Review 3, the first that has been published twice, in two different formats and in two different time scales. This is the full, unedited video. This time, we look at the PS2 game 'Chobits' and, with the help of my own persocom, we shall see if there is really more to this game than meets the eye. Featuring a special guest appearance by Chii and my first appearance on camera outside of the Comic Shelf.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Vlog 01: BANDAI BLOCK PWN3GE and DELAYS
I reciently got around to making my first ever vlog and was quite excited to finally be able to show myself in all my hideous glory to the people of blip.tv and youtube. I go to upload it and what happens? Straight away im hit with an infringing copyright notice and a health warning from Bandai Visuals to not steal their stuff. Of course, I was under the impression that footage was allowed to be used for commentary, review or parody purposes, but apparently the law also doesn't apply in this situation. I'm working on it, but it seems that I may be a little delayed in the release of this, my first vlog. It's all in an effort to be more active and post more, but if im going to get continuously blocked and infringed I guess it might not work out on this level. Ill keep you posted as things develop!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Text Review 3: Genshiken
Genshiken - Anime and Manga Review
Manga AUTHOR: Shimoku Kio
other works include Kujibiki Unbalance (2004-2007) and Digopuri (2008)
Publisher: Kodansha, Del Rey Manga
Volumes: 9
Anime Episodes: 12 (Season 1, 2004), 3 (OVA, 2006-2007), 12 (Season 2, 2007)
IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY: Comic Party, Cosplay Complex, Otaku no Video
Just look, look at the state of my room! I just got back from Supanova, the 'pop culture' expo of Western Australia and what have I got to show for it? MORE manga, anime and unmentionables that must be added to their relevant piles, cases and stacks. Sorted into their shelf space, or as that fills up, their floor space. I may not have huge posters on the walls or an anime bedspread but there is no hiding it, I'm a fully fledged otaku. Now some of you are probably asking 'what the heck is an otaku?' to which I will give the most basic of definitions;
Otaku (Oh-tah-ku) 1. A person who thinks about anime, manga, videogames and not much else. 2. A misunderstood type of mammal that can be seen at dusk scurrying towards the nearest store.
'Where are you going with this?' you wonder as you sit there with your head on one hand, and SIT UP! it's not good for your posture. This is all relevant as you shall see as your enjoyment with the series I will talk about today is based solely on how much you are like me. How much you can relate to the culture I speak of, and no I'm not talking about Lucky Star. Granted there is an otaku character in that series, it's not a series ABOUT otaku. For that, I turn to the marvellous series Genshiken.
Genshiken is a club in a university campus, Shiiou University, consisting almost entirely of otaku's and their quest for fandom, mastery of games and love. Now of course, most universities would see through a club application for the study of said things, so they are known by the technical term 'The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture'. Let's put it this way: A similar thing has occurred as the martial arts have become more popular. Every college now has a club that studies the martial arts (at least in Japan) even though there are also separate clubs devoted to karate, jujitsu, kickboxing etc. The former type of club focuses on appreciating the martial arts as a whole, while the latter type practices specific styles. Why shouldn't otaku clubs follow similar principles? members of manga or anime clubs tend to talk about manga and anime from the creator's perspective. But the Genshiken considers the consumers point of view first.
What makes the series interesting as a whole is the look into all the aspects of otaku culture. From touring known comic shops, to conventions, cosplay, gaming, to just debating about certain recognisable series, it's all covered at one point or another, and that's partly why I myself clung to it to vividly, because I could relate so well to all of it.
I guess I should get around to telling you the plot right? well here is what we have:
SYNOPSIS
"It's the spring of freshman year, and Kanji Sasahara is in a quandary. Should he fulfill his long-cherished dream of joining an otaku club? Saki Kasukabe also faces a dilemma. Can she ever turn her boyfirend, anime fanboy Makoto (Kousaka), into a normal guy? Kanji triumphs where Saki fails when both Sasahara and Kousaka sign up for Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. Undeterred, Saki chases Kousaka through various activities of the club, from cosplay and comic conventions to video gaming and collection anime figures - all the while discovering more than she ever wanted to know about the humorous world of the Japanese otaku!"
Oh and by the way. The majority of manga and anime references made in Genshiken are on the then-fictitious series known as' Kujibiki Unbalance', a stereotypical romantic comedy. 'Kujibiki Unbalance' was likely originally conceived to avoid potential copyright problems from referencing other series too heavily, but has since spun off into its own fully fledged manga and anime series.
Now that the whole plot thing is out of the way, on to the review!
MANGA REVIEW
It should go without saying at this point, but this is by far one of my most enjoyed series thus far
during my introduction to manga. The characters were relateable to me, I could understand the problems they were having and the excitement they felt. It's purely circumstantial and you will see by what I mean when I said earlier that you will like it ' based solely on how much you are like me'.
Shimoku Kio has always been praised for his attention to detail in the series, and it really shines through with everything stacked to the brim in otakuness. Each characters room plays out a representation of their minds with posters, anime and manga littering their walls, floor and beds. Their club space is also filled with recognisable series and detail.
The story progression evolves from commentary to romantic comedy, which helps introduce new characters while still showing how the old ones are growing as people. The series shows that otaku are people too, with their own joys and defeats, and should not be so readily cast aside (as I believe they are in Japanese culture especially) but maybe I'm reading too far into it. It's an amazing series and should be checked out immediately if you haven't already done so.
ANIME REVIEW
As for the anime (another that isn't available in Australia, so if you want to look into it you're going to have to order it in) it's seperated by seasons, different animation companies and different mind sets, so some of the aspects of the manga change from series to series.
Series one focuses on seperating each aspect of being an otaku out into an episode a piece, with the characters simply playing a representation of an otaku, and don't blossom into their own recognisable personalities til later near the end of the series. Sure they are interesting, but only in the terms of only knowing their stereotype slightly and not them themselves. An OVA seperates series one and two and introduces a new character and the next story arc involving the production of a doujinshi (erotic manga).
Series two is focused much more on the relationships between the members of the Genshiken themselves more than just a comment on otaku culture. That vibe from the first series is still there, but now it seems more focused on developing the characters, as such, the second season evolves in the same progression as the manga did. The second season also used Kio's art style, to the point of copying images directly from the manga in the sense that it almost looks like an animated comic if you have read it beforehand. The only dissapointment about the series is that it takes a few episodes to pick up and become interesting and it has no climax, leaving out the last two volumes of manga AND the only relationship I wanted to be explored. It's been 2007 since the last series was made and nothing on the horizon for any further production, but there better be or I will destroy all. (Yes I was pretty ticked off at the finale).
Overall though, Genshiken a great series about a bunch of otaku. If you are interested in the workings of the culture, or just after a funny adventure through a college I highly recommend you check this one out. It really summarises the lifestyle basically and for that, you are essentially getting to know me from reading it, and so I look forward to not hearing from you ever. GET Genshiken!
Manga AUTHOR: Shimoku Kio
other works include Kujibiki Unbalance (2004-2007) and Digopuri (2008)
Publisher: Kodansha, Del Rey Manga
Volumes: 9
Anime Episodes: 12 (Season 1, 2004), 3 (OVA, 2006-2007), 12 (Season 2, 2007)
IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY: Comic Party, Cosplay Complex, Otaku no Video
Just look, look at the state of my room! I just got back from Supanova, the 'pop culture' expo of Western Australia and what have I got to show for it? MORE manga, anime and unmentionables that must be added to their relevant piles, cases and stacks. Sorted into their shelf space, or as that fills up, their floor space. I may not have huge posters on the walls or an anime bedspread but there is no hiding it, I'm a fully fledged otaku. Now some of you are probably asking 'what the heck is an otaku?' to which I will give the most basic of definitions;
Otaku (Oh-tah-ku) 1. A person who thinks about anime, manga, videogames and not much else. 2. A misunderstood type of mammal that can be seen at dusk scurrying towards the nearest store.
'Where are you going with this?' you wonder as you sit there with your head on one hand, and SIT UP! it's not good for your posture. This is all relevant as you shall see as your enjoyment with the series I will talk about today is based solely on how much you are like me. How much you can relate to the culture I speak of, and no I'm not talking about Lucky Star. Granted there is an otaku character in that series, it's not a series ABOUT otaku. For that, I turn to the marvellous series Genshiken.
Genshiken is a club in a university campus, Shiiou University, consisting almost entirely of otaku's and their quest for fandom, mastery of games and love. Now of course, most universities would see through a club application for the study of said things, so they are known by the technical term 'The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture'. Let's put it this way: A similar thing has occurred as the martial arts have become more popular. Every college now has a club that studies the martial arts (at least in Japan) even though there are also separate clubs devoted to karate, jujitsu, kickboxing etc. The former type of club focuses on appreciating the martial arts as a whole, while the latter type practices specific styles. Why shouldn't otaku clubs follow similar principles? members of manga or anime clubs tend to talk about manga and anime from the creator's perspective. But the Genshiken considers the consumers point of view first.
What makes the series interesting as a whole is the look into all the aspects of otaku culture. From touring known comic shops, to conventions, cosplay, gaming, to just debating about certain recognisable series, it's all covered at one point or another, and that's partly why I myself clung to it to vividly, because I could relate so well to all of it.
I guess I should get around to telling you the plot right? well here is what we have:
SYNOPSIS
"It's the spring of freshman year, and Kanji Sasahara is in a quandary. Should he fulfill his long-cherished dream of joining an otaku club? Saki Kasukabe also faces a dilemma. Can she ever turn her boyfirend, anime fanboy Makoto (Kousaka), into a normal guy? Kanji triumphs where Saki fails when both Sasahara and Kousaka sign up for Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. Undeterred, Saki chases Kousaka through various activities of the club, from cosplay and comic conventions to video gaming and collection anime figures - all the while discovering more than she ever wanted to know about the humorous world of the Japanese otaku!"
Oh and by the way. The majority of manga and anime references made in Genshiken are on the then-fictitious series known as' Kujibiki Unbalance', a stereotypical romantic comedy. 'Kujibiki Unbalance' was likely originally conceived to avoid potential copyright problems from referencing other series too heavily, but has since spun off into its own fully fledged manga and anime series.
