Reaching Out to the Truth - Persona 4: The Animation Review

As I have said in previous reviews; often times when a Japanese property becomes successful whether it be manga, light/visual novel, or video game, one can be sure it will get an anime adaptation. Persona 4 is no exception to this rule. This Christmas I received Persona 4 as a gift and proceeded to plow through it and I can legitimately say it is now one of my favorite games of all time. The Persona series is a real love of mine as I have stated before on this blog, however it took me a real long time to get around to playing P4. Regardless, having finished the game, I figured that the next logical step was to watch the anime adaptation, Persona 4: The Animation.

The Animation follows the plot of its source material right down to the finest details. The protagonist, normally silent and lacking a name until the player has named him, is named Yu Narukami in this incarnation. That name is now accepted as his canon name as evidenced by the Arena series. Yu arrives in the sleepy town of Inaba and is staying with his uncle Dojima and his cousin Nanako for a year while his parents are away. He adapts quickly to the town, making friends with Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, and Yukiko Amagi almost instantaneously. However, his arrival also coincides with two murders, both of which done in a bizarre style. Yu also discovers that he has the power to enter another world through TV. He and his friends realize that the murders and their newly discovered powers must be linked and resolve to find the killer. Like I said before, the plot follows the game, though of course a game that took me around 70 hours to complete now has to be compressed into 26 episodes that are each around 24 minutes long. As a result, things move rather quickly, at a pace that might be disorienting to anybody who hasn't played the game before. Because of time constraints, the dungeon crawling is also stripped down. The formula is pretty simple for the first ten or so episodes. Person appears on the TV, the team deduces who it is and then goes to save them. What The Animation actually does better than the game at points is blending in character development with the dungeon crawling. For example, when the team goes in to save Yukiko, the episode is interwoven with flashbacks of Yukiko's past that give greater meaning to the events of the episode. Most things shown on the screen follow each character's arc in the game but because its fully animated this time, the characters feel more real than they did in the game.

Covering a dense game like Persona 4 is no easy task, but The Animation is able to incorporate the look and feel of the game. Persona 4 is probably the most light-hearted game about murder that exists and The Animation really nails those feelings. The sections in the TV World certainly can get dark, boss fights are usually epic affairs. However, it is disheartening to see the way combat is done here. The characters just stand around while their Personas do the fighting while in the game each of them were capable of fighting on their own with weapons. That being said, it is still good to see the menagerie of Personas that Yu has at his disposal. Most of P4 is spent grinding through dungeons. Since the actual fighting is saved only for episodes where the team has someone to rescue, more time is spent outside the TV World (Not entirely unlike the game). The Animation then relegates Social Links outside of the main cast to filler episodes. In fact, two episode are spent covering about 5 of them and we are able to see the entire Social Link, albeit at an accelerated pace. While it is nice to see the show try and include more features from the game, sometimes it makes you wonder if maybe these filler episodes could have been spent on the more interesting main cast rather than these side characters that not everyone knows if they didn't spend time on each Social Link. It is also a lot of content to pack into one episode. Even so, The Animation is able to stuff a great deal of the game's content into a series. While it moves at a quick pace, it is still coherent and remains the well put together story that it was in the game. However, its transgressions and cut aways from the main plot will definitely frustrate those who haven't played the game before.

The Social Links with the main cast are done much better and are explored right before they get taken into the TV World. The show tries to capture the beginning and end of each Social Link, however it completely drops the ball on the middle. The characters reach these conclusions about themselves and if someone hasn't played the game they aren't really sure how the characters got there since there isn't enough time to develop the characters onscreen. Sometimes the resolution to their Social Link just gets randomly interjected into the main plot. For example, Yosuke's comes right at the pivotal moment where the characters deduce who the killer is. Then we're quickly whisked away to Yu and Yosuke beating the crap out of each other. Yosuke's Social Link was already the weakest of the main cast and its even worse here, especially since Yosuke is a stronger character in the anime than he is in the game. The rest fit it rather nicely even if their character development isn't as noticeable as it was in the game.

As said before, The Animation does capture the look and feel of the game. The anime retains the same calender as the game and there are plenty of familiar imagery and shout-outs to those who have played the game. Aiya Diner, the Timid Teacher series, the Social Links, the trip to Port Island; The Animation retains all of these little call outs and it is great to see them all fully animated. The plot moves along at its hustle and bustle pace and the most emotional moments of the show, like end, still pack their full emotional punch. The pace of the show definitely slows down in the final episodes which make them worth the wait. The confrontation with the killer and the final battle are done really well. However, the anime itself doesn't cover the True Ending over the course of its 25 episode run. There is a special 26th episode that does cover the True Ending, though its a bit too fast paced and tries to do too much. The very end of the show doesn't exactly have the same emotional impact as the game in which leaving the other characters was a real touching experience since you had spent so much time with them.

The real highlight of the show is its normally silent protagonist, Yu Narukami. In the game, Yu's personality and actions were entirely decided by the player through dialogue choices. Here, Yu has a full personality and speaks for himself. However, what makes him so good in The Animation is that he retains his comedically serious and weird persona (no pun intended). His actions in the anime largely reflect the choices that the player has for him in the game. His progression as a character mirrors his progression in the game, the show even cuts away at the mid-point of each episode to show his character traits and each episode they improve. By the end, the entire pentagon is maxed out and Yu is more expressive than ever. The Animation does a great job of also humanzing him whereas in the game he seemed more like a fly on the wall at points. You really feel how much he cares for his friends and their love for him back feels completely genuine. The show gives us a better idea of how much of an impact Yu has on the main cast's lives. At a certain point in the show, Yu has the most lines out of anybody whereas before the other characters were counted on for exposition and the "ra ra go team" part. Despite having a personality of his own, we are still seeing the action onscreen through Yu's viewpoint and many of the actions he takes are similar to how many players play him. Seeing him run right over to the girls side of the Group Date Cafe at the Cultural Festival, his role in the King's Game, his over the top exposition of the Mega Beef Bowl Challenge. All of these are things I remember making Yu do and I laughed just as hard. Yu has a funloving personality but he does everything so seriously that it makes him arguably the funniest character in the game. That is definitely reflected here.

