TV Series Review: Young Justice

Title: Young Justice

Genre: Superhero, Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, DC Comics

Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

General Set-Up: It has been many years since the Justice League was founded, and new heroes are rising up to replace the old--but not just yet. The League has run into a dilemma, a group of heroes that are more than just mere sidekicks, but not yet ready for the responsibility to be full-fledged members of the Justice League. The solution that the Justice League has come up with is to make a team of these heroes and teach them the values of the Justice League. But most importantly, it will test these heroes to see if they are really ready to defend the world.

Characters: This show has many characters, and the cast continually grows as the show progresses. The first three protagonists met are Robin, (Batman’s apprentice) Speedy, (Green Arrow’s apprentice) and Kid Flash (Flash’s apprentice). These three heroes make up the first team of the Young Justice League (just called ‘the team’). Every protagonist is well written, each with their own personalities, quirks, and aspirations. There is not a single character that I did not like, or even a single poorly written character. However, the show is based on the assumption that you know the backstories of many of its characters. While not as popular character’s backstories are explained, (such as Aqua Lad, Miss Martian, Superboy, etc.) many are not (Kid Flash, Speedy, Robin, etc.).

    The one major grievance I have with some of the protagonist in the show, is that the show ended before many of them got any development. While all the main heroes in the first and second seasons were well fleshed out, the show simply ran out of time to develop some characters. A few times the show introduced a character (on the assumption that there was going to be a second season) but never got back to that character. (Yes, I’m talking about you Kal’el!)

    As for the villains, well, they work as villains. Both well-known and lesser-known villains made an appearance in Young Justice. While for the most part they played the typical villain role (get the crud beat out of you and pretty much never be seen again) a surprising number of the cast repeatedly tried their luck against our heroes. While the ‘larger plan’ is never fully revealed due to the third season being canceled, the villains and organizations that make an appearance are very interesting and entertaining.   

Plot: As far as superhero shows go, this is one of the most balanced plots. It balances between the drama and struggles of being on a team and the villains well. It deals with themes such as responsibility, respect, teamwork, morality, and identity. And that is just the beginning. Much less repetitive than its predecessor Justice League (2003), Young Justice has a larger plot woven throughout its episodes. But the background plot does not feel forced and neither do the smaller arcs within the series.

    What I’m trying to say is this: It has a deep, well balanced plot that will keep any fan of superheroes interested. It doesn’t matter if you liked the prequels or not--this is a whole new way of looking at the Justice League. Young Justice focuses on the inner struggles of characters, explores the difficulties of working on a team, and chronicles the team's struggle to keep the earth safe.

Ending:  The show ends abruptly with no third season. It is very obvious that there was meant to be a third season. While the ending of the show answers many of the questions, many more are still unanswered. The villain’s full plan is not fully revealed, nor do many of the character’s ongoing inner battles reach their conclusion. While the ending is not satisfactory, I still highly recommend checking the show out. In addition, I have heard a rumor that Netflix might purchase the rights and make a third season. But that is, after all, only a rumor at this point.

Sound:The voice actors did an amazing job. Everyone’s voice seemed to just fit. It is one of the few shows that I can honestly say every voice actor was in the role made for them. None of the protagonist's voices felt too over-the-top, too childish, or too old. In almost every show that I have watched, there is at least one voice that just feels out of place in the English. In Fullmetal Alchemist it was Alphonse, in Ouran it was Honey. I could go on, but I think that you get the point. Every character--even the villains--had good voice acting with a variety of voices and speech mannerisms.

But one thing that really bugged me was a character later on in the series; a girl named Sam from Japan. Now, I’ve been to Japan and know some Japanese. I know how a native speaker of Japanese sounds and how a non-native speaker of Japanese sounds. The voice actor chosen to voice Sam was anything but a native speaker of Japanese. I could hear an accent from somewhere in the deep south through the poorly written Japanese. And only one word was said in Japanese (for the most part): Sumimasen. This means “I am sorry,” and that phrase was grossly misused in the second season of Young Justice. But on the  other hand, there are thousands of Japanese dubs in anime that fail at English that bad or worse.   

