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**Award Winning** CGI Animated Short Film: "Crow: The Legend" by Baobab StudiosBlurbThe Legend is an exciting new animated short movie starring John Legend as Crow, the most popular and admired animal in the forest with his magnificent colors and beautiful voice. But when the very first winter arrives, can Crow make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends? Inspired by the original Native American legend, this story of sacrifice and community features Randy Edmonds, Kiowa-Caddo tribal elder and founder of the National Urban Indian Council as Narrator and Sarah Eagle Heart, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy, as Luna. Starring John Legend, Oprah Winfrey, Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Narcos: Mexico), and Liza Koshy. Created by the director of Madagascar and the Emmy-winning animated films Invasion! and Asteroids!. Executive produced by Baobab Studios, Get Lifted, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.  ReviewShort. Simple. Enjoyable. This is about sacrifice but it has a Happy Ever After so don't think this is a glum story. You'll recognize the voices, and the song is an ear-worm so be prepared to think about this short for a long time. :) The art is beautiful. The story has a moral lesson for children. And getting to hear and see an American Indian folklore is inspiring.  I Would Recommend this to Fans of:Children's Stories Native American Folklore Beast Fables  InuYasha BlurbSuddenly finding herself in feudal Japan, schoolgirl Kagome teams up with half-demon Inuyasha to retrieve the scattered shards of a sacred jewel.  Main CharactersWhat we have in this story is the "traveling angel" plot. Like Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven, there is/are "angel/s" character/s going around solving Other People's Problems. In addition to InuYasha solving OPP, the collection of travelers are set on revenge on this one guy AND to collect shards of the four souls jewel... that was shattered by one of the main characters. It has a lot of good plot going on which creates a good enough series to keep me involved in the two seasons of the tv show.
If you're interested more about the meaning of his name, I found this wonderful Fanon: http://inu-fanon.tumblr.com/post/67102045516/the-meaning-of-yasha
 Supporting Characters
 AntagonistsThere are many opponents and henchmen InuYasha and his crew come against but there are two main guys the pack goes after.
My ReviewIt was my guy who started watching InuYasha and got me interested in it. The first 15 minutes of the show I was at my desk trying to work. I noticed he'd been trying to satisfy his samurai craving but this was the first anime he started watching on Netflix. One thing I loved was the English dub was available. Anime is so much better when I don't have to read it. AND I love the voice actors that play the characters. Many times I don't like the voices and listen to the Japanese version and read the sub. So right off the bat & a smile from InuYasha, I was hooked. It's classic traveling Angel plot, collecting allies, barely defeating one foe in a surprisingly entertaining saga. I'm on to Season 2 and it hasn't gone off the rails yet, so I have high hopes that this serial has closure. I'm looking forward to finding out.  I Would Recommend this to Fans of:Fantasy Swords & Samurai's 
 Room on the Broom
BlurbThe witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?  My ReviewMy life is so much better now that I've seen this short. No, I'm not being facetious. This heartwarming story of making friends, being polite and returning a kind act all had me into this adventure for the whole ride. Witches are normally shown as bad and this wonderful woman, who is also a witch, cleansed my heart of resentment. She was so different from the ugliness that can be portrayed as bad people that I wish there were more stories about witches doing charitable things. The story reminded me of an older legend of a cow, a goat, a cat and a bird or mouse but I can't remember where they saved the farmer. But I loved this story so much I needed to bring it to you. I am grateful that Facebook group CELTS (link no longer available but wanted to give attribution) brought this to watch. The full movie, not broken into chapters, is not on YOUTUBE and, alas you can no longer find it in parts. I would Recommend this to Fans of:Children's Stories Good Witches Heartwarming Comedies *obviously safe for children  Don't Feed the Freaks Blurb"If you're reading this. If you find this book; I'm sorry but I have no answers. But I can tell you what I've seen and what I know". A young man travels the lifeless wasteland of what was once civilization. He's following the breadcrumbs of an apparent thriving society hidden somewhere in the vast, long-dead wilderness.  My ReviewHoly shit. I watched "Don't Feed the Freaks" first. When I finished, I had to know more. There are subtle clues about the film that you can piece together from the other three short films. Amazing art. Very creative. Left me wanting to see more of this world and what happened to the boy and his capitol "T" Town. If you have any interest in Apocalyptic |
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Sashahara
Carefree, playful, and sometimes mischievous "Sasha" likes to tease his friend and college buddy. He stays over "Jima's" one bedroom apartment like it's nothing all the time. You would think he got sick of Jima after working with him, studying with him and attending class with him, but Sasha finds his friend he can relax with too. He's the type to like someone back if they say they like him. But his feelings are genuine. How could they not be? Same sex relationships are not all that easy.
