Monthly Archives: July 2008

Anime Review - Mamotte Shugogetten: 72.1%

Monday, July 28, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Mamotte Shugogetten
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Episodes: 22
Released: October 17, 1998 - April 3, 1999
Based On: Mamotte Shugogetten manga by Minene Sakurano
Director: Yukio Kaizawa
Produced By: Toei Animation and Dentsu
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Tasuke: Daisuke Sakaguchi
Shaorin: Mariko Kouda
Ruuan: Yumi Takada
Rishu: Ayako Kawasumi
Izumo: Toshiyuki Morikawa
Koichirou: Omi Minami
Kaori: Eriko Hara
Shouko: Nami Miyahara

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Story: 6/10 (x 4 = 24 pts)
Music: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 7/10 (x 2 = 14 pts)
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 7/10 (x 5 = 35 pts)

Total: 137/190 (72.1%)

Review

Mamotte Shugogetten is about a boy, Tasuke, who largely lives by himself while his father is off doing archeological work in China. One day, his father sends Tasuke a ring from which pops out a spirit named Shaorin (Shao for short) whom vows to protect Tasuke from any and all danger. Unfortunately for Tasuke, Shaorin is a bit behind on the times and ends up sending out her legions of helper spirits to “protect” Tasuke from things that he doesn’t need protecting from, such as the TV and school, which Shao mistakes for a prison camp.

Not too much later, Tasuke’s father sends him another artifact, this time with a spirit named Ruuan coming forth. Ruuan announces her job as making Tasuke happy, and attempts to do so by giving life to inanimate objects.

While the show does offer some pretty good laughs now and then, you can already see where it’s heading based on the description of the main characters, and that’s episode after episode of pretty predictable chaos caused by the same misunderstandings of Tasuke’s two spirits (as well as their rivalry). A few other characters also get thrown in to mix things up, but the moment they show up, you also can pretty well predict what’s going to happen from then on.

All of this puts this show in that gray area between being a good show worthy of being watched and bad show which can be skipped. I’d probably leave it up to each person whether they think this show is worthy enough or not for them.

As for technical aspects, animation is pretty good for the time period, and the music is pretty good as well.

In the end, If you tend to like “Goddess or spirit shows up and wrecks havoc” show, then you’ll probably like this. If you’re looking for something with more originality, you can probably pass.

First Watched: September 2007
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Indifferent

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode 82

Sunday, July 27, 2008 – 5:02 pm

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #82 is now online! In this podcast, I review the anime series Umisho.

This week’s Podcast Stats:
Time: 14:22
Download Size: 9.9 MB

Opening theme:
“Ready Steady Go” by L’Arc-en-Ciel
Second opening theme to Fullmetal Alchemist

Ending theme:
“Splash BLUE ~ Taiyō to Lemonade” by Ayumi Murata
Ending theme to Umisho

You can listen to my podcasts in the following ways:

Flash Player:

Directly: http://www.joshsanimeblog.com/podcast/JABPEpisode82.mp3

You can also download or add my podcast-only RSS feed to your favorite reader or add my podcast using iTunes.

By Josh | Posted in Podcasts | Tagged | Comments (0)

ADV will apparently be at Otakon after all

Sunday, July 27, 2008 – 1:42 pm

I just noticed that the Otakon panel list has been updated and now includes an ADV industry panel.

Originally ADV was not listed, making me wonder what the heck is going on (especially since they essentially promised some big announcements at Otakon).

Of course, being listed and actually having the panel are two different things, but ADV is now at least listed as having an industry panel at Otakon now.

By Josh | Posted in Otakon | Tagged | Comments (0)

Anime Review - The Cat Returns: 90.6%

Sunday, July 27, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: The Cat Returns
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Episodes: N/A
Released: July 20, 2002
Based On: The Cat Returns manga by Aoi Hiiragi
Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Produced By: Studio Ghibli
US Distribution By: Walt Disney

Major Japanese Cast

Haru: Chizuru Ikewaki
Baron: Yoshihiko Hakamada
Muta: Tetsu Watanabe
Natoru: Mari Hamada
Cat King: Tetsurou Tanba
Natori: Kenta Satoi
Toto: Yousuke Saitou
Yuki: Aki Maeda
Prince Lune: Takayuki Yamada

