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diff --git a/src/anime/review/berserk-3/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/berserk-3/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92af51c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,67 @@ +=================== + Berserk - movie 3 +=================== +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:34 +:Id: anime/review/berserk-3 +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/berserk-movie-3-the-advent + +Third and final part of the "Golden Age" arc, this film shows the end +of Griffith and his Band of the Hawk, precipitated by Guts's decision, +near the end of the second movie, to leave Griffith to pursue his own +life. + +After the `previous <../berserk-1/>`_ `two <../berserk-2/>`_ movies +had covered about 20 chapters each, this third one covers from chapter +40 to about chapter 90 (volumes 9-13). There are 28 more volumes to +adapt (the first three, that depict events after the eclipse, and the +volumes after the Golden Age arc, currently 25): that may probably +take 6 more movies, although the pace of the manga gets slower in +later chapters, so they could be adapted to a shorter overall screen +time. The Golden Age movies were released between 2012 and 2013, but +from what I can see nothing was released this year: it may be some +time until we get the whole of Miura's work on the big screen. + +(I'm not even going to say anything about the animation style and +quality, I've already expressed my opinions in the other two reviews.) + +At this point in this series of movies, I can't honestly write much +without discussing plot points and how they've been adapted. If you +haven't read the manga, the best I can say is: there's blood, and +monstrous beings, and dismemberment, and rape. If you still hadn't +realised how nasty Miura's world is, the events shown here will drive +the point home with all the subtlety of a broadsword. But if you liked +the first two movies, you really have to watch this one as well, to +see how far Griffith's ambition will go, and how easily evil +influences can twist the meaning of acts of love. + +On the other hand, if you have read the manga, or don't mind some plot +spoilers, read on. + +To compress 50 chapters in less than two hours, the authors have +skipped several parts that may be considered secondary, to concentrate +on the big events: how the Hawks rescue Griffith from the dungeons, +how the budding relationship between Casca and Guts plays into +Griffith's helplessness and jealousy, the summoning of the God Hand, +the eclipse, and the rebirth of Griffith as Femto. + +Some scenes feel a bit disconnected from the main narrative, like the +attack of the Bākiraka, or the fight between Zodd and Skull Knight, +but even in the manga they make sense only in the larger context of +the machinations of the God Hand and the Kushan invasion. + +The horror of the eclipse is shown with lurid colours and vivid +imagery, you can feel the terror that overpowers the Hawks, and the +disregard of human life by the God Hand. The scene where Femto rapes +Casca is particularly horrifying, you can see how little of Griffith's +humanity is left in Femto, and you can understand why Casca's mind +breaks (the rape should contrast with the lovemaking scene between +Casca and Guts earlier in the movie, but that scene is so badly +directed, and the expressions so badly rendered, that the contrast is +almost ruined). + +Despite the minor flaws, this conclusion of the first big story arc +confirms the overall quality of the adaptation, and I'm eagerly +awaiting the next arc. diff --git a/src/anime/review/berserk-3/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/berserk-3/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/colorful/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/colorful/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/colorful/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/colorful/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/colorful/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62ee2d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/colorful/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +========== + Colorful +========== +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:15:30 +:Id: anime/review/colorful +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/colorful + +First person visual, our point of view / protagonist is in what looks +like a train station: souls of the dead collect their ticket and +shuffle toward their transport, for the afterlife, or reincarnation. +Our point of view is intercepted by a boy, clearly not one of the +souls; he says that the protagonist has been selected for another +chance at life, and they can't really refuse: take it, or never again +be reincarnated. He'll be the guide, not quite a guardian angel, not +exactly a judge. The protagonist takes it, grudgingly, and falls +toward the world, toward the body of a just-deceased boy who's +committed suicide, Makoto Kobayashi. The not-dead boy opens his eyes, +and his crying mother and father are overwhelmed by joy. + +Our protagonist then has to settle down into the life of Makoto, +trying to turn it for the better (he killed himself, he clearly didn't +think his life was that good), and also figure out what they did in +the previous life, what their sin was. + +Thus starts "colorful", directed by HARA