Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Nodome Cantabile [review]

Publicat de Adrian On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 0 comentarii



Alternative Titles
Japanese: のだめカンタービレ

Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 23
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jan 12, 2007 to Jun 15, 2007
Producers: J.C. Staff, Genco, Kodansha
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Slice of Life, Josei
Duration: 22 min. per episode
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Review


Story
The story is deep yet not complicated enough to detract you from the main plot. An arrogant and talented college student with both ambition and passion chases his dream of being a conductor with the help of other young musicians who are inspired by his talent and charm. The pace is just right; the story continues to push forward but gives you enough time to reflect and rejoice in the moment. It does not try to overpower the anime, but lets the other elements like the music shine right through.

Art and Sound
Nodame Cantabile surpasses every other anime I have ever seen in this category. The whole anime is a work of art. They know how to bring music to life in the anime and build suspense with the intensity of emotion displayed in the audience and musician's faces. You become part of the show when you watch this anime and they do a great job of expressing music with artistic imagery and interpretation. The opening and ending were my favorites. The opening does a great job of energizing you with its uplifting tempo and catchy melody and makes you feel like you are hearing the beach boys yet the lyrics match the anime perfectly. The 2nd ending was one of my favorite endings of all time as it seemed like the perfect way to descend from the paradise the anime elevated me to.

Characters
As for the characters, the hero, Chiaki, seems to carry the weight of the world on his back yet he never misses a step and continues to persevere. He's not perfect, he has character flaws such as his temper and arrogance as well as some major weaknesses like his fear of flying and sailing. However, his weaknesses make his character more believable and admirable. He's the passionate hero we all long to watch.

Nodame, the female lead, is the fun, quirky character who plays opposite to Chiaki. Their contrasting styles and personalities make the anime very interesting and entertaining to watch. Although, I wouldn't say that there is much romantic development between the two as they do not even kiss during the entire series. However, the viewers don't seem to mind because this anime is a lot more than its story, characters, art, and animation.

Enjoyment
To really appreciate this anime, you have to be able to perceive the beautiful flow and mixing of the elements. The characters could not flourish without their passion for music and unique backgrounds. The animation could not be a masterpiece without the wondrous marriage of art and music. Together, they all create a beautiful symphony that could not be enjoyed piecemeal.

Try to let yourself go when you watch this, close your eyes from time to time and feel the music rushing through your veins and you will be sure to feel goosebumps as you imagine the feelings and emotions that the characters were motivated by.

Conclusion
Those who are easily swept off their feet by the sound of classical music, seek characters who entertain and surprise you, and have an open mind and soul will truly benefit from watching this anime. If you approach this anime in the right mindset, its beauty will penetrate you like an arrow that strikes you at the heart. And when you wake up, you will come as close to heaven as you can possibly get. No matter what your tastes, you will probably find something to like about this anime.
Read more ...»

Publicat de Adrian la 9:58 AM 0 comentarii
Etichete: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nana [review]

Publicat de Adrian On 0 comentarii



Alternative Titles
English: Nana
Japanese: ナナ

Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 47
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 5, 2006 to Mar 27, 2007
Producers: Madhouse Studios, VAP, Viz Media
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life, Josei
Duration: 23 min. per episode
Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity

Review

Story -- The plot is very character-driven, focusing heavily on two girls who, by amazing coincidence, are so similar but also very different as they walk their paths of life. It really would be nowhere if it weren't for all the wonderful characters that Yazawa-sensei has created. Furthermore, the story in the anime is so heart-wrenchingly told at certain points. The narrations at the beginning and end of each episode are told as if the future Nana or Hachi are looking back on old memories, reminiscing and possibly regretting, questioning and hoping, leaving you to wonder if Nana and Hachi ever got their happy ending.

Meanwhile, the pacing of the story was very well done. At times, especially near the beginning, I thought it lagged a bit much by going over the Nana and Hachi train meeting, but after that's over and done with, it goes at what I considered a perfect pace. I never felt once that the story was dragging and was always wanting to know what would happen in the next episode.

Art -- The art was done very nicely. The colours were vibrant but never too unrealistic, and the animation and CGI were smooth and never felt cheap. If I had any complaint, I'd say that the characters were often drawn too thin to the point where they looked anorexic or even completely unrealistic, even for anime characters. Otherwise, it was all very good.

Sound -- For anime series revolving around music, I tend to judge the music a little more harshly. Still, I loved all the songs from both Blast and Trapnest. Anna Tsuchiya provides a harsher, rougher tone, that nicely reflect Nana's character and style, while Olivia Lufkin's softer vocals provide a more romantic and feminine tone, which again shows the theme of contrasts. When the OPs or EDs were used as insert songs, they were done very appropriately and suited the situations well, so they didn't feel randomly thrown in for the sake of having music. The other background music tracks were less noteworthy and barely noticeable, to be honest.

The voice acting was done very well and I applaud all the voice actors here because they did a terrific job. They were very believable from when they were laughing and having fun to when they were crying, yelling, or frustrated.

Character -- Like I said, this series is so character-driven it would be nowhere near this level if it weren't for them. The contrast between the two Nanas was done excellently - you really get the sense that they play off each other well and that their friendship is so deep that it's hard to describe in words and is something that can only be felt. Meanwhile, the relationships between all the other characters are complex and tangled, and the ways in which they deal with these complexities is incredibly realistic.

Junko summarizes it nicely in the later episodes when she says, "There really is no right answer to these questions" because in real life, there really isn't. You have to do what you can do and make the best out of a bad situation, even if it means that someone is going to get hurt in the end, and it's these things that Yazawa's characters contemplate and face. They hurt others, get hurt themselves, make mistakes, and as a result, they learn and grow. Or in the end, they might realize it's an "eat or be eaten" kind of world and that "justice doesn't always prevail" (as Yasu puts it). And as they face these problems of life, you can really identify with them and cheer them on to simply do their best. After all, that's all anyone can ask, right?

Overall -- NANA is truly a series to watch, especially if you like shoujo. But it's not your typical shoujo. It's something different and goes beyond your simple clichés, but in order to truly understand it, this is something you have to watch it.
Read more ...»

Publicat de Adrian la 9:49 AM 0 comentarii
Etichete: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More