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Samejima
It's a miracle the recluse, awkward, germ-a-phobic Samejima even mentioned his attraction to Sasahara but you can't help but feel for "Jima". He's earnest, honest, and adorably shy. He'd do anything for his friend and that in my book makes him a good person.
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My Review
While this isn't ANIME, I found an image/DVD homemade English translated video of this story. So it’s images of the manga, English subtitles and the Japanese audio track made in video format. Don’t know if that makes sense, but if you view the short film with no sound you’ll miss the delicate nuances that bring the story to life.
The art is not super refined but the artists expression is wonderful. Normally I love the art of anime or in this case, manga, but the story is what completes this gem.
The characters are endearing, real, insecure, flawed and beautiful. Even if you're sick to death of "coming of age" stories or "straight to gay" stories, you will not find this the regular fan-fare of either sub-genre. Samejima-Kun to Sasahara-Kun is how I imagine life of two men finding and resolving their sexual attraction to each other.
The whole story is told in short videos up to ten minutes long and there are ten videos.
Save 90 minutes to watch the clips if you want to watch/read the entire thing. Otherwise, they make great chapters for a time limited break.
While some may disagree, I found this slice-of-life story to be fairly believable for the open mind.
The art is not super refined but the artists expression is wonderful. Normally I love the art of anime or in this case, manga, but the story is what completes this gem.
The characters are endearing, real, insecure, flawed and beautiful. Even if you're sick to death of "coming of age" stories or "straight to gay" stories, you will not find this the regular fan-fare of either sub-genre. Samejima-Kun to Sasahara-Kun is how I imagine life of two men finding and resolving their sexual attraction to each other.
The whole story is told in short videos up to ten minutes long and there are ten videos.
Save 90 minutes to watch the clips if you want to watch/read the entire thing. Otherwise, they make great chapters for a time limited break.
While some may disagree, I found this slice-of-life story to be fairly believable for the open mind.
I Would Recommend This to Fans of:
Gay Romance
Straight to Gay Romance
Straight to Gay Coming of Age
Gay College Romance
Sexually Exploratory Romance
Straight to Gay Romance
Straight to Gay Coming of Age
Gay College Romance
Sexually Exploratory Romance
Where You Can Find Samejima-kun to Sasahara-kun
Below is the first installment (7 minutes) of the story in the Drama CD & Manga booklet. From there you can watch the next videos. I have links to the retailer to buy the manga in English below the YouTube video.
Synopsis
Ciel Phantomhive is the most powerful boy in all of England, but he bears the scars of unspeakable suffering. Forced to watch as his beloved parents were brutally murdered, Ciel was subsequently abducted and violently tortured.
Desperate to end his suffering, the boy traded his own soul for a chance at vengeance, casting his lot with the one person on whom he could depend: Sebastian, a demon Butler summoned from the very pits of hell. Together, they’ll prowl the darkest alleys of London on a mission to snuff out those who would do evil.
Desperate to end his suffering, the boy traded his own soul for a chance at vengeance, casting his lot with the one person on whom he could depend: Sebastian, a demon Butler summoned from the very pits of hell. Together, they’ll prowl the darkest alleys of London on a mission to snuff out those who would do evil.
My Interpretation of the Synopsis
I actually found an official synopsis that I like. Still, I need the practice so here goes:
Ten year old Ciel Phantomhive remains the last of an aristocratic family known as Queen Victoria’s Guarddog. After watching his family and home burned, Ciel is captured by cultists then sold and marked with the brand known as a “Noble Beast”. After a month of torture, Ciel summons Sebastian Michaelis, a powerful demon and signs a contract to extract revenge on the people who wronged him in exchange for his soul.
Ten year old Ciel Phantomhive remains the last of an aristocratic family known as Queen Victoria’s Guarddog. After watching his family and home burned, Ciel is captured by cultists then sold and marked with the brand known as a “Noble Beast”. After a month of torture, Ciel summons Sebastian Michaelis, a powerful demon and signs a contract to extract revenge on the people who wronged him in exchange for his soul.
