#Mizume Reviews

[mizume]

Mizme Finished Berseria (Zestiria 2.0?)

Holy hell this game is such an improvement

After Zestiria, which as we’ve mentioned really just serves as a 40 hour advertisement for Berseria and the anime adaptation, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect out of the followup title.

Well, nothing too complicated: Berseria is an incredibly vast improvement over its predecessor with just a handful of small hiccups.

Going straight into a classic breakdown and then finishing with a handful of gripes.

Combat and Gameplay

Berseria made a significant overhaul to the button layouts of the LMBS combat system but there was really just two very simple changes that returns LMBS to its proper fast paced form:

1. We’re not limited to a 4 hit maximum chain

2. The branching pathways for arte inputs are completely customizable.

What does this mean in Tales of terms. It means you can set each individual node of your arte trees to any arte you know and the revamped soul system functions much more similarly to Xillia’s base AP system then Graces or Zestirias AP/SP systems respectively.

What does this mean in laymans terms. It means you have so much more control over your combo construction and combat feels more reminiscent of Xillia, meaning face paced intensely reactive battles in which you have (near) complete control over what you’re doing.

I’d like to take a moment to explain the new LMBS and go into why its such a significant improvement.

In this new system, artes are determined by a maximum count of Souls. Starting with 3 and gaining up to 5 Souls dictate your maximum current arte chain length. Chains can be cancelled using Soul Breaks, the new LMBS battle gimmick for Berseria. With this system, each character has a unique Soul Break arte and the arte chain returns to the 0 position. Souls can be gained in the heat of combat by inflicting stun and other status ailments or by landing a finishing blow on enemies.

What this means is we now have an insane system in which you can use 5 artes, Break Soul cancel, use 4 more artes (assuming you don’t regain the expended soul withing those 4 artes) Break Soul cancel again, perform 3 artes and finish with a Mystic Arte (which restores Soul and expends Blast gauge, a carry over mechanic from Zestiria).

The sheer amount of variability is incredibly reminiscent of the free for all LMBS of Xillia and by extension its predecessors Vesperia and pre Vesperia tales games.

The only clunk in the road is the awkward remapping of attacks. All the face buttons have been rehashed to attack commands in order to allow the player character to be in a constant free run state freeing them from the 2D axis as a default. This necessitates that we maintain the 4 arte node tree from Graces/Zestiria. While the new system is incredibly gratifying, I feel that retaining the directional inputs combined with the 4 attack buttons and removing the node tree entirely would have been incredible. Absolute freedom of arte inputs is the only thing stopping Berseria’s combat system from standing with Vesperia and Xillia2 as the best and cleanest combat in the Tales series.

It’s almost as though what i’m saying is the more we emulate older LMBS systems the better the game works because we know that the system works. How strange. Bring back classic LMBS i’m begging here Bamco.

The Plot

So, this is a bit of a mixed bag for me. The first half and last fourth of Berseria’s plot are carried by solid world building, good character driven story, and Velvet being metal as fuck.

There’s a chunk in the middle where it strays just a bit. Can you guess where that is, yeah its where all of the Zestiria allusions start coming out.

Berseria interestingly has the same weird problem that Zestiria had albeit to a much lesser extent. It, in a strange roundabout way, felt like a Zestiria sequel. There are so many allusions to Zestiria in the back half of the game to the point where I guess its assumed that you’ve played and finished Zestiria. This in it of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it feels odd coming from a game that isn’t meant to be treated as a proper prequel. 

For example as Scrubbing and I have discussed: Xillia2 harkens back to Xillia1 constantly, but that’s to be expected. Its in the title, Xillia2 would imply and assume that their core audience has played Xillia1. Berseria isn’t titled Zestiria2. The plot should be proper and function as in independent being without assumption that you’ve played Zestiria.

Now i’m not talking about small easter egg stuff. I love that stuff and it made me incredibly glad to find them. Small things like the town that would later become Lastonbell, Lothringen tower that would later crumble and become the City of Lohgrin. That stuff is great.

What i’m referring to are major callbacks and emotional pulls that only work if you’ve played both games. The Edna reveal, and the Maotelus reveal at the end are the two that come to mind immediately. Those moments really don’t make any sense unless you’re aware of the context from Zestiria.

It’s a very minor gripe, and ultimately it actually retroactively defines Zestiria’s world building much more clearly and makes it stronger as a result. 

I few things that deserve mentioning since I bitched about them so much in the last review: 

Berseria’s villains were standard fare. They’re an incredibly improvement on Heldalf but Artorius is a villain subtype we’ve seen much better realized in past Tales games and Innominat 100% feels like young Yggdrasil right down to “but sisterrrrrrrr”.

The retcons and explanations of how malevolence works feels like a double edged blade. On the one hand it again retroactively makes Zestiria’s world building so much stronger (which mind you is still ridiculous). But at the same time, having such a basic “good vs. evil” mechanic in the world build feels very very limiting. Its much better explained but still feels clunky. These are things that Zestiria should have simply done properly in the first place.

In the end, Berseria’s plot is solid and driven by a good narrative with the proper twists and plot building that Zestiria so desperately needed.

The Cast

OH BABY HERE WE GO. Berseria’s cast is great. That’s basically all that needs to be said. It finally feels like we’re playing a Tales game. We’ve got a great set of characters here each working under their own motivations with goals and backstories that influence their decisions and free will. 

I think I can say that Velvet has shoved Yuri off his pedestal of being the most metal Tales protagonist to date with an absolutely incredible and over the top drive for revenge.

One of the key themes in Berseria is “to choose ones own path” and it shows here. Its incorporated in different ways for every character and it manifests as something that feels organic and smooth. Its a heavy contrast to Zestiria where it always feels like the party is together simply because they have to be.

If I have any complaints at all here it would be Magilou, simply because the incorporation of her backstory feels very jarring. It kind of comes across all at once with little explanation similar to the weird and jarring plot reveals in Zestiria. Aside from that, Eizen’s Creed, Rokurou’s conviction, Eleanor’s search for her own truth, Velvet’s quest for closure, and Laphicet’s growth as a person are all recurrent themes that are incorporated into the main storyline. It feels great. It feels like we’re playing a Tales game.

Conclusion

Berseria is a game that retroactively makes Zestiria better. But is perhaps ultimately made somewhat worse by its connection to Zestiria (jury’s out on that one to be honest)

It’s good that Bamco has finally found an iteration of this combat system that feels like it actually works, and the plot and world building feel like a proper return to form for the Tales series.

Just a handful of things stop this from being within my top tier of Tales games, most of which involve the strange nature of Zestiria and Berseria’s development. They really do feel like they were intended to be a single game, like notes got lost during development and ended up with wrong development teams.

A great beginning entry to the series and a good JRPG all around.

[mizumereviews]

Mizume Reviews: Sword Art Online (Part: 1 Ep. 1-14)

          Put it on the wrong blog but whatever. HERE IT IS.

Suggested by: Saint-Fraudulence

So SAO...there are quite a few mixed feelings. But hey, a show about being in a completely virtual environment video game can't be all bad right?

Well....Not exactly. At any rate, let's take a trip to Aincrad as we explore Sword Art Online

Spoiler Free Review

Final Grade: B

The Premise:

The world of Sword Art Online has just been released as the world’s first fully immersive MMORPG using new equipment called “Nerve Gear.” With a new level of total immersion never before experienced in games, the players on opening day find themselves trapped within the confines of Aincrad, the setting for SAO, by its creator Kayaba Akihiko. He reveals to them that, as of that moment, dying in game will result in dying in real life. The players now face the challenge of reaching the 100th floor of Aincrad and clearing the game, or die trying.

SAO follows one particular player named Kirito (his screen name), who was a beta tester for SAO. As he moves to survive and clear the game as quickly as possible, he faces the games numerous monsters, player killers, and the other challenges which permeate every MMO: Guild Politics, Griefers, OP Bosses, and so on.

The anime setting of fully immersive virtual reality video game is an idea that is the staple of every RPG gamer’s, in fact EVERY gamer’s, long time dream. To have a world that is totally and completely virtual, and to be able to lose yourself in a realm that is entirely fictional. With that said, the general premise of SAO was very strong, reasonably intriguing (I’m a bit biased, being a person who plays a lot of games) and well presented.

One thing that SAO did suffer from, and we’ll talk about this a bit more as we discuss the shows tone and pacing, was its unintentional bits of misdirection. The first third of this arc (Ep. 1-4) focused very much on the dire situation of the players, while putting the theme of “living within a game” onto the back burner. By this I mean, SAO put a lot of emphasis on people dying, with the knowledge that their brains were just fried in real life, and set aside the fact that they lived within a totally immersive game world. This isn’t a bad thing, not by a long shot, but it became a bit of a toning problem during the second third (Ep. 5-8) where the tone of the show became much more light-hearted, and spent a lot more time making notes of the in game notes such as animal companions, item durability, and the in game marriage system.

What I’m getting at here is that the premise of SAO was very ambitious and tried to cover two very different themes at the same time: The theme of psychological scarring and the dire struggle for survival, and the theme of living within a giant video game.

I don’t think any of these things were not done well, or that I did not enjoy them, but it was difficult to juggle the two vastly different messages given to me by the show. This is going to be a recurring theme for this SAO review so I’ll touch on it more later on.

The Characters:

The characters of SAO are what made this show work and succeed in establishing a video game setting. Believe it or not, I found Kirito to be a believable young man, I’ve been that old, I know how seriously and how good people can be at video games. Kirito qualifies as a decent main character: He isn’t annoying as fuck to listen to, his character growth and progression and believable and makes sense, and most importantly, his psychology was believable.

That said, in reference to psychology, the great majority of the side characters in SAO followed legitimate and believable psychological patterns. Lizabeth, Asuna, Silica, and even the PK (Player Killer) Guilds follow psychological patterns that drive their decisions. I as a viewer was impressed by the diversity, and how well these mental patterns, particularly those of the player killers, accurately depicted that of a traditional MMO.

Lizabeth, Silica, and Sachi complimented SAO by acting as a good way of introducing the viewer to the games diversity. Silica’s class as a beast tamer, Lizabeth’s chosen profession as a smith, Sachi’s class change as a fighter, these concepts paid homage to SAO’s actual setting as a video game.

Surprisingly, there weren’t any characters in the first arc of SAO that I positively hated, which is very rare in an anime, Lizabeth annoyed me a bit, but after analyzing the psychology of her actions (with Scrubbings insistence) her character makes a bit more sense.

On a completely unrelated note, Klein gets a special mention. Why? Because FUHRINKAZAN. That’s why. (Seriously I flipped a shit when that happened)

The Length:

I decided to divide this review into two parts. SAO as a whole is one season and 25 episodes long. I have heard almost nothing but bad things about the second arc of SAO (Ep. 15-25) but from what I had seen in the first arc (Ep. 1-14) I enjoyed what I had seen.

With the length comes SAO’s greatest flaws: Pacing, and to a lesser degree, Tone. The pacing in SAO started out at a very nice and very unfrustrating pace, it established a setting as well as the main character Kirito very well. The last two thirds of the arc (Ep. 5-14) suffered from what I deem to be over ambition. Episodes 5-8 had little to really do with the plot, and the shows tone significantly contrasted the previous episodes. They moved from Kirito coming to terms with the deaths he could not prevent due to the games nature, to a long series of introducing female characters that would never show up ever again except as side characters.

Let me make this clear: Those episodes by themselves were GOOD. But why in the world were they all back to back to back?

This leads into the other huge issue I found in Arc 1 of SAO. After this stretch of minimally plot related episodes, the show hurriedly concluded the entire arc in two episodes. Why? Why why why? That’s the biggest question I have for SAO, why rush to conclude this arc so hurriedly, when you have ten episodes left. It was just very sloppy as far as pacing goes, and it made SAO a lot less enjoyable to watch.

The Style:

Stylistically, SAO shines like a star. The attention to detail with in game menus, equipment change, and health bars, the consistency (Immortal Object) and the fluid fight scenes made the show very enjoyable to the eyes. Like every good video game, the style, art, and scenery should act to accompany the core gameplay with pleasing visuals and eyecandy. SAO delivered in terms of character design diversity and visual flair.

The thing about all of the design choices within SAO, are that you never forgot that you were within a video game. The way characters changed their outfits according to equipped items, leveling up after battles, and looking through the characters viewpoint (indicated by the healthbar in the top corner). In particular, the fightscenes of SAO (though limited in number) were very fluid, very clear, and overall just done very very well.

If there is anything I would have liked to see more of, it would be fight scenes.

Replay:

SAO is going under my list of “Guilty Anime Pleasures” because although it gave a very strong showing, it had a lot of flaws that disappointed me. I’ll end up watching Arc 1 again sometime just for the execution and style of being in a video game (that menu screen is pretty hype) and to watch the fluid and beautiful fight scenes.

Final Grade: B

Final Impressions: The first arc of SAO was good (with the exception of pacing) and it certainly isn’t something that I would actively avoid. While it had its flaws, it told its story (reasonably) well. I now anticipate what the next arc will bring me, a worse story perhaps but better pacing? Only time shall tell.

Writers Note: Man...SAO. This show was ok. But real talk, it wasn't as good as I expected hahaha. Special mentions that weren't in the review (because they aren't really relevant)

Special Mention: Saint-Fraudulence: For singing the shows praises to no end whatsoever, and then proceeding to hate the crap out of it once it went sour.

Special Mention: Silica: Because she is best character.

Special Mention: Kayenlies: My new stream partner who couldn't stand the Lizabeth episode and stopped watching because of it.

[mizume]

The Problem with Zestiria

I so, so very desperately wish this game was better. There’s a tl;dr conclusion at the bottom.

Tales games aren’t perfect. The plots are often typical, perhaps the gameplay can feel tedious for some people, there’s always at least one character that simply feels like a waste of space and time whenever they show up on screen.

