JCB Hates Anime: Reviews & Stuff

[JCBeezy]

I just started a new blog (moving on from Tumblr to Wordpress as it's more "writing focused"), and I wanted to make sure I shared all my anime reviews and opinion pieces here, as I won't strictly be writing about anime on the blog (and some stuff I won't review on there, but will write stuff up here).

Some notes:

-My opinion necessarily doesn't constitute your opinion. My opinion is nor right, nor wrong; neither is yours.

-I do not define myself as an anime fan, as much as I define myself as a fan of art. Anime is a form of art, and at it's best, is phenomenal.

-Spoilers may exist in articles, but hopefully nothing too heavy.

-I review on the "IGN" scale, as it's easiest for me that way, and I look at differing factors.

-Hope I'm tolerable, at the very least.

[JCBeezy]

Revisiting Gundam Wing

Ah, Toonami. I remember you.

I remember when you were all new, shiny and full of life. With all your Dragon Balls and Sailor Moons and stuff, trying to keep our little 8-to-16 demographic plump and full, continuously coming back for more helpings of your staple entrees and newest dishes. While I’ll admit that I was one of those kids that hinged on watching Dragon Ball Z every afternoon, with it’s over-the-top style and outrageous story, it wasn’t until the spring of 2000 that I first got my taste of what I thought was a fantastic show with all the things 10 year old boys want.

Well, except bewbies. I still took my cootie shot daily.

Gundam Wing, for all intents and purposes, was the American introduction to one of the biggest and most culturally relevant franchises in Japanese history, Mobile Suit Gundam. If you thought Voltron was huge when your brother was growing up, think about Voltron on steroids with a captivating story that continuously evolved and moved forward for three fucking decades.

Chyeah.

Wing, at the time of it’s introduction, was one of the few “serious” animated shows on TV that didn’t feature Batman as a main character. It also single-handedly created the Adult Swim, being one of the first shows that Cartoon Network showed unedited after 10 PM on it’s Midnight Run block. Wing simply changed things, and also created a change within a generation, shifting Toonami’s focus in different experimental directions, and allowing Bandai to bring the various other Gundam series and OVA’s to the US.

Gundam Wing is a politically charged sci-fi adventure, taking place in the year After Colony 195 (meaning 195 years since the first colony was errected in space), where various factions and sects of goverments and military fight over their ideals for the future of the human race. The colonies send five different and unique teens with aptly designed mobile suits, known to them as Gundams, to the Earth, to intervene wherever it may be nessisary. When one of the pilots, Heero Yuy, is intercepted as he’s entering the Earth’s atmosphere, it leads to him crossing paths with Relena Dorlian, the ordinary daughter of Earth’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. This chance meeting sets the changing times more so in motion, as it leads to a chain of events that creates the backbone of the series.

One of the more interesting things about the series are the distinct and unique pilots of the Gundams, each having their own views and perceptions of the world, While they may be vastly different, each pilot seems to connect and work together and mature as a unit. I personally found an easy connection with the laid back Duo, and his gothic (and Batman-esque) Gundam Deathscythe. His attitude through out the series seemed to bring every character he interacted with back down to reality, as he was there for the simplest reasons. Truth be told, every single pilot is likable, and few characters are written to where you won’t like them . A perfect example of this is the illustrious Treize Khushrenada, the charismatic and respectful leader of OZ, one of the several factions involved in the series. Even though he might be considered the bad guy, he is often the most thought provoking character of the show, and a constant example of fantastic characterzation and solid writing.

Sadly, the series is not without it’s faults. Some of the middle episodes lag, and many complain about the overall pacing of the series. Most would expect the show to be action packed from start to finish, but at it’s core, it’s more philosophical, and some characters make little since in regards to that aspect. Contradictions are abound, and it simply hurts the plot on multiple occasions. Another gripe would be the animation. Though the look of the series isn’t poor, it barely looks better than Zeta Gundam, which was 10 years older than Wing at the time of it’s airing. The lack of detail sometimes makes you wonder if the show came from 1985, instead of 1995.

Historically, I believe that Wing is known more by it’s fandom than anything else. The average anime fan would quickly label it as their favorite Gundam series, and the diehards are just that: diehards. It’s the bishonen Gundam series. To this day, I still know of individuals who defend this show as if the characters were real people (that they could…you know…marry or something). While I strongly believe that Wing is a good series in a vaccuum, some of it’s flaws will hinder it’s appeal as the years pass. Whether they be the animation, or the pacing, or the theme, or the bishonen teen pilots; there will be something that people will find and pick apart, leading to them for not appreciating it for what it is.