Main Characters
I don't list ALL the characters, just the ones I find important, sexy or deserving. They are the ones that left an impression on me and therefore are on my blog. Each character has a unique memory for me and I've included an image or a gif under their "offical" visual rendering by the artist -- Yana Toboso.
  | Ciel PhantomhiveGuarddog. Aristocratic patriot. Thirteen-year-old boy. Ciel is haughty and arrogant. But the scars of torture, humiliation and branded with a mark on his belly as "Noble Beast" make me want to forgive his perpetual boredom with "adults". He suspects his life will be short because of the pact he's made with Sebastian to consume his soul in exchange for revenge. Ciel is cabable, but take away Sebastian from him and he only gets enough respect as you would expect for any twelve-year-old. His wealthy upbringing hampers his reality but the kid is driven and has a mind for solving crimes. |
   | Sebastian MichaelisDemon. Butler. Soul eating pedophile. The theme for Sebastian is that he's one hell of a butler. You could say that. I say his undertones with Ceil make me uncomfortable at times. But he's a demon. I wouldn't really expect much less. Sebastian intrigues me because he goes from condescending to proud at being Ceil's servant. He calls him Bocha (meaning little master) and I've learned that term is patronizing. Then he bows and acts amazed at Ceil's conviction, determination and ultimate sacrifice to see those who did him wrong dead. For Sebastian, Ceil's blood is the best he's ever tasted. I guess enough to make him wait years to eat him. Hell maybe Ceil's like wine─he gets better with age. At least I wouldn't get the heebie jeebies if he waited till Ceil was eighteen to eat him. :) Sometimes I wonder if the innuendo is innuendo for something other than sex. |
Resident Characters
These are what I call "fluff" support. They only serve as comedic relief and plot realization for what is very dark fantasy. I'd almost call it Gothic. These are the characters that live with Ciel & Sebastian in a large mansion. They aren't so bad as to not serve any other purpose without their own motivations but those motivations are to be loyal to Ceil & Sebastian.
   | "Finny" FinniganFinnian, usually referred to as Finny, is one of the most adorable of the group of shenanigan makers and is the household gardener of German descent. Every time he tends to the garden, it is destroyed through an accident caused by his clumsiness. He is portrayed as an innocent, optimistic character who loves his work, but is dubbed an idiot by Sebastian for destroying everything he touches in spite of being warned to take caution beforehand. Finnian displays feats of superhuman strength, which he tries to suppress for fear of hurting others and risk of sabotaging his work. The sequence, S-012, is tattooed on the nape of his neck and is usually covered by his straw hat, which was given to him by Ciel. Ciel bestowed Finny's name after Fionn mac Cumhaill from Fenian Cycle when he came into his employment. He works as a gardener to spend as much time as possible outside, because prior for working for Ciel, he was an experiment subject that was kept locked up and forced to kill his friends. |
   | Mey-RinMey-Rin is the household maid of Chinese descent. Mey-Rin has extreme binocular acuity, which means she can see things really far away like looking through binoculars, and was given a pair of round glasses by Ciel, which she cherishes and refuses to give up. The glasses limit Mey-Rin's eyesight and prevent her from viewing objects correctly at close-range, which causes her to be clumsy when doing her chores; however, Sebastian believes her main problem is her intelligence and not her eyesight. She has a crush on Sebastian as she blushes whenever she is in his presence and is even clumsier when Sebastian is watching. She is rather superstitious, but admits to having a soft spot for scary stories. Mey-Rin is a professional sniper and due to her sharp binocular vision, she does not require a scope to aid her. She is also physically fit as she can use a sniper rifle like a handgun and keeps hundreds loaded at once to decrease reload time. |
    | Baldroy "Chef"Baldroy (also spelled as Bardroy), usually referred to as Baldo or Bard, is the household cook of American descent. He rarely produces anything edible as he uses weaponry such as flamethrowers to cook, believing that cooking is an art requiring explosions. Sebastian believes anything he creates is made up of charcoal and carcinogens. Baldroy pursues cooking to learn how to slow down, as he states cooking takes patience to master, which was something he was not used to during his years in the military. When he was a soldier, his entire platoon was wiped out, leaving him as the only survivor. Sebastian discovered Baldroy on the battlefield after his comrades had fallen and offered him employment. While terrible at cooking, he is shown to be capable of taking advantage of his surroundings, such as using fine flour to create an explosion. Due to his experience as a soldier, he takes command over the servants when Ciel and Sebastian are away from the manor. Like Finnian and Mey-Rin, he provides much of the comic relief in the series. |
