Category: OVA Impressions

OVA Impressions: Hiyokoi – 01

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions



If you’re wondering: I am NOT going to make a post about Koe de Oshigoto: that one was so bad and pointless that I couldn’t even finish the first ten minutes, and when I can’t get through a first episode, that has to say something. Instead though, I do want to say a few things about this really cheesy shoujo OVA named Hiyokoi.

So, the story is about this girl who is really shy. She is a really big outcast because she spent a year away from school due to an accident. There’s a lot of tension between her and her fellow students because she’s scared of them, but she’s actually really cute. She then comes to sit next to this really popular guy and they immediately fall in love as the girl tries to get over her own shyness and… wait? Isn’t this just Kimi ni Todoke?

So, yeah. Hiyokoi pretty much is a shallow version of Kimi ni Todoke: the main difference is that Hiyo actually gets admired by the whole class and that her love interest is an asshole with a heart of gold, rather than someone who is nice all the time. It really amounts to the same kind of plot, though with a ton of more cheese added. Especially near the end when Hiyo runs away out of embarrassment, the two have this really cheesy discussion in an attempt to cheer the female lead up. Apparently the love interest was unhappy because nobody ever sat next to him…. which just makes no sense.

I really wonder when the shoujo genre realizes that it’s just been regurgitating the same show over and over again. Hiyokoi is just a cheap cash-in on Kimi ni Todoke’s popularity, and it’s not even a good one. Stay away from this one.
OVA Episode Rating: 6,5/10

OVA Impressions: Tamayura – 03

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions



The reason I was so negative about Tamayura’s first episode was because I thought that it would only have two episodes: when you have half of your airtime spent on dull introductions there’s little time to actually use it. With four episodes however, it makes much more sense to spend that first one on setting everything up.

Tamayura 3 was also quite charming. It wasn’t as deep as episode 2, but it worked as a simple adventure and it really felt like we got to know the cast better. Now, there still are a few quirks that are overused, though: the twin-tailed girl is way too obsessive: whenever she has the chance she fangirls about Kou. The whistling girl was a cute idea for five minutes, but it doesn’t work when it becomes her main method of communication. Also, was that hot spring sequence really necessary?

As Iyashi-kei, it works, though. Four episodes is just long enough for the characters to show themselves off, and short enough for this to become sort of a quick watch, making it very different from Aria and its 52 episodes, which are much more of a commitment to sit through.
OVA Episode Rating: 7,75/10

OVA Impressions: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn – 02

by psgels, posted in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, OVA Impressions



Now that we’re two hours in, it’s gotten time to start asking in what way Gundam Unicorn sets itself apart from the other Gundam series. Unfortunately, I’m hard-pressed to find that answer…

I guess that the closest that this episode came to standing on its own was the point at which it showed that random Zeon family. It of course already was established that the Zeon aren’t completely evil by the very first Gundam series thirty years ago, but this episode did give a bit more depth to that by showing the people that the Zeon are trying to protect.

But apart from that though… the main problem with Unicorn really is its completely generic story, setting and characters: it’s all just “been there, done that”. There’s yet another boy who through some loophole in the rules gets his hand on the most powerful mobile suit known to man, there is yet another romance with a girl from the enemy (and hey! she’s even a princess this time), there again are strings of mecha battles. It’s all just too safe.

This all could have been forgiven with the right characterization, but… the lead character. I mean, most Gundam leads do fairly well to stand as solid characters, but this guy is completely generic. It’s not really the fact that he’s able to pilot a really powerful mecha: there are tons of other anime who do that. Instead, he just feels so out of place. Here we have a serious story about the war between two big fractions, and right there in the middle there’s this brat who keeps whining because he just discovered that people die in a war. Because of him we had to listen to strings of cheesy morals, instead of focusing on the story.

