School Rumble “ends” with this last volume in the series, but why does it feel more like a “See You Soon” than a “Sayonara“?

plot summary

Class 2C and 2D are locked in a battle of brawn as the two compete for school supremacy at the athletic meet. Harima steps up to the plate in order to save the class from a smack down, but is really only doing so to thank Eri for saving him from humiliation.

Harima is still struggling with Eri’s weird feelings towards him, his misunderstood relationship with Yakumo and his unrequited love for Tenma. In a bid to forget it all, the delinquent takes to the high seas.

Tenma has decided she will tell Karasuma her feelings, and sets out to do so, only to find herself caught in a dream, or is she?

The soap bubble which is the class’ adolescence seems ready to pop, but not before it floats some more along the Milky Way of teen love.

review

Gah, School Rumble really is a soap opera! It has just as many convoluted twists, turns and “gotcha!” moments as All My Children. There were two, count ‘em two, cop out scenes which turned out to be dream sequences or something similar. Why would the studio pull this on the last volume in the last two episodes?!

It was a given the series wouldn’t have anything resembling a tidy ending due to the path Volume Five was going down. I wasn’t as miffed as I normally would have been at the thought School Rumble wasn’t going to “end”, because the story still kept moving forward and was still building character and story development. But c’mon, why would they choose to dodge the chance to get more story lines resolved by substituting dream sequences for concrete storytelling?

The minute the story started getting really weird, I knew what I was seeing was a dream sequence, then again, weird stuff is always cropping up in this series so I wasn’t 100% sure until the sequence became even weirder. The minute I figured I was seeing a dream, I resigned myself to watch about ten minutes of fluff. Afterwards, I thought that would be the end of made-up sequences, but then BAM! Is this a dream too? Gimme break! It’s not to say the sequences sucked completely or weren’t entertaining, but the series appeared to be offering closure and then pulls it away. That was a mean prank, especially so close to the end.

Music

The last episode had a new ED song, “School Rumble 4 Ever“, by Go Takahashi. It was a very cheery, hip hop flavored tune, and wrapped up the series on a happy note. It’s always good to go out with a positive impression!

Conclusion

If this volume was supposed to be the absolute end of School Rumble, it was disappointing. However, the anime never built itself up enough to start focusing on a stopping point anyway. The series kept gathering steam, even adding more characters, but neglected to mention, “Yeah, we’re planning on ending.” So this series didn’t actually end. It didn’t even trail off. It simply shut down and will reopen shop in Season Two. Which isn’t bad, especially seeing as it never promised to end to begin with.

Volume Six was just like previous volumes: funny, entertaining and sweet. Unlike previous volumes, it had those two irritating, time-consuming dream sequences.

Rating

School Rumble, Volume Six gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Series Conclusion

Stepping back and looking at the anime as a whole, School Rumble is a great series. It’s funny, touching, human, weird, dramatic and all together entertaining. The anime has a touch of randomness which keeps each episode fresh. Yet it also has the feeling of a romantic comedy, so it resolves issues and story lines which come up in previous episodes.

I recommend the series for all who wish to remember (or commiserate with) the pangs and joys of teen puppy love. Except this time, you can laugh at the pain!

Series Rating

School Rumble, Season One gets 3.5 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:March 18, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:23-26
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

plot summary

Boredom can be deadly, at least that’s how it turns out when a shinigami decides he needs a little excitement in his life. The shinigami in question, Ryuk, casually drops his death note into the human world, with instructions on its use scrawled in English on the inside cover:

• The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
• This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.
• If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the subject’s name, it will happen.
• If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will simply die of a heart attack.
• After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The human who picks up Ryuk’s death note, Light, also happens to be bored. Light, a gifted student, is bored with the way the world is and bored with the never changing rottenness he’s surrounded by. He sees the death note as his opportunity to change the world and make it a better place – and to rule it.

Light first puts the death note to the test, and then begins to cut down the world’s most violent criminals. These mass executions don’t go unnoticed and are making the police concerned. Who’s killing so many criminals and how?

The police call on “L“, a mysterious detective who always solves his case, to catch the mass murderer responsible for the recent deaths. L and Light face off in a battle of wits and both vow to find and dispose of the other if it’s the last thing they do!

review

If this plot summary sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a word for word summary taken from my review of the Death Note manga, Volume One. No need to reinvent the wheel here, especially as the Death Note anime, Volume One is a faithful rendition of the manga, almost word for word. There’s some reshuffling of sequences, however, and some omissions and additions of minor scenes. The overall feel of the anime still captures the essence of the manga.

The first volume of the Death Note manga was fantastic, but volume one of the anime is in a word, superb. Madhouse Studios took panels from the manga and brought them to creepy life. Light is even more disturbing animated as he is drawn….

Character Development

An amazing amount of information is freely given in the volume, about Light’s motives, his connection with the police, and his twisted sense of righteousness. L is still a mystery, but there’s enough given to keep up his interest as a character. Light’s interactions with his family are a nice touch and add an even more sinister feel to his doings. It’s made clear Light will do whatever it takes to make the world a place he deems worthy, no matter the cost. So what does Light really want? A world free of crime and wrong doing or a world where he can rule supreme? Where are his priorities in regards to human interaction and how did this kid get this overblown god-complex?

