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Breaking news coming out of Baltimore. Around 11am Pacific, the entire convention was evacuated due to a fire alarm being set off. The entire convention center has been evacuated (which means there are a few thousand anime geeks currently flooding the streets of Baltimore all at once). Few firm details are available but the police and fire department are currently on the scene investigating. I’ve already sent an email to the Baltimore PD requesting more information but until something official is sent, there is no comment on if the fire was legitimate or a very poor prank played by one of the attendees.

If you’re attending or in the area, PLEASE listen to the staff and cross to the other side of the street safely until further instructed. Staff is working on the issue right now and hopefully everyone will get to go back to enjoying their weekend soon.

Keep checking back for more details as they are made available.

Update: While no official cause has been determined, it seems that the incident was minor with no injuries being reported. People are slowing being let back into the building starting with staff and those in the dealer room. Whew, glad that everyone is ok!

Wow, is really the end of July already? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in front of my laptop being really excited about Anime Expo and the start of the new season. Then week 2 started and things took a nosedive in a hurry. It seems that this season the standard for good wasn’t set at which series could be the most awesome and instead settled on which anime could be the least annoying. Even in a weak season like this however, there were still a few standouts that managed to catch my attention. Some of them weren’t even horror! As usual I watched the first three episodes of as many new series as I could and have listed all of the highs (and very lows) that I found in my travels through the world of new anime.

Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi
Mr. Wolf and Seven Companions
Studio: JC Staff
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Fairy Tale parody
Premiere Date: 7/1

Where I Started: So yeah, there was something mentioned about a fairy tale parody series?

Where I Ended: Wow did that concept get dropped in a hurry. What was billed as a fairy tale parody series quickly turned into generic romantic comedy that vaguely references fairy tale each week. While I’ve heard others insist that the comedy in this series is gold, I’ve yet to see it. After 3 episodes the jokes were already repetitive while the characters didn’t have any real originality to begin with. It’s a comedy that occasionally elicits a chuckle but there are much better (and funnier) ways to spend your free time. The moral of this story: Plot summaries can’t be trusted.

Verdict: For fans who need a cheap Taiga Aisaka replacement.

Summer Spotlight Amagami SS Studio: AIC Genre: Romance Premiere Date: 7/1 Where I started: This could be awesome if it just had some facial expressions. Where I Ended: No matter how you feel about Amagami SS in the beginning, that opinion could still completely change once the second arc starts. While the artwork reminds me of a 90’s visual novel, the series itself is surprisingly intriguing to watch thanks to a structure that forces things to move at a much faster pace than what you might normally be used to from a romance. Told in short arcs, each story attempts to get an entire series’ worth of flirting, courting and secret trysts in a much smaller space of time. With the first heroine, Haruka, almost done I’m already left wondering if there is going to be a constant sense of annoyance at having to start over with someone new every couple of episodes. For fans who are looking for the latest romance in the vein of White Album (with less singing and emo voice overs) or Suzuka (with less sports) this is the series that you want to pick up. Verdict: Don’t like it now? Check back every few episodes and eventually there will be a heroine you’ll find to be worth sticking around for.

Legend of the Legendary Heroes
Studio: ZEXCS
Genre: Fantasy
Premiere Date:
Available via Funimation

Where I Started: Oh right, I did watch this.

Where I Ended: It took way too long for me to stop feeling like I was watching a fantasy series trying to be every other fantasy series instead of something new and unique. While it’s nice to look at, Legend of the Legendary Heroes spends so much time establishing history and setting that it forgets to create memorable characters or lasting impressions. While fantasy fans might recognize this as building towards something, spending so much time in the past doesn’t do much to get me excited about the future.

Verdict: If you liked Record of Lodoss War, Tales of the Abyss, Tower of Druaga, etc. this will feel like a visit back home.

Shukufuku no Campanella
Studio: AIC
Genre: Harem Romance
Premiere Date: 7/2

Where I Started: One of the purest definitions of empty, moe trash.

Where I Ended: No clever quips here; the story of Shukufuku no Campanella is about as empty as the space inside each of its characters heads. It’s very pretty to look at but if you’re entering this series because you want a sweet moe story filled with cute romantic twists you’re better off saving your brain cells on ANYTHING else. It will never, EVER be referred to as a shining example of any genre but if you’re willing to turn your brain off for 25 minutes each week than this could be something to kill time with.

Verdict: A possibly guilty pleasure but I wouldn’t advertise it.

