Magi – 16

Considering how integral and fundamental magoi, djinn, or any magical concept is to the storyline and characters of Magi, one has to wonder how long magic has existed in these societies or even in this world.

Robotics;Notes – 14

Robotics;Notes can be split right down the semicolon into essentially two separate parts.  The first is the ‘Robotics’ half which tells of Aki’s story and the construction of GunPro-1 and now, GunPro-2.  The latter piece is the ‘Notes’ side of things, focusing in on Frau’s story and the conspiracy linked to her mother’s sudden disappearance.  Although there is some overlap between the two halves, mainly due to Kai’s character playing fundamental roles in each, there have been two narratives developing throughout the anime that examine two distinct and dissimilar stories.  In doing so, Robotics;Notes has found itself some positives and some negatives.

Winter 2013 – Week 2 Anime Review

This week: an analogy between the war and the Crusades in Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, the unpopulated, empty world of Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, the damage and durability of the karuta cards in Chihayafuru 2, and thoughts on the criminalization of artists in Psycho-Pass.

Robotics;Notes – 9

Every character in Robotics;Notes has a dream, either in the form of a goal or some type of drive that motivates them in pursuit of their desire.  For some, it’s rather apparent, such as Aki and fulfilling her dream of completing GunPro-1.  For others, it may be overlooked, such as Junna wanting to have more friends before graduating high school.  For Kai… well, it’s debatable.  Still, the point remains the same regardless of the character, that each has their own ambitions that they are chasing after.  However, the characters will eventually reach their goals, like Aki has with GunPro-1 in the ninth episode of Robotics;Notes.  The next question becomes, what do they do with themselves when their dreams have been realized?

Autumn 2012 – Week 5 Anime Review

This week: some deserved recognition for the underapperciated Kamisama Kiss and why I continue to love it, the committee approach to detectives in Psycho-Pass, the captivating sceneries and environments of Sword Art Online, and the awkward ecchi fanservice in K.

Needless – Chapter 105

There is a line that separates good and evil but, depending on your perception and your circumstances, the line may be displaced, blurred or somehow obscure and therefore indiscernible.  Within Needless, this line has shifted, slanted, curved and distorted to show that the characters are not accurately bound to the traditional labels of “good guys” or “bad guys”.  And because of this ambiguity regarding these ethics, it has allowed the characters to freely switch and flip side given their personality and the situations they find themselves in.  In fact, it’s rather difficult to tell who’s what anymore besides the few central characters at the heart of the story.  And because of this inability to distinguish good from evil and vice versa, it has accounted for numerous surprises, remarkable character growth, several entrancing fights and, perhaps greatest of all, even more unpredictable fun and amusement. **Warning: spoilers below**

Magi – 2

The world of Magi has not always been one of wonder and magic.  Sadly enough, at some point prior, all the kingdoms and all the countries existed much like our very own, lands without indescribable fortunes,  enchanted weapons, mythical creatures, or the awesome power of conjured djinns. Grounded in an unforgiving reality, this world experienced a dramatic shift with the appearances of these imposing, towering labyrinths, commonly referred to as Dungeons.  It is here where all the fantasy in Magi originates.  Through the influence of these countless Dungeons, we see a very different world than the one that existed fourteen years ago.  Now, Magi is a world inhabited with magic, wonder, and adventure, and all solely because of these Dungeons.