But despite that its a series that I am very fond of. Good casts, memorable plots and locations, a good soundtrack. Tales is my particular flavor of JRPG and has been since grade school.

Zestiria, while being an almost universal improvement over its predecessor Graces,  feels like a lost confused and half finished project that got pushed into production far too fast and without enough content.

Before all of this, lets talk about what I didn’t dislike. Zestiria has an incredible soundtrack (there were a few misses with me with the vocal tracks), particularly the Shrines and remixes of past tracks. The battle system is a VAST improvement on Graces(f) and while I can’t say I enjoyed it it didn’t feel like I was slogging through the boring and frustratingly slow pace that Graces suffered through. The cast is enjoyable enough with Sorey taking his place as a likable Tales protagonist and a good supporting cast, and the games fundamental gimmick, armatization, is fundamentally very cool, has great aesthetic, and adds a decent amount of strategy to an otherwise bland system.

Now, the problem is, everything I listed above and more are also things that I am greatly disappointed with and feel could and should have been done better.

Combat:

Why in gods name are we sticking to this combat system. With the division of Tales combat following the release of Tales of Hearts, we saw two branches, a D&D 4e style auto-flashy-attack AP system in Tales of Graces, and a much simpler but more flexible AP system in Tales of Xillia. One feels very simple, flows well, and feels reminiscent of the fast paced combat of previous Tales games, the other feels like a slow clunky mess that wants you to appreciate its visual flairs at the expense of feeling like you the player are making significant decisions in combat.

We choose the latter apparently.

Zestiria’s combat flows better, feels faster, and is more flexible then Graces, I will give it that much. But the problem from a fundamental standpoint that I dislike having my “basic attack” animations be multi hit element-specific enemy-type-specific auto chains that I can only influence permutations of. The issue being, combos are never realistically going to exceed the basic count of 4 without the expense of a specific meter that limits creative inputs. 

Take for example the AP system in Xillia. With the counter reaching as far as 15, you can execute regular attacks which act as good filler and artes which influence your mobility in simple ways. Together, you the player can create interesting and flashy combos through your own execution and creativity.

Go even further back, and look at Vesperia. In the old system you were typically limited to 3 basic attacks and a single cancel into an arte. With Vesperia’s robust weapon skill system, you further were able to use that single arte cancel and expand it further with arcane arte cancels, variant arte cancels and so on. Again allowing you to craft flashier and more dangerous combos. 

With the limiting AP systems of Graces onward, your basic attack has been replaced with a flashier attack that has associated elements, type advantages and soon, but follows a linear branching tree into other flashy “basic attacks” with the ability to replace one node of that tree with a different attack. What is gained in flair loses out on creativity and actually engaging the player to think of their own combinations and abilities.

Moving back to Zestiria, you learn the Blast Cancel very early on. This allows you to cancel your 4 technique attack chain at 3 and reset back to 1. Great. Now I can use 7 preset attacks instead of 4, at the cost of a meter I need to armatize, thereby making it almost never really worth it. This leads to achievements such as “perform a 100 hit combo” being entirely reliant on timing your attacks with poorly functioning AI to fill the gaps between your own mediocre attack strings in order to continue the hit count. Now you might just say “well play multiplayer, then you aren’t reliant on the AI”. Im glad you say so because that brings us to our next point.

Bamco apparently thinks no one has friends to play with anymore.

I genuinely don’t really know where this sentiment came from, maybe the metrics, but its clear to me that Bamco is expecting their core audience to be alone with no hope of ever having acquaintances to play these games with. With an incredibly large amount of AI control features and a FUNDAMENTAL COMBAT GIMMICK THAT ABSORBS ANOTHER CHARACTER Bamco just doesn’t care for trying to implement multiplayer into Tales games anymore. Not to mention the camera goes completely batshit crazy on terrain when there is more then one human player to focus on.

Let’s move away from gameplay. Its never going to get better and I accept that fact. Honestly that isn’t even really why Zestiria disappointed me so much.

The PLOT

What in holy hell happened here, and why am I so exhausted with it. Zestiria’s plot should have been good, or at least passable, so why did it feel short, underwhelming, and unremarkable, and why do I feel so actively disappointed. 

After a lot of thought I came to two key realizations: 

Zestiria’s villains are boring as fuck.

There isn’t enough build up and NOTHING IS EXPLAINED.

Heldalf and Symmone are boring characters. I said it. In a series with fantastic antagonists and anti-heroes, how did we come to a lion headed man that has no grey morality, no personal code of ethics, a bad tragic backstory, and a motivation that is literally “if everyone is suffering just like me then no one is”. I understand that I’m supposed to sympathize with his cursed existence but honestly I could not for the life of me bring myself to care. Yes he was cursed into what he is, sure that sucks whatever, he was also a terrible general of a warmongering nation that let a village burn to the ground due to his tactical decision and thereby corrupted the literal god seraph of the planet.

These gripes tie into the second point. Tales games usually have a FRUSTRATING amount of build, to the point where I can distinctly recall saying verbally “yes I get it X is going to happen lets get on with it”. With Zestiria its the complete opposite, the game throws you some critical lore or information out of nowhere and expects you to react to it with some great emotional turmoil or revelation.

Case in point: “Hey so btw the Age of Chaos wasn’t started millenia ago, it was the last Shepards fault, btw that woman isn’t his wife its his sister also her kid is mikleo who he sacrifices to curse heldalf, also this random baby whos mom is dead is sorey. Who was the father of Mikleo or Sorey? Not important don’t worry about it.”

....What?

This legit happens. And I guess its somehow supposed to be this huge revelation? It leaves more questions then answers and serves as a TERRIBLE origin story that undercuts both Mikleo and Sorey’s roles in this story. Yeah I guess they’re babies at the scene of the origin. I guess they must be destined or something. For some reason.

Its the same with Dezel for christ sake: “Dezel’s been taking control of Rose’s body oh no thats bad well we’re never going to talk about it ever because you’re dead now. Also you’re not blind now” 

And even in his only goddamn backstory flashback that we allude to for about 70% of his screentime: “Dezel you’re cursed, your blessing draws hellions, yeah it can do that. Also your friend is dead and you’re so traumatized that you’re blind, yeah that can happen too. Also you think its this seraphs fault even tho you saw her way over there because you feel guilty.”

Dezel’s “betrayal” (I guess?) and death is THE most underwhelming in any Tales game, easily. And that’s a shame because Dezel is a good character? Honestly Zestiria is a shame because it doesn’t utilize its characters to the fullest, another really weird thing that other Tales games do really really well.

The Cast

I really really hate to say this, but Bamco is making me. Zestirias cast was not fleshed out to the degree they should have been. In past Tales games, we see long elaborate motivations, dreams, goals, aspirations out of virtually the entire party. What do we have in Zestiria, a group of people arbitrarily moving to eliminate “malevolence” aka a very bland way of saying evil/bad things.

