Student Review Contest #5

[Mouse]

The theme this week is... ME! Or rather my username. ^.^

That's right, participants this round must review an anime that features a rodent. It doesn't have to be a starring role, but somewhere a rodent must appear in the anime. Now because I realize this will be difficult to work into the review itself, rule #9 may be overlooked so long as the anime you choose HAS a rodent in it. If you get creative and the anime does not have a rodent, but has instead what you think is a rodent-like creature/character, you WILL have to illustrate this IN the review.

Remember to focus on what counts: clearly stating your opinion of the overall quality of the anime. Therefore, you should discuss both the pros and cons in the body of the review itself, and not just as one-liner highs/lows. The objective of reviews is to help people decide whether or not to watch something. It is not just another opportunity to rant or rave.

To help people out, here is a list of some anime with rodents:

Spirited Away
Ebichu
Samurai Champloo
Dragon Half
Popotan
Fruits Basket

You may or may not choose from this list. That is up to you. These are just some that I and some people in IRC were able to think of off the top of our heads. Good luck, and have fun!

Rules:

1. One entry per person.
2. Only completed anime can be reviewed.
3. Reviews that are posted after the two week deadline will be disqualified.
4. Entries are final. Once a review is posted no more editing is allowed, regardless of whether it is still before the deadline.
5. The winner chooses the next theme and hosts the next contest.
6. Reviews must include at least a title, review, summary and grade.
7. The review and summary must be written by you.
8. No entering a review that has previously been entered in an Anime Academy Student Review Contest.
9. Fully clarify your theme. Do not be vague or over restrictive.
10. Plagiarism in any shape or form (including summaries) will result in immediate disqualification.

Guidelines
1. While it is not mandatory, including series details such as title alternatives; genre; company; format; dates; highs and lows; screenshots and a captioned screenshot, are looked upon favourably.
2. The preferred word count is about 300-500 words, as per the Anime Academy main page.
3. Previously written reviews are allowed to be entered as long as they don't break rule #8.

Submission Deadline: Friday, August 11, 2006.

[Ninja Realist]

Rodents in infinite Ryvius?

A Ferret (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret) is not a rodent.

Not trying to be an ass, just pointing out that Infinite Ryvius wouldn't count as an anime feauturing rodents.

[ant]

I wonder if anyone is going to review Hamtaro?

[animanic_critic]

I wonder if anyone is going to review Hamtaro?
Oh please, somebody yell "NO!!!". If anyone's crazy enough to review it, please for the sake of justice to other anime titles, please give a low grading :no: .

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Can't do it anyway, I don't think all the episodes are out in Japanese and readily available.

[ant]

Can't do it anyway, I don't think all the episodes are out in Japanese and readily available.
You are right the series still continues, but there are the movies.

[Mouse]

Rodents in infinite Ryvius?

A Ferret (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret) is not a rodent.

Not trying to be an ass, just pointing out that Infinite Ryvius wouldn't count as an anime feauturing rodents.
Ah. I haven't seen it myself. That was someone else's suggestion and I didn't ask them what type of creature was in it.

I also haven't seen Popotan so if that's incorrect, someone let me know.

[Sorrow-kun]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrets

Contrary to popular belief, ferrets are not rodents, but members of the mustelid family, which also includes weasels, badgers and otters.****!

That's disappointing, since there are a million and one anime with ferrets, but significantly less with rodents. Interesting theme, nonetheless. I'll try to make an effort to enter this time.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Damn, does anyone know if there's a rat Digimon?

[Zelkiiro]

I was gonna dig up my Fruits Basket review, but looking at it now, it's shameful. I'd have to write a new review... ><

[Mouse]

Well, I figured people would hit a wall with this so I did include this line in my original post:
If you get creative and the anime does not have a rodent, but has instead what you think is a rodent-like creature/character, you WILL have to illustrate this IN the review.
Honestly, just a nod at the creature being "rodent-like" is enough to satisfy this.

Of course, I could expand it to include all critters if it's too much trouble... I don't really care. I'd rather have people participate than find the theme too much of a hassle to deal with.

Zelkiiro: How difficult could it be to clean up what you have?

[aeroshadow]

Oh please, somebody yell "NO!!!". If anyone's crazy enough to review it, please for the sake of justice to other anime titles, please give a low grading :no: .That's it. I'm reviewing the third Hamtaro movie, which was actually very good, just in spite of you. Don't be hating on Hamtaro, now. How many episodes have you actually watched? Hmph!

