~Special~ Anime Recommendations, Gateway Drugs and Anime Categories
Hello all! Today I’m doing a special on Anime Recommendations, Gateway Drugs and Anime Categories! Hope you enjoy it!
Everybody has different tastes in Anime, you will probably end up liking something your friend might not, or your friend might like something you don’t care for, and there are Anime that tend to be likable to everybody. Everybody has different tastes in Anime, different likes and dislikes, and because the genre is so huge there is a lot of verity. So, here is a list of Anime that will appeal to either certain types of people, or pretty much everyone.
Gateway Drugs (These are good Anime to show to Newbies.)
Fullmetal Alchemist
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen, Military
Score: 10/10
The reason I labeled this a Gateway Drug is because, well, it really is. Fullmetal Alchemist has everything an Anime should, a lot of action, compelling and brilliant writing/story-telling and unique and engaging characters. It has a LOT of relatable content within it, side stories and characters with a lot of depth and well fleshed out personalities. Fullmetal Alchemist is a fresh world of excitement and heart throbbing drama. This Anime I would recommend for anyone really, Adults will find it festinating, and Teens and Pre-Teens are bound to love the action and thrill of the show. Guys and Girls will love it equally as there are elements fitting to each gender’s likes and dislikes. FMA has something for everyone, and I would be surprised if you don’t find something to love about it.
Trigun
Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Score: 8/10
The reason I labeled this a Gateway Drug is because Trigun is one of those unusual Anime that is hard to put down once you start. Its first episode is good even, and it’s rare in Anime to start off so strong. At first you’ll think that this will only be for those who like lighthearted comedy, and then it changes into a drama with a lot of heart. The writing of Trigun is very good too in the second half, and story-junkies will absolutely love the struggle Vash has with taking lives and doing the right thing. Guys will enjoy it, but probably Girls will like it more believe it or not. Even though this is a Shounen, its human elements don’t necessarily compliment a guy’s preference when it comes to their Anime.
The reason I labeled this a Gateway Drug is because Generator Gawl is really a Gem in the rough, it’s an Older Anime that everyone would enjoy if they only knew about it. It’s extremely underrated and it’s a shame because of how good it really is. Although short in length every moment of Generator Gawl is interesting and well written. This is a Shounen which means a lot of violence and action, and in this case, monsters ripping each other to shreds. This will appeal a little more to Guys but Girls will enjoy the characters just as much because of their likable personalities. Most of all though, this is for the Sci-Fi junkies out there; if you’re into Star Wars Star Gate and Star Trek you are going to love this Anime, its writing is aimed for that audience and succeeds in drawing you in, especially for a shorter Anime.
Fruits Basket
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Score: 7/10
The reason I labeled this a Gateway Drug is because, it’s a Shoujo! That Guys like?! It has been my experience that Girls are more likely to try something new, like a Shounen and enjoy it just as much as the Guys do. But Guys are very hesitant about trying out Shoujos. I think it’s because it’s so completely lighthearted and full of character emotion that even the Guys appeal to it. It’s very realistic when it comes to how the characters speak and act to one another; if the whole Family Curse thing was removed it would be the ultimate Slice of Life.
Anime Categories:Anime Genres that should not be seen by anyone, EVER. They are for people who are messed up or perverted.
Anime more appealing to Girls and Guys with a weakness for cute things and weird Girls with personality quarks. Moe’s are generally very over-emotional and tear-jerking for the wrong reasons, jabbing at your heart with a quick unexpected jab. It’s not like a plot-twist, because you see it coming, but the way they do it generally catches you off guard some way and it’s hard not to break into uncontrollable tears.
Moe Anime I Have Rated:
Air TV 7/10
Anime more appealing to Girls. The emotional and over-the-top romances of Anime. They generally have a lot more comedy in them, and the comedy is mostly intelligent wit and clever humor. There are a lot more school-Anime in here and the romance is almost always about good looking Guys that Girls attach themselves to. Shoujo’s are not always a love-fest though; there are many different elements that go into it, but generally it’s directed towards the female mind.
Shoujo Anime I Have Rated:
OuranHigh School Host Club 9/10
Romeo x Juliet 9/10
Fruits Basket 7/10
Myself ; Yourself 7/10
Anime more appealing Guys, the action packed, guys with huge weapons that defy logic Genre of Anime. They are lots of explosions, and are full of unique worlds and different feels to them. And though they are made for Guys, a lot of Girls take to them quickly. Not all Shounens don’t make sense though, shows like Fullmetal Alchemist or D.Gray-man like to add a semi realistic sprinkle to their Anime, and a lot of them can be really well written. The stereotypical Shounens are like Bleach and Naruto, but Shounens have a wide verity and can be very original though over-hyped at times.
Shounen Anime I Have Rated:
Fullmetal Alchemist 10/10
Generator Gawl 9/10
Trigun 8/10
Peace Maker Kurogane 8/10
Naruto 8/10
Eureka Seven 8/10
D.N.Angel 6/10 (Also appealing to Girls because of the romance.)
Tsubasa Chronicle/Tsubasa Chronicle 2nd Series 5/10 (Also appealing to Girls because of the romance.)
Anime more appealing to Guys and a selected kind of Girl. Guys in Robots shooting and tearing the crud out of each other. Mechas are a pretty strict Anime Genre it was a lot of the reason Anime got so big. It really varies on what content is within it, but there’s almost always something unique or special about the Mechas they use, but few Anime Mechas make sense.