Major English Cast

Haru: Anne Hathaway
Baron: Cary Elwes
Muta: Peter Boyle
Natoru: Andy Richter
Cat King: Tim Curry
Natori: Rene Auberjonois
Toto: Elliott Gould
Yuki: Judy Greer
Prince Lune: Andrew Bevis

Scores

Animation: 9/10 (x 4 = 36 pts)
Story: 9/10 (x 4 = 36 pts)
Music: 9/10 (x 4 = 36 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: N/A
English Dubs: 10/10 (x 1 = 10 pts)
Gut Score: 9/10 (x 5 = 45 pts)

Total: 163/180 (90.6%)

Review

The Cat Returns is about a girl, Haru, who unwittingly saves the crown prince of the Cat Kingdom, Prince Lune, from an incoming truck as he’s traveling in the human world. The Cat Kingdom attempts to reward Haru for her good deed by giving her various gifts. However, the gifts, which include filling her yard with cattails and filling her locker with lacrosse sticks, ends up just being a lot of trouble for Haru.

To make up for this further disruption to Haru, the Cat King decides that Haru is to marry Prince Lune himself. Not wanting to marry a cat, Haru tries to find a way to get out of the engagement when a mysterious voice tells her to seek out the Cat Bureau. Once there, the The Baron and Muta, two cats not connected to the Cat Kingdom, attempt to save Haru from being married off to the Cat Prince and from ultimately becoming a cat herself.

The plot of The Cat Returns is pretty simple and straight forward, yet it is still quite entertaining. When one gets down to it, it is supposed to be a quasi-coming of age story about Haru, as she transforms from a shy and insecure high school girl uncertain of what she wants into a girl more confident and certain of what she wants. The thing that makes this movie stand out, of course, is the addition of the Cat Kingdom, which adds a fantastical element to the movie.

Probably the thing that makes this movie stand out the most is it’s writing, which helps drive a compelling story while at the same time doing a good job of giving most of the main characters a good deal of depth. The animation is very good, as is to be expected of Ghibli films, even if the style of the character designs and the animation style is a tad more traditional. The english dub, as has become the norm for Disney releases of Ghibli films, is excellent. In a sense, this is the most Disney-like of Ghibli’s films due to it’s story and animation style.

If you’re looking for a good entertaining movie which anyone of any age can enjoy, then try checking out The Cat Returns.

First Watched: October 2007
Do I Own: Yes
Do I Recommend: Yes

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Manga Review - Ai Yori Aoshi: 86%

Saturday, July 26, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Ai Yori Aoshi
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Tankoubon: 17
Serialized In: Young Animal
Released: 1998 - 2005
Story & Art: Kou Fumizuki
Published By (Japan): Hakusensha
Published By (US): TokyoPop

Scores

Story: 9/10 (x 3 = 27 pts)
Art: 9/10 (x 3 = 27 pts)
Gut Score: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)

Total: 86/100 (86%)

Review

Ai Yori Aoshi is about Aoi Sakuraba, the daughter of the head of a rich conglomerate, and her secret fiance-to-be Karou Hanabishi. When the two were little, their marriage had been arranged as Karou was himself the heir to another major conglomerate. However, Karou was only adopted, and after witnessing the treatment of his mother, especially after she died, Karou ran away from the Hanabishi clan to live on his own.

As a result, the marriage was canceled. Aoi remained determined to marry Karou despite this and goes to Tokyo to see him. After not realizing who each other were at first, they each realize that they are in fact the couple who were put together when they were young, and Aoi decides to start living with Karou. However, Aoi’s caretaker, Miyabi, shows up to take Aoi back home. Aoi refuses and Miyabi, reluctantly at first, arranges things so that Karou and Aoi can live together at one of the family’s estates.

Soon, Karou runs into his old college friend Tina, who went away for a year or so to travel the world. Soon another girl, Taeko, joins the photography club that Karou is part of, and both Taeko and Tina end up living along with Aoi and Karou due to certain circumstances.

Ai Yori Aoshi is, centrally, about the growing love that Aoi and Karou have for each other, but is also largely a comedy as the other girls who live with or otherwise know Karou often end up getting in his way or even want Karou for himself. There is also some added drama as well as Aoi’s parents are against her staying with Karou while the Hanibishi clan attempts to come up with a way to still have Aoi marry into their family.

At 17 volumes, Ai Yori Aoshi is a pretty long read, but the story still seems to keep itself relatively fresh through, exploring all of the characters feelings and motivations along the way. I should also note that this manga is quite ecchi, and is rated for Older Teens (except the final volume which is rated 17+).

If you’re looking for a good romance/comedy with some dramatic plot arcs thrown in, then you may enjoy this series.

First Read: December 2005 - October 2007
Do I Own: Yes
Do I Recommend: Yes

By Josh | Posted in Manga Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Anime Review - Diamond Daydreams: 71%

Friday, July 25, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Diamond Daydreams, Diamond Dust Drops, Kita e
Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 12 + 1 OVA
Released: January 20, 2004 - April 5, 2004
Based On: Kita e visual novel by Red Entertainment
Director: Bob Shirohata
Produced By: Studio DEEN
US Distribution By: ADV Films

Major Japanese Cast

Atsuko Akanegi: Eriko Ishihara
Akari Harada: Akeno Watanabe
Suomi Kitano: Mayu Amase
Karin Shiraishi: Hiroko Takahashi
Shouko Saibara: Urara Takano
Kyouko Asahina: Mamiko Noto
Sanae Akanegi: Sayuri Sadaoka
Kenji Kurata: Yuuji Takada
Kurokawa: Takahiro Sakurai
Haruto Nagasawa: Makoto Tsumura
Takeda: Masashi Ebara
Yuu: Masakazu Morita

Major English Cast

Atsuko Akanegi: Jessica Boone
Akari Harada: Kelli Cousins
Suomi Kitano: Luci Christian
Karin Shiraishi: Kira Vincent-Davis
Shouko Saibara: Allison Sumrall
Kyouko Asahina: Kaytha Coker
Sanae Akanegi: Marcy Rae
Kenji Kurata: Chris Ayres
Kurokawa: Blake Shepard
Haruto Nagasawa: Greg Ayres
Takeda: Mike MacRae
Yuu: Brandon Scott Peters

Scores

Animation: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Story: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Music: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 6/10 (x 2 = 12 pts)
English Dubs: 7/10 (x 1 = 7 pts)
Gut Score: 7/10 (x 5 = 35 pts)

Total: 142/200 (71%)

Review

Diamond Daydreams is a series of two-episode short stories about 6 different girls who live in Hokkaido. Each of the six girls face a unique problem that each of them has to work through. The tying thread between all six stories, other than the last episode which features all six girls, is the ability for the six girls to work through their issues with the help of their friends and to end the story in a better and more hopeful state than they began the story. All the girls also believe in the idea that if one sees diamond dust - which is basically when ice crystals float through the air in fog-like conditions when it is very cold - their dreams will come true or that, or if they see it with someone they love, their relationship will be successful.

The first story is about Atsuko, who helps run her family’s fish shop and is in an arranged marriage she doesn’t like. The second story is about Karin, who is ill and needs surgery, but refuses to have it done since her father died during a surgery. The third story is about Kyouko, who is an aspiring film maker who is willing to put making a successful film above everything else - including her friends and boyfriend. The fourth story is about Suomi, who is an ex-figure skater who was injured in an accident with her best friend, which consequences resulted in her estrangement from her friend. The fifth story is about Shouko, who runs a relationship advice radio show despite her own broken-down personal relationships. The final story is about Akari, who learns that her father has a terminal illness.

The nature of this series makes it somewhat difficult to review since it truly is six different marginally-related stories merged together into a single series. While I think most of the individual stories are, in fact, quite interesting and entertaining, they may be a little too short to get any real long-lasting satisfaction out of them. If this were a series were the girls all knew each other, and then we every now and then went through each girl’s issues while there was a broader plot at work, I think the series would have worked a lot better.

The animation is probably about average. The close-up animation is pretty sharp, but I’m not really sure that the character designs really work all that well. I’d also say that the music is about average too, with a should-be-better opening, but a very good ending theme.

Overall, I don’t think I’ve ever recommended a series rated this low, but I think that the individual stories in this show are good enough to warrant a watch through this series, even if the series as a whole doesn’t necessarily leave a lasting impression.

