Rate the last anime you watched out of 10
- Thread starter Aion
- Start date
Just Passing Through
Titan
I gave it a 3/10, because the BBFC were wise enough to shorten it by 3 minutes for UK consumption.
awadama
Mad Scientist
They should have done the same with the other 275!
Aion
Chuunibyou
DANDADAN (S1)
7-7.5/10
7-7.5/10
Dan(dadan) is quite odd, even for something named after myself. It began as no more than a hyper shounen-thing, heavily amplified by Science Saru going all-out on frenetic animation porn. For want of a better way to put it, it made me feel old; as if I required constant stimuli or risk attention drifting, as is the case for brats nowadays. The first ep, amidst its wonderfully detailed-atmospheric backgrounds (such as the tunnel), crammed in introducing the main duo Momo & Okarun bickering at school over if aliens/yokai exist -> a yokai possessing and stealing the lead's junk + alien 'banana' harvesting/rape insync, psychic powers... 'twas all a bit overwhelming, yet free-flowing and visually captivating enough to hold brain. Just a wee bit too shallow to invest into.
However, something strange occured as I continued watching and the quest to recover Okarun's balls/shaft took shape: it stopped coming across like a new age OCD shounen, and more like... a rom-comedy with high octane/batshit action sequences? Or, put another way, it started reminding me of Urusei Yatsura, where some new episodic alien nutter would appear, and chaos would ensue. The last few episodes were most striking in this regard, as there was an utterly random chase sequence (with 'william hell overture' music playing): Momo holding onto a running anatomical doll with her psychic powers, her childhood friend holding onto her, and Okarun in hot pursuit chasing them. No context besides there being an apparently possessed doll, holding one of Okarun's golden testicles.
During the OVA boom era, many an anime was created simply because talented animators wanted to throw shite at the wall, hoping it would stick the landing and sell. And Dan reminds me very much of that era. It has the tropes that define shounen, like Okarun having an inner power he struggles to control and the laws of nakama dictacting that, somehow, enemies become allies, be it via an evil spirit getting chucked into a harmless plushie or a transformed by aliens mantis shrimp sharing a (thankfully comically half-arsed) sob story. Whether because of Science Saru letting loose or the brand of humour, it never feels constrained by its target demographic. Instead, it's a merger of ideas that don't all fit together neatly, and that is what takes me back to the era OVA of creativity. Before everything was a soulless isekai. And I became dead inside...
...But that's not to say there's no substance whatsoever. The story is admittedly a non-entity: aliens/yokai appear, they want sexual organs/ooo BANANA, the lead loses his. And for some reason his (golden) balls end up corrupting things for others. Where Danda shines is the relationship between an introvert nerd that has comically endearing outbursts, and the more trendy/popular Momo freaking out over a nerd having the same name as an actor she in lust with. Their opposites awkwardly attract development feels natural, amidst the craziness, as the show starts to alternate between latest yokai/alien nonsense -> comedic downtime at school, where both nice moments and Momo suspicious/misunderstanding silliness ensue. The sharp humour excels in these moments, such as when Momo learns about Okarun's missing testicles and near enough pisses herself laughing on the floor. Or when baseball is used for testicle reattachment. Yes, really.
I don't think Dan is on the same level as Chainsaw Man, which is just as chaotic but more plot/action focused, and with a more mature edge. I do however think Dan is entertaining and high budget enough to be worthwhile, IF you can endure wtf happening GIANT ENEMY CRAB and the more juvenile bits. And wait long enough for it to became an outright rom-comedy, as it's somehow better than actual dedicated rom-coms. It does have one poignant show-no-tell part in ep7, where a flashback to a mother/daughter is played out wordlessly, but it's better summarised by its end: it just ends, no resolution/climax, as if ep13 is on the same disc as part of S1. That seemed to fit so much with the nature of the show, I wasn't annoyed, although one does hope Momo isn't left in that... situation for too long.In a nutshell, Dandadan is a series solely created to be entertaining, and it certainly never bores.
PS: Ushio's music, blending into the background yet enhancing the more emotional moments, and channeling the series energy during the more frenzied parts, is an additional +1.
And just briefly before go back to sleep:
Golgo 13: The Professional
6.5-7/10
Golgo 13: The Professional
6.5-7/10
Going from the last few pages of Dai and Vash bravely battling to keep the thread alive... to ShoBitch 2-3/10. Maybe the less said about it, the better?When I saw 'ShoBitchu', I knew anime was surely dead. The final nail in the coffin if THAT is deemed worthy of being released outside Japan. No mas~
Noted Vash channeling my '6/10' TTGL/everything approach, minus numbers. Gundamu: read Origins. It's the definitive version, and the first two movies are shoddy recaps/outdated.
