Cool AMV's

Sincerest Apologies:

Sorry everyone I was unable to post the review of SAO that I promised, and for that I am very sorry. I hope to make the review as soon as possible, and so for now please enjoy these cool SAO AMV's I found.

Next Review Death Note. After SAO I will be reviewing Death Note. As a sort of gift please enjoy this awesome AMV.

Wolfe wanted this here. Source.

Fate/Zero Review - Roxas

Hey guys, back with another review. Just recently, I had heard of this anime, so I decided to check it out. What I found was the greatest anime I have ever seen. Bar none. No, this anime isn't perfect, but it is the closest thing I have ever seen to it. Seriously, go watch this anime. Now. This anime is actually a prequel to the anime Fate/Stay Night, but which order you watch it in really doesn't matter. On with the review.
Animation - Beautiful. The animation in this took my breath away multiple times. You could pause this show at random times throughout, and you'd have a new wallpaper. The characters are beautiful, and the 3D CGI interlaces perfectly. The backgrounds are gorgeous. You get the idea.

Beautiful Right?
 Credit to www.thesosblogger.com/

Plot - This story is amazing. The premise is a bit confusing, but here it is. Seven mages are fighting for the ultimate item, the Holy Grail, which grants any wish. To fight, the mages each summon their own servant, and each servant belongs to one of seven classes: Saber, Lancer, Rider, Archer, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker.
Something I need to tell you about this show before I continue. This is a mature anime. Not just mature as in bloody, but there is quite a bit of that as well, it is mature as in the interactions are intelligent, there are philosophical debates, introspection, and the plot does not cater or talk down to you. There is a lot of talking in this anime. Characters' motives are explored, pasts are dug up, ideologies clash, this is not for the young who just want a blood bath and epic fights to ensue.
The thing I find most amazing about this anime is that there are no real heroes are villains (there is one exception in the villain department, one guy is just so sick, you'd have to be dead inside to not hate him). All of the seven mages are presented fairly equally in the beginning, with more exposition on a few as others die and the competition comes to its close. I found myself liking a certain mage one episode, then hating him the very next episode. This clash is not between dark and light (which is in almost every anime), this clash is between human ideals; all of them flawed, yet each bearing merit in its own way.
The dynamic between the servants and mages is also amazing. Most of the servants in this are legendary figures, such as Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh of Babylon. Some mages bond with their servants immediately, others build a relationship over time, and some just don't like each other. All the characters in this mature and change. No one stays the same, further adding to the immersion and feeling that all these people could exist in our world.
One qualm I will put, and it is a small one, at some points people expect you to know the history/mythology of some characters, so if you don't know the mythos, you won't fully appreciate all the interactions, especially towards the end. Another slight problem I have is

(SPOILER WARNING - Spoiling a part of episode 1) King Arthur is a girl in this. The reason I have a problem is a personal one though. Arthurian mythology is my favorite mythology by far, rivaled only by Greek mythology, and I don't like when people mess with it. I will say that she is awesome and a great character, so it isn't that bad.
(End of SPOILER)

Music - The best music I have ever heard in an anime. Beautiful orchestral works, amazing choir pieces, the soundtrack to this adds so much to the beauty of this anime. You could put this music to anything, and it would sound awesome. The mood is always set beautifully with these tracks in the background.

Fights - I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but these are some of the best fights I have ever seen. Ranging from cerebral and strategic sword duels, to intense air battles, to high powered gunfights. The fighting is so smart in this, and all characters use their own respective tactics. I love how this isn't just some hack and slash with no strategy. The variety is also a huge plus. These fights will keep your heart pounding. And there is death . . . a lot of death. Blood too. Got lots of blood.

Verdict - There isn't much more that I can say about this anime. I would recommend this to almost anyone. The only ones I would not recommend this to is people who find talking to be boring, and only wanting to watch fight scenes. If that is the case, it's your loss. And I can guarantee you it is a big loss. Now stop reading this review and go watch Fate/Zero!

Score - 10/10

Note that a 10 does not mean perfect, as I don't think there ever will be a "perfect" anime, a 10 merely means a masterpiece that should definitely be appreciated.

Wallpapers:



tuffwallpapers.com

hqdesktop.net ( My wallpaper. ;) )

hqwallbase.com

quizoxy.wordpress.com



AMVs:

Immortal by Two Steps from Hell

EPIC Video, you gotta see this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZbQYLTXw90

Dance with the Devil by BB

 Don't Stop (Unknown Artist)



Wolfe: Steins;Gate

Wolfe reporting.

Just finished rewatching Steins;Gate the other day-- it was even better the second time around! Steins;Gate is, indeed, my favourite anime of all time. It is a 24-episode anime, has all of the elements that I look for in an anime, and there's only one thing which I wish was different. By the way, it's based off of a game (Steins;Gate Game). So, it shouldn't be a surprise that...