Now that the whole plot thing is out of the way, on to the review!
MANGA REVIEW
It should go without saying at this point, but this is by far one of my most enjoyed series thus far
during my introduction to manga. The characters were relateable to me, I could understand the problems they were having and the excitement they felt. It's purely circumstantial and you will see by what I mean when I said earlier that you will like it ' based solely on how much you are like me'.
Shimoku Kio has always been praised for his attention to detail in the series, and it really shines through with everything stacked to the brim in otakuness. Each characters room plays out a representation of their minds with posters, anime and manga littering their walls, floor and beds. Their club space is also filled with recognisable series and detail.
The story progression evolves from commentary to romantic comedy, which helps introduce new characters while still showing how the old ones are growing as people. The series shows that otaku are people too, with their own joys and defeats, and should not be so readily cast aside (as I believe they are in Japanese culture especially) but maybe I'm reading too far into it. It's an amazing series and should be checked out immediately if you haven't already done so.
ANIME REVIEW
As for the anime (another that isn't available in Australia, so if you want to look into it you're going to have to order it in) it's seperated by seasons, different animation companies and different mind sets, so some of the aspects of the manga change from series to series.
Series one focuses on seperating each aspect of being an otaku out into an episode a piece, with the characters simply playing a representation of an otaku, and don't blossom into their own recognisable personalities til later near the end of the series. Sure they are interesting, but only in the terms of only knowing their stereotype slightly and not them themselves. An OVA seperates series one and two and introduces a new character and the next story arc involving the production of a doujinshi (erotic manga).
Series two is focused much more on the relationships between the members of the Genshiken themselves more than just a comment on otaku culture. That vibe from the first series is still there, but now it seems more focused on developing the characters, as such, the second season evolves in the same progression as the manga did. The second season also used Kio's art style, to the point of copying images directly from the manga in the sense that it almost looks like an animated comic if you have read it beforehand. The only dissapointment about the series is that it takes a few episodes to pick up and become interesting and it has no climax, leaving out the last two volumes of manga AND the only relationship I wanted to be explored. It's been 2007 since the last series was made and nothing on the horizon for any further production, but there better be or I will destroy all. (Yes I was pretty ticked off at the finale).
Overall though, Genshiken a great series about a bunch of otaku. If you are interested in the workings of the culture, or just after a funny adventure through a college I highly recommend you check this one out. It really summarises the lifestyle basically and for that, you are essentially getting to know me from reading it, and so I look forward to not hearing from you ever. GET Genshiken!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Copyright and YouTube back on the Warpath
Hey Guys! Wow what a week. University has gone back and its time to figure out just how in trouble I am with assignments and the such.
But thats not the most pressing news, lend my your ears young ones and I shall tell you of a tale so predictable you will most liekly run into it time and again in your life. I refer to, of course, Copyright.
Now, now. I am not starting off on a rant about copyright being bad or anything, I mean credit where credit is due right? Besides, I wouldnt want anyone copying my work, and copyright helps me stop that.
The issue I am having is with the distribution right of trailers, you know, the little minute clips edited together to give people an idea about a movie/game/animation and maybe an idea if they would like to try it out.
Now form what i understand, companies construct these trailers to give like, a little preview of the series, as such it is free, widely distributed and is found on many DVDs, internet sites and the such.
Now you would thing that if something is FREE, and its already WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, then it should be FREE for me to WIDELY DISTRIBUTE it as well, just as long as im doing it for FREE. You see where im going with this right? Same concept applies to the some 70 trailers found on my youtube account.
Ive had very little issue with these, only a few have brought up notices to check them for copyrighted material (some 5 of the 70, which would mean 75 attempted uploads), and ive immediately deleted them if that notice did come up. I though this would help me avoid any unnecicary strife.
Well...I WAS WRONG! Turns out today my trailer for 'Baki the Grappler' was taken down for copyright by someone by the name of [insert random japanese characters here]. Now, if it ACTUALLY is the company who made Baki the Grappler, and its simply their wish to have me take it down, I would have been happy to. In fact, if they had just asked me to take it down via a message or something, happy to. If I had uploaded a full episode, a dubbing session, something you can only find by PURCHASING THE DISC I would be happy to. But it was the trailer, something FREE given to me that I cant give away.
It was a relitively popular clip to (some 20,000 views, most likely because of the 360 game release) so I would think they would appreciate all the free publicity.
So what am I getting at here with this? Simply put, if they can take that down pretty much ANYTHING is up for deletion, and I have no idea if ill even have an account next time I get back on youtube. There are a few things on there that are definately not infringing copyright in anyway (game reviews, convention videos etc) but if I get infringed a couple more times ill be permanently banned from youtube.
SO whats the plan then? Even if get banned ill probably just start up another account under a different name (like instead of animereviewguy, it will be anime-review-guy) or the such. Ive already hooked up my blip.tv account to youtube so my game reviews will always be on both sites regardless, so not that hige of a thing, just a relitive pain over something so minor.
Anyway thats about it on that topic, now on to some more exciting things!