PS: You're kindasorta meant to rate what you review. Be brave and pick a number. 'Tis more fun that way.
That aside, whilst still 'ere posting, I figured I'd do my civic duty and revive the thread I once created, before no doubt hibernating once more.
I have long since abandoned the desire to type reviews longer than MAL list tags, not helped by fact I watch as much anime as Ayase these days--a truly sad state of affairs~
I need sleep. Pls don't let the only place people type more than a sentence about anime on AUKN die. Sayonara~
Last edited:
Dai
Combat Butler
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
It starts with an over-the-top premise. A UFO crashes into a boy and, in the process of reviving him, the aliens accidentally turn him into a girl. This somewhat complicates things for the two girls who are in love with him/her, but not in the ways you might expect. I was also surprised that the aliens stuck around for the rest of the show, and became relevant again later on. Despite that, by episode 3 the world has lost interest in the body-swapped teenager who was globally annouced as the first human to have come in contact with aliens. I guess the news cycle moved on to a celebrity scandal or something. Instead the scope of the story narrows back to a high school rom-com for the most part.
Some rom-coms blend their romance and comedy elements throughout. This one draws a definite line between the two. In some episodes it plays its high school yuri love triangle seriously. In other episodes it goes into goofy mode, playing its characters for laughs and bringing in a weird alien in a bodystocking. The romance and comedy never quite feel like they belong in the same series.
Kashimashi is at its best as a comedy. When it switches to serious mode, it becomes apparent that most of the characters aren't particularly interesting. Boy-turned-girl Hazumu is so wishy-washy and indecisive that she would make Godai from Maison Ikkoku grind his teeth in frustration. Yasuna is defined by her weird anime disease, which the show doesn't explain particularly well until the end. Only pining childhood friend Tomari fares well in characterisation on the serious side of the story.
Without getting into specifics, the show runs into another awkward structural problem near the end. The final episode of the TV series gives a conclusion that seems to wrap everything up, only for the sequel OVA to untie that neat bow and rewrap it in a completely different shape. While I preferred the note that the OVA ended on, the road it took to get there was rushed and messy, skipping past important plot developments and undermining much of what the last few episodes of the TV series built towards.
The result is a show that has some good bits and pieces, but doesn't assemble them into a satisfying whole.
6/10
It starts with an over-the-top premise. A UFO crashes into a boy and, in the process of reviving him, the aliens accidentally turn him into a girl. This somewhat complicates things for the two girls who are in love with him/her, but not in the ways you might expect. I was also surprised that the aliens stuck around for the rest of the show, and became relevant again later on. Despite that, by episode 3 the world has lost interest in the body-swapped teenager who was globally annouced as the first human to have come in contact with aliens. I guess the news cycle moved on to a celebrity scandal or something. Instead the scope of the story narrows back to a high school rom-com for the most part.
Some rom-coms blend their romance and comedy elements throughout. This one draws a definite line between the two. In some episodes it plays its high school yuri love triangle seriously. In other episodes it goes into goofy mode, playing its characters for laughs and bringing in a weird alien in a bodystocking. The romance and comedy never quite feel like they belong in the same series.
Kashimashi is at its best as a comedy. When it switches to serious mode, it becomes apparent that most of the characters aren't particularly interesting. Boy-turned-girl Hazumu is so wishy-washy and indecisive that she would make Godai from Maison Ikkoku grind his teeth in frustration. Yasuna is defined by her weird anime disease, which the show doesn't explain particularly well until the end. Only pining childhood friend Tomari fares well in characterisation on the serious side of the story.
Without getting into specifics, the show runs into another awkward structural problem near the end. The final episode of the TV series gives a conclusion that seems to wrap everything up, only for the sequel OVA to untie that neat bow and rewrap it in a completely different shape. While I preferred the note that the OVA ended on, the road it took to get there was rushed and messy, skipping past important plot developments and undermining much of what the last few episodes of the TV series built towards.
The result is a show that has some good bits and pieces, but doesn't assemble them into a satisfying whole.
