Keroroplamo
08 September 2006
Rayearth
30 August 2006
I've been a fan of Magic Knight Rayearth for a long time now - coming up on ten years. I only recently got the chance to read the manga, however, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. All the ingredients are there - the excellent designs, the colorful characters, and the fun fantasy setting - but I prefer the way it was put together in the anime version. The manga came first, but it feels heavily condensed compared to the anime (or the Saturn game, for that matter). The storyline is trimmed to its absolute minimum, so it doesn't get as much of a chance to develop. And while things happen very quickly, and there's plenty of action, it also seems rather talky. There's a lot of conversation going on, and a lot of emotional speechmaking by the three heroines in particular - about friendship, about following your heart, about willpower - and I think it's a bit overdone. Also, sometimes CLAMP's art is not that easy to follow, particularly in action scenes with lots of arcing speed lines and close-up shots.
So it isn't that I didn't like it, it's just that I prefer the animated version. The animated story is fuller, the plot is more fleshed out, the visuals are bolder and easier to follow, and it just seems more balanced. But reading the manga is an interesting insight into the original version of the story, and as it's not too long, it's a fun way to pass a few hours.
Grade: B-
So it isn't that I didn't like it, it's just that I prefer the animated version. The animated story is fuller, the plot is more fleshed out, the visuals are bolder and easier to follow, and it just seems more balanced. But reading the manga is an interesting insight into the original version of the story, and as it's not too long, it's a fun way to pass a few hours.
Grade: B-
Brilliant
23 August 2006
A cute couple
06 August 2006
Crystal Ball
13 July 2006
I really have to amend my earlier review of Under The Iron Sea. Some of the songs that didn't immediately grab me 100% have really grown on me the more I've listened to them - and I've been listening to them constantly. It's still true that it lacks the immediate grab of the first album, but there's a lot of subtletly and depth to this one that really takes a few listens to digest. And that's no bad thing! I've had it for a couple of weeks now and it just keeps getting better, so I think that really deserves an S. If this album isn't an S, I don't know many that would be.
Gallimaufry
13 July 2006
How about some reviews?
-- Comics --
Seven Soldiers Vol. 3 - I've been waiting for this for a while - and as the last issue of the series isn't out yet, Vol. 4 is going to be a long wait as well. I think this series was probably the most interesting thing to come out of any US comic companies last year, or even a while before that. Not every mini-series has been a winner, but reading them all together like this really gives one a much better sense of the big picture. This volume starts collecting the final 3 minis, Mister Miracle, Bulleteer, and my personal favorite, Frankenstein, and the threads are starting to come together. I'd really love to see Marvel do something like this with some of their weirder characters. Anyway, so far, A.
Sergio Aragonés issue of Solo - almost didn't know about this one, but I get anything Aragonés puts out (well, I don't get Mad), and as always, I'm glad. An odd little collection of short comics, including some of his usual gag cartoons, a silly Batman story, and a hilarious account of the time he met Marty Feldman... and killed him? Anyway, I love his stuff - I need some more Groo to come out someday. A.
Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 - had this one for a while (mentioned it a while back). It's pretty dopey, but there's just such a sense of fun about it - something all those Bronze Age Marvel comics seemed to have. Enjoyed it, especially considering I was never a fan of this character back in the day. Kind of dumb but fun. B+
Essential She-Hulk Vol. 1 - and another wonderful Bronze Age collection. This one works a bit better, partly because the same creative team did all but the first issue. It's surprisingly cohesive, mostly because it collects the entirety of that first series. It's fairly middle-of-the-road story-wise, with some really bland supporting cast members, but the bizarre villains and the general charm of the character make it work. A lot of Marvel series from this time (looking at you, Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman, and Moon Knight) were kind of unexceptional in many ways, but I still love them. Anyway, more good, if dumb, fun. B+
In other comics news... things are kind of slow. Invincible is still going strong. Young Avengers just went on hiatus, and Godland's about to, so I'll be without those for a while. Dropped Ms. Marvel reluctantly, just because it wasn't a must-buy. She-Hulk, despite having a good new artist, is bogged down in stupid Civil War tie-ins now, but I'm hoping once that passes it'll be business as usual. Thing just ended, alas. Anyway, that's basically going to leave me with Invincible and She-Hulk as my only ongoing titles. I guess that's ok - means more money for manga. Speaking of which...
