Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

[crashmatt]

Banner of the Stars & crest of the Stars - Watched all three seasons plus the OVA. It really is a fascinating world it takes place in. I love a good space opera and this is certainly a good space opera. Its the relationship between Jinto & Lafiel that makes the series. It reminds me in some ways of Holo & Lawrence from Spice & Wolf even though the setting is totally different.

The art is a bit dated as it the animation but the story really shines. If you get the change to watch this then I recommend you should, its a bit of a hidden gem. It could do with a remaster but I cant see that happening.

8/10

 

[MrLaserSharkKH]

Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro

The one show above all others I want to highlight and give it it's due is Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro. Probably the most Underrated/Overlooked series of the past season, it follows a chap called Agetaro who works at his families restaurant in Shibuya. One day, he takes a delivery to the staff of a night club, and he discovers that he actually really likes the club with it's relaxed people and cute girls, all enjoying the music supplied by the DJ. One night he returns to the club when guest DJ Big Master Fly is playing and is inspired to have a go at it himself, whilst simultaneously realising that the groove of being a DJ is very similar to the groove of being a tonkatsu chef.

This is a show where everything about it feels fresh, it has a certain uniqueness in it's presentation that sets it apart and fits the series so well. It has a great cast of characters (particulary the MC), everyone is just really cool to each other and there's little to no dramas involved, when Agetaro fails he dusts himself down and gets on with it and learns from the mistakes he makes, just an overall positive vibe all around. It has a nice and simple, effective soundtrack that fits the tone of the series, you will find yourself probably moving to the groove several times across the series without realising. I also love all the different allegories that relate to food and different aspects of DJing.

The series has a great vibe to it overall and is truly a very good feelgood experience, and comes recommended particulary if you have any interest in DJ/Club Scenes or are just looking for something unconventional/unique or even if your looking for a good time. Also only 9 minutes per episode, perfect, makes it nice and easy to consume in the world where there aren't enough hours in a day! The series is quite powerful though, so you may want to take it in smaller doses rather than trying to binge on it all at once, despite how tempting that might be!

8/10

]

 

[Smeelia]

ReLife

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It deals with some very real issues in a thoughtful way. It does also have some lighter content and an overall positive tone but I really appreciated the way that it mixed in much darker and heavier material without getting bogged down.

I also liked the way that it gradually reveals details about characters and situations so that the initial impression you might have doesn't often end up being the full story. The main character is a prime example, he's initially painted as a "loser" of sorts with not much of a life to speak of but it slowly become clear that there's more to both him and his situation. This does help to make the characters feel more realistic as well, since people are quite complex and a few pieces of information will never tell you everything about them. Characters will sometimes do things that maybe seem a little silly but the show usually does a pretty good job of explaining the reasons behind their actions and while that doesn't always excuse their decisions it at least makes them feel more believable.

I have to admit, I found Chizuru to be immensely relatable. I'd imagine that some people might feel a character with so little understanding of basic social expectations and interactions would be unrealistic but the reality is that not everyone picks these things up so easily. I also appreciated that the show treated her character seriously when required and was able to involve her in humour without having the humour be at her expense. To be fair, the show is quite good at that sort of thing in general and it does a good job of treating it's somewhat diverse cast with respect and making them feel like actual people.

I'd really like to see another season of the show, especially since it doesn't fully resolve everything by the end of the show. I did feel that the show ended well and was fairly satisfying but there's clearly more to come for our characters. Still, it does work as a "slice of life" and I really enjoyed the whole show so the lack of a fully conclusive ending didn't feel like a problem. I'd possibly say I liked the show even more by the end and it made me appreciate earlier episodes more than I might have done at the time, that would probably also make the show quite a good candidate for re-watching and maybe getting more from it on subsequent viewings.

Overall it was a really great show and I'd probably recommend it to pretty much anyone. It doesn't necessarily give away everything it has to offer up front but it certainly rewards sticking with it and I think it could have a fairly wide appeal since it deals with subjects that many people will be able to relate to. I might give the manga a go so that I could at least potentially continue the story but I really do hope there's a second season at some point as well.

 

[jonno394]

The Future Diary + Redial OVA

Going in to this, I had hoped it was something a bit more in line with Death Note (with regards to the tone and atmosphere), but after the first few episodes it became clear that this was not to be the case. However, that did not stop it from being an entertaining and exhilarating ride. I binged about 15 episodes on Saturday and Sunday because I was hooked, and wanted to see more diary holders, more fights, more revelations.....and tbh, as the build up to the finale came, this desire did not let up. I was fairly happy with the standard ending, but knowing there was an OVA as well, I watched that for the "true" ending.

Overall, no matter how outlandish and absurd some of the events occurring onscreen became, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and interactions between many of the characters. I'd go as far to say that the two main characters are rather hard to like, but thankfully, numerous diary holders and supporting cast members made up for this.

Though far away from being a classic, I could easily recommend this to people looking for a thrill ride.