6/10
Aion
Chuunibyou
Welcome to the NHK
9-9.5/10
9-9.5/10
Studio Gonzo will forever be an enigma. Their output during the 2000s (before buried by debt) could succinctly be summed up as suicidal ambition, for their philosophy appeared to be 'If we can find a way to put CG robots in, we shall; historical fiction included!' And yet, their best works oft had roughly as many actual robots as Evangelion, with 'Welcome to the NHK' surely their safest of anime bets: a comedy, exploring otaku culture. Underneath that veneer however is a series that goes to the ugly depths of depression, anxiety & isolation. And if that trip to a place with suicidal inclinations (and ambitions~) sounds at all familiar, t'would be because NHK is perhaps best described as the Eva of non-mecha anime.
Where as Eva is distilled depression in anime form, NHK is darkly comical to the point of self-sabotage. Introvert male leads apparently attract only disturbed, damaged waifus (+Yamazaki as Asuka), as that's all escapism borne from a severely depressed mindset can offer. Such works resonate with those sharing this accursed affliction. Regardless, fans of Genshiken and its ilk will be chuckling along as two prats attempt to create a smut game together, whilst bickering over how to depict shyness. But with NHK, 'tis at its most amusing when true to the point of pained laughter, for to get the most out of it, you need to laugh at yourself as much as its cast.
NHK is one of the funniest AND hardest to watch, due in no small part to the author having wrote the novel it was based on as a recluse. No punches are pulled as its protagonist, 22-years-old Tatsuhiro Satou, is also a recluse of 4+ years; one semi-convinced his 'hikikomori' suffering is all a conspiracy caused by the dastardly (N)ihon (H)ikikomori (K)yōkai. Likewise, the rest of the cast each come with their own depressive quirk/baggage, and there ain't no isekai reset to gloss over human failings 'ere.
Many will get frustrated at Satou, given his parasitic lifestyle is ultimately his own choice. At one point, Satou - lying to not have his funding cut - cannot help but think, "I'm a piece of shitu". And another time he thinks, "It's because one is permitted a lukewarm bare minimum of a life that one keep living as a hikikomori indefinitely". Outside these self-reflective moments, it will prove difficult to relate unless you have lived that endless period where time loses all meaning; when day/night blur, a day turns into a week, then a month, then year(s). For if time itself is worthless, what joy is there in doing anything, and what point is there in trying?
All that aside, as a FYI, the start can be rather perplexing, as I recall my friend commenting: Satou's electrical appliances - fridge freezer, with a door compartment for a mouth included - begin by getting a tad chattier than most appliances tend to. The anime version was unable to detail the novel tidbit regarding how Satou spends much of it high as a kite on weed; paranoid to the point of delusion... yet the anime still had him act that way. (Perhaps wisely, a fairly hilarious trip to church later on with a character off his head, eyes bulging on cocaine was cut entirely~)
Given the life of a recluse is neither exciting nor eventful, the novel was short, and much of it spent spiraling amidst despair. There is however more to it than that, especially in the anime; namely, the rest of the cast. There is the male next-door neighbour, Yamazaki, that likes playing anime music (Puru Puru Pururin~) at max volume, 24/7, driving poor Satou to his breaking point. And the mysterious younger girl, Misaki, that proclaims she can cure Satou via 1-to-1 study/talk sessions at the local park during the eve--having her own twisted motivations, involving signing a contract. Lastly, there is Hitomi--an older acquaintance from Satou's school life, and a femme fatale of sorts that may very well pull him into the abyss with her; embodying all of his life's regrets, on top of being the source of his conspiracy delusions (weed aside, that is).
The greatest strength of the anime is that it expands on the novel, aided by the best of the manga additions whilst still ending more or less the same as it originally did. In the novel, there was no goal besides 8pm sessions with Misaki. Misaki's twisted 'romance' with Satou is of course important - for the end especially - but with her motivations remaining obscured, the main hook of the anime is instead battling to beat deadlines to create a smut game with Yamazaki--a subplot largely abandoned in the novel. Their friendship develops into a black comedy bromance of sorts, where the lackadaisical Satou is pushed into writing smutty scenarios, whilst the oft irate Yamazaki creates the rest. Their highs & lows are the heartbeat of the series--drunken highlights such as when Yamazaki rants about women; getting Satou to chant 'women can go to hell!' in-sync with him... before a phone call from a girl interrupts, and Satou - still chanting - is told to shut up. 'Tis the sort of series where, one minute you can be laughing out loud, only to be brought back to reality with a crushing thud the next.
