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Black Bullet (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 11, 2015
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black-bulletTitle: Black Bullet Complete Collection

Director: Masayuki Kojima

Studio: Kinema Citrus, Orange

Creator: Shiden Kanzaki

Screenwriter: Tatsuhiko Urahata

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 27th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray or DVD / 325 Minutes / 13 Episodes

Genre: Sci Fi, Supernatural, Dystopian, Moe, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Synopsis:

The Gastrea virus spreads like wildfire, causing each infected host to rapidly mutate, gaining new powers and abilities with every stage of development, even while they continue to attack, kill, and infect multiple new hosts. Unable to fight a pandemic enemy that turns defenders into adversaries, the shocked remnants of the human race are forced to retreat into cities surrounded by giant monoliths made of Varanium, one of the few materials that can stop the Gastrea.

Now mankind’s last hope lies in the Cursed Children: young girls infected with the virus who have managed to retain a hold on their humanity. Paired with a partner, they alone have the strength to take on a Gastrea in one-on-one combat. But the very thing that gives them power is a ticking time bomb, so even as they protect humanity, they are also feared and shunned. Are they girls? Monsters? Or mankind’s ultimate salvation?

Commentary:

Black Bullet is another of the many series that have gotten picked for the american market that have plenty of action and a edge of little girl perversion blended into a dark story of the potential end of humanity. Honesty I would love to see an anime that killed us all off. After watching Black Bullet I’m not sure if there is a reason to save us from our own self-destruction. Of course anime know only a few standard story lines and the end of humanity is at the top of the list. I guess if you want to get published then you need to give us cute young girls and a crazy dystopian future that only a few moral / righteous individuals manage to keep on the path.

I wish I could give this series more props, but it looses itself in its own vision and panders to a fan base that wants contemporary ninjas and magical young girls to save the world. If fan service is the point of the series they manage to provide plenty of nice looking women to drool over and enough young girls to make any Lolli perv happy. I just think all of that gets in the way of the story. Of course the story isn’t all that new or imaginative.

Overall Grade: C+

For all that I find lacking I do have to admit that the series is compelling enough to make it worth watching. The action and plot gives any viewer enough to latch onto in order to keep them watching. The animation is fair but considering that the series was originally produced in 2011 shows that it ended up the shelves of the original network and was an easy pick up for other to produce for their markets.

I understand why Sentai spent the money on giving this series a english dub but I wish they would have saved their money and used it on something that can been seen as an artistic achievement compared to a potentially strong fan favorite.

I guess that the marketing machine wants to give the masses what they think they want and not so much the stuff that they really should see. I personally love anime for the potential for artistic expression and when I see series like Black Bullet go straight for the consumer and lack the artistic or imagination that sets great series apart from the rest I just have to tell myself that it is all part of the market and needed to keep even the weakest fans engaged.

In all fairness Black Bullet does manage to pull off a strong ending that opens up the possibilities for more to come. I should also mention that their is a moral imperative that is launched and will make anyone sit up a little straighter as they watch it.

So, if you are looking for a series with plenty of action and a lot of tough little girls then Balck Bullet is right up your ally!

 

Noragami season 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 24, 2015
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704400072512_anime-Noragami-Season-1-DVD-BD-HybTitle: Noragami season 1

Director: Kotaro Tamura

Studio: Bones

Writer: Deko Akao

Creator: Adachitoka

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

u. S. Release Date: July 7th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray/ 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Supernatural, Shonen, Action, Adventure, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Minor god Yato is down on his luck. Fed up with his slacker lifestyle, his partner abruptly quits. He has no money, no worshippers, and no shrine to call home. But just when things are starting to seem hopeless, a bus accident forces him to cross paths with Hiyori Iki, a sweet and perky high school girl. After the accident, Hiyori’s soul has a bad habit of slipping out of her body, and after enlisting Yato’s help to get her back to normal, she begins to fall into the world of spirits and gods.

But Hiyori’s not the only one who’s keeping tabs on Yato. A god from Yato’s past is back, and he’s not interested in a friendly reunion.

Commentary:

In the age of supernatural anime Noragmi does its best to try and stand out. There is the simple high school girl who does what she thinks she should and ends up living between two worlds and stuck trying to help a God who is either a simpleton or just so careless that none will ever give him any just due. The God is clearly fighting some self confidence issues and even his regalia (weapons) tend to give him less than a reasonable amount of respect. These aspects alone made me want to like this show because with every episodes it is clear that there is some deep dark secret that all the Gods know and nobody else seems to understand.  This angst helps the plot develop with a even keel, but at times it makes you feel like maybe the secret is a awkward plot device rather than a driving factor in the story.