I give this anime a 13 / 13!

Introduction Sequence: 2 / 2. Yes, I'm introducing a new judging category, though this one won't have much weight. I mean, an introduction sequence generally takes up 2 or so minutes of every single roughly 26-minute episode in anime, so it has an impact on the entirety of the anime. I love the introduction sequence oh so much for S;G. First: no spoilers! The introduction sequence of most anime has bits and pieces that are, in my opinion, to some degree, spoilers... and I don't like spoilers. Second: the song! I love the song (Hacking To the Gate), not only because it perfectly fits the anime, but because the lyrics are beautiful (and pretty cool, if I do say so myself)! It's very, very catchy, and floats around in the back of my head oftentimes. Lastly: the visuals! It's all very tasty eye candy, with clocks and spinning and numbers and repetition of characters. To anyone who knows me, I love clocks and time, so the entire anime seems carefully tailored precisely to my tastes. Link: Introduction Sequence.

Animation Style: 2 / 2. Fairly realistic style, the animation style is neither harsh (see Death Note) nor chibi. While the eyes are indeed larger than anatomically present, it's only a standard deviation or two larger, and is therefore fairly close to reality. This is actually my preferred animation style, and while I despise chibi, I can also take a liking to the harsh style. Examples:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5074/525207.jpg

http://static.minitokyo.net/reviews/1741_1.jpg

Music: 1 / 1. I really liked the music in this! The music definitely helps set the mood. It isn't so bold that it stands out and disrupts things, but blends in well with whatever is happening at the time. Here's a link to the OST (Original Soundtracks, for those who don't know): Steins;Gate OST. I liked soundtracks 06, 08, 10, 13, 14, 18, 22, and 23. HOWEVER, I do warn you that these Soundtrack names are very accurate, as well as their background pictures-- while this is really cool for people who've already seen the anime, I DO NOT recommend anyone who hates spoilers and hasn't seen it goes and looks at that link.

Plot: 4 / 4. Good heavens, do I adore this plot. It's tough to write about the plot without spoilers, because episodes 11-13 really change the direction that the anime was going. By manipulating time, things change (due to a theory called the Butterfly Effect), and the anime is based on the manipulation of events and the aftereffects this causes. The characters are going about things their own way, until a specific goal is obtained later on. Basically, this anime has all the things going for it. There's romantic tension-- and just the perfect amount! I admit that I almost wish there were more, and yet, I almost wish there was less.. so, arguably, it could have been no better in that category. There's darkness, and though it's not introduced very much until later, it's introduced at appropriate times. After you've formed connections to characters, when.. things happen to them, you feel deep emotions. I admit that tears were shed by myself when watching this anime. There's occasional moments of comedic value, but it's subtle, not as in-your-face as I've seen in other animes-- you have to know the people to truly enjoy it, and if you do, you'll laugh outright. There's action, adventure, naivete, the harshness of reality... there are slow points and fast points, times for the plot to advance and times for the characters to develop. Truly a work of art... and, make sure you pay attention to every detail! Because of the variable of time, there is actually value to rewatching the anime, because once you know how things wind and unwind, it's interesting to see the details again from the beginning (no holes did I find). Everything seems realistic, in my opinion-- by being believable, it draws you in all the more.

Characters: 4 / 4. I adore these characters! You have antisocial characters (arguably highly social, just unsociable), tough/mean characters, analytical characters, intense characters, passive characters, gender-confused characters... No character is perfect; each has their flaws. Each character feels very human, and nothing done in this anime exceeds these expectations. Each of them have backstory as well, and, while some are covered more than others, it doesn't seem that any was covered too little or too much. Because of the way characters are introduced, I fear I cannot use specific instances without giving away spoilers, and so shall I leave the reader to watch for himself!

El. Psy. Congroo.

As for my aforementioned "one thing", I believe there to be one thing that could have been changed to make the anime better: there ought be more darkness. The main character goes through a lot, and while I recognize that it's inconceivable to show all of it, I wish he had flashbacks to scenes that weren't seen by the viewer already. I also wish that, when deaths or injuries are seen, they are shown to their fullest, in gruesome detail-- by saving us from this, I feel somewhat cheated. I want to feel as the main character does, and feel I cannot fully achieve this without having seen what he has.

Lastly: the OVA (episode [25]). I have to admit that I do not necessarily suggest watching this. This episode has outright comedy, and has a far greater focus on the romantic/cutesy aspects. I admit that it did appeal to me, solely because it answers a lot of the romantic tension buildup, but the episode lacks any sort of darkness. It's as if the animators were sick of pushing out such dark episodes and wanted to just have a fun episode.

