Ergo Proxy: anime review

Title: Ergo Proxy
Genre: sci-fi, cyberpunk, supernatural, action
Released date: 25 February 2006 – 12 August 2006
Episode: 23
Director: Shuko Murase
Animated by: Studio Manglobe
Comment: Ergo Proxy takes place in the futuristic world destroyed by the ecological disaster. In the domed city of Romdo, Re-l is investigating a murder when she encounters a Proxy, a mysterious deadly monster, and Vincent Law, an immigrant with no memory of his own past. After the incident, her utopia was shattered and she sets out to explore the world out side the dome and learn the truth about Proxy and her own destiny. There are 23 episodes; approximately half of them tell what really happen, the rest tell what happen in the minds of the characters including their conflicts, their desires, their secret identities and their mental developments using abstract images and surreal situations. What I’m trying to say is that half of what you see in the anime isn’t real. It is full of strange twists, turns, illusions and sometimes deceptions. This feature of Ergo Proxy can be very interesting to many viewers especially those who are familiar with cyberpunk or hard sci-fi anime but it can also proves to be really painful and exhaustive for many others. What’s more, unlike other science fictions which usually raise one main idea, Ergo Proxy tries to lay its hands on multiple popular themes in one single show. These themes include the existence of God, human cloning, utopia or artificial intelligence. For me, I find the anime quite hard to follow at times but I certainly have great admiration for the anime’s creators for their bold and reckless effort to experiment all these strange ways of storytelling and expressing their ideas.

In this anime, everyone tries to find who they are or tries to solve their conflicts. Vincent tries to understand the mysterious monster within him and tries to find the place he belongs. Re-l struggles to explore to world she never knew existed and the reason behind her feeling towards Vincent. Pino who is an infected AutoRiev gains her soul and feeling and little by little she gets closer to becoming real human girl. Iggy follows Re-l trying to hold on to his only “reason of living”. Even other minor characters such as Daedalus, Raul, Cristeva or Donov Mayer display intriguing complexities and development. The sound and animation of Ergo Proxy are amazing, outdoing most of the series I’ve watched recently. The characters and the background are full of details and the movements are fluid. The mixture of CGI and 2D animation is just perfect.

I’m giving this anime an A rating because of its brilliant characterization, groundbreaking story telling, thought provoking and innovative ideas, magnificent animation and its lack of any major flaws but that does not necessarily means that Ergo Proxy will always be entertaining or is made for everyone. It requires certain level of concentration and patience to really take in all that the anime offers.
Rating: A

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Sword of the Stranger: anime review

Title: Sword of the Stranger
Genre: action, adventure, historical
Released date: September 29, 2007
Running Time: 102 minutes
Director: Masahiro Ando
Animated by: Studio BONES
Comment: Sword of the Stranger appeared in many film festivals and it was highly praised from most of the places it showed. I am convinced that the anime must be good but I have never thought that it would be this fun. A boy named Kotaro is hunted by Chinese Ming dynasty but his luck has not run out because he meets a ronin with no name (Nanashi) who becomes his bodyguard. The situation gets even more complicated when the Japanese lord also wants to capture the boy for his own advantage over the Ming. Nanashi and Kotaro must find a way to survive through endless bloody war against both highly skillful Chinese assassins and the warriors sent by the Japanese lord.

The story is as simple and innovative as it sounds but, surprisingly, it works very well. The story is compelling and effectively ties all the characters and action sequences together making a perfect combination of action and drama. The real charm of the anime lies in the heart-stopping action scenes which are violent, fast, fluid and skillfully directed. The drama portion, although small, is also carried out well; the bonds between Nanashi and Kotaro is well established using only few scenes and dialogue. The animation and art direction are excellent and the soundtrack is really haunting. Sword of the Stranger never tries to be anything but action anime. It knows exactly what it wants to give to the viewers and it succeeds beautifully. Although it lasts only hundred minutes on screen, it will last much longer in the viewers’ memories.
Rating: A

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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (season 1): anime review

