M3: Sono Kuroki Hagane - Massively Misestimated Masterpiece

In the spirit of Halloween, let's have a horror anime review. Now, I'm not that familiar with the horror genre, but I'm trying to get more into it. In looking around, though, I've had some difficulty finding many legitimately good, scary anime. It might be because all the horror writers in Japan are more interested in making movies, or maybe that the more psychological and subtle Japanese style of horror doesn't mesh very well with the more action oriented anime. I first thought I would want to review Betterman, but instead I figured that I'd prefer to review M3, which SPOILER ALERT ended up being one of my personal favorite anime of all time.

D-Fragments! - Let's Spin the Wheel of Characters

You know how I said comedies are hard to grade in my Azumanga Daioh review? Yeah, well, D-Frag is one of those anime that leave me with a total mixed bag. I know that comedy is subjective, and I don't know what most people think about it, but I think that to many viewers, D-Frag could be hit and miss. It certainly was to me. But the reason for this is actually largely in part to the style of the show, and could be intentional. So, what do I think of D-Frag in general? Let's start with the basics.

What's Wrong With Being an Otaku?

Just recently, an Anon asked an interesting question.

"Hey, Raikoh, I have a problem I've been having for a while. See, I've been watching this anime called "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood" with my dear mother, but I've come a problem. We've gotten through the first 13 episodes, but over that course, I was watching it through my mother's perspective, who never watched anime at all, and my empathy suddenly left me feeling like I was watching this hyperactive animation with unrealistically shifting emotions and expressions, and a sense of humor that nobody outside of the Asian region would get.

Think you can help me out here? My liking for anime has suddenly diminished by quite a few levels and I think I'm starting to hate it, which is something I seriously hope is not happening."

It's probably something most anime fans face at some point, though the exact series to do it varies. I know that I personally faced a conundrum with "do I really like this?" some time in the middle of Bleach. Now, I might not be the most well-rounded anime fan (my area of expertise is mecha, and even on that front I haven't gotten around to watching some of the classics like Zambot 3, Bokurano, or hell, even TV Patlabor - and I know that a big group of mecha fans would tear me apart for that last one), but I've been around the block a few times so I think I can try and come up with an answer.

Summer 2014 Anime Reflections

With the coming of the new season, I think it might be a good idea to look back on all the anime I watched in the previous season and give some real quick recaps as to what I thought of them. It'll help keep the site active and at least semi-topical. Couple of disclaimers: I decide what I'm going to watch before the season starts and stick to it, and my choices are usually going to be mostly mecha. I only watch the big popular titles if they pique my interest. Also, I probably don't watch as much currently airing anime as other big anime fans because I have a backlog that isn't getting any smaller (in fact, it's getting bigger) that I try to chisel away at instead of watching a series that may or may not catch my eye. So, without further ado...

Armor Hunter Mellowlink - Tactical Action and Drama

I'm somewhat lukewarm in my enjoyment of VOTOMS. I love the setting and the visual design, but I feel like it's been rather stagnated by Chirico having all the focus. Now, I do enjoy Chirico, but I feel that with something as rich in potential as VOTOMS, more spinoffs should be taking place. To that end: Armor Hunter Mellowlink.

Musings of a Fate Fan: Is Shirou Sexist?

It's one of the most divisive issues when it comes to Fate/Stay Night: you either love Shirou or you hate him. Anybody whose known me for an extended period would know that Shirou is one of my favorite protagonists out there, and flat-out favorite characters. I see him as a sort of role model, as embarrassing as it might sound to look up to a fictional character.

One of the most common reasons I see for people hating Shirou, though, is the way he acts in the "Fate" route towards Saber. Now, obviously the things he tells her sound very sexist (like "girls shouldn't fight"), but I've sat down and thought over all three routes of the visual novel, trying to deconstruct why he acts in that manner in one route and not the others, and realized that they aren't as controversial as they may sound... At least, the way I analyze the story, themes, and characters. If you want to hear my perspective of it, then read on.

Why it's Time to Stop Worrying About CG Mecha

Here's something I've felt like talking about for a while: computer animation in mecha shows. CG is present in all sorts of media, and becoming increasingly regular, but one area where CG is notably controversial is in mecha anime. I think it's because it's incredibly common in the modern anime market, to the point where it's rare to see any robot shows where the mecha aren't computer generated. Naturally, as a purist, I am of the opinion that nothing beats good old fashioned hand-drawn machines. That said, I'm not really sweating the recent advent of computer-generated robots in newer anime.

Why We Need the New "Unlimited Blade Works" Adaptation: A Review

Boy, I've been putting off watching the "Unlimited Blade Works" movie for a long, long time. But in lieu of the new announcement that the upcoming anime series of "Fate/Stay Night" will be adapting the route, I figured now was the perfect time to check it out and see just what I think of it.

I'll be frank: not a fan of the movie. I'm very much a purist when it comes to this sort of thing (especially when it's an adaptation of my favorite route), and the issues I have with the movie are a bunch of little nitpicks that just sort of add up. Now, of course there's the issue of trying to fit the story of a 20+ hour visual novel route into a movie under 110 minutes, but the issue is that even if you want to sit back and just take it as eye-candy fanservice for the established fan base, it just doesn't work for me personally. Without further ado, let's start.

Raikoh's Reviews: Harmonie

The New Animator Training Project is a treat. Every year, we get short 25 minute snippets of some raw productions. They aren't trying to become a franchise or sell anything, which gives them a certain charm. Stories that are written just because somebody had a story to tell, and the very idea of wanting to train new animators means that they will no doubt have some great production values. Case and point: Harmonie.

Over the Rainbow, Out of Their Minds

So. Gundam Unicorn. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally over. Now, if you are a fan of Unicorn, I'd like to just ask a simple question: why? It has a laundry list of problems and outside of production values (and Marida's character) I haven't seen much to praise in it. Now, it isn't like it doesn't have good ideas. In fact, with more time to flesh things out (and if the writer showed some restraint) then it could've been great. However, instead, we get a ham-handed, preachy, downright embarrassing story that is probably the most overrated Gundam series I've seen - even more overrated than Zeta or Wing. Oh, and before anybody says anything about "well, did you read the novels?" I will say, "No, but I shouldn't HAVE to. It should stand on its own merits." But this isn't what I'm here to post about, no, this isn't a "review" by any means so much as me just sort of jotting down my impressions about the finale, "Over the To-" uhm, "Over the Rainbow." Spoilers ahoy.

Raikoh Reviews - Mazinkaiser SKL

*Disclaimer*

Due to the nature of Mazinkaiser SKL, it only is appropriate that the following review contain gratuitous cursing. I apologize if you are offended by this.

What do you do with less than an hour and a half of runtime in a mecha series? World building? Character development? Technobabble? FUCKING. PLEASE. If you're making an entirely self-contained mecha movie, the most important part is the robots, isn't it? Seriously, just ask yourself: how many good mecha movies are there that aren't connected to an existing story? Mazinkaiser SKL knows exactly what it wants to do, and that's something that I give it props for. Can you handle it?

Raikoh's Reviews: Shinkon Gattai Godannar!

Oh, boy, Godannar. The fastest way to sum this up is with two words: "Robots" and "Boobs." But if you can manage to get the stigma against fanservice that most anime fans seem to have and give it a shot, you'll actually find a pretty solid romance show shoved under the D-cups (well, that is assuming any of the women in Godannar wear bras). The fact that the title literally translates to "Marriage of God & Soul Godannar" definitely implies there's more to this show than just testosterone poisoning. Well, let's not waste any time, let's get to checking out what makes Godannar tick.

Raikoh Reviews - Azumanga Daioh

One thing I took a step back and asked myself when I decided to start writing up reviews was "how am I going to review comedy series, or slice-of-life ones at that?" Because, let's face it, most of the time those two genres aren't going to be story based. So I figure that maybe as a way to get my feet wet, it would be a good idea to find out how to make a review of pure comedy series. I'm going to spoil this review for you and tell you that Azumanga Daioh is one of my favorite comedies of all time. I've seen the anime at least twice and read the manga from start to finish about seven or eight times and I still find it funny. Why is this? Well, let me think...

Raikoh Reviews - Little Witch Academia

This review is mostly done to keep the blog active, and probably to help get it out there since I've been writing reviews mostly of really obscure stuff so far. So, Little Witch Academia, the first (technically second) major production of Studio Trigger. You know, that studio everyone goes nuts over since it has some of the crew from Gurren Lagann in it. It's a thirty-minute hand-drawn short, and has met with rousing praise from the anime community (though it's a lot more popular in the West). Is it worth the praise it gets? Well, yes and no. Let me explain.

Ranting About Flying Kicks

One example of probably billions.

It has many names and many variants, but I usually just call it a "Flying Kick." Sometimes I go a step farther and call it the "I know nothing about martial arts, anatomy, or physics stupid flying kick" or something to that degree, since flying kicks themselves are traditional martial arts techniques that have at least the smallest modicum of practicality (though not much). No, I do not like it. Never have and never will. Yet for some strange reason this complete anomaly, this attack that would never serve any practical purpose and doesn't look good is all over the world of fiction. So, then, I guess I need to explain just why this attack should never be used, or at least offer one very simple step as to how to improve it dramatically.

Raikoh's Reviews - Heroman

Stan Lee is, if nothing else, a rather ambitious fellow. Though I'm not a fan of American comics, I do admit that I look up to Stan Lee in many ways. He is known for having really creative concepts and creating some of the more memorable superheroes in the industry. He's kind of hard not to look up to, especially when even to this day he seems to enjoy playing around with whatever genre he touches. At least, this is the impression I get from watching one of his forays into the world of anime, Heroman. Let's dive in, true believers.

Fate Stay Night's "New Fourth Route"

Today, some more information about the upcoming Ufotable remake of Fate/Stay Night arrived. I must say that I've got some mixed feelings here. Honestly, I think that every Type Moon fan in the world was expecting an adaptation of Heaven's Feel. But rather than a Heaven's Feel adaptation, we got news that it's going to be a brand new story by Nasu, with an atmosphere closer to Fate/Zero than Fate/Stay Night. What do I think? I guess I'll list off my hopes and concerns here.

Raikoh's Retro Reviews - Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos

???: "WAIT!!!
The longest night must end eventually. Darkness melts away as the morning fills the world. People call this the dawn!"
Devil Satan 6: "Who did that?!"
Rom: "You don't deserve to know my name!"

That's it. That's all you need to know. Because once you've seen that, you've seen pretty much the entirety of Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos. But, of course, there's more to it than that. For those of you who aren't in the know (which is probably around 95% of you; this is a really obscure series) Machine Robo was a 47 episode 1986-1987 television anime. It was characterized with consistently poor writing and bad animation that just gets worse later down the line, but it still holds a special place in my heart. It's not nostalgia, oh, no, I saw this show like half a year ago. It's what I'd call "badass." Look further for a full review.