pepito89

You are under arrest And So They Met Episode Number: 1 Season Num: 1 First Aired: Saturday September 24, 1994 Prod Code: OVA1 Overview Recap Credits Trivia & Quotes Reviews Pre-Show Buzz Discussion < >

Running late for work, Natsumi Tsujimoto makes the attempt to avoid being busted by her soon-to-be partner. A short time later, she's stopped dead in her tracks, trying to avoid hitting a small kitten with her motorized bike.

Thinking her decision through, she tells her assigned partner, Miyuki Kobayakawa, that she doesn't think the partnership is going to work because they're two different people. Before she comes to a decision over this a strange, wreckless driver causes some havok with these two new officers as the "Fox" gives them a little more than they bargained for.

After defusing the situation, Natsumi agrees to give their partnership a chance. All of this, on Officer Tsujimoto's first day of work Tokyo Typhoon Rally Episode Number: 2 Season Num: 1 First Aired: Saturday January 21, 1995 Prod Code: OVA2 Overview Recap Credits Trivia & Quotes Reviews Pre-Show Buzz Discussion < >

With a severe storm about to hit the Bokuto Precinct, Natsumi and Miyuki have their hands full with a reckless driver terrorizing the city streets. It seems to happen everytime a typhoon hits the Tokyo area.

Dedicated to helping a very sick kitten, whom Natsumi has named chibi, the two policewomen try to figure out why she's sick. Then Miyuki discovers that chibi is pregnant.

Meanwhile, Nakajima asks Miyuki for some help which happens to send Yoriko's gossip mill racing into overtime. That help he asks for is to enhance his motorcycle to it will work better in the rain-storm. Miyuki happens to enlist the aid of the gossip-mill, Yoriko and Natsumi into enhancing Nakajima's bike.

While Nakajima is racing against the reckless driver, Miyuki and Natsumi are left cleaning up the accidents that the driver is leaving behind. This also has left the two young officers to attend to a pregnant chibi as they attempt to get the small kitten to a vet while Nakajima is left to the driver. Love's Highway Stars Episode Number: 3 Season Num: 1 First Aired: Sunday June 25, 1995 Prod Code: OVA3 Overview Recap Credits Trivia & Quotes Reviews Pre-Show Buzz Discussion < >

Confusion and gossip collide in Ken and Miyuki's relationship. While Ken's inability to ask Miyuki out continue to surface, the women of Bokuto plot and scheme to get Ken and Miyuki together.

Unbeknownst to the women of Bokuto Station, Miyuki is on her way to a class reunuion so their plans to get her together with Ken have been crushed. While Miyuki is dealing with her class reunion, Natsumi convinces Ken and they both ride after Miyuki.

After Natsumi gets herself drunk and decides to spend the rest of the night with Ken, the gossip-mill runs into overtime as the rumors about Natsumi, Miyuki and Ken start flying. This forces the captain to order Ken and Miyuki on a date after the tension between this love triangle to rage.

With Ken and Miyuki on a date, what could happen next?

OVA Episode 03 of 04 On The Road Again Episode Number: 4 Season Num: 1 First Aired: Saturday November 25, 1995 Prod Code: OVA4 Overview Recap Credits Trivia & Quotes Reviews Pre-Show Buzz Discussion < >

Natsumi is considered to join an honor guard police squad in the upcoming parade. Could this be the end of the partnership between Miyuki and Natsumi?

OVA Episode 04 of 04

Antes que nada es un reportaje que se realizo en la pagina de animebaka la cual es bastante reconocida entre el mundo del anime en el idioma español, el reportaje es un poco larguito pero ten seguro que te quitara todas las dudas que tengas sobre evangelion live action el que quiera checar por su propia cuenta que lo que digo no es mentira :P ahi les va el link http://www.animebaka.com.ar/anteriores/ultimo.htm

Lean el reportaje es bastante informativo

2 - ¿Qué se sabe del Live-Action de Evangelion?

Te contamos los mitos y las verdades acerca de la película con actores basada en la obra de Gainax (todas las imágenes son bocetos originales del proyecto)

En Mayo del 2003, dentro del marco del Festival de Cannes se dio un anuncio que acapararía la atención de medio mundo; ADV Films (principal productor-distribuidor de anime en USA), Gainax (la compañía creadora de los mayores éxitos animados en Japón) y Weta Workshop (la empresa que llevó a la pantalla grande el mundo imaginado por J. R. R. Tolkien) suman esfuerzos para producir la adaptación en película (léase live-action, o de acción real) de una de las series más aclamadas de todos los tiempos: Shin Seiki Evangelion. Un nuevo "Dream Team" se creaba para hacer realidad uno de los sueños dorados de todos los fans de esta serie.

