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Okay, well not that extreme, but it did get your attention didn't it? Complex 69 (i.e. me) is looking for someone who wants to have their reviews added and spread the good word of anime. I've been flying solo for over two years so why now you ask? Well, there's alot of shows out there and I can't very well cover them all and also there are some popular anime series that I have no desire to watch (see Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood or anything with Gundam in the title) No real reason, I just don't feel like watching them. I don't care what you review, as long as it's anime and you don't lace it with corporate fanboyism. Hell, you can write reviews for hentai just as long as you use some common sense in choosing your words. All that's really required is that you have finished the series, so no reviews for ongoing series like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and of the like and no reviews for shows you dropped.
Think you're up for it? It can't hurt to give it a shot, you know you want to, and out of the 6 or 7 of you who visit one of you wants to join the review (skeleton) crew, right? You already know the review format so send me a shout out over at the Wildside Cinema forums or reply here, I don't care.
Or don't reply and I'll just delete this post in a few days and I'll keep traveling down that lonesome road myself. Later!
Synopsis:
An alien race called the Cthulhu (yeah, you read it right) have been wandering the galaxy in search of a new home and have come across Earth. The show opens with the Cthulhu planning their first attack but they have realized that Iczer-1 has already made it to Earth before them and must destroy her in order to proceed with their plan. Iczer-1 is an android created to fight and destroy any who oppose the Cthulhu but has turned on her creators opposing any evil actions that they take. During her time on Earth Iczer One has found a partner to synchronize with named Nagisa Kano, when synchronized, Iczer-1 becomes extremely powerful and it also unlocks Iczer Robos, Iczer-1's giant mechanical robot, full potential when fighting together. But, after a brief encounter with Iczer-1, Nagisa is very reluctant to accept anything that is happening and won't help. Will Iczer-1 be able to convince Nagisa that she is the only who can help save the Earth from it's ultimate take over?
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3
Review:
Hey everyone, grandpa Endo here again with... 'scuse me, "Hey... Hey you kids get off my lawn!!" ... damn whippersnappers... with an anime classic, Fight! Iczer One. Now, maybe it holds some nostalgia for me but that doesn't deny the fact that it's still tells a strong story with some great sci-fi elements. First, let's take a look at our heros that bring about the excellent story. Here we have Nagisa who is beyond annoying with her constant screaming but to offset her practically unwanted screen time is Iczer One, the beautiful heroine from space. Iczer-1 is a quiet and sort of shy superhero but she is determined that Nagisa is the chosen one to help her stop the invasion of Earth by the Cthulhu but Iczer-1 one also has other deep-rooted feelings toward Nagisa. Next, the enemies, the Cthulhu, are ruthless and quickly give a sense of hopelessness to the story while Iczer-1 and Nagisa try to save the Earth and whatever they do seems to be too little too late and even then more obstacles arise and therefore you'll be mentally standing alongside Iczer-1 as she attempts to overcome the odds against her. To make things worse, the Cthulhu employ the services of Iczer-1's sister, Iczer-2, (Yeah, not very inventive with the names but what are you gonna do?) and all of this explodes into a furious battle of strength and emotion. It's not very often an anime can demand respect from the audience for both the protagonist and the antagonist but Fight Iczer One does this in one magnificent feat.
Now even though the story itself is a little primitive, aliens attack and one hero defends the Earth, that it might not seem like much. But it's the characters, both good and evil, that present themselves so remarkably well that they help tell this fictional tale in such a manner that you'll be planted to your seat until the last credit has finished scrolling across the screen. This show is still outstanding even today with great action, grotesque enemy designs, creative characters, an engaging (although somewhat cliched) plot, an awesome 80's soundtrack, and yuri undertones that are quite heartfelt throughout, makes this mini-series worth checking out as the 3 measly episodes really are the perfect length for this anime.
Fight! Iczer One (AMV)
Recommendation: |Very High|
*Note - Here's something interesting, each of the 3 episodes contained were originally released roughly about 1 year apart from each other in Japan. Damn! The first two episodes end in such a cliff-hanger waiting an entire year to see what happens next.
*Note 2 - The license for this series has been lost and no one currently holds the rights so no media info.