The only character that is given justice to this is Mikleo. We see Mikleo grow and make a significant impression on Sorey very early on. He’s visibly irritated that he is holding Sorey back and goes to great lengths and commitments to grow stronger and stay by Sorey’s side. What does everyone else do. Lailah does her literal job. She’s Prime Lord, she guides Sorey, she struggles with trying not to push him too hard as she pushed the last Shepard. But even this tiny inkling of personal motivation isn’t really talked about until the very conclusion of the game.

What does Edna ever get for growth? I yelled at a minotaur once? It turned out to be the souls of tortured kids so I admitted that was mean? That’s pretty much it? She wants to save Eizen but that’s never part of the plot its all post game/endgame sidequests.

Zaveid exists as a goddamn plug for Berseria. I understand thats why we don’t talk about him Bamco.

What I’m getting at here is that in past Tales games, we explore the motivations and struggles of the party throughout the course of the adventure, in fact thats often the reason they join and stay. Because we’ve helped them with their struggles and together strive towards something greater. Symphonia is a great example of this. Every character in Symphonia has recurring struggles, events and baggage that fucking follows them.

In Zestiria we flow onwards towards a very early set goal of defeating Heldalf because he’s a bad guy. Also we need 4 seraph of different elements and its their duty or whatever.

I really hate to rag on the cast of Zestiria because I do love them dearly. But I wish they had received better treatment and gotten more personalized stories to make them feel more like true Tales characters.

The majority of the plot, and by extension cast, problems stem from a common root: Zestiria’s plot is just too basic. Its a one way railroad that never really deviates from its path. That path is as follows: 

Sorey’s destiny is to defeat the Lord of Calamity.

That’s it. That’s the entire plot, and we literally never stray from it. Let’s look at some other short summaries of Tales games for comparisons:

Symphonia: Journey of regeneration turns out a scam and heroes must find another way

Vesperia: Man trying to fix plumbing is caught in a political plot that evolves into saving the world.

Xillia: Medical student tries to help God, war erupts and another nation intervenes. Boy must stop king from killing nation.

Xillia2: Man in debt becomes entangled in family curse

See a recurring theme here? The plots here all start in one place, and end up with an entirely different goal (that’s usually saving the world. its a JRPG not an original work).

But you see my point, Zestiria never strays from the single very simple good vs evil narrative goal that it sets for itself. There’s no twist (other then that weird one i mentioned i guess) no third party, no nothing.

And I understand that the recurring theme is supposed to be “power can corrupt and anyone can become bad” but the problem is that’s not conveyed or done well. At any point in time.

Conclusion:

Zestiria deserved to be a better game. As it stands, it feels like a 40 hour advertisement for Tales of Zestiria TheX anime adaptation and a plug for Tales of Berseria.

I can say if nothing else that it still stands above Graces(f) for me (I will never forgive them for both the entire plot and the... aquasphere), but ranks only just there.

I wish it were better, the cast deserves better.

[mizumereviews]

Mizume Reviews: Another

          Hey look! Itsa-bonus-review! A friend of mine started screening this while I was watching SAO, so I watched both at once (Since this one was pretty short).

Final Grade: C+

So the horror genre isn't really my thing, but I decided to give it a go anyway. Do I see the color of death? No...I see nothing but Another

Ghost stories and horror isn’t really my genre. But a friend of mine was screening this show and I had a few impressions on it. What mainly piqued my interest was that P.A. Productions had a hand in the production of Another, and I mainly wanted to see what the company was capable of (since they had created Angel Beats!, one of my favorite works). P.A. Productions wove together a plot with concepts that are simple at a glance, but deviously complex and intricate. Unfortunately, Another failed to stick it’s landing, and some of the more complicated and confounding elements failed to pay off. Let’s look into what I’m talking about here.

The Premise:

Another follows the story of Sakakibara Koichi, a boy who had been hospitalized due to a lung disease, and transferred to his birth town of Yomiyama where he will attend school. He meets and befriends a mysterious girl with an eyepatch (hey who saw that coming) that nobody else in his class acknowledges. Skipping ahead, stuff happens and he and Misaki Mei (the mystery eyepatch girl) must find a solution to stop a yearly curse, The Curse of Class 3-3, from killing off his classmates one by one. That’s the plot in a nutshell. Another’s plot was told in fragments, a textbook way of drawing the viewer in until the series would finally give him/her the entire story. I appreciated the gesture, and although it didn’t feel very fresh, it wasn’t so stale that it became intolerable.

The Curse of Class 3-3, the central focal point of the show, was a perfectly good example of how to present an intriguing story. What was so respectable about the execution of this curse was its adherence to its own code and rules; it followed a set of predetermined guidelines without exception. This type of adherence presented the curse as something that was technically solvable if the viewer thought hard enough about it.

The key challenge Another faced was a result of its own ambitious prospects. By presenting a complex and challenging puzzle before the viewer, Another was expected to deliver an answer that should astound and feel satisfying. Considering how complicated the Curse of Class 3-3 is, I wondered how on earth Another would deliver a clever answer to the riddle, while hoping that they would not rely on a cheap cop out, exception or loophole. I tried calculating and reviewing the rules of the Curse, the relationships between the characters, trying to find the answer to the riddle. I took into account all the new information that was presented to me by the show, re-adjusting my hypotheses to match the new information. Try as I might, I was suitably stumped, and that is what kept me watching. That is Another’s greatest strength, its ambition and adherence to its rules, which created a very puzzling curse.

Unfortunately, that isn’t to say the actual execution was flawless. Another’s ambition unfortunately did not succeed in delivering a satisfying answer to the puzzle. When the answer is finally revealed, it will more likely then not leave you wondering how on earth you were supposed to have figured that out. With the focal plot point falling short of its lofty goal, the rest of Another did not deliver a particularly great amount of suspense or fear. After a while, I practically began looking for the preposterous ways the Curse would kill off its victims, from umbrellas to conveniently placed heavy machinery, Another managed to follow the age old convention of “How do I kill people off in the most gruesome but not necessarily realistic way possible”. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but does not play into the overall tone that Another is attempting to achieve.

The Characters:

Another, being of the horror genre, is very strange with its characters. Because they are all simply destined to die at some point, their characterization is often kept reasonably limited. Another had a very wide variety of pretty forgettable characters, which is all right since more then half of them die at some point or another. This leads to a couple of problems without even taking into consideration the quality characters themselves. One major issue brought about by the abundance of characters: they die so fast that there really isn’t any reason to emphasize them in the first place. I found myself constantly wondering “Oh that person died? Who the hell was he again?” Another seemed like it wanted to emphasize each and every character, which is ambitious but not necessarily smart in this context. As a result, the viewer is given the impression that they are expected to remember every person, even though they seem to die, and are, in some cases, almost literally never mentioned ever again, or disappear for a good chunk of time, as a result, the limited characterization that they do indeed receive: seems limited at best, and extremely shallow at worst.

