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The Devil is a Part Timer (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : July 18, 2014
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The Devil is a Part TimerTitle: The Devil is a Part Timer

Director: Masahiro Yokotani

Studio: White Fox

U. S. Distributor: Funimation

U. S. Release Date: July 22nd, 2014

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

Genre: Harem, Comedy, Romance, Supernatural

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis: 

When Satan is run out of his infernal kingdom, he finds himself virtually powerless in modern-day Tokyo. Stuck in a feeble mortal body and desperate for cash, there’s only one way for the dark lord to survive: by getting a job manning the deep fryer at “MgRonald!”

As Satan flips burgers and tries to regain his evil magic, he’s pestered by a righteous hero who tracked him to Earth, a video-game-loving fallen angel looking for a way back into heaven, and the most unholy of enemies: a rival fast food franchise. Will he figure out a way to reclaim his homeland and throne? And if not, will this demonic burger king at least sell enough featured menu items to be promoted to shift supervisor? The devil can’t survive on minimum wage!

Commentary:

The Devil is a Part Timer follows in the path of many light comedy harem series, but in several ways it stands out on its own for humor and pointed parody. The story is rather simple with the Devil being upon the verge of having his butt handed to him in battle by the righteous Hero and in order to be able to fight another day he and one of his powerful generals escape through a demential portal and end up in Tokyo. Of course the Hero is able to slip through the portal and also end up in Tokyo. Simply put they all end up loosing most of their magical powers which forces them to become regular humans and struggle through life having to make money just to survive. This basic plot is not what makes the series special, it is the character development and the way in which the story makes the viewer start to root for this unlikely group.

First of all the Devil somehow ends up making some rather monumental changes that make him a very likable person without making him overly sappy. The Hero is a bitter young woman who never seems to want to see the change but it is easy to see that she really see him for what he has become but still keeps her position of his inevitable slayer. This interplay between the characters keeps the story alive and also ends up being much if the humor.

Overall Grade: B+

Devil is a Part Timer has many elements that more recent stores like I Can’t Play H and Maoyu where there is a link between the human and demon world and in essence the connection between the two is at it core and proves to be very necessary.  All three of these stores use that interplay to their fullest and also make the connection something that stands out in the forefront, not a thing that must be discovered later in the series. The ting about The Devil is a Part Timer that makes it special is the writing and character development. I really enjoyed the way the each of these characters puled their own weight and how the persona of the devil ended up making them all stronger.

There was some simple and somewhat unobtrusive fan service in the series and I’m sure it was there just to please a special segment of the fan base, but overall I didn’t see anything about the series that made me want to turn away form it. The only flaw that I have is that it ended up being too short and the ending doesn’t feel complete. I’m not saying it can’t end there I just feel like I would like to see the devil and the hero really get together rather than just leave them in the place they are at the end. I also got a feeling like there is still much more to the story, I am not sure why there was a 13th episode if it wasn’t there to open the door to more. Maybe we will see an OVA come out in the future in order to close the gap between them. Anyway, The Devil is a Part Timer is a fun series that promises to give you plenty to enjoy and keep you smiling throughout the entire 325 minutes .

Code: Breakers Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 27, 2014
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Code: BreakerTitle: Code: Breakers Complete Collection 

Director: Yashiro Irie

Studio: Kinema Citrus

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: June 24th, 2014

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

Genre: Sci Fi, Supernatural, Crime Drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Grade: B

Synopsis:

Rei Ogami doesn’t have a problem with killing. As a Code:Breaker – a super-powered assassin employed by a secret government organization – he works outside of the law, existing in the gray area between right and wrong. When Rei gets an assignment, criminals are cremated in a blaze of blue fire. That is, until a classmate named Sakura witnesses his fatal flames in action and makes it her mission to keep him from killing again.

As Sakura becomes entrenched in Rei’s world of cruelty, mayhem, and violence, the line between good and evil begins to blur. When another Code:Breaker goes rogue and the remaining assassins assemble, murder might be the only way to make things right. Or is it? The more Sakura stays with Rei the more we discover about Sakura and it just might be possible that Sakura was meant to be part of the world after all. The further you go the more you will question so, get ready to be amazed and baffled at the same time.

