malmroes

The protagonist in Planetes is Ai Tanabe a young woman with ideals that seem naive to some, if not many, of the other characters in the series. The series centers around her newly acquired job and all that follows in Debris Section aka. Half Section because it has half the employees it should have. Due to an accident involving space debris and a spacecraft Debris section was formed. Planetes has been described as being one of the most realistic animes science-wise. While this may be true Planetes is so much more than just a science based anime. The series progresses really neatly throughout the 26 episodes it spans and at first the episodes are about general debris retrieval, but later develops into other subjects like the gap between the poor and rich down on Earth due to space exploration etc. and what consequences this may lead to. Furthermore it is a love story between Tanabe and the male protagonist Hachimaki and their struggle to maintain their relationship through hardships since they both (especially Hachimaki) have some existential problems to solve. The animation is great and the mood is even greater, it is a joy to watch a scene when the characters float in zero-G or when they are out in space in total silence. A series that shouldn't be missed if you like love stories and Space or just one of those two. You Copy!

Dark Knight as many know is the sequel to Christopher Nolan's take on the dark mysterious protagonist Batman and his fight for justice. This is not always easy for him and it becomes even harder when a somewhat smart, but psychopathic villain with nothing to lose and no real goal other than to have fun in town and watch it burn, enters the scene. And yes we are talking about The Joker. This movie is one of the most satisfying for a long time especially from Hollywood's side. This is not due to flashy explosions and extraordinary stunts (even though they are impressive,) but all the different moods and great acting especially for Heath Ledger's performance and interpretation of The Joker is phenomenal. The movie focuses a lot on Batman's search for justice and how his role should be in a city that are prejudiced toward people who take the law in their own hands like himself and The Joker. This movie contains so many plot twists, events and themes that one is not bored in those approx. 2:30 hours it rolls. It has both a touch of those subjects that were presented in Spiderman (and other movies) such as the hatred and/or doubt from the public people toward Batman. It gives the viewer an insight in how a world swirled in chaos and slight anarchy would be like. It has morale subjects and love related issues. It just has everything and something extra. As already mentioned Heath Ledger's performance is certainly one of those extras and he really gives The Joker's character a certain refinement. His small facial expressions and well spoken dialog really gives one the sense that this guy is a walking loon though still extremely smart. One of the beauties of the Joker's character is also that one is never given a real reason as to why he acts the way he does because this emphasizes his character as not having any real or meaningful agenda he just acts on instinct. As said he is just there to have fun. Another well known character for the fans is also introduced and even though his role is not as big as the Joker's it adds up to the story really well. It is a shame though he does not have more time on stage, but that is how it is. To conclude this is really not a movie to be missed. If you have not seen it yet head down to your nearest movie theater and be both surprised, amazed and even a bit scary. And walk home safely because the Dark Knight is watching you.

As many know anime is a genre that ranges from childish cartoons to more mature stories and drawings which are more complicated than the average Disney movie. Elfen Lied is shrouded in mystique and darkness, but as with many other anime movies and series it has that unique contrast between the more violent, dark, grotesque moments and the more light-hearted and humorous parts which complements each other extremely well. The psychological themes are also very engaging and for instance Nyu's (Lucy's more innocent self) regressive behavior due to isolation and amnesia is, among others, a really nice touch as well as a major point in the story. There are so many different moods in this series and the theme song Lilium also sets a more melancholic and sad mood for the entire series. People have complained or discussed about the fact that the more serious issues and taboo themes in Elfen Lied are portrayed through young characters, but this is also what makes Elfen Lied even more interesting due to the fact that children are widely acknowledged as being innocent beings (symbolic speaking.) But the contrast between this innocence and the violent behavior by the same characters hugely adds to the originality of the series and makes it that more interesting as it results in more underlying psychological themes. There is a term in room decoration and room setting called the eclectic style which means that as long as the different furniture is "fine art" it does not matter if it fits together at all. Elfen Lied is a bit like that just as an anime series. There are lot of different genres and styles in the series and even though they do not seem to fit together on the surface the creators of Elfen Lied has succeeded in making those different parts fit extremely well with each other and have created a very original, innocent, violent and interesting series that should not be missed. As mentioned by so many others this series is not for the faint of hard due to a lot of gore and violence, but at least try it out, because underneath that hard exterior lies one of the greater stories told through the medium of Anime.