Saturday, February 25, 2012

EDEN OF THE EAST: An Analysis

5 stars out of 5.

What does it take to instigate social change? A revolution of course, but how? When the elderly grow akin to old dogs unable to learn new tricks, and the youth grow disinterested in politics and retreat into hikikomori isolationism, who is going to take a stance and change the future? When your country has lost its significance in world politics and the nation is up to its neck in debt, where do people turn? Like a powder keg about to burst, Japan risked crossing the point of no return, where it could not restore its former post-war glory unless something drastic happened. Kenji Kamiyama's anime oeuvre expresses fantastic ideals for enacting changes in the social structure, and Eden of the East is another shining example of his revolutionary ideals.

Akira and Saki.


One Helluva Story

     The story begins in front of the White House, following a young girl named Saki as she vacations in the U.S. She is throwing coins onto the White House lawn, making wishes for conditions in Japan to improve through some form of American intervention. The police see this and begin questioning her. They, along with Saki, are then distracted by a man who stands across the street without clothes on, holding a gun and cellphone. The police pursue him and he manages to lose them. He later introduces himself to Saki; he does not remember who he is or why he is naked. She gives him her coat and hat and he runs off to where he believes he lives. Realizing that her passport is in the coat, Saki follows him. The two are soon spotted by the police, and so they sneak away from his apartment and make it to the airport so she can return to her home in Japan. Saki goes through the young man's passport, which he found within his D.C. apartment; he is Akira Takizawa, a Japanese citizen. He decides to accompany her in order to discover his identity.

Akira soon learns that his phone links up to a concierge named Juiz, who has been using a ten billion yen bank account in order to fulfill Akira's wishes. The reason he was given the phone is simple: he was chosen to become the savior of Japan, and must use his money to better the nation. There are other citizens who also have special phones, and if any one of them manages to affect real change in Japan before the others, the other phone users die. For anyone who isn't fond of spoilers, trust me, I've only laid down the foundations of the narrative. Watching the show unfold is an exciting and suspenseful experience, and full of surprises.


Akira Takizawa is the ideal human being, incessantly altruistic and willing to do anything in order to help others. This initially seems like an annoying quality for any protagonist to have; he's flawless. A lot of his appeal comes from the fact that the series focuses on discovering who he his and why he has been selected as a Selecao, one of twelve people with the mysterious phone. Akira's somewhat bland personality is stretched to its limits due to the absurd situations the competing Selecao place him in, and this is when Akira is most ingenious and enjoyable. Part of why he loses his memory in the first episode is related to an incident called “Careless Monday,” where missiles strike Japan but end up killing no one in the process. I'll let viewers discover what role Akira played in that incident for themselves.


One Helluva Theory

     One theoretical notion that runs through writer/director Kenji Kamiyama's works is the notion of the “vanishing mediator,” especially seen in Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society. A vanishing mediator can be thought of as a third party (hence “mediator”) that intercedes in the dilemma caused by opposing ideas, helps to form a resolution, and then disappears; the mediator arises to resolve the problem and leaves once the job is done. The Selecao in Eden of the East can also be seen as vanishing mediators, people who are summoned to resolve a conflict and then disappear entirely once the job is done. In the case of the series, the two opposed forces are the older Japanese who hold onto their wealth and fantasies of post-World War Two industrial glory, and the younger NEET (“not in education, employment or training”) population that are unable to get steady jobs because corporations are unwilling to hire. Once a Selecao is able to solve that issue, all other Selecao die, or at least these are the rules stated by Mr. Outside, the man running the Selecao program. Of course, if “vanishing mediator” translates to “death” in Eden of the East, one must wonder what becomes of the Selecao who wins the game.

Saki observing the antics of another Selecao.

Anyone who has seen Kamiyama's Stand Alone Complex works knows that they are dense with literary, cultural and technological references many viewers aren't familiar with unless they happen to be college-educated intellectuals. The Ghost in the Shell franchise in general is not accessible to everyone (the original manga by Shirow Masamune eventually turns into a comic book explanation of the workings of the universe). Kamiyama's later works, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit and Eden of the East do not similarly confuse the general public. Eden of the East presents Kamiyama's social concerns in a form many viewers would find palatable, without “dumbing down” its intellectualism or relevance to today's world.


