Yeah, I know, I’m slow and awful. Computer problems have delayed this entry since apparently a vital exhaust fan up and died in my primary computer which took quite a bit of my time and attention to diagnose since the fan didn’t fail outright and still appeared operational at a glance. Then add in my sisters wedding last weekend and school and work and my time has been consumed quite effectively. I’m ready to go today though and so this has brought me to volume 2, which contains episodes 5 through 8.

The last volume wasn’t impressive or amazing, but it was pretty good. The story is interesting and has some potential, but so far it still hasn’t developed in a fashion that sets it apart from feeling a bit generic. The last volume ended with Pacifica saving the day, though exactly how she managed to do so is a bit unknown. The church fears her and it was, more or less, agents from the church she defeated, so I’m sure that’s no coincidence. So the church and the army are out to get her, apparently as she has some power over them, and they will stop at nothing to see to it she is defeated. It’s a good premise, but they need to build on it still. This volume is the one that should do that since, frankly, after this one we’re a third of the way through and any series should be well on its way by that point. (more…)

So now it’s over, it took quite awhile to run through 12 DVD’s but I made it, and loved it so much I’ll probably go back and watch it through again in the not to distant future. I wasn’t sure when I got in to it what to think. The art style threw me off at first, and none of the marketing artwork really did the series justice. It became apparent to me by the second volume that this series was a lot more than I initially thought it would be and I was all but convinced by the halfway point that it would rank amongst my favorites.

This series achieved a level of balance that was just amazingly impressive. While it looks like a mecha series based on all the information out there, it manages to balance comedy and drama and action while still telling a great story. It didn’t end there though as the series also balanced a huge cast quite well, a number of larger and smaller stories intermixed throughout the series, various art styles and influences, and a number of genres when it comes to the soundtrack. Balance was really the key for this series and it really pulled it off. (more…)

Here we are, the end of the series, and possibly one of my favorites, if not number 1, provided this volume doesn’t blow it. Under normal circumstances with regular movies or shows I probably wouldn’t be very worried after I’ve made it through, and loved, over 90% of the series. Unfortunately anime, despite its good qualities, really has a tendency to disappoint me when it comes to conclusions. The ending of the manga, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, doesn’t fill me with confidence either. Regardless, I have a good feeling about it, and others have reassured me that the ending doesn’t match the manga; without spoiling it for me I might add.

Volume 12 consists of the final 4 episodes, which are episodes 47 through 50. The last episode left us off with quite a cliffhanger, something the series hasn’t done much of until season 4. Eureka, Renton and the kids have found the Control Cluster, and Rentons sister along with it. The Gekko and the Izumo are also heading towards a battle against nearly impossible odds in order to stop Deweys attack on the cluster. It’s going to be a heck of a ride, that much is for certain. Expect extra screenshots, there’s no doubt that a lot is going to happen in this one and I doubt 4 shots alone will suffice for most of these episodes. (more…)

Alright, it’s time to take on another series now that Mushi-Shi is complete. I decided I’d take on Scrapped Princess for this one, both as a change of pace and because I think far too many people write this series off to quickly and I’d love to give it some exposure. Of course I will be starting with volume 1 which has episodes 1 through 4. The series consists of 6 volumes with 4 episodes each, as the series is only 24 episodes instead of the 26 that anime series usually tend to be. This series is also from Studio Bones, like Eureka Seven, so I’m beginning to think I just have an attachment to their style or something.

Now like Eureka Seven, Scrapped Princess had special edition releases as well. In this case however, I did not pick up these special editions, so my reviews are for the DVDs only. The special editions did not provide art boxes, only the DVD and plastic figures of characters from the series. Since I’m not big on the figures I decided to just go with the DVDs and that’s it. It actually kind of irritates me when no art boxes are provided, it seems like such a simple item to supply and easy marketing, why companies don’t bother to offer art boxes is beyond me. Then again, Bandai has never impressed me with their marketing. (more…)

Sorry for the long delay there, I was out of town for a week and didn’t have the opportunity blog, or even the internet access to do so if I found the time. I had intended to write up a post before leaving and then publish it using the dial-up connection I had available there, but sadly I didn’t even have the time before I left to do so. Better late than never though right? Which brings us to volume 11, which offers up episodes 43 through 46, and is the second to last release of the series. It’s also the infamous release that was recalled and then re-released, causing the twelfth volume to also be delayed as a result. Oddly this made this volume difficult to find, even after the re-release, it seems all the retailers list it as unavailable even though it is still being produced. Not the first time this has happened with an anime title though, it seems the retailers care little about anime sometimes.

So season 4 is in full swing and the story is pressing forward like a runaway freight train through a house of cards. The Gekkostate accomplished their goal of getting Renton and Eureka past the wall and on to the promised land, though the Gekko itself was unable to follow, so our protagonists are split up. Though Dewey failed to stop them, he doesn’t honestly seem to concerned about it; like all good villains it seems he’s prepared for nearly every possibility. Hopefully the Promised Land is everything Holland was hoping it would be and somehow saves the planet, though this land is apparently old Earth which exists beneath the Scubs. Some interesting plot developments occurred in the previous volume, and I have no doubt we’ll see more of that in this one as it sets the stage for the final set of episodes contained in volume 12. Prepare for some “meanwhiles” and such with this volume, as most of the characters are all separated, so I have no doubt there will be a lot of jumping from location to location in this volume. (more…)

Alright, I’m back to Eureka Seven and ready to get in to the final season of the series, which of course brings us to volume 10 of the series. This volume contains episodes 39 through 42, which effectively ends season three and presses forward in to the fourth and final season. Of course, along with a new season comes the introduction of new opening and closing sequences, and I sure hope we see some improvement. The opener for season three had a decent song attached, but the animation just really felt awkward. The closer was the opposite, providing unique imagery but attached it to a song that I could barely stand. So far I’ve liked the sequences less as we move on from season to season, hopefully this one breaks that trend.

So we ended the last episode with a whole ton more development, primarily with the story and history as the characters are pretty well developed so far aside from growth. The villains could stand to use a bit more focus, but we’ve started to get some of that with the last volume, though more wouldn’t hurt. Season three certainly has been a roller coaster ride, usually consisting of episodes that provided a lot of action or a lot of development, making it kind of bi-polar in a sense. I’m not complaining so don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it and they’ve set up the final season well, so let’s see where it goes from here. (more…)

Unfortunately Mushi-Shi is now complete and, sadly, 26 episodes just wasn’t enough. This series quickly found its way up amongst my favorites. It really had just about everything I love in a series. I didn’t know a whole lot about this series going in, in fact I got in to the series primarily as a result of seeing it compared to Kino’s Journey so often.

Generally I’m not a huge fan of episodic series as I prefer the depth and development that only a series with an ongoing linear plot can provide. There’s nothing wrong with an episodic series of course, I just find I generally get more in to one with an ongoing plot a lot easier. Mushi-Shi is a great example of an episodic series that did everything right, at least in my opinion. I’ll summarize my final thoughts in a fashion similar to how I do it on my anime list on ANN, only here I can be a bit more in depth as I have more space to work with. (more…)

So here we are, the last volume of Mushi-Shi, and the first series I’ll have blogged from start to finish. I hate to see it end, but it has certainly been a great ride. This volume contains episodes 23 through 26, which will bring us to the end of the series. I intended to do this earlier this week, but unfortunately school really kicked the crap out of me this week, in spite of being a short week. At least I’m not late to the point it throws off my consistency, as I’ve done one a week this entire month.

I can’t ask for much more from this series in the final volume. A bit of development was all I was hoping for, and I think the series has provided enough of that for an episodic series, especially with only one consistent character. Add that to the consistent quality demonstrated in the writing and this series really has been top notch. All I can ask for in the last volume is that we see that quality right up through episode 26. A few days after I complete this volume I will post one last post for this series with my final thoughts. (more…)

So we’re back with Eureka Seven and on to volume 9, yet another special edition release. This release consists of episodes 35 through 38, and is the last disc to contain episodes entirely from season 3. Since season 4 begins early in the next release, it’s likely the bulk of story left to be told for season 3 will occur in this volume, since only one episode of the next will be part of the third season. The set up from volume 8 supports this pretty well.

The last volume basically ended with the Gekkostate preparing to take on the military forces in the capital to rescue Norb, a powerful Voderac Priest. The last volume was very heavy on the development, but as this is a series that is actually a drama more than a mecha series, I’m not under the impression that we’re done with development. There is still a lot of ground left to be covered, particularly when it comes to Dewey and his cronies, Anemone, Dominic and the rest of the military side of this fight. Renton and Eurekas growing relationship also provides a lot of opportunities for further development, though it looks like Talho and Holland have reached a good point, so I’m not expecting a whole lot more on their end. (more…)

We’re getting close to the end of this series now; not that there’s really any central storyline to conclude in the case of this title though. This is the second to last release of this title, and contains episodes 19 through 22. It’s been a great ride so far, and I really wish it wasn’t going to be over so soon.

The last volume provided a little bit more development for Ginko in how it fleshed out his occupation somewhat, though still in a pretty minor way. Up to this point the series has been very consistent in regards to its technical merits, and as we near the end, I’m willing to bet this consistency will remain. I have noticed that Ginkos role has lessened as time has gone on, though the stories told are still just as good as ever, and he’s still a strong presence in every episode even if slightly diminished. The episodes are all quite good regardless, but I must admit I’m still hoping for at least a few more episodes with a strong presence from our lead. (more…)