Best Animation of 2016

Animation comes in many styles and forms. From highly detailed and polished to sketchy and fluid, anime brings multiple dimensions of art straight to our eyeballs and the result is an EYEGASM. I don't know if other people use this term but all it means is that whatever you're looking at is so good or beautiful it gives your eyes an orgasm! 

As you all see I want to talk about animation today! A while back I had seen Crunchyroll's Anime Awards on their site and I looked at who won best animation (not best anime, animation). I was not personally happy about which show won So I thought it would be great to talk about the shows that were in my opinion top quality when it comes to the animation of a show. I've added a poll that can be seen throughout my blog where you can vote for one of the eight shows I'm talking about today so I can see once and for all which show people think has the best animation. I'll write a paragraph about each show as if I was making the case why that show should win and you all get to decide after reading! 

KEEP IN MIND:

• Spoiler free! \*(^o^)*/
• Vote at the end
• Keep an open mind (Try to be as little biased as possible)
• This is not for best anime, this is for the show with the best animation.

Let's get started!!!!!!!!!!

ERASED

From the winter season I present to you Erased by A-1 Pictures. I would describe the animation of Erased as polished and complex. Every shot you see, every color that's expressed has meaning throughout the show. The symbolism of the color red is impactful and adds a second layer of awe that few other shows can replicate. If you haven't noticed, the color red is used in the show for two purposes; moments of warmth and love and moments of danger. Don't believe me, watch the show again and watch out for it. The animation's polish gives Erased the crisp look we like to see but even better, the angles and art direction of the show give it's animation a new perspective that's rejuvenating. The scenes can be heartwarming and then suddenly turn drastic and intense. This show provides animation that is just jaw dropping! How can you not vote for this one!

KABANERI OF THE IRON FORTRESS

From the spring season, it is Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress by Studio Wit. There's only one phrase that can describe the are of this show; DAAAAAAAMN! I mean have you looked at this, there's so much detail and good motion that I'm having a heart attack just looking at it. The animation for Kabaneri knows how to set the mood when it comes to zombie butt-kicking action. Detailed death animations, explosions of blood pouring out of Kabaneri bodies is just a beautiful thing. Let's not forget the warriors kicking that butt! Characters are highly detailed and have a larger than life feel that you expect from Studio Wit. The landscapes are awesome too. green pastures mixed in with steampunk architecture is something we don't see too often but man does it look good! The animation of Kabaneri just screams epic and that is why there is no other show you should be voting for than Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress! 

My Hero Academia

Spring brings the hit shonen show, My Hero Academia by Studio Bones. I would describe this show's animation as cartoonish and fluid. Studio Bones is great at creating this cartoonish look to anime that they're famous for such as in Soul Eater. The cartoonish nature of the show perfects the sense of adventure that we expect from this story. The animation is at its best when expressing extreme emotions like determination or desire. The animation is used in such a way that it enhances that emotion tenfold! the same could be said about action scenes. Action scenes are well drawn and flow very naturally. People may be turned off by anime that looks a bit cartoony but I say nay! We don't get to see anime like this often so I find it to be a fresh take from the traditional anime we see today. Stellar animation that enhances the feelings of characters and audience is the reason why My Hero Academia deserves to be the show with the best animation!

SPACE PATROL LULUCO

Last contestant coming out of the spring season is Space Patrol Luluco by Studio Trigger. Trigger always does amazing work and it's no different here either. Not many people have even seen this show since the episodes only run for 7-8 minutes but that doesn't make this show any less great! Honestly, thanks to the animation, I've gotten more excitement out of this short than many full length shows that I've seen this year. The animation is best described as being active and fun. When you watch Luluco, you can see that there aren't many times when the show is still; something always happening or changing.The animation is colorful and simpler than traditional anime giving it the lively feel that we enjoy. The animation is great at heightening the comedy and absurdities that Luluco is known for and which really makes the show unique. That's why Space Patrol Luluco is a cut above the rest and deserves the title of best animation.

MOB PSYCHO 100

From the creator of One Punch Man comes a new epic series with the best animation you could ever hope for. From Studio Bones, its Mob Psycho 100. There's only one way to describe Mob Psycho's animation; messy but refined. This purposely messy art style gives a flair we haven't seen in the anime industry for quite some time. The animation can seem lackluster and then suddenly jumps into a burst of detailed and fluid art that has you standing in complete awe. Hours of hard work go into an animation that looks messy but terrific at the same time. Animation  like this is innovative, refreshing, and above all completely awesome!!! The action scenes are the best you'll ever see and that's saying something! Psychic abilities, evil spirits, hand to hand combat is all demonstrated beautifully through the work of Studio Bones.The art-style of Mob Psycho is one of the best that I've seen this year and that is the reason everyone should vote for this show.

