Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos「REVIEW」

I finally had a chance to watch the much anticipated addition to the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood series about 8 months after its theatrical release in Japan. I met Vic Mignogna the other day at Supanova and he was so lovely and signed the movie poster for me. The way he speaks is so cute and he's such a lovely person and I fangirled and yeah it was totally awesome. I haven't actually seen the dub yet but I'm sure it's great as all the FMA dubs are.

As a fan of the original series, I was quite excited and it wasn't something that I could miss. I was hoping for something that I would love as much as the TV series. However, I was sadly disappointed and as much as I wish it was good, it simply isn't. This review assumes you've seen the TV series.

Firstly, I'll start off with arguably the most important part of any movie, the storyline. If it doesn't have a story, what's the point? The Sacred Star of Milos has a straightforward and well comprehensible but it felt recycled. That was the biggest letdown. I was hoping for something a little more than your average plot twists and drama but after watching it just felt like I watched FMAB all over again in condensed form. That's not to say it was terrible or anything, I just felt they could've done a little (or a lot) more with the movie than what they did.

What they did do was re-use the whole seeking the Philosopher's stone for one's selfish desire thing and thinking it's some almighty, all-powerful creation until the secret behind it is realised. Then we have the standard torn reaction and the whole family drama etc etc etc. It all sounds very dramatic but it's rather mediocre. It's like a general formula that could be in the continuation of an already successful franchise, where a compromise is found between the effort put in and the quality of the end result. It's something I feel like I've seen only too many times.

Another thing I didn't quite like about this movie was that we didn't get to see much of the characters that were in the series so it just became something like same story, different characters. The new characters aren't exactly interesting either. This isn't completely negative though. I did like the fact that they were from Creta and the fact that the movie was set in Table City, the border between Amestris and Creta. If they ever took up the idea of the war between Amestris and Creta in a new series or something, I'd definitely be there.

The audiovisuals were a positive part of the movie though. Visually, it was a bit different from the series. The colours in the movie were a lot bolder and brighter, and everything was sharper. The action sequences were great. The soundtrack was fantastic as always.

Overall, while the writing was sloppy, it wasn't completely bad. The setting was great, despite being underdeveloped and audiovisuals lived up to what I expected. While I do say that the story isn't great, it wasn't something I consciously thought about while I was watching. It was only when it came to an end that I realised it could've been far better, so definitely give this a watch if you're a fan of the series as I am.

Score: 6/10

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD: First Impression

This is a direct follow on from the first series so I think no introduction is required. The first episode does that for you, with a quick reintroduction of what the first series was about, ie the interesting cast.

This season takes everything that was awesome about the first season and puts it all together. It's hilarious. All the original characters are back with a few new cool additions. The only thing that irks me is it's so short! With only 10 episodes, I'm curious as to what they are doing with this series. What I definitely know is, if you loved the first series, you will surely love this. I don't know how I managed to catch onto a series like this since I'm generally not a comedy kinda girl.

Quick character reintroductions aside, the first episode gets right into it with all the hilarious jokes all over again. Everything is so silly and exaggerated, and I can't help but laugh. I'm definitely going to be enjoying this series.

Accel World: Preview + First Impression

Title: Accel World
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 24
Producer: Sunrise
Genre: Action, Romance, Sci-Fi
Airing: April 07, 2012

Synopsis
The year is 2046. Haruyuki Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.


PV




Pre-thoughts
I never really watch PVs. I usually just skim over the chart a couple of times and whatever catches my eye then I'll watch it. I actually did watch the PV for this and I loved the character design for Kuroyukihime so... I was sold on this series. Sunrise have also done a lot of series that I like so there's also that.

First Impression
I love the concept of this show. Futuristic world with fancy technology, male lead with an inferiority complex noticed by the most popular girl in school, multiplayer fighting game, add a jealous girl into the mix and voilà! It just feels like a super mindless but fun show to watch. I like Kuroyukihime's character. She's rather interesting and I can't wait to find out what the story is actually all about. And... nice art is nice. Everything is so ~pretty~. Extremely appealing to the eye. I like that.

Hiiro no Kakera: Preview + First Impression

Title: Hiiro no Kakera
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 26
Producer: Studio Deen
Genre: Romance,
Airing: April 01, 2012

Synopsis:
Based on otome game of the same name.

The protagonist is a teenage girl (Tamaki) who revisits a small village, she remembers from her childhood and gets caught up in her family's history and supernatural dangers surrounding it.While walking along the hillsides waiting for the person who her grandmother sent to fetch Tamaki to the village, Tamaki comes across a small, white round object with sticks for limbs and talks. It runs off soon after, with Tamaki chasing after it. Soon Tamaki finds herself in a place where ‘it doesn’t feel like the world I came from’. She gets attacked by three slime creatures, and a male comes charging in to save her - by clamping his hands around her body and mouth and telling her to be quiet.


PV


Pre-thoughts
REVERSE HAREM? SIGN ME UP. That was literally the only thing I thought of before deciding I would watch this. I really don't mind the idea of watching a heroine surrounded by a bunch of bishounen, no matter how cliche it can possibly be.

First Impression
Studio Deen is still lame but the artwork by Kazuki Yone is pretty awesome. If you're not watching this though, what are you doing with your life? 100% made for a young female audience. It's too early to tell whether this show is going to be more plot or romance orientated by I'm hoping for the romance side since otome games aren't exactly popular for their revolutionary storylines. The pacing feels a little slow at the moment. Studio Deen seems to be going for a more mysterious atmosphere to the show. Hopefully it balances well with the lighter moments. 26 episodes seems a little long but again it's too early to tell. Either way, I'm pretty sure when this ends, I'll say I liked it. Reverse harem never fails me!

Phi Brain, Brave 10, Another Final Impressions

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
In retrospect, it really is like Yu-Gi-Oh! with puzzles. That's not to say it was bad at all. It got really boring in the middle but it picked up in the last 5 or so episodes. In short, I liked it enough for me to want to pick up season 2. Although, you can tell how much of an impression it left by how much I have to say here...

Another
Sometimes it was good, other times it was bad. I don't think I liked the ending very much and overall I never got the appeal of this series. It did look amazing but it was just boring. It felt like a waste of time for me.






Brave 10
Not going to lie, I loved this series. I will never turn down reverse harem. EVER. I like the generic characters and I liked the silly plot. It was the only show I looked forward to every week and I would watch it again if I had the time. It was totally awesome.

Guilty Crown Final Impressions

If you haven't heard already, this is my theory on how they wrote Guilty Crown. They forgot they had to limit the series to 22 episodes so they kept writing and writing, not sure on where they were supposed to be heading. Then suddenly they realised that they only had a few episodes left to end the series and they thought 'oh crap' and wrote the end of the series. I don't think I've seen a worse progressing series in my life. It kind of reminds me of a Korean drama where it goes up and up but then jumps of a cliff, except with this they were skiing down a slope and jumped off a cliff. I've just had it in for this series from the beginning for no apparent reason but I must say, the art and soundtrack was absolutely amazing. It was truly a spectacle to look at but still not really something I'd recommend. Full review coming. I have a lot to say about this.

Black Rock Shooter Final Impressions

I didn't feel it was a particularly amazing way to end a long awaited series but I did feel like it did it's job. It didn't end with a bang but everything was tied together nicely in the end. It was that kind of typical predictable happy ending but not the kind that makes you want to head-desk because it was that corny. It was okay. I liked it. I found myself smiling a little to myself at the end... That was a bit weird but other than that no problems with the ending in my book. Overall, I found the series interesting enough. It was a bit melodramatic but it was a good expansion of the OVA so if you liked that, I'd recommend this. The art was the best part. Review soon~

Spring 2012 Anime Chart

Click through for full size.

Definitely Watching:
Phi Brain Season 2
Accel World
Fate/Zero 2
Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD
Hyou-ka
Hiiro no Kakera

Tentative:
Tasogara Otome x Amnesia
Tsuritama
Jormungand

Inu x Boku SS First Impression

I see a light. What is it? IS THAT HOPE? I think it is.

The first episode is not a masterpiece. It's not even close to being close to a masterpiece but it's by far better than what I've seen so far (except Another). The main character was like a tsundere except she acknowledges her 'tsuntsun' side and wants to change it. Can't say I've ever the name for this archetype before but it's apparently 'tsunshun'. In any case, the premise of this series is unbelievably silly. She's moving away to live in isolation because she wasn't to learn how to better interact with people. Where is the logic in that?

I already feel like this series is not for everyone. The key to enjoying it is probably in being able to relate to Ririchiyo and the idea of wanting to change for the better, and I can, so I have a feeling I'll enjoy this show despite how.... strange.... it sounds.

Ano Nattsu de Matteru First Impression

This is the 3rd last premier that I'll be watching this season and frankly I am thoroughly disappointed. It was boring. It felt extremely uninspired. I've read that it's exactly like Onegai Teacher which I personally haven't seen. I'm really not entirely sure what is stopping me from enjoying this but I was really bored during the episode. The art bothered me sometimes. I can't say I really like the characters or their interactions. Sadly, I didn't like the premier as much as I'd hope too but I'll keep going in hopes of something better.

