I just hate and feel embarassed that one of my favorite Anime shows is doing something stupid like this. Like a ninja deceptively presenting himself to enemies as a bumbler who doesn’t know ninjitsu, this show lulls us into a false sense of tranquility. The animation was good considering the chibi style of it, and the story lines are very cute. The real Naruto story is getting very serious, especially now with the war coming up, so knowing they spent time drawing your favorite characters in such a light-hearted manner seems like wasted effort to me. I also act negatively towards this anime series because it’s replacing Bleach. I absolutely adore Bleach, but I think it was the right time to put the anime series on hiatus. Bleach’s anime story line was getting so close to the manga’s, it would have taken a year’s worth of filler episodes to let the manga get further ahead, which I think wouldn’t have been very entertaining. One filler arc can be enjoyable, but too many will get stale very soon, and Bleach would have needed many considering how close the anime was to reaching the manga.

As hard as it is to believe, there does some seem to be some similarly-surprising commentary in the first half. The first story was all about Rock Lee’s rivalry with Neji. Of course as fans of the original Naruto series will know, they have had a long rivalry and Lee has always come up short in his efforts to beat the genius Neji. It might have been better if the characters were chibified for about half the time instead of always, as it takes away from the serious tone of the situations at hand. From here, the show’s comedy is really incredibly simple – lots of slapstick, a fair amount of childish toilet humor, and all real potential threats are thrown out the window. But this show has a lot of potential and when more episodes come out I am positive more people will come to enjoy it. But, as of now, at only five episodes in, I can’t recommend it.

That said, since the show has been steadily improving each week. Still, for the most part we can’t deny that this is a fun series that has a reasonably good ratio of comedy hits to misses in general, and for Naruto fans with a thirst for a giggle then you can’t go far wrong with watching the series. I do tend to be a bit more critical as this is one of the most popular series ever and the producers should take that into account when making a sub-par story. As the main series continues to get more and more serious, this definitely provides a cute outlet for the younger fans that could serve as an eventual gateway to the other series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Li6ji4gUpw

Hopefully this trend can continue, and if it does, then it will certainly be a series I will recommend to someone who is looking for a good comedy. Although, it might be too early to tell, I hope it doesn’t go down the same route of the main series itself and run to hundreds of episodes while hammering its ideas into the ground. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you of the shows shortcomings. If you’re still interested…new episodes debut on VIZAnime and Hulu every Tuesday, two weeks after broadcast debut in Japan! Again, why make a show about mystical ninjas and then starring Rock Lee, the ninja who actually can’t use ninjutsu? The plus is that it gives a chance to focusing on stories with Rock Lee and others from the Hidden Leaf Village provides a chance for everyone to get some screen time.

Zoids chaotic century is one of the few animes I love, the chaotic century arc lasts the first 34 episodes of the series, but the arc has two very clear parts this is a review of the first part. The Zoids themselves are giant living robotic animals fitted with weapons that can be piloted by those skilled enough to survive. The story takes place on planet Zi where a war has been waged between the Gigalos Empire and the Helic Republic. The action begins during a shaky cease fire between the nations in an outskirt town of the Republic. We meet Van Flyheight, a precocious driven young kid whose father was killed in the war, as he’s being chased by bandit mercenaries through a desert littered with dead zoids. He manages to escape them by hiding in a temple left over from the time of the ancient Zoidians. While hiding Van finds a secret room with capsules, after defrosting them a small zoid emerges from the first one. It’s a zoid type he’s never seen before and he decides to name him Zeke. After making friends with each other Zeke emits a glowing light and flies into the core of a dead Shield-Liger zoid after several moments the Liger is resurrected and Van uses it to fight to the bandits.

From the second capsule a beautiful girl emerges who doesn’t remember anything about herself or why she was in this secret room with Zeke. The only thing she remembers is the phrase, “Zoid Eve”; Van decides to give her the name “Fiona” and decides to help her recover her memories. They decide to start by trying to find the Zoids Eve, wherever or whatever it is. This basically lays the premise of the series even though this is only the underlining plot. Each episode is generally self resolving and usually is packed with action and zoid fights. The group will encounter a problem or find someone willing to pay for their protection and by the end the general plot is also furthered slightly as we get several more hints and clues about the mysterious Fiona. Sometimes Fiona gets visions of her past and she sees a huge dark force in a burning city after viewing an ancient carving.

