Comedy Prize Pack thread

[Two-twenty]

This thread is for posting entries for the Comedy Prize Pack for the Student Review Contest Extravaganza!

Please note, this is only for posting entries, discussion belongs in this thread (http://www.animeacademy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24993).

[Shadowmage]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Shadowmage_Shin/Shana1.jpg
Melon bread banzai!

Title: Shakugan no Shana
Genre: Action/Romance
Company: Media Works/J.C. Staff/Shakugan no Shana Production Committee
Format: 24 episodes
Dates: 6 Oct 2005 - 23 Mar 2006

Summary: Death is nothing like what high school student Sakai Yuuji expected it to be. In an instant, he is killed with nothing but his maimed soul left in the wake. Before the last remnants of Yuuji could be absorbed, a mysterious young girl with blazing red hair saves the boy, and informs him of the dark state of his world. Now Sakai must aid the young girl, Shana, as she wards off invaders from another world.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/Shadowmage_Shin/Shana2.jpg

Grade: 71%

Highs: Thoroughly entertaining; above par animation; good seiyuu

Lows: Completely and utterly clichéd; a dense lead male character that's just "there"

Review:

I’m at a loss for words. Shakugan no Shana is a show that’s so redundant and overwhelmingly clichéd that my palm and my forehead should have become very good friends by the end of it. Yet, here I am 24 episodes later eager to watch more. No, this is not a sleeper hit. Shakugan no Shana is a fusion of a typical high school drama with a shounen action anime; however, instead of a hardheaded young boy as the main character, this show has a tsunderé loli.

Now that I’ve reduced my readers down to the niche that this show intends to target, I’ll candidly admit that this show has become a guilty pleasure of mine, so don’t expect too much from this anime. There is nothing that redeems the series except that it offers a lot of mindless fun. The fight scenes are oddly reminiscent of Dragon Ball Z and the melodramatic love triangle quickly becomes insufferable. Plot holes and inconsistencies plague the show like bees on honey, but the show still manages to hold an elusive charm all the way through.

Like any other shounen action series, Shakugan no Shana is really a cycle of events that is spun over and over again. Some random antagonists cause trouble, Shana and friends fight and initially lose. A little while later, the main male character, Sakai Yuuji, (Shana's love interest) gets hit on by another girl, which sparks a shouting war between the girls. Being the generic male lead that he is, Yuuji stands around with a baffled smile wondering what the girls are fighting over. Somehow, everything works out (gets postponed) before Shana finds the strength to overpower her opponent in battle. Rinse and repeat with new characters and minimal gains in the romance department.

Given the structure of the show, it's nice that most fights last seven minutes and the show usually doesn't take itself all that seriously. The above average animation, the strong seiyuu, and decently choreographed fight scenes help pass the time at an unexpectedly quick pace. The gothic music is too heavy for its own good, but that's a relatively minor quibble.

Ultimately, the amount of enjoyment you derive from this show is contingent how much moé, high school melodrama and shounen action clichés you can take before throwing your computer out a window and stabbing yourself with a fountain pen. Love these gimmicks? Shana is right down your alley. Hate them? You’ll probably do all of the above before the show’s end. Don't know? Then shut up and enjoy Shakugan no Shana as a no substance sugar treat.

Prize pack: I would like to enter to win the comedy prize pack. Good luck to everyone who enters!

[Zelkiiro]

Title: Now and Then, Here and There, a.k.a. Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku
Genre: Action/Drama
Company: AIC/Pioneer
Format: 13 episodes
Dates: 10/14/1999 to 1/20/2000

Summary: Matsutani Shuzo (Shu for short) is a lively, energetic middle-school student who lives for each day with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Having lost a kendo match, he proclaims he'll win someday as he walks through town on his way home. On the top of a local smokestack, he notices a strange girl sitting, gazing at the sunset, and Shu goes to meet her. It's not long before strange machines commanded by a cold woman named Abelia steal Shu and the girl, who calls herself Lala-ru, away to another world where survival is a feat and war is omnipresent. It's a long, harsh road back home, and their lives ride in the balance of a highly-unbalanced, maniacal king who will do whatever it takes to get his hands on Lala-ru.

