Joshi Kouhei

Joshi Kouhei
(Jiro Matsumoto)

A very surprising manga series that's in your face and rude as heck. As if "Evangelion" and "Akira" had a baby, and was raised with a steady diet of "Platoon", "Apocalypse Now", "Hurt Locker" and "Full Metal Jacket".

In the distant future, where humanity is living in an alternate dimension, a civil war erupts between the migrants and the Earth Forces in their new land. Fighting this battle are pilots manning 18-meter tall "high school girls" made of flesh and metal called "assault girls". The pilots integrate their will into the machines, therefore driving them, but the assault girls have their own behavior and quirks akin to a real, typical high school girl.

For a sci-fi series, it doesn't really explain the hows and whys behind the 'assault girls', but this actually prevents any distraction from the horror and grittiness that is going on in the moment. It does make me wonder, what is the advantage of having flesh and metal fighting robots who act like high school girls, chatting away in their cellphones, yapping about cuteness and fashion, and having them eat giant versions of food, and have normal body functions such as defecating and having menstruation. Aside for that, its a hell of a PTSD ridden ride along with the Hyena unit, as they search for their prey in the middle of a hellish war torn reality.

Youjo Senki

The series, known for its aliases such as "The Battle Chronicles of a Little Girl" or "Saga of Tanya the Evil", is a venerable cornucopia of anime and manga plot elements that seems to work on its target male demographic.

It combines the "reborn in another world" genesis with the historical trope of a "Great World War" as its background. Then you have the supplemental battle force reminiscent of the "Strike Witches" (mages used in combat with technological implements to boost or augment their magic...with their main propulsion on their legs reminding me of "Striker Units"), a main protagonist that is both a cunning, calculating genius who always have an agenda (Like Light in Death Note) and a cute loli to boot (her demeanor and built reminds me of Aisaka Taiga, but that's just a bonus for me).

The lighter tone, and almost humorous take on Tanya's situation makes it a bit more enjoyable to watch. As the way main protagonist thinks may lead one to assume this as a dark, psychological piece, the approach the story deals with the plot gives it a lighter tone that it has to be.

Animation production did a good job on giving the anime the gritty feel of a contemporary war movie mixed with medieval elements to support the "mage" part of the equation. Not making it too comical, but not making it too realistic. Average points for character design and development, but what's with those overly pouty lips of the young girls. especially Tanya and Visha.

Aldnoah Zero

An anime and print series from 'Olympus Knights' and A-1 Pictures, its a sci-fi mecha anime where a vassal-type society is born from the colonizers of Mars after they discovered an ancient technology that is vastly superior to Earth's. They then declared separation from the Earth government and waged war with the Terran population. An armistice is declared after the space gate on the moon exploded, sending lunar debris all over the area and stranding the vassals of the Martian empire. But after 15 years of itching for action, a small incident sparked the second war which obliterates most of the planet and the Martian armed forces.

At first glance, the way the story unfolded is common to a lot of mecha genre anime, namely Gundam (the original series), Gundam Seed and Macross. Familiar tales of young kids, barely out of highschool, dragged into an interplanetary war, suddenly aces piloting mechas, ran away on a flying battleship (or carrier) , with a hidden royalty on board, then two young aces slug it out in a final show down.

Animation is well made, especially in the battle scenes in space, where it gives you the feel of a 'Robotech' like engagement, and the surface atmospheric battles gives you the realism of weight and actual physics with the movement limitations on the mechas.

The mecha design is quite close to realism with 21st century technology, with a bit faster movement, erring to the side of what would theoretically works with regard to aerodynamics, mechanical power and utility. No fancy shancy designs that would not give an advantage towards the battle (except for a few elements that seems to be added for 'shock factor'...like in feudal war armors).

Although this anime seems to posses the same plot attributes as other mecha genre anime that preceded it, the development and interaction of the characters, and the choices they make draws you in like a telenovela or drama anthology.

Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi ni te, Kaku Tatakaeri

I wanted to watch this series since I saw some vines about it, and with a short glimpse starting at episode 12, I got hooked immediately. It seems to have all the elements that I am so wild about; wizards, warriors, dragons, inter dimensional travel, cute moe girls, cute tsundere girls, demigods, military stuff, tanks, jet fighters, explosions, guns, military deployments, sieges... this whole series essentially is a big nosebleed fest for me.

"Gate" is about a portal that opened in modern day Ginza, where an army of knights, ogres, monsters and dragons went through and waged war on the humans. After the initial onslaught on the civilians, the military was able to fight back. Caught in the middle of saving the civilians is a self-confessed otaku and JGSDF office Itami. Although with the help of their modern equipment, the JGSDF was able to fight back and occupy the gate on the other side, Itami became a central figure of peace negotiations as he uses his knowledge of fantasy games to maneuver himself around the new surroundings.

As good as an otaku geekout series this was, there were a lot of things bothering me as the series progressed.

One is the obvious similarity of the situation of the occupational forces in Afghanistan and the JGSDF as they occupy a stronghold of the holy mountain where the gate portal is located. The villages around it also developed in the same way as other communities that surround a US base in modern times.

And much of the progress and display of might portrayed by the military is by the sheer advancement of their weapons over the primitive clans and races. The only redeeming fact is that Itami has a moral obligation to be valiant, pure and true to the spirit of inter-gate peace and interactions. Without him, the series would just be a big show of modern age man bullying a more primitive race.

I was also dumbfounded at the scene where the JSDF Special Forces, cut down the CIA-backed Special Forces/ Operators into shreds... along with other Russian and Chinese Special Forces that infiltrated Japan because of the magic word... "oil". Well, I have no proof to disprove that premise... after all, not all Specials Forces capabilities of nations are known. But, man.., talk about floating your own boat.

But all in all, the series is a good watch for its balance of action, slice of life play, comedy, and other fun stuff... after you get past the grim realities of all that diplomatic backstabbing, family back stabbing and a destructive spiral into despair caused by feelings of anger and vengeance.