Title: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (season 1)
Genre: action, mecha, sci-fi, drama
Released date: October 5, 2006 – July 28, 2007
Episode: 25
Director: Goro Taniguchi
Animated by: Studio Sunrise
Comment: Code Geass sets in the alternate universe in which Japan was conquered by the Britannia Empire and was renamed ‘Area 11’. Lelouch, whose mother was murdered and who is the heir to Britannia Throne, accidentally runs into C.C. the mysterious woman who gives him ‘Geass’, the power to control other people’s minds. With this power, he starts the plan to destroy the empire and rebuild the world in which his beloved sister can live happily. Another leading character is Suzaku, Lelouch’s childhood friend, who disapproves of Lelouch’s idea and becomes his enemy. The two characters do everything according to their beliefs and the anime never says if any of them are good or evil. They are full of details. Lelouch is a realist, a murderer, the savior or just another greedy person trying to claim the throne. His action results in changes and hope for many and also suffering and loss for the rest including himself and his friends. While Suzaku is an idealist and sometimes pacifist but his action sometimes seems foolish. Code Geass has a very serious political issues and adult situations. I think the theme in the anime is too mature for high school children who form the main characters of Code Geass but after I let myself be carried away by the story, the feeling never bothers me again.




Code Geass keeps creating difficult situation for the characters to solve and endure. The anime introduces large group of characters who are closely connected by either blood or comradeship or friendship and they are divided into two opposite groups by different political idea. It tells the story from the point of view of both opposing factions. This division leads to endless series of tragic stories resulted from political conflicts and the war. The viewers will see friendships torn apart, families destroyed and alliances broken. While watching the series, I experienced various emotions all at once as if I were trapped in a box which was tossed around all the time. For example, I cheered for Lelouch when he won the first battle and felt sorry for his loss and then I hated him for his cruelty and for what he did to many innocent people. I ended up having mixed feeling towards him and, belief it or not, I felt like this toward almost everyone. Code Geass cleverly creates “gray characters”, who are neither good nor bad but they are very real. They all have their reasons for doing what they did. I saw them clashed and I saw them fell and I was devastated. There are many messages hidden in the story but the most prominent one is that war never leads to happy ending.

Aside from political themes, the anime is also a mind blowing military action anime. Drama and romance can also be seen hidden throughout the series. The animation of Code Geass is superb. The action scenes are plenty and masterfully executed. The first season ends in a cliffhanger and I feel like I would die of suffocation if I don’t start watching the second season soon. Conclusion: Code Geass is one of the most powerful anime in recent memory. It is serious, complex, thought-provoking and entertaining. Making an anime which has all these qualities is not an easy job at all.
Rating: A

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Doraemon: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld - The Seven Magic Users : anime review

Title:Doraemon: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld - The Seven Magic Users
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi
Released date: March 10, 2007
Running Time: 112 minutes
Director: Yukiyo Teramoto

Comment: Doraemon the movie 2007 is a remake of 1984 movie. Similar to the 2006 movie remake, it tells the exact same story of the original with some additional minor details. That is the right thing to do. This time the adventure begins in the world in which magic is commonly used but science is just myth. Nobita, Doraemon and friends join force with Miyoko and doctor Mangetsu to prevent the invasion of the demons.

Many scenes from the original movie are cut. The most significant is the adventure on the dark planet before Doraemon and friends reach the demon’s castle. But, fortunately, their absence does not have negative effect to the movie because they are replaced by new, although small, scenes which subtly add depths, humor, excitement and even new twist to the story. I especially like two newly added details; the story of Miyoko’s mother which successfully adds depth to Miyoko’s character and also leads to a totally unexpected revelation at the end and the scene in which Doraemon returns to the future that helps explain the miraculous appearance of Doraemi later in the story (in the original movie, Doraemi simply shows up out of the blue).

The animation is a feast to the eyes. It looks mostly the same but it is more fluid and refreshing. Before I saw this movie, I never thought that a remake could be better than the original (unless the original was a disaster). This movie changed my thought. I am a long time fan of Doraemon and this movie left me in a brief euphoric state after it ended.

Rating: A

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Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: anime review

Title: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
Genre: fantasy, adventure
Released date: July 19, 2008
Running Time: 101 minutes
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Animated by: Studio Ghibli
Comment: To me, Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea is another proof that Hayao Miyazaki, the director, is a magician in the world of anime. I belief most people, especially who live in Asia could recall the Tsunami tragedy that killed many hundred thousands people in South East Asia in 2004. If there were anyone who can retell the story of such disaster in a heart warming and dreamy way, Miyazaki would probably be the only name that came up in my mind.

