Winter 2016 – Week 4 Anime Review

For Week 4: adoring the transformation and westernization of the setting in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, the authenticity, weight, and significance of battles in Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, why the letterbox formatting is my favorite directing decision of Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, and disruption in the sense of community in Durarara!!x2 Ketsu.

Spring 2015 – Week 3 Anime Review

This week: concerns over the content and direction of Plastic Memories, determining a time and place for Arslan Senki, censorship in Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, and the wonderful return of Kakyoin in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc.

Magi – 7

The setting of an anime is visually expressed through the various architectures and environments.  Magi has featured a number of diverse physical settings thus far and has done well communicating these to us through its use of dazzling and detailed backgrounds and sceneries.

Magi – 1

The setting for Magi is a dream-come-true for anime fans like myself, a stone-structured Arabic metropolis nestled in some barren, sunbaked deserts and beleaguered with danger, magic, and adventure around every street corner.  For the characters residing in this world, however, it’s nothing more than a living hell.  It’s a society wherein class dictates your fate and (lack of) fortune and any challenge against this system is met with severe and crippling punishment.  Still, this doesn’t stop Alibaba and Aladdin from confronting the established society of Magi though their difference in power and knowledge lead to completely different results.

Nisemonogatari – 1

I have high hopes for Nisemonogatari.  What leads me to believe in these high hopes is not for the mere fact that this is the sequel to the beautiful Bakemonogatari, a favorite for both art and dialogue, but that this series can improve upon the lofty accomplishments from its predecessor.  And if the first episode is any indication, it seems we’re already on the road to improvement.

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 2

You know, those Entrepreneurs in the Financial District aren’t so different from you or me.  Sure, they inhabit some uncompromisingly red world and battle each other weekly with human-shaped creatures.  But I noticed something more.  What I found interesting was that everyone in the Financial District was doing the same thing that all of us were doing.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica – 4

Just how long have they walking? And where exactly are they walking to?

The world in Puella Magi Madoka Magica is purely fascinating.  The colors gently absorb you into their world.  The light draws out details and strengthens the moment. The metropolis as a whole, with its complete absurdity of the architecture and brainless geography of space, simply give shape and structure to this very unique setting.  With the novelty of the witch’s world waning in each episode, with this being the worst so far, I turn to the noteworthy style of the real world.