My next game review for Chobits on PS2 is chugging along nicely. Ive gotten through a playthrough or two and got my sound effects and camera stuff done, now all thats left is to write the script, record and put it all together. Im thinking a release of 08/20/10 wouldnt be asking too much.
Cosmic-Comics seems to be having trouble uploading my reviews so ill put the next one up here, review for Genshiken. Ill be putting that up tomorrow (08/12/10) to celebrate my 22nd BIRTHDAY!
And well thats about it for now. I've been caught up in a Christopher Nolan Watch-a-thon Marathon, getting through all his movies I can get my hands on and ive only got one left, the Prestige. Ill probably do this again once Dark Knight 3 is on the horizon, but 2012 is the end of the world so I hope he hurries up.
All the best guys! Catch ya all round next time!!
But thats not the most pressing news, lend my your ears young ones and I shall tell you of a tale so predictable you will most liekly run into it time and again in your life. I refer to, of course, Copyright.
Now, now. I am not starting off on a rant about copyright being bad or anything, I mean credit where credit is due right? Besides, I wouldnt want anyone copying my work, and copyright helps me stop that.
The issue I am having is with the distribution right of trailers, you know, the little minute clips edited together to give people an idea about a movie/game/animation and maybe an idea if they would like to try it out.
Now form what i understand, companies construct these trailers to give like, a little preview of the series, as such it is free, widely distributed and is found on many DVDs, internet sites and the such.
Now you would thing that if something is FREE, and its already WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, then it should be FREE for me to WIDELY DISTRIBUTE it as well, just as long as im doing it for FREE. You see where im going with this right? Same concept applies to the some 70 trailers found on my youtube account.
Ive had very little issue with these, only a few have brought up notices to check them for copyrighted material (some 5 of the 70, which would mean 75 attempted uploads), and ive immediately deleted them if that notice did come up. I though this would help me avoid any unnecicary strife.
Well...I WAS WRONG! Turns out today my trailer for 'Baki the Grappler' was taken down for copyright by someone by the name of [insert random japanese characters here]. Now, if it ACTUALLY is the company who made Baki the Grappler, and its simply their wish to have me take it down, I would have been happy to. In fact, if they had just asked me to take it down via a message or something, happy to. If I had uploaded a full episode, a dubbing session, something you can only find by PURCHASING THE DISC I would be happy to. But it was the trailer, something FREE given to me that I cant give away.
It was a relitively popular clip to (some 20,000 views, most likely because of the 360 game release) so I would think they would appreciate all the free publicity.
So what am I getting at here with this? Simply put, if they can take that down pretty much ANYTHING is up for deletion, and I have no idea if ill even have an account next time I get back on youtube. There are a few things on there that are definately not infringing copyright in anyway (game reviews, convention videos etc) but if I get infringed a couple more times ill be permanently banned from youtube.
SO whats the plan then? Even if get banned ill probably just start up another account under a different name (like instead of animereviewguy, it will be anime-review-guy) or the such. Ive already hooked up my blip.tv account to youtube so my game reviews will always be on both sites regardless, so not that hige of a thing, just a relitive pain over something so minor.
Anyway thats about it on that topic, now on to some more exciting things!
My next game review for Chobits on PS2 is chugging along nicely. Ive gotten through a playthrough or two and got my sound effects and camera stuff done, now all thats left is to write the script, record and put it all together. Im thinking a release of 08/20/10 wouldnt be asking too much.
Cosmic-Comics seems to be having trouble uploading my reviews so ill put the next one up here, review for Genshiken. Ill be putting that up tomorrow (08/12/10) to celebrate my 22nd BIRTHDAY!
And well thats about it for now. I've been caught up in a Christopher Nolan Watch-a-thon Marathon, getting through all his movies I can get my hands on and ive only got one left, the Prestige. Ill probably do this again once Dark Knight 3 is on the horizon, but 2012 is the end of the world so I hope he hurries up.
All the best guys! Catch ya all round next time!!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I"s Videogame Review - [by the animereviewguy]
I finally sit down for my first full video review. Well, my actual text reviews can be found here: http://www.cosmic-comics.com.au/reviews.html As of the 20th of June the text review of the anime and manga of I"s shall be up here, but it is replaced every two weeks with a new review. After its gone ill find somewhere else to upload all reviews that have been missed. Check it out! All image and sounds are used for commentary and review purposes only and all come from either the I's Videogame or the I"s Anime series.
Code Geass Lelouch the Rebellion: Lost Colors Videogame Review - [by the animereviewguy]
Time for review number 2. This time I have a look at "Code Geass Lelouch the Rebellion: Lost Colors". head to www.cosmic-comics.com.au for more reviews! a special shout out and credit for the images I could not achieve goes to: www.atalude.net/. Head there, or search 'Code Geass Lost Colors' for more images from the game. All image and sounds are used for commentary and review purposes only and all come from either the Code Geass Lost Colors Videogame or the Code Geass Anime Series.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Text Review 2: I"s
Manga AUTHOR: Masakazu Katsura
other works include Video Girl Ai (1991), DNA² (1994), Zetman (2002)
Publisher: Shonen Jump Volumes: 15
Anime Episodes: 6 (Original Run), 2 (OVA) - Known also as 'I"s Pure'
SYNOPSIS
Ill avoid spoilers as much as I can but heres basically a rundown of the first episode and first manga:
Itchitaka is your everyday anime loser virgin never had a girlfriend desperately seeking dude AND he has a crush on his classmate Iori who reciently posed for a semi provocative swimsuit shoot in a magazine. Being as such, she is constantly chased by sleezy good for nothings, and itchitakas afraid to let iori know his feelings for fear of her thinking the same of him. Misunderstanding to misunderstanding ensue as their relationship catapaults back and forth between good friends and her not wanting anything to do with him til one day itchitakas childhood friend Itsuki returns from America. Now itchitaka is torn between these two girls etc etc will he find true love and who does he truely love etc etc.
