skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Series: Durarara!! Vol. 3
UK Release date: 13th June 2011
Distributor: Beez
Certificate: 15
Director: Takahiro Omori
Genre: Anime
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Alice Instone-Brewer
The recently released third volume of Durarara!! continues the anime adaptation of the first three novels in Ryohgo Narita’s light novel series. Brought to us by the team behind the famous Baccano!, and dealing with everything from shy students to city gangs and the supernatural, Durarara!! is a character-driven series of similar tone to the one that made Baccano! so popular, and has already gathered itself a loyal fan base.
The series as a whole follows seemingly shy country teenager Mikado Ryugamine after he moves to the “Big City” in search of excitement. Despite his shy appearance, his greatest fear is living an ordinary life – a fear that drives his often dangerous actions. The “Big City”, in this case, is Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Once there, he crosses paths with his confident and streetwise childhood friend, Masaomi, who takes him under his wing.
The plot centres around an internet-based city gang called the Dollars and their rivalry with the Yellow Scarves - a feud that is made worse by repeated attacks from a mysterious Slasher, who the Yellow Scarves claim works for the Dollars. On top of this, various characters possess elements of the supernatural. The most notable of these is Celty Sturluson, an Irish Dullahan (headless horseman) who travels disguised as a biker whilst she searches for her lost head. Like the rest of the characters, she becomes deeply involved in the gang war.
Though Mikado is technically the main character of the series, equal time is given to everyone, developing each character’s plotline as they intermingle and complicate each other’s lives. Episodes are told from different characters’ points of view through a Noir-esque narration. In volume three, which starts on episode 18 (‘Life And Death Are Up To Fate’), we pick up with Mikado and Masaomi as they walk Anri - the curvy completion to their trio - from hospital after her recovery. The episode hooks people straight into the third volume DVD with some revealing flashbacks for Masaomi and his history with a girl named Saki. The following episodes continue to deliver shocking revelations to and about the characters, causing their situations to become more and more volatile and unstable as the action heads towards the season’s life-or-death climax in episode 25, ‘World Peace’…
Durarara!! is certainly an anime with style and class. From the artwork to the scripting to the music, there is a bluesy, moody feel to the series. A laymen’s stereotype of the anime art-form might be of something loud, fast paced and highly saturated; this couldn’t be further from the truth here. This show is quiet, subdued, shadowy; all as Noir as its narrations. The acting communicates the tone perfectly; dialogue is often spoken in a quiet murmur, subtly tinged with either angst or menace, and often effortlessly cool. Of course, it wouldn’t be anime without irate and emphatic outbursts, but if you were to leave this DVD running in the background of your home, the tone of the voices, accompanied by the music, would often conjure up very smoky, Raymond Chandler inspired images.
Telling the story from changing points of view was a perfect choice for this style of show. It develops the plot slowly, yet to a rich effect. In a series where everyone has secrets and there is no clear-cut right and wrong, seeing the events from every angle allows us a privileged peak into characters’ hidden motives. We’re the only people that know what’s really going on. Coming at the series from this all-seeing perspective shows the audience just how complicated the web of secrecy has become. We can see the misunderstandings and the moral dilemmas for what they are. This is an advantageous way to enjoy a plot about gangs and trickery, but also the complexities of the human relationships within it - be they good or bad. If you can tolerate the pacing, you get more out of the show for it, much like the slower, character-driven early days of films and television.
Izaya Orihara buys and sells information, and his influence can be found behind many of the important plot developments. Like the audience, he too sits in a position of power, overlooking the events with more knowledge than the other characters – mere pawns, as he sees them, running around as he manipulates them. He is also the king of the charismatic delivery mentioned earlier, thanks to the voice of Hiroshi Kamiya. Every show needs a morally grey character with menace and charisma for us to harbour a guilty love for, and Orihara fulfils that requirement here. He seems to torture and control people for the sheer love of it, though his grand goal is to cause a full-out war in the city in order to wake Celty’s sleeping head.
In the volume’s first episode, his love of manipulation is symbolically demonstrated as he schemes hunched over Japanese board game pieces. He gloats about causing a three-way standoff between the Dollars, Yellow Scarves and the third gang, the Blue Squares, speculating and delighting at the power and explosive nature of such struggles. This scene comes right after one discussing a love triangle, making the link between person-to-person dynamics and the constant bigger picture. Whilst gloating, Orihara sets the pieces on fire and watches them burn, marking the downward spiral of events that will follow.
