Samurai Champloo review

Mugen is a cocky, rebellious, bandy-legged fighter who incorporates break-dancing techniques into his unorthodox fighting style. Jin is more your typically calm and stoic samurai (or ronin, to be more precise), steeped in martial tradition, who finds satisfaction in the perfect execution of his warrior craft. Mugen and Jin aren't friends - in fact, they are contentious and want to test their skills against each other - yet they find themselves joining forces, thanks to Fuu, an insistent and kinda quirky waitress who inveigles the two into helping her search for the Samurai Who Smells Like Sunflowers. For 26 episodes, the discordant trio undergo many adventures, some serious, some hilarious, some just plain out weird. The only constants are the bickerings amongst the three, the scrounging for food, and the intrusion of modern day sensibilities. Oh, and the rampant butt kicking as done by Mugen and Jin.

On the heels of his popular Cowboy Bebop anime series, Shinichiro Watanabe decided to put a new spin on the samurai anime with his irreverent, hip Samurai Shamploo. Shamploo means "stir fry" or a mix, and this is certainly what this series is about, as it fuses the traditional samurai credo and decorum with the unexpected modern day incursions of hip hop attitudes, beatboxing, street tagging, and baseball. The episodes are supported by cool Japanese hip hop music soundtracks and blazing hip hop scratches for scene segues. Watanabe also makes beautiful use of visual metaphors, thereby adding more depth to the shenanigans. The ripping animation and dynamically constructed fight scenes are guaranteed not to disappoint.

Kudos, too, to the voice actors, especially Steven Jay Blum (aka Daniel Andrews, who also voiced Cowboy Bebop's Spike) as the bestial Mugen. Kirk Thornton as Jin and Kari Wahlgren as Fuu are both excellent. The voice actor for the sometimes series narrator Policeman Sakami Manzou ("the Saw") is also very good.

These episodes are definitely rated PG-13. This anime series doesn't hesitate to throw in scenes of drug use and graphic violence. Some episodes even contain mild sexual scenes.

My favorite episodes are "The Art of Altercation" (for the rapping samurai and his beatbox backup), the atmospheric "Cosmic Collisions" (where the trio fight the undead), the hilarious "Baseball Blues" (where the American pitcher couldn't find the strike zone with the dog at bat, and he ends up inadvertently hitting the mutt - not to worry, no animated dogs were hurt in the making of this anime), and the concluding 3-episode arc "Evanescent Encounter" (where Mugen and Jin are challenged to their very limits, resolve their rivalry, and Fuu at last catches up to the Sunflower Samurai).

5/5

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 review

CODE GEASS: LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION R2 gets off to a start that is both slow and absurdly abrupt, as we're suddenly introduced to a situation in which the main character(Lelouch) is behaving in ways that seem drastically out of character in several aspects, with no idea how he got there and where he suddenly picked up a strangely creepy little brother that'd never been mentioned before. This is resolved within the first few episodes when we get an after-the-fact explanation of what happened following Season 1's abrupt cliffhanger ending, but weakens the overall story somewhat.

However, Volume 1 also briefly introduces deuteragonist Li Xingke, who is sort of what happens when you take Lelouch, his rival(Suzaku), and toss them both into a blender with a heavy supplemental dose of awesome - unfortunately, he doesn't do anything much just yet. But the concluding episodes to this volume, while uncomfortably reminescent of last season's episode 21 in terms of a major plot point that is introduced, set the stage for the show to REALLY take off running, and Vol 2 and onwards much more favorably compare to Season 1.

All in all, while as most sequels do it can't quite measure up to the first season, it's a fairly solid start to an excellent follow-up.

8/10

Gurren Lagann review

Gurren Lagann is what happens when you ask Studio Gainax, of Evangelion and FLCL fame, to make a saturday morning cartoon. It is a mecha anime made in the spirit of legendary shows like Getter Robo and Mazinger Z. The plot starts off with blood brothers Kamina and Simon fed up with life in their underground village, when suddenly a giant mecha known as a "gunmen" crashes through the roof, followed by a buxom babe by the name of Yoko fighting it with an oversized sniper rifle. And over the course of 27 episodes it spirals out of control and turns into the most over-the-top crazy awesome show in existence. To put it bluntly, in the Gurren Lagann universe, sheer force of will is enough to break the laws of physics. That is not an exaggeration, that is canon.

Most of the talk of this show refer to it's sheer badassery and fanservice, so some poor individual with no knowledge of the show might think it's nothing more than a Michael Bay movie put in animated form. That is utter bull, for Gurren Lagann has some of the most memorable characters I've seen in an anime, as well as a rather interesting plot, two things lacking in most Bay films. Characters like Yoko, who you would think would be nothing more than eye candy, are given some very good character development. You become so attached to these people that when some of them are killed, you feel it. It honestly made me cry. And if it can make my cry, I consider it art. Gurren Lagann is something everybody, not just anime fans, need to see.

4/5

Cowboy Bebop review

Cowboy Bebop follows Spike, Jet, Faye and Edward as bounty hunters aboard the spaceship Bebop. Now onto the many reasons why this anime series is perfect.

First the story: Which blends comedy, drama, action, adventure, Sci-fi and even some romance perfectly like no other show. Most of the series are one episode stories yet I think are all connected in the development of the characters. The story of each individual episode is done perfectly giving a beginning a middle and end with no lose ends. The action is brilliant and I still haven't seen anything to compare to it. Finally we have the last few episodes leading to the ending. I won't give anything away to the people who unfortunately haven't seen this series, just it will blow you away.

Second the characters: Again done perfectly. Each character has their own unique personality who grows as the show goes along. Spike who used to work for Red Dragon crime organization and his haunted by his past. Jet a former police officer who is now working with a criminal, and his haunted by the mistake he made in the past. Faye who awakes from a 54 year cryogenic sleep with no memory of her past, who lives for the moment. Finally Edward a eccentric computer genius, who ran away from her father. Each character brings life to the series and draws you in caring about what happens to each of them.

Third the animation: The animation done by Sunrise is simply brilliant, and is still amazing after 10 years.

Forth the soundtrack: The music to the series is the perhaps the greatest soundtrack to anime series ever. It has a little of everything from Rock, classic, Jazz, Heavy Metal and others. Each adding something extra to the series. I even have the soundtrack to the series

Fifth the Influence: Cowboy Bebop has Influenced many series much like Trigun. Shows like BLACK LAGOON, SAMURAI CHAMPLOO, and others. I think that's a great compliment.

Overall Cowboy Bebop is a perfect anime series and is must to any anime fan.
10/10

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion review

I don't have the time to sit down and write a multi-paragraph review, but I'll state my opinions as briefly as possible. There is no such thing as a series for everyone, but if action, comedy, drama, and a deep plot with many twists and turns sound good to you, you're sure to be one of the many people who love this series. I've seen the whole thing and will attest to the fact that this is the beginning of excellence. To anyone who has seen or read Death Note, this is essentially a combination of that, and a very well done mecha. As for the actual box itself, the dvds include the first 9 episodes of the series, there is the first of two soundtracks to the series (Excellent music also, by the way), the first drama CD, 3 informational books and an art book, not to mention the box itself, which is absolutely stunning. All of this together is an amazing deal, and I highly recommend picking one up. To anyone who does not know what a drama CD is, it is essentially extra back or side stories for the characters told through audio-only, like a radio broadcast of sorts, this adds even mroe depth to the series than already exists, and I love listening to it over and over. As I said earlier, there is no such thing as a series for everyone, but as far as I can tell, this one comes REALLY close, as nobody I've shown it to has disliked it. Happy Watching! :)

Neon Genesis Eva review

Despite haters of the show, you can't really escape the influence and impact Neon Genesis Evangelion had on the anime world. Hotly debated yet receives just as much love as it does renouncing, if people are first entering the anime field, this is usually picked as a "starter series". While plot is sometimes confusing and characters speak in philosophy speeches at times, it's still a great although slightly overrated show but it's filled with enough memorable aspects that it at least deserves a viewing.

The year is 2015 and humanity's population has been cut in half. Thanks to an event known as "Second Impact", the climate has changed and people in New Tokyo-3 are living in a city built higher than the water levels. Appearing now and then are weird and massive creatures known as "Angels" where conventional weaponry is useless. However organization NERV has created the Evangelions, giant mech robots designed to fight them back. But things aren't as simple as the designated pilots; Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryru and Rei Ayanami, have to contend with their own personal issues as well as the real reason Second Impact happened and the potential for a Third.

Evangelion is one of those kind of shows where it does tend to stay with you, whether you liked the show or not. There's enough iconic imagery or scenes as well as characters that even 9 years after watching the initial run, I'm amazed at how much of it I remember. In fact, I even understand the show more having seen it a second time. Of course some things are fuzzy and the more philosophical dialogue characters go on sometimes goes over my head but not once do I feel like I'm being intentionally led around because people think confusion equals depth. At least here it's better written and more existential than the animated online comic "Broken Saints". Talk about pretentious.

Is there some issues with the show? Of course. There's a noticeable pattern in some episodes. Angel shows up when characters whine about whatever, angel does something completely surprising and characters do something completely out of left field to save the day. Having characters repeatedly say something is having no effect or no response over and over can get pretty old. Not to mention some characters don't really grow. Asuka is a controlling, egotistical ***** when she starts and she's pretty much the same when she ends as well as Shinji who is basically doing things because others tell him to but would rather just do nothing yet feel praise for doing something. As for episodes 25 and 26, there's been so much hatred for them that while I don't dismiss them since they're actually well-done, I can understand at how some might not like how the series decided to end.

My one gripe with this package is what's not included. The individual sets came with special features such as commentaries. While some might not completely mourn the loss of these, some might feel cheapened that you're not experiencing the completeness of the set, missing out on what others who buy the single editions get. So it all depends on economy and the amount of bonus features you want: lots of stuff included with the episodes or a relatively inexpensive box set compared to buying them separately.

