VHex comments about his reviews
As a writer for Animation Unlimited, I would like to inform the readers of a few things that you can expect from my reviews. That is, things you should expect provided Johaan doesn't get upset with me and give me the boot (ed: watch out!).
1. I like my anime in context.
I'm not fond of the series that starts off with monotonous banter that holds no significance in the big picture of the expected storyline. And when I say "expected storyline," I'm referring to that which the studio marketing department wants you to focus on.... the reason that "they" rope you into buying/renting/watching any particular animation media "they" produce. That said, you can expect a bad review if the show goes off on a wild tangent mid-series/movie and goes nowhere with it.
2. Let's get some emotion.
I'm picky about the voice acting. I hate it when voice actors sound like they are trying too hard, or simply lack emotion in their vocal tone. Yeah, it's animated, but that doesn't mean that the voice actors should be sub-par.
3. Extremity is a good thing.
When done right, going over the top adds an extra sense of oomph that some of the better Anime need to grab the attention of the audience. A prime example, "The Ping Pong Club" (ed: give us a review!). Anyone who's seen it knows what I'm referring to. If you haven't and love weird and rude comedy Anime and Cartoons, you'll love it.
4. Movement/Dialog is great, but not everything.
There are quite a few shows out there with storylines that imply there will be a lot of fighting, shooting, flying, acrobatics, etc, and then concentrate on dialog more than actual action. This can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be. Saiyuki for example has great adult, comedic-themed dialog. I love the series for this reason alone, but the fight scenes are a bit too bland. There are a lot of stills with moving backgrounds that try to give a sense of movement ... but don't really cut it. It's still a good series, but for anyone that has seen it and enjoys the anti-chemistry among the 4 main travelers knows what I'm referring too. What's a good contra positive example? Yukikaze... it's decent on the emotion department with their dialog, but they still stay in context since most of the characters are military. Take note, I'm only commenting about the first disc in the Yukikaze series and not the series as a whole. Action scenes are excellent for anyone that loves fighter jets.
This should give you all an idea of what to look for in my reviews as far as ratings are concerned. It's understandable that some may think that I'm off with my opinion on a particular series, or all of my opinions on any series. If so, talk about it in the forums and see how others choose to view things.
Also another thing, I'll try to keep my reviews short and to the point.
1. I like my anime in context.
I'm not fond of the series that starts off with monotonous banter that holds no significance in the big picture of the expected storyline. And when I say "expected storyline," I'm referring to that which the studio marketing department wants you to focus on.... the reason that "they" rope you into buying/renting/watching any particular animation media "they" produce. That said, you can expect a bad review if the show goes off on a wild tangent mid-series/movie and goes nowhere with it.
2. Let's get some emotion.
I'm picky about the voice acting. I hate it when voice actors sound like they are trying too hard, or simply lack emotion in their vocal tone. Yeah, it's animated, but that doesn't mean that the voice actors should be sub-par.
3. Extremity is a good thing.
When done right, going over the top adds an extra sense of oomph that some of the better Anime need to grab the attention of the audience. A prime example, "The Ping Pong Club" (ed: give us a review!). Anyone who's seen it knows what I'm referring to. If you haven't and love weird and rude comedy Anime and Cartoons, you'll love it.
4. Movement/Dialog is great, but not everything.
There are quite a few shows out there with storylines that imply there will be a lot of fighting, shooting, flying, acrobatics, etc, and then concentrate on dialog more than actual action. This can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be. Saiyuki for example has great adult, comedic-themed dialog. I love the series for this reason alone, but the fight scenes are a bit too bland. There are a lot of stills with moving backgrounds that try to give a sense of movement ... but don't really cut it. It's still a good series, but for anyone that has seen it and enjoys the anti-chemistry among the 4 main travelers knows what I'm referring too. What's a good contra positive example? Yukikaze... it's decent on the emotion department with their dialog, but they still stay in context since most of the characters are military. Take note, I'm only commenting about the first disc in the Yukikaze series and not the series as a whole. Action scenes are excellent for anyone that loves fighter jets.
This should give you all an idea of what to look for in my reviews as far as ratings are concerned. It's understandable that some may think that I'm off with my opinion on a particular series, or all of my opinions on any series. If so, talk about it in the forums and see how others choose to view things.
Also another thing, I'll try to keep my reviews short and to the point.
