Business in Mayhem

(This review may contain spoilers for the following series. If you have not seen the series before, please exercise caution before viewing this post. You have been warned.)

It’s shocking how one’s view of an anime can change over the span of a year or two. Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (Is this a Zombie?) aired back in early 2011, and I wasn’t too impressed with the series. It centers around a young man named Ayumu Aikawa, who suddenly perishes and resurrects as a zombie thanks to Eucliwood, a Necromancer from the Underworld. They later meet Seraphim, a Vampire Ninja, and Haruna, a Magical “Equipment” Girl who loses her powers due to Ayumu’s meddling.

The anime follows a very loose story, and often strays from the story in favor of fan-service and humor. During the first series, the first arc containing multiple episodes revolved around Ayumu’s killer, solving why he was killed in the first place and who might have done this terrible thing. To counter this deep plot, comedy is often used to bring the mood up and cheer up the audience. In general, one can consider this anime to be a harem, as every girl who visits Ayumu from another world seems to fall in love, although this series expresses their difference in how they show their love very well. Eu, short for Eucliwood, is unable to speak and shows her feeling subtly, while Ayumu fantasizes about her in humorous fashions. Haruna is often outspoken and very easy to read. She’s really the immature one, and it’s pretty obvious to tell with the body type the creators gave her. Sara, short for Seraphim, often speaks ill of Ayumu and degrades him. It’s not until later where she often enjoys Ayumu’s time and comfort, where she develops more of tsundere attitude.

After confronting his killer through hilarious shenanigans, which can vary from humorous to just plain bad, the crew meet another Vampire Ninja from a different clan. Through the magic of accidental hijinks, Ayumu ends up kissing this new girl, Maelstrom , which means marriage to the Vampire Ninjas. After adding Maestrom, who goes by Yuki after this event, to his never-ending harem by solving a major crisis, the crew later discovers a previous zombie who shows interest in Eu. Eu later leaves with this man, and while Ayumu and company try to save Eu, hilarity ensues and nothing of value has been lost.

The show really tried to fit some serious plot into it’s story, but ultimately, the show should be viewed as a comedy and slapstick series, revolving around a male main character and his “harem.” Most battle scenes are done through Ayumu’s transformation into a Magical “Equipment” Girl, and not real serious fighting. Due to the nature of the first season, I was really put off with the series, as it didn’t seem to know where to separate serious plot and comedy sketches. While there are a variety of comedy centric episodes, there weren’t enough out of the first season to stick out and give me reason to watch the second season.

The second season, released in Summer 2012, vastly outdid my expectations. Gone are the serious plot points, and in comes more focus on the comedy aspects of this series. This season continues the wacky adventures of Ayumu and Co, while adding to the relationships of the characters. Some episodes may give Sera more development, while another may focus on Eu. Ultimately, the characters evolve, although slightly, and the hilarious antics continue. The season also adds two more main love interests: Sarasvati, another Vampire Ninja and Sera’s superior, and Taeko, Ayumu’s classmate and not really a new love interest, but someone who actually gets some development this season.

I absolutely loved how this series actually took story points, and jokingly took them seriously. Nothing ever gets resolved, and the story gets pushed back for the next humorous event. The story mainly lies around Ayumu’s inability to reverse time after killing a monster that comes to the school, which means everyone at school knows about his ability to become a Magical “Equipment” Girl and forced cross-dressing. While this does get fixed in a later episode, it really doesn’t impact the plot past the second episode or so. The final story involves the so-called best Magical Girl in the land, and the best underworld fighter in the land, and doesn’t get resolved in the conclusion of the story. Hence why I stated the story isn’t taken seriously; nothing gets resolved, but the series still proves to be hilarious and enjoyable.

The biggest enjoyment I held in this series would be the OP / ED of both seasons. The OP to the first season attracted my attention, and was one of the highlights of the series. While the second OP attempted to follow in its footsteps, it didn’t reach the level of the first season. However, while the first ED was okay, but not spectacular, the second ED was amazing, and I think I enjoyed the ED more than the episode in some cases. The song really captivated me, and I just enjoyed the ED as a whole. It brought a good feeling, and generally brings up the mood of an already comedic series.