Keiichi (原 恵一) from a +novel by MORI Eto (森 絵都). The premise is interesting, but the story +feels weak: the protagonist seems a bit of an idiot, at times +considering Makoto's family and schoolmates as strangers, at times +taking what they do very personally, holding Makoto's grudges without +having actually experienced the slights. Yes, you can argue, knowing +how the story ends, that there are reasons, but I still wanted to +throttle the protagonist for not *doing* something to connect with the +family, to make friends, instead of isolating themselves. Then again, +I have that problem with quite a lot of characters from many anime and +manga… + +The rest of the characters get just as much depth as needed for them +to support the protagonist's discovery of Makoto's and their own +lives: the bullied girl, the girl who can't settle into a simple +persona, the boy who's friend with everyone, the distant father, the +doting mother, the introverted brother. There's flashes of interesting +personalities, but they're not developed enough for us to get attached +to them. + +Not having read the novel, I don't know how much of these issues +come from it, and how much are a result of the adaptation. Hara said, +in the Q&A after the first showing at the ICA in London, that he had +to cut something out to fit the story in 130 minutes, but he also said +that the whole part about the trains (easily 15 minutes long) was his +own addition, so I can't discount the possibility that the parts that +didn't make it to the screen could have improved the film. + +The animation is quite good, and although the character design is very +simple, it's functional to the story: Makoto has intentionally a very +generic face, for example (Hara confirmed this). + +Overall I found the message to be quite bland ("have a life, forgive +others, make friends") and bluntly delivered. It reminded me of "It's +a wonderful life", but with all due respect to Hara (I really like his +"Summer days with Coo"), he's no Frank Capra. diff --git a/src/anime/review/colorful/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/colorful/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/colorful/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/durarara/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/durarara/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/durarara/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/durarara/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/durarara/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3dac08e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/durarara/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ +========== + Durarara +========== +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:15:56 +:Id: anime/review/durarara +:tags: - anime +:rating: 4 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/durarara + +I almost gave up on this series after the first 4 or 5 episodes. They +are slow, mostly concerned with introducing characters (and there's +plenty of them to introduce), and making sure we're clear on the +setting. Ikebukuro, 2010 or thereabouts, with street gangs, +thugs, underground semi-criminal life, high-schoolers, and an Irish +headless rider. + +Had I stopped there, this review would essentially say "go away, this +is boring". Thankfully, a friend of mine insisted I keep watching, and +I have to say, she was right: after the introductions, the rhythm +picks up, and a story starts happening. All the characters and events +are connected, the puppet master is revealed pulling the strings for +their own amusement, some plot lines get resolved, some characters are +happier, some are not, and I was overall glad to have known them. + +Durarara is not easy to categorise cleanly: there's high school life +and romance, there are supernatural elements, there's gang fights, +there's high-speed chases on motorcycles, there's stalkers and otakus +and yakuza and human experiments. But none of these elements is +dominant throughout the series, they all blend together to produce +something quite bewildering but also intriguing. For once, the +characters avoid talking to each other about their problems with some +subjectively good reasons, not just because "Japanese people don't +talk". Most of the characters' choices make quite a lot of sense when +examined via their limited knowledge and their goals, so even when you +know bad things will happen, you aren't really driven to shout "what +are you doing, you idiot!" at the screen. This is, sadly, not the norm +in fiction, and I appreciate it when I come across it. + +The story comes from a light novel series written by NARITA Ryougo (成 +田 良悟), who also wrote Baccano, and the director and character +designer of Durarara worked together on the Baccano anime series as +well (and, unless my eyes are mistaken, there's a semi-hidden +reference to that work in this series). After the first few +introductory episodes, we have three main story arcs, each building on +the previous ones, plus a couple of one-shot stories that help "catch +our breath" between the arcs. + +The director is OOMORI Takahiro (大森 貴弘), who also directed Hyper +Police, Fancy Lala, `Kuragehime <../princess-jellyfish/>`_, and the +very recent Samurai Flamenco; he also assisted on Haibane Renmei; all +in all, a very good pedigree, which helps explain the quality of the +direction here. + +The character designer KISHIDA Takahiro (岸田 