Moving on to the characters themselves, Another had a very large selection of typically generic character archetypes. You’ve got: sickly boy, mysterious girl, kind hearted girl, glasses boy, glasses girl, cool girl, best friend boy, and then a handful of characters that I can’t even describe, because they don’t seem to have defining features. I may as well just treat the supporting cast as “List of NPC’s.” Take for example, the character of Kazami Tomohiko, so this character fills the slot of “Glasses Boy” and seems pretty important early on. He shows up for the first three episodes, helps Sakakibara (the main character) adjusting with school life and what not. Then he drops off the face of the earth, is mentioned near the conclusion of the series, which prompts the viewer to immediately wonder, “Who the hell is this guy? Oh wait right, Glasses Boy.”

Misaki Mei deserves a special mention for a few reasons. #1: She’s the main heroine. #2: I always discuss the use of a “Dead Fish” character in my reviews (Its becoming a recurring theme). As usual, Misaki Mei manages to encompass all the qualities of a really indecisive writer. She isn’t totally deadfish for no particular reason, but nor does she ever really develop any realistically emotional traits. She manages to sit on this awkward line of sort of being “like a doll” (that’s called symbolism) while kind of trying to have character progression by showing human traits. She never really went anywhere in terms of real character growth, and her personality didn’t really make any sense. That’s what I’m getting at here.

The Length:

Another was adapted from the novel of the same name, into a single series of twelve (12) episodes. A typical length for a one-shot short horror story. Another DID manage its pacing and story-telling very well. The plot and Curse of Class 3-3 was presented in fragments at an unfrustrating pace, the story did not move too quickly or too slowly. It could be said that Another as a whole moves very slowly, and I can find merit in that statement. But while moving slowly can sometimes be a nuisance, the slow pace and steady movement was fitting to Another’s plot and story-telling methods. If there is anything that really did impress me about Another, it was its ability to keep a steady and even pace.

The Style

Produced by P.A. Productions, Another had, for the most part, very strong visual graphics and sounds. In particular, the scenery and attention to lighting made every shot of a room or hallway look very nice. Attention to detail, particularly sharp lighting and shading, is very important for delivering the proper atmosphere to a horror genre show such as Another, and P.A. Productions certainly delivered. The flicker of firelight, streaming sun, overcast clouds, all different lighting effects were very well crafted and carefully animated into a very visually atmospheric show. The character animations were…well a bit bland admittedly. The crazy insane dementia face (when everyone inevitably at one point or another goes insane) looks pretty much the same on everyone, and the character designs constantly reminded me of CLAMP’s artwork, for some strange reason. The sole exception to the random CLAMP art would be Misaki Mei, who stood out to me (in the respect that she didn’t look like a Code Geass character).

However, where Misaki Mei was a different visual character, I was disappointed at some of the inconsistencies involving attention to her detailed features. In particular, the animators apparently couldn’t decide if her doll’s eye was in fact a doll’s eye, or she was simply heterochromic. In one episode, the shading of the doll’s eye is distinctly glazed over, the attention to this detail amazed me. I was promptly disappointed when it appeared later with the same shading as her other eye, looking like just another eye but a different color.

But aside from these specific examples, Another did in fact do a reasonably good job with their animation and attention to detail.

Replay:

Another wasn’t a terrible anime per se, but given its clear and defined weaknesses it certainly isn’t a show I’m going to ever make an active effort to go and watch it again. I would suggest this show tentatively so someone who likes the genre, but nothing more then that. If the conclusion were better, it would be much easier to happily suggest Another as a good one time view. Given the fact that it isn’t: I can’t exactly make that recommendation now can I?

Final Grade: C+

Final Impressions: Horror is not a genre I am very well accustomed to. Psychological Horror a little more, but straight Horror? Not really my cup of tea. Visceral disturbances I can handle, but visually disturbing imagery and gore doesn’t site very well with me. I watched Another with no real intention of reviewing it, nor did I really have any kind of expectations. I found it to be a decent way to pass the time, but not anything I would really make an effort or choice to back to watch again. The presentation of the central plot, the core and pacing of the show, intrigued and kept me watching the entire series. But after that same central plot turned out to be a disappointment, the fairly bland characters don’t particularly stand out, and the style, while visually enjoyable, can’t save a show without real substance.

I could be wrong, watch Another and tell me what you thought of the plot. Had the plot been better, Another would have ranked much higher on my scale. A series with a strong core story and good presentation and pacing is very difficult to rank low, even with a weak cast of characters and rather predictable side events.

[mizumereviews]

Up Next: Sword Art Online (SAO)

So I can't review movies. The critical issue there being that they follow almost entirely different criteria then full seasons of anime, and I don't feel comfortable attempting something like that at the moment.

SAO has an extraordinarily...shall we say controversial history in my limited view. The fanbase was rampant, grew at an astounding rate, and then suddenly dropped off very quickly about midseason. Its a very strange phenomena.

I've already started watching and like what I'm seeing so far. I haven't been this excited about a show since Guilty Crown, so let's see what happens as I progress. The review for SAO will be up on 1/15! Stay tuned!

[mizumereviews]

Up Next: Movies All Day!

Alright so here's what's going down. I don't really have time to watch an entire series of anime. What with finals coming up and all that (*pfft* College).

So here's what you should be expecting at the very least!

-Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

-Gurren-Hen

-Lagann-Hen

-Who knows what else

I'll do a big series of mini reviews.

Release will be earlier or later (12/18 Is the day of my final exams. So no can do there)

[mizumereviews]

Mizume Reviews: Spice and Wolf

       I'm late as always but what's that matter? The extra time (theoretically) will contribute to a more thought out review right? Yeah? Right?

...Um well anyway, today we'll be taking a look at Spice and Wolf by studio Imagin

This review here is Spoiler Free

Final Grade: B+

Spice and Wolf was yet another show I had first watched in the Summer of 2010. Like I keep saying, I like an anime that can bring something new to the table, and Spice and Wolf is no exception. Based around the ongoing manga of the same name, Spice and Wolf is a fantasy themed show that diverts from the normal conflicts of magic and swordplay. Rather, Spice and Wolf is about economics. Sounds rather strange doesn't it? Let's see what it is specifically that made Spice and Wolf so appealing.

The Premise:

Spice and Wolf is all about the economy, buy, sell, trade, all that jazz. To spice things up (get it? eh? eh?) our hero is joined by a pagan wolf-deity who has taken form of a young woman. The idea itself behind Spice and Wolf is one that is technically fantasy, but is a nice break from spirits, gods, and demons that permeate the very air. Rather, fantasy elements in Spice and Wolf are very subtle, and appear very infrequently, lending more to the story as a whole. In more then one respect, the show is more like a folktale rather then straight fantasy. Gods and the church are present sure, but there's no secret organization, no holy powers, no mystical weapons, just a peddler, his wolf-deity companion, and some trading associations.

Personally, I like that. Spice and Wolf does a good job making itself different. It's not an action packed adventure, or a mind-bending psych show, or even a traditional slice of life. It's just two people and the economy. Simplicity is a good thing, and Spice and Wolf is most certainly a good example of that.

As far as the actual plot goes, Spice and Wolf is essentially as follows: a wolf deity named Holo feels unneeded by the town she is so used to helping, and as a result, asks a peddler passing through by the name of Kraft Lawrence to take her north, back to her home in the forest of Yoitz. That's essentially the gist of it. What's very interesting is that Spice and Wolf manages to establish a surprisingly lively dynamic out of the two characters, and the notion of trading. Holo, gives Lawrence the excuse to explain his trading tactics to us as a viewer, as well as playing off of Holo's character, fleshing out both individuals. The two major points of Spice and Wolf's premise are: 1. The use of basic economics in storytelling. and 2. the use of a normal person as a main character.

The idea behind making a merchant peddler a character is one that adds a certain flair to the composition of the story. The use of economics is a very unique aspect in Spice and Wolf's makeup. How accurate the economics are? Well...I'm no expert. But it is a nice feeling to think hard about the barter system of trade, and are rewarded by coming to the same logical conclusions that the characters themselves make. The trade systems and techniques are very well explained in the show and feels very real. The show doesn't feel like its pushing the borders of reality with convoluted economics. The tension caused by the mere act of trading is another accomplishment in itself, I mean seriously think on this. If a show can make you worry by declaring "You've been trapped! ...in an economic loophole" and you genuinely feel for the character, then the portrayal and implications of economy and bankruptcy have most certainly been made real, and the characters have most certainly been developed well.

Secondly is the use of traveling in the story. This is a common technique in any storytelling, and is a good way to switch up the setting and dynamic. Spice and Wolf whoever, utilizes this mechanic in another unique, but simple, way. In addition to changing setting, a change in setting: also changes the potential economy and trade. Considering the fact that trading is what Lawrence does for a living, this is a pretty important factor, and integrating it into the story is done seamlessly. Not only is it convenient to use economics to cover up setting changes, but Holo is also now getting closer to home and farther north, and new conflicts can be created by the trade systems of the new city.

It could be said, and has been said, that Spice and Wolf is a little bit TOO unique. And that claim is understandable. Where it has charm and a very classy folktale feel, Spice and Wolf lacks a clear strife, so to speak. It does use abstracts, such as trading and economy, to drive the plot forward, and that does not appeal to everyone. Despite this, I enjoyed Spice and Wolf for its premise and simple plotline.

So I rather then sticking to the mold of a usual fantasy show Spice and Wolf likes to switch it up. Nothing is driving them north by force, no organization is pursuing them, Lawrence isn't the chosen one. They travel to make money, are pursued to make money, and Lawrence is just a guy trying to make money. All the while, the sexual tension mounts to the point in which it is virtually palpable. The sheer simplicity of Spice and Wolf is what makes it so very entertaining.

The Characters:

With a core cast of two, it would be nice for Spice and Wolf to make characters that are actually enjoyable to watch. Luckily, the show delivers indeed as Lawrence and Holo make their way northward to Yoitz. The lack of characters is filled in by adding another secondary conflict that weaves into the first. Considering the lonely nature of being a traveling peddler, Lawrence appreciates Holo's company. She in turn appreciates his, after being neglected and effectively dis-owned by the town which she had helped so many years. This sweet character duo fills in the gaps that multiple characters would typically fill in a traditional anime, and is what brings out the humanity of both Holo and Lawrence.

I mentioned it before, but Kraft Lawrence being a normal human being is very simple and refreshing. Even in a typical slice of life, the main character is usually some kind of anomaly, which makes him the center of attention, in the case of Lawrence, he's just a traveling merchant, nothing more and nothing less. With a good nature and trader's mind, Lawrence is the human of the show, he gets confused, and falls into traps, but is practical, pragmatic, and is Holo's guide to the world. Holo on the other hand is a bit naive, proud, and playful with Lawrence teasing him constantly. I didn't find either of the two annoying, but thought more along the lines of how well the two of them worked together. Perhaps expectable of an anime, but neither of the two characters are humble enough to admit what is clearly budding feelings for each other. This leads to sexual tension that you can practically cut. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but every now and again, Lawrence will really irk you by just being oblivious.

Side characters in Spice and Wolf aren't really anything particularly flashy, they exist for the sole purpose of filling in roles during temporary conflicts. It is worth noting however that most, if not all, of these characters do their jobs very well. The pragmatists of the business world, the naivete of a new trader, the roles given to side characters are performed well enough that you don't go back and think "man that guy was annoying."

The Length:

Spice and Wolf currently has 2 seasons, at 12 episodes a piece. While a third season is rumored to be in the works, we'll have to deal with what we have in the meantime. Pacing in Spice and Wolf is done phenomenally well. What it lacks in what you might call an "exciting" storyline, it makes up for by keeping a nice and unfrustrating speed. Whereas Pumpkin Scissors tried to do the same thing (that is, focusing on a few central conflicts) Spice and Wolf can actually work around, and accomplish it successfully. This is largely due to the fact that the core of the story is built to accommodate that kind of pacing.

One common complaint behind Spice and Wolf is it's "slowness". I in fact praise this slow pacing for a few reasons. The primary reason being this: Spice and Wolf as a manga/light novel series has not concluded. In order to keep a nice pace, and keep a nice flow to the story, Spice and Wolf moves along very slowly. It has no intention of reaching its overall goal, reach Yoitz, anytime soon. In other words, the pacing of the episodes are built around the fact that there are more seasons to come, and as a result the quality of the episodes, and ultimately the conclusion, don't have to suffer because of it.

The Style:

Spice and Wolf had a nice artstyle to match its flavor and time period. While the animation and people aren't spectacularly new, the use of color and environment was a huge factor that greatly contributed to the quality of Spice and Wolf's artwork. The color palette in particular is definitely worth noting. Color, historically, determined status and prestige, and this, along with clothing designs, played a huge part in making artistic style an accent to the time period. Brown, grey, black, darker colors to reflect the cheaper quality of cloth, are all nice touches to keeping with a semi historical fiction setting. There are no neon colors, outlandish hair colors or garbs here. This use of a darker and washed over palette sends a message of realism, not the gritty kind, but rather just something that defined Spice and Wolf from other shows.

Replay:

This is the second time I've gone back to Spice and Wolf, and I understand now why I still enjoy it. While it may not sit well as a main event, or something to get really hype over, Spice and Wolf is a show that makes for a very nice break period. It isn't positively outlandish like Nichijou, or Lucky Star, but it can be used for the same purpose: to take a break from more serious shows. Spice and Wolf is approachable enough to me that I enjoy using it after something gloomy.

Final Grade: B+

Final Impressions: Spice and Wolf is a very sweet and very simple show that tells the tale of two travelers. I particular enjoyed the folktale-esque design choices and use of economics, but the show as a whole is admittedly hit or miss for that reason. You either like it or you don't in most cases. While I found the show to be very enjoyable, it does receive a penalty for its lack of universality among fans. I enjoyed Spice and Wolf and I would suggest it to anyone that enjoys smart and simple storytelling.

Writers note: Sorry about the delay, my head isn't really on right at the moment. Forgive me for the jumbled writing Orz

[mizumereviews]

Up Next: Spice and Wolf

I watched this one quite some time ago. And after watching something as mind intensive as Paranoia Agent, it will be nice to wind down with something sweet and simple.

Spice and Wolf enthralled me with its simplicity and folk like storytelling. I'm prepared and looking forward to reviewing that tale. Not to mention the seasonal theme of fall and apples will fit quite well with the current season.

Watch for the Spice and Wolf review on 11/27

[mizumereviews]

Up Next: Paranoia Agent

This one was suggested to me by both ArtemisNihil as well as Moitey.

The concept seems interesting, and that hasn't happened since Guilty Crown. So let's see what I make of it and how it stack up to MizumeD (Plus its hella short. I like hella short)

Added to the queue:

-Kokoro Connect

-8th Grade Syndrome (Don't expect to see this for a long time)

Watch for the Paranoia Agent review on 11/13

[mizumereviews]

Up Next: Pumpkin Scissors

Next time on Mizume Reviews. I go back and take a hard long look at Pumpkin Scissors. I had a lot of things to say when I first watched it. Not all of it was....well good.

But i'm going to tell you WHY goddamnit! (or at least what I think)

Added to the Queue:

-Kokoro Connect. Because screw you Scrubbing. You know I can't resist a sarcastic girl with an eyepatch.

[mizumereviews]

Back to Regular Scheduling

Yo. MizumeD here. Now that the site is (mostly) set up. I'll be going back to regularly scheduled reviews.

Since my month challenge is just about over. Expect reviews every TWO weeks (I need time to live my life you see) on TUESDAY.

Mark your calenders folks. Due next week is Nichijou

[mizume]

Mizume Reviews Has Moved

New URL: Mizume Reviews

Now all you people that don't want my shitty reviews on your dashboard don't have to see it anymore 8D

I just moved stuff. But future reviews will be written there.

Edit: And as always my ASK BOX is always open!

[mizume]

Temporary Hiatus

Yo, MizumeD here. Mizume Reviews will temporarily be on break this week and maybe next week depending on my schedule.

I'm setting up so that sometime in the future I can re-install my gaming stream Mizume Plays (name currently pending) an offshoot of Scrub Gaming.

As well as making another blog to house Mizume Reviews

Sorry for the delay all zero of you who don't care at all

Will be back soon.

[mizume]

Up Next: ??

Next up on Mizume Reviews: ....Oh wait I haven't decided yet.

So here's whats going on. I'm in college. Which means every now and again I actually have to DO WORK. (It's the strangest thing I know)

Here are the shows I have on queue (In no particular order):

-Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (I actually just finished watching this)

-Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Suggested by Moitey)

-The Vision of Escaflowne (Suggested by ArtemisNihil)

-Sword Art Online (Suggested by Saint-Fraudulence. I'll watch as soon as the whole thing is over, which should be a few weeks right?)

-Pumpkin Scissors (I had a lot to say about this when I watched it a while ago)

-Paranoia Agent (Suggested by Moitey)

-Nichijou (Suggested by Moitey)

-Baccano (Suggested by Saint-Fraudulence)

So since I actually have tests this week. I'll have to put in some time to see what I can watch. Sticking to my prior promise I will have a review next week. You'll just have to see which one I end up watching.

My ask box is always open for suggestions!

[mizume]

I actually agree with almost everything you said about Guilty crown funnily enough. -.- Not about Tsugumi obviously you hater. I also obviously like the soundtrack way more than you, but to each their own. Good shit. I also felt you weren't giving the cast enough credit when it came to the portrayal of their emotions, but I can see where you were coming from. I felt like everyone but maybe Souta and Kanon were very well done (and that was more because neither of them were plot crucial anyway)

Well addressing your issues:

1. The Tsugumi/Ayase pair were actually my favorite characters personally. Just because I liked Ayase and Tsugumi worked so well with her. Its not that I didn't like Tsugumi, it's just the unnecessary fanservice behind their designs (I personally am not against it but I try to be somewhat professional)

2. The OST was really really good. But it didn't stand out to me in the sense that I went to look it up immediately. You are right though. There were some moments that were tremendously amplified by the correct music. (Mind you i'll probably get it later)

3. I lack giving the credit cast because I honestly couldn't really word it correctly. I can't just sing praises because if I can't explain it. For the most part it was really good, but there was something that nags at the back of my head when I think about it. I can't quite place it, so I left it out of the review. And in contrary opinions, I thought Souta's character progression was relatively well done. Basically, I couldn't really organize what I thought about the characters, I did like Daryl, because his character had a lot of development (The deranged kind) but his "interest" in Tsugumi was almost completely unnecessary.

In regards to other then the review.

A. START CONDENSING YOUR DAMN MESSAGES. GOD.

B. Practice blockstrings with those pros you play with every week. The thing about Ragna mixup is its scarier since he HITS LIKE A FUCKING TRUCK. But is it really that scary in itself? You just need to find other ways to punish holes that AREN'T DP. Sure DP is good every now and again but if you throw it out all the time (Like you do) You're going to get blown up pretty hard if he baits it out.

[mizume]

Mizume Reviews: Guilty Crown

I finally got around to watching this show. The entire idea behind it has intrigued me for quite some time, and I heard many a mixed review from various peers.

There probably will be some spoilers this time around but I'll keep them to a minimum, as always, view with your own discretion.

[Spoiler Alert]

Final Grade: B

Now as I had said before, Guilty Crown is an anime that I have wanted to watch for quite a long time, I had heard about the basic premise from a friend and my oh my was I interested.

Did it turn out like I wanted it to? Well, as always, yes, and no. There were some very powerful aspects of Guilty Crown's story and presentation, but it seemed a little rough in some places.

Let's see why and where those points are.

The Premise:

To start off, lets lay out a few of Guilty Crown's major points. The focus of Guilty Crown's plot and premise is the heart. Not the literal dokidoki heart, but the idea of a soul its manifestation, called "Voids" in the show. This central plot device drives Guilty Crown in some very deep and dark directions, which is not necessarily a bad or good thing. In regards to a setting, GC is set in the year 2039 Japan, in a pseudo-dystopian society. I'll break these down one at a time.

Starting with setting. As with most anime, Guilty Crown opens up with a school, focusing around the life of Ouma Shu (Shu Ouma in English). A socially awkward student that is a bit aimless in many respects. A key strength in Guilty Crown's presentation is its use of semi contemporary icons. Being set in 2039 Japan, the near future, creates a mandatory framework that the atmosphere has to work around. For example, icons like YouTube can be seen in the opening sequence. Being set on Earth required Guilty Crown to stay, at least in the beginning, somewhat realistic, that this is something that Guilty Crown did VERY well. The technologies available such as Endlaves are futuristic, but not so much that you lose touch of the fact that the story does indeed take place in Japan, in the actual world. Use of the United Nations Council (albeit a very anime UN Council) was a nice touch as well.