ANIME REVIEW
Since the anime is limited to 6 episodes, compressed from the entirety of the 15 volume manga series, you can imagine that some of the magic is lost in translation. Some characters have very little screen time, or even totally omitted, on order to pave way to itchitakas character development and his quest for iori. The format of the episodes, with 2 thirds of the series playing out as a sort of flashback does an adequate enough job of expressing the key events of the manga while focusing almost entirely on the relationship chemistry of either itchitaka and iori or itchitaka and itsuki.
The characters are likeable, thats for sure. Itchitakas a little annoying but he grows on you with time as he eventually learns to deal with each situation and his courage blossoms. You want him to succeed yet with each passing second you won't know if thats ever possible. While this is all well and good little is told about the characters lives that made them into the people they are now. We see a little of itchitaka as a small child and why he isn’t confident around girls but thats it. Iori is basically just played off as that unachievable trophy without giving her much depth until later on in the proceedings, but thats forgivable seeing as how we are following this through itchitakas eyes. Itsuki is by far, the most fun character of the anime run but as her screen time wavers, so does the energy.
If anything, I remember this series for being emotionally crippling. I saw the anime for this before reading the manga and some misunderstandings were just plain painful to watch. I mean come on, can you even imagine having a photoshoped naked photo of the girl you like fall in front of them just as things were getting chummy between the two of you? Not fun.
Every episode is followed by a little fan service segment of itchitaka s wild dreams of erotic pleasure, however ill leave it to your discression whether these ever lead to anything or not.
Overall though the series is short and sweet, but you cant help but feel it could of benefitted from a little more time. A 12 episode series would have lended a much better progression of story without sacrificing characters to hurry it along. It does get the key elements out though, and for that I have to give it praise since im sure most would just use the opportunity to extend it out for sequel upon sequel. Good characters, sweet story but rushed. If you like romantic comedies that won't eat up too much time to get through id give it a watch.
MANGA REVIEW
Now this is more what I'm talking about. I've always had a thing for romantic comedies and this is one of my all time favourites. Everything I complained about in the anime is rectified here in the manga, all plot lines explained, all characters explored and all humour restored. If your going to experience 'I"s' THIS is the way to do it. (Also you will have a much easier time grabbing the manga than the anime series).
Masakazu Katsura's art style goes from good to amazing over the course of the series, with attention to detail especially being placed into the characters. Recognisable landmarks and pop culture references, even ones recognisable to an Australian audience, come through and add chuckles here and there.
What really sets the manga apart however is Itchitaka. Hiis relationships are explored and largely varied in situation you can find some enjoyment no matter what he is going through, as it keeps you guessing in what he will do next to sort out his sometimes ridiculous problems. Once the series hits volume 10 something happens that you would expect the manga would end shortly, as so many others do, yet it keeps going for 5 more volumes, exploring an aspect of relationships that are rarely seen in romantic comedy anime/manga plotlines.
The only thing that kind of threw me off the series was the ending, with the announcement of 'the next volume is the last one' at the end of volume 14, it really felt the story left us just as another story arc was about to pick up. The ending will still leave you satisfied, but it just looks like at volume 15 a felling of 'that's enough' just came over Katsura and he ended the series. Or maybe I was just enjoying it too much...
Overall this is a great series. It has heaps of comedy, fun characters and senarios that will have you coming back for more again and again. I usually have a volume casually aside for when I'm bored as its one of those titles that are great to flip through on occasion as well. Highly recommended to those who enjoy romantic comedies or even those who just want to relive those days of that unfulfilled crush and unreachable dream. Highly Recommended; I"s
Original Publishing Date: 05/27/10
other works include Video Girl Ai (1991), DNA² (1994), Zetman (2002)
Publisher: Shonen Jump Volumes: 15
Anime Episodes: 6 (Original Run), 2 (OVA) - Known also as 'I"s Pure'
SYNOPSIS
Ill avoid spoilers as much as I can but heres basically a rundown of the first episode and first manga:
Itchitaka is your everyday anime loser virgin never had a girlfriend desperately seeking dude AND he has a crush on his classmate Iori who reciently posed for a semi provocative swimsuit shoot in a magazine. Being as such, she is constantly chased by sleezy good for nothings, and itchitakas afraid to let iori know his feelings for fear of her thinking the same of him. Misunderstanding to misunderstanding ensue as their relationship catapaults back and forth between good friends and her not wanting anything to do with him til one day itchitakas childhood friend Itsuki returns from America. Now itchitaka is torn between these two girls etc etc will he find true love and who does he truely love etc etc.