Mitsudomoe
Studio: Bridge
Genre: Comedy
Premiere Date: 7/2
Available via Crunchyroll

Where I Started: It’s kind of funny now but do they really intend to keep up this pace all the way?

Where I Ended: Taking the worst parts of Kodomo no Jikan and Azumanga Daioh, Mitsudomoe tried really hard in the beginning to be edgy with its fast paced physical comedy that never stopped. If only they hadn’t used all their best jokes by the end of the first episode. Going from slightly clever physical comedy to pee and snot jokes, Mitsudomoe took a nosedive and crashed spectacularly. No longer trying for clever, the staff now seem content with being gross or dumb just for the sake of doing so. Hint for aspiring anime writers: Just because the characters are yelling doesn’t make the jokes any funnier. Also, pee is usually only funny for a few seconds, not a few minutes.

Verdict: For fans of toilet humor and Ben Stiller movies.

Summer Spotlight High School of the Dead Studio: Madhouse Premiere Date: 7/5 Available via The Anime Network Where I Started: This is awesome! Where I Ended: High School of the Dead has earned all of the praise that it’s gotten from fans and so much more. Calling back to the bloody zombie films from decades ago, HSotD takes the genre to a new level with its willingness to spend time inside the characters minds. While other entries into the genre are content to use every second to just scare its audience visually, this series gets into the audience head by visiting the characters emotional depths and motivations. This is the horror series of the year. Verdict: Horror fans have no reason not to watch this series.

Seitokai Yakuindomo
Studio: GoHands
Genre: Ecchi School Comedy
Premiere Date: 7/3

Where I Started: Wow, did they really just say that?… and that?… and that???

Where I Ended: I don’t hide how much I enjoy comedy that is willing to be at least a little different. Even before it premiered, fans have been comparing this season to last year’s Seitokai no Ichizon which isn’t entirely unfair. They do share some key elements: a single male landing a position within an all female student council and much of the comedy relies on sex jokes and that’s about where the comparisons end. While Seitokai no Ichizon relied on a perverted male lead and parody jokes; Seitokai Yakuindomo is happy to let their perverted female leads take the ball and run with it while taking turns being the straight man to the others. Unlike other comedies relying on gross comedy, this series succeeds in turning dirty comedy into dry wit. The hardcore references will limit its appeal to many but I’ll be watching through to the end at least.

Verdict: The other choice for those who find Mitsudomoe to be a little too blunt or crass.

Occult Academy
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Premiere Date: 7/5
Available via Crunchyroll

Where I Started: Maya makes me laugh!

Where I Ended: At first Occult Academy was a delicious dip into refreshing that walked a very tight line between mysterious horror and comedy. Somewhere along the way however that balance became terribly tipped towards the comedy side almost ruining the atmosphere that it had worked so hard to create. Using jokes and humor that made me flashback to old Looney Toons shorts, the series has already shrunk into a shell of what it was mere episodes earlier. It has its charm but this season is packed with horror and most of it a lot better than this.

Verdict: It lost me at episode 3.

Nuraihyon no Mago
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Studio: Studio Deen
Premiere Date: 7/5
Available via Viz Media

Where I Started: I feel reminded of 3 different series already.

Where I Ended: Along the lines of Buso Renkin or DNAngel, Nura never comes across as a particularly weak shonen series. It also never comes across as a particularly original shonen series. Filled with story elements and designs that feel or look borrowed, this is one of the weakest efforts from Studio Deen in a long time (which pains me to say because I like Studio Deen). There’s nothing else like it this season because it was all done over the last few years.

Verdict: Pick a random shonen from the last 3 years and you’ll probably get the same effect.

Tono to Issho
Studio: Gathering
Premiere Date: 7/5
Available via Crunchyroll

Where I Started: So it’s 90 seconds of Japanese puns?

Where I Ended: I take that back; it’s 90 seconds of Japanese puns and historical references. If you’ve ever studied the Warring States period of Japan or the Japanese language in general you might find something to watch here. I can’t help but look at this and become confused at everything I’m not getting.

Verdict: Huh?

Summer Spotlight Shiki Studio: Daume Premiere Date: 7/8 Available via Funimation Where I Started: It’s Higurashi – When They Cry without the moe. Where I Ended: It’s all in the details. Moving at a very slow pace, Shiki is amazingly adept at biding it’s time to tell its story. If you’re the type that has trouble keeping up with stories that are slow to develop on a weekly basis you’re covered with name tags and literally having major events and places mapped out. A very slow build, you’ll have to give this series a bit of time to warm up but once you realize you’ve been sucked in it will be far too late to even think about turning back. Verdict: Another horror highlight for the summer. Pick this one up.