Mecha Anime I Have Rated:
Innocent Venus 9/10
Full Metal Panic! 7/10
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu 8/10
~Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed the personal entry be me! (AKA a ~Special~)
Alrighty! I have not gotten the chance to watch much Anime do to the holiday season, so the reviews are not as frequent as of late, but that will not stop me from staying enthusiastic about Anime! I already did a special about My Top 10 Favorite Anime Characters, now I’m going to do a special that is directed to Parents and Anime, buckle up your seatbelts non-Anime-Familiar-Parents; you’re in for a bumpy ride!
Let’s first start off by saying, if your parents are against Anime it is not because they want to make up rules so you have to follow them, they don’t know what it is and they are looking out for their children’s well-being. What parents don’t realize is that not all Anime is bad; they tend to lump them all together with the inappropriate stuff so they automatically assume that everything Anime is like that.
They will probably assume, example:
Pokemon, (Harmless Anime.) is the same thing as,
Golden Boy. (Completely unacceptable Anime.)
There’s an invisible wall there, what needs to happen, is that parents need to understand that Anime is an entire genre to itself.
We will use Music as an example.
Heavy Metal is a pretty touchy style of music for Christian parents, correct?
But is Country music considered the same as Heavy Metal?
No, because everybody is familiar with the fact that they are separate.
In that respect, Hentai Yaoi and Yuri are the BAD categories of Anime, the
genre that should put up a red flag for parents. They should NEVER be allowed for children or teens, or adults for that matter, shows like that shouldn’t have been created in the first place.
BUT! Shounen, Shoujo, Mecha, Psychological, Supernatural, Adventure, exedra, are not the same thing! and are generally completely acceptable.
Parents and Anime and Children and Anime
A lot of parents see Anime, and are very turned off by the idea of their children watching it. Most of this depends on the Anime the parent views first. But the wonderful thing about Anime is even adults can enjoy them if they give it a chance, I am an adult who loves Anime and I believe other adults can love it too!
If you’re the son or daughter in this situation, pick and choose, and give them a Gateway Drug Anime to watch. Try to bring your parents into your world, there’s no guarantee that they will like it as much as you do, but it will only help your chances if they understand just why you like it.
If you are the adult in the situation, keep your eyes wide open, this is a
genre that has something for everyone. Just because you don’t personally like it, does not mean that your children need to be deprived of it. If you take the entire
genre of Anime away all together you’re not being fair to your child. Who knows, you might turn out to like an Anime, you could turn into an Otaku yourself!
Familiarizing Your Parents with Anime (The Dos and Do-Nots for Kids who love Anime.)
Do when explaining Anime
Ok, if you have parents that don’t know what Anime is, you need to make sure they don’t get the wrong impression. It’s easy for them to mistake one for another, so here are two steps you might want to take:
Talk to them. It’s hard, but if you don’t get it out with first they’re liable to go online and read something inaccurate about Anime. If you want them to even half way understand your love of Anime, you want to talk to them straight out. They will probably be hesitant about it at first, but the first step should always be the direct approach.
Show them something Anime. parents will need a visual explanation as well. It’s generally hard for them to wrap their head around it if they’ve never seen it before. Pick something you know will be a good experience for them, everything you watch should have something likable in it, you liked it, in turn maybe they will, or at least will understand your like for it.
The rest will work out, or not work out; it really depends on your individual situation. But give your parents a chance, otherwise they'll be wondering why they should give you a chance.
DO NOT DO when explaining Anime
Don’t show them something intimidating! Like, Death Note is an intriguing and incredibly smart show, but it would be a poor choice for a Gateway Drug for an Adult because of its blunt title.
Don’t say Anime is a Cartoon! Cartoons to adults are Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo. Anime are completely different other then the fact they are animated. What 24, Star Trek, and Heroes is to America, Anime is to Japan. Anime are serious, thrilling, fun, comedic, and
fascinating. Cartoons are childish and silly. If a parent gets one glimpse of an Anime they will be able to tell it is different from Cartoons, so you should know that as well.
Don’t say it’s for Adults! That will make them think it's ONLY for adults, and that there is a LOT of adult content in them! It’s giving them the worst impression possible.Parents should be cautionary, but not count Anime out completely. Go in with open eyes and realize your kids’ interests will not always relate to your own. Embrace your inner Otaku, and if you are gracious and understanding, your kids will no doubt be grateful in return.
Anime is A-OK! It’s a refreshing and amazing environment where nerds rule supreme, and animation can be serious and fun!
~Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed the personal entry be me!
Dec. 2, 2009 - ~Special~ My Top 10 Favorite Anime Characters
~Special~ My Top 10 Favorite Anime Characters
I generally rate things on quality, leaving my opinion aside. But I thought that I’d do something more based on opinion today. These are my personal favorite Anime characters, and why they are my Top 10.
Note: Spoilers may be present, be careful as you read.
1: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Ed can be funny and spazzy and have you laughing your head off, he can be serious and compelling and make your heart start racing, and he can be on such a level of bad@$$ that should not even be possible. Everything about him was so human, and so pure. I can't believe that such a character could be perfect in so many ways. He wasn't trying to be the hero, that's just what he is. He can and will do whatever it takes to stand up for what he believes is right even if it costs him dearly, and that should be how every protagonist should be. The complexity to his character was very impressive; I was easily connected and drawn into loving Ed.