-- Manga --
Eureka Seven - Haven't quite finished this yet, actually, but I can already tell that it's fun, if slightly cliched or forced. The art has a nice style to it, the robots look pretty cool, and the whole air-surfing thing is at least novel. The characters need to be a bit richer before I can safely judge it as more than just another robot story with a hot-headed boy, enigmatic cute girl, and a powerful organization out to get them all... but it has promise. It's formula but it does the formula pretty well. I'd rather be watching the anime, though, I think. B+.
Sgt. Frog vol. 11 - says it all, really. I love this series. Glad to see my fears that the story was wrapping up were unfounded. Even though I usually prefer concise stories, this is one series I would happily see continue forever. A+.
Death Note vol. 6 - roughly halfway through the series now, as I believe it just wrapped up in Japan at chapter 108. After a slight lull, things are picking up again, heading towards the first major climax. The art's fantastic as usual... the writing's great... really, this is the best "serious" manga in recent history. A+.
-- Videogames --
Castle Shikigami 2 - this game was dirt cheap, and I wanted a shooter for the PS2, so I picked it up. It looked pretty cool in the screenshots, and indeed it is fairly fun. It's a modern shmup, meaning there are zillions of bullets and lasers everywhere that you have to narrowly avoid - and of course, your hit spot is much smaller than your actual sprite. It reminds me of ESP ra.de because of that, and because of its odd human characters who can somehow fly and shoot bullets. I say "somehow" because I don't know what the story is... the game is completely nonsensical. The translation falls into the category of "hilariously bad," with most characters speaking in odd sentence fragments, often missing verbs entirely. Even funnier is the english voice acting - I can totally picture these poor voice actors having to try to play this stuff straight. Anyway, I don't know if I'd recommend it as such, but it's fun and cheap and good for some 2-player simultaneous action. B.
-- Anime --
Samurai Champloo - well, I've only seen 2 episodes so far, but I thought I'd just go ahead and mention that this series is awesome. I'll hold off on a grade til I see it all, but I have high hopes.
Kino's Journey - what an odd little series. Very calm and thoughtful, even in the action scenes. It manages to be philosophical without being confusing like so many anime can be. It's the simple story of a young girl travelling with her sentient motorcycle through an assortment of countries on some undefined continent, encountering people along the way and generally trying to stay alive. Each encounter has some twist to it, with some message or moral to communicate, and Kino simply takes it all in stride as part of life's journey. It's a nice, atypical anime, with a great look, and it's short enough (13 episodes) to digest easily without having to spend half your life watching it. Very good stuff. A.
-- Comics --
Seven Soldiers Vol. 3 - I've been waiting for this for a while - and as the last issue of the series isn't out yet, Vol. 4 is going to be a long wait as well. I think this series was probably the most interesting thing to come out of any US comic companies last year, or even a while before that. Not every mini-series has been a winner, but reading them all together like this really gives one a much better sense of the big picture. This volume starts collecting the final 3 minis, Mister Miracle, Bulleteer, and my personal favorite, Frankenstein, and the threads are starting to come together. I'd really love to see Marvel do something like this with some of their weirder characters. Anyway, so far, A.
Sergio Aragonés issue of Solo - almost didn't know about this one, but I get anything Aragonés puts out (well, I don't get Mad), and as always, I'm glad. An odd little collection of short comics, including some of his usual gag cartoons, a silly Batman story, and a hilarious account of the time he met Marty Feldman... and killed him? Anyway, I love his stuff - I need some more Groo to come out someday. A.
Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 - had this one for a while (mentioned it a while back). It's pretty dopey, but there's just such a sense of fun about it - something all those Bronze Age Marvel comics seemed to have. Enjoyed it, especially considering I was never a fan of this character back in the day. Kind of dumb but fun. B+
Essential She-Hulk Vol. 1 - and another wonderful Bronze Age collection. This one works a bit better, partly because the same creative team did all but the first issue. It's surprisingly cohesive, mostly because it collects the entirety of that first series. It's fairly middle-of-the-road story-wise, with some really bland supporting cast members, but the bizarre villains and the general charm of the character make it work. A lot of Marvel series from this time (looking at you, Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman, and Moon Knight) were kind of unexceptional in many ways, but I still love them. Anyway, more good, if dumb, fun. B+
In other comics news... things are kind of slow. Invincible is still going strong. Young Avengers just went on hiatus, and Godland's about to, so I'll be without those for a while. Dropped Ms. Marvel reluctantly, just because it wasn't a must-buy. She-Hulk, despite having a good new artist, is bogged down in stupid Civil War tie-ins now, but I'm hoping once that passes it'll be business as usual. Thing just ended, alas. Anyway, that's basically going to leave me with Invincible and She-Hulk as my only ongoing titles. I guess that's ok - means more money for manga. Speaking of which...
-- Manga --
Eureka Seven - Haven't quite finished this yet, actually, but I can already tell that it's fun, if slightly cliched or forced. The art has a nice style to it, the robots look pretty cool, and the whole air-surfing thing is at least novel. The characters need to be a bit richer before I can safely judge it as more than just another robot story with a hot-headed boy, enigmatic cute girl, and a powerful organization out to get them all... but it has promise. It's formula but it does the formula pretty well. I'd rather be watching the anime, though, I think. B+.
Sgt. Frog vol. 11 - says it all, really. I love this series. Glad to see my fears that the story was wrapping up were unfounded. Even though I usually prefer concise stories, this is one series I would happily see continue forever. A+.
Death Note vol. 6 - roughly halfway through the series now, as I believe it just wrapped up in Japan at chapter 108. After a slight lull, things are picking up again, heading towards the first major climax. The art's fantastic as usual... the writing's great... really, this is the best "serious" manga in recent history. A+.
-- Videogames --
Castle Shikigami 2 - this game was dirt cheap, and I wanted a shooter for the PS2, so I picked it up. It looked pretty cool in the screenshots, and indeed it is fairly fun. It's a modern shmup, meaning there are zillions of bullets and lasers everywhere that you have to narrowly avoid - and of course, your hit spot is much smaller than your actual sprite. It reminds me of ESP ra.de because of that, and because of its odd human characters who can somehow fly and shoot bullets. I say "somehow" because I don't know what the story is... the game is completely nonsensical. The translation falls into the category of "hilariously bad," with most characters speaking in odd sentence fragments, often missing verbs entirely. Even funnier is the english voice acting - I can totally picture these poor voice actors having to try to play this stuff straight. Anyway, I don't know if I'd recommend it as such, but it's fun and cheap and good for some 2-player simultaneous action. B.
-- Anime --
Samurai Champloo - well, I've only seen 2 episodes so far, but I thought I'd just go ahead and mention that this series is awesome. I'll hold off on a grade til I see it all, but I have high hopes.
Kino's Journey - what an odd little series. Very calm and thoughtful, even in the action scenes. It manages to be philosophical without being confusing like so many anime can be. It's the simple story of a young girl travelling with her sentient motorcycle through an assortment of countries on some undefined continent, encountering people along the way and generally trying to stay alive. Each encounter has some twist to it, with some message or moral to communicate, and Kino simply takes it all in stride as part of life's journey. It's a nice, atypical anime, with a great look, and it's short enough (13 episodes) to digest easily without having to spend half your life watching it. Very good stuff. A.
Manga moments
25 June 2006
Just some random manga reviews from the last week or so...
