Eureka Seven: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers Review

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(More customer reviews)Well since the only review on here is a huffy rage one-starring a really decent movie they didn't even finish I'll try to provide another perspective. I fived it just to balance the score a bit, but it's not really a perfect movie, 4 out of 5 is probably closer if you put any stock in review ratings to begin with.
Just to quickly address a point that was brought up there is indeed reused animation from the original series, but you're bound not to notice most of it anyway, as it never breaks the flow of the new narrative, and is often even reworked a bit or put into clever or amusing new contexts. Overall the art and animation is exactly what you'd expect of this studio: gorgeous, top-notch stuff, and I'm really pumped that they are actually releasing this on Blu-ray.
SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEAD
One of the most common complaints about this movie and the one that sent the other reviewer packing is that they've completely changed some of the characters. The thing is that this is done very purposefully as part of the central theme of the new story. This movie actually takes place in a parallel universe to the original series. Because of a brief glimpse into that world which occurred before the events of the movie, many of the main characters in the movie universe, who are in a bit of a dire predicament, end up following a legend based on that interaction in hopes that recreating the events that took place in the world of the original series will help solve their own problems. What they come to find out is that they have to stay true to their own unique lives and experiences and create their own legend, solve their own problems. Part of the reason the movie is so in your face about the changes to key characters is to drive this point home. It's really one of the most clever twists I've ever seen in terms of remaking a series into a movie. Unfortunately such an elaborate plot device relies a lot of talking head scenes which sort of hamper the pacing of the show, which is really probably my one and only complaint about the movie.
As a kind of aside I'm going to just say I thought the pedophilia jab at Dewey that was mentioned was actually a pretty dark and hilarious slight on his persona from the original series, where he had an army of utterly loyal children. Also Nirvash and the END in "pokemon" form are hilarious and adorable, so I really fail to see how that's a downside.
SPOILERS BEHIND SPOILERS BEHIND
Overall it's a really enjoyable movie. It's a very well animated, fun and interesting new adventure with familiar faces and interesting new personalities. Easily the best series->movie adaptation/remake I've seen. Just go into it with an open mind and you'll probably enjoy it.

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The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Complete Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)There is certain shows developed in Japan that sort of slip under the radar and upon discovering it, you kind of wonder why you didn't hear of it in the first place (Fate/Stay Night, while admittedly a show with a distinct formula and some character moments cut from the story, instantly became a favorite). Then we have something like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, a 14 episode show that quickly became a hit and could be accurately be described as a sensation. But all that hype and praise brings with it the inevitable "overrated" remarks and people not seeing the brilliance against other projects. Can Haruhi Suzumiya become a victim of its hype or is it a brilliant show regardless? I say brilliant.
In high school, it's hard to develop an identity and stand out without being an outsider but for Haruhi Suzumiya, she enjoys her offbeat sensibilities. Declaring in school that she's not interested in anyone unless they're time travellers, aliens or espers (psychics in other words), Haruhi soon is introduced to Kyon, a sardonic high school student who enjoys just not doing anything. But their world gets changed when in comes Itzuki, Yuki and Mikuru, an esper, alien and time traveller, respectively. Turns out Haruhi is seen as a sort of god-like figure who can bend the universe and possibly even destroy it and start over lest she get bored. Luckily Haruhi is quite...eccentric.
One of the more well-known factors consider the show was that the show's episodes were not presented in chronological order. While this worked in some cases such as episode 6 having all the makings of a "finale" and episode 11 which consists of Kyon narrating over a supremely amateurish movie Haruhi made makes for a unique and also bizarre premiere but then on the other hand, a 2 parter on an island vista is separated by a different episode so the cliffhanger isn't resolved until the following episode. My suggestion is to just watch the chronological order but exchange episode 14 (Kyon's trip for a heater) and 6's place and all will be well.
As for the episodes themselves, they're frequently hilarious from dialogue to Kyon's narration or Yuki's quiet badassness/bookish tendencies and just scenes played straight for comedy or using the moe conventions of nurse/maid/catgirl outfits for humor. But the main plot is also interesting and while Yuki's explanation of Haruhi's existence from her perceptive is Evangelion-level confusing complete with screen-filling text, it's quite intriguing and the idea that the world can literally revolve around you makes for good storytelling. Some episodes are generally good with at least one cool scene while others such as an arts festival, a computer battle or the hilarious baseball episode are definate highlights.
Will everyone like it? Maybe. Some people prefer the romance hilarity found in Love Hina while others are into more lighthearted affairs like Fruits Basket but I loved the show and can't wait for an inevitable second season and I heartily recommend you try the show out.

