Quizzical-Panda
Joined Dec 2012
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Quizzical-Panda's rating
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Quizzical-Panda's rating
I've never seen a show that can so quickly move from heartbreaking to hilarious and not skip a beat. The best thing about the show is unquestionably it's main character, Tomoko Kuroki, a 15 year old asocial girl (who I personally suspect has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome) as she attempts convoluted schemes to try and make herself popular. On paper she should be horrible, with an unquestionably vindictive side, and a deep-rooted tendency to pass responsibilities. However, she possesses an unquestionable resilience, that no matter how dark and lonely it feels, she's still in control, with a fantastic tenacity to continue in her pursuit of social acceptance. Both English and Japanese voice-actors perfectly sell her anxiety and naivety. When she acts cruelly, the Universe usually punishes her for it, so she never reaches the point of her being unlikeable. These flaws allow us to laugh as she winds up in calamitous and embarrassing situations none of which I will spoil.
But this becomes the chief tragedy as well as a source of humour. As we see how warm and nice she was at the very beginning of childhood, to slowly see her devolve into isolation and rejection, from being almost transparent in Middle School to totally transparent in High School is hard to watch. To see that happiness drained from her face to one of cynical desperation can be hard to watch, but what is harder still is the main perversion of her character; her twisted sense of priority. Despite having the unquestionable love of those in her family, she appears almost ignorant of it, instead frantically pursuing the next scheme to somewhat increase her social standing for a brief few years at best. Her life has flown far off course and she doesn't even really understand why.
If you have a problem watching people in embarrassing situations, especially if you can relate to them, you won't find much enjoyment in the comedy. Tomoko's antics produce more 'Spaghetti' than the entirety of Italy. I found my cheeks physically hurting from the amount of cringe that was upon me, even as I laughed uproariously. We feel bad for her, but none of it is serious enough that we feel bad for laughing. We know she's going to come back with some poorly thought-out scheme next time and get right back on with it.
An obvious reason that the show took off was the similarity of the main character with many Anime viewers, who would have similar niche interests, as well as unsatisfactory social lives. It was ultimately 4chan who revived the Manga, and kept it from falling into the ether, igniting a wave of popularity in the West before the translation even came about (the creator would write a subtle thank-you to 4chan when the English edition came out). Tomoko is one of my favourite characters precisely because she is so flawed, while possessing all the right traits to keep me rooting for her, which is the basis of good writing.
I haven't even talked about the great opening which perfectly sells her anger at her isolation in the grimy prison she finds herself, the ED, which provides a magnificent dissection of her character in lyrics, and the animation, which uses colouring, and the lack thereof, to express the draining of her individuality beneath the crushing losses she finds herself enduring. Frankly, if I could have any form of interaction with her, I would simply give her a hug; she clearly needs some.
But this becomes the chief tragedy as well as a source of humour. As we see how warm and nice she was at the very beginning of childhood, to slowly see her devolve into isolation and rejection, from being almost transparent in Middle School to totally transparent in High School is hard to watch. To see that happiness drained from her face to one of cynical desperation can be hard to watch, but what is harder still is the main perversion of her character; her twisted sense of priority. Despite having the unquestionable love of those in her family, she appears almost ignorant of it, instead frantically pursuing the next scheme to somewhat increase her social standing for a brief few years at best. Her life has flown far off course and she doesn't even really understand why.
If you have a problem watching people in embarrassing situations, especially if you can relate to them, you won't find much enjoyment in the comedy. Tomoko's antics produce more 'Spaghetti' than the entirety of Italy. I found my cheeks physically hurting from the amount of cringe that was upon me, even as I laughed uproariously. We feel bad for her, but none of it is serious enough that we feel bad for laughing. We know she's going to come back with some poorly thought-out scheme next time and get right back on with it.
An obvious reason that the show took off was the similarity of the main character with many Anime viewers, who would have similar niche interests, as well as unsatisfactory social lives. It was ultimately 4chan who revived the Manga, and kept it from falling into the ether, igniting a wave of popularity in the West before the translation even came about (the creator would write a subtle thank-you to 4chan when the English edition came out). Tomoko is one of my favourite characters precisely because she is so flawed, while possessing all the right traits to keep me rooting for her, which is the basis of good writing.
I haven't even talked about the great opening which perfectly sells her anger at her isolation in the grimy prison she finds herself, the ED, which provides a magnificent dissection of her character in lyrics, and the animation, which uses colouring, and the lack thereof, to express the draining of her individuality beneath the crushing losses she finds herself enduring. Frankly, if I could have any form of interaction with her, I would simply give her a hug; she clearly needs some.
Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere in Oregon, two twins exit a bus. A flashy showman, their Great Uncle, greets them, and invites them into the paranormal epicentre of the world. While it seems he's too much of a trickster to believe in the supernatural he promotes, the kids explore the town, and find enough adventure, mystery and conspiracy to last a thousand lifetimes. It's an experience that will change the both of them forever.
Gravity Falls' intro has no lyrics, and yet, in roughly forty seconds of screen-time, we already know the settings, the major characters, their virtues and flaws, their relationships, and a whole lot of foreshadowing for things that won't even be touched on until the very end. This very effectively sums up the show; a lot being thrown at you, even if you don't recognise it at the time. It constantly thinks back to itself, with some of the most in-depth continuity, background or foreground, of any show, animated or not. Characters casually appear in the background several episodes before an episode revolves around them, minor plot-points are revisited dozens of episodes later, and damage to both people and property doesn't vanish after a single episode. Almost every major plot twist (and there are many) involves a heavy degree of foreshadowing, stretching back into the first season. Thankfully, it's never quite enough for the casual viewer to pick up, but enough to reward multiple viewings. Being a show that revolves around mystery (the creator, Alex Hirsch, had the intention to blend the episodic mysteries of X-Files, with the overarching mystery of Twin Peaks), every episode is littered with codes and riddles that are used both for comedy, and hints about upcoming confrontations. The more one dissects each episode, the more one realises the dedication and effort that was put into every one.
But regardless of the mystery elements that define the series, the heart and soul of the show is the relationship between the twins, Dipper and Mabel. Both on the cusp of puberty, Dipper is introverted, adventurous, and deeply precocious, while his sister is extroverted, more interested in the prospect of summer romance than the supernatural, and has an infectious, childish optimism for life. So many pitfalls that beset other twin/sibling relationships in shows are avoided in their writing: identical characters, every episode being a conflict between the two, one of the two always being right, etc. While very different, the two compliment, rather than conflict with each other. When they tease, they know when to stop, when they fight, it's a big deal, and when they see the anguish the other goes through, they sacrifice. What a relief from the endless cynical jibes that define character interaction in the modern era; here, the two unquestionably love and cherish the company of each other. It's the most affecting twin relationship one could write without straining believability. Both have insecurities about themselves, and both are deeply flawed from the outset, which they learn to overcome together. Hirsch said one of the most amazing things about the show for him was the sheer amount of people calling him up to thank him for their getting closer to their siblings, after having drifted apart, or never having been together at all. The relationship between Hirsch's own twin sister and himself as the obvious inception for Mabel and Dipper gives a deeply authentic vibe, creating one of the best written sibling relationships in all fiction.
This allows the show to do something really well; humour. Hirsch never intended to do a kid's show, and constantly wrote the show from the perspective of what would children get into, and what would make adults laugh, a formula which enabled the show to have the entirety of the top ten broadcast ratings on their channel. Consequently, the strong characterisation and connections between the characters, (the twins, their con-man Great Uncle, the practical but dim-witted janitor, and the tomboyish counter-girl) allow for miraculously high-quality character-humour. However, this isn't to pigeon-hole the show's comedic writing, which has an incredible range from slapstick, to visual gags, to fourth-wall breaks. There is not a fart joke to be found, but there are jokes that no child could possibly get that will send older viewers into uproar (such as the Great Uncle giving the names of his hands as "Scratchy and Shaky.") When asked which episode in particular the censors most objected to, Hirsch replied "All of them".
While the humour can often be adult, including some of the most depressing, nihilistic monologues one can get away with given the rating, the level of darkness in terms of horror is something that shocks most people who watch the series for the first time. With a shape-shifter morphing into a spider version of the main characters, screaming severed heads, and lines like "I've got to turn some children into corpses", Gravity Falls never shied away from nightmare fuel. Yet even then, the show never forgets that it is primarily a comedic series. In the midst of extreme drama, there will be isolated comedic moments that are just enough to make you laugh, but integrated enough not to detract from the tone. The intensity of the drama cannot be underestimated though, with major life and death decisions having to be made by children who are clearly not prepared for the turmoil they are going through, which makes us all the more heartbroken to see their anguish.
Ultimately, the show concluded on the creator's terms; he envisioned a beginning, middle, and ending, and saw it through to the (highly emotional) end. Gravity Falls will never suffer the same zombification that overcame once great shows like the Simpsons, leaving one of the most consistent high-quality programming across not just children's, or animated television, but the medium in general. It's a show for all ages, and an adventure in itself.
Gravity Falls' intro has no lyrics, and yet, in roughly forty seconds of screen-time, we already know the settings, the major characters, their virtues and flaws, their relationships, and a whole lot of foreshadowing for things that won't even be touched on until the very end. This very effectively sums up the show; a lot being thrown at you, even if you don't recognise it at the time. It constantly thinks back to itself, with some of the most in-depth continuity, background or foreground, of any show, animated or not. Characters casually appear in the background several episodes before an episode revolves around them, minor plot-points are revisited dozens of episodes later, and damage to both people and property doesn't vanish after a single episode. Almost every major plot twist (and there are many) involves a heavy degree of foreshadowing, stretching back into the first season. Thankfully, it's never quite enough for the casual viewer to pick up, but enough to reward multiple viewings. Being a show that revolves around mystery (the creator, Alex Hirsch, had the intention to blend the episodic mysteries of X-Files, with the overarching mystery of Twin Peaks), every episode is littered with codes and riddles that are used both for comedy, and hints about upcoming confrontations. The more one dissects each episode, the more one realises the dedication and effort that was put into every one.
But regardless of the mystery elements that define the series, the heart and soul of the show is the relationship between the twins, Dipper and Mabel. Both on the cusp of puberty, Dipper is introverted, adventurous, and deeply precocious, while his sister is extroverted, more interested in the prospect of summer romance than the supernatural, and has an infectious, childish optimism for life. So many pitfalls that beset other twin/sibling relationships in shows are avoided in their writing: identical characters, every episode being a conflict between the two, one of the two always being right, etc. While very different, the two compliment, rather than conflict with each other. When they tease, they know when to stop, when they fight, it's a big deal, and when they see the anguish the other goes through, they sacrifice. What a relief from the endless cynical jibes that define character interaction in the modern era; here, the two unquestionably love and cherish the company of each other. It's the most affecting twin relationship one could write without straining believability. Both have insecurities about themselves, and both are deeply flawed from the outset, which they learn to overcome together. Hirsch said one of the most amazing things about the show for him was the sheer amount of people calling him up to thank him for their getting closer to their siblings, after having drifted apart, or never having been together at all. The relationship between Hirsch's own twin sister and himself as the obvious inception for Mabel and Dipper gives a deeply authentic vibe, creating one of the best written sibling relationships in all fiction.
This allows the show to do something really well; humour. Hirsch never intended to do a kid's show, and constantly wrote the show from the perspective of what would children get into, and what would make adults laugh, a formula which enabled the show to have the entirety of the top ten broadcast ratings on their channel. Consequently, the strong characterisation and connections between the characters, (the twins, their con-man Great Uncle, the practical but dim-witted janitor, and the tomboyish counter-girl) allow for miraculously high-quality character-humour. However, this isn't to pigeon-hole the show's comedic writing, which has an incredible range from slapstick, to visual gags, to fourth-wall breaks. There is not a fart joke to be found, but there are jokes that no child could possibly get that will send older viewers into uproar (such as the Great Uncle giving the names of his hands as "Scratchy and Shaky.") When asked which episode in particular the censors most objected to, Hirsch replied "All of them".
While the humour can often be adult, including some of the most depressing, nihilistic monologues one can get away with given the rating, the level of darkness in terms of horror is something that shocks most people who watch the series for the first time. With a shape-shifter morphing into a spider version of the main characters, screaming severed heads, and lines like "I've got to turn some children into corpses", Gravity Falls never shied away from nightmare fuel. Yet even then, the show never forgets that it is primarily a comedic series. In the midst of extreme drama, there will be isolated comedic moments that are just enough to make you laugh, but integrated enough not to detract from the tone. The intensity of the drama cannot be underestimated though, with major life and death decisions having to be made by children who are clearly not prepared for the turmoil they are going through, which makes us all the more heartbroken to see their anguish.
Ultimately, the show concluded on the creator's terms; he envisioned a beginning, middle, and ending, and saw it through to the (highly emotional) end. Gravity Falls will never suffer the same zombification that overcame once great shows like the Simpsons, leaving one of the most consistent high-quality programming across not just children's, or animated television, but the medium in general. It's a show for all ages, and an adventure in itself.
Everyone should experience FMA:B at least once in their lives; it saddens me that I'll never get to watch it for the first time again. It's a work of remarkable clarity, set-up, and execution, with a vibrant world of vibrant characters, good, bad, and straddling in between. The viewer's full spectrum of human emotion is dissected, from excitement to laughter, and often grief. It has earned its place as one of the most critically praised Animes, if not Television shows in general. This is the second adaptation of the acclaimed Manga series, the former having suffered from being released while the Manga was ongoing, leading to an invented ending that dissatisfied most viewers.
The primary protagonists of the series are the Elric brothers, who, when their mother died at the hand of incurable illness after their father left, attempted to use their alchemy to resurrect her; for this blaspheme, Edward, the elder, lost his arm, and Alphonse, the younger, lost his entire body. Ed proceeded to sacrifice his leg to bring his brother into a nearby suit of armour; their main objective in the series is to return to find a way to return to their old bodies. While Ed is the smarter, and bolder of the pair, he struggles with insecurities not just related to his height, but unbearable guilt for the situation he put himself and his brother in. Also, while Alphonse can't feel pain as a suit of armour, he can't stop dreaming about being able to taste and touch again, and has existential questions about his soul. What a change from the constant conflicts of other fictional sibling relationships. Refreshingly, they unquestionably love each other, and rarely fight, any conflict being portrayed with all the seriousness it deserves.
The show boasts one of the most incredible supporting casts ever put together. There's the magnificently realised Roy Mustang, the military officer infamous for his open ambition and ostentatiousness, but who's actually one of the most altruistic and heroic leaders in the cesspit he inhabits, not to mention an exceptionally skilled Flame Alchemist. There's Scar, a one man vengeance machine, out for revenge against the country that genocided his people, whose loyalties continue to muddle as the story unfolds. We are introduced to Hohenheim, the father of the Elric brothers, whom one fears may be a dead-end, 'neglectful father' trope, but opens up into a near mythical legend as his backstory is put together. If I were to run through all the great side-characters on the show, this review would never end, but it speaks volumes that any of the aforementioned, of whom any could be the protagonist, aren't even the main focus.
The villains are nearly perfect. They accomplish the main two tasks any good villain should do:
1) Convince the audience to hate them, and want them to lose, preferably with the most amount of pain/humiliation possible.
2) Convince the audience there is a chance they could win, or at least have them question how the hero could possibly defeat them.
There are many major villains, and all fight and conclude uniquely. The members of the main villain army are based on, and named after, the Seven Deadly Sins. All share a unique design and character, with all of them hiding some trick up their sleeve. I won't dare spoil the identities of several of the villains, but suffice to say that the more you find out about them, the more interested you are, and they never disappoint. For being based off a single defining (negative) trait, several of them possess incredibly human insecurities, despite their universal mockery of man and his emotions. This level of depth wasn't necessary, but is incredibly satisfying. The ultimate villain certainly doesn't disappoint, his indefatigable aura leaving a terrifying impression.
Being a show based around the search for the Philosopher's Stone, several of the monologues on the meaning and struggle of life leave deep resonance with viewers. Perhaps the best scene on the matter is when the leaders of the Ishvalan tribe offer themselves to spare the tens of thousands of their remaining people, and are rebuffed with mockery by the enemy President, since "One human life is worth one human life." When a Tribal leader warns that God himself will strike down the President for his atrocities, he responds, "How much longer do you think your 'God' plans to wait before unleashing his fury? Just how many thousands of lives must I take before he decides to strike me down?" Further themes on the meaning of life, the futility of immortality, the nature of God and Truth, the necessity of suffering, are passionately explored, and fulfil character arcs like a hand in glove.
The world the characters inhabit never feels restrained; we are shown almost all sides of the country, from the Northern tundra, to the Eastern desert, the Western mountains, the ruins of ancient civilisation, the slums of the forest, and the glitz of Central. One can still detect life all across the country, even when they are off-screen. Foreign visitors arrive in the nation, each with their own agenda, often competing with each other for the same objective. The nature of alchemy, and of equivalent exchange is explored, and how it ties into the way this Universe operates. The show is magnificent in being able to construct a deep lore, explaining the history of the state, its relationship with neighbours, relationship with religions, and its own descent into militarism and autocracy.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood captures you from the very first of its title sequence; even the credit themes leave a soaring sensation that impels you to continue to watch. It fails in no respect, delivering some of the most heart-breaking, heart-warming, and heart-pounding scenes ever put on a television screen. Every few episodes deliver a moment that shocks you with how far it goes. The experience of watching it is something I'll treasure, and something I'll never forget.
