Okami-san & Her Seven Companions Review

Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi

Synopsis:  Ryōko Ōkami is a spunky high school girl who is a member of a "fixer" club called the Otogi High School Bank. She fixes the school's problems with her partner Ringo Akai.

Review:  Okami-san follows Ryoko Okami, a classic tsundere, and Ryoshi Morino, who has a fear of being stared at (Ophthalmophobia).  Ryoshi confesses his love for Ryoko; she rejects him and tends to treat him with much disdain throughout the show.  Ryoko and her friend Ringo join a club, the Otogi High School Bank, that does favors for people in return for an I.O.U from the customers.  Most of the show revolves around the club and the jobs (favors) they do for people.  There is also the love/hate relationship between Ryoshi and Ryoko.

     Okami-san incorporates many Grimm Fairy Tales characters into the show uniquely and creatively.  The big bad wolf, little red riding hood, Hansel, Gretel, the huntsman, the three little pigs and many more.  Having a slight knowledge of some fairy tales will actually help you understand some of the hidden references.  Although you can enjoy the show either way, so no need to go do fairy tale "homework" before watching.  Okami-san is unique in that it has a narrator who joins you for every episode.  The narrator has an old granny type personality and similar comments that add some humour to the show.  The only down side to the narrator is she tends to speak over show dialogue at times, making it hard to catch what she's saying and the characters are saying.  Okami-san is also a show of self-awareness, with the characters reacting to things the narrator says and looking up at the screen.

     The animation of the show is above average, with bright and cheerful colors.  The characters are drawn well and the animation style changes for fight scenes, making the characters more flexible.  The music of the show is upbeat and peppy.  It fits the theme of the show perfectly.

      About halfway through the show they decide to bring up Ryoko's past (they only hint at it up to that point).  I thought they were going to change the overall theme of the show; only they don't.  Actually the show doesn't spend much, if any, more time on her past after that episode.  They could have used this as a catalyst and turning point.  Allowing Ryoko to become warmer and rely more on Ryoshi, and a chance for Ryoshi to get over his fear and step up as "the white knight".  Since they did not do this, I don't see why they brought up her past so vividly.  Especially considering its dark nature.

     Another thing that lowered the show's investment quality for me was bad timing.  Every time we see Ryoko and Ryoshi about to have a tender moment, either Ryoshi goes into a phobia-fit or Ryoko hits him (again).  Sometimes both things happen.  I understand interrupting a tender moment to let it kind of grow until later in the show, but that never happens.  Also a tsundere is supposed to eventually show their "warmer" side to the supporting character (Ryoshi in this instance).  It's quite obvious Ryoko has some warm feelings toward Ryoshi as the show travels on, but she still tends to treat him with much disdain.  This along with an unfinished, out-of-place dark history sets the show back a little.

     Maybe Okami-san could have developed itself better with more time?  The show's "villain" even says, "it will be more fun to tear them apart" (talking of Ryoko and Ryoshi); but we see no follow through.  Maybe a few more episodes would have given Okami-san the closure it needed; or maybe it would have just been a few more fun fluff episodes.  For what it is, it's good watching though.  The show in itself does not take much commitment or investment as a viewer.  Its a fun, enjoyable show with a few flaws.  I own it, so I will watch it again (for Ringo and Ryoko at least, they're quite cute together).

It's worth a watch, maybe stream or rent it.

Okami-san & Her Seven Companions -- B profanity, fan-service, disturbing elements

Personal Update 12-17-2012

     Wow!  It's been so long since I have posted anything on here.  I apologize for the absence of reviews or updates in the past couple weeks.  I was planning to post a review each week but obviously I missed that.  Then my plans were to post a couple over this past weekend, but I ended up sick all weekend.  So, to make up for all of that I do have three reviews finished.  I don't want to post them all up at once, so I'm going to post one a day for the next three days.  The three shows I've reviewed are as follows: Okami-san & Her Seven Companions, Demon King Daimo, and Myself;Yourself.  So look forward to those in the next few days.  Also if we're lucky I may have a fourth review done in time to get it up before Christmas.

     What else have I been doing?  Well I've been playing some games as usual.  I've started the first Mass Effect for PS3.  I bought the new Mass Effect Trilogy when it came out, a good deal for sixty dollars.  I also bought the Silent Hill HD Collection but have not had a chance to start that yet.  Spent quite a bit of time in online multi-player for MoH:W too.  Of course there are other games I play a little here and there, but that's too much to list.


