The Shows

Since it is imperative that you at least be somewhat familiar with the shows, a brief overview of each shall follow, as well as my opinion so far on not only the show but also on the quality of the dub.

Code Geass

Summary: Code Geass sets itself in a war torn world, where the Holy Britannian Empire has conquered much land, stripping people of their rights and their identity, renaming their homelands according to numbers. Their latest conquest was the country of Japan, renaming them "Elevens" and forcing its inhabitants to live in the ghettos while their citizens lived in luxury. They enforce these laws with giant war machines called Knightmare Frames.

This show centers its plot around Lelouch Lamperouge (left), a young Britannian living in Japan. Since childhood he has detested Britannia, and he spends his days gambling against the Britannian nobles. When he is accidentally caught up in a terrorist plot to take back Japan, he encounters a strange girl who gives him the power of Geass, allowing him to issue irrefutable orders to anyone he might encounter. With this power, Lelouch swears to finally take down the Britannian Empire. Meanwhile, his best friend Suzaku (right), an Eleven, has pledged his allegiance to the Britannian Empire...

Opinions: Code Geass is an art form perfected. While the plot may sound fairly stale and unoriginal (teenage boy aims to take down an unjust empire), it is what the writers do with this plot that is incredible. Each episode runs you through an emotional portrait of these characters' lives, and Lelouch's brilliant strategies keep this show separate from others of its type.

Dub: So far, this dub has been absolutely amazing. Johnny Yong Bosch (Lelouch) and Yuri Lowenthal (Suzaku) have really taken these characters and made them their own. The supporting characters are equally as dedicated, especially Kate Higgins (C.C.) and Michelle Ruff (Euphemia). While the dub is certainly not perfect, I dare say this is quite possibly the best I've seen yet. To tell the truth, I've actually come to prefer the dub. I strongly urge everyone to give it a try.

Gurren Lagann
Summary: Gurren Lagann takes place in a world wrought with hardships. People have been forced to live underground, for reasons long since forgotten. All anyone knows is their village, most not even knowing about what lies beyond it.

One such village, Jeeha, is plagued by a young upstart who swears there is a whole new world outside their village. This man is Kamina (left), self-proclaimed leader of the Gurren Brigade. Simon (center), on the other hand, is a hard-working boy who excels in finding meaningless treasure. He looks up to Kamina as a brother figure and as such is the most dedicated member of the brigade. One day, he manages to find a strange device buried outside of the city limits, and when the ceiling finally collapses to reveal a giant monster, he uses this machine to defeat it and escape to the surface with Kamina. However, they find the surface world to be overrun with these monsters, and discover that life above ground is a constant struggle against creatures known as beastmen, who for some reason want all humans eradicated...

Opinions: I have nothing but praise for this show. GAINAX is mostly widely known for its series Neon Genesis Evangelion, considered a classic by many. Gurren Lagann may, at the moment, be hiding in Evangelion's shadow, but I feel it has the potential to overtake it as GAINAX's number one work. It can't become a classic after just one year, after all.

Dub: Here, unfortunately, is where the praise has to end. Don't get me wrong: The dub isn't bad. More often than not the actors do a good job of portraying their characters. It's just... Well, it's pretty corny. Now, I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing. Gurren Lagann is a pretty corny show so far. Next week will push us into the more serious side of the show.

The voice actors they've hired are good ones (in fact, I just finished praising Yuri Lowenthal and Michelle Ruff for their work in Code Geass). I really can't come out and say the dub is bad, it just needs polishing. The voices, for the most part, fit the characters. But sometimes, their emotions end up sounding pretty forced. As time goes on, this has improved and I hope it continues to do so. As far as I'm concerned, however, you're better off just watching the subtitles.

Moribito
Summary: Balsa is a wandering warrior in ancient Japan, who has taken it upon herself to atone for her sins by successfully protecting the lives of others. One life away from her goal, she is forced to take a mission to protect the second prince of the land. This child has been possessed by a water spirit, and as such his life is in danger. His father, the emperor, must slay this demon, despite the fact that it dwells in his own son.

Opinion: Really, there isn't a whole lot I can say. The series has only been running for a little over a month now and only a small handful of episodes have been shown. However, it is an interesting story with interesting characters, and the art is gorgeous.

Dub: I know nothing of the Japanese language track for this series, so I am unable to make any comparisons, but the dub so far has been nothing short of amazing. The show is much more somber than the others I am watching, and it shows in the characters' voices. The casting director fit each character with an appropriate voice and each actor delivers their lines perfectly. I've yet to find a problem with it. So go ahead and watch it in English, if you aren't already dreadfully attached to the subtitled version. I sincerely doubt you'll find much to complain about.