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Autumn ’08 impressions: week 1
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Read More →: Autumn ’08 impressions: week 1This past weekend was spent watching anime, lots and lots of anime, and below you can read my findings. Having come perilously close to losing my sanity at several points over the last few days, the scariest thing is that there is still so much I’m waiting to see, not least of all the majority…
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Love will tear us apart
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Love will tear us apartTrue Tears. I liked it. A lot.
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A tribute to Soul Eater 18
Read More →: A tribute to Soul Eater 18It’s been a long time since my last foray into Soul Eater. Too long, really. And it’s easy to forget just how fun it is, how exciting, how damn awesome. I mean, there are certain things that will always stick out, launch it above other series, and these two episodes were no different. Consider the…
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Cherry picking in autumn
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Read More →: Cherry picking in autumnHello, my name is bateszi. I’m a generic anime blogger and this is my generic autumn preview. Please enjoy these poorly researched comments on anime that I know nothing about, talking about new series with the same pictures, synopsis and links that you can see in dozens of other autumn previews too. I guess we…
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Actually, Blassreiter is quite good
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Actually, Blassreiter is quite goodWhen Blassreiter started airing in April, I suppose I wasn’t the only one to ignore it, but why is that? Wait, isn’t it obvious? Just two damn words are all it takes. Studio Gonzo. In recent years, despite the odd exception, their name has become synonymous with bland, conventional, boring anime. Hence, somewhat unfairly, I…
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A romantic interpretation of Kaiba
Read More →: A romantic interpretation of KaibaI was always going to like Kaiba. Even before it started airing, I had, somewhat dangerously, convinced myself that it would be good. After all, with someone like Masaaki Yuasa directing, I had to expect it would special and well, some five months later, here we are again, I just finished Kaiba this weekend. Lets…
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About an anime fan
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Read More →: About an anime fanI’ve been an anime fan for no more than 5 years and already I’m starting to feel like I’ve been around forever, yet the truth is that my mere half-decade of devotion barely even scratches the surface, after all, some hardy souls have been following this foreign Japanese stuff for more than 30 years; a…
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Bitter sweet school days; All About Lily Chou-Chou
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Read More →: Bitter sweet school days; All About Lily Chou-ChouBack in June, I reviewed a Japanese live action film called Linda Linda Linda. It was a great movie, so great, in fact, that it encouraged me to dig deeply into the depths of Japanese cinema. Since then, I’ve been working my way through the recommendations in the comments of that post. It has been…
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Turn off your mind, unwind and see how high the cloudy sky. Xam'd, naturally.
Read More →: Turn off your mind, unwind and see how high the cloudy sky. Xam'd, naturally.Should I say Xam’d: Lost Memories is good? It’s better than good, and I know it’s not enough to say just that, but I have to be careful. Because I’m about ready to explode. Yes, there’s too much to say. This is what anime is capable of; it’s why I’m writing an anime blog. Ironically,…
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You call yourself human?
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Read More →: You call yourself human?I’m not dead, just low on inspiration. That’s all I wanted to say, really, and while I’m trying to come up with some more legitimate ideas for anime blogging, I figured I may as well link a Supercar music video, by far and away my favourite Japanese rock band. Having been procrastinating for a few…
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One Piece and why a man is only as good as his word
Read More →: One Piece and why a man is only as good as his wordBrook: “He may think that we’ve betrayed him, but if he’s waiting even now, how miserable must he be? […] I can’t help but think that he’s believed in us all this time.“ Luffy: “Your nakama may be dead, but from now on I’m your rival!“ I love One Piece. I love how it can…
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Batman: Gotham Knight isn't as good as The Animatrix
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Batman: Gotham Knight isn't as good as The AnimatrixDesigned to replicate the success of 2003’s The Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight is another anime anthology riding on the crest of a trendy movie franchise that seems destined, by virtue of Hollywood’s dollar, to be seen by many more people than your average Planetes or Gungrave. Like it or not, it’s exactly this kind of…
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Bokurano: … I really wish I could've died on the Earth I grew up on.
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Bokurano: … I really wish I could've died on the Earth I grew up on.I finished Bokurano this weekend, just as planned. 24 episodes in 5 days isn’t bad at all, as I’ve never been one to enjoy marathoning through anime. After all, I ended up needing nearly 2 whole years to catch up with 300+ episodes of One Piece, so, starting and finishing Bokurano in a matter of…
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On the context of dropping anime
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Read More →: On the context of dropping animeOne of the most difficult decisions an anime fan has to make is whether or not to ‘drop’ a series. For me, it’s often a snap decision; not really based on any objective criteria, rather, it depends on how I’m feeling at that specific moment. As a result, I’ll often make some impulsive mistakes; errors…
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Linda Linda Linda; slice of life done good
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Read More →: Linda Linda Linda; slice of life done goodWhile I’m fairly confident that I’ve built up some decent knowledge of anime over the past few years, I can’t say the same for Japanese live action. Sure, I’ve watched many of the cult classics; Audition, Azumi, Battle Royale, Ringu, to name but a few, and there’s no denying that they are cool movies (albeit…
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I'm one of his twenty faces too
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/ ReviewsRead More →: I'm one of his twenty faces tooWhen its first episode finished, I suspect a lot of people probably dropped their interest in The Daughter of Twenty Faces (a.k.a Nijuu Mensou no Musume) right there and then. Going off of first impressions, it’s not flashy at all. The colour palette is subdued, there’s no sensational fan-service and no eccentric personality winking at…
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One does not care to acknowledge the mistakes of one's youth
Read More →: One does not care to acknowledge the mistakes of one's youthHere is a fair warning; if you have issues with self-loathing, save yourself the agony and don’t watch Otaku no Video. It will depress you.
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Ok! Let's do this in a cool way! Soul Eater!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Ok! Let's do this in a cool way! Soul Eater!There is no denying it; for Soul Eater and me, it was love at first sight. Bursting with an adorable “look-at-me” style and eccentric attitude, it’s probably the coolest looking anime I’ve clapped eyes on since Gurren Lagann. 6 episodes in and every single one of them has been weird and wonderful, just one surreal…
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When bunny boilers attack
Read More →: When bunny boilers attackAhh, my saviour is the weekend! I know my last post wasn’t exactly beaming with enthusiasm for all things animated, but with two more weeks under my belt, the gloom has lifted and I’m now tucking into tasty helpings of spring stuff on an almost daily basis. Surprisingly, there’s a lot of new series I’m…
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When the sky turned blue
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Read More →: When the sky turned blueGone a bit quiet around here, ain’t it? Last update was a couple of weeks ago, so I figured I’d pop-in a quick “Hello, not dead yet”. The truth is that, since finishing Ghost Hound, I’ve not been watching nearly enough (good) anime, so, aside from a few sarcastic paragraphs, I don’t have much to…
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In a land far away, there was a monster without a name
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Read More →: In a land far away, there was a monster without a nameAround this time of year, I suppose many of us are guilty of watching a lot of mediocre and predictable anime because it’s new and shiny, but for me, that’s a waste of time; Monster might have aired in the spring of 2004, but it will always be great. If you haven’t seen it, drop…
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The meaning of life, according to Ghost Hound
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The meaning of life, according to Ghost HoundThe suggestion that there might be a level of consciousness beyond the physical realm has fascinated people for thousands of years. Are we tied to these bodies forever, or, could this vague concept of “we” be a mere illusion; a solid container that our ‘ego’ is ready to transcend at any given moment? Science has…
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First impressions of Kaiba: big surprise, I loved it
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/ ReviewsRead More →: First impressions of Kaiba: big surprise, I loved itApologies, I know things have been quiet around here of late. While everyone gets so excited about all this new anime airing in Japan, I just get tired of it. There’s too much to watch, too much to read and too much to say. It tires me out just thinking about it, so, despite having…
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Lohengramm's advantage; contrasting dictatorship and democracy
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Read More →: Lohengramm's advantage; contrasting dictatorship and democracyThough Legend of the Galactic Heroes might seem like a Death Note style dual of fates fought between two talented leaders (Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire and Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance respectively) it is what they represent, as much as who they are and what they believe, which is just…
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Never knows best; my 'review' of FLCL
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Never knows best; my 'review' of FLCLWriting this now, I’m reminded of people (some of them anime fans) who will often say that watching these funny Japanese cartoons isn’t “hip”, isn’t something to be proud of, but watching this show, I’m ready to call that bull-****. Anime can be stylish, hip, cool, fun, trendy and everything else under the sun, and…
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Kanpai! Two years on, still a fanboy
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Read More →: Kanpai! Two years on, still a fanboyPlease forgive the self-serving nature of this post, but I just wanted to point out that on the 4th of March, Bateszi Anime Blog celebrated its second birthday, yes, I know I’m woefully late, the date just totally slipped my mind until yesterday. Anyway, with every new year that passes on the ‘net, the fact…
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The light of dawn always comes right after the deepest darkness
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The light of dawn always comes right after the deepest darknessWriting an anime blog is frustrating. Either through lack of time or energy, I just haven’t felt the inclination to set aside an afternoon to write about something. I guess that’s more a reflection on my recent viewing habits than anything else, because since finishing with February’s Ookiku Furikabutte, I’ve not been able to immerse…
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Kaiba teaser online, dear anime fans, please value originality
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Read More →: Kaiba teaser online, dear anime fans, please value originalitywe’re in this funny position where Kaiba’s being hotly anticipated on popular indie-film sites like Twitch, yet completely ignored by anime fandom itself. Something is seriously wrong with this; that the most talented directors working in anime aren’t being recognised within the community is both baffling and stupid.
