Review: Legend of the Legendary Heroes

Genres: adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, psychological
DUB version done by FUNIMATION

Plot Summary: Ryner Lute is a lazy student of the Roland Empire Royal Magician’s School. One day, the Roland Empire goes to war against a neighboring country Estabul, and Ryner loses his classmates in the battle. After the war, at Emperor Sion Astarl’s command, Ryner sets out on a journey to find the relics of a “Legendary Hero”. During his quest, he finds out that a deadly curse is spreading across the continent.

STORY – 3.0
For a pretty funny show, Legend of the Legendary Heroes (LoLH for short) sure starts out pretty badly.
You get the gist that something cool is in the air when Ryner and his Alpha Stigma show off some cool moves, but because the episodes don’t start out very coherently, you feel kinda lost in the shuffle. Perhaps thats also the English Dub’s fault. From a terribly portrayed betrayal of a friend you never cared for anyways, to a terribly voiced (well, dry of sorts) youth who aims to be king, all the characters came off flat (not Ryner of course) and for a while the show was in serious danger of losing its audience. Add some random time travel in a few of the episodes, and you could sum up the beginning as somewhat awkward.

However, after the 5th episode or so, things get moving: the humor blossomed with Ryner’s interaction with Ferris, and the Alpha Stigma became a great combustible power for both awesomeness and some serious discussions.
Speaking of serious discussions, the Alpha Stigma offered not-so common points to chew on. The whole laziness of Ryner was not only explained, but I felt very philosophically sound in its presentation.
Ryner’s distaste for himself, and the blood and death the Alpha Stigma always brings, was a very sound, and different look at what laziness can mean. Of course, LoLH wants the viewer to face reality and to not ignore evil (albeit if its your past and future), because peace isn’t achievable without some kind of sacrifice.

As for awesomeness, once Ryner and Ferris are together as a team to search for Legendary weapons of old, the second arc came alive so long as they are in focus. It also is spectacular that Ferris, as rough as a woman probably gets while still maintaining her feminine side, is perfectly suited to handle the lazy Ryner. Between Ferris’ Sword and fist to Ryner’s constant desire to sleep, you get not only an excellent duo, but essentially what made me get into the show a lot.

If your wondering if there’s a bad guy. well, continue to ponder that. One of the interesting things about the show is most of the characters have a true Knighthood about them and their interactions, so finding a outright bad guy is hard given the chivalry. If you had to guess, only Milan really felt evil, but you get the feeling he simply is being attracted to those of ambition, and not the culprit here. This ambiguity actually played nicely for the show. as it allowed some things not to seem too predictable (which I’ll discuss later).
As for my favorite scene? Without a doubt it would have to be towards the ending of the show , when Ferris’ life is being threatened big time by Ryner’s Alpha Stigma. The raw, majestically evil power of the Alpha Stigma along with the shining light of Ferris’ empathetic side, truly made the scene a winner. And let’s not forget Ferris either. Her history is as perverted as they come, and instantly seals your interest in her. While the material might be too mature for many, I believe it just propelled the morals of the story to greater heights.

I wish that we’re the end of it, but towards the end things pretty much fall off the edge. Here we have Ryner and Ferris being united, and the feeling of something cutely romantic budding between them them when all hell breaks loose. “Suddenly, as if in a bad dream, Ryner is in the rain and at the King’s courtyard, being attacked by the King himself while music and credits are rolling (are there two?). Sion has apparently magically recovered his mental breakdown from earlier and wields…umm, are those undead people? Ferris’ “brother” is suddenly in town (but doesn’t do anything when Ryner scores some points with Ferris, despite giving his threat regarding her), but like Milan, they soon are ignored in the show. And as if waking up out of a bad dream, we arent near the Kingdom anymore…The warring nation’s leader, is he bad or not? And what really is the Specter that claims to be Ferris’ brother?
Why are we jumping around everywhere, am I supposed to feel sad when I’m confused? and why all this sudden music… no, now your pushing multiple scenes together as if your making a poster…ah man, this is the ending!?! What in the world?”

Even after watching it over again, I still couldn’t justify the sudden changes in the show. Usually when one wants to change the narrative drastically, one adds bridges before slamming info on the viewer. I seriously thought I was watching the wrong episode until I looked it up….never a good sign.

In essence, you feel that the show was cancelled and what you were seeing was the leftover pieces of episodes that were never to be, leaving the Legend of the Legendary Heroes to rot….ouch.

EMOTIONAL DRAW – 2.9
Another show about the tale of two halves, the beginning was just lame. In fact, if not for the continuous dialogue between Ryner and Ferris, I would have quit this show. I mean first you have a terribly portrayed “friend” of Ryner’s, who you would rather punch in the nose than feel any empathy for her, even as your watching all of Ryner’s group die fiercely. No surprise dialogue, everything was predictable and limp.

However, like light is to a starving moth, Ryner and Ferris proved the show worthwhile. Their hilarious interaction (usually involving the “lecherous” beast Ryner to be smacked) lit up the whole show. I love Ferris’ tough yet kind-hearted nature, and her fierce desire to prevent the “beast” from engaging in any acts inappropriate towards the youthful “flower” and innocent women (which Ryner was never at fault of doing). This quick assumption (jealousy it turns out) provides a lot of funny material poor Ryner has to try escape from. Very witty and good-natured indeed. Ha Ha!

There are plenty of scenes that touched off nicely, particularly when Ryner starts to piece together who Ferris is (when he’s not getting smacked of course). Even the dry King wasn’t to overshadow this hilarious duo. Looking at the end, yes, I know it sucked since it ended so abruptly, but lets not forget how awesome that scene was with Ryner and Ferris towards the end. Just seeing Ferris eat dangos made you break a smile, it was very sweet.

And who knew, that Ferris and Ryner boy had their dark pasts would get so much emotion to be squeezed out? So even though the Emotional Draw was rated low, it deserved much more considering the two. I can’t repeat it enough, the main attraction of the show is clearly Ryner and Ferris.

CHARACTERS – 4.33
Ryner Lute 4.9

Very solid performance in the dub version. He and Ferris hit off so well, I’m still cracking up over the jokes. Ryner’s character also was solidly developed throughout the show. Ryner’s laziness proving significant to his character, as light is shed on it, makes for solid growth in many ways. Very nice.

Ferris Eris 5.0

Without Ferris, there is no Ryner. Without Ferris, there wouldn’t be any exaggerated tales of the lecherous beast or the hilarious bashing of poor Ryner. Without a doubt, a nice character with some attitude.

Miran Froaude 4.7

Milan is a creepy dude who has little or no history, depending how you look at it. Quite the bad guy material, Milan is instead hired by Lucile to help with the wars. I love his high class villainy, and his dark magic totally fit his personality.
My only sadness is Milan is practically ignored at the end, a shame when besides the two Heroes, he’s the most consistent of the characters.

Sion Astal 2.7

Although he clearly is better than many of the badly voiced characters throughout the show (not a compliment), Sion sort of fails along the way. Part I think is because the director didn’t compensate enough on his emotional faces and the rest is to his lines. Yeah, he talks like royalty, but does it have to sound so monotone? Irony says that the ending is where you find him to get interesting with that weird, unwelcomed, and certainly unexplained dual conscience that becor mes his characteat the end. But I suppose getting across the finish line limping is better than not at all.

CREATIVITY – 4.0
As you can probably tell, the last two sections score much better here. Even though the overall drawing of LOLH isn’t anything special, it pulls through nicely. When you get to any of the important figure’s clothing, you’ll find the artist’s painstakingly different designs help give a feel reminiscent of the Fire Emblem game Series. And whenever a character uses their magic, the artistic symbols are pretty cool to look at too, so all in all, a very nice setup.

Music was not too noticeable, but hit its marks where it counts. And really, from an artist’s point of perspective, that’s not a bad thing. It did just enough to get you on shore in the story, and that’s all you can ask from a music director.

OVERALL SCORE – 3.36

(The Legend of the Legendary Heroes is a funny, yet serious show that employs many cliche’s on its path to find itself. So even though it doesn’t score too well because of this, I do believe you’ll find it is quite worth watching and will have you laughing at the “lecherous” beast)

Anime Reviews

Update, it seems that college life left me rather busy, but now that I have my priorities straight, I am returning to the reviews and will post the review for The Legend of the Legendary Heroes soon. enjoy!

