Video: Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya Original Opening
Vampires may continue to terrorize and rule the world but Yu is content knowing that his family, Mika, is still alive. Determined to save him at any cost, Yu and other members of the Moon Demon Company are ordered to carry out a series of attacks on vampire nobles, hoping to reduce vampire control of the city and eventually reach Nagoya. For the first time the humans are starting to have hope in reclaiming their world, in addition to successfully slaughtering many vampires due to incredible power and strength. But strength and power come at a cost, and that cost may be the end of the entire world.
Why I began this series: More Seraph of the End? Yes please!
What I liked about the series: As a second season, Seraph of the End: Battle of Nagoya was excellent. Bringing back it's memorable and spunky characters alongside the series new plot line made it both an easy and exciting watch from week to week. As I've written before, I find that Vampire animes can be extremely difficult to pull off without being campy, dopey, or stale, but Seraph of the End pleasantly surprised me. The basis of any good anime series is its characters and Seraph of the End is full of complex, well developed characters. From the series start I was particularly fond of various vampires, including Mika, Ferid Baldroy and Queen Krul, but Battle of Nagoya made me start to take a closer look at the actions and desires of the Human Race as we were introduced to Lt. Cornel Kureto and Shinya Ichinose. Filled with a plentiful mix of both familiar and new characters, the series feel like it have never stopped to begin with and its second season was begun to simply continue things along. Alongside it's characters, the plot of Battle of Nagoya was quite good. Focusing more on the humans desire and push for ultimate power, the plot had many ideas and concepts that are relevant today, though we do not have vampires running our world. The plot was exciting, emotional, gripping and took many unexpected turns, making every episode a blast to watch on a weekly basis.
What I didn't like about the series: My only issue with the series as a whole is its pacing. Some episodes were jam packed with action and excitement, but others felt very slow and dragged out. While this may have been done in order to explain plot devices and unanswered questions, these episodes seemed removed from the series and I yearned for something either faster or more evenly paced.
Seraph of the End has quickly become a popular and well-loved series, and Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya is quite a well done continuation. For any anime fan who enjoys vampires or is a fan of the series in general, Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya is a definite must see.
Dance with Devils (2015)
Video: Dance with Devils Original Opening
Ritska Tachibana always thought of herself as any other high school girl but when she one day is summoned by the mysterious Student Council, everything changes. After meeting the council under questionable circumstances, Ritska returns home to discover her mother wounded and hooded strangers searching her house. Desperate to help her mother, Ritska goes for help but is shocked upon her return to find her house in perfect order and her mother gone. When the president of the Student Council, Rem Arlord, suddenly appears and offers Ritska his help Ristska vows to do all she can to save her mother - but who were the men who took her? Why did they do it? Is Ritska really just an ordinary girl? And does Rem and the rest of the Student Council have something to hide?
Why I began the series: I was trolling on KissAnime for a short anime and found Dance With Devils. I thought I would only start it, but due to inexplicable reasons I completed it all in one night.
If you've read my reviews before, you know that I usually divide my thoughts into two sections: what I liked, and what I didn't like. With Dance with Devils, I find it impossible to separate out my thoughts and label things I liked verses things I didn't - so for this review I have put everything in one place, in hopes that it will be easier to understand where I stand with this particular series.