One Helluva Show

     It's safe to say that Production I.G. consistently produces some of the most visually spectacular anime in the world today. Meticulous attention to detail is paid to the illustration of environments within Eden. In a brilliantly executed manner, surfaces are painted with bold visible strokes, as if to reflect myriad light sources from the surroundings. The characters within the show each have unique designs, and they even change their clothes on occasion. The CG in the series is almost unnoticeable; large crowds are typically rendered in computer graphics whenever in aerial view, and at such an angle they aren't easily distinguishable from illustrated figures. Similarly, it might surprise some to learn that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy also used that method to depict thousands of soldiers at war on the fields of Middle Earth.

Eden of the East is a solid contribution to the world of anime. It manages to mix hilarity and intellect in an engaging narrative form, and predictability is thrown out the window because of a conflict that is in many ways unique to modern-day Japan. The Selecao, not reduced to either “heroes” or “villains”, are chosen from various walks of life and each uses different methods to somehow make Japan a better place. It's an ambiguous goal, and by extension an ingenious one too. Eden has no manga precedent which means following the series should be a breeze. The only problems Eden of the East might face are in the future, where its ideas might become dated due to their specific relevance to contemporary issues. Assuming conditions have changed in Japan by that time, hopefully Eden will be seen as a snapshot of the issues Generation Y encountered at the dawn of the millennium.



* Eden of the East is an eleven episode anime series. There are also two films, The King of Eden and Paradise Lost. In unusual fashion, these films serve as continuations of the original series instead of stand alone works that are loosely associated with series canon. It is for that reason that I won't review them separately from the television series. They all realize their greatest potential when watched in tandem.

Eden of the East and The King of Eden are available through Netflix. All works are produced by Production I.G.


- Elijah Lee

Friday, February 24, 2012

Musings of the Editor-in-Chief


Hello world, this is Elijah Lee, The Anime Guardians' Editor-in-Chief. Boy, have we been busy these past few weeks!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

WELCOME TO THE NHK: A Review

5 stars out of 5.



Being an action junkie, especially when it comes to anime, I was skeptical about Welcome to the NHK. Any shred of apprehension I had before completely vanished once I started watching this show. The show was so good that I had to force myself quite a few times to take breaks and slow down ( I didn't do a very good job). With all that being said, it has been difficult to think of a way to adequately describe Welcome to the NHK. At times the show is a comedy; at other times the show can be incredibly depressing.

The story revolves around the main character, Satō Tatsuhiro, who is by all perspectives a failure at life. Satō spends his days sleeping, drinking, smoking, and complaining about his mysterious neighbor who constantly listens to the theme song of a popular anime. He is terrified of the outside world and lives off the allowance that his parents give him for food and rent. As one can imagine, he has few friends and even less visitors.

Welcome to the NHK, begins with a knock at Satō's door, which sends him into a panic. Expecting a collector for an unpaid bill, he is surprised to see an older woman and her young, attractive niece. They are going from door to door in his apartment complex to warn of the increasing hikikomori problem (those who live at home and do not work) in Tokyo. He is given a pamphlet describing these social outcasts and the pair leave. Later that day, Satō finds a letter from the young woman, named Miskaki Nakahara, that was at his door earlier. The letter offers Satō counseling sessions to cure him of his hikkomori ways. After a bit of denial of his nature, Satō eventually caves and accepts counseling.


Satō Tatsuhiro in all his glory. 

The rest of the show revolves around the counseling sessions, along with a myriad of strange situations that Satō and his old high school friends get into. As much as I would like to give examples here, I really do not want to ruin any of the show.  Trust me, watch the show; you won't be disappointed.

In any anime, the characters are the most important part for me; good characters can save a show with a mediocre or average story. I was blown away by the characters, starting with the main protagonist Satō.  He suffers from extreme social phobia, so much so that his actions and behavior are incredibly strange, sometimes bordering on pitiful. An example of this is his perception of the reality that he lives in, especially the presence of the NHK conspiracy (NHK is an actual broadcasting company in Japan). Satō believes that through the production of anime, NHK aims to create hikkimori so that society has a group of people to frown upon. Of course, there is little to no basis for this thought process as you will see, but it produces quite a few funny moments throughout the show. Despite all of this, when Satō was rational he was incredibly easy to relate to and I often found myself agreeing with his thought processes. The writers did a great job with the main character by simultaneously making a him ridiculously satirical figure, yet realistic enough so that the viewer can relate to him.




