ashleyzfyang

Being adapted from a fairly old manga from the 1980-90s, this anime proves that good stories can stand the test of time in any medium. I watched the entire series of 24 episodes within a single day (yeah, that's how good it is). However, I'd advise the meek of heart against watching it, because the gore within the first few episodes is enough to turn away a fair share of people. Yet, as bloody as some of the scenes are, they never feel unnatural. In fact, the whole series feels very human and it plays with the theme of humanity seamlessly. Without spoiling anything else, I highly recommend this series to anyone who can sit through the first 3 episodes. If you can do that, you'll most likely be hooked.

So this 'movie' wasn't a bad idea on paper, but it's the mediocre-fanfiction level writing that holds it back. I enjoyed a lot of the action sequences and seeing some classic characters in animated form (this animation style reminds me of Young Justice, which is a plus). But let's just get to the elephant in the room... Damian Wayne. Having a kid save the day in an action film this scale is not a good idea, especially when he's not supposed to be the main focus. Son of Batman was acceptable because it was his story and not many of the other villains or heroes were involved, but when Superman, Wonderwoman, the Flash and the Teen Titans face up against a villain like Trigon? I thought this was a movie about teamwork! Instead, Damian is portrayed as a Gary Sue who solves all the problems without even breaking a sweat (inability to be a team player is not a flaw in this case because it doesn't even cause him any problems). This is amateur writing... Yet, the action and animation are pretty solid in this movie. If you'd like to see some familiar characters (such as those from the original Teen Titans cartoon), just give this movie a casual shot and don't expect too much.

I remember this show growing up. It had enough going for it that I have a positive view of it years later. Some may say there weren't many shows that stood out in the early 2000s, but I think this is a show with style that sets it apart. Other shows like Jackie Chan Adventures had a similar style of Asian culture mixed with American animation, and this one definitely shares some similarities (heck, both shows came out from the same network). However, I really enjoyed this type of style, and while the characters and story aren't the selling point, the imagination put into some of the concepts got me hooked. It works well in the show, and there's even significant character and plot development moving along (such as the writers bringing back a certain plot point in the past), which is definitely something I really appreciated.