Anime Review - Guilty Crown

Title: Guilty Crown  

ギルティクラウン

# of episodes: 22

Genre: shounen, mecha, science fiction

Story:  It’s the year 2039 and Japan is under martial law because of a traumatic incident that happened ten years ago, known as the ‘Lost Christmas’. Although no one knows exactly why it happened, during this event many people died from an alien virus and an international governing power, GHQ, stepped in to take control of Japan.
The story follows Shu Ouma, a high school student, who encounters an injured girl, Inori.  Before being taken captive by government agents, Inori asks Shu to take the genome she’s stolen to the leader of Funeral Parlor, a military resistant group that is working to overthrow the GHQ.  When the genome vial breaks and transforms Shu’s DNA, he suddenly has the power to turn people’s hearts into weapons and tools and becomes a key player in the fight to reclaim Japan.  

 

Positives:

Story – The first two episodes really drew me in with an amazing fight scene involving mecha and huge swords (yeah, I like big swords and I cannot lie), and it only got better from there (~Episode 11!!!).  The series takes quite a few unexpected twists and turns in the second half, after episode thirteen, and while the action was a bit slow at times, there was more emotion and character development and the themes explored really made you think: absolute power corrupting absolutely, blind obedience to a higher authority, and the disturbing qualities of mob mentality.  I know it made me stop and think- what would I do if I had incredible power over others?

Characters –  The series really keeps you guessing about the relationships between a lot of the main characters, and there are quite a few surprising revelations (well, I was surprised anyway).  It took me a while to warm up to Shu’s character, but I really loved him in the second half when you started to really feel the pressure he was under, how it affected him, and how much it humanized his character. 

I never truly cared too much for Inori (I just felt she was . . .blah), but I loved the side character, Hare Menjou. She was so sweet and made me cry.  That’s a win in my book.

Ayase and Tsugumi

Giant Robots and Awesome Weapons – The mecha battles were pretty awesome, as were the mecha pilots on both the good and bad sides (although I thought Daryl Yan seemed to destroy a lot of robots . . .and for such a supposedly talented pilot! The female mecha pilot, Ayase, and the hacker girl, Tsugumi, were especially cool~  And the sword that was Inori’s heart somewhat made up for her stoic character (It would have been cooler if she had wielded the sword though . . .)

Soundtrack –   The music was absolutely wonderful!!  My favorite songs were:  “My Dearest” by supercell (the first opening), “Departures ~Anata ni Okuru Ai noUta~” by EGOIST (the first ending - click the link for the youtube video), and "Release My Soul" by Aimee Blackschleger (the song in episode 22).

The epic scene in episode 11 – Just watch and you will understand why.

Possible Pitfalls:

Inori – One of the artists on Deviantart.com commented that although Guilty Crown is a good series, it would have been nice if Inori hadn’t been such a wimp at times and I must admit I have to agree.  She broke into GHQ and stole that vial, but then she was constantly needing Shu to rescue her?  Sigh . . .  And just when she started to get kind of cool at the end . . . Double sigh. . .

Mature Content – The second half of the series (after episode 12, I believe) tends to take a darker turn and does become more violent, but it isn’t too bad. So this is just more of a heads up if animated blood isn’t your thing.  Oh, and there are subtle hints of incest as well (think Game of Thrones sort of incest).  But like I said, the second half does get darker.  So ye be warned!

Overall, I thought the series was really great!  The action scenes were good, but there was enough emotion and romance to satisfy my hopeless romantic side too.  Shu became such a likeable character and I admit, I was crying at the ending. (But I’m a big sap, so there ya go)  And since the positives definitely outweigh the possible pitfalls, I’m giving this series 4 out of 5 firecrackers~  So if you have some extra time, go watch it and then youtube the very awesome soundtrack!

Next week, I’m going to post either about my second maid café adventure in Taipei with a very good otome friend or our trip to a comic exhibition.  So until then, ja ne!    

Updates and a Baby Otaku!!

That is exactly what my hubby looks like too~ heh heh~

Aiyo~~  Sumimasen!!  It has been soooo long since my lost post.  I have my excuses ready though!  It turns out that my husband and I are expecting a little otaku in December!!  (Well, I know the baby's going to be an otaku, but my husband's convinced the baby will be normal like him.  To that I say, "Ha!"  He underestimates the power of anime and manga!)

Isn't that the cutest onesie ever??

And after three months of morning sickness and then two months of eating to make up for the morning sickness, I am now ready to get back to my anime/manga reviews and shopping for baby otaku clothes.  So coming up next week I will post my review of the anime Guilty Crown and its very wonderful soundtrack.  So until Wednesday . . . mata ne! 

Movie Review - Death Note (Live Action)

Image Source: About.com

Movie Title: Death Note

Actors: Tatsuya Fujiwara (Light), Kenichi Matsuyama (L)

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

        I just finished watching Death Note and Oh My Shinigami(aka god of death)!  Now, before I elaborate more, I should add a little disclaimer: I haven’t read the manga or watched the anime. >_< (Please, Death Note fans, I beg you not to write my name in any suspicious notebooks you may find!)  Initially, I wasn’t interested in anything Death Note at all, but my students said, “Teacher, you will like it.  And do you know Kenichi Matsuyama is in it?”  Well, once his name was uttered, how could I not watch the movie?  (He is just sooo cute @_@ . . .ahem ::wiping drool:: . . .back on track now)  So without further ado, here’s the review!

Story:  The story centers around Light Yagami, a law student who is disappointed in the lack of effectiveness the law has in administering justice.  One day he finds a mysterious notebook and is now able to see a Shinigami (god of death).  The Shinigami, Ryuk, explains that if a name is written on the pages of the notebook that person will die.  And so starts a killing spree of all the criminals who have escaped justice throughout the world.  The police begin a hunt for the vigilante known as ‘Kira’ lead by a brilliant, but odd detective, L.  The death toll begins to rise as Light tries to create a crime-free world.  L proves to be quite the opponent, however, as the chase intensifies.

Positives:

Characters – I actually started the movie sort of liking Light and being creeped out by L and was surprised when those feelings did a 180 in the middle of the movie.  (That’s what I get for buying the Chinese edition of the movie and not reading the synopsis on back)  I ended up loving L’s quirky character and I’m not just saying that because Matsuyama is hot, I swear! ^_^  Both main characters, Light and L, and the police chief were well-done, although I did feel that Shiori (Light’s girlfriend) and Naomi Misora (fiancée of one of the FBI agents) characters often felt more 2-dimensional than they should have been. 

Storyline – I was constantly surprised throughout the movie!  The action was well-paced, intense and at many places had me on the edge of my seat.  The story was easy to understand without having to read the manga or watch the anime.  The movie also made a disturbing sort of sense and at the end left you thinking what a dangerous and corrupting power it is to decide who lives and dies.

Possible Pitfalls:

Which one looks like a serial killer to you?

Details – In manga and anime you have lots of chapters and episodes in which to establish characters and plots, but in movies you only get two hours at most.  Because of that I felt Light’s fall into insanity was quite abrupt.  He went from a law student craving justice to a cold-hearted serial killer in a very short span of time.  And this somewhat strained my suspension of belief.

Spoilers Ahead!!!  Please skip this section if you don’t want to know a pivotal plot point!!         

The kidnapping at the museum – I found this scene really flat.  For what should have been an intensely emotional scene, I admit, I hardly felt the emotional punch at all.  Misora’s character felt wooden and Shiori seemed way too relaxed with a gun to her head considering she’d been so upset by the bus-hijacker.  Their attitudes might make sense if when Light writes a death scene the characters turn into puppets, but still I wanted a powerful scene at the end of the movie and felt somewhat cheated!

Matsuyama-san!! ::faint::

All in all, this is the perfect movie to watch on a free Saturday afternoon!  The storyline was unique, most of the acting was well done, the suspense was great, and the message of the story was a good one: it is dangerous to have the power to decide who lives and dies.  (And the best part of the movie - it has Kenichi Matsuyama!!  Anymore need be said??)

 

Final score is 4 out of 5 firecrackers: 

Has anyone else seen Death Note?  Did you like Matsuyama the story?  Do you prefer the anime and/or manga?  I’d love to hear your thoughts about the movie! 

The next post will either be on the Maid Cafés in Taipei or PS3 games~  Still deciding~~  Until next time!  Ja ne!

Manga Review - D Gray man

Finally!  The manga I’ve been . . .::ahem:: you’ve been waiting for!  On with the review~

Title:  D Gray Man

Mangaka: Katsura Hoshino

Genre:  Shounen, Supernatural

Story:  In a world filled with akuma (loosely translated as demons) created by the Millennium Earl to destroy the world, Allen Walker ( our hero! ::cheer::) becomes an Exorcist and joins the Black Order to fight against the Earl.  As an Exorcist he uses his left arm, which can transform into a claw, to release the human souls trapped inside and powering the akuma.  Besides hunting down akuma, the Black Order’s Exorcists are also searching for pieces of Innocence, an item that allows Exorcists to battle akuma.  The Earl and his allies, the Noah family, are in a race with the Exorcists to find a piece of Innocence called the Great Heart, which would give a powerful advantage to whichever side finds it first. 

Positives:

The Exorcists

Characters:  If you haven’t guessed by now, my favorite character is Allen!  I’m a sucker for the nice guy with a sweet smile and a tragic past (and of course the awesome powers are nice too!).  But actually all the characters in the story are well-developed and even the characters I didn’t want to like, I ended up liking.  (I hate/love it when that happens >.<) 

Storyline:  To tell the truth I was a little worried about the storyline when I first started reading.  I was afraid the series would turn into a battle every X amount of chapters with bigger and more powerful enemies to defeat until things got to a ridiculous level (Naruto, I’m looking at you. ::accusing stare:: )  But thankfully, that didn’t happen.  There are battles, don’t get me wrong, but the story does keep moving ahead pretty steadily with more and more depth.  Katsura-sensei’s world-building skills are excellent and really pull you into the story.  And there are a few funny filler chapters to lighten things up right before the story turns dark.  And dark it does indeed become.

Possible Pitfalls:

Length:  Although I love this manga and its characters, storyline, etc., it is long.  The last chapter I read I believe was 212 and it is released monthly, which makes it a long wait for each chapter. (I’m seriously dying with anticipation . . .@_@)  Although MangaFox, where I’ve been reading the English scanslation, is really good about posting the most recent update.

Tearjerker:  I’m not usually one to cry when reading stories, although I do get pretty emotionally involved with the characters. (I’m just sensitive >.<)  However, that being said, there were a few times the events in the story had me grabbing for a tissue.  (As a writer I understand that we have to torture our characters sometimes to move the story along, but still!!)  So, just a heads-up to have a full tissue box nearby when reading into the wee hours of the morning.

A lovely drawing from Katsura-sensei ^^

Overall Impression:

        Like you’ve heard, uh, seen me write time and time again, I love this series!  It was way too easy to fall in love with the characters, to really start to care about their lives and feelings, and dive into the world of akuma and Exorcists created by Katsura-sensei. The art is great, and although the series is long, it is nice to slowly watch Allen and the rest of the team mature (in both art and attitude) as the stories moves along. 

At times the story becomes quite dark, but I would argue that makes the questions arising from the events that much more thought-provoking.  If there’s one type of manga I love, it’s the kind that starts with a character thinking A is evil and B is good and then halfway through the series asks: but what if what I thought was good is really evil and vice versa?  (I like those deep thoughts ^_^)

So, for my overall score, I give this one 5 (out of 5) firecrackers. It is a definitely a must-read manga!  

 

And for next week I'm hoping to review the live-action movie Death Note, so stay tuned!  But I'll leave you with a few questions:  Have you read D Gray Man?  What do you think?  Good?  Wonderful?  Awesome?  Bad?  And the most important question of all:  Who do you think Allen should be with:  Lenalee or Road?  (I choose me! . . .That was unmentioned Option C ^^)