Satō's friend, Yamazaki.


The supporting cast of the show was also incredible. Each had distinct personalities and even reminded me of some of my friends. Kaoru Yamazaki, Satō's former high school classmate and aspiring video game creator, was probably my second favorite character after Satō. Yamazaki is an incredibly passionate and stubborn youth that often times gets on the main character's case for his laziness. Without spoiling anything, all I can say is that he is hilarious when he drinks with Satō.

The other two important characters in the show are Misaki and Himoki Kashiwa; Himoki was Satō's former high school classmate and buddy in the Literature Club. Both characters are very well written, adding an entirely different dimension to the show than Yamazaki. Beyond being Satō's counselor, Misaki is an incredibly tortured spirit with a very sad story behind her. Hitomi, lacking the interesting back story Misaki has, more than makes up for it with her enigmatic personality. I actually found Hitomi's sporadic appearances to be some of the best episodes of the show.


Satō and Misaki during a counseling session.


Ultimately, the characters are only as good as the story that they are trying to tell. Although difficult to explain, the story is at least very good if not great. The plot not only succeeds as a comedy, but also does a good job serving as a serious character study of modern life. There is a perfect balance of seriousness and comedy that enhances the message of the show. I really can't say enough about the story, it was incredibly well written.

With little knowledge of drawing and graphic design, I can at least say that I thought the style fit the show. The characters were well designed and had a very modern feel to them which fit well within the context of the show. On the other hand, I do have a decent amount of knowledge about music and I can say that the music that the producers picked really fit the show. One example is during the periods when Satō is “talking”about the NHK conspiracy. The music is pretty upbeat and really added to the ridiculous atmosphere created by Satō's imagination. Although much of the music was relatively similar in genre (mostly rock), there was enough variety so that the music did not sound the same.

NHK conspirators plotting against Satō.


Welcome to the NHK, although not the type of show I usually watch, was fantastic. The show excelled in almost every aspect and created a believable world that allowed the viewer to connect with the characters and the situations that they thrust themselves into. If you haven't seen this show you really should watch it; its definitely worth it. One word of caution though: the show can be very sexual.

- ABC

* Welcome to the NHK was produced by Gonzo and can be rented on DVD from Netflix.com

Saturday, February 18, 2012

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY: A Review

4 stars out of 5.

 There were a lot of kids at the matinee screening of The Secret World of Arrietty. I was almost embarrassed to ask for a ticket; I think I was the only young adult there. At the end of the day my experience watching this film was an enjoyable one, in terms of audience behavior (the kids were actually quiet!) and the elements of the actual film. Studio Ghibli has managed to produce another masterpiece, and to my astonishment, Miyazaki was not director.


Based on the children's novel, The Borrowers, the film follows the Lilliputian-like family of Pod, Homily, and their daughter Arrietty as they hide within the home of Jessica, who is a full-size human. Their survival is sustained through “borrowing” things that no one will notice is missing, such as a single sugar cube or a few crackers. One afternoon a sickly boy named Shawn moves into his aunt Jessica's home, nearly spotting Arrietty as she explores the yard. She is intrigued by him, but her father Pod warns that if their family is spotted, they will have to move to ensure their safety; there aren't many Borrowers like themselves left in the world, at least few that they know of. Little does our tiny Borrower family know that Shawn and Jessica are vaguely aware of their existence and look forward to seeing them someday. The housemaid, Hara, doesn't feel the same way, and upon suspecting that the Borrowers are within the home, calls the neighborhood pest-control team to capture them.

The story is lighthearted and arguably juvenile to a casual viewer. The theme of miniature beings hiding amongst us has been addressed numerous times in American child films such as The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), Toy Story (1995), Stuart Little (1999), and An American Tail (1986). Studio Ghibli, with a finesse they've come to master over the years, creates a child-like fantasy capable of fascinating the adult mind. The obvious Miyazaki tropes of communing with nature and avoiding violence are muted. Such themes are instead expressed through the lives of the Borrowers, who interact with and live within nature because of the need to avoid humans. Watching them climb vines and table legs with grappling hooks is unexpectedly interesting, betraying any notions of Arrietty being perceived as a simple kid's movie.

Arrietty and Homily.

Concerning the film's characters, Arrietty as protagonist is refreshing for those who don't care much for shonen anime's obnoxious, “I'm gonna fight until I unleash my true potential!” masculinity. Arrietty is curious and adventurous, practically begging for trouble as she roams Jessica's home against her parent's wishes. She doesn't go through any profound character development; the film is only ninety minutes long. But she manages to keep one's attention from beginning to end, and personally I liked her a lot. Bridgit Mendler, who voiced Arrietty, does a good job of not sounding too juvenile nor too adult. In a more critical assessment of the characters I'll say that Homily, Arrietty's mother, was the funniest and had the best voice actress in Amy Poehler. Her previous comedic work shines brilliantly through her voice acting.


Shawn is initially creepy. He speaks softly and says morbid things to Arrietty when they finally meet face to face. Understandably, Shawn is soon going into the operating room and might die, but such lengthy existentialist dialogue in the middle of an otherwise lighthearted film reminds viewers that they're watching Japanese anime, not an American cartoon. Shawn's voice is also odd; the male voice actors in Ghibli English dubs are usually soft-spoken to the point where hearing them becomes an issue. Shawn, voiced by David Henrie sounds like a twenty year-old and not a pre-adolescent child. It is for this reason that women are commonly cast to voice younger males. Pod's voice on the other hand is hilariously suitable for a man of few words, low and stern like Clint Eastwood.


Studio Ghibli's visual style hasn't changed much in its twenty-seven year history, save for adapting modern digital technology in its productions. The animation in The Secret World of Arrietty is composed of simple character designs, lush outdoor scenes and detailed interiors. The verdant greens of the outdoors are painted in a uniquely Impressionistic manner at times; details in trees or shrubs are traded in favor of patches of color, as if Claude Monet was revived and commissioned to paint backgrounds. At other times, when we are at Arrietty's eye level and close to the ground, the amount of detail on the grassy fields and their flowers is magnificent. There isn't much else to say about the animation, which is why I include photos in my reviews. If one has previously seen a Ghibli film, then they know what to expect.

Arrietty and Shawn.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a wonderful film for both whiny, snot-nosed children and mature adults. Lest I make this out to be a film everyone will love, I will say it lacks the usual musical numbers Americans are accustomed to in their “G” rated animation, but that's a matter of preference and doesn't harm this film in the least. I found the pacing to be a tad slow, and the film's antagonist bothered me a lot. Hara's motivations for seeking the Borrowers was never made clear. She disliked them and wanted to capture them, but for what purpose? Was she going to put them on display in a Ripley's Believe it or Not! museum? She wasn't sinister as much as she was mysterious. If anything, there's a crow in the film that tries to eat Arrietty, and he was more of a villain than Hara ever was.

I must sincerely congratulate Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of this film. While Miyazaki might have co-wrote the script, I strongly believe that Yonebayashi has made a firm impression in the minds of those who see “Studio Ghibli” and “Miyazaki” as interchangable terms. Miyazaki's not getting any younger, and someone's going to need to carry on his prolific legacy.


* The Secret World of Arrietty was produced by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

- Elijah Lee

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A Few Thoughts on ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST

2.5 stars out of 5.

Nostalgia is an interesting emotion. One feels it when remembering what once was; this doesn't mean that the “good ol' days” were exactly good at all, just comparatively better than the present day. Origin: Spirits of the Past embodies the theme of nostalgia in its story, its artwork, and even its title. I also approached this film for a second time from a nostalgic point of view. After this second viewing, I realize that the old saying, “Hindsight is 20/20,” only applies in the absence of nostalgic sentiment, which interferes with the ability to make fair assessments.

Agito and Tula.