When I began Dance with Devils I thought for sure I would abandon it halfway through, but somehow remarkably, that was not the case. As the series began I was thoroughly confused as to its draw, but as the series continued I began to understand it better. My biggest issue with the series was that it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: Drama? Harem? Fantasy? Musical? While it ended up being a mix of all these genres, the structure of the series was quite odd and some of it felt very out of place. With songs interspersed throughout the episodes, Dance with Devils many times felt like an anime version of High School Musical involving Devils and Vampires, though many of the songs were quite good. This said however, they generally felt out of place and it seemed that their sole purpose was to provide fan girl service - a perfect example being the song played in episode eleven where all the male protagonists came together to form "The Ultimate Boy Band". Along with its songs the characters of the series were uneven and remained undeveloped throughout, though had the series been longer this would not have been an issue. To its credit however the animation was pretty and the English Dub of the series was quite good overall, featuring standout performances from J Michael Tatum as Lord Nesta, Gregory Lush as Lindo and Aaron Roberts as Urie. It's characters however could not help save the series plot. The series had many plot holes that were unresolved, unexplained or were attempted to be covered up by the various budding romances between the heroine and the male protagonists. Due to this the series script was weak and often silly, as it included labels such as "grimwoire" and "dampire". But Dance with Devils did have a saving grace - its ending. While it was nothing particularly remarkable, Ritska made her first independent decision about her feelings for Rem and chose what was best for her instead of what was best for them. As the ending approached I was terrified and nervous that we would be like "The Little Mermaid", with the female protagonist changing almost everything about herself for the man she loved. Ritska however genuinely surprised me when she decided to remain human and lose Rem forever instead of becoming a devil, and I couldn't have been happier. The ending overall left me feeling a wide flood of emotions ranging from relief, to happiness, to sadness and even a bit of depression - though those feelings vanished as the possibility of a second season came to light. If we do get a second season of Dance with Devils, I will be extremely interested to see where it goes.
While Dance with Devils felt like a cross between Vampire Knight, Twilight and High School Musical, I surprisingly enjoyed it more than I ever thought I would. Dance with Devils in really something, and if you don't believe me, see for yourself.
Noragami Aragoto (2015)
Video: Noragami Aragoto Original Opening
Life has returned to normal for Hiyori, Yato and Yukine. Hiyori continues to attend high school though her soul is still able to escape from her body at whim, and Yato with the help of Yukine is still offering his services for a small fee in order to save up for a shrine of his own. Things may have quieted down for the time being, but Goddess of Fortune Lady Bishamone is still hungry for revenge and determined to find and destroy Yato at any cost. But Bishamone's many regalias are beginning to lose faith in one another and rumors of a traitor among them may bring Bishamone's reign to a swift and silent end.
Why I began this series: After finishing the first season and seeing that the second season was already being released weekly with the Enlgish Dub, I immediately began Noragami Aragoto.
What I liked about the series: Like its first season, many things about Noragami Aragoto pleasantly surprised me. First was its characters - bringing back many familiar faces along with some new ones. Unlike its first season, Noragami Aragotos characters went through some incredible development due to the series story line and overall pacing. Yato, Yukine, Bishamone and Ebisu especially went through tremendous growth physically, emotionally and psychologically, making me as a viewer develop deeper emotional connections with them. Of all Noragami's characters, my favorites are Kazuma and Bishamone, as their individual personalities are quite complex but they also share many painful memories and burdens that they must face with Yatos help. But all of this would not be possible without a solid plot, which Noragami Aragoto delivered. Split up in two "semi-arcs", the series first half focused on Bishamones desire for revenge while the second half focused more on Ebisu and his constant inner battle. Each arc was beautifully crafted and the plot was even from episode to episode, answering all posed questions. This amazing plot crafting elevated the series leagues beyond what I was expecting, enhancing both the characters and the series overall flow. While the series has many high points, its greatest feature was its English Dub cast. Each voice fit the character quite well and brought them to life in wonderful and unexpected ways.
What I didn't like about the series: In general, I had no large issues with the series - it was very, very well done.
I have never seen such a fan following for an anime since Attack on Titan and Black Butler, but Noragami & Noragami Aragoto both deserve the praise they've received. If you're an anime fan who hasn't seen anything Noragami, you need to jump on the bandwagon soon and I promise you will not be disappointed.
Baccano! (2007)
Video: Baccano! Original Opening
When in doubt, steal from the Mafia. Set during the Great Depression, Baccano tells the stories of many colorful characters as they attempt to survive during New York's most difficult time. With the mafia roaming the streets and strange talk of immortality arsing, the city quickly turns into a dangerous place where death and killing occur daily and family secrets hang in the balance.
