CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Anime Reviews ⇢ Contributors ⇢ goldenspines

Contributor Report: goldenspines
The following is a list of all ratings and reviews submitted by goldenspines. The links below can be used to quickly scroll down to a specific title. Quickly scroll to... 5 Centimeters Per Second Air (TV) asdf: [b]test[/b] Baccano! Bleach Cardcaptor Sakura Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still Hellsing: Ultimate (OAV) Hetalia: Axis Powers Neon Genesis Evangelion Noir Puella Magi Madoka Magica Samurai Champloo Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto Suzuka Un-Go Utawarerumono Yu Yu Hakusho
5 Centimeters Per Second (Jump to title) - Overall: 9 - Violence Rating: 0 - Nudity Rating: 0 - Theological Themes: 0 - Other Negative Themes: 0
Air (TV) (Jump to title) - Overall: 7 - Violence Rating: 3 - Nudity Rating: 4 - Theological Themes: 4 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review This review was taken from our old reviews system and was originally submitted by Mangafanatic. Main Review: The synopsis I just gave doesn't even begin to give you an idea of what AIR is really about. Honestly, it's nearly impossible for me to condense this anime into a few paragraphs. What I gave there is merely a hint of AIR. I gotta admit, I didn't really see the plot for AIR coming. I was just sitting there thinking "My, what a nice little spice of life anime this is--" and then it hit me: "This is no spice of life anime." A fan of AIR once said that this anime was a "fairy tale for grown ups," and I think that describes it pretty well. AIR is a well told story about relationships, pain, loss, and fate, set against a background which is somehow both realistic and still fantasy. What I appreciated about AIR was, first, the characters. For every person you meet in this enjoyable little anime, there's so much story. Every character in this anime feels real and unique, and one can't help but care for each of the individuals that are introduced. Any person viewing this anime will be able to see the care that the writers must have put into creating the history that drives each character. In addition to the story, the art is really beautiful. Character design, backgrounds-- everything is so appealing. Downsides? Well, a few of subplots don't have a very strong tie into the main plot, and that took away from the strength of the story overall, in my opinion. Overall, I enjoyed AIR a lot, and I recommend it to anyone who can handle the content listed in the body of the review. Music The music for AIR was very appropriate and pleasant. Sub vs Dub This review was based on a subtitled version - at the time of writing the review, there is no official dub of AIR TV. [goldy's note: There is now a Funimation dub now with the official US release.] Manga: There is a related manga by the same name. Related Movies: Air the movie premiered early this year in Japan. It is slated for DVD release in August. [The Air movie was released in the US in 2007] Additionally, a related anime which will explore one of the subplot of AIR TV is scheduled to premiere later this year. This anime will be called "AIR summer," if I'm not mistaken. [goldy's note: This set of two episode has already aired since thie review. "AIR in Summer" was released in 2008, and is simply an elaboration of the summer arc in the anime.] Violence Details: There are a few slapstick tussles, an attempted strangling, and a non-graphic suicide. The only real violence is limited to the very brief slashing of limbs or blood splatters. Such violence is confined to one or two short scenes. Language Details There were three uses of the word "Da--." Nudity Details: As an exception to the general rule, there is one instance, during what might be compared to a magical girl transformation sequence, when a shot pans down the back of the winged girl, and we see a little of her rear briefly. Likewise, there a slow-motion shot in which we see this characters bust, backlit by the moon. Briefly, one character changes and we see a side view of her breastfor a split second (yes, it's that brief.). Lastly, we see the butt of a male character for a few seconds. Sexual Content Details: Several times in the anime and once in the opening song, we see a winged figure who is nude. 98% of the time, hair, arms, a very bright light, or some other object eclipse or obscure anything which would be explicit. Think about the picture books of Adam and Eve in the garden or a more detailed magical girl transformation, and you'll have a pretty good idea of how scenes which contain this character play out. Haruko makes less than admirable choices in her wardrobe. Several times towards the end of the series, she wears some VERY short boxer shorts. Also, in general, Haruko (and a few other characters on occasions) wear clothing that clings, and this form of fanservice is more pronounced towards the end. There is also some cleavage at various times. A young girl steals one of a main characters possessions in hope that he'll chase her. As a taunt, she turns and shakes her butt at him. It wasn't particularly provocative, but I prefer to err of the side of caution. At one point, we overhear a conversation between an older sister, who is a physician, and her younger sister, who is being examined. The older sister says something like "You're developing nicely," and the younger sister replies "Hey! Watch what your touching!". After one or two more similar exchanges, the conversation ends. More than once, Haruko becomes drunk and declares that it's time for "Erotic confession corner!" This exclamation always prompts Yukito to call her a pervert, and the scenes then end. Ryuuya touches a female character's rear, but it's not obvious if the act is intention or accident. One of the possibly more questionable and troubling portions of the plot is an agreement between two characters to produce an offspring. The conversation that leads to this agreement is very vague, and therefore it's hard to tell whether they mean inside or outside of the bounds of marriage. With that said, it's quite possible that they fornicate. One character is said to be an illegitimate child. Religious Material Details: One character can make a puppet dance by "magic", and another character claims she'll be able to use magic when she's older. Festivals, temples, and worship of pagan gods or creatures occur in this anime. Also, conversation concerning gods, means by which they may be pleased, ect. occur. At one point, a character assumes that a certain item is a gift from the gods. A priest of these same pagan gods wants to offer a child as a sacrifice. One religious element, which should be taken into consideration before watching this anime, is the theme of reincarnation, which somewhat necessary to the plot. Two characters perform a ceremony in which they call forth a spirit. Also, a group of monks attempt to put a curse on a character. A character concludes that, because misfortune befalls her, there cannot be a God.
