Live action Anime that's not for geeks
931694
In the same spirit of Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, Shinobi goes very deep into cultural roots with a heavy dose of "Anim" like action to create a compelling love story rich with visual fanfare.

Though the romantic plot is not as powerful as Crouching Tiger or House of Flying Daggers, it is still a compelling story for which you will want to know how it ends.  But frankly, the real meat and potatoes of this movie is about the combat and the very Anim inspired characters. There are other live action anims out there, but this has quickly taken it's place to my number one favorite amongst them.  Bonus points for making this accessible to the open non-initiated public.  Naruto fans should find the same kind of interesting character concepts, save for the fact that everything is taken with a very mature tone (no teen aged ninjas here).  Anyone who liked Warriors of Zu Mountain or Storm Riders will definitely want to pick this up.
3493163
What I thought was most endearing about Texhnolyze was it was realistic. It is not Naruto or Dragon ball Z where the characters have god like powers and stamina. The charecters in this series are very mortal, their were times in this series where I was shocked by how visceral the story got. By real, I would say this is unlike any anime I have ever seen, it reminds me of classic books and movies I have read, the pacing is slow, it is more of a drama anime, or one that centralizes a conflict. Like Hemmingways for whom the bell tolls or spieldburgs saving private ryan you get to see a shocking conclussion that embeds itself in your mind. In anime the closest I have seen to it in just pacing would be wolfs rain and lain. I reccomend it but only for hard core anime fans. The guys who watch anime for the eye candy and over done action probably won't like this one.
3936365
Fair warning, this anime is insane! Picture if you will: gangsters, alchemists, fanatics, bumbling theives, sadistic assassins, immortals (who truly fit the name), a first-class train for the common man, and monsters all thrown together and told in a non-linear (almost stream-of-conciousness) style by two reporters(?) who are trying to make heads and tails of a train heist/hi-jack gone wrong.  The comedy is a blessed sigh of relief that without this anime would be a depressing blood-fest.  The violence, as stated, is pretty intense but not to the point where it becomes a gratuitous gore-fest that serves no point. The violence is done almost artistically that actually helps tell the story.  The comedy is random and often times silly (just slightly less silly than Excell Saga for example).

The story is down right confusing in the first episode but by the second a casual viewer should be able to make "some" sense of the mayhem.  There is no "main character"; everyone is both protagonist and antagonist!

A must for any fan of anime.  Also a good choice for fans of mob-films, comedy, and action as well.  The series is rated TV-MA and I totally agree. Not for kids due to violence, language, and the sheer non-linear-ness of it all.
2718185
Now for most of the people who know me, I'm a shooter gamer buff. I like my guns, mecha, and just blowing stuff up and taking names. That said sometimes there WILL be a non-gaming media hit that catches my eye, probably because it's pretty much shooter gamer buff stuff in anime form. This recent sometime would be Appleseed: Ex Machina, where there are guns mecha, just blowing stuff up, and taking names, in anime form.

The movie starts off with "who are these people?" for the first ten minutes, that and the art style takes about that much time getting used to. The cel-shaded, oozing anime-style is obvious as some people mentioned before, the graphics seem like an up-scaled japanese game. After the opening scene ends and you're eyes adapt to the style, there is nothing but action really here on out. The characters don't take long to get used to and like, and if you're an Action/Romance buff like me who is a sucker for stuff like Robotech, there is plenty of low-key mushy stuff to mellow you out between the action-packed sequences.

The character design is a masterpiece, and like most anime buffs like me, you'll get your healthy dose of buff dudes, hot chicks, and cheesy but also relatable dialogue. That said, I was somewhat amazed that they were able to sneak in an F-bomb in this PG-13 title, but the scene with it is quite short. Also with that said the story is almost edging on Star Trek themes, to which I'm not going to spoil that point for you. Obviously they gave the movie universal Sci-fi appeal for the cautious westerners who may be put off with the anime design.

With that said, I found the movie a blast with my perfect mix of Action/Romance, Anime, and Cool/Attractive characters that I think was money beyond well spent. I see me definitely watching this movie multiple times and add to my personal Robotech collection.

In my opinion?

9.5/10
2836902
(May contain spoilers)

I was looking for some anime to watch, and I came across this one, which is directed by 'Watanabe Shinichiro'. As soon as I read who was directing it, the hype went from 0 to 10. The story follows 2 teens who are geniuses (Nine and Twelve), and by terrorist acts, want the world to know about secrets the government of japan is hiding. a 3rd character (Lisa) without knowing ends up getting involved in the mess that the other characters are making.  The animation is beautiful and can be breathtaking at times. You could tell this was one of the most important things of the show. It can be eye candy overload. The music which is composed by 'Yoko Kanno' is also gorgeous, and merges beautifully with the animation, thus creating some powerful scenes . Terror in Resonance presents some really interesting plot and concepts, but they somehow never really merge together very well, and I'm pretty sure it's because of series being only 11 episodes. When it comes to the 'characters', I feel like they really missed a good chance at making them excellently developed. There IS a little bit of development, but not enough, in my opinion. Overall, the series was never able to properly tell the story is was trying to tell the audience. Still, in my opinion, the story and plot aren't too bad, and I was able to still very much enjoy the show. If you're a person who is a plot and story critic, you might not like it, but it's worth giving a shot.

Limited Edition packaging:

This limited edition does not come with many things. It only has 4 art cards, and a special artbox. I did not pay much more than what the regular edition was going for, which is the reason I got it. I simply prefer the art that it has. I will upload some images, so you guys can see how it looks.
3127781
Forget the devestatingly dull, tedious live-action adaptation from M. Night Shymalan; that was not a great, or even fair, representation of this animated series.

It's starts fairly oriented towards the younger viewers but as the show progresses, themes more aimed towards older audiences begin to emerge.  But never once does it forget the younger viewers, never talking over them; nor does it talk down to anyone. A very tricky balancing act to be sure.

The Blu-ray set shows off the beautiful animation, and I recommend it any fan of this show and/or animation in general.
2097748
Not too sure what to say. It's one of those Anime that you'll enjoy or not enjoy.
484492
Afro Samurai brings to mind many classics of Japanese-American pop-art, such as Lone Wolf and Cub (the path of the doomed samurai killer) and Samurai Jack (the quiet taciturn samurai on an impossible quest...in a world that blends the ancient and the advanced), to mention the two that jump out at me.  The animation and art are fantastic and unusual; despite the strong anime influences, I initially thought it was American due to the strong resemblance to the work of Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) and even The Boondocks animated series (another possible influence).  However, I have since discovered that this is a Japanese production that was dubbed into English.

The dubbed dialog is a mixed bag.  The translated script is perhaps the most convincing I've ever heard, although the delivery of the voice actors falls a little short.  To be honest, I thought Samuel L. Jackson is a bit of a ham-fisted choice.  He works better in his duties as Ninja Ninja than as the titular Afro.  Jackson doesn't really know how to do "reserved" in a convincing fashion.  Ron Perlman is mostly wasted as Justice.  He shows up only at the beginning and end, and he's doing a bit of a weird semi-Southern accent.  None of the voice actors truly stood out for me.

The characters themselves are a bit flat, mostly props for the incredible action and thick atmosphere.  The script doesn't give them any room for development, but to be fair, this isn't the kind of story where everyone learns something and goes home a little wiser.  That's fine.  It's tempting to condemn Afro Samurai for being an empty exercise in flashy style, but I think there's a little more to it than that.  The themes of the uselessness and tragedy of violence and revenge are intriguing, and sometimes powerful.  This is inevitably undermined a bit by the glorification of violence in the many gory and lyrical action set pieces.

As for the style, and the art, Afro Samurai is pretty much impeccable on all counts.  From RZA's score to the creepy Japanese puppet-type cyborgs, this show hits all the right notes...sometimes, too well.  When it is too tasteful, polished and stylized, it can lose a little bit of its soul, not unlike its various old men and cyborgs who have sold themselves for power and revenge.  Afro Samurai isn't perfect, but it's damn entertaining.  The atmosphere, art, action and dramatic themes almost overcome its occasional shallowness.
1123880
Its not like today's anime, it adult funny with tons of subtext in it. What's not to love about it.
3752005
If you're looking for some serious anime, with lots of guns, explosions, gratuitious violence and sex then don't look here. If you're looking for something fun with no redeeming social message, this might be what you're looking for.
It's an enjoyable romp through the life of one man, and the trials that come with having 3 marionettes of his own. There are laughs, obvious jokes and generally a fun feeling about it all.
The only downside to it is the absolutely *terrible* English dubbing. With the possible exception of "Bloodberry", the voices just do not work. And yes, part of it has to do with the fact that that perennial favourite voice artist "Megumi Hayashibara" does the voice of Lime to such a degree that anybody else is unworthy of that role.
All in all I have to give it a 4, it's not perfect but it's better than average.
4050319
I am not a big shonen fan, but I have to admit that I have found some anime series in this genre that have left me really satisfied. The list includes&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hikaru-No-Go/dp/B000AM6OC6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hikaru No Go</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hajime-no-Ippo/dp/B000UVKFAY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hajime no Ippo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Yu-Yu-Hakusho/dp/B000F6ZIFQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Yu Yu Hakusho</a>, but if you are looking for the best shonen anime for adults (and I am aware of the oxymoron) then i would have to say "Bleach" takes the price.

Even though the series has elements that portray why this is classified as a series for teenage boys, there are also many layers to the story that make it look as if it was targeted to a different demographic. The storyline is dark and captivating, and the topics of loss, friendship, sacrifice and fighting against insurmountable odds are explored vastly.

One of the aspects that really surprised me was how quickly I was hooked by this series. In my experience it takes me somewhere from 4 to 6 episodes to get to the point at which I feel I "need" to keep watching a series non-stop. Even some of my favorite anime like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Berserk/dp/B001GF8WSK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Berserk</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Black-Lagoon/dp/B001GT9DS4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Black Lagoon</a>&nbsp;required me to watch at least four episodes to be captivated. This was not the case with "Bleach", since when the first episode ended I felt I was not going to be able to stop for a while.

Finally, this series did not fall for the pitfall some other series in the genre fall for, and that is to keep a story arc going for way too many episodes. Some of the story lines are left open in some cases, but I think that overall, the plot is expertly crafted and provides closure while keeping the interest of the viewer at a high level. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
4756542
Like Elfen Lied this is a show (its really a complete four episode OVA to be exact) that strangely melds together comedy/fan service and hardcore violence.  While not quite as gory as Elfen Lied the show has its moments.  At first you probably won't be sure what to think of this show.  The opening begins with its fare share of perversion and more or less unecessary nudity depending on your taste, but once it gets going and you've been introduced to the characters it becomes very involving and in some cases surprisingly touching.  The main character of the story, Saiki Misaki, a spiritual medium/dominatrix is more interesting than she should be and the show in my mind was very reminiscent of something like Satoshi Kon's animated feature Perfect Blue.  Word to the wise...Don't even bother with the english dub on this disc though.  Absolutely horrid.  The japanese is very well done.  The animation is also pretty solid for what was clearly a low budget release by Geneon.  I have to say I am kind of shocked they are not planning on doing more episodes/volumes of this series.  They really could stretch it out even further.  I appreciate the fact that it is a standalone disc though as far as the price tag is concerned.  I wish there were more animes sold that way.  And thats why I feel comfortable giving it the high 5 star rating.
2659512
This is a short but substantial anime that mixes supernatural/slightly harem comedy with a beautiful romance story. It is something that you feel compelled to watch in its entirety in one sitting and by the end will certainly be glad to put it on your shelf. This is the kind of anime that people need to see. It's only 12 episodes plus an OVA but it's what anime should be when people think of anime. A lot of first-timers are so off-put by the more well-known niche anime (Pokemon, Dragonball, etc.) that they don't give ones like this an honest chance. This is art to people. You can tell that a lot of thought and time were put into the story, the beautiful animation and the voice acting (Japanese). Give this one a chance and you won't regret your purchase. And if you don't cry your eyes out by episode 12 you're not human. Enjoy!

Similar great anime: Elfen Lied or This Ugly Yet Beautiful World.
1664687
I love Anime! What I find most thrilling is that the Japanese take their animation seriously but they know how to balance with slapstick comedy and deep emotion. The GetBackers was a total surprise and quickly became one of my favorites. You will become a true fan of Ban & Ginji and start saying, "Who needs Heroes?" & "X-Men who?" Come watch these guys get it back.
4804968
Strong male protagonist, strong female protagonists, good plot. This pervy anime manages a rare combination of respectable characters and a good plot in a perverted show. Not for kids.
2154310
I just watched this, and I must say it was very well done.  It has great characters and good action.  But, this is not very, oh, how should I put this, "anime-ish."  At least, it doesn't feel like it to me.  However, this is still a great movie that a fair amount of people will enjoy.  I'd say rent it first.  (BTW, first "anime" feature film for me.....I crave more!!!)
1157904
Tremendous anime done well over all.  Im relatively new to anime.  I always loved stuff like the Ghost In the Shell films and Id catch things here and there.  But I didn't really get hooked until last spring when I watched Death Note, which I fell totally in love with.  Since then Ive been tearing through as much as I can find.  Nothing has quite lived up to Death Note in my mind so far.  BUT Welcome to the NHK made me fall in love with the possibility of anime in a whole other way.  This is a straight up drama.  It is very dark, but remains funny and watchable.  And even  if you cant relate to why somebody would lock himself in his home (lots of us can!), you still care about whats going on.  Yeah, it is weird, like many reviewers say.  But this is an example of what anime can do that a lot of other mediums probably just wouldnt attempt, at least on this level.

Sadly when we talk about anime most people think about squeaky girls with huge boobs, big, doe eyes and males fantasy.  Thats true for a reason in many cases, but Welcome to the NHK....I just wish I could show to to everybody.  A lot of people might change their minds about the medium.