Seven Deadly Sins season 1

Seven Deadly Sins is a classic story of good versus evil, a quest for glory, and finding one's way in the world. At least it is if you only want the bare minimum plot of the story. Seven Deadly Sins is the anime adaptation of Nakabi Sazuki's manga Nanatsu no Taizai. So far it seems that the anime is sticking pretty close to the source material.

Hawk is hork in the manga

Originally powerful knights created to face off against the demon clan's Ten Commandments The Seven Deadly Sins named for the sins they have commited are criminals wanted by the kingdom of Liones' holy knights rumoured to be as strong as one thousand men. Each sin is marked with the beast symbolizng their sin.

The captain of the Seven Deadly Sins Meliodas is marked with a dragon for his sin of wrath. Diane is marked with a serpent for her sin of envy. King short for Harlequin King of the fairies is marked with a grizzly bear for the sin of sloth. Ban marked with a fox for his sin of greed.  Gowther is marked with a goat for his sin of lust(not sure how that makes sense). Merlin is marked with a pig for the sin of gluttony. 

The final deadly sin of pride isn't revealed in season one. I was thinking Elizabeth would somehow ending being the seventh, but nope. Throughout the series back stories and flashbacks reveal the crimes the sins they have committed. It is also revealed that things are not always as they seem.

                 With our powers combined..

Hiroyuki Sawano composes the sountrack for the anime. There's a bit of a rule a happy intro more than often comes before a sad show. His music is the right amount of perky and emotional that it hypes you up for whatever adventure lays ahead.

The casting director decided to not go with usual pick for voice actors. Though I enjoy the big names as much as the next person, it's refreshing to see some new faces (err hear some new voices).

If you enjoyed Fairy Tail there is a strong chance that you will enjoy this anime. There are lessons about friendship and not judging others on rumors. I'm not saying Crunchyroll or Netflix should consider sponsoring us, but it would be nice.

Until later,

*Mouse*

Jack is Back

Rambler's Thoughts

So, quick confession.  I never watched Samurai Jack when it was on, as I didn't have cable at the time.  And I never really got around to watching the series on the various platforms that it's on.  So I'm coming into this having seen exactly one episode before.

The new season seems to have a large amount of mythology built behind it.  There's Jack, who seems to have lost his katana, roaming the landscape, in search of Aku's (a demon of growing evil who has stranded Jack in a time period that is obviously not his own) henchmen, which seem to be of the robotic variety.  Jack has also been through some trauma, which is affecting him mentally in the form of visions of his father, and presumably others that he's met in the course of his wandering, which is even handicapping his ability to fight his opponents.  If I had to guess, I'd say that the only thing that keeps him from mentally slipping even more is the fact that his opponents are mechanical.

Which is unfortunate, because a cult dedicated to Aku has sprung up, birthing a set of septuplets on his altar, and then raising those seven girls as assassins whose sole purpose seems to be the elimination of Jack.

The artwork is very fluid, dark, and imaginative.  The voice acting is good, funny where it needs to be, serious when it should be.

This series is also obviously not meant for kids.  The themes are very adult, and there's obviously a lot going on under the surface with Jack.  He doesn't speak much, the rest of the characters do most of the exposition, but not in a condescending manner.

I'm very interested in watching how this series wraps up. 

MOUSE’S THOUGHTS    

They went full grit reboot with this. If this reboot was sandpaper the coarser the better. It's clear that Jack's past is catching up to him along with the burden of guilt. The animation is similar to the original series and feels like a continuation of seasons 1-4. Phil Lamar returns to voice the famous samurai again. His voice does sound slightly different than it did before possibly due to aging, but it works.

With the new episode, there are new villains.  The seven daughters of Aku are born assassins. I mean born in the literal sense. I’m not going post a spoiler here, but trust me when I say they were literally born. There’s been an upgrade all around for the show with the music and storyline so far. Now I’m not sure of my overall opinion with the music. Jack’s new look caused a bit of an eye roll. That roll of the eyes wasn’t because of Jack himself, but because of the impractical samurai biker armor. I get the idea of new and edgier, but there is also trying too hard.