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I thought that when I entered high school, my days of believing in aliens, time travelers and ESPers were going to be over. That is until she introduced herself. Claiming to be interested in only aliens, time travelers, and ESPers, Haruhi Suzumiya was the strangest girl I ve met in a long time. Before I knew what s going on, I ve been dragged into her weird club, and it looks like I m not the only one who has been drafted into this SOS Brigade of hers, because there are three other students who don t seem to be so ordinary themselves. Either way we ve all found ourselves caught up in Haruhi s quest to search for all things extraordinary. And what s this I hear about us making a movie?

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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 1 (Limited Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the better Anime's to come out in the states and get air time on TV. The show appears on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim due to it's graphic violence. I am sure though that if you are looking at getting this set you probably are already watching it. This is probably the best buy for getting the episodes. This set includes volumes 1 and 2 or episodes 1-9. The set also includes volume one of the Manga, OST 1, and what is best described as a radio show containing the characters on a cd. It also includes 3 booklets over the shows main characters with interviews from the creators. The case itself is sturdy with artwork on all sides and on the interior. If you live in a major city I would suggest picking this up from Best Buy as it is a little bit cheaper, not much though. If you are going to have it shipped than amazon would be the best bet.

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On August 10th of the year 2010 the Holy Empire of Britannia began a campaign of conquest, its sights set on Japan. Operations were completed in one month thanks to Britannias deployment of new mobile humanoid armor vehicles dubbed Knightmare Frames. Japans rights and identity were stripped away, the once proud nation now referred to as Area 11. Its citizens, Elevens, are forced to scratch out a living while the Britannian aristocracy lives comfortably within their settlements. Pockets of resistance appear throughout Area 11, working towards independence for Japan. Lelouch, an exiled Imperial Prince of Britannia posing as a student, finds himself in the heart of the ongoing conflict for the island nation. Through a chance meeting with a mysterious girl named C.C., Lelouch gains his Geass, the power of the king. Now endowed with absolute dominance over any person, Lelouch may finally realize his goal of bringing down Britannia from within! Ltd Edition contains Collectors Artbox, Gode Geass OST 1, Code Geass Sound Drama 1, and Manga.

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The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Volume 1 (Limited Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very orginal and creative title. When I watched the imports, it gave me a fresh interest in old steriotypes. You got the logical alien, the sexy timetraveler, the omipotent being who can destroy the universe, and the annoying esper who knows everything that you want to punch in the face. All this amazing adventures takes place in a high school drama setting.
Basically a guy nicknamed as Kyon just recently matured enough to relise there is nothing special about his life, a completely normal boy who goes to school. This all changes when he meets Haruhi Suzumiya, who is obessed with the paranormal and everything else you find in a Otaku(crazy fan), and utterly bored with her life in general. Because of certain series of events, Kyon is conscripted in start a club with Suzumiya called the SOS brigade. The club is has no real purpose except to solve mysteries and discover paranormal activities. Ironiclly an alien, timetravler, and a esper join the group in disguise revealling there nature and motive to Kyon; the only normal person in the club. All three of them inform Kyon that Suzumiay unknowingly is the a powerful being that can reshape reality to her will. Their mission to keep Suzumiya occupied with fun activities, with the alternative being the destruction of autoevolution/time line/universe.
The main story arc actally takes a back seat, with mainly just drama/comedy antics you find in many anime. there was no real action for the most part, but I couldn't stop watching until I finished it in one day. The main character Kyon with is pessimistic outlook on life, and is tentency to notice plot holes, and maintain a dry sense of humor; made me identiy with him easilly. The animation is high quality in my opinion, and the music.....is abolutely amazing! I spent half the day just listening to the ending credits!
So in short the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a good well rounded title that has everything a anime newbie would like, but still give someing new for those long time otakus.

