Category Archives: Anime Reviews
Angel’s Egg – Review
Considering both director Mamoru Oshii and popular Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano were involved in the creation of Angel’s Egg, it really comes at little surprise to me that this film is, how should I say this, different. Given the fantastic yet odd artistry in Amano’s works and Oshii’s contemplative handling of his own films, Angel’s Egg is a deliberately slow and mesmerizing animated film. READ MORE
Baccano! – Review
In the year 1711, a group of alchemists are granted an elixir of immortality. The now-immortal group unanimously decides it wasn’t worth it and destroy the elixir; but one of them, Slizard Quates, starts to kill off his fellow immortals. To reduce the risk of Quates tracking them all down, the group separates and goes their separate ways. Neither of them crosses paths again till 1930, Manhattan. READ MORE
Castle in the Sky – Review
Having scored a box office success with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki was on his way to becoming a respected animator in his native country of Japan. Yet this was only the beginning; with the help of Isao Takahata, Miyazaki enlisted the backing of their financial distributor, Tokuma Shoten, to establish their own animation company, known today as Studio Ghibli. Under this new facility, Miyazaki directed his third feature—and the first to be produced under the “Ghibli” banner – a rollicking, fast-paced action-adventure tale called Laputa: The Castle in the Sky. READ MORE
Cencoroll – Review
Cencoroll tells the story of a provincial Japanese town under attack by a mysterious monster, and a young girl—Yuki—and boy—Tetsu—who hold the secret to fighting back: a strange and even-more-mysterious pet called Cenco. When another Cenco user discovers Tetsu, the two will ultimately duel for control and dominance, involving the entire city as their battleground. READ MORE
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below – Review
A young girl named Asuna who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved mysterious boy named Shun. READ MORE
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Review
Set in an alternate universe in which Japan is conquered by what is known as the Holy Britannian Empire, the Japanese have been stripped of all rights, freedoms, and have had their country renamed to Area 11. A high school student known as Lelouch Lamperouge is a Britannian prince who gave up his right to the throne after his mother was murdered, and has vowed to destroy his father, the Emperor, and Britannia. He gains the ability through the mysterious power of the Geass, becoming Zero, the leader of the resistance movement to fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister can live happily. READ MORE
Colorful – Review
Upon reaching a purgatory-like state after death, a dejected soul is informed that he will be awarded another chance at life. He is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit named Purapura, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake in his former life was before his time limit in Makoto’s body runs out. READ MORE
Cowboy Bebop – Review
The year is 2071 AD. The future is now. Driven out of their terrestrial eden, humanity chose the stars as the final frontier. With the section-by-section collapse of the former nations, a mixed jumble of races and people came. They spread to the stars, taking with them the now confused concepts of freedom, violence, illegality and love, where new rules and a new generation of outlaws came into being. People referred to them as Cowboy Bebops. Spike Spiegel is bounty hunter looking for such people, and together with his partner Jet Black, traverse the known galaxy in search of the next bounty. READ MORE
Deadman Wonderland – Review
A massive earthquake ravaged Japan’s mainland and destroyed most of Tokyo, sinking three-quarters of it into the ocean. Ten years later, the story shifts to Igarashi Ganta, a seemingly ordinary student attending Nagano Prefecture’s middle school. An escapee, a survivor of the great earthquake, Ganta has no memories of the tragedy and has lived a normal life. This all changes when a strange man covered in blood and crimson armour floats through his classroom windows. READ MORE
Eden of the East – Review
On November 22, 2010, ten missiles strike against uninhabited areas of Japan, claiming no victims. This apparent terrorist act is referred to as “Careless Monday” and disregarded by most people. The series begins three months later, with a young Japanese woman named Saki Morimi visiting Washington D.C. as part of her graduation trip. When she gets into trouble, a mysterious Japanese man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, helps her through it. The man appears to have no memory and is completely naked, carrying only a gun and a cell phone charged with 8.2 billion yen in digital money. READ MORE
Eden of The East the Movie I: The King of Eden – Review
The deadly game that began in Japan now intensifies on the streets of New York City. The rules are the same: Do whatever it takes to win. Die if you lose. Takizawa prevented Japan’s destruction—and then he vanished. Six months later, clues lead Saki to the Big Apple in search of her missing friend. Meanwhile, the remaining Selecao are plotting their final move. READ MORE