     Keep checking out the podcast I'm on, The Dragon Cast.  We have split the episodes into two parts now, games and anime.  A couple simulcast anime we've been reviewing weekly are ending when 2012 ends so we'll be picking up some new ones to talk about.  We talked a little about the VGA 10 in episode 015.  We also got some neat new guests in upcoming episodes and a few new topics.

Keep an eye out for the reviews this week.  Email me for hate, criticism, or tips.  I love to hear from you all.

follow me on twitter @whitelodoss
listen to the podcast #The Dragon Cast
email me blacklodoss@gmail.com

Shuffle! Review

シャッフル! Shaffuru!
Who would you choose?...




Synopsis:  Rin Tsuchimi is a typical teenager living with his childhood friend, cute Kaede, who's only goal in life is to take care of him. Everything seems to be going great for Rin, until two new transfer students join his class. Both are cute, and both are here to win his heart and marry him!  As if that wasn't enough, one is from the demon world and one from the god world.  Depending on who he chooses he could be the next king of the demons or gods!

Review: Normally I know exactly what I want to say before I'm even done watching a show.  However, I have had a very difficult time writing this review.  I've started over numerous times and scrapped many rough drafts.  I have not had problems writing because Shuffle! is a bad show, it's actually really good.  Every time I write the review for Shuffle! it sounds overall negative, so hopefully this one does not seem that way.

     Cliches.  Every anime has cliches, some do them well and some don't; and if anyone has spent a decent time watching anime you know the common cliches.  Shuffle! has its fair share of cliches and archetype characters throughout the show, but it does them pretty well.  The main characters each have their own back story and their own depth.  We don't get stuck with a large ensemble cast that are all fluff and no heart.  The show spends a few episodes with each girl; giving her back story, explaining why she loves Rin, and adding the depth to the character.

     Shuffle! is very story and character driven.  It starts as a funny romance/harem but later shifts gears to a more serious romance.  The stories behind all the characters play into the central story, giving each episode a purpose and significance.  There are a couple episodes that wander a little and seemed drawn out to me, but it picks right back up after.  One thing I noticed, the humor is well placed.  It never distracts, ruins, or draws away from a serious moment and even the funny guy is serious when the scene demands it.  Also, the humor is funny; it's not just there for gags or just to be there for the heck of it.

     There is nothing special about the animation, its pretty simple and typical to this type of show.  The soundtrack is decent, they actually use sound effects throughout in the background.  It may be hard to notice but there are some repeating sounds that seem associated with certain characters and their back story.  I really enjoyed the parts where Nerine and Lycoris sing.  The voice actress who does their voices, Haruka Nagami, has a beautiful singing voice.

     I highly recommend watching Shuffle!.  It is a show with many themes; harem, ecchi, fanservice, yandere, romance, comedy, drama, and supernatural.  It has many archetypes and cliches, but they're easily overlooked and well done.  The animation is simple, the soundtrack decent, and the story is great.  If you watch it for the story alone you will not be disappointed, I guarantee.

     

Shuffle! -- A- nudity, fanservice, adult themes, comedic violence

PS There is an alternate retelling called Shuffle! Memories, this is a retelling of the original with one extra episode (12 epsiodes total).  It was not released outside of Japan, though there are fan subs available.

Personal Update 11-20-12

     A lot has been going on recently.  Presidential election is over, Thanksgiving is peeking around the corner, Black Friday is looming on the other side, and Christmas music is already playing in stores!  It seems the Holidays are coming quicker than I can prepare for.  I'm not even able to go shopping on Black Friday, that's where I usually get all the Christmas presents (and a couple goodies for myself).  I hope you all are better prepared than me.

     I've been watching a lot of anime.  I am currently simulcasting two shows, watching two or three more on dvd or blu-ray, and have plenty on the back queue.  I have added a little "current projects" tab on the side of the site so everyone can see what I'm watching and what is up next.  If you are in the mobile version you will not see what I'm talking about, sorry.  I've also bought five or six shows in the past two weeks, some that I've partially seen and some I know nothing about really.  My goal is to produce one review a week and currently I'm a little ahead of schedule.  As long as I can stay a couple weeks ahead I should be able to give you all a new review each week. (fingers crossed)

     Also besides anime, I do play games regularly.  I have been playing MoH:W, Max Payne 3, and am currently working on platinum for Dynasty Warriors 7.  I'm also trying to platinum Medal of Honor Warfighter, this requires some multi-player grinding though.  I have been playing some other games, but just a little bit here and there in between the others.  I do have a milestone coming up, 1000 trophies.  I currently (at the time of this writing) have 993 trophies.  'Tis a big deal for me, never thought I'd get that high.

     Well that's what I've been up to.  Hope everyone out there is doing well and staying safe during the Holidays.  Feel free to email me, or if you play PS3 hit me up there (just explain where you're from).  Be sure to listen to the podcast I'm on weekly, The Dragon Cast.  We had an exciting guest speaker on episode 011; Chase, a video game developer.  He is currently working on a game called ForgeQuestRPG.  Also episode 009 is full of some random, quirky and funny stuff.

follow me on twitter @whitelodoss
listen to the podcast #TheDragonCast

email the site at blacklodoss@gmail.com

Panda Kopanda Review

Panda! Go Panda! (US)
Short, Simple, Sweet....


*Dubbed Review*
Synopsis:  Mimiko's grandmother goes away for awhile, leaving little Mimiko home alone.  Shortly after her grandmother leaves, a baby panda appears in the garden along with his father, Papa Panda.  We follow Mimiko, Papa Panda, and Pandy on their adventures.

Review:  The literal translation of Panda Kopanda is "Panda, Baby Panda".  The movie is actually two movies put together in one collection; Panda, Go Panda and Rainy Day Circus.  For those who do not know, these two movies were one of Hayao Miyazaki's first works.

     When I started this movie I knew it was Miyazaki right away.  Anyone who has seen Miyazaki's work will see the resemblance in these short films.  The animation is dated, the film came out in 1972 after all, but it still holds the characteristics of Miyazaki's work.  The animation is more of TV quality so the backgrounds and the world are not as detailed.  You can tell Miyazaki was already throwing around the idea of Totoro when he made these.  Just look at Papa Panda's smile, if you don't see the resemblance go watch Totoro again.

     I watched this movie dubbed (as there was no other option) and thankfully its pretty good.  The voices match all the characters right, and Papa Panda's accent is hilarious.  I don't know who decided on his accent but it was a good choice for entertainment value alone.  So, the dub is good but the music is a little lacking.  The opening music is a catchy tune and there is some music throughout, but it's not much.

     The movie overall is very simple.  Mimiko finds Pandy and adopts him as her son, then later adopts Papa Panda as her father.  This equation doesn't quite make sense, but Miyazaki makes it work.  From there we watch the three of them in their journeys and adventures.  It is definitely more simple than Miyazaki's recent works, aimed more at children.  Don't let the simplicity deter you though!!

     There is not much more I can say.  If you've seen any of Miyazaki's work and liked it, you'll like this.  If you've seen Totoro, you will like this.  I definitely recommend seeing it, its short, simple, and worth the fun.  A great family movie and perfect for children.

Panda Kopanda -- A nothing objectionable

Eureka Seven Review

 
 Eureka Seven Psalms of Planets
An exciting journey with a timely ending...


Synopsis:  Renton Thurston is a 14-year-old boy whose life is the same every day.  He lives with his grandfather, who is a mechanic, and dreams every day of a more exciting life.  Nothing ever changes, until one day a giant mecha called an LFO (Light Finding Operation) literally comes crashing down on his house.  From that he meets a girl named, Eureka.

Review:
     Every anime has a central theme (or multiple); whether it is revenge, romance, coming-of-age, discovery, impending doom, or others.  Not very many shows attempt a central theme like Eureka Seven though; the theme of love.  Not the simplicity of falling in love, but the act of choosing to love someone.  This is the central (though underlying) theme throughout the majority of the story and not only with the two main protagonists, but the side characters as well.  There are of course other themes; the coming-of-age and the possible destruction of the world, to name a couple.

     Not only does Eureka Seven attempt an uncommon theme, it also executes it well.  We see the theme displayed through many of the characters.  Choosing to love someone and loving them no matter what they do or may not do, what they become or may become.  I like that they were risky enough to choose this theme and I'm glad that they execute it so well.  It's not too obvious, actually being somewhat subtle at times (of course after reading this you'll notice it for sure).  Normally a show trying to portray an uncommon theme like this would be lacking in some other key aspects.  Eureka Seven was able to portray the theme successfully while keeping the integrity of most everything else.

     The story is simple, though kind of confused by fillers or possibly unnecessary parts at times.  It tends to move along a little slow, while the action parts definitely take on their own pace.  I found the main protagonist, Renton, often annoying; to the point of almost quitting on the show.  This is probably a fluke thing with me and no one else will have this problem.  So, at times I had to remind myself that Renton is only fourteen years old and there is a coming-of-age story in here.  Other than that, each character had their own depth and they were mostly likeable.  Some of them were predictable at times, but they created a nice "family".  The action was done well and is fun to watch.  The show really only has one villain and he's forgettable if he's not on screen at the time.

     The animation was crisp and the characters and mechas were done very well.  The expressions were a little funky at times, but the world was absolutely gorgeous.  From desolate waste towns, to space, to the other world, and the rolling plains; everything was beautiful.  It was and is a gorgeous world.  The soundtrack was excellent, I especially enjoyed a couple of the endings and loved the last couple insert songs towards the end of the show.  I will be getting the soundtrack for sure.

     In short, it's a great show with a well executed theme and great characters.  A simple story with maybe a little too much length to it (fifty episodes); I was kind of relieved it ended when it did.  The animation is good, the music is great.  If you have not seen it I would recommend watching it.  How far up it goes on your priority list would be different for each person.  But make sure you see it at some point, it is worth the viewing.

Eureka Seven -- B+ violence (some graphic), adult themes, profanity, partial nudity

Personal Update 11-06-12

     Its been awhile since I've posted anything. A lot has been going on, you get busy and its easy to forget certain things.  As I'm new to blogging I easily forget to post.  I'm going to make it a priority to update and post more often.

     I'll just give a quick update on what I've been up to.  I'm still watching Sword Art Online simulcast, and the show is great.  SAO gets better with each episode and I'm excited to see how it ends.  I've also watched Shuffle! and Wagnaria!! (also known as Working!!).  I finished Shuffle and should have a review for it shortly, I'm still in the process of watching Wagnaria!!.  Also, I know I was supposed to have a review of Eureka Seven up already, its done and will be posted in the next couple days.

     I can't even begin to get into all the games I've played on my PS3.  As any real gamer can attest to, a gamer's backlog can get quite large.  My backlog is no exception to this, so lately I've been trying to go back and finish (or play for the first time) some of this backlog.  The list of my recently played games is extensive but I'll name a few of the big ones.  Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Borderlands 2, Zone of the Enders HD Collection (got the limited set and its gorgeous), and Max Payne 3.

    Trying to keep this post short, so that's the highlights of the last couple weeks.  I love watching anime and love writing reviews, so if anyone has show suggestions or a request for a review please email me!  Also if you just want to make comments or hate that's welcome too.

    Be sure to check out the podcast I'm on quite regularly.  #TheDragonCast

follow me on twitter @whitelodoss
email the blog:  blacklodoss@gmail.com

Extra-Life Results

   On October 20, 2012 I participated in a video game 24 hour marathon for charity.  Gamers helped raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.  I posted in more detail about it a couple weeks ago.  So today I just wanted to say a little bit about how it went.

   I started playing at 8am Saturday and played until 8am Sunday.  The first six hours flew by very quickly.  The next couple hours kind of slowed a bit, but then time seemed to go faster again.  The problem was the last two hours, they dragged on and on.  I played quite a few games through the 24 hours, mostly on my PS3, though I did dab into some PC games.  I had planned on doing a lot of multi-player but ended up playing mostly single-player.  I played with a few friends online, some Resident Evil 6 and Dynasty Warriors.  I had a personal goal of breaking the 900 trophy mark for my PSN account.  When I started the event I had about 870, I ended up earning trophy number 901 at the very last moment.  I had a couple technical problems with some games, so I set them aside and moved on!

   All in all the event was a great success on many fronts.  I even made it the full 24 hours (with help from some friends chatting in my ear).  There are still donations being brought in, but at the moment of this writing there has been 1.9+ million raised from the event!  I raised 62% of my monetary goal.

 Here is a list of all I played:

• Dynasty Warriors 7 (4+ hours)
• Tales of Graces F (6+ hours)
• Resident Evil 6 (4+ hours)
• Medal of Honor
• Limbo
• Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
• Enchanted Arms
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Amy
• Mirror's Edge

Shout out goes to Mike, for helping me stay awake and all the laughs!  Make sure to check out the special episode of the podcast we did for Extra-Life. (should be episode 007)

#TheDragonCast

Follow Daniel on twitter @whitelodoss
Follow Mike on twitter @mwvdragon

Neon Alley

   Today I want to talk a little bit about a new anime streaming service, Neon Alley.  Recently this service was added to the PSN for the PS3.  A twenty-four hour streaming channel, very similar to your regular TV channels.  The showing consists of many main-stream anime shows, some newer anime, and even some old kung-fu movies.

   They offer a free one week trial, so I figured I would try that out.  It is literally like an exclusive TV anime channel.  They even include "commercial" breaks now and again.  They stream popular anime shows, even some full length anime movies.  They have a time showing schedule, both within the app and on their site on the web (which has the option of printing it).  The interface is user friendly, easy to navigate, and quite simple.  Their listing of shows is actual not that bad, including ones such as: Inuyasha, Naruto, Blue Exorcist, Vampire Knight.  At a price tag of $6.99 it's a decent deal, especially if your into main stream.

   Personally this app is not for me and I'll explain why.  A lot of the shows that are airing on NA are popular shows, just not really the type of shows I'm into.  Now if someone is a big fan of say; One Piece, Naruto, or Inuyasha then Neon Alley is probably more up their "alley" than mine.  Another thing I'm not too fond of; when I was testing the free week trial, they showed the same episode (of a show I was watching) two days in a row.  Also I'm a big fan of  On Demand showing, rather than try to catch it at a certain time slot.  One last thing for everyone, the shows are mostly (if not all) English dubbed.

   In a short summary:

• It is a 24hr anime streaming channel
• Aimed more at fans of the current main stream anime
• Fans of "sub only" should stay away
• Some of the older episodes are of sub-par quality, while newer ones are better
• The "commercial" breaks audio cuts off at times
• If you live on a tight or hectic time schedule it will probably be hard to catch 'em all
• A newer app (only couple weeks old) with plenty of time to improve
• Tag price of $6.99/month is a decent deal

PS Yes I did make a few puns in there on purpose ^^
PSS I talked about Neon Alley with my good friend Mike on his podcast, the link is at the bottom
        (episode 005)

#TheDragonCast 

Personal Update 10-16-12

  Just wanted to do a short update on what I've been doing and what I've been watching over the past week or so.  I've not really been playing much video games as of late, the last few things I played were Resident Evil 6 and Dynasty Warriors 7. Both fun games, Dynasty Warriors being more of a time killer for me; Resident Evil 6 is absolutely great, I've enjoyed every bit of the story so far.

  I've definitely put a lot more hours into anime than video games. I'm currently watching three shows simultaneously; Sword Art Online, Eureka Seven, and The Knight in the Area.   

  Sword Art Online is a simulcast so I'm watching the episodes as they come out. Really enjoying this show so far, I'm fifteen episodes in. I don't want to give too much opinion on it (since I'm writing a review) but besides a few quirks and a couple plot problems, that they have plenty of time to fix, it's quite an enjoyable show to this point.

  Eureka Seven almost lost me completely a couple times.  I'm halfway through the fifty episodes right now and the show seems to be getting stronger as it goes.  At first I hated the main character, but he seems to have come around.  In short, Eureka Seven looks to be very promising.

  The Knight in the Area is a sports anime, focusing on soccer.  The soccer matches themselves are great and fun to watch, though a little drawn out over episodes at times.  My main problem with this show right now is the characters.  They lack a lot of the necessary components of great leading characters. I'm a little over halfway done and I find myself only half paying attention, maybe it will fix itself but I fear it's too far gone.

- whitelodoss

Extra-Life

This year I will be participating in Extra-Life.  An event to raise money in support of children in need.  I will be playing for 24hrs on Saturday October 20, 2012, starting at 8am EST.  I will be playing in support of Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.

Help children in need by showing your support! Thanks for reading, I hope you will donate and thank you in advance! You can click the link at the bottom of the post to take you to my donation page.

Follow me on twitter as I will be updating as the 24hrs goes on.

#whitelodoss
#extra-life

Hello!

Hey everyone,


Welcome to my blog! I plan to use this blog to talk about Anime mostly, though from time to time I may speak on video games. Sometimes the two may go hand in hand. I also write personal reviews of Anime that I watch, I may post shorter versions of those on here. Maybe I'll post a link to the review also.

My main reason for this blog, is for the fun! Feel free to email me with any feedback, or hate.

blacklodoss@gmail.com

-whitelodoss