Ah My Goddess: The Movie by SiliconX/Aoshi
***NOTE: This is the DVD Limited Edition version***
Well. I went Christmas shopping over the weekend, and ended up at the Anime store. Bad to start with, I am trying to avoid that place as my bank account drops rapidly whenever I go there. They FINALLY got Oh My Goddess Volume 2 which finishes off the series. So I grabbed it and as I turned around to head the the cash register, I saw Ah! My Goddess The Movie. Pioneer Limited Edition Foil Keep Case. Dolby Digital 5.1 in English language AND Japanese. Which is VERY rare. Only El Hazard: Magnificient World had 5.1 in Japanese. I figured what the hell. I'm not a big fan of OMG/AMG really, but it looked nice.
Very rarely does an Anime come along now that completely blows me away. Cowboy Bebop was one, Bubblegum Crisis 2040 was another.
And this one shattered those. Ah! My Goddess The Movie takes place 3 springs after Keiichi and Belldandy first meet. Which, judging by the timeline, 2 1/2 years after the end of the AMG Series.
Is it good? No. Is it great? No. Is it so amazing that words are hard to find to describe it? Yes
Technically, it is second only the Ghost in the Shell in terms of technical achievement. Colors are gorgeous, the picture sharp and crisp, no artifacting, no rainbows, sound is phenomenal(albeit a bit loud in parts).
The story goes far beyond anything I expected. I watched it TWICE the day I got it(sunday) and watched it again last night, it's that good.
I won't divulge any of the story because I wouldn't want to spoil it.
The bottom line is this:
You have to see this movie. No if ands or buts about it. Mow lawns, collect pop cans, deliver papers, hell steal if you hafta. I can't gush enough about it.
Rating: A++++++++++++++++++++++
Chobits by Sery(Martyrseraph)
Hey all! I just finished this series tonight (and I've been working on it for a while... really slowly)
For those that may not know, the story takes place sometime in the near future in Japan where a new technology, humanoid robots (of all sizes!) called Persocoms, are all the rage among consumers. They have an infinite number of uses, and are often utilized for menial tasks such as managing cash registers, cleaning, cooking, etc. They can also be used to surf the net, play videogames, and many other electronic-oriented tasks. In this world, a country boy named Hideki has just found out that he failed his college entrance exams and has to attend a cram school to prepare for next year's tests. So he moves to the city, gets an apartment, and attends classes. Everything is normal until he finds an abandoned Persocom in an alley and accidently activates her. The little robot doesn't seem to have any memories, any name, or any software running on her OS, which confuses more than a few people. Thusly, it lies on Hideki's shoulders to teach Chii (as he named her) about the world and all it contains, a task that seems far beyond his ability more often than not. ^_^
The entire series is 26 episodes long, but I found myself wishing it were either much longer or much shorter. Some episodes follow a strong comic setup, and a few characters (Sumomo & Kotoko) will almost always inspire some laughs. Lots of episodes though, are very, very, slow. There's a lot of emotional delving (it's by CLAMP...) and a whole bunch of soap opera stuff that could really grate on some people. It didn't bother me, because I'm mushy, but I know for a fact it will annoy the hell out of others. My main complaint is, despite all the supposed "character development" occuring throughout most of the series, nobody develops that much, and the underlying story itself goes absolutely nowhere (only a single hint in the first 5/6 of the series as to Chii's origins, and it's not even a big one). Because of all this, they had to squeeze *story* development into the last few episodes, and it feels extremely rushed. The primary antagonists don't even show up until the series is almost over. ^^;;; Besides all this, the ending is so predictable it hurts.
Oh well, I still liked the show. Even if it lags a lot in the middle, it was never too unbearable to watch. It's fun to watch when it's funny, interesting to watch when it delves into human/robot relations, and sappy (to the extreme) when it gets into emotional baggage. ...Except for a certain episode about a baker and his wife, but I can't tell anyone about that. ^_^
If you have time, I'd recommend a watch, if only to see the miniature persocoms, and Hideki's excellent portrayal of a non-perverted porn addict. It's intruiging to imagine, and hilarious to observe. heh...
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie by Xjere
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie was almost everything I could have expected: comedy, action, philosophy, and of course, Fan Basis.
I'm actually surprised (this being anime, and all) that there was no frontal nudity. I think they cut some scenes out though, due to
a) they were afraid of getting a higher rateing the "R"
b) Japan is mocking us for our taboo on sexuality.
Overall, The movie rocked. Beautiful imagery, and great storyline, not to mention, the Cowboy Bebop voice acting cast has always been one of the best Anime casts of all time (this being my own opinion, at least).
There was one scene in particular that was just stunning. The city the movie mostly took place in was more or les New York on Mars, and one shot was of the sun setting behind the "Twin Towers." It was like an homage to the real Twin Towers.
Dominion tank police by Dane
Got this semi-old thing today... and I like it. The animation is pretty good, though not quite up there with the best, not even for the time when it was made (1989). The story is semi-interesting, though not revolutionary.
So... with with good but not excellent animation and an average story, what's good about this one: Well, it's violent, which is always good... The humor in it is excellent, especially the two cat sisters (who are hot, btw. LOL)
I'm guessing with the semi-classic status this one seems to have, most of you have seen it already. If you haven't, it's well worth it. All 4 episodes are on one DVD, btw.
In other news, I also got Gunsmith cats: Bulletproof, which I'm gonna watch tonight, plus I thought I'd gotten De:Vadasay, a pretty cool looking Evangelion ripoff. Turns out my DVD pusher couldn't find the disc, so I have to check back in tomorrow.
All this because I went to buy the Transformers movie... which, of course, was sold out. It's now been ordered for me. All in all not a bad day for my little collection. LOL
Fushigi Yuugi by Cassandra
First off I want to state that I've only seen 7 eps of this show so far but I like what I've seen. First a review then my own comments on it.
Fushigi Yuugi also known as Mysterous Play is drawn in a sailor moon style of drawing with big pulsing eyes, junior high school girl in short skirts and deformed characture moments. Other then the drawing style and the main character both being food obsessed nothing else is the same between the two shows.
Fushigi Yuugi's main character is Miaka a junior high school student getting ready to move up to high school. One day with her best friend Yugi they go to the national library and Miako follows a magical bird that is glowing with a red light. Following it up into a room for reference books Miaka and Yugi find a book that is slightly glowing with that same red glow. The book is called the Universe of the four gods. When they open it and begin to read it they are bathed in the same red glow and are taken into the book to a new world. After arriving in this new world they are almost taken by human slave traders. A handsome young man with the ogre symbol on his forehead saves them but while Miaka is looking for money to give the young man Yugi runs after him yelling. All of a sudden Yugi is once again bathed in the same red light and is swept back to her own world. Sitting in the reference room Yugi looks for Miaka and after not being able to find her begins to read the book their were just looking at. As she does she discovers that Miaka is still inside the book and as Yugi reads she goes along with Miaka on her journey.
Back in the book Miaka finds out that she is the Priestess of Suzako and must bring together the sever warriors of Suzako so that she may be granted a single wish. With that wish she could go home or have anything else she wants in the world.
Ok time for my comments on the show..
As I said before I really liked this show. It's very funny and full of adult humor. It does have alot of cross gender issues but most of it is all in fun. Miako, I thought was a great heroin as well. She has no super powers or abilities and yet she faces all the same adversities as the other seven who each have some super power. Miako is also selfless and determined which is one reason I really like her. She does remind me of Serena in a few ways but only with Serena's more endearing traits. The show is melodramatic at times but it also has a genuine feel to it. I just can't wait to see the rest of the series for myself. Well that's my review.
Grave of the fireflies by Cathy/Kamikaze Hikoushi
"In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year-old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enem raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children's lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring. Grave of the Fireflies is a tale of the true tradgedy of war and innocence lost, not only of the abandoned young, but of an entire nation."
I remember seeing the reviews for this movie on a site once, and couldn't help getting interested in it when it was rated so well. Of course, I kinda shrugged and said "Can it really be THAT good?" But this movie lives up to all the praise it is given. Amazingly animated, beautifully written, its very similar to "Life is Beautiful" in that heart-wrenching but oh-so-lovable way.
Both funny and tradgic, its truly an uplifting anime worth buying. On a scale of one to ten, this one is definitely a ten! :)
Haibane Renmai by Dane
Yep, it's that time again (NO, not *that* time, I'm not a hermafrodite)... Review time, you gutter minds.
Haibane Renmai is the story of a young girl who wakes up in a cocoon one day and breaks out of it, only to learn that she has no memory of who she used to be. But now, she's a Haibane (Grey wing).
