Latest Reviews

Full review of Strike Witches

A guilty pleasure for me, maybe more guilt than pleasure.

• Score: 57%
• Opinion: average
• + the characters are the focal points of the story
• + unique, well-executed visual and sound design
• - doesn’t follow through with its story threads, opting for a quick resolution instead of truly exploring its themes
• - the fanservice is often intrusive, but your mileage may vary
• Conclusion: Strike Witches has a charm and a sense of fun that I can’t ignore. I just wish it would explore its own story a little more deeply.

Tags: Strike Witches, review

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Satoshi Kon has passed away today. He was one of the anime directors I would really consider a visionary, and with a portfolio containing Perfect Blue, Paprika, and Paranoia Agent, it’s hard to argue.

What makes Kon’s work so great is that he is able to tell a great story while challenging the audience at the same time. His works are full of complex ideas, particularly concerning sanity and reality. Yet they are built on a foundation of great characters and plot structure.

It’s a terrible shame that he should pass away now, not only because of what he has made but because of what he might have made in the future. He never really played it safe, and realized a lot of unique material that might never have seen the light of day otherwise. Announcements of new Satoshi Kon projects are exciting because you never know what he’s going to do. Who else can create a dark psychological fantasy like Perfect Blue, and then go on to do a fictional biopic like Millennium Actress?

I really don’t think any other director can compare. Satoshi Kon was not just a great anime director, he was a great storyteller, period. The anime industry has lost a true, pioneering spirit.

Tags: miscellaneous

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Full review of Black Rock Shooter

This review was a hard one to write, partly because of the OVA’s simplicity and partly because I wasn’t sure how to tackle the disconnect between expectation and outcome. Black Rock Shooter is not at all like what the marketing and merchandising say, but I feel that it’s stronger because of it.

• Score: 75%
• Opinion: good
• + matches its scope to its execution by exploring one subject very well
• + good characters and a believable friendship makes the danger feel more real
• + nice gothic lolita aesthetic to the fantasy sequences
• - does not expand upon the characters in Black Rock Shooter’s world
• - somewhat contrived ending
• - the fantasy sequences seem a little too random and pointless until the end
• Conclusion: Black Rock Shooter is not particularly ambitious or challenging, but in this case it keeps its reach within its grasp. By seizing upon a single truth and building a story around it, the OVA becomes a rewarding experience with a sentimental core.

Tags: Black Rock Shooter, review

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It’s not often that I look at merchandise here, not because I don’t buy any but because photography is a pain in the ass. Well, not anymore!

I preordered the limited edition Evangelion 2.22 Blu-ray from YesAsia, and it arrived today after being shipped out two days ago. I just love ordering stuff from overseas. Anyway, this is the Hong Kong version, which has English subtitles. Opponents of piracy say you should import your anime if it’s not available in the US, but anime from Japan rarely if ever has English subs. Thankfully, Hong Kong has your back.

The Blu-ray itself is in a cardboard box, which unfortunately got crushed a bit in shipping. The disc is fine but there’s an unsightly fold on the spine of the box. There is also a pamphlet about the movie, and a paper sleeve with the bonus disc.

Additional swag from the limited edition includes the booklet that was given to theater goers, containing images from the movie and more information. I’m not entirely Chinese illiterate, but suffice it to say I don’t know enough Chinese to be able to discuss Evangelion. Maybe I’ll show it to my parents, they’ll think it’s a hoot.

I also got a cloth Eva-01 shopping bag, the kind vegans typically bring to the grocery store. I love Eva, but not enough to walk around in public with this thing.

The last item is quite strange but I like it anyway. It’s a keychain light, styled to look a bit like Eva-00’s entry plug. One side is marked “EVA-00” and the other is marked “NERV ONLY” though I don’t get why NERV would have restricted flashlights. Upon seeing this, I thought “shucks, I already have a keychain light. This one is less useful in that it isn’t also a bottle opener.” Except when you turn on this keychain light, it projects an image of Rei!

Look at that! If I’m ever in an emergency situation where I have to show someone what Rei looks like right fucking there, I’m covered.

Getting to the Blu-ray itself, the disc is region A so it will work in players in the Americas, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong. The picture and audio are good quality, with Japanese Dolby True HD and DTS Master HD options available, as well as a 2.0 Cantonese dub (fairly amusing). Subtitles are available in traditional Chinese and English. The menu is stylish but odd in that the background is a random bunch of trees. Not knowing anything about a bonus disc, I popped it into my PS3 only to discover... nothing. I put it into my PC and found that it was just a blank CD-R. Apparently it’s just one of the extras they pack in with the home video release. Man, there is some rubbish Eva merchandise out there. If you actually want the special features, that’s a separate $15 purchase.

If you do want to import Evangelion 2.22 (and I highly recommend it), I suggest you save yourself $15 and get the regular Blu-ray version. The only reason to consider the $55 gift set is for the portable Ayanmi projector, as I’ve taken to calling it. It’s awesome, but in an insanely stupid way. Otherwise, this is a far cry from the likes of the epic Haruhi Vol. 1 limited edition DVD.

Tags: Rebuild of Evangelion, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shin Seiki Evangelion, merchandise

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All for the sake of enlightenment.

Tags: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shin Seiki Evangelion

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