Wallpapers:

http://images7.alphacoders.com/345/345052.jpg

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2013/043/c/4/steins_gate2_by_silver_noctis-d5uokp7.jpg

http://www.hdwpapers.com/steinsgate_wallpaper_3-wallpapers.html

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/BJpTk_LT5VU/maxresdefault.jpg

AMV's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MET6vUx-qI&html5=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cvggfhe7ZM&html5=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg8b8E1pzUg&html5=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2WVqPZR1ak&html5=1

Next week: I don't know! I might do SAO, or Ergo;Proxy, or Baccano!, or maybe DTB, or something else...

Attack on Titan Review: Woodpecker

Attack on Titan: 

Rating: 7.5/10

For those of you that have watched this amazing series, you might be surprised with my rating. I gave it a 7.5, because of a couple of the shows major flaws. First some of the episodes are action packed and full of excitement, and others are insignificant and seem to accomplish absolutely nothing in the whole 26 minutes of your time. Secondly the plot quite recently has made some odd development that make the earlier plot line a bit questionable. Now that the bad part of the review is over, I will continue this post with the addition of some key variables that made the show absolutely awesome. This show is by far the best Fantasy anime I have ever watched. Besides how elongated the episodes are, the story is full of blood, violence, screaming, death, and let's not be light on this, even more death.

Music:
As far as the music is concerned I actually enjoy the regular soundtracks very much. Though I preferred the first opening song to the most recent. Anyways the soundtracks are just like the anime, suspense building, intense, sad, and very dark. Attack on Titan is the first anime that I have watched that actually put more than one English background song in the show, which I found a little strange and awesome at the same time. 

Animation Style:
I felt that the animation style for this anime was put together pretty well. It was very Death Note like quality, this would only make sense because these two shows are from the same creator. There isn't much more I can add to my review of the animation besides just saying it was pretty good.

Plot: (Please know that this plot showing is going to be as anti-spoiler alert as possible.)
Basically the story is set in a more medieval/renaissance era, where the human inhabitants were being devoured by the creature they called Titans. During this time there was a huge war and the humans somehow managed to build a colossal 3 layered wall in a certain territory (This is miraculously constructed right under the viscous Titan's noses). A couple hundred years later the story is set on the three main characters Eren, Mikasa, and Armin (They are only kids at the beginning of the anime). Long story short, the colossal Titan breaks down the wall of the out most city that the main characters happen to live in. They run away, Eren's life is in ruin, and the story moves on to boot camp. They learn the skills they need and move on to graduation. As cliche as this is, they are attacked again only a day after everyone's coronation into there faction (Military Police, Scout Regiment, or the Stationary Guard). I will stop here to prevent giving away the juicy part of the plot, though I will just say that it gets better and better the more you watch. Past this point there is some more plot twists that are very enjoyable and some very close calls following Eren and his dark path.

Characters: 
As we know at this point the three main characters are Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. There are a lot more character, but you will soon find out that they have a tendency to die a lot due to the amount of Titan massacres. As far as Eren's story, he was the son of a doctor (now missing) and has a very violent, blunt, and sometimes carried away personality. Mikasa is somewhat infatuated and obsessed with Eren. I think Mikasa really started to cling to Eren after her parents death and her move into his family. In Armin's case there really isn't too much back story on him, you mostly here about his grandfather and how he talked about the outside world all of the time.

This anime comes with a high recommendation if you are looking for a good anime to watch. If you enjoy watching animes with blood, violence, and lots of dead people, then this show is just right for you.

As I said in my last post,  I should be writing another review on SAO sometime this weekend and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of cool AMV's and backgrounds are out there.

Wallpapers:

wall.alphacoders.com

wallpicshd.com

viewallpaperhd.com

www.fanpop.com

 

 

 

 

AMVs :

Phantom: Requiem for the phantom Review

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Rating: 9.5/10

I gave Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom a 9.5/10 for a few reasons. One it has a pretty solid plot and can maintain your interest. Two It has a lot of action pact drama to fulfill a large variety of tastes and interests. Three it has a great animation style and almost never has a dull moment.
This show is probably one of the best Animes I have ever watched. It is both exciting and dark, happy and depressing, cunning and bloody. On top of being a very action packed anime Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom brings a very dark and gloomy twist into the life of Svei Inferno's number two assassin. Svei is trained by Inferno's first assassin Ein, and together Ein and Svei travel down a very dark and sinister path. Without giving away to much of the plot, (for those who are interested in watching this show) Ein and Svei become separated though a near death experience, and don't see eachother for sometime. It is then when the storyline switches to Svei and a girl named Cal. Through some unexpected circumstances Svei ends up training Cal to become the next Inferno assassin (as if they needed more assassins on their hands). To avoid ruining the show for those who have not seen it. I will only continue to say that After this point in the show it only darker, sadder, and more intense. You start to see the side of Svei that ultimately makes him the most deadly of all the assassins, because he wants to kill.

