Okay, so this isn’t quite what I’m normally doing, but I am generally interested in seeing new things and experiencing new genres. I can only find so much that peeks my interest, so I would like those of you who read this to help me out. If there is something that you like or don’t like or you just aren’t sure about make a comment on here or send me a message and I will try to watch it in a reasonable manner so I can write up a review or better yet you you would like to contest my opinion on any of the animes that I have covered please do. I like to conversing with people and it helps me to think in new ways. Thanks this is just a public service announcement.
So, SAO 2 just finished up and in doing so I must say that I’m quite disappointed in it. I absolutely love how the first arc of season one went it balanced the action with the romance and a bit of back story all balled up into a neat little package. So, I suppose that would be a fine place to start and I had high hopes for season two because the second arc of season one was just pure fan service which wasn’t all that great (that is putting it very lightly). And lets be honest here everyone expected season two to be called Gun Gale Online, which would have been nice to be true with how to story line proceeded. Because of spoilers I won’t get into how things occur or what is done in this season, but what I will say is that the ending is really quite touching and there aren’t many anime that get me roweled up, but pats of this one do.
A side note to this for some reason there is one or two flashbacks to season one that weren’t in season one. I would have been really fantastic if they could have added in those scenes into the OVA after story of season one. Which is also something that I managed to mess up when first starting the series is that I watched the follow-up OVA prior to watching the series……. Yes you may face-palm at my ridiculousness, but that should say something, I still think that season ones first arc was extremely well done despite know how it was going to end.
The series can be found in many places probably but I use this http://www.crunchyroll.com/sword-art-online give it a watch and judge it for yourself. If it is a bit confusing where things are coming from go and watch the first season, but head my warning when I say that the second part to season one is almost pure fan service….. you have been warned
Recently a new anime is being simulcast called Terra Formars. Which can be found here http://www.crunchyroll.com/terraformars. The basic premise is that Civilization is planning on terraforming Mars by seeding the planet with algae/moss and cockroaches. The most takes root and feeds on the cockroaches which are resilient enough to survive during the terraforming process, but after a number of years the humans send a expedition to mars to see the progress of the terraforming. Creatures kill the entire crew, but not before they get a transmission to earth saying that giant cockroach-like creature were present. After a couple of decades humanity sends a combat crew to destroy what are now known as Terra Formars. This expedition is almost entirely slaughtered with the exception of two who vow to return to the cursed planet to avenge their friends. When they come back from Mars there is a strange disease that effects people and destroys internal organs, they come to speculate that it is a disease that does not affect the terra formars because they built up an immunity. Soon a third expedition is formed to go back to the colony, but this time they are genetically and physically modifying people to be able to survive on the surface of Mars and to be able to combat the terra formars, but the surgery that they must undergo has only a 30% rate of survival. Despite the odds this team comes together to take back Mars, avenge their friends, and save to human race from annihilation.
Now this Anime series actually come from a manga written in 2011 an published in weekly shonen jump magazine over in Japan and it aired its first episode on Sept 26 and the second episode was released yesterday Oct 3. I cannot make my initial impression of the show, but in a couple of weeks I might be able to have a decent notion of the series. If nothing else it is an interesting title that has a good chance of becoming a good sci-fi esc anime without reading the manga I look forward to continuing the series.
So I’, going to do a periodical update on continuing series that I’m watching just to spread out and and increase the posts that I make. Well, getting back to it I recently started Hellsing, released in the late 90’s and it is interesting for what it is. I originally heard about it from my roommate showing me the abridged version on youtube. Granted The abridged version is more crude and comedy based that was the deciding factor in my choosing to watch it. Really the dubbing of this series is comedic in itself. Between the series taking place in London, being made in the 90’s, and the fact that it is dubbed in English makes it all sound kind of funny. That aside it brings out an interesting side of the mythological/fictional beings of and earlier time period. That meaning vampires ghouls, demons, Vatican exorcists, vampire hunters, and crazy psychopaths. And yes, of course this does include all of the usual back-stabbing, political gains and evil vs. evil showdowns.
Release in 2011, Deadman Wonderland, is quite and interesting story let alone art style. So this starts in the atypical classroom with Ganta (the main character) and everybody having a normal day, then this random armored thing comes down and completely massacres Ganta’s entire class leaving him as the sole survivor with a small “gift” implanted in his sternum. Falsely accused and tried Ganta is charged with murder and given a death sentence appointed to the privatized prison known as Deadman Wonderland. Despite everything that has happened Ganta remains to have his will to survive and soon discovers that his “gift” is a curse and a great tool in which he can use for his vengeance. Soon though Ganta makes his friend that he very vaguely remembers being childhood friends with. Shiro with all of her quirks is fiercely loyal to Ganta and doesn’t openly appear to be transparent.
So I started watching Angel Beats thinking “ah what the heck I’m bored I’ll give it a try” and I was memorized by the intro music…. it is purely amazing! The basic premise of the show is that it takes place in the afterlife, the area between earth and a “higher existence”. It is an area for youth who did not have the opportunity to live out their lives in its proper manner.During the beginning though there is one odd soul known as “angel” that is being fought against by Battlefront the world lost soul’s “defense force”. Battlefront soon learns that there is more to their world than what they had been fighting for. For all the comedy that is in the show its serious moments are touching and sometimes heart warming more than that I can’t say you’ll just have to watch it and enjoy it. Don’t worry though its only 13 episodes long not like some other animes which go up to 300 plus episodes.
Without a doubt the most sickly, disturbing, and amazing anime/manga that I have entertained myself with. Starting off if you haven’t finished it yet do not keep reading this there will be spoilers. On wards the whole fighting to save a hometown is a noble aspect, but how is it able to turn from noble sadistic in the flash that they call a first episode. Really the only words I could bring myself to say were “damn” and “shit” because of what happened. For some reason I can’t even begin to fathom the type of insanity that the author has If nothing else this anime/manga can and will grip you on a whole other level. Tatsumi, the main character is like most other shonen primary characters weak slightly charismatic and eventually becomes something of a titan after it progresses far enough. In all honesty though how the author came up with the idea of having a antagonist that literally decimates everything before her while being ordered around by a guy that looks like a titan from AoT……eats like one too probably sponsored by McDonalds. Now despite the Prime Minister being the main target for Night Raid he is only a secondary character where-as general Esdeath it the wonton slaughterer of the Capital city. http://myanimelist.net/anime/22199/Akame_ga_Kill!
As we know season two of SAO was released this summer which to our dismay did not take the title of Gun Gale Online, but I digress. While turning the general theme of the series it retains all of the same elements that we know and love. Speaking of which is it just me or is Kirito starting to form a harem, you know just stating the obvious here. As for rating I’m really not sure what to think at this point, I was spoiled for the first season at least the first part not the unmentionable Alfhiem Online arc (cough cough). Regardless I still regard SAO highly because of its action sequences which are quick and to the point while the romance story its great. Aside from the (cough cough) partit played together smoothly despite the large jumps in time in some episodes. I think I’ll have to hold off my judgement of this season till the end because what made the first season for me was the ending.
Now about that series that started simulcasting this past summer, The Irregular at Magic High School. I had never heard of this till my cousin pointed me towards it and I must say I’m very impressed with it. It changes how someone would think of the “tradition sense of magic” and flips it upside down which I like very much. Now granted it does have a small element that is off-putting to some people (sibling relationship); ignoring that however the character development and plot are great it keeps you excited for the next episode every time. Starting from the beginning of the series, just the anime, it catches you if not with the awesome music I just don’t know what to tell you. After the second episode you can get a very good idea of the connections between the characters. It also make the series easier to roll into and continue on without much trouble.
My favorite shonen anime are bleach (I know I get enough crap about it) and the first part of SAO. I’m a college sophomore working the standard college life. Some of my favorite things are reading, gaming, anime (quite blatant there) hunting, fishing, camping, and backpacking. I am a very distinct odd-ball when it comes the my preferences in hobbies. I used to play football years ago, but now I practice Kendo in its traditional style not competitive other than that I no longer care for sports the drama and hype to irritating for me to enjoy them anymore. My main purpose with this blog is to discuss and learn more about the art and writing style found in shonen type anime or manga. Failing that I will maintain some sense of focus on one or more anime/manga series that I find entertaining of quizzical. I would also like to recruit the help of anyone else in the world reading this blog for the sake of helping to decide upon a topic for the day. speaking of which my goal is to put up an article every couple of days or every other day at the very most. Also it doesn’t hurt to discover more or different anime/manga that I might enjoy, so suggestions are also very much welcome.
