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ParaParaJMo

  • Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan
  • Joined Jul 20, 2007
  • 39 / M
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Hajime no Ippo: Rising

Mar 29, 2014

Taking place where New Challenger leaves off, the series starts from Ippo vs Shimabukuro Iwao to the conclusion of the story of Kamogawa in his youth in Post World War II Japan. Naturally, a new anime installment of Hajime no Ippo did excite me. I mean, with New Challenger ending, the animators have nearly 60 volumes to catch up on as opposed to being 60 volumes ahead unlike a certain Studio Pierrot series which you can easily conclude is. 

For now, I would mostly like to focus my personal issues with this season as someone who actively reads the manga and is up to date with the current... See full review

7/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
7/10 characters
8/10 overall

Virtua Fighter

Mar 17, 2014

I feel with a traditional martial arts story in relation to anime, I feel it could go in certain specific ways and I felt it was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation with what your typical martial arts movie or series could be. Allow me to explain, in the games, Akira is portrayed more as a serious old school style martial artist and tends to really have no sense of humor. While in the anime, his behavior is juvenile, sarcastic, and has an appetite like Gokuu from Dragon Ball. Despite that, he still has a deep respect for the martial arts and is always willing to defend the weak. So I... See full review

7/10 story
7/10 animation
10/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Mar 17, 2014

The story itself is simple and fun, and minimally engaging. I like how it has unpredictable elements in it and you don’t really expect certain things to happen. The premises within the Future Century universe where games, politics, and wars is handeled through the Gundam Fight is quite an interesting concept in my personal opinion, because I frankly think that’s how things should be. We wouldn’t have war, and it’d be pretty entertaining. But sadly, the people on earth will be collateral damage as a result.

The presentation of the culturally diverse cast is of course where the... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Ring ni Kakero 1

Mar 17, 2014

Well, it’s going to be very confusing if you have not read the manga. Because the manga starts when Ryuji is 5 years old and it really builds up the rivalry and friendship he has with Jun, and how and why Ryuji got into boxing. You get little background story with the main characters so those not familiar with the manga are going to be puzzled. Putting both seasons together, the anime takes out a lot. Like the first season of the anime omits when Ryuji confronts a gang that dresses up in KISS make up. Like that wasn’t screwed up enough. Those are beginning of some of the changes.

A... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs Kimura

Mar 17, 2014

Remember how I say that when you get to the end of the first anime series, it’s truly the beginning? This oav is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. It finally further gives the other characters deeper opportunities to develop and to be taken seriously. Especially in the case of Kimura who’s primary function has always been comic relief. It’s nice that the oav of course centers around on Kimura and you only view Ippo from a 3rd hand perspective which I thought was an interesting twist since he’s the main character. You really get to see how much boxing really means... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road

Mar 17, 2014

I thought they fit a considerable amount into this TV special. However, some of my main gripes in relation to this series will of course be in relation to what was omitted from the manga. For example, I was upset that they took out Hayami vs Kobashi for Sanada’s vacated jr. featherweight title, it was a fight people enjoyed and gives further character development for the winner for that fight at some capacity, and it also sets up how Ippo first meets Sanada and Dankichi, which made the build up more dramatic, while in this anime, their initial encounter is just at the weigh-in. Other than that... See full review

8/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love

Mar 14, 2014

Well, this movie doesn’t necessarily begin where the series does, or an established beginning like where the SDF-1 is about to make its maiden voyage and then transports to the other side of the milky way and must make their way home. Instead, the movie is more about how its already established that those events did happen, but we don’t see them. In addition, Hikaru is already a Valkyrie pilot and Minmei is already a star, though they have yet to develop some sort of relationship. By accident, like in the TV series, though under some slightly different circumstances and results, their bonding... See full review

8/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Galaxy Express 999 Movie

Mar 14, 2014

This anime has a great story and awesome cast of characters. Outside the movies, I have little to no familiarity with the other mediums this story has been told. I heard the TV series was 113 episodes!! I don’t get how you can make a story that big!! Plus, I heard the manga was also 20 volumes.

Regardless of how much is compressed in this version, you still feel the maturity of Tetsuro and how strong the bond is between him and Matel. The bond they share is something comparable to what Naked Snake and the Boss have in Metal Gear Solid 3. It’s beyond mother and son, brother and sister... See full review

10/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Mar 14, 2014

It brings a whole new chapter to the official first series in which we were to believe that side 6 was always officially neutral, but this series says other wise. Though none of the other series characters are present, it is noted, that you have to be a “freak” to truly pilot the Gundam NT-1 Alex. This series does an excellent job portraying the series about how naïve kids can be. Al is aware of how dangerous things can be, but he puts the excitement factor first without thinking of the potential consequences of what may happen. You also really feel the bond Al and Bernie develop... See full review

10/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Initial D

Mar 14, 2014

At first, I’ll admit that I did not think I would like the concept at first, but other factors which I will further elaborate on would keep on pulling me into this franchise and would like it more and more. I know it’s not the most exciting or appealing anime, and that I’m not the biggest gear head, but I felt something special about this one. Even though Takumi is not exactly the most appealing anime character of all time, it’s kind of weird that his lack of charisma in some ways makes him charismatic at the same time because he does all his talking behind the wheel and... See full review

8/10 story
7/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
8/10 overall

Initial D Second Stage

Mar 14, 2014

Though this series is much shorter than the previous season, it does cover a lot of ground. What I really liked about 2nd Stage is that it focuses more on character development and the relationships of the characters. Specifically the main ones like Itsuki and Takumi. Iketani and Kenji are still around, but they play their uses, but they aren’t really that central or given the same screen time like in season 1. You get to see more of how emotional and passionate Takumi can really be at times, and I like how Itsuki is not just really a comic relief character and has his good side to... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
8/10 overall

Initial D Third Stage

Mar 14, 2014

The movie has a considerable amount of material to deal with and it does an excellent job of covering it. It transitions smoothly and takes one thing at a time and it’s well paced. Unfortunately, characters such as Itsuki, Iketani, and Keisuke are mostly in the back seat for all the right reasons, but still have presence. You finally get to see Takumi develop as a true well rounded racer and his other qualities also begin to develop in this movie as well. Not much else to say, but I say viewing the first 2 installments are a necessity since the movie is a continuation and a progression of the... See full review

8/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

Mar 14, 2014

This is the story that sets out to bridge the gap between the original Gundam series, and Zeta Gundam. Does it do a great job of that? Personally, yes and no. Yes, because you learn about what happened to the Federation to where it become in Zeta Gundam, and no, because you don’t really get to see what happens to the majority of the original cast from the series such as Amuro and Char, and mostly concentrates on the cast created exclusively for this saga. There are some other previous Gundam characters that will have brief cameos, but if you want to know, watch and find out. But I say for what it... See full review

8/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Flame of Recca

Mar 14, 2014

It only offers a very small fraction of what the manga truly has to offer. It only focuses on 2 or 3 story arcs and I feel that if you’re at all a fan of the original manga, you’re certainly going to be cheated because it only offers a true fraction of what this series truly has to offer. But for this anime as a whole, it covers enough ground to give the viewers an introduction to the characters and offers excellent development. A majority of the main cast starts out as Recca’s rivals such as Domon and Fuuko, but eventually bigger circumstances such as saving the world unites them to... See full review

7/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

Mar 14, 2014

A lot of Gundam fans will probably tell you this is definitely either the best Gundam series, or at least a top 5 one. Hell, maybe even one of the best animes of all time. Allow me to explain why many including myself feel this way which this review is of course for. Despite being a short oav series, it has a descent amount of character on both the Zeon and Federation’s side where they all stand out and get their chance to shine, and develop as a result of it. Every character has their own ambition and dreams out side of the war. Such as Eladore, the sound specialist wants to be a musician, and... See full review

10/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play

Mar 14, 2014

Though by some standards today, the story may seem a bit cliché, but for its time in the mid-1990s, it wasn’t really that much of the norm. So the Alice in Wonderland concept may not be something that will appeal to everyone since you’ve already seen it in more semi-mainstream animes in comparison to this one such as 12 Kingdoms, Inuyasha, and Escaflowne which came out after Fushigi Yuugi though this was the anime that did it before it became something semi-common. Even though this is primarily shoujo, the well diverse but archetypical cast do have mass appeal. 

Each character... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
8/10 overall

Martian Successor Nadesico

Mar 14, 2014

Even though the intention of this anime is meant to be a satire on mech, in a way, it has its own distinctive story that you can easily follow, and is very intriguing with its conspiracies, which for some reasons, you can take seriously. I credit the show for being more character driven which has mostly been the nature of the mech genre, and though the characters are meant to parody of archetypes and standards, they are still likeable and distinguishable. Though the main cast such as Akito, Yurika, and Gai are air headed and stupid, they are still good natured and passionate which are portrayed in a... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Wangan Midnight

Mar 14, 2014

Obviously, your 1st reaction so far will be you’re thinking Initial D. I don’t blame anybody for doing so, but if you’re going to watch this with expectations based on Initial D, then you’re going to watch it for all the wrong reasons. The 1st portion of this series will be repetitive and slow, but it’s done for the purpose to build suspense, motivate development, and establish the story. I felt that things got exciting way too much at the end and it leaves you wanting for more, but I guess there’s the manga to make you satisfied which I’m now getting into... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Sexy Commando Gaiden Sugoiyo!! Masaru-san

Mar 14, 2014

Well, I don’t know how to make this story make any sense to you. You just have to watch it, which I strongly recommend you do. There is humor in pretty much all levels whether gag, otaku reference, slap stick, puns, almost everything. It’ll keep you laughing. But if I were to compare the humor with anything, I say Freakazoid is definitely a good foundation of what to expect but times it by 100, and you get this anime. The episodes are less than 10 minutes long since it’s based on a short manga that’s as long as a Sunday strip so pacing in regards to length isn’t a problem... See full review

8/10 story
7/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
8/10 overall

Once Upon A Time

Mar 14, 2014

If you want pure literature in anime, something along the lines of Shakespeare and a true anime classic, then this it. It was previously released by Streamline and Harmony Gold in 1987, a year after its release in Japan originally under the title Once Upon a Time, but later re-named back to its original title. This anime tells a great tale of not just love and war, but about duty and loyalty to your family and yourself. The characters are captivating and unique, but I don’t like what the Streamline version did with Izu. In the original Japanese version, Izu is more care free and doesn’t... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!

Mar 14, 2014

The anime makes use of every character it introduces and develops them very convincingly and you can really connect to them. Such as Ippo in gaining more confidence and motivation, Takamura in wanting to become a champion and a hero, and Miyata wanting to prove that his father’s boxing style is the best. The characters all have back-stories of why they became fighters but they still live lives in certain ways you can still relate to them and they all have every day issues as real boxers would have such as Takamura’s weight control. As for the pacing, yes, the anime is long and the manga is... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Mar 13, 2014

Quite frankly, there is little to no story with this anime. And the argument you have to play the game is ludicrous (and yes, I have played it). James Cameron has said that you don't shouldn't have to enjoy a sequel without any viewing the previous installment. Should Terminator 2 really not have had any plot and just leave it to the first movie for it? The Dark Knight doesn't require to watch Batman Begins. And fuck, Rocky Balboa tells its own story without having to watch the first five movies and the Godfather Part II does a great job as well. 