Since Yu has his own personality, more time is spent towards his development instead of his observing the other characters grow. Still, until the very end he is mostly silent while his friends do the talking. The show, despite its limited amount of time, is able to replicate what made P4's characters so good to begin with. Yosuke, who was Mr. Exposition in the game, has a bit of a reduced role and seems to be more of Yu's bro for life here. I was glad to see that they made him less of a jerkass than he was in the game. Chie remains as awesome as ever and entirely unchanged from her role in the game as is Yukiko. Rise, Teddie, Kanji, and Naoto are pretty much exactly the same as they were in the game. However, the show makes a big deal out of pairing each of the characters off and Ship Teases way more than it really needed to. Yu and Yosuke are pretty much heterosexual life partners, same goes for Chie and Yukiko. Kanji and Naoto haves plenty of Ship Tease with each other. Only Teddie and Rise don't feel paired off and the latter character barely qualifies since she hits on Yu nearly every episode.  It feels like fanservice more than anything but I still didn't really mind. I think the real crime is that the show moves a bit too fast to truly get to know the characters. For most of the show they feel more like caricatures of themselves. Chie's love of food is taken Up to Eleven as well as her temper with Yosuke. Yosuke himself also suffers from this, since Yu is voiced and can truly lead the group, Yosuke is no longer needed as the de facto team leader and source of exposition. Instead, his bumbling personality is taken Up to Eleven. The rest of the cast also returns and fills the same roles they had before.

In keeping with the theme of retaining the game's feel, The Animation doesn't make any radical changes from the game's formula. The character's designs are all exactly how they looked in the game and it retains the same style from the game's animated cutscenes. Each of the characters look great revamped though the animators seem to have dropped the ball when it came to drawing Yukiko whose face seems to be lazily done as opposed to rest of the cast. The action sequences also have to be given some credit as well. The dungeons look as good as they did in the game and the boss fight sequences are truly gorgeous to behold. The soundtrack is largely unchanged from the game as well. Since the Persona games are known for having amazing soundtracks there was really no need to change anything. It was really great in the first episode hearing "Reach Out to the Truth" when Yu unlocked his Persona. The visuals and soundtrack are elite for any anime.

Persona 4: The Animation is a show that I feel that I'm largely split on. For those who have played the game and love the series, they will really get a kick out it. However, those who haven't played the game will find it hard to overlook the pacing and won't be able to forgive the strange filler episodes based around the Social Links. Despite this, The Animation is probably the best you're going to find when it comes to an adaptation of a video game. Not everyone is going to be entirely satisfied with it but you really feel that the studio made the best attempt possible at including everything they could. Like the game, The Animation is jam-packed with content, the characters are well-drawn, the plot is gripping, and soundtrack is great. It's a fun 26 episode journey that is well worth anyone's time.

My Score: 4/5

State of Arsenal at the New Year: The Season of Sanchez

Getting right down to business, this season for Arsenal has been more or less a disappointment. Last season, Arsenal won the FA Cup, led the league for several months, and were generally consistent against the lower teams on the table. Sure, there were several negatives from last season but winning a trophy and being a part of the title race instead of spectators surely would stoke the competitive fire within in their ranks right? Well, that has turned out to not be the case. A combination of injuries and bewildering form has made Arsenal resemble their counterparts of two seasons ago, in which they struggled mentally and made numerous mental errors defensively. Doesn't exactly seem right because the talent level at the current club is arguably the highest its been in awhile. However, despite this lack of consistency, Arsenal still can claim a solid spot on the table.

It has been a rather weird season in the Premier League, though normalcy would seem to be returning. Arsenal has gotten good results in their last couple of games and are in a good position heading into the New Year. Perhaps the Gunners are ready to go on a run. Anyways, its time to continue to assess how the season has gone so far.

Pre-season expectations: 

I was optimistic about Arsenal this season but not to the extent of expecting them to win the league. They made some nice signings but failed to address the needs that have been evident for years (lack of defensive depth and a CDM). My expectation was similar to last year, the Gunners would have their moments, maybe even lead the league for a bit, but ultimately would finish 3rd or 4th.



Reality:

Pretty much what I expected but at times worse. The Gunners have shown the ability to kick it around with the best, their first half performances against both Manchester clubs proving that. However, the Gunners are still too wasteful and lack composure against not just top sides but lower tier sides as well. The common script for an Arsenal game is typically to dominate and waste chances before conceding a cheap goal. The team still doesn't impose themselves effectively on their opposition. They still find themselves second best in games against the league's best. They barely got a touch of the ball in the first half against Liverpool were deconstructed by a clinical Chelsea, and punished for wastefulness by Manchester United. Despite this, they're where I expected them but may not be there without their MVP of the season.

MVP: Alexis Sanchez

There are absolutely no doubts with this one, which seems to be a trend when its come to Arsenal seasons of the past few years. One player (Robin Van Persie, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey) overshadows everyone else and their performances usually reflect how Arsenal do on the day. Sanchez has been the only player (at least on the offensive side of the ball) who has been in consistently good form. Not just good form either, Sanchez has been in impeccable form. The man has scored or created more than half of Arsenal's goals, his constant pestering of opponents off the ball is incredible, and the energy he brings to each game is without peer. However, his excellence has often overshadowed his teammates. While Sanchez has been brilliant, Arsenal need others to step up to match him.

LVP: Per Mertesacker

Arsenal's de facto captain this season has struggled heavily with a World Cup hangover and has been left out to dry in the absence of preferred partner Laurent Koscielny. I listed Mertesacker and Koscielny as dual MVP's of last season which has made Mertesacker's lack of form this year so difficult to watch. Without Koscielny by his side Mertesacker's lack of pace has been exposed. Not only that but he's much less composed. Arsenal's defense seems to lack a leader which is startling since Mertesacker has worn the captains armband more than the actual captain Mikel Arteta this season. Arsenal's defense of set pieces and counter attacks has often been dreadful and source of most of this season's problems. The blame doesn't fall on Nacho Monreal or Calum Chambers since they're not natural centre backs, its on the most experienced member there. Koscielny's return should help the big German as the games that he has played have been good defensive performances.

