Claus and Lavi are vanship pilots, flying through the skies for fun and profit. But one day, they encounter another vanship which has been shot down with a child on board. Their lives will never be the same.
Watching Fam, the Silver Wing inspired me to give this a second watch, since I’d forgotten pretty much everything and was missing all the references. And Last Exile was as good as I (vaguely) remembered! Continue reading Last Exile Review — B+
A roman architect travels through the drains of bath into the future to Japan, where he learns advanced bathing techniques from the “flat-faced slaves.” Continue reading Thermae Romae Review — B
The world has been conquered by aliens. But Harlock, with his proud heritage as a pirate-knight of Arcadia, isn’t giving up the fight yet.
This is the second work of Matsumoto Leiji I’ve seen, after Space Battleship Yamato, so indulge me while I compare the two. They both have the same bittersweet feel— the certainty of loss coupled with a twinkle of hope. Arcadia is the stronger of the two, emotionally. It left me feeling fairly depressed. Continue reading Arcadia of my Youth Review — A-
Nura Rikuo continues his adventure as leader of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, this time going to Kyoto to take on the Nue.
This is a continuation of the first series, and to be honest, I liked the first season better. This season falls into the traps that most shounen fighting shows seem to: endless training arcs and fights. The majority of the season was a big training arc until they reached Kyoto, at which point it became an endless battle. Continue reading Nurarihyon no Mago Sennen Makyou Review — C-
I read it. It was amazing. I won’t attempt to summarize for fear of spoilers.
The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of Tengo and Aomame, the two main characters. Initially their stories seem separate, but the two narratives slowly and masterfully converge. The book is split into three parts, each published separately in Japan but combined for the English translation. The first two were fabulous, some of Murakami’s best work, A+ material. But the last third was a letdown. It consists of hundreds of pages of three people waiting around. Parts were great, particularly Tengo’s trip to the cat town, but most of the final third was just boring and I was eager to get on with things. Continue reading 1Q84 Review – A