Flashback Video: Macross Plus Dogfight / Concert

Oh my God I haven't seen this OAV (or movie) in such a long time. This was the first team up of Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe and composer extraordinaire Yoko Kanno. Watching this scene just brings back a waft of nostalgia because it was one of the first anime I ever saw way back in the day. Such a classic.

This dogfight (which is subtitled) is near the end of the movie. It probably doesn't require too much explanation to enjoy because dogfights are cool regardless of the context. Especially when they involve transforming jet fighters. :D



This (English dubbed) clip is from the "Sharon Apple" concert scene. Sharon is an Artificial Intelligence pop music idol of the future. She's supposed to be the most advanced AI developed for the time, but unknown to most of her fans, Sharon's "emotional element" is faked by tapping into the emotions of a woman (the one lying on the table in the clip). That probably makes absolutely no sense to those who haven't seen the whole thing but at any rate the visuals are pretty cool so just watch it and enjoy. And for those who have seen it, let the wave of nostalgia wash over you. Ahhh....

Production IG / Shirow Project website opens

The powerhouse of anime meets the powerhouse of manga ... again. And they open a website. It's for their new "spiritual animation" project is called Shinrei Kari/GHOST HOUND. Too bad it has little info (in Japanese) and only one placeholder image, but who am I kidding... I'd trudge 20 miles in the sewers of New York during a diarrhea epidemic for any scrap of evidence relating to this project ... and I'd be thankful....

Well okay, no, I wouldn't do that after all. But I'm still happy to have the website.

[Source: AnimeNation]

Viewing Journal: Otaku no Video

OAV Overview DVD Info Trailer (warning: spoilers) Rating: Overall= B+ Story = B+ Video = B Audio = C

Journal

It's hard to believed it's taken me this long to watch this show. It's considered a classic in the world of anime because it defines what it means to be an otaku (i.e., fanatical anime fan). It is one of the earlier productions of Gainax who themselves started out as just a group of fans, so if anyone has the credentials to make this kind of show it's them. Now that I've finally seen it, I definitely have to agree that it deserves to be called a classic because it does such an effective job of showing the reality -- and un-reality of the otaku culture.

The show is made up of two episodes, each of which alternates between anime and live-action.

The anime tells the story of Kubo, a normal college student who gets caught up in the world of anime, toy modeling, and everything in between. It starts out with a chance meeting with an old high school buddy who introduces Kubo to the world of anime. At first Kubo is enthralled by a sense of nostalgia for shows from his childhood; but gradually the hobby takes up more and more of his time until his social life is all but eradicated. When even his girlfriend betrays him, Kubo decides that he must show the world the true power of the otaku by becoming the ultimate otaku, or OTAKING!

One of the things that fans will get a kick out of is all of the references that are scattered throughout the show. You have everything from Macross and Gundam to some Gainax originals like Nadia, Honneamise, and Daicon 4. In fact, most of the references are so iconic that the show could act as a test for your level of anime fandom -- the more names you can recognize the bigger otaku you are.

The anime is broken up by a series of live-action interviews in a mock documentary titled "A Portrait of an Otaku". The interviewees include different breeds of otaku. There's the anime collector who records every show but never watches the tapes, the former cosplayer who denies ever having worn a costume even when faced with photographic evidence, and even an American who moved to Japan because of his fascination with Japanese pop culture. The interviewees' faces and voices are masked to "protect" their identities (in reality the parts are played by actual Gainax staff members) because they tend to take part in all kinds of unsavory activities. There's a porn fan who is trying to develop glasses to defeat the mosaic censoring on a video, a computer gamer obsessed with hentei, and a "cell thief" who steals animation cells from production studios and sells them on the street (that's a new one to me). All in all, it's definitely not a display of the otaku's finest hour.

