Sadly no- that’s why I dropped the series.

Reviewed this week: Hidamari Sketch x365 5-6, Itazura na Kiss 18, Koihime Musou 5, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 13, Nabari no Ou 19, Natsume Yuujinchou 6, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 5, Ryoko’s Case File 5, Slayers Revolution 6, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 5, Soul Eater 19, World Destruction 5-6, Xam’D 4-5

…and in manga: Doubt 1-13, FMA 86, Minami-ke 36, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 11, Nodame Cantabile 122, Shinigami no Ballad 4-6, Sketchbook 17-18, Tsubasa 195-6, xxxHOLiC 162

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (4) – vectors
4. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – what’s going on?
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
7. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
8. Detroit Metal City (12) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (10) – Shiina
10. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (13) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
12. Antique Bakery (14) – Young Master!
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (15) – everything at or below this time is wasting my precious life!
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (16) – magic can’t do everything
15. Ryoko’s Case File (17) – superintendant
16. Real Drive (18) – flashback
17. World Destruction (19) – tree
18. Himitsu (20) – faceless
19. Allison and Lillia (22) – plane crash is the new train wreck
20. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (23) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
21. Itazura na Kiss (25) – dislikeable cast
22. Chocolate Underground (26) – chocolate is forbidden

ANIME

Hidamari Sketch x365 5-6: It’s time for double fun with Hidamari Sketch, starting with an episode in which Chika visits during spring break- a situation in which very little of consequence happens, but it all proves to be entertaining (although for some reason I just can’t like Chika as much as the other girls). Next up, we have a two-part episode which starts with Sae using up her summer vacation to think up new storylines, with the old running joke about her not wanting to admit her lack of experience in love, before rounding off with a November segment about making choux pastry. It’s all good fun, and adding in a cooking element is just the icing on the cake (no pun intended), making for a series that is always entertaining to watch.

Itazura na Kiss 18: At the risk of sounding ever so slightly repetitive, I must note how much I hate all the characters in Itazura na Kiss. Whilst Kotoko continues being such a useless trainee nurse that I fear for the health of anyone who becomes her patient, Naoki continues to be a cold-hearted bastard who cares more for the newspaper than his wife. Understandably, Kotoko’s friends wonder how she can put up with such a husband, but after coming across as quite a sympathetic character, Keita manages to blow it by suggesting that Kotoko break up with Naoki as casually as if they were just dating. No, they shouldn’t be together, but having married you’d better be damn sure you know the situation before suggesting they break up. Maybe I’m getting too old to enjoy this sort of thing.

What a loving relationship.

Koihime Musou 5: When our heroines stumble upon a village where a mysterious monster blocks up their homes with rocks if they don’t offer it food, Zhao Yun volunteers them for the task of sorting it out. Naturally, the other two girls are scared at the prospect of a monster- although of course the explanation is far more prosaic, as it turns out to be the solitary Lu Bu (Ryofu) living alone and feeding dogs- at least until she makes some brand new friends and comes to work in the court of the surprisingly young and cute Dong Zhuo- a far cry from his fat, bearded Dynasty Warriors self.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 13: After the fillerific episode twelve, the only way for Kyouran Kazoku Nikki was up, and indeed, after episode thirteen, it’s managed to claw its way back up to the usual level of senselessness that the series specialises in. This time around, we see Chika struggling with being an outsider, whilst also dealing with disappearances at her school that lead into the introduction of a tiresome main villain for the series. Sadly, any chance of a thoughtful moment of character insight is completely spoiled by the stupidity that surrounds it- but that’s what we’ve come to expect from this series.

Nabari no Ou 19: The tranquil pace continues in this episode, as Yoite returns from walkabout to eat strawberry cake (of Doom) and Yukimi has a flashback to the days when Yoite didn’t even have his own name. There are actually hints that something might be happening soon by the end of the episode, but everything’s become so convoluted that I don’t hold out hope that anything can be settled in a timely fashion.