The main idea of the anime is, like other Ghibli movies, about self-discovery and environmentalism. The story is told through the perspective of a young boy, Sosuke, and his goldfish, Ponyo, which happens to be a runaway goldfish princess. They are very fond of each other but Ponyo’s escape brings many magical things from the sea including the wizard, the goddess and the great waves that flood the whole town. The anime shows the worst situation imaginable in an extremely positive way. The town which is now underwater is like an aquatic heaven; beautiful and exotic fishes and marine life swim along the road, the water is crystal clear, the houses aren’t damaged by the giant waves and the people don’t look troubled despite the fact that they are trapped in boats (or in a magically conjured submarine dome). It may sound absurd but it actually works. The anime draws out the child hidden inside me and the world is full of fun and wonder and there is magic in every rocks and stones.

The animation of Ponyo is also unique because the entire movie is hand drawn and no CGI is applied. I was mesmerized by the details of this animation; every little movement and behavior of the children were paid attention to, making them very realistic and lovely. The background is fluid and beautiful. The music by Joe Hisaishi is fantastic. Conclusion: Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea is the anime made with great love and effort. It makes me think and it makes me dream. I absolutely love it.

Rating: A

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Haibane Renmei: anime review

Title: Haibane Renmei
Genre: fantasy, drama
Released date: 9 October 2002 – 18 December 2002
Episode: 13
Director: Tomokazu Tokoro
Animated by: Radix Studio
Comment: Created by Yoshitoshi Abe whose other works include Serial Experiment Lain, Haibane Renmei is one of those anime that reminds me how much I love anime and why I keep watching them. Haibane Renmei sets in a totally fictional world where the Haibanes, humanoid creature with wings and halo, live among human in a town surrounded by impenetrable wall. The Haibanes’ life cycles are different from humans’; they are born, fully grown and with no memory of their past lives, from cocoons which fall from the sky. Soon, they grow wings and receives their hand made halos. They live and work with human until the day of flight comes and they fly away, beyond the walls. The anime tells the stories of this imagined world as if it is something completely normal and therefore most of the symbols and riddles are, without clear explanation, continually piled up in the viewer’s heads. The viewers have to interpret all these symbols by themselves which makes this anime even more interesting. In my opinion, I think the Haibanes are people who committed suicide and sent to this enclosed world to realize their sins. The intense drama is another highlight of Haibane Renmei. It is mostly about rediscovering and forgiving oneself. The animation and backgroud are beautiful and serene. The original score which is mostly piano is really beautiful and easing. Conclusion: Except action sequence, Haibane Renmei has everything that makes one great anime: heart, brain and imagination.
Rating: A

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Howl's Moving Castle: anime review

Title: Howl's Moving Castle
Genre: fantasy, drama
Released date: November 20, 2004
Running Time: 118 minutes
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Animated by: Studio Ghibli
Comment: Howl's Moving Castle was loosely based on fantasy novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. I’ve read the book and in my opinion the anime adaptation felt more like Miyazaki’s work that Jones’. Howl's Moving Castle followed Sophie Hatter who ran her own hat shop. Her life changed when she accidentally met the wizard Howl and was turn into a 90 year old woman by the Witch of the Waste. Like most of Miyazaki’s film, the characters were neither good nor evil. They had flaws, weaknesses and their own motivations. In other words, they were very human. The daily activities of the characters such as eating, house keeping, cooking, bathing was greatly detailed. This helped bring the characters to life and create intimacy with the viewers. The animation was, as always, spectacular and the original score by Joe Hisaishi was beautiful. The climax when Sophie rescued Howl by undoing and making new contract with Calcifer the fire demon could be a little hard to follow at first because the viewers must interpret the event purely from Sophie’s action with no conversation at all. Conclusion: There was magic at work in this anime. Maybe Miyazaki was a wizard himself.
Rating: A

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Paranoia Agent: anime review

Title: Paranoia Agent
Genre: suspense, mystery, horror, comedy
Released date: 2 February 2004 – 18 May 2004
Episode: 13
Director: Satoshi Kon
Comment: Again Satoshi Kon amazed me on how he told simple story in a very interesting way. While watching Paranoia Agent, the viewers would always wonder if the events were real or just someone’s fantasy. The main plot was about a series of street assaults by the mysterious boy wielding baseball bat (people called him Shonen Bat). Initially, the attacks had no obvious pattern but when the number of victims increased, it seemed like all of the victims were feeling desperate when they were attacked. Each episode was unique in many ways; different main character, different mood, different style of story telling but all of them were cleverly related to the Shonen Bat. The direction and the screenplay were wonderful and imaginative with hidden social comments and psychological issues. The animation was colorful. After watching the series I had a mixed feeling of wonder, thrill, shock and great admiration for Satoshi Kon for his wild imagination and ideas. Conclusion: another must see anime.
Rating: A

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