Mecha

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Eureka Seven

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The review for this week came from realizing that I had not finished watching its sequel series. There was no major reason why I gave up on Eureka Seven: AO half way through. The series didn’t annoy me or frustrate me, it was just one of those series that you never get around to finishing. Oh well, let’s focus more on the one that really is worth talking about.

Renton Thurston lives a boring life in the shadow of his father, the man who saved the world. He’d much rather be a member of Gekkostate, the counter government group that uses pop culture and Lifting to get spread their message. Renton’s life is thrown into a tailspin when a member of Gekkostate named Eureka crashes into his house in her robot, Nirvash. Together, the two will form a bond that will be tested and will throw the entire world into change. Will Renton be strong enough to weather the storm?

The intriguing thing about the series is just how deep things go. Once Renton starts his crush on Eureka, he insists on sticking with her no matter what. What he doesn’t understand is that no matter what will include taking down a government that is bend on trying to destroy the mysterious Coral that has infected the world, learning the truth behind his father’s death, and coming to grips with the fact that his girlfriend might be more than a regular human. Still, give the boy credit, he crushes hard and doesn’t give up no matter what obstacles are thrown in his face. Give that boy a metal!

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Eureka Seven is what you might call a package anime. it has everything going for it. Good characters, breathtaking landscape, detailed vehicles, and incredible Giant Robots. I mean, the Robots on moving through the sky on flying surf boards, how is that not the coolest thing ever? How about the fact that he animation is spectacular and their is no shortage of characters and relationships for you to attach yourself to. Not a fan of the Renton and Eureka relationship? Then try the Dominic and Anemone one. Takes the boy a while to realize just how much he that girl means to him but in the end, he finds a way to reach her…by falling through the sky screaming her name. .

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Seriously, I know this anime is a bit long but go check it out. You will not regret it. Now that I finally did the review for the first series maybe this will prompt me to go back and finally finish Eureka Seven: AO. Probably not considering I haven’t gone back in almost three years. Still, you never know. I also realize I’ve been given too many good ratings lately. Expect something of at least a C or lower next week.

Rating: A-

P.S. Wanted to make a reference to the ever popular quote “You’re going to carry that weight” that was often used in the series but nothing came to mind. Oh well. Still a cool quote to mention thoug.

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Vision of Escaflowne

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Today’s series had an interesting premiere when it was shown on American television. In order to be eligible for broadcast enough content needed to be cut that several episodes were able to be merged into one, including the very first episode. If you can`t tell today’s series is the Vision of Escaflowne. I promise not to make any comments about the pointy noses.

High School girl Hitomi wants nothing more than to confess her love to her first crush and be the best track runner she can. Unfortunately for her this life is shattered when a young prince named Van appears before her. Soon she is whisked away to Gaia a fantasy world where people fight in giant robots called Guymelefs. As trouble grows, Van awakens the legendary Guymelef Escaflowne to help him as he works to fight against the evil empire of Zaibach.

Escaflowne was a series designed to appeal to both males and females. For the guys we have intense action and giant robots and for the gals we have romance and good looking men with long flowing hair. Other series try to incorporate this elements but some how forget to get the balance right usually forgetting that on top of just good action and intense romance their also needs to be some type of story to top it all off with. The story of Escaflowne though is deep, mystical, and has fans insisting even today that a sequel to the series should be made.escaflowne_versus

Id be in the wrong if I didn’t address Hitomi as a character. Yes she is a bit annoying and way too focused on the wrong guy in the series, focusing too much on Alan despite the fact that Van is the man she is obviously meant to be with. That and the fact that she actually bends fate to her will but for the totally wrong reasons result in large amounts of chaos to unfold. Other than that shes a perfectly lovely character.Vision-of-Escaflowne-Escaflowne

Basically Escaflowne is a classic that everyone needs to see. Sadly most people cant get over the crap job done with the American broadcast and others who insist the English dub is horrendous (personally I liked it. I don’t really see what all the complaining is about). Still, I highly recommend that everyone tracks this series down and watch it. Use the original Japanese if your not a fan of the dub

Rating: B+

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Rahxephon

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In the wake of the genre changing anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, there were a lot of series that tried to copy the formula. Basically, the mecha series that tried copy Evangelion had a similar story where the giant robot of the series having aspirations to change the world. One of these series which I personally feel surpassed Evangelion itself is Rahxephon.

The young artist Kamina Ayato lives in Tokyo the last remaining city in the world. Soon his world is turned upside down when he is shown the truth that there is more to than just Tokyo in the world and Ayato`s connection to the mysterious giant robot Rahxephon. Does this powerful creation have the power to tune the world?

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One of the aspects that separates Rahxephon from Evangelion is the love story at the center between Ayato and Haruka. The attraction between the two of them is evident from the moment the two of them are on screen together. You really feel yourself wanting these two to get together and over come the odds that are thrown against them. Make no mistake these two have a lot to get through including she’s at least 12 years older then him, he’s a member of a mystical race, and Ayato catches Haruka kissing her ex-boyfriend. Still, even through the hardships you find yourself wanting them to hook up.

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A problem that the series seemed to suffer from is that it seems to lack staying power. I mean I love this anime and count it among one of my favorites but unfortunately not a lot of others feel the same way. If I can find a big fault in it the series’ characters other than Ayato and Haruka are a bit on the forgetful side. I mean they don’t have the recognition factor that say Rei or Asuka from Evangelion have. Of course maybe if there were hundreds of figures of Haruka then the series might have the popularity that Evangelion has. Still, its true that the supporting cast is more generic than that of Evangelion but at least Rahxephon works hard to answer all the plot points that it sets up and doesn’t try to twists its fan’s minds just to tell a story.

I really do recommend this series though profusely. If the series finds its way onto Netflix or Hulu (scratch that I looked it up while I was typing up this post. It is on Hulu. The entire series), I highloy recommend that you take some time and rewatch this series. The mecha battles are entertaining in a way that’s just as inventive as Evangelion and the tug on your heart strings love story will keep you going throughout the series. And if you find yourself enjoying it, recommend it to someone else so this series can stay a classic for all to enjoy. Fly me to the music…

Rating: A-

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Macross

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Have you ever talked with an old school anime fan? I mean true old school anime fan, not those who look at Toonami with a sense of nostalgia but those who were fans from before the creation of cartoon network. The three titles these true old schoolers will mention is StarBlazers (Space Battleship Yamata), Voltron (Beast King Golion) and Robotech. the show Robotech is particularly notorious fore being created by typing three series together with no other connection to create s huge spanning universe. Still, its the first arc, the one based on Super Dimension Fortress Macross that people feel the most love for. The reason: Its just so damn good.

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After a mysterious craft falls to earth, the governments of the world partake in the Unification War to band together with one goal in mind: To restore the ship that fell from the stars. On the day of its initial launch, Hikaru Ichjiyo, a young stunt pilot is caught into the middle of an alien invasion. Finding himself caught with in the crossfires with this armada looking to use the ship that got away for their own purposes, Hikaru has no choice but to become a soldier and fight to protect his friends and family. Along the way, he develops a complicated love triangle with upcoming idol Lynn Minmay and First Lieutenant Misa Hayase.

It’s really hard to talk about a series like Macross because it is such a milestone series and has had such lasting power in the anime community that there is no denying the hold that it possesses. The series starts strong with an alien ship crashing to earth, continues with incredible mecha fight scenes in space, and rounds itself off by focusing on the intense love triangle that the series became known for. An anime fan that has not seen Macross, is someone who needs to realize they have a lot that they still need to check out. This series is one that must not be missed.

166b6c989634c395a19e63d7f9a6dbf9Of course I’m not going to just gush all over this series. I’m aware its not without its faults. Thanks to the American Version of this series, the name Minmay became associated with a very character that was very annoying and unnecessary. Know that is more in the Robotech version of the show and doesn’t truly carry back into the original series. The original voice actress and the Japanese songs were fair more entertaining then the ones that were made for the american audience. If your finding it hard to believe that these songs could be that annoying, just pop over to YouTube and check them out. Trust me, they aren’t exactly something you add to a favorite playlist.

There also is the issue with the additional nine episodes. Originally the series was just supposed to be a 27 episode series. Then the audience and ratings for the show were insane so the studio tacked on an additional nine episodes which really do feel very tacked on. This is especially true considering that in the 27th episode an incredible planet wide battle took place and the most of the Earth was destroyed in the process. Kinda hard to come back after hitting a high point like that.

Despite the drag in the attached episodes, the series is still good and started a franchise that is continuing today. I look back fondly on Macross and would gladly rewatch it if I was blessed with more time in my life. For now I’ll keep remembering love and the importance of protoculture.

Rating: A

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Gasaraki

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There are series that stay with you for years to come that you reflect on with great nostalgia. Then there are the shows that annoy you to the point that you look at them with malice and contempt (I’m looking at you Burst Angel). But there is another category of shows that are so bland and forgettable that is not until you find it mentioned elsewhere that you remember “Oh yeah I did see that.” This i s the case of Gasara.

Yushiro Gowa is a member of the a military squadron sent into the Middle East. On top of being a pilot of a TA (mecha of the series), Yushiro is also a member of the family that is helping to produce the machine and are set to make a high profit in the new battlefield. As Yushiro deploys he finds himself being drawn away spiritually by a rival pilot Miharu. As he dives deeper in to this spiritual connection he finds that his family, have unlocked a power from long ago that helped them to establish themselves in the world today. Now, he might find himself having to pay for his family’s sins.

 

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Gasaraki is a series with serious pacing issues. It tries to be deep with its themes of mysticism and trying to tie them to modern robotics is stretched out and lost to the point they are rushing to explain the connection in the last episode. This is best shown in the series finale, where Yushior’s sister Misuzu is being absorbed by the demon armor (don’t really remember why and frankly don’t care to find out) but is saved at last minute by Yushiro right before the credits start to roll without letting us know how the revelation to the cast that this ancient mysticism helped to make their mechas. Not that we really get to know any of the characters in a proper manner. I still can’t remember a single name of any of the members of Yushior’s team.

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As I stated in the opening this series falls in the middle in terms of the whole Good/Bad spectrum. Of course in this day and age of my anime watching that’s almost a greater sin then being terrible series. I mean think about it. Good series you adore, rally behind, and tell your friends about how much you enjoyed watching it. Bad series you hate on, pick apart, and complain to your friends about how terrible it was to suffer through. What do you do with the middle of the road series that are okay at best and forgettable at worst? Not much really. I was able to see this series because I borrowed it form a friend who got it off a bargain bin sale. If you are able to duplicates these circumstances when you watch this series then by all means go for it. If not then its probably best to stay away from this one.

RATING: C-

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Code Geass

code_geass_01 Just like when I talked about Burst Angel there are times when a show has a strong opening but then goes absolutely nowhere with its story. This is far too common and much rarer are occasions when a show has a strong first episode and episodes that follow are jut as incredible. This is the case of Code Geass, a mecha series that is incredible powerful through the its entire run.

In the conquered former country of Japan now called Area 11, the exiled prince Lelouch of the conquering army of Britannia wishes to change the world. In the middle of a war zone he meets a mysterious woman named C.C., who grants him the ability of Geass which allows him to give someone one absolute command that the victim must follow. With his new power Leloouch takes the disguise of Zero and sets forth to take down Britannia and discovers the secrets behind his mother`s death.

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The world and characters of Code Geass is what really makes the show stand on its own. Lelouch is an incredibly motivated and intriguing character who does some very underhanded moves but does it in a way that keeps people watching. On the other idea of the conflict is Suzaku a Japanese man who has enrolled in the Britannia Army who was childhood friend of Lelouch, the conflict between these two former friends is one of the center themes of the show and keeps people watching episode after episode. I would also re-missed if I didn’t mention Kallen, who beings an equal measure of epic mecha piloting skill and fanservice eye candy for the male watchers. Some shows just offer a female character that gives nothing except breast jiggling but a attribute nothing to the show. Code Geass is a show that makes itself a cut amongest the rest.

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The mecha of the series are very unique in there own right. Each nation of the series has a different suit and offers a unique visual style about it. The standard mecha of both sides are very distinct but the prototype and specially built models are incredibly distinct. Suzaku’s Lancelot is a fast mecha with its launchers moves from the hips like other suits moves to its Arms. Also Kallen’s Guren Mark II has a devastatingly powerful attack that totally microwave her opponents robot. Just thinking about the Guren makes me want to pull up youtube and watch it again.

Code Geass is an intense series with a lot of great action and immersive characters. Yes, its not without its faults but personally none of them truly annoy me to the point that I cant give the series such a glowing review. Why are you still reading this? You need to track down this series and watch it. If i had the Geass I’d use it to command you to go watch this anime.

RATING: A-

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Burst Angel


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There are times when a series has a great premiere and a great reception only to fade away like dust in the wind. If a series is lucky it’s just that the response wasn’t what the studio or network was hoping for and it was cancelled before truly achieving glory. If the series was at least halfway entertaining then a fandom will grow around theses series and continue to sing its praise. Unfortunately as most are aware, Anime for the most part has a planned out length and get map of the story they are hoping to tell. This means that if a series has a great opening or start to it and their isn’t’ a huge group of followers discussing it and demanding that sequels be made then there is a good chance the series was just not every good in the long run. This was my experience with Burst angel.

My first exposure with the series took place at Acen 2005. I was at my hotel room and a friend of mine had returned from the dealer room with the first disc that Funimation had just put on sale that weekend. My friend popped it in and I will admit the first few minutes of the first episode are nothing but awesome. Before we even meet any characters we watch as a giant root gets into a fight with a giant monstrosity. The battle is intense as we watch the mecha, Django, defeat the creature with a pair of rapid fire pistols. It is probably one of the best first few minutes in anime history. Sadly it’s all downhill from here.

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As the series begins we are introduced to Kyohei (you can just feel free to call him chef as his job is to cook for the rest of the characters and he has little character developments.). Anyways, Chef is hired to cook for a team of Mercenary girls all who are named after characters from the book little women. Unfortunately, none of the girls are nearly as developed as their classic literature counterparts and are instead bland enough to be downgraded to their job title. Sei is the business side of the operation, Jo is the muscle and pilot of Django, Amy is the hacker, and Meg is the hostage. No seriously she gets captured during almost every story line she’s involved in. More on this in a moment. Basically, chef is the normal one finding the operations the girls undertake to be too intense, but does little but sits on the sideline and watch as things explode around him. If you think I’m underselling the series you’re sadly mistaken.

One of the problems with the show is Meg. Like I said she gets captured every story line and despite having a real cool gun, she doesn’t do anything cool with it or defeat any of the enemies. She also doesn’t grow as a character, which makes the ending that much more frustrating. The biggest and most frustrating moments is the very end of the series, (YES, I am giving you spoilers as its for your own good), as it appears that Jo is gone, Meg says she will keep up the fight with the final scene being her wearing Jo’s jacket, Jo’s pistols, and a repainted Django. There was not enough development for the character for this ending to make any sense and the character is just plain annoying.

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The mecha in the series Django is a pretty impressive robot with a nice cowboy look. Sadly it after the first fight in the opening things quickly goes downhill. Basically the impressive looking robot fights against a bunch of crappy generic monster of the week mechanical animals and poorly put together robots. Also, Django has no close combat weapons, which is a major flaw I see in all giant robots as close quarters weapons is a basic mainstay with all robotic arsenals.

When I did finally get around to watching this series was incredibly disappointing, especially after I had such a fond feeling from the first episode. I can’t tell fans enough that its just for the their best interest to stay far away from this series. I need to go watch a Gundam series just to watch the taste out of my mouth from writing this review.

Rating: D

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Neon Genesis Evangelion

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I was kind of hesitating to write this review. I mean this is Neon Genesis Evangelion we are talking about. What could I possibly say about a series that has had such praise for close to twenty years? But I know it’s my duty as a reviewer specializing in Mecha to talk about the series that was a turning point in the genre.

Taking place in the future city of Tokyo 3 the story focuses on a young man named Shinji Ikari. Called home by his father Shinji finds the city under attack by a mysterious creature called an Angel. Rescued by a member of the organization NERV run by his father Gendo, young Shinji is tasked with piloting the EVA 01 a robot specially designed to fight the angels. As Shinji begins to fight against these monsters he eventually discovers there are more forces at play even with the robot he has been assigned to use in battle.
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There have literally been novels discussing the different aspects of this series. Instead of looking at them in an effort to dissect the series (so this review doesn’t go on for an entire month) I am instead going to go over how I viewed and enjoyed the series over the years. I started watching this series at the end of high school where I found it enjoyable as a giant robot series. That was for must of the first run. The second time I researched it I started looking into it for the deeper meanings of the series and asking some of the bigger questions like “What was Seele really planning?”. Then I eventually watched End the Evangelion and didn’t really know what to think about the whole thing. Man that movie was a trip but that’s a review for another day. Then came the disenchantment with the series. I eventually got a roommate that obsessed over the series to the point of collecting Rei Ayanami figures and basically helped the End of Evangelion to leave an even worse taste in my mouth. I haven’t re-watched the series since then. The shine of the series was gone and I wonder if there is any way to bring it back. I mean I still appreciate the series for what it is. This was a game changer to the mecha genre much like Puella Magi Madoka Magica shook up the magical girl genre. My relationship with Neon Genesis Evangelion is much like a real relationship complete with its ups and downs.
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Basically this is a series I had great devotion and has stood the test of time but since it has been around for so long I have fallen out of love with it but reflect on the memories we had fondly. I guess the best way to renew the feelings I only certain held for it would be to finally break down and watch the new movies. I just have been having trouble breaking down to watch them. I mean I have been burned before.