So your looking for that best anime out there? Those anime’s with the best romance, adventure, and the like? At the Hesperian, you’ll also get a unique rating process where the artistic style of the show is foremost. To make it short, you’ll find reviews on shows you can scream and shout for excitement, as I do. Also, in understanding these small points, you’ll find as you understand the show for the story-telling, the morals, and the characters depth, your love of a show will increase greatly and emotions will be more heightened as a result! At least, that’s my hope for the reader.

I rate my anime shows by the following categories:
Story, Emotional Draw, Characters, and Creativity

Story is perhaps the most important of the categories. How the story progresses, the morals it contains and teaches, and how pieces are put together at the end. Does the story move smoothly or do random events ruin the experience? If there are random events, how do they relate to each other in the story? As for morals, while cheating on your friend isn’t itself ruinous to the show, if there is not a proper sense of justice, if the character does not pay for that breach of trust correctly, then you’ve cheapened what love or the moral means. Any breach in morals will result in a susbantial penalty. Again, a character may participate in wrong doing so long as the show points out its vanity and wrongfulness. Anything else is propoganda and encouraging falsehood.

Emotional Draw is how well the show manages the emotions. When its sad, does it really feel sad? Or like one show, do I find myself laughing when a sad scene occurs? Does the comedy make me laugh? As shows progress, do the emotions change smoothly? How well can I empathize with the character? Without Emotions, even the best stories are hollow and timewasting. I therefore weight Emotions twice.

Characters are weighted once and averaged among the characters. I am somewhat selective on who I rate though. Part of this is because the rating system might be ruined if I included one minor character who was horrid, even though the others got 4.5s. If the show has enough side characters, I will sometimes group them together. Since I rate mostly the English Dubs, I rate how well the voice actually fits the show, and how well a Hero/Heroin/Villian interact with each other and the world of the story.

Creativity is also weighted once. This covers the drawing, and anything that is impressive. You don’t need to have the greatest style of drawing to score well, you just need to fit that anime world with witty, precise things to make the show that much better. In fact, since it also covers music, in a large way Creativity will have an effect on the emotional draw. Any hidden thing, like in Moon Phase where every episode had some cat ears implanted in the scenery, is very much appreciated and usually is the sign that the makers had a lot of fun making the show. In other words, how well does the show’s world draw me in?

Since Story and Emotional Draw are weighted twice, I divide the scores by 6 and that’s the score you get. If I find that the score doesn’t quite match what I thought it should have gotten, I will adjust the score but am always open to your opinions of the scoring process. Ultimately this is my thoughts on the show, and I hope that from a story-telling standpoint, you might appreciate art in its own world, free from your cultural prejudices.

What shows will I watch? Fortunately for Anime, they are seperated into many categories. From shows for kids, teens, and adults (each having 3 subcategories for guys or girls or both), and another for NA17. This in turn has its genres like romance or adventure. Thus I can avoid any stupidly mushy and pathetic stories like Maburaho. (that show made you want to repeatedly slap yourself and will never be in my reviews xD)

What’s my guidelines of the shows I’ll watch? Two stipulations:
1) Must have a proper sense of justice. This I refer solely to the moral aspect of it. If the main character is a homosexual or if he or she engages in some activity which, being an abomination, is hailed as the only and right way than I reject this said story. Fortunately, I can avoid most of this purely by the categories as most would fit under Hentai(we call it Porn in the USA), Yaoi (Gay), and Yuri (Lesbian).
2) Whatever of the body is shown, so long as it is not done for the direct purpose of sexual gratification, I have no problem with it. Of course, some shows will still get the boot depending how much they put in there. After all, fanservice (not to be confused with Ecchi, shows that center around intentionally causing you to think dirty) can get really annoying when overdone.

Review: Chrome Shelled Regios

Genre: adventure, drama, fantasy, romance, science fiction.

Themes: harem, martial arts, military, monsters, post-apocalyptic, superpowers, swordplay

In the distant future, a polluted world has been overtaken by creatures called contaminoids. Humanity must live in isolated mobile cities called Regios. We follow a mysteriously skilled fighter named Layfon Alseif, who enrolled in the Academy city of Zuellni and is immediately noticed by Nina Antalk, leader of the 17th Military Arts Unit. He then reluctantly joins her squad, uncertain of what future awaits him amidst the impending dangers of his past and of a plagued world.

Story – 4.1

The first episode certainly had its ups and downs. The beginning had you following a strange fight scene with a boy (who later turned out to be Layfon) and several other knights against a large grotesque bug, while at the same time you also watch a college kid named Layfon who is attending a military school. There was a lot of info being thrust on the poor viewer. But as the dust settled, the beginning proved exciting and when Layfon is introduced to Felli, the show took off without very many hitches.

Our story centers around the reluctant Hero Layfon and his desire to get away from fighting. Not exactly a unique story line in Anime, and Chrome Shelled Regios (even more so) didn’t hit deep chords on this statement of the Main Arc. Perhaps that’s because Layfon’s reasons were somewhat noble, and that his only crime was getting involved in gambling of sorts for this reason and striking the man who caught him short of death in an arena fight.

I think what made the most impact is the lower lesson of being honest to others, which Nina thrusts at our Hero. Not that you have to reveal everything to your friends, but when it does concern them (and to close friends it usually does), let them be a shoulder to lean on. I felt this aspect of the story hit some nice notes, and proved valuable what really many harems seem to miss in their stories: that the characters don’t improve enough where it matters.

One point that proved a mistake was the the Queen. When we first meet her, she’s pretending to be a commoner…and maybe a lesbian? I was so confused at first. No, she definitely isn’t a lesbian, but the whole giving points to how “soft” Leila is, was as awkward as it is writing about the whole thing. Worse, almost every scene with the Queen and Leila has Leila getting fondled this way, and it gets really annoying, even if it’s under the guise of being cute.

As it does turn out, the Queen has a decent reason for being weird that made up a lot of ground (I won’t divulge what it was, as that would be a spoiler). I suppose I should be complaining more, but seeing as outside of the queen the fan-service is quite subdued (not counting the brief spa scene with Nina), I won’t hit the rating too harshly here.

For a show that is presented pretty well overall, it certainly had another glaring flaw: As we follow along the story, you can’t help but notice a huge flaw in the show’s story-telling technique. Appearing randomly (and sometimes even anti-climatically), we see what looks like some TV show with a man and a strange woman who isn’t quite from the universe. Yes, there actually is a point to the mini series inside Chrome Shelled Regios, and even relates in the end with some important details. Although, dont expect to really understand much here, as Chrome Shelled Regios ends with a bunch of strings left hanging.

Since I mentioned the ending, let me explain it a little:

First, as I said previously, the show ends in a cliff-hanger of sorts. While the main arc is finished and Layfon finds an answer for his troubled past, I thought the new characters we have been seeing in the intro OPening song the whole time were hastily thrown in there. I mean, we barely get to meet the other Knights when the show ends. Adding the villain who briefly enters and leaves after getting beaten handily (though it looked cool), It was a little confusing. Honestly, you could tell there was so much more to the story left.

That being said, all the questions you might have relating to this arc were answered quite well (including the Queen’s motives) along with what looks like one of the harem following Fon Fon have given up. I thought that it was exciting and well scripted even at the last scene with Felli. The ending certainly made you excited to see who the romance would get to blossom for in the next series.

Sadly, not since the last Novel was written in 2007 has there been any new literature. It seems like poor Chrome Shelled Regios met its end while still in its prime. This kinda sucks especially hard as you really got into Fon Fon, Felli, and Leila’s futures. Still, I thought the show was great and employed a lot of fun material to keep your interest

Emotional Draw – 4.3

Chrome Shelled Regios is a classic example of why many people like romance comedies. Witty and with lots of slapstick humor (via Felli’s foot), and a romancing which appeals to everyone (even young teens). I particularly liked the way the characters were presented, from Felli’s over-analytical nature, to Nina’s uber competitiveness. Many of the empathetic scenes were great (with Nina in the English Dub being the only exception) and hit the right notes (even when silent) when it needed to.

