Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
So Long, Mr. Despair

Original Creator: Koji Kumeta

Production by: SHAFT

Adapted from: an ongoing manga
OAVs: one so far
Seasons: two
Movies: none
Live-action: none

Genre: comedy, drama, harem, slice-of-life.
Number of episodes: 12

ANN's Plot Summary: " Itoshiki Nozomu is the world's most negative person. To his way of thinking, there is no hope or meaning in this existence. Even the three kanji of his name become the two-kanji word zetsubou, "despair", when compressed. What an ironic twist of fate, then, that he becomes teacher to a class containing his precise opposite, the invincibly positive-minded Fuura Kafuka."

My Ranking: 5 hoshi
My Rating: R
um.....yeah. considering the bizarre themes and mind twisting conversations I rate it R. not to mention the constant suggestiveness for no apparent reason that's there just because its a harem type anime.

Review: I'll just start out that this anime has come to be called by its fans as "a drug-fueled awesome machine!"........and I completely agree. It makes sense the writer is a self-proclaimed pot-head because it completely explains the bizarre and completely true interpretations of the most random subjects. This in itself should proclaim its coolness. If not for those who would delve into the completely unimportant we wouldn't have glow sticks to chew on now would we.

Back to the plot......wait. It doesn't have a plot! Itoshiki Sensei in his classes prefers to explain why the world is void of hope and would rather make his students see his point of view then actually put it into practice himself. For this, many have become his followers. Through the conversations he instigates with the 'zetsubou girls' (as they have come to be called) the viewer is able to go beneath the surface of the subject and see it in a completely twisted way that, dear gosh, actually makes allot of sense. Soon after this is made clear we suddenly find the ever positive Kafuka, looking back up to the surface from a backwards perspective of the previously stated conclusion, causing you to cock your head as your brain does a back flip in your skull.

The animation and art style compliment the off beat nature of the series to a T. The cool patterns and dark pallet give it a kind of eery feeling along with the random suicide attempts but in the midst of it all you can't quite help from smile at this odd looking comedy. The music is also quite cool put to the op's and ed's that have no particular attachment the actual story of the series. Just another cool thing to throw you through Zetsubou Sensei's looking glass.

This series is definitely a must watch for any anime fan. So throw aside the shonen and the shojo and jump down the rabbit hole, they have a noose waiting just for you.

Comparison: I don't know much about the manga only that it is still ongoing and it was just licensed. the anime on the other hand has not yet been licensed and it was subbed by A.F.K.

Sample Vid: this is positively the best amv ever for SZS. spoilers are not an issue for this anime because its not really what you see its what they say that really counts. btw. this vid is for both seasons one and two of SZS.

AMV of the Week 10

Hello all. whoa boy have i been aggravatingly busy. school is a shit of a bugger ill say that. anywho i think ill be okay soon enough. i just finished another series and as i write its review i will be starting a more freakish series in the mean time. as you can tell im trying to keep an open mind on variety. well enjoy the amv until my upcoming reviews.

Stop the Rock

Seto no Hanayome

Seto no Hanayome
My Bride is a Mermaid!

Original Creator: Tahiko Kimura

Production by: Gonzo collaborated with AIC

Adapted from: a manga series
OAVs: one
Movies: none
Live-action: none

Genre: Comedy, drama, romance, action, supernatural.
Number of episodes: 26

ANN's Plot summary: "A young boy gets saved from drowning by a mermaid but, according to mermaid law, if a human sees a mermaid's true form, both have to be killed. The only solution to the problem is for him to marry her. But can they keep her secret from being found out."

My Ranking: 3 hoshi
My Rateing: PG-13

Sexual references mostly with some adult humor. mild language.

My Review: This series was first described to me as 'The Yelling Anime'. It was well put. This anime is crazy. Everything is over the top in this series but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Its this extreme nature that gives it most of its humor. The voice actors of SNH deserve mad props considering the major talent it takes to endure the kind of vocal strain it must take to make the characters' voices flux from yelling at the top of their lungs to going deep and evil then high and cute in the count of 30 seconds. The series was obviously well put together in that area of expertise.

In my little world there are two kinds of comedies: the kind that are really funny but still stick to the cool story and then the kind that are crazy funny but don't have much of a plot. The thing that threw me off about SNH was that it didn't fit into either. The way I see it is its like both kinds of anime slapped on top of each other; the craziness overriding for a while until the point where it gets a little tiresome and annoying but then the plot suddenly pops up to the surface in a totally awesome, well-balanced episode. Taking this into account the series is a bit bumpy in my perspective. The first six episodes were a tad annoying then went into three totally awesome eps then went up and down a little more until the totally sweet two ep finale. (I'm serious. the last two are win)

In my opinion they could've toned it down a little if not just spread the insanity a little more evenly. Looking back on this series I have the strangest picture in my head of a slice of bread with peanut butter and blobs of jelly in random places. Okay maybe that's a bad analogy, but I just see it as a way to get my point across. As for the awesomeness of this series with the crazy ear abuse aside, I'd say it was pretty cool. Don't let the pretty mermaids fool you, they're still part of the mafia. There's still gonna be some buttwuppen amongst all the screaming, and THAT is what I like. Not to mention a little romance in the mix. Now who can resist that?

