AnimeRev Batch 3

Elfen Lied

Browsing thru Animenfo's top 200 list This title caught my attention as having the highest place among 2004 releases and having been licensed too quickly.
Overall, this anime was amazing, distinct and developing characters, underlying pasts and great visuals. As I was watching, I came to realize the reasons in its popularity: nudity, violence, bloodshed, decapitation and even sensitive topics. Disturbing is a term i'd like to use, at the level of Evangelion or beyond it.


This is Nana (the number 7 in jap) and is Matsuoka Yuki's character. She's obedient and affectionate, having only the love of her 'foster' father to carry her through all her suffering.




I can't help but crave to post these caps. Its from episode 13 and was done by [ghetto-subs]. I laughed hard at how they inserted linux awareness in an anime (these 2 lines had nothing to do with the real dialogue).


Grenadier: The Smiling Senshi

I couldn't help but cringe while watching this. "To win the fight by vanishing the opponent's will to fight". Rushuna is a gunslinger with huge racks who shoots a revolver not killing opponents and reloads her gun by popping out bullets from in between her bussoms. It took 5 episodes to introduce Matsuoka Yuki's character Kurenai Mikan, a balloon expert orphaned by a gang when her father refused to pay for protection. Skip this anime if you can...

Mikan is on the left, Rushuna right.

Gundam Seed

I was avoiding this anime for no apparent reason. People around me liked it and the series was ongoing so I put if off until recently. It has great mech/fight scenes and teenage hormones and angst flying around. Friend becoming foe, foe becoming ally... it relays the message that going the extra mile to understand people could eliminate unnecessary conflict. A memorable line goes "What are you fighting against?".

Wolf's Rain

"Amazing". It tells the story of wolves capable of disguising themselves as humans who are in a journey to reach paradise. The only complain I have about it is 4 consecutive summary/review episodes, making it 30 eps other that the normal 26. But hey, just skip those 4 and enjoy an absolutely beautiful anime.

Haibane Renmei

"Slow, Sad yet Beautiful". I liked the soothing feeling that this anime gave me. Despite loss, pain, suffering there is always hope and redemption.

Osaka wo Sagashite

(Searching for Osaka)
If you've been following my posts, you should have noticed that my favorite anime character is Osaka-san (aka Kasuga Ayumu) of Azumanga Daioh. Why, you may ask. Because I see myself in her personality and frequent "spaced out-ness". Following the trail of her seiyu(voice actress), Matsuoka Yuki, I've found some amazing anime which employed her voice for their characters:

[Azumanga Daioh]Kasuga Ayumu (aka Osaka):



[Appleseed 2004]Hitomi:



Hitomi is the dark haired girl in the pics. She is probably the character with the most speaking lines. This movie is special because most characters are 3D-rendered and celpainted. It takes some time, even after the movie to get used to celpainted 3D. Maybe its because I've gotten accustomed to how they mix them in Macross Zero. But thats not to put down its Mechs and incredible battle scenes, as they are some of the best I've ever seen. As for the story pace, it was uneven: slow on some parts, and too rushed in others. Overall, it is a landmark, a view of what anime can become in the future.

[Bleach]Inoue Orihime:


Bleach is an ongoing anime and is generally about a teenage boy with above average spiritual powers who after some turn of events inherits the job of Shinigami (soul reaper). I find it interesting so im tuning to it every week, with [Lunar] fansubs in the lead in translations. Yuki here is a spaced out girl who silently grows an interest in the lead character.

[Maburaho]Kazetsubaki Kuriko:


Another Harem setup (one guy fawned over by lots of girls) but with a twist! Its in a world where magic is limited and overuse leads to death. With an average use of 8000 in a life time, how's our lead to survive with only 8 to start with? Yuki here is a confident and capable heir who has interest in the lead character.

[Stelliva of the Universe]Glennorth Arisa:


Yuki here plays a loud and friendly character who while not being as talented as the lead, is the one that supports her the most.

I'll probably post more as I exhaust Matsuoka Yuki's discography :D