Film Review: Mind Game

Continuing my posts centered around the works of anime director Yuasa Masaaki, today I wish to talk about the film that served as Masaaki's directorial debut back in 2004. Let's take a look at Mind Game.

Mind Game tells a simple story about a man named Nishi who runs into his childhood friend Myon- the woman he has loved all his life- only to learn she is soon to be married. While getting a free dinner at Myon's family's restaurant, Nishi meets Myon's fiance and comes to terms with him, accepting that he is probably the right man for Myon. However, things go awry when two mafiosos enter the restaurant looking for Myon's father. In the ensuing struggle between one of the mafiosos ruffing up the place and Nishi "attempting" to protect Myon from being raped, Nishi is shot through the anus and killed. However, after a meeting with God and being given a second chance at life, Nishi comes back and successfully saves Myon and her sister from the mafia. Nishi comes back with a new, invigorated stance on life: "Live life to the fullest, and don't live in regret!" 

The rest of the film's plot revolves around Nishi accidentally driving a car with Myon and her sister into a whale while fleeing from the mafia. Inside the whale they start a new life with an old man who has been trapped there for over 30 years. Here they learn more about themselves as the film dives deep into each of the character's psyches while showcasing some of the most strange but brilliant visual pornography I've ever seen. 

So why is the film worth your time and what is it really trying to say? A work by Masaaki senpai can't be as simple and mindless as a dude getting a second chance at life and getting trapped in a whale right!?!? Well yea...you're right. 

I'd like to first talk about the artistic direction of the show. Put out by Studio 4 degrees C, Mind Game has some of the most visually impressive scenes I've seen in an anime film. When Nishi meets God, God's physical form literally changes over a hundred times. This must have been extremely annoying (and is equally impressive) to pull off at the time, constantly having a new hand-drawn image on screen, every two seconds or so. Other equally impressive moments on the visual spectrum include the escape sequence towards the end of the film and the montage that shows the back stories of each character that plays at both the beginning and end of the film. Lastly, it's worth mentioning that a cool technique Masaaki utilizes in the film are segments in which the animated characters suddenly display the faces of an actual person. This blending of animation and reality is really cool and executed in a way that adds  more depth and emotion to the characters's dialogue and actions. 

The film's ultimate goal seems to lie with having viewers walk away with the message that no matter how our lives may play out, we must never live in regret. Live your life to the fullest and don't sit ideally by as time passes away. Live for the moment and follow your passions! This sense of grand positivity, even if you didn't buy into anything else this fantastic film offers viewers, is something I feel anyone can relate to and appreciate. 

*Did I mention the film's musical director was Shinichiro Watanabe btw ;)

Masaaki's directorial debut was a strong one back in 2004. Mind Game is a visual marvel with a minimalist approach to storytelling that I would highly recommend to anyone remotely interested in this film. 

The next review of Masaaki's work will probably be on his show "Kaiba" so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off

Film Score: 9/10

A Dark Retelling of Romeo and Juliet vs Conceptual Madness (the Visual Diarrhea Dream) : A Look at Kemonozume

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (or The Tatami Galaxy) is one of my all time favorite animes. It's unorthodox and stylistic art style had such a profound effect on me that I grew to love how weird it really looked. Since then, I was impressed all over again when I saw the brilliant Ping Pong: the Animation last season that utilized the same strange art style. It was here that I finally made the connection that both shows were directed by the brilliantly talented Yuasa Masaaki. Masaaki is an anime director who prides himself with fantastic original scripts (ping pong being his first adaptation) and the use of strange art directions in his shows. Having loved both Tatami and Ping Pong, I've decided it was about time to go back and check out all of Masaaki's work. As such, this is the first of a few more reviews I intend to do on his work as he is quickly becoming one of my favorite anime directors of all time. Anyways, without further delay let's take a look at the show Kemonozume. (Warning: I intend to speak about specific moments from the show, spoiler alert)

Kemonozume is a very strange show to talk about. It's even harder to recommend to most people and explain exactly what it is I like so much about it. Back in 2006 when it was first released, it was regarded as a very experimental and "out there" kind of show. Most certainly one that stood out from all of its competition at the time. At its core, Kemonozume is a sort of retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The story revolves around a world where humans are plagued by creatures known as "Flesh Eaters." These Flesh Eaters bear the appearance of normal humans, but at any time can transform into large (almost shark-like) beasts with large arms that consume humans. With the rise of such a threat in the world, there exists a secret society of swordsmen who have existed for generations known as the Kifuuken Organization. The Kifuuken's soul purpose is to eradicate Flesh Eaters and protect humanity from being consumed. 