This is once again taken from my review of the manga. The character development flowed a little differently when it was animated, however. It seemed to take a little longer to ripen, but was still very much evident. With so many images and colors assaulting the senses, the development blends into the visual nature of the anime and becomes more subtle. In the manga, I could grasp the development almost immediately. The pacing and development in the anime have a different flavor than the manga, just by it being anime. The shift is interesting and gives the anime more depth.

Character Design

Character designs adhered well to the original manga designs. There were tiny changes in the character designs by the studios, and they were actually for the worse. But the differences are so small, so minuscule, as to only be noted for someone really looking for them.

The color pallet was a good choice. I’m glad Madhouse didn’t use the colors on the cover of the manga for the anime. The desaturated colors used in the anime are much more expressive of the twisted story unfolding than the deeper ones used on the manga.

Animation

Madhouse did a jaw-droppingly good job with the animation. Motions were smooth, with no hiccups. To add a feel of “manga” to the series, some screens were split and paneled. The perspectives were intense. Emotions lit up the characters faces and were fluid. In one scene, Light’s eyes gleam fervently, burning with his sense of self-righteousness, as he smiles lazily, reflecting back on killing hundreds of criminals. The whole effect is über-unsettling, and that’s not easy to do with anime and be believable. Usually it’s just passable or laughable. I wanted to edge towards the doorway every time that kid went off on his “doing the world a favor” spiel. Good job Madhouse, you’ve creeped me out on a deeper level.

Music

I’m not a fan of the opening theme, “the World“, by Nightmare. It’s too pop rock for my taste. I was hoping for something more dark and sinister in an opening for an anime about mass murder. Something with subtlety. What accompanies the opening is too cheerful and pop-ish.

Same goes for the ending theme, “Alumina“, also by Nightmare. It’s too bright to be rock, plus it sounds just like the OP except with different riffs.

Voice Acting

The English voice cast has my vote as being pretty damn good. A few minor characters weren’t all that stellar, but Light and Ryuuk were pleasant and evocative. The Japanese voice cast is good as well so we kept the subs on while we watched. Honestly, either/or, the voice casts are both well done.

Conclusion

Sometimes a manga-to-anime translation is so bad, it’s impossible to recognize the manga underneath the ruins of the anime. So far, the Death Note anime has stuck faithfully to the manga, and made it even better than its source material. I’m actually torn as to whether or not I want to continue reading the manga if the anime is so close to it. The manga and anime are so good, however, I’ll make a note to set aside some time for both.

Rating

Death Note, Volume One gets 4 outta 4 Hammies!

Buy Death Note, Volume One DVD!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Viz Media
• Release Date:November 20, 2007
• Retail Price: $24.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:1-5
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: T+ for Older Teens
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Origins: Spirits of the Past, feels much like a Miyazaki film. But it only feels….

plot summary

In a bid to tame the harsh climates of uninhabitable planets, scientists on the moon created trees capable of living in any environment. They succeeded far beyond their expectations as the experimental forests grew wildly out of control and escaped their confines. The renegade trees descended to Earth and nearly destroyed all of humanity. Now the forest has become a sentient creature living side by side with the remnants of mankind.

Agito lives in Neutral City, on the edge of the forest. The city and the forest have had a harmonious relationship for decades. That is until Agito awakens an ancient from her three hundred year slumber. Toola, a young girl who’s physically Agito’s age, comes from a time before the forest dominated the planet.

Toola’s presence angers the forest as she represents a threat to the forest itself. But a young man from the military state of Ragna, Shunack, eagerly seeks Toola out. Shunack believes Toola can help him destroy the forest and bring back the past glory of humanity, a glory Toola misses.

Agito and Toola become entangled in an age old battle between nature and humanity. Will Toola bring harm or harmony to the forest Agito holds dear?

review

Origins is a movie about the respect and balance we should give and have with nature. But it was merely good, not great and I didn’t really walk away with a sense that the movie was about nature itself. The storytelling was average and while it had a message, it could have had a stronger delivery and more impact. The movie wasn’t preachy, but it had no edge to it either. I wanted that edge, I wanted the movie to harp a bit on the sorry state of the planet, and how as humans we’re responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. This was a perfect opportunity to point a few fingers and to subtly shake heads at industrial waste and so forth.

What I got from Origins was: Genetic engineering is bad. Let’s all live in harmony with this freakish forest that wants to fertilize itself with our decomposing bodies. The messages were mixed, if there were any at all.

Origins was an entertaining movie, but it lacked something which would have made it something beyond mere entertainment. It had no heart, no depth, no soul or spark. I didn’t feel drawn in at all, the anime didn’t even attempt to engage me.

The pacing was off too. Ideas were hurriedly told while certain unnecessary nuances were given more time than they should have. Things I felt should have been expounded on were tossed out and in a flash, disappeared. More time, more time! Is what I kept repeating over and over again as some point of interest flared up and was gone. The ideas for Origins would have been better suited as a series, where these ideas could be carefully plotted out. Either that or cut some points out, one or the other, can’t have both.

