ArizUtaku

Summer 2010 Anime | Shiki Episode 2

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:38:00 +0000

Building on the intriguing first episode, Shiki's second episode really shines. In the wake of Megumi's death, the mystery behind the mysterious deaths begins to take shape as the town's doctor begins to realize that of the recent deaths may be connected somehow. The causes of death are unknown, but the symptoms all seem to be the same. What could be causing this epidemic? Is it contagious? All of these makes for a genuinely creepy second episode.

The episode also focuses somewhat on Megumi's friend Kaori, as she is having a difficult time coping with Megumi's death. The mystery surrounding Nastuno also begins to build but much of said building will be left to future episodes as we are left with an expected cliffhanger.

Shiki continues to impress and if it keeps improving at this rate, it may be a real contender for series of the season, if not the year.

MANGA REVIEW: Peepo Choo, Volume 1

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Age Rating: 18+
Story & Art: Felipe Smith
Publisher: Vertical, Inc.

Many North American anime and manga fans dream of one day getting a chance to visit their "mecca". What if you actually got a chance to visit Japan? What would your initial reaction be to finding out that you are going? What would you do when you get there? How would you prepare for such an experience? What you expect to see, hear, touch, taste and feel? Pretty exciting, right?

Taking this notion even further; what if you were a North American manga artist? Getting your work published in Japan would certainly be a dream come true, no? Well, what would you do if you had the opportunity to haved your manga published by Kodansha, Japan's largest publishing company? While actually living in Japan, no less? Well, just ask Felipe Smith, who has gotten the opportunity to do just that. The result? Peepo Choo, the zany fusion of Western and Eastern pop culture all into one series.

Milton, the protagonist of Felipe Smith's Peepo Choo, is a bona fide otaku from Chicago who fantasizes about the possibilities of what visiting Japan would be like. Then one day, out of nowhere, he gets his chance. Obviously, he is ecstatic to go, but little does he know just how misguided his fantasies about Japan really are, or the real reason behind the trip to Japan. The plot takes a little bit to get rolling, but once it does the first volume becomes nigh impossible to put down and the cliffhanger ending to the first volume may leave you craving more.

Felipe Smith is obviously having the time of his life. He has created such an bizarre blend of traditional character archetypes (who come across more as parodies more than anything else), sex, violence, and vulgarity that it is amazing that it works so well. Sure, it is not the deepest manga in the world, but boy it is ever fun. Considering the extremely graphic nature of the content, however, this series is certainly not for the squeamish or easily offended. Women are often portrayed in a not-so-flattering manner and it certainly feels as though almost every page contains either sex or violence. All of this could have ended up coming across as sadistic, but Smith manages to makes it all just enough over-the-top to not be taken completely seriously. However, mature readers who do not mind reading something extremely vulgar will find something a very smart and fresh unfolding in front of them. Smith translated this himself, so the sharp dialogue and biting satire flows off of the pages so fluidly that one may forget that this is not an OEL manga.

Smith's art oozes with such boldness, expressiveness, and tenacity that it is easy to love. It is clean and detailed when needed, but it also can be loose and unpolished as well and Smith does a bang-up up job of combining these two distinct styles. The paneling is mostly by-the-book, but Smith definitely knows when it is appropriate to do a full page or even a two-page spread. The titular fictional anime series however is a true work of art. Smith goes all out when it comes to making "Peepo Choo" as bizarre as possible, with varying art styles and nonsensical dialgoue. It is these sequences that stand out the most and certainly stick in your mind. Especially the scene when Milton and his otaku pals actually watch an episode of the series. If anything, pick up this book just for that particular scene.

There is no Parental Advisory label to be found on the cover but the book is shrink-wrapped just like any other mature manga and the 18+ rating is rather prominent on the back cover. Considering the nature of the original Japanese cover -- a busty female character giving us the finger -- Vertical really did not have much of a choice but to opt for using a different cover. Vertical's cover still gives the book a very distinct look, however, and it features the same character from the original. The original is not completely forgone though, as it is printed in color on the contents page. The first few couple of pages of artwork are in full color as well. Hats off to Vertical for a very well put-together English release.

Peepo Choo is a series that leaps off the pages and begs to be read, and the first volume gets the series off to an exciting, yet extremely bizarre start. Adult manga fans looking for something out of the ordinary should find plenty to like here. It cannot be overstated, however, that this manga is intended for Mature Audiences Only.

Volume two (of three) will be out in September.

(out of 5)

Summer 2010 Anime | Kuroshitsuji II Episode 2, Occult Academy Episode 2

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Kuroshitsuji II, Episode 2

A deer? In a tuxedo? HUH?

It is official: Kuroshitsuji is back in top form. Ciel has returned to join Sebastian (along with the series' comical supporting cast), meaning Kuroshitsuji II is back on par with the original. Of course, Claude and Alois will definitely appear again considering they are still featured prominently in the opening animation. Not that I really care though. Ciel and Sebastian are who we all REALLY want to see, am I right?

Ciel: Oh, the joys of having fangirls. Sebastian: They are indeed troublesome, my lord.

I need to make sure I go back and finish the first season. Especially since Grell makes his first appearance of the new season next week! Grell is awesome. And not just because of Jun Fukuyama. Grell is gleefully insane, which is wildly entertaining. He is definitely my favorite character of the franchise.

*SMILE*

Occult Academy, Episode 2

The second episode of Occult Academy was a fun one, and it introduced key elements of the plot too. Aliens! The Prophecies of Nostradamus! Time traveling! Yeah, it is still pretty campy, but I think I am starting to get used to it. Maya and Fumiaki's relationship certainly is moderately entertaining, even if it is not all that original.

Summer 2010 Anime | Sengoku Basara Two First Impressions, Highschool of the Dead Episode 2

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:06:00 +0000

Sengoku Basara Two | First Impressions

The colossus-like dude on the left not only is a giant, he has airbender-like abilities as well.

I did a mini-marathon of the final 4 episodes of the first season directly before watching the first episode of Sengoku Basara Two and I am pleased to report that the second season picks up directly where the first season left off. In fact, it even overlaps slightly because they re-animated the final scene of the first season to make the transition even smoother.

This show is still as entertaining as ever, but the flaws of the original still remain. When the show sheds its playful spirit it tends to get very talky (read: boring). Even so, the battles are still exhilarating showcases of great animation from Production I.G and manly posturing to boot. Plus it has a very sharp look when it comes to the character designs and backgrounds. Of course, your mileage will vary, but I still find this to be quite the endearing guilty pleasure. I am very glad that I.G is bringing us more of it.

Kasuga is apparently quite ecstatic to be back as well ...

Still, I wish they had not ditched the opening theme from the first season. "Sword Summit" is still cool, but it does not hold a candle to "JAP".

Highschool of the Dead, Episode 2

A hottie arrives!

The second episode did a better job of focusing more on the action, but the boring melodrama still managed to rear its ugly head anyway. These characters would be a lot more interesting if they were not all made out of cardboard. Even so, the second episode is another solid one in what remains to be my favorite series of the season so far.

Megane!

Not good. Highschool of the Dead contains one of my biggest weaknesses: Megane (Glasses)! A anime girl with glasses is something I just cannot seem to resist.

Megane ...

I would probably get along pretty well with this guy.

FILM REVIEW: Keane

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Every once in a while a film comes along that sticks with you long after it is over. Everyone who loves a good film experiences this phenomenon, and all good filmmakers strive to create a film that provides said experience. Being able to create something wholly memorable rather than something fleeting or easily forgettable is perhaps the single most important element of art.

One may ask, "What causes a film to be memorable?" Well, there are many different ways in which a film can achieve such a status. Sometimes a film sticks with you because it made you cry. Sometimes films leave you with a big smile on your face. Others may make you laugh so hard that you end up crying! Sometimes a film manages to rattle the very depths of your soul to the point where you are in absolute awe of what you just experienced. Films that manage to evoke a genuine emotional response from the viewer tend to be memorable; and the truly great films end up becoming classics because they manage to bring forth emotion on a consistent basis.

Keane is one of those "shake your soul" kind of films, though it is far from uplifting. In fact, its ending is more of an escape than anything else. Not that it being an "escape" is a bad thing, however. Keane is a film that manages to evoke a wide range of emotions from the viewer, but many of these emotions are not happy ones.

The title character William Keane (Damian Lewis) is a mentally disturbed man teetering on a brink of absolute insanity. So disturbed, in fact, and it would not be out of the question for the faint of heart to turn off this film in its early stages. Of course, this is largely thanks to Lewis in his fantastically nuanced and even downright terrifying performance as the father who is beyond obsessed over finding his lost daughter. The first emotion that appears is sympathy as we watch Keane in his sorry state of looking endlessly for the daughter he will probably never find. However, as the film progresses a surprising emotion arises: empathy. Keane finds a reprieve from his madness in Kira (Abigail Breslin), the seven-year-old daughter of a woman (Amy Ryan) he met at the hotel in which he currently resides. As Keane's attachment to Kira grows stronger and stronger, we begin to understand what drove Keane to near madness. Later on the emotions one may feel range from happiness to sadness to even fear as the film nears its climax and abrupt, but fitting ending.

Lodge Kerrigan's excellent direction includes the brilliant choice to utilize claustrophobic camera angles that primarily focus on Keane's face. Kerrigan directs Lewis to use varying body language and facial expressions in order to keep the audience guessing when it comes to what Keane is thinking. There are many moments of several seconds of Keane looking around haphazardly and muttering to himself in which you may have an idea of what he is thinking but then he does something completely opposite. Especially during the moments when he has "lost it." The pacing of the film is deliberate and there is no musical score whatsoever as well. All of this adds up to a fascinating film that enables the viewer to get a glimpse into the essence of mental illness -- and also into the less comely sides of life.

Keane is such an intense examination of the human mind that one may breathe a sigh of relief when the end credits roll. They as the viewer have escaped from a very unsettling, yet extremely bewitching film. A film that will they will (hopefully) remember for the rest of their life. Hats off to Lodge Kerrigan and especially to Damian Lewis for his phenomenal performance.

Keane is rated R for a scene of strong sexuality, drug use and language.

Keane on Netflix

Keane on Amazon.com

Summer 2010 Anime | First Impressions Galore!

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Maya seems a bit overwhelmed by the large amount of simulcasts.
Seriously though, can you blame her?

Summer is here, and with it comes a new season of anime series in Japan. Are the new shows any good? You can find out after the break.

Densetsu no Yusha no Densetsu

(The Legend of the Legendary Heroes)

Dragon Slaaaay-vuh!! Wait ... Wrong series. Sorry.

This series is ... not so legendary after all. I really do not have much to say about this show other than the fact that it is a "poor man's Slayers." DenYuDen certainly borrows the feel of the classic series from the 1990s, but what DenYuDen does NOT borrow is any of the charm. In the end, the first episode of DenYuDen turns out to be an unfocused, unfunny, poorly-directed waste of 25 minutes. Slayers is not the greatest anime in the world; but it certainly looks like high art compared to DenYuDen. If anything, take this as a thinly-veiled recommendation of Slayers.

Highschool of the Dead

Girl: Why, oh why didn't I ditch school today?

Based upon one episode, HotD is probably the strongest series to come out of the season so far, but that isn't saying much (more on that later). I am very disappointed that director Tetsuro Araki opted not to go with his trademark wild and crazy opening theme, but he made up for it by actually making HotD much more exciting than I expected it to be. I normally loathe series like these that have gratuitous fan service, but I have to tip my cap to Araki for getting me to not mind all of the jiggling breasts and tacky panty shots. This ended up being a very fun zombie-infested romp with some boring character melodrama and fan service shoehorned in. Hopefully there will not be too much of said character drama because it would only serve to doom the series.

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) II

My goodness, Claude! Those larger-than-life glasses are not becoming of a Black Butler.

The first episode of BB II certainly had its moments, but I found myself wishing that the duo from the first season were still around. Thankfully it seems that Ciel and Sebastian are still around after all, and that makes me very happy. Not to knock on Nana Mizuki and Takahiro Sakurai, but their characters were just not all that interesting compared to the original two that we all know and love.

Nurarihyon no Mago

Jun Fukuyama provides my voice. + 100 Coolness

So boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, BORING! Oh, and did I mention that NnM is boring? And lame? Oh, and that it is a ginormous Bag-O-Cliché too? Please, for the sake of your own sanity, skip this one. That way you will not have to waste another two hours of your life waiting on hold to speak with someone from Father Time's outsourced-to-India customer service line about the 25 minutes you lost, only to go into a rage when you find out your precious time is non-refundable! Sorry, Jun Fukuyama; not even you and your silky smooth voice can save this series.

Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin

(Occult Academy)

Possessed or not, that has got to hurt.

Though this is supposed to be a comedy, Occult Academy still ended up being a bit sillier than I expected. It has solid production values and I tend to enjoy the supernatural, but I still was a bit put off by some of the campier moments of the first episode and the director's continued effort to give us suggestive shots of Maya's skirt and legs. All in all though, I think I'll stick with it for at least one more episode. It certainly does not have as much promise as Shiki does, that much is certain.

Seitokai Yakuindomo

Uh ... when I said "strike a pose", that is not exactly what I meant, Shino.

