Site Reviewer Recruitment Drive - Apply Here!

[FalseDawn]

FALSEDAWN'S ADVICE CORNER FOR APPLICANTS

First piece of advice I ever give to anyone: Read. Read reviews. Find ones you enjoy and then figure out why they're enjoyable - or even if you don't enjoy them, ones that give you a reaction. Think about why they made you react.

Reviews aren't just pieces of texts. They're written specifically for some kind of reaction from the reader - whether it's something as simple as "oh, that sounds like something I'd enjoy" or "yeah! I really hated that part too" or just "this guy missed the whole sodding point of the series!" (the last one generally isn't one you should aim for, but can lead you to write a review to counter).

Reviews are a form of entertainment - or perhaps, infotainment. You need the right balance of information and entertainment, with a dollop of style and exaggeration. No-one will ever read a review that's the equivalent of a shrug and "s'alright" because what do they gain from reading that?

Which leads me to advice nugget #2: Think about your audience. You write reviews to be read. It doesn't matter how much sense it makes in your head, if it's not there on the page, the reader won't see where you're coming from. Similarly, you have to give readers what they want. You have to give them opinions, a final analysis, a score, because y'know, we rank everything that way. We want to know how good something is and if it's no good, exactly why it's no good.

If every applicant thinks about these two points when they're writing, there's a good chance you'll turn out something worth reading.

[VivisQueen]

Thanks for all the feedback and opinions and stuff, but this is the applicants corner. FalseDawn, your post should have gone in the Guidelines. Please, anyone is free to post some comprehensive guidelines/tips there.

But don't derail what is an application thread. Thanks.

[EliasN]

Time to apply! I'm not a native English speaker, so I look forward to read your comments.

Rurouni Kenshin Movie 7.5/10
Noir 5/10

Rurouni Kenshin Movie

Story 8/10

Since the Rurouni Kenshin movie is produced in the middle of the production of the Rurouni Kenshin series (henceforth referred to as "the series"). I usually watch related series/movies in chronological order, so I wasn't sure when to watch it, but I decided it would probably be best watch it after I had completed the series.

This movie is not what I would consider an actual sequel to the series, despite taking place two years after the end of the storyline of the series. The movie is not depending on the series, so it is fully possible to watch it without having watched the series in it's entirety.

The first minutes of the movie shows a fighting scene from the Bakumatsu where Kenshin fights and eventually kills Takatsuki Gentatsu.
Following the intro and titles, Kenshin meets Takimi Shigure, friend of the late Gentatsu. Since the day of Gentatsu's death, Takimi has taken care of his sister, now 18 years.
As the synopsis states: "Takimi blames himself foolishly for his friend’s death, and vows to take revenge upon this corrupt Meiji government who wasted Gentatsu's sacrifice".
So, as the majority of the enemies in the series, Takimi plans to overthrow the government and Kenshin tries to stop him.

Is this story like the multitude of poor arcs in the series? No. Actually, I'd consider it as one of the better ones, if it was a part of the series. Once again, you will experience some good moments with an enemy doing what he believes is right, not realizing the consequences of his actions.

Animation 6/10

Like the series, this movie is made by Gallop, sharing the same style of animation, though with some minor differences. Focus is put on aesthetics instead of realism. The Rurouni Kenshin movie is animated like many action movies are filmed, with interesting cuts, angles and perspectives. It's as if the creators tries to make the fights awesome, in that way that any 12 year old boy would think "Woow! I want to be a samurai!!" when watching.
I don't think that it's very bad, but I'm not sure sacrificing realism is necessary — just look at Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen.

As for the differences between the movie and the series in terms of animation, I notice a somewhat different character design and generally stronger colours. As an examle, the blood in the first scene is almost self-luminous. The strong colours further increase the aesthetics and decrease the realism.
Some might like it this way. I don't dislike it, but I don't really like it either.

Sound 5.5/10

The sound effects are the same as in the main series, with the weird cutting-flesh sounds and the sound for clashing blades resembling that of a tuning-fork. The sound effects gives a very synthetic impression. In what way is it supposed to represent the real world? I don't like it at all.

What saves the sound section from disaster is the music. The music lifts the series, and helps creating emotional moments. The opening song isn't really that wonderful, but the rest of the soundtrack is very nice. At the emotional peak of the series I almost, almost, shed a few tears. Almost.

Characters 8/10

As I stated in the story section, I get a feeling of understanding for Takimi Shigure. That is the case with quite a few of the characters. I don't want to repeat myself, but the depiction of people that aren't really bad, only making wrong choices, is very convincing.

I can't find anything in particular to complain about. Takimi Shigure develops in the movie and that's good, but he may be the only one. In any case, this is a movie, hence not giving that much place for character delevopment. All in all, I'm satisfied.

Overall 7.5/10

I get the impression that The Rurouni Kenshin movie, not being a sequel, is not really made for the fans of the series. The opening and first scenes hints that the movie is made more like a short version of the story made to attract Kenshin fans that haven't watched the series — or completely new fans for that matter.

Like the series, the movie seem to sacrifice much of the realism (in both story, animation and sound), trying to give a more aesthetic and cool impression.

The final line is that the movieis much like the series — the good parts, that is. If you like the Rurouni Kenshin series, you will enjoy the Rurouni Kenshin movie (also, there's a good chance you will even if you haven't watched the series).

Noir

Story 4.5/10

I'd like to use the expression "What kind of trickery is this?", but since it wouldn't be appropriate, I won't. I'm not really sure, though, why I decided to watch Noir. Somehow it attracted me, making me imagine a thrilling story about a skilled assassin somewhere in Europe. That's not what I got.

Then what did I get? I got a repetitive story about two women, Mireille Bouqet and Kirika. Mireille, is a successful assassin in France. She meets Kirika, a mysterious young girl, with killing skills worth mentioning.

Mirieille is tormented by her past, partially unknown. Kirika's past is a total mystery. The pair of them decides that two is better than one and start doing Mireilles assignments together. At the same time they try to solve the mystery of their pasts.

Throughout the series Mireille is experiencing flashback from the time she was young. I don't think that there's anything wrong with flashbacks, as long as they don't appear to often — like in Noir.

After several episodes I was sick and tired of the series. My only oasis in the vast desert of repeating flashbacks and more or less boring assignments, was the not so boring and sometimes exciting gun fights. However, the gun fights had some quite annoying elements, like the protagonists never being hit despite having hordes of enemies emptying magazines in their way — or the total lack of blood!

Then why this lack of variation? Is it that the creators hasn't heard of variation, or is it that the Noir really shouldn't be 26 episodes long? I think it is the latter one. Noir simply does not contain as much material as would be required to create a 26 episodes fast-paced exciting action series. Instead, the creators gave us a slow-paced, repetitive and sometimes boring action series.

Back to the story: Mireille and Kirika soon discovers a large (and evil) organization — as expected of a series with protagonists with a mysterious past. Of course I won't tell you if they ultimately succeeded, but on the way they really uncovered some things worth watching.

