[cassiesheepgirl]

OK, my exact words as I type this are:

"**** it, I won't know til I try."

Anyway, I'm submitting the following reviews:

UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie - Overall Score: 1.5/10
Black Jack 21 - Overall Score: 6.5/10

Extra Requested Review: Prince of Tennis - Overall Score: 8/10

(Note: I already posted the Black Jack one in the reviews forum ages back, but I went back and edited it based on feedback, so this is the new edit I'm posting now.)


UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie:

Story: 1/10

When a buxom young female alien crash-lands in the middle of a bathhouse, it’s a pretty clear sign than some ecchi fun will follow. Throw in a bumbling male lead and as many shots of nude aliens – particularly nude female aliens – in the bath as you can get away with, and you’re set; let the entertainment commence! Unfortunately, this is where UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie falls flat on its face. Valkyrie takes a relatively simple and foolproof concept and manages to make twelve of the most irritating episodes of anime I have had the misfortune to watch.

UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie centres on Kazuto, a quiet high-school boy who runs a bathhouse, and Valkyrie, a princess from the planet Valhalla. Kazuto happily goes about his daily business, until Valkyrie arrives. Not only does she crash into the bathhouse, but also manages to kill Kazuto in the process. In order to save his life, the guilt-ridden Valkyrie gives Kazuto half of her soul. However this process has an unfortunate side effect; it turns Valkyrie into a child again! Kazuto then begins to live with child Valkyrie. To add to the fun, Valkyrie’s personal maid, cat-girl Sanada, and her younger sister Hydra – who also became a child after her powers were sealed – followed Valkyrie.

The majority of the twelve episodes of UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie are essentially pointless filler, with the main plot only dealt with in the last episode and a portion of the penultimate episode. Needless to say, the entire thing feels ridiculously rushed as if the production crew had completely forgotten that they were supposed to include some kind of story within the series. One could argue that the rest of the episodes demonstrate a development of the central relationship. Regrettably I fail to see how an entire episode of Sanada transforming half of the female population into cat-girls shows the progression of the relationship between Kazuto and Valkyrie.


Animation: 1.5/10

I can only assume that UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie had a very small budget to work with, as that would actually explain the poor animation displayed in this series. Boasting movement that is far from smooth, I would have expected more from an anime of this era. Valkyrie also suffers from an over-reliance on the re-use of shots, in particular the two images used to show the bathhouse environment. Such obvious repetition not only highlights one of the many failings of this series, but also threatens to incite a feeling of “if I see that banana alien with his towel once more, I will kick a puppy.”

The only semi-reasonable section of animation displayed in Valkyrie is that of the forty-second transformation sequence. Even then, it is far from impressive and drags on for much too long. Though on the bright side any time taken up with the transformation results in a few less seconds that I have to stare at the clunky animation or Hydra’s sunburnt skin. The latter I can only imagine can only be the result of an accident that occurred while mixing the colour for her skin.


Sound: 1.5/10

Best described as ‘Happy-bubbly-cheesy-pop’, the opening theme to Valkyrie proves as generically awful as the rest of the series. In fact I would rather drink a pint of said cheese-flavoured soda pop than sit through the opening more than once. The ending song meanwhile simply falls into that grubby little box in the corner that’s half-heartedly labelled ‘forgettable’.

Aside from the attempted nod at Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, which merely serves to throw in our faces once again that someone is able to access Wikipedia and research Norse mythology, the rest of the score remains unremarkable.


Characters: 1/10

I don’t necessarily expect much from my characters in any kind of ecchi or harem show. I especially don’t anticipate much from the male lead, who generally exhibits as much personality as a tissue and has the emotional depth of a raisin. However, this lack of expectation allows Valkyrie its only chance to shine. I present to you, Kazuto: the most vapid, flat and crushingly vacant male lead I have ever seen on screen. Kazuto’s role in the majority of the series can be summed up as follows: Kazuto stands around smiling and under-reacts to every bizarre situation foisted upon him. Then Valkyrie kisses him so she can transform, before Kazuto continues to stand around smiling a bit more. Even his supposed impassioned speech at the end of the series displays less emotion than your average politician.

The rest of the cast also struggle to leave much of a lasting impression. I would often find myself struggling to remember some of the supporting characters names because I simply just did not care.


