The Neon Genesis of Anime - Akira

I will be up front and tell that this is at least the greatest anime movie ever made. "Akira" is definitely the first anime that made it seem like this genre could create a major studio, four star, blockbuster film.

"Ghost in the Shell" is good, but feels more like an art film.

Synopsis:

In August of 1988, World War III begins when a nuclear explosion occurs in Tokyo. By 2019, Neo-Tokyo is built, but unfortunately there are anti-government protest, terrorists, and an ongoing motorcycle wars. Tetsuo, a teenage biker, is involved in an accident with a strange-looking child who the army (and domestic terrorists) seem to have a classified interest in. When his friends come to the rescue, army helicopters come and take away the boy and Tetsuo. Worried about his best friend, Kaneda needs to find out what's going on. He also needs to impress a young female terrorist, Kei, so he joins her terrorist group that is out to stop a project called Akira from occurring or possibly reoccurring.

Whatever Akira is, the army seems to want to use Tetsuo to be the body to contain it. Let's just say the power to disintegrate people is a power that is to be quickly abused.

Critique:

Until Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" was released 15 years later, Akira was be deemed the best anime movie ever made. A long with being a great anime, it is marvelous science fiction, and deserves to be shown in the main stream cinemas. Its characters are excellently written, especially Kaneda, and all the sci-fi elements are used well. The music is excellent except when Tetsuo just starts to open up a can of whoop a**(dumb, dumb, dumb dumb is more like it), and the voice actors in the Streamlined Studios' dubbed version are good except for patient 25's, the fat one, but this dub can make it look like a "Godzilla" movie at some points.

Maybe the most bothersome thing about the film is the length. There are several spots where the film can end, but it chooses to go on and on like Peter Jackson's "Return of the King". To top it all off, it feels the conclusion has to be trippy like Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Also, like Kubrick, there was a degree of controversy to the film. In 1988, cartoons could not be this violent. Too quote a Warner Bros. exec, "You couldn't sell happy meals with this film," but a cool set of McFarlane toys did come from this. Now I don't feel the violence is as graphic as they say, not to say that it isn't graphic, it happens so quick it will not disgust too many people. Like Bart and Lisa Simpson said, "It's just pretend violence which is actually good for children."

Akira's a must own for all anime fans, and there is now a great special edition DVD of it. The dub is far more accurate, and the viewer will appreciate it even more. Sadly, the voice of Kaneda is no longer that of Leonardo of the original TMNT animated series. He's now played by the second black Power Ranger instead.

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Anime - Battle Arena Toshinden - Not Quite SFII: The Animated Movie

I forgot that I did episode by episode reviews at The Bus's Transit of Anime Reality. I doubt the true otakus need me to do an in depth critique of this Fighter to Anime, but it's my blog, so first and for most this should be for me. The past couple of weeks, I've kept it free of overly depressing 2009 Russ Stevens related bullshit, so at the very least you can give me this. 

Volume 1 Volume 2

This video game to anime adaptation is every bad thing I associate with U.S. Manga Corps (opinion has changed): bad colors, mediocre music and sound, and far from top quality animation. Still if your a fan of video game fighters, you'll enjoy this anime.

"Battle Arena Toshinden" is good enough to pull the fights together, and all the fights are important unlike the "Street Fighter 2: the Animated Movie". It does a good job at only concentrating on the story's main character, but unfortunately it does give us bits with the mediocre characters (only as characters not as video game fighters), Mondo, Duke, Fo, and perhaps Rongo, but at least they still are relevant to the plot. Also the video does does give us the authentic feel of a button smasher, unfortunately it is done only through special moves. Then again, some people may say that is the only way to fight in the video game. The animation still has a unique style and there is some great artwork available. Again you have to be a fan or looking for a cheap anime to enjoy this, so it is definitely not for everyone.

Volume 1

Eiji Shinjo, a finalist in the last Toshin Tounament, long lost brother, Sho, has just defeated two of the past Toshin champions using their own moves, and a fellow fighter, Rongo, was defeated by a mysterious opponent using the same strategy. Eiji joins forces with his friend Kayan to try and find out what is happening. As a precaution, they to go to warn their friends Sophia and Ellis. When Eiji meets up with Sophia (oh what a dumb teenager I was, spoilers), Sho comes to defeat his younger brother, but is it really Sho that Eiji is facing? If not who is behind this?

The story is not too original, and maybe even tacky since we are seeing one man create so much destruction. Even if he is an cyborg he is still a human (strength, weakeness wise), so making the Man Machine Project sounds pretty stupid. Still their are bits where the viewer can really get into the action, and the fight scenes are done very well. In other words, we don't have to care about the plot. The quality of the animation is low, but there are always scenes that are masterfully drawn, and I can see why they can sell the cells. Damn the need for motion.

Volume 2

After defeating Sho's clone, Eiji goes to meet up with Kayan and Ellis to tell them what he now knows about the The Organization's Man Machine Project. The two leave by telling Ellis to watch her back, and their premonition comes true when a Man Machine of a fighter killed by Ellis's father, Gaia, comes to capture her. Her two friends try to rescue her, but this Man Machine is far greater and knows everything thing about the two's fighting styles. Soon Gaia comes to the rescue, but Ellis tries to save her father from some poisoned throwing blades. Blades whose antidote is known only by The Organization. Now Gaia has to exchange himself for the antidote, and try to defeat the stronger Man Machine.

Definitely the worst episode on the tape because the characters who return stink. The voice actress of Sophia changes her image to a cold character, and why the hell would the Duke (not featured in the prior volume) have a grudge with The Organization. The fights are still well done, but we don't get any artistic treats in this episode like in the first volume. Also the horrible sound effects and music are even more noticeable. By no means was this a good way to end any series.

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Slayers: The Motion Picture...for the Wannabe Anime Expert

"Slayers" is another series I knew I would have to check out sooner or later. You can call me cheap, but with a series that has so many videos, I figured I would wait for the release of one full story in say 90 min. It is not the first time I've done this, and I won't quit this practice which has only back fired on me once with "Macross 7: The Movie" (30 minutes in full length, anta baka?).

For a more in depth review (i.e. second guessing myself), check out AnimeFlow.

Never mind how I finally sampled this series, but the bottom line is I saw this film and really enjoyed it. You can't help but like the characters of Naga and Lina, so, like "Tenchi Muyo!" they are the main draw to the series. Also like Tenchi's movies, if you are looking for a long running story (episodic) this isn't it. Slayers is a great comedic picture with a decent, but cluttered story which maintains one's interest. I probably won't buy too many of the videos in this series, but one or two might be worth getting. Especially when I have a little sister who acts a lot like Lina. Thank god she doesn't check out my pages^_^.

Lina wakes up from a weird dream involving some blue haired kid, ignores it, and heads to the continent's coast. Before she gets there, she is involved in a misunderstanding with some bandits. She comes out of this scenario unscathed and a tad richer, but the persistent bandits hire their own sorceress to represent them, Naga. After Naga is taught by her friend not to mess with fire, she decides to finish the issues with the bandits once and for all. With their foes defeated, Naga finds the fallen have passes to Mipross Island, home of many of the finest hot springs. Feeling obligated to use them, she quickly makes for the port not realizing she has dragged little Lina along. Since their ship's food isn't bad, our heroine decides this trip to be worthwhile.

characterdesignreferences.com

Once they reach the island, the two have to deal with many of the top ten strongest fighters/magicians of the island all of which have some thing related to a pink octopus on them or with them. After an old sage plants a dream in Lina's head, Lina is hired by the king of one of the villages to investigate why all this is happening. She still is not sure about going through with this investigation until the sage tells her she can visit the Spring of Growth afterward which seals the deal. Is this unknown foe going to be able to be defeated by these two sorceresses, and is the Spring of Growth all it has been made out to be.

The first two acts run pretty smoothly, and excels in its ability to put so much action and twists into itself. If it wasn't for the great characters though, the film would have really fallen apart two-thirds the way through it. I guess that is what happens when you create a villain that is way to powerful. You have to come up with a really implausible and hardly understandable way of defeating it like "Tenchi Muyo! in Love". Otherwise all the other villains work well especially with the attacks that one could only compare to a bad acid trip (so I've heard).

The animation quality is great, better than any U.S. forms except for Disney's. The soundtrack is good, but nothing really exceptional, and the dub really stretches from original script to sacrilegious levels. No villain would recite Sylvester of the "Looney Tunes".

I am not much for mid-evil fantasies, but "Slayers: The Motion Picture" is definitely worth watching for its comedy, its characters, and pretty cool action sequences. It's still not for everybody, but I don't think it would hurt anyone to sample the Slayer universe. Of course this is the cheapest method which was the best way for a high schooler to build a relatively vast and varied anime collection.

www.fancyowl.com - My Favorite Japanese Animated Film: Princess Mononoke

The Last of the Evangelion Manga Reviews (at least till I dig out Books 3/4 from storage)

Issue 11 --- Issue 12

It was tough for me not continuing with the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" manga. Unfortunately, I had difficulty with Viz delivering the issues. They were kind of enough to take care of the issues, but I thought it maybe wiser to quit subscribing and leave the series on an up note.

Actually, I thought I knew how it all ends (I went to the trouble of watching a Chinese subtitled version of the first movie), so what was there going to be to really surprise me besides more Pen Pen revelations?

Shortly after this, I spent two weeks in London. Man do they know how to treat an otaku. I loaded up on anything Eva. Post cards, original alternate universe manga, the toys (which I unfortunately had to open to pack), and mouse pad. They also have a lot more anime magazines on the dark island, and in trying to catch up with "Perfect Blue's" release, I read a lot of them. Evangelion still being the hot topic, there were articles about Eva's voice cast, the movies, and the manga. A manga that was based on the TV series.

So I maybe missing out. I do own the compilation of Book 3 and the first two issues of Book 4, but prepping for college and the first job (fixing Caterpillar boxes) put it on the back burner.

Since I like to end my discussions after seven related articles, I just may get around to catching up, and even reading the latest Alt universe lines. Got to keep myself pumped for the next DVD from Funimation.

The theme song I appointed to this set of reviews was David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes". This is the epitome of what midis were all about.

Stage 11: The Child Wandering
After Shinji is scolded for disobeying orders, he feels he can't pilot the Eva anymore, and runs away. He runs into Kensuke which relieves some of his tension, but he soon surrenders to Nerv Security, so he may find out what his fate is.

The anime feels like it covers this part of the story more, but it does leave out some details that could give us a better understanding of all the characters. Everything artistic about this stage is good, and the story is the best in the series so far.

Stage 12: Fumbling Towards Kindness

Shinji being surprised with his father's praise (sort of), and the feeling of being nobody again makes him wish that he wasn't leaving Tokyo 3. Add Misato's feeling of loneliness, and the scenario may change.

My description of the premise may leave one to think that their isn't much to the story, but the manga does a great job in expanding on the premise. Again, this issue tells this part of the story better than the anime. They should have payed more attention to what they cut out for the show (sorry for the last statement, the anime came first). Of course, with only 26 episodes there would be some problems. Again the artwork is great, and the ending is pretty fulfilling. Finding out the secret of Pen Pen is worth owning this, and the great use of Toji and Kensuke should clinch this purchase.

www.reddit.com/r/evangelion