UltraManiac 3/10
The manga on which this show is based was written by the same guy who wrote the Marmalade Boy manga. I liked the anime version of that so what the hell happened to the anime version of UltraManiac. I'll never read either manga but I suspect it was the creators of the anime screwed up this mess.
These 26 episodes aired back in 2003 and I'm surprised a show so new had so many problems. The backgrounds lacked a lot of detail at times and some of the angles on things didn't look quite right. They also decided to make the show look like it took place on the set of the My Little Pony movie. Everything not natural is either purple, pink, yellow or orange. Blue, grey, black, and brown are nowhere to be seen unless it's night-time.
These 26 episodes aired back in 2003 and I'm surprised a show so new had so many problems. The backgrounds lacked a lot of detail at times and some of the angles on things didn't look quite right. They also decided to make the show look like it took place on the set of the My Little Pony movie. Everything not natural is either purple, pink, yellow or orange. Blue, grey, black, and brown are nowhere to be seen unless it's night-time.
I was also disappointed in the poor animation of some really nice character designs. The animators seemed to spend 3/4 of their time drawing the eyes and deciding on new outfits for the lead girls in each episode. I appreciate the expansive wardrobes but when the eye's look so much better than the rest of the animation and when any movement seems clunky I get pissed.
There's also a lack of lighting effects on non-magic scenes and the CG looks really dated at times. The score was OK but didn't impress, I really liked the OP, and the ED was OK as well. I HATED the insert song in the final scenes which was a slow version of the OP. Didn't Marmalade Boy do this? (checks old review) AND THAT'S TWICE!!! The VA's were OK and I liked Nina's childish voice better then I expected as I started watching. She sound's great when she gets flustered (which happens often).
Nina Sakura is a grade 8 witch girl that has been sent to Earth from the Magic Kingdom to search for 5 Holy Stones and attend high school. She accidentally reveals her magic to Ayu Tateishi and they become friends. The episodes all start with either someone visiting from the Magic Kingdom and wreaking havoc, Mina going after a Holy Stone at the prompting of her grandfather and her rival Maya wreaking havoc, or Nina coming up with a scheme to get Ayu and Kaji, the boy Ayu likes, together and wreaking havoc. Since Nina's magic isn't very good things usually go wrong and hilarity ensues.
Nina Sakura is a grade 8 witch girl that has been sent to Earth from the Magic Kingdom to search for 5 Holy Stones and attend high school. She accidentally reveals her magic to Ayu Tateishi and they become friends. The episodes all start with either someone visiting from the Magic Kingdom and wreaking havoc, Mina going after a Holy Stone at the prompting of her grandfather and her rival Maya wreaking havoc, or Nina coming up with a scheme to get Ayu and Kaji, the boy Ayu likes, together and wreaking havoc. Since Nina's magic isn't very good things usually go wrong and hilarity ensues.
The show really meanders through the first 23 episodes with very little emphasis put on the search for the Holy Stones and a lot of mindless filler. In the last 3 episodes they cobble together a rushed ending and I was not impressed. Because the Holy Stones are such a low priority for Nina I couldn't help but give a damn about them either. Maya is very important in the finale but since she's so unlikable and rarely in the show her part also falls flat.
I really can't forgive this show for screwing up a simple premise and looking like crap. I suppose little girls might like this but I can't even see girls the same age of the female leads tolerating the plot problems. I can't recommend UltraManiac at all.
posted by Zenith27 @ 1:20 PM
2 Comments:
I probably won't be as harsh when I eventually write my review for it, but at best, Ultra Maniac is an average show, even for a magical girl show (admittedly I tend to shy away from this genre). I'm mildly surprised by your comments about Maya, since she was my favourite character in the show, and the one who I really wanted to get the holy stones. I appreciate her direct business oriented attitude, but I hated how the writers treated her. In many ways, she was just as clutzy and incompetent as Nina and this was a real turn off for her character. We really didn't need two of the same character (despite the differeneces in personality). Frankly, I think the biggest downfall of the show is Ayu. She is supposed to be this cool, controlled character, yet she freaks out at everything. I'm surprised that nobody has considered telling her that she might have some sort of disorder considering how jumpy she is all the time. Even Nina has more self control than Ayu does. Kaji isn't any better since the writers had to pull the "he's really a nice guy deep down inside", despite the attempt to portray him as a jerk. Anyhow, I do agree with a lot of your review.
-Js2756
The problem is if you make Maya even slightly competent she'd beat Nina in about a week and the show would end. Maya also reminded me of the blonde girl in Someday's Dreamers with the exception that that girl was actually NICE. They hint at her kindness during the show and when she breaks character at the end we say "Awwww. She was kind all along." With Maya it was like "Where did this come from? She treated EVERYONE like crap."
To me Ayu was a rip off of the lead in His & Her Circumstances but not done as well. Her freaking out was amusing at times but it got old.
Watch the series again and count the number of episodes that are simply some new character showing up and having no point and you'll see why I was so mad at this show. Lets list a few.
Guy who likes Nina (shows up at least twice)
Nina's other annoying friend
Those stupid little girls
Maya's fruity servant
Grrrr.
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