Side note: To the ones who have not seen this anime, put it on your #1 priority list of animes you wish to watch, because this show is truly amazing.

Wallpapers:

                                                                gallery.minitokyo.net

                                                                www.gaiaonline.com

                                                                  hddwallpapers.com

 

www.deviantart.com

AMVs:

 

That's all for now, I should be writing my next "full length" review sometime this weekend on SAO, or Sword Art Online. This is another great anime that I would suggest watching. Any who, if anyone has any comments/questions please feel free to comment on this post, we would appreciate any feedback. Woodpecker signing out.

- Woodpecker

Wolfe: Valvrave the Liberator

Wolfe reporting.

Edit: Accidentally reverted this post to draft.

Valvrave the Liberator was a fairly good anime. It reminds me of a manga, with the last-save mechanic being at least a little bit overused. It became expected, though, and, regardless, I actually enjoyed it. It's a 12-episode anime, which is a very common length for something I'd watch.

I give it a 4.5 / 10.

Future notice on how I do my ratings: 5 is for an anime that I neither liked nor disliked. The farther down, the more reasons to dislike it. The farther up, the more reasons to like it. I can think an anime is good and still mark it below a 5, if, for instance, the plot was amazing but all other aspects weigh it down.

Animation style: artsy! The Valvraves were designed by someone trying to make a machine look as cool as possible (and, while references are made to the pretty light it leaves, no explanation is made). So, in a comic book sense, it was pretty cool. The animators really fleshed out backgrounds, as well; I recall a particular scene that was up for but seconds and yet you could see the whole town in all its splendor.

Music: The music was good, but there were roughly 2 instances where the credits roll music was played during the anime itself, and I can't help but feel that it was overused. The animators clearly liked that soundtrack, but I'd have preferred if there was a larger selection (like Guilty Crown). I didn't really notice anything besides that.

Plot: Very clichè, comic-book-esque, straight-out-of-the-manga. World gets attacked, main character thinks the girl he has a crush on is dead, so he jumps in a machine, resigns his humanity, and then proceeds to freaking destroy everything with no former practice whatsoever. He also becomes inhuman, able to jump bodies by biting skin. As with a Batman or Spiderman plot, the people rely on the main character to protect them, getting him fame and popularity, etc. High School setting, I should note (ever so common in modern anime). Because he's stupid enough to stop others from using the other Valvraves (they tie to a person and can be only used by said person thenceforth) without explaining to them why, they do so anyway, generating some last-second-save outcomes. Ex: Enemy arrives. Main character gets in Valvrave and goes out to meet them. Gets stuck in some trap; enemy moves to attack city. Enemy fires, and... fire is blocked by new Valvrave, manned by some comrade, who then proceeds to save the day. I liked the plot, but it wasn't very unexpected, nor was it very enticing.

Characters: There isn't much backstory to any of the characters. There are occasional references to the past, brief flashbacks and the like, but most of past is not mentioned, which is very disappointing. For instance, "L-Elf" had a picture of a girl in his pocket, and we see a flashback of her saving his life when young, but we learn no more about that. As for character development, I was disappointed with the girl who was obsessed with popularity; she seemed inconsistent and shallow. When she stole the main character's body, I assumed she was going to be a foe, which would have wholesomely explained her prior actions, but I was disappointed once again. Most of my marking down for this anime comes from lack in this category.

I will mention that the entire anime is very clean, with the exception of about 30 seconds towards the end of an episode late into the 12-episode series. While the animators didn't have to show as much as they did, they could have shown a lot more, and unlike in other animes, it seemed relevant. Not only that, we get to see the main character's response in retrospection, which is fitting. There isn't much blood or cursing, nor any nudity, only this one scene of obvious nature. It was unnecessary.

Episodes were fairly redundant and predictable, which was disappointing. The plot failed to advance much. It ended with mention of further seasons, which I found surprising, for the plot seemed to me to be at its very end.

Wallpapers:

Hey, Woodpecker finally made his first post! We're all so impressed. Rumour is that he intends to do another post tonight, but will procrastinate it much past that.

Now that I finally am able to hunt for AMV's, I found none... well, there was one, but it was terrible. So no AMV's for this anime, but I'll definitely have some for next week's choice, because..

Next week: Steins;Gate!!

Introduction: Woodpecker

Hello Everyone, Woodpecker "finally" reporting in. This is just to let you all know what kind of fan I am, and what my interests in anime are. First off I am a huge fan of the non-American animation style. Any time I have ever watched an anime that was American made it was not that great to watch. Next I unfortunately am a huge OP (Over Powered) fan as Wolfe would back. Though I do enjoy lots and lots of explosions I also enjoy a very deep plot that can seep into the soul. Good example would be Phantom: Requiem for the phantom. This story is both action packed and probably one of the most depressing anime I have ever watched. In my next post I will give a detailed review on this specific anime, if you have never watched it then you should start now. Woodpecker signing out.

- Woodpecker

Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor Review - Roxas

Hey guys, so here's my review of the second season of Darker than Black. Note that this does include the four OVA episodes of Darker than Black Gaiden(essentially season 1.5), as the plot of those episodes pertain more to season two than season one. So, a lot's happened for Hei since we left him in season 1. Don't worry, I won't be spoiling anything for you guys, so rest easy.
Alright, let's start with story. Honestly, I was pretty bored by it for the most part. The first two or three episodes were great, and the last two episodes were amazing. Everything in between, a whole lot of meh. I am not a fan of the direction they took Hei's character in. However, I do like the new character, Suo, and how she copes with the life of a contractor. Her revelations and interactions with people are heartfelt and emotional. The plot can be oddly confusing at times, and at others blatantly obvious, though maybe that was just me. It isn't until the end I will note that all four of the OVA episodes were amazing. The story was great, all the characters I felt connected with, and I wanted more. Plus, it really gave some insight into Hei's relationship with Yin, and how Dolls may actually feel. (Guess you could call that a spoiler, but if you watched season 1, it wouldn't be. Heck, the fact that there is a season 2 is a spoiler in and of itself)
On to music, it was pretty lame. I heard the same songs used many times, and a lot of them I had heard on children's shows I watched when I was five. Not much more to say than that. Same with the OVAs.
Now, fighting. There was surprisingly little combat in this. Don't get me wrong, there were fights, and some were cool, particularly the beginning and ending ones. My problem is the fights in the middle felt very light for the most part. In Gaiden, the fights were gritty, intense, and worth watching multiple times.
Animation-wise, everything stayed pretty much the same as the first season, and I am okay with that. Everything is fluid and looks nice.
In conclusion, if you just had the quality of the first few and last few episodes of Gemini of the Meteor and combined them with Gaiden, you'd easily have a 9-9.5/10 anime. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. What I can do is give individual scores and combined scores.

DTB: Gemini of the Meteor - 7.5/10

DTB: Gaiden - 9/10

DTB (Seasons 1, 2, and Gaiden) - 8.5/10

Wallpapers:

animetake.com

plannedbanter.com

tumblr.com

AMVs (some good ones here):

Sell you soul by Hollywood Undead

Pain by Three Days Grace

I'm still Here by unkown (A softer one)

Built for Sin by Framing Hanley

FEATURE: Anime is Not Getting Worse, We Only Lack Perspective - Repost by Roxas

Hey guys, Roxas here. I just found this great article on crunchyroll.com. Click here to check it out there. Originally by Marow on Anime Viking.

A common complaint these days is how anime is declining, that true quality is a dying breed. “Moe is taking over the industry! Fanservice is everywhere! Whatever happened to the good old series that were actually mature and oozed “masterpiece”?”


To strengthen their arguments, people bring up old classics such as Cowboy Bebop or perhaps Neon Genesis Evangelion while pointing out K-ON! and other “four girls” series as the harbingers of death. Anime of today sucks.



Although, let us be honest here. Anime is not becoming worse nor is moe killing the industry. Those who claim that are utterly silly and probably ignorant. I would say that they lack perspective on how our viewing habits have evolved.

Let me give you some food for thought: would people worship older anime if they had followed the, in that time, currently airing anime seasons? Most likely they would not. Why is this, you wonder? Well, think about it. The older anime people actually care about are almost always the same bunch. They are the series which have survived time. Forgotten are every bad anime, every hilariously “cool and brutal” super violent or “sexy time” series. You know, those series which appeal to the blinded otaku living on moe.

If you want to see anime that no-one cares about today because of its, most likely (but not guaranteed since popularity does not equal quality), mediocrity, go and check out Scamp’s “Retro Season Previews”. What is remembered today is what made an impact on people, anime that stood out.



And this brings me to my point that we lack perspective. How is anime watched today? By following the current seasons! How much do we watch? A lot! By watching a lot, there are bound to be a few run-of-the-mill series. The reason for this is since they are currently airing and therefore have not been judged over time. We do not know if a new series is a masterpiece or not, so we watch them all in hope of one being just that. What this results in is people pestering about how anime is dying.

If that was actually the case, what would one have to say about currently popular series such as Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica or Steins;Gate? Or Mawaru Penguindrum? Bakemonogatari? All of these have all been crowned as great series, if not masterpieces in some cases. These are some examples of what might be remembered in the future. Will we care about AKB0048, Shining Hearts or Kono Naka ni Hitori Imouto ga Iru? Of course not.

Because in ten years from now, people will still complain that anime is dying and look back at today with fond memories of how good anime once were.

Zetman Review - Roxas

Hey guys, I'm back with a review of Zetman. Just to let you know, I went with subs on this one. Before I go any further, I will warn you this anime is brutal. People die, and it can be pretty gruesome. There's some twisted stuff in this anime. Anyways, moving on.

Story - Something that this anime does very well is display innocence in a world of violence and showcase a twisted corruption born of misconception and a dysfunctional upbringing. There is an instance in the first episode that brilliantly portrays the loss of innocence in this world. You easily connect with Jin in this. Another great thing about this story is how it views justice, which is very poignant at some parts. There are some problems, however. At times, characters do stupid things that seems out of character for them just to move on a plot point, or to set up a fight scene. While I am normally a fan of some romance intertwined with action, it just didn't work in this particular anime. I did not connect with the girl, and I preferred the times when she was off screen. My last problem is the ending, which felt a bit too abrupt for my taste.

Music - Pretty standard fare here. Nothing really stands out. Theme song has a nice beat.

Animation - This is a nice looking anime, with a darker grit added to it for a realistic yet ominous effect.

Action - My gosh, this anime is bloody. Hearts are pulled out and squished. Limbs are bashed off. Unfortunate enemies are pulled in half. And there is a lot of it. So if that's your thing, you'll really like this anime. It's got some great fights, though sometimes I think they go too far. I am also not a huge fan of Zetman's or Alphas' respective fighting styles, as they feel a bit clumsy and graceless, making up for it with brute force or an over powered blaster.

Alright, there you have it. One more thing I'd like to say in closing is that I think they could have made the other main character, Kouga, a bit deeper. He came off as shallow and lazily written a few times. Still, this is a pretty good anime, and you should give it a try, if not for its insane fight scenes, then just for its great moments of story.

Score - 7.5/10

Wallpapers:

anime-desu.com

quizoxy.wordpress.com



AMVs (Not too many good ones):

S.C.A.V.A by Hollywood Undead

Monster by Skillet

Wolfe: Towa no Quon

Wolfe reporting.

Towa no Quon (sometimes crammed together as Towanoquon for some reason) was one of the best animes I have ever seen. Since I've seen it most recently, it's my current number 1, but whenever I re-watch Steins;Gate, S;G will take the number 1 back (recency effect).

I give it a 9.5 / 10.

Animation style: gorgeous. You could pause at any point, and even if there's something mundane and unimportant in the background for only a few seconds in the entire anime, it would still be thoughtfully put together. Lots of eye candy. For one particular part, there is a nightmare/memory (which I won't spoil) where the animation style is intentionally wholeheartedly different-- it was surprisingly touching and effective at setting the mood.

Music: seemed great! I generally won't notice the music unless it's particularly bad, because I'll get sucked into the anime. After some re-watches, I can generally notice it, but it's quite challenging for me, as my instinct is to get completely sucked into it.

Plot: somewhat clichè, but very well-done, in my opinion. There were a few twists I wasn't quite expecting as the plot advanced, but for the most part, things were fairly predictable in a comic book sense (lots of perfectly-timed saves). Some people have abilities, of which they struggle to control, and when they fail to control them (usually due to stress, like being shot at) they change into something similar to an unleashed state, whereupon they are totally out of control. These people are being hunted down by a government-funded group, including mostly droids and, more importantly, cyborgs. The interactions between the group with abilities and the cyborgs makes up most of the general direction of the plot, if not all.

Characters: we don't get much backstory to any characters besides the main two, which I found somewhat disappointing. There was also practically no romantic tension, which, while perfectly fitting, I admit that I missed it. The voice acting seemed fine to me, but similarly to music, I won't notice voice acting unless it's really bad or unless I've seen the anime several times. It is for this category only that I don't give the anime a 10/10.

Episodes were roughly an hour long each, but there were only six of them, adding up to the traditional 12-episode episode set. There were serious advantages for doing 6 one-hour-long segments versus 12 half-hour-long segments, though, because the introduction and credits were played half as much, and it wouldn't have to stop on cliffhangers. I thought it was very clever.

Took some suggestions from my colleague Roxas, so you'll notice my review is a bit different. I'll evolve my style over time, with luck. Or perhaps I won't have a standard, floating about as I feel fitting to the anime.

New admin in the house! Baldr! Baldr has remarkably similar tastes to me in anime, so it's entirely possible that a lot of our reviews will overlap, and that's just fine.

Also: I have intention on changing the background at some point, so wish me luck in finding a better one! The current one is from my beloved Steins;Gate.

Wallpapers:

Nightmare/Flashback:

 

Cover:

Sadly, no AMV's yet. Whenever I find a good time to simply surf Youtube, perhaps I'll make a post devoted entirely to catching you guys up on any AMV's that I'll have missed, because, for now, Youtube seems long out of my reach.

Next week: Valvrave the Liberator!