asdf: [b]test[/b] (Jump to title) - Overall: 0 - Violence Rating: 0 - Nudity Rating: 0 - Theological Themes: 0 - Other Negative Themes: 0 Review Look at me adding a review to this test. O: [/test]
Baccano! (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 8 - Nudity Rating: 2 - Theological Themes: 5 - Other Negative Themes: 3 Review Baccano! So good they gave it an official exclamation point in its title. It does cause quite a ruckus in its own right. Set in America during the Prohibition era, this series filled with immortal alchemists, mafia families, and idiot thieves grabs you from the beginning and will never let you go. The music especially suits the series well throughout. It starts with a loud, fast paced trumpet in its Opening theme and jumps around from slow blues on the piano, to tense violins and other string instruments. Both the sub and dub of this anime are excellent. Be warned, the violence in this anime is not for the faint of heart. It ranges from people being filled with bullet holes to one character's face dragging against train tracks. It's not a blood filled anime, but it doesn't pull any punches either. The only theological themes that could cause concern would be the idea as well as the fact of immortality. It's a basic and important element in the story. Since this anime is set during prohibition Era, there is some reference to alcohol and some characters do smoke. There is also occasional swearing in the series. both in sub and dub. Baccano! is a series that can't be fully explained in simple text. It starts out blurry, but the longer you watch, the more you see details, discover secrets, and learn lessons. It's a wild ride, but well worth the journey.
Bleach (Jump to title) - Overall: 7 - Violence Rating: 0 - Nudity Rating: 0 - Theological Themes: 0 - Other Negative Themes: 0
Cardcaptor Sakura (Jump to title) - Overall: 9 - Violence Rating: 3 - Nudity Rating: 5 - Theological Themes: 6 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review This review was taken from our old database. The original reviewer was CDLviking Sakura is synonymous with magical girl anime. Top notch animation, excessive cuteness, and the standard transformation scenes are the calling cards for this show (though the transformation is for the staff and cards, as the clothes are homemade). The main target audience here is young girls, though just about anyone should be able to be entertained by its good mix of comedy, story, and well animated action sequences. The plot turns are fairly easy to predict, though even I was caught off guard once or twice. Generally, this show is squeaky clean, but there are two areas that cause particular concern, and will require careful reflection of whether or not parents should allow younger children to watch this show. The first, and less troubling, is the sorcery involved in the show. The Clow Cards are living magical beings that Sakura calls upon to aid her. They can also be used like tarot cards, and Sakura refers to her wand as “hiding the powers of the dark.” Li uses Chinese magic by invoking the gods, and uses some sort of feng sui compass to track Clow Cards. All of this is somehow connected to the sorcerer Clow Reed who died long ago. The second, and somewhat disturbing, problem is same sex attraction. I hesitate to use the term homosexuality because there is never anything sexual in the entire series. There are many characters that develop crushes on members of the same sex, but do not really act upon them. Some of them are explained away and disappear while others persist. What makes this even more disturbing is the young age of the characters, and the way in which it is not even looked at as odd. Finally, in light of these two areas of concern, I’d like to explain the age rating. Given the age of the characters, and the amount of my understanding at the same age I feel that 10 is about the youngest age I could recommend this show to. That takes into account that they have a Christian upbringing and know that sorcery and homosexuality are wrong, as well as some of the reasons why. At a younger age, or without this understanding, I fear that children could develop a skewed idea of what is appropriate in relationships. Also, there is no dub, so good reading skills are a necessity. [goldy's note: There is dub available now. Several, in fact.] Music Catchy and cute songs that one would expect. Tomoyo also sings on occasion in the show. Good songs that fit the show, but nothing exceptional. Sub vs Dub Cardcaptor Sakura is the Japanese release and has no dub available on the DVDs. There is an American release titled Card Captors, but it is butchered, edited to pieces, has changed names, bad acting, and everything that can possibly ruin anime when it is imported to America. [goldy's note: I haven't heard the dub, but since it's older and I'm biased, it's probably not the best.] Manga The anime series is based off CLAMP's Cardcaptor Sakura manga. Characters from CCS also appear in CLAMP's manga series Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicle. Related Movies There are two movies. The first takes place sometime during the first half, and is a stand alone. The second is a direct sequel to the show and resolves some things left over at the shows end. Violence Details The Clow Cards cause a fair deal of trouble, and capturing them usually requires a chase or some sort of fighting. Usually nothing too threatening, but the violence does occasionally become life threatening. Language Details Throughout all 18 volumes, I can count the number of minor swears, such as hl and dn, on my hands. That’s less than once per volume. Nudity Details Being a show for kids, it is exceptionally clean in this regard. There is only one bath scene of Sakura with nothing shown, and bathing suits and magic girl outfits are quite modest. Sexual Content Details In addition to the above mentioned same sex attraction, there’s a tendency for children to fall for those older than them. Students fall for their teachers, and elementary school kids fall for high schoolers. Religious Material Details As I already stated, there is a lot of sorcery, Li’s invoking of the gods, and same sex attraction. For some reason, every time there’s a school play, guys are cast in female roles, and vice versa, though they don’t seem too happy about it. Reincarnation is a major theme of the second half of the show. Also there is a Christmas episode in which a character explains that he is playing the piano for a Christmas mass at a Christian church, then he goes on to explain that he is doing it to express his gratitude to the earth, religious relativism at its most dangerous.
Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 4 - Nudity Rating: 2 - Theological Themes: 2 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review If I could rate Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still higher than a 10, I would. This anime by far exceeds any expectations brought to it. Set in the style of a Wagnerian opera, Giant Robo takes on a journey to answer one question: "Can happiness be achieved without sacrifice?" Yet, it does not stop at that. Giant Robo will show you how bonds of friendship can even be formed through mortal enemies, the power of unconditional love and sacrifice, how to being courageous, even in the midst of turmoil, and that age has nothing to do with what you can or cannot achieve. The music by far is what adds the final winning touch to the series. It's mostly (if not all) played by a large orchestra and there are also opera pieces sung in German. Both the sub and the (new) dub are excellent. There is some blood in this series, but not enough to make it a violent anime. The characters fight to save the world and do get wounded in the process. spoiler It should also be noted that many of the "good guys" die in the series. One in particular has a hole blown through him. This is the extent of the bloodiness in the series. There is no nudity in the series. Though, Ginrei, the main female lead, is always seen in either very short skirts and in a skin tight outfit. There is a bit of the supernatural in the series. Many of the characters, part of either the Experts of Justice or The Magnificent Ten, have special powers to fight. Nothing involving witchcraft, though. Though, it should be noted that one of the characters is portrayed as a Buddhist/Taoist Monk that uses spell tags as weapons. I don't recall much swearing in the series. It's minimal if non-existent. Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still was supposed to be more than 7 episodes, yet the creators ran out of money and we are left with just a taste of the beautiful creation they had in mind. Because of this, the ending will seem a bit rushed. Yet, in those 7 episodes, it covers leaps and bounds above many other series (or live action movies). It concludes the arc and in the end, leaves you a wiser person after finishing it.
Hellsing: Ultimate (OAV) (Jump to title) - Overall: 7 - Violence Rating: 10 - Nudity Rating: 8 - Theological Themes: 8 - Other Negative Themes: 9
Hetalia: Axis Powers (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 2 - Nudity Rating: 6 - Theological Themes: 2 - Other Negative Themes: 3
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 7 - Nudity Rating: 8 - Theological Themes: 8 - Other Negative Themes: 6 Review This review was taken from the old reviews system and was originally submitted by Mithrandir Main Review: Contrary to what I've heard from other people, I felt the series progressed at a decent pace, and (despite some unforseen plot twists) was very logical in how it got from point A to point B. While it's not at first apparent what is really happening, there are enough flash backs and dream sequences that, with enough time and patience, one can piece together a pretty thorough picture of what is going on. There is a great deal of alcohol use in the series. Some people are uneasy with this, so I thought I'd throw it in. Music: The music was above average for a series and served to provide mood and background at appropriate times. I'm sorry, but I can't get past the "Fly Me to the Moon" ending themes. That just hurts. ;) Sub vs Dub: This review covers the Japanese Language track as watched with English Subtitles. Violence Details: Evangelion contains a great deal of robot vs beast violence, but also contains a substantial amount of blood, explosions and the aftermath of two suicides are shown pretty graphically. Language Details: For the Japanese Language vesion with English Subtitles, there is a relatively small amount of language in the series. Most foul words are used at least once, but there are episodes with no cursing at all. Nudity Details: The nudity in Evangelion is of the "blurry" variety, however, there are LOTS of scenes where people are shown with strategically placed beer cans, chinese doors etc. There are multiple scenes where people are shown fully nude, but the details are, as stated previously, blurry. Sexual Content Details: There is a great deal of innuendo and outright conversation about multiple unmarried (to each other, anyway) characters who are involved in sexual relationships. There is a scene in which the camera stays focused on an ashtray of cigarettes while the voices in the background are very obviously engaged in intimate activity. Religious Material Details: Wow. Where to begin. Of most import, this anime borrows HEAVILY from the Christian vocabulary. The enemies that threaten to destroy the earth are referred to as 'angels.' There is quite a bit of Christian imagery in the visuals, but there really isn't anything directly "blasphemous" about the series. Many explosions are shown in the shape of a cross, and multiple times during the series an entity is shown nailed to a cross-like structure with a weapon stabbed through it. Many references are made showing obvious nihilistic post-modern thought process, and the duplicity of self as defined 1) in one's own mind and 2) through other's perception is of MAJOR import. There is also a hint of "if I believe it, it will become reality" that might disturb some people.
