Fragglepuss

Fragglepuss Anime Review 261: Paranoia Agent / Mousou Dairinin

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Paranoia Agent / Mousou Dairinin

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Mystery, Dementia, Drama, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Lil’ Slugger

First Aired: Winter 2004, 13 episodes

Summary: Lil’ Slugger is terrorizing the residents of Musashino City. He strikes late at night when the victim is alone with no witnesses to verify the attack. None of the victims have an adequate description of the attacker. They all describe him as short, rollerblading, and wielding a crooked bat. Detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are on the case. They need to find Lil’ Slugger before paranoia takes over the whole city.

Paranoia Agent is directed by Satoshi Kon, known for mind-bending films like Perfect Blue and Paprika. He also directed Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers. Kon’s wild side comes out in Paranoia Agent. The series is full of bizarre twists and turns. He always does a fantastic job of blending fantasy with reality, so you don’t know which is happening. You get in the character’s head. They are also unaware of where they reside at times, especially near the climax of the show. One of my favorite parts of a Kon work is the unease I feel as I question what’s reality and what’s fantasy. I always have the urge to rewatch a Kon-directed show after I understand what’s happening and why the characters have been acting a certain way. Paranoia Agent is no exception.

You might enjoy this if: You are a fan of Satoshi Kon’s other work.

You might not like it if: You hate mind-bending stories that blend fantasy and reality into a question of which is which.

Note to the Viewer: Kon had an abundance of ideas remaining after he completed Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers. Rather than try and make it into another movie, he made Paranoia Agent.

Paranoia Agent Opening

AMV – Fantasize by PepperPixel

(Warning, the AMV contains some minor spoilers)

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Fragglepuss Anime Review 260: Modest Heroes / Chiisana Eiyuu: Kani to Tamago to Toumei Ningen

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Modest Heroes / Chiisana Eiyuu: Kani to Tamago to Toumei Ningen

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Short Films

First Released: August 2018, three 18-minute short films

Summary: Modest Heroes consists of three short films by different Studio Ponoc directors. Kanini & Kanino is the first film, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Director of Mary and the Witch’s Flower, When Marnie Was There, The Secret World of Arrietty). The story follows two crab siblings and their father as they go on an adventure to find the lost members of their family. The second film is Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, directed by Yoshiyuke Momose (Long time Studio Ghibli animator). Shun has a severe egg allergy. It is up to him and his mother to ensure he doesn’t get exposed to egg and have a life-threatening reaction. The last film is Invisible, directed by Akihiko Yamashita (Long time character designer). It follows the lonely struggle of an invisible man.

Modest Heroes is a visual feast. Each of the three short films use a different artwork to portray their vision. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the backgrounds are breathtaking. It’s incredible how they are able to animate an invisible person. Each story is different in tone, but they all complement each other well to make a great show. I was impressed how they were able to grab my attention time after time, regardless of the story. One of the stories is simply about a boy with an allergy, yet it had me crying by the end!

You might enjoy this if: You are in the mood for a couple short stories that will have you laughing and crying.

You might not like it if: You want a full movie instead of a couple shorties.

Note to the Viewer: Modest Heroes was originally set to be four short films, the fourth being directed by Isao Takahata, who unfortunately passed away in April 2018. As a result, the film was limited to three segments.

Modest Heroes: Official Trailer

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Posted in Anime | Tagged 2018, 260, action, adventure, aint, akihiko, anime, arrietty, august, chiisana, corner, delivery, drama, eiyuu, fantasy, film, fireworks, flavors, flower, fragglepuss, girl, gonna, heroes, hinomasa, invisible, kani, kanini, kanino, kikis, leapt, life, lose, marnie, mary, mirai, modest, momose, name, ningen, official, ponoc, ponyo, review, secret, service, short, studio, tamago, there, through, time, toumei, trailer, witchs, world, yamashita, yonebayashi, yoshiyuke, your, youth | Leave a comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 259: Zombieland Saga

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Zombieland Saga

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Music, Idol, Supernatural, Zombies

First Aired: Fall 2018, 12 episodes

Summary: Sakura Minamoto is tragically killed in 2008 on her way to an idol group audition. She remembers nothing until she wakes up ten years later. She is alongside several other girls, and to her surprise, she and the others are all zombies! The crew has been brought back to life by manager Kotaro Tatsumi to become the world’s first zombie idol group! They’re going to have to follow their manager’s advice as they adapt to their new zombie idol lifestyle.

Of course this is an anime…There is no other medium where you would have such an insane concept. I’m sure glad they made this series because I finally know what a zombie idol group would look and sound like. It’s fun to watch the struggle the girls face as they learn to live like zombies. They can’t let anyone see their limbs fall off, that would be the worst! It’s amazing how far makeup has come, the group gets ready for a concert and you can’t even tell they are zombies. It’s like they are a regular idol group, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a zombie group if you ask me. No one asked me though, so I’ll let them do their thing.

You might enjoy this if: You are not a fan of idol anime but have been looking for an introduction to the genre…Or if you want to watch singing zombies…

You might not like it if: The concept seems too far-fetched. I’ll admit, it’s a lot to handle.

Similar Series: Highschool of the Dead, Backstreet Girls, Detroit Metal City, Rosario + Vampire, Date A Live

Note to the Viewer: Zombieland Saga is interesting because the manga did not come out before the anime. Both the anime and manga were released in October 2018.

Zombieland Saga Opening – Adabana Necromancy by Franchouchou

Zombieland Saga Rap Battle

Fragglepuss.com

Posted in Anime | Tagged 2018, 259, adabana, anime, backstreet, battle, city, cokedy, date, dead, detroit, fall, fragglepuss, franchouchou, girls, highschool, horror, idol, live, metal, music, necromancy, opening, rap, review, rosario, saga, supernatural, vampire, zombie, zombieland | 1 Comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 258: Serial Experiments Lain

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Serial Experiments Lain

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Dementia, Psychological, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Early Internet

First Aired: Summer 1998, 13 episodes

Summary: Lain Iwakura is an awkward 14-year-old trying to fit in at school. She has a few close friends at school, but besides that she is not close to many people due to her being an introvert. One day Lain and some of her classmates receive an email from their classmate Chisa Yomoda…even though Chisa had recently committed suicide. When Lain opens the email it leads her to the Wired, a virtual communication realm similar to the internet. Although she had previously been ignorant to technology, Lain becomes obsessed with the Wired and its capabilities. As she dives deeper into the digital realm strange occurrences become increasingly regular. She encounters cryptic messages that relate to the real world, strange men dressed in black suits begin to follow her, and the line between reality and cyberspace begin to blur.

Serial Experiments Lain was created during that sweet spot of the early internet when it was still basic with few functions. Society was unsure of how it would turn out but was concerned with what could happen. Lain shows a dark side that could have resulted in the wrong hands. I like watching sci-fi anime from this era because when it comes to the internet they always seem to get several parts right and Lain is no exception. The prediction of dependence on the internet and how much it affects the real world is spot on. The way individuals become addicted to the computer is also accurate. Lain is a quality anime with a lot of positives. The story is deep and meaningful, telling an existential tale with depth and substance. The animation is dark and drab, differing from the traditional anime style. The characters shine, especially Lain. As she progresses through the series she changes in an incredible way. That alone makes the show worth watching.

You might enjoy this if: You are prepared for a deep dive into what separates fantasy from reality.

You might not like it if: You despise the days of the early internet.

Note to the Viewer: Serial Experiments Lain is unique in how it was initially created as an anime and later adapted into a manga. The majority of Japanese I.P. begins as a manga or light novel and is later adapted into an anime if it is popular enough, since creating manga is less expensive than producing anime.

Serial Experiments Lain Opening

AMV – I’m The Only Me, Right? by GallyG

(Warning, the AMV contains spoilers. I figure if you haven’t seen the show, you don’t know what’s getting spoiled anyways, right?)

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Posted in Anime | Tagged 1998, 258, amv, anime, blue, dementia, drama, early, evangelion, experiments, fi, fragglepuss, gallyg, genesis, ghost, im, internet, lain, me, mystery, neon, only, opening, paprika, perfect, psychological, review, right, sci, scifi, serial, shell, summer, supernatural, wars | 1 Comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 257: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san / Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san / Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Slice of Life, Skeleton Bookseller

First Aired: Fall 2018, 12 episodes

Summary: Join the skeleton Honda-san at the manga shop as he encounters unusual customers and circumstances on a daily basis. One day he is attempting to explain the Yaoi genre to an innocent fool while another day he is dealing with pesky foreigners that only speak English!

