Review: Night Raid 1931 (Anime)

Man, it feels like forever since I wrote anything on here.  I haven't really watched anything that spurned any strong opinions in me lately.  That changed when I finished this unexpected gem of an anime series, Night Raid 1931.

Night Raid 1931 follows the exploits of an espionage group - Sakurai Kikan.  This group is made up for four members - Rash Aoi, stiff Kazura, stoic Natsume, and grim Yukina.  Sakurai Kikan is a very special spy team since each of it's members has a special psychic ability.  Each one plays an essential role in protecting the Japanese occupation China.  The group goes on various missions in the beginning of the series.  In time we come to see that they are ultimately trying to prevent a 2nd world war.


Likes - When I first began watching this series, I wasn't really sucked in.  In fact, I only watched it to have something to do before bed.  As the series progressed, I lost sleep since I just had to push forward with the next episode.  The first strong point about this series is the overarching theme and plot.  At the beginning, it seemed the team was being sent out on random missions.  Halfway through, the series started to have a clear direction and, eventually, a fitting climax.  That is focused, thought out writing.  So many anime series will have 26 episodes, but the series can be summed up in less then 6 of those.  Night Raid 1931 is above that.  Every episode was vital to the plot.  When a series does that, then I end up not feeling like I wasted time on filler.  


The second strong point of the series is the characters.  I thought a team of 4 for Sakurai Kikan seemed small.  On the contrary, it was the right amount.  We come to see each member as a unique and interesting person.  The back and forth between Aoi and Kazura adds a healthy balance of opposing views and tension.  As the story charges forward, you understand the choices both men make.  With Yukina, you can feel her pain and frustration with dealing with her brother.  Each members' unique abilities also helps to create a very tight, symbiotic fluidity amongst the team as well.  I think the characters were the greatest triumph of this series.  


Dislikes - My only complaint is the play order that was given by Netflix.  I think their instant stream includes OVAs not normally a part of the series.  The second episode was actually the team's first meeting of each other.  It would normally be fine but I had no clue what was going on.  Other then that, nothing in particular stands out worth complaining about


Overall - I recommend this series highly.  The depth of the characters reminded me of Baccano! and the theme of war reminded me of Full Metal Alchemist, two series dear to my heart.  This series managed to surprise me with its depth, pacing, and overall excitement.  Put this one on the top of your 'To Watch' List!. You won't regret it!

Review: Batman: The Man Who Laughs (graphic novel)

Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a story written by Ed Brubaker, a writer whose work I've been constantly happy with.  I figured this would be an easy graphic novel to review as my second entry. 

B:TMWL is actually two stories, something that surprised me.  The first story is about Batman's first encounter with the Joker.  In Batman's then short career, he had never seen anything as dangerous or confusing as the Joker.  Nor did he ever plan to meet such a manic.  We find Batman trying to make sense of a man who is lost in madness.  The second story is a classic detective tale.  It is a good read because we see Batman team up with the Golden Age Green Lantern.  The contrast between the two is very revealing.

Likes - I was enthralled reading this book.  Both stories are great.  In fact, the back-up story was even better then the main one.

The Man Who Laughs - This story was really fun to read for a longtime Batman like myself.  You see Batman's first take on the Joker, who didn't even have his moniker until middle of the story.  This story let's you see the basic, classic elements of the Joker.  The mass murder, the dark humor, the twisted brilliance.  For as much as I love Batman, I love the Joker so much more.  He is why Batman is so amazing to follow.  Trying to keep your sanity fighting a guy like that time and again is an amazing feat. 

Made of Wood - The back up story really threw me for a loop.  A man is killed with the words "Made of Wood" carved onto his chest.  This murder recalls a series of deaths that occurred during the time of Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott's heyday as a hero.  This was one case he never solved and has haunted him for decades.  Along comes Gotham's current crusader, Batman, has he tries to uncover the truth.  The story does an amazing job of what it means to be a hero versus simply doing the right thing.  Another interesting plot point was what it meant to be a detective.  Batman explains to Scott how to think and act like a detective, something Scott confesses he never mastered.  Made of Wood is a interesting and nuanced story about the different kinds of heroes that exist and the fact these men are simply trying to do whats right in their eyes. 

Dislikes - There is only one thing I disliked about this book.  The overall art for TMWL wasn't that consistent.  There are panels and pages where the madness and paranoia are palpable.  Other parts though show a almost cartoonish version of the Joker.  Since the story was so good I didn't notice it much.  After a second skim though, I picked up on it.  Still, the art is good overall and doesn't hurt the story in any way. 

Overall - I think this book is a steal.  For the $10ish that it was on Amazon, you get two great, unique stories.  I am really happy that I got this when I did.  It has all my favorite elements of Batman in a nice little package!  This is a great buy and should be picked up ASAP.

Review: Portlandia (series)

Pure and simple, Netflix recommended this.  And it was a home run!

Portlandia is a sketch comedy show starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.  The easy episode has a very loose, shallow plot.  It works for the show though.  Portlandia is a caricature of life in Portland, and to me, a send up on the hipster/new age living that I come across everyday. 

Likes - I loved this show.  It was only 6 episodes and I watched them all in one sitting.  There isn't anything else like this.  Personally, I deal with this kinda organic, green conscious daily.  It was great to see someone be able to pick out all the foibles and shortcomings of this green friendly crowd.  The women's bookstore owner skits were great and so spot on.  The opening song "I Dream of the 90s" really set the tone for the whole series.  One thing I really enjoyed is how the different skits were linked together.  The shrunken sweater in one skit was carried over the to the dumpster in another.  It's this kind of detail that really showed the time and care put into the show.  

Dislikes - My one grip is the series length.  6 episodes? REALLY!?!?  They could have done so much more 

Overall - I absolutely loved this show.  I started it just to help pass the time but it became a new obsession that only lasted an evening.  For anyone who is a fan of Scott pilgrim or is annoyed by the the kids who frequent coffee shops, this is for you!  Watch the first season and then be prepare for the 2nd one! It starts next week, January 6th!

Review: Batman:Noel (graphic novel)

I owe my friend Lee double.  Not only did he give me this graphic novel as a very thoughtful gift, but he also gave me the bright idea of reviewing it on this blog.  For as big as comics are in my life currently, I never thought to give them any 'print' space. With that said, HERE WE GO!

Batman: Noel is quite simply a Batman-ified take on the Charles Dickens tale of finding one's true worth and purpose on Christmas.

Likes - There were a number of things I liked about this novel.  First of all, I really enjoyed the art.  The whole book was painted. You can really tell this was a work of love.  There is a lot of effort put into the details.  More so, you really feel like you're in the middle of winter in Gotham.  Linked to that was the wording.  There are no speech bubbles.  All the words are white written directly over the pages.  It's a small detail but I thought it smart and novel to take this approach. It gave the book a different feel then your typical comic book.
Lastly, the overall story was really good. The narrative gave one impression of a story while the panels played out something different.  The back and forth between the two created an interesting tale.  What I also enjoyed was that Batman was portrayed as Scrooge.  For as much as Batman is regarded as a hero, he has his own shortcomings.  It was nice to see that even  his heart grow two sizes.

Dislikes - For this particular book, I didn't find anything I didn't like.  This wasn't a stand out, standard changing title but it was a fun holiday read.

Overall - I really enjoyed this book.  Especially reading it around Christmastime, it really had a specialness to it.  It was like watching a TV special unfold in front of you.  Cheesy at time but overall, a great, fun take on a classic.  GO buy it for yourself or anything Batman fans you know!

Review: Angel Beats! (anime)

Angel Beats! was another Netflix recommendation.  I wasn't nearly as sure about this one as some of the other suggestion in the past. With only 13 episodes consisting the whole season, it would be worth a shot.  The series turned out to be a nice surprise

Angel Beats! is a unique show in many ways.  For one, all the students at the high school are dead.  Yes, this high school is actually a strange purgatory for those whose lives have been cut short.  In the opening episode, we are introduced to a small faction within the student body rebelling against the school authority.  The face and prime enemy of this rule is Angel, a small, white haired girl capable of taking on a whole team of experienced and heavily armed student soldiers.  As the story progresses, alliances change, motives come to light, and we begin to see things are not at all what you were expecting.

Likes - There were a number of things I liked about this series.  First off, I enjoyed the animation.  If nothing else is was a nice clean and vibrant series.  It was really full of life.  I don't prefer that style but i found it fitting for the overall hopefulness the show was trying to convey.  Secondly,  the music was solid.  Angel Beats! actually had a real band involved and making the music.  So there was a distinct sound and consistency that stamped the series throughout. As a musician, I really enjoyed the music animation.  I could tell instantly that the animators were paying attention to how the music was actually played.  It wasn't some random strumming on the guitar, but in fact everything was in line with the song.  I appreciated that level of detail made.
The one big element of this series I enjoyed were the characters, character development, and overall plot.  There is a very large cast that constantly evolves in the this series.  It's amazing how there is as much development as there is.  The characters are very interesting and are all worth knowing.  As you watch the series, the plot turns into a redemption story for each of the main crew.  This is what really had me enjoying this series.

Dislikes - Nothing in particular stands out that didn't like.  I think the story was executed well and within a reasonable amount of time.  I 'm not totally raving about this series because it's not my usual forte.  It was very good for what it was though.

Overall - I would recommend watching this anime.  If you're looking for something cute, something dense but concise, and/or something uplifting, watch this.  It was nice to watch a story with as much development and earnestness as Angel Beats! did.  With the holiday break beginning for a lot of folks now, I think this would be a great time to watch this series and continue the good cheer of Christmas!

Review: Hell Girl (anime)

Hell Girl was another series Netflix recommended to me based on my previous tastes.  With such a frank title, I figured I'd give it a shot.  Despite my best judgement, I managed to finish this series and felt let down afterwards. 

Hell Girl is an episodic series like Mushi-shi, each episode containing a full story.   Hell Girl follows Ai Enma, a spirit who offers revenge to anyone with enough hatred in their heart. There is a basic underlying climax the series builds up to. 

Like - The animation was absolutely gorgeous.  I don't think I've seen an anime done as well.  It had moments of normal animation but during the sequences near the end, where Ai comes to exact revenge, that when we see the best of this series. 

Dislike - I didn't enjoy watching this series.  I actually started watching this episode and stopped 7 episodes in.  Feeling weird about not completing the series, I decided to read the reviews and see what I was missing out.  Many reviewers said that it started slow but picked up, with the ending being a great pay off.  So I stuck with it, forcing myself each day to watch one episode.  When I finally finished this series, I felt completely let down.  When watching a series feels like a chore, you know something is wrong.  Nothing grabbed me or seemed interesting.  The story seemed repetitive, the characters seemed uncompelling.  There wasn't anyone I wanted to know more about.  If there was, I wouldn't see them past the episode I watched.  The Hell Correspondence group added some humor and clarity, but even they seemed distant.  The series focused on Ai, whom we are kept at an arms length for so long, I lost interest and concern by the time they revealed her past in the end.  

Overall - I don't recommend this series.  As I said, it is beautiful to watch.  An episode or two can be very interesting and fun but a full 26 episode series just felt so unnecessary.  This series could be done with more punch and focus within 13 or even 6 episodes.  Drawing things out to 26 though made it very difficult to sit though.  I give this 2 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Mushi-Shi (anime)

Nothing special regarding how I started watching this series.  Netflix recommended it.  I read the description and figured it was worth the shot.  What a pay off though!

Mushi-Shi is about Mushi Master Ginko, a man who travels the lands, doing what he can to help those afflicted by mushi and trying to get a souvenir when he can.  This series is very episodic, each episode containing a full story.  The full series has no ultimate goal or climax. Instead, we see different people having different troubles.  Ginko tries his best help each one out.

Like - Though I'm not a big fan of series that don't have an ultimate plot, I really enjoyed this one.  The main reason being Ginko was such an unassuming, endearing main character.  He viewed the people afflicted by the mushi and the mushi themselves both as being victims of circumstance.  Ginko is a mix of ghostbuster, MacGuyver, and Doctor Who.  Not one to allow anyone to die, he has to find a solution where everyone, mushi and person, can walk away better off.  The animation itself wasn't anything special but the scenes were very beautiful.  Seeing the world still untouched by modern progress in each episode was really enticing.  The animators were able to create a gorgeous landscape that I had no regrets getting lost in.  The last great piece of the series was the music.  It was more orchestral then other series I've watched previously.  All these elements together create a series that was very mellow but was still very inviting.  Something truly unique.

Dislike - This isn't much of a dislike as much as it is a possible different direction.  It would be nice to see the series go towards a larger climax.  The last episode actually had very little of Ginko, though he still played a big role.  Other then that, I can offer no improvements to this show.

Overall - I really enjoyed this series.  I actually put off watching my normal slew of films of drama and horror so that I could watch the next episode of Mushi-Shi.  It's hard for me to put my finger on it exactly, but I think the characters, specifically Ginko, really drew me in.  I was glad to watch this series and I think you should too.  5 out of 5 stars!