Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

[Smeelia]

Senkou no Night Raid / Night Raid 1931

I'm not really sure how best to describe Night Raid, basically it follows a group of Japanese superpowered spies in a time where Japan was making moves into the rest of Asia and also moving towards the second World War. The problem is that the show seems to have some difficulty in deciding what it wants to be and what kind of story it wants to tell.

It starts off as something of a spy adventure with a few missions giving each spy a chance to show off their powers while also hinting at some potential development for the characters and a possible plot building in the background. It then seems to shift to developing it's main plot but somehow forgets to also continue developing it's characters. As things progess, the show also throws in a few stand-alone episodes dealing with other issues of the time. While these are perhaps the most effective episodes in the show, there aren't enough of them to consider the show an "anthology" of sorts and rather than contribute to the main plot and characters they seem to take away from their development (especially when the main characters don't even appear).

The main plot tries to take over in later episodes but it feels inconsistent in theme and many of the events rely on empathy with the characters that viewers are unlikely to have built up due to a lack of character development. Major events start to feel more like they're happening in an attempt to create an emotional response rather than because they mean something in the story and this only makes them more difficult to care about. Even worse, the writing doesn't seem to consider the impact some events could/should have on it's characters and feels almost like it's constantly paying attention to the wrong characters or the wrong points when there are opportunities for some decent storylines that are simply overlooked.

The final (OVA) episode is an epilogue of sorts, though it seems to exist primarily to indicate that the characters haven't really grown or learned anything throughout the run of episodes and it even technically undoes one of the few pieces of character development in the show.

I know I've been fairly negative above, but I can't say I didn't enjoy the show. The stand alone aspects are generally quite effective and can tell compelling stories in a short time that make you care about the characters and situations. The themes and topics can often be interesting, even if the show itself doesn't seem to quite know what to do with them, and there's plenty to think about. The characters feel like they have potential and do have some individual moments that can be effective, though they rarely come together and are often forgotten rather than contributing to character development. The characters also have a basic likeability and some decent chemistry, which makes it all the more frustrating to see them used poorly.

Possibly the greatest strength of the show is in it's setting and style. It touches on issues that affected people in the military, in politics and in the general public and it mostly does so in a thoughtful way that doesn't go overboard with too much bias (though perhaps a little bias does sneak in). The show isn't afraid to acknowledge some bad things done in the name of Japan and it even almost manages to make some interesting points on exactly what "Japan" is and what that means for individuals (although some of this is sadly lost in the apparent lack of direction of the show). There's also plenty to look at and the show does a great job of capturing different atmospheres and aspects of life in that time. The character designs are also fairly solid and it's generally easy to keep track of who everyone is.

The show is also fairly effective when it's using it's spies to carry out missions. Their powers work well together (though some of the restrictions feel a little too specific to be anything other than plot devices) and each character plays an important role at one time or another so it makes the team feel well balanced. The action and gradual uncovering of details can make for a fun time, so it feels like something of a shame that the show didn't simply stick with that as it's main purpose.

At the end of the day, I did find the show fairly enjoyable but it was somewhat disappointing that the show lacked direction and wasn't really able to develop it's characters in a meaningful way. There are several good ideas in the show and many of them could have been great with proper attention and development, it just feels like the show tried to do too much and ended up achieving less than it could have if it had stayed more focussed on just one aspect. Overall, it's not a bad show and it's less that the show does too much wrong and more that it simply doesn't do as much right as it probably could have.

 

[qaiz]

Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai!: Review (1989, 6 episode OVA)
The heights of the bubble economy within Japan during the mid to late 80’s led to the creation of some of the most inventive, unique and ambitious works to date, from the dazzling displays of animation found within theatrical films such as Akira and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise to the more auteuristic and experimental works such as Angel’s Egg and Robot Carnival, the economic boom allowed for the creations of all types to find their way to the market with audiences champing at the bit to consume the latest and greatest. With the inception of OVA’s paving the way for the home video market and with the success of Nausicaä leading to the creation of the industry’s most successful studio, the incentive to create animation was at an all-time high and it is here amidst this prosperous time filled with creativity that we find Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai, the unlikely story of a families collapse into chaos and anarchy, a story adorned in lavish animation, a stylish Fischinger-esque opening by Koji Nanke, an impeccable soundtrack and a boatload of Coca-Cola product placement.

Director Mamoru Oshii is known for his unconventional storytelling and nonlinear narratives and Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai might just be the culmination of his experimental tendencies. For starters, each of the six 30 minute episodes are presented as if they are plays on a stage, with the characters breaking the fourth wall and communicating directly with the audience. They do say life is a play after all and so this literal take on the old adage is integrated well. The play aspects of the series goes further with claps, cheers and even comments originating from an invisible audience dispersed at random intervals and parts of the background also flip and turn like props in a play which makes for novel and comedic transitions from scene to scene and from character introductions to character departures. One character for example leaves the room by walking on the spot as a panel beneath her lowers into the ground as a dramatic display of music and lighting effects ensues. Like the story itself, a lot of what takes place within Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai borders on the nonsensical and are near impossible to explain in mere words. This is a show that needs to be seen, and not just because of the bizarre nature of which everything is depicted at but also due to how beautiful the animation itself is.

Although Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai is not home to the most detailed animation, it’s still a marvel and a joy to watch nonetheless. The Satoru Utsunomiya designed characters for one are striking and attractive to the eyes, puppet like in their depiction with small eyes nestled in these big, plain faces and ball joints at each point of articulation and jawlines that makes the face look as if it was carved out of wood, the characters are unique and eye-catching. The show is very character focused with huge bouts of time being devoted to torrents of dialogue being spoken directly towards the camera while little comedic events occur in the far background and so having distinct, interesting looking characters goes a long way here. The dynamic nature of the character movements allows for some kinetic scenes with tonnes of sweeping movements. Even the smallest of character movements and mannerisms have a unique cadence to them such as the way in which the main female character’s hands move side to side as she walks. The simplest of movements are accentuated and exaggerated in comedic ways that plays up the comedic nature of this OVA, not unlike a play or a pantomime. The characters defy both logic and physics as a man is dispensed from a Coca-Cola vending machine, the first of many placements of the world famous beverage. Characters prance and dance around like ballet dancers and others leap from rooftop to rooftop like a skilled ninja all in the name of comedy and accentuation, a means to be as bizarre and as crazy as possible. The comedy in Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai is slapstick and over the top, but that doesn’t mean that the series is devoid of nuance because what looks to be a show that just looks pretty actually has a lot of layers to it as well, many of which become apparent with subsequent viewings.

Indeed Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai can come across like a show that doesn’t explain much of anything but truth being told it actually foreshadows a lot of events in very direct manners. Each episode begins with a 3 minute prelude that focuses on a specific species of bird and their habits and other instincts and tendencies which at first may seem detached from the episode itself but actually foreshadows the events that follow. You see, each episode has a moral theme and so each prologue sets the theme for the episode. The first prelude revolves around the Cuckoo, a bird with peculiar reproductive habits. The bird hides in the distance, stalking other nests that belong to birds such as the bunting and the great reed warbler and when the parents of those nests leave, the female Cuckoo swoops in and deposits its own eggs and promptly leaves, but not before destroying the eggs left by the owner of the nest as a means to keep the number of eggs in the nest unchanged. With this, the mother returns to her nest and unassumingly brings up and raises the child of another bird. The story of a mother exploited by her own offspring, but a son is always a son. At first one may think of these as mere lessons of the wild but indeed the mussing of these little intros are reflected in the episodes themselves. All of that is to say that each episode of Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai has more to say then people may realize and a lot of this is more apparent on subsequent viewings, although many of these themes are more on the nose and obvious than others, it’s a testament to the storytelling and writing displayed here.

The soundtrack is Kenji Kawai at his finest, channeling his work from Patlabor, culminating into an energetic ensemble of piano, electric guitar, keyboards and violins that gets your blood flowing. It’s an electrifying soundtrack that matches the chaotic nature of the OVA and like the visuals it’s varied and diverse too with some dramatic yet hilarious displays of musical theater as characters break into song on a picturesque beach littered with Coca-Cola cans. Maybe it was the Patlabor vibes that the soundtrack gave me but it made me feel oddly nostalgic. Maybe it reminded me of a bygone era of animation. It’s a very charming OVA and the soundtrack goes a long way in accentuating the charisma and grandiose nature of this series. It’s very clear that everyone working on Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai is having fun, basking in every morsel of oddity being thrown at the audience. The show makes up its own rules as the run-time goes on and yet it justifies each and every rule in ways that manage to convince the audience otherwise. In the end, the beauty of animation is the ability that it affords its creators to conjure up something from nothingness, blank pieces of paper turn into worlds filled with imagination that dazzle and take their audiences to places that they’ve never dreamed of. Like a puppeteer they control and contort their worlds, defying logic in the name of entertainment.

Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai is a fun romp, a product of the bubble economy that exists because it can and it’s this mentality that gave birth to some of the greatest works that this medium has ever seen. A cast of imaginative, larger than life characters with a score and art style to match the chaotic nature of this ancestral time traveling escapade that entertains as much as it delights.
8/10

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Gunbuster

Often seen as the precursor to Evangelion, Gunbuster is the 1988 directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, the director behind Neon Genesis Evangelion and Nadia: The Secret of the Blue Water, and the 6 part OVA series that launched Gainax into the mainstream. Whilst it's quite easy to see the comparison's to Anno's later series in places, Gunbuster stands on its own as a classic in it's own right, and truly stands the test of time.

Set in the near future, Gunbuster is about Noriko, the daughter of a deceased space captain who died battling an alien force intent on wiping out mankind, who decides to enter a pilot training school. Despite her father, Noriko's talents as a pilot are questionable at best, with her being easily outclassed by her peers, including the talented and beautiful Kazumi Amano. If there is one element that's easiest to compare to Evangelion, it would be in it's protagonists. Whilst I don't think that Noriko and Shinji aren't identical character wise, with Evangelion going much farther with the darker elements of the character, both have somewhat of an inferiority complex and general feelings of inadequacy in comparison to their peers. Whilst I think Shinji is probably the more fleshed out character, I can't help but think I liked Noriko a lot more. Despite her feeling of inadequacy, Noriko is always trying to overcome her feelings and generally does a lot less moping around, which is inherently more entertaining to watch. Despite this , the more psychological element is still at play here, with a more realistic portrayal of combat, including PTSD, although it's still more in the background than in Eva. Noriko is probably my favourite part of Gunbuster, between her character and her general design, I felt like I could really emotionally connect to her, and she makes for a really good anchor for the story.

Despite how much I liked Noriko, I can't help but feel the other characters were slightly lacking in development. I would have especially liked to have seen more depth to Kazumi, who doesn't get much more than a rather crowbarred in romance subplot, which felt really half baked due to how little time Kazumi and her partner spent on screen together. Jung also felt a little underdeveloped too and could have done with having more done with her character. Generally, I think the reason why these characters don't really get much in terms of depth is mostly due to the episode count. At only 6 episodes, it really could have done with at least 10, if not 12 episodes to fully flesh out its cast of characters. I also felt like if it had more episodes, it would have improved the pacing, seeing as the story goes at a breakneck pace. If I did have one other minor complaint, it would be the lack of action sequences throughout the series. Now, I know that it's not meant to be an action show, however I loved the spattering of action sequences seen throughout the show and it left me wanting more. Although, if there were more, the few that are in there probably wouldn't look as nice, so maybe it's best left as is.

On the production side of things, Gunbuster is a gorgeous looking show. I'm generally not a huge fan of the look of older anime, but even I can appreciate just how fantastic this anime looks. The amount of detail, especially in some of the more action packed sequences, is incredible, and it's aged very well. My only regret is that I had to watch a poor quality DVD copy that looked like it was transferred from a VHS tape, as I think this would look superb on Blu Ray. As well as the animation, I also absolutely loved Kohei Tanaka's score for the series, which is wonderfully eclectic and just plain marvelous. I hear issues with the rights of some of the music is what's holding back Gunbuster from getting a new release and it would be a shame to see it get released but with an altered soundtrack.

On the whole, whilst not flawless, Gunbuster is still a fantastic anime that I could quite easily recommend to fans of sci-fi or space anime, just don't go into it expecting it to be Gundam.

9/10

Blog Version

 

[qaiz]

Glad that you liked it, it's one of my favorite OVA's of all time and I'm always happy to see more people watching it. Now watch Diebuster and cry. I'm positive that you'd enjoy it even more.

Groovin' Magic

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Glad that you liked it, it's one of my favorite OVA's of all time and I'm always happy to see more people watching it. Now watch Diebuster and cry. I'm positive that you'd enjoy it even more.

Groovin' Magic

I'll certainly look into it!

 

[ayase]

On the production side of things, Gunbuster is a gorgeous looking show. I'm generally not a huge fan of the look of older anime, but even I can appreciate just how fantastic this anime looks. The amount of detail, especially in some of the more action packed sequences, is incredible, and it's aged incredibly well.

We'll make a retro fan out of you yet Lemmy. And you're right, like many high production value hand-drawn OVAs of that era, Gunbuster looks absolutely stunning in HD. I only have the movies on Blu-ray, but I live in hope one day the full series will make it to our shores. Diebuster is... divisive. I enjoyed it as its own thing but did feel that as a sequel to Gunbuster it perhaps fell a little short. And I know other Gunbuster fans who were much more disappointed than I was.

And Qaiz, where do you keep finding these classics? I love Oshii to bits but I'd never even heard of Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai before. Another to add to the watch list.

 

[NoSurprises]

Glad that you liked it, it's one of my favorite OVA's of all time and I'm always happy to see more people watching it. Now watch Diebuster and cry. I'm positive that you'd enjoy it even more.

Groovin' Magic

I'll certainly look into it!

With a bit of an ELO resurgence going on, I was recently remind how much I loved the Diebuster ending theme. So much so, it was one of the series I ended up buying the OST of.

I'd be kind of tempted to recommend the Diebuster film over the series, as while it does cut a lot of the side character screen time, I didn't find many of the side characters to be as likable/important as they were in Gunbuster. Plus they actually added some new scenes to the film to tie stuff together, so it feels a bit more cohesive than the Gunbuster film, which is a bit more of a chop job. You do lose the awesome OP though.

I could be remembering wrong though, feel free to correct me qaiz!

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

We'll make a retro fan out of you yet Lemmy. And you're right, like many high production value hand-drawn OVAs of that era, Gunbuster looks absolutely stunning in HD. I only have the movies on Blu-ray, but I live in hope one day the full series will make it to our shores. Diebuster is... divisive. I enjoyed it as its own thing but did feel that as a sequel to Gunbuster it perhaps fell a little short. And I know other Gunbuster fans who were much more disappointed than I was.

And Qaiz, where do you keep finding these classics? I love Oshii to bits but I'd never even heard of Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai before. Another to add to the watch list.

I am definitely thinking of importing the film on BD so I can see it in HD, even if it's just a recap version. Also, you quoting me me there made me realise I used incredibly twice within the space of a sentence. I should really proof read more...

 

[NoSurprises]

I am definitely thinking of importing the film on BD so I can see it in HD, even if it's just a recap version. Also, you quoting me me there made me realise I used incredibly twice within the space of a sentence. I should really proof read more...

The box set is rather pretty and includes Diebuster plus some extras if you can find it on eBay for a reasonable price.

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

The box set is rather pretty and includes Diebuster plus some extras if you can find it on eBay for a reasonable price.

That does look nice. Will have to keep an eye out.

 

[Linkachu]

Ooo... I tend to be very indecisive when it comes to numeric ratings, but I'll give it a shot.

Baccano! + OVA Specials

I recently had the opportunity to watch Baccano! on bluray, a series that had long intrigued me after being absorbed by the world of Durarara!!.