Animation: The animation was very similar to the style of the two prequels, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but also added in styles used in the popular series Teen Titans. Combining these two styles (plus a good budget never hurt) the visuals are amazing. In particular the body proportions are more realistic in Young Justice than in Justice League or Teen Titans. The animation is more serious than that in Teen Titans, never using the chibi style, but less rigid or “traditional” as the animation used Justice League. I felt that it fit the story well--plus semi-realistic body proportions and no fan service!

    I was very impressed with the designs of the costumes used in the show. While some were the traditional costumes, such as Superman and Batman, most of the other costumes had a modern feel to them. DC, like Marvel, doesn’t have the best track record making female costumes that are *ahem* practical. However, Young Justice did a fantastic job of doing that. The costumes are not low cut, and because of that seem to radiate readiness for battle and a tone of seriousness instead of just trying to get views.

Things to watch out for: The show is violent (it is a superhero show after all) but does not have any gore.

Other Media: It has two prequels, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and one sequel, Legion of Superheroes. While none of these are “direct sequels/prequels” of Young Justice,  they follow the DC comic timeline loosely. If you like Young Justice, you will like Legion of Superheroes because they share many of the same elements. In a way, Legion of Superheroes (which came out first) became the blueprint for what Teen Titans and Young Justice could be, breaking away from the superhero stereotypes found in Justice League.  

Where to watch it: Young Justice is currently streaming on Netflix.

Recommendations: Justice League and Justice League Unlimited

Legion of Superheroes

Teen Titans

Anime Review: Your Lie in April

Note: To read my first impression of this anime go here.

Anime: Your Lie in April (or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Genres: Shoujo, drama, comedy, heart-rending goodness

General Setup: Arima Kousei is 14 years old when he meets the girl that will change his life. Not to worry, Your Lie in April is not the cliche romance comedy show we have come to expect from the shoujo genre. It is so much more. As a child Kousei was a prodigy at the piano. His mother not only taught him how to play, but she also placed all of her own hopes and dreams on his shoulders. The weight proved to be too much. After his mother’s death Kousei had a mental breakdown in the middle of a concert. He could no longer hear himself play the piano. Fast forward a couple years to the future: Kousei has quit the piano and is in his third year of middle school. His life is colorless and he sees the world in a monotone. However, that is soon to change. One Saturday morning in April Kousei meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with a unique playing style and an obvious joy in life. She drags Kousei and some of their mutual friends to see her perform for a musical competition. The next day, even though she knows Kousei no longer plays the piano, Kaori asks him to be her accompanist for the rest of the competition. The story follows Kousei as he learns more about Kaori and tries to overcome his psychological fears.

Characters: While Kousei has become more withdrawn since quitting piano he is not totally devoid of character. He tends to keep to himself, but still interacts with his friends. His struggle with his past is what defines the show. Kaori is a bright and bubbly girl with multiple layers. She is eccentric and has a bit of a temper. Kousei’s friends Watari and Tsubaki also play a huge role in the story, especially Tsubaki who is Kousei’s neighbor. They have been friends since childhood and have many shared escapades. Tsubaki plays baseball and is somewhat of a tom-boy. Watari is also a jock and is the captain of the soccer team. He is the guy every girl in school has a crush on. Even though he is popular Watari does not exclude Kousei, who is less outspoken and has different interests. Overall the characters really pop and have dynamic character arcs. Also, they are more mature than most high school anime characters.

Plot: The plot is simple, yet at the same time complicated, with hidden nuances. If you watch the series I would recommend re-watching the first few episodes after you finish (if anything you’ll get closure, but you can also appreciate the beginning much more). Also, it can get pretty intense - I never knew classical music could be so dramatic!

Ending: Is it happy? Yes. Is it sad? Yes. Will you cry? Yes. Is it beautiful? Absolutely!

Things to Watch For: I honestly can’t think of anything.

Humor: There is plenty of humor present in this show. Some of it comes in slapstick form (like when Kousei gets hit in the head with a baseball). Some of it comes from the character’s exaggerated reactions (like when Kousei drops to the ground spurting blood from said baseball).

Sights and Sounds: My first thought when I started watching the show: The animation is gorgeous! It is full of detail and color. If you love classical music you will love this show! The score for this anime is influenced by classical instruments such as the piano and violin. I particularly liked the first opening song and was disappointed when it was replaced at the halfway point.

