Negima Spring & Summer Specials Review

There are certain animes out there that simply bring a smile to your face, and Negima is one such series. The Spring & Summer specials in particular, can induce laughter and tears.

Published back in 2006 by the famous anime editor Ken Akamatsu, and released in 2008 by Funimation, these two specials are based off of the second release of Negima, so you may be confused by a character or two. Both of these specials have their own separate, yet equally entertaining stories.

In the Spring special, Negi is sitting at his desk late in the night studying magic as usual. Asuna comes along, and promptly takes the book he was studying. After saying something hurtful and sneezing (which immediately shredded Asuna's sleeping clothes...and undergarments), Asuna keeps her distance from Negi. 3 days later, Negi is on an airplane owned by his classmate Ayaka. Seeing that he was upset by something, she decided to take him on a trip to a private island to try and make him feel better. If wasn't for Kazumi (an ace school reporter) snooping in, then Ayaka trips would have just been with herself and Negi. Instead, all 31 of Negi's students are onboard with them, causing a partial ruckus, and ruining Ayaka's plans. Needless to say, much in the way of fanservice, silliness, and seriousness ensues, with the obvious end result of Negi & Asuna getting over their problem.

The Summer special focuses on another of Negi's relationship with one of his students, but is no less dirty, silly, or serious than the Spring special. Two of Negi's students, Yue and Nodoka, are practicing magic in a small courtyard. After showing Yue a spellbook detailing a ritual about the Red Thread of Fate (in Japanese mythology, the Red Thread of Fate is tied to your pinkie, and the other end is tied to someone that is fated to be with you), Nodoka convinces her friend to perform the ritual. After performing it, a red thread appears on her pinkie, and shortly thereafter, Negi & Asuna coming flying through the window, and they are just as shocked as Yue & Nodoka are. With some explaining, Negi says that the red thread that appeared is nothing more than a simple party trick, which will disappear in a matter of hours. During this time, the entire class is invited to a bath and spa built by Ayaka, who wanted Negi to enjoy what the place had to offer. Just like the Spring special, doses of silliness, fan-service, and seriousness are used to play everything out, and in the end, the red thread spell dissipates.

The animation of the Spring and Summer specials is based off of the second showing of Negima. Everything with each special looks very stylized, clean, and stunning in some sort of fashion. This next bit may sound creepy, but each of the girls look gorgeous. Given the use of boob-related fan-service, none of the girls have any overly large breasts, although some of them are a little...gifted. Each of them has a face that is easily recognizable, and a physical quirk that cannot be forgotten. As for Negi, he looks like a 10-year old kid should: short, somewhat scrawny, and a little unremarkable.

The dubbing of the Spring & Summer Specials is top notch. There is not a moment when I heard a sound screw-up. Each of the girls, and Negi, sound exactly like I would think they would be if they came from this country. The music in the specials is also well done, with a variety of silly, tender, and dramatic pieces with the rights scenes to move the story along.

Perhaps one of the biggest strengths of the Spring & Summer Specials, and to the normal show, is the characters. Negi behaves much like a kid, yet he has moments where he acts like adult. He is also very kind, helpful, and a little bashful when the girls are a little more exposed than normal. Nodoka is very shy, but when her friend Yue pushes her in the right direction, can be very strong. As for Yue, she is a very smart person, but is very lazy when it comes to studying, and sound plain when she talks. All together , the girls, and Negi, are very likeable, and memorable.

One final point is availability. Since the Spring & Summer Specials were released back in 2008, it is still easily found online or in a store. I had bought my copy at Best Buy, where I believe it was 15 or 16 dollars, excluding tax. As to online sources, prices will vary, regardless of whether it was used or new.

If there are any low points, it is this one thing. Compared to the first showing, the Spring & Summer Specials (as well as the second showing) have a small number of editorial changes. Asuna, for example, has two eyes that are the same color, while in the original has two different colored eyes. These changes aren't truly terrible, but for those who like originality, this may be something that might not click with you.

Negima Spring & Summer Specials get a 9 out of 10. It's charming, funny, full of unforgettable characters, and is readily available, but the few minor editorial changes may confuse you.

Hope you enjoyed the review. Be on the look out for a major announcement by the end of this month. Until then, Stay Otaku!

Moldiver Review

Alrighty then, it now time for my second review, and this one's a classic. It's now time to dive right into a review of Moldiver, which is a show that nobody should miss.

