Kamisama Kazoku

Kamisama Kazoku
神様家族
God Family

,Kamisama Kazoku is a 2006 anime consisting of 13 half hour episodes. This anime can be described as a love comedy. It doesn’t quite fit the Harem Rule.

Samatarou Kamiyama is god’s son and is in the human world for “training.” Tenko (pink hair) is his energetic guardian angel. These two, together with his goddess mother, Venus, and two sisters, Misa and Meme, are all living in the human world, and making Samatarou’s life – not normal. Not to mention his dad. (all the stoplights are switched to walk on Samatarou’s way to school.) The first part of the series is about Samatarou attempting to woo a beautiful transfer student, Kumiko Komori (dark sailor fuku) and his frustration at his family’s supernatural interferences,  how he comes to terms with being the son of god, and Tenko’s feelings while attempting to help. The second part deals more with the supernatural like devils, angels, and deities, and how Tenko deals with Samatarou and Kumiko-chan’s relationship. Samatarou also grows up more as a god, beginning to treasure his family more. Explores the concept of allowing hatred to overcome self and redemption.

Despite the description being mostly about Samatarou, Tenko, and Kumiko and their relationships, the title explains it better. It’s about the family, and the family is HILARIOUS. Venus, the mother and high goddess of love, acts very childish, loving cosplay and yoga poses. She embarasses Samatarou horribly, and is incredibly vain about her age and beauty. (gets mad about being called oba-chan) In the end, she is still a charismatic, compassionate mother figure.
Misa is the older sister and a goddess candidate, who loves being in her underwear and manipulating people. She likes laughing at Samatarou’s unfortunate situations. A well-endowed, pretty, tough girl.
Meme is the younger sister and also a goddess candidate. She tries to be a “cool” (emotionless) character, but will sometimes slip up. Enjoys playing pranks.
Osamu, the father, is usually away on god duties, but he is impulsive as well as being all powerful.

The color pallette is vivid, and the animation is alright, (I enjoy watching Fumiko’s movements). The shadows sometimes shift, or don’t shift, whichever is inappropriate. The art is pretty, though. During critical scenes, animation is pretty good. But, animation can get cheap during repetitive scenes. Samatarou’s character development is believable, though Tenko became a bit annoying in her jealousy and simple-mindedness.

I don’t recommend it as a must-see anime, but it is amusing if you like silly hijinks and high school love sitch. The end makes it feel worth watching, and pacing is good.

K-On!

K-On!
けいおん!

K-on! is a 2009 anime that is currently on-going, assumed 12-13 episodes. It can be classified as “Moe” and “Slice-of-Life.”

K-On! is about a high school popular music (light music) club. K-On focuses on the little slice-of-life things from trying to make a band and learning an instrument on top of juggling school. It is very much a stylized-moe anime, so if Lucky Star pissed you off, don’t watch K-On. It’s even MORE moe pandering.

That being said, I LIKE K-On. It’s like Lucky Star in that the unimportant things are pointed out to be humorous, but don’t compare it with Lucky Star too much. Don’t over-analyze it; just take K-on! at face value and I guarantee it’ll be more enjoyable.

The animation is, as usual Kyo-Ani, very well done, and this time the bg music is commendable. Nothing grand or amazing, but cute and catchy. Which is the point and essence of K-on. Cute and catchy. There are running gags, and all the charas are super moe. Mio is a little over-the-top cute, in my opinion. It’s like every moe trait was crammed into her, which makes me feel like she’s just a container of moe traits sometimes. Most people label her as their favorite character, though, and it’s undeniable that moe-blobs are crowd-pleasers. My fave chara has to be the airheaded Yui, since she’ll do what she wants to without caring about public opinion (air guitar in the middle of the sidewalk). Though I’ll admit she annoyed the heck out of me in the first coupla episodes, she really grew to be a likeable, happy-go-lucky character.

I know there’s negative opinions out there. I acknowledge the “Kyo-ani is trying too hard to make sales with the moe,” but that’s about all I am willing to tolerate. “The gags are cheap,”  “There’s no plot/it’s moving too slowly,” etc… Yeah yeah, but that’s the freaking point of a slice-of-life. It’s SLICE OF LIFE, guys. Don’t expect an opus!  Anyway, the one opinion out there that pisses me off is “Where’s the music?! It’s supposed to be about music! It should be more like Beck!” (which is also a good anime, but that’s neither here nor there.)

