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Gundam Special Wing (2000)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Doing this review I have realised something about myself – something that is in fact rather shameful.

I actually like Mecha anime.

I don’t know how it happened. Once upon a time I could say quite confidently that it wasn’t my kind of thing, that I wasn’t into it at all. Oh that is except for the Invid Robotech series. Ah…and Evangelion, but then I could hardly be blamed for that. Um…and of course Gasaraki, but you know, … (read more)

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Gungrave (2003)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

A little while ago, senses overloaded by mecha and super magical girls and people getting transported to other worlds for Some Important Purpose etcetera, etcetera, I think I was getting a little desperate. What with all the anime I watch, I think it gets to me after a while, all that genki. I think I just wanted something straight for a change, you know? Something with grunt and no airs. I wanted rugged and down to earth.

What I … (read more)

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Gad Guard (2003)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Andy

First off, don’t be misled by the kiddie visuals of Gad Gard’s box art. It is actually quite sophisticated with some overt sexuality from the female players.

Gad Gard stitches together a retro patchwork of influences from sixties mod chic: short, pleated mini-shirts, sweater vests, mopeds, a jazzy saxophone in the title sequence straight out of Cowboy Bebop, to nineteenth century Dickensian street urchins armed with jet-powered skateboards and Faginesque villians. Patch this all into a Euro steam-punk future … (read more)

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Heat Guy J (2003)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by James

Heat Guy J is an episodic detective yarn structured around individual missions that fit within some kind of larger narrative framework concerning rival mafiosos, mysterious scientists and a bunch of swooning women in love with the somewhat boyish and effiminate Daisuke — J’s human partner who dominates screen time and is consequently far more involved in the story.

Suited to an undemanding audience looking for fairly standard intrigue and action, there’s little to dislike but not a lot to love … (read more)

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Hellsing (2002)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Vampires. Seems they’re everywhere at the moment, and what with three almost consecutive releases from Madman – Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Vampire Princess Miyu and Hellsing – it got me to thinking. What is it exactly about vampires that gets the blood pumping? Freudian theory might have you believe that it has something to do with a subconscious association between sex and death and on some level this is certainly true enough. However, there is a little more to … (read more)

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Last Exile (2003)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Last Exile had two things going for it before I even switched on the DVD player – the fact that it came out of Gonzo Studios, and the fact that Range Murata, most widely known for character design on Blue Submarine No.6, did the conceptual character designs for it. Much to my pleasure (and yes I’ll admit, expectation) actually putting the disc in the player turned out to be a bonus. This series looks to be another winner, from … (read more)

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Please Teacher (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Ian

Well, what is this anime about? When you mention Aliens and High School, you could be mistaken for expecting quite a different style of anime (Maybe that is just a guy thing) (Maybe it is just me?). If you have read some of Shizuru Hayashiya’s previous works such as Red Sister you could be mistaken for perhaps making a wrong assumption. This being his first attempt at a romantic comedy after a few darker, bloodier and quite violent series, I … (read more)

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Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (1997)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Andy

It takes a unique perspective not to mention guts to combine giant robots, Christian symbolism, teenage angst, dysfunctional families and Jungian psychology. If Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s creator, Hideako Anno was a New Yorker he’d be happily seeing an analyst 3 times a week moaning about not being breast fed. Thankfully he’s Japanese, loves giant robots and sees anime as a therapeutical tool. Then net result was Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the densest animes ever created.

I’m going … (read more)

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