.animekousei.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

2009-01-22T10:25:00.003+09:00

Neon Genesis Evangelion
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン

Genre: Drama, Action, Mecha,
Episodes: 1-26 (END)
Time per episode: ~25 minutes
Recommended age: 14+

*Copied from Ambivalence's Synopsis*
Fourteen year old Ikari Shinji is a seemingly average boy who is suddenly thrust into a world of fighting and pain, a world of Angels and Evangelions. After joining the NERV group, he comes under the care of his new boss and guardian, Misato Katsuragi, a talented but carefree woman intent upon the destruction of the Angels at all costs.

During his time at NERV, Shinji encounters his distant father multiple times and attempts to come to terms with confused emotions towards the man - especially his intense hatred for his father's actions.

In order to fight against the otherworldly Angels, Shinji works alongside Ayanami Rei and later Asuka Langley Soryu, using giant suits known as Evangelions. These Evangelions are the only weapons of mankind that are currently sufficiently equipped to adequately fight Angels, but to man an Evangelion takes a large toll on a person's body and mind, a weight that must be overcome by these children if the race of mankind is to survive.

Fifteen years ago, an incident involving a meteorite resulted in what later became known as the Second Impact - a massive explosion that melted the polar ice caps and sent the world into chaos for a number of years, flooding many parts of the world and severely damaging the ecosystem. Now, Shinji Ikari, NERV and the Evangelions fight against the Angels and the possibility of a third impact.

An interesting anime. I'm trying to think of a way to talk about it without summarising it very quickly. It seems to me as though NGE was made to be popular. The frequent philosophies, the mechas, the instantly likable characters, and of course, the obvious choice for fans to make - Asuka or Rei?
That doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable however. Up until it was almost finished, the storyline was very well thought out, the animation was solid, and the soundtrack was above average.
The thing that annoyed me about NGE was that while it was very, very good, and I really enjoyed it, I didn't think it was good enough to have achieved the popularity that it has. I polls for people who want to vote on their favorite anime, and NGE is at the top of those lists. Why? Yes, it was very good, but no, it wasn't better than anime of really high quality, such as Death Note.

So yes, watch it, it's good. It's almost worth watching just so that you can participate in the discussions and understand what people are talking about, but don't be expecting the best anime you ever saw. (Maybe I just like Death Note too much)

Animation: 8/10
Music: 7/10
Storyline: (9/10 - 2/10 for the horrible ending) = 7/10

Final Score: 8/10

Shakugan no Shana - Season 2

2009-01-13T19:17:00.004+09:00

Shakugan no Shana II
灼眼のシャナII

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 1-24 (END)
Time per episode: ~26 minutes
Recommended age: 16+

For the back story of Shakugan no Shana, please read the review for Shakugan no Shana : Season 1, here.

Shakugan no Shana II continues from where it left off from its first season. Shana is committed to protecting Yuuji, not knowing herself that she protects him for another reason. Yuuji himself vows to support Shana in the fight against the Guze no Tomogara...

The second season is basically full of fight scenes and character development scenes. The second season had a stronger storyline than the last, as it already had a strong backstory to it.

I absolutely loved the ending.

Even with the focus mainly on the storyline, the animation quality also was worked on. Flame detailing was very.. well.. detailed. Better than Season 1 in my opinion.
Better music. I noticed they changed the fight BGM so it's not so monotonous anymore.

Opening Theme: Joint by Mami Kawada, BLAZE by KOTOKO
Ending Theme: triangle by Mami Kawada, Sociometry by KOTOKO, sense by Mami Kawada

Animation: 9/10
Music: 8.5/10
Storyline: 9.5/10

Final Score: 9/10

Voices of a Distant Star

2009-01-13T12:27:00.004+09:00

Voices of a Distant Star
ほしのこえ

Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Episodes: 1 (END)
Time per episode: ~25 minutes
Recommended age: 13+

This is another review of Voices of a Distant Star, as seen by me, Xabre (:

Mikako Nagamine is a young girl, of middle school age. She is drafted into the UN space army to wage war against the Tarsians, a bunch of aliens that the UN discovered on Mars. Mikako leaves the Earth, leaving her boyfriend, Noboru Terao. She pilots a mecha with her fighting squadron to find the Tarsians.

