lewisclarkmate

[lewisclarkmate]

Don't call it a comeback, but here's a new Pac-Manufactured.

[lewisclarkmate]

Teen LGBT Squad

Another Hometar Runner fancomic for pride month, this time starring the Teen Girl Squad.

This was mostly an excuse to make that “ow mein kampf” joke

[lewisclarkmate]

New video! We take a look at some SEGA homebrew developed for PICO-8!

[lewisclarkmate]

[lewisclarkmate]

Atari (1981)

[lewisclarkmate]

New video! Let’s take a look at 5 dinosaur-themed video games for the SEGA Mega Drive!

[lewisclarkmate]

New video! We take a look at 5 Namco games that were released on the SEGA Mega Drive!

[lewisclarkmate]

New video! We take a look at the brand new Master System shooter Frontier Force developed by Badcomputer!

[lewisclarkmate]

New video! We take a look at the indie Mega Drive games Metal Dragon and Life on Mars: Genesis, which have now been bundled together and released on the Evercade!

[lewisclarkmate]

Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls DVD Review - originally published on Anime Picks 23/1/2012

Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls follows the story of Muneakira Yagyu who returns to Yagyu Dojo to discover it occupied by Yukimura Sanada and her assistant Matabei Goto. The two who represent the Toyotomi faction are opposing the Student Council. When a conflict ensues between the two factions, Sen Tokugawa who is currently leading the Student Council while her brother Yoshihiko is in Paris, orders her subordinate Hanzo Hattori to stop the Toyotomi faction. In the middle of the battle a mysterious woman falls from the sky and kisses Muneakira and transforms into a master samurai and manages to fend off the Student Council. After the battle, the mysterious woman reveals herself to be Jubei Yagyu and begins to call Muneakira her ‘big brother’ due to the similarities in their names. As the series progresses, both factions unite to fight a greater evil that threatens the well being of Great Japan.

Now let’s get this straight, Samurai Girls makes it’s intentions very clear; this series contains gratuitous amounts of sexy ladies with enormous, bouncing chests. Romance is a key theme throughout the entire series and it’s approached in an overtly softcore manner. However, this does not mean the casual anime fan won’t have anything to enjoy if they’re not looking for boobage. Samurai Girls contains a strong, action-packed and enjoyable plot that will keep you stuck with it to the very end.

It also has one of the most unique aesthetics in regards to its animation. The artwork throughout the series is stylish and chunky, the lines are big and loose giving the series a flowing style that is reminiscent of Sengoku and Edo period art. The fast paced action is accentuated with ink that splashes on the screen that gives the animation a beautiful ‘living painting’ look that is gorgeous to watch. Thankfully, this compliments the fluid and detailed animation perfectly. Enough cannot be said about how good this series looks.

Rounding out the presentation is the superb soundtrack and English dub. The music is grandiose and epic throughout and heightens the many action scenes by giving them a wonderfully intense and urgent feel. There’s also many sombre and personal themes that help bring the theme of love to life. It’s also great to hear an English dub that doesn’t spoil it. Each character is fleshed out perfectly with a well chosen voice actor who plays the part passionately and believably. My only gripe would be the choice of Marie LeBlanc for Jubei who makes the character sound unnecessarily childish for a character that’s… ahem… rather developed.

What really lets the series down is its rather campy nature. There is very little substance to the gratuitous breast wobbling and fighting. It seems that at every available opportunity a nipple is exposed or we’re subjected to a panty shot or the girls are just generally feeling a bit frisky. It’s clear this is supposed to be the idea as it’s made incredibly obvious from the opening titles that bare breasts are on the menu. It’s just a shame that when the ladies develop a little backbone their clothes are getting a bit fed up of covering them up. There’s also a lot of talk about how important a kiss can be but a bit of decency is shrugged off completely!

Regardless, Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls is a big stupid anime for people who like jiggly boobies and swords. It just so happens that it’s probably one of the best examples of the ‘softcore’ anime. The plot is strong, the characters are likeable and well written, the action is fantastic and the animation is truly sublime. It’s a shame then when the whole thing is cheapened to a series about ogling women.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516074222/http://animepicks.co.uk/2012/01/hyakka-ryoran-samurai-girls-dvd-review/

[lewisclarkmate]

K-On! Series 1 Volume 3 review - originally published on Anime Picks 3/12/2011

K-On! volume 3 is here and the girls have been joined by a new member – Azusa Nakano. Azusa is a much more accomplished guitarist than Yui and begins to question her membership with the Light Music Club when she discovers how unmotivated the group are. Will Azusa stay with the club despite their lack of motivation or will she look for another band of similarly accomplished musicians to join?

The addition of a new character shakes things up in the K-On! camp and makes for some wonderfully entertaining viewing. Azusa’s stern and focussed demeanour brings some great comedy when the other girls attempt to welcome her to the club and find out what makes her tick. It also creates some real tension between the cast as Azusa begins to question the motives behind her decision in joining.

Unfortunately, this volume doesn’t give you a lot of bang for your buck. Instead of the four episode volumes we’ve been getting prior to this release, we’re now presented with only three episodes. With such little viewing contained in this package, the casual fan will likely wait for the inevitable box-set which will probably surface next year. With only three episodes of this season left for a fourth volume, only the hardcore will want to shell out for these individual ones. This is a real shame because the quality on display in K-On! is really worth it if you’re an early adopter.

As expected, presentation continues to be fantastic. The animation is superb, if not a little more ‘wacky’ than previous episodes. This is mainly due to the increase in comedy across the volume. Expect to see lots of crazy, over-the-top expressions and super-deformed moments. These display themselves more heavily when the girls go on another trip to one of Mugi’s parents’ holiday homes during Summer camp. Azusa really comes into her own during these moments and presents some of the best moments in the series so far.

The soundtrack continues to be charmingly cute with it’s poppy sensibilities. It almost sounds like it was composed on an old Casio keyboard which gives the series a very distinctive feel that others do not. Once again, the main soundtrack compliments the scenes when the girls are playing their own songs and help accentuate the band’s music.

The voice acting is also superb throughout. Each actor brings a charming eccentricity to their characters that makes them brilliantly memorable. Cristina Valenzuela as Mio and Cassandra Lee as Ritsu give great performances that make their characters even more believable as they’re thrown interesting challenges to their friendship. Mio and Ritsu’s relationship is actually built on during this volume, when Mio becomes good friends with Yui’s friend Nodoka Manabe. This begins an enthralling conflict between Mio and Ritsu as Ritsu becomes jealous.

While volume 3 of K-On! is certainly a little on the short side, it’s these intriguing curve-balls that really mix the series up and present some of the most entertaining viewing here-in. Fans of the series will not be disappointed with volume 3, but anyone thinking about beginning to watch the series for the first time may be put off from buying the individual volumes when this one in particular holds very little value for money.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516140254/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/12/k-on-series-1-volume-3/

[lewisclarkmate]

Redline movie review - originally published on Anime Picks 9/11/2011

Redline follows the story of ‘Sweet’ JP as he competes to become the king of Redline; an extreme, no-holds-barred race that takes place on the dangerous planet Roboworld. JP originally competes in Yellowline but suffers an engine explosion just as he approaches the finish line -costing him the race. When Redline is announced and the venue decided as Roboworld, JP gets his break when another competitor pulls out thus qualifying JP for Redline. With the help of his chief mechanic and team boss, JP’s custom Trans AM is modified to allow him to compete against the tougher competition.

The central focus in Redline is racing, and you’ve never seen racing like it. This is some of the most visceral speed put to film and is complimented by a thumping soundtrack and blistering sound that really makes you feel like your ears are being pulled off by the shear speed of the cars as they blitz past.

Thankfully, it’s bolstered by some of the most interesting and fleshed out characters you will ever meet. This is also down to the fact that most of these characters come from different planets! The variety of different aliens and creatures makes for some surreal viewing. Redline introduces you to bipedal dogs, lobster-men who can eat an entire course in one bite, wise-cracking bird-people looking to tout tickets to the nearest sucker and a psychotically depressed sales-thingy looking to make a quick buck. Redline really has one of the most unique worlds you will ever experience.

Luckily this is bolstered by some fantastic writing that fleshes each character out. JP is a suave, cocky and fun-loving character who hides a dirty secret. His on-screen presence is overwhelmingly cool, but his care-free attitude makes him incredibly endearing.

His love interest Sonoshee is a beautiful woman who doesn’t have time for men. Sonoshee’s obsession is cars and winning Redline no matter what it takes. However, she doesn’t understand how much she really needs JP. JP and Sonoshee’s relationship fleshes out the middle of the film and allows you to connect to the characters. This makes the final race at Redline even more exciting as you now have characters with back-stories to connect to and trust me, you will be rooting for these characters when you see the mayhem they have to face.

The on screen carnage is magnificent to experience. Madhouse‘s animation is slick, detailed and fantastically vibrant. Redline does not conform to any style but its own and it looks brilliantly original because of it. It’s also one of the few animes you’ll want to watch with the Japanese dub because the mouths are actually animated to match the voices. No offence to the English dub which does a fantastic job regardless, the Japanese dub clearly matches the characters as they speak. Enough cannot be said about the level of detail that Madhouse have gone to in regards to its presentation.

This also follows onto the sound which is of an equally high standard. The soundtrack is full of heavy electronica and the pumping beats that match the relentless pace of the races perfectly. This is a masterfully composed soundtrack that suits the action and heightens the experience of watching these amazing races to a whole other level. As we mentioned earlier, the sound effects are equally visceral as blaring engines whoosh past you at 200 miles per hour. They’re even further complimented by the use of surround sound that gives the film added depth. This is instantly noticeable as you listen to the vehicles speed towards you from a distance. This has to be one of the most well presented animated films I’ve ever experienced.

Redline is a stunning movie and the sort of film you pay that little bit extra to see at the cinema. The races are thrilling, the animation is unique, the characters are superbly well written and the soundtrack is brilliant. It’s incredibly well paced with a slower middle that builds on its characters and makes the races that little bit more exciting. Do not miss an opportunity to see Redline, it’s one of the best Japanese movie experiences in years.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516115711/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/11/redline/

[lewisclarkmate]

K-On! series 1 volume 2 review - originally published on Anime Picks 9/11/2011

K-On! Volume 2 follows on where the previous volume left off with Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Mugi practising hard for their first concert. The girls are working towards their first performance at the annual school festival and request help from their teacher Ms. Yamanaka when they discover that she was once a previous member of the school’s Light Music Club. However, the girls get more than they bargain for as they reveal a side to Ms. Yamanaka that they never knew existed!

K-On! Volume 2 re-confirms everything that Volume 1 made you suspect; this is an adorable series with endearing and loveable characters that has real crossover appeal despite its rather cutesy and girly appearance.

While the first volume laid the foundation that the series is built on, this volume really makes sure you’re staying for the long run. The plot develops magnificently and each character is drawn upon to great effect. More is revealed about each character and they’re all made incredibly believable and more importantly, relatable.

Yui finally begins to develop as a guitarist and allows the band to actually enjoy their first performance. This is the real highlight of the volume and the execution is brilliantly stylish. As the band begins to play, the scene cuts to Mio’s imagination. The song they perform is then displayed as a music video displaying the band as accomplished musicians with their own outfits. It’s a wonderfully dreamy sequence that stands out as a great visual metaphor for the band’s achievements thus far.

Animation is suitably top notch throughout this volume and continues the trend of fluid, almost rotoscoped animation for the more realistic and down-to-Earth moments in the series. This is juxtaposed with wacky, cartoony animation in the more light-hearted scenes such as when Mio gets unnecessarily scared over the most insignificant things. This works well with the series’ more family orientated tone and plays directly into its strengths.

Audio greatly improves over the first volume as well. While the incidental music is still minimalist and somewhat childish, this actually helps put emphasis on the band’s big performance and makes the song they play really stand out. K-On! does so much to make its characters’ achievements special for the viewer. The performance genuinely gives you an emotional connection with the band as all their hard work pays off.

The English dub is very consistent and well acted. In the first volume, Yui’s voice felt a little forced and ‘too cute’. Stephanie Sheh actually does a considerably better job of making Yui sound more like a child and less like an adult doing a child’s voice in this series and it makes the character much more believable. In fact, all the voice actors are on top form in regards to this volume and generally make the entire experience feel completely natural to watch.

K-On! has definitely hit its stride in this second volume. The series may put off viewers looking for something more adult, but you’d be doing yourself a massive disservice. K-On! is a series for all the family to enjoy, especially anyone who has ever had any experience in a band or generally playing an instrument.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516135204/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/11/k-on-volume-2/

[lewisclarkmate]

Dance in the Vampire Bund Complete Series Review - originally published on Anime Picks 19/10/2011

Dance in the Vampire Bund follows the journey of Mina Tepeş, the leader of the vampire nation. Mina blackmails Japan’s humans by threatening the closure of some major Japanese companies that the vampires own. The fall of these companies would cause the nation’s economy to plummet. Mina does this in order to gain a portion of land in which to build a Vampire Bund; a small piece of land that will host a haven for travelling vampires and fangless – vampires who choose not to live off human blood. In return, Mina pays off Japan’s national debt.

While these actions are central to the story’s plot, Mina’s relationship with her protector Akira Regendorf is the main point of focus. Akira’s memory is lost during a failed mission and is slowly regained throughout the series. Akira and Mina engage in an elicit relationship and it is their wish to be together for as long as they live.

Dance in the Vampire Bund is a love story at heart and a particularly well written one at that. There are many conflicting emotions in the characters as more is revealed about Mina’s plans for the Vampire Bund. Akira finds himself in the middle of a love triangle that questions his faith to his master and generally makes for an engaging and complex story.

What completely ruins this, is the series’ unfortunate tendency to sexualise every woman that appears on screen. Every woman that is ‘of age’ sports a rather healthy chest and is ogled from every angle by the camera. If cleavage and rear-ends are your cup of tea then you’re certainly catered for in this series. This is becoming an unfortunate standard amongst Japanese anime, but Dance in the Vampire Bund takes its sexualisation a little bit too far. Mina’s character is portrayed as a child throughout the series. This is done on purpose as the character would be forced into wedlock if she were to reveal her real age. The series takes extreme liberties with this feature and feels it can get away with child nudity just because the character is supposed to be hundreds of years old.

This would obviously be okay if there was purpose to the nudity, but there isn’t. In one scene Mina uses a special gel in order to allow her to walk around in the sunlight and not be turned to ash. However, the effects of the gel begin to wear off and she orders Akira to re-apply the gel for her as she cannot do it herself. What follows is a gratuitous display of child nudity that clearly shows Mina in a sexual light. The scene is not particularly shocking as you don’t see any genitalia, but it certainly feels very wrong to be told to ogle a child.

It doesn’t end there either. Later in the series, a sub-plot unveils itself which involves a fully grown woman known as Nanami Shinonome who is later turned into a vampire. She develops an obsession with a young boy called Yuzuru. Nanami has to fight the obsession in order to not give into the temptation of having sexual relations with Yuzuru and emotionally scarring him. Strangely, this is tied up by allowing Nanami to bite Yuzuru and turn him into a vampire, thus allowing them to have an elicit relationship for some reason. These actions are also rather shocking to watch and only seem to be ‘okay’ because the roles are reversed (i.e. a grown woman in the domineering position). Dance in the Vampire Bund has a rather disgusting approach to which characters it decides are ‘sexy’ and completely spoils what is a perfectly decent and interesting story.

Animation is also quite poor. There are multiple static shots where all the characters are doing is talking and they are cut unnecessarily fast in places. You’d be tricked into believing your DVD was skipping when this first occurs. The picture quality and the artwork is fascinating at times, but the actual animation of the characters is so crudely done that it almost ruins the presentation. Later into the series there’s also a bizarre use of photos that are manipulated to look like they’re drawn. This inclusion is rather peculiar as it’s almost as if the director is trying to make you believe that these images were actually drawn specifically for the series when they’re obviously doctored photos.

Thankfully, the sound department doesn’t disappoint. The English dub is sublime and every character is given a natural and well suited voice. The acting is incredibly well done and you can certainly empathise with the characters when they’re not revealing their bare bosoms to the world. The soundtrack is nothing spectacular but it does its job well. The opening theme is a little underwhelming but the closing theme is a great piece of music that’ll be stuck in your head for days. The production team clearly thought so too because it even becomes the opening theme in some of the later episodes.

There’s actually some cool special features included on the second disc, for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing. There’s the original Japanese commercials, a trailer for the series, 12 intermission segments taken from the original manga and the opening and closing sequences without the credits displayed on them. Not bad at all considering Western anime releases usually tend to be a little thin on special features.

All in all, Dance in the Vampire Bund is an incredibly difficult anime to recommend. There’s a fantastically convoluted and intriguing plot in here, but it’s dressed in a rather bizarre and unsettling fascination with the human form, especially in regards to women and children. If this series wanted to tackle such adult themes, it could’ve done it a lot more tastefully.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120403065512/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/10/dance-in-the-vampire-bund-complete-series/

[lewisclarkmate]

Gantz live action movie review - originally published on Anime Picks 1/10/2011

Gantz follows Kurono and Kato, 2 primary school friends who are reunited as they attempt to save a drunk who falls onto the train tracks at a station. As Kurono goes to save Kato before the train pulls into the platform, he is accidentally pulled onto the track and they both meet an untimely end… except they don’t!

A half machine, half man called Gantz claims their lives along with others who share a similar fate and forces them to compete for points by destroying aliens that live among the human populace. All participants are supplied with weapons and a suit that gives them additional agility and strength. The winning participants are rewarded points and are promised that once they obtain 100, they can return to their normal lives, or resurrect anyone that has died during a battle.

This is certainly not your typical Hollywood action movie. Gantz is a bizarre blend of sci-fi, horror and action and pulls it all off rather well. It draws a lot of similarities to the Saw series as it shares a similar focus on capturing people who are made to compete in a dangerous ‘game’ in exchange for their lives.

However, there are obvious differences. The main one is that Saw has a motive behind the capturing of its’ contestants. Gantz does not. The film never touches on the fact that Gantz is randomly snatching up people on the brink of death and forcing them to fight for their lives. These people are not criminals or warriors; they’re simply random people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even a child and Grandmother are forced into battle. This is one of the major setbacks in this film; why are these perfectly normal and innocent people being sent to a gruesome form of purgatory? This question lingers throughout the entire film and is never addressed making the entire thing feel incredibly pointless.

Regardless, there’s still a lot to love. The film is beautifully shot and is always remarkably clear even in the many, intense action sequences. Special effects were clearly not funded with the largest investment as they are usually quite shonky and poorly animated. This actually works to the film’s favour as it compliments the strangeness of the entire situation. The alien designs are also brilliantly weird and range from mutant children clutching onions, to enormous sentient stone Buddhas performing the Vulcan salute.

The sound and music round out to a very well-presented package. The soundtrack is suitably introspective as the characters come to terms with the bizarre situations they are in and helps convey a sense of dread. Sound is even better, especially in the action sequences – swords slash and swing with urgency and genuinely feel dangerous and the guns produce an equally satisfying whine when they are readied for firing. The firing itself also delivers a huge punch when they damage their enemies. This is all fantastically gripping stuff.

The acting from Kazunari Ninomiya, Ken’ichi Matsuyama and Natsuna Watanabe is solid throughout and each bring a believable quality to their multifaceted characters. There are a few niggles though, like the fact that no-one seems to be able to make fear very convincing. It seems that every character relies on shaking to a ridiculous degree while pulling a wide-eyed expression to convey their fear – it looks very silly.

Also, Natsuna Watanabe’s character suffers from that age-old Japanese tradition of being over sexualised. At one point in the film, Gantz delivers the results for one of the conflicts and belittles Watanabe’s character for simply having ‘big tits’. Quite.

Unfortunately, the big downer with Gantz is its ending. This is clearly a smaller part of a much larger film because an awful lot of questions are left unanswered. It also seems to end just as the film gets into its stride. It makes the entire thing feel like a very long episode of a series and not something you’d pay money to see at a cinema.

There’s certainly plenty to like with Gantz and once the sequel comes around and starts answering the questions this film proposes, the whole thing will work a whole lot better. It’s a shame then that this entry in the Gantz saga ends up feeling empty. The action on display cannot mask a film which has very little to say.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516110146/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/10/gantz-live-action/

[lewisclarkmate]

The Sacred Blacksmith season 1 review - originally published on Anime Picks 12/9/2011

The Sacred Blacksmith follows the tale of Cecily Campbell and her quest to become a great Knight Guard and protect her home town of Housman. The town is being ravaged by attacks from demons, humans who have given their life in return for something they want.

When Cecily is saved from a Demon by Luke Ainsworth, she is thoroughly impressed by his swordsmanship and his mastery of the Katana. When Cecily discovers Luke is a Blacksmith, she begs him to make her a Katana so she can be strong enough to fight the Demons herself.

The Sacred Blacksmith is a series that relies heavily on its characters. This is because the plot is quite poorly structured and feels that it needs to take every opportunity to make a boob joke in order to keep you entertained. A lot can be said about The Sacred Blacksmith through the use of full-frontal breast shot in the second episode. Does that really need to happen so early on? For a series so heavily set in medieval fantasy, it’s incredibly jarring to have the tone completely changed to one of cheap comedy whenever Cecily’s bosoms are involved. This is not to say that Cecily is not a great character, but it’s a massive shame that so much time needs to be spent on her chest in order to get a rubbish gag in. In fact, most of the characters are strong enough that this series really doesn’t need to rely on this pointless comedy to engage the audience better.

It’s a shame then that the English dub is so poorly written. At one point when the topic of Cecily’s chest comes up in conversation during a meal with other female characters, one of them utters the immortal line, “I would eat more if it gave me bigger ta-tas.” There’s just no need for such crass language in a series rooted in medieval fantasy. It also ruins the vibe of the series – one minute the story is engaging and serious in tone as Cecily does whatever she can to protect her home, and then the next minute the characters are jabbering on about their breasts like teenagers in a playground.

Regardless, the real draw in this series is the relationship between Luke and his assistant Lisa. As more is revealed about the two characters you really begin to root for them. Their relationship is complicated and generally intriguing. Therefore, it’s a bit of a shame that it’s only touched upon in any sort of depth during the last few episodes. There generally is a lot to care about in The Sacred Blacksmith, but it’s dealt with in such a lazy manner then you never really get to understand the characters properly.

Presentation is where this series really shines. The animation is of such a high standard that you’d be convinced this was a movie and not a series. Every character is animated with such fluidity that they feel very natural and believable. Unfortunately, the boob gags effect the animation to a degree as it breaks momentarily from this remarkable detail to a wonky, kid’s cartoon look whenever the characters deal with any sort of embarrassment.

Sound is also another big win for the series. The soundtrack is orchestral and suits the fantasy setting well. It’s grandiose and bombastic, giving the series a brilliantly epic undertone. The opening and closing themes are more J-pop based, but both are ludicrously catchy and you’ll be whistling them for days. Despite the English dub being a bit poor in the writing department, the characters are all emotionally delivered and brilliantly performed. Cherami Leigh does a fantastic job with Cecily and Blake Shepard also delivers a wonderful performance as Luke.

Special features are typically thin. It’s a shame that us westerners get fobbed off with such small amounts of bonus material. We get the opening and closing sequences without the credits flying around all over them and the episode previews that usually play after the credits are collected into one sequence. Yawn.

The Sacred Blacksmith is not a bad anime, it’s just not a very good one either. For all its unique characterisation and brilliant presentation, there’s weak writing and a conveniently placed boob gag. They’re so frequent that without the comedy element you’d be a little concerned that this series was supposed to softcore pornography. If brainless boob jokes and medieval fantasy are your thing, then The Sacred Blacksmith is probably right up your street. If you want your anime a little more sophisticated and well developed then you’ll probably want to look elsewhere.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120519163146/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/09/the-sacred-blacksmith-season-1/

[lewisclarkmate]

K-On! Series 1 Volume 1 Review - Previously published on Anime Picks 18/8/2011

K-On! follows the exploits of Yui Hiragawa and her life-long friend Nodoka Manabe who have just started studying at Sakuragaoka Girl’s High School. When Nodoka discovers that Yui hasn’t joined a school club (and implies that Yui may become a NEET), Yui ends up joining the Light Music Club simply because she can remember being complimented on her enthusiastic castanet playing by her Nursery teacher. Unfortunately for Yui, she gets a little more than she bargained for. The three existing members of the Light Music Club, Ristu Tainaka, Mio Akiyama and Tsumugi Kotobuki are desperate for a fourth member to join otherwise the club will be disbanded (along with Ritsu’s dream of playing the Budokan). Therefore, the three girls beg Yui to stay and even help her buy her first guitar.

It’s safe to say that K-On! is a series about music. However, this is simply an underlying theme that lets the series explore topics like dealing with high school and friendship. This is all wrapped in what may appear to be a rather cutesy and very girly exterior. For older anime viewers this might be a bit of a turn-off, but it should be stressed that this series is definitely worth checking out regardless.

Why? Simply because the characters are so well written. Each is wonderfully unique with their own eccentricities that make them fantastically charming to watch. For example, Yui’s indecisiveness makes her clumsy and frequently puts her into difficult situations. Fortunately, she’s so endearing and sweet that these qualities transform her into a real underdog. Ritsu is similar; she’s bold, brash and reveals that she only chose to learn drums because the thought of trying to achieve all the complex finger manoeuvres a guitarist or pianist must achieve is too much for her. Well, that and she thinks drums are ‘cool’. However, like Yui, her sheer determination and belief in her band-mates makes her a fantastic character to watch. These girls are so headstrong and adorable that you cannot but help cheer them on. K-On! really makes you care about its characters.

Animation is solid throughout; everything moves so fluid and natural that you sometimes wonder whether the characters are rotoscoped. This is then spliced with various amounts of exaggerated and more eccentric animation when the characters are being more expressive. This shows more prominently when the characters are scared or upset, but keeps the tone generally light-hearted and humorous. For example, it is revealed that Mio has an irrational fear of anything creepy. Oh, and barnacles. The more exaggerated animation helps in playing these moments for laughs and adds to the overall charm.

Bizarrely, the soundtrack is particularly less pronounced than you would expect for a series based on music. It generally extends to simple, poppy background pieces that merely keep spirits high. It’s a shame it’s so inoffensive and unmemorable because it spoils what is a beautifully presented package. Luckily, the J-pop themes that are used for the opening and ending are tunes you’ll have in your head for weeks. These sequences are also gorgeously presented with some stunning animation that makes them look like music videos, showing the girls dressed in more typical popstar attire.

The English dub is nothing to be scoffed at either. Each of the character’s voices is brilliantly portrayed and gives them all a distinctive sound as well as look. The weakest of the few is strangely Yui which is played a little too cute. Her voice can grate at times when she’s excited, but luckily the strong writing doesn’t ruin the character for those who can overlook it.

The DVD’s only bonus feature is an interview with Stephanie Sheh; the English voice actor of Yui. These are very common on Western Anime releases and it unfortunately doesn’t reveal anything you don’t already know. Expect Stephanie to explain what she likes about the character and what drew her to the series and so on and so on. Yeah, we’ve heard it all before.

This first volume of K-On! is 4 episodes strong and is great value for money. You don’t come away feeling short-changed and you get a solid chunk of the series. However, by the time you’ve finished it you’ll definitely want to see more, and surely that’s the sign of a great series… right?

https://web.archive.org/web/20120516135255/http://animepicks.co.uk/2011/08/k-on-series-1-volume-1-dvd/