Well it’s mid-August so you know what that means? That’s right! July’s releases are up for review. Hopefully all this has brought the anime reviews that The Outerhaven does for Madman Entertainment back up to date so that when the August releases come out (Only days after posting this article). As always we are thankful to Madman Entertainment for their patience and their product for review. So with all the glad handing out of the way, let’s jump into the 5 releases that make up the July 2017 releases.
Title: Chivalry of a Failed Knight
Genre: Action, Ecchi, Fantasy, Romance, School
Details: 12 Episodes
Date: July 19, 2017 (Australia)
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 3 (DVD) / 2 (Bluray)
Runtime: 300.0 mins (23mins per episode)
Distributor: Madman Entertainment (DVD) (Bluray)
Special Features: Japanese Promos, Textless Opening and Closing Songs
Rating: MA15+ (Strong Animated Violence)
There are some humans capable of using magical power to manifest their souls as weapons and control forces beyond normal comprehension. These people are known as Blazers, and those who are recognized as such can undergo training at academies to become Mage-Knights. Ikki Kurogane is an aspiring Mage-Knight, despite being considered the worst student at Hagun Academy as an F-ranked Blazer—the lowest rank possible.
One morning, he accidentally stumbles upon Stella Vermillion, a visiting princess and A-ranked Blazer who has just enrolled at Hagun, in a state of undress. As a result, she challenges him to a duel where the loser will be the winner’s slave. It seems like a surefire win for Stella, but could there be more to Ikki than meets the eye?
Chivalry of a Failed Knight tells the story of Ikki’s valiant efforts to qualify for an upcoming tournament that could bring him a step closer to his dreams, aided by Stella. Together, they will prove that hard work can overcome the limits set upon them.
Chivalry of a Failed Knight is one of those stock standard Magical Knight anime series. You have a protagonist that is a loser, lower ranked being in a school that has ranks based around fighting. He stumbles upon the top ranked female fighter in some sexually explicit moment and the two fight only to become friends or more over the course of the 12 episodes. At a glance, you might be forgiven that I’ve mistaken Chivalry of a Failed Knight for another anime on this list, The Asterisk War, as both have the exact same base ground work for a story, right down to the whole tournament thing being the driving force for each character involved… and you’d be right to some degree. Where Chivalry of a Failed Knight is different is that it takes a much more personal approach when dealing with the characters and their motivation, giving each one involved an episode to show why they are fighting rather than the overall tournament being the actual diving force. This gives things a slightly different tone to the series as the focus is more on the fighting and character development rather than giving the two halves of a series their own distinct flavor.
Another key difference between this and The Asterisk War is the way the show is animated. Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a lot more loud and flashy than The Asterisk War, with flame effects and all that being right up in your face, but are well animated enough that the quality does not drop. Special mention to Ikki’s abilities, which drain the world of all color and adds a nice smoke effect to the fights that really adds a manga style inkiness to things that makes it really stands out.
If there is an drawback to Chivalry of a Failed Knight it’s the tone of some scenes, especially the more emotional scenes between Ikki (the main guy) and Stella (the main girl) are mixed with fan service moments that suck the emotional aspect of the scene away from it, which is something you don’t want to see when you are watching a scene which is about emotion. Also once you learn about some of the side characters, they disappear after the fights that they are in and are rarely brought back to advance at all once their moment is over.
If you want something more action paced with some character development when called for, then I would recommend Chivalry of a Failed Knight. However if you want something that is more balanced and takes it’s time, then look into my review of The Asterisk War Parts 1 & 2 below which might be more to your liking. However for something that has some exceptional action scenes and is able to draw you into a world in under 12 episodes then I could recommend Chivalry of a Failed Knight. It’s something that’s been a rare double watch for me in it’s original Japanese airing run and again now on home entertainment release, which is really saying something.
© Riku Misora – SB Creative Corp. / CAVALRY Project
Title: Gangsta
Genre: Action, Drama, Seinen
Details: 12 Episodes
Date: July 19, 2017 (Australia)
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 2 (DVD) (Bluray)
Runtime: 300.0 mins (23mins per episode)
Distributor: Madman Entertainment (DVD) (Bluray)
Special Features: BLURAY ONLY: Episode 1 Commentary, Episode 2 Video Commentary, Episode 9.5, Promo Videos, Commercial, Textless Opening + Closing Songs
Rating: MA15+ (Strong Animated Violence)
Nicholas Brown and Worick Arcangelo, known in the city of Ergastalum as the “Handymen,” are mercenaries for hire who take on jobs no one else can handle. Contracted by powerful mob syndicates and police alike, the Handymen have to be ready and willing for anything. After completing the order of killing a local pimp, the Handymen add Alex Benedetto—a prostitute also designated for elimination—to their ranks to protect her from forces that want her gone from the decrepit hellhole of a city she has come to call home. However, this criminal’s paradise is undergoing a profound period of change that threatens to corrode the delicate balance of power.
