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Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : September 20, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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Brynhildr-Darkness

review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series

Director: Kenichi Imaizumi

Studio: Arms

Author: Yukinori Kitajima

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: October 6, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 13 Episodes + 1 OVA / 350 Minutes

Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Horror

Industry Age Rating: 17 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Elfen Lied

Synopsis:
Haunted by memories of his childhood friend Kuroneko, Ryota Murakami has dedicated himself to discovering the truth behind the claim she’d made before she died: That aliens from other worlds walk among us. Believing that becoming a scientist is the path to the truth, Murakami pursues his studies by day and peers through a telescope at night. But when a girl named Kuroha Neko joins his class, the answers he’s sought may be closer than he ever expected.

For Kuroha looks exactly like an older version of Kuroneko, and seems to have abilities that no human could have. But the truth isn’t the only thing Murakami is about to uncover, and the secrets he’ll learn come with a deadly price. Because Kuroneko was correct in her claim, and there are those who will do anything to keep that knowledge hidden. And unless Murakami and a handful of unlikely allies can somehow survive their lethal purge, the entire human race could be doomed! Will Murakami and his allies survive? Is Kuroha actually Kuroneko? You will have to watch Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series and find out!

Commentary:
Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series is a unique combination of genres that normally do not belong together. Harem animes can usually be grouped with action pretty well, and also mystery. Drama and harem are a given as there is no harem without drama. But it’s not common to group a harem with a sci-fi horror. Most harems these days fall into the rom-com area, where there, the only serious thing that happens is the let down someone gets when rejected for another. Rejection seems so trivial compared to the ultimate fate of many of the characters in this series. In the end it made for a very complicated plot, with a lot of different side stories, and a bit of a twist in the end.

Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series starts immediately with scenes from the past, of a lost childhood friend and someone trying to cope with loss early in his life. Fast forward several years, Ryota has yet to come to terms with his friend’s death. The nightmares never stopped, nor did the guilt that he was responsible for her death and that he lived. This has made him a bit of a recluse by this point in his life, fearful of the pain he felt then. He focuses more on his studies, being top ranked in his class and 4th in the entire nation. His focus on his work is how he copes. That is until she walks into the classroom. She looked the same, sounded the same, and the name was very close to the nickname he called her. The trauma he never got over comes back full force as he tries to figure out if it’s really her. Life is about to get very complicated.

The plot was unique. Due to this, a few holes did pop up. Nothing you could drive a spaceship thru, but something that made you go ‘huh?’ Because the anime only got a half season (12 episodes) it did seemed rushed at times, as they had to get the story in. Overall it all worked out though. There was plenty of fan service, and 2 minutes later the walls were covered with blood. If you have seen Elfen Lied they are both by the same person, so you have some idea what to expect in the way of blood, guts and gory. But this series does very much separate itself from its older brother. The other thing is character development. They developed the four main characters well, but many of the others you don’t get to know very well. The art and music were good. I loved the opening theme for the first 9 episodes and the OVA. I personally did not need that second opening.

Extras:
Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series includes clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. This series was released with both English and Japanese with English subtitles as language options.

Overall Grade: B+
This was a very difficult series to review without spoiling the plot. Overall Brynhildr in the Darkness: The Complete Series will draw you in, make you feel anger and sadness, and ultimately deliver a twist that was not expected. Just be ready to bathe in blood and entrails.

Wanna Be the Strongest in the World (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 17, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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Wanna Be the Strongest in the WorldTitle: Wanna Be the Strongest in the World complete series

Director: Rion Kujo

Studio: Arms

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

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

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

Genre: Echii (serious fan service), Sports (not really), Comedy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: C-

Synopsis:

The eye-popping world of women’s professional wrestling is sweaty, sadistic, and savagely sexy. Famous Japanese pop idol Sakura Hagiwara is better suited for the dance floor than the wrestling ring, but this ravishing songstress is about to put her body to the ultimate test.

When she and fellow idol Elena are assigned to pose as wrestlers for a very special show, a vicious lady brawler by the name of Rio decides to teach the girls a lesson they won’t soon forget. Rio unleashes a flurry of ferocious of attacks on Elena, contorting her divine female form into an array of very naughty positions. Shocked by the blush-inducing beating taken by her friend, Sakura vows to get her heavenly curves ready to rumble and redeem the good name of idols everywhere by becoming a bona fide diva of the pro-wrestling world!

