Synopsis:
After the annihilation of all humanity a lone robotic prostitute named Malice wanders the streets still looking for the next client. Broken down and aging, Malice heads in for another repair but takes a wrong turn and ends up in a room with a giant spherical… thing. Realizing that it’s not the repair robot she was looking for, Malice decides to kiss it, after which a mutated phallus breaks out from the inside of the sphere and impales Malice. Malice ceases to function but then wakes up the next day as a human with the strange power to turn anything robotic into a living organism by kissing it. Continue reading »
Synopsis:
This is where I would normally give a brief intro synopsis for an anime however with Serial Experiments: Lain, there isn’t one. Think of it like this, you’re given a 1000 piece puzzle of a clear blue sky and you dump all the pieces out in front of you. You’re overwhelmed at first and don’t know where to begin but then you see 5 puzzle pieces stuck together that form a small portion of the corner. With this little boost to begin with you realize that you could start the border and work your way in. That’s what Serial Experiments: Lain is, it’s a puzzle that only gives you a small hint at the story but leaves it up to the viewer to piece it together to decipher it’s meaning. What that meaning is though, could differ from person to person. Continue reading »
Synopsis:
Naomi Armitage makes her return in Dual-Matrix but not as a smart-mouthed loose-cannon cop but this time as a family oriented mother hell bent on revenge for robot rights. Yes, robots and humans co-exist but these robots aren’t always obedient and sometimes think for themselves and there is a system of government in place to pass a law that either allows robots to live as they please or become slave-like to obey humans. Armitage is the only successful “third” type android to exist which is ridiculously human-like capable of human emotion and conceiving life… yes, she can get pregnant. She also has the ability to perform telepresence which allows her to hack any system and also connect to other robots. Dual-Matrix picks up as Armitage and her husband Ross are beginning to have a normal life on Mars (which is, of course, colonized) under assumed names with thier daughter Yoko. Armitage receives a video signal from earth that displays other third type robots such as herself in a research lab getting slaughtered (destroyed?) by soldiers in mech suits. Armitage decides to take it upon herself and head to earth to investigate the incident and dons her leather suit and computerized sun-glasses once again.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (it’s a movie)
Review:
Just a note to start Dual-Matrix is a sequel to Poly-Matrix. I had seen the original Arimitage III a very long time ago so if you haven’t watched Armitage III or Poly-Matrix (which are almost the same thing) then you might wanna check those out first.
The expansive worlds that Dual-Matrix drops you into is impressive as it’s vision of the future is quite original. Nothing ever feels displaced and every little detail shows some sign of what technology could be in years to come. To me, this really stands out especially for a 90 minute movie instead of a lengthy series. You’ll find yourself instantly connecting with the protagonist Armitage as her strong will and cocky attitude while maintaining her family woman mindset make for one original character and you’ll even find yourself cheering her on in almost every battle. Even the other people in the story have a sense of individuality that helps everyone stand out in thier own way whether they be hero or villain. There is no trip into anyone’s past as it’s doesn’t seem necessary because what you’re getting in the present is good enough it would simply be wasting time.
The animation here is above average but I didn’t appreciate the primitive CGI used in some scenes with it’s low color palette that stuck out like a sore thumb… badly. You’re also given a cast of characters that are either welcome or despicable put into an imaginative universe making Dual-Matrix stand nicely on it’s own and with this combination I would recommend it. But please, watch Poly-Matrix or Armitage III (if you can find it) first. Yeah, the English track was good but I’ve come to expect this from Pioneer releases.
Armitage III: Dual-Matrix (trailer)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
In the distant future Mars is now inhabited due to Earths over-population, humans and robots (called seconds) are co-existing but the fight for robot rights rages on. More advanced robots called ‘thirds’ are considered ‘too human’ and are deemed illegal but robot right activists want all robot types to be accepted as equals and become part of normal society. However, someone has made it their responsibility to eliminate all third types in existence since they are quite rare and to make sure that humans are only existing for humans. On the case is loose-cannon cop Naomi Armitage with her sexy outfit wearing unorthodox manner of solving crimes and recent transfer from Earth fellow officer Ross Sylibus. Ross is assigned to the case even though he despises robots from some unknown reason he won’t speak of but the more time he spends with Armitage as his partner the more his opinion of robots and humanity changes as he slowly realizes that she is also an illegal third type robot.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (originally it was 6 episodes long, not 1 90 minute “movie”)
Review:
Poly-Matrix is supposed to be a stand alone movie. However, what it really is, is a *heavily* butchered version of a 4 OVA (Original Video Animation or ‘direct to video’) series called Armitage III that’s taking a 140 minute anime and cutting to down to 90 minutes. 140 minutes… 90 minutes… so it’s gonna *really* be hard for me to focus on any positive points but since the original Armitage III set is hard to find and you can’t rent it then I’ll have to try and look at it from that point-of-view. But I originally watched it on laser disc so if that’s not a dead giveaway of how long I been watching this stuff then I don’t know what is.
