Anime Reviews: Neo Angelique Abyss

Neo Angelique Abyss spans two series: Neo Angelique Abyss and Neo Angelique Abyss: Second Age. The series is based off of the Angelique games for women, none of which I have played.

The plot is fairly simple-the world is under threat by a bunch of creatures called Thanatos, which can teleport into an area and destroy it. There are people called Purifiers who are the only ones capable of destroying these Thanatos, and the main character is the only female purifier. This makes her the “Queen's Egg,” with the potential to rid the world of Thanatos forever. The anime follows her journey as she learns of her powers and finally assumes her role as protector of the world.

To start, a very important aspect of the this anime is the presence of the other members of the Thanatos slaying band, all of which are attractive men. Yes, this a reverse harem, which means the only female character of any real consequence is Angelique, and all the men in the show either want to protect her or admire her. This could be a huge turn off for some, but while the harem aspects are definitely present, it's not as big of a problem as it could be. It is believable that people would be motivated to protect someone who would eventually save the world, and thus in that sense the harem itself is believable. There are no declarations of love, only a desire to protect until she fulfills her mission. It is only at the end that the characters want to protect her for her, and not for the world.

Despite the harem qualities of the show, the characters are well developed. The members of the harem each have an episode dedicated to them, so that they aren't simple pretty faces and have actual reasons for their personality traits (although unfortunately, most of their development is through backstory, and they change very little throughout the show). Supporting characters do develop throughout the show, such as Jet, the robot who eventually develops free will, and most villains end up seeing the error of their ways.

The progression of the plot was very well done, and the side plots were interesting and fed into the main plot very well. A huge plus of this show is that no scene is wasted-every thing you see develops something.  The ending is believable in the context of the world and the way the story progressed. The pacing of this show was generally good, such that I never felt like giving up. On the flipside, I never quite felt the same need to marathon it as I sometimes do for other shows.

Unfortunately, there were some inconsistencies with the world building. I couldn't quite get a handle on what time period this was supposed to take place in. At first glance it's set in a medieval time period, and then we see the Artifact Federation, who have an understanding of technology beyond even that of the 20th century (like the aforementioned robot with free will). There is a religious order governed by a respected “Head,” but there is also a militaristic arm of an unseen government that carries out executions. This is not a huge problem for me, but for people who fixate on detail it could be.

This anime doesn't have much way in the depth, but when all is said and done, this show sets out to entertain it's audience, and in that vein it succeeds. It has a little bit of everything I like in anime-attractive males, robots (robots and cyborgs fascinate me), fantasy elements and science fiction elements, and perfect pacing. There is death and a bit of darkness, but the good guys always win in the end and very little that's bad can stand in the way of Angelique. This is not a show that redefines it's genre or it's medium, but it entertains well. For those looking for a light hearted fluff of an anime, I would recommend this.

Neo Angelique Abyss gets a 6 out of 10. It's light and it's fun, with nothing really offensive about it but nothing mind blowing either. Take away 2 points if you don't like bishonen, though.

Anime Reviews: Hetalia

Hetalia Review

News in the anime world—Hetalia is getting a new webcomic, Hetalia World Stars! To commemorate, here’s a review of the Hetalia anime.

When I first heard about Hetalia, I automatically assumed that it would be highly offensive. Hetalia is based off of a Japanese webcomic by Hidekaz Himaruya. The main characters are anthropomorphized countries of the the Axis Powers, hence the title, during WW1 and WWII. Just in case your history isn't very good, some very bad stuff happened during WWII. That was issue number one.

Issue number two was the fact that the show revolves around stereotypes. Italy is portrayed as weak, cowardly, and loves pasta. Japan is socially awkward and a loner. Germany is stuck up and follows rules all the time. When we meet the allied powers, England is a mage wannabe who can't cook, America is a fast food loving fool, France is a creepy rapist, Russia is just creepy, and China is constantly trying to sell cheap goods to other characters. With those issues, you'd think the show would be very offensive. When I first heard of it, I figured there was no way in hell it would ever get licensed here.

All of those potential issues? Not really issues if you actually watch the show. Hetalia is hilarious. Each episode is five minutes long and chronicles either historical events in a lighthearted way (such as the Russo Japanese war, or portraying England's constant annoyance at America's independence) or simply pokes fun at the behavior of the stereotyped nation (America is constantly eating burgers, England consistently torments Italy with his bad cooking). No mention of potentially controversial subjects is ever made, and that is a good thing for this show. The only historical event the show addressed in a serious way was the Revolutionary War, and even then it was simply to show how it affected the character of the nation, not the people of the nation.

That is the reason the show works so well. The anthropomorphized characters are embodiments of their respective countries, and thus are pretty innocent of anything. They aren't active characters, in a way. The viewer knows that it's the people of the country, not the country itself, who really affect events. All of the characters in the show are practically victims of their people and bosses, so what they do can never really be judged as their own actions. When you watch the show that becomes internalized, so watching the character of Germany during WWII becomes far less potentially charged. As for the stereotypes, none of them are anything that would ever be hurtful, and the show is so obviously comedic and over the top that nothing can be taken seriously, not even by someone who's looking to be offended. The characters represent their countries, yes, but they are also very far removed from the actual reality of their country.

