Psycho-Pass: Providence

Psycho-Pass: Providence (2023)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


We see both Akane and Kogami back for this installment of the series, though Akane may be in some trouble at the end, not as a result of her psycho-pass, but because of the public actions she chooses to take in order to call into light the questions and issues regarding how the psycho-pass system currently operates. There is a bit of a fight in this movie across multiple departments and the paramilitary group known as the Peacebreakers trying to obtain information from a murdered researcher. This research has the potential to change the current Sibyl System, though if it is truly for the better remains up for debate. Things get ugly pretty fast, and it's clear their own system is working against them as their weapons won't register a threat to activate and their opponents don't seem to stay down. This series as a whole can be rather confusing with all of the moving pieces and the potential moral dilemmas up for debate. Really gives you some food for thought if you think about it, especially in the current world where AI is actually gaining more and more popularity and use.

The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store

The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store (2023)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The premise looked interesting with a human working in a special store where the customers are all animals, however, it ended up feeling like it was lacking something overall. The art style is a bit different in a way that at least for the humans I found distracting and rather disconcerting. The floor manager is also seriously strange vibes with the way he shows up everywhere (even in a cooking pot of soup) and seems to be thought of as rather harsh, but also seems oddly caring with this new probationary employee. If anything, he seems to be more of the very strange old man acting as a guiding figure. The one who is perhaps the harshest we see very rarely and not until about halfway through the movie is there any real interaction that can be followed. The ending is certainly sweet with how things seem to come full circle and the employees and customers pull together for various challenges, but there's just something in the style and storytelling that feels off and not as engaging as maybe it could be. Might just not be my best story fit.

Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass (2012)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some of these cases are truly horrifying, but I guess that's why the "psycho-pass" is seen as so bad in these suspects. However, is the Sibyl System really that much better? The series of checks and balances seem to work for most, but result in an unusually harsh system for any who don't conform to the standard. By some miracle or luck, it seems that any obstacle thrown at Akane so far has not "tainted" her psycho-pass, even when she does seem to start understanding the "dogs" of the Ministry that she works with as they try to solve their hardest case yet.

Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelation / Spring Thunder Chronicle

Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations / Spring Thunder Chronicles (2005)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


These two come together on a single disc as an OVA for the popular Clamp series. A couple of twists bring out the second Syaoran change both him and Fai irrevocably, and bring out another side of Sakura that we haven't seen before. Though short, these two pieces give a lot of answers that appeared to be missing in the earlier series. Overall these fit well and don't seem to leave as many holes in the story line as many other OVAs seem to do.

xxxHolic

xxxHolic (2006)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Admittedly I have watched the anime a couple of times at this point where I can't recall ever actually finishing the manga. As with most Clamp series, the art is more angular than many others and the anime takes an interesting turn with it's interpretation. Watanuki especially often seems almost rubber-like as he goes in full wiggling panic mode often. If you like series that are a bit more mysterious and random, you'll like xxxHolic as it deals largely with the supernatural. Yuuko is especially good at talking in riddles, answering one question while raising a dozen more.

Kimi ni Todoke

Kimi ni Todoke (2009)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a cute series that tells the story of a rather socially awkward girl as she learns to be accepted and identify her different feelings. The art is pretty, but at random scenes will turn to awkward squished chibi-like characters that sort of throw it off as far as continuity goes. The base-line of the story is the romantic development between the previous outcast and the class good boy who is friends with everyone. Somehow these two seem to connect despite rivals and the girl's own emotional and maturity challenges.

Blue Seed Beyond

Blue Seed Beyond (2003)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


While I do think the art is better in this short sequel, the characters are lacking their original charm. Momiji does little but whine and end up in trouble despite attempts to be useful as she's majorly insecure in her relationship with Kusanagi. Kusanagi himself is very withdrawn and unsure of himself, very contrary to his original brass. Valencia is a new addition to the team. Artificially implanted with a mitama in the same method these man-made origami were, she identifies very quickly with Kusanagi. Between that and her rather racy wardrobe, it's little wonder Momiji sees her as competition, quickly acting like she's lost the fight before it ever began. There is also a lack of continuity in the series as it was established 8 mitamas were needed to achieve flight in the original series, yet Valencia manages it with her one red mitama. The man-made origami are also thought to be stronger than the original, sporting red mitamas despite them being imports from Japan. So what has science done in order to achieve this artificial implant that changes it's color and power? We never know.

Blue Seed

Blue Seed (1994)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


This series has some rather strange humor and odd relationships overall. Makes for a very different series than most common anime tend to be. Momiji is a childish klutz that you can't help but feel for. Kusanagi is the hero that's always trying to be a bad guy. The rest of the team each has their odd quirks and situations to throw into the mix. Sometimes it gets a little repetitive  especially once Kaede comes back into the picture and Kusanagi starts acting like a love-sick puppy over her. Still, it's a nice change of pace from all the samurai films especially.

Prince of Tennis

Prince of Tennis (2001)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Started watching this years ago and put it on hold due to length and not being able to find the entire series at the time here in the U.S. Most series I go for are typically shoujo series, this was probably one of the first shounen that really caught my attention. Unlike many anime, which focus on fighting and/or swordplay, this series is obviously based on tennis, a sport I've enjoyed for a very long time. Ryoma, the main star of the series, is a very young prodigy who arrives in Japan from the U.S. at the beginning of the series and takes the tournaments by storm, easily winning a spot on his school's regular team - a school which has the top seed for the first tournament of the year. No small feat; no one on this team can be considered a slacker. A nice change of pace from the usual genre and as a result, a bit more laid back in the story line. At least it skips all the near death battles as tennis rackets can't be considered nearly as lethal as a sword.

FLCL

FLCL (2001)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This series is very random and honestly does not make much sense even watching the entire thing straight through. The entire thing seems to revolve around some mysterious robotic power, robots growing out of foreheads, and what "fooly cooly" and it's many random and strange variations actually mean. The artwork varies widely in quality and the characters swing wildly across the board in their attitudes and positions of events going on in their small town where supposedly nothing ever changes. Watched this because it was a birthday gift from my brother-in-law. Honestly not likely to ever pick it up again.