The animation production quality is standard for Bones and it didn’t leave me feeling anything special about the series. I felt like an added edge to the artistic stylings could have helped elevate the series. I can’t say it made any difference at all.

Overall Grade: B+

Noragami falls into a rather ordinary anime camp with just enough solid writing and plot development that keeps just above the frey. I found the like ability of all the characters a a higher level than I have in some of the more recent supernatural anime and I even enjoyed the darker characters. I guess that they end up playing a much more minor roll than I expected. I wasn’t too sure how the relationship between Yato and Hiyori would play out but I am happy with the conclusion that was delivered. There is also the troubled Yukine as the angry young regalia who’s persona is at an age where he is lost in his world and rather than woe toward understanding this place he would rather act out against the world and everyone in it. The way that this coming of age anger ends up effecting those around him is rather interesting too. As a parent I saw some rather poignant similarities to family life and watching your children grow up. There is only so much you can do and in the end to torment lands on you more than it does the child.

Noragami is a solid anime that should provide plenty of entertainment to anyone who strays across its path.

Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 22, 2015
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Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection

Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki

Studio: Studio Gokumi

Author: Tatsuhiko Urahata

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: July 7, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Magic

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: .hack//Sign and Shining Hearts

Synopsis:

Ever since Escha Malier was a child, she has held two dreams deep in her heart. Those dreams are to become an Alchemist like her late mother and to one day explore the mysterious ruins that float in the sky above her home town. After years of study, she is ready to make her first dream come true by working in the R&D branch of her town’s Alchemy department. However, while she has all the knowledge and skills required to do the job, she is not quite as ready for her new coworker, Logix, or Logy, Fiscario. Escha and Logy seem to be total opposites, in everything from their attitudes on life, to where they grew up, and to the tools they prefer to use why performing Alchemy. But they must remember that when one person alone cannot save the world, the two of them working in harmony can.

Commentary:

Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection is an adaptation of one installment in a series of role-playing games that was very enjoyable to watch. This series was almost like a slice of fantasy life because it was so episodic, however some episodes did flow together and those were the action packed episodes. Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection also did something that other video game adaptation series usually do not do, they put the background information when necessary up on the screen so that you are not left on the dark. I am very thankful for that and it also made the series that much more enjoyable.

The characters were not deep nor did they change too much throughout the series. I believe they did this to push you to play the games. They also hinted to a relationship between Logy and Escha but they also left that up in the air. I am hoping for a second season as the ending hinted to one but you never know. The entire series focused on the fact that everyone has to work together to save the world and that one person cannot do it alone.

The animation included heavy CGI use within the battle scenes. I believe this took away from those scenes; however the other animation was well done. The voice actors were perfect for each of their characters and I would not change any of them. The opening and closing songs were laid back and quite enjoyable. I found myself singing along after a few episodes.

Extras:

Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection includes clean opening and closing animations along with Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: B

Atelier, Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky – The Complete Collection is actually a good series that was based off a video game. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good adventure or fantasy series.

The Familiar of Zero F (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 18, 2015
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The-Familiar-of-Zero-F-Season-4review by Katie and Andrew

Title: The Familiar of Zero F (Season 4)

Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki

Studio: J.C. Staff

Author: Noboru Hamaguchi

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: May 12, 2015 and July 14, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Harem, Action, Romance

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: The Familiar of Zero and The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons
Synopsis:
The Familiar of Zero F concludes the story. Are Saito and Louise ready to take their relationship to the next level? Sadly, that answer will have to wait yet again as they must save Halkeginia once again. However, this time the mission requires them to use Louise’s Void Magic along with the other Void Mages they have found. Betrayals, reversals, and the inevitable side trip to the hot springs lie ahead as the evil forces plot away and dysfunctional relationships get even more dysfunctional. You could say they put the “fun” in dysfunctional. Plus many things go Boom for only vaguely justifiable reasons!

