Anime review: Bayonetta: Bloody Fate

Adapting the first game in the Bayonetta saga to one hour-and-a-half anime film, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate does surprisingly well to cater to fans of Platinum Games’ signature sense of sleek style and over-the-top action. Bloody Fate maintains much of the wacky humor of the game, though its limited runtime does see a notable favoritism toward the ludicrous shoot-‘em-up fight sequences and battles against gargantuan angels. Obviously a large portion of the original Bayonetta experience had to be trimmed or cut out entirely to cater to the constraints of the anime, both in terms of its length and the change in entertainment medium, but Bloody Fate excels at keeping in focus the essence of what makes Bayonetta such a standout entry in the action gaming genre.

Much like in the video game, Bloody Fate performs a handful of brief jumps back from the present to the ancient end days of the Umbran witch clan. Viewers are quickly familiarized with Bayonetta’s lack of any real memory as to who she is, as well as given a crash-course on Luka’s vendetta stemming from his belief that Bayonetta’s awakening at the bottom of a lake was to blame for his father’s untimely death. Rodin is cool and collected as ever, though he serves more as plot device than fully realized character in this interpretation of Bayonetta’s journey of self-discovery. Enzo, on the other hand, is absent almost entirely, while precedence is given to both Jeanne and little Cereza, the former being a witch who shares some connections and powers to Bayonetta, while the latter is a young girl who clings to Bayonetta, claiming the witch is her ‘mummy’, much to the surprise and disbelief of the titular protagonist.

While the earliest of fights within a chapel sees Bayonetta perform insane acrobatics that defy the laws of physics thanks to her Umbran magic, things only grow in scale, silliness, and fun from there. Slender limbs swing out in fast-paced shootouts, while motorized vehicles ride up walls in hot pursuit of the witch that has everyone talking. Bayonetta is entertaining as ever, as she beams confidence but displays little mercy to her enemies. She revels in the fight, taunting angels and going out of her way to ensure they suffer at the hands of her most powerful demonic summons. The English cast of the video game returns to reprise each of their roles, which is a real treat, as they handle their respective performances masterfully – the Bayonetta experience just wouldn’t feel the same without Hellena Taylor at the helm.

In the same fashion as its video game counterpart, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate is unapologetic about what it wants to be and how it wants to go about crafting a tale of a witch out of her own time. Its action is bonkers, while its leading lady displays a brilliant culmination of character traits smart, sexy, and powerful. Despite its relatively short runtime, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate is a wonderful translation of the original action game that is considered by many to be a modern classic. This anime fires on all cylinders from start to finish, setting aside sufficient time to explain the important plot points and character connections, but never straying from the magical elements or raucous combat long enough to wane viewers' interest.

My rating: 9.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Casshern Sins

It is common knowledge that Casshern, the strongest being in the world, killed Luna and in turn brought about a decay known as the Ruin. A world once full of life is slowly dying - humans are few and far between, while robots rust and gradually fall apart. Yet the only individual who does not seem to recall the events that led to the spread of the Ruin is Casshern himself. Confused about who he really is and whether he did what everyone claims, Casshern sets out to find Luna and set the record straight.

Along his journey, Casshern takes on a few companions. The first he encounters is Ringo, a young child whose curiosity and bright nature act as the initial spark that leads Casshern to ultimately question what it is that divides humans and robots, as well as just what he himself is. Ringo's happy attitude is a rare find in a world counting down to extinction, and her positivity stems from her relationship with Ohji, her adoptive father figure. The two intend to make their own journey, but have numerous run-ins with Casshern that become increasingly frequent as the story progresses. Also of significance is Lyuze, a robot who lost her sister to the Ruin. When she discovered Casshern was responsible for killing Luna, she set out to seek revenge. But she grows frustrated when Casshern does not respond with the violence she expects, and begins to contemplate the possibility that maybe Casshern is not as horrible as she made him out to be in her own mind.

With regards to the antagonists, Casshern faces many rogue robots that want to devour him, under the impression that doing so will grant them immortality. While Casshern is able to easily dispatch these lesser foes, two of his kin named Dio and Leda prove much more intimidating. Leda's dream is to gather all the robots she can and make an army that will bow before Dio. It is clear from the earliest of Leda's appearances that she would much rather play puppet master, leaving Dio to be the face of a new robotic empire. Dio, however, wants little more than to fight Casshern and prove he is stronger in battle.

Each of the minor characters that Casshern meets has their own individual story to tell. Sword-wielding Sophita loves to fight, and believes that combat brings out the true inner beauty of others. An artist sheds light on the history of war and conquest that built a majestic city, but now that it is abandoned, all he wishes to do is paint it over in one final and definitive color. While such characters see inclusion for a single episode each, their impact on Casshern is noticeable, and their stories play out well. What proves perhaps most interesting through their exchanges is the way in which robots behave very human in nature - or at the very least, behave in a manner aligned with their understanding of what it is to be human.

The world that Casshern and company travel across is equal parts haunting and beautiful. Watercolors decorate key locations in an otherwise grey and desolate realm, while environments are host to empty towering structures and natural formations that are borderline-alien in appearance. Character designs appear as a sort of combination between comic book styling and tick traditional Japanese brush strokes. The soundtrack follows a similar formula, with soft vocals accompanying string pieces. All of this makes for one of the most strikingly original - as well as one of the most gorgeous - visions of a post-apocalyptic world realized in contemporary media.

Casshern Sins is a rare gem among reboots and reimaginings. Casshern's constant internal struggle is fueled by each and every interaction he makes, and though there is a constantly looming cloud of uncertainty regarding the future, the writers make the endgame clear from the outset of Casshern's journey. The storytelling is gritty at times, while it also teeters into the realms of existentialism and philosophy. Casshern Sins constructs a world through a magnificent blend of fantasy and science fiction, and manages to throw a few plot twists along the way that flow very well with the overall direction and pacing of the series.

My rating: 9.25 (out of 10)

Anime review: Sgt. Frog (season two)

The hilarious misadventures of Sgt. Keroro and the Armpit Platoon continue into the second season. For those not familiar with the back story, Keroro is the leader of a small team of space frogs whose mission is to conquer Earth (or as they refer to the planet, Pekopon). Fortunately for humanity, Keroro's track record is less-than-spectacular and his motivation is frequently sidetracked due to his obsession with Gundam model kits. He ends up living with the Hinata family under the pretenses that he take care of daily chores, act as inspiration for mother Aki Hinata's job printing volumes of manga, and not attempt to conquer mankind. The first season saw Keroro yelled at by his own subordinates, beaten to a pulp by Natsumi Hinata on multiple occasions, and the Armpit Platoon hatching many plans to conquer Pekopon, each one failing in spectacular fashion.

Season two picks up some unspecified time after the end of season one. The first season made it pretty clear that, while some episodes might chronologically occur after others, it isn't really necessary to view them all in order to grasp the general story of the anime. The same is true with season two. There will be plot points referenced by the ever-amusing narrator, but it's just as easy to pick up season two from the first episode as it is from the halfway point.

As luck would have it, Keroro and his troops have not yet managed to conquer Pekopon. But they still have plenty of half-baked plans to put into action. Some of the funniest moments in the first season were due to the show's tendencies to parody other media, and this carries over to season two. Keroro and company parody a wide range of films and television shows, from Evangelion to Saturday Night Fever. Some of the jokes, like those regarding Macross and Gundam, will only hit home with some viewers, though the general irony of the zany situations the characters find themselves in is sure to hit a funny bone with just about every viewer.

Season two does not carry out as many parodies as season one did, however. This is due in large part to the fact that the show has defined itself and has a more concrete idea of where it is going from start to finish. Because of this, the parodies and satires are not always as direct as in the first season, but are still relevant to the greater plot of whatever episode they are being worked into. The high points of season two may not be as high as the best bits in season one, but the low points are not as low. While the first season only stumbled a few times, they were significant enough to render at least one whole episode practically worthless. Thankfully, not a single episode in season two falls as flat as that particular one did last time around.

Generally speaking, Funimation tends to do a solid job in designating voice actors to their respective roles. Sgt. Frog has a standout English cast, one that is - in many ways - superior to the Japanese cast. Todd Haberkorn is absolutely masterful in his portrayal of Keroro, embodying the frog's persona through each line and delivering jokes with perfect timing. The rest of the cast does not follow far behind, and all of them make the viewing experience so wonderfully enjoyable. The soundtrack is simple but fitting for this comedy anime, while the animation is at approximately the same level as it was last time around. The art style is visually pleasing and each episode presents itself well enough. But it isn't the visual treat of any Madhouse or Studio IG production.

Anyone who might have had qualms about Sgt. Frog's humor dwindling in the second season can lay their worries to rest. While it's true that the best moments are not as great this time around, this is still one of the funniest anime series around - most of the humor remains in territory friendly toward a younger audience, but every once in a while borderline-adult comedy sneaks into the mix, making the show enjoyable for a broad audience. If you enjoyed the Armpit platoon's antics in the first season, strap yourself in and prepare for the zany antics to continue. Season two is just plain fun to watch and laugh at.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt dub trailer released

Funimation has released their trailer for the English dub of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. The cast includes Jamie Marchi as Panty, Monica Rial as Stocking, Christopher Sabat as Garterbelt, and Joel McDonald as Brief. The dialogue highlighted in the trailer seems pretty good, though I think the dub will have a difficult time holding up to the hilarity of the original Japanese pronunciations and inflections on particular words/phrases. Though I have to say, Chris Sabat as Garterbelt may have been the best decision Funimation could have made with this dub.