When I first started into Baccano! my feelings were largely mixed. I liked some of the characters but didn't care for others, and the pacing felt more difficult for me to follow than Durarara!!'s had due to Baccano!'s plot jumping between years as opposed to days/weeks. That being said, the more I watched the series, the more it grew on me until most all of my major grievances shifted to praise. By the time the TV series hit its finale I was properly satisfied with what the anime had managed to accomplish (and loved seeing everything come together so neatly). The setting of the plot itself wasn't necessarily my cup of tea but for what it was, it was great.

I'd been told that the OVAs were mandatory watches to truly appreciate the anime adaption but I'm not entirely sure that I agree. Having the extra episodes to flesh out certain characters was definitely appreciated but I can't say that they made me feel more content than the TV series finale had previously. Maybe others pulled more enjoyment from the OVAs than I did? Still, it was nice having a bit more to see before bidding farewell to that world - especially as I'm not necessarily dead-set on investing my time and money into the novels.

Baccano! was enjoyable while it lasted but I still can't help but feel like there was a few too many characters to deal with for such a brief time frame. However, with that issue aside, it's definitely a clever tale and one worth watching through to the end. That's the only way to truly appreciate it.

8.5/10

 

[Smeelia]

Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit / Seirei no Moribito

I've always had a fondness for Sci-fi and Fantasy shows and I find that my favourites tend to be the ones that use their setting to say something about people. Moribito is one of those shows, it invests a lot of time and effort into developing complex characters who are interesting and enjoyable to watch and who have to deal with issues that are relevant and relatable in the real world. It also has a fantasy plotline, which is itself a well developed and complex tale that only benefits from having a collection of compelling characters driving it along.

The main characters, wandering warrior Balsa and prince-on-the-run Chagum, are the heart of the show with both being particularly strong and well developed characters who only grow and improve as the show goes on. At first it seems like Chagum might be a fairly standard moody kid that ultimately gets over it and becomes stronger, that's kind of technically what happens but the execution is what makes it work so well. Chagum does also have hidden depths, there's more to him right from the start and we gradually learn that while also getting to see him grow and adapt to the world he's living in. It's not all easy going and Chagum has to work for his growth, which makes it feel more realistic and makes for a more compelling story as well. Balsa is similarly well handled, she's already a strong character and is easy to like but even she has room to grow and that's taken full advantage of.

The rest of the cast tend to be quite strong too, with several characters getting more development than you might expect. I'd actually say that one of the big successes of the show in general is that every character feels like a fully formed person, it may take time to get to know them and you won't get to know everything about them but it's clear that they all have their own views and pasts that make them who they are. Even characters that could have just been simple "villains" are gradually developed into complete people, they always have a reason for their actions and those reasons tend to be understandable (if not always agreeable). This effort really helps to make plot developments feel believable too, since events unfold naturally from the personalities of the characters.

The fantasy aspect of the show is also well handled. There's plenty to get stuck into if you love stories about alternate worlds, magic, spirits and so on, but at the same time it never becomes overwhelming. The core of the show is still ultimately about people, so even if you're not really interested in fantasy then there's still a good chance you could enjoy the show purely for the human aspects.

The show has a good sense of tone, mixing in just the right amount of humour to go with the more dramatic elements. While the story is often about matters of life and death, the characters are treated as people. They don't just sit around being dramatic and instead get on with life and interacting with each other.

The plot does mostly unfold somewhat gradually, with the story taking time to develop it's characters and world that does ultimately contribute to a stronger story overall. It doesn't just stick to a slow pace and is willing to speed things up to suit the needs of the story but it's not a show to watch if you're looking for a non-stop action adventure or light entertainment. Every episode feels worthwhile and has something to offer so it also avoids feeling like there's any unnecessary padding to fill out the full run of episodes.

There are parts of the show that hint at a larger world and the potential for more stories but it still manages to tell a complete story of it's own in a satisfying way. There's certainly potential for sequels/spin-offs but it doesn't feel that any continuation would be necessary.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show and I'd strongly consider adding it to my list of favourites (if I was making a list). I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in fantasy shows but I'd also suggest giving it a try if you're not totally allergic to fantasy and are looking for some compelling human drama with strong characters.

