Image from: http://pure-anime.biz/recent-eng/buddy-complex-eng-sub/buddy-complex-special-01-eng-sub/
Name: Buddy Complex バディ・コンプレックス
Sequel: Buddy Complex: Kanketsu-hen - Ano Sora ni Kaeru Mirai de
Status: Completed
Episode: 13
Release Date (for eng subs): -
Summary:
On the first day back after summer break, high-school student Aoba is attacked by a giant robot that appears out of the sky. As he's pursued through the city, his classmate Hina appears in a robot of her own. She rescues him, and tells him cryptically that "Dio is waiting for you", before she disappears. This begins Aoba's new life as the pilot of the Free Treaty Alliance against the Great Zogiria Republic.
Summary Source: ANN
Summary from: http://myanimelist.net/anime/21437/Buddy_Complex
Personal Ratings: 3.5
I didn't actually want to pick this series up because I'm not that into Mecha / Gundam type of anime. But after looking at the PV for the 2nd (not really) season, I told myself I have to watch this. So here it is.
The whole name "Buddy Complex" actually suites the whole anime concept, with the whole "coupling" system. I guess to a certain extend, using words like "proposal", "acception" and "coupling" can be really suggestive, especially towards Fujoshi. So I guess it was part of the plan to attract more Otaku and female viewers this way?
Good attention grabbing first episode. With the mystery of the future and past happening all at once, it really makes the viewers want to watch until the end to find out what actually happened in the future. Probably one of the best starting for a mecha / Gundam anime. However, unfortunately, the rest of the anime does not really live up to their first episode.
It just didn't seem like there was much of a connection between the past and the future, whereby in the first place, Aoba going to the future actually caused all the commotion. I was really expecting a lot more in depth and solid story behind all this.
I don't think that the whole future and past thing has got anything to do with the story line at all. Could have done away with it, and it doesn't really make much of a difference.
I was really waiting for stuff like Aoba's friend or he himself actually has some connection the future. (like being the the whole cause for the commotion in the future.) I'm sure it will be more interesting that way. Because his friends actually seem to play an important part of Aoba's life in the beginning of the anime.
A little abruptly fast development between Aoba and Dio. It kind of seems like within a short period of time, even though they really hated each other, after the appearance of Fromm, they suddenly become best buddies. Thought that it should have more to do with Dio's past and Aoba's empathy.
I felt that in the beginning, they kept talking to each other in the cockpit even though they couldn't hear each other. It just looks plain dumb with them screaming random stuff they want to scream without much objective. It should have at least be like Gundam Seed / Destiny where they talk to each other only if the other person could hear.
Like most mecha shows, like Valvrave, making the main character as plain looking as possible makes the supporting characters shine a lot more. For Valvrave it was L. Elf; he really appealed to the general crowd (girls). but for this anime, I don't think they actually used it to their advantage since half the time Aoba was screaming "Hina" Hina". It can actually get quite irritating over time. Also the lack of screen time for Fromm also shows that their not making full use of him (and his voice actor) to appeal to more fans. But Of course, that's also due to the lack of time (13 episodes are just not enough).
The use of mob characters were actually quite good, especially putting one of my favorite seiyuu as the parson transmitting current conditions, etc. Even though we don't get to see his face much, just hearing his voice some how jolts something, making the whole anime nicer.
Of course I didn't really like the fact that the other 2 pilots don't seem to play an important role except making the fights a little funny, by adding funny comments.
Inefficient use of words. I don't think they really thought it through enough with the sentences and types of words they use. Because they can actually be quite misleading. When Dio was talking about Fromm, he uses words and phrases like "he isn't what he seems to be", well it made me think that Fromm is actually like a really bad guy behind all those smiles. So I was waiting for him to like suddenly show his true colors or something, but that never happened. That kind of feeling was really annoying me, because half the time when Fromm appears I'm like expecting something to happen. So I guess they chose the wrong set of words to use.
I don't think that I've ever felt this way about an action anime before, but I'll say: way too much action. The fights are too short, and seem to always occur at random timings with short internals. I would have preferred longer fights instead of more fights, because halfway I just got kind of irritated with the whole thing; way too much alarm sounding off every five minutes.
I don't think they actually bothered to spend time talking to each other on the ship about some matter that needed discussions, e.g. about Hina and other battle strategies, etc.
I didn't really like how the forces just seemed so lopsided. It seems like the enemy has endless supply of soldiers while the good side only have those 5, you don't see stuff like back up coming for help or anything. It just seems weird, and way to illogical. Especially when the enemy retreats, it feels weird because they have not yet actually sustain a lot of damage, while the good side has received damage.
Good to see that they actually make a "good" person within the villains, Most anime are too extreme with their choice and personality of characters; the good and bad side are just too well distinguished.
