Reviewed this week:

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 51, Gunslinger Girl 33-50, Nodame 109-113, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Tsubasa 186, Yotsuba&! 54

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Prima <-complete!
2. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
3. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (4) – I’m out of despair!
4. Shigofumi (5) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika <-complete!
5. Persona Trinity Soul (6)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
6. Shion no Ou (7) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
7. Chi’s Sweet Home (-)- cute kitty <- new!
8. Clannad (8) – Mei <- complete!
9. Mokke (9)- GRANDMA!!!! <-complete
10. Minami-ke Okawari (10)- not quite the same <-complete!
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco

*COMPLETE* Aria the Origination 13: Oh noes, the end of Aria is here- I want to cry MANLY and UNMANLY tears because now it’s all over. Even worse, this episode sees Alicia retiring- why couldn’t she have stayed on just a little longer? Even though the ending was generally positive (and complete with a nice little anime-only addition), seeing Alicia go was just too sad. Still, I love and adore Aria beyond all measure- I think Origination may be my new favourite anime of all time.

*NEW* Chi’s Sweet Home 1-4: When it comes to kicking off a new season, what could be better than a daily dose of cute kitty antics? At three minutes per episode (including OP), Chi’s Sweet Home slowly tells the tale of Chi, a kitten who gets separated from her mother and ends up getting taken in by a family. Every episode offers a little vignette into Chi’s new life, from being given a bath to getting easily distracted despite her intentions to go home to mother.

*EXTRA* Clannad 23: In this extra episode, Mei comes to visit Sunohara, leading to various mildly entertaining antics and an amusing section in which Tomoya imagines Sunohara X Mei and Sunohara X Tomoya pairings.

Silence, nekophile!

Clannad- the movie: If KyoAni’s TV series didn’t sate your appetite, then you can find some additional nourishment from Toei’s “big eyes” movie. A retelling of the story, the movie fortunately focuses more on Nagisa without the distractions of the other girls, but whilst that and the continuation into the after story are refreshing, Tomoya seems less likable and Sunohara more extreme, ensuring that overall this is nothing special.

*COMPLETE* Mokke 24+Special: For various reasons that will become apparent as you read on, I’m actually going to talk about the special episode first, which takes place four years prior to the main series. It’s a rather uneventful episode even by Mokke standards, with Shizuru getting angry because Mizuki is so excited about a visit from their mother that she pays little attention to their sick grandmother.

Meanwhile, episode 24 is perhaps the most heartfelt episode of the series, featuring nothing less than Grandma’s death. There’s something about the death of a grandparent that really gets to me, so this was a bit of a tearjerker, in that a less stony-hearted person than I might have cried.

*COMPLETE* Shigofumi 12: Well, Shigofumi is over, and I can’t help feeling a little let down by it all. The series started well, but ultimately it ended with a fizzle rather than a bang as Fumi-chan mopes about in real life and Mika seemingly disappears, only to show up as a mail carrier at the end. If only the whole Fumi/Mika back story could have been covered in an OVA or movie, leaving this main series to focus on the more interesting one-off stories.

*MASOCHISTIC MADNESS* Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s 1: Yu-Gi-Oh is, like, awesome, people, I mean it’s totally rad! I love card games! Or, to be more accurate, I couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to watch something that could be more laughably ridiculous and awful than playing card games on motorcycles. Anyway, I have no idea how many episodes of this I’ll bother to watch, but let’s make it all worthwhile with a short parody of the episode.

Narrator: Welcome to the future, where an entire city is in ruins but everyone has time to come and watch kids on motorcycles play card games! We even have a “Duel King” Jack Atlus- I’d say he’s the one with the stupid hair, but everyone here has stupid hair.

The Duel King and various other players, including our Destined Lead, get on their motorcycles and play cards. Unfortunately, he loses and has to go home to his house of poverty, where various generic mechanics fix his motorcycle.

Lead: Why did I lose? I should have Destiny!

Little Girl: Here, I found this random computer chip that will go in your motorcycle and give you Destined Powers!

Lead: Thanks! I think I’ll go and get a job, er, I mean play card games!

Lead heads out, but he gets stopped by two security guards.

Security Guard: I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to pull you over for speeding.

Lead: You can’t do anything to me- I play card games!

Security Guard: What a surprise- I play card games too! Let’s settle this with a duel!

Security Guard #2: Uh, sir, shouldn’t we just take him down to the station or give him a fine?

Security Guard: Silence! Real men settle things with card games!

Lead and Security Guard get on their motorcycles and somehow create a virtual reality field to duel in.

Security Guard: I summon an ugly monster!

Lead: I summon a different ugly monster!

Security Guard: Fool- that monster is weaker than mine!

Lead: Yes, but it has a special effect that makes it stronger when it attacks”

Guard: Damn! But this monster also has a special effect- it can come back from the dead!

A couple more turns are played, and then…

Guard: Gwakaka! I summon a special dragon with 3000 attack points!

Lead: This looks bad, but I have destiny on my side! I summon some weird special power-up that creates my own powerful monster! And it has enough attack power to defeat your dragon!

Guard: Damn you! Who’d have thought I, a mere generic character of the week, would lose to the lead?

Lead: Who cares about you? I must defeat Jack!

To be continued…?

MANGA

Chokotto Sister 51: Volume seven begins with Choko going over to Yurika’s house for a sleepover, whilst Chitose continues to angst over her feelings with Haruma. With the series drawing towards its close, I suppose it might not be too much to ask for some sort of relationship to develop somewhere.

Gunslinger Girl 33-50: I’ll post a dedicated review for these few volumes of Gunslinger Girl in due course, but for now all I need to stress is how awesome these few volumes are. Although the focus is mainly on new characters Alessandro and Petrushka, it doesn’t feel like the usual “running out of material so we’d better introduce new faces” cop out, because their character dynamic reveals a new aspect of the handler-cyborg relationship. And even if they aren’t featuring as prominently before, there are some powerful scenes involving Angelica, Claes, Triela and Henrietta- even if Jose/Giuse/Giuseppe now looks like his Il Teatrino self.

Nodame Cantabile 109-113: Whilst Mine comes over to support Kiyora, she is busy preparing for her competition- as are Tanya and Yun Long. Is this the last chance for them to prove themselves in the world of music- and if they fail, what direction will they take? It’s actually a nice change to focus on supporting characters instead of Chiaki and Nodame for a little while, although it does seem like this series could go on forever.

*NEW* Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1: A new Someday’s Dreamers series has begun, and from this first chapter, it seems like this will be another worthy outing. Sora is a young mage who is about to head off for her mage training, but before that, will she confess to the boy she likes- or will she hold back out of respect for her friend’s feelings for him? Will the romance aspect even have much effect when Sora is going away? Will she meet a new man in Tokyo? Keep reading to find out.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 186: It would have been perversely amusing if the Groundhog Day chapters had gone on forever, but now everyone in town is melting away thanks to the changes Syaoran and friends have introduced. And it seems that this time period is actually right before Sakura’s seventh birthday- will they be able to change anything by going to see her?

Yotsuba&! 54: A new arc begins in this chapter, as Yotsuba and friends go to a festival. This time around, Yotsuba gets to look around and play on the taiko drum, but there’s plenty more to fill the next few chapters. Of course, I’m still waiting for the Yotsuba at school arc to begin, because I have high hopes for it.

Sometimes I just can’t help being evil; telling children about the slaughterhouse whilst they’re playing Harvest Moon, persuading them that complete Iliana rings can just be mined straight out of the earth, arguing that Albel is HARD GAY for Fayt- is there nothing I won’t do? Then again, sometimes interesting things spring from my madness- for example, my sister has taken a liking to the nickname “Pink Supervisor”.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 9, Clannad 19, Kaiji 21-2, Minami-ke Okawari 8-9, Mnemosyne 2, Mokke 16-18, SaiMono II 37, Shigofumi 9, Shounen Onmyouji 23, Spice and Wolf 9

…and in manga: Busou Renkin 1-37, Chokotto Sister 58, Claymore 78, Elfen Lied 83, HxH 271, Moyashimon 2, Tsubasa 184

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – banana peel
2. Spice and Wolf (3) – spice and lamb
3. Kaiji (2) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. SaiMono II (4) – Ran clan
5. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – mind-altering drug
6. Shigofumi (5) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
7. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
8. Shion no Ou (8) – die, Satoru!
9. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
10. Clannad (11) – drop kick
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (10)- Marco
12. Mokke (12)- rainy season

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Himawari!! (2) – needs less plot
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
4. Love GetChu! (5)- light entertainment
5. Shounen Onmyouji (4)- end in sight?

Aria the Origination 9: Alice has just graduated from school, and so Athena suggests they go out for the day, but what our young Pair doesn’t know is that she is being tested to see if she is move onto the next level. Although it’s a shame that Alice ultimately moves beyond Akari and Aika in this episode, it nonetheless remains a powerful instalment that sees the birth of the Orange Princess. There’s also plenty of President Maa for cat lovers.

Clannad 19: The theatre club has finally got a part-time share in Koumura-sensei, but whilst Nagisa is keen to put on a play, Tomoya feels his part is done- at least until he moves in with the Furukawa family to get away from his father. Given that most of the theatre club members are just there to make up the numbers, I can’t really care much about their efforts, but Akio and Sanae are always entertaining.

Kaiji 21-2: What awesome MANLY GAR! The time for the final round of E-card is nigh, and Kaiji seems certain he can pull off another win, but will Tonegawa see through his strategy? The odd thing about this episode is that while I spent the majority of it secure in the narrative convention of Kaiji pulling off another victory no matter how much Tonegawa tried to second guess him, the moment the episode ended on a cliff-hanger, the tension skyrocketed and I became uncertain of the outcome.

Fortunately, episode 22 is quick to resolve the outcome of E-card, but when Kaiji demands that Tonegawa kneels down and apologises for all those who died, the chairman decides that the only way to get a sincere apology is to have him kneel on a roasting hot steel plate- not an easy sight to watch. It seems, however, that we will have time for the tissue box raffle arc at the end (or at least the beginning of it, I have no idea how long the arc is in the manga).

Minami-ke Okawari 8-9: Just as I thought I was building up tolerance to Okawari, watching two episodes in the same day has broken it right down again- for whilst Fuyuki was blessedly absent here, these instalments seem to typify the problems with this season. If the original series was a stream of clear water, then Okawari is a stagnant pool, running tired old jokes into the ground instead of picking up a thread and building on it. Whilst episode eight is a lacklustre pool episode, episode nine lacks much in the way of appeal, combining such randomness as Kana dreaming of the future and Makoto trying to give up being Mako-chan yet again. I actually began to manifest physical symptoms related to boredom and irritability in this episode, something that hasn’t happened since Bartender episode 2.

Mnemosyne 2: Another instalment of Mnemosyne has finally come our way, and whilst it lacks the sheer awesomeness of the first episode, it is still worth a watch. The OVA seems to be settling into a “cyberpunk for the 21^st century” role, with this episode featuring HARD YURI, the search for a rare stamp and a mysterious yet deadly angel. Meanwhile, we now know that both Rin and her friend gained immortality when time spheres entered their bodies, but this only goes for women- their effect on men is to turn them into violent, short-lived angels who immortal women are irresistibly attracted to.