While the story was good, the execution was lackluster; a bad plot is typically my reason for disliking an anime or film. At some point in the past the moon was strangled by frenzied experimental plant-life and eventually broke apart. The resulting lunar fallout allowed the plants to spread to Earth, where they made living conditions unbearable as they literally attacked humans unto near extinction. Many of the survivors retreated to stasis pods, awaiting a day they could successfully begin to reconquer the Earth.

The film starts in the distant future, where our protagonist Agito stumbles upon Tula and wakes her from her stasis sleep. Agito belongs to Neutral City, founded by his father years ago, where people attempt to live simple, peaceful lives some distance from the forest. The city next to them is Ranga, a military industrial complex that plans on destroying the forest. Ranga soon hunts for Tula after learning of her awakening; she holds the key to activating the Environmental Defragmentation System (E.S.T.O.C), a weapon her father engineered years ago to burn the forest down.

Moments before lunar devastation.


The film's themes should instantly remind die-hard anime fans of Miyazaki's works, where typically some military power ruins the environment and so the environment fights back. Unfortunately, this film lacks the ability to come out from Miyazaki's shadow and outperform a classic like Princess Mononoke. The first half of Origin is calm and arguably boring; I paused the film and then took a nap halfway through. When I watched the second half later on, suddenly there were too many things happening that first half did not prepare me for. Agito is suddenly so obsessed with recapturing Tula, a girl he never managed to develop a relationship with, that he allows the forest to transform him into a man-plant hybrid with extraordinary power so he can rescue her. Overall, one gets the feeling that the first half of the film was exposition and the second half quickly seeks resolution, without having a proper rise of dramatic tension in between.

The animation is spectacular. The money that probably should have gone into finding a better writer went into the art, which again is reminiscent of Miyazaki style. Character designs are humble; no one is too muscular or voluptuous. The colors are rich and vibrant, and shadows are strong. Settings are incredibly detailed. The use of computer CG for the Ranga's military vehicles was nearly seamless. There isn't much wrong with the look of the film. The music is nice as well. The opening and closing song are enjoyable, and haunting. Here's a link to the OP.

Neutral City.


Origin: Spirits of the Past has most of the traits an epic Miyazaki film possesses. The film's narrative, however, is more like a half-developed thought, an unhatched egg, a seed planted in poor soil. We get from beginning to end with a conspicuous lack of conflict in the middle; this conflict typically prompts a protagonist to action in the average story. Being different from the norm isn't inherently bad, but forgetting to include tension and drama and conflict is an unforgivable crime. It's a shame.


* Origin: Spirits of the Past is on Netflix instant streaming. It is also available for purchase at Amazon.com.

- Elijah Lee

Friday, February 10, 2012

LE PORTRAIT DE PETIT COSSETTE: An Analysis

3 stars out of 5.

Much like how Le Portrait de Petit Cossette begged for my attention, so did its titular character call out to Eiri, the show's protagonist. He manages his uncle's antiques shop, which is constantly flooded with new objects. Among these objects is a Venetian glass cup. The glass belonged to Cossette, who lived during the 18th century and was murdered by the artist Marcello; his love for Cossette transformed into a perverse fixation with preventing her from aging, and by extension, from changing her appearance in his artwork.

A portrait of Cossette.

Cossette appears before Eiri whenever he looks at the glass. He falls in love with this phantasm, who plans on making him the reincarnation of Marcello so that through Eiri, Marcello can atone for his sins. Of course, Eiri does not agree with this and tries to show Cossette that he loves her and is not the same person as the misguided Marcello. Initially the story is hard to comprehend and doesn't offer details as to why Eiri was burdened with Marcello's punishment; Cossette says that Eiri is artistic like Marcello was, which seems a weak arbitrary decision at best. If Eiri had been a descendant of the artist or something, his curse would have made more sense. Such a scenario might have been cliche of course; at the end of the day anyone might have been suitable as Marcello's vessel.