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Real men don't cry, Kaiji
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Read More →: Real men don't cry, KaijiRoasting Kneeling is the ultimate gar test
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Animated eye candy, courtesy of Kazuto Nakazawa
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Read More →: Animated eye candy, courtesy of Kazuto NakazawaOver the last few weeks, I’ve started subscribing to some French anime blogs. I can’t speak a word of the language, but I know good taste, and more to the point, just how priceless it is. On the front page of Manganimation.net, there are burgeoning articles on ‘The Sky Crawlers‘, ‘Kaiba’ and Kazuto Nakazawa. Basically,…
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The aesthetic clause
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Read More →: The aesthetic clauseFor me, the aesthetic ruins the substance, does that mean, then, that the aesthetic is the substance? Are we really that superficial?
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Time to champion Ookiku Furikabutte
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Time to champion Ookiku FurikabutteLiving in ol’ Blightly, we aren’t taught the delights of baseball. For us, it’s either cricket or rounders, and the latter’s enjoyed mostly by girls anyway. So I sat down to watch Ookiku Furikabutte knowing basically zip all about the game, except that the Americans (especially Bobby De Niro) are mad about it. Why bother…
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Blame! Adventure-seeker Killy's Cyber Dungeon animated
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Read More →: Blame! Adventure-seeker Killy's Cyber Dungeon animatedIf there’s one genre I’m always likely to love, it’s dark, heavy science fiction. As attested by the bitterly disappointing Ergo Proxy and Oshii’s philosophically-loaded Innocence, it’s a subset of anime that’s prone to artistic pretension of the highest order, but even still, when it works, as in the case of the viscerally despondent Texhnolyze,…
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8-bit impressions
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Read More →: 8-bit impressionsInstead of spending hours writing about just one series, this week I’ve dragged myself in the opposite direction and reflected on four of my current favourites. There’s no real reason for the Tekkon Kinkreet image above, except to say that it’s one of the finest examples of fan-art I’ve clapped eyes on; tobiee is an…
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Musical memories of Gurren Lagann, recalling a whimsical dystopia
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Read More →: Musical memories of Gurren Lagann, recalling a whimsical dystopiaNot sure how I missed this, but the full soundtrack for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann was released recently; that’s 51 tracks of epic, exciting, heavenly music, and even better, it contains the one song I’ve be longing to hear since late-July. I’m talking about track 13 on Disc no.2; the translated title is “The Days…
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Basking in the inferno of Cloverfield, remembering Blue Gender
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Basking in the inferno of Cloverfield, remembering Blue GenderHead-spinning, stomach-turning and mind-racing are a few of the adjectives I’d choose to describe how I felt when I stumbled out of the cinema last night, having just suffered through Cloverfield. To say I’d been looking forward to this film would be an understatement, and even though I’d only discovered its baffling trailer in early…
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Digging up backlogged gems, like Great Teacher Onizuka
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Digging up backlogged gems, like Great Teacher OnizukaIf MyAnimeList has taught me anything, it’s that for every merely-good new anime series airing right now, there are many more excellent but old (and therefore, forgotten) gems just waiting to be found. Since I joined that site, I’ve spent countless hours trawling through their hefty archives of anime, trying to build up a well-structured…
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Spiralling into insanity, looking at Junji Ito’s horror manga Uzumaki
Read More →: Spiralling into insanity, looking at Junji Ito’s horror manga UzumakiI’ve been reading a lot of manga lately. In the past, I’d go through brief fits of reading the stuff, but it always felt temporary, like a fling while my romance with anime hit the buffers. This time, it’s totally different; I’m ready to devour as much as I can find. By and large, anime…
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Another step Toward the Terra, circa 1980; old or not, it's still great
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Another step Toward the Terra, circa 1980; old or not, it's still greatBe it 1980 or 2008, To Terra…. is just a wonderful story, a timeless one, even, that I can always watch or read and be completely lost in imagination.
