Gundam : Char’s Counterattack

This film oddly starts as you might expect it to end, with Amuro and Char battling each other as Earth faces yet another catastrophe. Char’s brand spanking new monster of a suit ,the Sazabi, is introduced right from the off whilst the Neo-Gundam’s abilities are only hinted at as something is spared for the climax. The immediate gratification of some Mobile Suit space-war action is more than welcome, if a little confusing at first. The introductions of several new characters, between the explosions, are handled well especially considering the time restraints not present in the more familiar (Gundam) medium of a TV series.

Things soon settle down as the more political end of the Gundam spectrum comes into play and we are filled in on the reasons and outcomes of the preceding battle. This period offers up the usual notions of man’s evolution, ineffective corrupt governments and the shades of grey between ideologies in the expected sombre manner. True philosophies seem to be coming to a head in the Gundam universe for the first time since the end of the original (0079) series and, indeed, this film could be seen as somewhat of a climax to the previous series in the timeline.

The second hour is very satisfyingly dedicated to a large scale battle in space. This is where you begin to notice the graphical improvements over the previous Zeta series (the images of the colonies are easily the best depictions of them seem in the canon to date –well 1988)

The expected climax with the Neo-Gundam is perhaps slightly disappointing, and certainly the character death toll is nothing like that of a TV series, but all in all it delivers everything a Gundam fan would be looking for – advancement of the over-arching narrative, interesting new suits blowing each other up and plenty of melodrama.

End of Evangelion

Having been disappointed with the overly abstract and narrow focus of the ending to the TV series (see review below dated 13^th September 2007) I was pleased to be informed that an alternative ending existed in the form of this here movie.

Just to get some of the confusion regarding the various Evangelion films out of the way – Death and Rebirth also contains additional footage but nothing that isn’t included in the director’s cut of the TV series or EoE and really isn’t worth watching.

My main problem with the TV ending isn’t its confusingly surreal nature (which seems to be why most people find it so off-putting) but that it never concludes the main storyline. Much to my relief, EoE does this perfectly as it replaces the tangential episodes 25 and 26 with something far more in keeping with the quality of the rest of the show.

It’s hard to say much without giving away potentially massive spoilers but the tow extended episodes contains a finality to each of the characters journeys, large portions of insight into the intentions and motives of the concerned factions as well as some top notch Eva action.

Things, predictably, do turn surreal towards the end but the content is much more relevant to the plot; and although it is of a much grander scope than the original finale it is suitably shorter.

I know there are many who prefer the series ending but I really can’t see why. A claustrophobic and overly drawn-out psychoanalytical debate is fine as long as it brings together the main themes and plot issues to a satisfying conclusion but the type on offer at the end of the series is only suitable as a side story in my opinion.

End of Evangelion is the definitive climax to Neon Genesis Evangelion and is compulsory viewing for those who’ve watched the series.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

I’ve finally gotten around to seeing what all the fuss is about regarding what must be one of the most lauded anime in history. I decided to go for the 26 episode series over the compilation movies as I’ve been burnt badly by nastily edited composites in the past.

Being a big Godzilla fan, the opening scenes of an evacuated Japanese city awaiting the imminent arrival of a giant monster to its shores immediately struck a chord with me. So upon discovering this was to be a reoccurring event I was understandably chuffed.

The bleakness of the first 6 episodes is not due to the planet earth being repeatedly brought to the edge of destruction, as one might imagine, but rather the melancholy of the malcontent characters and this pretty much sets the tone for the series. The excellently animated action is particularly visceral, often disturbingly so, at times which adds a dark edge and gravity to proceedings.

We are given a brief, and I suppose necessary, comic respite in the following episodes with the introduction of the brash Asuka Langley as her brand of arrogance clashes with the other more dour souls to some humorous effect. Thankfully it wasn’t overplayed and we are soon returned to the hard-hitting action as the character is assimilated into the line up.

It does seem at a certain point that the series is in danger of becoming a “one trick pony” (as seen with many Shonen shows) as the formula of “detect incoming monster/evacuate city/send out Evangelion(s)/battle ensues”, although entirely enjoyable, becomes obvious. However, we are drawn away from action and into the intriguing politics and history behind the attacks more and more as the series develops.

The breadcrumbs of information regarding the troubled characters and their dark pasts are also revealed miserly and expertly as the plot progresses. The efforts they make to resolve their inner turmoil and shake off their skeletons becomes a prominent theme of the show. As the psychological insights become more profound themes akin to those of Ghost in the Shell come to the fore, with the duality of mind and spirit questioned and examined repeatedly.

These philosophical aspects along with the quasi-religious symbolism and references have given rise to many claiming Evangelion to be a Christian allegory or the like. In my opinion such symbolism is merely subterfuge and an attempt to give the content a pseudo extra level of depth (which it achieves brilliantly albeit via some smoke and mirrors)

The series comes to a tense and satisfying finale, both in terms of action and character exploration, whilst never wrapping up the loose ends. The character exposition witnessed in the Director’s Cut of the later episodes goes a long way to address some of the unanswered questions and in some of the most enjoyable scenes of the series.

The final two episodes are akin to an epilogue as they delve deep inside the psyche if the lead character disappointingly never to resurface. As such they don’t suffice as a conclusion to the show and feel like a “Director’s notes DVD extra”.
However there is an alternate ending in film format (suitably titled End of Evangelion) which may offer the catharsis required but as this is a review of the series I have to highlight my disappointment.

Overall though episodes 1-24 are fantastic and deserve, most of, the praise they receive. The complexity of the intertwining conspiracies and philosophies makes for a show which is definitely in need of repeated viewings.

