Super Dimension Fortress Macross Review (English)

Alright, so we’ve seen Vic Mignogna in many roles in recent anime. Now it’s time to talk about an anime that probably only children of the 80’s (and with time machines) would be able to remember.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is an Action/Drama/SciFi anime that originally aired in Japan from October 1982 to June 1983. It comes from three Japanese studios: Studio Nue, Artland, and Tatsunoko Production. A manga adaptation was released in 2009 and is currently ongoing. ADV Films holds the current rights to the 36 episode anime and released an english dub version in 2006. There are many MANY sequels to this series, the most recent being Macross Frontier The Movie: The Wings of Goodbye; released in February 2011.

In 1999, an alien spaceship crashes on South Ataria Island and makes the human race aware of other life in space. Ten years later, the ship is reconstructed and christened as the SDF-1 Macross. However, on the day of its maiden voyage, an alien race called the Zentradi make their appearance on Earth—thus beginning Space War I, a UN Spacy/Zentradi war that would change the history of both races forever.

What to say about the animation...... It’s the 80’s. Macross isn’t the most well animated series by today’s standards, but for the 80’s, the animation fits. However, I mentioned in my D.N.Angel review that there are a few times where animated scenes are repeated. Macross is an even BIGGER offender of this, with multiple scenes being reused several times. In one episode, even the animation from the opening theme is reused, along with the song during a dream sequence about half way through. The end theme for Macross is in probably worse shape, being in no way animated and is just a real person flipping through a photo album. I guess, maybe, the budgets back then weren’t all that great or the technology wasn’t that good. The soundtrack and the dub were redone back in 2006, and you can tell very quickly. If only they redid the sound effects in the same way, there would be a little more consistency with the audio as a whole and you wouldn’t have to rage as much. Another problem that can sometimes be a distraction, is the lack of consistency with color. I swear, in one episode, Minmay was wearing something blue and in only two seconds it switched from purple to blue about five or six times. Again, it’s the 80’s. Animation isn’t exactly going to be top notch right now.

Macross’s story is split into three parts: the journey back to earth, the fight against the Zentrati, and then two years after the fight. The transition into these parts does run rather smoothly and the story as a whole is good. However, some of the reoccurring messages of race and sexism are just thrown into your face constantly.... There’s nothing subtle or underlying about it at all, and it drives me nuts! The biggest sexism offender is Roy Focker, with Hikaru Ichijyo at a close second. I understand, again, it’s the 80’s, but could you at least have SOME amount of subtly, or respect? I mean these are main characters that we’re supposed to identify with, why do they all have to be jerks? Was everyone like this in the 80s? Then there’s the romances that just suddenly pop up out of nowhere, the big one being Roy Focker and Claudia La’Salle. Mid way through the series, it’s just abruptly there and is neither explained nor seen until that mid waypoint. Granted, we get a flashback from Claudia much later on in the series, literally episode 33, as to how they met, but again, it just pops up out of nowhere. Now with Hikaru and Misa Hayase, it’s actually developed throughout the series and by the end, you’re pretty happy where it is.

The characters of Macross are actually fairly well developed. The writers at Macross only looked into who TRULY mattered in the series like Hikaru, Misa, and even some members of the Zentrati have development stashed away in them (hell you could argue the entire race got some development through the series). Sadly, Lynn Minmay doesn’t seem to have much to her, even though, for most of the series, it seems like they’re trying to make her the heroine when she’s actually not. Since the series is 36 episodes long, the storywriters actually had the time to give a lot of characters development. However, a lot of it is thrown at you constantly in every episode. There are only a few things that actually take time to grow and develop, which is a plus, but they are few and far between.