Main character Toshihiko Momota is the next heir of the Kifuuken dojo that his father runs. However, after meeting a woman named Yuka and falling in love with her (love at first sight), he elopes with her only to find out that she is a Flesh Eater. However, this doesn't stop Toshihiko from loving her all the same and running away from his former allies, his responsibilities to the Kifuuken, and his fiance (his childhood freind Rie). It is from this simple plot that Masaaki weaves together a show that contains a lot of gore, sex, and violence that helps to flesh (hehehe) out a central theme that may be missed by viewers when watching this show in its entirety. A theme I will talk about momentarily... But first let's talk a little about the show's strengths and weaknesses.

The show's plot structure is a strong one in my opinion. A complete absence of plot holes, a satisfying conclusion, and excellent pacing for the most part (it does get a little slow towards the second half) scaffold the show to reach its insane climax. The blending of genres such as drama, horror, and comedy also mix brilliantly at times that make for a more enjoyable viewing experience. Yet, despite all its strengths, I can acknowledge why many people might come to view this show in a negative light. Many reviews I've read for this show find Toshihiko to be a poor protagonist whose concupiscent motives and desires make him a one dimensional character who is unlikable. However, while lust does play a factor into Toshihiko's motives I would make the argument that his development throughout the show, and the trials he's subjected to (being tempted to have sex with Rie, being mentally tortured, and having to participate in many battles he'd rather avoid) lend for the creation of a character who is equal parts multi-layered and relatable. The artwork is another pedestal that gives grounds to the negative views towards this show. The artwork is intentionally portrayed in a weird and "bad" (a term I hear a lot when people talk about Masaaki's shows) way which ultimately lends to the stylish edge of the show. However, in the end art style is subjective, thus you either hate it or like it. Lastly, many people feel the show loses meaning towards the end as Masaaki presents viewers with quite possibly one of the most insane antagonists I've seen in anime yet. Add in some strange, trippy, sexual, and violent imagery, and you got yourself a recipe that either allows for the view that the show is a stylistic, visual marvel or a dark,edgy mess. I side with the former, but that's only because I can appreciate what Masaaki is trying to portray as he strays away from the norm. That being said, let's talk a little about some of the deeper themes that this strange show tries to communicate. 

First off, I'd like talk about the title of the show which translates to, "The Beast Claw." Around episode 4-5 after copious conjectures are made about the identity of Toshihiko's father's murderer, we learn about the parents of the main characters' pasts. It is here we learn of the ancient technique that is passed down through generations to the Kifuuken known as...you guessed it...Kemonozume.  Kemonozume has to be the most metal technique I've seen in all of anime. Should a person find himself in a desperate situation or a battle he/she simply cannot win, then the Kemonozume is an option that can be opted for. The technique entails that you cut off the hands of a Flesh Eater, then cut off your own hands, so that you can have the Flesh Eater's hands become your new hands, thus granting you power akin to a Flesh Eater. However, should the Flesh Eater's arms reject the human host, terrible consequences can ensue. We see many successful attempts at the technique throughout the show and it almost poses the notion that humans when presented with a threat will go to any lengths in order to overcome said threat. Going back to defending the character of Toshihiko, I honestly expected him to use the technique towards the end of the show. Yet, my expectations were shambled as he courageously refuses to use the technique and participate in all the corruption that consumed his former allies and even his father. I appreciate how this shows tries to present the flaws of the human condition while allowing for viewers to think further and question what they would do in situations similar to the characters in this show. Another big theme I feel viewers tend to miss in this show is that of showing how mankind's natural desire to love and prosper is often sabotaged by its very own bestiality and self-destructiveness. While this is certainly not a new theme for anime, (looking at you Jin-Roh: the Wolf Brigade, Texhnolyze, and Now and Then, Here and There) I feel it's presented in a way that only strengthens an already bizarre, grotesquely humorous, and largely riveting narrative. 

So...did I like Kemonozume? Yes.. I liked it a lot. However, I certainly recognize that it is a show that will not resonate with everyone (especially those who can't take depictions of gore and sex). As such it's hard for me to really recommend this show to other people.  However, seeing as creative approaches to animation serve as my desiderata when it comes to anime along with cool/original plots, I have so far been extremely satisfied with the works of Yuasa Masaaki. I intend to write about his other works too so if you've enjoyed this post stay tuned for more. I hope I can raise at least some positive attention to this cooky show. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day. 

