Forum - View topicREVIEW: Phantom Episodes 1-13 Streaming
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3495 Location: Back stateside |
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I was hesitant about this series at first, because people kept comparing it to Noir, and I never got past the first coma-inducing episode of that. But after losing interest in some other shows, I've just started watching it, and I'm loving it. The action is much better paced, the art is gorgeous, I love the music, and I'm really getting into the story. So yes, this review gets my resounding ditto!
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Heretic
Posts: 177 Location: Laurel, Maryland |
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I love this show, and I agree wholeheartedly with this review. I can't wait for each new episode, it is very engrossing. As serious as this show is I'd really, really like a happy ending. Goodness, it's only so much a person can take.
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Lemoncookies23
Posts: 355 |
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Great, great show. The mood and atmosphere is spot-on, creating a melancholic vibe that's quite addicting.
I look forward to a DVD release and dub in the future. |
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nightjuan
 Posts: 1473 |
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I almost envy those who are new to Phantom. The show has definitely managed to succeed at staying true to the spirit of the visual novel in spite of my initial misgivings, but then again the adaptation benefits from making use of an original story that was actually trying to tell a dark down-to-earth tale where the harsh cruelty of a fictional reality is always lurking just around the corner, interrupted by far too brief moments of hope.
A lot of people thought this was a mere Noir clone, but the fact is this story most likely inspired that more famous series, considering the game came out about a year earlier. Although I've said this before, my biggest complaint would be that the visual artistry sometimes ends up feeling excessive and too blatant, particularly some of the puppet imagery that I found a little too overdone since day one, but overall the symbolism certainly works out quite well for this production. There's also the fact that I've been very laid-back in following this series, probably because knowing a lot of what will happen leads to the conflicting side effects of both increasing and reducing the level of anticipation for every episode. |
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v1cious
 Posts: 6228 Location: Houston, TX |
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everyone should be watching Phantom in my personal opinion. so far it's my favorite show of the spring.
i have to disagree with this review, i've been watching since the beginning, and so far a only a few episodes have come off slow to me. for the most part, every episode has been packed with action, and there's enough plot twists and turns to keep you eager for the next episode. |
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Yuki_Kun45
Exempt from Grammar Rules
 Posts: 725 Location: U.S.A. |
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As a Bee Train veteran and definite Phantom fan I have to say Phantom is probably one of the more fast-paced Mashimo series yet. (excluding Arc the Lad directed by Itsuro Kawasaki and Medabots) But that's not really counting Blade of the Immortal which was a disjointed mess. But I've also seen some of his pre-Bee Train works.
Frankly Phantom has blown me away almost to the extent of when I first saw .hack//SIGN in 2003. The music the visuals are all simply amazing. Having just finished Noir I can say Phantom and Noir only share similarities in the staples of their genres but they are hardly clones. And forget MADLAX and El Cazador de la Bruja (waiting on El Caz and I think MADLAX is another fantastic though most will likely disagree) Phantom is by far my favorite of the season, it's a visual triumph. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Score OST especially. Nanase's finest. Hope she will come back to do another series with them real soon. (Maybe even a Kajiura-Nanase OST, that would be something!) |
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hikaru004
 Posts: 2306 |
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Perhaps it might be good to mention that Reiji is not grown yet in the 2nd part of the series (when he meets Cal.) spoiler[Reiji is only 16 yo in part 2. He's actually 15 yo when he gets abducted. Cal is 14 yo when you meet her in part 2. Ein is 14 yo when you meet her in part 1.]
I'm loving this title and disagree. It's not slow at all. It ends with me wishing that the next episode was there to watch. The music is amazing. This is a title that needs a US BD release. |
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pachy_boy
Posts: 1340 |
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My favorite image by far is the very last shot of the opening theme song, where Zwei is held up by puppet strings and we briefly see his one arm raised. I don't know why, but seeing that always stuck wtih me.
This is just my opinion, but however different the story may be I don't think Phantom would have been considered such a great change in pace from Noir/Madlax if the main character wasn't a guy, and I consider it typical Bee Train-fare to *having* to portray what women they do have as sensual except for the lolicon-ish Cal. On the other hand, while Bee Train is notorious for portraying their girls-with-guns as more vulnerable than tough, I give them credit for showing some equal weakness with their male protagonist, as he clearly shows emotions/attachment for the people he considers important to him and his actions are influenced because of it. That all aside, I'm enjoying Phantom as much as everyone else on this forum for almost all the same reasons. |
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Seljuk
 Posts: 139 |
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This show started out as one of my favorites of the season. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the horrible episodes 10 and 11. The only good part about episode 10 was the ending, the rest was just an out-of-character, non-gripping blunder. To follow that with a recap episode almost made me drop the series.
Granted, I'm still watching, because I love the style and atmosphere of the show, but the story (to me) has taken a huge nosedive after those two episodes. It's now in the realm of predictability, and is boring to me plot-wise. The only hook for me now is awesome assassinations and action pulled off in the most badass way possible. |
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maaya
Posts: 976 |
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so true. Kokia is a truely talented singer and composer. |
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Fronzel
Posts: 1906 |
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What, seriously?
I saw the OVA based on the same game, and it was rotten. Too much can not be said about the importance of execution, though, so I suppose I should give this one a chance. |
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v1cious
Posts: 6228 Location: Houston, TX |
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wow, i didn't even know this existed. |
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Fronzel
Posts: 1906 |
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I'm sorry to have changed that. |
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nightjuan
Posts: 1473 |
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I'd say it depends on both execution and format. That OVA was a poor adaptation. It changed too much and only tried to cover a small part of the overall story. You can't really pretend to do justice to the material by using so little time, as many other productions have proved in the past. It's not too surprising that an expanded and more faithful attempt would also be more successful. In other words, I believe there are plenty of reasons to give the series a chance. |
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hikaru004
Posts: 2306 |
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Just pretend that it doesn't exist. You'll thank us later. 
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