Natsume Yuujinchou 6: When a dammed up river dries out for the summer, the spirits that live there are free to get out- including some who’d like their names back from the Book of Friends. Also emerging from the river is a swallow spirit who wants nothing more than to see a particular person again- but can Natsume be persuaded to aid her in her quest, and if he does, what will Nyanko-sensei think of it? Although I’m still unsure as to why Nyanko-sensei has even chosen to stay with Natsume, this was a nice little character development piece for our lead as he realises that he can and does care about other people.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 5: Haruka remains in safe anime territory this week as ‘panty shot girl’ Shiina transfers into Yuuto and Haruka’s class and becomes an instant hit. What follows is the obligatory swimming pool episode, but even if this series isn’t budging from the tried-and-true storylines of anime, it still just manages to be more entertaining than the lower level series on the list. Maybe it’s just the bright colours, but it certainly has something they lack.

Ryoko’s Case File 5: Although I had heard second-hand that Ryoko’s Case File would improve in this episode, I have to say that it’s an improvement so small as to be imperceptible to me. This time around, Jun’ichirou is looking after a young relative of his when a case suddenly comes up, forcing him and Ryoko to enter a building owned by a business, get kidnapped for about two minutes, and do some other things so fascinating that I don’t even recall what they were. Meanwhile, instead of realising the wisdom of staying put, said young relative decides to walk right into danger, making the whole situation that much trickier. Oh, but she does secretly have a crush on Jun’ichirou, so I suppose that makes it all right.

Slayers Revolution 6: It’s time for the obligatory HARD GAY episode as our intrepid heroes enter ‘Gongoro’, a legendary village which devotes its time to making giant balls to roll up a mountain (no, really). What follows is the typical competition episode as Lina’s team, Pocota’s team and some minor enemies all support different factions in the ball-rolling contest- it’s reasonably entertaining, but this story was already done better between Lina and Naga in one of the OVAs.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 5: After the creepiness of the breast milk, any magic the series showed us could only be an improvement, although sadly all it does is take the series into the realms of the unbearably twee. First up, Sora uses her power to restore a treasured comb that a woman’s deceased husband clutched as he went to his death, before she awakens a mother who has been in a coma- albeit at the expense of her memories. I’m rather happy that magic couldn’t solve anything in the latter case, as if it had I might have just been overcome by the unhealthy wholesomeness of it all. In other news, we learn that Sora’s mentor likes playing the guitar, and that minor characters like screentime- which is no big surprise.

Soul Eater 19: The named characters are ready to fight their opponents, who have happily been laid in such a way that everyone gets their own personal fight. First up, the junior members must get past Medusa whilst Stein and Papa distract her- but will even the professor be a match for her vector-based attacks (with vectors and symmetry, this is turning into a surprisingly mathematical series)? Well, we know that the heroes must prevail, but watching them fight is the main attraction here- and it’s one that seems certain to keep us thoroughly entertained (see, I can give praise where it’s due).

World Destruction 5-6: If there’s one thing you can say about World Destruction, it’s that at least it’s consistent- consistently poor, that is. In episode five, we enter a town where an old friend of Toppi’s (his name is Yappi, he’s a small black bear with an eyepatch and he says ‘bear’ at the end of every sentence- but no resemblance to anyone we know, eh?) has fallen to the dark practice of selling humans to the gladiatorial arena- but don’t worry, boys and girls, because Toppi will help him see the light. Next up, our heroes enter Summerland, only for Kyrie (I remember his name now) to faint in the heat and end up under the care of an elephant beastman who is secretly trying to atone for the evils of his past. Oh well, at least the series is helping to improve my multitasking abilities, since I can now download images, watch anime and have another streaming video running all at the same time without missing out on too much.

Xam’D- Lost Memories 4-5: I have to admit that as Xam’D progresses, I’m starting to lose the thread of what’s going on- although in spite of that it remains a quality series nonetheless. Whilst Akiyuki settles into the training needed to become a postal worker who doesn’t transform into a monster, various other characters follow separate threads, with the series seemingly setting up a Dominic-style character in episode five. I get the feeling this series would be better watched as a marathon, but that’s not exactly possible right now.

MANGA

*CATCH-UP* Doubt 1-13: Inspired by both Necromancer and THAT, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon of Doubt (not to be confused with an older manga series, also called Doubt). As I’m sure you’ve heard already, Rabbit Doubt is a popular online game where the players take on the role of rabbits out to find the wolf in their midst before they all get killed; unfortunately, things go a step too far when a real life meeting of Rabbit Doubt players ends with them being locked in a Cube-esque labyrinth with barcodes that open one door each and a wolf out to kill them. Over the course of the first thirteen chapters, a tale of horror, suspense and mystery unfolds- but typically enough we’ll have to wait for the release of chapter 14 to find out the culprit. And, equally pressingly- does the series end after this case, or will there be more to it? Whatever the case, it’s been a solid experience.