The first 16 episodes the trio start the adventure by heading the capitol of the Helic Republic where they hope to get a look at research dedicated to ancient Zoidians. Along the way they run into a transporter named Moonbay and a mercenary named Irvine who recognizes Zeke for what he is an orginoid, an extremely powerful and rare zoid that hasn’t been seen since the time of the ancient zoidians. Orginoids can fuse with the core of a zoid and improve it in unknown ways. Irvine challenge Van to a duel for Zeke and after several episodes Irvine becomes impressed with Van and joins the group if only to get Zeke to join him. The series really picks up when the war breaks out again and the group is drafted by the Republic to run jobs along the border to delay the impending invasion. The best couple of episodes deal with the defense of the biggest republic base and the desperate attempt to defend it from the grasp of General Prozan of the Empire. It’s a pretty insane battle and since it’s the last line of defense for the capitol there’s a lot of tension. The final few episodes deal with the invasion of the capitol. After all is said and done the group gets a major clue leading them to believe they might find some answers for Fiona in the Empire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5UBlf1X-dA

I really like the progression of the series the same threat is never repeated. In the first episode the threat is the bandits, in the second there is an entire gang of Zoid pilots, in one while traveling through a weird valley all their zoids functions go bad. In another there’s an entire armada of sleeper zoids attack the group while they are resting at a temple. My favorite villain is definitely a terrifying Zoid pilot named Raven. Raven becomes Van’s rival throughout the series as he is by far the most skilled pilot whose only goal seems to be destruction, Raven also has an orginoid but he’s so good he barely uses it, that’s how you know he’s a badass. In a particularly awesome scene you see Raven kill an entire base full of Republic Zoids even though his Saber Fang zoid is barely functioning and only has 3 legs. The animation is an acquired taste, it has the classic look like Dragon Ball Z for the most part but all the Zoids are 3d computer animated and until you get used to that its kind of awkward. You see plenty of different Zoids in the series all are modeled after animals but the stronger ones are modeled after dinosaurs. I always liked the dragon zoid and the Iron Kong zoid best. The characters are all interesting and Van’s progression as a pilot is well done. Initially he is terrible and Zeke does most of the fighting but eventually he grows. The plot, the war, the characters, and the action all combine to make an epic series. This show is almost impossible to find but if you do absolutely watch it.

A bunch of college-aged Otakus, sitting around in a cramped study room doesn’t exactly make for compelling television. Then again, western film directors such as Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater have been making a boon out of twenty-something drop-outs, discussing the finer points of pop culture. I suppose sooner or later anime was bound to tackle the Fandom so often surrounding each of its products. The question of how it would tackle such a sensitive subject without offending its loyal audience would certainly prove a difficult feat to overcome.

Thankfully Genshiken manages to provide an all too knowing glimpse into a world rarely seen but often talked about. Telling the story of freshman Kanji Sasahara, as he attends the after school club known as “The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture” we are introduced to an assortment of weird and wonderful characters as they sit and talk about their shared hobbies for model collecting, Anime and Cosplay. That’s about it. Adapted from the eleven volume Manga and spread over two television series and an OVA; Genshiken has no qualms about digging into the world of dedicated Fandom. Everything from Hentai to the art of Doujinshi is addressed, as we witness each of the characters interact and grow from acquaintances with shared hobbies into a family.

That was probably the aspect of Genshiken that surprised me most, the fact that this was a show willing to inject some genuine pathos into its characters. Sure there are the standard Otaku tropes that we’ve seen a million times before, but the fact that the story was willing to delve beyond those initial stereotypes should be credited. Take for example the beautiful Saki Kasukabe, a girl that has little to know interest in anime but not only acts as the audience’s cipher, but also as someone whose situation we grow to empathise with. This is a girl mixed up in a relationship with the handsome yet irrevocably childish Makoto Kousaka, a dyed in the wool Otaku and connoisseur of Hentai and Eroge PC games. Or perhaps the hilariously beyond help Harunobu Madarame is more to your taste? A self proclaimed hardcore Otaku, with poor social skills and dwindling career prospects, Madarame provides a comic relief to the snobbish elite we all know to well. Each and every character in this ensemble is not only well thought out, but provides weight to that age old adage of “there’s more than meets the eye”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlFozPAIA-0

There are a few inconsistencies along the way, such as season two’s second act lull or the poor introduction of a brand new character, but Genshiken is a show with some genuinely heartfelt moments, and some well timed humour, that not acts only a fantastic character study but an excellent document of a culture rarely witnessed in media.

