Witch hunter Robin - Review

One of the first full series I watched when introduced to anime was Witch Hunter Robin. And since you never can have enough of the good things in life, and the fact that I'm prone to nostalgia... Here's another review of a good series.

WHR is goodness all around. From the mysterious stories to the supreme characterizations, the series distills originality and entertainment. The story goes something like this:

In the near future there exists a secret international organization called "Solomon". It's purpose is to track the Witch gene. A genetic/paranormal strain that will give dangerous powers to the one being awakened by it. Solomon tracks, finds and terminates witches, protecting society from magic and supernatural threats.



STN-J, a branch of Solomon is welcoming today a new member. Robin Sena is the one to fill the vacancy left by a former hunter killed in action. A special kind of hunter, she's master in the witchcraft art of the "Craft". And as the saying goes: Fight fire with fire.

Amon, a prodigious hunter now partnered with the newcomer Robin hunt witches and solve cases together while we get to know all the members of the strange and secretive STN-J brand. In contrast to the main branch, STN-J does not kill the witches they hunt. Instead, they neutralize their powers with strange vial/crucifixes filled with a substance named "Orbo". A strange liquid Robin takes a disliking to.

Work is hard. Work is good. For 13 good episodes we are treated to a sort of "X-files format" paranormal thriller of hunters and the hunted, getting to know the cast and their quirks. Like Robin's strange firestarter powers, and her disliking of much needed spectacles. And her growing (if a bit cold) attraction towards Amon. But soon, things go wrong. Very wrong.

Soon, things take a turn to the worse and a game of cat and mouse sends Robin into a quest for truth into a world where not even oneself is what it seems. And before long, Robin will begin to discover anew her powers, her destiny, her legacy and her faith.

WHR is a wild ride of thrillers and mysteries into a world of paranormal deceit and those that fight for or against the supernatural. It's a wonderful ride filled to the brim with questions and answers and characters that may not look what they are, but are nevertheless a riddle and deceit. For Robin's world is a world of deceit against faith. Of good against evil, and the proverbial gray shades between them.

Really, if you're into supernatural/religious thrillers or just want one hell of a good, quality series to watch. Witch Hunter Robin might just be the thing for you. Enjoy the first calm episodes, wait, and be surprised.

Witch Hunter robin receives 5 Inquisitorial star out of five.

And you get the magic of Youtube:

Secret of the Cerulean Sand - Review

When I first started liking Japanese animation (Like a year and a half after I finished High school) I had the good fortune to be treated to unusual/mostly obscure series and movies. So, instead of the usual shit like Evangelion or the sort that first gets shoved into an anime newbie, I ended up seeing some others like Macross plus, Miyazaki's movies and others.

This was by no means one of the first I saw, but came shortly afterwards. I have fond memories of it, and would hate this series to be forgotten. I've always been a fan of Steampunk and Jules Verne inspired works, I myself am trying to get that adventury-feeling for the Videogame I'm producing. Secret of the Cerulean Sand manages to nail it and keep to it while pumping sweet doses of awesome adventure antics.

The story is as follows: Jane, a young lady of the buxton family is a jolly lassie whose biggest dream is to build a machine to fly trough the sky (as most steampunk characters). She's got a great family, lives in comfort and makes a haven out of his blissful existence.

But not for long. The arrival of a terrible letter informs her that George, her eldest and most beloved brother was executed for high treason to the crown. His stepbrother William leaves the family in anger and her father is charged for embezzling. The family suddenly is wrecked and left to wither.

But one day, Jane receives an envelope sent anonymously with a tiny piece of cerulean stone inside, that shows very mysterious proprieties.

Convinced that his brother might be alive, Jane embarks on a quest to find his missing brothers. A quest that will lead her to the far ends of the earth and the dark places below it.

The whole series is inspired by two of Jules Verne´s stories: "Facing the flag" and "City in the Sahara". The style is reminiscent of old series like Future boy conan and the character designs have the exact and healty combination of traditional anime and american flavour.

And It's a great series, it takes off slowly but the tiny details from the beginning (like the tempestous relationship between brothers and the strange complexes William exhibits) add to the outcome of an epic series that spans travels around a mythical 19th century world.