The show has it’s flaws, but that doesn’t take away from the entertaining ride it can take you on. It nearly single-handedly created the interest in mecha anime in the United States, and historically, you might owe it to yourself to give it a chance. If you like shonen mecha anime with an intriguing story and good characterization, hunt it down. While it’s not for everyone, it surely has it’s merit as a fantastic series, and a series I’m happy to have in my collection for years to come.

Animation: 5.0 – While not gorgeous by any means, it tells the story well enough.

Characters: 8.5 – One of my favorite casts in any anime period. Team Duo FTW.

Music: 7.5 – Gundam rarely lets you down in this department. The score is awesome.

Story: 8.5 – Thematically, the story holds up far better than you’d think.

Lasting Appeal: 8.0 – Overall, one of the more classic shows from the mid-nineties.

Overall: 8.0 = GREAT

[Dan Den]

Wow I must admit this is one of the best reviews I've seen online about Gundam, I was thinking of starting to watch the series but never got the jump but it seems like you've convinced me and nice review.

Can't wait for your next review.

[JCBeezy]

Gundam 00 Season 1: Initial Thoughts & Impressions

Excuse me while I borrow a pun:

"I'ma let you finish, but Gundam 00 has one of the best Gundam's of all times."

No, seriously. Lockon's Dynames is like...a sniper. Sniper's are cool.

Moving on...

I can't describe how much I love Gundam 00 so far, but dammit, I'm going to try. Why? Because I'm fairly certain a lot of people are missing out on this wonderful reimagining in the vain of Gundam Wing, and honestly, you should probably see it.

Esspecially if you like robots and...stuff. Stuff like bewbs. And robots. But no robots with bewbs.

Gundam 00 takes place around 300 years into the future, focusing on an organization known as Celestial Being and it's four Gundam pilots (known as Gundam Meisters in the series). Celestial Being is pretty unique from my limited perspective, in that they are seeking to end war and intervene in any conflicts that could potentially escalate into something far worse, other than the typical "good guy vs. bad guy" dynamic. In the series, there are no staple Gundam cliches like traditional space colonies, and the potential generic Char Anzable rip-off. There's no ZEON-esque organization. There are simply three unified fronts; the Union (which is pretty much North America), the Human Reform League (Asian countries), and the AEU (Europeans galore). Everyone has their own fancy "space elevator" which is basically, in short, the giant "tube" that provides the world with near-unlimited solar energy.

In the forefront of the story is Setsuna F. Sehei, Meister for the Gundam Exia. A product of war and terrorism, Setsuna is seeking clarity and understanding, despite everything going on around him. Setsuna is a character in the vain of Heero Yuy, except he's a lot more endearing, and far better at brooding. In being a "spiritial remake" of Wing, he has a little "love interest", but compared to Relena, she is the greatest anime character of all time, and actually likable.

The characters of Gundam 00 are probably some of the most crudely developed in any Gundam series. They are simple, yet their actions and motives leave you with so many questions, they are far deeper below the surface. Characters like Lockon and Allelujah in particular shine, as their stories are involving and beautiful in their own way. Even the supporting characters are superb, with Sumeragi and the crew of the Ptolemaios taking the cake in that department.

The action in Gundam 00 also deserves a mention. Fluid, fastpaced, and wonderfully animated, I'd definitely say the action sequences in this series blew my expectations out of the water. Despite the vivid nature of the animation (OMG it's BRIGHT), I was able to follow and notice subtle movements to the mobile suits, which was awesome and a first for me. Also, with this great animation, there is the lack of 100,000,000 reused animation sequences (I'm looking at you Gundam SEED), and for what it's worth, I didn't notice a single reused sequence in the first season, which I freaking loved as a nerd.

As a huge Gundam fan (I'll admit it proudly), Gundam 00 is the first Gundam experience I've had that I have never let any of the flaws take me out of the series. Episodes 24 and 25 had me GLUED to the screen, excited and nervous for all the characters I had grown to love. At this point, I'd happily give the show an easy 9.5 overall, but of course, it would be unfair of me to review just the first season and not take into account the continuing arcs of the second! Expect my complete Gundam 00 in the next week, in which I hope to do my best to convince you how awesome this series really is!

[Nero D. Ace]

I'm just gonna take a shot in the dark here and say this is about Gundams?

[JCBeezy]

I'm just gonna take a shot in the dark here and say this is about Gundams?

It's about what I'm watching. Right now, I'm watching Gundam 00. haha

[DrumRoll]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SAbEelxk2cI/TLgfGe9NblI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/Qy-flXMiX6I/s1600/JCB+3CX+NEW2.gif

sorry, but thats what I first thought of...

[JCBeezy]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SAbEelxk2cI/TLgfGe9NblI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/Qy-flXMiX6I/s1600/JCB+3CX+NEW2.gif

sorry, but thats what I first thought of...

My initials are JCB? Mmm...k.

