Infinite Ryvius
[starrater]
Psychological
Phantom Memory Kurau
Alternative title:
Kurau: Phantom Memory
クラウ ファントムメモリー (Japanese)
[starrater]
Descendants of Darkness
[starrater]
Mushi-Shi
[starrater]
Denpa Teki na Kanojo
Alternate Titles: Electromagnetic Girlfriend
Original Japanese Release Date: May 1st, 2009
Episode Length/Run-time: 2 OVA
Summary:
Juuzawa Juu is a typical high school delinquent. One day he is approahed by a girl, Ochibana Ame who claims to be a “knight” of his from a past life. Soon afterwards, a rash of serial killings begin occuring in Tokyo and after one of their classmates is murdered the two team up to try to unravel the mystery and catch the murderer.
Review:
What an interesting anime this is. It exists essentially as a two hour movie and because it’s so engrossing, boy does it fly by quickly. The serial killings make an excellent backdrop for the anime and creates a tense atmosphere fitting of a horror thriller.
Speaking of the murders, this anime doesn’t mess around. Between the gruesome serial killing scenes and the violent and mature content between the sstudents and throughout society, Denpa Teki na Kanojo is definately an anime intended for more mature audiences. Most of the killers victims are either stabbed or beaten to death and then strangled with wire. Juu’s classmate actually gets strung up in a back alley like a puppet.
The character Juuzawa Juu is a very believable and likable high school boy. He is realistic and the actions and reactions of him and most other characters in the anime are generally realistic and give the anime as a whole the feel of having realistic setting.
In addition, because it’s an OVA, the shows art and animation are top notch. The background detail and the fluidity of the movement is quite impressive. It may remind you at times of a Miyazaki or Shinkai film. Also, the character designs are very likeable. I loved the way that the characters looked in this anime. Even the level of detail on the movement of the facial expressions are accurate and make the characters feel more human. I wish that more shows would follow it’s eample and use the same character design style.
If I could come up with just a couple complaints about the anime it would be that there was a lot of character interaction but not enough of the “thriller” genre in the content. By that I mean I wish a few more people had been murdered and I wanted the anime to simply be a little more gritty. I suppose this is a minor complaint though as I was never bored watching this anime. Also, there wasn’t much character background given. Certain things are mentioned but all in all the character development and background history is kept to a minimum. I don’t care if the anime is a 2 hour OVA or 100 episodes, character background should always be given attention, at least for important characters.
[starrater]
Onanie Master Kurosawa
Alternate Titles: None
Original Japanese Release Date: 2005
Episode Length/Run-time: 31 Chapters
Summary:
This manga is about a high school boy, Kurosawa, who likes to imagine the girls in his class and “punish” them while he masterbates in the girl’s bathroom stall. He keeps up his “daily activities” until one day he is caught…
Review:
Kakeru Kurosawa is a boy that likes to masterbate in the girls bathroom. He calls this activity his “daily meal” or “daily activities”. He recalls things that occured during the day that irritated him during class he “punishes” the people involved in the bathroom and relieves his stress. Kurosawa learns that a girl in the class, Kitahara is horribly bullied by the girls in the class. He gets back at one of the girls by gizzing on her clothes. Later, one day Kitahara finds out that he is doing this and she decides to blackmail him into helping her repay the bullies that torment her. She forces him to gizz on peoples gym clothes, text books, or other stuff.
Some people have drawn connections between this manga and deathnote; the “outside in the society attitude” which stems from the fact that Kurosawa is kind of a loner, the kind of person you might think is a serial killer. In addition, he deals “justice” inside the fantasies in his head. He does this while jerking it instead of writing names in a notebook. Also, lots of inner monologues for Kurosawa. However, Kurosawa is a more believeable more mentally stable version of Kira from Death Note.
The plotline of the story takes several phases. There is phase one where Kurosawa is doing a lot of his secret “daily activities” . The story gets very dark after his secret is discovered as the things that the girl, Kitahara, wants him to do get progressively worse and worse. Kurosawa eventually confesses to his deeds and becomes a pariah in his class. Still, taking responsibility actually helps him find friendship and leads to him acting much more socially open. This actually making him a much more decent character. As you might suspect of a manga with so many inner monologues, the development is, believe it or not, actually done suprisingly well, because you do start to sympathize with Kurosawa and he eventually becomes a likeable character. At this point, he is also drawn much more wide-eyed and friendlier looking, which is a nice touch. Then there is the love story aspect to the show. Kurosawa recovers, finds love in an unexpected place and also becomes a hero figure.
This is a great manga. Do not be turned off by the seemingly perverted storyline. The story is much deeper than this and at only 31 chapters is an easy, quick read.
[starrater]
Cat Soup
Alternate Titles: Nekojiru-so
Original Japanese Release Date: 2001
Episode Length/Run-time: 34 Minutes
Summary:
A cat is trying to save his elder sister from death. When he does her soul is ripped into two. He returns half her soul to her but it is not enough to bring her back all the way and she becomes a shell of her former self. He then embarks on a journey to return his sister to her former self.
Review:
I’m just going to say it on this one. Cat Soup is one of those anime that no one has any clue what’s going on. But, because it is presented in a surreal, whimsical, and many times lovely in that odd psychological way people suddenly seem to think it is deep and rich with story and purpose. Because it presents itself as an intellectual soiree into some deep and engaging subject matter or commentary the educated minds that watch it feel as though they are missing something (I’m sure) so to cover and not appear stupid they praise its value and its deep presentation.
Really, Cat Soup is 30 minutes of “huh?” Pretty in many ways, but still “huh?” Random scenes are thrown in there to evoke feeling such as the atomic bomb blowing up, a pig eating itself, prisoners of war being shot. But it’s thrown together in such a haphazard way that it leaves the viewer being more confused than evoked. I get that they’re going through a dreamscape, but nothing other than the fact that it’s a dreamscape really seems to have anything to do with the protagonist or his sister.
What I can, however, praise it for is that it did have a beginning, middle, and end. For 30 minutes, this is pretty good. Even if the presentation came off very animation student project trying out different things for their final requirements it did have the bones of something over being nothing other than those random scenes. The anime also lacks dialogue, which is also impressive to convey a story under such circumstances.
It was directed by Tatsuo Sato, who really hasn’t done much other than being the series director of Ninja Scroll, which could explain a lot now that I think about it…
Overall, this series isn’t a total waste of your life given that it’s only 30 minutes. But I likely wouldn’t buy it from a bargain bin.
[starrater]
Tekkon Kinkreet
Alternate Titles: 鉄コン筋クリート
Original Japanese Release Date: 2006
Episode Length/Run-time: 111 minutes
Summary:
Black and White are two orphans who live like street urchins protecting their home as they see fit from various people and “bad guys” like Yakuza. Where Black has physical strength White has the emotional strength which he can depend on. One day new entrepreneurs show up saying they’re going to destroy Treasure Town for a new amusement park. It falls on the shoulders of Black and White to save their home.
Review:
Like Tekkon Kinkreet, or hate it, it’s an interesting piece of anime history. This was the first time an American director (Michael Arias) has gone to Japan and directed an animated feature entirely within Japan. This means the entire process of drafting, funding and production was done entirely within the Japanese system.
Based off a three volume manga the title is a play on words for “Steel and Concrete.” Upon watching the show the setting “treasure town” lives up to this name and creates a world that is both engaging, dimensional, and interesting while still having a desolate feeling of isolation and removal. It is an ideal animated depiction of urban decay.
The story at it’s core is about human connection, necessity, and abandonment and how much the two children need each other to fill these basic needs. The problem with the anime lies in it’s execution. Points which could’ve been particularly poignant to the viewer fall flat because it’s like a speed trip through this urban wonderland. At important parts of the movie it felt like the director was more focused at showing the viewer what he could do with the animation rather than letting the characters speak for themselves and allowing the viewer to sit with them.
Overall, it’s an above-average film. But knowing what I’ve heard of the manga (even though I’ve not read it myself) it sounds like that may be better if you’re more interested in story than a whirlwind of pretty pictures.
[starrater]
Fooly Cooly
Alternate Titles: Furi Kuri, FLCL
Original Japanese Release Date: 2000
Episode Length/Run-time: 6 ( 30 mins ea. )
Summary:
Naota, your average 6th grade japanese boy, has a brother that leaves for America to play baseball (leaving his 17 year old girlfriend Mamimi behind and homeless). Mamimi sends lots of mixed signals to Naota, who is very confused by this. To top it off, Naota’s life is train wrecked when he gets hit by a crazy woman on a Vespa. She then bludgeons him over the head with her guitar, making him grow a huge horn from his head. His life is forever changed by this so named “Haruko” female, as it plunges into deeper insanity.
Review:
So, how do I describe Fooly Cooly (or at least attempt?). Well, I guess the plot is a cross between a soap opera, a wooden roller coaster, a boxing ring, a huge kamehameha wave, and an insane asylum. Yep. That pretty much describes it.
The animation is pretty good. They incorporate some CG into the show, like the whole “freeze frame, then rotate the scene 3 dimensionally, then unfreeze”. However, the CG does look decent in some scenes. The artwork and choice of imagery is… interesting to say the least.
The characters, well, I didnt really understand why Mamimi is even in this show. If Naota’s brother didnt exist, Mamimi wouldnt have a reason to either. Then theres Haruko, an electric guitar toting alien. Shes kind of insane.. wait, kind of? No, shes definitely insane. Who smacks people over the head with their guitar after reviving them with CPR, after running that same person over with their Vespa? What? It does add some hilarity to the show at the very least. Plus, shes hot, so let her do what she wants!
If the characters didnt get you, how about mecha spewing forth from horns protruding from someones head? Yes, thats right, mecha coming from someones head. Sounds like the animators had a bad acid trip that vomited itself all over their drawings.
On to the music, its filled with music by “The Pillows”, a japanese punk rock band. Perhaps this anime’s whole purpose is to confuse the hell out of the viewer while listening to them. Although, I can’t say I didnt enjoy the music. It went pretty well with all the insanity and fun antics that go on.
Although the review I just gave may sound like I didnt like it, I actually did. Its interesting to say the least. To sum it up into one sentence: “lots of fun and entertainment spewing forth from complete insanity and actions that defy the laws of physics and sensical reasoning”. Phew. However, opinions do vary from viewer to viewer. Maybe I had trouble understanding it. Its only 6 episodes though, so you might as well check it out.
[starrater]
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Alternate Titles: When the Seagulls Cry
Original Japanese Release Date: July 1st, 2009
Episode Length/Run-time: 26 Episodes
Summary:
On the island of Rokkenjima, the head of the wealthy Ushiromiya family, Kinzo Ushiromiya, has called his eight family members to the island in order to discuss how the family assets will be divided up once Kinzo dies. For you see, he is very sick. The island is also inhabitated by numerous servants and a doctor as well. As soon as everybody arrives, a typhoon hits and they are all trapped on the island. To make things worse, people are being murdered.
Review:
This anime makes no sense what so ever. You will be confused to no end while you watch this anime so just be prepared. The bad plot presentation isn’t helped by fac that the show sets a very high bar for itself by having largely the same title as Higurashi. This is a bad move. There are positive aspects to the show but mostly its just confusing and frustrating.
The show ends up being about proving the existence of witches. This is done throw a chess match like battle of wits between Battler and Beatrice. Beatrice will recall something that occurred during the course of the show and explain that it simply couldn’t be done without magic and then Battler will retort that it could have been done this and that way. Of course, in this anime, being that it has connections to Higurashi both in title and in director, its very violent and so many of the scenes that we get to relive are of people being slaughtered like cattle.
The animation is good and I really did like the characters but unfortunately they all die within like the first 2 or 3 episodes. That’s one of the problems, the characters don’t get the needed backstory to make you really interested in their fate or safety. In this way, they’re mostly pawns that are used to just create debating points for Battler and Beatrice.
In the end, I’m not really sure if Battler ever proved the existence of witches. I was so puzzled by what was occuring for most of this anime that I really didn’t find myself enjoying it. I did enjoy the insane violence for the most part but what wasn’t enough to make this show live up to the standards set by its title and director.
[starrater]