My two disappointments were Nina and the last battle. Nina has a significant role in the story. It’s she that really gets Layfon involved and it is she who unleashes the spirit android that hastens the ending. Despite being around Layfon enough, I felt in the English Dub that her really more empathetic moments all hit flat, try as I might to get into it. The ending battle also was a little rushed via convenience, and missed knocking your socks off by that much.

Speaking of Harems, Chrome Shelled Regios’ female cast is a lovely one at that both literally and figuratively. From Nina, to Leila, to Felli, and (reporters friend), there is a lot of delightful tension going on that comes off innocently. My favorite episode is when Felli wants to learn to swim. Her hidden jealously was funny to watch and Fon Fon (Layfon) was rightfully a gentleman in how he treats all the girls. It really felt like a bunch of friends at the pool and I thought this made a huge impact on how much the viewer was able to feel like he could be there too. As with all good shows, people of best interest are clothed and act modestly, making it hard whom to pick sides for. Especially when Felli gets that job (Totally a spoiler if I say)!

I felt that every episode had its charming moment and that as we near the end of the story, stories like Nina’s dilemma or Felli’s feeling left alone hit very well. When Leila returns and meets Fon Fon, all kinds of really neat and powerful feelings are exposed (visibly or implied), really making that ending great. Another one of my favorite scenes was (Felli’s getting a piggyback ride). Fon Fon was so funny and Felli’s obvious jealousy was very touching (and funny). But perhaps of all my favorite scenes, I’d still have to say its when Fon Fon first meets Felli. Her serious mood as she’s fake cursing into the water dome makes me laugh just writing this. Ha Ha!

Ah! Chrome Shelled Regios is innocent fun.

Characters – 4.1

Layfon (Or Fon Fon as I prefer) – 4.8

The main character in the show, Layfon’s voice acting is comfortably well done, and he particularly hit off well with Felli. Throughout the show, Fon Fon’s thoughtful personally hit off very nicely, like when he finds out who gave him those snacks he eats, and probably made his chemistry with the girls that much better. I liked his consistent character throughout the show and I felt he made for one cool Hero. Especially since he doesn’t like fighting!

Leerin- 3.4

Leila is an oddball. Clearly she’s in love with Layfon, and her personality was fairly consistent throughout the show. While I thought her character slightly marred at the end, Leila fit well the childhood friend who thinks she has a sweetheart.

Nina – 3.2

Probably closest to how a feminist see of themselves, Nina comes off energetic and serious. Her tom-boyish personality comes off very telling when she flowers half way in the show, and I perceived her moment of confidence in this came off very powerful. You really get into her character after this point and her story I thought rewarded the viewer very nicely. A well done heroine.

Felli – 5.0

From the first moment I met Felli, I was instantly attached to the show. Her ridged expressions from too much information being crammed in her head instantly grabbed your empathy. I like how she struggles to find her identity as a woman while at the same time deal with her brother’s attempt to use her and Fon Fon. Those things made a compelling, yet sad, look at the gifted, and she drew a very nice look at how romance should be presented: sane and proper. A well done character for a very fun show.

Creativity – 4.7

Chrome Shelled Regios follows a Shonen feel in making everything grand. However, I feel that some people might lose interest by the whole bug-fight in general as they did appear sorta dorky. That being said, much of the choreography was excellent and the fighting quite fun to watch.

Bugs are gross in general, and these are over sized cockroaches that also have special abilities. Eeww. It certainly made you understand why some people would be terrified of the creatures. Overall with the desolate landscape, the show presents a simplistic tragic world, while spending gratuitous time on the elements inside the Regios and any of the living things in the world. Very nice to look at and I loved the silly drawings to make the characters cute as they helped nail the emotions of the scene (whether pure humor or not).

The weapon DITE (small transformable devices when unused that turn into a weapon upon the user activating it by saying “Restoration”) was also an interesting idea, and kinda reminded me of lightsabers…and who doesn’t like a good lightsaber battle? I thought the choreography was fairly decent and didn’t hurt the show much. Definitely over time the fighting scenes had more thought and that ending episode was pretty sweet.

The music was especially good for a show, and I felt that this helped those moments of empathy hit off very well. In particular, some of the ending songs (or ED) helped finalize what you saw. Fight music was fittingly retro, almost a 90′s feel, and made the heroes using those cool swords seem that much more legit.

Each of the Regios have their own Electronic Fairy which besides controlling the motions of the Regios apparently can not only think somewhat independently, but can also take grudges when its home is destroyed. Not exactly explained, but the idea was cool enough to give the story a boost early on (they might be related to the alternate universe we are briefly introduced to. Although this is just a guess).

Grade Overall – 4.26

(Chrome Shelled Regios is a great romantic comedy that adds great fight scenes.)

 

 

 

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Ah! My Goddess!

Genre: comedy, drama, romance, supernatural. Themes:  goddesses, gods, harem, magical girlfriend

Keiichi Morisato is looking forward to university life. Yet sadly he has no luck in anything, whether clubs, love, you name it. One day, Keiichi is stuck in the dorm having to do a mountain of chores his friends left him upon agreement. Good thing he’s a good-natured person, and sets about doing everything. As he nears the end, Keiichi remembers he needs to call someone. But upon dialing, he ends up connecting to the ‘Goddess Help Line.’ Shortly afterwards, a beautiful goddess named Belldandy appears in front of him from the mirror of his room.

Story – 4.2

Here is a unique comedy that offers humor with a heavenly touch. Literally.
Unlike other Romantic Dramas, Ah! My Goddess! has some substance for its different episodes that draw you in. (oh yeah, I just dissed Twilight).

Since this world is in light of the Gods and Goddesses of the old world Europe, it seemed appropriate that what is “right” feels legalistic. The whole idea of Keiichi’s good works earning him a wish from the “Goddess’ Help Line” I thought was consistent with the show, even if it seems hypocritical with the gods. Even if the world is somewhat backwards or off, so long as the morals praised are indeed moral, and that vile or lude lifestyle’s are not, then the show has a merit that will last the test of time. Such is the case with Ah! My Goddess!

Now the main Hero, Keiichi, is quite the good-hearted fella, and quickly gains your respect for the way he treats Belldandy and women in general. His outlook on life is basically do what you love and help those in need. While there is an aspect of his character that ends up childish in light of Keiichi’s affection for Belldandy, I think overall the innocence that Is Keiichi is really powerful in the end. He’s one great guy.

There isn’t exactly an arc in the show other than each episode builds up Keiichi’s courage to declaring his affection for Belldandy. While he never really says the magic words, I thought his conclusion with Belldandy was well done and ended excitedly towards the next season.

As regards to the Goddesses, it was engaging to see them all grow up one way or another. Even as the laughs came rolling on, the show still found ways to make good statements regarding things like the level of love or friendship one should have with others, and to define what being chaste was kinda about. Don’t get me wrong, while it may not have totally been perfect, I thought the show did excellent in giving life to the potential of what Romantic Drama can be.

Emotional Draw – 4.5

Normally I’m not one for drama, but Ah! My Goddess does a fantastic job making it entertaining. Each of the Goddesses (and Demon too) Keiichi meets, end up drag him into some pretty funny, and at times awkward, moments.

You have Miss Innocent as Belldandy and a sassy yet good-hearted Urd, and a jealous sister named Skuld who stalks Keiichi to stop him from doing anything “indecent”. Mix in a bumbling Demon and you have a pretty funny cast right there.
Some of my favorite scenes involve Urd’s potions going array and the “system force” in the early episodes. Quite comical and since both Keiichi and Belldandy are too naive when it comes to love, the stuff they get into (mostly Keiichi of course) just rolls on by smoothly and without a hitch.

If not for the last several episodes, I would have gladly declared this a masterpiece.
While Ah! My Goddess! excels at the laughs, it is safe to say that any serious action in the show is not its strength. The last arc with Urd was pretty cheesy even for a comedy, and felt like the writer didn’t really know how to end the show.

That being said, I thought the show finished strong with the last scene with Keiichi and Belldandy.

