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selector infected WIXOSS Review

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Black*Rock Shooter + Yu-Gi-Oh + Puella Magi Madoka Magica. That’s all I’m gonna say.

A popular teen card game called WIXOSS carries a dark secret. LRIG cards (girl backwards – honestly took me a while) are rumored cards that contain the live consciousness of girls, and those females who obtain an LRIG are known as Selectors. When drawn into battle, Selectors face off against each other in another land, aggressively trying to win enough victories to have their wishes invoked by their LRIG. When Ruko Kominato gets infected by “Tama,” a cute yet battle-driven LRIG, she is tossed into the dark and twisted lies of the Selectors’ game. She’s good at first, but what happens when you lose . . .

Do not be dismayed by the fact that the show is based on a card game. I feel that that was the turnoff that makes this show less well-liked or popular. The rules to the game occur in a simple pattern that needs no explanation, so you can sit back and relax, that is to say, on the edge of your seat >.< Instead of trying to grasp the workings of the game, just watch the show – the game is just a way to convey the dark plot (not gonna spoil), making the kids think it’s just a harmless teen card battle. That aside, the plot of selector infected WIXOSS is somewhat to understand, gripping, and tragic. Heads up on Hitoe, though, as she makes the whole thing confusing by the end.

Pick a color of the basic rainbow and that’s how many characters there are. Literally, each character has that one attribute that makes them so generic. Sure, they all have their quirks that make me feel bad for them, and it sure sucks to be them, but I feel it was done better in other anime (see top). Ruko, however, acts as a white sheet of paper, being drawn on by the other characters until it’s hard to make out who she is. At the beginning, she has one mindset, but by the end, boy, she rounded out very nicely! The only other character I thoroughly enjoyed was Akira. I LOVE CRAZY characters! They are unpredictably creepy and enforce amazing plot twists. Akira was no exception to my standards.

The animation, done by J.C.Staff (A Certain Scientific Railgun and many others) was, well, bland. I know the atmosphere that they were going for was dreary like a rainy day, but did it need to be like that all the time? The only interesting scenes were when battles went down. I love the darkness that swells around the girls in the mysterious world.

Sound-wise was also kinda dim. The OST had no stunning tracks whatsoever, but the mood was never lost. The opening, “killy killy JOKER” by Kanon Wakeshima is amazing though! I play the cello, so I definitely know quality tone when I hear it, and man, I heard it. Give it a listen; it is the essence of the show. Also noteworthy is the ending, “REALIZE – Yume no Matsu Basho” by Cyua. Really amazing OP and ED this time around.

So with so-so animation, soundtrack, and characters, is the anime worth watching? Actually, yes. Pacing is well thought out, so getting bored doesn’t happen often. If you want to see what happens when dreams turn corrupt or want a thought-provoking battle of emotions and desires, then this is the show. It’s sorrowful, tragic, and sweet. The thing is, this core idea is not new. Watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica and you’ll see the many similarities the shows have (PMMM is much better). Finally, the ending is like really really  awesome for a first season. A real game changer. I had a decent good time watching it. “Tama, GROWWW!!”

I hope this review sparked any interest in watching selector infected WIXOSS. You can watch the full series over at FUNimation.com. If you enjoyed this review, give it a like! I’d appreciate it :3 Until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Attack on Titan Review

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I actually watched the anime this past summer and my god, why didn’t I see it earlier? I guess I was put off by its gruesomeness and the fact that it looked too . . . I don’t want to say stupid, but seriously, it looked dumb. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but whatever; I gave it a go since it was so popular. Well, let me fully retract that outdated statement and write wrong (cause this is a written review, get it) with my anime review of the epic, Shingeki no kyoujin – Attack on Titan! Caution: a spoiler or two ahead!

Mankind retreated behind 50 meter tall walls Maria, Rose, and Sina in order to survive an onslaught of giants known as titans. To avoid extinction, humans began to fight, at first by cannon fire, but soon by omni-directional mobility gear, AKA their little hook-shot gas-powered motors that let them fly. Now in year 845, the “colossal titan” breaks a hole in the outermost wall, Maria, causing the titans to flood in. Eren Jaeger, a witness to his mother’s death by titan, vows to “destroy every last one.” Humanity must rise to fight once again, willing to sacrifice everything, or else be eaten alive by the blood n’ flesh-coated terrors!

Attack on Titan has outrageous pacing. Five years fly in five minutes, while one afternoon might span nine episodes. I didn’t really fancy that aspect, as it meant that there would be periods of epic combat followed by droughts of political chatter. I also found myself lost in their debates on occasion because they talk like real politics, speaking for the good of people and for themselves.

To counter those many moments of boredom or repetition, AoT did something truly neat. At the end of each episode, they would reveal something stunning, be it another way to defeat the titans, a death of a character, or a secret key to the underlying plot. Those last few seconds caused the series to roll and roll and roll until you found yourself out of episodes to view! The show is a bolder on a hill, only gaining momentum until it inevitably crashes into a house or a tree . . . or a wall . . .

All of the characters in Attack on Titan are just amazing. Even the guy who just cries about giving up his life like 300 times! They are all important because they symbolize the one thing that drives this show: fear, and what better way to represent such a characteristic than with the masses of soldiers marching to their inevitable death? Specifically speaking, Eren Jaeger is a badass! Like seriously, he is my favorite character, as he makes me remorseful when he makes mistakes, flinch when he takes on pain, and he makes me internally cry when he suffers. There are very few characters that have the balls like Eren does, and I respect that. God I love Eren.

And that’s not all, Mikasa, Armin, Jean and the rest are all just so cool. Mikasa’s amazing skills along with her faith in Eren and Armin make her a very strong female lead. I can see why many people like her. Sure many of the characters don’t have back stories, but they are not necessary to the plot, for before the titans came, they lived average lives. The squad members are brave, cowardly, innocent, greedy, appealing, dark and human. For once, there is a cast that actually fears the enemy to death! “Why risk my damn life out there when I could be with my family?” They make me stronger the more I think about them. By the way, the deaths in this anime are realistically carried out. I honestly felt sick when they were bringing in carts of the dead. It makes me realize that “this world is so very beautiful, yet so cruel (Mikasa Ackerman).” As a side note for those who haven’t seen this series, this is where that “potato girl” is; took me a while to figure that out LOL.

I was drawn away from the animation, but after finishing the series I was totally used to it. The bold lines on faces and on character outlines drove me insane at first. They do, however, add to the intensity of the show, so maybe that is why they are there. Regardless, it is interesting and new. Also, the fight scenes are beautifully choreographed from many angles, making them thrilling to the bone! The effective use of CGI in the buildings and ODM gear is also spectacularly done. By far one of my favorite action anime; it’s worth watching just for that.

Along with great animation is an epic soundtrack that beckons with awesomeness! Hiroyuki Sawano, the guy who composed such brilliance, did a very good job at keeping up with the thrill and suspense that is generated by Attack on Titan. My favorite parts of the OST would be when the chimes are just hammered away on, creating a creepy and rushing feel that was to die for! I also love both of the openings, “Crimson Bow and Arrow” and “The Wings of Freedom” by Linked Horizon. While the first one keeps with the idea of fear and death, the second song is about celebration, breaking free, and victory. Both songs accurately depict Attack on Titan. The show couldn’t have had better openings. Seriously, go listen to them, like now.

Attack on Titan is a visual masterpiece, telling the tale of humanity’s fear of something that is above them on the food chain. Would we act in the same manner? This anime is worth the watch for anyone who can stand the bloody gore of human flesh being ripped apart. Other than that, this show has a nice set of characters that will inspire you to be stronger, physically and mentally. The show is thrilling from the very beginning up until the last seconds of the final episode. It’s seriously great, so check it out if you haven’t done so already. Once you get past the first episode, though, you might as well finish the rest of the series – it’s that addicting.

