1st Semister Review

[loveridge]

Well, with the first semister of anime over for this academic year, what's your review of the anime shown?

Well, I think I'll do my own review here.

Megazone 32
I remember this after our publicity officer shouted the Orange quote in the middle of the film. The film itself was weird and alright as it was, I didn't really like it. Gomen.

Metropolis
Sorry guys, but I really didn't like this one. A lot of the time, the characters reminded me of Tin Tin. Rock was completely screwed and came back to our screens more times than The Land Before Time. It was strange all the way through and I just didn't like it.

Mahou Tsukai Tai (Magic Users Club)
Fantasy comedy anime where three girls and two boys get into all sorts of chaos in their magic club. The OAV was about the Bell, which I must say brought up quite a politic debate during the series =) The OAV was brilliant and very much enjoyed, although Jeff was kinda strange in a cool way. As for the TV series, it was great, but not as good as the OAV. Overall, I really enjoyed both of them, but the OAV beats the TV series.

Crest of the Stars
It started off really good and it is a really good series, but sadly it ended too quickly. On the final anime night for the semister, I couldn't see how it could end that night. It only seemed to have just started. I wish this series was longer then I would have enjoyed it more, but the quick ending kind of ruined it. Jinto is very strange though, while Lafirel was damn cool. Abhs rock! =) A great anime, but ending the series before it really got started was a bad move.

Trigun
The star of the semister. By far, this was a fantastic, kick ass anime series. It's a shame when a certain character dies, but the entire series as a whole was amazing. Knives and Vash's showdown as especially good. Overall, I loved this series and would recommend it to anyone.


Well, next semister is Slayer NEXT and Cowboy Bebop, both I've heard are fantastic animes series. Roll on February.


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[Rezo]

Crest of the Stars is only the first in a long running saga. Two sequels have already been made, and I'm getting the first dvd of the first sequel in January.

Magic User's Club - Well if it wasn't for those pesky kids, the Bell would have taken over the Earth. But instead we have to be content with me running the Bell Political Party, while the Bell fights the Abh for control of the galaxy. No contest, really.

Oh, and vote Bell! We don't want the teddy bear as President!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

[Dee]

Well, I didn't get the chance to see all that many of them, but my $0.02 on those I did catch.

Mahou Tsukai Tai (Magic Users Club)
Takakura impossibly irritating character, but apart from that this one was really good. I was getting a bit worried after penultimate episode that this was going to be some tiresome "don't do what will make you happy because it's 'bad'" affair, but the last episode saved it from that.

More Abarutsubo, and less Takakura would make me happy, but an excellent series nontheless. Cute, silly, and very funny.

Singalong not so appreciated!

Crest of the Stars

This one was very fun. Jinto was a thoroughly stupid character (why is it I can't watch Anime without wishing a slow and grisly death on the main character?) although I guess he was fairly young and naive, so it's not nearly so bad. Abhs a bit morally dubious - we want peace so we will conquer the entire galaxy by any means necessary to ensure it. I guess they may have more about this in subsequent series - I'm sure Rezo would be happy to inform us if this is so. I never worked out whose side he was on in this one - United Mankind perhaps?

The ending was indeed a little quick, and when you consider the episodes where they did next to *&^&-all, there is really no excuse.

Trigun
Really good, although once again Vash irritates the Hell out of me. I hated the ending as well - I suppose a gunfight was an inevitable part of the finale, but frankly the ending should have been a gun to Knives temples, and Vash pulling the trigger....fade out. Or else have Vash die trying to save everyone, and preserve his *cough*moral integrity*cough*, even if he indirectly causes the deaths of a few thousand people by doing so.
Nontheless, a very stylish series, and most entertaining to watch.

[loveridge]

Ah. Then I'll interested in the sequels to Crest of the Stars.

As for the Bell and Jeff, I vote for neither. VOTE HAMSTER!

[hr]IMAGE:www.boomspeed.com/loveridge/loveridge.gif

[General Porkov]

Mind you, there was one interesting coincidence between Trigun and Magic Users' Club.

This coincidence was that the same voice actor did the voice of Vash in Trigun and also that of Takakura in Magic Users' club! Spooky!

Also, in semester 2's playlist, there will be another thing like that, as in both series, Megumi Hayashibara does the voices for 1 main character in each series. [Lina Inverse in Slayers Next and Faye Valentine in Cowboy Bebop]

Hmm, interesting!

[hunter]

[s]Dee wrote on 02:00, 12th Dec 2002:
Crest of the Stars

This one was very fun. Jinto was a thoroughly stupid character (why is it I can't watch Anime without wishing a slow and grisly death on the main character?)

Because you're an inveterate cynic?

If you're insisting that every main character in animé should be gritty, then I think you're taking too narrow a focus. It's all very well not to enjoy a genré, or an aspect of a genré, but don't think you're taking in the wider view.

Jinto was an ordinary teenager stuck in an extraordinary situation. It would have been much worse if he'd turned out to be a deus ex machina, as used to happen in many of the older animés.

although I guess he was fairly young and naive, so it's not nearly so bad. Abhs a bit morally dubious - we want peace so we will conquer the entire galaxy by any means necessary to ensure it.

Oh, the Abhs are deeply morally dubious. I can't remember who it said that it might be a rose-tinted longling look back at the old days of Japanese Imperialism, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were right.

Still, I think the Abhs were meant to be morally dubious. It could make them more interesting, if it's handled right. Better that than two-dimensional and perfect, anyway.

The ending was indeed a little quick, and when you consider the episodes where they did next to *&^&-all, there is really no excuse.

It was a character development thing, I think time-frame was less important because of that. If you were watching Jinto and Lafiel, plenty happened there. At first, I really did think Jinto would be useless, but there was somewhat of a role-reversal on Suffugnof.

Trigun
Really good, although once again Vash irritates the Hell out of me. I hated the ending as well...[/i]

Given the heavy moral message at the heart of this animé, are you really surprised what Vash was like, and how it ended?

I'm reasonably happy with the ending, if for no other reason than Vash didn't give in to hate and lower himself to Knives' level. There would have been no point to the character if he'd done that.

Note that I'm not necessarily saying he was right per se, or even that the series was saying that (I happen to think it probably was, but hey). Simply that in terms of standing by what he believed in, Vash was consistent, and made sense.

Oh well, each to their own. *shrug*

So, favourite animé of the Semster, anyone?

[hr]
"History, Sir, will tell lies as usual."
--General John Burgoyne in The Devil's Disciple

[Dee]

[s]hunter wrote on 13:25, 12th Dec 2002:

Because you're an inveterate cynic?


You might be on to something there. :-)


Oh, the Abhs are deeply morally dubious. I can't remember who it said that it might be a rose-tinted longling look back at the old days of Japanese Imperialism, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were right.

Still, I think the Abhs were [i]meant to be morally dubious. It could make them more interesting, if it's handled right. Better that than two-dimensional and perfect, anyway.
[/i]

I have no objections to this - in fact I actually really like it. I just wish more had been made of it than was the case. As it was it did come across, like you say, as a rose tinted view of "the good old days".


Trigun

Given the heavy moral message at the heart of this animé, are you really surprised what Vash was like, and how it ended?

I'm reasonably happy with the ending, if for no other reason than Vash didn't give in to hate and lower himself to Knives' level. There would have been no point to the character if he'd done that.


Vash growing up, and realising "I want" doesn't get, and that if you really want to do what's best for people you sometimes have to compromise? Although in all fairness I should concede both Wolfwood, and indeed Legato, raised good objections to his dubious morality, so it wasn't completely unbalanced.

Giving into hate? Starting to sound like Star Wars, old thing. Turn to the darkside Vash - strike Legato down and take his place!


Note that I'm not necessarily saying he was right per se, or even that the series was saying that (I happen to think it probably was, but hey). Simply that in terms of standing by what he believed in, Vash was consistent, and made sense.


I'm not denying it was a good series. I merely have difficulty watching it without getting worked up about a message I hold to be manifestly false.


Oh well, each to their own. *shrug*


Indeed. Here is something we can agree about wholeheartedly.

But does this extend to Pokemon? :-) (j/k)

(My word this message board thing is fun. ;-) )