6 episodes watched of 2 Seasons

GENRE: Japanese Action-Horror Anime

SUMMARY: Saya, a half vampire half human with amnesia of her past, must rally her wits and protect her happy life and family from the onslaught of vampire hordes.

REVIEW: Because the live-action movie didn't complete the anime movie, I decided to check out the anime series the made to see if it might be any better. It was better but another disappointment compared to the original and I won't be finishing the series (I only like to finish shows that strike me as awesome). 

In the original, the main character Saya is an unapologetically harsh hunter who uses a standard legit katana and finds herself disgusted and annoyed with the humans she protects and appreciative of the vampire race's power and grace. She suffers from an internal struggle and associates more with her prey than those she works for, but the vampires are just too dangerous to allow to live. It's a fascinating story of an antihero who doesn't like her role and a 16-year old girl who is actually a 400-year old badass. The psychology isn't too complex, but is really interesting too me. Its a rare find in anime to have a powerful female lead who is worthy of respect.

In this series, they ruin all that by making Saya have amnesia turning her into the typically weak anime female character to appeal to the paternal instincts of males watching the show. Her sword is now a weird katana that channels her blood and she has a male servant and government agent to lead her around and protect her while she freezes in combat and cries because her "female emotions" are just too much to handle. Don't get me wrong, I don't think every female character in media has to be strong, but why take an awesome example of one and just ruin it when it's the most interesting thing about the franchise? It was a stupid choice but the directors/producers/writers. However, had I not seen the original I think that the show would have been moderately good, though Saya would have eventually annoyed me too much to continue probably. What is it about anime that people have to make it so emo? The art isn't as good as the movie (which is probably one of the most impressive displays of animation I've ever seen) but is pretty dang solid. Save for Saya's character, the look and feel of the show are much more loyal to the original than the action movie, but that's a pretty major shift that hurts the show too much for me to enjoy. I would say skip it (along with the live-action movie), watch the original anime movie, and know that you will never be completely fulfilled since its story is so short and everything that comes after only takes away from the original's glory.

***SPOILER ALERT***
I skipped ahead to the last episode of season 1 to make sure she doesn't become the awesome character she was in the movie. She is annoyingly weak the entire time. Sad news.
***END SPOILER***

ART: 8/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT: 5/10
CHARACTERS: 5/10
OVERALL: 6/10

GENRE: Japanese Supernatural Martial Art/Horror

SUMMARY: In world where demon vampires are at war with the human race, Saya, daughter of a famous samurai demon hunter, searches a Vietnam-era Tokyo Air Force base for an underground army of vampires. Though she is half-demon herself, Saya seeks out revenge against the demon master Onigen, the one who took all her loved ones from her.

REVIEW: As a remake of the 2000 anime (which was AMAZING) by the producer of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" I thought this might be pretty cool. It was a let down. It lacks all of what made the original awesome. The computer animation they used nonstop wasn't good and stood out. The fight scenes where WAY crazy, but with no feeling or grace. They added an American main character (the base general's daughter) to work with Saya and she was boring, annoying, and way too randomly strong to stand next to a 400-year old vampire character. I was hoping it would finish the plot where the anime left off (it was a really short anime), but anything that was good in this movie was taken from the anime and all that was added was crap. The camera shots were too random. It wasn't a horrible movie, just a bad one. Not worth watching unless you're really bored.

PLOT & WRITING: 3/10
ACTING: 4/10
DIRECTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY: 4/10
FIGHT SCENES: 5/10 
OVERALL: 4/10

12 Episodes watched out of 26

GENRE: Japanese Action Anime

SUMMARY: When young Miharu finds out about the secret shinobi world of Nabari, he's surprised, but when he discovers he's destined to rule it because of a secret power all shinobi covet, he has to decide what to do with it.

