There were times when we all felt that way about Busou Renkin.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 12, Amatsuki 8-9, Amuri in Star Ocean 1, Antique Bakery 1, Aria DVD Special, Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52, Chocolate Underground 4, Hidamari Sketch x365 1, Itazura na Kiss 13, Kaiba 9, KgNE Next Season 3, Koihime Musou 1, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10, Miyori no Mori, Nabari no Ou 13-14, Natsume Yuujinchou 1, Persona 12, Real Drive 11, Shion no Ou 22, Slayers Revolution 2, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Soul Eater 13-14, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11, World Destruction 1

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
4. Hidamari Sketch x365 (-) – 365 times the fun <-new!
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (-) – Book of Friends <- new!
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – typhoid Himawari
7. Nabari no Ou (6) – change of side
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (4) – part-time job
9. Persona Trinity Soul (7) – catch-up, start!
10. Slayers Revolution (8) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (-) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard <-new!
12. World Destruction (-) – cats <-new!
13. Real Drive (9) – chat program
14. Amatsuki (11) – Kuchiha
15. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (-) – slooowww start <-new!
16. Antique Bakery (-) – super gay demon <-new!
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (10) – mind-reader
18. Himitsu (12) – faceless
19. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – kyouran kaizoku
20. Itazura na Kiss (15) – dislikeable cast
21. Toshokan Sensou (14) – Dojo falls into the Lifestream <-complete!
22. Allison and Lillia (16) – Luke, I am your father
23. Chocolate Underground (17) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – oh and by the way, I did it <-complete!
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- licensed
5. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot

Allison and Lillia 12: Hello and welcome to another episode of such ridiculousness that even the lack of armour piercing pistols and super fast tanks can’t reduce the stupidity. You see, despite being a cold-blooded murderer and all-round suspicious sort, Major Stork is actually Allison’s long-lost father- and that makes everything all right. Never mind that he was a double agent who abandoned his own daughter and embarked upon a life of evil deeds- as long as he sends her a present on her next birthday, we can all play happy families again. Meanwhile, Benedict weds Fiona in a rather dodgy sham of a wedding ceremony, and Wil finally asks Allison to move in with him because it will save on living costs. How romantic.

Amatsuki 8-9: First up, it’s the obligatory flashback episode as we learn more of Kuchiha’s origins and how it ties in with various other supporting characters. Then it’s back to the present, where Toki and the others continue to take their quest at a measured pace (has no one told them that the series is ending soon?) and Heihachi gets a sound beating before learning about the past tragedy of a tree spirit and a fox demon. By this point it’s easy to see that the series’ main problem is that it doesn’t want to go anywhere fast- hardly a good move when the episode count is so low.

*NEW* Amuri in Star Ocean 1: Shallow as I am, I only acquired the first episode of this CG-animated OVA because it had ‘Star Ocean’ in the title, and perhaps I shouldn’t have bothered, given how little sense it all made. At some point in the future, solar radiation has caused the emergence of Adapters, humans with special abilities, and naturally the titular Amuri happens to be one of them. Thanks to her ‘Repulsion’ ability (she bounces off anything she touches, although the ability appears not be active 100% of the time as she can at least wear clothes), Amuri ends up in space with two other Adapter girls, where they somehow end up on the front lines of a stellar conflict- or so I just about gathered. Exactly what the point of it all might be is anyone’s guess.

*NEW* Antique Bakery 1: Through a mixture of hope that this would be like Bartender with cakes and desire to parody it, I decided to throw caution to the winds and see what a series about gay guys running a café would be like. In fact, very little happens in this first episode, which is mainly about introducing three of the four main characters; the (straight) proprietor of the Antique bakery/café who suffered trauma as a child when a burly man tried to force him to eat a strawberry cake of doom; the gay chef who got fired from all his other jobs because man of all sexual orientations can’t keep their hands off him and the boxer who learns he must quit his profession because of a detached retina (he learns this whilst eating a strawberry cake of doom). Expect parodies soon.

Aria the Origination DVD Special: Just when I thought that Aria had shown me all it had to offer in animated form, along came a special treat in the form of this DVD special. Billed as ‘episode 5.5’, the episode sees Akari take an afternoon off to wander round the places she doesn’t usually get to see in her work as an undine, and somehow Akatsuki ends up tailing her in hilarious fashion. This may only be a one-off extra episode, but one brief half-hour I was transported back to Neo Venezia, with all the wonders therein- humour mixed with poignant moments and just the right dash of magic.

Chocolate Underground 4: Four episodes in and our heroes finally get to the secret chocolate underground, a place of so many delectable treats that I could feel my mouth watering. Unfortunately, the preview tells us that the Chocolate Police are on the way to bust this modern-day speakeasy, which is something of a shame, but at least means the plot is going somewhere.

Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52: We’re halfway through Chi’s Sweet Home now and I never want it to end- whether she’s being left at home alone or going on an adventure with the big black cat (not that Chi thinks she’s a cat), Chi is so cute and lovable that I just want to pick her up and take her home.

*NEW* Hidamari Sketch x365 1: Having just finished the first season of Hidamari Sketch (plus the two special episodes), it hardly feels like x365 is new- it’s just a continuation of what I was watching a couple of weeks ago. That being said, anyone can jump in with this episode, which acts as a prequel to explain how Yuno came to attend Yamabuki High School and live in the Hidamari Apartments. As usual, there’s a good mix of slice-of-life and SHAFT craziness, so it’s all good fun.

Itazura na Kiss 13: You’d think that after half a series I might have warmed to the cast of Itazura na Kiss, but if anything, I hate them even more now that when I started. Whilst Kotoko contemplates marrying the annoying Kinnosuke through lack of other offers (wait a minute, girl, you’re only 19, there’s no need to rush), Naoki remains irritatingly silent about his true feelings, instead dating Christie through what seems to be a simple desire to ruffle everyone’s feathers. Will he finally come clean in the next episode? Even if he does marry Kotoko, as we know he must, do we really care anymore? How can everyone in this series be so shallow and annoying?

Kaiba 9: After what feels like an age of waiting, another episode of Kaiba has appeared to sate our appetites, not to mention deepen the mystery surrounding Popo, Neiro, Warp and ‘Kaiba’. For all his righteous talk, we already know that Popo is, to be frank, a bit of a bastard, but just how much has he manipulated Neiro’s memory? Quite a lot, it seems, and whether she can break through to the truth of her past will determine whether she’ll realise her feelings for Kaiba-Warp, or kill him in cold blood. One thing’s for sure- a series of this level of detail needs plenty of rewatching.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ 3: Despite being labelled as the Haruka route, so far in this OVA we’ve had one episode about Haruka and another about Mitsuki, so it hardly seems surprising that the third instalment focuses on Akane. Torn between her feelings for Takayuki and her sister, Akane angsts her way through this half an hour, quietly suffering the awkward situation the two people closest to her have put her in. Unfortunately, even a cliff-hanger ending can’t really save this latest mediocre instalment in a mediocre OVA, and I’m becoming increasingly scared to go back to the TV series in case that too has lost its lustre.

*NEW* Koihime Musou 1: If Koutetsu Sangokushi was the HARD GAY retelling of the Three Kingdoms, then Koihime Musou must be the HARD YURI version, featuring as it does an all-female cast very loosely based on those famous historical figures. In this episode we meet the busty and beardless version of Guan Yu, who joins up with juvenile bandit Zhang Fei and shows her the error of her ways. Based on the ED, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang will be joining them too, whilst beautiful women will also be representing the forces of Wu and Wei. It’s shallow, I know, but I like the character designs, I like the Three Kingdoms, and I prefer this to Ikkitousen, so I’m good to go.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10: Each episode of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki represents its own little endurance trial, and this episode of ‘pirate frenzy’ is no different, featuring as it does a tiresome rivalry between two pirates as they race to be first to uncover a particular horde of treasure. Naturally, the family muscle their way into the action, resulting in another lacklustre outing filled with random madness and general lack of coherence. Why did I once think this series could make crazy humour work?

*MOVIE* Miyori no Mori: A two hour movie (well, 1:47 to be precise), Miyori no Mori is a pleasant little family film about a girl named Miyori who becomes guardian of a forest as a baby- hence the title. Flash forward ten years and Miyori is a city kid who is none too happy about being dumped in the countryside to live with her grandparents. Naturally, her prickly personality rubs everyone up the wrong way, but as she begins to accept the presence of the mysterious spirits in the forest, she becomes determined to save the forest from the plans of an evil corporation who want to build a dam and flood the village. It’s a pretty standard “kids versus evil capitalist” story, but it’s nicely animated and reminiscent of a Ghibli work.

Nabari no Ou 13-14: It’s time for something to happen as both sides head to Kouga Village, better known in the real world as a prestigious private school where ninjas attend special classes and no one else is any the wiser. Unfortunately, the Kouga student council has its own plans, resulting in a battle that ends up as a bit of a free-for-all. Nonetheless, there are some good moments in episode fourteen particularly, with Rokujou realising his feelings for Yoite, Yoite admitting that he really does want to live, and Aizawa putting his life on the line. Is the only way to exist in the world of Nabari to kill?

*NEW* Natsume Yuujinchou 1: When I previewed this series, I billed it as a sort of reverse Card Captor Sakura, and after the first episode, that’s still my impression, with our lead having to free all the monsters that his grandmother made contracts with. Helping him is by far and away the best part of the show- Nyanko-sensei, an Okami-esque creature who usually takes the form of a fortune cat. The only oddity is that Nyanko-sensei, who wants the contracts in the ‘Book of Friends’ for himself is helping on the condition that he gets the book if Natsume dies- so why not just kill him and take the book before too many contracts are lost?

Persona Trinity Soul 12: In amongst everything else, I’ve managed to fit in another episode of Persona for parody purposes, with this one revealing more about Ryou (who has to take drugs to control his Persona) and various shady evil forces. I’m still waiting for the point where the pace picks up and I understand what’s going on, but maybe that will come later.

Real Drive 11: After a couple of episodes which at least tried to get back to the main concept (in spite of poor execution), Real Drive is floating in shallow territory once more this time around as Minamo attends a classical music concert and learns that Kurama was once a legendary violin prodigy. The entire episode is then spent trying to return a violin to him- and, well, that’s about it. No, I know the series isn’t meant to be about violins, but what can you do?

*COMPLETE* Shion no Ou 22: The end of the series is finally here, and it’s the one we were all expecting as Shion outmatches Hani-meijin in their final game, and the police close in to finally arrest him. To be honest, the poor guy is probably in need of psychiatric help, given that he murdered Shion’s family just to help her improve at shogi. Yes, Hani, just because you lost your family means that everyone has to be orphaned in order to improve at shogi! Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer to just practise and play strong opponents. Also, Shion suddenly being able to speak again was a bit farfetched, if not unexpected.

Slayers Revolution 2: Remember the old days when you could cause general mayhem and destroy villages with abandon just because you were a main character? Well, those days are over, because Lina’s reputation is no so notorious that she’s about to be arrested for destruction she didn’t commit- unless she can find Digimon wannabe Pokota and prove that he is the real culprit. Unfortunately, the somewhat annoying Pokota is a slippery guy, so even a whole barrage of spells isn’t enough to stop him. Aside from the general annoyingness of Pokota, the episode is generally entertaining, but the animation is looking worse than ever- dare I say I preferred it in the old days?

*NEW* Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1: I love the gentle tranquillity and beautiful artwork of the Someday’s Dreamers franchise, but somewhere along the line, this new anime has lost its way. With bland character designs and extended landscape shots (which aren’t even particularly impressive landscape shots since they seem to be slightly edited photography), this episode manages to accomplish in twenty-five minutes what the manga did better in a single chapter, as our main character heads off to Tokyo to begin training as a mage. Where’s the tortured love triangle, the mistake of going to the wrong place and only then finding out she was supposed to be in Tokyo? Where is Kumichi Yoshizuki’s beautiful, beautiful artwork?

Soul Eater 13-14: It’s time for two more instalments of straight-up entertainment with Soul Eater; first an action-packed episode in which Soul must overcome his fear of the black blood within him in order to battle an immortal werewolf, followed by a lighter-hearted and thoroughly enjoyable episode in which our protagonists must prepare for their exams with a flurry of study, preparation and downright cheating. This must surely be the most entertaining exam episode in the history of anime, featuring everything you could possibly want from such a story, all nicely wrapped up into a twenty-five minute bundle.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3: There’s an odd feeling of déjà vu in this episode as the bland and dull Tate Rui is captured by the evil Shiho Masked Villain, forcing Mai Ran to convince Natsuki Midori of the power of HiME friendship (whilst the enemy stands and waits) so they can fight this oddly familiar enemy. To be honest, I was hoping that Rui would turn out to be responsible for all the evil, but instead the kids’ teacher is the culprit, and now that the first enemy has been seen off (“I would have got away with it too, if not for those meddling kids”), they can go off and have fun and games whilst solving mysteries on the way. I can’t wait.

Oh, and for a couple more interesting observations, note how the shape of Midori’s eyes changed once she replaced evil with friendship, and how Evil Teacher’s mask somehow masked the scent of her perfume. Was it sprayed with Febreze?

*COMPLETE* Toshokan Sensou 12: Yes, the library wars have finally come to an end, with Riuva summarising it best in a post far more hilarious and satisfying that the episode itself could ever be. Whilst Kasahara looks after the unresponsive Dojo, various other things happen as we patiently wait for the inevitable happy ending between the two. So many people seem to have loved this series, but I just didn’t get it; maybe I’m just emotionally starved or something.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11: With the last arc finally done and dusted, the series is ready to move onto another adventure, although not an especially enticing one. What with all the breakages and house damage that she’s managed to cause, Kou decides she should really start making up for it by getting a part-time job, but guess what- she’s too much of a klutz to do more than rack up the destruction in the workplace as well. As the bills mount up, Kuu-chan decides to try working too, but even though she doesn’t do as badly as Kou, neither of them seem to be able to stay in work for very long, resulting in a painfully predictable instalment that returns everything to the status quo at the end. To be fair, even a couple of years ago I would have enjoyed this episode, but at this point it’s just annoyingly predictable.

*NEW* World Destruction 1: Although I wasn’t really intending to try this latest in a long line of RPG-based series, when Hanners showed me a screencap of Chocolat-esque cats, I knew I had to watch it. As it turns out (and these may be famous last words), the opening episode wasn’t too bad, introducing a world where humans are inferior to beastmen and one woman plots to destroy the world with a simple sphere. After our hero gets dragged along with her, action and craziness follow, and whilst it wasn’t anything special, it has at least proved entertaining for now. Here’s hoping it’s not going to degenerate in future episodes.

MANGA

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 192: I was expecting something a bit more spectacular after CLAMP went on hiatus between this chapter and the last, but all we get is a continuation of the Flashback Mode as Syaoran Jr reveals that he has both his father’s name and sword, and well, very little else happens. Who knows how it long it will be before we actually see any kind of plot development?

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 12, Clannad 21-2, Darker than Black 26, Himawari!! 3, Kaiji 24, KgNE Next Season 2, Minami-ke Okawari 10-12, Mokke 19-23, Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1, Shigofumi 11, Spice and Wolf 13, Zoku SZS 6-7

…and in manga: Busou Renkin 39, HxH 274, Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Prima
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolves
3. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (5) – I’m out of despair!
5. Shigofumi (6) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
6. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
7. Shion no Ou (8) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
8. Clannad (10) – Nagisa’s play
9. Mokke (12)- cats level up to bakeneko
10. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco

SLOW RANKINGS

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

Aria the Origination 12: I don’t care how much I’ve fangirled over Aria these past couple of months- this episode has increased my love for the series a hundredfold. When Aika shows up for practice one morning without her glove, it is plain that she has become a Prima- and upon hearing about it, Alicia decides that Akari should take the Prima exam the next day. I wasn’t actually expecting this part of the story to appear until next week, but even though I knew exactly how it would pan out from reading a manga summary, it was still wonderful to see it enacted on screen. This episode was everything anime should strive to be, and I wish to bask in its excellence forever whilst hugging a giant, squishy President Aria.

*COMPLETE-ish* Clannad 21-22: Well, the main story of Clannad is complete, at any rate- we still have the HARD GAY special episode 23 and DVD-only 24 to come, but let’s keep things simple here and call it the end. Anyway, after learning that her parents gave up their career dreams in order to raise her, Nagisa has one of those major anime crises of confidence right before she has to perform her play- can her nearest and dearest convince her not to fall at the final hurdle? It’s not a bad ending, but ultimately I’m left with mixed feelings about the series- I enjoyed it more than Kanon, but the pacing was all over the place and the story wasn’t as well executed as it could have been.

*SPECIAL* Darker than Black 26: The series has finished, but at long last the DVD only episode 26 is here, and as expected, it’s a mildly entertaining but largely pointless instalment. In this one-off story, the various factions are in pursuit of a password, but after a series of comic mishaps, everyone ends up losing their memory of the last few days- explaining why this episode has nothing to do with everything. At least there are some amusing cat shots.

Himawari!! 3: When a new teacher with a pleasing character design transfers to ninja school, she catches everyone’s eye- but could it be that she might be secretly evil? It’s another instalment of the monster of the week format that this season has adopted, but whilst the laughably stupid back story (our villainess has a hatred of okonomiyaki due to something Hayato once said to her when they were children), I’m not disliking this series as much as I expected to.

Kaiji 24: The time for Kaiji to challenge the chairman has arrived, and although IKnight has already written an excellent post about it, I too must weigh in with my thoughts. In order for our hero’s biggest gamble ever to pay off, everything must proceed as planned in episode twenty-three, but can Kaiji really succeed against a seasoned pro? Do we really want him to win via such a simple cheat when it will deprive us of any satisfaction if victory is claimed? Or would it just be better if he won, thus earning a significant sum of money and avoiding having four of his fingers sliced off? Stay tuned to find out.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next season~ 2: When I was told that this OVA would cover the Haruka route, I was expecting, oh I don’t know, for it to focus on Haruka, mayhap? In fact, this rather boring mid-section of the OVA sees Mitsuki move in with an old acquaintance and then relate the long and monotonous tale of how she and Takayuki ended up breaking up- interspersed with equally uninteresting scenes of Takayuki and Shinji having a drink together. What a waste of time.

Minami-ke Okawari 10-12: Okawari descends to new depths with the incredibly monotonous episodes 10-11, two instalments so incredibly exciting that I have to admit I’ve already forgotten much of what happened in them (except that Kana faked a cold and then ended up with a real cold- further proof of how annoying and Miu-esque her character has become this season). Although hardly of any notable quality, episode 12 is a slight improvement, not least because the hated Fuyuki finally moves away. Just one episode to go and then this parade of mediocrity will be over (and I absolutely dread the restoration of the status quo that will probably occur after the angst of next episode).

HORSE before HARD GAY.

Mokke 19-23: Five more episodes of Mokke have been cleared, and once again they offer fairly average entertainment. First up, we have an instalment in which Mizuki breaks her arm by falling incorrectly in judo, leading her to spend her days with a spirit in a skull that promises to help her get better at resisting possession. Next, we switch to a minor character who becomes intrigued by Shizuru’s tale of a lightning creature known as a Raiju- a creature which he may have encountered once before in his past and hopes to meet again. Then, it’s back to Mizuki as she prepares to take her green belt test in judo, but victory leaves a sour taste in her mouth when her opponent lets her win. Next, we have a more cat-orientated episode as Mike the cat goes missing, leaving the two sisters to wonder why she left, and even risk asking a bakeneko to help find her. Finally, we have our first proper Shizuru episode in a while, as a sick friend forces her to consider whether her future lies with Granpda or in Tokyo. I must admit that I like the way that judo has become a recurring theme, as it adds more cohesion to the series as a whole, and of course cat episodes are nothing to be sniffed at, but overall this series has been mediocre- and it seems unlikely that the final episode will do anything to change that.

*NEW* Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1: If you liked the microbe sections at the end of each episode of Moyashimon, you’ll eat up Microbe Theatre Deluxe, which takes us inside the human intestine to introduce us to all the bacteria that dwell within. Yes, it might sound like a particularly unpleasant biology lesson, but remember that all these microbes have been given cute and appealing forms.

Shigofumi 11: In the hospital, Fumi-chan has just awakened, and as far as Mika is concerned, this is time to finish it- by having her other self shoot her and end her existence. Naturally, the supporting characters do not want this, but will they be able to prevent the determined mail carrier from ending her own existence? It seems fairly obvious that everything will pan out and tie up nicely in episode 12, which leaves me in two minds about the series as a whole- it had its moments, but in offering such greatness it built up my expectations for a series that was ultimately silver tier rather than the gold it once appeared.

Yes, I know episode 12 has been released and I’ve even acquired it- I just forgot about watching it until this minute.

*COMPLETE-ish* Spice and Wolf 13: Well, DVD-only episode 7 may have left a gaping cavity in the middle of the series, but Spice and Wolf is effectively complete, with this episode seeing Lawrence and Horo emerge triumphant over those who tried to betray them. I’ve enjoyed this series from start to finish, but it’s left me with a desperate hunger for more- could someone get the novels to me as soon as possible, followed by news of a second season?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6-7: To get two more episodes of despair must surely be considered a blessing, especially as season two seems to be going from strength to strength. In these episodes we once again flit from one source of amusement to the next, from a dream world where everyone has the opposite personality to a delightful magical girl/Lucky Star parody- and even a sequence involving a plethora of different animation styles. Much as I’d like to call out “Zetsubou shita!” just for the sake of it, I have to admit that watching these episodes leaves me in anything but despair.

MANGA

Busou Renkin 39: The battle against the Futakoi Alternative rejects continues in this episode, with Kazuki showing off the immense destined power of a main character with a black kakugane implanted in him (oops, by the manga timeline I’m not supposed to know that yet).

Hunter X Hunter 274: Gon has finally reached Pitou, but she has no interest in fighting him- instead she must use all of her energy to heal Komugi. Watching from the sidelines, Killua can see that Pitou means no harm, but will Gon be able to see past his anger? I must admit that seeing the main characters makes this chapter better than its predecessors, but nothing can recover the quality that was lost so long ago.

Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1: In this volume’s flashback, we see Asumi’s teacher/Lion-san’s ex-fiancée lead her class out on a field trip even as she grapples with whether she is doing the right thing by sticking with a teaching career. I’ve seen all this in the anime already, so again there are no surprises, but these flashbacks are always good for fleshing out the characters.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 3, Clannad 14, Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 2, Kaiji 15, KgNE Next Season 1, Minami-ke Okawari 1, Mokke 8-10, Moyashimon 7-11, Persona 1-3, Shigofumi 1-2, Sketchbook 7-10, Spice and Wolf 3, Aquarion OVA 2, Tokyo Marble Chocolate, Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations 2, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 2

…and in manga: Bokurano 43-7, Mushishi 12, Spice and Wolf 1-4, Tenshi Nanka Janai 30-1, Tsubasa 180, Yotsuba& 51-2

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – the Single life
2. Spice and Wolf (2) –invest in apples, trade silver coins
3. Shigofumi (-) – the dead never lie <- new!
4. SaiMono II (3) – close those eyes!
5. Kaiji (4) – zawa, zawa
6. Moyashimon (5) – cute microbes <-complete!
7. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – first rumba, then tango
8. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (7) – lots of cats
9. Minami-ke Okawari (-)- not quite the same <-new!
10. Persona Trinity Soul (-)- Mushi-Uta’s successor <- new!
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (8)- Pinocchio
12. Clannad (9) – the world is made of invisible harps
13. Shion no Ou (10) – tournament time
14. Mokke (11)- magical cat

Aria the Origination 3: I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I adore Aria and I want to go and live in Neo Venezia immediately. Okay, now that the ritual is over, I have to admire how the series made a good episode out of heart-shaped chocolates and a one-off character, but somehow it managed it, transporting me to the far-off world of Aqua for a lesson on the packaging of chocolates (don’t use glass, boys and girls). In the meantime, President Aria seems to be taking his role as a Dragon more seriously when he starts reading the newspaper and taking an interest in construction, whilst Akari is growing up and new undines are set to appear next week.

Clannad 14: Kotomi’s arc comes to an end in this episode, and despite promising us a ‘theory of everything’ in the title (which I was hoping to steal and submit as a PhD thesis), it turns out that her parents had actually bought her a teddy bear. Anyway, after helping out with yard work, Tomoya and the others try to make Kotomi’s miserable life a bit more bearable so that they can put her aside and move onto the next arc. I’m sure I’m supposed to feel more emotional about all this, but all I could think was that Kotomi didn’t really the teddy bear in the first place.

Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 2: After last week’s disappointment, this episode, whilst still not up to the level of the first season, is at least something of an improvement. Sadly, this may just be because the episode was almost entirely devoted to starting Pinocchio’s arc, and therefore had just a single scene with the girls at the end. I’m still highly disappointed by the animation, but the background music is beginning to grow on me, and this arc should provide plenty of story to distract from the presentation.

Kaiji 15: The long trek across the beam has come to an end, but unfortunately only Kaiji survived it, and thanks to his plea for the power to be switched off a couple of episodes ago, he won’t be getting any money. Instead, he must enter the next gamble, another card game involving three different types of card, in the hopes of finally making enough money to clear his debt. It’s strange- at this point in the series I still love the GAR MANLY w1n of it all, but at the same time the games themselves are pretty simplistic, and all this talk of cards puts me in mind of Yu-Gi-Oh (albeit a more badass Yu-Gi-Oh) once again.

*NEW* Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ 1: As a Mitsuki fan, I was happy with the way KgNE ended, but by putting aside my irrational love for the TV series, I was finally able to watch and enjoy the first episode of the OVA. Under these conditions, the episode was quite enjoyable- Haruka seems a little more ‘with it’ than before, the visuals are nice and the runtime is pitched at the right length to prevent boredom. I’m actually looking forward to the next episode.

*NEW* Minami-ke Okawari 1: The time to move onto the second season has arrived, and as with so many things, it has proven to be a little difficult to adapt to the changes in visuals and atmosphere, so that whilst there are still moments when I laugh out loud, it just doesn’t feel quite the same. Even so, some Minami-ke is better than none, and I don’t have any intention of giving up just because of these alterations.

Mokke 8-10: The Mokke catch-up continues with three more episodes completed; first Mizuki must cope without her sister and grandpa on a field trip, then Shizuru befriends a girl who is obsessed with the other world, and finally Mizuki spends time with a weasel who is trying to learn how to use the sickle power of his clan. There’s nothing particularly wrong with these three episodes, and indeed they are enjoyable enough, but I can’t help feeling that this series is just a poorly disguised rehash of stories I’ve seen before- it really doesn’t offer anything unique or interesting enough to differentiate it from the bronze tier crowd.

*COMPLETE* Moyashimon 7-11: Moyashimon is finally complete, and what a strange, microbe-filled journey it has been. The series certainly had its fair share of enjoyable, thoughtful and even crazy moments, and yet overall something didn’t quite click for me- for all that I wanted to, I couldn’t quite connect with the characters. Even so, the microbes were fun, and a more detailed review will follow in due course.

*NEW* Persona Trinity Soul 1-3: Even though I intend to someday, I haven’t played Persona 3 yet, which puts me at something of a disadvantage when watching this sequel anime. Nonetheless, and in spite of the fact that most RPG adaptations are completely awful, Persona is actually proving to be enjoyable, offering as it does a Mushi-Uta mix of high school life and a bizarre alternate world of battles, monsters and secret organisations. There’s also some solid parody potential here- look out for a dedicated post soon.

*NEW* Shigofumi 1-2: When I first previewed it, I said that Shigofumi felt as if it would be the new Shinigami no Ballad- and as it turns out, I wasn’t far wrong. Instead of a shinigami and her cat visiting people, we now have mail carrier Fumika and her talking staff delivering letters from the dead (the titular Shigofumi), and so far, this new combination has proved to be more enjoyable than SnB was in animated form. The first two episodes cover an arc which begins when a girl’s father dies and Fumika is instructed to deliver a shigofumi to her lover, a role which her best male friend decides that he must fill. What looks to be a sweet tale of friendship and romance is soon turned on its head by the end of episode one, however, as the tale takes a darker and more twisting turn that proves you shouldn’t assume anything. Even though episode three has been altered for TV broadcast in case the evils of anime corrupt more innocent young minds, I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Sketchbook ~full color’S~ 7-10: The eternal process of catch-up has finally brought me to Sketchbook, with four more cat and art filled episodes bringing me up to date with the subtitled releases. Although there is still that air of trying too hard to accomplish what Aria and the like can achieve effortlessly, Sketchbook is still enjoyable enough in its own tranquil way, even weathering the introduction of the typical blonde foreign girl. And with episode eleven promising another feline bonanza, there is all the more reason to keep watching.

Spice and Wolf 3: I hope no one will mind if I fangirl about Spice and Wolf every week from now on; after all, if you’ve been reading this blog for any significant length of time you should be used to the fangirling by now. Anyway, I cannot help but love this series, from the atmospheric OP, through the beautiful setting, likable characters and story filled with financial twists and turns (don’t ask why, but I’ve had a taste for this sort of thing ever since I took a course in financial physics at uni), all the way to the delightfully nonsensical Engrish ED. This week, Horo gains a taste for apples and negotiation, whilst Lawrence continues to pursue the potential for profit when the silver purity of a particular currency is altered. I think I’ll have to send both of them into the Tuesday Rumble Dragons’ Den at some point.

*COMPLETE* Sousei no Aquarion OVA 2: After an uninspiring start, the Aquarion OVA makes up for its issues with a worthy second episode packed with action, story twists (that won’t surprise any TV series viewers) and an ending that means it does indeed tie into the original as a prequel. It could have perhaps done with a bit more orgasmic gattai with which to help us recall the original, but overall this turned out to be a worthy OVA that has reminded me why I love Aquarion so much.

*OVA* Tokyo Marble Chocolate 1-2: Many thanks to both Necromancer for recommending this and Hige for writing such a positive review about it, although to be honest this is the kind of thing I would have watched on the strength of the title alone. A double episode OVA that covers the same day from the perspective of its two protagonists, Tokyo Marble Chocolate tells the story of a young couple- each of them has had an unlucky time with the opposite sex and it may be that this relationship is about to go the same way, unless the intervention of a mini-donkey can change things for the better. A charming tale about romance with a whimsical and beautiful visual style, Tokyo Marble Chocolate scores another hit for Production I.G., whilst reviving my faith in the power of the OVA.

Tsubasa Chronicle ~Tokyo Revelations~ 2: It’s rare that I prefer an anime adaptation to the original manga, but I have to admit that this OVA episode actually cleared up some of the more confusing aspects of the manga, and even though various plot holes remain gaping open, at least I understand the whole clone Syaoran thing a bit better now. I could actually watch more of these OVAs.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 2: The insanity continues in the second episode of Zoku SZS, starting with half an episode of complete randomness with puns, incoherent talk and a guy who likes opening things (stop opening it all! Some things must stay closed!), before moving onto a discussion of ostentatious decoration and the importance of the old- everything from old friends to Old Mother’s Day. It’s at times like this when I don’t know if I adore a series or have merely just had my brain fried by a cocktail of drugs and flashing images, but at the core of it, Zoku SZS seems to prove that there are people out there who can reach the same bizarre wavelengths that I sometimes tap into. I may be random and completely crazy at times, but I’m not alone!

MANGA

Bokurano 43-7: At long last I have some more Bokurano to get my teeth into, although of course it is never enough. These chapters cover Kanji’s arc as he goes into battle against an enemy with long-range capabilities, forcing him to come up with a unique and painful strategy to overcome it. Meanwhile, more details on who signed the contract are revealed, alongside indications that one person may not be all they seem. Give me more, now!

Mushishi 12: At long last I have a new chapter of Mushishi to look at, and although it just covers the same material as episode eight (the tale of a man who cannot let go when he loses his wife at sea), Mushish is such a great series that I can be exposed to its stories over and over without complaining.

*NEW* Spice and Wolf 1-4: Having fallen in love with the anime, the logical next step was to immerse myself in the manga as well, and whilst these chapters cover much the same content as the first two episodes, I still enjoyed them immensely. With a beautiful art style and an improvement in the scene where Horo shows Lawrence her true form, it is clear that the manga has much to offer- all I need now are the original novels.

Tenshi Nanka Janai 30-1: The generic shoujo-ness of this series is pushing all my buttons at the moment, and not in a good way. Just as Midori angsts over Akira’s absence, he phones her up to say that he must settle things with Masashi before he can come home and live happily ever after. The predictability of it all has become so trite and sappy that I almost don’t care anymore; however, since I’m on the penultimate volume I shall see it through to the end.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 180: Never before has Tsubasa stretched ahead into infinity like this, for apparently, unlike the Syaoran-clone, the Sakura-clone had a copy of the original’s heart as well as her body- and if she gets destroyed, Fei Wong can just make another one and start the whole feather scattering over again. Nonetheless, real Syaoran wants to save both real and clone Sakura, but Yuuko will once again require payment- hopefully her price will be the immediate cessation of the Tsubasa manga.

Yotsuba& 51-2: It’s time for the culture festival at Fuuka’s school, and Yotsuba is looking forward to sampling some cake- but will she be impressed with simple pound cake? And once that’s over, a typhoon sweeps into town- what better time to brave the rain and go outdoors? As always, all I can say about this is that it’s as amusing as ever- long may Yotsuba’s reign continue.

• Ayakashi: Hmm, another series named Ayakashi- when will they ever learn that this name brings nothing about bad fortune? Apparently this time around, the Ayakashi in question give special powers to their hosts in exchange for draining their life force- sounds a lot like Mushi-Uta. The series has already started, so it shouldn’t be too much effort to try episode one…eventually.
• Kimi ga Nozomu Eien- Next Season: The Haruka route for KgNE- I’m slightly scared to watch this in case I find that my feelings towards the franchise as a whole are soured.
• Sisters of Wellber 2: I still haven’t finished season one, but even though Wellber is more mildly entertaining than good, I’ll probably stick with it throughout season two- if nothing else, it should be good for some unintentional humour.
• Rosario+Vampire: A series about a human boy who ends up attending a school full of demons (including a pretty vampire girl), this one puts me in mind of a cross between Karin and Magical Pokan, and based on that, it will probably provide light entertainment and nice character designs without being anything too special. I’m wary of Gonzo’s ability to animate anything these days, but it may be worth a look.
• H₂O ~Footprints in the Sand~: It’s another eroge adaptation, and what have we learned about eroge adaptations over the last two years, children? Yes, that’s right- they’re often disappointing, and so I shall probably steer well clear of this one.
• Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de ~They Are My Noble Masters~: In a world where harem series are ten a penny, and butlers ever increasing in their numbers, a series about a young man who ends up as the butler to a wealthy heiress and various other women hardly seems to break the bounds of originality. Another one to pass over, although the designs are rather pleasant.
• Major season 4: This is still going on? I guess tj han will be pleased, at least.
• Hatenkou Yuugi: Rather cruelly, a girl gets kicked out by her father and told to see the world, although happily she gets a male companion to journey with her- and as a bonus, both have magical powers which they use to help people along the way. I’m getting vibes of Kino’s Journey, Someday’s Dreamers and Hibiki’s Magic, so this one must be tried.
• Persona- trinity soul: A sequel to the Persona 3 game, this supernatural story is said to have input from a Chevalier writer, but even though it looks a cut above the average RPG adaptation, the general lack of quality in that genre makes me cautious at best. And since I haven’t even played the game yet, there’s no real reason for me to jump straight in and watch it.
• Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Dainiki: Need I say anything about this? I enjoyed the first season, and since the manga goes on forever there must be plenty of good material for another thirteen episodes. Another anticipated series.
• True Tears: Another game-based series with a potential for harem- I’ll be leaving this one alone unless early reports from other viewers are positive.
• Porfy no Nagai Tabi: At 52 episodes, they weren’t kidding when they called this “Porfy’s Long Journey”. Apparently this one’s a family show about a Greek boy travelling around Europe to find his sister- I suppose it might have some nice locations but if locations are all I want to see, I may as well watch live action footage of it.
• Shigofumi: A series about a girl who delivers the last letters of the dying (the titular Shigofumi), this light novel-based series sounds like it could be this year’s Shinigami no Ballad. I’ll be giving it a look.
• Minami-ke Okawari: I enjoyed Minami-ke, but it does seem slightly odd to be getting not a sequel, but an alternative version just one season after the original aired. The character designs appear to be closer to the original manga, but hopefully the content is on a par with season one.
• Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-: Even though I already know what will happen from the manga, I was really looking forward to this one, but the fact that the voice cast and director have been changed makes me a little wary that it won’t live up to the reputation of the first season. Well, I guess it shouldn’t be possible to make something bad out of Gunslinger Girl, so I’ll stay optimistic.
• Aria the Origination: Yes, yay, hooray- what more can I say to the prospect of more Aria? The manga is finishing soon, and that means that this will probably be the last season of the anime- with that in mind, I’m going to savour every minute of it. And I may as well watch it both raw and subbed this time, for no one ever died of a surfeit of Aria. Bring it on, punyu!
• Wolf and Spice: Since I’m playing Okami at the moment, the idea of a series about a travelling wolf goddess seems perfectly timed, and the title is beautifully evocative of all kinds of quality (although the official website “spicy-wolf.com” sounds like some kind of dubious takeaway operation). I hope it can live up to expectations.
• Noramimi: To me, this looks like the Japanese equivalent of “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends”, a show which I suffered through when my brother and sister had access to Cartoon Network. With no desire to revisit such days in any way, shape or form, I must steer well clear of this one.
• Hakaba Kitarou: This seems to be related to GeGeGe no Kitarou (which itself is still airing), but even though it has scored a place in the hallowed noitaminA block, it doesn’t stir any interest for me.
• Yatterman: A remake of the original seventies Yatterman, this series seems less likely to drag the concept kicking and screaming into the twentieth-first century than it does to flood us with seventy episodes of retro cheese. One to avoid.