Guilty Crown (anime)

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Shu gazing off in class

With the holiday approaching, I've found myself with some extra time.  My tv rotation also was lined up for an anime.  So I decided to try a longer anime series since I had plenty of time for it.  Guilty Crown was a title consistently recommended to me on Hulu for a long time. So with that, I went with Guilty Crown for my Christmas break.  Well worth it my friends!

Guilty Crown follows Shu Ouma.  A quiet shy boy who longs to be anyone else.  While hidden away in a run down part of town, he comes across Inori, the lead singer of Egoist.  Inori unexpectedly is part of the terrorist group knonwn as Funeral Parlor.  Funeral Parlor fights the powers that be to get back to a state of order, run by the people of Japan.  Ever since the "Lost Christmas" event 10 years prior, Japan is now under the watchful eye of the world court and is a semi dictatorship.  Shu, through unintentional circumstances, gains access to the Void Genome.  The Void Genome allows it's owner to use "the Power of Kings", the ability to use Voids.  Voids are physical constructs built from the hearts and desires of someone. It seems like Guilty Crown is all over the board but the series explains all of this in it's own time while still showing Shu struggle and grow in a world tittering on the edge of obliteration.

Inori is ready for action

Good - Guilty Crown took some time but in the end, I was really glad I watched it. The whole Void system really is unique.  It made every possible person have some sort of relevance within the show.  The evolution of Voids also allowed for new and more interesting situations to arise.
Guilty Crown did 2 things completely right.  The first of which was a solid plot.  There were times I may have been confused or lost, but the writers took note of every smile and knowing glance.  They explained all of the important stuff by the end of it all, even giving a pretty solid ending.  Something that rarely happens.  It was clear what Gai was fighting for and why Inori was so smitten by Shu.  We learned well enough why Shu called his mother Haruka instead of Mom.  Nothing was forgotten or left out.  More so, everything came together beautifully in the end, cohesively and organically.
The other thing done right was the characterizations.  Without using a heavy hand, you had a good idea what was motivating everyone in the large cast of characters.  You also saw how everyone reacted differently to the world falling into chaos.  Guilty Crown did an amazing job of following multiple paths of people and yet never felt like it was trying hard to do so.  

Funeral Parlor

Bad - I think the series followed Neon Genesis trends a bit too much.  The series seemed repetitive and unoriginal in the first half.  Shy kid gains god-like power and has to handle being in the spotlight suddenly. So the first half of the series was tough to watch.  Still, the series pays off the patient.  The second half totally made up for it.

Worthwhile? - I think this show is totally worthwhile.  I didn't think it was going to pay off but the series really ramps things up near the end.  All the story threads laid out meticulously all come together to a strong end where everything falls in place.  The story never felt forced or too wild, even for bringing the world to an end. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  I totally did at least! 

Gai Tsutsugami, lead of Funeral Parlor

Simliar To - Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Future Diary, Linebarrels of Iron

The Adventures of Tintin (Film)

Click the poster for IMDB 

So, it was late at night and I was in the mood to watch a movie before bed.  A common ritual that helps me slowly clear out my Netflix queue and helps get me relaxed before bed.  While trying to find a suitable title, I saw The Adventures of Tintin had become an instant play option.  Feeling in the mood for something light, I went for this one.  I figured I would watch half now and half later.  I ended up staying up and losing sleep so I could watch this surprisingly fun action romp!

Tintin and Haddock trying to think of their next move

The Adventures of Tintin follows well known journalist Tintin and his resourceful dog Snowy as they are haphazardly involved in an unexpected adventure.  An innocent purchase of a vintage model ship leads Tintin to have his flat ransacked and his life threatened.  Being the investigating reporter he is, Tintin had to get to the truth of the matter.  This leads him to the the trail of a man named Sakharine.  Sakharine is out trying to find clues to a kings ransom in treasure.  While in pursuit of both Sakharine and the truth, Tintin makes a new friend in the drunkard named Haddock.  Together, they try to outwit and outrun Sakharine whenever they can.

Likes - I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this film.  I knew it had a long history in the comic world but I had no clue what Tintin was about.  When I began this movie, the very first thing that struck me was the animation.  I had never seen anything so lifelike and fluid. It took sometime to get past the sheer depth of realness of this film.  The way bodies moved, cars rolled by, and fog settled on the streets, it was all done so realistically.  Tintin, if nothing else will amaze you on how gorgeous it is.

Once the shine and glen has worn off the animation, you will see Steven Spielberg has crafted a fun, humorous, and action packed adventure.  The scenes on the boat where Tintin and Haddock first meet are great. The scene later on in Begghar was superb.  The pacing and density of the action scenes amazed me how they transitioned so well from one character to another.  It left me throughly impressed. The dialog is great as well.  There is a slickness that you usually get with a Bond film. 

Look it up on Wikipedia

Dislikes - There were no dislikes with this film.  None at all.

Overall - I was blown away how good this movie was.  As I stated earlier, I stayed up to watch this film.  I was so invested and excited with it I had  to see it all the way through.  For adventure fans, Indiana Jones fans, Comic or animation fans...really anyone. you will really enjoy this great movie.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars folks!
And even better news! The sequel looks like it's coming sooner then expected. Score!

Similar To - Any Indiana Jones film