ADV Films didn’t take the series lightly when considering the dub in 2006. The voice acting for the dub has it’s good actors and it’s bad, but is, overall, a really good dub. Monica Rial (Soul Eater) as Misa Hayase, John Swasey (D.N.Angel) as Captain Global, and John Gremillion (One Piece) as Britai Kridanik are among the better choices. Another I rather enjoyed was Brett Weaver’s (Neon Genesis Evangelion) Roy Focker. You can really tell how much of a cocky and sexist war hero this guy really is through his performance. Now here’s where I do a little bit of complaining, because the voice actress for Lynn Minmay is the same person who did the Japanese version back in 1982. Don’t get me wrong, Mari Iijima doesn’t do a completely terrible job in the dub; she’s done the role before so she knows what is expected of the character. It’s just why do they deem it necessary to have Minmay speak with some sort of hard to understand accent? Maybe they wanted her to stand out more as a character, but it just failed. A better voice actor should have been in order for the role, but Iijima wanted to step in instead. Can we find someone who can actually speak english please? Besides, Minmay is Chinese, if she’s speaking with an accent why aren’t the other ACTUALLY Japanese characters like Hayase, and Hikaru speaking with an accent as well?! Some other voice actors include Christine Auten, Jason Douglas, Chris Patton, Hilary Haag, Luci Christian, Christopher Ayres, Leraldo Anzaldua, Illich Guardiola, and Greg Ayres.

Now for our man of the month: Vic Mignogna. His role as Hikaru Ichijyo is, actually, what I expected the character to be. Again, there’s the whole “I’m hearing Edward Elric again” problem, but after a while you’re not watching Ed but Hikaru. Plus, I took a small peak at the Japanese version, and Vic Mignogna plays Hikaru as a younger, more naive pilot; making for a much better character overall. However, even Vic falls prey to the constant sexism that’s given off in the series and then makes me want to punch him in the face. His character does make a “women in the kitchen” statement, so that ought to tell you enough. Overall, for a grade, I’m gonna give Vic Mignogna an A- for his role as Hikaru Ichijyo.

Through it all, Super Dimension Fortress Macross is an old 80’s classic with numerous flaws technically and story wise, but does make up for it with a carefully selected cast and fairly well developed characters. It may be true that Macross was created in the wake of the Gundam franchise three year before, but it can be viewed as it’s ugly, sexy voiced cousin. It’s a decent classic anime, but it hasn’t quite aged well by today’s standards. If you’re interested in mecha or scifi anime, take a peek, but don’t be extremely thrilled with what you see.



That's it for Vic Mignogna month! And with one month to go, the year is almost out and soon it will be the dreaded 2012. For now, let me know which is you favorite Vic Mignogna role ever in the comments below. And take part in the poll posted at the top of the page! The next, and last, anime review of 2011 will be Princess Tutu. Until then, see you next time!

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Umineko no Naku Koro ni Review (Japanese)

Click Here!


And now that that epicness is done, we can begin! And, since Halloween is right around the corner, I figured I would review a very disturbing anime that will make you squirm. I mentioned the villain of this anime back in August, now you get to see why this anime is just as good as it’s main villain.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni, or When the Seagulls Cry, is a Drama/Mystery anime based on the video games from 07th Expansion as well as the manga by Ryukishi07/07th Expension. The 26 episode anime comes from Studio Deen, originally running from July to December 2009. It has yet to be licensed in America.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place in the year 1986, during the time frame of October 4 and October 5 on a secluded island named Rokkenjima. The head of a wealthy family named Kinzo Ushiromiya, who lives on and owns Rokkenjima, is near death, and eight of his family members arrive on the island to discuss how Kinzo's assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are three family members who live there, five of Kinzo's servants, and his personal physician. After the eight family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island and shortly after people start to get mysteriously murdered. The main culprit is Beatrice, the Golden Witch; reputed to be the source of the family’s wealth. However, Battler Ushiromiya doesn't believe in magic or witches and decides to face off against Beatrice in order to prove how a human is capable of murder, not magic. With the clock ticking, and a riddle to solve that will endow all the family’s gold to one who solves it, who will remain alive to claim it? And just who is the real culprit, human or witch?

The art style and animation of Umineko is rather simple. It has it’s moments of sure brilliance when it comes to the magic of Beatrice and others around her. It’s also a rather colorful anime, not bright and in your face, yet it’s not pastel and faded looking. The series also adds in symbols that can become rather significant at different points in the show. From the family crest to the bloody symbols on the doors of where people have been killed, Umineko doesn’t waste it’s time and remains on where it should be. Even the music is suspenseful and dark, which, even though it’s a standard of mystery stories, works wonderfully. Combining this with the Phantom of the Opera-ish opening and ending theme music, it shows how dark and mysterious this anime is suppose to be.

