Author: Lenlo

Neon Genesis Evangelion – 8 [Asuka’s Arrival in Japan/Asuka Strikes] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Throwback Thursday

Last week, Neon Genesis Evangelion had a bit of a hump, as it tried to tell 2 stories at once. As if to spite me, this week it jumps right back into everything I enjoy about it. Giant robots, sci-fi action and some cast-based comedy. Lets jump in!

Starting off, things actually looked really good this week. Now, they usually do from just a background/stills perspective. As a fellow author, Wooper, pointed out in the comments last week. The cell backgrounds standout every time they get the focus, and Evangelion is so consistent with them it’s easy to forget them. Meanwhile the animation this week also took a step back up, no doubt for Asuka’s introduction. Both the underwater segments and the EVA unit jumping from ship to ship looked great. Not to mention a lot of the expressive character acting during numerous gags across the episode. It was one of those episodes that reminds you “Oh yeah, Neon Genesis Evangelion can move”. I rib on Anno a bit here for his… odd directorial decisions up until now, but it really did look good. As for the story? Well let’s take a look.

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Vinland Saga Anime Review – 90/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Reviews by Lenlo, Vinland Saga

There are only a handful of manga out there that I believe to be masterpieces. Works such as Berserk, Vagabond and Monster. That come to define a time in manga history, such as Berserk. That are perfect in their execution like Monster, or are a work of art in every panel like Vagabond. Fewer still are the manga that get anime adaptations worthy of their legacy. We need look no further than the recent Berserk anime adaptations for evidence of that. However, I believe that Vinland Saga, written by Makoto Yukimura of Planetes fame and adapted by Wit Studio has gotten, just that. An adaptation that captures the beauty and story of the original peace. That not only adapts it faithfully, but also designed specifically for an anime’s format. Changing what needs to be changed for the new medium, without losing much of the original work.

So onward friends, for honor and glory! The review awaits!

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Also this review contains minor spoilers in song names and such. Carry on.) Continue reading “Vinland Saga Anime Review – 90/100” →

Vinland Saga – 23/24 [Miscalculation/End of the Prologue]

by Lenlo, posted in Vinland Saga

And so we have come to Vinland Saga’s end. It has been a good ride, watching Thorfinn and Askeladd’s journey. Over the last two weeks especially as Canute and Askeladd battle it out with Sweyn over politics. All to try and save a small kingdom named Wales. So without further ado, let’s dive in for the last time.

Now before we go on to the meat of the two episodes, let’s talk about where Vinland goes from here. As the episode 24 title tells you, this is not the end of Vinland’s story. I dare say it is just the beginning, as we are finally done with the prologue. However as of yet, no Season 2 has been announced. Mean Studio Wit has announced they are taking a step back to focus on more original works for the time being. So, what does this mean for the future of Vinland Saga? Well, along with todays episode, a PV was released for the “Story of True Warriors” continuation, which will have more news announced “soon” they say. I have no idea what this is, maybe a movie, maybe an OVA, maybe a Season 2. Regardless, it means more Vinland is in the future, and I couldn’t be happier.

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Neon Genesis Evangelion – 7 [A Human Work] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Throwback Thursday

Hello all to another week of Neon Genesis Evangelion! This week is much more light hearted than the last few, diving more into Misato and Shinji’s relationship. Meanwhile it seems something is a foot as a weapons test goes wrong. So without further ado, lets jump in! And stick around to the end, because I have some important questions about how you would like Throwback Thursday to run moving forward. Onwards!

Starting off, this week saw a bit more of Anno’s weirdness. As cuts come in some strange places, there is a lot of repeated footage and in general it just feels… different. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, as I can see what he was going for. The repeated morning segments do a fine job of setting the time frame of the episode and the pacing of it all. It also gives us a glimpse into Shinji/Misato’s life together, and what their general day to day is like. For those I suppose the question really becomes, are you invested in their life? If yes, then I think it informs a lot about where they are 7 episodes in. If not, then it’s a lot of repeated and wasted time. So suffice to say, I don’t have much a problem with it, but I can see the issue. Continue reading “Neon Genesis Evangelion – 7 [A Human Work] – Throwback Thursday” →

Neon Genesis Evangelion – 6 [Decisive Battle in Tokyo-3/Rei II] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Throwback Thursday

Once again, I am late for this week’s Neon Genesis Evangelion post. It’s becoming a bad habit really, and yet something about Evangelion makes it difficult to write about. I need look no further than this week for proof of that. As here we see a competent governmental body, Rei stepping up to the plate, and Shinji getting in the damn robot. So let’s jump in!

As always, we have to start with the production, and this time I think Evangelion managed to impress. Say what you want about Anno’s… odd tastes in still shots, but the action is great. From the tanks to what is just a giant floating cube, I enjoyed it all. There was even a number of nice environmental animation to go along with the tank or Angel shots. And in general things like melting metal look fantastically fluid. Part of it is no doubt the dated, nostalgic charm that is cell animation. But I don’t think that really takes away from it at all. If I had one complaint though, it would have to be with the odd lighting at times. Like during Rei’s visit to Shinji’s room, I understand the time of day they were shooting for, it just looked weird to me. Minor squibbles aside though, onto the meat!

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Dr.STONE Anime Review – 71/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Dr.STONE, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Reviews by Lenlo

There are few genres more ubiquitous than Battle Anime. From classics like One Piece and Naruto to the modern like Kimetsu no Yaiba and Black Clover, they are everywhere. Constantly trying to one up or explore the idea in new ways. As a consequence of this, a sub-genre began to appear, cleverly called “Non-Battle” Battle Anime by Super Eyepatch Wolf. In these kinds of anime, it rare for a conflict to be physical in nature. Whether it be cooking in Food Wars or gambling in Ultimate Survivor Kaiji, a punch is rarely thrown. Dr.STONE by TMS Entertainment however takes this one step further, removing the battle portion entirely, unless you count battles with nature herself. And it is here, in the survival and science rather than physical combat, in a celebration of what it means to be human, that Dr.STONE excels.

Without further ado, it’s time to get into the review.

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Also this review contains minor spoilers. Carry on.) Continue reading “Dr.STONE Anime Review – 71/100” →

Vinland Saga – 22 [Lone Wolf]

by Lenlo, posted in Vinland Saga

Another day, another step closer to the Vinland Saga finale. This week is pretty straight forward, as we learn more about Askeladd’s past, his reasons for what he does and what exactly is wrong with Thorfinn. So without further ado, let’s dive in.

Starting off, as I said this week was rather straightforward, as Vinland Saga seeks to clear things up. It does this by focusing in on our two lead characters, and really diving in to their issues. Leaving nothing up in the air in regards to how they feel. Whether it be about each other, their situations or how exactly they got here. For Thorfinn, this was a rather tragic event, as once again he has lost to Askeladd. Only this time there was no humor, the man didn’t even try to make it seem close. Meanwhile Askeladd really rails into Thorfinn on how exactly to kill someone you hate. At the same time detailing his life, his father and how he came to hate Vikings as he does. Even confirming to Canute just how accurate Bjorn was last week.

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Dr.STONE – 24 [Voices Over Infinite Distance]

by Lenlo, posted in Dr.STONE

And so ends Dr.STONE, at least until next year when the announced 2nd season comes out. Its been a series of highs and lows, but one I ultimately enjoyed, and this episode is no different. As we get one more heartwarming moment of humanity, some comedy and a teaser of what is to come. Lets dive in!

Starting off, this episode was actually a nice look back at the season and all that was accomplished. Of course some of it was just raw montage’s of what happened. But most of it was presented in an organic way. Such as instead of raw flashbacks, we just cut to shots of the actual creations themselves. From the ramen stand or the forges, etc etc. Another good example of this was the juxtaposition between when the astronauts were making the record. Showing Senku and crew making a record player in the present, mimicking their bonds through the milenia. For what has partially a recap episode, it was nicely put together and felt more like a look back at how far we had come. Now though, let’s move on to the meat.

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Neon Genesis Evangelion – 5 [Rei, Beyond the Heart/Rei I] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Throwback Thursday

Finally, Throwback Thursday returns, with a new episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion! Apologies for the wait. I have explained across a number of posts now, but work and moving the site really ate my time. But its all over now and we can get back into it! So let’s just dive in, as we check back in with Shinji!

Starting off with production, as I always do, this week was a bit of an odd one. There was some great stuff. From expressive character acting from Misato during her and Shinji’s interactions, to the effects. I will never get tired of how Evangelion liquefies metal and structures with its lasers and such. It’s a beautiful effect, and one I hope we continue to see more of in the series. On the other hand we also got some more of Anno’s weirdness. Long, hanging still shots with almost no motion. Just dialogue played over an extended escalator scene. Similar to the rest we have seen, I don’t think it’s inherently bad. It works to sell the awkwardness between Rei and Shinji, especially after what happened in the apartment. But it felt to me like it just carried on to long. Still, for the most part, Evangelion did well.

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Vinland Saga – 20/21 [Crown/Reunion]

by Lenlo, posted in Vinland Saga

Once again, this week we have a double feature as I catch up on a week of missed Vinland. We have a lot to cover, as Canute meets his father, Thorfinn meets a blast from his past and Askeladd sees Bjorn off. Let’s dive in!

As always, before getting into the story, we have to open on Vinland Saga’s production. And in my opinion, there is a lot to love here. From Wits flowing fight animation, to some fantastic cinematography and detailed line work. For the first, you can see it most prominently when Thorfinn is training with the bucket. A short but sweet dash of combat in an otherwise dialogue focused episode. For cinematography, I am spoiled for examples, so much so it’s hard to pick from. It ranges from the obvious, with viewing Askeladd through the spider’s web, to the inspired. Such as how the assassination attempt was cut at the start of Episode 21. Really helping to sell what was happening until Askeladd revealed it all to us. And none of this is mentioning the detailed linework in the closeups. Suffice to say, I think Vinland Saga looks good. Continue reading “Vinland Saga – 20/21 [Crown/Reunion]” →