… Have you READ the manga? It’s not an anime about music, folks! It’s about high school girls who just happen to want to do a band. Don’t watch it if you want an anime all about how some girls form a band and get their music on the way to stardom. They play girl-pop for goodness’ sake. And WHY are people comparing it to Beck?! THEY’RE NOT IN THE SAME GENRE. It’s like comparing a 5-cent romance novel with Shakespeare. You watch K-On! for the giggles and $#it, not for drama and inspiration.
Seriously, people. The only MAJOR problem I see with K-On! is that people over-estimated it, or just expected something out of it that was never there to begin with. If you don’t like high school, slice-of-life, moe comedy, then why are you watching it and then complaining that it’s just a high school, slice-of-life, moe comedy?
Oh, and the complaint that the characters “magically” get good at playing … well, I’ll admit I’m more tolerable of that since I read the manga and know that Yui is SUPPOSED to have ridiculous, innate skillz (with a last name like Hirasawa, it makes sense). But do remember, shogun, that the first 3 episodes covers a span of 3/4ish months. If Yui doesn’t do anything but go to class and practice guitar after school until midnight, which is what is suggested… And then the other girls are already good at what they do, and they practice all summer vacation together … c’mon. It makes sense they can pull off a reasonable live after summer vacation.

Ahem. Sorry, read 1 too many negative reviews about how K-On! doesn’t seem to have a plot, or isn’t as good as Beck. In short, I like K-On! It’s cute and funny, and the OP, ED, and Inserts tend to be cute and catchy. It sometimes goes overboard on the moe, but it’s a very endearing slice-of-life. I was very impressed that the voice actresses sing the OP, ED, and Inserts, and on a good level. I will admit it seems a bit pointless and vapid at times, but isn’t that the charm of slice-of-life?

Mononoke

Mononoke
モノノ怪

Not to be confused with Princess Mononoke, Mononoke is a 2007 anime consisting of 12 30-minute episodes.

The animation is VERY stylized, painting scenes with bright colors and textures and giving off a very “picture book” feel. It sometimes utilizes blocky and over-exaggerated movements purposefully. Flash view changes are also abundant, to the point of disorientation. This can be a little off-putting for some people, but I feel that it suits Mononoke’s story well, though a little over the top.

Mononoke follows the Apothecary, an unknown man who destroys mononoke, a type of ayakashi (spirits/monster things). However, to say the anime is about the Apothecary is a grave mistake. In each story arc, he takes a background role as a prompter to other characters in order to move the story along. (At least until it is time to destroy the mononoke.) I’d say the story is more about the interaction between mononoke and humans, and why the Apothecary has to exist to destroy the mononoke.

For the Apothecary to be able to unsheathe his sword, the Demon-Slayer, he must first learn the mononoke’s Form (Katachi), Truth (Makoto) and Reason (Kotowari). Most of the story in each arc is trying the wheedle these things out in order for the Apothecary to “release” his sword. BTW, I think his sword is intelligent. When the Demon-Slayer is released, the Apothecary … switches bodies? I don’t really know what happens, but the Apothecary’s usual form disappears, and a tanner man clad in gold takes his place, presumed to still be the Apothecary, but who knows.

Warning; the 1st story arc, the Zashiki-Warishi, is confusing as heck. Nothing is explained, determined, etc. Please follow the Zashiki Warishi story immediately with the 2nd story arc, Umibouzu. They explain things there.

Actually, most of Mononoke is confusing. I suggest watching it several times, because each time I’ve watched it I’ve noticed new things that either help me understand each story a little better, or confuses me further. That being said, the over-arcing theme of human desires, fears, and deception is pretty easy to pick up, the Apothecary mentioning many times that mononoke are dangerous because of human involvement in its creation, and each mononoke generally originating from some dark human secret. But do be prepared to be confused, or at least disoriented, from the surreal animation and story-telling. I am often very confused as to whether what I’m watching is the present or past, or if a certain length of time just disappeared or what have you.

Though not meant to be comedic, Mononoke has its moments that make me snicker if you like petty, subtle humor. For example: the first time the Apothecary is caught off-guard; his “facade” when he loses his face; when he cuts the nue; the comment on his outfit in the last arc.

All in all, I recommend this anime for those who enjoy surreal shows. Also those who enjoy xxxHolic and Jigoku Shoujo might like the philosophy employed by the Apothecary. I will admit its a rather polarizing anime, so watch it to see if it strikes your fancy.

Speed Grapher

Speed Grapher
スピードグラファー

Speed Grapher is a 2005 anime consisting of 24 30-minute episodes. It can be classified as “ecchi,” “action,” “drama,” and “occult.”

WATCH IT. I found this anime by looking up Gonzo studios, so I don’t know how known Speed Grapher is, but it should be much better known.

Saiga was a war photographer, bored after getting called back to Tokyo. Attempting to expose a “secret club,” he discovers that the wealthy and famous are getting all their sick and twisted fantasies fulfilled through the club, including the involvement of their Goddess, Kagura. Poor Kagura, 15, is led to believe she has nightmares about participating in the “ritual ceremony,” as she is hypnotized for her role. (Her mother also abuses her, starving her and taunting her. Her mother does not know about Kagura’s role.)

Saiga is quickly found out, mesmerized by Kagura’s entrance into indiscreetly taking a picture, and is brought up to the platform, where Kagura frenches him, subconsciously hoping he would save her. It turns out her saliva will activate a dormant virus that grants superhuman powers related to the carrier’s deepest desires (The awakened are called Euphorics). And so, Saiga has gained the power to make things explode by taking pictures of them.

They are soon on the run as Saiga “frees” Kagura, Saiga trying to keep Kagura safe as well as help both of them find out what’s going on.� I’m only half way through, but … IS SO GOOD.

The “ecchi” isn’t for fetish this time, but grotesqueness. They mince nothing, from blood to torture to sex. Like when a dancer Euphoric obsessed with limberness breaks a girl’s arm, a diamond Euphoric bites off a girl’s finger to eat her ring, and a dentist Euphoric … well… ugh.

Though the action can be somewhat slow at times, for some reason I don’t get pissed. It justs makes me impatient. The story and suspense is enough to keep you coming back. It’s a sick, twisted story, but Saiga and Kagura, though being the only foils, are like little glimmers of hope out of the depravity. Animation could be better. My first impression was that it was from 2000-2002, not a 2005 show. It’s a little rough at times, but there ARE quite a few impressive scenes. Voice actors, especially Kagura’s, are win.

There is some nice subtle humor. Kagura getting accepted into a group of transvestites for one, and Ginza, a policewoman way into getting in Saiga’s pants, will shoot, saying “That was self-defense,” and “Don’t make me self-defense you.” There’s more of course, but in general the anime is very serious, as it is a commentary on Consumerism and Materialism in modern society.

WATCH IT!!! Unless you’re squeamish, then avoid. I just avert my eyes and cringe at the painful scenes. I think I just really like the idea of an ace-photographer who was always on the front battlelines suddenly having to put to use his gutsiness in new and innovative ways.

(And episode 7, nice twist. Was NOT expecting that little turn of events.)

Burn Up! Excess

Burn Up! Excess

バーンナップEXCESS

This is an old ‘un. Burn Up Excess is a 1997 anime consisting of 13 30-minute episodes. It is the 3RD incarnation of the Burn Up! anime. Burn Up! W is the 2ND incarnation and is the only other one that holds a similar story, with all the characters in the same cast. Burn Up Excess can be described as “ecchi” and “action.”

Rio is the tough, energetic, hand-to-hand combat expert of a secret police organization, WARRIOR. WARRIOR was created to bypass administration red-tape in dire situations. You can figure out the main premise from here, but what about the plot?

I was first introduced to Burn Up!, the 1st incarnation, and it sounded … lame. Admittedly, that was only a 50 minute OVA, but I had no desire to watch it. Then I came across Excess and figured that at least I’d have something to complain about and get a laugh at the boob/skirt physics. Lmao, it’s SO GREAT. What made it great was all the characters remained at least marginally important. I’ll admit that Nanvel, the dark-skinned hottie, was a tad … superfluous … but because of the subtle hints of Rio genuinely caring for her and vice versa, it was overlookable.

