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Reviews~
First impressions~
Anime-related thoughts~
Favorite anime:
1. Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
2. Mushishi
3. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Yuri!!! on Ice
5. Space Brothers
- Created By KyraChan
Lucky Star Review
Plot Summary
Well, there isn't exactly much of a plot... it's mostly four high school girls having conversations about homework, jobs, etc. with decent to excellent humour sprinkled throughout
Story
Story? What story?
8.2
Characters
The thing about Lucky Star is that the characters feel real, as if they were a group of friends you knew in high school, or possibly your own friends (depending on your personality).
8.4
Animation
The animation is pretty solid throughout, carrying its own style, but it never does anything in particular to amaze its audience.
8.3
Music
The opening is extremely catchy and entertaining in its own right, but the background soundtrack is very lackluster and the ending is... well... less of an ending, and more like... stuff... which can be boring or entertaining.
7.4
Overall
Lucky Star is basically an extension of those random conversations you'd have with friends in high school. Now, if you really enjoyed those moments (like me), then this is great for you. However, if you're looking for something with more of a plot, it's best you shy away.
Gibbeous
8.08
Recommendations
Ouran High School Host Club
If you want more humour with more deep characters and a bit more of a plot line.
Watamote
If Konota left you a craving for more otaku characters.
Other
Seriously, though. That opening is catchy.
Okay, I never expected Minoru Shiraishi to go ballistic. That was one of the most glorious moments in anime-watching career.
Konota FTW!
Top 10 Worst Backstories
Rules:
- One per series
- Must take place before the start of the first episode
- Not only judged by initial suckiness, but on how it's portrayed.
Obviously spoilers abound in this list, so here are the anime in which the characters come from in random order:
Naruto
Psycho-Pass
Another
Soul Eater
Kuroshitsuji
Deadman Wonderland
Fullmetal Alchemist/FMA:B
.hack//SIGN
Angel Beats
Elfen Lied
Hellsing Ultimate
Jigoku Shoujo
Honerable Mentions
Seras Victoria (Hellsing Ultimate)
I- She- ..I don't even want to talk about it. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. Or at least you should >.>
Nobuchika Ginoza (Psycho-Pass)
Watching first your father and then your best friend become "criminals" and ruin their lives because of things out of their control has gotta suck.
10. Minatsuki Takami (Deadman Wonderland)
Usually in life-threataning situations your mom protects you as best she can. But she got to watch in horror as her mom chose to try and save a potted plant over saving her. This one's particularly devastating, because it's her mother.
9. Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo)
There's a reason why I chose her for the "Beautiful Tragedy" challenge. Her backstory is beautifully tragic. Just not enough to make it higher on the list.
8. Yuri Nakamura (Angel Beats!)
That's... a really disturbing way to have your brothers die, that's all I gotta say.
7. Mei Misaki (Another)
It's sad when a character isn't loved by your mother, but when a mother treats a doll like its their child and their child like its their doll, then it's tragic. Add in the death of your twin sister and, well.... voila.
6. Crona (Soul Eater)
Back on the subject of your mother not loving you, but this time, she also makes you kill people. And manipulates you.
As most of you know, I freakin' love Crona, and as none of you know, I freakin' hate Medusa. Crona's backstory is a major contributing factor to both these things.
5. Tsukasa (.hack//SIGN)
It's one thing for a parent to simply not love you, but to abuse you to the point of very nearly killing you? Geez. You know, I still love Tsukasa even though I haven't talked about him for quite a while.
4. Alois Trancy (Kuroshitsuji II)
*shudders* Eesh... You know, if I had my way Alois's would be number one, because his is the backstory I'm most sensitive about. Most people consider Alois to be a sadistic brat, but his backstory more than justifies it. Besides, I find his sadisticness... endearing.
3. Gaara (Naruto)
A while ago, a friend and I got into an argument about whether Naruto or Sasuke had a worse backstory, but, in my opinion, Gaara had a worst backstory than either of them. He has both the aspects in Naruto's and Sasuke's backstory; perpetual lonliness (Naruto) and (supposed) absolute betrayal of the one you trust the most (Sasuke).
2. Lucy (Elfen Lied)
Some might think Lucy deserves to be first, and she might very well deservenit. After all, her backstory is horrific, brutal, and absolutely tragic, and it might've made me cry for about an hour straight. Still, there is one, (well, two) backstory that is worse than all the others.
1. Elric Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist/Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Okay, it could be considered cheating putting two in one spot, but because one brother's experience cannot be examined individually without including the other brother, they're together.
Now if there's a character who has experienced hell, it'd be these two. There's no doubt that what they experienced is disturbing, devastating, and life-changing. Every day is a reminder of what they did and what they've experienced, and why they must stay together. I freakin' love these two, and you probably do, too.
Sword Art Online (Season One) Review
Hey, look! It's a review! It's on the right day, too...
Edit: After some contemplation, I decided that I hadn't exactly given SAO its deserved score, so here's my rescore.
Plot Summary
Kirito has been an avid gamer for quite a while, when he buys the new visual reality MMORPG game Sword Art Online. Soon after logging in, however, the creator of the game captures everyone in there by erasing the "log out" button, and the only way out is to defeat all 100 levels in the game. Oh yeah, and if you die in SAO, you're dead for good.
Story
With an amazing premise, Sword Art Online takes it and... kinda ruins it.
The first part of it (those who have seen it know that the anime is separated in two clear parts) does... okay, with a few good episodes in the beginning, then throwing in a bunch of time skips, switching the would-be focus from the action to the relationship between Kirito and Asuna, which is a double edged sword. Despite not actually having any clear relationship development, it definitely feels developed, but at the same time, it takes away from both the amazing action and past emotional aspects.
Also, about the first part, though I do agree that there should have been more action, I do think some of the non-action parts were actually done really well (i.e. the fishing part) because it shows that more is going on in this world than just fighting. Besides, it helped to reinforce the idea that just because something happens online, doesn't mean that it doesn't affect you in real life.
As for the second part, this is where it does go downhill plot-wise. Both the relationship between Asuna and Kirito and the action elements are almost pushed aside, in favor for a lot of... flying...
Also, this is where the whole harem thing really starts kicking in, which I find obnoxious, especially because there is no clear reason why all these girls fall in love with Kirito. Also because this wasn't meant to be a harem anime, it just... happened...
All in all, despite its good aspects, I found the plot of Sword Art Online much to be desired...
6.4
Characters
Most of the characters in SAO don't last for more than one episode, so they have little development. However, the ones that are in multiple episodes don't get a whole lot of development, either. The characters that were interesting either die early on, or are barely ever seen.
And sure, Kirito himself had a backstory, and I'm sure it was heartbreaking at all, but considering I don't even remember much about it, it definitely signals that I didn't really care, especially since after telling the backstory, they never really tie it in to the actual story itself.
To add to the fire few characters actually do anything important, other than Kirito. Most of them hang back, aiding a little in Kirito's quest but leaving most of the heavy lifting to him, adding to his already Mary Sue-ish character.
4.3
Animation
Despite generic character designs and a good amount of fanservice, SAO still manages to be absolutely beautiful. No one can deny the quality of the animation.
9.2
Music
The music of SAO does its job pretty decently by adding to the atmosphere without overpowering the plot. However, there are very few songs I would listen to outside of the anime itself.
The first opening is pretty epic, as well as the second.
Endings were good, too.
7.7
Overall
While beautiful animation and decent music make it an okay watch, there are plenty of anime with better stories and characters, so why not watch those?
Half Moon
6.9
Other
*hides from the bullets being shot at me for giving SAO such a low score*
Top 10 Background OSTs
After discovering that July is "Top 10 Month" for BlackCriticGuy, I decided to have my own "Top 10 Month", starting with this list.
Rules:
- Only 1 OST per series
- That being said, each OST may have "mini-honorable-mentions" of other OSTs from the same anime, mentioned in passing
- Cannot be an OP/ED in any form (Sorry, Lilium)
- If you don't like it, make your own list.
Honorable mentions:
Little Busters (FLCL)
When I think of an iconic song from the climax of an anime, I think of this. This rock song carries the same awesome craziness that the anime has. This, along with "Ride on Shooting Star", are my favorite songs by The Pillows.
Despair (Naruto Shippuden)
You know, if I could, I probably would have put something more along the lines of "Naruto's Entire Freakin' Soundtrack", but, only one song per series, so.
I could have picked plenty of other songs from Naruto to fill this spot (Man of the World, Sadness and Sorrow, Hinata/Neji Theme, Orochimaru's Theme, Akatsuki's Theme), but I picked this one. Why? Because this song has close ties with one of my favorite arcs and two of my favorite characters. Not to mention the sadness and beauty in the song itself. In the end, it works as a great representation of the music in Naruto.
The World (.hack//SIGN)
From the first few melodic lines of this song, I knew .hack//SIGN was going to have a great soundtrack, and I was right. Great enough, in fact, that I had a bit of a struggle choosing this song over others (Fake Wings, Aura), but one thing kept me coming back to it: the lyrics. All the lyrics in the .hack//SIGN songs are beautiful and have deep meaning, and this is the prime example of that.
10. Standing in the Sunset Glow (Now and Then, Here and There)
You know, I hated putting this song so low. This greatly represents the beauty of the anime it's from, there are just other OSTs that are... better. Still, it's a powerful and emotional piece, and deserves its spot on this list.
9. Deja View (xxxHolic)
You know, I almost chose "Lost Memory" over this one, but while "Lost Memory" has an emotional feel, this song just carries the gentle atmosphere that xxxHolic has. It's not trying to be dramatic, it's just letting its simple beauty shine through. It's a beautiful, sentimental piece, and that's what makes it great.
8. The Story of Yomiyama (Another)
Ah, horror anime. This song is a definite gem in the Another soundtrack. It's intense, has a great climax, and a creepy beginning to boot.
7. Soundtrack 8 (Detective Conan)
You know, I originally meant for this to be an honorable mention. Then I realized- this song is really good. The Detective Conan's soundtrack is a great one, and this song is no exception. It has a dark, suave, almost noir feeling to it that perfectly reflects the anime. And as a fan of slow jazz, I simply had to include it on this list.
6. Madder Sky (Code Geass)
I had originally planned "Stories" from Code Geass in here, but then I realized just how epic this OST is. With an intense ostinato and a soaring fanfare, it shows how great a compisition can be. Not to mention it features the two main instruments I play :B (Trombone and French Horn). In the end, Madder Sky definitely deserves its spot on the list.
5. Brothers (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Probably the most iconic song from either FMA or FMA:B, this OST is simply beautiful. With the lyrics being a heartfelt dialogue between Ed and Al, this makes it emotional in both music and meaning. Although I prefer Vivc Magnogna's version, the original version still has the emotional punch that any other version has.
4. Light's Theme (Death Note)
Death Note has a great soundtrack, no doubt about that. Plently other soundtracks could have made the list (Death Note Theme, L Theme A, Mello Theme B), but I choose this one. It perfectly represents the calculating motions in L's head, and includes such aspects as a hard edge and a beautiful side. Its mixture of themes make it an amazing OST.
3. Jigoku Nagashi (Jigoku Shoujo)
Picking a song from this anime was near impossible. It was a three-way tie between this song, "Kouma to Rouba to Shouko" and "Aki ni Somaru". I decided to go for the most influential song, and ended up with this one, as it is the song that plays at the climax of each episode. It's no surprise, considering the intense beauty of this song.
2. Youkuso! Hitori Bocchi (Welcome to the NHK)
There are plenty of songs from this anime that represent its simple melancholy (Gusui ni Tarasu Tsui Ito, Hitori no Tame no Lullaby, Kyou wa Yuuhi Yarou), but this one takes the cake. Both the melody and the lyrics bring about a sense of depression with an odd sense of hope. It's an emotional OST for an emotional anime.
1. The Slightly Chipped Full Moon (Kuroshitsuji)
I had always considered Si Deus Me Relinquit my favorite song from Kuroshitsuji, but when I discovered this, it blew me away. One of the biggest things that I look for in an OST is beauty, and if there's an OST that deserves to be called beautiful, it's this. The lyrics, the melody - everything about it has beauty to it. Add it on to the fact that it's the theme to one of the most tragic characters in anime, and it makes it the top OST in anime.
Character Analysis: Crona Gorgon
Finally got one of these up. So, as I was writing this, I realized it turned out very much like a DBQ, so I can't say whether it's super deep or just some bullcrap I spewed from my mouth. I guess that's for you to decide. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, so tell me whether it was great and you want to see more or it was dumb and I should stop right now. Also, realize that if I do write more Character Analysis, it probably won't have as many sources, as not all characters have so conveniently placed Youtube clips. Also, spoilers. (Duh!) Did anybody get that reference?
At First Glance
Upon meeting Crona, you will discover that Crona is most definitely afraid. Whether that fear manifests itself in manic violence or simply extreme shyness depends on the context you meet him in.
Under the Surface
Indeed, fear is a huge motivator in Crona's life. He used to believe that the best way to get over your fear is simply to kill whatever it is that frightens you (1).
However, after associating with Maka and the others, he learns that it's okay to be afraid. Eventually his fear is turned into an even greater motivator: love.
Despite his love for Maka and the others at DWMA, he still betrays them upon his mother's orders. Why did he betray his friends to follow someone whose treatment toward him causes him to become depressed, even suicidal (2)? One might argue that the reason is fear, but as Crona himself implies (3), the reason is not because of fear, but because of the love and hope of acceptance that a child has for his mother.
Why is Crona so afraid, and why does that fear turn to love, even towards the seemingly uncaring mother that constantly hurts him so badly?
How They Got There
Crona's love for Maka comes when she shows him that social interaction doesn't have to be scary and that he is still cared for and believed in (2).
Crona's love for Medusa is not so easily explained. It all begins with a simple mother/child bond. Despite Medusa not giving any direct comfort and love towards Crona, she did give him the basics of food, water, safety and shelter. She raised him, teaching him how to kill creatures in a manner not too unlike how to an ordinary mother might teach a child to be kind to a little brother (4). Although it may be counter-intuitive for Crona to be so attached to Medusa when she so plainly punishes him harshly, but as research shows, children become more attached when an aspect of uncertainty is involved with the parenting (5). This leads me to believe that Medusa must have shown some sense of care, even if it may have been indirect and subtle. To furthur push Crona's attatchment to his mother, after associating with Maka and the other students at DWMA, he might have had a sense of what it's like to be truely cared for, allowing him to question how his mother treated him. However, after talking with Maka (6), Crona must've realized that it's alright to love your mother, even if she is distant and aloof.
His intense sense of fear and desire to grow stronger lies within the teachings of Medusa herself and a desire to become strong. In the early years of his life, the only other two people Crona would have known is Medusa and Ragnarok, both of which are obviously stronger than him. When he defeats his first creature, the "Little One", he is proud and happy that he is stronger than something (7). After this, through Medusa's teachings and indusing of his madness, he grows to believe that the only way to conquer your fear is to kill whatever it is that frightens you (1).
Conclusion
Crona starts off scared and violent, but as he associates with Maka and the others, the fear lessens into shyness and a more powerful emotion emerges: love. As his love for Maka and the others develops, a love for his mother that has been laying dormant also begins to manifest himself, causing him great stress. Only after his mother is killed can his mind finally rest in peace.
