Basquash! Bandwidth Killer Pre-warning!
On the planet Earthdash, its inhabitants gaze on its moon and the technologically advanced lunar city of Mooneyes with awe. Dan JD, a boy living in Rollingtown on Earthdash’s surface, gets caught up in Bigfoot Basketball — a fast-paced sport played with giant Bigfoot robots.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork.com
Basquash is great! We already know that…
Well… for those who don’t, I’ll say it again. Basquash is the bestest awesomemestemest adrenalin pumping ass-WHOOPING coolestest anime ever!
It’s so great, I’m not even going to bother with a review. It’s a 5-Star, through and through. Instead, I’m going to spam about the elements of Basquash. Explained by a bogus theory I came up with. I think I’m going to call it the 5-B-Multiplier.
In a nutshell, Basquash is so great because it fully utilize the 5 B’s. Basketball, Bots, Babes, Balls and of course, Boobies. Put all these together, and the effect multiplies so great that Basquash achieves EPICDOM!
Let’s start with Basketball.
The basketball in Basquash is street style. Although, there are hints of a court style basketball existing in some scenes when Rouge called Dan JD to shoot a three pointer.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but there has not been a single basketball anime which flunked. Even Dear Boys, the anime featuring sissy guys. Which although wasn’t something I enjoyed, had a rather successful feedback. Despite having rock-bottom basketball animes like Buzzer Beater, more often than not, basketball animes will always receive a good response.
Anyway, who doesn’t love basketball?
*Points to the guy who raised his hand*
Ok, first, You need to hit the court. Try the game.
Off topic: I used to love watching NBA, back when Anfernee Hardaway and Shaq played for Orlando Magic. They were my favorite matchup. Then Shaq left Orlando and I never bothered with NBA ever again. Now, the game is just fucked up. There’s a foul every second, either that or everyone is too busy acting the man, calling each other’s moms or what not. Pfft…
Back on topic, So… Yeah… Basketball rocks. Especially Streetball!
I’d definitely join Streetball competitions if only I wasn’t so farking short.
Bots
If you haven’t learn by now, Bots are cool.
They do things normal humans can’t. They can cook, fly, has superhuman strength, blow buildings up, Split a planet to two. And yes, they can play Basketball, or rather, Basquash!
The bots in Basquash are known as Big Foots. Which I find the name really suitable, despite the foot of the bots NOT being big. Having a really rugged design really makes the Big Foot feels original. And they wear basketball shoes. I’ll be damned if that isn’t cool!
I wish I could elaborate more, but words fail me. And I just found out that it’s harder to talk about bots than to talk about female characters.
Babes
When I say babes, I actually do mean Rouge. She’s already hot as it is, but to pilot a bot and play basketball too. She’s also a little Tsundere. Dang! She’d fit me to a tee!
To Snark, SHE IS MINE!!! So she pilots a bot but I doubt she’s above legal age. Meaning she’s someone you shouldn’t take a liking too.
Oh Shit! Almost forgot to include Sela. Plays basketball, rides a Big Foot, also Hot! Although… cuming over watching or playing good basketball probably means I’ll never satisfy her. Cause my basketball sucks, HARD! I can’t shoot, score, block Jack. All I can ever do is steal. Pffft…
*Allow my slightly pedophile nature to take over*
Actually, I’m also rather fond of Alan Naismith. Short hair, Cap, mechanic clothing, Hot!
The moment she change back to her princess form however, she seemed like the dull brainless character you would find in Pretty Cure or some shit like that.
Oh by the way, I AM actually trying to get hold of this anime called Fresh Pretty Cure. LOLOLOL!!!
It’s switching fansubs like baby switches diapers. So my episodes are messed up. Anyone knows any reliable source? I’m guessing that’s how bad it is.
* Back to usual uptight self*
Balls
When I say Balls, I actually do mean it in a GAR manner.
“That guy’s got Ballsz!”
I would have used the word Boys, but it sounded under-manly.
The balls I mean is the type Dan JD lack restraint of. Him crashing around everywhere and anytime he wants to just refills the body of adrenalin over and over again. Even Dan’s pet/companion, Spanky, had balls.
Iceman has balls too. But he’s just too cool that it hides his manhood. Same goes for James Lone.
Iceman Approves!
Boobs
When I say boobs, I actually do mean Haruka and Miyuki. One representing Jupiter, another representing Neptune.
Unfortunately, like Jupiter, Haruka’s boobs were losing its ability to maintain a perfect sphere, due to the stronger gravity of earth which ultimately makes it sag, as opposed to the low gravity on moon. They actually mention the gravity-sagging-boobs in the anime by the way. As Jupiter, it is slowly “compressing”.
Miyuki’s however, still has a long way to go. Although she would definitely appeal to Ganguro lovers. xp
Violette’s boobs were just plain scary. It was as big as Haruka’s, but it didn’t look human.
So I took her out of the Boobs section.
Big, Chibi, HUGE!
Initially I wanted to keep this post short and direct. But I guess it turned out to have some SPAM after all.
Oh well, Might as well just add something which I didn’t thought of putting in…
Despite all the ass-kicking Basquash is, I have to say that the 2nd ending theme video was rubbish. The song was good. But the video was horrendous.
Random Shots…
Basquash!
Rating: 5-Stars
Torrents: Baka-Updates
With this post over, I’d like everyone to meet my NEW imaginary waifu. Rouge…
Sorry Marin, our romance was short lived. Although you may be a replacement for Belldandy, but you don’t play basketball. And there are lonely nights when I’d wake up in the middle of the night and feel like playing basketball… among other things. Rouge and I, we were made for each other. So I bid thee farewell…
Training With Hinako
Training With Hinako is a 20 minute anime which is “supposed” to be a workout video. I didn’t know what to expect when I was watching this. But an anime is an anime, regardless of how retarded it is, so here goes nothing. Warning, major spoilers below cause the plot ain’t even worth hidding.
Hinako used to be a real person. Then one day, while watching an anime, the TV flashed of bright white and the next thing she knew was that she became an anime character. Next scene, you walk into her showering and she introduces herself. Now as an anime character, Hinako is acting in another Sailormoon-styled anime. And she has been warned that if she gains anymore weight, she will be cut from that role. So she pulls you along for a workout. The workouts consist of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. I don’t know if boob-bounce counts as a work out but Hinako did it anyway. Part 2, she changes to her undergarment and repeats the workout. Part 3, she changes to her bloomers and repeats the workout. Bear in mind that all 3 workouts were the same animation albeit different clothing only. As I watched through this show and laughed my ass off, I could feel my brains get sucked right out of my head. I have officially been Retardified!
As to how this anime is said to hit top sales in Amazon Japan rankings is an amazement to me. o_0″
Actually I have nothing against this anime (if you could call it that), it’s just that it feels so so wrong. And to be honest, even if they came up with an episode 2 or some shit, I will still watch it JUST to see how retarded I can feel and how good a laugh it will be.
Training With Hinako
Rating: 1-Star
Torrents: Chihiro
Wangan Midnight – Ep 21-23
Just as expected, I really shouldn’t review an anime until I finish the whole series. These three episodes was on a whole new level.
Eiji reconsiders his life as a racer or something else, clearing his doubts and finally having no regrets anymore. Eiji really shows that Wangan Midnight can actually bring depth to their characters rather than being just a blunt anime about cars, speed and who the fastest is.
Akio gets another reality check of his devoted Z after a race with BlackBird and Eiji’s Evo. And later seeks out Rikako, a newly introduced tuner character in the anime, to take his Z to even greater heights.
There isn’t anything much on Blackbird this few episodes except that he now knows what it feels like to drive with instincts rather than logic a.k.a. Akio style.
And FINALLY! Reina admitted that she does have a thing towards Akio, but it’s not like nobody suspected it. At least viewers can finally confirm it from her… in an indirect sort of way… I guess.
Putting all these together, this 3 episodes or rather the Eiji story arch is definitely the peak of the series so far. Let’s hope the performance will last till the final few episodes. For once the spotlight was not focused on the Z or Blackbird or their drivers.
Initial D Battle Stage 2
Battle Stage 2 is a recap of the battles the street racing team Project D encountered in the past series. It summarizes the story of the previous series and shows videos for their battles. This is basically car porn. There are battles between AE86, FD3s, Mazda Roadster, Cappuccino, EK9, Integra, S2000, R34, Evo5, Evo6, Impreza, AE85, S15, S13 and more if I’m missing any. Lol! And coincidentally I just watch Fast and Furious 4 last week. This is like sweet, heavenly icing on the cake. Hmm! Time to plan for a car change. Again!
If you are a car enthusiast, get this anime. If you are an Initial D fan, get this. If you love to race, get this. But no matter what you do, do not drink and drive. This is a friendly community reminder.
Recap’s like this are “mostly” always appreciated, provided that you are actually clear of the contents before buying the anime. There is nothing more irritating to buy/download an anime only to find out it is a recap of what you have already watched. It would have really rocked-the-boat if they actually included something fresh other than cars. Like maybe just a short discussion between Takumi, Keisuke, or any other characters. Didn’t have to be about cars, just something to show more of the characters’ faces. Consider it a short break from all the racing. That would help freshen the whole anime up.
Initial D Battle Stage 2
Rating: 3-Stars
Torrents: Project D
Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger
After a long and hard struggle, Makunochi Ippo has finally won the Japan Featherweight Champion title. And now he must prepare himself as challengers aiming to take his belt away from him appears one by one. From terrifying opponents to close friends appearing as challengers, Ippo has to defend his title against them and aim higher at the same time. Will everything go his way? Or will he succumb to the constant pressure.
Oh no! Another addicting sports themed kick ass anime. Hajime No Ippo will deliver swift and hard punches to viewers of this New Challenger series. Viewers won’t get a chance to feel bored as boxing matches are evenly spaced out between every 4 to 5 episodes. The opening theme also gets you in the mood as you prepare for the match-up. Go grab some popcorn too! Lol!
Characters are pretty old school. With face portraits from the 90’s and blocky muscles, especially obvious during boxing matches, which is only natural. Animation is accompanied by solid and clear colors. I did not get the chance to watch the original Hajime No Ippo series but I doubt the animation has changed much. It’s nice that there isn’t too much exaggeration during the boxing matches. None of your flashy 360 degrees fire-breathing sky-reaching punch. The sound effects also nicely compliment the action. Keeping things exciting without viewers even knowing it.
I understand that there is a little bit of romance going on in the anime, between Makunochi Ippo and a girl by the name of Kumi-san. I wish they would show just a tad bit more of this. Only briefly mentioning about this romance in the first episode has left me curious. It’s good that even though I missed the original Hajime No Ippo series, I don’t feel left out as everything is pretty straight forward and relationships are relapsed whenever a related character is involved. At the end of the match, Hajime No Ippo definitely deserves a hefty 5-Star punch.
Hajime No Ippo – New Challenger
Rating: 5-Stars
Torrents: Frostii
One Outs
Hiromichi Kojima, the star batter of the Lycaons, heads to Okinawa to train and bring himself out of a slump. There, he meets Toua Tokuchi, a 134-kmph/83 mph pitcher and the undisputed king of a gambling form of baseball called “One Out.” At Kojima’s urging, Tokuchi signs up with the Lycaons. His contract differs form the usual, though, in that he gets 5,000,000 yen for every out he pitches, but loses 50,000,000 yen for every point he gives up. Source: AnimeNewsNetwork.com
You are, upon starting to watch this anime, stepping into the world of J-league baseball. Viewers can feel the tension from the first episode. This is definitely a serious anime of baseball. No special abilities or abnormal powers here. Just baseball, as real as it gets. If you think what I just said sounds boring, you are dead wrong. This makes it even more interesting. As characters bring out different strategies which are probably applicable to real baseball. With a little bit of spirit, courage and will involved.
The way the characters are shaded really brings out the colors which greatly improves what could have been a very plain animation. Character’s also have very distinctive characteristics like blocky face, devilish eyes, etc.
The baseball matches were nicely laid out, focusing on the exciting parts and fast forwarding through the other boring details. Just like how you would watch a pre-recorded baseball match. A pre-warning, this anime is freaking addictive. One episode and I was glued to the seat trying to pull an all-nighter.
As expected, trying to catch those intense moments in a screenshot is hard. You can only feel the tension when watching the anime. The One-Outs contract is a very intriguing idea! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Watch the anime! Lol. One Outs is a definitely homerun of 5-Stars. Do not miss this!
One Outs
Rating: 5-Stars
Torrents: B2E
The Prince of Tennis: National Finals
After months of harsh matches, gruelling training, and numerous injuries, the Seigaku regulars have fought their way to the finals of the National Tournament. Just one step away from victory, all they need to do now is beat their final opponents; however it won’t be easy. Their final opponents are none other than Rikkaidai – the team they fought against in the final of the Kantou Regional Tournament, and the last two years National Tournament winners! With Rikkaidai seeking vengeance for their previous defeat, and national glory at stake, Seigaku must stay strong if they want to win. However, the team suffers a devastating blow when Echizen loses his memory. Now that the odds are stacked against them, could this put an end to Seigaku’s championship dreams? Source: Anime-planet.com
A friend recommended that I take a look at The Prince of Tennis series. Coincidentally, episode 1 of the Final Tournament was just up for grabs, so grab I did. Now after watching the full 6 episodes, I have to admit that it was rather fun.
I’m not sure how the original Prince of Tennis series go, but from the National Tournament Final OVA, it seems to me that this anime is all about tennis. Maybe the original series had a little romance or brotherly love here and there as hinted in this OVA (when they recapped their past) but that’s it. This series is again I say, strictly tennis. So if you have a certain loathsome feeling for the sport, you probably shouldn’t be downloading this in the first place.
As you would expect from a sports themed anime, there are plenty of special moves, from 2xxkm/h speed balls, to lightning strikes, aura fireballs, etc. Just try thinking Eyeshield 21 but with more stunts. The final and winning move by Echizen is a little too far fetched for me but hey?! It’s an anime. Lol!
It might be a little too late for wishful thinking now but I do hoe there will be newer seasons of The Prince of Tennis. Unfortunately, I do not find this a “must watch” anime. Probably because I didn’t watch the original series? So it will have to settle for a fat 4-Stars.
The Prince Of Tennis: National Finals
Rating: 4-Stars
Torrents: 1-2 3-6
Initial D Extra Stage 2
The story continues focusing on the relationship between Iketani, driver of the Nissan S13 from Akina Speed Stars, and Mako, female driver of the blue Sil80.The characters can still relate and a quick recap of the role of each character brings everything back into perspective. However, this means that new viewers who did not follow the original Initial D series would probably feel left out watching this episode.
Somehow this episode still has the racer feel of the original series, even if there wasn’t much of a race. There’s a certain aura around it. :p
As usual, the characters are super plain, satisfying the minimum requirement of having 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth and 2 ears. Way way below standards of today’s animes. But if it was ever changed, it wouldn’t feel like an Initial D anime anymore. Lol! One thing though, I feel that the characters voice sound different for this anime.
Cars still look nice as ever, realistic and detailed. Sweet sweet exhaust sounds, coupled with catchy techno tunes. And a good love story behind this episode. Am gonna give it a nice shining 4-stars.
Initial D Extra Stage 2
Rating: 4-Stars
Torrents: Shinsen-subs
Wangan Midnight
Asakura Akio is a young student and street racer who has a beloved car – a first generation S30 Nissan Fairlady 240 Z. Immediately upon discovering it in a scrap yard he’s attracted to it, an attraction that later grows into an obsession. After restoring the car to its former glory, he takes it down a stretch of highway known as Wangan where most street racers challenge one another to be the Wangan Champ. Source: Anime-planet.com
Instead of an anime about cars and it’s technical side. Wangan Midnight actually focuses more on the psychological point of view from the racers and tuners.
Wangan Midnight seemed to have used a double edged strategy. On one side it probably attracted more mature viewers as the content and script does actually feels mature; on another side it probably lost viewers who are into it hoping to feel some excitement.
The cars are actually well designed. The CG looks good. Not super but there’s no denying that the cars look sweet! (I do have a passion for cars in case you were wondering, and no, my rating is not biased by it) Unfortunately, the races are actually rather dull, even with all the nice looking cars.
Initially, I could only bring myself to give Wangan Midnight a doubted 3-Star. Being an anime of a specific genre, it already limits its fans. And not having much exciting scenes will limit its fans even more. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good watch.
However, as it nears the end of the series, things really pick up and you realize that Wangan Midnight really does have something to show for after all. Especially from episode 21 onwards. Successful in bringing depth to certain characters and introducing more than just cars. This title makes a comeback to a 4-Stars title.
Wangan Midnight
Rating: 4-Stars
Torrents: Animesuki
If it fails to inspire you viewers, might I try to suggest saving several episodes to watch in one go. Rather than watching one episode and having to wait a week or two for another, which to me kills the suspense dreadfully. This advise actually applies to all animes. :p
Darle?