Honda-san is the best skeleton bookseller I’ve ever seen! It’s great, the author (Honda) worked in an actual manga shop and the series is full of common real-life situations he encountered. The animation is simple, and the episodes are short with little continuity between them, but the series shines with its situational comedy and the reactions of Honda-san as he is forced to deal with unusual situations. He is an easygoing skeleton that works in a fast-paced manga shop with a lot of particular customers, and he has to stay on his toes to keep the customers happy, no matter how bizarre their request.

You might enjoy this if: You live in or have visited Japan and are familiar with manga shops. You will also enjoy it if you are passionate about Japanese culture and want to learn more.

You might not like it if: You demand your Slice of Life anime to be strictly based in reality. Honda-san is a legit skeleton, and everyone seems to accept it without asking any questions. I say it adds to the quirky charm of the series, but I can see how some sticklers would be bothered by it.

Note to the Viewer: The Skull-Face manga has been serialized online via “Pixiv Comic” since August 2015 and has been collected in three volumes so far.

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san Opening

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san Ending

Fragglepuss.com

Posted in Anime | Tagged 2018, 257, agetarou, aggretsuko, anime, book, bookseller, cells, chan, comedy, dj, ending, face, fall, fragglepuss, gaikotsu, himouto, honda, life, nichijou, opening, review, san, shotenin, skelaton, skull, slice, supernatural, tonkatsu, umaru, work, working | Leave a comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 256: Corpse Party: Tortured Souls / Bougyakusareta Tamashii no Jukyou

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls / Bougyakusareta Tamashii no Jukyou

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Nine-Person Promise

First Aired: July 2013, 4 episodes

Summary: Nine students are gathered at their high school in the middle of the night to bid farewell to their friend through a ritualistic promise. The intent of the promise is to remain close with one another. Unfortunately for the students, the charms they use are connected to an elementary school that was destroyed after a series of gruesome murders took place. The elementary school of the murders was Tenjin Elementary School, and the new high school was built on the foundation of the old school!

The cursed charms transport the nine to an alternate dimension, leaving them confused and fighting for their lives in the strange world. It is up to them to work together to stay alive and escape this cursed school!

Corpse Party tells you all about its intent in the title. It’s clear from the onset that not everybody is going to survive. As the series unravels you get insight into the students past, present, and future. It is interesting to watch as the students show their true colors under intense pressure in the nightmarish conditions. The art and animation are commendable and successful in portraying the horror genre. I was freaked out a lot of the time while watching this series and a lot of that had to do with the animation and soundtrack (or lack thereof at times). The story leaves something to be desired, but the intent of the series is to show its characters true personalities and mental limits, and in that it succeeds. The secondary intent has got to be hyperviolence, and in that it also succeeds.

You might enjoy this if: You want to see what happens when individuals are transferred to another dimension and pushed to their physical and mental limits.

You might not like it if: You don’t watch a lot of shows with the violence. Corpse Party is easily one of the most gruesome shows you will ever watch, so avoid it if you are sensitive to that kind of thinf.

Note to the Viewer: The Corpse Party anime is based on a survival horror video game of the same name.

Corpse Party Opening – Hoshikuzu no Ring

Corpse Party Ending Song – Firefly

(The opening and ending are classic in their “horror anime style”. The opening is super scary and intense to make you scared while the ending is real calm and relaxed to soothe you after a scary episode)

AMV – Hide and Seek by Dearth Impact

(This AMV does a good job of showing the violence and intensity of Corpse Party without being too gruesome or giving away spoilers)

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Posted in Anime | Tagged 2013, 256, amv, animation, anime, another, bougyakusareta, corpse, deadman, dearth, death, elfen, ending, firefly, fragglepuss, game, hellsing, hide, horror, hoshikuzu, impact, jukyou, july, kings, lied, lost, mystery, nine, ninja, no, opening, parade, party, person, promise, psychological, review, ring, scroll, seek, song, souls, supernatural, tamashii, tortured, village, wonderland | 1 Comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 255: Goblin Slayer

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Goblin Slayer

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Medieval, Goblins

First Aired: Fall 2018, 12 episodes

Summary: A young priestess is eager to become an adventurer, a task accomplished by signing up for a quest on the adventurer board. She joins up with a group on a quest to exterminate an underground goblin horde, a task easier said than done. Lucky for her a stronger adventurer comes into the cave to help the adventurers in peril. This stronger person, the “Goblin Slayer” has dedicated his life to exterminating goblins by any means necessary. The unlikely pairing of warrior and priestess will yield some interesting results.

