Grim Chaos

Over

2006-03-26T11:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I think I'll end this now. It was fun while it lasted, but this is not something I'm good at. You can find much better blogs on BlogSuki.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

2006-03-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory: 13 episodes at 23 minutes apiece
Genre: Mecha-SciFi-minor Romance

Art and Animation: 4.5
Story and Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 4.5

Taking place 3 years after the end of the one year war, MSG 0083, focuses on pilots who do not have sixth sense like newtype powers. This series takes place in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam Universe. That is the same timeline begun in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series.

Kou Uraki is a young rookie pilot who is thrust into a newly created Gundam. His mission along with the crew of the battleship Albion, is to hunt to down a stolen Gundam that has a nuclear warhead. The nuclear equiped Gundam was stolen by Zeon pilot Anavel Gato. He is an ace pilot who has dreams of restoring Zeon to it's formor glory. Nina Purpleton is a women who designed the two Gundams and was in love with Gato. Now on the same ship as Kou her feelings are torn between the two. And so it goes...

The animation for this anime is incredible. Produced in the early 90's the feature has no CG animation. Colors are dark and drab with a bit of that 80's influence to character design. The mechanical designs are to die for. There have never been better Gundam designs nor Gundam action sequences designed so beautifully. The Gundam armor that is unvield near the end of the series blows every other Gundam created out of the water. Same goes for the Mobile Armor Zeon suit that Gato gets. The enviroments have a a very realistic look to them. There are dents, dirt, bruises, and just a worn down feeling too everything that is just so life like.

The story involves operation Stardust. In which the Zeon plan on using deception with the nuclear equipped Gundam to drop a space colony onto the Earth. Yes, it is basically the same thing as in all other Gundam stories. Fortunately, the characters and use of misdirection by the Zeon keep things interesting. There is even a female Zeon commander named Cima who defects to the Federation. She adds some good suspense to the plot as the audience isn't quite sure whether or not we should trust that she has actually defected.

The relationship between Kou and Nina is classic cheese and rather boring. I really didn't think they made a good couple. Gato, who is haunted by the past battles he has been in is a great character. With his commanding presense you will really rout for him to win. That is great thing about the Gundam universe. The Zeon and Federation both have noble goals. The Federation try their hardest to control the space colonies from Earth. While the Zeon want indepence from the Earth. Back to characters, Kou is whiny and acts like a jackass most of the time thinking that his way of life is the best. As the main character he does grow up some, but not as much as I would have liked. There was one particularly troubling scene in which he found out Cima had defected to the Federation and then ends up killing her in a mobile suit battle. I lost a lot of respect for him there. They were on the same side after all.

The sound like most everything else is top quality. Action sequences will keep your blood pumping. Using strong orchestral music with deep and heated sound. The opening and ending songs change about halfway through the series and all versions are cheesy pop music, but worth listening to. Sound effects are perfect. Guns, beams, lasers, engines everything sounds just as it should. Very realistic and a bit over the top. Yeah, there is sound in space in this series. Not realitstic at all but hey it's SciFi.

This is the best Gundam series ever released. At thirteen episodes the plot doesn't rap up as nicely as I would have liked, but thats what Zeta Gundam is for. If your looking for incredible action with great a soundtrack and a story that will keep you guessing then this can not be missed. If you haven't watched any of the Gundam series then this is a great starting point. It introuduces you to the universe in a crash course. After this you'll be addicted and will search for the many other titles in the Gundam Universe.

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora

2006-03-11T19:30:00.000-06:00

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora: 6 episodes at 22 minutes apiece
Genre: Romance

Art and Animation: 3.5
Story and Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 3.5

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora(Looking Up at the Half Moon), is about a guy named Yuichi who is hospital ridden after coming down with hepatitis. He's always trying to sneak out of the hospital and is often caught by his nurse who commences to kick his ass. He meets a girl named Rika at the hospital with a terminal illness. She is quite selfish and bosses Yuichi around. Yuichi does all she asks because he understands that she doesn't have long left to live. They become friends and Yuichi realizes he is in love with her. And so it goes...

