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Mar 29, 2013
Fairy Tail is an above average shonoun anime series. It's based on a great manga series, but it does fall a little short of the Manga's quality. However, it is fun to watch, and the characters really do make it what it is. If you like shonoun, then this is a must see.
My score of 8 is disregarding the "filler" that is in the series, though the filler isn't that bad for the most part. There is a noticeable difference in quality when filler takes over. If you are a fan of the Manga and haven't tried the anime then you might be a
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little disappointed. If not, then you should find this to be a fun series that has its own little charm.
What is Fairy Tail? Yes the "Tail" is how they spell it, and the usage of the word is addressed at one point during the story. In a nutshell, this is a story about mages in guilds that battle each other. There are different kinds of magic, and most mages specialize in one type. It is more or less medieval themed, and the main male lead character is trying to find a dragon (his "parent"). The story holds strong themes of comradery and friendship. It's about finding strength by being a part of a guild, and Fairy Tail is more of a rowdy family than an organized guild. They are always destroying towns by mistake and just getting into lots of trouble while saving people. It has a lot of good messages embedded into it, and it's also filled with lots and lots of comedy.
The anime holds to the overall feel of the Manga for the most part, but falls short on the quality of the artwork. It tends to be a little "cartoony" which takes away from it a bit. There are a lot of inconsistencies throughout the series in the animation and artwork, but it's easy to ignore with all of the zany and comedic scenes.
The music is pretty catchy and works well, and the voice acting is a little above average. There are plenty of cheesy moments, but it all seems to be on purpose. It is overly cheesy at times, but then they come back around and hit home when they mimic the Manga a little more closely. I can't use the word "inconsistent" enough when talking about this anime series.
The story is great, and it's the story that smoothes the inconsistencies out. I love the story in the Manga series, and they don't butcher it too much in the anime. I have definitely seen far worse adaptations. They have interesting but predictable plots throughout the duration of the show, but it really is fun to watch despite that fact.
What makes Fairy Tail are the characters. Natsu is one of my favorite anime characters, hands down. He is the motivational character of the series that drives the others to do their best. Again, he's not as cool as he is in the Manga (by a long shot), but they hold true enough to his character in this series. Every character has their comedic moments, but the anime really does push that trait a little further than its source does.
The series does end before it should, the manga is still ongoing but the gap was closing between the two fairly quickly. They do end it with a "to be continued" so there must be plans for some form of continuation because most series just end with a black hole.
I know I keep saying Manga this, and manga that.... but if you like this series and you haven't read the Manga then you must read the Manga. It's a fun read, and it is a much higher quality. Even with that said, I will repeat what I said before about this being an above average shonoun series, so I do recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 28, 2013
This is a story that constantly quotes and references Hamlet and The Tempest, both works of Shakespeare. Some people will love that fact, while others may be a little annoyed. I thought it was done very well, and I really loved the theme and the execution of this series. I have not read the Manga it is based on, but I never expected to love this series going into it. I was pleasantly surprised and it's now one of my favorites. It is a great blend of story, dialogue, action, and it has a great visual and audio presentation.
What's it about? The synopsis doesn't really
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say. It's about magic, it's about relationships, it's about the end of the world, and it's about quirky characters that interact with each other in very bizarre ways. It's difficult to describe without throwing spoilers around. Think "Shakespeare Play" and you'll get the feel of it right away!
This is one of those beautifully done series as far as artwork and animation goes. It's consistent, it's good quality and it has some wow moments. The music fits well, and it enhances the experience, and the voice acting is done very well. Being filled with so much dialogue, this is an important piece for them to nail and I think they did just that. I loved the package, I loved the execution, and I really think it shines in these elements.
The characters of Zetsuen no Tempest were dysfunctional, unexpected, and yet wonderful at the same time. The two main characters were not your stereotypical heroes, in fact their roles in this story were borderline bizarre. This story is based on the emotional involvement of these main characters. They do have their awesome moments early on, but later in the story are not the dominant "action heroes" of the tale by any means. The fate of the world revolves around the "feelings" of all parties involved, and the two main characters relationship with each other keep the fate of mankind hanging in the balance. It is a character driven story, and the characters are not swarming with stereotypes. I loved that fact about Zetsuen no Tempest, and I think it gives it that little extra something.