Mokke 16-18: Three more episodes of Mokke have been cleared, and once again they offer rather mediocre fare. Episode sixteen is the best of the bunch, as Shizuru befriends a transfer student with a habit of skipping classes to hang out in an old music room- an unremarkable story, but one that is at least more upbeat than the usual instalment of Mokke. Meanwhile, seventeen sees Mizuki discover a strange tree whilst looking after a neighbour’s visiting grandson, whilst in eighteen both sisters and their grandfather go to stay with a family who have been plagued with strange noises ever since they picked up a particular rock.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 37: I know I’m a week behind with SaiMono, but the situation will have to persist until next week. This time around, Ryuuki meets up with the spirit of Riou’s sister and must face up to the fact that he is still not considered the best candidate for emperor- should he step down, or can he prove himself worthy? It seems that it is finally time for Ryuuki to grow up, but that may well mean making an important decision between committing to the throne and pursuing Shuurei. Would Jyuusan-hime be a better partner for him after all?

Shigofumi 9: Shigofumi lapses back into the unremarkable with this instalment, which combines the standard holiday episode with some back story for Chika. I suppose I should care about Chika’s life being tragically cut short just as her lover was about to propose to her, but when I saw him in the first scene I thought he was her father, so thinking of him as a lolicon generally spoiled the moment.

Shounen Onmyouji 23: It’s all about getting to the end in an efficient, business-like manner with Shounen Onmyouji right now- the series has dragged on so long and been so unremarkable that I don’t really care about anything other than completion. In this episode, Masahiro must angst for a bit before deciding to accept the power that can kill Guren- who will reincarnate, but without his memories of the series. Is that truly such a bad thing, I wonder- I certainly wouldn’t be too disadvantaged without said memories.

Spice and Wolf 9: I’ve toned down my praise for Spice and Wolf over the last couple of weeks, but with this episode I’m ready to fangirl in full force once more. This week, Lawrence and Horo hire the services of a young shepherd girl to escort them to the next town, but how will Horo react to the ‘new woman’ in Lawrence’s life? Not only does this episode introduce a new character who briefly appears in the ED, but it truly exposes the awesomeness of Horo- any time when she seems to be acting predictably tsundere she’ll suddenly laugh it off and prove that there is much more to her than any stereotypical character.

MANGA

*CATCH-UP* Busou Renkin 1-37: The effort of reading some Busou Renkin manga has finally been made, with the first four of ten volumes now cleared. So far, everything is proceeding as per the anime, with these volumes covering the Papillon arc and taking us well into the LXE arc; what remains to be seen is how the latter volumes differ from the animated version.

Chokotto Sister 50: Volume six concludes with this short chapter, in which Choko goes to play at Yurika’s house for the day (complete with obligatory fanservice and a scene in which Choko finds that all of Yurika’s bras are too small), whilst Chitose passes up the opportunity to romantically pursue Haruma in order to nurse the sick Konatsu instead.

Claymore 78: Deus ex machina has arrived in the form of Clare and her allies, and it seems that their combined abilities might just be enough to combat Agatha. Naturally, the action in this chapter follows the usual “few slashes- opponent is sliced to pieces” pattern, but I’m still enjoying the series more than I once did.

Elfen Lied 83: The forces of evil have forced their way into Kohta’s home, but when they start playing rough with his harem, they risk awakening the beast that slumbers within Nyu. Although I hardly wanted our protagonists to be attacked in their own home (which somehow makes it seem worse than all the extreme violence that has come before), it’s good to see the series moving up a gear and pushing the plot ahead towards its conclusion.

Hunter X Hunter 271: Togashi has been propped up and pumped full of drugs (or whatever the situation is), and so HxH is back for another ten weeks, in which the story should advance infinitesimally. In this chapter, the mysterious narrator gives us an excruciatingly slow blow-by-blow account of the various battles that are occurring, to which one can only respond “who cares anymore”? The only interesting thing to note is the way the artwork can vary from detailed to scribble from one page to the next.

Moyashimon 2: The second chapter of Moyashimon pushes us into episode two of the anime, covering Hasegawa’s attempts to test Sawaki’s abilities to the limit, before he detects the unmistakable evidence of brewing. There’s not much more to say, since we’re just mirroring the anime.

Tsubasa Chronicle 184: Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane have made it back to Clow Country, but everything seems strangely peaceful and uneventful- at least until it becomes plain that the country is trapped in some sort of Groundhog Day-esque phenomenon. I was hoping this arc meant that the end of the series was near, but I should have known- it’s clearly going to be dragged out for as long as possible.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 2, Clannad 13, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 1, Kaiji 14, Mokke 7, Moyashimon 5-6, SaiMono II 32, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10-12+Zoku 1, Shion no Ou 5-11, Spice and Wolf 2

…and in manga: Akagi 9, Chokotto Sister 49, Tsubasa 178-9

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (2) – the Single life
2. Spice and Wolf (8) –spicy wolves make for interesting chilli
3. SaiMono II (4) – close those eyes!
4. Kaiji (5) – ISHIDA!!!!!!!
5. Moyashimon (10) – cute microbes
6. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (-) – more despair <- new!
7. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (12) – lots of cats
8. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (-)- why, god, why? <-new!
9. Clannad (13) – Kotomi
10. Shion no Ou (11) – tournament time
11. Mokke (14)- magical cat

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1) – I’m in despair! <-complete!
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
4. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot
5. Koutetsu Sangokushi (5) – pure HARD GAY
6. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- mediocre
7. Love GetChu! (7)- light entertainment
8. Romeo X Juliet (8) – WOOD

Aria the Origination 2: I don’t know why (actually I have a good idea, but let’s not go there), but I never appreciated the healing properties of Aria as much as I did with this episode. This week, Akari’s services are requested by a customer, prompting much speculation from the others as to why anyone would choose a Single rather than the legendary Alicia. Worries aside, Akari goes ahead and does an excellent job on what is hopefully the first step towards to becoming a Prima at the end of the season. And if that wasn’t enough, you have President Aria’s ever-hilarious antics, but shame on him for eating all the doughnuts.

To be fair, he did offer Akari half of this last one.

Clannad 13: The childhood friend angle is pushed some more as Kotomi’s tragic past is revealed- her parents died in a plane crash, taking the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone some world-saving discovery with them. As a result, Kotomi grew up a little unbalanced, and now only her newfound friends can save her- Tomoya works tirelessly in the garden (as you do), whilst the girls buy her a violin for her birthday, only for it to get damaged in an accident. This violin-related accident is surely a blessing in disguise given Kotomi’s ability with the instrument, however. I want to parody this episode, but DS has already done such a good job that I can but link him instead.

Yes, and in space there are giant rubber ducks that orbit the centre of the galaxy.

*NEW* Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 1: I love Gunslinger Girl with a good portion of my heart and soul, and I will always remember Madhouse’s top notch work on the first season- which is why I was already apprehensive at the news of cast, staff and studio changes- would Artland really be up to the job? And when any remaining optimism I had was blown away by the blogworld’s reaction to the first episode, I was reluctant to even watch this, but watch it I felt I must. Having prepared myself for the worst, the resulting experience was not as bad as I had feared, but it was still lacking in many things- gone is the impeccable visual style and atmosphere, replaced with a world where the cars are ugly, the budget is tight and the handlers look like they’re still attending high school. Where season one was gold tier, this is merely bronze.

Kaiji 14: Last time on Kaiji, Kaiji and his friends were walking across a long, narrow, electrified beam- and this week, they’re still there. Even so, and in spite of the setting, the series manages to remain GAR and MANLY as we delve into the depths of the human psyche- who needs a psychotherapist when an episode of Kaiji can go so quickly to the heart of your issues? Most memorable, however, must be the moment of Ishida’s silent death, which brought combined sadness and a feeling of “damn, Kaiji went to all the trouble of saving you for this?”.

“Help, my eyes are melting! Melting!”

Mokke 7: My enthusiasm for Mokke isn’t all that great these days, which is why I’ve only watched one more episode since last I spoke of it. This time around, Mizuki finds herself possessed by something that winds around her neck- could it be something to do with the scarf lost by a friend? This wasn’t a bad episode, it’s just that my appetite for average supernatural series has cooled in the face of other things to occupy my time.

Moyashimon 5-6: Hopefully I’ll have the rest of the series watched by next week, but for now all I’ve got through is this pair of episodes, which introduce a new character and plenty of new microbes. Aside from some indications that Tadayasu isn’t the only one with special microbe abilities, the series never really goes anywhere, but it’s still fun to accompany it.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 32: SaiMono continues in the Dynasty Warriors theme this week, with named general battles, Shusui losing her free will and Shouka opening his eyes to reveal their evil redness . Meanwhile, Shuuei agonises over the length of his ‘sword’ and concludes that he isn’t fit to service his lovers- although Ryuuki feels otherwise.

“This is why I keep my eyes closed.”

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10-12 + Zoku SZS 1: The start of the second season made me realise that I should get my finger out and finish watching season one, and happily it proved more the same bleak, zany and largely amusing humour. I won’t deny that there are segments that fail to amuse me, but there are also plenty of good parts, such as the ‘guilt complex’ or blaming the failure of an adaptation on sticking too closely to the ‘original way’.

Season two kicks off with a fresh injection of cash for the animation budget, with the success of the first twelve episodes also making SHAFT feeling more comfortable in ramping up the zaniness. Whilst the new OP is all about the rumba (appropriately enough I watched it on the way to dance class), the first eight minutes of the episode were either epic or a total sweet potato dango-fest- was it the animators who were on drugs, or was there something hallucinogenic in the chocolate I had eaten before watching? We then moved onto material I was more familiar with from the manga, introducing ‘normal girl’ Nami and her amusing attempts to stand out in a class full of misfits, before the drugs took over again by the end.

Shion no Ou 5-11: When it’s just about the shogi, I enjoy Shion no Ou- tournaments about board games are my thing, after all, even when they are arranged by blonde bastards with dubious motives. Unfortunately, whenever the whole murder storyline rears its head again, it spoils the series for me- everything about it is just so forced and generic that all I can do is sigh and wait for it to get back to the shogi. Meanwhile, in other news, even ‘evil’ old Kamizono has turned out to have his own tragic past and medical condition, although it has to be said that his deceased lover Kyoko looks more like a man than a woman.

Oh, there’s no need to explain- everyone does it.

Spice and Wolf 2: I know I should write about what happened in this episode, but really all I want to do is fangirl about this series, because somehow it feels like the promised anime I was always waiting for (please ignore all the other times I have said this in the past, this time I mean it). The characters, the visuals, the atmosphere, the ambience and of course the content- I love it all, and I just want to watch more and more of Horo and Lawrence.

MANGA

Akagi 9: So we’re finally at the end of volume one, and Akagi and Yagi are still at it, but to deflect attention from the fact that I don’t have much more to say about this manga than I did last week, I’ll just mention that the group scanlating this series are now set to start on Ten. This is excellent news, given that Ten obviously has no anime adaptation as yet, so watch this space for reviews on that series as well.

Chokotto Sister 49: Now that Haruma is spending all his time nursing the sick Konatsu, Choko can’t help feeling jealous- after all, isn’t she meant to be the main girl? Anyway, it seems that Yurika is ready to move the plot on a little, but that will have to wait until next chapter.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 178-9: Readers, bear with me for a moment whilst I indulge in such internet actions as lol, roflmao and pmsl…okay, you can come back now. You see, some time ago, we learned that Syaoran was a clone, then later on, we learned that Fai was actually the twin brother of the real Fai (deceased)- and in this chapter we learn that the Sakura we’ve known and disliked all this time is actually…a clone created by Fei Wong. See, you’re laughing at the ridiculousness of it all now too, aren’t you? Anyway, said clone has just been stabbed by one of the Syaorans, whilst Kyle has showed up again to take away the real Sakura (I think). Why, CLAMP, why?

Fellow anime fans, heed my words- never, ever let a massive backlog build up, for it will crush your very soul. Sadly, there is still much I have to catch up on, but in the meantime enjoy my coverage of what I have managed to get through since mid-December.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 1, Baccano! 13, Clannad 8-12, Dennou Coil 21-6, Genshiken 2 7-12, Himawari!! 1, Kaiji 7-13, Minami-ke 7-13, Oh! Edo Rocket 21-6, SaiMono II 27-31, Spice and Wolf 1, Tsubasa OVA 1

…and in manga: .hack//Link 1, Akagi 7-8+108-9, Chokotto Sister 48, Clannad 5, Claymore 75-6, Elfen Lied 79-81, HxH 267-70, Kaiji 1, MariMite 23-4, Meine Liebe 7-8, Nodame 94-9, Oniisama E… 10, REC 34-6, Risky Safety 2-3, Solanin 10-28, Spiral Alive 11-16, Spiral 60-66, Tsubasa 172-7, Yotsuba& 49-50

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – a great series from start to finish <- complete!
2. Aria the Origination (-) – PUNYU! <-new!
3. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show! <- complete!
4. SaiMono II (4) – Jyuusan-hime rocks!
5. Kaiji (3) – human racing
6. Minami-ke (6) – Ichigo Mashimaro II <- complete!
7. Baccano! (5) – the end of the line <- complete!
8. Spice and Wolf (-) –spicy wolves make for interesting chilli <-new!
9. Genshiken 2 (7) – graduation <- complete!
10. Moyashimon (8) – cute microbes
11. Shion no Ou (9) – it’s a trap
12. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (11) – lots of cats
13. Clannad (12) – sad girls in springtime
14. Mokke (10)- magical cat

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1) – I’m in despair!
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
4. Himawari!! – needs less plot <- new!
5. Koutetsu Sangokushi (4) – pure HARD GAY
6. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- mediocre
7. Love GetChu! (6)- light entertainment
8. Romeo X Juliet (7) – WOOD

*NEW* Aria the Origination 1: Having a new season to watch is so great that I just want to roll around like President Aria, but instead I will try to put those feelings into words. Spring is coming to Neo Venezia, and even though the snow hasn’t quite melted yet, Alicia gets a gift of sakura tea and jam which she decides to share with everyone. Cue a nice, fluffy tea party in which the amazing feats of the three Primas are discussed, from stopping an idiot falling overboard to cheering up a baby with funny faces. And as the icing on the cake, President Aria is up to his usual antics, although his poor flabby stomach has already been bitten twice.

Remember, don’t eat too fast.

*COMPLETE* Baccano! 13: The tale of immortality and numerous characters in the 1930s finally draws to a close in this episode, which ties up the insane number of plot strands in the best way it can, sees justice served to certain characters, and ends on a high in the way only Isaac and Miria can manage. Yes, it was confusing along the way, but with so much packed in it was also highly entertaining- I can’t request a second season enough times.

Clannad 8-12: Episodes 8-9 see the conclusion of the Fuko arc, with everyone slowly forgetting about her in the run-up to the wedding- can they remember in time to show up? Whilst it was hardly enough to make me cry, I did feel a pang of emotion at this arc, which made going into the next one a bit of an anticlimax to start. This time around, the focus is on genius girl Ichinose Kotomi, who seems almost unbelievably socially ill-adapted to start with, but whose story is slowly picking up now. It does seem a bit of a sci-fi

*COMPLETE* Dennou Coil 21-6: I already reviewed Dennou Coil in its entirety, so all that’s left to put here is how satisfying the ending turned out to be. Yes, if there was more time some elements could have been expanded upon, but the later revelations were still a lot more substantial than many other series, and overall there was a feeling of satisfied completion rather than a need for more. A most excellent series indeed.

*COMPLETE* Genshiken 2 7-12: Genshiken 2 is over, and it’s something of a bittersweet ending- practically everyone has settled on their future career and is ready to commence life in the ‘real world’, although of course they’ll never forget their otaku roots. There’s still content here for those looking for comedy, but an almost Honey and Clover-esque feel crept into this season- university graduates should be able to identify with it.

*NEW* Himawari!! 1: At long last, the second season of Himawari!! is being subbed (yes, I could watch the raws but I’m being lazy), and although I have little hope of it proceeding at any speed, it can fill a gap here and there. Unfortunately, whilst meeting up with the characters is like slipping back into a comfortable old set of clothes, the fact that this season seems to contain a main villain with his underling monsters of the week does not fill me with optimism. I like Himawari when it’s just episodic light entertainment, but introducing low-budget enemies such as this episode’s gum-chewing boy adds an air of tedium to the whole thing.

Kaiji 7-13: The Espoir arc finally concludes in episodes 7-9, with Kaiji suffering both betrayal and the Room of Naked Men before finally coming out on top- at least until he realises the whole thing has left him with twice as much debt as before (poor guy). Then, after an episode of trying and failing to fit in with normal life, our hero is whisked off for another night of gambling, only this time he is the horse in a ‘Human Derby’. The even sees Kaiji and other debt-ridden young men walk across a thin beam suspended over a twelve foot drop, but even if you manage to get across without being pushed off, there’s worse to come when they have to do the same again across and electrified beam suspended between the twenty-second floors of two high-rise buildings. It’s addictive, MANLY stuff, but are we really halfway through already?

*COMPLETE* Minami-ke 7-13: I finally found the time to watch the second half of Minami-ke’s first season, and happily, it was everything I expected it to be. As the adventures of the Minami sisters continue, more amusing everyday antics ensue, more friends get drawn in, and they even meet another Minami family consisting of three brothers and a younger sister who Chiaki adopts as her little ‘brother’. Not since the days of Ichigo Mashimaro has everyday life been so entertaining, but I’m approaching the second season with trepidation- how will the staff changes affect the tone of the series?

*COMPLETE* Oh! Edo Rocket 21-6: Another excellent series goes out with a bang (no pun intended) as Oh! Edo Rocket draws to a close with a packed final stretch that showcases everything that is so great about the series. From comedy and hilariously out of place pop culture references to darker and more serious storylines, Oh! Edo Rocket somehow manages to have everything, and it even achieves an ending entirely appropriate to the tone of the series. Move over FLCL and Pani Poni Dash- this is how it’s done.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 27-31: The overload of new characters arc has finally come to an end as the anime moves into new territory with the arrival of Shuuei’s sister Jyuusan-hime. Jyuusan-hime has been sent to become Ryuuki’s concubine, but with assassins after her life, Shuurei ends up becoming her body double (sometimes even main characters get the short straw). Despite my aversion to having so many new characters dumped on us of late, Jyuusan-hime is a most welcome addition to the cast- she’s beautiful, tough and more mature than the still naïve Shuurei, and since she’s also adopted, her apparent feelings for Shuuei aren’t as incestuous as I first thought. Meanwhile, poor Shusui seems to have fallen under the influence of the voices in her head- what will become of her? Whatever the case, the anime is not only almost at an end but has also drawn level with the novels- so we’ll either have to have a huge break before any potential third season, or move into the realm of occasional OVAs.

SaiMono goes all Dynasty Warriors.

*NEW* Spice and Wolf 1: For a multitude of shallow and tenuous reasons, I loved this series before I even watched it, and happily I still feel the same way after episode one. Having completed Okami the night before I watched this, I was all too ready for more content about wolf goddesses, and so when trader Lawrence Craft found one in his cart, it made for interesting viewing (even with the random fanservice). Provided it doesn’t turn into the new Sisters of Wellber, this should be a great series, and since the original material is apparently about economics, it’s like entertainment’s next step from Dragons’ Den.

*NEW* Tsubasa Chronicle Tokyo Revelations 1: My relationship with the Tsubasa TV series ended in a filler fest of pain and suffering, but with Production I.G. taking over the reins for this three episode OVA covering the X-Tokyo arc, I figured it wouldn’t be so bad (let’s forget that they did that pointless movie). Happily, unlike Bee Train’s efforts, this version of Tsubasa actually has revolutionary new concepts like proper movement and animation, and whilst the story is essentially flawed, this is the fault of the original manga and not really something the studio can do much about. If the rest of Tsubasa must be animated, let’s keep it to OVA format (I notice that the final image in the closing appears to be from the Infinity arc- a sign of things to come?).

In the latest manga chapters, Mokonas’ earrings actually have previously unmentioned plot importance.

MANGA

*NEW* .hack//Link 1: Although it might sound like a .hack/Legend of Zelda crossover, the franchise’s latest cash-in manga is set in a brand new iteration of The World- R:X. Tokio is the typical annoying shounen hero who has cleared every other game around and wants to play the newly relaunched The World, but since access is restricted, he can’t get his hands on a copy of the game. Fortunately, a new transfer student at school lets him use her copy- but it proves to be an edition of the game that transfers him into The World itself! I don’t see this offering anything new, but it should be interesting enough to follow.

Akagi 7-8, 108-9: Like the anime, the Akagi manga doesn’t seem to feel the need to rush anywhere, and so we’re still on Akagi’s first match- although we’ve just reached the point when Akagi is playing rep player Yagi with their fingers at stake. For a beginner at Mah-jongg, watching this sort of thing in animated form is easier than slogging through explanatory text for each match, but even so it’s still an enjoyable manga.

Meanwhile, an anonymous scanlator has decided to pick up where the anime has left off, so I’ll be covering that as well. 108-9 commence volume 13 and cover the last part of the anime, where Akagi throws away his blood and challenges Washizu to play for the last part of his fortune. Having waited so long to see what happens next, we are now on the verge of this exciting new territory, and hopefully it will be as good as ever.

Chokotto Sister 48: When Konatsu catches mumps and falls in, it becomes a perfect opportunity for her to slip into a Flashback Mode, in which she relates a typical tragic past of being abandoned by her parents and Haruma promising to always be by her side (which she takes to be one of those standard childhood marriage proposals that have so much more meaning in fiction than real life). Everything is proceeding along the rails for the moment, but I’m becoming increasingly disturbed about Choko’s origin- just where did she come from? (Smart alecks need not respond).

Clannad 5: When I read the first four chapters of Clannad, the anime was months away from airing, but to go back and try another chapter in the middle of it run is a slightly strange experience. Fortunately, whilst Clannad the anime is nothing special to me, watching it seemed to make this chapter seem better than its predecessors, even though it only covers the early anime content of Tomoya trying to help get the drama club off the ground.

Claymore 75-6: As it turns out, the blinded Galatea wasn’t hiding from the organisation- she wanted them to send Claymores out to her so that they could help her defeat the latest Awakened Being- former number 2 Claymore Agatha. As the battle begins, however, it remains to be seen if they will offer assistance or just blindly follow orders, culminating in a cliff-hanger ending for chapter 76. As always, I’m not particularly impressed by the action scenes, but I’m still interested in seeing what happens next, and oddly having just one chapter a month helps to enjoy the series since I’m always hungry for more.

Elfen Lied 79-81: We may be getting close to the end of the series, but the story is still ready to throw us a few more twists and turns- not to mention some fresh characters. Whilst Kouta laments the loss of his harem due to the disappearance of Lucy/Nyu, Nana and Mayu, elsewhere yet more plans are being made to recapture Lucy- using obedient clones of Mariko. In charge of them is the latest eccentric scientist and his tough-as-nails bodyguard- it’s a familiar formula but hopefully this is all slowly building towards a conclusion.

Hunter X Hunter 267-70: Having put all his efforts into getting the chapter count up to a nice round number, Togashi has retired to his deathbed once again, leaving the series on yet another indefinite hiatus. Perhaps it’s just as well, as the excruciatingly slow pace and intensely detailed narration of the first phase of the attack on King has really put me off this arc, to the extent where I have to wonder if I even care any more. All I want now is for the series to properly end, but at the current rate I could be in my thirties before that happens (a scary thought indeed).

*NEW* Kaiji 1: As with Akagi, the Kaiji anime has basically followed the manga word for word, so all this first chapter provides is a recounting of how Kaiji came to be offered a place aboard the Espoir, with less technically accomplished art. Even so, it’s an enjoyable enough way to relive the series, and hopefully more chapters will be available soon.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 23-4: We’re already at the start of season two, with Yumi, Yuuki and Rosa Gigantea spending the night at Sachiko’s house for the new year, complete with some “Kashiwagi is HARD GAY” and Sei teasing Yumi scenes that never made it into the anime. As always, this manga complements the anime nicely, but I’m increasingly noticing the poor standard of the artwork compared to the anime character designs, whilst for some reason Yuuki has black hair in this version.

Meine Liebe 7-8: First off, a big thank you to “Meine Liebe Project” for picking this up- it may not be the best manga in the world, but I at least want to read the second half of it. Anyway, chapter seven sees Erika get picked to be Orphe’s dance partner for his grandmother’s party, but much to my disappointment, no actual dancing was seen- surely a whisk or throwaway oversway wouldn’t have been too much to ask for? Wasted opportunities aside, as we go into chapter eight, it becomes clear that Erika’s feelings for Orphe are deepening, but with the likelihood that he may be her brother ever increasing, romance could turn to incest. In fact, since it’s being played so obviously, they probably aren’t related, but we’ll see in the coming chapters.

Nodame Cantabile 94-9: Chiaki’s goal is to move ever onwards and upwards, but when his father shows up at one of his performances, it puts him off guard- and proves that Chiaki isn’t as indifferent towards his parent as he might claim. Meanwhile, poor Nodame is beginning to feel like she is left behind- if Chiaki’s goal is his father, then her goal is Chiaki. Even though the “estranged parent” storyline is nothing new, I’m still intrigued by the continuing development of Chiaki and Nodame’s characters as they enter another growth phase. In particular, Chiaki seems determined to move far ahead in order to accomplish his goals, but at the same time he seems to expect Nodame to be waiting for him, even though she is busy with her own agendas. Are they just not destined to be together?

Oniisama E… 10: The second volume of the angst-driven manga continues as Kaoru gets injured during a basketball match and Nanako fangirls over Saint-Juste some more- it will all be familiar to anime viewers, but told in a much abbreviated form. Now to wait another year or so for the next chapter.

REC 34-6: If there’s one thing you can count on with REC, it’s that if something can go wrong, it will. Take Matsumaru, for example- all he wants to do is help Ao get through a cold, and the next thing he knows she’s undressed him whilst he’s asleep, taken a nude picture for Photoshop purposes, and left the door open so Aka can walk in. Naturally, Ao isn’t just your typical ‘other woman’- she has past issues, but it’s all so painfully predictable- and yet somehow I can’t just give up the series and walk away.

Risky Safety 2-3: I can’t even remember when I read the first chapter of this (memory supplies a date of around August 2006), but I’ve finally tracked down another two instalments of the series. Unlike the anime, the manga isn’t exclusively about Risky and Safety- in fact, they don’t appear at all in these two chapters. Instead, we get two stand-alone stories- one about a puppet girl named Fuzzy who will become a real human if she can just make one boy happy, the other about a mysterious new transfer student who may be attacking fellow classmates with demon blood. As short stories, they are both enjoyable (if much like various similar manga), but the chances of reading more any time soon seem slim.

*COMPLETE* Solanin 10-28: I’m happy to report that at long last I’ve been able to finish this manga, and that it was good enough to be worth the wait. With a spoilerific twist at the end of volume one that I can’t reveal, the second half of the series sees Meiko put in a position where she must make a decision about her future, but will she choose something constructive? I don’t want to give away too much here, but suffice to say that this is one series worth reading, and that a proper review to that effect will appear soon.

Spiral Alive 11-16: Whilst Kanone and Eyes step forth to make an appearance, the story continues to move on, and it all seems to be centred on a particular file that can disclose the identities of the hidden and dangerous Blade Children. It’s good stuff (although I wish Kousuke would let Ryoko help out instead of trying to protect her), even if there are a few too many feints and conflicting motives to get to grips with at the moment.

Spiral 60-66: This is the point I feared, where the series starts to lose its way, for whilst Hizumi makes a move by killing Kanone (NOOOOOO!!!!!!), the truth about Ayumu and Hizumi’s origin seems about to come to light, and it seems something of a cop out. Thanks to Hinano, I long knew it was coming, but even so it’s like that infamous spoiler from Star Ocean 3- you just don’t want to believe it until you’re confronted with it. Oh well, the artwork is still nice.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 172-7: I don’t really know what’s going on in Tsubasa anymore, and the sad fact is that I can’t even say that I particularly care (but I must keep reading, for like Macbeth I’ve come too far to go back now). After randomly showing up, Syaoran-clone decides to pick a fight with the real deal, whilst Fei Wong decides he only wants Sakura for her body (understandable, since her mind isn’t up to much). It’s just a shame that CLAMP have got so into drawing epic fight scenes (large explosions, tiny characters) that they’ve forgotten about the concept of including a plot.

Yotsuba& 49-50: Fifty chapters in and I’m still far from tired of Yotsuba- after all, we still have to see her go to school. In these two chapters, we see Yotsuba still enchanted with the farm after coming home, before she and her father head out to a restaurant for lunch, with the usual hilarious consequences.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 12, Clannad 6-7, Mokke 5-6, Romeo X Juliet 23, Sketchbook 4-6

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 47, Claymore 74, HxH 265-6, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 9

Consider Higurashi Kai dropped for now; I might go back and watch the second half of the series at a later date, but I can’t work up the enthusiasm for it right now.

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – they’re coming to get you!
2. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show!
3. Kaiji (3) – nice gambling boat
4. SaiMono II (4) – art thief
5. Baccano! (5) – there ain’t no getting offa this train we’re on
6. Minami-ke (6) – Ichigo Mashimaro II
7. Genshiken 2 (7) – secret otaku
8. Moyashimon (8) – cute microbes
9. Shion no Ou (9) – it’s a trap
10. Mokke (10)- magical cat
11. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (11) – lots of cats
12. Clannad (12) – sad girls in springtime

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1) – I’m in despair!
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
4. Koutetsu Sangokushi (4) – pure HARD GAY
5. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- mediocre
6. Love GetChu! (6)- light entertainment
7. Romeo X Juliet (7) – WOOD

Baccano! 12: It’s perhaps a little worrying that we’re one episode from the end and I still don’t have a firm handle on everyone’s motives (at least I can remember their names now), but nonetheless Baccano weighs in with a worthy entry for its penultimate instalment. Whilst the various factions continue their ever escalating conflict aboard the Flying Pusyfoot, a past confrontation between named characters continues to unfold. Memorable moments include Czeslaw recalling how he sadistically tortured to test his immortality, Rail Tracer’s rather disturbing arguments to justify his place at the centre of the universe (don’t argue with a man who’s soaked in the blood of others) and Isaac and Miria’s much needed and always welcome comic relief. It’s a shame that such a unique series will be ending shortly.

Clannad 6-7: Fuko’s story continues in these two episodes, and although I was expecting the arc to be concluded by now, there’s at least one more instalment to go to wrap it up. Although, as I said last week, it’s hard to get involved in what feels like quite a formulaic Key tragic girl story, I do quite like Fuko, and the moment where her sister didn’t see her was quite a sad one even for the hard of heart. On another note, I’m also feeling quite benign towards Tomoya, for even though he’s a bit of a prankster, he somehow lacks the evil of the hated Yuuichi.

Mokke 5-6: A few years ago, I came up with the concept of “Episode five syndrome”, an inevitable condition whereby the fifth episode of a series (often the first instalment on the second DVD) always seems to be dull and subpar. Although such a condition has been in abeyance of late, Mokke turned out to be afflicted with a bad case of episode five syndrome, with the instalment in question featuring a forgettable minor character using teru teru bozu to clear up the rain before a baseball match. It’s dull episodes like these that lead to series being dropped, but luckily episode six had something better to offer, with Mizuki being given a Keseran-Paseran (a white hairball that brings good luck) to raise. Although I thought this would turn into a standard cautionary tale about relying on charms for good luck, it actually turned into a demonstration of why anime parents are so often absent, for when the girls’ parent show up, it becomes clear that their mother hates the whole supernatural side of their lives. All-in-all, then, it isn’t particularly outstanding, but at least episode six was good enough to take away the unpleasant taste of its predecessor.

Romeo X Juliet 23: RxJ is slowly grinding to a close, and now that final boss Montague has been dispatched with ease, all that remains is for Juliet to nip off and take Escalus’ place. Naturally, Romeo isn’t about to let his one true love leave him for a tree, and so the two confront each other in the crumbling depths of Neo Verona Keep. It probably should be heartfelt and dramatic, but it’s just somewhat bizarre.

Sketchbook ~full colour’S~ 4-6: Sketchbook has become a sort of slice-of-life lite for me; it doesn’t hold the allure of Aria and its peers, but at the same time it is too enjoyable to merely put aside. Whilst episode four sees Sora take a trip on a rainy day and episode six features an overnight stay at school, the true highlight of this triple bill is the cat-centric episode five, which follows the exploits of the felines of the series. Without their huggable presence, the series would no doubt seem much closer to average, so it’s nice to see them showcased in the way they deserve- in fact, I demand a full spin-off series just for the cats.

MANGA

Chokotto Sister 47: If you like fetish cosplay, then this is the chapter for you- having decided that Chitose should try to seduce Haruma, Makoto dresses her in various revealing and sexy outfits- and that’s pretty much all that happens. Despite the high level of fanservice, however, this series manages to retain some kind of hold on me- just because I need to see where the characters go next.

Claymore 74: We’ve had a few months of welcome side stories, but now it’s back to business for Claymore, and the series wastes no time in pitting Miata against Galatea- right in the middle of the holy city of Rabona. Despite my earlier criticisms of the series, this is actually a rather enjoyable chapter, although how I’ll fare on just one instalment per month remains to be seen.

Hunter X Hunter 265-6: I have to admit that I’m almost at the point of not caring about HxH anymore. With each chapter being bogged down by narrative and each character’s thoughts on the situation, the battle only moves forward incrementally, ensuring that this lengthy arc is less than enthralling. Let’s just get it over with and finish the series.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 9: As Beethoven and Sirene continue to investigate the mystery surrounding Mozart’s death, they find themselves trying to crack a code that may turn a meaningless message into an important clue- but when all signs indicate that the scale of the mystery might be larger than anticipated, just how safe will it be to keep poking around? Meanwhile, it becomes clear that those closest to Beethoven are worried about his hearing loss, but will the cranky composer react well to their concerns? As always, this is an enjoyable chapter, but the gaps in between instalments do interrupt the flow of the story.

Damn you anime, I want to live! Due to an unmanageable amount of releases this week, some titles have been postponed until next round-up.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 8, Doujin Work 8-12, ef- a tale of memories 1, Gundam 00 1, Kaiji 1, Koutetsu Sangokushi 14-15, MariMite OVA 5, Mokke 1, Mononoke 10-11, Oh! Edo Rocket 19-20, Rental Magica 1, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8, Shana II 1, Shounen Onmyouji 19, Sisters of Wellber 10

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 46, Claymore ES 4, Spiral 58-9

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – the best of the best of the best, sir!
2. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show!
3. SaiMono II (3) – four men in a closet
4. Baccano! (4) – eternal life
5. Kaiji (-) – gambling boat <-new!
6. Mushi-Uta (5) – best episode yet
7. Mononoke (7) – bake-neko
8. Mokke (-)- seven flowers of autumn <-new!
9. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – I’m in despair!
10. Clannad (9) – sad girls in springtime
11. Gundam 00 (-) – double balls <-new!
12. Doujin Work (10) – light entertainment that was actually entertaining <- complete!
13. Rental Magica (-)- generic but new light fun <-new!
14. ef- a tale of memories (-)- three shows in one? <-new!
15. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – pure HARD GAY
16. Shakugan no Shana II (-)- way to reuse old events <-new!
17. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (12) – Takano meets Hitler
18. Seirei no Moribito (13) – the egg must hatch
19. Romeo X Juliet (14) – what’s the point anymore?
20. El Cazador de la Bruja (15) – the end is in sight

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Sisters of Wellber (2) – predictable but fun
3. Shounen Onmyouji (3)- mediocre
4. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment

Baccano! 8: It’s back to the train as the main focus in this episode, although there’s also plenty more going on as usual. This time around, we get another look into the exploits of the delightfully eccentric Isaac and Miria, who among other things, once robbed the Genoard house. I’m probably speaking too soon, but I’m slowly getting a handle on what’s going on, and happily, it still remains as enjoyable as ever. I want more right away, and more than that, I’d love to read the original novels, which look delightfully complex in their mix of characters and timelines.

*COMPLETE* Doujin Work 8-12: The light fun continues apace in this unprecedented five episode spree that brings this short summer series to a close. First up is an episode which sees Najimi and Nidou compete once again to sell the most copies, before everyone heads to the beach for a spot of relaxation that swiftly turns into an unproductive doujinshi drawing camp. Meanwhile, the final three episodes set up a short arc of sorts, in which Hoshi’s manga editor brother shows up, causing Hoshi to persuade him that Najimi should be given a chance to debut as a professional artist. As always, it’s on the rails stuff with a predictable outcome, but unlike most series that try to offer light comedy, Doujin Work has actually been funny. I wouldn’t actually mind a second series of this.

*NEW* ef- a tale of memories 1: I should have known it was a mistake to look forward to this one too much, for although I didn’t dislike it as much as I feared after reading Hinano’s write-up, but even so, what the hell is going on? I feel like I’m watching three different shows here, each of them populated with rip-offs from Air, Kanon, Tsukihime and Polyphonica. The animation is also rather strange; not just because of the odd visual quirks that are SHAFT’s stock-in trade, but because everyone seems to have massive eyes (even by anime standards) stuck onto thin faces. Anyway, from what I can gather, there’s a girl who hangs out at an abandoned station and randomly meets a guy there, and her two older siblings, one of whom is a secret manga artist. He too randomly meets a girl, and so the stage is set for our various story threads, wherever they may lead. And what was up with the random Touhou playing?

*NEW* Gundam 00 1: Ah, good old Gundam Double Balls, I was determined not to like you, but I have to admit the first third or so of this episode at least was actually rather good. Then of course it degenerated into the usual confusing mass of factions, mobile suit battles and an organisation who wishes to put a stop to war- by beating everyone to a pulp with their mobile suits. Still, overall this opening episode wasn’t too bad when compared to expectations, but I have to ask- does anyone else experience what I have decided to call “mecha blindness”? For sufferers of this condition, it becomes nigh impossible to understand the convoluted underlying plots of mecha series such as Gundam due to character and faction overload.

Kaiji 1: Akagi was legendary, awesome, MANLY and GAR, and now that it has long concluded we have its brother series to enjoy- Kaiji, another Madhouse production originally created by the same mangaka. This time around, our lead is Itou Kaiji, and unemployed, disillusioned bum who amuses himself by vandalising cars- at least until he gets saddled with a 3.8 million yet debt from acting as guarantor for a friend’s loan. Desperate to get it paid off quickly, Kaiji agrees to board a special boat where he can gamble against other debtors in the hopes of winning the money he needs- but what kind of unpleasant surprises await him on board? It’s obvious that this is going to be slow-paced like its predecessor, and I do hope that the entire series isn’t about this boat, but this was nonetheless a good opening episode, and I’m confident this will be one of my favourites of the season.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 14-15: It’s a double bill of HARD GAY this time around, and somehow the series is still managing to break new boundaries without ever becoming true yaoi. In episode fourteen, everyone mopes over Zhou Yu’s death and the fact that he is only good for CORPSE now, whilst fifteen sees Zhuge Liang set up the country of Shu with Liu Bei et al, whilst Lu Su plans to steal the Lord’s Cube in order to earn his idol’s affection. I guess there is a vague adherence to the broadest of historical events, but the amazing HARD GAY-ness of this show has to be seen to be believed- what other show could make Loveless, Meine Liebe and even Busou Renkin look STRAIGHT?

*COMPLETE* Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 5: Well, this has been out for ages already, but thanks to my completely failing to notice, I’ve only just got around to subjecting myself to the final fifty minutes of HARD YURI antics from the girls of Lilian. This time around, the second-years are off for a school trip to Italy, and whilst it lacks the out-and-out bizarre-ness of the school festivals, I never realised it was possible to make a visit to Italy so boring. In between all the angst, HARD YURI and hotel room scenes (not as corrupt as they sound), however, it is quite a tedious fifty minutes, with the only consolation being that this marks the end of this long and drawn out OVA. I only hope the return to TV series format in the fourth season will help this series return to form.

*NEW* Mokke 1: When I heard that Mokke was a series about a girl who can see spirits and her sister who gets possessed by them, I had high hopes for it- surely it would another Someday’s Dreamers. In retrospect, it could easily have turned out to be as awful as Yume Tsukai, but if this first episode is anything to go by, it is closer to the worthy end of the scale. In this episode, the younger sister is desperate to collect the ‘seven flowers of autumn’ for her grandma before the imminent harvest moon viewing, but in order to get the last one, she will have to venture into the mountains, home to a dark force that can suck away the life of the unwary. It’s too early to assess Mokke’s full potential, but this is a promising first episode, and if the series continues in this vein, it should be another charming magical outing. It also helps that Grandpa reminds me a lot of an older version of Mushishi’s Ginko for some reason.

Mononoke 10-11: The final arc of Mononoke begins here, and in an homage to Ayakashi, the Bake Neko is back. This time around, the feline strikes on a train journey, isolating six passengers who all have a connection to a mysterious suicide- can the medicine seller figure out the truth behind it? Although this won’t rank as my favourite arc, this has the right level of mystery and creepiness, and will ensure that I want a second season of this series as well.

Oh! Edo Rocket 19-20: Oh! Edo, in my eyes you can do no wrong- after all, who can’t love a series that’s joking around with pop culture references one minute, and then showing the villainess casually ripping out someone’s eye the next? Anyway, in this double bill, Akai’s actions are exposed and we learn the truth about the blue beast’s crimes, before that particular storyline is resolved in an appropriately flashy and completely-out-of-place-for –a-historical-drama fashion. Now all that remains is to send Sora home, but are Seikichi and his friends up to the task? In a series where even bullet-proof vests can show up, anything’s possible.

*NEW* Rental Magica 1: In the first few minutes of Rental Magica, we see magicians-for-hire Astral hunt down a dog monster in an action-packed car, broomstick and other vehicle chase, and for those few moments, I thought that maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all. Unfortunately, after a promising opening, the series lapses into something safer and more generic, with Astral taking on a new job on behalf of a girl who lost her grandfather. That’s not to say it isn’t watchable, but at the same time, everything about this series seems to have been derived from somewhere else, with such character types as the weak harem lead President of Astral, who is useless until he exposes his bizarre right eye (I’m guessing his dead father gave it to him). So far I count Ghost Hunt, Aria and Shrine of the Morning Mist amongst the show’s influences, although there must be more.

This guy uses cat shikigami.

Young Alicia from Aria lands a new role in this series.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8: Although this was certainly better than the last episode I watched, my relationship with this series seems to have cooled a bit- it remains entertaining, but I no longer feel any need to laugh out loud the way I did with the first few episodes. This time around, Sensei ends up in despair about how deeds can so easily be overshadowed- all the while failing to notice that one of his own students is so insignificant that no one ever notices him. The second half of the series focuses on ‘criticism training’- the idea of criticising someone so that they will get used to it. I have to admit that the first half was better, whilst the second seemed rather distasteful even for dark humour.

*NEW* Shakugan no Shana II 1: It’s a new season of Shana, which means more addictively excellent animation and a whole new wave of depressingly mediocre story- which isn’t even from the novels this time around. To kick off, we have a lacklustre introduction in which Yuji gets trapped in a world that repeats events from the first season (I once joked that Friagne would be back, but I never imagined that it would actually happen); also, depressingly enough the romantic situation has been reset, and will now be put on repeat for the entire series. I think I will watch this one raw- having to concentrate and not understanding it all should improve the experience.

The animation is the only thing I like.

Shounen Onmyouji 19: After the pointless episode we had last time, I was hoping for something of a return to the main plot here, but even though we get back to the antics of Kazane and her boss, it still isn’t very exciting. Whilst Seimei provides a bit of obligatory back story on this most heinous of villains, Kazane opens a gate to the underworld and Masahiro is left to protect everyone, despite only being a junior onmyouji. It looks like this episode is starting the slow build-up to the final confrontation of the series, but worryingly, we haven’t even met three of the Spirit Summons yet. Mediocre as this may be at times, I still want to see another season.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 10: What happens after two lead characters decide to go their separate ways? If you answered “they angst about each other until a convenient series of events allows for forgiveness and reunion”, give yourself a gold star, because that’s exactly what happens in this episode. With the help of some returning characters from earlier episodes, Tina tries and fails to get on with her life doing honest work with another woman, whilst Rita learns that she mistakenly accused Tina- the only problem is, now they only have a single day to reach Greedom. Can they make it in time?

MANGA
Chokotto Sister 46: The fanservice breaks new records in this chapter, despite the inclusion of a completely useless police tape censor on one double page spread. This time around, Choko and Konatsu apprehend a thief who had made off with Kakeru’s sister’s bag (it’s a small world), thus earning themselves a free trip to her family’s bathhouse- complete with all the nipple shots and gratuitous nudity you could hope for.

Claymore ES 4: At long last, it’s the story I’ve been waiting for- Claire’s life after she first joined the organisation. Here we get to see her both in training and on the day when she took the test to become a true Claymore, and as always, these side stories interest me far more than the main series.

Spiral 58-9: In a rather bizarre turn of events, Ayumu’s destined rival Hizumi actually comes to live with him at this point, leading to a chapter of him settling in before starting at Ayumu’s school. There, Hizumi quickly gains popularity with his generic classmates, and even the usually unpopular Ayumu is able to ride the wave and enjoy being in the limelight for once. It seems like an oddly light turn for the series, but the darker undercurrents thankfully remain.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 7, El Cazador 24, Clannad 1, Darker than Black 24-5, Higurashi Kai 12-13, Mononoke 9, Mushi Uta 11, Oh! Edo Rocket 16-18, SaiMono II 20, Seirei no Moribito 24

…and in manga: Bartender 2, Chokotto Sister 45, Spiral Alive 8-10

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – the best of the best of the best, sir!
2. Oh! Edo Rocket (3) – I love this show!
3. SaiMono II (2) – four men in a closet
4. Baccano! (4) – eternal life
5. Mushi-Uta (5) – best episode yet
6. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – I’m in despair!
7. Mononoke (7) – incense
8. Darker than Black (8) – it’s over <-complete!
9. Clannad (-) – sad girls in springtime <- new!
10. Doujin Work (9) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
11. Koutetsu Sangokushi (10) – pure HARD GAY
12. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (11) – evil uncle
13. Seirei no Moribito (12) – the egg must hatch
14. Romeo X Juliet (13) – what’s the point anymore?
15. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – the end is in sight

Baccano! 7: It’s a change of pace this week in Baccano, as we jump back in time over 200 years, to a stormy night in 1711 when a bunch of seafarers eagerly awaiting alchemist Maiza’s attempt to summon a demon and thus gain the knowledge of the Elixir of Life. Although it doesn’t really help me with unravelling the plot in the present, it’s good to have an episode where I can actually follow what is going on, as we learn of the truth behind the immortality elixir, as well as Szilard’s origins and the reason for the ‘incomplete product’ of earlier episodes. It’s somewhat odd that what I thought was going to be a straightforward historical series has now taken such a definite turn into the realms of fantasy, but I’m all for it if the result is good.

I should also remember this time around to comment on the show’s music, which has some good tracks mixed in.

El Cazador de la Bruja 24: The time has come for Nadie and Ellis to confront Rosenberg in the shootout of all shootouts, in an action-packed episode filled to the brim with gunfights and tension…but then again, we could just have a dull exposition-filled exchange before Rosenberg goes off to have HARD GAY with LA and set him up to kill Ricardo (if you’re in any doubt as to which option was chosen, you clearly don’t have the first inkling about this series). I have to admit the first part of the fight between LA and Ricardo had the one tiny piece of decent action we’ve had all series, but once again it was a struggle to sit through the entire episode without wanting to resort to self-mutilation.

*NEW* Clannad 1: Since I randomly felt like watching this raw, the first episode of Clannad has been watched, and whilst it didn’t wow me on any front, it was entertaining enough to warrant continuing with. Although not as visually accomplished as Kanon or as blessed with good story as Air, Clannad gets off to a reasonable start with some light-hearted content (and hints of not-so-light-hearted back story), as well as the new fetish food of the season- anpan (throw out that taiyaki and those choco cornets).

Yay, a cat.

*COMPLETE* Darker than Black 24-25: It came in with a bang and out with a whimper (get your minds out of the gutter, people), but now Darker than Black is over, and for me, it was a journey not unlike that of Noein (without the ridiculous wait for episodes to be subbed). For the first few arcs, I adored this series, but in due course all its “1337er than 1337” seeped away, leaving only “duller than dull”. Call me foolish, simplistic or unaccomplished for not appreciating the second half of this so-called masterpiece, but it truly did waste its potential (ironically after FUNimation announced the license), dragging itself over the finish line in such a way that made me cease to care about the characters and the world they inhabited. Better luck next time, BONES.

“Don’t mind us, we’re naked.”

The Naruto cosplayers are out in force.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 12-13: I think my enthusiasm for Higurashi can be plainly seen by the way I acquire episodes and then forget to watch them for at least a week, resulting in these staggered double bill reviews. Anyway, in between bouts of laughing at the ridiculousness of ‘Hinamizawa Syndrome’, I made it through another two episodes, in which Takano reveals herself to be a shallow gwakaka-class evil, before everyone dies…again. I guess this whole arc would have been more interesting if I hadn’t read detailed spoilers beforehand, but there you go.

“Gwakaka, I am evil! I bet you didn’t see that one coming!”

Mononoke 9: The incense arc concludes in this episode, in which the medicine seller must unravel the mystery of the mansion, with a few twists that you may or not guess before their revelation. This has truly been my favourite arc so far, and it’s at times like this that it seems a shame that Mononoke only clocks in a twelve episodes total- unlike Ayakashi, it had the potential to go on for a lot longer.

Mushi-Uta 11: It’s the penultimate episode (of the first season, at least), and Mushi-Uta isn’t about to hold back in putting its lead characters through hell, as Rika finds the odds stacked against her at GARDEN, Shiina meets up with the ‘Voracious Eater’ who helped to create Hosts and Daisuke reaches his limit. It’s a bold move for a series that’s secured another season, but it does make for some good action and drama, with a few revelations about the origins of Hosts and an evil bishie thrown in for good measure.

Oh! Edo Rocket 16-18: It’s time for another welcome triple bill of Oh! Edo Rocket, and with the series well into its second half, our characters are about to learn that some secrets cannot be kept forever. Naturally, the status quo (such as it is) is turned entirely upside down when Ginjiro’s identity as a Man in Black and Sora’s true form are revealed, but how will our eclectic cast react to these discoveries? Will Akai and the blue monster turn over a new leaf, or is any act of kindness on their part just a means to an end? Will Seikichi lose heart, or is he still up for finishing that rocket to the moon? Will the magistrate ever bother to update his review blog? Find out all this and more on Oh! Edo Rocket, the only show that can bring you action, drama, comedy and some darker moments, all wrapped in one well animated package.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 20: After all the drama and seriousness of people dying, SaiMono is plunging straight into a lighter arc, involving fake paintings, our new characters, and a reminder to Shuurei that career may not be the be all and end all of life (even so, the last thing I want is for her to give up her ambitions). Although much of the humour cannot be appreciated at my low level of comprehension, no translation is needed for a hilarious scene in which Ryuuki, Shuuei, Seiran and Kouyuu all end up in a small closet together. Parody was born for moments like these.

Seirei no Moribito 24: Since my harsh words on Seirei last week upset David, I’ve decided to present my views in a more euphemistic way this time around. This week, our leads spent a solid amount of time in reasoned and stationary debate, before proceeding forth to find Chagum and La Lunga before the poor boy gets ripped apart. Unfortunately, there are still more details to be revealed about the nature of the egg within Chagum, and when it seems as if it will be problematic no matter what, Torogai must decide what to do next. In the meantime, the flowers that made a brief yet important appearance in an earlier episode now prove to have some relevance to the main story, which would be a nice touch if this were two hour movie and not twenty-six episodes of measured pacing.

MANGA
Bartender 2: It’s been a while, but I finally have another chapter of Bartender to read, and happily it remains a lot better than the animated version. In this chapter, our eponymous bartender must try to guess the favourite drink of a particularly hard-to-please customer, who wants it made just like “the master” used to. Well, it’s the same old formula, but at least here the bartender isn’t invincible, and the conclusion is rather amusing.

Chokotto Sister 45: It’s crunch time in this chapter as Haruma’s cousin teases Chitose by pretending to be his pregnant lover, leading an exasperated Makoto to tell the rather dense Haruma that Chitose has feelings for him. Once again, it’s standard fare, but at least the story has inched ahead here.

Spiral Alive 8-10: Rio shows up in this triplet of chapters to assist Kousuke with his investigation into the murders, but how will Ryouko fee; about being left out of developments- even if it is only to protect her? Meanwhile, Kiyotaka is finally properly seen “on-page”, but as always- what is his master plan? With so many familiar faces now in play, the series has really picked up momentum, and the next chapter is nigh essential.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 6, Dennou Coil 15-16, El Cazador 23, Mononoke 8, Mushi-Uta 10, RxJ 20-1, SaiMono II 19, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 7, Seirei no Moribito 23, Shounen Onmyouji 18, Sisters of Wellber 9

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 42-4, Tsubasa 167

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – the best of the best of the best, sir!
2. SaiMono II (2) – recap, damn it
3. Oh! Edo Rocket (3) – bizarre yet fun
4. Baccano! (5) – I don’t know what’s going on, but I like it
5. Mushi-Uta (6) – best episode yet
6. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (4) – I’m in despair!
7. Mononoke (7) – incense
8. Darker than Black (8) – caring at minimum
9. Doujin Work (9) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
10. Koutetsu Sangokushi (10) – pure HARD GAY
11. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (11) – evil uncle
12. Seirei no Moribito (12) – Flashback Mode
13. Romeo X Juliet (13) – what’s the point anymore?
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – useless Nadie

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- demoted to slow
2. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
3. Shounen Onmyouji (1)- now getting its own musical!?
4. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment

Baccano! 6: You’d think I’d have some idea of what was going on in this series by now, but with each passing episode I actually have less of a grasp of what’s meant to be happening. This time around, there is a confrontation and some bloodiness on the train, before catching up with various other characters such as Ennis and the past adventures of Isaac and Miria. I wish I could say more, but my grasp of events in this series is slipping away, even though my enjoyment remains consistent.

Dennou Coil 15-16: Dennou Coil, no matter how many times I pledge my worth to you in these paragraphs, it isn’t enough, so let me once again dedicate my life to serving as your high priestess. I now feel unworthy for even fearing that the series could not continue to outdo itself, for in this pair of episodes the bar is raised once again, as we learn more about old space, 4423 and the deepening twists and mysteries of the Dennou world. Both Yasako and the deceased Kanna could use a power called Imago to detect old space- but was that the reason Kanna died? Is it true that those who go too far into old space and remove their glasses lose their souls along with their Dennou bodies? Is there any reason why I can’t visit the reality of this most excellent anime? I want to know and watch everything this series has to offer, but at the same time, I never want it to end.

El Cazador de la Bruja 23: There is a fairly well-known quote that goes “Parsifal – the kind of opera that starts at six o’clock and after it has been going three hours, you look at your watch and it says 6:20” and with a few changes here and there, this saying could surely be used for El Cazador. Every five minute interval of this show stretches into eternity, until it seems as if it must surely never end before you expire and quit this earth once and for all. Anyway, somehow this episode was completed, in which Ellis heals Nadie’s HP, Blue Eyes offers plenty of exposition, and Rosenberg takes a plane to the final boss location (begging the question as to why he didn’t just fly there with Ellis in the first place). Watching this is a pain, but I’m going to love ranting about it in due course.

Mononoke 8: An interesting new arc begins in this episode, in which four men gather for an ‘incense battle’ in which correctly identifying various scents will win them the hand of the contest setter, Lady Ruri. When one of the men fails to show up, however, a certain medicine seller takes his place, in search of a Mononoke he believes is close by. Even disregarding the fact that there is more going on, the incense game in itself is interesting in its novelty- I almost want an Incense Battlers anime to come out.

Mushi-Uta 10: Our three leads have started finding out the truth about each other, and now it’s time for the revelations to continue as Rina discovers that Daisuke is actually Kakkou, whilst Shiika wonders if her status as a Host means that she should stay away from the people she cares about. Along the way, we learn more about the shadowy GARDEN (echoes of FF8, anyone?), learn that the evil bishie knew everything from the start and was trying to manipulate everyone, and witness a confrontation between Rina and Daisuke. The latter is somewhat predictable- why bother pitting main characters against each other when they are both protected from death status? Aside from this predictable turn of events, however, this is a generally good episode- roll on the finale and then season two.

Romeo X Juliet 20-1: As we approach the final stretch, the plot is finally moving in Romeo X Juliet, but naturally, it is a case of too little, too late. Whilst Juliet learns that she may have to become a tree to save the world, Romeo’s Harvest Moon dreams crumble to dust, forcing him to return home and confront the city-burning Montague. It all seems like an exercise in pointlessness, with time wasted on such trifling aside as “oh, by the way, Benvolio and Cordelia have been having a relationship off screen and are now getting married”, but it is a slight improvement on the long middle stretch.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 19: After the disappointment of recap last week, SaiMono is slowly beginning to build into a new arc, introducing two new characters and seeing Yuushun sworn in as prime minister- complete with ten conditions designed to prevent the abuse of power. Once, Yuushun seemed like a mere one rung above generic, but with his ten resolutions he secures himself in the realms of 1337, whilst the new characters also look interesting, even if the cast is getting a little unmanageable by this point.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 7: As a mere gaijin, I felt unable to get the best out of this episode- whereas the many references of this type of show don’t usually bother me, this time around I floundered a little and was unable to appreciate much of the humour. Fortunately, whilst the doujinshi scene and the later part with the pi prodigy and other people being lauded didn’t do much for me, I did gain a measure of entertainment from the coloured chicks (nice PPD reference there). I hope I’m not going off this series, but perhaps I just need to reschedule when I watch it to reduce distraction.

Seirei no Moribito 23: Last episode, I barely noticed when all of winter passed in the space of a few minutes, but this time around I tried to be ever so slightly more engaged as the parade of dullness marched on. Whilst Chagum grows up enough to start wearing a new costume, the Tanda x Balsa angle is played a bit more (leave it alone, please, it’s too late for that now) before something finally happens when Shuga and the others find Chagum in time to help defend against La Lunga’s attack. I have to admit the closing scene was one of the more engaging parts for a while, but really by now I just want to get it over with.

Shounen Onmyouji 18: A rather pointless episode this time around, in which Masahiro’s previously unmentioned older brother and his family are menaced by a baboon demon, and Mokkun starts acting strangely- simply because he doesn’t like children. Although it initially appears to be the start of a new arc, this episode ends up being a standalone story, and one so pointless that you have to wonder at its inclusion. The only thing of note is the proper introduction of another Spirit Summon, Kouchin, but this series really needs a second season.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 9: it’s an entirely predictable episode this time around, with Tina making a promise to stop stealing, only for a female thief to show up soon after. Naturally, we in the audience know that Tina is innocent, but Rita cannot help suspecting her on the weight of some apparently damning evidence. It’s all content we’ve seen before, but staying in this sort of safe territory is what makes Wellber a decent piece of light entertainment.

MANGA

Chokotto Sister 42-44: Over the last few chapters, it’s been tempting to assume that the mangaka had grown up a little and thrown out the fanservice in favour of a proper slice-of-life/romance combination, but alas, it seems he ran out of ideas and reverted to type in this chapter, which introduces new nipple shots and a new character in the form of Haruma’s cousin. Having run away from home, said cousin promptly blackmails Haruma into letting her stay with him (after all, does he want his family to know he’s living with a little girl that ‘Santa’ gave him?), before establishing herself as the ‘forward’ harem member type. I’m not too enthralled about this new twist in events, but since chapters come through at a trickle, I shall keep reading.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 167: Okay, so in the last chapter Kurogane gave up his left arm so that everyone could get out of Celes (I totally missed that), and now he and Fye are in Nihon country with Tomoyo- and from the looks of things, Fye wants to end their HARD GAY relationship now that he knows Kurogane is secretly STRAIGHT for Tomoyo. In the meantime, Syaoran (whichever one it is) has just met with Watanuki, but why? What’s going on? Does the fact that we’re visiting the home worlds of the leads mean that the series is finally going to end? And if it does, how will CLAMP earn their money?

It’s a week of improvement in the anime world, as the good series remain good, and the poor ones struggle all the way up to mediocre. Can this upward trend continue, or will it all go downhill again soon? Either way, some new series should be joining us soon when the summer season gets underway.

Oh, and Dennou Coil needs more love- if you aren’t already watching it, start now or face the wrath of obese felines.

Reviewed this week: Darker than Black 9-10, Dennou Coil 5, Cazador 11, Love GetChu 8, MariMite OVA 4, Nodame 20, RxJ 10-11, SaiMono II 11, Seirei 10-11

…and in manga: Akagi 1-3, Chokotto Sister 40-1, Tsubasa 157

ANIME

Darker than Black 9-10: Going without any DtB for a while has been a struggle, but maybe it was worth it to be able to watch both episodes of an arc back-to-back. Unsurprisingly, the series remains on top form in this double bill, which focuses on police chief Kirihara Misaki as she investigates the murders of members of Wang Shaotan’s criminal syndicate- an investigation that leads to a reunion with Alice Wang, a high school friend and Shaotan’s daughter. Once again, the story is solid, the action is superlative and the characters are interesting- especially the reinforcement of how Contractors can seem like normal people one minute, only to turn into cold-blooded killers the next.

It may be false advertising, but the next arc seems set to deal more with the mysterious Gate that precipitated all these events- I can’t wait to delve deeper into the mystery.

Dennou Coil 5: Dennou Coil remains as good as ever in this episode, which sees Isako take Daichi’s group out to find metabugs (naturally she has some ulterior motives), whilst Yasako, Fumie and a surprisingly interesting new character decide to trail them and find out just what they are up to. The mix of real and virtual worlds is just as compelling as ever, with such interesting points as the boys’ virtual bodies starting to break down when they lose wireless signal, and a bus that has decayed in the real world, but still looks pristine in the virtual world because its status hasn’t been updated. Even the jewel-like glow of metabugs (which can contain images and sounds) prove absorbing in this world- let’s face it, I’ve become a complete Dennou Coil addict.

El Cazador de la Bruja 11: After the intense boredom brought on by the last few episodes, I was hardly expecting much from this week’s instalment, but to my surprise, it was much improved over its predecessors. Whilst it would have been mediocre in any other series, the hints of main plot turn this episode into something far superior to its peers, making the tale of yet another generic village and its issues reasonable rather than hellish torture by utter monotony.

Love GetChu! 8: It’s Amane’s turn to get the character spotlight in this episode, as her father decides to forcibly remove her from voice acting so that she can play his on-screen daughter in an upcoming movie. Sadly, this turns out to be another of those irritating ‘eccentric family’ episodes, which sees our heroines running around in a house filled with traps and ninja guards in an attempt to rescue Amane from the house’s basement prison. The jokes are weak, the story has been done before, and unlike earlier episodes, the aura of light enjoyment is completely absent. Even so, I’m reasonably confident that this is just a blip in a largely enjoyable series.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 4: After the bizarre ridiculousness of episode three, the fourth episode of this OVA could only be an improvement, and whilst it is hardly good, it is at an easier fifty-four minutes to sit through. Since the Lillian girls never seem to actually do any schoolwork these days, they come right off the back of the Hanadera festival and go into their own sports festival- although it isn’t like any sports day (Japanese or otherwise) that I’m familiar with. Instead of the usual range of track and field events that one might associate with a sports festival, at Lillian, sports day mainly consists of throwing balls around (possibly because of a lack of balls on normal school days), as well as strange events such as the centipede race and borrowing race.

On the character side of thing, whilst the HARD YURI continues to become more overt, Yumi tries to arrange a reconciliation with the fickle Kanako, whilst Touko is clearly repressing her own desires for Yumi. Who will end up as Yumi’s petite soeur?

Nodame Cantabile 20: After a couple of lacklustre episodes, Nodame is back on form in this instalment, which sees the Rising Star orchestra put on another performance, whilst Nodame concentrates on the preliminaries of the competition she has entered. As befits her type of genius, Nodame’s playing can transcend that of her peers when she is in the right mood, but when the harsh memories of her past haunt her, it all goes off balance. I love the deeper undertones that can be read into Nodame’s character in situations like this, and for the first time I am actually regretful that there are only three episodes left- it feels as if we’ve barely got started.

Romeo X Juliet 10-11: Juliet gets to prove just how low-level she is in episode ten after Tybalt leaves her to her own devices, causing her to lose HP from a slap, a cat and even rain. After realising how useless she is, a convenient rescue sets her on the path to running away with Romeo in episode eleven, which offers us a nice tour of the local scenery, but little else in terms of interesting material. Worse yet, Romeo lets Cielo go to be with a wild female Pegasus- how can the series proceed without HORSE?

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 11: Dangerous as it would be to catch up with the novel at this point in the series, my impatience at wanting to see what spoilers couldn’t tell me wants me to urge the story on, even as the pace slows down to prevent that from happening. In this episode, Shuurei confronts the men who want to kill her for causing the disease, whilst in a nice touch the women are busy getting everything done behind their backs anyway. It’s nice to see Ensei continue to come into his own in his role of protecting Shuurei, whilst the young girl Shuuran not only reflects Shuurei herself as a child, but shows that Shuurei has finally come far enough to help people, just as she always wished. Sadly, the slow pacing means that this episode is a little weaker than its predecessors, however, and to add insult to injury, there’s no new episode this weekend.

Seirei no Moribito 10-11: There’s been a lot of sitting and talking in Seirei lately, and to no one’s surprise, there’s even more of it in episode ten. With Chagum still acting too polite and reserved to pass as a commoner, Balsa decides to send him to spend the day with “ugly teeth” Tohya, who teaches him how to haggle at food stalls, as well as introducing him to a gambling game. After Tohya loses his money, Chagum notices that the game may be fixed, and decides to do the heroic thing and confront the man in charge. Oddly enough, even though much of this episode’s action revolves around sitting down and waiting for coins to come up heads or tails, it is somehow more interesting than the last couple of instalments, with Chagum continuing to prove himself likable and intelligent.

Sadly, however, eleven plunges everything back down again, as Saya’s soul goes on walkabout after learning of an arranged marriage to a merchant’s son (how many times have we seen that sort of story before?), forcing Tanda to attempt the risky procedure of sending his own soul out after her. Aside from a few dramatic and atmospheric moments as Tanda tries to get back to his body, the episode feels generally dull and unnecessary, with a resolution that feels all too convenient.

MANGA

*NEW* Akagi 1-3: Ever since watching the anime, I’ve wanted to try Akagi in manga form, and finally that chance has come. Although the artwork lacks the technical accomplishment of the anime (leaving only ugliness), the anime was clearly very faithful to the original material, and so this is another chance to relive the beginning of Akagi’s legend- even if these three chapters do not get very far. Hopefully more will be forthcoming soon.

Chokotto Sister 40-1: Volume five comes to an end with these two chapters, in which winner of the Mew Mew Dance contest and newbie idol Odaeri decides to skip out on a TV appearance, instead ending up in Choko’s neighbourhood. I’m getting a little tired of this whole Mew Mew Dance arc, but the dullness of chapter 40 is saved by some character development for Makoto in 41.

Tsubasa Chronicle 157: The event from some chapters ago finally makes sense, as we see that the Fye in the tower was approached by Fei Wong’s magic CCTV projection and told that he could save one of the twins from their wretched existence. He chooses Yuui (does this mean my suspicions that the Fye we know isn’t Fye are correct), but once again, we must wonder why, if Fei Wong already has such powers, he needs the ability to cross dimensions.

Reviewed this week: Busou Renkin 24, Corda 10, Kanon 24, Nodame Cantabile 9, Red Garden 20-22, SaiMono 35

…and in manga: Chevalier 2, Chokotto Sister 39, Clannad 1-4, Gunslinger Girl 23, School Rumble 217, Spiral 28-31, Spiral Alive 4, Tenshi Nanka Janai, Tsubasa 147, Yotsuba&! 45

ANIME

Busou Renkin 24: The laws of narrative and the “I read spoilers on wikipedia” factor dictate that only Kazuki can defeat Victor, but never let it be said that the secondary characters shouldn’t all continue to take pot shots at him anyway. This episode continues the fight between the alchemic warrior team and the by-now hideously evolved Victor (if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that immense power and ugliness go hand in hand). A fairly average episode overall, but one that makes every that has occurred so far seem sensible when Kazuki and Victor end up on the moon. Clearly problems like escape velocity and lack of air to breathe are merely minor issues to be disregarded.

La Corda d’Oro 10: It’s time for the second round of the concours, but even as Hino goes out to play Pachelbel’s Canon, poor Tsukimori gets locked in a cupboard by some generics in a rather contrived effort to prevent him from retaining his lead in the competition. Overall, this is a rather dull episode, lacking even more substance than the average Corda episode, whilst it’s hard to believe the generics would even hate Tsukimori enough to lock him in a cupboard.

*COMPLETE* Kanon 24: Well, Kanon is finally over, and with it all the issues of the series are magically wrapped up without any real explanation. Shiori magically gets better despite being on her deathbed not too long ago, everyone else somehow automatically becomes happy regardless of whether they have worked out their issues, and Yuuichi obsesses over Ayu’s comatose body until the power of giving her a headband in flashback causes her to wake up. A somewhat lazy ending that sacrificed logical explanations as to how the characters ended up where they did in a favour of just showing them all moving on with their lives. Also, was I the only one who found it creepy when everyone was pawing all over comatose Ayu as if she was just a doll? Where were the nurses, or her family?

Nodame Cantabile 9: Chiaki and the others are off to a music festival in this episode, but whilst Chiaki trails after Stresemann and Nodame fails to impress her teacher in the piano master class, Ryutaro is worried that he too is not up to scratch. More than any of the others so far, this illustrates both the Nodame’s potential and the problems I have with it- the character drama is very good, but the jarringly off-kilter humour continues to get in the way of my enjoyment. Nonetheless, I have to admit that I have come to like the perfectionist Chiaki, especially as he has magically learned how to better interact with the orchestras he conducts.

*COMPLETE* Red Garden 20-22: Even television itself could not handle 24 episodes of Red Garden, and so with two episodes shifted over to make an OVA in August, Red Garden reaches the end of its run even earlier than expected. For such a dull series, of course, this is no bad thing, and in these last three episodes Red Garden (or as it should be named based on the final scene, Pink Garden) manages to encompass everything from the laughably stupid to the “excuse me while I play Go now” tedious.

Episode 20 kicks off the triple-bill as our heroines prepare to rescue Kate, an excursion that also reveals that pretty much everything the Doral have been doing for the last episode has been entirely pointless. With that in mind, they decide to go after the Animus’ Cursed Tome (aka the magical book that can resolve the plot). 21 is then the obligatory ‘calm before the storm’, with everyone putting the angst aside to spend time with loved ones prior to the final boss battle. Unfortunately, once said battle rolls around in 22, it turns out to be as disappointing as expected, with numerous generics fighting in order to keep each other occupied, whilst the expected boss battle with Hervé is replaced by what looks more like a kinky sex scene between him and his sister. All in all, a dull series with a plot that seems to have been created by pulling story ideas out of a hat- worse yet, said story ideas were written down after the writers got blind drunk.

Saiunkoku Monogatari 35: Seiran and Sakujun get down to their little drinking game in this episode, but who will take up the poisoned cup? No matter how easy it may be to guess the general outcome of the episode, the specifics may still hold some surprises, but the true strength of the episode comes in its excellent characterisation. A far cry from the usual “sit in a chair and watch the heroes on magic CCTV” villain, Sakujun represents the next step in antagonist evolution- a character who has committed deplorable acts and yet still engender audience sympathy. Better still are the intricacies of his relationship with Shuurei- a woman who was ultimately able to hold her own against him due to her own unique strength. It’s just as well there’s a second season of SaiMono, for four more episodes could never be enough.

MANGA
It’s time for some manga spring cleaning, so I’m going to drop Fate, Shana, Haruka 8 and Higurashi.

Chevalier 2: In the second chapter of L’Otome d’Eon, our bold cross-dresser learns that the Psalms are having an effect on Lady Sophia (one of the daughters of a decidedly younger Louis XV than the one we saw in the anime) and is duly dispatched to combat the Poet of the Week. I’m still not particularly won over by this manga, but it is sufficiently different from the anime that I want to pursue it in order to find out how the story turns out.

Chokotto Sister 39: Despite what I said in Tuesday Rumble, this is actually a fanservice-free chapter in which Chitose invites Harima, Choko and Makoto to go to the amusement park with her. From thereon in, it’s just a standard theme park visit all the way, with little to really distinguish it from the crowd.

*NEW* Clannad 1-4: With the news of Clannad TV bringing it to the forefront of everyone’s attention, I thought I may as well jump on the bandwagon and at least try the manga. So far, however, it’s hard to know what to make of it- both the lead and the various girls all seem a little strange, so whilst there is potential there, it is often obscured by sheer bizarreness. Whilst chapters 1-3 see lead Okazaki and the strange Nagisa become friends and try to revive the school’s drama club, chapter 4 takes things in a new direction by introducing a girl who randomly gives out wooden starfish to named characters.

Gunslinger Girl 23: Volume five of Gunslinger Girl kicks off with this chapter, which sees Marco’s ex-girlfriend reluctantly team up with a reporter seeking to expose the truth behind the Social Welfare Agency- but in an increasingly complex web of politics and deceit, just what is the truth anyway? Meanwhile, Angelica seems to be in better shape than she has been in a while, but her handler is well aware that it is only due to an increased dose of the medication that will shorten her life. Whilst this isn’t as character-focused as the best of Gunslinger Girl’s chapters, this is nonetheless a solid instalment in a worthy series.

School Rumble 217: Did I say the manga might be ending soon? Silly me, I should have known a partial reset was around the corner. In the wake of Yakumo’s revelation, Harima discovers that Eri didn’t actually rip up his manuscript, but he is more interested in the fact that Tenma is drawing a replacement manga for him (which she eventually decides to publish under her own name anyway). Filled with renewed hope with his relationship for Tenma, Harima tells Eri to forget about him, she pretends not to have any feelings for him in the first place, and Sarah attempts to persuade Yakumo not to give up on Harima. Well done, Jin- that should keep you going for another few years.

Spiral 28-31: This quartet of chapters brings volume six to an end with Kanone making his next moves- first by approaching Ayumu and trying to persuade him to join the quest to annihilate the Blade Children, before heading to the hospital to put an end to Rio. It’s a line-up of the tense stand-offs and plays within plays that Spiral does so well, not to mention an indication of how much better paced this arc is as compared to the rushed ending of the anime.

Spiral Alive 4: When Imari tries to convince Sawamura to two-time Amanae so that he can go out with her, Sawamura tells her that as long as he is aiming for Kiyotaka, he doesn’t have time for love- but unlike him, not everyone is happy at the prospect of ‘Great Detective’ Narumi being called in on the case. Compared to the preceding chapters, this one is rather short and uneventful, but it’s still a solid enough read with the usual healthy dose of beautiful character designs.

*CATCH-UP* Tenshi Nanka Janai 1-23: After having it sitting on my computer ever since the brief Ai Yazawa obsession that caused me to download both this series and Kagen no Tsuki, I’ve finally got around to catching up with this series. A typical shoujo tale of high school romance, unrequited feelings and love polygons, Tenshi Nanka Janai (not to be confused with Tenshi Ja Nai) is a standard shoujo story, but by the same token it’s a decent enough read provided you don’t expect much in the way of originality.

Tsubasa Chronicle 147: To no one’s surprise, Syaoran wins against Hikaru, but just as I thought we needed Fye and Kurogane to fight in order to complete the championship, a version of Chii appears to take Sakura to another world, and although it isn’t entirely clear what happens after that, she seems to be connecting to the Chii of Fye’s world. Hopefully it will start to make sense in the next chapter.

Yotsuba&! 45: In preparation for baking cakes for the school festival, Fuuka and her friend Shimau (a.k.a. “Miss Stake) decide to whip up a strawberry shortcake. Naturally, Yotsuba just has to join in, but will these first time patissiers have any luck in the kitchen? Even after all this time, Yotsuba& still hasn’t lost its touch, and so this is another entertaining chapter in the vein of all the others.