Review: Initial D: First Stage (TV)

Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 26
Vintage: 1998-04-18 to 1998-11-28
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life, Sports (Auto Racing)
Animation Production: Studio Gallop

Source: Anime News Network

I’ll be honest right from the outset. Initial D is praised by a lot of people for being a very good anime. That is far from the truth when you consider the major shortcomings that plague Initial D’s storyline. However, even with the terrible story Initial D is the anime that made cars and drifting cool.

The animation in Initial D is mostly cheap 3D car renders that don’t look that great, even for the time when the show first aired. The character designs are terrible, especially what are supposed to be women, which look ugly as hell. The “slice of life” in between the main attraction, the racing, is stale and forgettable. There’s some things to learn about the characters, but it’s all just fluff and not necessarily all that meaningful.

So if Initial D is so terrible why do so many people like it? Well, even though it does a lot of things very poorly it does one thing so well that you tend forgive the shortcomings of everything else while expecting to see some of the best drift racing anime can offer.

Initial D is all about car racing. Not only that, Initial D’s races have an effect on people, whether you’re a car buff or not. There’s a lot of cool stuff happening while the cars are being driven, but of course the animators make it all look so simple. Using heel-toe and clutch throws, changing gears at the precise moment, and steering and counter–steering in and out of corners performing the best high-speed drifts can be really very fun to watch. It’s very much about the skill of the driver and not about how flashy the ricer looks. Drifting is a lot more than showing off a car take on a corner with style, it can truly allow for a fluid high-speed motion through a corner that a grip technique would not be able to catch up with, especially on a downhill race.

In addition to all of the over-the-top drift action, Initial D has yet another layer of immersion — the soundtrack. As stupid as it sounds, cars and the super crazy EUROBEAT genre are the ingredients for making one of the most exciting racing anime you’ll ever see. Even if you’re not into the genre of music, the way the action and the songs are choreographed together alongside the sound effects of skidding tires and roaring engines really gets your heart pumping. By the end of the show you will probably want to start a EUROBEAT collection for your own driving. It’s great concentration music for racing games too.

It’s amazing how this simple mix can produce so many goosebumps and make you restless at every corner. The commentary during the races helps a lot too since it’s always over-the-top and over exaggerated but it flows well and builds anticipation for the next feat. A race that is supposed to last a few minutes may drag on for two or three episodes, but you’re not bored as long as they keep throwing new music and build the tension.

So while the characters unnaturally speak to each other to explain technical details about a race in a way that makes them seem overly condescending, when they do it in the middle of a race with the formula in place for high tension, you’ll get pulled in no matter how corny it is.

When you’re done with Initial D, you’re done with the races pretty much. You won’t remember who or what really happened, heck you may not remember any character’s name, but you sure as hell will remember drifting and EUROBEAT. Initial D’s story is forgettable, but the racing is down right a classic. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone who’s seen Initial D is suddenly a better driver too — or not.

“No one sleep in Tokyo,” “Tokyo is on fire!” “Running in the 90’s,” “Night of Fire,” are just a few of the lines you may get stuck in your head after watching this show. Even if it can be considered a very long music video, this anime delivers all kinds of exciting moments when at the top of its game.

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Review: Great Teacher Onizuka (TV)

Running time: 27 minutes
Number of episodes: 43
Vintage: 1999-06-30 to 2000-09-24
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life
Production: Studio Pierrot, SPE Visual

Source: Anime News Network

Teaching can be a lot more work than just rattling on and causing a room full of 40 people to fall asleep, but only if you make it so. You don’t necessarily need to sugarcoat the description and portray it as a sacred profession, but there’s definitely many ways of interpreting it. However, when you strip away all of the fancy words, it’s still a nine to five job (or rather seven to four) with the added benefit of long paid vacations.

Great Teacher Onizuka is the very manifestation of a special kind of teacher, one that understands the passion in a different way and believes in bonds with the students exemplifying the teacher-student boundaries of respect and mutual need. It’s less about the separation between figures such as a master and his pupils, but instead the relationship between person to person in a given classroom. The classroom is a unit, the teacher is a unit, and together they are yet another unit. There’s certain unwritten rules that keep the two together but also keep them apart. Onizuka basically takes everything that’s important about “street smarts” and puts it in the classroom. The classroom flourishes thanks to his interpretation of what it is to be a teacher that goes beyond a perfect cookie-cutter role model and more like a simple-minded human being susceptible to mistakes just like any other person is.

The first episode is very good at putting you right into the action, which is strange when you consider this is supposed to be about a school teacher. The first few scenes summarize the main character, Onizuka Eikichi, in two very different acts. First one shows his abhorrent perversion for high school girls, as seen when he’s looking up a few girls’ skirts and the other is his badass strength and violent character when he kicks the shit out of two guys that tried to rob him. Then it just hits you, this very person you see doing these lewd and cruel acts is aiming to become the greatest teacher in Japan.