Seitokai Yakuindomo is almost the reverse of Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama when it comes to premise and it definitely is the polar opposite when it comes to target demographic as Seitokai is clearly aimed at males. However, Seitokai is also not nearly as good as Kaichou either despite being virtually even in the generic department. Seitokai has appealing, cute and colorful artwork in its favor but its over-zealous attempts at dirty humor doom it. Cannot fault the series for its effort, but Seitokai just is not funny as it thinks it is.

Shiki


She seems peeved about something. Maybe its this show's strange character designs.

This is the series I was looking forward to the most, being the big Fuyumi Ono fan that I am. Considering Ono's pedigree, this series showed the most promise out of all prior to its airing. That said, it certainly lives up to said promise with an intriguing, yet choppy, first episode. The production values are great (especially the backgrounds and character animation), though the character designs distract from the overall feel a bit. Still, the first episode still made for a solid start to what will hopefully be the best series of the season.

Overall, the summer season is off to a fairly average start. Nothing particularly remarkable yet, but there is still plenty of time for each of the series I am sticking with to find their identity.

First Look: Summer 2010 Anime

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0000

The lack of posts on here as of late is disturbing, I know; but what better way to get "back in business" then to preview the upcoming July slate of anime in Japan.

THE LINEUP

At first glance, this is a very nice change from seasons past. For the last couple of seasons my overall interest has been very, very low; but this time, I am actually interested in a good chunk of the series on that chart. Whether or not I will stick with them all is yet to be seen, but I like the fact that my cup runneth over with anime this summer. I will be listing the anime in the order in which they appear on the chart linked above, and you may continue reading after the jump.

Highschool of the Dead

Looks very trashy, yes, but it does have one thing going for it: Tetsuro Araki (Death Note, Kurozuka) is directing. If those two series are any indication, then HotD should be visually impressive. I am also hoping for a whacked-out, head-banging opening theme in the vein of Death Note's second opening and Kurozuka's opening. It also could end up being raucous, mighty fun time.

Occult Academy

I found the image posted above to be quite striking and the premise is very interesting as well. Plus, it is from A-1 Pictures, who have garnered a pretty decent reputation as of late. Plus, I really enjoy supernatural mysteries when presented as a form of entertainment, especially when it is in anime form (see: Ghost Hound, Ghost Hunt). Hopefully this one does not disappoint.

Sengoku Basara Two

The first season ending up being an entertaining guilty pleasure (mainly due to the HOT women), so I certainly would not mind watching a second season. Not to mention the fights are exhilarating, well-animated displays of the manliest of men. Seriously, how can one not like a series filled with manly men strutting their stuff and sultry women to boot? It does not take itself too seriously either, which is a definite plus. Look forward to it!

Shiki

Everything I have seen that Fuyumi Ono (Twelve Kingdoms, Ghost Hunt) has had a hand in has been great so hopefully Shiki will be no exception.

Kuroshitsuji II

Yeah, I am a straight guy; but I will not lie and say that I do not love Kuroshitsuji. I still need to finish the first season, but this second season appears to not be connected all that much to the first so I probably will not have much problem getting in to it. Besides, it has two of my favorite seiyu in Nana Mizuki and Takahiro Sakurai. Hopefully it will be just as much sophisticated, stylish fun as the first season was.

Nurarihyon no Mago

I have not seen anything from Studio DEEN for a while, and this looks likes a pretty decent one. Love the design of the main character and also that he is being voiced by Jun Fukuyama. You can never go wrong with Jun Fukuyama!

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes

I want to watch this just because of its title. The overall premise of the series, the character designs, and the pedigree of the staff involved are far from legendary; but at least I can say I watched something with such a ridiculous title, no? Who knows though, it could end up being so legendary that it becomes a legend in and of itself. A legendary series called "The Legend of the Legendary Heroes" that is known only in legend! How about that for a paradox!

Osaka Hamlet

This one is based upon an award-winning seinen manga. Just a mere mention of the word "seinen" is enough to get me interested. Plus, it seems to be pretty unique in both art style and premise. Hopefully this one will not fall by the wayside when it comes to being subtitled.

Seitokai Yakuindomo

The premise sounds pretty trite, but even so this looks like it could be cute and fun regardless. I really like the character designs and the screenwriter did put together the underrated The Telepathy Girl Ran so it could end up surprising me. Not that I am entirely optimistic though.

And that is all folks. I am going to be checking out a grand total of nine series this July. Hope to see you all then when I post my first impressions next month.

Video Games = Art? I say, yes.

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Take a look at this screenshot from Okami and tell me this isn't art.

Originally I was going to post this on my personal blog, but I actually think the subject matter better fits this blog. That, and I'm also interested in hearing JayGee's and Ryuk1138's opinions on the matter based on the discussions they've seemed to have already had about it.

It was the latter's post on Facebook where I originally found out about this debate, and ever since then I've been trying to hunt down a good article to link too that goes into more depth about the subject matter and presents Roger Ebert's side of the issue. Problem is I'd mostly prefer to see if I could find the original article by Ebert himself, but can't really seem to find one. I do think the subject matter pretty much speaks for itself though.

As for my opinion on the matter, I already went into pretty good detail about it on the Facebook post, so I'll start by posting that here:

That's something that gets on my nerves quite a bit, when some people like to go on about how video games are a negative part of our culture and is a major contribution to the decline of intelligence in our society. Our professor went on about this in my Anthropology class a few times last semester, and I had to hold myself back from going off at him for it.

Instead, I'd like to argue that video games actually encourage intelligence in our society and the fact that they are a part of our culture in the first place is what indeed makes it art. They are every bit in the same sense as all of the films and, most especially, animation that Mr. Ebert here has a passion to review artistically and intelligently. They even have their own artistic merits in the new and innovative ways in which gaming companies/creators are coming up with in the sense of game play and interactiveness. I do personally believe that along with films, comics, animation, and even some television series, that thousands of years from now when people look back on our culture to study it historically the way we study the art of the cultures of thousands of years past today, video games will also be a part of what those people study about us.

After reading through some of the articles though, I have a bit more to add to what I wrote above. It seems as if the matter has a lot more to do with Ebert's notion that he doesn't think there has ever been a video game that has ever reached the artistic level as most films, novels, poetry, compositions or tapestries have. I for one beg to differ. I think the issue is the same issue that people who think that anime is far superior to anything we've made in our own television or film mediums have. They don't realize that there is just as much crap in anime and just as much masterful work in anime as there is on both occasions in any film or television series they'll ever see. The same is true about video games. It's just unfortunate that most of the video games you hear about in the mass media mostly fall into the crap category (and I stress "most" because there are actually some, such as some of Square Enix's games including a few of the Final Fantasies -which is a company I like to liken to the popularity of Miyazaki's and Studio Gibli's anime masterpieces that have had mainstream attention - that I believe actually are solid examples of video game masterpieces, with many others that still would be considered quite excellent - most of which I'm sure most of you could quite easily guess as to which ones they are). This is a perfect example of closed-mindedness and the unwillingness to explore the medium much more deeply outside of what you hear/see on the surface. Granted I haven't had much of an opportunity to continue to explore the medium more deeply myself over the years so many examples do indeed escape me at the moment. A couple of ones I can think of though that haven't gotten much mainstream attention would be the Shadow of the Colossus games or most especially what I would probably consider to be the best video game I've ever played in Okami. Those games right there I would most definitely consider to be art. Though I do think the problem lies more in the fact that Ebert is being so closed-minded as to acknowledge some of those mainstream video games that are also either excellent or masterful. This is not to say that he's never played any video games in his whole life, but I do believe that his knowledge of the medium is very, very limited.

So what do you all think of the issue? Should video games be acknowledged as an art form or are they as detrimental to our society as many like to claim they are? This is definitely a subject matter I would love to hear more opinions on.

Yojo-Han Shinwa Taikei (Tatami Galaxy) | First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Believe it or not, that whole thing actually is his name. XD

From what little I've been able to observe of Masaaki Yuasa's works, it's a little hard to make much of a fair assessment of them based off of first impressions. Because when you think he's pulled something absolutely brilliant and astounding out of his hat, he tends to go a bit downhill latter in the series. Or at least this was the case with his previous work to this one in Kaiba. I have yet to see Kemmonozume (which I do plan on delving into this summer), but from what I understand even it is quite underwhelming to his masterfully acclaimed film Mind Game (which I also have yet to see, heh heh ^_^' ). But if he pulls all the same stops he did with the latter and keeps this thing as absolutely masterful as this first episode was, Yojo-Han Shinwa Taikei (titled in english as Tatami Galaxy) has every potential in the world not only to be by and far the best series of the season, and not only in heavy contention with also potential-heavy Despera as the best series of the year, but quite possibly the best series released within at least the last few years.

I suppose the best place to start is, as is the case with pretty much any Yuasa series, would be Nobutaka Ito's stunningly brilliant and innovative art style. There's just so much of a suspension of disbelief to his style that's quite unlike most of what you'll see, and much like he's done with Yuasa's other series, is no different here. But of course this episode was far more than just visually pleasing. Writing and dialog, had a certain level of brilliance to it as well. Though it made it difficult to follow while having to read subtitles, some of the best moments in this episode were when our main character (who we have yet to know his name, by the way) would be in the narrative, and the way by which he would narrate things, the way he put certain situations, it really added a level of well-written humor to it that pretty much the entirety of this episode entailed. Pretty much the whole episode had everyone talking a thousand words per second, which I also believed to add to the overall humorous feel to this episode.

But while that feel is definitely what makes this episode as appealing as it is, at the same time it seemed to be hinting at something that runs much deeper than that. The overall premise of this series, the mature romantic story in which it is and the overall main theme in which it seems to be portraying, really is something I feel is quite relateable at a personal level with many. As a matter of fact, the main character is yet another one I feel I can identify with and in many ways, really reminds me qutie a bit of myself. So in a way I must say that definitely helps put it right up there as a favorite for me, that's for sure. I'm definitely really excited about the direction this series looks to be going with that. Especially considering the fact that Yuasa more than anything has proven with his works that the workings of the human emotion and it's relations with others is something he has mastered on a level not many have. Let's just hope he can keep the flow of this series solid enough that it doesn't falter in later episodes.

House of Five Leaves | First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:21:00 +0000

Masanosuke's character is a big part of what I really loved about this first episode. Just about the most timid and kindhearted ronin samurai you'll ever hear of. :)

The closing words of this episode I believe puts into perspective what I ended up really loving about how this series has presented itself thus far. After Masanosuke observes about Yaichi "That composure..... I'd like to smile like you do." Yaichi then tells him in return "If you try, you'll find there's nothing stopping you." For what you'd normally expect out of a typical samurai story set in feudal Japan, you really wouldn't expect something so lighthearted. And this first episode seemed to be brimming quite a bit with it. In a sense, I can see how something like this wouldn't pander to too many people's personal tastes. Which is probably the reason why there hasn't been too many positive things said about the source material it's based off of, because I'm not too sure the sources JayGee and I got that general opinion from particularly have much of a taste for this kind of series. But based off of the first episode anyways, I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it at all. As a matter of fact, pending on whether or not this series will end up falling flat on it's face latter on, this could very well end up being my second favorite series this season (Yojo-Han Shinwa Taikei still needs to come out after all ;) ). Which is far and above what I originally thought it would be.

Animation/art style is of course what originally had me mostly drawn to wanting to check this thing out, and I must say the style definitely compliments the characters and the overall feel quite well. It also helps that some of the main characters themselves are quite loveable in the fist place, mostly so the timid and kindhearted Masanosuke as he struggles to find someone who will hire a ronin like him as a bodyguard, and the seemingly carefree and stronghearted Yaichi, head of the House of Five Leaves who actually does have the heart to like him enough to actually keep him around. It also sets up a potentially interesting story with Seinoshin, the House's heir as well.

I guess this is one of those series you really just have to play by ear, because you never really know whether it'll keep being as impressive as it was at first or it'll start degenerating latter on. But for now, I must say I really am a lot more impressed with it than I thought I'd be.

ANIME REVIEW: They Were Eleven

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:44:00 +0000

A relic from the now defunct Central Park Media, They Were Eleven is a very engrossing sci-fi tale. This 1986 anime film is an adaptation of Moto Hagio's 1975 manga of the same name.

Set in space at a unspecified time in the future, the story begins with a short bit of exposition on the current state of the galaxy before introducing the protagonist Tadatos "Tada" Lane, a hopeful applicant at the Cosmo Academy. He moves on to the final stage of the entrance exam, which is a mission with nine other applicants aboard a derelict vessel named Esperanza. Problem is, when they arrive it is discovered are actually eleven applicants onboard. This, coupled with the dangerous conditions of the Esperanza, ratchets the tension up quite a few levels.

Of course, with eleven characters being onboard there are plenty of character dynamics in play to go along with a very palpable sense of tension. Steady direction from Satoshi Dezaki and Tsuneo Tominaga combined with a very good adapted screenplay by Katsumi Koide and Toshiaki Imaizumi captures the essense of the original manga very well, though certain changes were made that streamline the original storytelling. The unique interplay between Frol and Tada is still expertly handled, as are the little hints in the storytelling that lead up to the big revelation during the film's climax.

