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Gravity Falls (2012)
A rare gem that's for all ages
Gravity Falls takes place in the supernatural town of the same name, where we follow the various adventures of twins Dipper and Mabel Pines as they spend one summer at their Great Uncle's tourist attraction.
Now if you've seen any advertisement for any children's movies or shows you will have likely seen the proclamation that it's "great for the whole family!" And while that's not always the case, Gravity Falls is that rare exception where it absolutely is. I personally feel we live in a day and age where many television shows wallow in misery and having an edge. And while that's not bad per say, it's great to have a show here that reminded me of what it felt like to be a kid. The laughs, the tears, the nervousness of growing up, it's all here and anyone can relate. Throw unforgettable characters and hilarious writing on top of that, and you have a show that anyone can enjoy.
As I said before, the characters are all extremely endearing. Dipper reminded me so much of myself as a 12 year old and could relate to him on several instances. Mabel, the sister, has got to be one of the most entertaining characters I've seen in any medium; her energy just leaps off the screen and infects you. But as different as these two kids are, they work brilliantly together and their relationship is beautiful. Then there's their Great Uncle Stan, who is arguably the best actual character on the show. On the surface he's a grumpy con artist who sucks at babysitting, but as the show goes on you see a much more complex and real person who, along with the kids, you grow to love. There are so many other memorable and colorful characters, but to list them all and explain why they're great would exceed the 1,000 word limit.
It's thanks in large part to these characters why there really isn't a single bad episode, every episode has clever and legitimately funny scenarios and everyone is always a joy to watch on screen. But don't let the comedy fool you, for GF also has a surprisingly captivating and dramatic mystery at its core. It gives it to you in small drops, allowing you to get invested in the characters and slowly piece it together. For many shows it's hard to keep up a good, over-arching mystery and still keep to an episodic nature, while also delivering completely satisfying answers to those mysteries, but GF does just that.
If I had any problems with this show, I'd just be nitpicking in all honesty. This show took me by surprise and was delightful from beginning to end. Every single character is charming and memorable, from the mains to the supporting to the antagonists. I grew to care so much about everyone, and couldn't wait to see what wacky scenarios would crop up next. When it was funny, it was hilarious. When it was dramatic, it was edge of your seat thrills. But most of all it brought me back to the nostalgic feeling of my childhood and left me with a strange feeling of happiness and melancholy. It's a truly special show that you owe yourself to watch. Thank you Alex Hirsch, and see you next summer. 10/10.
Trigun (1998)
A hell of a a ride with some great highs and unfortunate lows
Set sometime in the future, the human race has fled from Earth looking for somewhere new to live. Unfortunately for them, they ended up crashing landing on Gunsmoke, a hostile and dried up wasteland of a planet. Years after, we follow Vash the Stampede, who has a $$60,000,000,000 bounty on his head and leaves death and destruction wherever he goes. When two women are sent from an agency to find Vash for all the damage he's caused, we find out more about Vash and who he is exactly. Now I actually wasn't planning on watching this, but I came upon the first episode one day and thought why not, and so I rolled through the entire series in about a week and a half. And while it's not always perfect, Trigun surprised me with just how much simultaneously fun and interesting it was and I can happily say I'm very glad I checked it out.
Unfortunately, Trigun's first impression on you might not be that great. Being released in 1998, the animation is noticeably dated with some rough textures and details. Plus with the setting being a desert wasteland, it's not exactly a series that pops out at you. The character animations, however, are very nice and allow for a lot of emotion and life that might've been missing in lesser hands. The style of Trigun is very cool as well, as it lends to some tense and impressive moments. Another thing that might turn people off at first is the tone of the show, it starts off pretty goofy and lighthearted, using that Japanese humor where people's heads grow twice their size when they get mad or embarrassed. I didn't mind it, it eases you into the show and the first half is very entertaining with likable characters. If you hate the humor though, don't worry, for the second half of the show is an entirely different animal from the first. The second half gets dark, depressing, deep, shocking and very tense. Another noteworthy thing is the music, it has lots of memorable tunes and sets the tone of the show, light or dark, very nicely. The beginning and ending songs are especially awesome.
