Kiki's Delivery Service (please log in to view the image)
In Hayao Miyazaki's magical Kiki's Delivery Service, a 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch. Kiki is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a cat Jiji by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home. Miyazaki's gentle rhythm and meandering narrative capture the easy pulse of real life (even if his subject is a girl flying high upon a broomstick) and charts the everyday struggles and growing pains of his plucky heroine with sensitivity and understanding. Beautifully detailed animation and the rich designs of the picture-postcard seaside town of red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets only add to the sense of wonder.
And the funny thing is that I'm still not done with Miyazaki's films.
I'm beginning to think that I should open my own section just for Miyazaki's films and rate them against each other because it's almost unfair to rate his stuff against stuff like Panzer Dragoon. Okay, that was a bad example but I'm sure you get the idea.
I'm not sure why this particular one is so popular. Miyazaki has movies that are much better in my personal opinion. Howl's Moving Castle was great and don't get me started on Princess Mononoke. He tells a good story. It's heart-warming but I'm afraid it just doesn't have the same quality or fanciful feel of others. It's good. Don't get me wrong. It's definitely good but it just doesn't feel like Miyazaki. I would put this on par with Porco Rosso. Meaning that it's good but not as good as most of his work.
Howl's Moving Castle (please log in to view the image)
A love story between an 18-year-old girl named Sofî, cursed by a witch into an old woman's body, and a magician named Hauru. Under the curse, Sofî sets out to seek her fortune, which takes her to Hauru's strange moving castle. In the castle, Sophie meets Hauru's fire demon, named Karishifâ. Seeing that she is under a curse, the demon makes a deal with Sophie--if she breaks the contract he is under with Hauru, then Karushifâ will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to her 18-year-old shape.
Again Miyazaki comes out with a good work that will keep you entertained for a long time. The story is interesting and the characters are creative. The truly important thing is that everyone learns a valuable lesson.
Whisper of the Heart (please log in to view the image)
A young girl finds that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. Later she meets a very infuriating fellow... could it be her "friend" from the library? The boy's grandfather has a violin sales and service shop. The boy wants to be a violin maker like his grandfather.
Fascinating love story but...the characters are a little young to have their own love story to me. Putting that aside I now know why that other movie of Miyazaki's is called the Cat Returns. He originally shows up in this film. It's actually quite clever.
3 out of 5 like most of Miyazaki's works. Good but don't go out of your way to see it if you aren't an anime enthusiast.
Rurouni Kenshin (please log in to view the image)
During the Bakumatsu (the final days of the Tokugawa government) in Japan, there was a merciless swordsman known as Hitokiri Battousai (Himura Kenshin), who fought alongside revolutionaries against the government. After the revolution, he suddenly disappeared and throughout the years became a legend. About ten years later, he is a wandering swordsman, who dedicates his life to helping and protecting people as a way to pay for all the lives he took during the revolution. This is the story of Kenshin, wandering swordsman, master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style of sword fighting. His many adventures begin with his arrival at Tokyo and meeting Kamiya Kaoru, sword instructor and owner of a dojo...
Very popular for good reasons. The main characters are great. However, it is another prime example of lost potential. It starts off being an interesting display of various sword techniques, but then it becomes the Pokemon of sword techniques. HITEN MITSURUGI STYLE MOON SLASH I CHOOSE YOU!!! And the enemy names off another. Oh sure they still describe the techniques from time to time but not often enough and as the show progresses it means less and less. The problem with this show is that they were too popular. I could see the writer beating himself up trying to come up with new stuff for the show to work with until finally he begged the fans to let him stop. The poor guy only expected to have 30 some-odd episodes. You can tell really, but then he got in that anime grind. The one where they fall in the same old patterns. If you've seen something in the area of 5 truly popular animes then you know exactly what I mean.
Bleach - train to battle new opponent who is much stronger
Naruto - train to battle new opponent who is much stronger
Dragonball Z - train to battle new opponent who is much stronger
Pokemon - train to battle new opponent who is much stronger
It's all the same and this poor writer who had a good idea got sucked into it because the fans demanded more. Poor guy.
3 out of 5 It really is good at first but you can tell the writer started struggling.
Chrono Crusade (please log in to view the image)
The year is 1928. Jazz is hot, bootleg liquor is king and the idle rich of a nation have discovered a horrifying new past-time: summoning demons! To combat this growing threat, a new order of Holy Warriors has arisen. This is the story of Sister Rosette, an elite Exorcist in the Order of Magdalene, whose soul has been bound by alchemy to that of the devil Chrono. Armed with Sacred ammo, they form an unstoppable team, ready to wage war at a moments notice… because when the gates of hell are opened, someone’s got to put the devils back!
Not really. It's hard to put the devils back when you're attached to one.
Okay...where to start. I originally thought that this show was going to be loosely based off of the games Chrono Trigger and Chrono Chross. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I mean you can't get much more wrong than that. It's clear that I should have read the premise a bit more before starting to watch it. I mean it's not a bad show it was just a suprise.
The relationships of the characters are good and in some cases very well done. Whereas in other areas the characters not so good. The plotline is interesting enough and action is okay. The only really dramatic point I can make about this show is to say, "You are not allowed to feel good ever again."
I mean first I watched Grave of the Fireflies and then I watched Fullmetal Alchemist but now I've seen this which has got to be one of the saddest endings I've ever seen. I hope that doesn't spoil it for you but you should watch it and find out what I mean.
4 out of 5 interesting music, characters, plotline and the art is okay. Watch it. I dare you. Who's it going to hurt?
Chobits (please log in to view the image)
Hideki Motosuwa is a poor country guy who just moved to the city to further his study. One day on his way home from work, he discovers a 'Persocom', a maiden-shaped robot laying in the dumpster, discarded and wrapped up in bandages.
So he takes the thing home and faces extreme moral issues because he's falling in love with it and doesn't know what to do about it.
So the entire show is about a farmboy who likes porn but can't seem to come to terms with the fact that he's falling in love with a computer shaped like a person.
Despite what you might think about the premise of the show, this show wasn't that bad. I've avoided it for a while because I wasn't really all that interested. I'm not saying that was a mistake, I'm just saying that it wasn't as bad as one might think. I've certainly seen worse.
Like many of these animes I see potential for greatness and the shows usually fall short. This one is no exception. Essentially the entire show comes down to the point that love conquers all. Yup. "Cliché" is a word that comes to mind here.
Musically the show is original and creative. I would give it high credits there. It's almost worth watching just for that.
In conclusion - the show is funny, entertaining but mostly it's just short of great.
3/5 - If you're looking for comedies there are funnier out there and if you're looking for romances there are better out there.
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (please log in to view the image)
Ah, how the mighty have fallen! Caged inside a little boy’s body and banished to Earth by the almighty Odin, the still-proud-and-powerful Loki now runs the Enjaku Detective Agency. Joined by his trusted assistant Yamino and a beautiful (but accident prone) high school girl named Mayura, Loki earns a living probing the darkest corners of the paranormal, the occult, and the otherwise peculiar. And yet the one metaphysical mystery that involves him directly remains unsolved: what has he done to be exiled to Earth? How can he return to Asgard? Why do the other Norse Gods want him dead?
If you are even vaguely familiar with Norse mythology then this is a very interesting turn on it. I enjoyed this show immensely. You'll find the characters to be imaginative and entertaining. The arts not anything special nor is the music but it's also not worse than any other either. It build up to a strong climax...that isn't there. I won't spoil the ending for you but don't expect a lot because you aren't going to get it. Cutesy elements abound in this. Don't be suckered by them because this is not the anime you think it is and if it wasn't for the incredibly strange twist on Norse mythology this brings this show would be dull.
