Tag: drama
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Welcome to the NHK! – 1 – Salvation lies within
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Welcome to the NHK! – 1 – Salvation lies withinI admit I was initially turned off by the pretty poster girl heavily pasted all over the promo art (much like Black Lagoon) and yet still, my interest in NHK has rapidly grown over the last 4-5 weeks. Being an anime fan it’s always fun seeing otaku culture lampooned by the big screen; but unlike…
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Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal – Jaded no more
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal – Jaded no moreI was suffering from anime burnout earlier this evening and rather than try to watch something new (and inevitably hate it with this jaded perspective), I decided I’d dip back into my ever-growing DVD collection, pull out a classic I knew I’d love and rediscover my passion for anime. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal is…
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Mushishi – 22 – The essence of individuality
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 22 – The essence of individualityBy following the mysterious legend of the Uminaoshi, Ginko finds himself on a secluded island. Here it is said that when people die, if they so wish it, they can be born again; in a certain part of the sea, where the light shines even at night, the Uminaoshi mushi lives. What in essence defines…
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Mushishi – 21 – Animalistic tragedy
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 21 – Animalistic tragedySince the last few episodes of Mushishi left us in upbeat and melancholy moods, this was a timely reminder as to just how heartless a series it can be. I don’t mean heartless in a sadistic sense, rather how a mushi can cause such great tragedy to a couple of people who are quite clearly…
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NANA – 3 – Broken Social Scene
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/ ReviewsRead More →: NANA – 3 – Broken Social SceneNana K is living an easy life as a student until her three closest friends decide that they are going to go to study art in Tokyo. It would be harsh to say Nana is untalented, but she isn’t good enough for university yet; and so she faces a future without her friends, on her…
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NANA – 2 – Make up the breakdown
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/ ReviewsRead More →: NANA – 2 – Make up the breakdownAn episode I enjoyed much more than the first, NANA episode 2 is a much needed dramatic and character-driven piece. I remarked after the first episode that Nana K is a ditz, implying that basically she is a superficial person with her head in clouds, in love with the idea of being in love. With…
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NANA – 1 – Sisters are doing it for themselves
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/ ReviewsRead More →: NANA – 1 – Sisters are doing it for themselvesSetting the scene Nana has plans to move to Tokyo and live near her boyfriend. On the train journey there, she bumps into another woman called Nana; who also happens to be 20 and is planning to live in Tokyo too. Their fashions and personalities strike such a strong contrast, like night and day; Nana…
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Mushishi – 20
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 20Looking back on Mushishi, I suspect that this episode (episode 20) will rank as one of my favourites. Every episode has had that unique air of mystisism; a beautiful sense of magic that I have come to love, but still, rarely have a felt so attached to the characters as I did in this episode.…
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Mushishi – 19
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 19Despite displaying none of the euphoric highs and gut wrenching lows of previous episodes, Mushishi 19 was an uplifting way to while away 23 minutes. The concept here is really quite profound- consider that without someone to love you, you disappear. Fuki, the lead character of this story, gets “infected” by a Mushi that will…
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Mushishi – 18
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 18This episode is imediately notable for a distinct change of direction. Mushishi usually begins with Ginko wandering about beautiful landscapes, finding his next job and meeting new people, here the first 13 minutes are told as a flashback, in which tragedy inevitably occurs. The latter half of the episode is all about finding true emotional…
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Mushishi – 17
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 17Again dealing with the pain felt at the loss of a loved one, episode 17 at least concludes with a ray of hope after 20-odd minutes of forecasted gloom. I’m not saying it’s bad that Mushishi sometimes portrays hopeless situations, it’s just nice when someone’s dreams are fulfilled and we leave the show in an…
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Mushishi – 16
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 16There is no skirting around the fact that episode 16 of Mushishi is a thoroughly depressing affair. Every day a woman loses fragments of her memory, whether it be the definition of a sneeze or the identity of her sister, it’s a mysterious problem that only someone like Ginko can solve. There are some things…
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Mushishi – 15
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 15Having suffered through some heavy tragedy in the last few episodes of Mushishi, it was nice to see the show returning to it’s well established style of surreal, metaphorical story telling this time around. Here we meet a chirpy young boy who like Ginko can not only see Mushi but takes an active interest in…
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Mushishi – 14
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 14It seems almost ridiculous to say, but every episode of Mushishi I see is my new favourite episode. Number 14 is an outstanding piece of story telling, possibly the most heart breaking yet and still, an ultimately uplifting and optimistic masterpiece. Shades of green fill the screen as Ginko stumbles about a forrest. He bumps…
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Mushishi – 13
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Mushishi – 13As the is the norm for Mushishi, I left episode 13 with a mixture of emotion and intrigue. The two lead characters for this week are obviously in love but one of histories worst traditions, that of arranged marriages, again causes the kind of intense termoil that can only result in tragedy. These kinds of…