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I couldn’t be a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job. Yusibu (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 1, 2014
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I couldn't be a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job. YusibuTitle: I couldn’t be a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job. Yusibu: The Complete Series

Director: Kinji Yoshomoto

Writer: Masashi Suzuki

Studio: Asread

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

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

Format: Blu-ray / 13 episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Harem, Supernatural, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Synopsis:

Raul Chaser never wanted to work in retail, but when the war against the Demons ended unexpectedly, the Hero Training Program he was in shut down. But although combat-trained Raul may feel out of place dealing with customers in a department store instead of dealing out death with hardened steel, his newest co-worker’s culture shock is even worse. While Fino Bloodstone is ready, eager, and willing to please, she’s also the daughter of the now-deceased Demon King!

Not only are her social skills a little challenged, but it’s going to be up to Raul and the staff to teach her the finer points of the human concept of a “pleasant shopping experience”… not to mention when it’s proper to wear what kind of clothes and whose bed you can sleep in. And they’ll have to do it quick, because there’s a sinister major retail chain moving into the area with plans for global domination.

Commentary:

First of all I want to say that I feel like the rating on this series is off the mark. I honestly believe that because of the amount of nudity that Yushibu should be rated TV MA. It is not just the fact that there is some partial nudity, the issue I have is that in almost every episode there are fully developed undressed breast showing and it is not like the old days when the breast were just round bumps, these are as realized as possible and meant to arouse the viewer not just an teasing prop.

Now that I have said my peace regarding the rating I can get into the series. I think that the plot and story line are a fun and light approach to a classic fantasy genre. The idea that the demons have been subdued and that there is no longer a need for heroes is a great idea and then add in the thought of what they would have to do with their lives. This is also approached in the popular series The Devil is a Part Timer, but for Yusibu the main characters haven’t lost their magical powers they just have to forget that they have them and adjust to being a normal work-a-day person. Then they through in the mix of demons and humans having to learn to live together without being at war is a great play on a very real subject that our world has to deal with all too often.

I think where it falls apart for me is that they try to hard to make it funny and sexy at the same time. I think that the focus was more on the bouncing boobs rather than the story. At times the sexual humor was funny, but most of the time it felt like pandering to a very specific fan base. I know that this is not unusual and that there is plenty of money to be made appealing to this fandom. Shows like Sekirei, Ikki-Tousen and Tenjo Tenge have proven the viability of this approach to story telling.

Overall Grade: C+

When I get right down to it I would have to say that this may be a funny and inventive series, but the overall focus on fan service overwhelms the rest of the story. It really want until the end of the series that I began to really connect with several of the main characters. This help bring my opinion of the series up a little and would now like to see how the series would develop now that stability has been established between the Demon King and the Hero.

There is one other series that pulls the female Demon King and Hero together and the story take a completely different approach to how the two realms can co-exist. That series is Maoyu, but if you want funny and bouncy breast then I couldn’t be a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job: Yusibu is the series for you. I id find it better than other series like Sekirei and Ikki Tousen.

 

Sunday Without God (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 25, 2014
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Sunday Without GodTitle: Sunday Without God Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Hiromi Mizutani

Studio: Madhouse

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 21st, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes + 1 OVA / 325 Minutes

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Mystery

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Fifteen years ago on a Sunday, God abandoned the world and closed the gate to Heaven, leaving the souls of humankind trapped in limbo. With the dead unable to rest and the living unable to have children, the world is slowly coming to a halt. The only key to mankind’s salvation rests with the Gravekeepers, mysterious beings charged with the task of sending the deceased to their final resting place.

Twelve-year-old Ai, one of the last children in the world, soon finds herself shouldered with the burden of becoming her village’s newest Gravekeeper. But beneath the village’s unassuming exterior lies a dark secret that is revealed with the arrival of a gun-wielding stranger in black. With her position as a Gravekeeper now uncertain, Ai has no choice but to set out to put the living dead to rest. But in a world where no one can die, is death truly the ultimate blessing?

Commentary:

Conceptually Sunday Without God is an interesting proposition. To pull it off and take the subject matter seriously would be very hard to do. In the early episodes things don’t add up as well as I wanted, but by the third episode things start to come together. I have to admit there is a twist up front I didn’t expect and part of me id not sure if it makes much sense. Anyway, the series does come together and provide some semblance of living up to its title.