2: Tamaki Suoh (OuranHigh School Host Club)
Tamaki is probably the most hilarious Anime character ever created, he was everybody's dartboard and it didn't degrade him at all. Every word out of his mouth made me laugh out loud. Then, just as I'm starting to think there's nothing more to him, we realize just how kindhearted he really is. Everything he was, he was, nothing he said he didn't mean sincerely, and you could tell how much he really cared for others.
3: Fai D. Flourite (Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE "MANGA")
At first Fai seemed like this happy-go-lucky guy who always wore a smile, but there is another truth to himself that he doesn't allow anyone to know. Fai is one of the best written characters I've seen, his back story is so bone chilling and so dramatic. He doesn't want anyone to know who he really is, so he just smiles and hopes everything will fade away. He is very conflicted inside, and very tortured, despite that he manages to keep his focus on others aside from himself.
4: Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
I know you're all probably thinking, "Her standards are too low, he's from Naruto!" But Kakashi is something else. The fact that I liked a character, from Naruto, this much should be enough to show you just how well developed and great this character is. Kakashi is the word, "Cool." I was so surprised just how interesting he was. There's not another word to describe him, he is just, Kakashi. I have never met another person who didn't take a liking to him, haters or lovers of Naruto; Kakashi stands out by himself.
5: Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
"Kindness in a can!" Al is probably the character with the rawest kindness I have ever seen. It's hard not to love this guy, he's the voice of reason throughout the entire series, but you can completely feel he cares equally as much for his brother as Ed does for him. His adorable and sweet nature is why He's my 5th favorite.
6: Jin Tsurasawa (Innocent Venus)
Jin is very charming and very likable, right from the start he became my series favorite. Throughout the whole series he's got a level head and an amazing adaptability with others.
SPOILER WARNING:
Then, he completely surprises you. Out of nowhere you begin to see who he truly is, what he really wants. Not only does he show how two faced he is inside, but he exceeds his expectations and turns into a passionate and extremely likable villain.
7: Jacuzzi Splot (Baccano!)
Jacuzzi starts as a frightened crybaby, freaking out over the tiniest things, bringing a lot of comic relief to the series. Then he shows just how serious he can be, and his tears dry up. He can go to each in an instant, and when he is serious he's surprisingly hard core and heroic.
8: L (Death Note)
L, the detective with a thing for sweets and sitting improperly. I'm absolutely positive the amount of love for Death Note is caused almost all because of L's presence within it. He's never not thinking and is so intelligent as he spoke I felt like I was actually getting smarter. Best detective and odd ball ever created.
9: Yukito Kunisaki (Air TV)
My impression of him was to be the stereotypical Moe guy, loves the girl desperately or is too macho to admit it. But that was not so, Yukito was sarcastic, making remarks and seemed completely uninterested in the girls' obvious affections for him, but completely willing to help anyone in need.
SPOILER WARNING:
Later you see his kinder side, and he develops feelings for Misuzu, but it was done well enough I didn't feel it wrong for his personality. It was a great turn around for him.
10: Gawl Kudo (Generator Gawl)
From the very beginning you can see Gawl is a witty and sarcastic wild card, fast to the fight and quick into action. But besides that he's unusually heroic when it comes to others around him.
SPOILER WARNING:
Even to the point of risking his very existence to better others' lives. He's just a fun and great character, enough to draw me into the series very quickly.
~Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed the personal entry be me!
Kaname Chidori and her military bodyguard Sousuke Sagara are back in school, and back into insanity. Life is never usual with Sousuke around, as he just doesn’t get how normal teenagers act and behave, and struggles to understand what most would find as common sense. Don’t blow up lockers, guns are not an easy persuasion when the teachers are present, life is not the military, but in a wayhigh school is a battleground of its own.
There really was no story. BUT, the comedy was excellent, it was so well done, nearly everything was laugh worthy. And the atmosphere was a lot more laid back and easygoing. The laughable material in the original was not well executed, it’s difficult to incorporate comedy in a pressing situation, and few Anime have been able to do that. But in high school the comedy fit in well. The ending was especially hilarious; (Aside from the Fan-Service.) they had me laughing all the way to the end.
Animation: 8/10
Kyoto Animation took over the animation, and did a wonderful job with it. It was nice to look at, and everything was clear and well shaded.
Music: 8/10
The music was better suited this time around, with some new scores and the less quality scores taken out. Also, there was nothing overplayed like there was in the first series.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
The voice acting was a lot better this time around. Luci Christian and Chris Patton especially, they found their groves and fit into their characters excellently, and a few of their lines were so well delivered, I paused while watching it and rewound just to hear the line again. The extras were also better voiced, not perfect, but a lot better then before.
Characters: 8/10
The main cast was a lot more likable, the comedy element played out each character’s personality correctly. In the first series, the main two characters were often yelling at each other and playing their relationship out in a more serious and negative way, it didn’t really work with their personalities. This time, they played it out less serious, putting the comedy element to each character’s personality, it set every character in a better light.
Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
I can’t explain it, there was a lot of objectionable material, but it was thoroughly entertaining. I didn’t have very high expectations because of its original, but I loved this Anime regardless. It was sometimes pretty creepy, but always a lot of fun.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, nudity, guns, sexual tension.
A girl is seen undressing.
There are swimsuits.
Kurgz Weber is, again, very outrageous in all the scenes he’s in.
In the last episode, almost the entire cast is not wearing clothing, censored mostly.
There is an entire hot springs episode in which the girls are nude, censored just a tiny bit, and pretty racy. There are also hints to the nudity, and is noted by a few of the characters.
In the same episode the males are nude, backward angles, nothing frontal. (Thank goodness!)
