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| >>>>> A Ayashi no Ceres (Eerie Ceres) Creator: Yuu Watase Total # Episodes: 24 Episode Runtime: 21 min. Rating: NC-17 Brief Summary: On Aya Mikage's 16th birthday, she finds out that she is the direct descendant of the legendary tennyo*, Ceres. Ceres is reborn in Aya's body and seeks revenge on the Mikage family line for raping her and searches for her lost hagaromo* that Mikage family's ancestor stole. Vocabulary * Tennyo: A fairy or a heavenly maiden. * Hagaromo: A feathered robe. Comments: Reviewed By: MaRy Episodes Watched: 1-24 Storyline: 5/5 : The story actually originated from a real folktale. It was interesting how Yuu Watase turned it into beautiful shoujo series filled with romance, betrayal, and a lot more romance. Art Work: 5/5 : The art was very pretty good, though I didn't really approve of Touya's costume design. Music: 5/5 : The music was also a notable aspect of the series. Junko Iwao's Scarlet had a very gentle feel it and flowed nicely. The endings by Day-Break were very typical j-rockish. Extra: This worst part of the series was the plotline. It was very confusing at times. Toward the end of the series you could feel that the ending was being rushed. Overall Score: 4/5 >>>>>B Blood: The Last Vampire Creator: Mamoru Oshii Total # Episodes: MOVIE Movie Runtime: 50 min. Rating: PG-13 Brief Summary: Saya, a mysterious girl, has been given a mission to investigate the deaths due to evil demons called Chiropterans. She travels to an American high school near the Yokota Air Force carrying a long traditional Japanese sword to eliminate these demons. Who is this girl and how is she able to defeat these demons? Comments: Reviewed By: MaRy Storyline: 3/5 : The storyline was very typical, but it was very mysterious and suspensful and was a bit of gore. Art Work: 5/5 : The art was absolutely great. The beautifully contrast between light and dark matched the mood of the story. Music: --- : I didn't take notice of the music much. But overall it was very gloomy. The party scene was pretty jazzy which I thought helped the time setting Extra: 50 minutes was just not enough to give closure to this movie. After it ends I'm just left saying "What? That's it!?" But I think the unfinished ending leaves room for a sequel movie. Overall Score: 3/5 >>>>>C Cardcaptor Sakura Creators: CLAMP Total # Episodes: 70 Episode Runtime: 20 min. Rating: PG Brief Summary: One day from returning from school, Kinomoto Sakura hears strange noises in her father's library/basement. Thinking that it could be a robber, she walks downstairs to check it out but only finding a mysterious old book called The Clow, She opens it, actually to her surprise the book opens itself. She picks up the first card and reads out loud: " The Windy ". Suddenly a strong wind appears blowing all the cards away. Then a small stuffed-animal-looking beast comes out of the cover of The Clow and calls himself Keroberus ( Keroberusu/Cerberus ). Keroberus is the guardian beast of the Clow Cards, the cards that were blown away, and is devestated that the cards are gone. He informs her that with the Clow Cards loose they will bring disaster upon the world. Reluctantly, Sakura becomes a cardcaptor, on a mission to collect all the Clow Cards along with her friends Daidouji Tomoyo, Li Syaoran, and Li Meiling. Comments: Reviewed By: MaRy Episodes Watched: 1-70 Storyline: 5/5 : The storyline is very sweet and original. But the series does bring the classic "magical girl " genre with it. It's a great anime for the youngsters to watch. Art Work: 5/5 : I thought the art was great. The character designs were very original. Music: 5/5 : The general theme for all the music was happy. Most of the songs were either really upbeat and happy or slow and soothing which I think complimented the theme of the show. Extra: I thought the series was very good. It's meant for all ages but it does have hints of shounen-ai (homosexuality). Overall Score: 5/5 Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie Creators: CLAMP Total # Episodes: MOVIE Movie Runtime: 1 hr 25 min. Rating: PG Brief Summary: Sakura Kinomoto has mysteriously won the grand prize, a trip to Hong Kong, in a drawing. Sakura along with Touya, Yukito, Tomoyo, and Kero travel to Hong Kong for a little summer break. But something is disturbing Sakura and Kero. What is this strange aura that they feel? A Clow Card?... No, It seems something much more evil... Comments: Reviewed By: MaRy Storyline: 4/5 : I thought the story was okay but the movie is more for the already Cardcaptor Sakura fans. The story wasn't great but enough to keep you watching until the end. Art Work: 5/5 : --- Music: 10/10 : The music was very good. There's a special Mandarin track in the move CD that I thought was really nice. Of course there's also a Japanese version sung by Sakura Tange. Extra: I think didn't think the movie was that good. I think the only highlight was meeting Syaoran's family. I mean they sum up the magician's background in about two sentences and a flash back. The rest of the movie was basically character development. But of course if you're a die hard CCS fan, I guess you'll love it anyways. Overall Score: 3/5 Cardcaptor Sakura: Fuuin Sareta CARD Creators: CLAMP Total # Episodes: MOVIE Movie Runtime: 1 hr 50 min. Rating: PG Brief Summary: The movie takes place after the series, and is during the summer where Tomoeda is holding their Nadeshiko Festival. Sakura, who plays the star role of the princess in her class play, is going to be perform during the festival. Everything seems fine until Sakura decides to visit the newly opened park with Syaoran and Meiling, whom have just came back to visit. While in the park Sakura senses a familiar aura coming from a mysterious girl. The girl begins to takes away Sakura's cards! Who is this girl and how she able to take Sakura's cards? Comments: Reviewed By: MaRy Storyline: 5/5 : The movie is a very nice follow-up for the series. I thought the movie had a very good story. Art Work: 5/5 : --- Music: 5/5 : The music was really good just like in the series. I especially like Ashita e no Melody. Extra: I thought it was nice that Meiling got to reappear in the movie since she was cut from most of the third season. It also goes for the other character such as Kaho and Sonomi. The movie was pretty good for the most part, well, better than the first one. Overall Score: 5/5 >>>>>D >>>>>E Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea Creator: Hajime Yatate, Shoji Kawamori Total # Episodes: MOVIE Movie Runtime: 96 min. Rating: PG-13 Brief Summary: (Taken from Special Edition Movie DVD blurb) Hitomi Kanzaki is tired of life. Depressed and despondent, she wishes that she could just fade away, to make the pain of living stop hurting. Her pain resonates with another on the world of Gaea, and when her wish is granted, she finds herself in a strange land. She is greeted as the Wing Goddess, who possesses the power to summon the legendary Escaflowne. Hitomi's fate is intertwined with the brash young warrior king Van, who also feels that life has lost its meaning. Sworn to strike back at the Black Dragon Clan which destroyed his kingdom, he fights to exist, and he exists to fight. The arrival of the Wing Goddess marks the final turning point in Van's battle, as she holds an entire world's destiny in her heart. By summoning Escaflowne, the Wing Goddess will choose the path of Gaea's future. But is her heart's desire salvation...or destruction? Comments: Reviewed ByL Kurama Schezar Storyline: 4/5 :The movie tells the story very well. There are a couple of differences between the movie and series, but alone this movie is pretty good. Art Work: 5/5 :Once again, the world of Gaea is drawn beautifully with it's vibrant colors, or dark colors if needed. The detail and smoothness of the entire movie makes you want to watch even more, as it adds to the total appeal. Music: 5/5 :YOKO KANNO ROCKS! Every series/movie that she works with always comes out with great music that you'll find yourself humming days after watching the movie. This is another example of her great work. The music will make you feel the emotion that this movie portrays. Extra: To me, Escaflowne is a great series. Everyone who can should get a chance to watch it. If you plan to watch this movie, you should watch it AFTER you watch the series. Some stuff is revealed in the movie that isn't supposed to be known at the start of the series, and lots of things were left out of the movie. The characters are different in the movie as well. Hitomi is suicidal and wears makeup, almost all the characters are "darker", in that they don't show as many good emotions as in the series, and Millerna is totally different from the one in the series. The movie is good, but the series is better. You should get the special edition box set. Its a little more, but the cd soundtrack and extras dvd is well worth it. It even comes with a memorial booklet that has good info in it for all you Esca fans out there and even the newbies. And the box is pretty to look at hehe..... Overall Score: 4/5 |
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