Animesou.com

Synopsis
Section 9, Japan’s high-mobility anti-crime unit, is back in action! The Major’s got her work cut out for her as she leads her team on a series of new cases now that the Laughing Man case has been closed.

Uprisings over the treatment of a wave of Asian immigrants threaten the political landscape, and the new Prime Minister brings in Section 9 to offer their services - but on a much tighter leash than they’re used to. After being reinstated, they must stop an assassin who is killing high-ranking officials, outmaneuver an incredibly talented thief, and unravel the reason a high-tech helicopter malfunctioned. And all under the supervision of the mysterious and disturbing man known as Gohda.

Review
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is back, now making its ‘2nd GIG debut.’ I have not seen enough of the first season, so I would not be able to compare the two. So let us start off fresh…

Major, Batou and the rest of the gang again has to do their usual work; kicking ass while taking names. This sequel to the much liked season one is a bit on the disappointing side. The episodes move by slowly and seem to drag on at moments with the boring conversations. I actually caught myself dosing off… until these critters made their return to Section 9. Man did that make a big difference in the show. All of a sudden it became more enjoyable and I began to focus more after that… yes, a little stimulation comes a long way, I guess; that and tack on Major wearing some sexy formal attire, is just like putting the icing on the cake.

Production I.G’s role in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a huge one. The animation quality is superb, as expected from any Production I.G work. While the visual qualities of this show are high, the episodes do not seem to connect to each other or I just do not sense any. I believe that it is probably one of the negatives of this show. It is like starting brand new continuously, which certainly gets tiring. Maybe this feeling I obtained from watching the show was due to the fact that it is volume one and the show is just trying to get all the viewers acclimated to the environments of 2nd GIG. The sounds of this series are astonishing. From the opening theme to the closing theme I felt the music really jumped started the engine alright, it was just the execution that bogged the flow down.

This volume was not impressive at all, and I cannot lie about that. There were only two episodes that got my interests going. The other episodes were unbelievably, whack. Yes, you read that right. Whack. Hopefully in my next review for volume two, things will improve, until then, unless you are a diehard Ghost in the Shell fanatic, I would not recommend this series, yet.

The Breakdown
Time to move onto volume two and see if Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd GIG can bounce back! (Man I am getting cramps from typing out that long title name ^_^).

Synopsis
Her greatest enemy could be her closest friend. Shy Hiroko is tormented by bullies. But everyone has their breaking point, and Hiroko wrestles with inner demons as she is tempted to use her powers to exact a terrifying revenge. Can Shiina save her family from the wrath of her tortured friend?

Review
From the first glance, Shadow Star Narutaru looks like a kiddy anime title, but boy can anyone be more wrong. This title is like a less gory/bloody version of Lucy of Elfen Lied’s childhood, but still packs a strong punch. I have never felt so satisfied from watching an anime in a while and Narutaru just hits the spot. Why did it satisfy me? Well for starters, the show makes you hate some of the characters, and then gives them all a resolution. To put it in simpler terms, this volume of Shadow Star Narutaru is a killing spree. Hiroko, an average girl whom is also very intelligent becomes the target of a group of bullies consisted of girls in her school. These bullies do all sorts of mean things to her, yet no one does anything about it even with the knowledge of her being tortured by these girls. And with the added pressures from her parents wanting her to be a hundred percent student in all her classes, it gets kind of tiring for Hiroko. She feels hopeless, there is not anyone she can turn to except her one friend, Shiina.

Shiina has a cheery personality. She is one of those people who could be friends with anyone she wants to. And as the only friend of both Hiroko and another girl Sakura, who plays a small role in this volume, she tries to be the only brightness in the darkness filled world. Shiina is like the light bulb of their lives. There would not be anyone for Hiroko and Sakura if Shiina was not there. Can you blame it on their personalities? Their shy and afraid to stand up for themselves personalities? In part they have to take a bit of the responsibility, but the ones who are really at fault are the bullies that they each have to face at school.

Anyways, when you corner a dog, you are only asking to get bitten, and this is what happens with Hiroko. When the bullies went too far with their despicable acts and her father’s call to Shiina’s father to tell him to tell Shiina to get away from Hiroko… she finally snaps. Upon snapping comes her dragon child. This is where I said, “Oh yeah, get them *ahem*.” Maybe I got some issues, but I felt so good to know that these hateful people will get what they deserve. Now as for if they deserved what they got in the show, that is for you to decipher, but again as I have stated, I was satisfied with what each of them got in return for the crap that they made her go through.

Shadow Star Narutaru is drama packed. The plot is one of the most intriguing and entertaining I have ever seen. I really loved the way this volume played itself out. Even though not everyone survives, but it is okay, I received the message that the staff of Narutaru was trying to deliver, which was to question your surrounds. Just because Hiroko did not say anything, it does not make it fine to leave her be. If someone would have consulted her about her problems then we would not be talking about this now.

The Breakdown
I do not condone killing, and just because I said they deserved it, does not mean I would have said the same thing if it was real life. So let us separate the anime world and the real world and enjoy Narutaru, for it is a superb work of art.

Synopsis
Shin Kazama is a gifted pilot with a bright future, a beautiful fiancƩ and a job with a prestigious airline until a treacherous act of betrayal rips his world apart and sends him into the barren desert of the war-torn Kingdom of Aslan. With escape only meaning death, he must now use his superior skills to become a cold-blooded aerial killer; and with every kill, he paints a trail of blood in the sky back to the life that was stolen from him.

Review
You know, the first time I saw the flaming unicorn symbol of Shin Kazama’s fighter plane, I knew it was familiar. And to my surprise it was from the Super Nintendo video game, U.N. Squadron. Man was that game fun; it makes me want to go play it right now hehe. Anyways, Area 88 is U.N. Squadron, before its name was changed during the importing process to the United States. Maybe it was too close to sound like Area 51? Oh wells. The last fighter plane anime that I have watched was Yukikaze and Area 88 just blows that anime away. The dog fights and all the breathtaking action in this show has gotten me excited about the plane genre again.

When the story begins, you are put through the eyes and lens of battlefield photographer, Makoto Shinjo. As he narrates you through the nooks and crannies of his job, he also tries to expose Shin Kazama’s as well. Why is he in Area 88 fighting a civil war? That is the ultimate question that will be answered as the show goes on. So far, very little is revealed about Shin’s past, other than a girl named Ryoko. And just thinking about it, I believe this anime would be best that it was told in a third person’s point of view rather than straight from Shin Kazama himself. His character is no fun, so that will contribute to putting people to sleep, I guess. It was a great idea in getting Makoto Shinjo to narrate the plot, because he is a flexible character, it works out perfectly as he incorporates various features about him that separates himself from all the others.

Just wondering how this anime will play out has got me salivating, because whatever happens, I know there will be crazy aerial fights and at times even a bit of comedy to lighten up the mood. This is a great series with an intriguing plot and the animation quality amazing enough to make you beg for more and more, and more. You will be pleased.

The Breakdown
Area 88 has got to be one of the finest anime dealing with airplanes. Just when I thought it cannot get any better, it surprises me and exceeds my expectations with every missile launched or every bullet fired. It is a must have for you action deprived fans out there!

Synopsis
A hostage has been taken in Pakistan; the chances of his survival are slim to none. Enter Yugo Beppu, the world’s greatest private negotiator. With keen intellect, quick wits and indomitable willpower, he’s got a reputation for getting hostages released unharmed. So, when the negotiations in Pakistan break down, Yugo is called onto the scene to deal with a fierce anti-government faction. Now, all of Yugo’s psychological strategies will be put to the test as he faces off with a fearsome killer who left the last negotiator dead at his feet. Walking a dangerous line between the powerful military and ruthless guerillas, it will take more than words for Yugo to survive in the blazing desert.

Review
A few years ago, I remember I have watched a Hong Kong drama series that dealt with police negotiators. The job could either be joyous or distressing. Either way it was a good show that displayed how through negotiating, violence or even death could be spared. In comes Yugo the Negotiator, an anime about negotiating as a means to not resort to any violence or the death of the hostage… well there are some violence that you just cannot negotiate your way out of.

The way this anime was brought up to me was not all that impressive. Probably due to the fact that we do not have a superman here; we are not presented with an infallible character. Yugo has failed before in his field, and he is haunted by it. It is that, which drives him to negotiate and save the hostage without any casualties at all costs. In this volume, we are not shown how he does his work. Throughout, he was gathering his information for a job that he has taken that needed him to save someone in Pakistan. By doing that it kind of gives off a feeling like it is taking me for a walk around the park. Even by episode three, I still do not know what is so extraordinary about Yugo. His smarts to get out of various situations? His feelings towards injustice? Or just his morals? Maybe all my questions would be answered in the next volume, but at least, I should be provided with something that would make me want to watch the next volume. At the current state, it ends with nothing intriguing enough to make you say, “I must see what comes next.” It ends with more like a, “Maybe.”

The potential is there for Yugo the Negotiator. The only thing that was lacking was that actual “negotiating” part. The whole complexion of this review would probably have been changed if it was not for that missing link, which would have bound everything together. At least it would get you all juiced up so that you will want to watch how the negotiation will transpire.

The Breakdown
Yugo The Negotiator is most likely a title that will turn it up as it goes on. I wonder how things will be in the future episodes.

Synopsis
During the 20th Century, the world experienced a large-scale war. A war between humans and monsters. Words could never describe the violent bloodshed of the war the monsters had won. Time has passed and a new century has begun. And the people have forgotten that Melody…

Life continued on as normal except for a mysterious sacrifice here and there. However, Bocca felt that this was wrong and when he heard of the Warriors of Melos, people who still rallied to defeat the monsters, he decided to become one as well. But this wasn’t an easy path and there was still much to be learned about the Melody of Oblivion.

Review
Before entering the world of The Melody of Oblivion, you first need to know a little bit about the people that made it. As a joint effort between Gainax and J.C. Staff, you instantly have the makings for an incredible, intriguing, and to a point, bewildering title. Gainax is famous for it’s seminal works, “FLCL” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion”. JC Staff created such outstanding series as “Revolutionary Girl Utena” and “Azumanga Daioh”. After watching The Melody of Oblivion, it’s safe to say that it belongs amongst the elite of both Gainax and JC Staff.

The Melody of Oblivion is a story of Bocca Serenade. Bocca has recently become increasingly disinterested with his classwork. His school teaches the art of shooting the “arrows of the soul”, which appears to be no more than pulling back and releasing the string of a bow. When Bocca uses a real arrow, his teacher chides him and uses the oppurtunity to trivialize the power of a real arrow. Because of Bocca’s failure to conform, he fails an important test and must be retested within the next week. Bocca remains unempathetic about the test, much to his girlfriend’s chagrin. She tries to persuade Bocca to retake the test, but he refuses. What is the point of the bow if not to fight the monsters, he wonders? During his conversation with his girlfriend, he notices his parents walking towards the school. After examining the situation further, Bocca finds that his parents are paying the teacher to make sure Bocca passes.

Agitated by the matter, Bocca runs away. While walking through a mall, he meets the energetic Sayoko. Through Sayoko, Bocca learns that a man he has seen before is actually a Warrior of Melos. Before Sayoko can discuss the man any further, a pair of police show up and chase Sayoko away.

Bocca, now alone and curious about the Warrior of Melos, goes to the place where he saw the warrior last. There he finds the warrior, Kurofune, having his special motorcycle, called an Aibar Machine, repaired by the venerable Tsunagi. Tsunagi, a friend of Bocca’s, welcomes Bocca in and introduces Bocca to Kurofune. Through Kurofune, Bocca learns of the Melody of Oblivion. She is a vision that only the Warriors of Melos can see. It is rumored that should a Warrior of Melos go to where the Melody of Oblivion is, the war will end.

The Melody of Oblivion visually and audibly seems to be almost as much fine art as it is traditional anime. The music in the series is absolutely breathtaking, and is executed perfectly. The Opening, ‘Will’ is both elegant and exciting, and is a great listen with or without the series. The background music in the series is amongst the best I have ever heard. It serves to set up every scene and creates a power that highlights the drama, action, and intrigue of the series.

The character designs are plain and simple, but are also quite unique. The Animation has a tendency to reuse footage, but otherwise is solid. The background artwork seems to be mellow and nondescript at first, being made up mostly of pastels and having a watercolor look to them. Throughout the first episode, the artwork changes steadilly, becoming much darker. By the end of the first episode, the settings and atmosphere have completely changed, and the the world seems much more grim. This is an interesting technique that I enjoyed during the episode, as it happened in step with the viewer learning that Bocca’s world has much stewing under the surface.

My only problem with the first volume is the English dub. While Carrie Savage does a decent enough job with Sayoko, many of the other major characters left me wanting. The most major of these was Bocca’s dub, as done by Ted Sroka, whose most prominent role prior to the Melody of Oblivion was in Ikki Tousen as Kokin Shuyu. Through the first four episodes, Sroka never really seemed to capture the character of Bocca. This really disapointed me.

The Breakdown
Run, don’t walk, and go buy this series today.

Synopsis
Mahoro still lives with Suguru, accompanying him by doing the everyday house work as his loyal maid. They adopt a strange girl that shows up and named her Minawa. However, things slowly became hectic as a new threat, The Management, makes it’s appearance. What is this new threat that lurks in the shadows? What lies ahead for Mahoro as her life shortens by each passing day?

Review
Mahoromatic: Something more Beautiful brings you back the lovable maid, Mahoro, along with all the panties shoots and humour viewers saw in the first season of Mahoromatic….yes… even Shikijou-sensei is back and she is crazier than ever for Suguru love.

Minawa, a runaway android, finds her way to Suguru’s house in search of shelter from an unknown danger. Things start to go crazy as they are attacked by other robots sent from a place called the Management. What is their purpose? Why are they going after Minawa? Why did Minawa run to Suguru?..Well…for the most part of this series… who cares?

First off, I would like to say I was kept entertained by the comedy in each episode rather than trying to follow some linear plot line. Yes… I know Mahoro is always saying Ecchi nano wa ikenai to omoimas, but this has got to be one of the funniest perverted series that kept me entertained through to the end. What do we have here: A stoic girl who is a maid-to-be, a crazy school teacher who’s hormone levels peak out when she sees Suguru, New Years brawl, Christmas brawl, and in general, Mahoro vs. Shikijou-sensei. What more can one want to be entertained?

A plot does develop later on in the LAST FEW EPISODES. Generally knowing that it’s Gainax, I expected something to happen like this, but when you have a season two that is so closely tied with season one, three or four episodes are just not enough to try and resolve all the questions that build up. The Management, Vespers, Saints. What do they have to do with each other? And who exactly is Matthew?

In addition, the ending was not all..well… pleasing. When you have an episode end with ‘THE END’, you expect it to be the end. Instead, we get an additional episode which tries to explain everything; who Mahoro really was and what the plan Saint Matthews was regarding humans. In other words, the ending seemed a little awkward to me.

Nevertheless, Mahoromatic: Something more Beautiful has all the right ingredients for a day of laughter. Just make sure to tape your mouth shut watching this at night when everyone is sleeping.

The Breakdown
14 episodes that are directly linked with the 12 episodes of the first season of Mahoromatic.

Synopsis
In Yugi’s hands are all the keys necessary to retrieving the Pharaoh’s lost memory - the seven millennium items and the three Egyptian God cards. However, little does Yugi know that also sealed away is an ancient evil bent on destroying the world. Yugi and his friends must do battle once again in the ultimate shadow game.

