This Ugly Yet Beautiful World

Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi No Responses »
Jun 302009


Synopsis:

Takeru Takemoto is your typical teenage slacker. He goes to school, works for his uncle and just takes every day as it comes not expecting anything out of the ordinary… he’s even grown immune to his cousin, Mari Nishino, constantly nagging him all the time. Takeru has grown accustomed to his simplistic lifestyle. But things are about to change when one evening while giving his friend, Ryo Ninomiya, a ride home on his motorcycle the both of them notice a bizarre light that descends from the sky into the forest. The curious teenagers decide to investigate the strange phenomenon and happen upon a young girl stuck in a tree where the beam of light had landed. Takeru helps her down and she is grateful for his help but ends up passing out, not knowing who she is or where she came from he decides to give her a name… Hikari, meaning ‘light’. However, while Takeru is helping Hikari on her quest for identity he also learns that the mysterious girl that finds life on Earth to be such a beautiful thing also intends to destroy it…

Reviewer: Endosanity
Total Episodes: 12

Review:

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for the usual ‘alien babe comes to Earth and falls in love with the average schmoe’ type of scenario in an anime series. But the thing with This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is that after the first couple episodes things tend to stall. That intergalactic romance that most of us are looking for doesn’t go anywhere and the entire series as a whole just seems to goof-off with things like ‘space girl gets dressed’ ‘space girl goes to school’ ‘everyone goes to the beach’ and the ever popular ‘look, a hot spring in the middle of nowhere!’ and accompany that with an inordinate amount of facial exaggerations may have you questioning yourself if you even want to continue the series. While all this is going on the relation between Takeru and Hikari has little to no progression which may have you yelling at your TV “For cryin’ out loud… kiss her!!”

While this is going on everyone is attacked by giant monsters every now and then that are bent on destroying Hikari but oddly enough, Takeru can transform into a supernatural being that looks something like an abandoned video game mascot that quickly disposes of any monster. However, why this happens isn’t explained very well and just when the series is about to end it throws some heavy drama your way and tries to explain everything within the last two episodes and it feels extremely rushed leaving you with an ending that is beyond unsatisfactory.

The animation is about average and the plot had some really great potential but it just didn’t go anywhere. Combine this with some poor character depth that just didn’t make a whole lot of sense when tied to the main plot and you’ve got a series that I really can’t recommend even with it’s short 12 episode span. There are a great many other series that share this same plotline that tell a much better story.

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

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Maria†Holic

Comedy No Responses »
Jun 232009


Synopsis:

Kanako Miyamae is plagued with a slight medical condition, she breaks out in hives whenever she is touched by by someone of the male gender. Imagine how overjoyed she was when she was initially greeted by the beautiful Mariya Shido upon her transfer to Ame no Kisaki High School. What she doesn’t realize is that beneath Mariya’s gorgeous exterior lies one of the most sadistic boys she will have the displeasure to ever meet along with his foul mouthed maid that is always by his side. When Kanako accidentally discovers that Mariya is actually boy in an all girls school, that wonderful kind-hearted girl she knew moments ago is quickly replaced by the demon within. To make matters worse, Kanako’s dream of finding herself the female love of her life is quickly dashed when Mariya moves in to the same room as her in order to keep his secret from getting out in exchange for remaining silent about the fact that Kanako is a lesbian. For the next two years Kanako is about to live out hell on earth.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Maria†Holic has to be one of the darkest comedies that I have seen in any anime series. I was a little thrown off as the show does start in your typical high school anime fashion but no more than two minutes into it the mood is instantly destroyed when Mariya’s maid, Matsurika Shinoji, begins hurling unwarranted insults toward Kanako. This felt like someone took a monkey wrench and threw it into the gears of a well oiled machine and forces the viewer and the anime itself to quickly take on a whole new perspective. Things only get worse when Kanako discovers that Mariya is a boy but the odd thing is I started finding myself laughing at her misfortune, which I knew was morally wrong but I couldn’t help myself. Maria†Holic also plays heavily on Kanako’s failed attempts at lesbianism as it never works out and with Mariya constantly toying with her feelings by acting all feminine but then quickly changing to that evil little boy in an instant then followed by an insult from Matsurika which serves to rub verbal salt in the emotional wound, only makes things worse for Kanako. But the thing is… you’ll probably burst out laughing.

