Blog Archives

Avalon (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Mark Morrison

According to Mamoru Oshii, the future is sepia. And Polish.

That’s the look of Avalon, Oshii’s first live-action film (you know him best from his anime Ghost in the Shell). Shot in Poland, with Polish actors, Avalon evokes an Eastern Bloc future in which life seems rationed. Technology is archaic; LCD monitors never happened. An underground virtual reality game called Avalon is the only escape, and heroine Ash (Malgorzata Foremniak) is the best player — that is, until a … (read more)

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Princess Mononoke (1997)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) is not a film to watch. It is a film to feel. It is one of those rare films that is as much an experience as it is entertainment and it appeals on a level that goes deeper than thought or analysis, to a place inhabited by the most enduring of truths. This is the same place that all truly good stories come from, the place where mythologies take on the aspect of reality – Jung’s … (read more)

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Love Hina (2002)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Cute alert! Warning! Super-deformed antics ahead! Romantic comedy anime slapstick! Geeky boy and babe girls! Bath scenes, chase scenes, punch-ups and make-ups. Teen angst and happy endings.

If you’re at all familiar with this particular genre of anime, then you’ll already know what to expect. If you’re not familiar, be prepared for some craziness. In the tradition of Ranma ½ or Ah! Megamisama (Oh! My Godess), Love Hina is one of those series that follow a well-mapped formula, … (read more)

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Angelic Layer (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Ian

I am a big fan of the works of CLAMP. From Card Captor Sakura to X, I have been greatly entertained by all of the CLAMP anime I have seen. Some of that is to do with the character designs; the eyes of the characters in CLAMP series always seem so expressive to me. The people are just so darn cute, you just sort of want to sit them on your shelf with your other plushies… CLAMP always bring … (read more)

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Star Blazers (1980)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Andy

Star Blazers for me will always be that equation: 365 earth days had to be divisible by 148,000 light years or the earth would be destroyed. Even as a kid I knew there was something profoundly tragic about the lone Space battleship Yamato taking on the vastly superior Gamilon forces. Outnumbered, they always seemed on the verge of being overwhelmed, one Wave Motion Gun misfire away from defeat. And all the while, the ‘Days Remaining’ counter at the end of … (read more)

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Puni Puni Poemy (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Andy

Take cover. Puni Puni Poemy is a visual and aural barrage. The scenes strobe as quickly as the director Shinichi Excel Saga Watanabe can think of anime to parody. Its lead, Poemi Watanabe, is a motor mouth whose hysterical gatling gun approach to dialog is unremitting as it is nonsensical. There is continuous parodying of anime conventions, in particular, absurdly detailed exposition of plots, transformation scenes and groups of women living together. A lead who wants to be an anime … (read more)

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Ring (1998)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Ching Yee

This is a rather late review, the movie was released in 1998, and only just wound its way to Australia. Unfortunately, when I did rock up to watch it on Wednesday night, it was on its last day.

We entered the cinema and to our surprise, it was just the two of us in a vast, empty cinema. Luckily for us, a few more people trickled in at the last minute. Lucky because of what followed, it was definitely ‘safety … (read more)

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Princess Blade (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Alison

This live action manga is enjoyable in a low key way: no flashy sets, a fairly thin plot, but if sword fights are what you’re looking for, then look no further. The lead actress (Shaku Yumiko) apparently did many of her own stunts, and comes off surprisingly well for one who looks so soft and young. Life in her neck of the woods is clearly a lot more difficult than most of the tribulations we have to endure.

I particularly … (read more)

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