Animation is not very good. It barely passes above average. Your not going to be watching this type of anime for the animation though. The only good thing about it is that it stays consistent throughout the six episodes.

I enjoyed the story. It was original with a unique setting and characters who fit in well. Since Rika's illness is terminal a lot of emotion is shown in the characters. It's not all sad though as there are few good scenes to get some laughs out. None of the characters are wasted. Secondary characters provide vital plot enhancement and add to the wholeness of the show.

Sound effects are standard. Not much more you can expect from an anime like this. The music is fitting. Opening and ending themes set a good mood and provide nice atmosphere. Background music brings out the emotions of characters and adds to the overall enjoyment.

This was a good departure from those standard romance anime. At only six episodes the story moves along at a fast pace. Thankfully, the characters are interesting enough to keep you watching and wondering what will happen in the end. Not a must watch, but if you want to see a show that does things a bit differently then take a watch.

Blood+

2006-03-11T19:14:00.000-06:00

I have watched the first 8 episodes so far. Animation quality is high. Characters look nice and production values follow through to the next episode. I do not like the characters themselves yet. Too young and too much whining. There seems to be some strong anti-American sentiments throughout the show as well. It will be interesting to see where this leads. I was hoping for some strong action from this series, but haven't been pleased yet. I'll keep watching though because the stories are interesting. This is a planned 52 episode series so there's time for it to get much better.
-ANN Description-
Plot Summary: Throughout the passage of time and the shifts in backgrounds, a particular war continues to leave its mark on history, extending its influence into the modern world. There are two major groups involved in the ensuring war. The first group consists of monsters known as Chiropterans who can change their appearances into that of human beings. They are actually immortals who feed on the blood of the living. The second group is an organisation known as the "Red Shield", formed to track down these monsters and exterminate them. Otonashi Saya is a high-school girl who lives a peaceful life with her family. The only problem is, she has no recollections of her life beyond that of the past year. However, her happy life will be destroyed by an event that will lead her to her destined fate.

Howl's Moving Castle

2006-03-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

Howl's Moving Castle: 1hr. 59min.
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: PG

Art and Animation: 5
Story and Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 4

Description from DVD case:
Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell.

Another Miyazaki film from Studio Ghibli. Howl's is about a young women named Sophie who is turned into an old women by a witch. She travels the country side to find a wizard named Howl to turn her back to normal. Howl is a young wizard who commands a gigantic moving castle. Literally, the castle walks on four metal legs. It is a sight to behold. The country in which the story takes place is under war and the Queen is gathering all wizards and witches together to fight.The animation is stunning. Everything is bright and rich. If you have seen Spirited Away then you'll know what to expect. The castle is truly beautiful. Computer animation is blended together with hand drawn animation perfectly. Every character is unique and has the Miyazaki style written all over them.

The story is not a strong as some of Miyazaki's other works. It will become quite obvious what the main point is early on. In Sophie's old age she finds herself appreciating life more than ever. Also, love is something that doesn't have to do soley with looks. A person who cares for and protects others deserves just as much love as a person who is beautiful. It's a good story to show the kids, but adults won't get much out of it.

Howl is not the typical hero type. He is skinny, has a deep voice and is quite cowardly about his appearance. Sophie worries about her looks too much in her young age, but in her older age is able to look beyond it. All of the characters are interesting and will keep your attention. The Witch of the Waste is a personal favorite. Old, fat, slow and ugly. She has a central role in the conclusion of the story.
The sound is superb. I listened to the English dub and found it to be quite fantastic. Howl is voiced by Batman himself, Christian Bale, and may sound a bit too gruff at first but he will grow on you. Sophie in both old and young ages is perfect. The English accent is quite lovely. Music is from Joe Hisaishi who provides the soundtracks for most of Miyazaki's films. Nothing to overbearing or all that memorable, but what there is provides some nice atmosphere.

