MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Attack on Titan Season 2

Genre:

Action, Super Power, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen

Series:

TV series

Rating:

R - 17+

(violence & profanity)

Episodes:

12

Run Time:

24 min per episode

Release Date:

April 1, 2017 to June 17, 2017

Directed by:

Tetsurou Araki and Masashi Koizuka

Producers:

Production I.G, Dentsu, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Pony Canyon, Kodansha, Mad Box, Shingeki no Kyojin Team, Pony Canyon Enterprise

Plot Summary:

For centuries, humanity has been hunted by giant, mysterious predators known as the Titans. Three mighty walls—Wall Maria, Rose, and Sheena—provided peace and protection for humanity for over a hundred years. That peace, however, was shattered when the Colossus Titan and Armored Titan appeared and destroyed the outermost wall, Wall Maria. Forced to retreat behind Wall Rose, humanity waited with bated breath for the Titans to reappear and destroy their safe haven once more.

In Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2, Eren Yeager and others of the 104th Training Corps have just begun to become full members of the Survey Corps. As they ready themselves to face the Titans once again, their preparations are interrupted by the invasion of Wall Rose—but all is not as it seems as more mysteries are unraveled. As the Survey Corps races to save the wall, they uncover more about the invading Titans and the dark secrets of their own members.

source

Cast:

Yui Ishikawa, Yuki Kaji, Marina Inoue, Daisuke Ono, Saki Fujita, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Tomohisa Hashizume

List of Cast of Characters

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains spoilers

Shingeki no Kyojin, in English known as Attack on Titan, is an anime and manga of the same name and has just finished airing its second season. The first season didn’t leave me with any long-lasting impressions, other than the pretty graphics and art style. It isn’t until I was encouraged to watch season 2 that my interest rose to a fine peak but first a brief commentary of season 1. Season 1 left the impression of another simple shounen anime wherein the main protagonist, Eren Jeager, becomes a part of the Survery Corps and gains numerous power ups. The designated heroine, Mikasa Ackerman, is someone of interest and arguably someone to look up to as a soldier but as a normal person she has a one-track mind focused on Eren, his survival, and a strongly hinted romantic interest. The assumption of Eren being a stereotypical shounen protagonist wasn’t necessarily wrong but season 2 delves deeper into the rabbit hole. Season 2 continues where season 1 left a large cliffhanger. While the characters are a bit placid in development there are exceptions such as Reiner Braun, Krista Lenz/Historia Reiss, Annie Leonhart, Bertholdt Hoover, and Ymir.

The plot thickens as we, the viewer, learn more about the Walls (Maria, Rose, and Sheena), the spies that have infiltrated the Survey Corps and with the appearance of a Beast Titan with human comparable intellect the necessity to find out what lies outside of the Walls becomes greater. Life inside the Walls is stagnant and suffocating because humanity is trapped in fear by titans but in season 2 we learn there is an outside world in which Reiner, Berthholdt, Annie, and Ymir were a part of. Attack on Titan becomes more than just a dystopian, fighting anime and manga where humanity cowers in the corner with a knife in its hand. Reiner is the Armored Titan, Bertholdt is the Colossus Titan, we should already know Annie is the Female Titan, and Ymir is a Titan. The three aforementioned characters have their own joined agenda for being in the Walls while Ymir is fixated on Krista, real name Historia. Each of them have a mysterious past that is waiting to be revealed, although Ymir’s past was explored. Never mind “what’s in Eren’s basement” anymore.

There are still mysteries to be unfolded and season 2 ends with Ymir, Bertholdt, and Reiner escaping to the fallen Wall Maria and Eren vowing to become useful to humanity with his titan powers. While season 1 felt stagnant, season 2 makes me curious about the events that will unfold in season 3 which is scheduled for a 2018 release.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Drifters: Battle in a Brand-New World War Season 1 (2016)

Genre:

Young Adult/New Adult

Historical Action/Adventure Anime

Comedy, Samurai, Fantasy, Seinen

Season:

1

Episodes:

12

Rating:

R - 17+

(violence & profanity)

Run Time:

23 min. per episode

Release Date:

Oct 7, 2016 to Dec 23, 2016

Based on the manga by:

Hirano, Kouta

Directed by:

Suzuki, Kenichi

Studio:

Hoods Drifters Studio

Produced by:

Hoods Entertainment, NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, Shounen Gahousha

Plot Summary:

