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Note: This is a repost of a thread I made in the Leviathan Stadium guild. Reviews/recommendations will go between both.
All of us here enjoy new things, especially when those things are movies, games, and whatever else fills our e-lives with joy and "oh ********". Some of us have a lot of time, some of us don't. Some of us can afford to buy a dozen new things when they come out and enslave ourselves in frot of a television for a while, and some have to pick and choose carefully because we don't have the cash to spare for everything that looks good.

That is where we all come in. We, as a community, are nerds. There's no way around saying that. However, as nerds, we are an authority on s**t that comes on CDs. You know it, I know it, and the people that get payed to review this s**t knows it... yet we know that sometimes we just can't trust what they say about these things becuase they are payed to write it.

Thusly: If you get a new game. If you see a new movie. If you just saw this awesome anime/read this awesome manga and want to whore it to everyone else. For any consumer-driven need you have... write a review from your own perspective and your own experience, and hook us up, y'all.

PLEASE ONLY POST REVIEWS, NO DISCUSSION.

Yes. Yes it is.

Title: Fate/Stay Night
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Anime
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)... Originally made as an eroge visual novel for the PC by TYPE-MOON, Fate/Stay Night provided 3 separate storylines (Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel). The visual novel became popular enough that they made an anime from the Fate storyline.

Review: The setting and story revolve around one city in (obviously) Japan, which is ground zero for an event known as the Holy Grail War. The premise behind this is that seven special people will be singled out as Masters, while they will each summon a mythological historical figure as their Servant in order to fight against the others. Of these Servants, there are seven types: Archer, Lancer, Saber, Berserker, Caster, Rider, and Assassin. In general it's a last-man standing affair, the one alive at the end wins the Holy Grail, and the ability to make all their wishes come true.

The general storyline seems like the type that we've all seen before, and for the most part it is. What really brings out the gold in the series is the smaller things; namely the characters, but also many minor details that set this 'superpowered warriors fight for destiny' plot apart from a lot of the others.

However, this is also the greatest fault of the anime. While the game had three separate storylines in which all of the major characters would be explored and developed, the anime only covers a single one. As a result many characters are introduced but few are explored in depth. Examples being Archer and Rider, two of the more popular characters from the game that have much larger parts in the other two storylines. The Fate storyline centers for the most part around Emiya Shirou (the main character) and his servant Saber. In this regard I did absolutely love the show, because those two characters were both believable and did not have dramatic changes of heart at the drop of a hat. They consistently held to their beliefs and personality types, but there was still a noticeable amount of character development throughout the series.

On the production end, the animation is clean and well done, and the musical score fits very well and I don't recall any points where the music completely overshadowed the actions or words of the characters.

I'd recommend Fate/Stay Night to anyone who's a fan of romantic comedy, and I'd also recommend it to anyone that likes decent fight scenes but isn't a purist.

Rating (X/10): 8/10

Title: The Xenosaga Series
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Anime - No not the twelve episode trash.
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)... Playstation 2

Review:
Some people take it upon themselves to consider this a game, but those people are wrong in every regard. Xenosaga is not a game and thus why it comes with the title of episode 1, 2, and 3. Xenosaga is an interactive anime that you have to work to see the next scene of.

Why do I say it is not a game, or at least anything beyond an interactive anime?

Simple.

On the average in Xenosaga you run for six seconds and enter a new cutscene. These are well animated, the characters are charming and full of angst, and the musical score is rather fitting. Chances are you will grow to like at least one of the characters before it is over. Also while the storyline is not as intense and heavy hitting as Xenogears, it does deliver in it's own regard. Of course people who have played Xenogears prior to it might be disappointed should they attempt to discover as deep a story.

Where does Xenosaga shine? Character development.
Where does Xenosaga slack? Gameplay.

I was by no means kidding when I said you run seven seconds and enter a new cutscene. The game is made up of at least three hours of FMV. Both the beginning and end segments are noted mostly for having cutscenes ranging ten minutes and onward.

How does this effect gameplay?
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH OF IT.

The system is fairly symplistic and resembles Xenogears in every regard that really matters. Even the AGWS, Gears for Xenogears fanatics, are present and can be called on in battle. Realistically there is not much change between Xenosaga and Xenogears combat.

Except for customization...but unfortunately that was removed in the second Xenosaga episode, but I have heard it comes back in the third. Note that this review was written without having played the third game.

Additional Note: Shion/Kos-Mos Yuri is this fandom's love.

Rating (X/10): 9/10 - Rated as an anime. 6/10 as a Game.

Title: The Dark Tower Series
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Book series
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)... A seven book series by Stephen King, written over the last 20 years. The story is unlike any other work he has done before or after. Trying to pin The Dark Tower series down to one genre is very, very hard to do. It has the feel, at times (especially during the first book) of one of those old-school westerns with Clint Eastwood. Despite that, there are serious elements of sci-fi and fantasy worked in there as well. Unlike King's other books, it can't in any way be described as "horror".

Review: The setting of The Dark Tower, at least initially, is a world that seems to be a "parallel" version of ours. The biggest difference is that the main character, Roland's, world is coming apart at the seams. They say the world has "moved on", but in actuality the machines and magic that are holding the entire universe together are in the process of breaking down, and Roland is on a quest to save them. He feels this can be done at a place called The Dark Tower. Throughout the course of the story, he draws in three people from our world, who join him in his quest, and every once in a while Roland or one of the others actually has to make the trek back to our world in the course of getting to the Dark Tower.

I don't want to give away too much of the storyline, but what I will say is that despite being several thousand pages, I never once got tired of reading it and, in fact, was quite sad when it was over because I know I will probably never read anything that good again.

Rating (X/10): 10/10 (Quite possibly the only 10 I will ever give a book)

Title: Sola
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Anime Series
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)... Shojou? I unno.

Review: It's strange, it's odd, it's cute, and it only seems to have 2 male characters at all. Watching the first episode will elicit the response of "what the ********" because despite the fact that everything makes perfect sense once you understand what's going on, you will not understand what's going on. Subsequent episodes help to elaborate on this, and after watching a few you'll really start to understand what's going on. Unfortunately, by the time that happens the main character's charm has completely worn off.

Despite that the first episode introduces him as an eccentric schoolboy who obsesses over taking pictures of the sky, in the 5 episodes that have been subbed and released so far he hasn't taken a single picture after the first episode. The story moves on in other ways, but the initial charm of his obsession seems to have faded once larger things start troubling his life.

The one thing I can say honestly about this anime comes down to two words: "******** adorable". This is the most ******** adorable thing I've seen about people that melt in the sun since Frosty the Snowman.

"People that melt in the sun?" Well, I wish I could elaborate on that a little bit more. At a glance it seems to be the traditional vampire motif; burned by sunlight, superior strength and reflexes, long lives... only they are referred to as "creatures of the night" and I've yet to see any blood sucking. In fact, they simply seem to have peculiar taste in normal food.

But it is, despite the slow-moving plot and vampire-hunter violence, the most ******** adorable thing since Frosty the Snowman.

I can't wait for more.

Rating (X/10): If it continues as is, probably a 7/10. If it brings back the charm of the obsessive photographer, then an 8 or 9 would definitely be within reach.

I'd recommend Sola to anyone fond of shojou anime. It's cute, but not cutesy.

Title: History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Anime Series
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)...

Review: The first episode reminded me of Ranma 1/2. The second episode reminded me of Hajime no Ippo. If I had to pick between them, I'd have to say that the series reminds me a lot of Ippo.

In the line of any traditional martial arts anime, the main character becomes progressively better at what he does as the series progresses. However out of the tradition (and what reminds me so much of Ippo), the main character does not start off as a tough guy or anyone with any real skill at all nor does he hold the type of attitude that would get him into fights with people, and the martial arts principles presented in the anime (as far as I've watched to) have a sound basis and without going to check specifics I would be willing to believe that they are actual techniques that were researched by the creator.

Other than that, it seems to be entirely the standard fare. Harsh training sequences, a dorky main character, the busty girl next door, and periodic 'bad guys' that really shouldn't go down as easy as they do, even after the "super dojo training montage".

It's not bad. It just doesn't really excel in any area. Ranma is funnier, Ippo is more inspirational, and a climactic fight doesn't feel climactic when they go down with only a couple clean hits after Kenichi gets knocked around like a punching bag.

Rating (X/10): 5/10 because it uses real martial arts principles. 3-4 otherwise.

Revision: The fights get better later on. The rest remains as inane as ever. 6/10.

Title: Ergo Proxy
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Anime Series
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)...

Review: It's like Ghost in the Shell meets Bubblegum Crisis meets... Serial Experiments Lain?

I think after watching this series in the entirety, all I can really say to it is "what the ********?" It honestly seems as if the show was made with two different writers and two different directors that seemed to tag-out at about episode 14.

From the outset, Ergo Proxy presents you with a Orwellian world, in which everything that makes up life is controlled by the government and every part of life that doesn't meet approval is snuffed out or thrown away. Autoraivs, or androids, serve the people in their daily tasks, but an unexplained virus is sweeping through them and causing them to gain will of their own and rebel against their masters. This problem, and the appearance of an entity known as PROXY start the inevitable decay of the last bastion of civilization in an uninhabitable world.

But that just sort of stops about halfway through the series. The Cogito Virus is no longer even mentioned short of the last two episodes, the actual plot advancement all but ceases except in 2 or 3 episodes out of the dozen, and it just ends up being a long series of ******** episodes that weird you out more than that joke of a last episode of Evangelion.

"The Gameshow from Hell! 1 Million Points in 30 Minutes! Q Q Q Q~!" No warning, no explanation, no purpose other than revealing trivial amounts of information about the history of the world through pop quiz questions. The entire episode will just leave you wondering who handed the director some bad hash to smoke. Once you hit this episode just skip straight to the last one, because there's only one real episode between there and the finale and the things that happen there are all but pointless anyway. You won't miss anything other than not understanding a few references that are spoken of, but they're not important anyways. (Clarification: Episode 14 is the start of the ******** series, episode 21 is the start of the finale.)

In all, Ergo Proxy started out strong but tripped, broke a leg, and stumbled just short of the finish line before passing out in a puddle of its own vomit. It raised my hopes and dashed them against the rocks all within 23 episodes.

Sorry, but "weird for the sake of weird" only works with comedy.

Rating (X/10): 8/10 first half of the series, 4/10 second half.

Title: Girls Bravo
Type of media (movie, game, show, book, etc.): Show - Anime
Other extraneous information (genre, platform, etc.)...

Review: I swear to god, I never expected I'd be watching this again. It just shows how far I've sunk when scouring the internets for something new to watch.

To summarize, this is another one of those that's about as close to porn as you're going to get. Hilarious at some points, gratuitous at others, though thankfully at no point did it ever seem to focus on the "here's a naked girl" aspect without throwing in "and then something explodes".

90% jokes about sex or violence. 10% serious attempts at a pathetic plot.

The main boy, Yukinari, supposedly suffers from girl-phobia and breaks out in little red polka-dots whenever he gets touched. Of course, this means that several times in every episode he ends up in an involuntary close encounter of the bigasstitties kind. Towards the end of the first season this phobia is completely downplayed already, and despite that the kid is still a panicky, nervous wreck that continues to be abused in horrible ways by anything with a v****a, he doesn't do the 'recoiling in fear' thing despite that the polka-dots still show up.

Maybe it's just being bad about keeping him in character. Maybe it's due to the fact that at that point he's got 4-5 girls either living with him or chasing after him and he just learned to deal with it like an effing man. Considering in like the second-to-last episode he finally goes "ohshit, I'm cured!", I'd like to believe the latter.

The good: It's fun to see the horrible maimings inflicted routinely on Fukuyama.

The bad: The very same pitfalls that come up with any anime of this type. Pathetic excuses for storylines, horribly shallow characters that never really develop aside from the main character coming to accept his circumstances, and gratuitous fan service for the sake of fan service.

The ugly: Nothing gets resolved. Ever.

Rating (X/10): 5/10 on average. If you're into the sex joke animes, give it a six or seven. If you're put off by them, give it a three or four.