Metal Overview: Nocturnus

Happy Halloween once again, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Time for our second metal overview treat, and have I got a band for you! Much like Alcatrazz from back in May, today’s group is rather obscure, and it’s a crying shame that they are. In the early years of the formation of Death Metal, this group was already unique & ahead of the curve. The band appropriately in question.....is Nocturnus.

Yes, Nocturnus! Ever since their founding, this short-lived Death Metal band was unique for their usage of keyboards, which was practically unknown in the realm of Extreme Metal, and for their science-fiction themed lyrics, which was also unknown. Even after the breakup in 2002, Nocturnus still maintains a cult following of loyal fans, who continue to spread the word of this special Death Metal band. This will go by as quickly as my look at Alcatrazz, but this gem will shine just as bright. So get into your personal spaceship, blast your enemies into gory piles, and enjoy a look into the short-lived act Nocturnus. Engage!

The Key (1990)(Album)

The origins of Nocturnus begin all the way back in the 80s. 1987 to be exact. After the breakup of his band Incubus, drummer & vocalist Mike Browning assembled a group of his own: composed of former Incubus guitarist Gino Marino, former Agent Steel bassist Richard Bateman, and a second guitarist by the name of Vincent Crowley. This original lineup recorded one self-titled demo in 87, but shortly after Crowley left the band to join another (Acheron), and was replaced by 18-year old Mike Davis, a guitar prodigy & cousin of Gino Marino. Bateman quit shortly afterwards as well, joining Nasty Savage in the process.

After Bateman’s departure, in 1988 the band added new bassist Jeff Estes, and a keyboardist by the name of Louis Panzer. The addition of Panzer made the band unique within the Death Metal scene, providing an atmosphere that enhanced their science fiction theme & lyrics. This lineup managed to put out a demo by the name of Science of Horror, but in 1989, Marino quit the band. In his stead, Davis’s longtime friend & neighbor Sean McNenney. Together, Davis & Sean’s technical playing became another focus of Nocturnus.

In 1989, thanks in part to his friendship with Morbid Angel’s guitarist Trey Azagthoth, Browning managed to get Nocturnus signed to Earache Records. Recording with producer Tom Morris, the band released their debut album The Key in August of 1990. The theme & story was quite original: blending sci-fi and the occult, The Key tells the story of a cyborg, who time travels to 0 B.C., destroys Christianity, and in the process creating a modern empire.

The album was a surprising success, managing to eventually sell 70,000 copies worldwide. Sadly however, bassist Jeff Estes developed a drinking problem during this album’s production, which in turn caused his bass playing to deteriorate. So much so that Mike Davis ended up playing a majority of the bass on the album. Estes was eventually replaced with Jim O'Sullivan, and after the band toured on the Grindcrusher tour in support of The Key, but Jim departed not long after their tours were done.

Best Track? Destroying The Manger hands down! Perhaps one of the most controversial songs in Metal’s history, this track’s message of destroying the manger in which Jesus was cradled certainly got some people spooked. However, it’s not quite as insulting as some would say, despite it’s nature. There’s a nice keyboard buildup at the beginning, and then the listener is pushed right into a pit of furious guitar playing & drum work, all the while hearing Mike Browning describe everything that’s going on. I like a little spice in my music sometimes, and this just has the right amount of it.

Destroying The Manger

Worst Track? Much like any story-driven album (Metal or Otherwise), it’s kind of hard to pick things apart, positive or otherwise. To be honest, I like everything on here. The sci-fi & keyboard makes the Death Metal aspects come across as hokey, but on the whole The Key is a fantastic record, and serves as a nice alternative to the more traditional offerings of Extreme Metal of the time. Next album!

Thresholds (1992)(Album)

With the success of The Key, it seemed to be a bright future for Nocturnus. However, dark times were coming. In 1992 the band decided to get a full-time vocalist, although Browning was allowed to focus on drumming, and Earache promised the group a music video if they got a “Real” vocalist. Said vocalist came in the form of former Tortured Soul vocalist Dan Izzo, and  new bassist Chris Anderson to play with them for their 2nd album, Thresholds. With Browning focused more on the drums, Thresholds went in a far more space and sci-fi oriented direction when it came to lyrics. As far as instrumentation was concerned, things weren’t quite as intense, but things where made up in terms of diversity. There was an instrumental track, employment of acoustic guitars, and exotic forms of percussion.