Basilisk was an impulse buy - I'd seen one review that said it was reminiscent of Ninja Scroll, and the art seemed decent, so I picked it up. I wish I hadn't - it's not bad, but it's not great. It's got an interesting premise - two lovers from the rival Kouga and Iga ninja clans are caught in the middle when the truce between their clans is broken, leading to a series of battles between their freakish kinsmen - but the execution isn't all that wonderful. The art is decent, but doesn't always convey the action very well. There really isn't much of a creepy atmosphere, considering the weirdness of the various ninja, and their powers aren't always well-defined. Part of the reason Ninja Scroll worked where this doesn't is that it started on a very small scale and gradually built up the plot, the characters, and the atmosphere, while Basilisk just throws you in headlong into the action without really making you care about any of it. Grade: C+
I've been wanting to read Mai the Psychic Girl since it was first released in the US almost 20 years ago. I never got around to it, for various reasons, so I was happy when I found a cheap copy of the first volume of the "Perfect Collection" recently. It's great - this is the kind of manga that got me hooked in the first place way back when. Great art, a classic setup, and psychokinetic powers... it's a classic. I'm going to have to seek out the rest. Grade: A+
Also in the "cheap copy" department, I found vol. 1 of Gundam Seed Astray and couldn't resist. The Red Frame Astray is one of my favorite Gundam designs, and I was curious about what this side-story was all about. It's fun - it's much lighter in tone than the melodramatic (but excellent) Seed, but still has some nice action and some immediately interesting characters. I'm a bit confused as to some of the events - they find the katana for the Red Frame in between chapters, apparently in a chapter of Gundam Astray R, which I had assumed was a sequel... that kind of thing aside, it's pretty good and I'd like to read more. Maybe it would all add up in the end. I don't think there are many volumes, either, which is a plus. Anyway, I'll give it an A-.
Basilisk was an impulse buy - I'd seen one review that said it was reminiscent of Ninja Scroll, and the art seemed decent, so I picked it up. I wish I hadn't - it's not bad, but it's not great. It's got an interesting premise - two lovers from the rival Kouga and Iga ninja clans are caught in the middle when the truce between their clans is broken, leading to a series of battles between their freakish kinsmen - but the execution isn't all that wonderful. The art is decent, but doesn't always convey the action very well. There really isn't much of a creepy atmosphere, considering the weirdness of the various ninja, and their powers aren't always well-defined. Part of the reason Ninja Scroll worked where this doesn't is that it started on a very small scale and gradually built up the plot, the characters, and the atmosphere, while Basilisk just throws you in headlong into the action without really making you care about any of it. Grade: C+
I've been wanting to read Mai the Psychic Girl since it was first released in the US almost 20 years ago. I never got around to it, for various reasons, so I was happy when I found a cheap copy of the first volume of the "Perfect Collection" recently. It's great - this is the kind of manga that got me hooked in the first place way back when. Great art, a classic setup, and psychokinetic powers... it's a classic. I'm going to have to seek out the rest. Grade: A+
Also in the "cheap copy" department, I found vol. 1 of Gundam Seed Astray and couldn't resist. The Red Frame Astray is one of my favorite Gundam designs, and I was curious about what this side-story was all about. It's fun - it's much lighter in tone than the melodramatic (but excellent) Seed, but still has some nice action and some immediately interesting characters. I'm a bit confused as to some of the events - they find the katana for the Red Frame in between chapters, apparently in a chapter of Gundam Astray R, which I had assumed was a sequel... that kind of thing aside, it's pretty good and I'd like to read more. Maybe it would all add up in the end. I don't think there are many volumes, either, which is a plus. Anyway, I'll give it an A-.
Soon someone will put a spell on you
23 June 2006
At long last, I have my copy of Keane's 2nd album, Under The Iron Sea --
-- and it's absolutely brilliant. I utterly love this band, and I'm so glad that the standard of quality hasn't lessened at all.
I will say that it isn't perfect, the way Hopes and Fears is. That was one of those rare albums where absolutely every track was brilliant, a potential hit, a pop gem, etc. etc. Under The Iron Sea is a bit less accessible, but on the other hand, it's more creative, experimental, and deeper (no pun intended - well, maybe a litle bit). The straighforward piano-driven pop has been augmented with effects and ambience, the style varies more from song to sone, and the material itself is darker and more cynical. That isn't to say that there are no instant pop songs - in fact, they make up half the album - but even those are slightly twisted somehow.
This album seems a lot grander than Hopes and Fears - that album seems absolutely lightweight compared with this. The sound is bigger, bolder, and fuller. Big thumbs up for the production, here.
I'm not really saying anything that hasn't been said in other reviews, though, am I? I would like to single out a few songs that are extra-special, though:
Atlantic - a perfect opening track for this album, dark and brooding at first, then suddenly opening up and becoming utterly beautiful and majestic. The harmonies in the second half are fantastic.
