When Japanese candy disappoints, though, it’s just such a bring down. And counting among the reasons for the disappointment is the cash spent (Japanese candy can be much more expensive than their American counterparts).

Crush Packaging

Bourbon, a Japanese cookie and candy manufacturer,  hasn’t really done much for me with its snack offerings. None of their products reflect their country of origin (unique, simple, elegant, colorful), besides being less sweet. If I’m eating Japanese candy, I expect to be impressed with originality and/or high quality. Bourbon doesn’t seem to have either in more than minute amounts.

Packaging

Bourbon hasn’t wowed or wooed me thus far with its packaging. It’s neither terribly eye-catching nor blindingly bad, merely average. The box for Crush is fairly sedate and mature with its goldenrod background and gold lettering. However, big points for putting graphic pictures of the product proudly on the box. Score: B+

Appearance

The twin sticks in each individually-wrapped serving reminds me rather strongly of an American candy whose name sounds awfully like “twin sticks”. Crush looks like lumpy twigs. Not impressive, but not stomach-churning either. Score: B

Texture

Crush’s texture is halfway between crispy and soft. Crisp bits are mixed into the chocolate, giving it it’s unique cri-soft texture. Score: A

Flavor

There’s the flavor of almonds, honey, and toffee in Crush, but mostly toffee. If there’s chocolate in the candy (it says there is on the box), I don’t taste it. The caramelized sugar flavor is strong, and the hint of almonds is surprising. What’s also surprising is how sweet this Japanese candy is. It’s almost too sweet, and tastes like a candy an American company might make. It’s not bad, it’s still slightly unique, but I was expecting a less sugary candy than this. Score: A-

Verdict

Crush, while good, isn’t up to the standard I’ve personally set for Japanese candy. The flavor is good, but not truly original, nor is it lightly sweetened like other candies. I might buy this again, but only if I had to get a toffee fix and a Skor was no where to be found. But really, if I’m laying down cash for Japanese candy, I’m putting my hard-earned on something colorful or quality first before I trade it in for merely meh.

Win Free Anime and Manga from TheAnimeBlog.com!

The Contest

• You must register with the site
• Log in with your user name and password, then choose an item from our list of loot
• List the item you want in the comments section
• Your comment will be given a number. If your number is chosen from our random drawing, you’ll win the item you listed!

Additional Details

This contest ends on April 30th, 2009 at midnight, so any comments posted before that time are eligible. On May 1rst, 2009 we’ll randomly draw five numbers between one and the final total of comments. If your comment number is drawn, you’ll be the proud owner of whatever listed! For example:

22. Smitty says:
November 30th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I sure would love a copy of Karas: The Revelation!!! ^_^

So if we were to draw number 22 and your user name is Smitty, then you’ve just won a copy of Karas: The Revelation!

Remember, you must register to enter. After you’ve registered, check out the loot and comment below!

Contest Rules

• All entrants must be a registered user to win.
• You must post a comment with the name of one of the articles being given away. If you do not list an item in your comment and your number is chosen, you’ll receive the prize of our choice.
• Limit one post and one item request per registered user.
• Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of your entry.
• If you’ve won in the past four months, you are not eligible to win. We appreciate your participation, but we want everyone to have a chance.
• All entrants MUST live in the continental United States. Sorry international friends – shipping is expensive these days!

Deadline:

• The winners will be randomly drawn on May 1rst, 2009. Any entrant posting after April 30th, 2009, midnight is not eligible to win, even if comments are still open.

Winner:

• The winners’ user names (but not email addresses) will be posted on the site. We will notify winners by e-mail.

If you have any questions about registering, please read our privacy policy. Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends!

List of Loot

Anime DVDs

Devil May Cry Anime Volume 3

1. Air Gear, Volume 1
2. Baki the Grappler, Boxset
3. Beck, Mongolian Chop Squad, Volumes 3-5
4. Black Cat, Volume 6
5. Baldr Force EXE
6. Case Closed, Season Three
7. Case Closed, Season Four
8. Coyote Ragtime Show, Volume 1
9. Devil May Cry, Volume 3
10. Fullmetal Alchemist, Season Two, Part Two
11. Kanon, Volumes 1 and 6
12. Karin, Volume 5
13. Karin, Volume 6
14. Kyo Kara Maoh, Season Two, Volumes 7-8
15. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s
16. Negima!? Spring and Summer Specials
17. One Piece Movie #8
18. Origin, Spirits of the Past
19. Ragnarok, Volumes 1-3
20. Red Garden, Volume 1
21. Robotech, Shadow Chronicles
22. Rozen Maiden, Volume Two
23. Save Me! Lollipop
24. Sentimental Journey: Disc 1
25. Shinchan, Season One, Part One
26. Speed Grapher, Volumes 3-6
27. The Story of Saiunkoku, Season ONe, Part Two
28. Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
29. Tsubasa, Reservoir Chronicle, Volumes 6-9
30. Tsubasa, Reservoir Chronicle, Volume Ten
31. Venus, Versus Virus, Volume 1
32. Vexille
33. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 2-5 and 7-8
34. When They Cry, Volume 5
35. Xenosaga, The Animation, Volume 1
36. Yu Yu Hakusho, Complete Third Season

Manga

Code Geass Manga Volume 1

1. Blade of the Immortal: Volume 3
2. Code Geass, Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume One
3. Code Geass, Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume Two
4. Death Note, Volume 3
5. Mars: Volumes 7-8
6. Mars: Volumes: 11-15

• TwistedCyberChick
• Anikay
• Bunnicula
• Chen
• Firefly

Thanks for entering, and keep reading for more giveaways!!

Win Free Anime and Manga from TheAnimeBlog.com!

The Contest

1. You must register with the site
2. Log in with your user name and password, then choose an item from our list of loot
3. List the item you want in the comments section
4. Your comment will be given a number. If your number is chosen from our random drawing, you’ll win the item you listed!

Additional Details

This contest ends on March 31rst, 2009 at midnight, so any comments posted before that time are eligible. On April 1rst, 2009 we’ll randomly draw five numbers between one and the final total of comments. If your comment number is drawn, you’ll be the proud owner of whatever listed! For example:

22. Smitty says:
November 30th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I sure would love a copy of Karas: The Revelation!!! ^_^

So if we were to draw number 22 and your user name is Smitty, then you’ve just won a copy of Karas: The Revelation!

Remember, you must register to enter. After you’ve registered, check out the loot and comment below!

Contest Rules

• All entrants must be a registered user to win.
• You must post a comment with the name of one of the articles being given away. If you do not list an item in your comment and your number is chosen, you’ll receive the prize of our choice.
• Limit one post and one item request per registered user.
• Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of your entry.
• If you’ve won in the past four months, you are not eligible to win. We appreciate your participation, but we want everyone to have a chance.
• All entrants MUST live in the continental United States. Sorry international friends – shipping is expensive these days!

Deadline:

• The winners will be randomly drawn on April 1rst, 2009. Any entrant posting after March 31rst, 2009, midnight is not eligible to win, even if comments are still open.

Winner:

• The winners’ user names (but not email addresses) will be posted on the site. We will notify winners by e-mail.

If you have any questions about registering, please read our privacy policy. Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends!

List of Loot

Anime DVDs

1. Air Gear, Volume 1
2. Baki the Grappler, Boxset
3. Beck, Mongolian Chop Squad, Volumes 3-5
4. Black Cat, Volume 6
5. Baldr Force EXE
6. Case Closed, Season Three
7. Case Closed, Season Four
8. Coyote Ragtime Show, Volume 1
9. Devil May Cry, Volume 3
10. Full Metal Panic, Second Raid TSR
11. Fullmetal Alchemist, Season Two, Part Two
12. Kanon, Volumes 1 and 6
13. Karin, Volume 5
14. Karin, Volume 6
15. Kyo Kara Maoh, Season Two, Volumes 7-8
16. Le Chevalier D’Eon, Volumes 1-3
17. Negima!? Spring and Summer Specials
18. One Piece Movie #8
19. Origin, Spirits of the Past
20. Ragnarok, Volumes 1-3
21. Red Garden, Volume 1
22. Robotech, Shadow Chronicles
23. Rozen Maiden, Volume Two
24. Sentimental Journey: Disc 1
25. Shinchan, Season One, Part One
26. Speed Grapher, Volumes 3-6
27. Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
28. Tokyo Majin, Volume 1
29. Tsubasa, Reservoir Chronicle, Volumes 6-9
30. Tsubasa, Reservoir Chronicle, Volume Ten
31. Venus, Versus Virus, Volume 1
32. Vexille
33. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 2-5 and 7-8
34. When They Cry, Volume 5
35. Xenosaga, The Animation, Volume 1
36. Yu Yu Hakusho, Complete Third Season

