Comic Party Revolution Review

Hi guys! I hope you liked the Comic Party review I posted up Tuesday, because now It's time for part 2 of my Comic Party reviews. Here for you is the review of Comic Party Revolution and all it wackiness!

First appearing on the scenes on December 22, 2003, and getting dubbed in 2006 by ADV Films (R.I.P.), Comic Party Revolution has a bit of a interesting history to it. The show was originally released on two separate DvDs as OVAs. They were later edited and extended to form the first four episodes of the show. From there, the show expanded once again into the standard 13 episodes, and was aired from April 4, 2005 to June 27, 2005. As for the story, some time has passed since the events of Comic Party. Kazuki, Mizuki, and many of the characters from the previous show, are now in college. Kazuki is now a much more confident comic writer, and while Mizuki still had some aversion to otaku and their hobbies, she's taken up the hobby of cosplay. In doing so, she's become friends with Reiko, the cosplay fan from Comic Party. In addition to the cast from Comic Party, 3 new characters show up to add to the fun: Suburu Mikage, a shrine maiden with a sense of justice, but has poor drawing skills and isn't always bright, Asahi Sakurai, the lovely & talented voice actress and idol, and Yuuzo Tachikawa, the big, strong, and mostly silent brother to Ikumi Tachikawa from Comic Party. With these 3 new characters, more laughs and hijinks are sure to follow.

This review is going to be a bit different than my Comic Party review I did earlier this week. Most of what I covered in the Comic Party can be applied here, but there are a few things that Comic Party Revolution differs from it's older sibling.

For starters, and on a more positive note, are the 3 new characters. Suburu, who was in the Comic Party game but not the anime, is a bubbly, cheerful girl. She's very kind and caring, and has a strong sense of what's right and wrong, but often gets ahead of herself, and often blunders things up, but in a hilarious way that still manages to have things out. Asahi, who was in the Comic Party game but briefly mentioned in the anime, is shy around strangers & psycho fans (of which there are many), but around friends, she's more relaxed and calm. As for Ikumi's brother Yuuzo, the only thing I can say about him is that he's a lot like Mori from Ouran High School Host Club: large, built like a tank, mostly silent, and a little slow when it comes to thinking. These three characters add a bit more spice to the already established flavor that the original cast provided, and are sure to get reactions out of people.

On a second positive note, the story structure of Comic Party Revolution is very different than it's predecessor. Instead of one main story concentrating on Kazuki, the show is made into a bunch of little stories, focusing on all of the characters. This allows a viewer to essentially pick up the show at just about any point, with perhaps the exception of the last two episodes at the very end. However, this lack of story structure can also bite the viewer back, but more on that in a little bit.

Third, there isn't a single amount of Americanization. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, then take a quick look back at the Comic Party review I did. Suffice it to say, the core & spirit of the show have stayed the same.

Fourth, just like Comic Party, Comic Party Revolution is also readily available. On Amazon, you can find the Funimation re-released complete series for just $17.50. Oddly enough, the complete series was released a year earlier, and it was a bit cheaper. $12.44, to be exact. Regardless of the version, used copies go a bit cheaper, with the 2009 version going for as little as $9.95, and the 2010 edition going for $12.47. If you decide for some reason to go for the individual ADV Films (R.I.P.) DvDs of Comic Party Revolution, then you're going to have moderate success. New editions range anywhere from $2.24 to $13.19, and used copies go from $1.13 to $8.98. Despite it availability, it also isn't readily available, but more on that in a little bit.

Now, onto the negative points, and this is where Comic Party Revolution differs a little from it predecessor.

For starters, the story's structure. While I did say that it's lack of story structure is a blessing, it also means that it can make things confusing for the viewer. With things presented in a haphazard manner, it can getting a little tough figuring out where certain things are. On top of that, if you haven't watched Comic Party, then you may be lost on a few things, possibly confusing yourself a little more.

Secondly, there are a lack of minisodes in Comic Party Revolution. If you read my Comic Party review, you may recall the 4 minisodes I talked about, each of which shows a nice sidestory. However, I'm giving the original animators the benefit of the doubt, considering that the show was worked on by 2 studios, not one.

