Golden Boy

Summer is here and the school semester is finally done; what better way to celebrate than reviewing a six episode masterpiece.

Golden Boy is based on the manga of the same name written by Tatsuya Egawa. The story is about Kintaro Oe, a 25 year old freeter, pervert and so-called "student of life". For those wondering what is a freeter, it is a Japanese term used to describe people who are unemployed. The story follows him as he travels around Japan on his bicycle working at various odd jobs, interacting with his co-workers and taking "studying" to a whole new level.

Each episode of the show is completely unrelated to each other; the only recurring character is Kintaro himself. In each episode, Kintaro works at his job and frequently interacts with a woman who he is attracted to but they usually don't think very highly of him. The girl in each episode is a different character like how a Bond girl is different in every movie. He tries to impress but then makes himself look like a clumsy pervert that urks the ladies the wrong way.

The thing about Kintaro is he is not actually an idiot but a genius of sorts; he did go to Tokyo University and he met all the requirements to graduate but he left before doing so. So while the ladies think he is nothing but a moron, he does something that changes their opinion of him making them want him.

This show is a guilty pleasure and you will find yourself bursting into laughter. Kintaro is an charming character and he's fun to watch even if he has strange tendencies like studying and sketching the female anatomy or having a toilet fetish. The way he interacts with the women he is surrounded by and dramatically changes their lives despite horrible first impressions is a joy to watch.

One thing that I love about the show is the over the top facial animations especially of Kintaro, you can't help but laugh. Another is that this is an rarity; the American dub is far better than the Japanese voices. Something about Kintaro's voice makes him sound much more goofy in English. Lastly, the final episode itself is more than worthwhile; the icing to an already delicious cake.

Fair warning before you decide to check out this show, Golden Boy is extremely perverted and for mature audiences only. While there is nothing pornographic in nature; there are a couple of instances where it comes pretty damn close to crossing that line.

Nevertheless, this show is a classic and is more than qualified to go into the Anime Treasures Vault.

I'm back everyone

For whoever read and follow my posts, I'm sorry for taking a long unmentioned hiatus. But for whoever still cares, I will be starting the site back up soon. However, running a site on my own is difficult so I am extending an offer:

1. Whoever wants to blog (it can be about anything, not just videogame or anime related) is more than welcome to join the site. If you are interested, send me a facebook message or e-mail.

2. I want to try to make the site bigger so not only a small group of friends would follow it but anyone would like to follow us regularly. So, I need people to help advertise as well.

Sorry but I can't offer any money as if this was a real job so if you considering joining please do so with the intention of having fun and practicing your writing skills.

Thank you everyone who followed me so far and I will do my best not to slack off this time.

Now and Then, Here and There

Who would of thought that something dubbed by the cast of Pokemon could be so damn good? There are so many words to describe this show and yet nothing I could say would do this show justice.

Now and Then, Here and There tells the story of Shu, a kind hearted middle-school student from modern day Japan who meets a strange girl named Lala-Ru. While trying to defend her from unknown attackers, the two are mysteriously whisked away to an unfamiliar land; a futuristic destroyed Earth covered by desert and divided by war.

The moment Shu arrives in this world; his own humanity is put to the test. He is beaten and tortured, nearly killed on numerous occasions, forced to fight alongside other children as soldiers and to bear witness to many acts of cruelty. The other characters he encounters have varying opinions about the war; some oppose violence, some kill under the false promise that they will return home when the war ends, some kill because they enjoy killing. Personalities in this show range from stable to psychotic.

The series deals with many moral questions about war, the cost of war and the exploitation of children. Very real situations are presented where war has changed everything. In this world, humans have become monsters, children are forced to kill to survive, and rarities like water are worth killing over. Many times while watching this show, I would often stand up and scream at the television over the violence that takes place.

Excellent voice acting, great animation that sometimes discontinues, interesting characters and a strong plot lead this show to be considered an all time classic.

It is powerful, shocking and extremely hard to watch at times. Now and Then, Here and There is an amazing piece of work that is emotionally driven and it never pulls any punches. If you are looking for something light-hearted and happy, look elsewhere.

This anime will pull you into its dark world, whether you are ready for it or not.