Shimazu Toyohisa, whilst involved at the Battle of Sekigahara, manages to mortally wound Ii Naomasa, but is critically wounded in the process. As he walks from the field broken and bleeding, Toyohisa finds himself transported to a corridor of doors, where a bespectacled man at a desk waits for him. This man, Murasaki, sends Toyohisa into the nearest door where he wakes up in another world. There, Toyohisa meets other great warriors like him who have been transported as well, to be part of a group known as "Drifters".
source

Cast:

Yuuichi Nakamura, Mitsuki Saiga, Naoya Uchida, Shiho Kokido

Full Cast



~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains spoilers

From the creator of Hellsing!!! Drifters: Battle in a Brand-new World War is an anime derived from a manga series by Hirano, Kouta and started serialization in Shōnen Gahosha's magazine, Young King Ours, in 2009. For those (un)familiar with his style, it includes intense, serious tones and plenty of blood shed with thrown in comedy punches at unnecessary times. Drifters uses historical names from all over: Russia, Japan, America, Italy, etc., so brush up on your history or just google everything. This work gives the impression of a dark fantasy anime, as it holds nothing back with inclusions of war, rape, death, poverty, humanity, coup d'etat, and racism (albeit with different species like elves, dwarves, and demi-animals). Yes, it has a "good versus bad" introduction to it but it becomes more complex the more we learn about the Drifter's ideologies and the deaths of the Ends in their previous life.

The opening theme song and overall OST give the impression of an anime that doesn’t take its plot seriously. It’s jazzy and even it’s opening sequence has satirical animation. It only lightly introduces the characters but doesn’t show much about their personality. There was hardly a time where I felt too drawn into the anime because of the music. On the other hand, the animation didn’t miss a beat. Every slice of a sword or axe was accounted for. The ripples of a banner blowing in the wind or the beads of sweat rolling down a soldier’s face complimented the battle scenes perfectly, the only let downs are moments of comedic relief. At that moment in time, I was entranced by the episode only to be hit with flowers, goofy faces, and bright colors. I know it was intentional but please let the characters develop more before throwing that in the audience’s face.

The first few episodes are intense as it starts with a battle scene and introduces us to the main protagonists: Toyohisa Shimazu, a samurai who had died in 1600, Oda Nobunaga a powerful daimyo from 16th century Japan, and Nasu, Yoichi Suketaka from the Genpei war, each of them recruited by the mysterious Murasaki to join other Drifters. Toyohisa Shimazu acts as the fearless military general that can raise armies just by sheer courage alone, Nobunaga acts a brilliant strategist but does not truly understand the “hearts” of his soldiers, and Yoichi being the youngest is lively and fun for someone who can shoot three people (probably more) with one arrow. My beef with Toyohisa as the main character is that he is so dense and focuses on so little but I like his conviction, keep it up. Nobunaga and Yoichi… can stay the same. The other Drifters haven’t been fully introduced to me but all of them have a vibe to them that represents a different ideology. I’m guessing teamwork becomes an important part of this anime.

But what’s a story without conflict? The antagonists are called “the Ends” and are considered insane, abandoned, and work for one purpose. Each of them recruited by E.A.S.Y. and are figures that have been forsaken by their beliefs or died a brutal death, including: Joan of Arc and Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov. The Ends’s leader is named the “Black King,” we have yet to see his face. So, there’s a lot of speculation with him but “being rejected by humanity” and certain scars may indicate Jesus Christ. Drifters’s plot is so... intriguing (to me at least) and a brilliant way to play with historical figures. It’s like a giant chess game between E.A.S.Y. and Murasaki with an entire world at stake. Season one leaves with a huge cliff hanger as war begins between the Drifters who lead (demi-)humans and the Ends who lead monsters or ogres. My only concern with that is the Drifters, although resilient, are only humans with tools but the Ends practically have “Jesus” who can heal all injuries and the Ends with magical capabilities. Like, “How dis fair?” I’ll just have to see in either the manga or season two.

I love Hirano’s work but that was also the problem with Drifters. It needed an extra push, as I was not the only person in the comments on Crunchyroll alluding to Hellsing. Maybe redesigning characters with different colors would be helpful because apparently, a homosexual version of Comte de Saint Germain wasn’t enough. “Joan of Arc,” the you say? I saw “Zorin Blitz,” from Hellsing, in both physical appearance to personality. “Rasputin,” I think you mean Rip Van Winkle. I think I’ll get over it as the series progresses because the plot escalates so well.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Kimi no Na Wa (2016)

"I am searching for you, whom I have never met yet."

