Thursday 25 December 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I just wanted to wish everyone on here a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully Happy New Year. May all your dreams come true and may you achieve all your goals. Unless of course you're planning to kill someone. Then I want wish you to fail.

Seriously though, I want to thank every person who logs on here and takes the time to read what I write for their contribution. I hope that you guys enjoy what you find on here and continue to do so in 2015 and beyond.

Monday 22 December 2014

UPDATE: CHRISTMAS WHO IS TAKING OVER

Noticed anything different about Enigmania? No?

Okay, I'll help you. Changed the background to something more Christmassy, not to mention more Who, but for those of you who haven't heard the soundtrack for Day of the Doctor or Time of the Doctor, the OSTs have been added to the playlist as well so feel free to listen to Who while you're reading Who on here.

So, who rules?

RANI IS KICKING ASS!

Hey guys, I just thought I'd give you the good news. The Rani Elite review is pulling in a huge amount of traffic and it hasn't even been a whole day. I will that this is more because people are curious about the new Rani rather than my opinion of her (though the two are connected). I'm also convinced that even if people don't know the Rani, they want to and this is why we should have The Rani in Series 9 of Doctor Who. if we can turn the Master into a woman and get away with it and bring up the Great Intelligence after 40+ year, then having the Rani show up in New Who should be a piece of cake.

Thanks for reading

REVIEW - THE RANI ELITE

She's back - and Scottish!

Sunday 21 December 2014

Saturday 13 December 2014

BUSINESS IS ABOUT TO PICK UP


Hi guys! Hope you're all having a great time. Except if you're busy murdering someone. In that case, I hope you're having a really bad go at it. I know posts on here have been a bit slow. There is a reason for that. Overtime at work and exhaustion at home have prevented me from entertaining you lot. Fear not! I am now on holiday till the 5th of January and there is a lot happening (or that has happened) that I plan to share with you.

First off, regarding Big Finish, I have a spoiler-free review in the works for Masters of Earth, The Rani Elite and The Highest Science. Be patient on that front. I'm not sure about the Christmas Special of Doctor Who as my feelings this year have been less than the level of enjoyment I'm used to. Clara being the reason, not the new Doctor, but we'll see.

I am really looking forward to watching The Ambition of Oda Nobuna which will be released later this month so expect thoughts on that. I've turned in to Coppelion so there might be a First Impressions on that and Sword Art Online Extra Edition arrives just before Christmas. Really looking forward to that dub also.

I will not be sharing my thoughts about Dog & Scissors as I watched one episode and thought it wouldn't even be worth talking about it to you guys. Dub or sub, it's rubbish so I'm not going to bother.



Lastly, which should've actually been first, I will be reviewing Patema Inverted as I absolutely loved that film and really want to convince you guys to see it as well.

Stay tuned!

Thursday 27 November 2014

REVIEW - DARK EYES 3


In his quest for universal domination, the Master plans to exploit the terrifying Infinite Warriors of the mysterious Eminence. The Doctor's friend, Molly, is key to that plan's execution, and now, aided by corrupted genius Sally Armstrong, the Master is close to success. Paranoid and perplexed after his recent experience, the Doctor skirts the fringes of the fifty-year conflict between humanity and the Infinite Armies. Wary of changing the course of history, he fears that to fight the Eminence would be to do the Daleks' bidding. But when Time Lord CIA agent Narvin provides the impetus for the Doctor to act, Liv Chenka joins him in a desperate race to save their friend and stop the Master. As the Doctor goes head to head with his oldest and deadliest rival, this war is about to get very personal indeed...

The Death of Hope 
“You should come and see Nurse Molly with the dark eyes. She’s very nice and she talks funny.” – Hope Gardner

Wow! What a boring start to the new box set – a Doctor-lite story? Seriously? It’s been done already! Oh! It’s a Companion-lite? Well, that’s not much better. We’ve had those too. Wait – a Master-centric story? A story that focuses almost entirely on the villain? Well now that changes everything! Fantastic!

Yes folks! Big Finish decided to step outside the normal Doctor Who comfort-zone again, telling the first story as a villain-centered tale. It’s refreshing and something I feel the TV Series could borrow: Dedicate one episode entirely to seeing the villain’s side of things in either a connected or a standalone adventure. We could’ve replaced The Forest of the Night with a Master episode showing us how (s)he escaped Gallifrey and setup the plot for Dark Water/Death in Heaven. Big Finish dedicates The Death of Hope to the Master by having us following him around for an adventure and showing us how he sets up the plot for Dark Eyes 3. Alex MacQueen dominates the script and every scene he is in – and in a Stetson no less! Yes folks! The Master wears a Stetson now. He thinks they’re cool. So do we! The Master depicted here is a manipulator of the highest order and regardless of how he comes across; rest assured it’s all just a charade on his part. The resolution is also deliciously evil which fits this incarnation of the Master who is self-absorbed, but at the same time as cunning as a fox so well that this story just oozes immorality. Alex MacQueen makes the dark side seem tempting. I might actually consider defecting.

Though the Doctor is present, he mostly serves as a framing device allowing us to view the Master. We are also shown what happened to Molly after Dark Eyes 2, though some hardcore fans will end up being a little disappointed by her prominence in the story. The real stars here are the Master and his equally delightful evil companion Dr. Sally Armstrong, who is one of those characters you just love to hate. The more you hate her, the more you love her. She is strong and capable, but has the moral ethics of a rattlesnake. Like Elizabeth Klein before her, she is as interesting and enjoyable to listen to as she is corrupt. 

Rating this story: 8/10 
A clever and unusual opener that accomplishes what it sets out to do.
Pros & Cons
+ Dedicating an entire story to the Master
+ Minimal Doctor involvement
+ Plot and characters
+ Characterization of Sally Armstrong
- Character demotion of Molly O’ Sullivan 

The Reviled 
“We grew up together – studied together. We both found Time Lord Society didn't entirely agree with us but came to different conclusions regarding the rest of the universe. I wanted to see it, he wants to run it.” – The Doctor

(It’s aptly named as I basically despise most of the characters anyway.)
Let’s start with the bad stuff first: Like millions of other viewers/listeners, I can endure/accept watching/listening to a story in which my native species (the humans) are depicted as the monsters. What I CAN’T endure/accept is when this point is repeated to death every other scene like a hundred freaking times. The Ramossans point out humanity’s aggression and selfishness and cruelty so much so that I really wish the humans WOULD just kill them if only to shut them up. At the same time, the human colonists don’t discredit the Ramossans opinions of them so it’s difficult to sympathize with them either. While the Ramossans talk about how bad the colonists are in every scene, the colonists seem to prove it in every other scene so I don’t really know who to root for here. The Master or the Eminence should just put both sides out of their misery.

The good stuff: At the end of the second story it becomes crystal clear that the Master was written into Dark Eyes 3 with the side goal of driving the Doctor up the wall with his mechanizations. The Master’s assistant Sally Armstrong may be the one clashing with the Doctor during this tale, but it is the Master who cruelly delivers the finishing blow to the Doctor. This act in particular is especially malicious because by this point, we are made aware that the Master has already accomplished his and his actions against the Doctor are simply another act of spiteful vindictiveness.

Paul McGan’s Doctor is really being pushed to his limits and the climatic end of this story will feel very Time Lord Victorious to listeners. The aim of Dark Eyes is to see just how far we can drive the Eighth Doctor to the edge without actually knocking him over and if there is one thing The Reviled excelled at it is this aspect. Paul McGann and his 8th Doctor more than make up for his demotion in the first tale.

Molly is completely absent during this story, her place at the Doctor’s side instead taken up by Liv Chenka and my god what a boring character she is! I can understand her position and all, but would it kill you to smile or say something happy or funny – at anything? For someone so desperately clinging to life, you’re like a walking corpse my dear. The human body has 7 million nerves and her general defeatist attitude and ‘pity-me’ personality manages to get on every single one of them. It’s as if the writers don’t exactly know what to do with her but instead of reaching out to another (more popular) companion to aid the Doctor, they saddle him with the medic who continuously carries a mini storm cloud over her head everywhere she goes. 

Rating this story: 7/10 
The hell with the Ramossans AND the colonists. Who cares?
Pros & Cons
+ The progression of Sally Armstrong
+ The clash between Doctor and Armstrong
+ Resolution
+ The inclusion of the Eminence
- Characterization of Ramossans and human colonists
- Liv Chenka

Masterplan 
“You won’t countenance? Who do you think you are Doctor? Judge, jury and executioner?” – The Master

This is the story anticipated most by fans and rightly so. Deciding to use the same tactics the Master and the CIA are employing, the Doctor goes in straight for what he’d normally consider the ‘low blow’. This ends up trapping him with the Master where they are both forced to confront and psycho-analyze the regenerations out of each other! This story is as much a character study about two old friends now bitter enemies as it is about trying to solve the ‘Dark Eyes’ mystery that has been weaved into the three box sets so far. Think Master (the audio story) but with Paul and Alex.

Since this piece is mostly about the Doctor and Master, it’s only natural that Paul McGann and Alex MacQueen should steal the show. Though the B-plot featuring Liv and Sally (yes, this story has one of those) is important, it is almost a distant memory when compared to the scenes we get with the Doctor and the Master. Similar to the discussion the Doctor and the Master get into, you can hear McGann and MacQueen continuously trying to outshine one another which makes for a very exciting listen. There can only be one top dog after all. There is also a very 42 feel to their predicament. However, as their talk carries on the threat remains present, but kind of tucked away in the background until the plot needs it to resurface.

Their discussion is probably the longest Master/Doctor interaction we’ve ever had, taking up a large bulk of the story. Both characters are treated equally and know each other so well that they know exactly which armor piercing bullets to shoot to break through the other’s defenses. From growing up, education, leaving Gallifrey and motivations about the universe – it all gets touched upon here in the long awaited showdown between Gallifrey’s most infamous children.

Onto the B-plot, it’s Liv Chenka’s turn to take on Sally Armstrong in this third installment. Unfortunately it’s such a one sided showdown that ‘showdown’ is perhaps the wrong term. Liv manages to get in a few armor piercing arguments by citing the Master’s past relations concerning companions, but to the viewer who has observed the relationship between Sally and the Master, the points don’t seem to apply in this particular case. The B-plot however is like I mentioned mostly in the background and is only a few degrees off from being a proper companion-lite tale.

A major fault I have with this story is the fate of both Liv and Sally at the end. Despite what we’ve been told about Liv so far, the ending just felt cheap. 

Rating this story: 9/10 
Itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie flawed masterpiece.
Pros & Cons
+ Scenes with the Doctor and the Master
+ Showdown between Liv and Sally
+ The Eminence
+ Resolution
+ Markus Schriver’s endgame
- Professor Markus Schriver
- The B-plot
- The fate of Liv and Sally

Rule of the Eminence
“You saved my life. You gave me hope when all hope was lost.” – The Doctor

The Master’s endgame is upon us. He’s had three (or four if you count DE2) stories to set things up and Rule of the Eminence is when it all comes together. When I first listened to this story, I couldn’t help but compare it to the Series 8 finale we had. Both featured Masters, both featured enemies that convert other lifeforms into a hive-mind, so it was inevitable. I do feel that for its faults, Rule of the Eminence takes home more positives than Death in Heaven.One of those positives invokes a very Last of the Time Lords feel which may seem similar, but still manages to satisfy mostly because we rarely see the Master’s plans actually come to fruition. Likewise, the Doctor’s plan for defeating the Master also feels familiar, but just manages to look different enough to stand on its own feet.


After having limited involvement in the previous stories, Molly O’ Sullivan returns with a vengeance and although her character still feels demoted for bulk of the tale, it’s the interaction with the various other characters that really breathes fresh life (not an Eminence pun) into the Scottish Irish WWI volunteer. She gets a stand out moment with everyone! It genuinely feels like she hasn’t been absent at all.

Liv Chenka has had 5 stories to try and impress me and unfortunately she still comes across as this defeatist character just waiting for death. One of Rule of the Eminence’s faults is her cop-out fate. That makes two in as many stories. In her defense, she does get a couple of great scenes with Molly and the Master, but not enough to save her.

The Master is king of the hill and carries around that smug over-confidence that all Masters have, but the Master here proves to be dangerously genre savvy, one-upping virtually everybody that gets in his way. It’s this aspect that makes the eventual resolution so exciting to listen to. Because of this trait, the only way the Doctor can hope to stand up to him is by making unusual and unorthodox decisions that even the Master couldn’t possibly hope to plan for. But like all Master plans, it’s a component of his own scheme that serves as the important plot point the resolution orbits.

I will not spoil the ending with Liv and Molly for you. Though as I understand it, Big Finish’s recent announcement already did that. I will say it’s tragic. For the characters as well as for me. I don’t agree with it. I don’t like. I will say that it feels very The Angels Take Manhattan/Journey’s End and though it’s not as terrible (as in heartbreaking) as Journey’s End, it still feels like a bullet cutting piercing your flesh. 

Rating this story: 7/10 
Not a perfect ending, but a satisfying one none the less.
Pros & Cons
+ Tighter and strong plot arc than Dark Eyes 2
+ The Doctor and the Master’s schemes
+ Molly’s interactions
+ Liv’s interactions with Molly and the Master
+ The fate of Molly
- The fate of Liv
- The story tends to drag in some places

Overall, this series felt more Dark Eyes 1 than Dark Eyes 2 in that it served as a tighter linked arc as opposed to Dark Eyes 2 which felt like fours stories guided by arc threads. Dark Eyes 3 also manages to combine the best elements of both, but it takes more from Dark Eyes 1 than 2.

To my disappointment, there is no Time War reference in this box set. This is unfortunate as we got some great New Series links in the previous sets with the Daleks/Time Lord struggles and the Master resurrection origin. I will end this review by proudly informing those who don’t know yet that Dark Eyes 4 has been moved up from April 2015 to March and according to Big Finish, there is already another Eighth Doctor Box Set in the works. *Squee*

Overall rating: 7.5/10
 

Monday 13 October 2014

NEWS: KIRITO WINS AT NEWTYPE AWARDS!

He may be OP and a major Gary Stu in-universe, but that hasn't stopped Kirito from winning the best male character of 2014 category in the Newtype Anime Awards.

Friday 10 October 2014

FROM ME: BIT QUIET I KNOW

I've been partly busy and partly lazy these last couple of days. I'm enjoying the new series line-up. Just finished Legend of Korra S04E02 literally ten minutes ago. Really fantastic stuff I must say. I still have a couple of first impressions to do, as well as a few reviews all of which I'm planning to tackle tomorrow so you should see them up soon. Watch this space and thanks for logging on to check out what's new. Really appreciate it.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Friday 19 September 2014

SOUNDTACK CHANGE!

Hey guys, just an update. They've decided to change the music here. I've moved away from the anime bit and switched it up to The Amazing Spider-Man II's OST. Can't stop loving the movie and the music is just awesome. Don't worry though, it won't be up as long as Railgun was.

Enjoy!

REVIEW – DOCTOR WHO - PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE PRESENTS

We're going back to 1975!!!

Monday 15 September 2014

Monday 1 September 2014

10 000 VIEWS!


Finally did it! The BIG 10K! Thank you guys for ten thousand page views. I'll be honest, did not think I would last this long, but I'm still going strong and the number above just adds fuel to the fire! Really appreciate the support. Hope you're all still enjoying the wave because I'm not done surfing it yet. 

Next stop: 20 000!

REVIEW - SWORD ART ONLINE [ALO]

He may be back in the real world, but not for long...

Monday 25 August 2014

FROM ME: HIGHEST PAGE COUNT RECORD BEATEN!!!!!!

Yesterday was epic for me guys and girls. We recorded the most page views for a single day. Completely smashed the previous score. Naturally the review for Deep Breath ended up being the hottest property, but A Certain Scientific Railgun is also going strong, as is the random rant for Kirito's female voice which became a moot point weeks ago. The fandubbed version of SAO's Ignite was also heavily watched. Hope you enjoyed that. It did! Thanks for the love guys! I appreciate it!

REVIEW - DOCTOR WHO - ZYGON HUNT (SPOILER-FREE)

The end is upon us...

Sunday 24 August 2014

UPDATE: IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAND!


Thanks guys! As you may have noticed, the view count on this site is now over NINE THOUSAND! Thanks to everyone who has helped me achieve this. I really appreciate it. I hope those of you who browse the contents daily will continue to find something drawing you back. Again, I really appreciate you staying and supporting me on Enigmania!

WATCH: SWORD ART ONLINE'S IGNITE DUBBED!

So much for a slow Sunday. The YouTube Group TYERecords have fandubbed the first opening of the new season of Sword Art Online "Ignite" and it is awesome! Not just lipservice from me guys. It is really quite fantastic! Watch it hear and please support them. They do an expert job and they do it for us!

Ignite:

REVIEW - DEEP BREATH

 "Shut up! I was talking to the horse!"

Friday 22 August 2014

UPDATE: TWITTER TAB ADDED

Hey guys, I've updated the blog by adding a twitter feed. I know it clashes with the dark overtones of this site, but for some reason the create page keeps seeing the 'light' and 'dark' themes as a light theme. It's really very annoying. if you know of some other way that might help me change it, let me know. And if you want to tweet me or see what I'm tweeting, now you can!

FROM ME: EXCITED FOR INFINITE STRATOS SEASON 2

You guys already know this by now, but I really don't like harem shows. That and sitcoms - and soaps! But every once in a while, something happens in either your mind or to the world around you and you find one particular show you shouldn't like, but love. Inifinite Stratos is like that for me. Call me a hypocrite or call it a guilty pleasure - I don't care! It goes against what I traditionally go for, but I enjoy it so much. But it's also one of those shows where you can't help but think that you're only part of a handful of people who like the show.

For that reason, I didn't have high exceptions for a season 2 or a season 2 being dubbed, but last night it was announced that Infinite Stratos II would be releasing in December. One of my other concerns about it being dubbed stems from a Twitter rumor (I know - I'm stupid that way) that Shannon Emerick and maybe a few others wouldn't be back and either 1) be replaced or 2) the season would not be dubbed past season 1. I'm one of those people who doesn't like changing from established actors (be they voice or otherwise). I was okay with Shakugan No Shana, but there are a few titles that have spoiled themselves for me by replacing the old cast. Emerick plays the ever adorable and french accent cute Charlotte Dunois. Because let's face it: Everything sounds sexier in either French or Italian or in those accents.

Here's looking forward to Christmas!

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Friday 15 August 2014

REVIEW – THE FIFTH DOCTOR BOXSET (SPOILER-FREE)

Amidst the excitement that is Series 8, it’s easy to forget that Big Finish is still releasing Classic Doctor Who audio dramas monthly.

Monday 11 August 2014

Saturday 9 August 2014

NEWS: DARK EYES 3 TRAILER RELEASED!

"In his quest for universal domination, the Master plans to exploit the terrifying Infinite Warriors of the mysterious Eminence. The Doctor's friend, Molly, is key to that plan's execution, and now, aided by corrupted genius Sally Armstrong, the Master is close to success.
Paranoid and perplexed after his recent experience, the Doctor skirts the fringes of the fifty-year conflict between humanity and the Infinite Armies. Wary of changing the course of history, he fears that to fight the Eminence would be to do the Daleks' bidding. But when Time Lord CIA agent Narvin provides the impetus for the Doctor to act, Liv Chenka joins him in a desperate race to save their friend and stop the Master.
As the Doctor goes head to head with his oldest and deadliest rival, this war is about to get very personal indeed..."
Even if Steven Moffat doesn't see the potential in bringing back the Master, I am as happy as a pig in mud that Big Finish does. Not only that, but they are dedicating a whole boxset to the Master vs Doctor idea. Scheduled for release in November later this year, you can now listen to the trailer here.

Also confirmed are the titles for the 4 stories, which do appear to be the same as those reported earlier. The titles are:
1) The Death of Hope
2) The Reviled
3) Masterplan
4) Rule of the Eminence
It's going to be long wait till November!

Thursday 7 August 2014

FROM ME: DOCTOR WHO IS AUGUST!

Being a Doctor Who fan in August is wonderful. Seriously! This month is jam-packed with Doctors. Past and present. I can't wait. Neither can you I imagine. It's certainly going to be a busy month on this site as well. We've got Tom Baker and Leela in Zygon Hunt, which I must say, sounds like it's going to absolutely fantastic. The third season of FDA has been so already and they're raising the bar each month. 

We've also got the highly anticipated Fifth Doctor Box Set featuring Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton AND Matthew Waterhouse who returns to play Adric. The original Fifth Doctor TARDIS crew are back for two adventures. Even though I'm not much of an Adric fan - I liked him alongside Tom Baker's incarnation - I am really looking forward to Iterations of I.

It's been a long wait since Afterlife and I am really looking forward to seeing where Big Finish takes Hex (oops, I mean Hector) this year. The Seventh Doctor trilogy starts with Revenge of the Swarm and given the aftermath of what happened to Hector - which I felt was an awesome send-off - I really hope Big Finish doesn't pull an Amy/Rory S7 return where they're only around for the sake of making up the roster. But that's just me. I have faith!

But what we're all really looking forward to is seeing the debut of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor on 23 August in Deep Breath. It's been a controversial run so far and the new Doctor doesn't even have a full episode under his belt. Given the script and episode leaks, I think it's more than fair to say that Peter now has the deck a little stacked against him. Hopefully with the BBC screening his first episode as a feature length in cinemas, we can restore the status quo.

Wednesday 6 August 2014

UPDATE: TABS ADDED!

Hey guys! Status update: I'm still as sick as a dog. Also, you might have noticed that I've put up tabs to help you guys navigate this site a little easier. If you have any suggestions for other tabs or regarding the newly created ones, let me know in the comment section. Good night!

REVIEW - DRAGONBALL Z: BATTLE OF GODS

It's been seventeen years, but was it worth the wait?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: CODE:BREAKER

I'm not joking when I say this show is on fire!

FROM ME: DOWN WITH THE FLU

Hi guys! Short post. Hope you're all having a great day. Mine is unfortunately crippled with me coming down with the flu. Seriously, I don't know what's worse: 1) Sneezing, coughing and choking on saliva or 2) having to ingest the disgusting tasting medicine needed to cure said flu. Instead of doubling the effectiveness of and speed of technology every year, we should take a break one year and try to invent a medicine that both tastes wonderful and cures whatever is keeping you out of the gym or work.