films seen
7
average score
3.07*
nationality
status
Alive and kicking

Movies


Giovanni's Island

Jobanni no Shima
2014 / 102m - Japan
Drama - Animation
3.5*/5.0*
Giovanni's Island poster

Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai

Miyamoto Musashi: Sôken ni Haseru Yume
2009 / 72m - Japan
Action - Animation
3.5*/5.0*
Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai poster

Digital Devil Story – Goddess Reborn

Dejitaru Debiru Monogatari Megami Tensei
1987 / 45m - Japan
Fantasy, Horror - Animation
3.5*/5.0*
Digital Devil Story – Goddess Reborn poster

Nifty but strange mix of fantasy and horror. This film is part of a cross-media franchise, with the games still running strong. The animation is pretty decent and the soundtrack decidedly 80s. It's the art direction and some cool monster designs that lift this film above its peers. If you're a fan of 80s horror, this comes recommended.


Zillion: Burning Night

Akai Kodan Zillion Utahime Yakyoku
1988 / 45m - Japan
Sci-fi, Adventure - Animation
3.0*/5.0*
Zillion: Burning Night poster

A bit random if you're not familiar with the franchise, but the animation and art style are pretty cool and the constant barrage of action makes for a very fun 45 minutes. The musical focus doesn't really add much (but is somewhat typical for that era) and it's hardly a landmark animation, but in the end I had a pretty good time with this one.

California Crisis

California Crisis: Tsuigeki no Juuka
1986 / 45m - Japan
Action, Adventure - Animation
3.0*/5.0*
California Crisis poster

A fun and action-packed anime. It's a tad random and more than a little unfinished (the plot really just stops halfway through, leaving a bunch of core elements completely unexplained), but the animation is solid and the art style is pretty cool. It's also an amalgam of familiar genre elements, so even though the film lacks explanations, it's not too difficult to fill in the blanks.

Read all

Noera is an aimless guy, Marcia a very carefree woman. They meet by accident when they pass each other on the freeway, only to be interrupted by a heist on a military truck. The situation spirals out of control, but they are able to leave unscathed, with a mysterious object to boot. This object puts a big target on their backs though.

The American comic book-like touches are an interesting stylistic choice, not in the least because they are part of the animation, giving the film a very detailed and lush look. The plot is trivial, simple, and unfinished, but it's a good hook for some cool action sequences. Certainly not the most memorable anime, but fun filler nonetheless.

Radio City Fantasy

Machikado no Meruhen
1984 / 54m - Japan
Comedy, Romance - Animation
3.0*/5.0*
Radio City Fantasy poster

A pretty peculiar short anime. Radio City Fantasy feels more like an animated poem than a classic narrative. It's one of those films that has virtually no plot and some very basic characters, betting everything on atmosphere. The mood is a bit too frilly and light to be entirely in my wheelhouse, but it's always nice to find something that stands out from the crowd.

Read all

Boy meets girl in a modern Japanese city. After bumping into each other, the girl carries home the boy's notebook and reads the story he has written. When they meet again, he takes her with her him into the fantasy world he created, a world that lies waiting behind the cold exterior of the city they both live in.

The art style is pretty interesting, the animation itself isn't quite as elaborate though. It's not a big surprise considering the limited appeal of a project like this, but some extra budget could've made a real difference. The score too was disappointing, a bit too poppy and cheesy for my liking. Still, it was a pretty fun, unique journey, so I'm not complaining too much.


Video Girl Ai

Denei Shoujo Ai
1992 / 174m - Japan
Comedy, Romance - Animation
2.0*/5.0*
Video Girl Ai poster

A decent OAV, which I liked quite a lot the first time I watched it. So many years later though, it turns out to be quite cheesy. Apart from the final episode that is, which gets all anime crazy and weird. Some decent animation here and there, a couple of fun scenes, but most of it is a little too corny and predictable for my taste.