The young boy Sana Hidaka, had a large group of friends since childhood, but he moved away. Before he did, everybody showered him with presents, the one he cared about most, (Nanaka Yatsushiro,) wrote him a song on the Violin, and promised to finish the piece when he returned. But five years later, there is a lot of change since he’d lived there, Nanaka being the most effected by change.
It took a little while for the plot to get started; then it turns serious. I liked the childhood portrayals, everything was very sweet, and I liked how they worked things that happened from his past into the present. There were a lot of nice tweaks and relatable relationship issues and strengths. But, that was pretty much all the show was. The ending was very satisfying I will say though, which you generally don’t get in these types of shows.
Animation: 7/10
The animation was pretty smooth and flowed decently. I also really liked when they accented their backgrounds. The character models were alright, but the backgrounds were what I remembered most.
Music: 7/10
The music had a lot of piano, violin, and some electronic jingles. It was fine, just not really memorable; aside from Sana’s goodbye song anyway, that was a lovely piece.
Voice Acting: (Sub) 7/10
I can’t accurately judge the Japanese voice actors as I don’t speak the language. Was still pretty good as I could tell, the emotional scenes had the best voice acting naturally. They did an adequate job.
Characters: 7/10
Pretty good cast of characters, I liked that they all had secret little back stories hidden with them. Nobody was really unnecessary but the main female doesn’t get likable till a little later on.
Over-All: 7/10 (Good)
It was good, there was emotion there, but it was still just your general teen relationship drama.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, lots of romance, some teen conversations, some blood.
They call attention to a girl’s features in the first and second episode, and later there is a whole conversation that needs skipped around the same lines.
A girl falls on a guy and gives the wrong idea, twice.
A girl goes fishing, pins her dress, everyone is screaming and it’s used for humor, but still.
The ending song has short skirts.
There is a lesbian romance, one sided.
Suicide is noted, but portrayed to be wrong.
The twins’ mother sees a man who is not her husband.
Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, School
Duration: 23 min. per episode
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Story: 5/10
Daisuke Niwa is a normal teenage boy, with a not so normal family. All his life he was used to dodging traps his mother set up around the house, jumping, being athletic, and he always considered this an ordinary thing. One day, he tried to sum up to courage to tell his true love, Risa Harada, that he loved her, in the form of a letter. But everything goes wrong, and he runs home depressed, that night, something happens to his body, as his hair spikes up, (More then normal.) and turns dark purple. As it turns out, another person passes through the bodies of every generation of males in the Niwa family, known as, “Dark Mousy,” The Angel/Phantom Thief who takes over whenever the male thinks of the one they love. Now Daisuke has to appear as Dark and steal, and put up with Dark observing him in his everyday life.
The over-all concept was good, after reading a summery online about it I was very interested. However, once I watched the first episode it didn’t give a very good impression. There were a lot of cliché things throughout the series, cliché can be funny once in a while, but when it’s supposed to be serious, it fails. The whole story was very romance-based, most of the time you were just popping into their love life; and the plot was secondary, would have been ok, but the romance was very sappy. (That’s a preference though; a lot of girls might like the romance and not consider it sappy at all.) Not horrible, but there were no huge twists or unexpected events, you could see everything coming two or three episodes away, and because of it being so predictable, it lost my interest. It’s just, “Simple,” not great, but not awful.Animation: 7/10
The animation was nice, at some points the budget seemed to get bigger, and sometimes it appeared smaller, was a lot better towards the end.Music: 6/10
The music is almost all piano, some harps and bells, occasional electric guitar; Was just an ok soundtrack.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 6/10
A lot of the extras acting in this, were just plane bad, some of them like they were in a cheesy school play or something. Alright, this is a hard one, Vic Mignogna did a very good job as Dark, at first I was pretty hesitant about his voice for the particular character, in the beginning it did not feel like a right fit to me, but later on when the character gets more personality, he slips into the role quite nicely. But, oh my goodness, Kevin Corn did just TERRIBLY. I’m not knocking the guy for making a living, but that was some of the worst voice acting I’ve ever heard. (And I’ve seen 4KIDS Dubs!) Luci Christian and Hilary Haag were a good match for Riku and Risa, sounds like they actually could be sisters too. Greg Ayres was also good as Hiwatari, sounded sinister and keen. Over-all voice acting, just Ok, I think some of the Main Cast Voice Actors saved it from a lower score.
Characters: 6/10
The characters were alright, some of them were a little obnoxious, but the main cast was pretty likable.
Over-All: 6/10 (Fine)
It was amusing I suppose, it didn't deliver, but it wasn’t bad. Nothing screamed, "Oh my goodness! this is amazing!" to me.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is semi accurate, mild violence, Homosexual undertones, cross-dressing in two episodes.
Sousuke Sagara, a seventeen year old military officer, was always on the top of his game, the perfect soldier, until he got his latest mission. A young girl named Kaname Chidori has something special about her; something the military immediately took an interest in, so Sousuke was sent to be her protection, posing as a high school student himself. He soon finds military life, full of danger suspense and gunfire, is absolutely nothing compared to high school.
It starts out pretty interesting, military and huge Mechas and then jumps right into high school comedy. But, the over all story remains to be unseen for a long time; I didn’t understand where they were going with it, and there was an ark in the middle that didn’t seem to have a reason to be there. Towards the end of the series the main threat appears, and the back-story behind him and Sousuke is a good one, but the way the heroes face this threat lacked all logic completely. The humor was good, Sousuke seemed to be Chidori’s whipping post, I enjoyed it enough.
