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Synopsis:
After a century of relative peace, the people within the walls are growing restless. A young man named Eren and his friends Armin and Mikasa venture to the wall’s edge with the hopes of seeing what’s on the other side. But before they can get there, the unthinkable happens; a Titan larger and more fierce than any that have been seen before breaches the wall, kicking a large hole through the base of it. Now, a once isolated world is flooded with seemingly indestructible Titans, and the only way to beat them is to fight back. But the military forces Eren joins to protect humanity appear to be protecting some secrets of their own. The future looks bleak, but there’s more to Eren than meets the eye: he may be humanity’s last hope against extinction.

Review:
Attack on Titan has been a global phenomenon since the manga was adapted to anime. Packs of cosplayers can be spotted at every convention event dressing up as their Titan character or just slapped on the uniform and join the ranks of the survey team. With every hugely popular and successful anime comes the infatuation of “what if this was live action?” I have seen quite a few live action adaptations of anime, and most of them had been a miss more than a hit. While I have read some comments from the internet that the movies were bad, I kept an opened mind and experienced it for myself. Here are my thoughts.

From the beginning, the movie introduces the three characters any fan would recognize, Erin, Mikasa and Armin. Maybe not Armin, because he is not a blonde anymore. But anyways, they go about their daily routine while everyone else goes about their’s. When Erin decided to try and go out because he does not want to be trapped in the walls anymore. The grounds suddenly began to shake. A giant titan appears and destroys part of the wall to make way for the rest of the titans to march in and feast on the humans.

If you have watched the anime or read the manga, this part of the movie does not change. The little details do however, just to make it flow better for the live action. At least, that’s what the director Shinji Higuchi hoped. I did not think the story played out as well. There were a lot of those moments where scenes felt sped up and skipped over to meet the constraints of a movie runtime. Erin’s character was annoying in the anime, but he is even more so as a live character. From beginning to up to Erin turning into a titan, the show felt it was on auto pilot mode. There were pieces of action here and miniscule points of interest there. When Erin finally turned, that was when I felt the movie finally showed off the ability of a “live” action. But the fun ends almost as fast as it began. The humans carved Erin out of his titan body and we must wait for part two. There is something significant about the end of part one though. We are introduced to the idea that the titans were once humans, whom became infused with the titan shell, as the power overwhelmed their humanity.

So what are my thoughts on this live action? Nothing much, to be honest. The plot was a mess, the titans looked dumber than the drawings, and the movie’s representation of the characters of the series was annoying. If the final scene of part one did not occur, I cannot imagine myself donating my time to watch this live action any longer. At this point, it is more about finishing what I started and not about finishing it because the movie was super entertaining….

I delayed publishing this review, due to time constraints. I wanted to watch part two, End of the World, and give this show a chance to redeem itself, before I put it in the garbage pile. After finally freeing up time to sit down and complete this live action movie. I must say, I regret ever finishing this movie. Ending Attack on Titan Live Action with part one was fine. It would have been a failed attempt at hopping on the bandwagon of the success of the anime and manga, but at least it was not an atrocity. After watching Attack on Titan part two, I was seriously disgusted. The story was horrendous and it turns out that this guy is a titan, that guy is a titan, everybody is a titan. Comon. What the heck happened? It was like the whole film crew just collectively had a brain fart. Was it the expectations that caused the negative views? I doubt it. The movie as a whole was a huge disappointment, with part two killing any redeeming qualities this movie had (which was minimal to begin with). People should be asking for refunds.

The Breakdown:
Remember, while watching a live action, keep an opened mind, you probably won’t like everything or anything for that matter. The anime or manga has likely set a certain standard in your mind, the movie is not going to be a view changer. Just try to enjoy it. If it fails to meet your expectations, it would not be the first or the last. The Attack on Titan live action has its moments, but I felt a lot of those moments were dull moments. The majority of it felt like a formality. A note to any studios planning to release multi-part films. Please make sure that both parts are at least worth the admissions. No one has time or money to spend on crappy multi-part films.

Synopsis:
Fuyuki City—a city surrounded by the sea and mountains becomes the setting for an ancient ritual. Seven masters are given control of heroic spirits in order to realize the mythical Holy Grail, which is said to grant its owner any wish. These heroic spirits or servants represent legendary heroes of various classes: “Saber,” “Lancer,” “Archer,” “Rider,” “Caster,” “Assassin,” and “Berserker.” Each master will enter into a contract with their chosen servant and battle the others to the death until only one pair remains…This is the “Holy Grail War.”
The young and capable mage, Rin Tohsaka, prepares for her long-awaited Fifth Holy Grail War to begin… With her servant Archer, Rin enters the Holy Grail War as the sole heir to the prestigious Tohsaka family after her father’s death. But when Shirou Emiya, a boy from Rin’s school, unwittingly becomes a Master and is fatally wounded in battle, she has no choice but to save him. With Shirou and his servant Saber, Rin sets out to strike down the conspiracies surrounding the Holy Grail War. Will the Holy Grail bless Rin and Shirou’s path toward victory or will they be cursed with defeat?

Review:
I have always been a Fate Stay Night fan. Fate is a title that evolves. From the first series, where the details were not thoroughly explained. To the Unlimited Blade Works movie which was on the Tai Bo regimen, rolling double time and skipping scene to scene. To Fate / Zero which was the prequel of the original series, but had a lot of dialogue that made certain parts of the show boring. With this version of Fate, we are exposed to what I felt was the best of both worlds. The action, although at times predictable due to having already watched the movie, still felt exhilarating. The dialogues were effective and efficient. It keeps the viewers attached.

Archer (not Gilgamesh) has always been an enigma. He has abilities that do not resemble the archer class. The fact that his weapons of choice and fighting style are twin blades and close combat, rather than a bow and arrow speaks volumes. Unlimited Blade Works is an arc in the original Fate visual novel. In the arc, Emiya Shirou and Archer butt heads constantly. It is as if Archer has some kind of grudge against Emiya. Throughout the show, we do find out why Archer behaves the way he does, and who he was/is as a heroic figure.

If you have seen Fate Stay Night before, this rendition does not stray much from the original story. There is new dialogue, new scenes, and the protagonist is Rin Tohsaka, but generally it flows like the original series. Which is why when comparing both Fate Stay Night and Unlimited Blade Works, I actually prefer Unlimited. I know this should not be the case, but it felt like ufotable learned from the past and applied the ingredients accordingly to make this a successful, more refined show.

In case you are new to Fate, the story revolves around masters (mages), summoned heroic spirits and the Holy Grail war that is said to grant the wish of the victors. Of course, things are never this simple. Gilgamesh, a summoned servant from the previous Holy Grail war latched onto the world and continued to plot his plans for world destruction. There is more to it, but I will let you find out on your own. Also, while watching Fate / Zero is not a required prerequisite; It does help to understand the entire Fate story as a whole.

The animation for Unlimited Blade Works does not disappoint. Noble Phantasm effects truly feel special to each heroic spirit. The battle scenes are gripping. I felt every clash between metal and every struggle to defeat one another. Even though the outcome is the same as the prior series and movie, the way this piece moves makes the entire show seem new.

The Breakdown:
Fan of the Fate series or not, this anime does a superb job of entertaining the viewers. The character interactions were on point. The animation was amazing and the story, although retold, still felt fresh. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece.

Synopsis:
In the year 2046, people use portable devices called Neuro-linkers to manage their daily lives in virtual reality networks. But advances in technology haven’t managed to do away with bullies, and 13-year old Haruyuki Arita finds himself a frequent target. Haruyuki escapes his miserable life in virtual games-until the day Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and virtual reality called the Accel World.

Review:
Haruyuki Arita is your typical bully target. He is short and chubby with a low self-esteem. Based in the year 2046, neuro-technology has advanced so much that everyone uses a device over their neck called the neuro-link. The neuro-link allows users to access information on demand and allows the user to experience a virtual environment; think Google glasses, but even more advanced. Haru hates himself for being weak, and his only escape is to log into the school’s virtual network and attain the highest scores in the game. With his high scores, he catches the attention of the school’s student council vice president, Kuroyukihime (Black Snow Princess). After some commotion, the vice president introduces a game called Brain Burst to Haru.

In Brain Burst, the world feels like it is in a stand still. But in actuality, it only appears that way for the users, because their senses are being accelerated in the real world. At the end of Kuro-hime and Haru’s meeting, she warns him to turn off his neuro-link from the global net when he is out of school, but of course things happen and he eventually forgets about it. At the end of the first episode, Haru is thrust into the accelerated world as Silver Crow and will have to fight in order to stay in the game!

The result is obvious, as a newbie, Haru is defeated with ease and left wondering what the heck did he just got himself into. What is the point of the Accel World and why was it created in the first place? As the story progresses we discover that Kuro-hime’s goal is to reach the maximum level ten, whereas, the other leaders are content on staying at level nine so that they can rule the accelerated world and continue to use brain bust in their daily lives. The penalty for losing while attempting to reach level ten is severe; the brain burst program will be wiped off clean. So we can understand why some people would happily prefer to stay idle on quest for level ten.

The Breakdown:
Accel World is a good anime, with nice characters, music and an attractive story. The interactions between the characters are great as well. The show has a bit of everything. The romance comedy of Kurohime, Haru and Chiyo. The action of the Accel World battles and the drama of how all this connects and plays out. It is definitely one of the best anime presents you can gift out this holiday season!

Synopsis:
Rikuo Nura is an average middle school student by day and yokai by night. He’s not just any yokai – he is the grandson of Nurarihyon, the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan! Rikuo wants to live a normal life. However, his grandfather wants him to succeed as the rightful heir. When an inter-clan conflict threatens the stability within their organization, Rikuo must decide whether he will live his life as a human or accept his yokai heritage.

Review:
My first impression on Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan was back in summer 2011, when I did my Watcher preview on the Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Demon Capital. At that moment, my thought on it was the show was pretty good, and now that I am watching the first season, my initial impression was accurate; Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is definitely worthy of your time and money.

The plot begins with Rikuo Nura, a descendent of the Nura yokai clan. Growing up and being raised as a human, his desire to lead the family business was none. But as the story develops further, certain strife happens and he realizes that the only way to protect his friends and loved ones, he had no other choice but to accept the role as the third heir to the clan.

As with all of these stories that revolve around heirs, not everyone is onboard with the current Supreme Commander’s decision, and because of this, Gyuki, one of the top lieutenants of the Nura clan decide to take matters into his own hands to ensure that the clan does not lose its greatness to some youngin’ whose heart is not even focused on leading the yokai. Since the scenes with Gyuki are the first scenes you will see, I did not spoil much really.

Anyways, back at school, to make things more amusing, Rikuo was automatically made a member of his friends’ yokai discovery club. The mission of the club is to go around town and look for the supernatural. As a result of this club, the members often run into trouble, which leads Rikuo to have to transform to save their behinds. The club plays a large role into Rikuo’s final decision as to whether he will want to lead the Nura clan or not, due to his friends constantly getting wrapped up in his business, being held as hostages. In order to put an end to the yokai turmoil, he finally decided to accept his role as the third heir, so that he can lead the yokai to coexist with humans and fight off those who look to disturb the balance.

The story in Nura, moved smoothly, and is not complicated for viewers to understand. There are no complex issues that one must ponder about. I do enjoy that aspect of the anime. The character transition from Rikuo to Night Rikuo is quite odd though. Rikuo accepted his yokai side fairly graciously, even though he was keen on being a human and while he claims he has no recollection of the events that occur when Night Rikuo is activated, as the show progresses, he is aware of what he is doing while transformed.

The Breakdown:
As I watched Nura, I realized how it captures the viewer. The animation is fluid and great, the blu-ray 1080i high definition definitely helps in that department. The characters are likeable, heck as a person whom has trouble remembering character names; I was able to recall each of their names, an amazing feat for me in my book. Nura has an attractive plot; I was certainly entertained throughout the first disc set and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has to offer!

Synopsis
In a world where sorcery and science co-exist, the power of magic comes with a price: humans who do not take proper precautions are transformed into horrific demons. Those who destroy these demons and run the highest risk of all are tactical sorcerists known as ‘Strait Jackets.’ But when terrorists unleash a plague of demonic carnage, the Sorcery Management Bureau must enlist unlicensed assassin Leiot Steinberg to stop the slaughter. Even if this rogue killer and a mysterious young girl can end the outbreak, will he be able to face their own dark secrets? Monsters, murder and redemption collide in this explosive anime written by Ichiro Sakaki (Scraped Princess) and based on his popular novel.

Review
In the recent years of anime, humans mutating into monsters and wrecking havoc, while a stopper comes in and saves the day has been quite a common theme. Strait Jacket is of the same theme, but it possesses something more. Maybe it is because of its small cast of characters, or its short story. There is something about this anime that just attracts a viewer to the screen for the amount of time it runs. The whole time I was watching this show, I was anticipating something big was going to happen. And when it does happen, it comes with a bang.

We begin Strait Jacket with Nerin Simmons, an inspector of the Sorcery Management Bureau. When she gets put into the situation of hiring an unlicensed tactical sorcerist or risking more lives to a monster on the loose, she chose the better option of the two. From there, we are introduced to Leiot Steinberg and Cappeltetta. Leiot Steinberg is a well known unlicensed tactical sorcerist who gets the job done, but at the expense of destroying things in the process as he breaks the rules that a licensed tactical sorcerist will abide by. Now if we did not have a bad ass protagonist for Strait Jacket, the anime will just not work. This show is dark. A main character without a messed up past will hinder its’ development. The story revolves around the mystery and history behind the relationship that Cappel and Leiot have. It is from there that makes the story interesting. While I was watching, I wanted to learn more. But since we are dealing with an OAV, the time spent expanding on certain things are limited. We only learn a small part of how they got together and why she is with him. Although that is not a negative it would have been nice to know more. But by getting to the point, the show is focused. The viewers are not left there hanging around waiting for something exciting to occur.

Strait Jacket is filled with action. For those of you who like big guns, this is it. Every shot fired is like a blast. The destructive power behind it can level buildings and whatever gets in its way. Another aspect that is great about this OAV is that it is bloody and a bit gory at times. People die in ways that make you say, ‘Ouch.’ The animation is good; it is not something I have never seen before. Therefore there was not much of a wow factor. The character designs were a nice touch. I liked how Cappel’s eyes glow red. It just gives out a creepy feeling when that happens. The OAV did not consist of a large set of characters, which kept the story tied within a small circle and everyone in the circle somehow related to each other one way or another. The story, while albeit was short, it was satisfying. The plot flowed well, there was not any confusion. I knew what was going on throughout, which is a plus in anyone’s book.

Breakdown
Overall I enjoyed this OAV and would recommend it to those who like an action anime, without all the commitments of watching episodes after episodes of fluff just to arrive at a mediocre ending. Strait Jacket is a show that has a bit of everything. Emotions of all sorts, continuous action, guns, blood, gore, animation that satisfies the viewers, audio that puts you into the feel of the show and a story that leads to a great closing. It was definitely a nice experience that I would like to share with fans who like this kind of show.

Synopsis

There have been rumors as of late of monsters wreaking havoc. People’s hearts have been wavering as crime is on the rise. Earthquakes and tsunamis have disturbed the land. The world of Rune Midgard is crying out for a hero. And that hero…sure ain’t Roan that’s for sure.

Review

Not to be confused with Matantei Loki Ragnarok which is an astounding series, Ragnarok the Animation is adapted from the Korean massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) called Ragnarok Online by Myung-Jin Lee. It is not an animated version of the manga series about Chaos, Iris Irine, Fenris Fenrir, and Loki. The manga is a thousand times better and darker than the anime. Unfortunately, it was never completed. Myung-Jin Lee decided to focus all his attention on the game.

The anime aired originally back in 2004. So it is out of date with the current state of the video game. No expanded classes - Taekwons, Ninjas, Gunslingers, or Super Novices; No new towns - Rachel, Veins, Louyang, Hugel, Umbala, Lighthalzen, Nifflheim, Einbroch, Kunlun, Amatsu, or Ayothaya. They didn’t even ride the airship. No trans classes. No GMs. No homunculus. No War of Emperium (WoE). You used to be able to Dead Branch in towns but not anymore (bummer). 1st class characters could only defeat MVPs back in beta version of the game, 2001. Day/Night system was never put into place. The anime seems to be on a PVP (Player versus Player) server, meaning you can fighter other characters anytime and anywhere.

The US was among the last places for the anime to get localized. It has already been aired on Cartoon Network Brazil and was dubbed into Tagalog in the Philippines.

The official Japanese websites are:
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/ragnarok/
http://www.ragnarokonline.jp/news/game/roanime/
The second website actually contains character in game sprites.

The official Funimation website is:
http://funimation.com/ragnarok/
which features a trailer teaser and avatars of the characters in .zip format. *WARNING* avatar file contains spoilers.

The Breakdown

For fans of the PC video game. I remember anxiously waiting every week for the next new episode. You have to watch Ragnarok the Animation at least once. Expect no second season though. There is a Maple Story anime. You can catch my super novice on the Loki server, Novice Reborn.

Synopsis
Picking up precisely where The Prophecy ends, the new Karas, Otoha, seeks vengeance against the Yakuza that murdered his buddy and almost killed him. Meanwhile the old Karas, Eko, unleashes his wrath and contempt for the final epic battle to save the city and protect the will of the people as Prophecy becomes Revelation!

Review
It has been more than a year since ‘The Prophecy’ was revealed. To be honest, I nearly have forgotten what Karas was mainly about. ‘The Revelation’ also does not help in trying to recover the viewer’s memories of the previous events that took place in the show. When I was watching the first few minutes of the show, I was sitting there trying to grasp anything I can that I faintly remember. I was even pondering if I might have skipped something, maybe another volume before ‘The Revelation.’ Of course, I could not have and within due time things began to make sense again and I was enjoying this piece more than the first.

As we begin this volume, Otoha has lost his Karas powers as Yurine is captured by Eko, and Nue is hurt from a previous battle. What this volume provides is the real background story of both Otoha and Nue. We are revealed why they are the way that they are. Otoha was a part of the Yakuza, not knowing the feeling of pain, he was the perfect killer. I believe the creators did a nice job in showing how Otoha is deep down. We are not given a super hero that is perfect and flawless. Karas is/was human, before he is Karas, he makes mistakes just like other humans and to bring that side of him into light really connects the viewers with the character. As for Nue, he was a supporter of Eko, until both his brother and him realized that with Eko’s vision, both humans and demons will be annihilated. In the lose-lose situation they both rebel with his brother ended up being captured by Eko.

Eko was the city’s Karas for years, protecting humans, why has he turned into what he has? I never understood that aspect until this volume revealed that his sudden obsession for annihilation is due to the greed of humans. Eko grew tired of protecting a city that never learned. And in order for Eko to create a new city, he has to start from zero.

Karas: The Revelation is on a whole new level from Karas: The Prophecy. I was truly astonished from beginning to the end by its lovely visuals; action sequences that push boundaries I never thought were possible and the overall experience the show delivers is just sweet. This piece manages to put you in a hole, making the viewer think to themselves, ‘How is Otoha going to get out of this one?’ and what are the creators going to do to maximize the entertaining factor of the ending? I will not say that I have never been so synced up with an anime before, but in ‘The Revelation’ the acoustics, the animation, and the flow of the show is simply overwhelming. As I was watching this anime, I could not get enough of the action. It was consistent, and was definitely a fun experience to be had.

The Breakdown
Certainly, Manga Entertainment has made us wait for the continuation of Karas, now that it is here, I have to say, I was not disappointed with the results. The show is balanced, the sounds are effective and forces you to pay attention to what is going on in the scenes. The music score is amazing as it was in the first volume. And as I have stated previously, the animation is superb, with the varying use of chase scenes and head to head battle scenes. What this volume has that the first did not have is the meat of the Karas story. If you were one of those viewers that did not really comprehend the things that were going on in ‘The Prophecy,’ you will see the light with ‘The Revelation.’ And if you knew where everything was from the start, you will definitely love how the show plays out in the end. I applaud Manga Entertainment for bringing such a great show to the States and while it took a long time, the finished product is what really matters.

Synopsis
Paris, 1742. A coffin floats in the shimmering Seine. On the lid, a word written in blood: Psalms. Inside, the body of a beautiful woman: Lia de Beaumont. Now her brother, D’Eon, seeks the reason for her mysterious murder, and uncovers an evil that shadows both the palaces of kings and the dark alleys of Europe.

A power wielded by spell-casting poets, and manipulated by royalty. A force so powerful it brings Lia’s soul back from beyond to seize the only weapon she can possess to avenge her death: her own brother.

Review
Le Chevalier D’Eon is something fresh. It is unique in that a blend of history (other than Japanese) and fantasy rarely happens. But in this piece, the combination of French history and fantasy makes Le Chevalier D’Eon something special. Right off the bat, the show leaves the viewers intrigued as the narrator, an old D’Eon tells his story of his adventure to discover the reasons and the people behind his sister, Lia de Beaumont’s death. As a coffin floated down the river with the word ‘Psalms’ written on the cover, the corpse of Lia Beaumont laid. Oddly enough, her body was filled with mercury which prevented her body from decomposing, hence, the decision to not give her a burial. Personally, I liked the idea of seeing her corpse, rather than just a tombstone. It gives off a different kind of feeling that you do not get from the tombstone. Maybe because it feels like she will open her eyes and rise up at any moment. In any case, her corpse also plays a role in the show so I guess it was important to mention it.

Now it would not be France if the details of the surroundings were not focused on. If you have had any art history classes that covered Versailles, you would be able to tell the various famous artistic pieces that made the Palace of Versailles special. Louis XIII’s desk and the paintings on the ceilings along with the extravagant view of the garden, they were all beautiful and detailed to the touch. I mean, I even recognized the gates that led into the palace along with other buildings that existed in Versailles. Production I.G. has done it again with their superb animation. Their focus on the details of France during Louis XV’s reign is certainly evident. But if you thought Le Chevalier D’Eon was only about replication of the arts, you are wrong. This show boasts both magic and skillful swordplay. This is another aspect of the show that I find somewhat different with the other sword swinger shows out there. There is a sense of reality in Le Chevalier. I know, there is nothing real about magic, but the way the fights are conducted, are where the difference is at. I got the sense that skill was more of a factor than how much ‘pow pow’ you can put into a sword and swing it at the opponent.

So now that you know what to expect visually from Le Chevalier, let us move onto what you should expect watching this piece. Le Chevalier is mysterious. For those who have read any of Dan Brown’s works, such as, ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ this show moves somewhat in a similar way. It uses historical facts to its advantage and twists it to flow with the end goal, which is to find the cause of D’Eon’s sister’s death. Other than the secret societies, what makes this anime series most like a Dan Brown book is the constant moving pace. Its nonstop pace keeps the show interesting. From what I have seen in the two volumes that I had access to, I cannot believe how much I loved the way everything played out. Judging by the cover, I did not expect anything great, honestly. At first, I thought it was not going to work, but by the time I got a grasp as to what was happening, the show became extraordinarily addictive.

Le Chevalier D’Eon revolves around the murder of Lia de Beaumont. It then becomes a thrill ride as our main character D’Eon de Beaumont and his comrades uncover dark mysteries, battling powerful villains called Poets with the involvement of the rifts between the Royal families. These Poets are able to wield unheard of powers and have the ability to control Gargoyles (animals that have been marked, including humans). These Gargoyles have the feel of a zombie, but their difference is that the victims have a chance to return to normal, although it is not actually shown on the screen whether they regain consciousness after being manipulated by a Poet, I am basing my assumption through what I have speculated, so until I am shown otherwise, I will believe the Gargoyles do return to normal if taken cared of correctly.

It is no wonder why Tow Ubukata decided to make his creation into three formats; anime, manga and novel. Le Chevalier is astounding as an anime in itself. As a manga, we should not expect much less and as a novel with its mystery and its use of historical facts and characters along with its consistent pacing, it should be good for the readers out there. Thus far, I like this series a lot. Le Chevalier D’Eon is a beautiful picture and its tale to be told makes it even better. I am definitely looking forward to the future volumes as they are being released.

The Breakdown
With its great animation, compelling story and astonishing mix of fact and fiction, Le Chevalier D’Eon gives the viewers an entertaining visual experience along with thought provoking mysteries. The show made me want to know more about the history of its setting so that I can further immerse myself into its attractive story. It was a neat idea to include historical notes and such in the extras of the volumes so that the audience can learn without having to look far.

Synopsis
The Holy Grail War Begins! Ten years ago there was a secret war fought by master mages and their servants to obtain the Holy Grail, and the result was devastating to everyone. Today, the Holy Grail War is beginning again with new masters.

One such master, Shirou, must now come to grips with the reality of the secret world of war mages and their summoned servants when he unknowingly summons his own servant, Saber, said to the most powerful servant of them all. Perhaps Shirou will be the one to prevent the destruction that had marked the first war…

Review
Based in present time Japan, in a world where an ever revolving war occurs right after the next comes seven masters and seven servants. The battle ends as only one master and his/her servant survives. The reward? The Holy Grail, which will grant any wish to the bearer. You did not think it was just any type of war right? Because this is a Holy war that we are going to go through.

The show begins with a dream of the past of our main character, Emiya Shirou. In a city engulfed in flames, as he lay there waiting for death, a man appears out of the fog and saves him. This man who will become his adopted father passed on his ideals to Shirou, which will contribute to his character and personality later on.

Awaken from his dream his kouhai, Sakura Matou prepares his meals and has an affection for him that is more than just a senpai - kouhai relationship. The world surrounding them was changing. Incidents of ‘gas leaks’ were becoming frequent. Worst of all, there were no leads as to what the cause was. Then one day as Shirou stayed in school late to help out his childhood friend, he witnesses a battle between two servants. Whether you believe it was bad luck or good luck, witnessing a servant battle means death. And Lancer, one of the servants, abiding by the rule, kills him. Of course, there would be no show if the main character dies in the first episode, this event leads and connects us to the later happenings of the show. And before you know it, the loveliest servant of all, Saber, appears on the screen.

Fate is an interesting show. It limits itself in terms of the overall size of the show. What does that mean? When you take account of all the things that occur in the show, it will always bring you back to the main theme, the Holy Grail and the fight to death between the seven masters and servants. While there are touches of separation, the plot does not sway, which is a good thing. Fate is also a show with minimal comedy. There are light moments and when those moments lasted, they were tremendously enjoyable.

The character development of Fate Stay Night mainly revolves around Shirou and Saber. While Shirou’s character mainly derives from his father’s teachings, he does have traits that are a direct result of surviving the end of the last holy war as he was close to death. His most prominent traits are his willingness to help others and his unwillingness to burden others with his problems. It becomes a perfect clash of personalities as Saber is a servant who views herself as a knight before a woman, and Shirou’s character restricts her from fighting. The thing that gets my attention is the way that the plot progresses as the relationship between the two develop. There is a constant movement in their relationship, hence, setting the pace of the show with continuous progression.

As stated above, the story follows Shirou and Saber. While that may sound simple and boring; it is actually quite interesting as Fate, is mainly an action/fantasy title, but it does a nice job in combining other genres into the show to make it dynamic. I had a lot of fun just watching the lighter parts of the show, which made me questioned, ‘What if? What if Fate Stay Night was a love comedy instead of what it is?’ Hmm, certainly I would be interested, but anyways the plot was great. I loved watching the battles and how everything built up to the final encounter with a nifty surprise. Fate is definitely unique as not everything was predictable with experience. While I knew some things were going to happen, I did not know it was going to happen this way or that way. I am sure you guys know what I am talking about.

Moving on, let us get to the animation department of Fate. One word: Crazy. The animation was absolutely stunning. The various effects were amazing and character design was just as nice. One of the battles that I fell in love with was Archer’s battle with Berserker. I felt chills throughout the fight; it was certainly one of the best sequences Fate Stay Night had to offer. Man, that battle just leaves an impression on you like no other. And by realizing that it was only the midpoint of the entire show and things were already like this… you begin to have doubts as to whether the brains behind the show could top it. Of course, they have to, or else! Hehe. Seriously, I will leave it as that, if you want to know you should check out how this title plays out.

When it comes to acoustics, Fate fails to lure me in. The theme songs were boring. It lacked luster for my flavor. It could have been better, but its not life and death so it is not that serious of an offence. The voice acting and sound effects on another note were great; it really brought out the life of the piece.

The Breakdown
Fate Stay Night is a great title. The plot evolves from the characters and its ability to attract viewers with its superb animation and voice acting makes it an amazing piece to have in your collection.

Synopsis

A deadly virus has attacked humanity with vicious intent! At the forefront of the battle is the enigmatic Akamatsu Industries. Disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this clandestine organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as Awakeners to battle the virus. But will the combined efforts of this secret organization and the mysterious warrior Betterman be enough to save Tokyo?

Review

Humans have searched for the possibility of mortality throughout their past history. Alexander the Great once searched for the fountain of youth in India. Ponce de Leon went on the same mission and ended up discovering the Bahamas and Florida. But despite what science has told us, people in today’s society are persistent in dealing with this issue in maintaining their ‘immortality’ through plastic surgery and ‘miracle’ pills in hopes of looking younger and more revitalized. This is one of the themes we see address in the Anime Betterman.

The name Better Man is pretty self explanatory: he is better than the average man. With the ability to transform into many things by eating different fruit looking objects, Better Man is always there when help is needed. But despite how fancy Betterman looks or how bright and shiny his attacks are, it does nothing to savage the confusing and hopeless trajectory of its plot.

It starts out with Keita who meets his childhood friend Hinoki, as he joins Akamatsu Industries because he possesses the inherited ability to pilot a robot. Asami, an agent of Mode Warp who receives the help of Akamatsu Industries, tags along and takes account for every incident that happens hoping to solve the mysterious illness caused by Algernon. As simple as it sounds, the plot spirals into confusion as the coherency slowly breaks down with each succeeding episode. For example, rather than showing episodes where the audience is allowed to decipher what is going on, information is just being tossed at at the beginning introduction. In fact, most of the time we see Keita and Hikoni running for their life as something is always chasing them that ends with Better Man coming to the rescue. It’s as if the plot is on standby in order to show how bad ass Better Man’s transformations are. Irrelevant information is given every time at the end of each episode which contributs nothing to the identity of Algernon or of Better Man. Only until the last episode is everything explained. But despite these aspects, the Anime still has well crafted themes and ideas. For example as mentioned, the idea of searching for the possibility of immortality. Also, Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest is strongly emphasized (as if it isn’t in many other anime). So while there are confusing points in the plot and times when it goes off tangent, the ending did answer many questions previously introduced. However, there is also a lack of character development.

It isn’t rare to see Anime with character flaws and “Betterman” is no exception. First of all, I have no idea what on earth Keita has to do with all of this Algernon and Better Man thing. The reason for why he is in this mess doesn’t add up. For example, why does he even care to go into the robot and risk his life? Just because he can pilot the robot he would? What about his parents? His personal life? What does he feel that the audience can’t just see through his physical reactions? None of these things are present. I think this anime is allowing me to appreciate Evangelion more for some odd reason. And the fact that we do not know anything about Keita, his character becomes out of place and becomes too important when he is, how should I put this, worthless. The same goes for Hinoki. Who is she? What is her past? The only thing that is known is that her parents vanished 4 years ago during an operation called the Dive Inspection and she is looking for them through working with Akamatsu Industries. In fact, the whole cast is literally filled with stale characters as boring to watch as a piece of bread mold. Betterman fails horribly in developing any of the characters since none of the thoughts and feelings of the characters connect with the audience (at least not me). However, I do enjoy some of the misadventures Keita has like the episode when he is attacked by worms. Aside from the characters, the animation and music are conflicting.

When it comes down to art and music, one would expect them to be one sided: either excels or fail in that area. A good example is like Final Fantasy: Unlimited where the animation is horrible in a general sense. Why did I bring that particular Anime up? The reason is because I did not think there would be a worse design than some of the things you see in FF:U. Betterman however beats it by a mile. The idea of worms attacking people then forming into a giant worm as it unites with each other is such a stupid idea I don’t even know how or why it’s applied. I can understand that B.P.L. is a place where one would see earthly creatures like that. But I mean…come on. The artist and mastermind responsible for unique character design couldn’t do any better than a monster that looks like a piece of ramen noodle with a mouth? In addition Kankel, the ultimate immortal creature, has less fashion than a decorated snowman. And I don;t even want to go into the mecha designs. The conflicting reason is because there is nothing wrong with the actual cast of Akamatsu Industries characters or Better Man and it’s transformations art wise. In fact, I think the transformations of Better Man are pretty well designed. So while there are these distinguishing, crappy designs, there are also well crafted ones. It goes the same with the sound track of Betterman. The opening theme is unbearable. It sounds so off tune and the way it’s made looks so cheap with the ocean and characters fading in and out. On the other hand, there are some pretty decent insert songs during episodes.

The Breakdown

All in all, Betterman is an entertaining show to watch. While the plot is confusing at times and seems to be going nowhere, the ending does a good job in explaining a lot of unanswered questions. And while some of the animation is pretty bad, there are some goods eye popping fights between Better Man and whatever else. Check it out for yourself.