Asobi ni Iku Yo
Studio: AIC Plus
Premiere Date: 7/10
Available via Crunchyroll

Where I Started: No, just no.

Where I Ended: If you enjoy busty heroines and moe alien love comedy, this is the summer premiere that you knew about ahead of time and were waiting for. Asobi ni Iku Yo delivers exactly what you’re expecting: fan service, mostly mindless humor, government conspiracies and a bit more that you weren’t expecting. Regardless, if you enjoyed To Love Ru this is your next big thing.

Verdict: This will have absolutely no problem finding an audience, I just won’t be among them.

Cat Shit One
Studio: Anima
Premiere Date: 7/17

Where I Started: I thought it’d be bloodier.

Where I Ended: Essentially a 25 minute action sequence starring a grizzled bunny war veteran with his much younger bunny recruit. What makes this release special are the use of animals to replace people which completely alters the audiences perspective on how one should feel. It’s easy to filter out war violence you’re used to but bunnies blowing away camels and almost getting turned into bunny bits themselves? Not so much. Should Anima turn this into a full TV series or OVA I would watch without a moment of hesitation.

Verdict: Another one that everyone should check out just to watch something different.

Summer Spotlight Black Rock Shooter Studio: Ordet Premiere Date: 7/24 Where I Started: A glorious 52 minute commercial with a story. Where I Ended: There was really no reason for me to be excited about this release but I was and now I want more. A great looking self contained story that tells one story in two entirely different ways, this is another highlight of the summer. Verdict: Watch it, love it, don’t expect a clean cut ending.

So there are my views of the month. Obviously your experiences may vary but let’s face it, there just wasn’t a lot of great original series to get excited about this month. But the fall season is just around the corner and with that will come more Letter Bee, To Aru Majutsu no Index and To Love Ru along with new series such as Panty and Stocking and the first Marvel anime, Iron Man. But what got you excited this month? Disagree with any of my assessments? Share your favorites in the comments below!

Alright, finally we’re in the home stretch of this very busy news cycle that Funimation put everyone through today. Saving the best bits for last, Funimation made five license announcements today at their panel at Otakon. Starting with two new summer simulcasts, Funimation revealed today that they will be picking up the “fairy tale parody” series (I use that phrase very loosely and love that even Funimation use the phrase ‘fairy tale-ish’ in their release) Ookami san, the vapid moe harem eroge adaptation Blessed of Campanella (Shukufuku no Campanella) and the popular fan service series Strike Witches 2. Honestly all three of these are kind of a surprise to me; Strike Witches 2 because it started as a Crunchyroll simulcast earlier this month and the other two because they really aren’t that good. Regardless, all three series will begin streaming on the official Funimation site in August with DVD releases all planned for 2011.

In Hetalia news, Funimation also announced today that they have picked up the latest season of the popular series Hetalia World Party along with the movie Hetalia Paint it White. Like the previous announcements, the latest season will begin streaming on their official site in August and the movie will see a DVD release in 2011.

Finally, Funimation licensed two additional movies. The first one is the one that fans have probably long suspected would be coming but here it is anyway: Yes Virginia, Funimation is releasing the second of the four Evangelion remakes Evangelion 2.0: You Can [Not] Advance. The movie originally opened in 2009 in Japan and will finally be getting its North American DVD and Blu ray release in 2011.

Last from Funimation is the one that completely took me by surprise. Released in 2009, the family fantasy movie won the Best Animated Film category at the Japanese Academy Awards and features a family coming together to fight off a real world crisis that occurs after a teen accidently brings down a worldwide social networking site. That’s right, Funimation has picked up Summer Wars. You can tell them thank you for that in all the usual places.

And that does it for today. It’s almost 1am and I’m exhausted! If there are any incoherent rambles, typos or just plain weird passages that you notice I haven’t fixed feel free to point them out and I’ll fix them in the morning. For now though Funimation, thanks for an exhausting night of catch up. For everyone else, all the press releases are below the cut and as always it’s been real, it’s been fun, it’s been… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing with the coverage of announcements coming from Funimation today, a few more details have been made available regarding the prepaid debit cards first announced last night on this site. As mentioned before, the cards are basically going to be pre-paid debit cards that you could purchase anywhere else except they will be branded with cool anime images from various series (I’m already kind of hoping to see cards down the line featuring Ouran High School Host Club or Baka and Tests but that’s besides the point). If you’re unfamiliar with the system, basically you purchase the card and then will be able to charge the card online or by purchasing Green Dot money paks at your local store. No credit charges and the card can be used anywhere that accepts debit cards. Pretty sweet actually and I can imagine a lot of younger anime fans will be pleased to have a new option available to them for buying online.