The show's strengths lie not in its narrative, but in its aesthetics and stylistic references. Numerous artworks and films came to mind as I watched Petit Cossette, as if my Cinema Studies and Art History classes were jumbled together into three forty-minute episodes. Cossette herself can be associated with a larger Japanese theme of “haunting women spirits.” The yuki-onna (snow woman) is a popular example from Japanese folklore, written of in the book, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, and later depicted in the film, Kwaidan (1964). More directly related to Petit Cossette is the myth of the onryō or vengeful spirit, which found modern day depictions in films such as Ring (1998) and Ju-on: The Grudge (2003); both were adapted into American films soon after. Punishment and atonement in such stories is abstracted into fatalistic issues not directly related to the protagonist/victim who must pay such a price. The same can be said of Eiri, who begins to fall in love with Cossette without realizing that she needs him in order to relieve her own spirit of its agony. He didn't directly cause Cossette any pain, but was arbitrarily chosen to suffer in Marcello's stead.

Eiri in suffering.




The events of Le Portrait de Petit Cossette often take place in abstract, surreal dreamscapes. Eiri is transported to these lands as he interacts with Cossette, and we are never told if these locations are either imagined or in another dimension; at one point Cossette takes Eiri to a land where the living and the dead can interact, an absurd Inception-like world where anything can be constructed at will. Twisted landscapes are reminiscent of old German Expressionist films; The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), a film I watched during my freshman year, similarly featured labrythine landscape and tilted buildings and trees. Interestingly enough, the end of that film reveals that what took place was a fantasy conjured by an asylum inmate, who imagined he was investigating a murder mystery. Also, the artwork of surrealist painters like Max Ernst and Salvador Dali vaguely comes to mind (for my fellow Art History students out there). Petit Cossette takes advantage of the almost border-less realm of animation and paints an unforgettable universe. The only time the scenery is lacking polish is in the third and final OVA episode, when an odd 3D computer generated tower is introduced into Eiri and Cossette's private world.

Somewhere...

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette is brief, which may be a good thing. I walked away from this show with a slight headache as I tried to comprehend what I just saw. If the theme of this analysis is, "Elijah Lee recalls Cinema Studies classes," then one aspect of those classes I do not miss is the overwhelming confusion I suffered in the name of intellectualism. Petit Cossette does a good job of avoiding the pretentious mess that can easily occur in film projects with very few creative restrictions; the anime Ergo Proxy pushed itself a little too far in that regard. The fact that Petit Cossette falls within the psychological horror genre also allows it to be a little outlandish. This was a unique experience for me.


* Le Portrait de Petit Cossette is available for a low price at Amazon.com.

- Elijah Lee

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

OUTLAW STAR: An In-Depth Review

4.5 stars out of 5.

     A tale of action, love, and adventure (with an ample supply of comedy thrown in as well), Outlaw Star serves as an enjoyable anime for those who want combat. Following a dynamic duo of brains and brawn, the show thrusts you into a universe where three distinct powers rule: Pirates, Outlaws, and Military forces. Each major power is hellbent on finding an ancient and mythical location known only as the Galactic Leyline.



     Outlaw Star begins by following the two “brothers” (similar to Simon and Kamina from Gurren Lagann) Gene Starwind and James/Jim Hawking, who live on the planet Sentinel III. Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, as their joint business is named, specializes in fixing, well... anything. Their troubles begin in the first episode, when a mysterious woman named Rachel contacts them in search of bodyguards. James and Gene escort Rachel to a farm on the outskirts of town so that she can “service local farm equipment.” Guild Pirates tail them along the highway in an attempt to kill Rachel for reasons unknown. She is forced to scrap her disguise and reveals that she is actually an infamous outlaw named Hilda. James, Gene and Hilda slowly beat back the pirates until they make it to the farm. At the farm, Hilda betrays the two by shooting Gene and then forces James to resuscitate a bio-android named Melfina, whom she had hidden in a barn. Gene manages to survive the shot through a stroke of luck and sneaks up on Hilda with his own gun. With no other choice, the outlaw takes the two locals with her.

    
     Hilda and the others escape the pirates and continue on a search for an advanced ship called the XGP15A-II, which can only be piloted by Melfina. They find the ship but run into trouble with the Kei Pirates, who built the ship, and the infamous MacDougall Brothers. Needless to say, Hilda does acquire the XGP15A-II, and the ship is repainted and renamed Outlaw Star. Much of the show then moves into a search for money in order to pay off a massive debt to a man named Fred Luo, who makes repeated repairs on the Outlaw Star. Eventually, the crew of the Outlaw Star does make it to the Galactic Leyline which sets up for a thrilling three-way showdown that I won't spoil.


Hilda the outlaw.


     The best part of the show was easily the characters. While somewhat formulaic in their character roles, the personalities of the crew of the Outlaw Star prevented the story from becoming stale. Gene and James are the stars of the show and successfully fulfill such roles. While Gene acts as a fairly standard action hero with a few interesting personality quirks, James' character is quite refreshing. James Hawking is the stark opposite of Gene: mature, intelligent, and constantly worried. Unlike other shows with similar “dynamic duo” leads, James actually has a large influence over Gene and is capable of keeping him from going over the top in a few instances. The writers definitely did a good job of making James as cool and interesting as Gene, albeit in different ways.

     Other major characters include Aisha ClanClan, an alien female officer for the CtarlCtarl Empire, and “Twilight” Suzuka, an assassin that Gene successfully saves Fred from in an early episode. Though they aren't featured as prominently as Gene and Jim, they do play important roles in the story and ultimately save Gene quite a few times in combat. Personally, I enjoyed Suzuka's character; I found Aisha's personality to be irritating after a while, but not enough to detract from the show. Overall, Aisha and Suzuka were good support characters.

The crew of the Outlaw Star (Melfina in the back, Gene Starwind in the middle, Aisha ClanClan on the left, “Twilight” Suzuka on the right, and James Hawking in the front).


     Beyond the characters, I thought the music was pretty good. The music ranged from something that sounded like a rock song from the 1980's to a very Western slide guitar and harmonica. It never felt out of place and at times even helped to add to the atmosphere of the show. I can not remember a time where I felt that the music was out of place.

     My main complaint with the show was the final episode. The final fight was fairly lackluster and did not fit the show very well. The fight felt like a sudden and drastic change from the identity that the show had created for itself in the previous twenty-five episodes. I was incredibly disappointed in how it played out and felt too much like a cop-out than anything else. Beyond this, I have no major problems with Outlaw Star.

The infamous MacDougall brothers.

     One thing I noticed almost immediately about Outlaw Star was how similar the show felt to Cowboy Bebop. Even the art style of the two shows are markedly similar, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in my eyes because I really enjoyed the aesthetics of each show. Also, the overall story layout of the shows were fairly similar. The crew of the Outlaw Star would spend a few episodes trying to scrounge up money to pay for debts, which was also the case in Cowboy Bebop. With both shows coming out in 1998, I don't think their similarities are due to Outlaw Star imitating Bebop because of its later critical acclaim; rather, both directors likely believed that such narrative approaches would enhance their respective shows. With that being said, I found that the differences between characters were great enough to separate the two shows. and did really helped to separate the two shows. I may enjoy Cowboy Bebop a little more, but Outlaw Star is still a great show and definitely worth watching.

     Outlaw Star was an enjoyable thrill ride that not only satisfied my appetite for action and violence but also delivered enjoyable characters to follow. I was incredibly impressed by this show and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has not seen it, although I must say the show can be crude at times with occasional nudity.

Thanks,
-ABC

* Outlaw Star is available for purchase at Amazon.com.  

Musings of the Editor-in-Chief



Hello everyone. It's been a while since the last Musings entry. Rest assured, things are going well for us at The Anime Guardians.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

GA-REI-ZERO: An In-Depth Review

3 stars out of 5.

Drawing the line between duty and desire is not always simple. Ga-Rei-Zero presents us with an orderly system of family honor and duty based upon a single principle: those who inherit a family's ga-rei or spirit-eating beast must vanquish “spirits that defy the natural order.” But what happens when a spirit possesses someone you know? Having to rain justice upon a former ally is a theme hundreds of shows and films have adopted, a famous example being Obi-Wan fighting Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars. Gai-Rei-Zero takes us through a similar betrayal in a way only anime can: in the end, nobody wins...

Kagura Tsuchimiya.