La noticia decía textualmente:

“Una película de acción real basada en la exitosa serie animada de la TV japonesa ‘Neon Génesis Evangelion’ esta en preparación. La película marcará la colaboración entre ADV Films, una productora-distribuidora de animación japonesa en USA, la productora nipona Gainax, y Weta Workshop de Peter Jackson con base en Nueva Zelanda, cuyos mágicos efectos especiales fueron utilizados en la trilogía de ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Anunciando la película, el presidente ejecutivo de ADV Films, John Ledford dijo, ‘los tres participantes aquí reunidos representan una especie de equipo de ensueño para un proyecto como este. En medio la calidad y trascendencia de Gainax, a un lado la habilidad de Weta líder en la industria de efectos especiales, y del otro nuestra experiencia en la distribución y promoción de anime y productos relacionados; este proyecto es una oportunidad de una sola vez en la vida.’ En tanto que Ledford decía que la película está en un temprano desarrollo, anunció una agenda agresiva de trabajo.”

El revuelo causado por esta noticia es equiparable al generado por Animatrix en su momento; los rumores empezaron a generarse por doquier, mucho se hablaba de quiénes serían los probables actores que llevarían los papeles principales, de cuál sería la posible trama y quién dirigiría la filmación; con el correr de los meses hubo quien aseguró que tenóa el reparto definitivo para la película, pero hasta la fecha no hay nada asegurado. O tal vez sí...

Dos cosas son las que preocupan a los fans de la serie, y son las que más rumores han generado:

1.- ¿Quiénes encarnaran al reparto principal? ¿Serán los adecuados para el papel? ¿Darán el ancho?

2.- ¿Será una adaptación fiel o una adaptación libre? ¿Se respetará lo esencial de la serie?

(clic para ampliar)

1.- El reparto

El hacer una adaptación en película de una novela, un cómic, una serie animada, etc., entraña muchas dificultades a vencer, una de ellas es encontrar a los actores adecuados para interpretar los papeles principales, secundarios, terciarios y demás; esto no es sencillo de hacer, el personaje ya tiene un perfil que el actor debe llenar de cabo a rabo, y esto se traduce a un largo proceso de audiciones para encontrar al actor ideal, y puede ser alguien famoso o un completo desconocido; así que de la plétora de actores que hay en el mundo ¿Quién llenará los zapatos de Shinji, Rei, Asuka y compañía?

En el mes de Febrero de 2004, una revista editada en México y dedicada a difundir noticias sobre anime, manga, cómic, videojuegos y demás, en su número 11 traía un reportaje acerca de la llegada de SSE a la pantalla grande, aparte la exclusiva del reparto que daría vida a los personajes principales de la misma. Pero para sorpresa de los fans, en el reportaje en cuestión el autor decía que este era el reparto estimado a la fecha, vaya forma de tomar el pelo. Aún había más, la noticia no era exclusiva en ningún sentido, esta ya había sido publicada meses atrás en cierta publicación de USA como una propuesta de quienes podrían ser los actores ideales para la película.

Wizard, una de las publicaciones de USA más respetadas y especializadas en lo que a cómic se refiere, tiene una sección que se titula “llamado a escena”; ahí el equipo creativo de la revista hace un propuesta de los actores que, a su juicio, son los que deberían encarnar a tal o cual personaje de cómic, en la adaptación de película del mismo, trátese de un proyecto ya oficial de alguna casa productora, o de la propuesta de algún fan de ver a sus héroes favoritos como personajes de carne y hueso.

Wizard tiene una publicación hermana dedicada por entero al anime y manga, llamada Anime Insider, y en su número 12 daban su propuesta del reparto para SSE, el cual era el siguiente:

• Daniel Radcliffe como Shinji Ikari.
• Hillary Duff como Asuka Soryu Langley.
• Shawn Ashmore como Touji Suzuhara.
• Chiaki Kuriyama como Rei Ayanami.
• Natalie Imbruglia como Misato Katsuragi.
• Haley Joel Osment como Kaworu Nagisa.
• Colin Farrell como Ryoji Kaji.
• Gwyneth Paltrow como Ritsuko Akagi.
• Ian McKellan como Kouzou Fuyutsuki.
• Hugo Weaving como Gendo Ikari.