Review
This review is for the final season of the Duel Monsters saga starring Yugi, episodes 199-224. The anime premiered in Japan on April 7, 2004 and we are only just now getting around to it in America. The dueling is a bit different in ancient Egypt in comparison to the official card game rulings. A person’s spiritual energy is called one’s ‘Ba’. A person with a strong enough Ba can create a ‘Ka’, which is a duel monster that can act according to the user’s will. Some people have good Ka while others have bad Ka. Summoning a Ka is tied to the user’s life force. Thus, if a Ka is destroyed, the user takes damage and is weakened. Ka can be instantly summoned without the need of sacrificing monsters, similar to Duelist Kingdom’s no sacrifice prerequisite. In the manga, I don’t remember the Egyptians having duel disks attached to the sides of their left arm. This must have been an addition to the anime.

The Breakdown
Fingers crossed that 4Kids still calls Bakura’s monster Diabound.

Synopsis
Everyone knows the feeling. Returning to find your home broken into. Your possessions thrown around. Dresser drawers ransacked. Everything you own having the unmistakable feel of a stranger’s fingers on them. The only thing worse than that is what isn’t there: The thing that once belonged to you that has been taken by creeps.
But now is not the time to despair. There is no time for anger. There is only time to call Ban and Ginji. They’re the GetBackers, and they live by a simple motto: “If it was taken, we’ll get it back.” No one will be refused. (At least not until that huge tab they’ve run up gets paid off!)
Prepare to meet your new heroes. The guys who will restore order where there is only chaos and justice where crime has run free.
They’re the Getbackers. They’re one phone call away, and they’re ready to take your case!

Review
“If it was stolen from you… don’t get mad… get it back!” is the slogan of GetBackers, and it manages to summarize the plot of the series perfectly. Of course, GetBackers is more a series of thrills, action, fanservice, and of course, the incomparable Ban Midou than it is of story, so who cares?

The first disc starts out with a few random cases for the GetBackers. The duo of Ban and Ginji, our heroes, work as professional GetBackers; people that (for a price) retrieve items that have been stolen from you. Due to some rather bad luck though, it seems that every case they take on results in both an abundance of trouble and a scarcity of cash.

This doesn’t phase our heroes though, as they aren’t your everyday muscle for hire. Ginji is a human battery, capable of dishing out heaping amounts of electricity upon his enemies. Ban Midou has the Snake Bite, his vise like grip which is capable of 200 kilograms of force. Alongside the Snake Bite, Ban also possesses the mysterious power of the Jagan, an eye technique he uses with devastating results.

Needless to say, returning a stolen Cat Trinket from a dirty cop and allowing an old man to see his daughter one last time prove to be easy, although somewhat complicated, work for people as talented as Ban and Ginji.

However, the third case is the first in which Ban and Ginji get to compete against fighters at their own level; and this is where the real meat of GetBackers kicks in. GetBackers is at it’s heart all about the fights. And With colorful villains like Kurodo “Dr Jackal” Akabane gracing it, there is no wonder why. Each fight scene is loaded with cool techniques, dramatic dialogues, and even a heaping dose of comedy.

The pacing of the show is another key element which makes GetBackers an entertaining watch. The series never takes itself too seriously, which keeps it from ever getting bogged down. Instead, it knows what it is and knows what it wants to do: make us laugh with some first rate comedy, and make us sit at the edge of our seat during each and every fight. This all comes together to make GetBackers a top notch ride.

The Breakdown
Overall story or not, GetBackers is a hell of a ride. From comedy to action, and even snippets of drama from time to time, GetBackers is a series that I would recommend to any action series fan looking to burn a few hours lost in a fun show.

Synopsis
Meet Tomokazu Mikuri: Typical high-school freshman. Certifiable loser. Self-admitted pervert. Just an ordinary, unmotivated slacker. In a word… BORING! But when he falls asleep on the eve of his 16th birthday, things start to change – BIG TIME! He enters a fantastical dream world, where he’s surrounded by a gaggle of gorgeous girls, oodles of otherworldly predators, and an ever-increasing influx of all-out weirdness! [Did we already mention all the gorgeous girls?] It’s a test of good versus evil, real world versus dream world, and lots of action-packed, scantily clad battles for the very survival of mankind! Will Tomokazu save the world? Will he finally get lucky? Or will he just die trying? The answer is right here in the funny, freaky first volume of Yumeria!

Review
Here we are, another ecchi humor, where the main character Tomokazu Mikuri is a self admitting hentai. I find it rare so I guess it was worth to mention it heh. Anyways, the dude is surrounded by females… although two of them are kind of underage for him. But that does not stop Tomokazu, now does it? Not when every one of the females around him has a special attachment towards him. This is revealed in the later episodes. So let us start off with how the whole show commences. As the synopsis pretty much summed up the situation… during his first visit to the dream world, Tomokazu sees a girl fighting some alien form mecha and as soon as he realizes, he comes back to reality… only to find out that that girl is now laying right beside him… on his bed; half naked.

A few comical scenes later, the girl is named Mone; as that is the only thing she can say. In a totally unfamiliar world, she picks up some of the living habits quickly, but there are still a lot of things to learn, such as, common sense. I mean, she does get in a bit of trouble because of it. After Tomokazu’s sixteenth birthday occurs, he is again brought back into the dream world as he was sleeping. But this time, Mizuki, his childhood friend gets dragged in as well. Not knowing what the heck is going on, they start running as soon as the alien form mecha comes back for some revenge. That is when Mone comes to the rescue! By the time they wake up, Tomokazu and Mizuki questions the dream, until they found out from each other that they had the same dream. Weird? Well I guess that is just what Yumeria is all about: ecchi humor and how it can get ecchi-er.

What I really like about Yumeria is the amusing atmosphere. Sure there are tense moments, but after the storm is over, everything reverts back to normal. The episodes roll by quickly, but you will surely like the stuff that was shown in it. What you can really expect is this shounen title to deliver ecchi humor like cake. :).

The Breakdown
Crap, if I dream, will I get the same results? Hehe, just kidding. Yumeria is a great show that will slowly creep into your head. By the time you know it, you will catch the Yumeria fever.

Synopsis
Loki is a powerful Norse god banished by the Allfather, Odin, from Asgard, the land of the gods. For some unknown reason, Loki is forced to live in the world of mortal men as a child! With limited powers of a god, he tries to uncover the truth about his banishment and how he can return home by running a detective agency with his trusted assistant, Yamino and a teenage school-girl with an addiction for anything mysterious, Mayura. Meanwhile, Odin sends god after god to destroy him. Whether these gods come as other children, beautiful maidens or vicious giant creatures, the cunning Loki will have to summon all of his powers to be victorious.

Review
Mythical Detective Loki: Ragnarok is one of those anime that builds itself. The first impression might not be strong, but by episode two, you will find yourself liking the show more and more. The story commences with almost no character introductions, it gives off the feeling that they expected you to know who everyone was. And I have to agree with them, because unless you are really slow, you would have picked up the characters’ names and a sense of themselves without any introductions.

Now I did say almost no introductions, not none at all. What I have acknowledged is that Mayura is a mystery freak. Her curiousity carries the show as she runs into trouble every time. She is a very likable character as she is way too jolly for her own good. Loki on the other hand is a banished Norse god (although not looking like one). He runs a detective agency, much like Ginji and Ban of Get Backers (Yeah, I know, they run a retrieving business) in that they rarely got any business at all. Then on one faithful day, Mayura’s curiousity for mysteries leads her into an abandoned clock tower, where she finds one of those freaky scary dolls with the beady eyes giggling. With fame on her mind, she takes the doll home only to be dragged away by a black cat. As Mayura tries to find the whereabouts of the doll, she stumbles in front of a detective agency, and from here is where the story commences.

Mythical Detective Loki: Ragnarok is a highly entertaining piece. The interactions between the characters are delightful. The plot thus far is as amazing as an anime can get. The dub was adequate and there was nothing much I could say other than I prefer the Japanese audio any day. As for the show as a whole, I have no better way to put it other than I had a big smile on my face and an urge to crave for more after the volume came to an end. Man, it was fun.

The Breakdown
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is astonishing. This show just leaves a great impression on the viewer.