Fullmetal Alchemist 86: With Al possessed by Pride, Ed and Greed might be up against more they can handle- especially when the regrown Gluttony shows up and tries to open his fake Gates of Truth. Meanwhile, there are wheels within wheels in the military, but does anyone have the power to topple Father and Bradley? Whatever the case, I cannot express enough how I want the rest of the manga here, not drip fed in monthly chapters.

Minami-ke 36: It’s another brief yet amusing segment as Kana holds an impromptu session on staying away from suspicious people- but should ‘Uncle’ Takeru be counted amongst their number? Just what is his relation to the girls anyway? And even when this question is answered, will Kana still consider him a suspicious person? These are of course rhetorical questions, but it’s amazing how the series can pack all this into a mere nine pages.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 11: Now that Beethoven and Czerny have found the magic flute, they are deeper into the mystery of Mozart’s death than ever before- and there are those who don’t want them to uncover any more. For whilst Salieri might have been the culprit, the conspiracy involves the might of the Freemasons, and if he continues to investigate, Beethoven’s safety can’t be guaranteed. Of course, this warning is only likely to fuel our cranky hero’s curiosity, but is that exact what they are counting on? Other than that, not a great deal happens in this chapter, but there’s the feeling that we’re being set up for bigger and better things to happen in the second half of the series.

Nodame Cantabile 122: At long last the time for Chiaki and Rui’s joint performance has arrived, and although it may not be the most polished of pieces, the audience cannot help but be blown away by the display of emotion therein- Nodame included. There’s not much else to say about this chapter, except that UK readers interested in conducting might be interested in ‘Maestro’, a new TV series where celebrities learn how to conduct.

Shinigami no Ballad 4-6: I don’t know how I failed to notice it, but I somehow got three full chapters behind on Shinigami no Ballad, which for this series is the best part of a volume. In these stories we see a teacher reaching out to a young girl who has become too used to being alone, a middle school student falling for a senpai who can use magic and a cat who wants only to comfort a young girl whose mother has disappeared. All of these are worthy healing tales, and even though Momo largely remains in the background as the thin thread that pulls it all together, it remains a highly enjoyable series.

Sketchbook 17-18: Summer has come to the world of Sketchbook, and despite the lack of cats, our protagonists are outside, enjoying everything from the beach to insects. In terms of amusement, this series is really going from strength to strength- even if you were underwhelmed by the anime, you must try it.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 195-6: The purification ceremony is finally here, but when Sakura and Syaoran enter the shrine, an unpleasant surprise is waiting- Fei Wong has opened a portal, and branded Sakura with a deadly curse, all because Syaoran hesitated in saving her. What does this all mean for the plot? CLAMP only knows.

xxxHOLiC 162: At long last, a new customer has come to the shop with a rather unusual request- she wants to learn how to cook. But whilst Haruka might reflect on how far Watanuki has come, for the rest of us it’s a rather strange turn of events- is xxxHOLiC about to become the new Masterchef? Has the series run out of steam?

]]> http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/08/15/weekly-round-up-august-15th/feed/ 2 http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/02/29/weekly-round-up-february-29th/ http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/02/29/weekly-round-up-february-29th/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:18:34 +0000 Karura http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/02/29/weekly-round-up/

It’s a unique opportunity to be able to post this on February 29^th, which also happens to be the day when we girls can propose- possibly why they told me not to come to dancing on Fridays anymore.

Reviewed this week: Aria 8, Himawari!! 2, Kaiji 20, Persona 6, Shion no Ou 17, Shounen Onmyouji 21-2, Spice and Wolf 8, Sisters of Wellber 12

…and in manga: Elfen Lied 82, Erementar Gerad (Elemental Gelade) 27, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 9, Nodame 107-8, Ten 1, Tsubasa 183, Twin Spica 8, Yostuba&! 53

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – predictable but fun
4. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- mediocre
5. Love GetChu! (6)- light entertainment

Aria the Origination 8: Yet again I am saddened by the impending conclusion to this series, because this Athena and Alice-centric episode only proves how much more there is to experience in Neo Venezia. This week, Alice becomes upset when Athena is too busy to go on a picnic with her, leading to Athena epically slipping on a banana peel and pretending to lose her memory. It’s not the best episode of the season, but is an enjoyable outing nonetheless, with plenty of Martian cat action from Presidents Maa and Aria, whilst next episode promises the emergence of the “Orange Princess”.

