Anime Review #4: Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0

I'm not a fan of this anime, but I watched it out of curiousity since I heard it was much better than the Yu-Gi-Oh show centered around Duel Monsters, the card game. Comparing Yami in this anime to the sequel series, he's much better.

Characters/Cast: 8/10

The only characters I truly found interesting in Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh were Yami and Kaiba. Both Yami Yugi and Kaiba had a much darker side to them in Season 0, which made them more developed in the prequel series. Characters such as Joey (Jonouichi), Tea (Anzu), and Tristan (Honda), I believe were much improved in the making of the sequel series. Plus, an original character named Miho, wasn't included in the sequel series mainly due to the fans disliking her.

Outside Yugi, Kaiba, and Bakura, Season 0 lacks a great set of characters.

Plot/Storyline: 4/10

The numerous plots of Season 0 are very repetitive and dull. It mainly centers around little Yugi or one of his friends in trouble, and Yami comes in to save the day by challenging the antagonist to a shadow game (usually not Duel Monsters.) I only enjoyed the action revolving around Kaiba, in which is similar to the first episode of Season 1, and Bakura, the final antagonist of Season 0.

Atmosphere: 6/10

I don't think you'll really be much of a fan of Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh unless you've seen the series we all grew up with. Then again, anime lovers will like this because it's not entirely about playing a card game and has a variety of different games played. It's very dark compared to the sequel series, so I wouldn't say everybody would enjoy Season 0.

Overall: 6/10

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Honestly, I think my reviews for this show are too low... It's not my type of show, really, but I do believe it's much better than the sequel series. But please tell me your opinions, still. :)

Anime Review #3: Tenchi Universe

This post now refers to Tenchi Universe, a non-canon spinoff of Tenchi Muyo!

Characters/Cast: 6/10

Unlike Tenchi Muyo, I didn't really find so much change in the characters, in fact many of them were watered down. Ryoko, Washu, Ryo-Ohki, and Sasami were all much better in the OVA series, in my opinion. Mihoshi and Ayeka were much more likeable in the OVA series, too. Kiyone was an acceptable character, too. Tenchi remained the same, a static character throughout the whole series. Well, maybe a little dynamic because he seemed to have changed a little in the end. Before I go into spoilers, I'll give this a fair rating.

Plot/Storyline: 8/10

Tenchi Universe had much more action than Tenchi Muyo, which is why I believe Tenchi Universe is more popular. The action side of the show was actually pretty good, the entire universe vs Tenchi and the gang. Plus, Kagato, a villain from the first OVA of Tenchi Muyo, had more personality and a better motif in Tenchi Universe. The first and third movies of Tenchi are based around Universe, and both were great animated films.

Atmosphere: 8/10

Just for me, Tenchi Universe didn't have the everlasting effect on me like Tenchi Muyo did. It had a really good feel while watching the show, and it offered the same elements as Tenchi Muyo did. It just wasn't as terrific, as there were so many changes from the original OVA series that I prefer. Perhaps a little more faithfulness to the canon Tenchi Muyo would have made it better.

Overall: 7.3/10

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Obviously, I'm rather biased towards the Tenchi Muyo OVA series, and I apologize for that. Some other Tenchi fans I know of don't like Tenchi Universe as much, either, due to the lacking of the elements loved in the original. I'm rather pleased, though, that Tenchi Universe is praised for the show itself, and not the god-like cast. I really do recommend it to anime lovers, a classic harem show.

Anime Review #2: Tenchi Muyo!

This post only applies to the original OVA series, not Tenchi Universe or Tenchi in Tokyo. Also, I actually finished watching Tenchi Muyo! before Gundam Wing, and it's only now I'm making this post.

Characters/Cast: 8/10

I'm rather mixed on the characters of Tenchi Muyo! It had a set of likeable characters for me, such as Tenchi Masaki, Ryoko, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Washu, and Nobuyuki Masaki. There were quite a few characters I didn't enjoy, too, such as Ayeka and Mihoshi, which made the show a little annoying. However, leaning towards the good characters, even then they were all static characters, showing not much development throughout the OVA series. It's a comedy anime, and I think it's well justified why not, so I'll give it this rating.