The production values have aged quite well, considering the film is over 20 years old at the time of this review. The animation, while not impressive, is solid, and the artistry is still quite good; adapting Hagio's diverse character designs and detailed backgrounds to animation very well. Hirohiko Fukuda's musical score is excellent, as it really adds to the tension of numerous scenes. The sound design does show its age the most, but it does add to the film's retro charm in spite of that.

Anyone who has an eye for retro anime and also loves science fiction will probably find it hard not to like They Were Eleven. Though the manga is slightly superior, the film is definitely worth checking out on its own merits. Plus, the manga is a bit difficult to obtain in English due to the rarity of the Four Shojo Stories anthology in which They Were Eleven was published.

(out of 5)

Heroman | First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:28:00 +0000

Not only does Heroman come to life when struck by lightening, he also dons the American flag too!

In essence, the first episode of Heroman gave us pretty much everything we anticipated from the series. A very lame and unoriginal title, a highly cliched formula, ect. But the charm of what I ended up liking quite a bit about the first episode was not in what the series' story or premise was all about, but rather how that story and premise is executed. Rather than it just being your typical run of the mill everyday action series you typically find in anime, it was your typical run of the mill everyday action series in that good 'ol fashioned fun little way only comic book legend Stan Lee can give it to you. And in that capacity, it was every bit what I expected and then some. I did expect this to be a fun little series the likes of which I do typically enjoy at least at the entertainment value level, but I ended up enjoying this first episode probably more than I expected too. With it's fast paced direction, very smooth and slick animation (the likes of which you can always expect out of Studio Bones) and american action cartoon/comic book-esque feel (which in a way was aided by a quite enjoyable musical score, done very much so in the typical electric guitar action cartoon style but in quite the enjoyable way as it pertained to the overall feel of the series), there really wasn't anything I found myself not liking about this first episode. If anything though, it's really more about you capability to acquire a taste for this sort of thing that'll probably determine whether or not you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Definitely wouldn't mind watching more of this series, but we'll see. It is likely to become lost amongst my wanting to follow a few other series to the end this season, but definitely entertaining and fun enough to keep me interested.

REVIEW: Clash of the Titans (2010)

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans shows no shame in the fact that it is a big hunk of cheese. It is an unapologetically silly movie that aims to please the kid contained within all of us. Whether or not it succeeds in its lowbrow aspirations is entirely up to the viewer, however.

The story itself (very loosely based upon based upon the Greek myth of Perseus), is a zippy, cheddar-flavored, action-heavy romp. It spends very little time with exposition and characterization, as Leterrier obviously was much more concerned with the combat than with the dialogue and characters. The script itself leaves much to be desired, as it is filled with hammy one-liners, stale gags, and the characters themselves are all flat as a pancake. It is obvious that the actors were in it primarily for a paycheck, but at least they seem to have had fun in earning said paychecks.

The acting is nothing to write home about either, but that is to be expected considering the subpar script and Letterier's uninterested-in-his-characters direction. Similar things could be said about the cinematography and special effects as they do not impress much, but Ramin Djawadi's (Iron Man) musical score and also the sound design do manage to work pretty well. The makeup and costumes also give way for some pretty neat moments though. Moments like the Stygian Witches' scene, the oddly fascinating look of the Djinn, Hades, Acrisius, etc. Plus, one has to admit that Liam Neeson makes for a pretty cool Zeus; and Ralph Fiennes's rendition Hades is actually quite creepy. Sam Worthington probably wishes he were still on Pandora though ...

In all, Clash of the Titans is not a great film, but it is not a terrible one either. However, it is also not a good one. In reality, it is merely a halfway decent, gleefully cheesy B-movie; but if one can accept this they may be able to enjoy it. That said, Michael Bay could learn a thing or two from this film. Unlike Bay's failures so far with the Transformers franchise, Leterrier has more or less succeeded in creating something hokey and at least marginally entertaining. However, considering that the film was actually not shot in 3-D but converted to it, one should be sure avoid seeing it in 3-D.

(out of 5)

REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:59:00 +0000

How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks' latest CG-animated film, may appear at first glance to be nothing special -- to be an overly familiar story. Take a closer look. Yes, this type of story (misfit protagonist acquires a skill nobody else has an ends up changing everything about his life) has been told many times before, but How to Train Your Dragon is something special indeed.

For instance, consider the 2-man team who wrote and directed this film: Chris Sanders and Dean Deblois. Now have a glance at their small body of work. These guys wrote Mulan, and they also wrote and directed Lilo & Stitch. Pretty impressive, no? Those who appreciate the greatness of both of those Disney films should not be surprised at all to find that Dragon is a fantastic film.

First of all, one cannot say enough about the animation in this film. Filled with exhilarating flight sequences, vibrant character animation, and lush vistas; this is a film that fans of animation can truly appreciate. The first time Hiccup and Toothless truly take to the skies is so well animated and filmed that if it does not get one's heart racing, they may as well be blind and deaf. Be sure to see this one in 3D if you can.

The character and dragon designs, though cartoonish and rather stereotypical in their Viking-ness (with the exception of Hiccup, of course), they are not certainly without their charms. Hiccup is a scrawny, not-so-tough guy, quite unlike his counterparts. Astrid (Hiccup's love interest), with her slender, curvy figure and bangs which cover one eye much of the time, certainly reminds of many an anime character. The dragons themselves range from ugly to cute, and each dragon's ability is quite creative in both animation and sound design. The nice range of facial expressions that come out of these character (and dragon) designs is impressive and adds greatly to both the humor and surprising emotional depth of the script.

As for the story itself, it is fast-paced and the film goes by fairly quickly. Loosely based upon the book of the same name, the plot itself is very straightforward, chock full of wit and humor that will please both kids and adults alike. It is also not surprising that the early moments between Hiccup and Toothless feel very much like Lilo and Stich's relationship in Lilo & Stitch, except Toothless is obviously much more restrained of a character than Stitch. As the film goes along the slick storytelling becomes very involving as it leaps back-and-forth between Hiccup's dragon training and his secret life with Toothless. Eventually though, things become more complicated when Hiccup is eventually found out and has to take matters into his own hands.

Though the plot itself is really nothing to write home about, the super animation, the excellent script; and the direction that understands and handles the emotion contained within the script perfectly causes this film to be fly far higher than it probably should have. How to Train Your Dragon is a sure-fire early contender for the best animated film of the year. Highly recommended.

First Look: Spring 2010 Anime

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:46:00 +0000

The month of April has arrived and hand-in-hand with its arrival comes a brand-new season of anime. Here is a first look at the shows I will be at the very least giving a try.

THE LINEUP

Similar to last season, the ratio of series I am interested in to series I could not care less about is awful. Considering the sad downward spiral anime has been in lately (and my increasing apathy for moe and other recent uninspired and even downright tasteless anime trends), this really is not all that surprising that my interest levels have been dwindling. This season is not looking nearly as dire as winter did, however. Durarara!! was the only sure-fire "hit" last season, and sure enough it ended up being the only series I stuck with. This season things are looking at least a little more promising though. Not counting Hetalia, there are three series that are series I plan on sticking with all the way through unless something drastic happens that changes my mind. Instead of ordering the series by way of my expectations for them, I will just put them in alphabetical order this time. You can read more after the jump.

Heroman

What a lame title, but whatever.

Generic premise, much? Still, Bones and Stan Lee working together make this series at least worth a passing glance. Who knows though, it could end up being mightily heroic fun.

House of Five Leaves

I have always liked Ono's character designs.

Manglobe is looking to get back on track after the misstep that was The Sacred Blacksmith. We will have see if adapting Natsume Ono's supposedly mediocre samurai manga will do the trick. Despite the not-so-great things I have heard about the source material, that is not going to keep me away from the anime adaptation. I just love samurai stories after all. Still, I am keeping my expectations on a short leash. As long as it is better than Michiko to Hatchin -- and The Sacred Blacksmith, for that matter, though that goes without saying -- I think I will be happy.

Iron Man(?)

Looking forward to Iron Man 2 as well!

This is supposed to be premiering this spring, right? Problem is, there has not been any news about it for quite some time so its hard to be sure (plus, it is not included on that chart). Whenever it does actually premiere, hopefully it does not disappoint like Batman: Gotham Knight did. Though, to be fair, Gotham Knight was a poorly-conceived anthology, making it rather easy to better. Plus, my expectations are much more in check this time around.

K-ON!!

Apparently the extra exclamation point in the title makes season two extra special.

I will not lie: I did actually kinda-sorta enjoy the first season. Well, to be more accurate; it is more like I grudgingly enjoyed it. Even so, I am still surprised at myself for managing to watch the entire first season and actually going back and sitting through the OVA. No guarantees that I will be able to do the same with season two though, considering my distaste for moe has been on the rise as of late.

Ookiku Furikabutte ~Natsu no Taikai-hen~

Baseball is such a fascinating and complex sport.

YES! Here is a sure-fire winner. No question I will be eagerly be watching this series week-to-week. How great it will be to watch the long-awaited sequel to the series that reinvigorated my love for baseball just when Major League Baseball's regular season is just getting underway. Things just cannot get any sweeter than that! This is first of the three series I plan on watching all the way through right off the bat. (Sorry, bad pun.)

Rainbow - Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin

Rather cheery title for what looks to be a grim series, eh?

After falling off the map last year, Rainbow finally appears to be here. It is good to see gritty, mature series like these still being made amidst all of the fan-pandering, money-milking crap out there. I really do not know what to expect out of this series other than it is going to be quite different than pretty much everything else this season. This is the second of three series that I have high hopes for and plan on watching from start to finish.

Yojō-Han Shinwa Taikei

Noitamina for the win!

Last, but most definitely not least is Masaaki Yuasa's latest project. Though he has not created anything nearly on the level of the brilliance of Mind Game for quite some time, his projects are always worth it for the visuals alone. Hopefully this series will not ultimately disappoint like Kaiba and Kemonozume did. Oh, and Michiru Oshima is providing the music! At least this time I will not have to worry about forcing myself to sit through a series just to hear her music like with So-Ra-No-Wo-To (though I never made it past episode two of that so-so show anyway). This is the third of of three series I plan on watching in their entirety.

And there you have it. A rather small plate of anime, but a manageable one at least. Expect to get some "first impressions" posts before too long.

Why Avatar Should NOT Have Won at the Golden Globes

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Folks who know me are probably aware that I was furious that Avatar won the "Best Picture - Drama" and "Best Director" Golden Globes over The Hurt Locker; and here I will tell you why I was (and still am) quite upset over Avatar's wins.

First of all, let me set the record straight: Though it may seem like it, I do not hate Avatar. On the contrary, I actually liked the film quite a bit, though really just because of its groundbreaking technical merits. The problem I have is that it stole two awards from much more deserving films. My love for The Hurt Locker notwithstanding, I am going to give you three reasons why Avatar should not have won Best Picture. You can continue reading after the jump.

1) - Avatar was the weakest film to be nominated.

Forget about The Hurt Locker for a moment, and take a minute to look over the other three nominees in the Best Picture - Drama category. Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air are both far less flawed -- I have not yet seen Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire but have heard great things about it -- than Avatar. First of all, Avatar's story is nothing original. In fact, it follows a formulaic, predictable formula and does not say anything that has already been said many times before. Plus, the characterization is wooden, some of the acting is lacking verve, the villains are one-dimensional, and the dialogue is laughable in certain spots. In essence, the film does not have much of a plot, or rather, it does not have a very substantial plot.

Conversely, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, and Up in the Air are all far more substantial when compared to Avatar. Starting with The Hurt Locker, the plot is original and unpredictable, the film is well-acted around the board, and the dialogue is sharp. You could say the same things about both Inglourious Basterds, and Up in the Air. Up in the Air does not have much of a plot really, but the story it tells is very a timely one indeed. Avatar has next to none of the other films' merits when it comes to substance, making it the weakest film to be nominated by far. That said, it should not have won the award. My fanboy love of The Hurt Locker aside, if any other film had one the award besides Avatar, I would have been perfectly fine with it.

2) - Avatar really only has a couple things going for it.

That "thing" should come as no surprise to anyone: its special effects. There is no denying that Avatar's special effects are spectacular, but what else did it really have going for it? Sure James Horner's musical score helped things, but if you compare it to Horner's past works, it doesn't really sound any different. With that in mind, you cannot really count Horner's score, so that leaves the only the special effects and James Cameron's direction, which elevated the film to be more than the sum of its parts.

Avatar's special effects are definitely groundbreaking and certainly deserve to win numerous technical awards, but does its technical merits alone make it deserving of winning Best Picture? Absolutely not. One must look at the film as a whole, and as a whole it is deeply flawed. However, Cameron's direction did deserve to be nominated for Best Director, but his direction still did not hold a candle to Kathryn Bigelow's nearly flawless direction. Bigelow was definitely robbed in that category.

3) - Avatar should not have been nominated in the first place.

Taking the previous two points into account, there are several much more deserving films that could have easily been nominated in place of Avatar. Films like Duncan Jones's brilliant indie sci-fi Moon, or Jamin Winans's excellent directorial debut with Ink. There's also Ryan Fleck's and Anna Boden's Sugar, which is easily the best sports film of 2009. Even Neill Blomkamp's District 9 is more deserving of a nomination than Avatar, and Werner Herzog's fearless Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is also a better film than Avatar. The list goes on.