Funimation shifting to Blu-Ray/DVD combo releases

Funimation announced this week Wednesday that they are planning to change their future retail releases of anime series. Instead of releasing on Blu-Ray and DVD seperately, the new box sets will include both. Funimation is currently holding a survey to gain feedback from consumers about the change. I understand Funimation's logic behind this move, and in all honesty it makes a lot of sense. However, my biggest concern with this is the price tag. I personally don't own a Blu-Ray player, nor do I have any intention of purchasing one in the near future. I'd certainly be willing to pay a bit more for the combo pack release, even though I presently have no use for the Blu-Ray discs, but I also have my limit on what I want to pay for anime. Say, for example, that Funimation were to issue a combo pack release of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood part one. The MSRP for the DVD release of this is $40, while the Blu-Ray is around $50. If they were to offer a combo pack, I'd be willing to pay around the $50 they would normally charge for the Blu-Rays alone, or maybe even a few bucks more. However, if they decide to charge more along the lines of $90 (which would be the cost of the two separate), there's simply no way I'd be spending that much on anime. Now, knowing how Funimation operates, I imagine they've already taken this into consideration and are trying to work things out so that it benefits them as a company without screwing over their consumers/fanbase. I just found it to be an interesting move on their part, and am curious as to what others make of the change.

EDIT: Upon seeing a copy of Gai-Rei-Zero (the first of these new Blu-Ray/DVD combos) at my local Best Buy, I can confirm that the price for the 3 DVD, 2 Blu-Ray disc combo pack was $49.99 (and a total of twelve episodes), which is only a bit more than the MSRP for something like thirteen episodes of FMA: Brotherhood on two DVDs for $39.99. So assuming Funimation keeps prices around this range, I will have no qualms about the new Blu-Ray/DVD combos.

Funimation to release season three of Sgt. Frog

The third season of Sgt. Frog will release stateside on June 28. This announcement comes not long after Funimation announced re-releases for the first two seasons of the show. The cover art follows Funimation's trend of giving a single member of the platoon the central focus, and will this time feature Tamama. The first box set for season three will include episodes 52-65.

Navarre Sells Funimation

Navarre, the parent company of Funimation up for years, has officially sold the long-time North American anime distributor for the sum of $24 million. Funimation was reportedly purchased by Gen Fukunaga (Funimation's CEO) and a number of other investors. In all honesty, this doesn't mean much of a change in the way Funimation operates - there may be some minor tweaks here and there, but overall I would expect them to continue dubbing and distributing anime in North America the same way they've been doing it for so many years. It's interesting to see the sale actually carried through, though, since word of a potential sale has been circulating the internet for a few months now (with Funimation themselves even coming forth to their consumers/fanbase about it).

Funimation trailer for Rebuild of Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance

Funimation released a trailer for Rebuild of Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance on Hulu a few weeks ago, which is attached below. The English voice actors have also been confirmed, with Tiffany Grant reprising her role as Asuka, Trina Nishimura playing Mari, and J. Michael Tatum playing Kaji.

Funimation to re-release Sgt. Frog

Funimation recently announced their plans to re-release season one of Sgt. Frog as a single box set. This box set will include 26 episodes, whereas the original releases of season one, part one and season one part two included 13 episodes a piece. MSRP for the new season one box set is $49.98, though Amazon currently has it priced at $36.99. The box set will be released on February 15, 2011.

Trailer for the re-release (if you've seen the trailer for the original releases, it's the same trailer):

FLCL: Complete Collection release date

It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize for the temporary hiatus. I hope to post more frequently after the first of the year. But, speaking of the new year, good news for fans of Gainax and Production IG's FLCL - the series has been picked up by Funimation, who will be releasing it as a complete collection on February 22, 2011 for the reasonable sum of $22.99 for DVD and $33.99 Blu-ray. The DVDs were previously available from Geneon, but have been out of print for over four years now. Ride on shooting star!

Trailer for the DVD/Blu-ray release:

Summer Wars trailer and (approximate) release date announced

Funimation has released an English trailer for Summer Wars, which will see limited theatrical release December of 2010 and later released on DVD/Blu-ray in Spring of 2011. The film looks pretty promising (from what the trailer revealed, it somewhat reminds me of the Digimon movie, ironically enough). Here's to hoping it's as excellent as it looks and to hoping that Funimation releases an update on Rebuild of Evangelion 2.22 - You Can [Not] Advance in the near future as well.