Page 5021 – Capsule Computers

Cardcaptors Sakura Collection 1 Review

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October 25, 2012

Cardcaptor Sakura Collection 1
Studio: Madhouse
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: DVD (Subtitles Only)
Release Date: September 5, 2012
Price: $59.95 – Available Here

Overview:
After overwhelming request to see this series released uncut, Madman Entertainment finally delivered. That’s right the massively popular Cardcaptor Sakura, more commonly known as Cardcaptors in the West, is now available completely uncut with it’s original Japanese audio for the first time with English subtitles.

Now don’t be confused, this isn’t the Cardcaptors you saw on TV as a kid, it’s close but an overall very different experience. The english dub whilst receiving good viewership was slammed by critics for it’s inaccuracy to the original Japanese version. For years fans of Cardcaptors have been wondering what they have been missing out on and now they can finally see the original series completely uncut in the way it was originally intended.

Story:
Cardcaptor Sakura is perhaps one of CLAMP’s most popular series and without a doubt one of the most globally renowned shoujo manga of all time. The anime itself which is of course based upon CLAMP’s original work is equally as popular and successful globally. But why is it that a shoujo manga like this has received such acclaim? The reason why Cardcaptor Sakura has proven itself to be such a success is quite simple really, it has something for everyone.

The series follows Sakura Kinomoto as she accidentally becomes a Cardcaptor, a person who must capture and protect the cards of the Book of Clow. Now wait a minute, a plot about monsters and cards? This sounds a little like a shounen series right? Right. Cardcaptor Sakura appeals to boys through it’s creatures, action and card battles, all popular aspects of series aimed to boys. But that’s not all that Cardcaptor Sakura offers, there is also romance. Sakura has a number of potential love interests in particular Syaoran Li and Yukito. Not only that but Sakura is a magical girl and transforms into a variety of different outfits. Wait a minute, suddenly this sounds like a shoujo again. That’s right it has aspects that will appeal to girls as well.

That is the ultimate strength that Cardcaptor Sakura has, it has mass appeal. Pretty much anyone can find something in this series they will enjoy. CLAMP did a brilliant job in crafting that balance and it works exceedingly well.

The uncut version of the series is much more deep in terms of character development and plot with a great deal of nuance from Madhouse. Sakura feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. Having previously watched the English dub, this Sakura feels decidedly different, in a good way. Whereas in the old English dub Sakura was constantly requiring the help of Syaoran Li to be able to do pretty much anything in this original version she is a much more stronger character that is very self-reliant. She doesn’t need to be saved all the time and most of the time she is the one doing the saving. It is great seeing this series with a new set of eyes.

Cardcaptor Sakura is hailed as a classic anime series for a reason. It is excellent in all regards. The characters are incredibly well defined and very likable. The plot is compelling and makes for a marathon-ready series with it’s addictive nature. This is a must see for fans of Cardcaptors wanting to see how things were originally meant to be.

This release features 35 episodes so you really are getting your money’s worth as that is around half of the entire series in one collection. It’s an impressive release to say the least but it ends in a spot leaving you wanting more, curse you Madman leaving us hungry for more Cardcaptor Sakura goodness. All in all this is a fun series that tells a story that just about anyone can enjoy and relate to.

Visuals and Audio:
Cardcaptor Sakura is a series nearing 15 years old, but you wouldn’t tell. After all this time the series still looks great. There is a reason people consider this to be one of Madhouse’s best series. It is a visual delight, with consistently amazing animation, with very few drops in quality throughout. The character designs also look great and are a good translation of CLAMP’s original designs in the manga. The real animation highlight however is the action sequences which range from good to utterly jaw dropping. Madhouse made a name for themselves with this series and it isn’t any wonder why after watching this.

This series also features an excellent soundtrack. The instantly classic ‘Catch Me Catch You’ will ingrain itself into your head, it is that infectious. It really is a great song that perfectly captures the whimsical spirit of Cardcaptor Sakura and makes for a great opener to each and every episode. The ending theme is also very good but not as memorable as ‘Catch Me Catch You’ though it is still very good in it’s own right. Besides the opening and ending themes the soundtrack in general is a great mood setter and still stands as one of the best shoujo anime soundtracks ever.

Extras:
Thank god this release has 35 episodes, because there is essentially next to nothing in terms of special features. Madman have only included a clean opening and ending with some trailers. Which would be disappointing if this collection wasn’t already jam-packed with content in it’s 35 episodes that comprised it. Hopefully the next collection will feature some bonus content.

