xxxHolic

Writer: Tsutomu Mizushima
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima
Production House: Production I.G
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Seinen, Supernatural

Synopsis

Kimihiro Watanuki is more than a normal high school student. He possess the ability to see spirits. However, more often than not, he meets with malevolent ones that are likely to chase him and give him the time of his life. One day, he wonders into a shop owned by a mysterious woman named Yuuko, who grants people's deepest wishes and desires. She can free him of his 'ability'. However, she demands a huge price in return - he must work for her. Thus, begins Watanuki's new job in a shop that is not quite what it seems...

Chibi's xxxComments

Now, I'm not usually a big fan of horror and super-natural anime, but I think xxxHolic had achieved something that most series in this genre have not. xxxHolic's story is based on japanese superstition and folklore, rather than another dose of vampires, zombies or psychos that seem to define said genre these days. By using superstition and folklore as the basis of the series' plotlines, it effectively strikes the viewer as believable as all of us had been superstitious at one point of our lives (mine was no sex before a big match back then), especially when we were still young. Now that we are older and wiser, we tend to dismiss it all as hogwash.



Chibi's xxxReview

xxxHolic in essence makes me feel that it is trying to bring back the traditional way of storytelling, with tales of folklore and japanese culture, in a world of anime where most plots are either science-fiction or typically shonen fare, where stories is nearly always centered on angst or finding one's identity and individuality or WORLD PEACE. In this light, xxxHolic is very original in its direction. Every episode contains a meaningful lesson behind it, whether it's the price to pay for lying, greed, or murder, to name a few. And given that it deals with the super-natural, some episodes are pretty creepy and watching it alone at night can seriously induce paranoia on the viewer, where the anime leaves you hanging at the edge of your seat in anticipation of something bad to happen, but is usually subtle enough to not scare you away from finishing an episode.

The most distinctive feature of this anime is the character design. The long limbs of the characters takes a little getting used to (fans of Code Geass won't have a problem with this as both animes came from Clamp, hence the similar character traits) and how extras are never given any features or colours beyond an outline. This in my opinion is a brilliant idea, since the extras are so unidentifiable one's focus will be emphasized on the main characters' prominence. Given this, the anime is also produced by one of the top animation studios in Japan (Production IG of Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex fame, on par or perhaps better than the country's previous animation top dog Sunrise, of Gundam and Cowboy Bebop fame). The eye-candy will really take one's breath away, especially if you have seen the movie as well. I just love the smoke swirling around Yuuko and how the wind always seems to give Yuuko that mysterious aura.

The characters in xxxHolic aren't as numerous as other animes, which makes them really well developed. There's our long suffering protaganist Watanuki. He may be bogged down by his unnatural ability but that does not stop him from living a more or less normal life of a high school student. Watanuki is a very accessible character, and more often than not you'd find yourself rooting for him, especially when he is up against Yuuko who always seems to give him the oddest chores to do. Then, there's the highly unpredictable and sarcastic Yuuko who I suspect still have tons of tricks up her sleeve that she has yet to reveal. There's the stoic Doumeki who shares a deep bond with Watanuki (emphasis on the stoic, he never belts out long sentences) and the cheerful Himawari, the object of Watanuki's infatuation.



All been said and done, I first stumbled onto the manga for this anime during my usual manga run, and had always thought that it looks pretty interesting, although the title made me think it was a hentai manga or something. After seeing the DVD on sale on one of my usual monthly anime shopping, i decided to pick it up. Needless to say I was hooked immediately, since the superstitions over at the land of the rising sun are pretty similar to mine, and it was a definite change of pace, as i was being overdosed by mecha and shonen animes at the time to the point of nausea. A great anime to watch if you want to pass the time with uncomplicated storylines, or simply would like something different instead of the usual anime violence.

The first season of xxxHolic began airing on April 6, 2006 in Japan and ended on September 28, 2006, with 24 episodes in total. Both the film and the anime series are directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. Ageha Ohkawa, Clamp's director and main scriptwriter, is executive producer of the TV series.


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Writer: Yasuhiro Imagawa
Director: Yasuhiro Imagawa
Production House: Sunrise
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Mecha

Synopsis

In F.C. 60, the 13th Gundam Fight begins. Domon Kasshu pilots the Shining Gundam as the representative of Neo-Japan, the Japanese space colony. Along with his crew member Rain Mikamura, he battles the other countries' representatives in order to earn the right to rule Earth and the colonies for four years for Neo-Japan. However, Domon seems to be more concerned with finding his brother and the stolen Devil Gundam.

