Without reason understandable, I encounter anime and hentai, and every now and then, I'm bound to hit a few flops. There were 2 I spoke of in the hentai department, but here's the third called Mama Mia (or MaMa), not to be confused with the popular musical. The way I see it, saying it's bad is being nice to it.
The title features 2 different stories, and supposedly, both the male figures in the overall title is named Yuichi (whether they're the same one or not is questionable. For the hell of it, let's just say Y1 and Y2, since they are most likely different people.) In episode one, Y1's father has passed on, and he is sent to live with his stepmother Yukiko and his stepsister Mika. Strangely enough, he finds a porno among his late father's possessions, and Yukiko is in them. This causes Y1 to fantasize about her, while Mika wants him. This causes a love triangle within the family (yeah, it's an incest title, in case it wasn't hinted loud enough.) Episode 2 deals with Y2, and his adoptive father is killed in a car accident. He and his adoptive mother are with him. However, they make it out okay, though his mother loses her memory and is incapacitated. Both of them are under care of the maid of the house, and soon, his mother behaves much differently. This puts Y2 in quite a spot.
TDK Core presented this media, so that's to say it was released some time ago. All the same, it apparently had a license by Anime18, but it has long expired, so I can't say how long it's been since its creation. It was part of the so-called Secret Anima Series of hentai, and its box art seemed different in contrast to the animation itself. Maybe I'm looking into things a bit too much, but I was nonetheless disappointed. Granted, despite how flat it looked, the designs did look presentable, even though this is easily pale in comparison to bigger names out there.
In short, I saw it as an attempt at hentai that made a mediocre story, no solid buildup to the sex, animation was kinda bland, and the design is okay. Don't even let me get into the voice acting. For what I know, it has English and Japanese voices, but I found the English unfavorable (degrees MUCH worse than that of Bible Black's English voices.) Design and effort are the only thing stopping me from calling this a complete waste of time, but for now, and hopefully the only time, I call this a 1.3 of 10.
2011/08/31
CXLVII: "Anime Fiction"
Oh boy... remember how I tore Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz a new anus in the review I posted about it? Well, turns out that it wasn't the creator's (whoever it is) only work. This next title, Anime Fiction, takes it a bit further. Now frankly, I'm dumbfounded, because before I even began blogging, I saw it before, and only now am I just getting intel on the title.
Now unlike its predecessor, there is no premise behind this one at all, emphasizing more on the hentai. The title contains characters from Cardcaptor Sakura (I guess a returning shot), Cowboy Bebop, Love Hina, The Vision of Escaflowne, and a few others this time around. The OAV lasts for 2 episodes which last about an hour each, so you can say that they were packaged separately as different DVDs. I shouldn't have to point this out, mainly because I did so before, but this was US-made, and the fact they used existing characters from existing series deems it as a hentai parody, much like the title before it.
Once again, visuals: unimpressive, sound was just as redundant, basically the content and my opinion of this is the same as its predecessor, surprisingly, considering how I graded that, I'm surprised this didn't get a much worse rating. Anime Fiction, for what it's worth, gets a 2.2 of 10. I can't even call this hilariously bad, seeing as how there was nothing funny about this title.
Now unlike its predecessor, there is no premise behind this one at all, emphasizing more on the hentai. The title contains characters from Cardcaptor Sakura (I guess a returning shot), Cowboy Bebop, Love Hina, The Vision of Escaflowne, and a few others this time around. The OAV lasts for 2 episodes which last about an hour each, so you can say that they were packaged separately as different DVDs. I shouldn't have to point this out, mainly because I did so before, but this was US-made, and the fact they used existing characters from existing series deems it as a hentai parody, much like the title before it.
Once again, visuals: unimpressive, sound was just as redundant, basically the content and my opinion of this is the same as its predecessor, surprisingly, considering how I graded that, I'm surprised this didn't get a much worse rating. Anime Fiction, for what it's worth, gets a 2.2 of 10. I can't even call this hilariously bad, seeing as how there was nothing funny about this title.
CXLVI: "Dark Love"
Enter another hentai entry to end the month, this time it's Dark Love, or Kuro Ai. It's an OAV series where men get their pleasure by trained young women, with a fee, that is.
The women in this story has been trained to serve any man willing to pay the price for them. One would never guess that something this foul and occult happens in a mansion with a young master. Using this setting as a front, cruel things such as tourture and brutality are normal inside the mansion. And for those in debt, a single word can make it all paid... granted that this means that they're under total submission of the family, with their bodies going through barbaric circumstances. Of course, underneath all this is something even more evil. With the investigator Tetsuya looking into this mansion filled with crooked yakuza, and seemingly endless orgies, how long will it be before the evil energy in the mansion gets to him? Coming in as a mere human, can he come out the same way to bust this mansion?
Another hentai title that mixes lust and the occult. It's animation is akin a bit to the title Taimanin Asagi, which I spoke of before. As it is an OAV, it only has 2 episodes, so don't expect a lengthy title. This was created under the studio Green Bunny, a specialized company behind hentai OAVs, and distributed by the Kitty Media company, but despite this, it was made under the same director. This could explain why monster/demon/tentacle sex is common in works such as these. (dunno. Rather not look well into that, personally.)
Even with its plot, it wasn't much to have me bewildered (though its visuals looked alright.) I'm grading Dark Love a 6.8 of 10.
The women in this story has been trained to serve any man willing to pay the price for them. One would never guess that something this foul and occult happens in a mansion with a young master. Using this setting as a front, cruel things such as tourture and brutality are normal inside the mansion. And for those in debt, a single word can make it all paid... granted that this means that they're under total submission of the family, with their bodies going through barbaric circumstances. Of course, underneath all this is something even more evil. With the investigator Tetsuya looking into this mansion filled with crooked yakuza, and seemingly endless orgies, how long will it be before the evil energy in the mansion gets to him? Coming in as a mere human, can he come out the same way to bust this mansion?
Another hentai title that mixes lust and the occult. It's animation is akin a bit to the title Taimanin Asagi, which I spoke of before. As it is an OAV, it only has 2 episodes, so don't expect a lengthy title. This was created under the studio Green Bunny, a specialized company behind hentai OAVs, and distributed by the Kitty Media company, but despite this, it was made under the same director. This could explain why monster/demon/tentacle sex is common in works such as these. (dunno. Rather not look well into that, personally.)
Even with its plot, it wasn't much to have me bewildered (though its visuals looked alright.) I'm grading Dark Love a 6.8 of 10.
2011/08/30
CXLV: "Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase"
Tsukiyomi: Moon Phase, or just Moon Phase, is another anime dealing with vampires and their interactions with humans. Preceding the title Rosario + Vampire, this title has been out for quite some time.