Characters – 4.65 

Keiichi – 5.0

Perfectly casted, The character’s desire to be honorable is very much likable and his interaction with the other Goddesses is very funny.
I really like the scenes where Keiichi is really thoughtful when it comes to meeting a need of a person. He was very sweet and had some great lines.
Yeah, he may just be a kid when it comes to romance, but being true to character makes Keiichi memorable.

Belldandy – 4.8

The main focus of Keiichi’s affection, Belldandy’s voice hit very well. Her total innocence and constant faith in Keiichi was well received, and even though most of her romantic punches came off flat, Belldandy’s personality was awesome.
I loved how Belldandy and Keiichi interacted throughout the show, the romantic twinges coming very thoughtfully.
Overall, Belldandy made a very good angel.

Urd – 4.6

A great addition to the show, Urd’s sassy and proud manner gave plenty of moments to laugh.
Good dubbing and the interacting was an instant classic. Ah the laughs. I particularly love any of the scenes involving Urd’s potions.
Perhaps Urd’s only downside was the ending arc, as her humility came off pretty stale and flat. Fortunately, this is a comedy, so it really didn’t matter that much. Kudos to a fun character.

Skuld – 4.2

While her first real arc was quite boring with that stupid droid she built for Belldandy, Skuld grows very quickly on the viewer for her innocent (yet deviant) protectiveness of Belldandy against the “devilish” hands of Keiichi. Very comical and cute throughout the show after that arc, I thought that Skuld was well done.
Acting was good throughout and her interaction with Keiichi made for some great comedy.

Creativity – 4.3

Ar first glance, the world of Ah! My Goddess is very straight and rough. I think it fits nicely with legalism that many of the Goddesses follow and sets a world that’s not too hard on the eyes. Once we got to Skuld, I believe the show takes on a more artistic approach.

Now the music was pretty decent, and helped out on a few scenes. One special note is that the music could be as corny (and thus funny) as a scene demanded, and helped you get into the laughing mood.

Overall Ah! My Goddess was sort of a normal look to it, but I felt this normalcy kinda helped you see from Keichi’s eyes a little more. At least, that’s how I saw it.
Pretty decent.

Final Score – 4.39

(A unique show that also won’t scare away your boyfriend with the drama, Ah! My Goddess! would make a great addition to your list)

Review: Aria the Scarlet Ammo

Genre: Action, Drama, Romance. Themes: girls with guns, harem, special abilities, tsundere

Butei High School in Tokyo is a special school where armed detectives called “Butei” are trained to use weapons and solve crimes. Kinji Tōyama is a second year student who has a special ability, which he tries to hide so he can live a peaceful life. However, life won’t stay that way when he gets caught in a bombing on the way to school, he encounters Aria H. Kanzaki, the most powerful S-Rank Butei student in Assault Studies. Things will never be the same.

Story – 4.5

It’s true, comedies don’t often rely on their stories for success, since stupidity is hilarious whether or not it makes sense. But when Aria the Scarlet Ammo presented a sound story, comparable to many serious shows, and a redeeming outlook on friendship and love, the show became something special.

Yeah, the school for training Butei (essentially armed civilian policemen) was a little weird of an idea at first. But as it turns out, this is Sherlock Holmes‘ posterity we are following, so it actually makes sense that a school would exist to train more Sherlocks in the world. And I felt the few themes and twists the show pulls early on, fit with the Butei great.

Despite having a love trio for Kinji, I wouldn’t call it a harem. In fact, we get the impression that Kinji has eyes for only one woman (Aria of course), and their blossoming friendship was well thought out. While I don’t want to get in the way of my next category, Aria the Scarlet Ammo presented a profoundly mature outlook on friendship and the appraisal of the superiority of a young chaste love was very edifying.
I also really think this aspect of how the show presented the three broad ideas of the good mate (Innocent, Smart and Sassy, and Desperately in Love), is what gives this show extra pizzazz:

Innocent is, of course, Aria. And while the show does have a few dramatically awkward moments for her and Kinji, she really is a good hearted girl and isn’t clumsy on purpose. Unlike the other women, Aria is just minding her own self and finding she’s falling in love. She doesn’t try anything deviant to seduce Kinji, nor does she talk like she has low standards.
In total contrast to someone with a chaste mind is Shirayuki. While the material is soft, Shirayuki’s character would fit into any Ecchi show (and a little farther). This actually turns out to be a brilliant move as Kinji sees a good comparison between desperate “love” and true friendship. This thoughtfulness eventually has him helping Shirayuki deal with being a Shrine Maiden. Very cute.
The third idea is of course Riko: Her deviant behavior and saucy attitude makes her an interestingly hot character. Yeah, Kinji never once was interested (which is true for Shirayuki too), but because of her, Kinji is pushed towards Aria much faster in the later episodes.
These three ideas of a Romantic partner really open the door for discussion on what constitutes a desirable trait, and I feel that Aria the Scarlet Ammo’s conclusion was adequate and good.

Another thing Aria the Scarlet Ammo scores well is the twists to the show. It is highly ironic that Kinji is more like Sherlock Holmes than Aria is. Despite not even being related (as he’s related to Mr. Watson instead), once his blood pressure rises enough, Kinji becomes the ultimate detective; And the coolest one too at that. Some of the more wittier lines in the show (and they all are intelligent) occur when he’s in Hysteria.

Now I know that a lot of people rush to thinking this is a typical fan-service show from the first few episodes, but Aria the Scarlet Ammo really doesn’t deserve to be mentioned with those other shows. For one, the show does a good job of NOT showing cleavage, even to the point of avoiding it. There aren’t those stupid panty shots (save for one scene. Though not really, since the girls were in their “bathing” suits) and any awkward situations are portrayed innocently (which of course makes it hilarious).
Secondly, while other “similar” shows portray women as eye candy and little more, Aria the Scarlet Ammo uses the three women given to present what is really the best woman in a dignified manner. Perhaps some people will confuse Aria as just being naive about love, but I believe that these things help make Aria the clear choice. Because at the end of the show, this choice comes off very romantically satisfying.

Take that thunderstorm scene: Aria is terrified of the thunder and certainly looks cute, but Kinji sees what makes her adorable is her bravery to save her mom, even if she’s terrified of many things.
Throughout the show, Kinji’s interest in Aria is first and foremost for who she is as a person, and that as a woman (which, we men can all agree is intoxicating in itself). Only as second fiddle does her body come into play. This proper outlook of friendships definitely is not stupid fan-service but is mature, as it lasts when beauty fades away, and leaves a truly lasting satisfaction as we see Kinji’s and Aria’s friendship blossom.

The twist with Vlad’s identity was pretty cool too. And for that matter, so was Riko’s play in this story. Her hopes and dreams of finding her own identity was good and I thought Kinji came out a real hero by how he helps Riko.

Really, those last few episodes were fun to watch, with each twist and turn, even if there was a little monologuing. But the ending was a classic and let’s you dream where Aria’s and Kinji’s next adventure will be.

Emotional Draw – 4.9

While there are some scenes that come off as somewhat cheap, Aria the Scarlet Ammo does an excellent job pushing its emotions on the viewer. Anytime the show turns to Aria’s past and present situations, it comes off very professionally and close to real life. Even at the end, this show maintains a proper story telling technique in presenting its themes as you would have seen them yourself. The effect is it’s really easy to get into the characters.
One of my favorite scenes include the storm scene where Aria is terrified of the storm outside. “I forgot, she’s terrified of lightening.” Kinji remarked, after the second storm, followed by his admiration for a girl who is fighting for her mom even though it takes her through terrors.
Another favorite scene is at the end with Riko. I don’t want to spoil the scene, but I thought it very powerful the look of anguish and despair on Riko’s face as she sees all her plans falling apart.
Those two scenes we’re part of the manifestation of Kinji’s level of respectability, and really every episode felt so real and alive.