Commentary:

I realize that it is somewhat normal for artist to get their ideas from other artist and there are plenty of copy cat series out there in the world just trying to sponge some money of an idea that capture plenty of attention and provide the be full of imagination. Code: Breaker manages to entertain while at the same time make you think about all the other series it has in common. The first one that jumped out at me was Darker Than Black, next I was whisked away to the world of Full Metal Panic lastly there is X-Men. I’m not going to go into all of the reasons why Code: Breaker reminds me of these series because it would spoil the plot and series for you. Just take my word for it, Code: Breaker was built on the backs of giants and it almost pulls it off.

There is plenty about Code: Breaker that made we want to root for it and continually come back for more.  At first I thought it might be similar to other crime dramas of the last few years that left me wanting for more or rather wishing I hadn’t waisted my time.  I kind of expected the over the top melodrama that was presented in Psycho Pass or the lack luster writing of Guilty Crown.  After a few episodes I was pleasantly surprised that both the drama and writing held their own against a story that  feels a little contrived. Even with the contrivance of the plot the characters and general writing stood up and gives you reason to keep coming back. I was a little concerned about the Sakura at first but once you get into the heart of the story her character stands out and doesn’t become some week cliché. On the other hand the Rei Ogami comes very close to being that overly hyped anti hero with some grudge against everyone and everything. There just so happens to be a few moments that bring him back from that dark hateful world that sucks all too many main characters into that pit of waited leading men. The rest of the cast holds their own and end up bringing plenty of solid diversity into the plot and in the end really do make a difference.

Overall Grade: B

I wish there had not been so mush reference to older classic series. I guess it is sometimes hard to avoid, but for Code: Breaker the similarities are at its core and if they are taken out all you are left with is nothing at all. I guess that my grade is at this level because the series does pull it off and gives you a product that is both easy to watch and enjoyable at the same time. One point of contention though, the set is called the Complete Series, but there are 3 OVA’s that go along with the 13 episodes and I have a feeling that those will come out later with a silly name attached and a high price tag. For a few extra buck I thing people would have rather seen it all together. If you are a fan of Darker Than Black I know you will enjoy Code: Breaker.

 

Karneval (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 23, 2014
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Karnevalreview provided by T J

Title: Karneval

Director: Eiji Suganuma

Author: Touya Mikanagi

U.S. Distributor: Funimation

Release Date: Jun 10, 2014

Format and Length: DVD/Blu-ray; 13 ep

Genre: action; sci-fi

Industry Age Rating: 14+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar Series: K; Star Driver

Synopsis:

Karneval tells the story of a world swimming in conspiracy and secret government organizations and cover-ups. The story follows a thief names Gareki who has only been looking out for himself his entire life. His motto is “Life always boils it down to three choices: enemy, obstacle, or easy mark.” That is the mantra he lived by up until he ran into a boy named Nai being held prisoner in a mansion. Gareki agrees to break Nai out as he deems the boy useful for his naïve innocence. What should have been an easy job becomes much more complicated when the owner of the mansion reveals herself to be a strange inhuman creature that wants to eat Nai and Gareki. Upon escape from the mansion, they stumble into an organization known as Circus which was investigating the mansion. It is revealed that Circus is a government organization whose purpose is to find and eliminate the criminal organization known as Kafka who has been creating the monsters which are called Varuga. Since the actions taken by Circus can be quite violent and could make a scene, they distract the public eye by holding a festival, the main attraction of which is an actual circus. Circus eventually discovers that Kafka has a special interest in Nai and then decide to use him to try to draw them out, and in turn they will help him find a man he is looking for: a man called Karuko who they find out is being held by Kafka.

Commentary:

Karneval is an all right series. It is not the greatest, but it is definitely not bad. The fight scenes are exciting to watch and the story is a good one. However, it does feel disconnected almost like the creators could not decide whether the main plot is Nai finding Karuko and the subplot is Circus taking down Karafka or vice versa. The comic relief is very well done as well. The way it is done plays off the characters’ naivety and makes it cute as well as amusing, especially when they encounter Circus’s robotic servants that look like rabbits and sheep.

One of this series’ main points is the outfits the characters wear. In fact, the character designs are easily the best part of Karneval. They are very flamboyant and over-the-top, which makes sense as they are in a “Circus.” There are two characters who seem to be in competition on who can wear a tux better. Even the monsters were designed excellently. They were all different and very creative, even if they were inspired by (if not downright copying) the Necromorphs from the Dead Space video games. There are only two characters that did not feel up to par and they were the protagonists. Gareki is basically a cookie-cutter angsty teenager and was easily the least creatively designed character, which was disappointing as he was one of the focal characters. The only problem with Nai’s character was the voice acting. He looks like he is supposed to be 14-16 years old, but he sounds like a 10 year old girl. This was probably done to emphasize his innocence, but it could still have been done easily if he had a more masculine voice that was more fitting of a boy of that age.

Overall, Karneval is a pretty good series. It has its problems, but it is still on the good end of the spectum.

Overall Grade: B+

Karneval overall was a decent series. The plot could never decide what direction it was going, but its still a good story. The character designs really take it though, most the characters are very interesting and are always fun to look at.

“In the Radius:”

Other similar titles to check out might be K or Star Driver

Date A Live Complete Series (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 11, 2014
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Date A Live Complete Series

review provided by Luther

Title: Date A Live Complete Series

Director: Keitaro Motonaga

Writer: Hideki Shirane

U. S. Distributor: FUNIMATION

U. S. Release Date: June 10th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes + 1 OVA / 311 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Science Fiction, Harem

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

In a world devastated by mysterious Spatial Quakes, Shidoh isn’t what you’d expect in a hero. He’s an average Joe who gets bossed around by his adorable little sister and mocked by the popular girls at his school. You’d definitely pick him last for dodge ball, but when it comes to saving the planet from imminent destruction, Shidoh’s got one thing going for him: intergalactic hotties can’t keep their hands off him!

When the secret to stopping the Spatial Quakes turns out to be romancing the extraterrestrial Spirits responsible for all the chaos, Shidoh the loveable loser becomes the hero of all humanity. For every Spirit he makes out with, mankind breathes a little bit easier. Kiss the girls – save the world. That name of the game is driving the space babes crazy, and nobody does it better than Shidoh!

Commentary:

At its core Date A Live is a harem anime, in which an unsuspecting dull male protagonist spontaneously attracts a horde of eccentric women. In many ways Date A Live is just a standard harem, for even the heroines are common character types. So the show does have a somewhat generic feel to it, however that does work to its advantage in some ways. With the show being as short as it is, having characters that are very distinguishable and easy to connect with, I was able to get a relatively good understanding of who the characters are with the limited episodes available.

One thing that Date A Live does have that sets it apart from other harem anime is that the protagonist, Shidoh, goes on actual dates with all the girls. While this may not be a revolutionary concept, it’s definitely not something I’ve seen in a lot of harem anime. There is also a lot of action in this series, for these dates will explode in to fantastical fights between super powerful girls. Though the change in action can be sudden and drastic, the transitions are well done and work well with the setting of the story.

Overall Personal Grade: B

Although Date A Live isn’t anything outstanding, it has bold characters in a memorable story and a good mix of action and romance. If you are a fan of harem anime, this series should not be missed.

Aquarion EVOL part 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 1, 2014
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Aquarion EVOL part 2Title: Aquarion EVOL part 2 combo pack

Director: Shoji Kawamori

Written By: Mari Okada

Studio: Satelight , 8-bit

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date:

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

Genre: Mecha, Romance, Sci Fi

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B-

 

Synopsis:

The intergalactic hijinks continue as beings from a womanless planet target the girls of the newly coed Neo-DEAVA academy. Meanwhile, a mysterious villain’s plot slowly comes to light, Amata’s past is revealed, and Mikono finds herself in the middle of a really awkward threesome.

The hormone-fueled pilots will have to survive unusual training methods and swimsuit-filled secret missions in order to grow strong enough to kick some otherworldly tail, but as the boys and girls get closer to each other, they discover that destiny might not be on their side. Victory could require the legendary mecha Aquarion’s ultimate form – even if summoning it means breaking an intimate taboo.

 

Commentary:

A 12 thousand year story come to an end. Of course Aquarion EVOL isn’t just another love story it a tail of souls torn apart being reunited. This simple plot is give plenty of life in this fan serviced filled story. I have a feeling that if it were not for the sexual connotations that run through this epic story the plot would end up even flater than it is, but at the same time the fan service ends up getting in the way of a story that could have been much more than it is. As with the original Aquarion story there is a great deal of mystery and confusion that runs through the plot, but with EVOL the main character ends up being way to wimpy which makes the ending a lot less dramtic.

The animation of EVOL is great and serves the story well. In fact I would say it is the saving grace for the entire series. The slick look gives the series its real appeal. It is a classic look given a contemporary style that does not betray the essence of the story, rather it enhances it to the point that makes it watchable. With the writing leaving you dazed and confused it takes the visual power to keep you watching.

Overall Grade: B-

Aquarion EVOL is a series that possess a great deal of potential and also plenty of fun for the fan service crows. Unfortunately, it fails to completely deliver. The level of confusion and just out right complexity betrays it and almost sends the series to its death. The fun with sexual innuendos and the high quality of animation helps save the series from itself. If you are a fan of Aquarion then you will mostly be a fan of EVOL, but don’t expect it to be close to the same, just expect it to look good and manage to lose you from time to time.

XIII: The Series (Live Action Review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 29, 2014
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XIIITitle: XIII

Staring: Stuart Townsend and Aisha Tyler

 

Produced By: Prodigy Pictures and Luc Besson’s production company

U. S. Distributor: Giant Ape / FUNimation (Group 1200)

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 16th, 2014

Age Rating: TV 14

Genre: Thriller, Spy, Espionage

Overall Personal Grade: B

Synopsis:

Agent XIII was left to rot in an Eastern European prison with no memories of his past or hope for his future. After a high-stakes breakout, he finds himself immersed in a network of spies and special agents as he attempts to figure out if the man he used to be was a patriot or a monster. Along the way, he uncovers a global conspiracy reaching from the Oval Office to the prisons of Venezuela involving plans for a weapon that could forever change the balance of international power. But when you’re a rogue agent on the run from both government agencies and terrorist cells, is there anyone you can really trust?

Originally airing on broadcast on Reelz in 2012-2013, XIII-The Series also aired in Canada and France.

Giant Ape Media will release the series in two parts on DVD on September 16, 2014.

Commentary:

This special early review of XIII is based on the first 3 episodes of the series. I realize that that is not much to go on, but in this case it is enough to understand where it fall in the world of spy thrillers. Typically we don;’t see to many spy thinners hit the small screen or even come in a full 26 episodes. We almost always see them on the big screen and made into an action packed block buster. XIII is clearly action packed but because of its format it certainly does not rate as a block buster. Based on what I saw the production level matched well with a lower budget tv series set to air on one of the lower numbered cable channels. This doesn’t mean that it poorly made it just means that the production quality does not always do the series justice.

As for the acting, I am a fan of Aisha Tyler and her comedy has alway been top notice, but in XIII I felt like she left something at the door. It is obvious that her character had feeling for Agent XIII but she doesn’t let that show through when it would make the most sense. In other words I felt like she came off flat. As for Stuart Townsend I found him to have much more pronounced ups and downs. In some of the quitter moments I could really confect with his character and his whole struggle with his identity, but when his character became more active and involved he seemed to leave the set and just let his shell go through the motions. I guess he elves me rather ambivalent about the staring role.

Now the story is cool and the plot live seem to want to give us a lot to think about and in the first three episodes I found myself wondering what is really going on. Is this a conspiracy against the President of the US or is this some corporate plot to hide the deep dark truth about something they did. I just don’t know and in some ways just don’t care. I guess that I will need to see the rest of the series to understand what is going on. I did find this to be one of the best series for live action fight scenes especially early one when XIII takes on the woman spy who helps him break out of prison. I found it to be somewhat believable and almost honest. There were only one or two moments when I thought any real human would be on the floor swimming in the see of black fog because they were utterly unconscious. Other than that most of the action was rather typical spy thriller hero action where the good guy can take a bullet and keep going, but the minions  even smell a bullet coming their way and they are flat on the found.

Overall Grade: B

XIII is a action packed series and it brings on the fight scenes to keep things going. I feel like the plot is coming off a little convoluted and confusing but very entertaining for what it is. As for the acting, this is where I have my biggest problem. I can honestly say that the two main stars are the weakest of the bunch. The strongest acting in the first three episodes was by Caterina Murino who played Samantha, XIII’s love interest and helper. She brought some feeling to her role that helped give focus to Townsend’s character and also provided him an opportunity show some feeling too. If you are looking for a fun action packed spy thriller that has some rather deep layers , then you need to check it out when it comes out.

 

 

Hal (special anime movie review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 10, 2014
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hal-movie-animeTitle: Hal

Director: Ryōtarō Makihara

Author: Izumi Kizara

Studio: Wit Studio

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 2nd, 2014

Format: DVD / Feature Film

Genre: Sci Fi, Romance, Drama

Age Rating: Not Rated at time of review

Overall Personal Rating: EVA & Andy: A-

 

The following review is a special conversational review by EAV and Andy. This anime is not scheduled to release until September and because of its unique aspects to the film we thought it would be interesting to provide two viewpoints in a back and forth conversational approach. We hope you find it helpful.

 

Synopsis:

Kurumi’s heart was broken by the sudden death of her boyfriend in a tragic airplane accident. Forced to carry on without her beloved Hal, she fell into a reclusive and joyless existence. Kurumi had given up on the world, but a brilliant scientist devised a plan to win her back. By melding futuristic technology with the binary equivalent of human emotion, they created an ultra-lifelike robotic surrogate to take Hal’s place – and lure Kurumi from her shroud of solitude. Resistant at first, this shattered beauty slowly yielded to her feelings of longing – and took comfort in the company of a robot. Though their unique bond grew stronger with each passing day, Kurumi and Hal would soon discover that nothing about their artificial love story was quite as it seemed.

Commentary:

E: Hal was definitely an interesting movie. It has the potential to do well. I did find that I really had to pay attention to the movie, because if I got busy doing something else for a bit, I didn’t know what was going on. I think it was the way they revealed the story and events.

Andy: I also found it to be a movie you had to pay attention to. It may not have been fast paced, but it was rich enough to make you follow along. The strongest aspect to the film that I found interesting was the way they portrayed both Hal and Kurumi. Both were fully developed and at the same time I found them to be shrouded in mystery.This in itself leads you back to being forced to pay close attention to it. I really think the writing was strong enough to carry this off and proves to be the real power to the film.

E: I watched it a second time, it was illuminating and still held up well. It was amazing how much detail and concepts were fit into such a short time. The writing/ story  really directed the viewer to believe certain things that were put into question later but the way the story was told was rather clever. I enjoyed the  comfortable mix of old and new woven throughout, the ultra modern wasn’t leave behind nature or tradition.

Andy: I agree and think that Izumi Kizara did a wonderful job of creating that world where these possibilities could come true. Even with the great advances that have taken place humanity still has not lost what makes us special. That bond between two people who truly love each other manages to transcend time and space and become clear even when one of the two has become an Artificial Intelligence. I don’t know if that world will ever come true, but it gives me hope to think that if we are able to create such a wonderful machine that we will be sure to give it those aspects of our nature that makes us wonderful and loving.

I too found the animation to be well done and I think it says a lot for a newer studio that has Hal and Attack of the Titans to stand on as their first two productions. For Hal they did a great job of including the emotion of the story into the look and to also give a warmth in the environment that lends itself to the touching story line. It sure did make it easy to have true empathy for both Hal and Kurumi.

E: Visually it was excellent. The outdoor scenes had a poetic reality and the indoor scenes were really full of details that expertly set up the story or the character’s lives. The room that Kurumi had isolated herself in is one example. All the things and pieces fill us into the person she was and her relationship to Hal.

Working at an anime store, I’m often asked for suggestions. Summer Wars or Girl Who Lept Through Time are two movies on my favorite list, now I’ll be adding Hal to this.

Andy: I can see why you like it so much, but I just didn’t get to the same place as you did. I did find the animation at the top of the spectrum and much of the writing was great, but all in all I guess that the complexity just made it a little off the mark. Hal does make it on my list of great films that should be seen and will also be a mainstay on the shelf at the store. I am looking forward to seeing what others think about it when it is released.

E: The more I thought about the movie, the better I liked it. My grade for it will be A-. It was well animated, sensitive, thought provoking and an interesting story told in a clever way. The strike against it was Hal’s background story, it was too saturated with tragedy without enough to really explain.

Another thing I want to bring up, was the robot, who was a lesson in humanity and made a great sacrifice. It is easy to forget about it as a separate character because it was personifying someone most of the time.

 

 

 

Robotics;Notes part 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 15, 2014
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Robotics;Notes part 2Title: Robotics;Notes part 2

Director: Kazuya Nomura

Writer: Jukki Hanada

Studio: Production I. G.

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: March 25th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray /DVD/ 11 Episodes / 235 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Thriller, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Kaito, Akiho, and the rest of the Robot Research Club have finally completed their dream of building a giant robot, only to discover they’ve still got a ton of work to do. As they draw up plans for a new model, strange things start happening around them. A robot uprising wreaks havoc in Tokyo, a network-based AI crosses over into the real world, and the Kimijima reports foretell of an impending apocalypse.

The real questions are what is up with Misa, Akiho’s big sister? Who is Ko Kimijima and what is his role in all of this? Will Gunvarrel make it to Tokyo? What is the story behind Aire? What makes Frau Koujiro so freeky?  These and many other question are answered in part 2 of Robotics;Notes, or are they?

Commentary:

The first thing that stood out in the conclusion of Robotics; Notes was the tone of the series. With no real surprise, the series took on a much more serious flavor that took it from being a light high school club series to a dramatic  Sci Fi that has hidden romantic undertone. This shift in focus is also very reminiscent of Steins; Gate, but the plot twist imbedded in the series is not as convoluted. The fact that it comes across somewhat simplistically just might be the reason it doesn’t have as high of an impact as Steins; Gate.

Robotics; Notes is a very good series that turns a Sci Fi mystery into a conversation on our reliance on technology and the future that could prove to be very challenging. The one thing that I was expecting, but did not get in part 2 was a bigger story and more leaps of faith between the story and the viewer.  No getting that pushing of plausibility is a real disappointment for me but it does not mean that there aren’t plenty of classic anime physics benders in Robotics; Notes, I just didn’t see any that made me question the sear nature of things.

Overall Grade: A-

Robotics; Notes delivers a solid package that is full of fun and entertainment and continues to showcase why anime is so much different than western cartoons. There were parts in this 22 episode series that I felt is dragged a little and in doing so it detracted from the story, it didn’t have that negative of an effect.

So, if you are looking for a fun story that intertwines Sci Fi, Romance, and a Thriller with the world at stake then Robotics; Notes is for you.

Appleseed XIII: Tartaros and Ouranos (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 28, 2014
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Appleseed XIII Tartaros & OuranosTitle: Appleseed XIII: Tartaros and Ouranos 

Director: Takayuki Hamana

Studio: Jinni’s Animation Studio / Production I. G.

Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 25th. 2014

Formate: DVD / Blu-ray / 2 Feature Films / 168 minutes

Genre: Sci Fi

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: C-

 

Synopsis:

In the wake of destruction from a worldwide non-nuclear war, the city of Olympus has become the control center of the world. As humanity adopts biological enhancements in attempts to achieve perfection, a terrorist organization uprises to prevent what could be the eventual extinction of the human race. Two former LAPD SWAT members join a special mech-piloting, military force to take down the leader of the terrorist organization.

These two movies are a summarized take on the 13-episode Appleseed TV series.

Commentary:

If we take way the animation and stick solely to the story there is a lot to be said for the overall concept be hid these two films. To be honest with you I found the story to be much stronger when it was stretched out in 13 episodes. The two films Tartaros and Ouranos  do a fine jog of telling the story but do leave plenty on the cutting room floor.

Once you set the story aside you have to get past the animation. Being a fan of early Computer Generated Graphics (CG) I can only say that this makes me want to cry. Every time I sit and watch any of the movies or the series for Appleseed XIII I just cringe and wish I didm’t have to sit through this. I have no idea why this particular styling was chosen because it neither comes across as good CG or hand drawn work. The heavy handed drawing and rather overblown highlight marks just ruin the animation. The false stress lines in both human and machine just make it come across sophomoric and almost looking like a underclass art school project.

Overall Grade: C-

The stores have something to say and uphold the solid sic fi vision of Appleseed and appleseed Ex Machina. Both films do a fine job of giving us a synopsis of the series but the 13 episode series told the story well enough and because it was long enough to fill on some gaps. If only there was some other animation vision to the story that help us sit through either the films or series. I am a little miffed as to why they had to tell this story in 3 different ways. I get that it was to give us different viewpoints, but it just comes across as a waist of time and maybe way to indulgent.

If you are looking for a solid sci fi story and don’t really care about how it looks then you will really enjoy these films. If you are a fan of Appleseed and want more of the franchise I suggest you prepare yourself for disappointment. For me I am happy to have had the chance to get more of this complicated story I just wish it looked better.

Robotics;Notes part 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 22, 2014
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Robotics;NotesTitle: Robotics;Notes part 1

Director: Kazuya Nomura

Writer: Jukki Hanada

Studio: Production I. G.

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 18th, 2014

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

Genre: Sci Fi, Thriller, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Kai and Aki dream of building a giant fighting robot based on a super-popular anime, but that’s going to be impossible if they don’t get more members into their school’s Robot Research Club. They’ll take anyone they can talk – or force – into joining them, including an eccentric robotics champion with a secret identity and a l33t video-game designer who’s spent one too many late nights online. Finally, their goal looks like it’s within reach.

But when a sentient AI program tells Kai about mysterious documents hidden on the internet, things start to get strange for everyone. As the club members track down the secret messages, they realize that the information might be far bigger – and more dangerous – than they expected.

Commentary:

Following the Techie anime of the last few years like Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes brings things back to earth and give us a bit more plausible story line (at least so far). With that said there is still plant of little signals that tell me there are things yet unrevealed that will add several layers to the series and make it more like the multi layered Steins;Gate. I’m not saying that those layers are a bad thing and intact I really enjoy it when a series makes me think and then surprises me later. That level of writing is hard to find and also hard to pull of.

So, far the series seems to be somewhat straight forward with a darker mystery sitting there just below the surface. I am very much looking forward to how this plays out and truly expect it to give me reasons to cheer it on. The thing about Robotics;Notes so far is that it is drawing us in with some rather likable characters and a challenge to have a high school club actually build a full size mecha robot that doesn’t defy physics and at the same time makes us imagine a world in our own future where these things can be done.

Overall Grade: A-

With Robotics;Notes following the indirect path or rather a simplistic story line to set us up for something much deeper I find myself hooked. The animation production is at times a bit simple, but that too is a trick that gives us an illusion of a basic teenage high school story and a false sense of security. The voice acting is fitting in just perfectly and gives a another sense of reality that is both reassuring and somewhat unbalanced with the light comedic presence. Of course the story follows a group of high school seniors and their drive to make their mark so the voice acting must come across with the same naivety of those very 17 and 18 year olds, and so far I see them hitting the mark.

Robotics;Notes part 1 doesn’t hit you with a dazzling display of action or in your face mystery. What it does is give you some very likable high schoolers who have their own motivations or lack there of and places them in a very believable world that just might get turned upside down as we go along. I am looking forward to seeing how the series concludes and honestly expect some strong twist along the way. As a Techie Sci Fi companion to the likes of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate I honestly expect the second half of Robotics;Notes to blow my socks off, so bring it on I am ready.