Manga

1. Blade of the Immortal: Volume 3
2. Code Geass, Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume One
3. Code Geass, Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume Two
4. Death Note, Volume 3
5. Mars: Volumes 7-8
6. Mars: Volumes: 11-15

• Spycat
• kratos1010
• dms111

Thanks for entering and for those who want a second chance at some freebies, our March contest will be up shortly!

In picking up School Rumble, Second Semester, I expected to enjoy further laughs and mayhem with a romantic twist, just like I did in Season One. I also expected some answers to the copious amount of questions piled on in Season One.

School Rumble, Season One is all about hopeless teen drama, puppy love and crushed expectations. It’s funny throughout most of the series, and downright dramatic the rest. The first season is authentic and sweet. In short, School Rumble, Season One is a great romantic comedy with heart. School Rumble, Season Two, is, not so much….

School Rumble

Plot Summary

It’s the same ol’ teen drama for Class 2C as they kick off their sophomore year: Tenma is still clueless, and in love with the enigmatic and odd Karasuma. Harima still can’t confess his true feelings for Tenma, and Eri has some unresolved issues for how she feels about Harima.

But Harima has become a rising star in the world of manga, and with his increase in stardom comes an increase in confidence. Will his new found self-esteem help him profess his love to Tenma?

Review

School Rumble, Second Semester was plain bad. It was a serving of more of the same from Season One, but without the zest and freshness. The gags were old, the lines were tired and the characters were stale. I’ve found fresher things at the day old Hostess store.

The writers must have been giddy from their successful run with School Rumble, Season One, and hammered out a formula for what they thought brought in the ha ha’s. Why don’t we say that H (Harima) times (T) Tenma plus F (filler) equals cha ching! So (H)(T) +F =$$$. And thus fans are rewarded with a seemingly endless loop of garbage and the studio raked in cash with minimal effort. The only problem is this formula= Hard Fail. Infinity.

Filler episodes and scenes abounded and actual plot was gunned down so that romantic anarchy could rule.  I knew when the first episode made me shudder a bit in my critical thinking lobe that trouble wasn’t far behind. My instsincts seldom let me down. Two full episodes were dedicated to a cop-out  story arc, and a lame one at that. This series has more dream scenes and dodgy explanations than are allotted for a romantic comedy. It was cute at first, but like a child who doesn’t know that adorable little version of “I’m a Teacup” is getting on Auntie Rae’s nerves, so was School Rumble unaware its gags were frustratingly tired.

I would say there were three episodes worth of progressive plot. But it was a downer since it made less sense than the wacky limit the anime set for itself. It was uninspired and ubiquitously bad. The characters I grew to empathize with were stunted in their growth, though some development managed to to squeak by.

Character Development

Further decent character development was absent, a night-and-day departure for the series.  Tenma stayed stupid, Eri stayed rich but Harima had a change in his confidence level. Poor guy can’t catch break, though that’s partially his own fault. I would have ditched chasing after Tenma eons ago. The girl is a waste of air time and ink. Harima has his hang-ups and Tenma is one of them. Guy needs to go to rehab for hopeless infatuations with loser women. Harima was the only saving grace of the anime, but a tiny one.

Character Design

Blah, what can I say about things that don’t change? Nothing visually departed from the first season, but why should it really.

I’m lumping in Animation, Music and Voice Acting  with my critique of character designs. There’s something to be said about consistency, so no points are taken off for the average-ness of the rest of the series’ features.

