Showing posts with label Section 23. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Section 23. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Patlabor TV Collection 2 [Blu-ray]


Absolutely amazing. A second time.
I am a self proclaimed Patlabor lover. Be it the movies, the OVAs or the TV series, I love it all.

Maiden Japan have given us a release worthy of the classic, and this set does not suffer from the problem of having the English language track requiring edited video. It really is a proper release.

This set has the next 12 episodes in the series.

Truly a great and worthy release.

Video:

The video is 1080p HD AVC encoded. Bitrates sit in the upper teens to low/mid 20s. In short, it looks fantastic. There are no video issues to be concerned over. There is a small amount of cel jitter, but that's the nature of the beast on a series of this age.

Maiden Japan has gotten their hands on the remastered video from the Japanese Blu Ray release, so there is no dust or dirt to be seen. Colors are crisp and clear. You can see some shadows around some cells, but that is the nature of the beast here. It doesn't distract from the video at...


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Saturday, November 23, 2013

Campione Complete Collection [Blu-ray]


Divine Hijinks
Poor Goduu - all he wanted was to return a stone tablet to a friend of his now deceased grandfather - however things get complicated when he gets caught up in a duel with two powerful gods and ends up becoming a Campione - one who has killed a god and gained the Authority of said diety. Now he has returned to japan with a beautiful blonde knight, Erica in order to protect the country and keep other gods from destroying the world. But how is he to do this when other Campiones are trying to muscle in on his territory, rogue gods appear, and do not forget the group of lovely ladies who wish to help and train him - not to mention get closer to him. But can Godu be able to keep his divine promises, or will he be sidetracked with all the distractions that Erica and the others can provide to him.

I just finished this and will get it soon. A entertaining action harem comedy filled with lovely ladies, explosions, divine battles, and a lot of soul searching. It is a must to have...
He who defies the Gods
I'm a big romance and harem genre fan. And when they have awesome fights and mythology, I tend to get hooked on the series. Campione! was no exception.

I started watching Campione! right after the first episode had aired in Japan and had been subbed. After that first episode, I swear I could feel the excitement of the fight that Godoh had felt during his fight with the Persian God of Victory, Verethragna. And after that first episode, I waited and watched each new episode week after week and fell in love with the characters. The story is not much different than most harem animes on the surface: guy gets power, girls fall in love with the guy because of how he uses that power, and the guy is too dense to realize that they are actually in love with him. However, Campione! has a different flair to it: the guy, Godoh Kusanagi, actually needs these girls and has to kiss them if we wants to gather the information used for his strongest authority, the Golden Sword of Verethragna...
god slayer
Campione follows the aventures of godou, a high school student who inadvertently stole the powers of a god. Now his daily life has been made more complicated not only by gods who want to kill him but by rival god slayers. He's not alone however as he's companied buy a harem of voluptuous warrior maidens who via for his affection.

From a fan point of view, campione is one of the best animes to come out in a while. The stories entertaining, the characters are memorable, and the battle scenes are epic and very cinematic. It is a crime this anime didn't get more than just one season. I had also wish to spend money went to Funimation instead of sentai Filmworks, as sentai tends to price there merchandise a bit high. Despite that I'm still going to buy it, and would recommend this anime to anyone.
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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Elfen Lied: Complete Collection (Blu-ray + OVA)


Finally!
Been waiting on Elfen Lied on Blu Ray forever. At just two dollars more than the DVD set, this is a bargain. The BR quality is a noticeable improvement over the DVD. Some anime just take to high definition, and Elfen Lied is one of them. Something about seeing that blood, bone, and brain matter splatter across the screen in 1080p just brings a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart.

Odds are, if you're considering this product, you've already seen Elfen Lied. If you already own the old DVD sets, or you aren't that huge a fan of the series, then maybe the bumb to BR quality isn't worth your money. However if you enjoy the series, and you haven't already purchased a box set, I encourage you to buy this one. In today's age of torrenting and streaming, it's more important than ever to support the shows you enjoy. Especially in America, where anime isn't as popular as it is in Japan. We all had the ache of waiting for new Hellsing dubs after Geneon went out of business, and Darkhorse...
Blu Ray is in hand, viewed and reviewed
I received Elfen Lied early, thanks to another company getting the product early and shipping my preorder early.

I've taken some time to take in the show, yet again, on Blu Ray and I have to say that, given you get the "long lost OVA," and the bump in audio quality, it might be a worthy upgrade for some. If you already own the series on DVD, and don't care about a silly OVA episode (it has some meat, but nothing you can't live without), you may want to skip this one.

The story goes that the Dicloneus are the evolution of the homo sapien that are bent on the destruction of the human race. They have "horns" (suspiciously look like cat ears) and a sixth sense. Because of this, they are hunted, captured and confined by the government in an attempt to protect humanity. Lucy is one such Dicloneus, and after an ultra violent opening where many guards are left in pools of their own blood, Lucy escapes, but not before being shot in the head. She survives, but now has a...
Word of the Day: Recommended
Ok EL Fans, I've done my research, and this Bluray is definitely worth it. Im going to reiterate "EL Fans".

First, I have to touch on the background. The anime adaptation pales in comparison to the manga (to be short & sweet, it was completed before the manga was); it makes it a little difficult to "highly" recommend the anime. This does not mean the series is bad; it is well worth the watch [and purchase if you like it]. The ending was very open to viewer intepretation, which I liked.

DISCLAIMER* The ending could be very dissatisfying if you didn't read the manga, which has a more definite conclusion.

Features a lot of blood (gallons and gallons of it), gore (limbs flying everywhere), some nudity, and typical anime sexual references; a very appropriate TV-MA. Reminds me of Evangelion, you'll either love it or hate it. This series is a hardcore tragedy, almost on a Romeo & Juliet scale. English dub is pretty bad, stick with Japanese. Trying not to be...
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Persona 4: Collection 1 [Blu-ray]


Persona 4 fans will not be disappointed!
I just got the Blu-ray of Persona 4: The Animation today which is a few weeks before it's supposed to be released, but I pre-ordered it back in July from Rightstuf who for some reason decided to ship it to me early before the release date. As you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email telling me that it had already shipped!

But enough about how I got it, lets get on with the review! This release only contains the English audio and not any of the Japanese track, but that's a problem with the Japanese licensers not Sentai Filmworks. If Sentai was allowed, they would have kept the Japanese track in. As far as the English voice cast goes, just like the video game, it is amazingly good and most of the voice actors, even the side characters, reprised their roles. The only differences are the voices of Chie Satonaka, who is now played by Erin Fitzgerald instead of Tracey Rooney, and Teddie, who is now played by Sam Riegel instead of Dave Wittenberg...
Pleasantly Surprised
I mostly buy my anime for the Japanese track; very rarely do I watch something dubbed in a language that is not what it was originally released in. The last few anime series I've liked enough to buy have been disappointing in terms of local releases. Persona 4? Met and exceeded my expectations.

The subtitles are very well translated, and true to the Japanese dialogue, which shocked the hell out of me. Most anime such as this usually stick to the English naming conventions in the dub. I was surprised to see Teddie come up by his Japanese "Kuma" come up, among other instances of dialogue where it would be different in English. The only exception of this was Pyro Jack/Jacklantern, though I suspect this was due to copyright issues over multiple series, and doesn't come up often enough to be a noticeable glare on the translation. So, bravo to the translators for doing something I haven't seen done for a good ten years or so.

The menus are very nice, with full...
Probably the best game-to-anime ever
+ near-perfect adaptation
+ captures all the nuance of the game into a new form
+ helps to develop some of the lighter features from the game, especially SLink characterizations
+ looks really nice - great motion and reasonably well scripted fight scenes
+ + genuinely funny
+ + + best job of pulling off a twist I've ever seen in animation in episode 12

- nameless, voiceless protagonist does not translate particularly well outside of a game setting (Yu doesn't have a lot of lines)
- some of the funnier sections of the game are paired down to much faster jokes in the show, losing much of their effectiveness
- some of the story that takes weeks in-game unfolds in one episode in the show, lessening its importance
- around one minute of dead-silent credits after every episode
- - anyone who has not played the game will only get about half as much out of this show as those who have
- - - barest of bones Blu-Ray release, with one...
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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Girls Und Panzer: TV Collection [Blu-ray]


"Panzer Vor!" for "Girls und Panzer!"
I own a few books about WWII tanks and have watched many documentaries on WWII tanks. Needless to say, I really enjoy things about tanks! Especially in video games or TV shows! That being said, I also play an online game that has everything to do with these things called, "World of Tanks," and it is how I first heard about this anime. Some people absolutely hate it, but many more absolutely love it!

