Shelf Life

Angels, Devils, and Goddesses

It's hard to not feel deeply for the characters, and it's part of what makes the series so touching. Anyone who's ever had a relationship fall apart in front of them, no matter what they wanted, or no matter how hard they tried, will be able to relate to at least some aspect of Rumbling Hearts. Every scene is built from bricks of heartache, and if you're bored of all the cookie-cutter romances out there, then this show is just what you've been looking for. I only wish that they'd cut out the loud-mouthed coworker girl from Takayuki's workplace. Hurrah for comic relief and all that, but these cats clearly don't know the difference between “relief” and flat-out intrusive. If I could've somehow lit her hair and fire and strangled her with a sock, I would have done it every time she destroyed a scene with her inconsideration and repetitive lines.

Obnoxious waitress girl aside, Rumbling Hearts is definitely a series that I highly recommend for those who like their romances to skew a little heartbroken. It's different from anything else out there, and if you like watching human emotions at their bleakest, this is the show for you.[TOP]

Plus, honestly, if you haven't watched the first season, then the second season will make no sense to you. Even if you've seen all the OVAs and the movie and everything, the TV series is so packed with its own separate plot points that there are nuances in this disc that will leave new viewers in the dust. This disc starts right smack in the middle of things and largely spends most of the time developing Belldandy and Keiichi's relationship, while throwing in random filler. There are a couple of cute Christmas episodes, as well as a few stray picnics, but even though each 25-minute standalone doesn't too much context to process, it's still something that will only appeal to fans of the series. If you aren't familiar with the backstory of Ah! My Goddess (Boy summons goddess via fated phone call, goddess + sisters move in, boy + goddess fall in love, etc), then this disc will be unbearably boring to you.

Truthfully, even knowing all the characters, I still find the four episodes on this DVD to be rather dull. It's nice to see Keiichi and his ever-docile woman get closer, but watching people go on dates is a bit of a bore. Add to that the fact that Belldandy has one of the most boring, non-confrontational personalities ever scripted, and it just makes the whole thing worse. Compared to the simple fun of the old OVAs, I don't think the series quite holds up. Its length makes it wont to prattle (as this rambling volume would suggest), the animation is inconsistent (and the artwork intermittently subpar), and the second season opening theme is unbearably obnoxious. If you're a huge Ah! My Goddess fan, you don't need me to tell you that you'll enjoy this disc. Otherwise, start with the OVAs or if you're lazy, maybe the movie, and decide later if you want to sit through hours of people going on dates.[TOP]

The main problem that the Disgaea anime faces is that it has no aim. There's a vague storyline that drags the characters in a general direction, but for the most part, viewers have to suffer through endless episodes of pointless fluff. Ah, the characters are stuck in a board game. Ah, the characters are hungry. Ah, the characters are talking about being hungry. Ah, the characters are being attacked by random things. Thank you, dear creators, you certainly do know how to capture the fancy of bored audiences worldwide.

It's not necessary for a show to have a riveting storyline in order to still be wildly exciting, but it has to have something. For instance, ludicrously fascinating characters, amazing portraits of human emotion, crazy fight scenes—something. Annoying stock characters walking around screeching at each other? Not an adequate excuse to waste time, disc space, and space on the animators' hard drives.

When I reviewed the first volume, I stated that only rabid fans of the game could possibly like this series. Gathering from the responses made by game fans in regards to that statement, I was apparently wrong. The consensus is that the series deviates too wildly from the game, and is also a pointless waste of time. So there you have it. If you like the game, you probably won't like the series. If you've never even played the game, you still probably won't like the series.

Jesus, this show sucks.[TOP]

Unfortunately, while Black Cat has all the makings of a great, action-packed story, it's not very well scripted or paced. Trying to cram all of the manga into a 24-episode series leaves it very jumbled at times, especially since it wastes so much time with filler episodes. With the third volume, the Apostles of the Stars are very poorly explained, and even the introduction of Creed feels like an afterthought. Before you know it, there's explosions galore and civil unrest everywhere, but you don't really get a clear sense of why, how, or who's involved.

While the series was too slow at the beginning, now it's too fast. It doesn't help that there are way too many characters, many of whom are around just long enough to die. There are some nice moments every now and again where viewers are allowed to luxury of glimpsing into Train's thoughts, and can compare how he's changed over the series, but for the most part, it's a bit of a mad dash towards the final half.[TOP]