Aquarion EVOL First Impression

Someone tell me why I watched this? I'm not even sure why I thought for a moment that I would actually like and enjoy this. As far as I could gather, since it's set 12000 years after it's prequel, there was really no need to watch the previous series for any sort of understanding about what was happening. I understood perfectly. That doesn't mean I liked it though. Over all I found the whole concept really silly with the Type-F, Type-M and forbidden Union etc etc. I didn't really like the characters. The mecha looked out of place with the background sometimes. I don't know... I just really wasn't feeling it unfortunately so I won't be continuing this series at all. ~dropped~

Another First Impression

I really love horror. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was so scared and creeped out it wasn't even funny. I watched this in broad daylight but I was still too scared to watch it in full screen most of the time. It seemed like a fairly standard introductory episode. It introduced a lot of characters, had a little back story but for the most part, it raised a lot of suspicion and questions for me. The art is great. The scenery is beautifully detailed making this anime really nice to look at. It's really no surprise coming from PA Works though. What I really loved about this episode was the atmosphere created by the eerie music that played during casual conversation as well as the random cut scenes of the dolls. There were a lot of subtle hints regarding Mei's death and I'm definitely interested in continuing to see what happened as well as it's relation to Kouichi. Hopefully this show delivers and doesn't disappoint.

Brave 10 First Impressions

For lack of a better term, I thought this was kind of ~fun~. It was really kind of amusing and entertaining. It reminded me a lot of Basilisk (which I haven't finished) especially with the mentions of the Iga and Kouga clans.  I don't love it but I do like it and will probably be sticking around for the remainder of the 12 episodes. It definitely is the better of the 3 premiers I've seen so far. I really liked the art. The OP and ED sounded really odd but I never really pay them much attention. The story so far hasn't left as much of an impression as the characters but everything seems very average..... Average, but I liked it.

Mouretsu Pirates First Impression

This is the first space opera I'm watching so I didn't really know what I should expect coming into it. I really wasn't feeling it at the start and the temptation to stop half way was great. The slow pacing is indicative of the 26 episode length. The episode just introduced a few of the seemingly large cast of characters. Nothing really stood out for me in this episode at all. I haven't latched onto any of the characters or any sort of potential plot line yet. All the action begins in the next episode so it's really too soon to tell if I'll like this or not. The last 30 seconds were enough to keep me coming back and I'll definitely be sticking around for a while because of familiar VA Hanazawa Kana (Angel Beats, DRRR, Haganai, IS).

Kill Me Baby First Impression

Well I kicked off Winter 2012 anime with the anime adaptation of 4-koma manga "Kill Me Baby". There really isn't much to say about anything. It's very ~average~. There isn't anything fancy in terms of art or animation. It's all fairly simple. There doesn't seem to be any sort of ongoing story but this episode was funny. For a while. I got tired of the humour mid-way into the episode. You'd probably enjoy it if you're into this kind of genre but I'm more of an action or heavy drama kinda girl. The characters were great but they really weren't enough to rescue pulling the same gag a hundred times in one episode. It wasn't downright terrible, just mediocre. I'll stick around for a few more episodes I suppose but whether I stay until the end will definitely depend on how long this series runs for. Any more than 12 episodes and I'm out.

Ano Matsu de Matteru「PREVIEW」

Title: Ano Matsu de Matteru
Type: TV Series
Epsiodes: 12
Producer: J.C. Staff
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Airing: January 10, 2012

Synopsis:
The anime will be an adolescent romantic comedy. The three main characters are the two girls Ichika Takatsuki and Remon Yamano, and the boy Kaito Kirishima.

PV


Thoughts
I didn't notice this until I was on fansubwiki but romantic comedy, J.C. Staff, Tomatsu Haruka, director of AnoHana? Why wouldn't I watch this? J.C.Staff hasn't been to impressive with their recent works but I've really liked a few of their older works so I'm definitely giving this a chance.

Kyousogiga Impressions

I'm not going to do a full review because frankly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what went on in those 20 or so minutes. Yeah, I'm not even going to pretend I had a single idea what was happening. There were many similarities to Alice in Wonderland in Kyousogiga, such as having to find the 'rabbit' to return home and the whole accidentally ending up in another world thing with 'Mirror Kyoto'.

The way the story was told was very haphazard making it difficult to understand and it's hard to explain what was happening without giving away the whole thing. You'd be better off watching it yourself. I think somewhere along the way the producers assumed it would be easy enough to figure out everything you need to know while trying to understand what was going on.