On the streets of Ikebukuro anything can happen, so goes the adage of Brain’s Base’s “Durarara!!”. Adapted from the light novel series by Ryohgo Narita, “Durarara!!” explores a seedy underworld inhabited with two bit street thugs, Irish folklore and bartenders with rage issues, in a story that’s equal parts Yakuza fiction and Grimm Fairytale. Taking a multi-faceted approach to narrative previously seen in Narita’s widely publicised “Baccano!!” series, “Durarara!!” applies an almost Altmanesque approach to its fairy tale logic, weaving multiple character stories into incomprehensible knots of character exposition and happenstance. Whilst not as erratic as the gangster opus of “Baccano!!”, “Durarara!!” takes an almost perverse pleasure in letting the viewer piece together the jigsaw puzzle of its narrative framework.

Having moved from the safe rural town of Saitama to the bright lights of Tokyo, Mikado Ryugamimi, has a lot to learn about city living. Luckily for him, his childhood friend Masaomi Kida is willing to show him the ropes as they tour the streets of Ikebukuro. Throughout his whistle stop tour of the town Mikado meets some of the colourful characters that inhabit the city he now calls home. Characters like Izaya Orihara the lanky snake oils salesman that’s equal parts informant and shit stirrer. Or Simon the Russian sushi chef on the lam from authorities, who has since found his true calling in life serving up a weird fusion of east, meets west delicacies. Then of course, there is the Black Rider, possibly the most enigmatic of them all. I’ve yet to even mention the group known only as the Dollars, or Shizuo the bar tender with the strength of ten men. Suffice it to say “Durarara!!” is packed to the brim with the kind of characters that would often be the focal point of a competitors show.

Boasting a slick production with beautifully realised character designs “Durarara!!” is a show that offers the kind of background art that makes me cautious to visit the real locales for fear of it not living up to my expectations. It is fair to say that the Brain’s Base’s attention to detail has really paid off. This is a world crafted by a team that really understands the minutia of Ryohgo Narita light novels. The cherry on top of this wonderful production comes from Makoto Yoshimori frankly bonkers score. Blending a mixture of Acid Jazz with Eastern European Accordions and Baroque orchestrations, Makoto Yoshimori presents a sound-scape that’s as eccentric as its characters; quite how any of this manages to actually stay coherent is a mystery unto itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAEyNiENSCs

So what are we left with? This is a show that’s as equally convoluted as it is marvellous. A show that for whatever reason seems to lack a coherent ending, yet at the same time provides a journey that dazzles the viewer with heart pumping action and some fantastic dialogue. I could probably write an entire thesis on the shows use of historical influences or its deep seated sexual angst bubbling beneath each any every one of the characters. It’s a show that can be surmised in a thousand words or simply in two. So what are you waiting for? Watch it.

Hikikomori (or hermit) is a very real and very severe problem in modern day Japan, to the point of being declared a national crisis. It has become so severe that it is believed to of even caused an impact on the countries own national birth rate. Welcome To The NHK, a 24 part anime series, takes this very real issue, makes fun of it and somehow manages to create one of the most profoundly endearing anime series of all time.

Adapted from the Manga by Tatsuhiko Takimoto and Kendi Oiwa and lead by Studio Gonzo, Welcome To The NHK tells the story of twenty-something-year-old Satou a college drop out turned shut-in who has withdrawn himself from the world. He is sleep deprived, paranoid and severely close to full blown mental breakdown. Then he meets the beautiful Misaki, and for the first time feels he is required to justify his existence. What follows is a dark journey through the looking glass of Otaku fandom as Sato is slowly consumed by his own paranoia. As we follow Sato through his day-today life we are taken to places both genuinely heartfelt and depressingly bleak. It feels appropriate to mention that some caution should be given before watching this series.

Welcome To The NHK is a rare example of a show that basks in the often negatively perceived aspects of anime fandom. No subject matter is deemed unsuitable with both Hentai and Lolita Complexes frequently cropping up. As far as the show is concerned, no cow is sacred. Thankfully the show manages to pack a lot of material in its twenty or so minutes, bringing forth an art style both consistent with the original source material but with enough character to stand on it’s own. Character designs step away from the fantastical and keep a foot firmly in the realistic with backdrops suitably lo-fi and authentic. Surprisingly what ties the show together is it’s soundtrack. Taking equal influence from Jon Brion’s work on Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and blended with the contemporary yet experimental J-rock of acts like “Seagull Screaming…”. Aside from FLCL I struggle to think of another show that brings this calibre of “indie-cred” to mainstream anime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ2SbavmcmE

Welcome To The NHK is not for everyone, this is a series that takes great pleasure in subverting the viewers expectations, taking unusual tangents and approaching quite often disturbing topics with a dark sense of humour. For those of you looking for an original anime with something to say and genuine heart, look no further.

Blade was one of four Marvel Anime series produced for the Japanese market in 2011. The one that peaked my interest was the franchise that Wesley Snipes original got me into. So, you know the gist if you’ve seen the movies; Blade, half-human/half-vampire, all the strengths, none of the weaknesses! Blade’s quest for vengeance leads him throughout Southeast Asia in search of Frost, where, in Vietnam, he discovers a vampire plot that threatens to take down the whole world. His first run in with vampires in Japan is moody as he deals with a group that’s toying with some random person and it lets us understand that most of what you hear about how to kill vampires are just myths.

The other bad guy in the story is Lucius, who was his usual deliciously evil self. Making the same mistake Blade: Trinity made by having Blade be secondary in his own movie, Blade Anime introduces a father and daughter team that fight both vampires and werewolves. The series bobbed along but never really carried me with it. Instead I forced myself to follow it downstream. I know there’s only so much you can do with the character without taking away from the mystery of him, but it’s not that difficult. The mythology of the character is also played around with a bit too much, so comic fans may have a problem with that, but this is still the best version of the character on screen yet.

What I have failed to mention thus far is the romantic aspect of the series. Blade’s trip to the past does help Makoto some as she’s dealing with her own issues after the lsos of her father, and getting a better look at his pain when he discovered someone claiming to be his mother is certainly instructive. Makoto’s dealing with a lot of fresh pain and plenty of blame towards him, but she’s also realizing that it’s not the right path. While his early childhood is difficult and he suffered a lot and lost a lot, seeing the way it pushed him even further as time went on just reinforces why he’s so hard. Combining this with what we learned in the previous episode with the training he got from Van Helsing gives us a fairly rounded and mostly complete origin story, though there’s plenty more to tell as well since it’s just scratching the surface.

Another strong point I would love to mention is the character of Frost. Deacon Frost was always Blade’s arch nemesis in the comics, and the first movie utilized him well despite his banal looks, but this show has the true Deacon Frost; a huge, massive, overpowering giant with all the best abilities of vampires and beasts. It’s a great creation and the Deacon Frost that we should have seen in the theatrical films. Every showdown between him and Blade is a real treat, and the final showdown in particular between the two is dazzling. The animation of the show as a whole is top notch, balancing the dark and gritty with the lush and transparent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFF0z1vEpk

So, in conclusion there is a lot of bad and good with this series. Luckily, it was broadcasted on free cable and it was relatively short. The setup for Blade is simple in that he’s still hunting down the vampire that got his mother and in the end turned him into what he is now, a daywalker. The inclusion of Wolverine, and Asian territories is only a bonus and has gotten me even more hyped for the upcoming Wolverine film. For the most part, Blade is easy to follow anime series while still being a quality step up from average PG super-hero material in both tone and weight. A masterpiece, although, this is not. Thumbs in the middle.

Ryoko Okami, the her BFF Ringo, also known as Little Red Riding Hood, are members of Otogi Bank – a high school club that helps classmates out of grim situations. One day, a meek young man proclaims his love to Ryoko, who does nothing but bite him in return. “You’re much too weak for me,” she huffs. So the boy joins Otogi Bank to prove he has the stuff to protect his beloved – even if it means taking a blow to the head with a lead pipe. The school itself is then part of a larger group which owns the city. The concept of a feudal society mixed with mafia tones in how things run, is very prominent.

Okami-San and Her Seven Companions requires a certain amount of patience to enjoy. It is really annoying that the narrator and characters talk over each other the entire show. While I like the narration, the subtitles become atrociously hard to follow. However, if you relax and let the slowly evolving relationship between Ryoshi and Ryoko run its course, there’s a lot to enjoy in this series. Through a series of adventures the two try working out a troubled but ultimately sweet relationship.

On that note, presented through Ookami’s relationship with Ryoushi, the show doesn’t seem to know whether it wants to celebrate her strength or claim her weaknesses. This is always a tricky thing to accomplish when an anime has a female lead. For me, I found it a little bit silly and ridiculous, and I’m less than pleased at the wimpy male lead, but overall entertaining enough to continue watching. Second, Ookami-san is too light-hearted for the seriousness of the Shirou plot-line, making it hard to take seriously when the show reverts to lame high school teen drama missions. All in all, the anime is centered around a romantic storyline that moves at a glacier pace that just doesn’t do it for this reviewer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StT2on4H4Wo

I’m not confident enough to give the show a solid thumbs-up, but the interactions of these characters, coming from their fable roots, brings a degree of freshness to the anime that gives it a step above others. At times it takes itself way too seriously, and at time it doesn’t take itself serious enough. Though the constant fairy tale parodying throughout the series may seem like an easy gimmick for fan appeal, it manages to do it in a way that’s endearing and comedic. So, as you can see, there are very prominent good points and bad points. Lastly, I will say it will cause you to rethink your opinion of the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood! Is it worth watching? I’ll say yes. However, do keep in mind the faults that I mentioned and you should find some slight enjoyment from this series.

Browsing my XboxLive for something good to watch the other day, I came across an interesting anime series entitled, ‘Occult Academy’. The story revolves around Maya, the daughter of the former headmaster of a private Japanese academy dedicated to the study of the occult who died in 1999; and a time traveling agent Uchida, a mysterious young man who travels back in time from 2012. The synopsis was pretty interesting so I started watching this. I was amazed by the potential this show could bring in the first episode. One missing magical key could open the doors to many adventures, worlds, people etc. Inheriting a complete occult school, she has only the help from some schoolmates and an idiotic dude from the future – who can bend spoons, to sort the strange things happening there out.

Maya is initially doubtful about his claims as she doesn’t believe in the occult but as the series progresses various adventures lead her to change her opinion. The two of them are usually accompanied my a couple of Miya’s classmates, the school’s mechanic and an occult dowser. Fumiaki is frequently distracted from his search by the attractive woman who cooks at the local restaurant. I’m surprised that this series isn’t better known; the characters and story are interesting and the character design and backgrounds look great. The story had plenty of gripping moments, funny moments and some good twists. While the fan service is very tame compared to many series there is a seduction scene that is genuinely erotic… without being sleazy. When the penultimate episode arrived I thought we were going to get a long drawn out fight with heroes and villain shouting spells at each other; thankfully there was another good twist to be had before it ended.

Aside from the occult, the time travel, one of this series’ strong points is its comedy. However, the parts where the animation shines the most has to be the second arc (episodes 5 and 6), which has a dream sequence that is visually spectacular, utilizing many colors and being very creative. There’s a certain kind of detail and love in how they design things even in simple things such as a school hallway that gives it more of a life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy_OmTz28Oc

The incidental music, meaning the background audio that builds a mood for a specific scene or enhances the transition from one scene to another, did not stand out enough to distract me from what I was watching. That is half the job for incidental music, but because it did the first half so well, I didn’t notice if it did the second half and actually add to or improve the overall viewing experience. But, every character fulfills a fine role. If these were real-life actors, we’d be giving out Emmy’s for the acting performances. A character-driven show with characters up to the task can be a very fine thing to watch. All in all, Occult Academy presents a fresh, innovative take on supernatural fantasy with superb, nearly flawless production. Crackle on XboxLive is simu-casting Occult Academy, in which it will stream the episodes live right after its airing in Japan without a subscription fee (although you must have a gold account). I recommend any anime fan to give this a watch!

The last descendants of an evil race of warriors known as the Saiyans are on a collision course with Earth, and Goku – the strongest fighter on the planet – is all that stands between humanity and extinction. To save his friends and the world he loves, Goku travels to a realm from which few return. There are some odd cuts in this part, more noticeable than in the previous sections. I figure it is due to the larger amount of unnecessary content. Often one character will be doing one thing, then the next time you see them they are in a different place, or doing something different for no apparent reason. If you watch the old DVDs or VHS series then you see where and why the cuts were made. These cuts are most noticeable though in those slow episodes. In the busier episodes, things seem to be more cohesive.