-Nights Off

For Those of you About to Sword Art Online.....Check This Out Instead

Today I finally finished watching Sword Art Online 2 and I have to say that Reki Kawahara's show is bastardizing a genre that I feel has a lot of potential and can be quite enjoyable (when done right). With trillions of plot holes, horrible exposition scenes, nonsensical thematic diarrhea moments, and outrageous concepts that I can't believe its fans buy into, Sword Art Online 2 may possibly be one of the worse sequels to a popular show I've ever seen (let alone a bad popular show). It's a shame that a show that tried to do the "people trapped in an MMO" genre presented itself in such an abysmal way. Yet for what it's worth, it seems that all studio A-1 has to do to sell a show is present a sort of cool concept, throw in a good art style, and some cool animated fighting scenes. It truly befuddles me that Sword Art Online is as popular as it is but I'm here to offer some potential alternatives that I feel one should consider if you find yourself so compelled to watch this disaster of a show.

For those of you who simply want a better version of Sword Art Online that does the trapped in an MMO genre justice, albeit a bit more dialogue-centric and political; look no further than the brilliant Log Horizon (which currently is airing it's second season and a show I intend to write about more extensively at a later date). It's a smart and fun show that I feel is the best example of a show taking place in an MMO game.

Log Horizon

For those of you who want a show with amazing artwork/visuals, fantastic fight scenes, and some very fleshed out and interesting themes, check out Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I'd like to think that Sword Art Online has become a new generation entry-level anime. Full Metal Alchemist is another entry level anime that I feel truly deserves all the praise it has gotten over the years and really serves as a fine example of what anime really has to offer. 

If you're still craving the MMO setting than perhaps the .Hack series (the series that basically started the whole trapped in an MMO genre) is a better suited flavor. Of each entry in the series I think the the two very best include .Hack//Quantum (a short 3 episode OVA series that's fun as hell) and .Hack//Roots.

If you're more of a manga reader, perhaps check out Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (aka Shield Bro) that deals with an every day guy being sent into a video game and tells a dark story with a lot of twists. It's certainly more well thought out than Sword Art Online. 

If you're looking for some amazing fight scenes that spout some fantastic choreography and direction then check out the OVA series Read or Die (R.O.D.) or Mashahiro Ando's amazing film Sword of the Stranger (my personal favorite anime film). 

Lastly, if you're craving a strong romantic sub plot (better than Kirito x Asuna or Kirito x Rejected women who like Kirito club) interweaved in a show taking place in a sci-fi world with strong themes of fantasy, science, and religion than check out the classic Eureka Seven.

This post was mainly created out of frustration that Sword Art Online has sky rocketed in popularity to the point that some even consider it to be "the best anime of all time." I've even heard the same people claim that "there are no other shows like this one." As such, such outrageous claims have led to this post that will hopefully convince people that there are indeed a copious amount of shows that exist that are like Sword Art Online and are arguably 100 times better. I get a lot of hate from people for hating on this show but it's simply my opinion. At the very least, I just wish that these people obsessed with Sword Art Online would give other shows such as the ones listed above a chance before passing off Sword Art Online as "the greatest thing in anime right now." Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day. 

-Nights Off

Thank You For Allowing us to Love You: A Look at Donten ni Warau

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for stories taking place during the Sengoku era, the Meiji era, or having anything to do with samurai. Some of my favorites including shows such as Rurouni Kenshin, Nobunaga Concerto, Samurai 7, and Takehiko Inoue's brilliant manga Vagabond. Something about traditional and old school Japan simply appeals to me on a simplistic level. Today's (spoiler free) anime that I'd like to talk about is a shoujo manga adaptation from Funimation Entertainment set in the Meiji Era.

