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 #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. :)