         Meh. Could be better. Could be worse.

Now I only have one major worry for the show. Is it too much too soon? The action did draw me in for this episode, but I’ve seen it too many times where all effort is put into the first few episodes that they use filler upon filler just to keep up.

                             

Overall I have hope as the series continues, but I hope it doesn’t bite off more than it can chew.

 

Movie vs Show-Curious George

Holy tags Batman!!

Hello again everyone. Mouse here with too much time on my hands.

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As some may know we have kids. With kids comes shows that will make you want to apologize to your parents for the countless hours of brain numbing nonsense they endured so they could have a few moments peace.

I loathe Curious George. He's right up there with Caillou. There's a difference between being a curious monkey and just your run of the mill annoyance. TV George is the latter.

I feel sorry for the man in the yellow hat while I watch the show. George's "curiosity" often leads to damages that the man in the yellow hat has to pay for.

I'm not even going to bother figuring out the costs. There was one episode where George floods their country home, another where he vacuums up rare stamps, and another where he puts a shopkeeper out of business.

"Curious George and euthanasia."

          

What's one thing that I'm glad is not in the movie? Besides the way the man in the yellow hat is so deep in the friend zone with Professor Weisman (who constantly has to remind people that she's a scientist) there's no hope of ever coming out. Of all the characters I can't stand in the show, it's this kid....

                                                       Well actually you're a twit

Like the guy in the office who watched on episode of some science show and labeled himself as a self-proclaimed expert, he simply will not shut up. He keeps referring to George as city kid and takes pride as he "corrects" others with the trademark "Well actually."

Now the movie. Holy crud I don't know what it is, but the movie is adorable. Not adorable in the shoving cutesy baby talk nonsense down your throat adorable. The colors are bright yet not harsh.

It gave George an origin story. I felt sympathy for the orphaned monkey instead of the cringing annoyance. An actual bond is formed in the movie between Ted and George instead of the trap that the man in the yellow hat is stuck film the show.

                                                           Fricking adorable little ball of disease

You get an idea of what Ted actually does for a living. In the show, I have no idea, but I'm just going to assume he's a rich guy with too much time on his hands. Characters in the show are difficult to relate to. As far as voice actors both the movie and show are fantastic. Will Ferrel does the voice of Ted in the movies while Jeff Bennett is the man in the yellow hat for the show, 

Music wise both the show and movie have catchy songs. I catch myself humming Jack Johnson's Upside Down and People Watching from the film as  I go about my day. The youngest loves singing songs from the show as he dances around.......OK I secretly like Won't You be My Valentine (I tried finding the song, but there were way too many covers)

                                                             F*ING BUBBLES!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc9WyaGFBEM

(All credit goes to Jack Johnson for the song)

So if asked I would say avoid the show like the plague, but make sure to cuddle up with your curious little monkeys as you watch the movie.

Drifters Episode one

First, I'm going to apologize for the slow updates (all 3 of you). Between moving and the youngest in the hospital for seizures. He’s doing better now. So, thanks for being patient.

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I once had a high fever, took some medicine, and was fighting to stay awake during history class. If you smashed the fever dreams I had with Hellsing the end result wouldn’t skim the surface of Drifters. If you have ever seen Hellsing you'll notice Drifters looks familiar. That's because Kouta Harano the same person that wrote and illustrated Hellsing did the same for Drifters.

The instant I saw the shade of red and the characters' eyes there was no doubting this was the person that created one of my favorite anime.

Obviously don't expect historical accuracy

Drifters is an alternative history fantasy. Various historical figures from battle of Seilacher. The battle between Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu was the decisive battle which is often said to note the beginning of the Tokugawa hegemony. Two guesses who probably won. If you really want an in depth historical background on the battle just Google it.

Okay so now that you have your basic historic background done and over with let's talk about the actual anime. The anime starts out with the battle mentioned in the previous paragraph. The main character Shimazu, Toyohisa being an all around one man army destroying badass. Unfortunately, like so many sarcastic heroes on the battle field he dies on the first episode. Who knew being impaled by several spears would make someone bleed out and die?

Toyohisia is shocked to find himself in a brightly lit hallway with several doors to the left and right of him. In the middle of the hallway a blonde man that might as well be a younger brother of The Major with an unimpressed look on his face. Our hero is quickly sucked through one of the doors and is discovered unconscious by elves.

Mother wasn't pleased when he didn't go into dictatorship like his brother.

Will I continue to watch Drifters? I don’t know. Hellsing is one of my favorite anime and I was excited to see something new from Kouta Hirano, but something about everything after the battle and the hallway scene just left me bored. I forgot I began to watch this and it became buried under other shows. I’m crossing my fingers that the show will become more interesting as it goes on, but I’m not betting on any horses yet.

D Gray Man Hallow Season one

This review is a bit late....

D. Gray-Man Hallow continues to follow Allen Walker(voiced by Todd Haberkorn) a young 15 year old exorcist with a cursed eye and an arm that transforms into a claw to defeat artificial creatures known as akuma. Though Allen is the "hero" of the story the writers and creators didn't forget that he is a teenager. A sarcastic still trying to make his place in the world teenager.

   Creature probably isn't the best word to define akuma. The word translates into demons, but they are not demons of the biblical sense, They're machines capable of blending in with society. Weapons that are powered by tormented human souls. The Maker (Millennium Earl) seeks out those who have suffered a great tragedy. They infect their victims with a virus that kills quickly. Black stars begin to cover the skin as the body fills with darkness. Nothing is left of the victim except their clothes and a pile of ash.

The first akuma is Moa's brother Mark whose wife died after being crushed under a chandelier on their wedding day. Filled with grief and anger The Millenium Earl finds him and promises he can be with Claire again, all he has to say is her name. When Mark calls Claire's name a metal skeleton comes forward with a single world "Marx" on its forehead. In Claire's pleading voice the metal skeleton cries that he had doomed her to become an akuma. The Millennium Earl commands Claire to kill Mark and use his body to blend in.

     The Millennium Earl is the main antagonist in the anime. He supplies the metal skeletons and dark matter needed to create the akuma. He uses the akuma to spread the virus or darkness as it is interchangeably referred to as. We are first introduced to him in the first episode and now I know what would happen if The mayor from Halloween Town, Serena, Manbat, and tuxedo mask had a drunken orgy full of regret.

But he looks so happy!

Dubbed by Jason Liebrecht and Todd Haberkorn....Okay I'm a fan of Haberkorn, Tatum, and Mignogna, I enjoy their work they are some of my favorite, but I wish fresh faces err voices were brought in. Give the new kids a chance.

              Take a shot whenever an anime uses the same five voice actors over and over...cry 

I have to admit between moving, Halloween, and just an overall filling of meh and bleh I almost gave up watching D.Gray-man Hallow. Probably why I'm over a week or more late with this review. Apologies for my laziness and procrastination. Still I pushed through to the second episode. I'm glad I did,

The first episode just seemed to drag on like a long introduction. The Black Order/Exorcist Headquarters was not what I expected it to be. Lead by Komui Lee The Black Order are a rag tag gang of misfits you can't help but enjoy.

If you begin to watch this anime hoping for a serious good versus evil or a light hearted show that will make you smile you won't get that. What you will get is a bit of both. My first opinion to the anime left a lot to be desired, I would suggest that you just push through the first episode.

        See you Ramblers later when I review Drifters!

Another

Even though there are only a total of twelve episode those episodes are packed with some of the gut wrenching death scenes I have ever seen. It goes without saying that this anime is one definitely not for kids.