Finally, I feel the series really grew on me over time. While the first season of Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (Is this a Zombie?) was an okay watch, I absolutely cannot praise the second season enough. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I feel like I would watch it again anytime I need my spirits brought up. I easily recommend this series to those who enjoy comedy and harem anime, and hope you can find as much enjoyment out of this series as I did.

-Ace

Second Season ED

(This review may contain spoilers for the following series. If you have not seen the series before, please exercise caution before viewing this post. You have been warned.)

Ah Hyouka, I began this series with minimal hope, as my dreams were crushed with Kyoto Animation’s direction toward everyday, short stories about students doing daily tasks. However, the first few episodes actually managed to capture my interest and create some reason to watch the following episode. Week after week I would see the new episode pop up, and I would take it upon myself to view this rather interesting series to see what, if anything, would happen this week.

The series, for the most part, succeeded in holding my interest and moving the current plot along. The main story of Hyouka involves a young first year high school student by the name of Houtarou Oreki, who joins the “Classics Club” due to his older sister’s wishes. After signing up for the club and entering the room for the first time, he meets Eru Chitanda, another first year who happens to join the club, regardless of the fact there are no other “official” members. This meeting begins the start of the Classics Club, and after two others join the club, both “friends” of Oreki, the true antics and shenanigans begin.

I rather enjoyed how the series played itself out. It never really had a big story behind it. The entire series consisted of sub-stories that overall make up the entirety of Hyouka. The beginning of the series consists of two one-episode stories, each of which get the viewer into the flow of how the series will work. Once these two episodes have concluded, the series begins an arc that revolves around the history of the Classics Club, and what mysteries went down during the first years of the club. The story lasts a reasonable amount of episodes, and personally, I feel the conclusion successfully closes the arc neatly.

While there are small episodes in between, the next big arc revolves around a movie being created for the school festival. This arc is arguably my favorite, only because it demonstrates how limited Oreki’s skill is. He can’t solve everything without messing up sometime. While this arc shows the true potential behind Orkei’s brain, it does show how much others rely on his skill and what power he really does hold, even if he doesn’t realize himself.

Actually, while I’m going in order, episode 11.5 had nothing to do with the arc surrounding it. Therefore, it can clearly be classified as “filler” or “fanservice.” Either way, I didn’t mind this episode. While I enjoyed the plot-centric focus of this series, a break every now and again refreshes the mind, and helps people catch up to what’s happening in the main story. Not to mention, there was a mini story in this episode, and although it was painfully obvious, it didn’t detract itself too far away from the series.

Lastly, we have the final main arc, the Cultural Festival. This arc really develops the side characters in the same way I felt the previous arc developed Oreki’s character. Other characters start to progress their emotions and show that they actually react to what’s happening in the world. Fukube, Oreki’s best friend, actually begins to show jealousy toward Oreki’s skill, and how he feels inferior to those who have bested him. Ibara, another friend of Oreki, begins to show how her relations to the Manga Society have gotten, and how distances she herself is from the others. It’s rather interesting seeing these reactions in this show, and only drives the plot forward.

Unfortunately, this all crashes down during the last few episodes. As this series only contained twenty-two(22) episodes, there wasn’t enough room to fit another full-fledged arc in. Therefore, the last few episodes consisted of small, one episode stories. While this didn’t detract from the series, it failed to add more development and progress of significance to this show. Also, this resulted in a rather abrupt ending, which left many viewers confused, including myself. I want series to conclude, and when one fails to do so, my impression of the show drops significantly. While the show’s story has a whole was interesting and intriguing, the ending really crashed down on my expectations.

Animation-wise, this series was animated by Kyoto Animation, and as such, you would expect nothing less than perfection. Of course, this series is beautiful, and I feel like my eyes were given new life every time I watched a new episode. Every scene feels full of life and detail, and for a mystery anime, this important detail really adds to the series. Music-wise, I can’t remember much of the background music, but I didn’t mind the OP/ED of this show. I can’t remember the songs off the top of my head, and that really shows that I didn’t care too much for this show’s soundtrack. That trait is rather odd, as I find myself attracted to most series’ OP/ED.

