Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts

Full Metal Alchemist


鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no Renkinjutsushi

Rating: starstar (5/5)

Released: 2003
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Plot: Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary catalyst called the Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies (which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy). Born in the village of Risembool from the country of Amestris (アメストリス Amesutorisu), the two brothers lived there with their mother. Their father, Van Hohenheim, left home for unknown reasons and years later, their mother Trisha Elric died of a terminal illness, leaving the Elric brothers alone. After their mother's death, Edward became determined to bring her back through the use of alchemy, an advanced science in which objects can be created from raw materials. They researched Human Transmutation, a forbidden art in which one attempts to create or modify a human being. However, this attempt failed, ultimately resulting in the loss of Edward's left leg, and Alphonse's entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrificed his right arm to affix Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Some days later, an alchemist named Roy Mustang visited the Elric brothers, and told Edward to become a member of the State Military of the country to find a way to recover their bodies. After that, Edward's left leg and right arm were replaced with automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb, created for him by his close family friends Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako.


Main Character Descriptions:


Edward Elric - the "Fullmetal Alchemist," the youngest State Alchemist in history, is the main protagonist of the series. He and his younger brother, Alphonse Elric, scour the world in search of the Philosopher's Stone, in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Edward lost his left leg in a failed attempt to revive his mother Trisha Elric using Alchemy, and lost his right arm in exchange for attaching Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Edward now employs the use of metal prosthetics, known as automail, as replacement limbs. Edward harbors a sharp sensitivity to his short height; a recurring gag in both anime series and the manga is for Edward to overly react to people that call him short.


Alphonse Elric - the second protagonist of the series. The younger brother of Edward Elric, did not become a State Alchemist at the request of his brother. Together, he and Ed scour the country in search of the Philosopher's Stone in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Unlike Edward, who lost one arm and one leg in the failed attempt to revive the brothers' mother, Al lost his entire body. At the last moment, Ed sealed Al's soul in giant suit of armor, making Al almost invulnerable. Because of his size and him being a suit of armor, a running gag is that he is always mistaken as being the older brother and the Fullmetal Alchemist.


Roy Mustang - the "Flame Alchemist," holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the State Military at the start of the series, and was promoted to Brigadier General by the end of the first anime series. He aims towards becoming the next Führer of Amestris, heavily relying on the support of his loyal subordinates to propel him along that path.ch.2 Mustang would find this path interrupted by the murder of his best friend and confidant, Maes Hughes, afterwards, beginning an almost behind-the-scenes investigation into finding the true culprit.


Winry Rockbell- a childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse Elric, lives in Resembool with her grandmother, Pinako Rockbell, who raised her after the death of her parents during the Ishbal War. In the manga series, her parents were killed by Scar in a blind rage, while in the first anime, they were executed by a younger Roy Mustang under Military order. Winry is a practicing and gifted automail mechanic, following in her grandmother's footsteps, continually designing and maintaining Edward Elric's automail prosthetics. In the manga, Winry is often used as an unwitting hostage by the homunculi to ensure the Elrics' subservience to the State.


Scar - also known as the "Scarred Man" (傷の男 Kizu no Otoko), is a major supporting character in the series. A devout Ishbalan, Scar is one of the survivors of the Ishbalan Extermination Campaign. Depicted in the manga as an Ishbalan warrior priest, Scar was a capable fighter who desperately tried to save whomever he could from the State Military onslaught. However, Kimblee's enhanced alchemical attacks were too much. Scar's brother, who had been researching Amestrian Alchemy and Xingese Alkahestry in an attempt to gain power against the State, gives Scar his right arm in order to save his life
Review: I haven't come across anyone with a bad word to say about this series. It is amazingly well written, the story is deep and intricate. The characters each have their own unique backstory that ties into the over all story so well that I find myself learning something new about this series every time I watch it. If you haven't seen this series, or just haven't seen it in a while... I HIGHLY Recommend it!
Review Written by: Leanore

Neo Angelique ~Abyss~


ネオアンジェリーク Abyss

Rating: starstar (5/5)

Released: 2008
Genre(s): Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Harem

Plot: The story takes place in a fictional world called Arcadia, where life-draining monsters called Tanatos plague the populace. The only ones who have the power to exterminate these creatures are Purifiers, but only a few exist. One day, Angelique, who is just a presumably normal girl attending school, is visited by Nyx, a rich gentlemen, as well as a Purifier, who created an organization of Purifiers dedicated to eliminating Thanatos. Nyx is interested in the potential power she possesses and invites her to join his organization, but she refuses since she wants to become a doctor, like her father. However, when her school is later attacked by a Thanatos, she ends up activating her powers in her want to protect those in danger. After purifying the creature, she finds out she has a unique purifying power, and that she is the one that has been foretold in legends, the "Queen's Egg". It is then that her journey begins, and she becomes the only female Purifier in the world. This series is noted as being quite similar to Kiniro no Corda, otherwise known as La Corda D'oro.


Main Character Descriptions:


Angelique - A charming, kind-hearted girl. When she was a child, her village was attacked by Tanatos and she lost both her parents. This inspired and encouraged her more than ever to pursue her ambition to be a doctor when she grows up as she wants to help others and save lives. This was how she agreed to go with Nyx to fight Tanatos with the other Purifying Ability Compatibles as she felt that in this way, she would be able to save more lives than as a doctor. She has a modest and reserved personality, but she has inner strength and can be severe. It has always been her wish to help others as she, like her parents, always places others before herself. In the second season, she knows how to use a sword. It has been revealed later on in the second season that in order to save Arcadia and Nyx she must sacrifice the life she has as a normal girl among her loving friends and become the Prophesised Queen, protecting Arcadia yet from far away.


Rayne - A smart, stylish young man. He actually acts his age, and is a friend you can freely chat about anything with, but actually he is extremely capable and reliable when it counts. In the past he worked as a scientist and a professor, being an important member of the Foundation with his older brother Yorgo. He also has feelings for Angelique. Rayne is referred to as "that guy" (ano hito) by Erenfried as Erenfried had a particular dislike for Rayne since Erenfried has always been jealous of all the attention that Rayne got, which he has never gotten before, in the past. He gets annoyed whenever referred to as "Professor" Rayne , which Erenfried does on purpose, and usually responds by calling him simply "Eren". Rayne later reveals his Purifying Ability is not natural and is a result of a self-experimentation. He fights Thanathos with a gun.


Nyx - Very mysterious and is an ultra gentleman. Rather than calling Angelique by her name, he often call her mademoiselle, which is a very polite French term for "lady". He likes to play piano and drink tea. In season 2 he is possessed by something (foreshadowed in season 1) and seems to want to help Angelique and others, but cannot always control what he calls "his condition". He has two sides, one is his normal side while another side is Erebos. He has lived for 200 years due to Erebos. When he was younger, the ship he and his family were in got caught in a fierce storm. As Nyx was drowning, he wished to live and that he would do anything. Erebos heard him and saved him, possessing him but Nyx's mother and father drowned. This is why Nyx fears and hates the sound of the sea as it was when Erebos first possessed him. He is the core that Erebos uses to help send Thanatos into the world. The only hope he had to get rid of Erebos was the Queen's Egg so he set out all over the world and found Angelique. When she becomes the Queen, Nyx wishes for her to give him a peaceful death. Nyx blames himself for making Angelique suffer, taking away her home and parents but Angelique says it was Erebos who did that and that Nyx was the one who gave her many precious things including a place to belong. Nyx perhaps has the strongest feelings for Angelique for while he wishes her to give him a peaceful death, he also states that knowing her has given him a reason to live.He fights Thanathos with a whip.


J.D. - J.D. is a Jasper-Doll, a type of artifact. He was referred to as a "defective product" by Jet when they were engaged in a fight. J.D. also said that he (Jet) is just like him (himself). It seems that J.D. used to work for the Foundation, but somehow managed to escape and is now wanted. Hence, he avoided meeting the Foundation as much as he could, for fear of forcefully being taken away by them. He always wants to see Angelique to smile and the people around him. He enjoys baking for others, often making cookies or scones. He fights with a pair of Tonfa against Thanatos but possesses melee skills as well.

Hyuuga - A former Silver Knight and also an Aube Hunter. He will protect Angelique with all his being, even with the cost of his life. He refers to Angelique as "Angelique-sama" (Lady Angelique). He is often seen practicing his spear skills during his free time outside the Mansion. At the end of the first season, Angelique gave him an "order" that in future, he was to simply call her Angelique as she felt that they were "nakama" (仲間, literally means close companion or comrade) or friends. Hyuga has a hard time trying to say Angelique's name with out saying it in a formal form in the beginning. In Season 2 he suffers from seasickness but eventually overcomes it. He wields a spear in battle against Thanathos.


René - He lives in the Holy City of Celestizam and is allowed to move about freely within its walls but forbidden to go outside the city. He often comments how he is a "caged bird" to Mathias, who is his mentor. His second appearance in the anime is in episode 6, where he rescues Angelique from the persistent journalist, Roche, who keeps trying to take photos of "The Queen's Egg" to "get a scoop". He is revealed to be the future and true leader of the Religious Order. He declares that he will unite his power with Angelique's to help save the world of Arcadia.


Bernard - A reporter who always writes the truth. Roche sells a lot of his pictures to Bernard. He recognizes Angelique's necklace when she loses it after being kidnapped by Jet and seems to know something. Later on he is revealed to be a son of Angelique's relative whom she stayed with while a little girl after her parents were killed. He left however to go work with the newspaper and never saw Angelique again until now. Angelique calls him "nii-san" (big brother).


Mathias - Also known as Lord Mathias or Mathias-sama, he is the Leader of the Religious Organization which supports the Knights of the Silver Tree. It is also revealed that he is a fake Leader that was only chosen for his exceptional memory. The Organization is trying to kill him so that Rene can take the title, but he, in Season 2's episode 5, kills the High Elder. He places an Artifact chip created by Erenfreid on his neck to receive powers. Due to the chip, half of Mathias is his ownself, half is controlled by the chip (therefore by Thanatos). In season 2, he was killed by Nyx/Erebos's attack in order to protect René.


Erenfried - Is a scientist that works at the Foundation who has a deep hatred for Rayne as he always got the attention. He gets angry or annoyed when Rayne simply calls him "Eren", telling him that he has a name and it is "Erenfried" or responds by calling Rayne "Professor". Jet takes orders from Erenfriend and Director Yorgo, who Erenfried really wants to notice his accomplishments. Erenfried admires and is grateful to Director Yorgo and in season 2 when Yorgo is imprisoned (due to mistakes of Erenfried with the Jinx project), he wants to rescue him. He somewhat befriends Angelique company in season 2 when J.D. rescues him from jail and he stays with the group for a while. He also realizes that "Artifacts/Jasper Dolls" have hearts when J.D. rescues him from jail.


Jet - Like J.D., he is also an artifact made by the Foundation in a desperate attempt to make another Artifact like J.D. after they "lost" J.D. during the mysterious fire. The fact that Jet and J.D. are both artifacts make them "brothers". In season 2, he takes order from Mathias. Eventually he starts to experience some feelings (mostly when Angelique is around), which he calls defective, since he thinks of himself as only a weapon. Later he was abandoned by Mathias as he failed to complete his mission to capture Angelique, the Queen's Egg. He was lost and Erenfried told him to act according to his own will from now on. Therefore he helps out in the repairs of the "Ship Of Stars" but on the morning of the departure, he sacrificed his life to remove the bomb that Erebos planted in the ship. However he is saved by Erenfried at the last episode of season 2, seen at the very end in a capsule.


Roche - Roche is a respectable journalist who loves money and women. He has never taken photos for others without taking payment for the photos, but in episode 9, he sent the photos he took of Angelique (which he took secretly when he was on the "secret date" or so he calls it, with Angelique.) which he had originally intended to sell to Bernal for money to Angelique. This was done out of kindness when he realized that Angelique, like himself, was an orphan and he didn't feel like "selling" her "information" to others even if it is not for a bad purpose. He, however, did not regret making that decision and was a bit confused and surprised at himself as that was the first time he had taken photos for others without charging them. The "secret date" he went on with Angelique was not a real date. He happened to see Angelique on the streets after Angelique ran from Sally and Hannah as she was upset that her best friends refused to accept the truth that the Jinx was destroying many people's homes and even taking away some lives in the process of destroying Thanatos. He called it a "secret date" but in truth, he wanted to cheer up Angelique when he saw just how upset Angelique was. He eventually develops romantic feelings toward Angelique, telling Erebos possessed Nyx he has a "date with Angelique" which he cannot miss when he is caught. He is shown to use throwing knives as weapons in his fight with Erebos as Nyx.


Review: This Series made me cry more then once. I am in love with these characters, and you will be to after watching it. Not only is it heartfelt and captivating, but it's Action packed as well. If you haven't seen this Anime yet, You're missing out on something GREAT!
Review Written by: Leanore

Kiba


牙-KIBA

Rating: starstar (5/5)

Released: 2006
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen

Plot:Kiba's main character is Zed, a 15-year-old boy who lives in a place called "Calm". Frustrated by his current situation in life he feels that somewhere out there is a place where he can live more fully. One day, at the invitation of a mysterious wind, Zed dives into a space-time crevasse (portal), seeking the answers that might be there. Riding on the wind, he is transported to a war-torn world where magic users called "Shard Casters" fight endlessly with each other, using spells in the form of marble-like "Shards".

With the power of the Shards, the Shard Casters are able to use spells and control monsters called "Spirits". Fascinated by that power, Zed aims to become a Shard Caster. However, he still doesn't know that residing in his body is "Amil Gaul", a mighty Spirit with the power to influence the world's future. Amil Gaul is one of the "Key Spirits" that, when together with the other Key Spirits, can destroy or save the world. There are a total of six Key Spirits: Amil Gaul, Pronimo, Sachira, Monardi, Jumamis and Shadin.

Zed undergoes countless trials in order to find out who he really is and what is most important to him.
Main Character Descriptions:


Zed - Zed is the 15-year-old main character and protagonist. He is an unsatisfied and unfocused boy living in Calm. One day, he finally gets his chance at a new life when a mysterious gust of wind guides him to a small space/time crevasse. It leads him to Templer, (known as Tempura in the original) a land full of "magic", crystals with strange powers called shards, and monsters called spirits.


Noah - Noah Boalia, 15 years old, is Zed's friend from Calm. He is sickly, but nevertheless insists on pursuing his goals whole heartedly. After Zed goes through the portal to Templer, Noah is eventually teleported to a militaristic land called Neotopia.

Roya - Roya is a 15-year-old girl living in Templer. She is the disciple of the elder sage Jiko, who rescued a 6-year-old Roya from Tusk. She was to be killed after it was predicted that she would kill her father, Morocco. She is one of the first people who discover Zed as he arrives in Templer, and is an old friend of Mickey.


Jiko - Jiko is a 79-year-old man, and is one of six sages of Templer. Jiko has a rather calm and wise personality, in which he regularly performs rather sagely tasks such as meditation and fishing, while equipped with a mind of void. After Zed arrives, Jiko acts as his mentor, and gives him advice on many occasions.


Robès Redondo - Robès is a princely figure living in Templer. He recently became the Shard Champion after winning the Shard Casters tournament.

Sagiri - Sagiri is the princess of the Seekers. She is very young and innocent. She has the ability to cast Shards.
Mickey - Mickey is a friend of Roya and becomes the town bread maker. He is also a shard caster, but doesn't seem to have the "nack" for it.




Review: This is one of my favorite Anime's of all time. I fell so deeply in love with the characters and the over all story that I literally found myself crying WITH them. It's got something for everyone and I highly suggest it to EVERYONE!!!!1 ^_^Review by: Leanore

KARAS


鴉 -KARAS-

Rating: (5/5)

Released: 2005
Genre(s): Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi

Plot:
The main plot centers around the confrontation between Otoha and Eko. Character interactions are mainly with yōkai and mikuras. The show employs a cold open featuring a battle between two karas before the title sequence is shown. Eko kills the unnamed karas, and the expositions at the end of the fight announces Eko's plan to remake Tokyo. The story moves ahead three years, introducing Nue as he arrives in Shinjuku to free his brother from Eko's hold, and Otoha in a hospital from heavy injuries sustained in a burglary revealed in later flashback sequences. The early parts of the show proceed in a "mikura of the week" fashion as Otoha (as a karas) and Nue separately fight against Eko's minions. When the mikuras attack hospitals across the ward to locate Otoha's body, Otoha and Nue work together to kill the weasel-like Kamaitachi. The spider-like Tsuchigumo, however, abducts Otoha's Yurine and deprives him the power to turn into a karas.
After splitting up with Otoha, Nue attacks Eko's base. He ruptures the chambers holding Yurine and Eko's body, but falls into Eko's trap. Eko kills Yurine and reveals capturing Nue completes the final part of his plan. Otoha rescues his fellow burglar, Reiji (礼治) from their former yakuza gang. Yakuza reinforcements, however, kill Reiji, and Otoha kills the gang leader, his brother-father in retailiation. Homura (炎), another city's karas rescues Otoha from the remaining yakuzas. When Eko launches the last stage of his plan and ravages Tokyo with metal tentacles, Otoha ends up among human refugees in a shelter the chief of police had commissioned.
Main Character Descriptions:


Karas - the title for the city's appointed agents. Capable of transforming into automobiles and aircraft, they are suits of armor animated by human souls infused into them through Yurine's chanting of a Shinto prayer. Director Sato told his animators to enhance the Karas' dark nature by drawing their faces in shadows. Fight scenes involving Karas take place mostly in dark settings shrouded with steam or lit with spotlights. Animators touched up film frames by hand, creating an effect different from cel-shaded animation. To make the Karas more menacing, they highlighted the eyes as if light bulbs were shining through them, a technique inspired by the suitmation practice of using light bulbs for the eyes of costumes. Producer Takaya Ibira (伊平 崇耶 Ibira Takaya) explained the presence of ravens in Tokyo and the Tower of London, inspired him and Sato to model the agents of the city after them. He stated ravens are believed to be omens of good and bad in superstitions, and they always seem to be watching over the cities. This resonated with his view of the raven in the story Noah's Ark, which cursed Noah as it scouted for land. The presence of ravens all over Tokyo led Ibira to notice the same of cats and conceive the Yurines as catgirls


Yousuke Otoha - the protagonist of Karas. Yoshida wrote out Otoha as a character dark in history and actions, breaking the traditional mold of a Japanese hero. He based his idea on his observation of Shinjuku, questioning what sort of a hero a ward exuding an aura of terror and happiness would produce. He portrayed Otoha as the product of incest between his mother and his brother who is the local yakuza boss. Otoha's back-story states him as suffering from congenital insensitivity to pain which lends the character a merciless reputation as his brother's enforcer. The initial concept of Otoha was much darker, casting him as a serial killer who hunts down mikuras to retrieve his lover's body parts


Eko Hoshunin - the antagonist to Otoha. His back-story states he was the Karas of Tokyo since the Edo period. In events before the start of the show, Eko turned his back on his duties, and started a plan to revitalize the city and its yōkai. He attracted several yōkai to be his cybernetic followers and intended to subjugate the humans. An Oedipus complex forms the basis for his motive. He views Tokyo as a father figure, and his Yurine as a mother figure; and aims to supplant the city's role in this relationship. Eko was a nameless character in the initial draft and known as "Another Karas" with a different appearance, although his prosthetic left leg is retained for the final version.


The Mikura - yōkai who became Eko's minions and replaced their bodies with machinery. Its members consist of Suiko (水虎?), Wanyūdō, Tsuchigumo, Kamaitachi, and Ushi-oni. Ibira and Sato chose them to be villains, linking the act of the Karas as agents of the city killing these folklore creatures to traditional Japanese exorcism. The chimera-like Nue, however, is a tragic anti-hero who learned of Eko's plans and turned against him. Sato thought up the cybernetic angle to surprise the Japanese who perceive immaterial yōkai to lack physical threat. Creature designer Kenji Andō (安藤 賢司 Andō Kenji) adapted the yōkai designs from artist Toriyama Sekien's illustrated folklore books, Gazu Hyakki Yakō. The few yōkai with prominent roles in the show underwent greater changes. Andō drew Amefurikozō (雨降り小僧), a rain yōkai, as an anthropomorphic snail boy wearing a raincoat, and is amused viewers assume him to be a girl due to women voicing the character. Andō pictured mikuras as direct cybernetic versions of Toriyama's portrayals, and made Suiko and Nue look like robotic versions of their illustrated forms. Sato, however, was dissatisfied with two of Andō's designs, and redesigned them based on the concept behind the yōkai instead of on their appearance. Wanyūdō (the ghostly head in a flaming wheel) became a heavily armed skull-on-wheels, Tsuchigumo (the spider demon) became a mechanical spider, Suiko the Kappa became a mechanical kappa, Kamaitachi (the sickle weasel) became a humanoid with spinning razors, and Ushi-oni (the bull-headed spider) became a big-mouth, bug-eye, hungry-for-humans predator.


Review: This anime has some of the best fight scenes ever.... no joke. Thats really all I can say... they're both exciting and beautiful... I couldn't look away.

Review by: Leanore







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