Thanks to the pacing, the audience has time to soak in and appreciate Durarara!!’s skilled artwork. Akira Ito’s images and Akira Takata’s animation are both expressive and admirable, mingling with Makoto Yoshimori’s music to create something that not only communicates the story, but is in itself a pleasure to listen to and observe. It is sometimes fortunate for the show that these visuals are as emotive and engaging as they are, as they help hold the audience’s attention. If these elements were not strong players, then no matter how good the writing might be people would lose interest. There are, of course, plenty of action scenes as well, which are animated to a similarly good standard.
Discussion of the gangs can feel unnecessarily repetitive, at times, such as Anri’s many repeating questions to herself as she runs from the Yellow Scarves in episode 19, ‘The Blue Sky Perishes’. In fact, you may start to worry that the words “Yellow Scarves” and “Dollars” will have burnt impressions of themselves onto your TV screen from how many times you’ve read them in the course of an episode. This could, however, be fruitful fodder for a drinking game. The scripting also struggles with the issue that much of the drama takes place online, as this is where the gangs originate and how they communicate. Fortunately, as said above, the voice acting, artistry and score help these moments stay interesting.
Because it shares many of the same creators, Durarara!! has inevitably been compared to Baccano! by many people. It is considerably less violent than its brother show, but certainly not lacking in grit and drama. If you appreciate one of the shows, the chances are you should check out the other one. Durarara!! is clever, attractive to look at, occasionally moving, and has a healthy balance of action and relationships – so, everyone’s happy. If you’re not usually an anime fan, you might find that you still enjoy this one. If you are already fond of the genre, and haven’t watched this already, then definitely give it a try.
![]()
Series: Lucky Star: Complete Collection
UK Release date: 2nd May 2011
Distributor: Beez
Certificate: 15
Running time: 645 mins
Director: Yutaka Yamamoto & Yasuhiro Takemoto
Genre: Anime
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Lewis Field
Based upon Kagami Yoshimizu’s satirical 4-koma (four panel) manga, Yukata Yamamoto’s animated adaptation of Lucky Star is part sketch show, part comic strip with a whole lot to say about Japanese pop culture. An anime primarily about anime, we join four schoolgirls during their 11th grade term at Ryõõ High School.
Lucky Star is a slice of life comedy following four friends, Konata, Tsukasa, Kagami and Miyuki through the trials and tribulations of high school…well sort of, if you consider how to eat a chocolate cornet strenuous?
Konata Izumi is a self-professed otaku, and she and her three friends, Tsukasa, Kagami and Miyuki enjoy nothing more than eating, cooking, hanging out and, of course, chatting about all the important things in life – i.e. everything! And so the sporadic conversing begins…
The series itself is really about…well, not much at all, but that is definitely one of its main appeals. Lucky Star is a curious little gem of a series, focusing quite literally on the normalcy of daily situations, random girly conversations and seemingly mundane observations. A typical episode consists of a simple event/occurrence/discussion and bounces backwards and forwards, like a sketch show with a common theme. In episode one, Konata and Tsukasa are eating lunch and ask how one is supposed to eat various sweet snacks. The episode later returns to the same conversation, but now introduces Miyuki into the equation. Rather than a hindrance, the quick cuts in time and setting reflect the overall spontaneity of the series, and the animation makes each scene feel like a picture window of a comic book.
It is the simplistic notion of question and answer that fuels most of the conversation in the series; the randomness of the topics, although edging on futility, adds a true sense of realism. We are watching the daily banter of high school girls and, like most of us, they talk about rubbish. It’s what friends do - it is just something we rarely see. So often do anime series have an artificiality regarding character relationships, with dialogue coming across as over articulated nonsense, but Lucky Star breaks this habit and forefronts their innocuous conversing as far more genuine expression of questioning the ordinary – the difference between a cold and the flu, the myths surrounding twins, returns to the dentist and getting sleepy on the bus.
Being a series that is episodic in nature, there is no real sense of continuity binding one episode to the next, meaning that each episode stands alone, rather than relying upon a central theme running through the series. When the series takes time out away from the sporadic chit-chat of the girls and focuses on the dynamics of their friendship group, and their network of other friends and family, the show impresses in its telling of single story threads. Far from the humour and satire, these stories (including beach trips and an invitation to witness Kagami’s family at home) do well in fleshing out the characters and providing the well needed subtext missing from earlier episodes.
