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Beyond the Boundary (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 3, 2015
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Beyond the BoundaryTitle: Beyond the Boundary complete collection

Director: Taichi Ishidate

Studio: Kyoto Animation

Original Creator: Tomoyo Kamoi

Anime Writer: Jukki Hanada

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 13th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

They should never have met. They shouldn’t even exist. But when they come together, the entire world will change.

The last surviving member of her clan, Mirai Kuriyama is cursed with the terrifying ability to control and manipulate blood, a power so heretical that she is shunned even by those with the ability to understand her “gift”. Akihito Kanbara is only half human, but while the monstrous other half of his lineage seems to have doomed him to a life alone, it has also given him near invulnerability in the form of rapid healing. Alone, their futures seem bleak, but when a chance encounter brings them together, it becomes clear that they share more than just an unexpected bond. Together they share a destiny and a mission that only the two of them together may be strong enough to survive.

Commentary:

Beyond the Boundary is one of the more interesting supernatural show to come out this year. It has humor, drama and a solid romance on top of a rather compelling plot line. The most compelling aspect to the series is the love story that develops. It is slow and could go either way thought the series but as the viewer you are always wanting them to move closer. It leaves the mystery fresh enough to keep you watching.

The animation was super slick and unexpected. At first I was very worried that it was going to fall into the trap with the pinks and blues that No Game No Life did, but it leveled off and managed to have a wonderful blending of style and color to help accentuate the story line exceptionally well.

Overall Grade: A-

I found Beyond the Boundary to be a wonderful mix of supernatural and heart warming friendship and romance. The one area that I thought was lacking was character development. Understanding who and what all of these characters are is important to the series and to the most part we are given enough information to make the series understandable. I think that if there was more information about the main characters and even a few of the others that show up from time to time it would have made a big difference in who the series tied together.

As series go Beyond the Boundary reminds me of several series blended together and the mish-mash works  as a hole. If you are looking for a shorter series that has plenty of action and a wonderfully heart warming ending then you should check this series out.

Beyond the Boundary is a real winner!

A Lull in the Sea (anime review) Nagi no Asukara

Posted by :Patches On : July 17, 2015
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A Lull in the Sea Premium EditionTitle: A Lull in the Sea

Director: Toshiya Shinohara

Creator: Project-118

Anime Adaptation: Mari Okada

Studio: P. A. Works

U. S. Distributor: NIS America

U. S. Release Date: Premium Ed. 6/30/2015, Standard DVD Ed. 7/14/2015

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / 615 Minutes / 26 Episodes

Genre: Slice of Life, Fantasy

Age Rating: PG 13

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

Due to the closure of their middle school, four students from the sea, Manaka Mukaido, Hikari Sakishima, Chisaki Hiradaira, and Kaname Isaki must attend middle school on the land, despite the growing tension between the land and sea people. While getting used to their new lives, these four and their new friend from the land, Tsumugu Kihara, plan to put on an Ofunehiki, a festival traditionally organized by the land and the sea people, in an attempt to create peace between the two villages.

Five years have passed after the Ofunehiki and Shioshishio’s hibernation. Itaru and Akari now have a son, Akira. Sayu and Miuna, now 14, attend Mihama Middle School. All the while, Chisaki continues to worry about the whereabouts of Hikari and the others while living with Tsumugu and his grandfather. One day, an unexpected discovery leads everyone to revisit the events of the Ofunehiki and unlock the mysteries lying deep beneath the sea…

Synopsis:

For a great many fans anime is known for its Mecha (Big Robots) or Fan Service (Big Boobs) series that take up all the fresh air in the marketing and fan dome. For me there are the little Slice of Life series that really make the art form shine. A Lull in the Sea is a shinning example of the genre and along with other P. A. Works stand at the top to prove that bitter sweet love stories can stir even the coldest of people.

