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All posts for the year 2007

Review: Popotan (ぽぽたん)

Posted by ranpha on 23rd August 2007

Posted in: anime review - reposted. Tagged: Popotan (ぽぽたん). Leave a Comment

The maid looking at something she could never wear.

Today is a review of another game-based anime with overloads of fan-service that is Popotan. Actually do not really expect much from this one.

Story:-
3 sisters alongside their devious maid travels though time aimlessly as they search for ‘The One”, briefly meeting with plenty of people before leaving for the future. They hits some snags as they meets ‘The One’ before eventually moving on at the end.

This is the kind of anime that relies on character strengths instead of a good storyline to carry it forward. The story is pretty decent but lacking in substance, takes little bit too long to take shape just like Jigoku Shoujo did. As I watched the anime, I mostly looked forward to what the characters will do in any given episode, especially Mii and Mea the maid than enjoying the story. In fact, this is what made the series watchable in the first place.

Oh, about the fan-service, there are plenty of them. IMO, this is not exactly a good thing but YMMV.

Character Design:-
Average, except maybe the maid. Even some of the minor characters has better design. And yeah, no black hair here for this game-based anime.

A minor character with better design than the major characters.

Voice acting:-
Just like character design, there is nothing to rave here. The voices did match the characters perfectly though. Especially the maid.

Music:-
Definitely the good point of this anime. The OP theme is decent, the OST is outstanding and the super sweet and catchy ED theme is something else. Definitely one of the best ED themes I have ever heard, easily rivaling the likes of Horoscope Rhapsody etc.

Animation/Direction:-
The animation is good although did slack off in some scenes near the end of the series. The directing is superb, managed to portray the characters in a positive light in the absence of any sensible story, helped by the great OST.

Conclusion:-
7 out of 10. Good musical gives plenty of points to offset the crappy story.

That minor character wearing the maid’s costume. Looks even better than the owner of the suit.

Review: Rocket Girls (ロケットガール)

Posted by ranpha on 16th August 2007

Posted in: anime review - reposted. Tagged: Rocket Girls (ロケットガール). Leave a Comment

The title image of the anime, has nothing better to do screenshots with.

This is my review of another anime shown in Japan in this year, titled Rocket Girls after Nodame Cantabile. Similar to Stratos 4, read on if this series has the guts to kick Nodame off its perch.

Story:-
A typical high-school girl went to the Solomon Islands to find her long-lost father but she was recruited as an astronaut instead. She trains as she searched for her father (found relatively quickly) and she was joined by a couple of young girls who also becomes astronauts. She eventually does a couple of (impossible) gigs, one heroically.

The story is similar in certain aspects with Stratos 4, only more realistic and watered down. Not much action but more emphasis on human virtues such hard work, friendships, family values and things like that. The story itself is decent but not as good as Stratos 4. Still, lack of romance and airtime wasted on fillers are great.

Character Design:-
Pretty decent I think. Nothing too spectacular here.

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The only place where you can have full-bar signal on your mobile in the middle of nowhere.

Voice acting:-
Just average for almost all of the characters, although the voice of Matsuri is quite good.

Music:-
The OP theme and also the OST is good, but not the ED or the insert songs.

Animation/Direction:-
The animation is superb, probably the strongest point of this anime. The direction could do without some glaring errors, such as the cockpit bridge that was still in place even in mere 3 seconds before launch.

Conclusion:-
6 out of 10. Nodame Cantabile still sit comfortably on the throne.

How to eat potato chips Japanese way.

Review: Legend of Galactic Heroes (銀河英雄伝説)

Posted by ranpha on 9th August 2007

Posted in: anime review - reposted, over 100 episodes. Tagged: Legend of Galactic Heroes (銀河英雄伝説). 3 comments

The English language died in the making of this anime.

Taking more than a week to watch from start to finish, this is the review of the humongous space soap-opera Legend of Galactic Heroes, finally fully subbed by Central Anime. Any self-respecting anime-lover must not give this masterpiece a miss. Read on for more details.

Story:-
Two space superpowers in a distant future setting are locked in a long war, led by 2 charismatic leaders who tried to bring it to end and achieve their dreams. Basically that’s all to it in this anime. What makes this anime so excellent is the interwoven stories involving major characters at both sides of the interplanetary war. Betrayal, romance, friendship, adventure, you got it all. Major characters died left and right, inclusive of the main protagonists by the end of the series. It’s like watching some telenovela or something, only that this anime is far better than that Yo Soy Betty La Fea that my mom seems to like.

The awesome story flows along nicely, but tapered down somewhat towards the end especially after the first of the commander died in an inglorious death. Character development for many of the major characters are done very well, probably helped by the sheer amount of airtime available for them. Flashback are done judiciously, unlike Naruto that can have 3 consecutive flashback episodes. The ending does not seem to tie up all loose ends though, maybe those movies/OVA may do the job.

Kaiser Reinhard von Lohengramm, the one who died last.

Character Design:-
The character design here is great, and despite the huge number of characters, their individuality are mostly retained (unlike Jigoku Shoujo).

Fleet Admiral Yang Wenli, the one who died first….

Voice acting:-
The voice for at least the major characters are decent, although I would have like a more imposing voice for Reinhard. The minor characters’ voices are mixed bag though.

….and this is his death’s scene.

Music:-
The OST is great, and I noticed it use a lot of tracks from classical music (that’s what you got from watching Nodame Cantabile a lot of times). Meanwhile about the themes, 3rd and 4th OP and 3rd ED themes are pleasing to the ear.

Animation/Direction:-
The animation, for its time could have been better, but this is not an action anime so this can be forgiven. The directing is great, but in some plotlines it could have been better at ensuring better presentations.

Proof that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Conclusion:-
9 out of 10. 1 point lost from average animation and some weak themes. Do not let these factors prevent you from watching and anime that defines storytelling at its finest. You will not regret it.

A minor character who has problem with women tried to satisfy his urges with the wrong ‘object’. It reminds me that this cat is missing toward the end of the series.