All the Right Notes: Glass Mask

I am blessed with some fantastic friends.  Friends that recommend equally fantastic shows for me to check out.  I am not here to beat down bad shows, movies, etc. and point out all their faults.  I'm not even here to necessarily point out faults in things I like.  Because quite honestly, I dislike wasting my time on poor stories.  Anytime I bring up a praise or a criticism, I always try to make some sort of point with it.

Because what I really set out to do with these reviews is to learn.  The best way to learn is through observation.  Therefore, what better way to learn about storytelling than by observing the good and bad in the movies and TV shows that I watch and comics and stories that I read?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to come up with an angle to really focus on when I write a review.  This is why I don't write reviews on everything that I read and watch.

I did not have this problem, however, with the most recent anime I watched  consumed titled Glass Mask.  Actually, quite the opposite.  Because quite honestly, the show is just so damn good that the most difficult thing was determining the most interesting aspect to focus on.  Obviously, I eventually succeeded.

What aspect of storytelling can be learned from Glass Mask?  Check out the review after the break to find out!

The main cast from left to right: Masumi Hayami, Ayumi Himekawa, Maya Kitajima, Chigusa Tsukikage

All the Right Notes: Occult Academy

...or, an alternative title: How bad pacing can ruin a story.

When crafting a story in any medium, there are many aspects that must be addressed in order for that story to be successful.  Plot, characters, dialogue, and depending on the medium, animation, design, music score, etc.  There are plenty of good stories that satisfy--at least to a basic degree--most of these requirements.  Coming up a bit short on a few of them doesn't always ruin a story.  A good story can still have problems.

There are instances, however, when one aspect of a story can be so poorly done that it can change the image of the entire tale and completely ruin it.

A recent anime I checked out, Occult Academy, is the victim of such folly.

On the surface, I thought I would enjoy Occult Academy.  The art style is clean and detailed; it is well-animated, has a pleasant enough score, and its characters are initially compelling and enjoyable.

Halfway through the episodes, however, my opinion had completely changed, and I believe I can chalk it up to one sole reason (a reason you may have gathered from the fancy alternative title to this review).

Check out the rest of the review after the break!

Stop being so gorgeous, Occult Academy, you haven't earned the right!

All the Right Notes: Pokemon Indigo League Retrospective, Part 1

I love Pokemon.  I'll admit it outright.  I watched the show obsessively as a kid (even up to most of the Advanced Generation and a few of the Diamond/Pearl episodes), have some of the cards (because they looked cool), and love the games (playing Yellow via Pokemon Stadium for the N64? I think so).  Recently, just for kicks, I started watching the episodes again from the very beginning.  And it's been a very interesting experience.  Becaues let's face it, while many of us have fond memories of the original Pokemon, how many of us have actually watched some of those episodes recently?  Memory is a funny thing, as I discovered when rewatching Pokemon!  So, without further ado, let's head into today's AtRN: A Retrospective on the Pokemon Indigo League!  Part 1 will focus on the oddities I ran into while watching season one, while Part 2 will be a discussion on the success of the anime in America.

The first Pokemon opening.  Just as catchy now as it was then!

 

Check out the review after the break!