The same happened to Char here: in Zeta Gundam he was pretty interesting, in the first Gundam he was an excellent villain, but here, he looks like he lost all his charms, relying just on his cool-factor. The action also was something I got bored with. It’s the exact same type of action that we’ve been seeing over and over again. It was indeed solid, but the only thing that set it apart from all of the other Gundams was its airbags and the way in which the lead character vomited in his suit. okay, that’s admirable, but that’s not something you want to advertise yourself with.

Gundam Unicorn is solid, I’m not going to deny that. I did like the parts that didn’t feature the male lead. Minerva thank god shows how to not be annoying as a teenager, and also all of the adults knew exactly in what kind of situation they’re in, and they stand behind their choices. There was this interesting bit of intrigue going on, and at least most of the adults here felt very natural.

But that’s the thing: it’s got such a solid base here, and it doesn’t use it. This is Gundam: it’s got a huge graphics budget here; its direction is very solid and thought out; it’s got all of the ingredients for at least a solid story, grounded in realism. It just feels like it put its ambition in the wrong places.

Of course, it wasn’t bad either. I really hope that this episode was simply building up, so that we can at least get to see something interesting in the final episodes. I first want to see that before I’ll buy that, though. My biggest hope right now resides on that box. If that gets to be more than just another McGuyver, then this could still get interesting.
OVA Episode Rating: 7,75/10

OVA Impressions: Armored Trooper Votoms – Phantom Arc – 04

by psgels, posted in Armored Trooper Votoms - Phantom Arc, OVA Impressions



I must say, that I’m really impressed with how this OVA turned out. This isn’t just there for its storytelling or action. Instead, it’s all about its plot. It’s very unlike what we’re expected from Ryousuke Takahashi at this point, yet it has the elements that are so typically his style, like the large focus on religious mumbo jumbo.

As expected, this episode went to Quent, or at least Quent’s twin planet. And finally we get a bit more of an idea what this OVA was meant to be about: the so-called Child of God. A kid who is supposed to be Wiseman’s successor. It’s interesting that it’s going to take the place of Chirico, who somehow was chosen by Wiseman himself as the new ruler. Could it be that Wiseman knew about his demise and the new birth of the child of god, so he at least tried to pick his own successor?

In any case, with this I can really see enough material for the upcoming three Votoms Movies. The Gen-ei arc and the Pailsen files were really meant to tie everything together: the Pailsen files filled in the missing details of Chirico’s past, while Gen-ei hen prepared for the real conclusions of the franchise: the three upcoming movies. On top of that, it really feels like an omnibus, which contains a bit of everything that we’ve seen so far: mecha action, the comic relief, the religious focus, the politics and of course the way that each of the episodes revisited the four arcs of the TV-series.

Either way, it’s great to see so many great series-based OVAs this year: we’ve had Darker than Black, xxxHolic Rou, Black Lagoon, Yozakura Quartet and all of them really had the guts to be different and go with their own direction and focus.
OVA Episode Rating: 8,5/10

OVA Impressions: Black Lagoon – Roberta’s Blood Trail – 02

by psgels, posted in Black Lagoon, OVA Impressions



In terms of television series, Madhouse is currently having its worst season out of all of the seasons that I’ve been blogging, so thankfully Black Lagoon delivers one bright point for them this way. This episode was all about building up, but it did this really well.

Basically we had half an hour of dialogue, leading up to the inevitable clash between Roberta and the US Army, which will probably start on either episode 4 or 5. This episode established who the new maid was, it showed the implications that Roberta’s little adventure will have on Roanapur, while still keeping a few things a secret (for example why Balalaika and the favour that Dutch did to her, and what it had to do with anything here). It showed a lot of new stuff about the setting, like all of the different cartels that are operating in the city.

It’s clear that the creators are intending this to become a chapter in which all hell breaks loose. The previous episode explored how much of a monster Roberta had become, this episode did the same for the other fractions involved: the FARC and the US Army, mainly by not showing them and instead having all kinds of people talk about them.
OVA Episode Rating: 8,25/10

OVA Impressions: Tales of Symphonia – 07

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions, Tales of Symphonia



As someone who played the original game, I am really happy with this episode: the creators did a wonderful job on it. Yeah, sure, it wasn’t 100% faithful, and a lot of the minor parts were cut away, but who cares! This episode really delivered where it should have, and it did especially Sheena justice.

Sheena’s story really took up the main focus of this episode, and I’m really glad to see that the creators of the anime realized that it’s indeed the characters who made the original game so good, rather than its typical story. I also love how much of a bigger role Corrine had here: it even appeared in front of Lloyd, to make him trust Sheena: he never did that in the game. The anime also put a lot more focus on the parallel between Sheena’s two attempts to summon a pact with Volt. The actual fight with Volt was done better in the game, but everything around it was actually way superior in the anime in my opinion.

It’s also interesting to see that the anime creators decided to reveal Lloyd’s father this early here. To come with a bit of a comparison: in the game we’re still on the first disk. Yuan only exposes Kratos, halfway through the second disk. Still, they really didn’t have any choice here, with the really shallow way that they’ve been foreshadowing it. That really was something at which the game was better. But at the same time, the revelation in the anime also really packed a punch: it was well timed and worked really well as a cliff-hanger at the end of this episode.

This is something subtle, but I also love what the creators did with Raine’s powers: in the games she already was one of the best characters in terms of combat, but they really made her kick ass beyond belief here: able to block Volt’s rays for several minutes, and while some of the other characters struggle to just slay one dragon, she blasts an entire army away. On top of that, I also really love the way that the creators found in order to reveal that she’s actually a half-elf: it both showed Regal’s intelligence, and also pretty much enabled that Pope to remain out of the storyline here. It’s much more subtle here, and I like it a lot more than in the games.

There is one part about this episode that I didn’t like, though: it’s the portrayal of Lloyd: he just doesn’t feel like a worthy main character here. In the game, he also had his flaws, but at the same time he was the one who pulled the rest of the characters along with him: he was impulsive, but resolute and that allowed everyone to move forward. The others in the meantime were the ones who provided him with advice when he was having a hard time. That latter is too much overstated in the anime: he just gets pulled around, he is a bit of a whiny brat, especially at the time when Yuan proposed an alliance. He just isn’t the leader here, which on the other hand isn’t so bad, because the rest of the cast is that awesome.
OVA Episode Rating: 8.75/10

OVA Impressions: Tamayura – 02

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions



I didn’t check out the second episode of Tamayura immediately, because I wasn’t really that motivated after its disappointing first episode. Still, on Firechick’s recommendations I did end up giving it a whirl, and I’m glad I did: Tamayura’s second episode is much better than its first. This OVA really redeems itself here.

To me, a good slice of life series is one who fleshes out its characters well. A great one actually manages to use them well. I realize that this OVA still remains in the shadow of Windy Tales, but this episode really was more than just a bunch of random girls talking. Despite being slice of life, it tried to put a lot into just 20 minutes, and instead of animating a bunch of random events, it instead explored the lead characters’ passion for photography, showing how she’s always trying to get a good shot, how things relate to her past, along with the person she looks up to. Oh, and THANK GOD the whistle girl actually knows how to speak.

I still have a bit of a problem with the way in which cats are portrayed as moe blobs, though. I’m not sure, but my guess is that Azumanga Daioh once started simplifying these cats (or at least popularized it), and ever since it seems like everyone and his dog has been drawing these cats in blob-like ways, making them much less interesting than real cats. On top of that, the characters still rely a bit too much on their quirks at times, but the dialogue was well written for once, and really makes up for this.
OVA Episode Rating: 8/10

OVA Impressions: Yozakura Quartet – Hoshi no Umi – 01

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions, Yozakura Quartet - Hoshi no Umi




Please, someone. Confirm that Yozakura Quartet’s OVA is going to be a long one. I mean, seriously: this is way too awesome to just end in three episodes. This was meant to be the real adaptation, faithful to the manga. There is no way that the manga is this small, right? I mean, that Supernatural OVA of Madhouse also has 22 episodes. There is no reason why this shouldn’t be possible for Yozakura Quartet as well, and it’s not like this episode felt rushed in any way. Right?