     Story and Characters

     The number of malicious spirits has steadily increased in Japan. The Ministry of Environment and its Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division (SDCD) fight off these spirits with exorcizing weaponry. Working with the SDCD are a group of spirit-vanquisher families, each in possession of a ga-rei spirit beast. Yomi, adopted daughter of the Isayama family, works part-time with the SDCD, quickly proving herself to be the team's most powerful asset.

When Kagura, sole daughter of the Tsuchimiya family, loses her mother during a fight with a powerful spirit, she is taken in by Yomi and her family. The two girls grow to love each other. Kagura is also trained for combat so that she may one day inherit her own family's ga-rei, but she isn't yet strong enough to fight with the SDCD. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the team will need all the help they can get fighting the surge of evil spirits; Kagura joins the team. Little does the SDCD know that the being who killed Kagura's mother has been agitating the spirits within Japan, and that his long-term plans will ruin Yomi's life forever.

Yomi Isayama and the SDCD.

The show is very unconventional in that it's first episode sets us up for a highly organized detective/action show. The Ministry of Defense's police infantry are squashed by a Class B monster, and it's up to an awesome Special Forces unit to take it down. After devoting an entire episode to these Ministry of Defense agents, the rest of the series focuses on the Ministry of Environment's SDCD, an eclectic group of suit-wearing exorcists who use weapons like briefcases that fire bullets. It's a violent shift that's disappointing to see, especially as the series goes on and these agents merely serve as assistants to the insanely skilled Yomi Isayama. The SDCD isn't nearly as efficient or as cool as Special Forces team was.

Fortunately, the lack of finesse within the SDCD is balanced by a likable cast, although we are not privileged with too much time with them. The show focuses on Yomi and Kagura, who have a “sisterly love” that often looks like outright lesbianism. Yomi cares deeply for Kagura; it was Yomi's idea to watch over her while Kagura's father was busy fighting spirits. Their relationship is adorable. Yomi has the stronger personality when compared to Kagura, but they are both enjoyable to watch and are capable of making episodes interesting without the aid of the other. Like Yomi she is a prodigy of swordplay. The fact that Yomi is adopted and without an exorcist bloodline means that Kagura will eventually surpass her. Yomi's adoption eventually becomes a major issue in the story as our mystery antagonist uses this to his advantage and causes strife between the exorcist families.


     Expectations

     Similar to our last show, Rideback, Ga-Rei-Zero is twelve episodes long. It grants us a peek into a complicated world that is never fully explained. Monsters have classifications according to their spirit energy. The Ministries of Defense and Environment have clearly been fighting paranormal threats for some time. Such information isn't disclosed within the anime. As it turns out, the show is an anime prequel to the Ga-Rei manga, which starts off exactly where the anime ends. Other than the monster categories and the Ministry histories, one doesn't need to read the manga to understand the show. The story is easy to understand and almost predictable.

Yomi and Mei Isayama, her family rival.

The story's predictability doesn't ruin the show, but one might walk away from the series with mixed feelings. Anime has developed many conventions over its long history. Arguably one of them is to make sure that if a situation makes a turn for the worst, it must continue to grow worse until everything ends in tragedy, a narrative experiment in momentum if there ever was one. Shows like Requiem for the Phantom and the film Grave of the Fireflies prove this point. Exceptions to this rule are shows like Moribito and Gurren Lagann. Ga-Rei-Zero is somewhere between. Seeing Kagura and Yomi fight spirits and mature together is heartwarming, but anime constantly reminds us that such moments of peace are temporary, and so their lives begin to change for the worst. Rather than disliking a show for being predictable, I was somewhat satisfied but also left with thoughts of what could have been.
                                                  

In summary, Ga-Rei-Zero delivers in some ways and fails in others. The show differs from conventional shonen action shows in that it spends a great deal of time on its character relationships. This positive is offset by a narrative that limits itself to telling a story of betrayal that ends in a way one can see coming from a mile away. It had a lot of potential; perhaps because it was a prequel to an existing manga series, its sole purpose was to get from point A to B and entertain while doing so. Ga-Rei-Zero accomplished this without a problem. If it were allotted more narrative freedom, it could have been fantastic.  



* Ga-Rei-Zero is produced by AIC Spirits and Asread. The show is currently available for free viewing at Hulu.com.

- Elijah Lee