Gundam 00

Quick & Dirty
Language: Japanese
Initial Interest: High
Favorite Character: Acher & Katagiri, Lockon
Opinion: It might be good
Likely to Finish: Eventually


Synopsis
It is the year A.D. 2307. Fossil fuels on Earth have been depleted entirely, with mankind turning to the next available power source: solar energy. During this time, 3 orbital elevators with solar power generation systems are built, each under control by the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations (formerly United States of America), the Human Reform League (Russia, China and India) and the Advanced European Union. However, not all countries are able to enjoy the benefits of this system, leading to widespread resentment and war. Arising out of the conflict, a mysterious military organization known as Celestial Being appears, dedicated to end all warfare using Mobile Suits called Gundam. This begins the stories of Gundam Meisters (pilots) Setsuna F. Seiei, Lockon Stratos, Allelujah Haptism and Tiera Erde as they are thrown into conflict between the 3 superpowers and the various other factions. (Source: Anime News Network)


Pre-Viewing Thoughts
I may have mentioned that I've seen several Gundam Series and I liked most of them. This leads me hold a certain amount of interest in Gundam 00. I've also heard good things about 00. Much more than that I can't say. Except that a lot of the names in that description sound really stupid.


Favorite Character
I said Acher and Katagiri. I like them as a pair. Something about the way they interact with each other amuses me. I'm hoping they don't turn out to be the series villians, as one has yet to be clearly established.
I also liked Lockon. He was kind of fun and it amused me infinitely that for once a guy had Haro.
That being said, in five episodes nobody really got that much screentime. If I hadn't been specifically trying to figure out the names I wouldn't have known them. So it's hard to say which characters I'll like if I continue.

Overall Opinion
This is another series that I don't know how I feel about. It's somewhat interesting and they did some things that I'd really like to see more of, but there were also some things that made me not want to watch it.
What they did well: There are 4 gundams in this and they actually have some solid variation. Setsuna's is the traditional main all-rounder but you also get a sniper and a heavy gunner...I'm not sure what the specialty of the fourth unit is. The mobile suits look pretty well varied and not much like the units in previous gundams. The cast is widely varied. We have a team from the Union, a team from the HRL (I think), the gundam meisters, two random civilians, and Marina. We're going to get this series from all angles and that's pretty interesting.
What they didn't do so well: I loved Gundam Seed but I was looking forward to watching a Gundam where everyone was a normal human with normal human abilities and limitations...and then they introduced...uh...the white haired "super-human" girl and then she and Allelujah got into a mind battle...thing. So rather than getting the normal human cast we are getting some sci-fi weird. The first few episodes are supposed to introduce us to the different factions and the gundam meisters but in my opinon they did a poor job. Again, I didn't get a good feel for the names of the characters, half the time I didn't know what nation we were dealing with...it's kind of a mess. Also it kind of annoys me that somehow this group that no one has heard of before managed to produce 4 mobile suits that were "decades more advanced" than anyone else.
The pace of the show feels slow to me which seems limiting in a gundam series. And about the time Celestial Being were attacking the defecting nation my brain told me that there's something extremely demented about their mission statement.

I'm not sure how much I'll like this so I will neither recommend it nor advise against it. I'll probably finis it eventually...but not soon. I've still got 60ish episodes to go on D. Gray-Man and when that's done I'd rather watch more Heat Guy J.

Next Official Review: Heroic Age

Ragnarok the Animation

Quick & Dirty

Language: Japanese

Initial Interest: Medium

Favorite Character: Illuga & Yuufa

Opinion: Not sure really

Likely to Finish: Maybe

Synopsis

Many young adventurers journey across the changing Rune Midgard Kingdom. Yuufa (Job: Acolyte), who has said her goodbyes to her brother Keough's grave, and Roan (Job: Swordsman), a childhood friend, encounter many people on their fight against the shadows that loom over the kingdom. The two are oblivious to the fate that approaches them. Will they grow stronger on their journeys? And will Roan`s feelings for Yuufa take their relationship to a higher level?