What got me first was Rio. One look and I thought, Ugh. Blonde ditz bimbo who’s there just for boobage and fantasies. Well, I was wrong. Rio’s always in debt … because she puts herself there. I loved that she wasn’t in debt because of poor environment, unsteady jobs … no. Rio’s always out of money because she loves to shop before paying bills and eating. She wants to marry for money to ditch her civil servant role. And she’s not a cop for various pitiful reasons. It’s a steady job with some excitement, that’s all. And Maya (green hair) is a CRAZY mf! Give her guns and -EEEHEHEHE! – the maniacal laughter comes out.

Okay, about the ecchi. It’s … not that bad. Not many panty shots, but lots of boob shots. LOTS of boob shots. Some suggestive scenes, but it always turns out to be comedic. VERY comedic. But a lot of fanservice nonetheless, like Maya getting her boobs squeezed by everyone and their mother in one episode (almost literal). It’s mostly posing ecchi (like a discussion in underwear), and not expressly pointed out in anything but visuals. Oh, Yuji (the only guy in WARRIOR), is a leg fetishist and a general perv, though. He usually gets that crap beaten out of him.

That being said, I liked how Yuji was actually GOOD at what he does (piloting) instead of just being thrown in there for giggles and laughs. He’s a perv, but when it comes down to it, he’s still generally liked by the girls to build a good team dynamic, as well as being on top of his game. Heck, I liked how all the characters were good at what they do. Rio’s AMAZING at hand-to-hand, Maki (blue-hair) is a formidable administrative pro, Lilica (pink) is always integral in computers, Maya … though not always integral she IS the firearms pro, and Nanvel … well, she invents stuff. Questionably admirable. But the group always succeeds their missions in a very believable way without you wondering, “How do those ditzes accomplish anything.”

Oh, another thing I liked. There are only two romances in this anime. One of them is between Rio … and a tank. Yeah, that’s right. A military tank (with AI of course) “falls in love” with Rio. It was surprisingly touching. The other romance would spoil too much if I told you what happened. Even though this anime is all about fanservice, all the girls are pretty virtuous, if a little carefree about dress. Rio appears to believe in sex after marriage (and is hinted as a virgin), while all the other girls are pretty “don’t touch unless you wanna lose that hand.”

With the comedic aspect is a dark underlying enemy in every episode, being funny with a bit of dark tension. And, for a decade old animation, it runs pretty smoothly and prettily. It has some repetitive animation (in the tight-budget way), but it’s overlookable. I recommend at least a peek for curiosity’s sake. (Transvestite jewel-smugglers and a panty thief!)

xxxHolic: Kei: Overview

xxxHolic: Kei
×××ホリック: 継
xxxHolic: Continuation

xxxHolic: Kei is a 2008 anime consisting of 13 30-minute episodes. It can be classified as “occult” and “comedy.” It is the 2ND season of xxxHolic. That being said, for maximum viewing pleasure it’s advised to watch the 1st season first.

I LOVE xxxHolic, being introduced to the title through the 1st season anime, then the manga, and then the 2nd season anime. It’s my personal opinion that you can’t fully appreciate the 1st season anime if you’ve seen the 2nd season or manga, because they made quite a few changes to plot and made it a little less epic, but this post isn’t about the 1st season.

xxxHolic Kei is GORGEOUS. It has deviated from it’s predecessor in both animation and storytelling, the color palette being much more vibrant and eerie feeling. Whereas in the 1st season the animation felt awkward in the tight-budget kinda way, the second season kept the long awkward look for artistry, but made the animation much more fluid. In short, the animation and art yelled “artistic!” this time ’round. It’s very stylistic, which suits xxxHolic.

xxxHolic is about the exploits of high-schooler Watanuki Kimihiro, a boy who can see and attract spirits, and Yuuko Ichihara, a witch who will grant any wish for an equal price. Watanuki is working for Yuuko to pay the price to remove his ability to see and attract spirits. In this 2nd season, it covers several story arcs from the manga that are crucial to Watanuki’s character growth and explores his relationships with the people around him. I love how very Japanese xxxHolic is. From the Japanese occult and myths to Watanuki’s life and cooking, xxxHolic does not repress the Asiatic feel that it should have.

I was very impressed at how xxxHolic:Kei. Instead of drawing out some scenes that many series would choose to have 3-7 episodes to describe, xxxHolic: Kei condensed them into one episode-ers. On the other side, though, they nipped another arc in the bud, which was a real shame for manga-viewers and left anime-only fans a little confused at the importance of a new character. This season had a sense of finality to it, though, so perhaps the higher-ups didn’t want to leave any loose ends. There may very well not be a 3rd season.

Go check xxxHolic and xxxHolic:Kei out. I’ll be posting an episode-by-episode review of xxxHolic:Kei, because I luffs it so much.

Lucky Star

Lucky Star
らき☆すた

I’m always in the mood for this light-hearted anime. Lucky Star is a 2007 anime consisting of 24 30-minute episodes. It can be classified as “comedy” and “slice of life.”

If you can get past the sometimes-annoying OP, you’re in for a real gem of otaku culture. Some people have decried it as “they’re just trying to sell this anime with moe!” but … it’s really freaking funny. The humor does not need the cute-schoolgirlness to stand on its own.

Tsukasa, Kagami, Miyuki, and Konata are high school girls. About midway through the new freshmen Tamara, Patty, Minami, and Yutaka, are thrown into the fray. That’s the premise of the show. No, really. That’s kinda it.

The animation is gorgeous, which you may find it strange to say, since at first glance it’s so simple-looking. Despite the clean-cut simplicity, all the animation is very fluid and believable. There’s also a LOT of shading that’s not glaringly obvious unless you’re paying attention to it (a good thing; shading can be difficult to animate and can end up looking choppy). The backgrounds are also very well done, and the transition from “normal” to “SD” isn’t overdone.

The first time I watched it, I was at a loss. Was there a point of opening it with a discussion on how the girls eat certain things? To the difference of the flu vs a cold? To Kagami being sick? And Miyuki being afraid of contacts?
About midway it hit me: No, not really. And that’s the point: there’s nothing as humorous as everyday life. It’s slice-of-life to the extreme, in that it really is just about everyday life. No additives. So how is it so funny? It just is! The seemingly inane discussions are very familiar. Soon, instead of trying to figure out the point of things I was laughing along and thinking, “oh yeah, my friends and I talked about this kind of stuff all the time.”

This anime is especially a shout-out to the girl-geek-otakudom.
Konata… is the stereotypical Japanese otaku. She plays ero and bishoujo games (underage) as well as MMORPGs, reads manga, tapes anime and buys merchandise to a point of OCD, cosplays, but can’t draw. Konata ignores her grades in favor of gaming.
There’s lots of girl talk with an obvious geek/otaku flare, which makes it a lot of fun. I think guys can get into it, too, because it’s not overly feminine interests. As stated before, it’s everyday-life gab. They hardly talk about clothes, shoes, or makeup at all outside of “Cosplay?!” The girls are very likeable, though they are all very different. Probably because they seem so realistic, as if they were those girls in your high school English class.

Oh, if you haven’t watched the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya yet, you may miss a lot of references. Because of the geek flare, there are  a LOT of references to different anime, but Haruhi has the most (they can get away with it since it’s the same co). References to anime like Initial D, Gundam, etc, as well as obscure singers and old TV commercials run rampant. Things like that always feel a little like geek gold when you know what they’re from.

Obviously, I like this anime and recommend it. You may find it a little dull the first time through. But strangely, there’s usually a second time … If you’re going with a fansub, I strongly suggest [a.f.k] … I mean … go with Bandai’s release, since Lucky Star is licensed by Kadokawa in the US.

(But seriously, afk not only translates for meaning but also the situation so that it reads very realistically. For example, urusai is translated as “zip it”, “shut it”, “shut up”, and “you’re annoying” depending on context. Though this doesn’t always work for some anime, Lucky Star takes it really well and afk knows when and how to use it.)

Jigoku Shoujo

Jigoku Shoujo
地獄少女
Hell Girl

The first thing that struck me about this anime was its beautiful animation and its difficult content, and how it seemed to parallel with Enma Ai’s pretty face and her darker objectives.

Jigoku Shoujo is a 2005 anime consisting of 26 30-minute episodes. It is the 1st season, the second season being Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori. It can be classified as “occult” and “drama.”

I will give you warning: This can be one of the MOST frustrating animes to watch. The Hell Correspondence will take revenge for you, ferrying your hated straight to hell, though you will follow when you die. Enma Ai and her support are the revenge takers, Ai the one who ultimately ferries the wretched victims while her support torments them first. The person requesting revenge will receive a straw doll (one of Ai’s support in doll form) with a string around its neck. If they truly desire to take revenge, they should pull the string and at that moment their object of revenge will disappear from the world.

A cool concept, and it’s wonderfully executed in this story, buut … if you’re the kind who loves justice to be served and right is right and wrong is wrong … this will be a considerably difficult anime to watch. Jigoku Shoujo does not “mince words” when it comes to human nature. The people who call on Ai sometimes just want to make their lives easier by causing their hated to disappear. Sometimes the people are just to afraid to take actions into their own hands and so have Ai do it for them. Most disregard, or don’t understand the weight of, the idea that they will also go to hell. Almost always the string is pulled when the revengers undergo heavy emotional stress – the type where you get angry enough to do things you’ll later regret.

Ai and co don’t help matters, and why should they? They don’t want to help people, they want to do their jobs, which is making tons of these contracts to bring people into hell. And they never entice people themselves. Ai is always sought out, and does nothing to directly influence the decision being made. Of course the Hell Correspondence services will be abused. It’s the easiest way out, and Ai and co who perform the service are more than willing.

For me, this was an amazingly realistic look at human nature and the detestable things within that people try to ignore. The idea that someone would want another to go to hell is powerfully ugly. The weakness and desire for any easy way out in people is more than apparent in this anime. If you watch it with “people can and will do anything” in mind instead of “I hope bad people go to hell,” it’s a lot more tolerable, and in fact interesting. For me, it really cemented the idea that the desire to send someone to hell is worse than committing murder, but no one really understands that.

Jigoku Shoujo has crisp animation with vibrant, deep colors and full-bodied backgrounds. Enma Ai’s large red eyes and eerily calm voice always sends a bit of a chill through me as she asks her victims, “Want to try dying this once?” If you like the occult but not too much gore (that’s me; I hate blood but love horror), this is a wonderful chance. It really hits home that the most frightening thing is human nature, considering you’re contrasting human nature directly against Ai and co who are trying to bring people to hell.

I recommend giving Jigoku Shoujo at least a try. You may be tempted to yell at the screen, no matter how beautiful and eerie it can be, and you may be turned off it. I still feel that everyone should watch it once and ask him/herself truthfully: What would I do?

What would I be capable of?

Kino no Tabi

Kino no Tabi
キノの旅
Kino’s Journey

A girl named Kino and her talking motorcycle, Hermes, travel through different countries, seeing how people live. It sounds a little whimsical, very light-hearted, and innocent. Watch episode 2. The first 2:13 minutes alone will convince you of otherwise. The first 31 seconds, if you’re not counting the OP sequence.

Kino no Tabi is a 2003 anime consisting of 13 30-minute episodes. It can be classified as “adventure.”

I thought I’d be getting a cute adventure story about a girl and her motorcycle. What I got was something deep, heartfelt, and somber. The color palette reflects the seriousness of the issues addressed in Kino no Tabi. It’s very muted, though the scenery is well drawn.

Kino herself defies the description in the 1st paragraph. She’s a young girl, probably at the cusp of puberty, who can be mistaken for a young boy. At her age, she’s become philosophical, a little jaded, and a nearly perfect shot with her pistols. The weaponry she carries is … a lot of knives. A lot of firearms. Hermes IS a talking motorcycle, but he’s very cynical as well as Kino’s companion.

Kino has two rules regarding her travels: She can only stay 3 days and she cannot get involved with the country’s customs. Each country she visits has one attribute about it that is exaggerated grotesquely for commentary. Ultimate devotion to a prophecy, over-censorship, genocide for peace, being able to understand each others’ thoughts, etc, etc. It’s not a feel good show, that’s for sure.

The way it’s set up, each topic and episode is very artistically done to induce thought, not just repulsion as most commentative shows go. Kino’s silent musings and then explanations for Hermes show only Kino’s thoughts and not her thought processes, so the viewer must often attempt to grasp her feelings for themselves. Hermes helps facilitate the process as he is often, to a greater extent than the viewer, feeling a little lost at Kino’s conclusions. It’s not that the viewer cannot get to Kino’s conclusion, but that he/she must think it through, however briefly, that’s the gold-mine of this series.

The slow pace contrasts the heavy emotions wonderfully, and Kino is a superbly done character who can fade in and out with her presence, emphasizing what needs to be emphasized and helping the viewer switch from observer to active participant.

This show is worth a look at, at the very least, the first episode. The second is an eye-opener. I won’t recommend this series for a sit-back-and-enjoy show, because it’s not. It will engage you and leave you asking questions about yourself and what you believe.

It’s good. It’s very good.
The rich, indulgent chocolate in an industry of marshmallow.

Burst Angel

Burst Angel
爆裂天使,
Bakuretsu Tenshi

A 2004 anime consisting of 24 30-minute episodes. Burst Angel can be classified as “sci-fi,” “action,” and “mecha.”

I could NOT get past the first two episodes. So why on earth would I write a review? Because I was able to predict EVERY FSKING THING that was going to happen from the first two episodes. Ok, that was a little cruel. But the surprising accuracy I had from my predictions was a little sad, so we’re even.

I picked up this anime with eager expectations. Cute girls, a cute guy, mecha, gunfights, oh yeah. What I got was … an Evangelion wannabe. Seriously. It was like someone went, “OMG! Let’s make Rei and Asuka lesbo lovers!!111!!!!lolz!” and then planned the story out from there.

So you have Jo, the Rei-like chick gone butch, and Meg, the obvious Asuka tsundere. Together with Amy, a character to pull out the loli-smart cast, and Sei, sexy leader Chinese chick (I’m assuming she’s Chinese due to her outfit), they are a band of mercenaries. An unfortunate Kyohei has been enlisted to cook for them, the poor guy feeling very superfluous.

Alright, setting cheap jokes and comparisons to Evangelion aside – for now. From the first episode, you have no idea what’s going on. Not necessarily bad, and it introduced Kyohei’s uselessness outside the kitchen and Meg’s penchant for getting kidnapped. The characters are horribly one-dimensional. From the very first word out of Meg’s mouth, I thought “Tsundere! Probably damsel in distress to offset it.” About Amy and Kyohei: “Superfluous characters.” About Sei: “She’s probably going to die for the organization.”
Really. Amy had NO presence. Nothing about her shouted, “I am here and I exist!” They could have switched her out with an AI easily. I forgot she existed after watching the two episodes. Everything about Kyohei screamed “wuss” and “pussie.” I bet his entire existence is to make the girls look better. He’s a bridge to regular civilian life at best, at worst a slave to the girls. The ease Meg got kidnapped made it painfully clear that her role in life is to get rescued by Jo. My guess on Sei is the stereotypical Chinese leader woman cast.

The even more painful thing is that I’m usually able to get through an anime at least once if there’s explosions and gunfights. I love action scenes. I will ignore poor characters and story for a good ol’ fast paced shoot-out, often skimming episodes to get to them. But … The battles were SO BORING! AGH! It was kinda “bang. bang. clang. oh noes.” Even the mecha fight! And the big explosion at the end of ep 2? boo. For me, this anime has nothing to redeem it, since I’m a heterosexual woman. For a guy, well, Meg’s well-endowed at least.

Now about my sadly accurate predictions. I paralleled Burst Angel with Evangelion immediately, though something I hate doing is in-genre comparisons during the first viewing. So, assuming Jo -> Rei, I assumed she was some sort of government engineered weapon. Probably a more-advanced one to the glowing brain cybots. Their persecution of cybots with glowing brains will end at some point, because of a gut feeling I had. It didn’t feel like the cybots had any point. Maybe Jo will have some sort of adversary, probably in the government or a fellow engineered weapon, and their mercenary group will be dissolved. Jo will be captured and then break free. Seeing as the main point of the story is Jo and Meg’s relationship, the series would end either them breaking free and leaving everything behind or Jo dead and Meg going psycho in an attempt to become Jo. And of course Sei would be dead, that idea being a joke on my part on the stereo-typing of the absolute loyalties Chinese women have. The mercenary group would not survive as a whole. Amy and Kyohei will probably drop out of the story as main characters early on.

… I do not care to say which parts are accurate and which aren’t. For goodness’ sake, my prediction was structured on poor plot-development based on character cast stereotypes and “it would be cool if” ideas. (Y’know, how most people write their first ever stories without regarding plot or theme.)

If you just want a shoot-em-up anime, this is not the one to watch. If you want a good, engaging story, this is not the one to watch. If you want hot girl characters you can easily categorize waving guns around, go for it. I won’t be picking it up again.