Recent Anime: Mini Reviews

My introduction to anime began as a child where I watched classics such as Pokemon, Digimon and Sailor Moon. Then I sort of didn't have an interest in it much until a couple of years ago when I (finally) discovered Studio Ghibli films, Death Note and Attack on Titan. Since completing/catching up on the latter, I've been dying to find more anime to watch. In particular, anime television. This one for me has been tricky, and I find it's been very hit and miss due to the number of "fan-service" shows that I just can't get into. Anyway, I thought I'd share my thoughts on a couple of shows I've started, as well as a couple of anime films I've enjoyed recently.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

In the many number of lists I've read in my search for a good anime, I've discovered that this is a classic and a must watch for anime fans. Neon Genesis Evangelion, or just Evangelion, aired in the mid 90s and is a science-fiction anime set in an apocalyptic Tokyo that is under attack from angels. We follow a young boy, Shinji who has been chosen by the dodgy corporation, NERV, to pilot a bio-machine, known as an Evangelion, to fight off the angels. I'm only a couple of episodes in, and despite finding it hard to get used to the 4:3 ratio, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I can't really tell what the major themes of the show are going to be yet, but I'm liking the serious tone, which I think is definitely what I'm after in an anime.

Fairy Tail

This is another show that I've only recently started. Fairy Tail began in 2006 and is currently ongoing, with over 200 episodes released. The show is set in the Kingdom of Fiore which is populated by a number of magic folk, including humans, celestial beings and dragons. We follow the main protagonist, Lucy, a celestial wizard, who runs away from home to try and join the famous wizard guild, Fairy Tail. There she meets Natsu, another wizard, who was raised by dragons and who has dragon-like abilities. Together with other wizards, and Natsu's cat, Happy, they go on various missions to earn a living. While I've found the premise very interesting, despite not expecting such a light-hearted fun series, I've found the English dub very difficult to enjoy. I managed to get about 7 episodes in with the dub, but I think I'll have to continue in Japanese with English subs. I've heard that this is a show loved by the anime community, so I'm going to carry on and hopefully I'll come to really enjoy it.

Knights of Sidonia

This anime I found browsing through Netflix and thought it would be interesting to watch a Netflix exclusive anime. Not to mention, season 1 only has 12 episodes and season 2 has only began, so there wouldn't be too much pressure as there isn't a lot to catch up on. The show is set on board the massive spaceship, Sidonia, after Earth was destroyed by aliens known as Gauna. The story follows Nagate, who has lived his life in the underground layer of Sidonia where he trained himself to become a pilot, hoping that he would be able to defend Sidonia from the Gauna. Like the two previous anime, I'm not far into this one (I've been in an indecisive mood, alright?), but I'm finding it pretty enjoyable so far. On Sidonia, their human genetic engineering is very advanced, so humans are able to photosynthesis and produce asexually, so that part of the premise is very interesting. Seeing as the series is short, I hope to finish this one soon.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a 2006 film directed by Mamoru Hosoda. I found this one through one of my favourite bloggers, Maddie. The film follows Makoto, a typically clumsy, baseball loving school girl who discovers she can time leap. She uses her ability to fix any problems in her every day life, such as her sister eating her pudding or to stop a friend being mad at her. However, she quickly discovers that she only has a number of time leaps left, as imprinted on her arm, and this can lead to consequences, especially when a friend's life is in danger. Going into The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I didn't expect such an emotional experience. It made me both laugh and cry and it explored friendships in a way that only good anime does. 

Summer Wars

Having enjoyed The Girl Who Leapt Through Time so much, I needed to watch another Mamoru Hosoda anime stat. I decided on his 2009 film, Summer Wars. Summer Wars follows a college student, Kenji, a brilliant mathematician and moderator for the massive online virtual reality world, OZ. Kenji unknowingly takes up the job of pretending to be the fiance to the most popular girl in school, Natsuki, in order for her to try not disappoint her dying great-grandmother on her birthday. While accompanying Natsuki to her great-grandmother's birthday party in Ueda, he is framed for hacking into Oz. Kenji must convince everyone that he wasn't behind the attacks and with the help of Natsuki and her family, beat the A.I who is controlling OZ and attempting to take out nuclear bombs with an astray satellite. Just like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars was an emotional experience. With themes of family and friendships, as well as a nerdy premise that mimics one of my favourite novels, Ready Player One, Summer Wars instantly became one of my favourite anime films.

Having seen what anime shows I'm watching, what can you suggest? Am I starting in the right place, or do you recommend something else? Also, I plan on watching Mamoru's Hosoda's Wolf Children next. Is it any good? (Need I ask...)

Thanks for reading, Amy. xx

The Avengers: Age of Ultron Non-Spoiler Review

Credit

Edit: This was an initial reaction. Upon much thought and reading of reviews, some of my thoughts have changed. Expect a rant-y spoiler-filled review soon.

I'm going to say this right off the bat, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is so far, my favourite Marvel Cinematic Universe film. There will probably be a lot of people that will disagree with that sentiment, but when I'm rating a film, a lot of what I was feeling personally has to be considered, not just the technical/film-making stuff.

What I found sets this film above The Avengers is its complexities. There is not only the original The Avengers line-up of superheroes, but we also see the introduction of new characters, and the inclusion of past characters who didn't have much going on in the first film. Yet, Whedon some how managed to add in themes of right vs. wrong, morally complex questions and amazing action scenes, and still pull of giving each character enough screen time. We got more back story to some characters who I've loved in the past, but who felt a bit flat to me, all while not feeling "too jam-packed". Additionally, Whedon gave us just enough introduction to new characters, to make us feel excited about them and how they will be explored in future films.

I was worried going in that there would be too much going on, that it wouldn't feel like it flowed. But it gave so much, while managing to stick to a relevantly good story line that made sense. The film has a lot of heart and soul. I laughed out loud. I enjoyed the running jokes throughout. I even shed a wee tear. It just gave everything. Superheroes. Villians. Relationships. Consequences. What it meant to be a superhuman. Who feels sad and scared, and questions if what they're fighting for is right, and what happen if they were to make mistakes. 

Whedon put a lot into The Avengers: Age of Ultron and it shows. The film doesn't feel like it's there just to set up for phase 3. It felt complete. It felt personal. And it held its own. I've never walked out of a Marvel film before feeling so attached to its characters and their future stories. I think Whedon did an amazing job, and has created a film I know I will watch time and time again.

Have you seen The Avengers: Age of Ultron? If so, let me know in the comments your thoughts (keep it spoiler free for now!) If you haven't seen it, tell me what character you're most looking forward to seeing on the big screen?

Thanks for reading, 
Amy x