Gen X Otaku 1971: the OG blog

Back from screening Ep.1-4 of Sunday Without God

Just returned from a special screening of Episodes 1-4 of Sunday Without God (神さまのいない日曜日 Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyōbi^?) by Sentai Filmworks, which is a damn weird anime fantasy show.  12 year old Ai Astin (アイ・アスティン Ai Asutin^?), is a novice "Grave Keeper", who inherited the role from her mother (now deceased).  Ai grew up in a small, isolated village and is blissfully ignorant of the wider world outside, which has descended into brutality and chaos since the event 15 years ago where God, the Creator, both made himself known to humanity and announced his departure from the world, essentially giving up on the humanity project and leaving humankind to fend for themselves.  He granted them immortality of a sort and left Earth to run itself.  He had a second thought and sent along the Gravekeepers, for those who still yearned and prayed for a traditional death with the possibility of a post-mortem heavenly reward.  The Gravekeepers function as basically a form of Shinigami, or Grim Reapers.

Basically Earth has devolved into a Zombie-land where nobody dies in the normal way, not even from grevious bodily injury.  The corpses remain animated and still moving, after a fashion, though they do slowly lose their humanity with time.  Only the Gravekeeper class can grant humans the final death with a properly conducted ceremonial burial.

It seems young Ai is neither fully human, nor fully Gravekeeper, though apparently her mother was a full-0n Gravekeeper.  Typical Gravekeepers are not unlike Valkirye insofar as they are beautiful women who are unfailingly polite but otherwise devoid of emotion.  They follow the divine command to bury the dead, whether the dead like it or not.  Ai is unexpectedly emotional and has human compassion, just like a normal girl.  After she learns the terrible truth about her origin and about the wider world, she grimly resolves to carry out her appointed mission as a Gravekeeper to the best of her ability.  Her father's best friend, Yuri, becomes her travel companion and guardian after Ai's father's passing, along with a taciturn but friendly adult Gravekeeper named "Scar".

The first four episodes are largely devoted to "world building" of this very strange fantasy realm which superficially resembles modern Europe; despite the presence of modern technology (cars, guns) the architecture remains decidedly Medieval and Renaissance.  There are no "modern" buildings, not even in the larger cities.  The "ground rules" of the world are really strange and a little hard to follow.

The story is pretty good, just a little odd.  The main character, Ai, is likeable and indeed adorable.  I won't be rushing out to buy this series to finish it anytime soon, but it's a "Maybe" for a future rental, if it ever shows up on Netflix streaming or rental DVD.  The world is very vague about the nature of its human religion(s) or the nature of its recently departed "God".  There's Christian iconography (as one would expect in a European setting) but very little in the way of coherent Christian theology.  The theology we do get is very vague and unspecific, and there don't seem to be any clergy or priests remaining to offer up any kind of theodicy or other apologetics for the recently departed deity.  The story doesn't quibble with any specific religion, merely critiques a more abstracted "Philosopher's God", of a sort.  In this the anime can be irreverently amusing and tongue in cheek, or at least I found it so, as an atheist viewer.

It's not a strong recommend, but I can lightly recommend this show.  It didn't bowl me over or take my breath away, but I was reasonably entertained.

Special advance screening: Bayonetta!

Mari Shimazaki tried to make the witch Bayonetta more appealing with longer limbs and adjusted proportions. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was expecting to write this post telling readers all about Episodes 1-4 of The Devil Is A Part Time, but instead our host Rommel S. pulled a switcheroo on us and treated us instead to an exclusive advanced screening of the new Bayonetta movie!!  While I was looking forward to The Devil Is A Part Timer, it is in fact screening WITH the English dub on Netflix as of this writing.  So I can watch it anytime, in fact.  Currently I'm back to watching Fairy Tail, and I'm also part-way through Psycho-Pass.  I was pleasantly surprised to get to watch Bayonetta this evening, having only just today heard it talked about on the most recent episode of ANNCast with Zac & Justin.  Apparently FUNimation was very flexible with this production and went out of their way to call back the original voice actors from the original SEGA video game, including sending the ADR Director to the UK to track down the English voice actor for Bayonetta and record her dialogue at a sound studio in England, conducted over the course of 12 days.  I was very impressed with the visuals of this movie, which is non-stop action, never a dull moment.  I have no experience with the video game or its fictional world, but the movie does a decent job of exposition via dialogue that I caught on fairly quickly who the principle players were, etc.  I never once felt confused or disoriented.  The "angels" of this world reminded me in passing of the menancing nature of the "angels" of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and to a lesser degree some of the visual motifs of RaXephon, as well.  I was unclear if Witch Jean was intended to be a nodding reference to Jean D'Arc (Joan of Arc) or if that nomenclature was merely coincidence.

This is a definite Blu-Ray collectors' item, if nothing else for the intense battle sequences alone, of which this movie delivers in spades.  Unlike the Blood C movie, which had serious pacing problems, the pacing in Bayonetta moves along at an even clip with no drag whatsoever.  It feels like watching a successful play-through of a medium sized video game.  The story is ostensibly set on earth, but the countries are fictional and it also takes place partly in certain terra incognitae astral realms outside of normal space-time.  The angels are invisible to ordinary humans but can wreak havoc on the physical world nonetheless.

It's difficult to really talk about this film without spoiling it; those that know the videogame already know the story.  I came into the theater a blank slate and was reasonably entertained by the spectacle.  It is rated TV-MA but mostly for the graphic violence and some of the heavy sexual overtones and fanservice, but there's very little in the way of overt nudity.  It's provocatively sexy but hardly "smutty".  Bayonetta as a character is larger than life and over the top.  She's an unruly demigod with a strong will of her own.  The entire movie is basically watching Bayonetta kick ass, over and over again.  My only criticism of the movie is that Bayonetta is basically female Superman who never has to confront any metaphorical "kryptonite".  She never suffers, never endures any defeats or setbacks.  She's perhaps a little too perfect as a cinematic hero.  I like to see my heroes and heroines suffer and struggle a little on the way to attaining their goal.  I suppose one could argue that in her past she knew defeat and suffering, but we only get that in glimpses and flashbacks.  Again, it's damn impressive in its visuals, and it's nearly enough to bamboozle the audience into overlooking Bayonetta's indestructability and lack of empathy for nearly any of the other characters.  The ADR script was witty, with plenty of amusing one-liners that provoked laughter in the audience tonight.  I would definitely re-watch this movie, and it piqued my interest in the videogame franchise as well.

My thanks to our host R.S. once more for securing this special advance screening for us at Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park in Katy, Texas.

Rosenmädchen Zurückspulen

Just got back from a screening of Episodes 1-4 of Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen at Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park in Katy, Texas.  The last word in the title means "Rewind" in German, as in to rewind a videotape or reel-to-reel film or audio cassette.  Or more figuratively it signifies that this is a "reboot" of the original, basically.  I know I saw the original Rozen Maiden dub ages ago but it was so "meh" that it barely left much impression.  I think Johnny Yong Bosch was in that dub, and maybe it was a Bandai(?) release?  All I remember was it involved creepy dolls that talked that the main character was obsessed with, and he eventually went crazy, the end.  It was dark, and creepy, and I really don't remember much beyond that.  It was entirely forgettable.

Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen is by contrast at least a coherent narrative, where there's actual struggle, and stuff actually happens.  The plot seems to be going somewhere.  Sure, it's still creepy and Loli as fuck, but it's loads more entertaining than the original.  I wonder if if this was ever a dating sim back in Japan, as this anime adaptation separates the protagonist,  Jun Sakurada (桜田 ジュン Sakurada Jun^?), along two parallel fates in space-time.  One in which he chooses to activate the red doll named Shinku (真紅^?, Reiner Rubin, Crimson), while he is still in Elementary School and one in which he does not until much later, when he's first started college.  These lines of fate interweave and cross over, which is kind of interesting and lends an almost Steins;Gate feel to the series.  Shinku is voiced by the incomparable Luci Christian, and many of the Sentai Filmworks regulars round out the rest of the voices of the other dolls, including Hilary Haag (happy to see her still active in the biz), Brittney Karbowski, and Monica Rial, among others.

Rozen Maiden is actually faux German...proper German would be Rosenmädchen.  You wouldn't use the "Z" to get a "Zee" sound; the S makes that sound in that position in German.  The German word for Maiden is Madel (Maid) or diminuitive Mädchen (Girl).  Anyway, that's nit picking, I know.

I'd probably watch more of Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen as it definitely piqued my interest.  The animation is really nice, and the story is sufficiently engaging that I care about the main character(s).  Shinku is definitely a pint-sized Tsundere.  Saito, Jun's co-worker, is an aspiring young theater student and seems like a really sweet person who likes Jun.  Definite future girlfriend prospect, even Shinku can see that, even if Jun can't.

The original Rozen Maiden was just kind of a snooze fest; really, new viewers could just jump right in here and not miss a thing.  This is NOT the kind of show where a knowledge of the original show is strictly necessary.  It's not a priority purchase for me, but I'd definitely watch it for rental streaming on Netflix someday, or on rental DVD.

 

Finished Moribito on the new Neon Alley

The cover of the first DVD compilation released by Geneon Entertainment. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I finally finished Moribito on the “new” web-only Neon Alley, powered by Hulu, having started the series on the “old” Neon Alley which I subscribed to via my PS3. I lamentably did not finish the series while Neon Alley was on PS3, though
I did get pretty far in. I eventually failed to keep up because I got interested in other shows, and the pacing of Moribito is just so intolerably slow, and the addition of unskippable Hulu advertising only drags it out further. Luckily I used the advertising
time to go take a urination break, or take to Twitter via my iPad, or play Words With Friends or Bookworm. Sometimes I actually paid attention to the ads, as they were sometimes moderately entertaining.
 
Set in a fantasy version of an Asian landscape resembling both feudal Japan and ancient China, Moribito is the tale of a spear-wielding mercenary woman named Balsa who is hired by the wife of the Mikado to protect her youngest son Chagum,
who is second in line for succession to the throne. Unfortunately for Chagum, he has been possessed by a water spirit “egg” and is saddled with a terrible destiny and may very well have to die so the water spirit can be born. The Mikado blames Chagum for
the ill fortune besetting the kingdom and secretly orders the young prince to be killed. His mother cannot bear this and thus orders Balsa to take the young prince and flee the palace. Chagum may have to live like a commoner for the rest of his days, but
at least he will live.
 
Balsa proves to be a highly competent body guard but also slowly develops maternal instincts for the boy. Chagum learns what real life is like outside the palace walls and learns to mix and mingle with the common people, to understand
their daily suffering and challenges, and applies his education and learning to their problems, developing his own wisdom. Meanwhile, the spirit egg inside the boy grows ever more restless, and he is propelled along the path of destiny, waving between the
human and spirit realms.
 
Balsa has many friends among the common people and they come to her aid time and again. We do not learn fully her back story until near the final arc of the series, where we see that her own early life story bears uncanny resemblance to
the life on the run that Chagum has endured, only now the roles are reversed.
 
I found myself uneasy right down to the last episode. There is a pleasing payoff, but one has to earn it. This is a good, solid series but it is also what I call a “one and done” series. I do not forsee a need to revisit or rewatch this
show ever again.
 

Samurai Bride = mindless fanservice fun

Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So I managed to watch the first 4 episodes of Samurai Bride, which is the 2nd season to the original Samurai Girls series from Sentai Filmworks. All of the cast returns to reprise their roles, though given the flagrant in-your-face T&A fanservice of this show, most of the cast also opted (again) to use stage names rather than their real names. 
Hi, Tabitha Hickey (*cough* Luci Christian *cough*)!
 
Anyway, we catch up to our characters several years after the events of the original story. The Master Samurai Girls are trying to modernize and keep up with the times and have converted their master’s Dojo into a “Moé Maid Café”, much
to his shock and surprise. They were apparently overinvested in Lehman brothers and their assets took a pounding when that firm went belly up, so the needed a way to turn a profit quickly; they put up the Dojo as collateral for an investment loan to create
the Maid Café.
 
This is the least of their worries, however, as four “Dark Samurai” have risen from the dead and thrown down a challenge to the Dojo and its General. They demand to fight Master Samurai Jubei Yagyu. However, normal Jubei (who, though
pretty and loveable is ditzy and not very smart) lost her ability to manifest her Master form at the conclusion of the first series and is at a loss as to how she can regain that power. It is strongly suggested that if normal Jubei were to become a rare Samurai
Bride warrior-princess, she might not only regain her Master form but become even more powerful than other Master Samurai. Indeed, it is speculated that only a Samurai Bride has the necessary power to defeat the newly arrived Dark Samurai. At their current
levels, the other Master Samurai Girls lack the numbers and power to mount an effective challenge to the Dark Samurai group’s power. The question is open as to which girl Muneakira will choose to be his Samurai Bride (well, not really, but it does provide
pseudo-dramatic tension).
 
Last night was the premiere of the dub of this series, and it was very well attended by a near-capacity crowd at Alamo Drafthouse. There were several Laugh-out-loud moments that made me gratified with my decision to watch this with an
attentive audience rather than alone in my room by myself.
 
I thought the original series started strong but the finish was merely ‘so-so’, rather a disappointment. While I probably won’t end up buying this second season the way I did the first (though I subsequently sold it), I was reasonably
entertained by these first four episodes. It’s a nice combination of ridiculous & sexy slapstick comedy along with some pretty cool magical melee combat. If I had an Anime Network subscription, I might idly watch this series sporadically, if I was bored
and there was nothing else to do. My purchase of the first season was an impulse buy, based on its first four episodes, which were heavily sexual…it dials it back after that, however, much to my disappointment. It’s not quite as raunchy as, say,
Queens Blade, but if you like this show, you just might like Queens Blade, and vice versa. That said, continue to avoid
Queens Blade Rebellion at all costs. You can thank me later.
 
The characters are interesting & quirky (and often delusional) and it’s fun to laugh at them but also be emotionally engaged with their struggles. This show is worth a watch. Worth a buy? Not for me, but your mileage may vary. The original
Samurai Girls sold VERY well for Sentai Filmworks, and I wish them luck with this sequel as well.

What I'm Watching on Toonami

The main characters of Blue Exorcist Clockwise from center front: Rin, Yukio, Konekomaru, Shura, Izumo, Suguro, Mephisto, Renzo and Shiemi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I'm currently following 2 series on Toonami, namely Blue Exorcist which I first began watching dubbed on Neon Alley before Neon Alley went to sh*t.  I'm still DVRing the episodes and keeping up that way.  The other show I'm also keeping track of on my DVR is of course Attack on Titan.  I have the first part of the first season on Pre-order from FUNimation via Amazon, along with Evangelion 3.0, I might add.  Both series feature Bryce Papenbrook in the lead role as the main protagonist; Rin, son of Satan for Blue Exorcist and Eren Jaeger for Attack on Titan.  I record them every Saturday night then watch them off the DVR the next night most of the time.  I'm really enjoying both shows very much.  Both shows are also currently streaming on Netflix, but in their sub-only original versions at this time.  I assume they're also still on Crunchyroll but it's been awhile since I last checked.  I prefer to watch these shows dubbed, but it's nice to know I can always rely on the sub-only version to get caught up if by some off chance my DVR fails to record the epsiode one Saturday night.

I'm looking forward to collecting Attack on Titan on physical media (DVD/Blu-Ray Combo) but will probably pass on Blue Exorcist in physical format, unless VIZ drastically reduces its price to a range where I'd consider it.  My favorite episode of Blue Exorcist is where the main female love interest/protagonist, voiced by Christine Marie Cabanos (Madoka Magica, Squid Girl), finally trades in her yukata for a regular Academy school uniform and all the guys notice that DAY-UM, she's actually quite busty and curvy in the hips/legs and looks great in her uniform shirt and really short skirts. ;-)

Anyway, I'm glad these shows are on Toonami, along with Black Lagoon.  I hope they serve as a "gateway drug" to turn some non-anime casual fans into actual Anime fans.

Finished Hero Tales on Netflix streaming.

Hero Tales (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I finally finished the epic anime Hero Tales via Netflix streaming.  Set in a fictional ancient China, the story follows the fate of a pair of adopted orphans who are raised as brother and sister, Taito and Laila.  Taito is marked by fate and the stars of Heaven to be the human avatar of the ancient God known as Alkaid, the eternal opponent of the Dark God Dubhe, embodied by ambitious General Keiro, who seeks to usurp the Imperial Throne and crown himself Emperor, then ascend to Godhood and purify the world of the scourge of the human race.  Only Alkaid, a.k.a. Taito, has the inner strength to stand against Dubhe and protect humanity from this dark monstrosity.  He is aided in this mission not only by his sister Laila but also his best friend, and a whole host of companions whom Taito meets and befriends on his way to the Capital to meet personally with the Emperor for an audience seeking a redress of grievances of the common people and their daily suffering and struggles for a better life within the Empire, and to seek justice against the rapacious General Keiro, a.k.a. Dubhe.  The anime is 26 episodes long and steeped in Chinese mythology and concepts, such as The Mandate of Heaven, the role of astrology & fate, etc.  The series itself is a bit of a slow burn and takes awhile to get interesting and exciting.  Taito is a bit insufferable and bratty in the beginning, and as with any shonen fighting series, he must learn to not only grow physically stronger but to mature mentally as a fuller person as well.  These tasks go hand in hand, and Taito does make progress, little by little, as the story moves from one adventure to the next.

The anime examines what, if anything to we as people owe to tradition, our roots, our prescribed roles in life.  Are we the masters of our own fate or is this merely an illusion?  Are we mere chesspieces moved at the whim of the gods, or fickle fate?  Is it our duty to accept our fate and play that role convicingly, or tear up the script and improvise from the heart?  Are we all just sinners in the hands of an angry god, or free human beings in charge of our own destiny?  These are the competing ideas that drive the onscreen clashes and drama of this anime.

The characters are likeable and seem to have good chemistry.  I watched this show only sporadically at first, taking in only a couple of episodes at a time, usually in the evening hours.  I wasn't really "sold" on the show until around Episode 15 or so.  Thereafter the action really picks up and the drama is racheted up to a tense level, and it's quite a thrill ride to the final episode of the series.  Until this apex is reached, the show would be difficult to marathon, but once it crests that tipping point, it would be hard NOT to marathon it.

The dub performances were all good, in my estimation.  Taito and Laila are both sometimes the most annoying characters, but they grow on the viewer with time.  I especially enjoyed the voice performances of the supporting cast, particularly J. Michael Tatum, Colleen Clinkenbeard, and Joel MacDonald as the Emperor and Taito's long lost twin brother, and Josh Grelle as Hosei (pronounced like Spanish "Jose" in the dub), one of Taito's first traveling companions and constant horn dog groveling for Laila's attention.  Monica Rial portrays the second in command of a ship of river pirates, a character who projects great confidence and courage, motivated by the death of her brother.  Stephanie Young voices a very sexy, sexy villianess in that special way only Stephanie Young can.

I also really liked the opening music theme, "Winterlong".  The lyrics are in English, and the song is catchy despite the sometimes clumsy wording put together by a non-native speaker.  It's a worthwhile series to watch, despite the slow burn it takes to get going.  Currently available streaming via Netflix, though this won't be available forever, so I'd watch this sooner rather than later.  It's definitely a title I'd rather rent than own.  It's pretty niche, being a Chinese historical fantasy drama.  It's a nice change of pace, different from more typical anime fare.

Finished Campione! (dubbed by Sentai Filmworks)

I finally got around to finishing up the English dub (courtesy of Sentai Filmworks) of the anime series Campione!  I actually enjoyed it quite a lot.  It's all about mythology and ancient pagan gods still raising a ruckus in our modern world and our humble Japanese everyman who rises to the occasion to stop their divine shennanigans, with the help of his hot, blade wielding Italian girlfriend.

Just getting to hear Monica Rial bust out with actual lines of bombastic Italian is worth the price of admission for me ;-)  I love this series from the first episode.

Plus, I'm a casual tabletop RPG gamer, and one of the games I've been playing off and on since about 2012 or so has been the White Wolf Publishing D-10 RPG system called SCION, where the players basically play superhero roles as basically the Demigod children of the ancient pagan gods.  In other words, Campione! very much has a SCION feel to it, which no doubt enhanced my enjoyment of this series.

It's short, it's action packed, the characters are likeable and it's just a fun, fun show to watch.  And apparently Athena, ancient godess of War and Wisdom, today manifests herself as a tween girl wearing a super-cute cat-ears knit cap.  Because Japan.  Whatever, it's still fun.

Definitely check this series out on Anime Network if you're a subscriber.  Even consider picking up the physical DVDs from Sentai Filmworks.  It's still relatively new-ish, if not precisely bleeding edge new for a dub release.

 

 

Finished Fate/Zero on Neon Alley

At long last, I finished the Fate/Zero series, dubbed in English, on the Neon Alley channel app on my PS3 at home.  I did ultimately like how it wraps up and folds neatly into the start of Fate/Stay Night.  The scenes jogged my memory and I remembered the backstory of the original series' protagonist.

As far as visuals go, no question, Fate/Zero wins hands down, though Fate/Stay Night: Ultimate Bladeworks (condensed re-cap movie) does give it a run for its money and that one is my hands down favorite of the entire franchise.

In terms of story, Fate/Zerois my least favorite.  I much prefered the story of the original series, Fate/Stay Night.  The characters were more sympathetic and I cared about their fates much more.  Ultimate Bladeworks is a highly condensed "recap" movie in one sense, but it also takes the story in a radically different direction, too.  It practically must do so because it hasn't got the time to cram all the events of the original series into a single feature film.

My biggest complaint about Fate/Zeroare the intolerable number of "expositition dump" episodes where the characters do nothing but monolgue about the world and how it got that way, and so much of it is jargon-laden, never explained, and often quite opaque.  It's just a confusing word salad made to sound deep and impressive but without really conveying much by way of useful information.  The first episode is by far the worst offender of this; but alas it's not the only episode guilty of this sin against good storytelling.  There is a later impromptu drinking session between Gilgamesh (aka "Archer"), Iskander (Alexander the Great, aka "Rider"), and Arthuria ("Saber") that is nothing but banter back and forth, mostly between the seemingly more experienced ancient kings arguing their worldview against the more progressive Medieval king.  It is all very wordy but not terribly witty and ends up being quite boring.  If you're going to have lots of dialogue, at least make it interesting dialogue with genuine entertainment value.

Anyway, Arthuria ("Saber") is of course my favorite character, voiced by three separate voice actresses but believably the same character.  She's more of an archetype made flesh than an actual real person, so I can forgive the casting changes for her from work to work.  My next favorite character would be the Knight of the Fianna otherwise known as "Lancer", wielding the mighty Gae Bolga spear/lance of Irish Celtic legend, reputedly once wielded by the mighty Cúchulainn himself.  Lancer is at his best and most noble in Fate/Zero and Ultimate Bladeworks.  He's honestly kind of a brutal asshole early in Fate/Stay Night and somewhat redeems himself only much later on into the series.  I actually own a Lancer figurine that I recently picked up at Anime Matsuri Con here in Houston two weeks ago.  I also picked up a smallish 3rd impact Askua complete with eyepatch and painter's cap with "kitty ears" (modded to fit her communication gear hairpiece underneath).

I'm a little unclear what Neon Alley's plans are after April 1st.  I had earlier gotten the impression that only the "live" channel would be going away, but that the "catch up" feature on the app would not only remain but also expand to become a more truly VOD type product, and that to watch Neon Alley shows over mobile devices (iPad, iPhone, etc) requires creating a Hulu+ account. 

But in the latest update from Neon Alley, I now get the distinct impression that the native "app" for Neon Alley on PS3 (and PS4) will be going away entirely and the content will ONLY be accessible via the Hulu+ "app" on those systems and ONLY NeonAlley.com (website) would be free of charge to access from one's PC.  If this is the case, then that really kind of sucks.

Anyway, I decided to devote this evening to push and finish Fate/Zero while the Neon Alley "app" is still up and running.

Currently watching Chronicles of Valkyria (anime)

Valkyria Chronicles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Valkyria Chronicles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I'm currently watching the Chronicles of Valkyria anime adaptation via my Crackle "app" on my PS3.  The series is lamentably "sub-only" and also on Crackle only for a limited time, as it will vanish after 1 July 2013.  So I'm breaking a longstanding trend to watch this sub-only show.  I'm already further ahead in the Anime than I have gotten with the video game.

It's a pretty good show, set in a fantasy European setting some time after WW2 but just before WW2.  It feels like circa 1935 rather than 1939.  And there's one major difference, which is (so far) the absolute lack of any combat aircraft, or indeed any flying machines of any kind.  This show is all about tanks, specifically a supertank called Edelweiss, in the lowland country of Gallia, which has been invaded by The Empire.

Gallia is clearly a stand-in for the Benelux nations, whilst the Empire is like a Germany where the Kaiser never abdicated.  The technology has advanced beyond Great War tech, but with the notable absence, again, of any aircraft--not even hot air balloons (which were a factor in the American Civil War).

It may be nit-picking to point out, but the Edelweiss flower grows in Alpine regions, notably Austria and Switzerland.  It would be quite foreign to Benelux nations, and moreover, it is definitely NOT a variety of Dandelion.  These are a few annoying things the series gets wrong but you just have to accept it.

Also, the tanks depicted, especially the Edelweiss, are more manueverable than a modern M1 Abrams tank.  Tanks do not turn on a dime, and WW2 era tanks especially do not.  The videogame at least gives you a more realistic model of tank combat and is considerably more challenging.

I haven't played far enough into the videogame to compare for sure, but the female character of Alicia seems way more "tsundere" in the Anime than she is in the videogame.

Also, some of the writing is a little naive/ill informed.  The Town Watch commander berates Alicia for "leading the enemy straight to us", as if the attack on Bruhl wasn't planned out months in advance by Imperial forces, and as if the Empire launched their invasion blind, without the aid of, I dunno, MAPS!?

Also, there is an ethnic minority known as the Darcsen that sounds disturbingly close to "Dark Skin" in English that I wonder if that's what the Japanese script writers were going for.  They are a race similar to North American Native peoples, i.e. Indians.  The main character Welkin Gunther has an adopted sister Isara who belongs to this ethnic group.  In the fantasy European context, they seem to suffer the same sort of racial discrimination faced by historical European Jews.

Welkin Gunther is a biology major at one of the main universities of Gallia and a rather bookish nerd who doesn't relate well to people.  He likes to sketch local wildlife and this leads to a misunderstanding when Alicia of the Town Watch encounters him for the first time, not realizing she's about to arrest the son of a famous General and national hero from the previous war; Alicia believes Welkin to be an Imperial spy.  This misunderstanding gets resolved in slightly different ways in the videogame versus the anime adaptation.

I am enjoying this series so far and look forward to finishing it before the month is out.