(clic para ampliar)

(En propias palabras del equipo de Anime Insider: “¡simplemente no estamos dispuestos a esperar! ‘Anime Insider’ elige a los actores para la película de NGE. ¿Cómo podrá alguien resumir los 26 capítulos del más complicado y reverenciado anime de todos los tiempos, en una película de 2 horas? ¿Cómo podrán siquiera los más avanzados efectos especiales hacer creíble el anime en acción real? Incluso la más grande pregunta de todas permanece sin respuesta: ¿Quién estará de protagonista en NGE? Ya que somos el equipo más impaciente que haya trabajado en alguna revista, nos adelantamos y elegimos a los actores por ADV Films. Bueno, un elenco japonés sería ideal pero impráctico, dado que un exitazo de este tipo requiere de nombres de superestrellas estadounidenses conocidas para asegurar la ganancia - admitámoslo. Así que Hollywood puede revisar nuestra elección, y en cuanto a los chicos de ADV – pueden pagar nuestros honorarios de audición con DVD’s”).

Muchos tomaron este dato como real, y la noticia se difundió como reguero de pólvora, genero discusiones en todos los foros, y hubiese llegado a más hasta que entraron en escena Tiffany Grant, voz de Asuka en USA, y Matt Greenfield, vicepresidente de ADV (y productor de la película), para explicar todo el lío.

De lo que ha dicho Tiffany: Hay un genuino deseo de elegir chicos de la edad adecuada para los papeles principales, no actores de 22 años que aparenten ser “menores”; por tanto es difícil de decir en estos momentos quién estará en qué papel, siendo que habrán de pasar 2 o 3 años antes de las audiciones empiecen; los actores que pudieran tener en mente ahora, tendrían que tener 12 años para que tengan la edad requerida durante la filmación, y que lo más probable es que se elija a actores desconocidos. Están bastante seguros de que el director que sea contratado para la película, buscará a los mejores actores para los personajes, y no hay duda alguna de que tratarán de encontrar a la persona adecuada.

Así que Daniel Radcliffe, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, y Chiaki Kuriyama estarán bastante “viejos” para ese entonces.

De lo que ha dicho Matt Greenfield (esposo de Tiffany por si no lo sabían): Muchos actores no han sido considerados en serio, ya que el proyecto está en una muy temprana pre-producción, años atrás Daniel Radcliffe hubiese sido un buen candidato, y antes de cualquier cosa, necesitan a un director y que las audiciones sean hechas por este director. Hasta que estén en plena etapa de producción, ya con luz verde y toda la cosa, será entonces que hablarán de quién estará en el papel de quién; aparte de que se trata de un asunto de personaje versus la edad.

Lo que hace Wizard es solamente dar su punto de vista, algo a manera muy personal, no que ya sea algo oficial, aunque hay ocasiones en que es tomado en cuenta por las compañías productoras para su búsqueda de talentos (Alan Cumming, Nightcrawler en X-Men 2); y lo que hizo la revista mejicana fue copiar literalmente lo que decía en Anime Insider.

En algún lado se mencionó que la película ya estaba en Internet Movie Database con fecha de estreno para el 2005 y con un reparto de actores desconocidos, pero cuidado, no se trata de la Evangelion que conocemos (un servidor también cayó en la finta), es una película de producción danesa; ambientada en Dinamarca en el año 2035, el desarrollo de una poderosa inteligencia artificial se vuelve el meollo de la historia, en tanto que muchos grupos religiosos tratan de apoderarse de esta IA, un pequeño grupo dirigido por David se involucra en la red con el sindicato ruso, la corrupta agencia de la Unión Europea y un culto religioso dirigido por Ángela, quien lleva un niño en su vientre, el cual es el vinculo físico de la IA con el mundo; una apocalíptica visión del futuro, de un mundo con intereses unilaterales, sindicatos corruptos y el futuro de la individualidad humana."

La fecha tentativa para el estreno de SSE es para el 2010 de acuerdo con lo dicho por Matt Greenfield en Anime Insider, aunque bien podría ser en el 2015 según el mismo Matt, y en IMDB es para el 2006, si mal no recuerdo (sería bueno que se pusieran de acuerdo).

Recientemente se ha comentado que Jennifer Garner es una de las principales candidatas para el papel de Misato en la película; lamentablemente esto no es cierto, Jennifer no ha dicho ni confirmado nada al respecto, tampoco lo ha hecho ADV Films, es otro rumor, y vaya sorpresa el saber quién lo generó.

En cierta platica sostenida entre AnimeNerd y Tiffany Grant, esta última dijo que tanto Hugo Weaving y Jennifer Garner quedarían muy bien como Gendo Ikari y Misato Katsuragi, respectivamente (según ella, le agradó mucho la idea de Jennifer en ese papel, ya que no lo había escuchado antes), y que si tuviera una pequeña aparición en la película, le gustaría estar como la mamá de Asuka. Nótese que estas son opiniones de Tiffany, no de la propia ADV.

No dudo que Jennifer pueda ser una excelente Misato, estuvo fenomenal como Elektra en Daredevil, y sé que estará igual en su propia película, pero en lo personal preferiría a Natalie Imbruglia, tiene más parecido con la oficial Katsuragi.

(clic para ampliar)

2.- Los nombres

Una parte importante en la realización de una película son las locaciones y escenarios a utilizar, al igual que la vestimenta de los actores, y tiene mayor énfasis cuando se trata de una película de época, fantasía o ciencia-ficción. Primero se hacen los bocetos de cómo serán los escenarios, la vestimenta, edificios, etc., y son enviadas para su aprobación o rechazo; según sea el caso, se empezará con la elaboración y/o construcción, o se volverán a dibujar para ser enviados de nuevo a revisión.

Esto fue precisamente lo que hizo Weta Workshop, quienes serán los encargados de dar vida (digitalmente) a los EVA’s y hacer que las ciudades del Japón del futuro se vean reales, así como los uniformes de los pilotos y personal de NERV; y aparentemente todo el trabajo que han presentado está aprobado por Gainax y ADV.

Cuando los bocetos que hicieron se pusieron en la red, hubo algo que llamó poderosamente la atención de los fans e hizo que pusieran el grito en el cielo, ¡le habían cambiado los nombres a 3 personajes de la serie! En los bocetos de Rei, Asuka y Misato se leía "Ray, Kate Rose y Susan Whitmall" respectivamente; esto supuso que esos serían los nombres que tendrían en la película. ¡Sacrilegio! ¡Sacrilegio!, gritaban algunos (perdón, esto último no ocurrió, me emocioné...). Lo que sí hubo fue un gran enojo por todos lados, y Tiffany Grant tuvo que llegar a salvar el día.

De lo que dijo Tiffany: Los nombres “raros” usados en el guión preliminar (no la versión final), y que aparecían en los diseños de producción de Weta, estaban usándose solo como referencia en vez de ponerles “piloto A” y “capitán B”, etc.; así que “Kate Rose” es el nombre que usan para los diseños en lugar de “piloto del EVA 02” y así por el estilo.

Poco hay sobre esta película que sea considerado como oficial, en los sitios de ADV Films y Gainax no hay mucho que sea de ayuda (no que yo sepa mucho japonés, pero Altavista es de buena ayuda); así que no se fíen de todo lo que se dice al respecto de este asunto en la red. Solo una cosa es cierta: cuando esté aprobado el guión, director, reparto y todo lo demás, el primer lugar de donde saldrá la noticia será de las propias ADV y Gainax (con un poco de ayuda de Weta), ya sea en el sitio oficial de cada una, o tal vez en conferencia de prensa (quizás en Cannes otra vez), etc., y de ahí para el resto del mundo.

Puede que Hilary Duff pueda hacerla de Asuka, pero para mi gusto (y el gusto se rompe en géneros), Britney Spears hubiese sido una Asuka perfecta (por aquello del mal carácter).

¡Ah! El que Weta se haya involucrado en el proyecto no significa que Peter Jackson lo estará también (¿aparecerá su nombre en la lista de los posibles candidatos a director?).

Naruto Synopsis See main review.

Review Given the voracity of the backlash against the “not-so-bad” rating that Naruto received upon initial viewing by a fellow reviewer, I am certain that many readers eagerly anticipate a reviewer that, upon broader viewing (or even being of dissimilar gender from the original critic), will vindicate their pristine opinion of this title. Unfortunately you, the reader, are stuck with me. While I don’t think poorly of this title by any stretch of the imagination, the buzz pervading Naruto is plainly more hype than substance.

So where does the hype begin you ask? Right off the bat. From the very beginning of episode one this title more or less pronounces itself to be of the cookie-cutter Shonen Jump variety, and only a somewhat above average one at that. The character for which the show is named, Naruto, is quickly introduced, and even before the end of the first episode the viewer is completely aware of the ultimate direction of the plot: Naruto will someday become the strongest ninja of his village and receive the highly coveted title of Hokage. But knowing the end of the plotline isn’t as much of a killjoy as one would expect. It is the ride that counts after all. However, in the case of Naruto the ride is tantamount to that of an old, wooden roller coaster: sometimes thrilling and often nostalgic, yet still quite a bit rickety and easily outdone in terms of excitement and quality.

The characters, like the plot, are mostly OK while being admittedly cliched. Uzumaki Naruto, our primary character, is much like the leads of many of the most popular fight-styled anime. Like Goku (of Dragon Ball fame), Naruto is headstrong, motivated (mostly to become stronger), and cares deeply about his comrades. Like Yuusuke (of Yu Yu Hakusho fame), Naruto is rambunctious, brash, and a bit of a slacker. Despite his being particularly formulaic, Naruto at least combines the finer qualities of his predecessors. Such can not be said of his archrival Sasuke, a figure for whom blandness knows no depth. In fact, many of the characters fall somewhere in-between Sasuke’s blandness and Naruto’s charisma and coolness. You will come to care for the cast of Naruto for sure, just not at any deep or meaningful level.