Genre:

Young Adult

Supernatural/Fantasy Romance

Romantic Comedy

Rating:

PG-13

Run Time:

1 hr 46 mins

Release Date:

August 26, 2016

(Japan)

July 3, 2016

(Anime Expo, USA)

Producers:

 Kadokawa Shoten, Toho Company, Lawson HMV Entertainment, Amuse, East Japan Marketing & Communications

Licensors:

FUNimation Entertainment

Studios:

CoMix Wave Films

Directed and Written by:

Makoto Shinkai

Voice Cast:

Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Kana Hanazawa, Masami Nagasawa

source

Plot Summary:

The story is set one month after a comet has fallen for the first time in a thousand years in Japan. Mitsuha, a high school girl living in the countryside, wants to live in the city because she is tired of life in the country. Then, there's Taki. He's a high school student living in Tokyo with his friends while working as a part-timer at an Italian restaurant. He also has a strong interest in fine arts involving architecture. One day, Mitsuha dreams of herself as a young man. On the other hand, Taki also has a dream where he is a female student attending high school in the countryside. What's the secret behind their dreams?

source

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

“Time travel just seems to be a popular theme for some reason.”

The synopsis of the movie is a wonderful introduction to the beauty that unfolded. Kimi no Na Wa or “Your Name,” in English has the basic countryside girl who wants to move into the hustle and bustle of a big city but her male counterpart wants to live the life of an architect/artist. A bit cliché but as the story progresses, they become more meaningful for us the viewer and for each other. Mitsuha is kind, quiet, sweet, and dreams big. She’s cute like many protagonists her age, she can become determined when there is danger and selfless. Taki is a regular teenager living in Tokyo, so I wouldn’t call his role special if it weren’t for his affiliation with Mitsuha. He’s a bit stagnant in comparison but Taki grows on you as he tries to meet with the girl in his dreams and shows his confidence. The supporting characters weren’t completely missing and some had major roles in progressing the story when the main protagonists couldn’t do it alone.

“My grades can sink, but ships better sail.”

The imagery is beautiful, vibrant, and brings the story to life. The sound, music, and voice acting were on point. Why do you cry during a “sad” scene in a movie? Perhaps 90% of the time it is the music that coordinates perfectly with story and sounds at the right moment. Kimi no Na Wa is touching and beautiful. The reference to the “red thread of fate” is one of my all-time favorite anime tools that was incorporated skillfully, as it is woven into Mitsuha’s life through her Shinto lineage. I enjoyed the effort Shinkai had written into characters to show their awkward moments, their emotions, and reactions. It wasn’t too farfetched that two people who dream about each other would end up having an empty feeling, that they are missing something. But I don’t think anyone now-a-days would act on feelings and dreams to bring them closer to some stranger miles away.

Kimi no Na Wa was a recommendation from a friend and I don’t regret taking my time to watch it. It starts of quickly with what is given in the synopsis and keeps the viewer’s attention to the very end. There is suspense, romance, not much action but that’s no necessary for this movie, some heart break, and “feels” that I did not want before bed.

My rating:

(with English subtitles)

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F 2015

Genre:

Animation/Action/Adventure

Rating:

Not Rated

Run Time:

1 hr 33 min.

Release Date:

August 4, 2015 (USA)

Original Author:

Akira Toriyama

Distributor:

Funimation

Distributed by:

Funimation

Directed by:

Tadayoshi Yamamuro

Plot Summary:

One peaceful day on Earth, two remnants of Frieza's army named Sorbet and Tagoma arrive searching for the Dragon Balls with the aim of reviving Frieza. They succeed, and Frieza subsequently seeks revenge on the Saiyans.

Cast:

Japanese:
Masako Nozawa, Ryô Horikawa, Hiromi Tsuru, Masaharu Satô, Mayumi Tanaka, Toshio Furukawa

English:
Sean Schemmel, Kyle Hebert, Christopher Sabat, Monica Rial, Mike McFarland, Sonny Strait

See Full List of Cast & Crew on IMDB

Social Media:

 

*My Thoughts*

“Whoever screams the loudest, is the winner,” “This isn’t even my final form,” no doubt the most infamous jokes of the Dragon Ball franchise. Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F’ did not disappoint me, I enjoyed it profusely in comparison to Battle of Gods. It had humor, action (obviously), the return of iconic characters but it still had that cliché ending and did Bulma get more obnoxious over the years? Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the viewer, the trailers give away basically everything but don’t let that discourage you from watching this.

Let’s start with the graphics and animation. Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F’ far exceeds its predecessor movies or episodes. The HD was a good choice but I question the 3D animation. It’s cool, but unnecessary. As I watched Frieza and Goku go at it, their bodies popped out more than the energy that illuminated from them, slightly lagging. Thus leading to their energy looking flat and unimportant, despite it giving our fighters 5% more physical appeal. A small detail but crazy colors do match a Dragon Ball theme. But I digress, the animation was clear and more detailed than I would have expected. It was enthralling and pulled my attention.