Chibi's Shining Comments

After Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (V Gundam) finished airing in Japan in early 1994, Bandai (and Sunrise) celebrated Gundam's 15th anniversary by trying something new, by releasing a Gundam series that is totally different from the Universal Century storyline (the original series, Z Gundam, ZZ Gundam, V Gundam, and at least 3 spin-off OAVs), ultimately creating the first Gundam series that is in an alternate universe. Over the years this trend continued in the form of Gundam X, Gundam Seed + Seed Destiny, and most recently the Gundam 00 franchise. Premiering in 1994, G Gundam was the first alternate universe series, and perhaps one of the most controversial. The backdrop of this series' alternate timeline is dubbed the 'Future Century'. Instead of having wars between the colonies and the Earth, a fighting tournament is held to determine the ruler of the colonies, and the tournament is held on Earth itself, where the participants are the countries all over the world. This aforementioned tournament is named the Gundam Fight, and is held once every four years by the United Colonies Federation. Each country has its own representative Gundam (you've got to check out Malaysia's Gundam, like seriously), and the Gundams fight in various locations on Earth until only one is left. G Gundam follows Neo Japan's representative Domon Kasshu, who is in the fight as much to win as well as fulfill his own mission of tracking down his brother who had stolen a mysterious Gundam, the Devil Gundam, from the Neo-Japan government.



The series takes a really drastic turn from the rest of the franchise. It has a number of Shonen elements to it, for instance characters possessing superhuman-speed and strength simply through martial arts training, and this can also be seen in the behavior of the main cast. Most of the Gundams in the series feature elements of super robots, such as heroic robot designs and voice activated special attacks, but there are still some that stay within the normal robot boundaries. It is through these changes coupled with the series' alternate universe setting that made G Gundam such a controversial addition to the franchise. Critics were quick to rip into the series, citing corny and melodramatic action scenes, and repeated sequences like the Shining Gundam's finishing move, to name a few.



Chibi's Shining Review

In spite of all the negative press and so many differences from all the other Gundam series that i was so used to, I decided to give this anime a shot. The result was pleasantly surprising, as this stands as one of my favourite Gundams after sitting through all 49 of its episodes. It might have been the kid in me, or i might just be biased to all things Gundam, but i honestly confess that despite it's flaws, this addition to the Gundam family has huge fun written all over it. What's not to like? A whole load of Gundams coming up with special moves while duking it out? Check. Cool looking Gundams and pilots? Check. Dark brooding hero types? Check. Finishing moves galore? Double Check. I must admit, every single criticism on this Gundam installation aren't baseless, in fact it's right on the money, but this series is what I'd like to call the best in cheesiness. If I had to watch an anime with various cliches on it, it'd be this one.




Domon Kasshu himself is a very likable character. As the brooding tortured hero, the trials and tests that he endures throughout the anime would leave the viewer wanting and asking, does Domon ever find his brother and even if he wins the Gundamn fight. The character looks so appealing in design, you just cannot help but like this guy, think Alucard from Hellsing or Vash the Stampede. Look out for the sermon he gives before finishing off the enemy and erupts into an echoing, "SHINING FINGER!!!" (Voltron anybody?). It might not be some people's cup of tea but that move gets me every time. You might think that this might get repetitive if it goes on for 49 episodes, but it's actually just the tip of the iceberg of the anime. What makes up for this is the great character development of the entire cast of the series, where each pilot has his own story to tell, or reasons to ally themselves with rival pilots, to even a greater plot unfolding in the latter stages of the series. There's even elements of a love story thrown in for good measure. In short this Gundam series does not takes itself too seriously, and would rather focus on the combination of the good aspect of Shonen animes and Gundam animes, and watch to see what happens. If you're looking for a more straightforward and lighthearted Gundam series, this one's for you. Trust me, it's a lot of fun.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa (Giant Robo, Getter Robo Armageddon). Mobile Fighter G Gundam aired from April 1, 1994 to March 31, 1995, totaling 49 episodes. The English language version aired on the American Cartoon Network from August 5, 2002 to October 16 of the same year. Please note that the names of various mobile suits were changed for the American release.