The haibane are basically angels, complete with wings and halos that look suspiciously like the Pioneer DVD logo (pioneer produced and released this one), living in a city surrounded by a wall they cannot cross. They must work with and for the normal humans living in the city with them.
The technical parts of the series are all decent without being spectacular. The animation is very subtle and muted, but it fits the mood of the show. That goes for the music as well.
This series has almost zero comedy elements and, apart from someone moving really fast to snatch a cig from someone's mouth, no action either.
It's just a story of the ordinary life of the Haibane, with some quite tragic moments along the way.
This show has been picked up for US distribution by Pioneer and will probably be out on 3 DVDs, as it's only 13 episodes. I believe the US name will be "Grey feather alliance."
I definetely recommend this one if you're looking for something in the genre. Final grade (adjusted for this really not being my usual kind of anime) 8/10.
P.S: This show has the coolest character ever in this kind of show: Reki, 'cause what the hell beats a chain smoking, moped riding angel?
Infinite Ryvius by Cassandra
The story centers mostly around Kouji Aiba who is a 16 year old navigator-in-training working on his 2nd class navigation papers. It also has brings those around him including his young brother, Yuki Aiba, who Kouji doesn't get along with; Kouji's best friend, Ikumi Oze; Kouji and Yuki's childhood friend, Aoi Housen; Ikumi's girlfriend, Kozue Izumi and a few others.
The description on the back of the case says..
"By the 22nd century, mankind has spread to every corner of the solar system. But in the year 2137AD, a tremendous solar flare kills millions and spreads a dense plasma called the Sea of Geduld across the solar system. Space travel because difficult because no spaceship can withstand the immense pressure within the Geduld.
It is now 2225AD and teenage cadets learn to navigate around this deadly obstacle at the Liebe Delts Astronaut Training Center on the edge of the Geduld Sea. An act of sabotage during a routine dive procedure sends the space station plummeting into the Geduld. Juli Bahana, a member of the elite Zwei cadets, must take charge and lead the others to safety aboard the Ryvius, an interstellar space ship hidden inside the station. At the same time, navigator-in-training, Kouji Aiba, is coping with sibling rivalry while trying to find the courage to use his skills to deal with this deadly situation. Since all the adult crew and instructors were killed during the evacuation, the young astronauts can only rely on their training and each other to survive the journey home."
The series style itself reminds me of Trigun with not all things being explained or even laid out for you in the beginning. Also the way they preview for the next episode with cryptic dialog laid over up coming episodes is very like the way Trigun is shown.
The show moves at a very good pace with action and drama all wrapped up together. There are some funny moments as well which really adds to the over all content and likability of the show. It does have a more serious tone to it most of the time, but that sets the mood for the action very well. There is also a component of mystery centered around an unknown girl who so far in the five eps I watched no one, but Kouji has seen. She seems to have power over the unknown Ryvius and shares the emotions or thoughts of Kouji and the other cadets.
After watching the five eps that I did I was really left wanting to see more and for me that is always a good sign in anime. I would recommend seeing this anime to people who like action and drama with a bit of mystery. It appears that there will also be some mecha in this series, but not alot of it. Also a few romances are blooming and of course there is the high tension of the relationship between Kouji and his younger brother Yuki.
Kenshin Seisouhen 01 and 02 by SiliconX/Aoshi
I finally scored the second part to this "True End" to The Rurouni Kenshin epic. It takes place many years after the end of the regular series. Kenshin and Kaoru have a son, Kenji, who is about 14-15 years old. Yahiko is all grown up, and quite the swordsman. To see all the old characters re-drawn in a new style was very cool. They flashed back to some of the fights in the regular series, and it was very neat to see them redone as well. It's two parts. The first is about 36 minutes, the second about an hour.
Absolutely fantastic. That's all I can say, find it and get it(assuming you've seen most to all of the Kenshin series, I've seen most, but there were still some parts I didn't understand cuz I haven't seen all of it).
Oh, and it is easily the most moving and sad Anime of all time, and for me, the most moving movie of all time. I've never shed a tear in any movie as far back as I can remember, but I cried, actually CRIED during this one. If you don't cry, then you have no heart. That's what everyone told me and I didn't believe it. This ends the series. And it was a very sad, but fulfilling ending.
None of the Anti-Climactic crap that 99% of all Anime has :p
Out of 10 I give it an 11 LOL
Maetel Legend by Lord Storm
The most recent American release from Leiji Matsumoto, Maetel Legend is a linking story that unites an older series, Queen Millenia with the more current tales of the Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock and Queen Emeraldas. Emeraldas and her twin sister Maetel (Who rides Galaxy Express 999) are the stars of this tale. When they were teens, their planet La Maetel was knocked from its thousand year orbit and began to grow very cold as it travelled to Andromeda.
To save her people, the Queen of La Maetel, La Andromeda Promethium the Millenial Queen (and mother to the girls) turns to the foremost engineer of her world. He had devised a method of transferring humans to machine bodies so they might survive their frozen world. She volunteers to recieve his surgery in order to verify its safety for her people. Unknown to her, this is the one step that will lead to the horrible future wars between Earth and the armies of the Machine People.
To tell more would spoil the plot, and though the wnd of this story will be well known to Matsumoto's fans, I won't wreck it for anyone else. This movie is made as two 40 minute parts and was made as an aniversary release in honor of the 15th anniversary of GE999.
It is a good story, and shows much of how Emeraldas and Maetel became such different people. It also provides a link to Queen Millenia that I had somehow missed before. I strongly recommend it to any fan of Matsumoto, or any fan of strong female characters. As with all Matsumoto films, "Fan service" does not exist, his women are statuesque and ethereal. But they are the heart of his story.
Macross Zero by Ren
Holy Chit this is the best damn war anime I have seen in forever! The CG and 2D Cell graphics are to die for! The air combat scenes are pure eye candy, especially the step by step, gear by gear transformation of Roy Fokker's VF-0 prototype.
This follows a modified version of the Macross plotline where the ASS1's (SDF-1 for the Robotech fans) arrival CAUSES war rather than end it. The UN and and Anti-UN forces fight for control off the ASS1. (And the Anti-UN forces get a transformable fighter first!)
The story takes place a year before the Zentran arrive to reclaim the ASS1. What I really like about the more recent Macross stories is the reincorporation of the Robotech mythos into the Macross line. The use of the Protocultures (Robotech Masters/Zor/Haydon depending on your pet theory) as a guiding force in the development of the human species was barely hinted at in the original but seems to be the focus of Mac Zero.
It appears there is only one episode out at this time with episode 2 sceduled to be released this spring. But if episode 1 is any indication.... Dayamn!
Check it out if you're able to find a fansub or speak japanese (and have a region 2 DVD player)
Maris The Wondergirl by [LST] Perfect R(ed) (PARABOMBER)
If you haven't seen this, or because you read this, see it. First thing you'd have to ask is "why?" While rushing to a bathroom before you pee yourself with laughter.
Following the exploits of Maris, indeed the wondergirl of round body and cute ass as shown in the fan-service shower scene in the first few minutes (with a fly-swatter), her assigment is to rescue the kidnapped son of a multi-billionaire in a multitude of spacecraft, and a fox called Murphy with an "oh so not sexy" accent.
The gag being that Maris is 6 times the strength of a human and so just has to accidentally cause damage by the simplest touch and also the fact that she's constantly in debt and we're only touching the backstory.
The story is simple and to the point, girl is poor, tries to save rich boy from evil villain and evil sidekick.. the wrestling fight scene is a highlight, only because all those fans out there should know the moves used, and yes, that is the WALLS OF JERICO being locked in! W00tles or not, depending on your tastes.
There are a few inconstances, biggest one being when she's sent home after almost completing her mission and why is it that a human needs to wear restraints as well as Maris, who at least has the excuse of being 'Thanatosian', also the length at just over 48 minutes makes this a "Blood"fest at least in value for money depending on who you killed to buy it. Finally the credits in the subbed version get in the way of the interesting action that is happening.
But if you get over those fudges, what you get is pure comedic maddness with an almost suffocating amount of gags and humour "Good thing I'm your best pilot" has to be seen to be believed!
At the very least I reccomend it on rental, it may not be to everyone's tastes, but it's one to settle down and get drunk with. :)
Night Warrior: Midnight Detective by Ren
Well, it's the Vampire private investigator angle that we see in half a dozen anime and more in american and canadian tv programs. Still, this one manages to pull off a pretty good story line, each episode.
The hero, Mr. Shido is a vampire with a human heart (? Soul for you Angel fans) Basically, he and his friends hunt "Night Breed" which are demons in possesion of human bodies. This show has a very Vampire Princess Miyu feel to it, though Shido isn't as Neutral as Miyu.