Like I said before, the true pivotal point of Guilty Crown is "Voids" or manifestations of the heart. Shu obtains an ability to pull "Voids" from other people and utilize them, hence creating a plot. Here's where the dark and scary comes in. The emphasis of "Voids" in Guilty Crown is massive, but it strays away from using it merely as a plot device to expanding its implications to the real world. Much like the Shadows in the Persona Series (A video game series by Square Enix) "Voids" can show what kind of darkness hides in the heart of the owner. Guilty Crown establishes this very early on through using its character Yahiro. These kinds of emotional implications are something that is often times very risky in the anime business. Use it too much, and you get angstangstangstangst. Use it too little (often intentionally) and you get something that isn't realistic at all (which is the point). What i'm getting at is that the use of "Voids" and the implications they bring are a nice way of giving the plot a bit more complexity and depth.

Guilty Crown tells two stories, the first arc acts upon the usual meta story of "Boy meets girl" which it reflects through introduction of "Voids" the main heroine Yuzuriha Inori, and a lighter atmosphere in general. I say in general because to call any part of Guilty Crown "light" would be outright false. This is a dark show, not dark in the usual sense, with gore and what not, but dark in a more unnerving mental sense. The show's plot is just sad damnit, there's a lot of sorrow going around. Anyway, the second arc of Guilty Crown pulls out all the stops, utilizing the second meta writing technique of "Boy becomes a man." The plot strays away from realism and more into sci-fi, showing the aftermath of "Void" use and conflict.

This is where a few of the flaws come into play. Because of its rather ambitious nature, the story telling of Guilty Crown tends to suffer from the sudden and rapid transition of Arc 1 to Arc 2. The stories are almost seamless, but not quite.

Other then that though, I found no real problems with the plot setting, it struck me as gripping, thought out, and very thorough. Especially in regards to the setting and atmosphere.

The Characters:

The characters in Guilty Crown may be Guilty Crown's greatest strength and crippling weakness. In terms of strength, Ouma Shu was one of the most developed characters I have seen in a long long time. Following his painful progression through the story was believable, and really set the tone for the "Boy becomes man" theme in the second arc. It's important for Shu to be a good character because he, like many other main characters, shows up a lot. Luckily, its something that isn't horrifically painful like watching Sakai Yuji (Shakugan no Shana) screw things up.Characters like Yahiro, Souta, and Hare contributed quite a bit to Shu's character growth. While characters like Ayase and Tsugumi bounced off each other more then anything else. Because the characters of Guilty Crown focus around their interactions and development of Shu, it frees up opportunity to bring color and personality to the show, without being obligated to really explain where they're from. While I would have liked to know where they're from, its not something that would have brought real significance to the show.

A very positive feature of Guilty Crown is that it manages to establish what I view as characters that a viewer can relate to. In the way that Madoka Magica managed to invoke that sense of absolute despair and empathy through its characters. If you take away the elements of sci-fi, and fantasy, you are left with several characters that contain quite common personality flaws: insecurity, lack of self-confidence, internal darkness, things that people can, whether they'll admit it or not, really relate to.

Another notable aspect of the crew was the villains. The Villains of Guilty Crown remain to be some of my favorites. Major Segai and Daryl brought the dystopian nature of the show to the front lines. Not to mention of course, the final antagonist herself.

Those are Guilty Crown's strengths. Unfortunately, along with those, the characters bring about a number of rather significant weaknesses. I'm going to throw this out before I continue:

Spoiler Alert

The character Tsutsugami Gai began the show very strong, but, in my eye, turned out to be a weak link towards the end of the second arc as an antagonist. As the deuteragonist, he established his role as a convincing anti-hero esque character, foiling Shu and just being cool. As an antagonist, when he is suddenly revived without explanation of any shape or kind (other then ITS THE FUTURE WE DO WHAT WE WANT), he suddenly has none of the ideals from before he was killed. I know this is somehow explained in the conclusion of the show, but I found that giving Gai so many conflicting ideologies and ulterior motives overcomplicated his character to the point of ridicule. I really tried hard to like Gai, but as a villain he just didn't make sense, there were too many conflicting signals.

End Spoilers

Some more smaller flaws in the makeup of Guilty Crown's characters was the blatant use of fanservice, just everywhere. Everywhere. Inori's outfits alone can cover my entire breakdown of this, and then I'll throw in Tsugumi just in case that wasn't obvious as well.

Characters in Guilty Crown weren't bad by any stretch of the word, but they certainly did feel shallow. Other then Shu, and maybe Ayase, the emotions driving every character wasn't emphasized enough by the plot to make a real difference, you could tell the emotions were there, but only through subtext and reading between the lines. I leave it to your discretion whether that's a good or bad thing.

The Length:

Guilty Crown is one season, with twenty two episodes. It told its story well, but suffered some pacing issues.

To begin the series, the show's pacing was very stable, and I found it to be very enjoyable. Events and concepts were thoroughly explained, all the major players were shown and the history surrounding the plot was made clear. As the show progressed into action, the pacing sped up, which is good in a way, to follow the flow of the story, here's the thing, it didn't really slow down after that. Finishing the first arc in twelve episodes, the pace of Guilty Crown suddenly comes to a grinding halt. This is in order to set up an understanding of the second arc. Which it does extremely fast, which it does in only three episodes, half the time the first arc took. Only to speed up rapidly in order to finish within its allotted time limit.

Guilty Crown is an anime that most definitely would have benefited from a more time, or different allotment of time. Perhaps giving the show more episodes (from twenty two to twenty seven) or splitting into two seasons (Arc 1 being extended to 12-14, and Arc 2 being 12-14) would have fixed the problems regarding the shows pacing.

The Style:

Stylistically, Guilty Crown was a very nice, very visual treat. I thought a much greater emphasis was put into the shows visual detail in general, making for higher quality. The heavy use of lighting and light effects brought out the action sequences very well, and sharper lines and details made everything pop out a little more. The 3D CG effect used for the Endlaves was a good decision in my eye, it made them distinctly different from the human characters but complimented their detailed designs and art.

The soundtrack of Guilty Crown didn't compel me to look up the OST, but it certainly set a good mood and atmosphere. This is even used in the show with Genomic Resonance, the chord sounds eerie and suitable for its intentions.

Replay:

Although I gave Guilty Crown quite a good run (Finishing it in about two days) I don't think its a show I will revisit frequently. It is certainly a gem to look at, but the depressing tone and atmosphere can get to someone rather quickly. I'm sure i'll revisit it once again later on, but take breaks in between anime like this with something mindless like Lucky Star, or Shakugan no Shana.

Guilty Crown is dark, brooding, and a visual treat. But not for the typical anime fan. If you watch anime for its bright and outlandish art, stick to Lucky Star. If you do entertain darker stories, then check out Guilty Crown, it will entertain you for at least the first arc, though the second may not be to your liking.

Final Grade: B

Lasting Impressions: Guilty Crown is an ambitious, dark, and pretty depressing show. Although it has a few pitfalls (mostly due to its ambition) it succeeds at telling both of its stories in the end. If you're a fan of dystopian sci-fi, or just sci-fi or dystopias in general, watch Guilty Crown, it's good at what it does.