Kind of felt that the ending was kind of rushed, with Hina just being converted to the good side and stuff like that. The whole thing about the hatred going on within Borlin was also kind of rushed, doesn't seem to be that progressive hate for Aoba, but a sudden one.
The ending of the end, was also really weird, and it just doesn't really live up to the whole thing that happened so far, especially with the rubbish story line about the past.
The sequel's review is probably about the same as this (since there is only 2 episode), so I'll not be doing a separate one for that.
The whole name "Buddy Complex" actually suites the whole anime concept, with the whole "coupling" system. I guess to a certain extend, using words like "proposal", "acception" and "coupling" can be really suggestive, especially towards Fujoshi. So I guess it was part of the plan to attract more Otaku and female viewers this way?
Good attention grabbing first episode. With the mystery of the future and past happening all at once, it really makes the viewers want to watch until the end to find out what actually happened in the future. Probably one of the best starting for a mecha / Gundam anime. However, unfortunately, the rest of the anime does not really live up to their first episode.
It just didn't seem like there was much of a connection between the past and the future, whereby in the first place, Aoba going to the future actually caused all the commotion. I was really expecting a lot more in depth and solid story behind all this.
I don't think that the whole future and past thing has got anything to do with the story line at all. Could have done away with it, and it doesn't really make much of a difference.
I was really waiting for stuff like Aoba's friend or he himself actually has some connection the future. (like being the the whole cause for the commotion in the future.) I'm sure it will be more interesting that way. Because his friends actually seem to play an important part of Aoba's life in the beginning of the anime.
A little abruptly fast development between Aoba and Dio. It kind of seems like within a short period of time, even though they really hated each other, after the appearance of Fromm, they suddenly become best buddies. Thought that it should have more to do with Dio's past and Aoba's empathy.
I felt that in the beginning, they kept talking to each other in the cockpit even though they couldn't hear each other. It just looks plain dumb with them screaming random stuff they want to scream without much objective. It should have at least be like Gundam Seed / Destiny where they talk to each other only if the other person could hear.
Like most mecha shows, like Valvrave, making the main character as plain looking as possible makes the supporting characters shine a lot more. For Valvrave it was L. Elf; he really appealed to the general crowd (girls). but for this anime, I don't think they actually used it to their advantage since half the time Aoba was screaming "Hina" Hina". It can actually get quite irritating over time. Also the lack of screen time for Fromm also shows that their not making full use of him (and his voice actor) to appeal to more fans. But Of course, that's also due to the lack of time (13 episodes are just not enough).
The use of mob characters were actually quite good, especially putting one of my favorite seiyuu as the parson transmitting current conditions, etc. Even though we don't get to see his face much, just hearing his voice some how jolts something, making the whole anime nicer.
Of course I didn't really like the fact that the other 2 pilots don't seem to play an important role except making the fights a little funny, by adding funny comments.
Inefficient use of words. I don't think they really thought it through enough with the sentences and types of words they use. Because they can actually be quite misleading. When Dio was talking about Fromm, he uses words and phrases like "he isn't what he seems to be", well it made me think that Fromm is actually like a really bad guy behind all those smiles. So I was waiting for him to like suddenly show his true colors or something, but that never happened. That kind of feeling was really annoying me, because half the time when Fromm appears I'm like expecting something to happen. So I guess they chose the wrong set of words to use.
I don't think that I've ever felt this way about an action anime before, but I'll say: way too much action. The fights are too short, and seem to always occur at random timings with short internals. I would have preferred longer fights instead of more fights, because halfway I just got kind of irritated with the whole thing; way too much alarm sounding off every five minutes.
I don't think they actually bothered to spend time talking to each other on the ship about some matter that needed discussions, e.g. about Hina and other battle strategies, etc.
I didn't really like how the forces just seemed so lopsided. It seems like the enemy has endless supply of soldiers while the good side only have those 5, you don't see stuff like back up coming for help or anything. It just seems weird, and way to illogical. Especially when the enemy retreats, it feels weird because they have not yet actually sustain a lot of damage, while the good side has received damage.
Good to see that they actually make a "good" person within the villains, Most anime are too extreme with their choice and personality of characters; the good and bad side are just too well distinguished.
Kind of felt that the ending was kind of rushed, with Hina just being converted to the good side and stuff like that. The whole thing about the hatred going on within Borlin was also kind of rushed, doesn't seem to be that progressive hate for Aoba, but a sudden one.
The ending of the end, was also really weird, and it just doesn't really live up to the whole thing that happened so far, especially with the rubbish story line about the past.
The sequel's review is probably about the same as this (since there is only 2 episode), so I'll not be doing a separate one for that.
Art Ratings: 3
So-so art. Character designs were quite good, but I thought that the designs for the gundam (i forgot what they call the mecha in the anime), could have been a lot cooler.
Recommended for:
Gender: Both
Age: 12 and above
My Ratings: PG
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