Eden of The East the Movie II: Lost Paradise – Review
Takizawa returns to Japan and hits the ground running. As he makes his final move against the Selecao, he fights to uncover the secrets of his mysterious past. The deck is stacked against him; he faces accusations of terrorism, and the truth behind his ties to the Primer Minister could be his undoing. Takizawa’s not the only one feeling the heat. Saki’s high-tech crew is in the crosshairs too—along with every citizen in the nation. READ MORE
Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance – Video Review
A video review of the 2009 anime film “Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance” by director(s) Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki, and Masayuki. READ MORE
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone – Review
Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone is the first installment in a 4-part film series known as the Rebuild of Evangelion that reimagines the story first told in the critically acclaimed anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. READ MORE
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance – Review
Evangelion 2.0, You Can (Not) Advance continues the story of Shinji Ikari, who has chosen a path of struggle and combat against the mysterious and awesomely powerful beings known as Angels. Joined by Asuka, Rei and a previously unknown heroine by the name of Mari, the true purpose behind NERV, SEELE, the Angels, and the looming apocalypse begin to be revealed… READ MORE
First Squad: The Moment of Truth – Review
Set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front, First Squad – The Moment Of Truth follows a group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities; the teenagers have been drafted to form a special unit to fight the invading German army. They are opposed by a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who is attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause for world dominance. Only one young woman by the name of Nadya can stop them. READ MORE
Ghost in the Shell – Review
In the year 2029, a vast electronic network that permeates every aspect of life has interconnected the world. That same network also becomes a battlefield for Tokyo’s Section Nine security force, which has been charged with apprehending the master hacker known only as the Puppet Master. Spearheading the investigation is Major Motoko Kusanagi, who — like many in her department — is a cyborg officer, far more powerful than her human appearance would suggest. And yet as the Puppet Master, who is even capable of hacking human minds, leaves a trail of victims robbed of their memories, Kusanagi ponders the very nature of her existence. READ MORE
Halo Legends – Review
Halo Legends is a collection of seven animated short films set in the Halo science-fiction universe. Financed by Halo franchise overseer 343 Industries, the stories were created by five Japanese production houses: Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G., Studio 4°C, and Toei Animation. Shinji Aramaki, creator and director of Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina, serves as the project’s creative director. READ MORE
High School of the Dead – Review
Takashi Komuro is a normal high school boy, until an infection breaks out that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Along with his friends and the school nurse, they fight their way out of their school and continue their journey to find out what exactly has happened to the world around them. READ MORE
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland – Review
Welcome to the fantasy world of “Little Nemo,” filled with dreams of enchanted lands and new friends, amazing magic and fun-filled adventure. A place where anything is possible and the only boundaries are those of the imagination. In this major motion picture, Nemo journeys to the Kingdom of Slumberland. READ MORE
Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro – Review
When master thief Lupin III, a.k.a. “The Wolf” inadvertently steals a fortune in counterfeit bills from a casino, he is quick to realize the high-quality printing plates that made them are worth even more. Tracing the source of the money to the small European country of Cagliostro, Lupin and his team of colorful outlaws cross swords with the nation’s mysterious monarch over his forthcoming marriage to the last princess of the Cagliostro family. It’s a fast-paced adventure as Lupin must battle fearsome ninjas, rescue a damsel in distress and uncover the key to the lost Cagliostro fortune. READ MORE
Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai – Review
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was an unrivalled swordsman in the days when internal wars in Japan had virtually ended. Nevertheless, he wrote a master treatise on military strategy, The Book of Five Rings and sought “the way” to enlighten his spirit and cultivate his mind. But could this image have been fabricated by the generations that followed? Mamoru Oshii will take on an unusual portrayal of this legendary and aloof warrior, between spectacular duels and a tragic life in pursuit of greatness. READ MORE
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water – Review
In the mid 1970′s, prior to obtaining his well-deserved status as Japan’s greatest animator ever, a young Hayao Miyazaki was hired by Japanese movie giant Toho to develop ideas for TV series. One of these concepts was “Around the World Under the Sea’, based on Jules Verne’s literary classic “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Although it was never produced, Toho nonetheless kept the rights to the story outline. Miyazaki would reuse elements from his original concept in later projects of his, notably the Sci-Fi series Future Boy Conan and the action-adventure feature Castle in the Sky (this explains why Anime fans often find similarities between the show I’m about to review and the latter film). Ten years later, Japanese animation studio GAINAX was commissioned to produce this very scenario. READ MORE
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia – Review
It’s one September day in Andalusia and the sky is clear. The landscape is desolate with no vegetation except for bushes and cacti. No trees to stop the sandy wind nor provide shade for the unforgiving 113 ℉ heat outdoors. This is the stage in the cycling competition known as La Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain). Here Pepe, the film’s protagonist, will be forced to face his past and forge his future. READ MORE
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – Review
A thousand years after a global war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the few places still populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley are engaged in a constant struggle with powerful insects called Ohmu, who guard a poisonous jungle that is spreading across the Earth. Nausicaä and her brave companions, together with the people of the Valley, strive to restore the bond between humanity and the Earth. READ MORE
Ninja Scroll – Review
Jubei Kipagami, a ninja mercenary, wanders the countryside in search of work. On his travels, he encounters Kagero, a female ninja whose poisoned blood causes her pale skin to be lethal to the touch. Jubei rescues the woman from Tessai, a creature made of rock. They later find that Tessai is one of the Eight Devils of Kimon, who are involved in a plot to overthrow the Shogun. READ MORE
Pale Cocoon – Review
In a dystopian future where humans have overpopulated and devastated the surface of the Earth and forced to live deep underground, Ura works in the Excavation Department that uncovers and restores records from the prosperous time that has passed him by. While Ura is fascinated by the past that is unfolded to him daily, his colleagues along with the general population become more and more depressed and disinterested over time. One day, Ura restores a record that motivates him to find out the truth about the world above the surface and attempts to visit the world he had worked for so long to understand. READ MORE
Perfect Blue – Review
Pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. When she lands a role in a sexually charged murder mystery television series titled Double Bind, Mima’s life begins to fall apart. Reality and hallucinations merge into a terrifying netherworld where innocence is lost and dreams become nightmares. Quickly descending into a dangerous state of paranoid delusions, Mima discover Internet sites describing every intimate detail of her life. Helpless and afraid, she watches as her associates are threatened and by a mysterious stalker. READ MORE
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva – Review
Professor Layton, true English gentleman and the world’s greatest amateur super sleuth, embarks on his most daring adventure yet when he receives a letter from his old student, the famous opera diva Janice Quatlane. READ MORE
Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Review
In this world, there exist strange creatures that have the power to grant one wish to a chosen girl. However, in exchange, that girl must then become a magical girl and use their powers to fight against witches, evil creatures born from darkness that are responsible for murders and suicides. READ MORE
Serial Experiments Lain – Review
We’re all Connected. The world around us, made of people, tactile sensation, and culture has begun to blur with the wired world inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences. The day after a classmate commits suicide, Lain, a thirteen year-old girl, discovers how closely the two worlds are linked when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl: “I just abandoned my body. I still live here…” READ MORE
She and Her Cat – Review
Director Makoto Shinkai’s She and Her Cat is his first anime project that he directed. The short film has won Shinkai praise for his artistry, including that of winning the 2000 DoGA CG animation contest Grand Prix. What’s surprising to note is that Shinkai produced the film entirely himself, going as far as to personally voice the main character of the short feature. READ MORE
Space Runaway Ideon: A Contact – Review
After colonizing the planet Solo of the Andromeda galaxy, earthling scientists uncover ancient mechanisms built by a lost nation from long ago. They find that these mechanisms can combine to create a giant mecha called Ideon. READ MORE
Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked – Review
Above the Buff Clan homeworld rises their complete fleet of battleships and heavy mobile mechas, dominated by the awesome majesty of their latest and most deadly superweapon. And even with all these forces, Supreme Commander Doba is troubled – he has staked the future of his entire people on this military might. Can the lethal weaponry prepared by the Ome Foundation truly prove sufficient to slay the Giant God of legend, Ideon? READ MORE
Summer Wars – Review
In the near future, the creation of a virtual city of OZ has changed the way people live. Through this service, people can be represented anywhere in the world through the use of their avatars—digital representations of themselves, which can take any shape and identity—exploring the city of OZ and as their needs see fit. We then enter Kenji, a normal high school student who works part time as a programmer to help develop OZ further. He is then suddenly approached by Natuski—the girl of his dreams—and unexpectedly gets invited to attend a family celebration, where he is to pose as her fiancé. If that wasn’t strange enough, things begin to get even more bizarre when OZ is suddenly hacked into while at the celebration, and with Kenji becoming the prime suspect, the house—and eventually the world—is turned upside down. READ MORE
Tekkonkinkreet – Review
Based off the manga Black and White by author Taiyo Matsumoto,Tekkonkinkreet tells the vividly arousing tale of two orphaned street kids who must protect their city from harmful outsiders. Directed by Michael Arias (who is the first non-japanese to direct a major anime feature film) the film has won numerous awards, including that the 2008 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the year. READ MORE
The Borrower Arrietty – Review
Beneath our floorboards and inside our walls live a tiny race of people known as the Borrowers. They scuffle along at night to capture items within our households, taking small items to use for their survival. One such family consists of Pod, Homily, and their adventurous daughter Arrietty and they make up one of the few Borrower families that still exist in our world. READ MORE
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya – Review
Adapted from the fourth Haruhi Suzumiya novel, the story of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya takes place from December 17 until December 24 a month after the cultural festival. On December 17, everything is normal—the SOS Brigade plans to have a nabe party for Christmas. However on December 18, Kyon arrives at school to find everything has changed—Haruhi Suzumiya is missing, and Ryoko Asakura is a normal student. Kyon is the only one who notices anything different. Nagato is an ordinary human, and Mikuru does not recognize him. The only clue is a bookmark left by the alien version of Nagato, which leads Kyon on a quest back in time, where he interacts with the storyline from “Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody”, trying to sort out the mystery and return to his own time line. READ MORE
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya – Video Review
A video review of the 2010 anime film “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” by Miguel Douglas. The film’s director(s) are Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto. READ MORE
The End of Evangelion – Review
The End of Evangelion is one of those particular anime films that when it was released, caused such a controversy amongst the fan base that viewers were divided over how to handle what they actually witnessed, quite similar to the division found amongst viewers concerning the end of the television series. READ MORE
The Sky Crawlers – Review
Stemming from the five-volume novel series by author Hiroshi Mori, The Sky Crawlers follows a group of eternally young fighter pilots known as Kildren and their experiencing the sudden loss of innocence as they battle the enemy in astonishing dogfights above the clouds. With his only childhood memory consisting of intense flight training, the fearless teenage pilot Yuichi’s dogfights coexist with his struggle to find his missing past. When his beautiful, young female commander Suito is reluctant to discuss the fate of the pilot that Yuichi is replacing – or the strangely perfect condition of that pilot’s former aircraft – Yuichi’s curiosity becomes heightened. READ MORE
Trigun: Badlands Rumble – Review
The story is set in Makka, a town surrounded by quicksand. With rumors spreading that the legendary robber Gasback has his sights set on the town, the mayor Kepler has brought together bounty hunters to protect the town. These bounty hunters have been following Gasback from town to town in hopes of bagging the prize. Meryl and Milly have come to town to assess the situation as insurance agents, but are shocked by this turn of events. Moreover, Vash the Stampede is also in town, along with the female bounty hunter Ameria and Nicholas D. Wolfwood. READ MORE
Welcome to the Space Show – Review
In a small countryside town in Japan, five primary school kids have come together in this idyllic spot in order to spend their summer holidays at a camp. At first the children enjoy carefree days amidst unspoiled nature far away from adult supervision. But their life changes dramatically when they come across what they believe to be a small dog, badly in need of help. READ MORE
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