I must say that I am a fan of this release. I was a huge fan of the Cell and Cell Games sagas and I remember quite a bit of the dialogue and action (from the old VHS dubs) and I am glad that this keeps true to the heart of the series. Also of note: with the new English dubbing, 16, 18, and Cell have very different sounding voices, so it takes a bit of getting used to with the new dubs. The voice acting for Goku, Trunks, Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta are pretty true to the original. The places where Toei made the cuts and edits are becoming more obvious now. You really kind of notice it for example, when Piccolo is talking on the lookout in his torn battle clothing then they show Tien, then Piccolo again, yet this time he has his shiny new outfit on. Since I have the original DVDs I have been watching the new release and going back and re-watching the old release. It is during these episodes where I start to think the original US release may have been slightly better quality (dubbing, music, and more content). I still enjoy this release immensely and do not regret purchasing at all.

I would highly recommend Kai for those who want to watch Dragon Ball Z without most of the filler. However, there are some drawbacks in Kai: the original score is replaced by the original DBZ score by Kikuchi and Kai doesn’t contain the Majin Boo saga. But, keep in mind, Dragon Ball Z Kai arrives in celebration of that 25th Anniversary. It is not a new series, but rather a rebuilding of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z anime. Part Seven of this continuing series of volumes is really nothing groundbreaking. 78-88 were always some of my favorite arcs and seeing Cell again brings back good visions of nostalgia. Not to mention, the blu-ray video quality looks amazing. One could make excuses that this is an aged but of animation done on film and that is to be expected, but given what a fuss was made over how there was a major restoration undertaken on this I cut it some slack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nSWEjub5kU

The androids and Cell provide some exciting new enemies for our heroes to confront, and the reappearance of Goku gives longtime fans something to celebrate. What some may have an issue with is yet another Deus ex Machina plot point which sees our heroes able to up their power yet again to defeat a dastardly enemy. How many more “level ups” will be needed to get us through the series’ final few episodes? This will be worth it for DBZ enthusiasts looking to complete their collections, but over the course of the series, Dragon Ball Z Kai never really grows beyond one violent clash after the next with the outcome always being rather predictable. But, this is DRAGON BALL Z! When has that ever been a bad thing?

Season 2 is upon us! The follow up to our highly acclaimed first season — Japan’s toughest warlords are on the move, leading massive armies against their rivals in a thrilling quest for total domination. Wielding insane weaponry and unleashing the elements to boost their already awesome power, these warrior generals roar into the fray atop turbo-charged stallions, slicing through the enemy with six blades at once. If you read really deep into it, you could probably find some hidden plot meaning, but otherwise, the most one would get out of it is that there is a war going on and different factions are fighting for unification/power.

This season improves on its predecessor, by maintaining the strong over-the-top craziness we received from the first season. Masamune, Shingen, and Kenshin’s forces are engaged in a three way battle when they find themselves surrounded by the soldiers of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who seeks to unite Japan and help it grow into a strong country. Nothing is more exciting then watching a fluid battle scene play out before your eyes. After all, they brandish explosive shotguns and swing swords the size of men. How could action fans not love that?

With the events of the firsts season now behind the core cast, the defeat of Nobunaga and all that he represented has lead them all to quite a victory. But, there’s lots of shouting, lots of chasing, and a few minor battles before the main story thread really gets going. As loyalties crumble and new alliances are forged in the scorching heat of battle, heroes become conquerors and conquerors become legends, but it is here where the series stumbles as difficulty in the number of characters you have to recognize and keep track of very early on in the episodes. History buffs might have an easier time with this problem however, as almost all of the characters in Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings 2 are based on real historical characters, which is a nice touch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxWwg6lmsVs

With that last point brought out, this series does add more humanity to the show, by questioning the motives for war and the meaning of “strength” defined byt the all-out battles. There’s a good buildup towards the final couple of episodes where all the forces finally come to a head and it plays out in spectacular fashion. Many anime fans don’t enjoy this series due to the amount of action and ‘lack’ of plot, but for us at Japan Cinema, it’s a huge guilty pleasure that looks and sounds fantastic. If you loved season one, this purchase is a no brainer.