Saturday, October 29, 2011

Basilisk Anime Review

Basilisk
Funimation
Complete Collection - 6 discs
600 mins. - 24 episodes
$89.98 (2007) $49.98 (2008)
$44.98 (2009) Blu-Ray
$39.98 (2010)
ISBN 704400085161
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Fumitomo Kizaki
Studio - Gonzo

Synopsis: Two rival ninja clans, the Kouga and the Iga, with an old, deep-seated grudge are pitted against one another in a bloody showdown to the finish.  They are pawns in a political battle to name the next Shogun and now there are two lists with names slowly being written off in blood. 

Caught in the crossfire are two lovers whose union would have meant a truce between the two clans.  Now there is only tragedy as the lovers must face each other on the battlefield with no mercy!
Gennosuke and Oboro
Each clan member possesses a powerful Dojutsu technique:
  • Kouga clan
    • Gennosuke - heir to the clan leadership and betrothed to Oboro of the Iga clan, can cause any enemy who meets his gaze to kill themselves instead of him
    • Kagerou - extremely attractive woman, her breath becomes poison when she is sexually aroused, hopelessly in love with Gennosuke
    • Saemon - expert at infiltration, can impersonate anyone by making an mold of their face (they are usually dead at this point), older brother of Okoi
    • Hyouma - Gennosuke's uncle, possesses the same ability as Gennosuke, but his power cannot be turned off and only works at night, he wears a blindfold and is effectively blind by choice so as not to accidentally kill his loved ones and friends, has enhanced hearing
    • Gyoubu - can merge into any solid object, very large and powerful, expert at infiltration, must strip naked for his power to be effective and cannot carry weapons with him
    • Okoi - tomboyish, well-endowed, younger sister of Saemon, through skin-on-skin contact with an enemy can drain their blood into herself (she must vomit up the excess)
    • Jousuke - good-humored and rotund (i.e. not your typical ninja), a perverted lecher, possesses remarkable speed and agility for his size, body is the consistency of rubber and allows him to deflect physical attacks, squeeze through small openings, and attack by assuming the form of a bouncing ball
    • Jubei - lacks both arms and legs, but still extremely cunning, can slither like a snake by manipulating the metal plates of his armor, his tongue is highly skilled (hear that ladies?) and can manipulate/deflect weapons, hides a dagger in his esophagus (throat, not his a$$ creep)
    • Shogen - a hunchback resembling a spider, spits a sticky fluid similar to the spider's webbing, specializes in combat instead of stealth
    • Okoi naps with her big bro Saemon
    • Danjo - elder leader of the Kouga when the truce is broken, as a young man he and Ogen, of the Iga clan, were in love and planning to be betrothed (like Gennosuke and Oboro), but a war between the two clans broke out destroying their chance at happiness, now they are bitter enemies
  • Iga clan
    • Oboro - heir to clan leadership and betrothed to Gennosuke of the Kouga clan, does not possess any physical ninja skills, but can negate the Dojutsu of anyone who meets her gaze
    • Tenzen - usurper to clan leadership, sadistic and malicious, share his body with a symbiotic being who regenerates any wound and grants him immortality
    • Akeginu - highly attractive woman, Oboro's bodyguard and confidant, secretes blood from her pores which can sprayed in her opponents eyes to blind them or spread as a fine mist to cover her attacks, in love with Koshirou
    • Koshirou - Tenzen's apprentice, creates mini-whirlwinds to rip his opponents to shreds
    • Jingoro - an expert assassin, loathsome and cowardly, transforms into a slug-like form where he can climb walls and squeeze through impossibly small spaces to creep upon his targets, can suffer extreme dehydration in this form and must rehydrate or risk dying, incredibly frightened of the salt water
    • Hotarubi - petite and dark-haired beauty, betrothed to Yashamaru, creates swarms of glowing butterflies to distract her opponents, has a snake pet/bodyguard
    • Nenki - simian features including profuse body hair (ridiculous amounts of nose hair), uses a bo staff, brash and arrogant, able to manipulate his hair as a weapon
    • Rousai - eldest of the Iga, has a gourd-shaped head, can stretch is limbs to incredible lengths, power of his punches and kicks can fell trees
    • Yashamaru - can manipulate steel-like strands of wire and slice his opponents to ribbons, betrothed to Hotarubi
    • Ogen - elder leader of the Iga when the truce is broken, as a young woman she and Danjo, of the Kouga clan, were in love and planning to be betrothed (like Oboro and Gennosuke), but a war between the two clans broke out destroying their chance at happiness, now they are bitter enemies
  • Other
    • Hattori Hanzo - leader of the Shogun's intelligence group, there are four total (all sons succeeding fathers), regrets the battle between Kouga and Iga, but understands its political necessity
The Kouga clan
Pros: Great animation, voice acting is well done, spectacularly brutal action scenes, a gut and heart-wrenching story running a gamut of emotions, very brief nudity, good opening/ending themes, I watched the more expensive 2007 set and it had a ton of extras + very nice packaging