And there you have it. Those are my three reasons why Avatar should not have won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. All things considered, Avatar is not the best movie of the year -- not even close -- so why give it such an award, let alone nominate it over far better films? The HFPA apparently has no shame for having given the award to such an undeserving movie, let alone nominating it in the first place.

Whether or not Avatar will also win Best Picture at the Academy Awards still remains to be seen; but if the Academy has any sense of decency, it will only give Avatar the technical awards it so very much deserves and give the overall quality awards to films that actually do deserve them. Films like The Hurt Locker, for instance.

Durarara!! | BroEl's First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:20:00 +0000

Given the fact that this will be the only series I will be following this season, it appears as if I will be doing my own first impressions of this series as well. Upon hearing that this series was done by pretty much the same talents that brought us Baccano!, it was an absolute must that I check out this series. Heck, it's an absolute must for anyone who liked Bacccano!

Mikado's comments upon hearing of the Russian-African-American who works for a Russian Sushi store in Tokyo. One of the series' most amusing moments, amongst many.

Basically, if you haven't been able to tell by now based off of the comments above, this first episode was full of plenty of amusing, hysterical, and just plain fun moments. Pretty much all things you would come to expect from the Baccano! guys. The way the plot has set itself up based off of this first episode is much, much different from the way the first episode of Baccano! set up it's insanely, wildly structured plot, so it probably won't be quite as insane as Baccano! was in that aspect. It's definitely a lot more straightforward, and you actually know what's going on this time around, even if everything about it has set itself up in a very shady way with a lot of mystery and intrigue about it. So we don't know very much about anything at this point, basically, but it is easy enough to follow at this point. Even still though, the episode was full of it's fair share of very wacky and crazy moments.

Much like JayGee already said in his post, Some of my favorite moments had to come with the winks and nudges at other Brains Base productions. They blasted out onto the scene with Baccano! in 2007, followed up with Spice and Wolf in early 2008, and latter in 2008 cemented their excellency as an animation studio with Natsume Yuujin-Chou. And now with Durarara!! they are quite impressively working their way up as one of the greats. So it's really quite the enjoyable site to see them making references like these at this stage in their development. It especially fits in a series like this, which is sure to have more and more of these kinds of wacky moments in the future, especially if it's anything like Baccano!.

Despite what I said above about the kind of mystery and intrigue this episode sets up though, I will also agree with what JayGee said in the sense that it didn't really pull me right in right off the bat. Although also like he said, neither did Baccano!. Sort of in the same light as Baccano!, given the fact that we don't know much about what's going on right now, so given that fact it is naturally that hard to be drawn into it at first. Yet at the same time it's not quite in the same light given that in this case it's more of a shady, mysterious and intriguing rather than a really confusing, yet really interesting way to start the series. I will say though that if Durarara!! has anything going for it in it's first episode that Baccano! didn't, that would be just how wacky and amusing it's been right from the start, whereas Baccano! didn't really get into that until it's second episode.

I'll also be one to pretty much agree with everything said about the OP and ED. Once again the ED is nothing special (though a bit more catchy and upbeat than the Baccano! ED), but the OP being cut and animated in the same light as the Baccano! OP was, it's sure to be an instant classic in my book. Not quite as well done as the Baccano! OP in my opinion, and the song not quite as great as Paradise Lunch's jazzy Guns 'N Roses tune, but a good catchy rockin' J-Rock song that has me liking it quite a bit.

Definitely looking forward to more of this series, and hoping it'll turn out to be every bit as excellent as Baccano! was. If it does, we may very well already have one of 2010's best series this early in the game. (With Despera still to release this year, of course.)

Durarara!! | First Impressions

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:44:00 +0000

Durarara!!, a series that I have been looking forward to for months now, is finally here. Does it live up to the hype? Well, it's a bit too early to tell, but I do like what I am seeing so far. Especially from the Headless Rider. Man alive, she is so badass.

I wouldn't want to be this guy. A face full of rubber? OUCH!

The first episode didn't bowl me over, as it was pretty laid back; so like with Baccano!, it will probably take another episode or two before I completely warm up to it. Even so, the episode has laid a good foundation, since Masaomi (and the conversation in the chat room) pretty much gave us a rundown on a good chunk of the parties involved. There are other things that don't make sense yet either, but that's not a bad thing. Rather, it makes me more interested to see what happens next, given the plot summary on ANN.

Plot summary (from ANN): Ryuugamine Mikado is a boy who longs for the exciting life of the big city. At the invitation of his childhood friend Masaomi, he transfers to a school in Ikebukuro. Masaomi has warned him about people he doesn't want to cross in the city: a champion fighter, an informant, and a mysterious gang called "Darazu." Nervous from Masaomi's stories, Mikado witnesses an urban legend on his first day in the city, the Headless Rider astride a black motorcycle. From then on, the existence of supernatural cases and a gang called the Yellow Turbans will rise to the surface, and Ikebukuro will pushed to the breaking point.

No idea why ~~Horo~~ Holo is there. Its not like Brains Base has dealt with her before or anything.

The opening sequence is in the same vein as Baccano! in terms of editing, and once again they've chosen a great song. The terrible ending theme leaves a lot to be desired, however. The production values are excellent, and the sound design on the Headless Rider's motorcycle is quite impressive. I also loved the touch of Baccano! playing on a big screen in the shopping district, along with the Holo stand-up that Mikado bumps into and apologizes to, thinking it was an actual person.

I love the kitty ears on the Headless Rider's helmet, but this guy probably doesn't share my feelings.

Looking forward to more of Durarara!!, as it is off to a solid start.

So-Ra-No-Wo-To | First Impressions

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:49:00 +0000

The winter anime season is officially underway now that I've watched the first episode of So-Ra-No-Wo-To, and I am pleased to report that I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's nothing extraordinary, mind you, but still very charming all the same.

Any girl with a love of caramel is A-OK in my book.

The story is centered upon Kanata Sorami, a girl who joins the army in hopes of learning to play the bugle. She has been assigned to the "Time-Keeping Fortress," which is the garrison of the 1221st Platoon of the Helvetia Army in Seize, Trois. The base is inhabited by four other girls, though we only get to know Sergeant Rio Kazumiya in the first episode.

Holy moly! This guy's driving just might rival Ms. Yukari's!

Kanata has a problem in which she gets lost very easily, but she finds getting lost to be fun because she gets to meet people she doesn't know. While in the process of reporting to the fortress, she gets caught up in the town's water festival, getting drenched and also soiling her uniform in the process. Rio and an elderly woman take Kanata in and help her get cleaned up before sending her off to the fort. Rio also tells Kanata about the origins of the water festival.

The mythological side of this series sets a nice tone.

Kanata, not surprisingly, gets lost again, having to be "rescued" by Rio a second time. Kanata quickly learns that Rio just so happens to be her music instructor, and the episode ends on a hilarious note (pun intended), as Kanata attempts to play a wake-up call at the behest of Rio and fails miserably.

Kanata is no musical prodigy, apparently.

When it comes to the production values, they are rock-solid. The character designs, though a bit unpolished, are still appealing and the backgrounds are gorgeous. The animation, though not top-notch, is still above average, and Michiru Oshima's score (what little we hear of it) leaves a favorable impression. You can't go wrong with an opening theme by Kalafina, and the ending theme is the usual upbeat, cutesy tune that befits a series with majorly female characters like this one.

Rio, on the other hand, plays beautifully.

All in all, the first episode gets So-Ra-No-Wo-To off to a promising start. Though not much actually happens, the mythological foundation, charming lead, and other subtleties here and there make for a good beginning. Time will tell if the writing is up to the task of actually going somewhere with said promise. Given the predominantly female cast, the animation sequence of the closer, and the little bits we see of the other platoon members, this series could still very well descend into "moé-blob" status. Let's just hope that it doesn't.

A Somewhat Belated Winter 2010 Anime Preview

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:30:00 +0000

This is a little bit late, but I still thought I'd let you fine readers know what new anime I'll be checking out this season.

THE LINEUP

Considering how many anime interested me in the Fall, this Winter lineup is downright shameful. In fact, there are only four (maybe five, and that's a BIG "maybe") shows on this list that interest me, and only one of them is a must-watch. The rest are series I'm checking out just for the heck of it.

Durarara!!

Being a huge fan of Baccano!, Durarara! is the very definition of a "no-brainer." Not only is Durarara! from the same creator, the anime is also being produced by the very same staff as well! Yup, this anime is a definite must-watch. Though it will be difficult to top Baccano!, Durarara! should (hopefully) be damn good as well, if what Andrew Cunningham has said about the original novels is any indication.

Katanagatari

Considering that I avoided Bakemonogatari because Akiyuki Shinbo directed it (I hate the guy with a passion), I was relieved to find out that Shinbo is not involved with Katanagatari in any way shape or form. That means it is "safe" for me to watch. Not sure what to expect, but hopefully I'll like it.

Hanamaru Kindergarten

I'm watching Hanamaru Kindergarten for two reasons, and two reasons alone. (1) It's by GAINAX, making it worth at least a cursory look. (2) Seiji Mizushima is directing. I'm hoping that it will surprise me, but I'm not all that optimistic.

So-Ra-No-Wo-To

The character designs remind me of K-ON!, so that got my attention. That doesn't mean that this series will definitely be moé, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. The premise is moderately interesting as well; and the music should be excellent, considering the fact that it is being provided by Michiru Oshima. Hopefully the music doesn't end up as Sa-Ra-No-Wo-To's only redeeming quality, but again, I'm not very optimistic.

The first episode of this is already out, by the way, so I'll watch it soon and post my first impressions shortly thereafter.

Dance in the Vampire Bund (MAYBE)

Why is this series a "maybe," you ask? The answer is simple: Akiyuki Shinbo is directing. Why then, am I even including it on this list, you ask? Well, considering that only one of these shows seems to be a sure thing, I may pick up Dance in the Vampire Bund as a result of boredom. Like with Bakemonogatari, I was very interested in watching this series before Shinbo got involved. At least with this series, I have a manga to fall back on if the only thing I don't like about the anime is Shinbo's perpetually annoying excesses. We'll have to see how it goes.

If anything, I can always catch up on the always excellent Cross Game.

Yup, that's the extent of my preview. Pretty pathetic, huh? Blame it on my ever-increasing selectiveness in combination with the ever-decreasing creativity/quality of anime.

Jay Gee's Top Anime of 2009

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:57:00 +0000

BroEl's Top Anime of 2009

BroEl posted his own version a few days ago, and so I thought I'd write my own take of this topic as well using the same categories. Nothing against his list, but I thought I'd also share what I think were the best of 2009. Some of the titles may even overlap.

Best in Japan

2009 was a rather lackluster year in terms of overall quality, but that doesn't mean that there weren't any gems. Two of these made my Top 50 Anime of the 2000s.

#5 - Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

I didn't know what to expect coming into this series -- no, that's not correct, I actually did expect something. I expected this to be a blockbuster disaster title in the vein of larger-than-life movies like The Day After Tomorrow. Boy, was I ever wrong.

What I like most about this series is the fact that it is character-driven. Rather than focusing on the disaster element (in which BONES put a lot of painstaking effort into portraying), instead it focused on the human element. This made the series far more grounded than one might think, resulting in a series that actually ended up being quite the breath of fresh air.

#4 - Kūchū Buranko

While this ended up being a bit of a disappointment (it doesn't stand up all that well to the magnificent Mononoke), it still ended up being the most unique anime of 2009.

While the rotoscoping, colorful backgrounds, and other quirks are what made the series very unique, but it felt as though director Kenji Nakamura got too wrapped up in it all. The garish nature of the artistry distracts more than it helps, causing the storytelling itself to fall by the wayside in terms of overall quality. Though every episode is very entertaining to watch unfold (especially since they are all intersecting), there was something missing. They all lacked the necessary impact to make them memorable.

My misgivings aside, this is a series that I can still highly recommend. Just don't expect something on the level of Nakamura's brilliant prior works.

#3 - Cross Game

I love baseball, so it should come as no surprise that I love Cross Game. While the series is not complete yet, what I have seen so far is just too good to ignore. Mitsuru Adachi is a master at interweaving baseball and slice-of-life together into a very compelling package. Surprisingly, the best moments of this series are when baseball is NOT being played. The character interactions and subtle character development are excellent -- the baseball is just an added bonus. I really hope this is licensed, although the chances are probably slim at best.

#2 - Aoi Hana

This series desperately needs a sequel.

I love this series to death. It was easily my favorite anime of 2009 until the title at #1 came around and blew it away.

Being a fan of yuri (lesbian) anime, I went into this series expecting a series that would probably end up being a guilty pleasure. Little did I know that it would end up being exactly the opposite. The series isn't about the lesbianism, rather it is about the importance of relationships. This, combined with gorgeous production values, beautiful music, and sensitive direction from Kenichi Kasai, turned Aoi Hana into something far more substantial than its premise might suggest. This series had such a profound effect on me that I could not help but become completely enamored with it. So much so, that I was heartbroken when it ended with so much more story to tell. If I had the money, I would totally fund a sequel. Yes, I really do want more Aoi Hana that badly.

#1 - Summer Wars

No, you've got it wrong, Natsuki. You're #1, not #2.