ANIME REVIEW
Since the anime is limited to 6 episodes, compressed from the entirety of the 15 volume manga series, you can imagine that some of the magic is lost in translation. Some characters have very little screen time, or even totally omitted, on order to pave way to itchitakas character development and his quest for iori. The format of the episodes, with 2 thirds of the series playing out as a sort of flashback does an adequate enough job of expressing the key events of the manga while focusing almost entirely on the relationship chemistry of either itchitaka and iori or itchitaka and itsuki.
The characters are likeable, thats for sure. Itchitakas a little annoying but he grows on you with time as he eventually learns to deal with each situation and his courage blossoms. You want him to succeed yet with each passing second you won't know if thats ever possible. While this is all well and good little is told about the characters lives that made them into the people they are now. We see a little of itchitaka as a small child and why he isn’t confident around girls but thats it. Iori is basically just played off as that unachievable trophy without giving her much depth until later on in the proceedings, but thats forgivable seeing as how we are following this through itchitakas eyes. Itsuki is by far, the most fun character of the anime run but as her screen time wavers, so does the energy.
If anything, I remember this series for being emotionally crippling. I saw the anime for this before reading the manga and some misunderstandings were just plain painful to watch. I mean come on, can you even imagine having a photoshoped naked photo of the girl you like fall in front of them just as things were getting chummy between the two of you? Not fun.
Every episode is followed by a little fan service segment of itchitaka s wild dreams of erotic pleasure, however ill leave it to your discression whether these ever lead to anything or not.
Overall though the series is short and sweet, but you cant help but feel it could of benefitted from a little more time. A 12 episode series would have lended a much better progression of story without sacrificing characters to hurry it along. It does get the key elements out though, and for that I have to give it praise since im sure most would just use the opportunity to extend it out for sequel upon sequel. Good characters, sweet story but rushed. If you like romantic comedies that won't eat up too much time to get through id give it a watch.
MANGA REVIEW
Now this is more what I'm talking about. I've always had a thing for romantic comedies and this is one of my all time favourites. Everything I complained about in the anime is rectified here in the manga, all plot lines explained, all characters explored and all humour restored. If your going to experience 'I"s' THIS is the way to do it. (Also you will have a much easier time grabbing the manga than the anime series).
Masakazu Katsura's art style goes from good to amazing over the course of the series, with attention to detail especially being placed into the characters. Recognisable landmarks and pop culture references, even ones recognisable to an Australian audience, come through and add chuckles here and there.
What really sets the manga apart however is Itchitaka. Hiis relationships are explored and largely varied in situation you can find some enjoyment no matter what he is going through, as it keeps you guessing in what he will do next to sort out his sometimes ridiculous problems. Once the series hits volume 10 something happens that you would expect the manga would end shortly, as so many others do, yet it keeps going for 5 more volumes, exploring an aspect of relationships that are rarely seen in romantic comedy anime/manga plotlines.
The only thing that kind of threw me off the series was the ending, with the announcement of 'the next volume is the last one' at the end of volume 14, it really felt the story left us just as another story arc was about to pick up. The ending will still leave you satisfied, but it just looks like at volume 15 a felling of 'that's enough' just came over Katsura and he ended the series. Or maybe I was just enjoying it too much...
Overall this is a great series. It has heaps of comedy, fun characters and senarios that will have you coming back for more again and again. I usually have a volume casually aside for when I'm bored as its one of those titles that are great to flip through on occasion as well. Highly recommended to those who enjoy romantic comedies or even those who just want to relive those days of that unfulfilled crush and unreachable dream. Highly Recommended; I"s
Original Publishing Date: 05/27/10
Text Review 1: Gravion
GRAVION
Well, I'll be the first to admit that I've never really been one for series about giant robot's (Neon Genesis Evangelion excluded) but I was recently scrambling through my old DVD collections when I came across this little series, Gravion. Lo and behold, a series about giant robots, but why did I have it? What possessed me to purchase something that by all means I would have never otherwise even took a second glance at? To be honest, that fact still eludes me to even this day. Maybe it was a trailer that looked funny, maybe that it was made by Gonzo and that kind of pulled me in when so few were available at the time, I may never know. Regardless, I put it on and about halfway through the first episode...I still had no idea why I still had this. Sure there was the gratuitous panty shots and uncomfortable cross dressing, the funny miss-spelling and the mammary bouncing, but surely I wasn't THAT shallow back then. But wait, before I even get into anything else and tell you WHY I made it through the entire first series I'll give you a little synopsis of what exactly is going down. Well, I'll just write what's on the back of the DVD since it will probably make a lot more sense than me trying to wrap it up;
"When mankind faces an alien force with technology light years ahead of its own, it may take a man obsessed with the past to save the Earth. The fate of humanity rests on whether the eccentric billionaire Sandman can build a machine as great as the myths of old. His creation is a god for the modern age, a deity forged of circuits and steel - it is Gravion!"
