What Anime are you Currently Watching?/Anime Recommendations

[johnblade]

Just starting to watch eX - Driver right now as it look like it's a short TV show. Also, watching the movie later one. I guess I could get this series done by the end of this weekend.

[Gunstar Green]

I'm already cringing at that mecha design and assuming school is involved and space is not involved.

???

Oddly enough the first episode has the characters graduating from the academy, so they're technically out of school now.

I'm alright with the mecha, they've got a sort of Mega Man Zero/ZX vibe as well as an animal form.



It had some annoying moments but overall the super robot tropes were played pretty straight. It's got potential.

[Gunstar Green]

Discotek has just announced they've licensed a DVD release of Great Mazinger which doesn't even have a complete fansub.

2018 is doing its best to make me happy, and drain me of all my money.

[Xeogred]

Wow nice!

[Tanooki]

My small Shogun Warriors collection smiles at the thought of Mazinger and those types making a come back like that.

[Gunstar Green]

My small Shogun Warriors collection smiles at the thought of Mazinger and those types making a come back like that.

Speaking of which the new Mazinger Z movie is getting limited showings in the US on February 11th and 12th. You can check for local showings here: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/mazinger-z-infinity

[johnblade]

Ex-Driver is set in the future, when all transportation is easily controlled by AI. Though like all machines they tend to break down or lose control or re-programmed. This is where three high schoolers with non AI cars, Subaru WRX, Super 7, Lotus comes in to save the day and make sure the public is safe at all times.

(Source: ANN)

eX-Driver is a six episodes OVA show which follow three main characters who are Ex-Driver. Their job is to stop any rouge AI car in the future world they live in by using gas power non AI car and make sure the public is safe. Also, this gas power car isn't any gas power but those fancy classic car in the 20th/21th century (cause.....they need sport classic car for their mission). Now, if you feel this plot idea is just weird or stupid, it's and I would advice you to stop thinking too hard and just go with the flow of the story as they is quite a bit issue of the plot which they're many when you consider how easy this can be solve and also have issue with the Ex Driver age and why they have to use a sport classic to do the job when they're better cars which can give you the speed but also more durable if they is an accident where the car is getting contact by other cars or the road obstacle (which become the big thing the last two episodes).

Even with this, they're also other things it discuss a bit in the story from the coming feelings of romance of a young kid realize from a mature woman (puberty?) to the relationship building between the three main characters while throwing in some comedy slapstick and tons of action driving scene from the sport classic cars. The tone of the show feel a bit easy going in the beginning but get very serious at the last two episodes when an incident happen which you found out connect with the Ex-Driver team. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the incident do feel a bit underwhelming as it feel like the creator want to play safe for this OVA show.

As for character development, each character has their own personality which is unique of themselves and you can see how it affect the mission in each episodes. Also, they did try to develop a bit more in each episodes which do work but it isn't going to be much for a 6 episodes OVA.

The show animation look like it was created sometime in the mid 1990s which if you didn't check when the show air (2000 to 2001) you might have though the same thing. Not saying it's a bad thing as I do like the animation work for the most part and work fine. They is more animation detail work on the car the three characters drive and this work do also see a bit more in the race scene which is great to watch.

Overall, it's a simple safe show to watch where nothing major bad happen during the show. Which is funny to say as it's creator, Fujishima Kousuke, also make Oh! My Goddess which is a show I watch and like even though it do feel a bit safe and plot development feel slow. A good OVA if you want something to watch when they is a dry spell of watching current anime show but I have a feeling it might be something you might not remember too much except for the car race scene.

[johnblade]

After winning domestic preliminary round, Lisa, Lorna, and Soichi advance to ex-Driver world race competition held in Los Angeles as representative team from Japan. Like a bad omen, they encountered a reckless AI car the first night they arrived at Los Angeles. Although they successfully stopped the car, the local police department is not very happy about that and insists to examine their car overnight.

However, the problem did not stop just there. The daughter of the United States team`s sponsor, Angela, has gone missing. Lorna realized that Angela was on the reckless AI car before. Soichi who guessed that Angel could be in danger then start looking for her. But Soichi got captured by a mysterious man, and he shocked to find Angela is also there.

During the confinement inside a warehouse, Soichi finds out that apparently there is a connection between the series of incident and illegal gambling on the ex-Driver world race competition. Now Soichi must escape from the warehouse with Angela...