Surprise, surprise. I bet nobody saw this one coming. Just like I did with its entry my Top 50 Anime of the 2000s series, I'll refer you to my review.

Best in North America

Given the current state of the industry, 2009 was actually a pretty darn good year for releases in North America. In fact, each and every one of these made my Top 50 of the 2000s.

#5 - Monster

I don't have much more to say about Monster than has already been said, so I'll simply implore you to watch it, as it is a must-see for just about any anime fan. Don't let the high episode count scare you off.

#4 - Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit

Media Blasters did us all a favor by rescuing this from Geneon. This is another show that everyone really needs to see, as Kenji Kamiyama and Production I.G did a superb job with this series. The visuals are breathtaking and the writing is nearly on par with them. If you have seen the complete anime series, be sure to read the second novel of the series, Guardian of the Darkness, which is just as fascinating. Hopefully Scholastic will continue to publish them, as I haven't heard anything about the third novel yet.

#3 - Ghost Hound

If you're a fan of anime that require you to use your brain, then this series is definitely for you. Watch it.

#2 - Shigurui: Death Frenzy

This and Ghost Hound are the only two anime I can think of in which I would say watching them with headphones is an absolute necessity. Why? Atmosphere, baby! Both series have some of the best sound production you'll ever find in the medium.

#1 - Baccano!

If you liked Baccano!, then be sure to catch Durarara!! on Crunchyroll.

Best Non-2009 Anime I Watched in 2009

I watched an awful lot of great anime this year, so narrowing it down to just five wasn't easy. Two of these made my Top 50 of the 2000s as well.

#5 - Giant Robo

Ho boy, this series is the epitome of the word "epic." Just watch it and you'll see. Not only did it require such a tremendous budget that it took 6 years(!) to release all seven episodes in Japan, the story is on a global scale with a sizable cast of characters to boot. Plus, it has to its credit the greatest soundtrack of all time when it comes to anime. Heck, it has one of the greatest scores in the history of film period! If you haven't seen Giant Robo yet, you really, really should -- no, you MUST.

#4 - Patlabor 2: The Movie

I watched the entirety of the original Patlabor OVA series and the first two movies this year, but the second film is easily the standout of the bunch. In fact, it's Mamoru Oshii's best film to date.

The OVA series and even the first film are great on their own, but they still pale terribly in comparison to Patlabor 2: The Movie. While Oshii does his fair share of philosophizing in this film, his philosophy works its way into the plot quite seamlessly, and he makes some strong points too. Also, the film is beautifully executed. The transition into martial law is my favorite sequence in the entire movie and one of the most memorable anime scenes ever.

If you haven't seen Patlabor, start with the original OVAs, then watch the first two movies. They are the quintessential Patlabor -- you can watch the TV series, its OVA follow-up, and the third movie if you want; but you probably don't need to. Save for perhaps the third movie, I never plan on watching any of the rest of the franchise myself. I personally believe that there's no need to do so.

#3 - The Wings of Honneamise

The finest anime GAINAX ever produced -- well, save for FLCL -- is, interestingly enough, the first one they EVER made. Sadly, it is probably one of their least-talked about titles.

For one, it has an awful track record of releases in North America, the most recent being the ghastly overpriced Bandai Visual USA release. Secondly, having been made 23 years ago, it is very "old" by the standards of many anime fans today who won't give anime made before the 1990s even a passing glance. I'm not saying every fan is like this -- I'm even guilty of this a little myself, having not seen a considerable amount of pre-90s anime in comparison to 90s and beyond -- but it seems that almost every fan I meet has never even heard of this exquisite gem, which is a shame.

Still though, many people who have seen this film realize just how great it really is. Despite its age, it still ranks amongst anime's best when it comes to production values, and the story is a timeless one that will resonate with most anyone. Watch this film for yourself and you'll see why it is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime films ever made. Rent it if you can't procure Bandai Visual USA's release for cheap.

#2 - Mind Game

If another anime film ever manages to top Mind Game's smorgasbord of impressive visuals, that will be the day.

#1 - FLCL

As I said earlier, FLCL is GAINAX's crowning achievement. How fitting that FUNimation announced today that they have "rescued" it. Do they rock or what? Now I'll finally be able to own it at an affordable price point, and on Blu-ray to boot.

And there you have it, folks. Chiyo-chan seems to be pretty pleased with this list, even though her series isn't on it. Not that I can help it, I watched Azumanga Daioh back in 2006 (or was it 2007?). Anyway, I should really watch it again some time.

Until next time ...

BroEl's Top Anime of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (BroEl) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:02:00 +0000

Jay Gee's Top Anime of 2009

This was a tradition I decided I'd start last year with a note I wrote on Facebook, and with the growing success of this blog (and much, much more of a presence by me too boot) I've decided to move it over here. Basically I've come up with what I think are the 5 best anime series of the year in 3 categories, those being series released in Japan, series released in the U.S., and series I personally watched over the course of this past year. The first two were meant to avoid any confusion, considering anime does indeed release on two different fronts and all, and the last was one I personally decided to add as a nostalgic reflection back to my anime experiences over the past year. I'll also write a short (or at least attempted to be short anyways, heh heh ^_^' ) review of my thoughts on the series, and will also be adding honorable mentions to each category as well. Also added this year, being on this blog and all of course, will be ANN's plot summary and pictures to go along with the series being mentioned, so as to give you more of an insight to what I'm talking about.

I'm also going to try and play less favorites this year and try to focous more on what I really did think were the best series. Of course favorites will still play a huge part in it, as they always do in lists like this, but I did feel like last year I got a bit too biased with my list in that sense, and I ended up not giving nearly enough credit to series that I really do feel like credit was due.

So, without further ado, let's get this party started!!

Anime Released In Japan

#5 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Plot Summary From ANN: Two brothers lose their mother to an incurable disease. With the power of "alchemy", they use taboo knowledge to resurrect her. The process fails, and as a toll for using this type of alchemy, the older brother, Edward Elric loses his left leg while the younger brother, Alphonse Elric loses his entire body. To save his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm and is able to affix his brother's soul to a suit of armor. With the help of a family friend, Edward receives metal limbs - "automail" - to replace his lost ones. With that, Edward vows to search for the Philosopher's Stone to return the brothers to their original bodies, even if it means becoming a "State Alchemist", one who uses his/her alchemy for the military.

When this companion (rather than sequel, pretty much) to the all time classic original FMA series was first announced, there was part of me that was admittedly a bit nervous. Of course being the all out FMA fan that I am, I had far more excitement and intrigue into the idea of it than I did doubts, and me being the ever most optimist wanted to believe I had nothing to worry about. Basically I was as worried as others that it was going to be an actual sequel, which really is not necessary by any means whatsoever, considering how well even the original series wrapped up, nonetheless the completely unnecessary movie sequel Conqueror of Shambala. But much to my pleasure of hearing, it instead was going to be a more to the T adaptation of the FMA manga. Which, much like lots of FMA fans out there, had been something I was hoping for for a good long while. I think it's when I found this out that I ended up having nothing but high hopes for it.

At first I wasn't too sure as to whether or not it would though, because of how horridly it was rushing through the first part of the series and really missing what made those parts so powerfully special. But I guess when you think about it, it really comes down to the fact that the manga kind of rushed through all of that in the first place. In a different sense mind you, because Hiromu Arakawa did indeed have more story in store for us latter on that would cover pretty much all of this stuff more in-depth, unlike the anime, which had to make every bit as compelling a story in a shorter amount of time. In this case it was pretty much all a matter of skimming right through a brief introduction to all of those events to get to the stuff we don't know about yet, that of course being the manga material. Of course none of this is to say that the rushed through material didn't have it's moments of brilliance as well (though no where near on the level of the original series), but about to the point where it started covering the manga material, that's where it started to get much, much more excellently well handled. Unfortunately that's about where I ended up loosing track of following the series, but I did see enough of it and heard enough of what other people were saying about it to pretty much determine it was headed on the right track. Now I guess it's all pretty much a matter of whether or not we'll have to worry about it catching up with the source material, which is still as far as we're concerned not yet close to completion, seeing as how we haven't heard a thing about it.

#4 Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Plot Summary From ANN: The premise of the project is the 70% or higher possibility that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake will occur in Tokyo in the next 30 years. The anime will depict what would happen if an 8.0 earthquake took place. The story will center on Mirai, a middle school freshman girl who goes to Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba Island for a robot exhibition with her brother Yutaka at the start of summer vacation. A powerful tremor emanates from an ocean trench, the famed Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge crumble and fall, and the landscape of Tokyo changes in an instant. With the help of a motorcycle delivery woman named Mari who they meet on Odaiba, Mirai and Yutaka strive to head back to their Setagaya home in western Tokyo.

You'll probably see a re-occurring theme in that I don't seem to have watched as far into most of these as I would have liked too, heh heh. ^_^' But that's pretty much been my anime watching habits since I started going back to school. Nevertheless though, even though that's also true about this series, I was still able to tell enough about it as one worthy of recognition, if only for it's premise alone. I had found it an interesting idea to explore the idea of an 8.0 Richter Scale earthquake in Tokyo in what seemed to be a more disaster movie-esque setting. And with Studio Bones, my favorite anime company in charge of the whole deal, it was bound to be quite the excellent series.

It took a while to really get going, as pretty much all natural disaster-themed stories such as this one typically do. I didn't really see enough of it to determine at what point it did start picking up more, or whether or not it did, but even in the early goings I saw a good sized amount of potential for it to delve into some pretty interesting themes and situations with the characters when it was setting up those situations in the very beginning. Definitely set up some great promise for an excellent series, that's for sure.

#3 CANAAN

Plot Summary From ANN: Two years ago, Shibuya was ravaged by a biological terrorist attack using the deadly Ua virus. Maria Osawa was saved when her father inoculated her against the virus, but is left with partial amnesia from the shock. Now working as a cameraman, she reunited with her friend Canaan in Hong Kong. Canaan is an assassin gifted with synesthesia, and she's being targeted by the terrorist squad Snake. Meanwhile, numerous groups converge on Hong Kong, all after either Canaan or Maria.

Once again didn't see enough of this series to make a fair enough judgement of it, but I can tell you this: In the early goings, I was honestly already considering CANAAN to be one of the best, if not the best series of the year. It was handled by Sword of the Stranger director Masahiro Ando, which based off of that fact alone could tell you that this was going to be one heck of an anime series. And based off of what I saw of it, boy was it ever! Much like Sword of the Stranger, it was a series full of some of the slickest, most amazingly well choreographed and well animated fight sequences you'll ever see, and Ando's direction style really added onto that as well. If anything it was the most fast paced, most exciting and entertaining series of the year, no doubt. I was also very impressed at just how well written this series was as well. Especially in some of the more comedic dialog, which really exceeded the kind of comedy you typically do find in an anime series. The story itself, at least at the time anyways, was shrouded too much in mystery and intrigue for me to tell much about it early on, but that in and of itself was what told me that it was already from that point bound to be a dang epic one. It also had some very likable and very entertaining characters as well. All in all what can you say, this is one of those series that just seems to have it all that makes for a good, highly entertaining series.

#2 Eden of the East

Plot Summary From ANN: On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash.

Essentially there was one name associated with this series that immediately told me this one was going to be a must see. And that name was Kenji Kamiyama, who is also well known for his work on such series as Moribito: Guardian of the Sacred Spirit and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Which, based on that track record, meant that his latest work was a sure thing to be nothing less than an excellent piece of work. And it really was. It was when I first saw the trailer to this series that I was in awe enough of it to have those high hopes for it confirmed, and right from the very first episode was I extremely impressed. From the extraordinary realism of what Washington D.C. really is like to the actual use of English voice actors to portray American characters to what is undoubtedly, along with CANAAN and Kuchu Buranko, one of the most well animated series of the year, it was just oozing with promise. Not to mention what is probably the best opening sequence of the year, nonetheless one of the best I've ever seen. It helps of course that the song was done by one of my favorite bands in Oasis, but the actual animation sequence to it was extrodanarily impressive as well. The whole OP was so much so that it most certainly requires me posting it on here:

This was also the only series on this particular list that I actually ended up watching from beginning to end as well, so I do have more of an assessment of how the story went. The premise in and of itself was quite the interesting setup, with a very espionage, very Bourne Trillogy-esque idea going for it. Which made for a very interesting development in plot week in and week out, as we only new as much about what was going on as the two main characters, Saki and Akira; one just an average Japanese teenage high school girl on her school trip to Washington D.C., the other some sort of agent for some sort of organization that he seems to have absolutely no memory of whatsoever. And of course in the typical Kamiyama fashion, the plot ended in a very excellently satisfying way. For the longest time, both this and CANAAN were constantly at odds end with what I would consider the best series of the year, until of course our number one series made it's way just this past fall:

#1 Kūchū Buranko (Trapeze)

Plot Summary From ANN: Irabu Ichiro is a psychiatrist who lives in a colorful alternate version of Tokyo. Patients would visit him to have a counseling on their problems. However each of the patients feel perplex about Ichiro's behavior. Ichiro wears a bear head mask & is able to change change his appearance from an adult to a kid. Despite Ichiro's zealous attitude, he does succeed in helping out each of the patients who come to his office.