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1780/ntht1bu9.jpg
Not going anywhere for a while...?

Grade: 95%
Highs: Damn near everything
Lows: Animation is sometimes poor; abrupt ending

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2793/ntht2sp1.jpg

Review: When it comes to anime series where the protagonist is taken to a strange world ruled by the iron fist of tyranny, you'd think you've seen it all before. You get an idea of what will happen, and you plot the course as to how it will all unfold. Now and Then, Here and There almost seems like it falls into this trap, but therein lies the key word: almost.

From the get-go, you feel the trap tightening its grip; the show starts out light and humorous, the heroine is otherworldly and mystifying, and the action is farfetched and incredulous. At this point, you would be sighing the "Oh, no..." sigh as you realize the show has fallen into the trap. It is at this point, however, that the shackles are flung off and the net is unraveled. The situation changes so immediately and suddenly that any assumption that this series would be run-of-the-mill goes right out the window.

When it comes to praising, how do I even begin? The most immediate thing to be noticed is the artwork, and while the characters themselves look plain and ordinary, the scenery and backgrounds are among the most beautiful you will ever have the privilege of seeing. In particular, the sunset Lala-ru gazes into in the first episode is painted with such beauty that I found it hard to believe I was merely gazing at a painting. The scene is accompanied by a beautiful music track, Standing in the Sunset Glow. Iwasaki Taku, who wrote music for Witch Hunter Robin as well as Read or Die, has orchestrated an amazing score to match each scene with unnerving precision.

The music helps to accentuate the beauty of the direction and the horrors of the story. Directed by Akitarou Daichi of Fruits Basket fame, every event has significance and every character leaves an impact, even the minor characters who may only appear twice with zero dialogue. You will also be hard-pressed not to sympathize with many of the characters, who reveal differing layers of themselves and conflict each other in ways that make them feel like real people. As the plot grows darker and darker, these characters are subjected to horrors that many couldn't dream of. The main villain, King Hamdo, is definitely a character to behold; while many regard crazy villains as being cool or sympathetic, neither trait can be found in him. He is a ruthless, unstable, insane dictator whose reasoning seems to have depleted along with his world's prosperity, and my hatred for the man makes him among the most memorable characters in anime to me.

Most unfortunately, as with everything that is good, there is a time for praise, and there is a time for criticism. Fortunately, there's not much to criticize here. The first thing is that there are times when the animation is choppy or there is an excessive stretching of a single frame. However, being animated by a small company without a backing manga, it's not surprising. Disappointing, but not surprising. Also, the beginning is very abrupt, but that's the nature of the show and the events that took place; however, the ending being even more, if not as, abrupt is completely unnecessary. Having gone through many life-changing experiences, it's disappointing to not see just how Shu's life was changed and how he continues to live his life in the end.

But I digress, Now and Then, Here and There is a masterwork of an anime series, and you have no reason not to see it unless you are faint of heart and find the ideas of brutal murder, child rape, child slavery and militarism, torture, and other such things too much for you to handle. This series will immerse you in darkness and it's up to you to find the light in this barren world.


- Comedy prize pack, kthx. :icon_danc

[L-sama]

Title: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni AKA The Moment the Cicadas Cry
Genre: Drama
Company: Studio Deen
Format: 26 Episodes
Dates: 4/5/2006 to 9/26/2006

http://animeafterglow.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/higurashinonakukoroni_01.jpg
I see you...

Summary: Keiichi Maebara is newest resident of the cozy town of Hinamizawa. He quickly makes friends at school, and things seem to be normal. However, Hinamizawa is a town with a dark history. Every year, on the night of the annual Watanagashi festival, someone is killed while a second person mysteriously vanishes. As yet another festival night arrives, he is informed that one of his new friends is possibly behind these gruesome killings. Who is the one behind all of this, and why do Keiichi's friends all suddenly change once the topic is brought up?