The real strength to the series is the animation done by Madhouse. The look is classic anime with a cute girl being the main protagonist. And the rest of the characters either being sweet and cute or strange and somewhat bizarre or older and worn out. The overall style is somewhat typical, but there are moments when the look becomes a little rustic with a truly ethereal feel that is an important tie-in to the series.

Overall Grade: B

There are such great possibilities with the subject matter and in some ways Sunday Without God delivers and in others it misses the mark. I’m not sure why the main girl had to be so cute and simplistic. I think that if the story had been re-written to make all the characters older would have made more sense and also given the plot a dramatic edge that it is missing. For the most part I found it to be relatively entertaining and when I forgot about the plot it was down right fun.

To really enjoy the series I would tell you to leave the concept behind the story at the door and just sit back and watch it without any preconceptions. That way the cuteness and melancholy that is presented early on is received with a viewpoint that doesn’t jade the rest of the series.

if, you are looking for a series that makes you think, you might want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a series that looks great and entertains at a level that is both fun and somewhat thoughtful, then Sunday Without God is a series that you will enjoy and should check out.

Attack on Titan Part 2 Anime Review

Posted by :Joann On : October 19, 2014
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1Title: Attack on Titan Part 2

 Director: Tetsurō Araki

Original Creator: Hajime Isayama

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Dates: Sep 23, 2014

Format: DVD / 12 Episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Shonen

Age Rating: TVMA

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Eren Jaeger vowed to rid mankind of the bloodthirsty giants who devoured his mother and destroyed his city. Now, after discovering that he has the ability to turn into a Titan, the world Eren promised to protect looks at him like he is the monster.

Narrowly avoiding execution, Eren’s fate is entrusted to the Scout Regiment where he must prove capable of following orders. But on an expedition outside the wall, a unique female Titan appears and cuts through the Scouts, leaving a trail of carnage and splintered bones behind her and making it difficult for Eren to control his rage. As it becomes obvious that a traitor is sabotaging the Regiment from within, Eren must ask himself who humanity’s true enemy really is.

Commentary:

When compared to part 1, Attack on Titan part 2 begins much less eventfully. While the first episode of the show jumped right in to the action, the first three or so episodes were a bit dull but full of story, unlike the rest of the episodes which were full of action but no plot. Only the first few and last few episodes on this part felt as if they were actually progressing the story in a meaningful way while the rest of the episodes consisted of overly drawn out battles. Honestly, Attack on Titan could have been half the length it is, and could have possibly been better for it.

While the art style of Attack on Titan is nothing inherently special, with many of the character designs being somewhat generic and the background art being bland and uninspired, where the show shines it the animation fluidity and choreography. Especially with the fight scenes, the animation is slick and powerful, making for truly dynamic action. Attack on Titan also has some of the best utilization of CG and standard animation I’ve seen in an anime. When many anime use both CG and standard animation, the CG is very noticeable and not that good looking, but with Attack on Titan when CG is used it is seamless and instead of taking away from the experience, really makes some of the scenes pop.

Overall Personal Rating: B

Attack on Titan strikes me as a show that tries to be dark and edgy with slick animation and gratuities violence, but under its thin veneer, it is simply pandering to the masses just like every other shonen anime. However, this does not mean that Attack on Titan is a bad anime. It was still an interesting and enjoyable show to watch, and I could recommend it to anyone who isn’t bothered by blood and gore but I don’t think it is a must watch.

One Piece Film Z Anime Review

Posted by :Joann On : October 19, 2014
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1Title: One Piece Film Z

Director: Tatsuya Nagamine

Producer / Creator: Eiichiro Oda

Studio: Toei Animation

U. S. Distrubutor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Sep 30 2014

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / Feature Film / 108 minutes

Genre: Shonen, Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Age Rating: TV 13

Overall Personal Garde: A-

Synopsis:

Said to be comparable to the Ancient Weapons of old, the Marines’ trump card, the “Dyna Stones,” have suddenly been stolen by a group of renegade vigilantes. The terrifyingly powerful man responsible, former Marine Admiral “Z,” now stands in the path of Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates. Can the Straw Hats defeat “Z” and his crew, or will the New World meet its end at the hands of this mad man?

Commentary:

Right as the movie starts, One Piece Film Z is much darker and grittier story then what is normally seen in One Piece. The movie opens with a fierce conflict between two warring forces on a sullen battle field while somber music plays, and this sets the tone for the whole film. The plot of the entire movie revolves around theories of moralistic intentions, how such morels can impede true justice, and what extremes a man is willing to go to after experiencing betrayal in the wake of tragedy.  This all adds up to make what I think is one of the most interesting antagonists in all of One Piece with Admiral “Z” (Pronounced Zed).  The existence of “Z” as a character plays with the duality of good and evil because he is a good person but is willing to go extreme lengths to achieve his goals. As a result, neither the Straw Hats nor the Marines truly want to fight him, but do so because they are left with no choice.

While “Z” was a well done, both as a narrative character and in his action sequences, the secondary antagonists who fought alongside him were poorly done and felt like set pieces and plot devices. In a lot of ways the only higher purpose some of the characters in this movie seemed to have was to give some conflict to characters other than Luffy. Unfortunately the characters didn’t even do that well, all the fights that didn’t involve “Z” were lackluster.

Overall Grade: A-

While One Piece Film Z may not have the same level of adventure and mischief that the other movies and main series has, I feel it fully makes up for it with having one of my favorite plots that I’ve seen in a One Piece story. I will admit with it having such a complex story, some of its potential was lost due to it having to fit within the length of a movie, however I still feel as if this movie was quite well done regardless.

 

Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East Season 2 Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 18, 2014
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Hakkenden: Eight Dogs from the East Season 2Title:Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East Season 2 Collection

Director: Mitsue Yamazaki

Creator: Miyuki Abe

Anime Adaptation: Osamu Yamasaki

Studio: Studio Deen

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 28th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 13 episodes / 325 minutes

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Historical Myth, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Forced to choose between death and an unnatural life bound to the living sword Murasame, Shino Inuzuka chose the sword. Now, however, in the bloody aftermath of his transformation and Kohaku’s death, Shino’s awareness of the true scope of his bond with Murasame has expanded. Is he truly a curse to all who meet him?

In the end, the focus must return to the mysterious beads which started everything. What exactly are their origin and powers? Who and where are the holders who have not yet been located? And what are Rio Saotome and the Imperial Church’s real roles in all of this? Does the woman who is “She,” hold the answers?

Commentary:

Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East Season 2 is a great followup to the plot and story layer down in season 1. The follow through is seamless and it allows the tail to be revealed in a smooth and reliable manner. The characters are brought together and with the search for the remaining Dog Worriers things come together nicely. The episodes are well written and do a great job of telling us about each of the history of the remaining group. I felt like if there was a easy out for these characters to be brought together it was the fact that each was forced out of their home and ended up heading to the capitol city. Of course they needed to come together, but to make them abandon their homes the way they did seemed a little contrived.

The animation was well done and it suited the series well. It came across with a soft easy feeling that also aided in helping the characters remain sympathic and easy to stay connected to. I can’t say that the soundtrack or music made any difference for me. I was somewhat stock and blended in to become nothing more than background noise. That in itself is not a bad thing and in this case I guess it was appropriate because the story didn’t need a dramatic soundtrack.

Overall Grade: B+

I am a fan of the series and found most of it to be really enjoyable. If there was any aspect to it that I found unsettling it was the tendency to make Shino a object of desire for too many of the male characters. I really found that humor to be somewhat disturbing and rather tasteless. I would have rather seen more of a brother approach to the relationships. I know that there was a brotherly commentary running through the series when it cam to Shino and Sosuke and even some underlying connection with Rio Saotome. It is some of the other that seem to come across with more than a brotherly love .

I was also disturb that the story was not properly wrapped up. I guess that there is always hope that more funding will come along to allow production of a third season. If not I will be rather disappointed that there are so many questions left unanswered.

Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East Season 2 is a wonderful second step and it does a great job of bringing the group together. I believe that the fans of this series will be happy with season 2 and that they will also find some frustration with the way it is wrapped up.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Borders 1 & 2

Posted by :Patches On : October 17, 2014
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Ghost in the Shell: Arise Borders 1 & 2Title: Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Ghost Pain & Ghost Whispers

Director: Kazuchika Kise

Studio: Production I. G.

U. S. Distributor: Funimation

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 28th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / 114 minutes / 2 episodes

Genre: Sci Fi, Action, Adventure, Cyber Punk

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

This set contains Ghost in the Shell: Arise Borders 1 and 2 on Blu-ray and DVD!

Border 1: Ghost Pain
When cyborg hacker Motoko Kusanagi is hired to investigate a devastating bombing, she must fight her way through a maze of phantom memories to unlock her mysterious past – and track down the evil mastermind behind the attacks.

Border 2: Ghost Whispers
Witness the formation of the legendary Public Security Section 9. When a clandestine organization hacks every car in the city, Kusanagi recruits a lethal team of cyber operatives that includes a badass brawler with Special Forces training, an explosives expert, a technology specialist, and a chain-smoking jack-of-all-trades with a sordid past. Together this ruthless gang of enforcers sets out to clamp down on the chaos and make the city safe again.

Commentary:

It has been years since we have been graced with the Ghost in the Shell franchise and it is about time that we are treated to this ground breaking series. The wait is well rewarded. The two episodes in this set are both great in their approach and also  their delivery. Both are imaginative and slick in production. I did find some of the CG to be a little lacking in quality, but overall it really hit the spot.

With the main character being the cold and somewhat calculating Motoko Kusanagi who seems to be on a private mission. In the first episode, Ghost Pain, we are treated to the basics behind the short series and the solid backbone to the stories to come. We see a cyber operative who has no past and no future, but in her own way she is quickly creating a future that she can own all to herself and in her own way she will also begin to give a team of societies tools a chance to work in the shadows and at the same time live their lives in the bright light that they all have hidden fro their entire lives.

Ghost in the Shell Arise, gives a new look at the world that suggest that there might be a time when life will be both improved by cybernetics and darkened by the way both the military and enemies of the state will use these new powers. It also paints a picture of a world that has begun to rely on technology way too much. It may be part of the story and the old Sci Fi genre that has been out there for many years, but with our own move to becoming too attached to our phones / computers the world of Ghost In The Shell feels all to possible.

Overall Grade: A-

Both of these episodes remind me of why I and many others are big fans of the Ghost In The Shell franchise and why they manage to hit the mark in both story telling and a peek into a future that is less than favorable. So, if you haven’t had the chance to see any of the Ghost in the Shell films or series then there is no reason to miss these two. There are another two episodes in this series and I for one am looking forward to seeing them. There is plenty of story left, I just hope they don’t roll through the next too quickly. So, bring it on I am waiting.

Bayonetta Bloody Fate Feature Film (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 17, 2014
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Bayonetta Bloody FateTitle: Bayonetta Bloody Fate

Director: Fuminori Kizaki

Studio: Gonzo

U. S. Distributor: Funimation

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 21st, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / 90 minutes / Feature Flim

Genre: Supernatural, Action, Adventure, Gaming Related

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis: 

Twenty years after her awakening, Bayonetta is still searching for clues that could help unravel the mysteries of her dark past. Aided in her quest by the clandestine weapon smith Rodin – and his deadly creations: Scarborough Fair – Bayonetta continues to leave a trail of angel corpses in her wake. Her search for answers leads to encounters with a mysterious – and eerily familiar – little girl, a vengeance-obsessed journalist, and a deadly white-haired beauty that seems to know more about Bayonetta than the witch herself.

As she moves through the mystery she begins to discover some rather interesting aspects to her life. Will these remembrances lead her to the truth or will she fall pray to the evil that lies within the secret that has left her without her memories?

Commentary:

Bayonetta Bloody Fate is a slick and fanciful story that gives us an eyeful of a bountiful woman who may not know who she is but she does know that she hates angles and is destine to be the Witch who is out to end the reign of the evil ones. Her re-emergence signals the beginning of the end or is it. She has more power than any angle can through at her and when she comes face to face with another Witch all bets are off.

The story is fast and flows at a furious pace that may be one of its greatest weakness. It told the story so fast that it did allow for any time to digest what was going on and lacked to give any nuances that would have made a big difference. Even with the slick graphics the story fell flat.

I have to admit I did enjoy the look of the film. It was well crafted and Gonzo proved itself as still being a top creator who can take even a weak story and make it look great. If it wasn’t for the heavy stylized animation I feel as though Bayonetta would have been left on the editors floor to become just another anime that never made any difference.

Overall Grade: B-

With the Bayonetta franchise behind the film it might be able to find some reasonable fandom, but I am afraid that once if has time to make the rounds it might be left on the self as just another anime that failed to capture the essence of the game it came from. If you are looking for some great eye candy then give this a chance. If you are looking for a solid story that has a lot to give them maybe you should look else where. Although Bayonetta herself is hot and looks good in lots of black hair.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

Posted by :Patches On : October 6, 2014
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Dragon Ball Z: Battle of GodsTitle: Dragon Ball Z Movie: Battle of Gods

Director: Masahiro Hosoda

Studio: Toei Animation

U. S. Distributor: Funimation

U. S. Release Date: Oct. 7th, 2014

Format: DVD/ Blu-ray / Feature Film / 105 Minutes

Genre: Shonen, Action Adventure, Martial Arts Battle

Age Rating: TV 13

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Following the events of the Dragon Ball Z television series, after the defeat of Majin Buu, a new power awakens and threatens humanity. Beerus, an ancient and powerful God of Destruction, searches for Goku after hearing rumors of the Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza. Realizing the threat Beerus poses to their home planet, the Z-fighters must find a way to stop him before it’s too late. Only Goku, humanity’s last hope, can ascend to the level of a legendary Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus from destroying Earth, and possibly the entire universe!

Commentary:

In the world of anime there are some very consistent truths and one of those truths is that Dragon Ball Z will never end. With that thought in mind you might think why would they keep making these movies, well the simple fact is that the fans are all nuts about it no matter how good or bad the movie is. In the case of Battle of Gods I guess you could say it was good. At least better than most of the films. It does everything any dragon ball fan wants to see and then just a little more. There is plenty of high action and Goku on the verge of getting beet. There is a foe that appears to be more powerful than anything anyone except the Kai’s have ever see. There is a mythical story about a Saiyen or should I say a Saiyen God. There is also Vegeta, well being Vegeta.

If there is anything really missing it is that Krillin doesn’t die and also has a full head of hair. For me those are two things that are right out misses for me.  Everybody is there for Bulma’s big birthday bash which give way to some very funny action and also some rather goofy stunts. Honestly I enjoyed the action at the party more than the fighting. It still ends up being the bash to be at for all of the characters.

Overall Grade: B

Even though I enjoyed the film for what it is, I can still say it is not an outstanding film in its own right. If it didn’t have so much history and story behind it I think that Battle of Gods would be a rather average action film at best. Most of the jokes are there because of the series and simply put if you don’t know the series then you won’t understand what is going on most of the time. Of course there may only be 5 people on earth that would sit down to watch this film and not know the back story.

Battle of Gods is a relatively good Dragon Ball Z film and it does one thing that most of the films don’t do, and that is to lead you to the next story. Battle of Gods does everything it can to setup the future for the franchise and look out once it gets hear you better keep your arms and hands tucked in or you might loose something on the ride.

Psychic Detective Yakumo Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Posted by :Patches On : September 30, 2014
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Psychic Detective Yakumo Title: Psychic Detective Yakumo: Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Tomoyuki Kurokawa

Written By: Hiroyuki Kawasaki

Original Novel by: Manabu Kaminaga

Studio: Bee Train

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 30th 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Psychological Drama, Mystery, Detective Fiction, Romance

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating B

Synopsis:

Haruka Ozawa’s sophomore year is getting seriously scary. One of her friends is possessed, another has committed suicide, and Haruka could be next. She has a real talent for digging up secrets, but some killers won’t hesitate to kill again to keep those same secrets safely buried. So, how does Haruka get out of this potentially lethal dead end?

She’ll have to convince Yakumo Saito, an enigmatic student born with a mysterious red eye that allows him to see and communicate with the dead, to team up with her. Will Haruka be able to solve the ultimate in dead case files with Yakumo’s help? Or will they end up in cold storage themselves? They may just have a ghost of a chance.

Commentary:

Even though it has been almost a year and a half since Psychic Detective Yakumo was released in the U. S. inDVD format, it is good to see it coming back into the spotlight for the Blu-ray release. The series is a very special one because of the way it approaches the world the series is wrapped up in. It allows us to believe in things that typically scare us but in fact are not the source of despair that most ghost stories wan to lead you to believe. In fact it is the ghost that help solve the mystery and end up just being nothing more than souls that still had something to say.

I really like the way they portrayed Yakumo Saito. He comes across as a cold dejected person who does not care at all about the world around him but as we move through the series we begin to see just how connected and caring he really is. There are moments when I wanted him to show a little more emotion and maybe even give Haruka something that would help her bond better, but I guess that is part of the charm that is this somewhat dark series. I say somewhat dark because it is more of a mystery or deceptive series that a ghost or horror series. I can’t say so much for Haruka’s character. As much as I wanted to like her I just felt like she got in the way most of the time. I realize that she added some sexapeal, but this series didn’t need that. I do have to hand to the writers, they could have made her character to be a ditz but they did give her a relatively solid personality that could handle complex situations.

The plot of the series did drag a little at first but once it got moving everything began to fall in place and it ended up being somewhat of a solid storyline. The animation by Bee Train fit well with the subject matter my only issue is that Yakumo took on a rather stereotypical profile that made him end up being closer to L from death Note than a recluse who can see ghost. His quirky person worked well for a while but in the end it drug his character down just a little too much. I can’t say it was overwhelming but by making essentially a human with a lazy cats aloof personality didn’t play as well as it could have.

Overall Grade: B

Psychic Detective Yakumo is a solid detective mystery  series that will keep you watching. I know that the series was a live action TV show in 2006 ad I would have loved to see it broadcast. I’m sure it was well received. I also know that there are a series of light novels that preceded both the TV, anime and manga series. As a person who loves books I would like to read some of the novels, I’m sure that the characters are richer and much more fun to move through the stories with.

All-in-all I have to say that Psychic Detective Yakumo is a solid series that could have been great. It just lacked in character development and some relative basic styling. Other than that it was a genuinely entertaining series with plenty of drama and mystery to go around.

 

Golden Time collection 1

Posted by :Patches On : September 28, 2014
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Golden Time Collection 1Title: Golden Time Collection 1

Director: Chiaki Kon

Author:  Yuyko Takemiya (Light Novel), Fumihiko Shimo (Anime)

Studio: J. C. Staff

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 30th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama, Josei

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Tada Banri is beginning anew in the busy streets of Tokyo as a freshman student at a private law school, away from the troubles of his former life. While managing to get lost on his very first day of class, he finds himself befriending fellow law student Mitsuo on the way. Things get a little more interesting when a stylishly well-dressed beauty suddenly appears – only for her to slap Mitsuo across the face with a bouquet of roses!

The mystery girl is Mitsuo’s childhood friend and self-appointed future bride Kaga Koko. It seems that more problems are on the horizon for Banri and his new friends with a troubling secret that will change them forever. What kind of new life has Banri stepped into and will he be able to survive the trials ahead of him? Join this group of friends as they attempt to discover themselves while juggling love, life, and a little drama!

Commentary:

One of the more popular story lines in anime over the last few years has been the use of amnesia as a important plot device. In Golden Time the discovery of this issue comes on slow, but ends up playing a very important role is creating the tension and drama in this straight forward love story. I have to say that using amnesia for this story works well and the way that it is given an almost counter intuitive aspect gives the series a life of its own.

The diversity in the characters also makes the series work well. It really does have the feeling of a collage where the students come from all walks of life and have a broad and various backgrounds. We have the rich who generally haven’t experienced much in life outside their sheltered worlds and there are also students form the other end of the spectrum who have seen all kinds of experiences and don’t always have the common sense to show restraint.

The animation itself is classic J. C. Staff. It looks warm and inviting.  I would think most us would connect with the artist work similar to Torardora! and even Waiting in the Summer. There is also some of the same feeling of visual statement found in Heavens Memo Pad. Golden Time continues to show why J. C. Staff continues to dominate these warm heartfelt stories and showcase their ability to make the visual and emotional come together.

Overall Grade: A-

I am easily soft at heart or rather a easy target for these emotional stories that give you great hope for the story and at the same time lee you wondering which way the love story will fall. There are plenty of possibilities left for Golden Time and don’t even come close to believe that it will stay on the same trajectory that it is on. I think that the second half of the story will bring the story home in a wonderful way that will not only continue to give us hope in the power of love but also in the spirit of the human soul.

If you enjoy love stories that have a twist and want to see one that takes place in college rather than high school then you must check out Golden Time. It is a winner in my book.