7/10

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Tokyo Ghoul √A

Contains spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul Season 1 and mild spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul √A

Seeing as I didn't review the first season of Tokyo Ghoul, I should probably preface this by saying I really quite liked it. Sure, it isn't the best thing I've ever seen or anything, but I'm a sucker for shows like Shiki, Parasyte, Elfen Lied and Brynhildr in the Darkness, with stories about two humanoid species trying and failing to co-exist, and Tokyo Ghoul is certainly a pretty good one of those with some reasonably well fleshed out characters and some good action in it. Despite liking the first season, I was bracing for the worst when I started watching the second season, √A. I'd heard almost nothing but bad things about it and how it isn't as good as the first season. So, I was quite surprised when I came out of the end of √A thinking it was actually the better of the two seasons.

Although I did enjoy √A, I think the first thing I need to do is address the large elephant in the room, and that is the single major flaw of the series; the handling of Kaneki's character. Honestly, if this one giant misstep wasn't here, I really don't think that people would take as much issue with √A. Even though Kaneki's character is the major flaw, I feel like the problem is two fold. The first problem is that the writers never give a good justification for Kaneki betraying all his friends at Anteiku. He spent all of the first season bonding with the cast of characters at Anteiku and for him to suddenly jump ship to Aogiri Tree, an organisation that Anteiku was actively against, there'd need to be a pretty damn good reason, which we simply don't' get. The best reason given is so that Kaneki can get stronger, but that seems so flimsy of an excuse, and it's only given in one throw away line. This wouldn't have been such a big deal if the entire story in the second season didn't almost completely hinge around this plot point. It's just such a blatant and obvious oversight that it's pretty unbelievable the writers of the show didn't pick up on it. The second problem is that Kaneki himself is such a radically different character than the person from the first season, he might as well not even be Kaneki. Now, I'm all for character development. Character development is great! However, there is a stark difference between taking a character's established traits and adding to them or building on them and erasing everything that made that character who he is and giving them all new traits. We do see a little bit of his old self come back in the latter half, but at that point I think it's too little, too late.

Now, with that aside, there are actually a lot of areas in which I think that √A is a fairly great improvement over the original series. I think the biggest change in √A is it has a rather large focus on the Commision of Counter Ghoul (CCG) and it's a change that I really love. If there's one thing that shows like Tokyo Ghoul need to get right, it's showing both sides of the species conflict in equal measure and trying to make sure there isn't necessarily one right or wrong side. The first season didn't really do a great job in this respect, mostly villainising the humans, and not really giving them a whole lot of screen time in comparison to the Ghouls. In √A though, we do spend a rather significant amount of screentime with the members of the CCG, really getting to know them and ultimately come to like them. Although this did come with the unfortunate side effect of minimising the screentime of the Anteiku crew, most of whom have nothing really to do in the first half of the series, I really think it was worth it for the amount of depth it gave the final conflict in the last 3 episodes. As we're well acquainted with the characters on both sides of the struggle, we really don't want to see them fight, which kind of drives home the point I think the series is trying to make. Perhaps the best scene from either series comes from the CCG point of view, where we see the investigators and soldiers have to make a last will and testament, as seeing the emotional distress some of them go through is heart wrenching, and really makes you think during what would normally be fairly brainless action sequences where we see Ghouls we know and love slaughter these CCG officers in their hundreds. Another improvement over the original series in regards to the finale is just how much more focused √A is. For a 12 episode series, the first season had 3 different story arcs, which is a lot for a series of this size, and as such made each arc feel a little rushed. Here though, there is just a single arc throughout, which actually picks up from an arc at the end of Season 1, making it feel more coherent. Yet another improvement, that especially comes to light in the last 3 episodes, is just how well improved the action is here. For a show all about super powered beings, the first season certainly had a lot of fairly ordinary fist fights, something gone almost entirely here which was nice to see. I do have a few minor nitpicks here and there, like the odd nitpick here and there, but I find they are few and far between, and not really enough to drag the show down, mostly because they are all outshined by the aforementioned ruination of Kaneki's character.

On the production side of things, I think Studio Pierrot, of Bleach and Naruto fame, do a better than average job on Tokyo Ghoul, especially given some of the studio's other shows. It isn't going to blow anyone's minds or anything, but I think it looks fairly good. Yutaka Yamada's score for the series, as well as the original, is really good and I also think that Funimation's English dub is quite good too.

When I see people say that √A is bad, I can certainly see where they're coming from, but in my eyes, despite the rather glaring issue, √A still manages to be the better show than the first season, mostly because it's improved in almost every other area.

Website Version

 

[qaiz]

Space Adventure Cobra: Review (1982, Film)

Space Adventure Cobra is the 1982 movie adaptation of the Buichi Terasawa penned manga which was subsequently adapted into a television series of the same name months later. Although both adaptations were helmed by the master Osamu Dezaki and resemble one another visually, embellished in his trademark pastel visage and littered with his patented postcard memories, vignettes that capture key moments, the two adaptations still feel wholly individual, both interesting and worthy of your time.