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The annual school culture festival has begun and with it comes the debut of Haruhi's surreal film! Who did she threaten this time to have her movie shown? More importantly what other event has she schemed up and what impact will it have on the rest of the SOS Brigade? At least I've got Mikuru and the cosplay cafe to look forward to, but perhaps someone should explain to Yuki that fortune-telling isn't about eerie accuracy! The computer club counter-attacks! After Haruhi extorted the club's president for their best computer challenge the SOS Brigade to a not so friendly strategy game. How are we going to win when our chief's strategy doesn't exist? We should just raise the white flag and give up. Can we win without the help of Yuki's bogus magic or will defeat drive Haruhi into a world-ending rampage? It is a slow day for us in the club room, that is until Haruhi arrives. She's somehow managed to swindle a heater from one of our movie's sponsors. I hope Mikuru's okay while I'm forced to make the exhausting trek in the rain to retrieve it. What bizarre activity while I'm gone? Limited Edition includes Haruhi iron-on, SOS pillow case, pencil board, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya CD Haruhi No Tsumewawase, Vol. 1, and Limited Edition Box.Also includes a bonus DVD that contains episodes 11-14 in original TV broadcast order! Genre: Comedy/ Action.

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Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been watching Gundam since Mobile Suit Gundam came out and this series like the original takes place in Universal Century. However if you are new to Gundam I wouldn't start with this series which is sad to say.
The positives are really positive. I have never seen an anime more polished than Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn period. It's like the art pops out at you with amazing color and animation. The movement of the mobile suits really sucks you in like you're on the battlefield. You get longer episodes it appears and it has more than enough story and action to keep you wanting more. However that's just the problem.
The negative is that this series is being released one episode at a time. 57 minutes of viewing pleasure, but the price of the average full length movie and a little extra. Also episode two isn't around the corner it's a few months away. Worldwide releases for the DVD and Blu-Ray, but you won't want to watch it in anything less than HD.
So what about extras, well you will get them as long as you have a Blu-Ray player connected to the internet. All the extras are accessed through BD-Live. So techniquelly it has the potential for plenty of extras, but you may have to wait as not much is up already and once again without an internet connection you are out of luck.
For fans this is more than likely worth every penny. It takes place after the events of Char's Counterattack and is not a side story like many of the Gundam's previously released in the U.S. Bright has already been mentioned, so my assumption is he's going to make an appearence in the series before long. They've also mentioned the main character's Haro is an exact replica of an Ace Pilot from the war.
Other than that I really don't want to give away much of the story, but it has the normal Gundam series of events. As me and my friends say, "Welcome to Gundam". Your friends at school got killed in a new war that just happened to be in or around your colony, "Welcome to Gundam". You're a teenager who has a difficult home life or your a troubled child who is now piloting a mobile suit, "Welcome to Gundam". Anyway this happens in pretty much every Gundam series. It's kind of funny and a little sad, but it's true. Of course there are exceptions, but this is what you can expect.
So I say it's geared to the fans who want a Gundam experience unlike any other. My guess is the distance between episodes is the fact that it probably takes months to even finish one episode seeing as how it's like it's own movie. So you will get animation and the feel of something that takes that long to make. The characters and story even flow in seemless motion sucking you right in from start to finish.
To be honost this is probably an expensive project and you pay for it. For fans like me I'm sure that initial fee was or is worth it. I did take off one star for the set-up, but I do believe they have valid reasons as to why. So if you have been with Gundam for awhile I really recommend it or if not try to find Mobile Suit Gundam which is actually kind of difficult.
With this release I can only hope Bandai of America releases ZZ Gundam in the U.S. I have a feeling we will run into characters from all through out U.C. which means Judua could likely make an appearance.

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The year is U.C. 0096. Three years have passed since the end of the Second Neo Zeon War.It is said that the Vist Foundation manipulates the Earth Federation and Anaheim Electronics from behind the scenes. Hoping to create a new world, the Foundation attempts to hand over a certain secret to the Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves. This will mean the opening of Laplaces Box, which holds a great secret tied to the origins of the Universal Century.The exchange between the Vist Foundation and the Sleeves is to take place at the manufacturing colony Industrial 7. This is the home of the student Banagher Links, who rescues a girl he sees falling through the colony's zero gravity area. The girl gives her name as Audrey Burne and says she wants to prevent a war, spurring Banagher to step into the conflict surrounding Laplaces Box, almost as if he is drawn in by his own bloodline.Based on a story by author Harutoshi Fukui, the newest Gundam work dynamically unfolds against the backdrop of the Universal Century. It all begins with this first shocking episode.