Commentary:

It has been some time since I sat through a series of this caliber, but Wanna Be the Strongest in the World should be called Boobies on Parade. There are plenty of series out there that try to blend a story with fan service and may of them succeed. In the case of of Wanna Be the Strongest in the World the plot is so simple it just tells you from the very beginning that it will be all about showing the exaggerated female form off.

Now I don’t have anything against wrestling or even pop idols. I just take issue with anime that is only in the game to show off their sexual body parts. There is also the typical attempt to make the female anatomy unbelievably over inflated and this too ends up turning me off. As someone who was educated as an artist I love the human form but the way it is depicted in WannaBe the Strongest in the World just makes me sad.

Overall Grade: C-

As a reviewer I have to take into consideration who the audience in mind is and that is why I did not fail this series completely. I understand the intent and the specialized demographic that Wanna Be the Strongest in the World is going after and that is why I gave it a C- rather than a D- or an F. In fact I would think that the fans that they are making this for will most likely give it an A for the level of echii/Fan Service that is provided.

I wish I could have at least enjoyed the plot line of the series but it was just too mean spirited and misogynistic for me. That is the world of anime and it covers plenty of genres and I can appreciate it for what it is. I know this series will be liked by its fan base.

Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 28, 2014
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Category: Reviews

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Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutorreview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA “Shugaku Toshi Keppu-Roku”

Director: Series-Koichi Ohata  OVA-Rion Kujo

Studio: Series-TNK  OVA-Arms

Author: Series-Koichi Ohata  OVA-Koichi Ohata

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U.S. Release Date: March 11, 2014

Format and Length: DVD / 12 Episodes + 1 OVA / 300 Minutes

Genre: Action, Ecchi, Martial Arts, School, Super Power

Industry Age Rating: 17 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Ikki-Tousen

Synopsis:

The fourth season of Ikki-Tousen delivers double the ditz when Hakufu gets a disciple. But training a pupil is tiring work and catching some sleep at random times puts a delay on her dreams of combat conquest. Hakufu is ready to rumble when word of a tournament gets around and that is when a sinister force sabotages the rival schools’ into submission. Can Hakufu muscle her way to victory and save all her friends from repeating their fatal past? You will have to watch Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA to find out.

Commentary:

I can only describe Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA as more of the same that you come to expect from the series. The story line, however small it was, moved at a very fast pace and I was lost most of the time. There are many flashbacks right off the bat in the first episode that can confuse you if you have not watched the first season of Ikki-Tousen lately.

However, they did decide to introduce two new characters, Kentei the self-proclaimed “True King” and Mouki Bachou, Hakufu’s disciple.  Kentei is the one planning a new tournament for the Great Fighters so he can force them to fulfill their destiny from eighteen hundred years ago. He lures each fighter with a Magatama to an island under the name of Nanban High School where may hardships await them. Mouki Bachou’s main objective is to fight and win a battle against the person who killed her precious older brother and that person is Sousou Moutoku , the head of Kyoshou Academy. Mouki can be described as being reckless, oblivious to her own limitations, and a leaping and kicking disaster in pink sneakers. I saw her as the comedic relief among the massive amounts of fan-service.

The characters were drawn well and the fight scenes were interesting. However, the fight scenes overpowered everything else in the series because they took up most of the episode time. The rest of the time was spent filling the screen with fan-service aka shirt shredding and looking up skirts for panty shots. The plot is Ikki-Tousen classic, girls from different schools fighting until their clothing shreds apart. Nothing special there but with the two new characters added in this season we do see some character development, but not much.

The OVA, Shugaku Toshi Keppu-Roku, the three major schools are off to Kyoto seeking spiritual energy tokens called Tsubas. You also finally get an explanation for why there are no innocent bystanders hurt during the battles. Shugaku Toshi Keppu-Roku is supposed to be the sequel to Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series but it feels more like an abbreviated retelling of the series.  Nothing special in the plot or characters but it was nice to get a refresher for the series.

Extras:

Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA includes “Six Dreamy Views,” promotional videos, clean opening and closing animations, Japanese commercial, U.S. Trailer, Funimation Entertainment trailers, and episode commentary as Special Features. Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA has English and Japanese languages with Japanese subtitles.

Overall Grade: C

Ikki-Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor-The Complete Series Plus OVA has an extreme amount of fan-service and it takes away from the story line. However, it is an okay anime for what it is.