SPECIAL MEGA REVIEW: Final Impressions: Guilty Crown

March 29, 2012
Posted by EVERYONE
Originally Posted by DarrenW

YES! The moment the whole team has been waiting for, the FINAL impressions for WWHC most epic anime of 2011!!

However, today, it will be NO ORDINARY REVIEW. Yes, every one of us in the team have decided to ALL contribute to provide you our individual impressions! (Apparently almost everyone decided to watch this anime!)

So, let's begin with the end of the world, with 'Guilty Crown!'

It all begins in the future of year 2039, and Japan has just recently recovered from a serious incident a decade ago.

10 years ago, on December 25th, 2029, Japan was consumed by a virus, called 'Apocalypse Virus', which is this very crystal-like growth that can engulf a person, whole. With this, Japan plunges into a state of chaos and confusion. This became forever known as "Lost Christmas" In attempt to fix Japan, GHQ, steps in, conducting research to rid people of the virus, however, executes martial law (Forced Government) upon Japan and controls it under its own interests.


Until 10 years later, that is...

In 2039, a new organization, called the "Undertakers" or  begins its operations to rid GHQ of its 'sick' control. People are getting killed and injured, even if they are innocent, and lives continue to be destroyed. Anyone who opposes GHQ gets this: Endlaves, fighting robots that are controlled by human minds.

The Undertakers.

Ouma Shu

So the undertakers go by any means to obtain weapons of mass destruction. This is where our protagonist, Ouma Shu, comes in. An image & video designer that just goes to school, he accidentally wanders into an abandoned building and bumps into...

Inori Yuzuriha

Inori Yuzuriha! Our Mascot XD

Epic run through fire.

Yes, the girl that is now popping up on a lot of other anime & manga websites. While on a mission to deliver 'Void Genome', or translated, 'The Power of Kings'. An extremely powerful weapon.

And thats when Shu breaks it in an epic struggle...

And now, Shu has the ability of VOID GENOME, which is one of the most EPIC and SICK powers I have EVER seen. He's able to literally draw weapons out of people, of which the weapons are based on each other's personalities.

And ironically, it was his mother, Haruka Ouma, which was behind its development.

So now, the leader of the Undertakers, Tsutsugami Gai, takes Ouma Shu to become a member of them, and he begins his adventure of a lifetime, kicking GHQ butt!

Endlaves

As the anime progressed, the fight between the GHQ and the Undertakers suddenly cease, when an operation is seized by A THIRD PARTY, and BOTH leaders of either side face death. But who? Shuichiro Keido, thats who. Old rivals, an old grudge which span since young, the events that unfolded onto "Lost Christmas", the chaos for many innocent beings, and fueled the unpredictable, the fourth apocalypse.

Undertaker Leader: Gai

As the social order in the world slowly starts to unravel into mayhem. Shu has no other choice but to lead his school into freedom. But along the way, he made harsh mistakes, which often resulted in great losses, some unimaginable. Furthermore, he loses his powers altogether.

New And Improved Gai

It then becomes clear that the world will die from an apocalpyse, with Inori and Gai in the very centre of it. Will the powerless Shu manage to gain back from his losses and fight back?? Time is running out, and he only has one chance, to save the entire world.

There, kept it short, so NOT TOO MUCH SPOILERS.

Guilty Crown has 22 episodes, and premiered on October 14. It is fansubbed by Doki, CoalGuys, Commie, Tsuki-Hatsuyuki and Darksoul!

And of course, "My Dearest" by Supercell, "Euterpe" & "The Everlasting Guilty Crown" by EGOIST are truly awesome songs.

Final Impressions:

DarrenW

Honestly, when I was browsing through the list for animes to watch, I merely saw Guilty Crown as "another anime", and wasn't expecting much our of it. I had NO IDEA it was going to be one of the most epic animes I will ever see.

There were a lot of themes going around with Guilty Crown, of which most of them were well managed. The idea and effect of an apocalypse wasn't easy to reproduce. Well basically, the major themes in the anime were able to be seen. The importance of friendship, courage,
and most importantly, love for one another.

However, have to admit, there were some things about the plot which I didn't really like. The fact that the main plot was ONLY REVEALED in the 20th episode, in a huge chunk for you to ingest, was one of them. I would have preferred it if they did it slowly and nicely. Of course, the plot was truly a piece of near-perfect compostition. I would not have ahad it any other way, though the fact that the ENTIRE APOCALYPSE WAS DUE TO A SINGLE GRUDGE, was quite mad.

Personally, I was very impressed by what the producers of the anime tried to create and my hats off to I.G. Productions. It was a very touching and emotional anime that I had to experience. Several parts of the anime were very nerve-wrecking though, with the large number of deaths, Shu's right hand, the death of some of the main characters which I really loved, and Shu's hand. LOL

Though of course, there were many things that really made me hate the main charcters (Very ODD), but in the end, they all made up for it and you have a brilliant end to it. The ending was quite fast and sudden, of which I totally saw coming, though they did do a good job and keeping the suspense and "Can't believe it" feeling going on towards the end.

And the ending was sooooooo sad.

But of course, a true painting of what an apocalypse is, and how one boy saved the world. Good job!

IAmBored

Endlave 'Capsules'

I really like the art for this anime. It is very vibrant in terms of colours and I think it is mostly that that catches my eye. Also, the costume design for the characters are also quite cool. I really like Shu's clothes. (I know it's a uniform, but still...) One thing that is quite weird for me is that the characters never seems to change their clothes. HAHA. Err.... Or maybe they have the same clothes that they wear everyday. But if it was me, I'd scream already, because there is no diversity. But I guess it is pretty acceptable in animes. :D

After I watched the whole anime, I found it pretty confusing. I mean, the anime ended up giving me more questions to ask than answers. I am not going to give any spoilers, but if you watch it you would probably have the same feelings as me. (Or maybe it is just me) And I totally hated the ending (my personal opinion). I am okay with the idea of the bad guys getting what they deserved but it is a bit too many deaths.

If the producers decides to produce a sequel, there is probably a high chance that I would not watch it. It's not the anime's fault, or the characters. It's just that I felt there is a lot of plot holes and the tragedy of the whole anime is making me teary and stuff like that. (I'm emotional ok? That's why I don't like watching things like this. I hate crying.) Although this anime made me sad, I still have to say that it is the story line that keeps me watching it. I've watched full metal alchemist, and there are deaths, I knew that, but it was a nice story. So yeah, I'm picky, yes, very picky. :D Or just biased..... HAHA.

General Segai

I have to say that the producers did do a very good job at the beginning of the series and that really catches my attention. The storyline was good and the fighting scenes were awesome. But, towards the end, it was pretty rushed and I felt that they could have done a much better job. I'm really glad that Shu was alive at the very end, but his appearance just gave me more questions to be answered. In all, this is a good anime, but I would really prefer it to have more sense. :D

Apocalypse

MedusaS

Wow! Where do I begin? A action-packed anime, with a never-more complex plot of which two rivals change the fate of the world. Haha.

Rebirth of Daath

A truly EPIC anime which everyone should see. Guilty Crown really had a deep meaning to it. Even though the plot is twisted, it managed to show something

NEW RIGHT HAND

Personally though, though the anime had substance and had real perfect atmospheres and scenes to it, the front few episodes REALLY set the HIGH expectations I had for the anime, only to be dashed during to 10+ episodes. Though completely true during a period of an apocalypse, people going mad and being literally dissolved into tiny crystals made me sick. (Of course Another was more hardcore. Haha.)

And for the FIRST TIME, I HATED ALL THE CHARACTERS IN A PERIOD OF TIME. WHAT GIVES???? XD. What they did to Shu was completely nerve-wrecking, and Arisa should have been shot dead in the last episode for what she did.

Though have to admit, truly superior and touching ending, though it could've been better. I'm just saying.

FayeA

Erm... Actually, this will be the first review I'm doing! Though I'm actually editing this later.

"Bakemono"

Well, being the first anime I actually watched (Yep, pretty weird isn't it? You are part of an anime & manga blog but don't watch the stuff??), so please take pity on me! I don't have the experience to review, but I'll try my best!

After watching 22 episodes of Guilty Crown, I was literally taken aback. The special effects and CGI's involved in this anime looked like it needed a lot of work. The show was very touching on a lot of different aspects; the friends, the story, the end. How Shu grew from a timid and childish boy into a mature and self-sacrificial, courageous hero of who saved everyone from the brink of disaster, was a pleasant thing to see.

Professor Shuichiro

I must also say, the music, both the OP, EDs, as well as the soundtracks, simply left me speechless! I actually loved it so much I actually bought the singles.


The plot was amazing! I never seen anything so elaborate and complex! They managed to give you a lot of "OMG" and "Aha!" moments as it neared the climax, or ending of the show. Many things you didn't expect happened, and of course.

Having to see what happens to your home in the near future left me quite uncomfortable though!
I was quite heart-broken because of the ending though. Argh!!! It's not a happy ending!

Though of course, now it means I'm going to become an otaku! If that's what you guys call it.

Rebirth of Mana "Eve"

Arisa

Daryl Yan

Honestly speaking, I only watched the bulk of Guilty Crown for one thing: Daryl Yan (yes, I have a thing for blonde-haired tsunderes.) I started watching Guilty Crown because I thought it seemed quite interesting...plus the art was by Redjuice, who is probably known best for his absolutely beautiful Vocaloid artwork.

The concept of the anime was pretty good, a very nice mix of mecha, sci-fi and romance. Probably the best aspect of this anime was the music, especially supercell's My Dearest and EGOIST's Euterpe. It made the anime stand out and appeal so much more than it should!

Tsugumi

Yeah, the plot to me was average, pretty much your typical hero-saves-the-world story. However, for one, I really loved the sub-plot (and sub-romance, I guess~) with Daryl and Tsugumi. I'm a big fan of the pairing (plus megane Daryl is simply ADORABLE!!) and the ending was just lacking the very thing that I looked forward to!! (all the Daryl x Tsugumi fangirls on Tumblr were complaining too!! Yes, I checked!)

Overall though, I still have to say it is a pretty good anime. The music and art makes Guilty Crown a good watch despite it's weaker plot and development.

Activation of VOID GENOME

Tr3xus

I usually don’t watch ongoing animes, but I decided to give Guilty Crown a go, since a lot my friends recommended it to me. Sure enough, it became one of my favourite series.

Plot-wise, it was good, but not the most original. You could say that the writers took the formula of a successful storyline; boy gets power of kings and becomes the saviour and sacrifices himself (Shu didn’t die in the end though. haha.) add some Endlaves and the result is Guilty Crown. Having said that there are still some unique aspects of Guilty Crown that is worth praising such as the Void system.

I felt that some of the characters did not really stand out. Yuzuriha Inori did not speak a lot throughout the entire series. It almost felt like she is a supportive character, not a main character. Kuhoin Arisa was a character that I admired a lot, until she decided to betray Shu. I’m not sure if the writer intended to make viewers dislike her at the end of the series though.

There are plenty of good action scenes in Guilty Crown. However, I felt that some of the Voids are a little too overpowered. While the action scenes are elaborately and beautifully animated, it feels as though the enemies are getting defeated too easily. For example, I felt that the battle between Shu and Yuu in episode 21 ended too quickly. Shu’s battle with Gai in the last episode also didn’t feel epic enough to be a final battle either. Opening heavily guarded doors using Souta’s Void also seemed too easy. Having said that, I must say that the animation of the action scenes are the best and most beautifully directed out of all the animes I have watched. It is really fun to watch Shu and the undertakers take on the enemies.

My favourite aspect of Guilty Crown is the Void system. A Void is said to be the physical form of a person’s personality. I find it interesting to understand the characters’ personalities through their Voids. Before Inori revealed her ‘monster’ side in episode 18, I always wondered why her Void was a huge sword. She always seemed quiet all the time and I felt that a sword did not fit her personality at all.

There are still some Voids that I still cannot understand in relation with the character’s personality. For example, Daryl Yan’s void is called a “Kaleidoscope”. A kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, coloured objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colourful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors. (Wikipedia, 2012) How is a kaleidoscope related to his personality? Perhaps he has a mixed personality? Rowan did say that he’s a nice guy deep down. If any of you readers have a better explanation as to why his Void is a kaleidoscope, do leave some of your comments!

The character and Endlave designs are very unique. redjuice did extremely well with all the character designs. The soundtrack used also fits the theme of the anime. I think Guilty Crown has one of the best openings and endings. I especially LOVE opening 1 (My Dearest) and 2 (The Everlasting Guilty Crown) both composed by ryo (supercell). Can’t stop listening to them <3.

Guilty Crown has been a great accompaniment to my boring weeks. The ending left me moderately satisfied with the entire series, although I felt that the twists in the story weren’t that strong.

Everyone
Edited by FayeA & Tr3xus

Manga Review: Yankee-Kun To Megane-Chan

March 25, 2012
Posted by DarrenW

Dear Otakus,

Zzzz... It's nearing the end of march and my package hasn't arrived yet!!! XD So I guess I'll postpone the post I intended to make and do the review. I also apologize to you readers! This is the first actual week I had a decent break.

And YES, today I'll be reviewing a classic school-based / juvenile / romance / comedy manga, "Yankee-Kun To Megane-Chan"!!!

Mangaka: Miki Yoshikawa

Ever wondered what a life of a juvenile delinquent is? Well look no further! This manga will explain it all!  If we head down to the boy's toilet at Mon Shiro High School, and peering over the cubicle door, we will find Shinagawa Daichi, Year 2  High School student. Juvenile. Dangerous. Using the cubicle as his hangout, this guy hardly even comes to class.

WAIT. HUH? WHO'S PEERING INTO THE CUBICLE?

Shinagawa Daichi

Yes! It's the geeky (and retarded) Adachi Hana, who is Shinagawa's class rep! (And a girl btw). With locked hair, spectacles and an appearance that shouts out (Class-rep), she's actually not very smart, and lacks common sense (Which explains the toilet peeping). She's concerned about Shinagawa's behaviour, and as the class rep, decides that she must do something about it!

So begins the adventure of two very unlikely students, though the two of them are actually very similar.

Adachi Hana

Further down the road, more companions join the two, as Shinagawa and Adachi get into the student council. (That was a shock) They are, Seiya Chiba, Rinka Himeji and Gaku Izumi, of which all of them have their own problems coping with life. With Adachi and Shingawa, they work together to solve each others' issues, and unknowingly their own secrets become revealed. (Not gonna give spoilers.)

Adachi Hana XD

I'm not going to give you guys spoilers because I honestly think that this manga is damn awesome and I don't want to spoil your fun.

For plot, there are general plots as well as volume plots, which all goes to say that its quite well developed and structured. The plot is also easy to understand if you are/were a student in school, and the plot lines are also well varied and the scope is wide.

Main Characters

Izumi with Seaweed

No deviation of theme whatsoever. Delinquent life is very well portrayed in this episode, with gang scenes, gang life, fights and stuff. (Don't get the wrong idea, there's no blood/gore). There is also friendship, romance, growing up, and school-life.

Hand Signals

The art has also been kept consistent, though I'm not really a fan of the style, but an exceptional job especially because it has over 170 chapters.

Some points to note. Yankee-Kun to Megane-Chan is actually a good manga to read mainly because of its humour. The slapstick / retarded scenes make it exceptionally funny and amusing, especially when the chapter becomes too serious sometimes.


Overall impression was quite good. I was very impressed at the development of the manga over the many volumes it has published. You really get the sense of maturity in the characters as the years go by (In the manga that is).

Yankee-Kun to Megane-Chan has 166 chapters (23 volumes), which started serialization in 2006, and is scanlated by Mahou-X Scans, available on MangaFox. It also has a drama with 10 episodes. (Didn't know until I did the review) and the english name "Flunk Punk Rumble" (WTH WHO IN THE WORLD THOUGHT OF THIS NAME).

And it still hasn't ended yet!

Hint: If I don't get my package I'll put another manga review. GE??
DarrenW
Edited by FayeA