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Jan 19, 2019
First off, I am and will continue to be a fan of Eden of the East. That said... not a fan of this tripe. Calling it "Paradise Lost" is a misnomer. It's "Paradise Never Reached in the First *$%# Place".
Typically when an anime has movie installments it's a bonus - a little more of what fans love, character development, even just some mindless but harmless fluff... but not a pivotal part of the story. If you are reading this you know Eden of the East is an exception. The movies are the obligatory half-baked conclusion to what was a good story and may have been
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better left unfinished. Had that been the case, my imagination would have chosen many possible directions, but never one this unsatisfying.
If you saw the series (nevermind the pointless first movie) you know what potential it had. If you haven't seen it then you shouldn't be reading this. Go watch it, then read my review before deciding to watch the movies.
I can't really say a lot about this movie without referencing the first movie and of course the series itself so you've been warned.
The first half of the series presents a fascinating what-if scenario: What would you do to lift up your country if you were given not only a substantial fortune to accomplish it, but a phone that allowed you to contact a mysterious woman who could make literally anything humanly possible a reality instantly?
With her impossibly vast (and morally dubious) connections and a disturbing amount of power bestowed on her by the elusive Mr. Outside, Juiz is like a genie granting wishes using any means necessary. If there was anything I enjoyed about this series to the bitter end, it was Juiz's often opinionated (and in one case scalding) remarks meant to steer the "chosen ones" towards nobler paths without ever denying a request within the realm of physical possibility.
Some indirect semi-spoilers:
1. This won't end how you - how ANYONE - would want it to.
2. The more you know about Mr. Outside the less anything will make sense.
4. The fact that Juiz is not a computer (which is exposed prior to this movie) is ludicrous.
And finally a *DEFINITE SPOILER* - HOWEVER! I wish I had known this so I just consider it my dutiful warning!!!:
The "end" is clearly a set-up for a continuation that will never happen. Takizawa disappears with an allusion to his "one last task" and we're expected to apparently get creative with what he means. It's basically like the writers wanted to leave it open on the off chance they were granted a third movie, but probably knowing it was a snowball's chance in hell that it would happen.
In the end, the real question remains the same as at the beginning: What does Mr. Outside want from these people? If you are thinking "obviously he wants them to save Japan!" consider the fact that he intentionally pits them against eachother by making them believe they will be terminated if they are not the victor - and only one can win. So if he really wanted them to succeed why would he not want them to work together, but instead force them to waste their money and energy on devising ways to defeat eachother for the sake of survival?
It seems apparent he's just a sadist and in the end he punishes the unwilling participants in his psychotic game for having played it.
Whatever Takizawa needed to do, I'm just going to hope it involved his fist and Mr. Outside's face getting to know eachother personally.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 17, 2019
Whatever you are thinking when you hear "terrorism"- just abandon those thoughts, right now, if you want to go on this journey.
Instead, let's embrace this word: "Resonance".
This is a darkly poetic, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking tale that is truly resonant. It will echo through you and bring the most bittersweet of emotions from places you never thought you could find such fragile feelings.
*STORY*
On its most personal level, Terror in Resonance is about human desire in both its most innocent and most depraved forms. How much will a person sacrifice in the name of passion, whether it's love of power, science, justice, or another human being?
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How far would you follow your heart into the darkness?
On a political level, this anime is a minefield of questions. Some that I found myself asking:
Was losing the war the best thing to happen to Japan? Is modern day Japan the proverbial phoenix risen from the ashes?
And whether or not that's true, is there a bitter, dark heart that still quietly beats in the Land of the Rising Sun, waiting to ascend into the stratosphere?
I often feel like people in Japan don't generally trust their police force... but hey we feel ya in America...
*PRODUCTION*
Gorgeous. Somber tones perfectly evoke the feelings of despair as each character tumbles into their own personal abyss. Visually stunning, smooth CGI transitions and the music- oh. my. glob. THE MUSIC! Rarely do I choose to sit through both opening and ending credits every time. I want the soundtrack from this entire series, it is just one great song after another.
If I were to complain - though it isn't enough for me to knock this down from a 10 - Lisa is a weak character who really disappointed me through to the end. I can't say more without spoiling anything, but I just feel like she's the only one who doesn't ever develop personally.
I really hope this helped convince anyone still on the fence that this series is worth a shot - and if you really aren't feeling it after the first two episodes, you can always say you tried.
My guess, though? It will draw you in, keep you riveted for 11 powerful episodes, and then linger as a haunting shadow in your memory, always murmuring questions about this terrifying creature called the human being.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 11, 2019
Witch Hunter Robin is about people with supernatural powers hunting other people with similar powers. The series follows a team of "hunters" who use their power ("craft") to track and capture witches humanely rather than using the old-skool method of killing them (think Salem witch trials).
