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009 Re:Cyborg (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : July 12, 2015
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009-ReCyborgTitle: 009 RE:Cyborg Movie

Director: Kenji Kamiyama

Producer: Tomohiko Ishi

Writer: Kenji Kamiyama

Studio: Production I. G., Sanzigen

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: July 28th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / Feature Film / 104 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Cyberpunk

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

From Kenji Kamiyama, the visionary director behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, comes a gripping, visually captivating sci-fi thriller.

Many years ago, nine humans were captured and transformed into cyborgs for the purposes of becoming agents of evil. Instead, they rebelled; becoming champions of justice anytime the earth was in need.

Now, in a post-9/11 world, the meaning of “justice” has become clouded. The cyborgs, untouched by time, and some without memory of their status as heroes, have since taken up lives as ordinary civilians. But when a mysterious force known only as “His Voice” compels people across the world to commit unspeakable acts of violence, even Cyborg 009, Joe Shimamura, falls victim to the irresistible faceless power.

In an era when cyber-terrorism is rapidly advancing, how can the cyborgs combat an enemy that has no face and seemingly no motive?

Commentary:

009 Re:Cyborg is a solid remake of a older series that was one of the earliest to follow in the footsteps of Astro Boy. It managed to run from 1964 into the 1980’s and now there is a slick contemporary remake. The thing about 009 Re: Cyborg is that it ttys a little too hard to be cool. From the very beginning it felt more like Ghost in the Shell rather than the cyborg tale from the 1960’s-80’s.

The terrorist aspects to the plot brought with it the current world viewpoint and also a heavy dose of religion wit it. That is were it lost me. On one side you have science and the other you have religion. Merging the two together possess a stretch and a possibility that is both hard to swallow and also awkward to watch.

Overall Grade: B+

009 Re; Cyborg is a great omage to an older series that can always stand to brought back to life. My only problem is the writing and the way there was such a heavy religious slant to the plot. I would have found it much more plausible if there were some hard core idea logs in the background, but to have the supernatural be at the center and with the fact that the main characters are cyborgs I found it much harder to believe that the idea of creationism had such a hold on the plot.

Even with the lack of any solid substance I still had fond memories of the way Ghost in the Shell affected me the first time I saw it. I would recommend

Inari, KonKon Iroha (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : July 11, 2015
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Inari-Kon-Kon-Complete-SeriesTitle: Inari, KonKon Iroha complete series 

Director: Toru Takahashi

Creator: Morohe Yoshida

Anime Writer: Toru Takahashi

Studio: Production IMS

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: July 28th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 10 episodes + 1 OVA / 250 Minutes

Genre: Supernatural, Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life

Age Rating: TV PG

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Inari is a sweet and shy middle school girl with a HUGE crush on Tanbabashi, one of the cutest guys in her grade. But she’s not smooth enough to tell him how she feels, and every time she tries things just keep getting worse! That is, until one day she saves an injured fox struggling on a riverbank. To Inari’s surprise, the fox turns out to be the familiar of Uka, a beautiful goddess. As thanks, Uka grants Inari the power to shape-shift, and Inari uses her newfound powers to attempt to win over Tanbabashi. Unfortunately, love isn’t as simple as changing forms, and to make matters worse, the spirit world is none too pleased about Inari’s divine powers!

With memorable characters and beautiful scenery, Inari Kon Kon is the perfect blend of comedy, romance, and divine magic!

Commentary:

The Japanese love of their mystical gods is something that we in the west have a hard time understanding especially when the god is a Fox spirit that’s watches over us and listens to our petty wishes. Of course there is the off chance that they will grant that wish or somehow enlighten us , but most of the time is it a very benign relationship.

This concept always gives me a sense that there is much of our existence that I just don’t understand, but would love to experience in the same way that those other cultures do.  Irani KonKon takes this complex ideal and makes is a simple and enjoyable story. There are plenty of examples of this archetype and some of them are great and some aren’t, but Inari, KonKon appeals to a younger audience and does a wonderful job of telling the story without making it to confusing or tossing a twist out at the end.

Overall Grade: A-

Because of the straight forward story line and  wonderfully warn nature I see Inari, KonKon Iroha as a great family series that all ages can enjoy. I also see it as something that a a younger set between 10 & 15 would find it as something they could relate to. The only setback is that fact that many potential fans will not take the time to watch it because it is only subtitled and not given an English dub. I also found myself really wanting to go and see this large shrine and experience the richness of the culture.

Inari, KonKon Iroha is a plus in my book and if you are looking for an easy series to watch that will leave you smiling then you should pick this one up.

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.

Soul Eater NOT! (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 15, 2015
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Soul Eater NotTitle: Soul Eater NOT!

Director: Masakazu Hashimoto

Studio: Bones

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

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

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

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Slice of Life, Shonen

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When 14-year-old Tsugumi discovers her ability to transform into a weapon, she decides to enroll at Death Weapon Meister Academy, or DWMA. There, she hones her skills, and practices with other weapons and the meisters who wield them.

With the help of Maka and the others Tsugumi, Meme and Anya will discover the importance of friendship and the how to appreciate each other for who they really are.

Commentary:

If you are looking for another Soul Eater, well all I can say in NOT!. Soul Eater NOT! may be placed in the same world and have some of the same general feel it is not the same type of series at all. Where Soul Eater is all about the action and bizarreness of the world they live in, Soul Eater Not is all about these 3 girls. After a few episodes I looked over and mentioned to a friend watching the series with me and said this feels like Soul Eater meets K-On!

Now I’m not saying it doesn’t have some of the classic Soul Eater flavor. It still has plenty of the strange characters and colorful world known as Death City and the DWMA. As you move through the series you get to see most of the old favorites and try to guess when the series takes place. I am convinced that it is after the original series, but there are things that make you stop and think maybe not. I’ll leave that up to you.

Overall Garde: B+

Being a huge fan of Soul Eater I was looking forward to Soul Eater NOT! and at first I was a little disappointed, but as the series wound though its paces I came to appreciate it for what it is. I do have a weak spot for slice of life stories and think that series that explore friendship and self awareness tend to get deeper in character development that just the action series. Now Soul Eater Not really didn’t have the time to get into solid character development, but it did give us several fun and easy to connect with characters and the 3 girls were all very much likable and very sympathetic.

I have a feeling that there will be plenty of Soul Eater fans that will pass on this fun little series just because it is more of a slice of life rather than action adventure. I hope everyone gives Soul Eater NOT! a try I believe they will enjoy it.

 

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.

 

Ping Pong (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 2, 2015
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Ping PongTitle: Ping Pong 

Director: Masaaki Yuasa

Studio: Tatsunoko Productions

Music: Kensuke Ushio

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 23rd, 2015

Format: DVD/ Blu-ray/ 11 Episodes / 275 Minutes

Genre: Seinen, Coming of Age, Sports

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Smile and Peco. Peco and Smile. Besties from the beginning, both with a badass backhand. Peco is known for his arrogance on the table tennis court, and Smile for his silence. But with a new school year and a new high school table tennis team, both boys are in for a challenge, on – and off – the court.

Peco’s slacker ways are hurting his game, and after getting crushed in a tournament, he decides to quit. Smile is finally learning to harness his natural talents, but can he squash his sympathy for his opponents enough to beat them?

Commentary:

Several years ago I had the opportunity to review a live action adaptation of Ping Pong and when I heard that the anime was being done I was very edited. The story is not so much the tail of Ping Pong players as it is the story of how these young men are finding their way in the world and how things change as they come of age. There is also the underlying question “Will the Hero Arrive”?

Anyway as I started watching the series I was at first blown away but the animation stylings and the free flowing aspects to the artistic choices. As I got further into the series I began to find it somewhat of a copout for shortcutting some of the visual language. I understand what they are trying to do with this loose and free line work, we have seen it may times in other anime when there is a reason to slip in a new perspective to a series. In the case of Ping Pong I think there should have been a little more attention to the solid conformity to the characters rattan than give us a loose depiction of the overall settings story. I think that with some more attention to detail there would have been a much more solid understanding of these characters as a hole.

The great thing about Ping Pong is that it is such a powerful story to begin with that even a loose free flowing artistic style did not fail the essence of the series. We live through self assurance turned self doubt and also see self loathing turned into loathing of all external forces. We get to taste how one owns understanding of who they are can make all the difference in the world and how powerful just playing a game at your best just for fun is where all the true fun lies.

