Anime Review: Angel Beats!

As soon as you mention “from Key animation”, I’m there. “Angel Beats!” is a 2010 supernatural… uh… let’s just call it comedy. It tells the tale of Otonashi, who one day wakes up without memory, only to realize he is dead and is currently suspended in a place between heaven and hell, like an eternal limbo, that resembles a large high school. Here he meets Yuri, the leader of a secret group called the Battlefront, who’s motives are about as muddled as the concept of “God” that they’re trying to find to fight him for giving them their cruel fates. After becoming a member of the group himself, he learns of their enemy being a student nicknamed “Angel”, who has found a way to make herself a modern warfare badass in this limbo world, “Matrix” style. However, Otonashi soon begins to see the truth unfold about each individual, and realizes the problems may not be with God, but everyone themselves.

Admittedly, this was the first anime based on a Key animation that I had seen, so I didn’t have the perception of this being great. I thought I was in for some supernatural by-the-book anime tropes and an easily digestable, ultimately forgettable show, but instead what I got was something far greater: a wide smile on my face, and my insides hurting. “Angel Beats!” may not look it, but it’s easily one of the funniest anime shows I’ve ever seen. The general concept of the show is where the comedy gold comes in, as we learn each person on the Battlefront in their own “special” characteristics who can’t die. This makes for some truly hilarious scenes when the show puts the characters in some life-threatening situations, but thanks to particularly clever writing, knows exactly when to make it overly dramatic and campy for the sake of being funny. And it absolutely nails it. For example, there’s an episode where the Battlefront has to infiltrate an underground weapons factory, but constantly run into traps set up that ends in someone dramatically (emphasis on the dramatically) dying to save the group, who then brush it off like a fly had just been swatted because, well, they don’t really die. They just reappear somewhere else. Another episode (and probably the one you’ll remember this show for) involves the Battlefront trying to secretly switch Angel’s exam papers with a fake one full of wrong answers during exams, but have to think of distractions so they can make the switch. However, the distractions fail in the most epic way possible, which leads Yuri to literally strap rockets to each members seats and launch them through the roof in slow motion queued to sad pop music. It’s as funny as it sounds, trust me. What ultimately leads to this show’s strength isn’t its fluid animation or rather impressive action, but the Battlefront themselves having a new ‘operation’ each episode that leads to some hilarious downfalls. The chemistry is great between characters, and the characters themselves are lively (and obliviously dim-witted) enough to be very likable.

However, there are some set-backs when dealing with a show that has a concept such as this. The main protagonist, Otonashi, while having a very moving backstory about his life on Earth, is ultimately quite a dull character to begin with. Though he does slowly evolve into a good character, he’s still far from a saving grace as the shows lead, and often has to rely on the whims of Yuri, Angel, or another side character to save the episode. Also, given the show’s running time of only 13 episodes, you really feel like the show ended way too soon, and honestly deserved more episodes to soak in. It would’ve been great to have around 26 episodes, because it would give us adequate time to get to know each member of the Battlefront more personally, and provide more funny botched operations.

Regardless, I still had a blast with “Angel Beats!”. While it isn’t the greatest show that many lead it to be, there are plenty of great aspects to grasp, such as the lively bunch of members, the fluid and very high-quality animation, and some of the best comedy you’ll ever likely find in anime. The ending of the show also leaves much to be desired, though its quite an emotional bat to the head that Key is so famous for, so bring plenty of tissues. Also, while Otonashi isn’t interesting, he is kinda saved by his backstory which gives him a bit of weight. Though you’ll yearn for more episodes after getting through it’s very short running time, it’s still a wildly entertaining trip that deserves praise for being tongue-in-cheek, cleverly written, and a lot of fun.

FINAL VERDICT:

78/100

Game Preview: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Release date: 2015
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

With the initial climax of the long-running manga series, "Naruto" has finally come to a satisfactory conclusion (more or less), so it's only a matter of time before the anime decides to catch up. However, with the vast list of video games in the series, non is more anticipated to bring the series full-circle than "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4".

Currently a sequel to "Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3", the latest installment in the franchise promises to be even more explosive, fast-paced, and chock full of characters, and by the looks of the gameplay footage, I'm entirely convinced. 

The massive 12-minute gameplay footage shows us all we need to know, and everything we've come to love about this beat-em-up action franchise. The attacks look more refined, the backgrounds a lot more chaotic and interactive, and the combos and ultimate jutsu's entirely satisfying. What caught my attention the most was the improved combat system, taking a few notes from last years sluggish "Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution", which, while fun for the most part, unfortunately fell victim to a slightly enhanced combat system that came off as difficult and mostly unresponsive, especially when attempting to pull off a chain combo. However, this does not seem evident in the gameplay trailer above. The chain combos link effortlessly into ultimate jutsu's, making it seem as though a simple chain combo to start off with could potentially grow to a perfect K.O. with the right amount of skill at hand.

As for character selection, we can't comment much further since the only characters at play here were Madara and Hashirama, but boy did we get a good fight. However, we're definitely expecting a variation of characters old and young, especially from the original series, and with the amount of new content from the manga, also a worthy climactic ending.

The art style looks more refined, sleek, and fluid. It's still essentially the same 2D/3D conversion we've come to expect from CyberConnect2's attention to detail and fast-moving action, but a lot more pleasing to the eye. The ultimate jutsu's look especially mind-blowing, causing some colossal-scaled damage in the process. Another impressive feature added here is the ability to counterattack. This has been missing from the previous installments of the series were it was just a matter of turning into a piece of wood and surprising the opponent, but here we get a look at several ways to not only dodge, but launch a counterattack midway through a combo. It certainly would take the edge off trying to constantly charge your chakra in case a piece of wood might suffice.

In the end, "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" is one of the most anticipated games of the year, not only for it's seemingly vast improvements in the combat system but just the sheer scale and kinetic energy of the fights, plus an interactive and lively background with eye-popping, sleek visuals. Chalk this one up for an expectedly great game in the way "Ultimate Ninja Storm 3" surprised us. As of yet, "Ultimate Ninja Storm 4" does not have a release date, but expectedly in 2015 later this year.

Anime Review: Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion

People have been complaining that “Code Geass” is a crossover between “Death Note”, “Fullmetal Alchemist” and “Gundam”, and right there, I have yet to see why that’s a negative, because that sounds completely awesome. “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” is set in an alternative realitywhere Japan has been overrun by the country Britannia (I’ll give you three guesses which country that is in real life). Seven years have went on, and Britannia has kept a tight grasp over Japan, renaming the country “Area 11″ and enforcing a strong dictatorship run by the power-hungry Emperor Charles vi Britannia, who’s many children run things down in the dirt while he lives high in the clouds. One of those children, Lelouch vi Britannia, has kept his past and true identity as a prince a secret and resides as a seemingly normal student. However, when he runs into a secret experiment named C.2, a test subject by the government for unworldly powers, she grants him the power of the Geass; a way to control people by altering their minds. Lelouch, having found a new superpower, dons a masked superhero-like appearance as “Zero”, and becomes a freedom fighter for the Japanese people, to liberate them from the grasps of Britannia, and to tear down the dictatorship piece by piece in ingenious ways.

“Code Geass” is one of those riveting shows that you can’t take your eyes away from because it sucks you in completely and leaves you on the edge of your seat each and every episode. This is mainly attributed to the plot, which is stitched together like a wicked puzzle that forms a rather beautiful image in the end. And I can’t use a more fitting metaphor for this show. While it does have it’s similarities to other anime, particularly “Death Note”, it does things its own way eventually and is able to create a world far apart from the norm. Britannia is leaking with political scandals, uprisings, rebellions, and authoritative abuse, but it has a very mature way of presenting its setting. There’s no spoon-feeding here, so viewers will have to really follow each episode down to the bone if they want to keep up with its clever presentation.

The characters are all fleshed out to extreme measures, even to the point where you’ll be cheering for them one minute, and then hoping they’d die the next. It’s the shows balancing act of character arcs and traits that really gets you invested, but at the same time, tends to kick you back in your seat. Lelouch could easily be compared to Light Yagami from “Death Note”, since they’re practically long-lost brothers with all the same motivations and mannerisms. He’s intelligent, suave, and incredibly scheming (by that, I mean capable of planning so far ahead of time, even God doesn’t see it coming… No, I literally mean that last part. It’s actually in the show!). What works between characters is also their fleeting relationships. Lelouch gets more ass than any harem protagonist, but that’s not to discredit the female characters either. Most of them are actually very strong-willed, especially Lelouch’s right-hand lady, C.2, who granted him the power of the Geass. They have a master-slave relationship going on where you can never predict who’s the master and who’s the slave at any given time. Oddly, it works in building the bond between them. Then there’s Kallen, a member of Lelouch’s, or er, Zero’s rebellion who also puts on a mask of her own. In school, she’s a frail girl with no sense of physical strength, but her alter-ego as an awesome mech fighter makes for a pretty great contradiction (yes, this is a mech show too, in case you’re wondering why I said “Gundam” earlier. We’ll get to that in a bit…). Lelouch is by far the most complex protagonist I’ve seen come out of any modern anime, since his motivations waver so much, that you begin to suspect if his actions are really justified or if he’s just becoming another Light Yagami and having a downward spiral, but all of that is tied up and resolved in what I believe is one of the most powerful endings I’ve ever seen, period. Simply masterful.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a fair amount of mech action in the series, since they basically built robots instead of tanks and helicopters (go Japan!). The animation is high-quality, fast-paced, and astonishing to look at sometimes, especially with its very unique character designs that sets it apart from the usual anime. The sound deserves a special mention too, as this is also one of those rare instances where I prefer the English dub to the Japanese dub. With an extraordinary cast of voice actors, including the very talented Johnny Yong Bosche as Lelouch, it adds a level of quality and complexity to it that will leave you satisfied. The soundtrack is especially great, with some beautiful operatic choir thrown in that never indulges itself in being “epic”, but rather something very down-tempo and relaxing. It adds to the mastery of the some scenes, especially the aforementioned ending, which I will say is a triumphant feat in itself. The emotions experienced in the climax was only really rivaled by “Clannad: After Story”, personally. Prepare for tears like waterfalls.

“Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” is one of the best anime shows I’ve seen in recent memory. It’s cleverly written and plotted, stunningly animated, beautifully composed, and has a knockout of an ending that will leave a huge void in you well after the show is over. While it does have only minor flaws, they’re really not worth mentioning since the overall experience you’ll gain from finishing the show will leave you exhilarated. It’s a fully realized vision of the power of storytelling in anime, and one that simply doesn’t know when to stop hitting you with brilliant moments. “Code Geass” is a masterwork.

FINAL VERDICT:

96/100

Enter Genjutsu

There's an old saying that goes, "you are what you eat." I was never quite sure what that meant until I started eating Coco Pops on a daily basis and apparently I began to resemble a Coco Pop. Now that's not to say I looked like a dried piece of rice with chocolate flavor all over my body, but I did wonder what was the point of people saying that. If you are what you eat, then it would mean everyone would resemble lumps of food. And lumps of food usually equate to what you flush down the toilet. So by that definition, people = shit?

Okay, I may have gotten a bit off-track with that saying, but I do believe it serves a different purpose entirely. It doesn't mean we physically begin to resemble lumps of shit. Take it from a figurative sense; we, as humans, are consumers. Whether we consume Coco Pops, the latest fashion trends, movies, merchandise, games, or porn, we are consumers of the market. And right now, the market is ripe with the business of being entertained. Now when we take a step back and start to dissect this otaku culture as a whole, perhaps it's safe to say everyone who plays games is essentially a gamer. But I digress. It's the same as calling someone who's only watched "Dragon Ball Z" in their entire life a fan of anime. Because, technically, they aren't really a fan of the craft itself. I, myself, could've been found guilty a good decade and a half ago when I thought playing Solitaire on those cheap computers automatically made me a hardcore gamer. Then I got in touch with just how extreme of a sport this business really was. And yes, I use the word "sport" because essentially, gaming is a sport. If you can earn money from the slightest of things like talking about gaming, then what's there to say that it isn't a legitimate job or career?

So I began on a quest to find out exactly what the pro's and con's were of this vast gaming and anime industry. As gamers, we're pretty much obligated to consume this on a frequent, week-to-week basis. Everything we say, do, breathe, eat, revolves around the key idea that when we're in a space of comfort with a console, a game, and a controller, we're primitive creatures. Perhaps more accurately, creatures of habit. There's a certain thrill you get from playing a good game or watching a good anime that reality unfortunately cannot simulate. Rightfully so, since most of us do agree that reality is nothing much more than a place of sad faces, no dramatic moments, and very little action, but throw yourself into a game or anime and suddenly we get in touch with our essential bare humanity: we're alive. And for that brief moment, we don't exist either. It's a funny balancing act that I'm sure most circuses would scratch their heads in confusion over. Exactly what are we looking for as consumers of the otaku?

Well, that's another plain and simple fact. We don't want to live in reality, but without reality, we don't have anything to escape to. I like that idea of escapism. I think it's a wonderful way for an angry adolescent to throw a hissy fit with his parents and in the end, know Super Mario Bros. is there waiting eagerly for him to dive into that world. Yeah, sure, we don't have to be ourselves, since we're pretty much playing as a fat Italian plumber who headbutts bricks for money, but I'm sure there's a silver lining in all of this. So please, fasten your seatbelt and adjust your mirrors, and enjoy the new blog. We'll go on a journey into the depths of the otaku culture... Well, let's eat!