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Shirobako Collection 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 24, 2016
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shirobako-Title: Shirobako Collection 1 on Blu-ray

Director: Tsutomu Mizushima

Writer: Michio Yokote

Studio: P. A. Works

Produced by: Warner Entertainment Japan

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: February 9th, 2016

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama

Age Rating: TV PG

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

After making an animated film together in high school, Aoi and her friends Shizuka, Ema, Misa, and Midori made a promise to each other: to all get jobs in the anime industry and someday work together again.

Two years later, Aoi is learning that working as a production assistant at a small animation studio is far more demanding than she ever imagined, and Shizuka’s aspiring career as a voice actor involves more time waiting tables than recording.

Meanwhile, Ema’s slowly making a name for herself as a key animator, Misa’s moved from 2D to 3D and now works in computer graphics, and screenwriting hopeful Midori is lagging furthest behind, still looking for her first big break. But are they ready to give up on their dreams just yet? No way! Because while anime may come from inspiration, in the end it’s the ones who’re willing to put in the perspiration that make their dreams real in Shirobako!

Commentary:

Shirobako is wonderful way to start off the 2016 release season. It is a smart lively slice of life that gives us a group of young adults trying to make their way into the anime profession. As we follow these five young ladies it becomes very clear that we are seeing a true cross-section of how life works. The series gives up a rather upbeat view of their world with moments of struggle and frustration tossed in. It is easy for most of us to think how great it would be to in the anime industry but the truth is that it is a meat grinder that demands long hours and a work ethic that s second to none. Shirt Bako does a great job of portraying these struggles but is not too discouraging.

I think that approach may be the real strength to the story. I would never want to totally discourage people who are still as idealistic and have big dreams because once you loose your dreams life just becomes a series of good and bad moments. Of course I am coming from a jaded viewpoint of someone who has been a part of the corporate world far too long.

Overall Grade: A

Shirobako isn’t a top notice anime just because it gives a solid slice of life. The truth is that is does this without making you cry. I was beginning to think that slice of life meant sad and depressing, but it is great to see a positive anime come out and breach the fourth wall an look back at its own industry. There is also the fact that it is rated PG, not TV14 or even MA, but rather PG. That is awesome in my mind because a story like this should be available for all audiences. I think there are plenty of younger teens that might watch this and find it to be something of value rather than something that just bleeds all over the place.

It is understandable that P. A. Works took on this story and why it turned out the way it did. Way to go P. A. Works, here is another anime that proves that you understand what you are doing and why you are still going strong after 15 years. You have survived through some of the toughest years and still bring us some of the best series out there. Shirobako is a  good one thank you.

Shirobako is a series that you need to check out. It is well produced, well written and well voice acted. I love that it fires on all cylinders and proves that it is not boring to tell a good story and make it believable.

Locodol (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 24, 2016
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locodolTitle: Locodol

Director: Munenori Nawa

Author: Kotaro Kosugi

Anime Writer: Yuniko Ayana

Studio: Feel

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: January 19th, 201

Format: Blu-ray / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Idol, Slice of Life

Age Rating: PG

Overall Grade: B+

Synopsis: 

Some cities spend millions to draw in tourists, but a small town like Nagarekawa doesn’t have those resources. What it DOES have is Nanako, whose dream of becoming an idol singer is suddenly given life when she and fellow classmate Yukari are recruited by her uncle (who serves on the city council) to become local idols. That means performing at the openings of swimming pools and appearing on the smaller local TV stations, so it’s not the glamorous lifestyle one sees in the movies. But it is a way to help her city and neighbors while doing something she cares about. And when Nanako and Yukari are joined by a third classmate, the petite but athletic Yui, who takes on the task of appearing in costume as the town mascot, everything really comes together.

They may not be on the road to fame and fortune, but there’s plenty of fun to be found ahead as they become Locodols!

