Spring 2013 – Week 6 Anime Review

This week: thoughts on the lack of an education system in Suisei no Gargantia and how it impacts its society, making the best character in Railgun even better, the surprisingly intelligent and effective humor in Shingeki no Kyojin, and my fascination with the audiences in Chihayafuru 2.

Magi – 25 (Finale)

One of the most fundamental and essential concepts present throughout all of Magi is the romance of adventure.  The romance of adventure is not an idea that unifies the romance between two characters with the genre of adventure (although one could argue that a powerful bond existed between Aladdin and Alibaba), but one that quantifies the stylization and presentation of adventure that is largely romantic and idealistic.  Whether it was questing through treacherous dungeons, relying on the help of mystic, majestic djinns and their phantasmal magic, fending off monsters and assassins alike or hunting for treasures of unimaginable wealth, the image and feeling of adventure in Magi was portrayed as glamorous, glorious, rewarding and extremely passionate.  Magi wanted to show these elements of adventures through this distinctive perspective which then helped enthuse and entertain the audience.  As you can imagine, this concept had a significant and permanent impression in Magi.

Winter 2013 – Week 12 Anime Review

This week: appreciating the evolution of Akane’s character in Psycho-Pass, thoughts on how others face anxiety and pressure in Chihayafuru 2, the perspective and surprise of tricks in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and thinking about the story going full circle in Zetsuen no Tempest.

Magi – 19

First impressions mean quite a lot.  Whether we want to or not, first impressions establish a baseline for which to understand a person and for which we can compare and contrast against others.  Regrettably, for poor Hakuryuu Ren, his introduction was overshadowed by a silly, pointless controversy that effectively removed him from just about the entire episode making his first impression woefully underwhelming.  But, just like all relationships, the first impression is merely a starting point and the rest of the anime will show Hakuryuu go from there.

12 Days of Anime (2012) – Day 1 – The Pinnacle of Character Development: Cruz Schild in Needless

Earlier this year, the 100^th chapter of Needless debuted, a remarkable milestone for any manga, especially for one that is published monthly.  Not only did the chapter serve as a landmark for the manga itself, but it corresponded with the crowning achievement of the series protagonist, Cruz Schild, commonly known as Yamada.  As Needless has progressed through these past nine years, the story has evolved into one that emphasizes the growth and maturity of its central, most-dynamic character.  It has literally become the story of a boy becoming a man (while dressed as a girl), and the events and adventures over the entire manga easily demonstrate the greatest exhibition of character development that I have ever witnessed in my limited history of anime/manga and is a viable candidate for the greatest of all-time.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 7

Though I have been singing the praises of Dog Days’ since about the start of this second season, it’s time to mention some of the negatives of this series seeing as they’re often ignored or overlooked in recent posts.  And while the anime has been a step up of the first season in many key components, there are still some aspects of the original series that outclassed this sequel in additional to other questionable differences.  Here, we’ll look at some of the areas where Dog Days’ is inferior or subpar to first season or general subjects where there’s room for improvement and growth.

Summer 2012 – Week 5 Anime Review

Some major discussion points from the fifth week of anime: everyone’s curiosity in Hyouka, the fantasy realm side-story in Natsuyuki Rendezvous, and undoubtedly the best episode of anime for the entire year in Sengoku Collection.