Missing In Action: Mesut Ozil

It is certainly unfair to critique a player who has spent so much time on the sidelines this season. That is why instead of slamming Ozil here, I'm actually going to come to his defense and provide some optimism for the German. Yes, Ozil has been a bit of a disappointment during his brief time as a Gunner, showing flashes but not providing enough to justify his large price tag. In fact, since his injury against Chelsea and Sanchez's brilliance, Arsenal fans have largely forgotten about the German playmaker. However, returning to training, the New Year is Ozil's chance to remind everyone that he is still a marquee player. He'll face competition for his preferred No. 10 spot since Santi Cazorla's form is phenomenal at the moment. Hopefully his recovery from injury will rekindle the fire in Ozil that made him such a force at the beginning of Arsenal's 2013 campaign. With all the spotlight on Sanchez, perhaps Ozil will face a little less pressure and criticism (which hasn't entirely been justified) than before. Not only that but he's still a world-class player and he has shown that this season at times. He'll fight and win back his spot and he could be the boost Arsenal needs.

Grading the Summer Signings:

Alexis Sanchez: 10/10 as explained above

Mathieu Debuchy: 8/10, he has arguably been Arsenal's best defender this season and has proved himself to be an improvement on Bacary Sagna in nearly every way. It should be noted that Arsenal's defensive struggles began shortly after his injury against Manchester City and since returning the Gunners have been more assured in that department.

Calum Chambers: 6/10, he's done well considering his age. His performance in the Community Shield over the summer may have set the bar a little too high. Injuries pressed the youngster into action early and he stepped up. He has shown some incredible talent as a right back and centre back. However, his lack of experience and pace has been exposed more than a few times. With Arsenal's defense returning to health he'll be able to catch a breather and develop in the way Arsene Wenger wants. His future may lie in the midfield.

David Ospina: 5/10, he hasn't played often and injuries kept him from stepping in for Szczesny when he was hurt. However, in the brief opportunities he has had to play he has shown himself more than capable. His saves against Galatasaray were indicative of that.

Danny Welbeck: 6/10, 7 goals in 19 appearances for the young Englishman is a decent return however he has not been the consistent goal scoring threat that Arsenal fans have craved and it should be mentioned that three of those goals came in one game. Welbeck does a lot of good on the pitch and works hard but the goal return needs to rise.

Best Game So Far: Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle

The problem with Arsenal this season is that their best performances have come in spurts. There was the brilliant 60 minutes they played against Manchester City, the first half against Manchester United, 10 minutes against Aston Villa, and the flurry of late goals to beat Burnley. However, they have rarely put together a complete performance. Wins against Dortmund and Galatasaray came against teams that were either: already qualified or already eliminated, so they can hardly be considered impressive. The Newcastle win probably stands as Arsenal's only wire to wire excellent victory. The Magpies were outmatched by a fluid Arsenal who were looking for a response to the previous howler against Stoke. Goals from Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla had the fans at the Emirates singing Arsene Wenger's praises. They have had more impressive moments but this was probably the only one that was complete.

Worst Game So Far: Stoke 3-2 Arsenal

Going down 3-0 to Stoke City after one half of play is not the kind of situation Arsenal should ever find themselves in. However, the Gunners found themselves totally outclassed by a driven and well organized Stoke City side. Bojan Krkic was impeccable for the home side, running circles around a shambolic Arsenal defense. The Gunners managed to rally through Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey in the second half but a Calum Chambers red card put the game out of reach. Following the game Arsenal supporters put on a disgraceful display at the train station as the team was departing, taking shots at Arsene Wenger and the players. Quick note here, no matter how upset you get with your team, there is no reason to act in such a way. An atrocious and shameful day for the club and its supporters.

Grading Mr. Wenger:

The Arsenal skipper has managed to do quite well for himself despite some rather major gaffes. Not signing a centre back to replace Thomas Vermaelen was a disastrous mistake that probably cost Arsenal more than a few wins this season. His refusal to play Mesut Ozil centrally was also a bizarre choice. Arsenal still wilt in big games and lack focus defensively. Despite all of this, Wenger has still managed to guide his team to the upper part of the table, hovering around their preferred 4th spot. They also navigated their way through their trickier than expected Champions League group. All things considered, Wenger should be given credit for not letting Arsenal fall into crisis mode and typically his teams have not had consecutive poor performances. This still does not exclude him from criticism as the team has still performed below expectation. Not showing up for big games is a player problem but that it has happened so consistently shows that the manager is not preparing his team properly for these games. Wenger has a lot of work to do in the January transfer window. Grade: C

The Transfer Market:

When the January transfer window opens up, it is no secret that Arsenal is going to be targeting defenders. A dream window would see Arsene Wenger sign a centre back and the defensive midfielder that fans have been craving. However, nobody should expect Wenger to make a big money signing. The market is rather weak for top flight centre halves, Dortmund's Mats Hummels is probably the best on the market and his price could be well out of Arsenal's range. It is more realistic to expect a loan or a lesser known signing, the January market is not always the most fruitful. I think most Arsenal fans will agree that at least having a 3rd option at centre back is better than having Nacho Monreal there so frequently. It will also lighten the load on the young Calum Chambers. A defensive midfielder may be a summer project (its been one for a long time) so Arsenal fans should probably let those dreams of Paul Pogba in red and white rest. Signing someone like Sami Khedira from Real Madrid however could be an option. Either way, Arsene Wenger has talked about how Arsenal will be active in January and he's not blind how a lack of defensive depth has hampered the team this season.

So What's Next?

It is no mystery as to what the Gunners have to do after the New Year. The team is returning to health so now is the time to take as many points from as many games as possible. A Champions League spot should be guaranteed if they do that. However, that will also require a renewed dedication to the defensive side of the ball and better composure in big games. They need to turn their short bursts of brilliance into longer, sustained performances. The Champions League tie against Monaco could also be a launchpad for a run in that competition as well. Lastly, Alexis Sanchez needs to be joined by other players form wise. Strong performances from Santi Cazorla lately are encouraging but the whole team needs to start performing at a similar level. Overall, I can't see Arsenal finishing higher than third; Chelsea and Manchester City are too strong this year. However, it is more likely the team finishes in the familiar 4th position.

My Favorite Things About 2014

Last year I decided to write a post about my favorite things from the past year so I figured why not revisit that again this year? On the whole I would say that 2014 was a solid year; I discovered many new things, watched loads of good anime, widened my horizons on just about everything. I'll also preface this list by saying that these are MY favorite things about 2014 which means its indicative of my year. This list also includes some of my least favorite things from the year so the favorite title attached to them is entirely ironic. Anyways let's get to it:

Favorite Film of 2014: The Skeleton Twins

The comic book nerd in me really wants to put down X-Men: Days of Future Past or Guardians of the Galaxy in this spot but I could not resist this film. Starring two of SNL's funniest stars of the past decade (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig) plus an old comedy film standby of the last decade (Luke Wilson) made this film look like it was to be much cheerier on the surface. The film itself, while hilarious at several points, goes to depths that I did not expect walking into the theater. A film all about how important your siblings are and how you should always treasure them. Not to mention several scenes in which anyone who has a sibling can truly relate to. An absolute gem of a film.

My "Favorite" Disappointing Film of 2014: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I really, really wanted to like this film, I honestly did, and when I finished it I truly thought it wasn't half-bad. Then I thought on it; I thought about the film's poor pacing, abundance of plot lines with massive plot holes and poor writing. The biggest crime that the new Spidey movies have is that they still have yet to truly distinguish themselves from the Sam Raimi films. Sure, Andrew Garfield is a better Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire but this last entry felt more like a hastily put together film that serves to only set up more sequels so that Sony can keep Spidey from where he belongs, with Marvel Studios. The problem with putting Spidey into cinema is that it takes him away from the original roots of the character that Steve Ditko (not Stan Lee) created. Ditko wanted Spiderman to be an average high school kid, an everyman who just happened to have powers that we could relate to. When you make a celebrity actor like Garfield or Maguire as Peter Parker is that they feel detached from us and unrelatable. One thing can be said about this film though, you do really feel for the guy when he cries here.

Favorite Video Game of 2014: Transistor

Super Giant Games follow-up to their 2011 smash hit Bastion, Transistor proved to be a tough one for me at first. I knew what I was getting into, beautiful graphics, wonderful music, but I was foolish to think that the game would be the same hack-and-slash romp Bastion was. As I unsuccessfully bashed my way through enemies I thought I would quickly tire on Transistor. Instead, once I figured out the nuances of its gameplay I came to find a game that was incredibly challenging, yet rewarding, offering many different paths to victory. I haven't yet finished it, but I found Transistor to be a wonderful experience.

Favorite "New" Anime of 2014: Kill la Kill

Simply put, Kill la Kill was the most fun that I have ever had watching an anime period. Studio Trigger's first independent work was a beautifully rendered, fast-paced, and remarkably funny show that managed to kick tons of ass and actually be quite touching at times. All it took was a strong female protagonist, an excellent supporting cast, and the once again amazing musical work of Hiroyuki Sawano. I have watched Kill la Kill all the way through about 3 times and it still never loses its magic. Easily the best anime of the year.

Favorite "Old" Anime of 2014: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT think for a minute that this show is going to be about cute girls getting powers and going on silly adventures and everything is going to be candy and gumdrops and everyone lives happily ever after. I do not think I have ever underestimated a show more than I did this one. What could have just been an easy show to write off became one that was incredibly dark and psychological; two things I love in any anime. A complete masterwork and deconstruction of the magical girl genre, Madoka Magica is absolutely brilliant. (and its on Netlflix!!)

"Favorite" Disappointing Anime I Watched in 2014: Sword Art Online

Sometimes the hype train is good, you hop on the hype train of several animes and find yourself incredibly happy (Steins;Gate, Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill etc). Other times, you find yourself wondering what exactly the hype train was all about. Sword Art Online is that for me. I finally got around to watching this hype behemoth this past spring and I could not for the life of me figure out what made this show so darn appealing. Was it Kirito, the protagonist who despite a personality possessing all the personality traits of a loaf of bread manages to make girls swoon all over him? Was it Asuna; the character who looked like she was going to be a dynamic and refreshing female character before reverting into a bland, run of the mill tsundere? Was it the scatterbrained plot which didn't seem to do its source material justice by skipping ENTIRE BOOKS OF A LIGHT NOVEL SERIES? Whatever it is, this show is considered the bee knees to loads of people, except me. Somebody explain to me why.

Favorite International Athlete of 2014: James Rodriguez

Few players had as much of a meteoric rise as James Rodriguez this year. Before 2014, despite being a good player, James' name was known only by football junkies and known more for being part of AS Monaco's big money movement rather than his ability. Colombia's golden boy was the star of this year's World Cup, despite not winning it. He scored golazo after golazo and topped each of them off with some savvy dancing of his own. Then he followed that with a big money move to Real Madrid which made him one of the world's most expensive players. While many thought he would struggle at Madrid sharing the limelight with the world's biggest stars, instead James has made himself into one of them. Only 23 years of age, his best years are yet to come but he will never forget this one.

Favorite Domestic Athlete of 2014: Madison Bumgarner

There are many pitchers who have risen to stardom in the World Series, Madison Bumgarner is no exception and may perhaps be the best of the bunch. Bumgarner has won three world championships at age 25. In 36 World Series innings, he is 4-0 and holds an ERA of 0.25, fewest hits per nine innings (3.5), and the fewest walks plus hits per inning (0.53). All of those stats are World Series records. He was heroic in this year's World Series against the Kansas City Royals, winning games 1 and 5 as a starter and then coming out of the bullpen to close out a Game 7 win. This guy is unreal, the stuff of legend.

Favorite Shocking Sports Moment of 2014: Germany 7-1 Brazil

You cannot make stuff like this up. This was a World Cup semi-final between two of the most prestigious teams in world football. The game was in Brazil, the Brazilians planned on winning this game, then taking the final and raising the trophy in front of their own countrymen. However, those dreams turned out to be fanciful at best as the Brazilians were taken to town by a ruthlessly efficient German side. The hosts were down by five (count em FIVE) goals before the 30 minute mark and only managed to earn back any dignity with a late and ineffectual goal from Oscar. What was supposed to be a glorious day in Brazil ended up being a nightmare.