Comemntary:

Locodol is a wonderful entry anime for the younger viewer. It is light and happy. The only drawback is that it is only released with sub-titles. For myself and many fans this is not an issue but for the hunger viewer they will loose interest very fast having to read and miss the action going on around the text. I know that many people will take exception to this comment, but those who do don’t understand that a 10 years old might want to get involved in reading and watching at the same time but they quickly come to realize that they are missing something. In 2015 there were several title release that fell into this category and I hope that 2016 doesn’t miss the opportunity to find some new fans by spending a little more and providing a English dub. Of course I am sure that plenty of copies will sell to the Idol fans that love cute girls in happy series that just give you a smile
when you watch.

Overall Grade: B+

For Locodol the animation is average and honestly it gave me very similar feelings that K-On! did when it first released. I am not sure what it is about naive school girl anime, but the simple pleaser of watching something that doesn’t leave you sad or complexly disturbed is in itself a wonderful thing. I for one would love to see more anime produced that gives a smile rather than a bloody mess.

Locodol provides more than enough smiles and gives a peek into the world of a teenage girls who want to be idols and yet are somehow able to maintain a small town ego. I recommend this for all younger viewers who are looking for a positive series. I do get very tired of the bloody messes that keep getting pumped out, but then are are many silly series getting tossed out there too. So, if you are looking for a simple series that will just make you feel good by watching it then Locodol is for you.

Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 24, 2016
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Review provided by Andrew and Katieblade-dance-of-the-elementalers

Title: Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection

Director: Tetsuya Yanagisaw

Studio: TNK

Author: Takao Yoshioka

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: February 2, 2016

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

Genre: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Supernatural

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: The Familiar of Zero and IS: Infinite Stratos

Synopsis:

In order to enroll at the Areisha Spirit Academy, where young priestesses learn how to form contracts with Spirits, the ideal prospective student must be pure, chaste, and of a superior lineage. They must also be female as only one man has ever made a Spirit contract and He was the Demon King.
The entire Academy is thrown into chaos and confusion when Kamito Kazehaya arrives at the Headmistress’ request because not only is he very obviously a guy, but he also managed to form a Spirit contract in the short time it took him to walk through the woods surrounding the Academy.
And what other secrets might the new enrollee have hidden? The unexpected intrusion of something male is certain to work the female student body into a tizzy as the answers are revealed in Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection.

Commentary:

Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection is your basic magical harem anime series. There is nothing original about the series and that saddened me. Basically, the plot is full of holes and does not explain much of anything. A great example is how Kamito Kazehaya won a Blade Dance three years prior to the setting of the series, but no one knows that as he was in a robot suit. It seems as if they decided to use the first eleven episodes as filler and the actual series began in the final episode. The battles reminded me of Pokémon battles due to the use of “spirit animals” and the battles lasted far too long for my taste. There was also an over-use of fan-service and there was one scene that bordered on hentai so I personally believe that the age rating should have been higher.

Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection included every character archetype, but mostly focused on tsundere, that harem animes use but there was hardly any development done to the characters. Kamito Kazehaya is the only male spirit contractor in the series so naturally the rest of the characters are wary of him. He has a good nature personality but also teases the other characters. Kamito is a competent fighter and uses his head more than his emotions in his fights. Claire Rougeis one of the tsundere’s in the series; however she is heavy on the tsun and light on the dere. Her contracted spirit is a flame cat named Scarlett. Rinslet Laurenfrost is also a tsundere but instead of tsundere to Kamito she is mostly tsundere to Claire, her childhood friend. Her contracted spirit is an ice wolf named Fenrir. Ellis Fahrengart is another tsundere, but she uses the tsundere to protect her school as a Knight. Her contracted spirit is an eagle named Simorgh. Those are the characters that stood out the most to me. There are others including Fianna Ray Ordesia and Est.

The characters were well drawn but the background animation seemed to get lost. The music was standard for this genre and did not stand out in any way. The voice actors did a good job but some left something to be desired.
Extras:
Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection includes Japanese Promos, Blade Dance Special Mini OVA’s, Clean Opening and Closing Animations, and Sentai Filmworks Trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: C
While I was somewhat let down by Blade Dance of the Elementalers: Complete Collection I believe that someone who loves the harem genre will enjoy it.

