Backlogs – Samui’s Foray to Search for His Favorite Shows

Seasonal offerings may falter, but you can never go wrong with looking back at old series.

Aku no Hana (2013)

Boy, this series crept the hell out of me for the direction. I know people are ambivalent toward the rotoscoping but I think it added to the horror factor of portraying the lives of these dysfunctional adolescents. However, I do think the pacing is abnormally slow but it was paid off by excellent cinematography. Aku no Hana is the show to watch if you are tired of anime’s endless portrayal of idyllic high school life. (7/10)

Beelzebub (2012)

Beelzebub was fun until the last arc dragged and was reduced to episodic skits. Yeah, this is another show that was unfortunately marred by fillers then the important parts were squeeeezed in the end. Was it worth the watch though? Well, having a baby as your sidekick has its novelty and I swear to God Oga was such an eyecandy I forgave the show’s awful attempt with comedy. Moreover, the side characters are also entertaining to watch and they held their own in their respective episodes. I guess Beelzebub was an okay way to spend 30 minutes of your time. (5/10)

Voltron (2016)

Meh. I always thought anime is superior in terms of presenting episodic flairs and Voltron is another reason to stick with the medium. Is it because of the clunky attempts at humor? I don’t know but I am sure the third episode was cringe-worthy as hell. Did the action lack somehow? Voltron pales when compared to Gundam and other mecha shows. At least we can feast on these bishies? Ahh…. Nope. Voltron was too somber for my taste if I want to ship these characters. Go watch the original Voltron if you want some high mecha show. (4/10)

Akagi (2006)

I actually like this show because of the damn sociopath Akagi Shigeru and his overpowered mahjong skills that stupefied even the strongest players in Japan. He is a daredevil and I love how Akagi plunges head on to the matches. Yet hey, watch for his winning twist! Ultimately, you can change the subject to World War without changing Akagi’s strategies because he is that wickedly good. The show is far from perfect though. Can you sit through narrations over narrations every episode? If not, do not even bother watching this show. (7/10)

Zutto Mae Kara Suki Deshita (2016)

Zutto Mae reminds me of Special A and in a bad way.  I appreciate the time tested shoujo tropes but boy this crammed three love stories over 45 minutes! As a result, the pacing is horribly clunky and these characters are a bit… one note. This is a shame since the stories are strong enough individually that we can have an entire show to explore their thoughts and give us some more doki-doki moments. Whatever the show intends to reach, I got some warm fluffiness and I guess that’s enough to say Zutto Mae is watchable. (5/10)

Time of Eve (2008)

This subdued science fiction about these humanoids is compelling at best, but I honestly think it was not able to tie everything towards the end. There were interesting subplots that were explored to some extent but Masaki’s circumstances was deliciously poignant. Too bad, the main character is Rikuo and he is fairly boring to say the least. The direction is a bit weird yet it complements the semi-humanistic nature of these robots. I mean, the camera angles were surely taken from a robot’s point of view given the micro-second time lapses. (7/10)

Summer Wars (2009)

This whirlwind of a movie can be summed up as follows: First, you will see what happens when you fuck technology and; Summer Wars is an endearing tale of family coming into whole. Madhouse gave Summer Wars the production values it deserves and I swear to God I was enthralled for most of the time. However, the two broad aspects I mentioned earlier did not mesh well, making Summer Wars a tad disjointed. (8/10)

Paprika (2006)

The last Satoshi Kon movie I watched, Paprika is visually delicious treat. I say Perfect Blue was his best work (and one of the best in anime) but Paprika is the most visually enticing. The problems I have with Millennium Actress still linger here (the emotional detachment I felt with the leads). Fortunately, Paprika is warmer and I dare say crazier than Millenium Actress. Crazy is always a good thing in my book.  (8/10)

Seirei no Moribito (2007)

Now, for the sole show in this post that somehow ended in my all-time list, let me copy and paste my description when I updated my favorite’s list:

A grand epic and a poignant story about fate and accepting oneself, Seirei no Moribito feels like a pop-up book rich in world-building. The world of Nayug and Sagu were given enough details so as the audience to be fully immersed. I also love how it weaved politics and the supernatural sans the contrivance. Beyond the whimsical, Seirei no Moribito pulled some heartstrings about repentance and perseverance which really worked throughout its run.  This series is a case where basically every main lead shares the same exposure, making it balanced to a fault. Yes, you might find the characters a tad too dry (except for Balsa) but the plot compensates for this shortcoming. (9/10)