Kouhei Morioka is a freelance photographer, who lives for taking photos of the paranormal phenomena, in order to help his friend make an occult magazine. In Germany, he is participating in such a job when he happens to meet Hazuki, a teenager who is a descendant of royal vampire lineage. You would expect by being bitten, one would submit to the vampire's will. Well, strangely, this isn't some anime reenactment of Dracula, as Kouhei, despite being bit by her, refuses to obey as her servant, even more so since she tends to ask for the unreasonable. Eventually, with the help of his cousin, Kouhei manages to escape a magical battle and flee to Tokyo with Hazuki in tow. Even with the fighting amongst each other, they must stand together against vampire servants determined to take her back, whatever the means. This is one task Kouhei has to man up for!
The TV anime ran for 25 episodes, in addition to an omake OVA. Created in the studio Shaft, Funimation has licensed this product for the US. I first knew of it as part of the Select On Demand titles under Anime (a service found under Comcast/Xfinity) and it has been shown on the channels AZN Television and Funimation Channel. Since it's creation, it's been available through a number of services, including Hulu and the PlayStation 3 Video Store (by means of PlayStation 3.) Obviously it deals with the supernatural, but it's also a romantic comedy, since its focus seems to be the relationship of Kouhei and Hazuki. Kouhei is voiced by Jason Liebercht, and Monica Rail voices Hazuki in the dub.
Tsukiyomi: Moon Phase gets a 7.1 of 10, and though it's been a good while since I watched it, it's one of those vampire anime titles I don't mind having around.
Kouhei Morioka is a freelance photographer, who lives for taking photos of the paranormal phenomena, in order to help his friend make an occult magazine. In Germany, he is participating in such a job when he happens to meet Hazuki, a teenager who is a descendant of royal vampire lineage. You would expect by being bitten, one would submit to the vampire's will. Well, strangely, this isn't some anime reenactment of Dracula, as Kouhei, despite being bit by her, refuses to obey as her servant, even more so since she tends to ask for the unreasonable. Eventually, with the help of his cousin, Kouhei manages to escape a magical battle and flee to Tokyo with Hazuki in tow. Even with the fighting amongst each other, they must stand together against vampire servants determined to take her back, whatever the means. This is one task Kouhei has to man up for!
The TV anime ran for 25 episodes, in addition to an omake OVA. Created in the studio Shaft, Funimation has licensed this product for the US. I first knew of it as part of the Select On Demand titles under Anime (a service found under Comcast/Xfinity) and it has been shown on the channels AZN Television and Funimation Channel. Since it's creation, it's been available through a number of services, including Hulu and the PlayStation 3 Video Store (by means of PlayStation 3.) Obviously it deals with the supernatural, but it's also a romantic comedy, since its focus seems to be the relationship of Kouhei and Hazuki. Kouhei is voiced by Jason Liebercht, and Monica Rail voices Hazuki in the dub.
Tsukiyomi: Moon Phase gets a 7.1 of 10, and though it's been a good while since I watched it, it's one of those vampire anime titles I don't mind having around.
2011/08/29
CXLIV: "Ah! My Goddess" series
Oh My Goddess!, Ah! My Goddess... whatever name you want it to go by, this series is quite entertaining in my opinion, having spawned 2 seasons, a few OVAs, a spinoff series, and a movie. Hence the title, it deals with goddesses, and they have a physical form, so they can interact with humans. Let's get into what it's about.
Life doesn't seem to be fair for the good-hearted Keiichi Morisato. An ordinary college student, he's constantly under stress by his elder college roommates, on top of not having a girlfriend. Being forced to do any and everything his roommates force him to do, some would say that he's at the end of his rope. One day isolated in his dorm, he calls a number unintentionally, which happens to be the Goddess Technical Help Line. Sometime later, a woman happens to materialize in the very room. This woman is the goddess Belldandy. Of course, since the dorm is male only, he is forced to find another location, especially after wishing that Belldandy stayed with him forever. They find one, which is a temple they must maintain, and Keiichi from then on must live while dealing with Belldandy, and the other goddesses Urd and Skuld. Of course, like any story, this doesn't come without its difficulty, and should he truly wish for her to remain with him, Keiichi must be ready to deal with whatever comes his way, that of course referring to not only other mythical entities, but also day-to-day living as a student.
Oh My Goddess! had some title controversy upon translation. Some felt the title to be a play on "Oh my God!", a common phrase used to represent shock or surprise. Seeing as how some found this saying offensive, it doesn't come too much as a surprise that this raised some eyebrows. Like it or not however, this title was more towards the creator's (Kousuke Fujishima's) intent. The title Ah! My Goddess was used by the manga published by Kodansha, the movie released by Pioneer, and the TV anime. All other media used Oh My Goddess! instead.
At any rate the TV anime went for two seasons, one licensed by Media Blasters and the second season under Funimation. In total, Ah! My Goddess TV ran for 50 episodes, followed by a 2-episode special titled Ah! My Goddess Fighting Wings, made in celebration of 20 years since its publication. There was another TV series called The Adventures of Mini-Goddess, which has the main 3 as small goddesses and a rat, Gan-chan, as their companion. This series lasted for 48 episodes. Those, the film, and the OVA all loosely base around Norse mythology, using/recycling names from it in a sense of humor. And in the universe of Ah! My Goddess, there are 3 worlds, Eath, Heaven, and Hell. The OVAs, film and TV anime uses different voices.
I found it worth my while, so this is obviously a high marking one from me: a 9.4 of 10 as a whole. Ah! My Goddess stands as a title to look over in my book, because I became quite the fan of it. Whoever thought that this title would be so entertaining? It definitely gets props in my book!
Life doesn't seem to be fair for the good-hearted Keiichi Morisato. An ordinary college student, he's constantly under stress by his elder college roommates, on top of not having a girlfriend. Being forced to do any and everything his roommates force him to do, some would say that he's at the end of his rope. One day isolated in his dorm, he calls a number unintentionally, which happens to be the Goddess Technical Help Line. Sometime later, a woman happens to materialize in the very room. This woman is the goddess Belldandy. Of course, since the dorm is male only, he is forced to find another location, especially after wishing that Belldandy stayed with him forever. They find one, which is a temple they must maintain, and Keiichi from then on must live while dealing with Belldandy, and the other goddesses Urd and Skuld. Of course, like any story, this doesn't come without its difficulty, and should he truly wish for her to remain with him, Keiichi must be ready to deal with whatever comes his way, that of course referring to not only other mythical entities, but also day-to-day living as a student.
Oh My Goddess! had some title controversy upon translation. Some felt the title to be a play on "Oh my God!", a common phrase used to represent shock or surprise. Seeing as how some found this saying offensive, it doesn't come too much as a surprise that this raised some eyebrows. Like it or not however, this title was more towards the creator's (Kousuke Fujishima's) intent. The title Ah! My Goddess was used by the manga published by Kodansha, the movie released by Pioneer, and the TV anime. All other media used Oh My Goddess! instead.
At any rate the TV anime went for two seasons, one licensed by Media Blasters and the second season under Funimation. In total, Ah! My Goddess TV ran for 50 episodes, followed by a 2-episode special titled Ah! My Goddess Fighting Wings, made in celebration of 20 years since its publication. There was another TV series called The Adventures of Mini-Goddess, which has the main 3 as small goddesses and a rat, Gan-chan, as their companion. This series lasted for 48 episodes. Those, the film, and the OVA all loosely base around Norse mythology, using/recycling names from it in a sense of humor. And in the universe of Ah! My Goddess, there are 3 worlds, Eath, Heaven, and Hell. The OVAs, film and TV anime uses different voices.
I found it worth my while, so this is obviously a high marking one from me: a 9.4 of 10 as a whole. Ah! My Goddess stands as a title to look over in my book, because I became quite the fan of it. Whoever thought that this title would be so entertaining? It definitely gets props in my book!
2011/08/28
CXLIII: "Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory"
Another one of those side story Gundam titles, Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory once again branches off the exploits of the main story. However, this one deals with a federation fleet of their own, as well as a tenacious group of Zeon remnants. Moreover, Gundam 0083 is significant as it pretty much shows the transition of the Earth Federation, a backstory to the rise of the elite unit Titans in Zeta Gundam.
In the year U.C. 0079, Anavel Gato returns from his battle in A Baoa Qu against the Earth Federation's White Base and its hero, Amuro Ray and the RX-78-2 Gundam. However, upon hearing the deaths of both Gihren and Kycilia Zabi, he and a fellow soldier are forced to withdraw, with aspirations to make Zeon rise another day. The battle is declared in victory for the Earth Federation, thanks to the exploits of the White Base crew and Amuro. Of course, this isn't the end of the story.
Four years later in October U.C. 0083, Zeon has yet to make themselves known. Within the Earth Federation, one of it's space carriers, Albion, delivered 2 Gundam prototypes of the Gundam Development Project: the RX-78 GP01 Zephyranthes and the RX-78 GP02A Physalis. Thanks to a mole from Zeon, Anavel Gato makes a move and hijacks the nuclear Physalis Gundam, leading Kou Uraki to pursue him in the sleeker Zephyranthes Gundam. From then on, Kou faces not only other Zeon remnants, but even has a bit of tensions with few of the Albion crew, ultimately leading to a mentionable, yet forgotten battle known as Operation Stardust.
Being a side story, this OVA lasted 13 episodes, twice as long as Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. Though the OVA began first, the compilation movie Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon was finished beforehand. The OVA series was done in DVD quality sometime later, released in May as a box set in celebration of 20 years since its creation. The movie lasted for 120 minutes, and even had a limited edition Blu-Ray release. There were merchandise modeled after this as well, and though they have been in games before, I found interesting the inclusion of the GP01Fb Full-Vernian Zephyranthes and GP02 Physalis, alongside respective pilots Kou and Anavel, in Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. Anavel was seen before in the first DW Gundam title, but as a non-playable character. Kou is voiced by Paul Stephen in the dub, while Anavel is voiced by Kirk Thorton.
Stardust Memory is a stepping stone to the transpiring events of Zeta Gundam, supported when Bask Om appears. Ready to launch once more, Gundam 0083 shoots a 7.6 of 10.
In the year U.C. 0079, Anavel Gato returns from his battle in A Baoa Qu against the Earth Federation's White Base and its hero, Amuro Ray and the RX-78-2 Gundam. However, upon hearing the deaths of both Gihren and Kycilia Zabi, he and a fellow soldier are forced to withdraw, with aspirations to make Zeon rise another day. The battle is declared in victory for the Earth Federation, thanks to the exploits of the White Base crew and Amuro. Of course, this isn't the end of the story.
Four years later in October U.C. 0083, Zeon has yet to make themselves known. Within the Earth Federation, one of it's space carriers, Albion, delivered 2 Gundam prototypes of the Gundam Development Project: the RX-78 GP01 Zephyranthes and the RX-78 GP02A Physalis. Thanks to a mole from Zeon, Anavel Gato makes a move and hijacks the nuclear Physalis Gundam, leading Kou Uraki to pursue him in the sleeker Zephyranthes Gundam. From then on, Kou faces not only other Zeon remnants, but even has a bit of tensions with few of the Albion crew, ultimately leading to a mentionable, yet forgotten battle known as Operation Stardust.
Being a side story, this OVA lasted 13 episodes, twice as long as Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. Though the OVA began first, the compilation movie Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon was finished beforehand. The OVA series was done in DVD quality sometime later, released in May as a box set in celebration of 20 years since its creation. The movie lasted for 120 minutes, and even had a limited edition Blu-Ray release. There were merchandise modeled after this as well, and though they have been in games before, I found interesting the inclusion of the GP01Fb Full-Vernian Zephyranthes and GP02 Physalis, alongside respective pilots Kou and Anavel, in Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. Anavel was seen before in the first DW Gundam title, but as a non-playable character. Kou is voiced by Paul Stephen in the dub, while Anavel is voiced by Kirk Thorton.
Stardust Memory is a stepping stone to the transpiring events of Zeta Gundam, supported when Bask Om appears. Ready to launch once more, Gundam 0083 shoots a 7.6 of 10.
2011/08/27
CXLII: "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya"
A while back, we went over The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the TV anime that revolved around Haruhi, Kyon, and the rest of the SOS Brigade. The movie The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya sort of deviates from that, as it's a film made from the fourth novel of the Haruhi Suzumiya series.
Set after the events of the Japanese Cultural Festival, the time is December 16th, a little more than a week preceding Christmas Eve. As usual, Haruhi has the SOS gang doing plannings for a Christmas Party, with Kyon acting his usual self. Just when the plans are in order to have the party, then comes the morning of December 18th. It was odd enough that Tanaguchi, one of his friends, came down with a cold that lasted a while, as he was just fine yesterday. The oddity strikes when Ryoko Asakura, someone who was wiped from existence before, returned, and that Haruhi was forgotten. In addition, the other SOS Brigade members appeared to forgot not only her, but supposedly of each other. The only one who remembers, even though he is made to be a fool towards everyone else, is Kyon. Rooms were gone, people weren't there, and the SOS brigade didn't exist. These are things he didn't want to believe.
With everything and everyone different than before, Kyon stands as the only outcast in a world that seemingly normal. Only a bookmark left behind was a significant clue about the life he knew. With this evidence, he gets to know the human Yuki Nagato and learned that from the Tanaguchi in this period, a Haruhi Suzumiya does exist, but in a different school. With the bookmark telling him to gather the keys necessary to use a program built by the alien Yuki, Kyon must gather the members, alongside the Haruhi of this time, in order to use this machine, should he want to go back to the life he had, where his knack of getting dragged into danger was normal.