Commentary:

I absolutely loved that there was a conclusion to this series. It does not leave anything open to questions and gives you the conclusion that you want if you love rom-coms. Louise finally matures enough to see that Saito loves her above all the other girls and she finally stops being so insecure. We also get the token Hot Springs episode. Lots of fan-service to be had and Louise does things that made me cry but then you see why she did them. But some things did not make sense, such as how Saito can be the familiar of two mages or how he can steal a fighter jet in 2 seconds flat and get back to Halkeginia. All the characters come back for the final season to save Halkeginia from destruction and we even meet the “Pope.” Henrietta finally began acting like a queen near the end of the series and she also matured. The battle scenes were well done and the music went with the scenes perfectly. The opening and closing songs were okay but I really liked the ones from the first season the best. The voice actors did an amazing job and made the series enjoyable.

Overall Grade: B
Overall, I have enjoyed watching the entire The Familiar of Zero series. However, I felt the fan-service was overdone. I also thought the disciplining of Saito was over-the-top but I also know that is how Louise is. I still recommend this series for anyone looking for a good Fantasy series with some rom-com added in.

Turn A Gundam part 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 16, 2015
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Turn A Gundam part 1Title: Turn A Gundam part 1

Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino

Writer/Creator: Yoshiyuki Tomino

Studio: Sunrise

U. S. Distributor: Nozomi/ Sunrise

U. S. Release Date: June 30th, 2015

Format: DVD / 25 Episodes / 625 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Mecha, Romance, Steampunk

Age Rating: TV 13

Overall personal rating: B

Synopsis:

For 2000 years, a separate race of humanity has lived on the moon. Known as “the Moonrace,” their technology is leaps and bounds beyond those that stayed behind on the Earth’s surface. Now seeking to return to their original home, the Moonrace send three teenagers – Loran, Keith, and Fran – down to Earth on a reconnaissance mission to test the viability of its environment.

After spending a year on Earth, Loran has become good friends with Sochie and Kihel, daughters of the prestigious Heim family, and he looks forward to fully integrating into Earth society. But before Loran gets the chance to make his report, the Moonrace launch a surprise attack. Earth’s primitive airplanes are no match for the superior power of the Moonrace’s mobile suits. However, in the midst of the initial attack, Loran and Sochie uncover a long-forgotten relic: a white mobile suit. As a Moonrace, Loran is quickly able to grasp the basics of piloting it, but by doing so, he inadvertently places himself in the middle of a war.

Commentary:

Gundam Fans get in line for here come the resurrection of the mysterious Turn A Gundam. Reaching back to the year 1999 Sunrise with the help of Nozomi have brought back a slick version of the a series that many people can’t waited to get the next installment of and everyone else figures it may be time to give it a rest. Personally, I am a believer that the Gundam franchise may have seen better years, but honestly I found Turn A Gundam every enjoyable. Of course it felt dated and the writing fell flat more than a few times. Even with those detractors the story held my interest and gave me a reason to think there is more to this than meets the eye.

Compared to most of the older Gundam renditions I feel as though Turn A Gundam builds on a simple story and support both our future and past. There is obviously the leaning to the earth bound humans and a slightly sinister approach to the Moonrace humans. I’m not sure that there is a real need to make one more sympathetic than the other and I think that ben though the Moonrace has better technology that doesn’t mean their lives are that much darker. If I was human and bound to a dead rock where we have to manufacture everything even the air you breath I would be a little bitter about the selfish earth bound humans who are too ignorant the understand what they really have.

I’m not saying that all of the Earth humans are portrayed as naive or even good natured and not all Moonrace humans are evil. That would be against all anime doctrine and would also fail the entire Gundam universe. What I am saying is that I could see myself siding with the Moonrace and wanting to drive out the stupid Earthlings so that someone who would appreciate the earth for what it is could be in control.

Overall Grade: B

Turn a Gundam is a new twist on an old Gundam plot, but it does a good job of telling the story. I just wish the animation was better. By 1999 – 2000 anime productions values had really found a new look and Turn A Gundam held on to some rather tired old artistic values in this series. I get that it is  a Gundam series, but for gods sake they should have made it look a lot better than they did.

One other thing that I reality like about Turn A Gundam was the fact that human technology was all about the steam power and Steampunk ruled the day. This added romantic ideal did help give some beauty to the visual aspects to the series and it helped give me a reason to keep watching in some of the slower moments.

Even with the poor production value I still find it to be a solid series with plenty of Gundam goodness packed into it. There is one other thing that I must mention and it is the disc art work. The five disc have possibly the best disc art covers i have ever seen. If the series would have looked that good it would have overtaken the Gundam and Mecha anime world and blown everyone away.

I am looking forward to seeing the second half of the series.  So all you Gundam fans get ready for the one true Steampunk Gundam coming at you.

Captain Earth Collection 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 13, 2015
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Captain Earth Collection 1Title: Captain Earth Collection 1

Director: Takuya Igarashi

Writer: Yoji Enokido

Studio: Bones

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Film Works, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: June 16th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / 325 Minutes / 13 Episodes

Genre: Mecha, Sci Fi, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When Daichi Manatsu sees a mysterious rainbow appearing near the Tanegashima Space Center, he immediately recognizes it as being similar to an apparition that formed when his father was killed in a mysterious accident years earlier. Traveling to Tanegashima, Daichi quickly finds himself involved with the machinations of Globe, a secret agency created to defend mankind from extraterrestrial forces.

While it might seem like a big job for a mere teenager, it turns out that the skills Daichi has honed on video games combined with a special weapon called the Livlaster make Daichi ideally suited for operating the Earth Engine Impacter. A giant robot, the Earth Engine may be mankind’s best hope against aliens whose goal is to completely drain our world’s lifeforce energy. Fortunately, Daichi won’t be on his own. He’s quickly joined by a group of equally dedicated young people who all have their own skills and abilities to contribute to the battle.

Commentary:

There are a plethora of Mecha titles coming out recently and most of them follow a rather tried and true format and some follow a rather static formula. Captain Earth is no exception and in many ways it manages to mirror one of the more remarkable mecha series ever released. I know that the art world is known for building on the ideas of their predecessors and the commonalities that Captan Earth has to Eureka Seven is a classic example. With that said I don’t want to knock Captain Earth because I find it to be a very entertaining series and Yoji Enokido managed to bring in enough different elements that makes this series more of a next step in the evolution of the plot device rather than a blatant ripoff of the original Eureka Seven story.

The overall feel of the series was strong and moved with a solid pace so that it never felt like it was loosing focus. We are feed enough information and character development to keep us interested in these kids and also positively rooting for their cause. It takes several episodes to discover the real threat the Earth is under and the other unknowns are rolled out with a measured consistency.

The only real drawback to the series so far is the protagonist. In particular the super computer PAC. I found the fact that this computer managed to take on some all too human qualities that flat out contradict its logical superiority. Anyway, I found some of the darker elements of the story to have less than solid development.

Overall Grade: B+

The thing about Captain Earth that I enjoy is the fact that it continually give you a boost of positive reinforcement toward the main characters. And also gives a central player who needs all of the supporting cast to make their survial possible.

The overall animation of the series is typical Bones quality. The production values are high enough to make it easy to watch the series and yet some of the CG aspects are average at best. I realized while watching the series how important a lush sky is. I got a positive reaction every time I saw the deep cerulean  blue background with puffy white cotton ball clouds slowly passing and understood the importance in reminding the viewer how important saving humanity and the Earth is to the series.

I am looking forward to the second half of the series and truly hope that the story says on track. If you are looking for a solid Mecha that has similarities to Eureka Seven then you should get in line to check Captain Earth out, I know you will like it.

Magical Warfare (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 12, 2015
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Magical WarfareTitle: Magical Warfare Complete Collection

Director: Yuzo Sato

Writer: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu

Studio: Madhouse

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: June 30th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / 300 Minutes / 12 Epsisodes

Genre: Supernatural, Magical World, Action, Adventure, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Grade: C

Synopsis:

The last few years haven’t been easy for Takeshi Nanase. His parents are distant, his little brother despises him since “the accident,” and his relationship with his girl friend isn’t exactly romantic. Even one of the few high points in his existence, studying the Japanese swordfighting technique of Kendo, seems to be a dead end.

He’s got a definite knack for it, but it’s not something that’s likely to have any practical application in a future career – or so he thinks until he runs into an unconscious girl in an unknown uniform and suddenly has his world turned upside-down. In short order, he’s being held at (magical) gunpoint, rescuing damsels in distress, and finding himself facing off with a group of magic users!

But as shocking as finding his life in danger and learning that magic is real may be, what’s even more stunning is the revelation that Takeshi’s been changed into a magician himself! So maybe those sword lessons aren’t going to end up being so irrelevant after all!

Commentary:

Here’s a new concept, highs school students given magical power to fight evil. The problem is that they end up not doing much fighting and not much anything else. The series ends up being more about a love triangle than anything else. As the title would suggest there is a battle coming between magical faction, but not in this series.

I guess I should talk about the qualities of the series rather than the lack of substance. We are introduced to some rather typical high school students one of which has some unseen issues at home and would rather not be there. There is the slightly girlish magical girl who inadvertently supplies our hero with his magical power and two other normal students end up being drug into the fray of course the other female muggle/new wizard is the so called girlfriend of the dark teen with the family angst. As all of this might be a good start to the story things never really take off. We are served op plenty of sexual tension between our main characters but its not real clear as to what they want to do about it. You keep expect ion some genuine drama to happen but it all lends itself to way too much uneventful looks and tears.

The underlying story is left on the writers floor somewhere because just as it seems to begin to unfold we are sent back into the world of teenage confusion.

Overall Grade: C

I love stories that emulate Harry Potter (not really), because why not try to earn a few buck off someone else’s idea? No, that is not completely try there are several similarities to the Potter plot line and the underlying focus on the wizard world taking over the muggles and making their world theirs to command. We also have the loner boy who feels like an orphan because of his relationship with his mother and brother that it takes on the dark dejected youth complex.

The animation looks good enough and some of the action is good, there just isn’t enough of it to keep us interested. The character development is somewhat adequate but should have been much stronger with as much time as was spent on unimportant relationships. The humor was ok and managed to take some of the harsh bite of the rest of the failures somewhat lighter.

I honestly can’t give this series any serious thumbs up. Other than the slick production values I have a hard time getting into the series. My only real question is why would Sentai spend the money on the english dub when it so obvious that the series will have a hard time finding s solid fan base. I think they should have spend the money on dubbing Captain Earth or even Space Brothers they could easily find a broader fan base that would make it profitable to do so. All I can say is good luck selling this one to the general anime community.

BlazBlue Alter Memory (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 6, 2015
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BlazBlue Alter MemoryTitle: BlazBlue Alter Memory Complete Series

Director: Hideki Tachibani

Studio: teamKG, Hoods Entertainment

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 30th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Action, Adventure, Gaming

Age Rating: TV14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Long ago, an insidious black beast sought to obliterate the human race, but the monster was defeated by a valiant Band of Heroes wielding the power of Ars Magus: a potent combo of magic and technology. Now, a roguish outlaw known as Ragna the Bloodedge seeks to wreak havoc upon the Librarium, a clandestine organization that governs Ars Magus. Armed with the mighty Azure Grimoire, Ragna quickly becomes the target of vigilantes, scientists, vampires, and Librarium foot soldiers. As he spirals toward a violent showdown with the maniacal Hazama, Ragna will discover just how closely his fate is tied to the future of our world!

Commentary:

As the wotld of gaming anime goes BlazBlue is about as standard as they come. You have the clueless hero who has both the power and the moral streak to stand against evil but always end up being too nice a guy to do any real damage. Then there is the evil who have enough power to end it all early but for some reason just doesn’t pull the trigger. This dynamic sets up all of the typical power plays that run through the series and in the end it felt like a poor brother to a game that maintains some reasonable fan base.

The animation was the saving grace and most of the time that is the back bone of these game themed series. It may not be a beautiful as Final Fantasy but because of the simple structure of the series it does have plenty of Eye candy to keep you watching.

Overall Grade: B

I can’t say there are any major flaws in the story or that it is poorly written. What I find is that it is an average anime that is trying to feed off a popular game. It may bring some of the characters from the game to life, and expand on the universe a little, but all in all it is easy to watch and even easier to turn off.

BlazBlue is some that a fan of the game is going to run out and get and for the rest of us it is some thing we might watch a few episodes of just to get a feel for the series. There is one aspect of the story that is done week and that is giving hints to the past and slowly building the plot line. Ok, gamers time to get you Bloodedge on.

 

Nobunagun (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 23, 2015
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NobunagunTitle: Nobunagun the Complete Series

Director: Nobuhiro Kondo

Music By: Yutaka Shinya

Studio: Bridge

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Rlease Date: June 2nd, 2015

Format: DVD/Blu-ray/13 Episodes/ 325 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Comedy, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Sio Ogura is a shy misfit who’d rather talk about tanks than gossip about girl stuff. She’s plagued by reoccurring dreams of ancient battle scenes, and her only friend is a kindhearted popular girl named Asao. But Sio’s life takes an explosive turn when a school field trip is interrupted by an outbreak of Evolutionary Invaders: hideous alien creatures hell-bent on nuking the planet. During a daring attempt to rescue Asao, Sio discovers that she’s an E-Gene Holder: the reincarnation of a historical figure capable of summoning special weaponry. Possessed by the spirit of legendary warrior Oda Nobunaga, Sio joins forces with the reincarnated versions of Jack the Ripper, Galileo, and Geronimo for a high octane alien shooting spree. Survival is a longshot, but in the battle to save humanity, Sio’s the girl with the biggest gun!