隆宏) has had a very +varied career, working on Master Mosquiton, Lain, Noein, `Madoka +Magica <../madoka-magica/>`_, Btoom. He gave us very distinctive +designs, each character being clearly recognisable without any of them +looking like caricatures. + +All in all, an interesting set of stories told in a dynamic and +engaging manner. I only have two criticisms: first, the introductory +episodes are really too many, and second, the women's motivations are +too often linked to their relationship with men. Mika and Namie +motivations are all due to Seiji, the only reason Anri gets out of her +self-imposed isolation is because of Mikado and Masaomi, even Celty +often acts because of Shinra. At least, Anri and Celty have other +motivations, and this makes them more interesting; probably not +accidentally, they're the only two women in the series who get to talk +to each other. + +In conclusion: I'd recommend Durarara to most people with some +interest in anime and/or fantasy in urban settings. diff --git a/src/anime/review/durarara/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/durarara/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/durarara/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c24ea5c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +================= + Garden of Words +================= +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:15:39 +:Id: anime/review/garden-of-words +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/garden-of-words + +SHINKAI Makoto (新海 誠) became famous a decade ago with Voices of a +Distant Star (Hoshi no Koe ほしのこえ), a short (25 minutes) about a +long distance relationship (across interstellar space and relativistic +time distortions). + +He went on to write and direct longer movies (The Place Promised in +Our Early Days, 雲のむこう, 約束の場所, 2004; 5 Centimeters per +Second, 秒速5センチメートル, 2007; `Journey to Agartha, 星を追う子ども, +2011 <../agartha/>`_), trying with various levels of success to keep +the attention of the characters' emotions and inner stories, more than +on the overall plot and action. + +With "Garden of words" (言の葉の庭), Shinkai returns to a shorter +form, which I have to say seems to be more congenial to him: his +longer movies felt slow and diluted, and it was hard for me to stay +engaged (ok, "5 centimeters per second" should probably be counted as +three shorts instead of a long movie, but I honestly had problems +staying awake during the first one). A 15-year-old boy skips the first +few hours of school when it rains, spending the time in the Gyoen park +in Shinjuku, designing shoes. Yes, he wants to be a shoemaker when he +grows up, and he's already made a pair of moccasins for himself. In +the park, he meets an older woman, who seems to have some problems she +doesn't talk about: she eats chocolate and drinks beer, she reads, and +not much else. They start talking to each other, and this will help +both of them to grow and overcome their problems. + +As I said, the story is not much, but the gorgeous quality of the +picture, the subtle music, and the impressive voice acting carry the +work perfectly. If you like Shinkai's work, you don't need any +prompting; if you had given up on him after Agartha, Garden may make +you think again: I know it did to me. diff --git a/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/garden-of-words/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b08d2fe --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +=================== + Giovanni's Island +=================== +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:25 +:Id: anime/review/giovanni-island +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/giovannis-island + +This is a story of death and loss and friendship and of life carrying +on. It's a restrained depiction of the effects of war and +occupation. It's about the power of dreams and imagination. + +Japanese people on a boat nearing the island of Shikotan, off the +north-east coast of Hokkaido. It's the first time since the late +forties that they're allowed to go back to what used to be their +home. Two of them reminisce of the events of that time. + +Jumpei and Kanta are about 10 and 6 when the Emperor broadcasts the +surrender of Japan: they may not understand the full impact of that +event, but they know that their life is going to change. Their father +is the chief of the island's defence force, but not actually military: +in Jumpei's words, he's the head of the fire brigade. He loves Kenji +Miyazawa's novel, "Night on the Galactic Railroad", and the children +have read aloud from it since they learned to read. Jumpei and Kanta +often imagine themselves as the characters in the book their names +were even chosen to resemble: Jumpei for Giovanni, Kanta for +Campanella. The novel was also their dead mother's favourite, and its +message that the souls of the dead get transported to the sky to +become stars has helped all of them to cope with her loss. + +With the end of the war, comes the Russian occupation. Soldiers come +to the island, occupy the houses and the school, take away the +soldiers. A difficult co-existence begins, but while the adults of +each nation are suspicious and resentful of the others, the children +do their best to be children and forge friendships, across the +barriers of language and status. We follow in particular the story of +Jumpei and Tanya, and how they cope with the upending of both their +worlds. + +Giovanni's Island carefully avoids demonising the invading forces, +without discounting the effects they had on the lives of people who +had little or nothing to do with the war. Narrating everything through +the point of view of children allows writer SUGITA Shigemichi (杉田 成 +道) to show clean, raw emotions but also avoid tearjerker tropes. The +animation seems to be a mix of computer-generated backgrounds and +hand-drawn characters, which is a bit jarring at times. + +There's no way this movie won't be compared with Grave of the +Fireflies (1988, director TAKAHATA Isao, Studio Ghibli): both are set +in the same period, both tell the story of two young siblings, both +show the tragedy of war. Although I consider Grave to be overall a +better work, I can't usually recommend it to people: on the one hand, +it's extremely tragic; on the other, Seita's behaviour is upsetting +and borderline criminal. By contrast, Jumpei's and Kanta's story is +full of hope, and none of the characters (not even the Russian +soldiers) are shown as malicious or homicidally stupid: Giovanni's +Island goes into my list of recommended historical films on post-war +Japan. diff --git a/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/giovanni-island/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eb9fedf --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +============== + Kill la Kill +============== +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:00 +:Id: anime/review/kill-la-kill +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/kill-la-kill + +At Honnouji Academy, the student council rules supreme: its members +wear special Ultima Uniforms that give superhuman strength and combat +abilities. Thus is the will of Student Council President KIRYUUIN +Satsuki carried out. + +But a new student appears! MATOI Ryuuko, carrying a scissor sword and +a vengeful grudge: her father has been recently killed, and she will +find the people responsible, and make them pay. + +Of course, Ryuuko gets to Honnouji, and after she tries to fight her +way through, Satsuki tells her that yes, she killed her father. + +Ryuuko has no hope of prevailing against the super-powered guardians +of the Academy, until she discovers, under her burnt-down house, a +school uniform that her father left her: the sentient God Robe +Senketsu. With this, her combat spirit, and the moral support of +classmate MANKANSHOKU Mako (and all of Mako's family), Ryuuko will +discover the truth, have her vengeance, and save the world. + +I'm still not sure why I watched this series: it has all the marks of +the standard fighting anime, that I usually try to avoid. Every +episode is mostly fights, character progression is measured in terms +of combat power, half the dialogue happens between people who're +beating up each other. But I watched it till the end, and I'm almost +glad I did. "Almost", because many of the interesting aspects of this +series are counter-balanced by sadly over-used tropes. + +There's about 20 named characters, all of whom take active roles in +the plot throughout the story, but in practice only three of them +really count, each of the other ones is subservient to one of them. + +There's a big plot twist that completely changes the perceived +motivations of the main characters, but the way they explain their +past actions stretches credibility to the breaking point. + +There's a level of nudity (both male and female) that feels motivated +more by the standard fan servicing than by the plot, even if the plot +(and the big twist) does revolve around clothing and the effect it has +on society. And the level of creepy, incestuous, sexual harassment +(only directed at the girls, *of course*) is really uncalled-for. + +What else? Mako is funny, and she's not just a comic relief character; +the music is good, although some themes become a bit repetitive after +a while. The pacing is good, but I think 24 episodes are a bit too +much. + +In summary, those of you who like fighting anime will probably love +this series. The others may well like it, as long as you can ignore +some of the disturbing aspects I listed above. + +Oh, and if you notice a strong resemblance to recent Gainax work, like +Gurren Lagann: Kill la Kill was written, animated and directed by +ex-Gainax staff, who left and founded their own company, Trigger. diff --git a/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/kill-la-kill/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/patema/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/patema/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/patema/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/patema/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/patema/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ca66574 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/patema/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +================= + Patema Inverted +================= +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:47 +:Id: anime/review/patema +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/patema-inverted + +Patema, a young girl, explores an underground abandoned industrial +warren of tunnels. She reaches a large vertical shaft in which dust +falls *up*. When she sneaks back in her room, the Elder of the +settlement scolds her because she broke the rules: that area is +forbidden and dangerous, and being the daughter of the deceased Chief, +she should be more careful and set a better example. + +Of course, her curiosity wins, she goes back to the shaft, and falls +down it… only to come out a hole in the ground, falling *up*, and be +saved by Age, a boy who's upside-down. Or maybe she's the upside-down +one? + +There's plenty to like about this movie: the drawing and animations +are great, the music is beautiful and sets the mood perfectly in every +scene, the way the changing view points are shown is just brilliant. +Watching it, I was often surprised by the additional layers in the +story, and generally impressed by the attention to details. + +YOSHIURA Yasuhiro (吉浦 康裕, Pale Cocoon, Time of Eve) has written an +engaging story about differing ways to look at the world, about the +dangers of isolationism, partisan reading and hiding of history, how +easily the past can be rewritten to suit the purposes of the people in +power. It's also a story of friendship and wonder, about how seeing +new worlds, or old worlds in a new light, can be mind-expanding but +also terrifying. + +It's not without problems, of course: the evil people are too +theatrically so, the strict society Age lives in is an extreme +caricature of an absolutist regime, there's some uncomfortable subtext +of victims becoming oppressors, and the widespread simplistic +assumption that removing the one bad guy will magically upend +centuries of indoctrination, especially when seeing the other as not +really human is concerned. + +On the other hand, it can be very good starting point for discussions +about "others" and how even extreme differences in how we perceive the +world do not necessarily imply differences to our essential nature. + +All in all, a rather good, if ambitious, work, once again highlighting +Yoshiura's talent in showing us new worlds, comparing and contrasting +multiple ways of living in and looking at them. diff --git a/src/anime/review/patema/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/patema/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/patema/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92071ea --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +============= + Psycho Pass +============= +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:16 +:Id: anime/review/psycho-pass +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 4 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/psycho-pass-complete-season-1-collection + +How do you recognise a criminal? How do you make sure that innocents +are not targeted or even inconvenienced by law enforcement? How do you +balance control and freedom? These are some of the questions that +Psycho Pass poses, from the point of view of Japan's current society, +with its emphasis on conformity, and its very low tolerance for any +kind of deviation from the accepted way of life. + +It's the 22nd century, and the Sybil System can detect the state of +mind of every person, optimising their lives for happiness, by for +example suggesting their best career options, but also calculating +their propensity for crimes. The whole law enforcement system is based +on this "crime coefficient", and the police is equipped with special +guns called "Dominators" that will paralyse potential criminals, or +kill them outright if their coefficient is too high. No arrest, no +tribunals: if the Sybil says someone's a criminal, that's enough. + +This rather direct and violent approach tends to destabilise minds, so +the police uses Enforcers, potential criminals that have been selected +by the system, to do most of the hunting down of other criminals. +Inspectors are tasked with detective work, and supervision of the +Enforcers. + +Tsunemori Akane joins the police straight out of school as an +Inspector, and has to find her way among her colleagues and +subordinates, wrestle with moral questions, and avoid letting her +crime coefficient rise. + +UROBUCHI Gen (虚淵 玄) of Nitro+ has written a story with layers: the +"good" characters are not always as good as you'd expect, and the +"bad" characters have motivations that at the very least make sense to +them, and in some cases are indistinguishable from those that in other +stories are attributed to heroes. This is not a good-vs-evil plot. + +There are some issues. The worldbuilding has holes, that may have been +put there deliberately to provide the hooks for plot twists and for +more interesting character development and moral questioning, but +still undermine the consistency of the setting. Some parts of the +story feel a bit paint-by-numbers, and, especially in the first few +episodes, there's just too much expository infodumping. But I think +that it's all forgivable, given the overall result. + +I've seen Psycho Pass compared to Ghost in the Shell, and I can see +the similarities: they're both set in a technocratic future, focusing +on police work. The questions they ask are very different though: GitS +(especially the movie version) asks "what's the essence of humanity, +and what would it take for you to recognise a non-human life form as +human in spirit?"; Psycho Pass asks "what are you prepared to +sacrifice in the name of social stability and average +contentment?". Neither work provides answers, but they definitely +provide food for thought. + +As a note on the English edition, the translation appears to do +justice to the complex dialogues and ideas, which is sadly unusual. diff --git a/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/psycho-pass/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/.gitignore b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d33d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +/document.en.du.xml +/document.it.du.xml diff --git a/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/document.en.rest.txt b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/document.en.rest.