Synopsis:
Transferring to a new school is never any fun and and Eiko (A-ko) Magami and her friend Shiiko (C-ko) Kotobuki are about to be late on their first day of class. While talking about their transfer to Graviton High School, Eiko notices the time and realizes they are about to be late and without a moments notice she grabs Shiiko's hand and starts running... at speeds in access of 100mph... Luckily they make it to school on time and introduce themselves to the class but Shiiko's lively introduction only garnishes the attention of the most wealthy and powerful girl in school, Biko (B-ko) Daitokuji. Biko is immediately smitten with Shiiko's cuteness and becomes determined to make Shiiko her best friend doing what ever it takes even if it means removing Eiko, but Eiko's unexplained superhuman strength and powerful bond with Shiiko isn't about to let that happen. Although Eiko not only has to deal with Biko's constant attempts to claim Shiiko for herself but she also learns that Shiiko is also the lost princess of a race of transvestite cross-dressing aliens that also intend to kidnap her and bring her back to their home planet. Whoever thought true friendship could be this complicated?
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (It's a movie)
Review:
Today, I've got the ultimate slice of life/comedy/action hit of the 80's, Project A-ko... and although it was released in 1986 it didn't see the local market until the late 90's. This movie set the standard of so many cliched plots still used today, such as... "she was a typical high school girl, but..." and the whole female sailor-suit school uniform wearing slice of life comedy routine was sort of initiated by this movie. Not only that, but this movie also parodies a multitude of classic anime flicks while providing a low level of comedic fanservice and panty shots now and then... and we're talking 1986 here people. To me, this movie set the standard for so many genres used to this day in the anime community, and I still enjoy watching it even today as it's hilarious in it's own way and the Japanese voice actors give a phenomenal performance and it's classic 80s soundtrack only works to the movies advantage. The character set here is nothing short of brilliant as these wonderful ladies are so different from each other yet offset each others screen presence perfectly with A-kos superhuman strength, B-kos determination of making C-ko her friend, and C-ko who is just plain annoying as hell, and Marie who only says a few lines but pulls off one the of most hilarious scenes in the entire movie. These girls give an amazing performance that catapult this movie to its iconic status that it still holds to this day. I also like the way this movie presents it's message of friendship while putting it with crazy over the top action, decent animation, and hilarious comedic routines, that still make me laugh every time I watch it.
Don't be put off by it's age, give it a try... you might actually like it. I understand how most will avoid a movie this old but it really was ahead of it's time and remains a staple for me. Rent it, buy it, hell... stream it! No matter how you watch Project A-ko, it's a true classic in every sense of the way.
Project A-ko (trailer)
Dance Away & Follow Your Dream (Project A-ko AMV)
Come Out and Play (Project A-ko AMV)
Recommendation: |High|
*Note - This movie has traded license holders so many times that I'm not gonna bother with the media info on this. It now currently belongs to some company called Discotek. As for me, I saw the U.S. Manga version on VHS. Y'know, those old gigantic video tape things... nevermind.
Synopsis:
On his way to meet his sister in a new city, Hiro Hiyorimi notices a girl who is about to be crushed under some construction beams that have broken loose from the crane hauling them. Without thinking about his own safety he pushes her out of the way but is crushed by the steel beams himself resulting in his own death. But, before he takes his last breath, he sees the girl clad in gothic clothing standing above him asking herself why someone would do such a thing but replies that he is glad she is safe. However, the girl that he saved turns out to be the daughter of the king of all monsters and she is curious why Hiro sacrificed himself for her and decides to resurrect him with her power called The Flame of Immortality. She tells Hiro that he is now her servant and introduces herself as Hime and that his lifespan is only temporary and the flame must be renewed every few days or he will die permanently. Without much of a choice, Hiro humbly becomes Hime's new servant.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26
Review:
Every once in a while a show comes along that is, for lack of a better word, fun. You just enjoy the anime from beginning to end for no real apparent reason. It has nothing to do with some sort of complicated plot or in depth characterization or anything of the sort. No, you are watching it for one reason, it puts a smile on your face and you don't even realize it. Well, that anime is Princess Resurrection and that's exactly the state of mind I found myself in while watching this anime. Princess Resurrection follows the "monster of the week" formula where a new foe will appear and it's up to Hiro, Hime, and one of her other followers to eradicate it in one or two episodes. Along the way they do encounter some remarkably original foes along with some familiar monsters that bear a striking resemblance to the old Universal monsters from the old black and white films of ages past. Not only does this help give this anime it's own hint of individuality but also lets you know the it knows how to pay homage to some of films greatest monsters.