[animanic_critic]

That's it. I'm reviewing the third Hamtaro movie, which was actually quite good, just in spite of you. Don't be hating on Hamtaro, now. How many episodes have you actually watched? Hmph!
I haven't seen the movies yet, but as for the series, around 120+ of them, but never felt the story progressed anywhere far :zzz: , but I'm still holding on. Thinking that Hamtaro has 296 episodes in total (at least that's what ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=793) claims) is already having goosebumps.

If you insist on reviewing Hamtaro the Movie 3, then by all means necessary, do it. Don't let my preferences interfere your endeavors - it's basically just my opinion. Why are you so worked up? I never said I wanted people to support my views.

I'll be looking forward to it. Convince me with your review.

[aeroshadow]

I haven't seen the movies yet, but as for the series, around 120+ of them, but never felt the story progressed anywhere far :zzz: , but I'm still holding on. Thinking that Hamtaro has 296 episodes in total (at least that's what ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=793) claims) is already having goosebumps.

If you insist on reviewing Hamtaro the Movie 3, then by all means necessary, do it. Don't let my preferences interfere your endeavors - it's basically just my opinion. Why are you so worked up? I never said I wanted people to support my views.

I'll be looking forward to it. Convince me with your review.Heh, I didn't get worked up, I was only joking. I'm sorry, though, for assuming that you made that negative statement regarding Hamtaro without having watched a single episode. It happens all the time.

Still... O.O

Did you seriously watch that much Hamtaro? More than 120 episodes? Wow. If you didn't like it, why on earth would you do something like that? I was utterly obsessed with the series and I don't even think I've seen more than twenty.

I love the series though, but from a more subjective point of view, I view it like I view Bottle Fairy (one of my favorite anime comedies). Since when does the storyline need to advance for an anime to be good? Just look at Azumanga Daioh, it turned out excellent although the characters didn't undergo any serious development and although there wasn't a really coherent storyline. I know the episodes I watched of Hamtaro were entertaining enough for me. From what I saw, I felt that it was simply a fairly solid comedy, with respectable pacing and pretty good jokes, a few here and there being utterly hilarious. Sure, it isn't a mesmerizingly awesome drama or an extremely stylish action show, but it's what it's supposed to be, a children's comedy show, and it's one that is fairly well done IMO.

[animanic_critic]

Heh, I didn't get worked up, I was only joking. I'm sorry, though, for assuming that you made that negative statement regarding Hamtaro without having watched a single episode. It happens all the time.

Still... O.O

Did you seriously watch that much Hamtaro? More than 120 episodes? Wow. If you didn't like it, why on earth would you do something like that? I was utterly obsessed with the series and I don't even think I've seen more than twenty.

I love the series though, but from a more subjective point of view, I view it like I view Bottle Fairy (one of my favorite anime comedies). Since when does the storyline need to advance for an anime to be good? Just look at Azumanga Daioh, it turned out excellent although the characters didn't undergo any serious development and although there wasn't a really coherent storyline. I know the episodes I watched of Hamtaro were entertaining enough for me. From what I saw, I felt that it was simply a fairly solid comedy, with respectable pacing and pretty good jokes, a few here and there being utterly hilarious. Sure, it isn't a mesmerizingly awesome drama or an extremely stylish action show, but it's what it's supposed to be, a children's comedy show, and it's one that is fairly well done IMO.
Yeah well, that's nice to hear. Hamtaro just doesn't strike it to me, blame it on me being almost an adult or I prefer stories with constructive plots or whatever. My principle is: I will stick to an anime no matter what... TO THE BITTER END, NO MATTER HOW DREADFUL IT MAY BE. In fact, I lost count on how many episodes I did really watch but I bet it's more than 20 episodes too.

This time, I won't vote based on preferences like I mistakenly did last time. Who knows, if you do a good job reviewing it, maybe I'll vote for yours. A point of view of an anime is inevitably different to each individual; you ask 10 people of their thoughts for an anime, you'll get likely 9 different answers.

Don't fret it; just go on with what you have in mind. Basically, I don't care if someone thinks the anime I believe is good, sucks.

[Zelkiiro]

Zelkiiro: How difficult could it be to clean up what you have?
Trust me. It's that bad.