The show's humour is created through the spoofing of J-pop culture; Konata’s love of otaku is constantly reiterated, as she subconsciously relates her life experiences to anime and gaming to the annoyance of Kagami - she became friends with Tsukasa as a result of a Street Fighter-esque battle. This is perhaps the show's biggest mistake. The humour is relatable to an extent, as we have all seen or at least heard of the films, games and TV shows Konata speaks of, yet the premise of the comedy is that it relies heavily upon the viewer being as fanatical about anime as she is – half the time, the references and quirky one-liners fall flat as you have not seen the latest episode of Full Metal Panic! At the same time, the humour is delivered in such a way that it avoids the characters deliberately offending the genre’s fan base; instead the series becomes part of that same joke. The supplementary ‘Lucky Channel’ segment at the end of each episode features a darker more sadistic approach to satirising J-pop icons through its bipolar host Akira Kogami, and comedy hotbox Minoru Shiraishi.
The series does not try to be anything more than what it is: a light-hearted tale of girls growing up. The humour is well placed and innocently sweet (Tsukasa believes that a sore throat is due to the fact that you breathe in from your mouth). In one episode, the girls exit from a physical exam and each (in voiceover) recounts their experience: for Konata, it’s that she’s still short; for Tsukasa, it’s that she was wearing her animal print underwear; Kagami convinces herself that her weight gain is due to the under-wiring of her bra; Miyuki simply exits smiling. The difference in their characters is poignantly addressed throughout in a very comedic side-by-side fashion that further depicts the obvious archetypes each embodies.
Lucky Star does manage to satisfy the cute, girly humour one would expect a series revolving around schoolgirls to contain. The characters are fantastically moe`, and it is obvious they have been tailored to such extensive lengths to represent fan-appealing traits - their individual personas, bubblegum-coloured hair, large eyes and quirky features all become part of the series’ running joke about anime and J-pop fandom.
Part parody, part caricature, their characterisation covers all aspects of the anime spectrum. Konata is the boyish otaku - Kagami her direct opposite; the hot-headed and emotional tsundere. The two of them are often seen arguing with one another at the fact Konata doesn’t study and loves video games. Then there is Kagami’s twin sister, the cute airhead Tsukasa, a dojikko; and the polite, walking encyclopaedia Miyuki, a typical meganekko, ironically with a fear of contact lenses. At times, the dynamics of their friendship comes across as odd. They seem a lot more infantile and prudish than their age group would suggest; they argue about studying and hobbies rather than the hormone fuelled disputes one would expect from 16-18 year olds - perhaps a deliberate intention to please and adhere to a specific audience, it is somewhat faulted and just doesn’t seem authentic, compared to their random, naturalistic banter.
At times, the random talk does irritate, and this is certainly not a series for anyone after a serious anime feature. With its simple art direction and quirky trumpet sound effects, the series is quite clearly there to be laughed at. Away from trying too hard to be funny, the show instead immerses itself in the humour it creates - each episode begins with the title ‘Kagami Yoshimizu Theater’, as each of the girls talk about getting on with the show, a subtle suggestion that the four of them are recounting their school years through film alongside the audience.
A show of incredible simplicity and charm, Lucky Star manages with a plot-less narrative to captivate from the first episode and continues with an OVA supplement to the series. With organic characters and a ton of random conversations, it really is a slice of good-natured humour. A collection of observation and pop culture later, the series never deviates from its initial purpose: to poke fun at and satirise the very constructs of anime, whilst never being afraid to be part of the joke. LF
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 2 - Volume 2
UK Release date: 28 Mar 2011
Distributor: Beez
Certificate: 15
Running time: 200 mins
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Starring: Setsuna Efu Seiei, Rokkuon Sutoratosu, Areruya Haputizumu, Tieria Āde
Genre: Anime
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Jonny Roydon
Written by Yōsuke Kuroda, who wrote the 1992 classic Tenchi Muyo! and directed by Seiji Mizushima of Fullmetal Alchemist fame. This is the 7th incarnation of Sunrise Studio’s Gundam franchise; giant robot battle suits called Gundam that each story revolves around. It originally aired in 2007/2008 and is the first Gundam series based in our own universe. It incorporates elements of present day international conflicts along with fictional additions in a tense 2307A.D. setting.
Celestial Being are on the run, desperately trying to reach their hidden asteroid base at Lagrange 3. The A-LAWS are hot on their trail, however, and mysteriously seem to know their movements. After repelling the initial attack by employing their new weapon – The Twin Driver O Raiser – Celestial Being earn a little breathing space, but are quickly drawn back into the urgent worldwide conflict when The Innovators mastermind, and secret controller of the A-LAWS, Ribbons Almark, reveals a devastating new weapon – The Memento Mori – a satellite capable of wiping out entire cities from space. On a more personal level, Setsuna finally discovers who piloted the Gundam he encountered as a child.
There are even bigger problems ahead, however, as on top of their possible mole, the city destroying satellite, and the relentless A-LAWS, Celestial Being may have no choice but to enact another intervention. This time in response to a coup that aims to overthrow the worldwide dictatorship...