Now the story.... I loved the story, though it's filled with plot holes and flawed logic. The flawed logic is going to really bother some people, but the constant reference to the flawed logic of “the world” really almost pokes fun at the story in general. It’s a little ridiculous while being absolutely wonderful at the same time. The fact is that the flaws are used as storytelling devices, and it's the plot holes and flaws that help tell the story properly. It is a little obvious at times, but it has some nice little twists and surprises that keep it fresh. Best of all it’s told in such a way that it was easy to watch week to week. I looked forward to every episode and the cliffhangers were done very well.
I really loved this series. It was different enough to feel fresh while being absurd and intriguing at the same time. I loved the main characters and I loved how it tried to imitate Shakespeare in its delivery. The fast and quirky dialogue while focusing on the interpersonal relationships made this series special. I highly recommend it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 21, 2013
Pscyho-Pass is an amazing science fiction action anime series. It has so many positives and so few negatives. It is an interesting concept in that people are slaves of their Psycho-Pass (an overall evaluation of your mental state with varying factors that are explained later in the story). Lives are determined by your mental/emotional/psychological health. The heroes of this story are "latent criminals" meaning their Psycho-Pass readings dictate that they can commit a pretty heavy crime at any given moment, but they are useful to the system as enforcers. They basically do the dirty work for the system. It's a very unique story, and it's
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really a must see.
Now for the praise...
This series is visually stunning. The artwork and animation are very well aligned. It holds a consistent quality throughout the entirety of the series. The style of artwork was clean, and I loved the character models (though as with most series often times characters began to really look alike). I especially enjoyed the dark feel while still being dazzled with bright colors. It helped the story easily switch tones when it needed to. The animation was also very fluid and I was very impressed to say the least. It really just carried an overall high quality.
The opening and closing theme music was very catchy and memorable. The music during each episode was scored very well (again at a high quality that paced perfectly with the animation), and it helped to re-enforce the emotional context of what was happening in the story as well. The voice acting was well done, and even characters that had a monotonous vibe still carried a lot of charisma. Charismatic characters, good voice acting, good music... it all sat very well from start to finish.
This series really shined in it's characters. It had several highly charismatic characters that were easy to get attached to. Most of them were extremely well developed, and the background stories were far from being interruptions (which tends to be a trend in a lot of these series I've noticed). I never once complained about having to see a background story, probably because they were timed well. It never felt like dragged out "back-pedaling" which was very refreshing. Each character had a dark side, but they were all very easy to like (including the villains).
On to the story...
This story was great. I loved most of it. There were times I wish it went in a slightly different direction and it does have a fairly open ending. One of the plot devices I wanted to see resolved was left open which is why I am only giving this series a 9 (but we're talking like a 95% here so it is a high 9). Those gripes aside, the story was told well and it developed at a good pace. It wasn't stuffed full of action, but the action scenes were actually used as story telling devices (imagine that). The entire concept leaves free will out of the equation so that humans can have a near perfect society. The ideology was questioned from the beginning, and even the characters that accepted the system voiced their concerns throughout. Victims could easily become targets, and it was the constant possibility of the unexpected happening that kept it very interesting. Overall it has a great concept and it's very well told.
I really enjoyed Psycho-Pass, it was difficult waiting each week for the next episode. I will definitely be watching it again and again.
In short, this is a must see gem. Definitely one of the best this season, and I really hope to see a sequel series or follow up movies. I wouldn't be surprised. Check this anime out, it's definitely worth the watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 15, 2013
Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? is a very good anime series. It's a kind of Alice in Wonderland mixed with Fairy Tail sort of series. Each of the three main characters have unique abilities and they all fill a nice little niche in this show. I have to say that it is much better than it sounds from the synopsis, and it had me from the first episode. This series is a high 8 in my book, and I highly recommend it.
The artwork and animation are of course very good. In the last few years animation has really shined with embracing high
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definition, and there is a certain quality that we are getting used to (and in some cases expecting). This series holds that quality and doesn't waver. It has catchy intro music, and the songs throughout each episode fit very nicely into the story. Best of all, the voice acting works really well. This series delivers in the most basic and necessary of areas which gives it a couple of shiny gold stars.
The characters are kind of up and down. I think it was the amount of young children characters that filled the story. It was a bit much at times, but the main and most important of characters were so well done that I could ignore that fact. Everyone had bright and lively personalities, and they were developed very well considering the lack of background stories. In fact, we do get a little of a couple characters backgrounds, but mostly we are left with questions. It's not a major flaw in the design, but it is what brought the series down to an 8 instead of a 9 for me. I wanted to know much much more about the main characters because that was the biggest mystery in this story.
Mentioning story, I do have the say that the simple yet entertaining plot was fun to watch. I compared this show to Alice and Wonderland and Fairy Tail for a very big reason. You get your zany magical fighting and action, and then you have your bizarre spiritual world storyline/themes/concept. This is not a ripoff of either, it's actually very different in a lot ways, but it just reminded me so much of those two. The entire point of this story is that these three human kids from different dimensions have to help save this community of "no-names" by competing for them in magical games in this sort of fairy tale/spiritual dimension/world. If you love fantasy, that's what you get.
Where this series goes wrong is in how short it is. I wish it was done in a few more episodes. I wish we had more background of the characters. I wish I would stop saying "I wish". Seriously though, it has some flaws, but I really enjoyed it. It has high repeat value, and it has a lot of good things going for it. It is based on a light novel series that I have not read, but I hope there is more to come in a second series/season. If not, then I can whimper and say "fine" and maybe deal with the cliffhanger/open ending that we are left with.
All that aside, this is a must see for fantasy geeks like myself. It's fun and at times a little exciting. It has good humor and much more. Check this short series out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 11, 2013
K is a pretty decent anime series. It has a lot going for it, but it really falls short in a lot of areas as well. It is an easy watch, and it's never boring, but it could have been a lot better. Overall it is worth watching, and I recommend it to fans of superpower anime series.
I'll start with art and animation. The artwork is very well done in K. In fact, the art was a high point. It's too bad the animation wasn't consistently good as well. There were scenes that were animated brilliantly, but they only made it even more clear when
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they cut corners in other scenes. The cheap and rushed animation that littered this series is one of it's lowest points in my opinion. Art and animation are really a double edged sword in this series.
With a spotty visual delivery, K also has a spotty audio presentation as well. The voice acting was at times very monotonous and droning, and then there were other times that it was emotional and engaging. The monotonous voice acting was poorly complimented with music that was just as inconsistent. There were scores that worked very well, and then there were other times that the music was almost laughable. A few times I expected a late night soft porn to start but it would only be a scene where they entered a building. It definitely affected the "enjoyment" factor of this story. Thankfully, it has some memorable music at times, so this wasn't a super low point for the series.
I would have to say that even most of the characters were mediocre as well. There were a couple that were fairly charismatic, and that helped a lot. I think there should have been better focus in the storytelling on some of the more charismatic characters. I don't think they spent enough time on the good personalities, but they did spend some time with acceptable development over all.
I saved the story for last because it is the high point of this anime series. The story was interesting enough to keep my attention all the way through. There is a major twist towards the end, and there is also a cliffhanger of an ending. It's not a bad cliffhanger, but they have announced a sequel, so hopefully they do something interesting with that as well. The story leaves you guessing, but it does leave a lot of questions that should have been answered along the way. Honestly I think the story was simply acceptable until about episode 6 or 7. After that it was really well done. I would say that it's even better when you know the twist and watch it a second time. The slower moments would be more exciting with the extra knowledge.
In short, I didn't love this series, but I did like it. It's worth watching, and it has a lot of potential. It's short at 13 episodes, and there is still more to come. I would say it's a solid 7 in my book
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 6, 2013
I didn't expect a lot from Code: Breaker going into it. This was probably from reading some of the bad reviews. The synopsis wasn't even that intriguing, and it really sounded as if it would be a mediocre anime series at best. I know it is an ongoing manga series, but I decided to try the 13 episode anime first because it is so short. I am glad I gave this series a look, and it's definitely better than I expected. Though it has some low points in quality, it has some really high points that bring it to a low 8 in my book.
The
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synopsis doesn't really tell you much, nor does it prepare you for what you are about to watch. The synopsis is quite simply an introduction to the first episode. This series is about Code:Breakers (people with special abilities or super powers) that hunt and kill evil people. I don't want to say more than that because the reason why they kill is part of the reveal as the story progresses. Ultimately, this perfect "do-good" girl attaches herself to the main male lead and we learn more about the Code:Breaker world as she does. She has almost an obsessed opinion and it is a little stalker-ish how she takes to Oogami. This is a super-power battle anime series, and it's not too often over the top. It's sort of an "X-Men" like story, but it is a roller-coaster as far as quality goes.
