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Don't cry… it was Only Yesterday
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Don't cry… it was Only YesterdayIn a very profound way, our memories define who we are; their sudden recollection can be empowering or haunting, yet we can’t control what we remember or the sudden feelings they conjure inside. The emotions we feel at these times, the memories we recall; they are often so insignificant, not our greatest successes or even…
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Problem leaving comments?
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Read More →: Problem leaving comments?Apologies if you have had trouble commenting around here lately (especially on the recent Princess Tutu post, please do try again!). I just noticed that my spam-catcher Akismet was causing some problems, but everything should be fixed now.
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Princess Tutu will dance her way into your heart
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Princess Tutu will dance her way into your heartWhen I realized I had the opportunity to spend this most precious of weeks working my way through a long-ignored anime series, I could have wasted ages agonizing over the decision, yet it was quite the opposite – two elegant words immediately jumped (or should I say, danced?) to mind: Princess Tutu.
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Reflections on Seirei no Moribito: dull or delightful?
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Reflections on Seirei no Moribito: dull or delightful?An (evil) part of me will always demand an epic train-wreck, a sensational massacre of violence, death and angst, but deep down, I always knew it would never happen with straight-laced Seirei no Moribito – it was certainly predictable; morally as straight as an arrow, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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You need to be watching Dennou Coil
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/ ReviewsRead More →: You need to be watching Dennou CoilIn this so-called modern age, the thousands of miles that separate countries are irrelevant; a shrinking distance covered by mere flickers of electricity. Obviously, our world is merging and cultures are overlapping, yet the distance between you and I remains the same. Though we may have transcended the physical landscape, the emotional complexity of human…
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Autumn in the silent forest
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Read More →: Autumn in the silent forestSince I’ve been a bit quiet over the last couple of weeks, I figured I should check in with a small update to let y’all know that I’m still around. If truth be told, I’m feeling fairly apathetic towards the whole blogging thing right now; the end result being that I just can’t conjure up…
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Creepy horror manga? The Enigma of Amigara Fault is the answer
Read More →: Creepy horror manga? The Enigma of Amigara Fault is the answerHalloween is fast approaching and it’s time to indulge in some frightful Japanese horror. Sadly, it’s not a genre that translates well to anime and manga, but having recently discovered the abnormal works of manga-ka Junji Ito, there may well be hope for us yet. This time I’m talking about the claustrophobic “Enigma of Amigara…
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Hey there Delilah, what's worth watching?
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Read More →: Hey there Delilah, what's worth watching?I must admit, I haven’t approached this autumn season with my usual enthusiasm for all things Japanese animated. Every review I read says it all sucks, I’m confused; has anime suddenly turned bad? So, since I don’t have the will-power to sit through dozens of mediocre first episodes, I’m asking you instead; what’s worth watching?…
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The hyperbole of Mononoke
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The hyperbole of MononokeHaving been seduced by its eccentric visual style and the positive word-of-mouth, this past weekend was spent haplessly indulging in seven episodes of Mononoke’s surreal feast. To you, I present these humble findings. Mononoke is good.
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The end of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The end of Tengen Toppa Gurren LagannYet as the dark of night finally drew in and the stars twinkled with an ephemeral beauty, the sea of emotion raging inside this blogger fell suddenly calm in anticipation of the end. That is, the end of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
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Anime fan forever?
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Read More →: Anime fan forever?In the wake of Ten’s exit from anime blogging, I can’t help but reflect on my own love affair with anime. In a few years time, could I find myself feeling similarly ambivalent, thinking back on this odd fascination as a mere fling? Or rather, am I destined to be forever an otaku? Decades on,…
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"It stopped, the rain. Wanted to check my tree, the apple." Review of Tekkonkinkreet
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/ ReviewsRead More →: "It stopped, the rain. Wanted to check my tree, the apple." Review of TekkonkinkreetComing from the dream combination of the emphatically cool Studio 4C and much admired manga-ka Taiyou “Ping Pong” Matsumoto, Tekkonkinkreet is a movie I’ve long waited to see. Based on those two names alone, you should expect several things – let’s start with moody and stylish visuals; almost-surreal art that gleefully shuns fan-pandering anime conventions…
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I Accept Your Dying Wish! Gurren Lagann 25
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/ ReviewsRead More →: I Accept Your Dying Wish! Gurren Lagann 25It’s a disservice to myself and to you, dear reader, because while I’ve tried to keep a lid on it, Gurren Lagann just keeps getting better, and right now I’m oh so close to claiming it as my favourite anime of all time. So, pulsing with spiral energy, mine rippling rantage on episode the 25th…
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Turn A Gundam and our attraction to self-destruction
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Turn A Gundam and our attraction to self-destructionAs of writing, I’ve managed to sit through 28 episodes of Turn A Gundam; satisfied that I’m just over half way there. I won’t lie – it feels like an achievement because I’ve struggled through the series; at one point I literally had to stop an episode half-way and take an energy boosting nap, such…
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Naruto Shippuuden rises from the ashes! A dramatic return to form!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Naruto Shippuuden rises from the ashes! A dramatic return to form!I relapsed like a hungry junkie and gobbled up the last dozen episodes of Shippuuden… Why does it feel so wrong, yet taste so good? My name is bateszi and I’m a narutard!