Himawari!! 2: It’s time for another episode and another bizarre enemy as Himawari!! presses on- this time with a weird mushroom that spells disaster for Hayato and Shikimi (when will people learn not to eat strange mushrooms?). There are starting to be hints that some of the mysteries set up by the first scene of season one might actually be addressed this time around, and while I’m not too hopeful on that count, it would at least make up for having a shadowy villain and some sort of main plot this season.

Kaiji 20: At the beginning of this episode, Kaiji is busy getting violent in the bathroom- has he finally lost it, or is it part of a plan to frustrate Tonegawa’s cheating? It’s funny to think that one round of a simple card game can be elevated to such tension-inducing heights, but that’s exactly what Kaiji excels at, and even though it isn’t hard to guess the outcome, it will take a particularly disconnected person not to get pulled along on the emotional ride. Bring on episode twenty-one.

Persona Trinity Soul 6: It’s time for an episode away from the main plot (or indeed any plot at all), as Megumi and Kanaru become ‘Chief for a Day’ at the police station to replace an idol who cannot make it, and Ryou dons a bear suit with which to anonymously fight off minor villains. It’s throwaway in the general scheme of things, but it does provide a welcome let-up from the more serious side of this series.

Shion no Ou 17: The fated rematch between Shion and Satoru is here, and it’s time to inject a bit more depth into Satoru’s character- he may be a complete and utter bastard, but he has issues. There’s also an interesting revelation when Shion starts regaining her memories, and although I’m still more interested in the shougi side of things, this twist makes the murder storyline more appealing than it has been up to now. Surely the series can’t be ending soon- my appetite for it is only increasing.

Shounen Onmyouji 21-2: Another two episodes of Shounen Onmyouji have been cleared, and now the forces of evil have managed to take control of Guren, ensuring that there will be a massive mid-boss and final boss showdown come the end. It’s as mediocre as ever, but the end is now in sight, and those evil demons will surely be vanquished.

Spice and Wolf 8: If you’re wondering what happened to episode seven, wonder no longer- for some reason it’s a DVD only episode that we won’t be seeing until the end of May (why they couldn’t just call this episode 7 and make the DVD only one episode 6.5 or move it to 13, I can’t explain). Anyway, it doesn’t make much difference to this episode, in which Horo consumes copious amounts of alcohol before helping Lawrence profit in his pepper sales. Coincidentally enough, I’m currently reading a book on ‘behavioural economics’ at the moment, which includes a chapter on relationships based on market norms and social norms; who knows, I might start analysing Lawrence and Horo’s relationship and become a full fledged member of the blogworld intelligentsia instead of an irreverent faker!

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 12: This is one of those episodes that makes you wonder what the point of everything that preceded it was, for having spent most of the season running away from Sangatras and trying to reach Greedom, Princess Rita now attempts to end things by giving herself up. Will she be able to sway Gernia, or will his ruthless father and mother-complex conspire against her? Well, we all know nothing too drastic can happen, or there wouldn’t be a second season.

MANGA

Elfen Lied 82: It’s the calm before the storm in this episode as everyone comes home for a quiet dinner together, and Nozomi awaits the results of her music college entrance exams. It’s one of those chapters where nothing really happens, but it gives readers a pleasant break right before the action steps up again.

Erementar Gerad 27: Volume seven finally begins, and it is clear that the manga is about to go head and shoulders over the anime from now on. Whilst Viro continues to be evil in quiet corners, Coud and the party trek through the woods until they reach a broken cable car- can Coud use his mechanical skills to fix it? It may not sound like much, but as it is better paced and presented than the anime, it already has my seal of approval.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 9: After deciphering the secret message in “Mozart’s lullaby”, Beethoven and the others are led to the statue of Prince Tomino- a character from The Magic Flute- but what about this statue could be so important that one person has already lost their life trying to uncover it? It’s been hard to maintain the flow of this series with chapters coming out so slowly, but nonetheless the mystery is still intriguing enough to keep me coming back for more.

Nodame Cantabile 107-8: Having missed her recital, Chiaki can’t help feeling guilty, and after apologising to Nodame, he invites her to come to Vienna with him- but with both their lives getting steadily busier, is it folly for Chiaki to think Nodame will always be around for him? Meanwhile, these two chapters also see the reintroduction of Kiyora Miki, who is still having problems breaking past the barrier of good playing and achieving a truly great competition-winning performance.