This section dives straight into the action. No time is wasted getting things underway - early on the Gundam are launched and a brief but intense battle takes place, paving the way for more close quarters Gundam battles. Overall, though, the balance is tipped more towards story than action during these episodes, with the focus on revealing intrigue rather than character development.
3D effects are used a great deal, some blending seamlessly with the cell shading – in particular with the O-Raiser Twin Driver Gundam – which is rendered beautifully, creating an eye popping contrast with the other Gundam. At other times, the use of 3D is jarring and obvious, but it is easily forgiven by the fast-paced driving storyline.
The pacing is further illustrated by the lack of background detail. The focus is clearly on the front of screen action with only very brief, sparse landscapes which makes the overall artwork and – in terms of narrative - vastly differing locations blend into one in a rather flat manner. Control rooms and flight decks across the various faction’s ships and bases all look very similar and the location can often only be told by the colour of a character’s uniform. This creates a feeling of blandness that the intricate storyline can’t quite make up for. The individual character detail goes a long way in filling this gap, however. Unique personalities, personal struggles and a multitude of different agendas, even within each faction, provide a sense of realness. The drama of the inter character relations and the often bittersweet outcomes makes for intense viewing.
The battles themselves provide a good amount of tension, thanks to the engaging and fast moving storyline, yet they feel cheaply animated. Similar shots of the respective pilots in their cockpits are used throughout a clash, often bouncing from one pilot to another with only very brief images of an explosion or a weapon being fired. The action is rarely pictured from out wide, which makes it difficult to follow just who is attacking who. It even becomes difficult to tell apart the different units and factions from each other. New units joining a fray are often only introduced by a close-up of a laser firing, which creates the assumption that it was one of the current groups of soldiers. There is further confusion then when a new voice is heard and another close-up of an obscured pilot in a similar looking cockpit is displayed. They seem to simply appear on the battlefield without any indication as to where from.
The voice cast further fills the gap left by some of the poor visuals. With a few exceptions, the characters are really brought to life by the voice acting, adding to the unique personalities and intense passions, making the characters’ unique goals seem that much more believable. Genuine care is felt for the heroes’ plight and compassion, understanding, and even deference towards the antagonists is experienced. The lines between good and evil are greatly blurred, nothing is clear cut in Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
Despite the visual and artistic complaints, this is classic Gundam at its best. The storyline is intricate and involved, the characters are lifelike and unique, the action is tense and exciting and the voice acting is superb. This section of the story ends with a genuine edge-of-the-seat climactic battle on an immense scale where, in true Gundam style, the outcome is far from predictable. JR
Series: Durarara!! Vol. 1
Release date: 29th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 220 mins
Director: Shinya Kawatsura & Takahiro Omori
Starring: Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mamoru Miyano
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Based on Nyohgo Narita’s popular graphic novel series, this television version of Durarara!! is adapted by director Takahiro Omori. Omori has past experience in adapting Narita’s works, having previously overseen the television series Baccano! based on Narita’s writing in 2007.
Durarara!! revolves around the strange happenings and legends of the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo. At the behest of his popular childhood friend Masaomi Kida (Mamoru Miyano), Mikado Ryugamine (Toshiyuki Toyonaga) transfers from his hometown to the same school as Masaomi in order to pursue the excitement of big city life in Ikebukuro.
Yet Mikado gets more than he bargained for, as he crosses paths with a number of characters within this strange district. Ikebukuro is host to a number of exciting new dangers and legends, including secretive street gangs such as the ‘Dollars’ and the mysterious ‘Headless Rider’ roaming the city aboard a pitch-black motorcycle.
Upon his first day in the area, Mikado witnesses the ‘Headless Rider’ driving through the city streets; piquing his interest in Ikebukuro’s hidden depths and supernatural sights in the night time. From then on, a series of random attacks and events begin to occur on the streets of Ikebukuro, and a group known as the Yellow Scarves arises as Ikebukuro begins to crumble…
Throughout the Durarara!! series there is a multitude of interesting and often bizarre characters who interact with each other in different ways. Mikado is undoubtedly the anchor of events; witnessing the strange idiosyncrasies of Ikebukuro for the first time much in the same way as the viewer. Mikado’s quiet and modest nature contrasts with the brashness of his friend Masaomi, who is (deliberately) annoying as the ‘cool kid’ at the school who is seemingly aware of what lurks in the city.
Yet, while Mikado is the anchor of events in the series, it is the other characters with more mysterious or even supernatural elements that are the most interesting. For instance, one of the chief recurring symbols of the inherent strangeness of Ikebukuro is the legendary figure known as the ‘Headless Rider’, also known as Celty Sturluson. In episode four of the series, the murky back-story of Celty is examined for the first time, where she is referred to as a ‘dullahan’ (from the Irish myth of a headless faerie and harbinger of death).
Where at first the character appears dark and dangerous, this episode reveals another side to the creature who is constantly searching for memories held in her lost head. She shares a flat with an underground doctor, and is shown talking to her flatmate and carrying out mundane tasks while they discuss her past. If this situation sounds odd, it’s because it most certainly is – yet, oddly enough, it fits within the strange brilliance of the Durarara!! series. The ‘Headless Rider’ is revealed literally to have no head under her motorcycle helmet (instead there is a wispy black smoke like presence), and yet is still able to speak and to see “further than a normal human being.” In other circumstances, this facet of the character might be somewhat laughable, yet the character maintains a sense of mysterious allure that is seemingly inherent to the area of Ikebukuro. As a result, the viewer can buy into the story.
Indeed, the series as a whole is full of twists and turns, and bizarre (yet enthralling) events. Durarara!! also scrutinises the emotions of young people who go through seriously difficult and turbulent events; further allowing the viewer to buy into the absurdity of a world where true character emotions lie at the core. In one episode, a classmate of Mikado contemplates suicide because she becomes aware of her father’s adultery, and cannot face up to the prospect of damaging her family by acknowledging the truth. She is goaded and manipulated into almost performing an act of suicide by the dangerous Izaya Orihara (Hiroshi Kamiya), before she is prevented by the ‘Headless Rider’ with the message: “Life isn’t so bad.”
Durarara!!, then, is an anime series with a great deal of darkness and emotion at its core that improbably co-exists with some of its supernatural thriller elements, pushing the boundaries of its 12-rated UK classification.
The series is beautifully and vibrantly drawn, with the bleakness of unlit alleys and dangerous night-time areas contrasting with the vibrancy of Ikebukuro where there are masses of people under lit-up Tokyo backdrops (similarly, the masses uniquely appear as grey shadows in contrast to the vibrant colours of the main characters in each scene).
The plot can occasionally become rather bogged down and the full plethora of interwoven character stories may be hard to follow, but the series as a whole overcomes these issues through its immensely quirky charm.
This is an excellent adaptation of Nyohgo Narita’s original anime series, and it’s not hard to see why the property has been so popular (it has spawned manga comic spin-offs and a Playstation Portable game in Japan). Full of twists and turns within an often convoluted yet intriguingly odd world, Durarara!! is a highly recommended watch for anime fans. DB
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 2 - Volume 1
Release date: 29th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 220 mins
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Starring: Setsuna Efu Seiei, Rokkuon Sutoratosu, Areruya Haputizumu, Tieria Āde
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the latest incarnation of Sunrise Studios popular mecha (giant robot) series and is directed by Seiji Mizushima, director of the original Full Metal Alchemist series. Sunrise Studios are the animation studio responsible for Code Geass, which is included on many all time top ten anime lists. The Gundam franchise has seen continued success ever since the original Mobile Suit Gundam aired in Japan in 1979. This is the first Gundam series to be set in our own universe, and is centred around Earth in the 24th century. The series tackles the issue of conflict; from personal disputes to global warfare, and focuses on what would be required to end such negative interactions and unify the world under a banner of peace. Ultimately, it asks if sacrifice is necessary and even warranted in order to achieve this.
This first of three volumes of the second series takes place four years after the end of the previous series. The world has come together, somewhat, as a result of Celestial Being’s actions, but things aren’t as peaceful as Aolia Schenburg’s plans implied. The three power blocs; The Union, AEU and HRL have indeed unified under a shared banner, but the rest of the world living outside of this vast super power are still denied access to the solar energy – necessary since the oil fields have run dry – that the member nations enjoy.
The creation of the A-LAWS, a vast forty million strong autonomous peace keeping force, with their heavy handed approach and distinct lack of morals has proven to be an even greater threat to the true unification that Celestial Being was created for. So members of Celestial Being emerge from hiding, and proceed to reassemble their ranks and restore their crew to its former glory with the intention of taking up their armed interventions once more.
The nine episodes follow the members of Celestial Being as they struggle to reinstate themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Aolia Scheburg’s plan is revealed to be more complex than first anticipated, and a new organisation who seem to be pulling the strings emerges...
This series, much like the first, wastes no time in getting into the action, perhaps even too quickly, as we are dropped straight into a conflict with very little information as to what is going on. There aren’t too many new characters, but the fast pacing and similarity of character models can make it hard to follow and distinguish who is who. The characters identities can be picked up once they have been on screen a few times, however, and the story then falls into place retrospectively. The distinct lack of introduction of new characters as well as the sudden transitions into completely different situations actually serves to paint the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 universe as a living breathing world where we are just seeing the key snapshots of what is a vast story involving the entire planet.