Overall: 1.5/10

Ecchi may not be to everyone’s tastes, but if, like myself, you like the occasional fun romp in the world of panty shots and big breasts, I would certainly advise that you steer clear of UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie. Maybe ecchi connoisseurs would be able to find some positive aspects, but I couldn’t. Half of the time I was praying that Valkyrie would display just one lone redeeming feature and the other half contemplating whether or not staring at my lava lamp solidly for four hours would be a better use of my time. If you are looking for a decent ecchi series with a good plot, then you’re in the wrong place. Instead, turn around and go through that door on the right because there are far better titles out there that don’t make such a half-assed attempt at entertaining the general populace.

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Black Jack 21:


Story: 5.5/10


Best described as the bastard love child of a rather dodgy soap opera and a James Bond film, Black Jack 21 is the latest instalment of Osamu Tezuka’s popular franchise. The premise is simple; Black Jack becomes the target of a group of assassins hired by a mysterious corporation and, with only a single photo as a clue, he sets off on a worldwide journey to discover who wants him dead and why.

With conspiracies abound and some interesting – if not predictable – plot turns, the storyline remains entertaining throughout, though sometimes difficult to take seriously. While plenty of action is not necessarily a bad thing, Black Jack often finds himself in situations best left to 007 rather than an unlicensed surgeon. Although the Black Jack franchise is not known for particularly plausible plots, the inclusions of scenes such as Black Jack scaling the outside of a plane mid-flight truly push the boundaries of believability. Mix this with the sort of familial conflict and shocking revelations that are more at home in a daytime soap opera, and the product is a bizarre creation wavering on the boundary of becoming utterly laughable.

The inclusion of an actual plotline makes a pleasant change from the usual episodic content, which the rest of the franchise tends to rely on, where Black Jack swoops in to save the day. However die-hard fans need not fear – expect plenty of ‘swooping’ to be had in this chapter of the Black Jack series.


Animation: 7/10

Black Jack 21 follows the visual style that you would expect to see from any Osamu Tezuka creation, complete with the character designs heavily influenced by 1920’s western animation. Though the movement is relatively polished, I find the constant use of static images with dramatic ‘action lines’ (which has become a standard in the Black Jack series) somewhat unimaginative. As with many other more recent anime a small amount of CG has been included. However it seems just as obvious as Black Jack’s scars, and often serves little more purpose than enabling the use of sweeping and supposedly dramatic camera movements.


Sound: 6/10

The sound design in Black Jack 21 serves its purpose of heightening the drama of certain scenes. However during the more ridiculous ‘dramatic’ scenes, the over-the-top score merely makes the scenario seem all the more laughable and, as such, becomes somewhat of a double-edged sword. Though neither overly outstanding nor memorable, both the opening and ending themes fit in with the mood of the series.

Reprising his role as title character, voice actor Akio Ohtsuka provides a stellar performance. Showcasing his ability to express the desperation and motivation required for the situation in which Black Jack finds himself, Ohtsuka’s performance adds a slight plausibility to a sometimes far-fetched plot.


Characters: 8/10

During this series Black Jack goes on both a long physical journey and a mental one. Discovering the secrets behind his past, Black Jack 21 provides an excellent chance to develop the main protagonist - and it does not disappoint. To see a character such as Black Jack, who often shows little emotion, reliving his painful past and learning about what was truly behind the tragic events of his childhood comes as a refreshing change and provides quite possibly the highlight of the series.

Black Jack 21 also introduces an array of new characters, though with most appearing in one or two episodes, only a select few are really developed. However, those that are explored in more depth are accorded a good amount of development and their own personal journey. This selection of more developed secondary characters, and the demonstration of the consequences that befall those surrounding the protagonist, easily breathes more life into a series in a way that the other instalments of the franchise failed to achieve.


Overall: 6.5/10

Going into this series expecting a truly gripping thriller of a plot would be a mistake. To forgive the seemingly ridiculous moments scattered throughout the series, Black Jack 21 should be viewed as a fairly light-hearted series with a decent plotline and some cheesy, over-the-top action. It is certainly easy watching without being utterly pointless and it manages to throw in some reasonable character development to boot. Fans of the Black Jack series will most likely find this highly enjoyable, and anyone new to the franchise may well find it more entertaining than they imagined.