The animation, much like the characterization and plotting, is spotty. At times great while at other times shoddy, the quality of the animation here lacks any real consistency. During the arcs in which the animation is still on the minds of the animators, the viewer is treated to a fluid frame-rate and artistic renderings that leave little to be desired on the part of fans of the manga. Nevertheless, when the animation is bad it is painful. At these times the once faithful renderings degrade to craptastic levels. It is as if you can feel the framerates slipping before your very eyes. Like most aspects thus far examined, the animation of Naruto is a mixed bag indeed.

It is perhaps a bit unfair though to judge a fight/action anime based upon factors such as characterization and plotting. True to its genre, it is in fight/action scenes that Naruto receives is highest accolades, though that isn’t saying a whole hell of a lot. Despite very wide employment, the fight scenes manage to remain remarkably fresh. With such a large extended cast, invigorating and unique fighting styles/techniques manage to continuously infuse action sets with life. Additionally, the background music manages to add some tension to these scenes quite effectively. There are some negative aspects to the action sets however. One is the overemployment of certain special techniques, particularly Naruto’s Shadow Clone technique, a move in which he creates multiple clones of himself. When a character uses the same move over and over and over and . . . well, things get bland and repetitive. Another detriment is that the sheer number of fights impedes the potency of plotting. Still, the combat stages are pretty intense and there are plenty of scenes for action fans to get pumped about.

How one feels about Naruto probably depends, in good part, on their anime viewing mileage. As a person that has been watching anime for a decade and a half, there isn’t too much here that I haven’t seen done better elsewhere. However, it has managed to get better as it progresses. Although uneven in most aspects, this show is a good introductory title that will likely bring many newcomers into the fold of anime fandom.

In closing, Naruto, while being better than worse without a doubt, doesn’t quite succeed in being as mind-blowing as the hype-machine would have you believe.

This anime volleys between a two-star and a four-star feature depending upon your anime viewing mileage and how easily you can stomach an anime so action ladden. If you are relatively new to anime and a fan of DragonBall Z and YuYu Hakusho, it is a four-star feature. Otherwise, this is a three-star series at best. — Derrick L Tucker

Recommended Audience: Preteens and up, due to some occasionally graphic violence (toned down from the manga), nongraphic nudity played for laughs, and occasional potty humor.

Twelve years ago, a demon fox attacked the peaceful village of Konohagakure. In order to save the people, the village hero, the Fourth Hokage, gave his life and bound the spirit of the demon into a new-born child: Uzumaki Naruto. With everyone but young Naruto knowing about this terrible secret, he is ignored and hated by the entire village.

Today, Naruto is a trouble-maker and prankster whose goal is to one day become Hokage and have the village finally acknowledge him. After graduating from the ninja academy and rising to the rank of Genin (the lowest rank of ninja), he is put into a three-man cell along with two of his classmates: Uchiha Sasuke (the pretty-boy of the village who lives only to avenge his clan, which the viewers are constantly reminded of) and Haruno Sakura (the girl who Naruto has a crush on, but who has a crush on Sasuke, which does cause some problems). The sensei who is assigned to train and look over these three is the cool Hatake Kakashi, who has some respectable values such as teamwork and yet reads a dirty book entitled "Come Come Paradise." Together, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi complete missions and learn to become stronger ninjas.

I have no idea why this series is so addicting, but it just is. It may be because of the humor, which is just so sassy and intelligent that it will leave you laughing for days after watching just one episode. Or it may be because of the characters, who are all so well developed and fun. With many characters in the show with many different personalities, it's very easy for someone to relate to at least just ONE of them. Or, if not the two reasons I just listed, people may keep watching it because the plot can get just so thick and juicy at times. The first few episodes may seem light-hearted and fun, but later on it can get pretty stressful but oh-so good.

The art style is different from most anime and the fight sequences took my breath away. Special effects and computer animation are used at just the right times, and can really add to the whole scene.

The music is something else very enjoyable about the show. The first opening theme, "R.O.C.K.S", is a sort of catchy rock song but the first ending theme, "Wind",is very mellow and a bit sad. All of the music is very diverse and well-sung, and the soundtrack is a definte recommendation.

I'd recommend "Naruto" to almost anyone. It has action, humor, a tad bit of romance, angst, violence...anything you can think of. I’m very hard to please, but I fell in love with the show…and I’m sure you would, too. It definitely deserves my ranking of 10/10. The Naruto movie was released in Japan August, 2004. Still trying to swim across the Pacific to reach us officially, this review is on its Japanese title Naruto: Dai Katsugeki!! Yuki Hime Shinobu Houjou Datte Bayo! It follows Naruto and company's newest mission: guarding the popular actress Koyuki to the Snow Country, where her next big film will be shot. However, upon their arrival they are attacked, and a tragic and sinister plot linked with Koyuki’s background begins to unfold.

The interesting thing about anime movies is that they can swing both ways in terms of quality and appeal. For the Naruto movie, the plot was ordinary, with bad guys and good guys and a problem. However, what made it stand out was a new character who starred in the movie, Koyuki, who is an actress in-character.

She was the former princess of the Snow Country, a land where Spring never visits. However, her power-hungry uncle had assassinated her father, the feudal lord and usurped the throne. Lead by a younger Kakashi, she fled from the Snow country after his death, and pursued a highly successful career as an actress. Such events do not leave one unscathed; she grew up to become a cold, selfish, and unloving adult, who cannot cry without eye drops.

Koyuki makes a fascinating character because she portrays a different damsel in distress. After her father‘s death and the loss of her country, she doesn‘t cry and simply moves on in life as an actress. All she really did do was run away from her past, and inside she still fears her uncle. Her loss of innocence made her into a cruel adult, until Naruto showed her what determination and courage truly mean. Her character model fits as well, cold and emotionless, but when she truly smiles, without any artistic change, you could really see who she is.

Because this was a feature length film and not a regular set of episodes, the animation and art was kicked up a notch, making it very enjoyable. The harsh landscape of the cold Snow Country, and the final scene where Spring arrives are very aesthetically pleasing. However, it was almost unavoidable that besides the main protagonist, and the main antagonist that the other villains and extras' character models were... bland if not slightly distasteful. The whole 82 minutes is filled with action and drama, and does indeed swing the “right way” on the anime movie scale.

Overall, there were the exciting action scenes that are expected of the series itself, and the music was excellent. The bottom line being that the movie was refreshing in the way that Koyuki was just as much of the protagonist as Naruto was. The bottom-bottom line is that the Naruto movie does have a brilliant new character, nice(r) animation, and all the goodness of the original anime, but it IS just a side plot. However, that shouldn't deter anyone from watching the domestic release, because it really is worth it. Naruto Synopsis See main review.

Review Given the voracity of the backlash against the “not-so-bad” rating that Naruto received upon initial viewing by a fellow reviewer, I am certain that many readers eagerly anticipate a reviewer that, upon broader viewing (or even being of dissimilar gender from the original critic), will vindicate their pristine opinion of this title. Unfortunately you, the reader, are stuck with me. While I don’t think poorly of this title by any stretch of the imagination, the buzz pervading Naruto is plainly more hype than substance.

So where does the hype begin you ask? Right off the bat. From the very beginning of episode one this title more or less pronounces itself to be of the cookie-cutter Shonen Jump variety, and only a somewhat above average one at that. The character for which the show is named, Naruto, is quickly introduced, and even before the end of the first episode the viewer is completely aware of the ultimate direction of the plot: Naruto will someday become the strongest ninja of his village and receive the highly coveted title of Hokage. But knowing the end of the plotline isn’t as much of a killjoy as one would expect. It is the ride that counts after all. However, in the case of Naruto the ride is tantamount to that of an old, wooden roller coaster: sometimes thrilling and often nostalgic, yet still quite a bit rickety and easily outdone in terms of excitement and quality.

The characters, like the plot, are mostly OK while being admittedly cliched. Uzumaki Naruto, our primary character, is much like the leads of many of the most popular fight-styled anime. Like Goku (of Dragon Ball fame), Naruto is headstrong, motivated (mostly to become stronger), and cares deeply about his comrades. Like Yuusuke (of Yu Yu Hakusho fame), Naruto is rambunctious, brash, and a bit of a slacker. Despite his being particularly formulaic, Naruto at least combines the finer qualities of his predecessors. Such can not be said of his archrival Sasuke, a figure for whom blandness knows no depth. In fact, many of the characters fall somewhere in-between Sasuke’s blandness and Naruto’s charisma and coolness. You will come to care for the cast of Naruto for sure, just not at any deep or meaningful level.

The animation, much like the characterization and plotting, is spotty. At times great while at other times shoddy, the quality of the animation here lacks any real consistency. During the arcs in which the animation is still on the minds of the animators, the viewer is treated to a fluid frame-rate and artistic renderings that leave little to be desired on the part of fans of the manga. Nevertheless, when the animation is bad it is painful. At these times the once faithful renderings degrade to craptastic levels. It is as if you can feel the framerates slipping before your very eyes. Like most aspects thus far examined, the animation of Naruto is a mixed bag indeed.

It is perhaps a bit unfair though to judge a fight/action anime based upon factors such as characterization and plotting. True to its genre, it is in fight/action scenes that Naruto receives is highest accolades, though that isn’t saying a whole hell of a lot. Despite very wide employment, the fight scenes manage to remain remarkably fresh. With such a large extended cast, invigorating and unique fighting styles/techniques manage to continuously infuse action sets with life. Additionally, the background music manages to add some tension to these scenes quite effectively. There are some negative aspects to the action sets however. One is the overemployment of certain special techniques, particularly Naruto’s Shadow Clone technique, a move in which he creates multiple clones of himself. When a character uses the same move over and over and over and . . . well, things get bland and repetitive. Another detriment is that the sheer number of fights impedes the potency of plotting. Still, the combat stages are pretty intense and there are plenty of scenes for action fans to get pumped about.

How one feels about Naruto probably depends, in good part, on their anime viewing mileage. As a person that has been watching anime for a decade and a half, there isn’t too much here that I haven’t seen done better elsewhere. However, it has managed to get better as it progresses. Although uneven in most aspects, this show is a good introductory title that will likely bring many newcomers into the fold of anime fandom.

In closing, Naruto, while being better than worse without a doubt, doesn’t quite succeed in being as mind-blowing as the hype-machine would have you believe.

This anime volleys between a two-star and a four-star feature depending upon your anime viewing mileage and how easily you can stomach an anime so action ladden. If you are relatively new to anime and a fan of DragonBall Z and YuYu Hakusho, it is a four-star feature. Otherwise, this is a three-star series at best. — Derrick L Tucker

Recommended Audience: Preteens and up, due to some occasionally graphic violence (toned down from the manga), nongraphic nudity played for laughs, and occasional potty humor.

school rumble Description

Tsukamoto Tenma is a second grader in high school who, like other girls her age, falls in love. However, she could not bring herself to confess her love to her classmate Karasumaru. She discovers that Karasumaru will transfer out next year and, with the help of her friends and her little sister Yakumo, tries to confess her love. Tenma also uses unorthodox methods such as disguising herself as a nurse or shooting arrows with a love letter attached to express her feelings for him.

On the other hand, Harima Kenji, a delinquent, has feelings for Tenma. Unfortunately, Tenma's preoccupation with Karasumara ensures that she doesn't notice Harima's affection, much to Harima's dismay. To make matters worse, one day, he sees Tenma and Karasumaru having lunch together. This causes him to skip school and embark on a journey of enlightenment.
School Rumble Semester 2 Episode 6 Posted by Os on May 15, 2006 at 1:14 pm | In School Rumble |

Oh ho ho ho ho. Yakumo v. Eri. You can just sense the tension in the air. Seeing as I’m totally biased for Yakumo, throughout the entire episode I was holding Eri in a… negative light.

Anywho. This episode was quite funny. No it’s not because of its School Rumble comedy, its because of the animation for the final dance in the episode. I couldn’t help but fall to the floor laughing when I saw it. It starts off small, then it just goes off. First, the Yakumo/Eri waltz. As they dance, Yakumo compliments Eri for dancing beautifully… but are they actually dancing? All we actually see is just both of them, holding hands with the only thing moving being the background and their hair.

THEN BAM! SENTIMENTAL GENERATION TECHNO REMIX! DOOS DOOS DOOS DOOS. This time, we see them at slanted angles and their hair is moving faster! WOOOO! Reminds me of the rave party I never went to! But that’s not all. The other students are bobbing up and down and the camera is moving up and down as if we’re shaking to the beat, people! UH OH! THEY BROUGHT OUT THE TECHNICOLORS! Keep in mind, no one’s actually moving. They’re all frozen in one position as the camera moves over them with techno in the background and technicolor lights flashing on and off. It’s one hell of a PARTAY! -and if you notice, they magically switch positions-.

Recap… TECHNO REMIX THIRD EDITION?! Read on:

In case you forgot, Class 2-C not only gets to do the cafe, as shown in the last episode, but a play, too. Its Sleeping Beauty / The Six Muskateers, and we get front row seats to the play. We first set our eyes on our six heroines as they travel their long journey, meeting sumo wrestlers and rose monsters. Quite pleasing to the eyes, it is.

Meanwhile, Harima’s taking a well deserved rest in the nearest bed he could find. But it seem’s he’s sleeping on the prop for the show and they’re about to pull it up on stage. Yakumo, being the dear that she is, tries to wake up Harima, but its too late. Where is princess, anyways?

