Anime review: End of Evangelion

The finale episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion left a sour taste with many fans. Due to the high praise that the series as a whole received after its initial television airing, creator Hideaki Anno and his team decided to go ahead and give the series an alternate ending. The result was End of Evangelion, a film that looked leaps and bounds beyond the original series, though the story caused quite a bit of controversy among fans and the anime community as a whole.

When the film begins, the characters are largely the same as they were in the original series, save for a few exceptions. Misato has grown stronger since Kaji’s death and has become more forward with the pilots and NERV staff members. Asuka is still performing at incredibly low standards since her loss against the fifteenth angel. Over time, however, the old Asuka resurfaces and plays an arguably larger role than in the original series. Shinji is actually rather different from when the series concluded, as he has reverted back to his ways of cowardice and hatred towards everyone else. This could be taken in various ways, depending on how viewers understand the show’s ending in regards to End of Evangelion. The largest difference, however, is Gendo, who manages to show some compassion in the second portion of the film, as he reveals his own insecurities.


The first half of the film focuses largely on battle sequences between NERV and SEELE. This makes for more aesthetically pleasing entertainment, but doesn’t get very deep or thought-provoking as far as the story is concerned. A good portion of the second half takes place in Shinji’s mind, and as such focuses on his life – past, present, and future – as well as his perception of those he has formed and broken relationships with over the course of the series.

The story of End of Evangelion takes plenty of twists and turns, as SEELE tries every card up their sleeve to try and stop Gendo from unleashing his own plans with the Human Instrumentality Project. A minor complaint that I have is that Anno never explains even in the vaguest sense what Gendo intended to do that would cause SEELE to go to so much trouble to try and stop him. In the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga, this part of the story is quite explicitly stated and makes the atmosphere even more tense. However, there are a significant number of differences between the manga and the anime, and as such perhaps Anno did this deliberately to keep the stories seperate.


The one aspect that End of Evangelion is lacking from its parent series is the psychological analysis of the characters. Save for a conversation between Rei and Shinji near the end of the film, this aspect is largely absent due to time. The mental breakdown of Shinji and Asuka, however, is more prominent than in the show. Asuka goes no-holds barred in her attempts to destroy all nine mass-production EVAs before EVA Unit 02’s internal power supply runs out. Shinji essentially loses his sanity in its entirety at the midway point, only regaining his logical thinking near the conclusion of the film. The psychological studies of the characters are present, but in a much different light.

The animation has greatly improved since the original series aired. Anno and his team utilized a shaky-camera style during some of the battle sequences to immerse viewers more in the film. The soundtrack builds off the series’ original score, using some interesting variations of already familiar songs. “Hajimari e no Tōhi” and, though some viewers may find songs such as “Tanin no Kanshō” and “Itsuwari no, Saisei” to be repetitive and annoying. Though “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” is absent from the film, two vocal pieces are included. “Komm süsser Tod” plays during the film’s most climactic scene, and love it or hate it, it will inevitably get stuck in your head with its upbeat choir sound. “Thanatos – If I Can’t Be Yours” plays at the midway point, during the end credits for the first half of the film’s two-episode structure. It’s a bit of an odd choice in my opinion, as the break isn’t necessary and doesn’t exactly add anything to the film. However, it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and the film keeps rolling along shortly thereafter.


For me, End of Evangelion encompasses everything that made Neon Genesis Evangleion great. The EVA battles are superb, the animation flawless (since Anno had an improved budget for the conclusion film), constant Biblical references, and psychological issues up the wazoo. While the film can never replace what the original series accomplished, it serves as an excellent add-on, and is the better ending to the series, in my opinion. It may be one of the darkest-themed anime to date, as well as one of the most confusing, but End of Evangelion deserves credit for bringing an epic conclusion to an epic series.

My Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: FLCL

Naota is bored with his life and his hometown. As he puts it: “nothing amazing ever happens here.” That is until a strange girl with pink hair rides into town on a Vespa scooter and whacks Naota in the skull with her guitar. As unexpected as the intro is, it is both incredibly impactful and important in setting up the events that play out the entirety of FLCL (pronounced ‘Fooly Cooly’).

Naota is a fairly mellow middle school student who doesn’t understand why people get worked up over small things, and doesn’t exactly enjoy the company of his father. He thinks his classmates are too much to take and that his brother’s girlfriend Mamimi is too clingy. But Haruko, as annoying as he claims her to be, piques Naota’s interest more and more as FLCL progresses, and he learns from her how to be free-spirited and enjoy life.


