Reviews

FLCL (short for "Furi Kuri", although I really have no clue how or why) is a highly stylized show. It's light-speed flow of dialog train-wrecks with the multitude of visual accompaniments in a strange combination of storytelling and all-out madness. There's no denying it, Furi Kuri will almost assuredly make you say "What the **** did I just watch?" I won't try to convince you of anything but that fact, nor do I feel anyone should. The show was made to warp minds while telling a tale - yes, there IS a plot underneath all this insanity - and cover as many genres, as many styles and subjects and tastes as possible. It is madcap entertainment, that's for sure.

Any attempts to cover the storyline for this series feel as if they'll ultimately end in failure, primarily because saying too much would spoil the plot...and you can't tread very far without toeing that line. Therefore, I'll make an attempt at telling what I can, trying not to spoil anything.

::takes a deep breath::

Naota is a sarcastic, smart-alec 12-year-old with a distaste for bitter drinks and sports a baseball bat at all times. He lives with his father and grandfather, and has a strange friendship with his older-brothers' girlfriend, Mamimi. Naota generally finds life boring in his town, a run-of-the-mill city with nothing out of the ordinary ever happening (despite the fact that there is a giant factory at the edge of town, a factory in the shape of a giant iron). This dull life changes when, for no apparent reason, a pink-haired girl named Haruko shows up on a moped...and proceeds to plow right into Naota, sending headlong into an adventure he would most likely prefer to avoid. With the entrance of Haruko into Naota's life, everything - not just his everyday life, but everything else around the entire city - seems to become even stranger and stranger. Naruko apparently has some strange obsession with Naota, one that requires the occasional beating with a guitar (aw, heck...she does that to everyone).

That's a fairly loose run-down of the series. However, the focus seems to be very, VERY far removed from such down-to-earth elements as "Following a steady plot" or "developing characters"; instead, Furi Kuri seems to lampoon anything and everything it can, from basic elements of life and society to American Television (yes, there is a South Park section in the series). It flows so quickly you feel as if you're being overwhelmed, yet at times the show appears to slow down, just enough to let the poor audience barely catch up...and then speed off again, taunting the viewers with its very appearance.

How can a show be so cruel in its simple execution? Imagine a fairly normal scene of Naota reminiscing about his older brother (whom has gone to America to play Baseball). Naota then proceeds to walk into his kitchen, discovering Haruko has appeared at his house. Without any warning the show shifts into hyperdrive, transforming into a moving manga (Japanese black-and-white comic), telling the next few scenes with crazed voice acting and rapid camera movement, mimicking a person reading such a publication. There are moments when the show will shift to cliched Anime moments (the "gun-fight" camera, with characters flying about and spraying bullets) back to normal time simply because it WANTS to. The show is driven by a madman, driving to make madmen of us all. ...and yet somehow the show is comprehensible after a few viewings, subtle moments once misunderstood now coming in clear(er). You get the feeling of several layers of meaning coming from all angles, several topics being touched upon, the show proving that it is more than just a crazy attempt at randomness in entertainment. The last episode, while lacking any true "tying up of loose ends" at least brings all events of the past to a pseudo-close, bringing an understanding to the basest wackiness exhibited.

Usually, I find myself enjoying shows that are able to combine elements into powerful scenes - Cowboy Bebop is a good example of this, splicing wonderful jazz and rock with the action pacing of each section of the series. Furi Kuri, however, throws this concept right out the window, apparently making the attempt at clashing anything and everything they can without wholly losing its sanity in the process. The music, performed by J-Pop (J-Rock?) group "The Pillows" has a rock/punk edge to it, yet feels easygoing and fun to listen to. This music almost seems out of place when taken in conjunction with the wild action and oddities that are viewed; large fights take place with simple guitar-riffs in the background, appearing as an attempt to downplay the action as nothing more than a childs' imagination.

One could probably get away with calling this show a visual representation of a childs' imagination, actually. It only has boundaries where it sees fit, it plays whatever music it wants to whenever it wants to, and it jumps from topic to topic as if it suffers from ADHD and has ingested a few bowls of sugar. The people may stay the same (for the most part), but everything else defies logic, reality, and reason. Despite its extremely varied existence, I enjoyed the series immensely, and suggest it to anyone who wants to experience...well, anything. It doesn't single out certain topics - like love, friendship, actions, self-depricating humor - instead opting to tackle them all and mush them together into 20-minutes of super-phrenic television. If you don't enjoy the absolute craziness of FLCL, then you should at least respect it for its ability to throw caution (and most everything else) to the wind and go with whatever it feels like doing. Hey, since when has 6 episodes of dementia been this fun?