Overall Grade: A-

Ping Pong is a powerful story that deserves a chance. If you do not like the animation style just give the story a chance. It won’t take long before you don’t care how it looks and just want to see how things turn out. I promise that this story will make you rethink your own ambitions or lack there of.

After you have watched the series you should check out the film, it was done by Sora, the same director who did Appleseed and a few other high profile CG films. But remember this film is not about special effects it is about the human condition and understanding ourselves.

Find out for yourself if the Hero arrives.

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.

TO: Film Collection S.A.V.E.

Posted by :Patches On : May 31, 2015
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TO: Film Collection SAVETitle: TO: Film Collection S.A.V.E. edition
Director: Fumihiko Sori
Studio: Oxybot
U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment
U. S. Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Format:  DVD / 90 minutes / 2 Feature Films
Genre: Sci Fi, Drama
Age Rating: TV 14
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Titles: Appleseed, Vexille and Final Fantasy

In the future can humanity escape the need to war amongst itself? Are there lessons to be learned by the way space will affect us, or will we stay closer to the animal inside our nature.

Synopsis:

TO is a collection of short films that explore humanity in the future and our potential in space.

Elliptical Orbit:

The first film Elliptical Orbit revolves around the return of a space freighter, The Flying Dutchman, and the terrorist plot to use its cargo to destroy the Moon. The real plot is the relationship between the captain of the Flying Dutchman and the head of the space base, Midnight Bazooka, that they have docked at. The struggle that is played out between the base personnel and the terrorist is nothing more than a the constant struggle that humanity never seems to get past and rehashing the political nightmares of our own doing. The hidden surprise is the connection between two main Fifteen years after its last contact with our world, a space freighter known as the Flying Dutchman requests permission to dock at a remote moon base. This mysterious ship carries liquid protons: a power source essential to the survival of Earth’s population. But before the precious cargo can be delivered, the base is ambushed by galactic terrorists who seek to destroy the new form of energy and issue a death sentence to all of humanity.

Symbiotic Planet:

In the second short film, Symbiotic Planet, has us further into the future and how we try to understand how life differs throughout the universe. Our limited understanding of life is only based on our experience and the what we know. Symbiotic Planet takes us to a new world where the American and Russians are both trying to see what they can learn about this new world. During this time they are both on the edge of war and there is a young couple who would like to change that. As a group of arbiters arrive to see what discoveries have been made a out break of a fungus infects the American base. This brings thing to a boiling point and also allow for the most important discovery of all.Against a backdrop of intergalactic colonization and bizarre alien life forms, Aon and Elena – star-crossed lovers from rival countries competing for valuable natural resources – struggle to build a life together despite the objections of their superiors. Their budding romance is thwarted by an outbreak of alien fungus and the interference of a cutthroat militaristic madman. To survive, the young couple must maintain their faith in each other and learn to trust the unique creatures which inhabit this strange and wondrous new world.

Commentary:

These two films by Sori are classic material and meet the high expectation of work comes from the creator of Appleseed and Vexille. The two stories are original story from the space manga 2001 Ya Monogatari / 2001 Nights by Yukinobu Hoshino. They are both very imaginative and also have a wonderful humanistic overtone. They both have the same overarching premiss of the inability for humanity to be able to live together and the stupidity that happens when we take these issues with us into space. There are also two very interesting scientific theories that are played out, the effect of speed of light travel on aging and what other life might be like.

The only real issue I have with either one of these two is that in Elliptical Orbit the main protagonist Maria just happens to look just like Maria from Vexille. I had a hard time getting past that along with other glimpse of others from Vexille throughout this fine film/

Of the two I found Symbiotic Planet to be the best with its power play between the stupid war mongering Americans and Russians and the interesting way in which the planet steps in to show the real power and mystery of life.

Overall Grade: B+

I can see why the Blu-ray / DVD combo of TO is offered and I would say the true enjoyment will come from the high definition of the Blu-ray, but in either format these two films deserve a spot right next to Appleseed, Vexille and even Ping Pong. Sori continues to proved a vision that is very entertaining.

As I have mentioned several time already the clear choices are Appleseed, Appleseed Ex-Mechania, Vexille and you should also check out the live action Ping Pong to see some of the similarities that Sori provides even in a little slice of life film.

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.