    | TanakaTanaka is the house steward of Japanese descent. He was present when Ciel's parents were killed and was stabbed in the back trying to protect Ciel. As a result, he rarely talks or does any work, but is always seen participating in the other servants' antics. Sebastian seems to respect him the most out of all the staff. He is usually seen drinking from a Japanese tea cup and commonly seen as a chibi. Despite his appearance, Tanaka is capable of killing intruders effortlessly. Prior to Sebastian's appointment as Ciel's butler, Tanaka served as the head butler of the Phantomhive household for Ciel's father. He is very loyal and kind to Ciel, and is strict when it comes to his duties. Unlike the other servants, Tanaka is perceptive in Sebastian's actions, as well for the reasons behind them. I suspect Tanaka helped Sebastian on how to become a "real" butler. When Sebastian is apparently 'murdered', Ciel appoints Tanaka as the head butler again, a position he fulfills nearly as well as Sebastian. During the Emerald Witch Arc, Tanaka showed skill in slicing bullets fired at him with a sword, silently closing in his target; however, he admits that at his age, he cannot keep up such strenuous activity for long. |
Supporting Characters
   | Grell SutcliffGrell (also spelled as Grelle) Sutcliff is a Grim Reaper who initially worked as Madam Red's butler (Ciel's aunt). Grell and Madam Red formed a partnership in which they killed prostitutes. Grell wields a Death Scythe in the form of a chainsaw thus the chainsaw you see on the cover. After killing Madam Red when she refused to kill Ciel, Grell dons her red coat for the rest of the series. Grell is attracted to Sebastian (much to Sebastian's dismay) and other characters in the series, especially William T. Spears. Grell is rather cunning, flamboyant, ruthless, bloodthirsty, jealous, gender confused and somewhat sadistic. As a Grim Reaper, Grell is a capable fighter and is able fight equally against Sebastian (Though Sebastian holds his own). Sebastian probably tolerates Grell because of his skill as a reaper who is an awesome fighter. But Grell can be duped by Sebastian when the demon pours on even a little charm. |
   | The UndertakerThis sexy as hell former Grim Reaper and funeral director in London is the most dangerous of them all. His identity as a rogue Grim Reaper was not revealed until later within the series, where he admitted that he was behind the resurrection of corpses known as the Bizarre Dolls. Upon having his true nature exposed, Undertaker takes a more antagonistic role within the series. Prior to this, he acted as an informant to the Phantomhive family for many years. Unlike the other Grim Reapers, he does not seem to require the need of glasses. Like Sebastian, Undertaker has a fixation on humans, as well as the fundamentals of life. Despite his eccentric & comical personality, Undertaker is a manipulative, ruthless, and enigmatic individual. However, he has shown to care for Ciel deeply, as well as for the Phantomhive family. He was willing to kill Sebastian because he believes that Sebastian is making Ciel miserable, and also revived his twin brother in secret. |
Honorable Mentions
   | PlutoPluto was a large demon hound that terrorizes the town of Houndsworth until Sebastian tamed him and brought him to the Phantomhive estate. He was able to breathe fire, walked through barriers and shape-shifted into a human. As a human, he retained his dog-like behavior. Although Sebastian hates dogs, Pluto took a liking to him and only listened to Sebastian's orders. When Ash used him to set fire to the estate and burn London, Ciel ordered his staff to kill Pluto. |
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There are a shit-load of other characters. Some were mentioned, but I'm sticking with the main band of protagonists I loved. Otherwise this would be a Wikipedia entry, not a review.
My Review
Way back in 2006 I saw this manga in a Barnes & Noble and picked it up with a bit of interest. At that time I flipped through the book and felt the scenes a little more pedophilia-ish for my liking and set the manga down.
Fast forward a few years to the anime. I watched the first episode and I realized too late that this was the manga I did not want to read. But I was hooked on Ceil & Sebastian. Had I understood Sebastian was a demon from hell way back when I *might* have powered through the molestation undertones of a twelve-year-old boy. I do love fantasy & Syfy. I guess enough to look past a distasteful theme running in the background.
But the relationship between Sebastian and Ceil is interesting. Take this scene snapshot for example.
Fast forward a few years to the anime. I watched the first episode and I realized too late that this was the manga I did not want to read. But I was hooked on Ceil & Sebastian. Had I understood Sebastian was a demon from hell way back when I *might* have powered through the molestation undertones of a twelve-year-old boy. I do love fantasy & Syfy. I guess enough to look past a distasteful theme running in the background.
But the relationship between Sebastian and Ceil is interesting. Take this scene snapshot for example.
Ceil is clearly distrustful of the fiend while subconsciously knowing Sebastian is his savior, his servant, his teacher, his protector and ultimately his destruction.
Sebastian on the other hand whispers intel, knowledge and secrets while starving for Ceil's blood. He's a patient devil. A winged terror. A hungry demon. But he has moments of conflict when Ceil does show him trust. Ultimately, Sebastian wants his cake and eat it too.
Sebastian on the other hand whispers intel, knowledge and secrets while starving for Ceil's blood. He's a patient devil. A winged terror. A hungry demon. But he has moments of conflict when Ceil does show him trust. Ultimately, Sebastian wants his cake and eat it too.
Here is another great example of their relationship...
One theory is Sebastian has gone insane in the quest for Ciel's soul. I find that interesting because Ceil is the master that taught Sebastian patience, decorum and manners.
You might think a young boy has nothing to give but because of his horrible past Ceil is well beyond his age. I still don't condone Sebastian's sexual undertones to a minor but I do like the series.
You might think a young boy has nothing to give but because of his horrible past Ceil is well beyond his age. I still don't condone Sebastian's sexual undertones to a minor but I do like the series.
I Would Recommend This to Fans of:
Demons
master/servant relationships
yaoi
Those who like Pedophilia themes
master/servant relationships
yaoi
Those who like Pedophilia themes
The Bird of the Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame.
Synopsis
This blurb is off the Wikipedia site.
Hellsing is named after and centered around the Royal Order of Protestant Knights originally led by Abraham Van Helsing. The mission of Hellsing is to search for and destroy the undead and other supernatural forces of evil that threaten the queen and the country. This organization is currently led by Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who inherited the leadership of Hellsing as a child after the death of her father. She witnessed his death which turned her from a once innocent and shy little girl to a tough and deadly force. She is protected by the faithful Hellsing family butler Walter C. Dornez, a deadly foe in his own right, and Alucard, the original and most powerful vampire that swore loyalty to the Hellsing family after being defeated by Van Helsing one hundred years before the story takes place. These formidable guardians are joined early on in the storyline by former police officer Seras Victoria, whom Alucard turned into a vampire.
As the scale and frequency of incidents involving the undead escalate in England and all around the world, Sir Integra discovers that the remnants of a Nazi group called Millennium still exist and are intent on reviving Nazi Germany by creating a battalion of vampires. Millennium, Hellsing, and the Vatican section XIII Iscariot clash in an apocalyptic three-sided war in London, and Millennium reveals its true objective: to destroy the vampire lord Alucard, ending a feud begun during World War II.
As the scale and frequency of incidents involving the undead escalate in England and all around the world, Sir Integra discovers that the remnants of a Nazi group called Millennium still exist and are intent on reviving Nazi Germany by creating a battalion of vampires. Millennium, Hellsing, and the Vatican section XIII Iscariot clash in an apocalyptic three-sided war in London, and Millennium reveals its true objective: to destroy the vampire lord Alucard, ending a feud begun during World War II.
My Interpretation of the Synopsis
Newly minted police officer turned vampire, Seras Victoria fights her blood lust while navigating her new life at The Hellsing Organization.
Seras Victoria's first assignment as a police officer is an encounter with ghouls. In the small town of Cheddar, England she confronts the vampire who made the undead servants terrorizing the town and is almost turned into a mindless zombie herself.
Master vampire, Alucard, is the protector and servant of the Hellsing Organization headed by Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. When Integra sends Alucard to investigate ghoul activity in the suburbs, he finds, saves and turns Seras into a blood-sucker such as himself.
After turning into a vampire, Seras struggles to keep her humanity, control her hunger for blood and master her new found powers. All the while Alucard, Seras and Integra uncover a deadly scheme that will engulf the world in ghouls.
Seras Victoria's first assignment as a police officer is an encounter with ghouls. In the small town of Cheddar, England she confronts the vampire who made the undead servants terrorizing the town and is almost turned into a mindless zombie herself.
Master vampire, Alucard, is the protector and servant of the Hellsing Organization headed by Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. When Integra sends Alucard to investigate ghoul activity in the suburbs, he finds, saves and turns Seras into a blood-sucker such as himself.
After turning into a vampire, Seras struggles to keep her humanity, control her hunger for blood and master her new found powers. All the while Alucard, Seras and Integra uncover a deadly scheme that will engulf the world in ghouls.
Main Characters
   | Seras Victoria The first thing I noticed about Seras--what knockers! I mean if I had her size E boobs I'd be strapping those things with duct tape. I can't imagine shopping for a bra for her. Those things are just unwieldy. Poor thing. Dealing with those through eternity would be hell itself. Anyway. Seras followed in the footsteps of her father to become a police officer. Though naive and unsure of herself, as a vampire she becomes a force all her own fighting ghouls, other vampires and her own cravings for blood. I can't tell if she admires Alucard or loves him, though in her eyes he saved her from a fate worse than death so there's got to be a bit of hero worship mixed with Stockholm Syndrome. But her willpower alone is something to be admired. |
      | Alucard Someone, somewhere thought it was clever to name Dracula backwards and just call him that. Thus we have Alucard. Onward. Here is a man (or vampire) that knows who he is. He is a monster and doesn't pretend to be otherwise. His flat, dry humor comes out as sarcastic and at the expense of those who are inept. Poor Seras. Though she tries to please him he she's her as a stubborn child and gives her little insight. But Alucard is honor bound and if you look deeply, a romantic. His devotion to Integra is not short of love and admiration. His actions can be confusing as some may think him complicated, but I see a being who is loyal to his own code of conduct. Something mortals couldn't understand. He admonishes those who let their baser needs take hold yet relishes the times when he allows himself to let go. Alucard is the original master vampire. Demon of the night. Hellspawn. And when he tells you he is immortal, it is the true meaning of immortal. As in--can not be killed. Ever. You can obliterate him. He just comes back. It's a curse. He knows. But he also loves being a vampire. Alucard is every bit of the "romantic" vampire those of the supernatural lovers wish every bloodsucker to be. |
   | Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing I just like the fact that she's a knight. Otherwise, any one of those last names would have sufficed for England's super secret head of the Hellsing Organization. With unlimited funds and a matching ego, Integra is one of my favorites. She lacks fear, her expectations are high, she's haughty and is a perfect "master" for Alucard. I think her insufferable conceited confidence out does even Alucard's contempt for other vampires. And with two titles and three last names you bet she thinks highly of herself. But not without reason. Integra is an impressive vampire hunter in her own right and the people she commands are powerful, ego driven, pompous killers. Watching her put incompetent shit-bags in their place is a personal type of satisfying. But her determination, her soul, her absolute conviction to hunting down anything that harms humans is bar none. She's a zealot. But I'm glad she's on our side. |
There is one supporting character that deserves a mention. Walter C. Dornez is Sir Integra's butler. He's the only one that might be able to give her and Alucard a run for their money. In one of the renditions of Hellsing--he does. Walter fights with spider-like strings strong as steel and flexible as thread.
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Review
This anime is responsible for my love of this particular art form. It was also the inspiration of my first fan-fic.
That should at least tell you something.
In the past I loved art, but I was not into comics or visual novels. This series changed my mind. I absolutely love this genre of art we call anime because of this story, artwork, music, story-line and dialogue.
There are a few renditions of Hellsing and the one I saw was not the Nazi manga version but the ghouls take over the world version. So I think that's not the "ULTIMATE" story-line. But I'm not sure. I prefer the ghouls take over the world version because Nazi's have been done to death for me and I didn't really feel that story-line "fit".
The jazz music is awesome with the mood of the visuals and the dialogue at the time was witty to me. It let me follow Seras Victoria while keeping Alucard and Sir Integra mysterious with snacks of information about them I ate up like chocolate.
The plot moved. There was none of this... here's a character because we want you to care about them. This anime integrated the characters into the story. I didn't have to suffer through plotlessness that only served as filler. Each episode brought you closer to the world ending problem. When Integra and her band uncovered the take-over-the-world plans it was an unveiling that felt natural.
Left with a cliff-hanger that has me still wondering, but I'm too afraid to seek out an official second season. I'll stick with my fan-fic and dream of the second season on my own.
That should at least tell you something.
In the past I loved art, but I was not into comics or visual novels. This series changed my mind. I absolutely love this genre of art we call anime because of this story, artwork, music, story-line and dialogue.
There are a few renditions of Hellsing and the one I saw was not the Nazi manga version but the ghouls take over the world version. So I think that's not the "ULTIMATE" story-line. But I'm not sure. I prefer the ghouls take over the world version because Nazi's have been done to death for me and I didn't really feel that story-line "fit".
The jazz music is awesome with the mood of the visuals and the dialogue at the time was witty to me. It let me follow Seras Victoria while keeping Alucard and Sir Integra mysterious with snacks of information about them I ate up like chocolate.
The plot moved. There was none of this... here's a character because we want you to care about them. This anime integrated the characters into the story. I didn't have to suffer through plotlessness that only served as filler. Each episode brought you closer to the world ending problem. When Integra and her band uncovered the take-over-the-world plans it was an unveiling that felt natural.
Left with a cliff-hanger that has me still wondering, but I'm too afraid to seek out an official second season. I'll stick with my fan-fic and dream of the second season on my own.
I Would Recommend This to Fans of:
Vampire Fiction
World Domination Stories
Jazz fans
People who like to watch Double D boobs bounce
World Domination Stories
Jazz fans
People who like to watch Double D boobs bounce
Update:
As of October 30th, 2018, I created a video that I put up on my author Facebook page and which I will put here for your amusement.
Thank you for watching!
Thank you for watching!
Synopsis
Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed.
In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass.
Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass.
Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
My Interpretation of the Synopsis
In the 22nd century, justice has changed. Most definitely.
Newly minted Inspector, Akane, works with a rogue force of "criminals" who use special guns to track and catch... criminals.
Catch a criminal with a criminal. Only the guns are computers connected to an internet of things called Sibyl. Okay, first Sibyl? Really? That can't be bad. Let's look at the definition of Sibyl. A woman in ancient times supposed to utter the oracles and prophecies of a god. In reality, Sibyl is a freaking crazy person. Compacted with the fact that few knew what the hell she was talking about in the first place.
We get it. Sibyl. Okay, moving on.
So Sibyl is judge, jury and executioner. Sibyl holds peoples lives in its calculation of whether you are a good or bad person. How? Fuck if I know. The main character points a gun at people and Sibyl gives a rating then pulls the trigger.
Sometimes Sibyl pulls the trigger on a person and hell if I know why, thus unreliable judgement. Or maybe Sibyl wants to get rid of people who know the truth.
But there is one person whose found a way to jack the system and he's out to open people's eyes--how? Terrorism.
Newly minted Inspector, Akane, works with a rogue force of "criminals" who use special guns to track and catch... criminals.
Catch a criminal with a criminal. Only the guns are computers connected to an internet of things called Sibyl. Okay, first Sibyl? Really? That can't be bad. Let's look at the definition of Sibyl. A woman in ancient times supposed to utter the oracles and prophecies of a god. In reality, Sibyl is a freaking crazy person. Compacted with the fact that few knew what the hell she was talking about in the first place.
We get it. Sibyl. Okay, moving on.
So Sibyl is judge, jury and executioner. Sibyl holds peoples lives in its calculation of whether you are a good or bad person. How? Fuck if I know. The main character points a gun at people and Sibyl gives a rating then pulls the trigger.
Sometimes Sibyl pulls the trigger on a person and hell if I know why, thus unreliable judgement. Or maybe Sibyl wants to get rid of people who know the truth.
But there is one person whose found a way to jack the system and he's out to open people's eyes--how? Terrorism.
Main Characters
 | Akane Tsunemori Akane came across as one of those bored rich kids with talent. She took her open path for granted making her seem arrogant. Her half-hearted chosen career to help people didn't convince me she was worthy of being in law enforcement. She saw no value of her intelligence. It is ultimately her mind that both saves her and gets her to understand the reality of Sibyl. But Akane persists, becoming steel willed. In the end she is someone who grew into her position. |
 | Shinya Kougami This guy looks like he has his shit together but really he's got the street smarts Akane doesn't have. Kougami is the one focus on capturing the antagonist who leads Kougami through a mind field of clues about Sibyl and it's real intentions. Thus about this society they live in. |
 | Shougo Makishima In a very fucked-up way this guy is the only one that makes sense in this Utopian world. He feels more at home with old classic books that explore human nature. Shougo taunts our police team staying one step ahead of them, but only because he wants Kougami. Not in the hey let's be "friends" kinna way, in the you understand me, right? kinna way. He's trying to dismantle Sibyl but what he fails to understand is it takes a society to overturn a dictator, not a terrorist. |
Supporting Characters
 | Nobuchika Ginoza One word. Tsudre. Ginoza suffers from caring too much in a gruff, apathetic shell. He is the band leader of the other characters as their warden. Ginoza follows instructions because they keep the world safe. He was the one I kept watching when I wanted to rip off the heads off Akane & Kougami and stop watching. |
 | Shuusei Kagari Our resident comic relief. Though he does play a main part at the end he's very good at giving Akane shit where shit need be made and worming into hearts. I found him a lovable character and gone too soon. But...there was only one other supporting character that topped him... |
 | Tomomi Masaoka Now here is a secondary character with an interesting background. Ginoza is actually his son. Think about this... Tom's son is his warden. Which makes both characters infinitely more fascinating to me. Tom is an old police detective that rates high on the phyco-pass kill test but he's retained because he can think like a criminal--which is helpful for Sibyl in catching criminals. |
There are other supporting characters but... I found them fill-ins for the story. You get to know them and their background in the first few episodes but while interesting, doesn't move the plot forward. I found it fluff for the main plot.
Themes I caught in this series:
- Things go horribly wrong when you let a computer decide humanities fate.
- Things go horribly wrong when you let a group of elite ass-hats decide humanities fate.
- Computers are going to take over and the future will be filled with sheepole lead by data and a small group of humans.
- Pretty much, we're all fucked if we let computers run a city.
Review
This police procedural, dystopian, futureistic crime mystery has beautiful artwork, good music and a descent story. It reminds me of Ghost in the Shell and has twists in the same vein. I understood the message it portrayed and would happily write a one-off fan-fic for Pshyco-Pass.
Word of warning... it is gory. Exploding men, bodies everywhere. Blood. Guts. Torture. It's sub-genre is horror. Really, this is a dystopian, futuristic, sci-fi, police procedural, mystery, horror fiction anime.
The thought experiment of this anime is what really gripped me. Don't let the meandering beginning episodes lead you astray. It's worth it.
In other words, if you're looking for a beautifully penned anime with future/dystopian setting a thought experiment and cops, this is the one for you!
Word of warning... it is gory. Exploding men, bodies everywhere. Blood. Guts. Torture. It's sub-genre is horror. Really, this is a dystopian, futuristic, sci-fi, police procedural, mystery, horror fiction anime.
The thought experiment of this anime is what really gripped me. Don't let the meandering beginning episodes lead you astray. It's worth it.
In other words, if you're looking for a beautifully penned anime with future/dystopian setting a thought experiment and cops, this is the one for you!
I would Recommend this to Fans of:
Dystopian
Utopian Societies
futuristic Sci-fi
plot twists
cop procedural's
cop procedural's in the future
characters who love old books
Gore
Horror
Utopian Societies
futuristic Sci-fi
plot twists
cop procedural's
cop procedural's in the future
characters who love old books
Gore
Horror
Synopsis
The story of irreconcilable lust.
When the Easter bunny finds his perfect match...but she's not all that he thinks her to be.
When the Easter bunny finds his perfect match...but she's not all that he thinks her to be.
Main Characters
 |  |
Review
The animation is a 9 minute 30 second short portraying the going's on of a boy's mind--Quentin's mind. Jack, Oswald, Bobo, Mister Wilco and Barbs are figments of the imagination, two fold.
I found this gem while trying to find anime to watch on YouTube. It's intriguing and dark. How could a boy scheme such things?
Thinking about the story it calls to me in a certain way. Death, murder, crime scenes and strippers are not usual things in a young boy's life. What is Quentin going through to have such thoughts? But the fate of all the characters in Quentin's mind is worse than death.
This animation was original, something I'd expect from a 1940's do-over. No one speaks. Yes, it's a silent film. The colors are cold blues and warm yellows. Shadows, shading and color dance to make the mood somber, sinister and a classic. It's worth 10 minutes.
I found this gem while trying to find anime to watch on YouTube. It's intriguing and dark. How could a boy scheme such things?
Thinking about the story it calls to me in a certain way. Death, murder, crime scenes and strippers are not usual things in a young boy's life. What is Quentin going through to have such thoughts? But the fate of all the characters in Quentin's mind is worse than death.
This animation was original, something I'd expect from a 1940's do-over. No one speaks. Yes, it's a silent film. The colors are cold blues and warm yellows. Shadows, shading and color dance to make the mood somber, sinister and a classic. It's worth 10 minutes.
I would Recommend this to Fans of:
Mystery
Suspense
1940's Detectives
Odd-ball
Worlds within Worlds
Suspense
1940's Detectives
Odd-ball
Worlds within Worlds
Welcome to
The Enclave
Thanks for taking a look at my little hodgepodge of a blog.
The format and subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey.
You've now been sufficiently forewarned, happy reading!
The Enclave
Thanks for taking a look at my little hodgepodge of a blog.
The format and subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey.
You've now been sufficiently forewarned, happy reading!
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