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Is it the Franky or the beans? One Piece 321
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Is it the Franky or the beans? One Piece 321It sounds superficial, but something as stupid as a smile goes a long way; after a tiring week, it’s just a lot easier to relax in front of anime that’s pleasant and funny with happy characters who cheer and smile — that’s a big reason why I love watching One Piece. It’s just so colourful…
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"If I told you that I came from the future, would you laugh?" Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
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/ ReviewsRead More →: "If I told you that I came from the future, would you laugh?" Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through TimeIf a good movie is hard to come by, surely a good anime movie is like one in a million; what a relief then, because for now, my long search is over – The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is that one in a million. Dubbed in some quarters as the anti-Ghibli, it offers a…
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Polling Yoko Kanno's best soundtrack?
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Read More →: Polling Yoko Kanno's best soundtrack?I’m a big fan of Yoko Kanno’s music; be it the atmospheric electronica of Macross Plus (1994) or the acoustic style contributed to Wolf’s Rain (2003), it’s hard to ignore the core emotional beauty of her work; a quality that, not matter which musical style she borrows, ensures that she captures our attention (and often,…
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Demonic rumbles as claymores get squished in episode 21
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Demonic rumbles as claymores get squished in episode 21I’m really digging Claymore at the moment and each episode is ending on the kind of gut-wrenching cliff hanger that so tempts me to gorge on manga spoilers. Episode 21 is no different; Ligardes is one of the coolest awakened beings yet — his intimidating part-lion transformation perfectly emphasizes his quite unfathomable strength and speed;…
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From rambling to first impressions of Turn A Gundam
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/ ReviewsRead More →: From rambling to first impressions of Turn A GundamMoans about anime blogging that somehow lead into my first impressions of Turn A Gundam. Yes, you read that right, please try to contain your excitement!
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Anime going mainstream, what's the point?
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Read More →: Anime going mainstream, what's the point?The idea that someone would presume to ignore all anime simply because Pokemon sucks. I want to prove them wrong.
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Harry Potter, nineteen years later ~ all was well
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Read More →: Harry Potter, nineteen years later ~ all was wellI know this is supposed to be bateszi anime blog, but allow me this one-off transgression from the norm; I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I promised kauldron26 I’d post up some thoughts. Though this may be obvious to some, I’m warning you right now to expect spoilers in this…
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Please embrace the brilliance of Toward the Terra
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Please embrace the brilliance of Toward the TerraI’m writing all this because I’m falling for Toward the Terra.
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Someone said "anime isn't deep, it's just entertainment"
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Read More →: Someone said "anime isn't deep, it's just entertainment"Anime is entertainment. Anime is deep. Anime is ugly. Anime is stupid. Anime is beautiful. Anime is isolation. Anime is culture. Anime is anything to anyone.
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A movie about Ping Pong, can't be good, surely?
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Read More →: A movie about Ping Pong, can't be good, surely?One of my favourite films of all time; a charming and philosophical portrait of human nature painted by an eccentric quartet of characters in love with ping pong. Here’s why.
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Breaking out of the moe box
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Read More →: Breaking out of the moe boxSo many of us are missing out on great anime for no reason other than ignorance.
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Anime is dead
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Read More →: Anime is deadTry to define anime. You can’t, because your definition is redundant.
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Death and rebirth
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Read More →: Death and rebirthWelcome to the latest version of Bateszi Anime Blog; all WordPress’d up and ready for action. I hope you like the new layout too – this is the fifth time I’ve changed it in a year! Please note, since I’ve switched over to the WordPress system, a lot of the old Bateszi URLs will no…
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By way of episode 15, analyzing the appeal of Gurren Lagann
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/ ReviewsRead More →: By way of episode 15, analyzing the appeal of Gurren LagannI watched episode 15 of Gurren Lagann last night. Put simply, it was awesome; the best episode so far, I can’t emphasize that enough. I wanted to blog it right there and then, but threw in the towel after two hours worth of typing had produced little more than a couple of paragraphs lined with…
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One Piece – Finishing Enies Lobby ~ To the ocean, back to the sea of adventure
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/ ReviewsRead More →: One Piece – Finishing Enies Lobby ~ To the ocean, back to the sea of adventureWhen you enjoy something so completely, it’s never easy to write a review about it, and, as if you didn’t know already, I love One Piece. Of course, I could just not bother with this blogging nonsense, but I can’t ignore my conscience. More people need to be watching this anime and, in my own…
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Elitism on another level: pie-facing movie directors because they aren't "worthy"?
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Read More →: Elitism on another level: pie-facing movie directors because they aren't "worthy"?I’ve just read this story at ANN and it really bothered me. Lately we’ve had all this talk about elitism in the anime community, but this one guy is on another level; for those who can’t be arsed to click the link, I’m talking about “Khyron Prime”; some one who, upon deciding that he hated…
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One Piece – A nostalgic comment, nearing the end of my adventure
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/ ReviewsRead More →: One Piece – A nostalgic comment, nearing the end of my adventureI’m up to episode 301 of One Piece; 15 more and I’ll have finally caught up with the current fansubs. It’s taken me nearly three years to get this far and now I’m almost there, I have this weird feeling. It’s been great knowing that if I’m ever bored with anime, if I ever wanted…
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Lelouch and Light: the era of yuppies with broken dreams
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Read More →: Lelouch and Light: the era of yuppies with broken dreamsArt imitating life, I’m sure you’ve heard that one before; the idea that the thoughts and fears of our generation are somehow reflected in the art (and therefore, entertainment) that we create. Life now, at least in developed countries like Japan, North America and the UK, is a lot calmer than it was 50 to…
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The end of Death Note: a poison, creating wicked hearts
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The end of Death Note: a poison, creating wicked heartsDeath Note is a “… poison, creating wicked hearts”, said the concerned prudes at Chinese schools after some ‘corrupted’ kids were discovered to be using their home-made murder pages to curse fellow students. This was back in 2005; the first time I’d heard of the now famous Death Note. Since then, I’ve always been interested…
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The difference between original anime and manga adaptations: soul
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/ ReviewsRead More →: The difference between original anime and manga adaptations: soulFLCL and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both are produced at everyone’s favorite GAINAX, but more importantly, they are original stories (i.e. not based on manga); conceived and animated by the same creative people. Cowboy Bebop‘s the same, Eureka Seven and even Last Exile too. Casting a net over this spring season’s offerings, we turn up arguably…
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Gurren Lagann (12) – May be now they won't be so quick to underestimate the human scum
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Gurren Lagann (12) – May be now they won't be so quick to underestimate the human scumTo be honest, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy episode 12 of Gurren Lagann. Obviously, it’s the cliche beach episode; and even from the preview, it looked like a waste of time. Mostly, the first half of this episode is tits and ass, constantly poking at the otaku, trying to incite moe. It has funny moments,…
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Digimon Adventure (Movie 1) – Believe me, it really is that good!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Digimon Adventure (Movie 1) – Believe me, it really is that good!It’s brilliant to be in this position. The last thing I expected to be writing about is Digimon, but that’s just typical of life; ever twisting, ever unpredictable. So this morning I was reading about Mamoru Hosoda – a rising star of anime who is just now making an international impact with “The Girl Who…
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Impressions of Bokurano – It's alright, 'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Impressions of Bokurano – It's alright, 'cause there's beauty in the breakdownI’ve seen seven episodes, but I’m yet to pass much comment on the Bokurano anime. Given its rather controversial themes and notably downbeat tone, I’m not sure if it’s right to say I’m enjoying it. I don’t have fun watching Bokurano, it doesn’t inspire me to wax lyrical about it’s quality, in fact, I find…
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Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie – A thoroughly unpretentious lesson in arse-kicking
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie – A thoroughly unpretentious lesson in arse-kickingSometimes it’s hard to look at movies objectionably; I grew up in the 90s and during this exciting decade, Street Fighter II was the ultimate beat ’em up arcade game. Not only was it fun to play, it was a great source of competition too; anyone who put their money into the arcade version was…
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One Piece – I want to live!!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: One Piece – I want to live!!The time of writing this is 00:01; mid-night. I’m up for work tomorrow at 07:15. I should be in bed, but instead, I’m wide awake, filled with the burning passion to write this post, to write anything about One Piece. It’s kind of odd, really, I mean, why? What is it about anime — and…
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It's theEnd of the world! Reflecting on Eureka Seven!