Commentary:

Having another Nobunaga anime coming out this year worried me especially when there is a use of other historical figures. In the case of Nobunagun I was surprised that it was both funny and action packed. I expected it to be fast and full of action, but really didn’t expect the entertaining fun aspect. I also think that the writing and English dub makes a difference. Not being able to hear the different nationalities accents would make it feel like all the characters are from Japan. I’m not sure that would have given them the same feel and ended up leaving them a little flat. Of course the main character doesn’t have a Japanese accent and that is a bit odd.

The art style also helps set the atmosphere for the series. It is hard edged and colorful which go really well with the plot line. There are also some overlays early on, that caught me off guard, that take on a very post modern visual language that helps define the mood and feelings of the characters. It doesn’t necessarily translate well or continue through the series, but it does crop up later on as a reminder of the simpler aspects to the story in the first episode. It speaks to what the artistic staff wanted to accomplish and the fact that they didn’t have as much free reign as they may have wanted.

Overall Grade: B+

I enjoyed Nobunagun for what it was. A straight up Sci Fi alien battle anime with a mix of historical characters for flair. I loved the way they married Nobunaga with a simple shy high school girl and ended up having a crazy gun wielding teen age girl with complexes.

I’m not sure how well this anime will be received because of the strange concept and also some of the animation takes you off in a odd direction. It does move fast and give you a plenty of action to fill any concept voids.

Plenty of people will enjoy this series, but I think some will be left scratching their heads wondering what is going on. I also think it could have worked on the comedic relief. There was way to much weight on just a few characters and their some what silly complexes that gave some relief but the writing just didn’t hit home.

If you are looking for an action packed series that has fun with historical figures then you should check Nobunagun, but watch out for the tentacles.

 

 

Tokyo Ravens season one part 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 22, 2015
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Tokyo Ravens 1 part 2Title: Tokyo Ravens season one part 2

Director: Takaomi Kansaki

Creator: Kohei Azano (Light Novel)

Anime Writer: Hideyuki Kurata

Studio: 8-Bit

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 16th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Supernatural, Action, Adventure, Romance, Harem

Age Rating: TV 14

Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

As Harutora and Natsume navigate the treacherous hallways of Onmyo Academy, alliances shift and their magical powers evolve. Accompanied on their journey by the half-ogre, Touji, and the foxlike spirit, Kon, Harutora and Natsume seek to unravel the mysteries plaguing the academy.

Adversaries become allies and shocking secrets are revealed when dark forces launch a violent attack on the school. Through it all, Harutora honors his vow to stand bravely by Natsume’s side no matter what evil they may face. But when the powerful Raven Coat unleashes Harutora’s demonic side, he finds his hands stained with innocent blood – and his soul tempted by a taboo ritual that could forever change the fate of our world!

Commentary:

With all of the action and clarification regarding our main characters things get very interesting in the second part of season one. Tokyo Ravens takes the strange an slightly goofy story line and gives it a very serious edge. There is also some wonderful character development that at time is slow to develop but when it does makes all the difference. The harem aspects to the series get more blurred and the action, adventure part of the series takes off.

With everything that happens I becomes hard to tell if they are fighting the right battle or not. This only last for a short time and things become very clear who the dad guys really are. There is also a clarity regarding our hero’s that not only makes sense, but I suspected it from the beginning and am glad to see it played out that way.

Overall Grade: A-

With everything that happens in this next set of 12 episodes I think that this series has the opportunity to take on a genuine air of a classic drama. That might be too much for it to handle and if I have learned anything about anime writers it is that if they have the opportunity to ruin a good series they will.

I’m not sure of Tokyo Ravens will get the interest it deserves but if Funimation was smart they would have packages  with only two releases, season 1 & season 2 rather than 4 releases. And with season two not set yet it will make it even harder to keep up any interest.

I for one will be looking forward to season two. I want to know what happened and find out more about Harutora and Natsume. So, Funimation bring it on.