Plot/Storyline: 7/10

As a comedy anime, it's really not supposed to have much of a plot. But when the show did get rather serious in the later episodes of the series', I still wasn't too impressed by the situation. In the first two series' of the OVA, the serious part of the story wasn't too impressive, as it is really just saving the kidnapped girl, Ryoko, both times. The third OVA was great, though, with Z and the plot to destroy the universe. On the serious part of Tenchi Muyo!, I give it a 7 all in all.

Atmosphere: 10/10

A lot of great laughs and drama was present in the show, and I absolutely loved it. One can really picture themselves in a situation like Tenchi (especially for the boys) and feel delighted. The show had a really good mixture of comedy, the harem genre, and sci-fi action which made the show into a masterpiece. It's fun for many anime lovers to enjoy.

Overall: 8.3/10

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A fun anime, and probably one of my first while growing up. Sometimes, however, I believe it gets attention for the wrong reason. If you've seen all of OVA 3, people highly praise the anime for having characters stronger than those of Dragonball Z, having the potential of being a god (Tsunami, Light Hawk Wings, Tokimi, Kami Tenchi, etc). Honestly, I think it's rather stupid, because to be a Tenchi Muyo! fan, I believe you have to love every part of the show, not just the dark half of it.

Yu Yu Hakusho won the poll for what I should watch next! I'm currently enjoying it so far! :)

Anime Review #1: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Sounds ironic, doesn't it? Why do I have two Gundam Wing characters in my title picture when I haven't even finished the show? Honestly, I didn't finish the series when I made this blog. But by now, I finally finished all 49 episodes, and even the movie, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz.

Being my first mecha series ever, this is the first Gundam show I decided to rewatch from my childhood years. I thought it was overall a great series, but here are my scores overall for the show itself.

Characters/Cast: 10/10

Unbelievable, I must say... The character development was simply amazing, especially displayed by main character Heero Yuy, and supporting characters Quatre Winner and Relena Peacecraft. Gundam Wing has a wide cast of likeable characters (though not everyone,) and reveals a lot of thrilling twists and triumphs by them. Out of every anime I've seen so far, the cast of this series would top my list.

Plot/Storyline: 8/10

While I did enjoy the plot of the story, it didn't exactly seem too original. Nostalgia from war films in the past, including Star Wars and Saving Private Ryan, made me believe Gundam Wing's theme of peace is not very original. The complications within the plot made the series much better, in my opinion. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Atmosphere: 8/10

Everything about Gundam Wing was amazing, don't get me wrong. However, it just wasn't entirely my type... Many people will love this kind of anime, but just me, personally, I found it a little too dark and found it hard to understand the plot from time to time. It was hard for me to keep up with the events in the show, which I didn't particularly enjoy. Ultimately, though, I'm glad the finale wrapped up all ends together, which I believe is still great.

Overall: 8.7/10

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Have I mentioned Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz? That movie was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed it more than the series, itself, actually. It was a thrilling conclusion to Gundaim Wing, and that makes me proud to say this series is one of my favorites of the 90's.

Though, now it's time to watch/rewatch another anime from the 90's. From what I've been thinking, between Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, and Trigun. Want to vote on which one I should go with? Feel free too! :)

My Top Five 90's Anime Characters (so far...)

Here's my list from the animes I've seen so far in the 90's. It might not be too interesting of a blog right now, but as always, I'd love to hear everyone else's list, too. :)

5. Kurama Yoko from Yu Yu Hakusho

Ah, Kurama... When I first turned on the TV to watch Yu Yu Hakusho, he was the first hero and supporting character of the show I laid eyes on. His rose whip and character, all in all, is what made him my favorite character from this anime. I always thought he was on par with Hiei, another of my favorite characters from Yu Yu Hakusho, but this was a hard choice, so I chose Kurama as my hero of my childhood.

4. Sasami Jurai of Tenchi Muyo!

Yep, a lot of fans love to argue over who their favorite Tenchi Muyo! girls are, but between all of them, Sasami was my favorite. Unlike the other two main girls, Ryoko and Ayeka, Sasami seemed to act out as the cool girl, and not try to drool over Tenchi like everyone else. Her little girl personality is another thing I love about her, and plus she seems to be more responsible than her older sister. But yes, Sasami's cheerfulness is something that shaped my childhood, and I love her character up to today.

3. Son Gohan of Dragonball Z

I'm not a fan of Dragonball Z, but he deserves a spot in my list. If you ask many typical Dragonball Z fans, they will tell you their favorite characters are either Goku or Vegeta. Gohan, on the other hand, was THE Dragonball character which shaped my childhood in the 90's. Being the son of Goku, he's proven throughout the series to be even stronger than the protagonist, and has a really dark story behind him involving his power. The fight between him and Cell is no doubt one of my favorite anime fights of all time, and very memorable for a DBZ fan. But above all, Gohan reminds me of myself in some ways, such as he doesn't like hurting others, takes his studies seriously, and is very protective of his friends, which is why I gave him this spot in my list.

2. Heero Yuy of Gundam Wing

The silent, yet deadly protagonist of Gundam Wing... Need I say more? The story behind him is just fascinating, and his role in one of the best mecha anime series' of all time is thrilling. Being a lone soldier at war with the world and himself, he fights through a hopeless war in space and Earth, while trying to find his reasons. Of every anime hero in my life I've seen, Heero holds my favorite character and personality superior to any other protagonist.

1. Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn of Sailor Moon

My favorite character in probably my favorite anime ever is Sailor Saturn, the soldier of Destruction and Rebirth. If you've watched Sailor Moon S, the third season of the show, you will see and relate to Hotaru's dark past and story, which will grow on you as the season progresses. Just like Son Gohan of DBZ, she doesn't know her own powers and wishes not to hurt people, but deep inside her is a destuctive power which can destroy planets, that is Sailor Saturn. But, what makes me love Hotaru's character the most, I was just like her at one point in my life a long time ago, very shy and distant from the world. It was tough in choosing my favorite scout, between Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune. But what makes Hotaru Tomoe different, is I can relate to her in so many different ways, especially as a person, and that's what makes her my #1 character on this list.

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What five anime characters shaped your childhood? :)

My Opinion on Anime Crossover Fanfiction

So, I decided to take a stroll on fanfiction.net one day, and browsed through what people made stories about some of my old favorite anime, particularly Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Gundam Wing. Of course, some of my friends who are die-hard anime fans have always reviewed the site as being dull and annoying for many reasons... But I didn't want to jump into conclusions like that, so I visited this fanfiction site for the heck of it. :P

Well, I was impressed though not entirely amused... Most of the fanfiction in the past I've read were Dragonball/Z, Naruto, and Sailor Moon stories. Today I just focused on reading the Sailor Moon crossover ones, which some I found interesting while others made me go "what in the world?" I would say more than 50% of the fanfics I browsed were romance/couple stories, in which a character from one show is paired up with another character from another. I'd say, out of those crossover stories, I like with 1 out of every 3 of them.

As for the other fanfics I browsed outside Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon, I was more like "meh." Some of the fanfics I speed-read were just hilarious, especially the crossover ones where I kept thinking "how is a crossover like this possible?" xD

Overall, though, my view on fanfics is really just plain. I don't like reading them, in particular, but I don't hate fanfiction either. In fact, I respect lots of people for unleashing their imagination of their favorite shows through fanfiction, too. :)

Songs I Listen to When Angry

Haha, well, I didn't have a good day today so I thought this would make a good first blog entry, a music entry describing my mood. Don't worry, everyone! More variety of entries are coming soon! :)

Painkiller - Judas Priest

Normally, when I'm angry at one particular person (not hate) I love listening to this song by a classic heavy metal band. The song talks about a hero, or savior, who rises to save humanity from the brink of destruction. lol, and I just love picturing myself as that hero and destroying that threat to mankind, which makes me feel powerful. A lot of the people who do get on my nerves tend to think they're better than me, but I like to prove them wrong in my own head by listening to this. Heh.

Stay Away - Nirvana

One of Nirvana's most underrated songs and one of Kurt Cobain's not well-known songs... Many of Cobain's lyrics depict anger from the Nevermind album, which I really love listening to when I feel upset at something. This particular song, however, I enjoy listening to when I just want to be away from the world. I'm usually never in a mood like this, but today is one of those days when I do.

Man in the Box - Alice in Chains

Yeah, this was rather a short list seeing as though I really don't get angry often. But this last song in my list is by my second favorite grunge band (to Soundgarden), in which the lyrics by Layne Staley depict a man in his own misery looking up for help. Ultimately, when I'm in a mood where I feel against the world, this is almost the perfect grunge song for me to relate to. I'm just like the character from the music video sometimes, where he's in desperate need for saving...

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Please feel free to share your list, too! I am interested in everybody's taste. :)