Third and final, is the availability. Despite me saying that the complete collection released under Funimation is readily available, if you're looking for the original ADV Films (R.I.P.) releases, then you may run into a bit of trouble. As I'm putting this down, there are only 2 original ADV Films (R.I.P.) collections of the show on Amazon. One goes for $44.95, and the other is just a single cent higher. Luckily, there are 8 used copies of the collection, with the first going for $12.93, and the last one going for a whopping $75 (God only knows why).

Comic Party Revolution gets a 7 out of 10. It has all the pluses of Comic Party, plus it has 3 new characters, it's looser story structure is easier to watch, it wasn't Americanized, and the Funimation editions and some of the ADV Films (R.I.P.) editions are readily available. However, it's lack of a stable story structure, lack of minisodes, and lack of availability for certain copies weighs the show down a little bit more than Comic Party.

Before I sign off for the night, there's one little observation I'd like to make, and you may know what I'm talking about. If you watched Comic Party, and then watched Comic Party Revolution, you may have noticed that the voice actors for each show, despite sounding similar, are actually different. This is because ADV Films (R.I.P.) used their own voices actors, and not the voice actors from The Right Stuf International. It was because of this change of voice actors that there wasn't anything changed in the dub.

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Comic Party Review

Hi guys. This week, I'm bringing to you not one, but two anime-related reviews! So, here for you, is the review of the highly popular Comic Party.

Originally a dating game released in 1999 by the game studio Leaf, it was adapted into an anime in 2001 by OLM Inc., and dubbed in 2002 by The Right Stuf International. Comic Party tells the tale of Kazuki Sendo, a high school student on his way out into the real world. One day, his friend Taishi convinces (more like drags) him to come to the Toyko Big Sight for a comic book convention. Along with them is Kazuki's childhood friend Mizuki Takase, who is repulsed by the sight of so many nerds & otaku. After getting inside, Kazuki gets separated from the others, and eventually starts wandering around the convention, unaware of just about everything around him. Eventually, he stops right in front of a table run by Yu Inagawa, a highly popular comic author. There's a big commotion going on, and eventually tries to convince the crowd that Kazuki is a highly trained bodyguard that will beat up everybody if they don't disperse. The group disperses, and Yu takes Kazuki for a bit of fresh air. After a small tiff, she hands Kazuki a comic that she made. When he's done reading it, he feels different somehow, and from that point on decides to become a comic book author.

It's a wild (and slightly dramatic) ride, as he comes across a host of other characters that help (or hinder) his progress. There's Eimi Obha, a highly prideful comic author, Aya Hasebe, a timid & shy author, Minami Makimura, the head staffer of the convention, Chisa Tsukamoto, the young daughter of a local printing shop, Reiko Haga and her friends Miho, Mayu, and Yuka, girls that are obsessed with cosplay, and Ikumi Tachikawa, a young sickly girl that is Kazuki's first fan. These characters, along with Mizuki and Taishi, form the cast that carries this crazy story from start to finish.

The first thing that this show has going for it is it's story. Comic Party shows the life of a comic author in Japan pretty realistically. Kazuki quickly learns the tricks of the trade, like what pencils & paper to use, the best way to balance time between school and comic drawing, where to find a good printing shop, and other things that ensure the success of a good comic author. Besides that aspect of the story, Comic Party is also good about showing the relationship between friends who have something in common. When Kazuki meets up with the other girls, he becomes friends with them (even with Eimi to an extent). Since he doesn't know much about the comic world, he has to rely on the strength of his friends to carry him to greatness until he can carry the weight himself. It's pretty cool, in my opinion, especially since I have a lot in common with some of the cast.

Next is the length of the show. Comic Party is made up of 13 main episodes, along with 1 mini episode per DvD. The main episodes are about 22 to 24 minutes long, while the minisodes are a respectable 10 minutes. Couple them together, and you have a show that will last you at least a couple days. Pretty good, if you ask me. You can find the show on either 4 separate DvDs, or in one single collection, but more on that in a little bit.