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Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 1, Part 1 SE Review

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(More customer reviews)I really enjoyed the first season of this and I am currently watching the second season which will end in about 1-2 weeks concluding this fantastic series. Anyways back the the the main topic. This series has arguably the best animation in a Gundam series ever and the first to be produced in wide screen HD format. The mech designs are all unique and colorful, The character developement is also well played and the story is quite solid. I could not compare this series to Gundam Wing even though they share similarities to each other. But each have their own twists and settings and characters. Overall if you are a mecha fan or Gundam fan I highly recommend this series. I'm positive you will not regret it.

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Cowboy Bebop Remix Complete Collection (Anime Legends) Review

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(More customer reviews)Look up the word `cool' in any dictionary and it says "see Cowboy Bebop"...well, not really...but it should, because Cowboy Bebop is the quintessence of coolness. If you don't already know, Bebop is a stylish 26-session masterpiece chronicling the thrilling triumphs and tribulations of those space-sailing, chain-smoking, bounty-hunting buddies, Jet Black and Spike Spiegel. Jet is a bald and burly bonsai tree collector with an artificial left arm and a comma-shaped piece of metal under his scarred right eye. A former ISSP officer--known on his home satellite, Ganymede, as the tenacious "Black Dog"--Jet is now the owner/pilot/mechanic of the spaceship Bebop. The wiry gunfighter and martial arts master, Spike, has fuzzy green hair, mismatched eyes and a checkered past. These two intrepid space "cowboys" hop from one astral gate to another to hunt down wanted criminals all across the galaxy, hoping to earn enough woolongs to enable Jet to finally add some actual beef to his famous "Bell Peppers and Beef" stir-fry. In Session 2, Spike and Jet rescue a Welsh Corgi "data-dog" named Ein from the notorious pet thief, Abdul Hakim. In Session 3, they meet up with an unscrupulous Blackjack dealer who turns out to be the infamous yellow-clad femme fatale, Faye Valentine. And in Session 9, they meet an androgynous red-headed net-diver with an occasionally invisible nose who calls herself Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky, IV. Only by working together can this motley little crew of hungry hunters overcome the ruthless gangsters, senile chess players, broken showers, biting mutants and bad mushrooms that stand in their way as they attempt to nab the endless lineup of bad guys profiled daily on Punch and Judy's Big Shot television show.
Cowboy Bebop showcases phenomenal jazz music and exquisitely detailed animation that perfectly captures the mean streets and spaceways of a future world that's simultaneously strange and familiar, with technology that's grungy and realistic (like the hardware of the original Star Wars trilogy) and a uniquely multi-cultural cornucopia of characters. Unlike most animes, Bebop is primarily episodic, so the shows can be enjoyed individually, without requiring the viewer to watch the entire series in one sitting. My personal favorite is the suspense-filled horror spoof, "Toys In the Attic," which opens with red-tinged video footage of a dingy tunnel, reminiscent of the long-forgotten Sega CD game, Sewer Shark.
The "Remix" of Cowboy Bebop allows you to hear the unforgettably exhilarating opening theme, Tank! (as well as the rest of the exquisitely-scored soundtrack), in speaker-rattling Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. This affordably-priced Anime Legends set collects the entire Bebop series (not the movie) on six colorfully silk-screened DVDs. A plethora of special features are included, among them: three English-language trailers for Cowboy Bebop on DVD; four Cartoon Network promos; interviews with Wendee Lee, the voice of Faye Valentine and Cartoon Network producer, Sean Akins; subtitled commentary on Session 1 with the Japanese voices of Spike and Jet, Koichi Yamadera and Unshou Ishizuka; commentary on Session 5 and 10 with Wendee Lee and ADR producer, Yutaka Maseba; a laughter-filled commentary on Session 17 with director, Shinichiro Watanabe, and legendary composer, Yoko Kanno; Session 24 commentary with the Japanese Faye, Megumi Hayashibara, and the Japanese Ed, Aoi Tada; a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Cowboy Bebop, called Session 0; plus a music video featuring the full-length version of Tank! Audio options consist of the aforementioned Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in both English and Japanese, as well as the original English and Japanese Stereo tracks. The ONLY downside to this release is that all six discs are awkwardly crowded into one plastic keepcase, each held in place with tiny tabs that are easily broken. Shucks howdy, this is an anime collection that would even satisfy those crotchety old geezers, Antonio, Carlos, and Jobim. So come out of your cryogenic sleep and order yours today! Highly recommended to all animation fans, cop show fans, jazz enthusiasts and corgi owners. "Once the channel is set, you will no longer be able to escape!"