In news that isn’t immediately related to emptying your wallet, Funimation has also announced the first new details for their online social networking/streaming site. Formally known as ShoDojo, the site will now be called… funimation.com (a little anti-climatic but MUCH less confusing). The site will launch for the first time in September as part of an open public beta and will include a lot of the standard features you’d expect like the ability to comment, forums, profiles, exclusive video content and more. In October the site official go “live” and will be free for everyone to join. Of course a premium membership which will feature ad free content and more exclusive features will also be offered at some point down the line which means Crunchyroll just got some very direct competition.

I’ve been kind of excited about this project ever since Funimation announced it and I know that I will be getting a membership as soon as they are made available (I’m guessing I’ll pretty much have to if I want to watch simulcasts in a timely fashion). Anyone else already got plans to check it out?

Once again, full press releases can be found below the cut or you can follow me to the last part of the news cycle license announcements. Trust me, Funimation saved some good announcements for the east coast!

Read the rest of this entry »

So between 7am and 4pm today I received 11 press releases from Funimation. 3 were for English dub cast announcements, 4 series licenses, 3 movie announcements and 1 each for their new prepaid debit cards and social networking site. And as much as I would have loved to have just condensed them all down into one post have a couple of attempts have forced me to concede that it can’t be done without driving everyone (including myself) mad. Thus I am now splitting these up as best I can and turning it into a series of posts. First up are three new dub casts as revealed this morning for Black Butler (Kutoshitsuji), Oh Edo Rocket and Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ :

Starting with Black Butler the cast lists as

ADR Director: Ian Sinclair

CIEL                          = Brina Palencia
SEBASTIAN               = J. Michael Tatum
ABBERLINE               = Jonathan Brooks
AGNI                          = Patrick Seitz
ANGELA                     = Colleen Clinkenbeard
ASHE                          = Chuck Huber
BARDROY                 = Ian Sinclair
CORRARO                 = Bruce DuBose
DROSSEL                  = Sonny Strait
DRUIT                         = Todd Haberkorn
ELIZABETH                = Cherami Leigh
FINNIAN                     = Jason Liebrecht
GRELL                        = Daniel Fredrick
HAROLD                    = Newton Pittman
LAU                             = Jerry Jewell
MATILDA                    = Leah Clark
MEI LIN                       = Monica Rial
MR. TANAKA             = R. Bruce Elliot
PAULA                        = Jessica Cavanagh
PLUTO                        = Z. Charles Bolton
RACHEL                     = Brina Palencia
RANDALL                   = John Gremillion
SOMA                         = Chris Ayres
UNDERTAKER          = John Swayze
VINCENT                    = Robert McCollum

If gothic masters and servants isn’t your cup of tea, Oh Edo Rocket is shaping up to be an interesting historical comedy itself with the cast as follows

ADR Director: Tyler Walker

AKAI                             = Chuck Huber
ANKLES                       = Mike McFarland
ARMS                           = Jeremy Inman
BLUE GIRL                   = Colleen Clinkenbeard
EARS                           = Anthony Bowling
EYES                           =  J. Paul Slavens
GENZO                         = Chris Cason
GENZO’S MOTHER       = Melinda Wood Allen
GINJIRO                       = Jonathan Brooks
HEELS                        = Newton Pittman
KNEES                        = Justin Cook
OISE                            = Stephanie Young
OLD MAN                     = Steve Powell
ONUI                            = Tia Ballard
ORIKU                         = Trina Nishimura
ROKUBE                      = Sonny Strait
ROKUBE’S WIFE          = Laurie Steele
SANTA                         = Charlie Campbell (Note: I’ve never seen this series but Santa???)
SEIKICHI                       = Greg Ayres
SHINZA                        = Sean Michael Teague
SHUNPEI                      = Cherami Leigh
SORA                           = Brina Palencia
TENHO                         = Leah Clark
TENTEN                        = J. Michael Tatum
TETSUJU                      = Vic Mignogna
TORII                            = R Bruce Elliott
TOYAMA                      = Ian Sinclair

Finally, if you’re not into gothic masters and servants or historical comedy… damn you’re hard to please. How about a twisted Bee Train action series filled with guns and assassins like Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~?