RATING: B

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Knights of Sidonia

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Keeping up with the many different series that keep coming out in anime can be a bit difficult. I mean on top of consuming all the media, I have writing to do about it in both blogging and creative writing aspects. Still, when a great Mecha comes around, I can’t help but want to check it out. Unfortunately, there are so many titles with Giant Robots, that this is not always an easy task. Luckily I took the time to check out this new Netflix exclusive series as it was worth it.

In the bowels of the future space colony of Sidonia, Nagate Tanikaze has been in intense training. When his food supply runs out, he has no choice but to venture above and become reintroduced to society. Entered into the Guardian piloting program, it soon appears as if his training was for nothing. It is not until he is given the legendary Tsugumori robot that his skills are truly uncovered and he is able to become the hope that Sidonia needs to survive the alien menace known as the Gauna.

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One of the more appealing aspects of this anime is that it has a lot of good world building in terms of the scientific aspects of the story. Humans in this world have been altered to allow themselves to photosynthesize so they require less food and nutrients. This is a very reasonable explanation on how a space colony is able to survive despite how many people are in its population. There also was the very amusing scene with characters putting on their space suits and feeling uncomfortable as they have to adjust to the feeling of having a catheter in is just another piece of good world building.

I can’t help but point out one of the aspects of the show that I found a bit disconcerting. The character designs for Hoshijiro and Shinatose are too alike. I mean I know they say that Shinatose is some kind of Hermaphrodite that will later choose her gender but that doesn’t change the fact that the two have similar physical features and hair cuts to the point I didn’t realize they weren’t the same person until they were standing next to one another. Points off for not making the two characters stand out more from one another.

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Still, the series was addicting and I found myself binge watching it in less than a week. I’m half tempted to break down and run out and buy the manga for it. This is a lot of praise for a series as I usually don’t read much Mecha manga as I don’t think they capture the action as intensely as well as the animation does. Still, I’m trying to watch my spending so I’ll have to wait for more episodes to appear on Netflix. Unless someone out there wanted to make a sizeable donation so I can go grab some copies of the manga. HINT, HINT!

Rating: B

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Voltron Force

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Today we have an attempt to cash in on my childhood on a degree just as bad as the next Michael Bay movie. I am talking about the Voltron Force.

Set a few years after where the original series left off, the Voltron team has been disbanded and their mechanical lions impounded after they go haywire. With the help of a few new cadets, the team reclaims their lost lions and prepares to fight against Prince Lotor who has risen from a deep sleep in hopes of once again attempting to take over the entire Universe.

I have to say that I like the feel of the show as a whole. The original team (Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Allura) are updated for a new audience but still hold enough feel of their personalities from the first series. The action is good and I couldn’t help but have a bit of a fangasm as the lions came together to form the might robot Voltron. The narration sequence as the robots combine is engraved into my mind in the same way GIJOE’s “Knowing is half the battle” is. Pure nostalgic gold.

The problem I seem to have with this series is the new characters that were added to appeal to the younger demographic. All three of them have a huge character flaw that I just can’t get over. Daniel, the main character is basically a self insert biggest fan ever, who gets handpicked to become a cadet for the Voltron Force. Vince is a walking MacGuffin (plot device) who’s mysterious power can do whatever is necessary in the story, everything from recharging a lion that is low on power at the right time to cause the lions to undergo a new formation to defeat an enemy. Larmina, the only girl candidate is displaying the Xena/Buffy personality that has become common with female characters in this day and age. I really don’t have a problem with that aspect of the character. The problem I do have with her is that she is a niece to Allura, to a character who was previously described as being an only child. That’s right, they once again bring in the Scrappy doo, “It’s not a character’s direct kid, it’s their niece, but looks as if it might as well being their kid plot” which was a tired idea back in the day and is a tired idea now.

I really want to like this series but the glaring problems with the new addictions to the cast make it incredible hard to enjoy the series. I would personally prefer to rewatch the incredible underrated series, Voltron: The third dimension, than this one. I might give it a few more episodes but I’m definitely not giving this series my top priority.

Rating: C+