Now, I'm not the greatest analytical mind (not that that's ever stopped me before) but I think that the two contrasting mediums -- anime and live action -- are supposed to show two contrasting perspectives of otaku. The anime shows how otaku want to see themselves -- like achieving vindication over those who mock them, and ultimately living the fantasy that they surround themselves with. The "Portrait of an Otaku" part, on the other hand, shows how the rest of the world sees them -- mainly as socially detached and isolated loners who single-mindedly obsess over what should really just be a hobby. It's a distinction that becomes more and more apparent the further you get into the show, as the rift between the optimism of the anime and the reality of the interviews becomes wider.

I've see some reviews call this show called a "call to arms for all otaku", but I think those reviewers are missing the point because the show is actually mocking anime fans (self-mockery, but mockery nonetheless). So much so that while watching it I found myself unconsciously thinking, "wait, I'm not like that... am I?" And in truth that may be the real genius behind this show. Anything that can make someone take a look at and question themselves has to have something going for it. The only downside is that since it is making fun of its audience, the amount of empathy it builds for its characters is limited. Don't get me wrong, this show is endlessly entertaining, but it's more so on an academic level than a cathartic one.

Overall though, I think this is something that any anime fan could and probably should watch. Despite the satirical edge, it really is a fun show to watch and deserves its standing as an anime classic.

Viewing Journal: Trinity Blood (complete)

Series Overview TV Broadcast Info DVD Info Trailer Rating: Overall= D+ Story = D+ Video = B+ Audio = C-

Journal

This show looks really cool. Just watch the trailer at the link above to see the cool visuals and action for yourself. Plus, the general concept sounds cool too. It's hard to resist a show when the visuals and concept seem so promising. But unfortunately for Trinity Blood, the end results fail to live up to its potential.

Now before I start ripping in to the show I have to say that if there's one part that does not disappoint, it's the visuals. The artwork is crisp and clean, and the character, settings, and mechanical designs are all beautiful. The action scenes for the most part are fluid and just impressive overall.

The story takes place centuries after a worldwide Armageddon that destroyed human civilization. In the aftermath there exists a wavering peace between two races: the humans and vampires. The humans are protected by the Catholic Church which has developed into a strong military power. The Vatican's special unit known as AX is charged with dealing with problems involving rogue vampires. The seemingly simple-minded Abel Nightroad is one such AX agent. But beneath his good-natured exterior lies the power of a Crusnik -- a vampire that feeds on the blood of other vampires. And when Abel calls that power to the surface, he transforms into a scythe wielding vampire slayer. Together with the other AX members he struggles to maintain a peace between the two races.

Obviously, this isn't the most original concept in the world. There have been multiple other that involve vampire, a militaristic Church, weak-willed characters with hidden powers, and post-apocalyptic settings. But it's the combination of all those elements and the addition of a few original twists, the gives the story so much promise.

The problem is that although the concepts are interesting, the show never capitalizes on its strong points. Story arcs are started and dropped with little or no connection between one another. As a result it doesn't seem like the plot is going anywhere. There are also a lot of cool characters in she show that are never fully developed. For instance the unemotional android Tres Iqus is an awesome character, but other than the fact that he's an android, we never learn much about him.

The other major problem is the distinct lack of tension in either the action or the drama, which is especially surprising considering that it's such a dark and action-oriented show. For example, in one scene a vampire called Ion is locked in a cell with the human Esther while Ion is trying to resist the the throes of blood lust. Despite the supposed uncontrollable instinct, he just sits there. I understand that he's resisting the temptation, but all he does is sit there constantly saying, "I can't resist it, I can't resist it, I'm going to do it..." for like 15 minutes. Obviously he can resist it or he would have ripped her throat out a good 10 minutes ago. Another example is Abel's Crusnik powers. First of all, regardless of the fact that he's only at "40%", there's little to no build up to Abel showing his powers. Secondly, even when we do see him at 80% and 100%, he doesn't seem any more powerful because he still gets defeated. If a character kicks but at 40% I expect he'd kick all the more butt at 100%, but he doesn't. So there's no pay-off.