Noir (Jump to title) - Overall: 9 - Violence Rating: 5 - Nudity Rating: 3 - Theological Themes: 2 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review This review was taken from the old reviews system and was originally submitted by true_noir_chloe. Main Review Two women bound by a promise, their destinies intertwined by a melodic time piece with a music box melody. This music is where we begin. Kirika Yumura finds Mireille Bouquet, a young killer for hire, who has been wandering with a broken past and an uncertain future. She is the cool, confident, loner, who is very good at what she does - killing. Fate brings Kirika and Mireille together as Kirika is running from the Soldats, who seem to want her dead. She has no idea where she came from or who she is. All she has is the locket with the lulling melody and Mireille’s phone number. They meet and their lives are forever changed. A journey ensues and a puzzle, one piece at a time, is put together, as Mireille and Kirika join together as a killer for hire duo called, Noir – a name Mireille remembers from her past which represent "two women with hands as black as sin." At first, it is a partnership of convenience; a bond of one using the other to get answers. Through each hit job we watch a vulnerable, sweet young Kirika who can kill with no remorse and quite easily, growing more attached to her older friend, risking her own life to save her many times. There’s an innocence to Kirika that Mireille had never experienced, herself never really knowing innocence, it having been stolen away from her years ago when her parents were murdered, almost before her eyes. Mireille’s shield, cold as ice, begins to melt, as she begins to care about this younger… sister? Friend? They have a bond that keeps drawing them one to another. This journey begins in Paris, France, and then travels through the Middle East, China, Japan, the Alps, Corsica and Italy, not necessarily in that order. Special care and detail was placed on drawing these countryside’s of each locale. The same realistic detail followed throughout the series with all the settings and equipment. All to bring realism and a feeling you are on an exploration to find something. Many nefarious characters, including the Soldats, who come in droves, at Kirika and Mireille, and other references to groups like the mafia and Yakusa, are brought up against the two young women. In Episode 10 we meet Chloe, who becomes a player in the background, supporting and vying for hit jobs alongside Kirika and Mireille. She is the child-like adopted progeny of Altena, a character who is constantly in the background, and we, the viewer are never sure how she plays in this puzzle. We never find out until the sixth disc. Chloe’s enamored affection toward Kirika puts a kink and another question before Mireille and Kirika. Is Chloe for them, or against them? She seems to stay in the background and help them out, saving their lives multiple times from the Soldats and others, bent on killing them as they get closer to the truth of their past. Throughout we start to question, why are Kirika and Mireille so drawn one to another? Why does the music box melody stir up such strong memories, emotions, or both? We find out at the end, how the music is that part of their past which brings about memories of love. Something of which neither have had cultivated in their upbringing. The kind of love only a mother could show for her daughter. It is the only thing which brings about the salvation of both Kirika and Mireille in the end. Whether it’s a physical, emotional, or spiritual – maybe all three – salvation, you’ll have to find out by watching this drama to the end. Everything in Noir is subtle. It is a production of style and mood, where even the music helps construct the work of art it becomes. The writer, Ryoe Tsukimura; director, Kouichi Mashimo; and the female artists had decided this would be a collaboration of something different. It wouldn't have mechas, super human beings, magic, robot maidens, or dumb fan service. It would be a realistic piece unlike any anime out there. And, I think they followed through perfectly. They sought to produce an intelligent "film noir" - a work of visual art and that is what I found myself completely enveloped by. Music The music makes Noir – simply put. It feeds this atmosphere of choreographed fighting and shooting, which is artistically woven in a story that doesn't end up as it was supposed to. The opening piece, "Coppelia's Casket," is so catchy it will be pounding in your head for a day; it was performed by Ali Project and reminds me of the era of spy thrillers in the late 60s and early 70s. Fantastic sweeping violins, cellos, accordions combine with male chorals and beautiful female solos in a mix of classical and European pop. Kirika's theme song, "canta per me" makes your heart beat a little faster, whenever it plays. The closing theme, "Beautiful Emotion," done by Akino Arai, is a sweet and beautiful piece, like its title. The animation and music are so well adapted one to another that Noir would not be Noir without the music of Yuki Kajiura. In fact, it's the first anime soundtrack I ever bought for myself. Sub vs Dub I couldn't help but prefer the dubbed version because I have such great respect for the four ADV voice actresses who did the four lead characters. I would warn, however, for some reason on the first disc, they were so enthralled with the song, "canta per me" that it constantly overpowered Kirika's soft-spoken voice. During the first three episodes I had to watch it in Japanese just to find out what she was saying. hehe I think they must have figured this out by the following discs, because I didn't notice this problem later. A word about the ADV actresses: Hilary Haag is the voice actress who plays Chloe, walking on the edge of psychopath, with a calm delivery. She said it was the easiest, yet freakiest, character she had ever done. Altena is voiced by Tiffany Grant, a sage of voice acting, and she said it was the creepiest character she had read for. With a maternal calm she had to deliver lines like, "Love can kill, could not hate save someone?" She really liked to mess with these young girls heads. Kirika is done by Monica Riel, the ADV soft-spoken gal. She is one of my favorites at ADV. And, Shelley Calene-Black rounds out the cast as Mireille. She can always be counted on to play the confident, self-assured voice types. Another great turn of voice acting by ADV. Manga Noir was an original idea started as an accident by the writer bouncing ideas off the producer's head. It was just some notes jotted down and grew into something more. Thus, there was no precursor manga, and I don't know of ADV bringing a manga out at this time. Related Movies For realism it's hard to find anything like Noir. I would say for mood, the ones which come close are Read or Die, Witch Hunter Robin, Wolf's Rain and Raxhephon. Violence Details This is an interesting thing about Noir. The only thing gratuitous is the amount of bullet shells left on the ground; however, they never show blood, only darkened areas where blood would be. This is due in part because it had to be kept clean for the television audience. There has been talk of doing a bloody version – but, it’s only talk. For now, this version has no blood. [goldy's note: The version referred to here is the original version released in 2001.] Language Details Possibly a few words throughout the series Nudity Details A bath scene, mainly in silhouette in episode 24 and then a pond scene in episode 25. Sexual Content Details There is an unwanted kiss from one character to another character for around 10 seconds in episode 25. Religious Material Details I actually liked the message of Noir. The only reason I rated it a 2 is because the ritual of passage for the two women to be considered Noir. It was really a good message about how only in love can someone be saved, never by hate. Mercy, forgiveness and love are always stronger than judgment and hate.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 5 - Nudity Rating: 2 - Theological Themes: 4 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review If you could have one wish, what would you give up for it? Everything you thought you knew about magical girls is wrong. Or so Madoka Magica will lead you to believe. It takes an innocent premise and sets the stage to play out a tragedy, Faustian style. So, don't expect this anime to be a walk in the park, it carries some deep meaning and dark elements. Yet, if you hang on until the end, you will not be disappointed by the hope it brings. Violence wise, there's not that much blood at all, but that doesn't take away the emotional and brutal aspects of some of the violence in the series. The use of guns should be noted (though only the magical girls use guns on the "witches", the ones they are fighting against, and sometimes against the magical creature Kyuubey (see below for explanation)). There are a few very disturbing parts in the series that I would not consider "violent", but definitely not for the faint of heart. Those are: spoiler In mere episode 3, Mami, one of the magical girls, gets her head bit off by a witch. It's a rather shocking occurrence. And, Madoka, the main lead, gets up set with her friend for becoming a magical girl, so Madoka throws her friend's "gem" on top of a moving truck, thinking it was the source of her magical power. Little does Madoka know that the gem was not only the source of her friend's magic, but it was also her soul. Therefore, if it gets too far away, her friend dies momentarily until they retrieve it. And, there is a time, once you find out magical girls with tainted souls become witches, that Madoka's friend transforms into a witch. Besides some magical girl transformations, there is no nudity or sexual content. The series is based around magic and more importantly around a rather odd magical creature called Kyuubey. Kyuubey is the one who gives all magical girls their power and also grants them one wish. spoiler Kyuubey can be compared to Mephistopheles in Faust. He acts as "a devil" and those who want to have their wish granted will be selling their soul to him. In essence, he rips their soul from their bodies and creates a soul gem with it, which then have to be maintained, otherwise they will become tainted and transform into "witches". It is also found out later that one of the magical girls can reset time. Even the most darkest and deep places can find light. That's what Madoka Magica does. It paces itself well, and tells a story that at times will blot out your hope, only to renew it again, brighter and better than it was before.
Samurai Champloo (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 5 - Nudity Rating: 7 - Theological Themes: 2 - Other Negative Themes: 6 Review Samurai Champloo is no ordinary samurai story. It's a perfect mixture of the historical and the modern. You follow the path of Fuu, a spunky 15 year old girl on the search for a samurai who smells of sunflowers. She manages to drag along two samurai, Mugen and Jin, who have very different personalities and styles. I rated Samurai Champloo a 10 because it truly is the best of its kind. The mixture of characters, story, animation and music; the final outcome is unexpected, thrilling and beautiful. The music is the most unexpected element of this series. It's a mix of hiphop and jazz (Produced by the late DJ Nujabes and American MC Fat Jon) that compliments the series extremely well. Both the sub and the dub are excellent. Some episodes tend to be more entertaining in Japanese since some characters speak "engrish". This is a samurai story, of course there's going to be violence. It's not terribly gory, but still bloody enough to warrant a caution. Swords slicing and sticking into people is the extreme extent. The nudity/sexual content of Samurai Champloo does deserve quite a bit of caution. It should be noted I don't consider the nudity of this series to be fan-service, but put there more for historical fact sake. Either way, you're going to see quite a bit of nudity (female mostly, and usually only in still pictures). Brothels are central to the plots of some episodes. There is not much in terms of negative theological themes. There are small references to Shinto and Buddhism, I recall. And there is one episode where the trio work in a shrine for a monk. There's drinking of sake (a Japanese alcoholic drink) and on at least one occasion, the main characters get drunk. There is also lots of swearing and crude jokes. While carrying a mature rating, Samurai Champloo still presents a great story. In some ways, it expresses reality and how we must all face the consequences of our actions. And everyone once in a blue moon, we can overcome those consequences and live to fight another day.
Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 3 - Nudity Rating: 5 - Theological Themes: 5 - Other Negative Themes: 1
Suzuka (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 1 - Nudity Rating: 4 - Theological Themes: 2 - Other Negative Themes: 3 Review This review was taken from the old reviews system and was originally submitted by Lady Rushia. Main Review Suzuka is 26 episodes long and is adapted from the manga by the same name. The story centers around a boy named Yamato, who moves from Hiroshima to Tokyo to start a new life at a new high school. He gets a free room in his aunt’s all-female bath house/apartment complex. On his first day in Tokyo, he walks by his new school to see what it's like and finds Suzuka, the high jumping star of the track team, practicing alone. Yamato later discovers that not only does Suzuka hold the record for high-jumping from middle school, but she also lives right next door to him! Suzuka and Yamato become friends, but when Yamato develops feelings for her and decides to confess, things go downhill. Disappointed, Yamato tries his best to make Suzuka not hate him, but it doesn't seem to work. . . As a female, this series tugged at my inner girly girl and left me dying to find out what happened next. There is much more to this series than high school romance as Suzuka's backstory reveals the rough past she had with a fellow track team member in middle school. I won't say what happened, but I wanted to cry. All of the characters have some good development, although there are some that are pushed to the side because the manga is much, much longer than the anime. Thus, the few characters who are introduced later in the anime don't see as much screen time as everyone else, but this doesn't happen in a way where the series feels incomplete. This is one of those series that really make you feel for the characters and writhe in pain whenever something goes wrong (at least, this happened to me). I found it particularly interesting that this is a high school love story told from the guy's perspective, which made it a little bit different, I think. Overall, I loved this series, and though the ending left room for a second season it was still satisfying. Music The opening is okay at best, but the background music is pretty. Sub vs Dub I watched most of it dubbed, but saw a few subbed episodes. The dub annoyed me a little bit at first, but it really isn't that bad. For the most part, the English voices seem to fit the characters well. Manga Suzuka was based off of a manga by the same name, but the manga is very VERY explicit in terms of nudity and things like that. I wouldn't recommend anyone under 18 reading it. Related Movies None. Violence Details Nothing more than dramatic face-slaps. Language Details Typical high school language. Nothing worse than d--- and h--. Nudity Details There's barbie doll nudity in the first episode, but other than that I can't remember anything besides maybe locker room changing. There might also be some fanservice. Sexual Content Details There are some rather awkward situations. In the first episode, Yamato accidentally falls on top of a girl. There's also an attempted sex scene later on in the series, but all the clothes stay on. Religious Material Details One character lives and works at a Shinto shrine and there are one or two times when the characters go there to pray. Other than that, religion doesn't play much of a role in the series.
Un-Go (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 3 - Nudity Rating: 2 - Theological Themes: 5 - Other Negative Themes: 2
Utawarerumono (Jump to title) - Overall: 7 - Violence Rating: 6 - Nudity Rating: 3 - Theological Themes: 5 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review This review was taken from the old reviews system and was originally submitted by Tenshi no Ai In the world of Urawarerumono, people have furry ears and tails like animals, and they live in an ancient setting. In a small village within this world, a stranger wanders into the town, badly injured, obligating one of the village girls, Eruruu, to tend to this mysterious figure who cannot remember who he is or where he came from. All he can remember are horrifying flashbacks which plague him constantly. As he begins to befriend the villagers and rise in their esteem, wars begin in the surrounding regions forcing Hakuoro to face these questions: what memories lie in his distant past and who is he? When I first saw pics from this show and saw the opening I thought, "This is going to be exciting! The people look like cats, giant tigers, winged-angel like people, and they all ride out to war on dinosaurs! What DOESN'T this show have?" Early in the series, I was quite amused. However, when as the show began to unfold, I started to loose attention when the plot became consumed by little wars that kept popping up. In truth, I was starting to lose interest, but something kept me watching, wanting to know who Hakuoro really was. If you can get through to the last third of the show, things REALLY get interesting. One disappointing aspect of the show, however, was that the ending, while quite good, seems VERY rushed, providing many different explanations of the show's events and haphazardly added plot elements which are never wrapped up. In the end, the show got a 7 because the last portion of the show managed to maintain my interest. Still, I was disappointed, because the show had the potential to be a solid "ten" anime. However, due to issues with pacing and unresolved plot elements, I couldn't give it that perfect score. Music The background music of the show was quite good. The opening theme was bouncy and enjoyable, but the ending theme was only "so-so." While that end theme did grow on me, it was nothing phenomenal. Sub vs Dub This show was reviewed subbed. The dubbed version is currently unreleased. [goldy's note: There has been a dub released in the ADV Films version since this review, but I cannot attest to its quality. It remains unknown whether Funimation will re-dub it or not] Manga A manga of Uta has recently come out, but I believe has not yet ended. Related Movies A short "comical" OVA was released on the Japanese DVD involving Hakuoro and Oboro eating some rotten food and fighting to get to the toilet. Violence Details Quite a bit of blood, being a shounen war anime, spattered guts in a couple episodes of people ripped apart/blown to bits. Rated it a bit higher since there's actual gore and violent deaths rather than just blood. Language Details It's a war show once again, so some swearing should be expected. Some here and there but nothing really over the top. Nudity Details I gave this show a low nudity rating only because the nudity was confined to the final episode. Until this point, the the worse that's seen is Karura in her lingerie. In this last episode, however, Hakuoro is shown nude twice, but both times anything obscene is are fully covered. Still, every other bit of skin is shown. Kamyuu is also shown nude in this episode, but this nudity is in sillhouette and nothing is detailed. Additionally, while Hakuoro's nude scenes persist, Kamyuu is only for a split second. Sexual Content Details Coming from a H game, this isn't nearly as bad as it could've been (thankfully.) However, there was still quite a bit of sexual material involved, such as: 1)Some characters are overtly "well endowed." 2)A joke is made from Eruruu's bust size when the tiger cub Mukuru tried to suckle from her 3)flirtatious comments and jokes are made here and there. 4) Karura ended up stripping down to a skimpy outfit (basically lingerie) and getting pretty close to Hakuoro, but nothing happens. 5) Oboro gets drunk with the twins (who ARE guys) and a scene shows them sleeping together. 6) A merchant comes by to sell certain "health products" Religious Material Details The winged Onkami use supernatural powers and are like the messengers of the gods that the people in the show worship (but they're definately NOT angels). spoiler Hakuoro, in demon form, makes a blood-pact with Eruruu in order to save Aruruu's life (not very religious but still worth a quick mention). Additionally, the show raises the issue of cloning as human-like creatures have tests run upon them.
Yu Yu Hakusho (Jump to title) - Overall: 8 - Violence Rating: 6 - Nudity Rating: 5 - Theological Themes: 6 - Other Negative Themes: 4 Review This review was taken from the old reviews system and was originally submitted by Gremio. Yu Yu Hakusho is very much something that needs to appeal to you for you to find interest in. For some people an in depth plot line is almost essential for a good anime, let it be known now that Yu Yu Hakusho trades a lot of plot just to be nothing short of sheer fun. That’s not to say it doesn’t have a plot either, and thankfully it doesn’t conform to the stereotypical action without reason of several other well known action anime such as DBZ. The plot thickens later on and because of Yu Yu Hakushos massive characterization of the main and supporting characters, and even the bad guys, its so easy to find yourself getting sucked in desiring to see what happens next to the group. The characterization of the main set in anime is something that always made watching an enjoyable experience and this is where Yu Yu Hakusho shines. By the end you feel you know the characters and care deeply for them. Yu Yu Hakusho only leaves you wanting more. That said, it’s not entirely perfect. The cliches are present though not as abstract as the norm. This has a tendency to make some of the plot predictable. However Yu Yu Hakusho employs several plot twists to try and break free of this. Thankfully the fight scenes are not drawn out, at its longest a fight would be 2-3 episodes and that is extremely rare. Let it not be said that quality was substituted for time, because Yu Yu Hakusho has some of the best fight scenes and unique concepts I have seen. The techniques used such as Hiei's Dragon of the Darkness Flame are simply stunning and are guaranteed to send shivers down any action anime fans spine. That said, the animation is slightly dated compared to a lot of titles today, which is understandable considering this title is a good 13 years old. Finally, as I said, Yu Yu Hakusho is just plain fun. I have never come across an anime which is so genuinely funny and does it at all the right times remaining serious when it’s needed. There are the occasional plot holes large enough to fly a 737 aircraft through, but so what? There is very little that will take away anyone’s enjoyment of Yu Yu Hakusho. It simply is an enjoyable experience from start to finish. With almost real characters, brilliant fight sequences employing creative concepts, comic relief in almost every episode that will never cease to make the viewer laugh, this anime will have you captured from beginning to end. If you like a bit of fun, get your wallet out. Music Average. The score and themes are generally J-Pop in nature, but there are very few if any that made a lasting impression on me. The songs are fairly good such as the opening theme, however the background music never really excelled, but at the same time it never did get repetitive, and there are very few places that are left without any music, which was while bland, rather appropriate when it comes to fitting the mood. Certainly not the best, but definitely not the worst either, consider this as an average score that is worth borrowing the OST from a friend, but not buying. Sub vs Dub This surprised me, while I was one of those who ripped off FUNimation for their generally poor dubbing, with Yu Yu Hakusho Il happily admit I was wrong, at least for this title. The subs themselves are very good, the voices rarely fail to capture the mood of the character, however the dubs stay right up there with them. I would say that this series is actually better dubbed than subbed, the voices of Hiei and Yusuke were very impressive, and while the voice of Kuwabara gets a little annoying occasionally, its something that can be lived with. Thats not to say the dub was perfect, there are a few places that the viewer becomes wary of the attempts to fit the words into the mouth movements to the point it doesn’t quite sound natural. Thankfully this only happens in a few episodes and for the most part people can overlook it. Manga [goldy's note: The manga was not mentioned by the reviewer, but a 19 volumes manga does exist for Yu Yu Hakusho that was licensed in the US by Viz Media through Shounen Jump. It was just completed in 2010.] Related Movies Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie Poltergeist Report: Yu Yu Hakusho Violence Details Yu Yu Hakusho, from the very start to the very end, concentrates on pushing through the genre of action, and in doing so has created an anime in which there are the typical large amounts of blood and gore in almost every big fight. Having said that, I’ve seen a lot worse, and the blood and gore is kept to a minimum in the edited version seen on TV, but should violence not be your cup of tea, then Yu Yu Hakusho certainly won’t either. There is a lot of punching and kicking, slashing and hacking and special moves by the dozen all of which inflict great pain on the opponents, whether they be demons or simple thugs in the street. So by now, your thinking this is an ultra-violent anime, right? Well, not quite. While the violence is present from beginning to end, its done well, and its nothing that you wouldn’t find in other anime of this genre. I have never known someone to be put off Yu Yu Hakusho for its violence, as squeamish as I am, I didn’t break that trend. Language Details Language level above is high because there are some bad words in the unedited version of this anime. Whilst watching it on Cartoon Network Adult Swim, all bad words to mention are removed. In the unedited version it becomes clear the full extent of them there are in Yu Yu Hakusho. There’s nothing overly explicit, the f and s bombs are thankfully never dropped, but some might take offence to the occasional bad word thrown in as an insult. However having said that, there is never any pointless bad language, its almost always at an understandable time when it does occur, which is a bonus. 13+ Nudity Details No real nudity to speak of, the worst it possibly gets is the shirts being ripped off some of the male fighters during battle, which is, of course, harmless. Sexual Content Details Sexual content is never something the show aims at, but something that does occur occasionally because of its secondary goal to provide humor and comic relief. These places include Yusuke lifting the skirt of Kayko in the opening episode and of course, immediately getting slapped. In that same mold almost every time there is innuendo, it is only for humor and it is never really in any way graphic or intended to be harmful or to the shows detriment. There is one episode were there Yusuke was fighting a demon who was found out to be a trans-sexual but again it was mostly in the name of fun and subliminally to set the viewers feelings against those who had mutated him/her. Overall, the vast majority of episodes are free from any sexual content at all, and that includes fan service, which for me made the show all the sweeter. Religious Material Details At first I had very little qualms with the story of Yu Yu Hakusho on a religious level. The constant mention of the soul and its existence after death is very much a Biblical message as is the joining of the Body and Soul and thus the resurrection of the dead. However there are several points in which I know will be against what we know religiously. For example, while the presence of demons should be nothing strange, they are often sometimes GOOD demons and live in a place called demon world. The souls of the dead are sent to the spirit realm were they are judged by a sort of ruler figure named King Yamma and while he is gone, his son Koenma. This bears striking resemblance to the figure of G-d Almighty and may come across as blasphemous to some, however, this is played down heavily in the series and is more than likely a moot point. One disappointing factor is that the full version of the 1st Yu Yu Hakusho ending in Japanese takes the Lords name in vain once, this of course doesn’t happen in the English, and thankfully the end credits don’t last long enough for the viewer to hear it.
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