About 3 hours long, this film is animated the same way as the TV anime, maybe enhanced a bit. It's currently in Japanese dubbing, but a license for US disbribution has been acquired by Bandai Entertainment, who also licensed the TV anime. As such, an English language version is in the works, set for release in September. It is interesting to note that the spin-off manga, The Vanishing of Nagato Yuki-chan, takes place in a similar setting, with the Nagato of this story as the main character. In fact, her character in the film, her relationship with Ryoko, and her gradual relationship with Kyon in the film is built upon in the spin-off manga.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya gains an 8.4 of 10 for the time being, and will be updated upon seeing the dubbed version of the film. I suppose from one of the TV episodes, it answers the question about the significance of his second alias, but otherwise, it retains the air of the TV anime.
Set after the events of the Japanese Cultural Festival, the time is December 16th, a little more than a week preceding Christmas Eve. As usual, Haruhi has the SOS gang doing plannings for a Christmas Party, with Kyon acting his usual self. Just when the plans are in order to have the party, then comes the morning of December 18th. It was odd enough that Tanaguchi, one of his friends, came down with a cold that lasted a while, as he was just fine yesterday. The oddity strikes when Ryoko Asakura, someone who was wiped from existence before, returned, and that Haruhi was forgotten. In addition, the other SOS Brigade members appeared to forgot not only her, but supposedly of each other. The only one who remembers, even though he is made to be a fool towards everyone else, is Kyon. Rooms were gone, people weren't there, and the SOS brigade didn't exist. These are things he didn't want to believe.
With everything and everyone different than before, Kyon stands as the only outcast in a world that seemingly normal. Only a bookmark left behind was a significant clue about the life he knew. With this evidence, he gets to know the human Yuki Nagato and learned that from the Tanaguchi in this period, a Haruhi Suzumiya does exist, but in a different school. With the bookmark telling him to gather the keys necessary to use a program built by the alien Yuki, Kyon must gather the members, alongside the Haruhi of this time, in order to use this machine, should he want to go back to the life he had, where his knack of getting dragged into danger was normal.
About 3 hours long, this film is animated the same way as the TV anime, maybe enhanced a bit. It's currently in Japanese dubbing, but a license for US disbribution has been acquired by Bandai Entertainment, who also licensed the TV anime. As such, an English language version is in the works, set for release in September. It is interesting to note that the spin-off manga, The Vanishing of Nagato Yuki-chan, takes place in a similar setting, with the Nagato of this story as the main character. In fact, her character in the film, her relationship with Ryoko, and her gradual relationship with Kyon in the film is built upon in the spin-off manga.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya gains an 8.4 of 10 for the time being, and will be updated upon seeing the dubbed version of the film. I suppose from one of the TV episodes, it answers the question about the significance of his second alias, but otherwise, it retains the air of the TV anime.
2011/08/21
CXLI: "Midori Days"
Let's see, what was to happen if you woke up one day and found someone attached to your hand? And I'm not talking like a sock puppet, or even an action figure, I mean an actual human as a hand? In this unique title Midori Days, I think I have a good idea what to expect...
One of the key characters is Seiji Sawamura, the toughest guy amongst those in his high school. He's a tough as nails fighter, and his strength is shown should he pull out his infamous Devil's Right Hand. Even so, he's not doing this to show off, as he is caring enough to fend off any bullies picking on the weak. However, because of this, his grades aren't really in the acceptable ranks, and his social life seems to suck in the woman department. With most afraid to even approach him, he has suffered years of rejection. While this is so, he is unaware, or rather oblivious, of Midori Kasugano, one of the very few who sees Seiji for what he truly is as opposed to a delinquent. She is also a key character, as well as the titular character.
Fearing that his right hand will be his only companion in life, he falls asleep, kinda depressed. However, when he awakes, he notices that his Devil's Right Hand is no longer there, rather something else had took its place during the night hours. Mysteriously, perhaps as a way to get close to him, a naked Midori becomes Seiji's right hand. Now how is he to cope with the affectionate Midori before he finds some way to get his right hand back? And despite having a girl for a hand, what will transpire in his daily life, now that she has become (literally) an inseparable part of him? This is one problem his Devil's Right Hand won't save him from.
This series lasts for 13 episodes, made in Studio Pierrot, and licensed for North America by AnimeWorks. Not to state the obvious, but in Japanese, Midori means Green, which is the hair color of Midori. It's a comedy that has romance and drama mixed in. Seeing this, I saw the title as inspiration, since it shows that even the unlikeliest of people could fall in love with someone, and that you can never guess who has your eye on you when you aren't looking. Of course, it has its share of troubles as well, from fights with troublemakers, to a classmate obsessed with Midori. Seiji is voiced by Drew Aaron in the English Dub, while Midori is voiced by Kether Fernandez.
Short, but sweet, Midori Days gets a 7.4 of 10. Seeing this made me feel good inside, something that normally doesn't happen very much (Ai Yori Aoshi being a big example of this as well, but much greater.)
One of the key characters is Seiji Sawamura, the toughest guy amongst those in his high school. He's a tough as nails fighter, and his strength is shown should he pull out his infamous Devil's Right Hand. Even so, he's not doing this to show off, as he is caring enough to fend off any bullies picking on the weak. However, because of this, his grades aren't really in the acceptable ranks, and his social life seems to suck in the woman department. With most afraid to even approach him, he has suffered years of rejection. While this is so, he is unaware, or rather oblivious, of Midori Kasugano, one of the very few who sees Seiji for what he truly is as opposed to a delinquent. She is also a key character, as well as the titular character.
Fearing that his right hand will be his only companion in life, he falls asleep, kinda depressed. However, when he awakes, he notices that his Devil's Right Hand is no longer there, rather something else had took its place during the night hours. Mysteriously, perhaps as a way to get close to him, a naked Midori becomes Seiji's right hand. Now how is he to cope with the affectionate Midori before he finds some way to get his right hand back? And despite having a girl for a hand, what will transpire in his daily life, now that she has become (literally) an inseparable part of him? This is one problem his Devil's Right Hand won't save him from.
This series lasts for 13 episodes, made in Studio Pierrot, and licensed for North America by AnimeWorks. Not to state the obvious, but in Japanese, Midori means Green, which is the hair color of Midori. It's a comedy that has romance and drama mixed in. Seeing this, I saw the title as inspiration, since it shows that even the unlikeliest of people could fall in love with someone, and that you can never guess who has your eye on you when you aren't looking. Of course, it has its share of troubles as well, from fights with troublemakers, to a classmate obsessed with Midori. Seiji is voiced by Drew Aaron in the English Dub, while Midori is voiced by Kether Fernandez.
Short, but sweet, Midori Days gets a 7.4 of 10. Seeing this made me feel good inside, something that normally doesn't happen very much (Ai Yori Aoshi being a big example of this as well, but much greater.)
2011/08/20
CXL: "I Don't Love My Brother At All!!"