Animation: 7/10
The animation is decent; they put a lot more work into the Mecha’s then some of the other framework, but the character designs were good.
Music: 7/10
The music had a lot of electronic keyboard, drums and beguiles, violins and guitar. Everything was very military, very fitting to the theme.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 8/10
Luci Christian and Chris Patton as Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori, an unusual combination of actors for this Anime, but it somehow worked out well. Hilary Haag was very girly and quiet, but good as Teletha Testarossa. Allison Keith was loud and tomboyish as Melissa Mao. And Vic Mignogna was pretty good as Kurz Weber, yet really creepy at the same time, this is defiantly not a role I’m used to hearing Vic Mignogna voice, but he did a pretty good job, he’s not very good at swearing however, it sounded a little awkward whenever that came up, where some of the other actors didn’t have that problem. Mike MacRae was a really good bad guy, he owned Gauron’s part.
Characters: 7/10
Some of the high school students were boring, and when they focused on some of the lesser characters it lowered in quality, but the main cast was good.
Over-All: 7/10 (Good)
It was fun watching, but probably not something I’ll see again. The military-meets-high-school thing was well done. Good Anime, but not great.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, blood and violence, nudity.
There is an entire episode where the girls of the series are in a bathtub.
There are swimsuits.
In the opening before every episode, there is stylized female nudity.
A women half takes off her shirt.
In the first episode they have an adult conversation.
Kurz Weber generally speaks outrageously.
Actually, there’s a LOT of Fan-Service in it, I would advise skipping anything like that.
Nov. 9, 2009 - Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
English Title: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Japanese Title: Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo
Synonyms: Toki wo Kakeru Shojo, TokiKake, Toki o Kakeru Shojo, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, The Girl Who Cut Time, The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life
Duration: 1 hr. 37 min.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Story: 10/10
“Time waits for no man,” that was something the young girl Makoto always assumed to be true, until she ran in onto one of the worst days of her life. She’d made a disaster of a day, and was going to just accept it, but, something happened. She slipped and fell on a small round devise and saw time flow right before her eyes. She’d discovered; she’d jumped right into the past! With numbers on her arm, and the curiosity to time-jump, she starts correcting the mistakes she makes. But weather or not she will have to pay for it, is a different story.
I was very shocked at how good the story was, generally stories with, “time-travel,” are stupid and don’t make any sense, but this one was different. There were a lot of twists and surprises, difficult situations, and very emotional and riveting drama in it. I was almost brought to tears during one scene.
Animation: 9/10
Unlike other Anime I’ve seen. There were no still frames, though some were repeated. (But it’s a time-travel Movie, what do you expect?) It was clear and not messy, the shading was not always there, but it wasn’t necessary in this case.
Music: 9/10
There were a lot of piano pieces and other classical music. The soundtrack was really beautiful.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
Great Dub! Emily Hirst sounded right for Makoto, adding to her character’s personality a lot. Andrew Francis did surprisingly well for Chiaki, he complimented Emily Hirst nicely.
Characters: 8/10
There are a few minor characters that don’t really matter; I suppose it is everyday life though. Makoto has such a good personality, and the two boys are good as well.
Over-All: 9/10 (Great) "Gateway Drug" (This is a good Anime to show to a Newbie.)
This is one of my favorite Anime Movies of all time. It’s a wonderful teenage time-travel love story. Pleasant, fun, and was not the Hallmark Drama it could have been.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, though I could see kids and adults watching it easily.
Nov. 9, 2009 - Review: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Review: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
English Title: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Synonyms: Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Nausica of the Valley of the Wind, Warriors of the Wind
Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Mar 11, 1984
Producers: Studio Ghibli, Studio Hibari
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Duration: 1 hr. 57 min.
Rating: PG - Children
Story: 9/10
Nausicaa is The Princess of her land, and carries the will of all her people on her shoulders and in her heart. Her father is bed ridden, and poison fills the people and the land with discouragement. She struggles with the pressures of staying alive, and keeping her world alive.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a world of creatures and humans, having conflicts living among insects and giant poison swamps. I loved the seriousness and hard circumstances, I was able to feel what the characters were feeling, excellent storytelling.
Animation: 9/10
Very good animation, authentic Miyazaki!
Music: 10/10
All the music was classical, with flutes, piano pieces, cello and violin strings, and some 80’s techno. It had a very airy feel through all of it, magnificent soundtrack.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 10/10
Alison Lohman fit Nausicaa very well. Patrick Stewart was wise as Lord Yupa, he is in all the roles he plays, very gifted actor. Uma Thurman was villainous, but vain and strong as Kushana. and Shia Labeouf was SO right for the part of Asbel. All the acting was great!
Characters: 9/10
All of the characters were appealing in a different ways, I like that the characters had a lot of humanity to them, even the creatures.
Over-All: 9/10 (Very Good) "Gateway Drug" (This is a good Anime to show to a Newbie.)
This is Miyazaki’s first feature film, and he sure started his career off well! Interesting and pleasing to the eye.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, blood and violence, some disturbing images.
A Prince came across a stray daemon attempting to destroy his village. He defended his land but as he was doing this, his arm was infected with a black-like-sap. He was told he will die unless a forest spirit cures him, but what awaits him is a war, between a forest full of spirits and the humans that dwell there, while The Princess of the land is on the forest’s side.
The story is VERY original, interesting and everything in it is like a new world coming to life. There was a lot of mythology that gave off a very thick feeling throughout the whole Movie.
Animation: 10/10
Probably has the best animation out of all the Miyazaki movies, very detailed, and very well done.