Character Development

I felt little to no connection with the characters except for Toola and Shunack. These are the only two people who have passion and vigor. Agito seems a bit lost in comparison to the clarity these two have. When Agito finally does start to get passionate about something, I almost don’t care since the whole scene is hurried. Why are Toola and Shunack rounded out but not the hero?

Character Design

Origins is a beautiful movie. The forest is threatening as is the state of Ragna. Both represent extremes and are depicted as such in the overly organic and and mechanical designs for each. The trees’ roots are blood red and shout, stay away! and Ragna’s giant tanks are covered in rust as red as the tree roots.

The druid girls have a highly H.R. Giger flavor, and I wanted to see more of that throughout the anime. Nature never looked better, nor more menacing.

The realism of Neutral City was depressing. So this is what a future without technology looks like? The remains of the old civilization were used to create the new, technology free one. The eerie beauty of the forest couldn’t offset the decrepitude of a fallen era. It’s a glimpse of what the planet will look like when we’re all dead and gone.

Animation

Gonzo did a superb job animating Origins. The animation was impressive, though the computer graphics were distracting at times. Most of the CG was well done, but when it was off it was off. All I can say is: volcano on legs. Overall, the animation stood out as flowing and natural. Background nature shots were gorgeous, though some shots of people were out of focus and lacking details.

Music

Origins opens with a haunting song,”Chouwa Oto“, by Kokia. It’s beautiful and simultaneously chilling. The soundtrack throughout had an air of high drama. It fit, though it was too grand at times. The ending wrapped up with the lovely, “Ai no Melody“, also by Kokia.

Voice Acting

Although the English voice cast isn’t horrible, I much preferred the Japanese voice cast for the movie. The Japanese voice cast emoted better, and suited the movie more than the duller English cast.

Production

Spirits of the Past comes with a DVD full of extras. The disc includes never before seen visuals, interviews, trailers and TV spots.

conclusion

Origins: Spirits of the Past is a good piece of entertainment. However, I feel it lacked something which could have given the anime a sharper focus and clarity. Truly great anime all have that focus which make them more than anime and more than entertainment. But Origins is only a good anime and merely entertaining; perhaps that’s all it ever wished to be.

Rating

Origins: Spirits of the Past gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:March 4, 2008
• Retail Price: $39.98
• Number of discs:2
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

<h4>Winners</h4>

1. Caitlin

44. Debaser

10. Momo83

Winners have seven days to claim their prizes or a new winner will be drawn!

This is Round Five of The Anime Blog’s Garage Sale Giveaway and we have even more goodies this time around! For those new to our Garage Sale Giveaways, please read the the original post!

The contest is simple:

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 giveaway has a 70 entry comment limit. When we reach 70, we’ll randomly draw a number between 1 and 70. If your comment number is drawn, you’ll be the proud owner of whatever listed! For example:

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

If we draw number 22 and your user name is Smitty, then you’ve just won a copy of Karas: The Revelation.

List of Loot

Anime DVDs

1. Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
2. Beck, Mongolian Chop Squad, Volume 3
3. Black Cat, Volume 6
4. Karas: The Revelation
5. Glass Fleet, Volumes 1-2
6. Glass Fleet, Volumes 3-4
7. Ikkitousen, Volumes 1-2, 4
8. Nerima Daikon Brothers, Volumes 1-2
9. Ah, My Goddess! Volume 1
10. Peach Girl, Volume 4
11. Red Garden, Volume 1
12. Witchblade, Volume 1
13. Witchblade Volume 2
14. Venus, Versus Virus, Volume 1
15. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 2-3
16. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 4-5
17. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 7-8
18. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Volume 1
19. Samurai X: Trust
20. Sentimental Journey: Disc 1
21. Speed Grapher, Volumes 1-2
22. Strawberry Marshmallow, Complete Series
23. Yu Yu Hakusho, Volumes 5-6

Manga

1. Mars: Volumes 1-5
2. Mars: Volumes 7-8
3. Mars: Volumes: 11-15
4. Blade of the Immortal: Volume 3
5. Descendants of Darkness: Volume 1
6. Crimson Hero: Volume 1

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 winner will be randomly drawn when 70 unique entries have been posted. Any entrant posting after the 70 comment mark is not eligible to win, even if comments are still open.

Winner:

• The winner’s user name (but not your email address) will be posted on the site. We will notify you 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! The more comments we get, the faster you can win!

Black Blood Brothers is an anime I’ve been much looking forward to in 2008, not least because it’s an anime showcasing vampires. It’s a series with an undead ensemble, fighting against wrong and living for the night. Maybe this anime will pump some life back into my interest for the genre.

plot summary

Years after a terrible war revealed the presence of vampires to humans, one of the Black Bloods, aka vampires, is seeking asylum in the guarded city known as the Special Zone. Jiro Mochizuki, an Old Blood, has with him on his journey to the Special Zone, Kotaro, his younger brother. Jiro wishes to hide himself and his brother in the secret city where other vampires also live unbenownst to humans. The Special Zone is special because mankind believes all vampires were eliminated during the war, yet vampires live peacefully within this city.

The Special Zone is highly sought after as a safe haven as it’s guarded by a force field capable of keeping out the dreaded Kowloon Children. The Kowloon Children are a wretched type of vampire who’s bite will kill anyone who feels it, vampire or human, and then turn them into another Kowloon Child. Their existence is what sparked the conflict between Red Bloods, humans, and Black Bloods. But Jiro and Kotaro are Old Bloods of a broken bloodline, who only wish to live in peace.

The two find themselves embroiled in a battle between the Order Coffin Company, vampire refugees also traveling to the Special Zone and a strange murderer who may be one of the reviled Kowloon Children. In order to stymie the erupting violence, the Coffin Company sends out a compromiser, Mimiko Katsuragi, to smooth things over with Jiro. Things quickly spiral out of control for Mimiko, and Jiro sees his worst fears come to light underneath the full moon!

review

Despite a beginning which was almost laughable (Why do vampires need machine guns?), the anime turned out to be really enjoyable. After getting off to a less than stellar start, Black Blood Brothers, pulled itself together and marched strongly forward.

There’s an air of romance to Black Blood Brothers, and not in the sense of two souls finding each other. It’s romance in the sense of idealizing vampires, and creating a fiction in which vampires are handsome, charming, noble, yet altogether deadly. In turn these romanticized beings must destroy twisted images of themselves who are evil, vile, and disgusting things. Both the romantic and unromantic depiction of vampires are popular in literature and film, now the two come together.

The story is an interesting take on how vampires and humans relate to each other. Instead of killing or turning mortals, a vampire’s bite gives vast pleasure. The Kowloon Children, however, are a disease, a bane upon both mortals and vampires. And both mortals and vampires had previously banded together to exterminate the threat. Or so they thought.

Character Development

I already feel a connection with both Jiro and Mimiko as both were given background and motives in the first volume. Kotaro is cute as the clueless vampire kid, but I sense there’s more there than meets the eye.

Jiro is a likable character with the potential for real depth. He’s suffered, and suffers still, from a profound loss in his past. His sadness and anger play out as purely human, even though he’s a powerful vampire capable of stopping tank shells with a thought. He gets angry with his little brother, Kotaro, and tosses him around like a cat toy, but then holds him affectionately.

Kotaro is a naive, happy youngster who’s the opposite of his strong, brooding brother. He’s immune to the sun and the sea, while both negatively affect his brother. Kotaro laughs and giggles while Jiro broods in pure angst. It’s impossible to see how these two are related, except in a vampire sense.

Enter Mimiko, the Company compromiser. This gal has gumption and will go to any lengths to resolve a dispute between Red and Black Bloods if they’ll lead to peace. She does what her title suggests, she compromises with people. Mimiko’s got a tough personality with a touch of innocence. Most importantly, however, she’s, thus far, not annoying.

Character Design

Some of the characters are stereotypically anime, Kotaro being a prime example. His huge eyes, button nose and tiny mouth are anime’s way of saying “innocence”. I dislike this style, but I can stomach it in small doses.

Most other characters were free from the giant eyes and over cuteness. Speaking of eyes, what’s up with Jiro’s guy-liner? Is that a vampire thing?

Aside from Jiro and Kotaro’s costumes, nothing is either too freakish or too creative. I personally would have dressed Jiro in purple or blue, but I suppose it’s an anime thing to have the supernatural hero wearing red.

Animation

Group TAC, the studio behind Black Blood Brothers, also did Gilgamesh. Interesting. The animation for BBB was well done but seemed patchy in places. One shot would be absolutely gorgeous and detailed while the same scene two seconds later wouldn’t be so grand. Still other scenes were merely good, others okay, and others so-so. It averaged the animation out to good to okay. There needed to be some truly exquisite shots to bump the anime up to great. It lacked those shots, sadly.

Music

I dislike the OP, “Ashita no Kioku“, by Naozumi Takahashi very, very much. It’s the metal riffs along with the straight forward rock vocals which rubs me the wrong way. The ED, “Shingiru” by Loveholic, sung in English, however, is a lovely, soft melodious ballad. Quite the contrast between the OP and ED.

Voice Acting

Either the Japanese or the English voice cast are good options. I went with the Japanese voice cast, but the English cast is decent. If you’re a die-hard dub fan, you shouldn’t be too disappointed with the English dub.

conclusion

Rating

Black Blood Brothers, Volume One gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:2008
• Retail Price: $24.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes: 1-5
• Run Time: 121 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

The Princes in the birdcage kingdom

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is an anime based on the CLAMP manga of the same name. It highlights the journey of young Syaoran as he gathers the “feathers” of his beloved Princess Sakura’s memories. Sakura’s memories have been scattered far and wide through various dimensions. With his companions Kurogane, Fay and Monokone, Syaoran journeys through space and time with the help of the dimension witch, Yuko, in order to help his beloved regain what’s precious to her.

plot summary

Tsubasa, The Princess In the Birdcage Kingdom

Syaoran and his companions fall from the sky into a beautiful kingdom surrounded by a massive glittering birdcage. Within this country is one of Sakura’s memory feathers. Syaoran and Sakura land near a village and are found by one of its young inhabitants. He takes the two to meet the princess of the country, who’s in hiding from her evil uncle. The girl’s uncle reigns as a tyrannical king as she cowers in hiding. The princess wields a mysterious power her uncle needs to plunge the kingdom into everlasting night. This same uncle has also kidnapped the bird companions the people of this country all possess and perverted them to his dark purpose.