Goblin Slayer is reminiscent of some of the older dark fantasy anime. It has some intense scenes full of mature content. It also has light bits of humor. The way the Goblin Slayer wants to only slay goblins is both admirable and slightly humorous, even though he doesn’t understand the joke. He is just passionate about killing goblins. I applaud the world-building in the series. As we learn more about the adventurers, the guild, the monsters, the dungeons, and the magic, I’m left with a fascination to learn even more. The characters are interesting and unique, the animation is good and reminiscent of anime from a few years back, the story is well told and progresses nicely, and each episode left me wanting to watch more. I will say that the content is mature and not for the children. There is an excessive amount of medieval violence and sexual content that is too much for some.

You might enjoy this if: You despise goblins and everything they stand for. You wish you could flush them out of their caves and kill them all. The Goblin Slayer will satisfy that bloodlust.

You might not like it if: You are a kid or sensitive to mature content. This series is full of violence and sexual content that will offend some people.

Similar Series: Berserk, Claymore, Highschool of the Dead, Attack on Titan, Akame ga Kill

Note to the Viewer: If you’re a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and his book, The Hobbit, pay attention to the scene with the mentor asking riddles. I’m sure you will notice a reference or two in there.

AMV – Superhero by WarLuxAMVs

(Warning, the AMV contains spoilers and a lot of violence)

Goblin Slayer Opening

Fragglepuss.com

Posted in Anime | Tagged 2018, 255, action, akame, amv, anime, attack, berserk, claymore, dead, fall, fantasy, fragglepuss, goblin, goblins, highschool, kill, medieval, opening, review, slayer, superhero, titan, warluxamvs | Leave a comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 254: Mirai

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Fragglepuss

Mirai

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Coming-of-Age

First Released: July 2018, 98-minute film

Summary: Kun is a four-year-old with his parents wrapped around his finger until his baby sister Mirai is born. Mirai, which means future, is the second-born in the family and immediately takes over all the parents attention. Kun’s play time and activities with his father have been replaced with watching Mirai get her diaper changed and being fed constantly. Mother returns to work leaving father to take care of the two children by himself during the day. Kun becomes increasingly jealous of the Mirai and begins to act out in various ways. Just when he thinks he can’t take anymore, Kun storms off to the garden and is greeted by mysterious guests of the past and future, including a teenage Mirai that knows everything about him. Kun goes on a journey through time and space, learning the history of his family.

Mirai is directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who you may know from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast. The story is fairly simple, there is a beautiful blend of fantasy and reality that provides a nice recipe for entertainment. I enjoyed watching Kun’s struggle of being a kid and going from being an only child to becoming the first-born of two. The emotions are spot on with all the characters, from the parents to the children. It’s not entertaining to watch the parents struggle with taking care of two kids, but it is so true to life that it makes perfect sense why they made the film the way they did. It’s apparent that the writers have experienced the family struggle firsthand. On top of the difficult reality in the film, the fantastical elements are beautifully presented and animated. Some of scenes are so breathtaking that it makes you want to watch them over and over again, especially during certain scenes near the end.

You might enjoy this if: You are passionate about family history in all its forms. You will also enjoy this if you have children and want to watch something you can relate to.

You might not like it if: You are not ready for all the feels.

Note to the Viewer: Mamoru Hosoda was commissioned by Studio Ghibli to direct Howl’s Moving Castle but left during the early production stages.

Mirai Official Trailer

Fragglepuss.com

Posted in Anime | Tagged 2018, 254, adventure, age, anime, away, beast, boy, children, coming, drama, fantasy, film, fireworks, fragglepuss, girl, hosoda, july, kaguya, leapt, mamoru, official, princess, review, spirited, summer, tale, through, time, trailer, wars, wolf | 2 Comments

Fragglepuss Anime Review 253: Nyanbo!

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Fragglepuss

Nyanbo!

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Comedy, Short-Form, Box Cat

First Aired: Fall 2016, 26 short-form episodes

Summary: Nyanbo are creatures with a cat-like appearance with square bodies. Come to think of it, everything on them is square, from their head to their arms and legs. They came to Earth from outer space and need to repair their ship if they want to leave. Their only problem is how easily distracted they get. One day Mike will be proving he’s not lazy and another day they are hanging out with the Nyanbo Angels. The Nyanbo we know about are:

Tora – A tiger-striped Nyanbo attempting to gather the necessary pieces to repair their ship
Kotora – Tora’s younger sister that is also tiger-striped and the only child in the group
Shiro – The white-colored Nyanbo attempting to win Tora’s affection
Kuro – A black-colored Nyanbo that is kind and dependable
Mike – The calico-colored, carefree one of the group
There are also the Nyanbo Angels, Wild Black, and Mecha Nyanbos that appear throughout the series

Nyanbo is something else. The square cat-like creatures are adorable. They are the only animated part of the show. They travel around on a real background throughout the city and around the house.

You might enjoy this if: You want to watch an anime with the kids.

You might not like it if: You want something with a little more substance than square cats.

Similar Series: Bananya, Bonobono, Dagashi Kashi, Donyatsu, Michiri Neko, Neko Ramen, Nyanko Days

Note to the Viewer: It’s easy to assume the anime was modeled after figurines. That was the case. The original figures were created in 2015, followed by different sizes in 2016 and 2017.

Nyanbo Opening

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Posted in Anime | Tagged 2016, 253, anime, bananya, bonobono, box, boxes, cats, comedy, dagashi, days, donyatsu, fall, form, fragglepuss, kashi, michiri, neko, nyanbo, nyanko, opening, ramen, review, short | Leave a comment

Fragglepuss Anime Review 252: Peeping Life

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Fragglepuss

Peeping Life

Review by: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Sketch

First Aired: Spring 2009, 10 short-form episodes

Summary: Peeping Life is a collection of animated rotoscoped skits by popular Japanese comics. The voice actors are presented with the setting and ad lib the scene. Imagine the crazy conversation that’s bound to happen when two gals where the same outfit to a party!

Peeping Life gives insight to Japanese humor and what makes them laugh. Since each episode is a standalone scene with different voice actors, you get a variety of humor and hilarity. It’s not really the “haha” kind of funny, more the relatable situation type. It’s the kind of show where you’re watching and thinking, “I’ve been there. How awkward was that”. I especially like the Vending Machine episode and how it made me reminisce about the wonder machines in Japan. I absolutely love the variety of Japan’s vending machines and how easy they are to find. You can get a piping hot can of coffee to warm you up on a cool day or an ice-cold beer after a long day of exploration. Anyways, the animation in Peeping Life is the strange CG stuff that looks funny. The backgrounds are basic as can be. It works though, as the focus is clearly on the characters and their conversations.

You might enjoy this if: You want a quick look into Japanese society, from their humor to how they handle daily situations.

You might not like it if: You don’t want to watch an anime that solely consists of two characters having a conversation in the same room.

Note to the Viewer: If you’re way into Peeping Life, a wackier version titled “Peeping Life TV: Season 1??” came out in 2015.

Peeping Life Episode One – Fiddle Faddle Couple

detune. / さとりのしょ PV (Peeping Life AMV)

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Posted in Anime | Tagged 1, 2009, 252, aggressive, aggretsuko, amv, anime, can't, cocktail, comedy, couple, detune, episode, faddle, fiddle, form, fragglepuss, husband, life, like, love, neighbors, one, peeping, retsuko, review, saying, short, sketch, slice, spring, understand, yamadas | Leave a comment

Fragglepuss

Fragglepuss Anime Review 261: Paranoia Agent / Mousou Dairinin

Fragglepuss Anime Review 260: Modest Heroes / Chiisana Eiyuu: Kani to Tamago to Toumei Ningen

Fragglepuss Anime Review 259: Zombieland Saga

Fragglepuss Anime Review 258: Serial Experiments Lain

Fragglepuss Anime Review 257: Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san / Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san

Fragglepuss Anime Review 256: Corpse Party: Tortured Souls / Bougyakusareta Tamashii no Jukyou

Fragglepuss Anime Review 255: Goblin Slayer

Fragglepuss Anime Review 254: Mirai

Fragglepuss Anime Review 253: Nyanbo!

Fragglepuss Anime Review 252: Peeping Life

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