Anime Review No. 87 (Dead Leaves)

‘I kinda hate myself for liking this’

Dead Leaves

2004 OVA

Studio: Production IG, Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi, Script: Takeichi Honda and Imai Toonz

Well then, its time for a blast from the recent past. Yeah only a decade has past since this OVA has come out, but 'recent past' still counts. Also, its the debut as director for Hiroyuki Imaishi. So yes Dead Leaves it is.

Umm yeah it is about a duo of anti-heroes of sorts and their wild adventure in the far off future. They are Pandy, a buxom babe and Retro, a dude with a TV for a head. The movie starts up stranded on a wasteland both with memory loss, and very much in the nude. They team up for a bank robbery which leads to a rather disjointed manic car chase action sequence.They are however caught by the police and sent to a prison on the moon, which is a disfigured crescent in the sky. This in turn leads to the most glorious sex scene ever in anime outside of a hentai though our duo escape along with some other prisoners, leading to more shenanigans. I won’t spoil any further as this has to be seen to be believed.

Dead Leaves is a weird and surreal mess. me trying to recount the plot much less the story is hard to do even after watching it half a dozen times over the course of many years like I have. I was constantly screaming WTF and laughing my butt off often at the same time.

In many ways, Dead Leaves is a perfect display of Imaishi style even for a debut feature. Be it the fast kinetic direction and pacing or elaborate storyboarding. But this stuff is at the expense of sense or logic, its animated insanity. Of course this is looking at it as a standalone work, isolated from a historical perspective. Looking at it from a historical career sense, Dead Leaves becomes a step in the evolution of one animator’s style over time.

Imaishi started out as an animator on Evangelion back in 1995. He continued with work on other Gainax series in late 90s/early 00s (notably episode 19 of Kare Kano, FLCL episode 5, and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi episodes 3 and 12). Then he did this as his first outing as a director and it certainly feels an effort from a first timer, a good effort if a little uneven in parts and places. After that, he directed Gurren Lagann and later Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. In fact, PSG feels like a more refined version of Dead Leaves, which both in turn are lovely tributes to the schlocky era of bloody violent and vulgar OVAs from the late 80s/early 90s. Heck Kill la Kill, his most current TV show and 2nd collaboration with Kazuki Nakashima, this OVA gets a nice mention (by that I mean ‘spot or you’ll miss it’) in the very first episode of that series.

Also the release history of this OVA is rather interesting. The original Japanese release dates to January 2004. It got a release here in the States on DVD and UMD (remember those? yeah me neither) within the next year by Manga Entertainment. It also got a TV broadcast on Sci-Fi Channel Ani-Monday block in Jan 2008 which is probably one of the early times that I watched it. The dub was done by Gaijin Productions, the ADR company Amanda Winn Lee and her husband formed after leaving ADV and moving from Texas to LA. They have done only 4 dubs: this, the Read or Die OVA (arguably the best out of the bunch in my humble opinion), and Evangelion Rebirth and End of Eva movies. Granted Amanda Winn Lee is still somewhat in the voice acting business, recently showing last year in the Persona 4 The Animation dub. The dub is OK and rather apt for such a cartoony and insane short movie, in a way harking back to the early ADV Films catalog of dubs that the Amanda Winn Lee was very much involved in. Although the only actors notable here are Amanda Winn Lee and her husband Jason C Lee playing the main duo but that’s about it.

I’ll end this review by saying yeah Dead Leaves is a wild crazy but fun movie. Lucky for you all, Manga Entertainment has the whole thing up on Youtube so you can see and watch it for yourself and decide on your own.

Next time, well its time for an actual blast from my past.....

Later, my dear readers.

Anime Review No. 72-Redline

The Need for Speed

"Redline" (2009 movie)

Director-Takeshi Koike, Studio-Madhouse, Writers: Yoji Enokido, Katsuhito Ishii and Yoshiki Sakurai

Nice, minimalist design for title card 

Well, its time for my first anime movie review in quite some time I suppose. Considering my last anime movie review was over Gall Force: Eternal Story, way back last summer, is quite something. What better way then to review Redline. My buddy Foggle from Animation Revelation encouraged me to check this out, and at first I was hesitant since it seemed to me to be another over-hyped movie that end up disappointing me more then not. However, once I watched it, my tune got changed real quick. I have seen it twice online (subbed and dubbed) before finally coming across at the local MovieStop for about 10$.

First best moment of the movie 

And no, Redline isn't just the name of the titular race in the movie. For those not in the now,
the definition is (from freedictionary.com): 2. To reach the maximum engine speed at which an engine is designed to be safely operated. In other words, it is the breaking point for any engine-based vehicle.

It starts off with a Yellow-Line race in the far future which our main dude, JP, participating in. He is the dare-devil racer who likes taking things to the limit, lives for the immediate thrill. The opening race really sets the tone of the movie right off the bat: Fast, quick, energetic. The soundtrack pops without a pause for breath or respite. Characters get the bare minimum of depth; but then again that's only because we (the audience) simply have to bask in the spectacle of the event. It is akin to watching wrestling or other event television-one might be slightly interested in the world or characters but its the event(s) that grip us. There are also a few characters introduced as well, including Frisbee: his manager who may or may not be screwing him over behind his back and works for the mob to get JP into races and Sonohee: requisite female racer/potential love interest.

Hmm....something about JP reminds me of some recent character...

Plot: He nearly wins the Yellow Line race before getting sabotaged by a bomb planted by his manager, Frisbee, meaning Sonohee wins it. During his recovery in the hospital, he finds out that he will end up in the Redline race, the famous underground race of the galaxy. However, it is to be taking place on Robo-World, which the locals of that aren't particularly pleased. Of course, he has to go and get his ride repaired. Along the way, when he isn't dealing with other racers or the Robo-World army. he discovers that when racing, its the ride that excites the most more then the finish line, though crossing it is so satisfying. And that's as far as I am going, as this movie is an experience everyone should go out and enjoy.

And you thought that skipping stones was hard as hell...

Simply put, this is a racing movie (Fast and Furious comes to mind) done in space, a rather fun and exciting space adventure. Nothing more, nothing less. It is pumped into action from the opening shot and never, ever lets up. It is also well aware of what it is, in on its own joke.

Bahahahaha....oh how can one take this guy seriously?!

Animation: phenomenal! This movie took 7 years of production and well worth the wait it would seem. Quick, kinetic, rather fluid animation throughout, without a bad shot in the entire film. 100,000 hand drawings were used in the production of this film, and it surely shows that traditional animation still has a place in the modern age of mostly/all CGI and digital productions. Seriously wish I could have found this on Bluray, but even on DVD it looks excellent.

Voice Acting: Very good in both language tracks, if I am being completely honest. Though, the English dub barely outdoes the original Japanese. Of course, that has little to do with the direction/writing (Madoka and SAO's dub director Alex von David handles this)and more to do with the voice actors/actresses themselves. It is like a who's who of the LA/West Coast Dub Scene, including Pat Seitz, Michelle Ruff, Liam O'Brien, and several others, along with some surprises as well. For instance, there is a bit part played none other then Spike Spencer that for me was a highlight.

Yes, Spike Spencer as the bug-eyed commentator....I'm in heaven 

If you do get this on DVD/Bluray, be sure to watch "The Quick Guide to Redline" which is essentially a brief look into the movie and supplying some details. Basically, it helps to explain some of the more inexplicable elements of the movie. In addition, it gives some information regarding the staff, with some short interview snippets thrown in for good measure. It very nice seeing these people at work, pouring their heart and soul into this project. It is certainly something to be admired. I do like how the director at one point says the main reason for this project, to push animation to the limits, for it to reach its own 'redline'. In the end, that is what Redline: an experience that pushes Japanese animation to an ultimate limit, one that probably will never be replicated. Why? Well, that is due to the fact that the box of comfort that digital productions bring is much easier to do, in addition to being cheaper. Granted, I would not expect TV series to do this long span production so then we get only a few TV shows of anime each season. Movies like these are good only once in a while, so as to not wear off the novelty.

True that indeed, Director-san ^_^

So, yeah Redline gets a recommendation for me. It is great for what it is: Slick, simple entertaining fun! I would say get it on DVD or Bluray, but if you can't; don't worry, it is available from Manga Entertainment on Youtube (Redline YT Link), free viewing! Seriously, Go watch it!

Anyway, what's next on the platter? Well, sometimes the constructed box of anime productions can lead to some interesting experiments in of themselves. And it being February, it means looking at relationships as I have done the past 2 Februaries.

'Til next time, dear readers.....

Anime Review No. 20 "Read or Die" (2001 OVA)

Hello, this is the Eclectic Dude and I review it for the lolz. (yes, that's my catchphrase).

Well, to conclude this month, I am looking at another title with a standard genre, but with some interesting aspects to it. The genre of the week is spy film. Most of us know of some of these, from the Bond movies to even Johnny English (which is funny btw), those films with stories with spies, international incidents, baddies trying to conquer the world, etc. Well, Anime has a few entries in this genre. And one of the best, in my opinion, is the subject for this week's review-"Read or Die"


Read or Die is a 2001 OVA done by Studio Deen and directed by Koji Masanuri. It was then released by Manga Entertainment in 2003 to the States. It was done in 3 episodes, spanning about 90 minutes. Of course, it is better to just watch it as a full-length film feature. The story flows better for it. It is basically a spy action film, much in the style of James Bond, but with interesting characteristics added in. I'll explain.

So, the OVA does a cold open to start things off, as a mysterious guy blows up the White House (a la Independence Day). Of course, he was actually looking for the Library of Congress. He refers to himself 'Ijinn' to the US president, who proceeds to piss himself (a real LOL moment for me).
The opening comes up. In my words, it is AWESOME-sauce. Seriously, it got a even blend of techno and orchestral that is superb.
After the opening, we are introduced to Yomiko Readman, the main character of this OVA. She is 20ish young woman who's a meganekko bibliophile (who lives in an apartment full of books in Tokyo) who seems rather likeable despite being somewhat antsy and naive. She's also voiced by Kim Yates in the english dub, sporting a good British accent. After doing some book shopping, which is a good montage, she picks up 'Immortal Beloved', a book she been looking for some time. But, then a swarm of insects led by an insect dude riding a giant grasshopper. This guy wants her book, for some reason. Yomiko, however, reveals that she can manipulate paper to use as weapons and the like. I'm dead serious. How and why she can do it is not really explained, but then again best to bask in the spectacle of it all. She uses her 'superpower' to get the book back and defeat the insect dude.
After this, we are introduced to Mr. Joker, Yomiko's boss, and played by Crispin Freeman sporting also a British accent. Yomiko's codename is "The Paper" based on her ability. Both of  the part of a secret organization, The Library, led by the elder and mysterious Mr. Gentleman. A evil scheme is revealed to the two involving past historical figures with superpowers. Of course, these are more on the obscure side in terms of historical figures. So, I'll just use nicknames for them. They aim to get Yomiko's book, once for no reason (so far).
So, Yomiko Readman gets teamed up with Drake Anderson and 'Miss Deep'. Drake is your typical 'muscle' guy, the one one character who uses weapons as he has no abilities. He is also quite funny, spouting out memorable one-liners delivered by Jaxon Lee in the dub. 'Miss Deep' is the femme fatale, serving as a foil to Yomiko. She has a special ability in that she can phase through solid objects. Together, they seek to uncover  the truth behind this conspiracy.
That's all I am saying about the plot, no more spoilers. Seriously it is something worth watching.Pretty much, the OVA functions as a three part story, with the first episode being exposition and rising action, second episode continuing the rising action, then reaching the critical point about halfway through the third episode, with a short falling action and conclusion in the last 10 minutes or so. But seriously, check this out.
So, what are the pros and cons of this title? Well there are several pros. For one, the story is interesting story, with unique twists thrown in here and there. It is also well-structured as well. It tells its story and does that very well. Another thing is that voice acting (in the dub) is more consistent, to say the least. Everyone involved are doing the best they can, and it shows. In fact, the 4 VAs I mentioned, this title is probably the best thing any of them have been involved. Lastly, the music is awesome-sauce, much like the opening song.
It works well with the OVA, which is what it has to do.
However, there are some cons to this. There are few weird elements that pop in only to be not mentioned or explained. Yomiko's and Miss Deep's powers, Mr. Gentleman, the baddies, etc are some of these elements of this variety. Other problem I got with this is the animation. Well solid and well done most of the time, being a sort of blend between cel and digital, there are backgrounds in scenes that are very obvious CGI. This being from 2001, no surprise there. Then again, its best to just bask in the spectacle.
Despite that, I definitely recommend it. If you are interested, check out also the TV Series follow up to this OVA, also called Read or Die. Another similar series involving spies include FullMetal Panic, Madlax, etc. are others that I would also recommend.

I will post around Feb. 1st my list of reviews for the month of February.
Laterz ^_^