Overall:
Sometimes there is a reason why things are so popular and Cardcaptor Sakura is nothing short of a crowd-pleaser. There is something for everyone here in this anime classic. Madman have compiled an excellent release here of one of the greatest shoujo series of all time. This one isn’t just for the hardcore fans, but a release I would recommend to anyone. There is a lot of fun to be had with this release and I commend Madman for bringing it over at long last. This is a must buy for anime fans and this brilliant release deserves a spot of any anime fans shelves.

Journey To Hell This November

Zac Elawar

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October 25, 2012

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The temporarily titled Project: Holy Shield has now been christened Journey to Hell! The post-apocalyptic shooter is coming this November courtesy of DogBox Studios and BulkyPix and promises to be a homage to the old-school action heroes of the genre. With 7 maps, each with their own unique atmosphere and tone, a specialised soundtrack composed by The Slaughters and a “real-time render” sound engine provided by AudioGaming, Journey to Hell looks to take on AAA quality aspects of game development in an iOS title.

Gamers will play as two members of the Holy Shield, Gabriel and Rachel. A secret organisation, the Holy Shield exists to fight the evil that plagues the human race in the form of deadly Daemons, and find/eliminate the source of their summoning. With over 20 upgradeable weapons at your disposal, including a flamethrowers, machine guns and revolvers, you’ll be able to wreak carnage on over 15 enemy types across 14 levels! You can also test your mettle in additional game modes Survival and Hunt.

To see some cool concept artworks, work-in-progress renders and the first official screenshots, check out the gallery below. DogBox Studios has also just released a new behind-the-scenes Developer Diary, which you’ll find underneath the gallery. “Load your Holy Revolvers and Blessed Guns – the hunt is on!”

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 3 Impressions

Luke Halliday

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October 25, 2012

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Welcome to my weekly JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure episode impressions. This week, I go through episode 3 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. What did I think of the episode? Watch below to find out.

Got any questions for Anime Say? You can send me a tweet on my official twitter or alternatively drop me an email at [email protected]. I will do my best to respond to your tweets and emails as well as try read some out on the show.

What do you think of this episode impression? Let us know in the comments section below.

Follow Luke on Twitter: @LAHalliday

Like us on Facebook: Anime Say!

Iron Man 3 Trailer Released

Matthew Vella

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October 25, 2012

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It’s finally here!

Before The Avengers, Robert Downey Jr. once stated that Iron Man 3 was one of the best scripts he’d read in five years…and now we finally get to see a bit of it ourselves! Recovering from the attacks on New York in The Avengers, Tony Stark’s battle gets a little too close for comfort when even his very home is under attack. With appearances of The Iron Patriot and The Manderin, Iron Man 3 is sure to be one hell of an action packed adventure!

Iron Man 3 is set to blast into theaters April 26th, 2013.

Check out the trailer below!

Shifting World 3DS Review

Jack Joly

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October 25, 2012

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Shifting World
Developer: Fishing Cactus / Armor Games
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Platform: 3DS
Release Date: 28th September (EU)
Price: £14.99 – Available Here

Overview:
Alongside the review game for Shifting World came a set of drink placeholders, each with a different optical illusion. I’ve always had a liking for optical illusions and the way they can play with your mind, so naturally I hoped this meant there’d be some mind-boggling things to be seen in Shifting World – aside from the 3DS’s dizzying 3D effect, that is. Sadly, there’s not much to speak of in the way of optical illusions, although what did present itself was a simple yet effective ‘Shift’ mechanic linked to the black and white visuals.

Story:
You’ve got to love the abruptness of Shifting World’s story. You receive a strange letter, an invitation from the ‘Duke of Shadows’. You follow the instructions to the specified address, only to be whisked into a parallel dimension when you open the front door. Little more than two panels of a comic strip, three boxes of text and then you’re sent on your merry way to get on with the game. While there’s no reason to want for anything more detailed, it’s just one of the many aspects of the game padded out to try to fill the boots of a retail release with a flash game.

Gameplay:
As the 3DS debut of what was originally a free to play web browser game, you can sense Shifting World felt the need to step it up with this retail offering. It was now to be considered a ‘proper’ game, so it required the sounds, visuals and mechanics to back that up. But along the way it lost something – namely the simplicity that made it good in the first place. Although it’s true most wouldn’t be satisfied if it wasn’t spruced up a bit for the 3DS, I can’t help but feel the developers have gone about the upgrade in the wrong way.

To call it ‘Shifting World’ is to describe the mechanics pretty accurately, as the world shifts around you when you use this power. Up becomes down (the level is rotated 180 degrees), and black becomes white (everything is inverted so air becomes floor and vice versa). There’s even some movement using its new three-dimensional plane which the original shift games didn’t have to make use of. However, this twisting and turning isn’t so much mind-bending as it is disorientating. It’s often a case of walking until you can’t walk any further, then using the shift power to see what that does.

Although you do get to grips with the shift system after a little while, you never fully feel in control or know exactly where you’re going, primarily due to changes made for the 3DS version. On the top screen you get a rather zoomed in view of the level, which fails to give a sense of the wider goal of the level and where you should ultimately be heading; this is the job of the mini-map crammed onto the bottom screen. But, with the shape shifting and the tiny icons, it proves too small for its purpose.

There are 7 worlds of puzzle-platforming, each broken down into levels. While the scenery doesn’t deviate much from black and white blocks in this twisted, lonely alternate dimension, new puzzle elements are gradually introduced which you must navigate through using correct movement and use of the shift power. Also introduced are dangers, to challenge your platforming in addition to your mind.

Both new gimmicks and increased peril are to be expected as measures to up the difficulty as you progress. However, due to a hard to interpret mini-map, misleading arrows and ill-conceived platformingm these measures pose more of a challenge than I expect was intended. Making the puzzling any deeper while the confusing navigational aids remain can lead you to become stuck in an irritating loop with no hope but to restart and see if you fare any better. Dangers like spikes, on the other hand, are all the more frustrating because it’s easy enough to fall victim to these through little fault of your own due to unresponsive jumping controls. The idea behind puzzles which have you moving around and manipulating the world in order to find a way through is sound, but movement around the level is laboured.

Visuals & Audio:
While some problems arise through the close-up view of the level that accompanies the new 3D graphics, the audio proves less problematic. As well as a couple of sound effects to reflect in-game actions there’s music which is in keeping with the style of the game, with a dash of the era it has tried to base itself on, a hint of solitaire menu music, and a repetitive loop to drive you up the wall if the puzzles don’t.

Overall:
The two pieces in Shifting World’s jigsaw are platforming and puzzles. Unfortunately, it can’t be complete if one is present without the other, meaning as clever as the shift puzzle mechanic is, the sub-standard platforming as well as a number of niggles awoken by the transition to 3DS mean it doesn’t amount to anything special.

The Wolverine to be set after X-Men: The Last Stand

Matthew Vella

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October 25, 2012

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Let’s go bub!

Director James Mangold has confirmed that his upcoming film The Wolverine is not a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine as many have assumed, but a sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand.

This changes everything! Rather than being yet another prequel, we are now looking at dealing with the aftermath of the 2006 film, where Wolverine was forced to kill Jean Grey, Professor Xavier and Cyclops were believed dead and the X-Men have been separated. A lot of questions are finally going to be answered! On another note, it is currently unknown if The Wolverine will tie into the upcoming prequel X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is a sequel to X-Men: First Class. Confused yet? Here’s what Mangold had to say to Empire Magazine:

“Where this film sits in the universe of the films is after them all. Jean Grey is gone, most of the X-Men are disbanded or gone, so there’s a tremendous sense of isolation for him…..That’s something that for me was very important, that I land in a very specific place in his timeline.I wanted to be able to tell the story without the burden of handing it off to a film that already exists and having to conform to it. The ideas of immortality reign very heavily in this story and the burden of immortality weighs heavily on Logan. For me that’s such an interesting part of Logan’s character that is nearly impossible to explore if you have a kind of league or team movie.” – Director James Mangold

Sounding a little bit like The Dark Knight Rises to me!

The Wolverine is set to slash it’s way into cinemas July 25, 2013.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Out Now

Claire Phillips

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October 25, 2012

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The Great Giana Sisters, if you weren’t around and self aware during 1987, was a platformer released across the Commodore 64 and other home consoles of the time. 2012 sees the ip revitalised via Kickstarter, this time under the name Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. The game has just seen release on the PC (in part thanks to a great success on Steam’s Greenlight), and is due to have a release on PS3 and Xbox 360 in early 2013.

A platformer featuring the dream hopping Giana, Twisted Dreams follows up on it’s predecessors characterstic soundtrack with music created by Chris Hülsbeck and Machinae Supremacy. Hülsbeck worked on the original Giana Sisters game, whilst Machinae Supremacy bring some Swedish heavy metal chip tune style to proceedings. This is certainly a throwback to the platformers of years (sadly) gone by, when platformers ruled the gaming roost with never a thought given to military FPS’ and MMORPG’s.

You can check out the trailer for Twisted Dreams below, and keep an eye out for a full review here at Capsule Computers.

WIN – Shiki Part 2

Luke Halliday

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October 25, 2012

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Episode 10 of CC: Anime is now live. Each month, thanks to our good friends at Siren Visual, we will be giving away a prize in a monthly competition held through CC: Anime.

To win, listen to the podcast for the question and once you have an answer email it in along with your name and address to [email protected]. At the end of the month, a winner will be randomly selected from the pool of entries. The winner will then be announced on the next podcast.

This month, we will be giving away a copy of Shiki Part 2, on DVD thanks to our good friends at Siren Visual. If you have yet to listen to CC: Anime you can do so here.

Listen to the podcast and then send your answer in along with your name and address to [email protected] Good Luck!

Follow us on :

Twitter | FACEBOOK | YouTube | Google Plus | RSS

Check out our other Competitions here

CC Anime Episode 10 – Kuroko’s Hydrogen Sulfide

Luke Halliday

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October 25, 2012

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Welcome to another episode of CC: Anime, Capsule Computers Monthly Anime Podcast! In our tenth episode, the CC: Anime crew discuss the latest anime and manga news, take part in the “Anime Anarchy” game show segment, as well their thoughts on the Kuroko’s Basketball Incident and the Fall 2012 anime season.

We also have a huge giveaway this month. Do you want a chance to win a copy of Shiki Part 2 from Siren Visual? Follow this link to find out how.

Cast: Luke Halliday, Travis Bruno, Benjamin ‘Linkage Ayexe’ Webb and Trey ‘Slend’ Partin

We hope you enjoy CC: Anime Episode 10, be sure to let us know what you think.

• Subscribe to our iTunes Podcast Channel

• Subscribe to Podcast RSS Feed

• Download the Episode from iTunes

• Download the Episode directly – (right click and save as)

Send all your anime, manga or podcast questions, hints, suggestions and feedback to [email protected]

Stories covered in this podcast:

– Kuroko’s Basketball mangaka recieves death threats
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/kurokos-basketball-mangaka-recieves-death-threats/

– Berserk manga returns after 8 month hiatus
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/berserk-manga-returns-after-8-months-hiatus/

– Phi Brain gets third season
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/09/phi-brain-getting-a-third-anime-season/

– Shinichiro Watanabe has 2 new shows in the works
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/shinichiro-watanabe-has-2-new-anime-series-in-the-works/

– Denpa Onna acquired by NIS
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/denpa-onna-anime-acquired-by-nis-america/

– Wolf Children and Toriko licensed by Funimation for distribution
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/wolf-children-and-toriko-licenses-acquired-by-funimation/

Reviews covered in this podcast:

– Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike Review
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/tales-of-vesperia-the-first-strike-blu-ray-review/

– Golgo 13 Part 3 Review
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/golgo-13-part-3-review/

– Tenchi Muyo Universe Review
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/tenchi-muyo-universe-complete-series-review/

-Black Rock Shooter Review
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/black-%e2%98%86-rock-shooter-review/

– Deadman Wonderland Review
https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/2012/10/deadman-wonderland-the-complete-series-review/

Toradora Part 1 Review

Luke Halliday

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October 25, 2012

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Toradora Part 1
Studio: J.C. Staff
Publisher: Hanabee
Format: DVD (Subtitles Only)
Release Date: September 20, 2012
Price: $49.95 – Available Here

Overview:
The romantic comedy is a genre that most anime fans should be accustomed to by now. It is easily one of the most popular genres of anime but it’s also a genre that has grown stagnant, routine and formulaic over the years with very few true gems in between. Those gems I speak of are series that break the mold and stand out as something truly different and remarkable. Toradora is one of those series. It takes the romantic comedy formula and throws it for a loop resulting in what is one of the most popular anime series of the past decade and also one of the most requested titles for localisation. After so many cries from anime fans to see the series get an English release it has finally made its way to our shores and it’s about damn time.