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The crew of the Bebop is once again ready to take control of space, bringing bad guys to justice and trying to make some cash while doing it. Join the always cool Spike, investigative genius Jet, the fabulous Faye, the amazing (but weird) Ed and the super-smart Welsh Corgi named Ein as they try to make a buck in the year 2071. How do they do it? They re bounty hunters. But then again, you probably wouldn t be reading this if you didn t already know that...Now, for the first time in North America the entire Cowboy Bebop Remix series in one package!!!

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The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)After the enormous success of the 1st season of Haruhi Suzumiya many including myself couldn't wait for the second season. But unfortunately fans would be waiting for 3 years for the second season. Was it worth the wait? That's up to you to decide.
If you are not familiar with the series or read the novels you must keep in mind that the 2nd season is intertwined with the 1st season. So some of the story lines in the 2nd season will shed light on a few things that happened in the 1st season.
By now many have heard about the infamous Endless Eight arc in the second season but let's put that aside for now. The season starts off with Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, which is a very important episode and storyline in the Haruhi Saga. It's the first time we get to see Mikuru use her time traveling powers as she and Kyon must travel back in time 3 years. After they accomplish their mission the duo find that they are stranded and must find a way back home, which they do in a very interesting way.
Next is the Endless Eight storyline. Love it or hate it, E8 is a very important arc in the series. The SoS Brigade get stuck in a timeloop during their summer vacation and Kyon must figure out why Haruhi doesn't want their summer vacation to end.
The E8 arc is told in 8 episodes that are essentially the same but slightly different in tone, acting & mood. E8 also sees the growth of two characters, Nagato seems to be developing emotions & Kyon takes a step forward to being an active member of the SoS Brigade instead of a bystander.
The remaining episodes are dedicated to the Sigh arc, which is the making of the movie from the 1st season. You will find out why Nagato tackled Mikuru, why the cat started talking, what's the deal with Mikuru's different colored eyes & ultimately who put it all together!!
It is during these last few episodes that provide the darkest moments in the series to date. Kyon & Haruhi have a epic confrontation over, "creative differences" that threatens the world. Of course it is up to Kyon once again to find a way to tame Haruhi and put things back in order.
The animation is top notch once again, especially during the darker moments of the series. There is great dramatic lighting during the Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, the night scenes of E8 and during the confrontation in Sigh.
The music is not as memorable as 1st season but Superdriver (the opening song) and Tomare (the ending song which means Stop) are energetic & catchy enough to be heard & watched over and over. I found the best score part to be at the resolution of the E8 arc.
I look forward to the English dub of the 2nd season. I am very curious as to how Wendee Lee, Crispin Freeman & Michelle Ruff will handle the E8 arc and the confrontation. Of course the Japanese va's are excellent as well.
In the end I wanted to really love the 2nd season of Haruhi, but I was found wanting a better effort from the stories. Personally, I felt the E8 arc should've been two episodes. I would've like to have seen a more fleshed out Sigh arc because it felt rushed. Then I really would've liked to have seen a set up of the Disappearance storyline.

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Haruhi continues her search for exciting ways to keep her world from being boring. Unfortunately, for Kyon and the rest of the SOS Brigade, they are forced to go along for the ride. On the night of the Tanabata Star Festival, Kyon is transported back in time by Mikuru Asahina to what may be the source of what led Haruhi to search for aliens, time travelers and espers.In the last two weeks of summer vacation, Haruhi leads the brigade on a dizzying list of summer time activities that leads the brigade into experiencing what they think is dejavu but they're actually re-living the same two weeks of summer over and over again. It's up to Kyon to figure out what's missing to get them out of this endless loop.As fall rolls around, everyone prepares for the school arts festival, but Haruhi isn't content with their class's survey project. She, instead, hatches her own plan for the SOS Brigade to film and screen their own. Step behind the camera to see what went on to create the cinematic 'masterpiece' that is The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00.

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