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The world is not beautiful, therefore it is; introducing Kino’s Journey
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The world is not beautiful, therefore it is; introducing Kino’s JourneyI quite like subversive fairy-tales; the suggestion that there is something ugly and unknown shifting beneath a veneer of superficial beauty. This is precisely why I so admired Princess Tutu, because lurking behind that familiar style of magical girl characterization was insecurity and doubt; supposed heroes and villains stalked by emotions betraying their cliche destinies.…
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This anime fan forever looks back on 2007
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Read More →: This anime fan forever looks back on 2007Jesus, it’s the end of another year. I’ve had fun in 2007; being a part of the anime blogging community and writing for you, dear reader. I’m not sure I’d last long if it wasn’t for your comments, but here we are, almost two years on and still talking, ranting, in love with anime. Back…
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Speaker for the New Layout
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Read More →: Speaker for the New LayoutIt’s nearly 2008, and the new year wouldn’t feel proper without a new look for Bateszi Anime Blog. I’m not sure how long you’ve been visiting (today might be the first time), but I’ve actually been blogging since March 2006 and this new layout is the sixth incarnation of my humble corner of the internet.…
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Naruto Shippuuden: The return of Orochimaru, stuff happens
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Naruto Shippuuden: The return of Orochimaru, stuff happensThere is perhaps no anime I want to love more than Naruto. I’ve been following this story since 2003 and even if it drags on for another decade, I’ll still be camped out all night waiting for its end. I know full well it’s far from perfect, but by now I’m too caught up in…
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Immortals and non-Immortals both Enjoy Life Equally, so says Baccano!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Immortals and non-Immortals both Enjoy Life Equally, so says Baccano!It bothers me to say I took a while to realize the quality of "Baccano!". Aside from boasting no less than 18 main characters, the Pulp Fiction-esque narrative would constantly fracture and leap back and forth in time. I didn’t like that I had to make an effort to constantly focus and be forced to…
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When merely good anime is good enough
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Read More →: When merely good anime is good enoughI’ve just spent the last few hours messing around on MyAnimeList. The result? This is the closest I’ve come to realizing how much anime I’ve actually consumed over the years. Apparently, I’ve completed 70 TV series, 51 OVAs and 61 movies, and out of all that, I’m dishing out an average score of 7.9 out…
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Sex, violence and samurai; introducing Shigurui
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Sex, violence and samurai; introducing ShiguruiPlease note this post is heavy on images of an “adult nature”; though I understand many of you might be unsettled by such blunt depictions of sex and violence, the truth of Shigurui lies not in words alone, but its unrelenting presentation of old Japan’s institutional depravity. Basically, you’ve been warned.
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Attention Yoko Kanno & Steve Conte enthusiasts!
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Read More →: Attention Yoko Kanno & Steve Conte enthusiasts!A Gabriela Robin Site have posted an awesome acoustic live set by regular Yoko Kanno vocalist/collaborator Steve Conte. Performed songs include “Heaven’s Not Enough” (my favorite), “Living Inside the Shell”, “Words We Couldn’t Say”, “Rain” and “Call Me Call Me” – so that’s some of the best music from Wolf’s Rain, Stand Alone Complex and…
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Disposable anime, or not?
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Read More →: Disposable anime, or not?Every now and then, it’s nice to take a break from long-standing hobbies. I’ve never been one to binge on anime and the idea of day-long marathons positively scares me. At most I can take about five standard length episodes in one sitting; any more and my brain gives up. I begin to feel like…