Anime Review: Beyond The Boundary

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With season 1 of Yu Yu Hakusho done at the beginning of the month, I’m finally able to get back into the swing of things when it comes to anime reviews. I won’t be reviewing shows non-stop, but I’ll put as many reviews as I can get through here in 2020. Despite the plague being everywhere still, that will not stop me from putting out content for all of you! Switching gears, today’s review is a more lighthearted series, but one that still has plenty of fun characters, fighting & emotional weight to the story. So, be sure to pay your rent on time, and keep your glasses clean, cause we’re gonna take a look at Beyond The Boundary. Let’s begin!

Story/Setup
From the Amazon Editorial Reviews blurb:

“They should never have met. They shouldn't even exist. But when they come together, the entire world will change. The last surviving member of her clan, Mirai Kuriyama is cursed with the terrifying ability to control and manipulate blood, a power so heretical that she is shunned even by those with the ability to understand her "gift". Akihito Kanbara is only half human, but while the monstrous other half of his lineage seems to have doomed him to a life alone, it has also given him near invulnerability in the form of rapid healing. Alone, their futures seem bleak, but when a chance encounter brings them together, it becomes clear that they share more than just an unexpected bond. Together they share a destiny and a mission that only the two of them together may be strong enough to survive. Beyond the world that we know, in a realm where nightmares are real and legends walk, their future awaits BEYOND THE BOUNDARY. ”

First off, I technically haven’t completely watched the show. I managed to view the 1st seven episodes, but I took a break for whatever reason, and during that break the youtube page I was following had them taken down for copyright purposes. So for the purposes of this review, I’m only going to cover what I have managed to see, and I must say I like the story that Beyond The Boundary presents. It’s simplistic, unique, emotional (Both good & sad/serious), and the world that is made is funky. It’s easy to get hooked into what the series has to offer, and you might want to stay & see what it’s all about.

Animation
Beyond The Boundary, right from the outset, is a Kyoto Animation work. Everything looks gorgeous: the colors, the background, the way people & Yomu move (Especially some of the weirder Yomu), etc. It’s a really well-made show on the visual front, and just goes to show that KyotoAni will always make a good looking series. Even if you don’t like their work, you can always enjoy how it looks.

Voice Acting
For a Sentai Filmworks dub, I’m actually pretty impressed at just how good it is. Normally a dub from this company is mediocre at best, but the voice actors here do a really good job! Primary characters sound nice, secondary sound nice, and everything else is wonderful on the sound front. If I had to pick who I think did some of the excellent dubwork on Beyond The Boundary, I’d have to go with Kira Vincent-Davis. With some of her prior work In shows like Air (Minagi Tono) & Azumanga Daioh (Ayumu Kasuga), she fills the shoes of Mirai Kuriyama quite nicely. I love the fact that she gave the character a bit of a squeaky quality to her voice in certain situations, which just makes her cuter....speaking of characters.......

Characters
As with the story, my understanding of the characters in Beyond the Boundary goes only up to episode 7, so I’ll only judge them up until that point. With that said, I like who I saw in what I watched. I do admit there is some predictability as far as relationships are concerned (*cough* the first 2 characters we meet*Cough*), but for the most I liked everybody I encountered. The most interesting were the mother/daughter duo of Ayaka & Ai Shindo. They manage a photo shop that’s actually a front for spirit warriors that come to have Youmu Stones appraised for money (Youmu are spirits that can be hostile sometimes, but for the most part live among humans peacefully. Think of the stones as the youmu’s heart). These two are unique in that they are Youmu themselves that have taken on human form, and thus interact with humanity more easily than some. They’re pretty neat, but apart from them everybody is worth your time in some way.

Availability & Pricing
Beyond The Boundary is a series that’ll have been out for a half decade this October, but it’s pretty damn easy to find. Over on Amazon, the Blu-Ray collection begins at $19.40 for a new copy, and $17.99 used. The original 3 disk version is incredibly expensive, with prices beginning at $59.98 for a new collection, and $43.45. Though I managed to find the show online through other means, I’d easily buy the Blu-Ray edition. It hurts my wallet way less!

Overall Impression & Rating
Beyond The Boundary is a fun little show. I don’t have the full picture of it, but what I did manage to watch was delightful. Gorgeous animation, coupled with a nice story & cast of characters (As far as I know), makes this anime really easy to take in. If you ever want a series that simple to watch....give this one a go, and enjoy!

Beyond The Boundary gets a 8 out of 10.

And that was my look at Beyond The Boundary. Again, I’m sorry that it isn’t completed, but I promise you that if I ever get access to the full series again, I will update this review with what I’ve missed. In the meantime, June is nearly upon us......and it seems that the power is rising. Take care!

Album Review: Sabaton's Coat Of Arms

Happy 10 year anniversary Coat of Arms!

Okay, this is only slightly false, fellow Otaku & Metalheads! The 10 year anniversary for Sabaton’s first album of the 2010s was on the 21st of May, but this slight delay won’t stop me from talking about music that planted the seeds of my eventual conversion just over a decade later. Though I didn’t understand it back in 2010, I realize now that I was listening to something genuinely special. Today, Coat of Arms ranks pretty high in my personal Sabaton list of albums, so let’s take a gander at it shall we?

Background
With The Art Of War behind them in 2008, the band toured with Hammerfall as the opening act in the early parts of 2009, and had toured with Dragonforce towards the end of that year for 18 shows in the UK. They did hope to begin recording their next album in October 2009, but with the Dragonforce tour in that month they had to delay their plans, so it was pushed to December of 09. On the 23rd of December, the band announced that their 5th album would be titled Coat of Arms, and a majority of songs would be about World War II (Including the Winter War). On their official Youtube page, they posted a video that contained the album’s art as well as an audio teaser. Finally, on the 21st of May, 2010, Coat of Arms was released to wide acclaim by fans & reviewers.

Basic Description
Warfare, History, and Metal.

Sabaton is just one of those bands that, for anyone at first, will probably be baffling. Power Metal is normally about fantasy, but to hear a band have that same happy-like/over the top nature (Take your pick) and apply historical warfare from across history makes even some metal veterans do a double-take. However, once you sit down and listen to a couple songs, you find that the mix works incredibly well, and Coat of Arms is no different in that regard. Though it doesn’t share the concept album format like Art of War did (Something I’ll comment about a little later), it makes up for that with a great collection of songs from all over WW2. The band do their best to cover a variety of battles & soldiers from across time, it’s always nice to see their mastery of World War Two shine through.

Best Track
The 1st best track has to go to the ode of the 101st Airborne Division, Screaming Eagles! Singing about the Battle of the Bulge, the song is appropriately a bombastic one: the guitars & drumwork are loud and bombastic, the keyboard is there (Though I swear I can’t hear it), and Joakim’s vocal work is fantastic. I can see why this track is a hit live, as it gets pretty much everybody moving & headbanging. I should know, as the 1st time I saw them they played this.

Screaming Eagles

Screaming Eagles (From their 2017 Tour)

The 2nd best track has to go to the vision of hell that is The Final Solution. I said it back in 2017, and my sentiments haven’t changed all that much. This is the darkest song that Sabaton has ever made, and it’s pretty obvious. A solemn ode to the Holocaust, the band are incredibly respectful during the track’s playing time. There’s no over the top feel from the instrumentation, and Joakim’s voice sort of wails in a way. Even when things pickup by the end, the band still remains humble, as the serious tone never goes away. Definitely a tear-jerker, whether on this album or live.

The Final Solution

Apart from those 2, I must give some honorable mention to Metal Ripper. The 3rd entry in the “Metal” series of songs, this one is rather special in that the band decided to use pieces of actual metal (And some rock) lyrics to compose the track. Further proof that the band love the classics that came before them, Sabaton just go all out with the instrumentation & vocal work. Curiously, I find that Metal Ripper tugs on my heartstrings quite a bit, and it almost makes me cry. Not exactly sure why it does this, save for the fact that there’s a lot of respect from the band here as well for the songs they reference. Definitely a great way to end the album!

Metal Ripper

Worst Track
Nothing.....and that’s all I’m going to say!

(I realize in hindsight that my only complaint in my overview about the band not keeping up with the concept theme was incredibly nitpicky, and a small waste of time)

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Coat of Arms

Overall Impression & Rating
Coat of Arms is just awesome! The seed planted in my brain all the way back in 2010, it took forever for the plant that was Sabaton to finally blossom into one of my most favorite bands of all time. It may have been nearly a decade in 2018 when I originally sat down to finally listen to this album, but I’m glad that I finally decided to get my hands on the record as a Christmas gift from my friend Isabelle. 3 cheers for Sabaton!

Coat of Arms gets a 10 out of 10. It earns that rating!

And that was my review of Coat of Arms. A few days off, but I hope you all liked this slightly belated decade anniversary. With that out of the way, see you in just a few short days for my 2nd anime review of May. Until then, keep your flag high!

Album Review: Battle Beast's Unholy Savior

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With my first anime review in quite a while post up a few weeks ago, I’ve gotten a bit of positive energy back into my step. Maybe not as much as prior years, but it’s back in a way. With this boost, I may have a few new ideas later on in 2020, but for now there’s a birthday today! I confess I actually missed this album’s 5-year anniversary back in January, but I’m making up for it today. So, get your sword & armor, give that picture of your sweetheart a look so it fills you with strength and courage, and enjoy my review of Battle Beast’s 3rd release, Unholy Savior. Let’s begin!

Background
Battle Beast were on top in the early 2010s. Their 1st album Steel made it to number 7 on the Finnish charts, and after some more touring their self-titled 2nd album made it to no. 5 & stayed their for 17 weeks (Not to mention charting in a few more European charts). After their second release, they would go on a tour of Europe, supporting Powerwolf & German legends U.D.O.. In January of 2014, Battle Beast was announced one of the five nominees for the best Finnish metal album in the national Emma-gaala awards (Whether they won or not, I don’t know). Despite the amount of success they were receiving, the band knew that resting on their butts was not a good idea, and after entering the studios, their third studio album was produced. Released on the 9th of January in 2015, Unholy Savior would be their highest charting album at the time, making it to number 1 on the Finnish charts, and it would stay their for 15 weeks.

Basic Description
The band’s self-titled album......2.0.

I should state that I haven’t been a fan of Battle Beast for very long. As of this typing, I’ve only been listening to them for a little over 3 years at this point. Due to these, I’m not quite as familiar with them when compared to fans that have been with the band since the very beginning. Upon encountering them during Sabaton’s tour back in 2017, I was hooked! When I sat down & listened to their 2nd album (Review link here), I was practically addicted. Upon listening to Unholy Savior for the 1st time was more of less the same thing. It was just as awesome as what came before it, but at the sametime I sort of felt that things may have been a little too much like their self-titled record. Listening to Unholy Savior a few more times just reinforced this feeling more, and that simultaneously is a good thing & a bad thing.....but I’ll elaborate on it further below. Suffice it to say, it’s fun despite it’s single problem.

Best Track
Lionheart is Unholy Savior’s Out Of Control/Into The Heart Of Danger (pick your preference). It’s fast & punchy like Out Of Control, but it also has more of the uplifting nature that Into The Heart Of Danger practically bathes in. A little more like a love song, Lionheart is the kind of song you listen you when you’re in a high fantasy world. You’re storming the castle of the evil lord, you can see the princess (Or prince, if you swing that way) in the highest tower, and your charging forth to save them. You get a big rush of adrenaline as you listen to this song, and it doesn’t let up as the tune plays.

Lionheart

However, I do wanna make some mention of the bonus tracks of this album. The 1st is a cover of Paul Engemann’s early 80s classic Push It To The Limit (Which was on Scarface’s soundtrack, btw). Perhaps even more 80s that the original version, Battle Beast’s take on it is infectious & addicting. The 2nd is also a cover, and it just so happes to be one on W.A.S.P’s classic track, Wild Child. The band & Noora Louhimo are really bringing out the previously mentioned band’s spirit as they play, and while it’s not my favorite cover, it’s not a bad one either. Curiously, the Push It To The Limit cover is available on both the limited edition and the Japanese edition, but the Wild Child cover is for the Japanese edition only. If there’s been an edition since then that has both bonus tracks released on it, please let me know!

Push It To The Limit
 
Wild Child

Worst Track
Again, Unholy Savior’s only flaw is that it doesn’t differentiate from the record before it. Not exactly the track listing, but more of the flavor of the album. Like their 2013 release, this album is drenched with 80s vibes, and filled with references to fantasy, sci-fi, anime/manga (Berserk specifically), etc. Now I got no complaints about any band that makes music with these influences (See my posts that talk about Everfrost), as I love this kind of stuff! However, you kinda need to try different things every once in a while. You kinda need to go outside your comfort zone somewhat if you want to evolve as a band. However, given what was brewing within Battle Beast back then......it’s entirely possible that they couldn’t do anything different. Given that Anton left a mere month after the album came out during a tour supporting Sabaton (Musical disagreements and other unsolvable issues within the band are often cited), there may be some weight to this theory.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Unholy Savior

Overall Impression & Rating
Unholy Savior is more or less the same as that of their self-titled monstrosity. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a good thing or a bad thing. For me I don’t mind: to this day their 2013 classic is what got me hooked onto the band, and Unholy Savior isn’t that much different from that record. It’s still geeky, nerdy, otaku-y, and heavy........and that’s all I can ask for. Certainly an album to seek out!

Unholy Savior gets a 9 out of 10.

And that was Unholy Savior. Again, not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps a little too similar to their prior release. Still, I enjoyed what I was listening to, and I hope that any of you who are interested in this release give it a go. Well, I got another anime review coming towards the end of the month, and this series is a little more recent than what I looked at a few weeks ago. See you soon!