Undoubtedly with the creators of the absolutely masterful work of art that is Mononoke, this was sure to be nothing less than the best series of the year, nonetheless one of the better ones out there altogether. If there's any series this year that I regret not being able to follow through to the end, it is without a doubt this one. Nonetheless, with it's episodic nature, it was easy enough to get the picture of what makes this series so special. It has a very light hearted, very comical feel to it, and yet at the same time so very meaningfully deep and analytical as it explores the issues pertaining to each of the patients and the ways in which Ichiro provides for them to deal with them. As a matter of fact most of the series bases it's ways in which it analyzes these depths through it's very comical and light hearted means in a very ingeniously innovative and symbolic way. One of the things that really makes this series for me the most is the absolute visual masterpiece that it is, which you'd expect no less from the creators of Mononoke, which also has an animation style unlike any other I've ever seen. It's always a refresher to see a series like this come out every once in a while, which unfortunately isn't as often as it really should be.

And even though I've already done it time and time again, I still feel the need to post both the OP and ED to this series on here, as they are without a doubt my favorites of the season! XD

Honorable Mentions: Natsume Yuujin-cho Second Season, Spice and Wolf II, Dragonball Kai, Shangri-la

Anime Released in the U.S.

#5 Sword of the Stranger

Plot Summary From ANN: Hunted by the Mings from China, young Kotaro and his dog meet a nameless samurai ("Nanashi") who is constantly being haunted by dreams of the past which lead him to seal his sword. Among the Mings is a fiercesome Western fighter named Rarou, who desires only to find a worthy opponent. When both groups clash with a Sengoku-era feudal lord, a proud general, and monks torn between faith and survival, the reason behind the Mings' pursuit tests the bond between Kotaro and Nanashi.

This year I've decided to not just include series, but movie releases as well, which I regrettably also did not open myself up to last year. And with a dang awesome, dang impressive movie like this one, how on earth could I not? 8-) This movie marked my very first experience with anime in a theatrical setting back in February when it had it's one night theatrical showing nation wide, and it just so happened to be showing in a theater very close by and easily accessible from where I live. With that said, and with the ravings about this movie in a created thread specifically for it a few years ago by someone who was obviously being an excessively exited fanboy, I obviously could not say no to the opportunity. I will admit I wasn't expecting much at first, probably due in part to just how fanboyish the guy seemed but also because he was mostly going on about how extraordinarily well animated, well choreographed, and just how dang awesome in the first place this film indeed is. I was mostly going into it expecting not much more than that. But not only did I get all of that, and on a level I honestly wasn't quite expecting to boot, but even the story itself was very impressively solid and the scripting very impressively well written. So much so in fact that a good portion of the enjoyability of this film had a lot to do with just listening to the dialog or watching certain sequences of events unfold. There really isn't much more to say about this film as I already said about CANAAN above, because both being by the same director, naturally Sword of the Stranger is great for all the same reasons as it is. It also has one of my more favorite soundtracks in an anime series/film I've ever heard as well, one in which I'd more than adore to have in my collection. I'm glad I was able to pick up the DVD for this when I went to Anime Banzai back in October. A definite must in any collection.

#4 Clannad/After Story

Plot Summary From ANN: Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student resentful of his life. His mother passed away from a car accident when he was younger, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. This results in fights between the two until Tomoya's shoulder is injured in a fight. Since then, Tomoya has had distant relationships with his father, causing him to become a delinquent over time. While on a walk to school, he meets a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older, but is repeating due to illness. Due to this, she is often alone as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin hanging out and slowly, as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction.

After Story Plot Summary From ANN: A sequel to the recently wrapped anime based on the Key Clannad franchise. After Story is a path that opens in the original visual novel after all the other paths have been opened.

Life continues on for Tomoya. A few months have passed since he confessed his love to Nagisa. Now entering the second semester, he continues to meet a variety of different people, expanding his own world in the process. As well, Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship begins to enter a level of intimacy unlike before. Through his relationship with Nagisa, and his various encounters, Tomoya begins to understand the meaning and importance of family. Unfortunately, as Tomoya and Nagisa begin their own family together, they are faced with many hardships and challenges along the way.

I decided to put both these series in the same spot because, well, quite frankly, it's the idea of the entire story as a whole that intrigues me about this series. Unfortunately I've only seen the first two episodes of the first series, of which I actually haven't been very impressed at all. It's mostly upon reading the plot descriptions a friend of mine posted on his blog about both the first series and After Story that makes me want to put this series up here. Typically this isn't really the kind of series that fits my personal tastes. In fact I usually do well to avoid these kinds of series because of this fact. But I do believe that my friend has convinced me that this series is far from being the kind of experience you'd typically expect out of a series like that. Especially considering the added aspect of the existence of it's sequel, After Story, who's premise in the first place is one of the more intriguing things I find about this series. Basically it doesn't just go through the process of focusing on the idea of typical teenage high school romances and the whole "happily ever after" fallacy like most series of it's kind typically tend to do, but it focuses on the process of being in love as a whole, from the time you first meet, to all the drama surrounding who you'll eventually end up with, to the moment in which you actually do end up with them, to the life you have together afterwards all the way up until the end. Just reading these plot descriptions in the first place made me come dangerously close to tearing up, who knows what actually sitting down and watching the series will do to me......... Which is quite impressive, given how I'm not one who's known to cry during movies/TV shows/ect.

#3 Ghost Hound

Plot Summary From ANN: Production IG's 20th Anniversary Project, Ghost Hound is set in the modest town of Suiten, located in a desolate region in the island of Kyūshū. The story follows the experiences of three boys who have had traumatic experiences in childhood from which they have learned to transfer their souls to a parallel world known as the "Unseen World". The Unseen World is however undergoing a change, with its ghosts starting to appear in the real world, altering it in unpredictable ways.

Ah yes, good old Ghost Hound. I have all sorts of fond memories of this series watching it back in it's fansub airing days, posting in it's weekly episode discussion thread on ANN with some of my good friends, getting bored when there wasn't a sub released for it yet and posting about all sorts of random crap. Ah yes, the good old days.... *sighs nostalgically*

Well all nostalgia aside, this series essentially is one heck of an epic collaboration of the screenwriting of Chiaki J. Konaka (Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain, Mononoke), the conceptualization of Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed) and the direction of Ryutaro Nakamura (Who both worked with Konaka on Lain as well as worked with Shirow's original concept in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, not to mention directed Kino's Journey as well). Needless to say, the potential for this series to be something real special were astronomical. And in many ways, it was. Along with the best sound direction you'll hear in an anime, the execution of this series in art and animation, pacing, direction style, ect. were nothing short of spectacularly brilliant. This series is essentially one of those psychological series that pretty much screws with your mind, something you'd naturally expect from two of the staff members of Lain on board. As a matter of fact there was a lot about this series that was very comparable to Lain in the first place, in story, themes and style. It isn't anywhere near as trippy, creepy or downright confusing as Lain is, but it certainly is very much so in it's own right. I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to grasp it's complex concepts though. In fact it's probably one of the more easy to understand series of it's kind out there. And of course, to boot, it had one of the most likeable casts of characters in an anime series as well. So much so that it compelled me and my friends to invent one epically awesome character out of the three main characters who we even created character designs for and everything. (Ah yes, Makotaruki, how could I forget! XD Anyways.... )

I did however have my fair share of disappointments about the ending of the series though. So much so that it took a mega hit as one of my top 25 favorite series, and probably kept it from ranking higher on this list as well. I completely agree with what JayGee said about it when he posted about it earlier, in that it really could have used more episodes to draw out it's ending quite a bit more, because it was just way too rushed to get any sort of a special or epic ending out of it that this series so very much deserves. Nevertheless, I'm as glad as ever that this series was able to get licensed and released stateside, despite all of our doubts about it ever happening. It'll definitely be on my long, long list of series I need to get in my collection sometime.

#2 Monster

Plot Summary From ANN: Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.

I was lucky enough that I started watching this series around the same time as it was announced that it would be not only released on DVD this fall, but also airing on SyFy. So as it would seem you'll be seeing this series in both categories (I didn't spoil it for you technically though, you still need to find out what spot it got, ha ha! :P ). I will probably reserve my comments on this series for then though, since there's not much I can say there that I can't here, and pretty much all of my memories from watching this series don't have to do with the fact that it was released stateside. For now I'll just express the fact that I really am happy to finally see the long awaited license and release of this series. Not only does it give me a chance to own what is now currently my #3 favorite series of all time on DVD (which I hopefully will be getting around to one of these times..... ), but it also gives more people a chance to delve into this extraordinarily compelling storyline via it's SyFy broadcast and realize the limitless potential anime really does have to tell a story of this caliber.

#1 Baccano!

Plot Summary From ANN: Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.

I still remember to this day the day I found out this series was released. I thought it was such an awesome phenomenon that I was just about brought to tears. This series has enough obscurity about it that no one essentially could have ever dreamed it was possible for it to be licensed. And with the first DVD having been released just barely back at the start of the year, it officially qualifies for this category. And I couldn't think of a better spot to put it than at the actual number one spot. This series is of just simply sheer high octane enjoyment unlike very many series out there are at all. It's exciting, entertaining, funny, well animated and has probably the most interestingly unique story structures of all time. Really, what more could you ask for from this series? The only thing that it seems to be lacking in my opinion is a real emotionally empowering kick to it, but that's just one thing amongst everything else that makes this series rank amongst some of my all time favorites.

It's 1920s american gangster premise is essentially one of the things I love most about it, but nothing intrigues me more about this series than it's plot structure. Based on what is literally explained in the first episode, it's kind of structured in a way that's quite similar to a newspaper reporter putting together elements of a news story. Events from different points of view from each of the characters, switching back and fourth between three timelines and a fourth for one episode, a first episode that is really more like the second to last episode and no real main character to grasp onto, but rather an entire ensemble of compelling and likable characters to follow. It's quite a bit overwhelming and can be very hard to grasp and follow if you're a first time viewer. But the more you pick up upon more multiple viewings, the more easy it is to make sense of all the insanity. Which it in and of itself is part of the fun of this series!

Honorable Mentions: Ponyo, Spice and Wolf, Shigurui: Death Frenzy, D.Gray-Man

Anime I Watched as a Whole

#5 Ergo Proxy

Plot Summary From ANN: In a future where the world has been ravaged by a nuclear apocalyse, there exists salvation in a domed city named "Romdeau", where humans and their android servants, the autoreivs, live in. Under the implementation of complete management control, it is a paradise where feelings are literally discarded, and the governing council dictates the way of life the citizens should live. But this utopian landscape is soon broken by a series of mystifying murders. Real Mayar, a female inspector from the Citizen Information Bureau, along with her autoreiv partner Iggy, are tasked to solve the murder cases. She is soon attacked by a creature drawn to her which is neither human nor android, and learns about the mysterious phenomena called "Awakening", an event which draws her further into the case...and to the world beyond the limits of Romdeau.

Originally this spot was reserved for Rahxephon, but then I considered the fact that not only did I start watching it last year, and not only do I believe it to have made my list last year, but I also wanted to fit other series up in here that would have not been included otherwise. So in which case, the otherwise #4 on my list gets pushed down to #5. It is quite a shame though, as I was hoping to give at least a little more credit to this series than that. It's a series that does have quite a bit of flaws, mostly in it's plotline, but also in the fact that it does tend utilize what I like to consider "psycho-bable" quite a bit too gratuitously. Nevertheless, despite some of those issues, it still excels at telling quite the compelling, quite the interesting story with some pretty fairly deep meanings in some of it's main themes as well. It's far from being quite the same psychological masterpiece that such series as Lain and Texhnolyze are, and it's not quite but fairly close to being the same kind of compelling epic masterpiece that Wolf's Rain, Last Exile or Fullmetal Alchemist are, but in and of itself it really is quite the compelling, interesting watch. It is slowly but steadily moving up my list of favorites.

#4 NieA_7

Plot Summary From ANN: In the 21st century, aliens have arrived on Earth and live among humans. In sleepy Enohana, the dirt-poor student Chigasaki Mayuko finds herself living together with NieA, a low-caste ("Under Seven") alien. While Mayuko struggles diligently to make ends meet, NieA seems to be totally unconcerned with the consequences of her actions. As the odd couple throws off the expected sparks, the wrecked alien mothership looms in the background...

Technically, much like Rahxephon, this was actually a series that I started watching in 2008. But unfortunately I ended up not liking the first four episodes of it that it ended up on my backlog of anime to watch in a very, very unfortunate position for it. I actually did kind of find it an interesting coincidence though that I ended up watching and finishing this series at almost an exact year from when I first started watching it, as well as the fact that both times it was when summer was in full swing, given the fact that the summer season had a lot to do with the expression of the deeper meanings of this series' main themes, come to think of it..... XD But in any case, given the fact that it didn't make any list at all on last year's list, and given the fact that I pretty much didn't start REALLY watching this series until 2009, I make an exception.