Although the visual fidelity of this film isn’t that much greater than the TV series the visuals are still delightful due to the fantastic art, attractive character designs and a great use of colours. Cobra swaps out raw detail for style but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking substance. Like the television series, Space Adventure Cobra looks better in motion due to the use of dynamic camera angles that are utilised in order to manipulate the viewer’s sense of space, perspective and orientation and a great sense of lighting is employed to create a unique feeling of speed to each scene. The Space Cobra franchise is home to a myriad of psychedelic imagery however the hallucinogenic visuals are dialed up to a significant extent in the theatrical film. The film opens up with a James Bond-esque title sequence that’s a treat for the eyes with scantily dressed women floating across space, silhouettes of people against backdrops of ocean waves and profiles of seagulls against the sky in a segment that’s both intoxicating to look at and super stylish. Its depictions of space travel is simple but effective, with dark blacks juxtaposing with bright neon and florescent bursts of colours being used when traveling at fast speeds. In typical Dezaki fashion, Space Cobra is embellished with a painterly visage, a style that is timeless and looks amazing all these years later, trading fine detail for a more vibrant and fun aesthetic. Dezaki also manages to incorporate his patented pastel freeze frames seamlessly within the film during explosions and such events. The Dezaki/Akio Sugino duo are extra adventurous here with loads of experimental camera angles and unorthodox transitions.

Visually one of the key differences is funnily enough something that mightn’t register with the viewer at first but is painfully obvious and it’s the fact that whereas the TV series is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, the film is presented in 16:9 widescreen. Although it’s a simple alteration that is brought about due to the format change the larger screen real-estate allows for more scenery and action to be depicted at a single time. The 4:3 aspect ratio has never been a hindrance in my opinion but the widescreen format does exude a greater sense of freedom to each scene.

Since the televised series was 31 episodes in length a great deal of plot is omitted from the theatrical film and so for a person whose already seen the TV series a great deal of frustration may occur when key moments that would make for great transitions on the big screen are absent. The television series focused on an ensemble of villains however the film zones in on a single antagonist however I felt that this focus was squandered. Even with a 1 hour 40 minute run-time the film wastes little time with building character and the world. Instead it is very linear and goes from point of interest to point of interest without meandering which is upsetting due to the fact that the world of Cobra is fascinating and the side stories are exciting but as exhilarating as the Rugball arc is, it makes sense that the movie wouldn’t devote time to it. This is where the film failed to capture my interest, because it’s clear that it looks great visually and I find the characters and their designs endearing but there’s not much ground covered with character development and although that’s to be expected within reason due to the transition to film and hence the smaller run-time I’ve nevertheless seen smoother transitions elsewhere. It is a shame, because the silly hijinks that Cobra finds himself in is usually highly entertaining.

The Space Cobra franchise is no stranger to spiritual elements however it’s featured more prominently within the film which adds to the psychedelic visuals. Cobra has always been a series that is filled with crazy and weird occurrences, all of which are never explained which I can appreciate as less is indeed sometimes more. It’s clear everything in this world exists just as a means to look cool and indeed the film does look cool if not a little goofy here and there. The action unfortunately is a huge weak point in this film to a degree that made the last conflict boring. The invulnerable Cobra is often unphased by his obstacles, and that’s no different in the TV series however where the main villains in the TV series are defeated in imaginative and eccentric manners like video game bosses, we never see this in the film.

The excitement towards Cobra for me originates from the little stories that surface from the journey across the galaxy and although it’s nice to have a high production film focusing on a single arc, the opportunity was somewhat wasted. On paper the Crystal Boy arc is a perfect candidate for a film adaptation, however the illustrious golden humanoid cyborg is neither strong nor intimidating in this version which of course is a huge disappointment. My tone towards this film may come across as solely negative but the truth is I still enjoyed it quite a bit. My negativity stems from my prior experiences with the television series. As I stated previously I'm aware that the transition comes with some caveats due to the format and run-time changes and so I never expected a 1:1 transition but it’s still a slight disappointment. Space Cobra is a fun film, but it can be a little boring due to the lack of stakes but this adaptation does take some liberties with the material and so a few surprises do await.

Space Adventure Cobra is a stylish, sci-fi romp across the galaxy with a slick soundtrack and goofy hijinks galore. Encapsulating a now bygone era in which we once looked towards the future to be a utopia filled with flying cars and jet-packs the film is a product of its time and is all the better for it. Although the action is a little dull and the story is nowhere as eccentric and energetic as the television series, the film is still a fun experience that succeeds in entertaining its audience during this brief stint across the galaxy.

7/10

 

[Professor Irony]

Space Adventure Cobra: Review (1982, Film)

I get where you're coming from about missing the world building and character development, but I dunno, I would honestly struggle to choose between the Cobra film and the tv series, simply because I found them so very different. The film's atmosphere seemed far more brooding and introspective, compared with the jaunty humour of the tv version. Coupled with the changes to the storyline, I thought the film had a melancholy, tragic quality to it that, alongside the much stronger influence of psychedelia, made it quite unique. I don't know whether I'd feel any differently if I watched it with the original score though - my preferred version is still the old Manga UK dub with the soundtrack by Yello.