Donten ni Warau or "Laughing Under the Clouds," is an emotional ride that actually had me crying more times than I actually expected. Another hidden gem amongst 2014's last season, Donten tells a simple story revolving around the powerful themes of family and love. It's main plot revolves around Japan's struggles to keep down crime while fighting an ancient supernatural serpent known as the Orochi that possess a human vessel every 600 hundred years. It showcases many different families and their roles in this fight throughout the ages and it's pretty damn cool. Spouting a cast of some of the most likable characters with satisfying development, the show also greatly appeals to many with its abundant and diverse character archetypes. The three main protagonists are the Kumou brothers who are in charge of guarding a sacred, ancient family temple in the heart of a countryside village in a slowly-becoming-modern Japan. The three brothers are as follows:

1.) Tenka Kumou (aka Meiji era Kamina)

Tenka is the oldest brother (age 24) of the Cloud brother trio and is easily one of the most likable characters of all of anime 2014. Tenka is a powerful man who has won the love and respect of everyone from his village and has gone through many lengths to keep his brothers safe and free of any burdens. Taking on all the pain and burdens of his past, family, and responsibilities Tenka has tried his best to not allow his younger brothers to feel pain and to grow up in a world that they can smile and laugh in. Raising both his brothers himself, (with the fact that we find out his mother and father are dead at the beginning of the show) Tenka has tried his best to instill positive and humble life lessons to his brothers so that they can grow into happy and productive guardians of the Kumou temple. Maybe I'm just a sucker for good family relationship in shows, but I can't stress enough that Tenka spearheads quite possibly the greatest one I've seen in all of anime 2014.

2.) Soramaru Kumou

Living under his older brother's shadow, Soramaru is the second oldest brother (age 16) who wishes to prove himself and become just as strong as Tenka. Soramaru is the character that the show puts a heavy focus on in terms of his development. Having repressed memories of a tragic event that occurred in his early childhood, Tenka has sought to hide this pain from Soramaru by teaching him to smile and laugh even in the face of sadness. His development as a character is very satisfying by the show's conclusion and I was surprised by how well Sora drives most of the emotional baggage that hits viewers like a truck in this show.

3.) Chuutarou Kumou

Calling everyone sir for some reason, Chuutarou is the third and youngest (age 12) of the Cloud brother trio. While initially depicted as a helpless child who relies on and always needs the help of his two older brothers, Chuutarou also gets some satisfying development by the show's conclusion. He's also the driving force of a lot of the comedy in the show.

-Throw in mages, a cool police force, a demonic familiar, an ancient ninja clan, and a one handed swordsman who is the reincarnation of a man from 600 years ago and you got a really cool cast of characters.

Donten's charm lies in it's humble portrayal of family and it's great pacing that allows for viewers to be emotionally invested in it's cast of characters. With a crisp hand drawn art style, good choreography in fight scenes, and an awesome soundtrack this show should not be missed. It's a show that makes you cry and tears at your emotions but leaves you with a very satisfying conclusion. 

At the end of the day, it's how we spent our time amongst those we love that allow us to look back on our lives and make a judgement of satisfaction once we reach old age. 

Me trying to get all sappy and philosophical aside, I hope that I've sparked some interest in this brilliant show without giving too much away. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day. 

-Nights Off

Link to MAL: http://myanimelist.net/profile/NightsOff27

Magic Armor and Badass Fathers: A Look at Garo

Where there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns...yet by the blade of Knights, mankind was given hope. -Opening line of the Garo TV series

Winter 2014 for me personally was an anime season convoluted with fantasy-based shows. That being said, usually I'm lead to believe that I will inevitably come across at least one or two fantasy animes that are horribly written, feel generic, or filled with stereotypical tropes. Garo Honō no Kokuin or Garo: the animation, was one of these shows that I went into this season expecting some lame, generic fantasy tale about knights. Boy was I pleasantly surprised about how much I ended up really liking this show. Starting off with possibly the most metal birth scene in all of anime from the very get go, Garo is a show done by studio MAPPA. It's another high risk, high quality project that the studio has taken on this year along with other shows such as Shingeki no Bahamut: Gensis and Zankyou no Terror. Studio MAPPA has easily become one of my favorite studios this year if only for these three shows. But anyways, let's talk a bit about this hidden gem of a show.

Garo by no means is a ridiculously original story. Hell it's so dedicated to the the idea of the hero's journey that one can't help but say, "hey wait, I've seen this before!" Yet, where Garo really shines is in its confident and effective storytelling while showcasing the hero's journey in a way that feels equal parts unique and relatable.

I do think that the source material (which is altered a bit in the anime) and its core thematic components do play a large part in Garo's thematic flavor. For those who are not familiar with Garo, it is a Japanese tokusatsu (live action) series. So in that regard, it is in fact comparable to shows such as Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and even Power Rangers. However, the main difference lies in the show's target audience. While the former franchises are geared towards children and marketing certain products, (usually toys) Garo occupies a steadily shrinking niche market of dark tokusatsu , which repackages the the classic superhero tale for adults, pulling fewer punches with unsavory characters, graphic violence, and fantastical horror.