Skipping over the nonsense, you learn right away that Onizuka is finally a student-teacher filling in a temporary position at a private school. He’s assigned a problematic classroom that is full of “low lives,” that make it difficult to teach. Onizuka’s first attempt at taming the class backfired because he’s split between his duty and responsibility as a teacher and his inner rage wanting to kick some disobedient student ass. The classroom turns on him when a group of students and a seemingly innocent high school girl frame him into doing something a teacher should never do. Onizuka just loses his temper and makes their nightmares come true using his background as a gangster. As miraculously as it seems, the students that were once riled up and disobedient became docile and hardworking, contrary to what Onizuka thought would happen.

A special case develops involving the girl that was part of the original set up to force Onizuka to quit his job. Onizuka learns of what’s been bothering her at home and he uses what he knows best to solve the problem. At the end of the short period Onizuka spends at the school as a student-teacher he befriends the most problematic classroom that sees him off in tears, and the girl that he helped offers something special to Onizuka which he correctly describes as “Great!’

The real deal starts after the introductory episode, because as easy as it was for Onizuka to tame a classroom full of dimwit punks and wannabe gangsters, Onizuka faces yet another problematic classroom that has caused all kinds of traumatic experiences for every teacher that has attempted to teach there. The striking difference is that class 3-4 is full of genius scheming middle school students.

You don’t really expect a teacher that can bench-press 150Kg (330lb) to be all that great at teaching social studies, much less able to outwit a classroom full of really smart kids that can do a lot of harm. It may have worked the first time because he fought fire with fire, but now he’s faced with a silent enemy. However, in Onizuka’s crazy and roundabout way he makes them little by little into his friends. The rest of the characters get taken in by Onizuka’s pace and it’ll soon turn into less of a war against the teacher and more about “what stupid shit is Onizuka gonna do today?” As the show progresses characters will change and new characters will be added in to tally up a considerable roster of main characters. It can feel a little predictable as characters “turn over to the dark side,” but there’s always a twist involved that fluffs the experience and makes it worthwhile.

To be honest the show’s main plot isn’t that magnificent but there is a lot to appreciate. Most story bits will reset themselves after being told, making the show less gritty and much more laid back. The way the show is designed I don’t really see it as a bad thing since there’s not much to dwell on once it’s fixed. Basically this means that every episode is self-contained and what may have been the focus point of one episode doesn’t necessarily carry on in the next episode. Some of the situations that are put together are pretty good, others are much less believable, and others are just way out there, but in general the story delivers. GTO is remembered by most of its fans as a very good experience and it certainly was good for its time. I’d honestly say it has legs making it worthwhile to watch by those who missed out.

On the down side, the end of the show happens too quickly and doesn’t really reach any kind of conclusion, thus breaking the overall experience. The anime is supposed to have covered up to volume 14 of the manga, with its own added twists and variations to separate it from the source material. Although GTO is a great show to watch, the end is so lacking that anyone that is truly enamored with the characters and wants a real ending would need to continue reading the manga from volume 15 onwards. Conversely, you might consider starting over from the beginning of the manga and re-digest it all. For some this is fine, but I’m a firm believer in a solid ending for an anime and GTO unfortunately does not have one.

As always with the big successes, even with the rushed ending GTO was popular at the time it came out for many good reasons that I am still able to pick up on and enjoy. There’s very good reasons to be a GTO fan indeed. It’s not going to change your views on teachers or education as a whole, but it’s offbeat enough to carry you through a good deal of crazy school drama coupled with some laughs and smiles all the way through.

Props go to all my previous and future teachers and professors; a few of you did and still do care about more than one’s classroom performance.

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Review: Naruto (TV)

Running time: 23 minutes
Number of episodes: 220
Vintage: 2002-10-03 to 2007-02-08 (Japanese)
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Shounen
Animation Production: Studio Pierrot
Broadcaster: TV Tokyo
Music Production: Aniplex, SME Visual Works
Production: Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo

Source: Anime News Network

For most anime fans out there the shounen genre is probably one of the most enjoyable aspects of anime that they can associate with. Many of us grew up with some kind of highly successful and grossly commercialized anime that we just couldn’t get enough of. There was the Dragonball series, Hunter X Hunter, Rurouni Kenshin and many others, but now there’s Naruto.

Naruto, brought to life by Masashi Kishimoto, assimilates all that is good about its largest inspiration, the Dragonball series, and takes it to a new level. Like all good things, it builds upon its main inspiration while injecting its own flavor. Take everything you know about ninjas and throw it away because Naruto changes ninjas forever. From design to application, Naruto is a full-on recreation of ninjas and really pulls it off with its own style and flavor.

The story, for the two of you who don’t watch Naruto — shame on you, is incidentally about a young boy named Naruto. He lives in Konoha Village, a ninja village that forms part of the five great ninja villages. In the world of Naruto peace is upheld by the five great nations with their military power that is manifested in the form of ninjas and consequently their ninja villages that train them. Naruto is scorned by others in the village for reasons unknown to him so most of his childhood was rough. He doesn’t let it get him down, however, because his personality is more explosive and energetic than anyone else’s. He’s determined to become a real ninja and protect the village of Konoha some day, thus becoming acknowledged by the village and be allowed to hold the position of the village’s Hokage. A Hokage is the leader of the village upheld for his strength, wisdom, and protection that he or she must bestow upon the people of Konoha. Naruto dreams to take that very spot in order to fill the void in his heart and to give back to the village even after his wretched experience as a young orphan child.

Of course, things aren’t that easy and you’ll quickly be taken through a wild ride where many other characters have their own objectives and motives to do better and become stronger. Joining Naruto early on are Sasuke and Sakura, two other ninja candidates that form part of Naruto’s team in the academy. Sakura is a lively girl with a crush on Sasuke while Sasuke is the number one student with more than a conceited genius. While rivaling Naruto, Sasuke hides a dark past that becomes more evident in later episodes.

Naruto may be the main character, but there’s a large amount of characters in the story that makes everything much more interesting. The diversity of characters goes beyond different faces and sizes thanks to the divisions of power and strength in the show which are essential to the drama. All the ninja are divided in classes, and starting from the bottom are the kids in the academy. Graduating from there will make them a Genin which is the rank Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and others, attain early on in the story. Beyond that is the Chuunin, Jounin, ANBU (comprised of both Chuunin and Jounin ninjas), and the Hokage. It can get even more complex when you consider the divisions of power outside of the village.

Aiding the story is Naruto’s soundtrack which is a crucial piece of the experience and really helps immerse viewers into the show. The upbeat remixed Japanese music sticks in your head and fits the theme of the anime perfectly. Every character’s individual theme is memorable and communicates who they are. The music helps transcend beyond words and delivers meaningful aural information about the personality of the characters. In addition, the high points in the story really shine when every major fight or event is scored by a truly complementing melody or riff that will keep your blood boiling.

Naruto’s first arc is a little slow but it does well to teach the nuances of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu — the three basic ninja techniques. The highs and lows of the action are all excellent and give way to a good array of episodes. The show becomes increasingly dark and convoluted as the characters become stronger and attain more skills. From individual skills to ninja military tactics, there’s a certain level of intelligence that really pleases the mind when you’re sailing through watching it. At times it will get a bit too sensational with little return, but when it’s good, it’s really good. If you’re not quite sure why people watch Naruto I would point you towards Naruto’s second arc. It’s one of my favorites and it really pulls off what the show is all about.

Naruto isn’t without major faults, as any self-respecting person who enjoyed the show would have to admit to. Naruto was plagued with the very disease that a lot of shounen anime face at some point in their lifetime — catching up to the manga. Once Naruto caught up its source material, Studio Perriot was faced with very few choices. They could have stopped airing Naruto, but that would of slowed down the momentum the show had and could have destroyed the marketability of the show later on. So instead we endured the pain and suffering of the studio diverging from the main story and inserting “filler” that is irrelevant to the greater story by mangaka Matashi Kishimoto. To be honest not all of the filler is terrible, a few episodes were good enough to watch, but a year of filler is hard to digest regardless. I skipped over a lot of it since it was, for the most part, pretty forgettable. This review only covers from the first episode to episode 135. Episodes 136 to 220 are a bunch of nonsense that ends with a remixed version of episode 135.

We should be thankful, however, because it could have been worse. Whether this was planned or not, I don’t know, but the filler came in at just the right spot with just the right twist to make it negligible. Dragonball Z also faced the same problem by catching up to its manga but not only did they employ filler (that thankfully wasn’t as bad as Naruto’s) they purposely made an arc longer than it needed to be just because they needed more time to get more story out of the manga. For those of you who’ve seen Dragonball Z, those 5 minutes on Planet Namek were the longest 5 minutes ever for a reason.

Ignoring the downhill catastrophe of filler episodes, for all the good stuff Naruto has brought to us in bountiful doses I can’t complain overall. The show was fun and entertaining with a good mix of action, suspense, and cool new ninja antics. Let’s hope Naruto Shippuuden, the sequel, is every bit as good and more in the vein of Dragonball to Dragonball Z.

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Review: Eureka SeveN (TV)

Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 50
Vintage: 2005-04-17 to 2006-04-02
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Mecha, Romance, Science Fiction, Shounen
Animation Production: BONES
Production: Bandai Entertainment, MBS, Project Eureka

Source: Anime News Network

“Don’t ask for it; go win it on your own. Do that and you’ll succeed.” Truer words were never spoken by characters in this anime that reflect the real reception that Eureka SeveN has garnered. As many of you know, Neon Genesis Evangelion has become a staple in mecha anime and is largely acclaimed for its influence and success in the anime industry. Eureka SeveN, on the other hand, may be one the more recent mecha anime to cultivate and evolve beyond the Evangelion formula allowing it to present us a very special blend of mecha storytelling.

The story begins when the main character, Renton Thurston, a 14 year old kid, is stuck in a fairly boring and crappy town. His father was a hero that conducted advanced scientific research but he died in a strange event that changed the world. Consequently, his sister went on a journey because of what happened to their father and Renton hasn’t seen her since. Thus, for a very long time Renton has been stuck in Bellforest with his grandfather, Axel Thurston, who’s a top notch mechanic. Renton spends his time trying to learn to ride trapar waves with his ref board, a sport that became popular due to the changes the world endured after what Renton’s father helped create. He also idolizes Holland, a so-called genius at ref boarding who’s also in charge of ‘Gekko State,’ a rebel group that is against the military. Renton and the rest of fans get their information by reading, Ray=Out, a magazine that anonymously publishes the things that Holland and his ‘Gekko State’ accomplish.

Soon enough circumstances will take Renton out of Bellforest and onto a journey that will not only change his life but the rest of the world too. One day he meets a very special girl named Eureka who’s a member of Gekko State. As the story unfolds Eureka and Renton will grow and become entangled in a series of events that lead to the very end where their choices are what will make or break the very existence of humanity. Eureka and Renton eventually develop a mutual need for each other and that goes beyond any responsibility to the rest of the world. They bond on many levels emotionally and try their hardest to close the gap that keeps them apart in an effort to fulfill not only their desires, but the desires of the entire planet.

The comparison to Evangelion isn’t necessarily a comparison on a structural level of its narrative, but rather the breath and scope of the storytelling. Eureka SeveN actually leaves behind the mecha to a secondary position and focuses more on the characters in a way that’s easy to understand. The mecha are only a means to an end, but the people are the reason behind that end. There’s plenty of abstract scenes with confusing interpretations, but unlike Evangelion you can understand what’s going on without getting a headache. At its core it’s still about kids finding their way into the cockpit of a giant mecha, but the way the rest is told and constructed is refreshingly different and simpler in comparison to Evangelion.

Eureka SeveN is riddled with all kinds of inspiration from sea life and part of that makes the show special. Rather than mush together a bunch of similes, the inspiration goes a step further and integrates into the overall presentation and story. Trapar waves, ref boarding, sky fish, and more. These things may be foreign to you, but once you watch the show and understand their meaning you’ll soon understand that Eureka SeveN mimics a vast ocean in the air and goes even further in the second half of the story.

The length of an anime can really hurt it if there is not a balance between the episodes and the amount of plot. Thankfully, Eureka SeveN is not too long and not too short either. The first season takes a plot device and expands it until an end is reached, or rather, a change that begins the next season which expands even further and develops a new angle from which to view and understand Eureka SeveN. This means the characters will change and grow on the show revealing more about themselves and tearing apart the veil of mystery in the beginning all the way until the loose but effective end.

The end of Eureka SeveN is subtle but complete in its own way. Hopefully there’s something in the works to flesh out the ending, but what was used is effective. In contrast to Evangelion, the end will not make your head hurt since it’s a little more explicit about what is going on and how the characters feel. However, there’s no denying that for those of us that enjoyed Eureka SeveN until the end it would of been nice to have the show leave a bigger footprint in history rather than take it a little safe. Whether there’s an OAV, a movie, or even a sequel planned to expand the story, a fairly complete narrative was paved on a path towards a pleasant conclusion.

If there is an anime that can be compared on equal footing to Evangelion this is it. It’s longer and may drag on a few times, but in the end it can stand almost as empowering and compelling as Evangelion.

Review: Berserk (TV)

Running time: 24 minutes
Number of episodes: 25
Vintage: 1997-10-07 to 1998-03-31
Age rating: Mature (May contain sex, drugs, and extreme graphic violence)
Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Shounen, Supernatural
Animation: Oriental Light and Magic
Broadcaster: NTV
Production: Oriental Light and Magic, VAP

Source: Anime News Network

Berserk has a fitting name because it has some crazy characters that just dedicate themselves to killing men in battle. The first episode starts off with a bad-ass swordsman who wields a giant sword. Things get out of control and before you know it you’ll be watching him take out enemies with superb skill. Once you get to the second episode everything changes drastically and you’ll be introduced to this man’s past life and how he got to where he was in the first episode. The show continues telling the past story up until the very end where the big twist is fleshed out.

The swordsman in question is Guts, a badass by nature with the skill and trade of killing men with his sword. His life was burdened by hardships and chaos so he was forced into becoming stronger to survive. He makes a name for himself by defeating countless enemies on the battlefield regardless of the disadvantages he may face.

One day he finds himself in a dangerous situation when a group of men try to kill him and steal the money he had just received as payment for his services as a mercenary. Little did they know they would not be able to take him on. However, the group’s leader, Griffith, defends his men and ends up wounding Guts. He finds Guts’ fighting skill to be useful so he takes him into his custody. The group that Guts encountered is known across the kingdom has the Band of the Hawk. Griffith, leader of the Hawks, impressed by Guts’ talent in combat makes him join his mercenary army after a fierce one on one battle. Guts becomes a comrade and little by little eases his way into the trust of everyone in the group.

Within the Band of the Hawks the members learn to strive together in the hardships of battle. Every victory is pieced together by everyone, but of course the participation of Guts, Caska, Griffith, and a few other high ranking members is crucial. For these men — and woman — who are destined to be low lives with not much of a future, being led by Griffith towards a much greater goal is a gratifying experience. They live and breathe battle because it is their nature, but they are content to fight for the will of their leader.

Griffith is a man that seems to glow with omnipotent power while performing his actions. He is overwhelmed by a desire to obtain it all, henceforth he wants his own kingdom. From the depths of the commoner’s world he wishes to rise up to the peak of success and he is willing to do anything and everything he can to fulfill his dream. Guts, his partner and good friend, is a large part of realizing that obsession and he is able to continue and reach higher and higher because of the support of his subordinates.

Guts has a very striking attribute which is his huge sword, a key aspect of what makes him a badass character. If you’re like me you might be reminded of Cloud’s Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII or Sanosuke’s Zanbatou from Rurouni Kenshin. His sword isn’t as thick as the Buster Sword or the Zanbatou, but it’s still very long and heavy. It ties in well with the skills and finesse of the characters which are a little on the realistic side, although stamina and endurance are grossly exaggerated. Much like other medieval stories, a one hit strike is all it takes to down your opponent. There’s nothing but the speed, strength, and angle of an attack with no exaggerated skill-sets. I’m not disappointed by this type of combat, but some of you may want a bit more names to remember for each attack.

When I consider everything, Berserk does a good job of delivering powerful thought-provoking revelations from the characters. The key characters are driven by personal desires while interacting with each other solely based on those desires. In addition, the battles and tactics in Berserk are fun to watch, but they are not quite as exciting as scenes in more modern anime. However, for such an old show I must applaud the overall effort.

The end of the anime is a huge twist from the rest of the show. It ties into the first episode which you won’t understand when you watch it the first time, but after watching the end you can rewatch the first episode and you’ll understand what’s going on. A little investigation revealed that Berserk was planned as a 26 episode anime, but financial trouble cut it to 25 which is too bad.

Berserk doesn’t win me over for any specific creative aspects, but it’s a good overall combination of violence, romance, and typical tough guy shounen drama. If you watch it and you’re interested in the story you’ll need to find the manga to get the rest of it because the anime cuts off right at a huge turning point. The way it ends is effective enough to stand on its own as a dark event with little to no hope, but I can’t help but feel cheated. It’s still a good adventure show though, and deserves to be watched.

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Review: Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster (OAV)

Running time: 27 minutes
Number of episodes: 6
Vintage: 2004-10-03 (Episode 1 AT-X broadcast)
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Military, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX, Bandai Visual, Victor Entertainment
Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki
Storyboard: Hideaki Anno (Ep. 4), Kunihiko Ikuhara (Ep. 2), Masayuki (Ep. 5), Matsugu Higuchi (Ep. 1), Tadashi Hiramatsu (Ep. 3)

Source: Anime News Network

Diebuster, also called Gunbuster 2, is the sequel to Gunbuster, an awesome mecha series of serious ass kicking fun. It also goes by the longer name Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster (Aim for the Top 2! Diebuster), but I’ll stick with Diebuster. In the beginning of the show I couldn’t see any relationship to the original Gunbuster in any form. What did jump out at me was the art style, which felt very similar to the art in FLCL and Neon Genesis Evangelion. This comes as no surprise after further investigation since Diebuster’s character design was also done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto who worked on the aforementioned projects. The beautiful art style is accompanied by quality animation that I feel would make even the pickiest otaku smile with approval.

Diebuster stars Nono, a girl who runs away from home with a dream to become a space pilot much like main character in Gunbuster. Things don’t go exactly like she planned and she ends up in a dump working as a waitress. For some reason though, no matter how bad things appear, she remains optimistic that she will reach her goal. One day a mysterious girl walks into the shop where Nono works and stops some perverted guys from going too far with her on her shift. The girl who helps Nono ends up to be Lark Melk Marre, none other than a Topless — a real space pilot. Nono runs after the girl in order to say thanks and ask for help on how to become a space pilot. Lark immediately refuses and tells Nono she doesn’t have a chance. Despite this, Nono remains optimistic and energetic about meeting Lark and goes as far as label her as “onee-sama.” In Nono’s mind Lark is high upon a pedestal and she looks at her as the epitome of justice and righteousness.

Shortly after these events all hell breaks loose when the characters come face to face with a space monster, the same fearsome enemies that the characters in the first Gunbuster fought. You will immediately appreciate the much more modern animation, and all of the over-the-top action that seamlessly blends together. It’s a lot more frantic than the original Gunbuster, and if you’ve seen FLCL before you will appreciate the similarity in art and presentation. Lark shows off what she’s got and commands her Buster Machine, Dix Neuf, into battle to save the day. Nono surprisingly gets involved with the battle and she slowly eases her way into the world of space pilots.

The Topless end up becoming a big part of the world of Diebuster. The Buster Machines in Diebuster are quite different from the ones in Gunbuster. This time Buster Machine pilots require a special latent power that is only found in young people. This power allows them to sync with their Buster Machine and fight the space monster menace. When these “Topless” are found they are allowed into the “Fraternity” where all of the Topless combat space monsters to defend humanity.

The musical score in Diebuster is a great mix of modern ambient music, but taking the spotlight is the same classic drums and horns that has become iconic of Gunbuster. It’s used in the same fashion as it was used in Gunbuster and introduces the next big scene where the ultimate ass kicking is sure to occur. I had my hopes up for a little more music diversity like what was done with FLCL and The Pillows, but my bias aside it stays true to the spirit of the Gunbuster.

Diebuster is no where near as technical as Gunbuster, and thus eliminates all of the jargon for more free-form surprises. The Buster Machines are different this time and in some ways resemble EVA’s (from Neon Genesis Evangelion) because they’re sentient and need to be “awakened” before they can function. They can move on their own, but they sync with the Topless in order to bring forth their full potential.

Simply put, Diebuster is the ultimate treat for Gunbuster fans. Each episode is somewhat self-contained, so you’ll reach some sort of conclusion at the end of each one until the finale. To be honest, if you watch Diebuster without watching Gunbuster you’ll miss out on a lot of the experience. Although in the beginning it doesn’t seem like Diebuster has anything to do with Gunbuster, later on you learn key story details that blend the two together. You will only come to appreciate them if you get into Diebuster with knowledge of some of Gunbuster’s details. Basically, Diebuster pounds you non-stop with action plus sprinkles some Gunbuster story for the fans. This all leads to a great ending that can only be fully understood by those who’ve seen Gunbuster.

It’s difficult to explain why you need to watch Gunbuster without spoiling the end, but if you are a fan of Gunbuster it’s a requirement that you watch Diebuster to get the full experience. It’s one of those special moments that remind you how expressive anime can be.

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Review: Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster (OAV)

Running time: 30 minutes
Number of episodes: 6
Vintage: 1988
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Military, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX, Bandai Visual, Victor Entertainment
Director: Hideaki Anno
Storyboard: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

Source: Anime News Network

This anime goes by many names such as Top wo Nerae! (Aim for the Top!), Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster (Aim for the Top! Gunbuster), or just Gunbuster. I’ll stick with Gunbuster.

Gunbuster is Hideaki Anno’s first work as a director, and for that reason alone it deserves a special spot in anime history. Anno is best known around the world for directing Neon Genesis Evangelion, but his work in Gunbuster is at least equally as transcending. In many ways I’m willing to argue that Gunbuster is even more compelling than Neon Genesis Evangelion. Something interesting to note is t hat Gunbuster was the first anime to feature animated bouncing breasts, so you can thank Anno for that!

A good way to describe Gunbuster is to just say it’s about the largest mecha in anime history and their pilots beating the crap out of huge space monsters that want to destroy the human race. The space monsters attack in impressive numbers so humanity has to literally destroy them by the billions at a time. This, albeit an accurate description, isn’t quite enough to fully convey what you will get out of watching Gunbuster. It is truly an escapade into a time where we have to decide how we’re going to save ourselves from the greatest threat ever imagined.

The anime stars Takaya Noriko, a young girl studying at a Space Pilot High School for girls in Okinawa, Japan. She enrolled in that particular school with the goal to become a space pilot. Her father, Takaya Yuzo, was an admiral commanding the Luxion, a ship that was destroyed early on in the war against space monsters. A few crew members survived the attack but unfortunately Noriko’s father went down with the ship. Noriko had dreamed to become a space pilot long before this incident, and when she heard of her father’s death it was hard for her. She was only 10 at the time when she got the news, but now she’s 17 and once again is determined to become a space pilot.

While training she finds out she has a lot of problems piloting the RX-7 Machine Weapon, which is the standard mass-produced mecha used to fight the alien drones. Many of her schoolmates tease her for her lack of skill and exceedingly joke that if she is ever promoted to a pilot it’s due to her late father’s position. All of these events eventually trigger her encounter with Amano Kazumi, the top student at the school and the most likely candidate to become a space pilot. Kazumi gives Noriko a few words of encouragement which help Noriko boost her spirit and advance towards her goal. This scenario introduces the much bigger drama of the story following alongside Noriko and Kazumi as they strive with personal matters and the responsibility of protecting humanity.

Although Gunbuster is quite old, it has aged almost too well and rivals many of the anime I’ve seen come out in recent years. The first episode is merely an introduction to a much larger and engrossing plot, so don’t let it become a barrier when approaching the show. Once you get passed the school setting you will see how much deeper the story becomes.

The characters are all convey feelings deep inner thoughts in a very convincing way, and if you’ve seen Neon Genesis Evangelion you will start to see similarities between the characters of both series. Gunbuster is a tad realistic and contains a lot of space-age jargon that won’t quite make sense to you unless you’ve been exposed to sci-fi stories with complicated physics and the like. The characters in the anime will experience time dilation, which means time slows down for those who travel at sub-light speed. This becomes a core element in the drama and it’s presented in such a very realistic and gritty fashion that I was amazed. It really makes you doubt that Gunbuster was made in 1988.

The technology in the show is incredible, especially when you consider the small scope of its proposed time-frame. In Gunbuster, the Luxion is one of the earliest ships known to be capable of warp-speed space travel, and its intended purpose was to explore the outer reaches of the Milky Way. According to the anime, the construction of the Luxion begins in 2006 and is completed by 2013. This entails that the jump in technology from 1988 to 2006 is huge and far different from reality. Anno did not have the luxury of knowing exactly when such a leap in technology would make sense way back in 1988. Even today we’re far away from most sci-fi dreams and we can’t warp across the galaxy. He did, however, have the luxury of dealing with a fiction story and having little repercussions whether or not he was even close to being accurate. It’s been at least 18 years since the first release of Gunbuster, so many of the people (including myself) who watch Gunbuster today will consider it more of an alternate reality than a far look into the future. This means we lose the veil of mystery that makes us ponder off into a far future if we consider the hard facts the anime is based on. We are now living in part of the time-frame of the story, so it can feel a little distracting. However, everything else about the show far surpasses this small setback. It hardly takes you completely out of the experience, but there’s no denying Gunbuster should have been much more effective back in 1988.

The enemies in Gunbuster are called space monsters and without giving too much away they are giant insect-like beings that roam the universe killing all life. They search and destroy any sentient beings they find. They are also referred to as the “anti-bodies” of the galaxy. All things considered, they truly are humanity’s greatest threat and aiding them is their tendency to attack in giant swarms that number in the billions of units. This creates situations where animated mecha combat can really shine since there’s explosions and dodging maneuvers non-stop, units calling out for support, and the inevitable loss of human lives. All of this creates a lot of tension in the fighting, but the powerful mecha drive a sense of excitement since you’ll always want to know what’s going to happen next.

The musical score is quite dated, so it probably won’t be as effective as it would of been in the 80’s. It consists mostly of horns and drums of differing pace depending on the situation and they’re used quite often to introduce the next big thing to appear on the screen. It’s literally how you know something is going to die. While this quickly becomes a predictable pattern, it’s still quite effective. When you hear drums you’ll get excited and not necessarily prone to be disappointed as it is always something amazing that happens. Gunbuster is all about kicking alien ass and the classic music works in driving anticipation of the action.

The end of the anime is spectacular to say the least. If you decide to stick with the show long enough to see it, trust me, you will enjoy it. It’s truly a touching moment and for anyone who enjoyed it back in the 80’s I’m willing to agree it’s a timeless moment and a definite classic in anime. For those worried, it’s completely different from Anno’s more famous attempt at ending a story with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Contrary to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster ends well — you will be satisfied.

I’d like to thank The Gunbuster Index for providing a huge amount of information that helped me write this review.

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Review: Otaku no Video (OAV)

Running time: 50 minutes
Number of episodes: 2
Vintage: 1991
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Historical, Magical girl, Mecha, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX

Source: Anime News Network

Although this isn’t quite relevant to this review, I feel its necessary to mention that I don’t consider myself a true otaku. In a less than humble expression I feel that I lack the strong qualities of devotion and dedication a true otaku possesses and therefore I deem it necessary to not label myself as a true member of the exclusive social group. I don’t alienate myself from true otaku because I fear the label or the implications associated with it, in fact I look up to the most hardcore, but I genuinely don’t have the inner drive that it takes to follow through with core aspects of the lifestyle. I’m pretty apathetic towards most popular “moe” elements such as magical girls, loli, and the like. I’m not even into cosplay in general, although I’ve seen a few in pictures that have impressed me. This puts me at a disadvantage to position myself as an authority on any given subject where a true otaku would show true dominance, making my judgment seem obtuse by comparison. As such, I write this particular review with the careful observation that I am sailing into unknown waters so I’ll try my best to be less partial and biased.

Otaku no video is most likely a well-known OAV and I wouldn’t doubt many people consider it an essential introduction to anime in general. Putting aside my ignorance of the significance of this particular OAV, I ventured on and watched this show and I can honestly say it’s worth watching if you want insight into the world of a true otaku. The OAV is quite old but still encompasses many of the cultural aspects of being an otaku that still exist today. It’s by no means an accurate depiction of the social activities of otaku since it really does feel scripted and sensational, but its totally worth your time if you’re into the subculture of anime.

The show itself starts off with a regular guy named Kubo who’s a freshman in college and enjoying life with his girlfriend who’s been with him since high school. His life is very social and active, so you could say he’s a very good example of a “normal” guy. By chance he finds himself meeting his old high school friend, Tanaka, who’s the leader of an otaku club. They end up spending lots of time together and little by little Kubo’s life drifts away from a regular guy social guy to that of a real gritty and dirty otaku. This begins the roller coaster ride where you will learn of the hopes and dreams of a bunch of otaku. You will find stereotypes for every kind of otaku, including science fiction, military, and other specializations, plus the legendary female otaku that looks good in cosplay. Along with this, the show has a habit of breaking the core animation’s story with live-action scripted scenes where random Japanese men are interviewed and they explain how they grew up as hardcore otaku. The second episode of the OAV continues the tale but in a much more fantastical way and finally concludes the main story of the anime.

The story of the anime isn’t breathtaking in any way and I certainly wouldn’t consider it brilliant in any particular aspect, but it’s still educational and entertaining. The way the lifestyle of otaku is explored is timeless in itself since it freezes in time the way otaku lived in the 80’s and 90’s. Today’s otaku hasn’t changed much, but thanks to the internet many more people are being influenced in massive quantities. The anime industry is much more mainstream and there’s a plentiful amount of mature content (not necessarily adult content) that has made the notion of otaku as a whole less demeaning.

If you’re obsessed about anime you owe it to yourself to check it out, and even if you don’t really care about the subculture you should still check it out if you can. It’s a good experience to have under your belt that will provide a vast amount of historical value of the Japanese otaku culture that is now less “Japanese,” and more global than ever.

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Review: Planetes (TV)

Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 26
Vintage: 2003-10-04 to 2004-04-17
Age rating: Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence)
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction, Shounen, Slice of Life
Director: Goro Taniguchi
Script: Ichiro Okouchi
Production: Sunrise, Bandai Visual, NHK

Source: Anime News Network

Planetes is one of those great shows that only comes along once in a while. It was based off its original manga, but the anime turned an already good story into a better one. The main story focuses on Technora, a space-age company, and it’s debris division. The members of the debris division are in charge of picking up space trash, also known as debris, that’s floating around in space. I wasn’t really aware of this, but debris objects around the earth travel at over 8 Km/s and even a tiny screw can cause huge damage to a ship, space station, satellite, etc. The show grounds itself in reality and really tries to depict a realistic space environment.

Planetes takes place in 2075, and because of a very realistic problem in space, debris retrieval was made mandatory to all space companies. It is described as combined effort, and every space company must have debris personnel. However, because debris retrieval does not provide a company any means of profit, they fund their sections very loosely and make it very difficult to do a good job. The crew in Planetes are an earnest bunch and they truly believe they are making a difference by making space-age commuting safer. They thrive in their line of work despite all of the associated hardships.

The cast is excellent, starting off with a very original and energetic lead character named Hoshino Hachirota, nicknamed Hachimaki. Hachimaki is the best EVA suit pilot in the business, although his skills are not recognized by anyone except his team. He’s the one in charge of all the hands-on debris retrieval for Technora. Accompanying Hachimaki is the newbie named Tanabe Ai. You’ll see her come in the first episode since she is brought in to fill a much needed vacancy in the debris section. She becomes Hachimaki’s partner in space after he teaches her the basics. There’s also Fee Carmichael, who is captain and pilot of the DS-12, also known as Toy Box. She’s probably the sharpest of the group and handles all of the space coordination with the ISPV-7 or “Seven,” the main Technora ship giving orders to the crew. There’s also Yuri Mihairokoh who is Fee’s first officer and co-pilot who helps all-around wherever there’s a need.

The rest of the characters are the section chief, his assistant, and a temporary female employee that does desk work. They’re secondary characters and never go outside into space, but they fit their roles really well with the rest of the crew. Picking up debris is what you’ll see throughout the beginning of the show. It will, however, change drastically with a completely different pacing. As you learn about each of the character’s hopes and dreams, you’ll see how some of the characters try to make their lives better and actually fulfill their dreams. There’s quite a few bumps in the road, but it’s quite emotional to see how the “trash” people grow and earn the respect of those above them in the company. Planetes, in my opinion, is graced without a dull moment. I was able to cruise through the entire series without feeling bored or sidetracked as everything was as cohesive possible and really grounded within the realm of the anime. I will point out that near the end things really get heated and you may feel the same way I did and start cursing at the show. It’s all intentional though so keep watching. It’ll all make sense and once the dust settles you’ll be treated to one of the most satisfying endings I’ve been able to experience in anime.

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