Coppelion after episode 03 – First Impressions

           Fall is already here, and Coppelion is one of the few anime of this season that caught my interest. I’m a sucker for scenery of nature and pastel colors, and Coppelion has these in spades. I really enjoy its backgrounds, and certainly the backgrounds reveals much of what has happened…a sprawling metropolis being reclaimed by greenery. However, I found this anime a little heavy handed in its writing and drama. I would have preferred a more low-key adventure, a stroll in the woods that was once a city, remarking on the things that once was. But three episodes in we’re seeing stealth bombers and gun fights. Sure, I guess.

Shingeki no Kyojin after episode 25 – Final Thoughts

           So ends one of the more popular anime that aired this year. Question is, when is season number two? With so many unanswered questions, untied plotlines, and the final cliff-hanger scene, it is as though the creator of the show were nudging us anime viewers with the elbow saying “Hey, read the manga if you haven’t already.” Well, maybe I will.
           So, how does Attack on Titan stand on its own two ginormous feet? I’d say it’s has just the right portions of action, drama, and suspense blended together, albeit near the middle sections the constant “Oh my god titans, I’m gonna die, blah blah blah…” melodrama became overbearing. Thankfully, when the main characters joined the team with actual balls, the show recovered to excellence. With an anime and manga as popular as this, and plenty of material still untold in the manga, a second season of Shingeki no Kyojin is inevitable. I await with bated breath.

Shingeki no Kyojin after episode 22

           Well, I’m sure more than one of us has compared the physical look of the female titan to the human cast and thought: hmm…the female titan’s blonde hair style looks awfully similar to Annie…
           If it’s true, and I think it’s highly likely that it is, it essentially confirms that other humans can turn into titans, and that someone gave them the power to do so, just like Eren. If Annie is that titan, it also brings strong suspicion that every “aberrant”, or rather, intelligent titan are possibly humans with titan transforming powers. It makes me wonder who that armored titan we saw in the beginning the series is. I’m willing to bet big bucks it has something to do with what Eren’s father discovered or researched, and what’s in the basement of Eren’s house. Very likely it reveals fundamental clues or answers to the connection between humans and titans.
           So why is Annie a baddie? Or maybe she isn’t, maybe she’s fighting for greater good of mankind. Who and for what goal is she working for? She, or rather, they, obviously wants Eren because he is human that can turn into a titan. But Eren is the only aberrant titan that is fighting with mankind, and every one we saw so far appear hostile to humans. So are they trying to convert Eren? If so, why? Questions, questions…

Elysium

           So I saw the movie Elysium the other night with my friend, mainly because I saw one of the trailers where it panned through Elysium and I thought “Oh my god, that’s the Presidium of Citadel in Mass Effect! I gotta watch this.” Well sadly, the movie was not as good as the scenery looked.
           So let’s the get the obvious out of the way. The film looks excellent, and it’s clear to see the production values are supported by a high budget. Elysium is beautiful and tranquil. Earth is gritty and dirty. The atmosphere of both places are just right. Sound, explosions, the chemrail rifle, all good stuff.
           Which brings me to the story. Horribly predictable and cheesy. We can see what’s going to happen from a mile away. Just from watching the trailers, the very fact that this is a big budget Hollywood movie, you can already guess the entire plotline. The whole one versus the ninety nine theme is been done, many times, in many other movies and books. I was hoping Elysium would treat this theme with a little more creativity, or have a few surprises in between, but alas, it proceeds on rails to its expected destination. Of course the “good” guys win with expected results.
           The acting, well, I just have to say I didn’t particularly like Jodie Foster’s performance here, nor her character. She seemed overacted, and exaggerated in her role. Matt Damon is, well, Matt Damon, type-casted in the reluctant action hero role which he has so much experience in. Everyone else…meh.
           And that last word sums of my feeling for this movie.

Shingeki no Kyojin after episode 18

           Finally, the show is into a new story arc where the main characters are with the Recon corps, where the soldiers actually have the skills and willpower to kill titans instead of cowering every time they see one. I was getting really tired of “Wah! Wah! I’m afraid of dying” soliloquies from gutless characters in the Trost arc.
           So, a female titan appears, albeit an “aberrant” one. I was wondering where they were. Judging by how agile and intelligent this female titan is, I have a strong suspicion it’s likely a human just like Eren who has the ability to change into titan form. This certainly further complicates things and raises even more questions of how and why…