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 3/5
Character Development: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Basilisk

Writer: Masaki Segawa
Director: Fumitomo Sizaki
Production House: Gonzo
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Shounen, Martial Arts

Synopsis

The era for this anime is set during the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 1500s, also known as the beginning of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, where two rival Ninja clans, the Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani, are engaged in a bitter blood feud that has spanned for centuries. The fighting finally ends when Hattori Hanzo the 1st (personal aide and Ninja entrusted to protect Ieyasu at all costs), succeeds in forging a cease fire between the two clans by employing both into the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu (who became Shogun and the one man able to unify all of Japan during the feudal era). Regardless, hostilities and bad blood remain between Kouga and Iga, ensuring a strenuous co-existence at best.

Now 1614; Ieyasu has retired from power (although still controls a considerable amount of influence in the government) and relinquished control to his son Hidetada. This however has resulted in a succession dispute, concerning which of Ieyasu's grandsons are decided to succeed the throne when their father finally decides to step down. The various government retainers are beginning to take sides and the Tokugawa Shogunate is on the verge of tearing itself apart.

In order to solve the problem before it spirals out of control, Ieyasu orders the ceasefire pact between Kouga and Iga to be lifted , commanding each clan to send 10 of their best ninja to enter a ruthless and bloody competition of kill or be killed.


Chibi's Basili-Review

In short, this anime is kind of like Survivor in feudal Japan. Only in this one the contestants die if they get knocked out of the competition. What i like so much about this anime is the many facets to the story, when the main plot in itself is straightforward. The two heirs to the Ninja clans (Gennosouke Kouga for the Kouga and Oboro for the Iga), are actually in love with each other, and plan to marry in the hopes of ending the centuries long feud between their clans. This in turn causes the members of both clans to object, albeit silently, as their scars run deep from the years of conflict. The Kouga specialize in stealth and assassination with techniques that, for the most part, rely on subterfuge. Even abilities designed for battle, such as Gennosuke's Dojutsu, tend to be defensive in nature. The Iga prefer more direct methods and their techniques tend to be mostly offensive to better give them an edge in close combat situations.



Each of the ten Ninjas are unique in their own right, with special techniques that are exclusive to themselves, for instance Nenki Mino's ability to manipulate his hair to grab and strangle opponents for the Iga and Shogen Kazamachi's (Kouga) techniques involving mimicking the attributes of a spider, so much so that he himself looks like an arachnid.



As one of the first animes i've watched since a long break a few years back, this was one of the series that reintroduced me to what makes this genre so awesome. The crisp fluid animation, the dramatic soundtrack, the storyline that kept you hooked even after finishing the series all meshed together so brilliantly it's hard to point out this series' shortcomings, except maybe a few more episodes. Highly recommended for hack and slash anime fans as this one has a lot of violent scenes and everybody dies pretty terribly, which is a huge plus in my book, and another huge plus for me is the writers had entertwined this fictional tale to real life historical events, me being a huge Japanese history buff myself.

Basilisk was an adaptation of a manga of the same name running from February 2003 – July 2004. The manga was also an adaptation from the author's original novel titled Basilisk : Book of the Kouga Ninja Arts by Masaki Segawa. The anime adaptation was released in 2005 with a run of 24 episodes.


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 4/5
Character Development: 3/5
Art: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Tears to Tiara

Hannah Tan, Shoujo animes and we might think that Animax might have got it entirely wrong. Or at least part of it. Introducing Tears to Tiara. Hosted on Animax, every Sundays, 12.00-1.00a.m or early Monday if you would prefer that better.

Hoping to get a good start in quenching your Monday blues, this story revolves around the Demon King Arawn. And it begins with the sacrifice of a priestess, Riannon, in reviving him. The ritual fails but Arawn is successfully revived. This would lead later to a partnership with Riannon, her swashbuckling brother, Arthur and a small companion of weapon wielding travelers in an epic battle against the Divine Empire, which are obviously the main antagonists of the show.

The show on Animax, however is coming to an end and I would say it would be a 20-something episode anime. It was taken from the game with the same title and even though there ain't much in a total character development; you would want to give this one a shot when its out of DVD.

And as always, below would be a video and this time it is the opening theme. English subbed for all those who'd love some karaoke.



-Reviewed by Rempit-

Mobile Suit Gundam the 08th MS Team

Writer: Takeyuki Kanda
Director: Takeyuki Kanda, Umanosuke Lida
Production House: Sunrise
Review Type: Anime OVA
Status: Completed
Genre: Mecha

Synopsis

U.C. 0079 - In the middle of the One Year War, Ensign Shiro Amada is transferred to South East Asia to command Kojima Batallion's 08th MS Team, a small army of soldiers piloting RX-79[G] Gundam Ground type units. During the skirmishes in the jungle, he confronts ace Zeon pilot Norris Packard and falls in love with Aina Sahalin, a pilot involved in testing Zeon's top-secret mobile armor. This relationship leads to the Federation doubting their trust in Shiro. Now Shiro must prove his loyalty in the battleground or die a traitor.