Corpse Party-Tortured Souls: OVA (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 24, 2016
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corpse-party-ovaReview provided by Andrew and Katie

Title: Corpse Party-Tortured Souls: OVA

Director: Akira Iwanaga

Studio: Asread

Author: Shoichi Sato

U.S. Distributor: Maiden Japan, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: January 26, 2016

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 4 Episodes / 100 Minutes

Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Mystery

Industry Age Rating: 17 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Another, Elfen Lied, When They Cry, Danganronpa the Animation

Fair warning: The following anime series contains massive amounts of blood, body parts, and entrails

Synopsis:

The horrifying events that occurred on the unhallowed grounds of the Heavenly Host School were so gruesome and shocking that the entire school was razed in an attempt to wipe the events from memory. But, foolishly, a new high school, the Kisaragi Academy, was built in Heavenly Host’s place, and the only thing true evil requires is an invitation. So when a group of students innocently perform a charm intended to bind them as friends forever, the nightmarish evil is unleashed once again.

Transported into a living hell where Heavenly Host still stands and undead horrors stalk the bloodstained halls, the students are now the prey in the most brutal test ever designed by inhuman minds. What follows is not for the squeamish or weak of heart, as they are hunted down in a savage game of torture, murder, and insanity. Japan’s most terrifying series of videogames comes to gut-wrenching life as the spirits of the damned host a Corpse Party!

Commentary:

Here we go again. Yet another anime based on a game where the game came first, the bane of anime loving non-gamers everywhere. We all know how these are usually teasers to get you to buy the games. I don’t play games. I don’t have the time. Most have a tendency to end just as you are getting into it and when the story is getting interesting. They hit you with the “Play the game to find out how it ends” part, the thing I have grown to hate more than anything I can name. Why did I pick this up knowing it was… Wait there was an ending. None of this having to play the game to know how it ended bull. In only four episodes they managed to get a story in.

There are not many horror stories in anime that are like Corpse Party-Tortured Souls. The paranormal/slasher genre is not common. With limited titles the story has to be decent. This feels more like the late 1990s, early 2000s Japanese live action horror movie genre, which included titles like Dark Water, Grudge, Ring, Shikoku, and Suicide Club. It has the same ominous feeling and semi-predictability. But those are features that have endeared these types of stories to their fans. One thing is sure and that is Corpse Party-Tortured Souls does beat its predecessors with the amount of blood and gore that it shows. Makes most of the recommended titles seem tame actually. Seems more like an older anime like Ninja Scroll, where it rains blood with half bodies falling from the sky. Corpse Party-Tortured Souls has lots of gore, and horrible ways of dying. With only four episodes they had to work to cram everything in and it did make it hard to follow. I have to admit I had to actually watch it twice thru and caught many things I had originally missed.

Which leads us to the storyline. Most anime series and live actions like Corpse Party-Tortured Souls lack a storyline and are not super original. They solely survive on how bloody it can be and will take another bloody death over a glimpse of story any day. That’s where it breaks from horror and goes into the mystery aspect. Corpse Party-Tortured Souls does have some amazing twists that you would not expect. Just as you think you know what happened in 1973 that leads to current events, it throws in something completely unexpected that makes you rethink the entire thing. The only complaint, and considering its only four episodes, is everything seems rushed. They had to connect the dots in very little time. This is why I watched it twice and had a much better understanding the second time around. The story was complex and you had to connect a lot of those dots yourself, with little explanation outside of contexts clues they give. In the end you will have a few questions left but I think they are not very large compared to the story itself. The other thing was the characters. Though not well developed (how can you with so little time) you get a general idea of everyone and you tend to figure out personalities. In the end you learn to like most of them, but don’t get too attached, as the title lives up to its name. The only other thing to mention is the opening and ending are perfect for the setting of the series.

