Dear Chibi,

It’s been a long time since an anime film (or rather, any animation film) has left this much impression on me. Shinkai Makoto’s ‘Your Name’ (Kimi no Na wa.) is the highest-grossing anime film of all time and it’s easy to see why. The moment the film starts I’m mesmerized by the stunning art, the gorgeous colours and the compelling animation. Every scene is a work of art. The detailed visuals and audio work harmoniously together to convey a very realistic portrayal of Japan. Yet, in the end… it was the emotionally powerful story that moved me. “Your Name” is pretty perfect to me. Tears were shed :’D

[Read More]

Dear Chibi,

Sailor Moon R The Movie: The Promise of the Rose is out on DVD remastered! I haven’t seen this movie in quite a while, but it was by far my favourite of the 3 Sailor Moon movies. Seeing it again so many years later, my thoughts largely remain the same.

“Long before Mamoru found his destiny with Usagi, he befriended a lonely boy who helped him recover from the crash that claimed his parents. This long-forgotten friend, Fiore, has been searching the galaxy for a flower worthy of that sweet gesture long ago. The mysterious flower he finds is beautiful, but has a dark side. Faced with an enemy blooming out of control, it’s up to Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians to band together, stop the impending destruction and save Mamoru!”

As with most anime movies, this film is best enjoyed as a standalone. Nothing in the film affects the main story at all, and the actual villains from the series (The Black Moon Clan) are never mentioned. The events portrayed in the film seem to take place somewhere between episode 77 and 82, after Chibiusa learns of everyone’s identity and when Usagi and Mamoru get back together. It makes sense since the film debuted in Japanese theaters on 5 December 1993, a week before episode 77 aired. While it’s not necessary to watch the movie, it’s a delightful experience with plenty of emotion and drama.

[Read More]

Dear Chibi,

I received Evangelion: 1.11 and 2.22 Blu-Ray in the mail about a week ago but haven’t had the chance to sit down and write about it until now :D

Let me start off by saying… I haven’t really watched Evangelion before. Well, I have a little bit back in my early high school days but that was so long ago and in-sequential that it didn’t make much sense XD Hopefully watching the movies this time around will be a more fulfilling experience. I want to know what the fuss is all about!

Evangelion: 1.11 You are (NOT) Alone and 2.22 You Can (NOT) Advance

The two came in a very well packaged box. I had a pleasant time un-boxing it and I loooove the look of these. The plain orange and red on the slip covers work well. Since these were part of a series/collection, I lined them up to see how they’d looked together:

One side features a face of Shinji Ikari and Mari Illustrious Makinami (new character in the movie)

[Read More]