Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited - Hyoubu Kyousuke

FreyaWinter May 4, 2013

10

If you like really nice art super powerfull Espers and an intruinging plot this is for you. Dont bother careing about that it's a so call spin off cuse I hated the original just watched a few episodes of it couldnt stand it. You could say that this is a stand alone anime and not a spin off you do not have to watch the 55+ episodes of the original to understand this anime in fact dont just watch this instead. This is about a world in which people with the power of ESP are seen as monsters but are still constantly beeing used by normal ppl none ESP users are known as normals. With out spoiling it for you ill say this. This is an amazingly well done anime with smart hidden meanings it makes you think a little but not to much. This is not some typicall shounen bull shit this is really an uniq anime in my appininon and deserves a sequal. Theres action in every episode and it will have you at the edge of your seat. Hope you found this helpful :). 

Willowen Jun 10, 2015

7.5

Note: I have not watched the other Zettai Karen Children series/OVA's and don't plan on it because the artwork is not my favorite. Oh my goodness, so much to say for one little review. Okay, this show was actually way better than I thought it was going to be. I love the clash between characters and overall idea between the espers and humans. Before I go more in depth, below are some reasons for why this show is good/bad PRO: - Well executed going from past and present: everything was relevant in the whole 13 episodes. I actually wish there was more! - Characters are easily likeable: Show focuses a lot on the backgrounds of one to two character and memory, revealing why they act the way they do. - Action pact but also laid back at times Con - Sometimes show cuts between scenes that you wish you would see more of - Action can be a little cheesy at times - Kind of obvious what will happen next - not too surprising - Focus on one character mainly: other characters are just along for the ride Story: The main focus of this story I felt like was on Hyoubu Kyousuke which is not necessarily a bad thing. I like how the audience is able is see who he was as a kid and how he transformed into such a powerful esper while still making it all relevant to the present and possible future. <spoiler>The story starts off with him trying to rescue Yugiri and also meeting Andy Hinomiya. After figuring out that Andy is working for the U.S. in the first episode and is trying to take down P.A.N.D.R.A. and retrieve some sort of item (which I totally forget what it is called at the moment), the main characters are already set and then the plot begins to thicken with Hyoubu's past.</spoiler> There's a lot of action and I love the way in which each individual esper's power is used. Also, as you watch the show, everything goes from present back to past and then thinking of the dangers for the future. A great way of revealing character development and captivating the audience. It was also a very creative way of organizing the anime. Characters: Looking at the main characters, Kyousuke is (excuse my language) such a badass. He is one of the most powerful espers out there. I understand where his hatred for humans comes from but I think it is weird that he calls Akashi "Queen" because she is a middle school student. I actually thought there was some romantic awkward one sided relationship between them and researched it and someone wrote that he loves her and is impatiently waiting for her to come of age and what not.... However, in my opinion I think he looks at Akashi more as someone who is going to change the future. This is why he protects the Catastrophe because not only is it only a sanctuary for espers, it is the ship he plans on her taking over after he, you know, passes (he is in his 80's for chubby bunnies sake!). She holds the key to a better future for espers (may that be good or bad for humans...) I also like the relationship he creates between Andy. They become bromates in a sense. Though he can sometimes have an arrogant attitude and has a pretty nasty hatred for humans, he deeply cares for those he trusts and other espers. Characters he reminds me of include Itachi from Naruto and maybe a little bit of Light Yagami from Death Note. Andy was the follow along character! We watch as he creates the loop for the destruction of the Catastrophe. I also liked his character and how we see him struggle between siding with humans and espers. He is a character that we can see change over time and also a sign that humans and espers can get a long. Although, I wish he wouldn't have sided with the humans. I got a little teary when <spoiler> Kyousuke still has some sort of trust for Andy and is willing to work with him to stop the general he trusted who in my opinion should be DEAD! We saw his guts and organs spill out for fudge nuggets sake! How could he have possibly survived that?</spoiler>  He is like a confused Slaine from Aldnoah Zero and a kind Seishuu from Barakamon. Yugiri was such an adorable character like Naru from Barakamon with Hinata's shyness but with a pretty harsh past. I enjoyed how the story focused on the relationship she had with Kyousuke and Andy and how she was a leading factor in changing Andy's perspective. <spoiler>I don't know if I was imagining this (I could be losing my mind for all I know) but at one point I thought one character stated something like, "We all know well that Yugiri is Kyousuke's ....." but I don't remember who said this line and I could be completely and utterly wrong. </spoiler> All the other supporting characters were interesting as well, especially the espers. We saw a little bit of their past but I wish there would have been more emphasis on them. The show literally stayed focus on Kyousuke, Andy, and Yugiri the entire time with little intros with the other characters. Animation/Art I loved the art in this show! The lines and movement were very fluid and I was really captivated by the use and close ups of eyes. This added extra points to the artwork and affected the feeling of some situations. The action scenes were well executed as well. Sometimes a lot of color was involved and the explosions were vivid! The artwork is well likeable but I wish Kyousuke wouldn't have worn the black boring male high school uniform. His clothes were lacking in style and felt very plain. He could have worn a major uniform (with badges) or something else. Andy's design was really cool. You could see his abs through whatever sleeveless shirt he was wearing (heheh) and his one grey and then one gold eye made him a very interesting character. Also, the artwork in this show was way better than the other Zettai Karen Children series. Sound I enjoyed the opening a lot (ending was good too!). The music and sound effects were good and used well at crucial times to help force higher tensions or make certain scenes relaxed. It affected the overall mood of each scene. There was a lot of great sound affects as well. Conclusion This was a good anime and there is no need to watch the other Zettai Karen Children (and the art is way better). It was well organized and easy to follow. Focusing on one individual character's background and maybe a second main character worked well for this anime and was not limiting. I wish there had been more insight on supporting characters but that might be seen in the other adaptations. Overall, the end of this anime has you leaning forward at the edge of your chair wishing for more. Hopefully they will do another series or even a second season based off of Hyoubu Kyousuke and the catastrophe crew. Recommendations 07-Ghost: Both deal with wars breaking out and needing to find solutions. Although, 07-Ghost focuses on a group of people and their past while this anime deals mainly with one individuals past. Also, they both express out of this world powers. 07-Ghost also has a more religious connotation so if you are weird about that then I would not recommend it but the art is similar(ish) to this anime as well, especially with the fighting scenes. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: Has that war and conflict element like Zettai Karen Children and also has that back and forth between past and present and how it relates and affects the actions of certain characters. Though Code Geass is more sci-fi like, it has the same feeling as Zettai Karen Children. Recommendations based off of feels (I will not go in depth as to why you should watch these but the shows that will be listed have the same mood, idea, or overall feeling as Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited - I know you would enjoy them and they are listed in alphabetical order!): Death Parade* Psycho-Pass* Rage of Bahamut: Genesis* Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin Tsubasa Chronicle * = highligh recommend