Umineko’s story is carried out really well. Not only are you watching Battler Ushiromiya fighting against the witch Beatrice, you’re even sucked in and continuously are trying to solve the “closed door murders” that are set up for you. Add on several side plots involving many of the family members, including; George and Shannon’s relationship, Eva and her other self, Rosa’s abuse toward Maria, Maria’s own magical powers, and the mysterious girl Gretel who assists Battler in the 4th game. The story keeps it’s main focus but intelligently adds these story lines as each new game begins, keeping the story from getting old and making it more interesting as the series goes on. However, the series comes to an abrupt end at, what seems to be, more of a cliff hanger moment. Where the anime ends, the video games pick up and continue; and, unless you’ve played them, you won’t know what happens next.

Only certain characters have any type of development during the series, many of them I mentioned, previously, as part of the side plots. You only see major character development from Shannon, Eva, Maria, Battler, Kanon, and Beatrice herself. However, for some of the characters, it’s more of a revelation then development, like in the cases of Maria and Shannon. For Kanon, he has a small piece of development that carries on through the rest of the series and for each game. For Eva, her development comes ONLY in the third game, for the rest of the time (Games 1, 2, and 4) she remains the same. As for Battler and Beatrice, since they are the two main players in the game, they go through a lot of ups and downs throughout. However, I have a small problem with how some development is introduced; and it mostly comes from the 4th game. All of a sudden you are thrown in a TON of information regarding Maria and Ange (Battler’s younger sister), and it takes you away from the last game for a few episodes; after which, you are suddenly tossed back in and it becomes a bit rushed.

Sadly, there’s no English Dub for Umineko, so I could only watch the Japanese. I’m not saying that the Japanese was bad, it was AMAZINGLY good; it just would have been interesting to see what America could come up with for this series. Daisuke Ono’s performance as Battler was perfect! His confidence and intellect was delivered wonderfully, like a real fighter should be. Sayaka Ohara’s Beatrice was fantastic as well. Ohara gave her the cruel, confident, and strong willed personality; at the same time, there was a sympathetic and tender nature used as well when needed. As for the rest of the cast, maybe a slight better choice here or there, but overall really well done. The only other voice actress I’m going to mention is Yui Horie as Maria. I only have two words for this little girl: HOLY F***!!!! She is so sweet and innocent yet sooooo creepy it’s scary!!...... And makes me giggle.

As I mentioned before, Umineko is based on the video game series from 07th Expansion; and I also mentioned that there’s more to the story after the anime ends. The series only covers the first four video games: Legend of the Golden Witch, Turn of the Golden Witch, Banquet of the Golden Witch, and Alliance of the Golden Witch. These four games are actually played out in the anime, but there are four MORE video games that come after and were released after the anime: End of the Golden Witch, Dawn of the Golden Witch, Requiem of the Golden Witch, and Twilight of the Golden Witch. Each game brings about new scenarios and a few new characters for each, and it kind of makes me understand why the anime stopped where it did. However, you don’t just stop at a place like that in an anime and not finish it. The only explanation I can probably think of for this, is that the anime was created to advertise their games. That or they haven’t finished it yet cause of the release of the last four games; Twilight of the Golden Witch, having been released in December 2010. Keep your fingers crossed for another anime season?

At the end of the day, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, When the Seagulls Cry, is a very intense mystery with several versions of the incident linked together through a battle over the existence of magic. It has plenty of interesting and fun characters, and plenty of magic to go around. Umineko has been one of my favorite anime since I first saw it, and it still is today. My only request for Studio Deen..... PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER SEASON!!!!

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Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo Review (Japanese)

Ready for a classic story..... IN SPACE?!?!?!?! Well.... Not quite entirely in space..... But it is in space a little bit.

Gankutsuou is a 24 episode Drama/Science Fiction anime loosely based on Alexandre Dumas classic novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. Studio Gonzo gave us the anime while Geneon originally held the rights and was released in 2006. Then in 2008, after Geneon went under, FUNimation announced they had required the license for the series and it was rereleased in 2009. It originally ran from October 2004 to March 2005, and a manga version published by Kodansha and licensed by Del Rey was released that May and is currently ongoing.

The story takes place in the far future of the 51st Century, during the year 5053. While visiting Luna for the festival, Viscount Albert de Morcerf and Baron Franz d'Épinay make the acquaintance of the Count of Monte Cristo, a self-made nobleman. When they part, the Count promises to visit Albert in Paris. After he arrives, he introduces himself to the most powerful families in France (the Morcerfs, the Danglars, and the Villeforts). The general plot of Gankutsuou, while broadly the same as the novel on which it is based, changes many aspects of the source material. In the novel, the narrative arc follows the Count chronologically; in the anime, the story begins with Albert and Franz meeting the Count on Luna (which occurs, in Rome, many hundreds of pages into the book), and the Count's back story is pieced together throughout the series. The anime's plot includes supernatural elements, talking about space travel, computer systems and robots, different fates for some characters, the disposal of several side-plots, and an altogether different ending.

The look of the series is certainly a unique one. It layers Photoshop textures into digital animation with backgrounds often rendered in 3D. A similar anime that uses the Photoshop texture technique is Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. It takes a good amount of time to get used to this style, especially in the first episode because of all the bright colors that are used, but after a short while, you can’t help but marvel at the design! The animation doesn’t seem to have any major problems in it either, so Gankutsuou was created with great care in the hopes it would be well received visually, and, for me, it was. The music for the series, often uses some classical pieces of music, including: Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, the Donizetti opera Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Conerto No. 2.

Not only is this series amazing visually, the story is great as well. It took two episodes and then I was really hooked. Granted, there were a few parts where the story kind of died down a bit and would become boring. However, the main plot and the execution of it is simply to die for! A lot of the events in the anime are taken from the original story, but still with many changes to make it capable of having a SciFi/Fantasy genre. Plus, the story follows Albert and his relationship with the Count of Monte Cristo and the torment he goes through as the Count is taking his revenge on the three powerful families of France. What also is different from the novel, is the being Gankutsuou himself. He is the driving force behind the Count’s revenge plot throughout the series; a demonic presence that dwells within The Count of Monte Cristo. I don’t want to give much away about the relationship between the two, but there is a way you can tell which is the Count with or without Gankutsuou. The Count in the Japanese version speaks Japanese, while Gankutsuou speaks French. Though the series is 24 episodes long, the main plot finishes at episodes 23. The final episode takes place 5 years after the events of the series. Why am I mentioning this? Because I thought the episode count was wrong and that it was 23 episodes. I just want to make sure readers know, there are 24 episodes.

There are a lot of characters in the series, and you would think that development would be hard to come by; however, that’s not the case here. A lot of the major characters have development when it’s needed. Even the major adult characters Morcerf, Danglers, and Villefort have a good amount of development; the males anyway. The only adult female with development is Albert’s mother Mercedes. With the males, it mostly entails them becoming crazy or angered from being ruined by The Count. With Mercedes, it’s her mysterious connection to The Count. Honestly it’s more fun to watch The Count and the other male adults throughout the story, rather then the children. That’s probably why parts of the story were boring, cause I wasn’t watching The Count or the male adults becoming destroyed. As for Albert, he is such a whiney little idiot and it kind of drives me nuts. He won’t listen to what anyone else says and is set on what he sees right in front of him. The only person he will listen to is The Count because he has a strange admiration for him, that can sometimes become borderline obsession once in a while. While I won’t judge anyone on their personal lives, I will profane this one: Gay.

I’m not going to go in depth with the Japanese and English dubs because I have only seen clips of the dub. But, based on those clips, I will say that the Japanese is superior based on the dubbing of Albert and The Count. Although Johny Yong Bosch (Bleach) and Jamieson Price (Code Geass) were decent choices for dubbing, Jun Fukuyama and Joji Nakata make it sound a lot better. Plus, I have heard the same voice from Johny Bosch in Bleach and Code Geass and..... *sigh* I keep thinking of Ichigo in all three anime. So, again, watch the Japanese version. It has better voice actors; even for whiney little Albert.

As an end result, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo takes a classic story and gives it a modern twist, making it a visual wonder and a fun story to get hooked on. Admittedly, the visuals can be a little hard on the eyes sometimes, but if you power through it then you won’t be disappointed. I can personally say that Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite anime of all time, securing a spot at my top 10, despite whiney Albert. I highly HIGHLY recommend this anime for your viewing pleasure, and hope you will be just as amazed and hooked as I was.