With all this going on, Princess Resurrection also manages to put every single plot device in the hands of one of the most bizarre cast of characters that I have encountered to date. Hime the princess of monsters, Riza Wildman the half-human half-werewolf woman, Flandre the small but incredibly strong and almost indestructible maid that only knows one word "Huga", just to name of few. This way, not only are you given an interesting tale but it also helps to put each one of this anime's characters into perspective with each other in the overall story of they are attached to Hime in some way. Another interesting thing to point out is that every episode that Hime is in she uses a different weapon of destruction to fight her opponents such as a chainsaw, axe, hammer, circular saw, flail, mace, pitchfork, baseball bat, trident, and so on watching poor Hiro trying to protect an already lethal force of destruction is just plain comical but somewhat endearing. Even though there are dimes that Hiro does prove himself worthy of being Hime's servant or should I say, guardian, at times that still doesn't hide the face that for a main character Hiro is pathetically worthless most of the time.
Princess Resurrection boasts average animation but combines it with such a randomized plot that it brings out well presented character depth that it makes watching this anime a blast throughout the entire series. You'll find yourself laughing at the same time as being enthralled in it's off-the-wall plot and group of misfit protagonists that tackle any opposing force thrown their way. It may not be the epic series that you're looking for but if there was ever a series where you just want to turn your brain off and kick back and enjoy at face value then you owe it to yourself to watch Princess Resurrection. A high rating for being simple, strange, but a whole lot of fun to watch.
Princess Resurrection (opening)
Recommendation: |High|
Media type: DVD
From: Sentai Filmworks
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
*Note - Sentai! What up with the typos? For shame Sentai... for shame! It's not like we can fix it. You need to release a v2 DVD set with subtitle corrections.
Synopsis:
Masane Amaha happened to get caught in the middle of a cataclysmic natural disaster that destroyed most of Tokyo. However she came through unscathed with no recollection of anything that happened beforehand but she realizes that she now posses a bracelet that she is unable to remove. She was found amongst the rubble protecting her daughter Rihoko Amaha who was also unharmed by the disaster thanks to the protection from her frail mother Masane. After they recover both Masane and Rihoko set out into whats left of Tokyo to make a living for themselves, however, unable to provide a stable environment for her child the NSWF's Child Welfare Division take Rihoko away to a shelter as Masane puts up a fight for her child but is imprisoned instead. While awaiting trial for her actions, Masane is assaulted in her prison cell by a mysterious bio-engineered half-man half-machine weapon of destruction (called an X-con) that escaped from a large weapons manufacturer. As Masane is about to meet her death for reasons even unknown to her, the bracelet reacts to Masane's will to fight for her daughter and transforms her into ultimate fighting machine... the Witchblade. After disposing of the X-Con, Masane breaks out of prison and uses her newly discovered power to locate her daughter. With the Witchblades power finally awakened, there are others who are set in obtaining the power for themselves.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24
Review:
Here we have a woman who is down on her luck with no life to call her own but wants the best for her daughter. It's interesting to watch the lengths she will take to use the Witchblade to fight and protect her and also use it's powers to complete jobs for a large corporations as a bounty hunter of sorts. Witchblade isn't the dark gritty police drama that I remember, here it's centered around a group of friends that are really tight as one large family which makes from some unique characters that can make you laugh at times or cheer them on as they stand up for one another. Even once they discover that Masane is the Witchblade everyone helps her to protect her secret so she can provide the best life possible for Rihoko. Some might be put off thinking that it's a bunch of fluff, but it's presented very well within the series mainly because that direction isn't taken all that often with this type of show. Don't worry, there's still plenty of action from scantily clad big-breasted women fighting amonst each other... hey, that helps carry the series along too.
The animation here is above average and the characters, right down to the 6 year old Rihoko's motherly complex, are quite the bunch. I guess what really stood out for me is that even though the show had it's main character it mainly focused on the whole group of friends as the protagonists throughout the series not giving special treatment to just one person. Even though Masane was the Witchblade she held the same equal ground with everyone. Even the antagonists are quite the despicable bunch that you just enjoy hating in order to see them taken down one way or another. The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of backstory leaving alot of the Witchblade mystery unexplained which made for one very lame ending that ruined the overall series.
I do recommend Witchblade, whether it be for the decent story or just to see super powered babes attacking each other, it's a series that's easy to get hooked on.
Witchblade (opening)
Recommendation: |Above Average|
Online viewing: Available at FAILimations website -
Witchblade (subbed and a few dubbed episodes)
Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation Undertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
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.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3 OVAs put together to make one horrible... horrible movie
Review:
That's about as straight forward as I can get because this movie explains nothing... NOTHING! This movie has no rhyme or reason to why anything is happening, who anybody is, why the world is now uninhabited, or what that sphere is or was. Ultimately, it's just one confusing mess that leads you to the intersection of "why" and "bother". Malice@Doll is a CGI anime movie and an extremely horrible one at that as it looks like something from an old PS1 video game or the computer rendering the show barely met the minimum system requirements for the software. The only way it could be enjoyed it if you're feeling nostalgic otherwise the presentation is very primitive and hurts what little story there is. This movie is just one big waste of time that presents you with a message that didn't have to be so cryptically hidden... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Avoid this at all costs, the English track sounds like everyone phoned their lines in and no... it isn't some gritty, dark, cyberpunk thriller... it literally is nothing more than a pure crapfest. And y'know, that's all I can say about this one and that's pretty bad considering everything can be told in one and a half measly paragraphs.
Malice's Requiem (AMV)
*Note - No the guys computer isn't slow. That is how the CGI actually moves in the movie.
Recommendation: |None|
Media type: DVD
From: Arts Magic
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
Synopsis:
2010. The Holy Empire of Britannia, an international superpower, has already dominated a third of the planet recently defeating Japan in less than a month with super-powered weapons called Knightmares. Japan lost it's freedom, it's independence, even it's name becoming known as Area 11. The Japanese people have even been renamed "Elevens". Although the Japanese try to fight for their freedom with occasional terrorist attacks, everything to this point has been futile. During a trip through the city a young man named Lelouch finds himself the unwitting pawn of a terrorist hijacking of a highly classified alien life form. However, the terrorists are overpowered by Britannian forces and the transport vehicle they stole... crashes. Although Lelouch had become a forced stowaway, Britannian forces make it clear they intend to kill everyone onboard. Then the bizarre life-form they were transporting is in fact a young-woman of unknown origin was accidentally released during the crash and senses the despise that Lelouch has for his own people and what they've done, offers a pact. She will grant him power over his enemies if Lelouch agrees to use the gift to oppose the the people that he not only hates but also blames for the death of his mother and the crippling of his sister. Lelouch agrees and with this Lelouch is given the power to control anyone to do anything he says with a simple glance. Lelouch not only escapes his captors but also starts to set in motion plans to destroy Britannia and bring justice to the Japanese and avenge his mother and sister.
Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 25
Review:
Wow... just, wow. I've read and listened to all the hype on this series and for a while, couldn't be bothered with it and honestly... I don't like mech-type shows. But after reading some positive comments and seeing how the DVDs were available for rent... I gave it a go. Let me tell you, I was blown away and it's almost impossible to review in one paragraph. I gotta say, this series does just about everything right and covers so many types of genres in one package that I was literally hanging on each episode from the get-go. It has one of the most intricate plot-lines I have ever followed full of complicated futuristic politics, espionage, terrorism, and military strategy. But, along with this it also supplies the viewer with more simplistic things like everyday life, drama, a little bit of comedy now and then, and just some plain old kick-ass action. Not only that, but the character depth is truly informative explaining things like Lelouch's hatred for Britannia, and how everyone he knows became involved in his life through the Japanese holocaust he was forced to be part of. And while this is explained you won't find it boring in the least because at the point it's presented, you *want* to know more about these characters you're watching as it fills in any gaps to the story. Don't be surprised if you find yourself stunned with the amount of thought put into the story line and making sure everything you see is presented in a coherent manner.
With it's unique animation style, a plot so thick you could cut it with a knife, and a fantastic orchestrated soundtrack... Code Geass must be watched, plain and simple... even if you like your anime dubbed in English. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion truly lives up to all the hype and if you were to pick one anime series to watch... this would be it.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (opening)
Recommendation: |High|
Media type: DVD
From: Bandai Entertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English
