Black Cat
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B
Byousoku 5cm
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
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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Barefoot Gen
Alternate Titles: Hidashi no Gen
Original Japanese Release Date: 1983
Episode Length/Run-time: 83 minutes
Summary:
Gen lives with his mother, father, and little brother in Hiroshima 1945 =. It has been 3 years since the conflict with the U.S. began and the trials of the war have begun to take their toll on the country of Japan. Despite the scarcity of food and other necessities they work to make their lives happy and the best they can. However on the 6th of August 1945 everything changes with the dropping of the first atomic bomb in human history. Gen’s fight for survival begins in the tattered remains of what once was his normalcy.
Review:
Barefoot Gen began as a 10 volume manga running from 1983-1984. It was later produced into a feature film in 1983 with a sequel in 1986. There have also been a number of novels and live action movies and TV series paired with the series.
I think what makes this movie so impacting is it’s creator: Nakazawa. Nakazawa is a survivor of the atomic bombing himself and produced this manga to tell his story and the story of all those who lost their lives and who had to live through the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Knowing this the anime becomes all the more impacting. However, also knowing this you have to understand that the anime is being told from the experiences of a survivor who made it through but this is going to add a spin to his story.
The story doesn’t really begin until the bombing. While it starts the day before this acts as a set-up for everything which is to come. When the bombing happens gen is separated from his family and what ensues is a grotesque and historically accurate series of images. People’s flesh melt off, their eyes boil and pool from their eyes, their clothing burns away in an instant. Those that do survive are left as wandering corpses desperately thirsty for water and aid. The scenery changes in an instant to a hellish landscape where everything is destroyed. Gen navigates through this back to his family only to see his house ablaze. Only his mother escapes and they watch in horror as his little brother and father burn to death before their eyes. They attempt to sleep, but cannot rest, haunted by the screams of the injured throughout the city.
Gen’s mother, pregnant, gives birth to a baby girl prematurely. Since no midwife or doctor can be found Gen must attempt to aid in the delivery of the baby. The baby is delivered and now Gen must look after himself and his mother and newborn sister as the patriarch of the family.
This movie is one heartbreak after another. Just when things seem to be going good they crush you again. The overall hopelessness hangs over the viewer and character like a dense haze that cannot be lifted. What likely makes it even more unbearable is the fact that it is historically accurate on many levels.
That is not to say though the movie is perfect. Sometimes it does seem sensationalized. This anime is never uttered because of the fact that it just doesn’t stand up in production to other WWII anime such as grave of the fireflies and took significantly longer to see a DVD release. The music is lacking and the animation shows its age clearly.
That being said the content and commentary alone is enough to put it on anyone’s must-watch list. The overall message, despite the sorrow, is one of the perseverance and strength of the human spirit. Leaving the viewer on a hopeful note compared to other films and works. This sometimes is criticized for seeming unrealistic but in my opinion it is a powerful message to a good movie.
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BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
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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Baccano!
Alternate Titles: バッカーノ！ (Japanese)
Original Japanese Release Date: 2007-07-26
Episode Length/Run-time: 16 Episodes
Summary:
Set in 1930’s New York, Baccano! follows various characters through a decade or so of six degrees of separation, showing their own lives as well as those of the people they come in contact with. The story can be broken down into many different plot lines, from the general inner workings of the city, Mafia, bootlegger and civilian alike, to the dangerous occurrences aboard the Transcontinental Flying Pussyfoot, to the adventures of many an immortal introduced throughout the series. All fates intertwine, each character’s fate practically in the hands of the stranger in the next car.
Review:
Practically a work of art, Baccano! manages to pull of something only ever rarely done well: time jumping in a coherent and entertaining manner. Though it still may need to be watched a few times to truly comprehend and appreciate the little nuances of theatrical time travel, it is a re-watching that would be both willing and utterly well worth it. The plot manages to stay practically 100% sound throughout its leap from year to year, answering questions at the same time that new ones are asked, coming full circle and tying up any loose ends in the final episodes. It’s a pleasure to follow and a treat to watch, dubbed OR subbed—thought the dub does make use of some brilliantly acted 1930’s New York accents that I would recommend taking the time to listen to. Each and every character is addicting in their own right, from the lovably eccentric pair of robbers to the criminally insane acrobatic assassin with the god complex. It’s as though everyone has their own life that begs delving into more fully, their quirks making them human as their deaths make them immortal.
And to match their effortlessly woven personalities, the animation style is fantastic to behold, suiting the style perfectly. It’s easy to watch, the violence maintaining a quality of surrealism that makes it entertaining rather than uncomfortable, which is good because there’s quite a bit of it. Even the smallest detail is held in artistic importance, it seems, every effort put into making sure this adaptation is well presented. And it most certainly is.
Even the music manages to stick with the 1930’s atmosphere, embracing the sounds of smooth jazz and speak easy blues that’s just a pleasure to listen to, keeping the viewer locked in their world as it drifts along in the background. Everything about this anime is brilliant. Baccano! is a timeless story that hits on various themes and emotions that can easily be forgotten in a standard anime, and were it not for the very few questions that went unanswered, I would have given it the 5/5 my heart says it deserves. But, as a fair critic, it still deserves no less than a 4.5/5, everything else easily making up for its minor, minor blemishes.
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Black Lagoon (The Second Raid)
Alternate Titles: Black Lagoon: The Second Barage
Original Japanese Release Date: 2006
Episode Length/Run-time: 12 episodes
Summary:
Following the first season, Black Lagoon, the story of Okajima Rokuro (or more commonly known as “Rock”) continues as he travels with the band of mercenaries known as the Lagoon Company.
Review:
It’s three to four episode story arcs, because of this it can kind of be hit or miss to the quality of the arc. Animation qualities are maintained all the way through but it’s the specific enemies they encounter.
The production values are very high on this anime, it looks and feels new. In many ways this season seemed better than the first season. Every story arc in this season was fantastic, unlike the last arc of Black Lagoon. For example, in this second season they’re trapped in a dock and they’re battling another group of mercenaries while the building is on fire and a dude is running around with a chainsaw. Intense much? It’s great!
There’s a good amount of violence in this series but if that doesn’t turn you off this I recommend it for a lot.
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Basquach
Episode Reviewed In: Episode 13
Alternate Titles: None
Original Japanese Release Date: 2009
Episode Length/Run-time: 26 episodes
Summary:
Dan JD is an average boy on the planet of Earthdash. He looks up at the moon with the planets other inhabitants in awe at the thriving civilization up there. He gets caught up in Big Foot Basketball, a traditional basketball game made faster paced and played with giant robots and dreams of someday going to the moon.
Review:
It’s really sad when you hear the director is scrapped halfway through and you’re happy because it means it will end!
The anime seemed kind of new and fresh, mecha playing basketball? But it doesn’t really deliver on any originality. It has no plot, all they really do is run around and play basketball and don’t seem to really get anywhere the whole show.
It’s like one big Nike ad, all the mechs are wearing shoes with the large Nike swoosh and it’s put throughout. It’s even listed in the beginning during the opening so it’s clear it’s basically one big ad campaign. It’s hard for anime because it ruins the feel of the show by destroying the world.
While it is something that’s fresh it’s really bad and falls into a lot of bad cliches (giant tits because she’s from the moon?). But it’s not worth a hentai rating because you don’t even want to see the characters naked. They’re unlovable at best and jail-bait that’s not worth it.
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Bokurano
Alternate Titles: Ours
Original Japanese Release Date: 2007
Episode Length/Run-time: 24
Summary:
Fifteen kids head to a nature camp and explore a cave. Upon searching it they find a hermit named cocopelli. The man proposes a game where the kids will be in the robot and they will be protecting the earth as “beta testers” for the game. When the kids do this they discover that there are consequences for being a pilot.
Review:
The mecha is really cool looking because it has these long spindly arms and no face. In the cockpit there are fifteen chairs for each of the kids. The mecha choses its own pilot by spinning the chairs around a glyph and choosing, then the pilot has to defend the earth from one of fifteen aliens attacking it.
The plot is kind of PG13, its very aingsty. Asside from the fact that the kids are really young and have a heavy burden on there’s shoulders there’s domestic violence, rape, kiddy porn, student teacher relationship, mental breakdowns, pedophilia, prostitution, and mental breakdowns. None of this is graphic or detailed but it’s all in there.
When each of the kids become a pilot you find out more about them and as the plot progresses it thickens in that the government tries to get involved to harness this technology.
The animation is clean and nice looking. In a more modern style each of the characters have their own design which is nice.
There’s even a small critter, because no anime is complete without one. It’s a sadistic creature that messes with the children and is quite heartless.
The idea was good but it kept feeling like filler, despite it being about each pilot and progressing that way it likely could’ve been shorter because it dragged as it went on. There were really intense moments despite some predictability in the story.
Overall it was enjoyable and is worth watching, despite being too long. Even though the filler keeps it from being a really good anime it is gripping and keeps you engaged.
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Blade of the Immortal
Alternate Titles: 無限の住人 (Mugen no Jūnin)
Original Japanese Release Date: 2008
Episode Length/Run-time: 13
Summary:
Manji has a curse for the crass and violent life he’s lived and that is to wander the earth forever. He’s begun to grow tired of his immortality so he seeks to break the curse. However, the only way to do this is to slay 1,000 evil men.
Review:
Based off the manga Blade of the Immortal this anime just ends up falling short. Even though it deals with heavy subject matter it still maintains a light and funny atmosphere. The main character is relatable while still being an interesting character, almost like a Dirty Harry type of person. But unfortunately the anime does not follow. The characterization is poor and full of the cliche badass. You have no connection to the characters because they are simply joyless. It’s a lovely mess in which you sit there and go “oh it’s pretty” but you wouldn’t care if every character just up and died.
The anime isn’t even worth watching compared to the manga which is finished now.
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