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jamescobrin
Reviews
Gangureivu (2003)
interesting story, awesome ending
I really enjoyed this anime series, it did a good job of keeping you interested about the story and it's characters. To be clear it wasn't anything I expected though, considering it was created by the same group that made Tri-Gun. Tri-Gun was good, but wasn't great, this on the other hand successfully fixed all of the problems trigun had and if you watched trigun before watching this series they won't even seem vaguely similar. One of the most interesting thing that Gungrave does is tackle multiple characters by presenting them all as good guys, so it's up to the audience to decide which side they support and who they are interested in. There are a few clichés but nothing that makes the series boring or seem uninteresting. The pacing is actually quite nice as well. In each episode something that progresses the story is happening and is concluding. With that being said you have to start with the first or second episode to fully enjoy the story. If you miss an episode, you might want to wait until you see it until moving to the next. Character development is this anime's strongest point though. As said before it presents all characters as good guys in their own way. The ending however is the best I have ever seen. No cliffhangers either. Because of the character development and watching the characters grow seeing the ending end the way it does is heart breaking. The hardest part about writing a review for gungrave would be not adding in any spoilers. There's so many interesting topics to debate with this show.
Kenpuu Denki Berserk (1997)
Awesome series
This is the best anime series I have ever watched. The art work isn't as good as most modern day anime series but the story and action is flawless. There's a reason people still talk about it. No clichés here and definitely not recommended for young children. The only thing wrong with it is that there is no 2nd season. It leaves you with this scene that begs for continuation, but not a cliffhanger(you have to watch it to understand this, otherwise I'll spoil it). You also do not have to read the book series to understand it, it tells the story of the beginning of this broad story and introduces the main characters. I also found myself looking up some of the songs played during episodes, they are very good and there timing during episodes are perfect. The action scenes are the wow factor though. THIS IS A VERY VIOLENT SHOW, but the way it displays it's characters will make you feel sympathy as to why they live the way they do. It actually addresses this very well. I feel it pays respect to soldiers in general because it addresses the fact that no one is forcing them to fight, but they all have their individual reasons why they fight. The first few episodes are a little out their, but once it gets going it never stops (it goes berserk). If you like TV series in general with a very strong story and character development this is a must see. This shouldn't be considered anime as it does not have any of the usual cliché garbage that most anime series have. It will also be beneficial for teenagers to watch this as it addresses some very serious issues in a very open minded perspective. The last thing I love about this series is how the episodes end. In each episode a lot of things are going on and with each episode it gets more serious and their battles get more intense. With that being said each episode ends when their task is completed. So none of the episodes end with cliffhangers, rather they leave you with the excitement of what will happen next and that alone will keep you hooked.
Shingeki no Kyojin (2013)
Very pretty, but very boring
I am only on episode 12, but I feel the need to write a review due to the confusion as why this series is so over rated. It reminds me a lot of the Naruto series. That being the actual concept and art design draws you in but then that's it. Once you get bored of the concept and use to its flawless art design there's nothing left to keep you interested. The characters are the worst part of this series as there is no development with them. To explain; There are 2 episodes showing the characters time in boot camp and how hard they are training to fight the titans, but than leave with the same mentality they had when they were kids. Nothing changed with them. The only thing they gained was the knowledge to use their equipment. Then you spend the next episodes watching them cry and relive flashbacks from previous episodes. Only This happens every episode. I would also like to point out there isn't as much action as advertised. Most of an episode consists of characters crying, talking, and/or flashbacks. (Pointless dialogue is just as bad as pointless action, when it comes to anime) I kind of wish Mikasa was the main character in the story. She is way more interesting then her annoying brother Eren. I still like the series and will push through it. I'll do it for Mikasa, with hopes she can keep her annoying immature brother alive.