Enter Robin, a 15 year old (who looks and acts 30) who is sent to replace the previous hunter who died months prior. Robin struggles with her sense of self and acceptance of her own powers. As the series progresses, it becomes less and less certain if she is hunting or being hunted.
While there are some decent surprises thrown
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in, the execution is lackluster and anticlimactic. Robin is such a bland character that it isn't easy to really care that much what happens to her. Her complete lack of emotion makes it impossibly to identify with her as she battles an identity crisis that should be torturous. This is definitely one anime where side characters have more depth than the protagonist.
My biggest complaint about production is probably the music! Or rather, lack thereof! There is ONE song. Seriously. They play this same snippet of an awful piano piece over and over and the ambiance it brings to mind is "elevator" or maybe "hotel lobby".
The ending is probably the saving grace. They manage to pull it all together and in the last episode, they throw in a bit of reflection on human nature that may or may not make watching the whole series worthwhile. (Don't worry, that's not a spoiler or anything.)
If you are running out of shows to watch or just want some action that isn't Monster of the Week formulated then this isn't a total waste of time - but on the whole, it's quite forgettable.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 22, 2018
I am not sure where to begin. But if I save just one person from wasting time on this anime then I will feel I have succeeded.
Summarily: Code Geass is a ~25 hr long Pizza Hut commercial.
It's the most heavy-handed monstrosity I've ever seen. They basically took an interesting idea, wrote a story, and then tried to amp everything to the max.
1. Characters - I don't require that the MC be perfect, dazzling, or even lovable. But I can't just plain despise them. There is an art to making characters you love to hate, too. But this anime fails at even that. Lelouch is
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a terrible person, embarrassingly egotistical with no redeemable qualities. The character design reminds me of insects, especially those mantis-shaped heads and scrawny, flailing limbs.
If you don't like feeling like George R R Martin is always lurking around the corner waiting to ax your favorite character then just save yourself the heartache and pass on this one.
2. Plot - I expect to suspend my disbelief to some extent with most anime, but there has to be a balance. A cleverly written series can make even the craziest things seem possible. Code Geass negelcts to fill its plot holes or even to bridge those gaps with some semblance of reason. As it plows along, it gets increasingly convoluted and it is obvious that they don't care if it makes sense as long as it has plenty of twists and turns.
By the end of season two I was certain that they had started this journey with no direction, and changed their minds on MAJOR plot points. They then try to mask the obvious flaws that emerge with more confusion.
Mecha battles are filler and there are lots of them. They are all the same except that every time a new, more unlikely tech is added to the bots.
With every battle there are an unbelievable number of casualties. Halfway through I wondered what was going to be left of this world they are sort of trying to save?
*IF YOU ARE HOPING IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE IN THE END, I'LL SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE; IT WON'T.*
3. Art - As I said I hate the character design. And the mecha looks like all mecha ever since Transformers. Lelouch's dramatic posturing is just comical. The animation isn't terrible, for its age, but it isn't special either.
4. Music - With the worst intros ever you can expect the track to be uninspired as well.
All in all, I am disappointed that I kept watching to the bitter end. I feel betrayed by the false hope of it being worthwhile. Suffice it to say I won't be watching the movie coming in 2019.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Jun 20, 2017
If you haven't given yourself the gift of The Eccentric Familly (season 1) then DO IT FIRST. You will not enjoy this show if you didn't see the first one because you won't get half of what's going on, not to mention the depth of the characters that is elegantly built up in the first season.
If you HAVE seen the first season, you already know what you're in for- a complex and authentic story that has a Miyazaki heart beating in it and characters that feel too real to be just images. The Eccentric Family 2 is better than the first season and I
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am probably going to die when it ends so I am going to just enjoy the ride while it lasts.
That Benten.... oh that Benten!!! <3
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 10, 2017
I feel like this is one of those anime series where people feel the need to criticize it just because it's so good. If something is really good, then of course you have to try to come up with reasons it's not. Angel Beats! doesn't have one particular thing that makes it so popular, it's just something that you can't really explain - it sticks with you, it's special. I've seen a ridiculous amount of anime, and nothing ever really knocks this one off its pedestal. It isn't that it's better than any other anime ever. There are plenty of "better" series. But Angel Beats
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has something special that you just feel when you watch it, and it takes a hold on you if you let it. I don't think there is any need to say "oh it's so overrated" ... it's just that you have to realize that there are always unique reasons to think something is really really good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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