YURI ON ICE

From the fall season comes a story of figure skating like it's never been told before. I present to you all Yuri on Ice by Studio Mappa. I didn't think figure skating would ever be so attracting to me but after seeing the beautiful animation done by Studio Mappa, I was highly impressed. This show was definitely an underdog at the beginning of the season but now has become one of the most popular shows of the year. I think the main reason for this is because of the great skating animations that we get to see so often. You an describe Yuri's animation as breathing with life. Skating scenes take a life of their own thanks to fluid animation and great camera work. The camera moves as if you were skating with them inside the rink and the angles the camera takes is absolutely spectacular. Even when watching performances from afar, you feel like a spectator sitting in your seat watching the performance take place in front of your very eyes. Yuri on Ice's animation and approach to camera work make it the best animation of the year and should easily win this competition. 

SHELTER

This next entry isn't a show at all but deserves great praise for what it has done; This is the song Shelter by Porter Robinson and A-1 Pictures. In the span of a couple minutes the animation of this music video had our eyes balling which other shows need an entire season to accomplish. The animation by A-1 Pictures is breathtaking to say the least. The sense of loneliness was perfectly created with the variety of open background scenery. Wide and vast fields, icy tundras, empty neighborhoods; all of it giving the feel that the video aspired to reach. Beautiful effects design give the video that professional touch that you expect from A-1 Pictures and adds an extra layer of depth that makes the video all the more enticing. Overall, it's just great animation doing its job; telling a story. Although this entry will get a lot of debate, I believe that there is no better choice than Shelter to be best animation. 

FLIP FLAPPERS

From the fall season, the beautiful original Flip Flappers by Studio 3hz. This studio may not be all that well known yet but they made sure their voices were heard with this project. Flip Flappers is an extraordinary piece that can only be described as colorful and epic! To start off, I'm not even a huge fan of magical girl anime so it really has to take me away in order for me to watch it and Flip Flappers did just that. The reason I took a liking to the show was primarily for two reasons. The first reason is that the action animations are spectacular. I can genuinely call this a show full of Sakuga (over the top quality animation). The second reason being the the color palette and world creation is top notch. Every new world you see is well drawn and gives off the sense of adventure that this show is all about! The spontaneous color changes with scenery and characters is exciting and keeps you interested in whats going on. That's why Flip Flappers deserves to win best animation of the year for all the great things it does.

So everyone, what do you think? Which show deserves the crown of best animation? Tell me down in the comments below and if the show you thought had the best animation isn't here, then tell me the show i'm missing. Don't forget to vote at the poll for your favorite (or other if you completely disagree with everything I've said). Before you click out, consider checking out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for more anime content! With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed reading and hope to see you here next post!

 

Film Theory & Art Direction: March Comes in Like a Lion

Now that the Fall 2016 season is over with we can look forward to a bunch of new exciting anime to blow our minds but even before that I have to talk about a lot of shows that I witnessed during the past year. One of those is March Comes in Like a Lion. I'm not doing a review on this show because it's only halfway done but I can't help but write about this show a little so I thought it would be a great idea to talk about one of the show's strong points; its art direction. I hope you guys are ready for some film theory and deep analysis (if you're not, read anyway because why not!) because I have a lot of good things to talk about.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS (maybe...)

Before I begin, I'm assuming you know what I'm talking about but if you don't here is a little synopsis (Skip to the next subheading if you know the story):

Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students. Meanwhile, his professional career has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed on him as the fifth to become pro in middle school, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.

Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. Despite his reservations about becoming too close to the family, he frequently visits, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person

-Information provided by: MyAnimeList

Attention to Detail

The first thing I want to talk about is the detail put into the simplest of scenes. If you don't think small attention to details matter then let me tell you, YOU ARE DEAD WRONG!!! Detail can elevate a show to monstrous proportions if done right. It's like when you watch Inception (by the way, great movie) and start picking up on little clues to unfold the story before they tell you. March Comes in Like a Lion is good at putting in subtle scenes that perfectly describe the situation at hand.  

This next picture will be a perfect example but first some context:

Before the following scene, our main character Rei is having a match against a fellow shogi professional who's career isn't going to well. His career is bad to the point where he results to drinking and gambling. Because of this, he now faces a divorce from his wife who can't take anymore of his BS. While Rei and the man play, we might not be sure who is winning but then comes the scene that describes what's going on. 

Rei's side shows a perfectly clean tray but on the other side, the man's tray is contains spilled bottles and some water all over the tray. We can clearly understand the situation thanks to this single frame that anyone can overlook. The man is obviously frustrated and anxious. as we continue the scene, we begin the scene you'll see that Rei is taking control of the game while the man is being backed into a corner. Scenes like these can really tell you what's happening without spelling it out for you and that's a mark of a good show. 

Artistic Decisions Done Right

Now let's get into a little bit of film theory. Continuing with the previous scene I was talking about, the man Rei is playing against is on the losing side of things and then we see this scene.

This is another great scene that shows how powerless the man is to the talent of Rei. In this scene, we see the man looking down towards the shogi board but his body only covers about 10% of the screen. His small size represents how powerless the man is compared to Rei. Rei is represented by the light above the man's head because Rei's talent is bright and prodigious. The light hangs above the man to say that Rei is above him or in a position of power. I could be reading too much into it but then again, who knows what the director was thinking when making this. Okay onto another example. 

Let's get into some more context:

This next scene takes place in an episode prior to the last one where Rei plays against an old man who's career as a shogi player is just abysmal. He plays mediocre at his best and terrible at his worst. This match happens to be important for both Rei and the old man because Rei's income as a shogi player is at stake and the old man intends to retire if he loses. The old man realizes that his chances of winning are slim so instead he accepts that his career will be ended at the hands of Rei. The old man states, followed by the next scene.

 "I could only think of you as a grim reaper, come to close the curtain on my life as a shogi player."

This is another great artistic scene. at first it just looks like Rei silhouetted by a bright light in the background but there's a lot of meaning here. First, the light. The light in the background represents the afterlife. We know this because the old man refers to Rei as being a reaper so we can imply that the light is meant to show the end of his career. Rei's face is black and covered by shadows to give a sense of mysteriousness, power, and supernatural prowess. The purpose of this scene is to strengthen the statement made by the old man and it does just that. 

This show is full of beautiful art and excellent story telling so If you haven't checked it out yet then I highly suggest you do so. It's a great show and I'm excited to continue it in all of its glory. The next blog coming up will be a top 10 of my favorite female characters with blue hair so make sure you follow me on Google+ to stay informed on that. I also have a YouTube Channel just about anime called, GiraffePants Anime so you can check out my videos over there and subscribe if you like what you see (Note* I'm fucking hideous...). With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed this post and I will catch you all later. 

A Review of The Fruit of Grisaia

A Review of The Fruit of Grisaia

I had never even heard of this show until a cousin of mine asked me to watch this show with him and give him my thoughts. After watching the first three episodes, I initially thought that I was going to hate this show but I decided to keep going and man...I WAS WRONG! I mean, this show isn't horrible but there is plenty for me to rip about so I will! I am GiraffePants and I would like to present to you all with a review of The Fruit of Grisaia. 

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS

Story

This psychological harem is about a young man named Yuuji who transfers to Mihama Academy to live a normal existence but the school is anything but normal. This school only holds 5 psychologically fucked up (but beautiful) girls because you know......no I don't know!!! I have no idea why these girls are the only ones here; sure they're  messed up in the noggin but that's no need to waste government money on a gigantic school for 5 girls. Anyway, Yuuji begins socializing with the group of girls (because what else is he gonna do at an empty school) and begins to see the girls wounds open up and unfold. He decides to heal the girls' wounds because it turns out he is a former child spy soldier guy who has been sent by the government and other big entities to do this from the beginning.... Let that sink in.

If this sounds convoluted and utterly absurd to you then I can ensure you that you're not alone. That's not to say this is the only anime with complex story lines but the difference between this show and others that it's story doesn't work! A school of training assassins hired to kill their teacher who is a flying space octopus is convoluted but works! A guy with the ability to travel to a certain period of time to save his mother who's murdered in the present thanks to a series of events in the past  is convoluted but works! Grisaia's story line does not work because there is just too much going on. You have to go through 5 girls dark pasts while at the same time explain why all of this is happening in the first place... there is not enough time time to cover both in the time-span of 13 episodes but they tried (miserably). 

The biggest problem with the show is its pacing. The first three episodes are pretty useless to say the least. During the first episodes, we are introduced to the girls one by one as they demonstrate their differing personalities and the fact that these girls have psychological  issues. The rest of the time is filled with minor hijinks from the girls and some questionable erotic scenes (this is a harem after all). It's not until episode 4 that the story begins and we begin to go through the character arcs of the girls one by one but the pacing for the arcs is terrible. The first arc lasted about 2 episode and  I found that arc nice and another arc went that way and I started liking the show more because there was actual progression of plot. Thats when the pacing got weird. entire arcs for a girl would be covered in the span of 1 episode and when we got to the last girl, her arc lasted an entire 4 episodes! This pacing was a huge problem because it affected how much I liked the girls. Some girls, I liked a lot because their story was expressed well and i could understand her story but when a girl's arc runs for 1 episode, it doesn't give me the time to connect. 

