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byousoku 5cm

Byousoku 5cm

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Alternate Titles: Byōsoku 5 Centimeter – a chain of short stories about their distance, 5cm per Second, 5 centimeters per second

Original Japanese Release Date: 2007

Episode Length/Run-time: 62 Minutes

Summary:

Three short stories wrapped up into one film follow the life of Takaki Toono from adolescence to manhood.  In each his childhood love Akkane manifests in a different form as their relationship changes with age.

Review:

This film was created by Makoto Shinkai.  One of the most influential and visionary directors (yeah, I said it) of our time.  So, with a name that can do no wrong, and has yet to create anything less than astounding where does Byousoku sit?

One of the things Shinkai is known for is his animation.  Form his distinct, slightly realistic character design to how the light hits everything from puddles of water to blades of grass his perspective is flawless.  His perspective on the world is nothing short of visually stunning.  The colors are vivid and create an amazing setting for a real life story.

Another thing Shinkai also works with often is an overarching theme throughout his films.  Like Voices of a Distant Star looks at time, Byousoku looks at distance.  How there is a difference between physical distance and the distance between two people’s hearts.  The fact that two people can be emotionally close no matter how far they are, or how far apart people can be emotionally even if they’re physically close with each other.

This is a story that anyone who has ever loved can relate to.  As a slice of life there’s not much more to describe and the best thing I can say about this film is simply: Watch it.  By not doing so you are doing yourself a disservice as an anime fan.  Very rarely can something evoke so much emotion from places you didn’t even realize your heart could hurt.

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bamboo blade

Bamboo Blade

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Alternate Titles: None

Original Japanese Release Date: 2007

Episode Length/Run-time: 26 Episodes

Summary:

Toraji is a high school Kendo teacher makes a bet with his friend who is also a kendo teacher that if Toraji can assemble a team which defeats his team then he will give Toraji free meals at a sushi restraunt for a whole year.  Now Toraji is focused on finding girls to join the club, driven by the need for food.  In doing so an unlikely group of girls with their share of quirks are assembled for the kendo team.

Review:

The best way to describe this anime is a harem with no romance.  It’s one guy, a lazy dude bringing a bunch of girls together for food, bringing a bunch of girls together.  And even though it’s about a sport it doesn’t seem to be the focal point of the series.  The relationship is really what’s important between character to character.

This anime is not really about the kendo, don’t walk into it expecting to learn something about kendo.  The Kendo does go through the motions but it’s not really focused on the actual action.  It’s focused on the mental aspects of the game and less on the movements.

As far as plot it’s hard to describe, being a heavy slice of life anime.  The kendo doesn’t come up all that often surprisingly, and trying to get the team together is most of the anime.  Most of the footage is on the girls lives and their day to day lives.  It really attempts to be a slice-of-life anime despite having the sports persona.

It’s enjoyable, yet average.

Reviewed by Neokage from the Otaku Momentum Podcast

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kimi ni todoke 2

Kimi Ni Todoke 2

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Alternate Titles: Reaching Out to You

Original Japanese Release Date: 2011

Episode Length/Run-time: 12

Summary:

Kimi ni Todoke 2 is a continuation of the original Kimi ni Todoke series.  It follows Sawako, meaning “happy child” who is nicknamed “Sadako” from the ring due to her extreme lack of social ability and a number of misunderstandings.  Her two friends, Chizu and Yano, after bringing her out and helping her become accepted by the class in the first season see to it to help the delicate and budding romance between her and the most popular boy in class Kazehaya.  However, will Sawako be able to overcome her insecurities and will the interference of others like the lovely Kurumi or the playboy Kento get in the way?

Review:

May I please take a moment to express, as a girl, how much I LOVE this series.  It’s now 36 episodes long in total, counting both the first and second seasons, but the second season is a convenient 12 episodes.  Anything longer than that would’ve been excessive and have gotten into the way.  The series is produced and completed by the same people as the first with Studio Production I.G. at the helm it follows the 13 book manga that started in 2005 and is still ongoing.  There is also a light novel series which started in 2007.

Now I feel I must preface this review by saying that some of it will be spoilers from the first season just because it is a direct continuation, so if you’re planning on watching the show I leave you with a strong recommendation and telling you to stop here.

So in the first season it was well established that Sawako and Kazehaya had feelings for each other.  They were both generally in love but both too quiet about it to make it obvious.  Or, when one of them did say something it was misunderstood by the other.  Sawako being the main culprit.  This season opens with Valentines day, and the painful experience of Sawako not being able to give chocolates to Kazehaya because they meant far too much.  Thanks Kurumi, yes, she’s back.

The series goes on and Sawako continues to become more accepted by the school on the whole, to the point that she even has another suitor.  But instead of dragging out twisted love triangles to the point of disgust the series takes a realistic approach (I feel) to how the characters interact with each other.  Kazehaya is not pleased of course in the situation and acts how a normal boy would.  Sawako does continue to eff things up though which is borderline annoying.  But as more people in the show begin to see what’s going on between them their assistance helps Sawako and Kazehaya realize the misunderstanding s that have been happening between them.

Is it too late at that point to salvage their budding love?  I’m not going to tell you! Watch the series.  But what I will say from start to finish, first OR second season this series won’t let you down.  The 12 episode length is perfect for the second season, and I almost think they could’ve condensed the whole show down to 24.  The shorter length really forces them to focus on the core of what’s going on and that alone makes it a nose above the first season.  Plus, how they wrap everything up with a neat little bow and just enough to make the fans happy on top of that was a nice touch.

This show really is worth your while if you’re a fan of the slice-of-life comedic romance.  Highly recommended and worth the investment of your time.

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beckmongolianchopsquad

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

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Alternate Titles: ベック (Japanese)

Original Japanese Release Date: 2004-10-06

Episode Length/Run-time: 26 Episodes

Summary:

Tanaka Yukio is your average 14 year old boy, and he knows it. Everything about his life is average from school to home and back, and it’s because of this that he begins to yearn for something more, a purpose and dream to follow. That’s when he meets Ryuusuke, and all at once his life starts to change. He starts learning how to play guitar, winds up in Ryuusuke’s band, learns what it means to strive for something, desire it more than anything else in the world. And that’s not even counting what Ryuusuke’s sister Maho brings to the table.

Review:

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is a masterpiece, hands down. Not only does it take something as simple and powerful as music and break it down in a way that’s almost commendable, but it follows the journey of someone everyone can relate to, a normal, everyday someone experiencing that power for the first time. Music can be a difficult thing to express well in anime, easily brushed off on the one hand or taken too seriously and leaving the viewer feeling intimidated on the other. BECK manages to show the passion in both musician and music while still staying connected to the very real, very present theme that it takes more than just that passion to make it big. It takes hard work and more than your fair share of failures. The characters all learn it in their own way, and grow from it in a way that’s very genuine and awe inspiring to behold. And while the animation style is a little old looking and can be hard to get used to at first, it is easily ignored for that very reason. The characters make themselves real, unusual animation style or not; you love them because of who they are, not the way they’re drawn.

But, as expected, the beauty is in the music, both audibly and visually, the melody and rhythms getting under your skin while each note or guitar riff is intricately drawn out well enough that it looks almost like you’re really watching it being played. Whether you’re subbed or dubbed, the music is bad ass and powerful, pumped full of a certain rock and roll something that makes you want to listen to it all on repeat for days. And even after, it lingers. Though, for reference, if you ARE watching it subbed, much of the music is in Engrish, so be prepared. And the dub for BECK is fantastically done, but it’s only fair to mention that much of what makes this anime great is lost in communication. Which is ironic considering that one of the main themes of BECK is just that: miscommunication/language barriers and how music can overcome it.

This anime is one of the best, possibly THE best in my opinion. Or at the very least, my favorite. It handles delicate teenage issues with a realistically harsh care while still managing to make what could have been a very dry slice of life continuously enthralling, inspiring, and amusing. The characters become friends you can learn from and relate to, while the situations become ones you root for and cry for. All and all, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is worth no less than a 5/5.

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hanamaru kindergarden

Hanamaru Kindergarten

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Alternate Titles: Hanamaru Yōchien

Original Japanese Release Date: 2010

Episode Length/Run-time: 12 Episodes

Summary:

Anzu, Koume, and Hiiragi are three kindergardeners with different personalities, however they all share one want: to attract attention from their teacher Tsuchida.  It’s Tsuchida’s first year teaching and aside from keeping his head above water he’s only interested in the lovely Yamamoto who is the teacher in the classroom next door.

Review:

(Reviewed by Gia from the Anime Vice Podcast)

Studio Gainaz produced this anime and the director is equally wide ranged having worked on the original FMA and Gundam 00.

The main character Tsuchida is lovable and entertaining, having chosen to become a kindergarten teacher to pick up the chicks.  There’s a good deal for example, because Anzu the main character of the students decides she will marry Tsuchida.  But it’s important to note that this is cute, and not pedo.  This anime is innocent and lovable, not designed for peverseness or fanart.

Each episode has a different end sequence which is cool and interesting and it just shows the level of detail what is put into this series.  Its a great sweet slice-of-life series and does have a lot of entertainment factor.

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ponyo on a cliff by the sea

Ponyo

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Alternate Titles: Ponyo: On a Cliff by the Sea, Gake no Ue no Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ)

Original Japanese Release Date: 2008

Episode Length/Run-time: 101 minutes

Summary:

Brunhilda is the eldest daughter of Fujimoto, the caretaker of the seas, and is in the form of a goldfish.  One day she leaves home and is discovered in the tidal pools near his house by Sousuke.  Sousuke names her Ponyo and they quickly fall in love and Ponyo decides she wants to live with him in the human world.  However, this decision does not come without a price.  As the world is thrown into magical chaos Ponyo and Sousuke must set it right.

Review:

Ponyo is a fantastic movie.  From the mind of Hayao Miyazaki it is his own retelling of the story of the Little Mermaid.

The animation is obviously in Miyazaki’s standard style, but the rendering is fantastic.  Despite being done a lot by computers it looks like it is nothing but hand-drawn.  It has a watercolor and pastel-esque style which looks fantastic for the series.

The story is simplistic, and one of the pure love that can be shared only among the innocence of children.  Miyazaki’s take on the Little Mermaid is interesting, and can be seen as a loose interpretation but all the important points are there making the story recognizable.  In fact, one could argue that it’s closer in a number of ways than the Disney classic.

The English voice cast is overall fantastic, since it was Disney that handled the dubbing and was released in feature film theaters.  The only voice that bugged me was Ponyo’s (bad when it’s the main character) which was voiced by the younger sister of Miley Cyrus.  Everyone else is a star cast, such as Iam Nealson, and does a fantastic job.

It’s a 4.5/5 on a Miyazaki scale, just because it’s always better when Miyazaki really makes his own stories rather than copying them or spinning off other existing stories.  But compared to any other anime it’s like a 6/5.

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paradise kiss

Paradise Kiss

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Alternate Titles: ParaKiss

Original Japanese Release Date: 2005

Episode Length/Run-time: 12

Summary:

Yukari is your typical Japanese high school student.  She attends school every day, goes to cram school, obeys her parents to a T, and is at the point of having a mental breakdown over exams.  One day she is spotted by members of a group which calls themselves “Paradise Kiss.”  Students from a local fashion school they pull her into their world as a model for an upcoming competition.  Being renamed Caroline by the team she begins to respect these off-beat people who follow their dreams and their handsome yest mysterious leader/designer George.

Review:

Paradise Kiss is not an anime for your average male.  I never say never, but I will say if you have 20 guys in a room about 1-3, tops, will like or be interested in Paradise Kiss.  That being said, it speaks to the woman in every female.

Yukari/Caroline goes through a coming of age as most women do in their later High School years.  It’s that tender age of beginning to decide for yourself over allowing others, namely your parents and societal expectations to decide for you.  It’s also the age where you begin to make decisions of the risk versus the reward.  And, of course, love.

This is a mature anime, despite it’s appearance of cloths making and modeling.  It deals with premarital sex, relationships, running away from home, and of course love.  A slice of life drama it keeps you hoping and dreaming with Yukari and you really sympathize with her struggle.

The anime is polished and beautiful looking, in the style of Ai Yazawa.  Music isn’t anything notable, other than a good opening song, but it fits the series.  It’s also the perfect length, with very little filler.  And, just as it would be about to get boring it wraps up the series in a nice little bow like a present for your time.

It’s a great series for any girl or fan of fashion or romance.  The masculine man may want to stay away though.

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NANA

NANA

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Alternate Titles: None

Original Japanese Release Date: 2006

Episode Length/Run-time: 47

Summary:

Nana begins with two girls named Nana who meet on a train.  The light haired Nana Komatsu, later nicknamed “Hatchi” (which will be her name here on out) is headed to Tokyo with little vision or goal other than going out to be with her boyfriend.  The dark, short haired rocker Nana Osaki is going to Tokyo with her band the Black Stones, or BLAST for short, to make it big.  Nana’s boyfriend (which is a complicated relationship) is the lead guitar out in Tokyo for a band known as Trapnest, she refused to go out with him in order to make it on her own.  They depart ways only to meet again when looking for an apartment, finding the seemingly perfect place at the same time they agree to move in together and split the rent.

Review:

The summary is really just the tip of the iceberg for this series.  Despite the series being named NANA the main character is really Hatchi (yes I know Nana is her name too but lets face it she is rarely called by it).  The series really follows her and the influence Nana has in her life.  She moves out to Tokyo with this childish notion that she’d get out there and her boyfriend and her would like happily ever after simply by being together.  Without considering things such as jobs, money, a place to live, and the fact that they are not even married.

The series really begins to turn as Hatchi’s heart is really broken for the first time.  (Minor spoiler fine, but it’s a long series)  After that Hatchi begins to find herself as a person.  Nana, on the other hand, is goal oriented and driven from square one, often feeling like an older sister to Hatchi.  She is clearly one whom Hatchi admires and looks up to.

The series has a genuine, and even gritty feel to it.  It’s definitely more mature than your standard Romance shojo series dealing with subjects like sex, drugs, premarital pregnancy, working for a living, love versus security.  A lot of the series is about the sacrifices we make for one thing, over another.  Be it people, or time, or wants, the series really shows that often times to have something you’ll have to forgo something else.

From start to finish it hooks you.  The characters are enjoyable, the series is deep while still possessing some comedic aspects.  There is some filler which could likely be cut from the main story, but it is not your standard run of the mill filler.  It’s filler which develops the characters in ways that are beyond your normal filler standards.

The art is Ai Yazawa who also did Paradise Kiss, so her style is notable and enjoyable.

The music is fantastic, it’s a show about rock stars so it better be! But they found some J-rockers to do all the music and it was very well done throughout the series.

This series is very good, one for a more mature audience and likely female given the heavy romance feel.  But when you really get past the first bit when Hatchi is very innocent then I think it’s something anyone could enjoy because the subject matter darkens a lot.  And a good plot and well developed characters also go a long way.

my neighbors the yamadas

My Neighbors the Yamadas

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Alternate Titles:Houhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun (ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん)

Original Japanese Release Date: 1999

Episode Length/Run-time: 104 minutes

Summary:

The movie tells the story of the real life interactions of the Yamada family in short arcs throughout the film.  They are real life situations from a wife not knowing what to cook for dinner, to children having problems with how “boring” their parents are.  A slice of life with morals and a character-driven story.

Review:

When this film originally opened in Japan it opened on 245 screens and had a production budget of ¥2,360,000,000.  The film was produced by Takahata, co-founder of Studio Ghibli based of the yonkoma manga Nono-chan by Hisaichi Ishii.  It is the only Studio Ghibli film not presented in the traditional Ghibli style but a delicate and storybook-like animation of watercolor and ink.  The animation was the first completely-digital productions from Studio Ghibli and remains a prime example of what digital animation can do for the hand-drawn charm and feel.

The music in this series is delicate and appropriate, getting boisterous and energetic during peak scenes such as forgetting your child in a mall and rushing back.  It flows like the animation and complements the storytelling perfectly.

The storytelling is beautiful, if there was ever a perfect slice of life, this was it.  The family is funny and real, a little bit of every person’s family life in each of the members.  The message is as simplistic and beautiful as the style.  Love your family and treasure them, because in this day in age it’s all too easy to fall apart.

I don’t want to ruin any of this movie because it’s so beautiful that I hope everyone can watch it.  If you’re unsure watch the first 30, no just 12 minutes and you will see everything I mean and more.

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kiminitodoke

Kimi Ni Todoke (Season 1)

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Alternate Titles: From Me to You, Reaching Out to You, 君に届け

Original Japanese Release Date: 2008

Episode Length/Run-time: 25 Episodes

Summary:

Kuronuma Sawako (whose name means “happy child”) is a well meaning high-school girl.  She is kind, and often looks to give others the benefit of the doubt, perhaps out of her nature or out of naivety.  However, she is awkward in social situations, often giving off a creepy, brooding, nature.  Which earns her the nickname “Sadako” after the creepy child from the ring.  One day Shōta Kazehaya the most popular boy in her class befriends her after seeing her true nature and Sawako’s dream of having friends and clearing up the “misunderstandings” begins.

Review:

What’s this anime in one word?  Sweet.

From start to finish it’s a tender story full of sweet, sincere, and funny characters.  Their interactions are well played out with the appropriate amount of believable-ness that you can relate to their problems and what they’re going through.  But at the same time they don’t left this level of realism let the story be transfered into the realm of the boring.

Sawako is a character who makes you fall in love with her.  Her awkwardness while over the top resonates with anyone who has ever been misunderstood or has come across the wrong way.  You just want to see her succeed, and you know what’s the best part? She does! That’s not really a spoiler as this starts to happen early in the series.  But the key becomes the fact that it’s not just getting people to befriend her but maintaining it and watching it flourish.

Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship is sweet.  It did get to a point though where it was confusing where Kazehaya expressed his feelings and Sawako said she wasn’t ready, which is fine.  But as the series develops she does seem “ready” and they seem to act like nothing ever happened.

Its the perfect slice of life series I’d recommend for any girl or lover of light comedic romance.  Definitely well recommended.

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