The narration of the anime is actually text messages to her boyfriend on Earth. Since they're so far apart, the time it takes to send and recieve a text message gets longer, so long until it took a few years for a text message to reach back to Earth as the UN mothership went deeper into space.

Short review. There's not much plot I can summarize for you in a 25 minute OVA so you get just that. (:

Now... the animation was pretty good for it's release in 2002, although some shoddy looking 3D scenes were in there. Effects were there... One thing that really annoyed me was the characters. Their face was... out of proportion, most of the time. I think I could draw better than that honestly. It even threw off some of the more romantic parts of the OVA... The faces, just... didn't fit. You'll know what I mean when you watch it :P
Other than that, I have nothing against the rest of the animation.

Music was good. I liked the soundtrack. Fit well with the scenes and all that. (: The sound effects also were in place. The best bit was the dialogue / narration. Voices of a Distant Star is not like most animes, which are loaded with dialogue just for the sake of having a dialogue. Every line is meaningful, and it is more of a memoir of the main character; how she feels, her perspectives, her thoughts. In this way, she grows, develops.

Storyline. Hmm. Unique. Nothing like I have ever seen before. The whole concept of the text messages in space and lag-time was an interesting part of the storyline. Also having like 14 year olds driving mecha's like that was definitely a stunner.
I'd have to comment on is the way the anime immediately puts you in a position of understanding of what's going on (or at least, sort of). You get that "Two lovers, separated by war... Will they see each other again" thing in your head... But you realize it's quite different. A different context brews a different theme (:

All in all. A pretty good anime. I can't stand the faces thought =.="
But I guess it's alright considering this anime was made my ONE man. Yep. Just one guy and his Mac., with the help of his fiancee for voice. Epicwin.

Ending Theme: Through the Years and Far Away - Low

Animation: 9/10
Music / Audio: 10/10
Storyline: 9/10

Final Score: 9.3/10

Voices of a Distant Star

2009-01-12T12:47:00.003+09:00

Voices of a Distant Star
ほしのこえ

Genre: Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Episodes: 1 (END)
Time per episode: ~25 minutes
Recommended age: 13+

Hoshi no Koe chronicles the lives of two teenagers, engaging in a long-distance relationship, as one of them must leave earth to participate in a battle against aliens. Due to the enormous distances between the two, their communications, in the form of text messages, take an extremely long time to send.

It doesn't sound particularly good when I put it that way, but Hoshi no Koe is superb anime. The animation style is completely unique, and I loved it. The music is superb, and the storyline is beautiful. I'd almost call Hoshi no Koe a short film, or in that sort of category, just in the style it was made.
Whatever I'd call it, I still say that it is truly excellent, and as it is so short, it is relatively inexpensive. Go, now, and buy it.

Ending Theme: Through the Years and Far Away - Low

Animation: 11/10
Music: 10/10
Storyline: 10/10

Final Score: 11/10

Shakugan no Shana - Season 1

2009-01-11T16:08:00.003+09:00

Shakugan no Shana
灼のシャナ

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 1-24 (END)
Time per episode: ~25 minutes
Recommended age: 16+ (May contain blood, slight nudity etc.)

Sakai Yuuji is a "normal" high school student, well, until he finds out he's already dead. He meets a "Flame Haze"- a hunter of the Guze no Tomogara - and his world changes forever.
He finds out he is a 'torch'; one whose existence is temporarily replaced before fading away forever. In quite a bit of shock, confusion and realization, he tries to befriend the Flame Haze, who has a strange obsession for melon bread, and names her Shana, after the name of her sword: Nietono no Shana.

As Yuuji tries to fight alongside Shana, they realize that the flame of his torch does not run out like other torches do. With some research, they hypothesize that Yuuji is a special kind of torch: a Mystes with an incredible power, locked away, deep inside him: The Reiji Maigo.

The Guze no Tomogara find out about Yuuji and hence try to capture him to extract the Reiji Maigo. Shana will not allow such power to fall into the hands of the Guze no Tomogara, so she stays very close to Yuuji at all times and protects him with her life... Of course this triggers a love triangle between Yuuji, Shana and Yuuji's classmate-Kazumi Yoshida.

At first glance, Shakugan no Shana will appear to be an anime with the typical anime elements in it; hero saves the day, ultimate power, love triangles etc. But what is different about Shakugan no Shana, is the execution of these elements. They come in all shapes and sizes, with twists here and there. The anime is definately much better than the manga; the manga dull compared to the action packed scenes of the anime.

Plot development, I must say, is excellent. Although the storyline might be cliche, the production of this anime has solidified its ground and keeps its viewers glued to the screen... Well for me it did :P Character development was my favourite bit. The characters were well developed as the anime progressed. The main character was no exception. Yuuji grew up from being an "ordinary" high school kid, into a confident defender of... well... of himself? xD
Animation is pretty alright. Flame graphics were rendered pretty well. Most effects also passed as exceptional.
Audio didn't fair too well in my opinion. Could've been better. Monotonous background music, lots of "heeee-ya! *clash of steel*", etc.

Bonuses for all you pervs out there; some mild ecchi is displayed in this film.
I repeat, this film is for those who are mature enough to handle mild ecchi :P

Opening Themes: Hishoku no Sora by Mami Kawada, Being by KOTOKO
Ending Themes: Yowake Umare Kuru Shoujo by Yoko Takahashi, Aka no Seejaku by Yoko Ishida, Hishoku no Sora by Mami Kawada (for episode 24).

Animation: 8/10
Music: 7/10
Storyline 9/10

Final Score: 8/10

Neon Genesis Evangelion

2009-01-11T00:27:00.008+09:00

Neon Genesis Evangelion
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン

Genre: Drama, Action, Mecha,
Episodes: 1-26 (END)
Time per episode: ~25 minutes
Recommended age: 14+

Fourteen year old Ikari Shinji is a seemingly average boy who is suddenly thrust into a world of fighting and pain, a world of Angels and Evangelions. After joining the NERV group, he comes under the care of his new boss and guardian, Misato Katsuragi, a talented but carefree woman intent upon the destruction of the Angels at all costs.

During his time at NERV, Shinji encounters his distant father multiple times and attempts to come to terms with confused emotions towards the man - especially his intense hatred for his father's actions.

In order to fight against the otherworldly Angels, Shinji works alongside Ayanami Rei and later Asuka Langley Soryu, using giant suits known as Evangelions. These Evangelions are the only weapons of mankind that are currently sufficiently equipped to adequately fight Angels, but to man an Evangelion takes a large toll on a person's body and mind, a weight that must be overcome by these children if the race of mankind is to survive.

Fifteen years ago, an incident involving a meteorite resulted in what later became known as the Second Impact - a massive explosion that melted the polar ice caps and sent the world into chaos for a number of years, flooding many parts of the world and severely damaging the ecosystem. Now, Shinji Ikari, NERV and the Evangelions fight against the Angels and the possibility of a third impact.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a fantastic anime that tells many stories, and teaches many lessons. Those of pain, of continuing in the face of pain and the value of moving forwards, even just the slightest bit.

Sounds effects, music and animation are all of fantastic quality and with a high amount of attention to detail - especially good considering when Evangelion was first released (1995). Of course, these aspects are not up to the levels of something as modern as Clannad - After Story, especially the graphics, but it is still an anime of exceptional quality.

Animation: 9/10
Music: 7/10
Storyline: 11/10

Final Score: 9/10

Karas

2009-01-10T23:21:00.004+09:00

KARAS
鴉

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Supernatural

Episodes: 6 (END)
Time per episode: ~30 minutes
Recommended age: ~16+ (Mature)

First of all, you might want to know what in the world a KARAS is. Well, they're something like ravens, you know those black birds. The difference is.. well, they're armored, can transform into a jet plane, car etc. And they have an awesome katana. Okay, now on to my synopsis.

Karas is set in modern day Shinjuku, Tokyo (Shinjuku again?), and is about the life of Otoha. Yup. Otoha. No last name mentioned. He was a former yakuza (Japanese version of mafia) before his life was taken away by the very men he fought along with.
Shinjuku is populated not only by humans, but youkai (spirits) as well. Some are good, some are bad. The job description of a Karas is, well, to protect the city and to "keep the balance".
Usually, there is only one Karas to a city.

Shinjuku has two.

A former Karas by the name of Eko (as seen in the opening scene of Karas) is bent on taking over Tokyo. Eko is corrupt, and corruption disrupts the balance of the spirit world, so this is where Otoha steps in...

