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Tamayura Hitotose (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 4, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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Tamayura HitotoseTitle: Tamayuri Hitotose 

Director: Junichi Sato

Music by: Noboyuki Nakajima

Studio: TYO Animations (series), Hal Film Maker (OVA)

U. S. Distributor: Nozomi Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 6th, 2015

Format: DVD/ 389 Minutes / 12 Episodes and OVA

Genre: Slice of Lice, Coming of Age, Shojo

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

As a little girl, Fuu Sawatari’s father taught her to love photography. They took pictures everywhere they went. But after he passed away, seeing those photographs only served as a reminder of her loss, so she locked them away to be forgotten. Years later, her brother Kou finds their father’s picture album, and as he flips through its pages, the pictures remind Fuu of all the happy memories of her father that she will carry with her forever.

Now, as the shy Fuu enters her first year of high school, she once again takes up her father’s old camera, determined to take wonderful pictures that will bring joy and happiness to others.

Commentary:

Tamayuri Hitotose is one of those sweet light series that looks simple but dives much deeper and interesting than expected. With the basic concepts being rather simple and straight forward I would have expected it to be more about the day to day life of these girls. What I found was a series that provides just that a simple look at a group of girls as they begin their journey into adulthood, there is also a interesting look at the fine art of photography. Now I must disclosed that I have a degree in fine art photography and it clearly colored my perspective. The thing about Tamayura Hitotose and the narrative exploring art photography is that it does a great job of bringing up the general concepts of what a good photo is compared to a “messed up” or not so good photo. It is not that it points out a general perspective of the good photo but rather questions the notion of what a messed up photo is. In fact it provides an honest opinion that there is beauty in all photographs and many that might not show us the perfectly framed head with the happy glowing smile are eve more meaningful than the expected perfect shot.

Tamayura Hitotose also gives a very sentimental look at a father who is no longer alive and missed dearly. As touching as I found that aspect of the plot I can’t say that it was anywhere near as important as the discovery of what friendship is between these girls and the art appreciation of photography. The character development was rolled out wonderfully with plenty of story built around all of the girls not just Fuu. The one aspect of their personalities that I found over the top and somewhat disappointing was the way they ended up being hyper personalities and they tended to overreact to situations that highlight their personal traits.

Overall Grade: B+

Again, Tamayura Hitotose is now of those series that is perfect for girls under the age of 15 but the series is only provided with sub titling. I’m not sure why Nozomi does not spend the extra bucks to provide a solid english dub for this and other series like Aria, Sketchbook or even The Sound of the Sky. I think they could introduce the rich wonderful world of great story telling married with a strictly eastern philosophy on life and growth. There are some great life lessons here and they are provided in a kind sweet forum that is entertaining and only makes the viewer smile in the end.

Tamayura Hitotose is a great series for anyone who loves photography and someone who likes the feel go story of friendship and kindness that a positive life can bring.

Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 27, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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Umi-Monogatarireview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series

Director: Junichi Sato

Studio: Zexcs

Author: Toshihiko Tsukiji

U.S. Distributor: Nozomi, Lucky Penny

U.S. Release Date: November 3, 2015

Format and Length: DVD / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Supernatural

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Aria The Animation

Synopsis:

Marin and Urin are sea folk, people who live in a peaceful underwater world surrounded by bright fish and colorful coral. But one day, a beautiful ring falls from the “sky” – that dangerous place above the water – and the two girls decide to return the lovely trinket to its owner.

While the surface world holds amazing wonders for the pair, it also hides a great darkness… a darkness that Urin accidentally unleashes when she opens a stone box at a local shrine. Now it’s up to Marin, Urin, and their new friend Kanon to set things right again before that darkness swallows the entire world! Will they set everything right again in time? Will this new friendship survive? You will have to watch Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series and find out.

Commentary:

Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series was a refreshing and laid back series to watch as it is part magical adventure and part romance yet neither part overshadows the other. Unlike many similar series, Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series managed to stay on task for each and every episode and not devolve into a series of filler (Marin and Urin go to school) and fan-service (Mermaids at the Hot Springs) episodes half way through the series. Yes, there was fan-service but it was not over-done. I did feel like the storyline went very slow, there was not much action most of the time and many people may find Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series to be boring do to the pacing. However, the drama picks up in the last few episodes and the ending wrapped up all of the important story elements.

Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series has some interesting characters to say the least. Marin and Urin are both sweet and likable girls who are also “pure” at heart. These sisters are naïve to the surface world’s ways, though perhaps not as much as they should have been. Sadly, even with the decent amount of background on their relationship and their past, it does not feel as if you really know them that well. Kanon felt like the most emotionally invested character in the series. She is a bit darker than Marin, but most people would be as Marin is full of love and energy all the time. Kanon is just a girl who wants to be liked but does not know how to show it to people. She is often referred to as “evil” or having an “evil aura” but she does not act evil. That may have been a mistranslation or something. The background characters were well done as they were fairly deep and interesting characters but their screen time was kept to a minimum to focus on the main storyline. The villain, Sedna, was very intriguing because she seems like that dark inner voice that everyone hears from time to time. She is a terrifying presence despite not having a physical form.

The animation in Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series was very beautiful. The sky and sea worlds were just beautiful and the magical effects and action were well animated. The character designs were amazingly cute and the voice actors did a great job in the series. The opening and closing songs fit right in the relaxed mood of the series.