Story:
Toradora can be defined as a slice-of-life romantic comedy anime, but it is so much more than that, it is an exploration into the things that we don’t see and the importance of those invisible intangibles.

All true great comedies have the same things, a colourful and likable cast of characters, genuine emotional beats, storylines that comedy can spring from and a world in which these things all collide. Toradora has all these things. It is both humourous and touching, all the while featuring characters and a world you can become invested in.

The series plot revolves around a scenario I haven’t seen tackled in romantic comedy anime before, two protagonists helping one another with their potential crushes all the while getting closer and closer to one another. It is a simple concept that works better than it’s simple nature promises. The reason why the story works so well is because it is supported by a cast of characters that you can care about.

Ryuji for example is not your standard male protagonist in this genre, instead of being utterly unremarkable other than the fact that he somehow has a bevy of women falling all over him like most protagonists in this genre, he is a much more deeper character written with great nuance. The thing that Toradora does so well with Ryuji is that it both simultaneously makes him appear to be a potential partner for all 3 of the women in the main cast whilst also showing us why he is also not the best choice for them. It creates an interesting balance that very few series even try to achieve, true unpredictability with the series possible romances.

But of course the thing that stands out most about Toradora is it’s overarching thematic message. This is without a doubt an anime about the things that we do not see. It is about the importance of those things that aren’t apparent at first sight. But moreover it is all about the things we hide, the things we reveal and why we do.

Through this theme we get some excellent character development and some truly powerful moments that definitely struck a chord with me personally. In particular there is a multi-episode story arc in this part of the series focused on the return of Taiga’s father. She is at first adamant about not wanting anything to do with him, however Ryuji does not understand why she feels this way. Of course Taiga is hiding something from Ryuji, the truth about her father. But through Ryuji revealing a little of what he hides (in regards to his own father) he manages to convince her to give him another chance. Ryuji later admits he wanted her to be happy for selfish reasons, in a way to live vicariously through her, because he himself knows that his father won’t be coming back.

This story arc in particular was so well executed and filled with nuance that I truly began to understand why this is hailed as one of the greatest of all time. These characters are so well conceived with multiple layers that aren’t so obvious from first impressions and as the series goes on and the characters grow closer and closer, we the audience grow closer with them as well. More and more of what they hide becomes revealed and it is through this that Toradora is truly captivating, people aren’t always as they seem, if we didn’t judge perhaps we would come to see who these people truly are and heck we may even come to like them. This is what Toradora is all about and it’s a theme that anyone who has ever felt the need to hide part of who they are can relate to.

Sometimes there are things you can’t see, but does that mean that they don’t exist? Just like Kushieda’s pondering on ghosts, Toradora as a whole ponders this question and teases drama, comedy and most of all meaning out of it. This is without a doubt a series to behold, there is a reason it is so popular and I personally can not wait to get to know these characters more when Part 2 is released.

Visuals and Audio:
If you are looking for something visually appealing then you’re in luck with Toradora. This series is absolutely gorgeous and in this reviewers opinion is easily J.C. Staff’s most consistent work aesthically. The character designs are instantly memorable and a joy to watch. The animation overall is top quality and is consistent throughout with no drops in quality whatsoever. It is simply a delightful visual feast.

The soundtrack of Toradora much like the visuals is simply phenomenal. The incidental music is perfectly timed and sets a perfect atmosphere for the crazy goings on of the Toradora crew. The opening theme is downright addictive and makes for what has to be one of the best opening themes of all time. It is instantly memorable and a classic by all senses of the word. The ending theme likewise is great but is of course overshadowed by the brilliant opening theme. Top to bottom it is a great musical experience to behold. Now if only Hanabee could license the soundtrack…

Extras:
In terms of special features this release is unfortunately on the light side with only a clean opening, clean ending and a few trailers for other upcoming Hanabee releases. I was looking forward to a bit more extras with this release but they could always be holding them back for the second release later this year. So here’s hoping that Part 2 will have some more to chew on.

Overall:
Toradora is addictive fun from start to finish with a soft gooey heart underneath all of it’s crazy. If you like romantic comedy series this is the one to watch, it is the height of the genre. If you like series that with make you think, touch your heart and make you laugh all at once then once again this is a series to watch. If you haven’t already done so already do yourself a favor and check out this anime classic, it’s an absolute joy to experience. Believe the hype, Toradora is every bit as good as they say.