I could not help but to look up the games because I enjoyed Corpse Party-Tortured Souls a lot. I have come to find out there are many versions of the game and many different ideas in the games, and the anime is completely original from them all, so even if you played the games, this is new and worthwhile to look up, rather be a fan of the games or a fan of the horror genre.

Extras:

Corpse Party-Tortured Souls: OVA includes clean opening and closing animations and Maiden Japan trailers as special features. This series was released with Japanese with English Subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade:B-

Momokyun Sword (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 23, 2016
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momokyun-swordTitle: Momokyun Sword

Director: Shinsuke Yanagi

Writer: Tsuyoshi Tamai

Studio: Tri-Slash, Project No.9

Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

Format: Blu-ray, 12 Episodes, 300 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Ecchi

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: C

Synopsis:

Not every girl starts life as a baby inside a giant peach that was found floating in a river. But Momoko did. And most girls’ best friends aren’t Inugami the dog god, Sarugami the monkey god, and Kijigami the pheasant god. But that’s who’s been teaching Momoko how to use a sword and fight since she was little. With all this, one would expect that Momoko’s life is going to be an unusual one.

So when an army of evil Oni starts rampaging through feudal Japan and a team of Heavenly-sent Celestial Goddesses arrives to stop them, is it any surprise that Momoko finds herself being recruited for an epic quest? Well, it is for Momoko, but for a champion of the Gods, she’s a bit slow on the uptake. When it comes to fighting, she’s peachy-keen and if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that the bad guys are about to get totally creamed in Momokyun Sword!

Commentary:

Okay, the simple fact about Momokyun Sword is how important Momoko’s breast are to the animation. Of course when the story revolves around  collecting a magical peach you know it is going to have bounce to it. And I mean bounce. I’m real sure if I have seen a large breasted young lady move in such dramatic fashion before. When she runs her ample bosom moves up in down in such a violent way that I would think it would do some physical harm to her.  I understand the point of the series to to attract young and maybe even older men because the plot and overall story misses the mark.

Overall Grade: C

Understanding the point of the series make it a little easier to watch because I know it is not about the story. The animation is rather standard fair with a solid prostitution value layer on top that helps to bring a easy to watch series to the viewer. I didn’t expect much going into Momokyun Sword and I got what I expected. It is clear that the rosy bosom are more important than anything else.

So, if you are wanting some milder fan service and plenty of breast bouncing across the screen then Momokyun Sword is for you.

 

Pita Ten Anime Review

Posted by :Joann On : January 22, 2016
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Category: Reviews

1Title: Pita Ten

U. S. Distributor: Nozomi/Lucky Penny

U. S. Release Date: February 2, 2016

Format: DVD (English subtitles) / 26 episodes / 650 Minutes

Genre: Comedy

Age Rating: 7+

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Kotarou Higuchi is a normal, average grade school boy. At least I think so. He spends much of his time outside of school alone because his mother has died and his dad is often busy at work.

His new neighbor is Misha, who is sort of an angel in training.  She is very enthusiastic and upbeat. Too much so, and, she doesn’t really understand (or take the time to notice) how things are done on earth. Soon she has a roommate, Shia, who is actually a demon in training but her kind and quiet demeanor is the opposite of how she is supposed to act. This is an on going problem with her companion/mentor who is a black cat that tries to steer her towards her true purpose.

Kotarou Higuchi’s friends since they were very little are Takashi, probably the top student in school (in grades, athletics and popularity), and Koboshi, the cute, cat eared girl who has a big crush on him. Constant companions, Misha changes the group dynamics, especially since she is all over Kotarou.

Then, a new student arrives at the school, it is Hiroshi Mitarai. He competitive to the extreme and has come to challenge Takashi. His sister follows and she is just as far out crazy and intense.

There is a web of crushes, who likes who causes most of the conflict. Oh wait, there are those otherworldly issues, that can be a problem especially since they seem to forget why they are on earth.

Commentary:

 

Pita ten is a comedy, of grade schoolers, who act more like high school kids. It is a fun series that focuses on friendship. Occasionally there is some seriousness which makes the characters more endearing to the viewer. I have seen it listed as a romance, but really they just have one sided crushes on each other. Comedy.

The girls of the series really embody the heart of cuteness. Misha, is supposed to be learning to become a full fledged angel, but I don’t know how that is supposed to happen. She doesn’t have a teacher  and she not exactly sharp enough to figure it out on her own. She will have to take a test. Shia is harder to figure out. She is here to become a demon, but she doesn’t have the personality to do it. She tries now and then to please her mentor. Koboshi is petite and chronically cute, and just like the other girls, is dressed in the frilly Lolita costumes. Her cat ears were adorable but oddly nobody seem to question them.

The anime employs many cliche’s of the genre. Notable is  the old tricks to make sure the kid is left alone most of the time to have their uninterrupted adventures. And of course, the girls fighting over a guy who seems clueless of the who thing. I shouldn’t forget the familiar beach and spa episodes, they are classic.

If you have read the manga first, be prepared for many story changes, and quite a bit of simplification. I really do think these differences make the anime play better. The underlying story of ancestors in the manga was rather complex and would have muddled the comedy.

Overall Personal Rating: B

An anime that is the spirit of cute comedy.

 

 

 

 

 

RE: Hamatora Season 2

Posted by :Patches On : January 10, 2016
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RE: Hamatora Season 2Title: RE:Hamatora season 2

Directed by: Seiji Kishi & Hiroshi Kimura

Written by: Tōko Machida & Jun Kumagai

Music by: Makoto Yoshimori

Studio: NAZ

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: January 26th, 2016

Format: Blu-ray / 12 episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Drama, Sci Fi, Mystery, Supernatural

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Having the incredible powers that come with being a Minimum Holder can be a huge advantage to a private detective firm like Hamatora, but how can anyone stop someone who can both come back from the dead AND steal your powers at the same time?

That’s the problem that now confronts Murasaki and Hajime, and it’s made even more vexing by the fact that the team’s founder, Nice, may be dead as well. But while it may or may not have been Nice, Art is definitely killing himself for more than just Art’s sake and his goal seems to be to gather as many stolen powers as he can in order to rival Nice’s ability.

However, the strength of a power isn’t all that matters, and a lesser ability can triumph over a greater one if used correctly. It’s Rock – Paper-Scissors but with super powers as Minimum Holder takes on Minimum Holder in RE: Hamatora!

Commentary: 

Season 2 of Hamatora does something that every anime should do, tell a great story and give the fans a thrilling plot and solid ending. Season 1 set the plot up and season knocked it down. I thought I understood the characters from their solid development in the first 12 episodes, but that was nothing compared to what was provided in season 2. Honestly it has been a long time since I have come across a series that does this. Mt first thought was Darker Than Black and the complexity of those characters. Although, Darker Than Black was better written and gave us some very memorable individuals. In Hamatora there are plenty of great characters, it isn’t until the end that they become something more than entertaining.

Just as season 1 was quick and dramatic season 2 of Hamatora is a little slower and much more intriguing. Much of the first 5 to 6 episodes I was trying to understand what was really going on and it wasn’t until I got to the last 3 that everything began to come into focus. That is ideal in a dramatic series like Hamatora, but there a few moments that I was ready to step away just be drawn back in. I didn’t get that momentary doubt in season one.

Overall Grade: A-

RE: Hamatora just might prove to be a long lasting series. I just hope anime fans get the opportunity to see it. I have discovered over the last few years that all to many solid series get lost in  the hype and flash of the other super star shows that blast onto the scene. I miss the days where series are discovered and become a small wild fire through the fandom. Now-a-days it seems as if the ones that get the most advertising and hype get the all too much attention. Where there are many great series that get left on the self. I get people asking me about great series and I through out some names and more often than not I get blank expressions then something like “what do you think about Attack On Titan?”. I just smile.

Hamatora has it all and then a little more. If it would not have lost focus early on in season 2 I think it would have been a home run. If you are looking for a true drama that ends up being kinder and gentler than you might expect then you really need to check this series out.

Daimidaler: Prince v. s. Penguin Empire (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 19, 2015
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Category: Reviews

DaimidalerTitle: Daimidaler: Prince v.s. Penguin Empire complete series

Director: Tersuya Yanagisawa

Studio: TNK

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: December 15th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 12 Episodes + 6 OVA shorts / 330 Minutes

Genre: Ecchi, Mecha, Comedy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: C-

Synopsis:

The earth is under attack by the alien Penguin Empire and only heroes able to produce Hi-Ero particles need apply. Piloting the Daimidaler mechs are master pervert Kouichi with his take-no-prisoners libido and Kiriko, a girl who can level cities just by thinking of her boyfriend. It’s up to them to dodge the massive front tails of the filthy penguin commandos and go toe to toe with rival mechs powered by a girl who loves penguins a little too much. Experience an overflow of Hi-Eros power with brave Daimidaler!

Commentary:

If pure ecchi is you bag then Daimidaler is something you will want to own. For me I was lost after the first 15 minutes. There are plenty of series out there that have no shame abut what they do and have approached the idea of power through perversion in many ways. Ah My Buddha, So I Can’t Play H and countless others. The one thing they had that made them likable was simply the characters. Daimidaler  just fails to make anyone easy to like.

The writing loses its zing after the second episode and the artistic styling never really supports the strangeness and perversion of the show. I thought the Penguins were funny in the first episode but after that they just became a distraction an the impact of their front tail looses its humor factor.

Overall Grade: C-

I know that there is an army of ecchi fans that will flock to Daimidaler. I can see why it would be very popular among  a very specific male population, but for everyone else I don’t see much interest.

Daimidaler is a silly show with a single vision. After seeing several shows released from Funimation with sub titles only I am a little baffled as to why they would spend the money to dub this one. So, as I said before, if you are looking for ecchi and plenty of it then you will be the first in line to get this single minded series.

Dai Shogun Great Revolution (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 18, 2015
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dai-shogunTitle: Dai Shogun Great Revolution; Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Takashi Watanabe

Writer: Dai Sato

Studio: J.C. Staff, A.C.G.T.

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: January 1st, 2016

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Harem, Pseudo Historical, Action, Ecchi

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

In a world where history took a different path, Japan has been isolated from the outside world by steam-powered robots that repel all invaders. Inside Japan, however, the people are divided into feuding and fighting feudal factions. Feisty Keiichiro Tokugawa dreams of changing this and unifying Japan, and he just may be the one man who can use the legendary giant robot Susanoo.

Unfortunately, just touching a woman makes him break out in hives, and the Susanoo ALSO requires a female copilot. In VERY close quarters. And just to twist the katana, while there seem to be plenty of women who might covet the copilot’s seat, not all of them have his best interests at heart! Who can he trust? Kiriko the Ninja? Chiharu the fox-demon? Or will Keiichiro’s rash ambitions be thwarted by rashes and a totally rational phobia of the female form? It’s a giant robot show like no other as the birds, the bees, and the giant robots take flight in Dai Shogun!

Commentary:

Dai Shogun is a series that, simply put, fun to watch. Of course it gets a little lost in the fan service and sexually provocative situations. This is more of a typical harem anime than I expected it to be and it does give us someone to root for other than the bouncing breasts everywhere you look. The story sets itself up for plenty of jokes and some of them are funny but most are rather contrived. Where the series succeeded was in the dramatic aspects and the central love story. Take the dense young man with something to prove and the beautiful, talented, shy woman who falls for his simple boyish charm and make them both virgins who must work together to save Japan. Well, add in plenty of other large breasted women and center the story at a bath house and it equals lots of peekaboo.