Would I recommend this series? Put plainly, (yes). The story was great, although it ended abruptly, and the animation is excellent. Although I can’t say I remember most of the music from this series, I do know it doesn’t detract from the show, and the show has its priorities straight. There are times when the OP doesn’t play to allow more time for the story, and honestly, this helps give enough time for the development of plot. If you want a new mystery anime with a great plot and beautiful animation, then give Hyouka a shot.

-Ace
Hyouka ED2

It’s not often I get the opportunity to watch a series with a complicated story and deep character relations. I’ve known about Durarara!! for quite some time, but only now have I taken the time to watch this fantastic series. I can only say the anime deserves every bit of praise it is given, and provides viewers who enjoy “plot” and “story-driven progression” a phenomenal time.

At first, I was under the impression that the story would be hard to follow. The first episode introduces the viewer to a plethora of characters, and it can seem like a lot of information to process and remember. However, the introduction also allows the viewer to experience the same feelings the main character, Mikado, experiences. In a way, it’s a clever method of introducing a wave of information without losing the viewer. In addition, while the viewer may not be able to follow everything at the very beginning, as details are leaked out and revealed the previous scenes may be better understood and make the viewer view past events in their entirety. For example, as I enjoyed the series I failed to understand the events in full light until a few episodes after, some not being completely understood until near the ending of the series. However, the show grasps the viewers attention and brings excitement and reason to continue the series.

The show can be easily divided into two arcs, with each splitting the episode count near evenly. The first arc really focuses on Mikado’s transition into the big city life, while also introducing the viewer to the vast selection of characters focused on in this series. However, this arc really focuses on Mikado Ryugamine, the transfer student “main” character, “The Black Rider,” who is rumored to be headless, and Shinra Kishitani, a black market surgeon who lives with “The Black Rider.” The truth to unveil the “Black Rider’s” past is underway, and the road there proves to be a difficult one that involves nearly every character in the series. If there is one remark I can make about the characters in this series, there are no characters in this series that have little to no significance. I love the way the characters all interact and have some bond with another. Perhaps it’s my attraction to well tied plot, or even just the lack of nonsense, but the completion of it all really compliments the series as a whole.

The second arc revolves around the main character, Mikadono Ryugamine, and his two friends, Masaomi Kida and Anri Sonohara. This arc tests the limits of their friendship and reveals the twisted past they each hold. This chapter provides a large boost of character development for these characters, as well as some other minor characters, but those who held the spotlight in the previous arc will take the backseat and provide only supporting roles for this chapter. Of course, every character tends to get some screen time, and their appearances all flow together seamlessly.

Luckily, the series doesn’t consider itself serious at all times. The comedy in this series is used sparingly and wisely, which only adds to the series as a whole. Due to its nature as a story-driven series, the comedy proves to be a valuable asset and escape from the story as a whole. In addition, the amount of references to other anime this series makes is amazing and caught me off guard. When I first saw Horo from Spice and Wolf, I started cracking up. It only got better as these references grew and I found myself grinning whenever there was a reference that I caught on. However, when it’s time to get serious, the series knows when to kick it into gear and commence the story.

The opening and ending credits used in this series greatly compliment the stylistic choice of this series. The opening songs get the viewer “pumped up” for the current episode, while providing a quick recap of the previous episode that relates to the current episode. It’s an excellent technique that proves beneficial to those who are watching episodes separately and not in a quick succession. The endings don’t add to much to the series, but they don’t detract from the series, and I think that’s the most important aspect an ending credit sequence should have.

Unfortunately, this series isn’t flawless. This story, as far as the anime is concerned, isn’t complete. Various aspects which were uncovered during the progression of the anime were left open, and many had yet to be concluded. In short, one could say the ending left much to be desired, and while it wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination, there are many missing pieces in this puzzle, and only wish to be filled in at a later time.

By these details alone, Durarara!! will give any fan of story-driven anime a great time, and should be viewed at least once. The animation is swell, the music only adds to the experience, and the characters, all unique and fascinating, create a sense of reality in this fantasy supernatural world. I won’t give a score, as this was merely my experience after watching the entirety of the series, but I can say that my impressions after the series was over was a positive one.

Durarara!! OP 01