Well its too late now, because Harima is regarded as the princess and the play must go on. But before they can give the princess the waking kiss, more monsters appear and one by one, the other muskateers die, leaving Eri the sole survivor. As she goes up to give the ‘princess’ his kiss, she notices Yakumo in bed with Harima. Eri, being a bitch, blames Yakumo for ruining the play.

Yakumo, still being a dear, takes this upon herself and acts as an evil witch…. and they do battle! Eri assumes she’s suppose to win, but cannot defeat Yakumo. After a bit more sparring, Yakumo says something and Eri leaves the stage. Now this only leaves the kiss and poor Yakumo must do it. As she gets closer, lips about to touch… Akira comes down from the ceiling, kissing Harima and the play’s over. Yay!

We skip the closing ceremony and the principal’s being all boring-like. That’s when Ichijou’s band kicks him off and sings their signature song -which is really good by the way, someone find this and send it to me, PLZ.-. But that’s not the only song they can play, for pretty soon, there’s a slow song and everyone’s waltzing. Yakumo goes to Eri to appologize and they start to dance. After some girl on girl chatting, Eri learns that Yakumo isn’t really going out with Harima and this lifts her spirit. AND BAM! SENTIMENTAL GENERATION TECHNO REMIX! DOOS DOOS DOOS DOOS. Now everyone’s happy!…

26 or 13 like nowdays

first of all is a very interesting issue to talk about. i believe every anime fan has ever dreamt about at anime, in my case i dreamt about being with peorth, the sexieste goddess at all or not?

well that would be great because i am a big fan of the dragon ball z zz and all the series, but i hope they could improve the quality of the product, bacause i understand that graphics and sounds were bad and they don'y have story

if the owner of the video industry canceled e3 to become a private meeting with drunks and fun do such a thing they are completely wrong, we the user should copy the oriental, we have to make our costumers lock out, we don't have to buy a video game for a day, you will see how easily they restore the e3

i believed mostly of the anime titles have their video games, i don'y know too many videos game that make anime then, except pia carrot and final fantasy

I think like other series it passed her time, tell me how many people do you know that still play, half of the people prefers to have the dvd with angelina jolie that playing the game (of course the producers make a perfect choice with angelina, the best lara croft ever)

with my answes i belived hundreads of people will kill me, but my selection is pokemon, i don't get is very boring with hundreads of chyaracters, i prefer yu gi oh instead of pokemon

i believe like the neo geo console, they will only released the tittle on japan, thats very tipical on japan, for example are hundread of game of neo geo like art of fighting or king of fighter, street fighter, imaginne playing the arcades game at home with frinds, that would be awsome, but still this days i don not undestand why they even in america realesed i hope this will not ne case again

well i have seen the images on tv, because like i'm nnot living in america i couldn't see at the E3 CONFERENCE, the place chose bt sony to announced the released, the grafics looks great, the sound as usual perfect and i hope the story will be great like the other titles, that we would know when we will buy at the store, i hope won't copy microsoft example that they continually announced things and in the last minuted they delayed because of a program that they couldn' t solve

well i hope that the developers coud make a really good game, a not the tipicar simulated game with boring dialogues, if they are quite inteliigent they could make a video game like dragon ball with a story and dialogues (buy your choosing the answers like Final Fantasy ) and obviously the pegasus theme as opening

THE CHARACTERS ARE QUITE GOOD AND THE STORY IS OK, but the best game of all IS PIA CARROT SAGA

well i a maver fanatic of ragnarok for a year ago, i usually play with my friends on a server near my house, but my questions is the following, a friend of mine told me that ragnarok was an anime , if it is true do you know if this is an OAV, a movie or a TV SERIES

i am not completelu sure about is tetris is addicting or bot, but one thing i am sure is that is one of the first games ever made and the most played

I have read in a magazine that sony finally make the official announcement of FF 13 IN THE e3 conference, but the article not mention the date

First of all, both systems has good pros and socns, but i declined the balances for PS, because is the best video game console, the only negative cons is the eternal promise of all in one thing (the dvd player is slow and no good), but they have constract with the best developers company

I am one hundread percet agreed with you pyron459 one of my main motives was the design, the calm and the fury all together and finally the strecture of the japanese art. thats why i was a fanatic of the arcade eith video games like street fighter 2. art of fighting, king of fighters, because with the fighting game also includes a story (the best in this point art of fighting with little dialogs)

i Think the anime that shold be made in to video game is the ah my goddess and taiho shichauzo TV series

the best arcade i ver play is street fighter 2

for me until now the best FF saga is the 8, i love the quality of the game, but the best part is the story and the most important things bacause i passed the game, with ff7 i could not do it