Good characters are this DVDs saving grace. By the second episode or so, you're actually concerned about the characters. The animation is pretty smooth. Very little in the way of obvious CGI slides and such. Still, if you like bloody vampire shows, you'll only find this mildly soothing to your fetish. It gets pretty bloody, but the stains and splatters are pretty one dimensional... just coloring part of a leg red, etc.
Characters I'd give a 8. Story is unoriginal but good 6. Animation 6ish. Overall I'd give this one a 6 or 7. I'll rent the second one I'm sure, but It takes a 9 or 10 for me to buy a DVD.
Onegai Teacher by Dane
Ok, just watched all 12 episodes and one OVA of this one and thought it's been too long since I've done a spontanious review, so here we go.
The story revolves around high school student Kei Kusanagi who is walking around by a lake one night and sees an alien arrive. The next day, he thinks it was all a dream untill he meets his new teacher... the drop dead gorgeous alien woman.
When they get caught in a shed at school together, they talk about the fact that he knows who she is and he shares a secret with her as well. Unfortunately, when they're freed from the shed, the principal of the school finds them and demands an explaination. So (and I'm sure this made perfect sense to the writers... if they were stoned) they pretend to be married and get off with a warning not to fool around on the school grounds again.
Since they have to keep their marriage (and her being an alien) secret, much comedy follows, as well as some drama, as other people fall in love with the already secretly married couple.
There is absolutely no action in this show, even if most places do tag a "science fiction" genre badge on it because of the alien thing. This is romantic comedy/relationship anime and that's all. But it's very well done and particularly Kei's womanizing (and married) uncle is hillarious. His timing for checking out and commenting on the babes could not be any worse.
The animation of this one is quite good, but not right up there with the best. I'd give it a 7.5/10. But apart from making the women hot enough to understand Kei's situation, this was never really about artwork. It's the story that drives this... and it does it very well. A bit too many flashbacks, considering how short the series is, but all in all a 9/10 for story.
Since the story is more important than the animation in an anime like this, we end up at a respectable grade of 8.5/10 and my recommendation if you don't need explosions in every episode.
As a final side note, it seems the creators are looking into making an Onegai (insert fantasy here) concept. They're working on a new series called Onegai Twins... what's next, Onegai Cheerleader? If so, I'm all over it.
Riding Bean by [LST] Perfect R(ed) (PARABOMBER)
First things first. If you've had the pleasure of either reading the Gunsmith cats Manga or the anime, then you'll probably get a unique experience of this anime, but saying that, it's a good cartoon in it's own right.
Without giving too much of the Storyline away, Bean Bandit is the RoadBuster, a proffesional driver for the criminal underworld. If you can pay the money, he'll have the wheels and the skills to use them. Unfortunately his latest escape doesn't go too well and leads to him being framed for the kidnap of a miliionaire's daughter and the hell because of it!
I've got the English dubbed version and for any GSC fans, the voices of the cast (particularly Bean himself) are well done, altough the police are grating in both art style and in personality. Rally Vincent (blond this time over) is played by a different actress from the GSC anime but still succesfully pulls off the "sexy gal with guns" chic we all love her for.
Fans of technical weapon descriptions (curtesy of Rally) as well as some cool car chase scenes with great attention to detail will not be dissapointed but the car sound effects leave a little to be desired, sounding like F1 cars at some points.
It's niggly, but the biggest and only major problem with the film is the inevitable association with GSC. Not to say it's so much "inferior", but being significantly older and having less supervision with Sonoda as GSC had leaves a slight nagging sensation in my mind.
But Riding Bean has a lot to go for it, a good storyline if a little short, good characterisations of all the "criminals" altough the police are more there for a head count then anything usefull, and a slight touch of gore and sexual tension (not just between Rally and Bean).
Personally I really would reccomend it, but it probably means more to GSC fans then to those who aren't.
Spriggan by Ren
Spriggan DVD from ADV - run time 90 minutes.
Checked out this DVD from Blockbuster last night on the recommendation of a co-worker. (Okay, so he told me half a dozen times I needed to watch it.)
Basic concept is there are these ancient artifacts called Arks. One of them is the Biblical Noah's Ark. The powers are discovered throughout the show so I won't ruin that part. Basically, it's a really powerful device that will make one person god-like but may destroy the world in the process.
Well, we popped it in and the animation was pretty good (give it a 7 of 10).
