I’m told it has previously been quite hard to jump into the quirky, sometimes adult, Kizumonogtari series. Actually, a quick look on Amazon seems to confirm that with a host of anime and manga with similar names and characters. The good news is that this three-part film is a prequel. Start here. I’m glad I […]
Gorgeous but flawed: A review of Kingsglaive – Final Fantasy
Kingsglaive Final Fantasy and Warcraft are in a battle over which is the best ‘movie based on a computer game’. That’s another way of saying that Kingsglaive looks great, is entirely loyal to the franchise, takes itself very seriously, nearly works but is missing something. In the computer game Final Fantasy XV we follow Prince […]
Killed by kindness: A review of Harmony
In a perfectly designed city of bubblegum pink towers everyone is happy. Everyone is happy until thousands are persuaded to kill themselves and the masterminds behind that plot give everyone else a sinister deadline. Harmony is set in the near future. The ‘first world’, just as we know it today – the rich countries – […]
Double or quits: A review of Psycho-Pass the Movie
Let’s begin this review with a caveat: there are times in this anime that the characters speak English and some of those dialogues are wince worthy bad. I watched the UK premier at Scotland Loves Anime and I very much hope the studio can dub over these sections before a general release. I really enjoyed […]
Are we doomed? A review of Attack on Titan live action movie
This was always going to be a challenging movie to make. For a start there are legion of manga and anime fans who really want this movie to bring to life this incredible story and then there’s task of bringing the towering titans to life. People laughed at this horror movie. I was able to […]
Which side would you pick? A review of Expelled From Paradise
Expelled From Paradise begins with a metric ton of fan service. A sexy woman in the sort of strappy swimsuit that’ll sure to provoke a reaction – even if it’s the roll of the eyes – is lazing around on a beach when she’s approached by a hunky guy in budgie smugglers. The action picks […]
Double down for the better: A review of Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan
These are two big franchise titles from the world of anime – Detective Conan and the master thief Lupin the 3rd. Even if you’re not an anime fan you may recognise the names. Conan isn’t the barbarian but named, in the series, after Sherlock Holmes. He’s not even a kid. He’s a young adult shrunk […]
Exploring Asimov’s Three Laws: A review of Time of Eve
Most sci-fi geeks know Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect […]
Dem feels: A review of Giovanni’s Island
I was able to watch Mizuho Nishikubo’s Giovanni’s Island in a cinema during an anime film festival. I could hear people in the row behind me sniffing and sobbing quietly towards the end. We call that effect ‘dem feels’ in anime fandom. There’s plenty of anime fans who’ll appreciate a good ‘dem feels’ story. The […]
Real enough for you? A review of Appleseed Alpha
I think the Appleseed series is underrated. It’s always been great fun and always pushed ahead to explore with what animation can do. Appleseed Alpha is no exception. At times, for the scenery, I actually wondered whether it was a photo still that had been animated over the top of. The animation quality in Appleseed […]