Yuufa and Roan meet many unique people on their journey: Maaya, the merchant who is traveling with her Poring "Poipoi". Judia, an excellent hunter who likes fortune telling. Takius, a mysterious mage who is always wearing a blindfold. These encounters with others only adds to the variety of their story. What fate awaits the young adventurers? (Source: My Anime List)

Pre-Viewing Thoughts

The trouble with watching Ragnarok the Animation is that I played Ragnarok Online, the game it’s based on (an Acyolyte/Priest if you’re wondering). I guess I’m technically the target audience for this show but I don’t really see how they can stay true to the game and be interesting so I feel one of those things has to go. Maybe I’m wrong. Grey Fox recommended it as being funny. I’ll admit I’m not a huge comedy person, I like funny things, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t tend to prefer them. I will say that being funny might be how this series pulls off its premise. Additionally, though I already knew the series existed and didn’t really feel the need to find it, I did feel just a little excited when I went and looked for it. If nothing else I can say I’m genuinely curious about what it’ll be like.

Favorite Character

Illuga won this one for sheer badassery. Let’s face it, as the resident assassin in the party he’s bound to be pretty powerful, but his quiet and serious personality just complete him perfectly.

Yuufa gets a spot on the fav character list because she’s the acolyte – an acolyte headed for priest no doubt – and that’s what I played when I started Ragnarok Online. What can I say, I’ve got a soft spot for the aco’s and to top it off Yuufa just happens to share my character design. I was infinitely proud in episode 1 when she was about to be utterly destroyed by the Clock Tower Keeper but didn’t hesitate to blast Holy Light in its face – that’s what acolytes have to do sometimes, whatever they can before certain death. Needless to say I was incredibly disappointed with her once she joined up with resident badass Illuga, and became whiny, childish, and a completely useless party member. Here’s hoping she gets better with time.

Overall Opinion

I’m not really sure how I feel about this one. I don’t really like half the characters. I like Illuga and I like the Mage (whose name I can’t seem to grasp) but the rest are sort of annoying by the end of episode 5.

There is a certain amount of joy in this series though. As I said, I played the game on which this is based and it’s infinitely fun playing spot the game element.  The emoticons that kept popping up were familiar as well as several items and monsters. It was awesome shouting out character classes and guessing what monsters we were playing with before they were announced.

At the same time, having played the games this series drives me nuts. The first scene where 4 seasoned adventurers get massacred by orcs seems ridiculous to me since characters at that level should be dispatching high orcs and suffering that kind of damage only when Orc Hero or Orc Lord come to smash in their skulls. Then we have the other end of the spectrum where 3 first job class, seemingly low level characters kill the Gold Thief Bug and since Ma-chan is completely useless (even when feverishly using Mammonite on Baphomet to no effect) and Yuufa is an Acolyte (thereby possessing virtually no attack power) it’s really just the Swordie killing an MVP.

All right, enough about how playing the game effects the watching, what about it otherwise? Well, as I said above I’m not really crazy about the characters and that has nothing to do with their classes in contrast to the game. The animation is decent. The plot is where you might get me. Obviously something happened with Keough in Glast Heim and I’m interested to find out just what that something is. I also want to know what Zealotus is doing wandering about with her ever growing ears (I swear they get bigger in every shot). And episode 5 ended with a real puzzler. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand why Baphomet decided not to vaporize the entire party upon site of Zealotus.

At the end of the day I’m not going to recommend this series, but I’m not going to say you shouldn’t watch it either. My husband, who played the game with me as a Swordie/Knight, watched the first 5 episodes with me and is anxious to finish the series, so whether or not I like it doesn’t mean it’s bad, just maybe not to my tastes. Honestly I think it’s because we played it that we have our opinions. I have some issues with the series that mostly stem from having played the game, he’s infinitely amused by it, I think because he played the game.

If it sounds interesting to you give it a shot. If you’ve played the game I’ll give it a small recommendation, as I said it’s extremely fun saying “Name that…”

As a side note, what was up with the Nighmare? It didn’t look cool at all in the first place and then it transformed into Death if he were a centaur. I realize Nightmare isn’t that awesome a monster to have the heroes fight and that they were sort of stuck since Doppleganger summons them but did they really have to transform it into Death centaur? Really? I think it would have been better if they’d just left the Nightmare out altogether, like they did Bapho Jr. when Baphomet showed up. It would have been less depressing if they’d just used Abysmal Knight (in keeping with the Geffenia idea), I mean they were halfway there already – seriously badass demon on horseback with sword.

Next official review: Open to suggestion.
If nobody gives me a suggestion I'm going to do Heat Guy J.