The disappointment culminates in the end. All kinds of stuff happens, but nothing is ever explained. Why is Cain bad? What does he mean about merging with Abel? What is this Mars colonization project? I had no idea what was going on until I went to Wikipedia and found this useful page. I'm guessing that the author got his information from the original novels. Too bad those details weren't used in the anime because then it might have been a lot more worthwhile.

So in the end, the show fails to deliver. Maybe the original novels go more in depth, but if so just go directly to the source and skip the anime. The anime had so much potential, but too little follow through.

John Woo's Appleseed 2 trailer

I'm excited to see this new Appleseed movie. Though I wasn't all that crazy about the first one, I'm interested in seeing what Johnny Woo does with this new one.

Well, the doves were a given...

Viewing Journal: Monster (complete)

Series Overview (Not yet licensed in US) Bittorent Download Trailer Rating: Overall= A+ Story = A+ Video = B Audio = A-

Journal

This is just a damn good show period. Live action or animation, this is one of the best, most well-thought-out stories I have seen in a TV show in quite a while. And as much as I tend to spit this phrase out, this, more than any other show, is the kind of thing anime fans show non-anime fans to prove that the medium can be mature enough for adults without necessarily being perverted, gratuitously violent, or pretentiously esoteric.

Dr. Tenma is a gifted brain surgeon from Japan who is working at a hospital in Germany. When a he is forced to make the decision to either operate on a mayor who would bring the hospital prestige, or the boy named Johan who came in first; Tenma follow his principles and saves the life of a boy, but the events that follow cause him to reconsider whether saving the boy was such a good idea.

There's a lot to like about this show, and I could go on an on about the haunting tone or the mysterious plot, but I'm mainly going to concentrate on how the show really distinguishes itself. That being that it is so realistic. I mean, this is the kindof thing that could have easily been done in live action, but is done effectively and beautifully in anime. There are two main reasons why I think this show looks so realistic: the level of detail and the characters.

First of all this story takes place in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. A lot of references are made to before and after the Wall fell and how East Germany had all kinds of nasty projects going on. Basically there is a lot of historical detail that makes the show convincing because you have easy reference points for when all the different events took place. More than that though, there is also a lot of technical detail given for things like Temna's medical operations. And later on when Tenma trains for how to shoot a gun, his trainer gives him practical advice like "Make sure to shoot twice to double your odds of hitting the target." Other anime I've seen gets lazy in this area, and usually just resorts to generic terms like "Just try hard" or "do your best". So that level of detail really fleshes the story out and pulls you into the world of Monster by making it more convincing overall.

The second thing that makes this show engrossing is the characters. Each character is unique in both their designs and their personalities. You won't find any freakishly big-eyes, abnormally proportioned bodies, or oddly-colored hair here. Characters come in all shapes and sizes. And their peronalities and personal histories all fit the plot but also are convincing and sympathetic in and of themselves. One of my favorite characters, for instance, is the ever-calculating Inspector Lunge. He has this quirk where he will move his fingers eratically whenever he talks to someone. He says that it's his mnemonic technique that allows him to instantly recall anything he's ever heard. Sure it's odd, but it's better than saying that he simply has a photographic personality because it's something that add a lot of color to his character.

Having praised the show thus far, I will say that there are a couple things that may drive some people off. First, this show is almost totally driven by dialogue. That's not to say that it's slow paced, it's just that there's not a heck of a lot of action so those who are only entertained by constant action may be disappointed. Plus the show is very realistic, so people who prefer their fantasy to be more fantastical best look elsewhere.

The second thing that may turn some people off is that the plot can at times seem very contrived and even predictable. For instance, at the very beginning Tenma comes out of the operating room after having successfully operated on a very famous opera singer. He's faced with the wife of a man who arrived before the opera singer. She yelled at Tenma saying that he was the best surgeon in the hospital and that it was only fair that he should have operated on her husband who arrived first. This is an obvious set up for when the exact same situation comes up a couple days later with Johan and the mayor. That time Tenma makes the "right" choice, and so the story begins. There are quite a few moments like that where something happens or characters will meet and everything just happens to fit together nicely. Whenever a scene like that would come up I just kind of shook my head and moved on because, despite those contrivances, most of the story plays out logically and naturally.