With minimal new characters, there is plenty of scope for building upon the back-story of those already in place, and this is done satisfyingly enough. The inter relations between characters, not only the heroes, is focused upon a lot more than in the first series, and a real sense of where they are all coming from starts to emerge. Where the first series focused more on the individual pilots and their interactions with their respective colonel, this series builds on the colonels’ relationships with each other, and introduces their own superiors, bringing with it a whole host of further morality and duty issues that have more impact on the surrounding world than the pilots did before. Unlikely alliances are formed, old characters re-emerge under new guises, and a lot of the loose ends from the first series are not only tied up but strung out further in ways that are far from obvious.
This series is a lot more violent than the first one. Previously the battles were depicted in a disconnected way - the giant enemy fighting suits would be shot down or buildings would explode, but until now, there wasn’t a sense of the scale of life that would be lost in such a conflict. Here the view is much grimmer, and is often pictured from ground level, following the people who are caught up in the battles running for their lives as opposed to solely from the pilots point of view in the air.
There is plenty of in air combat, though, and new Gundam’s are introduced, as well as more advanced enemy suits and ships that put them on a much more equal footing with the Celestial Being Gundam pilots. In fact, what makes this series standout is the blurred interpretation of good and evil. On the whole, the intent of some of the organisations can be seen as wrong, but many of the characters involved in their plans are good natured and are just trying to do what they see as right. It is an interesting social commentary on war in general when the big picture can be seen alongside the frontline clashes.
In terms of technology; new weapons and fighting techniques are introduced, which increases the scope for destruction on both sides. Interestingly, as well, the meaning of the 00 in the title finally comes to light. The battles themselves, however, are somewhat disjointed. They are animated in a comic book panel style, with almost static frames containing minimal movement or simple camera zooms and pans. This, along with the fast pacing means that the brief flashes of action, drawn mostly at mid to close up, is hard to follow. It is often not until a subject’s weapon blast hits its target that it becomes clear which target they were actually shooting at. When the characters are piloting their machines, they look very similar to one another, which makes the narrative even more difficult to follow. In particular, Tierie always removes his glasses when piloting his Gundam, so when wearing a helmet and only being able to see the interior of the cockpit it is often hard to recognise it’s him.
The artwork is perfectly acceptable; the intricate details on the machines are interesting and, at times, give an impression that these giant robot suits are real weapons of war and not just science fiction. The scale of the machines is often lost, though, and despite the wide shots of a pilot entering their thirty foot machine before a mission, when in flight, it can seem they are a lot smaller in size. These faults are easily ignored, however, as the outcomes of the battles are far from obvious. With the heroes having lost fights and allies in the past, each new engagement is fresh and exciting, with clear victories, losses and frustrating stalemates being standard fair for Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Because of this, it is very exciting when the Gundam’s launch, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be just another battle that the good guys are bound to eventually win.
The story itself is very intriguing and watchable, deep relationships are formed and found along with the characters themselves receiving closure over certain issues in their own past. Moral dilemmas abound that feel closer to home than one would expect from this medium, not simply disconnected politics or science fiction, but real issues that affect us in the world today.
The basis laid down in the first series is expanded upon with more intrigue and double crossing, again a bit further up the food chain, where Celstial Being’s previous intent was quite cut and dry this time it throws up a lot of questions. The potential resolution of the story feels a lot more chaotic and uncertain with even greater and more devious plots being hatched and implemented. The plan that was being followed in the first series no longer seems that it might be the ideal the heroes thought it would be.
It’s disappointing that the real world politics used as plot devices in the first series, like mentioning the real IRA and including the United Nations, wasn’t continued in this one. There remains plenty of storyline around Azadistan (the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 version of Turkey) but only as a part of their wider universe - the specific clashes with the Kurdish – who are incidentally still called the Kurdish in this story – which brought a real sense of involvement are not mentioned. It seems it may have been used more for shock value than as a genuine part of the storyline, as this one dissolves into a more typical science fiction futuristic setting.
There is also little in the way of comic relief in this series, the tone is very serious throughout. Even the previously hilarious Patrick Corlosour, who does make an appearance, is not involved in any humorous antics. The other comedy pair, Louise and Saji, are now involved in serious matters of their own. This was a little disappointing as the jokes in series one were funny, if brief, and so these episodes do feel a little stiff.