I think a misconception that tends to arise with the idea of superheroes or heroes in general is that only children have an interest in such things or need such heroes to save them. But in reality, adults like the idea of heroes too. We all need someone to save us. And as Garo tries to show: adults need heroes that are just as broken and complicated as us while having issues that we can really relate to on a humanistic level.

The protagonists of this show embody this idea of complicated and broken heroes. Leon Luis is a makai knight (the order of knights in this show that don magical armor and fight human-turned-monster creatures known as horrors) who is very young compared to his counterpart in the live-action series. Leon is a character who wishes to prove himself as the golden knight Garo but seems to be rather unstable with the power he has obtained. He is mentored by his womanizing and badass father German who is a seasoned makai knight that provides a lot of the humor and energy to this show. We can't help but feel bad for Leon as he harbors a deep bitterness in his heart and carries a heavy burden as Garo. He's killing horrors along with his father out of necessity and not so much for a duty he has to protect mankind. It is this interesting inversion of the typical path of the hero that makes Garo a brilliant story. Leon has plenty of reasons to feel the way he does and yet German tries to foster genuine development in his son to make him both an honorable man and knight. The father and son relationship depicted in this show feels believable and is executed well enough for viewers to care about Leon and German. One thing I think is pretty cool and humorous is how German and Leon seem to have radically different views on certain matters such as women. Where German will try to have sex whenever and wherever he can, Leon seems to subscribe to a more prudish demeanor and spout traditionalist/romantic views of relationships with women.  

Garo is the kind of show where you can get as much out of it as you'd really like. It's certainly got plenty of action, and plays on more character archetypes than your average fantasy show, but it also surprisingly raises important questions on human nature. Funny how stories show that monsters tell us more about people than they often do themselves.

The horrors depicted in this show come in all shapes and sizes and their very existence help to bolster this idea of humans being comparable to monsters. Leon hates horrors as much as any makai knight but also comes to feel the same way towards humanity if only for what they did to his mother. So far the horrors have been rather cookie cutter monsters that pose a decent threat to our protagonists. However, I hope as the series progresses we will be able to get other kinds of horrors whom perhaps show some form of strong mental strength as opposed to physical.

Is through horrors that the show tries to hide the theme of having viewers place judgment on humanity. Are the horrors really the true bad guys? Or are they simply the byproducts of the the true evil that can arise amonsgt humanity? Deep themes such as these on top of a cool action packed story about magical knights lends to Garo's effective storytelling.

The anime does stray from the source material's setting -which is modern day Japan-opting for a medieval setting somewhere vaguely European. However, I am fond of this choice as it adds more depth to the fantastical themes while detailing the physical burdens of what it was like to live back then during these times.

Another thing worth mentioning about this show is the crisp use of unique CGI for the makai knight armor. It looks brilliant and spouts some of the coolest looking 3D actions sequences that I've only ever seen in anime such as the show Karas. Studio MAPPA has proven  this year that taking on high risk projects and putting in as much love and high quality animation to a show really can go a long way.

The way Garo handles the tale of a hero's journey and the idea of Makai Knights truly makes for an interesting show. Makai Knights live with the burden that while they know they are saving the lives of innocents that they happen across, they are lost when it comes to truly seeing an end to that fight. They are condemned to keep fighting in the shadows, defenders of people’s souls, while they receive none of the protection they offer, from the people they protect. Makai knights can kill a Horror that’s wreaking havoc but they cannot save a soul that has already fallen. Despite the bleak landscape Garo paints, it’s not condemning us to accept the world as it is. Instead, Garo offers us a taste of despair infused with a hint of hope. The Makai Knights go about their duties with a sense of acceptance to their inevitable destiny, which runs dangerously close to apathy. But apathy, or the closing off of feelings, is not the answer. Empathy is, and in a world where your next-door neighbor might have a son who’s seduced by a creepy doll to kill people, having the strength to show compassion, to make oneself vulnerable and open, is true strength. Of course having a cool sword or a badass father doesn't hurt either. Only 12 episodes in at the time of this post, with 12 more episodes to go, I really love Garo and I would definitely recommend others to give it a try.

-Nights Off