Noir's story isn't really bad, but it is stretched paper thin. I really enjoyed some parts of Noir, but they drowned in the swamp of Reiteration.

Animation 7.5/10

The animation is pretty good, actually. Especially the lighting is great, with dark scenes lit by gunfire, cities by night and luminescent windows. Don't get too excited though, Noir does not have the impossible flawless animation that every anime fan keeps dreaming about: the colours are sometimes strong and appealing, and sometimes flat and boring. In short terms: artistic, yet unreal with varying quality and results. However, all this is powered by a low frame rate — which takes away a part of the impression, lowering the score.

Sound 8/10

The most common weapon in the arsenal of Noir is — of course — the pistol. There are some variations to it (I think I can spot some Walthers and Desert Eagles), but the sound effects are — most of the time — the same. I might be mistaken, but I think I've heard that sound effect in some computer game, probably in one of the numerous games based on the Source engine. I can't say I like it, though. It demonstrates power comparable to a cap pistol. In a series with at least one gun fight in every episode, I'd like to be able to actually hear the power of the gun. Well, all right. To be fair, I have to admit that at least one or two of the guns in Noir really demonstrates power.

Despite the lack of variation in the gun sounds directory, the ambient sounds and details in sound flora are (generally) nice. I didn't really expect hearing the sound of empty shells falling to the floor or the sound of chirping birds in the background.

Now to the music: it is great. It really does what it is supposed to. However, with the risk of being too picky: I would have liked a few more tracks.

Characters 6/10

I watched a movie the other day: Taken (2008, starring Liam Neeson). Long story short: in the movie, the protagonist does some very cruel things to his enemies. Even though his enemies are mere characters in a movie — and evil — I feel for them.

Mireille and Kirika, especially the latter, are cold-hearted assassins. That's not the kind of person that usually gets a lot of sympathy. However, in Noir, the assassins are not portrayed as evil. They are just doing their job and the only thing they really know (?).
Despite their obvious lack of morale, I can't say that I dislike them, nor question their acts (as in Taken). I guess one of the reasons is that their enemies aren't real people. They are nothing more than pictures on a screen. This is one of the strengths (or requirements) of Noir. When watching the last episodes, I heard an expression: "When a person dies, a whole world dies", a world of thoughts, feelings, relations and actions.
Noir pays no heed to human value. That gives Mireilles and Kirikas killings less importance, making it easier to like them. Instead of putting emphasis on the protagonists actions, focus is laid on their desire to find out about their past and their true identity. Their striving make them more human.

Noir poses a few questions, e.g. Kirika: "I can kill people easily. However, I wonder: Why don't I feel regretful?". That's not an uninteresting question, but why not pose more interesting and serious questions? Noir has a superb opportunity to deliver a message! Noir is a series that's ultimately about killing people, so why not use that? All right, maybe Noir isn't really the right forum for serious philosophical questions, but still!

Overall 5/10

Good music and animation is great, but they certainly do not compensate for a thin (or more accurately: not so thin stretched to very thin) plot — and neither do flashbacks! Noir really has the potential, but the creators do not exploit the potential the right way. Noir could have been great and engaging, but ended up with an all too slow pace. I'm pretty sure that Noir would've been much better as a 13 episode series, instead of 26.

You might be thinking: "Should I really watch Noir?". As long as you don't get the wrong expectations, I'd say: Go ahead, but be warned!

[VivisQueen]

All applicants to this point have received decisions.

[Gundevil]

I've already posted some of these, but I reworked them a little. I know that when I first posted I was told I had to see more anime, and that's what I've been up to recently.

Samurai 7- 6/10

Story- 6/10
Anyone attempting to recreate Akira Kurowasa’s 1954 classic Japanese film Seven Samurai has a major dilemma on their hands – no matter how well done, the adaptation will never hold up to the greatness of the original source material. Gonzo’s Samurai 7 is the first attempt at converting the three-and-a-half hour masterpiece film into an anime series, and though there are plenty of exciting action scenes throughout, the series clearly fails to captivate its audience.

The most striking and noticeable contrast from the source material is the setting. Samurai 7 is set in a futuristic, yet feudal Japan with bandits taking the form of giant robots and samurai slicing through metal as if it were butter. Though certainly not lacking in creativity it felt awkward to me to have human samurai based on feudal Japan fighting giant robots from the future. Even though some of the action scenes were visually stunning, this idea just did not appeal to me.

Beginning as does the original, dishonored samurai turned bandits harass a poor village of farmers by stealing their rice crops. Deciding to fight back instead of continuing to give in to the bandits, the farmers send Kirara, the water priestess into the city in order to hire skilled samurai to defeat the bandits. The early episodes are fairly true to the original source material as the villagers travel to the city and slowly recruit each of the seven samurai, who join the fight against the bandits for their own personal reasons. Samurai 7, like the original, brings up the issue of class-based struggles though the series remains rather simplistic and not very thought provoking. Unfortunately, the story falls into the category of having a good versus evil morale, which didn’t leave me satisfied. This was a gargantuan disappoint for me since the original film made me think a lot and feel for the characters. There simply was no major emotional or rational pull into the series whatsoever.

One of the major challenges for Gonzo was in stretching a three-hour film into six-hundred plus minute series. The sixteenth episode in the series actually marks the end of the original source material, and then the series takes off on its own path, creating a new ending. Samurai 7 feels like two completely different series where the first sixteen episodes are rushed with too many characters left underdeveloped and the second part then deviates drastically from the original source material and gets downright ridiculous at some points. For example, one of the villains throughout the story, Ukyo, transforms from being a rich playboy with no real concerns early on into an ambitious and evil villain toward then end, with no rhyme or reason whatsoever. The story just seems to lose its way as it tries to complicate and make the plot more interesting with various plot twists, but these feel forced, without much intelligence behind each of the agonizing scenes. Though Samurai 7 began with a great basic premise, it was soon spoiled by poor pacing, underdevelopment of characters, and a deviation from the original film.

Animation- 7/10
The animation is a mixed bag. While the backgrounds—especially the city in the first few episodes— are very colorful and spark the imagination, the character models are drab and boring for the most part. All the poor villagers wear the same exact clothing— almost like uniforms. They’re not Wal-Mart employees, give them some varying clothes for Christ’s sake! Some of the designs for the samurai are also boring, though I did like the design for Kyuzo, and Kikuchiyo. Action scenes are another strong point as there of plenty of swordfights that are just gorgeous to look at.

Sound- 7/10
The music, including the opening theme and ending theme, fit nicely with the anime and do a good job setting the serious mood of the series. The English dubbing is lacking with some voice actors that just annoy me. If you do want to watch the series, I definitely would recommend watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles over the dubbed version. Sound effects are done well but don’t really make much of a difference either way.

Characters- 4/10
The characters are well-developed by the second half of the anime, yet most of them still fit into rather common clichés and are completely one-dimensional. Kirara, for example, is your average “nice girl” and isn’t very interesting at all because we have seen her character a million times. Most other characters are forgettable, expect maybe Kyuzo who is extremely underdeveloped and clichéd, but at least he’s cool and interesting. One of the main antagonists, Ukyo, is your average evil bad guy without much to offer and with no explanation for his “evilness.” Kambei, the main protagonist, is the only character who feels more multi-dimensional, even though he still comes off as the trite hardened and stoic warrior that we've seen a hundred times before.

Overall- 6/10
Samurai 7 had a lot of potential at the start of the series but too many unnecessary scenes and characters keep this anime from excelling. It ends up being just your average anime that does enough things right to keep it from being horrible, but not enough right to make it compelling, thought provoking, or emotionally engaging. For those who are fans of the original this may be worth watching just to see an animated adaptation of a masterpiece. Just don’t expect it to be any bit as good as Seven Samurai, or even the western remake by John Sturges, The Magnificent Seven. If you haven’t seen Seven Samurai and don’t care for good action scenes in anime, pass this one up as you would just be wasting your time.

Desert Punk 5.5/10

Story- 3/10
Desert Punk is the story of Kanta Mizuno, your bratty and perverted protagonist throughout the series. He’s a handyman/bounty hunter in a post-apocalyptic desert land—much in the spirit of Trigun— who takes jobs every episode or every few episodes to make some money. Unlike traditional anime with a cohesive finish line or goal, Desert Punk has an episodic format with little progression. The plot is riddled with crude and juvenile screwball humor and a lead character that subjugates and labels women as sex symbols. Instead of trying to lure an audience in by weaving an intricate and moving story, Desert Punk seems to focus on using lewd, sexual jokes and foul language in order to entertain its audience. Problem is that even if you like this kind of American Pie style humor you’ll soon be tired of the same repetitive attempts at humor. Honestly, the whole series feels like you’re stuck in the fantasy world of a 12-year-old boy. “Wow! Look at those knockers!” Repeat, repeat, repeat. The result is an anime series that is mildly entertaining but lacks any intellectual appeal and feels downright inane.

About the only positive things to say about Desert Punk is that it never really gets boring as there are plenty of action scenes throughout, the pace is generally very fast, and the story avoids being your average clichéd ‘save the world’ adventure. This change of pace in anime is admittedly refreshing yet unfulfilling. It’s hard to take the show seriously when it tries to make a morale point near the end if it’s been a silly farce since the first episode. To cap it off, Desert Punk has a very poor ending with no real climax or resolution.

Animation- 8/10
Desert Punk’s animation is the one strong point of the series. Character designs and models are original, bright, and the shading on them is perfect. Take Kanta’s helmet for example—many times during the series we see the world through the reflection in his helmet and this brings out how well the animation was done. The backgrounds are also well designed and fit the series perfectly. Alas, this animation is wasted on such a poor story and characters.

Sound- 6/10
The original soundtrack is a mixed bag as some of it is nicely done while other songs are very out of place. For example, the opening and ending theme song in the second half of the series are slow and serious songs that while nice, don’t fit the silly mood of the whole series. Voice acting in Japanese is solid, but the English actors are surprisingly superior—especially the voice of Kanta and Kosuna who play their roles exceedingly well. Even secondary and support characters have great voice overs. As for sound effects, Desert Punk also delivers as every sound rings with clarity.

Characters- 4/10
While the characters in Desert Punk are certainly unique and original in their personalities, little time is spent on actual character development. Kanta and Kosuna— the main characters throughout the series— have convincingly human dialogue but there is never a good explanation of why they are the way they are. They just are.

Kanta’s role as the selfish anti-hero is at least unconventional and his personality is well-rounded, albeit thinly explained. Kosuna is also a pleasure to watch as the sidekick who would do anything to gain her master’s approval. Regrettably, the other support characters are just thrown into the series with little purpose or explanation of their role. Many of them simply feel like filler roles.

Overall- 5.5/10
Great animation and sound are utterly wasted on Desert Punk’s inane and frivolous story and poor characterization. There is almost no plot to speak of until the nineteenth episode and the juvenile and silly attempts at humor are tedious and ineffective in the long run. If you have the sense of humor of a pre-teen boy, this series might be for you. If you want an anime that can intrigue you with a fascinating story and characters and keep you entertained while feeding your brain, look elsewhere.

Samurai Champloo- 8/10

Story 7/10
On the surface, nothing about Samurai Champloo's story makes it anything out of the ordinary. In fact, it has a rather simplistic premise; Fuu’s restaurant is burned down so she decides to hire two samurai guards --Mugen and Jin-- in order to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. Along the way, the trio finds themselves in one misfortune after another—sometimes with hilarious and bizarre outcomes—such as when they must repay a restaurant bill by playing in a baseball game against Americans. Encounters throughout their travels reveal more about each character’s past, which culminates in a breath taking three-part finale.

Much of Champloo is episodic with little progression toward the end goal. This is not something I usually like, but Champloo manages to pull it off rather well; regardless of a few episodes near the end that feel like out of place filler. Much like Watanabe did with Bebop, the main plotline of Champloo lies subtly beneath a penumbra of interweaving and fascinating character subplots. Though some will take it as style over substance, Champloo breaks through conformity and tedious clichés by focusing more on the means (that is, how they tell the story) than the ends (the actual plotline). Champloo’s story may not be something novel, but the way it's told certainly is.

Along with being an excellent action series, Champloo also takes place in the Edo period of Japan and does a fantastic job mixing in Japanese history with anachronistic material and modern pop culture. This creates a rather unique and refreshing experience—one that is certainly new to anime. In sum, the story is rather simple and lacking in complexity, yet it works.

Animation- 9/10
With Manglobe taking on the production, Champloo impresses with its amazing animation style. Many of the scenes in Champloo are extremely artistic and aesthetically appealing. Backgrounds are bright and colorful and character models are some of the best I’ve seen to date. High production value is evident in the flawless action scenes. Where other animes would skimp on detail or slow down the pacing, Champloo seems to revel in its ability to keep up its fast pace and animation detail. Unlike other shows, there’s not much talking during the action sequences, no cheesy calling out of techniques or moves before execution. There is simply amazing sword fighting and brilliant animation. What more could you ask for?

Sound- 8/10
I don’t like hip-hop. I loathe some of the contemporary hip-hop “music” coming out these days and even more so the vulgar lyrics and themes it espouses. With that said, hip-hop is used in Champloo to set the mood and contrary to what I expected, fits the artistic style and shogunate era theme in a rather unique and interesting way. The opening song for all 26 episodes of the series, “Battlecry,” steadily grew on me to become one of my favorite opening themes. The ending songs are also excellent. Voice acting is incredibly solid in both Japanese and English. Whether you're watching in dubs or subs, you won't be disappointed.

Characters- 8/10
Champloo’s characters, much like Cowboy Bebop’s are extremely complex and interesting. Though these three—Fuu, Mugen, and Jin— hate each other outwardly, they still chose to travel together without losing their individuality. The reasons they stay together throughout the journey are mystifying and complex—they see that even as unique individuals they can still come together despite steep differences.

While all three protagonists are rather interesting, likable and well rounded, I do wish more time was actually spent on their development. In the end, the characters have unique and interesting personalities that work well off each other, but little development to explain those personalities.

Overall- 8/10
Samurai Champloo is not as engaging or intellectually complex as its predecessor Cowboy Bebop— but it still manages to entertain with a stellar, albeit ostensible storyline, original music and artistic animation, and great action scenes. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys an action-packed story with a little comic relief.

Trigun- 9/10

Story- 9/10
Over the years some anime fans have criticized Trigun as a washed up version of Cowboy Bebop. Granted, the similarities between the two series are clearly apparent—both are set in a futuristic world with a western style, and have mysterious, humorous, and fascinating main characters that must come to face the past they have tried to forget about. Yet, comparing any anime to Cowboy Bebop is as unfair as comparing a hill to a mountain, and alleging that Trigun is merely a lesser Cowboy Bebop can be a compliment in itself.

Trigun after all, is a story about humanity and the intrinsic value of every life, as Vash must come to confront the demons of his past and make new choices that will put his idealistic vision of pacifism to the test. Trigun’s plot, once it gets off to its belated start, is like a well-tuned instrument that hits all the right notes as it flows from scene to scene with a great blend of drama, humor, and action that grips you and doesn’t let go until the final scene.

In any case, Trigun is the story of Vash the Stampede, the man who is wanted for destroying towns and carries a $60 billion double dollar reward for his head—though it soon is evident that it is because of the action of others that destruction follows him. The first ten episodes or so are fairly episodic in that not much of the story passes on from one episode to the next. Instead of an explosive start to the series, Trigun has a rather casual and laid back pace as it focuses on introducing the main characters and developing each of their personalities in the first few episodes. This may be the most significant flaw of the series as it takes some time for the actual plot to kick in and though some of the early episodes have a nice touch of humor and action, they feel a bit ineffectual. Nevertheless, the series has a much-needed drastic change in tone as it rebounds around the twelfth episode and the plot begins to unravel. This leads to some fascinating and absorbing scenes as Vash must come to face his past.

The most intriguing part of the series centers on the difference in philosophies between Vash and one of his foils (there are about 3), Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a traveling preacher/gunslinger whom Vash encounters in the eighth episode. Vash and Wolfwood play extremely well of each other and their contrasting ways of doing things, right up to their clothing (Vash in the energetic and courageous red coat, and Wolfwood in an all black suit) make for some captivating and thought provoking scenes between the two. Though both Legato and Knives are Vash’s foil as well, Wolfwood is certainly the most intriguing as his history is more developed and he spends a lot more time actually with Vash. As the story takes a more philosophical turn half way through the series, I really felt emotionally tied to Vash and his mission—almost as if I had crawled around in his skin. Some scenes nearing the end are hauntingly memorable, especially one in which Vash must confront Legato. The final episode does an excellent job of tying all the loose ends and answering any questions, leaving you satisfied.

Animation- 8/10
Though ten years old, the series doesn’t show its age too much. Character models are well designed and like mentioned beforehand; some have metaphoric and symbolic implications. Vash wears red because someone special in his life loved red roses and taught him that red symbolized determination and courage. Wolfwood wears all black to contrast from Vash’s red and to add to his enigma and hint at his dark past. It shows that the character models and designs were well thought out in order to merge well with the overall theme and story. Backgrounds are also well done—at least as good as they could be for a desert planet in the future. The only quibble is that some of the external side characters and some bad guys are a little less spectacular than the important characters and seem a little less inspired.

Sound- 7/10
The opening and closing theme songs fit the series well, especially the opening song that sets the mood for the series. Music throughout the series also adds to the humorous tone of the first few episodes and adds to the tension and suspense of the last few episodes. The voice acting in Japanese is done very well, but I feel the English dubs could have been slightly better. Vash himself needed a better voice actor in English in my opinion. All in all, the sound wasn’t great, but it was just right for the series.

Characters- 9/10
What else can I say about the characters? Vash is by himself reason enough to watch the series as he is simply a study of work in characterization and development. The reason behind his philosophy is explained and reasoned thoroughly and his personality is just a pleasure to watch. Supporting characters are also well developed and multi-dimensional. Wolfwood, Milly, and Meryl are all excellent characters whose reasons for following Vash are explained and who each have unique personalities that are very individualistic. Milly and Meryl add a great touch of humor and much needed change of pace in the later episodes. Wolfwood, as already stated, is an excellent character in that he represents Vash’s foil. The villains are also emotionally engaging, especially Legato, who transcends the cliché of morbid bad guy by being rational and calm, yet extremely egocentric.

Overall- 9/10
In the end, Trigun is a classic anime series among the elite—blending a cast of interesting and original characters who have varying ideals and outlooks on life, with shrewd pacing, and a deep and intelligent story that will keep you intrigued and entertained—you simply can’t ask for more from a series. Trigun delivers in every way. Even if the genre were not your thing, you’d be hard pressed not to be thoroughly entertained and impressed by what this series has to offer. If you haven’t already seen it, you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

Black Cat- 7/10

Story- 6/10
There should be a warning somewhere on the packaging of Black Cat advising those with heart problems to refrain from watching the series. Sitting through an episode of Black Cat is like sticking your head in a laundry machine except twice as fast and much more fun. This is due to the cinematography and sequencing that moves like lightning from one scene to another. Paradoxically, I found this fast pace to be Black Cat’s major strength and weakness.

Black Cat revolves around a young assassin for the Chronos Organization named Train Heartnet (Black Cat) and an out of luck bounty hunter named Sven. Their paths collide as a bio-weapon girl named Eve becomes both Train’s next target and Sven’s next bounty. In an unlikely turn of events, the three join forces to fight against a mysterious Taoist organization that has risen from the shadows to counter the Chronos Organization.

Black Cat starts out with a very dark, serious story arc and almost never stops to slow down for an intellectual moment. The result is that the story feels rushed, not giving you enough time to get to know the characters before the plot thickens. Instead of slowly developing the characters and plotline, the series seems intent on impressing you by jamming as much material into the show in as little time as possible. Due to this poor pacing, many scenes intended to be emotionally engaging ultimately fail.

It’s hard to put my finger on why, but even with its flaws, there is something indelibly charming about Black Cat that makes it a blast to watch. Regardless of its weak story and character development, a good mix of effective slapstick humor, remarkable action scenes, and quick pacing make it worth a viewing.

Animation- 8/10
Black Cat’s animation is certainly one of the strong points of the series. A variety of colors are used in creating the unique style of vibrant and colorful backgrounds. The scenery is just gorgeous. Character models, much like Code Geass, are impressive with very cartoonish characteristics--big juicy eyes and heads, bright colors. The animation style seems to fit perfectly with the whole tone of the series but it isn't exactly stunning. In sum, animation is competent and fresh.

Sound- 8/10
The soundtrack is impressive. Opening and closing theme songs for the first and second part of the series are exceptional. Best of all is Black Cat’s own chilling theme song, which chimes in every time he makes a dramatic appearance. Though not a huge fan of slow pop songs, the ending theme song for the second half of the show also sounds great.