The animation was great... or at least what there was of it was great. Like I said there wasn't a lot of action, so there wasn't much to judge the animation for. The art itself was consistently high-quality though, so I really have no complaints.

The music was awesome. I've been reading the manga version, which is nearly identical to the anime. But when comparing the two, the anime sticks out. The main reason being the music which is subtle and haunting, giving the story a deeper and darker tone without being obtrusive.

As with most everything else in this show, I loved the ending. The final story arc was tense and thrilling and satisfying because most all of the major characters got their moment in the sun. The very last scene was mysterious and I think ended the show on just the right note. It messes with your head just enough to leave you thinking about it for quite a while afterwards.

So all in all, I definitely recommend this show to everyone who likes a good story. I haven't seen anything like it before, and I would definitely welcome more like it in the future.

Best Opening Animation

It's been so long since I fist saw Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight that I almost forgot how unbelievably gorgeous the opening animation is. And as far as I'm concerned, it's still the best. God, Yoko Kanno just kicks so much ass.

Reading Journal: GTO (complete)

Manga Overview Book Info Rating: Overall= B+ Story = B+ Art = B+ Translation = B

Journal

I've seen all the versions of GTO including the anime and the live action drama and movie, and I still think this manga version is the best. It includes a lot of material that's not covered in either TV series, bringing Great Teacher Onizuka even greater challenges from the class that has vowed to either get him fired or willingly quit, and the faculty that despises his nontraditional (if not downright insane) teaching methods. The plots against him get more and more insidious, culminating with the introduction of a new school head mistress who is hot but who also redefines the word b***h. But no matter how badly his situation spirals out of control, Onizuka is always able to turn it into some sort of life lesson for his students where he is able to make them see life in a whole different light.

This is probably the crudest version of GTO compared to the others (not that that's a bad thing). The anime was cleaned up a lot, removing the references to Onizuka's extensive porn collection as well as his extensive group former biker-gang buddies who are involved in all kinds of shady dealings from drug trafficking to ... well, I don't want to ruin it for you. The live action TV drama did include references to his video collection, but even then it didn't develop that side of Onizuka to the extent that the manga does.

Actually, Onizuka's perversion is an important aspect of the manga because, even though the other teachers are just as bad as he is, Onizuka is the only one who is honest about it. And it's the fact that he is an open book about everything that wins his students over in the end because they realize that if he's honest about that then he's honest about everything else he tells them.

That's not to say that it doesn't get him into a lot of trouble. In fact a lot of the plots that are hatched against him try to take advantage that he is a 22-year old virgin who is looking for "love". I mean, you know that he's going to win over his students in the end. That much is predictable. It's how he gets to that point that makes it hilarious and unpredictable. That's because it seems like almost everything he does is just to satisfy himself of to save his own butt. Still, no matter what he does he just seems to be making it worse for both himself and his students, but in the end he turns the situation into a lesson for his students.

The art in the manga was more realistic than you will find in your average manga. The characters all have distinct and believable designs. Sure there are some characters that are generously proportioned, but even then the designs are believable. Of course, the classic trademark of GTO is Onizuka's facial expressions -- they are realistic (I have to laugh just thinking of the author looking in the mirror as reference material) but ... well just check this out:

The end of the manga was much better than either the anime or live action drama. Both of those just have Onizuka leaving the school after his job is done. While the manga has probably the most over-the-top ending, it's much more satisfying and dramatic and, I think, fitting for GTO.

When I finished up the last volume it was kind of a bitter-sweet send-off. I know there's the Shonan Junai-Gumi manga (as well as Bad Company and the associated anime and live action versions) but that's not nearly as good as GTO so I'm really going to miss it. Sure this has some crass humor, but it's balanced by a lot of heart and comedy, all making for a fun and unpredictable story. If you haven't checked out GTO yet, go pick it up. All the versions are great, but the manga is still the best.