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Here's a third review as requested. Free of feedback. :)

Prince of Tennis


Story: 7.5/10

History is brimming with monumental battles, Nelson versus Napoleon, the Greeks against the Trojans, and apparently any high school tennis match featuring Ryoma Echizen. Prince of Tennis manages to take a simple concept – a high school tennis tournament – and create a wonderfully over-the-top comedic romp into the world of sport.

Prince of Tennis follows the Seigaku tennis club and their bid to make it to the Junior National Tournament Finals. At the centre of the plot resides Ryoma Echizen, a freshman tennis prodigy. Returning to Japan after spending four years in America, Ryoma manages to not only wow the seniors at Seigaku, but also easily secures a place as a regular – something utterly unheard of for a freshman. With their new ace player in place, the club begin their quest to conquer the regional champtionships.

Certainly, whatever excitement Prince of Tennis lacks in its basic premise, it more than makes up for in pure entertainment and spectacle. Following in the footsteps of a shounen standard more often seen in the likes of Naruto or Bleach, Seigaku’s regulars demonstrate an array of impressive but entirely outrageous new moves. As expected, these moves always emerge at the most crucial point of any given match. Naturally the majority of the plot does become somewhat predictable, though I still found myself highly anticipating the revelation of Ryoma’s latest technique.

Prince of Tennis only manages to get away with such exorbitant styles of play for one simple reason: it never once takes itself too seriously. Had it tried to become a serious series about sport then Prince of Tennis would have most likely failed on every level imaginable. However alongside the humorous exchanges between the Seigaku members; the ridiculous training camps; and Inui’s special vegetable juice; it is possible to forgive the odd boomerang shot or shattered tennis racquet.


Animation: 8/10

Prince of Tennis boasts impressive animation during the match sequences. In particular some of the close up shots demonstrate a more realistic movement than I had expected, as outside of the matches the animation remains fairly standard. However, with the majority of the series devoted to the games in which Seigaku participate, this is not a major problem.

By pouring more effort into match sequences, the animation heightens the intensity of what become almost epic battles. Whether displaying the power of one of Momo’s ‘Dunk Smashes’, or the flexibility of Eiji’s acrobatics, each difference in play style is dealt with effectively, to the point where even the most ludicrous ideas seem more believable.


Sound: 6/10

Alongside the often-cheesy plotline comes an equally cheesy score. Including suitably over-dramatic music for the intense matches and light, bouncy harmonies for more comical moments, Prince of Tennis’s score performs its duty effectively. However, even though the score fits with the series, it feels as if few risks were taken and instead the safer, more generic path was chosen. Completing the soundtrack are a myriad of opening and ending themes that, while moderately catchy, leave little lasting impression.

Overall, the voice acting was decent, and there is little to complain about. However, kudos does go to the actor who voiced Horio. The blaring and almost nasal voice attributed to him, served only to make Horio (and his two years of tennis experience) all the more irritating – a perfect fit to the character.


Characters: 8.5/10

Including characters from other competing schools, Prince of Tennis boasts a large cast. While Ryoma remains the central protagonist, he is not the sole focus. For example, the other Seigaku regulars are accorded plenty of development; from the problems and injuries they face, to the creation of their new match-winning techniques. Although central focus always inevitably shifts back to Ryoma at some point, often Prince of Tennis feels more like an ensemble series, which serves to add an extra interest factor. This allows Prince of Tennis to become something more worthy of viewing instead of falling into a realm of mediocrity entitled: ‘The story of Ryoma Echizen’.

Even the secondary characters such as the students from Hyotei and Fudomine enjoy more development and screen time than would be found in any average shounen series. By exploring the personal stories and the improvement behind the opponents as well as those of the protagonists, each match is given an added depth. Though the majority of these reasons are corny, by knowing why each character must win this particular bout, Seigaku’s opponents develop into more than just faceless rivals; they become characters in their own right.


Overall: 8/10

The almost satirical quality that Prince of Tennis demonstrates throughout becomes without a doubt its greatest strength. Providing pure entertainment by mixing a large portion of comedic content with matches of almost epic proportions, Prince of Tennis is ideal viewing for those looking to kick back and relax. Hardcore tennis fans may well find Prince of Tennis a little too on the ridiculous side, but take it as it is and even those who – like me – aren’t necessarily fans of the sports genre could find themselves enjoying this playful series.