Characters- 6/10
There are way too many characters and not enough time is spent on making them interesting in any way. It seems like every episode introduces a new character with little or no development. With this many pointless characters the show feels like a trite exercise in memorization skills—where do I remember that guy from? Which side is he on? What was his name? If there were more episodes, then perhaps the series could explain and develop some of the secondary character roles.

Train, Sven, and Eve are more developed than the secondary characters and have better rounded personalities. Train’s personality takes a while to develop and it’s not until the fifth or sixth episode that we get to see the real Black Cat. Once we do though, he becomes much less flat and one-dimensional than he was at the start. As for the other protagonists, both Sven and Eve are interesting characters that are unique and work well off each other on screen. The problem I had was with Rinslet Walker who gets a lot of screen time but is never developed and is as interesting as the carpet in my room. Yes, it’s just regular carpet. I don’t think the show ever explains why she’s even hanging around Train and Sven in the first place, much less explaining anything about her past.

Overall- 7/10
Black Cat won't offer any intellectual stimulation, but if you're looking for an action packed anime adventure look no further. Cutting out half of the characters and focusing more time on developing the main characters would have made this a much more intriguing series, yet I still feel compelled to recommend it just for the fun factor. If you keep your expectations in check, Black Cat is a romp of an anime that will entertain the hell out of you.

NOTE: When I copy and pasted, the text formatting was erased, so the titles of the animes should be italicized. Just assume they are ;)

[notanormalchild]

I love making reveiws =] Hopefully, these are up to scratch.

Series: Chrono Crusade and Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

Chrono Crusade
Story (7/10)
The 1920s was a turbulent time in America. Aside from badass gangsters roaming the streets and doing very badass things like talking slowly, the sudden economic boom brought all sorts of devilish creatures to our world. Enter Rosette Christopher, a young nun working for the Magdalene Order. Their mission? To eliminate the supernatural threats and keep it all under wraps.

Most, if not all, in fact, of Chrono Crusade's plot revolves around Rosette and her partner-in-crime/punching bag, Chrono for whom the series is named. Rosette joined the order along with her demonic boytoy in hopes of rescuing her brother from a sexy-yet-psycho demon named Aion. Rosette and Chrono, as it transpires, are under contract. Chrono channels Rosette's soul for power, killing her slowly, and in return he does some major ass-kicking in her name.

The series starts off very happy go-lucky and cutesy, giving off the first impression that it's not very different than other cute-girls-fighting-crime animes. However, as the episodes continue, the series takes a slow, yet enjoyable, turn for the more serious. By the last episode, every viewer is reduced to little more than a puddle of tears.

One thing to keep in mind: Chrono Crusade loves it's Biblical themes. Aside from the whole Devil vs. God thing, there are many references to stories and characters from the bible. The series typically does a good job of recapping for those who aren't familiar with Bible. However, it is something to keep in mind if you are a person who has strong objects to religion in anime. Or religion in general.

Animation (7/10)
The animation throughout the series is very crisp and clear. It's obvious that a lot of time was spent animating Chrono Crusade, and it really pays off. The action scenes in particular are done nicely. Too often in anime fighting sequences leave something to be desired aesthetically, and coming from a person who likes her action, Chrono Crusade doesn't skim on the fighting.

The only real issue I had was that the animation was clearly a member of Generic Anime Style School. Big eyes, small mouths, button noses-pretty darn stereotypical. I'm just picky about that though, and the plot itself was more than enough to make up for the genericness of the art.

Sound(8/10)
As far as music goes, I'm hooked. The opening and the ending for Chrono Crusade are beautiful, deliciously melancholy, and easy to remember and subsequently sing repeatedly. The background music I thought really captured the mood of what was happening in the anime. The mark of a good OST is that it conjures up the mood of the scene(s) it plays in just with a listen. Certainly, the music from Chrono Cruade does that. I haven't seen the series in a couple years, yet to this day if I hear the sorrowful strums of "Chrono's Sorrow" tears magically appear in my eyes.

I watched Chrono Crusade in both English and Japanese, and found both versions to be delightful. I preferred the English version, simply because I thought Hilary Haag and Greg Ayres "captured the essence" of Rosette and Chrono better than their Japanese counterparts. Though at times Hilary's voice can get quite annoying, particularly when she's screaming, I still thought it suited Rosette's character so I could look past that.

That being said, the voice of Azmaria Hendric, stupid annoyance extraordinaire, was incredibly bad in both versions. My recommendation is to turn on the subtitles. When Azmaria appears on screen, quickly stuff your fingers in your ears and hum loudly. Then read the subtitles. Or mute it and read it aloud yourself. I guarantee your voice will be a whole lot less torturous.

Characters (9/10)
There isn't a whole lot of character development in the beginning, but the series quickly remedies that. At times the personalities come off as a bit generic, with the stoic-but-loving boy and the happy-yet-had-a-horrific-past girl. However, the personalities stick to the characters, making everything they do seem true to themselves and not contrived plot devices.

Overall(9/10)
This has always been one of my favorite series. I can't give a specific reason as to why, I just know that it works well. I suppose all the little parts of the series are nice enough that, when added up together, they create something spectacular.

Some people quickly dismiss the series as generic and cliché, but I firmly believe that is one worth watching. The characters may be bit stereotypical and some plot devices may be easily foreseen, but the series is simply just good enough to make up for that. Particularly after about the 12th episode, when things start to get incredibly serious.

Chrono Crusade isn't a great introspective series like Death Note or Full Metal Alchemist, but it is its own special brand of nice animation, beautiful music, structured plot, and likeable characters. And, its got nuns running around waving large guns around. What's not to love?



Le Portrait de Petit Cossette
Story(5/10)
College student and antique shop worker Eiri Kurahashi begins having strange [probably] wet dreams about a mysterious lolita girl. One day he unearths the uncompleted portrait of said object of affection/sexual fantasies. It is labeled with one word: Cossette. Which, you guessed it, is the name of this girl. He soon learns that the portrait is cursed, causing anyone who owns it to die a mysterious death. (Except for the antique store owner. So, we assume, that poor Eiri isn’t out of a job. Spirits are very considerate like that). An apparition of Cossette appears before Eiri and confides in him her dark secret: she is really twelve years old. No, wait, sorry: she is trapped in eternity. Eiri vows to help her for reasons not adequately explained.

'Plot' is a subjective term when referring to Le Portrait de Petit Cossette. There is no real story here, or at least one worth watching. It's almost as if the creators were too wrapped up in everything else to be bothered with something so trvial as the story line. This results in many instances of what I like to call:whatthehellisgoingonrightnowneosis, or the state of being utterly and totally lost.

Animation(9/10)
Really, the animation is the only saving grace of this series. Beautiful is too mild a word to describe it. Clearly this was not a series done on a budget. Each frame is carefully crafted to optimal artistic ability, giving the viewer lots of eye popping incredible beauties.