A Lull in the Sea takes a somewhat simple fantasy and idea and creates a rich love story that not only transcends time but also the line between reality and a world that only exists in dreams. The story allows the viewer to relive many of the same emotions that come with the simple coming of age that a 14 year old might experience and the twist in some reminds us that maybe we never out grow these emotions.

Because A Lull in the Sea is 26 episodes long it allows some rather detailed character development that both helps and hinders the pacing to the series. As I moved through the first 8 episodes I was beginning to wonder if maybe they had lost their focus and were going to just give us a pretty anime with a rather bland story line much the way a  series like Clannad played out. Although, once the plot really began to develop things to a much different path and the real richness of the story began to come out.

Overall Grade: A

The fact that A Lull in the Sea ends up making you feel very good about these people saves it from the fatal blow that many other anime have met. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was very please with how the series wrapped it all up. All too often the end of a series can feel hurried and allow way too many loose ends, but A Lull in the Sea does a great job of letting us walk way with a full belly and a warm smile on our face.

NIS did a interesting thing with the release of the series this time, They released the Premium Edition only 2 weeks before the released the standard DVD editions. Now you might find the price to be high, but if it were other distributors I have a feeling we might even see the retail price even higher.

If you are looking for a series that capture your imagination give you a few tears along the way and then allow you to walk away satisfied then A Lull in the Sea is something you really need to see. I did watch some of the series in English and Japanese and can say the English Dub is well done and stays true to the series. This one is winner the same way AnoHana, Tari Tari or Angel Beats! are.

 

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.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD

Posted by :Patches On : June 1, 2015
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Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition

review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD

Director: Masahiro Mukai

Studio: David Production

Author: Shogo Yasukawa

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U.S. Release Date: June 9, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray Combo Pac / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Parody, Sci-Fi, Supernatural

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Leviathan: The Last Defense and K-On!

Synopsis:

Welcome to Gamindustri, a fantastical world where all your favorite video game consoles come to life right before your eyes! Neptune and her fellow Goddesses rule the four kingdoms of Lastation, Leanbox, Lowee, and Planeptune. For many long years, these countries fought each other over Shares, the source of the Goddess power within Gamindustri. However, fearful that the conflict would pointlessly erode their countries’ strength, the Goddesses signed a Friendship Treaty forbidding them from taking Shares by force. But, their royal duties often take a backseat to their obsession with gaming.

When their button-smashing shenanigans are interrupted by rampaging monsters, hacker attacks, and killer vegetables, the goddesses must transform into stronger, sexier versions of themselves and fight for their right to game! The bosses get tougher as the game goes on, and the girls will have to work together in order to defeat a bewitching goddess of piracy, an anonymous master hacker, and an evil CPU hell-bent on destroying everything in her path – using any cheat code necessary!

Commentary:

First things first, Hyperdimension Neptunia is based off a series of video games. That being said, it does fall into the usual problems that this genre of animes usually have; little to no plot, no character development, and a sense of humor you will not understand unless you are a fan of the games. However, this is also another cute girls doing cute things and kicking butt series so if you can look past the major issues it is enjoyable. I would not say there was a plot per say, instead they used battles to move the episodes along. That did get tiring after a while and I could only watch a few episodes at a time because of that.

While there was not character development or background given the characters were the best part of Hyperdimension Neptunia. You would not have had the awesome battle scenes without them and as this series has an all female cast there was also fan-service. However, the fan-service was not overdone. Neptune has a funny but sarcastic personality that may annoy you at first but it will grow on you. She also seems to be the most immature character of the series. Noire is the token tsundere princess who tries to hide her true personality. Blanc and Vert basically squabble over silly things that seem stupid. Those are the main CPU characters. Then they introduce the CPU candidates, or little sisters of the main characters. Those girls are learning to transform into their full CPU characters. I really wish there had been some character development as the characters were really cute but I did not fully understand them as I have never played the games.

The animation looked good. The characters were well drawn and the battle scenes were interesting to say the least. The background animation was beautiful and added depth to the scenes. The voice actors did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The opening and closing songs were catchy and I found myself singing along after a few episodes. All in all, Hyperdimension Neptunia is a cute series.
Extras:

Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD includes a transform collection, clean opening and closing animation, Blu-ray/DVD commercials, commercials, promotional videos, U.S. trailer, and Funimation Entertainment trailers as special features. Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD was released with English and Japanese with English Subtitles as language options. The English option was actually enjoyable and as usual the Japanese with English Subtitles was amazing. Both were well done.

Overall Grade: C+

Hyperdimension Neptunia is a cute series and if you can get past the issues then I think you will enjoy it. It is a cute girls doing cute things and kicking butt series as well but it is hard to understand if you have not played the games for some background information.

Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : April 12, 2015
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Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection season 3review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection

Director: Masashi Kudo

Studio: T.V. Tokyo

Author: Kenjiro Hata

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: April 28, 2015

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

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Parody and Harem

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Amagami SS

“Don’t lump me, Sanzenin Nagi, with your typical otaku. Whether it’s a video game, anime or manga, I’ll only rate it after I’ve played, watched, or read the entire thing! Even though I might initially think, ‘Whoa, talk about a total letdown!’ ”

Synopsis:

Hayate Ayasaki’s life has never been easy, though after being sold to Yakuza who want to harvest your organs to pay off your parents’ debts it’s hard to imagine things sinking much lower. However, since becoming employed as the butler/bodyguard for the spoiled, cold hearted teenage heiress Nagi Sanzenin, Haytate’s misery has been primarily focused around Nagi’s insecurity, laziness and the frequent attempts by various parties to kidnap her (with the occasional scheme cooked up by her Grandfather on the side).

When a new and unexpected relative arrives without warning and issues concerning Nagi’s long dead father and his belongings rear their ugly head, Hayate finds himself thrust even further into the deep, dark, messy drama of the Sanzenin clan’s personal affairs. But that is only the beginning of his troubles, as somehow aliens, haunted swords, an untrustworthy kitten and even a cross-dressing curse are thrown into the mix as well. Will Hayate fight his way through these epic complications? Or will his undoing come at a substantial cost?

Commentary:

Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection is the third season of the Hayate The Combat Butler franchise however, it is an original concept and is not directly based on the manga. The episodes are labeled as nights, such as first night, second night and so on. The first six episodes were filler episodes and the last six were where all the action and actual plot took place. They tried to give all of Nagi’s background in the first six episodes when they could have condensed it into three episodes so the actual plot and story line would not have seemed so rushed.

Nagi Sanzenin is a spoiled and lazy tsundere character, even more so than the first season. She makes unreasonable demands on Hayate and gets herself into trouble as always. She would rather watch the newest anime series and play the newest games instead of going to school. I really believe she would be happy to just do that every day and never leave the house, living a NEET lifestyle. Hayate, her butler, and Maria, her maid, try and make her understand that she must go to school but it mostly falls on deaf ears. Rui Tsugumi appears out of nowhere claiming to be Nagi’s little sister but in reality she is just looking for the Sanzenin family fortune, the Black Camellia. Rui is also a tsundere-type character and specializes in martial arts. She is also the comic relief character, and is picked on heavily for the entire series, which is understandable, she was a pretty bad character, whose only purpose seems to be to bring even more ‘moe loli tsundere’ to this series, which not only is unnecessary, but makes her a waste and very forgettable. Another issue was Maria, who seemed very dimwitted (see the vent scene) and was very dull and almost drone like. Most of the characters seemed that way towards the end.

Another thing was the art. I still have not gotten over that actually. In the original series, it was pretty decent, and full of color. In this one, it lacked the same. Hayate seems to have changed genders and looks more feminine than ever. Everyone else was designed with the same head with different hair colors and styles. It was even worse than the original. The backgrounds even seemed more dull and lifeless than ever. I guess in the end Nagi was right, “Whoa, talk about a total letdown!”