Now let's talk the basics. Animation and artwork are fairly solid. There is a quality drop when they attempt to drop humor into a scene, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The music and sound are pretty well done, except I think the opening song is a little cheesy at the end. All in all, it delivers for the most part in these two areas.
The story for Code:Breaker is simply good. It's not "great" or "thrilling" but it works and it kept my attention. As I said before, it's very "X-Men" like, but this is mostly in regards to the plot. This works for the story in a lot of ways, but the anime is so short that it is never really developed. It ends like most of these partially adapted series, with a cliffhanger right as things are getting going.
I want to say that the characters are "amazing" but they are are not. I wasn't overly fond of any, but I did like their overall dynamic. As a group they worked really well, and I found that the personalities worked well together. Most are underdeveloped, but the main male and female characters are developed enough for the scope of the story we get to see.
Overall you can tell that this series should have been better. It's the potential that I think captured me the most. I give it a low 8, pretty much right at the the 7-8 threshold. We're talking a photo finish here folks. There were a lot of elements done better than others, and then there were a lot of inconsistencies in quality throughout. Some scenes felt rushed, and others felt dragged out, while some scenes were right on. Even with all of it's flaws it still found a way to grab me, so it gets a lot of points from the enjoyment category. The bottom line is that I enjoyed it, and that's all you can ever really hope for when dedicating a few hours of your time to something like this. It definitely has been added to my "plan to read" manga list, so it's done enough of it's job on that front.
In short, this should have been an amazing series, but it wasn't. That aside, it was pretty good and it is worth watching. If you enjoy super-power battle series then you should check Code:Breaker out. If not, then move along now, nothing to see here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 1, 2013
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun was unexpectedly good. I mean, I read the synopsis and thought it might be "OK" but it was actually very fun to watch. With only 13 episodes it's an easy watch, and it's filled with a lot of great little moments.
I'll start with the basic stuff. It had good artwork and animation. It had good music and sound. It had great characters, and an ok story... blah blah blah. It's not perfect, it's not horrible, it's average to great in most categories so it comes down to taste and preference. It's definitely not bad at all, and it has some intangible elements
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that make it very "likeable."
This is really a great character love story. Each of the cast has a slightly over exaggerated but common social disorder, and it's their grouping together that creates a really interesting and entertaining dynamic to watch. The focus isn't just the two main characters, they have a pretty interesting entourage as well. The general anime stereotypes are included, but they are not dominant factors in the delivery. There are plenty of refreshing moments and a few little surprises that make this anime series shine.
The thing I loved most about this series is that it was very relatable to my teen years. I connected with a couple of the characters, and there were others that reminded me of people I have known or at least had observed. They each were unique and they never really acted out of character. The level of irrational teen behavior was never over exaggerated. In fact, it was pretty accurately done. Teens struggling with how they feel and how they think they should feel is a major theme of this story. I have to say that element was really well done, and they definitely get kudos on that point.
The highlight of this series really is the main story (the only real story for that matter). The love story/relationship between Shizuku and Haru is comedic without being too slapstick, and it's so wonderfully dysfunctional that I couldn't help but enjoy every moment of it. They complimented each other in such an interesting way that I couldn't get enough. It's definitely one of my favorite love stories now that I've seen it. I am not normally big on romantic comedies, but this was a good one.
My only real complaint is the open ending. I normally don't mind open endings, but it felt like there was going to be more. I don't want to spoil anything, but the only indication it was the end was Shizuku's inner monologue during the final scene (oh and do watch the short clip after the credits of the last episode, it's not an ending either but it's a little funny). I guess this is yet another teaser anime series that introduces you to a manga series, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
This is a great series, and if you're not sure about it because it's a romantic comedy then you should still give it a shot. It's a good "comedy" and the romance is very light. In fact, it's more of a weird relationship story than a romantic comedy. Thumbs up!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 22, 2013
I was hesitant to watch this movie since I do not like any kind of filler or extra material in general. I try to give it a chance, but I think they usually just don't work. This movie started out with "the death of naruto" which is a silly thing to throw in a side story movie. I was immediately thrown off by this "twist" or whatever they wanted to present it as. Thankfully, the story wasn't too bad, and it had a lot of pluses. When this was released it was by far the best Naruto movie. It is the first movie for the
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second Naruto series after the time skip where he trains with Jiraiya.
As I said, the story isn't too bad in this one. Shion and Naruto have decent chemistry (much better than he did with the girl in the first move from the first series) and that plays an important part in the ending of this movie. The artwork and sound were good, and really it kept my attention until the end. All in all (for FILLER) it wasn't bad. That said, it wasn't great either. As far as fan fare goes, it should have been better.
Yes this movie kept my attention until the end, but I was never on the edge of my seat. I was never excited to see what would happen next, and I really didn't care too much. I think I spent more time focused on the poor excuse of a beginning in this movie that it really took away from the overall enjoyment. This movie should have been better, it was filled with good ideas, but they were overshadowed by the bad. It really is too bad, but as with all extra material you shouldn't ever expect anything "special." That said, it is a high 6 in my book. It was almost good if not shadowed by it's beginning.
All in all this isn't a must see, but not necessarily one you should skip. If you like movies of this nature then give it a look, but don't expect too much from it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 22, 2013
Naruto: Movie 2 - Daigekitotsu! Maboroshi no Chiteiiseki Dattebayo! starts out better than the first movie. In fact, I thought the beginning really showed promise. Narutos first encounter with Temujin was really exciting and a really cool idea. That's really where the fun ended for me, and then the choice of story and characters lost me through the middle of the movie. I found this particular movie had a lot of potential compared to the first one, but I feel it fell flat and was a little bit of a let down. Even though I went in expecting a bad movie, it found a way
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to get my hopes up and then smash them again.
Like the other movies, this one doesn't fit in with the original story very well. It is a mediocre story, but I liked it a little more than the first movie. It was lacking in a lot of areas, but it did have a really interesting premise. I loved the fact that there was an armored fighter from another land (I mean that's the whole reason I gave this movie a try), and his first encounter with Naruto was pretty fun to watch. Though from there I found the story to be a little dry, and I was quite frankly bored at times. It's art and sound were ok, and I was a big fan of Gaara at that time so I was curious what they would do with him, but all in all it wasn't what I had hoped for. Thanks to this movie I ended up skipping the third from the original "Naruto" series.
Let me be clear in that this is 100% a filler/side story and it's not for everyone. My advice is to look at the list of characters in this movie and decide if they are characters you can watch no matter what. Keep in mind that like the last few seasons of the original series, this is mediocre at best compared to the canon story that everyone loves. I advise passing, but again, it depends on how tolerable you are to side stories.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 20, 2013
For a filler story, it was just that. Designed to fill space. There is no point to this movie. I can say no more without adding spoilers. The previews were intriguing, and I really wanted to see something at least on par with the second Shippuuden movie. That wasn't the case.
This isn't your typical Naruto filler story, which is what attracted me to it in the first place. It's not the average "village in peril" sort of filler arc (yes I have said that F word over and over, and I am not sorry for using the F word). Filler is usually bad, and
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this is no exception. Even the action scenes were a disappointment int his one.
Why did I give it a "4" then. Well it gets a point for originality (meaning it's different than the other F movies), then it gets 1 point for me liking the characters in it. It gets 1 point because I made it to the end, and the last point is because it had some moments that were ok. That's as generous as I can be without completely lying about this movie. Now let's talk about how it earned my disdain.
First, where/when/why/how this story takes place is just silly. The main characters in this are Naruto and Minato (the fourth Hokage) who as we all know died the day Naruto was born while he protected the village (or so goes the generic setup for the original story). This could have been executed in an interesting way, but don't over think it. Now that you have an idea of the situation (which you only needed to look at the image on MAL of this movie to get that much), both of them team up in this movie to save... Well I stopped caring at that part of the story. Again, don't over think it. This is purely a fan fare action story. What if... Naruto and Minato teamed up in some FILLER story. That's all this was.
Naruto has reverted to an older version of himself in the series. It's like a personality reboot (but then again, most F arcs in the series do the same thing). The chemistry between the two characters isn't forged in an exciting or interesting way, and I often questioned whether they had any real chemistry. Other than the occasional smile from Minato, I felt like they only connected because they knew they were from the same village. One of them figures out more or less the situation (geeze I wonder who), and really there are not any good surprises or twists in this movie. I had hoped to see something a little more witty and clever, and it just didn't deliver on that front. It's just a bad attempt to do something that should have been interesting. Thankfully, this story doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things since it's FILLER.
Not a must see, I would advise passing on this one unless you like complete fan fare nonsense.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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