REVIEW: Not good. This is one example of why I hate a lot of anime. It is so overly emo it's unbelievably annoying. It feels like it's written by a teenager. The whole thing is confused and full of angst. They make such a big deal about how apathetic the main character is when in reality he's just full of so much emotion and wants to be loved (gag). No one has an once of toughness. Another uncomfortable part is the weird sexual undertones. It's basically a clean made-for-tv cartoon, but they still manage to make it awkward. It seems like every character is completely unsure of their sexuality including whether or not they are attracted to people of their age group (i.e.-pedophilia undertones). Its nothing explicit but they keep having moments of sexual/love tension. The humor isn't funny either. They keep trying but, much like their characters, the writers lack the social awareness to make it funny. The art isn't that great either. Every character is WAY too skinny (like almost Jack Skelington skinny) and the backgrounds are kind of lighter and sketchy in a way that reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. Those are really my only two complaints about the look. It'd actually look pretty good if it didn't have those two issues. Overall, skip it and watch something that's good like Bebop, Champloo, Gurran Laggon, or Baccano. If you're in the mood for something creepier in the anime genre, check out Ghost Hound. Those are all pretty much my favorites in the field. 

ART: 5/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT: 5/10
CHARACTERS: 3/10
OVERALL: 4/10

*NOTE: Know that I love scary movies but I also get scared easily watching them (which is why I like them) so if you don't scare easily it this may not mean a thing to you

GENRE: Korean J-Horror - Subtitled

SUMMARY: Sisters Su-Yi and Su-Yeon return home to the the Korean countryside to live with their father and step mother only to find the house is inhabited by something more evil than even their step mother...

REVIEW: As the highest grossing South Korean film of all time and the first to be screened in American theaters, I was expecting a lot and, for the most part, it did a good job delivering. It was a well done movie and scared the crap out of me, but it started out stronger than it finished. It was pretty well written but I think its strongest feature was the cinematography. I haven't watched a horror film where the camera shots were so frustrating and scary. For instance, they might use a zoom into a character's face where you start to feel your own personal space is being invaded or a shot that really confined your view down a hall when you just want to check it out (just let me see damn it!). I think that this kind of trick is really commonly used in horror films but I hadn't seen it used so well that I noticed before. 

The setting was good too. They used the old Korean house well. That was one creepy location. I also think they picked up on what makes J-Horror great (creepy hair blocking shots of pale girls etc.) and utilized it really well without making it super over the top. Creepy gets me every time over slasher shocking (like most American films). I felt it had just the right touch of supernatural without running away with it. Acting was just good, but nothing to write home about. Still scared me even though it was light out when I watched it. I highly recommend watching it if you like horror like I do, but it isn't a life changer like I found The Ring to be (I was scarred for months!).

PLOT & WRITING: 7/10
ACTING: 6/10
DIRECTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY: 8.5/10
SCARE FACTOR: 8/10 (to give a gauge, "The Ring" and the unrated version of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" were 10/10 for me personally)
OVERALL: 8/10

GENRE: Japanese Distopia Action Film

SUMMARY: In a not to distant future where adults fear the youth of Japan during the financial collapse of the nation, high school classes are randomly selected for a special mission. They must compete with one another on a deserted island in a battle royale to the death!

REVIEW: Well after hearing so many people tell me that the Hunger Games was a rip off of Battle Royale I'm unconvinced. I can see the similarities mind you, but the underlying direction seemed very different to me. Both had children fighting to the death in an arena with sections that turned into "danger zones" and announcements of competitor deaths over a island sound system with a love story throughout the fight. The difference is in what the movie was trying to accomplish. While I felt that Hunger Games was a commentary on the schism between rich and poor, the dissociation of the powerful with reality, and the jaded nature of the modern media/consumer culture; Battle Royale was more about the cruelties of war, adults use of children to accomplish political/national goals, and a schism between the fearful adult population of Japan and the disillusioned youth (a theme I notice a lot in anime and other Japanese media). It was good and enjoyable, but I did like Hunger Games more (granted I have actually read the Hunger Games book and the production value seemed to be WAY higher for Hunger Games). The effects were okay (not bad enough to hold the story back but not good enough to add to it), but a lot of the mind games where the director was trying to give insight into human nature felt very forced and unnatural. Some of the characters felt way too manga/anime for me, but then again it could just be that I more easily recognize and relate to western media archetypes instead of Japanese ones. Overall a fun movie to watch, but expect something along the lines of a good 80s movie quality despite the fact that it's from 2000.

STORY/WRITING 7/10
ACTING 4/10
DIRECTING 7/10
OVERALL 6/10

61 Episodes

GENRE: American Comedy-Martial Arts Anime

SUMMARY: It has been a 100 years since the Fire Kingdom declared war on the lands of Water, Earth, and Air throwing the balance of the world off. It was the job of the Avatar, master of all four elements, to keep the world in harmony, but in the people's time of greatest need, he mysteriously vanished. Now water tribe members Sokka and Katara believe they may have found the new Avatar and must do everything within their power to aid him in returning stability to their lands.

REVIEW: I think this may be the best American cartoon series I've ever watched. This was the second time I watched it and it was still super enjoyable. The art is pretty decent (better than most cheap American shows), but not amazing. The real stars of the show are the writing and characters. The themes feel relevant and compelling while the characters are engaging. The story pacing is awesome (opposite of Naruto) and each episode feels like it either moves the plot forward or tells the audience something more about the characters and back-story. 

One of my favorite parts that is so carefully done in the series is both personal and overall progression. It happens so smoothly that it is hardly noticed which is what makes it so amazing. For example, Katara is a water bender (water mage) who at the start of show can barely do anything with her skills but progresses to increasingly more advanced levels during fights. It isn't like she learns the "kamaya maya" move and now dominates everyone. you just notice her use a few moves you hadn't seen her use before and a few episodes down the line she uses a few more as if the writers are saying "by the way she's training while you aren't watching her". The technology of nations advances as well without becoming a central theme (though it is pointed out every now and then). It makes it seem like all this stuff is going on beyond the audiences viewing moments. It helps an already extremely well crafted world seem even deeper. 

The show also has one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters in it: Sokka. Granted I laugh really easy, but his sense of super-cheesy jokes had me legitimately laughing out-loud all through the series. Apparently the guy who voiced him, Jack DeSena, did such an awesome job improvising that they expanded his role and let him have more free reign with his jokes. Great great show with an epic feel, in-depth philosophy and world, and amazing characters. It is for sure a kid's show though so don't expect 18+ anime. Enjoy.

ART: 7/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT:9/10
CHARACTERS: 10/10 (Sokka makes it for me)
OVERALL: 9/10

BONUS ROUND! Just finished season 1 of "Legend of Korra". Two thumbs up! It is way more bleak and serious. While the first Avatar was a spiritual journey through a late-19th century empire, the Legend of Korra takes place two generations later in Republic city, a booming capital city with the glory and pitfalls of a 1920s to 1940s industrial-era world capital. It is so awesome the way they are trying to address themes of power, technology, and spirituality with this Shanghai/New York mega-metropolis . The first season is about the tension created between powerful benders and regular humans gaining their own power by the ever increasing technological world. Pretty cool. Can't wait for the other 3 seasons. The character they attempt to replace Sokka with isn't near as good, but I'm not sure Sokka would as easily find a place in this new darker world.

220 Episodes

GENRE: Japanese Comedy-Martial Arts Anime

SUMMARY: The brash and bull-headed orphan shinobi of the Leaf Village Naruto charges into his ninja training and missions despite his long history of failure. With the power of friendship and the spirit demon sealed within him, Naruto seeks to overcome any obstacle in his way and become the greatest ninja who ever lived.

REVIEW: Finally finished this damn series. It wasn't anything special, but not bad either. It was more of a typical Saturday morning anime. The art was anywhere from fantastic at times when they must have hired special artists for important scenes to mediocre-standard. I liked some of the music and the characters could be cool at times. The biggest flaw in the show was the pacing. It was freaking HORRIBLE. Fight scenes would last episode after episode drawn out by long monologues and flashbacks to add emotional context to those fighting. It got to the point that it would ruin episodes. Sometimes I would skip an episode or skim it because the whole thing was flashbacks and speeches. Some show such as Tokyo Majin are all action and lack story and emotional context, but Naruto completely overdid it in the opposite direction. The fights do get more interesting as the series goes on and you get strategic characters such as Shikamaru (one of my favorite characters along with Rock Lee) who have to come up with creative ways to defeat enemies with seemingly invincible powers. Conversely, Naruto's strategy of continuously rushing in would get to the point of me yelling things at the TV phrases such as "oh come on Naruto!" or "you f***ing idiot! Get a plan!". Overall an alright show, but easily forgettable. I had to break it up with various other shows to tolerate the full 220 episodes. Beware that the plot doesn't resolve itself in this series. There is a whole other series that continues the adventures of the gang when they are a little older. Netflix also only has the Japanese dub which makes it difficult to watch in the background since you need to watch the subtitles though I'd often ignore them and watch when the action picked up.

ART: 6/10
STORYTELLING & PLOT:4/10
CHARACTERS: 7/10
OVERALL: 5.5/10

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