First Impressions / Hayate no Gotoku! / OVA/Movie

Hayate no Gotoku! – Heaven is a Place on Earth

「ハヤテのごとく! HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH」 (Hayate no Gotoku! HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH)
“Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven is a Place on Earth”

It’s been a while since the 2nd season of Hayate no Gotoku ended, and I’ve been looking forward to the movie which premiered back in August of last year. The series has always been among my favorite harem comedies, so I watched this with high expectations, and all in all it provided what I was looking for.

Spoiler Warning: if you haven’t watched the movie yet and don’t want to know what happens, stay away from this post for now.

First Impressions / OVA/Movie / Shinkai Makoto

Hoshi o Ou Kodomo

「星を追う子ども」 (Hoshi o Ou Kodomo)
“Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below”

I honestly don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Shinkai Makoto is the most important anime director in the world. But while I’ve been arguing for years that the endless examples of him being called “The Next Miyazaki” were off base, it appears as if Shinkai-sensei may have taken them to heart.

First Impressions / Infinite Stratos / OVA/Movie

IS Infinite Stratos – OVA

「恋に焦がれる六重奏」 (Koi ni Kogareru Rokujuusou)
“Sextet Yearning for Love”

If the finale back in spring didn’t seem conclusive enough on who won the harem war over Ichika’s heart, then this OVA should definitely clear up any confusion.

Update: Added live performances from the IS One-Off Festival. HD caps uploaded too. Force a browser refresh (Ctrl+F5) to see them.

First Impressions / Gundam Unicorn / OVA/Movie

Gundam Unicorn – 04

「重力の井戸の底で」 (Juuryoku no Ido no Soko de)
“At the Bottom of the Gravity Well”

The eight-month-long wait for the fourth episode of Gundam Unicorn has been a grueling one, but it was well worth it. The movie-like production quality of this six-part OVA series hasn’t disappointed yet, nor has the complex and intricate story involving the search for the lucrative Laplace’s Box, during which Banagher tries to break the cycle of hatred between the Earth Federation and the Zeon.

First Impressions / Macross / OVA/Movie

Macross Frontier – Sayonara no Tsubasa

「恋離飛翼～サヨナラノツバサ～」 (Sayonara no Tsubasa)
“The Wings of Goodbye”

Almost one year ago, I said in my coverage of Itsuwari no Utahime that I considered a trip to Japan to coincide with the theatrical release of Sayonara no Tsubasa. I can definitively say now that it would’ve been well worth it, as the second movie shuffles the story around more and features brand-new jaw-dropping animation. Movie-quality visuals backed by an epic soundtrack by Kanno Youko and new songs by May’n and Nakajima Megumi, plus a conclusion where Alto finally picks one of the songstresses? What more could a longtime Macross fan possibly ask for?

Spoiler warning: This post (minus the screen caps) is purposely free of major spoilers. There’s no summary of the plot, the final battle, or the ending. Still, I mention some specific developments, so it’s not recommended for those who don’t want to be spoiled at all.

Deadman Wonderland / First Impressions / OVA/Movie

Deadman Wonderland – OVA

「赤いナイフ使い」 (Akai Naifu Tsukai)
“Red Knife User”

Released earlier this month with the eleventh volume of the manga, Deadman Wonderland’s OVA features an original episode centering around Kiyomasa Senji’s past as a police officer. It provides an interesting glimpse into his pre-Deadman life, something that I’ve been curious about after seeing the images in the ending sequence.

Break Blade / Final Impressions / First Impressions / OVA/Movie

Break Blade – 06 (END)

「慟哭ノ砦」 (Doukoku no Toride)
“Fortress of Lament”

After rewatching the final movie of the Break Blade series almost two months later, I still can’t shake the feeling that it lacks a sense of closure. It wasn’t all that unexpected given that the manga doesn’t conclude where the movies did, but it does leave something to be desired when Rygart, Zess, Hodr, and Sigyn’s backstory is left completely open-ended.

First Impressions / OVA/Movie

Colorful

「カラフル」
“Colorful”

As a rule, I’m not going to be blogging the same shows here on RC that I do on Lost in America, with the exception of a couple of series that I’ll be taking over from Kiiragi. But I asked to make an exception for “Colorful”. Why? Simply, because I really want this movie to get as much attention as possible. I admit it, this one is personal – I love the film and I want to promote it any way I can.