Other Media: Your Lie in April is the anime adaptation of a manga of the same name. There is also a spin-off manga called Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso: Coda  that tells a story from the character’s childhood. It will be released in book format (tankobon) August 17, 2016. A live-action film is scheduled to come out in Japan this September.

Fillers: There are no fillers in this anime.

Length: Your Lie in April is 22 episodes long, which is the perfect length for its story arc. It is long enough to tell the whole story, but not so long that it is drawn out.

Where to Watch: You can watch Your Lie in April on Crunchyroll, as well as Hulu and Netflix.

Update: New Video Upload!

     First off: Happy Labor Day! I hope you are enjoying your day off!

     I hope to be adding a new video review to the YouTube channel at least every two weeks. The blog should have a review once a week. Or so. We all know life gets in the way sometimes, but we will try our best to meet this goal.

     Anyway, the review for today is Free! (both seasons). Please check it out! Here are some fun facts about this review:
- This was the third review we filmed.
- We filmed it at the beginning of summer (you can tell) but I wanted to post it now instead of waiting another year for the stars to align.
- I'm wearing swim goggles.

     That's all for now folks! See you next week!

P.S. I was trying to update the blog, but I somehow messed up the time-space continuum and made a couple posts disappear from the blog. Not to worry, in the following days I will be uploading them so that they can return to their rightful places in society. I hope this has not been an inconvenience. Thank you for your patience!

Anime Review: Trigun

Title: Trigun

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Western

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is an anime that I think everyone should watch, if not for enjoyment, to say that you have at least watched the masterpiece that is Trigun. 

This is on the Top 5 Animated features to watch before you die along with Your Lie in April.Trigun placed first for Action, and Your Lie in April won first for Drama.

General Set-Up: In a far off distant planet that is similar to the wild west Vash the Stampede (yes, that is the name of the main character) is worth 60 billion double dollars. It is said that Vash is a human cyclone, the first ever classified human natural disaster by an insurance company. It is also rumored that Vash caused an incident that caused a town to be wiped off the map. Because of this Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson from the Bernardelli Insurance Society must follow Vash around and try to prevent another disaster, all while taking insurance claims from many of Vash’s misadventures.

Characters: Vash the Stampede is not your typical main character. He tends to stand out of a crowd with his tall frame, wild, blonde hair styled into a mohawk, and bright red coat. All that and the personality to match. But what this show does best is the dual nature of the characters. Throughout the show you will be left wondering whether Vash is just doing everything by the seat of his pants, or if he actually has some semblance of a plan. The world may never know, although I suspect that it is a combination of the two. And perhaps the two things that stand out about Vash the most is his love for donuts and his desire for love and peace. Both are very important to him.

    Milly and Meryl are more simple than Vash. Sent by the Bernardelli Insurance Society, they both seem to be winging it and hoping for the best. Which, makes sense, because it’s not everyday that someone gets classified as an human disaster.

    I would be remiss if I did not mention the other main(ish) character, despite the fact that his is not introduced until much later on in the series. Nicholas D. Wolfwood! However epic that name sounds, he’s more epic. Dressed in a spiffy suit, he begins to follow Vash and the insurance girls around. Like Vash, he also has a dual nature. He is a preacher, and right off the bat, a rather strange one. He is first seen after his motorcycle breaks down, carrying a HUGE cross across the desert. With even a miniature confessional, he seems to be a rather eccentric Catholic priest. But that all flies out the window when you learn that the cross is full of guns! Is he true to the ideals of a priest or to a mercenary? You may never know!

Plot: The plot at first can’t seem to know what to do with itself. The first few episodes are very similar to what you might find on Saturday morning cartoons. The villain is introduced at the beginning of the episode, only to be defeated by the end of the episode. But the first episodes serve their purpose, and serve it well. They let us get to know all the characters and also introduce the ideals of Vash the Stampede. They are light-hearted, and full of humor, and arguably the most enjoyable episodes in the show.   About halfway through the plot suddenly becomes more serious, although there are still many humorous parts.

Finally, your main villains are introduced, and face off against Vash. The second half of the series plays like a thriller, with many twists and turns. It takes a much darker turn, going into morality, ethics, and metaphysics. The second half is different, but just as good as the first half, if not better!

Ending: The ending, while radically different than the ending in the manga, was satisfying and epic. What more could you ask for? It was as close to a perfect ending in Sci-fi that I think we are ever going to get.

Sound: The soundtrack is one thing that will never age. Perhaps the most well known track is H.T. the opening. Full of electric guitars and awesomeness, it pumps us up for each episode. It was so epic (in fact) that I listened to the opening for each episode. There is a longer version of this song called “H.T. in Badlands Rumble” that is available that was used in the Trigun movie.

    Not only was the opening spectacular, but the background music was as well. Trigun, like Cowboy Bebop, is a Space Western. The soundtrack includes many of the sounds of the Wild West like guitars and banjos, but also includes electric and synthesized instruments that form music that is familiar, yet alien, much like the setting in Trigun.

    Now, to the voice dub work. In a word: Epic. In two words: Super Epic! All the voices in Trigun were brilliant, but none as much as Johnny Young Bosch. It was the first major performance for Johnny Yong Bosch and did he ever knock it out of the park. Vash’s voice perfectly captured the character, going from zero to sixty. One moment Vash’s voice is soft and caring, the next loud and jovial, and the next challenging and harsh. It take some major voice talent to be able to pull that off.

    In my opinion, the English dub was far better than the Japanese dub. Part of it is the fact the western slang just doesn’t sound right in Japanese. Part of it lies in the fact that Trigun was very unpopular in Japan (much more popular in the west) and so had a lower dubbing budget. Part of it was also due to the fact that FUNimation pulled out all the stops, and I mean all of the stops,  for a voice acting cast. I generally don’t care if you watch a show in English or Japanese, but this is one that, hands down, should be watched in English.

Animation: Now, to be honest, the animation in Trigun is dated. There’s no way around that. But considering what they did have in 1998 it’s pretty darn good. The animation works when it has to. By far the most well animated part of the series is the characters. The facial expressions perfectly match what is going on screen, which is much better than even some recent animation that we’ve seen. Each character is drawn differently, with different designs for the eyes, texture of hair and clothing, and other details that make the animation pop.

    Also, there is this random black cat with green eyes that pops up at least once in every episode for some reason. It’s like an “I Spy” book, but you have to find the cat--not that it’s very challenging. I just find it really interesting that they put that in the show.

Things to watch out for: There is really no gore in Trigun, but there is some language and the second half of the show has darker tones. 

Other Media: Trigun has a movie that come out recently in 2010. It takes place sometime in the middle of the series, but is not important to the central plot. It is made so that you can watch the movie first, and then the anime, but I would recommend that you watch the anime first. It does not adapt any of the story line in the manga, but creates an original story.

    Trigun also has two mangas on which the series was based. Some of the first parts of the manga are adapted in the anime, but then the anime got a head of the manga. But Trigun is the only manga to anime adaptation in which I can say both endings are truly great. Both answer most of the questions left and have that satisfying feeling. While the conclusion in the manga is much longer, I can say both deserve a watch/read.

Where to watch it: Trigun is licensed by FUNimation.

Victory!

     I am pleased to announce that our YouTube channel is up and running! Yay! (Seriously, I am really excited about this because it is finally up!!!!)

     So, please, please, please check us out (no pressure). ;) Right now we only have a couple videos up (should be the Naruto and Nobunaga reviews, as well as an intro video).

     Wow, this is really short. I thought I would have more to talk about.

     Anyway, without further ado, I give you the grand unveiling of Rose Squad Reviews!

Manga Review: Reimei no Arcana

This is my first review of a manga, so we’ll see how this goes. :)

Title: Reimei no Arcana (or Dawn of the Arcana)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Shounen, fantasy, romance, drama

General Setup: In an attempt to keep the peace between two neighboring countries Princess Nakaba is marrying Prince Caesar as an act of good faith. Caesar acts cruel and demeaning towards Nakaba. Her only friend is her attendant Loki. Suddenly Nakaba starts to get visions. Some of them are of Caesar getting mortally hurt. What is going on? Will she try and protect him or leave him to his own measures?