   

The anime starts out with students explaining how the curse began. In 1972 Misaki, popular girl died in class 3-3. One day a student says dead student is still in class. The other students and teachers go along with the student even giving a reserved seat for graduation. Alright so here is my first gripe. This whole thing could have been prevented if someone just told the student who "saw" the dead girl to sit down and shut up. What do they do instead? They go along with it.

      

Continuing on with how the curse works. There have to be a certain number of people in the classroom not one too many or too few. Every year a student is picked to be ignored. If the ignored student is acknowledged the curse is activated.

     

 A new student, Kouichi Sakakibara transfers from Tokyo. Due to a collapsed lung he is in the hospital. The student council president, head of countermeasures, and two officers from student council. Tomohiko Kazami is the stereotypical unemotional guy in glasses. Izumi Akazawa is snobbish and irritating. Yukari Sakurgari is the shy cutesy little sister type. I am already bored with the characters. 

       

 Izumi Akazawa the head of countermeasures keeps asking Kouichi if he has lived in town before. She asks him over and over and gets to the point where I just want to yell "GET TO THE POINT ALREADY".  This gets annoying quickly. Kouchi eventually gets her to back off by telling her she was born in town before moving to Tokyo. His mother died giving birth to him and they moved soon afterwards. 

    

 Remember the rule to ignore the designated student? The hospital would have been a great time to warn the main character. So when walking around the hospital he runs into Mei who he develops an interest in.The head of counter measures is really bad at her job. 

     

Mei turns out to be a student in class 3-3. The other students ignore her and so do the teachers. She frequently skips class to draw in the art room or just wander through the school. Kouichi asks other students why Mei isn't in class which they don't answer or just look frightened. By talking to Mei ,Kouchi activates the curse. Mei tries to warn him. The problem is that she did so in a vague way by telling him not to talk to her or something bad may happen. Alright so maybe she has a jealous boyfriend. Maybe she's some secret government agent. So Kouchi keeps talking to her, because uh reasons I guess.

     

 Mei turns out to be the cousin of Misaki who died in 1972. That's convenient I guess. The other students won't tell Kouchi about the curse they just tell him not to ask questions. One classmate tells him not to mess with things that don't exist. Mei tells him that she doesn't exist. If I was constantly interrogated about where I lived I'd ask questions.

      

(No everyone saw it coming a mile away)

The first death is Yukari Sakuragi the cutesy little sister from the hospital. While running in the hall she reacts to Mei and runs off with her umbrella. She trips down the stairs and gets impaled by her umbrella after she reacts to seeing Mei. Mei was the student designated to be ignored and yet the students can't seem to follow simple instructions

    

    There are other deaths throughout the anime. At this point I stopped feeling any sort of sympathy for the characters excluding Mei, Kouchi, and the nurse. The students could have solved their problem too many ways to count, but no that would make too much sense. It's never explained why they don't just learn to count before forming the class. In the end it turns out that the odd one wasn't Kouchi or Mei, but the teacher. Maybe the curse wasn't detailed in the wording.

(Class? Classroom? Oh well there's no way they'll get confused, right?)

     Kouchi and Mei try to challenge the curse by trying to get the other students to acknowledge her. They dance in class. He yells her name and they act like goofballs. These scenes seem out of place with the seriousness of the anime. I'm not complaining about them though. They're a bit of a giant F you to the curse and other students.

    I love a good ghost story. This was at the most an okay attempt. Throughout the anime there were several obvious solutions such as moving out of town, telling the student at the beginning to shut up, and knowing how to freaking count. There are way too many plot holes in this anime. It's hard to form any attachment to the characters before their deaths. I had quite a few  questions that weren't answered throughout

~Why don't they just move?
~Why don't they just keep the classroom closed?*
~What happened in those 15 years after Misaki's death?
~If a student has to be ignored why don't they just pick one and send them home?

*They changed the name, but that didn't work.

Gravity Falls

     I love the strange and quirky. That's probably why when I saw Gravity Falls that I fell in love with the show. Even though it's only two seasons those two seasons I have and will probably watch over and over again.

    Created by Alex Hirsh Gravity Falls is the story of Dipper and Mabel Pines' summer vacation at their Gruncle (Great Uncle) Stan's house turned tourist trap The Mystery Shack. When Dipper finds a journal with a six fingered hands things begin to get weird.

      Dipper Pines is always looking for others approval whether from his Gruncle Stan or his crush Wendy he tries to be the mature one. Afraid to embarrass himself he often finds himself in embarrassing situations. The younger Pines twin Mabel is the polar opposite or her brother. She is carefree and highly spirited. A bit on the boy crazy side her crushes tend to get her in trouble.

                          (Skittles anyone?)
                                                     

       The first season is a bit of a polite introduction to the characters. It's cute but not in a in your face glitter vomit and puppies sort of way. In the first episode a boy shows an interest in boy crazy Mabel. Norman's movements are slow and erratic. When Dipper sees Norman's arm fall off he takes it upon himself to save Mabel from becoming one of the undead.

      This is where things get weird and down right hilarious. Gravity Falls is a town full of mystery and the journals that Dipper finds document the weird and strange, How strange are you asking? Norman. the boy who might be a zombie trying to turn Mabel into one of the undead, he was a group of garden gnomes trying to force Mabel to be their queen.

             (Leaf blowers bad for kissing practice, great for the persistent creep.)

   
        If you have young kids I would not recommend having them watch the second season. If you do let them watch I would suggest do so with caution. The first season was what draws you in thinking it's a cute and safe cartoon. Bill Cipher takes your safe normality and turns the weird all the way to eleven for Weirdmaggedon.

        The second season is all about the weird. It starts out as Bill's season when he takes over Gravity Falls with his friends. Bill Cipher is dangerous and enjoys the suffering of others for his amusement. His ultimate goal is to find and make a deal with the author of the journals.

               (This is your new normal)

      Guest stars lend their voices in the second season. Danielle Fishel more famously known as Topanga does the voice of Pyronica. Nathan Fillion or as us browncoats lovingly refer to him Captain Tight Pants does the voice of Pacifica Northwest's father Preston Northwest. The biggest surprise I had was the voice of the bread loving Tad Strange.

           (Enjoy that wheat or wheat byproduct while you can. The Sheriff's secret police will be there momentarily)

     Even with all the weird and mysterious stripped away you are left with the love and loyalty between friends and family. With humor, mystery, and a story that keeps you interested Gravity Falls has something for the whole family. Life is weird, but if you find people to be weird with it makes it worthwhile. Still weird, wonderfully and incredibly weird.

              

Batman the animated series

       Over the ages there have been several re-imaginings of Batman in animation. There's Batman from the Brave and the Bold that subtly hints at the original Adam West Batman. There's the edgy teen centric Batman Beyond with Terry McGinnis as the protector of Gotham city instead of Billionaire Bruce Wayne. Yet with all these there is one Batman that comes to mind when people think of Batman cartoons. The one that heavily influenced the live action DC movies. The one and only Batman the animated series.

      Batman the animated series first aired in 1992. With Kevin Conroy doing the voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman. With the low gravely tone Conroy gives Batman to keep his identity a secret it's clear where Christian Bale grew inspiration from for his "Batman" voice in the Dark Knight rises. Where Bale went for the full he swallowed a full bag of gravel Conroy keeps it a bit more subtle.

      Batman in the animated series has something that The Dark Knight rises doesn't have, a sense of humor. Bruce Wayne has a dry sense of humor that sometimes makes it hard for others to determine if he's being serious or sarcastic. As Batman he even has a joke at his opponent's expense. As Bruce Wayne the bunt of his dry humor is often the loyal Wayne family Butler Alfred Pennywise. Batman the animated series does what I wish the Christopher Nolan movies went with, they made Batman human.

 (He has the same outfit in a very dark grey)

       
      Heroes  are great and all, but a hero is not a hero unless there is a villain. Batman the animated share has its fair share of villains. Mark Hamill is my favorite Joker. He doesn't commit crime for revenge or for some giant scheme to get back at the man, he simply does it because it entertains him. He keeps Batman on his feet and is Batman's arch nemesis through out the series.

    Arleen Sorkin is the original voice of Harley Quinn. Paul Dini the series writer was given the inspiration to create a sidekick for the Joker while sick at home watching Days of Our lives and seeing Arleen Sorkin on the show in a harlequin costume. Harley Quinn is childlike and impulsive the opposite of the psychiatrist of Arkham asylum Harleen Quinzel. Harley's one side infatuation with the Joker began when Harleen worked at the Arkham Asylum. The Joker took advantage of her caring personality and she empathized with and fell in love with the Joker. Still the relationship is very one sided and he has no trouble putting her in harms way.

Poison Ivy or Pamela Isley as we're first introduced to her as has little interest in money. Diane Pershing provides the voice of Poison Ivy as she give the botanist a sultry and stern voice. Pamela cares for two things. Her plants who she will kill for and her friend Harley who she often shelters and cares for after Joker's tirades.

Selena Kyle/Catwoman voiced by Adrienne Barbeau is Batman's on an off again love interest, well I wouldn't call it love, but there is interest. She is practically Bruce and Batman's equal. They're both rich and have a difficulty breaking from their personal code. Though the cat burglary and being the saviour of Gotham are where their similarities ends, but hey nothing is perfect.

There are some episodes with less well known characters such as the Pied Piper who kidnaps children and holds them in the sewers for a burglary rings and a foreman who overworks the elderly he kidnaps and forces to mine gold ore. Both left such a little impression that I practically forgot them within a few episodes.

 I liked the show and wished it was still on, but it did give a base to branch out further with the DC Universe as Kevin Conroy continues his role as Batman in Justice League.

Because it's October 3rd

    Once something is lost is it truly gone? What are you willing to lose to bring it back? And if it does come back are you willing to face the consequences if what returns isn't what it once was?

    Today is October third. The day Edward and Alphonse Elric left their childhood home behind and set forth trying to correct their mistakes.

       After trying to bring back their dead mother using a human transmutation circle. Young novice alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric lose more than they bargained for. Edward loses an arm and leg while his younger brother Alphonse loses much more, his body. Edward seals Alphonse's soul in a suit of armor. Their childhood friend Winry and her grandmother Pinako nurse Edward back to health. Winry crafts a metal prosthetic arm and leg also know as auto mail for Edward, At the age of twelve Edward becomes the youngest person in history to pass the state alchemist exam. With his metal arm and leg he is given the code name Full Metal Alchemist. 

                                            (Some arts and crafts should not be part of family bonding)

     Just like his stature the pint sized pip squeak has an attitude to match. He tries to play the cool, calm, and collected hero for his brother, but if anyone brings up his height he is quick to retaliate. Alphonse is often the one to calm others down while Edward has a tantrum. Over the episodes Edward matures, but the guilt of his brother's body being a sacrifice for a failed transmutation circle (something that was forbidden) still lingers on his conscience.

      Alright that's as spoiler free as I can get. The anime teaches a lesson. That some things are meant to stay gone and that you should appreciate what remains. That instead of waiting to be saved the best option is to pull up your boot straps and be your own hero.

~Favorite Character~
 -Honestly it's between Colonel Maes Hughes with his infectious excitement and love for his young daughter who Edward helped deliver or Riza Hawkeye who is just an all around bad ass mama bear who keeps the commanding office from falling apart.

~Least Favorite Character~

      -I would say Füher King Bradley, but this is the guy you are supposed to hate. He may seem like the gleeful boss that just happens to have a bit of a dictator streak to him, but once his true identity is a reveal you'll see he is a raging a-hole.

     -The character who grates my skin would be Shou Tucker aka The Sewing Life Alchemist. This man may look sweet, but he deserves no sympathy. He didn't blink an eye when he sacrificed his wife and daughter when his certification was on the line.

~Why I'm crying~

      Like my favorite character I'm torn between two scenes. Maes Hughes funeral or Nina Tucker fused with her dog and killed by Scar.

                                                            (We all know you're useless in the rain)

~My Aww moment~

     -Edward's proposal to Winry by comparing it to the equivalent exchange rule of alchemy. Yes I know it isn't the most romantic proposal, but it's the thought that counts. Still my favorite couple would have to be Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang for filling the role the boys' parents.

      Yes, I know this was brief. I myself wouldn't really count it as a review. I would count FMA on the list of recommendations. So if you find yourself in the mood for an anime with a great story that will make you care for the characters you can't go wrong with Full Metal Alchemist.

             

                                                       ~Until next time I hope your journey fares well.

    

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Berserk(First impression)

     I believe in the value of first impressions so that's why I am starting from the very beginning. The pilot of Kentaro Miura's Berserk  aired in 1997. I was ten at the time and didn't have cable. My first actual introduction to Berserk was over seven or eight years ago. I remember joking with my husband that we should paint the nursery of our first child with the Hell scene from the anime. It did provide for some interesting pregnancy dreams though.

       With it being over five years since I've watched Berserk my first impression of the show has been forgotten. I think I remembered liking it, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

      So after a long day of Blues Clues, chasing a tiny nudist, and checking homework I finally have absolute power to choose what to watch without worrying about giving my kids nightmares. This was mommy's alone time. Berserk is not a kids show, unless you want to mentally scar your kids for life. I should also throw in a epilepsy warning. Before a parent lets their little Timmy and Jane watch this and whines about it here are your warnings:
*Blood
*Violence
*Language
*Semi-sexual content/nudity

     (No gripes if you're not ready to party)

      A thing to note about Berserk is that everything was drawn by hand and in some scenes it definitely shows. With the use of CGI becoming even more popular and with shows like Akira the animation in Berserk is a bit sub par especially with scenes that I can only refer to as shaky cam still photo reminiscent of Speed Racer. With as often as they used the still photos and lazy animation I wondered if it would have worked better as graphic novel with audio narration.

      The voice acting for some of the side characters is a bit trying to hard and just not getting there. In quite a few scenes the audio does not match up to what is being said or done. Sword clinks and clanks are heard seconds after they hit and not immediately. I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and blame it on it being a 90s anime. Marc Diraison does a wonderful job as the voice of Guts so there is some hope for improvement.

        The music on the other hand I have absolutely no complaints. The opening credits Tell Me Why by  Pen Pals are catchy and pumps me up to continue watching while the closing credits Waiting So Long by Silver Fins  are slow and intriguing so they make me curious for the next episode.

        When we first start watching the episode the scene opens with a blacksmith working on a sword while a man in the shadows waits. Following soon after that is a scene similar to one found in a few westerns. A town tavern terrorized by the local gang of misfits. This time they're dragging a young girl with them for bumping into them. One of misfits takes it too far and next thing you know he is dead on the ground with blood pouring out of his head. The man in the shadows reappears and kills all but one of the misfits. It's at these first scenes that we are introduced to Guts
   
        There is a ton of room for character development, With Guts and Casca being the first main characters we're introduce to I'm going to focus on them for now. My first complaint about Casca is that she is supposed to be a strong badass but I find my self feeling irritated by her weak maiden in distress playing with the boys introduction. Casca is the stereotypical little sister character. She is a jealous stepmother and creepy infatuation away from being Disney royalty. 

        As for Guts I don't have any idea what his motive is yet, but for now he is a pretty exchangeable tough guy in the shadows kind of guy. It's obvious what Gut's sword is a euphemism for.

   
**Random thoughts**
* Dante's Inferno/ The Divine comedy the animated version brought to you by Speed Racer animation
*Why try to animate when you can just have you voice actors scream over a drawing?
*Several scenes with lazy animation or no animation at all
*Well at least the music is good
     

My overall opinion is watch for the story line, but don't expect to be impressed by the animation.
                                                                              - Mouse