The action scenes were great and the gear, weapons, enemy tricks, etc were some of the best. (Give it a 9)
The story however was a real let down. Mark it down as a technofied Akira rip-off. One kid with incredible powers is the one who eventually commands the Ark and goes insane... yada yada yada. Still the characters were memorable enough. (Give it a 4 or 5)
One flaw that I really had a distaste for was the Writer's use of the US as the enemy. Not because it was the US, but because it violates a rule of Anime we've talked about before. It assaults a current standing government and/or society. It wouldn't be so bad if the writer had a working concept of our government. The enemies are from a "Rogue Faction of the Pentagon." Since the Pentagon is more a collection of offices where various departments work, there can't be a "Rogue Faction" But this is only one of the plot flaws.
Overall I'd give this show a 6. Rent this one if you can for the great art and strong hero characters. Don't buy it, you probably won't want to watch it again.
Tokyo Mew Mew by Dane
Just watched the first 6 episodes of this one yesterday...
If you've ever seen an episode of Sailor Moon, or even read about it, you'll know the story: Young girls find out they have special powers and have to save the world.
Once you get over the "wow, what a Sailor Moon ripoff this is" phase, TMM is actually not bad. It's got a few original ideas, such as the fact that the girls have their DNA combined with that of endangered animals, meaning they take on the characteristics of that animal. Ichigo, the main character, for example is mixed with a rare mountain cat, so now she likes to play with strings and sleep a lot. LOL
Character development seems to have a high priority for the creators of the series, but as the first 6 episodes don't even have all the main characters added yet, time will tell how that goes.
Overall, it's not a bad little show. Very cute and sometimes pretty funny with a story that seems to have the potential for many twists.
I'll give it a 7 out of 10 so far, but reserve the right to change that when I get my hands on more episodes.
Trigun by SiliconX/Aoshi
Well. I managed to watch all 26 episodes in the space of 5 days.
From a technical standpoint, I really wasn't impressed with the DVD transfer. The early discs especially were really washed out, and even towards the end was a little too bright. But the series contains alot of light brown(desert planet after all), so it isn't too bad, all things considered.
The story was good...although definately not up to par with my recent watchings such as Cowboy Bebop, Rurouni Kenshin, and Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. My big problem with Trigun was it was far too goofy, and then completely serious. When Vash was serious, I was riveted to my seat, when he wasn't, that's usually when I went to get more snacks. Expect ALOT of "ona"(I think that's the word...big heads and wild expressions...big oowies on head when they get bopped by a woman, that kinda stuff). And I do mean ALOT.
It suffered from quite a plethora of plot gaps. Trigun is easy to follow, yet at the end, I had a few questions which went unanswered.
And I'm really getting tired of the "Reformed Ex-Killer who refuses to take a life" storyline.
Normally, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. But it gets an extra 2 points simply because it has the coolest character I've ever seen in an anime. Nicholas D. Wolfwood. The dude just plain kicks ass.
Final score: 8/10(+2 due to Nicholas D. Wolfwood hehe)
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust by Lord Storm
Hi all! We seem not to have had a good, deep and bloody review in here for a while. I'd like to take a moment to review the new movie, released last Tuesday, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.
First, some background: the world of D was created by a Japanese author named Hideuki Kikuchi. He has invented a lush and living world of the far future, a world where vampires are the nobility and humans walk amid supertechnology and the creatures of myth.
In a series of novels, he tells the tales of D, a half-vampire called a dunpeal. D is a vampire hunter, slaying those whose blood he shares. D has a demon imprisoned in his left hand, the demon offers advice (often unasked and rarely wanted) and mystical abilities not normally available to a dunpeal.
In 1985, a movie was commissioned, based on one of the novels. This was the classic Vampire Hunter D which many anime fans have seen and loved. The new movie, Bloodlust is based on a different novel, and takes fewer liberties with the original story. Also, character design for D himself is based more closely on the illustrations of Yoshitaka Amano, whose art adorns the covers of the original novels.
On to the meat of the review. Bloodlust is based on a novel whose title I have seen translated as Demon Deathchase. The basic plot is that a young woman is kidnapped by the local vampire lord, Mier Link. D is hired to return the girl to her home by her family, unless she is made a vampire, in which case D is to kill her. D has competition, the Markus Brothers (a mercenary group of seasoned vampire hunters) have also been hired.
As the story progresses, many things, including D, are found not to be quite what they appeared to be when we first saw them. To tell more is to spoil the story and I will leave that to others. ;-)
The artwork is vibrant and suitably gothic for the subject matter. I have never imagined D more honestly brought to life. The animation is very smooth and the tale itself is gripping. The action has a style and life all its own, with small details that only are found in subsequent viewings. It does get a bit violent at times, and due to its limited theatrical showing we have a MPAA rating of R.
I strongly recommend the film to all fans of horror, anime, and gothic romance without reservation. To action fans, the story does take precedence at times, but always to further the flight into more intense and real action.
Wicked City by Dane
Just got this one yesterday and watched it today (twice, which should give you an idea of where this review is headed).
The story is that there are two worlds or dimensions existing side by side: Our world and a demon world. For 5000 years, a treaty has kept the peace between the two, but now it's time to renew the treaty. Something a radical group from the demon world aren't too keen on.
To enforce the treaty, a secret agency called "The Black Guards" has been set up. This brings us to our hero, Taki, who is officially an electronics salesman, but unofficially the top agent of the black guards. He and Makie, a gorgeous woman from the black world are assigned to protect a VIP before the peace conference.
The story takes place over just one night, keeping the pace of the story high (and very action packed).
I watched the dub first, since that's the only 5.1 track on the disc, then watched it again with the Japanese dialogue. It seems they've done a pretty good job at dubbing it, which the director thinks too. There's an interview with him on the disc, giving some interesting insights. That's the same guy who directed Vampire hunter D:Bloodlust and Ninja scroll, btw...
The visual side of the movie is great too. Very dark and brooding as it should be for a story like this. And the women... *drools* 'nuff said.
All in all, this one has shot straight to the top of my favourites list, sharing the number one spot with my first love of anime, Akira. I have a feeling that over time, it could even bump Akira down a step to reign supreme on its own. It's just that good.
Final grade: 9.5/10
Wings of Honneasmise by (Simon R)
Ok, this is my first review so I'll clear my inbox for a hoard of mails saying "we did that, n00b!"... :D
Wings is a fairly old title (bang, 90% of the readers of this post go "well duh" and head off to the hentai folder) about a countries first manned space flight.
It's not any country in particular, but one made up for the film. The story follows Shiro, who failed the exams to be a pilot, and so joined the National Space Force instead (!). Unfortuantely the NSF is a bit of a white elephant, existing on scrounged funds and second hand technology. Along the way Shiro meets a young lady with strong beliefs who cajoles him into not giving up, and he makes plans to become the worlds first man in orbit.
Along the way he runs foul of an enemy state and has to deal with the successful pilots who see him as a joke and a waste.
The artwork on Wings is of high quality, and the world is beautifully worked out and consistent. If you're after a laid back film similarly paced to (for instance) Blood: The Last Vampire, then I recommend Wings whole heartedly.
If you're after tentacles and gratuitous fan service...tell me if you find anything good, OK?
"X" by (Simon R)
I just got this out on DVD from my library... Young boy returns to Tokyo to face his destiny as saviour of the world, to battle with the seven dragons of heaven against the seven dragons of the earth, who want to pretty much kill everyone.
The seven Earth dragons, in the form of badly dressed guys and a girl who's got a thing about her computer, fight witht eh seven Heavenly dragons in the form of seven really badly dressed guys and girls in school uniforms.
In amongst this, the chosen hero is having some sort of angst attack over his girlfriend, who's brother unexpectedly turns out to be his opposite - who spends the film having an angst attack over the fact that he's expected to ight to the death with his best friend.
So, cool. Except it's not. The artwork isn't very special, the fights are dull, verging on utterly pointless. Basically the two camps encounter each other one at a time and kill each other by glaring at each other in several Manga approved "I'm hard I am" ways. Then when Tokyo is pretty much reduced to gravel (which was what the hero was sent to stop), the Hero and his Nemesis face off up the Tokyo Tower for the final climactic battle, which lasts about three seconds:
Bad Guy: "You cannot win! I will destroy you utterly and then kill everyone! Hahahaha! Look at my big sword, ooh, shiny!"
*Does big banzai charge*
God Guy: *Chop* "Aha! I have won! Back to being angsty over the fact that everyone died while I was being angsty over there in the corner instead of kicking evil arse."
So, anyway. I think this film pretty much sucked the proverbial moose wang.