Howl's Moving Castle was not a disappointment. Not quite as good as Miyazaki's other films, but still a good movie in it's own right. This is one both parents and children can sit down to and have a good time. Children will be drawn in by the sharp visuals and the wonder. Adults will be taken by the believable steps to create an actual living breathing world with human characters. Add this one to your DVD collection.

Eureka Seven

2006-03-08T19:51:00.000-06:00

Just started watching Eureka Seven. The first few episodes are great. This comes from studio Bones so the animation is excellent and the overall presentation is top quality. There will be 50 episodes total and right now there are 31 released. The fansubs can be found at Nanashi Fansubs. This has been licensed for release in America by Bandai and the first DVD will be available on April 25. I'm not sure how long Nanashi will keep fansubbing it so get them while they're hot. Visit the English version website here.
-Description from ANN-
Plot Summary: Renton Thurston is a 14-year-old boy who lived with his mechanic grandfather in a backwater town. Every day he dreamed of being with the mercenary "Light Finding Operation (LFO)" aircraft pilot group "Gekkostate" and riding "Trapar" particle waves-- a sport called "reffing"-- with their charismatic leader Holland, especially when faced with his father's acclaimed past or his grandfather's desire to protect him. When a young girl named Eureka riding the original LFO, the "Nirvash typeZERO", asks his grandfather for a tune-up, she inadvertently brings the attention of the military to the garage; as a result, the garage is destroyed and Renton is forced to deliver a new type of interface-- the "Amita Drive"-- to the Nirvash. After a heated fight in which the Nirvash destroys the military LFOs by unleashing an immense amount of power, Renton is invited into Gekkostate. However, he quickly realizes that behind the facade of a traveling group of mercenaries is a very bitter reality.

Mobile Suit Gundam Universal Century

2006-03-07T16:49:00.000-06:00

Gundam has been around for along time. It has its ups and downs, but the best of Gundam is in the Universal Century timeline. The original series takes place in U.C. 0079 during the one year war. Don't let that Wing and Seed garbage fool you. The UC timeline is far better. All of the alternate universe stuff is just a rip off the UC. If your new to the UC timeline let me recommend a viewing order.
1. Mobile Suit Gundam
2. Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket
3. Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory
4. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
5. Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack
That is the ideal order to watch the Gundam series in. Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team, Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam F91 should be watched after the initial five. ZZ Gundam is nowhere near as good as Zeta Gundam even though it is the direct sequal to it. If your a true fan and wish to watch it start at episode 18 that is when it actually starts to get good. All of the episodes before that are pure comic garbage and are incredibly stupid. My favorite would have to be 0083 for its incredible animation, music, and action sequences. The characters are not the best and the plot isn't really resolved, but still it is a must watch. Char's Counterattack can't be missed either. It resolves Amuro and Char's battle. For an animated movie released in the 80's its animation is unbelivable. Want to know more about the MSG universe then checkout MAHQ. They have episode summaries and reviews for nearly everything mecha.

My Favorite Anime

2006-03-06T12:53:00.000-06:00

Reviews will be coming sometime soon...maybe...possibly...probably not, but who knows? These are required viewing for all otaku.

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
2. Fullmetal Alchemist
3. Cowboy Bebop
4. all of Hayao Miyazaki's movies
5. everything from the UC Gundam timeline
6. Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig
7. Samurai Champloo
8. R.O.D. The TV
9. Planetes
10. Shuffle!

Ultraviolet

2006-03-04T18:06:00.000-06:00

Ultraviolet: 1hr. 25min.
Genre: Action-SciFi
Rating: PG-13

Visual Design: 4
Story and Plot: 2.5
Characters: 2.5
Sound Design: 4.5

Just got back from this pile of garbage. I have been looking forward to it since I saw the preview before King Kong. The story is... wait thats something you shouldn't be going to this movie for. Anyway, it's about people infected with some sort of virus that gives them super powers, think
vampires(seriously). The goverment developed a weapon to kill them and Violet is sent in to retrieve it. It turns out to be a little 9 year old boy named Six. Violet isn't able to kill him or let him be killed because he reminds her of her aborted child. Thats all you need to know about the story.

