Evangelion, whether it is the original series or the re-imagining, is not the kind of thing to watch when you're sick. But that it what I found myself doing this evening, against my better judgment. I am not going to review the title here, as I expect many other sites with writers far better than I will do just that. There is no point in clogging up the internet more than is necessary. The following are a few of my fever-muddled thoughts.
All in all the experience was a good one, with many "oh my gosh" and "nooooo!" moments scattered throughout. Mari turned out to be a much better character than I expected her to be (when I first saw the character design for her I wasn't sure I could take a girl in a pink plugsuit seriously) but that just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover. Rei also gets a personality overhaul, making her much more likeable, although die-hard fans of the original Rei may not take kindly to this change.
This movie differs much more from the original series than 1.11 did. If only the third movie was finished. It's going to be a long wait for me. That's all for tonight, gotta sleep this cold thing off.
P.S <SPOILERS>
Shinji ends up threatening Nerv with destruction after the dummy plug override in 2.22, and my husband says Shinji does that in the original series as well. I don't remember that happening in the original series. Can anyone shed light on this? I want to tell him he's wrong, heheheheh.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
X Marks the Spot
For starters, I would like to start out with X (titled as X/1999 in America). It is a manga written by CLAMP from 1992 to about 2002. Alas, it remains unfinished, but more on that later.
The series focuses on two groups of powerful psychics and/or mages: the Dragons of Heaven, who fight for humanity, and the Dragons of Earth, who wish to see humanity purged from the world. CLAMP uses primarily Judeo-Christian symbols, but references to other faiths and beliefs (with an emphasis on dualism) can also be found.
Those familiar with CLAMP's works know to expect top-notch artwork and attractive character design. X certainly delivers in this regard; there are many double page spreads that really allow the artwork to reach epic proportions. This series is one of the best examples of how movement should be drawn. Whether it is a battle scene or feathers floating through the air, movement is gracefully detailed. Manga sometimes rely too heavily on speed lines or multiple panels to trick the reader into seeing motion where there is none. In X, however, characters leap across building tops blasting one another with energy or elemental spells in such a way that it is hard to believe that one is looking at a still image instead of watching an anime.
It is immeasurably frustrating that such a high quality work remains unfinished. Reportedly, the increasing violence of the material caused the magazine it was originally serialized in to pull the plug. CLAMP went on to pen other works while looking for another publisher willing to adopt the series.
Viz originally published all 18 volumes of X. Those volumes are hard to find nowadays, but despair not! Viz will republish the series in an omnibus edition.
Volume 18.5 was included as an extra in the Japanese version of Newtype magazine in 2006. It contains almost 100 pages of manga that was published before the series was cancelled.
If you have yet to read X, I urge you to do so. Even though the story has not concluded it is still a worthy addition to any manga fan's library.
The series focuses on two groups of powerful psychics and/or mages: the Dragons of Heaven, who fight for humanity, and the Dragons of Earth, who wish to see humanity purged from the world. CLAMP uses primarily Judeo-Christian symbols, but references to other faiths and beliefs (with an emphasis on dualism) can also be found.
Those familiar with CLAMP's works know to expect top-notch artwork and attractive character design. X certainly delivers in this regard; there are many double page spreads that really allow the artwork to reach epic proportions. This series is one of the best examples of how movement should be drawn. Whether it is a battle scene or feathers floating through the air, movement is gracefully detailed. Manga sometimes rely too heavily on speed lines or multiple panels to trick the reader into seeing motion where there is none. In X, however, characters leap across building tops blasting one another with energy or elemental spells in such a way that it is hard to believe that one is looking at a still image instead of watching an anime.
It is immeasurably frustrating that such a high quality work remains unfinished. Reportedly, the increasing violence of the material caused the magazine it was originally serialized in to pull the plug. CLAMP went on to pen other works while looking for another publisher willing to adopt the series.
Viz originally published all 18 volumes of X. Those volumes are hard to find nowadays, but despair not! Viz will republish the series in an omnibus edition.
Volume 18.5 was included as an extra in the Japanese version of Newtype magazine in 2006. It contains almost 100 pages of manga that was published before the series was cancelled.
If you have yet to read X, I urge you to do so. Even though the story has not concluded it is still a worthy addition to any manga fan's library.
Monday, March 7, 2011
What have I gotten myself into?
Greetings!
I have finally decided to take the plunge and start blogging. Opportunities to hone my writing skills have been few and far between, so I have decided to create opportunities instead of passively waiting for them to come along.
To all two of you poor souls who happened to stumble across this shameless excuse for a blog, you will be subjected to my not so humble opinions on anime, manga and video games. I may even review the occasional book if the fancy strikes me.
Thanks for stopping by!
I have finally decided to take the plunge and start blogging. Opportunities to hone my writing skills have been few and far between, so I have decided to create opportunities instead of passively waiting for them to come along.
To all two of you poor souls who happened to stumble across this shameless excuse for a blog, you will be subjected to my not so humble opinions on anime, manga and video games. I may even review the occasional book if the fancy strikes me.
Thanks for stopping by!
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