Favorite Album of 2014: You Haunt Me - Sir Sly

Sir Sly's debut album is the closest thing you can get to seeing them live (its an experience) and was an absolute master class. The haunting (no pun intended) melodies of songs like "Gold" and "Where I'n Going" serve as great setups for the high octane of "Inferno" and "Leave You". If you get the chance you should see these guys live.

Favorite Song of 2014: "Cool Kids" - Echosmith

Starts out as a slow and unassuming song until you hit that incredibly catchy chorus. This band of siblings (amazing) put out one of the best jams of the year.

Favorite New TV Show of 2014: The Flash

The new little brother to Arrow on the CW, The Flash has shown itself capable of surpassing its predecessor at times during this season. Grant Gustin has provided an incredible rendition of Barry Allen and has really made the character his own. Not to mention he's backed by an amazing cast which at times even includes some Arrow characters. While it still fails to avoid some of the pitfalls that snagged Arrow during its own initial season, The Flash has promised an incredibly ambitious plot which I am jumping at the bit to see. While it doesn't always manage to escape Arrow's shadow, The Flash is more than capable of standing on its own. 

Favorite TV Episode of 2014: "The Climb" - Arrow

Stephen Amell has taken to Twitter often to brag about how ambitious Arrow planned to be this season. However, Arrow seemed to be taking the same approach to its third season that it had during its firs two, using ten or so episodes before launching headfirst into the season's main plot arc. As a result this season seemed a bit tame in comparison to last season's pulse-pounding conclusion. That was until "The Climb" dropped, an absolute masterclass that stands up with some of the best comic book works of all time. This episode had everything: Sarah's killer was was discovered, Merlyn's plot unveiled, and the League of Assassins finally made their move. All of this leading to a showdown between Oliver and R'as al Ghul. I don't think anybody expected Oliver to win this fight but for it to end the way it did...well...its a bold move that takes the stake of this season to ridiculous heights.

Least Favorite TV Episode of 2014: The How I Met Your Mother Finale

I already said that I had said my last words about this show and there's an already written post about this ridiculous ending. Read that instead and spare me the pain of typing this.

Favorite Thing in 2014 That Makes Me Too Excited For 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron

The leaking of the trailer for Marvel's next HUGE installment into their universe was a near global event with nerds running to their computer screens to see images of the upcoming film. Suffice to say, it didn't disappoint. Joss Whedon's second outing at the helm of the studio's flagship franchise promises to be incredible. James Spader's Ultron voice is every bit as intimidating as needed and the darker tone the film is taking is exactly the medicine The Avengers films have needed.

Favorite Late Thing In 2014 I Have to Catch: Big Eyes

Last year I had a con film that starred Amy Adams in this spot (American Hustle), this year I also have a con film that stars Amy Adams. It would appear that I have a thing for con films starring Amy Adams which come out around Christmas time. Big Eyes is a film based on the true story of Margaret Keane whose husband, Walter (Christoph Waltz), then sells them. The two are actually playing a con game against each other which, given the two actors involved, can only be wildly entertaining. Christoph Waltz alone is enough to make me see most films, the fact that Tim Burton is also involved is just the icing on the cake here.

Music, Cake, and Tea - K-On! Review

Over the past couple of months I've started to open my mind to different genres of anime. Most of my time spent watching anime has been spent watching shounen's, which while fun, is rather limiting. Last month I discovered how much you can have watching the Slice of Life genre through The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This new mindset on anime led me to K-On!, a show that I had heard a lot about through reviewers and internet memes. Based off of the limited parts that I had seen, I decided to give the show a shot and I was definitely not disappointed.

The story of K-On! unfolds mostly through the perspective of Hirosawa Yui, an airheaded and lazy high school freshman who has no idea what club to join. She picks the Light Music Club because she thinks she'll just be able to get away with playing the castanets. The Light Music Club had all its members graduate the year before and faces disbandment if it doesn't have four members. Ritsu and Mio, two other freshmen and childhood friend, join the club so that Ritsu can instantly become president and their "dream" of being in a band together. They're able to recruit Tsumugi, a soft-spoken and sweet girl who thought the club room was meant for chorus club, however they still remain a member short. This is where Yui reemerges in the picture. Yui joins the club believing that she'll be able to get away with not playing a real instrument but is disheartened when she finds out that the three other members are all excellent musicians. Not wanting to lose their fourth member, the three members play on Yui's love of cake and sweets and are able to convince her to stay. Yui even decides to pick up guitar so that she can play with the rest of the band.

After that, the overarching plot of K-On! just about falls to the wayside. The first episode drops a hint that they eventually want to get on the stage at Budokan and they do make mention that they have to be ready to play at school festivals. However, most episodes simply just follow the girls around on their rather random and, to be perfectly honest, monotonous adventures. The show is simply about four best friends just having fun and playing music together. Episodes are somewhat self-contained though there are a few important ones such as when a new member joins midseason or when they gain their faculty advisor. Normally, I would be very critical of an anime in which the plot never really goes anywhere or where none of the characters really face any obstacles but for some reason K-On! pulls it off. Each episode is incredibly enjoyable and was legitimately funny. It reminded me of Ouran Highschool Host Club with the way it deliberately plays with and sometimes subverts common anime tropes. Not a whole lot really goes on in K-On! but each episode leaves you feeling with warm and sweet feelings inside.

K-On! is less about the music and more about the bonds between friends, which I can totally get behind.