Leaving So Soon? - easily my favorite song on the album. It goes from a dark, tom-led beat before shifting to a driving rock beat and kicking into full gear The almost-inaudible synthesizer sound in the bridge makes it soar. When I first heard the chorus, the combination of the beautiful chord changes and the heights the vocals reached made my toes curl.
Crystal Ball - earmarked as the 2nd single, there isn't much to say about this one except that it's a brilliant pop song with wonderfully dark lyrics.
The Frog Prince - how many times can "beautiful" be used in a review? But it's just beautiful. This one has a bright, almost chirpy melody set to a somewhat dancier beat. Oh, that bridge! Wonderful ambient sounds going on, from strings to little bleeps and bloops. And of course, the vocals are magnificent.
Also, how lovely is that cover art? I wanted to scan in the entire booklet, because it's all so fantastic. It's the work of Finnish/English artist Sanna Annukka, in case you care.
I don't know. I want to give this one an "S" because I love it so much, but I still think it's just a smidge less perfect than Hopes and Fears, so I'll be conservative and say A+. But that's a very, very high A+, and I'm not disappointed by any means.
-- and it's absolutely brilliant. I utterly love this band, and I'm so glad that the standard of quality hasn't lessened at all.
I will say that it isn't perfect, the way Hopes and Fears is. That was one of those rare albums where absolutely every track was brilliant, a potential hit, a pop gem, etc. etc. Under The Iron Sea is a bit less accessible, but on the other hand, it's more creative, experimental, and deeper (no pun intended - well, maybe a litle bit). The straighforward piano-driven pop has been augmented with effects and ambience, the style varies more from song to sone, and the material itself is darker and more cynical. That isn't to say that there are no instant pop songs - in fact, they make up half the album - but even those are slightly twisted somehow.
This album seems a lot grander than Hopes and Fears - that album seems absolutely lightweight compared with this. The sound is bigger, bolder, and fuller. Big thumbs up for the production, here.
I'm not really saying anything that hasn't been said in other reviews, though, am I? I would like to single out a few songs that are extra-special, though:
Atlantic - a perfect opening track for this album, dark and brooding at first, then suddenly opening up and becoming utterly beautiful and majestic. The harmonies in the second half are fantastic.
Leaving So Soon? - easily my favorite song on the album. It goes from a dark, tom-led beat before shifting to a driving rock beat and kicking into full gear The almost-inaudible synthesizer sound in the bridge makes it soar. When I first heard the chorus, the combination of the beautiful chord changes and the heights the vocals reached made my toes curl.
Crystal Ball - earmarked as the 2nd single, there isn't much to say about this one except that it's a brilliant pop song with wonderfully dark lyrics.
The Frog Prince - how many times can "beautiful" be used in a review? But it's just beautiful. This one has a bright, almost chirpy melody set to a somewhat dancier beat. Oh, that bridge! Wonderful ambient sounds going on, from strings to little bleeps and bloops. And of course, the vocals are magnificent.
Also, how lovely is that cover art? I wanted to scan in the entire booklet, because it's all so fantastic. It's the work of Finnish/English artist Sanna Annukka, in case you care.
I don't know. I want to give this one an "S" because I love it so much, but I still think it's just a smidge less perfect than Hopes and Fears, so I'll be conservative and say A+. But that's a very, very high A+, and I'm not disappointed by any means.
"What Were They Thinking" Dept:
15 June 2006
Grave of the Fireflies fruit drops
Really, now. Anyone who's seen the movie should automatically understand how unbelievable this is, and anyone who hasn't should just stop whatever they're doing and go watch it.
I found this link here, where there's a bigger picture and an actual explanation of just why this is such a horrible, horrible idea, for anyone who still doesn't get it.
Really, now. Anyone who's seen the movie should automatically understand how unbelievable this is, and anyone who hasn't should just stop whatever they're doing and go watch it.
I found this link here, where there's a bigger picture and an actual explanation of just why this is such a horrible, horrible idea, for anyone who still doesn't get it.
Stargazer
14 June 2006
Ok, turns out that Gundam Seed: Stargazer is just a series of three 15-minute OAVs. Oh well. Strike Noir is still cool.