Released on May 26, 1992 in the UK, and August the 18th here in the States, Thresholds didn’t sell quite as good as it’s predecessor (Mostly because of the direction it took), but fans & critics were generally favorable towards the album, with tracks like Arctic Crypt and Subterranean Infiltrator becoming fan favorites. During this time, Nocturnus got a new permanent bassist by the name of Emo Mowery, who’s prior commitment was for the band Malediction.

However, with this new acquisition, things continued to worsen for Nocturnus. There was a European tour for Thresholds, but the band was unsatisfied with Earache’s lack of promotion of the album, leading them to make little money off the tour. Things escalated even more when they came back to the United States: musical differences between Mike Browning and the rest of the band became more and more apparent, with the pinnacle of these differences being Sean McNenney and Louis Panzer, behind Browning’s back, ensuring rights to the bandname Nocturnus, which they also signed Mike Davis onto, but not Izzo or Mowery. Browing got fired shortly after this action, and to this very day there is bad blood between the McNenney/Panzer and Browning camps, and he was replaced by James Marcinek.

Best Track? For me it’s a tie between the atmospheric instrumental Nocturne in Bm, and the underwater brutality of Aquatica. The former sounds like something space marines would listen to during a voyage through the void, with the thoughts of war brooding in their minds. The later track comes across as simultaneously brutal yet ethereal. The sounds of water are sprinkled all over the song, but when things aren’t drowning in wetness, you’re treated to a sonic assault the likes of which have rarely been heard since 1992. A wonderful treat, if I say so myself!

Nocturne in Bm

Aquatica

Worst Track? This entire album is fantastic, not a bad song in sight! If one wanted to be nitpicky about Thresholds, one would complain about the slight bent more towards the prog side that the band experimented with in their first record. I don’t have a problem with this, as both Prog & Death Metal lend a lot to each other, and in the process create a fantastic record. If you like your Death Metal a bit on the stranger side, then Thresholds is the album for you!

Ethereal Tomb (1999)(Album)

With the new lineup, Nocturnus began recording new songs for a 3rd album, which included tracks like "Mummified", "The Invertebrate Plague", "The Great Spot", and "Orbital Decay", and all of these tracks were written by the combined efforts of Davis, McNenney, and Panzer. Unfortunately, Nocturnus began to lose label support from Earache as their contract was dropped around this time. The band eventually released a 2 song & self-titled EP in 1993, which included the track Mummified, along with a recycled song by the name of “Possess The Priest”. Unfortunately, Panzer, McNenney, and Marcinek all departed the band after this, and Nocturnus was effectively split-up, and the band members basically fell off the grid (Except for Mike Davis). However.....

In the late 90s, Sean McNenney and Louis Panzer started up again, creating some ambient metal riffage. Thinking that this new material could work for a brand new Nocturnus album, Mike Davis and Emo Mowery were brought back onto the project, along with their new drummer Rick Bizarro, and on October 1, 1999, Ethereal Tomb was released. Sadly, Ethereal Tomb was the last album from Nocturnus to be made, as the group broke up for good in 2002.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between Orbital Decay (The opening track) and Outland (The closing track). With the former song, I can picture the same space marines that were listening to Nocturne in Bm on Thresholds entering the orbit of a hostile planet, headbanging to this track. Outland is a pure instrumental track: there’s a breathtaking quality to everything despite the brutality in the first portion, and a mystical/astral presence comprising the second portion. I can picture a starship sailing through the milky way, and this track just echos throughout the void as they sail on.

Orbital Decay

Outland

Worst Track? If there was any problem with Ethereal Tomb, it would be the rather clean sound production. With their previous 2 records, there was a rawness to the sound that melded with the sci-fi flavor. Here, everything is much more crystal clear, ruining how gritty the last two albums were. Ethereal Tomb is still a heavy release full of headbanging riffage, but it's cleanliness is a little off putting.

Ethereal Tomb. Maybe a little more pure in terms of sound, but the overall quality of the music is still fantastic to listen to. If you like your Death Metal a bit cleaner, then this record might be what you’re looking for.

And that was a look at the obscure Nocturnus. Unique for their time, the band’s influenced has managed to touch a few bands, and still has a cult following to this day. If you like Death Metal, and you’re a fan of the funkier side of music, these sci-fi slayers might be for you.

Well, Halloween has come & gone here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog, but we’ve got November coming, and it’s time for perhaps my biggest overview yet. It’s time......for the month of Motörhead.

Metal Overview: Ghost

Happy Halloween, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Have I got a treat for you today! Usually some people during this holiday are quite the tricksters, but I’m gonna give you all something sweet. A spooky metal overview, to be exact. It’s rather quick, but chockful of great music at the same time. This band’s only been producing material since the 2010s, but they’ve already left quite an impression. So put on your Sunday best, get your prayers ready, and have a look at the Swedish sensation Ghost. Enjoy!

Opus Eponymous (2010/2011)

Sometimes the origins of a band can be ironic & funny, and Ghost is no exception. Originally founded in 2006 when the band members were in different groups, a nameless ghoul (the masked band members that are on instruments & keyboard) said that he played a riff that would become a song on their first album (Stand By Him). He went on to say that "I said that this is probably the most heavy metal riff that has ever existed ... When the chorus came to me, it haunted my dreams. Every time I picked up the guitar, I ended up playing that progression, and when I fit the words in, it seemed to cry out for a Satanically-oriented lyric."

Upon picking the name Ghost and acquiring their first singer (An anonymous man later called Papa Emeritus, who’s character is a “Demonic Anti-Pope”), the band decided to use their love of horror films & the traditions of “Scandinavian Metal” in the imagery of the group. Another nameless ghoul said that “Everything started with a bunch of songs. We knew very early that to make this material work we needed to fulfill our dream of putting a horror show together with music.” In 2010, Ghost produced a three-track demo and the vinyl-only single "Elizabeth” (More on that in a sec). Later on, the group released their first record, Opus Eponymous (Latin for The Self-Titled Work), on October the 18th (January 2011 in the U.S. & April 2011 in Japan) the album was released. Opus Eponymous was met with universal praise, both in their native Sweden & worldwide.

Best Track? Elizabeth was always a song I remembered when Opus Eponymous was over with. Dealing with the subject matter of Elizabeth Bathory, this track seems reminiscent of 60s/70s rock, as there a fair bit of organ work that’s being played, and the way the guitar & drums are used as well. Emeritus the First isn’t speaking behind his pulpit, as this song isn’t that religious, but the way he weaves his words is oddly hypnotizing. Downright bloody, Elizabeth is a fun song to listen to, especially when it’s so close to All Hallow’s Eve.

Elizabeth

Worst Track? Papa Emeritus the First I thought had weak vocal work. He’s got strength behind his voice, but I don’t know if it’s me, but he doesn’t seem to put all of said strength into his singing. As such, the album might not leave a complete impression on the first go through. Apart from this one issue, Opus Eponymous is not a bad album, and actually makes a good first impression. However, the album that was to come......would definitely leave an impact upon the Heavy Metal scene.

Infestissumam (2013)

Translated from Latin as very or most hostile (Used as a reference to the Anti-Christ), Infestissumam was released on April the 10th, 2013 (April 16th here in the states). This record was important to Ghost for a number of reasons: the band was signed to an American record company (Universal Records), the band changed their outfits & lead singer (Papa Emeritus the 2nd, later revealed as Tobias Forge of Magna Carta Carte), debuted at no. 28 on the Billboard 200, and sold 75,000 copies by November of last year. However, Infestissuman wasn’t without some controversy....

You see, Ghost has a fondness for the usage of Satanic & devilish imagery within their music. In fact, their first record ended with the track “Genesis”, and represented a coming darkness as the band said in a interview. The interview in question also stated that “Everything on the first record was about a coming darkness, an impending doom. Whereas the new record is about something present, and literally, the new record deals with the presence of the Anti-Christ, the Devil. But subliminally, the meaning of it is more how mankind-- predominantly men-- what they have deemed to be the presence of the Devil, throughout history and even nowadays. And that’s why the record is so fueled with sexual themes and females. That’s basically it, the Inquisition was basically men accusing women of being the Devil just because they had a hard-on for them.”

This theme didn’t help matters, as Ghost recorded Infestissumam down in Tennessee, and that state is quite religious. In fact, the band had trouble looking for a choir to sing with them, given the album’s theme. Ghost would be met with religious controversy again later on: Kuma’s Corner added a hamburger named after the band. One of the ingredients for the burger was a communion wafer, and local Catholic institutions have called it “tasteless”. The owner has refused, saying that it’s “Tasty & Popular”.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between Year Zero & the concluding song, Monstrance Clock. The former song is simultaneously sinister & bombastic, with a dark kind of sensuality being spread around by Emeritus the 2nd & the Nameless Ghouls. Monstrance Clock comes across as a piece from a gospel rock opera: Papa Emeritus II is standing behind his pulpit, speaking to the listener with a conviction that just seems to resonate with one’s soul. There’s no tricky with his voice, but you get the sense that he has another purpose behind his singing.

Year Zero

Monstrance Clock

Worst Track? While the vocal work was upgraded when they picked up Papa Emeritus II, it seemed that one problem was traded for another. Instead of a whispy-like voice, Papa Emeritus II comes across as more nasily with his vocal work. Some songs don’t have this quirk very much, but others make this very apparent (My favorite & best tracks, for example). I wouldn’t call this a detriment, but it is a little annoying.

Infestissumam. A far stronger release than Opus Eponymous, and (In my view) marks Ghost’s real reveal to the word. Absolutely recommended, and now for the next album!

Meliora (2015)

Riding upon the success of Infestissumam, Ghost began making their 3rd album at the end of 2014. The spacey theme that became the identity of Meliora actually had it’s origins a month prior to their tour for Infestissumam, a Nameless Ghoul was trying out a new guitar rig during a rehearsal. As the ghoul said: “The guitar rig had a "spacey echoed" effect that made a guitar riff sound futuristic & sci-fi.” At that point, the ghoul had the idea for the new album. Another ghoul said that “Because guitar work took a backseat on Infestissumam, the band focused on guitar riffs from the beginning of the new album.” He went on to explain that this was partially achieved by having four different guitars, each played through three different amps, making four performances going through 12 amplifiers. 2 Gibson SGs (One from the early 80s, and the other from the 60s), a 1962 Gibson Les Paul & a Fender Telecaster. After getting the right producer (Klas Åhlund, known for his work with pop singers), the band continued working, and on August 21, 2015, Meliora was released.

Continuing with the religious theme alongside the sci-fi aspect (Opus Eponymous was about the birth/coming of the Antichrist, Infestissumam dealt with the Antichrist’s presence, and Meliora was about the absence of God), Ghost changed up their physical image, and switched out their singer. In this case, the new singer was Papa Emeritus the 2nd’s younger brother (More on this in a bit). As for lyrical content, a nameless ghoul had this to say:

“The lyrics deal with the void that happens when there is no god, when there is no one there to help you. But even then, there will always be some fucker there to give you guidance. And the band is basically portrayed as the religious party that comes in there with a guiding hand. We offer the one place in the world that is spiritual”

Another band member said this:

“It was "more about the modern man and woman in their pursuit of purpose in life. It's hard to live in a society if you're not willing to buy that you are in a collective, yet usually in the Western world, there is a big disregard for individual responsibility”

Best Track? Another 2-way tie, between the glorious Majesty and the highly religious Absolution. Majesty is quite rhythmic, even during the louder portions, and Emeritus the 3rd’s vocal work slides along with the instrumentation, making for a great fit! Absolution comes across as kind of a Monstrance Clock 2.0: Papa is standing behind his pulpit, speaking out to his flock. This song, however, comes across as a bit darker, almost nihilistic in a sense. A little bit of merriment can be had, due in part to the beat & cheesy keyboard used in parts.

Majesty

Absolution

Worst Track? Ultimately, there isn’t that much of a difference between Papa Emeritus II & Emeritus the 3rd. In fact, Emeritus III was the 2nd’s younger brother, and there’s no real notable difference because of this. Emeritus the 3rd comes across as a little more youthful than his older brother, but that’s about the only thing I can complain about.

Meliora. Similar to it’s predecessor, but different at the same. If Infestissumam wasn’t quite your thing, then give this record a go. Next album!

Popestar EP (2016)

Released only a month ago on the 16th, info on this EP is limited. It should be noted, however, that my favorite track actually got released 4 days earlier as a music video (More on this in a sec). Following the release, Ghost has started touring in the United States to promote the ridiculously named Popestar. This EP is a nice nugget of music, with 1 brand new tune, and 4 covers.

Best Track? Square Hammer is easily the best thing on here, Mixing the hokiness of old-school horror films, with a healthy touch of Heavy Metal & Rock, and you have a great recipe for a fantastic song. In many ways it comes across as a extension of their material from Meliora, and this makes sense because Emeritus the III & the 3rd-generation Nameless Ghouls have returned. The video just adds on the cheese, as the band made a art-deco tribute to horror films. The atmosphere provided by both the song & the video mix together, and the end result is nothing more than magic!

Square Hammer

Worst Track? The band’s cover of Missionary Man is about the only thing I can complain about. It’s clear that Ghost loves the track, and they’re putting in a lot of soul, but for some reason I don’t like how the track feels. Either Emeritus is trying too hard to sound like Annie Lennox, or I’m just missing something. It’s not a horrendous tune, but maybe it should have been on a bonus cd for their next album.

Missionary Man

Popestar. A tasty little morsel, that functions as a nice appetizer before the feast next year. Do yourself a favor, and grab this!

And that was my look at the sensation known as Ghost. If this is how they started out their career, then I & the rest of the fan can expect nothing but good things from this group in the future. Join me Halloween day, when I’ll have a second overview put up, taking a look at a Death Metal band that’s sadly become obscure in this modern time. Until then, hope your day gets a little more spooky!

Anime or Manga: Which is Better (Rosario + Vampire)

I have to admit, this one was easy fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

I’ve known about today’s subject matter for a long time. If you recall from my top-10 anime: new school edition post, I discovered Rosario + Vampire the anime due to my friend Amanda back in 2007. For the most part, I enjoyed it. Granted, I liked the anime for pervy reasons (I’ll get to this in a bit), but I liked it all the same. Then I found the manga around 2009, and boy of boy did I suffer some whiplash! There hasn’t been many times where I came across an anime, only to find that the manga is so diametrically opposite.

So, for the second time this year, it’s time to find out which is better. The anime or the manga? Let’s begin!

Story
The base core of the anime & manga’s story is essentially the same: Tsukune Aono is an average joe that can’t get into local high schools because of his grades. His folks enroll him in a private school (Yokai Academy), only for him to find out that it’s a school for monsters (Not monster girls.....sadly). He bumps into Moka Akashiya, who shortly after their encounter reveals that she’s a vampire, and become friends. Over the course of time, more supernatural women cross Tsukune’s path, becoming friends with him in the process. However, trouble brews, and it’s up to Tsukune & his paranormal harem to solve the problem.....and that’s where the two are the same.

The difference’s between the two, however, are radically different! For starters, the story within the anime is considerably watered down when compared to the manga it’s based on. The comic has a surprising amount of depth, good characters, and a mood & atmosphere that comes across as life-like & realistic. With the anime, we have something completely different. With the show, we have a far more watered-down version of the comic’s story. Things are focused much more on the romantic comedy aspects, and with a shocking amount of unnecessary fan-service. If any of you know me, you’ll be surprised by that statement. This watering down of everything trickles to all the other components, but suffice it to say this isn’t good.

Things are worse when it gets to season 2! The 2nd season is basically an extension of the first season: same characters, same setting, etc. If anything, the second season of the show continues to use a weakened version of season 1's, and just cherry-picks pieces of what the animators & editors liked from the 2nd season of the manga.

Setting
The one thing that doesn’t completely change is the setting. Both the anime & the manga take place at Yokai Academy, the school where monsters go. What is different is where both mediums go: whereas the anime seems to stick to mostly the school & a few select places, the manga goes all over the place, and has a far more dynamic world. You’ve still got the school, but you’ve got Tsukune’s home, the beach, the forest & a field of sunflowers, and so many other places. Because of this, the world of Rosario + Vampire in it’s manga form is much more believable & alive.

Characters
Oooookay, where to begin.

If the story was watered-down, then Rosario + Vampire’s characters are almost a drought! So much was sucked out of all the characters in the anime, they are practically shells of their former selves. Tsukune, for example, comes across as far more spineless & whimpy, although he has a moment to shine on occasion. Moka comes across as way more girly in her normal form, and just a generic Tsundere in her greater form. Kurumu comes across as a valley girl in the anime, a far cry from her manga counterpart. Yukari the witch isn’t completely different from her anime incarnation, but does act a bit on the childish side. Mizore is a lot like Yukari in that she’s not completely different, but the anime focuses much more on her stalker side. And that’s just the main anime cast!

Side characters are all over the place. Some remain truer to their manga counterpart, but others might as well be new characters completely. It’s a incredible disservice, as the cast of Rosario + Vampire is one of the best sets of modern manga characters. A shame!

Speaking of radically different...

Mood & Atmosphere
Wow. Just wow!

The anime is a far cry from it’s manga counterpart. There’s much more of a morally-grey/realistic vibe, but still has plenty of room for some lighthearted & comedic moments. It feels believable, much like it’s setting. With the anime, oh hell no! There is far less danger, far fewer threats to the character’s livelihood, and focuses far more on the brighter side of things. Because of it’s focus on the comedy, romance, and fanservice, there’s something sickeningly sunny about everything. Even when it does get serious, something goofy or lighthearted always seems to happen not long after. While I’m normally not a fan of stories with a morally grey edge (Long story), something about having that along the lighter sides of the manga makes for some interesting reading material.

So Which Is Better
Rosario + Vampire could have......no, it should have had a great anime! The manga is awesome, and despite being a Shonen title, has a surprising amount of universal appeal. So with this potential, you would think that it would translate over to an animated medium. You are wrong! I had the misfortune of watching both seasons a year prior to discovering the manga, and I’ve been regretting it ever since. Maybe in bursts the anime is fine, but if you’ve read the comic, you will want to stay away unless you’re morbidly curious.

Rosario + Vampire: The manga wins over the anime hands down!

Now that I’ve got this out of the way, it’s time for some Halloween-themed Heavy Metal! So tune in next week, when I’ve got 1 of 2 spooky metal overviews for you. Until then, hope things don’t suck!

Anime Review - XXXholic

 Welcome back to Halloween 2016, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Last week I took a look at the cult classic, Elfen Lied. A show with potential, it ultimately didn’t tap into that potential, yet still remains a mildly entertaining series. Today’s show, however, is something different. It’s a cerebral show like Elfen Lied, but removes the disturbing violence, and maybe doesn’t quite as pretentious. It has it’s own faults, but they really don’t inpact how great this show is. So sit back, throw some salt over your shoulder, and take a look at my review for the CLAMP classic, XXXholic.

Story/Setup
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student plagued by yokai and ayakashi spirits, both of which are invisible to everyone else but him. The series begins when Watanuki stumbles, seemingly by chance, into a shop that grants wishes. The shop is owned by Yuko Ichihara, a mysterious witch of many names and esoteric renown. For a price, she offers to grant Watanuki's wish to be rid of the spirits. The price, according to Yuko, must be of equal value; so, as payment, he must become Yuko's temporary, part-time cook and housekeeper. While his established job consists of household chores, Yuko increasingly sends him on errands of a supernatural or spiritual nature as the series develops. Himawari Kunogi, Watanuki's love interest, and Shizuka Domeki, a classmate whom Watanuki initially detests, occasionally join him in his work as per Yuko's request. The three become increasingly close, and though Watanuki is often annoyed with Domeki, he grows to value the new friendships he makes and his life at the wish shop.”

I should point out that XXXholic the anime has a far more watered down story than it’s manga counterpart. The connections to Tsubasa (The series XXXholic is nominally connected too) are effectively gone, and instead exists in it’s own world. As someone that’s never watched Tsubasa I don’t have a problem with this, but for those who like both series, this will be a sticking point. As for the XXXholic material itself, it uses nowhere near as much as the manga: with the show, it only reaches up to a point earlier on in the comic. This is my sticking point, as while I haven’t read all of the manga, it’s obvious that the show doesn’t quite dip into the lore as much. This also impacts the characters, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Animation
CLAMP has always been a studio where they’ve made fantastic looking stuff. Anime, Manga, doesn’t matter. With the case of XXXholic, they succeed at making a show that’s simultaneously dark & gothic, yet beautiful & inviting. There’s a great usage of color throughout this entire show, and the human characters are all wirery & spider-like with their movement, yet their motions somehow feel natural. The various spirits, demons, and monsters that populate this show have various forms that range from horrific, to mysterious, to essentially human (The Kitsune come to mind). The world of XXXholic is great to look at as well, with more realistic places like the city & school coming across as natural, and areas like Yuko’s shop having an aura of the supernatural. Great job all around!

Voice Acting
Unlike last week’s show, the voice acting in XXXholic is pretty consistent throughout the series. Outside of a minor character or two, pretty much everybody put on a good performance. Todd Haberkorn brings a lighthearted & serious nature to Watanuki, and Colleen Clinkenbeard’s depiction of Yuko is equal parts wise, tough, & silly. All of the other voice actors are great as well: Cherami Leigh’s depiction of Himawari is kind & loving, and J. Michael Tatum provides a stoic & solemn voice to Watanuki’s companion, Shizuka Domeki. It’s pleasant to hear a modern anime where a majority of the voice acting is of a good quality.

Characters
As with the story, the characters of XXXholic have been altered as well. In defense, their core natures haven’t been touched: Watanuki is still kind, Yuko is still wise, etc. Again, with the Tsubana connection taken away, something is....missing with everybody. They’re still enjoyable to watch, and their personalities are right on target, but something seems missing. Again, I’ve never read or watched Tsubasa, so this isn’t a problem for me. Those who’ve read Tsubasa & watched the anime, this will be another point of complaining.

Availability & Pricing
I bought my copy of XXXholic way back in 2010 (Connecticon 2010, if I remember right), and it was a measly 20 dollars! A good price, if I say so myself. Luckily, you can grab this show for a little bit cheaper, as it’s under Funimation’s S.A.V.E. program. Over on Amazon, a copy of XXXholic can go for as low as 16 dollars. This makes this show incredibly affordable, and won’t damage your wallet.

Overall Impression & Rating
XXXholic definitely shines over last week’s series. It’s serious, but it knows when to be lighthearted & silly. Characters can sometimes be dark, but nobody really wallows in that darkness. There’s a message to be had, but it’s not hammered into your head. Even the story, despite my issues with it & the changes to the characters, is great! I honestly enjoy watching XXXholic, flaws & all. If you’re looking for a good spirit-themed anime, then this should be high up on the list.

XXXholic get a 9 out of 10.

And that was XXXholic. Way less disturbing than Elfen Lied, yet still having that cerebral aspect that makes certain shows special. See you all next week, when a rather easy “Anime or Manga: Which is Better?” will reveal itself. Until then, may the cold air of October glide over you.

Anime Review - Elfen Lied

Welcome to October, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Unlike last year, I planned this month to be filled with spooky reviews. The kind of stuff that are perfect for this month. To start things off......I’ve got a tough one. I’ve known about this series for over a decade (Around 2005, if I remember correctly), but have never really had the courage to watch it until now. I probably won’t be watching this show again for a long time, simply because of how disturbing it was. In any case, grab an umbrella & your nearest teddy bear, prepare your happy place, and let’s take a look at the cult series Elfen Lied. Enjoy?

Story/Setup
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Elfen Lied takes place in Kamakura, Japan, and focuses on the "Diclonius", a newly mutated species. Their appearance is similar to humans, but with several differences, namely horn-like protrusions on the forehead and the presence of telekinetic invisible arms called "Vectors". One such Diclonius, Lucy, is the main character of the series: Initially held in a facility built for experimentation, located off the coast of Kamakura, she manages to escape and wreak havoc, but is injured in the process, an event which causes her to develop a secondary, childlike personality known as Nyu.

Lucy is found by two locals, Kohta, who studies at the local university, and his cousin Yuka. They take her in, and become involved with the numerous, often brutal, attempts to recapture her by a Special Assault Team and a number of other Diclonius, who shift frequently from oblivious to murderous.”

Alright, before I talk about the other things involved, I should point out two things that Elfen Lied seems to focus on. Frequently, might I add. These two things......are violence....and abuse. I’ll be talking about abuse first.

With perhaps the exception of some of the bad guys, and maybe one or two of the nicer characters (More on this in the “Characters” section later on), practically everyone in some form or another have been abused. In some circumstance it’s as simple as getting shoved around or teased a little, and at worse......well, let’s just say one of the female characters has to wear a diaper to school because of how much trauma she’s suffered (Although this is elaborated much more in the manga). As the show goes on, rarely a moment goes by without some form of abuse is seen. It’s downright horrific to see what so many of these characters have gone through. Speaking of horrific....

Next up is violence. This is perhaps the second component that make watching & reviewing this show so difficult. It seems that nobody is safe from getting killed, often in the most unimaginable ways. Men get killed, Women are mutilated, and even children aren’t safe from suffering from some ungodly form of execution. Even if no-one is falling off their mortal coil, characters can still suffer through some form of excruciating pain. Hence, why this aspect blends in with the theme of abuse that flows through Elfen Lied. The violence & abuse that the children in this show go through......yeah, I’m not gonna talk about it further.

With all of this story going around, you’d think things would be fleshed out & developed, and you’d be.....partially right. Elfen Lied sticks it’s blood-covered toes into some interesting ideas, but it really doesn’t dive into the pool. It seems to want to talk about it’s themes & message, but only seems to touch on them in doses. The “Humanity has a natural predator” theme does have an interesting ring to it, but it’s not written well, and comes across as more hokey than anything. There’s other plot points that don’t make much sense as well, or they weren’t really necessary (The beating of the puppy.....I’ll leave it at that). It’s frustrating, as I was watching Elfen Lied, I could see something glimmer under the water. It just wasn’t afraid to surface. Even the abuse elements in the anime seemed to be scaled back in comparison to it’s manga counterpart.

Animation
Elfen Lied’s animation looks surprisingly well for it’s time. By the time the show came out way back in 2004, it was apparent that computer animation for anime was taking hold. The way it all looks edited comes across as if computers were in control....for the most part. There’s a hand-drawn ascetic that can be found in plenty of the scenes. Especially in the less sci-fi areas of the show’s world, there’s just something nostalgic about seeing more natural drawn aspects, especially our main characters’s house. In a way it complements the black & white nature of the story, for good or for ill.

Voice Acting
The voice acting in Elfen Lied is a mix between meh, and good. Many of the more “Meh” voices are typically among the secondary characters, although Kohta has his moments of “Okay” as far as voice acting is concerned. Apart from this, Elfen Lied’s voice acting isn’t that bad. It’s definitely not one of ADV Films’s better examples of voice work, but I wouldn’t call it criminally awful. Chances are, if you have a preference for dubs, it’s not horrific.

Characters
Okay, um wow.....where to begin.

If there is anytime where I approve of the wanton abuse & violence, it would be when the bad people suffer. Half of the time in Elfen Lied, the people that get slaughtered & mutilated are some of the most wicked individuals ever to populate an anime. While I enjoy the scum of this show getting barbarically slain, too many of them seem over-the-top in their vile nature. Case in point: in a flashback, 3 grade-school boys are picking on Lucy when she’s younger. After picking on her, they bludgeon a puppy she loves, and then Lucy snaps, killing the boys. This over-the-top evil only serves to make Lucy more sympathetic as she goes on a killing spree, and this happens constantly with the various scumbag of the day showing up.

This is tragic, as there are legitimately kindhearted characters in Elfen Lied. Problem is, many of them don’t have much time to shine, as they’re often the target of violence as well. In their case, it’s often because of a mistake, or they had the unfortunate circumstance of meeting one of the’s show’s various pricks. This is ultimately what makes me angry when watching Elfen Lied: this is a show that revels in cruelty, wallows in abuse & horrific violence.......and in the process, constantly dangles the hope carrot inches from your face. In something mindlessly violent like Violence Jack (Trust me. That show will get covered.......eventually.), where everybody’s getting gutted left & right, it’s not necessarily offensive, as it’s not trying to put a message in your head. With this? This overwhelming cruelty vs motes of good motif has always been preachy, and Elfen Lied is attempting to be a moral as possible.

Availability & Pricing
For the longest time, Elfen Lied was difficult to come by. It was an ADV Films title from the mid-2000s, and if you know anything about that company, you’ll know it’s had to find their stuff from this time. I somehow managed to snag a copy from a used video game store for close to 40 dollars. It was in shockingly good condition for it’s age, and that’s always a surprise. However.....

As recently as September 3rd of 2013, Elfen Lied has been re-released on Blu-Ray/DVD, with the ADV Films tag curiously on the front (Sentai Filmworks is the new laber owner). Pricing is actually pretty fair, costing only a little over 27 dollars for starting price. It may be redundant to buy a copy if you already have an original ADV Films version, but considering many of these older copies are probably rather worn, a second & newer copy might be a smart idea.

Overall Impression & Rating
Elfen Lied is.....is certainly something. There is potential in this show, most definitely. There is character, there is story, and hell, there’s even a message that tries to come through! However, thanks to some confusing writing, and some half-assed implementation of it’s message, the potential of Elfen Lied never truly shines. This definitely isn’t the be all & end all the cult following says it is, but it’s not quite the monster it’s detractors describe it. At best, it’s a mildly entertaining show with untapped potential, and a mildly meh to above average series at it’s worse. 

On a good day, I’ll give Elfen Lied a 7 out of 10. Bad day? Probably a 5.5 to 6 out of 10.

So this was Elfen Lied. Definitely one of the harder anime to watch & review, but a strangely good challenge at the same time. Luckily, the show coming next week won’t be so painful to watch & review. I’ll see you all then!



***
If you can stomach it, here’s a playlist of the show. Enjoy?

Elfen Lied (Series)