Using a combination of detailed animation one moment and then switching to a seemingly 16 color palette the next to deliver some of the more comedic elements, Maria†Holic is a unique comedy all on it’s own. It’s about nothing, there’s no plot, no character depth, it never focuses on any one thing at any time but it does teach us one morally offensive lesson… it’s okay to laugh at other people’s misfortune. By the time it’s over the last thing you’ll be saying is “What the hell?” but don’t be surprised when you start laughing anyway while the final credits are rolling.

Maria†Holic (opening)

*Note – I gotta give credit to Mariya’s voice actress, Yu Kobayashi, for being able to switch quickly between both female and male sounding voices in an instant. It just makes things that much more hilarious.

Recommendation: |High|

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xxxHOLiC

Comedy, Supernatural No Responses »
Jun 222009


Synopsis:

Watanuki may seem like your average everyday high school student however, he has a slight problem. He is able to see spirits and because of this they usually have a strong attraction to him, constantly bothering poor Watanuki making each day a chore just to get through. On his way home from school while being pestered by yet another spirit, Watanuki comes across a strange house and upon closer inspection, the spirits that were bothering him disappear. Curious, he decides to inspect house and is greeted by the mysteriously sexy Yuko and she explains that this is her shop and she can grant any wish… for payment. Yuko tells Watanuki that she can rid him of the spirits that plague his existence but in exchange she wants something of equal value and tells him that he must become her part-time employee performing all sorts of odd jobs from cooking, cleaning, running errands, and… banish the occasional spirit. Before Watanuki realizes what he will be getting himself into he regrettably… agrees.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

xxxHOLiC is a supernatural anime that prides itself on being extremely bizarre, not just in terms of story but it’s odd form of animation. While watching xxxHOLiC I was thinking to myself “So this is what anime looks like if I was trippin’ on doobies.” However, for me, this wasn’t enough to keep this series from coming across as a bit bland in terms of story. Almost every episode was self-contained where you’ll follow Watanuki as he is sent on some odd job and accompanied by either Yuko herself or by his emotionless rival Domeki as they set off to grant some wish or look into disturbances in the neighborhood. This is where I have to give the show some credit for it’s characterization as Yuko is a tall, slender, extremely sexy woman that exudes an aura mystery but yet will catch you off guard sometimes with her unexpected child-like behavior. Then there is Domeki, the completely emotionless, stedfast guy with his mono-tone style of speech that always has you wondering just what is going through this guys head but at the same time might have you laughing at his complete lack of any emotion to anything he says or does. Unfortunately, two great characters can’t carry the story as I found the supernatural and psychological elements somewhat lacking and uninteresting save for a few episodes that really stood out and listening to Watanuki yell and bitch 50% of the time, didn’t help.

Let me sum it up like this, it’s a good show but not one that should be taken in large doses. A plot that can go from interesting one moment to yawn-inducing the next, a strange cast of characters that range from remarkably original to just plain annoying as hell and put with head-tripping animation… xxxHOLiC is a show that demands attention, just not all at once.

xxxHOLiC (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

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Black Cat

Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi No Responses »
Jun 212009


Synopsis:

Train Heartnet, a lone assassin of a group named Chronos with only two thoughts in his mind, kill the target and show no mercy. Sven Vollfied, a sweeper (a bounty hunter of sorts) determined to bring his target to justice and make some cash while he’s at it. On a job for his next target, a mobster Lib Tyrant that has been voted to governor, Sven encounters Train and realizes that both him and Train share the same target but for different reasons… Train intends to kill while Sven only wants to bring Lib Tyrant to custody. Unfortunately, Sven is no match for Train’s skills and Lib Tyrant is killed. Later, while Train is wallowing in self thought on the roof his apartment building he encounters an odd woman named Saya Minatsuki that teaches him life is not followed by a set of rules and instructions but instead what you decide to make of it. During his next target, a young girl that is also a biological weapon named Eve, he encounters Sven again as they share similar objectives but Sven is determined to save Eve and again Train overpowers Sven but instead remembers Saya’s words and decides to spare Eve’s life and leave her in the care of Sven. With this, Train decides to leave Chronos and live life for himself but thanks to another twist of fate, Train finds himself actually pairing up with Sven and Eve as a sweeper instead of a heartless assassin…