[C0MPL3X]

digi-mon-di-gi-tal-monsters~

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Kumbhiramon.jpg
rather scary looking mouse

I like pikachu better

[L-sama]

Could any of the Tenchi Muyo! series be used? Ryo-ohki is part rabbit (Or Fuku from GXP), which is a rodent, right?

[animanic_critic]

Could any of the Tenchi Muyo! series be used? Ryo-ohki is part rabbit (Or Fuku from GXP), which is a rodent, right?
A rabbit is NOT a rodent. People just tend to be confused thinking that they are. Read it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodent) and reap.

[Erigion]

Could any of the Tenchi Muyo! series be used? Ryo-ohki is part rabbit (Or Fuku from GXP), which is a rodent, right?

Well, I figured people would hit a wall with this so I did include this line in my original post:

Honestly, just a nod at the creature being "rodent-like" is enough to satisfy this.

Of course, I could expand it to include all critters if it's too much trouble... I don't really care. I'd rather have people participate than find the theme too much of a hassle to deal with.

Reading the previous posts works wonders.

[animanic_critic]

Umm... this thread's been awfully quiet for some time. Who's participating here?

[Ninja Realist]

Hold your horses pal. We've got over a week left to submit.

[aeroshadow]

*checks submission deadline*

April 11th? Er... I thought we got two weeks to submit our review. Can't you end it the night of April 14th instead? I sort of have to go on vacation soon.

[sohryu]

*checks submission deadline*

April 11th? Er... I thought we got two weeks to submit our review. Can't you end it the night of April 14th instead? I sort of have to go on vacation soon.
O_O

That's some looooong vacation right thur.

[animanic_critic]

*checks submission deadline*

April 11th? Er... I thought we got two weeks to submit our review. Can't you end it the night of April 14th instead? I sort of have to go on vacation soon.
O...K... I have no idea whether this is simply a typo error, but Mouse said:

Friday, August 11, 2006
Anyway, I'm still deciding whether to join. Currently, have a suitable title in mind, but still pondering how to go by about explaining it...

[Mouse]

*checks submission deadline*

April 11th? Er... I thought we got two weeks to submit our review. Can't you end it the night of April 14th instead? I sort of have to go on vacation soon.
August 11th is two weeks from my original post, which was on July 27th. And I won't be extending it. Someone else can start contest #6 if no one wants to particpate in this one.

Edit:
Just for clarification: Remember that for this contest you do not need to incorporate the theme into the body of the review itself. Unless of course it applies (in pros/cons) or you are very creative. In all the contests thusfar, the theme has served to restrict which anime one may choose from to review, and especially in this contest, that is all it's for. I think what would be good, however, is to add a line at the top of your submission post that tells us where in the anime the rodent/critter appears. So, following AA format, your submission post might look like this:

Dragon Half: Mappy, "so-and-so's" pet mouse and protector.
-----------
Title:
Genre:
Blah blah:

Summary: blah blah.

Review: blah blah.

Edit 2: I realize this Realist. I was responding to Aeroshadow who wants an extension.

[Ninja Realist]

August 11th is two weeks from my original post, which was on July 27th. And I won't be extending it. Someone else can start contest #6 if no one wants to particpate in this one.

7 days left Mouse. That's a whole week. Most submissions come in the last few days.

[animanic_critic]

* A.C. scans gingerly for possible threats while he chalks up one review himself

[7Raven7]

Dragon Half: Mappy, "so-and-so's" pet mouse and protector.
-----------
Title:
Genre:
Blah blah:

Summary: blah blah.

Review: blah blah.

Edit 2: I realize this Realist. I was responding to Aeroshadow who wants an extension.


*shakes fist*

No!! Dibs on Dragon half, I just need to DL the first episode cause I haven't seen it in forever (already have second)!

[7Raven7]

Dragon Half
73%
Title: Dragon Half
Genre: Comedy
Comapany: Kadokawa Shoten
Format: 2 OVA
Dates: 3/26/1993 to 5/28/1993
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/7_Raven_7/dragonhalf-brain.jpg
"As you can see from you X-ray Mr. Rosario,
you're pretty *@#^ed up!"
What’s Hot:
Hilarious, fall-off-your-seat pacing.
What’s Not:
Way too short, as “cartoony” as anime gets.