Presently, the limited edition copy of parts one and two in the exclusive ender box that is available by FUNimation entertainment with a wonderful dub (besides Eren’s English voice being a little too raspy for me) and subs included rests valiantly on my shelf, awaiting my next visit to the year 845 – the year that “mankind received a grim reminder. We lived in fear of the titans, and were disgraced to live in these cages we called walls (Eren Jaeger).”

Thank you so much for reading my opinions on Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan! Did you watch this anime, if so, what did you think of it? Please feel free to leave a comment below! Until next time, this is all that is on today’s menu.

– Takuto, your host

Halloween and End of October Update

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Hi and welcome to the cafe! This month was filled with anime for me! To start, I finished watching The Devil is a Part-Timer, Attack on Titan‘s English dub, selector infected WIXOSS, and continued with SAO II, Log Horizon 2, Fs/n UBW, In Search of the Lost Future. I also picked up on Trinity Seven. Wow, for me, that is a lot!

On Halloween, I literally told myself that I was going to stay up all night to marathon a new anime. Did that happen, well, no, but I got pretty damn close LOL! For that grand night, I chose selector infected WIXOSS as my companion, and boy was that kinda creepy. Originally I was gonna watch Tokyo Ghoul because it was so well-received and because duh, it’s Halloween, but I chickened out. What did I think of Wixoss? I’ll do a review here soon on it. I also watched FUNimation’s dub of Attack on Titan. God I freaking love that show! The dub was very similar to that of The Future Diary‘s, in that while the main character(s) could have been better, all of the remaining cast was amazing! I do give them props, though, as they kept that driving intensity/insanity that AoT is famous for.

To top off the night, I heard that I might be going to Naka-kon in the spring, so yeah! It’ll be my first convention and I’m totally stoked! What did you do for Halloween? Anything special? Friends? Anime or gaming? Let me know in the comments below! Fall has arrived in my town, so nice weather has returned. Maybe I’ll spend some time outside, too!

– Takuto, your host

ALDNOAH.ZERO Review

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Fellow Café members, let me just start with what this experience was – a coincidence. Ever heard of one? Yes, I thought so. I’ve seen the masterpieces that are Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero prior to this series, and little did I know that this one was written by the same guy. Gen Urobuchi, for the better, you got me again!

Humankind began migrating to Mars when an ancient alien hypergate was discovered on the moon in 1972. Using the Aldnoah technology they had additionally discovered, the VERS Empire was formed. Soon after, the VERS Empire declared war on Earth. This war caused the destruction of the Moon and the gate, creating a belt of debris around Earth and disabling any known connections. Presently in 2014, the princess of VERS travels to Earth only to be attacked and “killed” during a peace mission. The people of VERS are now furious and stand determined to take Earth this time around as both races are thrown back into war.

Isn’t that a cool concept? Aldnoah.Zero dives into the aspect of human separation, and how it is not Terrans versus Martians so much as it’s humans on Earth and those on Mars against each other. They all want each other’s’ blood even though it is actually the same type. Add this dark theme and giant robot, or “kataprakt,” fights and you have yourself a show that is interesting and worth one’s time.

Speaking of, one flaw that I would like to point out is the fact that the Martian’s could have easily squashed any human resistance with their super powered Aldnoah kataprakts, but what would be the good in that, right? Like seriously, one of the enemy robots can create a dimensional barrier that absorbs all forms of energy, allowing it to walk through buildings without any struggle. WHY DID THEY NOT MAKE MORE OF THESE?? This forced the opening fight to require Inaho’s smarts, as he literally couldn’t go rushing in at the enemy. Perhaps if a fight on this scale of strategy was at the end, then maybe the final boss wouldn’t have been such a snooze.

Our true story centers on the triangle between the Terran Inaho (Orange), Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia, and the Terran Slaine (Bat). Inaho is quiet, resourceful, and a calm, quick thinker. This makes me love him yet dislike him at the same time, for although he rarely says stupid stuff, he follows the bland archetype hero.

On another note, Asseylum receives asylum by Inaho and co. upon her arrival (Hehe, puns). She is a dutiful young lady who, for housing the mysterious power of the Aldnoah, one would think she would have some kind of combat skills, but it’s whatever. In that aspect, she reminds me of Princess Lenessia from Log Horizon. They both act in amateurish ways, thinking that a simple meeting would solve planetary war.

Slaine is the crux of emotional occurrence in ALDNOAH.ZERO. Throughout the entirety of the series, the Terran-born boy struggles between supporting the Terrans and/or the Martians. He doesn’t fully support the Martians, but simply Asseylum. When I think of it this way, it clears a lot of the mud that crowds Slaine’s decisions.

In Slaine’s regard, the end of the first half of the series is probably one of the most suspenseful and unexpected twists I have ever seen. Because I don’t want to spoil too much it will remain your unknowing secret. I can understand complex emotions, but wow, I was not expecting that. For those who have seen the end of the series, how shall we encrypt that last line? I guess we’ll just have to wait for season two in 2015. It’s going to be a long wait. . .

The animation quality for this show is phenomenal! Not only that, but the soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano contains epic, pumped up techno action pieces that engage me into combat. It fits the high-tech battlefield mood perfectly. The show is filled with awesome robot combat and explosive maneuvers that left me swerving in my seat to dodge flying metal fists or energy blades of death! It is interesting to note that the studio that animated ALDNOAH.ZERO also did the infamous Sword Art Online, a series which had a second season running at the same time. A-1Pictures must have been very busy, as the animation quality for both series is top-notch – definitely some of my favorite animation.

With Urobuchi comes Kajiura, as Kalafina performs the series’ amazing opening “heavenly blue.” Jesus, I love this music so much! Kajiura pulls out all of the stops in this new opening: the techno groove is hot and upbeat. The show’s ending theme, “I Say Cry” by aLIEz (also by Hiroyuki Sawano), also deserves an honorable mention. Both of these are a must-listen.

I fully recommend ALDNOAH.ZERO to fans of Urobuchi’s works and for people that are looking for something with sci-fi action-packed fights with great background music, and a well-paced plot to where you want more after every damn episode. So isn’t that everyone? Well, yes and no. The last few “bosses” are lack luster and require Inaho to just hack and slash; no real strategy is required. Because of such a loss, the crafty interest in both Inaho and the Martain generals drop tremendously. Nevertheless, I will be awaiting the second half for this great adventure of revenge, tragedy and hope. “Let Justice Be Done Through The Heavens Fall.”

At the moment, you can watch all of ALDNOAH.ZERO on Crunchyroll.  I really hope the show receives localization and a dub, because yeah, I thought it was worth watching again. Leave a comment below and thanks for reading! Till next time this has been

– Takuto, your host

Tales of the Abyss: The Animation Review

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After watching Tales of Symphonia I just had to check out more from the Tales series. Sadly, Tales of the Abyss was more of a letdown for me. So if I didn’t care for it then why write a review? Plot ideas can be tricky to come up with, I’ll admit, but when a story has too many ideas it ends up as a convoluted train wreck. The main story of Abyss derails itself so often that I found myself sleeping during the show, only waking myself up to see the character back stories. With that said, I want to inform you of the really cool aspects of this show, the occasionally crumbling plot aside.

Set in the common medieval atmosphere the Tales series likes to enforce, Auldrant is a world run by the Score, a prophecy written many years ago. Luke fon Fabre, the spoiled yet confined heir of the kingdom of Kimlasca, spends his afternoon in sword training with Master Van until a mysterious woman by the name of Tear Grants shows with the intent of taking Van’s life. Suddenly, Luke and Tear are warped across the world to the opposing empire of Malkuth. Now that Luke has the freedom he has dreamed of for so long, he begins to realize why he was restricted from the world, who he really is, and what his hidden powers are. All the while there is a band of look-alikes that are trying to kill the heroes, a not-so-holy church that wants Luke, a sea of miasma that threatens to destroy the planet, and an oncoming war between the two kingdoms.

These plot ideas sound kinda cool, no? But when all of them are thrown together it doesn’t benefit the anime.  Speaking of adaptations, Tales of the Abyss the Animation is actually based on an RPG, but an anime was released later on. You can ask anyone, but Tales of the Abyss is by far the closest recreation of a Tales RPG in anime format. Most of the scenes are translated exactly like they appear in the game, not taking away from the Abyss vibe.

I do not remember all of the characters from this series, and that is really a bummer because they all link together in one way or another.  Tear, a Seventh Fonist for the Order of Lorelei is a character I enjoyed because of her straight forwardness and her knack of guiding Luke in the right direction. She remains a strong and reserved character through the duration of the story. Though she acts coldly to Luke on occasion, she is quite respectful and well-mannered to everyone else. A second character whom I enjoyed was Jade Curtiss, the necromancer of fonic artes and a Malkuth army colonel. He is a generally happy character, but he doesn’t reveal his preferences or personality, making him seem complex to the other characters. With his dark background, one couldn’t tell if Jade was acting for the greater good or if he had something planned up his sleeve. The only problem with Jade was that some of his later happenings were predictable, but it is also like this in the game, so whateves. I love the way the Japanese always pronounced him as “Jeido Kaatisu” – I still call him that today!

Other than those couple characters, I found the rest of the cast to be decent, but nothing spectacular. Most of the best scenes were not when something epic was happening, but when all of the characters were just conversing with one another. The interactions were golden, especially any of them with Jade or Tear. The anime had also included many notable flashback scenes in just the right places to help flush out characters. A character death in particular made me bawl for hours; it was the way in which he made it sound that did me in. With as big a cast as this one, it felt as if some characters (clones or noblemen) were placed in just to balance another, and that is not how it should be! But it is an RPG, so some of those characters are necessary. Other than that, character motives made sense and dialogue was pretty interesting.

The OST for Abyss stands as . . . suitable, actually. Listening then and now, the concert band songs are beautiful and express grandeur. They keep to a fantasy adventure theme that sounds as if the pieces came straight out of the game, which they might have. Some tracks like Tear’s song that she sings and “Peaceful Times” are especially easy to remember. Most of the characters have a fitting theme that is a perfect reflection of their personality. The opening theme “Karma” by BUMP OF CHICKEN is the same opening the game uses, so fans of the game can appreciate that. Personally, I rock out to that song! All-in-all, the soundtrack is decent classical dance as it appropriately captures the moments from traumatizing to engaging.

Tales of the Abyss was animated by Sunrise Inc. in 2008, and they did a great job of adapting the art from the game into an anime. Again, I have not played the game, but if you view some concept art you will notice the breathtaking similarities. One of the highlights for this show was the artwork for the landscapes. Characters might just be conversing or walking into town and the background animation is just splendid! Adding in that and the year it was done up makes Tales of the Abyss one of the best animated adaptations for the Tales series.

While I may have been bored or confused at times, that does not mean that the entirety of the show was uninteresting. There were many entertaining scenes that make up for the tedious ones. The anime is definitely an adventure, but whether it is one I would traverse, I would have to say no. Show-wise I was amused, but it was not a driving force by any means; it is not one where you would drop whatever you were doing just to watch it.

I was not changed or moved in any way by this anime. It was good, yes, but no more than that. Other than a few characters and plot points, I can’t recall much from this anime other than it was a mess. While this show did not push me to do anything in particular like high-ranking anime should, this show was my first “okay” anime, for everything up until then was no letdown. If you enjoy somewhat heart-filling adventures with action and great music, are investing yourself in the vast Tales series, or are looking for new ideas to use in writing, gaming, or whatever, then this show is for you. Otherwise, spend your time with something more beneficial and organized.

Though I didn’t pick up a copy, you can purchase all four parts by Bandai Entertainment (sub only) on Rightstuf.com. I’m sorry if I sound like I hate this anime – maybe I just can’t appreciate all that it has to offer. Hopefully you will have better luck with this one! Until my next review, I’ll pass on Tales of the Abyss with a push of my sketchy Jade glasses and a wave of fonon arte magic as I steal an apple from the Malkuth marketplace, because, you know, “why do I have to pay for it?”

Thanks for reading!

– Takuto, your host