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

In all honestly, I was avoiding this series mainly because it just didn’t look that interesting but I gave it a go and to my surprise it was actually half decent. The show starts with a serious tone about being an assassin and the emotional impact it has on Train but after just a couple of episodes he meets Saya who teaches him basically, to lighten up and after about 4 episodes the show does a complete 180 and turns into a comedy that takes all these completely mismatched characters, Sven, Eve, and Train then pairs them up and sends them on some wild adventures. For a while the show becomes more of a light-hearted action romp, which is fine except that show tends to start spending more time on over the top battle sequences and begins losing focus on our heros. At some point you’ll find yourself going through episodes in hope of some characterization but it just doesn’t happen other than maybe the occasional 5 minute flashback which gives some explanation but at the same time feels more like a cop-out. The show also tends to send out an overbearing message about the power of friendship which is actually kind of nice when set amongst the chaos that is going on but it is kind of strange at the same time as everyone turns out to be friends with each other through some odd twist of fate. While this seems kind of hammy, it also gives the viewer an overall feel-good experience. The main problem with the show is that the ending is extremely rushed trying to tie all loose ends up in less than a half-hour. It’s slapped together so quickly that character epilogues are actually being shown *during* the final battle which spoils just about everything as the episode begins.

The animation is decent and the plot is of the typical Gonzo fair. But, with it’s brooding tale turned comedy, lack of any real character depth, and a story that practically flaunts itself by saying “look at me, don’t be sad, because nothing bad will ever really happen!” Black Cat just wants to be a good time and succeeds… almost too much, leaving you with an ‘okay’ but somewhat lackluster experience.

Black Cat (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

*Note – I don’t know if it was present in the original source material or a decision by FUNimation, but this anime had some bizarre censorship in places that just makes you shrug your shoulders and ask… “why?” But overall, Black Cat doesn’t deserve more than a rental so there’s really not much of a point in dwelling on it. It’s fun, but once the ride is over there’s nothing to make you come back for a second trip.

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Rozen Maiden

Comedy, Drama, Supernatural No Responses »
Jun 202009

Synopsis:

Jun Sakurada is self absorbed punk that relies on his sister to take care of him. He suffers from Agoraphobia or Hikikomori and spends all of his time in his room browsing the internet and because of the he tends to yell at everyone that tries to talk to him which has now been narrowed down to his sister Nori. Jun has developed a strange hobby of purchasing strange and bizarre things online only to send them back before the return policy expires. One day he gets a letter telling him that he’s won a prize and if he wants it to answer “yes” or “no” and to put the letter in his desk drawer and a spirit will take his response. Well, with all the weird things he’s bought lately Jun went ahead and accepted his prize and as soon as he closes the drawer and opens again the letter is gone and in the middle of the room an elaborate leather suitcase with a gold monogrammed rose appears in the middle of the room. Curious, Jun opens the case and sees an extremely detailed female aristocratic looking doll laying within and a gold key next to it. Naturally, he picks it up and admires the quality and decides to wind up the doll. After a few seconds he can hear the small mechanics within start to move as the dolls eyes open and the first thing she does… is slap Jun across the face and says she doesn’t like to be man-handled. She explains that her name is Shinku that she is the fifth of seven dolls made by the legendary creator Rozen but as she is telling her story Jun is assaulted by a psychotic clown doll that seems to come from nowhere. Shinku tells him that if he wants to stay alive that he must enter a pact with her and become her servant, panicked, Jun accepts and Shinku quickly disposes of the psycho clown and a ring of servitude appears on Jun’s finger. As Shinku’s unwilling servant he starts learning to deal with his anti-social disorder but Shinku also in turn learns of Jun’s modern world and that not everything centers around her.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Rozen Maiden is a great series that has the right running time of 12 episodes and presents itself in a light-hearted manner for all types of plot aspects like, comedy, drama, even a little action. It has a very interesting story that applies to the Rozen Maidens themselves (the dolls) and each one is unique with her own attitude, look, and vocal style which really stands out and gives them their own remarkable individuality. Each of the Rozen Maidens learn about sisterhood instead of fighting and while this happens Jun is finding himself being drawn into their squabbles as he slowly realizes that he’s overcoming his own psychological disorder and begins to fight his own personal demons. This series presents a great message about self discovery through tough love and that everyone has a good side to them no matter how deeply it’s buried, you just have to read between the lines sometimes.

My take on this series? It’s wonderful, I actually thought it was going to be this overly cutesy goofball comedy and it’s not… not even close. Sure, it’s funny at times but doesn’t rely on stupid gimmicks to make you laugh nor does it try to smash the viewer with complicated drama either. Instead, the series mixes everything with an interesting enough story that you will be pressed to go from episode to episode to learn more of the Rozen Maidens and if Jun will overcome his personal fears while becoming more mature in his own way. Even though the show is a few years old the animation is superb and the orchestrated soundtrack fits perfectly with the look and style of the Maidens with it’s semi gothic undertone. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a season 2, Rozen Maiden Traumend, but it’s no where near the accomplishment of season 1 as it had too many loose ends and incomplete story arcs where as season 1 had closure and you could just simply stop there and be satisfied. But, if you’re like me and there is a next season to any anime you like you’ll watch it regardless.

Rozen Maiden (opening)
Rozen Maiden (ending)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation/Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

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Kanokon

Fantasy, Romance No Responses »
Jun 172009

Synopsis:

Right about now, you’re probably thinking “Y’know, I wonder what it would be like to have a big breasted girl fall head over heels for me and can’t keep her hands off me?” but then the next thing that’ll enter your mind is “Maybe, I’d like a flat chested girl with long legs that seem to go up to her neck constantly stalking me!” But ultimately, that dirty mind of yours will only come to one conclusion… “How about both? Now that would be awesome!” Well then you’ll probably be wishing that you were Kouta Oyamada as he encounters this on a daily basis. For some unknown reason Kouta has become the target of two very aggressive girls, and although they make his life as hectic as possible he doesn’t necessarily mind it either. It just comes as sort of a shock when he finds out that the two ladies, Chizuru Minamoto and Nozomu Ezomori, who have deemed Kouta the only one worthy of thier affections are also a little older than him… by a few hundred years.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

You ever just want to watch something completely tasteless because it’s filled with gutter humor, pointless panty shots, and sexual situations that practically make *you* feel uncomfortable to the point of wondering why you starting watching it in the first place? Well, take all that and throw in a little bit of a fantasy element that involves animal spirits and you’ve got Kanokon. One of the most wonderful pieces of ecchi garbage to pride itself at being pointless to a fault, and man was it one hell of a good time. One of my favorite aspects of this little series is that the roles are reversed and this time it’s the ladies who are the real perverts as you watch Kouta try to get a handle on things but constantly gets overwhelmed. Kanokon tries to tell a story with something about animal spirits and their connection to the ones they love but is that really going to be your main interest in this show? No. If you’re as shallow as me you’ll be watching it to see Chizuru’s and Nozomu’s constant sexually induced assaults on Kouta and how he gets so embarrassed that you’d think the poor guy would just pass out.

If try to tell yourself that you’re going to watching this for the story of a wonderful romantic comedy between a human and a spiritual deity… please, let’s be real. You’re a pervert just like me at times and you want to see something that takes it’s cheap crappy horribly overused sexual humor and puts it right in your face and when an anime is this uninhibited about itself… you just have to laugh at it. Recommended? Oh yeah, but if you think it’s below your “standards”, I just have one thing to say to you… PRUDE!

Kanokon (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

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Clannad

Drama, Fantasy, Romance No Responses »
Jun 162009

Synopsis:

After losing his mother in a car accident, Tomoya Okazaki only lived with his father who had become a drunkard. Having his dreams of becoming a basketball player crushed after his father permanently injured Tomoya’s shoulder during an alcohol induced fight he has never forgiven him and barely acknowledges his father’s existence. Since that time Tomoya has become a school delinquent and going day by day in a rutt until he happens across a girl talking to herself while he is walking to school. He interrupts her and says that they better get going or they will be late, later in the day he meets her again and introduces himself and she says her name is Nagisa Furukawa and he listens about how she wants to join the theater club but doesn’t have the nerve. With a few words of wisdom Tomoya convinces Nagisa to give it a try but unfortunately they come to learn that the club disbanded, since he doesn’t want to go home and with nothing better to do he says he’ll help Nagisa reform the club if she’ll put some effort into it. Little did Tomoya Okazaki realize that with only a few words of encouragement he was about to have his life changed forever.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Upon first glace Clannad might come across as just another high school romance type of anime but what you actually get is probably one of the most compelling romantic comedies that you’ll ever watch that mixes in just the right amount of drama. This series knows when to hit you with it and when to pull back and let your emotions calm down before coming at you again. Don’t worry as the main focus isn’t all drama but more of an an intelligent comedy which really caught my attention right in the beginning.

You follow Tomoya as he begins helping those around him with their personal problems while he has no concern for himself and he does it in a somewhat rude and straight-forward manner which I found to be hilarious since he doesn’t bullshit around. When asked why he’s helping someone not even Tomoya knows only stating that he’s got nothing better to do, with this you get some very extreme character depth that goes beyond the 6 foot deep mark that shows each of the girls’ past or they’ll explain it to Okazaki but in essence it’s really being reflected to the viewer. Even though the main plot is Okazaki helping Nagisa live her dream and become an actress and watching their relationship grow, you also get numerous side-stories from other from everyone else in the anime that are opened up and given closure throughout the show giving you one magnificent series. Everyone of them involving Tomoya but yet never losing the main focus on him and Nagisa in the overall scope.

Top notch animation put with intelligently romantic comedic plot, Clannad gets one of my highest recommendations. Watch it, watch it NOW!

Clannad (opening)

Clannad (opening remix)

Recommendation: |Very High|

*Note – I was very impressed with ADV/Sentai Filmworks DVD adaption. Not only do you get superior video quality but also 12 episodes per volume at a budget price and my favorite part… no English dub soundtrack, subtitles only. The subtitles were easy to read and timed right with no spelling errors and practically all signs and writings translated. To hell with a rental, just buy the damn thing… 2 volumes, 24 episodes… it’s worth it.

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Suzuka

Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sports No Responses »
Jun 152009

Synopsis:

While on his way to move into his aunt’s dormitory to get closer to his school, Yamato Akitsuk passes by his new school and sees a girl practicing her high jump. Instantly smitten with her beauty he continues to watch her for a while before continuing onto his new home. When Yamato arrives at his aunt’s place he soon realizes that it’s an all girls dormitory and to earn his keep he must become a maintenance man of sorts keeping the place clean and making sure that the bath-house has warm water at all times. While moving in he learns that his next door neighbor happens to be same girl he saw practicing on the field and learns that her name is Suzuka Asahina from the other tenants. When Yamato tries to introduce himself to her she seems to bear a strage dislike towards Yamato but oddly enough likes being in his presence and constantly puts up emotional barriers when he tries to find out more about this mysterious girl that has captivated his heart. Determined to find the truth, Yamato soon discovers that Suzaka has a depressive past that she has always wanted to hide but with Yamato’s persistence, Suzuka starts to wonder if it’s time to let go of the ghosts that have been haunting her all these years.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

What we have here is a tsundere romance to the max. Throughout the 26 episode span you watch as Yamato tries to emotionally break down Suzuka and find out why she rejects him at all times yet seems to want to say yes but can’t bring herself to come to terms with her own emotions. The only problem is that the series drags this out for 26 episodes which comes across as being a little too long for this shallow of a plot. It’s interesting to watch what lengths Yamato will go to in order to win Sazuka’s affections but this anime tends to lose sight of the overall romance that’s supposed to be present at times. You’ll follow Yomato going though usual romance conflicts as he makes some incredibly bad decisions and says all the wrong things at the most inopportune time and it’s not in the comical fashion either that may have you shaking your head at times thinking that he’s simply hopeless. On top of that, Suzuka’s tsundereness borders on the point of being annoying as she is simply far too bullheaded at times making the plot stall or present story elements that aren’t really linked to the overall plot.

All in all this probably could have been presented much better and finished up in the usual 12 or 13 episode run but dragging it out for 26 episodes is too long for this type of story. It does present some really good character depth but you’ll be more concerned with the main story and wondering how the romance will go and the flashback episodes almost seem out of place. The animation is a bit dated and the story is good but the overall length is the only real downside here. Sukuka is good for a rental, but nothing more then that as it’s worth watching once… but easily forgettable.

Suzuka (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

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Hell Girl

Horror, Mystery, Supernatural 2 Responses »
Jun 142009

Synopsis:

If you have a grudge against someone it’s said that at midnight a direct link to hell appears on the internet. If you enter someones name you will summon the Hell Girl to exact your revenge, however, if she banishes your foe to Hell at your request you will enter a covenant with her. She will take the person you have a grievance with to Hell immediately and then come for you later after you’ve led your life as normal and you will also go straight to hell without standing trial before hand.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Hell girl is a psychological thriller that isn’t so much a of an ongoing story as it is a bunch of self contained episodes in the vein of Tales from the Darkside or Tales from the Crypt. At the beginning of each episode there is someone that is having thier life go to shambles as the result of one person and they then hear the rumor of Hell Girl and give it a try and she appears and explains what will happen if she takes revenge for him or her. This is a great idea but the only thing is that it makes the pacing of the show excruciatingly slow as it becomes repetitive and listening to Hell Girl explain the consequences every time and also watching her get ready to travel out of Hell you’re only left with maybe 17 minutes of any real content in each episode. Since the show presents itself fairly well this isn’t a bad thing but you’re going to want some variety aside from watching people take revenge, someone going to Hell, and someone being condemned to Hell, like maybe one who changes thier mind or some sort of holy intervention… it doesn’t happen. It’s not until episode 8 that re-occurring characters appear but thier involvement doesn’t really come into fruition until the last 4 episodes.