*NEW* Ten 1: Set twenty-three years after Akagi, Ten tells the tale of a very different mahjongg player- an easygoing man who nonetheless has the balls to cheat even yakuza. In this first chapter, Ten meets and plays a young man whose cold and logical skills make him seem more like a computer, and after losing to him time and again, Ten has to pull his cheating move in the last round. It’s not quite as exciting as Akagi’s actual skill, but you can’t help admiring the blatant cheating whilst hoping Ten has more tricks up his sleeve.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 183: The time has come to return to Clow Country (yes, that’s where it all began, and like me, you might wonder why we bothered to actually go anywhere in the first place), and in order to get our heroes back there, Yuuko and the Mokonas must expend all their energy, whilst Fei Wong waits patiently in his chair. That’s pretty much all that happens in this episode- after all, we wouldn’t want to take things too quickly now, would we?

Twin Spica 8: As volume two concludes, the evil Beruze teacher continues his plan to get Asumi to drop out of space school, calling her up for a private meeting and destroying her self-confidence with some unpleasant home truths. The evil teacher is my least favourite part of the series, so I hope that we can move on from him soon.

Yotsuba&! 53: Yotsuba and Jumbo have been left to look after the house together, but when Yanda comes round, the usual brand of randomness ensues. This isn’t among my favourite chapters, but it’s still a strong instalment- it hardly seems as if this series can do any wrong.

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

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

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

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.

It’s all change behind the scenes this week, as Wordpress brings out a new dashboard; I think it’s supposed to be an improvement, but I have to admit that as far as actually managing the blog goes, I prefer the old one.

Hataraki Man has been put on hiatus until I feel motivated to watch it again.

Reviewed this week: Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 2, Busou Renkin 4, Chevalier 8, Code Geass 3, Death Note 4, Kanon 4, Keroro 62, Red Garden 3, ROTK 28, YoakeNa 4

…and in manga: Bartender 1, Hataraki Man 1, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 2-4, Phantom Dream 2, Solanin 6, Tactics 7b, YoakeNa 2

ANIME

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 2: Bakumatsu is an odd series; I don’t really know what’s going on, but I’m still able to derive some enjoyment from it anyway. This time around, our destined lead aids the acting troupe in their quest to get revenge on production line bad guy Genba Hario. It’s a reasonable episode with some good (if brief) combat scenes.

Busou Renkin 4: The earlier generals of evil were dispatched quickly, but the pace slows down here as Kazuki and Tokiko’s search for the papillon mask creator leads into final boss confrontation part one, followed by a lengthy exposition scene and the return of the third general of evil. As always it’s nothing special, but for now it continues to be averagely entertaining.

Le Chevalier d’Eon 8: Russia has finally been reached, and it seems as if everyone there is plotting some scheme or another. Whilst the series justifies its parody fodder status by including a special cross-dressing masquerade ball, various threads are set in motion for what will hopefully be a top quality story arc.

Code Geass- Lelouch of the Rebellion 3: Killing his half-brother Prince Clovis is all in a day’s work for “I have a special eye” Lelouch, and so he goes back to school to continue his normal life- albeit with a familiar-looking new student in his class. Focussing more on the characters than mecha battles, this is the best episode so far, making me actually want to watch the series instead of merely thinking that I must see the next episode at some point in order to find out what’s going on.

Death Note 4: My earlier comments about the Death Note anime still stand, but nonetheless I’m continuing to watch; where NHK was “how could they do this to the story?”, Death Note is more of a case of “it’s a good series, it just doesn’t need to be animated.” This episode sees Light enact a plan to snare the agent who has been following him of late; ideally I’d like to see the series move onto the events of around volume three, but for now I’ll take each episode as it comes.

Kanon 4: Much as I want to enjoy Kanon, episode four follows three’s trend of just not hitting the right notes for me. Once again, the series seems to be switching between too many girls for me to really care about any of them; Makoto is irritating, Ayu is lolimoe overload, and the other girls haven’t had enough development yet. I do feel slightly sorry for Nayuki, however, for being the default “only concentrate on when no one better is around” character.