One thing that I heard about K-On! in the build up to when I eventually watched it was that for a show that has a heavy music premise, there really isn't a lot of music playing. This is...somewhat true. The focus of the show is definitely more on the girls themselves and their adventures together rather than the band itself. Most of the time the girls spend in the club room is spent hanging out, drinking tea, and eating cake. Most of the problems that the girls come up against are resolved (or unresolved depending on your viewpoint) by sitting down and drinking tea. The show doesn't let this slide though. Later in the season, new club member Asuza, a very serious musician, is nearly appalled by the lack of practicing the girls do. Of course, K-On! referencing this certainly does not excuse the lack of music but to be honest, I really didn't mind it. The premises for most of the episodes are band related such as an early episode where they have to find Yui a guitar. K-On! likes to go with a theme that the Light Music Club is not so much about the music, but instead about the great times that band members have with each other. There is a heavy friendship vibe here as you see the girls become true companions. I personally found this part of the show to be very well done and made up for the lack of music. This isn't to say either that the show is completely devoid of music, the characters perform a few times over the course of the season and are shown practicing in the room several times as well. In addition to that, I found that the show was also very smart about the musical references it made. These girls do know their stuff and had the technical knowhow to prove it.

The characters of K-On! generally fall into standard moe anime tropes. Yui is the ditz, Ritsu the headstrong and loud one, Mio the serious one but also a fraidy-cat, and Mugi is the wealthy and obscenely nice one. While originally this doesn't appear to make K-On! stand out from many other shows, it isn't a bad thing. It is one thing if a show is very cliched and/or trope-heavy but doesn't do anything with those tropes. K-On!, however, does what some people may find cliched or played out but does this very well. Turns out that the creators meant to base each character on the members of The Beatles The characters have immense chemistry with each other and I never found myself getting bored with them. Later in the season, the club takes on a fifth member in Asuza, who at first seems like she's going to disrupt the equilibrium between the members. However, despite some early tension, she ends up fitting right in and only makes the show better. While the girls of K-On! may not be the most original group of characters it didn't stop me from liking each of them. Character development is present but it isn't entirely noticeable. Yui gets notably more mature as the season goes on and Mio learns to relax a bit (same could be said for Asuza). Outside of those two characters though, we don't see too much development. Mugi is pretty much the same character throughout alongside Ritsu. Yet again, K-On! manages to make this not an issue. There isn't a whole lot of character development but doesn't really matter, the characters are entertaining and near impossible not to love, that should be enough. It should also be said that this show is ridiculously cute as well, frequently producing several "d'awwww" moments. The last episode of the season even made me tear up, so even without especially noticeable character development it is very easy to get attached to these characters.

You will love the characters of K-On!

As should be expected in a show that is about music, K-On! has a great soundtrack. Even if the girls perform a limited number of times that doesn't mean that the music isn't catchy and fun to listen to. Also, the animation is great in showing just how much fun the girls have playing music with each other which makes the songs all the more fun to listen to. The music in the background of the episodes is good as well, though not as catchy as the standalone tunes. In addition, the opening and ending songs were the best of all. This is one of the first animes where I've made a point to watch through the opening every episode. The animation is really strong as well. I've frequently lamented the lack of creativity when it comes to character design in modern anime so I was pleased to see that K-On! did not fall into that rut.

I have to say that I enjoyed the first season of K-On! way more than I ever thought that I would. It rendered my normal barometers of judging anime, character development and strong overarching plot, completely irrelevant. It is a show that makes you appreciate its simplicity, that every show doesn't need to have those elements. Sometimes you just want to watch a show that simply just plays itself out. K-On! was incredibly entertaining and I would have say is one of the best anime experiences I've ever had. I cannot recommend this show highly enough.

My Score: 5/5

Let Justice Be Done, Though the Heavens Fall - Aldnoah.Zero Review

Finding time to watch anime these days for me is proving to be a difficult task. However, every once in awhile I get a little window of opportunity to check out some of the new shows that have come out in the past season. One of the newer shows that I felt I had to check out was the new mecha anime Aldnoah. Zero, written by the mastermind behind Madoka Magica and Psycho-Pass, Gen Urobuchi. With that in mind, I came into Aldnoah. Zero expecting a new, dark, and refreshing take on mecha anime. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high and I came away feeling a little bit underwhelmed.

Aldnoah. Zero follows an alternate history timeline which means the universe is not entirely dissimilar to our own. In this history, the 1972 Apollo 17 expedition led to the astronauts finding a hypergate on the Moon which connected to Mars. The leaders of this expedition colonized Mars and created a new state an culture apart from Earth. In a need for resources, the newly named Vers Empire attacked Earth. Thanks to the technology of Aldnoah, the Vers Empire thrashed Earth's forces. However, the scale of the war destroyed the hypergate, leaving several Martians stranded and the job left unfinished. In the present day of 2014 however, the "Orbital Knights" as they have been dubbed, use the staged assassination of their own Princess Asseylum as an excuse to invade the Earth. As the war drags on, we get to see both sides of the conflict and begin to understand the motivations behind both sides. However, despite this strong premise, Aldnoah. Zero falls flat in the execution. The plot never explores any new avenues and finds itself falling into mecha anime cliches more often than finding new ways to explore the genre. The protagonist is nigh-invincible, the Terrans catch lucky breaks more often than not, and the only real drama is that a character will die at the end of an episode only to anti-climatically return at the beginning of the next. I've always said that merely killing off characters is a cheap way to create drama (looking at you George R.R. Martin), so I can forgive that last part, however, it is much harder to accept. Because of the war's origin being an inside plot by the Orbital Knights it set up a great opportunity to see both sides of the conflict and understand their motivations. However, while this sort of device is supposed to make you sympathize equally with both sides, it made it really hard for me to root for the Terrans because the Martians were much better developed characters and in some cases seemed more just in going to war. However, the show portrays most of the Orbital Knights as morally bankrupt sociopaths rather than people acting because they believe in the righteousness of their cause. A show cannot try and create a Black and Grey Morality in the two sides of the conflict and then hang up huge blinking lights telling the viewer who they should be rooting for.

Aldnoah. Zero wants us to sympathize with the Orbital Knights, but then also tells us we should hate them. Conflicted messages much?

The problem really lies with the characters. Mecha anime are known for being theaters for the debate of the necessity of war and to give a "war is hell" message to the viewer. However, for such themes to exist in a work, there must be strong characters for the viewer to sympathize with and identify with. Unfortunately, the characters here are entirely one dimensional and don't seem to serve much purpose besides moving the plot along. Take for example the "protagonist" Inaho, who's personality is just as deep as the shallow end of the kiddie pool. The average episode of Aldnoah. Zero usually plays out something like this: enemy mech shows up and has powers well beyond the reach of Inaho's mech, Inaho, despite a lack of actual combat experience, is able to eventually size up the opponent and defeat them single-handedly. I understand that the show is trying to convey some sort of message about how the strength of the mech is less important than the pilot within it but that isn't even the case here. You're telling me that some of the top military officers in the Vers empire, who crushed many of Earth's finest soldiers in battle before this, are suddenly powerless in the face of a high schooler who has no prior combat experience. Inaho isn't given any reason for being Earth's best mecha planet other than "the plot demands it". I mean, all he really seems to do differently from the other Earth pilots is not stand there and die. I understand that as an anime watcher I am supposed to have a certain suspension of disbelief for most situations that happen in shows but that is almost too much.

A boring, nigh-invincible Mary Sue

Other times, Inaho is actually a bit of a refreshing character because he is actually a rational pilot and understands that there are sacrifices that must be made to win wars. In this respect, Inaho is a deviation from the norm for an Urobuchi protagonist. Typically in works written by Gen Urobuchi, the protagonist is often highly idealistic which contrasts with the more cynical world they exist in. Madoka Magica saw Urobuchi deconstruct Madoka and Sayaka's ideas of heroism. Psycho-Pass put Akane Tsunemori's black and white ideas of justice to the test. Inaho on the other hand has a cynicism that matches the tone of his world. Unlike Akane, Madoka, and Sayaka, Inaho is cynical, cold, and is a consequentialist above all else. Normally this would seen as a change of pace from the naive and wide-eyed mecha protagonists that typically populate these shows. However, Inaho is cynical to the point of making his character dry, stagnant, and near emotionless. What made Akane, Madoka, and Sayaka such strong and interesting characters was despite all the evidence that told them to abandon their ideals, they held strong to them and proved that there was a place for idealism. Perhaps Inaho's character is supposed to represent the effect that war has on people. However, that idea doesn't hold up because he was born during peacetime. His cynicism only really serves to hold back any growth or depth his character could have undergone over the course of the show. It later turns out that Urobuchi was only involved in the first three episodes. That explains why the series after those three episodes feels like somebody trying (and failing) to replicate his style.

Inaho's lack of growth over the course of the series is not exclusive to him. Take for example the character of Slaine, a Terran who crash-landed with his father on Mars and is essentially a pseudo-slave to the Martians. Despite his poor treatment at the hands of a Martian count, Slaine develops a special bond with Princess Asseylum and so he doesn't hate his role. However, Slaine's role in the plot is extremely restricted and he only seems to be important when the story requires some sort of deus ex machina or somebody needs to get shot. The rest of the cast is largely forgettable and is simply there just to move the plot along. This is true of everyone except one character, Lieutenant Marito, one of the few in the military who served during the first Terran/Martian war. In doing do, he was forced to put his own friend out of his misery by shooting him in the head. Marito is constantly haunted by his own guilt and is actually an accurate depiction of PTSD and trauma that war can cause. In a series that wants to be dark and critical on the necessity of war, Marito's case should have been a larger part of the picture.

Things aren't all bad however. As said before, the premise of Aldnoah. Zero is enough to carry it through the 12 episodes of its first season. It is a well set up universe and I wish that we had gotten to see more of it. The action sequences are also phenomenal as it is still interesting to see the unique ways Inaho overcomes the technological advantages that the Martians have. The show was also still entertaining enough for me to watch it nearly nonstop, almost like a Destiny player who is still unsure why they keep playing the game despite its shortcomings. It is still entertaining in that respect, it is a mecha anime after all. The concepts and looks of the mechas are probably the most original part of the show and keep them from looking like Gundam knockoffs. The only negative thing you could say about the mech design is that the Martian mechs are a little too clunky. You would think that a technology like Aldnoah would make the mechs more streamlined rather than the clustered bodies they have. The Martian Landing Castles on the other hand? Probably the coolest piece of technology in the show.

Aldnoah. Zero's character design isn't anything special either. Nothing entirely stood out, the main characters are indicative of the unoriginality in character design that is hampering anime these days. There was a lot of potential with the Martians and instead they resembled boring and cliched nobility stereotypes recycled from Code Geass or earlier Gundam series. On the bright side though, it is a very crisp looking anime and like I said before, the action sequences looked phenomenal. It is a little too bad that the mechs had to be CGI-d in. It took a bit away from the action sequences, not to mention that the mech's were actually CGI'd in even during moments where characters were just talking and looking at them. Remember the old days when mech anime didn't just use CGI as a crutch? <sighs> There is at least something good here though, the soundtrack was handled by the one and only Hiroyuki Sawano and like always he delivers. You could always count on the epic moments of the show being perfectly punctuated by EGOIST tracks.

I will say that I enjoyed Aldnoah. Zero to an extent. Does it deliver on the hype? No. Is it guilty of using Gen Urobuchi as a draw for the show and then letting everyone down by revealing he only helped write three episodes? Yes. This being said, it remained entertaining. However, as someone who really values strong, deep, and original characters in the shows I watch I could not bring myself to truly enjoy this show. However, it is getting a second season in January which should be interesting and maybe will resolve some of the issues the first season had. I wouldn't push my luck though.

My Score: 2/5

Your Questions Are...Somewhat Answered - RWBY Volume 2 Reaction/Review

At this time last year I was smitten with a little webseries called RWBY. A little Monte Oum and Rooster Teeth joint production that turned itself into a juggernaut in the span of just a few months in 2013. In my "Best of 2013" article I labeled it the "Best Anime of 2013" despite the regular claims that RWBY is not an anime because it isn't Japanese. (BUT WHY IS IN ON CRUNCHYROLL? WHAT IS JAPAN?!?!?!) Either way, RWBY was some great stuff and packed a lot of punch for what can now be considered the first "indie" anime of its kind. So obviously, with my obsession for this series (I've watched Volume 1 about 11 times at least), I was bursting with excitement for the new season which started in July and finally came to a conclusion last Thursday. Despite being in a den on schoolwork for the past few months, hence the lack of new material on this blog, I feel that a series of RWBY's caliber deserves an article. Here are my thoughts about Volume 2, broken down into pieces.

1.) Many questions and very few answers.

"You'll know when you need to know" Preach Cinder

Volume 1 of RWBY was all about world building and establishing the characters. There was a happy vibe around it as you got to know teams RWBY and JNPR as well as the faculty of Beacon Academy. The idea I suppose was to establish the world and characters so that when the plot really got going, it would not have to worry about the characters not being fleshed out enough. In this case, Volume 1 serves as more of a "Season Zero" or prologue and Volume 2 is what kicks the plot into gear. Volume 2 acts more like the opening 5-7 episodes of other works which love to tease villains and other plot points in order to build mystery and intrigue. As a result, Volume 2 or RWBY feels like it doesn't have enough information for a show which is in its second season. However, when you consider what I wrote above, this becomes more understandable. I guess the issue really stems from the fact that what is actually going on is still very unclear. Cinder was teased at the end of the first season as the Big Bad but now it seems that even she is outranked by Adam, the White Fang member from Blake's trailer. Even so, the motivations of the evildoers are still very unclear. Several plot points got alluded to and their importance remains up in the air. However, one must not forget that this is merely the second season and it appears Monty and Rooster Teeth are committed to this series long term (they'd be idiots not to given how popular the series has become) so we should just let the plot play out. It is much better for a show to keep its cards close to the chest rather than simply going all in right off the bat. Also, it's not as if nothing was revealed this season. We finally found out the story behind Ruby and Yang's mothers, we met several new and soon to be important characters, and we know something crazy is on the horizon. Personally, I think that the more the show builds our anticipation for it, the better it will be when it actually happens.

2.) However, there are many hit and miss moments

One of the complaints I heard about Volume 2 was the abundance of high school drama that took place in the middle of the season. While Blake's character arc during that time was very well done, RWBY dropped the ball when it came to what I call the "Yule Ball Arc" in reference to the dance that took place in the middle of the season. The main drama was about asking girls out to the dance and yes, it did flesh out some good things about Jaune and Pyrrha, it felt flat in the execution. I'm hardly one to get up and arms about the shipping of characters but making Jaune THAT oblivious to Pyrrha's feelings didn't feel right. Also, this mini-arc came right after some pretty action-packed episodes so perhaps the backlash of more comedic episodes was felt there. That being said, RWBY is at its best with the mix and I think the frustration was more people's want for the plot to move forward rather than anything else. Ozpin nearly breaks the Fourth Wall during the ball episode when he speaks of how necessary events like that are (very similar to every filler episode of Code Geass).

3.) So what exactly is going on?

Spanner in the works?

The season ends with Beacon's forces stopping the Grim from overrunning Vale and for now, everything would appear to be peaceful. Of course, there is the matter of why exactly they did it and the knowledge that there is clearly something even worse over the horizon. This leads to some theorizing, who exactly is behind everything? The final episode will have you guessing that Adam is the Big Bad and this is most likely true. However, there is the possibility of an even bigger conspiracy at foot here. General Ironwood's behavior in the final episode is a little sketchy and his quick and efficient response to the Grim invasion maybe implies that he knows more than he lets on. This idea was quickly dashed in my head after his interrogation of Torchwick and the reveal of Adam. However, I cannot entirely forget the possibility since it remains a mystery as to how the White Fang got their hands on military technology or for how the events of the final episode of the season leave Ironwood himself in charge of the tournament. I guess the point being made here is that it is very unclear what the end goal of the villains actually is. The tournament will be the focus of Volume 3 and that seems to be the place where Cinder and her gang are most likely to strike.

4.) The action will always be incredible

OMFG

One thing that you know you can always count on in a Monte Oum work is that the action and fight choreography will always be phenomenal. Volume 2 opens with a food fight between teams RWBY and JNPR in a style that only RWBY can. Not to mention the the final battle of the season which showcased some pretty amazing weaponry like a gatling gun/briefcase. Monty's ability to turn literally any object into a gun is remarkable. Not to mention that he also turned Team Pet character into a freaking wrecking ball of destruction. The fact that every character in the show is a badass in some way really showed this season. However, RWBY does very well by balancing the action with great character development and comedy. I have always said that RWBY is a very trope heavy show, of course tropes are hardly a bad thing. It is one thing to be bad trope heavy but RWBY pulls these tropes off so well that it is entirely welcome. RWBY's formula totally works and this combination, while not entirely unique, is done so well that it must be seen to be believed.

5.) The cast size is hurting some character's screentime

Can we get more of these two next season?

Volume 2 also introduced a fair amount of new characters. The number of named characters at the moment is rather large and in a show which airs episodes of about 10-15 minutes a piece, things begin to get a big cluttered. For example, Team JNPR got the short end of the stick for screentime unless your name was Pyrrha or Jaune. Nora and Ren were relegated to the sidelines. This is a byproduct of introducing so many new characters but also making sure the four principal main characters remain the focus. This isn't to say that the new characters aren't good additions. Ironwood, Neptune, the Cinder trio, and Neo the umbrella girl are all intriguing characters in their own way. It just means that those who were looking forward to seeing more of some of the older characters may be a bit disappointed. Even so, the characters who do get the lion's share of the screentime get some truly awesome moments. It was really cool to see Professors Obleck and Port finally get to fight some Grim. It really speaks to the quality of RWBY's characters that just about every character has a strong fanbase that wants to see their favorite character more and more. There is only just so much screentime to go around and RWBY is managing to balance it as well as it could. Doesn't make up for the criminal lack of Nora in the season though.

6.) So what is the final verdict?

It is clear that Volume 2 of RWBY is clearly just a chapter in what is going to be a long and overarching plot. While this season didn't entirely clear everything up that we wanted, one cannot deny that it was still very enjoyable and the show remains pretty freaking awesome. It's not as if the questions brought up this season aren't going to be answered in the future. Next season promises to be especially action heavy which is a dream for fans of the show. Things are really moving in a positive direction. Sure, Volume 2 isn't perfect and has its fair share of flaws. However, it isn't like Volume 1 was exactly perfect either. Something big is brewing in the world of RWBY and I personally can't wait to see where it takes us. This season earns a 4.5/5 in my book. Can't wait for the next one!