Let’s start with the animation, which is absolutely fantastic: there are no still frames whatsoever. Most of this episode was build up and slice of life, but even there the animation was consistently fluid and expressive. And then the action-scenes came, at the second half of the episode, and they were even better. If only because of those scenes, this OVA NEEDS to be watched.

As for the story… I really don’t know how the TV-series managed to screw things up this badly. I mean, it’s not like they had a bad director here: it was the director of Red Garden, Kurenai and Rozen Maiden: he really could have pulled this off. Instead, we got a generic shounen series that become boring after just one episode. This episode was much, much better. It knows that its premise around superpowerful teenagers is a bit bland, so it spends most of its time fleshing these people out.

They’re really helped by the animation here, but even there I feel like I’ve gotten a much better picture of the characters than with the TV-series, and in any case they’re a lot more likable now, despite the fact that it introduced another love triangle. It is a bit boring at times, especially when you don’t like teenagers, but it formed a very good base for the final parts of the episode, and the rest of the OVA.

The action was both fun, exciting and brutal. I love how the creators weren’t afraid to insert some humour, turning a bunch of stereotypical bank robbers into a bunch of hilarious scapegoats (something I’ve noticed with very few other anime), and the strong art and animation really did a great job to swap the mood into a much darker atmosphere.
OVA Episode Rating: 8,75/10

OVA Impressions: Toriko

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions



Toriko is a story about a guy who travels all around the world in order to murder all kinds of exotic animals. Yeah, that’s a premise you don’t get to see every day…

In any case, this series reminds me a bit of hte Legend of Koizumi, in the way that it also tries to push GAR to the limits of what can be possible. In this case it’s baed around gathering exclusive wild ingredients for restaurants. Especially all of the designs of the different monsters and animals is pretty creative.

Apart from that, though, I’m a bit disappointed. For what’s supposed to be a comedy, it just failed to make me laugh, and after five minutes of the ridiculously over the top cook Toriko, I was pretty much bored with him. The comedic timing missed the mark in just about all of the jokes for me. This series has a nice gimmick, but it’s just enough to carry an OVA of fifteen minutes, not half an hour. I really don’t know whether the upcoming Toriko movie will be worth it, because its premise was just too shallow and bland for much more material.

The most annoying however, was that tiny side-kick that accompanied Toriko. His constant screaming and whining was sure to sap any of the comedic potential left in this series away. This entire OVA felt like it was trying too hard, but that guy really took the cake.
OVA Episode Rating: 6/10

OVA Impressions: Tamayura

by psgels, posted in OVA Impressions



To be honest, Tamayura turned out to be a bit disappointing. First of all because it’s just fifteen minutes long, and second of all because it’s not really like Aria, but more like K-On with photographing instead of music. So yeah, if you’re interested in K-On but find it too long then this OVA might be something for you.

The OVA tells the story about a bunch of girls who are living in a small city. Due to the short length, the lead character is pretty much the only one who isn’t a stereotype and gets some attention. She’s a bit annoying with her antics, but she is decently portrayed when the focus turns to her photography hobby.

The problem is that this show uses a few too many unnecessary cliches. The lead character has a dead father, without any point to it, she is of the klutzy type that seems to be really popular nowadays for some reason and this is another one of those series that reduces cats to weird moe blobs. I have no idea why anime really wants to do that, seriously? Real cats are much more awesome than that.

Oh, and there is also one particular character who has a specific character trait that has the potential to evolve into a horrible, horrible moe cliche on its own. At this point she is completely original, but I cringe at the thought of what would happen when moe series in the future take over the idea and include a character whose only method of communication IS FREAKING WHISTLING!

Overall… this OVA wasn’t really worth it. Its premise is too run of the mill, and it had too little to make up for its flaws. The voice actresses seem to be trying too hard most of the time, which doesn’t really help to remove them from their own stereotypes. I hate to say this, but this is one of the worst things I’ve seen from Sato Junichi.
OVA Episode Rating: 6,75/10