Since this is a show that centers around the future generations of the great Detective Holmes, it is very appropriate that much of the humor is witty and uses a lot of word play. And boy does it do a great job!
And to top this off, the rest of the show’s humor was pretty well done. I still laugh over that scene where Shirayuki is trying to be “fair” to Kinji when she saw him half-naked. Aria comes in the middle of Kinji trying to stop her and things get quiet with the only sound being the rustling of crinkles paper flowing like tumbleweed from an Old Western movie. What happens next makes the tension really funny.
Another great scene is when Kinji is asked to look for something and opens that drawer in the hallways. He opens and closes it with with haste and remarks with the grand choral singing in the background, “Ok, that’s a different kind of dangerous.” Classic stuff. Just really well done.

Now I know that half the humor involves the Hysteria of Kinji, which might seem to be like any other fan-service show, but let me explain why it’s not just innocent but has some depth.
First, Hysteria, where Kinji becomes really smart and also a slight snob, is activated not so much by him feeling dirty (something the show goes to lengths avoiding), but his honest embarrassment.
Secondly, Riko retorts at our hero for her being upset that he gets into Hysteria so fast with Aria. She asks ‘what does she have that I don’t?’
We already had heard of Aria’s frustration at not having as much womanhood as Riko. Riko herself mentions this several times. So the question she asks Kinji only makes sense because it’s not the physical side Kinji is falling for.
Third, and most important, is Kinji’s honorable behavior. His reactions really come off as how an honorable man would respond to an awkward situation, whether it’s dealing with Shirayuki or Riko. And because of this restraint of Kinji’s, the innocence of the scenes I think allows you to enjoy the humor more however old you are. It really was a refreshing take on School Romance.

Characters – 4.35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kinji – 4.9
Here’s a character who easy to like and has a cool deviant personality in Hysteria. I love how smart he becomes in Hysteria, and those cheesy lines of “Baby Doll” were nostalgic and humorous.
I like Kinji’s expertise on guns in general, and him describing a few of them was pretty cool and should appeal to gun lovers. On a related note, his interaction with Aria was one of the cutest performances I’ve seen, and the way he decides on important decisions felt real and fresh. A very well done character.

Aria - 4.2

“I’ll pump you full of holes!” is a funny quote from a girl whose got some sweet guns. I thought the voice acting was pretty solid and her lines fairly well done. Aria has that innocent clumsiness which comes off as cutely pathetic, and makes for a great character for Kinji to fall in love with.

Shirayuki – 3.8
When I first saw her, I thought the show might be some kind of Ecchi. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Shirayuki was well casted and her English voice did just enough to do her job without sounding annoying.
As Kinji’s childhood friend, I thought they hit off well and she added some depth to Kinji. A great contrast for Kinji, I thought the point was well written.

Riko – 4.5
Ah yes, Riko’s part was played very well and she hit off well with the other characters. Her sassy attitude was pretty legit and her back story had enough emotion to make the ending really nice.
Well rounded character and one of the highlights of the show.

Creativity – 4.4
The show also hits well in this category, From the idea of Hysteria to the blend of magical abilities, Aria the Scarlet Ammo does a good job connecting all these things in an equally appropriate world. The outrageous events are complemented by the sharp edges of the characters’ faces, while still making sure to draw Aria in a sweet manner when it’s needed (and those scenes were really spectacular too).
The scenery we are taken to seemed simple but pointed, and I particular liked the episode in the airplane as there was a lot to appreciate in the drawing schemes. While the sharp edges take a little getting used to, I think you’ll find this a very appealing world to look at.

The music was also pretty solid and at some moments spectacular (that scene with Kinji and the drawer was epic). I especially was touched by the music in any of the really empathetic, sad moments when Aria is feeling really sad or scared, or when Kinji is faced with a dilemma. The songs really helped a lot to set the tone. Well done.

Final Grade – 4.59

(Aria the Scarlet Ammo is a wonderful comedy that hits across many different planes. Witty and situational at times, the show also shows wise restraint when needed to help solidify what I believe is a very funny comedy.

Review: Aquarion, Genesis of

Genre: comedy, drama, romance, science fiction, Mecha

In an alternate world where Shadow Angels, mystical creatures that have not been seen for 12,000 years, feed off the Prana of humans to perpetuate the tree of life for their kind, there stands against this threat humans with special powers. Each are trained to pilot the “vector machines”, three ancient ships that together form mankind’s ultimate weapon, “Aquarion”. The story revolves mainly around Apollo, a teenager rumored as the reincarnation of Apolonius, a fallen angel who fought against his own kind to protect mankind. Although a seemingly wild and untamed kid, Apollo proves to be invaluable against the fight from the Shadow Angels.

Story – 3.0

Aquarion is a mixed bag. From heights of greatness to deep depths of stupid storytelling, you get it all.

Initially, Aquarion presented a clean, well written plot. We have a mysterious, untamed kid named Apollo who who is found by DEAVA, the united nations against the Shadow Angels. The girl of the duo that finds him, Silvia, dislikes Apollo as she believes her brother, not Apollo, is Solar Wing, despite the potential Apollo is showing a huge potential in power similar to the legend of Solar Wing. And hey, slap on the fact that Apollo is supposed to be her former lover from 12,000 years ago, and it makes for some great romance.
Our heroes’ adversaries, the Shadow Angels, are somewhat dark as they are “harvesting” Prana, or vital energy, from humans on earth for the Tree of Life, so that the Shadow Angels do not fade away as a species.
This weird kill or be feed problem presents a lively discussion on racism (well, speciesism), and makes for good drama. With some witty scenes and funny comedy, it seemed Aquarion was going for the gold.

However, the honey moon was soon over and Aquarion buckled from its own weight in characters and stupid, story-telling arcs that proved fatal.

My first sign of impending problem with Aquarion was the introduction of the commander Gen Fudou. I know he is a great character and his philosophical statements were one step short of the Bard, but it seemed a little convenient. Too convenient. Add the dumb episodes, and you soon become tired of this predictable help and Gen Fudou’s obvious (at times), stupid philosophical statements.
Only in hindsight, where his origination is as mysterious as the explanation is incomplete, do you see these convenient answers would be prophetic to how Aquarion would cross the finish line.

If you think I’m being too harsh against this “tiny” flaw in being cheap, then let the “merging” process possess your irritation:
When the characters merge the vectors, they enter a state of ecstasy (shown in their natural state), where their souls connect to finalize the merge. As everything becomes colorful, we see…what the!?! Are they having an orgasm or something? “Oh! It feels so good!” some say while contorting their bodies accordingly, and frankly seductively. But my personal favorite, a breathy uh and oh, followed by “I don’t think I can HOLD IT any longer!”………….!!!
Seriously…..talk about awkward and wrong. Thats the kind of stuff you expect from some adult movies or porn, not from Aquarion. When the show tries to explain the “merging”, it just makes things worse by comparing it to, well, the intimate relationship of a man and woman. At least, that’s the impression that is left…or scar, whichever works for you. Since the show centers around the vectors merging, you can’t ignore it. Merging becomes a serious distraction to the whole show’s flow.

Not that Aquarion is completely bad, assuming you get over the gagging reflex from the “merging”. Apollo is in the story, and there are plenty of mature story arcs presented while he’s around. Also, some of the early success to the show is related to the visual feast Aquarion offers, and much more was the twist in the plot in the beginning.
I particularly love the growth that Apollo makes, and the themes of friendship and love. Those themes come off well and pure with Apollo, and really make the story one enjoyable to a point.

The final arc of Aquarion also deserves a look at: The surprises that come out are really well done at first, especially regarding the Solar Wing. And then, it became apparent Aquarion really didn’t know how to end some characters.
Worse, the ending is very anticlimactic. While the whole show is made by Apollo and his story, Aquarion abandons success and moves to Silvia to lead, despite conveniently making her do things she never could or should do. And hey, when she is talking to the pilots despite having no normal way of talking to them, let’s make it mystical and have her in her natural state. Everyone likes fan service, right?

That Apollo is left to just die, and die without even so much of a word beyond saying ‘Adios’ to Silvia, was a huge mistake. The whole ending becomes flat and disappointingly cheap, and really adds to the holes in this category. Instead of going where no show goes, Aqaurion was content to choose cheap safe answers that only come off as disorganized.

Emotional Draw – 3.1

If all we had to do was focus on Apollo and Silvia, I daresay this show would have gotten a 5.0 from me. But alas, this too had huge holes.

Generally, it’s not a good idea to have a lot of main characters when your show isn’t very long. There isnt enough time to spend quality time with characters and in effect, everything will feel rushed and expose all the holes in the show.
Aquarion becomes another example of this as the story line bogged down half-way, with a lot of shoddy episodes that were either boring, or downright stupid for the sake of “spending” time with the heroes.
You see, there just wasn’t much time to spend on all those characters. Episodes with Reika and Sophia especially were dull or dumb. Reika had you wanting her to just die, she was so annoying with her constant complaining. Add to that the rather childish answer for how Reika deals with her problem, and you feel robbed of your time.
Worse, (as is always the case) the main characters were left by the wayside and felt forgotten, which hurt some of the great scenes in the show.

Don’t get me wrong, Apollo has some of the prettiest and romantic lines I’ve seen in a while, particularly with Silvia. The chemistry between the two was very charming and should please any romantic person.
And the humor for the most part was pretty funny. I love the witty comments from Apollo and some of the embarrassing scenes were outrageous. But I think the annoying characters sort of stole some steam and especially that fail ending. I can’t tell you how much disappointment there was in that short scene…

Overall, Aquarions’ own personal problems ate up much of this grade.

Characters – 4.3

Apollo – 4.9
The hero of the story, Apollo is as awesome as you can ask. From the very beginning he was witty and great. I loved his interaction with the other characters and Silvia. The show, when focusing again, did a great job of exploring our hero and as the show progresses, there is a very real improvement in Apollo’s character that feels genuine.
I like his animal style of travel, and that one scene where he comes back from an alternate place via his smelling food had me cracking with laughter.
Without Apollo this show is dead. He’s just that fun to watch.

Silvia – 4.0
A brat of sorts who doesn’t like the idea of Apollo being her lover from 12,000 years ago, Silvia was pretty solid. At first though, I wasn’t sure if she loved her brother romantically from the way she was talking, so that did cause some awkward moments.
But past half-way, the budding romance she has with Apollo was very touching and I thought she helped make some of the scenes very good.
While I completely disagree with how they used her character at the very end, I think you’ll find Silvia getting teased a lot of fun.

Sirius – 4.3
The brother of Silvia and someone who thinks he’s Solar Wing, Sirius’ obstinate character and high-minded attitude make for some great sparring with Apollo, the mongrel as Sirius refers to him. I thought his character was always consistent and when he betrays the others, the scene with Reika was very moving and scored points.
His interest in dark poems, while not exactly the best, were done well, and I thought his despair done well.

Toma – 4.0
One of the Shadow Angels, and the best friend of Apollo’s former self, there was a mixture of great and weird.
Perhaps these Angels all show their friendship by touching the cheek and getting close to people? It did come off as weird (although I think the “merging” has some to blame).
That being said, all his lines were well written and he made for a great bad guy. Even at the end, His character never left his original recipe.

Creativity – 2.5

Apollo was definitely one of the best drawn shows you’ll see. There is a huge feast on the Vector and in particular Aquarion’s different forms.
When you first enter the show, you see the first Vectors coming out of their base, even with the 3D images, it was amazingly life-like. And as we progress, the different places we come to looked pretty cool.
My one differing opinion is on the tree of life and the chimeras. It seems the 3D vision of the artists didn’t really spread here, and made things look corny in the beginning. The way they moved also felt cheap in contrast to Aquarion, which puzzles me why no one proofed the scenes for that. Still, pretty good here.

Now music…..well, music was another story. Yeah, some of the opening and ending songs were pretty cool, but did they have to use it in every exciting scene? Instead, the music became repetitive and boring.
Normally, one waits to use that music as it generally adds to the emotions of the show in a way that is special. But because the music is used often, you get the impression of lack of perpetration and in turn actually made the show predictable….as you knew what was going to happen by what music was playing way before it happened.
I know this would be in the other sections, but remember that music is not just there to look pretty. Music drives emotions and its variety is an indicator of a great show. It also makes up for half the grade here, so slapping together the same stuff haphazardly just isn’t acceptable.

Final Grade – 3.17

(Aquarion tries to include too much and forgets equally as much. Watch it for the visuals if you must, but don’t expect to be pleased when your done)

Review: Night Raid 1931

Genres – Action, Thriller

The story is set in Shanghai in 1931, when the Imperial Japanese Army has been dispatched to mainland China due to the relatively recent First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. In this cosmopolitan city of intrigue, there is a special military spy organization called “Sakurai Kikan” that has since been buried in history. Each of its members possess a hidden talent that enables them to go places no other spy could go

That just might uncover one of the biggest scares the world has yet to know…

Story – 4.2

Night Raid 1931 is a peculiar show set just before World War II. The introduction of the heroes, each possessing a power that has its own set limitations was pretty cool. And that they fit the characters personality was also a brilliant stroke of writing.
At first, though, your not sure where this alternate universe is going. But as the show progresses past its initial episodes, you begin to see a definite story-line that’s rather neatly done: The Pan-Asia theory of the Japanese is essentially the topic of the show, with the writers presenting alternate solutions to a Nation that is quietly trying to avoid war. The further discussion of why the Pan-Asia became necessary is really legit.
If by now your saying “History!?! I don’t wanna learn no stinkin’ history!’”, then you probably don’t understand how good stories work. Including History can make a proper audience become more involved because they are learning as well as being entertained about the period. And that can make a good story great, as Night Raid does.
Each of the Heroes you follow along in Night Raid have their own back stories that are important, something that really helps to catch interest. I particularly like where Aoi and Yukina take us: one having to deal with her brother being apparently evil and the other searching for the one he loves who is avoiding him from her sense of duty. Those themes were done very well throughout the show, and help to make up for any lapse in acting that occurred in the English Dub.

I know some people might not like the romanticizing of the Japanese nation prior to the War, (and forgiving their sad error too), but Night Raid does a good job reminding us that not only was the Japan NOT full of evil people, but in fact many of the military branch itself had noble goals they sought to upheld.
At the same time, Night Raid 1931 doesn’t try to hide the the ugliness of war or the Japanese involvement in what is now known as World War II. Instead, it teaches us that no man inherently wishes to kill and that often much sadness comes from those who desire power and national pride over real justice.
It is this difficult question as to how to prevent this sadness, that often you can find the best of people. And again, Night Raid pulls through.

One particularly awesome move was the last episode, as it refers to an actual uprising among the Japanese military. The honor and courage with which those men fought for a real justice was moving, and seeing our friends in the mix with finishing notes of it was pretty cool.
And for those who like happy endings, Night Raid doesn’t particularly offer that as much as it gives you enough dialogue and conclusions to some of the characters that makes it satisfying enough, in contrast to the sadness that is yet to come. I think the serious themes of Night Raid make it a gem that is worth getting into.

Emotional Draw – 4.0

The whole setting of Night Raid is rather melodramatic and comes across seriously. Since the goal of our heroes is preventing what will only happen in another country anyways, what it does do is give the whole show a kind of sad majestic feel throughout it.
As you progress with the characters, you begin to really like them, and when they reveal parts of their past, i felt much of it was done well. Also, that episode with the Violinist is perhaps a staple example of how the show went. A violinist who also a spy playing for an audience despite knowing the game is up, was glorious and something not ordinarily seen in your typical show.

I think you can find a lot to like with Night Raid. I particularly love the interaction that the show gives to Aoi and his fiance, or the sadness that comes upon Yukina as she is ripped away from her family forever. Or how about at the very end when the show hints at something between Yukina and Kazura Those things truly make the show satisfying and perhaps covers a lot in terms of disappointments. At least, that’s how it was for me. Yeah, Aoi’s disappearance near the end was rushed and cheapened such an important point in the show, but I believe overall the show did a pretty decent job with the emotions, and this can be forgiven for the most part.

Characters – 4.2

Aoi Miyoshi – 4.4

Cool guy with the ability to stop things for a short while, Aoi is rash but likable. Yeah, some of the story-line for him seems a bit disjointed at the beginning, but you will really like the youthfulness he portrays with all the characters. Plus, he comes across as rather mature and someone you really root for as the season progresses. His search for his fiancé was sweetly done and I think overall

Kazura Iha – 4.0

Kazura has the ability to flash to a point of light and is in fact very serious. However, his trouble with falling for everyone’s noble “revolution” gets him into a lot of trouble. This frustrating aspect of Kazura, whose character grabs your empathy to his tough background, makes things lively for our friend, I also like his interaction with his best friend Aoi, and The material presented with them was accurately done for the most part, and makes him a solid character.

Natsume Kagiya -3.2

Here is a quiet hero who can see through walls. A cool abilty but not enough to make him really cool. Yes, he doesn’t talk much, but I feel his performance when he does, didn’t really hit the mark much of the time. It’s really not until his final scenes that Natsume comes across very well.
Two scenes that help salvage this dry character are at the end of the show: the last words his character says to Yukina and when he meets the old man hacking away at the dead stump apparently in vain. Those were touching scenes…so why not do that elsewhere?

Yukina Sonogi – 4.7
Yukina is a soft spoken, well mannered lady of a rich family. her telepathic abilities in the mind are very useful to the group and her well-rounded character. Yukina’s initial exposure to her lost brother being an adversary felt shocking and hitting some nice notes. She comes across as thoughtful and sad throughout the show, and I feel this correctly accents what her abilities are (usually a good sign of a well-done story).
The friendship she has with the gang is nice enough too, but it’s with Natsume that she really shines, even if he doesn’t. Especially towards the end, her scene with Natsume was very good and her character was so consistent with the serious points of the show.
All in all, a very good character.

Shin’ichirou Sakurai – 4.1
Shin’ichirou Sakurai is a mastermind of the Sakurai agency and he certainly comes across that way. He’s a solid character who appropriately makes you start to dislike something about him come mid story. I feel the twist he adds at the end just made the show that much more, and really hits with the Pan-Asia belief of the Japanese government he represents.

Feng Lan – 4.8
Feng Lan is a wonderful addition to Night Raid and hits her spot very well. Used partly as comedy relief from the dull reality the show sits in, her bubbly personality in her cooking schemes come across as very real and help relieve the tense feeling the show’s time period leaves you in. I also like the way Feng interacts with the gang, particularly when she requests Aoi’s and Kazura’s help in taking photos.
Her cooking schemes were funny and the episodes where the pesky cat came off as very cute and very real for a struggling Chinese cook.

Creativity – 4.0

The setting of Night Raid definitely makes you feel your in an old part of Shanghai you haven’t been to in a long while. The artistry was pretty good after the first couple of episodes, and things definitely felt real. As I just mentioned, the beginning seemed cheapened compared to the later half of the show. Some of the faces of the characters were not very convincing, which is a shame even if their acting was pretty good.

I like the idea of the powers, and once you get into the swing of things, you can’t help but appreciate a lot of the drawings that the show puts up to make their world seem romantic and idealistic. I particularly love the ending episodes, as they kept to a lot of the original intent of the actual facts they are “based” upon. Seeing those old pictures of the uprising was rather moving, and really hit nicely.

Music in the show was also pretty decent. Most notably was the ending music, as it hits off exactly the impression you should be getting from watching Night Raid.

Final Score – 4.1

(Overall, the romantic outlook of Japan in light of the grave themes of the show make it for an older audience to really appreciate. One of those shows that’s a gem and worth watching at least once.)

Review: Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid

Genres - action, drama, romance, science fiction

Plot Summary: This series is set about two months after the events ocurred in the Tuatha de Danaan at the end of the original series. Mithril becomes aware of a secret organization that has technology able to counter the ECS (Electronic Cloaking System) mode. This organization, known as Amalgam, also has “Black Technology”, obtained from “Whispered” like Kaname Chidori, and like the other intelligency agencies, they intend to obtain more. However, when Sousuke’s mission to protect Chidori is terminated by Mithril, all seems to be in place for Amalgam’s plans…

Story – 4.5

This season of FMP! is definitely not for the former crowd. Way more serious and epic, with a slice of some fan-service never ventured by the series before (and hopefully not in the future either), this show packs quite a punch.

The introduction of the twins we meet was really weird and equally not cool for the partial nudity in that one scene. Yeah, the show gives Kaname much more respect, but this is typical since you don’t want to degrade the main characters totally into eye-candy since they also need to be desirable as a person too. But as its also self-contradictory in how this area of fan-service works, this totally unwarranted and unnecessary scene just degrades the show and ultimately steals from the honor that Kaname is given throughout the show.

Now when Sousuke is told to leave Kaname, things get grave really fast. Every episode plunges Sousuke further into despair and further pushes him to decide what he wants with his life…and hopefully into the Hero he needs to be.
I love the implied explanation for why the AS didn’t work well and why it works later on. When you think about it, it’s very sweet and emotionally deep (I’d explain further, but that would spoil a well crafted point).
Most often times, shows are content to simplify terrible feelings and questions, but FMA The Second Raid has no fear delving serious questions and answering it in a way that leaves a superior romantic story.

While some might complain about the lack of fight scenes in the last couple episodes, its really because the whole season was about the two heroes Sousuke and Kaname, and their feelings for one another. Action isn’t necessary as much and perhaps would have only interrupted the flow of thoughts, something the show did a great job of keeping.

The show itself is not the end. So yeah, the show doesn’t answer all your questions and no, you won’t understand everything that occurs (particularly with Tessa’s brother), but the ending leaves enough material to look forward to what is next, and should excite the viewer to whenever they continue the series.

Emotional Draw – 5.0

The story was about Sousuke and Kaname, and the emotions were too. Such splendid tear-jerks throughout the show. When Sousuke has to leave Kaname, that episode just kicked it out of the park. I love how FMP! The Second Raid spent the time to get the feelings across just right.

Many of the jokes were likewise dark and ironic (making this phrase somewhat redundant) and the Twins were very interestingly empathized a little. I also was very impressed with the ending and found that last exchange with Sousuke and Kaname very sweet….even if he didn’t get to speak his feelings.
Outstanding job.

Characters – 4.95

Kaname Chidori – 4.9

A well done character for a well done show! I love how Kaname is totally herself when she also being brave. That episode where she outwits her own “protection” and the assassin after her was epic. Her feelings of fear and doubt during the whole ordeal was so life like, so vivid. So when she calms down by reminding herself how she loves Sousuke, it came across as very touching and hit a lot of the right spots.
Even better still were the ending episodes. Finally meeting up with Sousuke, Kaname was so awesome in her shy sincereness and anger. And like a cherry on top, you feel totally satisfied by her performance at the very end. What an awesome Heroine.

Sousuke Sagara – 5.0

Always the typical military guy, things start to change for him when he listens to Melissa’s advice to start thinking about the future. His emotional scenes were off the charts good, whether in a funk or when he becomes apathetic (I’ll hold the explanation to prevent spoilers). And that scene with Melissa in the van…was so good. Awesome choreagraphy.
Without a doubt, this Sousuke is growing up and having to take a lot of punching for running from his problems through rules, but I think you’ll find a lot of love for him.

Great dubbing and great lines. Pretty much spells it.

Creativity – 4.6

Very nicely done. The music was cued at the right moments and each important scene had a lot of attention spent on it. The AS of course looked just as cool, and the weapons were great to look at. I love the details to the scenes that give you more insight into the character, like when Sousuke subconsciously fiddles with his hair that Kaname cut when he’s driving. Just awesomely romantic and cute. Overall, a nice piece of work to look at and appreciate.

Final Score – 4.76

(Quite the catch for a seasons’ finale. Plenty to chew on and look forward with. Definitely a must to watch)

Review: Full Metal Panic! Second Raid OVA

Genres – Action, Comedy

Story – 2.0

Not exactly FMP! material. Too adult in some areas (seriously…I thought I was watching some R-rated Ecchi for a sec there) and then it got decent for a time. While the whole Sagura thing is comical, it isn’t really an OVA as much as a throw-away episode and lost plenty of steam.

Emotional Draw – 4.0

Albeit the story was stupid and dumb, the show had its moments of humor, especially with Kalin’s food her served Tessa! Overall the humor was well done and funny.

Characters – 3.9

Tessa – 3.9

Since she’s pretty much the main and only character you follow longer than 5 minutes though Tessa is her usual self throughout the show. My only wish is they didn’t have that adult scene in the beginning….after all, if seen along with the 3rd season, its essentially the same feeling you got with the twins for that scene (although arguably not quit as offensive in a sense…not sure which sense though). Besides that, you’ll enjoy her encounters with the other characters as coming very funny for Tessa.
Solid at the least.

Creativity – 4.0

Show was fresh in the beginning…and the scenes with the others were rather well done, even if kinda wasted. Fairly solid and isn’t to blame for the rating.

Final Score – 3.32

(Not necessary to watch and not worth it for the most part. If you must, at least it has some humor)

Inuyasha (TV)

Genre: adventure, Sengoku era, romance, sword and sorcery

English Dub by Viz Media

Plot

The  story begins with a young high school girl Kagome accidently falling into the family well. Except this well seems to have no end. While falling a weird creature attacks her, but Kagome pushes it away and sees something fly out of her dress…a beautiful jewel.
Upon seeing a light and coming out the well in a totally different time period, Kagome comes across a well known tree that has a man pinned by an arrow. Curious, she pulls out the arrow and finds he’s really a demon and confuses her with someone else to fight! Fortunately, an old priestess helps her and Kagome subjugates the demon called Inuyasha.
Apparently, that jewel Kagome saw come out of her clothes is the Shikon Jewel of immense power that even great demons seek. And in the process of both learning she has power to purify, Kagome accidently shatters the jewel into a thousand shards in all directions!
So on her way with Inuyasha to find the shards before a sinister demon named Naraku does, she meets some friends and together they seek to correct her mistake and maybe even get Inuyasha to be a human as he claims to have wanted….

STORY - 3.3
I know the beginning might lose some people…lets face it..some of the main characters sucked at acting. But the story is at least entertaining and as you progress, the characters make solid improvements.

Having said this, the beginning is what I liked about the initial plot. A classic romancing of the fight versus good and evil, the Shikon Jewel is the center of it all. You have this special jewel that can grant unbelievable power to its user so that even great demons are looking for it. Its actually quite cool of an idea. As we meet the eventual gang Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango and their quest for Naraku and to recover the Shikon Jewel, each episode keeps up with the plot and is at the very least entertaining.

The idea of Inuyasha being a half-demon also was a neat idea that should make you reminiscent of Bleach for a story line.  It parts with Bleach with the introduction of Inuyasha’s former girlfriend Kikyo. As the story progresses further, I think Kikyo really presents the idea that holding on to the past can be very dangerous….or at least distracting from the people that matter right now. While the viewer has to struggle though more than 50+ episodes of this, I think it comes across not too badly.

Just because its a classic of course doesn’t mean it can’t be good. Such morals such as doing the right thing even for people you don’t like or putting off power for the one you love, these things resonate well with people. Inuyasha will at the very least come off as somewhat refreshing and the very best a show that teaches being a half-demon stinks.

But overall, Inuyasha is certainly a kids show, no matter what the ratings says it is. Not too deep in content and adventure, but enough to at least have you watching a little more.

EMOTIONAL DRAW - 3.6
Initially, any attempt at emotions only brought me laughter, even if seen by the original language, because of the poor facial drawing. And may even seem obnoxious to some people.
However, this being said, you feel like the character’s acting skills grow as the show progresses (at least, with that many episodes it better!). By the end of the show, the emotional draw could receive comparisons to some good films at times. But perhaps that’s more because of Inuyasha’s and Sasshomaru’s acting skill as any scene usually involving Inuyasha having to think sentimentally about Kagome comes off cutely done…

The comedy was pretty funny as things go: Slapstick to people who deserve it usually always gets a smile, and  Inuyasha and Kagome hit it off well throughout the show. “Inuyasha!!! Sit boy!!” are words that brings plenty of laughter to my ears. As long as you like the Three Stooges, I think you’ll find a home in Inuyasha.

CHARACTERS - 4.34
Kagome - 2.2
Kagome…where to begin…the tale of two performances? Well, not exactly. I must say, if not for Inuyasha I would have dumped this show in the early stages…her acting is so bad. Any sad part with her just failed epically. Its so dry and fake sounding, I couldn’t help but laugh. Fortunately for her and the show, there were good actors around.

Now when she’s being funny, Kagome comes off decently, and the other note is that her performance does show signs of life as the show progresses….sadly, not until the next show would it be called good acting.

So when all is said and done just make sure you don’t think of Kagome as a main character…or like me you’ll want to laugh her acting off your tv screen.

Inuyasha - 4.4
Without Inuyasha…well it wouldn’t be called Inuyasha. Certainly, he and his brother kept me watching. Funny in his obliviousness towards Kagome’s feelings, the voice acting came across very well in this show. Inuyasha’s impulsiveness in getting in trouble with Kagome was also well done, and his whole struggle at facing who he is was pretty decent.

Most notably the whole Kikyo thing was a good twist for Inuyasha and you get to see another side of him that’s more serious and sad to a point. Definitely one of those shows where the main character does not disappoint.

Miroku - 5.0

Here is a monk who is lecherous. Sounds like a oxymoron? That’s the beauty behind his character. He has a wind tunnel in his hand, given by Naraku, which will eventually swallow him up. After meeting Sango, his heart is hers…well, that doesn’t stop his flirting and his attempt to touch Sango.
Some of the lengths Miroku goes are pretty funny, and I think his dark side comes off cheesily, but with promise. A good overall character…just make sure you keep your distance, girls.
Sango - 4.4
Sango is a dependable demon slayer with a large metal boomerang. She carriers her emotions on her sleeve a little more when she falls in love with Miroku. And the interactions she has with that lecherous man are pretty funny.

When you learn of her brother Kohaku, the show actually does a decent job with her emotions in those scenes.  Along with that, her sweet faces and loyal personality are sure to catch some emotion for her. A overall good Heroine.
Naraku - 4.8
Naraku represents that classic villain we all hate and lives up to that standard in the acting. The way he comes across very confident while he’s killing all manner of people and things in his evil schemes will be sure to have you hating him for sure. Great villain.

Sasshomaru - 5.0
Right from the start I knew he was going to be special. Sasshomaru, the half brother of inuyasha and full demon, values only his pride and seeks to destroy Naraku because of this. Traveling with a imp Jaken and later befriended a young child named Rin, Sasshomaru is as cool as they come.
Always cool and collecting, I love the way the more emotional points in the show are used by him. An awesome character to contrast Inuyasha.

 

Jaken - 4.5
Jaken remains a servant of Sasshomaru only because of his devotion. He, being an imp, has a personality which hits well after adding Rin. He is usually rash and thus males him an easy target for Rin to make some of the best lines I’ve ever heard!
“Jaken, you should learn to make your sighs into pretty little flowers. Because then you would have flowers everywhere!”

Rin - 5.0
One of the cutest of the characters, Rin was brought back to life by Sasshomaru because Tenseiga urged him to. Rin is that cute, loyal child who compliments Jaken very well. Her sweet personality and kindheartedness come off very well and delightful.
Kikyo - 3.8
Kikyo used to guard the Jewel, but because of Naraku’s treachery turned her against the half-demon who had asked her hand in marriage: Inuyasha.

Her constant hatred of Inuyasha and Kagome comes off kinda sadly. The better side of Kagome in basically every way (not that it is much of a compliment), her struggle with Inuyasha will probably annoy some and intrigue others. Still, she is a solid character.

CREATIVITY - 4.0
For Creativity, its a tale of two halves. First half had little originality and the demons the gang faces tended to be cheesy looking. However, as the halfway point came, the quality improved greatly. Though by no means great art, the artists make the world of Inuyasha seem real enough.
In the second half the incarnations of Naraku are a brilliant idea and with the swords of Inuyasha and Sasshomaru, they are certain to keep the viewer interested. Music was pretty solid too, though most notably the beginning and ending themes are its best strengths. 

OVERALL SCORE - 3.69

(Yes, though there is plenty to hate, I recommend the show for its later strengths. Plus, that sequel was pretty good too)