This is one of four series done by legendary anime creator Yoshitoshi ABE (Lain, Texhnolyze, Haibane Renmei). Of the four this one is probably the most mediocre, but given ABE's track record, that's really not saying much about that at all. It still remains to be a very, very excellently well handled, very deep and meaningful series, and even though it's tough for me to denote Texhnolyze's ranking as my second favorite ABE series behind Haibane Renmei, I still can't help but put Niea there instead. Because also out of the four ABE series, this one is far and above his most lighthearted, most comedic and all around his most laid back series as well. If I were to compare it to any two anime series out there, FLCL would be one of them do to it's comedic nature and how it relates to expressing the deeper meanings of the series' main themes. But at the same time, if anything, it's also more comparable to Haibane Renmei than anything else. The premise of the main themes and the particular kinds of people experiencing certain things in their life that it caters to are in so many ways so very similar. As I stated about my impressions of the first 4 episodes above, for about the first 6 or 7 episodes or so it is very slow to start, pretty much mostly focusing on the comedic aspects of this series in typical slice of life episodic fashion with the basic premise and main themes in their earliest stages if being set up. But once everything is all set up, by the second half it really starts delving very deep into those premises and main themes and ends up being one heck of a powerful, meaningful experience. And it's that aspect, as well as the specific aesthetics about it I mentioned above, that ranks it as high as it does amongst my favorites, and even gets it into the top 5 of this list.

#3 Monster

See Plot Summary Above.

Based on it's core storyline, Monster had every potential to be #1 on both this list and the series released in the U.S. list. And considering that also based on it's core storyline it has attained the #3 spot on my all time favorite series, if this were last year's list, it would have. Unfortunately one thing and one thing only keeps this series at both the spots that it does, and quite possibly probably the only flaw I see in this series in the first place. And that one thing would be pacing. This series really did not need to be 74 episodes long. I spent a very good portion of the last half of my summer mostly flying right through this series at an incredible pace, and even today I am STILL six episodes away from finishing it..... Normally a series' length doesn't bother me, so long as that length is not due to poor pacing. But in this case, there were so many almost filler like things that happened in the plotline that I could have easily seen it going for at least 50 episodes, probably even a bit less. Rest assured, there is no filler in this series. It follows the manga pretty much right down to a T. The issue lies in probably the one and only flaw within the geniusly thrilling storyline capabilities of manga-ka legend Naoki Urasawa. And that is the fact that he seems to be a bit too obsessed with sending the main characters on all these "side quests" of sorts in which the only purpose is to strengthen the emphasis on certain traits of said characters. In his other masterpieces he doesn't do this nearly as much as he does in Monster. And that has mostly to do with the fact that in it's particular case, Tenma is a tortured conflicted enough main character that Urasawa apparently feels the need to restore credibility to his stronger, more positive traits via this tactic.

Nonetheless, the core plotline in and of itself far more makes up for this flaw in such a very compelling way, quite possibly making it one of the best, if not the best series I've ever seen in this aspect. And it is in this aspect that Urasawa proves himself to be very well deserving of his title as one of the true masters of manga. This series draws you right in immediately from the first episode and just never seems to let you go. So much so in fact that I ended up watching the first 13 episodes in one go when I first started watching it. The first 9 episodes of this series is so eventful and so compelling that it almost feels like it could be a 26 episode series all to itself. Which essentially made me wonder how on earth there could still be 65 more episodes left of this. Granted a good portion of it was due to what I already mentioned above, but this series is so full of geniously well placed twists and turns, so full of mystery and intrigue to be explored, that it keeps you glued to the screen for as long as it possibly can, drawing you in and never letting go. In which case the fact that the basic setup of this series does indeed take 9 episodes to get through is by and far not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. It's a style I've also noticed in another masterpiece of his, one of my current favorite manga series in 20t Century Boys. You'd think that, based on the events of the first five volumes of that series, that would pretty much be the entire thing right there. But from a series I understand to be quite lengthy, and that even has a pretty lengthy sequel to boot, one can only imagine how many epically compelling twists and turns it has yet to take. He doesn't quite do that as much with another one of his masterpieces in Pluto, but given the fact that it is only 8 volumes long, that is kind of understandable. But still contains the same kinds of epically compelling twists and turns as Monster and 20thCB.

Given between the manga and the anime though, it's by means of the anime that you want to delve into this one. Not because of anything different that Urasawa already did himself, but rather because of a lot of the typical aesthetics you'd naturally expect an anime to bring to the table that the manga couldn't. And in this case, it really does make a difference in the kind of experience you end up having with it. Director Masayuki Kojima handles this series with so much mastery that a good portion of what makes this series so compelling to watch has to do with his vision of Urasawa's original storyline.

#2 Paranoia Agent

Plot Summary From ANN: An elementary school kid dubbed with the title "shounen bat" or "lil slugger" has been going around attacking people with his bent, golden bat. Now, two detectives are investigating so they can stop this kid from making any more attacks, but they will find out soon enough... that this case is much more than they expected.

This was a series I actually saw the first 2 episodes of way back when it first started airing on Adult Swim. And it was just so trippy, so strange and so much of a mind-screw that I just could not handle it at the time and dropped it immediately as a series I had officially decided I didn't like. But that was a time in which quite frankly, I just wasn't ready to take on a series like this. But in all reality, this isn't anywhere near as much of a mind-screw as other such psychological thrillers as Lain or Texhnolyze. And after I had seen those series and appreciated them for what they were, I was officially ready to take this one on again from the very beginning.

Essentially it's the fact that this series isn't nearly as much of a mind-screw as those other ones, and the fact that it's one in which I can easily grasp it's deeper meanings and it's plotline well enough hat actually does put it up into my top 10 favorite series. However, this series still remained to be qutie the odd little acid trip that you can expect out of such directors as the legendary Satoshi Kon, and that is something in which I've had such a great appreciation for over the years that ended up basically becoming my favorite thing about it. Probably the only strike I'd throw at this series is the fact that it probably actually needed to be longer than it was, given that there was much about the plotline and much about some of the ideas that Kon wanted to express that was just too much for only 13 episodes, and as a result the plot was a bit messier then it should have been. But that's just one minor flaw in a series that ended up being such an incredible and compelling experience. It's more psychological aspects is what keeps you not wanting to overload yourself with it, but the sheer amount of exciting and mindblowing twist and turns it takes is what keeps you wanting to watch more and more, even though you know you shouldn't if you don't want your brain to turn to mush, heh heh. :P It's final concluding twist at the end is one that's predictable enough that you can see it coming even from the first episode, but the experience of watching this series come to that point is what makes it so worthwhile. Or in other words, "it's not WHAT happens, it's HOW it happens." ;)

#1 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Plot Summary From ANN: When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

It's movies like this one (and like Pale Cocoon, which regrettably didn't make last year's list because of my failure to open myself up to putting movies on it back then..... ;_; ) that makes me so very happy I decided to open myself up to it this year. Though all time favorites like some of my favorite Miyazaki films (Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, Spirited Away) as well as a wicked awesome psychological action thriller like Akira have such places in my heart that unfortunately I can't find myself putting this up there as one of my all time favorite anime movies, I most certainly acknowledge it as one of the all time best, that's for sure.

The kind of movie this is, as I've mentioned before, is one that I typically don't tend to show very much interest in, as it doesn't really fit my personal tastes all that much. Which is why I'm so surprised I ended up loving it as much as I did. I think it mostly has to do with the sheer fact that it's directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who just based off of this one film has me convinced he is one of the best out there. It was just so beautifully well done in ways that really touched me with it's very profound main theme and made me feel for the characters in ways that I just couldn't help but fall in love with, and in the end proclaim it as the best anime I watched this year. And as such I do feel compelled to make an effort to hunt down more titles from this director as well to solidify him as one of the best more so than I already have.

Honorable Mentions: Planets, Fruits Basket, Azumanga Daioh, Infinite Rivyus, Flag

Good grief indeed, that was so much harder than I thought it would be!!

Seriously. You have no idea how much trouble I went through trying to get this thing done amongst a bustlingly busy past three days...... Now I have an even greater respect for JayGee for taking on his 50 greatest series of the past decade list, heh heh. ^_^' Nonetheless, it was definitely well worth it, and I loved every second of it. Like I said before, I do hope to make this a lasting tradition of mine, and I look forward to doing it again next year. But for now, I wish you all a happy and save New Year, and best of wishes for 2010.

Top 50 Anime of the 2000s, Final Part: #5 - #1

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:35:00 +0000

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We've made it. The tenth and final chapter of ArizUtaku's "Top 50 Anime of the 2000s" is finally here. Before I begin with the final 5, however, let's recap titles 50 through 6 of this illustrious list.

50 - Natsume Yūjin-Chō & Zoku Natsume Yūjin-Chō
49 - Ninja Nonsense
48 - Ouran High School Host Club
47 - Aoi Hana
46 - Ef - a tale of memories & Ef - a tale of melodies
45 - Black Lagoon & Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage
44 - Hellsing Ultimate
43 - SaiKano
42 - Hajime no Ippo (First Season)
41 - Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor
40 - Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea
39 - Last Exile
38 - Baby Blue
37 - Le Chevalier D'Eon
36 - Kino's Travels - the Beautiful World: Byouki no Kuni -For You-
35 - Paprika
34 - Princess Tutu
33 - One Piece: Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima
32 - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (First Season)
31 - Honey and Clover & Honey and Clover II
30 - Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
29 - Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
28 - The Twelve Kingdoms
27 - Den-noh Coil
26 - Gurren Lagann
25 - Eve no Jikan
24 - Planetes
23 - Monster
22 - Kino's Journey
21 - Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
20 - Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit
19 - Paranoia Agent
18 - Ghost Hound
17 - RahXephon
16 - Tokyo Godfathers
15 - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex & Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG
14 - Shigurui: Death Frenzy
13 - Wolf's Rain
12 - Toradora!
11 - Spirited Away
10 - Mushi-Shi
9 - Baccano!
8 - Haibane Renmei
7 - Millennium Actress
6 - Mind Game

Seeing all of these titles together just blows my mind. There really have been a lot of terrific anime this decade, haven't there?

Now, without further ado, let's count down the top 5 anime of the 2000s!

#5 - Pale Cocoon

At #5 is the melancholy but powerful Pale Cocoon, which is the finest work to date from writer/director Yasuhiro Yoshiura.

Plot Summary (from ANN): A future where the continuity of history has broken off, a world of enormous ruins that continues endlessly. Oceans and continents have vanished, existing only within the archives brought up from the remains. Ura works in the Archive Excavation Department, which restores and analyzes the data left behind. One day, he finds a disturbing visual record...

It's amazing what one can accomplish in a mere half hour of film and Yoshiura really achieved something very special with Pale Cocoon. He's since proven that he is definitely a master of the short story with Eve no Jikan, but Pale Cocoon was the anime that put him on the map for me.

This very melancholy short film had a profound effect on me when I first watched it, and I am sure anyone else who watches it and "gets it" will also have their eyes opened to the genius that is Yasuhiro Yoshiura. Everything he's done has been great, but Pale Cocoon is by far the best with its piercing and poignant message. That said, I doubt any short anime film will top this tremendous piece or intelligent cinema. Well, maybe Yoshiura can top his own work, though it will be very difficult.

#4b - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Leaping into position at #4b -- Wait, what? 4b? What the heck? -- is the wonderful The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. (I'll explain the 4b/4a thing momentarily.)

Plot Summary (from ANN): When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realizes that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

This is another one of those movies that will always hold a special place in my heart, being the first Mamoru Hosoda film I ever watched. It is such a charming, heartwarming movie that was expertly directed by one of the best anime directors of this generation. Its simple message of accepting the regrets of your past in order to move forward and become a better person becomes quite powerful in Hosoda's hands, especially given the whimsical nature of the first half of the film before the darker, more hard-hitting later stages of the movie take over. Makoto struggles with the consequences of her time-traveling actions (she'd been cleaning up certain aspects of her past and had lost focus on the bigger picture) and eventually realizes that very thing -- that you can't dwell on the past, all you can do is move forward. This is something we all should do, no matter how hard it may be.

#4a - Summer Wars

Taking up the other half of the #4 position is Mamoru Hosoda's most recent (and arguably his best) film, Summer Wars.

Plot Summary (from ANN): When timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by older student and secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family’s Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees without hesitation. Natsuki’s family, the Jinnouchi clan, dates back to the Muromachi era, and they’ve all come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spunky matriarch of the family, Sakae. That’s when Kenji discovers his “summer job” is to pretend to be Natsuki’s fiancé and dance with her at the birthday celebration. As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki’s act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can’t resist solving. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious equation causes a bizarre parallel world to collide with Earth, and it’s up to Kenji and his new fake family to put reality back in order.

I watched this superb film after I had already began on this project, and so I was forced to turn this into a "Top 50 + 1" list because there was no way I was going to leave out Summer Wars. How could I leave out what overtook The Girl Who Leapt Through Time as my #1 favorite anime film of all time? Problem was, I'd published a few posts already, meaning I couldn't really go back and change them. Because of this, I decided to split the #4 slot into "4a" and "4b." Seeing as how the two films are somewhat related, and how I also love them almost equally, putting them in the same slot works well enough.

For my thoughts on Summer Wars, look no further than my recent write-up of the film.

#3 - FLCL

Guitar-bashing its way to the #3 spot is FLCL.

