Battle Spirits: The Anime.

Those of you who talk to me often know that I love "Battle Spirits." Though it was made by an American (a guy who also worked on M:tG, Avatar, and Duel Masters, if memory serves) it has enjoyed quite a bit of love in Japan. The cards are well-designed in a number of regards; the game seems like it would be a fun and fast thing to do before Anime Club meetings. I am watching this game like a hawk because it inspires me. It makes me go, "hey, I could do that."

The same cannot be said for the anime. Oh, the poor anime. I realize that it is helping to sell cards, but good Goddess Shrub-Niggurath...there is a reason that nobody is subbing it.



Not the first time I've watched this, but thoughts...

~The monsters look awesome. That's about all that does. I'm not 100% against blending CGI and traditional animation, but in this case, it kinda clashes. It worked in Kara no Kyoukai; it does not work here.

~Why do the cards somehow...vanish in a non-magical tournament?
~Another art clash: I would have expected the character designs to be more...elegant. The cards (and the tournament setting, for that matter) have a classy, almost gothic feel; the rest of the anime is very much CoroCoro-style.

~The mouse is adorable. I don't know exactly what's going on with it, but it's adorable.

~That is a DAMN NICE PARKING GARAGE. I'm not sure whether to love it because it's got an awesome car elevator or hate it for being a bit unrealistic, but DAYUMN. It makes Chicago garages look like crap!

~So the mouse can't go to school, but J gets to carry his cat around like a Bond villain. OK.

~Does every kid have a shiny gem animal? I want a shiny gem animal...

~"Meganeko?" Is that her name, or is Bashin just calling her "glasses girl?"

~Is Bashin supposed to be...'special?'

~What does soccer have to do with anything, and how much hair gel is that guy using? OK, I get that he's a famous soccer player, but...that hair will haunt my nightmares as much as (some) futanari does. X.x

~The lines look...too thick. Sunrise, are you trying to copy Toei, there?

~Oh, VERY subtle tweak to the 'Spirit' mark on Mr. Soccer Player's back. I see what you did there.

~Those cards in the back of the BS Center look an awful lot like YGO cards...I should not even need to explain what is wrong with that.

~Wellllll, now that I look, J's cat could be a Digimon...

~Oh, wait, no. It meows to start a painfully long arena construction sequence.

~It looked like a Purple People-Eater to me...

~The monsters themselves actually look pretty cool. I dig the texture on Eyeburn.

~I'm not sure whether the turn skips are a good thing or a bad thing. If I recall, this game is supposed to be pretty fast...

~Gowsilvia is a very cool card. I'm not just saying that because it's a mechanical kirin-dog. XP

~What's with the pop singer? I know she's singing about living and a new world, but...holy crap, is this going to be like Canaan?

~It's sponsored by McDonald's. I'm scared.

And now, the final verdict...supported by YT comments:

"I play Battle Spirits and don't pay attention to this movie, Battle Spirits is the only game that has impressed me enough to buy it and I was NOT dissappointed, I recommend this to you"

"When will the day come when a trading card game is so big the Staples Center is sold out and NBC broadcasts the finals live? Screw Wimbledon, I want to watch Battle Spirits. LOL"

Fun game, lame anime. We mean it. BUY THE GAME. Also, I need a 'sensei' to teach me how to play it; my area SUCKS for games. I've already ranted about my local game store; I may, however, take a couple of decks there and see if anyone is interested.