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

Review: Pontypool (film)

Pontypool was recommended to me while out drinking with friends, new and old.  After watching the mess that was In Dreams,  I wanted to watch something that was worth my time.  I went with Pontypool and I was quite impressed.

Stephan McHattie as Grant Mazzy

Lisa Houle as Sydney Briar

Pontypool follows Grant Mazzy, a shock jock out of his element.  For reasons not fully explained, his over-the-top nature has forced him to the rural and remote town of Pontypool.  On his way into the studio, a stranger comes to his car stammering "blood", and seemingly evaporates into the winter darkness.  Disturbed but not undeterred, he heads into the radio station.  There, he begins his normal cast, trying to wake up the sleepy town smothering him.  As the broadcast moves on, he slowly comes to realize that the townsfolk are being consumed by some unknown force.  As he and his crew try to piece things together, they realize they can't keep up.  Too much is happening and not enough clues are coming in.  Before long, they realize the most important thing to hold onto is not information, but their lives.

Likes - Pontypool was a surprisingly intelligent movie.  It didn't rush into it's subject like a sprinter.  It took it's time, allowing you to get used to the Canadian world you were a citizen of for an hour and a half.  We get to know Mazzy, his need to push the limits and the cost he paid for it.  We meet Sydney, has she is just trying to do her job and keep her tiny town moving forward.  We meet Laurel-Ann, a recently returned war vet and hero.  The plot takes it's time, going from a sleeping pup to raging beast.  It's a smart way to get you into the story without rushing too fast and turning you off.
Another great aspect I enjoyed about Pontypool was the blood, guts, and gore.  There was some in key parts in the later half of the film. Overall though, it wasn't much on that.  Hell, you don't see anyone get eaten even! Yet Pontypool manages to get under your skin, and it takes it's time to slither around.  You become concerned, then worried, then confused.  All without seeing a thing in the outside world.  As the radio crew is trying to piece together what's happening, so are you.  This is a masterful way of creating a tension that leads to terror, with nary a drop of blood spilled.

Georgina Reilly as Laurel-Ann Drummond

Dislikes - There isn't anything I can take away from this and say I didn't like it.  It was well acted and filmed well.  Plot is paramount in this film genre but the director, Bruce McDonald, still made the film visually interesting to watch.

Overall - I highly recommend this film, especially to horror and zombie film fans.  This was a great example of how far you can take a film using very little.  This is a memorable film and I dare say, this could even be influential, in both its subject matter and execution.  Personally, this is one I'll be talking about for months.  5 out of 5 stars.