The story could be taken from, again, the trailers and the synopsis but the hype is real. The power and hand-to-hand combat taken into the ozone layer, not surprising for a super saiyan (God), was epic. After watching calmer or more psychological anime as of late, Dragon Ball: Resurrection ‘F’, excited me. Goku is easy-going and his rivalry with a stubborn Vegeta brought tension as well as comedy at the right moments during the movie. Frieza’s arrogance will never change, will it? Beerus and Whis’s addition to was a nice touch although unnecessary. Beerus is the God of Destruction of Universe 6, fully competent, and short-tempered; while Whis has a peaceful, eccentric personality. But they both adore human food like a little kid in Candy Land. 

I wonder if anything won’t be cliché, as Resurrection ‘F’ has all the points needed for a shōnen movie.

Goku and Vegeta make a formidable team and it’s not like Frieza has protagonist powers to protect him, thus leading to his inevitable demise. A predictable end but I did like their effort in foreshadow, that a 5th grader could catch. Spoiler: Whis has power over time, an ability he mentions early into the movie and thus uses at the end of the movie. All in all, a simple movie but worth watching on a lazy afternoon.

My rating:

*Own it on Blu-Ray/DVD*
Release Date:
October 20, 2015
Bonus Features:
Feature Film (95 minutes), Over 50 minutes of extra features, including: "The Voices of Dragon Ball Z" (picture-in-picture "making of" footage:, The Return of Dragon Ball Z (cast interviews & red carpet footage), Included Digital HD Ultraviolet copy (subject to expiration).

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Shiki Anime Series

Genre:

Mystery

Supernatural

Thriller

Vampire

Episodes:

22

Rating:

R - 17+

(violence & profanity)

Run Time:

22 min. per episode

Release Date:

Jul 9, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010

Based on the Novel by:

Fuyumi Ono

Directed by:

Tetsuro Amino

Studio:

Daume Studio

Produced by:

Aniplex

 Dentsu

Fuji TV

Plot Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city; however, her unexpected death in the quiet village of Sotoba marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic that turns the hot summer into a season of blood and terror. A young doctor named Toshio Ozaki begins to doubt the nature of the disease and comes to understand that to discover the truth, he must abandon his humanity. Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from the city, is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi and must realize the pain of friendship in the face of his own tragedy. Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely pair as they work together to save Sotoba before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.

Shiki, adapted from the horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono, goes beyond the average vampire story. It tells the tragic tale of survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Abandoned by God, the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.

Cast:

Tōru Ookawa, Kouki Uchiyama, Aoi Yuuki, Kazuyuki Okitsu

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

In short, it was "a'ight" but I regret suggesting this anime to my school’s Anime Club and I'll tell you why. With a painfully slow sense of suspense, Shiki leaves much to be desired for me as an anime. I respect the deeper meaning it portrayed but the only thing I felt overall was annoyance for the villagers. That’s mostly because of my lack of empathy for their ignorance. In appearances, the animation is lovely, sharp, and clear but then again when isn’t it when a well-funded studio stands behind it. For example, the details of a tractor could be seen from “afar” and everything else was so well done that I felt sorry for the person who had to deal with Sunako’s gravity defying hair. Ironically, almost all of the characters had freaky hairstyles, which made them counter intuitive for conservative and rural village people that gossip and mocked anything “strange.” But enough of that. The plot itself, like stated before, was painfully slow because the villagers were so doubtful in the existence of the shiki despite deaths continuing and vaguely excused activity of the village escalated at night.

The pacing hardly helped to introduce the character’s backgrounds because Shiki  more or less asks you to “pick a side.” On that note, this isn’t an anime for the atheist and the agnostic because we wouldn’t pick a side. We’d weave our way through the series to pick and choose what characters are worthy of praise. Character development was lacking and there were few characters worth remembering. By episode three, we already know who’s killing off villagers. The only person with the most thoughtful background was probably Sunako but that’s because she’s the oldest character in age. The deeper meaning to Shiki isn’t blatantly stated until the climax, where “Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.” But there didn’t seem to be any men in Shiki, rather they were all homicidal idiots or hedonistic zombies adhering to their instincts. The only real heroes to me seemed to be Natsuno Koide and Ritsuko Kunihiro; the boy who wanted to save lives and the nurse who stuck true to her ideals even if it meant starving to death. They kept their heads on tight, whether dead or alive, and stayed true to themselves. All in all, it doesn’t “get good” until two thirds through.

My Rating: