ARMITAGE III

(The review is based on the original Armitage III OVAs and not the heavily edited film adaptation, Armitage III: Polymatrix)

I have seen online advertisements promoting the recent release of Armitage III: The Complete Saga for some time now. At some point Funimation's massive advertising assault finally paid off and I decided to watch the series. Lest I sound like a miserable victim of commercial enterprise and subliminal messaging, I also happen to love cyberpunk anime, so Armitage III was a nice treat. Having already seen a myriad of cyberpunk classics like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, I wanted to see if Armitage III achieved something its more famous counterparts could not.

 

COWBOY BEBOP

Space: the Final Frontier.  An endless sandbox beyond the stratosphere that man has dreamed to conquer for millennia.  That is where man’s future is.  And while we’re building our future, we may as well listen to some hot jazz music that sounds like it predates 1950, right?  That’s exactly the kind of future Cowboy Bebop chooses to live in, and you can like it or get the hell out of the airlock!  Because in space, no one can hear you whine.

My Journey into Anime

My Journey into Anime

I've always had an interest in comic book heroes and cartoons growing up. Anime was but a small part of that. Toonami and Adult Swim were largely responsible for introducing me to shows I still love to this day, including FLCL and Ghost in the Shell. But this anime hobby of mine didn't grow into a life-altering pursuit until I went to college. A few interesting things happened during those first three years.

MYSTERIOUS GIRLFRIEND X

4 stars out of 5

I'm still trying to figure out if Mysterious Girlfriend X is an elaborately executed anime about sexual fetishes. I've cringed many times at the sight of our characters swapping globs of viscous saliva with each other. Let me be clear: nobody kissed in this anime, but instead they exchanged phlegm-like wads of spit by poking into each other's mouths. Whoever came up with the premise to this story must be a really, really strange dude. He's also innovative, morphing conventional ecchi and school drama into an anime that's mighty sophisticated.

EUREKA SEVEN AO: EPISODES 1 - 12

3.5 stars out of 5

I watched the original Eureka Seven only a few months ago. The series was long and almost incomprehensible, but still charming. It's convoluted plot and deeply emotional characters are nice metaphors for what life is generally like in the minds of teenagers: “adults are out to ruin my life and nothing makes sense anymore, but so long as I live life to the fullest and find someone to love, the journey is worth it.” Eureka Seven AO isn't exactly successful in adapting this same endearing philosophy, but I wouldn't dismiss AO just yet.

GOBOIANO.COM

While The Anime Guardians graces audiences with awesome full series reviews, we don't write episodic reviews. For those who are interested in following Elijah Lee's weekly episode reviews on currently airing shows, please check out the newly launched anime social network, GoBoiano! 

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UNICORN: EPISODE 1

5 stars out of 5

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a 7 part OVA (originally 6) based on the novels by the same name. Unicorn along with Gundam AGE are the most recent Gundam Anime currently out/airing. However, unlike Gundam AGE which is aired weekly; Unicorn gets 1 episode every 5~6 months. Episode 5 was just released about 2 months ago. So today I’ll be reviewing the first episode: Day of the Unicorn.

CODE GEASS: LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION R2

4 Stars out of 5

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 continues the story of Lelouch vs Britannia, effectively serving as a second season for Code Geass. For those who have not finished the first season, be wary of minor spoilers of its ending. Unfortunately it can not be helped.

R2 takes place one year after the ending of the first season with an unusual return to normalcy for Lelouch. There are a few unusual changes in his life such as a replacement of his sister Nunnally with a brother. Along with this, Lelouch has lost his Geass power and seems to have no recollection of ever having it or his alternate identity of Zero. But don't worry, this does not last long.

A dangerous encounter between Lelouch and his “brother” soon after his memories return.