I really recommend this series. The old styled drawings and clumsy 3d might turn some away. The lack of distribution (both electronic and on DVD) will turn away most. But the series is a truly heartwarming epic that'll always stay in my heart. It's an endearing story for everyone.

Secret of the Cerulean Sand gets 4 out of 5 stars of adventuring girls with disobedience issues.

And you get the youtube previews:
Intro:

Ending:

Anime Season Fall 2007

This season's series can be described in one simple word:

Shit.

Not only does everything look about the same, there's nothing really outstanding about the whole season. Really, We've had some great stuff lately! Chevalier D'eon, Claymore (good action at least), Dennou Coil and many others that were either great or had one special quirk that saved them from being called crap.

Really, the only things that look fairly interesting are Moonlight mile and that one about the mahjong players (at least the style is original). But Moonlight Mile is not a new series, it's a SECOND SEASON. After a truly wonderful animated year (so far) I'm truly dissapointed.

I do have a flint of hope for Ghost hound. Still, I guess the only ones that are happy for this shitload of crap are anime junkies, pervs, moe fans and lolicon freaks.

Karas, the revelation - Trailer

The action filled conclusion to the epic series of direct-to-video animation series created to celebrate studio Tatsunoko's anniversary is finally coming:

Heavenly Sword - Animation Prelude

A very stylish animated preview to the Heavenly Sword PS3 upcoming videogame. PLEASE try to see it in full-screen, it's totally worth it!

And it's not Youtube!

Red Garden OVA: Dead girls - Preview

There's a time honored saying that goes: "If it's right, don't fix it." Gonzo animation never heard of it.

And that's why they're releasing Red Garden: Dead girls in OVA format. Because they can't just let a nice story age gracefully. Damn them to heck. I mean, look at the cover! they even added a bit of cartoon smut on there!

And I'm so sad because I am going to see it. Just for laughs, or maybe it IS actually good, but the original Red Garden was all kinds of awesome and I don't think I'll be able to swallow this thing whole. Still, coming 8/08/2007.

Youtube:

Re/Visioned Tomb raider

They'll be releasing them during the month of august. Here's some trailers and snippets to get you excited in the meantime. I hope they release this on dvd or something.

The Big O - Review

He wears black, has lots of gadgets, a butler, an awesome car, is rich...

AND HE IS NOT BATMAN!!!

Nope. He's Roger Smith, negotiator. A much needed job in the amnesiac city of Paradigm. And when negotiation turns to brawn, he commands the behemoth known as the Big O.

The story goes like this: 40 years ago, all mankind lost its memories. On that very day, civilization collapsed. In the domed city of Paradigm, standing below a grim sky; disaster is brewing as the forces of the ancient world are revealed little by little in the mysterious form of memories.

Inspired by retro shows such as batman, thunderbirds, starsky & hutch and 70's spy flicks, The Big O features a very unique (for an anime) aesthetic that combines the modern mayhem of giant robots with the sweet and elegant style of art deco. The series itself also plays like a noir/detective drama with the main character's monologues and existential angst present in every nook and cranny of the dark city of paradigm.

Retro-references run amok in this anime. Even the first season intro song is a homage to Queen's Flash Gordon song. The Big O is also very unique in the sense it was funded by an American company. The first season was left in a cliffhanger, and it looked like a second season was not going to be made. But Cartoon Network gave the money to finish it. Thumbs up for Cartoon Network.

Japanese animation is known for it's lack of respect for genres. The big O combines the art style of American shows like Batman (Many of the Japanese people that worked on the old Batman cartoon worked on The Big O) and Art Deco with the cheesy antics of giant robot anime. Add film noir to the mix, spice it up with mystery and a sprinkle of obscure biblical references, mix, stir and enjoy.

And talk about cryptic! The series really gets confusing and difficult to understand by the end. But it's not all about hard-to-understand psychological mumbo-jumbo. Heck no, The Big O has something for everyone. From the retro style to the loveable characters. From the brooding mystery to the non-stop action. The Big O is a series I recommend Thoroughly. It's one of my all-time favourites.

The Big O gets 5 out of 5 stars of retro goodness.

The usual Youtube: