How embarrassing for him.

Real life keeps interfering with catch-up! How dare it?

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 16, Amuri in Star Ocean 2, Chocolate Underground 8, Detroit Metal City 4, Gunslinger Girl –Il Teatrino 9, Itazura na Kiss 22-3, Koihime Musou 10, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 19, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 10, Ryoko’s Case File 10, Slayers Revolution 10-11, Soul Eater 23, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 18, World Destruction 11

…and in manga: Doujin Work 23-5, FMA 87

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (2) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (3) – Krona
4. Xam’d- Lost Memories (4) – Humanform
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (5) – can a fat cat get too fat?
6. Detroit Metal City (6) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – tranquil aid to meditation
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (9) – cliché
10. Slayers Revolution (10) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (11) – Sun Shang Xiang
12. Antique Bakery (12) – father
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – Fantastic Voyage
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – magic can’t do everything
15. Ryoko’s Case File (15) – attack of the killer mangrove
16. Itazura na Kiss (16) – dislikeable cast
17. World Destruction (17) – some stuff happened

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Love GetChu! (2)- voice acting isn’t easy
3. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (3)- Claes
4. Sisters of Wellber Zwei (4) – love triangle
5. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot
6. Real Drive (6) – demoted to slow
7. Himitsu (7) – demoted to slow
8. Allison and Lillia (8) – seaplane
9. Chocolate Underground (-) – demoted to slow

Allison and Lillia 16: It’s been so long since we’ve had an episode of Allison and Lillia that I feared I’d forget the plot, but I’m not sure what I was worried about- not only is the plot completely nonsensical, but it all came flooding back within moments. Having survived the events of last episode by leaving several generics stranded, Lillia and Treize immediately board another plane whilst Wil Travas watches from afar and does very little to stop them. For some reason, this seaplane filled with orphans is a target for attackers who want to shoot it down (why? Are the orphans drug mules?), and when the cabin crew randomly decide to bail out, Lillia and Treize are left to pilot it. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but I love making fun of it, and reading blog posts like this.

Amuri in Star Ocean 2: Even though it hasn’t really improved in any discernible way, for some reason I enjoyed the second episode of this OVA a lot more. Now that Amuri can use her special powers, she is able to fend off the standard weaponry, but when an artificial life form made from her cells nullifies her ability, it falls to Suzu to find the courage to fight back. Meanwhile, Perrier (who will presumably be spotlighted in the third episode) must struggle with her own fears and the spectre of her sister.

Chocolate Underground 8: Thanks to last episode’s tip-off, the Chocolate Police raid Smudger and Huntly’s Chocolate Underground, but happily for all concerned, a special double basement layout allows them to pass themselves off as an innocent study group. Of course, the preview then reveals that in episode nine they will get discovered anyway, so apart from showing us some tasty chocolate, there’s not much here to recommend the series.

Detroit Metal City 4: DMC have been asked to do an interview with Tetrapod Melon Tea, putting Negishi in a dilemma when he learns that not only is TMT the kind of band he’d rather be in, but that it’s run by an underclassman who looks up to him. Unfortunately, in his Krauser persona, he can’t help but be rude and obnoxious- a joke that by all rights should be overplayed by now but somehow still works.

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino 9: After a long drought, Il Teatrino seems to be arriving in a steady flow, with this episode proving to be one of the better entries in the series. Whilst Henrietta and Jose/Giuse/Giuseppe each contemplate their relationship with the other, Jose and Jean’s past and their deceased sister and other striking scenes such as Rico torturing a prisoner. Yes, we’ve seen it in the manga, but this is probably the best adaptation of the original material we’ve seen so far, and proof that very little effort is needed to make Gunslinger Girl good. What a shame Artland took nine episodes to realise this.

“Yes, but it’s more fun with two.”

Itazura na Kiss 22-3: Naoki seems to have become more human over the last couple of episodes, but it’s not really an endorsement of the series, given that everyone else is pretty unlikable. First up, we have an instalment in which Kotoko gets her first ever birthday gift from Naoki in the form of a night out- although of course everything goes wrong on the way there, causing her to be two hours later. With that episode ending with the revelation that Kotoko is pregnant, the next one sees her friends winding her up about Naoki being unfaithful, causing a wave of paranoia when she sees him hanging around with a young nurse. Meanwhile, domestic violence makes a return when Sudou decides that the only way to deal with Yuuko wanting to work through her illness is to give her a slap in the face- and she promptly softens towards him. To quote The Simpsons- “so it’s true- some cartoons do encourage violence”, not so much because of the hitting, but because of how angry and annoyed it makes me feel.

Koihime Musou 10: It’s Wu’s time to shine as Guan Yu and her party visit the court of Sun Ce- but after an attempt on the life of Wu’s ruler, our heroines are thrown under suspicion. The plot may be average (with the surprising revelation that Zhang Zhao is the one named Three Kingdoms character who is actually a man), but a visit to my favourite kingdom (now populated by beautiful women) is worth the price of admission.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 19: It’s time for the inevitable trip to the hotsprings this episode, and whilst the family get down to some serious R&R, they are unaware that they are being watched by Klutz Devil, a demon who is here to collect the soul of someone who is destined to die. Although there are some amusing moments, most of this episode passed under my radar- it was refreshingly free of uber-craziness, but at the same time there was no real hook that made me want to pay attention.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 10: When we saw Yuuto and Shiina in a compromising position on the floor last episode, we knew that there would be a completely innocent explanation, and indeed there was (a blackboard magically detached from the wall and fell on the floor, as often happens in day to day life). Nonetheless, Haruka has to go off and angst for the duration of the festival, until everything pans out and resolves itself. Despite the generally underwhelming nature of the episode, I’m happy to see that Yuuto and Haruka’s relationship is developing properly instead of just being left in limbo- but whatever happened to the school who hated otaku and didn’t want Yuuto going anywhere near Haruka?

Ryoko’s Case File 10: The appearance of Ryoko’s young lookalike last episode seemed set to propel the series into a more interesting storyline than anything we had seen thus far, but ultimately the mystery of young “Monami” (named so because Jun’ichiro has no grasp of what “mon ami” means in French- although why they were referring to a girl in the masculine sense escapes me) is not solved here. Instead, this is a rather slow-paced episode in which very little happens right up until the end; I don’t want to see Monami bonding with Jun’ichiro, I want to know who and what she is! Hopefully episode 11 will deliver the goods.

Slayers Revolution 10-11: The battle continues as Lina and Gourry fight Zuuma and Gioconda, whilst Pocota and Duclis indulge in some more Flashback Mode. The battle brings us some good, nostalgic stuff with Ragna Blade and the Sword of Light making an appearance, all the while setting the stage for the next boss battle. Although Lina doesn’t seem as invincible as she once did, this was one of the more action-packed episodes of the series.

Episode 11 opens with an attack on new boss monster Zanaffar, but in typical fashion he withdraws from battle after a few turns to go and wreak havoc on generic towns whilst the heroes decide how to defeat him. There was a definite feeling of Dragonball Z in this episode, what with people flying around, energy blasts that did nothing and a boss that’s going to take several episodes to defeat- why did I never notice the connection before?

“We meet again, Obi-Wan.”

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 7: After a slew of hard-to-please clients, Kuroda is beginning to think that maybe enough is enough- magic just isn’t as satisfying or enjoyable as he’d like. Of course, this is the cue for his friends to rally round and encourage him, but all the while I could barely care about an episode devoted to largely uninteresting supporting characters. This series isn’t really going anywhere, and worse yet, it doesn’t even do going nowhere well the way the first two seasons of Aria did.

Soul Eater 23: Whilst Stein and Medusa’s battle draws to a close (complete with bursts of action amidst lengthy discussion scenes), it falls to Kid to hold off the wolf guy whilst Black Star and Tsubaki stop frog witch from injecting the hideous Demon God skin sack with black blood. Of course, we’d feel cheated if the arc ended that easily, so the events of this episode lead into the next, with a rather disturbing final scene.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 18: Byakki has adopted Tohru as her ‘parent’, but he status as a life-force drainer and generally wanted commodity puts anyone with her in danger. The only solution seems to be to have her sealed away, which leads to a rather anticlimactic end to this arc in which our heroes sit around doing very little. There’s also the revelation that Kuu-chan and the silver fox are siblings, which seemed a bit of a lazy way to connect the only two foxes in the series.

World Destruction 11: With our heroes having gone to the lands of Spring, Summer and Autumn, the only place left is the obligatory Winter land, a place of those RPG staples of dragons and ice. Naturally, Lia becomes fearful for her homeland and pursues them with renewed vigor, but Evil Doctor and his robots are also on the scene, keen to pick up the Destruct Code in the ensuing chaos. The one thing that can be said about this episode is that at least it seems to be setting up a final boss, but other than that it’s as underwhelming as ever.

MANGA

Doujin Work 23-5: As we saw in the anime, the time has come for Najimi and Nidou to compete once again, and whilst Nidou becomes inspired by her mistaken belief that Hoshi is HARD GAY for Justice, both sides are eager to improve their drawing skills with the aid of their friends- no matter what it takes.

Fullmetal Alchemist 87: Whilst Father continues to sit in a chair and plot, the fight with Pride and Gluttony continues- and the moment the lights come back on, Pride can use his shadow travelling powers once more. Meanwhile, having discovered the truth about Selim Bradley, Mustang makes his move, but will any of our heroes be able to stand against the Homunculi? With some interesting plot developments and a good amount of action, this chapter doesn’t fail to disappoint, whetting the appetite for more.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 1-2, Amatsuki 1, Chi’s Sweet Home 7-8, Crystal Blaze 1, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 6, Kurenai 2, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 1, Tower of Druaga 2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10

…and in manga: Akagi 10-11, Chi’s Sweet Home 1, Doujin Work 20-22, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 12

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kaiji (1) – ざわ, ざわ…
2. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2) – the state of modern society has left me in despair!
3. Chi’s Sweet Home (3)- litter tray
4. Kurenai (4) – Murasaki
5. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (-) –fox trap <-new!
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – wow, it’s actually good
7. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (-) – family frenzy <- new!
8. Amatsuki (-) – the new Tactics/Shounen Onmyouji <- new!
9. Persona Trinity Soul (6)- I really should catch up with this
10. Shion no Ou (7) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
11. Allison and Lillia (-) – a bit disappointing <- new!
12. Itazura no Kiss (8) generic so far
13. Tower of Druaga (9) – don’t lose the humour!
14. Blassreiter (10) – dropped!
15. Crystal Blaze (-) –here today, gone next week

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (2)- kaleidoscope
3. Himawari!! (3) – needs less plot
4. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment
5. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- end in sight?

*NEW* Allison and Lillia 1-2: Everyone knows how eagerly I search for the next Last Exile, and this series (or rather pair of series fused together) from the author of Kino’s Journey seemed like the perfect candidate- at least until I started watching it. It seems that Lillia is on the backburner for this half of the series, which instead focuses on Allison and her friend Wil as they enter enemy territory to rescue a kidnapped young man. Unfortunately, everything from the story to the animation is as generic as it comes, putting me in mind of the likes of Pumpkin Scissors and its ilk. I’ll be sticking with it for now, but my initial high expectations have been revised downward.

*NEW* Amatsuki 1: As I said in my season preview, this series is about a high school student who fails at history and has to take up a make-up course in the form of a virtual simulation of the Edo era- only to end up really going back in time and getting stuck in the past. With that in mind, the series makes a mildly entertaining start, but ultimately it looks like it will be yet another in a long line of Edo era supernatural series. Still, unless it reaches Shounen Onmyouji levels of mediocrity, it can stay on the viewing list.

Chi’s Sweet Home 7-8: The great expedition to buy kitty litter is here, but what sort of litter should Dad buy, and even when he chooses, will Chi understand that her ‘playbox’ is a litter tray? Next up, Chi finally gets her name (which in fact means ‘wee’), and there you have it- more development in the space of five minutes than some series manage in twenty-six full episodes.

*NEW/PROBABLY DROPPED* Crystal Blaze 1: What is it with the word ‘crystal’ that makes me want to investigate a series? Truly it was a mistake this time, because what I hoped might be a follow up to the “not so bad after all” Heat Guy J actually turned out to have very little to recommend it. This season’s Rental Magica, the series sees generic Detective Agency of Bishie Leader, Little Brother and High School Assistants take on a job to protect Mysterious Young Woman With Special Powers. If I had all the time in the world and nothing to do with it, maybe I would watch this series, but as it stands I can’t be bothered.

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino 6: It’s been so long since I’ve watched an episode of this that I really don’t care anymore- the manga is so excellent that this anime seems superfluous to requirements. In this episode, a chairwoman has to be protected, whilst Henrietta’s kaleidoscope breaks and must be fixed, with both stories coming together in a mildly unexpected way.

Kurenai 2: Kurenai continues to score highly on both the content and presentation front as we move into the second episode, in which Lead and Murasaki continue to adjust to living together, complete with missed phone calls, unpredictable neighbours and a trip to the public baths. Despite some worry at the back of my mind that this could turn into another Seirei no Moribito, it’s proving to be a strong series so far, so perhaps I should just get on with enjoying myself and taking each week as it comes. After all, it even has a black cat.

*NEW* Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 1: Many years ago, the evil Enka attempted to destroy the world, and whilst it failed, its spirit lives on in various different beings. Now, all those beings must be gathered together as a family in an attempt to quench any latent desires to annihilate the planet- but what exactly happens when you put a paranormal investigator, a catgirl goddess, a jellyfish, a lion, a combat robot, a loli and a HARD GAY guy together? Presumably that’s what we’ll be finding out over the course of the series, and although I’m not entirely sure this will something I want to follow until the end, for now it looks promising- this could be what Disgaea and Kamisama Kazoku might have been like if they’d actually been funny.

Tower of Druaga- Aegis of Uruk 2: The humour is over, and Tower of Druaga is settling down into the kind of generic fantasy that makes me not really want to watch it. I’ll probably give it another episode or so, but with more series flooding in every day, it’s hardly something I want to devote a great deal of time to.

*NEW* Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1: Horo the wolf goddess is gone, but in its place we have this series about an unsealed fox god who becomes the guardian of two young members of the Miduchi clan- the only trouble being that s/he can’t even remember his/her original gender! I doubt this will be an overly complex series, but this could well be the next Tactics/Shrine of the Morning Mist, which is another series that I’ve been searching for. And of course, a nice fox-girl/guy always scores extra points.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10: This time around, Sensei ends up in despair because of detuning (deliberate toning down), try to make the impractical work by saying “well, maybe it does” and the need to make the show friendly to first-timers. Although the second segment was a bit dull, the first and third parts were entertaining enough to make up for it, but I’m in despair that the despair will be ending soon. 

MANGA

Akagi 10-11: We’re into volume two now, but still on the match against Yagi, who manages to take the lead with a Baiman hand, only to be suckered in by Akagi’s bluff in the very next round. As always, we’ve already seen this in the anime, but since that was a while ago now, it’s good to refresh the memory.

*NEW* Chi’s Sweet Home 1: It may only be the first episode of the anime in eight colour pages, but I’ll take all the Chi’s Sweet Home I can get. Now, if only the manga could surge ahead of the anime.

Doujin Work 20-22: It’s time for another brief burst of Doujin Work, and again the manga is more perverted than the anime. Chapters 20-21 see Sora trying to claim Justice as her own by going on a date with him, only to end up hitting him so that he transforms from gentleman to pervert (fortunately nothing illegal happens). Then it’s on with the story as Tsuyuri persuades Najimi to draw an ero-manga, prompting Kaneru to try her hand at some adult works as well.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 12: Anime viewers will recall Commodore Perry, the man who feels compelled to open everything, and this is his chapter in the manga. For some reason, I found this segment far more hilarious second time around, so bring on more manga.

Reviewed this week: Aria 7, Clannad 18, Kaiji 19, Mai-Otome 0 S.ifr 1, Minami-ke Okawari 7, SaiMono II 36, Shigofumi 6-7, Shion no Ou 16, Shounen Onmyouji 20, Sketchbook 13, Sisters of Wellber 11, Zoku SZS 4

…and in manga: Doujin Work 1-19, Minami-ke 1-21

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – the Single life
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolf in the sewers
3. Kaiji (5) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. SaiMono II (4) – Ran clan
5. Shigofumi (3) – Schrödinger the cat
6. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – mind-altering drug
7. Persona Trinity Soul (8)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
8. Shion no Ou (12) – die, Satoru!
9. Minami-ke Okawari (7)- not quite the same
10. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (10)- Marco
11. Clannad (11) – drop kick
12. Mokke (13)- rainy season

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (1) – lots of cats <- 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. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- mediocre
6. Love GetChu! (6)- light entertainment

Aria the Origination 7: If you’ve ever wondered about the humble beginnings of the mighty President Aria, then this is the episode for you. Before he built up his multi-million pound empire he was just a naked cat looking out to sea- until the fateful day he met with a young Himeya undine known as Akino (known to us as Grandma). Alongside this flashback, we also meet Alicia’s senpai Anna, who worked for Aria Company until she got married and had a child, and just like Akari, I can’t help realising how much there is I still don’t know about Neo Venezia, and how much I just want to stay there forever. In some ways, this is my favourite season of all, and I shall unashamedly bask in fangirlish emotion about it.

Clannad 18: It only just began, but Tomoyo’s arc is wrapped up in this episode, whilst Ryou gets “friends” compatibility with Tomoya and even Kyou bursts into tears. I can’t help feeling it was a bit pointless setting everything up with an air of importance in the last episode just to arbitrarily wrap it all up here, whilst the baseball challenge felt like the biggest plot cop-out ever. How are we supposed to care about these generic, overly fast-paced events?

Kaiji 19: There are four rounds left, and three more millimetres for Kaiji to wager; if he wants to keep his eardrum, he’ll have to win at least once, but how can he beat the ‘invincible’ Tonegawa? Fortunately, all is not as it seems, and even though the explanation behind what’s going on seems a touch farfetched, who can’t love the prospect of Kaiji making a comeback? And even though the preview shows the side of his face bleeding, we can assume that’s deliberate misdirection.

“With it, he could tell the time!”

*NEW* Mai-Otome 0 S.ifr 1: I don’t know why, but I’m feeling benevolent towards Mai-Otome at the moment, and so despite this new OVA’s lack of fat cats or any real story, it somehow didn’t seem as bad as the forgettable Zwei. A prequel to all previous Otome stories, S.ifr focuses on a new set of characters, including the titular Sifr/Sifuru, various Otome, King Bruce of Windbloom and a young Rena. For antagonists, we have the younger John Smith and his Schwarz allies up to their usual tricks, plus a brand new android for our heroines to fight. I can’t say it’s good, but it’s still the best thing the franchise has offered in a while.

Minami-ke Okawari 7: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and so our named characters all decide to get together at the Minami house and make chocolate. Again, this is a rather standard piece in the grand scheme of episodes, making it mildly entertaining in the way of most episodes this season- although the sight of Mako-chan in a maid costume cannot be missed.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 36: Three episodes before the series ends for good, and sadly we are unfortunate enough to be landed with the season’s third recap episode. Worse yet, this is a recap that goes right back to the first season, covering Ryuuki’s experiences of being Emperor ever since we first met him. Yes, there are some cute pandas for him to talk to, but come on, let’s end the series on a bang rather than a whimper.

Shigofumi 6-7: Episode six seemed to promise a return to form for Shigofumi, with a story about bullying and abuse that is actually quite difficult to watch (although that may be because of my feelings on the subject). Unfortunately, whilst episode seven promises further unravelling of Mikawa’s past, it is let down by her over-the-top father, a character obsessed with beauty and perfection. I must admit to feeling for his newly-appointed editor, however, simply because her bosses think she’s useless.

Wait, didn’t we have this game in Kaiji?

Shion no Ou 16: Ayumi’s mother has died, and with her passing there is no further need from him to cross-dress, but will he still keep up the shougi? I’ve been wanting Ayumi to come clean for a while now, and so a change that will let him play honestly is most welcome, even though he looked good as a trap.

Shounen Onmyouji 20: I’ve finally managed to fit in another episode of this series, and it must be said that it was as underwhelming as ever. This time around, we learn that the main villain has an entirely predictable past connection with Seimei, but that skeletons in the old family closet mean that he has, of course, turned mindlessly evil. Now to resolve the confrontation with him in the next six episodes.

*COMPLETE* Sketchbook ~full color’S~ 13: Sketchbook has finally come to an end, with a reflective episode in which Sora spends an afternoon alone in the afternoon, painting her friends whilst they pass through. I know I have accused the series of trying too hard throughout its run, but nonetheless this was a worthy conclusion to the series, with Sora finding the strength to grow a notch or two at the end. I guess I wouldn’t be averse to a second season after all, especially if it has cats.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 11: Months after my last Wellber experience, we come to this episode, which tells the past story of Galahad and Jamille in what is probably meant to be a touching build-up to their inevitable confrontation in a duel. What a shame, then, that it is all so predictable and on the rails that no one could really care- all I can say is that it’s a good way to waste an episode.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 4: There seems to have been an element of randomness missing from my week of late, but luckily it’s back for the moment, with another instalment in the crazy life of one Itoshiki Nozomu and his off-kilter class. This time around we meet a couple more new characters (including one who can read anything- even hearts) and learn what happens when you diverge from the main point. There are no laugh out loud moments this time, but there is consistent entertainment, and that will do for me.

MANGA

*CATCH-UP* Doujin Work 1-19: My experience with 4-koma has been a bit hit-and-miss so far, but happily Doujin Work is proving to be one of the better ones of the bunch. Although it takes much the same overall course as the anime, some of the specifics are different, with the overall effect being to replicate the feeling of light entertainment without seeming stale.

*CATCH-UP* Minami-ke 1-21: Whilst not a 4Koma, Minami-ke does go for the short chapter approach that many comedy series use, and this time it is just like the anime- or at least season one of the anime. So far, then, it is proving to be just as entertaining, but many more chapters will be needed.

It’s been a year of ups and downs, of anime gems and utter disappointments- a year when I’ve alternated between craving more and feeling utterly fed up with the continuing deluge of episodes that take no account of the fact that people might have other things to do than stay in and watch all day. Nonetheless, in true years-end tradition, we must review all the new series in an Annual Round-Up, a project which I meant to periodically update through the year but ended up writing at the last minute again.

As always, red titles are those which were dropped, and blues are the picks of the year. Come back on Tuesday for the New Year Rumble, in which we take a look at the year in the life of Azure Flame.

STILL RUNNING FROM 2006

Asatte no Houkou

The beginning of the year saw the end of Asatte no Houkou, a series that had started as a strong character drama and slice-of-life piece, but lost it somewhere with its slow pacing and plot contrivances. Ultimately, the series was a ‘curate’s egg’, good in parts but sorely lacking in others.
Final words: The series may have been called ‘The Direction of the Day After Tomorrow’, but sadly the plot sometimes lacked direction.

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

Last year, I labelled the emerging Iroha as a tentative pick of the year, but in retrospect, it was more silver than the gold tier it seemed at first. Despite remaining generally enjoyable throughout, the series got mired in a repetitive storyline, numerous historical cameos and an ending that defied sense and explanation.
Final words: Good for those who like action or historical series, but sadly not worthy of entering the hall of classics.

Busou Renkin

Ah, Busou Renkin, a series replete with cheesiness, ridiculous special abilities and Shounen Jump clichés- on the surface of it, hardly something worth writing home about, and yet an important series in its own right. A prime parody candidate, every week of Busou Renkin brought more hilarity than the creators had ever meant to include as Kazuki found himself torn between the worlds of HARD GAY, STRAIGHT and BI.
Final words: I wouldn’t actually watch the series ever again, but parodying it was a lot of fun- blogging hasn’t been the same since.

Le Chevalier d’Eon

At the end of last year, Chevalier was going strong, and it lost very little of its appeal as it moved into its closing episodes. Yes, the ending didn’t make a great deal of sense on close inspection, but with strong characters, worthy action scenes and an unfaltering sense of historical atmosphere, Chevalier remained enjoyable throughout.
Final words: Good enough to parody twice.

La Corda d’Oro

Last year, I had an optimistic view of Corda; this time around, the tale of a Neoromance reverse harem would surely have decent characters and some kind of a plot- or so I thought. Unfortunately, it was not to be- whilst our lead cheated her way through the music competition with a magical violin, the shallow supporting characters and slow pacing did nothing to disguise the general lack of substance.
Final words: Another game adaptation hardly worth writing home about.

Death Note

I enjoyed the Death Note manga, but in anime form, it wasn’t a series that could work for me- the long exposition scenes never seemed suited for an animated format, and attempts to bring the story to life only made Light seem overly theatrical under his red spotlight. After many episodes of thinking “well, the next arc will be better”, I decided to terminate my relationship with the series.
Final words: It didn’t flourish in animated format.

Kanon

As we must all know by now, after the first few episodes, Kanon failed to do much for me- Yuuichi was always too sarcastic and cruel to the girls, who were in turn too one-dimensional to do anything about it. Despite the series’ attempts to tug at the heartstrings, overall it failed to ignite for me, ending up as only another excuse for parody.
Final words: Sad girls in snow don’t make me cry.

Mai-Otome Zwei

Most trainwrecks have the grace to stop and let the rescue crew hunt for survivors, but not Mai-Otome- it just keeps rumbling on. Aside from one or two good action scenes, this whole OVA proved to be a waste of time, introducing a pointless enemy and filling every spare moment with character cameos and fanservice. There was no real reason to expect anything else, but why do I keep getting sucked into this franchise?
Final words: Why do I already know I’ll be watching the next sub-par Otome OVA?

Red Garden

Despite attempts to make its mark with a distinctive art style and a New York setting, Red Garden managed to utterly fail at either the horror or character drama it was presumably aiming for. With four angsty leads who spent most of their time whining or crying and a mystery that dragged on into a totally ridiculous conclusion, Red Garden was a largely dull experience that never rewarded the patience of those who dared to persevere with it.
Final words: Don’t bother with it. Really. It doesn’t get better later on.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

On the strength of its first season, SaiMono established itself as one of my favourites; far from the reverse harem series it first appeared, it actually proved to be an absorbing tale of intrigue, politics and character interaction as one woman chased her dream of becoming her country’s first female official. Of course, the attractive character designs don’t hurt, but to consider this series shallow just because of that would be to do it a great disservice.
Final words: I don’t see why anyone reading this blog wouldn’t have watched SaiMono yet, but if you haven’t, get to it now.

Shounen Onmyouji

A fairly generic tale of a young onymouji being sent to fight the strongest demons just because he happens to be the main character, Shounen Onmyouji was often pointless and rarely very good, but somehow managed to retain interest by having twelve spirit summons who were gradually introduced over the course of the series- and with many of them having little more than a basic appearance, the series even seemed to demand a second season in which to adapt more of the novels.
Final words: Large casts usually work against a series, but in this case it was a draw for an otherwise average series.

WINTER 2006/7
Winter is traditionally a slow month for anime, but could the fledgling 2007 break the curse of the cold months? Sadly, with only a couple of worthy series that were worth following to the end, it seemed that it could not.

Deltora Quest
Despite numerous failures, I’ve always kept my eye out for decent fantasy series, but sadly, Deltora Quest was not one of them. Despite being so packed with cliché and unintentional hilarity that it could have made a good parody candidate, the fact that the series needed to resort to budget saving flashbacks and stills as early as episode four was far from a good sign, and when the next episode proved to be even more dull and uneventful (consisting as it did of answering riddles), the series was quickly shelved, never to be touched again.
Final words: Classic fantasy in anime needs drastic reinvention.

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight
School comedies have always been hit or miss for me, and Manabi Straight struck right out in its first episode. With an energetic and clueless lead who somehow becomes school president, Manabi Straight didn’t do a great deal for me, and was quickly assigned to the Recycle Bin.
Final words: Not for me.

Ichigo Mashimaro OVA

Basically a continuation of the TV series, the Ichigo Mashimaro OVA offered three more episodes of Nobue and the girls’ everyday adventures. Despite dragging a little in the second episode, overall the OVA was as entertaining as the TV series, with apt observations and polished delivery and timing turning basic activities into a source of amusement and entertainment.
Final words: A nice coda for a strong TV series.

Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette
As an attempt to adapt the original novel to a fifty-episode series aimed at the younger audience, Cosette seemed determined to make life hard for itself, and the results were appropriately unspectacular. With its emphasis on the Cinderella-esque life of Cosette, the series dripped with twee sentiments and overused plotlines to the exclusion of the good parts of the story.
Final words: Almost painful in its execution.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA

Prior to this OVA, I liked MariMite- despite all the angst, it managed to deliver a worthy tale of school life with a sprinkling of HARD YURI. Unfortunately, it was not a format that could make the transition to fifty-minute OVA episodes with any grace- everything became terribly long, drawn out and dull, whilst the HARD YURI content took advantage of its newfound freedom to reach new and unforeseen heights.
Final words: I’ll still be trying season four, but this OVA was a major setback for the franchise.

Nodame Cantabile

The only real noteworthy TV series from the winter season (aside from Hidamari Sketch and Himawari!!, both of which I still need to start), Nodame Cantabile promised to be ‘Honey and Clover with music’, but instead became tantalisingly inconsistent. At times, its insights into its two leads- one a technical genius, the other an intuitive talent- made it compelling viewing, but all too often the off-kilter humour and wacky side characters ruined the mood, whilst an air of Shounen Jump “let’s level up and make the strongest orchestra!” always lurked in the background. Despite these flaws, however, Nodame was overall a worthwhile investment of time, and with the manga still ongoing, a second season would be welcomed.
Final words: Snatches of greatness kept the series appealing even as the wackier elements suggested switching off would be the way to go.

SPRING 2007
Spring is usually the best season for anime, and indeed there were lots of promising contenders right out of the gate. When it came to the long haul, however, which would make it to the finish line, and which would run out of steam?

Bokurano
As readers may know, I love, adore and worship the Bokurano manga, and so I was delighted to hear that it was going to be adapted into an anime…right up until the moment I heard Studio “adaptation trainwreck” Gonzo would be handling it. Nonetheless, I went into the series with an open mind, only to find disappointment with major story changes and a complete lack of tension in the pacing- worse yet, the director himself claimed that he didn’t even like the original! I took his advice and chose not to watch any more.
Final words: If someone tries to pretend this anime even existed, I shall stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly.

Claymore

I’ve managed to upset many Claymore fans by not rating the manga very highly, but let’s face it- faults aside, I’m still reading after seventy-four chapters and I do want to know how it’s all going to turn out. The same could not be said for the anime, which bucked me off like a recalcitrant horse after a mere eleven episodes thanks to uninspiring characters, dull fight scenes and a washed out colour scheme.
Final words: Give me Berserk any day.

Darker than Black

During its early episodes, I had the highest of hopes for Darker than Black- it seemed slick, well directed and packed with the perfect mix of exposition, mystery and action. Unfortunately, despite such a strong start, the series soon began to flounder, adopting a pacing more suited to a fifty-episode series as it introduced minor characters, packed in last minute explanations and generally failed to live up to those early days. Even Yoko Kanno’s work on the music didn’t seem up to her usual high standard, ensuring that no aspect of the series really lived up to its potential.
Final words: Darker than Black it may be, but it wasn’t better than good.

Dennou Coil

Ah, Dennou Coil, how much more can I praise you? I accept that this series wasn’t perfect, but if you’ll excuse the lapse into informality, it was damn close. Never before has a series so deserved to be lavished with internet praise along the lines of 1337, awesome and w1n, all thanks to an intriguing setting and story, combined with memorable and well developed characters. Mere words alone are not enough to praise this series, which was surely the best offering of 2007.
Final words: I worship at the shrine of Dennou Coil, and encourage others to join.

El Cazador de la Bruja

Better known as “El Caza-bore”, this third instalment in Bee Train’s girls-with-guns series did indeed contain girls and guns, but not in any combination that produced action. Instead, what we got was the most dreary road trip through a version of Latin America that contained only cacti, roadside diners and various other dusty clichés. Just watching all twenty-six episodes was an effort in itself, and one I only pursued for the sake of creating a superior parody version of events.
Final words: You haven’t experienced boredom until you’ve watched El Cazador.

Heroic Age
A series about a character named Age rather than an age of heroes, Heroic Age tried to create an epic setting involving space battles, legendary tribes and the like, but somewhere along the line it all became a dull universe populated by rejects from other Xebec series. With even the cameraman opting to stay well back from the action, there seemed little reason for anyone else to try to examine it closely.
Final words: Another average offering from Xebec.

Hitohira
A series about a shy girl who gets so nervous that she can’t speak (yet somehow gets into the drama club due to her occasional ability to shout), Hitohira was something I stuck with for a mere two episodes, before deciding that it wasn’t going to bring me anything particularly worthy. With forgettable characters and hints of HARD YURI, Hitohira seemed to patch together elements of other series like Tsuyokiss and Gokujou Seitokai- hardly a recommendation.
Final words: Like its lead, Hitohira remained quiet and unnoticed.

Koutetsu Sangokushi

As a fan of the Three Kingdoms era, I was looking forward to a series that would surely present it better than the forgettable 1990s effort- but sadly, despite superior production values, Koutetsu Sangokushi was not to be that series. Although Koutetsu should be praised for focusing on the kingdom of Wu, it loses points for its extreme levels of ridiculousness, from a super-HARD GAY gender-confused cast to the inclusion of special sentai powers for the main characters- somehow I just don’t remember these things happening in the original novel.
Final words: As far as historical adaptations go, this one is just laughably ridiculous.

Lucky Star

A series that attracted both hate and adoration in adoration, Lucky Star did very little for me; I didn’t despise it, but for me it just did very little- episodes would pass by and I would sit in front of them, almost completely indifferent to them. Occasionally I would laugh, but much of the series was just white noise.
Final words: Ichigo Mashimaro and Minami-ke make everyday life amusing, but Lucky Star just rambles on and on.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
The first two seasons of Nanoha weren’t great, but they won me over with their attractive character designs and worthy action scenes; sadly, the first thing StrikerS did was to introduce new characters to an already bloated cast and throw out actual battle in favour of training against robots. Whilst the leads were forced to wear limiters to remove their God Modes, everything was left in the hands of the newbies, whilst what had once been a simple world of magical girls fighting evil became tied up in pointless bureaucracy. It may have improved later on, but after six episodes, I bailed out.
Final words: No more Nanoha for me.

Murder Princess
An OVA from Bee Train, Murder Princess told the tale of a princess and a bounty hunter who rather randomly end up swapping bodies, but unfortunately, what looked like it would at least be a mildly entertaining fantasy series was ruined by ridiculous elements such as a mad scientist and his two loli androids. In the end, even a mere six episodes of this seemed like too much.
Final words: Nice character designs, shame about the rest.

Oh! Edo Rocket

With its low profile and childish-looking character designs, Oh! Edo Rocket initially didn’t seem like something worth watching- but how wrong I was. After some positive recommendations, I reversed my position and took the plunge, and it was eminently worth it. A series so crazy that you cannot help but love it, Oh! Edo Rocket is nominally about a fireworks maker trying to create a rocket that can go to the moon, but there is much more packed into it- from secret ‘Men in Black’ with special powers to aliens, monsters and a metric ton of pop culture references. It’s crazy, hilarious, sometimes a little dark, and a cut above pretty much every other anime that relies so heavily on humour and parody.
Final words: If Dennou Coil is the best series of the year, then this one must deserve the silver medal.

Romeo X Juliet

Adaptations come from many sources, but could anime really make something out of a Shakespeare play? Whether or not it could, Gonzo was determined to try, and in their usual fashion, they glanced at the original, threw it out of the window, and created a version that involved magical trees, flying horses and an aerial city that just happened to be named Neo Verona. Despite the general lack of similarity to the original, the series started well enough, and seemed as if it would go down as inoffensive light entertainment; unfortunately, as it progressed, the plot became ever more lacking and ridiculous, whilst the leads hardly inspired one to care for their plight. In the end, it found its greatest worth in the parody arena.
Final words: Romeo X Juliet? More like Ridiculous X Joke.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II

After such a strong first series, was it any surprise that I wanted more SaiMono? Unfortunately, with subs having dried up, I had to go it alone into the domain of raws, which for such a dialogue-heavy series meant relying on Impz and usagijen to help me through. Unfortunately, this approach distances me a little from the action, so that whilst I still enjoy the series and think it is good, it just doesn’t hook me in as it did before. Is it the complex web of storyline that I can’t follow in raw, the introduction of a few too many new characters, or the decision to slow down the pacing a bit to accommodate the fact that the series is catching up with the novels?
Final words: I love it, but I want to spend more time exploring the main characters- maybe a full immersion in the world of the series is what is needed.

Sakura Taisen New York
Having enjoyed the first two Sakura Wars OVAs and the TV series, I felt it was high time to branch out into the later OVAs- only to discover that with New York, I had chosen a poor place to start. With a brand new lead and his harem of shallow girls, this failed attempt to recapture the original Sakura Taisen magic completely and utterly fell flat, forcing me to abandon it by its second episode.
Final words: The original cast cannot be bettered.

Seirei no Moribito

It had the most beautiful of settings, but after a strong early start, that ultimately seemed to be all Seirei no Moribito could offer. Although its slow and tranquil pacing satisfied some, for me it was a case of being a series where not only did nothing ever happen, but it took a long time about not happening. There were a few worthy action scenes, but the rest of the series was drenched in sitting and talking- and so many episodes of static conversation can grow stale.
Final words: Instead of making anime, let’s just sit and talk about it.

Shining Tears X Wind
RPG adaptations are renowned for not being up to much, and when the source material is reputedly “the worst RPG ever” (and its sequel), you can’t really expect much. Even so, Shining Tears somehow managed to achieve new levels of awfulness, with its pointless and forgettable leads, incongruous elements (tanks and lasers in a fantasy kingdom) and general lack of anything that can be praised. I once considered Disgaea to be the worst anime ever, but this series has taken that spot.
Final words: It was a pile of Shining Tears X Wind.

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

Despite having encountered disappointment with the likes of YoakeNa, I still found myself drawn to eroge and visual novel-based series with worthy character designs- hence my brief relationship with Polyphonica. Unfortunately, even the lovely Corticarte could not disguise the fact that Polyphonica was pretty much entirely pointless filler- and when a beach episode appeared as early as episode three, I knew it was time to bail out.
Final words: Have I learned my lesson this time? I hope so.

SKULLMAN
Skullman, Skullman, does whatever a skull can…sits motionless, on a shelf- well, you get the idea. Based on a retro manga and series, SKULLMAN was not a series well-adapted for life in the twenty-first century, and by its first episode it was already floundering. With spoilers on wikipedia recounting a miserable background and fate for the eponymous anti-hero, it hardly seemed watching any more.
Final words: He’s a man… with a skull for a head! Bet you couldn’t guess that from the title, eh?

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act

The first season of Emma was highly enjoyable, but the fact that it only covered two volumes of the manga left the story hanging. With that in mind, a second season seemed a true blessing, although ultimately it was not one that was handled as well as it could have been. Despite having a further five volumes to cover and only twelve more episodes to do it in, Second Act began with a filler episode, before proceeding to cut out large chunks of the story (although admittedly the manga storyline of Emma being kidnapped and taken to America had seemed a little farfetched at the time). All in all, it was still a highly worthy series, just not as good as it could have been.
Final words: You can’t go wrong with Emma, but this still didn’t quite live up to its potential.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~

The tale of a thief and a princess trying to flee one country and make it to another before a deadline, Wellber was another of those series that didn’t seem to bring anything original to the table, but nonetheless appeared entertaining enough to watch. Unfortunately, elements such as predictable storylines and a talking tank conspired against it, but overall it just managed to pull through as a piece of light entertainment- not least because of the unintentional hilarity that cropped up in most episodes.
Final words: Mildly entertaining.

SUMMER 2007
In principle, summer is when everyone is enjoying themselves in the great outdoors- and so why bother to air much in the way of good anime? Still, given the poor showings of summer 2005-6, 2007 might just have the edge over them with its single digit selection.

Baccano!

With a wealth of named characters and a timeline that jumped back and forth through early 1930s America, Baccano was never the easiest series to follow, and indeed, even now I cannot say I had much of a clue what was going on throughout large chunks of it. Even so, the sheer enthusiasm and attack which the series brought to our screens was so infectious that one could not help but enjoy it- whether it was a tense shootout or just Isaac and Miria getting up to their usual antics, Baccano was always entertaining- and with many more novels left to adapt, hopes for a second season are high.
Final words: Every season needs a good historical series, and this was the summer’s candidate.

Doujin Work

A short series focusing on a young woman who believes she can make her fortune drawing doujinshi, Doujin Work was never going to be anything very special, but despite the budget animation and predictable jokes, it was somehow entertaining. And with the actual episodes running at only fourteen minutes (the rest of the time slot was taken up with a live action guide to making doujinshi), it isn’t a huge investment in time either.
Final words: Light entertainment done right.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

After the first season, Higurashi had generally failed to impress, but having embarked upon the franchise, I felt I had to carry it through- a feeling that eroded with every week of watching Kai. Everything just felt so drawn out and over the top, especially Satoko’s situation (I would applaud the series for at least having a go at tackling the difficult subject of child abuse, but then again, is that something I really want to watch for entertainment?). Even the introduction of Hanyu to the mix couldn’t save the plot, and in the end I decided to leave the citizens of Hinamizawa to their miserable fate.
Final words: It fails in the execution.

Mononoke

Having been largely bored by Ayakashi, I approached its spin-off with caution- what if it was more of the same excruciatingly slow pacing? Nonetheless, having watched and enjoyed Requiem from the Darkness right before it started to air, I decided to take the plunge, and although Mononoke did indeed have its weak points, it turned out the be the right decision. With an intriguing lead character, unique art style and slicker direction than its predecessor, Mononoke managed to hit all the right notes for supernatural fantasy. A second season would not go amiss.
Final words: It succeeded because it didn’t have ‘Ayakashi’ in the title.

Mushi-Uta

Call me shallow, but the whole reason I wanted to watch Mushi-Uta was because the title seemed to label it as the bastard son of Mushishi and Utawarerumono. In fact, aside from a masked character who resembled Hakuoro, it bore very little resemblance to either, but after a shaky start, Mushi-Uta finally came up with the goods. Although the mixture of giant bug battles and high school life was often confusing, and in spite of the fact that I could barely get a grip on the characters’ names, the story slowly drew me in, to the extent that I even cared about the fate of a minor character. As with several other series this year, it needs a second season.
Final words: Sometimes randomly picked choices can work out well after all.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Since the blogworld once had its own Hopeless Sensei, this anime seemed almost destined to be watched, and happily it was a series well suited to SHAFT’s randomness. A classroom comedy with a twist of bleak despair, Sensei was much like any other comedy- funny when it hit the mark, but somewhat random and a little tedious when it didn’t. Coupled with a distinctive high contrast art style, it made the series memorable and unique, but not always for the right reasons.
Final words: Somewhat inconsistent, but with some highly worthy moments.

Tetsuko no Tabi
It’s hard for me to really appraise Tetsuko no Tabi since out of thirteen episodes I’ve only seen a badly subbed version of the first one, but nonetheless I’ll include it for completeness. A series based on actual train journeys, Tetsuko no Tabi had an interesting enough first episode, but without more material to work with, I can’t really form a proper opinion on this.
Final words: Won’t anyone sub this?

Zombie-Loan
DearS never looked promising, and Peach-Pit had already disappointed me with Rozen Maiden, but nonetheless for some reason I just had to try Zombie-Loan. Unfortunately, the series proved to lack much in the way of appeal, coming across only as an inferior version of xxxHOLiC and Tokyo Babylon.
Final words: CLAMP already did it better.

AUTUMN 2007
Like the spring, the autumn is meant to be replete with series worth watching, but let’s face it- Autumn 2007 was a big fat disappointment. Yes, there were some good series, but somehow the preponderance of mediocrity combined with circumstances in the outside world ensured that anime enthusiasm reached new and previously unexplored lows.

Aria the OVA ~Arietta~
For those of us who needed more Aria to keep us going, this brief OVA would have to make do between the long-finished second and upcoming third seasons. There’s not much to say about it, really, other than that it was another gentle and tranquil half-hour of life in Neo-Venezia, and in fact proved to be so worthy that I sat and watched it without even wanting to disturb my concentration by taking screencaps.
Final words: Punyu!

Clannad

I enjoyed Air and disliked Kanon, so it seemed likely that Clannad would fall somewhere in between, and indeed, so far it has. With a more likable lead than Kanon, it immediately scores over its predecessor, but unfortunately there seems to be a limit to the number of “sad girls” stories one person can swallow before becoming a little blasé about the whole thing.
Final words: It’s not bad, but I just can’t fangirl over it.

ef- a tale of memories
Whilst Owen and the others raved over it in their multi-post extravaganza, ef for me was a title that needed to be put on hiatus after episode three- the idea of someone being unable to retain their memories for more than thirteen hours was intriguing, but watching ef felt like following three different series, of which only one was worth following. I shall one day go back and watch the rest of the season in one go, but it wasn’t something where I wanted to put the effort of watching weekly.
Final words: I’ll get back to it…later.

Genshiken II
I enjoyed the first season of Genshiken, and so it seemed a foregone conclusion that the second would strike gold as well- after all, it had the rest of the original manga to work with. And indeed, Genshiken 2 quickly launched back into familiar territory, with familiar situations, character development and the sad realisation that many of our favourite personalities were graduating and moving on.
Final words: Now onwards to the manga.

Gundam 00
After Seed Destiny, my relationship with the Gundam franchise hit something of a rocky patch, so much so that it would take something far better than the usual Sunrise fare to repair it. Sadly, Gundam 00 wasn’t about to do that for me, and after a few episodes of pointless factions and a group who planned to enforce world peace by instigating wars, I decided to put the whole series on the heating element behind the normal back-burner.
Final words: Watching it can wait until 2008.

Hero Tales
With a name like ‘Hero Tales’, it was pretty obvious that this series wasn’t going to be up to much- even the FMA mangaka couldn’t really weave a good story about a boy with a destined sword. After watching an episode to assess its parody potential, I decided that even the gods of parody couldn’t expect me to watch something so boring in aid of a few laughs, and so it was put aside.
Final words: As original as its title.

Kaiji

Series dripping with GAR MANLINESS aren’t usually my thing, but having enjoyed Akagi so much, it seemed only logical to see what Madhouse could make of one of the mangaka’s other works- ‘Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji’. Whilst Kaiji is more emotional and less cold than Akagi, the twists and turns of his story are still worthy viewing- although one cannot help feeling a little sorry for poor Kaiji as his mammoth efforts in trying to win games dreamt up by sadistic yakuza only seem to result in him getting ever more in debt. I fear that twenty-six episodes won’t be enough for this series.
Final words: This series should be shown to everyone who finds themselves in danger of incurring debt.

Minami-ke

Keen for an extra dose of Ichigo Mashimaro, I went forth into Minami-ke, a similar tale about the everyday lives of three sisters. Despite trepidation that it would turn into another Lucky Star, Minami-ke had the required wit and delivery to make it entertaining rather than dull, and already a second season (albeit a retelling rather than a sequel) is set to air this January.
Final words: Forget choco cornets, melon pan and taiyaki, this year’s in-food is cream stew.

Mokke

Ever since enjoying Shrine of the Morning Mist, I’ve been on the lookout for the next entertaining silver/bronze tier supernatural series, and Mokke seems to be it. It may not be anything special, but the episodic tales of a pair of sisters- one who can see spirits, the other who gets possessed by them- has largely proven to make for enjoyable viewing, and the addition of a cat with special powers is just the icing on the cake.
Final words: Bronze tier entertainment.

Moyashimon

As the latest series to air in the vaunted noitaminA block (I know it’s ‘Animation’ spelt backwards, but it still sounds like some kind of vitamin or mineral to me), Moyashimon had a lot to live up to, but fortunately, all it needed was its uniqueness to make it a hit. Unappealing as a series about microbes may sound, when you take into account the fact that to our lead these microbes look rather cute, the whole thing takes on a new dimension; in fact, you wouldn’t go far wrong if you were to watch the series for this novelty alone. Fortunately, the rest of the content is solid enough, even if the characters are a little wacky.
Final words: I never once thought I’d say that I wanted a plushie of Aspergillus oryzae, but I want one.

Rental Magica
Where the search for supernatural light entertainment brought some successes in 2007, it also racked up a few failures, and Rental Magica was one of them. Populated by rejects from other series, Rental Magica seemed sure to at least mildly interest with its episodic tales of a company of magic users solving problems, but apart from a master of cat shikigami, there was little to engage the viewer.
Final words: Something to go back to when you have absolutely nothing else to watch.

Shakugan no Shana II

Even though I enjoyed it at the time, in retrospect the original Shakugan no Shana had a lot wrong with it- not least of which were the pointless and uninspiring villains. Even so, a second season would surely forge ahead into interesting and unknown parts of the novel series- or maybe not. For instead, Shana II decided to diverge into an uninteresting game-based tale that seemed determined to shake off all but the most devout of fans. With last season’s confession revoked and the love polygon once again taking hold, it seemed as if this was one series worth bailing out of.
Final words: There’s completion, and then there’s masochism- watching Shana II was surely the latter.

Sketchbook ~full color’S~

Every year needs a good slice-of-life series, and whilst Sketchbook was not to be in the Aria/YKK class, it was still an enjoyable series, not least because of the high volume of cats and fat chickens contained therein. Although it times it seemed as if it was trying too hard to capture a calm atmosphere that should just come naturally, Sketchbook was still worth watching, and after initially thinking little of the shy and quiet lead, after a while I began to identify with her- all too often I end up thinking a lot more than I actually end up saying (but no more! Now I shall never shut up!).
Final words: Full of cats.

And so, 2007 has shown us both good and bad (much like every year, really) and all we can do is await 2008 and the offerings it shall bring us. See you next year!

Doujin Work to hit the US?
Alongside the second season of flagship franchise Genshiken and its spin-off Kujibiki Unbalance, Media Blasters has claimed that it will be dubbing “Doujin Works”, although they refuse to confirm or deny whether this means they have the license to the 2007 Doujin Work anime. That being said, it seems hard to imagine what else they could be referring to, and so it seems that this series may well be hitting the US at some point in the future.
Nobue: Well, duh, what other series could they mean?
Matsuri: You know, we shouldn’t assume anything until they confirm it.
Chika: Meh, they’re just building up anticipation.
Miu: FUNGYAAH!!!

Lucky Star licensed- what a surprise
Kadokawa and Bandai have allied once again to bring fanboys what they want- a dose of KyoAni’s twenty-four episode comedy series, Lucky Star. A series that divided anime viewers between the factions who found it either dull or hilarious, Lucky Star managed to inspire discussions that were at least more exciting than the rather inoffensive series itself, and now you can own it for yourself- that is, if you want to.
Nobue: We already did the girls do random stuff comedy so much better.
Matsuri: Shouldn’t we give this a chance?
Nobue: No way- besides those girls aren’t as cute as you.
Miu: They’re not meant to be- they’re older than you, Nobue.
Nobue: Shut up- they look underage.

Persona 3 anime
As if there weren’t enough inferior RPG adaptations flooding the market, Persona 3 will become the latest game to get its own anime come January 2008. Whilst I am planning to get the game at some point on manga’s recommendation, I can’t say I’m particularly enthused about this series, although apparently it will be a sequel rather than a retelling of the game story.
Nobue: Hey Miu, let’s play some Persona 3.
Miu: Yay, is it a beat-‘em-up?
Nobue: You are hopeless.

Honey and Clover gets dramatic
It’s had an anime and a live-action movie, but now Honey and Clover will also be receiving a drama series. Starring 15 year old Riko Narumi as Hagu and 23 year old Toma Ikuta as Takemoto, the series will begin in January.
Ana: I don’t really understand the point of live action adaptations.
Chika: Actually, they can be good.
Nobue: But real girls will never be as cute as you!
Miu: You’re including me in that, right?
Nobue: No.

More live action from Viz
Viz continues its live-action licensing with a few more movies- Honey and Clover, Lovely Complex and both Nana movies. All movies will have limited screenings either theatrically or at the New York Anime Festival before being released on DVD in early 2008.
Nobue: Yawn- next item please.

Mai-Otome S.ifr website
I know what big Otome fans readers of this blog tend to be, and so I’m sure you’ll all be delighted to learn that the website for the latest OVA is open for business, complete with story and character information.
Nobue: Do you want to pretend to be an Otome, Matsuri, and I’ll kiss you to confirm the contract?
Matsuri: Um, er…
Miu: Kiss me! Kiss me!

When her friends introduce her to the world of creating and selling your own doujinshi, Osana Najimi is immediately entranced- think of all the money she could make! With this in mind, Najimi prepares to enter the world of ‘doujin work’, but can any amount of practise and research compensate for the fact that her drawings are just plain awful?

Back when it first began, I described Doujin Work as a “more perverted Genshiken”, and I was rightly criticised by Hidoshi for doing so. Indeed, ultimately the series proved to be far inferior to the highly enjoyable Genshiken, but that isn’t to say that it isn’t mildly entertaining in its own right.

What is unique about Doujin Work is that unlike many other series which aim for light and unoriginal comedy, it somehow manages to be amusing. From Najimi’s failed attempts to research erotic material without her ‘normal’ friends finding out to a continuing theme of crossed wires and misunderstandings (some accidental, some intentionally fuelled), these are jokes that have been done a hundred times before, but solid pacing and delivery alongside a mere fourteen minute runtime per episode make them funny once again. There’s nothing exceptional here, but there are certainly worse ways to spend a quarter of an hour.

As far as characters go, Doujin Work’s cast is a mix of the textbook and the bizarre- there’s the determined yet barely competent lead, her equally hopeless rival, the calm and manipulative best friend, the overprotective childhood friend and the love interest that never really goes anywhere. Overall it’s a group that’s just barely memorable, let alone likable, but they play off each other well with regards to the humour. If you’re wondering where the bizarre comes into it, however, then look no further than aforementioned childhood friend ‘Justice’, an older man who is continually accompanied by his own personal loli, the underage Sora, in a move which is far more creepy and disturbing than it is humorous.

Visually, Doujin Work sticks with a clean and simple style, often opting for basic backgrounds and ‘flipping’ the characters from one position to another as if they were a cardboard cut-out as opposed to proper movement. Due to their supposedly erotic content, the doujins themselves are never seen on screen, which unfortunately means that we cannot see for ourselves how bad the standard of drawing is; instead, the series for dropping in random and often unnecessary glimpses of fanservice, HARD GAY and quirky elements such as what appears to be a navy pair of pants with arms and legs that flits around in the background for no apparent reason. Background music, meanwhile, is equally simple and largely forgettable, although the OP and ED are energetic and catchy.

Final Thoughts
Although it is certainly nothing special and not even particularly memorable, Doujin Work is exactly what light entertainment is meant to be- simple fare that actually manages to be funny. Although by no means a must-see, if you aren’t too bothered by the fanservice elements, these fourteen-minute episodes make for a quick and easy way to relax and unwind after a hard day’s work.
Tier: Bronze

The judges’ verdict
Beige: To be honest, it was woefully lacking in originality, but a commendable effort nonetheless.
Pink: Effort is right, but I want to be wowed by what I see, and this left me stone cold.
Blue: There was a good amount of basic content, and I’d put it on if I wanted to relax with a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit.
Orange: Yes, well this is really the comedy that plays it safe, isn’t it? It amused me but I wasn’t blown away.

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! 5, Doujin Work 6-7, Oh! Edo Rocket 2-6, Seirei no Moribito 21, Sisters of Wellber 8

…and in manga: Akagi 5, Aria 24-5, Spiral 53-6, Tsubasa 166

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – Don’t make me wait!
2. SaiMono II (2) – I need the next arc, and soon
3. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (3) – I’m in despair!
4. Baccano! (4) – I don’t know what’s going on, but I like it
5. Oh! Edo Rocket (9) – bizarre yet fun
6. Mushi-Uta (5) – best episode yet
7. Mononoke (6) – masks, and lots of them
8. Darker than Black (7) – caring at minimum
9. Doujin Work (8) – 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 (13) – Flashback Mode
13. Romeo X Juliet (12) – what’s the point anymore?
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – useless Nadie

SLOW RANKINGS

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

Baccano! 5: It’s been a while since I had any new Baccano, and whilst I still don’t have much idea of the overall story, it remains highly enjoyable. Whilst the events on the Flying Pussyfoot continue on course, elsewhere we learn more about the product that can render a person immortal, as well as see Firo join up with a mafia group. Memorable scenes include the well-choreographed knife fight, an evil boss sucking in this body and memories of an underling through his hand, and of course any scene in which the energetic Isaac and Miria appear. More of the same, please.

Doujin Work 6-7: It’s been a while, but now we have a double dose of Doujin Work, in which Najimi continues to pit herself against her newfound rival. Whilst episode six, in which both Najimi and Rival attempt to improve their drawing skills, is merely passably entertaining, the true hilarity returns in episode seven, in which Rival gets the wrong end of the stick and becomes convinced that Hoshi is HARD GAY for Justice. Yes, this joke has been done before, but somehow the series makes it amusing again.

*SLOW CATCH-UP* Oh! Edo Rocket 2-6: Oh! Edo Rocket is a strange series; along with the likes of FLCL it should be completely random and nonsensical, but somehow its bizarre elements combine to make a greater whole. Alongside the story of fireworks maker Seikichi trying to make fireworks that can go to the moon, we have sky monsters, Men in Black (complete with transformation sequence), a raccoon fetishist, chibis and much more, and yet despite the complete disregard for conventional storytelling or even the period it is supposed to be set in, the series seems tailor made for the more random side of my personality. The only reason I haven’t caught up yet is a simple lack of time.

Seirei no Moribito 21: This week on Seirei no Moribito, Balsa sits down and talks- about her past with Jiguro. Actually, I have to admit to a soft spot for this sort of character developing flashback episode, and with the return of decent action scenes for the first time since episode 3, this actually marks an improvement from “completely dull and pointless” to “largely dull and pointless with one or two good parts”.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 8: Whilst Rita and Tina decide to speed things up by taking a boat to Greedom, our evil megane villain decides to return to the plot- only now he genuinely wants to marry Rita. This is another mildly enjoyable episode with some potential for parody, but the series still isn’t breaking into the league of true worth.

MANGA

Akagi 5: Very little happens in this chapter, in which the Yakuza guys call their rep player and Akagi explains his reasoning in the previous round, but as always, the series manages to be both absorbing and enjoyable. This is truly one series that can get away with being slow paced.

Aria 24-5: Volume five concludes with these two chapters, which again cover stories we’ve already seen in the anime- first we see Akira giving Akari and the others a training session, before Akari spends a pleasant afternoon at the Café San Marco. Once again, since Aria is so good, there is no problem in experiencing the same material twice, although I also yearn for new stories.

Spiral 53-6: Kudos to the scanlators for keeping up an insanely fast pace in translating this series, enabling us to reach the end of volume eleven only a week after I read volume ten. Sadly, these chapters are basically one long round of exposition, explaining the origin of the Blade Children, as well as Kiyotaka and Ayumu’s place in the grand plan- somehow, with all these revelations, the series is starting to lose its uniqueness, and so I fear this is the turning point where it all begins to go downhill.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 166: Ah, Tsubasa, I now see that the reason for reading you is to see how many ridiculous plot twists CLAMP can throw in before the end. After the death of King Ashura, a secondary curse that was apparently set by Fei Wong activates, trapping our heroes so that they cannot move on to the next world- cue a scene in which Kurogane slices off his own arm to give vampire-Fye (it’s okay if you’d forgotten he was a vampire) the power to set them free. Syaoran-real is also supposed to be taking white Mokona’s earring to black Mokona for some reason, although I’m not sure what bearing this has on anything.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 2, El Cazador 19, Darker than Black 19, Dennou Coil 12-13, Doujin Work 5, Higurashi Kai 6, Koutetsu Sangokushi 9-10, Mononoke 3, Mushi-Uta 6, RxJ 17, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 5, Seirei no Moribito 18

…and in manga: Elfen Lied 77, Gunslinger Girl 32, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 5-8, Spiral 46-7, Tennai 28, xxxHOLiC 10.6, 11.1-2

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – no more until the 25^th? Don’t make me wait!
2. SaiMono II (2) – who will win Eigetsu’s heart?
3. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (3) – mail mail
4. Darker than Black (4) – promising arc
5. Baccano! (5) – flying pussyfoot
6. Mononoke (6) – a new arc
7. Mushi-Uta (7) – stabilising in the pretty good zone
8. Tetsuko no Tabi (8)- train adventures
9. Doujin Work (9) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
10. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (12) – Hanyu makes it all better
11. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – not what I was expecting
12. Romeo X Juliet (10) – mother died, and Father is Montague
13. Seirei no Moribito (13) – an exercise in monotony
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – am I building up an immunity?

Baccano! 2: Baccano is turning into another of those series where you can’t really get to grips with the massive cast or even what’s going on, but nonetheless, you find yourself enjoying it anyway. This episode begins with Isaac and Miria questing for gold, only to give up after nine months and settle for a robbery instead. As part of their getaway, they (and numerous other named characters) board the ill-fated train amusingly known as the Flying Pussyfoot, but with so many hidden agendas for the various characters to carry out, it is going to be anything but a dull ride.

El Cazador de la Bruja 19: Maybe I’m just building up an immunity, but even though there was hardly anything good about this episode of El Cazador, it didn’t feel as deathly boring as usual. When Ricardo and Lirio’s car breaks down, Nadie and Ellis tow them in for repairs, before the quartet ends up going to a restaurant for dinner- all part of a plan by Blue-Eyes’ fickle superiors to catch Ellis. Apart from a moment where Nadie actually manages to defeat an opponent with some fancy kicks, the vast majority of this episode is throwaway, but I’m so used to this twenty-five minute dose of dullness that I can now sit through it without being in danger of boredom-induced death.

Darker than Black 19: Yet another new arc begins, and this time around, Hei is asked to infiltrate a religious order headed up by a Contractor, whilst Huang’s back story is finally brought out into the light. Although it would have been better to include this earlier in the series, this is at least a stronger and more enjoyable arc than the previous one, even if (like me), you don’t hold Huang in particularly high regard. Sadly, however, a good episode is let down by a rather poor ending, in which all the preparation is blown by an unprofessional mistake.

Dennou Coil 12-13: Dennou Coil, I forswear all other things to worship at your feet, for you are the anime I have spent my life waiting for. In episode twelve, Daichi’s hunt for illegals ends up with he and the others getting covered in virtual ‘beards’ that turn out to be rapidly evolving civilisations. We’ve all seen that “life evolves in a pot of yoghurt and the human creator becomes its god” before, but Dennou Coil breathes new life into the concept, making it simultaneously humorous and thought-provoking. Thirteen continues the excellence, as Denpa begins taking care of an Illegal, in yet another thought-provoking story with a heart-wrenching ending. It’s good to see a series that is brave enough not to cop out with a happy ending, whilst slowly building up the complexity of the Illegals. I need this series to go on forever.

Doujin Work 5: When Najimi feels that something is missing from her life, she comes to the conclusion that what she needs is a rival to compete against- and naturally, the plot is by no means slack in providing one. Meanwhile, Justice begins to get paranoid after hearing that Najimi and Hoshi went to a hotel room together- did they really go all the way? Once again, this is an amusing episode that maintains the series’ reputation for ‘easy watching’.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 6: After struggling through the first five episodes, I feel that I’ve finally been rewarded with one that I actually enjoyed, as a new arc begins and Rika finally explains what’s been going on with regards to the repeating sequence of events. We also get our first proper encounter with Rika’s previously invisible friend Hanyu, and with renewed effort now being made to change the course of events, my interest has been rekindled.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 9-10: It’s been a while since I saw any Koutetsu Sangokushi, but upon getting back to it, I can’t say I was really expecting what was going to come next. First up we have episode nine, a somewhat pointless training episode in which our named characters fulfil the usual shounen series training tasks (I’m not entirely sure why as two of them wanted to be civil servants anyway), before the ‘plot’ moves ahead again in episode ten as Zhou Yu ignores Wu’s trained military might in order to assign vital missions to our named newbies. I’m not entirely sure the series itself knows where it’s going since it continually meanders around in the realms of the ridiculous and implausible, but it’s always good parody material.

Mononoke 3: I must not have been paying sufficient attention last week, because I didn’t realise that the arc was supposed to have been concluded, but no matter, for this episode begins a new story, and one that I’m enjoying more than the last. Featuring the return of the girl from Ayakashi’s Bake Neko arc, this episode sees a new disparate bunch board a ship together, only for a sabotage compass to lead it off course and right into the middle of a bunch of deadly ayakashi. Who was it who led the ship astray, and will even the medicine seller be able to get them out alive? Compared to the first arc, the pacing feels a lot better, and this time around I’m actually interested in the story instead of struggling to understand what the hell is going on.

The medicine seller shares my opinion on Ayakashi.

Mushi-Uta 6: I’m not entirely sure what to make of this episode (although the same could be said of the entire series so far); there are elements I like, such as the growing friendship between Shiika and Rina, but then there are other parts where minor characters randomly appear and I have no idea what’s even meant to be going on. It may well be worth rewatching it all in one go once the whole series has been released, although of course I know that I will never get around to doing that.

Romeo X Juliet 17: There are plenty of revelations this episode, as Tybalt and Montague have their pasts revealed, and one unimportant character loses their life. It’s better than the last few episodes in terms of content, but that still doesn’t make it particularly good, whilst the threat that Tybalt could lose everything that makes him worthy in favour of becoming a standard anti-hero is all too present. This shouldn’t be Romeo X Juliet, this should be Tybalt X Horse.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 5: All the players have been introduced, and now it’s time for Sensei to get on with the story (such as it is), in the random segment fashion we’ve come to know from the likes of Pani Poni Dash! The first half of the episode sees Sensei fall into despair at the number-crunching world, prompting him to assign his own measure of a person’s status via how much money they would be willing to lend him; whilst the second half features a hot spring visit that causes everyone to be “detoxified” of their personality problems. As always, the series takes a concept and runs with it, ending up in strange but amusing new places; I almost feel as if it was designed to appeal to my quirky and random side.

Seirei no Moribito 18: As a change from sitting and talking, in this episode our characters hold conversations and discussions from a seated position. Whilst Balsa and the others visit a Yakue village in the hopes of finding out more about the Nyunga Ro Chaga, Shuga and the Eight Evil Men decide to have a nice sit down to discuss their next move. As always, this is a dull and monotonous episode that could give El Cazador a run for its money, and chances of improvement are slim at best.

MANGA

Elfen Lied 77: As the latest confrontation between Bandou and Lucy heats up, Nana arrives to help take Lucy down in a blood drenched chapter that sees one character lose an arm and another apparently die. It’s chapters like these that give the series its bloodthirsty reputation, but ultimately it’s a confrontation that’s been repeated many times without a proper conclusion, and so some sort of proper plot advancement would be more welcome.

Gunslinger Girl 32: Volume six concludes in this chapter, in which the newly renamed Petrushka must adjust to her life as a cyborg. The memory of her past life is gone and in its place is the conditioning, but how will she develop under Alessandro’s unique method of training? As always, the series remains as good as ever, so much so that you don’t even notice that it’s been a while since we caught up with Henrietta and the others. Roll on, volume seven.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 5-8: I’m not sure how I let myself get four chapters behind, but once I realised what had happened, the time for a catch-up was at hand. In these four chapters, Beethoven continues to probe into the deaths of Mozart and Flies, but even as more people connected to the case die in unnatural ways, our lead finds himself the target of a malicious poisoner. Just who is behind this, and what secret is so great that someone has to kill to protect it? As always, the series remains solid in both the content and artwork department, and hopefully more will be forthcoming soon.

Spiral 46-7: After much discussion, Ayumu and the others finally put their plan into motion, and whilst things are now going at a pace slow enough to ensure nothing really happens in these two chapters, it still remains interesting. Has Ayumu managed to defy the scenario Kiyotaka set up, or is this what his big brother planned all along? The only way to find out is to keep reading.

Tenshi Nanka Janai 28: Just as it seems Mamirin and Takigawa can get together and put aside one lot of angst, more arises in the tangled ‘other woman’ situation with Shino- she may have broken up with Takigawa, but how will she react to someone else getting together with the guy she likes so soon after she let him go? Meanwhile, Midori gets her angel wing pendant back, but just when will the wayward Akira return to her?

xxxHOLiC 10.6, 11.1-2: Whilst Watanuki recovers from his injuries, Yuuko gives him a very special egg- one that can hatch into anything he wants. In return for all she has done for him, Watanuki hatches it out into a bird for Himawari, but what he doesn’t know is that this is the egg that Sakura sent to Yuuko, and that there is a second magic-less egg still with her. Visually, xxxHOLiC is as stylish as ever, but with nothing really happening other than some Tsubasa references in these chapters, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see another plot arc.

Sorry for the lateness in posting this, it will probably won’t happen again.

Reviewed this week: Baccano 1, Cazador 17, Darker than Black 17, Dennou Coil 8-11, Doujin Work 4, Higurashi Kai 4, Ichigo Mashimaro OVA 3, Mononoke 1, Mushi-Uta 3-4, Romeo X Juliet 16, SaiMono 16, Zetsubou 3, Seirei 16

…and in manga: Emma Bangaihen 10, Shinigami no Ballad 2, Solanin 8-9, Spiral 42-3, Spiral Alive 7, Tennai 26-7, Tsubasa 162

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – to infinite 1337, and beyond!
2. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2) – needs more Sensei
3. SaiMono II (3) – the arc surges forward again
4. Darker than Black (4) – we can’t afford a plotless arc!
5. Baccano! (-) – intriguing <- new!
6. Mononoke (-) – middling fare <- new!
7. Tetsuko no Tabi (6)- train adventures
8. Romeo X Juliet (7) – Hermione comes, Hermione goes
9. Doujin Work (8) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
10. Mushi-Uta (5) – senseless but watchable
11. Seirei no Moribito (9) – an exercise in monotony
12. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – HARD GAY
13. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (12) – inoffensive
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (13) – redefining dull

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shounen Onmyouji (1)- a new episode after so long
2. Sisters of Wellber (-) – demoted to slow
3. Love GetChu! (2)- light entertainment
4. ROTK (3)- hilariously bad

OVA RANKINGS

1. Ichigo Mashimaro (1)- a slice of enjoyment <-complete!
2. MariMite (2)- more HARD YURI than ever
3. Mai-Otome Zwei (3)- more fat cats, less nipples please

*NEW* Baccano! 1: I’ve been looking forward to Baccano for a while, in the hopes that it would be parody material, Chevalier US, or both, and whilst this isn’t the best of starts, I am still intrigued. The first half of the episode sees the Vice Director (whoever he is) and his assistant try to pinpoint where the story began and who the main character is, before we enter the gangland wars of 1930’s America, complete with too many named characters to get a handle on, at least some of whom have superhuman healing abilities. I’m not entirely sure where all this is going, but like early Iroha, it’s well directed enough to make you want to continue with the series and see where it ends up.

El Cazador de la Bruja 17: Once, I thought I understood the meaning of the word dull, but then I watched El Cazador de la Bruja, and I came to realise that I had but the vaguest understanding of the sheer grey monotony the world is capable of. With this in mind, this particular episode, which I would once have considered boring, doesn’t actually seem too bad, offering a change of pace by letting bounty hunter Nadie actually pursue a bounty for once. Of course, every named character randomly shows up, and Nadie is revealed to be so useless that even the generics Mireille and Kirika killed every week could beat her, but the point is that this is an ever so slight change from the tedious formula that brought us the infamous Amigo Tacos episode.

Darker than Black 17: At the risk of being overly informal, what the hell is going on with this series? Once it was one of the Best Things Ever, but ever since Havoc breathed her last, the whole thing has been in a slow decline, resulting in this “break from the plot that never was” episode, in which Hei befriends a Benign Yakuza and eats dinner with his generic neighbours. I’d like to say more, but aside from disturbing Doll-service, that’s all that really happens here- all in all, this series seems to have followed Iroha in starting out by oozing masses of potential, only for it all to slowly leach away into the soil.

“Here’s your free naked apron girl!”

Dennou Coil 8-11: Is it my birthday? Is it Christmas? No, it’s something even better- four consecutive releases of Dennou Coil to make up for those empty weeks without it. Happily, unlike certain other series, Dennou Coil shows absolutely no signs of getting dull in its middle episodes; in fact, if anything, it seems to be going from strength to strength. Between them, these four episodes cover the local summer festival, a test of courage during an overnight stay at the school, a ‘treasure hunt’ following a map Haraken sees in a dream, and finally the disastrous sequence of events that occur when Daichi tries to raise an Illegal in the hope of getting metabugs from it. As well as proving highly entertaining in themselves, these episodes continue to flesh out both the characters and the world they live in, with Daichi especially growing beyond the “annoying antagonist” he started off as. Also of note is that Illegals come in more than one type- up until now, we’ve only seen ones that devour metabugs, but the one Daichi raises is more interested in eating textures. I could ramble on for a while longer, but only one thing really needs to be said- and that’s how much I love this series.

Doujin Work 4: There wasn’t as much laughing (or even chuckling) out loud in this episode, but somehow Doujin Work continues to entertain- and with such light content, 14 minutes is the perfect length to ensure that it doesn’t outstay its welcome. In this episode, Najimi reveals that, far from earning her fortune, making doujins has forced her to take on a part-time job just to cover the cost of printing- and upon following her, her friends discover that her place of work is actually a catgirl café. Naturally, things proceed predictably from there, but it still proves to be enjoyable- this series may well turn out to be the season’s guilty pleasure.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 4: Watanagashi is here (again), and whilst Rika worries that the same tragic events will occur and bore the audience in their repetition, Satoko continues to suspect that something is up with her best friend- even if everyone else thinks the problem is with her. Once again, there are no extremes of good and bad to point out in this series, and so it remains watchable in its inoffensiveness.

*COMPLETE* Ichigo Mashimaro OVA 3: The Ichigo Mashimaro OVA comes to an end with this anime-original episode that sees the girls take a trip to Izu so that Nobue can violate them in the woods spend good, wholesome time with them. After the slightly below expectations middle episode, this one is back on form in terms of humour, whilst Miu haters will be pleased to hear that she spends eight hours stuck in the boot of the car when Nobue takes a wrong turn. It’s just a shame that the OVA has to end here, because I’m suddenly ready for more of the same.

*NEW* Mononoke 1: Ayakashi may have been dull, but even so, this spin-off featuring the medicine seller seemed worth trying- and indeed, whilst it isn’t overly engaging, nor is it too bad so far. In this episode, medicine seller stays at a inn where all is not as it seems, and when a pregnant woman starts seeing a talking doll, it seems like time for the main character to step in. In all honesty, it would have been better for the pacing if they had chosen to make this a self-contained single episode story instead of leaving the conclusion until next time (or maybe even the time afterwards), but for now I am content to keep watching in the hopes that it will fulfil my need episodic supernatural horror stories.

Mushi-Uta 3-4: With four episodes under my belt, I have to admit that Mushi-Uta’s fusion of regular high school antics and bug brawling is generally senseless, but it’s because of this that I can continue watching it. Since I don’t really have much of an idea of what’s going, it makes the series easier to watch than if it was entirely transparent, and for that reason, even though I feel I should drop it, I’m going to continue with the series. At least the character designs are nice to look at.

First this guy was Hakuoro, and now he’s Yuuichi.

Romeo X Juliet 16: Sick and tired of Romeo’s adventures down the mine shaft? Then you’ll be glad to hear that this episode swings more towards Juliet’s side of the story- at least until I fill in a few more details. For whilst Juliet is angsting over news that there was an accident at the mines, Hermione decides to muscle her way into the plot by confronting the wicked hussy who stole her fiancé’s heart- only to go home again the next morning, having accomplished precisely nothing. It’s hard to say what the plot is aiming for other than wasting time before the final arc, but having come this far, I may as well keep going.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 16: After half an episode of angst on Yougetsu and Kourin’s part, Eigetsu is brought back to life, although the cost is that Yougetsu is now dormant. With that over, it is time for the story to start moving forward again, and when the decision is made to hand over Sa Province’s governorship to Kai You, it ends with Shuurei being stripped of everything but her title as an official. Where will our lead go from here? Of course, having read spoilers I know, but whilst it was disappointingly plain from the start that the Sa Province position had to be temporary, it will still be interesting to move onto the next part of the story. Meanwhile, although I also knew that Eigetsu wouldn’t die, the way in which he magically comes back is not only overly convenient, but it also undermines the lengthy setup about his death- not that I’m not glad to have him back, of course, but I will miss Yougetsu.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 3: After its flying start, Sensei lost a bit of steam for me in this episode, for whilst Nozomu and his bleak humour remained as entertaining as ever, far too much of the episode was spent on two underwhelming new characters- a foreigner with a split Japanese/gaijin personality (mildly amusing) and an illegal immigrant (somewhat irritating). I’m hoping this is just a temporary blip and that my wholehearted love for the series will be back next episode, but I’ve learned to be wary.

Seirei no Moribito 16: Thirteen episodes ago, the Eight Evil Men were sent after Balsa and Chagum, and now, after confirming that the prince is indeed still alive, Shuga decides to take the drastic and unprecedented action of, well, sending the Eight Evil Men after Balsa and Chagum. Seriously, though, why have we been messing around for half a series if all that’s going to happen is that we reset to where we were at the beginning? Okay, so Chagum has shorter hair now and some peasant friends, but ultimately, do we even care anymore? The monotony has surely dulled our senses long before this.

MANGA

Emma Bangaihen 10: Minor maid Polly gets her turn in the spotlight in this chapter, as she and one of the German maids (I forget her name) go out on a shopping spree in London. Once again, this is an interesting chapter that shows that even the most minor characters in the Emma universe can be developed successfully.

Shinigami no Ballad 2: It’s lucky that each chapter of this manga is long enough to justify the endless wait between them, although as it turns out, this story is one that featured in the anime anyway. Still affected by the death of his older sister, Asano is a little too preoccupied with death, but can a new friend at school and a little encouragement from Momo help him to enjoy life again? This was far from my favourite episode of the anime, but whilst its manga isn’t outstanding, knowing what to expect actually makes it more enjoyable second time around. Roll on chapter three.

Solanin 8-9: It was Meiko who first had the idea of finding a new direction in life, but now Taneda is the one who has made the choice to quit the workaday world and pursue his dream of making it big with the band. Whether he will make it is as yet unknown, but after wrestling with self doubts, he seems ready to have a go at risking everything in order to attain what he truly wants. He at least has found a path worth following, but what about Meiko? She knows she doesn’t want to settle for just being an office lady, but what path will she choose?

Spiral 42-3: Ayumu is about to give up and conclude that killing Kanone is truly the only option remaining, but Hiyono isn’t having it- just because it’s what Kiyotaka planned cannot mean that there is no other way. With that in mind, Hiyono goes forth to buy Ayumu a little time, but can he come up with a plan in the minutes remaining to him? I have to say that I’m glad Ayumu wasn’t forced into dirtying his hands, and equally curious as to how this arc will pan out. It’s also good to see Hiyono taking action, something which bridges the gap between what we know about her now and what I’ve read in spoilers.

Spiral Alive 7: The second volume of Spiral Alive begins in this chapter, which re-introduces Kousuke and Ryouko as Kiyotaka draws them into the music box murder case. It’s good to get a glimpse into the past of these two characters (along with a glimpse of Kanone), and even better that the main plot hasn’t gone away just for the sake of cameos from some familiar faces. The next chapters can’t come soon enough.

Tenshi Nanka Janai 26-7: Akira has gone on a three month leave of absence, leaving Midori to pine for him and realise that he was The One after all; meanwhile, Akira’s mother reveals some details about his past and Mamiya and Takigawa finally get together. It’s all pretty standard shoujo fare as always, generally readable and mildly enjoyable, but with Yazawa’s trademark of including panels where it isn’t entirely clear what is going, or why we should care about the antics of the supporting characters.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 162: As Fye and Kurogane continue to fight, a little more of the truth comes out, as Ashura reveals that Fye’s curse was a “one time only” deal that he wished to save for himself, presumably because he feels bad about being a psychopathic killer. Really, who cares anymore- this barely makes sense.