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Director Pantheon: Kenji Kamiyama▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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| 009 Re:Cyborg (movie) |
Good |
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Despite the usual slightly-too-dark 3D palette and the initially incongruous contrast between the detail of the backgrounds and the simplicity of the character designs (though 3D just the same), 009 Re:Cyborg is just about the most eye-popping anime I've ever seen. The problem is, the linking story didn't manage to live up to the amazing action set pieces that make the film as good as it is. It starts of with a breathtaking scene of buildings toppling domino style in Shanghai then moves into an aerial sequence amongst the skyscrapers of a future Roppongi Hills district of Tokyo. Among the other great set pieces are a B2 attack and nuclear destruction of Dubai and a disarming of an ICBM as it flies over Europe and North America. In between these brilliant sequences are the usual Kenji Kamiyama lengthy spoken expositions and altogether too easily obtained answers to plot conundrums. But, really, everything is just an excuse for the 3D visual pyrotechnics that are easily worth the admission price. Full marks to Kamiyama keeping the over-the-top gleefully destructive tone of the two 1960s films, Cyborg 009 and Cyborg 009 and the Monster Wars. Like the end of the Kamiyama’s Eden of the East TV series, 009 Re:Cyborg leaves many of the central questions unanswered: it's a frustrating tease, leaving the way open for a sequel.
Extended review
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| Eden of the East (TV) |
Very good |
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A sensational premise – 12 people are selected to save Japan and given 10 billion yen each to accomplish the task – is undermined by prosaic execution. Relying heavily on an air of mystery and a straightforward race against time to give it momentum, too often, it is the premise, rather than the characters, that drives the plot. The protagonist - the amnesiac Akira Takizawa - has a charismatic personality, although it takes a couple of episodes to grasp his worthy intentions and a little longer to appreciate his strength of character. The point of view character - cutesy Saki Morimi - has little bearing on the story, other than to speak glowingly of the protagonist and express her faith in his trustworthiness when everyone else doubts him. She could be written out of the story without any significant change to the central premise and plot. Her role seems little more than ornamental but it fails even on that count because of her drab character design. Hers is not the only unappealing design. Director Kenji Kamiyama collaborated with Honey and Clover mangaka Chika Umino and the result is the unwelcome face faults and sentimental designs of Honey and Clover TV series. Chika Umino's character designs sit uncomfortably in Kenji Kamiyama's photo-realistic world.
In the tradition of Kamiyama’s own Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex productions, the plot thrives on unexpected developments and astounding reveals. Kamiyama isn’t afraid to think big – the future of Japan is at stake here – but the villains aren’t your typical fare and the heroes – including 20,000 naked NEETS – even less so. The big bad, Mr Outside, even has the grace to refrain from making an appearance – he may even be dead – a sure way to make him seem especially sinister. The series ends with the immediate threat defused but leaves plenty of mysteries to be dealt with in the subsequent movies.
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| Eden of the East: Air Communication (movie) |
So-so |
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The movie is a compilation of the Eden of the East TV series with a hindsight commentary from the in-show characters. Some mysteries are explained while major plot points are highlighted. On balance it's a step backward. It doesn't even benefit from its brevity. Too many inconsequential scenes have been left in (but, then again, the series is loaded with them) and the editorial commentary from the characters is mundane at best. |
| Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (movie) |
Good |
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Longer, more complex, and finally giving the viewer some long sought after answers, Paradise Lost is more satisfying than its predecessor, King of Eden, without ever matching the impact of the original series. This should come as no surprise, given that the most memorable thing about the franchise is its premise. This film is compelling because Takizawa's past is made clearer, many of the mysteries of the Noblesse Oblige game are revealed, and the game itself comes to a reasonably satisfying conclusion if never managing to fulfill its initial promise. The characters - outside of Takizawa never one of the franchise's strong points anyway - take a back seat to the final playing out of the plot, which continues to be too often contrived for the sake of effect, such as in Takizawa's possible blood relationship with former Prime Minister Iijuma. |
| Eden of the East: The King of Eden (movie) |
Decent |
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Of the original material releases in the franchise, this, at just over an hour, is the most disposable. It provides little plot development and explains almost nothing of the mysteries behind the game devised by Mr Outside. You could skip this entirely, go straight to Paradise Lost and not miss anything really important. That said, it's not totally without merit or interest. In a series that is largely devoid of strong female characters, this film does give us insight into its best two: Kuroha, the murderous Johnny hunter (pictured left), and Juiz, the AI behind the Noblesse Oblige phones. Kuroha Diana Shiratori is something of a revelation in this movie. Can a psychopath be redeemed? King of Eden suggests she can. Her final sacrifice on his behalf is one of the highlights of the entire franchise. The various AI Juizes communicating with the surviving Seleção, are another surprise. Their interactions with their charges become more amusing as their personalities develop. It becomes apparent that the concierges aren't neutral towards the Seleção they are assisting. In one extreme case, the Juiz for Seleção number six utterly loathes him - with good reason as we discover.
Other than these developments along with some back story on Takizawa (which becomes more meaningful in the next movie) there isn't a lot else interesting going on in King of Eden. Putting Takizawa back in America (and losing his memories to boot) seem like a ploy inserted just to give the movie some initial momentum of its own and to create an emotional crisis for Saki. Both are remedied easily and in no way progress the important elements of the plot. If I were cynical I'd say the movie's primary function was to milk the popularity of the series. |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) |
Very good |
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The Laughing Man is one of the most iconic and memorable creations in modern popular culture. Similarly, the concept of the stand alone complex, while essentially meaningless, is an intriguing speculation on the possibilities of a thoroughly connected community. Sadly, only twelve of the twenty-six episodes are devoted to the Laughing Man story arc. The other fourteen episodes are completely forgettable. Add to this character designs squarely aimed at teenage males and plot exposition that too often depends on lengthy explanations from the characters and you have a wildly uneven series. Happily, the final few episodes have enough red herrings and plot twists to make up for all the previous time wasting. |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man (OAV) |
Very good |
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The Laughing Man remains the single best idea yet in the Ghost in the Shell anime franchise. Sadly, the first Stand Alone Complex series (where the story was originally told) contained fourteen largely forgettable episodes that had nothing to do with this fascinating story arc. This OAV now allows us to enjoy the the story on its own without distractions. It doesn't come without cost, however. The original twelve episodes (totalling 288 minutes) have been compressed to 150 minutes - favourite scenes have gone and often the plot rushes headlong without making itself clear. On balance, though, what has been gained outweighs what has been lost. Hence the OAV is ranked higher than the original TV series from which it is drawn. |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG (TV) |
Masterpiece |
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The stand out release in the entire Ghost in the Shell franchise. Unlike the Mamoru Oshii movies, SAC 2nd Gig has a plot to match its philosophical pretensions and, unlike the first season of SAC, there are no wasted episodes. Every part of this series, even the stand alone episodes, have a bearing on the whole. We get back story on all the Section 9 members - the episode that explains how Kusanagi got her cyborg body is a revelation in more ways than one - and a political crisis that is urgent, contemporary and convincing. For once, in an anime TV series, the looming armageddon is truly chilling, probably because everyday politicians are responsible, not underworld demons, out of control robots or mad dictators. Even though Kusanagi finally puts on some clothes and Batou stops to think before shooting, characters designed to appeal to adolescent males still irritate this older viewer. All is forgiven, however, as Section 9 finally saves the day but not without many twists and turns beforehand. |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (movie) |
Good |
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There's twice as much plot in this one movie as there is in both the Mamoru Oshii movies put together (Ghost in the Shell / Ghost in the Shell: Innocence). And less than quarter as much visual interest than either of those movies on their own. But it shares one important thing with Innocence - not enough of the Major. With so much going on it does have some good moments, though. Togusa and his daughter at the hospital is spine-tingling. |
| Mini Pato (movie) |
Very good |
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| Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit (TV) |
Masterpiece |
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Moribito shines in so many ways. The glow is not limited to the artwork. Every last character is sympathetic. We learn that even the assassins and the apparently cold-hearted Mikado himself are striving to do what they think they ought and what they think is best. Characters behave intelligently and choose those options that seem correct, despite the illusions they are operating under. There's something profoundly optimistic in this view of human nature that imbues every part of the anime. The detail and the backgrounding are extraordinary without drawing attention to themselves. For instance, the displacement of the indigenous Yakoo culture by the comparatively modern Yogo is inevitable and poignant, but it isn't made into an ideological issue. The Yakoo even acknowledge the benefits of Yogoan culture. It's a modern reality in our own world, pariticularly if you live in a multicultural ex-colonial country like Australia, Canada or the US. The dilemma of the Yogoan drought mirrors our own approach to global warming. In fact, to an Australian, where drought is a normal part of life, Moribito has tremendous resonance.
Balsa, the shining star of the series, loses nothing in the re-watch. None of the other characters can hold a candle to her, although Tanda has his own endearing qualities. So capable yet caught in a situation she can only partly comprehend, she can be wilfully wrong and often fails to grasp the motivation of other characters. For instance, she never gets a complete handle on why Jiguro sacrificed so much for her - probably because she refuses to acknowledge how remarkable she is, something Jiguro understood from the start. Her design is spot-on: beautiful without being fetish fodder; realistically muscular without any hint of Kawajiri-type grotesqueness.
A special mention to the fight scenes. Normally, they are not a sigificant attraction for me in anime. I absolutely relished them here, even if they are relatively infrequent. The animation is simply superb. Not only that, but I found I was turning the volume of my stereo system right up to enjoy the sound effects. Never has the clash of steel sounded so thrilling.
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| Napping Princess (movie) |
Very good |
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| Xi AVANT (movie) |
Not really good |
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Attractive four minute advertisment for NTT Docomo (Japan's major mobile phone operator) from Kenji Kamiyama. Sometime in the supposed near future mobile phones will organise all aspects of our lives for us in real time. The ad follows a detective from Japan to Barcelona on the heels of an elusive quarry. Well... it is an ad. |