As a matter of curiosity, have you watched Golgo 13: The Professional?

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Since they don't cross post to the forum anymore, I think it's just worth highlighting that AUKN's reviews are still coming out in full force! In the last few days, we've had reviews for upcoming releases like Ping Pong, Future Diary Part 2, Haikyu S1 Part 2 and The Heroic Legend of Arslan Part 1 so check them out if that's your thing!

 

[Professor Irony]

Food Wars Series 1

Perhaps I got more out of Food Wars because I don't watch much shonen fighting stuff in general and I've never seen Yakitate Japan, but I had a lot of fun with this one.

The story doesn't offer up any huge surprises, but the pacing is sound and I never lost interest in its ongoing parade of culinary delights. The show's reputation for fan-service is not without justification, but in practice, I didn't find it nearly as bad as I'd expected - other than the rather cringeworthy tentacle imagery trotted out any time squid was involved, it hardly bothered me after the first couple of episodes. What I appreciated most though was the strength of the show's characterisation; it seems to treat almost all the characters as if they are the protagonist of their own story, and just happen to be appearing in Soma's. I can't recall ever having seen a series before where it felt like so many of the bit-players could easily have been the main character.

I don't think I'll go on to the second series straight away, but I'll look forward to watching it once it's all (or at least mostly) released.

 

[Vashdaman]

As a matter of curiosity, have you watched Golgo 13: The Professional?

I feel like any recommendation for that film should come with a warning that it contains one of the nastiest scenes of sexual violence I've ever seen in an anime (or in anything). It was so bad it turned me off all anime for years. It also contains some pretty rubbish 3D helicopters that probably looked alright back in the 80s.

 

[Yakumo]

Steins;Gate

I’ll spare you the elaborate intro and state upfront that Steins; Gate is a superb anime; perfect in fact.

The story revolves around time travel and its moral and ethical ramifications. The real beauty though is how it handles the time travel aspect without any overtly sci-fi props or settings – apparently all you need is a microwave and a Nokia 3310. Any proper – for lack of a better word – time-travel gear as would be properly envisioned, only appears briefly towards the end.

At the centre of all this sci-fi malarkey beats a human heart, and here is where Steins; Gate excels. It never allows the human element to be overwhelmed, and to that end sees its characters organically fleshed out during its run time. There’s a palpable, intoxicating, not-at-all-contrived chemistry among the lead and supporting characters. No-one is perfect, but everyone accepts each other, foibles and all. When tragedy strikes then, it is a true kick to the gut to you the viewer. Their sadness is the real thing and not the shallow angst that so often in anime is passed off as sadness. Likewise, when success is achieved, it is as if the characters themselves have achieved it instead of the writers, such is the viewer’s investment in them.

The standout characters are Rintaro Okabe and Kurisu Makibe. The former is the deluded scientific genius of a main character, voiced to absolute perfection in English by J. Michael Tatum. The latter is his acerbic research partner/rival/underling who is more than a match for his verbal barbs and delusions of grandeur. Their interplay and frequent verbal sparring is a highlight of any given episode; in fact, you’d have to go to a show like Lovely Complex for an equally brilliant portrayal of a bickering couple.

Actually, allow me to ramble a bit more about J. Michael Tatum and his rendition of Okabe. I firmly believe that every English anime VA – no matter how grating, typecast or nondescript – has at least one brilliant, memorable performance in them. I’m talking about Greg Ayres finally nailing it in his role in Chrono Cross. Jessica Boone in Highschool of the Dead finally breaking away from her frothier roles. Tabitha St Germain with her rendition of Shana in Shakugan no Shana able to eclipse Rie Kugimiya’s performance. JMT in Steins;Gate is more than a match for his character, whose delusional demeanour masks the deepest devotion to those close to him, and whose mental state can be a quick-fire wide-ranging gamut. This is the role for which he deserves to be remembered.

From a pure AV standpoint, things are OK. Not fantastic, but certainly adequate. Visuals are on the murky side, but that is most likely by design given the bleak, grey-hued palette of the show. In terms of sound it’s no powerhouse either. It’s a mostly dialogue-driven show and as such most of the action is had at the front and centre speakers; the surrounds are glad for anything that comes their way.

In conclusion, Steins; Gate strikes a balance that’s not easy in anime, or in any medium for that matter, in that it appeals first and foremost to mature minded viewers without resorting to puerility or excess. And we are all better off for it. [10/10]

 

[Smeelia]

At the centre of all this sci-fi malarkey beats a human heart, and here is where Steins; Gate excels. It never allows the human element to be overwhelmed, and to that end sees its characters organically fleshed out during its run time. There’s a palpable, intoxicating, not-at-all-contrived chemistry among the lead and supporting characters. No-one is perfect, but everyone accepts each other, foibles and all. When tragedy strikes then, it is a true kick to the gut to you the viewer. Their sadness is the real thing and not the shallow angst that so often in anime is passed off as sadness. Likewise, when success is achieved, it is as if the characters themselves have achieved it instead of the writers, such is the viewer’s investment in them.