Ok, so maybe I should of read it before I started writing it because that just made it sound MORE confusing. I mean, the legends of old had giant robot's in them? Let's just say that little synopsis on the back has very little to what actually happens and should be taken with a grain of salt. What matters is what's written after that;
"Only a young band of orphaned misfits are born with the ability to pilot this top secret weapon. All life on the planet depends on how well they can fight the Zeravire - if they can only stop fighting amongst themselves!"
That's essentially what the series is about. The Zeravire are an alien race attacking the Earth in dangerous and more dangerous forms, and it's up to Gravion to stop them. When this series was first released it seemed to be panned by most reviewers because of its continuous and pointless use of sexual innuendo, a poor story and uninteresting characters. I tended to agree with these judgments, however there were two main things that had me coming back each episode.
1. The Animation. While it was a little uneven at times, Gonzo's style and detail always left an impact. The transformation sequences were so well done you could forgive the goofy costumes and the enemy design was always fresh with each new evolution to match the teams changes.
2. The Music. Let me just say this right now, the music for the entirety of the series ROCKED! Rock worked with the transformers, it works here too. The intro theme and transformation theme were the standouts in this season and I could listen to them time and time again.
These two things got me through the first series and it didn't end on too bad of a note, just nothing was answered and for a while I thought that was the absolute end of the series. Rage built, and the above two points became the only good things about the series, it was all I could point to. Now, there is another reason to watch the first series, so you know what happens in the vastly superior:
GRAVION ZWEI
Get ready for what Gravion should of been, a great, if not still goofy, giant robot anime. Of course, it starts as it did last time, with Eiji in drag, but this is just some of the minor filler. This series see's the introduction of a new group of robot warriors, a new Gravion unit, a full explanation of everything that was unanswered last season, more kick ass music and more battle maids (of course).
The shameful thing is that most reviewers and fans tend to give up on this series in its first part before getting to the second, and for this I cannot overly blame them. The series was purposefully released in two halves, each named differently and never found in a packaged bundle together (at least here in Australia). For this, it actually takes effort on the consumers part to FIND both parts and after the taste left in your mouth by the first half, putting that effort in for the second may not seem worth it.
But I digress. Gonzo returns to the helm in this second part with its casual one fight per episode structure until the final story arc kicks in about halfway through the series. In the meantime we get to enjoy such antics as the team heading to a hot spring, cosplaying and other staple fan service until about episode 5 when the plot rears its head again and we head back towards an interesting horizon.
For what it's worth, its best to consider these two series to be just the one 24 episode series and should be viewed as such. There are episodes based more around comedy and character exploration, while others are focused more on developing the plot and are far more interesting. Watching the first half only will leave you drained and full of questions, while watching the two series back to back is far more fulfilling. Lastly, what you should remember at all times is that is a fun series that isn't trying to go over the top and become something deep. Its over the top in the sense that everything is just so blatantly exaggerated, but that's part of its appeal.
If you enjoy giant robot's and want something a little more easy on the brain I would recommend you give Gravion a go. As a whole series, its terrific fun and seriously, it's worth it just for the intro music to the second series. Sit down, turn your brain off and enjoy Gravion!
Original Publishing Date: 05/17/10
Well, I'll be the first to admit that I've never really been one for series about giant robot's (Neon Genesis Evangelion excluded) but I was recently scrambling through my old DVD collections when I came across this little series, Gravion. Lo and behold, a series about giant robots, but why did I have it? What possessed me to purchase something that by all means I would have never otherwise even took a second glance at? To be honest, that fact still eludes me to even this day. Maybe it was a trailer that looked funny, maybe that it was made by Gonzo and that kind of pulled me in when so few were available at the time, I may never know. Regardless, I put it on and about halfway through the first episode...I still had no idea why I still had this. Sure there was the gratuitous panty shots and uncomfortable cross dressing, the funny miss-spelling and the mammary bouncing, but surely I wasn't THAT shallow back then. But wait, before I even get into anything else and tell you WHY I made it through the entire first series I'll give you a little synopsis of what exactly is going down. Well, I'll just write what's on the back of the DVD since it will probably make a lot more sense than me trying to wrap it up;
"When mankind faces an alien force with technology light years ahead of its own, it may take a man obsessed with the past to save the Earth. The fate of humanity rests on whether the eccentric billionaire Sandman can build a machine as great as the myths of old. His creation is a god for the modern age, a deity forged of circuits and steel - it is Gravion!"
Ok, so maybe I should of read it before I started writing it because that just made it sound MORE confusing. I mean, the legends of old had giant robot's in them? Let's just say that little synopsis on the back has very little to what actually happens and should be taken with a grain of salt. What matters is what's written after that;
"Only a young band of orphaned misfits are born with the ability to pilot this top secret weapon. All life on the planet depends on how well they can fight the Zeravire - if they can only stop fighting amongst themselves!"
That's essentially what the series is about. The Zeravire are an alien race attacking the Earth in dangerous and more dangerous forms, and it's up to Gravion to stop them. When this series was first released it seemed to be panned by most reviewers because of its continuous and pointless use of sexual innuendo, a poor story and uninteresting characters. I tended to agree with these judgments, however there were two main things that had me coming back each episode.
