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Mardock Scramble The Third Exhaust (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : March 14, 2014
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Category: Reviews

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Mardock Scramble The Third ExhaustTitle: Mardock Scramble The Third Exhaust on Blu-ray

Director: Susumu Kudo

Writer: Tow Ubukata

Studio: GoHands

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks / Section 23

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

Format: Blu-ray / Feature Film / 66 minutes

Genre: Cyberpunk, Sci Fi, Drama, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: MA

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

Rune Balot’s struggle to bring the man who killed her to justice continues amid the world of high-stakes gambling and glamour at the Eggnog Blue Casino. The odds are stacked heavily in the house’s favor, and even with the aid of Dr. Easter and Oeufcoque, a universal item capable of turning into anything and everything, Rune’s chances of winning are slim. But winning the golden chips containing Shell Septinos’ memories is only the next step on a long and treacherous road.

Run will still have to live long enough to bring those memories before the court, and even that isn’t the end of the journey. Rune’s search for answers to the questions that haunt comes to a shattering climax!

Commentary:

Finally we have the chance to see how the animated form of Tow Ubukata’s dark Sci Fi thriller Mardock Scramble. Coming to the anime after reading the 750 page novel several years ago brings plenty of expectations and desires, but in the end this anime managed to take on a life of its own without letting me down. This last installment and third film brought Rune Balot’s personality to full fruition and completed the connection between her and the AI weapon that is her partner, Oeufcoque.

As this story developed it brought together a look at humanity in both its darkest and lightest at the same time. There is also a very eastern approach to the dark side that allowed it to have a small but intense sense of honor and love. That does not say that most of the antagonist have something honorable, but there are one or two that bring some added baggage along with their external personas. The yin and yang within the characters adds so much death to the story it makes it all worth while.

Overall Grade: A

This final installment of the Mardock Scramble films does exactly what it needs to do. There is very little waist to the story and also develops a rather deep and enlightening interaction for Rune  that results in a very special aspect of the human condition. Mardock Scramble is something very special in the way it is constructed and executed. Tow Ubukata gives a look at ourselves in a raw and brutal way that goes straight to the core of our existence. I’m not sure that I can do justice to the fine story in this rather weak review, but if you have any interest in the underbelly of humanity and are looking for an honest approach to this genre that provides a hero, or should I say heroin who struggles with her own demons and hatred just to become stronger in order to defeat not just the person but ideals of that dark world. Then you should pick up these movies and enjoy each film. My only complaint is that it took so long to produce and distribute them. Now, I guess it is time to package them all together.

If you are looking for a real treat, be sure to read the novel and them watch the film. I think you will find the translation worth while and get a real treat in seeing for once a genuine translation that gives us two visions of the same story and succeed with both.

This is not for everyone and it doesn’t hold back when showing off the darker side of our species, but if you are looking for a insightful Cyberpunk story that says more than most in a way that leaves you thinking rather seriously about the world we live in and where we are headed, then Mardock Scramble is for you.

Robotics;Notes part 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 22, 2014
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Category: Reviews

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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.

 

Deadman Wonderland Volume 1 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 19, 2014
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Category: Reviews

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ItemDescription-3Title: Deadman Wonderland Volume 1

Writer: Jinsei Kataoka

Illustrater: Kazuma Kondou

U. S. Publisher: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 11th, 2014

Format: Manga / Paperback / 216 pages

Genre: Thriller, Supernatural, Bio Punk, Action, Psychological Drama

Age Rating: T+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

Framed for the brutal murders of his classmates by the mysterious Red Man, middle-school student Ganta Igarashii finds himself sentenced to death in the bizarre and fatal theme park/prison known as “Deadman Wonderland.” The inmates of this insane penitentiary fight for survival every day to provide entertainment for the masses. Ganta is determined to survive Deadman Wonderland and clear his name, but the price may be his soul.

There is also an added mystery for Ganta because a small white haired girl befriends him right away and is positive that they know each other. She seem to appear at random times and does some of the strings things just to be close to Ganta. The real question is how can he survive this place that is determined to take his life?

 

Commentary:

Deadman Wonderland is not new to our shores, but to have Viz reintroduce it just might be the best thing that has happened to it. Most people are familiar with the TV stint for it, but walked away less than satisfied. Well the only way to get more in-depth is through the manga versions and maybe just maybe we will learn something new about this enigma of a series.

I must warn anyone not well versed with the series that it is rather brutal at times and the manga help downplay the violence just by being in black and white and less interested in the graphic impact of the violence. This simple change has helped the story step up and present something a little different than the TV series. After finishing this first volume I am both happy and sad to see it back on the market. I am happy because of the possibilities, but sad because I am still seeing some rather disturbing missteps in the character development already. I was hoping that Ganta was not going to come across as the wimpy whiny little punk that he was jun the TV series but I guess that he is who he is and the slower development of a manga is not going to help a rather flawed main character. I see this failure in Neon Evangelion and other top series and I have never understood that reluctant whinny hero personality and guess have never really appreciated it for what it is. I understand that this kid has been handed a situation that most of us would crumble under, but that doesn’t mean that he must show his frailty every time he is confronted with a stressful situtation.

Overall Gade: B+

Even with the disappointment of with the Ganta character I still found this first volume to be a great start for a series that has found some acrimonious responses from the U. S. fan base. I know that several of the first volumes had made it out on print several years ago by a now defunct publisher, but I doubt if Viz will walk away from this series before all of the volumes will be released and who knows maybe just maybe there might be some revelations in the later volumes that could shed some light on the mystery known as Deadman Wonderland.