Now onto the characters. Vash at first seems like a total bada$$, with an intimidating set of clothing and tall stature. However, that image is quickly done away with when he see how Vash deals with these group of merchants trying to kill him in the first episode. For lack of a better word, Vash is more or less a goofball. He loves donuts, love, peace and refuses to kill. Vash is a great character in that without even knowing anything about him he is just such a likable and entertaining guy, and when you learn more about who he truly is he becomes so much more. The two agency girls, Meryl and Milly, are very entertaining in their own right and form a nice relationship with Vash. Then there's Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a trigger happy preacher who runs into Vash and co. along the way. Wolfwood is just as cool and interesting as Vash, having his own personal problems and views on the world. Last but not least, is the gun-ho guns, a large group of unique and psychotic killers out to make Vash's life a living hell. While all these freaks don't really develop a whole lot beyond bloodthirsty baddies they are unique and bring forth a good amount of fun battles. The main gun-ho gun, Legato Bluesummers, is a whole different story. Legato's introduction is a big game changer and instantly he is a chilling and intense presence on the show. His true role ends up being a bit disappointing in my opinion when another threatening force is introduced, but regardless serves as a great foil to Vash. The other threatening force I mentioned, who I will not spoil, is great as well.
Onto issues, there are a few. Like I said before, some may find the beginning of the series to be very goofy and a bit slow to start with an episodic nature. I personally didn't mind this, my big issue is the pacing in the second half. While it has some of the series' best moments and is very interesting, I felt it was a bit repetitive. For a few episodes I kinda felt I was seeing the same things happen but in different locations and with different side characters. This unfortunately hurt the last half a bit and stopped it from being truly amazing in my opinion.
Overall, Trigun is vastly under-appreciated and a damn good series. The animation is a bit dated, it's tone may be too goofy at first and the second half suffers from some pacing issues, but these flaws don't ruin the experience whatsoever. Vash is a great character and his journey and relationships bring up very deep and interesting views on life and how we should live it along with how to let others live. Trigun is a great little series that is bound to impress you as well if you give it a chance
Kaubôi bibappu: Cowboy Bebop (1998)
A timeless gem with the greatest ensemble cast in television
Set in the year 2071, we live in a galaxy where we have things called "gates" that allow us fast travel to other planets. The Earth was heavily damaged in an accident involving production of the gates, there are dangerous crime syndicates roaming the galaxy, and it's overall a very divided and dangerous place to live in. We follow a group of bounty hunters who hunt down criminals for whatever money they can get to scrap by, and throughout we witness these people bond through their many adventures and be forced to confront their pasts. Cowboy Bebop is so loved and cherished among anime fans that praising it is like singing to the choir. It is essentially "The Godfather" of the anime genre. And I can see why. While it actually took me two tries to get into it, I eventually grew a deep appreciation for the style and subtlety of everything. And overall this is one of the best TV series I have ever had the privilege to watch.
First off, the animation is very impressive for it's time. It's very fast and fluid, offering up some amazing action from space battles to classic brawls. It also helps in pulling you into the world of Bebop, it has a certain atmosphere and throughout you see the various cultures and worlds and you truly feel like this is a real reality that you could reach in and touch. The style is wonderfully unique too, it's pretty fast paced and a joy to watch. Last but not least is the music. The music is, putting it simply, incredible. With influences from jazz and blues, the music is absolutely captivating with a wide range of memorable tunes. The most memorable ones for me are "Tank" and "Blue", but there are literally dozens of more pieces that are just as amazing.
However, the thing that makes this show is the characters. Each and every member of the crew are memorable and it wasn't until the end when I truly realized just how much I cared about them. The main character, Spike Spiegel, is a lazy b-dass who is a great fighter and lives life with very little care or worry. He tries not to reveal too much of himself or get too attached to anyone due to having a very troubled past with the love of his life and former best friend. There's Jet Black, Spike's partner, who was a former cop before a fatal accident and decided to take up the bounty hunting business aboard his ship, the Bebop. He serves as the father figure and voice of reason on the ship when things get hairy. Now probably my favorite character, Faye Valentine, is a funny, spoiled b-dass who joins Spike and Jet in the beginning of the series, causing problems for them immediately. She also has a shrouded past that bothers her throughout the show. Finally there's Ed and Ein. Ed is an odd, young girl who always seems to be in her own world and is an expert hacker. While Ein is an adorable Welsh Corgi who becomes close with Ed. All these characters are memorable and unique and their pasts show their depth and flaws. What I love is that their relationships are so subtle that like I said, you don't realize how close they all are or how much you like them until the end. There isn't the expected bonding scenes or exact moments where they become friends, but instead it is through their actions and way they interact with each other that we see that change. It really is beautifully done.
As for flaws, well, there's very few. There are a couple episodes where I found them to be a bit dull, but other than that the show is completely entertaining and great from beginning to end. Even in the "filler" episodes, there is bound to be an interesting side character (just a side note, pretty much every side character they run into is memorable, which is remarkable), a fun action scene or something that builds upon the world. There's something special in every episode, and that's something.
Overall, I can't recommend this show enough. It has great animation, great music, great action, great themes/morals, and FANTASTIC characters. This is truly a classic, and any fans of good characters and storytelling need to see it.