I always liked this series as I found it to be quite original using the ‘humans and robots’ story that can sometimes feel like it’s tired from it’s constant usage. Armitage III takes this plot and sticks it into a cyberpunk world that really shows it’s originality by combining great animation and a soundtrack that fits perfectly using classic 80s sounding cheesy keyboard pop rock. This gives the entire movie a great dated feeling that makes it look like it was pushing the limit of technology at the time it was created. The thing about this butchered version though is that our two protagonists have had all shreds of characterization stripped from them leaving Ross looking like a 7 foot tall mannequin that’s just being lead around and accepting everything he’s told and Armitage going from kicking ass one minute to being depressed the next while questioning what she really is. This ultimately leaves you with a movie that sort of feels flat as you’ll have trouble connecting with the characters since they will be rapidly changing their emotional state but enough of the plot is intact to still make it worth checking out. It still remains better than it’s sequel Dual-Matrix.
I was disappointed with the DVD as it doesn’t have the original Japanese track with it and you have to deal with Elizabeth Berkley and Keifer Sutherland trying to make an extra paycheck. While Berkley did a decent job with Armitage, Sutherland’s performance as Ross sounded like he just phoned his lines in and called it a day. Branding anime with familiar names doesn’t mean it’s going to make it any better.
Armitage III (original opening)
Armitage III: Poly-Matrix (trailer)
Recommendation: |Average| for the movie, |High| for the uncut OVA series
Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Spoken languages: English (movie), English;Japanese (uncut series)
Subtitles: None (movie), English;Japanese (uncut series)
Synopsis:
First off, I have to apologize because I can’t really go in detail with a synopsis because in Ergo Proxy everything happens for a reason. One slip up and I’d be providing anyone who wanted to watch this series with a shock absorber but Ergo Proxy wants to jilt the viewer and not have it fluffed with an expected answer. In any case, I’ll try to keep it somewhat short.
Set in an unknown futuristic world where humans and androids (called an autoreiv) co-exist Ergo Proxy begins telling it’s story of a virus called Cogito that’s infecting the autoreivs. This virus grants autoreivs with a soul as they begin to think and act for themselves and even sometimes taking the lives of thier human owners. Investigating this case is Re-l Mayer, at a recent crime scene after disposing of an infected autoreiv she momentarily makes contact with extremely fast moving figure cloaked in shadow. After that Re-l meets a man named Vincent Law through a brief encounter at the Citizen Intelligence Bureau who is an immigrant trying to become a model citizen by hunting infected autoreivs and disposing of them. Re-l is later assaulted in her own apartment by the same figure she encountered earlier in the day but this time another monstrous figure shows up and protects her at the last minute. Both “monsters” start fighting and disappear into the night but Re-l notices something left behind… a pendant that she saw Vincent wearing when she met him earlier in the day. Before she can question Vincent about it he is already being sought after by the law from a public disturbance that involved him and that very same creature that keeps appearing whenever he’s around. Vincent escapes the city but Re-l won’t let it rest and wants to know the truth and follows him into the barren wasteland of the future.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 23
Review:
Ergo Proxy greets you with hand painted backgrounds, cel-shaded animation, and a bit of CGI to make this one gorgeous anime. Matter of fact, it’s so beautiful that you might get lost in admiring how good it looks and lose track of the story. Be careful though because it may seem a tad complicated in the beginning so that you need to hang on every word (subtitle) being said so there’s no time to be admiring the animation, but there is always the backstep button. Ergo Proxy will be handing you alot of questions which you won’t know the answer to unless you just keep watching and delving into everyones psychosis. At times there is so much to take in you almost can feel your head ready to explode and the creators must have sensed this as you’ll be given an episode or two where the characters do nothing more than goof off which is a relief and let’s you relax and maybe even laugh a little. The plot is both complicated and simplistic at the same time in which I can say pay attention but don’t be afraid to accept what is there before your eyes.
The characterization is fantastic. You really get attached with the main characters, especially Re-l. She’s not the typical anime female as she is strong, independent, and has a dark aura that makes her extremely sexy… I mean, interesting. Watching Vincent go from your basic dork to a wasteland roughneck is a slow process but helps you understand his point of view on everything. Then there’s little Pino, the infected autoreiv, that represents a 8 year old girl that provides some comic relief through her own innocence.
Top notch animation, deep rooted characterization, and put with a brooding tale of sci-fi desparity… I highly recommend watching this series at least once.
Ergo Proxy (opening)
Recommendation: |Very High|
Synopsis:
In the year 2060 robotics technology has advanced far more than anyone had imagined to the point now that cybernetics are now being developed. For fear that this new wave of technology is moving too quickly the U.N. declares a ban on further development until the rest of the world can come to terms with the current state of robotics. However the leader of current robotics technology, Japan, strongly opposes this current turn of events withdraws from the U.N. and isolates itself from the rest of the world and deports all foreigners. While Japan still allows trade with other countries, no one is allowed in or out of the country and has also set up a protective field that blocks all satellite signals. For the next ten years the current state of Japan remains a mystery but when an influx of worldwide banned technologies is discovered in various parts of the U.S. the agency named SWORD is assigns a few select officers to infiltrate Japan and put an end to the mystery of it’s isolation. Officer Vexille is one of the few assigned people to the dangerous task.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Review:
Vexille is a CGI anime with a different spin on it. It focuses more on storytelling than over the top action which I’m kind of used to with this type of show. It does give us the fair share of gun-fights, explosions, and even high speed chases, but a good portion of the movie is spent delving into the political aspect of future county relations and what could happen if that delicate balance is disrupted. Although the story may seem intriguing the plot seems to sort of drag once you find out what’s been happening with Japan for the last ten years, leaving you feeling sort of let down by the overall turn of events. That’s not saying it’s bad but just ends up being sort of a let down in the overall scope of things leaving you with a movie that just ends up being… okay.
The computer animation is great, the plot is interesting but flaky when looking at the big picture, and the characterization is next to nil giving the viewer an uninspired group of heros, I still recommend this movie. Check it out.
Now an off note, since most of the movie focuses on American soldiers, when listening to the Japanese language and cultural difference influences in the speech it came across as really bizarre and seemed out of place. I say that even though the dubbing is bleh… it just seems to sit better with the whole scenario.
Vexille (trailer)
Recommendation: |Average|
Synopsis:
After World War III, the world has become a desolate place save for one nation called Olympus. It’s a technological utopian metropolis but it’s not without it’s fair share of problems. Keeping the peace are E.S.W.A.T. members Deunan Knute, who is one woman you don’t want to mess with, and her cyborg partner Briareos. During a hostage rescue mission Briareos is injured from a blast that hospitalizes him leaving Deunan without a partner. To fill Briaros’s place a bioroid (genetically engineered human) named Tereus is assigned to her that looks exactly like Briareos did before he became a cyborg. Both are then assigned as security for an International Conference that would put all nations’ satellites under Olympus’ control however by doing so the technology that’s used to protect humanity now becomes the tool to destroy it.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Review:
Appleseed: Ex Machina is a CGI sci-fi action flick from producer John Woo and I’ll tell you right up front, he does not disappoint the masses. From the highly detailed computer animation to the magnificently choreographed gun fights Ex Machina is a thrill ride from start to finish that barely gives you a chance to catch you breath before the barrage of bullets starts flying again. With it’s highly original depiction of a futuristic utopia to the intriguing but not overly complicated plot and it’s cast of hardcore action heros this is one movie that is very easy to enjoy and will appeal to you even if you’re not a fan of CGI. However, Ex Machina is a sequel to the 2004 movie Appleseed so you’re not going to get alot in the way of character depth for Deunan or Briareos but in all honesty… you won’t miss it as you don’t even need to see Appleseed to enjoy Ex Machina as a stand alone movie. Simply put, you’ll be so caught up watching these two kick ass and take names, that worrying about their past will be the last thing on your mind. Luckily, Ex Machina doesn’t rely on action alone as it has a fairly decent plot that may be a bit typical but works extremely well in not burdening the viewer to have to think very hard so as the plot can be enjoyed along with the action and characters in equal doses.
Highly recommended even if you have or haven’t seen the original Appleseed, it’s still one remarkable movie and one hell of a great time.