Extras:

Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection includes clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: C

All in all, Hayate The Combat Butler-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You: Complete Collection is more of a standalone series instead of a third season. It is an interesting harem though, if you enjoy the harem genre.

Devils and Realist The Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 19, 2015
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Devils and RealistTitle: Devils and Realist The Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Chiaki Kon

Written By: Michiko Yokote

Creator: Madoka Takadono

Studio: Dogakobo

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: March 17th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / 300 minutes / 12 Episodes

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Comedy

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis:

When William Twining breaks into his bankrupt family’s vaults seeking funds for his tuition, he has no idea what he’s about to pay for his higher education. Instead of cash, William discovers that he’s supposed to choose the (interim) ruler of Hell! That would be a bedeviling predicament under any circumstances, but when the bearer of said dread tidings is also hitting William up for the job… Well, it’s just not a good thing. Nor is it easy to put the would-be Devil behind you, as the impish Dantalion quickly roots himself into William’s school life while simultaneously jockeying with an unholy host of other Arch-Fiends-To-Be for the coveted position of Devil in Charge.

With a surprisingly large percentage of both students and faculty at William’s school turning out to be demonic in nature, he’ll need the Wisdom of Solomon to find a way to get all these devils off his heels – and fortunately for him, William apparently WAS Solomon in a former life! Will the hallowed halls of Stradford become host to the hordes of hell?

Commentary:

Devils and Realist set me back on my heals at first. I thought for sure it was going to end up as a yaoi series or at the very least a shonen ai. In many way I have to call it a shonen ai which pretends to be closer to a shojo comedy with the supernatural slant. It works for a while, but it becomes rather tedious after a while. The real disappointment comes in the story development. This use of an ancient soul of the wise Solomon and the control over the demons of hell could have been so much more interesting. It could have laid out a powerful interaction between the demons under covenant with Solomon and the powers that wanted him out of the pictures. It is not until the very end that I felt like it began to work.

The sexual tension between these fellas just seem silly and the character of William Twining / Solomon lacked any likable aspects. I know it was important to make William a cold calculating arrogant snob who didn’t believe in the occult, but he could have been a little more sympathetic and friendly. When it was important to have the other come to his aid and wish for him to make the right decision I’m not really sure why anyone cared.

Overall Grade: B-

Devils and Realist did have some solid points and most of the other characters were likable and well developed. The animation was above par and the products was superb. I just wish the story stood up along side the rest of the attributes.

I can see why it would have a fan base. There are plenty of pretty guys in this one and there is the demonic connection that attaches the demon to the human. I wonder where we heard that story before. Just in this case the demon doesn’t get to eat the soul of the contractee. It is also a slick production that doesn’t require much thought or effort. So, if you are looking for a light anime that focuses on pretty guys with a dark edge, Devils and Realist is for you.

Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons-The Complete Second Season (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 2, 2015
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Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moonsreview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons-The Complete Second Season

Director: Yuu Kou

Studio: J.C. Staff

Author: Noboru Yamaguchi

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: March 10, 2015

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

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

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Familiar of Zero, The, Toradora!, and Shakugan no Shana

Synopsis:

Louise the Zero and Saito are back in Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons. However Saito has distinguished himself as a hero with Louise has started to get a handle on her Void magic. Saito is also Louise’s familiar of his own free will, but has that made any difference in their “professional” relationship?

Let’s just say that their relationship could be a ride at Six Flags because it is so full of ups and downs such as that perfect romantic moment and messy explosions. However, that does not mean they are not ready to spring into action the moment Queen Henrietta is kidnapped. With this new war brewing, will they be able to find a way to work together that does not end up with Saito getting the wrong end of Louise’s magic wand? Or will Louise still end up hurting the one person besides her family that she cares about? You will have to watch Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons and find out for yourself.

Commentary:

I really believe that the Tristain Academy of Magic needs to invest in bomb squad, or build things much, much stronger. Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons continues where season one left off, however this season seems to be more aimed at character development. There are still parts that are very easily predicted but they are occasional. The plot mainly focused on the relationship between Saito and Louise, the ongoing war with Albion, and Agnes’ story.

Agnes is the Captain of the Tristain musketeers in service of Henrietta. She is a military woman who loves her discipline. She hates Mages, especially fire Mages, with a vengeance. Apparently fire Mages burned her village to the ground when she was a child and she is the only survivor. Most of the episodes for this season focus on this and Agnes getting her revenge on the Mages who burned her village to the ground.

The relationship between Saito and Louise is interesting to say the least. Saito is his same perverted self and Louise does not put up with it at all. She seems to instantly know when he has a perverted thought and makes him pay for it. You would think he would eventually learn, but he does not. The character development has much more depth in this season with a few new characters and significantly more family back story for both new and old characters alike. We also meet the rest of Louise’s family and I fully believe that they might be the cause for her magic being like it is.

The art was just as beautiful as the first season. The backgrounds were very colorful and the characters were drawn well. The voice actors did an amazing job and you really connect with the characters thanks to them. The opening and closing animations were well done and the music was catchy. There is quite a bit of fan-service as Saito is a pervert, but there really is not anything too over the top.

Extras:

Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons-The Complete Second Season includes clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: A-

I truly enjoyed watching Familiar of Zero, The: Knight of the Twin Moons and I cannot wait for the third season to be released by Sentai Filmworks. I would recommend the entire Familiar of Zero series to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 26, 2015
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Outbreak Companyreview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection

Director: Kei Oikawa

Studio: Feel

Author: Naruhisa Arakawa

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks / Section 23

U.S. Release Date: March 3, 2015

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

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Parody

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: The Ambition of Oda Nobuna and The Familiar of Zero

Being an Otaku is not just a hobby, it is a government sanctioned mission…

Synopsis:

It really is not surprising that Shinichi Kanou turned out to be a fan of comics and science fiction since his father writes novels and his mother illustrates erotic video games. But, instead of channeling his efforts into writing or illustration, he has instead become one of the world’s foremost experts on “moe,” with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things cute and adorable in every conceivable form of animation and media. This expertise explains Shinichi’s recruitment as an ambassador more moe to the Holy Erudanto Kingdom, a parallel world where things that previously only existed in anime actually exist! How will Shinichi react when de is dropped into a world with actual cute and adorable elf maids and dragons? How will the citizens of the Holy Erudanto Kingdom react to the world’s foremost experts on “moe?” But, why does the Japanese government feel the need to send someone to represent Japan’s moe interests? You will have to watch Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection and find out!

Commentary:

Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection is a light-hearted, silly and fun series that is very interesting to watch. The first few episodes are serious but it quickly becomes the daily life of Shinichi Kanou. Personally, I would have liked a bit more of the seriousness as the progress of the spread of anime and manga in the Holy Erudanto Kingdom is completely behind the scenes. Eventually we see it, but most of the time we only see soccer playing, the beach episode, making of movies, and such. The plot escalates quickly for the last two episodes and questions from the first few episodes are finally answered.

The characters in Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection were interesting to say the least. Myucel Foaran plays the role of a typical maid with the additions of elf ears and over the top politeness. She always puts the other characters above herself and her actions always speak louder than words. Myucel is able to make friends and her relationship with Shinichi is one of the most dynamic pairs of Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection. Shinichi sees her as a fantasy fulfillment at first as she refers to Shinichi as her master, however he does not abuse or treat her badly. Instead he befriends her as if she was a human being. Myucel is constantly trying to please Shinichi and apologizes for any behavior she interprets as misdeed. She was my favorite character and I really loved the elf ears. The Empress of the Holy Erudanto Empire is Petralka Anne Eldante III. She represents more of a spoiled child because she is a selfish, stubborn brat. She was very jealous of the relationship between Myucel and Shinichi and treats Myucel horribly because of it. By the end of the series though, Petralka learns from her mistakes and starts to treat Myucel with respect.

The art work was spot on. The Holy Erudanto Empire looked beautiful and the colors were amazing. The music was okay, but nothing stood out to me. The voice actors were alright. I thought that Petralka’s voice actress was really annoying but the rest did a good job at bringing the characters to life.

Extras:

Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection includes clean opening and clean closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection includes both English and Japanese with English subtitles as language options.

Overall Grade: C

I really wish Shinichi’s parents had been mentioned in the series. I only remember reading about them on the back of the box. That really bothered me and lowered the overall grade. Otherwise, Outbreak Company Blu-ray Complete Collection is a lighthearted series that would be good to watch in between some serious series.

Unbreakable Machine Doll (anime review)

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

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Unbreakable Machine DollTitle: Unbreakable Machine Doll 

Director: Kinji Yoshimoto

Original Story: Kinji Yoshimoto

Anime Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Studio: Lerche

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: March 3rd, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / DVD/ 12 episodes and 6 OVAs / 390 minutes

Genre: Echii, Action, Fantasy, Romance, Harem, Moe

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Raishin Akabane and his beautiful companion Yaya enroll at Walpurgis Royal Academy to study Machinart: a dangerous blend of magic and technology. Raishin is a puppeteer capable of using magic to power up Yaya, his automaton, for ruthless battles no mere human could survive.

In the wrong hands, Yaya is a deadly weapon, but the honorable Raishin, despite his mysterious quest for vengeance, takes no pleasure in killing for sport. Instead, he joins forces with a harem of gorgeous classmates to unmask those responsible for a rash of heinous human experimentation. If new enemies and terrible grades don’t spell doom for Raishin, he and Yaya might live long enough to conquer the school where magic meets machine!

Commentary:

Unbreakable Machine Doll followed a week worn path of magic users and the vessels that they use to wield their magic. At times I could feel the series channeling Harry Potter and at other times it felt more like Madoka Magica. None-the-less it still had the impact that I’m sure it was after.

From the very opening I knew this wasn’t going to be a simple magic users series, it was really going to be about the fan service and how often they can play off other sexual tension created between Raishin and the other women in his life. Not to mention his magical doll/weapon, Yaya.

Over the course of the 12 episodes I saw the plot develop and strengthen to appoint that made me some what sad that the series relied on sex appeal to draw in the viewers. There is enough story here without having Yaya take her cloths off and try to bed Raishin every other episode and to then present one character that for all of her innocence she still manages to make her breast more prominent than her sweet character. It almost pained me to watch the story unfold through the bouncing bounty that crosses the screen.

Overall Grade: B

For as much as I thought the breast parade got in the way there was still a plot line that was coherent and impelling. I really want to see Raishin grow in strength and come to the point where he faces his brother in battle and also manage to weed out the unethical magic users that wish to become god. I see Raishen and Yaya as something else that manages to elevate themselves above the shackles of lust and greed to help the other discover their own goodness. Unfortunately, this side of the story is not given the ability to grow and prosper and we are left with just another echii series that leaves us wanting for more.

Unbreakable Machine Doll not only has potential to be a fun series to watch and own, but it could have finally brought the two worlds together in a way that justified the silliness that goes on in each episode and the lack of completion that is yet to follow.

I sincerely hope that the funding is found to help complete this series and bring this potentially epic story to an end.

Extras:

Along with the 12 episodes there are also 6 OVAs. Now it has been know that sometimes the OVAs manage to pick up where the series left off, but in this case they follow the other age old path of just being silly reasons to show off the characters boobs. I was really hoping for some closure, but alias not this time.