I enjoyed Steins;Gate but I did feel that it had a few significant issues holding it back somewhat. While it does put a good deal of effort into developing it's cast, it also tends to sideline major characters and doesn't handle it's "supporting cast" too well towards the end. If you view the show as purely Rintaro and Kurisu's story, with everyone else having a part to play but being ultimately disposable, then it's not quite so bad. Unfortunately, all of that effort put into developing the other characters means that it's difficult to ignore when they're used as plot devices, given questionable resolutions to their own stories or are otherwise mishandled.

To be fair, a large number of these issues are of the "if you think about it" variety, the stories as presented can often be quite powerful if they're considered on a stand-alone basis. While the show's setting allows it to view the characters and issues from different perspectives, it also has the unfortunate side-effect of rendering much of what happens irrelevant. Character development isn't guaranteed to stick and only the show's preferred storyline really counts for anything. The show does try to make a sci-fi explanation that could allow some of the development to carry through but it's fairly weak and mostly ignored outside of where it feeds into the main storyline.

Even then, some of the stories really are just poorly handled. Ruka's story is a prime example, it takes an interesting character with complex issues then partially explores those issues using it's sci-fi setting to it's advantage and then the episode ends and it moves on without really resolving anything. It's particularly frustrating because it doesn't feel like they would have had to do too much to give at least some minor resolution to the story. The show seems to act as though it has resolved things but really it's just returning a character to the sidelines once they're no longer of major importance to it's main plot. This happens for several of the characters, in slightly different ways and it's quite disappointing really. You could argue that the show wouldn't have time to fully deal with each character's story but if that's the case then it shouldn't have set up so many character stories to begin with. It also doesn't help that it spends a bit too much time on something related to another issue I had with the show.

The sci-fi aspect is also handled in a somewhat odd way. It seems to be trying to do what is needed for the show without getting in the way but for some reason the show spends an awful lot of time explaining and reviewing how it's sci-fi works in it's world. I could see it having some appeal but it feels a little like it's referencing sci-fi concepts rather than trying to use or explain them in a meaningful way. A little explanation is probably required but the basic concepts seem fairly straightforward and they tend to go over the same things repeatedly rather than seeming to be making a genuine effort to help the viewer understand. Since the sci-fi works on the basis of doing what it needs to for the story anyway, all of that time and explanation feels wasted.

I did enjoy Steins;Gate and it's a pretty good show but I don't think it holds up quite so well to close examination. On the plus side, that won't matter at all to many people so if you're not interested in thinking about the show in those terms then there's plenty to enjoy. It certainly has some solid presentation, interesting themes and characters, and some strong emotional aspects. Unfortunately, I find that the more I think about the show, the more issues I tend to come up with. As I say, it's still a good show with plenty of appeal so although I've mostly been negative here I don't want to suggest that the issues completely ruin the show. That said, the fact that it's not a bad show means that it's a little more disappointing that these issues exist and hold the show back from being as great as it could have been.

 

[Professor Irony]

I feel like any recommendation for that film should come with a warning that it contains one of the nastiest scenes of sexual violence I've ever seen in an anime (or in anything).

That's a fair point, although I would argue that it's more nasty by implication, rather than what's actually shown (unless the BBFC made an edit I'm not aware of).

 

[Smeelia]

Waiting in the Summer / Ano Natsu de Matteru

I quite enjoyed this one, it turned out to be a surprisingly good teen romance/relationship story with some very strong characters and a decent sense of humour.

I think one of the main strengths of the show is that it deals with the teen romantic feelings in a fairly realistic way. I'd say the show isn't exactly a romance as such, since much of the story relates to how the characters deal with their relationships and feelings rather than being purely about developing romances. The characters do hesitate and take some time to process their feelings but it usually feels justified and understandable rather than being forced as a means to draw things out. They do also make progress and act on their feelings in generally reasonable ways, the show mostly avoids being melodramatic and tends towards a somewhat more realistic (if perhaps slightly optimistic) handling of their issues. The characters also have to work through some tough times and deal with some harsh realities, both the ups and downs are just a part of their lives rather than being limited to a story with a fixed "ending".

I think the way that the characters handle things in a more realistic and down to earth manner probably contributes to them being easily likeable and enjoyable to watch. Most of the characters have some history and it's interesting to see how this has affected each of them. Their different perspectives and relationships give plenty of material for the show to work with. It doesn't hurt that the characters are quite a fun bunch and can be funny, heartwarming and heart-wrenching to watch at different moments (and sometimes all at once).

Aside from the awesome force of nature that is Remon (I'm not sure she could be called a character as such, since she's mostly there to push the others into action and just generally steal scenes), the best character is easily Kanna. She's in the middle of a really difficult relationship situation and she's not necessarily the most mature of the bunch so it's a treat to watch her grow and deal with all of the issues as they come up. For some reason, the show doesn't quite seem to realise that Kanna should be the main character but at least it does dedicate a good deal of time to her. The time is spent fairly well between the characters overall, the show doesn't feel fast paced but seems to achieve quite a bit in it's twelve main episodes.

The lead characters, Ichika and Kaito, may not be the strongest but they can still be enjoyable to watch. Kaito can seem like a bland and personality free protagonist on the surface but he does have a personality hiding underneath and it shows up when it has to. You could probably argue that he's a more realistic take on the kind of person who does want to keep everyone happy and avoid pushing anyone around but ultimately also has their own opinions and desires. Ichika has a bit more obvious personality, although it's perhaps playing straight the standard nice girl who doesn't want to hurt anyone.

The romance between the lead characters is actually quite pleasant and enjoyable for the most part. I have to admit, I did particularly like some of the later moments in their relationship but less soft people may not get quite as much out of it. Unfortunately, the show doesn't do a great job of giving a convincing core to the main relationship. While they work fairly well together, it never quite feels like they have a genuine reason to fall for each other. They're both nice people and do a lot to support each other but it's hard to say that they're going over and above what they'd do for anyone else. It just feels a little like something is missing, though it's possible that I was just missing something.

The show does have another issue, it has a sci-fi premise since Ichika is actually an alien who has crash landed on earth and may have to leave eventually. This is barely a factor outside of a couple of episodes but those are easily the weakest parts of the show. The events relating to the sci-fi aspect don't really make much sense and they mostly just end up being an excuse for crazy chase scenes and special effects. The scenes aren't too badly made but feel completely unnecessary and just end up taking away from the story. It's especially frustrating because Ichika's cover story of being a foreign transfer student would have worked perfectly well for the story and would even have been more effective. Overall, I wouldn't say the sci-fi aspect ruins the story but it's an unfortunate misstep in an otherwise quite strong show.

The sci-fi silliness may also be partly responsible for the ending being a bit less satisfying than it could have been. You also have to pay attention to get the full story, since some important information is given in brief scenes during the end credits of the last episode. To be fair, the ending might also have been better if it hadn't insisted on focussing so much on the lead characters, their story was never as interesting as the others in the first place. On the plus side, the other characters do still get fairly decent resolutions to their stories but it does feel like a bit more could have been done if there was more time and more of a willingness to shift the focus to those other characters.

There is an OVA episode, which adds a bit to the story for some of the characters but doesn't do much for the lead characters (despite spending a good chunk of it's time on them). It also feels a little like retreading old ground, it might be better to watch some time after the show (as it was originally released) rather than immediately. Overall, it's not too bad as extra episodes go but it feels like it could have been used more effectively. That said, you could argue that "reminiscing about the past" is part of the point and it does capture that feeling reasonably well.

Overall, I did enjoy the show quite a lot. It's relationship drama is really well handled and well above what I would usually have expected. The sci-fi plot and weaker lead characters do hold the show back a little but if you have any interest in teen romance/life stories then this is still a very strong show. I'd even be tempted to recommend it to people who are a bit fed up of teen romance since the more realistic handling of the issues makes a pleasant change.

 

[qaiz]

Nasu: Summer in Andalusia: Review (2003, Film)
I never thought that I’d be interested never mind enamored by an anime film about a bicycle race and yet Nasu: Summer in Andalusia, a 45 minute film directed by Kitarō Kōsaka had me on the edge of my seat at times and engaged the whole way through. It’s no surprise in hindsight; after all it was the first anime film to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

Nasu: Summer in Andalusia is a film that centers on the annual multiple stage bicycle race known as Vuelta a España, a real event that takes place every year mainly in Spain. The main character, Pepe Benengeli is participating in the race and as he gets ever closer to the finishing line his role in the race and his motivations for wanting to win become clearer as the story tracks back and forth between his position in the race and his family which are watching the televised race at home.

What initially directed my attention towards Nasu was the man behind it, Kitarō Kōsaka a highly regarded key animator best known for his work on many of Studio Ghibli’s finest productions, from Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky all the way to Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away where he worked on both of those as supervising animation director. His contributions reach far and wide, from Royal Space Force and Akira to Angel’s Egg and Metropolis, his knack for having worked on some of the best and prolific animated films of recent memory is hard to ignore and so his extensive repertoire of work caught my attention quickly. A lot of his work covers many of Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli filmography with his last project being the 2013 feature film The Wind Rises. It’s no surprise that Kōsaka has worked on many of Miyazaki’s films as he’s confessed that he’s a huge fan of Miyazaki’s. In fact as a self-proclaimed cycling aficionado himself, Miyazaki was the one who actually recommend and persuaded Kōsaka to adapt the manga of which this film is based upon.

The tie to Studio Ghibli doesn’t end there however, as one of the greatest assets of this film is the lovely animation. At the start of the film the narrator makes note of the fact that the sky is clear with no clouds in sight and the blue sky juxtaposing with the tan colored desert is a pretty sight. A single grey tarmac road cuts through the desert and bits of green foliage grow in the distance. The film’s visuals do a fantastic job of depicting the intensity of the heat during the race.

