Mid-Autumn 2012 Anime Ranking

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How I feel about the anime on my current watch list.  The most recent episode watched is in brackets.  The order of the first four is kind of arbitrary…


01.  Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World) (ep.11) – I’m liking the dark, dystopian future setting.  It took me a while to tell the kids apart, but now that I know them better, I’m really interested in their actions and what the consequences of those actions will be.  There’s a lot of artiness and intrigue, and it remains to be seen whether things will come together or make any sense at the end.  For now, I’m happy to be patient and see how things unfold.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


02.  Jormungand (ep.21, or PERFECT ORDER ep.9) – Not many anime will reference quantum physics and super computers, but that’s what the current arc of Jormungand is about!  So far, the show is doing a really good job of fleshing out the members on Koko’s team.  We didn’t get to know them much during the first season, but now their backgrounds are getting some good attention.  Ep.19, about William Nelson’s past, achieved a near-perfect balance between dark, violent material and lighter, comic relief.
(streaming at Funimation)


03.  PSYCHO-PASS (ep.9) – Another brainy anime.  The storytelling is good and I’m enjoying the dark, psychological themes that are being presented.  However, the indignity-to-a-dead-body stuff makes me uncomfortable.  It is meant to be horrifying, but I just have trouble reconciling it with “entertainment”.
(streaming at Funimation)


04.  My Little Monster (ep.11) – This shoujo anime has its share of the usual tropes, but it works because the characters have believable, well-defined personalities.  Also, the textured backgrounds are some of the nicest I’ve ever seen.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

05.  Blast of Tempest (ep.10) – The characters are interesting, as are their interactions with each other.  The show works best when the characters are not quoting Shakespeare, and the music is not overwrought.  Some episodes have been overly expository.  They’re also throwing out a lot plot threads and it remains to be seen whether things will come together or make any sense at the end.  As with Shin Sekai Yori, for now, I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

06.  IXION SAGA DT (ep.10) – Deceptively stupid, but actually quite clever, this show often displays more common sense than some of the serious-themed anime that I’m watching.  So far, my favourite character is the villain, Erecpyle Dukakis (yes, ED for short).  Although, after having had his ass kicked twice already by the main character, he’s somewhat more of an underdog than a villain now.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)


07.  MAGI (ep.9) – Nice animation; the characters are likeable, complex, and genuinely strong.  Morgiana is a so-much-better female role model than Asuna from SAO, for instance, and new character Sinbad is awesome.  The current story arc is surprisingly balanced and thoughtful, especially considering that the anime seems to be aimed at a younger audience.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

08.  Muv-Luv Alternative: TOTAL ECLIPSE (ep.23) – Looks like the meat of the story is happening.  I won’t mind if there’s less attention on Yuuya’s multinational harem now.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

09.  K (ep.10) – Stylish and nicely animated, but the quality of the story is questionable.  Many of the large cast of characters are not very interesting.  Still, I’m curious to see where they’re going with this.

10.  Space Brothers (ep.36) – Good show overall, but lately it’s been dragging.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

11.  CODE:BREAKER (ep.10) – So bad, it’s good.  And make no mistake, it really is bad: sloppy storytelling and plot developments, annoying and unlikeable protagonists, overdramatic score.  And yet, at the end of the day, it’s kind of fun, even if unintentionally.
(streaming at Funimation)

12.  BTOOOM! (ep.10) – Disturbingly exploitative at times, but otherwise, the battle-royale survival theme works.  This show also has some pretty hard-to-like main characters.
(streaming at Crunchyroll)

13.  Kamisama Kiss (ep.10) – Not terribly engrossing, but fine as a light distraction.  Unfortunately, I thought it was a bit more enjoyable before the romantic storyline began.
(streaming at Funimation)

14.  Chu-2 byo demo KOI ga shitai! (ep.10) – I find this show to be tedious and sometimes overly sentimental.  Maybe I’m too far away from my own eighth-grader syndrome phase to properly appreciate it.  Plus, I don’t buy the romantic sub-plot, even though I knew it was coming.  I do give the show credit, though, for being fairly straightforward about the romance instead of dragging it out unnecessarily.  Supporting character Isshiki is the best thing about this anime.  (Dekomori is the worst.)

Recently dropped:  Say “I Love You” (ep.7) – I tried to give it a chance, really I did; otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten this far in.  But I was complaining so uncontrollably after every episode, my family would probably have to take me out back and put me out of my misery if I were to watch any more of it.  Even now, when I see similar tropes used in My Little Monster, but executed so much better, I realize I’m still not done trashing this anime!  Bottom line: I don’t like Mei, I don’t like Yamato, and I’m not rooting for them to get together.
(streaming at Crunchyroll, but who cares?)

Skyfall

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3 stars

(released 2012)

Skyfall is a solid entry in the Bond canon with an interesting baddie (Javier Bardem – wow, that guy can act!) and a welcome focus on Judi Dench’s M.  There were some nice bits of humour, which helped to flesh out the relationship between Bond and M.  The last act, involving a shoot-out in an abandoned mansion, seemed a little under-developed (they would really go hide out somewhere and bring no weapons with them?), and I was hoping they would reveal a little more backstory into Bond’s origins.  Still, overall, an entertaining, exciting action flick.

the twilight saga: breaking dawn part 2

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2012

I guess vampire films really are more my thing…

At the end of Breaking Dawn part 1, Bella and Edward’s half-human/half-vampire daughter, Renesmee, was born; and Bella finally joined the ranks of the undead.  Now, the Volturi become aware of Renesmee’s existence and suspect her of being an abomination.  That’s all the provocation they need to target the Cullens for attack.

At this late stage in the overall plot, there’s not much emphasis on the romance anymore.  Sure, there’s a love scene, but this is hardly a kissing story.  Instead, the focus is on the impending Volturi threat and the Cullen family’s efforts to avoid a war.

If you’re looking for action, there’s plenty to be had.  Lots of decapitations too!  Also some humour.

Basically, if you’ve watched and enjoyed the previous four Twilight films, there’s no reason you won’t like this final installment.  It really does provide a memorable and satisfying conclusion to the saga.

 

Lincoln (Take 2)

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3 stars

Actually, I agree with all the facts in Joanna’s review:  yes, this is a very talky film that looks a lot like a stage play.  I had to concentrate really hard to understand the political maneuvering that was going on, and I still didn’t figure out what were the priorities of some of the different stakeholders.

But still, I like documentaries and I liked learning about the politics behind the Civil War and the anti-slavery movement.  After watching the movie I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia reading more on the subject.

I also appreciated that the movie was able to flesh out the family dynamics between Lincoln and his wife and between Lincoln and his oldest son with just a few very precise scenes.

So yeah, I agree with Take 1 in all the particulars, but I just enjoyed this film more than Joanna because it was more up my alley.

LINCOLN (Take 1)

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2.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2012

This is the story of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and his quest to enact the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery in the United States of America.  For the first time in maybe ages, Alice and I have gone to the cinema and seen the same movie together.  Therefore, expect to see two reviews of this film.

At the risk of expressing an unpopular opinion and revealing my ignorance and/or irreverence of American history, here are my thoughts.

The movie was talky.

I would have really liked to have seen more explanation of Lincoln’s thoughts and motives. There was only one brief scene about his past and how he was appalled at seeing slaves as a young man.  And incidentally, it could have very easily been shown as a flashback, but in a film that’s so resolutely verbose, it was all tell.

Much of the dialogue was intricately crafted, almost poetic, and I imagine it’s possible to get a lot out of it if you paid attention carefully.  That being said, there were a few lines at the other end of the spectrum too.