Chibi's 08th MS Review

Unlike most Gundam series out there (0079, Z Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Gundam Seed and more recently, Gundam 00), which are usually an intergalactic political action-packed drama extravaganza, this series decides to go the opposite way by scaling it down a little. It focuses more on an average mobile suit team in jungle warfare, rather than Amuro Ray (the most established Gundam pilot of the war) and the battles that eventually led to the end of the Earth Federation and Zeon conflict. The series is essentially a mix of a war film, mecha and Romeo and Juliet, which strangely works in this case. The love story is between the optimistic and compassionate Shiro Amada and the beautiful and caring Zeon, Aina Sahalin. It was love at first sight, but unfortunately war gets in the way of their relationship, with them being on opposite sides. Another aspect that I love about this Gundam installation is that it does not try to portray how righteous one side is and how evil is the other, but instead we see war from both sides and it is not a biased perspective.

Another plus to this anime is that it does not bother to be philosophical or complex, but it is much rather a tale of ordinary soldiers and their experiences on the front line. This realism is what I like so much about this series. The MS team are not aces, but they are normal pilots and they make mistakes. The Gundams look gritty and realistic, moving like machines and having a weighty feel to them, unlike in other Gundam animes where they fly around making effortless maneuvers like they're weightless. We actually see the Gundams get repeatedly damaged all over, and you will see in several episodes where the MS team is conducting repairs. The characters in this series are also realistic and approachable, making it easy for the viewer to warm up and relate to them. With excellent animation, the mecha battles look really explosive and powerful, with each movement so vividly portrayed you'd swear it was an action flick instead of an anime. Fans who are not already Gundam freaks would find this an accessible Gundam series with it being just 12 episodes long, and Gundam fans would love the mecha battles. The 08th MS theme is a good introduction to viewers wanting a taste of what the Gundam franchise is about.

Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team aired in 1996 spanning 12 episodes. A movie called Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team:Miller's Report followed the year after, although it was more of a compilation of the original OAV. It is directed by the late Takeyuki Kanda, whose other works include Dragonar, Dragon Warrior, SD Gundam Musha, Knight, Commando (OAV), and Doraemon: What Am I for Momotaro (movie).


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 4/5
Character Development: 3/5
Art: 5/5
Originality: 3/5

Heroic Age

Writer: Toshimasa Suzuki
Director: Toshimasa Suzuki
Production House: Xebec
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Mecha, Sci-fi

Synopsis

Answering the call of the 'Gold Race', all the sentient races launch into space. The human race is the last to launch, and are thus known as the 'Iron Race'. Much time has passed since then, and humanity is threatened with extinction at the hands of the more dominant 'Silver Race'. In order to save her people, Princess Deianeira sets out on a journey to a galaxy far away, following the prophecies of the Gold Race handed down by the royal family.

This anime's theme is loosely based on stories from Greek Mythology, particularly those surrounding Heracles, whom the main character, Age, is based on, and his 12 labors. Set in a distant future, Heroic Age tells the story of the quest of the human race to find the messianic individual that holds the power to save mankind. This savior, named Age, is the only human to have been raised by the Golden Tribe before they departed from the universe. The young princess of the humans, Dhianeila, and the crew of the Argonaut - an advanced spaceship able to travel between stars via lanes called Starways - find Age on the ruined planet Oron. After fending off an attack from a rival tribe, the Bronze Tribe, the human race sets off on a journey of salvation, led by Dhianeila and Age.



Chibi's Heroic Review

This anime at first glance is easy to overlook, with the simplistic designs of the Nodos (kind of a biological mecha that morphs with Age and several members of the Silver Tribe) to the Gundam Seed style character artwork. I must confess it took me a while to actually buy a copy of the DVD and actually watch it, and i was skeptical even after hearing so many good reviews and recommendations to go and watch it, me being a huge Gundam freak myself.

How wrong i was indeed. The series itself in essence gives off a feel of this video game i used to waste my college years on playing called Starcraft, as both the anime and the video game has 3 prime races in it, which are so identical to each other i could have sworn it's written by the same people. Age himself is a really interesting character, full of youthful exuberance and almost oblivious that he is the one individual dubbed mankind's savior. Also possessing the most powerful Nodos (the Silver Tribe has the remaining 4) , Age chooses to side himself with the Iron Tribe (humans) as he seems to be rather drawn to princess Dhianeila, thus truly giving mankind the edge over the Silver Tribe and the insect-like Bronze Tribe (or Zerg as i like to call them, another starcraft reference) in their intergalactic battle. This being a 26 episode series, the writers waste no time in laying the plot lines in the first few episodes, and as the story unfolds you would find yourself drawn to the intricate battle scenes, war subplots, twists to even Age behaving like a kid, and will get u caught up in the story in no time. The simplistic mecha designs which i was complaining about belies the fact of the series' lush scenery art and vibrant space battles, and as the series progresses the mecha designs grow on you more and more, and be sure to look out for the morphing sequences. With so many mecha animes out there with a lot more exposure (Gundam, Robotech, Evangelion etc) it's easy to overlook this gem, those who got the opportunity to watch it will be rightfully converted straight away. So if u got a weekend to burn marathon-ing an anime or simply love huge intergalactic CG battles give this series a shot, although i must warn you it's addictive to the point of finishing it in one sitting is not totally unheard of.

Heroic Age was released as a 26 episode anime series in 2007, ending in the same year
and was released by Xebec. It is also directed by Toshimasa Suzuki, whose credits include directing episodes of Fafner, Shaman King (storyboard), and MoonPhase to name a few.


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 5/5
Character Development: 3/5
Art: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Hajime No Ippo

Writer: George Morikawa
Publishing House: Kodansha
Review Type: Manga
Status: Ongoing
Genre: Shounen, Sports

Synopsis

Hajime No Ippo basically centers around the the life of 16 year old gopher and social reject Makounochi Ippo, who is the son of a late fisherman and also helps his mum handle the business after his father passed from a young age. After some inspiration from magazines, videos, and boxers, he decided to take up boxing.

Ippo's desire to take up boxing initially seems pretty straightforward, as he is constantly bullied and beat on in school, and decided to take up the sport after his senpai and gym mate Takamura Mamoru helped him fend off a few bullies one day and gave him a little taste of what boxing is really all about. As he enrolls himself in Kamogawa Gym, his first training session also made his coach Kamogawa Genji notice his talent in punches, which prompted a sparring match with another gym mate, Miyata Ichirou, who is also dubbed a boxing pedigree, a term only used for boxers who are sons of boxers. During the spar Ippo unleashed a punch that caught Miyata cleanly and won him the match. This angered the prodigy Miyata, and thus prompted him to quit Kamogawa Gym and declared Ippo his rival, vowing to finally settle the score in the ring once and for all, as gym mates could not fight each other.


Chibi's Hajime Review

Well folks, despite the simplistic plot overtones, this series is proof of keeping things simple will also work in the manga and anime universe. George Morikawa, although not a household name like Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Tite Kubo (Bleach), or even Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), in my opinion deserves a lot more credit than he actually receives based on this manga alone. In terms of character development, all of the characters in this manga actually do age (the timeline in this series up to the latest chapter has been approximately 6 years after Ippo joined Kamogawa Gym), and the manga does not solely focus on one character specifically, or as Morikawa sensei likes to state, all the characters in this manga is a main character. This is evident when one of Ippo's gym mates or rival boxers have a match coming up. The focus would be solely on them and the trials and hardships they have to go through before finally reaching up to the day of their planned matches. There's also stories on their journey in becoming a boxer, and each boxer's journey is so different and varies so much that i can't help but think the characters in this manga are actual people. It is truly one of the rare sports mangas that transcends the sport itself, and also focuses on real life hardships (Ippo's mum collapse due to overwork as Ippo's more focused on boxing), which actually makes the characters all the more believable.



Reading this from start to the latest chapter is no easy task either, as to date the latest translated chapter is 865 (!!!), it took this author almost 5 months to complete reading the whole series, but rest assured you will be loving every minute of it. It is definitely one of the best sports mangas that i've had the pleasure to read, comparable to dare i say it, Slam Dunk!, which is an industy standard as a sports manga.

Hajime No Ippo was first released in 1989 by its mangaka George Morikawa in Shukan Shonen magazine, and is still running. A 76 episode anime was originally released in 2000 which ran for two years, and a new series has also been released in January 2009 with 26 episodes released, titled Hajime No Ippo : New Challenger. A movie called Hajime No Ippo - Champion Road was also released in 2003 and an OAV titled Hajime No Ippo - Mashiba vs Kimura was released shortly after.


Chibi's Review



Storyline: 5/5
Character Development: 5/5
Art: 3/5
Originality: 3/5