FLCL

It’s hard to know what to make of FLCL. I don’t think I’ve watched anything with such an abundance of “WTF?” moments as any logic to the plot seems to be tacked on to suit the scene. FLCL aims to amuse for the most part with its completely off-the-wall humour and irreverence but it also has a more emotional side as it explores the strange relationships between Naoto (a 12 year old boy who is the only semi-sane character) and all of the bizarre people in his life.

It’s a crazy blend of genres that manages to both parody and innovate, often feeling like a mix between The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Paranoia Agent whilst other times having the tenderness of a Miyazaki scene. It can flash from over-the-top slapstick to giant mecha action then cut to romantic comedy leaving a helpless viewer trailing in its wake.

The visual style is equally eclectic, perhaps out of necessity, ranging from childlike and simplistic to pseudo 3D with beautiful lighting effects (as you would expect from Production IG) in what is, on the whole, a visually stunning piece of animation. The soundtrack is a more stable experience as the riff-tastic guitar pieces play almost throughout with the end credits being a particular highlight.

I could understand if some of the above sounds more than a little off-putting, and whilst it is true that FLCL can be a tad disorientating it hooks you in with its irrepressible charm and tongue-in-cheek wit. The characters are honest and instantly likeable and although the surreal predicaments they find themselves in might be hard to fathom you are heartened by the brief time (a mere 6 episodes) you spend in their company.

They Were 11

Initially I couldn’t get past the Star Trek vibe I was getting of it but I decided to ignore it (and leave it to some uber-Trekkie to compile a list of similarities and decide who ripped off who etc). The 80’s vibe is a harder one to ignore – the drab colours, sketchy animation and out-dated attitudes might be a bit of a turn off for some but having watched most of Gundam ZZ recently I was well acclimatised.

It was quite an easy watch on the whole largely due to the steady pace of proceeding (only broken by the John Hughes style comedy interval accompanied by equally painful 80s synth). The “who-dunnit” element was enjoyable without ever really producing any edge of the seat moments. Likewise the “twist” at the end was hardly earth-shattering.

I found Frol to quite irritating. How such a character could end up being an elite student is beyond me. Also the romance, although novel [spoiler]due to the gender issues[/spoiler], was never really explored enough to truly give impact to the ending.

I’m nitpicking though. All in all it was entertaining and I’d easily watch it again.

Nodame Cantabile

This is the first anime I’ve watched that hasn’t had some sort of Sci-Fi / Fantasy overtones (no giant robots, no ninjas, no alchemy and oddly enough no psychic powers either!) and it came as a breath of fresh air.

It’s basically a romantic comedy (or “shoujo” = for girls) which would normally be a genre I’d avoid like the plague, as they’re usually formulaic nonsense, but this managed to catch my interest and maintain it thanks to the ever-developing characters and it’s really quirky sense of humour.

The story revolves around an archetypal odd couple (Chiaki – the straight-laced, frustrated genius, and Nodame – the carefree slob) and their undefined platonic relationship. They are both students at a music academy but have vastly different attitudes to their studies, practice and their future careers. These conflicting outlooks are what drives the series and as the characters grow they learn to appreciate both sides of the coin. The supporting characters, although not as superbly realised, act as a brilliant chorus (if you’ll excuse the pun) to the leads, echoing their sentiments and fleshing-out the themes of effort and reward, overcoming obstacles and, ultimately, self-fulfilment. The daunting approach of adult life as experienced by the students is handled superbly with each characters’ reflections and asides proving touching and universal.

The background of a life dedicated to music has quite a bearing on proceedings with each episode containing long passages of unbroken classical music depicting the protagonists rehearsing and performing. As a lover of classical music this was a real highlight of the show especially as you can hear the musicians gradually progress with varying renditions of the same pieces.

The humour of the show gains your affection almost immediately, from the odd-ball nature of Nodame to the, slightly surreal, slapstick interactions between her and Chiaki. Like all good anime the comedy doesn’t hog centre-stage and acts as an excellent foil to the more serious nature of the show.

Simply put, my favourite anime of 2007 and the type of series you could recommend to anyone (could easily pique their interest in Mozart, Brahms etc. too!)

Gundam ZZ

I’ve read alot of people finding it quite tough to get through Gundam ZZ and giving up a few episodes in. I can’t blame them. The first 20 or so episodes are absolute guff depicting a gang of irritatingly smug delinquents getting into all sorts of slapstick scrapes and japes, yawn.

However, if you persevere, the second half of the series is surprisingly decent. There’s an incredibly abrupt change of tone roughly about half way as the series gets a lot darker and a proper conflict ensues.

After the bizarre ending to Zeta this takes up where it left off in regards expanding the newtype’s psychic abilities. They seem to be getting closer and closer to becoming Jedi clones with many an uttering of “I can sense his/her presence”, etc. Unfortunately this is about all the development the characters undergo. In previous series (0079 and Zeta) there is a gradual maturing of the characters as events unfold but in ZZ the supporting characters seem to acquire ESP and the ability to pilot a mobile suit overnight.

The Neo Zeon characters really steal the show especially the completely bonkers Chara Soon who adds a new dimension to the typical unstable newtype.

The action is fairly decent with the introduction of several tasty new mobile suits(as you would probably expect). There are a couple of standout moments (most notably the [spoiler=]colony drop[/spoiler] on Dublin of all places!) that are typical of Gundam at its best. The final battle isn’t as expansive as the previous two but still acts as a reasonable closer to the series.

Overall this is probably only for Gundam completists. Anyone else would be best off checking out Zeta or Stardust Memories if they’re looking for something to complement the original series/movies.

On a personal note - I was disappointed that [spoiler=] Char didn’t make an appearance [/spoiler] :(