Anime is coming back

Hey everyone. For about two weeks, I was contemplating what I should do next in my life. I was writing for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot for about four months as an intern, but was released earlier than expected. The paper didn't have enough money to compensate me for my stories.

To anyone who is eagerly anticipating more anime news, bear with me. I had to take a short break to reassess my goals. It tends to get lonely, now that I'm away from college, from most of my anime-watching friends. I'd like to use my writing skills as part of a career. So far, I haven't earned all the money I would need to pay off my debt to my mom and dad.

So after spending a couple weeks reassessing my goals, I decided to write what I like. And so I'm returning to my second passion: writing anime reviews. Keep in mind, however, that this blog might head into uncharted territory, with reviews of anime-related video games.

By anime-related, I'm talking about the countless number of games with characters drawn in a Japanese anime style. These games will be on consoles such as the Playstation 2, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS. I had to limit my choices somewhat, because I don't feel like buying any new consoles yet.

I'm kind of stretching this blog into this genre, because I'm spending more time playing these games for the colorful character designs. The games can have a wide range of monsters and creatures. They can look almost as cute as the Mokona bunnies from various anime and manga by CLAMP. And ever since the Japanese role-playing game, Chrono Trigger, these anime character are spreading into JRPGs like a warm, fuzzy virus.

So don't be surprised if I switch from talking about "Soul Eater" to discussing the implausible plot of the anime-style game, "Sin and Punishment: Star Successor." It's only a matter of time before anime and anime video games eventually take over the world. It's like those Michael Jackson lyrics to "We are the World." Anime will make the world a better place for you and for me.

At least in this blog, it will.

Image courtesy of miraigamer.net

DVD Review - Nana meets punk rock

The "Nana" anime charges up this coming-of-age manga with loud punk rock, and emotionally moving dialogue that everyone will fall in love with. This review covers the first box set of the series.

Ai Yazawa drew the manga which the anime is based on. Like her previous series, "Nana" features plenty of mature sexual situations and dramatic dialogue about lost love. However, the anime escalates the power of this manga with an edgy punk rock atmosphere.

The story involves two characters, who happened to meet each other on a train to Tokyo. Their first names are Nana. Though they are completely different types of people, they get along instantly. Although they separate, they meet once again by sheer happenstance when they are looking for an apartment to live in.

Sure, it's just a coincidental meeting, but the price is reasonable if they share the apartment. So by complete luck, the two Nanas become roommates and best friends.

Although this is a fictional anime about two strangers becoming close friends, the story involves more than just two girls. They each have bad luck in finding boyfriends who stay committed. Nana Komatsu is a polite-mannered girl whose boyfriend doesn't have enough time to see her very often. Nana Osaki is an orphan whose boyfriend left her to make a name for himself as a rock star in Tokyo.

The series is a masterpiece in its message of feminism and independence. Although there's plenty of emotional and sexual romance in the beginning, it's clear from the beginning that both Nanas really want more out of their love life. Economic freedom. Independence from the typical family lifestyle.

The series actually draws plenty of comparisons to "Kiki's Delivery Service," an anime by Hayao Miyazaki where a girl must face the nitty gritty difficulties of life, such as saving money to buy groceries instead of fancy clothes. The only big difference is that both of the Nanas' coming of age involves a punk rock band.

However, "Nana" is even more based on slice-of-life experiences in Japan. In this anime, the city of Tokyo is alive with sexy rock stars and cross-dressing fashion styles. At the same time, there's trendy, cute girl-like decorations for the trendy Nana Komatsu. And there's also a slew of economic pressures involving Komatsu's shopping sprees.

Certainly "Nana" will probably be the most eclectic of all the anime series this year. However, it conveys a universal theme involving characters who are missing the love they had as a child, as well as characters who push forward to find that love.

My only grudge with this box set is that it doesn't hit its big emotional peak yet. Most of the intense angst and frustration was purposefully left until box set two. However, this first box will definitely satisfy fans of the manga, as well as anyone else who loves punk rock, sex comedies and intense drama. In other words, there's something for everyone. This is a must-have for everyone to watch.

Cool features:

• Interview with Nana director Morio Asaka
• Clean opening and closing sequences.

Minor setbacks to the series:

• The English dub is great, but the voice actor for Nana Osaki doesn't sound nearly as cool and mature as she should be. Then again, I have my biases. Call me un-American, but our United States female rockers don't act as mature as Japanese female rockers. If you think I'm wrong, just listen to this clip by Jinn and see for yourself.
• There is a point in the anime where the director decided to rehash some of the events in episode one. Although he touches it up with new revelatory scenes, it could have been touched up somewhat.
• The last episode in this box is one of the dreaded recap episodes, where the characters review everything that happened in the previous episodes. Feel free to skip it if you wish.

Image courtesy of photobucket.com

DVD Review - The Gothic battle marathon

"Soul Eater" hits its stride in the second box set with a series of epic shonen fights in its big homage to a classic anime show.

For episodes 14-26, "Soul Eater" begins with plenty of excellent jokes, including one of the epic comedy episodes involving the animal character known as Excalibur. However, the true spotlight of this second set is one of the best story arcs of the series.

Our heroes race down a tunnel to keep a group of witches from awakening an evil kishin, also known as a demon god. This will no doubt remind anime fans of the Shishio Makoto battles in the show "Rurouni Kenshin." This was the famous story arc where Kenshin had to race down long corridors, fighting countless numbers of samurai until he fought the final battle against Shishio.

The set-up for the "Soul Eater" battle marathon is simple enough. Medusa and her evil cronies unleash a full-scale attack against the students and instructors in Death City. One of Medusa's assistants, Free, traps Lord Death and most of the students in a magical prison known as an independent cube. Fortunately, all the main heroes in the series escape.

Instructor Stein informs Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid, Patti and Liz about Medusa's plot. Although there's plenty of backstory, all you need to know is that Medusa's assistants want to wake up a demon god by injecting his mummified body with black blood.

The anime doesn't really explain much about the difference between black blood and red blood, but that's not important. What is important is that a demon god is really, really powerful and destructive. And the students have to stop him from awakening.

This section of the show contains a very prominent fight between Maka and her deadliest rival, Crona. As people may remember in the previous box set, Crona almost killed Maka's weapon, Soul. Fortunately, Maka's learned a few things about her soul resonance power. I promise not to give away the ending, but I will say that it doesn't end with Maka killing Crona.

Instead, Maka reaches Crona's inner consciousness in an unusual series of scenes that take place in the soul resonance world inside Maka's weapon. Although a devil-looking character is trying to convince Soul to use the madness of the black blood to defeat Crona, Soul doesn't want Maka to lose her mind in the process. In a touching scene, Maka dances with Soul and asks him to use the black blood.

The fight is a brave and daring display of animation, where Maka reaches Crona's tormented soul at the end. Certainly "Soul Eater" isn't a series based on real-world situations. However, the show takes a breathtaking look at how the inner psyche can negotiate with itself to change a person's way of thinking. Although "Neon Genesis Evangelion" executed this with more visual flair, "Soul Eater" shows off its own unique blend of breathtaking backdrops and bright, vibrant colors.

Although "Soul Eater" is still plodding onward with its conventional, convoluted storyline, this is the box set that is worth at least a rental. The episodes in the next box set then slips into a series of boring shonen battles. There's still plenty of action in a big battle sequence in the arctic. However, you might want to think twice before you buy the third box set, because all these battles wore me out after two hours.

Image courtesy of photobucket.com