Characters: Nakaba had few friends as a child. Because of her red hair she was locked away as an outcast of the court. Despite being rejected and mistreated she has a strong spirit and is willing to stand up for what she believes in. Nakaba has a kind heart toward others and wants to help them in anyway she can. She doesn’t care for material belongings, instead she treasures her relationships with people. Caesar acts cruelly towards Nakaba, but soon he comes to care for her. Behind a rough exterior he hides a heart that cares. He is a natural leader, but never had the chance to use his talent because he is not the Crown Prince. Loki is an Ajin (a species with both human and animal characteristics - they reminded me of the Faunus from RWBY). He is compassionate, but is also willing to hurt others in order to obtain his goal.

Plot: The plot for Reimei no Arcana  is actually very intricate. There are multiple plot twists lying in wait for readers. Get excited - you won’t be bored! The story has some deep themes, one of them being the discrimination of the Ajin, who are considered sub-human. Also, the story gets a little dark in some places. While I may not always like the actions the characters take they move the plot forward and are sometimes the only thing they could have done to improve their situations.

Ending: I feel like this story has two endings: the one you think is the ending and then the actual ending. Both of my reactions to them were, “What?!” and then, “Oh.” Disregarding my vague comments that are an attempt to avoid spoilers, I enjoyed the way this manga ended. The [actual] ending, while a surprise, ends on a bittersweet note. I almost cried (and I am not a big crier), but it was mostly happy.

Things to Watch For: Nakaba and Caesar are married, so there are some adult themes. Not to worry, nothing overt happens. Also, as I mentioned, the story can be a little dark. I’ll put it this way: Stuff gets real.

Humor: This manga has a more serious feel, but humor is still present.

Visuals: Manga doesn’t really have sound, so I changed the heading for this. I personally enjoyed the art style. It was cool to see the characters change as time went on (ex. Hair growth). The only thing that bothered me about the art was how Nakaba’s braid is so thin. Like, I think you have more hair than that!

Other media: Reimei no Arcana is just a manga. But it’s a good manga, so you should read it!

Length: This manga is composed of 13 volumes.

Where to Read: Reimei no Arcana is licensed in English, so look for it in libraries and bookstores. It is also available to read online. However, I am not convinced of the legality of that particular method.

First Impressions: Your Lie in April

For a video version of this first impression please go here.

Going into this episode all I knew about the anime was that it was about a guy who played piano and a girl who played violin. Well, that and a few other basic plot details, but I had no idea how it was going to happen!

My first impression of the first impression: Beautiful animation! Just gorgeous!

Thoughts on the theme song: Not what I expected, but it introduces the characters nicely. I can tell that there will be two female main characters and two male main characters. I especially liked the crescendo in the middle.

So, your main character is this bespectacled dude named Kousei. He was a child prodigy at piano. The episode opens with a scene of him playing in a giant concert hall. Then the music stops and there is an abrupt time skip and scene change that brings us to the present. Kousei is a middle schooler (which I was surprised to learn).

At the end of the school day he walks home with his friends. One of his friends mentions how when you love somebody everything is colorful. Kousei thinks to himself that he obviously has never been in love because he sees the world in a monotone. I got the feeling that part of this had to do with his mother who pushed him to become a talented pianist, but died when he was 11. This caused him to lose the ability to hear himself play the piano.

One Saturday morning Kousei is waiting to meet his friends near a playground when he hears the sound of live music. He sees a girl playing an instrument called a melodica (think a mini piano that you blow into - I swear I’m not making this up!). She plays with an obvious joy that surprises him.

As matters would have it, the girl (her name is Kaori) and Kousei go to the same school and have some mutual friends. She is a violinist and is performing for a contest that day. When Kaori invites him to come watch her performance Kousei tries to back out of going, but he gets dragged along.

I sensed that Kousei tends to avoid musical events because they remind him of his mother and his inability to hear the piano, so I was curious to see what would happen when he went to watch Kaori play. I was so curious to see what would happen next that instead of recording my observations in a more permanent form than field notes I pushed the ‘next video’ button. This happened again and again until I had watched the first five episodes and it was 11:00 at night (which for me is late). ;)

Note: To read my review for this anime go here.