Yet, even here there is fault. Odd camera angles are epic when used sparingly and to punctuate a dramatic scene, but Petite Cossette uses them so incessantly to the point where it stops being cool and just is headache inducing. Incidentally, this also makes it impossible to tell what the hell is happening. I was lost about ten minutes in, and I’d already read the manga. That’s pretty sad.

Sound(7/10)
My impression of the music is that it was...nice. There was nothing wrong with it, yet it didn't stick it out, either. It just sort of was.

The voice acting in both English and Japanese was masterful, leaving me wondering why so many talented people wasted their time on something so incredibly dull.

Characters(3/10)
What characters? The anime was so focused on the art that, like the plot, the characters were forgotten. The two main characters were devoid of anything even remotely resembling a personality. Cossette was simply spooky and lolita, while Eiri was too preoccupied obsessing over his hallucinations to have any actual depth. This made it hard to enjoy the series as I genuinely did not care what happened to any of them.

Overall(2/10)
The hours I spent watching this...this...show are precious moments of my life that I will never regain. I'll start with the positives: the art was pretty. Now the negatives: everything else. It was boring, it was confusing, the plot was laughable, the characters were shallow, the camera angles were unintentionally annoying, it was three episodes too long, ramble, ramble, rant. This show was more like an art school student's high-budgeted film project than anything else. The one thing the anime did pull off expertly was the art: it was simply breathtaking. However it was so wrapped up in its sheer gothic "artsyness" that it forgot about the plot.

[nuclearCritic]

Sekirei

Story (9/10)

Sekirei is an ecchi/comedic/romantic/fighting style anime that really stays true to its genre. The main character in the anime is Minato Sihashi, a young, shy, seemingly innocent failure, with a unique skill of attracting women. But not just ordinary women, they’re Sekirei- superhuman form of women, each having a unique type of power, and style of fighting. The anime takes place in Tokyo, which is quarantined by MBI- an organization that is responsible for making sure Sekirei and their masters- Ashibaki- don’t leave the battleground. The anime is relatively straightforward, there are basically two rules that both Sekirei and their masters must follow; one, Sekirei and their masters must stay within the territorial battleground, and two, all Sekirei must fight each other until there is one, or a team of Sekirei left.

Animation (8/10)
The animation is relatively modern, given that the original run of the TV series was July, 2 2008. The body types all seem proportional, with the exception of gigantramous boobs. The eye style was typically large, and eye color well suited for the personalities and powers of the Sekirei. The facial features in this anime really utilize blushing in almost every love seen- which really helped connect with the emotions of the characters.

Sound (8/10)

The opening music was absolutely on the spot. It was uplifting, passionate, and plays well with the love component of the anime. The voices of all the characters were distinct; I think Sekirei really nailed the rhythm of the characters through the tone and pitch from the voice actors. However, there simply wasn’t enough music to really judge.

Characters (9/10)

The characters were a wonderful bunch. If it’s anything this anime did well, it was in the character department. I absolutely fell in love with the relationships that each of the main characters had. The characters were far from passive, and the team feeling was entirely there. The emotions given off by the main characters had me rooting for them.

Overall (9/10)
I felt this anime rocked! If you can get over the big breasts and some nudity, this is a must see! The jokes in this anime had me really laughing, and the characters were genuine, and authentic. The main character is courageous when the moment demands it. The anime is moderately paced, but 12 episodes just wasn’t enough. Luckily season 2 is coming out later this year!


please let me know if you'd like to read another one, to confirm my position. otherwise thank you for the opportunity!

[vivafruit]

All applicants up to this post have received decisions.

[goldenphoenix101]

Heya ^^ Im kinda new to this stuff, but here are my reviews, so I hope I've got what you're looking for :)

Ginga Densetsu Weed – 4/10
Jubei Chan: The Ninja Girl – 7.5/10

Ginga Densetsu Weed
Story: 6/10
Whilst anime hunting on the net I came across Ginga Densetsu Weed and was struck by the novelty of an anime with a cast consisting almost entirely of dogs. I started watching it for that reason, but unfortunately despite the original concept of an anime following the lives of wild dogs, this anime’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness.
The story of Ginga Densetsu Weed is , as far as plots go, solid, relatively coherent and reasonably well paced. Even though it is a sequel to an older series, it is quite easy to watch by itself. Our hero, Weed lives with his mother in the mountains, but after a chance encounter he learns of his identity as the son of the legendary leader of the strongest pack of wild dogs in Japan. We then follow him as he sets out to find his father, making friends and enemies along the way. Surely a story like this has a lot of potential to become a brilliant adventure tale, with loveable characters and a gripping storyline, but sadly the anime hits its stumbling block before the second episode.

When I started watching the anime I was well aware that this is a story about dogs fighting one another, but what I didn’t realise was that that’s all it is about. We see fight after fight after fight, with plenty of blood, guts and angry dogs, but very little besides, including minimal character development and a few sad scenes. This focus on fighting to the exclusion of almost everything else means that as soon as you’ve finished episode 1 it’s easy to figure out exactly how the rest of the anime will pan out, from start to finish. The few plot twists there are have usually already been seen coming from a long way off, which, needless to say, makes the entire anime less interesting.

In spite of this however, the plot is still reasonably entertaining, for the sake of watching the enemy dogs get ripped apart if nothing else, and kept me watching until the end. There were also no filler episodes which was a big plus, and at no point was I really struggling to pay attention.
Overall I think Ginga Densetsu Weed deserves a fair-minded 6 because despite its flaws, it is still reasonably entertaining – just don’t let your expectations get too high, and enjoy it for what it is.

Animation: 2/10
The very first thing we see in this anime is a sequence of beautiful stills showing flowers, mountains, rivers and forests which are all vibrantly coloured and instil in the viewer a sense that this is going to be a very well animated, beautiful anime which will be remembered for the quality of it’s animation if nothing else. Then suddenly a misshapen apparition that I can only assume is supposed to be a dog appears, followed by several others, and whatever hopes you may have had for the animation quickly slip away.
I consider myself a huge fan of eye candy, and good animation is important to me, but I can appreciate that there is a lot more to a story than the quality of the animation. That being said, when the animation is so bad that you spend more time gawking over it than paying attention to the story, there’s definitely a problem. These puppies have seemingly no joints in their legs, meaning that when they walk or run they tend to resemble ugly rocking horses, and the less said about the fighting scenes the better. Granted there are a handful of decent fight scenes in the series, namely the climax and a few in the middle, but for the most part the animation is nothing short of painful to watch. The characters also seemed incapable of making facial expressions, resulting in our main character, Weed looking constipated for the duration of the series, and all the other characters looking permanently angry.
Despite being easily the worst animated anime I’ve ever had the misfortune to watch, I must give credit where credit is due, so the two points I’ve given this section are for the beautiful backgrounds, and the reasonably original character designs which made the anime slightly more bearable.