I first saw this show being streamed on Crunchyroll (an anime streaming website) and after hearing about it from some fellow online-players, I decided to give it a shot. For the first two episodes, I honestly couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous (but entertaining) the concept of little Japanese high school girls shooting each other in tanks was. However, by the third episode not only was I hooked, but I suddenly was taking the show a lot more seriously! The concept is pretty far-fetched, admittedly, but the show is an absolute blast! And honestly, I don't think I could even...
Amazingly fun show.
I'm not a huge fan of anime, but I found Girls Und Panzer to be both captivating and inspirational. The idea of schoolgirls fighting mock battles in WWII machines seems strange at first but one quickly suspends disbelief. It's obvious the writers and animators had a love for the source material, as the tanks are rendered with astonishing levels of accuracy.
Battle scenes are done well with real suspense and intensity, even though you know there's no real danger. The plot is fairly predictable, as are all "underdog team fights overwhelming odds" stories tend to be, but the writing and voice actresses really sell it.
The characters are fairly realistic, (within anime limits), and I often got the feeling that the actions taken by the girls were what real teen age girls would do, when given iron machines of death to play with. The iconic image of a pink M3 Lee, as well as the colorful STuG, complete with Hashimoto banners, stay with you and is a great metaphor for...
Must Buy !
This show is simple amazing! I can't really say anything bad about this show. It was everything I love about anime in one show. If you love shows that have teams pairing off against each other, and watching how the underdog somehow figures outs a way to over come odds then you will enjoy this. The characters are easy to like, the comedy and action is fantastic, the cuteness is off the charts, and the way they take real life tanks and use it in this fictional setting is superb. On a scale of 1 to 10 it is an easy 10.
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Friday, November 15, 2013

Grave of the Fireflies [Blu-ray]


Transcends Anime to be one of the saddest forms of any media
I generally don't cry at movies. I love any movie that can move me enough to shed a tear or two. Grave Of the Fireflies is not one of those movies. In those movies even though I'm sad the final scenes leave me with a residual hope that while some tragic event has just occured the charecters involved will grow and live better. Grave of the Fireflies doesn't do this. There is no hope or possiabilty of things getting better. This is Life at it's cruelest. Life that will never get better. This movie doesn't move you, it shatters you.

Seita And Setsuko (the boy and His little sister) aren't Heros and their abusive aunt isn't the villian. Neither for that matter is either side of the war protrayed as good or bad in these movie. This is just a story of people being people. some kind, some indiffrent and some compleatly harsh. Seita makes mistakes that many children in his position would.

Although fifteen years old this film is still very beatiful. The images it portrays are quiet and...
Emotionally powerful, hauntingly poetic, anti-war anime
"Grave of the Fireflies" ("Hotaru no haka") is one of the most powerful anti-war films I have ever seen, which means that it has no competition when it comes to emotional impact in terms of animated films. The death of Bambi's mother was a traumatic shock, but nothing like the sense of despair and grief that overwhelms you by the end of this film. The film begins with the spirit of a young boy showing us his death in a train station, after which we follow the fireflies into the past to see his story. At the beginning of the original movie of "Brian's Song" we were told: "All true stories end in death. This is a true story." So is "Grave of the Fireflies" because I have no problem granting the legitimacy of "truth" to fiction.

In the last months of World War II an American fire bomb raid destroys the port city of Kobe, where almost all of the buildings are made of wood. Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi/J. Robert Spencer) is a 14-year old boy who survives along with his 4-year...
A Powerful And Relevant Anime Classic: A Journey Of True Love And Heartbreak Remastered For A New Generation
Note: It seems a crime that this classic has been off the DVD market. Now this digitally remastered and restored version will be able to reintroduce the film to a new generation.

"Grave of the Fireflies" is a film that I'd heard about for years before I finally got around to viewing it. As one of the most well-respected early anime classics--of course, I expected great things. I knew vaguely what the picture was about and knew that its tone strove for realism as opposed to fantasy. But what I didn't really comprehend is that it would be such a mature story geared toward adult audiences. The sophistication, complicated subject matter, and sorrow contained within "Grave of the Fireflies" made it one of the more surprisingly moving films that I'd seen in quite some time.

The story is simplistic. Set in war-torn Japan near the end of the World War II, two kids must deal with the unexpected death of their mother in a bombing attack. With no one to care for them and...
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Children Who Chase Lost Voices [Blu-ray]


Truly one of the Best!
This is truly one of the best animes I have ever watched,the intensity and emotion behind each of the characters and their actions is overwhelming at times and these emotions certainly won't fail to move any person who has had any relation to love, loss of someone important or simply just a person who has the felt the warmth of motherly love. Story is great and I like the fact that it doesn't beat around the bush but it constantly keeps focusing on the most important aspects of the movie. The development of the main character, Asuna, and her relationship to the other characters as we move forward in the movie.

The art was what was truly amazing about the anime and definitely its selling point. Nearly every scene involving the environment or the atmosphere around our characters was simply breathtaking and almost without comparison. In addition to these scenes being absolutely amazing there weren't just a few of them but this movie was filled with beautiful landscapes and sky...
(4.5 stars) Children Who Chase Lost Voices" is a gorgeous, touching animated film worth watching!
Makoto Shinkai, the former Falcom graphic designer, who took the anime industry by storm back in 2001 when he released his anime OVA titled "Voices of a Distant Star", which he created on his Power Mac G4 and using several software and voice acted by he and his wife Miko and music provided by his friend Tenmon.

The OVA inspired many for the fact it was independent, created on a small budget but looked significantly better than some major anime series by well-known animation studios.

Suffice to say, the person who grew up inspired by Miyazaki films was now given a chance to create more animated films and he would eventually achieve success with "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" (2004) and "5 Centimeters Per Second" (2007).

In 2011, Shinkai returned with the animated film "Children Who Chase Lost Voices ("Hoshi o Ou Kodomo") which he directed, wrote and produced.

And now the film was released in the U.S. on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of...
Children Who Chase Lost Voices
First, I want to comment on the dvd itself. This dvd was from Malaysia. Before I ordered, I was concerned about that quality and that it might be a bootleg. I'm still not 100% sure, but it played without problems on my region 1 player. The video, audio and english subtitles were all perfect. So all-in-all I'm satisfied with the product.

Now onto the movie itself. I purchased this simply due to the fact it is a Makoto Shinkai film. I'm a big fan of his work. I wasn't disappointed. The animation is beautiful and vibrant as expected. This story is more of a "fantasy" film than some of his others. Without going into detail, it's basically about a girl who embarks on a mysterious journey with many weird, scary, dangerous, touching, happy sad events happening along the way. It's an interesting journey. Something along the lines of a Miyazaki film ala Spirited Away. Will the girl survive the perilous journey and make it home safely? Better find out for yourself.
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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Queen's Blade Rebellion: Complete Collection [Blu-ray]


Queen's Blade:Rebellion
If you thought the original Queen's Blade series could not be topped,you will be delightfully surprised at this,the third "season". Claudette,the Thunder General and the oldest sister,is queen. She has abolished both the nobilities and the Queen's Blade tournaments and declared herself the eternal queen.Rebellions are rising and new heroines are introduced.
There is Yuit,an elf and editor-in-chief of a newspaper and her constant companion,a "female" robotatic warrior named Vante that wears pink panties and has serious real-looking hooters,
Liliana, the bodacious female pirate captain of a flying square-rigger,
Mirim,an innocent,sweet-hearted and hard working teenager that is impressed into servitude by the Iron Strategist for Claudette,
Ymir,who was the Iron Mountain Dwarf in the previous series but is now the Iron Strategist and one of the central characters of this series,
The Ragged Warrior,this series heroine who is the last of the Kreutz nobility;...
Fan service insanity continues
Queen's Blade is a rather new and famous anime title when if comes to fan service. In fact, I would say that the Queen's Blade series is probably the best of the fan service genre, despite it being ridiculous. This new release is no exception. At first I thought that Rebellion would be a little more tame, but that is not the case here. There is one character (Luna Luna) in this new series that has such a ridiculous outfit that she makes Echidna's snake underwear from the first series almost look normal.

This season of Queen Blade is about a rebellion who opposes the new tyrannical queen, who is actually Claudette, the main character's older sister from the first series. The new main character is a violet hair colored girl named Annelotte Kreutz. She is a knight who befriends many of the unusual characters in the show.

In the first series, many of the characters looked like they were from a fantasy story and actually looked like women instead of cute anime...
i try my best to enjoy bad anime.
The first Queen's Blade series is a silly joke of an anime meshing together seemingly incompatible character designs for a product that was at its best barely watchable. With the release of the second season, it became evident that the joke had been taken too far. The creators sat down and fleshed out a surprisingly deep background story for this paltry smut. Why would anyone take the time to try and pull anything compelling out of softcore porn? But that's why I love Japan.

My curiosity was piqued when I learned that Claudette had become the queen, and not Leina. To my dismay, the female lead this time was not Leina Vance, but a new character by the name of Annelotte. Although I hated the idea of an entirely new cast of characters, I found Annelotte to be surprisingly amiable. Whereas Leina failed as a protagonist for the first thirteen episodes, Annelotte begins her story more favorably. Initially, she is a weak noble heir on the run, evading assassins and hiding her...
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Monday, November 11, 2013

Infinite Stratos Complete Collection [Blu-ray]


Don't miss this!
I pre-ordered this as soon as Amazon listed it, and it came recently. I watched it over three nights, and it was great! The inclusion of a soundtrack CD with the blu-ray discs was also most welcome.

Set in the near future, the basis of the story is pretty standard fare; one guy in an academy full of girls! Add the inevitable childhood sweethearts, girls with guns (or in this case, mecha suits called IS's; the 'Infinite Stratos' of the title) and comic mayhem is a dead cert! Jealousy, tantrums, broken hearts, embarrassing moments involving underwear or swimsuits, and pretty much all aspects of 'anime' life are represented here. The animation and music tracks are stunning; the aerial 'dog-fight' sequences are brilliantly executed, and the technology of the IS's is cool and believable. There is lots of cuteness, and some heart-stopping moments.

The male lead is Ichika Orimura, a 15-year-old boy who is found to be the only male in the world who can pilot an IS...
Why not
The overall quality is great, however im going to focus on the smaller things that may make or break this blu ray for you.

First, when it comes to sentai products they have a habit of rolling a long list of credits at the end of every episode. So if you're like me and you have it turned on and are just listening to it the end of the episodes may start to annoy you.

Second, be aware that the voice acting emphasizes the multi cultural aspect of the plot... by that I mean the voice actors really emphasized the accents of the individual characters. You get used to it but this could be a make or break, until you realize that the original audio is still on the disk as well as subtitles.

I would recommend this for people who watched it when it first aired, are into harems, and even robots. The quality is great and the item is packed with some extra bonuses like an soundtrack cd that has primarily has all the versions of Super Stream and a couple other songs...
I'm happy that I bought this one.
Infinite Stratos is a weaponized exoskeleton that can only be used by women, with only 1 exception. Ichiki has been accepted into the IS academy and is learning to use the IS. The only problem is that being the only male student there makes him very popular. Wait a minute.... how is that a problem? Ichika is going to have the time of his life.

Infinite Stratos is a great series. IT has great characters, animation, voice actors, and music. There's way more to love about this series than there is to not. I've even heard rumors of a 2nd season. Whoopie! This anime should make you laugh and give you a lot of enjoyment.
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Sunday, November 10, 2013

High School of the Dead Ova: Drifters of the Dead [Blu-ray]


An entertaining - yet strange story
The group finds themselves on a tropical island, seemingly free from the outbreak. AS the gang enjoys some time that does not involve killing zombies or fighting to survive, it is when they set a fire of some leaves that things get "interesting". Can they snap out of it before something bad happens?

This story does not really have a place between the first and soon to be coming second season, but it is a good escape from the horror that they have had to endure so far. A good hold over until they bring the new season over and we learn the fates of this group and the world they reside in.
Note the running time
While I thoroughly enjoyed High School of the Dead, and highly recommend it on Blu Ray if you are into fan service heavy, zombie, action anime, this tiny episode should have been included as a bonus feature on that set and not as its own full release. 16 minutes? Really?

I've seen the episode they are putting on there. While it is a fun, enjoyable episode, I really can't recommend paying $9 for it. Your choice though, just be aware of what you are getting.
HOTD OVA
While our favorite band of survivors from the series does make an appearance in the OVA (they don on swimsuits too and scour a somewhat marooned island) the storyline here has little relevance to the Highschool of the Dead main story. I'm not going to give any details out, but you can expect a heaping helping of ecchi, though there isn't really any "full" nudity (and thus no censors).

Personally (and I repeat, PERSONALLY) I found the OVA to be tedious and a little boring compared to the main story frame. Basically ridiculous actions lead to ridiculous delusions which in turn lead to ridiculous ecchi scenes. Again, no connection to the brain bashing, zombie milling storyline in the prior 12 episodes.

I'd say, take a miss with this. Nine bucks just isnt worth it. Not sure why the OVA would be sold by itself, let alone who is going to pick it up by itself.... Unless the cover art appeals to you as a collectors item (as of current Amazon.com doesn't display,...
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Ninja Scroll [Blu-ray]


Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary Widescreen...- Beware!!
Ninja Scroll is an excellent work of anime and cannot be praised too highly, but the new 10th Anniversary DVD edition only offers only a false widescreen - they have merely cut off the top and bottom of the view to give the appearance of widescreen. The DTS sound is not any fuller or crisper than the original fullscreen DVD, merely converted to DTS format. In short, this DVD is not worth upgrading to, and the fullscreen side is the only one worth watching. Save your money if you hope to improve on the original DVD's quality - the new anniversary DVD is actually an insult.
a story of epic proportions
First, regarding its name: a more accurate translation from the original Japanese would be "The Chronicles of Ninja Jubei."

Second, regarding the "misogynism" in the film: While I understand how it might be interpreted that way, that's not quite true. Kagero is a fascinating character due to the tragedy of her curse. She plays a pivotal role in the story, but most importantly, the ultimate point of the love subplot is that Jubei's sense of honor is so strong and his heart is so pure that he will not use her as just a weapon or an object of lust, the way everyone else has used her. Even at the cost of his life (you will understand when you see it). That's what makes it such a powerful story.

This movie isn't for everyone, but it's an incredible film. It's extremely intense, so sensitive viewers should beware. The animation is beautiful; the action is intense and intelligently choreographed, not mindless and brutal; the plot is highly intricate and...
Breaking the Samurai Code
One tradition of Japanese manga and anime is based on the legends of Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi, who was a very real swordsman serving the Tokugawa Shogunate at the beginning of the 17th century. Jubei was known for wandering Japan, sometimes as a spy for the Shogun, and righting injustices with displays of his extraordinary swordsmanship. Kind of a Japanese Knight of the Roundtable.

In 'Ninja Scroll', this part is played by Jubei Kibagami, an itinerant ninja. He is drawn into clan politics when he comes to the aid of Kagero, a female ninja in service to the Yamashiro clan. To save Kagero, Jubei must successfully challenge Tessai, an evil ninja (one of the Eight Devils of Kimon) with the ability to turn his skin into stone, and the strength to chop walls down. Jubei succeeds, but Tessai swears vengeance, leaving Jubei deeply entangled in a struggle with the Shogun of the Dark.

The third player in this contest is Dakuan, the Shoguns spy. He is a deadly old man who recruits...
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Saturday, November 9, 2013

Garden of Words [Blu-ray]


Short, beautiful, and charming
This movie is only 46 minutes, but this movie offers more in that short amount of time than most 90 minute films. First, the visuals are absolutely stunning. This is a true visual feat, although there is no fantasy in this film, obviously, just the simple look of the outdoors is done very tastefully and artistically.

The movie itself is a love story, its short, sweet, and enjoyable. The problem is that its really short, and although its all character development, you could use more time to care about the characters. The story is great, especially the conclusion, the ending scenes are executed perfectly, but again, its WAY too short.

I suggest you watch it before you buy it, if you love it, you'll want it in your collection.
Beautiful
I discovered this by constantly seeing people praising the gorgeous animation in it. After awhile, I finally budged and watched the movie. The praise was correct. The animation in this movie is stunning and the movie is worth watching just for this alone. But, that's not all it has. This movie has a deep, emotional, and quick story.
It's OK, but....
...I wasn't quite enamored with it. As usual, Shinkai's animation is breathtaking. Some of the shots had a palpable reality; quite breathtaking actually.

The story line, to me, felt contrived. It didn't grab me and pull me along. More importantly, I never felt empathy for the main protagonists. I'm hoping that future viewings will soften my opinion of the characters.

Concerning the soundtrack by Kashiwa Daisuke; some of the tracks in the film felt incongruent to me. The music didn't quite click with me the way Tenmon's music did with prior Shinkai works. To me, it felt like the music was written just to fill space while the film moved along. The beautifully heart breaking and melancholy music needed in this film was not there; it needed Tenmon.

Let me say that I do not regret buying this disc but my preconceived (and probably prejudiced) expectations of this film weren't quite meet. Maybe next time?

It's probably just me but I...
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