Conclusion

School Rumble, Second semester went nowhere. I might have well just watched Season One and called it a day. I didn’t though, and flushed nine hours of my time down the kamode. It’s a shame that this series took a nose dive in its quality of storytelling.

School Rumble Season One was good.  There was no reason for Two to have been so different from the first, none. The ending of Second semester was the real kick in the teeth, though. It sucked harder than all the shifty, cop-out scenes combined, and that’s saying a LOT.

School Rumble has a third season coming up. I really don’t want to take another bullet for School Rumble fans since I’m still digging shrapnel out my funny bone from Second Semester.  If you’re a fan of Season One,  I recommend  you avoid Season Two if you can, you’ll only be let down, and who needs that?

Rating

School Rumble, Second Semester gets 2.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: October 14, 2008 (Part One) and December 16, 2008 (Part Two)
• Retail Price: $59.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Episodes: 1-13 (Part One) and 14-26 (Part Two)
• Run Time: 305 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled,

Read my review of Ouran High School Host Club, Part One!

The fiesty twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, try to steal away the heart of Tamki’s “baby”, the cute and out of place Haruhi, in the second half of Ouran High School Host Club!

Plot Summary

Haruhi can’t catch a break from the duties and attentions of the Host Club. The twins continually vie for her attention, much to the chagrin of the club’s “king”, Tamaki, and said clueless leader won’t let Haruhi out of his sight. She’s also become a popular Host that the Club’s unsuspecting female guests can’t get enough of.

But Haruhi senses something amiss when the beautiful facade of the fantasy world the Club has built begins to crumble. Will the King set aside his crown and let his kingdom fall, or will he hold fast and continue to dote on his eager guests?

Review

Ouran High School Host Club has my vote as the best anime comedy I’ve viewed to date. The laughs were smart and timed with exquisite precision. Freshness and originality abounded, and the pacing was perfect.

The anime didn’t rely on overdone gags and lowbrow humor. It didn’t ride a schtick into the ground or use the same line over, and over and over.  Ouran’s a series which really understood its genre (romantic comedy) and audience (shoujo lovers), and knew to take the high road in making a romantic comedy. Its take on harem anime and shoujo romance was a polite parody/ homage to a played out genre, not a mean-spirited roast.

Ouran’s main characters were in on the parody, and the self-awareness of the anime enabled it to poke fun, not only at shoujo stereotypes, but at itself. Ouran doesn’t take itself seriously at all in the first half of the anime, and only slightly towards the end of the second. The one-liners throughout the series are absolutely quotable, and the characters delivering them are complex enough to relate to, but ridiculous enough to laugh with and at.

I mean, a good-hearted, abundantly handsome but slightly moronic, self-styled, reverse harem king who sees an accidental-cross dressing, poor scholarship student as his little baby? How can that not be funny? It might not have worked if it were too saccharine, serious or overdone, but it was brilliant in the Ouran High anime.

Character Development

In Part Two of Ouran High, the characters we’ve been laughing at for thirteen episodes are given their unique personalities, the true ones which differ greatly from their Host Club faces. The cast was more developed and human in the second half of the series- they became interesting as well as funny.

Tamaki’s past is revealed, and while it could have come across as pitiful, it added strength to his personality instead of weakening it. He was still clueless, and an idiot, but he had a wealth of heart and good intentions.

The twins got the flashback treatment as well, and their motives for their twisted games are based in their childhood. I really liked the twins. They’re evil and duplicitous, but in a good, funny way. They’re bad, but not evil. Their quasi-twincest, which is all in the name of pleasing the fangirls, is refreshingly ironic.

Haruhi stays pretty much the same through the second half. She’s a real trooper in dealing with the host club, and is one of only two grounding personalities in the group, the first being the money-minded Kyoya.

Kyoya and Honey have some background work done too, but the stoic Mori gets a minor glossing over.

The flashbacks and character development aren’t obtrusive, nor do they get in the way of the comedy. But they do add something which makes this anime more than a run-of-the-mill shoujo comedy.