Anime Review: Yu Yu Hakusho (Season 1)

Man, it’s been forever. Hasn’t it, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!?

Not since July of last year have I done an anime review, and I’m genuinely shocked. I’ve done a few anime related list posts, but I’m disappointed that I have reviews a show since then. In recent times, however, an old-school series has crossed my path. An old school series that I’m shocked I’ve never watched before hand......and a series that has mauled it’s way into my brain, and it’s sure as hell not leaving any time soon. So, put some tape on your knuckles, charge up your spirit gun, and get enjoy my review of Yu Yu Hakusho.....season 1. Let’s begin!

Story/Setup
Taken from the box:

“Yusuke Urameshi is nothing more than a 14-year-old trouble-causing-punk that’s always ready for a fight! But a single, selfless act results in Yusuke sacrificing his life for another person. Now, he’s given a second chance at life instead of spending time in the afterlife. Put to work as a Spirit Realm Detective with amazing powers, he’s tasked with tracking down demons and humans who desire to rule over the three realms of reality.”

If I had to describe the story of season 1, I would say that it’s the establishing of the series. I’ve never read the manga, so I don’t know how accurate the show is compared to the comic, but even with that factor things aren’t the deepest here. You’re given the basic premise, the first reveals of the world, the first bits of character development (Some of which have more than others), etc. That being said, I dug it! Season 1 doesn’t have the deepest story, but it is a nice one. It’s simple, easy to get into, and dare I say the most optimistic/happy of the 4 seasons. That’s saying something considering how violent some of the fights are.

Animation
Right away, it’s obvious that Yu Yu Hakusho is a 90s series. From the look and to the feel, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this shows comes from the last great decade of the world. At first things come across as dated as far as it’s animation is concerned, yet I find that to be part of it’s charm. There’s a lot of color used, and the visuals are actually still impressive to this day. The movement of the characters doesn’t look stiff at all, and overall things look nice. I do confess, I felt a nostalgic vibe as I watched the show. The 90s was a time of some iconic shows, and it was because of animation like you’d find in Yu Yu Hakusho that calls to me in some odd way.

Voice Acting
At first I can see why a viewer wouldn’t like the voice acting. It doesn’t come across as the most amazing, nor the most talented. However, that’s where a little bit of deception comes in. From the main characters to the secondary/side ones, everybody actually puts in a good amount of work. All of the voice actors really fit their assigned roles, and they all seem to be having fun. Christopher Sabat in particular is relishing his role as Kazuma Kuwabara, the lovable & tough dumbass of the group, as plenty of his louder moments are over the top and funny. Speaking of characters.....

Characters
Kinda like the story, the characters of Season 1 aren’t exactly the deepest around. We don’t learn everything about who we’re introduced to, save for a very select few, and even then we don’t get all of what makes them tick. That being said, I don’t think we need everything about them in the 1st season. If we got everything about the character is part 1, then there would probably be no urge to watch season 2 through 4. If anything, the characters are easier to take in because we don’t know everything about them. It makes learning about them in later seasons more fun, and it almost feels like the viewer is along for the journey. If I was to say who I like the most, I’d have to say Kuwabara. Like I said about, he is the lovable & tough dumbass among Yusuke’s small group of friends. He’s not the sharpest of the bunch, but he’s got a hell of a right hook, and he’s actually a pretty caring person despite wanting to punch a lot of stuff. Always loved characters like this!

Availability & Pricing
Thanks to the Funimation remaster/re-release from a few years ago, you can still find Season 1 with plenty of regularity. Over on Amazon, the price for the standard DVD collection is a nice $19.99 for a new copy (Starts at $12.70 for used), and a little more expensive at $27.99 for a Blu-Ray edition (Starts at $19.78 for used). Both prices are pretty easy on the wallet, and while I bought my copy at FYE a few years ago (The cost escapes me), I probably would have gone for either if I found them on Amazon beforehand.

Overall Impression & Rating
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 1 is just a load of fun! A lot of action, a good bit of character buildup & interaction, and a simplistic story make it really easy to dive into and watch. It may not have the deepest lore (That’s for later seasons), nor does the cast have the most developed backgrounds (Save for a select few), but I don’t think it needs to be in the 1st season. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed finally getting into part 1 of this classic show, and I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t watched it yet. It’s definitely worth your time!

Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 1 gets a 9 out of 10.

At that was my look at the 1st season of one of the most iconic fighting anime in existence! I’m sorry that it took me so long to get to it, and I’m sorry that I haven’t done an anime review in almost a year. I hope to get some more done this year, and in fact....I might have one done by the end of the month. I have other posts in the meantime, but I hope you’re excited for what I have at the end of May. Until then!