Haruko is an alien who has been tracking down the power of the pirate king Atomsk. She attempts to use Naota’s head as a portal to reach Atomsk and his seemingly limitless power, but Naota’s head yields plenty of other troubles along the way. Each of the objects that erupt from Naota’s head plays a greater role in the end of the series, but for the first three episodes, they are passed off as being relatively unrelated. In order to keep tabs on Naota’s progress and the objects his head spits forth, Haruko convinces the boy’s father to hire her as a maid. Haruko constantly shows up to help Naota deal with the otherworldly creations of his otherwise empty mind, mixing stylized action with a plentiful helping of humor.

Mamimi plays a relatively minor role compared to Naota and Haruko, but is arguably still a main character. She was previously dating Naota’s elder brother, until he left to play baseball in the United States. Now she spends most of her time hanging out with Naota, teasing him about his supposed disinterest in girls. Underneath, however, Mamimi is lonely and doesn’t get along with her classmates well, so she confides in Naota as her only friend.

The other characters are not nearly as developed, but that's to be expected from a series this short. As such, most of them will likely become forgettable in the long run. Some viewers may find the main cast to fit certain anime stereotypes, such as Naota being borderline emo and Haruko being spontaneous in her attempts to accquire the power of Atomsk. This is largely true, and is one of the few weak points of the series as a whole.


Most of FLCL’s best jokes come from poking fun at other anime series, most notably Lupin the Third and Neon Genesis Evangelion. These are used in both more obvious and in-your-face instances, such as Naota’s father’s choice of suits, as well as more subtle references, such as the first major fight sequence atop the bridge drawing inspiration from Gundam and Evangelion. However, the parodies are not limited to anime, as the animators decided to try their hand at recreating South Park with “Mr. Eyebrows” ranting about his romantic problems. Even if viewers have not seen these constantly referenced series, they can still be assured plenty of laughs, from Haruko’s rock star outfit to the outrageous attitudes of Naota’s classmates, and my personal favorite, “Little Prince Curry Goes to New York”, a supposedly mild curry for children that burns Naota’s mouth, causes his grandpa to pass out in his bowl, and gives Ninamori diarrhea. The characters also break the fourth wall from time to time. Naota asks the audience if they are as confused as he is when Haruko begins ranting about famous rock stars, while his father has to cut a scene short because of its apparent high cost for the animators.

The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant, comprised exclusively of tracks from the band The Pillows. Some of their songs may feel a bit similar from time to time, but overall the soundtrack mixes things up enough to convey the moods of each scene quite well. If nothing else, the soundtrack is infectiously catchy. The art style, on the other hand, will probably make viewers pull a double-take to make sure this series was actually produced in 2000. In complete honesty, this series looks so much better than most present-day series. Granted it was only six episodes in length, so the animators had plenty of time to fine-tune things, but even so this is one of the best looking anime ever released, with bright and vibrant colors in the foreground playing off a watercolor-style background. This is one of a select few anime series where I actually prefer the English voice actors over the original Japanese cast, because of how fitting each voice is and how well the character’s emotions are conveyed.


Between the threat of a giant steam iron flattening out the wrinkles of all the brains on the planet, Naota’s grandpa complaining to robot Kanti that he “wanted the Hustler with the Anna Nicole centerfold”, Ninamori growing a giant spider-like alien out of her skull, and Haruko engaging Amarao in a John Woo-style shootout with the neck of her guitar, FLCL does an magnificent job of setting itself apart from the rest of the crowd. Far too often an anime will attempt to parody other series and end up throwing the story off course. FLCL manages to keep things on track, while still maintaining a heaping helping of action and humor. Though it is a short six episodes long, FLCL is one of the best anime of the decade and a major accomplishment for something that was more or less an experiment on Gainax’s part.

My Rating: 9.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

In 1991, artist Shoji Kawamori, best known for his mecha designs in Robotech: The Macross Saga, joined directors Mitsuko Kase and Takashi Imanishi to create a new chapter in the Mobile Suit Gundam saga, bridging the gap between the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. The result was one of the most tense and realistic Gundam series ever released.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is built out of a similar formula to that of Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team. It consists of thirteen episodes, and begins with a flashback to the battle of A Baoa Qu during the One Year War. Anavel Gato, ace pilot of the Zeon forces is planning to go back out into battle when he is halted by his superior, Augille Delaz, who promises that they will have their revenge someday. The story then jumps ahead three years to an Earth Federation base in what is left of Australia. Kou Uraki and Chuck Keith, two rookie pilots are running training exercises when one of the Federation’s newest ships – the Albion – arrives to deliver two new prototype Gundams, one of which is equipped with a nuclear launcher. That night, Gato and a strike team infiltrate the base and manage to steal the nuclear-equipped Gundam GP-02. Without much thought, Kou tails them in the Gundam GP-01, but the Zeons manage to escape after a brief skirmish.