Darker than Black Review - Roxas

Hey guys, Roxas here, and I'm here to post my first review, and as you can see from the title above, I'm doing it on Darker than Black. I didn't know what to expect when I turned on the first episode, and now that I'm finished, I am so happy that I decided to watch this show. By the way, I watched this show dubbed, as I felt it better captured this cast.
DTB has a lot of things going for it, first and foremost its leading role. Emotions are strongly felt through these people. I think what impressed me most is how some of the characters (Yin, mainly) were able to convey such intricate emotions through seemingly emotionless stares.  Hei is a great character that you get attached to, and although the supporting cast takes a bit too long to be established, when they are given stories, the whole crew comes together satisfyingly, albeit with a few exceptions.
Another strong point of this anime is how well the world the characters live in has been built. The only problem I have with it is that it lacks a certain ominous sense that you normally think would be present.
For you fans who only care about the fight scenes, this show certainly doesn't disappoint. Fights are fast, fluid, and never feel recycled, even when the same two characters fight more than once.
Onto the story, which I am a bit conflicted on. While everything goes together nicely, I was left with a lot of questions, and the ending felt a bit rushed. That being said, another season was made, but as it differs greatly from the first, I decided I would write a different review for that.
So, for my last point, I'm going to go over the problems I had with this anime. In this lineup of 26 episodes, there are three episodes that felt out of place and a bit sloppy. The last episode I found to be especially poor. Without giving too much away, let's just say it takes the show in an entirely worthless tangent. I also found one of the "villains" to be severely overpowered, to the point of annoyance at just hearing that villain's name mentioned.
To close, despite its flaws, Darker than Black is a great anime that you will definitely want to see.

Score - 8.5/10

AMVs(I would have put more, but most AMVs for DTB focus on season 2):

Impossible by Manafest

(Breaking Benjamin; Cliché, I know)

Wallpapers:

Introduction - Roxas

Hello, my name is Roxas, and I am a new reviewer here. As my colleague Wolfe may have already informed you, he believes me to be a "picky" reviewer. I prefer to think of my tastes as selective and developed rather than picky.
Moving on, I just wanted to post this to let you know I'll be posting a review quite soon, and to give you some insight into my tastes. First off, while visual style is a factor to be considered, I do not believe it dictates whether or not an anime is good or not. The most important factors when judging an anime are the acting and the connection you forge with the protagonist(s)/antagonist(s). I am a big fan of sci-fi; I am okay with fantasy, but I do not watch much of it. On the sub vs. dub concept, it differs from anime to anime for me. I decide which of the two is better by watching the first three episodes of the anime both dubbed and subbed, which I then decide from there.

Alright, now you know where I'm coming from. Hope you enjoy my reviews.

Wolfe: Deadman Wonderland

Wolfe reporting!

Made the mistake of rewatching three episodes of Steins;Gate. I'll never get that amazing theme song out of my head. Steins;Gate is also in my top three.

So, Deadman Wonderland. It's also one of my top three, although it could've been better (meaning it'll get replaced when I find something better). The first episode was a great introduction to the anime, although the anime ends in an odd place. I was curious, and looked up the manga-- the manga goes farther than the anime (by how much, I do not know), and I do wish, as with Claymore, the anime had continued. Unlike Claymore, at least they didn't do much deviation from the manga, best as I can tell. It was going and going and then, when you'd expect more episodes, there weren't any.

To be fair, I'm speaking poorly about an anime I truly loved. It was really very dark, and bloody (they literally fought with their own blood). I use Deadman Wonderland as a baseline when explaining to people what I look for in an anime. I'm a huge fan of characters dying, especially if they're main characters, which is why it isn't my absolute favourite. There's also practically no romantic tension (which fits the setting just fine, I'll say!), but I always prefer there to be a little (I'll be able to talk more about this when I review Steins;Gate).

The concept that these people are prisoners, forced to participate in brutal games for comedic pleasure of the audience (who are told that everything is staged), is positively brilliant! The prisoners generate income for their own prison. Later on, it's discovered that there's an inner point to the prison: holding prisoners with special abilities (the ability to fight with their Branch of Sin, using their own blood) and having them fight each other (to the death) for a select audience. If the loser does manage to survive, they go through a game where they lose... well, something. An eye, a leg, a hand. And, the plot twist regarding the Wretched Egg (not spoiling that one to you guys) had me on the edge of my seat! I do wish the main character was better when it came to fighting, but there's a certain cold, hard reality about the anime that he really painted the picture wish. The main character had a good heart and an epic friend (everyone loves Shiro!), and was pretty cool for a weak main character.

To recap: it was dark, it was bloody, it was harsh, and I loved it.

New admin in the house! Roxas! From my own perspective, I find Roxas to be far too picky when it comes to anime, but he'll bring an interesting perspective to the table. I also hear he has plans to do several posts, and the rumour is that he'll start with Darker Than Black. That's all I'll say about him-- I'll let him introduce himself! Another new admin will be on the way soon too, I think. As for Woodpecker, we're still waiting for his first post.

Links!:

Deadman Wonderland Wiki (Branches of Sin)
Nande (Darkjester Wallpaper)
Shiro Wallpaper
I Want To Survive (Wallpaper)
Destructive Aftermath (Wallpaper)
Ganta and Shiro (Wallpaper)
Deadman Wonderland (Title-esque Wallpaper)
Senji and his Crow Claw (Wallpaper)

{Sorry, no AMV's this time! At some point I intend to read the Deadman Wonderland manga, and hopefully then I'll have a post with AMV's.}

Next week: Towa no Quon (spelled Towanoquon by Hulu for some reason)!

Wolfe: Claymore

Wolfe reporting.

So... Claymore. My first true anime. I do take note that my first few watch-throughs were in the dubbed, not subbed, episodes. It is also the only anime to which I have read the full manga.

So, the animation style is interesting, neither cutesy nor harsh. I've heard someone say it's similar to Final Fantasy, but I can neither confirm nor deny that, as I've never played FF. Genre has been described as "dark fantasy". The characters are warriors, half Yoma, half human. Yoma are creatures that aren't human, but can disguise themselves as human. They hunger for human flesh, and are fairly clever about finding ways to eat it. They'll usually join a town as a citizen, eating people every so often, but normal humans cannot tell the difference between a yoma and a man. Anyhow, the characters (called "Claymores" by the townsfolk based off of the weapon they use) have strength from their Yoma blood and human will from their human blood. They draw upon their Yoma side, their Yoki, for inhuman strength. However, the strength from their Yoma blood feels good, and the natural tendency is to draw more from it. The reason why there are only female Claymores is because the male Claymores would almost instantly Awaken (no self-control for drawing power, similar to a lust sensation). As a Claymore draws from their Yoki: at 10% their eye colour changed, at 30% their face becomes distorted, at 50% the whole body contorts, at 80% they begin Awakening, at 100% they become awakened (explained by Teresa). When they "awaken", they become an Awakened Being, which is essentially an overpowered Yoma (as in, human will is lost, desire for human flesh is gained). Awakened Beings are, generally, ridiculously powerful. Claire and her friends (Claire being the main character) were past 80%, had begun the process of awakening, and then managed to turn back... they are capable of intentionally overreaching their Yoki limits in order to do amazing feats (generally healing) and then turn back to normal. They call themselves Half-Awakened Beings at one point. Some Awakened Beings are so ridiculously powerful that they are called Creatures of the Abyss.

The basic premise of the plot is that Claymores (who answer to the Organization) hunt down and kill Yoma in towns for payment (the pay going to the Organization). They are feared in the human society. Occasionally, teams of high-ranking Claymore are assigned to hunt down and kill Awakened Beings (referred to as Voracious Eaters at some points). Claire, the main character, wants to kill Priscilla (who killed Teresa, and is a Creature of the Abyss). It's a nice anime for those who love woman warriors wielding Claymores (very large swords) and fighting monsters/demons (Yoma).

The anime crashes and burns at the very end, the animators making up some brief but fight-filled ending to sate the viewers and put an end to the show. As for the Manga, the Manga is still going. I only wish that the anime might be revived and continue to follow the Manga plot. See, the anime followed the manga plot up until the very end, and this is what made it good. There are several plot arcs in the Manga, and only a few in the anime.

I'll rate Claymore very highly, up there with my top favourites. Instead of saying what I liked (because there's a lot), I'll say why it wasn't my #1. First off-- surprisingly non-bloody for a fighting-with-swords-centered anime. Secondly-- wandered away from the manga and then died. The manga plot was beautiful, it seems anticlimatic when the anime finished as it did. Thirdly-- Raki. I didn't have any attachment to that crybaby. He later becomes epic in the manga, but the anime ends long before that. Lastly-- Teresa. I loved Teresa so much. I wanted her to get more spotlight than those two or three brief episodes.

At some point in the future, I'll rewatch the subs and make another post.

What did you think of Claymore?

Links!:

Wikipedia Summary of Manga
Link to Claymore's own Wikia
Link to Teresa's armour
Link to article on Yoma
Wallpaper with Claire
Wallpaper with Claire (epic)
Wallpaper with Claire (nice)
Wallpaper with Claire (Red Night)
Wallpaper with Teresa (& Metallica quote)

AMV's:

EPIC "Criminal - Disturbed" AMV
Decent AMV - Breaking Benjamin, So Cold
Decent AMV - Breaking Benjamin, Lights Out
Epic AMV - Anthem of the Lonely by Nine Lashes

Next Week: Deadman Wonderland!