Update 06-02-2013

     Previously I have used my blog to focus on anime solely, but anime is not my only passion.  Seeing as I love anime, manga, and video games equally; I thought I might as well cover all of these "hobbies".  I will continue to cover anime and writing my reviews, but I will also be talking about games, manga, music, or anything to touch these subjects.

     I have not posted anything in quite a while, so following this post I will be posting an anime review (later this week).  I also am working on a short post regarding the PS4 and Xbox One.  I am still co-hosting The Dragon Cast podcast, which covers the same topics I will be on this blog (so check it out!!).

     This post is done, congratulations on reading it all!!

See ya later this week!

Personal Update 03-22-2013

     Hey everybody, just wanted to give you a quick little update here.  I will not be posting a review this week.  I have been prepping for MGC all week and will be there all weekend.

     Midwest Gaming Classic.  Mike (from The Dragon Cast)  and I will be attending MGC over the next couple days.  We will be hooking up with a few of the PSNation and Retroids guys.  This will be the first convention for either of us, so we're looking forward to a great and exciting time!  I will make a post-MGC article to post in a few days.  Also; Mike, me, and The Dragon Cast twitter accounts may have some stuff posted over the next couple days.

     As for reviews, I am still writing some and of course still watching those anime.  The simulcasts I am currently watching are going really well.  I talk about them in pretty good detail on the podcast.  I will have a review for you next week, after I travel back from Wisconsin and Michigan.  I'm not sure which review I'm going to post next, I have a couple I'm debating over.

     One last thing here, Extra-Life.  If you have not noticed there is a new tab for Extra-Life 2013 at the top of the site.  I talk in depth about it on the page, so I'll keep it short here.  I am participating again this year, should be quite exciting! Check out the page tab (or the drop menu on the site's mobile version).
Thanks!
     Talk to you guys soon!

Twitter pages:
@thedragoncast
@mwvdragon
@whitelodoss

Oda Nobuna no Yabō Review

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Oda Nobuna's Ambition

Synopsis:  Ordinary high-schooler Yoshiharu Sagara is sent back in time to the Warring States Period.  There he meets Nobuna Oda, not Nobunaga - Nobuna.  In this world all the famous warlords of the era are female.  Nobuna recruits Sagara, who she calls "Monkey", to help her conquer the world.



Review:  Is it okay to say a show is amazing, that others have deemed as mediocre?  That's okay right?  well even if it isn't, The Ambition of Oda Nobuna was amazing to me.  Quite often I find myself watching shows that are very easily "good" shows.  My most common grade is somewhere in the "B" bracket.  Most shows are enjoyable, but lacking in enough areas to keep them from anything great; while also having just enough to keep them from being a waste of time.  Ever so often I find a show that is fantastic in all areas.  Then other times I find a show that most would say is average with minimal flaws; but I enjoy it so much that it earns the respect of a grade slightly higher.

     When I first started watching The Ambition of Oda Nobuna I sincerely expected an enjoyable show, worthy of an average rating.  I entered with this set of mind frame and that's what I got out of the first few episodes, an average show.  Then I started to get more invested in the characters and the show in general.  By the time I was nearing the end, I couldn't stop watching it and I was on the edge of my seat.  I had to know what would happen to Nobuna, Sagara, Katsuie, Goemon, Hanbe, and the others.  There is little to nothing about the background of the characters in the show, but that does not take away from the characters themselves.  I enjoyed every character and their time on screen, even the villains were enjoyable to watch.

     Sagara is a great leading male.  What I liked most about Sagara was that the he had a backbone.  All too often we are given a male lead that is almost hard to root for, just because he is so weak kneed.  A lot of times the guy has to rely on a "pep talk" episode or two before he steps up to his role.  Not the case with Sagara.  In addition, the chemistry between Sagra and Nobuna is excellent.  I also greatly enjoyed Nobuna as a character.  She is just as strong a lead as Sagara, that they both equally share the light of "lead protagonist".  Also, The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a harem anime.  Not in the sense of multiple love interests, but in the sense of their being multitudes of women surrounding the protagonist(s).