Music: 8/10
The music was very tribal, with violins and miscellaneous instruments. all of it was very professional.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 10/10
Claire Danes was good as San. Billy Bob Thornton did well as Bou, made him slightly creepy, but that was right for the part. And Billy Crudup was GREAT as The Prince, too bad he isn’t in more Anime Dubs! He’s got some talent!
Characters: 9/10
All of the characters are good, The Prince especially, he’s got to be one of the most awesome Anime characters of his time. The Princess was strong willed and intense. Some of the creatures were good, like the wolves, but the pigs were a bit odd.
Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
Most Otaku’s consider it a masterpiece. It was well made, but I didn’t personally care for it. Guys will probably love this movie more then the girls will.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, LOTS of blood and violence, false Gods and mythology, some disturbing images.
Synonyms: Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa, Tenkuu no Shiro Rapyuta, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Das Schloss im Himmel
Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Aug 2, 1986
Producers: Studio Ghibli
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Duration: 2 hr. 4 min.
Rating: PG - Children
Story: 7/10
A girl named Sheeta falls out the sky and into the hands of a young boy named Pazu. Pazu’s father was the one who’d discovered the myth, Laputa; a floating castle high above the clouds, but nobody believed him. Sheeta has a connection to it somehow, but is not sure of it herself; the only thing she knows is that her necklace saved her life, stopping her in mid air before she could fall to her death.
At first it was very slapstick, and didn’t make a lot of sense, I’d compare it to a Loony Tunes episode. The second half makes up for that however, when the actual plot comes into play instead of being a mindless comedy. I liked the villain’s angle a lot more, and was pleased he had a backstory.
Animation: 7/10
The animation is good for the time period, has a lot of storybook coloring to it. Some frames were better then others.
Music: 7/10
There are a lot of violins and strings in it, and cliché melodies during the comedy scenes, but is all pretty good.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 8/10
Anna Paquin and James Van der Beek did a great job as Sheeta and Pazu. Mark Hamel did wonderfully as Muska; he was evil and charming at the same time. I’m glad Disney brings professionals to their Anime Dubs.
Characters: 7/10
Had its fair of good characters, a lot of them were comic relief, but the main characters were all pretty interesting.
Over-All: 7/10 (Good)
The second half of it is better then the first half. It had a lot of flaws, but was entertaining
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
A boy named Renton was very bored of his hometown, there was hardly any places to go lifting, (Lifting is like surfing, but on the air.) he wanted something more exciting, and he got exactly that. The legendary Geckostate landed right on his doorstep, a young girl with the name of Eureka, landed on his actual house in her Mecha, the Nirvash. He immediately falls head over heels in love with Eureka, and is eager to become a member of Geckostate. He eventually does, now facing very different challenges then just looking for a place to lift, as he turns out to be able to control Eureka’s Mecha that nobody else is supposed to be able to.
It started out a little confusing, I had no idea what the heck was going on, aside from the fact Renton was a big fan of Holland and lifting. As time went on, the more questions were answered. I liked the story, it was easygoing, but it got more serious as time went on. The ending was satisfying, yet, not, at the same time. There did seem to be a lack of logic towards the conclusion, but it worked.
Animation: 8/10
The animation was always clean, always clear, very colorful and very flowing. BONES did well.Music: 8/10
The music is very techno with a lot of current sounds to it, some electronic strings and instruments mixed with drum beats, disco. Everything sounded very futuristic and very cool.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 8/10
Great voice acting, Crispin Freeman and Johnny Yong Bosch compliment each other as rivals very well, I can see why they were cast as Holland and Renton. Stephanie Sheh made Eureka very feminine, but it was right for the character. The whole cast was pretty strong in their voices, and in their characters.Characters: 8/10
I liked a lot of the characters, some of them were a little unnecessary, but on a ship it’s only natural there’d be a fairly large crew. Renton and Eureka are both one of a kind, and I liked Holland and Dewey’s
conflicts. I could see why there were kids added in the story, but they were a little on the annoying side.Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
Liked it a lot, it was mysterious and creative. Well worth my time.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, blood and violence, some adult conversations.
There is a discussion over mature
marital things.
There is a make out scene.
There are crude scenes.
There is a unified theme, the world is one with those on the world, blah.
There are religious undertones, – not Christianity.
Every 13th birthday, a Witch grows up enough to take off and claim a town for their new home. Young Kiki left on her journey enthusiastically, she’d never had a hard time living before, but now she had to find a place to stay. She befriended a pregnant woman, and was offered a job. Later on, she decides she wants her very own delivery service, but it’s a lot harder on her then she’d thought, she looses her ability to fly, and slowly realizes the real key to flying, is believing in yourself.
The story is really very children directed, and after watching it, I really wouldn’t think that teens or adults would be too interested in it. But it’s made for children anyway, so.
Animation: 8/10
Nice animation, it was very French, I liked that.
Music: 6/10
Everything was up beat, but not all that memorable.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
The voice acting was completely awesome, Kirsten Dunst was a great Kiki, young but determined. And Phil Hartman did fantastically, this was his last role, and a did a darn good job on it.
Characters: 7/10
They were likable enough. A lot of the personalities I’d seen before in other Anime. They were ok; just not incredibly interesting.
Over-All: 7/10 (Good)
It was a cute movie, not really anything more then that, but I imagine children will love it a lot.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
Noboru and Mikako are two students who are madly in love, on a futuristic planet. Mikako’s grades are very good, and as a result, she was accepted to be launched into space alone. Both of them exchange cell phone text, but as she drifts further and further away in space, it takes longer and longer for her emails to find its way back to Noboru.
The over all premise was good, and was executed well enough, it just got a little boring after a while. This should have been a short rather then a full movie.
Animation: 6/10
The animation was very, odd, and I was not for the 3D elements added on top of it. I suppose it was unique, just not my cup of tea.
Music: 6/10
The music was composed nicely, just not earth shattering.
Voice Acting: (Sub) 7/10
I can’t accurately judge the Japanese voice actors as I don’t speak the language. But there were only two members of the cast, and they still did a good job.
Characters: 5/10
There were only two characters; they were not bland, but not awesome.
Over-All: 5/10 (Average)
Eah, wasn’t really all that good. It had a good concept, but it relied solely on it. To be honest, it felt like I was reading a Fan Fiction.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is semi accurate; nothing screamed the, “13,” rating to me, it could be because it’s a romance.
Producers: J.C. Staff, GENCO, Lantis, Imagica, ADV Films
Genres: Comedy, School, Slice of Life
Duration: 24 min. per episode
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Story: 5/10
Chiyo is the youngest of her grade, and is a prodigy for schoolwork. All the high school girls flock around her cause she’s little and very cute, they all become friends very quickly, and spend time together. Azumanga Daioh is about high school life, friends, summer, and fun times among the girls.
There really wasn’t a story, it’s a school slice of life; it's not supposed to have any back story or substance underneath. But, I was never really bored. It was a good comedy; I chuckled quite a few times. It was nothing incredible, but was very cheerful and sweet.
Animation: 7/10
The animation is fair, pretty good for a comedy.
Music: 8/10
The music is a lot of the accordion, cat noises, horns and flutes, and other cheerful tunes; was an adorable soundtrack.
Voice Acting: (Sub) 8/10
I can’t accurately judge the Japanese voice actors as I don’t speak the language. I noticed the Sub is better then the Dub though; all the characters were well cast and hilarious in Japanese.
Characters: 9/10
Great cast, I loved every one of them, some are better then others, but all are quality characters.
Over-All: 7/10 (Good)
Great Series, has a lot of subtle and in your face comedy combined, very lighthearted and fun. Probably appeals to guys the most.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, swimsuits.
There are two beach episodes, with very revealing swimsuits.
The shading could bother parents as it points out the girl’s features.
There is a Perv teacher, but it’s used for humorous purposes.
There is a lesbian, but it’s used for humorous purposes.
There are occasional adult conversations, again, for humorous purposes.
Producers: Studio Ghibli, ADV Films, Central Park Media
Genres: Drama, Historical
Duration: 1 hr. 30 min.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Story: 8/10
World War 2 is going on, and Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko loose their mother to an air raid. Setsuko tries desperately to care for his younger sister, waiting for his father to return from war, but he is young and inexperienced, and is being forced into becoming a man way too soon.
Everything in it was serious and dramatic. It was very historically accurate, so much it was upsetting. I loved the relationship between brother and sister, but, it gets VERY depressing, and there’s nowhere to shift blame, it’s just plane sad. Somehow, it was beautiful in that way.
Animation: 7/10
The animation was unique, generally Shudio Ghibli gives each Movie of theirs a new look fitting to the story. This was no different, just not really, outstanding.
Music: 7/10
There was not a lot of music, but in a way it added when scenes were silent.
Voice Acting: (Sub) 8/10
I can’t accurately judge the Japanese voice actors as I don’t speak the language. I still thought they did a good job on all the characters though.
Characters: 7/10
There were very few characters aside from the brother and sister, but they were the ones that you got attached to.
Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
One of the saddest Movies I’ve ever seen, I saw it once, but I couldn’t bring myself to watch it again.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, bloody/graphic, war.
Yukito, the traveling puppeteer, takes a train and arrives at a beach. He, unexpectedly runs into a young enthusiastic girl who has hopes of finishing her summer project, he gets drafted into it. And as time goes on, she falls in love with him, and he struggles with this, being used to being alone for so long.
The Movie has essentially the same story as the Anime Series, it’s a retelling. The big difference between the two is this focuses more on Yukito and Misuzu’s relationship, rather then starting as a friendship; it’s pretty quick into romance.I will say I preferred this Movie’s ending more then the Series’ ending; it was more meaningful and felt like it was at least sending a message. However, the scene with Misuzu and Haruko was not quite as touching.
Animation: 7/10
The animation is very nice, when it was there. There were times when the budget ran out so they used a black screen or a still frame. Too bad cause I think the Movie’s animation was significantly better then the Series’ animation.
Music: 8/10
The music is just as fluffy as I’d expect, with a lot of piano pieces, emotional like the movie.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
Now that all the characters that were not interesting are gone, the cast shrunk, that added a lot to the quality of the Dub. Monica Rial, Vic Mignogna, and Luci Christian are fantastic voice actors, and did a wonderful job on this.
Characters: 8/10
I liked the fact they took out all the unnecessary characters they had in the show; that was a big plus. Yukito Haruko and Misuzu are good characters, very likable.
Over-All: 6/10 (Fine)
It was a nice movie; I liked the romance and was, weirdly, ok with the Hallmark-type drama.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG 13,) Rating is accurate, nudity.
Hiroko gets drunk and wears an immodest outfit.
There is a bath scene.
The pictures at the temple are a little skimpy, symbolism, but still.
Air is based off a Dating-Sim = not a good thing.
There are religious undertones - not Christianity.