The arcs themselves also range in their level of psychological horror. Some had me like "This isn't as horrible as I thought" while others had me like "That's so sad. I hope you heal" but then we got to the last arc and I was horrified!!! After seeing the first four arcs, I had a good idea of what to expect for the last arc but the show decided to throw everything I thought I knew and show me 3 episodes of grotesque horrifying story that I was not prepared for and that's bad. When you have an idea of what to expect and something entirely new is thrown at you it can turn you off and that's exactly what happened to me. I was shown a psychological story I was not prepared for and came out of it both pissed and full of anxiety! This is fucked up shit we're talking about! Eating dead puppies, committing cannibalism, rape, and maggots growing out of wounds (all in the same arc). Yeah, not a good time...

DEAD PUPPIES!!!

Characters

There are many main characters in the show (damn harems!) but I feel that it is absolutely necessary to go over all our main characters so you can get a good feel of the show. I will be going over a complex description for each character and their importance to the show.

Amane Suou: 

Main girl, most horrifying story

 Michiru Matsushima: 

Tsundere, my favorite

 Yumiko Sakaki:

Japanese beauty, not much else

 Makina Irisu:

Loli...... cause you always need one.

Sachi Komine:

Maid girl.

Yuuji Kazami: 

The guy. Serious, no expression, douchebag... don't like him.

Now that the complex character description is over with, let's talk about the cast as a whole. The cast is pretty typical for what you expect of a harem and visual novel. Still, this setup is normal so we accept it.  I enjoy most of the girls personalities (not the Loli) and how they produce some nice comedy. What I don't like are the ecchi scenes that seem randomly put in the show. There's nothing wrong with some ecchi because I realize what kind of show this is but the scenes tend to be put at the wrong time and tend to run a bit too long for my tastes. Hell, there's a good old masturbation scene in there because why not! Overall the girls are okay but I have a big problem with the main protagonist Yuuji. I just don't like him as a character. He constantly has this expressionless face that looks like a thousand yard stare and he is ALWAYS serious, even when he's trying to be fun. His design is typical of any generic main character and his background is ridiculous. He's just unrelatable on every level and possibly the worst character in  the whole show. 

Music

Not much I have to say about the music of this show. It is forgettable to say the least! Most of the music sounds like pieces that have already existed in countless other anime. Even the OP sounds reminiscent of other shows (I'll put the OP down below). Nothing really stands out which is disappointing cause I would have loved to add some fresh music into my phone.

Animation

This is more in my expertise. The animation for this show is pretty decent. It represents the modern polished animation we've come to know, so pretty contemporary but good none the less. Throughout the show, there is a widescreen effect (you know, the top and bottom with black bars) which at first i didn't like but I ended up enjoying. The character designs are good. Nothing out of the blue but acceptable ( I enjoy Michiru's design the best). I especially like the little red eye mark every girl has at the end of their eye. I haven't see a detail like that before and actually like that a lot. The last thing i want to touch upon is the CG that is used in the show. I am not initially a fan of CG but man is the CG is not good here. Cars, and roads are made with CG and well, It looks like a Hot Wheel car is on a pixlelated road!!! That is probably a little exaggerated but I don't care. Overall, the animation is good but it could have been improved.

Final Verdict

I will give two separate scores; The technical score which is based on everything I've talked about and a personal score which is based on my pure enjoyment of the show. This will be out of 10, 10 being the best. If numbers confuse you think of it like a school grade where 8 out of 10 would be a B or 6 out of 10 would be a D. 

Technical Score-  7 out of 10 (C)

My technical score for The Fruit of Grisaia is a 7. It isn't great but it isn't horrible. There were some moments I enjoyed quite a bit but there was plenty for me to get upset about. Honestly I think a 7 is a bit generous but that's my final answer. Animation was good, story was alright, characters were alright, and the music was whatever. This show doesn't really stand out among other shows and could be tasteless at times but overall, not a waste of my time. 

Personal Score- 7 out of 10 (C)

My personal score is also a 7. The many flaws the show had kept holding me back from enjoying the show which I think was the biggest contributor for this score. There were some character arcs that I enjoyed more than I thought I would and there was some decent comedy thrown in but at the end I wouldn't  see this again and probably forget I saw this. 

Well, that's the end of the review and I hope you all enjoyed reading. Tell me down below what you thought of the show and whether I was too harsh on it. If you have a suggestion of a show I should review next, don't be afraid to tell me down below. Also consider checking out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for other anime content and consider following this blog! This blog is brand new so anything is appreciated. Now that the shameless plugging is over with, I hope you guys enjoyed and hopefully, I will see you for another post! Later!