And just for the heck of it, here's the openings for the TV versions:

• Anime opening 1
• Anime opening 2
• Live action opening

Viewing Journal: Afro Samurai (complete)

Series Overview TV Broadcast Info DVD Info Trailer Rating: Overall= B Story = C Video = A Audio = C

Journal

I first heard about Afro Samurai in a random article back in 2003. Ever since then I've been itching to find out what the show would be like. So I finally got a chance to see it on Spike TV last month and I have to say that it met all of my expectations.

This was a great show because of one thing ... the visuals. A combination of the character designs and the excellent animation made for some thrilling action sequences. Sure there wasn't a lot to the storyline, but who cares when you get to see action of that degree.

The budget for production was reportedly $1 million per episode. Now I can't exactly say that it looks like it cost 1 mil, but still, I can't stress enough how dynamic everything looked. From the camera angels to the expressions of the characters, it was amazing just to watch.

Of course, you have to be able to stomach an inordinate amount of violence because there is plenty here to even rival even the Ninja Scroll movie. But it's all so stylized, and the character designs and pretty much the whole general concept of the anime is so unrealistic -- if not downright goofy -- that it's hard to take it all that seriously. I mean, at one point you have a samurai with a gigantic afro fighting another one with a giant teddy bear head. At times it even seems as if the show is intentionally mocking itself, because through all the goofiness, the characters -- with the exception of Afro's loudmouth sidekick -- maintain their sober, brooding tones.

As I mentioned before, you don't get an extremely deep story in these 5 episodes. The main plot is just and excuse to move Afro from one violent encounter to the next. And other than Afro -- and to an extent his side kick -- you don't learn a lot about any of the characters or their motivations, which is a shame. The "Clan of the Empty Seven" is the best example of something that could have benefited from more depth. Not that I'm complaining too much, because there's not much more that you can expect from a 5-episode series that concentrates on action -- at least not without sacrificing the cool action scenes.

One thing that I was curious about though, was how they revealed the origin of Afro's sidekick. The way it was revealed didn't make sense (i.e., how could Justice (aka, #1) know that's who he was) and I can't help but wondering if Justice's line was just thrown in to make it more obvious to US audiences. I wonder if that line will be included in the Japanese audio track considering that Japanese tend to prefer implied -- as opposed to direct -- explanations.

One other thing that I wanted to mention is how some people will probably compare this to Samurai Champloo -- the other anachronistic samurai anime. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a rip-off though, because Afro has much darker tone and more of a sci-fi edge to it.

Overall, this was a great show and I'll definitely be buying the unedited DVD when it comes out. But that being said, I probably wouldn't care whether or not Gonzo decided to make more episodes. The animation and character designs were incredible, but that can only take an anime so far before it becomes tiring. I read in an article that the original manga author developed something like 1000 years of background story, so if Gonzo develops that in future episodes (assuming that future episodes are developed at all) I'd be interested. But if they continue with just concentrate on visuals without more character or plot development then it'll loose it's charm fast.

Viewing Journal: Kurau Phantom Memory (complete)

Series Overview DVD Info (available April 10) Trailer Rating: Overall= B Story = B Video = B Audio = B+

Journal

I'm not exactly sure why, but this was an extremely hard show to review. I know I liked the show and I'd recommend it, and I'm pretty sure I know why I liked it, it's just that it's hard to put it into words. But I'll give it a try anyway...

First off, the show has an interesting and original concept. It starts out with a scientist named Dr. Amami who is performing an experiment to harness a new type of energy called Rynax energy. Something goes wrong in his experiment though, and as a result the body of his daughter -- Kurau -- is taken over by two energy entities of unknown origin, giving her super human abilities. Eventually Kurau's second energy entity manifests herself as a human whom Kurau names Christmas. When the government discovers their existence, they send out a special task force to eliminate them both.