So now that we've learned that the show needn't be dismissed just for content, how good is it?  The show has multiple high points, and the first and most important is that most of the characters themselves are portrayed as very handsome young men (known as bishonen, or beautiful boy/man). As a result, the show has a very dedicated female fanbase. Even if a joke falls flat, the appeal of the characters makes watching the show worth it. And most of the time, the jokes work, and you laugh at poor Italy as he gets captured in succession by every enemy and calls Germany for help, or as England tries to get America to stop eating hamburgers and focus on the meeting. The world is portrayed lightly and divisions between countries are minimized. Even countries who are long time enemies in real life fight as friendly rivals, not as two people who truly hate each other.

Hetalia is a wonderful escape, a show you watch to enjoy comedy both on the shallow level, watching crazy characters interact, and on another level, when you have knowledge of the history or can laugh and say “yeah, a lot of Americans do that.” The knowledge of the country in real life serves as character introduction, so it becomes much easier to care about certain characters.

Of course, Hetalia isn't perfect. There are segments of the show that are just plain boring (Liechtenstein, anyone?) and at times the jokes can get quite repetitive. Whenever an episode focuses on a character I don't particularly care about, it's suddenly not as fun. Also, a large segment of the early episodes involves Italy's early history where he was a child, called “Chibitalia,” basically Little/Mini Italy. These segments are incredibly cute, but there isn't as much humor and the over the top cuteness could be off putting for some. And of course, if you don't like watching Bishonen, Hetalia may lose quite a bit of its appeal.

Of course, a lot of the flaws are salvaged by the fact that each episode is five minutes long. Didn't like one episode? It's very likely that next week's will be better. Sometimes each episode is made up of two or three sketches, so even if one doesn't work for you, it's likely another will.

Hetalia gets an 8/10. It's not perfect, but it's definitely doing something right, as it's the only comedy anime I've ever really enjoyed. Take away two points if you don't like bishonen, though.
 
Extra info-The anime is licensed by Funimation with streaming episodes available on their website and via their channel on Youtube.Hetalia World Stars is being released once a week.

Anime Classics: Neon Genesis Evangelion

 This anime, like James Joyce's Ulysses, has an entrance fee, which is a backlog of works you must be familiar with in order to maximize your enjoyment of the show.

The entrance fee for this show is knowledge of Freudian psychology and obscure Christian mythology. If you want the full experience, read the science fiction novel Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, as well as science fiction novels by Philip K. Dick and Paul Linebarger. Your enjoyment of the show will be affected by your previous knowledge.

At minimum, if you don't know what the dead sea scrolls are, what the Hedgehog's Dilemma refers to, or what an AT field is, the first 14 episodes of this show will be incredibly underwhelming. That is especially true now, considering that knock offs of Eva abound. Emotional teenagers piloting giant robots in a post apocalyptic society? Been there, done that. Shinji falling on Rei's boobs? Anime trope. An episode where Shinji and Asuka have to learn to dance in order to destroy an angel with simultaneous attacks? Not as bad as cooking ninjas, but close.

And then you realize that each robot that Shinji and Asuka are piloting are organic robots made from the cloned tissue of their dead mothers, and the show starts getting good.

Rewatching the show after experiencing the ending-where this realization occurs, when you know who Kaworu is, when you know who Rei is, when you know just what's at stake- just makes watching the show again that much better. The first 14 episodes are sprinkled with promises of depth in what was once a original idea. The difference between Evangelion and the knockoffs is that Eva delivers on this promise.

The Neon Genesis Evangelion series is a phenomenon, an anime (and two movies) that brought intellectual discussion into the fandom. It's usually the anime that people refer to when they assert that anime is a step above most American television, that anime is innately intelligent and full of meaning. They're wrong, of course, but the fact that this anime is still the symbol of quality for many says much about its impact.

Looking back now, unfortunately, Eva has a few glaring flaws that new fans pick on immediately. The animators blew their budget fairly early on, leading to scenes where people may comment “we've been staring at an ashtray for the past five minutes.” Little is explained in the beginning, so that people are left wondering “who the hell that guy is.” And of course, the final two episodes do not appeal to everyone. While some may consider it genius, others consider it philosophical masturbation that means little. The ultimate themes of the show as presented in the final two episodes are ones that fourteen year olds grapple with-issues of one's place in society and definition of self. A worthwhile watch, to be sure, but hardly groundbreaking in older, more learned audiences, and these episodes do not address what many consider to be the ultimate plot-what happens to the world.

The movies expand on this, however, and much debate can be had by juxtaposing the final two episodes with the events of the movies. Eva is an anime that works because of its originality and its opaque nature-even if you claim it means nothing, you must defend that claim in the face of what you see. On top of that is the fact that the show is innately rewatchable, once you see the ending, and again when you actually do acquire that entrance fee.