Meanwhile Kurogane and Fay are taken captive by the evil king’s royal guard and placed in birdcages. The group must find a way to defeat the nefarious king in order to free this beautiful country from darkness and to gather one of the remaining feathers of Sakura’s memory!

review

The movie didn’t feel at all like a movie, despite the gorgeous animation and abundance of beautiful detailing. It viewed just like a lengthy episode of the series and was a continuation of the anime instead of a side story or conclusion. I don’t know why this extended episode was dubbed a movie, but it’s something fans of the series will nonetheless want to see and possibly own.

I’ve only seen one volume of Tsubasa, but I was still able to follow the story and get some enjoyment from the “movie”, especially as a small portion of the beginning is devoted to a minute bit of explanation. Anyone who hasn’t seen any of the series will likewise get some enjoyment from it.

Character Development

There was no development for this movie as its target audience is established fans. However, there are enough comments about Sakura and her plight to cobble together a rudimentary understanding of the series if not enough to understand who these people are.

Character Design

There’s no background on Syaoran and his friends, yet the movie is pleasant as a travelogue of this so called Birdcage Kingdom. The designs are beautiful, flowing and organic and the backdrops are all fully detailed. This kingdom is positively glowing in its verdant beauty. I wanted to visit this country it was represented so well. The jewel tone pallet of the movie captivated the lushness of the place.

The details made the anime a rich experience. The tiny facets of a jeweled mosaic, the brilliant flash from a bit of sapphire, and the tinkling sound of beads as they gently clink together were icing on an already pretty cake. It seemed as though nothing wasn’t given an extra shine, a bit more sparkle, an added dose of detail.

Animation

Production I.G. did a fantastic job with the movie. The animation was top-notch and action scenes flowed like water.

Music

The OP “aerial“, by Kinya is unremarkable. The soundtrack was light and felt Celtic, a good accompaniment to the organic feel of the anime. The ending theme, “Amrita“, by Yui Makino was as unremarkable as the OP. The music in between the OP and ED was better than either.

Voice Acting

Both the English and Japanese voice casts for Tsubasa are well done. I still watched the movie with the Japanese voice cast, but either is good.

Conclusion

While the Tsubasa movie isn’t much of a movie, it does get credit for making a beautifully enhanced and vibrant thirty five minute episode. As a movie it gets two Hammies, but as an episode it gets three and half Hammies which averages it out to:

Rating

3 outta 4 Hammies!
————————————————————————————————————————————-

A Midsummer’s Night Dream

xxxHolic is also a CLAMP manga turned anime. xxxHolic features the dealings of the dimension witch, Yuko Ichihara, and her reluctant indentured servant, Kimihiro Watanuki. Watanuki was plagued by swarms of ghosts and spirits who are irrestibly attracted to him. One day he makes a deal with Yuko to be her servant if she’ll get rid of the spirits. Now he must work off the debt, and only then will Yuko banish the spirits.

plot summary

xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Yuko receives a young visitor one day who claims she can no longer enter into her own house. She begs Yuko to help her and Yuko agrees, for a price. Watanuki is less than thrilled at Yuko’s acceptance of the job as it means he has to go with her. As they draw near the house Watanuki senses spirits but is safe from their harassment thanks to Dōmeki (a young man able to banish spirits with his mere presence) who was also invited to come.

Upon entering the house, the three meet a group of people who have gathered at the mansion. They’re all various collectors and are at the mansion to finish their collections, or so they believe. A sinister force, not yet apparent, is orchestrating something behind the scenes and it’s up to Yuko, Kimihiro and Dōmeki to discover what it is.

review

Unlike Tsubasa, xxxHolic did feel like the movie it claims to be. This anime has a surprising charm to it, one I don’t encounter much in anime. xxxHolic has a light feel and isn’t dreadfully serious, despite its supernatural and dark overtones.

The story for the movie has great pacing and a good plot. Twists, turns, foreshadowing, development, all were seamlessly interwoven. I didn’t have any inkling what might happen next, a rarity in many anime. What I thought were obvious ploys, morphed into more mysteries, keeping my attention engaged the entire time, another rarity.

Character Development

xxxHolic, the series, isn’t even out on DVD here in the States yet, but I could still grasp the story from the skillful background hints dropped throughout. It wasn’t a distraction the way characters were introduced as being related in this manner or that, or having this power or another. The storytelling was impressive in this regard.

There wasn’t character development for the main characters per se, but the antagonists were told with a sympathetic voice, connecting the story even further to audiences. I was drawn deeply into this anime before I knew I had been.