What makes that whole concept so original isn't the plot itself -- there have been plenty of other stories about botched experiments giving rise to super powered humans. What makes this original is that it used that concept as a kind of allegory for human relationships. And as a result, it creates a surprising amount of empathy for the characters. Sure you may not be able to empathize with the characters' literal experience -- I mean how many of us have ever been possessed by an two alien energy entities, much less have one of them suddenly manifest itself as a separate human. But you probably can understand Kurau's loneliness and her subsequent happiness when she finds the one person she is meant to be with. The whole concept of "Rynax" and "Rynasapians" are used throughout the show to represent the themes of loneliness and companionship. And it works surprisingly well.

If I have one problem with the show it's that it doesn't give a lot of concrete technical explanation for what exactly the Rynax are. For instance you never lean why Rynax must always exist as a pair, or where exactly they came from, or how humans originally discovered their existence. The show only gives enough explanation so as to make the idea of Rynax work as a symbol for the human spirit, but it leaves the rest up to your imagination.

The last few episodes were kind of awkward. There's a final battle, but it's confusing because a lot of stuff happens that isn't explained until the next episode. The very end is satisfying from a character-development level, but again, I was still left wanting more explanation for what the Rynax were.

This show was animated by Studio Bones, which is responsible for such works as Wolf's Rain, RahXephon, and Fullmetal Alchemist. The studio isn't exactly revolutionary, but it is consistent. Most all of their shows have good quality animation throughout, and Kurau was no exception.

The music set the perfect mood for the show. Just listening to the opening (which I can't find on YouTube) and ending themes will give you a good idea of what to expect for the tone of the rest of the show.

So I'm not sure if I did the best explaining for what I liked about this show, but in the end I think it comes down to its ability to create empathy with the characters. Sure the science concepts are vague, and at times the story can get redundant (Kurau and Christmas are captured and escape like 3 times!), but I loved the characters and drama. The first DVD is going to be released in the US on April 10, so make sure to give it a try and see if you can explain it any better. ;)

Nabeshin seen on Jeopardy!

My wife told me about this crazily dressed guy who was on Jeopardy yesterday. He returned today, and when I first saw him I instinctively shouted "Oh my God! It's Nabeshin!"

The contestant's actual name is Nate Metcalf but his outfit was the exact same as the director and self-animated character of Excel Saga! The only thing he was missing was the afro.

And for fans out there, here's the real nabashin in action. :D

Le Chevalier D'Eon episode 1 -- Awesome!

Whoa! Production I.G. has topped themselves with Le Chevalier D'Eon. Story, music, and the animation. I haven't seen such a perfect mix since Ghost in the Shell. Just watch it.

You can watch the first episode here.

Save the date: May 25 for Paprika in US theatres

Paprika is coming to US theatres on May 25. Check out the website for a new trailer! (It looks like it might be the opening credits.)

Source: AnimeNation

Ghost in the Shell: LIVE ACTION

How many anime have we heard Hollywood making into live action movies? Monster, Evangelion, Battle Angel just to name a few. How many have we actual seen realized? None. So I'm not holding my breath for this one. Though the fact that Ghost in the Shell was one of the major influences behind the Matrix trilogy might help to generate some popular interest.

From Anime News Serivce:

Production I.G has announced they have secured a deal to act as an agent and actively begin putting things into place to make a Live Action Ghost In The Shell film come together in Hollywood, USA. The studio had to first work out a deal with creator Masamune Shiro and manga publisher Kodansha who owns the original rights to usage.

Death Note Licensed, To be available for download

From Anime New Service:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that it has licensed from Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) the Download to Own (DTO) and Download to Rent (DTR) rights for the United States for the smash hit DEATH NOTE anime series, currently airing in Japan.

The deal is significant because it marks the first time a well known Japanese anime property will be made legally available to domestic audiences for download to own while the title still airs on Japanese television. VIZ Media will seek to make the series available to consumers through a number of online providers in order to reach the widest audience possible.