Since there are only 6 episodes, I can't spoil too much for you. You will have to watch it yourself.
This anime is unique. In fact, it was created just to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Tatsunoko Productions, and what a commemoration it is.
It was first released in 2005, and I believe it was the first, or one of the first animes to fuse 2D and 3D together to produce an amazing product.

Animation is excellent. Flawless. I have never seen such amazing animation before. Every water drop, every flash of fire, and every drop of blood. Just, flawless.
Music was good too. In fact, I barely heard the BGMs because I was so focused on the fight scenes. That might be a good thing, and that might be a negative. It is, of course, up to you to decide when you watch it.
Storyline is also excellent, although some confusion may arise midway through the series regarding time. Watch it a second time, and you will see everything fits perfectly.

Karas is split into two parts, if you want to call it that. The first part is named: "Karas - the Prophecy" and the second is named: "Karas - the Revelation", each having 3 episodes each. So don't fret if you buy Karas and suddenly discover there are only 3 episodes on the disk. I have explained it to you (:

I wish I could add more to this review, but I can't. A picture is worth a thousand words. I bet each frame of Karas is worth a million.

Opening Theme: None
Ending Themes: Selenite by Rurutia, Under Fire by Sasha Antonice

Animation: 12/10
Music: 9/10
Storyline: 10/10

~~Final Score: 10.3/10~~
Final Score: 11/10

Amatsuki

2009-01-10T23:01:00.004+09:00

Amatsuki
あまつき

Genre: Supernatural, fantasy, adventure

Episodes: 13 (END)
Time per episode: ~30 minutes
Recommended age: 13+

Amatsuki revolves around a high school student, Tokidoki Rikugou (or simply, Toki), who has to go to a "virtual reality" exhibition of Edo, in the Byakumatsu period, in order to boost his failing history grades. This virtual reality simulation lets the visitor roam around the streets by using virtual reality (VR) goggles as if they were really in good old Edo itself, but when Toki is suddenly attacked by a nue, his world changes, literally. Something happens to his left eye and he suddenly realizes he is not wearing his VR goggles anymore, but the Edo scenery refused to disappear. He finds himself trapped in this world, with no way to escape. He meets Kon Shinonome, a person who Toki briefly met in the VR room before he was attacked, who is also trapped in this world.
Later on, Toki finds out that he is a "blank page" and his destiny has not yet been written by the heavens. Because of this, Demons want to make him the new "God of Amatsuki"...

Amatsuki was recently released last year, in 2008. The storyline is really something. I'd have to say that this is one anime, whos sequel I look forward to VERY MUCH. Excellent plot and character development. Manga to anime carryover is pretty good. Animation is great. Good effects, and great characters. Music is pretty okay as well. Not that great, but average.

Because this anime is only 13 episodes long, I feel that some scenes have been a little "squashed", whereas it could have been a little longer and more interesting.
Definately worth the money.

Opening Theme: Casting Dice by Youki Kanno
Ending Theme: Namae no Nai Michi by Kaori Hikita

Animation: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Storyline: 10/10

Final Score: 9/10
(honestly, it deserves a 10.)

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

2009-01-10T22:28:00.008+09:00

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
君が望む永遠

Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 14 (END)
Time per episode: ~24 minutes
Recommended age: 15+

Initially, Narumi Takayuki is befriended by Hayasi Mitsuki, a popular swimmer at school, only because Mitsuki's best friend, Suzumiya Haruka, has a crush on him. However since then, Takayuki, his friend Taira Shinji and Mitsuki have grown inseperable. Finally, Haruka confesses to Takayuki her love for him. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Takayuki agrees to go out with her. Eventually, their relationship gets intimate, even while Takayuki and Mitsuki begin to realize their feelings for each other. But when tragedy strikes, life will never be the same for these four friends again.

It seems that the majority of anime are based upon either manga, or Visual-Novels. I have found that these tend to be of lower quality than original anime, for no real other reason than you find western TV-shows based on popular movies often fail - the creators consider that the popularity of the predecessor (the movie, manga, visual-novel) will be enough to drive a second-rate TV-show/anime.
I don't consider this to have been the case with Kimibou. While the animation quality wasn't the best I've seen, it was definately decent, and the art quality more than made up for it. The music was, in my opinion, very good. It was atmospheric enough to have a presence of its own, without being obtrusive, and wasn't used when it wasn't needed.