On the flipside, its greatest weakness is the manga filler content, unrelated to smut game creation. There are three mini-arcs in the middle of the series, totaling nine episodes, that are loosely interconnected. The shorter (2eps) of the trio is actually excellent, as unlike the other two that force Satou outside, it ties into what a recluse would do: play a MMORPG/FFXI, and get romantically involved with a cat 'girl' (note: that ain't no tail between their legs, foo). Besides a character coming across as a sociopath - as is the way with much of the manga filler that has the cast act out of character for lulz - 'tis true to the start/end of the series. The other two arcs are more miss than hit: one has Satou unwittingly lure himself into a trip with Hitomi that he approaches oddly upbeat as his last chance, and may very well prove to be. 'Tis the longest of the trio at 4eps, and that's too long away from what makes the series tick: Yamazaki & Misaki. It also makes Hitomi less likable, somewhat ruining their... uplifting re-encounter later. The remaining filler arc is about being conned by a pyramid scam after Satou randomly gets contacted by a filler acquaintance, somehow convincing Satou to use all his money buying fake products. 'Tis dumb, and has all the characters (bar Misaki's clueless 'cleaning/cooling off' daftness) act way dumber than they actually are. This arc also has the best animated episode (19), complete with sakuga. Go figure...
Which brings me to the presentation: the show overall has a middling at best budget, with some low lows where character consistency goes to anorexic hell (ep3 I swear one person did all the 'art') and highs such as Misaki's crying animation hitting like a truck out of nowhere. The direction, colour and attention to detail are its saving grace. This is perhaps best highlighted by the series opening, which in stark contrast to depression, has a summer motif. Heavily stylised, and with/Misaki symbolism mixed in amidst swimsuits, 'tis one the best openings--capturing the essence of the series, whilst depicting the opposite. More generally though, the colour palette adds so much life into what otherwise would be bland; especially the night-time blues Kawajiri would approve of, and the backgrounds looking lived-in. No more so than in Yamazaki's room, which is adorned by countless plastic toy figurines, much like how I envisioned my friend's room was, back in the day~
Where NHK truly shines though is its music. Unusually, rather than there being a composer, a Japanese rock band called 'Pearl Brothers' did the soundtrack, and rocked they most certainly did. There is one guitar-heavy, vocal track in particular, 'Youkoso! Hitori Bocchi' (aka, 'Welcome to Loneliness') that somehow manages to bottle depression so well that, even without understanding, the emotional depth of the vocals and beat translates. Just hearing the guitar at the beginning, or the 'knock, knock, knock' is enough. It had such an impact that Youtube uploads of it became a weird sort of gathering grounds for any and every irl hikikomori. And that's just one track, ignoring the wide array of silly-spazzy high energy tracks, harmonica melancholy and even Misaki's JP voice actress singing a 'Come to the dark side with me' date track. But it will always be the moody, atmospheric guitar tracks that will stay etched in my brain. TLTR: there are two anime soundtracks I adore, and NHK is one of those.
By the time NHK is wrapping up with episodes 20-24, post-filler and onto the novel finale, comedy fully gives way to cold reality; fittingly, during Christmas. It might surprise which episode is the most impactful as 'tis a change from novel--an emotional yet no fuss 'male' farewell (hint: ep20/21), but all of Satou's relationships come to a head in-turn. The ironic thing is, the series ends as optimistically as a recluse writing about a semi-fictional recluse could end it. Not with a Hollywood resolution, or closure, but instead with a life goes on, and maybe - just maybe - normal everyday happiness is not fully out of reach. 'Twas a bit weak to quickly glance over reclusion via a combo of pride & starvation, but sometimes there are no good answers...
I could ramble endlessly about aspects such as how sad it is that Satou wasn't brave enough to put his arm around the girl he had a connection with, or how in one episode Satou stumbled into a college class, only to get self-conscious over criticism thinking he was looked down on, and ran away (whilst comically screaming)... but I think this quote from Yamazaki is the best place to end, for both this review and NHK itself:
"A drama has an emotional climax and a resolution, but our lives aren’t like that. All we get are a bunch of vague anxieties that are never really resolved. No matter how depressed we are or how much we suffer, all we're gonna do is come right back to our idiotic everyday lives. And even if we can't return to them, we'll only die idiotically somewhere. A dramatic death just isn't fitting for us."