Remember when we covered animations dealing with the bondings of brother and sister? I believe I speak of those in such titles as Kiss X Sis, My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute!, Onegai, Twins!, and partly in the hentai Sexual Pursuit. Well, this one is another bro x sis type of anime, called I Don't Love My Brother At All!!, or known by it's much longer name: Onii-chan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara De!! Unlike normally, I scoped the manga out first, which was how I manage to find out about the anime adaption.
Nao Takanashi is a girl who loves her older perverted brother... a little too much, one might add. In spite of the taboo of incest, she is determined to cross that border with Shushuke, who also loves her, but is reluctant to make the jump. She is under the belief that they are related by blood, trying anything in the book to make a relationship of sin with him. However, she learns eventually that she isn't a blood relative, a fact that Shusuke kept quiet about (it was upon his insistence that the family took her in) To her dismay, this dashes away the sinful relationship, but opens up a new possibility: since they are not bound by blood, they can marry each other under the family law. To this end, she tries to make Shusuke see Nao as a woman, partly because he is still unaware that she now knows the truth (aside from her knowing all his deeds and secrets). However, common to all harem media, it's not as simple as it sounds. Aside from his own actions preventing, or prolonging, the inevitable, 2 other girls get in her way, both of which also having feelings for Shusuke. Just not easy when it comes to love, is it?
The anime is not suitable for young viewers, even thought the anime is more or less censored (that said, don't let the constant animal icons offend you, even if they to tend to overdo it.) The anime lasts for 12 TV episodes, attached with an OVA, so all in all, pretty short. Not surprising, since this anime is relatively young, created earlier this year. Despite this, the manga is still going. In addition, it's more or less faithful to the manga, but the anime has its few deviations, such as events unseen in the manga and 2 additional characters. I can assume that the manga's ending will most likely alter itself from the anime's last episode. A few things though, not to spoil anything, but if you look close enough, you may find something from one of the said anime titles. Emi Kitamura, who does other roles such as Ami Kawashima of Toradora!, voices Nao in the anime. Of course, since it's too soon/mature for it, this didn't see English licensing and therefore lacks English voices. Some anime have a knack for voice actors singing the opening and ending themes, and this title is no different. Kitamura sings the opening "Taste of Paradise", while the ending "Ari Ari Paradise" is done by her alongside Marina Inoue (who voices Shusuke's childhood friend Iroha Tsuchiura) and Kazusa Aranami (the voice of his classmate Mayuka Kondo).
I Don't Love My Brother At All!! seemed like it had the sisterly air from My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute!, yet had the behavior from Kiss X Sis. Either way, I'm grading this a 7.1 of 10.
Nao Takanashi is a girl who loves her older perverted brother... a little too much, one might add. In spite of the taboo of incest, she is determined to cross that border with Shushuke, who also loves her, but is reluctant to make the jump. She is under the belief that they are related by blood, trying anything in the book to make a relationship of sin with him. However, she learns eventually that she isn't a blood relative, a fact that Shusuke kept quiet about (it was upon his insistence that the family took her in) To her dismay, this dashes away the sinful relationship, but opens up a new possibility: since they are not bound by blood, they can marry each other under the family law. To this end, she tries to make Shusuke see Nao as a woman, partly because he is still unaware that she now knows the truth (aside from her knowing all his deeds and secrets). However, common to all harem media, it's not as simple as it sounds. Aside from his own actions preventing, or prolonging, the inevitable, 2 other girls get in her way, both of which also having feelings for Shusuke. Just not easy when it comes to love, is it?
The anime is not suitable for young viewers, even thought the anime is more or less censored (that said, don't let the constant animal icons offend you, even if they to tend to overdo it.) The anime lasts for 12 TV episodes, attached with an OVA, so all in all, pretty short. Not surprising, since this anime is relatively young, created earlier this year. Despite this, the manga is still going. In addition, it's more or less faithful to the manga, but the anime has its few deviations, such as events unseen in the manga and 2 additional characters. I can assume that the manga's ending will most likely alter itself from the anime's last episode. A few things though, not to spoil anything, but if you look close enough, you may find something from one of the said anime titles. Emi Kitamura, who does other roles such as Ami Kawashima of Toradora!, voices Nao in the anime. Of course, since it's too soon/mature for it, this didn't see English licensing and therefore lacks English voices. Some anime have a knack for voice actors singing the opening and ending themes, and this title is no different. Kitamura sings the opening "Taste of Paradise", while the ending "Ari Ari Paradise" is done by her alongside Marina Inoue (who voices Shusuke's childhood friend Iroha Tsuchiura) and Kazusa Aranami (the voice of his classmate Mayuka Kondo).
I Don't Love My Brother At All!! seemed like it had the sisterly air from My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute!, yet had the behavior from Kiss X Sis. Either way, I'm grading this a 7.1 of 10.
2011/08/18
CXXXIX: "Fist of the North Star" series
People were in shock when people saw Fist of the North Star, also known as Hokuto no Ken. The theme's beginning line "YOU IN SHOCK!" fits quite well, because I was indeed in shock when I saw this title.
The central character is a practitioner of the fighting style Hokuto Shinken, his name is Kenshiro. In the post-apocalyptic world, he dedicates his life to fighting tyranny that threatens the weak and innocent lucky enough to survive these times. The assassination art targets the victim's secret pressure points and punctures it, resulting in a delayed, but gory outcome. Yet, he is not the only one who knows this art, yet he is the rightful successor to wield it. What begins as an adventure to find Yuria, his fiancee, evolves into thwarting the schemes of bandits and challenging warlords. Ultimately, it comes to crossing his 3 former "brothers" in training, for the good and bad.
Fist of the North Star started out as 109 episode TV anime, succeeded by a second series that ran for 49 episodes. In addition, there was an animated film, which was essentially a retelling of the animated series, as well as a live action film. Some time later in 2003, an 3-part ova series called New Fist of the North Star was made, and in 2005, Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior was made, consisting of 3 theatrical films and 2 OVAs. To date, all works of this series is also dubbed for English. The first series is hard to come by, save for the English Box sets, and it has changed in music tone, released by the same ones who did Street Fighter II V. Aside from them they also have a slew of video games, the more recent being Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage made by Tecmo Koei, which brought the elements of the anime series and mixed it up with the gameplay akin to Dynasty Warriors, something that has been done with the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise 3 times. Kenshiro has undergone various voices throughout the 25 years of popularity, but the trademark quote "You're already dead!" is clearly unforgettable.
Fist of the North Star gets a 9.3 of 10, as it is a pretty good title to grasp on. For 25 years of using fatal blows and shirt ripping, Kenshiro is gaining the respect he deserves.
The central character is a practitioner of the fighting style Hokuto Shinken, his name is Kenshiro. In the post-apocalyptic world, he dedicates his life to fighting tyranny that threatens the weak and innocent lucky enough to survive these times. The assassination art targets the victim's secret pressure points and punctures it, resulting in a delayed, but gory outcome. Yet, he is not the only one who knows this art, yet he is the rightful successor to wield it. What begins as an adventure to find Yuria, his fiancee, evolves into thwarting the schemes of bandits and challenging warlords. Ultimately, it comes to crossing his 3 former "brothers" in training, for the good and bad.
Fist of the North Star started out as 109 episode TV anime, succeeded by a second series that ran for 49 episodes. In addition, there was an animated film, which was essentially a retelling of the animated series, as well as a live action film. Some time later in 2003, an 3-part ova series called New Fist of the North Star was made, and in 2005, Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior was made, consisting of 3 theatrical films and 2 OVAs. To date, all works of this series is also dubbed for English. The first series is hard to come by, save for the English Box sets, and it has changed in music tone, released by the same ones who did Street Fighter II V. Aside from them they also have a slew of video games, the more recent being Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage made by Tecmo Koei, which brought the elements of the anime series and mixed it up with the gameplay akin to Dynasty Warriors, something that has been done with the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise 3 times. Kenshiro has undergone various voices throughout the 25 years of popularity, but the trademark quote "You're already dead!" is clearly unforgettable.
Fist of the North Star gets a 9.3 of 10, as it is a pretty good title to grasp on. For 25 years of using fatal blows and shirt ripping, Kenshiro is gaining the respect he deserves.
CXXXVIII: "Slayers" series
Ah, Slayers... for years this series has amazed me with its punchlines and comedy. If the people of Dungeons and Dragons rolled this series around in comedy, laughter and antics, then chances are this series would be the end result. Spawning many titles, the anime has come from a D&D-inspired anime to a rarity of a series.
The heroine of Slayers is a hot-blooded sorceress who gained a reputation as the bandit killer and dragon spooker. The sorceress, Lina Inverse, is the type that strives to get her way, punishing all before her, and is backed by her magical prowess, among which is the very destructive ace: the Dragon Slave. As it opens, she is "saved" by a traveling mercenary named Goury Gabriev, who is strong, but is seen more or less as an idiot. Despite this, his skills as a swordsman are formidable, and his weapon, the Sword of Light, is to be feared. Along the way, other people show up, consisting of the righteous Seyruun princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, the tough and cunning chimera Zelgadis Greywords, as well as other characters that appear (and reappear). However, conflicts rise, and nearly all of which are focused on her! From bandits, to dark lords, Lina Inverse has her work cut out for her. She'll need immense powers and a full stomach to smash any threat opposing her!!
Slayers has spun many titles over the years, and even today, it continues. While it's canon is something to be questioned, there are characters specific in certain titles. As Lost Universe is spun off of this, the story takes place in a different world belonging to one of the parallel 4 created by the Lord of Nightmares. The setting for Slayers is the Red World, where there is an ongoing battle between the gods and demons, but demi-gods had physical form. Perhaps in coincidence with the world's name, Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo is the supreme demon of the Red World, challenged by the supreme god Flare Gragon Ceiphied. Revisiting the canon issue, as some characters existed in certain media, the group of the TV series and the OVA characters, notably Naga the White Serpent, never cross, and the backgrounds of her and Amelia raises some suspicion as to if they're related (with proof possibly supporting this.)
Slayers started out as a 26 episode TV anime, succeeded by Slayers Next which was the same length. The third TV entry, Slayers Try, also ran for 26 episodes. Afterwords, it went on a haitus of sorts until 2008 when Slayers Revolution was created, and was followed by Slayers Evolution-R, both running 13 episodes each. They made their TV debut for North America in 2010. All of the TV anime were licensed by Central Park Media and Funimation Entertainment, for Canada and USA respectively. In addition, 5 films were created as well as 2 OVA series, which were 3 episodes a piece. Other merchandise consist of manga and even games of the series. Aside from doing the theme songs, Megumi Hayashibara is known as the Japanese voice of the key character Lina. In the North American localization, her TV voice is done under Lisa Oritz, while, Cynthia Martinex covers her voice in the Movies/OVAs.
Full of antics and silliness, Slayers is a respectable series in general, scoring a 8.8 of 10. As an anime that was inspired by an old RPG title, I have a fave spot for it personally.
The heroine of Slayers is a hot-blooded sorceress who gained a reputation as the bandit killer and dragon spooker. The sorceress, Lina Inverse, is the type that strives to get her way, punishing all before her, and is backed by her magical prowess, among which is the very destructive ace: the Dragon Slave. As it opens, she is "saved" by a traveling mercenary named Goury Gabriev, who is strong, but is seen more or less as an idiot. Despite this, his skills as a swordsman are formidable, and his weapon, the Sword of Light, is to be feared. Along the way, other people show up, consisting of the righteous Seyruun princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, the tough and cunning chimera Zelgadis Greywords, as well as other characters that appear (and reappear). However, conflicts rise, and nearly all of which are focused on her! From bandits, to dark lords, Lina Inverse has her work cut out for her. She'll need immense powers and a full stomach to smash any threat opposing her!!
Slayers has spun many titles over the years, and even today, it continues. While it's canon is something to be questioned, there are characters specific in certain titles. As Lost Universe is spun off of this, the story takes place in a different world belonging to one of the parallel 4 created by the Lord of Nightmares. The setting for Slayers is the Red World, where there is an ongoing battle between the gods and demons, but demi-gods had physical form. Perhaps in coincidence with the world's name, Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo is the supreme demon of the Red World, challenged by the supreme god Flare Gragon Ceiphied. Revisiting the canon issue, as some characters existed in certain media, the group of the TV series and the OVA characters, notably Naga the White Serpent, never cross, and the backgrounds of her and Amelia raises some suspicion as to if they're related (with proof possibly supporting this.)
Slayers started out as a 26 episode TV anime, succeeded by Slayers Next which was the same length. The third TV entry, Slayers Try, also ran for 26 episodes. Afterwords, it went on a haitus of sorts until 2008 when Slayers Revolution was created, and was followed by Slayers Evolution-R, both running 13 episodes each. They made their TV debut for North America in 2010. All of the TV anime were licensed by Central Park Media and Funimation Entertainment, for Canada and USA respectively. In addition, 5 films were created as well as 2 OVA series, which were 3 episodes a piece. Other merchandise consist of manga and even games of the series. Aside from doing the theme songs, Megumi Hayashibara is known as the Japanese voice of the key character Lina. In the North American localization, her TV voice is done under Lisa Oritz, while, Cynthia Martinex covers her voice in the Movies/OVAs.
Full of antics and silliness, Slayers is a respectable series in general, scoring a 8.8 of 10. As an anime that was inspired by an old RPG title, I have a fave spot for it personally.
2011/08/17
CXXXVII: "Shugo Chara!" series
Shugo Chara!, or My Guardian Angels is an anime that deals with eggs, guardians, and a girl who is at odds with her personality. Now this anime is quite lengthy in general, but it has titles that derive from it as well. Let's get into what it consists of.
The central character of Shugo Chara! is Amu Hinamori, who is seen by her fellow elementary students and the cool and spicy girl. Outside of school, though, this isn't the case at all. When not seen by others, she is rather introverted and shy, therefore, she is eager to really change herself. Whether by chance or by fate, three eggs appear before her, colored red, blue and green. Respectively, they hatch into three guardian angels: Ran, Miki, and Su. As they aid her in uncovering her true self, she has to deal with her would-be selves derived from the guardian angels, as well as the Seiyo Elementary Guardians, whose members each have one of their own. Or course, there are also the X Eggs to worry about, which are made in search of a specific egg. Conflicts await Amu, and she'll need the help of her guardian angels to pull through it all.
The premier anime, Shugo Chara!, lasted for 51 episodes, licensed by Crunchyroll, who has a website of other anime currently running. This is succeeded by Shugo Chara!! Doki-, which also has 51 episodes, and Shugo Chara! Party!, which has 25 epsidoes. It's manga was written by Peach-Pit, also responsible for the manga form of Rozen Maiden. In fact, in terms of alienation and fitting in, Amu and Rozen Maiden's Jun Sakurada are very much alike. Also noteworthy is Amu's character in the series. As it is a magical girl anime, Amu's nature is a huge contrast as opposed to others. While most key characters of the genre consist of either the perfect girl or a complete klutz, Amu tends to get angry and snap back at those causing her grief, which makes a drastic difference character-wise. For now, there is nothing in terms of English voices, so this is frankly a subbed-only series at best.
Shugo Chara! is lengthy indeed, and in some ways popular. Personally, this isn't the kind of thing I would shoot for, but I guess I did like it a little. Grade this time is 7.4 of 10.
The central character of Shugo Chara! is Amu Hinamori, who is seen by her fellow elementary students and the cool and spicy girl. Outside of school, though, this isn't the case at all. When not seen by others, she is rather introverted and shy, therefore, she is eager to really change herself. Whether by chance or by fate, three eggs appear before her, colored red, blue and green. Respectively, they hatch into three guardian angels: Ran, Miki, and Su. As they aid her in uncovering her true self, she has to deal with her would-be selves derived from the guardian angels, as well as the Seiyo Elementary Guardians, whose members each have one of their own. Or course, there are also the X Eggs to worry about, which are made in search of a specific egg. Conflicts await Amu, and she'll need the help of her guardian angels to pull through it all.
The premier anime, Shugo Chara!, lasted for 51 episodes, licensed by Crunchyroll, who has a website of other anime currently running. This is succeeded by Shugo Chara!! Doki-, which also has 51 episodes, and Shugo Chara! Party!, which has 25 epsidoes. It's manga was written by Peach-Pit, also responsible for the manga form of Rozen Maiden. In fact, in terms of alienation and fitting in, Amu and Rozen Maiden's Jun Sakurada are very much alike. Also noteworthy is Amu's character in the series. As it is a magical girl anime, Amu's nature is a huge contrast as opposed to others. While most key characters of the genre consist of either the perfect girl or a complete klutz, Amu tends to get angry and snap back at those causing her grief, which makes a drastic difference character-wise. For now, there is nothing in terms of English voices, so this is frankly a subbed-only series at best.
Shugo Chara! is lengthy indeed, and in some ways popular. Personally, this isn't the kind of thing I would shoot for, but I guess I did like it a little. Grade this time is 7.4 of 10.
2011/08/16
CXXXVI: "The World of Narue"
Another anime dealing with aliens, this time it's a half-alien as the titular character. The World of Narue is a romantic comedy about a normal male student and a special girl he comes across.
Kazuto Izuka is as normal a 14 year old boy as they come. However, his life starts to become strange when a creature he saw as a lost dog suddenly morphs and attacks him. He is saved by a girl named Narue Nanase, who clobbered the strange alien being with a bat. However, he soon learns that she, herself, is of alien heritage. Under the advice of his friend, he invites Narue on a date, who is reluctant to do so at first. Eventually, after assurance that he isn't phased by her being an alien, they go out and their relationship begins to bloom, but like all relationships, it comes with their fare share of troubles. Part of which is contributed by an ufologist, reluctant to believe that Narue is really an alien, and even suspects her of using that as a front to gain attention. How will these young love birds overcome the problems that occur before them?
The World of Narue ran for 12 episodes. Currently, it's without a confirmed licensing for now, but it was first licensed by Central Park Media, then by A.D. Vision Films. It's a rather sugary type anime, as it has little violent conflict, and (at least to me) not that much drama behind it. This series is dubbed in English language, but as to who voiced which character, I have no data on this currently.
This anime had me for a while, and I sort of forgot about this over the years, but this one is a 7.1 of 10 in general.
Kazuto Izuka is as normal a 14 year old boy as they come. However, his life starts to become strange when a creature he saw as a lost dog suddenly morphs and attacks him. He is saved by a girl named Narue Nanase, who clobbered the strange alien being with a bat. However, he soon learns that she, herself, is of alien heritage. Under the advice of his friend, he invites Narue on a date, who is reluctant to do so at first. Eventually, after assurance that he isn't phased by her being an alien, they go out and their relationship begins to bloom, but like all relationships, it comes with their fare share of troubles. Part of which is contributed by an ufologist, reluctant to believe that Narue is really an alien, and even suspects her of using that as a front to gain attention. How will these young love birds overcome the problems that occur before them?
The World of Narue ran for 12 episodes. Currently, it's without a confirmed licensing for now, but it was first licensed by Central Park Media, then by A.D. Vision Films. It's a rather sugary type anime, as it has little violent conflict, and (at least to me) not that much drama behind it. This series is dubbed in English language, but as to who voiced which character, I have no data on this currently.
This anime had me for a while, and I sort of forgot about this over the years, but this one is a 7.1 of 10 in general.
2011/08/15
CXXXV: "Sexual Pursuit"
Yep, another hentai title, but this one actually crosses the incest border. I spoke of coming close to such with Kiss X Sis and Onegai, Twins!, but this one obliterates that line, basically. The title of this is called Sexual Pursuit, and it's tamer than how the title sounds.
The family seems regular, although there is no father in it. Just a pair of siblings: a timid brother and a strong sister, and one mother raising the both of them. However, the nasty comes in pretty early, and that's where the incest hits, between the mother and son. However, the sister sort of imagines what goes on between them, and gets feelings of her own. My my, isn't this a forbidden situation?
Now then, I'm not high on incest in the least... it really isn't my thing, but by sheer whim I caught this, and it lasts for merely 2 episodes, which the lack of characters contribute to. Distributed by JVD, this was another small entry of the Vanilla Series hentai label. Subbed it is known as Soukan Yuugi, though it is very likely as with the title, there is an English cast. Again, beyound this, there isn't much to say about this series.
The incest kinda threw me off, but pretty decent, save for the small set of characters, for which I'll grade a 6.4 of 10.
The family seems regular, although there is no father in it. Just a pair of siblings: a timid brother and a strong sister, and one mother raising the both of them. However, the nasty comes in pretty early, and that's where the incest hits, between the mother and son. However, the sister sort of imagines what goes on between them, and gets feelings of her own. My my, isn't this a forbidden situation?
Now then, I'm not high on incest in the least... it really isn't my thing, but by sheer whim I caught this, and it lasts for merely 2 episodes, which the lack of characters contribute to. Distributed by JVD, this was another small entry of the Vanilla Series hentai label. Subbed it is known as Soukan Yuugi, though it is very likely as with the title, there is an English cast. Again, beyound this, there isn't much to say about this series.
The incest kinda threw me off, but pretty decent, save for the small set of characters, for which I'll grade a 6.4 of 10.
2011/08/09
CXXXIV: "Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket"
I know. I took my sweet time before making another review, but this is it. Today, I'll be covering another Gundam title, but this doesn't succeed the original series storywise, as much as it does timeline-wise. The title of this one is a small OVA series Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.
Departing from the story of Newtypes, the work involves ordinary soldiers as opposed to the before-mentioned types. In the year 0079, some time before the One Year War came to a close, Zeon intelligence forces gain intel on a prototype Gundam, belonging to the Federation in the Artic, prompting an attack on that area by Zeon forces. Among the elite solders was Bernard Wiseman, a rookie in the team of commandoes. However, he and his team fail this mission, as the Gundam is sent into space, landing in Side 6, where the story opens up.
Finding a Federation R&D base, they plan a covert operation to destroy the Gundam found there. However, this fails, and with the exception of Bernard, the entire team meets a fatal end. Sometime later, after crashing his Zaku II Kai, he meets the young Alfred Izuruha and love interest Christina McKenzie, unaware to either that they're enemies, and that she is the test pilot of the prototype Gundam, the RX-78NT-1 Gundam "ALEX". The Gundam in question was the successor to the titular titan of the original series, designed for Amuro Ray, as his Newtype powers were overworking that of the RX-78-2 Gundam. After spotting this failure, and annoyed that Side 6 would side with the Federation, Zeon plans a nuclear strike against it, unless Bernard can somehow destroy ALEX on his own.
This OVA comes as a side story, not bringing much significant to the Universal Century timeline. The OVA itself lasts only 6 episodes, and has been televised on TV in 2001 for English as part of Toonami's Midnight Run, and episodes were rerun afterward for a short while on Adult Swim, sometime after Midnight Run discontinued. Both of these were part of Cartoon Network, with Adult Swim changed, but still continuing. Ian Hawk voiced Alfred, or 'Al', Bernard/'Bernie' is voiced by David Hayter, and Christina is voiced by Wendee Lee in the English localization. Created by Sunrise, it undergone the tradition of redesigning costumes and suits, giving more detail notably to the mobile suits. Because of this, visuals are akin to the reanimating of the in-game cutscenes from games like Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo, where Christina and ALEX make an appearance in.
Gundam 0080 isn't a key addition to the timeline, as the OVA dealt with what they call Oldtypes, and featured no familiar characters. Still, it was interesting despite its short run, gaining a 7.2 of 10.
Departing from the story of Newtypes, the work involves ordinary soldiers as opposed to the before-mentioned types. In the year 0079, some time before the One Year War came to a close, Zeon intelligence forces gain intel on a prototype Gundam, belonging to the Federation in the Artic, prompting an attack on that area by Zeon forces. Among the elite solders was Bernard Wiseman, a rookie in the team of commandoes. However, he and his team fail this mission, as the Gundam is sent into space, landing in Side 6, where the story opens up.
Finding a Federation R&D base, they plan a covert operation to destroy the Gundam found there. However, this fails, and with the exception of Bernard, the entire team meets a fatal end. Sometime later, after crashing his Zaku II Kai, he meets the young Alfred Izuruha and love interest Christina McKenzie, unaware to either that they're enemies, and that she is the test pilot of the prototype Gundam, the RX-78NT-1 Gundam "ALEX". The Gundam in question was the successor to the titular titan of the original series, designed for Amuro Ray, as his Newtype powers were overworking that of the RX-78-2 Gundam. After spotting this failure, and annoyed that Side 6 would side with the Federation, Zeon plans a nuclear strike against it, unless Bernard can somehow destroy ALEX on his own.
This OVA comes as a side story, not bringing much significant to the Universal Century timeline. The OVA itself lasts only 6 episodes, and has been televised on TV in 2001 for English as part of Toonami's Midnight Run, and episodes were rerun afterward for a short while on Adult Swim, sometime after Midnight Run discontinued. Both of these were part of Cartoon Network, with Adult Swim changed, but still continuing. Ian Hawk voiced Alfred, or 'Al', Bernard/'Bernie' is voiced by David Hayter, and Christina is voiced by Wendee Lee in the English localization. Created by Sunrise, it undergone the tradition of redesigning costumes and suits, giving more detail notably to the mobile suits. Because of this, visuals are akin to the reanimating of the in-game cutscenes from games like Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo, where Christina and ALEX make an appearance in.
Gundam 0080 isn't a key addition to the timeline, as the OVA dealt with what they call Oldtypes, and featured no familiar characters. Still, it was interesting despite its short run, gaining a 7.2 of 10.
2011/08/01
Ev4: Otakon
A day late I know, but I returned from Otakon, one of the largest conventions around locally. For the first time going, I enjoyed myself, but only regret not getting a proper camera to vlog about it yet. Maybe the next con, AnimeUSA, will work out differently.
Aside from choosing a far place to stay with pretty much no roommates, the experience was thrilling for the most part. I did have a bit of a financial hassle of the first day, but my family and I, after much searching, got it settled. On the plus side, I did some shopping, got my black wing at last, next to 3 model kits, and a purple bell on a clack collar, like a cat. (Don't ask about why I did that...)
Anyway, I'm back to being broke, and at this point, I'm making efforts to save up for AnimeUSA, which is closer than Otakon in terms of locale for me. Anyway, many people felt unsatisfied. I did too, but only in terms of my hotel stay, though it was nice but costly. Hopefully, I'll upload photos of it soon, after I get the film developed. Signing off for now, this is Seiko Takeda saying: "God bless the spirit of otaku everywhere!"
Aside from choosing a far place to stay with pretty much no roommates, the experience was thrilling for the most part. I did have a bit of a financial hassle of the first day, but my family and I, after much searching, got it settled. On the plus side, I did some shopping, got my black wing at last, next to 3 model kits, and a purple bell on a clack collar, like a cat. (Don't ask about why I did that...)
Anyway, I'm back to being broke, and at this point, I'm making efforts to save up for AnimeUSA, which is closer than Otakon in terms of locale for me. Anyway, many people felt unsatisfied. I did too, but only in terms of my hotel stay, though it was nice but costly. Hopefully, I'll upload photos of it soon, after I get the film developed. Signing off for now, this is Seiko Takeda saying: "God bless the spirit of otaku everywhere!"
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