Extras:

Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series includes Marin’s “What Is This?” episodes 1-4, clean opening and closing animations, web promos, promotional video, commercials, and Nozomi/Lucky Penny trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English Subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: B

Umi Monogatari: The Complete Series was a relaxing series to watch. I enjoyed it but I feel like they missed the mark by only having it subtitled because I think children would love this series and they would probably like to watch it dubbed. I would recommend this series if you enjoyed Aria The Animation.

Aria The Natural Season 2 part 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 23, 2014
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Aria The Natural part 2Title: Aria The Natural Season 2 part 2

Director: Jun’ichi Sato

Studio: Hal Film Maker

U. S. Distributor: Nozumi / Right Stuf

U. S. Re-Release Date: March 4th, 2014

Format: DVD / 13 Episode / 325 Minutes

Genre: Slice of Life, Sci Fi

Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating B+

Synopsis:

Akari, Aika and Alice continue to strive toward their goal of becoming Neo-Venezia’s top gondoliers. As their skills improve, they find themselves faced with new challenges. On their journey to become Primas, the girls will have to paint a palina, serve as hostesses at the Festa del Redentore, and even learn how to be brave in the face of a dangerous passenger!

Even with all the drama there is still time for friends and festivities. Will the girls be able to handle the added pressures that come with their trek toward becoming the successors to their teachers who are known as the 3 Fairy Gondoliers of Neo-Venezia?

Commentary:

As we work our way through these 13 episodes it becomes very clear that this series is not just about the friendships that these 3 young ladies have developed, but rather the bigger picture of what it means to become an adult. Of course, the fact that Neo-Venezia provides a very nurturing environment makes a big difference. Even so, there is plenty for them to learn and discover on their own.

For as much as I see the ease and beauty to this series I also see the limitation that it has placed upon itself. With such a soft and easy general appearance tied to a rather gentle grace that flows through all the episodes Aria provides a supportive environment that showcases the coming of age of these characters, but at the same time gloss over some of the confusion and distress that adolescence tend to struggle with. I do appreciate the way the address some of the questions and at the same time became a little less enamored with the way in which they were presented.

I can’t really say that this series is meant for that adolescent audience. The real audience is the pre-adolescent girl who is still somewhat dreamy and living in the world of happy wonderlands. This is not to say that others can’t enjoy this series, I think that most of us would love to live in a world just like Neo-Venezia. A world where all of the problems of just moving through life a simplified by just being in such a peaceful loving place.

Overall Grade: B+

Aria: The Natural part 2 is still a happy easy anime to watch. I can’t really discredit for giving us a picture of life in a world that most of us would enjoy having. I just think that it manages to make light of the coming of age for these young ladies. As a older viewer I like this easy escape form reality and I would guess that many younger viewers under the age to 10 just might find it romantic, but for those who are currently at the same age as the 3 protagonist I think it would be frustrating to watch. Anyway, I still like Aria and see it as a highly idealized world that I would love to live in.

Aria The Natural Season 2 part 1

Posted by :Patches On : February 1, 2014
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Aria The Natural Season 2 part 1Aria The Natural Season 2 part 1

Director: Jun’ichi Sato

Studio: Hal Film Maker

U. S. Distributor: Nozumi / Right Stuf

U. S. Re-Release Date: Jan. 7th, 2014

Format: DVD / 13 Episode / 325 Minutes

Genre: Slice of Life, Sci Fi

Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating B+

Synopsis:

Akari, Aika and Alice are three girls who share a single dream: to become the most talented gondoliers in all of Neo-Venezia! Every day they train toward their goal, exploring all the wondrous sights that the water-covered planet Aqua has to offer. Whether it’s spending a wild day at Carnevale, sharing a beautiful sunset, or even crossing paths with the mysterious spirits that dwell in Aqua’s shadows, for these three friends, each day is a new adventure!

Commentary:

As season two of Aria begins the magic and wonderful presence of these young women jumps right out at you. Aria The Natural picks  up right the first season left off and  we still see three young ladies taking their jobs seriously and all have the goal of becoming the best gondolier. Even with that goal they still manage to remain young and keep  the thrill of discovery alive. The thing about Aria The Natural is that it stands a  beacon for anyone who has a long term life goal. Aria is not a jump up and scream action series or a leave you crying story, but rather one of those single slice of life / coming to age series that is simple and straight forward. I gives us characters that are easy to connect with and very sweet in nature. They have no crosses to bear or a score to settle, they only have their lives to live and to stay focused in their goal. Of course Aria may come across as being very simple and doesn’t always hold your attention, but for me that is part of the charm. 

The animation may not be overtly slick and for this series it fits well. For Aria The Natural the looks are important and the easy stylings are friendly and inviting. That is very important and also very important to the series as it progresses. The voice acting also plays into the series easy charm and all of the characters are given a chance to be themselves without feeling forced or heavy handed. The production of this series is well balanced and perfect for what it is.

Overall Grade: B+

Aria The Natural part 1 is something that needs to be given a chance. I understand that for many anime fans it is the series that have high impact, action or even hard hitting drama , but i think that Aria is a great example of a quiet series that has plenty to offer. Trust me on this, I believe you will walk away understand the magic that this series has to offer. Don’t be afraid to give this series a chance, I have a feeling that you will find it a great little get away.