The soundtrack is good and captures the mood perfectly, if perhaps a little repetitive, and the voice acting is of a high calibre, featuring many anime voice stars in the line up.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is an interesting and extremely enjoyable take on war, struggle, camaraderie and ultimately humanity. It is not perfect but features fast paced and genuinely tense battles that are just the right length; a plethora of character development; and a enough intrigue to keep it interesting whilst not being over complicated. With a genuinely likable cast of characters who have plenty of faults of their own, this should appeal to fans outside of the mecha genre as well. JR
The second instalment of the Japanese anime show adapted from the light novel series by Ryohgo Narita.
Since moving to a new school in Ikebukuro, where he was re-acquainted with his friend, Masaomi Kida, Mikado Ryuugamine has encountered some strange characters living in the city.
After escaping the Headless Rider, Mikado now has to deal with more supernatural beings, namely the Slasher and the Yellow Scarves gang.
Series: Durarara!!: Volume 2
Release date: 24th January 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 220 mins
Director: Shinya Kawatsura & Takahiro Omori
Starring: Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mamoru Miyano
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
The first half of the second season of the Japanese anime series set in the 24th century.
It is now 2312 AD, and four years have passed since the final battle between Celestial Being and the UN Forces. Humankind has formed an elite peace-keeping force known as the A-Laws. But this new world is still riddled with corruption and conflict, and the Gundam Meisters now prepare to make their second advent which aims to do away with global oppression once and for all.
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 2 - Volume 1
Release date: 29th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 220 mins
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Starring: Setsuna Efu Seiei, Rokkuon Sutoratosu, Areruya Haputizumu, Tieria Āde
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
The first instalment of the Japanese anime show adapted from the light novel series by Ryohgo Narita.
Fed up with his uneventful life, Mikado Ryuugamine (voice of Toshiyuki Toyonaga) jumps at the opportunity to move to a new school in the city of Ikebukuro. While there, he is re-acquainted with his friend Masaomi Kida (Mamoru Miyano), who warns him about some strange characters that live in the city, who would be best avoided.
Soon Mikado sees one of these characters, the Headless Rider, travelling on his black motorcycle, and thereafter further supernatural happenings plague the city.
Series: Durarara!!: Volume 1
Release date: 29th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 220 mins
Director: Shinya Kawatsura & Takahiro Omori
Starring: Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Mamoru Miyano
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing – Complete Collection 2/2
Release date: 23rd August 2010
Certificate: PG
Running time: 600 mins
Director: Masashi Ikeda
Starring: Ai Orikasa, Akiko Yajima, Hikaru Midorikawa
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Whilst Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, the second Gundam series, didn’t fare so well in its home country, it was immensely popular in the US when it aired on the Cartoon Network, and is considered by many the series that popularised the giant mecha-suit genre of anime.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is set far in the future in an alternate universe. Earth has conquered and colonised space, but rules its outer colonies with an iron fist.
Five scientists from different colonies each build a Gundam, a giant mobile suit made from a special alloy called Gundanium, and train a teenage boy to pilot it on a mission to disrupt Earth’s powerbase.
At first, none of the pilots are aware of each other, leading to confrontations as each goes about their separate missions.
The second box-set picks up the action where the previous episodes left off, with the various Gundam pilots – Heero, Duo, Wufei, Quartre and Trowa – split up and pulling in different directions. Wufei is forced to work as a double agent for OZ, the military wing of Earth’s government. Following the death of his father, Quartre has had a Gundam Zero built – a Gundam with a revolutionary targeting system, which has the unfortunate side effect of driving its pilot insane through prolonged use. Quartre’s battle with Heero and Wufei ends with Wufei’s Gundam destroyed, and Wufei missing presumed dead. In the meantime, the Rommefeller Organisation, which controls many of Earth’s countries as well as OZ, has pressed ahead with its decision to mass-produce Dolls – automated mobile suits. When Trieze, leader of the OZ, publicly declares his distaste, he is placed under house arrest. With the Gundam pilots and their archenemy disenfranchised, the fate of Earth lies in the balance…
There is a weird juxtaposition between the catchy, breezy theme tunes which book-end each episode, and the dark nihilistic heart that is contained within each chapter. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing’s overarching theme seems to be that whilst glory can be attained from individual battle, war itself is a dirty, confusing business, where noble causes can be left in the dust as people’s agenda’s change. The five Gundam pilots, sent out on a mission of hope at the beginning of the series, are seen as a dangerous liability by their creators by the half-way point.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is likely to be one of those TV series’ which is viewed with rose-tinted glasses – everyone remembers the striking mech design, not just the suits, but vast military hardware on display, and the beautifully rendered backdrops. What will have been forgotten is the dense plot with its cast of hundreds.