The primary protagonists of the series are the Elric brothers, who, when their mother died at the hand of incurable illness after their father left, attempted to use their alchemy to resurrect her; for this blaspheme, Edward, the elder, lost his arm, and Alphonse, the younger, lost his entire body. Ed proceeded to sacrifice his leg to bring his brother into a nearby suit of armour; their main objective in the series is to return to find a way to return to their old bodies. While Ed is the smarter, and bolder of the pair, he struggles with insecurities not just related to his height, but unbearable guilt for the situation he put himself and his brother in. Also, while Alphonse can't feel pain as a suit of armour, he can't stop dreaming about being able to taste and touch again, and has existential questions about his soul. What a change from the constant conflicts of other fictional sibling relationships. Refreshingly, they unquestionably love each other, and rarely fight, any conflict being portrayed with all the seriousness it deserves.
The show boasts one of the most incredible supporting casts ever put together. There's the magnificently realised Roy Mustang, the military officer infamous for his open ambition and ostentatiousness, but who's actually one of the most altruistic and heroic leaders in the cesspit he inhabits, not to mention an exceptionally skilled Flame Alchemist. There's Scar, a one man vengeance machine, out for revenge against the country that genocided his people, whose loyalties continue to muddle as the story unfolds. We are introduced to Hohenheim, the father of the Elric brothers, whom one fears may be a dead-end, 'neglectful father' trope, but opens up into a near mythical legend as his backstory is put together. If I were to run through all the great side-characters on the show, this review would never end, but it speaks volumes that any of the aforementioned, of whom any could be the protagonist, aren't even the main focus.
The villains are nearly perfect. They accomplish the main two tasks any good villain should do:
1) Convince the audience to hate them, and want them to lose, preferably with the most amount of pain/humiliation possible.
2) Convince the audience there is a chance they could win, or at least have them question how the hero could possibly defeat them.
There are many major villains, and all fight and conclude uniquely. The members of the main villain army are based on, and named after, the Seven Deadly Sins. All share a unique design and character, with all of them hiding some trick up their sleeve. I won't dare spoil the identities of several of the villains, but suffice to say that the more you find out about them, the more interested you are, and they never disappoint. For being based off a single defining (negative) trait, several of them possess incredibly human insecurities, despite their universal mockery of man and his emotions. This level of depth wasn't necessary, but is incredibly satisfying. The ultimate villain certainly doesn't disappoint, his indefatigable aura leaving a terrifying impression.
Being a show based around the search for the Philosopher's Stone, several of the monologues on the meaning and struggle of life leave deep resonance with viewers. Perhaps the best scene on the matter is when the leaders of the Ishvalan tribe offer themselves to spare the tens of thousands of their remaining people, and are rebuffed with mockery by the enemy President, since "One human life is worth one human life." When a Tribal leader warns that God himself will strike down the President for his atrocities, he responds, "How much longer do you think your 'God' plans to wait before unleashing his fury? Just how many thousands of lives must I take before he decides to strike me down?" Further themes on the meaning of life, the futility of immortality, the nature of God and Truth, the necessity of suffering, are passionately explored, and fulfil character arcs like a hand in glove.
The world the characters inhabit never feels restrained; we are shown almost all sides of the country, from the Northern tundra, to the Eastern desert, the Western mountains, the ruins of ancient civilisation, the slums of the forest, and the glitz of Central. One can still detect life all across the country, even when they are off-screen. Foreign visitors arrive in the nation, each with their own agenda, often competing with each other for the same objective. The nature of alchemy, and of equivalent exchange is explored, and how it ties into the way this Universe operates. The show is magnificent in being able to construct a deep lore, explaining the history of the state, its relationship with neighbours, relationship with religions, and its own descent into militarism and autocracy.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood captures you from the very first of its title sequence; even the credit themes leave a soaring sensation that impels you to continue to watch. It fails in no respect, delivering some of the most heart-breaking, heart-warming, and heart-pounding scenes ever put on a television screen. Every few episodes deliver a moment that shocks you with how far it goes. The experience of watching it is something I'll treasure, and something I'll never forget.