ABEL: Mike McFarland
ANTON: Eric Vale
CAL: Brittney Karbowski
CARLO: Ian Sinclair
CLAUDIA: Colleen Clinkenbeard
DUKE: Maxey Whitehead
EIN: Lindsay Seidel
GODO: Phil Parsons
HIRONO: Megan Miller
JUDY: Ginneh Thomas
LIZZIE: Shay Moore
MCGWIRE: J. Michael Tatum
MIO: Leah Clark
MOTEGI: Todd Haberkorn
RANDY: Christopher R. Sabat
REIJI: Newton Pittman
RICHARD: Robert McCollum
SANAE: Jamie Marchi
SCYTHE: Kent Williams
SHIGA: Christopher Bevins
TONY: Mark Stoddard
WALLACE; Bryan Massey
WISEMEL: Rick Keeling
XU: Jerry Jewell

So that takes care of the first three announcements of the day (full press releases are below the cut if you want to take a look). Next up, Funimation talks social networking and buying stuff.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes being between the ages of 13-21 can be frustrating. Irritating even. First you can’t drive. Then you can’t get laid (or was that just my problem growing up?). Then you can’t buy alcohol. And worst of all, you can’t get a credit or debit card for whatever reason which makes buying anime online a huge chore of begging someone else to let you borrow their card for “just a second” so that you can get the shiny new box set you’ve had your eyes on for months. Well, Funimation has heard your pleas and calls for help.

Announced on their blog today, Funimation will be offering special pre-paid Funimation cards starting next month which can be used to purchase anime online securely. You’ll even be able to choose between five different card designs (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Soul Eater, Fruits Basket, Sgt. Frog or Afro Samurai) with more to come later. The details on the blog entry are still a little vague at the moment but a direct page has been set up for fans to get on the email list which will alert you when the program is completely up and running.

So as much as I like that Funimation is doing something new to empty the wallets of teenagers and young adults across North America (where was this idea when I was 14 and needed a way to buy stuff online?) I’m failing to see exactly is how this is really any different from going to the grocery store and buying a regular reloadable, pre-paid card. I do have an email out to Funimation as I type this and will update with more information as it becomes available.

It seems that all over the world, law enforcement is dawning to the fact that Japan produces artwork that some people might consider to be questionable. Just when everyone thought that the scandalous trial of Christopher Handley was behind us, earlier this week a manga translator in Sweden was fined 25,000 SEK ($3000 USD) for possession of child pornography after a search of his possessions revealed ownership of 51 images of loli art deemed to be child pornography. I’m purposely avoiding the use of the ‘porn’ here since I have no idea what the images actually contained though we can probably guess. The search was allegedly initiated in the first place due to a custody battle with the defendant’s ex wife in which she twice wrongfully accused him of sexual abuse towards their child.

In this case everyone including the judge and defendant’s lawyer expressed some doubt at the ruling. To quote the judge preceding over the case, Nils Palbrant, he stated

“There’s a clear conflict between freedom of speech on the one hand and general regulations regarding children’s rights on the other.” “It was however our view that the protective aspect weighed more heavily when taking into account the intentions of the legislator. The aim of the law, as described in the preliminary work that led to its creation, is not just to protect individual children but children in general.”

Today it seems that Canada has joined in the battle to save the rights of fictional children by sentencing a man in Ottawa on child pornography charges stemming from his arrest earlier this year. After a search of his possessions (part of a nationwide sweep) revealed 1,974 images of children in sexual positions or situations (only 3 of which weren’t cartoon images). The man was submitted to psychological testing but failed to meet the criteria to be labeled a pedophile and was instead sentenced to 90 days in jail (to be served on weekends) and 3 years of probation.

Additionally he must submit a sample of his DNA, have no unsupervised contact with minors under the age of 14 and have his name on the sex-offender registry for 20 years. Assistant Crown Attorney Mark Holmes, said of the case “To call them cartoons is to trivialize them.” Really Sherlock? (see what I did there?) Because to a lot of us it looks like you’re spending a lot of time fighting a pretty trivial part of a larger issue.

I’ve made my feelings about these kinds of charges fairly clear in the past but for the sake of being redundant here it is again; protecting children is important. No child within the real world should have to go through abuse be it physical, sexual or otherwise. Fictional children however can be abused however they want because guess what? They don’t exist. There are no rights being violated here because fictional 2D drawings haven’t been granted the same rights that you or I are fortunate enough to possess in any single country (including their possible country of origin).

It’s a sad trend that we’re seeing play out but sadly it might actually be the way of the future.

<Image via Pixiv>

Alright so over the weekend I did say on Twitter that I was going to step back for a bit in order to focus on some personal issues/DVD reviews for awhile but this is different. Why? Um, let me get back to you on that and leave it at this is different.

Regardless, last night the news broke that the light novel Kizumonogatari by NisiOishi (Bakemonogatari, Katanagatari) will be getting an anime adaptation! The information is coming via a promotional flyer included with another of NisiOishi’s light novels, Nekomonogatari, and so details are still limited. It is known that the story serves as a prequel to Bakemonogatari and Shaft will be returning to do the animation. Earlier this year, an anime adaptation for the sequel novel titled Nisemonogatari was also listed on Amazon Japan but was quickly scrubbed from existence once people started to notice it. Conspiracy? Probably not but let’s make with the additional announcements here! I’m not going to be able to waste my life away watching foreign cartoons forever ya know!

On a related note, it was also noted alongside the flyer that there will be five additional light novels published in the series with the final being Koimonogatari in December of 2011.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m really excited about this. I have absolutely adored both Bakemonogatari and Katanagatari since their premieres so more NisiOishi anime makes for one happy little anime geek! So now begins the not so patient waiting game. Is it out yet? Is it out yet? Is it out yet? Is it out yet? Is it out yet?

<Via MyAnimeList, ANN>

Ever since it was first announced last year, Black Rock Shooter has had an amazing amount of hype behind it for some inexplicable reason. Beyond sharing a title with a Miku Hatsune song, there was really no real information provided to get people so excited about this release. No one knew what it was going to look like and as more news came out, there seemed like there were fewer and fewer reasons to care. Produced by Studio Ordet, more outlets revealed interesting facts about the release: it was going to be a one episode OVA released for free (one report put the figure at 600,000 copies being given away over the summer) which meant any revenue generated would be from subsequent merchandise sales. The cynical side of me read that as this was going to be one long commercial to sell me on various character goods and in a way it was. Now having watched it, I’m left with a need to give credit to the studio and use language that I didn’t think I would; of all the summer releases this might be the one of the few with actual artistic merit.

For the first ten minutes of this feature, I was actually confused and left wondering what the point was: Who are these girls with weapons and why are they fighting? Why are we suddenly cutting to a slice of life school story? And now why are we cutting back and forth? As the school story begins however, the questions that surround the beginning become the intricate little pieces that pull it together so tightly. Centering on a new school year, two girls meet for the first time and quickly become best friends. Throughout their first year together, Mato and Yomi share all of the joys and experiences that one usually associates with a new friend. They laugh, they study, go to festivals; most importantly they bond to each other.

All the while, in a world that has a completely different atmosphere and art style a girl named Black Rock Shooter is trapped in the darkness and searching for the one who controls this world; another girl called Dead Master. When she finds her their battle begins with Black Rock Shooter never once going for a kill but always on the defensive with her hand extended towards the other as another mysterious girl waits in the shadows for the battle to finish.

With such a stark difference in tone and art, it was hard to see at first but finally all the clues made sense and I realized I was seeing two entirely different worlds express the exact same events in different ways. In one world, Mato is entering her new school on a search. Filled with optimism she wants to find who she is, what she’s good at and more importantly someone to share that time with as she is searching. In another world Black Rock Shooter is alone in a foreign world but never stops pushing forward until she finds the thing that she is searching for.

When Mato and Yomi are put into separate classes during their second year, Mato finds a new friend and Yomi is left alone and her jealousy and loneliness becomes very real. It’s all she can do but to stay away and watch from a distance. Almost as though there is a physical barrier keeping her from being with her friend once again. In response to this, Yomi does what anyone might do and puts up a wall to prevent anyone from knowing how much she is actually hurting leaving Mato to slowly figure it out and fight to get to her best friend once again.

Meanwhile Black Rock Shooter has found the one she is searching for and extends her hand once again. There is no warmth on the face of her opponent however and Black Rock Shooter will have to overcome every physical obstacle possible to reach her goal. No matter how many walls Dead Master has put up and no matter how chains and obstacles she must fight through, Black Rock Shooter and Mato are both left with the option of giving up or testing themselves to see how far they are willing to push and what pain they are willing to endure when the only source of energy they have left is friendship. In the closing moments when Yomi disappears, Mato is left with no choice but to feel responsible while Black Rock Shooter is left shackled and powerless. In the end it’s up to Yomi herself to provide the final answer, one final message that states in the fewest amount of words possible ‘save me from this loneliness. Let me know that I’m still an important part of your life.’

The loudest argument that I can still hear in my head is why that world or those doing battle even exist in the first place but for once the answer is simple and makes an amazing amount of sense without even having to be explained; it exists because Mato and Yomi made it exist. Imagine your own feelings; conflicts you may have had with friends or the emotions that always felt like they were so much more powerful when you were a teenager and experiencing them for the first time. When these two girls meet, neither one have many (or any) other friends. Yomi had just moved back to the country and Mato never had any other friends to begin with. When entering a new environment like that, it only makes sense that the first best friend you make is the one who creates the most powerful emotions within you. The feelings that you could feel within every part of you; when you’re with that friend laughing, everything inside of you feels warm but when you’re low or feel rejected, those feelings could be equally magnified in the other direction. The feelings of jealousy, loneliness and self loathing that Yomi felt as she watched her best friend slip away were obviously crushing. She wanted badly to reach out and have her friend back but felt completely alone. Imagine those feelings becoming so real and tangible that the shell Yomi puts around herself is an entirely new world. A feeling of emptiness so strong to create a world that she believes even her best friend would not traverse to rescue her.

While watching this release, a part of me almost wanted to be offended for being sold to so obviously. It had been made clear that this entire release was created to generate the sale of goods. A 50 minute commercial? You could argue that but as I watched and just took in everything that was being offered from the music to the artwork and most importantly, the rich self contained story of two best friends willing to literally battle to keep their relationship alive I felt my cynicism wash away. This release may have ended happily but the worlds created are still alive and have a new master that I’d like to see again. If this is the direction that animation is starting to head, I will follow and support it the best I can if means that releases like this will return in the future. Skillfully crafted and leaving an impression that will last for days to come, if it means I get to watch another approachable artistic leap of faith like this again I’d be willing to make a sacrifice to repay the effort.

Available from NIS America Available from Right Stuf

Persona – Trinity Soul – Set 1 Collector’s Edition Released By: NIS America Released: 7/6/10 Reviewed: 7/27/10 Rated: 14+

The Story

After losing their parents and youngest sibling to an accident, Shin and his younger brother Jun moved to Tokyo to be raised by their aunt. 10 years later, the brothers have decided to move back to their hometown of Ayanagi City to stay with their older brother, Ryo, who happens to be chief of police there. Arriving in town, Shin and Jun are treated coldly by Ryo who tells them that they should leave right away. Refusing to listen, the brothers stay and slowly start to learn about the history the city and their brother is trying to hide.

10 years earlier, the city underwent massive damage due to citizens falling into vegetative states from what was referred to as Apathy Syndrome while a crew manning a submarine in Toyama Bay all mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In the present day, more incidents are happening involving people disappearing while others are dying by literally turning inside out. Through their friends at school, Shin and Jun also learn of a new trend amongst the teenagers called Shadow Extraction involving forcibly making someone’s spirit leave their body giving them an overwhelming sense of relaxation and euphoria. In the middle of all this, Shin stumbles across a secret plan to target people like him who are capable of using Personas, incarnations of their spirits which take on the form of mechanical beings and battle against others.

Good and the Bad

Another series that I started blindly, Persona – Trinity Soul - (referred to as simply Persona from here out) is billed as a supernatural action series and had I watched this series weekly upon its premiere I can say without a doubt that I would have dropped it within only a couple of episodes. Thanks to the benefit of having it on DVD I know now that this eventually would have been a mistake… but it certainly took a long time to get to that point.

Starting slow, Persona gets in its own way early thanks to clumsy storytelling that takes many episodes to find its footing. In the first three episodes, the tone of the series is very heavy. That’s not automatically a bad thing but one of the key elements to this entire first half is a very slow story introduction and rarely elaborated past the surface level. This creates the first issue of story information being delivered on such a small level that the tone drags the pacing to a crawl. And it takes another 11 episodes to fix the problem.

It’s never that Persona is trying to tell a particularly weak story. Throughout the series, there are quite a few interesting elements that are hinted at to keep viewers intrigued. By delivering the story information in such small doses however, those interesting tidbits become increasingly frustrating. Almost entirely dialogue driven, the series continues through each arc by spending entire episodes exploring new relationships or story elements but rarely elaborates much further than surface level of what is happening.