Why I began this series: As I was searching for a short anime somehow this series popped into my head, and after hearing great things about it I decided to give it a try.
What I liked about the series: Baccano! completely surprised me - from the start I had no idea what was happening, but I liked it A LOT. The story was exciting and took turns I wasn't expecting, the characters were wonderful, the animation style perfectly fit perfectly, and the jazz/swing music used was fabulous. Because of the series large cast, I loved how the series broke up everyone's individual stories and went back and forth between each characters particular "arc". Additionally, spreading the overall story over three years was quite smart and provided both events happening in the present day along with flashbacks to other encounters. This made the pacing of Baccano! perfect and one of only a few series I couldn't put down until I had finished. But more impressive than its story was its characters. A cast of colorful, hilarious, ruthless people, Baccano! had characters that were quite unique and memorable. Many of its characters were serious or insane, though some were purely used for comic relief and comic elements. I particularly took a liking to the hilarious comedy pair Isaac and Miria, as well as the tough yet emotional thug Jacuzi and the sly young man in green, Firo. Alongside its variety of characters, the animation for Baccano! was so old school and different. Shortly after beginning Baccano! I thought the art style looked strikingly similar to another series about gangs and thugs, Durarara!, and it was only after I finished that I discovered it was written by the same manga author and produced by the same studio as Durarara!, The art style of both these shows is more angular and more hand drawn looking, rather then high grade computerized animation. This old school drawing style perfectly fit the story and entire being that is Baccano! and I can't imagine it being drawn or presented any other way. Finally, the music for Baccano! was near perfection. Old style jazz mixed with some swing added greatly to the series overall, making it really feel as if we were back in the 1930's. I also loved that for the Baccano! opening it was a purely instrumental theme that was both extremely well written, performed and catchy. This is a soundtrack I was eager to find and one I would highly recommend to any anime music fan.
What I didn't like about the series: Only two things really bothered me about Baccano!, the first being its scattered story. It wasn't until I had finished the series that I realized and understood that this unusual presentation of the various stories was one of the highlights of the series setup, but at many points throughout I was very confused as to what was happening in "real time" as opposed to a year or so ago. Similar to its presentation, I wish that the series had been longer. I felt like some of the character arcs got cut short in order to wrap up another section of the plot or bring the entire series to a swift end. I would have loved to have seen some characters continue to grow and develop further past the incident of the Flying PussyFoot, and even see these characters perhaps in more modern times (though we caught a glimpse of that at the tail end of the series with Isaac and Miria). I wonder if Baccano! will ever get a second season, but having been made back in 2007 and with the rise of Durarara! popularity I'm not sure if it ever will.
Baccano! was such a breath of fresh air from everything else I have seen - it is definitely one terrific anime.
Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Video: Deadman Wonderland Original Opening
It seems like any other day for high school student Ganta Igarashi - until he witnesses his entire class slaughtered before his eyes. The sole survivor of the incident, Ganta is quickly placed under arrest as the prime suspect in his classes murder and soon after is sentenced to death row at Japans first and only privately owned prison, Deadman Wonderland. But Deadman Wonderland is much more than a prison, it is also a major part of Japans tourist trade as it pits its convicts against each other in life or death games for the public's enjoyment. For Ganta Deadman Wonderland is the ultimate hell, but he'll need to survive if he ever wishes to discover the truth about his classes murder and why he now has a strange, new uncontrollable power.
Why I began this series: I first heard about this series from a friend who was trying to decide if they'd finish the series. At first I didn't want anything to do with it, but a few days later I decided to at least give the series a try.
What I liked about the series: Deadman Wonderland had many highs, but it ultimately shines in its concepts and their execution. A "Hunger Games"- like setup, the idea of a prison also doubling as a theme park where convicts are forced to play life or death games was a very interesting concept. Things are made more complicated yet elevated further with the introduction of the convicts collars that not only track their whereabouts but also pump deadly poison into their bodies and will kill them in three days time. All these concepts and elements made Deadman Wonderland a psychological masterpiece and opened the series up to endless possibilities and outcomes for its characters. Similarly I also grew to like many of the series characters, favorites including Shiro, prison operator Tsunenaga Tamaki and fellow Deadman Wonderland inmates Senji and "Hummingbird". While I did like and generally enjoy the main cast pair of Ganta and Shiro, the series also had a large supporting cast who added much to the series overall, especially on an emotional level. Additionally, the English Dub cast for the series was amazing with notable performances by almost everyone involved. Other noteworthy elements of the series include its beautiful animation and extremely catching opening and ending themes which I could listen to on repeat for days.
What I didn't like about the series: No surprise here, its the make or break issue with any anime series: the ending. I was so unsatisfied with Deadman Wonderlands ending as it left me frustrated and with so many unanswered questions: Why was Gantas class ultimately murdered? How did they think it was possible a high school kid could've been responsible? After failing to escape Deadman Wonderland, why wasn't Ganta and/or Shiro killed on site or simply exterminated? How much longer could Ganta have survived Deadman Wonderland? What is the real relationship between Ganta and Shiro, and how did Shiro come to be in Deadman Wonderland? How did the power that Ganta and many other inmates posses come to be? What can this power really do? Who is really in charge of Deadman Wonderland, and will the public ever discover and accept its true purpose? With so many questions left hanging in the balance, my issue with the ending is made even worse in the fact that we will most likely never have a second season, so in the end we will ultimately never know.
Deadman Wonderland is a good anime with many horror elements. If you know nothing about it or have never seen it, I highly suggest that you do.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE:
This is where I anticipated finishing this post. After watching Deadman Wonderland I thought I would finish its review and post this review segment right away. However I became side tracked, so enjoy this bonus review of a series that over twenty four hours later I still can't believe I watched and will never watch again...BONUS REVIEW:
Corpse Party: Tortured Souls (2013)
Video: Corpse Party: Tortured Souls Original Opening
On a dark and story night following their school's cultural festival, a group of Elementary school children decide to participate in a charm known as "Sachiko Ever After", which will ensure they stay friends forever. When a sudden earthquake occurs, they are transported to another dimension where the old Elementary School, Heavenly Host, still stands and remains a dark and dangerous place where the spirits of kidnapped and murdered students haunt the school. The students must discover the mystery behind Heavenly Host and the truth about the murders that took place there, while still trying to remain sane and escape with their lives.
Why I began this series: This four episode series was first suggested to me on Twitter, after making a comment about how nothing was more messed up or disturbing than Elfen Lied - I was very, very, very wrong.
What I liked about the series: The purpose of this series was to be as horrifying, gory and jaw-dropping as possible - and it definitely succeeded. From the very beginning I was completely enveloped in the story and couldn't look away as the students were slowly picked off one by one and brutally murdered. Though it was extremely hard to watch, the animation for the series was very well done and I genuinely felt bad for many of the murdered characters as their deaths were all brutal and extreme. From a psychological standpoint, I very much enjoyed watching a few of the characters begin to spiral down into madness though eventually they would be killed off themselves. While I'm not sure if I would watch it, were there to be a second season of Corpse Party: Tortured Souls I would be very interested to see where the story would go and how they would decide to continue.
What I didn't like about the series: Overall, this series is just not for me. Between the series plot and my weak stomach, I found these four episodes extremely hard to watch though I am quite used to immense amounts of blood and gore. There was something about this series that made everything feel so incredibly real and terrifying, making it a very difficult two hours. But despite all the gore and horrifying scenes, nothing could have prepared me for this (WARNING: MAJOR SPOILER):
This ending was absolutely not OK and so unexpected that I had to re-watch it more than a few times to process what had happened.
My thoughts on Corpse Party: Tortured Souls can be easily summed up and categorized:
1. I cannot believe this anime exists
2. Horror anime is not generally my thing
3. If you don't believe me when I say this series is the most horrifying, disgusting, mentally bashing and emotionally scarring anime out there, check it out for yourself.