(Source: AniDB)

eX-Driver The Movie feel like a summer blockbuster popcorn movie you see during the summer time. A very cheesy feel with little plot and character development but more in the action racing scene. I think this might be the quick simple impression of this movie .

I don't need to go too much in the plot of the story as the synopsis give you a good idea but I will say it's just dumb stupid to the point you just don't care too much and just go with the flow of the movie or stop watching if you think too much (which I did and do other stuff before I have to go back watching....watching all at once is going to be difficult for some people for this movie).

This is the same with the character development. The original characters in the OVA is back and if you watch the OVA, you have some idea of their personalities. Unfortunately, I can't say with the new characters in the movie. Except for one (Angela), all of them are very two dimensional and with limited of time, are very forgettable. Even the villain in the movie is forgettable to the point you kinda felt they isn't really a good villain for the eX-Driver to challenge in the car race. As for the only one which have some sort of character development, Angela, you feel like she is kinda have the generic bad girl attitude rebel against her father but at least you start to know a bit more of her when they is dialogue between her and the eX-Driver team.

The one big improvement I can say about this movie is the sport car chase scene. Is done quite well and might be the only thing I like from this movie. Near the intro of the movie have a nice car chase race scene which work quite well with the music and might be the better one in the movie. The rest in the movie are decent to watch even if they feel a bit stupid in one big one at the end.

Animation in the movie is much different from the OVA. It's more into early CG animation which you see a lot in the early 2000s. The CG animation have this look where it isn't as detail like hand drawn animation. You notice this a bit in the character animation work. The car animation for the most part look good for this early CG work mostly toward the eX-Driver team cars and in a way, it make it a bit unique. As for the other car in the movie, it's mix result where sport cars have more detail look like the background car is generic and simple design which look even worst.

Overall, the movie is just a dumb movie. Quite a bit of action car chase which do look good to watch but nothing much in plot and character development. Fun popcorn movie to watch if you like car chase movie but very forgettable when you compare other animated car chase movie. Also, I wonder why this movie was made as the OVA isn't too crazy to talk about and I don't know if the manga is actually good or not as I didn't read it at all.

[Gunstar Green]

Just watched the Space Adventure Cobra film. It's quite a bizarre and at times psychedelic experience. The story is all over the place but from an animation perspective it's quite a feast. I know there's a longer series that does a better job of telling the story and I might check it out sometime. On its own though this movie is an extremely strange ride that I couldn't help but enjoy despite myself.

[johnblade]

The story takes place on a world 100 years in the future, a few years before Lisa and Lorna joined eX-D organization. The world where people drives computer-controlled electrically powered "AI cars" which automatically take you where you want to go. However, one AI car mysteriously start to run amok. Now Nina and Rei, as the main driver for ex-D organization have to solve the mystery behind the AI car with evil plot and trap awaiting for them...

(Source: AniDB)

eX-Driver: Nina & Rei Danger Zone is an one episode OVA which come with the eX-Driver The Movie DVD in North America. I don't know if this special OVA aired on TV during the time when the movie came out in Japan in 2002 but all I can say you don't really miss much if you didn't watch it.

The plot of the story is really simple. You follow the eX-Driver team to investigate this odd bad AI car which is basically RC cars which look similar to the car the eX-Driver team was driving. You found out more about this and this odd guy who was doing this but this also connect to a major plot development which you found out at the end of the episode. Spoiler; it's like the movie format where they is a spin of who is the bad guy and like the special, it follow the same formula so......not much to discuss really.

The character you follow is actually not from the original team but from the secondary characters in the OVA, Rei and Nina, who you found out in the OVA are use to be eX-Driver team before they move on to something else. As this is an one episode, the personality of them are like the personality of a cop buddy personality. One is aggressive while the other have a full control in any situation. Remind me of Natsumi and Miyuki from You're Under Arrest in personalities. Now, this isn't a problem for the most part but it kinda ruin a bit of Rei characters as her personalities in the OVA is much different here.

The big positive I can say which is what eX-Driver is known for is the car chase scene which still look good to watch here. The whole chase scene for the RC cars is actually fun to watch and feel more interesting than the other part of the episode. Animation is similar like the movie which is use a bit on the CG animation which try to look a bit like hand drawn. Detail work you notice in the car scene while the rest look simple design with lack of major detail work from hand drawn animation. Not a negative but something I notice when watching.

Overall, nothing much to say. Just go into watch the car chase scene and random comedy scene of someone who have a very disturbing crush of Nina but don't stay for the story line development.

Now, I am done with this franchise and can move on another show in my backlogged.