Synopsis:
Once upon a time, a dragon slayer was hired by king to slay a red dragon but instead he fell in love with it. Or something like that. Mink, the half-dragon, half-human daughter of the two is infatuated with teen idol Dick Saucer, who also happens to be a dragon slayer. Now the king’s daughter, head of the Saucer fan club, is jealous of Mink’s interactions with the star, the king and his minions want her dead for her father’s betrayal and even Saucer himself is tricked by the king to slay Mink. And all she wants is some stupid concert tickets!
- Summary by 7Raven7
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/7_Raven_7/dragonhalf-momanddad.jpg
Mom and Dad, having a friendly disagreement.
Review:
Excel Saga, FLCL and Azumanga Daioh are staples among “random-comedy” anime titles; Slayers and maybe even Orphen of those cast in a medieval fantasy light, and Dragon Half has a place here in its own right.

For the entirety of its two episode spree, Dragon Half sprints through a pasted together plot between pop-idol Dick Saucer the Dragon Slayer and his biggest fan, Mink the Dragon-half. And on top of theirs and all the other character’s heads, this OVA dumps the entire bag of comic tricks and gimmicks with resounding KLONKs! and THWAKs! From the king spamming his Crushing Press anvil on top of his own court, Mappy growing to 3,000x size whenever anyone riles the rodent, and incomprehensible twists in the plot, Dragon Half keeps you guessing… and laughing. And it is hilarious!

So quick is the pacing that you dare not blink. This leads to the biggest disappointment as you realize that, just as you were starting to get comfortable on your couch, the final credits roll. While story and character development were never essentials in the comedy market, from a value standpoint it would be more worth your money to watch something that, while not delivering quite the punch, might be able to go more than two rounds in the ring. Dragon Half could have easily committed to a more fulfilling 13 episode format and earned 10 times the renown.

Also, funny has its price. You will notice in Dragon Half that the running gag, slapstick style of delivering its funny bone medicine differs little from a Loony Tunes or an Animaniacs which, while successful, lowers the expectations and makes it more appealing to a younger audience. Still, even after all this time Dragon Half is a good choice to keep around for those looking for a quick laugh. Banzai!

Score Breakdown:
Characters / Development: 6.5
Music, Seiyuu and Sound Effects: 8
Art, Animation and Cinematography: 7.5
Story, Plot, Theme and Symbolism: 6
The Big Picture: 8.5
(scores + together / 50 * 100 = %)

[animanic_critic]

Time to make 7Raven7's life a lot less sweeter.
-----------------------------------------
http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2005/05/feature/12kingdoms02.jpg
Prince Charming a la anime

Title: The Twelve Kingdoms, a.k.a. Junni Kokki
Genre: Fantasy Drama
Company: Studio Pierrot
Format: 45 episodes
Dates: 09/04/2002 to 30/08/2003

Grade: 87%

http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2005/05/feature/12kingdoms14.jpg

Summary:
Yoko Nakajima is an exemplary class representative in her high school, but for some reason, she never felt like she fitted in her world, let alone her class. Furthermore, she continuously had mysterious nightmares every night and her hair is inexplicably red. One day, an enigmatic man appeared before her and claimed to be her servant. The next thing she knew, she was brought into an another world and realizes her true calling.

Highs: Mesmerizing world, wonderful cast, plot and politics grip you down to your seat
Lows: Bewildering terminologies, unfinished arc, series ended abruptedly for no reason
-----------------------------------------
When one asks for an anime that's based on an imaginative world, many would have synonymous titles such as Vision of Escaflowne and El-Hazard pop into their heads. Though the titles are highly commendable, a few really went on head-to-head with The Twelve Kingdoms in the field of true realm composition.

Beginning with a historical oriental opening, the show kicked off resembling like an adaptation of a collection of famous Chinese fables. As mundane as it can be, Yoko is your excellent yet unpopular student. As the story progresses, you will be sure that this isn't your ordinary fantasy anime where Yoko will ultimately decide the fate of the other parallel universe.

The artwork and animation are very pleasing to eyes as CG are tastefully utilized to give life to an action-packed anime. Animation is crisp, and artwork on the various beasts and rich setting is enough reason to stay glued to the screen. Each character is depicted distinctively throughout and I just can't say anything bad about the fights between man and beast.

The conspicuous highlight to the series is the breathtaking imaginative of the twelve kingdoms. The series not only elaborates on the new world, but it scrutinizes itself right down to the minute details. More so, the series breaks the convention and even alter the common issues that our own world is acquainted with. Issues such as language barriers, traveling visas, monetary matters and even measurement units are fully modified to render the world realistic yet groundbreaking.

