As you many know Closer is the latest Naruto Shippuuden Opening (and my fav till now).

Tracklist:
01. Closer
02. Gravity
03. 考えたくない ~Can a guy talk all night ~
04. Closer -Naruto オープニング ver.-
05. Closer -’ケリオキ’ ver.- (Karaoke)

Thanks Sazabi for this!
You can download this by clicking HERE.
*NOTICE* – If you cant see the link, gives you a permission error it just means you need to post more in the forums. So what are you waiting for? Participate ^^.

Quick Stats

Title: Freedom (OVA)
Directed by: Shuhei Morita; Character Design by Katsuhiro Otomo
Total # eps: 7
Opening Theme: “This is Love”, Hikaru Utada
Genres: romance, sci-fi, adventure
Released:2006-2008
Fansubbing: Licensed; Image courtesy of Bandai Entertainment

The Story
In the year 2041, mankind created their first space colony on the moon. But after a freak cataclysm devastated human civilization on Earth, the republic of the moon built a domed megalopolis known as Eden. Now in the year 2267, a boy called Takeru spends his time engaging in hover-craft races against rival street gangs, unaware that he is about to embark in the journey of unearthing Eden’s origin. -Courtesy of Anime News Network

What dj thinks: <===== in major awe right now

2 reviews in a row! First of all, let me say that there are few series or OVA’s that I would actually go out and by (and it’s not cause I’m cheap). Freedom is worth every penny. If you’re a Otomo fan (Akira, Steamboy, Perfect Blue, Metropolis), this is definitely worth getting. As always, he lives up to his creative brilliance amidst the shameless product placement of Nissin Cup-o-Noodles..lol

Storyline
The OVA was actually created in collaboration with Nissin’s 35th anniversary in 2006 (which is why you see Cup-o-Noodles everywhere). The plot for Freedom is something that we’ve seen time and time again. Humans mess up earth and colonize on the moon. They then live a life similar to caged mice believing in a false reality, while a higher power hides the truth to maintain order. I have to say that the story is really similar (if not the same) as Megazone 23, minus the blood and violence, and the crazy tentacle robot alien. The storyline isn’t very deep; however, a great job was done in keeping the show from becoming too predictable. As the story progresses, you find deeper meanings to the plot. Also, Freedom’s diverse cast of characters really added to the anime, struggling with issues like autocratic rule and going against what is deemed the norm in the pursuit of truth. The last ep is filled with so much drama and emotion, that it will either make you cry, or call your best friend to tell him/her that you love them….guys, please don’t call you bros and say “I love you”.  A simple fist bump will do.

Characters/Animation & Design
Seriously, I can write forever on this. The visuals for Freedom were amazing. Otomo did an outstanding job with the characters. As in most of Otomo’s films, his unique style of focusing on the character’s eyes in order to convey emotion is very prevalent. Otomo really focuses in on human emotion through his characters (and for some reason, he likes big foreheads) to drive the story and provide conflict within them. Also, the futuristic backgrounds were really top notch and extremely detailed. Everything from the moon base to the vehicle designs was both clean and imaginative. The one thing that I enjoyed the most was the design of the motorcycles. A lot of the bike scenes were created as if they were paying homage to “Akira”, while the action was well choreographed with the musical score. My only complaint was that you could tell that most of this movie was done in CG, and there were some instances where scenes looked flat. But that’s me being nitpicky.

Closing Comments
I try to keep my reviews condensed, but it really hard when you watch something this good. Freedom was an awesome OVA from start to finish, carrying with it messages of friendship, love, and to never stop dreaming. Also the musical score was great, and it really added to the drama. If you haven’t already seen this anime, I highly recommend it. It’s worth buying and keeping for your collection.

Story: 5
Visuals/Animation: 5
Entertainment Value: 5
Characters: 5
Music: 5
Overall: 5 (woot!)

Next time: Old School Classic Anime review??? FTW?…lol

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  Thanks for reading the reviews that I put up.  Hopefully there’s more to come in 2009.

-dj722

 

Quick Stats
Title:  Kurozuka
Directed by: Tetsuro Saraki (Death Note, Black Lagoon)
Total # eps:  12; 8 currently subbed
Opening Theme:  “Systematic People” – Wagdug Futuristic Unity feat. Maximum the Hormone
Ending Theme:  “Hanarebanare“ – Shigi
Genres:  action, horror, dark romance
Fansubbing:  Ureshii, gg, anistash, osu

The Story
Plot Summary: Kuro, a 12th-century man, flees into the mountains after losing to his brother, where he meets a strange, beautiful woman named Kuromitsu. Kuro falls in love with Kuromitsu but realizes she conceals a dark secret. She is unable to die and continues to live for thousands of years as Japan evolves into a future society. Courtesy of Anime News Network.

What dj thinks:  vampire+samurai+hot woman who can’t die+monsters = pretty cool, yet cliché

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a review, so I thought that I would jump into one of the newer ones out there.  Get ready for this series kids, cause you’ll be saying “FTW?” a lot. XP

Storyline
Ok.  The storyline…  Well, it starts out pretty basic.  A guy meets a vampire in the forest, and they somehow fall in love.  That’s as simple as it’s going to get, because after that, things go all over the place.  The one thing I will mention about this series is that if you plan to pick it up, don’t try to understand the first couple of episodes.  Just watch it.  First of all, the setup for each episode is similar to a Japanese Noh play.  It adds a strange, yet eerie intro, and I think it works in setting the “stage” for each ep.  Next, for the first 3-4 eps, it’s going to feel like something out of a pulp fiction novel.  The storylines are disjointed, confusing, and provide no flow whatsoever.  You’ll start to feel as if the fansubbers messed up and released the eps in the wrong order.  In a nutshell, it’s confusing as hell.  HOWEVER, there’s a really good reason for this.  Given that the series is only 12 eps long, I can’t really go into detail without spoiling it.   BUT, the fact that the eps seem so random to the point that you feel lost, allows the viewer to associate with the main character and his situation.   It’s a pretty nice effect, and I think it works.   Just remember that if/when you watch this, keep in mind that every episode ties into each other.  You just won’t see it right away.

Characters/Animation & Design
The anime has a combination of both CG and traditional animation.  A good job was done in blending to the 2 together to create some really nice scenes.  The artwork and backgrounds are for the most part dark, drab, and grungy.  This is contrasted by some really bright and flashy action sequences (ep. 6 fight scene at the end is my fav).  Action is really fast paced and is very reminiscent of scenes from the movie “Ninja Scroll”.  Also, the main character Kuro likes to yell……a lot..to the point where you start to say “he’s gonna scream again..”.  Lol.  There’s also a fair amount of head rolling, arms being chopped of, and the occasional spray of blood that shoots about 7 feet high in the air (ala Takashi Miike).  All in all, there’s a lot of dynamics in the scene, at it’s plenty of fun to watch.

As for the characters, well, there’s not that much dynamic to them.  The story focuses on the main character, Kuro, and his girl, Kuromitsu.  Everyone else is either a support character or badguy.  Unfortunately, to me, the makes the story fairly shallow, but can be understood considering the length of the series.

Closing Comments
I can’t really go into to much detail without spoiling this anime, but I can honestly say that if you can deal with the “WTF” moments of the first couple of episodes, it’s not to shabby.  Eventually, the plot does start to make more sense.  The action sequences are really fast and flashy.  I have to admit, if it wasn’t for one of the members on the forum, I would have tuned out of this one.  It’s not an epic anime, but, it’s a great show to sit down with if you not in the mood to watch 200+ eps of bleach, and if you want to see some heads get sliced off.

Story: 3.5
Visuals/Animation: 4
Entertainment Value: 4
Characters: 3.5
Music: N/A
Overall: 3.7

Next time: Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Freedom” OVA

Plot:

The “Umbrella Incident” that took place in Raccoon City
was ended with the eradication of the deadly virus by
a missile attack ordered by the government.
As its operations were suspended on a global scale,
Umbrella Corporation stock plummeted.
This serious blow to the business giant resulted in
its complete dissolution.
7 years later, at an airport somewhere in the United States.
An ordinary autumn afternoon. One zombie is unleashed into
this peaceful scene to attack everyone. In the airport starting
to fill up with the undead, the horrific disaster is about
to be repeat itself…

Thanks to LONEWOLF231 for this! Be sure to thank him too!

This is a direct download!
To download this Simply CLICK HERE.

Pure Parade, by Kugimiya Rie & Kitamura Eri & Horie Yui, is the first OP for the anime series Toradora!  Enjoy!

Tracklist:
1. Pure Parade
2. Ka Ra Ku Ri
3. Pure Parade (without vocals)
4. Ka Ra Ku Ri (without vocals)

Thanks PhoenixBurning3 for this! You should thank him too!
To download this, simply CLICK HERE. *IMPORTANT NOTICE* If you dont see the thread or/and gives you a permission error it means you need more posts to see it! So start posting! ^^

Anime: Outlaw Star
OST: Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star – Original Soundtrack I (1998)
Artist: Arai Akino

Thanks to kiumi for this! This is a good oldie!
To download this single just press HERE.