Speaking of the race and what else the film does a terrific job of depicting, the race itself was riveting and also educational. It goes without saying that I’ve never watched a bicycle race in my life, even when the route for the Tour de France itself went through my town I never ventured forth, and yet this film educated me on the process of participating in a race like this a great deal. The best thing that this film does is the way in which it tells the story through actions and not words. You see the tactics being played out for themselves and it’s all framed beautifully in a way that makes it really clear even to the uninitiated. For example, the formations which the racers take are fascinating to see in action and the way in which competitors huddle together in order to help each other get through and combat the crosswinds is interesting. What’s known as the peloton, the group of cyclists pack together in order to save their energy by riding close to one another and apparently the reduction in drag can be as much as 40%. The riders at the front face the most resistance and so a rotation takes place where the cyclists at the front move to the back and the others move forward. It’s an interesting synergy that I had never thought of, because although each racer is competing with one other, they also have to help each other out for their own benefit. The aerodynamic factors that have to be taken into consideration are huge and I find it utterly fascinating. The racers are in teams, each being distinguished by their distinct uniforms that are adorned in made up albeit realistic looking sponsors, so it’s easy to see which racer is which even from a distance. The character designs themselves are pretty distinct but it’s nice to be able to see an orange figure at the front of the pack even from far away and still know that’s the main character.

The cinematography in Nasu is effective in depicting the races and the formations. It’s an easy thing to make look boring and so it’s a testament that the film had me hooked right from the start because truth be told there’s not a lot of scenery to focus on. The race takes place as it would in the real world and so nothing otherworldly happens, and although you do get in-between the pack of riders and hear their tactics and plans, no foul play is at hand. The race is exactly that, a race across the desert and yet it’s still so interesting and fun to watch even when all they’re doing is riding across a straight stretch of road. The riders often look slow, being a long distanced race stamina and knowing when to attack and take charge is a key tactic and so although the whole race isn’t spent at hyper speed it never really feels like a slog either and when the speed does manage to pick up as they hurdle down a steep, meandering hill it really does feel dangerous and strenuous on the riders. A good job is done in making each and every frame interesting whilst depicting the scale of the race itself with some nice and effective aerial flyovers and panoramic views of the desert, showing how devoid of any shadows it truly is, and when you see a shadow it really stands out. It’s a well shot film and it looks flawless the whole way through.

Although this isn’t a Ghibli film, the attention to details is ghilbi-esque. Telemetries and onscreen graphics, not unlike those you’d see on TV while watching an actual race will often pop up depicting the position of the racers, their current heart-rate and the distance between them and the peloton but also how far they have to go to reach the fishing line and it’s a smart way of keeping the audience up to date with the whereabouts of the main character whilst creating tension and keeping in tone with the race itself.

The audio is well executed, from the gusts of wind that you hear as the cyclists enter sharp turns and head down steep hills to the clanging of chains as the riders change gears to the constant commentary by the commentators, dictating each and every move by the riders really sets the tone. The sound of bicycles whizzing by in an otherwise silent scene with nothing but the panting of the cyclists there to break it up is weirdly exciting. The climax to the race is without a doubt an adrenaline fueled ride as everything culminates. There’s not much music in the film, but the music that does exist is used effectively, for example a scene in which nothing but the music can be heard as the main character nears to the finishing line only to abruptly stop to the sound of crowds cheering as the main character edges closer to a climatic last stretch is well executed and keeps the tension high.

I didn’t quite know what to expect going in but by the end I felt fully satisfied by what I had watched and for a film about a bicycle race it does a great job of developing its character, with an unexpected but well executed scene near the end that has a lot of heart. The movie was a genuine surprise that I recommend everybody to check out, no matter your interest in bicycle racing.

8/10

 

[st_owly (witch)]

Arslan season 2 1-3. Lots of galloping.... Just as good as before though I'm intrigued as to what they're going to do with 8 episodes.

 

[Buzz201]

Free!: Iwatobi Swim Club

Free!: Iwatobi Swim Club follows three friends as they restart their high school’s swimming club, only to discover that they need four members to do anything, and that the fourth friend they used to swim with is back from Australia. He attends a rival school in the prefecture, but has not contacted them. It is disappointing that it has earned a reputation as being ‘only for heterosexual woman and gay men’ given it has almost no fanservice. I also found it weird that it’s widely referred to as a sports anime, as for the most part isn’t so much a ‘sports anime’ as an anime with sports. This distinction is exemplified by the attitude it employs. The objective of the titular Iwatobi Swim Club is not about being the fastest swimmer for glory and personal fame, and none of its members are staking the rest of their lives and personal satisfaction on winning. In fact, the overall endgame of the series’ tournament is to able to push for funding to access an indoor pool in which to swim year round rather than the eternal glory other series push for.

The distinction is also demonstrated by the tone of the series. Free! is far lighter and far funnier than one might expect. I found myself regularly laughing out loud at the show, and laughed more at Free! than I have at some supposed comedies in the past. The series also choses to focus far more on the out of pool antics of the friend group within than their sport achievements. Instead, Free! is about the nature of friendship and changes in the way friends behave and feel that can occur during adolescence. The gang are far more interested in swimming with and spending time with each other, and recovering their friendship with Rin than they are winning. Though some of the later events of the series seem to contradict it’s stated message, particularly in relation to its treatment of Rei and Nitori. It tries to resolve them fairly and appropriately, but it struggles to justify contradicting its message in the first case, and doesn’t really lean in hard enough into the learning a moral lesson angle to justify Rin’s treatment of Nitori (who isn’t even referred to by name by any other character during the vast majority of the series).

In addition to this, Free! does a fantastic job of developing its characters, giving them all strengths and flaws, and finely tuning the relationship dynamics between the various members of the club. All of the main team feel plausible and human, and they seem like people that might end up hanging out together. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a great job of balancing the way it features and treats its characters. Haruka, Rin, Rei and Makoto get all the focus (possibly because an early episode seems to indicate events are being told from Haruka’s perspective), whilst others have basically nothing.

My favourite, poor Nagisa, is basically reduced to just loudly reacting to whatever happens on screen and harassing Rei, leading him to be the only main cast member that doesn’t even have an attempt at some kind of an emotional plotline during the series, and leaving him and Gou as the only main cast members that don’t really grow or change at all during the series. Gou is also hung out to dry, mostly only appearing on screen to chase after her brother or progress the sports element of the narrative. She rarely gets to participate in the fun and random nonsense other club members do, so doesn’t even get to participate in the rapport they have. She also spends a lot of time ogling the guys, which forms the basis of the show’s more overt fanservice element. Whilst her staring at them and yelling either “muscles!” or the names of various muscles is funny for the first few times, it does start to wear thin slightly before they reduce the frequency with which it is repeated. This also happens with one or two of its other jokes, they get drawn out and taken further than necessary and it stifles them. I would have also liked to have seen more of Rin’s roommate, Nitori, also seems to be interesting character but again exists purely to nag and harass him into action. He doesn’t even seem to sleep in their room.

I was however slightly disappointed that the show never pushes itself out of its comfort zone; the characters remain in the designated pairings it knows works well, and we rarely see it randomly throw characters together to see what happens. As much as I do appreciate the interactions between Haruka & Makoto and Nagisa & Rei, I would have liked to see them mix things up more. We never, for example, see anybody but Haruka and Rei on their own with Rin pre-tournament. Focussing on the Haruka-Rin pairing is not a problem as such, as the pairing it’s sticks to work well and the pairs really spark together, but it is a shame that we never get to see how other pairings interact and how they may, or may not, fit together.

Overall, Free! is a hugely enjoyable and funny slice of life comedy-drama with sports elements. It presents the audience with 4 great and hugely enjoyable characters, with whom I wanted to spend as much time as possible. Unfortunately, it seems to focus more on some characters than others, and then loses its way slightly in the final few episodes, repeating and contradicting itself. Fortunately, it’s never boring or anything less than charming. I seriously recommend everyone gives them a try, even if the internet chatter doesn’t make it look like the type of show they would enjoy.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

 

[Smeelia]

Free!: Iwatobi Swim Club

I've still only seen the first season but I do feel that one of the problems it has is setting up more drama/story than it's willing (or able) to deliver on, I think you were touching on a similar point. It does some good work in developing it's characters and in doing so it often hints at issues the characters may have to deal with at some point but it doesn't really bother to deal with most of those issues. I felt it was possibly the worst with Kou because her story is built up and even seems to advance but is really just being used to support the story of the central characters and is ignored once it has served that purpose (despite being left unresolved). It sometimes feels a little like a character-driven show that's being written by someone more used to techniques for story-driven shows (if that makes sense).

To be fair, it's hard to say if it's saving some things for later or if it just doesn't want to cover certain storylines. Still, if the storylines aren't going to be relevant then it's odd that it brings them up at all. Perhaps part of the problem is the presentation makes at least some of those stories seem to be more important than intended.

It's certainly a pretty good show for what it does, though it's a shame that it hints at more potential than it makes use of.

 

[Professor Irony]

Finished watching ReLIFE last night - really enjoyed it. I felt it dipped a bit around the two-thirds mark (maybe they should have dealt with the volleyball story before the stuff about Arata's senior at work?), but, Nozaki-kun notwithstanding, I think this was probably the most enjoyment I've had out of a show like this since Lovely Complex.

Don't know that I'd be massively desperate for a second season - for me, it felt like one and done was enough - but I might have a look at the manga out of curiosity.

 

[crashmatt]

Finished watching ReLIFE last night - really enjoyed it. I felt it dipped a bit around the two-thirds mark (maybe they should have dealt with the volleyball story before the stuff about Arata's senior at work?), but, Nozaki-kun notwithstanding, I think this was probably the most enjoyment I've had out of a show like this since Lovely Complex.

Don't know that I'd be massively desperate for a second season - for me, it felt like one and done was enough - but I might have a look at the manga out of curiosity.

Biggest surprise of the season for me, I absolutely loved it. Hopefully it will get picked up for UK release