Character Design

Yuko and her companions are drawn with overly exaggerated limbs and look slightly freakish at first, second and third glance. Long arms, slim narrow waists, overly hooded eyes and elongated fingers punctuate the characters. It’s an odd thing to see at first, but the stylistic art of the anime grows on you. Everything which is potentially odd to begin with, is accentuated even further, almost to the grotesque. The art never really crosses the line from bizarre into grotesque, except to draw attention to evilness and wrongdoing.

The buildings, the grass, the carpet, almost everything has some type of texture in the movie. Details abound in xxxHolic and its style is unique and as pleasing as the storytelling, if one is a fan of the unique. Despite the ominous and sometimes threatening style of the anime, the characters are quite lighthearted. It’s a dichotomy of the characters versus their surroundings which results in delicious creepiness. I’m struck by how xxxHolic is strongly reminiscent of a very dark and eerie Alice and Wonderland, and Watanuki is Alice.

Animation

The animation, by Production I.G., was as exceptional as the style, with interesting camera angles and perspectives. Everything about this anime is surreal and would make Renee Magritte green with envy. C’nest pas un anime.

Music

Listening to the soundtrack is like listening to a dark yet simultaneously bright orchestra. The extremes are fascinating and give xxxHolic an added touch of the surreal. At times, the music can truly be called mood music in it’s evocativeness.

Voice Acting

The English cast is just as good as the Japanese voice cast, if not slightly better. I recommend either, and you’d be set with great voice work.

Conclusion

A Midsummer Night’s ending was beautiful and touching. This movie has me determined to watch the xxxHolic series. The storytelling, pace, and style is an extreme and weird departure from overly pretty anime with more style than substance. In thirty five minutes it connected with me better than most series which last nine long hours. xxxHolic could be something I find myself getting addicted to….

Rating

xxxHolic: A Midsummer’s Night Dream gets 4 outta 4 Hammies!

Overall Double Feature Rating

3.5 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: February 19, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

plot summary

Narumi Kiyotaka is a brilliant detective and pianist, excelling at everything he does. Narumi Ayumu, Kiyotaka’s younger brother, lives eternally in the shadow his elder brother casts. Ayumu both admires and despises his older brother for his achievements, but is shocked when one day Kiyotaka disappears without a trace. Before his disappearance, the elder Narumi calls his younger sibling and says only that he will unravel the mystery of the Blade Children, then nothing.

Two years later, Narumi happens upon the scene of a crime at his school. Upon further investigation, Ayumu learns the girl who was the target of the crime is one of the mysterious Blade Children his brother was so interested in.

More crimes occur and Ayumu finds himself in the middle of a vast conspiracy. He unwillingly gains a helper cum sidekick with his investigations in the form of intrepid school reporter, Yuizaki Hiyono.

The arrival of the world famous pianist, Eyes Rutherford, to the city adds more trouble to Ayumu’s already troubled investigations. Eyes puts Ayumu’s wits to the test, time and time again, as the famous pianist and Blade Child gages whether or not “Little Narumi” can help the plight of the cursed Blade Children.

Can the younger Narumi brother uncover the truth behind the Blade Children and his brother’s disappearance? Can Ayumu put the pieces of the puzzle together before it’s too late?

review

I want my nine hours back. I feel as though a thief stole nine precious hours of David’s and my time, and that thief is Spiral. The ending for this time pilfering series was the coup de grace which left an empty pit in my stomach and made me bitter I watched the whole damn thing. This anime had no payoff and zero development in the story department.

The first episode for the series was a great hook, as every initial episode of anything should be. The promise of mysteries to be solved and of a possible sci-fi/ fantasy element was too good a lure to turn down. Night after night we invested our time in the anime, which had the same formulaic pace and plot in each episode. Instead of substantially building upon previous episodes, or offering progressively more info, the series seemed to do exactly as the title suggests; spiral around and around the central theme of the Blade Children. It spiraled further away from the plot and pacing with each new turn. Scant info was included in the series, though mysteries supposedly abounded.

The mysteries this anime professes it holds are mere illusions. The Blade Children are presented to be these poor, cursed individuals with a missing rib. Ayumu’s brother is their messiah, their savior. But if Kiyotaka is their messiah, they believe Ayumu is the second coming. These violent youngsters are supposedly doomed from birth, yet no reason is given for their existence nor their fate, so why do they need to be saved? Because they’re being hunted? Why are they being hunted? Should I even care?

Just because the Blade Children are presented as an unknown quantity, doesn’t make them a mystery; it makes them an annoyance. It’s bad policy to keep promising audiences answers but only feeding them rubbish and more questions. The second sin this series committed was to keep the audience in the dark about Kiyotaka’s involvement with the Blade Children. All we’re offered is he went in search of them and found them, end of. Any questions Ayumu would ask the antagonists about either his brother or the Blade Children was met with silence or violence.

The whole “plot” of the story was dumb. The Blade Children want Ayumu to help them, yet repeatedly test him in violent and deadly ways. Yeah, that’ll make someone want to help. Here, try and stick this knife in this guy, he’ll save your life in return.

Granted, the battles of wits were entertaining but they went nowhere, accomplished nothing and were ultimately pointless. I thought the story was about the Blade Children, not mental death matches.

Character Development

The characters of Ayumu and Hiyono were the only people I cared anything about. I actually really liked both of them. Ayumu is portrayed as a bored, but brilliant amateur detective, who’s filled with self doubt due to constant comparison to his brother. His laid back, but cool demeanor hides the gentle and thoughtful nature lurking under his self-possessed facade. He’s a very likable character with a lot of depth and a lot of angst.

Hiyono is the complete opposite. She’s full of bubbly energy and confidence, not only in herself, but in Ayumu. I first thought she’d be a tacked on moe sidekick, but she turned out to be a great addition to the anime.

I wish the series was just about these two as young detectives, solving local crimes and whatnot. Instead, what viewers get is this cavalcade of shallow empty characters doing pointless things involving two likable and developed characters. The contrast couldn’t be more apparent between the Blade Children and Ayumu and Hiyono.

Character Design

Stereotypical is what I’d call the character designs. The spiky hair and huge eyes featured in Spiral is one of the more common hallmarks of the medium.

Most of the designs represent everyday Japan. The kids wear Japanese school uniforms and Eyes sports dress casual when he performs and leather the rest of the time. Nothing stands out as interesting and inventive.

Animation

J.C. Staff animated Spiral, and despite the mediocrity of the anime, the animation was decent. There were a few detailed shots, not many, and a few shots looked a bit sketchy, but not god awful.

Music

Skip the OP. Just do it, it’s horrible. The screeching, “Searching for new world”, Engrish in the beginning of “Kibouhou” by Strawberry Jam, is like an icepick to the ears. We made it a game to see who could fast forward the OP the fastest. The ED, “Kokuteru” by Hysteric Blue, was better than the OP, yet is neither remarkable nor memorable.

Music throughout the episodes built up suspense and drama, but was as pointless as the numerous “contests” in the series.

Voice Acting

The English voice cast is not so good. Ayumu’s voice actor lacks the emotion his Japanese counterpart conveys. Kanone Hilbert’s character had a horrible Southern accent. It was truly, truly bad. I liked the Japanese voice cast much more.

Production

The designs on the packaging and DVDs look good, but the way the DVDs are stored in the set leaves much to be desired. The DVDs will fall out, in a rain of discs, if they’re aren’t put back just so. They’re not securely set in the pages, they’re slipped in, as I learned the hard way.

I had a tough time deciphering the DVD menu screen. Instead of clearly labeled “Play Episodes“, or “Setup“, the menu has “Base” and “Progression“. This series is committed to annoying the hell out of its viewers.

Conclusion

While I enjoyed Ayumu and Hiyono, Spiral was a failure at being either mysterious or good. The suspense it tried to drum up for the purported huge mystery of the Blade Children was nothing more than smoke and mirrors meant to detract from the plot. That was the real mystery; how an anime got through twenty five episodes with only pointless questions and nonsense to fuel it….

Rating

Spiral gets 1.5 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:December 11, 2007
• Retail Price: $49.98
• Number of discs:6
• Episodes:25
• Run Time: 625 minutes
• Rating:Unrated
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

This is Round Four of The Anime Blog’s Garage Sale Giveaway! There’s even more goodies this time around so take the time to look the list over! For those new to our Garage Sale Giveaways, please read the original post!

The contest is simple: You choose one item or group of items from our pile of loot, and post one comment declaring your desire to be owner of said loot. When we reach sixty comments, I’ll randomly draw a number between one and sixty. If I draw your comment number, you’re now the proud owner of whatever you declared you liked within your comment. For example:

1. Anime Fan
I sure would like me Karas: The Revelation!

If I draw “1″ and your username is “Anime Fan”, then you win Karas: The Revelation, savvy?

One thing to please remember when entering is that you MUST register with the site to enter! Why? Because it makes it easier to contact you if you win, i.e. search the registry for your contact info.

There have been numerous instances when someone lost a prize solely because they did not register. Don’t be “that” guy! Register and actually be eligible to win! If you have any reservations about registering, please read our privacy policy and know we never sell your info nor contact you unless you’ve won.

After you’ve registered, check out the loot and comment below!

*Note: Please read the rules under “To Enter” carefully!!!

To Enter:

• All entrants must live in the continental U.S.
• All entrants must be a registered user to win.
• Post a comment in the comment board below with the name of one of the articles being given away.
• You must list an item in your comment or the comment will be deleted. Saying, “I want to win”, or “I want so and so to win”, will also result in deletion of the comment.
• One post and one item only per registered user. Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of ALL said user’s posts.

Deadline:

• Deadline is numerical: 60 unique comments (minimum). The winner will be randomly drawn when 60 comments have been posted.

Winner:

• Winner’s user name will be posted on the site and notified by e-mail!

Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends! The more comments we get, the faster you can win!