Other than that, this movie doesn’t really... See full review

1/10 story
7/10 animation
8/10 sound
1/10 characters
4/10 overall

Super Dimensional Fortress Macross

Mar 13, 2014

The characters themselves are what really drive the show. Hikaru may be an ace, but deep down inside he’s still a kid that’s growing. He’s also discovering love as he is trying to be a man. Roy, his big brother figure, is well confident in his abilities and never second guesses anything. Hikaru will also develop as a pilot or soldier and he eventually has subordinates assigned to him. Max, one of his men is a very popular character amongst fans all over the world for his gentle personality and nerdy looks but yet death defying piloting skills in the stars. Minmei is slowly... See full review

9/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Ashita no Joe

Mar 13, 2014

Welcome to what I call one of the most epic animes ever. Try to imagine a Japanese version of Rocky, and this is what you get. But I say Rocky is the American version of Ashita no Joe since Rocky came out in 1976, and the original manga of Ashita no Joe started in 1968 and ended in 1975. But anyway, they share the same charms and are both iconic to their respective nations in their owns rights. The story is reasonably paced and easy to follow, and tells a life story about a young man’s career and his struggles in and out of the ring. Initially, Joe was just a bum who had nothing but the clothes... See full review

10/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers

Mar 13, 2014

Welcome to one of the original modern day cult classics of anime. The licensors originally intended to keep its true title, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, but because of Saban Entertainment’s two big name titles at the time: Super Human Samurai Cyber Squad and VR Troopers having the names in their titles, they feared a law suit. I know it’s stupid, but this is America we’re talking about. But I think Ronin Warriors is also an appropriate title for our cast of characters. Despite the title and name changes, as well as some other ones in context to the story, it maintains a substantial amount of... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
8/10 characters
8/10 overall

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Mar 13, 2014

Even though this is a direct sequel to the first Gundam series, it primarily relies on a new cast of characters while other major characters like Amuro are now secondary and has a very small but significant appearance as well as Kai Shiden and Hayato Kobayashi. Despite this, little to no previous experience of the first Gundam series isn’t required to really follow the story though it is highly recommended to mostly understand Char or Quattro or whatever you want to call him. This series has a reputation amongst Gundam fans as being dark and gritty, and I can’t deny that. But I believe... See full review

10/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
10/10 characters
9/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam

Mar 13, 2014

This highly original and innovating anime offers so much in terms of being the original “realistic mech anime series.” It talks about the potential realities of war on both a battlefront and political scale. It’s a wonderful coming of age story for many of the characters that each develops for not only the good guys, but the bad guys as well. I’m not sure if relate to them is a right word, but you can sure bet sympathize and understand them is something you can certainly do. And it’s a story of trust and betrayal on both fronts as well. All I can say is, it’s the... See full review

9/10 story
8/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Initial D Fourth Stage

Mar 13, 2014

Well the series has a certain pattern or formula which may seem repetitive, but the series is willing to somewhat break the 4th wall in an indirect sense to explain that and help you understand better. This will be explained between Takumi’s races with Tomoyuki and Sakamoto on the subject of “oh this opponent will be your toughest yet, etc.” For that formula, mostly one episode is that they introduce Project D’s opponents and the following episode they will race. At times the pace will change a bit, but I think it brings a more definitive balance to keep you hooked. It is very... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
10/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

Mar 13, 2014

This is a direct sequel to Zeta, but not only as that, I think of them as one big series itself despite the opposite nature of the first half ZZ that no reviewer should over look when reviewing this anime. Apparently some of the audience, executives of Sunrise and Bandai, and Tomino’s wife thought that Zeta was way too dark and gritty which is something many fans thought was what made that series distinguishing. Plus Tomino even felt bad about the nature of Zeta and thinks anime should make people happy. Then again, he was going through a depression. While with the first half of Double Zeta, he... See full review

8/10 story
8/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
8/10 overall

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Mar 13, 2014

Well, I personally felt that this movie was conclusive, but felt more like a conclusion or some extension to the original series, and not really that well connected to Zeta and Double Zeta. Then again, this was the intention but I felt this movie could have used some of the main characters from that series or give us an update on Camille, Fa, and Judau, though there are other materials out there exclusive to Japan on what happened to them. Since the movie really has no direct connection to Zeta or Double Zeta, I don’t feel it’s really required that you watch those series, but I recommended... See full review

9/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
9/10 characters
9/10 overall