Grade: 86%

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/deadgundams/higu5-1.jpg

Highs: Superb use of deception; Near perfect casting and score; Truly terrifying story
Lows: Story drags midway; Ooishi got on my nerves

I’m not a fan of horror films. I get scared easily over things that will most likely never happen in the real world. Despite all of this, I still decided to take a look at Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, even though I knew what I was getting myself into. I’m glad I did.

The use of deception can be tricky to master. Use it too much, and the story becomes too difficult to follow, while not enough can make the show predictable and take away from the shock value. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni manages to travel along this line, for the most part, perfectly. It puts you into a false sense of security with a typical shonen harem exterior, only to make your eyes shoot wide open with shocking violence and torture. No amount of preparation can set you up for it; it hits just as hard every time. Unfortunately, this system trips up at about the half-way point. For two episodes, the story stumbles off that fine line and becomes uninteresting. Luckily, the story recovers and puts up a strong finish.

The other thing that really sells this anime is the seiyuu. A flat cast here would’ve taken a lot of the suspense out of Higurashi. Luckily, everyone does their part and then some. The way the cast effortlessly swings from playful to psychotic along with the story is nothing short of amazing. The cast is accompanied by a simple, yet oh so effective soundtrack that adds to the suspense. There’s just something about two high pitched violins in a horror anime that sends chills up my spine.

There is just one more part, or rather one person, that bothers me about Higurashi. One character, Officer Ooishi, becomes a nuisance rather quickly. His constant appearance and smug attitude at the situations unfolding on the screen becomes quite tiresome and annoying. I understand that he is an important part of the plot, but is it asking too much for him not to stick his nose in as far as he does on a regular basis?

Despite this, I really can’t knock Higurashi down too much. Did this anime scare me? Several times, yes, but it was worth it. Will this change how I feel about the horror genre? Not at all, but as long as you have a strong stomach, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni is a series that shouldn’t be skipped.

Prize Pack: I'd like to enter for the Comedy Prize Pack.

[AlterGenesis-X]

http://209.85.48.11/9149/43/upload/p12568840.jpg
"Oh yeah...this is what its all about..."

Title: Inukami!
Genre: Action/Comedy/Romance
Company: Starchild Records
Format: 26 Episodes
Dates: April 4, 2006 to September 28, 2006

Grade: 69%

Summary: Keita is a descendant of the Kawahira family historically known for taming Inukami. Inukami are essentially human canines who become servants of those whom they form a contract with. Keita’s womanizing ways, lack of talent and discipline has prevented him from forming the contract with an Inkuami. One fateful day, Keita is introduced to beautiful green-haired Inukami named Youko. Keita is ecstatic with the beautiful Youko, although with her dark past shrouded in mystery, Keita could be getting more than he was bargaining for.

http://209.85.48.11/9149/43/upload/p12568804.jpg

Highs: Hilarious, light-hearted fun; character interactions; surprisingly good plot
Lows: Romantic moments are out of place; thin characters; comedy not for all; unsatisfying conclusion; repetitive at times;

Review: Girls? Nudity? Fanservice? Check. If this is content you wholeheartedly enjoy, then you might as well stop reading this review right now. Yes, faithful reader, Inukami fulfills all of your dormant inner desires. But I digress, for the audience who want a little meat with their potatoes, you may continue reading. To be blunt; Inukami is hilarious. Maybe I have become so desensitized to risqué comedy that I am no longer embarrassed to be caught watching it.

The character interactions and situational hilarity is where Inukami! truly shines. Keita is a womanizing, skirt-chasing fiend who perfectly fits the lead role. Along with Youko, the destructive and extremely envious female lead and the twelve lovable Inukami, we have mesh of unique personalities that serve create wonderful comedic chemistry. The characters involved ensure that the comedy never falls flat. Nevertheless, the type of comedy in Inukami! is not for everyone. To find the same enjoyment as I have, requires an acquired taste for sexually suggestive comedy.

Inukami! follows a simple, yet surprisingly good plot. Following the actions of Keita and the Inukami as they battle to exorcise evil spirits has its charm. However, this same solid plot affects the anime in negative ways. The story has its share of the “more serious” moments that tease the character-driven viewer with a tug at the emotions. But, the dedicated stance to comedy makes much of this attempted “seriousness” and romance feel awkward and out of place. There are efforts in character development, although much of the large cast feels thin, receiving no more attention than a few scenes in a single episode.

Inukami! leaves you with mixed emotions. Drama manages to sneak its way into the conclusion, but the producers seemed content with ending the series along a “status-quo” which is disappointing for those who had hoped to see some last minute growth in the characters. Inukami! is truthfully, very entertaining. If you look past the flaws and do not expect too much, there is much fun to be had. If you are looking for a light-hearted, ecchi comedy, then Inukami is waiting for you. Just remember to leave your brain at the door and sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Prize Pack: Comedy review for comedy prize pack.

[aoi_n_asul]

Title: Honey and Clover II aka Hachimitsu to Clover II (Japanese)
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Company: GENCO/ J.C. Staff
Format: 12 episodes
Dates: 06-29-2006 to 09-21-2006
Grade: 80%

Summary:
Takemoto Yuuta returns from his soul-searching journey around Japan to find life goes on after college. As Takemoto and his friends probe into adulthood, responsibilities and relationships, they learn that love comes in different shapes and sizes, even amidst a tragedy.

Highs: Engaging main cast, relatable situations, conclusive and offers character closures

Lows: Supporting cast are paper characters, dull and static moments, same love-polygons in the show’s first half, so-so animation, nothing new, really

Review:
Honey and Clover II is a straightforward sequel. At 12 episodes, it leans more on offering conclusions and tying up loose ends rather than introducing new concepts and ideas. True to form, character backgrounds and sub-stories generously pepper the show, and this done with as little flashback scenes as possible. This manages to finally dish the conclusive air season 1 so direly lacked.

In the spotlight, of course, is the show’s engaging main cast. Just as quirky and funny as ever, the main cast is the dynamo that propels this series forward. Indeed, much of the show’s best points draw its inspiration from the cast’s authentic and well-developed personalities and the realistic situations they have to deal with, the sort of situations an average person might encounter. The fact that Honey and Clover chooses to glorify a group of ordinary, average and obviously flawed characters drives this series even closer to home.

For the purposes of the main cast’s development, our engaging main cast is made to interact with the show’s supporting cast. This move reaps dividends, albeit, for the main cast. For the supporting cast, however, it does them no good. Instead of having a more prominent role to play and deeper characters to portray, these side characters are left to rot in the wake of the main cast’s established personalities. I find it a shame, really, that the supporting cast got so little attention. Conceived out of convenience, the supporting cast falls flat as paper characters, without recognized individuality to buoy them up. Granted, they are semi-interesting and have a great deal of potential, however, this explicit lack of development makes them a liability, rather than an asset to the show.

The comedy, while still genuinely funny and subtle, is quickly overshadowed by the melodrama that permeates half of the show’s episodes. The main culprit: the old story of the Mayama-Harada-Yamada-Nomiya love polygon, which up to this point is still hereto, unresolved. This immediately bogs down the show’s pace, wears down the viewer’s patience and evaporates whatever good the show had begun. It takes a good half of the show’s 12 episodes to see the demise of this plot element, and the show begins to look up. Unfortunately, at this point, time is running short for the other characters, whose stories are not given justice.

Animation wise, this show’s quality dips from the original show. Cute, pastel-colored characters are in abundance but it lacked the first season’s depth and intricacy. Details are thrown out the window and dull, uneventful still shots are used for transitions. The music and sounds remain relatively faithful to the spirit of the first season. All in all, nothing really new in that department presents itself in the show.

Honey and Clover II fails to deliver an opus in many ways. However, it retains the qualities that endeared the first season to many an anime fan that despite of its shortcomings, it is still an anime worth watching. After all, as it keeps showing us, flawed is not necessarily bad.

*I would like to enter the comedy prize pack :)

[C0MPL3X]

Title: Mahou Shoujotai Arisu
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Children
Company: Studio 4°C
Format: 40 episodes, each 9 minutes long
Dates: 9 April 2004 - 4 March 2005

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a258/L4lN/Untitled-1copy.jpg?t=1196066139

Summary: 'Ah~ how boring is our real world', is what Alice tells herself now and then. Only if I can use magic, that'd be fun! And one day, as if waking up inside a dream, she finds herself transported into another world of witches and sprites. She also began to learn that magic isn't as pretty and wonderful as she imagined it to be. Will Alice learn a way to have more fun with magic without fighting, or will she try finding a way to return home?

Grade: 80%

Highs: Attractive fantasy world; stylish storytelling; uncompromising character of Alice
Lows: Way too fast pacing severly dampens the overall impact


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a258/L4lN/screens.jpg?t=1196066140

Review:

There aren’t many things more difficult to find than a good children’s fantasy. A quality fantasy literature for children separates itself from sugar-coated stories of fairies and cuddly bears by first enrapturing those into a powerfully imaginative world, then telling a story with a heart. Fantasy for children are for kids to kill time. Great fantasy for children charm and enthrall us all. Constructed with vivid imagination and boasting well-defined characters we learn to love, Mahou Shoujotai Arisu takes viewers of all ages into a fun and compelling adventure.

Like our heroine Alice, we are plunged without warning into an intricately designed world ruled by witches and fascinated by the fictional landscapes that surrounds it. Background art lacks the details of Seirei no Moribito, but still holding an inexplicably alluring charm. They are the kind of sceneries our younger selves would imagine and wishfully yearn to be in, from the enchanting forest that seems have spawned from Jurassic Era to the futuristic city glowing luminously. Yet, what really binds us to the world of Mahou Shoujotai Arisu is the stylish storytelling. There is a strange charm in the simplicity and creativity behind the form, colour and movement of almost every sequence, animated by the creative hands of 4°C. Sometimes sketchy and sometimes plain abstract, series utilizes some very interesting screen compositions, cinematography, as well as outstanding soundtracks, to conjure up a diverse and awe inspiring sense of excitement in following Alice’s journey.

Underneath the boundless creativity lies a cast of quirky characters troubled with issues that we can all identify with, such as a sense of freedom imprisoned by the need to obey and gain more power. What we have here are characters who are restrained from everything they love, in order to live miserably to the standard set by the society. Alice then enters their lives like a lighthouse beam, guiding a little boat lost in a sea of darkness. Watching her uncompromising character fight relentlessly without ever losing her jolly nature and her friends finding strength to challenge and change themselves, evokes such a fulfilling sense of fun and excitement, we simply can’t help but love Alice and her friends in their plight. It’s a shame that the antagonist isn't nearly as memorable as he should have been, which would have provided even more drama.

The show’s biggest downfall is however the carelessly rapid pacing. In trying to cover an epic fourty episodes long plot in less than half the expected span (because one episode lasts nine mintues), the series utilises countless plot devices and twist, which are far too convenient and difficult to swallow. More detrimental is the lack of time spent in developing and dramatizing more emotional moments because the series is too busy trying to cover more events. Studio 4°C needs to learn to stop, add final dramatic touches and give the viewers time to absorb it all in, if they should wish in the future to produce scenes more dramatic and poignant, as well as colourfully innovative.

Nevertheless, Mahou Shoujotai Arisu is the most enthralling children’s anime I’ve had a pleasure of watching. Undoubtedly there will be those disappointed in how childish and simple the story and characters turn out to be. I ask only to loosen that pessimistic outlooks we develop from the adult world before jumping into this world, then look around with a younger, more innocent sight. There is genuine feeling under the childish simplicity. There is unfaltering light inside the arguably naïve character of Alice. And there is magic. Enjoy the adventure and all its wonders.