The story is pretty heavy going, with various factions appearing in the second half of the series, and previous organisations changing sides. The series thoughtfully provides two recap episodes to attempt to bring stragglers up to speed, but they are initially confusing because there is no mention that this is their intention. For those fully up to speed, however, these episodes aren’t redundant as they go over events from a fresh perspective (Relena and Trieze, respectively), painting some characters in a different light. Heero, for example, comes across as a dangerous psychopath through the eyes of Relena.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing isn’t a series you can just dip into. Taking episodes in isolation, it is sometimes difficult to register the series’ momentum with regards to its story, and the two recap episodes only help to slow things down as well.
The animation style is quite standard, especially for the period. The mech design contrasts with the stately, old fashioned uniforms and costumes, covered in lots of brocade and medals, whilst the people live in quaint villages and towns overshadowed by Fairytale castles. The various duels that take place are intercut with split-screen close-ups of the pilots spouting exposition, while the action remains a little confusing, even given the unique design of each Gundam.
Across its 49 episodes, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing delivered a complex storyline which didn’t flinch from either glorifying battle or vilifying the act of war itself. Whilst the series is dated in terms of pacing and animation style, the designs of the Gundam suits remain etched in the memory of every boy who’s seen an episode, and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing would pave the way for other, better series’, such as Macross. MOW
Film: Sword Of The Stranger
Release date: 26th July 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Masahiro Andô
Starring: Yûki Chinen, Tomoya Nagase, Akio Ôtsuka, Kyle Rideout, Naoto Takenaka
Genre: Anime
Studio: Beez
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Every now and then an anime film crosses over into the mainstream. Films like Akira, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away all enjoyed surprise commercial success internationally. Sword Of The Stranger’s achievements have been modest in comparison, but not for the want of trying.
During the Ming Dynasty, a nameless swordsman with a troubled past protects a hunted young boy as their fates lead them into the middle of a war between the Chinese and Japanese.
As the two mighty armies head for their inevitable fallout; our unlikely heroes must work together on their journey to freedom. Not easy when they don’t like each other very much. And with dissent in the ranks of the armies leading to infighting; who knows what the future will bring for this troubled land.…
At times Sword Of The Stranger may seem a little hokey; the stranger with the troubled past, the revealing flashback while a character is incapacitated, the mysterious villain who only desires a worthy opponent. Yet any cheesy idea can work if it is executed properly. Director Masahiro Ando seems to know this, and doesn’t resist using any genre convention or cliché in the book. The fact that he largely pulls it off is testament to his skill.
The camaraderie between Kotaro and No-Name is at first prickly, but as time moves on a natural kinship emerges. Surprisingly, Kotaro’s (and then No-Name’s) relationship with Tobimaru (a dog) is one of the first signs that the film is as adept with the emotions as it is with the action. Tobimaru is never used simply as a mawkish excuse for sentimentality; rather as a genuine character and part of the core protagonist group.
With so many other characters and expositions to get through in a brief hour and forty minutes, it is to the filmmakers’ credit that at no point does it feel forced or contrived. Because of this aptitude for balancing the different elements, the feeling is that a longer runtime wouldn’t go amiss. If anything, the film could do with a little extra time just to better flesh out some of the characters - Luo-Lang, for example, could thrive with more than just his archetypal motivations, and perhaps a little more time with the Chinese and Japanese camps might give a greater understanding of their rivalry and what drives them.
Fortunately, Ando knows that he is heading towards as grand a climax as one could hope for. The female warriors we see at various points throughout spring into action spectacularly, and the three main warriors (Luo-Lang, No-Name and Mr. Itadori) get their respective opportunity to shine in at least four individual moments of impressive and emotional bombast.
The most impressive element, though, is not that Ando can balance the emotion with the action, but that he can present such emotion during the action. Even secondary and hitherto unknown characters are presented with a full spectrum of emotion, even if we only see them at the time of death. And what death! The blood runs and sprays in high volumes from beginning to end, more than enough to satisfy the bloodlust of any Japanese cinema fan.
The Kurasawa influence is obvious, other inspiration can possibly also be found in Sergio Leone and Hayao Miyazaki (surely the benchmark for all modern anime), like whom Sword Of The Stranger has the crossover appeal that Princess Mononoke enjoyed thirteen years ago - it’s a shame that this isn’t the case, and that it didn’t get the Oscar nomination (it was submitted for consideration for the 2009 awards). Perhaps it’s because on the surface there is nothing here that hasn’t been seen before. It’s only when you see it that you realise just how much it stands out.
All in all, if you’re looking for an hour-and-a-half of unabashed enjoyment, or if you want to show a friend how good anime can be, you could do a lot worse than giving this a spin. SEAN