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b97d6b5 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/document.en.rest.txt @@ -0,0 +1,79 @@ +================ + Robotics;Notes +================ +:CreationDate: 2015-03-08 16:16:10 +:Id: anime/review/robotics-notes +:tags: - anime + - review +:rating: 3.5 +:original: http://www.easternkicks.com/reviews/roboticsnotes + +When I was in Japan last April, I was on the lookout for interesting +new manga and anime that may make their way to the rest of the world +in the near future. The "Robotics;Notes" manga caught my eye for the +flashy cover and the air of general enthusiasm about giant robots. So, +when I discovered that not only there was an animated version, but +that it had already been translated, I jumped on it and watched it +all. Yes, doing that was a bit hampered by Manga Entertainment +deciding (as too often happens) to release a 22 episode series in two +batches of 11 episodes each: never doubt the lengths I'll go to, to +provide comprehensive reviews :) + +This series is vaguely related to "Chaos;Head" and "Steins;Gate", but +mostly because of the semicolon. The main authors of the other two +series, Nitro+ and 5pb, had nothing to do with "Robotics;Notes", which +was developed mainly by SHIKURA Chiyomaru (志倉 千代丸) who produced +and supervised the other two series. + +So, what's it about? In the near future, SENOMIYA Akiho is the +president of the robotics club at Tanegashima High School. She got her +passion for robots from her older sister, Misaki, and the very famous +TV show Gunvarrel (yes, they actually spell it that way in the +original). Misaki had founded the club some ten years previous, and +had started building a sort-of full scale replica of Gunvarrel. Akiho +is carrying on the dream of completing it, after Misaki left the +island to go work in Tokyo. Things are not looking very promising, +since the only other member of the club, YASHIO Kaito, spends all his +time playing an online robot fighting game called Kill-Ballad. To make +matters worse, the school vice-principal balked at the huge funding +request that Akiho presented her, and demands the club be +disbanded. But of course the story can't end there: with the help of +the grumpy owner of the nearby hardware store, the genius developer of +Kill-Ballad (FURUGOORI Kona, in my opinion the best character of the +show), the engineers of the nearby JAXA facility (where Akiho's father +works), the president of the Space Candy company, and a few +schoolmates, they will overcome adversity and build their dream +robot. Or maybe not: Kaito becomes aware of what appears to be a large +scale conspiracy that has been running for more than a +decade. Investigating the reports of this conspiracy will lead to +revelations about the lives of people they care about, and even about +why Gunvarrel's last episode was never aired. But in the end, the +giant robots of Justice will always defeat evil and save the world, +powered by courage, friendship, and a lot of technobabble. + +"Robotics;Notes" builds quite a good narrative, with characters who +feel different than the "stock" figures we too often get: Akiho loves +robots and wants to show her sister that she's not less capable; Kaito +looks very self-absorbed and quite rude, but he is curious and cares +about others; Kona seems to be a caricature of the shut-in pervy +otaku, but her backstory explains why she became what she is, and +she's determined and capable (still pervy, though :) ). Even the bad +guys have some semblance of motivation, and there's a couple of +interesting plot twists that you'll have to wait for the second half +of the series to see. + +It's really not one of the great works of anime, but it is engaging, +and I wanted to know what was going to happen to all the people in +it. Sadly, a few details were handwaved too much, leaving some holes +in an otherwise consistent plot. I liked very much the idea of a +"second generation" robot story: young people growing up with robot +anime, using the technology they have access to, to build giant robots +like they saw on TV. The fact that they had to come to terms with +their budget limitations made it all the more interesting. Also of +note, the setting is real: Tanegashima Space Center is an actual JAXA +facility, on Tanegashima island, near the southernmost point of Japan +(only Okinawa is further South). + +If you have even dreamt of building your own fighting robot, if you +like mostly-consistent near-future SF stories, and conspiracy theories +make you curious, this is really the series for you. diff --git a/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/du2html.xsl b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/du2html.xsl new file mode 120000 index 0000000..371d03d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/anime/review/robotics-notes/du2html.xsl @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +../../../../templates/du2html-review.xsl
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