First Watched: March 2008 - July 2008
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (2)

Anime Review - Uta-Kata: 59.5%

Thursday, July 24, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Uta-Kata
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Episodes: 12
Released: October 3, 2004 - December 18, 2004
Based On: N/A
Director: Keiji Gotoh
Produced By: Bandai Visual
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Ichika Tachibana: Youko Honda
Manatsu Kuroki: Masumi Asano
Satsuki Takigawa: Tomoko Kawakami
Keiko Takamura: Yurika Ochiai
Michiru Munakata: Yukari Tamura
Sei Toudou: Nobuo Tobita
Kai Toudou: Nobutoshi Canna
Saya Kogure: Maria Kawamura

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Story: 6/10 (x 4 = 24 pts)
Music: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 7/10 (x 2 = 14 pts)
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 3/10 (x 5 = 15 pts)

Total: 113/190 (59.5%)

Review

Uta-Kata is about a girl, Ichika, whom while cleaning with her friends an old school building which is about to be demolished finds an old mirror. As they clean, Ichika drops an item that her twin tutors Sei and Kai gave her and she returns to the building that night to retrieve it. However, when she gets there, a mysterious girl named Manatsu comes out of the mirror with the item Ichika droped. However, Manatsu says she’ll only give the item back if Ichika does her summer homework for her: writing in a diary about her experiences in working with the 12 Djinn - magical beings which allow Ichika to do things such as…glow and occasionally fly (Ichika is also supposedly able to “see” through whichever of the 12 elements the Djinn she is currently using represents, but this seems to be used rather sporadically).

However, this show appears to exist for one primary reason: to satisfy the lolis out there. The transformation scenes for Ichika, who is 14, and Manatsu, who at least looks like she is of a similar age, could probably only be rivaled by those found in a show like Moetan, as they obviously attempt to portray as much fan service and skin as they can possibly get away with. On top of this, questionable fan-service is littered elsewhere throughout the series. The series tries to make up for this by having episodes which deal with “serious matters” - matters which would be more interesting if addressed more in depth, but which largely give Ichika an excuse to launch into another fan-service filled transformation scene, do her thing with the Djinn for 2 minutes, then change back.

When the story finally gets serious in the final 3 or 4 episodes or so, there is all this talk about hos Ichika has been trapped by the magic and the possibility that her twin tutors have gone through a similar thing in the past comes up. When we finally get down to it, it seems that Ichika has been tricked into a cruel joke played by…someone forced with a choice which, if it apparently weren’t so easy to get out of, would have a choice that would seem to be pretty obvious, if not cruel, at least to the outside observer.

As for the technical aspects, the animation is probably slightly above average while the music is around average.

However, in the end, the blatantness of the fan service and the apparent uselessness of the Djinn just weigh this series down too much in my opinion.

First Watched: April 2008
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: No

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (2)

Anime Review - Kurenai: 83.2%

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Kurenai
Genre: Drama
Episodes: 12
Released: April 3, 2008 - June 16, 2008
Based On: Kurenai light novels by Kentarou Katayama
Director: Kou Matsuo
Produced By: Brains Base
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Murasaki Kuhoin: Aoi Yūki
Shinkuro Kurenai: Miyuki Sawashiro
Benika Jūzawa: Sawa Ishige
Yayoi Inuzuka: Aiko Ōkubo
Ginko Murakami: Nozomi Masu
Yūno Hōzuki: Ryoko Shintani
Tamaki Mutō: Asami Sanada
Yamie: Haruka Kimura
Renjō Kuhōin: Takaya Kuroda

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 10/10 (x 4 = 40 pts)
Story: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Music: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 9/10 (x 2 = 18 pts)
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 8/10 (x 5 = 40 pts)

Total: 158/190 (83.2%)

Review

Kurenai is about a small girl, Murasaki Kuhoin, who has been rescued from her family’s compound by Benika and Yayoi. The reason for the rescue is the Kuhoin’s family tradition of keeping their women isolated within their compound so they can effectively be used as baby factories for the family and to keep them under control for that purpose.

Shinkuro, who works for Benika mostly by beating up thugs or acting as a bodyguard, is tasked with protecting Murasaki from the Kohoins, who would be searching for her to minimize any influence the outside world may have on her and to keep her family secret, well, secret.

While Shinkuro protects Murasaki in his small apartment, he gets support from two of his friends at school - Ginko, who is an informant, and Yuno, who is his sparring partner - as well as the other apartment tenants who help take care of Murasaki while Shinkuro goes to school.