Prize Pack: Comedy

[Sorrow-kun]

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8658/animenanohastrikersvz9.jpg
Someone’s about to get befriended

Title: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strikers aka Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Genre: Action/Drama
Company: Seven Arcs
Format: 26 episodes
Dates: 2 Apr 2007 – 24 Sep 2007
Grade: 54%

Summary: It is ten years after the saga involving The Book of Darkness, and Nanoha, Fate and Hayate have become full time mages with the Time-Space Administration Bureau. Hayate has established a new division within the bureau, Riot Force 6, which handles cases involving Lost Logia, as well as miscellaneous emergencies. Four young new mages have joined Section Six, Subaru Nakajima, Teana Lanster, Caro Ru Lushe and Erio Mondial, who, while being relative novices, have their own sets of skills and talents. Forming the Stars and Lightning teams, while at Section Six they are to be trained by Nanoha, Fate and Vita.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/2185/animenanohastrikers01ee5.jpghttp://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4880/animenanohastrikers02xg7.jpghttp://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1002/animenanohastrikers03eo4.jpg

Highs: A few dramatic scenes towards the end.
Lows: Too many characters; bland character archetypes; wretched pacing; clichéd subplots; unimpressive animation.

There’s probably not all too much new I can say about Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS that hasn’t been said before, so comprehensively discussed it has been. But there’s a fairly clear consensus about StrikerS, one that is surprisingly shared by some of the most ardent Nanoha (http://www.nihonreview.com/anime/magical-girl-lyrical-nanoha/) fans, and one that I find refreshingly honest and, for that reason, find myself siding with. I’m not going to brandy around remarks like “wasted potential”, because, in all honesty, I didn’t think StrikerS had all that much potential to begin with. But I will say this: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS is one of the most soulless anime I’ve ever seen.

The biggest problem, arguably at the root of most of the other problems in StrikerS, is obvious: too many characters. Returning is the cast from the first two series, already sizable as it was, including Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and her Velka Knights and all of their Intelligent Devices. New to this series are the four forwards, Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro, who get the focus for much of the series. Along with their Intelligent Devices. And Caro’s dragons. Supporting them are an entire entourage of technical and support staff in Section Six of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. All this without even mentioning the Saint Church, Vivio, Yuno or the Harlaown family. And that’s just the protagonist side; the party of antagonists is almost as numerous. With this many characters, one may only have minimal expectations for the quality and quantity of character development, and “minimal” is just about what we get. The four forwards relegate the much more interesting older characters to the sideline, but offer little more than tediously generic personalities. The most dynamic of these characters is cut straight from the tried-and-true tsundere template, right down to the choice of seiyuu, with virtually no attempt to add individuality to her character. As for the other three, the less said, the better.

The wretched pacing really hurts the plot. The first half of the series is dominated by the classic shounen time-waster: training. The audience is subjected to episode after episode of characters refining their skills, which hardly matters anyway, since all of their powers are artificially limited (by one of the most perplexingly pointless plot devices I’ve encountered). When the plot finally does take off, the copious characters and sub-plots result in a story with no sense of focus. The fights are almost never decisive, and most aren’t even aesthetically appealing. And this is without even mentioning the clichés that riddle the plot. I cringed at the story of the sniper who lost the convictions to pick up his rifle after accidentally shooting an innocent hostage… who was also his relative. But this was nothing compared to the look on my face when two major characters were revealed to be androids!

I was never a fan of the Lyrical Nanoha (http://www.nihonreview.com/anime/magical-girl-lyrical-nanoha/) series, but I can understand the appeal. Both of the first two series had decent storylines with questionable execution. StrikerS has a bland storyline with downright terrible execution. Even as a franchise into its third incarnation, I cannot understand how the producers thought they could make a good action/drama series with a cast numbering (by modest estimations) well into the high forties. I’m not going to say this was an absolute fizzer, since there were some scenes late into the series that were genuinely dramatic. But if this is what we can expect from the future of the Lyrical Nanoha (http://www.nihonreview.com/anime/magical-girl-lyrical-nanoha/) franchise, then its best days are well and truly behind it.

Prize pack: I would like to enter to win the Comedy prize pack