The setting is sometime in the near future. This is weird because the technology being shown is insanely advanced, using different dimensions to store weapons and gravity control devices. Whatever, it makes for some mildly entertaining fight sequences. The problem though is that all of the fights are nearly the same thing. Violet weilds swords and guns against hordes of bad guys and comes out the victor everytime.
This movie suffers from a stupid story and very little character development. You just will not care about any of the characters or their purposes. About halfway through the cheese is put on with ridiculous scences between Violet and Six. Do not go to this movie expecting quality acting.

Visual design is actually a strong point if you have an open mind. Obviously, influenced by a comic book style everything has a psuedo realistic feel. Colors are bright and characters look good. The special/visual effects may seem cheesy at first, but let it sit in your for awhile and you'll be able to understand why they chose this visual design. Somethings, like the helicopters look way to glossy and under animated but this just adds to the style of the movie.

Music is great. The whole movie is pretty much a music video with its non-stop beats. This is all techno/electronica mixed with a bit of orchestral. It fits well with the action scenes and give you some distraction from the stupidity of the story. Definitely, a soundtrack I'm going to be looking for.

Well, it could of have been worse but still it is not something worth seeing in the theaters. I didn't know what to expect when I went to see this. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. If you really want to see this movie then just wait a couple of months and rent it. All in all, this is just the same average shit hollywood usually throws our way.

Shuffle!

2006-02-20T21:13:00.000-06:00

Shuffle!: 24 Episodes at 22 minutes apiece
Genre: Love-Harem-Romance

Art and Animation: 4
Story and Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 4

What an amazing anime series. A harem drama with heart and one that gives this old and stale genre new energy and vigor.

Rin Tsuchimi, a high school student, is staying with his childhood friend Kaede. She takes care of Rin because both his parents and Kaede's mom died in a car accident. One day, the lord of the demons and the lord of the gods show up at school declaring that Rin gets to choose one of their daughters - Nerine the daughter of the demon lord or Sia the daughter of the lord of the gods - to marry! Rin gets chosen because in the past he helped both Sia and Nerine get out of some trouble. The basic plot is that Rin is the boy who gets to choose to be either a God or a Demon, with all the powers that come with that!

There is much more to the story than this. The first ten or eleven episodes will feel like the typical harem show, but once episode twelve hits everything changes. This show becomes dark fast. Every character has something that has happened in their past and it all comes back to the present. I was surpised by some the issues brought in this anime. Abortion, cloning, trying to create an ultimate life form. Rin, Kaede, Nerine, Sia, Asa, and Primula are the main girls of the story and each has a reason to want to be with Rin.

Obviously, the story is better left for each person to discover. But, in a switch from most harem shows this one has a definint conclusion. Rin does choose one girl to be with. He is also a dynamic character which means he learns and changes as the story advances. All of the girls look great and each offer Rin something different. The girl he chooses in the end is the right choice as she is
the one who changes him the most. She is also the one who more than the others pushes him to believe in himself. You will never suspect who that girl is from watching the first few episodes either.

The animation is great and quite consistent throughout. Colors are bright and rich and each character has a distinct look and feel. It is interesting to note that Rin looks like a normal guy. In most harem shows the main male lead is weak and pathetic looking. Rin in contrast is strong and good looking. The females are all beautiful and have the usual big breasts of most anime women. Panty shots and bare breasta are a common feature, but not overly done.

The sound design is great. All of the music fits perfectly well. Happy tunes when everything is going well and sad and down tone music when problems arise. The opening and ending songs are the same throughout and are well done. Nothing absolutely amazing, but all of it fits in very nice. Voice acting is also on par. Everyone has a distinct voice that goes with their characters. The females have the most acting and it is all convincing.

In the end, Rin has a lot on his plate to handle. This show quickly became one of my favorite anime ever. A great series, and one worth watching for fans of the genre and those who have already giving up on the genre. This one will steer you back into watching for more great harem shows.

Ichigo 100%

2006-02-11T20:52:00.000-06:00

Ichigo 100%: 12 episodes at 21 minutes apiece
Genre: Love-Harem-Romance

Art and Animation: 3
Story and Plot: 3
Characters: 3.5
Sound Design: 4

They were a good twelve episodes, but I was hoping for more of an ending. A definant relationship with one of the three girls would have been more fitting. The power of this show is in it's characters. All are easy to get along with and offer something different. Worth watching if this genre is to your liking. All in all, this is just an average anime. There are also multiple OVA's that follow the manga's storyline. I have yet to watch those.

-Synopsis from Anime-Source-
Ichigo 100% is about a boy named Manaka who dreams of being a film maker. One day, while heading up to the school roof to think, a girl drops down in front of him. Manaka is so stunned, he cannot remember anything about her except her strawberry panties.

In his quest to find this girl, he finds himself confessing to the wrong girl, believing that it was her panties he saw. Suddenly from this time on, beautiful girls start falling in love with him.

Which girl should he pick? Should he accept one of these girls, or keep his love for the strawberry panties girl?

Samurai Champloo

2006-01-16T21:54:00.000-06:00

Samurai Champloo: 26 episodes at 25 minutes apiece
Genre: Samurai Action

Art and Animation: 4.5
Story and Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 5

Now here is an interesting series from the director of Cowboy Bebop. Mixing hip hop and rap in the samurai era of Japan. The series revolves around three characters. Fuu(the girl), Mugen(the break dance fighter), and Jin(the one with glasses). Fuu coerces the two guys into a hunt for the Sunflower Samurai a mysterious person who wronged Fuu in the past. This is a journey anime. That is the entire series focuses on these three characters traveling across Japan. That's the basic premise of the series.

As this is a journey anime the three characters travel across Japan. Along the way, small pieces of the characters pasts are revealed. It is interesting to note that the characters really do not grow during the series. They are the same people in the end as they were at the beginning. Don't take this to mean that they don't learn more about the world because they do. What it means is that their personalities don't undergo a drastic change throughout the series. Mugen will still be the rougish smart-ass, Jin the honorable samurai, and Fuu the young girl looking for adventure.

I'll leave the overall stories of each episode for you to find out. As the characters travel they meet new people and are put in sticky situations. Fuu gets kidnapped a lot and the guys save her. Mugen looks for women, Jin fights his past, all the while some deadly powerful assasians are after their heads. Add in a little mystery and some goofy if not wacky episodes. A couple of episodes will seem like a waste(fillers), but they are still fun to watch.

The animation is silky smooth. Fights scenes flow with a beautiful grace and elegance. Colors are bright and every character has a distinct look. Throughout the quality remains consistent. This anime had some seriously high production values. There have been some complaints that the animation style changes in some episodes. This is due to the directing styles of each episode director and it's really not all that noticable. Another pearl is the sound design. The music is incredible. I searched out the soundtracks as soon as I heard the first episodes music. Hip hop and rap are the name of the game here. Many great beats and instrument solos throughout the series keep everything fresh. Most of the spoken music is in Japanese, but it is very well done. The emotions provided by the music are wide and varying. You most likely have heard of some of the artists. Fat Jon, Nujabes, Force of Nature, and a few Japanese artists. Voice acting isn't bad at all. Both dub and sub are well done. The dub has familiar actors, you'll recognize Steven Blum. He voiced Spike Spiegal in Cowboy Bebop and takes the role of the much like Spike, Mugen in Samurai Champloo.

Overall, this is a great anime series. A must see for nearly all anime fans. Some of the middle episodes will feel like filler, but keep watching and you'll be rewarded with fascinating action scenes and amazing music.

Welcome, and hello.

2006-01-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

This will be my archive. I will update as often as possible with reviews and previews. Also, I will be posting general comments about the world of anime, movies, music, video games, and television. Expect a lot anime though.