For a series that is steeped in mystery and intrigue, any viewer would naturally expect many elements to be obscured from view in order to keep them guessing. Persona goes far beyond that scale however by creating elements and cliffhangers that may never even be brought up again for the entire first half. As frustrating as this was to watch as a viewer, looking back I can’t help but wonder how much this frustration was just due to all of it being delivered by such a flat cast of characters.

With dialogue being the primary source of moving forward, the loudest thud that comes from Persona dropping the ball occurs with its characters. Flat and lacking in general personality, it was exceedingly difficult to feel any sort of real attachment to the characters. While occasionally managing to develop new sides to their personalities, the main and supporting characters are fairly 2 dimensional in their presentation. This isn’t a completely generality as there are certain one off events and running stories which show some new sides Shin and his brother, Ryo. However other characters such as their friends at school will remain almost entirely the same people throughout the half despite any new events or interactions that they come across along the way.

And yet despite this laundry list of complaints that I feel the need to lodge against the story and characters, there were just as many moments throughout the set in which it was impossible to turn my eyes away. Produced by A-1 Pictures (Black Butler, Senkou no Night Raid, Occult Academy), the animation in this release is another stellar feast for the eyes. Deeply detailed, the visual eye candy that A-1 Pictures creates for Persona is evident in the first few minutes. From the first time Shin and Jun make it back to their house and again later when the audience sees personas being used for the first time, many times throughout this series the scenery surrounding the characters will create an atmosphere that feels almost real. When one character has a moment of weakness on the beach at night, the glow of the moon along with the background behind the characters it can almost make a person feel the chill from the wind blowing against the characters.

Music

Composed by Taku Iwasaki (Katanagatari, Samurai X, Soul Eater, Black Butler), the score for this series is one of the more amazing highlights that keeps the series moving forward while also playing one of the largest roles in creating the heavy tone and atmosphere that was mentioned earlier. In the first few moments of the series, Iwasaki plays the series in with a soft string melody to match the snowfall while later turning to a warm piano theme for the brothers return home. That’s just the first episode though; throughout the series Iwasaki’s music will only serve to compliment the heaviness of the series with tones that rarely let any part of the story move forward too quickly. The exceptions to this occur mostly during car scenes when things are mixed up with new elements ranging from hip hop to modern pop with insert songs. Long after you’ve left this series behind though, it’s the softer tracks, such as the haunting choral piece that fills the background in episode 4, that will stick with you.

Extras

Like their release for Toradora, NIS America filled this release with extras both on the discs and in the packaging. Packed inside a large art box along with the DVDs is a collector’s art book filled with series information and artwork. Filled with profiles on the characters, setting, the various persona and 4 panel manga representations of each episode; the book is an interesting to read through once you are done watching the set (there are spoilers within so I do suggest waiting until the end to read through it entirely). It wasn’t until I read through the five interviews and thoughts from various staff members the the book provided the most interesting looks into the series that expand very slightly on what was trying to be accomplished through the animation and storytelling.

On the other side of the book, NIS America has also include a full color reprinting of the book ‘A Whale’s Feather’ written by the parents of the brothers and occasionally featured throughout the series. All created on high quality thick cardboard, fans of the series will appreciate having wonderful keepsakes to add to their collection. However just like their Toradora release, the main complain with this set is the sheer size! Measuring 11 inches tall, 8 inches wide and 1 inch thick, I’m left once again with no choice but to ask NIS America… make them smaller!

Moving onto the discs themselves, extras featured on the second disc include original commercials and a promotional movie released prior to the series premiere.

Overall

The good news about Persona is that eventually the series does find its footing and creates one shocking cliffhanger leading into the second half. The bad news is that the story is so completely desperate to keep its secrets well guarded to the end that I couldn’t blame a single person who had already decided to give up on the series long before they reached this point. While pretty to look at, the first half of Persona proved to be more of a challenge to complete than a treat to sit down and enjoy.

To feel a particularly strong connection to this series audience members are going to have to work at it and be ready to put their patient hats on while they wait for  answers to the questions constantly being raised. This is not something to pick if you’re looking for something light that you can have on for background noise. Persona will require and demand your full attention. Unfortunately the effort it takes to get anywhere severely outweighs the enjoyment it gives back along the way. You can find better ways to spend your time than pushing your way through this.