Sound: 5/10
GDW’s story suits a wide range of music, but instead of taking advantage of this and creating a wonderful soundtrack with varied and enjoyable music, the creators have decided to create only a few songs and replay them again and again throughout the series. On top of that, the majority of these songs are half-hearted attempts at rock and metal, which simply don’t work as background music. The intro song was bearable, but nothing special, although I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the outro, which had a completely different style of music to the rest of the series.
The voice acting was slightly better than the music – characters expressed emotions believably, and all the voices matched the characters’ personalities well. The voice actor of Hougen, the main antagonist in the series, was especially well done and managed to sound convincingly evil, sad, and kind at different points throughout the anime.

Characters: 4/10
There are many things that prevented this anime from being better than it was, but I think it’s safe to say that the main problem in GDW is the cast of characters.
For a start, Weed is one of the most dislikeable protagonists I’ve ever seen in an anime. He’s illogical, unreasonable, difficult, and treats his enemies with more respect than his friends. At some points in the anime I wanted to reach my hand through the screen and throttle him for being so near sighted and downright irritating. The numerous other characters were all pretty similar to one another: honour driven stereotypical soldier types, although some of them were reasonably likeable. I particularly liked the relationship between Kaibustsu, an escaped experiment and Jerome, the dog who is sent to kill him, along with the deviously loveable Hougen, the villain who has no particular motives for being evil, but is still entertaining. The legendary leader of the wild dogs, Gin is also a great character, for his badass personality if nothing else, but sadly he isn’t given the screen-time he deserves.
Unfortunately the character development is very poor, with only a few characters ever given any depth or histories, and most are very hard to empathise with.

Overall: 4/10
Ginga Densestsu Weed is an average anime that could have been awesome, but sadly the characters, animation, and lack of original plot prevent it from reaching its full potential. By all means watch it, as it is still an entertaining anime to some extent, and can serve to be an afternoon filler for sure, but don’t expect a huge amount from it, and prepare your eyes to be subjected to some of the worst animation I’ve ever come across.

Jubei Chan: The Ninja Girl
Plot: 7/10
On the surface Jubei Chan comes across as a simple magical girl style anime that doesn’t deserve a second glance, and in many ways it is. But this anime has one major redeeming feature that makes it not only bearable, but very entertaining to watch – it’s hysterically funny!
Admittedly the plot itself, while fairly decent, leaves something to be desired. Our Heroine Jiyu (nicknamed Jubei by her father) meets a mysterious samurai in the woods who reveals to her that she is the reincarnation of Yagyu Jubei, one of the greatest swordsmen of all time. He then presents her with a magic eye-patch, which when worn allows her to transform into the embodiment of his spirit, thus helping her fight and defeat Jubei’s four-hundred-year-old rivals.
Yes, this does sound very much like a magical girl anime, and with monster (or in this case, ninja) or the week style episodes it could easily be considered one. But in spite of this, Jubei Chan’s ability not to take itself too seriously, and mock itself on a regular basis makes it original, fresh and fun. The antics of the characters had me laughing out loud from the first episode, and kept me laughing right up to the end of the series with simple slapstick, random comedy.
Evaluating the plot of an anime like this is difficult, because while Jubei Chan is a great watch, the actual plot relies so heavily on humour that without it the show would be unoriginal and dull. However the light-heartedness of the show and the manner in which even the most serious scenes are portrayed make it truly enjoyable, so I feel it deserves a decent 7/10.

Animation: 8.5/10
Despite being dated by modern standards, Jubei Chan’s animation is clearly of a high quality, with engaging battle scenes that are all thoroughly entertaining to watch. The anime’s lack of modern effects is made up for by the raw, fluid animations that make up the battles. Many of the animating techniques used were also revolutionary at the time it was made.
Character designs were interesting and suited each of their personalities well .The goofy characters looked goofy, the evil characters looked evil, and the normal characters were pleasant to watch without being over the top. Some characters change from villains to good guys and visa versa and this is expressed with small changes to their designs. The results to this are more striking than I would’ve thought possible from such simple alterations.
There is also a great deal of visual humour used, namely a lot of chibified characters and one character who wears a sign that changes to show what he is thinking. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this anime for its animation alone, as it is dated and not exactly beautiful, but it is still of a perfectly good quality for it’s age and adds to the anime as a whole.

Sound: 7/10
I’m an absolute sucker for simple folklore style tunes, which is exactly what Jubei Chan gives us. There is one tune in particular which is used as the anime’s opening song, and also plays regularly throughout the series itself, but somehow it never gets old or repetitive, and suits the Jubei Chan’s style very well. The numerous comedic scenes are expressed with simple but surprisingly effective drum beats or a fanfare, depending on which characters are involved.
Jubei Chan’s Japanese cast are entertaining, believable and fitting for each of their characters, although sadly the same cannot be said for the English cast, which are flat, forced and speak in monotones throughout the series. A word to the wise – avoid the dub!

Characters: 8/10
By far Jubei Chan’s strongest point is its characters, which without whom, it wouldn’t be half as enjoyable. Our heroine Jubei is likeable and down to earth, and acts as a nice balance for the madness that springs from almost every character around her. The trio of boys known as the Ruffians who take it upon themselves to guard Jubei are especially fun to watch on screen. They goof about around Jubei, and generally serve as the main contributors of comic relief, although we get it dished out from all the characters at some point in the series.
Jubei Chan has very little character development, although this is no bad thing for the type of anime it is. The two main characters, Jubei and love interest, Shiro each have manageable amounts of history shown to us which give us a reasonable understanding and appreciation of each, without chucking their life stories on us. Other characters also give us small titbits of history which keep the anime running smoothly, and act as interesting filler episodes throughout the series.

Overall: 7.5/10
Jubei Chan isn’t a masterpiece or a work of art by any means, but the reason it works so well is because it never tries to be. Its light-hearted attitude mixed in with some samurai culture and engaging fight scenes makes this anime a truly satisfying and enjoyable afternoon filler if nothing else. Look past its magical girl coating and give it a chance – I guarantee you’ll be laughing out loud five minutes into the first episode!

[Lucifer]

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Story (8/10)

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is something special. A human story told through naked eyes, this show did something that a lot of anime hasn't done for me lately, spark an emotional connection. It gently nudged me through the tale of a young girl named Mirai, her little brother Yuuki and a motorcycling delivery woman name Mari, as the world around them shattered into pieces.

Tokyo is crumbling; foundations are upheaved, buildings are leveled, and bridges are twisted till the tensions snap, as a magnitude 8.0 earthquake roars. Fires break out like crimson rashes, burning away homes all over the Kanto region. From the wake of the chaos, people stumble and endure, somehow crawling back home.

The plot focuses on the trio as they trudge their way back to their families. The urgency is palpable as snapshots of destruction litter each episode from radio snippets to television clips. The three are twisted by stress and struggle to best figure out a way to deal with death and disaster. Even Mari, grounded and collected, stumbles from this tightrope. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is fueled by emotion and the most fundamental instinct any human has: to survive. It starts off slow, but it builds like a powerful crescendo into an unforgettable ending.

Animation (7/10)

The art and animation are inconsistent. I love how most of the character models were plain, unadorned figurines on the broken canvas of Tokyo. It lets the viewer focus on the detailed scenery; the cracks veining through the pavement, uprooted trees, shattered windows, twisted steel, and burning buildings. The artists captured the ruination and didn't seem to want ornate models taking away from it. On a more technical aspect, the CGI that is sprinkled throughout is done well, opting for a distinct cell-shaded look. It was irksome to find the animation to be uneven and, at some points, even choppy. It's a shame, considering how much effort and thought was put into the art direction.


Sound (6/10)

The music is nothing amazing, but it works with the show. The score moves with the ebb and flow of the small group's journey, cascading gently with the moments of calm before beginning to tumble with scenes of tragedy. I didn't quite enjoy the OP by the Abingdon School Boy, the upbeat tempo being too much of a contrast to the carefully paced tale. The voice acting is commendable for weaving the powerful tale. Mirai's faltering voice, echoing loneliness, pulled at my heartstrings, while Yuuki's voice brought a smile to my face.

Characters (9/10)

Mirai and Yuuki are tremendously endearing. Mirai is terribly pessimistic, always believing that fate has a bone to pick with her. She snaps at her brother for being her antithesis, a hopeless optimist at heart who believes that everything has to turn out alright. The older lead, Mari, serves as a nice foil to the pair, level headed and calm; she serves as a guide and guardian to the children. It's easy to appreciate how each character grew over the course of the tale; Mirai gaining a drop of her sibling's positivity, Yuuki gaining a touch of his sister's pragmatism and Mari learning she's not so invulnerable, as they hobble over the fractured roadways and splintering scenery.

Overall (8/10)

The story slowly burns itself, never exactly rushing within the small frame of eleven episodes. I took Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 in tiny doses, an episode here and there. Nothing really pushed me to watch the next episode until I reached the last quarter. Things really pick up in the last three episodes, as the journey winds to an end, for a strong conclusion. It was only then that I felt satisfied with my investment in the series and appreciated the first eight episodes.

It's the realism that shook me. Every episode began with a disclaimer stating that the series was based on seas of research and simulations. Sure, the science is well and good; but it was really about the 'human' realism, overcoming the hopelessness. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a great anime, worth a watch by anyone who appreciates a good story.

Darker Than Black

Story (8/10)

At the horizon of a bleak world stands an ominous wall, ‘Hell’s Gate’, it’s steel and cement arms spreading across the Tokyo skyline. The city itself is filled with curious characters borne with the Gate, Contractors and Dolls. Contractors are those that have gained supernatural abilities for a price, a penance they must pay for using their skills. Some have to overturn the shoes of their victims, smoke cigarettes or even drink the blood of young children. Dolls on the other hand are soulless mediums, who use various surfaces to track the ongoing of the city. Presented is a dark world painted in shadows and ambiguity, a backdrop against which Darker than Black[DtB] succeeds, a few shades short of greatness.

The premise is vague: ten years ago, Hell’s Gate emerged along with Contractors and Dolls, humans granted paranormal abilities. The smoke doesn’t really clear up much as series progresses, failing to provide answers to how or why the Gate was created in the first place. Instead, Darker than Black drags you through a tale rife with political head butting and philosophical dilemmas while attempting to pluck a few heartstrings along the way. Sometimes it feels the plot is trying to do too much, pushing character development while layering bureaucratic maneuverings atop of a monologue about the nature of the human soul. The tale is ambitious, but some of these elements just fall short. There’s also the little issue of leaps of faith across little plot holes. You won’t enjoy Darker Than Black very much if you don’t buy into the logic. Some shows abuse this, such as Code Geass R2, but DtB never exploits its own narrative to that extent.

The climax serves as a stage focusing on the main character’s personal journey instead of the large conflict that had nurtured in the final few installments. The effect was underwhelming, both could have been featured and the latter did not have to be shoved to the final few minutes to be resolved. The ending didn’t tie together all the loose ends but I expect the sequel to fulfill the unrequited promises of the first.

Animation (8.5/10)

The art in Darker than Black is exceptional, the Bones name branded onto every frame. A dark palette is favored to fill in the vacant allies, while vibrancy bubbles in Shinjuku’s flashing lights. The style is outlined in dark strokes, as the action unfolds before your eyes. The scuffles between the Contractors highlight the fluidity of the animation, powers vibrating with force, sizzling with electricity or rippling with strength. Hei invokes the spirit of Spider-man as he zips around and about buildings with his grappling hooks for an impressive effect. A slight amount of CGI is used to animate cars, Bones opting for a more cell-shaded look to let them drive about seamlessly in the world.

Character designs work well, each unique enough to give a distinct personality. Hei’s pupils are not drawn in, creating an eerie effect, making him seem almost soulless. Facial animations are spot on, most impressively seen in Yin, her eyes betraying small fragments of feeling that she had supposedly forgotten.

Sound (7/10)

The sound is decent, not up to par of the visuals. The supporting cast surprisingly delivers excellent performances, their short roles reprised excellently. It’s the main cast I felt was a bit weaker, feeling a bit forced. Huang is best when asked to treat his comrades like shit, his compassion coming off as fake. The soundtrack is varied; composed of more traditional tracks featuring bellowing pianos and whining violins, to more electro-pop influenced tracks like the opening. They interweaved the two styles well enough, rendering a pleasant soundscape fitting of Tokyo’s dreary future.

Chatacter (8/10)

The characters were exceptional in Darker than Black. Hei, a polarized hero, wears an icy mask on his missions, while off duty he’s reserved, clumsy and for a lack of a better word, ‘cute’. He’s supported by the silent and morose Yin, and the level-headed Huang. The cast is given some vibrancy by Mao, the cautious if somewhat paranoid talking cat. The leads are likable but their development is allocated to specific arcs, their growth stunted outside these small windows. Hei can be seen as an exception, his past penciled in throughout. From a beer chugging secret agent, a cop with a stoic sense of justice to a sock-sniffing sociopath, the supporting cast is spectacular, filled with interesting figures. Kurosawa Gai brings relief to the tense, often brooding, atmosphere, with his perky pink-haired partner Kiko. Close to the middle of the series we see an erosion of Hei’s stony visage, seeing it completely shatter in the last few moments. The revelations make Hei endearing but somewhat forgettable. We’ve seen this type of hero, a cut and paste history pulled from many popular stories.

Overall (8/10)

At moments I had ‘WTF’ feelings shock my system. I didn’t know exactly what was going on why certain plot points were unfolding the way they were. The story led me one way, then the plot would stretch itself thin to move in another direction. It’s a bit disorienting, but the complex forces at work in the show eventually boil down to a simple ‘us versus them’ scenario with Hei at the center of it all. The intricacy might be a turn off to some viewers, but I appreciated that the show saw the viewer as an intellect and did not spoon-feed the entire story to me.


Darker than Black is a welcome in a sea of mediocrity. It attempts to touch the horizon, to realize its own epic ambitions. There are a lot of loose strings, holes in the story that have to be reconciled in the second season for this program to reach hallowed annals of Anime prominence. The twenty-five installments created are excellent, the potential is there, but Darker than Black is an incomplete work.