Now that the summer is over and we begin to start fall, wether you're going back to school or not, here are the reviews for the rest of the year (In case, you missed my review list post):

September:
Vampire Knight (E/J)
DeathNote (E/J)

October:
Nabari no Ou (E)
Umineko no Naku Koro ni (J)

November: (VIC MIGNOGNA MONTH)
D.N.Angel (E)
Super Dimension Fortress Macross (E)

December:
Princess Tutu (E)
Non-Alcoholic Anime Drinking Games

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Memorable Anime Villains

What’s the definition of a villain? Someone with plans to take over the world; wants to kill the main character; wants something someone else wants; power? There are many motivations for villains and each is distinct from the other. So, I decided to do a little write up of ten very memorable anime villains. To do this, I recruited the assistance of a very close friend of mine, Hasteaguy. We both picked five villains each, one per anime franchise, and they’ll be listed on this post as every other pick. And there will be spoilers for quite a few of them, so if you are currently watching an anime with one of these villains and don't want it to be ruined for you, I suggest you stop reading now. For those of you who don't really care if there are spoilers or not, here are some very good badies starting with Hasteaguy’s pick:

ENVY FROM
FULL METAL ALCHEMIST

The evils of humanity stem from the seven deadly sins: Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Wrath and Envy. The Homonculi, created in Full Metal Alchemist, are named after these sins, and each symbolizes their sin in some way. They are created by trying to bring a person back from the dead with alchemy, but instead making something that is alive but not human. Envy was created in the same way. Like the other 6 Homunculi, Envy is preternaturally strong, fast, tough, essentially ageless, and also comes with it’s own unique power: the ability to shapeshift into any form it chooses. Because of this (and because of plot spoilers) we don’t know (until later) whether or not Envy is male or female, because it can be whichever it wants. Envy is largely reputed as the cruelest of the Homunculi, laughing and joking gleefully when seeing others in pain. It kills without mercy or hesitation, betrays others readily and never regrets any of it. It’s not just a brutal killer either, it uses it’s shapeshifting abilities to masquerade as people and can manipulate others almost as well as Lust, the most manipulative of the Homunculi.

GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING
Envy "Accidently" Shoots Child

However it’s temper keeps it from being a master villain; for the temptation to flex it’s jealous urges is just too strong for a 175 year old being. Guess being petty never get's old. Beneath this cruel exterior, Envy is secretly envious of humans' inner strength and the mutually beneficial friendships that they share, as most of the Homunculi show little real concern or emotional support for each other.

It holds, in its dark “heart”, a grudge against Edward Elric especially, actively putting it’s utmost efforts into hurting Edward every chance it gets, torturing him, killing his friend Hughes by masquerading as his wife, and *gasp* Calling him short! Envy says that it can never forgive him, though why and for what, we won't know until later in the series. In a show that is known to be very graphic and disturbing, for a mainstream anime, Envy stole the show for many, as a deliciously evil, revenge-engine.

LIL SLUGGER FROM
PARANOIA AGENT

This one is a different kind of villain. Lil Slugger is the villain hiding in your mind. The one you go and blame when you don’t want to own up to your own faults and just wish they would disappear. This makes him entirely impossible to arrest. Although he is a figment of your imagination, it is very convenient that every victim describes the same person; a middle schooler wearing a red baseball cap, golden roller blades, and carrying a bent gold baseball bat. All this makes Lil’ Slugger pretty deadly to the world mentally and, in some cases, physically. Some of the victims even go as far as to injure themselves in order to use this bad coping skill named Lil’ Slugger. Starting with Tsukiko Sagi and the pressure to create a character, to someone needing money, to a woman with split personality disorder, to a young girl trying to get away from her perverted father, and even entailing stupid stories like a woman carrying a fetus with a bent bat!

F-ING WHAT?!?!?

Eventually, all the citizens from Japan began to suffer from paranoia; and, as they do, Lil Slugger becomes stronger and stronger. He finally does get stopped at the hands of Tsukiko and the odd connection he has to Maromi. By the end of the series, the victim count is exceedingly high at god knows how many people!

*sigh* All I have to say to the characters in Paranoia Agent...... FIND BETTER COPING SKILLS INSTEAD OF THIS FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION!!!
Fan Made Paranoia Agent Trailer

CHAR AZNABLE FROM
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM,
ZETA GUNDAM, AND
CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK

Char, a.k.a Casval Rem Deikun, is kind of unknown to those who haven’t seen the first Gundam series, but to those who have, he’s the one who started it all. He’s the Ace Mobile Suit Pilot of the Principality of Zeon, known as the Red Comet, and is the rival of Amuro Ray, the protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam. To give you an idea of just how badass this guy is: he singlehandedly destroyed 5 Federation battleships, in a single mobile suit, repeatedly whips Amuro just to prove he can, and always looks badass despite the silly mask and blond hair.

Also he has the most badass Headshot in Gundam history.
GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING
Char Headshot!

It pays to be a stone cold pimp.

Char is a wonderful mix of passion, pride, charisma, and vengefulness. He can inspire people to battle at his side to victory with ease, while instilling fear in his opponents. Another defining trait is his tendency to hold deep grudges. First: against the Zabi family for killing his father and stealing the rule of Zeon; Second: against Amuro Ray for killing his pupil, and object of his affection, Lalah Sune. So yeah, he’s The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya, in a big red mech.

Technically he flips back and forth from villain to anti-hero. In Zeta Gundam he changes sides and fights as a protagonist against the Titans under a new name. He almost becomes a new leader for the free world, In Space (lol), like he was supposed to be after his father. However, in Char’s Counterattack, he gets fed up with how disgustingly corrupt humanity has become, and sought to bring about the next evolution of humanity into Newtypes (space dwelling humans), by dropping asteroids onto earth. The logic behind this is that if humanity can’t live on Earth, they’ll move into space, and evolve into Newtypes. Smooth Criminal that one.

Char’s character and appearance has become so popular in the Gundam universe, he’s shown up in multiple series’ under different characters.

Full Frontal - Gundam Unicorn
Schwartz Bruder - G Gundam
Zechs Merquise (Milliardo Peacecraft) – Gundam Wing
Neo Roanoke (Mu La Flaga) – Gundam SEED
And several others.

All these Char Clones, as they’re called, emulate some form of Char’s personality or character, from the mask they wear, to the alias they use, to the vengeful attitude, pride, antagonist/anti-hero stance, or general badassitude in a Mobile Suit, and most of the time, all at once.

His name is Char Aznable, you killed his father/girlfriend, prepare to die.

MEDUSA GORGON FROM SOUL EATER

In Greek Mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon who had snake hair and would turn people to stone if eye contact was made. Medusa Gorgon of Soul Eater is a witch who is really really into snakes and can pretty much scare the living daylights out of anyone that looks at her.... Yeah, see the similarity? Medusa is one of the few anime villains that would prefer to use brains over brawn, having other people do the dirty work for her. She has a very twisted idea of experimentation, even using her own son Chrona and trying to make him into a Keshin. After the experiment fails, she moves on to attempting to revive the Keshin Asura and even succeeds! In the process, however, she is killed by Professor Stein.... Or so we believe. She comes back, possesses the body of a young girl named Rachel, and is right at it again; but this time she stays out of the conflict between the DWMA and her sister Archane until she deems it the right time to move. That and she wants Professor Stein for herself. Oh and did we mention the Pumpkin Panties/Bloomers she wears this time?

Pumpkin Panties!

Medusa has no qualms about taking exactly what she wants, and, if you don't comply, you better be prepared to die. She wants power and madness to swallow the world (Madness is a weapon in Soul Eater, go with it). Most importantly, however, she wants knowledge. Like Professor Stein, she’s a scientist and knowledge is the one thing a scientist ever really wants. But, unlike Stein, she takes it to new heights when she involves her own child, the well being of all the witches, and even her own life while masquerading as the school nurse at the DWMA. Medusa is a cold yet calculating character that will quickly be able to decide wether you are useful to her or not. Actually, now that I think of it, she's not really a human character. She's more like an animal, with her predatory ways and the way everything she touches around her pretty much ends up in serious trouble (Yeah, I know, snake. Ha ha). Medusa cemented herself as one powerful, slippery witch who will kill you the instant she doesn’t find you useful to her anymore. With snakes that dwell in her own body, and on the tattoos she posess on her arms, Medusa is certainly one of the more vicious and cold witches in anime to date.

Speaking of the word Vicious....

VICIOUS FROM COWBOY BEBOP

When you first see this guy in the wonderful mishmash of mostly unordered chaos that is Cowboy Bebop, you never expect to see him again. He just looks like a big stereotype, fixed scowl, gravelly voice, and few words to say. Most of all: his name is Vicious. That’s a name that I’d come up with when I started up Xbox Live as a 12 year old because I want to seem dark and edgy… until in the scene at the opera house and everything is justified: Faye is at the opera house but is captured. She asks the tall and evil looking man “who are you?” And he replies, “Vicious.” And she. Becomes. Terrified. Vicious is an incredibly heartless character that has been quoted by JesuOtaku as, ‘wanting everything and nothing at the same time’. At first it seems he’s loyal to the Syndicate and will do anything and kill everyone to get to the traitor Spike. But then we see that he hates the Syndicate and wants to destroy them and take the spot at the top. Not even his friends and comrades or even lovers matter to him at all. Literally, vicious and calculating, nothing and no one will stop this man when he sets his sights on a goal. And he’ll go to the darkest extremes to get it. Again, he’s one note, but he’s played so well that he’s up near the top of many people’s lists, and here he is again.

Spike v.s. Vicious
Skip to 1:10 and watch to 4:30

LIGHT YAGAMI FROM
DEATHNOTE

Yeah, yeah, yeah we all knew that this was coming and where this is about to go. Light is your average honor student who, one day, stumbles across a mysterious notebook on the ground. Soon enough he discovers what it is and what it can do. The DeathNote is the notebook of a Shinigami that can cause death for those whose name is written in it as long as you know the person’s birth name and their face. Now with something like this, you would think that the good student would either return it or even study it for scientific purposes. Oh no! Of course not! In the first episode, Light declares that he will wipe out all evil and become the “God of a new world”.

"God of the new world"

........Yeah....... Anyone who will declare themselves God is going to need a lot of counseling. But Light doesn’t take his new found power lightly. With current technology at his disposal, he can search for the names and faces of any criminal he chooses. And even good people like policemen who are investigating him are taken down by his power. Not only is Light intelligent, he is a master manipulator and liar, fooling, not only the Kira investigators but using the women he loves until he can’t get anything out of them. As JesuOtaku puts it, “If the villain is a snappy dresser with a sliver tongue and the good guy is a greasy gnome with poor people skills. Who are you going to believe, right?”

Now I know what’s coming next. “Light’s an anti-hero!” or “He had good intentions!”. The best argument that can be used is that Light was a good person and was just mislead by the DeathNote. However, and sorry Kira fans, anyone who calls themselves God in the first episode is not a hero of any kind. Near, I believe, put it best, “You yielded to the power of the Shingami in the notebook, and you have confused yourself with a God. In the end, you’re nothing more then a crazy serial killer. That’s ALL you are. Nothing more and nothing less.”

In the end, Light is a intelligent and cunning villain who has killed thousands of people while the world watched in either fear or admiration.

LADD RUSSO FROM
BACCANO!

What makes villains fun to watch? They hurt people, create almost nothing that isn’t designed to hurt people, and generally have no redeeming positive qualities. So why does Ladd Russo, the lead hit man for the Russo family, keep on showing up as such a fun character? Lets take a look at what he’s like. Ladd is, for lack of a simpler phrase, OUT OF HIS DAMN MIND. He becomes excited at the presence of, or the promise of violence and death. He takes utmost pleasure, and repeatedly says that he does, at killing. Fast, slow, it doesn’t matter so long as they never see him coming. Nor does it matter who, as shown by this clip:

GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING
Ladd Shots Chezlaw

For those who didn’t click, that was a child. And he shot him in the face, while smiling. So if all this is true, why do we love watching this guy?! I’ll tell you, he enjoys what he does, so we do too. Most slashers in shows and movies don’t know who they are or what they want, and kill to validate their existence or a cause. Ladd however knows exactly who he is, and what he wants and loves every second of it. He’s gathered people of similar interests and is betrothed to a masochist for his sadist. Ladd’s only failing as a character is his impetuous and rash nature. Causing his downfall later in the series, and several poor choices, made simply for the "fun" of it. Even when he’s literally beating someone into a bloody paste with his bare hands, the amount of giggling fun he brings to the screen makes you smile along with him, and then consider checking yourself into an asylum.

Ladd is a boxer!