Comparison: the SNH manga I don't know much about except I don't think its finished and it is not licensed along with the anime. An OAV was just scheduled for release this upcoming fall 2008 season. SNH was subbed by the group Ayako for eps 1-12 and 16. unfortunately they were not able to finish so the rest of the series was done by Your-Mom.

Sample Vid: ugh. why do I keep picking series that I can't find a good amv for. drat it and sorries.

AMV of the Week 9

Hello all. yet another positively shaweet amv to share with you. I'll finally be starting school again soon so just a warning that the frequency of reviews and such might decrease between breaks at least until I get my own laptop. (when that will be I have no idea) so sorry and hope yall will bear with me.
presenting a montage of anime put to 'Best of You' by Foo Fighters.

Jihaku

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Gankutsuou
The Count of Monte Cristo

Original Story: Alexandre Dumas

Production by: Gonzo

Adapted from: the classic book "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
Movies: none
Live-action: there is an American movie but its not accurate.
OAVs: none

Genre: mystery, action, adventure, science fiction, drama, romance.
Number of episodes: 24

ANN's plot summary: "Trying to escape his uneventful life, Albert, the son of a renowned general from Paris, makes a journey with his friend Franz. During his travels, he meets an immensely wealthy nobleman named The Count of Monte Cristo. Living in luxurious hotels, surrounded by beautiful women and strong bodyguards, the charming but enigmatic count fascinates Albert. Albert invites the count to join the high society of Paris. However, unknown to Albert, his father had once framed the count and took the Count's fiancee as his own. "

My Ranking: 5 hoshi
My Rating: R
there is allot of intensity with reference to drugs and a few pretty explicit sexual references and scenes. also there is quite a bit of violent and bloody instances.

My Review: This series was amazing. For the moment I will only touch on the anime and make no reference to the book because the anime can honestly be given its own review. For one this series was incredibly well done. It was intense, full of action, and didn't cut short on the mystery factor. This anime was exquisite to behold in art style and animation, but that didn't in any way overpower the plot which was just as intricate and bad ass. The mystery that enveloped the Count was to be left on everything he touched to keep one ignorant of certain things until the climax of the story. This made you want to keep watching to find out what would happen next and to unravel his enigmatic cloak. The story captured your interest while the gorgeous affects kept you engrossed to not look away for a minute.

One thing I particularly liked about this series was its consistency. There was never a lack for speculation on behalf of the plot nor was there a lapse in the intense emotion accompanied with the story. Up until the end there were times when the viewer would still be dying to know what would be the outcome of the Count's quest for revenge. What feelings would each of the characters choose as the most dominant in their actions?

The action is pretty win in this series. Though its not all fighting and bloodshed its still gives a thrill as the Count weaves his web of vengeance around the unsuspecting cast of characters. Not to mention the fact that the anime takes place in a futuristic setting which opens the door to some of the coolest ways to kill people. mwahaha.(couldn't resist).

This anime deserves its props and I'm willing to give them. It was the right combination of action and mystery in the most perfect amount of time. It left one with closure and was not so overpowering that the viewer is still left uneasy. I can once again describe this series as consistent but also well proportioned. With that, I confess my love for this story and bid you Au Revoir. "Bide your time and hold out hope."

Comparison: Gankutsuou was ingenious in its adaptation from the original book and let itself become its own entity of awesomeness. At this time I must admit to my other identity as a bookworm in order to give a full report. (it so happens I had to read this book for summer reading the same time I was introduced to the anime. haha.) In most book to movie adaptations the movie is doomed to fail because it often tries to go in the same direction in a different way, therefore, suckage. Gankutsuou on the other hand was spared in complete fail because it branched off in a different direction in order to do things differently, hence a good story on its own alltogether.
The characters retain their names and occupations along with their connection to each other very accurately. The plot also retains most of its shape, but it does deviate from the facts. For example: Franz and Eugenie have barely any part in the original story. We see Franz only twice while Eugenie doesn't have one line.
The anime was put more in Albert's perspective while the book stays in a 3rd person omniscient with a little more attention to the Count himself, hence, depicting him as a little more human than the enigma presented in the anime. There are other things I could touch on but I fear of boring the audience of this ANIME blog. For more I'd suggest Wikipedia but I just like giving my two cents on the matter.

Gankutsuou was subbed by KAA (kick ass anime) and licensed by bang zoom! entertainment.

Sample Vid: I once again don't know of a good amv but the ED for the series is a pretty good representation for a sneak peek at what its all about. without spoilers.

AMV of the Week 8

so sorry for yet another delay between reviews. there is a particular anime i want to do next that is sure to be full of action. so to help your patience here is a really cool collaboritive amv. its 70 anime (the list may be found here) to It's Tricky by Run DMC

It's Tricky to make a Music Video