Keroro Gunso 62: The ‘slightly better than before’ trend continues in episode 62, as Keroro’s second season moves ever forward. In the first half, Momoka, Natsumi and Mois attempt to steal a painting being guarded by Fuyuki, Keroro, Tamama and Giroro, whilst the second half sees Keroro fill the house with a breathable water atmosphere for some swimming fun. It’s nothing special, but it is reasonably entertaining.

Red Garden 3: Red Garden becomes slightly more interesting this week, as the girls discover more about the true nature of their predicament. I’m still not feeling much for any of the characters, but the story continues to leave unanswered questions that compel me to continue watching.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 28: Those who have read the novels or played “Guan Yu’s escape” in Dynasty Warriors will already be familiar with the content of this episode, which sees Guan Yu chop his way through several gates guarded by Cao Cao’s minor generals in order to make his way back to Liu Bei. Whilst not up to the level of episode 27, this is nonetheless an amusing instalment that continues to make the series watchable.

Yoake Mae Yori Ruriiro Na 4: I want to continue saying that this series is light fun, but unfortunately “light nap” would be a more apt way of describing my feelings after episode 4. The episode begins with a tiresomely predictable sequence in which Feena attempts to rescue a drowning dog, before moving on to a bizarre and ridiculous section in which the leads overreact to a few bugs flying around in Tatsuya’s father’s study. At least the animation has stabilised a little; an increased use of chibi mode means that the characters can at least look decent in their normal forms.

MANGA
To demonstrate how astute and on the ball I am, I have to admit that I went to Entropy-manga’s site the other day and realised that not only had I completely overlooked chapter 2 of Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies (released in August) but that Caramel Milk Tea only has four chapters, and that I have been waiting in vain for the nonexistent chapter five. Ah well, live and learn (or in my case, live and continue to make the same mistakes).

*NEW* Bartender 1: The first episode of the Bartender anime was marred somewhat by its oddly staged presentation, but fortunately the first chapter of the manga brings us the story of that episode as it was meant to be. In this version of the tale, not only does the eponymous bartender have an actual personality, but rather than serving at a legendary bar, he is looking for a job just after returning to Japan. When combined with the faster pacing of the manga, these little changes help to make the series more effective and enjoyable in manga form.

*NEW* Hataraki Man 1: If I enjoy an anime, I want to read the manga, and if I don’t enjoy an anime, I want to read the manga anyway (after all, it may be better). Since Hataraki Man falls into the latter category, it is fortunate that the manga does improve on the anime a little bit; the lead seems like a slightly stronger personality, and Tanaka gets more exposure. Nonetheless, many of the flaws seen in the anime remain, but I’ll give the series a little longer in which to prove itself.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 2-4: Following the death of a local sheet music shop owner, Beethoven and his student Czerny find themselves drawn deeper into the mystery surrounding ‘Mozart’s Lullaby’, but just what kind of sinister secrets lurk beneath the serene surface of the world of music? Building on the strong start made in chapter one, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies offers an absorbing blend of music, mystery and character drama, not to mention the appealing historical setting and aesthetically pleasing artwork. It’s hard to say when the next chapters will be available, but I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more.

Phantom Dream 2: When Tamaki and Asahi meet a boy with a strange affinity for butterflies, they realise that he is gradually being overcome by an evil spirit- but exorcising it could kill him. As an early work from the Furuba mangaka, Phantom Dream isn’t short on drama and emotion, but unfortunately it is also a bit rough and confusing in places, especially as the character designs show little variation. A promising series, but not up to the level of pre-decline Furuba.

Solanin 6: The leads take a backseat in this chapter as the focus moves to their friend Ayugawa. Now in his sixth year at university (shades of Mayama, anyone?), he ends up on a dinner date with a fellow student where they discuss their shared love of music. It may be short and simple, but it’s an enjoyable tale nonetheless, although it’s now hard to see where this series is headed.

Tactics 7b: It’s been a while since I read the first half of this chapter, but finally the conclusion to the tale of a sick fortune teller and her sister is available. Whilst the ending is a little rushed, and Kantarou is as dislikeable as ever, this is an enjoyable chapter overall; it’s refreshing that the anime and manga have the same premise, but different individual stories.

Yoake Mae Yori Ruriiro Na 2: Whilst still not particularly good, the second chapter of YoakeNa seems to be slightly better than the first in terms of artwork and content, covering Feena and Mia’s arrival at Tatsuya’s home. Hopefully the series will pick up further once the story actually gets going.