| Anime | Rating | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
10.00 (excellent) |
Paradise Kiss is one of the few animes that deserve to be described as flawless. From the beautiful animation, to the
heart-warming story, this series executes its purpose with effortless perfection.
Straddling between elements of realism and dream-like extravagance, Paradise Kiss pulls its viewer's into the life of a high school girl turned model. Although the premise may at first seem contrived, the storytelling transforms every girl's dream into a story of escaping routine and finding happiness. For anyone and everyone who has ever felt trapped the routine boredom of everyday life, Yukari's feelings echo the secret wish to run away. Coupled with oddball characters, this normal high school student finds her own definition of living her life. It's hard for me to rate any aspect of this show below a 10--from the fantastic animation and great voice acting to the masterful storytelling, Paradise Kiss is perfect. If you liked Nana, you'll love this short from Ai Yazawa. | ||
|
The Place Promised in Our Early Days Seen: completely Last Updated: Jan 03, 2010 |
10.00 (excellent) |
I didn't have time to watch the whole movie in one sitting, but from beginning to end, it seemed to ache of longing
and loss. With a tint of slice-of-life feeling coupled with stellar animation, Kumo no Mukou is truly a
masterpiece.
Set in a divided Japan, the animators paid detailed attention to the setting which drives the emotional aspects of the story. Slow paced, the story lends itself to reflection in its silence. As Kumo no Mukou is only an OVA, there is not a significant amount of development. At times some of the specifics (scientific etc.) are skimmed over. But it never feels too rushed, and what confusion viewers may feel is overcome by the irresistible lull of its undefinable beauty. After it's end, there's no aspect of the story that really stood out, but the powerful storytelling makes this OVA truly unforgettable. | ||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
10.00 (excellent) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
10.00 (excellent) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
9.75 (excellent) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
9.75 (excellent) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
9.50 (excellent) |
Uki certainly did an impressive job adapting his manga background for the big screen. While the 30 minute length leaves
little time to fully develop a complex plot, Uki rose to the challenge with remarkable grace. Cencoroll never felt
rushed and while none of my initial questions were answered, I found myself utterly satisfied with the ending. With a
little bit for every watcher--action for the boys, two nonchalant semi-bishies (wink wink) for the girls and poetic
storytelling for anime-snobs like myself--Cencoroll is a roller coaster that won't make you dizzy.
Moreover, in true stroke-of-genius fashion, Uki is able to capture a stylized art form and sound to give Cencoroll a voice of its own. The movements are of choppy but fluid quality and the sound blends perfectly into the production's texture. As expected for OVAs and the budget they normally receive, the drawings never seem half-assed. But unlike others, Uki is able to capture his manga roots within each snapshot, transition and moving scene. The result? A short film that lulls viewers into its sci-fi core with an unnatural serenity for its genre. With such a short duration, it is well worth your time to see this lovely anime, which reassured anime-lovers that cartoons are not just for kids! | ||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
9.50 (excellent) |
Ouran Host Club takes every Japanese girl's stereotypical fantasies about high school boys and shuffles it into a
fantastic comedy. Episodic and silly, this series will have you on the floor laughing, even at a second go. The nuances
of character interaction provide for even more light-hearted humor.
The characters are the main attraction, with personalities as hilarious and individual as they are stereotypical. Hatori Bisuko has created masterful characters from the trite, beaten-to-death attributes we've already grown to expect. | ||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
9.00 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
9.00 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
8.75 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
8.75 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 21, 2009 |
8.50 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
8.50 (very good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
8.25 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
8.25 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
8.00 (good) |
With deep Latin American vibes and subtle storytelling, the series manages to pull the audience in for a look at several
storylines loosely tied together through Michiko's (the vixen convict) past. While their search for Hatchin's
father--Michiko's former lover--provides a stimulus for their journey, it acts more as a literary tool to pull the
characters through a myopic look at the lives of their fellow countrymen. It is difficult for me to find a favorite
among the subplots as they all took a decently honest and heartfelt look at how people in less developed nations
survive--though I found the more dramatic subplots (i.e human trafficking) of rather mediocre execution.
Michiko and Hatchin act as foils for one another: Michiko, the adult, acts childish and impulsive while Hatchin, the child, behaves responsibly. Most reviewers seemed to enjoy this chemistry but I found it lukewarm and underdeveloped. While Hatchin's character failed to impress(her relationship with her abusive parents never felt present and her "maturity" seemed a pretentious addition), Michiko was developed extensively throughout the series and the characters associated with her past succeeded in hooking my attention. In fact, I personally preferred watching the minor characters in the series--their stories were deeply entrenched in their impoverished situations, yet the livelihood with which they confronted adversity became truly inspirational. The series boasts a strong soundtrack and voice acting, nicely echoing an image of a boundless road, sprawled before Michiko, Hatchin, and the people they met. The Latin traces are very apparent in the bold color schemes: cyan skies splashed with vivid turquoise and deep reds. The combination of brilliant sound and great animation certainly makes this anime worth watching, even if it falls short of the true geniuses in the genre (see Cowboy Bebop + Samurai Champloo). So be sure to check this out for a look at something different than your run-of-the-mill titles! | ||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
8.00 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
8.00 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
8.00 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
7.75 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
7.75 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
7.75 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
7.50 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
7.50 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
7.50 (good) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
7.25 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
7.25 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
7.25 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 09, 2009 |
7.00 (above average) |
While I can certainly understand the initial appeal of this series--a title full of average-looking, everyday folks
caught in a mysterious battle usually signals a story saturated with magic realism that depends less on sensationalism
and more on depth and criticism to wow its audience--I have to say that Eden of the East quickly fell into the usual
traps. Much like Speed Grapher(2005), which promised to offer a more mature take on corruption and government, Eden of
the East sets up a strong, interesting plotline but was both too short and too slow-paced to follow through on its
promise. One strand of the story looks at a cruel serial killer who seems somehow connected to the mysterious cellphone
and stumbles with what I can only describe as mediocre and stereotypically shallow execution. The ending, which was
clearly meant to ensue in utterly epic proportions, fell flat, both plot-wise and visually. Meanwhile, a story like Eden
of the East that struggles fiercely to become a masterpiece, typically warrants dynamic and creative directing; needless
to say neither was present as far as I can see.
But for all its shortcomings, Eden of the East still ranks above average in its enjoyability and execution. The ED and OP were quite enjoyable, and I can clearly tell that production hired very interesting creative directors for both sequences. The voice acting, while unspectacular, demands little criticism. The animation was purposefully "just decent" though I would have enjoyed better camera angles and choreography. Furthermore, with just 13 episodes, it's worth the time to watch if you are interested in a series that doesn't fall as close to the stereotypical drivel that we are used to by now. Many viewers may even attribute more depth and better execution to this series than I have. | ||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Nov 30, 2009 |
7.00 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
7.00 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.75 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.75 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Jan 25, 2010 |
6.75 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.50 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.50 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.50 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.50 (above average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Nov 27, 2009 |
6.25 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.25 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.25 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.25 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Nov 27, 2009 |
6.00 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.00 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.00 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
6.00 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 18, 2009 |
6.00 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
5.75 (average) | |||
|
Seen: completely Last Updated: Dec 03, 2009 |
5.75 (average) | |||