Mayoiga: The Lost Village Episode #12 Review (Finale)

They're being rejected by themselves, not anyone else, and that's what terrifies them the most.

What They Say:

A shady bus tour of young men and women are headed to an elusive village called Nanakimura. A destination where people can partake in a utopian existence, free of the world's obstacles... or so goes the rumor. Heading deep into the mountains, the bus is carrying 30 different individuals, each harboring their own expectations and troubled hearts. What they had arrived to was an uninhabited village with lingering, faint scents of life. It was falling apart. Just what is the secret of Nanakimura?

The Review:
Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

With a super-sized version of Hayato's grandmother looming on the horizon, our time with Mayoiga is finally coming to a close. That being said, there are still several villagers out there with some loose ends that need to be straightened out. But, before that, the more important thing is dealing with mega-grandma, who Hayato has apparently learned to control. Riding on the back of his Nanaki, Hayato is able to grab hold of Mitsumune and Masaki as he spills his true feelings (Which we already know from several episodes ago) about how he has no purpose if he has no one to protect. Once again, Mitsumune speaks out against this, seeing as doing so is the only way to make him feel like he's changed. As soon as the argument starts shifting in Mitsumune's favor, Koharun shows up and sparks the debate of, "What if he's lying to you?" which sends Hayato into panic as he falls off the Nanaki.

As the Nanaki chases after Hayato, Mitsumune grabs him and starts running away accompanied by Masaki and leaving Koharun on the sidelines. But wait, what's this? Mitsumune dropped his walkie-talkie. (Gasp). Once Kamisama starts coming in on the handy-dandy portable communication device, Koharun picks it up and -- Surprise! Kamisama is actually her father and the main reason she ventured to Nanakimura in the first place. After a quick heart to heart with her dad, Koharun throws the walkie-talkie away and is left to question whether or not she wants to continue deviating from her father's outlook on this whole quagmire.

Shortly after the scene brings us back to Mitsumune and friends, Hayato decides that it is time for him to face his Nanaki. As mega-grandma soars through the tunnel at the speed of a bullet train, Hayato stands strong and is...eaten by her. Don't worry, though, it's the good kind of being eaten -- the kind that forced both him and his grandmother to disappear as they are sent back to the real world. Following the vanishing of Hayato, Reiji finally decides to show his face in front of Masaki. Being one of the only Nanakis everyone can actually see, Reiji breaks the news to Masaki that he is not real. As it turns out, Masaki created an imaginary friend when she was younger to cope with her loneliness -- that friend being Reiji. It is then revealed (After a long-winded, emotional discussion) that she always knew he wasn't real, but she wanted to try being with him anyway. This is the reason she came to Nanakimura in the first place. Of course, she winds up accepting this and instead decides to use Mitsumune as her friend in times of need from now on. Good job, Mitsumune, you finally got her.

Meanwhile, things at the camp are a little...different. So far, we've only seen people who wish to deal with their fears and move on in an attempt to get back to the real world. But, after being told by Reiji what Nanakimura actually is, some of the villagers decide that they would be better off not dealing with their problems and staying in the fake reality they've been tossed into. As the group separates into those who can deal with their problems and those who can't, the underlying theme of the series becomes apparent -- and it's essentially what we've all been expecting.

The main point that Mayoiga is trying to convey is that different people have different ways of coping with things. Almost everyone out there has something from their past that they'd rather forget. And, just as it happened in the show, not everyone is necessarily able to progress past that. There are going to be people in life that bottle up their problems and become consumed by them. At the same time, though, there are going to be people strong enough to take these regrets and turn them into something that betters them as a person. It's the cycle of life. Nanakimura is an alternate universe that enables people to see their fears firsthand and decide whether or not they can deal with them. The fact that some villagers were left behind and couldn't deal with said fears is enough to make Mayoiga a good, realistic anime with an important message. The last episode does feel a little rushed (As I assumed it would be) but I don't think that really takes away from what we can learn from the series as a whole.

In Summary:

Mayoiga: The Lost Village can be pretty messy at times but it has a lot of heart. Even with all the questionably bad parts of the show, I was never particularly uninterested. With a character roster of over thirty unique villagers (With a good portion of them having detailed backstories), it's easy to latch onto one that you can really connect with. Whether it be the girl with the imaginary friend, the abused child, or the kid who was bullied in school, there's something in here for almost everyone who grew up imperfectly. The sense of mystery in this series is equal parts confusing, suspenseful, and all around hilarious at times. But even though Mayoiga may not have been necessarily attempting to have some of its monsters appear a little...self-parodic, the end result winds up being one I'm not disappointed with. Save this one for a rainy day when you have no idea what else to put on. If you can get past the clumsiness of some of the plot (And even the episode quality at some parts), you might just have an unexpectedly good time.

Episode Grade: B-

Series Grade: B-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

L DK Vol. #2 Manga Review

I wonder if it'll be a long battle for me too...

Creative Staff:

Art/Story: Ayu Watanabe

Translator: Christine Dashiell

Lettering: Sara Linsley

Editing: Ajani Oloye

What They Say:

Aoi appears to finally be coming to terms with her feelings for Shusei. But before she can come to a conclusion, she witnesses a shocking scene between Shusei and a beautiful woman. However, it turns out that Shusei is not the only one who’s popular with the opposite sex, as a younger rival enters the fray and vies for Aoi’s attention. One boy is enough of a headache, but what will Aoi do with two gorgeous boys as love interests?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

After a nearly six-month long break following the dreadful first volume of L DK, I decided that it was about time to revisit the series in hopes that the second volume wouldn't fall into the same pit of "Wtf?" as the first one. I was wrong. The second edition of this sloppy mess of a shoujo series gone wrong is just as painstakingly dreadful as the first, highlighting important childhood themes like chauvinism, dominatrism, and falling in love with someone because honestly they're just too gosh darn attractive.

When we last left off, Aoi and Shusei had moved in together (After only knowing each other for like three days) because Shusei's apartment was destroyed and that's what normal people that just met each other do. After one thing leads to another, some random mystery girl shows up and latches on to Shusei, leaving Aoi suspended in disbelief until the next volume when this happens:

You can tell how serious things are getting by the face Aoi is making.

Of course, Aoi is accepting of this because she is no stranger to familial relations, living alone in some random Japanese suburb, and then goes on to explain how she and Shusei are only together for the time being because of the condition his apartment has fallen into. Just kidding. What Aoi really decides to do is tell Shusei's sister that the two are actually dating because in all honesty she just wants this woman out of the picture in case Shusei is a total siscon or whatever. Onee-chan isn't letting her off the hook that easy, though. Instead of accepting the gravity of the situation and leaving the two "lovers" to their own devices, Shusei's sister decides to tell the two that they essentially need to get it on in front of her in order to get her to leave. What.

This manga is rated "13+" so there is no actual copulation that is EVER going to occur, but that doesn't stop Shusei from trying because he is such a manly man. After about six failed attempts at molestation, Aoi finally decides that things are going too far and that she must pull the plug, exposing the real truth to Shusei's sister (Honestly, I don't even remember if this girl had a name). Following a quick "I told you so" from Onee-chan, she leaves anyway because the plot needs to advance and we only have enough room for one more main character this volume.

Oh yeah, and then there's a basketball tournament or something. This chapter doesn't really matter because it just gives Watanabe the chance to draw Shusei and Aoi alone and without their shirts on.

Some time later (Not really sure how much), Aoi is walking home in the rain when she comes across another hot dude sitting on the steps of the school. He immediately confesses his love to her because this is a shoujo manga and Aoi is suddenly thrust into a world where she must choose between two super-hunks with personalities that ultimately stem back to just how hot they are -- just this one is into bestiality or something like that. I don't know man, he keeps asking Aoi if he can be her pet or whatever. It's weird, bro.

The next major plot point (Pfft) comes when Aoi and Shusei take a trip to the zoo after someone gives them tickets (Becuase the zoo is a place that you buy tickets to in advance). After spilling the beans about the random hot guy who confessed to her, said random hot guy immediately shows up because he is also a stalker. Either that or he went to the zoo all by himself which would be very sad. Good news, guys! He and Shusei actually know each other! The three teens make their way over to a petting zoo with only dogs and we learn the valuable lesson that dogs also love really hot dudes. After several decently drawn Pomeranians, Hot Guy #2 (His name is Shouta, by the way) leaks the secret about why Shusei is so aloof and mysterious as Watanabe tries to get you to sympathize with a borderline rapist. Shusei was apparently dumped by some girl named Satsuki who then went on to marry his brother (Who I hope had more of a personality).

After this secret gets out, Shusei's apartment is finally fit to be lived in again and he promptly moves out. And...Shouta forces Aoi to let him live there instead because it isn't fair if she only lets one creep have a shot at some 13+ action. But instead of trying to literally force himself on Aoi like Shusei did, he dresses up like a dog and makes her breakfast because that is how you win a woman's heart. Then, in a completely unprecedented turn of events, he goes on to sleep in the closet because Watanabe really wants you to see how kind and affectionate this guy is. I mean, who cares if he's trying to mentally force Aoi into falling in love with him as long as he doesn't actually touch her, right?

Aoi finally wins a tough inner-struggle and decides that she would rather be molested by some guy with zero personality and good looks than even talk to a guy in a dog costume and she walks over to Shusei's apartment and bashes a chair through his wall, forcing him to move in with her again. It is then revealed that Shusei is totally over Satsuki and he's been working overtime in order to buy Aoi some cheap-looking necklace that he uses as an excuse to pass out on top of her, proving that it is okay to make physical advances on a girl as long as you buy her something nice.

In Summary:

This is probably the worst thing I've ever read. In a totally non-preachy way, this manga shows young girls that they are nothing more than objects to be used and abused by dudes who try and make themselves appear more human by having real feelings and slightly believable pasts. As if that wasn't enough, Watanabe attempts to persuade the reader to believe that Aoi has a choice in the entire scenario when, in all actuality, she's choosing between two versions of the same exact dude based on nothing more than how hot she thinks they are. It's not even just the content that's horrid, it's everything. Even the text gets cut off on various pages -- not like it matters considering the vast majority of it is just Aoi being toyed with in totally platonic, not-at-all sexual ways. I was being nice when I gave the first volume of L DK a C-, but I don't know if I will be able to sleep at night if I give this anything other than what I'm about to.

Content Grade: F

Art Grade: C-

Packaging Grade: C

Text/Translation Grade: D+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 15, 2015

MSRP: $10.99

Parasyte Collection 1 Blu-Ray Review

When I took over this human's brain, I received a directive. It said, Devour this species.

What They Say:

It's the ultimate nightmare. One minute Shinichi Izumi is a normal teenager asleep in his bed. The next he's been infected with a deadly parasitic organism determined to devour his brain and turn his body into the planet Earth's new apex predator.

But Shinichi partially foils the attack and, instead of being consumed, finds that the creature known as Migi has taken the place of his right hand. Now forced to share the same body, the two must become unwilling allies. Migi isn't the only one of his kind, and unless human and parasyte work together, they'll both be killed as abominations. Prepare yourself for a horrifying new world where the survival of the fittest and the survival of the human race are no longer the same thing. Monsters lurk behind every corner and every face as the human race becomes prey in Parasyte ~ the maxim!

Contains episodes 1-12.

The Review:

Audio:

The first collection of Parayste: The Maxim boasts an English dub of the series brought to you in DTS-HD Master 5.1 as well as the original Japanese dub in DTS-HD Master 2.0. Both the English and Japanese dubs come in crystal clear and equalized at all points throughout the series. There is no clipping, overmodulation, or anything of that sort. Even when jumping to the opening and ending portions of the episodes, the audio remains equalized so you don't have to keep adjusting your volume every three seconds. Also, I just want to note that the OST of this series is phenomenal.

Video:

As expected, the video quality of this Blu-Ray home release is defined in 1080p HD with a default aspect ratio of 16x9. The video, which is uncensored on the Blu-Ray release, comes in smooth at all points throughout the series. Character outlining is well-defined and everything just looks flat out beautiful all-around. The show's art style is reminiscent of older series from when Sci-Fi reigned supreme in the anime world but don't let that fool you. It still has a modern day twist for all of those who are afraid to look back to a time when anime was less "anime."

Packaging:

Do you like blood? I hope so. If you don't, I honestly don't know why you'd even bother watching this. The artwork on the case of Parasyte Collection 1 puts one of the first "Parasytes" against a backdrop of Shinichi's school with blood splattered...well, pretty much everywhere. The color scheme is dark and hopeless, congruent to how the series feels overall. As if that wasn't enough blood, the back of the case has even more carnage for you to enjoy. In fact, the summary of the series is literally inside a puddle of blood with the words "Kill. Eat. Repeat." displayed above it alongside several thumbnails from the series. No humans were harmed in the making of this Blu-ray collection.

Menu:

The menu for this collection loops the opening (Or the ending on Disc 2) of the series above a list of the episode titles that Migi appears next to when highlighted. The opening is clear on the menu, almost exactly the way it is in the episodes themselves. Thanks to Migi, episode highlighting is easily visible and puts no strain on your eyes whatsoever. One thing to note, though, is that this might get annoying if you become too lazy to turn off your TV and just leave the menu looping while you look for something else to do. I don't know if I can rate menu screens like that, but I feel like that's a good 50% of my relation to them. Either way, it's definitely a step up from Sentai's regular edition DVD releases and a pleasure to look at.

Special Features:

The first Blu-ray collection of Parasyte is a bit lacking in terms of special features, containing only the clean opening/ending songs as well as four aptly-chosen trailers for other Sentai releases (Akame Ga Kill, Vampire Hunter D, Brynhildr In The Darkness, and Black Bullet). There is nothing else to report on that aspect.

Content:

(Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

What does it mean to be human? Is it our DNA that sets us apart from the other creatures that inhabit the earth? From a scientific standpoint, the answer to that question would be "yes". However, we are not scientists, so we must answer that question in a different manner. For as long as we can remember, humans have been the champions of survival, conquering all obstacles in our path due to the sheer amount of knowledge that we're able to possess. But what if humans were no longer the champions? What if some other species showed up one day with the likeness of human beings and treated us as their prey? Would it be us that really deserve to survive -- or would it be the newer, more perfect human race? That is the common question brought up in the world of Parasyte: The Maxim.

Based on the 1989 manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte whisks viewers away to a world where a parasitic alien race is attempting to attach itself to and consume the life-force of human hosts. These parasites, however, are just acting on basic instinct. With that being said, it is no surprise that our main character (Shinichi Izumi) in Parasyte becomes infected by one right at the very start of the show. Shinichi, however, notices the parasite as it burrows into his arm and cuts off any path that said parasite has to make it to the brain. The result of this lies in the parasite (Who we will come to know as Migi) controlling his right arm instead of his entire body.

Initially, Shinichi and Migi wind up resenting each other. Shinichi blames Migi and the other parasytes for ruining not only his life but the lives of everyone else around. Migi, on the other hand, sees Shinichi as an extremely weak human -- which in turn leads to him seeing himself as weak for not being able to properly infect him. Regardless, Migi needs to rely on Shinichi for sustenance in order to keep himself alive, while Shinichi must rely on Migi to protect him from other parasytes who want to eat him and steal his brains or something. Either way, the two wind up slowly forming a bond based on nothing but codependency at first. However, that bond transitions into something bigger as they continue to learn more and more about each other.

The main plot in Parasyte continuously advances depending on who and what close to Shinichi is being affected by the parasytes. No matter who he comes in contact with, terrible things wind up happening to them. This leads to Shinichi becoming sort of aloof and somber as he distances himself from everyone he was close to. Sometimes that distancing is a direct choice of his, sometimes it's not. SPOILER TIME: Early on in the series, Shinichi's mother is infected and taken over by a parasyte. This is ultimately what sends him spiraling down a road of uncertainty as he struggles to grasp the gravity of his new life. No matter how far he winds up going down that road, he still remains haunted by memories of his mother that go on to affect the way he treats...well, everyone. He winds up distancing himself from his girlfriend (Even though I guess she isn't his girlfriend right away? Their relationship is dumb) and his friends. This is one of the key factors in growing his relationship with Migi -- the one thing he can't separate himself from.

As their bond strengthens, so does Shinichi. He learns to control his body in new, superhuman ways as the parasyte continues to fuse with his blood. This leads to him becoming a super masculine hunk that honestly just becomes even more annoyingly strong as the series progresses. I don't like this guy, I really don't. I'm not sure if you're supposed to or not, but he just seemed like an overly static, boring character that only developed because he was literally forced to. Migi, on the other hand, is fantastic. Even though he's just this weird alien hand thing, everything he says is packed with so much philosophy that he essentially becomes the voice of the author, constantly illustrating and spelling out each and every theme for the viewer. The most beautiful part of Parasyte is how quotable some of the exchanges between the parasytes and the humans are. They make you question right and wrong. In that aspect, the show is phenomenal.

Some of the scenarios Shinichi is tossed into wind up being just as hard-hitting as the dialogue itself. Another thing Parasyte does well is developing the characters surrounding Shinichi before grabbing them and saying, "Hey, remember how you were starting to like this person? Yeah, well, they're dead now. Sorry." Parayste goes through that cycle over and over again as things start becoming larger and larger not only thematically, but scale-wise. The mindsets of the parasytes begin changing -- they figure out how to become more human; they start banding together. Just as the problem begins to spiral even more out of control, the first collection ends and we're all left sitting here thinking, "Ugh, now what?"

In Summary:

Parasyte is a good show. It has its problems -- most things do, but the good parts are really, really good. Like I've said before, the themes and the dialogue turn a show that would be otherwise pretty nifty into a show that you actually have to sit down and watch. Parasyte has become an essential for all types of anime fans since its airing in 2014. Thankfully, we have 24 episodes of it instead of just 12 -- which is absolutely needed considering just how much happens within that timeframe. Fans of sci-fi, gore, horror, psychological, drama, and action -- do yourself a favor and check this out. It's a loyal adaptation of an old series that has been essentially beckoning to be adapted for decades now.

Features:

English DTS-HD Master 5.1 Audio, Japanese DTS-HD Master 2.0 Audio, English/English SDH subtitles, clean opening/ending songs, Sentai Filmworks trailers.

Content Grade: B+

Audio Grade: A

Video Grade: A

Packaging Grade: A-

Menu Grade: B+

Extras Grade: C

Released By: Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: April 5, 2016

MSRP: $69.98

Running Time: 300 Minutes

Video Encoding: 1080p High Defition

Aspect Ratio: 16x9