     The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is definitely a character driven show.  The whole reason I enjoyed it so much and became so invested was solely for the characters.  I did not become invested in the characters because of their past; but because I wanted to see what they would become.  And this is much of the premise of the story itself.  Will Nobuna become history's greatest tyrant or something more?  Will all her friends and family stay by her side, or will some betray her?  As you can see, even by those couple questions, The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is most definitely driven by the characters and backed by a decent story at the same time.  I do not want to take anything away from the story; it is based on some history after all.  It is a great story, I just think the characters took the forefront here.

     Animation for The Ambition of Oda Nobuna was perfect for the setting and the show.  It was not too artistic, nor was it too primal that it would cause you to lose interest.  The characters are colorful and of course the girls are vastly different proportions.  The backgrounds are probably where it lacked most, some scenes seem to be lacking the necessary attention to background for that scene.  While other times the backgrounds are excellent.  The final villain's animation was probably one of my favorite.  He was much more flexible and malleable compared to the rest of the show, and looked quite villainous.

     The musical score for the show was also done quite excellently.  The right tempo of music was picked for each scene.  Whether it be a villainous tone during the secret meetings, an upbeat war beat during battles, or a calm mellow tune for the more dramatic scenes.  The Opening and Ending songs were also great, I enjoyed both of those.

     Now as for my grade.  I know quite a few people may disagree with me on it.  There are a couple issues that may be brought up, for example: Sagara never changes out of his school uniform.  Any of these issues would be valid points in an argument, and I thought on all these a while.  The truth is they did not keep me from enjoying the show so immensely.  Sometimes I have to go with my instinct and that's what I did here.
(Plus it's my review anyway)

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is well written, has great characters, a good story, excellent ending, perfectly chosen animation style, and a great musical score.  I'll tell you what, give it a try and if you don't enjoy it you can contact me with as much hate as you can possibly muster.  I promise to read every last letter of it; and then I'll go watch and enjoy the show all over again for myself.

Oda Nobuna no Yabo -- A- violence, blood and gore, partial nudity

Personal Update 03-12-13

     My first personal update of 2013, and my first one in a long while.  I took an unplanned and unscheduled "vacation" from posting reviews (or anything for that matter) on my site here.  So after a long absence, I'm back! I was always taught to not return from a long absence empty handed, so I made sure to bring a suitcase full of reviews for everyone.  I've posted one reveiw previous to this post, and will have another one for you later this week.  Happiness! was a short decent show, check out the review for more details.

     This is supposed to be an update so I'll give you an update, on what I've been doing with my time.  I've said it before, but I'm a hardcore gamer... so I put in alot of gaming time over the past few months.  As any of you gamers out there know, the holiday season is ripe with new games, both AAA titles and under-the-radar gems too.  I spent quite awhile in Hitman Absolution, earning the platinum in the end.  A great game, and a great addition to that franchise.  Shortly after that I got into a platinum trophy race, my goal was to have ten platinums by the end of February.  I did not reach my goal, having a grand total of 8 but I was still happy with the outcome.  I was held back by a couple extra days, working my way through Socom 4 campaign on elite difficulty (no easy task).  I also picked up Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, the game from Level 5 and Studio Ghibli.  Let me say, any fans of Ghibli and RPGs... this is a must buy.  Most recently I'm playing the new Tomb Raider which is a fantastic reboot of the franchise with a sexy new Lara.

     As for anime... Of course the great Sword Art Online has finished (though here's hoping for a second season).  It was a fantastic show through and through.  Also, Say I Love You finished since my last update.  This was a more serious romance/love show, but had a very realistic feel to it; both in animation and story.  I have watched many many shows through the months and as I said earlier I have made sure to keep at the reviews.  I am currently simulcast-ing: Oreshura, Kotoura-san, and Maoyu.  All three of these are excellent shows and I talk about them weekly on the podcast, The Dragon Cast.

     Well I'll end off my update there.  Be sure to send me any questions you may have.  Check out the podcast I co-host, we talk about video games and anime both.  I put a link tab at the top of the page, The Dragon Cast. Follow us on twitter too.  Of course you can follow me there also, if you may so wish.

Thanks for stopping by, talk to you soon! 

Twitter:

@thedragoncast

@whitelodoss

Email:

AnimeOctane

Happiness! Review

Happiness! - It's a happy and heartful school life

Synopsis:  Haruhi Kamizaka having been rescued when she was young, by a boy mage, longed to be a mage herself; so she enrolled into a special school that allows regular and magic classes. Along with her rival and best friend, Anri Hiiragi, she studied magic while she searched for the boy that saved her years ago, to give him a Valentine's chocolate.



Review:   I'm sure you read that synopsis and think to yourself, "its about a girl trying to find a mystery guy just to give him chocolate?".  I would agree with your skepticism, that that sounds like a very weak plot line.  That's the common synopsis I've seen for the show, and I think its a little mis-directing.  Thankfully Happiness! is not all about the search for a guy and the handing out of chocolates.  It does focus on Haruhi searching and giving out chocolates for a brief moment in a few episodes, then it quickly moves on with the true plot of the story.

     Happiness! follows Haruhi, a talented mage/witch, who is in the top of her class and has a love for magic.  When she was a young girl she was saved from some bullies by a young boy who used magic.  Since that day Haruhi has always had a love and respect for magic, and chose to become a mage because of that boy.  Her best friend (and supposed rival) Hiiragi is always causing trouble and letting her magic get out of control.  The magic school soon gets blown up and they have to integrate with the normal school students.  This is when they meet a guy who lets you believe he has a distaste for magic.

     The animation for Happiness! is crisp and clean, though seemingly a little out of date.  The characters are done well, while the backgrounds are simple.  The main thing is; the animation stays consistent throughout the show.  I actually have little to say about the musical score. I don't know if it was done so well that I hardly noticed it, or if I didn't notice it because there was such a lack of actual music in the show.

     Being neither a plot driven nor character driven show, I would say Happiness! is equally driven by both.  The story is simple but engaging. It's well told, doesn't lose itself along the way; and is good entertainment.  The characters are also simple, with not much depth.  The chemistry Haruhi and Yuma share, is obvious enough and the secondary cast fill their necessary roles well.

     Happiness! is only twelve episodes, but good entertainment all the way through. I never had to force myself to dredge through it, nor did I become overly bored.  Of course Happiness! is not a top tier anime, but not every anime is nor can we expect them to be.

Happiness! is a well balanced show.

     If Happiness! ever makes it our way to North America I would buy it.  For now its just streaming.

Happiness! -- B- mild violence, fanservice, partial nudity

New Anime Streaming Service

Daisuki.net

     A new anime streaming service provided by seven Japanese anime firms will be coming this spring.  The seven firms involved in this endeavour are as follows:

• Toei

• Aniplex

• Sunrise

• TMS Entertainment

• Asatsu - DK

• Dentsu

• Nihon Ad Systems

      This is exciting news for all anime fans.  The shows will be streaming to us directly from Japan and the companies, thereby cutting out the middleman.  I'm not entirely clear on how they will deliver the content to us; but they have said they will be releasing some concurrently with broadcast (simulcast).

A few of the shows announced so far:

• Lupin the 3rd

• One Piece

• Prince of Tennis

• Mobile Suit Gundam

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica

The rumor is they will have it up and running for April.

     This could possibly be a great new service for anime fans.  Any way we can get anime faster and easier is always welcome.  Also any competition in the anime streaming market, to compete with the likes of: Crunchyroll, Neon Alley, Anime Network, Netflix, and Hulu is always encouraged.

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

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