Kurenai is a pretty well written show which would probably be best classified as slice-of-life as Murasaki learns about the world outside of the Kuhoin compound. The show handles this much better than the traditional “rich girl get exposed to real life” shows, largely because it is done in a way which seems more realistic instead of going for over-the-top comedy.

The strong point for the show is definitely the bulk of it’s writing as well as it’s animation. While the animation may take a little getting used it, it’s quality is still excellent. One of the show’s weaker points is it’s music, with the credit sequences having music that doesn’t really fit the mood of the series, and background music which is very toned down. The ending of the series may also be very hit or miss for the series and, depending on one’s point of view, could make it ambiguous on whether the good guys actually won or lost.

Overall, if you’re looking for a pretty well written and more reality-grounded slice of life series, then you may want to check out Kurenai.

First Watched: April - June 2008
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Anime Review - Mokke: 81.1%

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Mokke
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Episodes: 24
Released: October 2, 2007 - March 25, 2008
Based On: Mokke manga by Takatoshi Kumakura
Director: Masayoshi Nishida
Produced By: Madhouse, Tezuka
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Mizuki Hibara: Nana Mizuki
Shizuru Hibara: Ayako Kawasumi
Ojii-chan: Katsunosuke Hori
Obaa-chan: Hisako Kyouda
Kazama: Chiwa Saito
Hisako: Mai Hashimoto
Takatsu: Rie Kugimiya

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Story: 9/10 (x 4 = 36 pts)
Music: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 7/10 (x 2 = 14 pts)
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 8/10 (x 5 = 40 pts)

Total: 154/190 (81.1%)

Review

Mokke is about two sisters - Shizuru and Mizuki Hibara - and their tale of trying to deal with the supernatural world around them. Shizuru, who attends high school and is the older of the two sisters, has the ability to see or otherwise sense spirits and other things from the “other side,” while Mizuki can’t sense the spirits, but can become easily possessed by them.

From this premise, the series sets off to be an episodic tale of how the two sisters deal with different supernatural phenomenon and how each of them grows in response. Mizuki is naturally insecure due to her nature of easily being possessed, but this insecurity extends into other areas as well. Meanwhile, Shizuru usually feels like she has to be responsible for Mizuki, but often finds that her knowledge and ability just aren’t up to the level that she would like. She also has a somewhat rocky relationship with her classmates due to her ability to see much more of what surrounds them.

Mokke is interesting in the sense that there isn’t really anything noticeably spectacular to this series, yet it remains for the most part entertaining throughout. The individual stories in each episode usually tend to be an interesting watch, each usually coming with it’s own “moral of the story” or something like it.

On the technical front, like I said, there isn’t necessarily anything spectacular about the series. The animation is probably around normal, as is the music.

If you’re looking for a good wholesome slice-of-life/supernatural series, then you’d like Mokke.

First Watched: October 2007 - April 2008
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Anime Review - Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings: 80%

Monday, July 21, 2008 – 10:00 am

The Essentials

Name: Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings, Aa Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa
Genre: Fantasy
Episodes: 2
Released: December 8, 2007
Based On: Oh! My Goddess manga by Kosuke Fujishima, Ah! My Goddess TV series
Director: Hiroaki Gohda
Produced By: AIC
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Belldandy: Kikuko Inoue
Keiichi Morisato: Masami Kikuchi
Urd: Yumi Touma
Skuld: Aya Hisakawa
Peorth: Rei Sakuma
Lind: Miki Itou
Hild: Gara Takashima
Marller: Urara Takano

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Story: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Music: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: N/A
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 8/10 (x 5 = 40 pts)

Total: 136/170 (80.0%)

Review

Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings is a story that largely centers around the Valkyrie Lind, who has been tapped to protect the four Goddesses on earth and to search for the “Angel Eater,” a mysterious being which has been eating all of the goddess’ angels, debilitating them.

This was a pretty entertaining 2-episode TV special meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ah! My Goddess franchise. This special isn’t really for someone who is trying to introduce themselves to the franchise, as an understanding of the world is assumed in this special. Otherwise, however, if you are familiar with the franchise, the quality and entertainment value from this special is comparable to that of the TV series which has aired previously. This includes a good mix of drama and comedy, as is the norm in most of the action-based story arcs in the series.

If you like the Ah! My Goddess franchise and enjoyed the TV series, I’m sure that you would enjoy this short special as well.

First Watched: January 2008
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes (if you’re familiar with the franchise)

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (2)