The characters are also worthy of praises as we see characters develop and change throughout the series. Yoko's development from your outcasted meek 16-year old into a assertive and confident ruler is purely credible. Other cast members have their chance at the limelight as they each react to the unfamiliar world differently. Under the circumstances of mistrust and xenophobia, we see how the characters undergo hardships of fitting in and living with the natives.

The plot is at most almost second to none as it's filled with unexpected twists and action scenes. Penned by Shou Aikawa, who's responsible for Fullmetal Alchemist, the show promises charged-up political rollercoaster of quality that's incomparable other than Ghost In The Shell 2nd GIG. I was swept off my feet on how the cabinet works in the magical world, plus the bilateral events and moral dilemmas that Yoko inevitably faces as an empress of her kingdom. All similarities to your light-hearted fantasy animes are wiped off, just when you thought that this seems like your Fushigi Yuugi rip-off.

Sometimes being very meticulous on creating a new world may backfire. This proves to be one of The Twelve Kingdom's setbacks. I cannot help but be perplexed by the numerous new conventions introduced to the series. Occasionally, I was left scratching my head, trying to distinguish between the Taihous and the Saihous, just two of the possible forty. While this may serve as a beacon to establish the rich setting, the viewers will very much find it hard to grasp.

Another issue needed to be addressed is the unresolved matter on one of the several arcs. It seems that while all the other arcs have their endings properly tied up, one was left behind wide-open like a half-painted Mona Lisa's Smile. Furthermore, there seems to be no closure to the series whatsoever, reminiscent to the likes of Berserk. This can be be blamed to poor storyboarding since the original plan of a 68-episode series is chopped down to merely 45 episodes.

This is among the best fantasy anime out there as far as an alternate world is concerned. If it wasn't for the lack of closure, this anime could have been chartered among the greats of our animated counterparts. Give this series a try and be mesmerised by the awe-inspiring world of The Twelve Kingdoms. #

[7Raven7]

Time to make 7Raven7's life a lot less sweeter.


Oh, bring it on! :)

[sonydjsnmix]

MY FIRST REVIEW!!!!!! Sorry if my grammer is horrible. This show has a hedgehog named Ruby in it.

Anime: Kaitou Saint Tail

Highs: Good music, likable characters

Lows: Weak vilian, repetitive, bland Sara

Grade: 70%

Summery: Meimi is a normal girl who's father is a magician and he teaches her all of his tricks. Turning herself into Kaitou Saint Tail, she uses these tricks to help steal items to return them to it's rightful owner and slip away from the authorites like junior detective Asuka Junior.

Review: Taking a new spin on the term "magical girl" Kaitou Saint Tail sets itself apart in the magical girl genre while at the same time exhibit traits that is typically found in it like flashy transformations and cute side kick mascots.

Meimi is a likable main character who has a good heart. She believes in helping people who have been victimized and bringing justice to those who cause it. The series mostly consist of Meimi finding out someone stole something important from someone else, turn into Kaitou Saint Tail, and then stealing it back to return to it's original owner. This idea a modern day Robin Hood is interesting, but it gets repetitive.

Meimi's love interest who is just as likable as her, Asuka Junior is obsessed with catching Kaidou Saint Tail. With her being in the same class as him it provides opportunities for comedic scenes like her secretly sending him messages in special funny ways informing him what Kaidou Saint Tail will steal next.

From the classmates at school to the lovely dovey parents at home, the side characters quirky personalities and interactions with each other is very entertaining. I only wish Meimi's best friend Sara who got alot of screen time wasn't so bland.

The art is standard for a shoujo anime and the animation is well done. The music is pretty good and pleasant to the ears. I love the first ending song called Junshin sang by Shoko Inoue. The background music is very fitting to what is going on at the moment.

After many episodes of following the "monster of the week" format the series needed to end. A villain is later introduced to create a very dramatic ending. This villain is underdeveloped and given a rather weak background. Because of this the ending did not live up to its full potential.

Kaidou Saint Tail is worth a look if you are a fan of the genre or want to watch something cute who wouldn't mind watching a 40 plus episode show.