At first I thought that this was a rip-off of Case Closed...then I thought it was a rip-off of a few other animes...but then I realized that it was someone's desperate attempt at making the Norse mythology an anime. Not a bad attempt if I say so myself.
4/5 - Interesting and educational. There's also one episode in this anime that I would consider the second funniest moment in anime. All the other moments are in Azumanga Diaoh.
Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (please log in to view the image)
Two years after the events in "Final Fantasy VII", a disease called 'Seikon-Shoukougun', or 'Geostigma', is spreading through the planet. This disease is believed to have been caused by the body fighting off foreign material that invaded the body two years earlier, at the end of "Final Fantasy VII". Guilt-ridden and haunted by his past, ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife has decided to live a secluded, solitary life away from his friends while maintaining "Strife's Delivery Service", whose headquarters is located in Tifa Lockheart's bar, the Seventh Heaven. Tifa's bar serves as an orphanage for children stricken with Geostigma. Here, Tifa keeps an eye on Barret's six-year-old daughter, Marlene, while Barret searches the planet for an alternative energy source to the Planet's energy, Mako. One day, Cloud receives a phone call from the former Shinra, Inc. president, Rufus, asking him for protection from a mysterious man named Kadaj. Kadaj, in the meantime, along with his brothers Loz and Yazoo, are searching for their "mother", and seem to believe that Cloud knows where to find her. Meanwhile, Vincent Valentine has been wandering the planet gathering information on Kadaj's scheme, and Cloud and his friends must come together again to fight these new enemies.
You're kidding me. You mean I haven't reviewed this yet? Well holy crap! Where have I been?
Okay, let's say that you have played the game - Congratulations! You've got exactly what you were wishing for and then some. It's a spectacular representation of the characters you love including Sid's ridiculous chauvinism. And don't worry...he's in this. You know who, but then again odds are that you've already seen it by now so you know who.
Okay, let's say that you HAVEN'T played the game - So what? It's still amazing! Watching this makes you a fan almost immediately. I've never had a person watch it who didn't say, "Wow! That was awesome!"
Why? Because the music is spectacular! The CGI unlike anything you've ever seen! The characters are...well...they are the same characters that made RPG's truly popular. And the villains are...well...you should really see for yourself.
5/5 - I know, I know. I said, "Video game movies suck." I'm aware of that but you really can't hold this against me, because...well...it's really good okay! Leave me alone.
Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within (please log in to view the image)
In the year 2065, the next great assault against an invading race of phantom-like aliens is about to be launched. Dr. Aki Ross, a brilliant young scientist, races to find the invaders' secrets, not only to save the planet, but herself as well after her body is infected by alien particles. She teams up with the prestigious Deep Eyes military squadron, led by her old friend Grey Edwards. But as Aki, her mentor Dr. Sid, and Grey work toward a peaceful end, the scheming General Hein devises a plot to eradicate the aliens in one swift, destructive blow...even if it destroys the Earth right along with them.
This is not a video game movie. *But the title says...* Yes! We all know what the title says but it's deceptive. It has very little, next to nothing, to do with the video games. Believe me. It was a vast disappointment when I saw it in theaters.
So, if I can save you one problem right off the bat...DON'T THINK OF THIS AS A VIDEO GAME MOVIE!!! Think of it as a random sci-fi. Believe me, you'll be better off and appreciate the movie much more.
The movie is beautiful still, despite it's age and the voice acting isn't terrible. Of course I think Alec Baldwin did awful but that's just my opinion. The plot is good. The music is okay. Take it as it is and you'll be surprised to find a good movie here.
4/5 - Some people don't think this is even an anime. I say - WHO CARES?! Thpppppt!
Not completely. I won't review it until I've seen all the episodes. That can sometimes cause problems.
So far I like Bubblegum Crisis and it probably won't get anything below a 4. Just saying so far. I just watched Spriggan however and am going to review that one soon.
Fatal Fury Legend of the Hungry Wolf (please log in to view the image)
Two brothers, Terry and Andy Bogard, witness the brutal murder of their own father, killed by a crime boss for the scrolls that hold the secrets to his family's martial arts abilities. The boys are told by their mentor to travel the world and hone their skills, preparing for the day when they will be taught the ultimate technique, one so secret it was never written down. Ten years later, Terry has returned to Japan, where he befriends Joe Higashi, an old brawling companion of Andy. He also becomes involved with Lily, a beautiful woman taken in by the man responsible for the murder of the brothers' father ten years back. As it turns out, the aging crime lord now controls a corrupt martial arts tournament from behind the scenes. Both brothers and Joe join the tournament as a way to get to the man at the top, but the tournament is less than honest. And even if they can find the man responsible for the destruction of their family, will they be able to beat him?
I’m a fan of Fatal Fury. That being said….I didn’t like this. It stunk. Most of the voice acting was terrible…Billy Kane was alright though. It was too short so it felt like they were trying to accomplish too much in a very short amount of time. It was okay for laying the groundwork for other films though.
2/5 – The action didn’t save this film. It was about on par with Samurai Showdown…which is funny since the games were made by the same people.
Fatal Fury 2 The New Battle (please log in to view the image)
Terry Bogard, world famous martial artist, is taking it easy (sorta) after defeating Geese Howard, the man who brutally murdered his father. But one night, he is challenged by the sinister German nobleman Wolfgang Krauser, and barely escapes with his life. Terry goes completely to pieces over the loss, convinced that he'll never be able to be the best again. Can his brother Andy, friend Joe, and a young fan named Tony help Terry recover his skill to and challenge Krauser to recover his honour?
Much better than the first movie. You get a good collection of action and nice fight scenes. The voice acting was much better. I wouldn’t say the plot was better but the movie was a good length for what plot they had. Still a weak anime but an improvement none the less. Animation could still be better and the musical scores are still very weak.
3/5 – Here’s to hoping the third movie is even better.
Fatal Fury The Motion Picture (please log in to view the image)
An ancient legend tells of a suit of armor that gave the wearer the power of Mars, the god of War himself. The previous wearer was defeated and pieces of the armor scattered to the ends of the earth, but it seems that now someone is gathering those pieces with the intent of conquering the world for himself. Terry, Andy, and Joe all get sucked into this plot when a beautiful girl named Sulia comes to them for help in stopping this menace to humanity. But their opponent already has several pieces of the armor, and if he completes the suit before they can stop him, what can even the best street fighters in the world do to stop a god?
Much, much better! The animation improved the music was better and the plot was pretty darn good too. The action is far better than in previous films. A vast upgrade from either of the movies.
4/5 – Worth your time but if you aren’t familiar with the characters then perhaps you should stay away.
Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (please log in to view the image)
Sakura, upon returning from school, bids his friends goodbye as he enters the gate to his house. Heading to his room for an evening's worth of studying, he enters only to find Dokuro-chan in there changing clothes. Naturally, she's quite irate about the whole deal, and heads straight over to Sakura. Upon coming within arms reach, she produces what looks like a steel baseball bat with spikes and hooks, and commences to smash half his head off, splattering blood all over the walls, the door, the ROOF, not to mention Dokuro-chan herself. However, since she's an angel, she resurrects him. But for him -- and moreso us -- the pain has just started.
Get it? Do ya? She’s sent back in time to keep him from being killed but kills him constantly but its okay because she can bring him back to life anytime she wants. Make sense? Yeah…I didn’t think so. It’s funny…it’s random…it’s uh…something. I can’t really understand what made me watch it in the first place. Not that I’m complaining. It was fun…it was just kind of…odd.
3/5 – You should enjoy it but I’m still not giving it a higher rating.
KMC Community Forums
Feb 17th, 2007 09:25 PM
