The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (2015)

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan was originally a spin-off manga to the light novel series Haruhi Suzumiya.  Adapted into a 16 episode anime (plus an OVA that was released with the manga's ninth volume), it takes place in the alternate reality that was shown in the movie The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.  In this alternate world, Nagato is not an alien, Mizuru is not a time traveler and Koizumi is not as esper.  Rather, while Nagato is still the president of the literature club, she is shy and quiet, and would prefer to be lost in the gaming.

The anime starts off with Kyon already joining the literature club and we get an idea of the tone of the series.  It shifts to a much more lighthearted and comedic tone filled with gags, chibi art shifts and highly exaggerated motions.  Asakura is Nagato's best friend and fiercely protective of her.  She tries her upmost best to pair Nagato and Kyon together, of which there are obvious, reciprocal, feelings.

The main characters from Haruhi Suzumiya show up in their own way, including Haruhi herself.  There are a few episodes without her and it feels fine.  When Haruhi does turn up, it feels like that she is starting to take the attention away from Nagato instead and that's a shame.  Haruhi ends up becoming a bigger plot point.  Her personality and interest in the unknown remains the same but just that she doesn't actually have the power now to rewrite the world.  The best thing is that all the side characters that were kind of brushed off before now have bigger roles.

The change in art style compared to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya takes some getting used to.  This spin-off is best watched after you have finished the first two seasons and the movie as you would be able to pick up on a lot more references this way.  Seeing the references, and knowing what the characters are alluding to is a lot of fun and a huge part in the enjoyment of this spin-off.  The anime is part of the slice-of-life genre as the characters get into their usual antics, and then have to find ways to resolve it.  It mostly revolves around Nagato's crush towards Kyon and the many ways she is trying in order to reveal it to Kyon.  Beginning with Christmas, the club members tries to organize a Christmas party.  It is also at this time that Nagato has to try to recruit more members in order to keep the club open.

Once all the characters joints, it gets livelier and you half expect things to return to the way it was when they were the SOS Brigade.  You have to get over the fact that this Nagato is more expressive and shows her emotions much more plainly compared to her alien counterpart.  Asakura, and eventually Suzumiya, are the main catalysts for everything that happens in the series.  While everyone's personalities are somewhat recognizable, they each have new elements to them.  It's hard to get over the fact that Nagato changed so much and now loves food as well.  In a way, it is super similar to The Melancholy since it revolves a lot around the club's activities, but feels more generic.

The club ends up doing activities such as a trip to the hot springs.  Kyon and Nagato have a lunch together as they (subconsciously) flirt.  It all feels like something you have seen before and does not surprise you at all.  That isn't to say that it doesn't have its charming parts.  The characters still carry enough charisma to be fun.  In an interesting turn of things, the middle of the series departs from what you'd come to expect up until that point.  It is a lot more serious as Nagato's personality changes for better or worse.  If you have been enjoying the calming and lighthearted atmosphere up until that point, then these episodes are a hiccup and doesn't quite gel with everything else.  It is also from this point onwards that you feel that there is a stronger connection to The Melancholy.  You can see the parallels in plot lines, as well as this version of Haruhi sharing a similar past.

That being said, the second half of the series pushes forward the main arc, that of Kyon and Nagato's relationship.  There's a bit of tension as well as awkwardness, and it becomes the sweeter when you see how the pair end up resolving those issues.  The OVA starts off by bringing back (potentially bad) memories of the Endless Eight loop of episodes.  Thankfully, it puts on a better, more lighthearted spin on it and ends up being very enjoyable and funny.

Overall, if you go into The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan without expecting that it'll be similar to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya then you'll be fine.  It is a more lighthearted and funny series that works really well as it explores how the cast spends their time now that Haruhi isn't the driving force.  While the sudden change in Nagato's personality and consequential shift in tone felt like it clashed with the rest of the episodes, the series is a lot of fun.

---------------------------------------------------------

For other anime reviews, have a look at this page.

Toy Review: Transformers Generations Studio Series Shatter (Deluxe)

Review:  #507
Name:  Shatter
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Decepticon
Line:  Generations - Studio Series
Year of Release:  2019
Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 6)
Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Shatter is based upon the car mode from the Bumblebee film (as opposed to the triple-changer with the jet mode) and transforms into a red and black muscle car.

The vehicle mode looks fantastic, although the robot legs do stick out from beneath.  The red and black used are really rich and nice.

There are no gimmicks in this mode apart from the rolling wheels.  The robot weapons peg onto the underneath.

Shatter is a bit on the smaller end of the scale for a Deluxe.  Above is a comparison against Deluxe Studio Series Lockdown.

A fantastic looking vehicle mode.

TRANSFORMATION:

Unfortunately, this is where Shatter falls apart... literally.  There are either design issues or quality control issues because when transforming her, the shoulders will pop off very easily, 99% of the time.  This is really annoying and to save your sanity, leave the arms detached until the end.  The other annoyance is how the sides of the front fenders also like to pop off.  Considering it's a pin joint designed to not let it pop off so easily, it's really frustrating that it does.  Otherwise, the transformation isn't particularly complex as most of the vehicle is a shell but there are some clever parts like how the doors fold to behind the thighs.  However, due to things falling off, it's hard to enjoy.

ROBOT MODE:

Ignoring the frustrations of the transformation, Shatter looks absolutely amazing in robot mode.  It is spot on with its design, sculpting, proportions and color scheme.

It does come with a cost since a huge portion of the car ends up as a backpack.  It's comprised of the windshield, roof, rear and half the front fenders.

Unfortunately, the headsculpt is based upon the battle mask version of Shatter.  It's a little disappointing, especially considering the eye slits are unpainted as you can't even tell if she has eyes at first glance.

In terms of size, Shatter is small and slender, although this suits her character.  Above is a comparison against Titans Return Quake.

Articulation sounds great in theory, she has balljointed shoulders and hips, as well as hinged elbows and ankles, finished off with double jointed knees.

However, the legs are extremely restrictive.  Not only does the door kibble behind the thighs get in the way, the balljoint sockets for the hips are extremely restrictive to the point that there is little outward movement possible.

Shatter comes with two weapons, being guns that mount on her forearms like a gauntlet.

The weapons just peg onto her forearms via 5mm pegs and they look really good.

As part of the Studio Series line, Shatter comes with a cardboard stand.

The stand is based upon the scene where Shatter and Dropkick arrives at night and take on their alternate forms.

There's a decent amount of paint applications, with Shatter feeling premium as a result.

A great looking robot mode, even if articulation is severely restrictive.

OVERALL:

Shatter is in a unique position.  Both her modes look great but it's the play value that lets the figure down.  The transformation is infuriating with parts constantly falling off.  The robot mode is hampered by overly restrictive articulation for the hips.  There's no doubt that this is the best looking figure for the character out there, but you have to be warned coming in about her shortcomings.

-----------------------------------------------

For other Transformers reviews, have a look at this page.

Purchase from Amazon using this link.

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

Book Review: Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World Vol. 7

Review:  #853
Title:  Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World Vol. 7
Series:  Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World – 7th volume
Author:  Tappei Nagatsuki

Comments:  Volume 7 feels like the new beginning for Subaru as he leverages everything he has learned in his past deaths, and then uses it to his advantage.  After suffering humiliating defeat after humiliation defeat, Subaru finally moves on from being the weak selfish coward into a smarter, cleverer person.  The pacing moves briskly as the volume focuses firstly upon the negotiations in securing help to save Emilia, and then to the subjugating of the deadly White Whale.  The battle against the White Whale takes up most of the pages and it leads to some of the best scenes in the series yet.  The sheer strength of the White Whale is clearly shown and it takes several instances of quick thinking on Subaru’s part to keep them alive.  You’re constantly thinking that Subaru narrowly misses death and having to restart after going so far feels painful.  It leads to a satisfying ending but one that teases even more.  Perhaps most surprising is Subaru’s reflections and finally accepting responsibility for his actions at the end, it does make a huge difference in your view of him.

Rating:  7/10

Hal (2013)

Hal is an original anime film where Hal if killed during a plane accident.  His girlfriend, Kurumi, is devastated and has become reclusive.  The solution is to have the robot, Q01, take on the form of Hal to try and heal her emotionally.  Despite the somewhat promising premise, Hal falls short and becomes quite boring and bland.  It never seems to manage to emotionally connect you to the characters and since we know so little of the world, it doesn't help when it tries to shove in too many characters and backstories of the two main leads.  During Hal's journey to get Kurumi to open up to him, he discovers various recordings of the pair which are connected right up to the moment of the climax where the big revelation happens.  The background of the pair was a surprise and works well however, overall, Hal doesn't have enough time to connect the viewers like it wants to and becomes a somewhat hollow experience as a result.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006, 2009)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is based upon the light novel series.  Season 1 had 14 episodes which originally aired in 2006.  Then during a rebroadcast in 2009, 14 new episodes were mixed in (which were collectively known as season 2).  The new episodes were slotted in based on where among the other episodes it chronologically fitted in.  The only issue with this is that it is obvious from the animation quality what was season 1 and what was season 2.

The anime follows Kyon, a normal boy who is just beginning high school.  It is in this class that he meets Suzumiya Haruhi.  During her introduction to the class, we see how weird Haruhi is (and is quite infamous for from others who were in the same middle school).  Haruhi outright states that she has not time for normal humans and to only approach her if you are a time-traveler, an alien or an esper.  The thing is, while Haruhi gets bored at anything else, she is clever and athletic.

For some odd reason, Kyon is one of the only ones that manage to have normal conversations with Haruhi.  While it starts off awkward, soon after, Haruhi starts to pull Kyon (who is completely unwilling and regret getting himself into this situation) into her crazy antics.  The first of which was to create her own after school school, known as the SOS Brigade.  The aim of the SOS Brigade is to investigate unusual anomalies.  Since you need at least five people to form a club, they manage to find a few other characters, each one having their own weird quirks.  First up is Nagato Yuki, who is solely focused on her reading.  As the last surviving member of the Literature Club, she gets absorbed into the SOS Brigade.  Then there is Asahina Mikuru, who is cute and follows all of Haruhi's crazy whims (such as always wearing a maid costume inside the club room).  Lastly, there is Koizumi Itsuki who is a transfer student.

While the first few episodes start off as a normal slice-of-life anime, it soon takes a turn to the bizarre.  To Kyon's surprise (and later, his expectations), he finds out that the people around him are not what they seem.  It's actually really interesting at how all these separate coincidences centers around Haruhi, you end up eager to find out why this is the case.  The anime ends up taking on a sci-fi theme.

As the anime goes on, the important of Haruhi is more and more obvious.  Disasters happen when she gets bored or if she has sudden mood swings.  This leads to Kyon to avert this disasters, usually with guidance from the other members.  For some reason, Kyon's presence is really intertwined with Haruhi's.  Unfortunately, Haruhi gets more and more unreasonable as the season goes on and there is absolutely no concrete reason why anyone has to go with her ways.  Yes, she is super important to the world but on the other hand, she ends up being quite annoying without a proper reason on why she is so important.

All the episodes feel like that there wasn't enough content for the episode but they had to drag it out anyway.  Since each mini-arc takes multiple episodes, the problem is compounded.  While a few episodes can be boring, especially with a lot of spoken dialogue with limited things happening on screen, there are scenes where it's really funny too.  It's hard to tell the direction the anime is going in since the plots for a lot of the episodes is just things happening due to Haruhi's intentions and thoughts.

Haruhi gets bored easily and when she gets bored, she thinks up of random things to do.  She then forces the entire group to do it and due to the nature of things, they all agree.  Kyon is reluctant most of the time since he is the one that bears the full force of Haruhi.  They end up doing things such as making a movie, play baseball and play games.  Season 2 is the one where it opted to include the infamous Endless Eight episodes.  The background of this is that we have eight episodes of exactly the same events, to simulate the characters experiencing the time loop.  Each episode differs from each other, with scenes shown from slightly different camera angles, and slightly differing dialogue.  Unfortunately, while the concept may sound cool (not really), after three or four episodes, you would have had enough, let alone eight of the same thing.

It's no wonder that the second season got so much flak.  More than half of the new episodes are the same event repeated again.  It is hard to decipher why anyone would think that this was a good decision because due to the different camera angels, the animation work would have been the same as if they had done a different arc.  In the end, it gets excessively repetitive, boring and because you know the arc won't be resolved until the eighth episode, you know that there is little point in watching yet another loop.

Overall, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya falls victim to the Seinfield Syndrome, where it was the first to do a lot of things but everything else copies it to the point of being tired cliches now.  There are some odd choices of the anime, especially wasting eight episodes on repeating the same events.  There are a lot of scenes where literally nothing happens and plenty of leaps of logic.  While there are interesting concepts and humor, the pacing just does not work that well.

--------------------------------------------

For other anime reviews, have a look at this page.

Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer (PS1)

Spyro 2:  Gateway to Glimmer, also known as Ripto's Rage outside of Europe, is the sequel to Spyro the Dragon and the second of the original PS1 trilogy.  The graphics have stayed pretty much the same, although some of the objects may be a bit softer in comparison.  In this game, Spyro retains all his previous abilities such as jumping, charging, gliding and breathing fire.  Naturally, being a sequel, he gains new moves such as hovering and diving underwater.  Yes, this means that Spyro does not die when he falls into water as he can swim in it.  That being said, there are still other liquid hazards such as lava, boiling water and electrified water.  These new abilities are gradually unlocked as the player progresses through the game.

The structure of the game is familiar with a hub world containing portals to the various levels.  Each level has a different and unique theme now, meaning that it can sometimes feel very random and unconnected when you enter one for the first time.  In each level, there are treasure gems for Spyro to collect and enemies to defeat.  The gems now have a purpose since you spend these to gain extra moves and unlock pathways to progress through the level.  If you take your time through each level getting most of the gems that you can see, you will never have an issue of running out.  Unfortunately, the levels are also a bit more linear than the first game, you're able to easily get all the gems the first time around (that is, if it isn't locked behind an ability you haven't gotten yet).

Sparx the Dragonfly retains his purpose of showing how much health that Spyro has.  Spyro can still only take four hits before he dies and you lose a life.  Checkpoints in levels are represented by flying fairies and you can now save anytime, which is pretty awesome.  In Spyro 2, it has changed its focus from exploration to minigames and optional quests within each level.  For good or for bad, this adds variety to the game.  Normally, beating a level will give you a Talisman for story progression but these optional quests will give Spyro orbs instead.  These quests are usually simple challenges such as lighting up all lights within a time limit, solving a stone puzzle, a race course or a timed challenge.  As there are so many different minigames, there will definitely be ones that you don't like as well as really frustrating ones that ends up making Spyro 2 a huge chore to complete 100% in.

You have the option to display a map showing the level's layout.  It sounds great in theory but its still better to just explore yourself.  The map can also be deceptive since the level can have multiple height levels.  Apart from the platforming and minigames, the other gameplay focus is combat.  Some enemies can only be beaten by flame, others by charging; you can usually guess how to tackle an enemy by their appearance.  By defeating a certain number of enemies, this will unlock a power up gate in each level which gives Spyro a temporary ability such as superflame or supercharge.  This is used to reach previously unreachable areas, defeat otherwise invincible enemies or assist you in completing a sidequest for an orb.  The game in general is pretty good at letting you go at your own pace, choosing what to collect and what not to.  Unfortunately, in the last world, this is not the case.  The game forces you to collect at least 40 orbs (just shy of two-thirds), which can be quite tedious when you have to repeat previous levels.

Boss battles are a lot more involved.  The bosses actually actively attack you now and don't just run away.  Apart from the final boss, they're pretty easy.  As expected of a platformer, the final boss is a multi-staged boss.  The annoying thing is that if you die, you start again from the beginning of the first stage and this is such a drain.  Yes, it is a typical design choice from that era but it doesn't mean it is a good one.  It doesn't help that the camera angle is fixed towards the boss but you have to go around the arena getting items and thus the controls will initially throw you off.  Repeating the same phase again and again just because you died in the last one is not fun and very repetitive.

The story is more fleshed out than the first game as there are cutscenes in very level.  A bunch of new characters are introduced and they become mainstays in the series.  Spyro wanted to take a holiday after defeating Gnasty Gnorc but is instead transported to Avalar, and ends up having to help free the lands from Ripto.  Overall, Spyro 2:  Gateway to Glimmer is still a really fun game.  It doesn't radically improve upon the first game since that itself was pretty polished and fun, but it adds in a lot of additional abilities and minigames, which admittedly, might not be your cup of tea.  Despite that, this is still a worthwhile game to play and has plenty of awesome platforming elements.

------------------------------------------------

For other game reviews, have a look at this page.

Book Review: Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World Vol. 6

Review:  #852
Title:  Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World Vol. 6
Series:  Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World – 6th volume
Author:  Tappei Nagatsuki

Comments:  The pain and suffering that Subaru goes through is relentless.  As if all the things he had to experience were not enough, it continues in this volume.  Subaru is currently stuck in the same loop where he is trying to stop the Witch Cult from killing Emilia, Rem, Ram and everyone else in the village.  Unfortunately, due to his stuff ups he does not leave a good impression on anyone.  He fails at negotiations by asking for everything and offering nothing in return.  He dies due to being weak.  He just rashly blunders through, being arrogant enough to think that it’ll work.  The humiliation that Subaru goes through, as well as the despair and helplessness that he must feel, is heavy stuff indeed.  All this culminates into some deep character development for Subaru and just when things all seem bleak and lost; we get the shining light that is Rem.  Rem once again shows just why she is so popular.  She unconditionally loves and supports Subaru, while trusting and being the only one that understands him.  Although what takes the cake is how Rem doesn’t let Subaru stagnate and give up, she pushes him to continue onwards.  Thus, while it takes a whole volume for Subaru to learn (and there were often unusual events such as when he went crazy or gave up on everything), it leads to a very promising future at the end of the volume.

Rating:  6.5/10