[aoi_n_asul]

made it and this is a first.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: D. N. Angel
Genre: Action/Drama/Romance
Company: Xebec
Format: 26 episodes

Highs: enjoyable music; exciting second half; interesting characters
Lows: dragging first half; unnecessary CGI; lots of tantalizing possibilities that were never explored

Grade: 79%

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c350/bluejunkie123/706229079.jpg
Niwa with his 'wings'--even a phantom thief can have bad hair day

Summary:
The legendary thief, Dark Mousy, strikes yet again! And this time he shares the body of 14-year old Niwa Daisuke. Niwa’s life gets complicated as he juggles nightly thieving escapades, facing an age-old nemesis and saving the world from destruction all while sorting out his true feelings for the girl of his dreams.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two sides of the same coin. It’s a story line that has been used many times before. However, I have always been a fan of the Jekyll and Hyde type of anime and the interesting characters more than tweaked my interest radar.

Unfortunately, D.N. Angel does not deliver. Well, not immediately. The first half of this 26-episode series plows clumsily either through Daisuke’s school life or Dark’s cursed artifact sealing exploits. Instead of having a solid character background, we are left with nothing but superficial facts regarding the characters. Interesting characters are not in short supply; instead they are introduced early in the series and then dropped like a hot potato. I find this irritating because no real effort is made to develop the character. A good example would be Hikari Satoshi, whose other identity is Krad, Dark’s nemesis. He was introduced early on in the series and I expected clashes between him and Niwa to spice things up, but regrettably nothing happens. We are left with a tantalizing preview of what’s to come, as the series plows through another day with Dark. It’s like giving candy to a baby, only to have it taken back at the last minute.

On the flip side of the coin, the series can boast of beautiful music to accompany its decent visuals and character designs. The animation quality is in no way top-notch and imposing CGI’s mar the view sometimes; nevertheless it is competently handled. The second half more than makes up for the lackluster start as bits and pieces of the characters past and personalities start to fall into place. Relationships start to bloom between Daisuke, Risa, Riku and of all people, Satoshi. The arrival of Hio Mio hails the beginning of appealing and delightful storytelling that balances the amusing and the mysterious real well. The whole piece, viewed together, is grand and in spite of everything, D.N. Angel can be proud of an interesting story with the right amount of intrigue and mystery mixed. However, considering that this improvement comes out at the latter part of the series, information overload is inevitable, resulting to a crammed and rushed finale.

D.N. Angel’s music is beautifully rendered and listeners are highly prone to catch the LSS. The voice actors did a top-notch job, matching their characters’ personality well.

All in all, D.N. Angel is not for the short-tempered. This anime delivers for as long as you don’t expect too much from it. Satisfaction may not be immediate but it is guaranteed.

[C0MPL3X]

Title: Pokemon first season (Indigo League)
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Children
Company: Oriental Light and Magic
Format: 81 episodes
Year Published: 1997

http://www.animationartist.com/movies/pokemon/Gallery/P05a.jpg
You’ve never pissed off my mouse before have you



Summary: (incorporated along the review)

Pros: Creative concept and creative creature designs captivating children’s imagination
Cons: Repetitive story format, horrible characters in a poorly crafted world

Review:
Pokemon, or more specifically Pokemon the first season: Indigo Leauge captivated charm and imagination of children around the world with unprecedented premise of capturing, training and befriending little monsters called Pokemon. It’s not surprising why this was the most watched show by kids under twelve with such an inviting world full of adorable creatures. Yet even for a show intended for younger audience, this is one journey into supernatural companionship gone astray by idle story telling and obnoxious characters in a carelessly designed world.

The phenomenon originated from Satoshi Tajiri’s (creator of Pokemon game) genuinely innocent hope of providing a virtual way for children to collect insects and other creatures as he did in the real world thirty years ago. The anime makes this possible through a fictitious universe inhabited by cute little monsters that can be captured and carried around like insects inside our pockets. Exploring this world with us the audience is a ten year old boy named Ash, who leaves home with his adorable electric mouse named Pikachu to become Pokemon Master. By transmogrifying objects often treated as fear in cartoons into cuddling guardian pets that we can control and befriend, Pokemon invites children to embark on a journey of discovery, collecting, nurturing, competing and unbreakable bond of friendship.

