26 Episodes

GENRE: Japanese Action-Drama Anime

SUMMARY: Balsa, a stout spear-wielding bodyguard from a foreign land, must protect the second prince Chagum to atone for her troublesome past. It is the royal family who reluctantly are seeking the prince's death due to his possible possession by a water demon causing the magical world of Niyug to be spill over into our reality.

REVIEW: I don't think everyone would like this show like I liked it. It's just one of those shows that has a special place for me. It's set in an alternate world with a feudal Japanese feel. They do a good job of really separating out the different cultures and subtley giving each one its own slightly different feel. The art and fight scenes are quality. The characters are what most people would find issue with. They are kind of all simple, bland, and duty-driven but that's what's appealing to me. It's kind of the central focus of the series: the steady resolve and self-empowerment of common people. They speak to themselves a lot to clarify what's going on to the audience, but it works. I really enjoyed it. I had already seen it once but woke up a couple mornings ago with this series fresh in my mind and a strong desire to see it. Still one of my favorites.

ART: 8/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT:7/10
CHARACTERS: 9/10 (probably 6-7/10 for most people)
OVERALL: 8/10

(my fan art)

http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/

GENRE: Child Norse Action Web Comic

SUMMARY: A young viking lad (Coal) is on his way to the afterlife when he is stopped by Odin and sent on a mission to find the missing parts of legendary weapons that Loki lost.

REVIEW: This is another comic I'm still reading (the last one is Atlandhttp://www.realmofatland.com/ which isn't that good anymore and I won't be reviewing though I keep reading since I've been reading it for so long). The plot is kind of childish, but it's Norse and the art is inspired by super graphic mediums such as illuminated manuscripts and Samurai Jack. Something about it just makes it so beautiful. There are several panels that I downloaded specifically because I found them so pretty. I even drew a fan art picture on my deviant page to warm up for drawing (http://tylerhaas.deviantart.com/#/d55w581). It's like watching a Disney movie as an adult: it's fun and enjoyable, but not sophisticated or in-depth. Still I like to look at it.

ART: 8/10 (for style)
PLOT & STORYTELLING: 7/10
CHARACTERS: 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10

http://dovecotecrest.com/

GENRE: Comedy-Drama Web Comic

SUMMARY: Jeremy, Charlie, Tess, & Ben are devout civil war history buffs and reenactors at the local battleground of Dovecote Crest (made up place). While struggling to keep the museum open, we learn about their histories, relationships, and other such things.

REVIEW: Some about this comic has me still reading it. I originally had about 12 web comic subscriptions and now it is down to 3 including this one. Though it's about common stuff (relationships, personal strife, etc.), the author and artist do a superb job making you care (at least for me). Even the central romantic plot is interesting. I found the art to be simple but the expressions to be spot on, especially as the story went on. It is very character driven and they develop the characters well. They seem to have a really good understanding of their characters' motivations, feelings, and hopes so that they feel more alive.

ART: 8/10 (for the expressions)
PLOT & STORYTELLING: 8/10
CHARACTERS: 8/10
OVERALL: 8/10

11 Episodes

GENRE: Japanese Drama-Comedy Anime

SUMMARY: Saki, a Japanese student, is visiting America when she runs into a naked Akira waving a gun in front of the white house with no clothes or memories. Now the two must work to discover who he is and how his unique phone is connected to the bombings in Japan. 

REVIEW: It was alright. I felt like the art and characters were good and they did a good job of keeping the audience guessing in the dark, but the reveal wasn't as good as I wanted. Most of the questions they raise don't even get answered leaving you feeling like you just finished the X-Files movie or the Lost finale (wait, what? THAT DIDN'T ANSWER SHIT!!!). There's a movie that goes along with it, but I haven't watched it yet and I am told that it is also good but does an even worse job of answering questions. The characters are interesting because they are very normal and mediocre humans which makes them fun to watch scramble in a epic plot. Overall, good but easily missed. 

ART: 8/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT:6/10
CHARACTERS: 7/10
OVERALL: 7/10

BONUS ROUND! Movie was more of the same. It felt like a giant episode instead of a movie. Some answers but more questions and nothing resolved.