Cons: A lot of the powerful characters get killed by treachery (bastards!), all the guys have really thick eyebrows, not enough nudity

Mike Tells It Straight: I loved Ninja Scroll and have been waiting for a series to successfully follow in its footsteps (the Ninja Scroll TV series a few years back wasn't very good).  Basilisk is an emotionally charged bloodbath as ninja clan members get brutally killed with regretful blood spraying from their severed arteries.  Excellent action, great character/Dojutsu designs, and you can't help getting attached to the characters knowing full well they're going to buy it.  This show will satisfy your action craving and gives a decent story behind the senseless murder.  Highly recommended.
Gennosuke says "Look into my eyes...and die!"

TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

My Neighbor Totoro Anime Movie Review

My Neighbor Totoro
Tonari no Totoro
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Disney)
Movie - 88 mins. - 2 discs
$39.99 (2013) Blu-Ray/DVD
$29.99 (2010)
$29.99 (2004)
$9.98 (2002)
ISBN 786936791716
English/Japanese Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hayao Miyazaki
Studio - Studio Ghibli

Synopsis: Satsuki and Mei move with their father, a university professor, into an old house in the country to be closer to their mother who is in the hospital.  The sisters (ages ten and four) explore their new home and discover all sorts of interesting phenomena.  Upon their arrival and first inspection they disturb the 'soot sprites' living in the empty house.  Their father knows the only way to keep away house spirits is to laugh very loudly - and that's just what they do!
Mei spies this little guy while she's playing. Hey, where's he going?
After several weeks the girls adjust to their new home and enjoy exploring the surrounding woods together.  One day Mei happens upon a pint-sized magical creature and follows it to a huge ancient tree.  She falls into the tree and right on top of a massive, sleeping Totoro!  Mei is fascinated by the huge furry creature and Totoro is indifferent to the tiny creature sitting on him.  They both take a nap.
Mei drops in on Totoro while he's taking a nap
Later Satsuki and Mei encounter Totoro while waiting at the bus stop in a heavily wooded lane.  He gives them a bundle of magic seeds before boarding a Catbus.  The girls enjoy several more encounters with the 'King of the Forest'.
Satsuki offers Totoro her extra umbrella
Pros: Hand-rendered animation, simple and believable human characters, unmistakable sense of wonder/delight at the benign supernatural, the two little girls are adorable and well-portrayed, widespread international appeal, Totoro is great/hilarious (so is the theme song), it has a catbus!
Satsuki gets Totoro's help when Mei goes missing.  He calls the Catbus!
Cons: Slow-paced, Disney English dub is different than original (long out-of-print) Fox/Streamline English dub (those familiar with previous dub may be disappointed by new dub), instance where one of the girls gets lost could be tough for some young viewers (my young viewers didn't have a problem)
The magic seeds grow with a little help from Totoro!