Infuse that with one of the most effective and adorable creature designs in anime and you have one monster that will electrify children with excitement. There is no bizarre and rather unnecessarily ornamented monsters like that in Digimon, only simplicity familiar from our real world equipped with charmingly unique features. One can also appreciate a spectrum of details in Pokemon design, whether it be valuing tiny pigeons as a common specie inhabiting the natural world, or marveling at a psychic fox for its rarity and combat prowess. Relatively bland yet appropriate art, animation and music are effectively used in boosting excitement of catching a Pokemon, or capturing the charm of adorable Pokemons playing with each other. Such a journey is why this show has been kept precious like special little pets inside our pockets of many children and more.

…until its monstrous lack in substance began to bear its fang. Somewhere midpoint in the show, the story became terribly repetitive. Ash and Pikachu go to new place. They meet new person. Evil Team Rocket strikes. Pikachu electrocutes them. They say goodbye. It is understandable that the episodic nature of storytelling was done to treat Ash’s on-going plot as a tool to give more spotlight to the Pokemons and its fascinations. What is not understandable is when every episode tells basically the same thing in an exactly same way, making it a daunting task to watch’em all. This redundancy is followed by characters displaying very little intelligence in a world that is oblivious to common sense. After failing to electrify a rock Pokemon, you would think that even a ten year old would learn not to try using electricity on a rock. Yet, instead of overcoming the obstacle through developing Ash as a character, the laws that make up the universe of Pokemon simply warps in favour of Ash, making his most battles victorious, childish, stupid and ultimately contributing nothing in substance.

Unlike many works of Ghibli attracting even the most mature audience, this show is devoid of any sort of intelligence or maturity to merit viewing of inferior superseding seasons. The gate to the world of Pokemon remains closed for those no longer clinging to ideal fantasies, but will always be open for kids and those who are looking to spoil themselves in Tajiri’s vision. And just beyond that door awaits our ten year old selves and one lovable mouse, ready to take that leap once again.

Grade: 7/10

[animanic_critic]

Looks like I have more competition than I first reckoned :suspiciou... Everyone's pouring in at the last minute, it seems :smile-mad

[LadySage]

Adventures of the Mini-Godesses
Comedy
Oriental Light and Magic/WOWOW
48 episodes
1998

Summary:

When Keiichi's away, the goddesses will play! In their spare time, goddesses Urd and Skuld (occasionally joined by Belldandy) shrink down to super-deformed size to play with and torment their friend Gan-chan the rat.

Grade: 78%
Highs: Urd and Skuld are tons of fun; humor works more often than not
Lows: Gan-chan the rat; occasional weak spots; total lack of anything deeper than quick gags


When the Oh My Goddess! OVA drew to a close, many fans commented that though Belldandy and Keiichi were fairly boring and stereotypical as protagonists, Urd and Skuld were the best part of the series and deserved far more screen time.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you all the Urd and Skuld you can handle. This entire series is centered on miniature Urd and Skuld playing pranks on their unfortunate rat friend Gan-chan and having general misadventures, all within the six minutes and fifteen seconds allotted each episode. As is obvious from its premise, Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses is episodic in nature; there are a few multi-part episodes, but there is little to no carryover or plot spanning the series. The entire point of the series is to get laughs.

The characters unfortunately go the way of the plot. Urd and Skuld are fun and quirky all right, but not much more, and Gan-chan is simply annoying, from his voice to his personality. Belldandy, when she shows up, is as pleasantly bland as ever, her rather boring personality thrown into sharp relief by her sisters' over-the-top silliness. Some fans who have never read the manga may be a bit puzzled when Mara shows up, since the goddesses' arch-nemesis never made the OVA or the movie.

So, the plot is nonexistent, and the characters are fun but stereotypical. So, the humor must be genius, right? Well, yes and no, but mostly yes fortunately. Many episodes had me rolling on the floor howling with laughter; a few had me groaning at the terrible jokes and cheesy puns. Among the don't-miss episodes is a kaijuu parody. The occasional weak episodes are luckily overwhelmed by the more amusing ones.

Adventures of the Mini Goddesses isn't anything deep or thought provoking, or even anything more than mildly diverting. That's fine, because that's all it really wants to be. If you're looking for a quick, cheap laugh, call Urd and Skuld!

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Nice. I've seen it somewhere before though. ;)

[animanic_critic]

I believe it's time to vote now... It's already past the 11-August deadline, isn't it? Where's Mouse?

[Ninja Realist]

I believe it's time to vote now... It's already past the 11-August deadline, isn't it? Where's Mouse?

Not for every time zone.