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Guy
Posts : 50
Join date : 2011-01-04
|  Subject: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:46 pm | |
| Hello and welcome everybody to This Guy Reviews. Just recently (2011) I've started to get back into anime and manga again, so I want to keep track of what I watch and read from now on and rate them as I go along. The purpose for this thread is very simple; I want to catalog and share reviews I have for anime and manga. It may be a slow process but I believe this will help myself out, my friends, and anyone who may be looking for an anime to watch and wants a quick review. This thread is firstly going to be broken up into sections where each section is its own post. Ten sections total and to start out with they are all going to be slim. But as time goes on they hopefully will fill out with 5+ in each section to create a more pleasant view. Quick Q & AQ)How am I going to rate anime and manga? A)I will be rating on a 0-10 scale with 5 being the range for "average" "mediocre" or "okay". For the sections about "discussion value" they will be rated from Low - Moderate - High. Reasons why I do not put them in the reviews is because not every anime has discussion value but is still entertaining. Q)Why are some sections listed in alphabetical and others in the Best-worst rated order? A) I believe that the listing styles are appropriate for the sections they're in. When looking at reviews you would want to look at the best to the worst, but when looking up discussion value and helpful links alphabetical works better to find easier once things really get rolling. Section ListSection 1. Lists of reviewed Anime & Manga in descending rated order. Section 2. Anime rated overall 10-7 in descending rated order. Section 3. Anime rated overall 6-4 in descending rated order. Section 4. Anime rated overall 3-0 in descending rated order. Section 5. Possible discussion value of the listed anime in descending alphabetical order. Section 6. Manga rated overall 10-7 in descending rated order. Section 7. Manga rated overall 6-4 in descending rated order. Section 8. Manga rated overall 3-0 in descending rated order. Section 9. Possible discussion value of the listed manga in descending alphabetical order. Section 10. Helpful links to each anime or manga, where I viewed it at the time in descending alphabetical order. *Bonus* To be reviewed Explanation on how I am going to break up sub sections for rating Anime and Manga.- Spoiler:
~Overall (/10)
The overall average score from each of the major categories (story, sound, animation, and characters) added up and divided by 4. It is taken to 2 decimal places. This will contain some summary points from each of those categories and final thoughts.
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~Story (/10)
The overall average score from sub categories ( Plot, Progression, and logicality) added up and divided by 3, taken to 1 decimal place.
Plot (/10)
The plot of the anime/manga. What I like about it and how interesting it was.
Progression (/10)
How did this work progress? Was it too slow to get into, did it speed through parts that they could have slowed down on?
Logicality (/10)
Does what happen in the story or with the characters make sense (in that universe)?
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~Sound (/10)
The average score from all sub categories in sound (music, effects, dialogue) added up and divided by 3, taken to 1 decimal place. Note that sound is not in any manga review.
Background Music (/10)
Simply the background music used and how I enjoyed it or if I felt that it added a significant part to the anime.
Sound Effects (/10)
The sound effects used throughout the anime, maybe if some are too overused or feel incredibly out of place, this will receive a poor rating.
Dialogue (/10)
Character dialogue is important and if I don't like the voices this sub category's score will reflect that.
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~Animation (/10)
The overall average ratings from all Animation sub categories ( facial movements, backgrounds, animation style, *and possibly fight scenes*) added up and then divided by the amount of sub categories scored, taken to 1 decimal place.
Facial & Body Movements (/10)
Facial and Body movements are important. If the characters don't visibly show emotion or react then it irks me a little.
Settings & Backgrounds (/10)
The settings and backgrounds for the scenes
Animation Style (/10)
The style of animation used, and how well it fits.
[Action Scenes (/10)]
This sub category isn't in every review, but for anime that revolve around action this is an important sub category.
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~Characters (/10) Yadda Yadda Sub categories for Characters (design, development, gravitation) added and divided by 3, taken to 1 decimal place.
Character Designs (/10)
The character designs and how they look
Character Development & Insight (/10)
It's not always the focus of anime but it relatively an important factor for me. This scores how the character(s) develop in the anime or if they are already developed, if there's any insight shown into why they are who they are.
Character Gravitation & Personalities (/10)
The character personalities, are they different or just drones and clones? How well could I gravitate towards some characters and did I like them?
Last edited by Guy on Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:08 pm; edited 2 times in total | |
| | | | Guy
Posts : 50
Join date : 2011-01-04
| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:47 pm | |
| Section 1.
Anime
Planetes (9.73/10)
Shion No Ou (7.25)
Simoun (5.91)
Avenger (3.65)
Manga
-TBA
Last edited by Guy on Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:09 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
| | | | Guy
Posts : 50
Join date : 2011-01-04
| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:47 pm | |
| Section 2. Anime rated 10-7Planetes 26 episodesOverall (9.73/10)Overall Planetes is a fantastically intriguing anime that will arouse your interest from the beginning. A beautifully animated realistic Sci-Fi drama with strong character personalities that will grab you, becoming memorable and possibly favorite characters. The voice actors did a great job portraying the characters during the story and you can feel the emotion and the drama in the air. The character development is possibly the greatest aspect of this anime, it will keep you engaged watching the characters develop and how they do so. There is a duality in the anime that balances and blends themes of happiness and sadness so well together that you are not constantly overwhelmed by one. There are cynical and optimistic characters along with despairing and hope filled beliefs, revelations, or circumstances. Planetes is certainly a top anime which should be seen by any viewer that wants a story centered around character development. - Spoiler:
Story (9.3/10)
Plot (9/10)
The plot of Planetes revolves mostly around Hachirouta Hoshino (Hachimaki), Ai Tanabe, and the Debris Section (Half section) of the Technora Corporation. The Debris Section is mockingly called the Half Section by other sections of the corporation because they have so few people working there, also it is at the bottom of the hierarchy for all the sections, there is little to no chance for a promotion, the pay is horrible, and the work is dangerous. Their main job is to pick up space debris in orbit around the Earth and the Moon and you will follow them along as they go out to collect debris, which the actual process of is much more about developing the characters than just picking up some bits and pieces so it is all entertaining. Later through sub plots you are introduced to antagonists and major dramatic scenes in this anime, along with love interests. Also, Hachi tries to accomplish the dreams he has in his own manner, while battling with himself along the way. The only negatives I have are on what happened to Hakim, and the Jupiter mission and a few of the plot devices used, even still they were mildly entertaining.
Progression (10/10)
The progression of Planetes goes along very smoothly you will be hooked within the first couple of episodes if the first one alone does not do it for you. It is a very nice speed and does not draw the plot out to lengthy boredom or throw too much to process in your face at once. Very well paced, also does not constantly bombard the viewer with psychological drama over and over, there are bits of light hearted comedy here and there to give you a reprieve and raise the characters' spirits which adds a balance to the story's drama.
Logicality (9/10)
This I believe is one of the most important attributes of an anime. How well does it make sense? How easy is it to follow the logic of the plot and characters? Well everything is easy to follow and understand. You wont be left grasping at straws wracking your brains trying to figure out how a character gets from point A) to point B). The basic story and progression makes perfect sense, aside from space ninjas. Humans on Earth needing resources looks to the moon and other planets to attain them, so they seek to accomplish that. Terrorists wanting to protect resources, and protect their countries from the domination of developed countries who try to lock them out from resources distribution attempt to stop them.
Sound (9.6/10)
Background Music (10/10)
The background music is absolutely fantastic. It really emphasizes the situations properly that are on the screen. Dramatic and light natured sounds pump or soothe your heart as you listen and watch everything unfold. Nothing is ever out of place or awkward, and it is all pleasant music. Nothing will horrify you or make you cringe saying, "What the hell is that doing here."
Sound Effects (10/10)
The sound effects in Planetes were absolutely perfect. First off lets start off with the lack of sound effects in space, there were no sounds when engines were fired up or one landed on an object, and rightly so. (on Earth, sound travels to your ears by vibrating air molecules. In deep space, the large empty areas between stars and planets, there are no molecules to vibrate. There is no sound there.) Along with that are the sounds here and there that the characters make during their interactions so everything sounds so realistic and acceptable.
Character Dialogue (9/10)
The voice actors did a great job with the character dialogue in Planetes. (subbed version) Nearly everything that happens happens through dialogue and it is just a pleasure to listen to all the actors. You can really feel their emotions and feelings, albeit maybe a little too much feelings at some times. Yes the actors were definitely voiced well but the main problem I had was that they seemed all too ready to jump into their yelling voices. They seemed very quickly provoked and didn't build up to yelling each time they'd just hit it right off the bat yelling. Mostly it was dramatic, fitting the scenes and adding perfect emotions, and at other times it was maybe a little too much.
Opening & Closing (N/A)
I personally would not rate or base my level of enjoyment of an anime on opening or closing credits. Sure it's okay if they sound good but it isn't necessary. If you like it watch/listen to it and if you don't or want to just watch the anime skip right on through them.
Animation (10/10)
Facial & Body Animation (10/10)
You will notice it right in the first episode, Planetes does an absolute perfect job animating facial expressions and body language during interactions between characters. It adds depth and emphasis to what is happening in the scenes you aren't just watching robots you're watching characters express themselves. The movement of characters is also fantastic, everything looks smooth as their bodies move fluidly whether they be out in space or inside of a ship.
Settings (10/10)
A stunning anime with great settings and basic designs. Looking out onto earth from high above, or watching debris burning up in the atmosphere, seeing scenes of a war, or the stars, and the ships, it is all amazingly realistic.
Animation Style (10/10)
The animation style fits perfectly here, it's an older looking style that is more realistic and stunning. Very pleasing to watch. This is a serious anime with lighthearted tones, it doesn't look cartoonish or sharply animated. By sharply animated I mean anime that lacks a natural feel for what people look like, this is more soft and realistic. Perfect for the subject matter. For an example of what I interpret as sharp animation take a look at Lelouch, he's all pointy.
Characters (10/10)
Character Designs (10/10)
The character designs are great, they look like real people. There aren't overused unrealistic hair colors or styles. Their eyes are shaped well and do not look awkward or are huge. The detail in outfits, suits, and space suits is wonderful. What they wear is practical for what they do while still remaining normal. There's nothing along the lines of crazy designed clothes or large spiky hair. The characters are all very proportionate too, again for a realistic anime it's important that it gives the feeling that it is real. One thing I have to specifically mention here is sometime during the last three episodes when Tanabe is in the space suit. There's a time which her designs are so dramatic and real, it can stun you.
Character Development & Insight (10/10)
Exactly what this anime is about, character development and insights. First off I'm going to say that Character Development (to me) is the development of a character as he/she progresses through the anime. Character Insight (to me) is the insight to a character's past or thoughts to explain why they are who they are, when they are already established and do not need to develop much if at all. The development of characters here and insights into their pasts was done amazingly well. This will absolutely keep your interests if you want to focus on characters. Especially Hakim's insight, for me at least. Multiple levels of the characters are exposed through conflict especially the main character Hachimaki. You will see the hope and despair revolve around Hachi as the story progresses while his character develops through contact with the new recruit Tanabe, sub plots, and other characters.
Character Gravitation & Personalities (10/10)
All of the characters have diverse personalities they are all their own characters (not boring clones) and through their actions you get to understand each of them. Gravitation, how easily it is to identify with and be drawn towards a character. This is most definitely the highest rating, from the very first episode you get a feel for main character personalities and you can be drawn to them. There is starting off, the cynical Hachimaki and the optimistic Tanabe. After progression and learning more about other characters you can become drawn to them based on their actions, or repulsed by them even. The enemy of interest is apathy and you shouldn't feel apathetic towards the main cast, even towards some of the supporting cast because they themselves are still interesting to see.
Shion No Ou 22 episodesOverall (7.25)With a rating of 5 being average this series is in between mediocre and perfection. So it is a pretty darn good series to see . You should enjoy the character interactions and revelations along with the story progression of this "who done it". It's not very psychological or mentally demanding so it's an easy watch. The excessive hints were a bit much, if they had cut back on it a bit the climax would have been much more fulfilling. After it's all over and done with there's nothing to be left for interpretation it's all relatively superficial and open before you. - Spoiler:
Plot (6/10)
Shin No Ou, this anime's plot is average enough without being spectacular. Shion, a 5 year old girl witnessed her parents murdered one night and due to the trauma lost her ability to speak. Eight years later the story kicks off with Shion entering shougi tournaments and contests, where she meets soon to be rivals, and through the progression finds out the truth of what happened 8 years prior. Through playing this game with others and during her own dreams she has flashbacks to feint memories of the night which took her voice, she cannot however remember everything so readily. There were decent plot twists in this series, when it would have you leaning in the direction of one conclusion it would come back and show you something else to make you forsake your earlier notions. Personally it took me a little while to get into this, especially having no understanding of the moves that were being made during the shougi matches. I was left to simply see the outcomes without knowing "why".
The major downside to this is that with all the plot twists, they foreshadowed this anime far too heavily. Even though the turns and twists are interesting at first, they just allude too much too quickly to make the final revelations have a great impact. Most anyone with decent deduction or reasoning skills will see the end of the story unfold in their minds before it is revealed in the series, the "who's" and the "why's"! This is a drama series and I feel that the actual matches lacked necessary drama, and to add to that they skipped over entirely or finished some matches early, only to later show someone coming out saying they won. The only times when it became dramatic were when Shion had flashbacks or somebody would bring up her past, usually those went together, if a character brought up her past in any way or reminded her of it she'd have some sort of flashback. The plot itself can be made into a simile, in that it is like a poor game of shougi (or chess). The opening was weak and slow while the middle awakened a little bit and was slightly above average, but the end game was weak you were just waiting for what was needed to fall into place and be done with it.
Sound (8/10)
In this series consisting almost entirely of dialogue, whether it be conversations between characters or the inner thoughts of opponents, the sound was fantastic. It is all well heard (there's no whispering or over the top yelling characters) and spoken in a way that you do not have to pause to read game explanations of what just happened or to finish reading sentences, so it doesn't progress too fast for the non speed readers. The voice actors did a fair job during key moments you can hear the voices match the emotions the viewer anticipates. The background music has blended well in this series it was all very appropriate, from lighthearted scenes to those more tension filled. I couldn't tell you what the opening or ending theme songs are like as I always skip these things when I can, to me they simply matter not.
Characters (8/10)
The characters in Shion No Ou are for the most part interesting and fun, you want to know more about them and see how they interact with each other. It focuses mostly on Shion herself, but she isn't the only character to be developed in the story. That is something I love in an anime, to be able to develop multiple characters or at least show what brought them from the past to the present. Actually the thing that is most developed about Shion is her Shogi playing level, the 8 year time from the murder to the main story skips any difficulties she had not having a voice, while from a young age she already appears to be a prodigy at shougi, so there isn't rigorous training. She remains the same strong hearted lovable and adorable character throughout with minor falters but always picks herself up with minor encouragement. The development of the supporting cast is what truly got me. Her foster father, Saitou, Nikaido, The Shougi Meijin Hani, Satoru, and even Kamizono. They all have depth to them that is revealed throughout the series. Some make more sense than others, and
***spoiler***
Animation (7/10)
The animation for Shion No Ou fit perfectly. The characters and settings were drawn very well, it felt realistic. During silly moments with Shion the character was drawn different which was a big plus, it fit with the situation and wasn't overly cartoonish or too serious for the situation. When things became tense, there were more accents and visual effects to pound in what was happening. Visually it was a joy to watch. The one issue I have is when certain shougi moves were made, although they were series in nature (apparently) I didn't like the exaggerated hair movement. In this realistic looking and feeling anime I thought that the emphasis with motions was a little too dramatic.
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| | | | Guy
Posts : 50
Join date : 2011-01-04
| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:48 pm | |
| Section 3. Anime rated 6-4Simoun 26 episodesOverall (5.91/10)Personally I would say that Simoun is an okay anime. The main focus of this series is about the characters and their interactions together. To a fault at that. It takes an incredibly long time to get into, more so than my usual standards, and had I not been watching this as part of a group or been watching something to review I would have ditched it after 4-6 episodes in. The characters, while I do not like their designs, are all mostly interesting and you can easily gravitate towards or away from a couple, however you'll still be left with a few you care nothing for. I had major issues with the excessive usage of still frames that they pan over, it was wrong and ruined a lot of moments. There are a lot of parts I disagree with how the incidents should have happened in a world that would make sense. If you don't mind guys sounding like girls then the voice work and sounds are all mostly decent and enjoyable. I would say that this anime in particular didn't tickle my fancy but others seem to adore it. As always interests are subjective and my opinion states this to be "meh" due to a variety of complaints throughout this series. Even with those issues, it rates at an average-okay view. - Spoiler:
Story (3.0/10)
Plot (5/10)
The plot of Simoun revolves all around character development and some minor conflicts/battles most episodes due to the war they are in. Along with the nature of their world, their purposes, and truths about Simoun and Sibyllae. Actually what purpose the conflicts serve is usually to affect the characters and their development. The battles themselves are not very interesting for the most part, also instead of feeling the pressures of the enemy it's still about the characters and what they're doing together or how they're doing it most of the time. Apart from that we have Sibyllae who are the pilots (and navigators) of the "chariots of the gods" called Simoun, and the main focus of this title is around Chor Tempest which is comprised most of the time by 6 pairs of 2 girls each. This is a world where there are no males born, only females and when they turn 17 they are allowed to go to "The Spring" where they choose which gender to become, male or female. For the pilots of the Simoun during war times however, it is not necessary that they go to "The Spring" as long as they are needed for the conflicts. The plot really boils down to a yuri love story and all of the obstacles that the pair of Neviril and Aaeru must overcome to find and realize their love for each other which leads them into the "Land of Hope." The way that this series ends, the entire thing boils down to Aaeru and Neviril, the rest of the time when it does not focus on them, it is on the back up characters and their bonds between each other. Nothing good to say about the plot, and nothing bad.
Progression (1/10)
The progression of Simoun was abysmal, in all honesty it was incredibly hard to bear with and it took a real kick in my ass to even finish the series. Firstly there are minor conflicts and loads of character development during the first few episodes, it isn't enticing and it didn't draw me in to wanting to watch more. My thoughts for a 26 episode series, if the first 5-6 episodes did not grab you then it has progressed poorly. This series did not become interesting for me to watch until episode 16, and even then it only lasted until about episode 20 or 21 then I became disinterested in the content again. It takes you so long to get into, they have a large cast (10-12 girls most of the time + outside minor characters) that you have to develop and go through that it just takes too long to get into the series, too long to become interesting while they develop characters. Then they kill off, exchange, and add in new characters that you have to learn about and get a feel for replacements and new girls. It is a really slow anime for me personally.
Logicality (3/10)
I find myself constantly questioning this Anime and the way that it progresses. Always questioning the content and a lot of which doesn't make sense to me for that universe or for those characters. Just for example in the first episode when a pair steps up from their controls on the Simoun, open their hatches, and in the midle of a huge fleet ready and trying to kill them, they kiss before performing a powerful attack. Now logic dictates at this point in time as they were sitting ducks, they would be shot and killed thereby killing off 1/2 of the main characters. Then the tactic that these cannon fodder used in the first episode is rarely if ever used again, erasing the trails of the Simoun so that they could never perform a Ri Maajon. Also these girls have to kiss each other to pilot their machines, they have to kiss each other passionately to fly well. One more thing is the flying airship, I have severe disagreements with the logic used aboard that giant air ship and how that whole thing played out. Of course they couldn't do what made sense in it because then it would ruin the character development. Flawed. I honestly can go on and read through my episode reviews and reflections to find every litle bit that I question, but that is unessessary. I find a lot of the content questionable.
Sound (6.3/10)
Background Music (7/10)
For the most part the background music was really good. Much of the time it fits the circumstances and situations well, much of the time it is very appropriate to play. However there are points in time where I hated the choices in background music and felt that it was a poor choice to play it there. Along with that, the background music can become repetitive, always using the same track over and over at different points in different episodes. So yeah it was good but I have a few issues with the music.
Sound Effects (9/10)
The sound effects of things like the Ri Maajons, ships explosions, banging on doors, etc all that good stuff. I really don't have anything much negative or positive to say. Nothing ever wow'd me though, and maybe I'm forgetting a few negative instances but at the very least for the most part all of the sound effects were spot on. That 9 is there because I likely forgot about something and there's a lot to look through in my notes but I'm sure that I had issues somewhere.
Dialogue (3/10)
I became increasingly confused irritated and agitated at the character voices and dialogue in Simoun. There isn't a great deal of action, it revolves mostly around characters and how they are together. I have major issues with the male cast, I don't care that they were once girls, when they became male they should sound like men. No, nearly every male character sounds female or feminene an it was a huge turn off to this series. Having to listen to it was frustrating at times, having to deal with the way the characters sound. Other than the males, Floe's voice is incredibly annoying which makes me want to punch her every time she talks, especially when she becomes a man. Men aren't supposed to sound like that. Aside from this, most of the character voices I liked, but it isn't enough to get over my problems with the male cast.
Animation (7/10)
Facial & Body Movements (10/10)
There is plenty of time in this series for up close shots of facial features and their bodies to look at their movements. Nobody was really stiff or their expressions mismatched what was happening often. I especially like Paraietta's twisted expressions around the mid-late part of the series, when she begins to have issues and break down. Well done mates, well done in this regard. I'll put in the Simoun movements here since that's an extension of their bodies. The Simoun fly smoothly through the skies, gracefully murdering all who oppose.
Settings & Backgrounds (8/10)
I did very much enjoy the animation for the settings and backgrounds. The world this takes place is interesting and the ships are nice. The only minor issues I have is that, the settings and backgrounds are repititious. Yes, a lot of the content and development happens in the same rooms or places, from different angles, and things like that. Granted it is a ship and they are set to certain places that the progression can take place, but most of the time even the battle fields look similar. Overall I did enjoy the settings.
Animation Style (3/10)
I have to give a low grade to the animation style. They cut a lot of corners when they would use the still frames. They used those to an excess which made unimportant points in the series less interesting because that was supposed to be for dramatic effect, or they used them during critical points but the frames over stayed their welcome. It is a major complaint and if you didn't notice all the awkward and downright wrong placement for these frames then if you rewatch the series you'll begin to notice them now. Apart from that flaw, the animation was good. The colors and vibrance along with smooth scenes was a plus keeping this rating from going lower. I also have an issue that at times there is an exaggeration of characters' hair or clothes that I dislike. I felt those instances were unneccessary
Characters (7.3/10)
Character Designs (3/10)
I have my issues with the character designs chosen for this series. There is an issue with some characters, how they have big round eyes, which for me in anything outside of an anime whose target audience is 10 or less, is unacceptable. I have an issue with the hair + eye color combinations that are unnatural and awkward to see on a character. The main example of that is Neviril with long pink hair and bright blue eyes, the character looks bad and awkward to me. To go with that are the clothes of a "priestess". Now the Sibyllae are priestesses but their clothes do not reflect that, they are scantily clad especially during Maaju pool training which is offputting for who they are supposed to be.
Character Development & Insight (10/10)
Oh boy there is a wealth of character development and insights into their past in this Anime. The creaters spend a great deal of time introducing the characters and developing them throughout the series while also giving insights into their own pasts. That is afterall what this series is about, development and relationships. You will spend every episode around the characters and learning of their bonds and how they are being formed. A great deal of time is spent on massive development throughout, although a few of the minor members of Chor Tempest do not receive much development they aren't very important. Actually there is so much development that it is done to a fault, and it takes forever to get into the series, to make it intriguing.
Character Gravitation & Personalities (9/10)
Character Gravitation is here to show how easily people can both connect and reject a character. How well they make an impact on you whether you love them or hate them. And personalities shows what kind of variety in the cast do we have, if there are just boring clones around or if everyone is different and interesting. For the most part I could easily gravitate towards a few characters, Paraietta and Aaeru. Those are the ones I liked in this series, and Paraietta not for obvious reasons probably, but I wanted to see her personality go from that strong leader to a broken mess, unfortunately her perverted and twisting actions came to a close and did not continue after trying to rape Neviril. And Aaeru, just because she was the character that was different and saw what they did as missions or battles instead of praying, the religious topic got boring when they kept repeating it and Aaeru wasn't a part of that. I hated characters like Pinky and Floe, oh yeah Pinky was my name for Neviril. Instantly I was had emotions and feelings drawn towards these characters. Everyone else, not really, they were just around. However much I didn't care for all of the characters, they all have unique and at times interesting personalities. Mamiina while her appearance was short, had interesting bits here and there for example. the reason for not being perfect is that while they did take time to introduce and develop everyone, not everybody was always interesting.
Last edited by Guy on Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:16 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
| | | | Guy
Posts : 50
Join date : 2011-01-04
| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:49 pm | |
| Section 4. Anime rated 3-0Avenger 13 episodesOverall (3.65/10)This is something you would want to stay away from, its saving grace could be the cast of voice actors who didn't completely suck the entire anime since they had plenty of chances to screw up while they talk or make sound effects in battle. The characters and their interactions together are rather dull tere isn't anything memorable to keep a character around as one of your "all time favorites" even though you may like someone from this universe it'll pretty much stay only relating to here. Despite being an action and adventure series it's next to non existent, The battles themselves while being few are atrocious. The repeated line by Layla, "Try to kill me" when entering battle sounds so tedious and disinterested. The final conflict with antagonist and protagonist is horrible and the logic for the sequences baffles me. There are awkward times in this series where the sound and music do not fit the scenes they are playing in or are in the foreground instead of background while other characters are on screen. It's really a waste of about 5 hours time, the only thing entertaining was trying to write the review for this anime. - Spoiler:
Plot (2/10)
Avenger, such a threatening and meaningful name. What you expect from the title is an action anime revolving around fights where the main protagonist(s) defeat opponents until the eventual and inevitable clash with the big bad boss(es) who wronged them. What this "Action/Adventure" delivers is Layla, the main protagonist wandering around aimlessly from city to city with a doll (Nei) and doll breeder (Speedy) and more dialogue than any action, the adventure is pathetically near nonexistent as well. For 10+ years humans have been unable to give birth to live children on Mars, and as such mechanical "dolls" have taken the place of children in some folk's hearts or are seen as toys to others. This doll she travels with does have a twist to it that is the only thing interesting about this series. There are representative fighters in major cities, and Barbaroi (those who live outside of cities or domes, in the wild) can challenge the representative fighters to a one-on-one match and claim all possessions of the loser. In most cases of these battles that this series has shown (2/3), the representative fighter is actually the person who runs the city, defeat him and take over the city. All of the action to be had here is pathetically one sided, uneventful, and boring. The only fight the protagonist ever faces a challenge against is the final boss, and even then from the start his overwhelming power should have crushed her. There isn't much in the way of subplots here aside from what involves Nei, and the main plot is for Layla to go fight Volk.
Sound (4.3/10)
Background Music (3/10)
Ugh, the background music is dreadful in this anime. It comes in at weird times, it's inappropriate or just sounds too weird to fit properly into the sections. At times it felt as though the music was in the foreground of the sound, instead of the characters that were talking! That along with overusing songs with lyrics was dreadful. Most of the time when a song with actual lyrics comes on in an anime, something meaning and exciting is happening, or a montage of sorts. Not here my friend, it comes up in meaningless battles or when the "Villain" is talking. I found myself going "What the Fuck?" often while listening to the pieces. Sometimes though, it is appropriate and nice, but the awful parts are too great to me to grant this anything higher.
Sound Effects (3/10)
First off with sound effects I will begin with the random flute that plays here and there. It made no sense to me and felt horribly out of place. Then the sound effects of combat were utterly dreadful. One effect in particular was overused, for multiple actions of things like punching, kicking, or leaping. Not only is this effect overused for different actions making this seem so very cheap, it didn't even sound like it should be there as that effect to begin with!
Character Dialogue (7/10)
The characters were voiced quite well actually. It was relatively the best part of this anime, the quality of the voice actors compared to everything else. There are multiple scenes however where there aren't emotion or it feels like the voice actor wasn't "feeling" the situation the character was in. So it wasn't portrayed the best that it could have been. This was a series with more dialogue than action or adventure, so they did something decent at least.
Animation (5.3/10)
Battle Scene Action (2/10)
There was something left to be desired from the battle scenes here. Most of the action that happened was over fast and pathetic. Other scenes took place off screen and showed something else like dolls faces or Speedy, or plain skipped the scene all together and went on with what happened next. Also there was something that caught my attention, a few times the background and enemy was removed and replaced with some flashing colored lights while giving you a view close up of Layla's attacking. This animation was definitely the wrong direction to go in. What few scenes of action outside of somebody from the "Original Dozen" there were to be had were boring. In addition to that, at some points in the action sequences the facial expressions of the character do not match the predicament they are in, or the sound coming from the voice actor.
Character Design (8/10)
The characters were designed well for this series, they aren't of ridiculous proportions which matters a great deal for an anime trying to be somewhat realistic. The characters look appealing, and they fit the roles they are playing. You don't have something along the lines of a rich well dressed woman out in the wilderness of Mars, you have thugs or people impoverished trying to get by.
Basic Animations (6/10)
Okay the basic animation for interactions between characters and scenes is decent enough. Slightly above average. What I saw was a lot of mouth movement in many scenes with nothing else so it wasn't too great. The scenes didn't look choppy and the descriptions of where the characters were at the time fit the backgrounds or settings for where they were. Out in the wilderness, in an abandoned city, etc. things looked well and didn't look too "old" in the animation. Another thing about it was that it did not have cartoony moments so the series drawing did fit the series.
Characters (3/10)
Character Development and Insight (3/10)
Character development is how the characters develop through the story while it progresses. Character insight would be the revelations of one's past or their reasonings for their current behavior while being already developed as who they are. These are important qualities when viewing anime. If you cannot have development then through flashbacks or what have you, you can have insight into them. Understanding why they are who and how they are, knowing for what reasons they take certain actions. Speedy which is my instant favorite of the series (see below) sadly has no development or insight into his being. In fact the only person I feel who was shown to have actual development was a random old guy from one town they visited who sold them out for money but then still gave them food. Well, him and Layla's final reasons for fighting and her new journey. Insight is given to the background of Nei, but she never really does anything so there's no motives to understand, only where she came from and what she means.
Character Gravitation and Personalities (3/10)
The gravitation towards a character in the anime, how easy it is to become attracted to or repulsed by a character. As I said before Speedy is my instant favorite, it's just his personality and the way he carries himself that it's easy to gravitate towards him. Another character I could gravitate to was the "villain" Volk. It portrays him as the bad guy in this whole anime but I could 80% agree with everything he did and what he was trying to do. He may have been misguided but it was easy to understand his intentions. But I can understand how others would instantly hate him for trying to control everything like that, and killing the innocent people. Layla the main protagonist was really hard for me to gravitate towards. She has a cold "cool" demeanor and kicks everybody's ass (eventually). The fact that she hardly talked though is what made it hard to enjoy that character, it felt as though here character was a robot programmed for search and destory (and rescue). Nei is a little kid doll that stays at about 50/50, you don't expect child characters to have much going on about them or to be really entertaining/interesting in a serious anime so you don't instantly love her or ferociously hate her. (from my perspective) The rest of the cast didn't have large parts and weren't really adequate to judge their whole personalities or gravitate towards them, maybe a few for an odd reason here or there by some but they are inconsequential.
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Join date : 2011-01-04
| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:50 pm | |
| Section 5. Possible Discussion Value: Anime
Avenger - Low - There is little to no real value in this series.
Planetes - Moderate/High - The characters are rich and development is intriguing. Their personal beliefs or actions are worth discussion.
Shion No Ou - Low/Moderate - The main characters' personalities/decisions may provide discussion.
Simoun - Low - Personally I didn't find this anime discussion worthy. There may be some things that could be discussed but it didn't leave an impact on me.
Last edited by Guy on Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:18 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:51 pm | |
| Section 6. Manga rated overall 10-7
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:51 pm | |
| Section 7. Manga rated overall 6-4 | |
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:52 pm | |
| Section 8. Manga rated overall 3-0
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:52 pm | |
| Section 9. Possible discussion value: Manga
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:53 pm | |
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Last edited by Guy on Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:21 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
| | | | Guy
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| | Subject: Re: This Guy Reviews Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:58 pm | |
| *Bonus*In anticipation for new additions to That Guy Reviews I will keep my anime and manga of interest lists here. I will be adding to and taking away from those lists when I find something else or complete a series. Anime of Interest in no particular order- Spoiler:
Simoun
Madlax
Noir
Zegapain
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Monster
Aoi Bungaku
Ayakashi
Baccano!
Berserk
Black Lagoon
Blade of the Immortals
Blue Seed
Burn Up! Scramble S1
Burn Up Excess S2
Burn Up OVA
Psychic Detecting Yakumo
Haibane Renmei
Hellsing
Hellsing OVA
Angel Tales
Green Green
Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan
Manga of Interest in no particular order- Spoiler:
Q-Ko Chan
Parasyte
Alive
Alive - The Final Evolution
Psyren
Lost+Brain
Akaku Saku Koe
Break Hands
Emerging
Angel Sanctuary
7 Seeds
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