Once the series settles in and gets serious about the plot, things get entertaining and much of the sexual tension takes the back seat. This change in posture works, and makes most of the rest of the series worth watching. The writing was strong enough to carry much of the series, but the animation was a let down. It almost as if the series was given a cut rate budget and rather than push the limits, they cut every corner they could. The simple static figures with a moving background left me cold. I would have loved to see someone like Gonzo or even Sunrise animate this series rather than the sloppy work that was done by J. C. Staff.

Overall Grade: B

Now, Dai Shogun isn’t for everyone, but for adults it is a series that I think both men and women can enjoy. It has all the great trappings that a solid Harem anime needs and some of the perversion that a light ecchi anime would have. There is plenty of action and a solid moral backbone to the series that does make a difference.

I would have liked to see more background development on a few of the characters, but I understand that not every anime can tell all of the story. The ending is left open in the event some money should come their way, but I fear that some of the failure in the series will leave it destine to be a one shot series.

Anyway, if you want a decent love story that has a lot of action and plenty of well built women in it then Dai Shogun Great Revolution is something you need to check out.

Riddle Story of Devil (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 16, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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704400088117_anime-Riddle-Story-of-Devil-DVDTitle: Riddle Story of Devil complete series +OVA

Director: Keizo Kusakawa

Studio: Diomedea

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: December 8th, 2015

Format: DVD / 325 Minutes / 12 Episodes + OVA

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Drama, Action, Yuri

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis: 

Based on the manga from Yun Kouga, creator of the beloved manga Loveless, Riddle Story of Devil sends twelve female assassins to a prestigious boarding school to compete against each other in a secret killing game. The winner will be granted anything her heart desires, but only one girl can come out on top.

The mission is simple: send fellow student Haru Ichinose to an early grave. The task should be easy for heartless assassin Tokaku Azuma – but everything changes when she finds herself strangely drawn to her naive target. Her decision to use her lethal skills to keep her new friend alive will raise the stakes of the game and push the girls closer together as the other beauties threaten to tear them apart.

Commentary:

Riddle Story of Devil makes two series in one week that hit me by surprise. I had very low expectations for this series and in the end I was surprised and entertained. Within the first few episodes I thought I was watching another unfortunate version of Battle Royal or Danganronpa. Just another anime trying to cash in on a story line that has been run to death. Once it worked its way into the plot and story Riddle Story of Devil managed to find its own voice and became something more than another knockoff anime.

I can’t say that I fell in love for any of the characters nor did I find their development anything special. The story was much more predictable that I expected but in the end I liked the fact that there wan’t some mind-blowing twist. The animation itself was a little flat and never made much of a difference in the overall impact of the series. One other item that left me wondering why it was even there was the OVA. I had begun to think we were out of the useless OVA period. I guess there was a need to give us one more episode that made no since what so ever.

Overall Grade: B

Riddle Story of Devil somehow managed to find its own space in a crowded field of battle high school anime. The odd thing was that there was a conscious effort to provide fan service without really putting it out there. This made all attempts to toss out gratuitous bath scenes almost inept and they just became another uneventful aspect to the series. The area that the series really wins is in the way it tells the story and how it becomes a story of redemption. One other aspect that I liked about the series was a story device that I first saw in Judei Chan: The Lovely Eye Patch. Now I am not going to be able to tell what this is because it would be a major spoiler, but anyone who has seen Judei Chan just might understand what I talking about.

Anyway, Riddle Story of Devil manages to win me over in the end even if I feel as though it is nothing more than a weak knockoff anime. I wonder how much longer we will have to live through this string of anime chasing the money?

There is one very curious part to all of this and that is the fact that this Funimation release is just a DVD. Not the Blu-ray / DVD combo  we have all come accustom to or the DVD Blu-ray being separate, but rather just a DVD release. I guess something must have happened in the manufacturing of the Blu-ray or maybe Funimation just wants to save some money.  Very odd indeed.