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
7.5-8/10
Highlander begins with its 2,000 years old protagonist, Colin, taking on a throwaway immortal intro-baddy (that wields a gigantic chainsaw; somehow moving along the ground AND slashing with it.) As his head is removed, electricity sparks, and whatever a quickening is occurs. The camera then suddenly zooms away in first-person view; from the New Jersey mall we are at, past a decrepit statue of liberty, and all the way through a post-apocalyptic New York. Their the movie's villain, Marcus, is throwing his head back whilst playing his guitar on the top floor of his tower; watching the lightning from the quickening off in the far distance. In a word, 'tis cool... because of course it is: Yoshiaki Kawajiri directed it.
Everyone has one thing they adore, that others view with cold indifference. Kawajiri's Highlander is mine. This is partly because, if I had one complaint about Kawajiri, 'tis that his big bads are largely forgettable. Be it in Ninja Scroll, only appearing at the very end, or Bloodlust where the vampire chased for the duration of the film ain't a bad 'un. In contrast, Highlander has no ensemble of minor enemies, or distractions: only Marcus. And Marcus spends the entire film articulately trash talking; amplified in no small part by Nolan North's performance and one of the best dub localisations this side of Cyber City's f-bombing/SengokuXrobo assistant bickering. Both the dub and Marcus add sooooo much arrogant, sarcastic sass ("You deserve an A for effort", after Colin lands on the wing of a plane, sword in-hand~). To Marcus, Colin truly is nothing but a "baa·beuh·ree·uhn" to be mocked for his dogged folly, for whilst Marcus busily masters every art form/culture off-screen to back up his smug smirking, Colin only has his obstinance, hatred and vengeance.
In the Director's Cut, there is a scene where their dynamic and what makes the film so compelling to me is outlined:
Marcus: "Tell me, have you done anything in the last 2,000 years, besides try unsuccessfully to kill me? I can write poetry in three dozen languages. I paint like Rembrandt, and play the piano like Liszt... and you?"
Colin: "I loved Moya... and you killed her!"
Marcus: "I loved Rome, things die. It is the way of life. All we can do is try to find a reason to go on; to build it again. I have found mine. Why don't you find something?"
Colin: "Mine is to bury you."
Marcus: "I wonder, who is the bigger fool..."
Marcus and Kawajiri's direction aside, perhaps most alluring to me is Highlander's romanticism. In truth, I never thought much of Kawajiri initially: all I saw was occasional rape and plentiful gore. Not until Kagero's relationship with Jubei in Ninja Scroll did it dawn on me there was more below the surface. In almost all of Kawajiri's works, he inserts a doomed love subplot to this emotional undercurrent end; albeit one seen squarely through his manly-cool lens (naturally, his male characters are too focused on killing or missions to reciprocate.) In Highlander though, the driving force of everything is the timeless love its lead, Colin, holds for a woman that was murdered. As befitting of a Kawajiri title, 'tis not what his lover would've wanted (in fact, she makes him promise NOT to do something as foolish as, say, chase the man that killed her for 2,000 years.) It's stupidity, yet Colin's single-minded dedication has an unrefined, very human beauty about it.
There is one sequence where 1000's of years are skimmed over: battles ranging from the fall of Rome, to samurai Japan, and even flying a plane vs the Nazis as Colin ever pursues his nemesis throughout history. It reminds me so much of Kon's Millennium Actress where, instead of jumping through conflicts, it jumped between films/costume porn over the life of an elderly actress. Telling a story through the passage of time in this manner is utterly captivating. In the case of Highlander specifically, 'tis made more interesting by its villain wanting to recreate his vision of Rome in the post-apocalyptic future. He takes bits & pieces from various cultures; crafting a sort of hybrid influenced by the Nazis, samurai and with Roman architecture at its apex. Unsurprisingly, this too is very cool to me~ (Sidenote: Colin comes to use a katana exclusively, and Marcus arms his mecha storm troopers with katanas on their backs~)
Ignoring the inherent coolness of anything Kawajiri related, if only momentarily, Highlander undeniably does not look as gorgeous as his earlier works--'tis a far cry from his most iconic work, Ninja Scroll. Beyond the blue/red (over)stimulation of Cyber City being absent, the transition from cel animation to digital, with it being shot at 720p(?), means the image lacks the striking vibrancy of olde. Backgrounds are mostly hand-drawn and some parts like the abandoned subway look wonderfully detailed up close... but given the resolution they have a slight PS1 pre-rendered fuzziness, at distance. There's (mostly) minimal CG, with the few bits at length being 3D-camera shots in motion, and little truly bad (aside from two instances of the worst fire effect this side of Promare). It evades much digi-fugliness via either Kawajiri's token quick slash/cuts on robots, or directional sleight of hands such as the aforementioned fpv shot at the start moving swiftly; so as not to linger on the zoomed out CG city-scape. Kawajiri's artistic vision is on point, together with plenty of personality. Like all modern cartoons, It just compares unfavorably to pre-digital, cel era anime.
What stands out despite this is Kawajiri's innate understanding of what is cool with his random flourishes; paired with no-nonsense action directing that is built upon razor's edge storyboarding. For around an hour, the film - jumping between past/present - builds to a showdown between Colin/Marcus. Yet, when we get there, there's no chit-chat besides Marcus' sarcastic jabbing. Colin immediately jump-slashes, in-sync with the drum beat of the music. We see red wine being poured, and through the glass are the two; swords clashing. Colin is promptly sent flying. And Marcus then casually does something I'll always be oddly in lust with: he goes to drink the wine, making sure to smell it first (and twirling his sword in one hand after), before returning to Colin. For some reason known only to Kawajiri and his sense of time/place/cool, they end running together whilst still blocking each other through a corridor, and onto a slanted pyramid roof which they proceed to fall-slide down. They jump into the air, their swords clash once more, and Colin lands near the edge... before plummeting over as Marcus tries to remove his head. The whole sequence was minutes at most; maybe a minute of actual action. Kawajiri's ideal fight is as close to real life samurai duel length as one can get, and just how much he crams into so little impresses me greatly.
And this brings me to the small matter of the International/Director's Cut... which forced meeeee to re-watch the film, back-to-back. For reasons unknown, the American side cut 10m from master of pacing Kawajiri's film--utterly bizarre when it was only 1hr36m, with credits, to begin with. Whilst most of the cuts streamlined the action by removing some of the funnier dub lines, some cuts negatively impact the film. For instance, the quoted interaction above is cut. The spirit of a wise(cracking) old man that follows Colin around had many lines cut--they provided oft hilarious dubbed ("That's gonna hurt", in response to Colin plummeting head-first from a tower) running commentary; lamenting the idiocy of spending centuries getting his arse kicked when happiness was ever in reach. Which is another thing hacked away it: at one point Colin has a choice between grabbing a katana or saving a woman that looks suspiciously like his lover from many lifetimes ago. In the international ver, he simply grabs the katana. These may be minor in isolation but add up; diluting the thematic message.
...Although, as thematic film messaging goes, the final third of the film missed the mark regardless. Granted, t'would be difficult to have a revenge story - especially a film - that does not end with a duel to the death. And Highlander duly obliges. But given the first hour, you might expect Colin, seeing the error of his ways, to veer away from his obsessive path. Instead, he once again lunges head-first towards Marcus (albeit trying to make it so his woman can't follow & save innocents) and, rather lazily, after initially getting his arse kicked once more, inexplicably prevails. The final fight sequence itself, with a timed battle to stop a virus unleashing, followed by a back-to-back moment before the final strike - reminiscent of Spike/Vicious in Bebop - was of course very cool. Yet it left me feeling unsatisfied as Colin walked off into the distance...
As much as I believe it was Kawajiri at his peak as a director, utilising all his decades of experience (whilst still experimenting with 3D camera movement), the film ran out of both steam & ideas in the last third. There were no more flashbacks to battles throughout history or backstory, leaving only downtime in 2180 New York's subway (plus a sex scene with a prostitute that felt as hollow as I envision sex with a prostitute being.) Colin joining the rebels for one last hurrah against Marcus' Neo-Rome empire felt like almost an afterthought. And maybe this is why there was conflict between the American side that wrote the film, and Kawajiri that makes any and every IP his own. I still have no idea what is gained by removing immortal heads (unless it's the ability to jump likes), or why the many 'holy grounds' Colin just so happens to stumble into before Marcus can kill him must be honoured. Maybe 'tis best left unsaid.
I'll forever swoon over Kawajiri and his random eccentricities, such as during a 1v1 horse duel - instigated at the whimsy of his villain - both riders needing to bend to pick up their swords from the ground, mid-charge, purely for cinematic effect. But if being honest, it deserves more an 'A' for effort, overall~
You are going through my anime history in reverse, Dai. The bravery to delve into such mediocrity, for ecchi/yuri, moves me. So much so that I would happily send Hand Maid May to you, but alas: you rated it the same as me. I unfortuantely remember too little to comment on Kashimashi, and yuri lost its appeal to me. Such is life.
But as far as Godai goes: 'twas always Kyoko's indecision that irked me more, for women are fickle... or at least Kyoko was when Mitaka was driving her around. Godai and Kyoko were two truly made for each other, that I do know~
This post has been weeks in the making, and may prove to be my Manga Opuss... which only 3-4 people will see. The fates are cruel~ My affinity for high word counts is balanced by my total inability to be concise, resulting in editing like a demented woodpecker. I end up hating myself, and life itself...
...That aside, rather than retiring by typing from the hip re DAN/Golgo, I thought it better to ramble with feeling, about something personal to me (I had been re-watching NHK with my bff; discussing each ep, as we're kinda similar to Satou/Yamazaki). As is my way however, whilst trying to type, winter blues took hold. In the interim, I opted to try review Highlander to make sense of why I feel so passionate about it. And here we be.
Last edited:
zrdb
Magical Girl
I was digging through a pile of dvds yesterday and found the first dvd of Gankutsu
ou-The Count Of Monte Cristo and watched the 4 episodes on it. I honestly don't remember ever watching it before or buying it and seeing how uneventful, drab and boring the series is I can see why I didn't remember it. It simply didn't have any memorable impact on my memory.
ou-The Count Of Monte Cristo and watched the 4 episodes on it. I honestly don't remember ever watching it before or buying it and seeing how uneventful, drab and boring the series is I can see why I didn't remember it. It simply didn't have any memorable impact on my memory.
Last edited:
Aion
Chuunibyou
As a man far, FAR more into Sheryl than Ranka, t'would be foolish of me to suggest you give it another chance. I will however suggest your usage of 'drab' is misplaced, if only because Gonzo hired fashion designer Anna Sui to design the costumes, and these costumes were layered with reflective CG patterns. To this day, although the 480p upscaled transfer + other CG has aged less well, this aspect still dazzles. 'Tis unique.
And I know not if this is pure coincidence, for Edmond Dantes informed meee (and more so dumas Albert) that there are no coincidences in this world, but in my NHK review - before (wood)pecking away at the first paragraph/Gonzo - I had referenced Gankutsuou. Without a doubt, 'twas Gonzo's most ambitious work: a 24 episode adaptation of an unadaptable 1250pg revenge story; one lacking any action, and not involving Japan in any way/shape/form.
Despite the novel's 1800s France setting, Gonzo moved the (still period faithful) Paris and its nobility to the year 5053, as Gonzo were kinda insane. The first 300pgs of the novel were also skipped, in order to both make the series fit and switch the pov to teenager Albert. And a festival in Rome was instead switched to one in the fictional city of Luna... on the moon, naturally. They also decided to add giant robots for sword dueling (still requiring 1800's glove tossing to trigger) to the death purposes, despite the duel in the novel being prevented. And, somehow, this craziness worked, as it became my favourite anime, which then lead me to the novel.
Even Andrew of AL loved the series enough to give it a golden no-spine steelbook CE, with the French dub included. Alas, no-one wanted it~
PS: Gankutsuou is a slow burn, so that is why it starts uneventful. It will seem somewhat dull until things fall into place. But perhaps it's not your cup of tea. Only God can determine such things. I did review it, a lifetime ago, mind~
PS2:
Meteora AND Gankutsuou?... In another life, you may have swayed me towards Jesus with your words. Alas~
Given the narrow scope of my obsession (ie Ganku, Gonzo, Jouji Nakata, Dantes, the novel itself) I had no idea Dumas was black, nor that the mistreatment Dantes endured and his religious stance was connected to slavery. Forgiveness for such mistreatment would be viewed by me more as means to an end; a pretense so both parties can move on. Laws are designed to allow for society to function. Which is to say, I fear my cynicism would prevent believing in something beyond meeee, or believing in other people. I can however get behind someone unleashing biblical wrath, until regret/indifference takes hold. Which aptly summarises Edmond Dantes.
If watch Ganku first, then read/listen to the novel, that's probably ideal (so, ideal for you as is). Gonzo presents the story as a mystery, and changes the overall message as you mentioned. The novel is totally linear and told from Edmond's pov, with so many more details. 'Tis likely going on your interest in the bible/jesus/slavery/lesbians that you'd be far more taken with it than the anime. Maybelline.
Dantes in the novel differs a weeeee bit. Anime Dantes semi-literally made a pact with the devil (hence his vampiric appearance); without being educated by Abbe Faria. Novel Dantes believes he is doing God's work, and inflicting righteous judgment on those that wronged him, as he cannot under the laws of man. Where as in the anime the only inner turmoil Dantes felt was regarding Albert - culminating in a yaoi huggle to save the day - in the novel he grew increasingly troubled by the collateral damage of his actions, given his religious mindset instilled in him by Faria.
The best way I can convey the differences without spoilers is to say that anime Dantes only has the vengeful half of his character. The compassionate side that had him help those from his past was removed. Iirc Ganku diverges entirely from the novel ep18ish. There's a scene with Dantes and Mercedes, which shapes the way the rest of the narrative plays out... and ofc is the trigger for Gonzo to insert giant robo fencing (they could only restrain themselves so long, bless~). One of my fav, most goosebump-inducing moments given the music that accompanied it... yet had I read the novel first, I daresay my opinion may have ever so slightly differed.
I too am fond of and saw that trailer many times, as it was on Geneon's DVDs ad infinitum. Maybe it draws in our kind~ A highlight reveal of visual highlights the series both has and doesn't have, insync with an epic funky beat.
The lesbian romance subplot was very progressive for its era (and had a very funny discovery moment). Gonzo clearly rando decided at some point during production to make Albert closer to Franz/Eugenie... by making Franz gay, and Eugenie straight.
You reminded me of typing to someone way back when--they actually needed to watch enough eps for their eyes to adjust to the patterns, to evade headaches. You are (not) alone. The only anime that looks similar is Mononoke, which is much too psychedelic even for me.
Last edited:
RadFemHedonist
Guild Member
I did appreciate Gankutsuou, though it's not a favourite of mine. I agree the visual design is absolutely stunning. I have the Naxos Audio Audiobook version of the original novel fully unabridged, and am planning to listen to it this year, it will be interesting to see how it compares to the anime. I know Dumas was black and wrote the novel partly to question the degree of "Christian forgiveness" that slaves/former slaves were expected to extend to those that had tormented and abused them so horribly. So in that sense the anime is not exactly faithful to the novel's intentions and conclusion as I understand it. (Personally I think many of Jesus's words were wise and worth listening to, and think forgiveness is a good ideal generally, but also definitely think it's a zero accountability approach to do vile things to someone who the law views as your property, and then just go "well the law changed and we couldn't get away with it anymore so we stopped, forgive us! It's all chill now... right? Right?!")
This concept trailer for Gankutsuou is still one of my favourite anime trailers - sad that they cut out the lesbian romance element from the final series (which I believe was in the original novel?) but what a gorgeous synthesis of music and visual colour and splendor!
Aion
Chuunibyou
'Tis unlikely as Gonzo didn't reach financial implosion until 2008/9. Ganku came out 2004, and the budgeting excesses such as hiring a fashion designer and being so experimental suggest the idea held more import than money. If you want edgy though, in 2006 I do believe Gonzo were the first studio adapt a US comic with 'Witchblade'. There seemed to be little driving Gonzo (towards bankruptcy) besides the passion of their core staff, as they either avoided trends and/or were pioneering ugly early CG in TV anime.
If you look through their history of titles, very rarely was anything they created designed to sell. They tended to create 'seinen' age-range stuff (their few manga-based series were oft seinen, too), and seinen anime tend to sell terribly. For example, period piece samurai/ninja series seem only to be popular in the main outside Japan, weirdly: that didn't stop them re-imagining Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai as a steampunk series with samurai robots (that scared even me away, given I was familiar with the movie versions). Or Basilisk, which is based on a manga - rather rare for Gonzo, as they preferred original IPs or weird re-imaginings of classics - and is set in feudal Japan. Guaranteed bomber mans. They even did their own version of Romeo & Juliet... except as a fantasy with flying horses, because of course. Juliet was some sort of masked sword-wielding rebel iirc. 'Twas a beautiful looking series, was RxJ~
Fun random fact: If you Google the Eng definition of the word 'gonzo' you'll get this: "very strange or bizarre."
-----
PS: Unrelated to^/addition to prev msg.
No music vid/trailer to share, unlike Rad, but this scene has always struck me as beautiful and whilst typing Ganku, share it I must. From the colour choice, the intimacy of the close-up shots mid-convo, to music building with the conversation... plus small things like Haidee's hair blowing. And of course, Jouji Nakata's voice/laugh.
Last edited: