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Hey guys, kanna here. And...
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I was originally going to have Pennywise (for those who don't know, Pennywise is the clown from It) greet you all with a happy Halloween, but in light of the clown incidents that have been going on here in the U.S. (no, I don't understand it), I decided not to.
Well, it's Halloween, meaning I have to review a horror anime. But not only is it Halloween, it's the two year anniversary of Anime Mondays! So this review has to be special!
Today, we're talking about...well...a series where I'm only going to use its Japanese name. Why? Well...the word "jigoku" is Japanese for a word that could cause a lot of religious controversy, which is typically something I try to avoid (actually, I try to avoid causing any kind of controversy, but that's beside the point). But, I've decided to give in and review it anyway. Let's go!
Not much to say development wise, so we'll jump straight to the plot.
There is a website called...okay, you know what? I can't keep censoring the word by only using its Japanese name. It's just making me too confused. The word is...H**l. There. Happy? I censored it in a way where I can avoid religious controversy (I think).
Anyway, there is a rumor/legend of a website called H**l Correspondence, which can only be accessed at midnight. You type in someone's name, and a girl known as "H**l Girl" will take that person straight to H**l.
However, according to the series (and I guess real life, if you believe in karma), to curse a person is to dig two graves. So, when the person who sent the other guy to H**l dies, they will go to H**l, as well.
This series doesn't really have a set order until the eighth episode of the first season. Each episode is basically the same: character has a problem caused by someone, they try to deal with it and can't, and use H**l Correspondence.
If only H**l Correspondence were that simple. When someone's name is typed in, the person who typed in their antagonist's name is taken to what is simply known as the Twilight Realm, where H**l Girl, Ai Enma, resides with her companions, Ren, Wanyuudo, Hone-Onna, Kikuri (we don't meet her until season 2) and Yamawaro (we don't meet him until season 3).
The person receives a black straw doll with a red string tied around its neck. All the person has to do is pull the string, and their antagonist is taken straight to H**l. The decision of whether or not to pull the string rests with the person who typed in the name of their antagonist.
So, yeah. The series is pretty formulaic at first.
Character A is being put through a literal H**l by Character B, Character A uses H**l Correspondence receives the doll, Character A debates whether or not to use it, something happens that ultimately makes Character A pull the string, and H**l Girl and her companions torment Character B, before H**l Girl ferries him/her to H**l. Things seemingly get better for Character A, who then receives a crest-shaped mark on their chest to serve as an eternal reminder of his/her decision and that when he/she dies, H**l Girl will ferry his/her soul to H**l, too.
It's not until the eighth episode of the first season where we meet people who try to interfere with H**l Girl, but we later learn that H**l Correspondence didn't just exist in modern times, but it has been around since before the internet was even invented. We learn more about Ai and that the cycle of hate isn't something that can be interfered with.
This is going to be one of my shorter reviews, because I don't have a ton of time on my hands right now, and the series itself is pretty formulaic.
Rating: 3/10
Why: THIS ISN'T SCARY! You'd think an anime about a girl who takes people's souls to H**l would be downright terrifying! Which it is...in the live action version. But we're talking about the anime in this, and in all three seasons, there is nothing scary that happens. Nothing.
Okay, correction. There is ONE KIND OF scary thing. Kikuri, who we meet in season 2, is actually kind of creepy. She's so childlike and so creepy at the same time, it's actually a little disturbing. We later find out (spoiler) she's actually a vessel for the god of H**l, who takes the form of a spider (I hate spiders...*shudders*). So there's one scene where (I couldn't make this up if I tried) Kikuri grows a third eye, her head falls right off of her body and grows spider legs and starts walking. I'll admit, that's kind of creepy.
Other than that, though, there is NOTHING scary in this anime. Now, you could argue and say that the torment that Ai and her companions put the antagonists of each episode through is kind of scary in the later seasons. And it is...to an extent. I feel like the creators of this anime are like most American horror movie makers: they're trying too hard to be scary.
The music is great, and possibly the only redeeming thing about this series to make its fear factor go up just a little bit. Each track sounds great and fits right in with the scene. I especially love this scene's music where Ai tells us that we will know her wrath. Believe it or not, this scene was actually a tad scarier in the English dub than the Japanese. But that might have just been the voice acting. For example (this is towards the end of the first season, so spoiler alert):
If you want to have a good scare, watch the live action version of this anime. Trust me, it's MUCH better than this, and it's actually scary. I mean, the third episode of the live action...well, don't listen to me talk about it. If you want a good scare for Halloween, watch the live action adaptation.
Hey guys, kanna here. And welcome to your second Anime Monday of Halloween Month! I'm still looking for a good name for this, so suggestions are welcome. If nothing clicks, at least let me know (please).
Today's anime that we'll be taking a look at is a little bizarre, but that's to be expected for Halloween. We're looking at supernatural/horror anime this whole month. And this one is a little more on the supernatural side...with a few bits of creepiness thrown in. This is...Parasyte -the maxim-.
One night, worm-like creatures known as parasites (by the way, don't ask about the spelling for this series, I have no idea why it's like that) come to Earth and start taking over the brains of most of the humans. One parasite tries to get into Shinichi's brain by entering through Shinichi's ear.
However, Shinichi is wearing headphones, so the parasite then tries entering by burrowing through Shinichi's right arm. Shinichi feels this, and manages to stop the parasite before it reaches his brain. This results in the parasite taking residence in Shinichi's right hand and both his brain and the parasite's being able to retain their own intellect and personality.
Shinichi has to learn how to coexist with the parasite that now resides in his body and has a mind of its own, so he names it Migi (the Japanese word for right--as in the direction). This causes several problems for Shinichi, however, because other parasites who have managed to successfully take over human brains realize that Shinichi's brain is still intact try to kill him and Migi.
Shinichi eventually feels compelled to fight against these other parasites with the help of Migi (who doesn't feel emotions...pretty much anything, so he just goes along with Shinichi because he doesn't really have a choice).
Much like a superhero with a secret identity, Shinichi has to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain his parasite-fighting. Eventually, he starts to form a somewhat-one-sided bond with Migi as the two fight off the parasites so that Shinichi isn't used as a lab experiment or anything like that.
Rating: um...wow, this one is actually really hard to give a proper rating. I guess I'd have to say 5/10, but that's not really a rating I'm proud of. Help?
Why: First off, it's Madhouse, so most of their anime series are hit or miss. And...while I feel like this was more on the miss side of things, it's not entirely Madhouse's fault.
Sure, the animation could be better in some areas, and the fight scenes are incredibly hard to follow, but most of the fault for why it's more of a miss than a hit lies with the overall storyline, which the anime adapted from the manga.
It's not that it's a bad storyline, it just...isn't executed well. I don't know why; it's a relatively simple storyline. I don't understand how they couldn't properly execute it. I mean, the idea of aliens taking over people's bodies has been used countless times in TV and movies (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone?), so you'd think this would be an easy storyline to execute. But, no. It didn't carry over.
The story can't seem to decide what genre it wants to be: romance, sci-fi, horror...it's too confusing. The character development is all over the place. I just...it's hard to really describe what's wrong with this show, other than I consider it overrated.
I will say this, though. The opening, "Let Me Hear," by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, is pretty awesome. It's their first (and I think only) song that's almost entirely in English, and while their English does need some work, it's an overall good effort, and I applaud them for trying. I didn't think I'd like the song, considering it's a heavy metal song, and I don't really like heavy metal. I don't hate it; it's just not my favorite genre and I'm kind of picky about it. The ending, "It's the Right Time," by Daichi Miura, was just okay. Not good, not bad, just okay.
Overall, if you're into psychological/sci-fi/kinda-sorta-horror thrillers, then this anime is for you. If not, I'd suggest checking out a different anime this month.
Sorry this was on the shorter side of things...I'll try to make my Anime Mondays for this month longer, promise!
Leave suggestions for next week's Anime Monday in the comments! It must be horror/supernatural! ~k
Today's anime that we'll be taking a look at is a little bizarre, but that's to be expected for Halloween. We're looking at supernatural/horror anime this whole month. And this one is a little more on the supernatural side...with a few bits of creepiness thrown in. This is...Parasyte -the maxim-.
So, let's talk about development.
Parasyte -the maxim- started out as a sci-fi/horror manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. And...that's really all you need to know. The manga series was so popular that it got an anime adaptation produced by Madhouse, and that aired from October 9, 2014 to March 26, 2015. Again, pretty much all you need to know.
So, unfortunately, like Rosario + Vampire, this review is going to be on the shorter side of things. I know I promised a longer one, and I'll do my best to make it longer, but I make no promises.
Anyway, the series revolves around a high school student named Shinichi Izumi. He lives with his parents in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo, and lives a normal, human life. He goes to school, has friends...things couldn't be more peaceful, right?
WRONG. If things were peaceful, we wouldn't have this series, would we?
One night, worm-like creatures known as parasites (by the way, don't ask about the spelling for this series, I have no idea why it's like that) come to Earth and start taking over the brains of most of the humans. One parasite tries to get into Shinichi's brain by entering through Shinichi's ear.
However, Shinichi is wearing headphones, so the parasite then tries entering by burrowing through Shinichi's right arm. Shinichi feels this, and manages to stop the parasite before it reaches his brain. This results in the parasite taking residence in Shinichi's right hand and both his brain and the parasite's being able to retain their own intellect and personality.
Shinichi has to learn how to coexist with the parasite that now resides in his body and has a mind of its own, so he names it Migi (the Japanese word for right--as in the direction). This causes several problems for Shinichi, however, because other parasites who have managed to successfully take over human brains realize that Shinichi's brain is still intact try to kill him and Migi.
Shinichi eventually feels compelled to fight against these other parasites with the help of Migi (who doesn't feel emotions...pretty much anything, so he just goes along with Shinichi because he doesn't really have a choice).
Much like a superhero with a secret identity, Shinichi has to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain his parasite-fighting. Eventually, he starts to form a somewhat-one-sided bond with Migi as the two fight off the parasites so that Shinichi isn't used as a lab experiment or anything like that.
Rating: um...wow, this one is actually really hard to give a proper rating. I guess I'd have to say 5/10, but that's not really a rating I'm proud of. Help?
Why: First off, it's Madhouse, so most of their anime series are hit or miss. And...while I feel like this was more on the miss side of things, it's not entirely Madhouse's fault.
Sure, the animation could be better in some areas, and the fight scenes are incredibly hard to follow, but most of the fault for why it's more of a miss than a hit lies with the overall storyline, which the anime adapted from the manga.
It's not that it's a bad storyline, it just...isn't executed well. I don't know why; it's a relatively simple storyline. I don't understand how they couldn't properly execute it. I mean, the idea of aliens taking over people's bodies has been used countless times in TV and movies (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone?), so you'd think this would be an easy storyline to execute. But, no. It didn't carry over.
The story can't seem to decide what genre it wants to be: romance, sci-fi, horror...it's too confusing. The character development is all over the place. I just...it's hard to really describe what's wrong with this show, other than I consider it overrated.
I will say this, though. The opening, "Let Me Hear," by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, is pretty awesome. It's their first (and I think only) song that's almost entirely in English, and while their English does need some work, it's an overall good effort, and I applaud them for trying. I didn't think I'd like the song, considering it's a heavy metal song, and I don't really like heavy metal. I don't hate it; it's just not my favorite genre and I'm kind of picky about it. The ending, "It's the Right Time," by Daichi Miura, was just okay. Not good, not bad, just okay.
Overall, if you're into psychological/sci-fi/kinda-sorta-horror thrillers, then this anime is for you. If not, I'd suggest checking out a different anime this month.
Sorry this was on the shorter side of things...I'll try to make my Anime Mondays for this month longer, promise!
Leave suggestions for next week's Anime Monday in the comments! It must be horror/supernatural! ~k