While many other series might be more advanced animation-wise and had longer seasons, not many have had the impact Evangelion has and it's a series that at least everyone interested in anime should watch at least once.

90%

Gankutsuou: Count of Monte Cristo review

Never let it be said that modern anime is particular about where it draws its inspiration. The concept of creating a series based on a novel written in 1844 then setting it in the year 5053 sounds like a far stretch for any production staff and yet somehow, someway Mahiro Maeda (the director of Blue Submarine No. 6) manages to pull it off in Gankutsuou with style. The novel of course is none other than Three-Musketeer's author, Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo (in case you somehow missed this series' title).

Here in the United States, this is a re-release by Funimation of an earlier Geneon DVD release of basically the same name. Side note: Geneon typically labeled the show Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo while Funimation flips the order to The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou. Other than that the only difference is that rather than spreading the 24 episodes across six discs, Funimation manages to do it in four (packaged in a pair of beautiful thin packs within a subtle cardboard outer case). The source material comes to us via the brilliant minds of Japanese anime studio Gonzo; who themselves bring a long list of unique, thought-provoking titles to the table (such as their 2007 anime adaptation of Romeo and Juliet).

This set, as has been the trend of late, contains virtually no extras to speak of although the language options are thorough (English dub and original Japanese with or without English subtitles).

The story is setup to appeal to fans of the original work and those with no prior exposure alike as it retains all of the key plot points but adds a few new elements and tells it from a totally different perspective (kind of like what John Gardener's novel Grendel does to the classic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf).

The Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou tells the epic tale of a wrongfully accused man's intricate plot of exacting revenge through the relatable doings of a fifteen-year-old aristocrat from Paris named Albert (pronounced "al-bear" in homage to the French author's original motif). As stated above, the show goes to great lengths to establish an atmosphere stunningly reminiscent of 19th century France while integrating just enough technology to remind the viewer that this is, in fact, the future- and the very distant future at that.

Pacing is deliberately slow and thorough and really compliments that rather dry-nature of the source material. However, while this may be viewed as a negative with some shows, Gankutsuou turns the story telling element into an art form in and of itself. This is adult anime and not because of the usual pitfalls that eliminate younger viewers from the equation. Rather than sexual references, violence and language, Gankutsuou can be called mature on account of its sophistication and mood-appropriate visuals.

In fact it is nearly impossible to find a review of the show that doesn't trip all over itself in praise for the artistic vision and unique animation style. The best way to describe it is imagine near photo-realistic textures layered behind transparent character models. If that sounds odd to you, rest assured, it is but somehow it works. What makes the visuals so unique is that the textures are static, meaning they don't move even when the character boasting them does. It's one of those traits so unique that you may go as far as to label it distracting early on yet it manages to become subdued as the viewer loses himself in the ever-thickening plot. Even by the later episodes there are a few ugly examples of where texture-overloaded scenes come off as overly busy or muddled but as a whole, the source material literally benefits from this unique art style.

If there were a single complaint worth mentioning about the show it would have to be the simple reality that this isn't run of the mill anime by any sense of the word. It's pretty difficult to place the show into a genre in fact. The story is, quite frankly, unlike any other seen in modern anime, which I suppose is to be expected when you remember that this is classic literature in animated form. Viewers expecting scantly clad women, characters with abnormally large and watery eyes, or slapstick of any kind need not apply. Being that the setting does take place in the distant future, there are a few robotic fight scenes (duels that wouldn't look out of place in Escaflowne) and some pretty cool space travel concepts.

As a whole, though, it would be easy for viewers with a short attention span to become bored. There's a steady and reliable flow to the plot that requires patience and a bit of maturity (or at the very least, an appreciation for fine culture).

When directly compared to the original novel, some may scoff at the fact that there is a slight supernatural angle that acts as the backdrop here. Without revealing too much of the actual mystery presented within, let me just comment on the character of Edmond Dantes allowing an insalubrious entity (Gankutsuou) possession of his body so as to escape imprisonment and to realize his ambitions of revenge. A fan of the original work, it is a bit disappointing personally to note that Edmond's creativity in escaping his prison was omitted here. Worse still is that while the original can be viewed essentially as a cautionary tale in the dangers of allowing vengeance to overtake one's life, here the metaphor is perhaps taken a bit too literally. Otherwise, and especially true for those not tied to the beauty of the original work, the supernatural elements do go a long way in adding intrigue and creepiness to the formula.

The show's music score is not only hauntingly appropriate; it's at times, dare I say, catchy (especially the opening theme which is about as unique as they come). Throughout are rich piano scores and solid symphonic pieces.

In all, Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo is one of the most unique properties of all time to grace anime ideology. With a timeless story, unique art style, and underlining themes that nearly anyone can benefit from in their own lives, Gankutsuou reminds us all that modern art is far from dead; if even only the result of rejuvenating the classics as the case may be.

4.5/5