Unfortunately, the very nature of Kimibou (the visual-novel), in that it runs on internal-dialog, meant that it was destined not to be made into an anime. It was, and while I found the anime very, very good, this is really only due to the characters and plot devices. I highly recommend this anime, but if possible, I would recommend further that you wait until Kimibou has been translated, and play the Visual-Novel.

Opening Theme: Precious Memories by Minami Kuribayashi
Ending Themes: Rumbling Hearts by Minami Kuribayashi (ep 2), Hoshizora no Waltz by Minami Kuribayashi (ep 3-13) Kimi ga Nozomu Eien by MEGUMI (ep 14)
Animation: 7/10
Music: 9/10
Storyline: 12/10

Final Score: 9.3/10

Hitohira

2009-01-10T19:22:00.004+09:00

Hitohira
ひとひら

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Episodes: 12 (END)
Time per episode: ~24 minutes
Recommended age: -

Asai Mugi has joined the Kumataka Academy of Arts. She has a problem though, and that is she has trouble speaking because of stage fright. Somehow, she gets forcefully recruited into a drama club, namely, the Drama Research Society, through the observations of their very own talent scouts. She makes friends with immediate members of the club (which only consists of VERY little members) and helps out with daily club activities. She soon learns that the Drama Research Society is fighting for survival against the official Drama Club, and so she must put on two plays, both in which she must act in because of the low number of members in the club.

Constricted with stage fright, Mugi slowly opens up her world, one step at a time, with the help of her friends, to conquer her fear.

Hitohira is one of those animes that you don't hear people talk of often (or if ever). It was released in 2007 and only consists of 12 episodes. I must say though, that it was worth the money and worth the time spent in front of the TV. Hitohira keeps you on the edge of your seat, although not like how action movies do, this anime keeps you interested - always wondering what comes next. Unique storyline; short and splendid.

Animation is fair. I wouldn't say it is great, nor would I say it was just average. The vox was good; it kept consistant with the animation. The opening and ending theme was only average. Not something I would listen to often.

Opening Theme: Yume Hitohira by Yuuko Asami
Ending Theme: Smile by Mai Mizuhashi

Animation: 7/10
Music: 7/10
Storyline: 9/10

Final Score: 7.6/10

Ouran High School Host Club

2009-01-09T22:40:00.003+09:00

Ouran High School Host Club
桜蘭高校ホスト部

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Bishounen

Episodes: 26 (END)
Time per episode: ~24 minutes
Recommended age: 13+

Haruhi Fujioka is a common scholarship student who has been admitted into the super luxurious, super rich and super elegant school, Ouran High School. Her life changes abruptly when she opens the door to another world... Okay maybe not so Alice in Wonderland, but whacky enough! This romantic comedy follows Haruhi Fujioka's story through her crazy high school life as she joins a notoriously ridiculous school club, namely, the Ouran High School Host Club. She meets six "extremely handsome" male students, who mistake her for a guy because of her short, messy hair. She breaks a priceless (well, 8 million yen) vase, and the club gets Haruhi to work as the club's "inu (dog)" in order to pay off the ridiculous debt. Before long, Haruhi is promoted to one of the hosts because the club leader/King/ Dad, Tamaki, saw potential in her. He, however finds out about her true identity and.... well... You'll have to see for yourself ^^

What's really great about this anime, is that it takes a ton of stereotypes from animes, and satirizes them - that is, mocks them; lightbulbs over the head, empty shells of people etc.
It even has an episode that refers to Alice in Wonderland, presented in a quirky, funny, and strange manner.

Every episode is quite different from the previous. Yes, there is an overall storyline, but most of the episodes show a new day at the host club, different setting, different attire and whatnot. It really keeps you on your toes, especially near the end, when a concentrated storyline kicks in.

Animation is pretty good. Great effects, quite a number of chibi portrayed, and very consistant.
Opening is great, the BGM is also great, but can get repetitive over time (but of course, this is done on purpose to satirize BGMs in animes). The ending could have been better though.

Opening theme: Sakura Kiss by Chieko Kawabe
Ending theme: Shissou by LAST ALLIANCE

Animation: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Storyline: 10/10

Final Score:

9/10