You could call this a real cyberpunk anime.
A pretty abstract and philosophical story about identity and who we really are. It leaves the viewer questioning about more than just the series itself.
Juicy detail: It is rumoured to be one of the series that had an influence on The Wachowski brothers for The Matrix story. However I don't know if this is ever confirmed or true, and it probably was a minor one compared to Ghost In The Shell. After all it was aired only 1 year before the release of The first Matrix movie.
It is not for everyone, but if you have an open mind and like more gloomy and philosophical stories, it is definitaly worth it.
If you are interested in History this is a must see!
Actualy, this is a must see for everyone!
A pretty good summerisation of the history of the world in past 75 years, with the USA as a main line.
Update after the '2nd season' has finished (and therefore the series.)
Previous comment still stands, but after a while the need for explanation for first-time watchers dwindles (as would be logical) so we end up with an amazing series with some massive animation skill and top of your chair action.
If you liked this series, also check:
Fate/Zero (prequel)
Fate/Prototype (1 ep special about the original story, too bad this will never get a full story/series.)
Kara no Kyoukai/The Garden of sinners (Movie series)
And keep an eye open for (If ever released in the future):
Fate/Heavens Feel (confirmed for a movie.)
Fate/hollow ataraxia (sequel, no confirmation of a movie or TV show.)
As a big Fate fan I love to see the Fate routes back on screen. This series has a more 'stepping in' pace and is clearly aimed at both existing fans and viewers new to the franchise.
This makes a very balanced series, but it can be a bit repetitive and boring at times for the older fans.
Luckily Ufotable throws in everything they got and artwork is so amazing you don't really get the time to get bored.
A lot of people call Zero better than the earlier Fate/Stay Night creation (which is about 10 years after Zero.)
Zero is better in technical terms, but it is also made 6 years later. The main reason why people call Zero better (besides the purist to the original story) is the leap in visual effect. However, when Stay Night came out in 2006 I was impressed by the visuals as well. It's kinda like comparing the 1st and 2nd Matrix movie in SFX. Therefore, those 2 arguments are not valid enough for me personaly to pick a better one.
Stay Night has a side with a more romantic part in it (which is a bit awkward sometimes) where Zero lacks a bit of mystery I did feel with the first series. But in the end they are both great series, and I would advice every anime fan to check both series out, starting with Fate/Stay Night (Always watch stuff in order of their release.)
Arguably one of the best Marvel adaptations. Too bad it was canceled and ended with a major cliffhanger.
The series is absolutely not comparable to the weak sauce of the movie with the Fantastic Four.
As soon I completed this amazing series, I understood where the title from episode 1 came from.
Great show, I've grown more and more respect for it over the years. But it's not going to be around in the current form for much longer I'm afraid. Season 5 already has a change of (regular) cast members.
This show had so much potential, and already had a great first season.
Worst cancellation of 2014
A really fun show that never got the chance to develop itself.
The characters have great chemistry with each other, and each and every one of them has its own unique side without being cliché.
The writers managed to get some very good jokes into the show, and the timing of the actors is pretty decent too. Max is one of the highlights of the cast, and I think that if this would have run for a few more seasons it could've been as popular as New Girl or better.
The weak point is the stale position everyone is in, some of the characters are a bit overdone which leaves not a lot of space for different situations and jokes. It also happens from time to time that a scene is very forced and all actors are literally repeating their lines in stead of acting them out.
Great show, but not very stable in its quality.
A high quality political action thriller with several twists and turns. From the very first scene it got me hooked, and even though it does not manage to continuously serve that same high tension, it kept me locked to my screen. Definitely worth the watch.
The actors brought their A level, writing is decent to good (except maybe some loose ends in the last episode that are rushed) and the choreography is well done.
My two main points of criticisms concern (mostly) the last episode. The first being the very last twist at the end with Nadia being a bad guy after all. And secondly that mental health problems are too much downplayed. They are more being used as a plot device, while not giving character development or consequences. The threat of (untreated) mental health problems is more of an external threat than one that affects the character(s). Like how in the last scene, as soon as the protagonist sees a therapist, everything will be fine (like -hinted- his relationship with his wife will be totally ok too.)
I recommend this show, if you can withstand some a lot of cynicism.
Quality varies heavily per episode, some are written poorly and just do not feel 'finished', while others manage to get original, thought-provoking and almost feel like a full movie. The view on the future is sometimes/often so pessimistic (especially with the amount of bad endings) it can break immersion. Acting and cinematography is (usually) above average. They managed to create an enticing universe through seemingly unconnected stories, and all things considered it is definitely a unique world they try and often manage to create.
Intriguing mini series. Tennant shows his top notch acting is more than just Doctor Who, and the other actors are decent as well.
Storywise pretty well written, but unfortunately not very ambitious. Still there are some interesting situations.
A (very) dark/black comedy about war and the deterministic and powerless situations soldiers can find themselves in, doing (arguably) useless things. Even as a viewer your hopes for a win will get thwarted every time.
