Behold the Void's Anime Reviews

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I'm bored and want to do some writing, so I'm going to start reviewing anime every week until I get tired of doing it or something. Reviews will probably go up Tuesdays since it's generally a decent day for me work/school-wise.

Some general notes:
First Impression: Usually used for airing series or series I'm just starting to check out but am too busy to get into. Can also be applied to something where I watched one episode and swore never to return. Generally the shortest of the reviews.
In Progress: Something I'm watching and only part-way through, or was getting through, became overcome with an urge to gouge out my eyes, and decided it'd be best to stop for health reasons.
Full Review: A full review of the series in it's entirety. Will not contain spoilers, but will be a full look at how the series is.

Dub/Sub/Fansub: Pretty self-explanatory, the version I'm watching. Dub and Sub, naturally, are official releases whereas Fansub (which is likely to make up a majority of what I review) is not an official release.

Tagline/Quote: I like to lead with a quote or tagline I think is indicative of the series. It's generally for my own entertainment, hopefully you will be amused as well.

I'm going to start with some first impressions of some of the newly airing anime this season, and then will probably go back and pick over classics or other things I'm watching at the time. Feel free to suggest series to me for review, but I reserve the right to pick and choose series based on my own preference/plans.

Reviews:
Sengoku Basara - First Impression (4-14-09)
Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen - First Impression (4-21-09)
Eden of the East - First Impression (4-28-09)

Last Review:
Eden of the East - First Impression (4-28-09)
Next Review:
Basquash (5-5-09)

[Momiji]

Do you accept review suggestions/requests, too? ;D

(also, are you on MyAnimeList?)

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Do you accept review suggestions/requests, too? ;D

(also, are you on MyAnimeList?)

I'm going to start with some first impressions of some of the newly airing anime this season, and then will probably go back and pick over classics or other things I'm watching at the time. Feel free to suggest series to me for review.

Suggest away.

As far as MyAnimeList, no I am not.

[Bunny]

Code Geass, Ergo Proxy and Elfen Lied.

Also for fun: Weather Report Girl

>_>

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Sengoku Basara
First Impression - Fansub

"YUKIMUUURAAAA! OYAKATA-SAMAAAAAA"

Within the first few seconds of watching Sengoku Basara, you know immediately how it's going to go. Seeing a man riding a horse with handlebars and exhaust pipes (a motorcycle horse, if you will) dressed in samurai armor and carrying six swords speaking to his burly men in truly inspired Engrish gives you a pretty good idea of what is about to happen. If that isn't enough, the scene immediately following it where he draws all six swords and uses them at the same time, or the scene directly following that one where his rival character busts open a gate and rides in with flaming spears to do violence on a bunch of hapless mooks will. This is a show for men. Manly men. The kind who like swords and guns and swords with guns, and having rough manly sex with each other.

Wait, scratch that last one.

Anyway, Sengoku Basara is loosely based on the Warring States period of Japan, the time when Oda Nobunaga made his rise to power and became a reviled demon in the eyes of the Japanese. Thankfully, this has not changed at all, and Nobunaga has once again taken his place in the storyline as the evil demon king the fiery burning-spirit good guys must take down in order to restore peace to Japan or something. There is backstory here, but it's not too well defined, at least in the first episode. The exposition creates a strange lull in the series, perhaps as a way for them to pretend they have some semblance of a plot before they can get to the important thing – the violence.

And speaking of violence, it's pretty classy violence. Characterized by glowing battle auras and dramatically over-the-top attacks, the anime is reminiscent of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series, which should come to no surprise to those who played Devil Kings (Sengoku Basara in Japanese), the game upon which it is based. Devil Kings duplicated the formula almost exactly, and that formula has been retained for the anime. Stalwart heroic figures rampage through the ranks of hapless redshirts before coming face to face with one another and engaging in high-flying duels of ferocious swording. What really sells the series, though, is the animation. Studio I.G. (Blood+, Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations) does a fantastic job of making the fights come alive, with scenes like one of the titular characters, flaming spear-wielding Sanada Yukimura cutting through a mook horde before unleashing a flaming whirlwind attack, or rival six-katana-wielding Masamune Date chopping people down with his six swords held like claws showcase perfectly the kind of action sequences you can expect. Even in the first episode, Sengoku Basara doesn't disappoint with bombastic action sequences that are liable to make up the core of the series. The upbeat opening by Abingdon Boys School helps set the mood, with a horde of dancing soldiers, shots of the numerous characters, and, of course, more gratuitous violence.

Sengoku Basara is not a complicated series. What it is, at it's heart, is a story about a bunch of dudes with fighting spirit and weapons trying to beat the crap out of each other. What really sells it, production values aside, is the fact that it is incredibly self-aware. It knows what it's doing, and isn't trying to be anything but brainless fun. Add in a genuinely entertaining cast, from the motorcycle-horse riding cocky Masamune Date to the bromance of Sanada Yukimura and “Oyakata-sama” which generally involves them screaming each other's names while gleefully punching each other in the face, there's a good mix of humor and fun in the series to round out the cool fights, which further helps establish a surprising amount of quality considering it's a show geared towards appealing to the lowest common denominator in all of us. For those who like manly sword duels and single men taking on armies, definitely give it a watch. For those of you without Y chromosomes, there's plenty of gay subtext too, further proof that studio I.G. knows EXACTLY what they're doing.

That's it for me, come back next week for my review of Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen.

[Momiji]

Ah, I missed that sentence. Anyway...

How about (picking some random ones from my list) 5 Centimeters per Second, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, Hidamari Sketch, Kara no Kyoukai (of what is released so far), Nodame Cantabile, School Days, and Tokyo Marble Chocolate?

For my amusement: Kodomo no Jikan ;D

[Rocket Edge]

It'd be cool to hear what you have to say about Bleach.

[Zeromus_X]

A review for Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo would be neat.

[qwertysaur]

Rock Musical Bleach!

[Ramza Beoulve]

A review for Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo would be neat.

That, and Mushishi.

[Tavrobel]

Bible Black
Boku no Pico

Higashi no Eden
Clannad (TV)
Clannad: After Story

I can't even imagine what you could possibly write for TTGL if we told you to review that.

[JKTrix]

Nice! I haven't seen Void around lately.

Starting off with some hotblood I see!

Norio Wakamoto as Nobunaga FTW!

Coming up next: JAM Project fueled hotblood FTW!

I look forward to providing more pointless colourful commentary if I've seen something Void writes about. (Which, in the case of the first 2, I have!)

As for suggestions: maybe stick to Current Season stuff for now (as you seem to be doing)? The backlog is vast and infinite, and I think your interests align with mine fairly closely. So I'll refrain otherwise!

[Gullick]

Havent seen you in a while BtV, welcome back


Good review so far, this is a pretty cool idea. Keep it up

[Jessweeee♪]

Serial Experiments Lain and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei!

:</>D?

[black orb]

>>> The Hakkenden, Legend of the Dog Warriors.
that has been one of my fav anime since, forever..