The Albion gives chase across Africa for a while, until the Zeon forces manage to escape into space. Fearing the worst possible outcome now that the Zeon forces have control of a nuclear-equipped Gundam, the Albion launches in space, with Kou, Chuck, their superior officer Lieutenant Burning, and designer of the prototype Gundams Nina Purpleton onboard with Commander Synapse and his crew.

While all of this is going on, Delaz and Gato are becoming increasingly suspicious of Cima Garahau, another Zeon commander who seems to be hiding information from them. Nonetheless, Delaz and Gato continue forth with Operation: Stardust and gather as many Zeon remnants as possible before attacking the Federation forces at Solomon and carrying out their plans. The series deals with a large amount of deception on both sides of the conflict. The constant mystery that envelops the true nature of Operation: Stardust puts a tense air about the whole series.

Kou Uraki plays a role similar to Amuro Ray, though he is arguably more mature and quick to action. This is a good thing, as the series is only thirteen episodes in total and too much hesitation would likely result in boredom for viewers. That said, some viewers may find Kou and Nina’s relationship to take too much focus, and perhaps thrown in just to create another underlying conflict in the series, albeit a minor one. Still, Nina and Kou’s relationship inevitably comes to a head in an intriguing plot twist in the final episode.

Anavel Gato plays opposite Kou as a sort of Char counterpart who is more concerned with the rebirth of Zeon than his own personal revenge against the Earth Federation. Gato believes his cause to be noble and necessary to the advancement of mankind, refusing to let himself lose sight of his ultimate goal amidst threats from the Earth Federation and his suspicion of Cima.


The series hits a brick wall, so to speak, about ¾ of the way through, just as the space battles become really heated and exciting. The Albion is forced to resupply on the Moon, and Kou spends most of this time exploring until he encounters a former Zeon pilot who wants to rebuild a mobile armor. Oddly enough, Kou decides to go along without much hesitation, as if he’s known the guy for years - a major break from his character’s attitude throughout the rest of the series. Granted, the ship is low on fuel and supplies, but they seem to take as long as possible to get back to the action. That, combined with the fact that Cima is there as well, scheming behind the scenes, makes this portion of the show by far the slowest, weakest and rather corny.

When the action is heated, however, Stardust Memory delivers some of the most brilliantly orchestrated fight sequences in any Gundam series. The fact that nearly two thirds of the series takes place in outer space gave the animators a lot more freedom with this aspect, and they utilized it to the fullest. The battles do not feel repetitive, however. The total body count at the end of the series is massive, which largely fuels the push for the creation of the Titans forces in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.


As with most Gundam series, the Japanese and English voice acting are both superb. The soundtrack is decent enough and fits each sequence, but there are only a few songs that stand out as being more memorable than others. The animation is nearly flawless, rivaling the quality of some of the more recent Gundam series.

Even with its shortcomings, Stardust Memory is one series that every Gundam fan should give a try. It’s a very tense and serious take on the Gundam universe, but delivers some impressive storytelling and beautiful animated sequences. The characters may not be every viewer’s cup of tea and the mobile suit designs are largely rehashes of those from previous series. But aside from one major hitch, the action builds until an absolutely spectacular finale.

My Rating: 8 (out of 10)

Anime review: Neon Genesis Evangelion

It has been a little over a year now since my big reintroduction to anime began. While a large part of that was my re-watching various Gundam series, I give the most credit of keeping me interested in the medium to Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s true that my watching Evangelion for the first time last March was light-years behind the general anime public. But I can honestly say that, despite some confusion I felt while watching it, it is by far my favorite anime series ever conceived.


[WARNING: potential minor spoilers ahead.]


For those not familiar with Neon Genesis Evangelion (as I’m sure there are others like myself who are a bit behind with the times), it takes place in the year 2015, a time when mankind is utilizing NERV’s EVA units to fight off other-worldly creatures known as Angels. Shinji Ikari, the son of NERV head Gendo Ikari, is asked to come to Tokyo-III in order to pilot EVA Unit 01 and fight the Angels. Shinji has not seen his father since he was three years old, and as such, Shinji initially refuses to aid his father, until he sees the severe wounds fellow pilot Rei Ayanami has received from battling the third Angel. Understanding that Gendo plans to send Rei out to fight in this condition, Shinji changes his mind and pilots EVA Unit 01. Shortly after he begins fighting with the Angel, Shinji blacks out after EVA Unit 01 sustains too much damage. We are then given a peek into Shinji’s future relationships with his roommate Misato Katsuragi and fellow pilot Rei Ayanami, as well as the frustration Shinji harbors towards his father. Humurous sequences are sprinkled throughout, a distinct contrast to the otherwise serious and somewhat dark nature of the first two episodes. After the prospects of Shinji’s new life in Tokyo-III are covered, the focus shifts back to the events of the Angel battle, and we see that EVA Unit 01 reactivated without manual override, and entered a “berserker” mode, in which it tore the Angel apart before surviving the Angels’ self-destruction.


The aforementioned is an overview of the first two episodes. As the series progresses things become not only far more complex, but also increasingly dark in subject matter. The religious symbolism becomes more and more frequent, and the true nature of the Angels and NERV are not revealed until near the end of the series. Around the middle of the series, Kaji’s secret investigation teases at what might be, but in the end the truths behind NERV, SELEE, the Angels, and the EVAs are executed as some of the most carefully orchestrated plot twists in any television series.

The characters in Evangelion are all brilliantly portrayed. Around the middle of the series, it becomes obvious that creator Hideaki Anno put plenty of time into developing each and every one of them. A large part of that stems from the fact that there are three main characters, about a dozen secondary characters, and a handful of tertiary characters (depending on how you look at the characters, your interpretation may differ).

Shinji recieves the largest focus, and every so often viewers will get a look into his thought processes from directly inside his head. These sequences often come on without any sort of warning and can be rather trippy, but they are incredibly important to the eventual outcome of the series. As the show progresses, Shinji sort of travels two paths at the same time. One is making him stronger by proving himself in battle through EVA Unit 01, while the other has him questioning what he is fighting for and his increasing distrust and dislike of those around him.

Some fans have expressed a dislike towards the character of Shinji, arguing that he comes off as too cowardly and depressed. While there is a large amount of truth to this, he is fourteen years old and dealing with raging hormones. That combined with the fact that he has never had a good relationship with his father, never had much of a chance to get to know his mother, is thrust into the care of a woman whom he barely knows and who isn't entirely sure of her own parenting abilities, and both figuratively and literally carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, it's not much of a surprise that Shinji acts the way he does. While Shinji may not be the most likeable lead character in any given anime, Anno and his team did a near-perfect job on portratying the realistic effects of that sort of pressure on a teenager.


Asuka Langely Soryu is the pilot of EVA Unit 02, and hails from Germany. She is incredibly determined to prove herself, usually appearing hot-headed and egotistical to her peers. She constantly competes with Shinji to be known as the greatest EVA pilot, a challenge to which Shinji doesn’t much understand nor care her reasoning for. All of this is a façade, however, as it is revealed later on in the series that Asuka and her mother have a very dark past.

Rei Ayanami, pilot of EVA Unit 00, is far more limited in her view of the world. A large part of this is due to the fact that she is not a normal human being, and as such does not fully comprehend the ideas of human emotion, attachments, and questioning others. Rei’s story is mostly of self-discovery and of the understanding of human nature, all from the perspective of an outsider looking in.

Every single character in Evangelion has some sort of psychological or social issue to cope with, some of which are not resolved by the finale. Between the psychological breakdown of the characters and the constant Judeo-Christian symbolism, the series hides a lot more under its surface than the first few episodes imply. As the Angels the pilots are combating become more difficult, their psychological statuses degrade and their relationships with one another strain. Although the giant EVAs and Angels are not exactly applicable to everyday life, the issues and confrontations that the characters face are easy to relate to. For better or for worse, Evangelion will likely be a massive mind trip for many viewers.


The soundtrack of Evangelion is incredibly varied, borrowing from jazz and rock influences, while combining this with traditional orchestral pieces, including Handel’s “Hallelujah” and Pachelbel’s “Canon in D”. Constant reprises of original pieces including “The Beast”, “Thanatos”, and “Borderline Case” will serve as the various themes to the major events in Evangelion, and ultimately fit their respective sequences perfectly. The opening theme of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” and closing theme of “Fly Me to the Moon” flow with the series fittingly, even if their sounds do differ a fair amount from the rest of the soundtrack.

Every sequence is animated beautifully, and the team at Gainax should be commended for that, considering their constantly dwindling funds as the series progressed. That said, the Angel fight sequences become less spectacular near the finale, and many animated sequences were repeated in order to save money. Even so, the repetition is effective, especially when used in segments where viewers get a look inside Rei, Asuka, and Shinj’s minds.


I could go on for days about the different theories of Evangelion, the mythology therein, the great debate over which conclusion is the true ending, etc. But whether or not you enjoy the anime will largely depend on how you as a viewer perceive the show’s events. To have someone try and tell you the exact science of Evangelion is a fallacy in and of itself – Hideaki Anno explicitly expressed that some aspects of the show are meant to be open-ended and wholly up to the viewers' interpretation. While this review may be rather vague, it is done as such deliberately. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an incredibly complex anime, and even after the first viewing, I wasn’t convinced I had completely understood everything. Part of me doubts I ever will. As for the acting, the Japanese voice actors do a splendid job in conveying the emotions of their characters, while the English dub is decent enough, but still could have used some fine-tuning. The ending has stirred up a huge amount of controversy among the anime subculture, and I personally prefer the End of Evangelion film ending as opposed to the finale at episodes 25 and 26 of the original series, though I won’t discredit what Anno accomplished with the show’s conclusion. All in all, the series is what you perceive it to be – some people will love it and others will hate it. There is no denying the impact is has had on anime and sci-fi entertainment over the past fifteen years, though, and although I feel there is no such thing as a perfect anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion is about as close as it gets.

My Rating: 10 (out of 10)

Anime review: Turn A Gundam

Easily one of the strangest yet most creative Gundam series released to date, Turn A Gundam takes place in a timeline known as the Correct Century. The series takes place thousands of years in the future after all of the galaxy’s technology has been wiped out. After much labor, the humans living on Earth have managed to achieve a level of technology similar to that around the time of World War I.

However, there is a society of humans living on the moon who wish to return to planet Earth. To make certain that a return to Earth is even feasible, queen Dianna Soriel sends three spies down to the planet. Fran Doll, Keith Laijie, and Loran Cehack secretly become a part of the Earth population, taking up the roles of a news photographer, baker, and personal assistant respectively. Loran finds himself the assistant of the rich Heim family, and spends much of his time with their two daughters Sochie and Kihel. Sochie and Loran play off of each other as a quarreling brother-sister type duo, but Kihel seems constantly distanced from them, as if her mind is focused on something else.

After a few years, Sochie and Loran are both old enough to participate in a coming of age ceremony in front of a statue known as White Doll. As the ceremony commences, Guin Lineford is in the nearby city of Nocis, explaining to Kihel that some of the earth-dwellers have been in talks with the moonrace for years about their return, though no agreement has been reached. Suddenly, a number of mobile suits attack Nocis. In the heat of the battle, White Doll crumbles, revealing a mobile suit inside, known as the Turn A Gundam. Loran and Sochie jump inside the cockpit and head towards the city to try and fight off the invaders.


Following a brief skirmish, a ceasefire is ordered, and Guin Lineford and Dianna Soriel sit down to talk about allocating a portion of the Earth for a moonrace-exclusive nation. Shortly thereafter, Dianna Soriel and Kihel decide it would be entertaining if they were to switch roles for the day. However, the two get more than either bargained for, as Dianna is requested to return to her ship. Kihel is then whisked away, with the moonrace under the impression that she is in fact their queen Dianna Soriel.

As the series progresses, more information is revealed about the dark history that preceded the events of Turn A Gundam. Countless mobile suits are uncovered in the mountains near Nocis and other areas across the Earth, the majority of these being Kapools and Borjarnon. Many of the mobile suits that appear in the series are nods to mecha from previous Gundam series, including the original Mobile Suit Gundam and ZZ Gundam. Others, such as the Turn A Gundam, WaDom, and Mahiroo are completely new mobile suit designs. A first (and so far only) occurrence in a Gundam series, many of the mobile suits were designed by Syd Mead, an American industrial designer who previously worked on the films Tron, Blade Runner, and Short Circuit.


Clocking in at fifty episodes, Turn A Gundam does a brilliant job of filling the time allotted with exciting battle sequences and plenty of plot development Though the series can be a bit slow going at first, it pays off in the end. There are no “filler” episodes in Turn A Gundam, a welcome break from some of its brethren series. Every event that occurs has a purpose in the overarching story. Towards the end of the series, there are a few major plot twists that send the story in a completely unexpected direction, but prevents things from being totally thrown off course. The finale is very fitting, albeit the fact that it is somewhat bittersweet for the characters.

The single aspect in which Turn A Gundam best surpasses other Gundam and mecha series is the character development. Loran Cehack is possibly the most multi-layered Gundam pilot to date, constantly wrestling with his moonrace heritage and duty to the Earth militia. Loran manages to keep his cool, only releasing his anger and frustration when in battle. Though still relatively young in comparison to most of the other characters in the series, Loran carries himself as one of the most mature and understanding characters in Gundam history.

Likewise, Dianna Soriel comes to terms with her past while posing as Kihel. During her travels with Loran and Sochie, Dianna gains a greater respect for the common folk. She witnesses first-hand the destruction that the mobile suits can cause, and spends much of the first 25 episodes re-evaluating herself as a leader.


Even Gym Gingham, who does not appear until late in the series, breaks the mold of the traditional lead villain. Though he does become a bit power-hungry near the finale, Gingham does an excellent job of carefully calculating his plan of attack and his methods of persuasion. He comes very close to overthrowing Dianna Soriel’s regime, going so far as to plant agents on Earth to both spy on her, as well as create sympathy for his own movement.

From Guin Lineford and Harry Ord, to Lieutenant Poe and Agripp Maintainer, no character is included without an important role. Although there are a few such as Bruno and Jacob who fit more traditional and arguably stereotypical roles, they are still involved enough in the story that they do not come across as boring.

The art style of Turn A Gundam is full of bright colors and detailed environments. Everything from the forests of Earth to the artificial ocean on the moon breathes life. There are fewer battle sequences than in most Gundam series, but when they do occur the animation is flawless and the fights themselves are both creative and brilliantly executed. The soundtrack of Turn A Gundam is beautifully orchestrated and each piece fits perfectly to its respective scene. The opening theme may be a bit silly by today’s standards, but both ending theme songs, “Aura” and “Moon” are nothing shy of epic.

Turn A Gundam is a far cry from most other Gundam series. It has fewer battle sequences and the tense air is absent for a large portion of the series. However, it makes up for these by putting greater emphasis on complex characters and brilliant storytelling. The positive mood that the series conveys puts a large focus on the theme of growing up and of hope for a peaceful future. Although not one of the most popular Gundam series, Turn A Gundam is easily one of the most creative and - in my opinion - one of the best mecha series ever conceived.

My Rating: 9.75 (out of 10)

Xbox 360 review: Bioshock 2

Flashback to New Year’s Eve, 1958. It is a very short while before the midnight attacks at the Kashmir Restaurant, and Delta and his companion Little Sister, Eleanor Lamb, begin their rounds searching for ADAM. Eleanor, being a playful child, decides to run off ahead, but is cornered by Splicers. She screams for help, and Delta rushes to her rescue, making mince meat of all but one of the Splicers, who manages to throw a Hypnotize plasmid at Delta. Sofia Lamb then appears, reminding Delta that Eleanor is in fact her daughter and not his, despite what his conditioning has taught him. Sofia then instructs Delta to remove his helmet, put a pistol to his head, and pull the trigger. The last thing Delta witnesses is Eleanor screaming “DADDY!” before he blacks out. Then the ominous Bioshock 2 logo appears.

Thus is the beginning of 2K’s sequel to their 2007 smash-hit Bioshock. Players can now finally return to the dystopian city that Andrew Ryan built. The 1940s and 50s art style is still present, though much of the city has been reclaimed by the ocean. The levels are all new – no area has returned from the first game. Each of these new areas is largely a retooled version of a level from the first game (Fort Frolic has been altered to become Dionysus Park, Apollo Square has become Pauper’s Drop, and Hephaestus has become Persephone). However, these new areas are different enough that they don’t feel like a rehash, only as if there is something hauntingly familiar about them. And yes, the soundtrack follows a similar pattern, combining both Garry Schyman’s original compositions with songs of the time period, including Artie Shaw’s “Nightmare”, Todd Rollin’s “The Boogie Man”, and Eddy Duchin’s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”.


Though Jack was technically tied to Rapture, he played the role of an outsider looking in. As Delta, you are a Big Daddy who – despite his free will – has lost everything and is left only with a desire to seek out his former Little Sister, Eleanor. As such, the story is less about discovering Rapture as a whole. Bioshock 2 begins with the presumption that you have played the first game and gets off the ground much more quickly than the first game. One of the largest focuses of Bioshock 2 is the Big Daddy-Little Sister relationship. As a liberated Big Daddy, Delta is both directly linked to this and removed from it, as he is no longer attached to his Little Sister.

Your guide this time around is Augustus Sinclair, a character who was only briefly mentioned in the first game. He is a businessman who wanted to capitalize on everything he could during Rapture’s heyday. Since the Civil War and Sofia Lamb’s takeover, Sinclair has been trying his best to survive. When he pairs up with Delta, he leaves the moral choice fork-in-the-road segments up to the player, as opposed to Atlas and Tenenbaum’s attempts to sway Jack in regards to the Little Sisters in the first game. While Delta’s choice to harvest or rescue the Little Sisters does affect the final outcome of the game, players are also responsible for determining the fates of three normal human characters as the story progresses.

This is a game that is just as blood-spattered and violent as the first. An M-rating is only fitting. And while the conflicting ideals of Ryan and Fontaine are not central to the story this time around, the material in Bioshock 2 is still a lot to stomach for anyone younger than 17 years old. 2K has weaved together a fantastic story and it will undoubtedly make evoke emotions from players. The entire mood of the game is incredibly melancholy and quite frankly depressing at times. As brilliant as the first game was, it simply cannot compare to the emotions conveyed in Bioshock 2.


With the first game, players were exposed to a human vs. human conflict between Ryan and Fontaine. Players were meant to determine for themselves which of the two characters was the lesser evil, if either was better off at all. In the sequel, who is good and who is evil is more heavily implied (though still not explicitly stated). By the end of the game (or perhaps only a few hours in if they are skeptical enough), players will be convinced that Sofia Lamb is desperate and insane.

With all that in mind, the story isn’t nearly as complex. True, much of the underlying politics between key characters is left unexposed until the last few levels of the game. In fact, Delta’s true identity isn’t even touched on in the slightest until roughly ten hours into the game. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, as it allows more time to focus on and develop the other characters. But the true identity of Delta will understandably not offer as great of a plot twist as the true identity of Jack did in the first game.

A large part of Bioshock’s story came from the sequences in which players were unable to interact with Jack, and the fact that any given cutscene was carried out from a first-person perspective. That is still the case in Bioshock 2, and the non-interactive sequences deal out some excellent shock value.

The side stories players can discover through audio diaries cover a much broader spectrum than in the first game, and offer some unusual perspectives on the game's events. Delta's story is the main focus of the game, and the conclusion of the game will likely spark some controversy among fans.

Though Bioshock 2 uses the same Unreal engine as its predecessor, there are many noticeable changes. The graphics have been updated, but don’t sacrifice the merging of real world with cartoon-style that was introduced in the first game. The AI has undergone drastic alterations and the game is both more challenging and more immersive because of this. Though Delta is able to fire his plasmids and weaponry at the same time, this increase in power is balanced by increasing the number of enemies he encounters at any given time. Hacking has been retooled and now uses a timed minigame involving a moving bar and various colored areas, as opposed to the previous pipe puzzle minigame. While it does move much more smoothly than the pipe game, this new style of hacking can leave players exposed to enemy attacks, as it plays out in real-time.


The plasmid powers available in Bioshock 2 aren’t much different from those in the first game, save for one notable exception in the last level. As players acquire more ADAM, however, they can upgrade the plasmids, which will in turn alter the way they work. For example, the Electro-shock plasmid will jump to multiple enemies when upgraded to the third and final level.

In Bioshock, players were encouraged to build up their ammo and EVE hypo reserves before engaging a Big Daddy. Considering players now control a Big Daddy, these particular fights aren’t quite as challenging or spectacular. True, the newest Big Daddy type, the Rumbler, will deal out more pain to players than the Bouncer or the Rosie. But the most impressive fights come from two events very closely knit with the main story. The first are the Big Sister fights, which occur directly after either harvesting or rescuing the last Little Sister in any given level. While a Big Sister’s health is comparable to that of a Big Daddy, she is significantly faster and more agile, often latching on to Delta’s helmet and punching him in the visor. The second challenging battle sequence arises from a Little Sister gather. Delta can adopt the Little Sisters associated with the other Big Daddies in order to have them extract ADAM from corpses around Rapture. When a gather sequence occurs, players will be met by an onslaught of Splicers until the Little Sister completes her extraction. As the game progresses, players can utilize trap rivets, hacked security bots, the cyclone trap plasmid combined with other plasmids, and miniature auto-turrets to fortify the radius around the Little Sister.


One of the largest selling points for the sequel is the inclusion of online multiplayer. Included are deathmatch and team deathmatch modes, known as Survival of the Fittest and Civil War respectively. Also included are Capture the Sister (a clever spin on the traditional capture the flag), ADAM Grab and Team ADAM Grab (both keep-away variants), Last Splicer Standing, and Turf War (where players compete for territorial control).

The multiplayer mode allows players to choose from a host of characters specifically designed for this new mode. Players can customize their plasmid and weapon loadout, as well as unlock gene tonics as they level up. The level-up system will allot points to a player even if they aren’t victorious in a round - they will just earn significantly less in experience points than a player on the winning team. The multiplayer also has a story mode woven into it, chronicling the events of the selectable characters during Rapture’s Civil War.


Overall, the multiplayer works very well. It feels similar to Team Fortress 2, unsurprisingly as both games use derivatives of the Havok gaming engine. Although players can utilize the Big Daddy suit during certain points in a round, it will allot the user greater damage resistance in exchange for use of their plasmids. As such, the Big Daddy still is a force to be reckoned with, but doesn’t feel overpowerful so long as the other players are smart when they attempt to take him down.

Bioshock 2 is a fitting sequel in every way. It can never replace the original, and it doesn’t try to. Instead it offers a new story from a new perspective and gives players a truly gratifying experience. Every improvement made in the sequel shines through brilliantly, while the mechanics that were left untouched flow just as fluidly as ever. I am glad that 2K pushed the game back from its original November 2009 release to February of 2010, as nearly everything was fine-tuned to perfection. Players can delve deeper into the mystery and horror that lurks in the halls of Rapture and experience some of the most solid gameplay available on this generation’s consoles.

My rating: 9.5 (out of 10)

Anime review: Ergo Proxy

I’m a huge fan of sci-fi entertainment, from video games, to comic book, to novels and films. I’ve even more intrigued by the dystopian sci-fi subgenre. It happened by chance that I was browsing through YouTube’s officially hosted shows and came across a series called Ergo Proxy. I was sold on the first few episodes, but I wondered just how strong this series could remain.

Ergo Proxy draws a great deal of inspiration from the literary works of Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” and George Orwell’s “1984”, while feeling similar in both theme and mood to Aeon Flux and The Matrix. The series begins in the domed city of Romdo, wherein citizens live out relatively normal lives with the comforting knowledge that they are safe from the diseases and savage people who live outside. But Re-L Mayer, granddaughter of Romdo’s regent, is running her own secret investigation of Romdo’s past and the god-like entities known as proxies. Though still a prominent figure over the course of the series, the first few episodes somewhat ‘trick’ viewers into believing Re-L is the main character.

The lead role is instead given to a young man known as Vincent Law, an immigrant from the Mosque dome. Vincent is a simple worker in Romdo’s undercity who is working towards earning his privilege to be considered a ‘fellow citizen’ and be looked upon as an equal among Romdo’s higher class inhabitants. Unfortunately, Vincent gets caught up in the mystery of the proxies, is targeted by Romdo’s defense force as a threat to their stability, and narrowly escapes Romdo with his life.

The final major character of the series is Pino, a rather obvious nod to Pinocchio. Pino is a companion type auto-reiv (robotic assistants to the humans) who becomes infected with the cogito virus. The virus leads Pino to believe she has a soul, and as the series progresses Pino begins to understand human intricacies such as emotions, imagination, and curiosity.


The series is very moody, but isn’t quite as dark and violent as it tries to sell itself as. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, as it allows the character and plot development time to flesh out. That said, the fight sequences are phenomenal and never feel repetitive. The characters encounter many proxies along the way, but none of them are quite the same, utilizing different powers to their advantage. Some of the proxies use psychological warfare as opposed to physical attacks, and a select few are even shown to be compassionate. The fact that the proxies are trying to live in a human world and are often viewed more as resources than beings makes their dislike of the humans understandable. Some of the proxies are driven to the brink of insanity, becoming even less human than the humans themselves.

Ergo Proxy is rather atypical compared to many sci-fi anime I have watched in the past, as there is no explicitly stated good or evil force. Rather, it is up to the viewer to decide who was right and wrong in the end, and as such viewers will likely come to different conclusions based on the events therein. The end of the series is the only section that really breaks this mold, attempting to bring some straightforward Biblical references into play. While these still work with the story well enough, they don’t seem to fit in as coherently with the other overarching themes of the series. It’s a minor detraction at worst, though.


As for the flow of the story, it only slows down at a few points in order to explain back-story on characters or to strengthen the characters’ relationships with one another. There are moments in the series where viewers are deliberately caught off guard by plot twists. The episode titled “Ophelia” will have viewers witnessing the many possibilities of the characters’ fates. The old man in “Anamuneshisu” breaks the fourth wall, drawing viewers in as part of the experience, and whether or not he is a proxy or simply a manifestation of Vincent’s mind is left completely ambiguous.

While all of this can be very intriguing, the series is not without its flaws. While Ergo Proxy prevents itself from running in circles, there are a few episodes that feel as if they belong in another anime entirely. “Who wants to be in Jeopardy” is meant to provide some blatant foreshadowing, but the way it goes about doing this seems monotonous and out of place. “Eternal Smile” is somewhat more fitting, focusing on Pino’s imagination and growing emotional spectrum. But it is still a large shift into a cartoon-style and childish world from the cyberpunk dystopia that has been well established by the time “Eternal Smile” rolls around.

Ergo Proxy’s soundtrack combines more traditional orchestrated pieces with electronic and heavy percussion sounds. The result is an accompanting soundtrack that is incredibly unique and creates a surprisingly diverse number of sounds. The art design is hauntingly beautiful, though some viewers may be turned off by the constant browns and dark grays, as it is often difficult to see exactly what is going on at times. The series does a fantastic job of bringing new ideas into the mix of a genre often filled with rehashed storylines. For an anime rated TV-MA, Ergo Proxy does a fantastic job of balancing intricate fight sequences with post-modern ideologies and political unrest.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)