[Spacecreepkitan]

Very professional reviews, I enjoy the original mobile suit gundam, as that was the first show I saw where the lines between good-guys and bad-guys wasn't very clear, nor were the events which may have seemed good but as you thought about it your perception would change, the characters were'nt always as likable but the overall story was much more engrossing than wings, especially for the time !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JCBeezy]

Neon Genesis Evangelion = %#&$!@#$#$^&**!?!?!?!?!

There is no other way to say it:

Neon Genesis Evangelion is fucked up.

I have never experienced anything quite like it in terms of animation (or television for that matter). From the story's religious connotations, to the unique concepts behind the EVA's, to the sheer emotional instability of the cast; the show is, all-in-all, a trainwreck.

And we all love trainwrecks don't we?. So this is my trainwreck of a review, coming out of the trainwreck that is Evangelion.

Neon Genesis Evangelion was released in the mid-90's by GAINAX in Japan, and the series was localized in the US by ADV, while the movies were adapted by Manga Entertainment. The series' primary protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a reluctant teen who becomes the pilot of one of the several giant robots known as EVAs. NERV, the creators of the EVAs, have been given the mission of eliminating the beings known as Angels, who threaten the existance of life on our planet. Together with Rei and Asuka, Shinji must combat all 17 Angels to stop the Third Impact, which would trigger the end of the world. Within the simplicity of this story, lies more intracacies than any single piece of fiction I can recall within the past 20 years. To even further describe it would possibly take away from your experience watching it. Trust me, it's deep.

I'm a fan of robot anime, obviously, so I really dig the mechas, and their estetics. At the time, the designs of the EVAs were unique, but of course since 1995, we've seen many shows borrow from the sleek and slim style innovated (somewhat) by Evangelion. Also worth note here is the action. The action in this series feels riveting, despite the fact that none of the battles are spectacular and amazing visual pieces. In the end, it's the direction of the series that gives everything it's creedence. Anno's work visually blows my mind, with his intense attention to detail and ability to challenge the viewer's own ways of thinking.

Another thing I love about the series is it's approach to characterization. While I would happily put Shinji Ikari as my number one least favorite character ever, I can't deny the superb handling of the characters themselves. Shinji, despite his annoying nature, is a fully developed person, which is rare in even modern anime (or television). He has his flaws, and each concern he may have has merit. Every character has a reason, or a question, or an insecurity, and they all feel real. That's huge, and a big plus for me personally.

Lastly, I dug the use of Religious iconography (mostly Judeo-Christian stuff, though other religions were referenced) in the efforts to create this unique, yet soft, sci-fi world. Most of what I could discuss here would be spoilers, but let's just say that nothing is ever what it seems in this universe.

I must admit, and here's where I might get a little spoilery, that the last two episodes caused my head to hurt. That feeling? Yeah, that's called a mindfuck. I admittedly got mindfucked. It's hard to dis-certain if the "ending" actually even happened. Its hard to tell if the victory that was found was even real. I can understand why fans were pissed off too. But truthfully, I believe if you know and expect a mindfuck coming into this show (along with the fact that The End of Evangelion is the true ending), you might take a lot away from it, and that's the only reason I mention it. It provokes thought.

Neon Genesis Evangelion, truthfully, deserves a diagram. Like one of those "this is your brain; and this is your brain on Evangelion". You should never be the same after watching this show. Evangelion is about being alone, feeling alone, and coming to terms with that loneliness.

Sadly, Evangelion, in hindsight, can be some-what flawed. While there are no plot holes found during your initial viewing, the more you meditate on the series and how it presents itself, the easier it is to find your own issues with the show. Pay attention to the wording there, as I believe most of the issues found in the show's story are strictly attributed to the viewer and their own individual opinions and thoughts. I'm sure that's how it was intended to be. If you closely scrutinize, you will find flaws, mostly due to your perception of the story, and possibly yours alone.

The one thing you can accept about Evangelion is that there are no absolute ways to find a logical conclusion. The show, and the concepts and ideas it contains, are free to interpretation. From the Judeo-Christian ideology, to the commentaries on existence and individuality, each and every detail can be debated, deciphered, and broken down for years to come, with no discernable "correct" conclusion.

That's the beauty of the Evangelion story, and that's why for as long as I live, it will be a topic of conversation between myself and friends who have experienced it.

Animation: 8.5 – Despite being 1995, the animation is fluid and gorgeous.

Characters: 8.5 – Everyone is interesting, even if they aren't likable.

Music: 7.0 – The most lacking part of the series for me. Score = blah, but fitting.

Story: 10.0 – One of the most unique shows I've ever seen.

Lasting Appeal: 9.0 – Everyone should see this at one point during their life.

Overall: 9.0 = GREAT