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Knights of Sidonia Shidonia no Kishi
Netflix Original Series
300 mins. - 12 episodes
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kobun Shizuno
Studio - Polygon Pictures
Synopsis: In the distant future the Earth has been destroyed by a fearsome alien species called the Gauna. It has been one thousand years since humanity became adrift in space on massive colony ships. They travel the galaxy looking for a new home and trying to stay one step ahead of the Gauna. The ships were spread out in hopes of being harder to track and to improve chances of finding a suitable planet. One such ship is the Sidonia and it could quite possibly be the last human population in the universe.
Tanikaze Nagate trained in the underworld to be an expert Garde pilot
Human culture and science have evolved on the Sidonia. To bolster and safeguard the population cloning has been accepted and even a third, asexual gender was developed which adapts to their partner. All humans now photosynthesize to conserve resources aboard the ship and are only required to eat once a week. Even anthropomorphic animals exist and participate in the workforce. Everyone wears a belt with a clip to attach to safety rails throughout the interior buildings when the ship performs maneuvers.
The Sidonia is a massive ship build around a fragment of the Earth
The Gauna are large alien creatures which can survive in the vacuum of space. They are highly self-sufficient and can self-propel through the airless void. Their bodies consist of an impenetrable core surrounded by a malleable proto-mass called Ena which can be manipulated to different needs of the core. They remain a mystery, but one thing is clear - they are a near-impossible enemy to defeat and have pushed humanity to the brink of extinction.
The Gauna are a terrifying alien race which seem to be pursuing the human race
The Sidonia has not encountered a Gauna for almost a century after a hero from the last generation drove them off piloting a Garde Type 17 called the Tsugumori. A special substance was discovered which could pierce a Gauna's core and destroy it. Now nearly every able-bodied youth is trained to become a Garde pilot and defend the Sidonia. Civil unrest has become more commonplace as protesters claim the Gauna are a hoax of the government.
The Sidonia is guided by the Immortal Council
Tanikaze Nagate was raised in the Underworld (the unpopulated areas of the Sidonia) by his grandfather, but is captured when venturing out to find food. He has trained exhaustively on a simulator to be an expert pilot of the Garde Type 17, but has no social skills. He is enlisted into the Guardian program to be a pilot when the Gauna reappear on his first assignment. Now the Sidonia must send another generation of pilots to battle an impossible enemy for the survival of the human race.
From left - Midorikawa Yuhata, Shinatose Izana, Tanikaze Nagate,
Kunato Norio (background), Hoshijiro Shizuka, and Ren Honoka
Pros: Epic storyline as humanity teeters on the brink of total extinction, some exciting plot twists and reveals, Gauna are a fearsome enemy, character deaths are meaningful and tragic (Yoshiyuki Tomino would approve), killer opening theme and good ending theme, some actual science fiction with cool concepts (cloning, humans photosynthesizing), good series ending, suspenseful and made me want to watch each new episode immediately
Cons: Character animation looks awkward and artificial due to full CG rendering, characters and some mecha have too dark black flecks on them meant to look like weathering (too harsh, where's the color rendering?), looks kind of CG cheesy when a Gauna's body disintegrates after its core is destroyed, plot progresses a bit disjointedly and too many questions raised with few answered
Hiyama Lala is the bear lunch lady who takes Tanikaze under her wing
Mike Tells It Straight: Let's set the record straight - this series originally aired in Japan and was licensed by Netflix for broadcast distribution. Netflix added a dub (for its various international audiences) and premiered it outside of Japan (the same way Funimation licenses anime series). When I first saw the 'Netflix Original Series' label I thought they had produced the series and were moving into original animated content, but it's not true. They're just cutting out the middleman (i.e. Funimation and other anime licensing companies) and doing the dub/sub themselves. Netflix is a billion dollar company and depending on how successful this first series performs then they could become a player in the anime distribution game. Could impact Funimation, the biggest anime licensing company, and possibly Cartoon Network, one of the bigger anime broadcasting channels. Time will tell, but I think KoS was a good gamble.
Tanikaze gets in big trouble early on with the female pilots
While the series may only be available through streaming, rest assured it will eventually hit Blu-Ray/DVD soon (House of Cards did). It was highly suspenseful and kept me enthralled to watch the next episode (binge watching fodder). The series is based on the manga by Tsutomu Nihei (Blame!, NOiSE, Abara) and follows it very faithfully. The manga is still ongoing and ending date is unknown. In Abara, Nihei's protagonist is a Gauna who can form bone armor and weaponry from his body. The Gauna in KoS appear to be a nod to this previous series. Nihei is known for his futuristic storylines and unique art style which were both present.
Human cloning is now commonplace to bolster the population count
I found the series very enjoyable and had to watch the next episode to find out what happened next. It was addictive and fun, but mildly disturbing as well. The show is fairly mature and I don't recommend it for younger viewers. The Gauna are a fearsome opponent and the pilots have a high mortality rate. Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of Mobile Suit Gundam and well known for killing off the majority of the main cast in his works) would definitely approve. The science fiction concepts were pretty cool - humans photosynthesizing is a first, clones, and a third gender (transgender). The mecha designs were decent and CG rendering was great. Loved the opening theme by Angela and good soundtrack. Characterization was well done and suspense was killer. Reminded me of Attack on Titan which is high praise.
Tanikaze is an expert Garde 17 pilot as seen by this simulation footage
- too bad the current generation of mecha is the
Garde 18 with significant interface changes!
What didn't work for me were the CG character renderings, these were mostly terrible. Movements were unrealistic, jerky, and the only way to tell characters apart were their hairstyles. The characters and mecha had these black marks on them which were meant to be weathering/wear, but were just harsh black lines and too simple. The plot progressed in a non-linear fashion and more questions were posed than answered. I guess it sets groundwork for future reveals which will probably be spectacular. I've read many complaints about Tanikaze's bland personality and I can rationalize his demeanor as being caused by living underground his whole life. I wasn't very happy to see a makeshift harem forming around him which is an anime genre I'm not really into.
Hoshijiro and Tanikaze are shipwrecked in space after a battle
- Hoshijiro photosynthesizes while Tanikaze nervously looks away
Despite its flaws KoS was an epic series and I was hooked from the first episode. It's mature and carries a sense of urgency as humanity fights for survival and characters die. A nice mix of science fiction and storytelling among many familiar anime themes. Tanikaze is the epitome of a last, best hope (at least he trained for it and it's not just inherent to his being). I rank it among the new breed of anime which strives to surprise and engage the viewer instead of carrying down the familiar path. If you have Netflix and enjoy anime then give it a shot. Looking forward to the second season when it gets released.
The Gauna find a way to demoralize the human pilots by
using the fallen Garde pilots against them
Papuwa
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 6 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$59.98 (2008)
$29.98 (2006-07) Vol. 2-6 ea.
$29.95 (2006) Vol. 1
ISBN 702727152726
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kenichi Nishida
Studio - Nippon Animation
Synopsis: A long time ago two mystical stones, one red and one blue, were in the possession of two clans. The two clans battled and eventually the young boy who possessed the intense power of the blue stone fell into a deep sleep. The one who possessed the power of the red stone went far away. All of this happened on the first Papuwa Island...
Kotaro arrives on Papuwa Island and is chased by a crazy pink dinosaur
Years later the young boy awakened and escaped back to Papuwa Island, but lost his memory. This boy was Kotaro of the Blue Clan. When he arrived on the island he was shocked to find strange talking creatures along with the pint-sized Papuwa and his man-maid, Liquid. Liquid used to work for the Ganma Army of which Kotaro's father, Magic, is the chairman. Fearing Kotaro will lose control of his vast power if he remembers his name, Liquid tricks Kotaro into thinking his name is Rotaro. Now Liquid cares for Rotaro, Papuwa (who is tiny yet immensely strong and has other powers), and their pet friend, Chappy, on the second Papuwa Island.
Rotaro (really Kotaro) comes to live with Chappy and Papuwa
The island itself is a mystery and one must travel through a bizarre vortex in the ocean to arrive on it. Once on the island it is nigh impossible to leave unless you can find the exact path which you traveled to get there. Let's just say most people are trapped on the island. The island's inhabitants are anthropomorphic creatures of all varieties. These include (but are not limited to):
Tanno the transvestite fish who wears fishnet stockings over his hairy human legs
Ito the hermaphroditic snail who wears a pink bow and always has its tongue hanging out
Oshodani the drumming sea otter who is constantly using drumsticks to drum on things
Komoro is a 'magic' mushroom and constantly tricking others into thinking he is an edible mushroom. His body is hallucinogenic when ingested or inhaled
Hayashi is a pink tyrannosaurus rex who is obsessed with good looking men
Tanno and Ito are the biggest queens on the island!
Magic is concerned for Kotaro's welfare and sends several groups from the Ganma Army. These include:
Special Battle Unit
Harlem is the leader and Magic's brother. He underpays his crew and steals their money to fuel a massive gambling addiction. He possesses great fighting power. Liquid used to work for the Harlem and remembers the time as pure torture.
Rod is Italian and never wears a shirt. He tells bad jokes and is crude. His skill is wind.
Marker is Chinese and a skilled warrior. He is calm and looks down on his fellow team members. His skill is fire.
G is German and doesn't talk very much.
Ganma Army
Tottori is a ninja although not a very good one. He uses an unorthodox style which consists of kicking off a sandal.
Miyagi looks and sounds like a dumb surfer dude. He uses the Brush of Literalization which can turn whatever he has written on into that word.
Koji is a complete dumbass and Umako's older brother.
Arashiyama uses fire and studied under Marker. He is terribly awkward and Marker instilled in him an off-putting vanity. His power is activated when he suffers extreme emotions (like anxiety during social interactions).
Shinsengumi are mercenary swordsman
Isami Kondo leads the group, but is horribly inept. He apparently likes good-looking young men.
Toshizo Hijikata is the most capable swordsman among the Shinsengumi and a great warrior. The absurdity of Papuwa Island annoys him greatly, but he grudgingly befriends Liquid.
Soji Okita is a good-looking young man who Kondo is fixated on. He fends off Kondo's attention by repeatedly stabbing him with his sword.
Umako Harada is a burly woman with a five o'clock shadow. She's as strong as the Hulk and just as stupid. She falls in love with Liquid (to his absolute horror) and grows a beard.
Liquid may protest, but he actually likes being man-maid to Papuwa, Rotaro, and Chappy
Liquid, Papuwa, Rotaro, and Chappy spend their days on Papuwa Island having adventures and getting on each others nerves. Despite appearances, Liquid is actually fond of caring for the three and he protects them from those sent by the Ganma Army. He strives to preserve the zany peace of the island and is a powerful warrior from his days in the Special Battle Unit. The groups are trapped on the island and find a strange equilibrium with its inhabitants.
Harlem, leader of the Special Battle Unit
Magic will not give up on finding Kotaro and eventually his older brother, Shintaro, returns to find him. Shintaro is the most powerful member of the Ganma Army and lived on the first Papuwa Island. Will Rotaro regain his memories of being Kotaro? If Kotaro and Shintaro come in contact will they destroy the second Papuwa Island? Why is it called Papuwa Island anyway? How many transvestite and hermaphrodite creatures can possibly exist on one South Pacific island?
Oshodani the drumming sea otter and Komoro the 'magic' mushroom
Pros: A couple decent jokes (mostly in the end when Shintaro and Magic show up on the island), Komoro is kind of funny because he's always tricking people and getting them high, this show is probably the inspiration for the television series Lost
Umako (pre-beard)
Cons: Severely homo-erotic nonsense, weak character designs + incredibly annoying characters, simple animation, no plot, only one girl in the entire show and she looks like a hairy man (with a beard), dub if fairly awful
Toshizo has a wardrobe malfunction to the delight of Tanno and Ito
Mike Tells It Straight: This series easily ranks in my top 10 worst anime of all time. It failed on many levels, but I'll bash it in the next paragraph. Let's talk about some of its good points. The series is zany comedy and has a few good jokes in there. The last few episodes were okay once Shintaro and Magic appear on the island. They're both crazy like all the other characters, but offer a mildly sane perspective in comparison and it's a serious breath of fresh air (favorite Shintaro quote when he sees the she-male Umako "Man, that was gross. Maybe the most disturbing creature I've seen on the island").
Liquid is actually a fierce warrior!
The rest of the series was inane nonsense and dragged on endlessly. All of the characters were effeminate, transvestites, hermaphrodites, she-males, or victims of bad jokes involving those characteristics. Seems like Papuwa was the only truly male character who was not part of the non-stop gags. This series was based on a manga sequel to the manga-turned-anime Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun by Ami Shibata. The first anime series was 42 episodes long and it boggles my mind that a sequel would ever be produced. WTF!? The first series spawned two video games and it must have gained some sort of popularity. I do not recommend this series in the slightest.
Shintaro arrives on Papuwa Island and kicks the crap out of Liquid
Synopsis: Minato Sahashi has joined the Sekirei Plan as an Ashikabi. He was just a regular guy having trouble passing his college entrance exams when a beautiful girl bumped into him. Her name is Musubi and she is a Sekirei. The Sekirei are numbered (up to 108) and must battle each other according to the Sekirei Plan which is a run by the clandestine MBI Corporation. Musubi has chosen Minato as her Ashikabi, the human partner who can amplify a Sekirei's power through a kiss.
Musubi and Tsukiumi have a hardcore rivalry on who can shop fastest
The pair's bond has been tested through battles with other Sekirei/Ashikabi pairs as well as MBI's cruel Discipline Squad. They have become stronger as a result and Minato has proven himself a confident individual. He and Musubi live at a boarding house, the Izumo Inn, filled with other Sekirei. Most of them have chosen Minato as their Ashikabi and compete with each other for his attention. They include Musubi (who uses hand-to-hand combat), Tsukiumi who considers herself Minato's actual wife (she wields power over water), Kusano is a young girl who plans to marry Minato when she gets older (her ability is plants), and Matsu the computer-genius.
It's always party-time when Kazehana is around!
The Inn is also home to a few mysterious Sekirei including the ridiculously well-endowed Kazehana (she controls wind and drinks a lot of sake) who develops a keen interest in Minato, the secretive Homura who hides a chilling secret (yet is a Fire Sekirei), Uzume who hides the fact she is a Sekirei (what is her true goal and who is her Ashikabi?), and the frightening innkeeper Miya whose roots reach back to the birth of the Sekirei Plan. We also get to meet Minato's mother who actually works for MBI - will she protect her son or choose her employer?
Homura doesn't like getting interrupted in the bath. Mystery or
just common privacy?
The Plan progresses and peripheral participants are forced into the forefront by MBI's maniacal chairman, Hiroto Minaka. This includes Uzume, Homura, and even Kazehana. Minato and the girls are thrust into action to oppose MBI and the Sekirei Plan. Events take a serious turn as friends are pitted against friends in a battle to the death. Can they stand up to the Discipline Squad and the other Sekirei, or will they be torn apart?
The original Discipline Squad has a few familiar faces
Pros: Decent opening theme music (ending theme is just okay), this show is all about fan-service and there's a lot, good animation, Minato is a stand up guy and not the typical harem genre wimp, more action than the first season although perhaps less fan-service O_o, we learn more about the Sekirei Plan and MBI, set includes the OVA "Two Gossip Topics"
Tsukiumi warns Kazehana to keep her giant boobs away from Minato!