Ouran has a memorable supporting cast to match the lead cast. The best of the secondary characters is the enigmatic president of the Black Magic Club, Nekozawa. Nekozawa, with his evil hand puppet, Beelzenef, stood out as the oddest character at Ouran, though Renge, the obsessive otaku fangirl deluxe, was in close second. Although the secondary cast wasn’t given the development the Host Club was, they gave a lot to the series.

Character Design

In keeping with the comedy of “romantic comedy”, the anime used its visuals to exaggerate points (super details for when the boys are being sparkling hosts), to emphasize emotions (giant sweat drops for stress, teary waterfalls for sadness) or to drive home its shoujo inspiration (flower petals in the air when romance is in the offing).  It was pure anime.

The clothing was also atypical anime- school uniforms were standard suits for guys and dresses for girls, but the girls’ dresses were something out of a Victorian romance rather than the usual sailor suits. Outside of school, the main characters have different clothing for every appearance.  It’s a plus when the studio tries to make the characters feel real by giving them an actual wardrobe.

Animation

The animation for Ouran was as strong as the series. It had detailed shots in the right places without skimping on the quality elsewhere. Shots when the boys are at their bishi-tastic are gorgeously detailed. Every twinkle and dimple can be seen. Action shots are high quality as well.

The backdrops were given a lot of attention, the music room of the Host Club being a good example, with its abundance of detailing and color work. Bones animated Ouran High School Host Club. They did as good a job showing the story as the anime did of telling it.

Music

After listening to the opening and ending themes (Sakura Kiss, by Chieco Kawabe and Shissou, by LAST ALLIANCE) for twenty six episodes, the songs have begun to grow on me- slightly. They were both fantastic fits for the subject matter, both being sugary and pop rockish, but as stand alone songs, they were too “young”.

The opening theme is the more tween of the two, but it’ll get stuck in your head, like a wet lollipop to a cashmere sweater.

It was interesting that the songs were in both English and Japanese. The Japanese tracks weren’t as cloyingly teen as the English were, probably because “kiss kiss, fall in love” sounds better in Japanese than in English.

Voice Acting

While there is the option of switching to the Japanese voice cast, don’t. Just, don’t. The English voice cast outstrips the Japanese and is waaaay funnier. Humor is not a universal language, and some things just don’t translate well. Some of the translations in the Japanese/ subtitle option fall flat, while in the English they’re worded in language that flows easily and is more topical:

English:

Hikaru: Why was your cell phone…

Kaoru: …turned off?

Haruhi: I just don’t think about it really.

Tamaki: Did you say you have a cell phone?

Hikaru: We convinced her she should borrow one of ours so we can keep in touch.
Kaoru: It’s a part of a special “Friends and Family” plan.
Hikaru: Yeah, we’re in each other’s “Top Five”.

Tamaki: “Top Five”! “Friends and family”? But wait, I’m you’re daddy and buddy…so I’m part of the plan too, right?

VERSUS

Japanese:

Hikaru: You turned your cell phone off didn’t you?
Kaoru: You can’t do that!

Haruhi: But it’s such a pain!

Tamaki: Cell? You’ve got a cell did you say?

Hikaru: Yeah, but I should say it’s one that we’ve lent to Haruhi.
Kaoru: By the way, it’s one only for friends. Sir, you’re our “sempai” and all.

Tamaki: “Friends!?” That must be nice, huh? Then, I’m also in the “friends” category which includes daddies.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The English vocal work wasn’t just worded better, it was delivered better as well.

Greg Ayres really did a great job of  voicing Kaoru. He always sells his characters’ mischievous personalities, and he gave an extra note of diabolic boyishness to the twins.

Tamaki’s breathy bishi and clueless king personas were nailed by Vic Mignogna. Tamaki and Kaoru were my favorite characters and their voice work partly influenced my opinion.

Conclusion

Ouran High School Host Club is an almost too-good-to-be-true anime. It has great story, fantastic laughs, stellar characters, strong development, great animation, fast pacing and a top-notch ending. Unlike most things in life that fall under the “too good to be true” category, this series really is that good and it really is true. Go on, watch Ouran High- get spoiled!

Rating

Ouran High School Host Club, Part Two gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: January 6, 2009
• Retail Price: $59.98
• Number of discs:2
• Episodes:14-26
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Rating: TV 14
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

Part One is in stores now and Part Two is slated for release at the end of March. Part One is the combination of the first three volumes of the anime and contains episodes one through thirteen.

The Wallflower Cover Art

I’ve already rated the first three volumes, so check out my reviews of this crazy, good-natured poke at the shoujo genre!

• The Wallflower, Volume One
• The Wallflower, Volume Two
• The Wallflower, Volume Three

The Anime Blog is giving away a copy of the first volume (episodes 1-5) to one lucky reader to celebrate the return of the bishis!

For those who would like to win a copy of The Wallflower, Volume One, please read the rules and good luck!!

Contest Rules

• You must register with the site
• Log in with your user name and password.
• Comment below.
  1. All entrants must be registered users to win.
  2. Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of your entry.
  3. If you’ve won in the past four months, you are not eligible to win. We appreciate your participation, but we want everyone to have a chance.
  4. All entrants MUST live in the continental United States!!
  5. Your comment will be given a number. If your number is chosen from our random drawing, you’ll win The Wallflower, Volume One!

Additional Details

Deadline:

• The winners will be randomly drawn on February 17th, 2009. Any entrant posting after February 17th, 2009, midnight is not eligible to win, even if comments are still open.

Winner:

• The winner’s user name (but not email address) will be posted on the site. We will notify the winner by e-mail.

If you have any questions about registering, please read our privacy policy. Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends!

Ghost Hunt, Part Two has Mai dreaming of death and has the rest of the ghost hunters scrambling to solve some grisly cases.

Plot Summary

Naru takes on another school related case, but this haunting is more sinister than the previous one, especially since people are being psychically hurt as well as mentally traumatized.

The next unresolved haunting the crew takes on is by far the most gruesome and shocking the group has ever experienced. Danger lurks in every shadow, and doors that seem to lead to nowhere, in fact lead to grisly death.

And Naru takes on a case with its roots in the bitter past and an ancient feud. His abilities are put to the test and his pride may get the better of him if he doesn’t fall prey to the hauntings first.

Review

Part Two of Ghost Hunt steps up the squeamish and scream factors with an abundance of blood and violence. The cases are more mature and has content which is on par with certain slash flicks, except Ghost Hunt has actual story and plot (gasp!)

This latter half of the series progresses much like the first, with fast pacing and non-stop action. Cases in the anime are original and suspenseful. Not much whimsy is floating around in this part of the series, and an air of dread hangs over the episodes. The supernatural drama is intense!

The ghost hunters are challenged by powerful adversaries and come together in a way which made me believe these folks were for real (as real as can be expected in a supernatural thriller).

The best aspects in Ghost Hunt are the story and the pacing. Thankfully, no filler is added in this series- it’s all concentrated story, dilute in brain as necessary. It was a relief not to plod through random episodes, or worse, clip episodes, that went nowhere and gobbled up time. Zero filler means brisk pacing and no downtime, and the pacing is stellar in this anime, along with the story.

The series has all the elements of good horror: it has moments in which hands are groped for a feeling of safety and eyes are squeezed shut until creepy moments pass. It’s a combination platter of Tales From the Crypt with a bit of X-Files on the side and a sprinkling of shoujo, except without cheesey, bring-down plot lines and disappointingly bad dialog.

Ghost Hunt is unlike much of its genre. Horror flicks and series, especially 80’s horror ( who remembers Troma?) are notorious for crap dialog and gratuitous pouring-on-of-blood and skimpy plot. But the biggest crime the horror genre perpetrates is the abysmal lack of decent characters. In most movies, audiences cheer the bad guy since the villains are the only ones with a back story and any sympathetic connection.

Character Development

Ghost Hunt has both interesting apparitions and sympathetic protagonists.
Naru is a great character who has ridiculously high amounts of self-confidence and preening egotism, coupled with a generous spirit and compassionate nature. He’s a complex lead who resists categorizing.

Mai is also another character who doesn’t quite fit any one stereotype. She’s strong without being tomboyish, and feminine without being weak or moe. She’s not at all annoying, and is also a storytelling device for learning more about the series’ supernatural groundwork.

The other characters were mostly superficial, but with enough development to either like or dislike them. John, the Australian priest, is the least interesting character and is bland addition to a spicy cast. As a Catholic priest he’s portrayed in a most bizarre way…just watch it and see for yourself. I wonder if John’s character is an example of how the Japanese view Catholicism?

Character Design

Most of the characters have the stamp of generic anime in their features. The innocent or young ones have large, doe eyes and tiny mouths and the more mature, devious or cynical characters have eyes which are better proportioned. The designs for characters are standard for their types according to the unwritten style book of anime. Although the character designs are pretty blah and a tad typical, they were still apt for the realistic approach the writers took for the story

The studio followed the writers’ lead, and crafted the rest of the story’s world with a more natural feel. The only exception would be the ghouls, but even they aren’t so over the top that they shock viewers with originality. No, I liked how the designs didn’t detract from the story, but blended with it. They weren’t a crutch for the story, but more of an reinforcement of the direction of the series.

Animation

J.C. Staff animated the anime and did an average to okay job on Part Two, which seemed not as good as Part One. There were some scenes which were out of focus or the perspective was off or the quality was grainy. And detail shots were few and far between, just as in Part One.

Music

I have to say I really liked the music for Ghost Hunt, especially the opening and ending themes. The opening theme was reminiscent of Danny Elfman’s work on the sci-fi action movie, Men In Black. He also did the opening theme from Tales From the Crypt. And the ending theme had a relaxed, almost lulling effect.

Voice Acting

The Japanese voice cast is better than the English. It’s worth switching over to Japanese just to avoid hearing John Brown’s weak Aussie accent

Conclusion

As good as Ghost Hunt is, the ending leaves too much up in the air. It just ends, as if somebody pulled the plug, and beeeeeeeep, it flat-lines, end of. The series has so much left to explain and flesh out, especially with relationships and motives, that the ending is a real downer.

The anime is based on the ongoing manga series of the same name, which leaves room for speculation that there may be a second season. The box set, however, doesn’t give any indication if the studio had a second season in mind when they initially released it. But the Amazon listing does. A sign that the studio now has plans for Season Two?

Yet, even though the ending is meh, the series is still a fantastic anime which has decent scares, a bit of drama and a hint of romance, and has them all without being lame. It’s worth watching for the unique experience of viewing a series which juggles so much and doesn’t drop the ball. Just make sure you don’t watch it alone!

Rating

Ghost Hunt, Part Two gets 4 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: November 18, 2008
• Retail Price: $49.98
• Number of discs:2
• Episodes:12
• Run Time: 276 minutes
• Rating: TV-14
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

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Afro Samurai: Resurrection Review

Plot Summary

Years after Afro Samurai avenged his father, the deadly warrior has laid down his sword and tries to live a life of peace. But one cannot don the Number One headband and have a tranquil ever after.

Those who have lost loved ones under Afro’s skilled blade have come back to exact payment for the pain he’s inflicted, and the price is too high for the silent samurai to meekly pay. Once again Afro must sharpen his sword and slice his way back to the top. This time, it isn’t revenge- it’s personal.

Review

Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a rare gem in media- it’s a sequel which isn’t just as good as its predecessor, it’s actually better.

Afro Samurai Seeks Revenge...Again

The movie is more of an adventure than the slice and dice gore fest of the series. Afro is back with his side kick Ninja Ninja to put the hurt on some vengeful ghosts made in Afro’s bloody wake. It’s a solid telling of tables turned and whirlwinds reaped. In its ninety minutes, Resurrection takes us back to the motley world of hip hop and history, rap and rice paddies. Afro comes face to face with those who felt the bitter bite of Afro’s vengeance, and payback’s a bitch.

Resurrection is beyond entertaining, it’s entrancing. The fights, imagery, story and dialog make this sequel hard to look away from. It pulls viewers in from the first scene and is relentless with the way it shoves its gorgeous animation down their throats. Anime fans will get a much needed breather from the usual anime fare, and non-fans will get an introduction the anime world in a way that won’t scare them off.

Character Development

It’s obvious viewers who watched the Afro Samurai series will know the characters better than those who watch Resurrection cold. However, there is enough development for newcomers to piece together Afro’s past history with the antagonists. It’s not much, but it’ll clue viewers in why Afro is who he is and does what he does.

Afro this time around has a new purpose, and it colors his actions and perspective. This time around, he’s more thoughtful and precise. He’s still a bastard, but he’s a bastard who has some reserve and cognizance of who he’s affecting. It doesn’t hold him back much, but it deepens his character considerably.

Ninja Ninja, the voice of self-preservation, is louder now than in the series. He still has all the best lines, and he still adds lightness to the violence and sexuality of Resurrection, but he urges caution even more.

Ninja Ninja Gives Unwated Advice to Afro Samurai

Some of Ninja Ninja’s choice lines, voiced by the bad ass motherf*#er himself, Samuel Jackson:

• “This is the best?! Maybe you aughta kill this motherf*#er too, for ly’n!!”
• “I mean, he cool and all, but he ain’t yo’ pal. Just dead this fool!”
• “Aw, shit, this guy’s slick! I’m impressed. He just might kill yo’ ass.”

Character Design

Designs are once again top-notch and totally over the top. The meshing of hip hop culture and traditional Japanese culture creates an unique one all its own. If I were asked to describe the movie’s designs in one word, I’d have to invent one first: Cyber-feudal. The merging of advanced technology with traditional Japanese styles for Resurrection makes steampunk look tired. Nothing like it exists in the anime world, which makes this hybrid a refreshing stand alone.

The character designs are overly emphasized and sometimes exaggerated, but mostly different from what one would expect from the medium. The women are ridiculously endowed and scantily clad, not new in anime, but nary a bishonen can be found, nor cutesey giant eyes nor tiny mouths.

Resurrection is a blend of the best of comic and anime standards. The seasoned anime eye won’t glaze over from repetitious character designs, and newbies to the anime world won’t be bored by typical American animation. Resurrection has visual offerings for everyone.

The Evil (?) Soi

Color plays a big part in Resurrection’s designs, the colors being intense and muted simultaneously. They play off each other, creating tension in the appropriate moments. Some parts of Afro Samurai are black and white with a monochromatic overlay of a saturated color. The effect is cinematic and dramatic. It’s an intense device which works well to create mood.

The background shots must be mentioned as well. Details and colors make them more than just set pieces and more a part of the plot.

Animation

There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how implicitly awesome the animation is. Gonzo, the studio involved, gets a pass on some of the craptacular animation its done in the past few years for the breathtaking work its done on Resurrection. The skillful set lighting, shading and perspective in the animation gives the movie the chops to flirt with the moniker, “Work of Art”.

Speaking of art, the final fight scene is artistic and minimal, and a good call on the writers’ part. The rest of the fights wow with their originality and intensity. Afro has a more refined approach to his fighting style this time, but the fights are still a lot of sloppy fun to watch.

The animation itself is devoid of hinky motions, shortcut movements and other substandard marks of poor animation. It’ll spoil anime fans.

Afro Smoking with Ninja Ninja talking again

Music

RZA returns to set the mood to the Afro sequel with his throbbing beats and swanky seventies era vibe. The music flows from danceable hip hop to funky rock to soulful R&B in the space of minutes. It’s the perfect eclectic accompaniment to this jaw-dropping, eclectic movie.

Voice Acting

Samuel Jackson reprises his roll as Ninja Ninja and Afro Samurai, and Lucy Lui makes an appearance as the voluptuous Sio. They do a good job, and are very convincing in their roles. The rest of the cast is surprisingly good as well, which is hard to find among anime English vocal casts.

Production

The movie comes as a 2-disc special edition director’s cut and has a DVD full of extras along with a liner notes booklet. All of which fit handily in a slim, attractive box.

Conclusion

Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is a fantastic movie and an unbelievable sequel. I enjoyed this movie immensely and would recommend it to any fan of kick ass flicks and cultural romps. This co-production is a fine example of America and Japan working together to make an anime that bridges the gap between our pop cultures.

Rating

Afro Samurai: Resurrection gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: February 3, 2009
• Retail Price: $34.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Rating:TV MA
• Language: English
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC