Paprika Review

So I decided to take a break from the normal 2011 Summer Anime Reviews, today I will be looking at the 2006 animated movie Paprika. It really all started when a friend of mine on Voice Hollywood was talking to me about music and linked me to the Parade Song  from Paprika. It was weird and fanciful and strange, but lovely at the same time. After a bit I got into looking at some of the other songs and I was very happy with them. One of which I recgonized and I realized a friend had shown me the opening before but I didn't watch the movie as a result. Well now was my chance right? Well here is my reveiw on the movie - SOME SPOILERS BELOW !!

Paprika Movie Cover

Paprika

So let's get this show on the road! Paprika begins out interestingly enough, with a circus a strange chase scene leading to a guy awakening. We find that he is using the services of a woman named Paprika to help him understand his dreams and find psychological roots to them and diagnose a mental problem he might be having. He seems to be really into her and we soon cut to the opening credits which has a super catchy song!!!!! We see Paprika go through all sorts of things really hinting that this is not something reality based. In the end she returns back to her normal self Dr. Atsuko Chiba

Seriously this is interesting stuff

Paprika seems to be a livelier and more carefree person while Chiba seems to be more serious pairing the characters as foils and yet one in the same. We meet a whole cast of characters and plunge straight into the plot of the story where someone has stolen the DC Mini the device that allows the viewing of dreams and what Chiba was using with Paprika. it is up to Paprika, the Detective, Chiba and the others to get to the bottom of the mystery. The story then develops, blooms, and becomes an awesome not usual anime type of movie. This is a movie that holds ground with Princess Mononoke, and other Studio Ghibli films and more.

I really don't want to give away parts of the story and even if I did then I wouldn't be able to explain it properly. This movie is a giant ball of so many things that it can be hard to pinpoint it to one thing. And also it is one of those things that really shouldn't be spoiled.

VERDICT: OMG YESSSSS! 

This movie is a great one, it displays great animation with a integration between 3-D computer graphics and the 2-D animation style creating a world of it's own which even without the animation it would be able to deal. This futuristic world is well though-out and planned making references to dozens of things but still holding itself together. It has various subplots and some you don't even realize till the ending. This is a movie that I watched two times in the same night and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time.

The music is also wonderfully done bringing a futuristic twang, but keeping it fanticful and spritely or strange and alien when it calls for it. Susumu Hirasawa did a fantastic job with the music and I plan on buying the OST as soon as I can.

As for the storytelling, while odd at some places, the story did a great job telling itself and making you believe in it. It is no wonder how this movie help with the inspiration of Inception. It is wonderfully done and a movie that I feel mature audiences will enjoy. It is colorful and imaginative and no wonder that there is some talk of a new live action adaptation. However for me I think I will enjoy the original animated one for now.

Sacred Seven - First Impression

Okay, I'm not gonna lie. I've been procrastinating. I really wanted to put this off for as long as possible but lately I need something to wail on. Let's get down to it!

WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!

Alma Tandoji lives a lonely life. One day, Ruri Alba, a girl accompanied by her butler and maids, visits him. Knowing the power of Sacred Seven is latent within Alma, she asks him to lend her his powers. However, he refuses and drives her away since he injured many with his unusual strength in the past.

Meanwhile, a fiendish Dark Stone creature suddenly appears in this peaceful town in the Kanto region. Only Alma's power of Sacred Seven can fight against it.

I've been actually wrestling with just how i wanted to tackle this. Originally I was gonna do a scene-by-scene critique of the show but I trashed that idea. Too much effort. Instead, I'm just gonna rant.

Let's start with the main character. His name is Alma and everyone at school is scared of him. So much so that friendly horseplay in the school hallways stops the moment he steps into it. Apparently he beat the ever loving snot out of some kids a few years ago and everyone's been avoiding him for fear of broken ribs. So everyone avoids him. I had my misgivings about this guy. Mainly because I played FEAR 2 and now have an aversion to anyone with the name Alma. I mean she was a crazy bitchcreature. and downright terrifying. Alma, however, isn't. He's bland, boring and just wants to be left alone. That's perfectly acceptable in real life but in a show the main character is supposed to carry the experience on his back. I find it hard to believe he's gonna do it. Especially since the first side character they introduce, a girl by the name of Wakana, has more personality in her pinky toe.

Wakana is the only one who's unafraid of him. She goes so far as to invite him out to the museum with her friends. She even persisted despite him shooting her down with no hesitation. Her friends didn't like the idea and they dragged her off and started bitchingvoicing their complaints. "OMGWTFBBQ ARE YOU THINKING?!" They said "He sent a bunch of kids to the hospital, who knows what he'll do to us!"

Wakana replies with "Those are rumors. Have you seen him do those things?"

It's that kind of reasonable thinking that the idiots in Washingtonpoliticians could use in this debt debate. So she won me over right there. So at least there's one decent character in here.

Well damn. So much for being nice.

Later on, The Ruri and her pet retardbutler arrive (I mentioned them before) because the Ghost of Sparta is still on the loose and Alma is the only one able to stop it. Alma declines, of course, which then prompts Ruri to go into full-on panic mode begging him to help her with the powers he used to injure those kids a few years back. Alma is surprised that she, a total stranger, knew about the incident. Then the butler interjects "we know all about you." he says. He then proceeds to recite Alma's whole life story with the help of his trusty PDA. Which brings me to my next point. I've seen this used before in many mediums and I still never saw the sense in it. If you want someone to help you, it's probably a bad idea to tell them you've essentially been facebook stalking them their entire lives. Just saying. If I were in his position, I'd flip out and sprout things from my head, too! Oh, I didn't mention that? Well, he flips out and begins to loose control then he rips off Fooly Coolystuff starts sprouting from his head. His power's activation results in Kratos, who's been in power-save mode since the opening seen to wake up and go on a jolly stroll through town. The following scene could have been from War of the Worlds. It had lasers, and people being vaporized and turned into stone. Unfortunately, Tom Cruise was nowhere to be seen. Neither was adorable then-ten-year-old Dakota Fanning.

Naota-kun did this better. Just sayin'.

Right before this scene, Ruri's maids make their appearance. Now, these maids aren't good for just general housekeeping, oh no! These girls do everything. They set up roadblocks, pilot helicopters, handle communications and logistics, and they can snipe. I'm being serious. These have to be the most versatile maids this side of Hanaukyo. These girls do everything.

That is one nice... rifle.

Wakana is at the bus stop with her friends when the bus arrives. She decides to stay back in order to wait for Alma to show up, even though he declined. While she's doing that, the butler is arranging for his personal mech to arrive so he can take on Kratos. Meanwhile, Alma, knowing that Wakana and her friends are in the area where Kratos is rampaging hops onto his hilariously small scooter to go see if she's okay at the bus stop. Butler guy and Spartan Killer are going toe-to-toe in the battle, the butler cuts off the statue's Medusa-head arm right before his mech is disabled. The one armed kratos then goes for Ruri's limo, careening through a building behind the bus stop Wakana is at and blows it up. In the explosion, Wakana is injured. Sweet. It would be the only character in this episode I've actually taken a liking to. Alma runs over and checks on her, only to find her unconscious. Kratos is peeling back layers of Ruri's limo. Right before he can eat Ruri, he gets pulled off by Alma, who then transforms into a red version of Ryuho's alter from s-CRY-ed.

There's a familiar figure.

Now, before I continue, consider this. Often times, in a good series that revolves around super-powered teenagers with dark pasts, the main character's uncontrollable power can be used as a point of contention and character development. If you make the protagonist reluctant to use his power and then make him lose control, it can be pretty compelling. I had expected that to happen further in the series, but no. It happens in the first episode. Oh, did I mention he gets a power-up? Someone needs to teach this anime how to stretch out its assets. So at the end of the episode, he gets a power-up that allows him to actually control his power by turning him into megaman. Then he proceeds to vanquish the enemy. Well there goes any incentive I had to keep watching.

VERDICT: Uh.. No.

I used a lot of references here. There's a reason for this. There is seriously not a single solitary original idea to be found here. The first episode does all of the things I would expect an entire 26-episode anime would do throughout its run, and the characters are pretty bland. Not to mention the art direction rips off Code Geass with a raging stiffypassion.

Funny. I guess I did end up going scene-by-scene.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Awakening of a Trailblazer

Ah, screw it! I may as well get this rant out of me while it's still fresh in my mind. I'll try to keep the obscenity to a minimum.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!

The probe from Jupiter that was seen at the final moments of the second season of 00 is returning to earth for unknown reasons. After the Earth Federation destroys the probe in space, pieces of it land on earth and strange things start happening. Vehicles begin to move on their own, electronics malfunction and Humans with strong Quantum Brain Waves with the potential of becoming Innovators begin to be encased in metal and killed. It's up to Celestial Being to deal with it with the aid of the Federation.

I rather liked Gundam 00. It was a good series and it certainly was much better than Gundam SEED. Even if Patrick Colasour never DIED like I wanted him to. The cast was interesting and Setsuna reminded me, fondly, of Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing. I was amped and looking forward to watching Awakening of a Trailblazer and I left that motherf-... experience very disappointed. There are some rather weird things in the series that fly because they worked. The evolution of Mankind anything new in the various Gundam universes. First it was the Newtypes in the UC timeline, then the Coordinators in SEED and SEED Destiny and now it's the Innovators in 00. Whatever, it works. Then they started alluding to the presence of aliens from Jupiter when my red flags kinda went up. Luckily they never actually appeared in the series. They come out in force for the movie, though.

I'm not gonna lie, at the start, the conflict was really well handled. The mystery surrounding the incidents, the reappearance of an old nemesis, and the ominous nature of the aliens was really well balanced. It wasn't until the climax of the series when it started to unravel. At one point I had to stop and check the title when the alien armada brought out they moon-sized battleship (not exaggerating) and make sure I wasn't watching Vandread. So the central conflict was out of place, even though it was alluded to throughout the series. Then there's the 00 Qan[T]. Remember the first Iron Man movie? How they spent the whole movie hyping up the suit for an entire hour-and-something just to end it with a disappointing 7 minute long battle near the end. That's what Trailblazer did for the 00 Qan[T]. It shows up near the end, all it does is fly towards the alien battleship, attack a couple of things, get in, and teleport away not to be seen again. Disappointing. It's like getting a really good handj... I mean like paying for a really delicious looking burger and smelling it's aroma for a good 10 minutes only to get two cold buns and some frozen cheese.

Overhyped and underused.

The fights were easy on the eyes. That's to be expected, though. I mean I mean the fights in 00 were always a sight to behold and that's even more true for Backbreaker... I mean Trailblazer. If you've seen the series, you know what to expect. The ending is what really killed it for me. I don't think I've ever had a WTF?!?!?!11SHIFTONE moment like the ending of this movie. Setsuna teleports to the alien home world, isn't seen again for like 30-something years, and comes back as the T-1000. Okay maybe I'm paraphrasing but that's essentially what it came down to. Overall I guess it wasn't terrible but it definitely could have been better. If you watch Awakening of a Trailblazer, I suggest stopping about half an hour short of the end. Spare yourself the headaches.

Verdict: Eeeeeehhhh....

If you liked Gundam 00, then feel free to watch this. Even if it does fall apart at the end, everything leading up to it was really good.

2011 Summer Anime Reveiw: The Idolmaster

So today I watched The Idolmaster while waiting to go out to eat for my birthday dinner with my family (my 21st birthday was yesterday). This review is written after watching the anime. SPOILERS BELOW

Idolmaster Cast

The Idolmaster

So it begins pretty awesomely, you are someone interviewing the girls for a documentary. We meet all 12 idol wannabe girls, we see their back-stories and their goals and dreams. Some of the girls I found stereotypical however others were kinda cool. The whole first episode was devoted to them in this manner.

Later it is revealed that the cameraman is another character, a new producer to come help the girls become idols. Its kinda sweet.

VERDICT: MAYBE

So far its pretty interesting but I'm not too sure what the plot is. I'm sorta excited to see what the rest will be like. I really did like how the first episode was done. It was pretty awesome. Wow.... short review.... will post another later.

Hello to all.

Hi. I'm Proy and I will be adding my occasional two cents onto this blog. I'm 21 years old and currently living in the great state of... well I'm actually in Japan. No I'm not Japanese. I'm actually black and from Florida. Hm... about me... I'm into Anime, games, movies, Hip-Hop and other kinds of music (mostly Hip-Hop) and I'm known for using off-the-wall references and analogies to make a point. I also like to poke fun at current events. A lot. I'm crass, sarcastic and I can be offensive, at times. Though Ali has kindly asked me with the threat of violence not to be TOO offensive (Just kidding she didn't threaten me.). So I wont be... much.

2011 Summer Anime Reveiw: Twin Angel- Twinkle Paradise

Twin Angel Paradise is next on the list. I will be writing the review after watching. SPOILERS BELOW

Twin Angel

Twin Angel- Twinkle Paradise

It begins awful enough. I mean 2 girls blue and red wow def. Opposites here one loud and hyper other soft spoken and heavy bust... I mean wow. Ok so the red one's name is Haruka and the Blue is Aoi... how original. Is it just me are almost all Aoi's softspoken and shy and have sizable breasts... meh probably just me.

So it turns out they are magical girls and the headmaster of the school is in on it and Aoi's Aunt. However I must wonder how on earth this makes sense. I mean obviously they are heroes, but they call themselves thieves. Anyways so they need to prevent the robbery of a tiara that may or may not contain something relevant to them but does have power. So in order to prep they activate their super changing powers. Ok.... really it seems like the anime is shoving her giant boobs in my face. I mean what an IMPRACTICAL costume. No support and if it was real, she's be flashing the world constantly cause they would pop out.

Aoi.... there has been a wonderful invention and you need to use it. It's called... a bra.

After that, they are monitoring the Tiara and a bunch of robots come up and like tear apart the truck and then delicately take the tiara. SO they step in and kick butt and a girl comes up and she uses a giant mech to spray some chemical that looked like evil poison but only turned the girls into cats. Well... cat girls.... just gave them paws, ears, and a tail and the tendency to go nya nya. (the sound a cat makes in Japan)

So I'm guessing that was just a fanservice... so they are showed playing with cat toys (supposedly their bodies move impulsively) and all seems lost for a bit when BAM!

RIP OFFFFFFFFFFFF

Tuxedo Mas- oh wait nope... just a rip off of him, I mean wow.... Moon Symbol, andddddddddddd the cute guy Haruka liked, always showing up when they are in trouble, calling them maidens, and oh... the rose thing. TOTALLY ORIGINAL 

VERDICT: NO

This anime was completely pointless. The animation was done so the girls already looked like cats in the mouth reigon. So w/e that was annoying then they got turned into real cats and there were bouncing boobs. I am kinda left wondering if this anime is serious or just fanservice out there for people. Seriously, I did not like it. I was not interested in it and I will not be either. 

<3 you Tuxedo Mask....

2011 Summer Anime Reveiw: Usagi Drop

The next on my list was Usagi Drop and I wrote the review after seeing it. So this might be a bit short. Spoilers Below!

Usagi Drop Manga Cover

Usagi Drop

Usagi Drop starts off oddly enough, with a 30 year old guy named Daikichi who takes in Rin the illegitimate daughter of his grandfather who had recently passed away. It is awkward watching their exchanges. And the Animation is something else. It's more simple and seems.... a childlike innocence to it. 

I did not like Reina a little girl in Daikichi's family ugh she irritated me so much I wanted to kill her!!!! She was rude and mean and a little attention whore. Rin on the otherhand comes across as a confused child who just needs some place to go. The plot was simple and easy to understand and packed with emotion that I found myself tearing up at sections. 

As a product of an out of wedlock affair and being taken in by my father who has raised me like his own child (even when I am not biologically his), this anime really touched me. Daikichi has essentially sacrificed the life he knew in order to help Rin. And I have a feeling he will do whatever he can to protect her just like my father does with me. Both my Mother and my Father have done so much to help me feel like I am part of the family. I have a feeling that Daikichi will do the same. Which will be a battle since like his family really doesn't like her...

VERDICT: YES

I really enjoyed this anime. I want to see where it goes and I have a feeling watching Daikichi deal with single parenthood will be interesting. The animation and childlike quality to it will be epic to see what becomes of it.

2011 Summer Anime Reveiw: Uta no Prince Sama

So up next on my list is Uta no Prince Sama.... I will be again writing this review as I watch the episode.

Uta no Prince Sama Cast

SPOILERS BELOW

Uta no Prince Sama

So far it starts off interestingly enough you see a large boy band of various rainbow colors reminding me of a mix between Ouran High School's Host club and Vocaloids. They sing a pretty rocking song, and we cut to a girl who is pleading with some guys (security guards?) out in front of an Academy to be let in for an exam. After being buffeted again and again a red head boy from the band we saw earlier persuades the guys to let the girl in, after getting buffeted yet again another guy from the band comes up and also pleads for her case. Geez, I wish I could get this many good looking guys step up and defend me....

She ends up getting to take the exam and then passes being eligible to go to the school which is a boarding school. The school is large, extravagant like Ouran High.... huh I'm sensing a theme here (eep Rachelle was right!)  She meets more of the band members and its weird cause all of them are liking her at first glance. One guy even compares her to his dog... a blonde haired guy who loves small and cute things. (Sound familiar?)

Hunny... you have an older persona twin?

More stuff happens, and more cute guys appear. OMG this girl is so lucky. So it launches into a backstory of why she is there and how she idolizes this one guy. And a snazzy song is sung. She ends up chasing a cat and finds a lookalike of her idol guy.

It is weird, I thought the band was together... apparently they know eachother but they don't like.... talk like they are in a band. Was it a future clip?

VERDICT: MAYBE

Overall I'm very torn about this. I love the fact it is music centered and the guys are certainly cute and the protagonist has something going for her as to what I'm not too sure. I guess it's the honesty thing. But I think I might get irritated with the vocaloids and Ouran similarities and just the fact she has TONS of guys falling for her everywhere. For no reason anyways.... I mean at least in Ouran Haruhi has guys not initially falling for her. They kinda find out she's a girl and decide to help her out or laugh about it and shallowly flirt and then a couple of the guys develop true feelings for Haruhi as the show progresses. I dunno I will watch the second episode and fill you guys in on it.

2011 Summer Anime Season with Rachelle: Yuru Yuri Review and Updates of Life

Hey everyone!


So far life has been SUPER busy it is ridiculous. I have changed my major and I am still keeping a concentration in Journalism but I am dropping it as a minor in order to pursue a double major in Japanese and International Studies.

I am on a site known as Voice Hollywood thanks to my friend Rachelle who I've known off youtube for a good long while. Rachelle was recently declared the Singing AX Idol Winner of 2011 at this years Anime Expo Convention. She and I have decided to watch all the first episodes of the new anime season excluding sequels. So I will be updating posts on what I think of the anime from the first episode. (I am writing as I am watching) There will be spoilers below so deal.

Yuru Yuri Characters

Yuru Yuri

Yuru Yuri scared me a bit with how loud it is. Upon seeing the "Yuri" in the name I connected it with Yuri (girl x girl) and I was a bit hesitant. When watching the anime I was alarmed cause the blonde haired girl was obsessed with underwear and upon entering the room of Akari's sister there is definite alarm. I mean dude.... this was sketch. It was like Akari's sister is obsessed with her sister in a sexual way. HOW CREEPY! Only 4 minutes in and I'm turned off from this anime. Apparently Blonde chick's name is Kyoko, and black Haired Chick's is Yui-Chan.

Annnnd we have 3 stereotypical characters: Akari the over-hyper girl who wants something more and is impractical having to be rescued by her friends often and is super naive and innocent (as shown in this episode seriously) Kyoko- the hyperactive almost odd blonde haired chick. She reminds me of the American girl, Tina, in Ai Yori Aoshi with the odd tendency to grab people's boobs which she has just done to Yui-chan. Yui Chan- seems like Japan from Hetalia, very soft-spoken and motherly like and the most sensible one of the group. I think I like her best because I like the stereotype the best. Then we are introduced to our last protagonist: Chinatsu, a overly cute girl who has quickly captured the attention of the club and will probably lead to a weird love triangle between Kyoko and Yui. It is almost scary how alike Akari and Chinatsu is and the Anime is quick to point this out and show that for some reason our protagonist Akari has lost her spot to Chinatsu.

VERDICT:  NO

I will not be watching this anime again. Rachelle can attest that my number one reaction was "wtf" this anime is all over the place seemingly trying to decide to be about Slice of Life or not and the characters are stereotypical and somewhat plain annoying. I like the animation style but overall as a show I don't like that at all. It seems like weird and off and I am sure this has been done before and done much better. The show came off as creepy and too concentrated on sexual weirdness between girls for them being in junior high with Kyoko and Akari's sister.... I really don't want to know what the heck will happen with this.

P.S. this was the second time writing this review.... first time firefox crashed and I blame Yuru Yuri