Cons: Story is not very deep or compelling, more attention is given to the peripheral Sekirei and not as much to the Musubi/Minato relationship as the first season, MBI's chairman is a ridiculous jackass, the plot moves slowly forward without many real answers, I'm always annoyed by DVD/Blu-Ray combo packs (seems like a waste)
Not this douchebag again!
Mike Tells It Straight: I watched the first season of Sekirei and despite being heavily focused on fan-service I found it to have a good heart. The growing relationship between Musubi and Minato was charming and I was really impressed at him being an atypical harem-genre male protagonist. He actually had a spine and stood up for the girls in his 'harem' which was very refreshing. The plot wasn't so great and it was more about girls losing articles of clothing during battles (or the ample bath scenes), but showed enough promise to make we watch this second season.
Kazehana must rescue Minato from the current Discipline Squad
The story picks up as the Sekirei Plan moves forward and MBI's chairman forces Sekirei/Ashikabi pairs to participate. Focus shifts to the mysterious Sekirei living at the Izumo Inn as we get the story of Kazehana, Homura, Uzume, and Miya. I was a little let down by the overall story progression of this season despite and maybe because these peripheral characters take away the focus from Minato/Musubi. I found the firs season's best aspect was their buddy relationship and the 'harem' aspect of the show blocked them getting closer.
Who is the Veiled Sekirei?
Focus shifted toward the story vs. the fan-service in this second season, but there's still plenty of busty half-naked girls. It felt more serious and one of the peripheral cast is taken out. MBI's chairman is a total chump and not a menacing villain at all. I really hope there's a third season because the finish of this season didn't resolve the story. If you liked the first season then check this one out (you should obviously watch the first season before this one), but if fan-service and ridiculously-proportioned women are not your bag then steer clear.
Each year the Sekirei submit themselves to a physical examination
by the MBI Corp. Yeah, it's pretty hot.
Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts Baka to Tesuto to Shokanju
Funimation
Complete Collection
325 mins. - 13 episodes
5 discs - 3 DVD + 2 Blu-Ray
$54.98 (2011)
$69.98 (2011) Limited Edition
ISBN 704400013119
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shin Onuma
Studio - Silver Link
Synopsis: Fumizuki Academy is a prestigious high school which segregates its classes based on test scores. The highest scoring students are placed in Class A and the lowest scoring students in Class F. Class A receives the finest educational equipment and each successive class receives lower quality equipment until the lowest Class F gets crude wooden tables. Fumizuki is even more unique as each class is able to potentially trade their school equipment with that of another class by beating that class in a 'summoning war' based on academic strength. The school utilizes an advanced virtual system which allows students to summon avatars (digital representations of themselves) to battle for them in summoning wars. The power and durability of the students' avatars are based on recent test scores in specific subjects. The school subjects for summoning wars are determined by the teachers sponsoring (triggering) the virtual system (i.e. if the math teacher sponsors the war then avatar strength is determined by math test scores). Therefore a lower class can challenge a higher class and claim better equipment for themselves if victorious.
The Class F head group and their avatars - bottom row from left: Kota,
Hideyoshi, Akihisa, Mizuki, Minami, and Yuji. Top row (avatars) from
left: Hideyoshi, Yuji, Akihisa, Mizuki, Kota, and Minami
The second year Class F is filled with an interesting head group:
Akihisa Yoshii - a true baka (translated = idiot) because of his low test scores which have earned him the status of probationary student. He truly means well and often will put the feelings of others before his own, but doesn't take his academics seriously enough. Due to his probationary student status his avatar is uniquely able to touch corporeal objects which is a punishment as the teachers make Akihisa use his avatar to do menial chores around the school. He feels pain feedback from his avatar when it is damaged during battles or doing chores. He squanders his money and thus is forced to subsist on a diet of ramen, sugar, salt and water. His sister Akira comes to live with him and is incredibly hot. She constantly comes onto him in order to get him to do stuff (like study).
Yuji Sakamoto - class representative and highly strategic despite his low test scores. He wants to prove the school's class system is flawed by having Class F defeat Class A in a summoning war. He is best friends with Akihisa and the love obsession of Class A representative Shoko Kirishima (who wants to marry him due to a childhood crush).
Mizuki Himeji - actually the 2nd ranked student in the second year class, but suffered from a fever during the placement test and ended up in Class F. Akihisa tried to help her that day and she has hidden feelings for him. Shy and timid with an impressive bust size. Her cooking is lethal.
Minami Shimada - raised in Germany which led to her poor test scores and landed her in Class F. She often lashes out violently at Akihisa, but has hidden feelings for him. Has a small chest and is very jealous of Mizuki's bust size.
Hideyoshi Kinoshita - looks like a girl, but is really a guy and no one believes him. He looks incredibly good in women's clothing and often wears them for his acting classes. He's terrible at academics, but great at acting and drama. Fraternal twin to Class A's Yuko Kinoshita and the two look practically identical which allows him to impersonate her at times.
Kota Tsuchiya - a true pervert and a lecherous photographer. Sells the pictures to fellow students and his Hideyoshi shots are very popular. After seeing something particularly sexy his nose will gush blood causing him to pass out. He has compiled a tome recording the bust sizes of every girl in Fumizuki Academy.
Hideyoshi and Minami come to Kota's rescue during a
summoning war with Class E
Yuji has made it his personal mission to prove the school's class system is flawed and embarks Class F on a quest to defeat Class A! First the group must defeat the other classes (B to E) on their journey to facing the top class. Along the way the group from Class F encounter many obstacles and other students like: Miharu Shimizu from Class D who is in love with Minami despite them both being girls, Kyoji Nemoto the Class B representative who is an unrepentant cheater and uses dirty tactics, and Toshimitsu Kubo from Class A who has a crush on Akihisa despite them both being boys.
Shoko squeezes Yuji's avatar while Akihisa's avatar
watches Minami and Mizuki get along
Can Class F really succeed in defeating Class A? Will Yuji be forced to marry Class A representative Shoko? Can anyone survive Mizuki's cooking? Is Hideyoshi really a guy? Will Akihisa's wallet be crushed under the weight of the attention from Minami and Mizuki? All of these questions will be answered by the final battle!
Shoko prepares to administer the taser to keep Yuji from escaping her love
Pros: Great animation - highly stylized, but easily recognizable (the comic pop art circles on everything), catchy opening and ending theme songs, characters were funny and likable, running gags were pretty good, main theme was worthwhile as students labeled as 'losers' buck the system to prove they can succeed against the 'winners', lots of amusing fan-service, pretty good dub
Akihisa's sister Akira is hot!
Cons: Humor can be a bit repetitive, Akihisa's sister comes onto him repeatedly (i.e. incest), silly and juvenile storylines, overuses the 'guys see something sexy and gush blood from their noses' bit, too darn cute - especially the little avatars doing battle, English dub script is toned down from original Japanese
Kota suffers a hemorrhaging nosebleed after seeing something sexy
Mike Tells It Straight: Baka and Test is a wonderful example of mindless entertainment. Part school life comedy drama and role-playing game (RPG) simulation, it's all fun and only mildly offensive. The animation is very well done with a consistent visual style and seamless CGI (computer generated images) elements. I found the characters to be charming and the comedy to be genuinely funny (although somewhat repetitive). It's purposely over-the-top and had a nice message (although not for young children). Lots of fan-service and sexual innuendo.
Mizuki has a bathing suit wardrobe malfunction at the beach
The official Japanese title is Baka to Test to Shokanju (translated Idiots, Tests, and Summoned Beasts) makes a little more sense than the official U.S. title. The sexual innuendo (particularly from Akihisa's sister), gender bending, and same-sex love interests may be potentially offensive to some viewers, but overall a harmless bit of fun. The comedy is intense and I couldn't watch more than one or two episodes at a time without getting overloaded. Definitely not a deep series and recommended if you're looking for a bit of fluff. I'm planning to check out the second season to see where the story goes after the penultimate battle between Class F and Class A. Root for the underdogs!