Another positive aspect of Comic Party is the dub. The voices that each of the characters have is spot on for their characters: Aya is quiet yet gentle, Yu is very loud, but can be comforting and kind, Taishi is also loud, and can also be very sly & tricky. Despite being only composed of a small group of characters, it would actually take up a lot more space than needed to describe their voices. Suffice it to say, you won't be disappointed with how they sound, and will definitely agree (or mostly agree) with the voices chosen.

The visuals of the show are also a good point. Being an anime made back in 2001, it was drawn by hand, and processed with computers, giving the show a smooth look. The look of Tokyo is pretty nice, with all of the skyscrapes, shops, and other locations. Perhaps the most detailed of all the building of the show is the Tokyo Big Sight itself. On the outside, it looks just like the real thing. While on the inside, you aren't really shown everywhere, but what little is shown gives the viewer a tantalizing taste that may have them wanting for more.

The final positive aspect of Comic Party is how available it is. I originally bought the entire collection on Amazon at the beginning of the year for almost 25 dollars, which is a pretty good deal. Used copies of the collection are a bit more cheaper, with a couple starting at $9.99, an even greater deal if you ask me. If for some reason you don't want to buy the whole thing, and go for the individual DvD, then you may run into a bit of trouble. Your best bet will be (with the exception of the first DvD, which costs a paltry 96 cents. No joke!) to buy used copies. Used copies on Amazon are a bargain, ranging from 98 cents to $2.70. In either case, the used copies are much less strenuous on your budget, but the normal copies aren't too terrible when it comes to pricing.

Now onto the negatives. Luckily, there's only two things. Bad news is that their kinda big things.

First negative of Comic Party is the Americanization. If anyone you watched Pokemon back in the day, and I'm sure you have, then you'll no doubt come across certain things that seem a bit odd. In fact, a section of the Wikipedia article on Comic Party describes it perfectly:

"A number of re-writes and cultural changes was made to the English dub as it was Americanized. Some examples include converting the Japanese yen to dollars (although the coins of the value is clearly seen), kimono to Versace summer dress, and replacing the "Panda Onseniko" or "Hot Springs Panda" that Eimi calls Yu with "Stupid Panda""

That section of the article goes a little further, saying that "The changes were not made to the subtitles as they are correct translations of the original Japanese script".

Comic Party's second negative is in the character Mizuki. Despite being Kazuki's childhood friend, she's very negative about his new hobby. In one of the earlier episodes, she even says that "I hate the drawings you do now!" It's something like that that may make most viewers of the show hate Mizuki. A few of Kazuki's friends occasionally step in to try and tell her that comic authors, and otaku in general, are as normal as the rest of society, but nothing phases her. It isn't until the last episode (SPOILER ALERT!!) when she finally understands the whole situation, and goes to help Kazuki out. To me, this is a little too convenient, but perhaps I'm being a little harsh.

Comic Party gets a 7.5 out of 10. It offers some insight into the world of Japanese comic authors and shows some great friendships, the show's length ensures that the viewer may need a couple days to watch, the dubbing matches the personalities of the characters, the visuals are detailed and smooth, and the pricing and availability are fairly accessible, but the Americanization and Mizuki's attitude may be a bit too much for some.

I'll be here a little later this week, when I post up the review for Comic Party Revolution, Comic Party's sequel. Until then, stay Otaku!

Love Hina Review

Hi everybody, I'm back. I've got another classic anime lined up for review, and it's one that's pretty famous (or infamous, depending on who's looking at it). Here's the review for the hit show Love Hina!

Release back in April of 2000 by Ken Akamatsu, and dubbed & released in 2009 by Funimation, Love Hina tells the story of Keitaro Urashima. For a while, Keitaro has been trying to get into Tokyo U with no success (he's failed twice at the start of the show). The reason he's been trying to get in is because of a promise he made to a little girl in his past. The promise was that he and this girl would get into the school, and fall madly in love with each other. Needless to say, his journey to get into Tokyo U leads him to the Hinata Apartments, where he is told by his Aunt Haruka (she prefers that he calls her Haruka) that he is now the new manager. Problem is, this is a girl's apartment complex, and right away he gets into trouble.

After getting into the apartment complex's hot springs when no one's looking, one of the resident, Naru, steps in for a quick bath. After seeing him, she shrieks and screams in usual anime fashion, Keitaro runs through the complex trying to get away. However, things don't quite work out for him, as he also runs into Su (the nerd), and Mitsune (the sexy character of the show who's getting drunk on a regular basis). After a few attempts at communicating, there is a relative peace, and Keitaro goes on to live at the apartments, all the while managing the place, and studying to get into Tokyo U. Later on, the young & shy Shinobu, the beautiful & mature Motoko, the tough and even more spastic Sarah McDougal, and the ditzy Mutsumi round out the other girls. Each of them all have a thing for Keitaro, ranging from an innocent desire to be close to him, to an all out need to get into his pants. With Naru, things are a little more different. At the start of the show, she absolutely detests him. However, as the two work together and open up to each other a little more, things start to change, and eventually, the two start expressing feelings for one another.

The first thing that Love Hina has going for it are the characters. Each one of them has a distinct personality that separates them from the others: Su is a wiz at technology and is a total spaz, Sarah is just as spastic as Su his (some would say she more spastic) and had a habit for trouble, Shinobu is very shy but is sweet and good with household chores, Motoko is very stern & serious, Mitsune is sly & sexy, but also as a soft side to her, Mutsumi is just ditzy & loveable, Haruka seems serious, but has a loving side to her. The characters that seem to have the biggest personalities are Keitaro and Naru. The two are like fire and ice: Naru is serious, determined, emotional & emotionless at the same time, and takes no fools. Keitaro is also serious and determined, but he frequently lets his feelings get to him (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.), and gives the people around him numerous chances. It's a mix that keeps the show going at it's own unique pace.

The second thing Love Hina has going for it is it's mix of genres. It's primarily a shonen comedy (both complex & slapstic), but it also contains drama, romance (especially between Keitaro and Naru), and even a little action. When I first heard of this show years ago, I thought it was just a simple love comedy, but after watching the whole season, I've realized that Love Hina has a lot more in it that what's on the surface.

The third thing that brings positivity to Love Hina is it's visuals and sounds. The town that the Hinata Apartments has a very rustic feel to it, and it's partially populated by old people dressed in hot springs clothes (further adding humor to the show). As for the apartments themselves, they inside a large, sprawling complex that looks just like a castle out of medieval Japan. In later episodes, Su & Sarah discover numerous tunnels and crawlspaces underneath and inside the apartments, leading to some definitely wacky moments. In regards to the sounds of the show, the music and the dub stand out from everything else. Every character in the show, whether major or minor, has a voice that is perfectly suited to them. The music is also good, with notes, feeling, and instrumentation that is perfect for every situation.

The last positive thing about Love Hina is it's availability to the public. Given that the show was released (at least in this country) since 2009, it is still a relatively fresh show. You can go onto Amazon right now and find the full box sex for close to 25 dollars. Used copies aren't that much cheaper, so it really doesn't matter whether you buy a new or used edition. The subsequent Spring, Christmas, and OVA specials (more commonly called Love Hina Again), however, are a bit more expensive since they were released a while ago (2002 to 2003), so buy used copies whenever you can.

Now, down to what blemishes an otherwise perfect show. The one thing that weighs down the magic of Love Hina is...Keitaro & Naru's love for one another.

I know what I just said is blasphemy to just about every fan of the show, but hear me out. When the two first meet each other, there really isn't anything there. However, by the time it gets about a quarter of the way to halfway through the show, there are honest, genuine feeling transmitted between them. The problem is, while Keitaro admits to these feelings constantly, Naru seems to hide then. It gets really confusing towards the end of the show, where the feelings are even stronger, and Naru tries harder to hide them. As one person quoted in a review of the OVA: "She's bull-headed around 80% of the time and at certain points I had the irresistible urge to slap her repeatedly till she came to her senses. She continuously mistreats Keitaro and yet she can't stand it when other girls make their advances." I feel pretty much the same way, minus the slapping part.

Love Hina gets a 9 out of 10. The characters have distinct personalities, the show is a impressive mix of show styles, the voice acting, music, and visuals all look & sound great, and it's readily available, but the love triangle between Keitaro & Naru will get confusing (and irritating).

Until next time, stay Otaku!