Directed by in 1993 by Hirohide Fujiwara, and released back in 2000 by Pioneer's American branch, Moldiver tells that story of Hiroshi Ozora, a scientifically brilliant young man who dwells in his laboratory/room at his house, perfecting all sorts of mathematical & science related equations. He gets the idea to create a superpowered suit, one in which to clean up the streets of Tokyo, and to become a celebrity for the Japanese people. However, when his sister Mirai stumbles across the suit, she uses it for purposes that are less than noble, like flying around the city shopping for clothes. After messing with the programming, she  imparts more girlish patterns into the suit's memory, causing her brother to transform into a female superhero when he uses the suit. Due to the circumstances, Hiroshi gets his reluctant sister to become the hero he was supposed be. After a while, Mirai actually gets used to it all, and starts to enjoy it after a couple transformations. She need to enjoy it, as the forces of Dr. Machinegal try as hard as they can to take technological artifacts from ages past for himself, and over the course of 6 episodes no less!

As it is typical of a early 90s anime, Moldiver's looks are two fold. On the one hand, the attention to detail is definitely there. On the other hand, some things don't quite always look as good as they should. Having said that, Moldiver actually looks well done. Futuristic Tokyo has never looked better, with towers that break the sky, floating cars, and other sterotypical trappings of a city in the future. On occasion, the animation gets into the cute zone, but only when Mirai or any of the other female characters of the show appear. The sounds of Moldiver are equally interesting, as the beeps, boops, and other electronic noises fit into their respective spots perfectly. The explosions themselves are always a hit for any pyromaniac out there.

The English dub, however, is a bit on the fence. The primary characters sound as they should. The men sound strong and intelligent (with occasional moments of stupidity), while the girls sound feminine, petite (for some), and emotional (especially for Mirai. Machinegal's androids...not so much). Secondary characters seems to take a backseat in terms of both story and voice acting. They don't quite seem to sound as good as the main characters, but that's probably just me. Over and all, the quality of the English dub is well suited to this show.

Mirai and her brothers are definitely the keys to the show, along with Mirai's love interest who shows up a little bit later into the show. Hiroshi's (and occasionally his little brother) scientific know how, mixes with Mirai's girlish nature and impulses. Her grasp of the suit's capabilities is pathetic at first, but she eventually gets the hang of it (this is one of the biggest sources of humor within the show). Dr. Machinegal is a (physically small) raving lunatic, claiming that the world's oldest technologies are only fit for men like him, who understands their history and capabilities. His androids are the more interesting characters of Moldiver. Each of them bear a passing physical resemblance to popular actresses of the early 90s, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, and Brooke Shields. They all also bear the first part of these actresses names as well, and seen to act a little bit like them as well.

Perhaps what makes Moldiver an anime that shouldn't be missed is two fold. First off, the show somehow manages to mix action, sci-fi, comedy, magical girl, and drama into a single whole that for some reason, makes sense. There's even a little bit of bloodshed to spice things up in the end! Secondly, because of this strange mix, it is an easily addicting show to watch. From the first few minutes, you want to know how all of it ends, and how everybody has changed by the time the show is up.

If there is anything wrong with Moldiver, it has nothing to do with the (possible) sub par voice acting of the secondary characters. Moldiver's only flaw is it's availability. Giving the fact that this show is now 11 years old (in this country at least), finding a DvD (which contains all 6 episodes) copy of the show is difficult. While tapes of Moldiver are still in the market, both new and old. Unfortunately, there is only a single episode on each tape, and buying all of them (at least as far a new tapes are concerned) can possible be expensive for an Otaku with a budget. In my opinion, stay away from a used tape, as the quality of the footage will have surely worn out over the years of use. DvDs (both new and old), are almost always in good shape. On average, a new copy of Moldiver off of Amazon will be about close to 30 dollars, excluding tax & shipping. Your best bet is to go with a used copy, which is what I did. Used prices range from 7 dollars, all the way to a whopping 60 bucks. Yikes!

Moldiver gets a 9 out of 10. It mixes a variety of genres into a entertaining experience, and it is easily enjoyable, but finding a copy, whether's it's new or used, can be difficult.

Stay tuned for my next review later this month. Until then, stay Otaku!

Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof Review

Well ladies & gentlemen, as I promised in my first post, is my very first review, and it's a classic. So, sit tight, fasten your seatbelts, and get ready for a review of Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof.

Originally released in Japan back in the mid 90's by Kenichi Sonada, and released at the beginning of last decade (2001, to be exact) by the now defunct ADV Films, Gunsmith Cats is the story of two professional bounty hunters living in Mid 90's Chicago, Rally Vincent, and May "Minnie" Hopkins. Rally is a fan of firearms, and has an impressive collection. May, meanwhile, likes anything that goes boom (overkill is not a word in her vocabulary. Just watch episode 1, and you'll see what I mean). As they're working in their gun shop one day, an agent from the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) Bureau walks into their store, and asks them to help out in a sting operation he has going on. At first the girls refuse, but after their house gets shot up, they reluctantly agree. Without revealing anything, their job becomes a fight for their lives. Add a few interesting twists and surprises, and you have a very action-packed show with a bit of humor to lighten things up when necessary.

For an anime from the Mid 90's, the animation holds up surprisingly well. The creator of Gunsmith Cats wanted the audience of Japan to have a "American" experience when watching, without the major stereotypes that many of Japan believe about Americans. The city of Chicago has never looked any better in an animated show. You can make out a variety of landmarks in just the first few minutes of the first episode, and many others in the following episodes. The sound in Gunsmith Cats has also held up well over the years. The sound of subway tracks rattling, steam rising from grates in the road, and the sound of the numerous firearms going off sounds natural, and not artificial by any means. The music that plays in each episodes suits the show as a whole, with streaks of Jazz & Light Rock being the most common themes heard. As for the dubbing, some of the voices sound really good, while a couple of the other voices don't seem to fit the characters for some reason. If you are a stickler for dubs, then I suggest you stick with the Japanese audio & English subtitles. Otherwise, the dubbing isn't that bad.

Rally & May are definitely the focus of Gunsmith Cats. Although there are a bunch of other characters, many of them interacting with the main characters, it's the team of Rally & May that will get you to like the show. Their partnership feels very authentic, as if they were a real-life team working together. They argue, cry, feel fear, and laugh just like you or I would. When you see either of they take out a bad guy, you want to cheer them on, and when they get hurt, you feel concern for them as well. It's not often that animated characters can do that to people, and that's why Gunsmith Cats is a classic show that no one should miss.

One last positive thing about Gunsmith Cats. Like any anime DvD, Gunsmith Cats has it's standard amount of extras. It's got previews for other shows, original trailers, as well as a credit free version of the introduction. These are all well and good, but the most interesting of the extras is the Making of Gunsmith Cats special. The specials shows you the creator of the show drawing scene of the show, as well as a interview with the creator. It's not often that you find something like this on a DvD, new or otherwise.

Despite the good things about this show, it does have a couple problems. First off, this show is old. As I stated earlier, Gunsmith Cats was released in 2001. Going to the ADV website is pointless, as the company has been out of business since 2009. You're only bet is to go to a sight like Amazon or Ebay. I got my copy used off of Amazon for about 35 something dollars. Used DvDs are slightly more common that unopened copies, but not by much.

Secondly, there are only 3 episodes of Gunsmith Cats. There were going to be more, but due to a demand for cops shows with more fantastic elements (Cowboy Bebop, for example), Kenichi Sonada decided to only do the three episodes that are on the DvD.

Finally, there are certain elements within the Gunsmith Cats manga that aren't in the show. The yuri undertones, for example, are all but gone in the show. Not only that, but there are only a handful of characters from the manga that show up, while the rest never make a appearance. This doesn't ruin the experience for new fans such as myself, but for those who are obsessed with authenticity, you might not enjoy the show.

Gunsmith Cats gets a 8 out of 10. It has a lot going for it, but the availability, length, and deviations may turn you off of the show.

See you next month for a couple more reviews. Until then, stay Otaku!

Introductions

Hello there! Welcome to my Anime Reviews & Facts blog. My goal is to create reviews for popular (and underground) animes that are new as well as out of print, that are simple enough for anybody to understand them. If you happen to buy any of the titles that I review, then I will be happy that you get into the shows I like. With 2 or 3 reviews a month, hopefully you'll get hooked.

I'm also setting up a quick list of Anime terms. With these terms, I hope that I can educate those who are new to this form of entertainment, as well as those individuals who are already fans, but don't quite know what somethings mean. I'll also put up a list of Manga terms as well, although I'm not quite sure if I'll review any Manga.

A few more words before I go. Anime is a very powerful force in the world. I know that sounds silly, but hear me out. Our generation, from the time we were born, have gone through some difficult times. When Anime started getting popular in this country with shows like Pokemon & Sailor Moon, we started rallying around the characters & stories, and in doing so, we rallied around each other, forming strong friendships. With a common hobby, we created the Otaku Generation, a force that still grows to this day, despite negative comments & actions from those who don't understand, to parents who are put off by it, and even some of our own friends who look at Anime and go "Huh?"

When you hear someone say something bad about Anime, don't belittle them. Teach them about Anime and bring a little more light into the world. There's already enough bullshit that darkens our planet. Let's not have a few words & deeds ruin what we love. Let make the world a better place through the hobby we love.

I'll have my first review by the end of the month. Until then, stay Otaku!