Despite not understanding what was going on, I still found it to be an enjoyable watch. It was crazy, weird and wild and it would be really nice to see more to it, if only to tie up all the loose ends and make clear what was happening. The characters were quirky and interesting. Visually, it was stunning. I really loved the artwork and animation. The soundtrack wasn't particularly memorable at all. It was also really nice to see Kugimiya Rie in a role besides the type-casted 'tsundere loli'.

Overall, it's really not a waste of time to watch. If worse comes to worst, you'll end up thinking "WTF did I just watch?" but you definitely won't be alone if that happens.

D-1: The End of 2011

2011 marked the first year where I did not go a single day without anime whether it be one episode or an entire series. Despite it being my HSC year, I went from only having seen Yu-Gi-Oh, Sailor Moon, Beyblade, Vampire Knight and a few other series to closer to 100 series. 2011 also marks the year where I started following currently airing series. 2011 is the year where I really fell in love with anime. I became a lot more critical of it but I also enjoyed very much. While it was the year I started following anime, I didn't follow as much currently running anime as I would've liked to. I kind of inundated myself a little during the spring season so during the rest I watched a lot of older series to expose myself to the wide variety of anime that are available.

I started this blog in February with the intention of writing reviews and getting my opinion out there but I didnt' really have a lot of time throughout the year to put enough thought as I would like to into writing anything so I'm sorry for the lack of those. I know I will definitely have more time with the coming new year so expect more reviews coming out. I won't go down the track of covering anime weekly any time soon, however, as I honestly don't pay close enough attention each week to write about one episode in such great detail. There are already many blogs who cover anime that are much more established than I am around in any case.

I watched quite a bit of anime this year. Some were amazing and some were terrible, but I feel like I've only dipped my toes into the metaphorical ocean of anime that is out there. When I started this I honestly didn't think my interest in anime would survive long enough for me to keep writing but alas, it has. I know there are a lot of great and not-so-great series out there that I have yet to discover. So with that, see you on the other side in 2012~!

D-2: Top 10 Anime of 2011

I know I'm fairly limited in what I had to choose for this so consider this a 'best of what I've seen' rather than an absolute best of.  A list of what I've seen can be viewed here.

10. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukanai

I picked this series up 5 episodes in because I noticed the art was similar to Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko and I was pleasantly surprised. It was refreshing for me. What I really loved about this series was the humour. It was awkward and hilarious and I really enjoyed it.

9. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni

Forget profound plot development and epic fight scenes, Baka to Test is just here for a good laugh. While I didn't enjoy it as much as the first season because of the lack of constant summon wars, I still loved the cast of interesting characters and their crazy antics.

8. Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto

Hands down the most fun I've had while following any series was during Star Driver. It's so over-the-top with the flashy fights, the colours, the Ginga Bishounen and everything but I've honestly never had so much fun watching anything in my life. It's not overly profound or anything but I really enjoyed waiting up on Sunday nights for the release even though I had school the next day.

7. UN-GO

UN-GO is officially the last series I completed before the end of 2011. What people said about it initially made me hesitant to pick it up but when I did I was hooked. Though purely as a detective anime, it isn't fantastic, there is something about the underlying themes that really had me interested.

6. Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail

Black Lagoon is my favourite series. Ever. I really enjoyed this except for the fact that there was too much of a gap in between the episodes and it was really just a blood bath most of the time. I really did enjoy it though.

5. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
4. GOSICK
3. Usagi Drop
2. Fate/Zero
1. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokuta wa Mada Shiranai

The top 5 I mentioned as the top series per genre and you can read what I said about them here.

D-3: Biggest Disappointments in Anime of 2011

Again simply my own opinion, as you are entitled to yours. Anime I watched can be viewed here.

1. A-Channel

It wasn't like I was expecting a masterpiece of anything but A-Channel wasn't even as close to as entertaining as I thought it would be. It wasn't even funny. It just felt like a Lucky Star wannabe to me. After a while I started getting really sick of the characters and the mediocre scenarios.

2. C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control

The premise was quite interesting and it was one of my most anticipated series of spring 2011. Sadly, felt like it became unnecessarily convoluted when it tried to be too much. Visually it's stunning but story-wise it just didn't cut it for me.

3. Steins;Gate

I haven't finished this. I don't know if I'm ever going to stay awake long enough while watching it to be able to. After all the hype that was going around for this series, I was expecting something awesome. However dumb this sounds, I feel like I should like it. The set up is great, the characters are great, but for some reason, I just find it extremely boring. In fact, it's so boring that I fall asleep not even half way into the episodes.