1. The Animation. While it was a little uneven at times, Gonzo's style and detail always left an impact. The transformation sequences were so well done you could forgive the goofy costumes and the enemy design was always fresh with each new evolution to match the teams changes.
2. The Music. Let me just say this right now, the music for the entirety of the series ROCKED! Rock worked with the transformers, it works here too. The intro theme and transformation theme were the standouts in this season and I could listen to them time and time again.
These two things got me through the first series and it didn't end on too bad of a note, just nothing was answered and for a while I thought that was the absolute end of the series. Rage built, and the above two points became the only good things about the series, it was all I could point to. Now, there is another reason to watch the first series, so you know what happens in the vastly superior:
GRAVION ZWEI
Get ready for what Gravion should of been, a great, if not still goofy, giant robot anime. Of course, it starts as it did last time, with Eiji in drag, but this is just some of the minor filler. This series see's the introduction of a new group of robot warriors, a new Gravion unit, a full explanation of everything that was unanswered last season, more kick ass music and more battle maids (of course).
The shameful thing is that most reviewers and fans tend to give up on this series in its first part before getting to the second, and for this I cannot overly blame them. The series was purposefully released in two halves, each named differently and never found in a packaged bundle together (at least here in Australia). For this, it actually takes effort on the consumers part to FIND both parts and after the taste left in your mouth by the first half, putting that effort in for the second may not seem worth it.
But I digress. Gonzo returns to the helm in this second part with its casual one fight per episode structure until the final story arc kicks in about halfway through the series. In the meantime we get to enjoy such antics as the team heading to a hot spring, cosplaying and other staple fan service until about episode 5 when the plot rears its head again and we head back towards an interesting horizon.
For what it's worth, its best to consider these two series to be just the one 24 episode series and should be viewed as such. There are episodes based more around comedy and character exploration, while others are focused more on developing the plot and are far more interesting. Watching the first half only will leave you drained and full of questions, while watching the two series back to back is far more fulfilling. Lastly, what you should remember at all times is that is a fun series that isn't trying to go over the top and become something deep. Its over the top in the sense that everything is just so blatantly exaggerated, but that's part of its appeal.
If you enjoy giant robot's and want something a little more easy on the brain I would recommend you give Gravion a go. As a whole series, its terrific fun and seriously, it's worth it just for the intro music to the second series. Sit down, turn your brain off and enjoy Gravion!
Original Publishing Date: 05/17/10
The Return of the Anime Review Guy!
Welcome one and all to the NEW AND IMPROVED blog of the Anime Review Guy. Here you can catch up on any missed reviews, check out the latest videos, hear about upcoming projects or just chat with others in this new, updated version of the blog.
I know, I know. This is the 3rd time the blog has gone through a reworking, but after a recient team up with cosmic comics (see: http://www.cosmic-comics.com.au/) the motivation has returned and a new lease on life has been restored. You can look forward to constant updates, as well as audio, video and written reviews.
We hope to bring more of an Australian perspective to the Anime, Manga and Game industry and maybe reveal some hidden gems along the way. So lets scrub down and get down to it!
The first things ill be placing up are a couple of written reviews and a couple of video reviews, all older stuff but new material will be updated regularly. Written reviews will be found on Cosmic Comics for the first 2 weeks they are out and will then be found here from then on.
As for video reviews, the 10 minute limit of youtube is pushing me to cut down on the content of the videos, so as of the next review onwards there will be two versions of videos available. A shorter version will be uploaded to youtube.com at around 8-9 minutes, and a longer 15 minute video will be uploaded to blip.tv.
This is not only to give you all better quality content, but hopefully to raise interest in the site and get some more tech support in here.
Well thats it for now, currently ive been caught up on a number of facebook games and its really draining my time. Naruto Shippuden, Castle Age, Farmville, Mafia Wars, its all too much and im going to have to ditch something soon or ill just spend my life growing virtual corn and turning into logs. I hope everyone has a great week and ill catch you all next time!
I know, I know. This is the 3rd time the blog has gone through a reworking, but after a recient team up with cosmic comics (see: http://www.cosmic-comics.com.au/) the motivation has returned and a new lease on life has been restored. You can look forward to constant updates, as well as audio, video and written reviews.
We hope to bring more of an Australian perspective to the Anime, Manga and Game industry and maybe reveal some hidden gems along the way. So lets scrub down and get down to it!
The first things ill be placing up are a couple of written reviews and a couple of video reviews, all older stuff but new material will be updated regularly. Written reviews will be found on Cosmic Comics for the first 2 weeks they are out and will then be found here from then on.
As for video reviews, the 10 minute limit of youtube is pushing me to cut down on the content of the videos, so as of the next review onwards there will be two versions of videos available. A shorter version will be uploaded to youtube.com at around 8-9 minutes, and a longer 15 minute video will be uploaded to blip.tv.
This is not only to give you all better quality content, but hopefully to raise interest in the site and get some more tech support in here.
Well thats it for now, currently ive been caught up on a number of facebook games and its really draining my time. Naruto Shippuden, Castle Age, Farmville, Mafia Wars, its all too much and im going to have to ditch something soon or ill just spend my life growing virtual corn and turning into logs. I hope everyone has a great week and ill catch you all next time!
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