Appleseed: Ex Machina (trailer)
Recommendation: |High|
Now it’s time for a true classic among anime history, Battle Angel. Battle Angel is a cyperpunk thriller about a man named Ido that finds a broken cyborg body while rumaging through the city’s junk yard. Ido manages to rebuild her however now she has no memory of her past and an even more uncertain future. The animation is superb for being released in 1993 and a cast of unfogettable characters really makes this short series worth catching at least once. What is truley amazing is that the extensively detailed plot that is crammed into a 70 minute show is never too big for it’s own good and how well poished the final product is.
The main problem is that I’ve read that James Cameron bought the rights to Battle Angel and now the DVD is all but dried up. You can’t even rent it, I’m glad I kept my VHS copy. His live action version is set to be released in 2009 and hopefully the DVD animation will come back out. I believe I saw someone had broken a dubbed version of this up into different parts on YouTube for viewing but I’m not posting links… I’ll leave that to you if you really want to watch it that way. If someone has more info on the live action version coming out I’d be glad to hear it because I can’t find squat on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRwwsSR_IzM
Synopsis:
Well, while I’m currently watching yet another series I’m gonna go back and reminisce about another great, underrated show… Zeiram: The Animation. A sci-fi anime that is supposedly a prequel to the live action movies that kind of remind me of a Power Rangers episode, Zeiram tells the story of a young bounty hunter named Iria that is following in the footsteps of her brother, Gren, and become a famous bounty hunter.
During a rescue mission of the hi-jacked spaceship called Karma… Gren, Iria, and their partner Bob encounter Zeiram… an indestructible alien and a battle ensues. The spaceship is eventually destroyed and while Iria survives, Gren and Bob disappear and are no where to be found. Even though the authorities turn a blind eye, Iria sets out to track down her brother and what became of the infamous Zeiram.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 6
Review:
Zeiram is an often overlooked series I quite enjoyed back in the day. The plot may seem a little typical, amatuer bounty hunter wants revenge for a family member, but what really stands out is the world in which the story takes place. It has a steam-punk look and feel to it. While everything looks beat up and run down being held together with gauze and duct tape it’s perfectly everyday living for Iria. The animation is above average, especially for 1994, but the characters are somewhat lacking. Aside from Iria and Zeiram no one really stands out other than the fact that they’re there, but these two combined with a decent story dropped into a unique universe makes this anime worth checking out. Yeah, it’s old and the animation is dated but Zeiram tells a great story and has the perfect atmosphere, give it a shot… you might actually like this forgotten title of ages past.
Iria – Zeiram: The Animation (opening)
Recommendation: |High|
Synopsis:
Genom City, city of the future where androids called Boomers and humans co-exist in almost near harmony. Parasite Dolls is a set of three seperate stories that focuses on the gritty underworld of Genom City and darker side of the almost too beautiful human looking Boomers. Boomers, not without thier own problems, may tend to go beserk for no aparent reason and of course are hated by pro-human terrorists. Each episode is about a division of the police called Branch that investigates deeper into these issues and usually discovers some underlying secret that may involve drugs, crazed politicians, and big corporate coverups.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3
Review:
The vast futuristic city of Genom may seem like alot to take in a first but in actuality there really isn’t alot to it and you quickly catch onto the terminology used when everyone is speaking which is nice but the animation to match it is seems sub-par for 2004. Where Parasite Dolls may come up a bit short is with the overall story, you’re lead by the hand from beginning to end with no plot twists to make anything overly interesting or even take advantage of that futuristic world you’re given and ultimatly remains average. Although this series didn’t really need to provide any type of character depth it still gives you a little which is a nice touch and did work for what little there was. You can’t help but like investigator Buzz as he solves each of the three cases in a calm and collected manner and may even take a liking to the other Branch team members as they display some small sign of uniqueness even though they don’t get much screen time.
Just a note, if you want to be drawn in more to the universe of Parasite Dolls you’d have to watch The Bubblegum Crisis and AD Police anime series as everything takes place in Genom City and each is a spin-off of the other. None of them are directly related in that you *have* to watch those shows but it does help you to appreciate Parasite Dolls a little more. The English voice acting was decent enough but I don’t think I’d recommend this as a standalone series as it wasn’t all that spectacular.
*Note – that cover art and the stories within don’t really match that well.
Parasite Dolls (opening)
Recommendation: |Low|