Ergastalum was once a safe haven for “Twilights,” super-human beings born as the result of a special drug but are now being hunted down by a fierce underground organization. This new threat is rising up to challenge everything the city stands for, and the Handymen will not be able to avoid this coming war.
Gangsta is an interesting anime that has multiple layers around it that seems to get going only to end mid-story. The relationship between Nico, Worick, and Alex is one that really needs to be seen to be understood. Nico & Worick are The Handymen, a couple of thugs for hire that seem to do more good deeds for the people of the city they are living in where crime and corruption rule. Sure, they aren’t exactly Batman in Gotham, both characters are just as sick and corrupt as those who end up dead by their hands. They just seem to be the more balanced and what we would consider normal than the rest of the “Twilights” around them. Alex on the other hand is the grounding point for the viewer, trying to rationalize the work The Handymen do in a world where we should be treating each other a lot better… All while dealing with her own issues with drugs at the same time.
The other good thing about Gangsta is that you learn more about the two mains as time goes on through flashbacks, and it’s clear from the get go that these two have not been friends by choice, but became friends over time. It’s touching to a degree, but more explains why the two work and look after each other so well. Another good mention has to be that the city itself is another character here instead of just being a backdrop for the characters to work through their own shit. The city is alive with corrupt cops, pimps, hookers, drug dealers, thugs, and Mafia goons. It really gives you an idea of the scope of the filth that this city has to put up with while giving you a lot of interesting characters to work with.
The animation style in Gangsta deserves it’s own award. The backgrounds look like some nice painting and the character look like they world with it instead of the usual way that makes them stand out from the backgrounds in every scene. This is movie level animation and backgrounds that we rarely see in a TV anime, we need more things that look and feel like Gangsta.
Gangsta is a violent harsh look at what happens when a drug rules peoples lives and you place them into a small space in order to have them self destruct. The main characters of Nico, Worick, and Alex are fine lenses to see that world through as they all bring something different and unique to the table. Gangsta is something different from what the name suggests. Instead of something that I thought was going to be a trashy look at Japanese Yakuza life, we get something surprisingly western and has an interesting outlook on a life of crime. Something close to a twisted Robin Hood story in a world where King John fucked up royally.
© Kohske/SHINCHOSHA, GANGSTA. COMMITTEE
Title: Himouto! Umaru-Chan
Genre: Comedy, School, Seinen, Slice of Life
Details: 12 Episodes
Date: July 19, 2017 (Australia)
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 4 (DVD) / 2 (Bluray)
Runtime: 300.0 mins (24mins per episode)
Distributor: Madman Entertainment (DVD) (Bluray)
Special Features: Japanese Promos, Home Video Release Commercials, Song Commercials, Japanese Commercials, UMR Shorts, Textless Opening and Closing Songs, Banquet Mondays “Daranama”
Rating: M (Animated Violence)
People are not always who they appear to be, as is the case with Umaru Doma, the perfect high school girl—that is, until she gets home! Once the front door closes, the real fun begins. When she dons her hamster hoodie, she transforms from a refined, over-achieving student into a lazy, junk food-eating otaku, leaving all the housework to her responsible older brother Taihei. Whether she’s hanging out with her friends Nana Ebina and Kirie Motoba, or competing with her self-proclaimed “rival” Sylphinford Tachibana, Umaru knows how to kick back and have some fun!
Himouto! Umaru-chan is a cute story that follows the daily adventures of Umaru and Taihei, as they take care of—and put up with—each other the best they can, as well as the unbreakable bonds between friends and siblings.
Himouto! Umaru-chan was a surprising anime to say the least. I had no idea what to expect as this was a recommendation from a friend of mine instead of me just picking stuff that I either know or would look like something I would watch. What I got with Himouto! Umaru-chan is one of the more funny and interesting looks at the pressures of a top level “perfect girl” and what she prefers to be once at home. The main character Umaru is a “perfect girl” who is the top at high school, popular, beautiful, treated like a goddess by those around her, and succeeds at everything she does; but once she gets home and puts on her Hamster hoodie, she turns into a slobbish, annoying, selfish, spoilt, lazy little shit of a sister to her brother Taihei. Taihei gets put down a lot by his sister and does his best to be the bread winner of their shared apartment and only puts up with his sister’s behavior because she is seen as perfect by the outside world and the pressures that puts on her. We also get some amusing side characters here, the standout being the buxom southern accented Nana, who tries so hard to hide her accent when around people in Tokyo, only to fail when she gets excited. It’s amusing how real yet over the top all the characters in this anime are, it’s a great parody to the look of life from the eyes of some of the most stressed people on the planet.
The animation here is goofy and simple, with Umaru herself mostly shown in a chibi or small style character for most of the show, but changes into a more normal form when others are around. It’s a great way to show the differences in Umaru’s personality and attitude when she is out in the world versus being at home.
I’m just going to say this outright, go out and get Himouto! Umaru-chan now!! This show is hilarious and yet interesting at the point where you have to see this as a parody of real life, there is always going to be something or someone in this anime that you are going to agree with and relate to. Also, this is one of the few releases that gives you an insane amount of extras for you to watch. Even the DVD version, which I have, has all the Umaru-Chan S shorts, the Japanese TV and home video trailers, every episode has commentary of some kind and more. In an age where “extras” means getting a clean opening and closing song, it’s great to see some more effort put into giving fans the full experience with a show.
© 2015 Sankaku-head / Shueisha, “UMARU-CHAN” Project All Rights Reserved
Title: The Asterisk War: Part 1
Genre: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Details: 12 Episodes
Date: Feb 8, 2017 (Australia)
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 2 (DVD)
Runtime: 300.0 mins (23mins per episode)
Distributor: Madman Entertainment (DVD)
Special Features: Japanese Previews, Textless Opening, Textless Closings, Textless Epilogue
Rating: M (
Long, long ago, an epic catastrophe, known as Invertia, caused a complete change in the world’s power balance. In the years following this disaster, a group known as the Integrated Enterprise Foundation rose to power. In addition to this massive change, a new breed of humans born with amazing physical skills known as Genestella also emerged and joined the ranks of humanity.
The Asterisk War: Part 1 follows the story of Ayato Amagiri, a student who has just transferred into one of the six most elite schools for Genestella students in the world—Seidoukan Academy—where students learn to control their powers and duel against each other in entertainment battles known as festas. Unfortunately, Ayato gets off to a rough start. When trying to return a lost handkerchief to a female classmate, he accidentally sees her changing which leads to her challenging him to a duel. What most people don’t realize however, is that Ayato has no real interest in festas and instead has an alternative motive for joining this prestigious school. What is Ayato’s big secret? Will he be able to keep up his act when surrounded by some of the greatest Genestella in the world?
The Asterisk War Part 1 is a good set up story. It introduces the characters and spends 12 episodes building them up, adding mystery to some, and giving you a sense that the upcoming Festas event is really something that is going to test them all as individuals as well as the friendships that have developed in this half of the series. While I do see a lot of the same things in The Asterisk War Part 1 as I saw in Chivalry of a Failed Knight from a high level talented female tsundere losing the to supposedly underpowered male protagonist in a dual and having to be his slave or gaining some respect for him. There’s the usual “will they or won’t they” tension between Ayato and Julis-Alexia as their relationship grows from rivals to a team that could possibly take down everyone in the Festas.
Visually, The Asterisk War Part 1 is a visual masterpiece. The colors are subdued enough that they add an air of elegance to all the characters, a stark contrast from the bright flashy look of Chivalry of a Failed Knight. The use of CGI for the blades isn’t overly obvious either, which is something that is really hard to do with Japanese animation. To be honest, everything visually for The Asterisk War is rivaling some of the best animation I’ve ever seen in an action show in decades.
The Asterisk War Part 1 does exactly what it needed to do: Set up the second half where all the risk and reward is going to happen. Unlike a lot of anime shows that will leave all the development for the second half or middle of the show, The Asterisk War Part 1 did it all in the beginning so the Festas can take center stage and it’s all fights from there. A great beginning for the series and it’s got me excited to watch the second half of this series. Well worth buying both though.
©2015 Yuu Miyazaki, PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION / Asterisk Project
Title: The Asterisk War: Part 2
Genre: Sci-Fi, Harem, Comedy, Supernatural, Romance, Ecchi, Fantasy, School
Details: 12 Episodes
Date: July 19, 2017 (Australia)
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 2 (DVD)
Runtime: 300.0 mins (23mins per episode)
Distributor: Madman Entertainment (DVD)
Special Features: Textless Opening, Textless Closings
Rating: MA15+ (Strong Animated Violence)
The Asterisk War: Part 2 continues the story of Genestella students Ayato Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld, who have progressed to the next round of the Phoenix Festa after a long and strenuous battle with sisters Irene and Priscilla Urzaiz.
Despite Julis and Ayato’s best attempts, the fact that Ayato’s powers have been sealed is no longer a secret. Now at a major disadvantage, the duo must come up with a plan if they are to have any hope of winning the Phoenix Festa. Only one thing is for sure: the troubles heading their way are only going to get more insurmountable from here on.
Things grow bigger and more is at stake as our mains go through the Pheonix Festa. Opponents become stronger, the secret behind Ayato’s powers is revealed and a more powerful enemy appears with a manipulated friend, power of friendship prevails and all that usual stuff. The Asterisk War Part 2 takes everything that part 1 did and makes sure it all pays off, yet it also keeps things very much open for a part 3, with reveals happening into the last episode and leaving everything very open for a much larger adventure with all the people involved. Frankly, I would have been happy to see things end here, but since the show seems to still be popular for some reason in Japan and the west, they are going to attempt a Season 3/Part 3. Hopefully they are able to bring back the writing that make Part 1 well worth the money and the watch, because walking away from Part 2 I’m left with the feeling that this was just a warm up.
The Asterisk War Part 2 was a bit of a disappointment. I wanted to walk away from this one feeling like I had seen the end of some epic clashes and a pretty damn good story between two talented people. While I did get a LOT of those epic clashes in the Pheonix Festa, all the generic fighting anime tropes appeared at the end of the series and just brought the whole feel crashing down. The addition of a lot of character revelations and new objectives in order to tease a third part really killed all enjoyment of The Asterisk War Part 2. Instead of getting the good close to a good series, I’m now left googling if a third season will be going into production or having to get a hold of the manga to see how this story truly ends.
©2015 Yuu Miyazaki, PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION / Asterisk Project
Well it’s taken just over the allotted time to cover all the releases from July 2017, but we got there. Coming up next month in Bulk Lot Anime Reviews: Erased, Is This A Zombie? (Seasons 1 & 2), and Assassination Classroom (Seasons 1 & 2)! A lot of longer 24 episode shows coming in the pipeline. There’s also the upcoming combined review of the Sailor Moon R movie with The Outerhaven’s resident Moonie Liz, as well as who knows what else is in the works from Madman Entertainment.
As usual, all of the releases reviewed for Bulk Lot Anime Reviews are provided by Madman Entertainment Australia. You can buy all of these releases from the Madman Entertainment website. If you believe that anything you read on The Outerhaven in regards to our reviews or items sent to us from companies, please take a look at our ETHICS STATEMENT AND REVIEW POLICY and contact management through the form and we shall look into the matter.
Till next time, jaa ne! *^_^*
Read more at The Outerhaven: Bulk Lot Anime Reviews: One Punch Man, Luck & Logic, Actually I Am… http://tohvn.com/2fkKJuV
Madman July 2017 Releases
Summary
Chivalry of a Failed Knight (4 Stars)
If you like flashy fights with amazing effects and a plot condensed into 12 episodes, then Chivalry of a Failed Knight is going to be for you. A good weekend watch for those who want more pew pew less blah blah.
Gangsta (4 Stars)
An interesting series that was something very different to what was described when I was first told about it. Well worth a watch just to see the character relationships and the world around them and how it effects their mental states.
Himouto Umaru-Chan (4.5 Stars)
A surprisingly funny look at a person who lives with perfection in the outside world, and deals with it by being lazy and selfish at home. A funny parody look at real life that everyone needs to watch.
The Asterisk War: Part 1 (4 Stars)
A very good opening to a two part release that uses it’s episodes correctly by using this half to introduce and engage with the characters and develop them in order to leave the second half to be more action and less plot heavy.
The Asterisk War: Part 2 (3 Stars)
This second half was full of action to be sure, but it was at the expense of the stellar storytelling that made the first half such a great watch. Resorting to standard fighting anime tropes in order to finish this part before teasing a possible third part really made this feel like it wasn’t living up to expectations.
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dead block
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Chivalry of a Failed Knight
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Gangsta
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Himouto Umaru-Chan
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The Asterisk War: Part 1
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The Asterisk War: Part 2