Mike Tells It Straight: This movie is one of my all-time favorites and has such universal appeal that anyone will enjoy it.  It put Studio Ghibli on the international map and they don't use Totoro as their mascot by coincidence.  The curiosity and wonder of the girls meeting Totoro is absolutely precious.

My two-year old can't get enough of Totoro and goes crazy every time I wear a Totoro-face shirt.  It's slow-paced, but builds to some pretty amazing moments and will captivate younger viewers.  Watch this movie and be transported back to childhood when magic still happened every day. 

"Kaaawwwwaaaaaiiiii!!!!"
TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kaze No Yojimbo Anime Review

Kaze No Yojimbo
Bandai Entertainment
Complete Collection - 25 episodes
625 mins. - 6 discs
$49.98 (2006)
ISBN 669198235061
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hayato Date
Studio - Studio Pierrot

Synopsis: George Kodama shows up in Shinijuku looking for a man named Genzo Araki to ask him some questions.  He quickly realizes the town is not quite what it seems and people are hiding something.  Two rival gangs have an uneasy truce in town until George begins stirring things up.  He winds up bodyguard to the daughter of one of the crime bosses.  Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. 

It's slow going for George, but he eventually gathers clues to the whereabouts of his long lost brother and a train full of gold bars which went missing near the town fifteen years ago.  The secret could get him and a lot of other people killed as old secrets bring deadly consequences.  Can George solve the mystery before the people he cares about get hurt?

Another bowl of ramen eaten at Tonbo
Pros: George can kick some ass and eats a lot of ramen, chicks dig him and guys want to be like him, George smokes

Cons: This story is really boring and excruciatingly slow-paced, character designs and animation are bland, CG looks terrible, has these weird scene cuts with static elements which are distracting (probably used to save money on actual animation), soundtrack is awful, dub acting is weak

High school girls love this guy
Mike Tells It Straight: Title literally translates to "bodyguard of the wind" and based on Akira Kurosawa's film Yojimbo.  This show was oppressively slow-paced and I was too bored to care when the 'big reveal' ending finally happened.  I highly recommend avoiding this sucker unless you're specifically looking for a slow-paced, drama/mystery with a terrible soundtrack and weak animation. 


TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

The Place Promised in Our Early Days Anime Review

The Place Promised in Our Early Days
ADV Films
Movie - 90 mins. - 1 disc
$29.98 (2005)
ISBN 702727127724
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Makoto Shinkai
Studio - CoMix Wave Inc.

Synopsis: Hiroki and Takuya are classmates and obsessed with building an aircraft in order to fly over to Hokkaido where a mysterious tower reaching to the heavens can be seen.  Japan split after WWII with the southern region occupied by the US and the north by the Soviets.  The tower is on the northern side while the boys live in the south.  It's visible for miles around and represents an unknown force hanging over the lives of everyone around.  Befriending the two boys is Sayuri, a girl classmate and the three teenagers spend the summer before high school together.  The boys promise to fly Sayuri to the tower with them, but she mysteriously disappears before the end of summer.

Fast forward three years and the two clever boys are working for the government investigating parallel dimensions bordering our own.  Apparently the tower on Hokkaido is an advanced technology linking to other dimensions in order to research them.  It begins acting unstable and leaking another dimension "over" our own.  The boys have grown apart and come to uncover a mystery linking Sayuri to the tower.  Can they rescue her even if it means the overlap or rewriting of the world?
Incredibly stunning visuals

Pros: Beautiful animation and visuals, compelling characters, a decent mystery, voice acting was good, tons of extras including interview with director

Cons: Slow-paced, not much action, vague at points (like why Sayuri is linked to the tower)

Some neat sci-fi designs - that's a plane?
Mike Tells It Straight: A very pretty film with stunning visuals and an interesting plot.  Two friends have a dream in childhood, but drift apart as adults.  The show is very slow-paced in the beginning and then speeds up near the end.  Recommended if you want a thoughtful story progression with a sprinkle of sci-fi, but avoid if you're looking for any type of action. 


TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

Project Blue Earth SOS Anime Review

Project Blue Earth SOS
Funimation
Complete Collection - 6 episodes
288 mins. - 2 discs
$49.98 (2009)
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
ISBN 704400069406
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Tensai Okamura
Studio - A.C.G.T.

Synopsis: A new fighter plane utilizing the experimental G-Reaction engine mysteriously disappears during a test flight.  Fast forward five years and a new bullet train using the same type of experimental engine evaporates into thin air.  Two charismatic teen detectives witness the train disappearance and burst into action.  One is Billy Kimura, heir to billion-dollar Kimura Industries and a boy genius in his own right.  The other is Penny Carter, orphaned at a young age, but highly intelligent and a master of quick thinking.  They investigate similar missing devices using G-Reaction technology and aided by gal pal Lotta Brest, they uncover a sinister plot by ruthless aliens to invade Earth from extra-dimensional space. 

Can the plucky trio help the clandestine organization whose mission is to stop the invasion and save Metropolitan X? 

Pros: Slick animation, nice use of CG, some good mystery/suspense with the alien invasion
The aliens use goofy looking guns like these

Cons: Teen characters are mostly annoying, Lotta Brest is a pervy name for a teen girl without big breasts (her tutor Emely had ample cleavage and could have pulled off the name), retro-future designs didn't quite work, English dub is not as good as original Japanese

Mike Tells It Straight: Revisit those campy sci-fi matinees you loved as a kid (or as an adult) with this show.  It's got a nice retro-futuristic feel and modern animation/effects, but mostly fell flat for me.  Only garners a meager recommendation due to the annoying kids (blame the English dub actors) and dull plot elements.  It was just highly unclever.

TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

Monday, October 10, 2011

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne Anime Review

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne
Funimation
Complete Collection - 6 episodes
270 mins. - 2 discs
$49.98 (2011) $59.98 (2010)
$59.98 (2010) Blu-Ray
ISBN 704400096426
English/Japanese Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shigeru Ueda
Studio - Xebec/GENCO

Synopsis: Rin is a private detective and runs her own agency with the help of her assistant, Mimi.  If they're not downing shots of vodka the pair will be out performing all sorts of odd jobs - finding lost cats, searching for stolen priceless stamps, or blowing up pharmaceutical companies which are fronts for clone farm organ harvesting.  She's immortal and has been inhabited by a 'time fruit' from the world tree Ygddrasil.  Other immortals exist and though Rin attempts to create a life for herself, she is constantly assailed by her past.

This chess game is taking forever!
Another immortal named Apos lives to torture Rin and employs several other immortals as his agents.  They continually accost Rin and often torture her to death in sadistic fashion.  Witness the progression of time as Rin struggles to end the cycle of her torment and protect those around her. 

Pros: Bizarre yet compelling story, lots of nudity and some lesbian action, plenty of violence, great take on future technology, decent opening/ending theme songs, quality animation

Cons: Rin is immortal and gets shot/stabbed/crushed/tortured a lot - she is usually naked when this happens which is a tad grotesque, Apos likes to torture women and has a very freaky secret, story is a bit vague at points, collection is expensive for a mere six episodes, ending could have been better

Mike Tells It Straight: This show is a twisted, erotic mystery intended for mature audiences with a high tolerance for viewing pain.  The animation, story concepts, voice acting, and music were all very well done.  I really liked the time leaps in each subsequent episode and piecing together the 'gaps' in events - like the character Kouki from the first episode has a son who plays a major role in the third episode.  Rin, Apos, and the other immortals remain constant while the world rapidly evolves around them .  Portrayal of the future was especially keen with the real world (1.0) slowly being supplanted by the online world (2.0).  It gets graphic and the ending is not as spectacular as I had hoped, but definitely a worthwhile show.

TO BUY and Recommendations: Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne Hell Girl