Must See Anime

ELFEN LIED
エルフェンリート

Just finished watching this wonderful Anime. After 13 captivating episodes I can say for certain it is one of the finest features in the genre. The animation, character development and music are all first class. It is hard however to categorize this one as it covers action, drama, comedy, romance, thriller and sci-fi...it has it all! So what's it all about then?

The story begins at a mysterious lab where test subject Lucy, a Diclonius (mutant) makes her escape from the secret compound. Her ferocious powers are inflicted upon the labs security team as she slices through the entire guard, limbs and blood all being left in her wake. Lucy finally makes it outside the facility only to receive a head shot from the guard's top marksman. She plummets to the ocean below.

These first fifteen minutes are intense; bodies ripped apart, heads rolling, the corridors a blood splattered mess! We are thrown straight into this world and what we are to expect from the rest of the series. Thankfully there is so much more to Elfen than this...but what an opening sequence!

Lucy finally emerges onto the shore in front of two students Kohta and Yuka. However her character is completely changed, she is no longer a relentless killer but appears to be a sweet and innocent girl. She has now adopted her other personality which is dubbed as Nyū by Kohta as it is the only word she utters. This split personality and relationship with Kohta and his past is to dominate the story from now on.

The organization quickly reacts by sending their armed forces to retrieve Lucy. After this fails they then decide to use another Diclonius to combat Lucy's lethal telekinetic powers. We also get an insight into the workings and members behind the organization and the relationship between Kohta, Yuka and Nyū.

Ok this is as much as I'm going to give you, I don't want to give too much of this away. Needless to say I highly recommend this one, see it now!
Elfen Lied - Vol. 1

Lily And The Ether

ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU CHOU
directed by Shunji Iwai

Some thoughts...
This is an interesting movie, the style in the opening scene creates a pseudo internet chat room environment with many sections of dialogue appearing as text on screen. I didn’t find this too off putting and gradually became comfortable watching it, but i can imagine it's not to everyones taste!

The story centers around Yuichi, a fanatical follower of (fictional) pop singer Lily Chou Chou. He spends his time engulfed in her world, her music and online domain. This is where he discovers the 'ether' and how Lilys music is born out of this intangible entity.

We are introduced to several characters who all share the same love for Lily and her music, and how it is a refuge and salvation for them as they struggle through those difficulty formative years.

The style of the film changes mid way into the feature. The sharp detailed images are replaced by shaky hand held footage. This section of the film drags a little for me, and i found myself willing the picture back into its once vivid state. This finally happens and we are rewarded with some more elegant cinematography.

For me the beauty of this film resides in the vibrancy of its colour, cinematography and music. Not for everyone but worth a look if your in the mood!

The Ether will set you free.

All About Lily Chou-Chou [2002]

Superfly Samurai

AFRO SAMURAI

This stylized Anime caught my attention last year when it featured on Jonathan Ross's BBC show Japanorama. Its an unlikely mix of 70's Blaxploitation and the Samurai warrior! I recently caught a few episodes on Bravo, of all places...and I have really enjoyed what I have seen so far. The show has some celebrity heavyweights adding to its appeal, including the voice of Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu. Jackson is perfect voicing the lead character (Afro) and his mentor who guides the young warrior in his search to find the number one killer and avenge his fathers death. The show was created by Takeshi Okazaki and produced by Studio Gonzo in Japan, who have made only five episodes so far. It also features a sweet soundtrack provided by RZA.