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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

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
Seina Yamada has the worst luck. When he tries to walk down stairs, he trips. When he rides his bike, it falls apart. And when a giant spaceship crashes on Earth, it almost lands right on his head!

But Seina’s luck just might be changing for the better when he is presented with an out of this world possibility… to enter the prestigious Galaxy Police Academy! So what if his ticket into the GP was due to a case of mistaken identity! Nothing bad ever happens in space, right?

Review
Tenchi Muyo GXP has been released a year or so already. When it first hit the streets, I was skeptical about it. “Another Tenchi Muyo?” was what was on my mind. And because of what I thought back then, I have neglected this great title until now. In this addition of the Tenchi Muyo saga we pause from the life of Tenchi Masaki and instead follow the unlucky life of Seina Yamada. This dude’s run ins with bad luck is just ridiculously hilarious. One life threatening experience followed by another. That is just the norm that he deals with daily. But one day upon visiting his friend Kai, he unexpectingly “meets” Amane, a Galaxy Police over at Tenchi’s place. After a few quick scenes he is presented with a GP (Galaxy Police) pamphlet from Amane. And that is where everything begins to untangle.

When it comes to a Tenchi Muyo title, one of the things you know it will feature is a group of lovely females swarming one average dude; in GXP’s case, Seina. The ecchi humor is a little bit more “mature” compared to the Tenchi Muyo OAV that I have watched a few years ago, but when compared to an ecchi humor title that is more recent… it stands quite on the same plain.

The show commences off slow, and I was close to turning it off until Amane came in at the half point mark of the first episode and made it interesting. From then on, one thing let to another in the show and I just could not get enough. I was so addicted that I watched the show as much as I could fit in my tight schedule, and I managed to fit the whole twenty six episodes in two days. Even now, I feel like watching it again :), too bad I have to move on :(.

With the new twist of having Seina as the character of focus, instead of Tenchi, it brings in a refreshed feeling. It was a great revival of Tenchi Muyo for me. The story revolves around Seina’s luck, or lack there of. His ability to rack up pirates for the GP to apprehend is never before seen. And with this natural ability, Seina soon receives a ship to command and of course, babes to assist him on his journey.

The animation was a joyful experience. The mecha designs are pretty cool, and the character designs was one of the elements that brought this anime out of the box. Overall, Tenchi Muyo GXP is very impressive. FUNimation did a superb job in the release, and with four DVD sets to be released later this month (November 22, 2005), there is not a reason in the world, you should not take a look at this title.

The Breakdown
Tenchi Muyo GXP has become my favorite Tenchi Muyo series for the meantime… can anymore wonders be created for this saga? I certainly hope so. But as for GXP, I truly believe it is worth your hard earned/saved change. And as mentioned above, with FUNimation’s re-release of the series in four DVD sets at a great price of $29.99 each. Now is your chance to own this amazing piece!

Synopsis
Sana Kurata may be a famous TV star, but her life is anything but perfect! Her classroom at school is controlled by the boy bullies, all of whom are led by the nasty Akito and his gang of hooligans, who are at it again, wreaking havoc in the classroom. But has Sana discovered Akito’s weakness? Will she be able to exploit it to her advantage or will she just make a fool of herself in front of everyone? Sana had better be cautious because when she acts on her plan the consequences aren’t exactly what she had expected! What adventures await our heroine? Find out on Kodocha!

Review
Kodocha is an average tale about an average child. Except that the child in question is incredibly hyperactive, lives in a mansion with her famous mother, stars in her own TV show, and has a crush on her agent. Other than that, she’s completely normal.

Meet Sana Kurata, the spunky star of Kodocha. Sana’s exuberant and energetic nature is the engine that keeps Kodocha going at 100 miles per hour. One moment she will be wearing an elaborate costume she retained from one of the many movies and series she had starred in, and the next she will be singing a lively bedtime song to her beloved Agent, Rei. This all comes together to make Sana a treat to watch.

The story starts out simply enough, with Sana being late for school. After a quick breakfast and a quicker car ride, Sana finally arrives at her classroom, only to find it being wrecked and ransacked by the boys of the class. Sana soon finds out that the boys are all stooges working under their leader, the somber Akito. Even the teacher’s are powerless to stop him, as Akito seems to have something in his possession that the teachers don’t want to get out. Sana becomes furious that she is unable to learn anything in class, and she makes it her duty to bring down the stoic schoolboy.

Kodocha is a series that is more than the sum of it’s parts. The animation is average. The music is enthusiastic, but largely forgettable. The story is entertaining, but not particularly deep throughout the first four episodes. The real joy of Kodocha is in it’s characters. Sana is the kind of child anyone would wish they were at that age. Her mother, Misako, logical and calm, also happens to constantly wear varied bizzare hats which she allows her pet squirrel in. Akito, despite having every boy in his class at his beck and call, remains aloof despite Sana’s attempts to thwart him. Each character brings their share to the table, and it glues Kodocha together to make it a vastly entertaining series.

One of my favorite parts of the DVD was the excellent dub. Laura Bailey makes a perfect Sana, capturing the hyperfrenetic quality of Sana without going overboard and making the character too outlandish. Jerry Jewell also does a magnificent job at Akito. Although the voice at first comes off as too deep for a child, the excellent acting ability and voice talent helps to give Akito a darker overall edge. The voice acting is superb throughout the rest of the cast as well, making even the minor characters fun and entertaining.

The Breakdown
A mile a minute series with barrels of laughs and one of the cutest characters you’ll see this side of Fruit’s Basket.

Synopsis
The next level of man’s evolution is through the brain. One day we will be able to attach our minds directly to a machine and control it with our thoughts. As science further advances at an alarming pace, the entire city of Tokyo has become the guinea pig of experimental research as unethical clinical trials are conducted amongst its innocent populace. Who will defend us when the government is in on this scheme? The fate of Tokyo rests in the two hands of one maverick woman.

Review
Baku-ten, short for Bakuretsu Tenshi, first aired on April 6, 2004. The English title is Burst Angel or Explosive Angel referring to Joe’s alias: the angel from Hell. Blasts and smoke are always left in her wake. Lara Croft Tomb Raider eat your heart out! No one can mess with Joe and expect to come back in one piece.

The official Japanese flash site is http://www.baku-ten.com where you’ll find character biographies and incomplete story information. The website is largely under construction with no special wallpapers. It is like it was abandoned an no longer updated. Bandai’s site http://www.b-ch.com/contents/bakuten/index.html can finished episode descriptions with a small screenshot.

The Breakdown
Everybody loosey!

Synopsis
The wheel of fate turned when Kiyotaka Narumi vanished. On that night Kiyotaka’s younger brother, Ayumu, was forever changed. Ayumu found himself thrust into the baffling mystery of the Blade Children. Who are they? What have they done to deserve their fate? Why do they believe Ayumu is the key to their salvation? Only one thing is certain: The Blade Children will stop at nothing to complete their destiny. And only Ayumu stands in their way.

Review
Spiral is a rather interesting anime. It almost seems to shift genres towards the end of this volume. It starts out as a bit of a mystery series with a bit of comedy, as Ayumu uses his amazing intellegence and power of deduction to solves Sherlock Holmes-esqe mysteries, and Hiyono provides comedy relief. And while these episodes are interesting, they don’t further the plot and are kinda useless. The plot does heat up when in fourth (of five) episode. That is when the secret of the Blade Children is revealed and Ayumu starts to search for his missing brother. So, in short, the story is good, but you do have do wade through some usless fodder to get there.

The Breakdown
If you have the patience to wait through the slow parts, you will be rewarded well.

Synopsis
After twenty years, Detective Zenigata has been taken off the Lupin case! With a new assignment and an aching heart, he seeks friendship in the one man he could never catch - Lupin the Third! When Lupin finds out about Zenigata’s new assignment to take down a weapons smuggling organization, he sees his opportunity to steal some extra income. But Lupin had better watch out; there is a new, more deadly, man on his trail now!

Review
Lupin, as a character, almost never disappoints; this movie is a perfect example of how well he can be used. It is slightly different from more famous Lupin movies (i.e. Miyazaki’s ‘The Castle of Cagliostro’) in the fact that it is slightly darker and more serious then most of his other adventures. This is not a bad thing however, it simply brings a bit more realism into the Lupin world. There is not a single off the wall call chase that involves Mini Coopers (or some such Euro car) driving up flat mountainsides. Although it is a bit odd to see Lupin like this, I enjoyed it. The storyline (taking down a gang of weapons smugglers) would have been affected for the worse if this story was made too comical. If this is a preview of where Lupin is headed in the future, I approve!

The Breakdown
It isn’t exactly like every other Lupin movie, but that makes it a perfect introduction for those who say Lupin is too ‘kid-ish’.

Synopsis
About 162 years ago, the Galactic Union (GU) and the Galactic Organization of Trades and Tariffs (GOTT) were formed. Their job was to correct economic imbalance, arbitrate disputes, and negotiate contracts and treaties with planets all over the galaxy. As GOTT, they strive to protect everyone in the galaxy, as well as the people’s property and rights. Enter Lumiere and Ɖclair, GOTT ES-members who routinely carry out police type missions under the authority of Director Eclipse.

Review
First aired on Japanese TV in October 2002 marking the directorial debut of Keiji Goto, the character designer for Martian Successor Nadesico. Why call it ‘Kiddy Grade’? Kiddy shortened is kid or children. Grade refers to quality of manufacture like the grade of oil or metal. Put together in essence they refer to the two main stars Lumiere and Ɖclair. Although children like in appearance, they execute the law, more of a job for grown ups. But, as said in episode 3, children are purer when compared to adults. They contain innocence, unsoiled by greed, power, and lust. They have a simple notion much like the rules we learn in kindergarten of right and wrong, a respect for others. It is quite interesting, more of a juxtaposition, that although outwardly they are youths, both are in fact immortal. Ɖclair is the reincarnation of the Eclairs before her, and as the anime progresses, she follows down the same path as her predecessors. Yet the way she resolves the situation is her own choosing.

The Breakdown
Despite the claims of lack of originality and extreme fanservice, I still believe Kiddy Grade has something to offer for the anime fan. Plot wise it is intriguing and carries an air of suspense and mystery.

Synopsis
Lupin, Jigan, Goemon, and Fujiko are back for their ninth movie adventure! Lupin has been trusted with a mystical Twilight diamond which, as legend has it, is the key to an amazing treasure. So the whole gang heads off to Morocco to get rich. However, they will have to dodge the ever-present Inspector Zenigata and a new organization that is only out for one thing… Lupin’s head!

Review
Wow…I never thought I would say this about a Lupin movie, but I’m a bit unimpressed. Heck, I’m even going to say that I was disappointed. Lupin is my favorite anime character of all time, but this just isn’t even close to the best of his adventures. No one expects a Lupin film to make too much sense, but this flimsy tale is both underwritten and badly paced. The chase scenes (always a wonderful Lupin mainstay) generate little excitement, and the fights lack the flair that is normally present in the series. Although Lupin III remains one of the most greatest franchises in anime history, Twilight Gemini ranks among the least of the his adventures.

The Breakdown
It’s decent and worth a watch for true fans, but I would recommend The Castle of Cagliostro for newbies to Lupin.

Synopsis
Hi there! I’m Honda Tohru. In May of this year, I lost my mother who raised me all by herself in a traffic accident. After that incident I’ve come to live secretly in a tent. It’s definitely not too comfortable, but that’s alright! Since one of my mottos is ‘Never quit under any circumstances!’

Review
‘Long, long ago, Kami-sama [God] told all the animals, ‘I invite all of you to a party tomorrow. And on no account be late.’ When the mischievous mouse heard that, he told a lie to his neighbor, the cat, that the meeting was to take place the day after tomorrow. The next day, the mouse rode on the ox’s back and arrived in front of the meeting place. After that the ox, the tiger, and so forth had a fun time there until morning except for the cat that was fooled.’

‘Why are you crying Tohru?’

‘That’s so sad! I feel so sorry for the cat! I know what I want to do, instead of a dog I want to be a cat!’

The Breakdown
26 episodes full of the ideal mix of humor and drama.