tollie01 May 5, 2016

7

Right, it's confession time for me. If you have been reading my reviews than you may have noticed that I tend to rip the anime a new one. There is a reason for this though and it has to do with the fact that I can't turn my brain off when watching anime. I can't ignore the stupid shown in the anime and this is a problem as most anime are very stupid indeed. In this case I'm not talking about a 90 pound girl catching a multi-ton cruise missile and throwing it back. Yes, it is stupid but it is a stupid that I'll allow. It's anime. Things like this are normal here and I'm pretty much fine with it. It annoys me to be sure but I will not rant about it. So, having explained this lets rip into this anime shall we? Just a heads up: There will most probably be spoilers. The more I hate an anime the more spoilers there will be. ART: The art is much better than the main series from which this is a spin-off. The tone of the anime is also much darker than the series it is based off on. I liked it a lot more. SOUND: Like the art there are improvements acros the board, including sound. Although this was made several years after the first series they managed to get most of the voice actors from the original series. CHARACTERS: Where the first series focused on Minamoto, the Children and BABEL, this series is all about Hyobu. As leader of PANDRA you learn more about him and his reasons for creating it. STORY: It is several years after the first series and PANDRA is now a wanted terrorist organisation. Main focus is the leader of PANDRA, Hyobu, and the reasons he fights. RANT: Watching this makes me wish that they used the same darker tone in the previous series. Main focus is Hyobu and the Children only appear in the latter part of the series. I very much approve as Hyobu is a much better main character than Minamotu and the Children. Hyobu has much more backstory and his character has much more depth to him than you would expect. You saw glimpses of it in the original series but there he was mainly someone who operated in the background. He was dragged in whenever the plot needed him and he was served off when his part was over. Here it is all Hyobu and it is glorious.