Nov. 7, 2009 - Review: Tsubasa Chronicle: Princess of the Country of the Birdcages
Review: Tsubasa Chronicle: Princess of the Country of the Birdcages
English Title: Tsubasa Chronicle: Princess of the Country of the Birdcages
Synonyms: Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages, Tsubasa Chronicle: Tori Kago no Kuni no Himegimi
Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Aug 20, 2005
Producers: Production I.G, CLAMP, Shochiku, Kodansha, MOVIC, NHK, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai (Nippan) K.K., NHK Enterprises
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Duration: 35 min. per episode
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Story: 6/10
While searching for Sakura’s feathers, Syaoran and company arrive at a new world, in the middle of what seems to be a giant bird cage. The birds live freely alongside humans, and the beautiful princess who’s lost her voice treats her people well. However, a man with an evil heart seeks to bring the darkness to the land, and rule their world as he sees fit.
I don’t really think it had much of a plot, and it didn’t really tie in very well in the end. I was entertained, it was thought out well enough but it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been, it really wasn’t all that interesting.
Animation: 10/10
The animation is defiantly movie quality, very beautiful, the animators did a fantastic job.
Music: 8/10
The music is pretty much the same as the Series’ Soundtrack, and was put in the right context.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 8/10
All the voice actors were good, nothing to blow me away or anything, but still very good and professional.
Characters: 7/10
I like the main characters, Sakura Syaoran Fai and Kurogane, but the extra characters were,
meh,
nothing special.Over-All: 6/10 (Fine)
It’s a fairly good movie, nothing I’d watch over again, but I didn’t waste my time.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
A young hatter named Sophie was never thought to be beautiful, one day she walked outside and was swept off her feet by a romantic young man named Howl, she later finds out that he was the very same Howl who lives in the moving castle, and is said to steal beautiful young woman's hearts, though she dismisses it, seeing as she doesn’t find herself pretty anyway. She stays away in her study, making hats, until a Witch comes into the store after hours. She refused her and asked her to leave, but the Witch became angry and cast a spell on her. The next morning, Sophie woke to find that she’d aged dramatically; she was an old woman over night. So, she stowed away from her home, later finding the moving castle.
Howl’s MovingCastle is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. The portrayal of this was very romantic in storytelling. It also had its fair share of exciting and magical circumstances, the world of Howl’s was wonderful, fresh and new.
Animation: 9/10
Everything in it was like looking at a piece of art, very fancy and very elegant. I just didn’t like how many wrinkles the Witch and Sophie had, but you get used to it.
Music: 9/10
The music was very French and old English, I liked it all a lot, very pretty and very quaint.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 7/10
They all did well; Billy Crystal was excellent as Calcifer, and Kitty Mezei and Jean Simmons made a great team for Sophie, they both sounded right for both the young and old versions of her part. The only problem I had was Christian Bale did not seem to understand his role as well as the others did.
Characters: 9/10
The characters are great I must say. I loved the way they interacted with one another, every character is very friendly and provided a great atmosphere.
Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
A wonderful movie, unlike any Anime movie I’d seen, was a joy to watch.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
(Rating: PG,) Rating is accurate, house fires, mild violence, spells.
Two young girls, Mei and Satsuki, move into an old and supposedly, “Haunted,” house. They are excited and of course are very open to the idea of living somewhere special. Outside is a gigantic tree, where a great forest spirit named, “Totoro,” lives. While waiting for their mother to recover from her illness, they meet the Totoro himself.The story is simple enough, but they executed it very well. It’s very sweet and very imaginative. Totoro is a lovely fairytale.
Animation: 9/10
Studio Ghibli always treats their animation with care, everything has a very lovable atmosphere.
Music: 8/10
The music is cheerful, optimistic, and well composed, and I’m impressed with all the real strings and real instruments.
Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
I have listened to both versions of the Dub; the first is not as well known but is equally as good. In the Newer Dub: Dakota and Ellie Fanning are just precious as Satsuki and Mei and the other characters are well voiced as well. I would expect nothing less from a Disney Anime Dub.
Characters: 9/10
Unique characters, everybody was easy to like. I was personally very attached to Totoro as a little girl.
Over-All: 9/10 (Great)
I grew up with Totoro, and cherish it even now. This is a wonderful movie for both young and old; it’s a treasure that should be shared with everyone.
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
~Special~ Anime Recommendations, Gateway Drugs and Anime Categories
Fullmetal Alchemist
Anime Genres that should not be seen by anyone, EVER. They are for people who are messed up or perverted.
~Special~ Parents and Anime
Let’s first start off by saying, if your parents are against Anime it is not because they want to make up rules so you have to follow them, they don’t know what it is and they are looking out for their children’s well-being. What parents don’t realize is that not all Anime is bad; they tend to lump them all together with the inappropriate stuff so they automatically assume that everything Anime is like that.
BUT! Shounen, Shoujo, Mecha, Psychological, Supernatural, Adventure,
Parents should be cautionary, but not count Anime out completely. Go in with open eyes and realize your kids’ interests will not always relate to your own. Embrace your inner Otaku, and if you are gracious and understanding, your kids will no doubt be grateful in return.
~Special~ My Top 10 Favorite Anime Characters
Animation: 7/10
Music: 6/10
Story: 6/10
Voice Acting: (Dub) 8/10
English Title: Princess Mononoke
Story: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Over-All: 8/10 (Very Good)
Rating Accuracy/Things to Watch Out For: (For Christian Parents)
Story: 8/10