Plot Summary (from ANN): Naota is a normal Japanese 6th grade boy (although a little cynical), but when his older brother leaves for America to play baseball, his brother leaves his homeless 17 year old girlfriend Mamimi behind. Mamimi is sending mixed signals and advances to Naota, and he doesn't know what to do about her. But to make matters worse, Naota's world is totally turned upside down when he is run over by a woman on a Vespa. During their first encounter, she hits him over the head with her guitar, which then causes a horn to grow out of his forehead. She calls herself "Haruko" and her presence changes Naota's life to even further insanity.

The word "wacky" doesn't even begin to describe this 6-episode OVA series. More like "insane" when it comes to how offbeat and rambunctious it is. Still, in the middle of all of the craziness and sometimes even annoying over-the-top silliness is quite the expertly-told (yet still odd) coming-of-age story. If one focuses on Naota and what he's going through internally with a level-headed perspective (don't get too caught up in all of the mayhem), it is easy to see all of the metaphors and other things that drive the storytelling. Once one digs deep enough, it's really quite amazing just how well thought-out the entire series is.

While this is a commonly told story, FLCL goes about telling it in a most unique fashion. The characters, while many of them are certifiably insane, they are still are quite fascinating to watch all the same. Especially during the low-key moments pigeonholed in-between all of the mania. This show, while haphazard and even seemingly directionless at first glance, has a beating heart tightly wrapped up inside that once found, is one that resonates with most anyone.

#2 - Texhnolyze

The series that just barely falls short of the tippy top is Texhnoylze at #2.

Plot Summary (from ANN): In a man-made underground society, descendants of a banished generation vie for control of the crumbling city of Lux. Ichise, an orphan turned prize fighter, loses a leg and an arm to satisfy an enraged fight promoter. On the brink of death he is taken in by a young woman doctor and used as a guinea pig for the next evolution of Texhnolyze. With his new limbs, Ichise is taken under the wing of Oonishi, a powerful leader of Organ, an organization with some hold on Lux. As Ichise is drawn deeper into a war for territorial control of the city, he learns of his possible future from the young girl prophet Ran, who guides him from the shadows in his darkest times. With the explosion of the warfare, Ichise must uncover the truth about Lux and fight for his survival as he realizes his destiny.

The best Yoshitoshi ABe series by far and screenwriter Chiaki J. Konaka's crowning achievement, I doubt there will ever be a series so intelligently written and directed in anime ever again. Konaka's insight into the workings of human nature is very impressive, and the series isn't that hard to follow either. Sure, it's dark and melancholy and not very optimistic either, but the story it does tell is fascinating and surprisingly relatable. When Konaka is on his game, his storytelling is really something to behold, as is the case here.

It really is a shame though that Konaka is underpopulated as a writer. Just look at the ratings for his best works like Serial Experiments Lain, Ghost Hound, and also Texhnolyze. All of them aren't rating particularly highly, which is something that will always sadden me. Sure, Konaka's writing can be very perplexing, but that's precisely what makes his great. Cinema that challenges the audience is always the best kind. Being spoon-fed is nice, but many people (like myself) prefer to have to use my brain. Konaka understands this and is a man after my own heart as a result. Keep of the good work, my good man. I look forward to Despera.

Someone really needs to rescue Texhnloyze from Geneon's dead grasp, along with all the other Yoshitoshi ABe series. If the day comes when all of them are out of print, it will be a sad day indeed.

And last, but certainly not least is ...

#1 - Mononoke

Folks that know me well enough are probably not surprised one bit by Mononoke being second to none this decade. It is my most-desired license. If any anime company were to pick this series up, I'd be indebted to them for life. It is my #1 favorite anime series of all time after all.

Plot Summary (from ANN): "Mononoke" continues the story of the medicine seller from the "Bakeneko" arc of "Ayakashi [- Samurai Horror Tales]," as he continues to face various dangerous spirits.

This series is absolutely incredible. While I watched Mononoke for the first time, I kept telling myself: "Now, THIS is why I love anime." This is one of those rare anime in which I was completely enamored during each and every millisecond of the experience. Though it may not be quite as ambitious or even as complex as series beneath it on this list, Mononoke has something that the others don't: The Medicine Seller.

Man alive, he is the coolest, most badass anime character period. I'm not ashamed to admit I have a man crush on him. He dresses sharply, he has ice-water running through his veins, he has bizarre (but also very cool) speaking tics, he's a bit of a pimp; heck, he's got it all. He's even voiced by Takahiro Sakurai! Director Kenji Nakamura is a freaking genius for creating such an awesome character.

My endearment with the Medicine Seller aside, each story arc of this series is quite compelling. Not only do each of them challenge the audience to keep up with everything, the presentation is second to none. The stories are fascinating enough, but the art direction and design are both stunning. If you thought Gankutsuou was stellar, well I'll tell you that it has nothing on Mononoke.

Though Mononoke itself is disappointingly still unlicensed, thankfully Geneon did license Ayakashi - Samurai Horror Tales before they went under. Bakeneko (Goblin Cat), the third and final arc of that otherwise unremarkable series was actually the original inception of the Medicine Seller and his "adventures." It is the only portion of that series worth owning, and you can still purchase the Goblin Cat DVD from The Right Stuf International for dirt cheap. Grab it while you still can.

Honorable Mentions:

Akagi, Claymore, Cross Game, Kaiji, Kekkaishi, Major, Ramen Fighter Miki

Wow, I can't believe it. At long last, this project has come to an end. What's next? Well, I have had so much fun doing this that I am considering doing a 90s-themed version (and possibly an all-time version as well). What do you readers say to that? Would you be interested? Even so, I'll definitely have to come up with more comprehensive, multi-post projects like this one. Thank you everyone all for reading and an ever bigger thanks to those who helped spread the word about this project.

This is Jay Gee, signing off for now.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" - Trailer 2

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" - Teaser Trailer

I saw this trailer before Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Homes on Christmas Day, and I think I enjoyed this Inception trailer more than the movie it preceded! Now that it is on the net, I thought I'd share it with the masses. You can see the trailer for yourself after the jump.

Pretty incredible trailer, huh? I love it. It's exactly the kind of trailer I like to see.

Like with the teaser trailer, this second trailer still leaves you wondering what the hell is going on, though the second still does make a heckuva lot more sense than the "epitome-of-vague" teaser. Not that being cryptic and vague is a bad thing, however. Trailers are supposed to leave you craving more, and Inception's two trailers have done that very thing perfectly. Consider my interest piqued, Nolan.

Every single one of Nolan's films have been terrific (though I haven't seen Insomnia yet), and Inception is looking to be no exception. Love Leonardo Dicaprio in the lead role by the way. From the looks of things, we're going to get another rock-solid performance from him.

Man though, July seems to far off after watching this trailer several times. I want to watch this movie, and I want to watch it NOW! At least there is another Dicaprio movie, Scorsese's Shutter Island, to help fill in the gap between now and July.

Top 50 Anime of the 2000s, Part 9: #10 - #6

DarkYummi@gmail.com (Jay Gee) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:01:00 +0000

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It's here. With two weeks to go in the decade (and in this Top 50 list), the Top 10 are all set to begin. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate that holiday and a "Happy Holidays" to everyone else. In the mean time, let's reveal the bottom half of my Top 10 anime of the decade.

#10 - Mushi-Shi

Mushi-Shi, one of the must beautiful anime ever produced is settled in at #10.

Plot Summary (from ANN): They are neither plants nor animals. They differ from other forms of life such as the micro-organisms and the fungi. Instead they resemble the primeval body of life and are generally known as "Mushi". Their existence and appearance are unknown to many and only a limited number of humans are aware of them. Ginko is a "Mushi-shi" who travels around to investigate and find out more about the "Mushi". In the process, he also lends a helping hand to people who face problems with supernatural occurances which may be related to the "Mushi".

Ah, Mushi-Shi, how I love thee. This show is a lot like the #22 series on this list, Kino's Journey, only much, much better. While Kino's Journey is an exploration of human nature, Mushi-Shi is an exploration of life itself. Each and every episode of this series tells a wonderfully creative self-contained story about Ginko's numerous encounters with mushi. This really is one of those series where you just need to watch the first episode to understand. Being an episodic series, one could probably watch the episodes in random order and not lose a thing. Of course, this series will bore many people to death, countless others will become absolutely fascinated with this world Yuki Urushibara created in her original manga.

In addition to being quite the fascinating series, it has some of the prettiest artistry and music you'll ever find in an anime. Studio Artland definitely put everything they had into producing this series. Hopefully they'll be able to put together enough resources to create another season sometime in the future, now that the manga has been completed.

#9 - Baccano!

The positively delightful Baccano! is #9.

Plot Summary (from ANN): Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.

This series is just so much fun! It blew my mind when I first watched this just how entertaining Baccano! actually is. It has such a great cast of characters (especially Isaac and Miria) and the story itself is quite interesting, if a bit challenging to follow. Thankfully director Takahiro Omori and writer Noboru Takagi are up to the challenge, as Baccano! is one of the most tightly written, cleverly scripted, and expertly directed anime ever produced and one of the best television anime to be produced in the last couple of years.

This series has it all: comedy, drama, violence, and even a supernatural element to boot. Not to mention it is set in the United States during the late 1920s/early 1930s, adding another layer of intrigue onto the pile. Couple all of this with excellent character dynamics and confident writing and you've got a winner. Would be very nice if more of the Ryohgo Narita's original Baccano! novels were to be adapted to anime, though the upcoming adaptation of his Durarara!!/Dulalala!! series should still be great. That series is being adapted by Baccano! staff after all.

#8 - Haibane Renmei

At #8 is one of Yoshitoshi ABe's finest works: Haibane Renmei.

Plot Summary (from ANN): Rakka, a newly born Haibane (Angel) awakens into an unfamiliar world with only a strange dream of falling from the sky as her only memory. Alone and scared of who and what she is, she is cared for by fellow Haibane as they try and search for the meaning of their existence as well as what lies beyond their town's imprisoning walls.

If you were to look up the world "special" in a dictionary, there'd be a picture of Haibane Renmei there, because this is one of those special anime that you'll never forget as long as you live.

For one, it is very unique. The concept of the Haibane and the world they live in was very new to me when I first watched this series. That alone was enough to keep me going, plus the fact that the series is so mysterious, as it slowly answers questions over the course of 13 episodes. Plus, the series is full of symbolism and other mystical elements, which all adds up to one of the most well-thought-out and also uplifting mature anime ever produced. Writing about Haibane Renmei makes me eager to see ABe's next project, Despera.

#7 - Millennium Actress

Millennium Actress is arguably Satoshi Kon's best work, and sure enough, it is the highest-ranked of his highly accomplished output on my list at #7

Plot Summary (from ANN): When Studio Gin'ei commissions filmmaker Gen'ya Tachibana to make a documentary in commemoration of its 70th anniversary, he travels to a secluded mountain lodge to interview the idol of his youth, the enigmatic Chiyoko Fujiwara, who was the studio's leading lady from the 1930s until the 1960s. As Chiyoko reminisces about her life, Tachibana and his cameraman suddenly find themselves on a rich and dazzling journey through time. Chiyoko's films and personal memories intertwine with present events and stretch the boundaries of reality.

This was the first Satoshi Kon film I ever watched. Because of this (just like with Spirited Away, which was my first Hayao Miyazaki film), it will always hold a special place in my heart.

This film is very inventive. I especially love how Chiyoko's life story was told, as the filmmaker and his camera man come along for a journey through time itself, even interacting with certain events of Chiyoko's life!

The story is essentially all about Chiyoko's life as an actress with the added bit of her chasing after the man she loves. Watching her as she tries and fails to find this man is both compelling and depressing to watch, as she just can't seem to find him again. The killer is the ending, however. I won't spoil it for folks who have not seen the film, but the ending is definitely one of the saddest you will find in anime. Oh man, how I cried after watching Millennium Actress for the first time. The ending is just so brutally heart wrenching indeed.

#6 - Mind Game

Falling just short of the top 5 is Mind Game at #6.

Plot Summary (from ANN): Nishi has always loved Myon since they were little. And now as adults, he wants to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist and marrying his childhood sweetheart. There's one problem, though. She's already been proposed to and she thinks Nishi is too much of a wimp. But upon meeting the fiancé while at her family's diner and accepting him as a good guy, they encounter a couple Yakuza (Japanese mafia), only to have Nishi grasp a certain revelation. And, with his newly aquired look on life, adventures abound as he, Myon, and her sister, Yan, escape the Yakuza into a most unlikely location where they meet an old man...

Mind Game is probably the most visually amazing anime film ever produced to date. The film is filled with experimental, even surrealistic animation, but the entire film is such a feast for the eyes -- quite the spectacle to behold. It is easily Masaaki Yuasa's finest work to date.

The story itself doesn't quite match the visuals in terms of overall quality; but boy is it ever fun! The movie is just so playful and unapologetically silly and over-the-top that I couldn't help but enjoy it. The film is filled with numerous clever moments, such as when Nishi first meets God and can't decide what God looks (and sounds) like, and the message itself is surprisingly down-to-earth for a film that is so self-aware and even borderline stupid at times. Still, despite its flaws, the incredible visuals, its sense of fun and message supersede all of that, making it one of the finest anime films ever made.

Renton and Eureka eagerly await the final installment of ArizUtaku's "Top 50 Anime of the 2000s!" What will be number 1? Check back next week and you'll find out!