Even though this all does not sound like good entertainment, it somehow proofs to be the opposite. To find the humor in the world this mini-series creates, proofs the acting and writing skills involved with this show are not just average, nor an afterthought. It (at least) tries to depict a (semi-)realistic world, and does not venture into intentional offensive comedy just for a shock effect.
I would not recommend to everyone, but it is definitely worth the watch if you are ok with a less than regular style of comedy and can enjoy or dealt with a (largely) lack of positivity in a story.
[Written after episode 3]
I am very delighted by this new series. Stewart is always a joy to watch, even now in his older days. The visuals are great and the music is just fantastic. I am not so sure about the story, it is somewhere between average and very good, depending on how the story will develop itself. What I am little worried about is the focus on secondary characters (they barely feel like secondary sometimes considering their screen time), that we will (probably) only see connect to the main character and story near the end of the season. It kinda feels like filler or irrelevant at times, while also taking some of the mystery out of the story. Those are no big complaints though.
And even if all else was just average, the music alone makes it worth watching.
I agree with JorisA. It focusses on the main politics at the start and ending of the war, but it is mostly about the events that happened during the war itself, and how it unfolded. They sacrificed chronology and jumped back and forth in time between episodes to focus on 1 front at a time.
It used some images multiple times, maybe because it is unclear when they were shot, but this distracted only slightly. The images are impressive and depict an impressive view of the war. At some point I started to get overwhelmed by all the gun fire, but the fact I binged this might have something to do with it. It makes you imagine the horrors the soldiers went through a bit better though.
I would say this is a must-see for those interested in (modern) history, but I would recommend it to the more casual viewer too because of the good job they did in presenting the images and sounds.
Fun and enjoyable series with a lot of music.
But seriously, can EVERYONE sing in that town? xD I counted 2 main cast members that do not join in with the music, that's 90% pro or amateur singers. Is that really realistic?
This is just about season 1
Good show to watch. It does have its flaws like the ridiculous Microsoft Windows 8 product placement (so freaking annoying!) and some plot holes or story developments that are a bit too obvious. They reveal the bad guys (and their plot) a bit too early in the season. This results in a bit of a predictable end game.
It can't compete with the big series like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Star Trek and the like. But it definately is in the group after those series.
Pros:
- Good Acting
- Interesting Premise
- Good fight scenes
- A lot of eye candy (for both men and women)
Cons:
- Predictable towards the end
- Heavy Windows 8 product placement
- A few plot holes I won't get into.
- Some close to irrelevant characters
ps. In contrary of what a lot of people say, this is NOT a superhero series. There are no superpowers whatsoever in this series. It is more a hero like Batman.
Great show worth watching, even though it's second season does not come close to the quality of the first one.
SPOOOOOONNN!
Ridiculously silly, so random and very funny. Exactly as I remember it from the cartoon.
SPOON!
Your shout seems a bit short, please put some more thought into it.
John Noble (Walter) really grows as a character throughout the series. A series worth the watch.
I really liked the green-green-green-red light pattern that constantly returned throughout all the seasons.
Somehow it feels like the writers did not have the time for all of the stories they wanted to tell, especially the last season is a bit far from the rest of the show. Some unchecked sources also said that there was material for 6 and not 5 seasons.
Really funny anime (with lots of Ikkitousen-like fanservice, so you need to be able to handle that) with some nice action in it as well. It is a bit too fast paced to build up a really decent story, but it manages to deliver nonetheless. Of course a lot of clichés, but not to the point that it gets tiresome.
Decent and enjoyably but not a masterpiece.
ok show, but understandable it got canceled. I thought it would be a 26 eps 1 season thing with the title though.
Average NatGeo series. Interesting, but not every episode is as good as it could be. Like often with these shows, it tends to be too repetitive, but they have done way worse.
Solely based on the last episode and the shows cancellation, I cannot recommend this. There is no resolution of any kind, even a climax is mostly absent. As long this will not get a second season (and it is highly unlike it will) I advice to avoid.
Update from my first comment:
I really enjoy this show, especially after the 1st season (which had some startup problems with the acting and stories.) It is not the best or most witty out there, but it (usually) isn't very bad either.
However, now the 4th season has reached its end I think the show is running at its creative end. I'll give it one more season where they need to reinvent themselves or make a nice exit story. If this doesn't happen it could become boring quick and is at risk of turning into one of thos uninspired run of the mill sitcom. That would be a sad end for this show imho.
Just changed my rating from an 8 to a 7 because of the gradual decent to dumbness of this show.
A slow paced new season of Rozen Maiden. Set in an alternate universe, this could actually be both a sequel as well as a reboot of the 2 seasons from 2004-2006. The difference is that this series is much more true to the original storyline than the older series. It is also produced by a different company (Deen, where the old series were from Nomad.)
It would be no problem watching this without seeing the older series, however it skips the 1st series of the manga, and recaps this in the first episode. Therefore people who never saw or read anything from Rozen Maiden could be thrown into the deep a bit.
