When Science & Magic Collide: Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Index/Railgun | OWLS “Thankful”

Chances are that if you were linked here from another blogger pal, then you might be new. To those first-timers, “Hi, I’m Takuto, welcome to my anime cafe!” For the OWLS blog tour’s  eleventh monthly topic for 2018, “Thankful,” I wanted to shed some light on a certain franchise that doesn’t ever get too much public love from me. Believe it or not, back in the day when I only had about 20 or so anime under my belt, A Certain Scientific Railgun was one of, if not my favorite anime ever. And because of its decline in publicity following the climactic Index II finale, I never really got to express how much this incredible franchise meant to me (and still does mean to me).

Here at OWLS, we are pretty thankful that we are able to come together as a community and share a love and appreciation for anime and manga. This month we will be showcasing our appreciation by giving a shout out post to our favorite manga artists, creators, production companies, and writers who produced some of our favorite works. We will be discussing our favorite works by these creators and our reasons as to why we appreciate them.

A very simple yet fitting topic for this month, I’m excited to put on the nostalgia lens and celebrate just a few of the many reasons why I’m overjoyed to have this electrifying world where science and magic collide in my life. Cause trust me–there’s never a dull moment in this city!

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A brief, spoiler-free glimpse into the massive “A Certain Magical Index/A Certain Scientific Railgun” or “Raildex” franchise, all animated by J.C. Staff, and originally written by Kazuma Kamachi.

Been a while? Let’s briefly review!

The world of Index is one where having supernatural powers is commonplace—that is, for the 2.3 million residents of Academy City. A sprawling metropolis boasting the technological prowess of a city existing 30 years in the future, everything in Academy City is regulated and organized to perfection. Because its inhabitants or Espers must develop their psychokinetic powers, an elaborate education system dominates much of the city. Sprinkle in several hundred research institutions and it’s no wonder these supercharged Espers have become associated with the scientific community.

A poor Level 0 possessing no powers but a strange knack for canceling out others’ with his right hand, Touma Kamijou finds himself ironically disenchanted by reality when he discovers that Espers aren’t the only power users roaming the planet. One day, he finds a nun literally draped over his balcony who claims to be on the run from a group of magicians. Magicians are those who practice magical arts, usually subscribing to a certain religion, church, sect, or philosophy to guide their training.

But Touma doesn’t care about any of that—he’s already got a bunch of classes to make up, a Level 5 “bug zapper” out for guts, and a case of rotten luck that seems to follow him wherever he goes!

A Certain Magical Index chronicles Touma Kamijou’s mishaps as he stumbles through the magical side of things and entangles himself in situations that eventually threaten the balance of the two communities vying for supremacy in Academy City. Meanwhile, the spin-off A Certain Scientific Railgun functions as a sister series to Index in that it follows the Level 5 Electromaster Mikoto Misaka and the trials and tribulations she faces while encountering the dark side of Academy City.

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Index/Railgun

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#5 – The Incredible Cast of Characters

Whether you prefer the diversity of Index or the raw friendship in Railgun, you can’t deny that as a whole, both series offer a fascinating cast of characters. While some are much better developed than others (such as the “heroes” vs. the “villains”), you get the sense that each character is fighting for reasons beyond their role. As the story goes along, we see the complexities of each character shine in their individual little arcs, and although you could argue that Railgun put more love into its cast (good guys and bad guys alike), all of them are fascinating in their own right, be it with their powers, their relationships to others, or their system of beliefs. So many different personalities! The cast becomes even more fun to watch when the two stories collide, but I’ll get to that here in a minute.

#4 – The Insane Architecture & Animation

I wanted to keep this reason separate from another on this list because it truly does deserve its own category. Simply put, this is the best set of works from J.C. Staff that I’ve ever seen, especially Railgun S. Admittedly, Index season one has aged quite a bit in all aspects; that’s not to say it’s bad, but rather quite average for a mid-2000s shounen anime. Railgun, on the other hand, looks timeless in practically all areas, be it the riveting action sequences or the more down-to-earth comedic moments. With each new season comes a more vivid, dynamic vision of what these supernatural power users are truly capable of, and naturally, newer entries will look far superior to older ones. From the explosive energy of Misaka’s signature “railgun” to the mystical spells and arts cast by magicians, the animation remains a high point for this beloved franchise. As an Esper, you are only limited by what you can’t mentally compute quick enough!

And can we give those background artists a freakin’ round of applause?? They are the ones responsible for bringing Academy City to life: towering skyscrapers, glowing lights, roving highway streets, radiant research institutions, dirty alleyways—heck, even the seemingly infinite number of CG wind turbines littered throughout the city! The clean sci-fi aesthetic matched with homely elements like the occasional brick-paved sidewalk or flower box really does make it feel like Academy City exists in the near future—a future well within our grasp. So I’m glad we’re getting more Index and Railgun, not only for the story and characters, but because I can rely on J.C. Staff for turning these sequels into top-notch productions.

 

#3 – The Intricate, Intertwined Storytelling

We all like a good cameo here and there, right?  Well, Index is FULL of them, so much so to the point that certain characters from the science side of Railgun will hop onto the magic side and have a little fun. Sometimes these visits are brief, such as seeing the dangerous Level 5 Meltdowner chilling in a coffee shop with her friends; others are extended, like when Accelerator had that whole encounter with Index and even bought her food at everyone’s favorite family restaurant Joseph’s. We love seeing our favorite characters thriving in their element, but it can be even more fun to see them out of it and even chatting with characters we know from what feels like entirely different worlds.

The sheer level of articulation needed to not only tell each story but intertwine them on the same time line is monstrous. To keep each little side story straight yet consistent with the main plot and other happenings in the universe boggles my mind, as I’m sure it does the writers’. I mean, how do you remember that X character went into Y store at this time and saw Z AND keep this seemingly pointless interaction in-line with everything else that is slowly unfolding around us?? Having two series that bounce off of each other so well is one of the franchise’s great hallmarks without a doubt!

The franchise’s most famous story, the “Sisters Arc”, is known throughout all seasons and reiterations of the story for its complexity, and has been heralded as a brilliant story all on its own between its gripping characters and powerful, conflicting emotions. Having been told in both Index season one and elaborated on in Railgun S, the multi-lens perspective of both Touma and Misaka only proves that the writers of the Raildex franchise know exactly what they are doing, and I just can’t wait for more.

#2 – The Battle of Concepts: Science VS Magic

Kind of an obvious one, as I like my action scenes just as much as the next guy. But beyond just visuals, Index makes it especially clear that actions are rooted in beliefs, faiths even, and this battle of concepts—of ideologies—is the real fight I’m talking about here. One of the first things that drew me to this universe was Esper power hierarchy, which rates a student’s ability from 0 to 5. This power system also influences the socioeconomic balance, where your Level 4s and 5s are practically viewed as pop stars living lavish lifestyles. (We quickly find this doesn’t apply to everyone, though.)

But just like real science, researchers are all working to push the boundaries of what humans are capable of—the ultimate goal, of course, being to produce the first Level 6. Some scientists lie in the depths of Academy City’s darkness to deceive, trap, and capture innocent children and Espers alike for the sake of their research. Although twisted, the dedication to making the process as truly scientific as possible was what won me over as a fan. Misaka’s railgun is grounded in real scientific principles, and there’s always a satisfying explanation to how an Esper uses their supernatural powers.

Unlike science’s dedication to mapping the brain and dissecting DNA, magic is a difficult concept to unravel, which makes sense given that magic in this world and in ours is tied to myths, legends, and stories of old. Religious doctrines and artifacts are referenced left and right in Index, and although not as clearly defined as the science side, it’s always fascinating to see how these mythical ideas and religious figures translate to a medium as exploratory as anime.

#1 – The Sprawling Metropolis of Academy City

Annnnd my favorite reason I love this franchise is for the setting itself, Academy City. In fact, if I could live in any one fictional anime setting it would be Academy City. I mean, beautiful buildings sparkle in the sunlight, shopping districts are everywhere, the weather is predicted down to the second, cafes can be found at every street corner—it MUST be the place for me! Not to mention a chance at having psychokinetic abilities and a curriculum to develop those powers?? HECK YEAH COUNT ME IN. It is essentially a utopia, a perfect place for near-perfect people. But what we find is that this drive for perfection also makes it the perfect place for underground organizations to manipulate social happenings.

Arguably more of a character than a location, Academy City becomes the converging point for nearly every element of the story. Watching it become warped over the course of series as the climate for war increases is astounding, and it’s awesome that we’re finally getting to find out what will happen in this climactic third world war. For every conflict between religious institutions there has been an illegal experiment in some seemingly defunct laboratory. Between the Mages and Espers, scientists and magicians, and terrorists within and outside the walls all trying to maintain their hold on this sprawling metropolis, Academy City has mastered the duality of darkness. Possibilities are quite literally endless in a place that favors advancement and new ideas, and that’s why I love it so much.

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A Thank-You to Everyone Involved

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this entire franchise, specifically the Railgun side, has meant a lot to me over my years an anime fan. Yet, I never really have expressed my love for it before on my blog (maybe after I rewatch it all I’ll have something to say). And so, I just wanted to offer my sincerest thanks to everyone who has been involved with this massive project:

To all the writers, especially Kazuma Kamachi for the original story of Index; to artist Kiyotaka Haimura for his art in the Index light novel as well as for all the memorable character designs; to Motoi Fuyukawa for creating the Railgun spin-off manga; to Hiroshi Nishikiori and Tatsuyuki Nagai for directing Index and Railgun, respectively; to the endearing Kawada Mami on Index and electrifying fripSide on Railgun for providing their incredible opening theme songs; to all the producers, voice actors (both sub and dub), TV broadcasters, licensing companies like Funimation, Crunchyroll, Seven Seas, and Yen On for bringing over the anime and books to the states, and to everyone else that I missed—

Words cannot express how thankful I am to have had such an incredibly fascinating and intricate universe of thought brought to me over the years. Your collaborative efforts on this tremendous project have inspired a generation of young fans, myself included, to think outside the box and create our own personal realities. Thank you all!

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Afterword

Guys, I used to be OBSESSED with this franchise you have no idea. With the suddenly recent airing of the long-awaited Index III (as well as an announcement of a third season of Railgun and EVEN an adaptation of the Accelerator spin-off), there’s never been a better time to be a fan. And if you’ve held off for this long for one reason or another, now’s an excellent time to jump right on in. You’ve got novels, manga, several TV series, and even a film to enjoy at whatever pace you’re comfortable with. My personal recommendation? If you’re an anime-only person, start with A Certain Scientific Railgun season one. It introduces the world and Academy City better than Index does in my opinion. Then hit up Index’s first season, Railgun S, Index II, and the Endymion film. If you’re already a fan, then where have ya been?? Let me know in the comments, and also what your favorite entry or story in the franchise is!

This concludes my November 20th entry in the OWLS “Thankful” blog tour. YumDeku (MyAnime2go) talked about two anime they were thankful for, which you can find out what those were right here! Now, look out for our good friend and prompt-writer Lyn (LynLyn Says) with a post coming Wednesday, November 21st! Thanks for listening to me fanboy about Index for over 2,000 words (you rock!), and until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Shin Godzilla is a Terrifyingly Realistic & Meaningful Ode to History | Review

A brief discussion on the summer 2016 Japanese film “Shin Godzilla” (also known as “Godzilla: Resurgence”), produced Toho, co-directed by Hidaeki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, based on the original story by Anno (Evangelion). 

*I am not overly familiar with the Godzilla franchise (meaning I cannot properly decide whether it is a particularly “good” or “faithful” addition), but I do respect it and the impact it has had on the Japanese people and the rest of the world.*

“A God Incarnate. A City Doomed.”

This is how Funimation captions the deadly film containing the biggest, baddest Godzilla known to mankind, and accurately so. (He’s literally the tallest in the franchise!) But before the King of Monsters surfaced from the deep, it was just another quiet day for Japan. Chaos quickly floods the scene when a giant, strange gilled creature explodes from the ocean’s surface and begins tearing through the city.

Prioritizing citizen safety above all else, the government attempts to keep the situation under control, only to realize that their technicalities and formalities are useless in the face of true terror. It’ll take a rag-tag team of volunteer scientists, engineers, and public safety officials to come up with some sort of way to combat this seemingly perfect lifeform. “But time is not on their side—the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.” – Funimation

More Than BOOMS! and BANGS!

Despite boasting action (it’s a Godzilla film for crying out loud), there’s a surprising amount of substance, particularly a possible social commentary on the hierarchy of the Japanese government and they way the nation handles foreign affairs during war time. Specifically, we are frequently shown how frustrating and slow policy can be. The film’s first half centralizes on political officials arguing about who should do what, when, and their reactions to the unbelievable events unfolding—most were consumed with disbelief, in fact, except for the young yet forward-thinking Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi, our basically-main character (and wow, what a title).

We join Yaguchi in his frustration against the higher-ups, as well as his struggle to make amends with the innocent lives lost because of the government’s inability to act early on. While those above him in rank merely wish to hold fast to their comfortable, well-paying seats, shrugging off the impending doom that is about to likely kill them all, Yaguchi pulls together every asset that he can to find out what Godzilla is, and solve the mysteries surrounding Goro Maki’s research on the subject. It’s sad to admit how painfully real the execution of this all is.

Unlike the other officials who merely bicker about bureaucratic protocol and semantics (and not take things seriously), Yaguchi deals with exactly what’s in front of him. He knows he’s trapped within the system’s web, but he doesn’t fear questioning those above him in order to do his job correctly and honorably. Actor Hiroki Hasegawa conveys the complexity of Yaguchi’s character impressively, balancing fitting facial expressions for each emotional hit: a mix of concern, anger, sadness, and confusion.

As I side note, I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement that came with watching Godzilla transform from the weird gilled lizard on all fours to the menacing tower of terror we’ve come to know and love. It was so much fun! One small small complaint that I did have was (and I’m not sure if this actually counts) that I couldn’t really tell if the CG done on Godzilla was “good” or not. Seriously, I couldn’t. Was he creepy lookin’? Sure, but I’m not sure how this makeover compares to previous ones. Also, while his explosive beams later on looked absolutely terrifying, I didn’t like the cheesy sound effects for the explosions—they felt like they were missing a low boom to ’em, or perhaps an epic bass you’d expect from a Hollywood explosion.

Intense Dialogue, and the Engrish Doesn’t Help

Most of the film’s complaints are targeted at the lead female, Kayoko Ann Patterson, portrayed by Satomi Ishihara, whose unfortunate script is loaded with English-heavy dialogue. In an interview, she even stated “Sometimes it’s so frustrating, I just want to cry,” and by NO means is any of this her fault—that’s a director issue. Her character is meant to seem very American, and while we definitely get that feeling, I can’t help but think that her normal Japanese speaking would’ve sufficed the whole way through. Anyway, I still love Kayoko to death because of how her character acts as an excellent foil to Yaguchi’s—both see themselves in higher positions, but for now, they work together efficiently with what they’ve got in their own ways.

The Engrish problem is solved by switching the language settings to Funimation’s English dub, which is especially wonderful because the subtitles just fly by! Shin Godzilla is a film about talking through the problem, and less about any spectacular human actions. The political nonsense in the first 20 minutes, as well as the ending with solving Maki’s quote (which I’ll get to) are much easier to understand with the dub. If you don’t mind live-action dubs, do give this one a go—it could help immensely with understanding the film’s main messages.

Understanding the Legacy of the Atomic Bomb

More than having knowledge of the franchise, it’s historical context that is needed for full emotional effect here. Japan was rocked not once but twice by an evil that shouldn’t have even been unleashed on the planet: the atomic bomb. History has learned that the destruction that follows an atomic bomb is not cool. It’s not something the U.S. or any country should glorify, and this film makes sure of that. Godzilla was birthed once the long-term effects of radiation poisoning revealed themselves as something just as fearsome and frightful as the bomb itself—gosh, perhaps worse.

This brings us back to the film, which could stand an allegory for nuclear war and its long-standing effects, Godzilla itself mirroring the disastrous earthquakes, tsunamis, and radiation that hit the poor nation all at once. Unlike normal action films where you’re just waiting in anticipation for the bad guy to unleash their awesome powers, I was left not cheering, but shaking with fear of the results that, very closely, mimic an atomic bomb. The theme of destruction is a powerful one, a scary one, and that’s how this film shocked the viewers—the moment Godzilla unleashes its wrath is one that can only be witnessed . . . and feared.

The People that Made this Experience Special

1. Sharla (Sharmander on YT)—Being one of my favorite YouTubers, it’s rare to ever hear about her work life as a dialogue coach, and so I was ecstatic once she put out a video saying that she worked with the cast (particularly Yaguchi and Kayoko on those stubborn English lines) and Anno himself.

2. Shiro Sagisu—Known for his epic music in Evangelion, Shiro gives the film a really neat character. His famous “intense operations planning” music that plays throughout the franchise makes several appearances in this film, and though it felt overplayed at first, a second watch through with the dub made it all feel like it blended seamlessly, as if Eva and Godzilla were truly “a match made in kaiju heaven!”

3. Hidaeki Anno—THIS MAN puts me through so much stress, and yet I can’t ever look away whenever I hear his name involved in a project. He is the reason I jumped into this foreign franchise, after all, so that’s got to mean something, right? He perfectly combs together realism, destruction, and rebirth in such a way that merits a masterpiece with every work. In Shin Godzilla, he took me back to the first time when I saw Evangelion and was impacted in such a way that I’d never be the same without it. I’m glad Anno took the break between 3.0 and the final Rebuild film, because hey, sometimes we have to “Do as we please,” and I respect that.

Thank you for giving me my Evangelion fix—it was an incredibly enjoyable experience!

“Do as you please.”

These are the few words left by the enigmatic Maki, and yet, they remain the strongest message within the work. It’s something so simple, to do as you want to, though I get the impression that it’s not a common Japanese lesson taught. No, this isn’t a wish or a passing thought, but a statement aimed DIRECTLY at Japan. Towards the end of the film, the Prime Minister must either give consent to or deny the United States’s declaration against Godzilla: “Take care of it now, or we will nuke it.” That’s right, history will repeat itself. Japan would risk losing the pride and dignity it spent so many years recuperating to the humiliation of starting at ground zero once again.

With the titular creature MIA towards the end and the U.S.’s threat, it almost begs the question: Are humans deadlier than Godzilla?

But oh, “Danger is an opportunity for personal growth,” remarks the U.S. President in the film. Yeah, not for this country. The true climax of the film comes down to a duel between philosophies—to accept help and then rebuild, or own up to the situation. And when Japan finally does decide to take matters into its own hands, fighting the way only they do best by studying their enemy, the scientific team makes work of the King of Monsters in a way that, without spoilers, makes me proud to be human. Using science, mankind’s greatest weapon, the team transforms the impossible into plausible—theory into reality.

It’s that moment when you realize you CAN stand for yourself WITHOUT having to kill another being—THAT is the big takeaway. Take pride in the things you can create and accomplish together, NOT destroy. And finally, for ONCE in your overly obedient life, do as YOU please, NOT what the others want.

Shin Godzilla is incredibly smart, realistic, meaningful, and genuinely scary at times. Most of all, my god, if this film had come from my country, I’d be overflowing with pride, too.

“Accountability comes with the job. A politician must decide to own it or not.” – Rando Yaguchi 

(None of these screenshots belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.)

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Have I been completely Godzilla-fied? Haha, not quite, but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future installments, including the wildly anticipated CG Godzilla film directed by Gen Urobuchi, another one of my favorite directors in the industry! Shin Godzilla may not be anime, but I’ll let it slide into the “Caffe Mocha” selection as grade-A movie material for sure, and for everything it stands for. Shout-out to Scott (Mechanical Anime Reviews) for hyping me up about it, and for covering the film way better (and quicker) than I did here.

Lastly, thank you so much for reading, as this was a film that has grown to mean a lot to me. I’m dying to know what you thought about Shin Godzilla, especially regarding its production, so let me know your thoughts in the comments! Until next time everyone, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Neon Genesis Evangelion Review

As said in my “You Are (Not) Alone” Valentine’s day post, I had a pleasant three-day weekend to binge-watch the infamous robot anime Evangelion, a timeless classic in the anime community. So what do I have to say about it? Well, I can fully appreciate Ender’s Game now.

Fifteen years ago, the Angels, gigantically scary extraterrestrial life forms, caused The Second Impact, a catastrophe which wiped out half of humanity and literally threw Earth of its axis. In present-day 2015, the Angels have returned in Tokyo. To counteract, a secret UN agency by the name of NERV has developed weapons – human fighting machines known as “Evangelion.” Though they can only be piloted by fourteen-year olds, for some odd reason cause its anime, the heroic Evangelion robots hold up against the Angels with ease – most of the time.

Shinji Ikari’s whole world is thrown into chaos when his asshole of a father, the head of NERV, demands that Shinji pilot purple Evangelion 01 during a sudden Angel attack, even though his own son is terrified of the thought. Regardless of what he truly wants, Shinji must courageously force himself head first into intense battles, diving deeper and deeper into despair and insanity to uncover his self-worth.

Shinji is a difficult character to talk about mainly because his life is a double-edged sword; pilot the Eva and win – everyone loves you. Lose, however, and you’re on everyone’s death list. He has a pussy attitude and his constant apologizing gets on many people’s nerves. To top off this train wreck, he specifically says that distancing himself from others is easier than being with someone. As much as I want to say he is a hero, he really isn’t, but rather the child that humanity must pity. That’s not to say that his life is hell, though, because it definitely sucks! I think a distressed youth such as Shinji was the most interesting viewpoint the series could have had.

Misato Katsuragi, the sexy chief of operations officer at NERV, takes timid Shinji under her wing, serving as the motherly figure that was robbed from him as a child. She is pretty messy, as she leaves beer cans and instant-made food containers lying all around the apartment. For most of the show, she serves as the comedy and fan service side of things, but she’s way more than that. In work, she is punctual, intelligent, and a captain, while at home, Misato is relaxed, carefree, and a lover. Misato is a fun and awesome gal, and Allison Keith portrayed her with a quality-matching English dub performance!

Asuka Langley Soryu pilots red Evangelion 02, and as such acts as Shinji’s partner for parts of the show. She serves the plot as Shinji’s opposite with her busty German speaking and ballsy/brash loud mouth. She too suffers from intense mental grief, shown physically through the way she feels the need to conquer everyone else – that she is better and above all others. The two fight a lot and over the course of the show, she opens him up to a more social, sexually-open life. I especially enjoyed Asuka as a character and her English voice actress, Tiffany Grant. She nailed the German, I tell you! 😉 “Wunderbar…” God damn, I can’t even…

The one whom I was disappointed with was Rei Ayanami. Then again, I’m not one for silent characters. With her blue hair and red eyes, you get the impression right away that something about her seems, hmm, fake? She pilots the prototype orange/blue Evangelion 00. To the plot, she is much more in The End of Evangelion. For now, however, she acts as Shinji’s “love interest,” though they don’t get really far between his shyness and Rei’s awkwardness and lack of communication. Rei is the opposite side of the same coin to Asuka: a peaceful, compliant fantasy girl to a demonic, enticing sex counterpart.

So that’s all, right? Nothing else to the characters? Of course not. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s cast is massive; I’d be spending several reviews recapping just the complexity these last four characters if I could. They are all wonderful, intricate, memorable, and most important of all – human.

All of the characters are pretty screwed up though. Towards the second half and end of the series, they all descend into their own personal hell, growing more insane due to the vibe the Evangelion give off until they eventually crack. Even the good doctor Ritsuko crumbles in madness. It makes you feel depressed, shameful, guilty – just all of the things that they feel, really.

And the plot is the same way. What started out as a regular mech series that has fighters cleverly taking down enemies ended up soiling itself in darkness and messed-up plot turns. However, the show’s real antagonist,” Seele,” lacks so much explanation that they are hard to understand. They pull random crap out of nowhere and it can be really confuzzling. Character motives become distorted and you ultimately end up with a show soaked in raw twistedness.

To the animation by low-budget Gainax – IT’S NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE SAY IT IS. Frankly, I found the animation to give the show a unique feel to it. Yeah, it’s crap during a plentiful amount of scenes; there are freeze frames where nothing is moving for a freakin’ hour; the Evangelion and Angels are not given justice in Gainax’s animation – so what?! It makes you feel eerie; the dull tone and paleness makes the story more mysterious in a sense. Praise to the Rebuild films – ABSOLUTELY – but this anime makes do with its poor studio budget, and I appreciate that.

The soundtrack supports many militaristic themes for the engaging battles, but nothing really stands out. Even more emotional moments lack interesting tracks. I suppose it fits the mood well, but it’s not a brilliant score by any means. One of the main things I took from this experience was the addicting opening, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” by Yoko Takahashi. I kid you not; I never skipped this opening once when I watched the series. While the legendary lyrics don’t really match Shinji’s character, the song is still a must-listen! 😀

If you didn’t understand Neon Genesis Evangelion – that’s fine, did anyone? Just to name a few questions: Who can truly say when evolution has gone too far, as well as whether having a God is a good thing for humanity? As long as you grasped your own beliefs from this anime, then you have mastered the Evangelion experience, so-to-speak. Many believe this anime to be symbolic of life; some think Hideaki Anno was simply high when this show came out in 1995, and he probably was. Neon Genesis Evangelion truly masters character relationships, and is intelligent, creative, disturbing, unnerving, and downright weird. But at that, one hell of a ride. “Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men.” – Ritsuko Akagi

Thank you so much for reading my review over this timeless anime classic! Leave a comment below with any thoughts or questions you had. Hit the like and/or follow buttons for more content like this and until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

ALDNOAH.ZERO Review

Fellow Café members, let me just start with what this experience was – a coincidence. Ever heard of one? Yes, I thought so. I’ve seen the masterpieces that are Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero prior to this series, and little did I know that this one was written by the same guy. Gen Urobuchi, for the better, you got me again!

Humankind began migrating to Mars when an ancient alien hypergate was discovered on the moon in 1972. Using the Aldnoah technology they had additionally discovered, the VERS Empire was formed. Soon after, the VERS Empire declared war on Earth. This war caused the destruction of the Moon and the gate, creating a belt of debris around Earth and disabling any known connections. Presently in 2014, the princess of VERS travels to Earth only to be attacked and “killed” during a peace mission. The people of VERS are now furious and stand determined to take Earth this time around as both races are thrown back into war.

Isn’t that a cool concept? Aldnoah.Zero dives into the aspect of human separation, and how it is not Terrans versus Martians so much as it’s humans on Earth and those on Mars against each other. They all want each other’s’ blood even though it is actually the same type. Add this dark theme and giant robot, or “kataprakt,” fights and you have yourself a show that is interesting and worth one’s time.

Speaking of, one flaw that I would like to point out is the fact that the Martian’s could have easily squashed any human resistance with their super powered Aldnoah kataprakts, but what would be the good in that, right? Like seriously, one of the enemy robots can create a dimensional barrier that absorbs all forms of energy, allowing it to walk through buildings without any struggle. WHY DID THEY NOT MAKE MORE OF THESE?? This forced the opening fight to require Inaho’s smarts, as he literally couldn’t go rushing in at the enemy. Perhaps if a fight on this scale of strategy was at the end, then maybe the final boss wouldn’t have been such a snooze.

Our true story centers on the triangle between the Terran Inaho (Orange), Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia, and the Terran Slaine (Bat). Inaho is quiet, resourceful, and a calm, quick thinker. This makes me love him yet dislike him at the same time, for although he rarely says stupid stuff, he follows the bland archetype hero.

On another note, Asseylum receives asylum by Inaho and co. upon her arrival (Hehe, puns). She is a dutiful young lady who, for housing the mysterious power of the Aldnoah, one would think she would have some kind of combat skills, but it’s whatever. In that aspect, she reminds me of Princess Lenessia from Log Horizon. They both act in amateurish ways, thinking that a simple meeting would solve planetary war.

Slaine is the crux of emotional occurrence in ALDNOAH.ZERO. Throughout the entirety of the series, the Terran-born boy struggles between supporting the Terrans and/or the Martians. He doesn’t fully support the Martians, but simply Asseylum. When I think of it this way, it clears a lot of the mud that crowds Slaine’s decisions.

In Slaine’s regard, the end of the first half of the series is probably one of the most suspenseful and unexpected twists I have ever seen. Because I don’t want to spoil too much it will remain your unknowing secret. I can understand complex emotions, but wow, I was not expecting that. For those who have seen the end of the series, how shall we encrypt that last line? I guess we’ll just have to wait for season two in 2015. It’s going to be a long wait. . .

The animation quality for this show is phenomenal! Not only that, but the soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano contains epic, pumped up techno action pieces that engage me into combat. It fits the high-tech battlefield mood perfectly. The show is filled with awesome robot combat and explosive maneuvers that left me swerving in my seat to dodge flying metal fists or energy blades of death! It is interesting to note that the studio that animated ALDNOAH.ZERO also did the infamous Sword Art Online, a series which had a second season running at the same time. A-1Pictures must have been very busy, as the animation quality for both series is top-notch – definitely some of my favorite animation.

With Urobuchi comes Kajiura, as Kalafina performs the series’ amazing opening “heavenly blue.” Jesus, I love this music so much! Kajiura pulls out all of the stops in this new opening: the techno groove is hot and upbeat. The show’s ending theme, “I Say Cry” by aLIEz (also by Hiroyuki Sawano), also deserves an honorable mention. Both of these are a must-listen.

I fully recommend ALDNOAH.ZERO to fans of Urobuchi’s works and for people that are looking for something with sci-fi action-packed fights with great background music, and a well-paced plot to where you want more after every damn episode. So isn’t that everyone? Well, yes and no. The last few “bosses” are lack luster and require Inaho to just hack and slash; no real strategy is required. Because of such a loss, the crafty interest in both Inaho and the Martain generals drop tremendously. Nevertheless, I will be awaiting the second half for this great adventure of revenge, tragedy and hope. “Let Justice Be Done Through The Heavens Fall.”

At the moment, you can watch all of ALDNOAH.ZERO on Crunchyroll.  I really hope the show receives localization and a dub, because yeah, I thought it was worth watching again. Leave a comment below and thanks for reading! Till next time this has been

– Takuto, your host