For example, toward the end, when decision day was drawing near, Lincoln instructed his men to procure the remaining number of votes needed to pass the amendment.  When his subordinate asked, “But how?”, Lincoln’s reply was something to the effect of, “I’m the President of the United States of America!  Just make it happen!”  And I don’t know… I’ve always thought of Abraham Lincoln as an admirable and forward-thinking leader, but that just sounded to me somewhat more arrogant than inspiring.

On the plus side, LINCOLN provided an excellent showcase for great actors to show off their acting chops.  Certainly the acting was stellar, and that’s a must for delivering wordy lines in such a dry, stage-play-like setting.  Unfortunately, I can’t say I found the movie to be terribly entertaining.  It was very much like a high-budget documentary, and it may have actually benefitted from a little artistic embellishment.  I’m not suggesting that Abe should have taken out his silver axe and started hunting vampires, but there must’ve been some middle ground that could have been explored.

 

The Descendants

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3 stars (maybe 3.25 stars?)

(released 2011)

George Clooney stars as a man dealing with the imminent death of his wife, trying to reconnect with his two young daughters and make peace with the the shortcomings of his marriage.

Featuring a thoughtful script which slowly reveals the true (and somewhat surprising) natures of each of the main characters, the film starts off with a refreshingly unsentimental depiction of a family dealing with loss, but by the end, earns its emotional final scene.

I think this film deserves to be called “inspired” (which would earn it 3.5 stars) but on the other hand, I don’t think it’s amazing or inventive enough that I would want to re-watch it (which means it only rates 3 stars).  Maybe I will have to start using an intermediate 3.25 star rating after all.

WOLF CHILDREN

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2012

A single mother with limited financial and social resources struggles to care for her family.  All the while, she has to protect the family secret, that her two young children are part-wolf.  Early in the film, we see her facing the challenge of finding a suitable environment to raise her son and daughter in.

As they grow older, the kids must come to terms with their unusual situation and find their paths in life.  And their mother finds herself torn between wanting to protect them and allowing them to make their own decisions, their own mistakes.

Despite the element of fantasy, WOLF CHILDREN tells a realistic story that any family can relate to.  The animation is excellent, as expected.  One highlight for me:  the kids were actually really adorable, especially Yuki.  She was rambunctious, and she had a loud and cute voice to match.


ARGO

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3.25 stars (out of 4)  Quality-wise, I think it’s considerably better than a standard 3 rating, but it’s not the sort of film that I’d feel inclined to watch again, so it doesn’t quite make a 3.5.

Released 2012

  • Based on the true story of the covert (and unconventional) operation to rescue six American embassy personnel during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980.  “ARGO” was the title of the fictional movie production that was used as the cover, and now, it’s the name of the real Hollywood movie documenting that mission.
  • Immersive and thrilling.  Was on the edge of my seat despite already having a general idea of the eventual outcome.
  • Feel-good message of Canadian-American diplomatic cooperation.

 

Add:  I just watched this film and entirely agree with you! – Bini

LOOPER

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3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2012

Joe works as a looper, that is, a hitman for the future mafia.  They send their hits back in time to be offed so the bodies will never be found.  Eventually, Joe has to take out his future self (to complete the loop).

Looper is an enjoyable time-travel action-adventure film.  It doesn’t stand up to any kind of logical scrutiny, but that’s a given for any time-travel story.  Taken as a fun ride, it’s just fine.

I’ll just comment that the one scene where the main character’s girlfriend is topless adds nothing to the movie.  Worse, it’s awkward and not even sexy.  That’s just bad fanservice.  The poor actress had to take her clothes off for nothing!  In contrast, the love scene later in the film manages to be more sexy, even though the characters remain fully clothed.

Friends with Kids

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2.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2011

After seeing how having children has strained the marriages of their friends, platonic friends Julie and Jason decide to have a baby together first and then continue looking for their respective future spouses after.

The first half of the movie was quite amusing with witty banter between the likable leads, but the second half degenerated into predictable rom-com territory.