like watching some kind of sociopath at times. Her backstory and upbringing could very well explain some of it, coupled with the apparent harsh life that the travellers all seem to face against bandits and unwelcoming countries, but the feeling of a lack of emotional response, or care, really did detract from the anime for me. 

The countries, as i mentioned before, all have their quirks. In most cases its something they've done to save their own citisens, to protect the country or something along those lines. However they are nearly always fairly "dark" by most standards, such as the country that operates on all its 12yr olds to turn them into "perfect adults" who will alway smile and be pleasant while working, even if they hate the job, or the country where no-one has to work, but people choose to because otherwise they loose the will to live. One features two warring countries who settle their wars by killing a less advanced people in the lands between their countries, with the winner decided by who kills the most. Its from these oddities, the strange contradictions in what people will accept for a peaceful life, ease and happiness that vaires from each country that the "tagline" for the series is likely taken, that line being "the world is not beautiful, therefore it is", which really does sum up the overal feel of the show, that of a series of morality tales taken from the point of view of an outside observer. Kino performs that role perfectly, never really taking a side (there's one exception to this when she assasinates a king) and never judging or becoming involved unless she has to.

Overal, the series has a wonderful feel to it, almost fairy-tale like but in the original, dark/harsh realities of life type over the saccarine-sweet lies created by the "disney style" fairy tales. The non-sequential order of the individual tales is hard to follow at times, and the final episode really throws a curve into things. The light novels themselves contain much more, expanding on Kino's personal tale and the world itself and I feel the anime series could well do with another season or two to further explore this, because as it stands, the 13 episodes are simply not enough.

SUMMARY - 

Story - Taken as an overal story, Kino's Journey isnt that great, there's no real advancement to the characters, even with being shown Kino's begining, we simply see who she used to be in contrast to who she is now. With Kino and Hermes being the only characters who you see repeatedly, there's also no-one else to see any growth in. The individual segments are exceptionally well written however, with Kino's arrival nearly always causing or co-inciding with major events in each country, or the revelation of a secret etc. Its hard to give this an overal rating, as its such a contradiction, so I shall break it down into to part, giving a 5/5 for the story as it appears for each individual section, but a 2/5 for the overal arch, as it really doesnt go anywhere at all. 7/10

Production -  Created in 2003, Kino's journey is all hand-drawn, with no CGI used, allowing it to escape from the periods CGI related issues. Its exceptionally well done, its washed-out pastel colours enhancing the fairy tale feel to the storytelling and makes great use of cinematic techniques for framing the scenes too. it also never falls into the "blurry" shortcuts often used, and has consistancy in how the characters are drawn too, in short, while nothing exceptional or groundbreaking in its presentation, it does what it does nearly perfectly. 9/10

 

Music -Kino's Journey really doesnt have a standout score, with the fairly normal types of dramatic or mood music present. while not doing anything wrong, its not really anything memorably either. 5/10

 

Accessability -Set in an entirely different world, which resembles Europe more than Japan, Kino's journey also doesnt really have any of the cultural stereotypes either. Its worth noting however that the translation between Japanese and English caused some strangeness. As I always watch the subtitled versions of shows, I was forced to watch a dubbed episode on one occasion as the subtitle version didnt work. This not only re-enforced why i dislike the American dubs (really awful voice acting, so cheesy and "saturday morning cartoon" style) but showed some of the differences caused in translation. I would reccomend the subtitled versions, as they tend to keep in the language-based referances and feel less forced than the dubs. 9/10

Overall Impression -A great production, an interesting premise and a wonderfully odd world, the big drawbacks for me with Kino's Journey was the apparent lack of any emotional response from Kino or Hermes, the disjointed feel of the various sections and the lack of an overal arc, or even point to the series. Taken as a series of observations on morality and how it can be very subjective, it performs that role well, but without a well defined begining or end its very hard to get in to the series, and as it ends after only 13 episodes it really does leave you hanging, wondering why Kino was travelling, what the point of it all actually was and with so many other questions. The story does have the light novels i've mentioned before, a couple of OVA's and two movies that answer some of those, and allow you to explore the world more, but as this is a review for the series as it is, i'm sadly going to have to score it low. 4/10

Final Score - 34/50

A quick Aside.....

Imagine my joy when i discovered that there's a new Gundam series airing..

I'm a huge fan of mecha anime, i'd say its the staple of my anime diet to be honest, especially space-based ones and i've seen tons of them, but Gundam is a firm fave, starting with Wing, through SEED and Destiny and the almighty king-of-all-mecha, the 00, the programs message of the horror of war, how it affects people deeply and personally and the long long archs in the stories, coupled with serious character development and design takes a lot of the mecha anime, set like a "weekly-bad-guy event" style and kicks them in the Jimmies, steals their lunch money and runs off into the sunset, giggling like a loon on crack..

I'd been following the OVAs based on the Unicorn series, struggling a little as its heavily taken from the original Universal Century timeline that began back in the 70's and i've never seen, but was stunned and awed at how the CGI was blended so seamlessly into the animation, and how slick and professional it all looked, but had not heard a thing about another series, I thought they were working only on Unicorn after the 00 movie..

then along comes Gundam AGE...

I've only watched one episode so far, but from the character shots in the intro, the general design of the mechs and the look of the characters, its like someone with a serious hard-on for the old 80's anime just shot their load into the gundam franchise.. oh dont get me wrong, the production values are amazing, top of the line, on par with Unicorn and the 00 movie, everything looks and moves fluidly and realistically.. I just cant get past the childish, 80's style the franchise has reverted to.. hell, the shots of the pre-teen looking pilot (honestly, looks like he's 11 or 12..) in his flight suit are almost a perfect match to megaman (i'd suggest nintendo or whomever own the megaman rights consider suing)..

however...

the story premise is interesting, its meant to follow three generations, the original pilot, his son and then the grandson, all with upgraded "gundam" mecha's.. the plot line breaks from the traditional "colonies vs earth" style of most of the Gundam series, but in the opposite direction to 00, where humans were just starting colonies, in AGE the conflict is interplanetary, with the colonies being caught in the middle as the battlegrounds...

IF, and its a reasonably big IF, I can move past the "pokémon/Digimon" look to the characters designs, and the fact that most of the adult supporting cast look like something out of the battle of the planets/G-Force era that storyline may hook me..

we shall see..

SUMMER WARS

SUMMER WARS

A Movie I came across while searching through one of my favoured streaming sites. 

OVERVIEW - Summer Wars follows the same kind of idea as the 1983 movie "Wargames" starring Mathew Broderick. It features an online-world called "Oz" in which almost all the people, governments and companies of the world hold accounts, in order to shop, do business and socialise etc, its security system is claimed to be the best in the world and unbreakable. (dun dun DUUUNN.. foreshadowmuch?) and follows a young teen called Kenji Koiso and his interaction with his "sempai's" family, Oz and a crisis. When not set in Oz itself, the film is set in a "real world" scenario it has a few "cartoon" moments, like turning bright red when blushing, comidic over-reactions in places but they're rarely used. Its style is a "slice of life", in so much as that the characters are just plain, normal people (for the most part) in an every day situation, that twists as the story unfolds. 

REVIEW -The story takes place across two worlds as such, the real world and the cyber world of Oz, which while explained as part of the internet in the movie, basically serves the same purpose as the entire internet does for us, with a person's avatar holding the same level of authority as the person, in so much as it is said that the president of the US could possibly even launch nukes from his Oz account. The real world story follows Kenji, as he offers to help his "sempai" (senior or upperclassman for those not familiar with the term) Natsuki, in a part time job at her family home in the country as the whole family is arriving for her grandmother's 90th birthday. Upon arrival however it turns out she wasnt after an "able hand" but for someone to pretend to be her boyfriend. Kenji's obvious attraction to her shows here. We're introduced to the Clan as the film goes on, an old noble family who's fortune was lost a few generations back, the various members hold all kinds of jobs ranging from police officers to doctors to working with the JSDF. Natsuki's lies about Kenji are generally accepted and the family shares a loud, friendly meal, disrupted by the arrival of a long-missing relative, Wabisuke, hated for selling the last of the clan's land and vanishing to america with the money.

That night Kenji, who was earlier revealed to be exceptional at maths, almost able to represent japan in a "maths olympics", is sent a message via Oz, with a massive numeric code in it, asking him to solve it. He does, replies and gets a prank thank you. thinking nothing else of it he goes to sleep, to be woken the next day by the children who've seen his picture on TV, marking him as the person behind chaos that has errupted in Oz overnight. Kenji and his friend from school Takashi try and work out whats going on, finding that a "hacking A.I." called Love Machine is behind all the troubles.

Natsuki's lies about Kenji, and the fact that he's wanting by the police for questioning over the trouble in Oz all come out, and Kenji ends up being arrested by one of the police who is a member of the clan. However Love Machine gains access to the infrastructure systems controlled through Oz and causes chaos across the entire country, blocking the roads and forcing Kenji to return to the clan home. The grandmother steps up and uses her connections to influential people across Japan to help keep the situation calm, and Kenji breaks the code locking the Oz admins out, allowing some of the chaos to be brought back under control. During dinner that night, as the clan discuss the day Wabisuke reveals he was the person who created Love Machine, with the money from the sale of the land, but had sold it to the US military. The grandmother threatens to kill Wabisuke, attacking him with a spear and he leaves.

That night, the grandmother dies, something that may have been prevented if not for the chaos in Oz, which splits the clan, the women are preparing for the funeral and the men decide to strike back, shutting down Love Machine so no-one else gets hurt or dies. The clan uses its various jobs and resources to put together a powerful system and devises a trap to shut Love Machine away in, one that ultimately fails due to the interferance of one of the clan members who wasnt exactly computer savvy. Love Machine now controls over 100 million avatars in Oz, and reveals that it is going to crash a solar-probe from orbit into a nuclear power plant.

The clan decides to fight back, using Love Machine's love of playing games, and in order to reclaim the stolen account that controls the probe challenges it to a game called "koi-koi", with Natsuki leading the charge, wagering all the clan's remaining accounts. She wins, pulling back hundreds of accounts but makes a mistake and loses most of them, falling below the amount needed for a minimal bet. Just as things seem desperate, a single boy from Germany offers her the use of his account, to help, then thousands more follow, allowing Natsuki to play at increasingly high stakes. Eventually she wins enough to leave Love Machine with only two accounts, but as the clan celebrates Love Machine displays that the two accounts remaining includes the one to control the probe, which is now targetting the clan's home.

Kenji works out that they can alter the probe's course by changing the data sent by GPS to it, but as they try and access that, Love Machine blocks them with a numeric code. Kenji quickly works this out and they gain access, but Love Machine changes it again, with literall minutes to spare Kenji once again cracks the code, only for it to be changed again, as Kenji begins to work this out in his head, to the amazement of the clan, Wabisuke reveals he's altered Love Machines code to "set his defence value to zero", allowing one of the members of the clan to attack, preventing Love Machine from changing the code one last time as Kenji breaks the code, alters the landing data and causes the probe to land a short distance away, saving the lives of the whole clan.

The film ends with the Clan celebrating the grandmother's birthday, along with holding a wake for her. Natsuki reveals her respect and love for Kenji, who is fully accepted by all the Clan and encourages the two to date for real.


In many respects, the basic premise is the same as Wargames, the Mathew Broderick film I previously mentioned, student saving the world from nuclear distaster by beating a computer in a simple game, with "koi-koi" replacing tic-tac-toe/noughts and crosses. Its also an interesting look into the how the old feudal social structures evolve into the current social structure in Japan, with the various clan members holding so many positions of authority and the Grandmother having friendships with an awful lot of high-ranking officials and businessmen in the country. There's also the slow realisation of Natsuki of both Kenji's skills, bravery and quiet determination, something he's lacked the confidence to show before.

well shot, and making use of the "obvious CGI is obvious" factor by only using it to show Oz, the films story is well paced, well written and presented in a manner that draws the viewer in. The heavy reliance on Japanese culture would make the film hard for a lot of non-japanese to follow in places, I for one had to research Koi-koi to work out what the hell was going on and why they would choose it for such a film. (Koi-koi is somewhat like snap, or mahjong, with the basic object being to match sets of cards) the answer being its a well known game, like tic-tac-toe is in the west, and its actually referanced in many Animes, including naruto. Oz itself is very similar in look to many of the "kids TV" show representations of a digital world, notably Digimon.

As long as you understand or can look past the differences in culture between Japan and the West, and can just sit back and enjoy the story, I think most people will find this a great film.

SUMMARY - 

Story - Very well written, with easy to understand and relate to characters, while a lot of movies dont really allow for in-depth character growth due to limit of time, in this film they do, most notably Kenji and Natsuki. The story is well paced, and does a great job of introducing the concept and capabilities of the Oz world it creates, while grounding the real world in actual contemporary Japan. While the reach and power of the clan seems a little unrealistic at times, its still feasable that families such as that do exist, and this fact is noted in the film too. Heavy on the Japanese culture side, but not overpowering or forcing the viewer to be extremely knowledgable beforehand its a great "slice of life/action" movie. 9/10

Production - Massively impressive, the film is produced by Madhouse, a major animation studio with 40 years of experience across series and films. continnuty of form is kept across all the scenes, with no odd-shaped bodies or sudden changes in height etc, the CGI of Oz is smooth and fluent, exceptionally well done and has a very different feel to the hand-drawn real world animation, quite possibly by design. each character is vocally distinct, by both tone and mannerisms, and the interactions between the people are very true to life and minutely reproduced. (watch the meal scenes closely and you'll notice that no-one apart from Wabisuke ever pours themselves a drink, a custom of politeness but often overlooked). The cinematography is equally impressive, with many shots produced as if a live-action film, while also allowing for "cartoon humour/physics" on occasion. One of the most striking moments is the scrolling shot showing the grieving family in semi-silhouette set to a beautiful blue sky. While set in a low-key way, a real life production like this would run into millions in cost. 10/10


Music - While nothing instantly jumps out as a "hit", the focus of the film isnt on music, so its used subtly but with great effect, both in its prescence and in its lack. the score is perfect for a cinematic offering and impressively used. the slightly lower score i'm giving here is because while the music is used perfectly, its honestly has nothing to stand out and in all honesty a good film's musical score should be this way, quietly adding to the emotional impact without taking away from the actual action. 6/10

  

Accessability -This is a Japanese film, set in japan, for japan. There's almost nothing outside of the fictional world of Oz that isnt pure japanese culture, from the very get go. Most of the film takes place in a traditional Japanese house/mansion, filled with artifacts of Japanese history, the proud history of the clan is one synonymous with Japanese history and every little detail of the family life, from the mother cheering on her baseball playing son to the relationships with powerful people kept by the grandmother right through to the climactic and defining final confrontation using a very traditional Japanese game. The wonderful thing is, with the exception of the whole world seemingly knowing how to play koi-koi in the final battle, its shown as proudly Japanese, and doesnt really create a situation where someone without a reasonable understanding of the culture would be totally lost. A little confused maybe, but not unable to follow the story. 5/10

Overall Impression -A great film, giving a marvelous insight into some parts of the culture while still presenting drama, conflict and an epic battle of order vs chaos, even the "villain" Love Machine isnt portrayed as "evil" just out of control, following its desire for knowledge that was programmed into it. funny, touching and moving with a few gripping moments especially towards the end, it also has a great little coming-of-age style love story and the theme of how family can come together in a crisis to overcome almost any challenge. Its nothing "EPIC!" and certainly wouldnt pass as a hollywood blockbuster movie, not enough guns/drugs/sex/explosions/micheal bay in it for that, but exceptionally entertaining and very much worth a look by all. 9/10

 Final Score - 39/50