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/ ReviewsRead More →: It's theEnd of the world! Reflecting on Eureka Seven!It’s taken me two or three months, but today I finally finished watching Eureka Seven. Like whenever I finish reading a book or watching a long TV series, I feel like I’ve accomplished something big, but at the same time, I’ve grown attached to the Gekko-go and I’m not ready to wave good-bye. I adore…
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One Piece – High gears, high drama and why Sogeking is the coolest
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/ ReviewsRead More →: One Piece – High gears, high drama and why Sogeking is the coolestPrior to this evening, it had been nearly two months since I last sat down with an episode of One Piece. I’d finally reached the promised land of the Enies Lobby arc but some what worryingly, it wasn’t clicking with me. I found the plot was becoming fairly predictable and excruciatingly slow, while even the…
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A few of the manliest death scenes EVER
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Read More →: A few of the manliest death scenes EVERFair Warning: This article contains spoilers for Gurren Lagann, Fist of the North Star, Transformers: The Animated Movie and One Piece (Drum Island). In light of Kamina’s abrupt demise, I can’t help but ponder how his influential example would fair in a list of the manliest death scenes EVER! So what makes an every day…
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Gurren Lagann – 8 – Spoiler warning
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Gurren Lagann – 8 – Spoiler warningIt’s not fair. Amazing episode, amazing animation and amazing twist. I can’t believe we’ve just lost such a great personality. Gutted. I want to say more but there is no point, just watch this episode and you’ll understand this vast sense of emptyness. Where the hell does Gurren Lagann go now?!
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Gungrave, last three episode of. Recommended times infinity.
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Gungrave, last three episode of. Recommended times infinity.Now that Harry’s henchmen have been all but vanquished, Millenion’s stranglehold on the city has crumbled into nothing but dust. Looking to avenge his old friends and settle old scores, the scarred and tired Brandon is left searching deserted streets for his arch enemy, while Harry scrambles from place to place, trying to regain control…
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Discovering Eureka Seven; mecha and dehumanisation
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Discovering Eureka Seven; mecha and dehumanisationIn my previous E7 article, “Discovering Eureka Seven; subtext and pop culture“, I briefly touched on the pervasive themes of war laced through out the series, going so far as to compare it to Akitaro Daichi’s post-apocalyptic (underrated) masterpiece “Now and Then, Here and There“. As a genre, we’re conditioned to believe animation is for…
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Seirei no Moribito – Rocks like a bears back
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Seirei no Moribito – Rocks like a bears backIt’s been a few years since I last enjoyed a Production I.G. TV series. The "mega-hit" Blood+ was a safe and predictable action series, while the elegant period setting of Le Chevalier D`Eon was dull and uninspired. All that is to say, I suppose I was expecting to be bored when watching Seirei no Moribito…
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Claymore – Searching for humanity in a violent world
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Claymore – Searching for humanity in a violent worldI’m really enjoying watching Claymore at the moment (as of episode 4), yet oddly, I’m finding it hard to pin down exactly what I like about it. It’s probably the setting; I just really like the European medieval period — a time when any person; strong in arm and sword in hand, could conquer and…
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Discovering Eureka Seven; subtext and pop culture
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Discovering Eureka Seven; subtext and pop cultureUnawares and unwilling, often the best anime passes me by. Deep down I think I always knew I would love Eureka Seven, but for whatever reason, like I said, it just passed me by. That is, until now. Maybe because it’s spring time; the grass is green and the leaves are greener, and I’m just…