If you enjoy science fiction with a dash of intellectualism, you need to see Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Classic anime review: Dragon Ball Z

So, for my first anime review on the blog, let's tackle a classic! 

Classic anime reviews are a bit different from my regular anime reviews-they are less reviews, per se, and more a commentary on what made the anime great or long lasting, and how well they have held up in today's anime market. 


So, Dragon Ball Z, or DBZ for short. This show was many anime fan's gateway drug, ushering a generation of middle and elementary schoolers into the world of anime. There was a time when you could tell the age and relative maturity of forum goers based on their forum name. If their handle was something similar to “Supersaya-jin Gogeta IV” they were probably a 12-13 year old who would protest vociferously if you said anything negative about the crown jewel anime in America at the time, which was Dragon Ball Z. 

The show about an alien named Goku from the planet Vegeta and his son, who fight increasingly more powerful bad guys, ran on Cartoon Network every day on weekdays and was highlighted in the New York times for its use of over the top violence. Kids loved it. 


These users faded out, however, as the anime market moved on, and DBZ was replaced with shorter, more self contained series, like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell. Anime fans aged up, from pre teens to teenagers, who were trying to find the same type of entertainment while simultaneously disregarding the “immature” shows of their past, much the same way first graders make up vulgar songs about Barney while enjoying Blues Clues. 


I too went through these stages. When I was 12-13, I watched DBZ as religiously as I could considering parental monitoring on Cartoon Network. I loved it. Goku's battles were epic, and I remember my sister and I thrilled with excitement as Goku fought Frieza. I even remember getting teary eyed 3 o' clock one morning when I caught the episode where Frieza killed Vegeta. 


Then the reruns began, and any DBZ fan remembers these. Frieza is killed, but instead of more new episodes, the channel looped back, playing the show all over again from the beginning. It wasn't as bad as Naruto fillers, but at the time it was the bane of a DBZ fan's existence. I knew there was more in the series, but I could not find it short of purchasing expensive VHS tapes, which I couldn't do. Friends who did told me how fascinating the story became- “Androids! Vegeta has a kid! Trunks!” But without being able to watch it myself, my ardor faded. I would see people online bashing DBZ, saying how boring it had gotten, and I agreed. Too much filler. Low budget animation. Slow pacing, lots of screaming, five episodes for a planet to blow up in five minutes! I spent a lot of time agreeing with people who had only seen a few episodes and gave up in disgust, forgetting my initial love for the show. 


Fast forward to now. I remember years ago, I would watch anime and while watching an episode, I would be checking the clock and despairing when it would near the half hour mark, because it meant the episode would end, and I wouldn't want it to. Lately, though, when I try to sample a new anime I often end up checking the clock to see when will end. I don't feel any desire to watch the next episode when it's over, and no desire at all to go out and buy the next DVD. Then, years later, with a dearth of anime that I found interesting at the time with the moe boom (Which I'll discuss in a future post), I rewatched the first six seasons of Dragon Ball Z, with three more to go. And I fell in love with it all over again. 


I'm not trying to be one of those old fogeys who goes on about how entertainment was better back in the day, because I know I haven't sampled enough of what's out there today to say that. But after rewatching DBZ, I know my inability to enjoy more recent shows is not because I'm burned out on anime, considering I stayed up an hour too late before the morning of an exam to finish watching Goku beat Captain Ginyu, and waiting for Vegeta to blow Jace's head off. 

Even if I know what's going to happen, I still can't stop watching. DBZ is that good. Yes, it has flaws, and they are the same flaws that every detractor picks on. But it is unmatched in suspense and the sense of sheer discovery--unlike, say, Naruto, where Naruto only matches his teachers in technique and nothing new is really discovered, you find out with Goku about the legend of the Super Saiyan and what it means. The story always moves forward, and people continually grow--nothing is ever retconned. The characters have incredible amounts of depth for a silly shonen action show, and we get to watch them grow in their own independent ways. Goku is a noble character, and yes, he may be loosely based off of all of those ancient noble heroes like Hercules and Beowulf. But you know what? Those stories were written centuries ago, and we still remember them for a reason. 


So why all the hate, back then and now? Part of the problem is the length of the series. Yes, there are parts of DBZ where it drags. Even I admit that there are parts of the Android and imperfect Cell sagas that my friends and I refer to as the “saggy middle of DBZ.” For those who heard of the epic anime DBZ as they were getting into anime, and started watching during those sagas, I can see why they would be fooled into thinking so negatively about all of the pacing problems and ridiculous fillers, and why they may have given up before really getting into the story.


For those of who you have seen the series from the beginning and hate it, that's fine. This is anime, after all, and opinions are subjective. But if you are simply agreeing with the majority of the haters and haven't seen DBZ, or have only seen a few episodes? Watch from the beginning. Watch it subbed if you don't like the dub, or dubbed if you don't like the sub. There are people above the age of 13 who enjoy the show. It deserves to be given a chance.