Cowboy Bebop is one of my favorite shows. I'm not so naive to allow such a bias to sugarcoat my description of the series, though. What I enjoy, what my tastes in music/film/television - those decisions might differ from yours. Thus, I'll make no attempts at changing your opinion. I wish to review the series by itself, as well as hopefully express my deep fondness for the show. Having gotten the formalities out of the way...

Cowboy Bebop, what is it? People have asked me what genre Bebop fits into; sadly, I am usually at a loss for words at that juncture. They ask "Is it action?" It is, partially. "Is it comedy?" It is, partially. "Is it drama?" It is, partially. "Is it a fight against good and evil?" It is, partially...you begin to sense a pattern to this train of thought. However, for you to understand this train of thought is far more important than simply looking at my responses. Thus, let's at the series for what it is.

Cowboy Bebop is a show that takes place in the not-so-distant future, despite its VERY futuristic feel. Earth has been devastated due to an accident from one of the "Gates," giant portals that allow Hyperspace Travel between planets possible. Due to this, and the fact that Gates' allow people to colonize distant planets, the Earth is no longer the center of Humanity's interest. Instead, people have spread themselves all over the Milky Way, utilizing planets and moons for their homes. Because of the sudden necessity, mankind has developed newer technologies that make living life in these new lands much more tolerable.

However... ...new technology breeds new criminals. Sadly, there is such an overwhelming need for policing in our Solar System that the Interplanetary Federation has set up a bounty system for capturing such villains. The bounty hunters of this future - for lack of a better term - are referred to as "Cowboys". As it stands in this makeshift Universe, there are over 300,000 Cowboys hopping around in ships, tracking down villains for bounties. They even have their own TV show that advertises the hottest bounties on the market.

Our 2 main characters are such bounty hunters - Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine. Through fights for bounties and various interactions/mix-ups between their daily routines, these 3 have come to live together on the Bebop, Jet's oversized boat/ship, which they use for traveling between planets, moons, and prospects. Our 3 characters are the focus of the story; all that previous talk of the Solar System is merely the background.

The plots for Cowboy Bebop are primarily self-contained stories, driven by our characters and the situations they find themselves in. Be it a new bounty, a former love, or simply a need to sort themselves out, our heroes endure humorous and dramatic situations alike. Since each plot usually features one-shot characters and ideas, the only real consistency from episode to episode are our characters. However, not all storylines are about hunting bounties, nor are they about cheap jokes, action scenes, rediscovering ones' past, etc. Thus, we are simply left with characters that develop over the progression of a series which appears to have no aim.

Yet the series does have aim. If you look at Cowboy Bebop objectively, you might not find a point to the apparently-aimless wanderings of plot and characters. However, take a closer look - you'll find Spike, Faye, and Jet to appear as real, deep people. They have hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc., that come out with each episode. The show is about the characters themselves, not plot or music or such. I find it immensely entertaining to sit and watch the misadventures of a group of people I enjoy knowing - yes, by the end of the series I think you truly KNOW these people.

Because of Cowboy Bebop's somewhat scatter-brained stylization, not everyone enjoys the series for what it is. It has funny episodes, serious episodes, episodes that seem to have no real purpose. The purpose is simple - to give you a wonderful collection of moments, featuring a cast of characters that are genuinely fun to watch. You downright experience the show with them, not just sit back and watch. The show will switch from action to a flash-back in the blink of an eye, filling out a character or situation.

Everything about the show smacks of a future distant, yet there are just as many moments where you will find our characters in a bar or on the street, milling about in what could be Anytown, USA. The blend of the normal with the makings of a possible future are so natural, it leaves you with few questions regarding what you had just seen.

Yoko Kanno's musical score for the series is absolutely wonderful (in my opinion). Treading from her usual roots of classical, Ms. Kanno takes a step in the new direction of almost entirely Jazz music for our background material. Her wonderful arrangements are, in my opinion, never short of brilliant in terms of writing, and the production of said music is equally as commendable. Using the compilation band "The Seatbelts" as her orchestra for which to conduct her myriad of musical talents, Kanno produced 4 CDs of music for the series...and there is still a good deal of music that has yet to be put to disk. The sheer volume alone should earn respect, not even taking into account the quality of the music therein.

Still on the sound of audio, the foley work - that is, sound effects and the like - are commendable, their uses about as accurate as one could hope for such a strange series. The vocal acting is extremely good as well, quite possibly the best I've heard yet for an Anime - original AND dubbed vocal tracks, too, which is quite a feat...I'm quite the critic of such subjects, and I was not let down on any of these points.

The direction for the series is one of the more impressive jobs I've seen, animated or otherwise. Shinchiro Watanabe, the mastermind at the helm of this crazy ship called Bebop, shows his mettle through a variety of styles and mediums to express each situation. He takes the series and sets it up in such a way, showcasing a variety of "camera tricks," that almost give the appearance that he was actually there, recording the situations with a camera. Shifting the focus of a scene from a simple view of the room to, say, though the contents of a half-filled glass of alcohol, does wonders for how everything is viewed and interpreted. I call this raising your average show and raising darn-close to being art.

The combination of such wonderful elements - the stylized viewing of a futuristic life, with great music backing the superbly-voiced characters - creates an impressive series that...one has trouble explaining in few words. I love Cowboy Bebop, there's no doubt about that, and I think it is definitely worth a view or two. Remember, though, you probably won't like all of the series; in fact, there may be episodes that flat-out bore you. However, it's those moments that count, not the series as a whole. ...but don't take my word for it. Get out there and see it for yourself!

Well, I just finished watching Visions of Escaflowne, and I was impressed to say the least. Sure, I'm a guy who was expecting something different, but I have absolutely no complaints with what I just saw, and I felt that, coming right off of watching the final episode, now would be a great time to pen my thoughts on the series and generally wax over this series.

When it was first recommended to me, I was told that it was an anime following political strife while big robots fought. Granted, I was never really a fan of "mech" series' (Gundam, Robotech, etc), but it came highly recommended by some friends. Therefore, I thought "what they hey, it's all for entertainment, right?" and agreed to send the money (for those of you who aren't familiar, I have a few friends in Japan who enjoy sending me shows they liked in exchange for money or other requested items). For those of you familiar with Escaflowne, you'll be laughing at that description - granted, the series does have those, but the focus of the series is far different. After watching the first few episodes, I immediately realized this, and was a little unhappy at my new "purchase".

Now, for those of you who haven't seen Escaflowne yet, the premise is fairly simple: schoolgirl Hitomi is known to her friends by her track aspirations and, more importantly (to them), her rather distinct ability with Tarot Cards. Due to circumstance and a little bit of fate, she ends up being sent to the magical planet of Gaea, where fate is a powerful tool - so much so that her Tarot abilities become so acute, she is considered a psychic. ...of course, not even THAT is an accurate description. That is merely another foil for which the series plays off of. Hitomi is befriended by several inhabitants of the planet, including the young king of Fanelia, Van, and Allen, a skilled knight who has left his kingdom to stop the wars. Hitomi is quickly swept up in their plans and attempts to stop the fighting, partially by fate, partially by a genuine desire to stop the fighting, and partially because she cares for everyone.

So we have a series that's about a young prophetic schoolgirl whom aids people in their plight against the ever-present war on their planet. That doesn't sound so bad, even for the "I prefer action and comedy" kind of guys like me. However, this plot is very quickly intertwined with a much more emotional one - that of love. Hitomi loves everyone, there's no doubt about that. From her old friends (and track coach) on Earth to her new ones on Gaea, she does whatever she can to aid them and stop their suffering - whatever that pain may be. Truly, by the end the series this combined plot reaches extremely high and, in my opinion, succeeds.

Hitomi's transformation throughout the series is easily apparent, starting off as a simple schoolgirl whom wishes to make the track team while struggling with her feelings for Amano, the star athlete whom may be leaving soon. Upon reaching Gaea, she is understandably confused as to where she is and the situations she has been thrown into, reacting the way one would expect. She frequently encounters new trials and experiences strange concepts, somehow digesting it all while attempting to sort her own feelings. She is truly the anchor of the series, always providing the viewer with someone to relate to. Of course, she IS from "The Mystic Moon", our Earth (which hangs ominously above Gaea, perpetually seen but never reached), so it would make sense for us to relate to our brethren. Her feelings about her life, the life of others, and her feelings for everyone around her are easily followed while still retaining a natural feel. This sort of quality character-development is a scant find in TV nowadays, which is why I deeply enjoyed it.

Of course, Hitomi is HARDLY the only person to be developed this well. As the story progresses, we discover more and more about everyone we meet, either through flashbacks, character interaction, their reactions to their surroundings, or good ol' fashioned monologues. Even the significantly odder of characters, such as Merle, become 3-dimensional figures whom you could find believable despite their general appearance (Merle, by the way, is a humanoid Cat person). These supporting characters, whom could generally be used for comedic relief at times, also help create some of the more emotional scenes in the series - Merle once again being a prime example (but I won't spoil THAT one, kiddies!).

Now, character portrayal can often be just as important as the writing presented for each character. Once again, I felt the series shined through. Finding fault in the series' actors, in retrospect, is quite difficult...everyone did their jobs admirably, breathing life into every nook and cranny of their characters. Upon first watching it, I had some serious problems with certain voice actors - however, as the storyline progressed I found that there was a REASON these problems existed and their portrayal was the way it was; they were intentional, and actually added to the plot (once discovered). Looking back, I found that there was no fault in the quality of the voices.

Since we're talking about audio quality, this would be as good a time as any to discuss the soundtrack. I put a lot of stock in TV series and movie soundtracks, since the different between a normal scene and one that brings forth a wealth of emotion can be as simple as the wrong song. The right music, as well as the right style and/or quality of writing, can enhance every little bit of a show. Yoko Kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi have blended together some truly striking classical pieces, capturing the various emotions throughout the entire series, and I feel did their job(s) wonderfully. Their breadth of combined musical knowledge shines clearly with memorable pieces throughout the series. Not to sound like a ranting fanboy or anything (I AM quite the fan of Kanno's work), but I have scarcely heard orchestral music of this quality before. To be honest, you simply have to hear it to believe it (I suggest listening to "Dance of the Curse" for a good example). The wonderful combination of elements with traditional orchestral glory (such as Gregorian chants) are wonderful. As per my reaction to Cowboy Bebop, and I am now in earnest pursuit of the soundtracks for this series; hopefully (upon hearing this music) you'll be able to relate.

All in all, the most powerful item throughout the series is the finished product. The acting, the writing, the music - it all forms an emotional story of love and war on the foreign planet of Gaea. I found every moment enjoyable, and highly suggest watching it if you have a few hours to kill. However, be forewarned - it is one of those series' that constantly leads from one episode to the next. Unlike some series (like Cowboy Bebop or Hokuto no Ken) where most episodes will be one-shot storylines, Escaflowne does little recapping and flows right from one episode to the next. Therefore, it feels as if it's often hard to stop watching - you simply HAVE to see the next episode to find out what happens next!

Well, chummers, I enjoyed the series greatly, and would consider myself a definite fan. I don't really know why I sat and wrote this, aside from a desire to express myself on the matter...and I figured this would be the forum to do so. Sorry if I sound longwinded, that's just my nature at times. The more I say, the more information I can give; and this, in turn, helps you to understand my feelings on the matter. Now, all I have to do is wait for my tape of Escaflowne's movie to arrive... (::begins itching nervously::)

Before I even begin talking about Dragon Ball, I should comment on the fact that I have been watching the show for roughly 12 years now, so if I seem biased that is because I am more intimately familiar with the original Japanese...

The Americanized version of the immensely popular Anime, Dragon Ball Z, just hasn't been given a fair run on TV, and while this could be blamed on a variety of factors, the #1 party responsible for this is none other than FUNimation (with a close second going to Saban). I'll address this at each point it comes up.

Dragon Ball Z is the continuation of the popular anime "Dragon Ball", based off of the manga created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The show, losely based around the old "Journey to the West" Legends (starring a Monkey-Boy with incredible powers) quickly became a huge success in Japan, spawning its own TV series in Japan. After a few years' successful run, Bird Mountain Studios (the production company behind the Dragon Ball anime) told everyone that "Dragon Ball has now ended - stay tune next week for a new show" in a clever marketing ploy. That new show was Dragon Ball Z, which picked up right where Dragon Ball left off.

Ok, that's the background. So what about the American version of this show brings it down so much? Well, let's take a look at the very concept of "translating" an anime - the process is done so a company might bring a popular show from Japan and showcase it in an entirely different language, so that those who couldn't understand it in its native tongue can now watch the show and enjoy it without learning an entire new language (and make money for the production company in the process). This is the first step that FUNimation and Saban faltered on - they translated certain parts of the series incorrectly, but never made any attempts to correct; they also butchered character names and ranks, plot points, and simple concepts about the Dragon Ball world. Now, you can argue that they were "making it more viable for a younger audience," but this argument holds no merit when you realize they also cut out characters, segments, and entire EPISODES that had absolutely no reason to be cut! The cut items wouldn't have crossed any lines that prevented them from showing to an audience of children, so their doing so was pretty much going against the very core of what translating is supposed to be.

The next thing that went wrong was the voice acting. Saban had the right idea of keeping on the actors they'd used for their dub of Dragon Ball, so the characterizations were well-done (since the actors were already familiar with their roles). However, these actors, upon realizing how big Dragon Ball was getting, began asking for more money - so Saban (and FUNi, who began to take a more and more active role in the porting of the series) fired the entire cast and hired on a newer bunch of actors. I'm not saying that these actors are bad, but they simply weren't familiar with the series or the characters enough to even begin to give a decent performance. Couple that with some rather poor choices for voicework and you have a recipe for disaster - and this only compounds when you realize that the voice actors have changed over and over again. If FUNi would stick with 1 single group of actors, they WOULD eventually become proficient at their respective roles - but since they constantly change actors, no one is given a chance to truly mold to their character, and consequently the entire vocal aspect of the series becomes a wash.

I could rant on and on about how much is wrong with the current state of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, but I believe I have reached the limit of this post. Of course, when a series changes from the emotional dealings of friends and family and turns into a cheesy kids' program, one tends to get irate. Justifying it as a "Kids' show" can only take you so far, especially when this justification doesn't cover HALF the mistakes that have arisen.