Hamatora the Animation
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2.0
Copellion
Plot:
Three girls are part of a special rescue team in the now contaminated Tokyo. Following a large scientific accident of a catastrophic nature the whole city is now completely inhabitable. Copellion is a group of genetically engineered girls who do not need hasmat suits to navigate through the ruins of the city to find remaining survivors.
Animation:
Copellion has an interesting style and flair to it when it comes to Animation. It also varies a lot from scene to scene. Some sequences are gorgeous with full color and attention to detail. Others barely appear to be colored. The whole of the anime has a tonal effect over it that sometimes fits well, but gets a little old. I started out thinking it was nice, but then it began to wear.
Review:
Copellion watches as a PSA for anti-nuclear energy/use. Each of the girls’ adventures is its own self-contained story with some anti-nuclear message. They range from losing one’s hometown, man’s greed destroying the world, the prior generation leaving a mess for the new generation, finding new sources of energy and their limitations… and so on. The message becomes very clear only a few episodes in and gets a little exhausting because it makes things feel a little preachy and the story cheapened by pushing the message so hard.
The other thing that makes the story cheap is simply poor storytelling throughout multiple parts. Naturally, without things happening to characters there wouldn’t be a story. Yes, some of this must be coincidence. But, it ends up feeling forced throughout Copellion. The storytelling is loosely strung together.
Another problem the anime faces is the lack of a major overarching plot. You end up hoping for something about how the world got into the predicament it’s in. But, it ends up being very simple. The plight of the survivors feels cheap and the dilemma the girls face regarding their own humanity is equally thin.
This anime also works very hard to make you care, a lot. There’s a great deal of moments right off the bat where they try to really make you connect to the characters and their hardship but that too seems forced. Perhaps it is a weakness in their presentation of the characters or my personal resonance with them.
Also, there’s a lingering question throughout the whole thing – why are they in school uniforms? I get it, they’re part of a military school, but, I mean, are the sort skirts really necessary? I’d think a military school would be like ‘you’re going into a battleground of sorts’ here’s a pair of pants.
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Hakkenden
Alternate Titles:
Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East
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Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi
Alternate Titles:
A Sunday Without God
Sunday Without God
Plot:
God creates the world and then abandons it, saying that heaven and hell are too full, the world is too crowded, and he has failed humanity. Upon God’s abandonment people can no longer reproduce or die. If someone is killed the dead will keep moving even after their flesh begins to rot. The only way for people like this to find rest is for a Grave Keeper to bury them (or having dirt shoveled by a grave keeper hit the dead person). Grave Keepers are God’s final miracle sent to the world in the form of human-like creatures with massive amounts of knowledge and lacking social skills.
Ai Astin is one such person, through she is very different from most Grave Keepers. One day her life is forced to change and she sets out from her small town to discover the world with a naive hopefulness.
Air Date: July 2013
Episodes: 12
Source:
Light Novel by Kimihito Irie with 8 volumes, started in 2010, still ongoing.
Manga started in 2010 with 4 volumes, still ongoing.
This is the first Television adaptation.
Studio:
Madhouse
Staff:
Yuuji Kumazawa – Director. A relative newcomer with a very short list of total credits to his name. Also directed Oda Nobuna no Yabou or the Ambition of Oda Nobuna. I have a feeling this newcomer may have gotten overwhelmed from adapting the source material.
Shinichi Miyamae – Character Designer. This is his first Character Design credit, however he has been involved in a lot of big product as Animation Directors and Key Animators such as Chihayafuru, NANA, and FMA: Brotherhood, to name a few.
Hiromi Mizutani – Music. Also worked on Hell Girl, Toriko and the Wallflower.
Sound/Visual:
Kamisama is GORGEOUS. It was like eye-porn to watch. I loved the coloring done and the animation. The music was fantastic and the character designs were excellent. The sound and visual made a lot of this show worth watching for me, as someone who is very big on presentation.
Review:
This is an anime with an interesting premise that has a lot of potential. At its core it is a different take on a zombie-apocalypse story. You have people that keep moving after they die. But, what sets it apart for me and intrigued me right off the bat was their approach. Rather than your normal hack-and-slash gory zombie rundown Kamisama offers a different approach. Despite being dead and rotting, lacking beating heart, etc, the “Zombies” (I’ll call them loosely) still maintain their humanity. They can still talk and interact as though they had not “died.” This, of course, opens a lot of opportunity for how people react to these people who are “dead” but still able to move, speak, and interact as they once did.
However, the adaptation of this anime and the way the story and characters are handled presents a great deal of problems. The first arc revolves around the girl grave keeper Ai. We meet her and learn that she has inherited her mother’s duties as the town Grave Keeper from a young age. She is raised by the town and lives there with the townsfolk. Then, the town is destroyed by a man named Hampnie Hambart. What does she do with this maniacal murderer who killed everyone she loves? She decides to go on an adventure with him!
The world that gets set up through this first arc are fantastic. The characters also do shine, but the problem I always felt came in with many of the interactions between the characters. It was as though they created this amazing plot and ruined it with characters who couldn’t carry it sufficiently.
The anime returns to a better focus, IMHO, when they move onto the next arc which is the city of Ortus. This city is ruled by the dead and we’re back to investigating the questions of how the dead should be handled. If they are capable of living “normal” happy lives should they be “put to rest?” But even this arc I found disappointing as it generally felt too light hearted. It had all of these potentials for tense drama and real discussions on the plot and the world and what the implications of things mean and spent it with character-focus to the point of practically ignoring all the rest.
The final arc (or final two, depending on how you want to split it) of the show reminded me, of course, I am still watching anime. I don’t mean to sound like a hater, but why must we always end up in a school? We end up in Goran Academy where all the kids are special because they have had wishes granted by God. But, they are forced to study and cannot escape. So what do they try to do? Escape.
I’m not saying good things didn’t happen in this arc. But, was the school setting really necessary? Beyond that, out of all the others, this arc felt to me like it was the most out of place for everything that had been built up so far and completely rushed to make the viewer care about what is going on in the Academy in a short 3ish episodes.
This drops us into what I’ve heard some say is a fourth arc, but I kind of lump it all together as an evolution of the academy arc. Ai’s friend from school, Alis, has a goal that is fundamentally against Ai’s character morals (I won’t say for spoilers, but one guess is as good as the next) and she decides to HELP HIM. This is one of the weakest female characters I’ve ever seen. “I want to go on an adventure, oh I’ll go with you I guess. You’re an awful piece of shit? That’s cool, I’ll just ignore that fact.”
In any case, the last arc actually is okay. We stopped the rampant introduction of characters and had a lot of excitement right toward the end. There were decent twists and the management of them by the characters was as rewarding as it was dramatic.
This show wanted to say a lot about God, humanity, and their relationship specifically through the notion of wishes – which I would analyze to be considered “prayer.” But the story felt rushed and crammed into 12 episodes and then everything focused on the characters at the expense of – I feel – a far better story/plot.
The anime started out very strong with setting up the world and, despite the already present genre-clashing and character annoyances, the first 3-5 episodes presented this anime in such a way that I thought it truly would be one of the best in the season. However, once the city of Ortus was introduced and we were dragged into the academy things went to BARELY average until we got to the final arc again.
This anime’s main crime is ambition. The anime set out to try to do too much in too short a time. I almost wish the first arc could have been really developed as a beautifully done OVA. Or, the entire series got 24 episodes to really have time to focus on the characters (as much as they apparently wanted to) AND the world. The world ends up feeling ignored and the main character Ai doesn’t feel like she really changes at all throughout the show despite having the most focus on her and the most potential for development.
This is a show I really wanted to like, after the first 3 episodes I was fairly sold, even with the genre clashing and “WTF are you doing” character problems. I saw the potential for an excellent world to be built and evolved upon. But, with the majority of the cast having less development than the main character the notion of it being character-driven fails for me because I think character development is essential to character driven shows. Since they sacrificed plot/world for character focus then we miss out on the interesting nature there and everything ends up going from a potential to be amazing to just, blah.
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Danganronpa: The Animation
Plot:
Sixteen high school students are trapped in a school (well, you never actually see the sixteenth till like the last 3 episodes so sixteen technically but well, take that for what its worth). The school is an elite academy called Hope’s Peak Academy though none of the students are quite sure how they got there as the story unfolds. The school is run by a sadistic bear named Monokuma who is a robot controlled by the mastermind behind the operation. Monokuma gives the students some basic rules:
They cannot leave the school.
To graduate they must successfully commit a murder that their peers cannot decipher who is the murderer at a school trial.
Should the murderer not be found, all other students will be killed.
As the murders ensue the students work to find out who is behind Monokuma and why they are there, along with what the real secrets of the school are.
Source:
Danganronpa: The Animation is based off a PSP game of the same title. While I have never played the PSP game I can tell the anime is very truthful to its source. There are moments in the show where the effects used are almost identical to what you’d expect to find in a game.
Animation:
The overall animation is average. However, during a “punishment” or execution after a class trial there is a change in animation which I felt really pulled the viewer out of the show. I believe these cutaways are reminiscent, if not identical, to the game but for someone who has not played the game they might add more than takeaway.
Review:
Danganronpa, rightfully, gets right into the action and people are dying right away. It sounds exciting but the formula, combined with the game elements that cheapened the drama. It was also difficult to relate to the over-the-top cast. While their antics were interesting they were so crazy that it was difficult to find a grounding with almost any character.
The story progresses up to a climax that ends up coming out of nowhere. One of the frustrating things is the inability to play ‘who done it’ along with the characters. The ending is much the same, it’s so crazy at a point that it cheapens everything overall.
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Ro-Kyu-Bu SS
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Aiura
Plot:
Insights into the (actually funny) antics of three high school girls who seem to be completely clueless with life but sincere and in for having fun. Each episode is 3-minutes long and has a series of gags with an overall lose progression of time tying the series together over 12 episodes.
Studio:
It’s a 3-minute episode series, does this really matter?
Ahem…
I mean…
Director:
The director is relatively new to directing… not to anime but to directing. His latest directorial credits include directing the episodes 9-10 arc of Aoi Bungaku and the director of the recent Nerewareta Gakuen movie. This seems to be his first comedy, and three-minute episode formula.
Studio:
Liden Films
Source:
The anime is based off a manga that started in 2011 and is still ongoing. It currently has four volumes out. The manga is a yonkoma manga, meaning comic-strip four panel manga that plays up the gag formula.
Review:
Crabs! I mean… Yeah this anime has a thing for crabs right from the beginning though I don’t really understand why. And beginning, I mean, the opening.
This anime is enjoyable and funny though it doesn’t offer much by it’s nature. The best praise I can give it right off the bat is it made me laugh, and consistently did so up through about halfway through the series. Despite being about younger looking High School girls there was only one notable lolicon moment – involving the rain… and a later shot of swimsuits – and while I suppose they are “legal” at this age they still of course look about 12 so you know that they’re doing.
Around halfway through the series the anime changes and actually begins to follow some loose time-based plot. Which makes sense because it is difficult to string anything else together when you’re dealing with such short chunks of time, but it’s a little sad because it feels like it gets away from what I came here for and what initially kept me coming back – the actual funny moments.
The anime begins to ween off over time and loses the charm it started with. But, unlike a lot of other 3-minute shows it did leave me feeling somewhat fulfilled as it actually delivered on the promise of high-school girl comedy.
It’s not bad but if you were to spend even just 30 minutes on anime – an approximation of time it’d take to get through this – there are much better OVA’s to spend it on. But this is cute, and sweet, so if you’re trying to be an officiant on 3-minute anime then it’s not something you’ll likely resent watching.
At the end of the day I can’t give it a better score than Yama no Susume which is very different but I consider it to be just as good in different ways.
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Aku no Hana
Where to start with this one… So much to say so I suppose it’s best to just stick to the format…
Alternate Title:
Flowers of Evil
Plot:
The story centers around Takao Kasuga, a book-worm and generally quiet boy with his small circle of friends and normal social problems that come with shyness surrounding a girl in his class – Nanako Saeki – that he likes. Likes, may be a little bit of a general term. He considers her his muse, his angel, perfection embodied, which likely doesn’t help with crippling shyness when it comes to actually talking to her. One day he forgets his book in the classroom and goes back to get it and sees Saeki’s gym bag on the floor. Despite knowing that he shouldn’t do it, he ends up being compelled to touch and look inside the bag, holding Saeki’s gym clothes. After being startled by a noise he runs out of the room in a mad dash, gym clothes in hand.
The following day the class is a turmoil of whispers and frantic worries about the new “pervert” and “crazy man” who is stealing gym clothes and Kasuga shrinks deeper into his chair. His last shred of hope is crushed when the class outcast, the weird girl, and delinquent Sawa Nakamura confronts him telling him that she knows what he is, a true pervert, and that she knows about the stolen gym clothes.
Sawa and Kasuga enter into a, blackmail enforced, “contract.” She explains she wanted to see a true deviant in this boring town and that she will break down his walls to make him flourish as one.
Source:
Aku no Hana is based off an original manga that started running in 2009. It currently has 8 volumes and is unfinished. It was written by Shouzou Oshimi. Oshimi did the story and art for the manga Boku wa Mari no Naka and Drifting Net Cafe. This anime is currently the only other adaptation for Aku no Hana.
Director:
The director Hiroshi Nagahama has a few other substantial credits to his name. Including work on Kimi ni Todoke, Revolutionary Girl Utena: the Movie, School Rumble, Now and Then Here and There, and Mushi-Shi. However, all his work previously excluding Mushi-Shi has been working storyboard. Mushi-Shi was his first directorial credit.
Studio:
The anime was produced by studio Zexcs who have produced a huge list of titles including, My-HiME, Mushi-shi, Sister Princess, Umi Monogatari, and a fair bit of other things.
Music:
The music is, intentionally as far as I can tell, sparse throughout the show. What music is there is incredibly basic and is repeated. It completely works for the feeling of the show and images, however it is not something that will be winning any awards for its music. The ending theme is also nearly downright bad IMHO, but again, it’s nails-on-chalkboard esque feeling seems to fit every episode and that overall unnerving feeling the show gives.
Animation:
The animation must be mentioned. Zexcs used an animation technique called rotoscoping. This is a process where the animation is drawn over frame by frame over live action footage.
As a result the characters have a very natural movement and even subtle movements of lips, eyes, hands, and hair is captured. The world is incredibly detailed and everything has a very muted realistic tone.
However, some things are just awful, like water, and make the whole thing look really cheap.
Overall I liked the look of the rotoscoping but I’ve seen some people complain compared to the manga’s animation style. I think for the realistic feeling of the show it works but it definitely has aspects that will make you hate it.
Review:
Finally, we’re finally here… If I were to sum up this anime in a singular line it would be, a psychological train wreck that you can’t look away from.
The show starts out to center around the gym clothes but that is only for the first 3-4 episodes that they are the focal point. The focus eventually shifts to Nakamura and Kasuga and his rapidly failing mental state as a result of her handiwork. This show is entirely focused on the interpersonal relationships between the characters and psychological stability is the central point.
The only character who I can say is crazy from the onset is Nakamura. However, Kasuga, and even Saeki has their own share of problems that are only aggravated by their proximity and manipulations of Nakamura. Kasuga’s insecurities and crippling shyness is made worse by his developing dependence on Nakamura. Even Saeki’s problems that were previously unseen begin to come out, such as a need for validation.
Overall the pacing of the show is very slow, every episode accomplishes something. But it works up to two main climaxes, one at the end, and one in the middle at episode 7. The one at episode 7 is particularly significant as it shows Kasuga’s main break in his mental state. However, the one at the end – as it should be – is the most significant because it shows where the show will go in the future.
Speaking of the ending, it leaves much to be desired in that it has a minor conclusion/wrap-up of this season but it literally does a “part one of two” splash page. And, after being compelled to watch the manga, the show is about to really start. The entire first episode was simply a set up for where the characters are come the second season.
But, the second season may never come! Which this combined with the anime overall slowness makes it unworthy of a super high score, despite having some things really, really well done.
A pleasurably painful show to watch.
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Wolverine
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