Noir / Madlax sequel: El-Cazador

From Anime News Service:

Scheduled to begin broadcast in April, 2007 is the El-Cazador anime TV series. Confirmed staff include Dirtector: Koichi Mashimo (Noir, Eat Man, .Hack), Character Designs: Yoko Kikuchi (Noir), Series Composition: Kanemaki Kenichi (Jigoku Shoujo), Music: Yuki Kajiura (Noir, Eat Man, . Hack), Animation Production: Bee Train. Official Site: http://www.elcazador.tv/.

The story centers on characters Ellice and bounty hunter Nadi. Following Noir and Madlax, this will be the third installment in a series of what Director Koichi Mashimo has referred to as his girls-with-guns genre trilogy. Look for spreads and images in the current crop of anime magazines making their way into Japanese retail outlets this next week.

Now for something completely different

Afro Samurai - First episode available Now!

Can't wait until Thursday to catch the first episode of Afro Samurai? You can watch it right now on the official website.

Source: The Anime Blog

Robotech sequel to hit US theatres

According to Anime News Network, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles will be in US theatres in January. The theatres and dates are on the Funimation website.

ANN says that Michigan will be included, the but that date isn't on the website yet.

Viewing Journal: SaiKano (live action movie)

Movie Overview (Not yet available in US) Bittorrent Download Trailer Rating: Overall= D Story = D Video = B- Audio = D+

Journal

You would think that after watching the TV series and OVA that I would have learned my lesson with the SaiKano franchise. But apparently not because here I am reviewing the latest iteration of the story, and this time it's live action.

SaiKano tells the tragic story of high-school-girl-turned-ultimate-weapon Chise and her struggle to maintain a romance with boyfriend Shuuji. It focuses on Chise's internal struggle to choose between the life of a normal high school girl and that of her duty as a tool of the military, as well as Shuuji's difficulties with being involved with such a girl. The story tries its hardest to make the romance between the two seem genuine and serious, but in the end it fails miserably. The "ultimate weapon" part of the story is just too over-the-top to expect anyone to take its presentation of emotional drama seriously. Maybe if it was a little more subtle in showing Chise in her "ultimate weapon" form, or if it worked harder to stress Chise's humanity over the her mechanics, then it might have worked better. But instead you see robotic ammunition that is probably ten times Chise's mass unceremoniously pop out of her body. I mean, how can anyone be expected to empathise with a girl who has five tons of hardware sticking out her backside? That's kind of a hard thing to ignore.

Over and above that, there were other elements to the story that stretched my suspension-of-disbelief threshold. The biggest issue I had was that they never really explain why Chise was specifically chosen to be the weapon, especially considering how emotionally weak she is. I think if the movie had presented some some compelling reason why the military choose her then it would have helped in making her character more empathizable. I also had a hard time accepting the idea that the military would let their "ultimate weapon" go back to her normal life, especially after a battle. Why not just keep her on the base? Those are the kinds of questions that I might have been able to ignore in a more action-oriented show (where you're not expected to think much anyway), but when presented in a serious drama they tend to be distracting.

Ironically, the live action movie's presentation of Chise as a weapon is actually less realistic than in the anime. For instance, in the anime when Chise's weaponry extends out her back, it tears up the back of her shirt; and when she returns from battle she actually looks like she's just been through hell. But in the live action version, her clothes always end up in tact and are relatively clean.

The movie's ending tried to be tragic, but wasn't very effective because to me it seemed forced and didn't flow naturally from the story. The last scene was kind of weird and ambiguous, but I don't have a ready interpretation of it.

The computer-generated visuals themselves were actually pretty impressive. I loved the designs of Chise's weapons and I thought the CG graphics melded naturally with the live action elements. But since the movie concentrated more on the drama, the CG effects are few and far between.

So in the end, this movie is about on par if not a step below the anime version. The visuals, while impressive, were too sporadic to make any real difference in the rating. If you are a SaiKano fan or are just curious about how the anime would transfer to live action (like I was) then maybe you will be interested, but other than some neat CG there really isn't much new to see here.