Album Review - Judas Priest's Defenders of the Faith

Damn, it’s been crazy around her fellow Otaku & Metal Heads!

The cold up here is unbearable, 50 Shades Of Grey isn’t as enjoyable bad as some people wanted, and John Stewart announced that he’ll be leaving The Daily Show later this year. To quote Bill Murray: “Dogs & cats!! Living together!! Mass hysteria!!”. That said, there’s something that can protect us against this tidal wave of insanity. A band that’s weathered decades of music, and has released classic albums that have stood the test of time. That band, ladies & gentlemen, is the legendary Judas Priest!

That’s right everybody, Judas Priest once again! It’s been a couple months since we’ve first visited the band, with the iconic British Steel first setting foot on this blog. This time around, we’re beginning to take a look at the first of many albums from the band that I happen to enjoy. The album that I think are classics, and the ones that everybody should listen to, whether they’re metal heads or not. That said, let’s look at their 1984 classic Defenders of the Faith, and see if it can push back this wave of madness!

Background
With the coming of the 80s, Judas Priest had fully come into the world of metal. Throughout their time in the 70s, they were essentially a rock back, and while Hell Bent For Leather opened the band’s way onto the path of Heavy Metal, much of it remained rooted in Rock-N-Roll. The band began their dominance of the 80s with 3 classic albums: the iconic British Steel, Point Of Entry, and the classic album known as Screaming for Vengeance. Then 1984 came around, and out came the powerful titan known as Defenders of the Faith. The vinyl & cassette tape had both come out on January 4th, 1984, with the CD version getting released in July of the same year. A re-release of the album came out in May of 2001, complete with two bonus songs, one of which was recorded during the 1985 recording sessions for their next release, Turbo.

Defenders of the Faith was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios in Ibiza, Spain, then it was mixed from September to November 1983 at DB Recording Studios and Bayshore Recording Studios in Coconut Grove (Miami, Florida). At the same time as the album was released, a tour for it had happened in Europe, although a majority of it took place in North America during the spring & summer.

Basic Description
Badass to the 10th degree!

If (In my humble opinion) there was a Judas Priest album from the 80s that was as close to perfect as possible, Defenders of the Faith is that album! Not to say that the other albums before this one aren’t classics: British Steel established the band’s Heavy Metal credit, Point of Entry was a nice diversion, and Screaming for Vengeance built up the foundation for the band’s dominance in the 80s. For me, Defenders of the Faith used the strength of the previously mentioned albums to create it’s own place in Metal history.

The songs on Defenders of the Faith are perfect example of how Heavy Metal was ruling the 1980s. With the exception of two songs (More on this in a little bit), there’s something on this album for everybody: fast & furious, slow & steady, and sappy ballad-like tunes can all be found on here.

Best Song
Wow, this was a difficult task!

Truth be told, every single song (With the exception of two) on this album is absolutely fantastic to listen to. We’ve got the blistering fast Freewheel Burning, a song that comes at you with the force of a out-of-control mach truck. The guitar work on this song is subperb, as it’s played at a energetic yet steady pace. The drumming is excellent as well, as it keeps up with the guitars quite nicely, and Rob Halford’s singing goes between banshee shrieking & more subdued (Yet still heavy) vocal work. Damn good song to start the album out on!

Freewheel Burning

Going to about the halfway point of Defenders of the Faith, we reach Eat Me Alive, a particularly infamous Judas Priest song. The song managed to get to number 3 on the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen”, with the co-founder of the PMRC, Tipper Gore, claiming that the song was about having Sex at gunpoint. This in turn would cause the band to record the song “Parental Guidance” for their 1986 album Turbo, but that’s for another review. Despite the controversy, Eat Me Alive is a damn good track to listen to! It’s most certainly erotic, but I can’t detect even a hint of the “Sex At Gunpoint” BS that good-old Tipper is talking about. What was surprising to me was that the tune’s erotic feeling complemented the fast instrumentation & more subdued singing. Once again, a great song!

Eat Me Alive

Getting towards the end of Defenders of the Faith, we come across the classic track, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll. If I was to pick a single song off of the album to best the best, it would most certainly be this one. A bit more subdued in terms of pacing, what Some Heads Are Gonna Roll lacks in speed, it heavily gains in heaviness. Rob Halford’s singing on this track is great, with him switching between his patented shriek & more tamed vocal work in a manner that can only be described as impressive. Guitar work is as awesome here as it is pretty much everywhere else, and the drumming is good too!

Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

Despite me complementing these specific tracks, Defenders of the Faith is one of the best collections of Heavy Metal that was ever produced in the 80s. It was just as successful as Judas Priest’s previous outing Screaming For Vengeance, obtaining a spot just below that album, and marked the apex of the band’s commercial success at that time.

Worst Song                                       
Heavy Duty & Defenders of the Faith are the only two blemishes on this album’s otherwise perfect face. With names like what was previously mentioned, you’d expect some bombastic tunes. Sadly, these two songs really take out the steam of Defenders of the Faith, which comes at your with such force. The song Defenders of the Faith is particularly horrendous, as it ends on a rather weak point. Enough to the point where it just peters out, rather than go down swinging.

This is a similar issue with the beginning of Screaming for Vengeance in regards to the opening two songs, The Hellion & Electric Eye. The biggest difference in this regard is that there’s a far more satisfying payoff with these two songs, and with Heavy Duty & Defenders of the Faith, there’s really nothing with the two of them. My opinion is simple: skip these last two songs, and go on with your day (If you’ve got the re-release, skip tracks 9 & 10, then listen to the bonus material).

Other
Awesome album art! Nuff said!

Overall Impression & Rating
You are doing yourself a disservice to Heavy Metal, and perhaps music in general, by not listening to Defenders of the Faith! This album deserves it’s reputation in so many ways, as the music on here has aged incredibly well. This record deserves it’s place among the classic metal albums of the 80s, since the music has essentially become timeless among fans of Heavy Metal. Defenders of the Faith might have a weak ending, but the songs before that are just perfect!

Defenders of the Faith gets a 9.8 out of 10, which is the highest rating I’ve given to anyone on here...at this point, at least!

Whew, glad I got this review out of the way! Things seem to be calming down around here, and I think I’m back to doing more normal reviews. See you soon!



***
I have no excuse as to why this review is later, other than some lapses in memory. This will screw-up my release schedule in the coming weeks for sure! Hopefully it won’t be too much trouble.

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If you want to see my first Judas Priest album review, click on the link below.

http://heavymetalotaku.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-judas-priests-british-steel.html

Anime Review - Project A-Ko

Damnit, I was hoping for something normal!

I was flipping through my anime folder, looking for a title that was a little more sane than the tide wave of WTF that was Crimson Wolf. One sub-folder caught my eye, and it hypnotized me into looking inside. After seeing what was inside the sub-folder, any desire to review a more normal anime was immediately thrown out of the window...and fell 10 stories onto a concrete sidewalk....and cracking it’s skull wide open. So, I’m delving into madness once again, only this time the madness is a little more lighthearted, not to mention funny. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my review of the goofy & silly Project A-Ko. Hope we don’t go to the mental house after this one!

Story/Setup
A-Ko Magami is an average girl. Despite having immense strength & speed, she leads out her life as a normal girl, attending a local high school with her best friend, C-Ko Kotobuki, the happiest girl you’ll ever meet. Despite their pleasant lives, storm clouds are rolling in on the horizon. Another student, B-ko Daitokuji, hates that C-Ko is with A-Ko, and does everything in her power to get C-Ko to come to her. Coupled with an incoming alien fleet intent of retrieving C-Ko for some reason, and things won’t quite be so ordinary for the two of them.

As you can tell, Project A-Ko doesn’t have the deepest story. However, this movie doesn’t really need a deep story, and this is pretty much a comedy at heart. It’s goofy, silly, and overall pretty funny. I left some things out on purpose, and that would actually ruin a good chunk of the humor in question. Everything from the sight-gags, to the slapstick, and to the few moments of fanservice, you will be flat-out laughing, or at the very least giggling & snickering like a school kid.

I should mention that Project A-Ko was originally going to be part of a hentai series. Cream Lemon, in fact. However, the head animator of this movie wanted to have a more commercial release for the film, and thus took out all the hentai involved. There’s only one point that barely references the original hentai story, but that small reference was all that was needed to move things along. 

Animation
Even to a casual anime fan, the apparent age of this movie is readily apparent, and the 80s-ness is very apparent. 1986, to be exact. Everything looks hand drawn, and feels hand drawn as well. This creates something of a problem: on the one hand, the 80s charm is rather pleasant. It’s nice to see something this cheesy looking in this modern age of anime, thanks in part to it’s somewhat recent re-release (See below for details). The style of animation that’s in Project A-Ko is rarely seen nowadays, so it’s rather refreshing to see a movie animated in this fashion. On the other hand, Project A-Ko also looks very dated. There’s plenty of moments where the animation hiccups, and certain character designs are rather.....terrifying to say the least. Animation snobs will definitely be picking the movie apart because of this, but I’m not quite as snobbish. 

Voice Acting
If there was ever a weak point in Project A-Ko, it would be the voice acting. Not let me state this: the voice acting isn’t terrible. There are plenty of moments where the voice actors involved give it their best, and it really sounds good! Perhaps it’s just me, but at least 75% of the time it sounds flat, boring, and not at all inspired. Maybe it’s because this was a US Manga Corps release (The company was notorious for dubbing that was...meh, to say the least), maybe I wasn’t in the right mood, or whatever. Bottom line is that it won’t make your ear drums explode, but it might not be pleasant for some of you.

I should mention of the sequel films. The lead voice actor has changed for A-Ko: this movie A-Ko was voiced by Stacey Greeg, who I’ve never heard of until this movie. When it comes to the sequels, A-Ko’s voice received a big boost, thanks to the voice work of Teryl Rothery. You may recognize that name from Stargate SG-1 the TV series, where she acted in one of the major roles of that show. Small world, isn’t it? 

Characters
If there was a strength that Project A-Ko uses to the best of it’s ability, it would be it’s characters!

The characters in the movie suffer what I like to call the “Outlaw Star” syndrome. For starters, there isn’t exactly a lot of background for pretty much the entire cast. If anything, most of them are blank slates in regards to their past/background. Only a select few are given some kind of depth, but even then it still isn’t much. On the other hand, you won’t really care as you’re watching this. Everybody in this cast provides something for the comedy that shows up in Project A-Ko, not to mention the action, and trust me when I say that there’s some great action sequences. This results in the characters being incredibly likable, despite not having much in the way of a background.

Availability & Pricing
Although it was a US Manga Corps title, Project A-Ko is actually still available. The original release is rather difficult to locate (I was able to find it on Amazon, but I can’t remember the price for it), but it was re-released as recently as of 2011, so I can be found if you know where to look. Both Best Buy & FYE have it available on their respective websites, where the prices range between 14 dollars to 17 for a new copy, which is quite reasonable. Amazon also has Project A-Ko available as well, with new copies starting at 11 dollars, and used copies being at almost 13 dollars in price.

Overall Impression & Rating
Project A-Ko is a nice turn your brain off movie. Although longer than Crimson Wolf (That movie was an hour in length, while this is 86 minutes long), there’s so much wackiness going on, it’s hard not to get mad at. The humor works, the action works, and even the fan service works, as sparse as it was. Sure, there are some short comings in terms of animation & voice acting, and to a lesser extent the story & characters, but everything else makes up for the faults in this otherwise classic OVA. Give it a go, and enjoy the magic!

Project A-Ko gets a 8 out of 10

See you all next time, when I’ll be defending our Heavy Metal faith against this wave of insanity I’ve run into. Wish me luck!



***
Apologies for the delay. We had pipe trouble at my house (It’s cold as hell right now) today, and coupled with a pleasant Valentine’s Day for me, and a not-so pleasant Valentine’s Day for my folks (More specifically, my Mom), it made working on this review go a little slower than normal. Apologies all around.

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If you're curious about the movie, click the link below:

Project A-Ko (Full Movie)

Anime Review - Crimson Wolf

I....uh....we got a weird one fellow Otaku & Metalheads. I’m serious, this one’s weird! Kinda like that level of weird that you can only get from a certain period of time (1998 in this show’s case). The kind of weird that leaves you wondering what the hell happened, yet at the same time leaves you with that desire to go through that experience all over again. This OVA has put me through the wringer, yet for some reason I don’t mind that it did. I’ve watched this a bunch of times before I did this review, and I have a feeling I’ll watch it a couple more times for the hell of it. Let me not waste anymore of your time, and lets get to the review of the strange & obscure Crimson Wolf. Prepare for plenty of WTF!

Story/Setup
Normally I’d talk about the story, but I think the back of the DVD tells it much better:

“The fate of the world rests in the ability of these untested warriors to defeat an unearthly army of darkness. Sorcery, martial arts and unrequited love, spanning the centuries, explode in an epic battle at the gates of the forbidden city.

    Mysterious deaths befall the members of an archeological expedition which uncover the ancient tomb of Genghis Khan.
    These deaths are preceded by a bizarre prophecy which foretells the end of the world-unless three people with a Hong Lang (Crimson Wolf) birthmark are found and destroyed.
    Amid a backdrop of international intrigue and contemporary political unrest, three unsuspecting heroes are forces to challenge destiny in a monumental struggle to keep the world from plunging into chaos.
    Crimson Wolf is an unusual departure for the anime genre-rooted in real world reference, it makes the fantasy all the more believable.”

On the surface, this seems like an pretty impressive idea for a story, and unique as well. Mixing the mystical, with real-life history, and political intrigue really sounds like an original & clever idea, and all in all it is! Sadly, Crimson Wolf really only seems to scratch the surface of this idea. This little taste is nice, but I want to be bombasted by real-world politics & fantasy at the same time. I don’t want to be teased the whole time. Well, almost the whole time. There are moments where it delves into this idea more than others, but on the whole seems a little timid about getting knee-deep into this story. That said, I still appreciate it on the concept alone!

Animation
Crimson Wolf is definitely a product of the 90s. 1993, to be exact. That means no computers, no CGI, no modern animation methods, etc. Because of that, there’s an old-school feel to the movie, something that rarely felt now in today’s shows. Despite that, Crimson Wolf doesn’t necessarily hold up well. There’s plenty of moments where the design of the character can seem weird for a moment, whether it’s because of a scene’s angle, or because of something strange that you can’t quite explain.

Apart from that, there are some moments where some of the scene take a turn for the surreal, thanks in part to the mystical side of the story coming through. You have a trip into the past of two of the characters (Through the act of sex...have I mentioned that this movie isn’t a hentai?), and then there’s the final 10 to 12 minutes of the movie itself. I can’t spoil what happens, as it would ruin the end of the story. What I can say is that it’s the most out-there thing you’ll ever see, and you probably won’t forget it for quite some time.

Voice Acting
Right away, you can immediately tell that this is a Streamline Pictures dub. Their at-the-time stable of voice actors comes out in full force in this movie: Bob Bergan, Barbara Goodson, and Dan Woren are instantly noticeable when they speak. Dan Woren is especially noticeable when he speaks, as he has that particularly deep voice that just sticks in your head after you’ve heard it. That said, the script for Crimson Wolf is one of the cheesiest, hokey, and downright absurd things I’ve ever heard. Despite how serious the voice actors sound when they’re playing their roles (And they sound rather serious 9.5 times out of 10), a good chunk of the lines just sound so far out there it’s hard to believe that you heard what they said. Two lines in particular caught my attention, and they’ve become my favorites. They are:

“Give me a second, I’m almost done.” (Spoken by Dan Woren as his character, Brukodan, is partaking in a orgy filled with nothing but women)

“The spirit of humanity cannot be crushed by armies or tanks, my fist is imbued with the spirit of all those who have been oppressed, from Tibet to Tiananmen Square!” (Spoken by Bob Bergan as his character, Kai, punched/laser blasted a tank in the final climax)

I’ll let that 2nd line sink in for you. Apart from these two, everything else is a goofy collection of absurd lines that you probably wouldn’t hear in real life. Only in Crimson Wolf, and perhaps some other 90s anime, will you ever hear things this ridiculous!

Characters
For a story that tries to have a deep story, the characters in Crimson Wolf are rather shallow. A massive majority of the cast is nothing but throwaway characters, both in terms of good guys (Few as there are) & bad guys (Plenty of good guys to go around). They’re all so forgettable, it’s not even worth paying any attention to them. There really isn’t any clear villain in the movie, as it’s only until the last 14 to 16 minutes we’re actually given one. Even then, the villain’s plot is rather basic, despite how grandiose it sounds. I will say that the villain himself is surprisingly original, but to describe him would ruin a part of the story.

As for the main good guys, they have problems with character development like everyone else, but there is at least some (They’re good guys. Of course they’re gonna have some development!). Kai, voiced by Bob Bergan, is a very punky individual at the beginning, and throughout a good majority of Crimson Wolf, he still has a cocky attitude. By the end, he’s matured somewhat, yet still has a “Bite Me” state of mind. Barbara Goodson’s character, Mizuo, at first is just a girl that gets into trouble. By the end, she becomes Kai’s lover, and has a tiny amount of kick-ass juice injected into her arm. The most intriguing of the three was the character that Daniel Woren voices, Brukodan. Taking more of an anti-hero stance, Brukodan is a black marketeer that hates the system, but often provides services to the government when they come crawling to him. By the end, he still has that tough guy attitude, but has learned to maybe give a damn once in a while.

Availability & Pricing
If you thought looking for an ADV Films title was tough, prepare for the frustration that is looking for a release from Streamline Pictures. The only store I can think of that would even remotely have a copy would be FYE, and even then it would only be available as a used copy (If they had a new copy available, they made a deal with the devil for sure). Only Amazon has readily available copies of Crimson Wolf available for purchase, but at this moment in time there are only 11 copies left (5 Used/6 New). Used copies start at 37 dollars, while the new copies begin at 53 dollars in price. Buying Crimson Wolf is definitely an expensive proposition, with the used copy being at least a little more reasonable.

I managed to buy a used copy back in June of last year for a measly 5 dollars. The condition the box was in, not to mention the actual DVD, was shockingly good. Apart from some scratches, everything looks alright for a release of it’s age!

Other
I don’t know if I was hallucinating, but I could have sworn that I saw Chun Li in a quick scene. Zoom to the 55:23 mark of the movie, and you’ll see what I mean!

Overall Impression & Rating
This is a stupid movie, with a stupid premise, with a stupid script, and all around is just goofy. However, there’s cleverness within Crimson Wolf. There’s a definite spark of originality underneath all the WTF that’s thrown at you. Like the back of the DVD says, the movie mixes fantasy with real-world politics & international intrigue. It’s not a perfect mix, but the idea alone won me over. All I can say is that if you need to kill an hour, Crimson Wolf can do the job.

I’m personally giving Crimson Wolf 7.5 to 8 out of 10, simply because of it’s charm. According to a 5-star system, I’ve seen this anywhere from 2 ½ stars, to 3 stars, and I think I’ve seen at least one or two 4 stars for Crimson Wolf.

Well, that’s Crimson Wolf. A bizarre title that really should be watched instead of forgotten, and in your collection at some point. See you soon, when we’ll look at something a little more normal.

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If you’re curious about this movie, click the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ih3yt5h1Jk

Random Post 1: Friend's Blog

Hey guys!

Got a bit of an off-cuff post. A good friend of mine by the name of Jen has recently started up a personal blog. She's a big fan of cosplay, and has been in the hobby for a long time. Recently, she's put up a blog, and these are her words....and I quote:

"Said blog will be filled with cosplay-related tutorials, photos, thoughts and rants. There's a good chance other topics will come up as time goes on, but it will always remain geeky."

She actually started doing posts today as a matter of fact, so there isn't much on there at the moment. Despite that, I suggest you go take a look at the link below. I've got a feeling that in a couple months, there's going to be some great content posted up!

http://cosplayjen.blogspot.com/

Also, give this girl some love! She's a great person, and happens to kick quite a fair amount of ass!

https://www.facebook.com/ArgentSouled?fref=nf

In any case, I'll see you in the next review! Have a nice rest of the day!

My Top 10 Anime: Old-School Edition

Hello fellow Otaku & Metal Heads!

As you can obviously, my blog is dedicated to two of my favorite things in life, not to mention two things that are big in pop culture, and that’s anime & Heavy Metal. Last year I put up my first “Top 10” list, covering my top 10 singers & bands. This one will cover my 10 favorite anime. To be more specific, this list covers my top 10 “Old-School” anime. How am I defining old-school, you might ask? Well, anything from 1960 all the way to 1999, is old-school to me. With that out of the way, here are my top 10 favorite old-school anime. Enjoy!

10) Cowboy Bebop (Sample Clip: Link)

Right now some of you are lighting torches, sharpening pitchforks, and oddly enough going down to the local hardware store to buy a chainsaw to use on me. You’re probably saying right now: “Cowboy Bebop!? Number 10!? Disgraceful!!”. To which I say.......you’re not necessarily wrong.

Let me put it to you here.....I don’t hate this show in the slightest! God no! This is arguably one of the best anime put out in the late 90s! Great story, fantastic characters, awesome voice acting, animation that still looks incredible, and a soundtrack that’s just perfect...and I don’t even like Jazz & Blues! But, I got a problem with Cowboy Bebop. A big problem, to be exact. I’ll talk about it when I get to my number 4 show, as it’ll make more sense then. Suffice it to say, Cowboy Bebop is a classic show that deserves all the respect it gets. See you later, space cowboy!      

9) Devil Hunter Yohko (Sample Clip: Link)

If you want a piece of cheesecake with your action & fantasy, then you’re in the right place!

Sure, Devil Hunter Yohko is a flawed show. A very flawed show, in fact! Characters can be annoying, animation seems strange sometimes (1st episode looks okay, then it slowly changes over time, and looks fantastic by the 6th episode), and the voice acting hasn’t completely aged well, but there are some positives. It was the first series that the now-defunct ADV Films produced, it was a fun story, it knew how & when to be dirty, the characters had some charm, and overall it was a series you could easily get into. Granted, this show can be incredibly difficult to find (Trust me, it was expensive when I bought it the first two times, and I was gonna buy the 2008 edition, but I can’t find it now), but if you manage to locate it, you’ll have a gem that’s been lost to the sands of time. A flawed gem, but a gem regardless.

8) Bubblegum Crisis (Sample Clip: Link)

Want some more cheesecake?

While Devil Hunter Yohko is more comedic, Bubblegum Crisis is more serious. The world that BC takes place in is cyberpunky, gritty, and downright dirty. It’s also filled with some of the most kickass ladies in anime! They not only know how to have an attitude (And use it), they’re cute & sexy, and they have some interesting personal backgrounds as well. Hell, there’s even times where the girls know how to make you laugh (The humor is good & well-placed). Coupled with some nice animation that still looks good today, as well as some relatively decent voice acting (It’s got some hiccup moments, but it’s alright for the most part), and you have a series that’s still a fondly remembered cult classic to this day.

7) La Blue Girl (Sample Clip: Link)

I wanted to include at least one hentai on this list, and if there was ever a series in this genre in the 90s that gained & deserved it’s fame & infamy, it’s definitely La Blue Girl!

La Blue Girl...certainly deserves it’s reputation. Voice acting is meh at best, animation has seen better days (Trust me, there’s scenes where you might want to stab your eyes because of how ugly it can be), and some of the sexual content is rather disturbing to watch. Despite that, La Blue Girl has some things that most other hentai don’t have, and that’s substance. There’s actually a story, the characters actually have some depth, and there’s sex that doesn’t make you want to drink jet fuel & drop a match down your throat. Granted, this is a hentai, so there isn’t a grand story or deep character backgrounds, but considering the time frame that La Blue Girl came out, this is an impressive feat!

La Blue Girl: A hentai series that deserves it fair share of praise & criticism, and one that is certainly worth your time if you like classic hentai.

6) Kimba the White Lion (Sample Clip: Link)

Weird placement, isn’t it?

Not only is Kimba The White Lion a great old-school series, but it’s also one of the smartest kids shows ever made. Anime made for kids today is nowhere near as intelligent, clever, or charming as shows like this. Yeah, Kimba has plenty of moments where there was humor & silliness, but there was an equal amount of moments (Maybe even more) where things were serious, even sad & tragic. The characters are great, the animation is charming (But very archaic), the voice acting has managed to age surprisingly well, and there’s a quality that you can’t find in anime today (Kids shows or not). If you’re a parent and you want to introduce your child to anime, or if you’re interested in anime from the previous generation, you won’t find a better series than Kimba the White Lion!

5) Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita (Sample Clip: Link)

Okay, I’ll admit it: the reason that Plastic Little is at number 5 is because of the fan-service. 3 & ½ minutes of some of the most well animated & glorious fan service around, thanks in no small part to Satoshi Urushihara. The man has a way of drawing women that only a select few can even dream of getting close too. Apart from that, Plastic Little is one of my many go-to anime where I sit down, turn my brain off, and just enjoy myself. This isn’t the deepest OVA, nor is it a perfect OVA. It’s got some problems to be sure, but what it lacks in substance, it gains in style & pure unadulterated fun. There’s sci-fi action, sappy drama, humor, and some violence to boot. In my opinion, if you want a quick fix that isn’t too taxing on the brain, then Plastic Little is definitely for you!

4) Outlaw Star (Sample Clip: Link)

As I was saying earlier when I was talking about Cowboy Bebop, I’ve got some beef with it, despite enjoying it. My beef with it is that so many people have watched, and have enjoyed it so profusely, that they’ve put it on a pedestal. A pedestal that’s so high in the sky, so mighty, and so grand, to even mention it in a slightly bad light would be considered blasphemy. No show can compare to it. Cowboy Bebop is so golden, that anything else is inferior in some way. This has damaged certain shows when they’ve compared to Bebop, with two in particular that immediately come to mind for me: Gunsmith Cats, and my number 4 anime, Outlaw Star.

The way I see things, trying to compare Outlaw Star to Cowboy Bebop is ridiculous! The two shows are completely different: the way I see it, Cowboy Bebop is an examination of people, and the interactions between people. On the other hand, Outlaw Star is nothing more than a fantastic space adventure, full of technology, aliens, and wonderful spectacle. On top of that, Outlaw Star is rather reminiscent of Firefly....just longer, and not quite as overrated (Sorry Firefly fans, but the show is incredibly overrated in my eyes). It might not have as well-developed characters or story as Bebop, but it has a world that’s just as fascinating, and a more laid back kind of fun.

Simply put: Outlaw Star is pure, simplistic, unadulterated, sci-fi fun!

3) Princess Knight (Sample Clip: Link)

As much as I enjoy Kimba The White Lion, I wouldn’t be lying if I said It might not be for everyone. More specifically, it might not be for girls. Don’t get me wrong, I think girls can watch Kimba for sure. There’s enough cutesy charm from the characters that girls can definitely get into things, but it’s masculine nature might be a turn-off for some members of the opposite sex. Enter Princess Knight: created by the same individual as Kimba (Osamu Tezuka), Princess Knight is considered by many anime experts to be the first Shojo series. While I don’t know all of the details, I can certainly say that this was a sleeper hit for me.

Right away, I could tell that it was geared far more for girls/women than boys/men. There’s far more emphasis on emotion & feelings than the typical Shonen series, the story has depth (Shonen shows don’t always have the greatest story), and the main character is a girl. That said, for a show being geared towards female anime fans, there is absolutely nothing wrong with guys watching this. In fact, I encourage all male anime fans to watch this. Yeah it’s more feminine than shows that guys typically watch, but it has a rich story, surprisingly deep characters, and an even mix between male-oriented action & female-oriented ideas. I don’t think a show in this modern age has been able to even remotely able to do this!

Princess Knight, one of the best old-school series ever made, animated by one of the most legendary of anime masters. You’re doing yourself a disservice by not watching this!

2) Tenchi Muyo (Sample Clip: Link)

Only two things prevent me from putting this series in my number 1 spot. For starters, this was yet another show that I missed back in the day. I simply didn’t have the time to watch it on a constant basis, thanks in part to my ridiculous work load in high school at that point (A potential story for another day). Secondly, and more oriented towards the story, is the sheer amount of political dickery. Trust me, if you manage to look deeper into the story of the franchise, you’ll find a horde of political maneuvering, double standards, and backdoor moments I’ve ever watched. This isn’t the primary theme of Tenchi, but it’s definitely an obvious theme, depending on the episode/series in question.

It fact, it wasn’t until recent years that I’ve actually been able to watch Tenchi Muyo. Late 2012 (September if I remember correctly) I took part in a survey from Funimation, and I was one of the people that won! As a reward, I was given the choice of two free anime. I picked Girls Bravo (Don’t Judge Me), and the recently re-released Tenchi Muyo OVA (Recent at the time). All harem series in some way owe their existence in some way to Tenchi Muyo. Whether it’s their format, the cast, the story, or some combination of the previously mentioned items. I honestly regret waiting so long to watch this series, but now that I have, I’m totally content!

Before we get to my number 1 old-school anime, I wanted to give you some of my Honorable Mentions in this category. Shows that, while very enjoyable, just didn’t make the cut. Maybe it’s because of the story, or it’s voice acting, or whatever other reason comes to mind. With that said, here they are:

HM1) Moldiver (Sample Clip: Link)
- I noticed that when I was selecting my Honorable Mentions, the one thing that each of them have in common is an aspect of obscurity (With the exception of the last one). There definitely was a time that these series were popular (Namely when they first came out), but they’ve now fallen out of the spotlight. Case in point is Moldiver: A fun 6-episode OVA, Moldiver is one of those science fiction titles that’s has some kind of infectious charm to it. There’s just some strange thing about it that makes it likable, and I don’t quite know what it is. I couldn’t put it on the list because I thought that Moldiver took a turn for the weird at about the halfway mark, and I feel that at the end of the day, it just doesn’t have enough staying power for it to be memorable for all time. Still, it’s one of those quirky titles that should be given at least a single glance.

HM2) Burn Up Franchise (Burn Up/Burn Up W/Burn Up Excess) (Sample Clip: Link)
- Among the franchises that I enjoy that really don’t stand out anymore, the Burn Up franchise is right at the top. A group of shows & OVAs that are an equal mix of humor, fanservice, drama, and tragedy, Burn Up is simply one of those franchises that had a lot of potential. If there was anything that damaged it’s potential, it would be ADV Films’s infamous “Jiggle Counter”. For those who aren’t in the know, the Jiggle Counter basically counted how many times breasts would bounce in an episode. Although it was used in a select few other series (It first showed up in Plastic Little, ironically enough), it’s appearance in this franchise was probably a detriment rather than a booster. Still, if you’d like a look at a forgotten franchise that has some entertainment factor, then the Burn Up franchise should certainly be on your list!

HM3) Sailor Moon (Sample Clip: Link)
- Ahh, Sailor Moon! I think it’s safe to say that it had a lot of weight back in the 90s to early 2000s, and it still has weight today (Thanks in part to the re-release of the original series, and due to Sailor Moon Crystal). When it made it’s first run, I had cautiously watched episodes from time to time. I say cautiously, because whenever my parents say me watching it, I would always get picked on. Not maliciously, but enough that I stopped watching. I didn’t look at another episode again, locked that period of my mind in a closet, and developed something of a hate for Sailor Moon. Flash forward to Genericon & Connecticon 2013, and curiosity directed me to go to some Sailor Moon panels, and I’m finally a fan once again. A casual fan, but a fan regardless. It’s girly charm has claimed me, and I don’t think I’ll be dropping the ball again on this show.

1) Kekko Kamen (Sample Clip: Link)

Equal parts acid trip & warped charm, Kekko Kamen is just one of those series that could have only come from the 90s. 1992, to be exact. Kekko Kamen is also one of those anime that could have only been released in the United States by ADV Films. Trust me, any of the other companies out there would have done this show an incredible disservice. Only ADV Films could have worked on this title.

If you have ever seen this OVA and hated it, I can understand. It’s incredibly lacking in taste, doesn’t show women in a good light (Apart from the main hero, and even then that’s pushing it), animation quality was alright (It’s wasn’t ugly, but there were some inconsistencies), and the voice acting was incredibly hokey. For me, It’s been my number one old-school anime for personal reasons.

On the last day of Genericon 2009, I hadn’t yet bought a DVD. I had bought a couple things (Magic cards, manga, etc), but I hadn’t come across a show I wanted. Enter Kekko Kamen: I had watched the trailer just a couple months into my first semester at HVCC in 2005, and I was beginning to get into anime a little more seriously, thanks to having an easier work load/schedule. When I finally bought the series, I knew that I finally became a full-fledged anime fan. As for the rest....well, that’s history.

So that was my top 10 old-school anime. You’ll definitely see my top 10 new-school anime, but that’ll be some time down the line. Until then, see you soon!




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Sorry for the slight delay. I have no excuse, other than I simply forgot to post this up yesterday.