This anime is presented with above average animation and drawn in a soft dream-like quality which does add an aura of creepiness to it even with FUNimation’s typical horrid video quality. The downsides though are the lack of variety and there is no character depth to back up Hell Girl, nothing is explained on *how* she was chosen as an avatar for revenge, nor is any of her assistants explained (Demons? Spirits? Who knows?), or her eerie grandmother that you never see is a mystery. I’d hate to say it but Hell Girl can almost be considered horror-lite as it’s not filled with demons or fields of souls being tormented for eternity, and there’s no buckets of blood here… what you have is Hell Girl being represented as Charon ferrying souls across the river Styx and the rest is up to your imagination. I do recommend Hell Girl but it’s just too bad it’s filled with so many plot holes that you’ll be left thinking “That’s it?” Watch it but… don’t expect much in return.

Hell Girl (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|


*Note – Avoid the dub soundtrack at all costs as it sounded so uninspired and lackluster that it simply kills the atmospheric tension. Go with the subtitles as it fits the mood of the dialog and oddly enough it didn’t have the usual FUNimation spelling error here and there. And yes, they used that ridiculous ‘angle’ option of the DVD player again so if you see that icon on your screen… it’s not your player but the DVD. Seriously, most of us really don’t really care if the opening and closing credits are in English or in Kanji (Japanese text).

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RideBack

Mecha, Sci-Fi No Responses »
Jun 092009

Synopsis:

Rin Ogata, the daughter of Yuki Ogata the famous ballet dancer, has devoted her life to following in her footsteps and become a talented dancer. But, during a dance competition, Rin made one fatal mistake and fractured her foot and also destroyed her future in ballet in the process. But, life goes on and when Rin enrolls at Musashino University where she considers joining the theater department but instead happens upon the Rideback Club… a group of enthusiasts of the RideBack, a half motorcycle/half robot machine. Scared and curious at the same time Rin decides to try and ride one with a little encouragement from the other members. Oddly enough she has no problem balancing and riding the most difficult RideBack of the bunch… a fiery red machine named Fuego and experiences one of the most exhilarating drives of her life. Rin willingly joins the RideBack Club not realizing that these machines that are mainly used for casual riding and sporting events, is about to play a major role in the future outcome of the country’s security…

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

I’ve said it time and time before and I’ll say it again, I just don’t like mecha anime all that much. But, every once in a while a series comes along and takes me by surprise and RideBack is one of them. The title of the anime is that of the very mech that the show revolves around, a RideBack, it’s kind of like a motorcycle and robot hybrid that is ridden in a piggyback fashion. In the beginning you watch as Rin displays her strange natural talent for driving the RideBack’s and how her ballet training helps her to control the machine in a most unrealistic fashion. Now I don’t know about anyone else, but I found this oddly appealing and while my own subconscious was saying “This is ridiculous!” I couldn’t stop watching. RideBack then starts to take on a racing type sports angle where I found myself silently cheering for Rin to go out and kick some ass and stick it to all the other self-righteous RideBack jockey’s!

About halfway into the series though, the plot takes a 180 and goes in a completely different direction involving terrorism, the government, and of course, the local authorities. When one of Rin’s friends, Shoko Uemura, is caught up in a terrorist attack on a mall Rin decides to use Fuego (her RideBack) to go in and save her but as it turns out… the terrorists are also using RideBack’s and she is mistaken for one of them during her rescue attempt turning Rin into a national outlaw. Bringing this into the storyline seems a little late and may have presented itself better had RideBack been given a longer season or even just used the political angle right from the beginning. But, as it stands things still work themselves out but not in the most satisfactory way leaving you feeling sort of empty in the end.

The animation is decent even with it’s mix of CGI and hand drawn art work, but the character depth is nil because RideBack fuels itself on the plot instead that could have benefited from more episodes. As it is, RideBack is still a good show even though it couldn’t make up it’s mind whether to be a sports anime or futuristic government styled anime but instead tries to put them both together in a measly 12 episodes making for a shallow but entertaining presentation.

RideBack (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

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