THE MAJOR FROM
HELLSING ULTIMATE

The original Hellsing anime didn’t have a great baddie to fall in love with (stupid Incognito), but the OVA gave us back the man from the manga who ran with the Nazis (Hooray!). So far in the OVA, The Major hasn’t had much screen time besides at least two released episodes, but boy does he play a HUGE role in them. During World War II, a special operation was conducted to create a strain of vampiric, Nazi soldiers for an ensured victory. The Hellsing Organization’s Walter and Alucard foiled his plans and destroyed the research lab. However, The Major and his followers escaped to South America. Now, he returns with a battalion of 1000 vampires (and a werewolf and a physics theory). Is he carrying out his orders to take down England? Oh hell no! That would make him a normal dictator! The Major is only occupied by one thing. It’s a rather simple little thing too. What does he want? War. So simple right? Don’t think so? Just listen to, probably, one of the most badass villain speeches ever in anime history!

The Major's Speech

Yeah, crazy badass villain in the building here! It’s funny that one of the most awesome villains happens to be a Nazi supporter, but does that really matter? The Major is just an awesome guy who is having a love affair with war.

OROCHIMARU FROM
NARUTO

Before anyone says anything, yes, I know. Naruto is a bad show, but we’re not talking about Naruto. We’re talking about the first major villain we’re introduced to, and, no, Zabuza doesn’t count. At first we don’t even know he exists until he literally PULLS HIS FACE OFF, after biting a little boy and cursing him.

Orochimaru v.s. Anko

Then it’s revealed that Orochimaru (ironically voiced by the same voice actor as Zabuza [Steve Blum]) was actually a member of the Leaf Village, until he became obsessed with gaining power and immortality, and a serious snake fetish. As one of the three Legendary Sannin, and a previous member of the Ninja Terrorist Group, the Atasuki (wow that sounded sillier when I actually said it), Orochimaru is notoriously powerful.

For SEVERAL seasons, leading into Shippuden, Orochimaru is seemingly unkillable. He always either escapes, or finds a new body, or pulls a new technique out of thin air to confound the protagonists. Onto the next point that most people find the most unsettling about him are his general mannerisms and appearance, and especially his techniques. Orochimaru is pasty white, has snake fangs and snake-like eyes. That’s pretty creepy by itself. Throw in techniques that often involve him stretching out or morphing his body to either form or produce snakes FROM UNDER HIS SKIN! That’d be pretty creepy too, but it gets worse. Orochimaru plans to gain immortality by finding the perfect body. To get that, he experiments on people, literally cutting them apart, or putting himself inside them and then later pulling their faces off to become them. He's like a combination of Medusa from Soul Eater and Ed Gent. The sheer perversion, presentation, and staying power of this character makes him a reoccurring nightmare of many fans and nonfans of the series. However, because he’s attached to Naruto, he’ll stay out of the top slots I’d imagine.

BEATRICE FROM
UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI

Yeah I know, “Stephanie picked another witch as a villain, how typical...” Well insult me all you want, but once you understand why there is another witch on here, then you won’t be so snippy about it. Beatrice and Medusa are fairly similar; both are rather intelligent, cunning, and both know exactly what their goals are. The difference, however, is their hobbies. Medusa is fond of experimentation and gaining knowledge, and only is cruel when it's beneficial to her work. While Beatrice....

Rosa's Dinner
Start at about 1:16 to 4:40ish

Yeah.... Beatrice is a million times more twisted then Medusa could ever be, mostly because it's more fun. Beatrice’s main goal is to get Battler Ushiromiya to admit she is a witch and his family had died from magic. She does this by playing little “games”, involving different scenarios of the Ushiromiya family members dying by strange circumstances. And she does this in the most brutal and tortuous ways possible..... It can be rather disturbing to watch. And she and Battler play this game for several years, all the while everyone including Battler is dead on the island they are staying on. Time just stands still for Battler now while he’s stuck playing Beatrice’s game, and he’ll never escape until either he defeats the greatest witch ever to exist, or succumbs to her will (which will probably involve being naked and being horribly dismembered at the hands of goat-men).

GORE WARNING
Start at 6:16

.....Oh snap......


There are plenty more villains that deserve mention, and I actually hope to do a countdown list, in the future. For now, you just read about ten memorable villains that will either make you cringe, laugh, or even cheer them on. Comment in the section below on your favorite villains, or your opinions on this list.

Written by: Stephanie (Lilac Anime Reviews) and Decker (Hasteaguy)

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