Manga

1. Mars: Volumes 1-5
2. Mars: Volumes 7-8
3. Mars: Volumes: 11-15
4. Blade of the Immortal: Volume 3
5. Descendants of Darkness: Volume 1
6. Crimson Hero: Volume 1

Anime DVDs

1. Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
2. Beck, Mongolian Chop Squad, Volume 3
3. Black Cat, Volume 6
4. Karas: The Revelation
5. Glass Fleet, Volumes 1-2
6. Ikkitousen, Volume 2
7. Ikkitousen, Volume 4
8. Nerima Daikon Brothers, Volumes 1-2
9. Ah, My Goddess! Volume 1
10. Red Garden, Volume 1
11. Witchblade, Volume 1
12. Witchblade Volume 2
13. Venus, Versus Virus, Volume 1
14. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 2-3
15. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 4-5
16. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 7-8
17. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Volume 1
18. Solty Rei, Volume 4
19. Samurai X: Trust
20. Sentimental Journey: Disc 1
21. Strawberry Marshmallow, Complete Series
22. Yu Yu Hakusho, Volumes 5-6

Please keep reading for more giveaways starting very soon! Thanks for entering one and all!!

This is Round Three of The Anime Blog’s Garage Sale Giveaway! There’s even more goodies this time around so take the time to look the list over! For those new to our Garage Sale Giveaways, please read the original post!

The contest is simple: You choose one item or group of items from our pile of loot, and post one comment declaring your desire to be owner of said loot. When we reach sixty comments, I’ll randomly draw a number between one and sixty. If I draw your comment number, you’re now the proud owner of whatever you declared you liked within your comment. For example:

1. Anime Fan
I sure would like me Karas: The Revelation!

If I draw “1″ and your username is “Anime Fan”, then you win Karas: The Revelation, savvy?

One thing to please remember when entering is that you MUST register with the site to enter! Why? Because it makes it easier to contact you if you win, i.e. search the registry for your contact info.

There have been numerous instances when someone lost a prize solely because they did not register. Don’t be “that” guy! Register and actually be eligible to win! If you have any reservations about registering, please read our privacy policy and know we never sell your info nor contact you unless you’ve won.

After you’ve registered, check out the loot and comment below!

*Note: Please read the rules under “To Enter” carefully!!!

Manga

1. Mars: Volumes 1-5
2. Mars: Volumes 7-8
3. Mars: Volumes: 11-15
4. Blade of the Immortal: Volume 3
5. Descendants of Darkness: Volume 1
6. Crimson Hero: Volume 1

Anime DVDs

1. Pumpkin Scissors, Volume 1
2. Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
3. Beck, Mongolian Chop Squad, Volume 3
4. Black Cat, Volume 6
5. Karas: The Revelation
6. Glass Fleet, Volumes 1-2
7. Ikkitousen, Volume 2
8. Ikkitousen, Volume 4
9. Nerima Daikon Brothers, Volumes 1-2
10. Ah, My Goddess! Volume 1
11. Red Garden, Volume 1
12. Witchblade, Volume 1
13. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 2-3
14. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 4-5
15. Vision of Escaflowne: Volumes 7-8
16. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Volume 1
17. Solty Rei, Volume 4
18. Samurai X: Trust
19. Sentimental Journey: Disc 1
20. Strawberry Marshmallow, Complete Series

To Enter:

• All entrants must live in the continental U.S.
• All entrants must be a registered user to win.
• Post a comment in the comment board below with the name of one of the articles being given away.
• One post and one item only per registered user. Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of ALL said user’s posts.

Deadline:

• Deadline is numerical: 60 unique comments (minimum). The winner will be randomly drawn when 60 comments have been posted.

Winner:

• Winner’s user name will be posted on the site and notified by e-mail!

Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends! The more comments we get, the faster you can win!

In the spirit of giving, The Anime Blog is having a Christmas Giveaway Extravaganza! We’re giving away one of the following to three lucky readers. And unlike our other giveaways, where we require 60 comments before we draw names, we’re lowering the comment requirement to 20!!

To Enter:

• All entrants must live in the continental U.S.
• All entrants must be a registered user to win.
• Post a comment in the comment board below with the name of one of the articles being given away.
• For this contest you must have a second and third choice of prizes in case the first name drawn wins your first and/or second choice.
• One post and one item only per registered user. Flooding the board with multiple posts will result in deletion of all said user’s posts.

Deadline

• Deadline is numerical: 20 unique comments (minimum). The winners will be randomly drawn when 20 comments have been posted.

Winner

• Winners’ user names will be posted on the site and notified by e-mail!
• There will also be a second mystery prize included with all winnings!

Manga

• My Dearest Devil Princess, Volume 1

Anime DVDs

• Yu Yu Hakusho, Volumes 5-6
• Case Closed, Volume 3
• Kodocha, Volume 13
• Karas, The Revelation
• Glass Fleet, Volume 1
• Ikkitousen, Volume One
• Nerima Daikon Brothers, Volumes 1-2
• Tetsujin 28, Volume 1
• Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Volumes 4-5
• Witchblade, Volume 1
• Witchblade, Volume 2

Good luck and don’t forget to tell your friends! The more comments we get, the faster you can win!