 

[qaiz]

I was thinking of watching Moribito due to a recommendation I got but I've got so much else to watch.

 

[Smeelia]

I was thinking of watching Moribito due to a recommendation I got but I've got so much else to watch.

There's always too much to watch really, I suppose that's maybe a good thing. Keep it on the list anyway, hopefully you'll get around to it at some point and hopefully you'll enjoy it if/when you do.

 

[qaiz]

There's always too much to watch really, I suppose that's maybe a good thing. Keep it on the list anyway, hopefully you'll get around to it at some point and hopefully you'll enjoy it if/when you do.

Indeed, even though I have so much yet to watch I'm constantly finding new things everyday. I shouldn't complain I guess.

 

[Vashdaman]

Moribito is very good. It's the best thing from that director, the guy who did GITS: SAC and EotE, in my opinion. Hope you you got my abbreviations, I was too tired to write the full names out. I don't think I'm as inundated as you guys though, care to fling some recommendations my way? Any genre and any era.

 

[Smeelia]

Moribito is very good. It's the best thing from that director, the guy who did GITS: SAC and EotE, in my opinion. Hope you you got my abbreviations, I was too tired to write the full names out. I don't think I'm as inundated as you guys though, care to fling some recommendations my way? Any genre and any era.

I haven't seen Eden of the East so I can't comment on that, but I'd say I enjoyed Moribito more than Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex overall. I'd say I found Moribito more consistently enjoyable than GitS: SAC, there were only a few moments I wasn't sure about in Moribito and later events meant that most of those tended to work in hindsight (which was probably the intention).

Recommendations wise, have you watched Waiting in the Summer (Ano Natsu de Matteru)? I seem to recall you enjoyed Glasslip and I think there would be a few similarities. They're both mostly about interpersonal relationships with a kind of slice of life feel and they both have seemingly out of place fantasy/sci-fi elements. I did post about the show in this very thread.

Could be worth setting up a thread if you want a few lists of recommendations. We might have had a general recommendations thread somewhere, there was this one but I'm not sure if there's a more used/more official one. At least that thread comes with a few free recommendations already.

Way off-topic, but your post about Glasslip was actually the first one I responded to when I signed up here (maybe that's why I remember it). Ah, nostalgia.

 

[Vashdaman]

Yes, thank you, that sounds wicked! Right up my street from the sounds of it. Thanks for remembering my post on Glass Lip, that was one great show.

 

[jonno394]

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)

Back in 2004 I started a subscription to the Newtype USA magazine and the second issue I received was this

I remember reading the title of the cover show while waiting in at my sisters for a delivery man, and assuming the armour suited character was the titular "Fullmetal Alchemist", a mistake and joke that lasts long in to the show! When reading the lengthy preview in the magazine I knew it would be something i'd really like, and I decided to import the show from the USA, along with the amazing tin cases. In my original watch through, I only managed to get up to around episode 36, so not too far from the end, and even though I enjoyed the show a lot I gave up on it due to other financial commitments, and never got round to finishing the show.

I have since watched Fullmetal Brotherhood, the "true" adaption of the source material, and in my opinion that show is a 10/10. I never thought i'd end up going back to the original show; the thought "why would I? Why would I want to?" always popping up. "I'd already seen the proper adaption, what could I gain from going back?", how wrong I was.

Upon rewatching this show I have been treated to a fantastically crafted story of two brothers exploring just how far they are willing to go to return what has been lost. Often much darker and slower paced, the original series is filled with much more drama and less of the typical shonen action and zany antics.

I can only say that I likely have enjoyed this series as much as I did Brotherhood, but likely for a variety of different reasons! I look forward to rewatching Conqueror of Shamballa either tonight or tomorrow to finish off this superb series, and to be honest, I am chomping at the bit to actually rewatch Brotherhood now

10/10

 

[qaiz]

I watched the first 9 episodes of FMA: Brotherhood and didn't like it at all but I was told from somebody I trust that the 2003 series would be more up my alley so I'll probably check that out at one point.