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

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

STILL RUNNING FROM 2006

Asatte no Houkou

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

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

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

Busou Renkin

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

Le Chevalier d’Eon

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

La Corda d’Oro

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

Death Note

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

Kanon

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

Mai-Otome Zwei

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

Red Garden

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

Saiunkoku Monogatari

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

Shounen Onmyouji

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

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

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

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

Ichigo Mashimaro OVA

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

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

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA

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

Nodame Cantabile

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

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

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

Claymore

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

Darker than Black

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

Dennou Coil

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

El Cazador de la Bruja

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

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

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

Koutetsu Sangokushi

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

Lucky Star

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

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

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

Oh! Edo Rocket

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

Romeo X Juliet

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

Saiunkoku Monogatari II

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

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

Seirei no Moribito

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

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

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

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

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

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act

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

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~

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

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

Baccano!

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

Doujin Work

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

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

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

Mononoke

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

Mushi-Uta

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

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

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

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

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

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

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

Clannad

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

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

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

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

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

Kaiji

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

Minami-ke

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

Mokke

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

Moyashimon

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

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

Shakugan no Shana II

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

Sketchbook ~full color’S~

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

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

Reviewed this week: Clannad 2, ef 2, Genshiken 2 1-2, Gundam 00 2, Hero Tales 1, Higurashi Kai 14, Kaiji 2, Minami-ke 1-2, Mononoke 12, Moyashimon 1, Mushi-Uta 12, Rental Magica 2, SaiMono II 21, Seirei no Moribito 25-6, Shana II 2, Sketchbook 1

..and in manga: Elfen Lied 78, HxH 262, Tsubasa 169

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – the best of the best of the best, sir!
2. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show!
3. SaiMono II (3) – art thief
4. Baccano! (4) – eternal life
5. Kaiji (5) – nice gambling boat
6. Mononoke (7) – bake-neko <-complete!
7. Mushi-Uta (6) – big bugs <- complete!
8. Minami-ke (-) – Ichigo Mashimaro II <-new!
9. Genshiken 2 (-) – Comi-Fes <-new!
10. Mokke (8)- seven flowers of autumn
11. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (9) – I’m in despair
12. Moyashimon (-) – cute microbes <- new!
13. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (-) – lots of cats <-new!
14. Clannad (10) – sad girls in springtime
15. Gundam 00 (11) – double balls
16. ef- a tale of memories (14)- tomorrow’s me won’t be the same
17. Rental Magica (13)- episode seemed to go on forever
18. Koutetsu Sangokushi (15) – pure HARD GAY
19. Shakugan no Shana II (16)- harem+1
20. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (17) – Takano meets Hitler
21. Hero Tales (-) – generic and dull <- new!
22. Seirei no Moribito (18) – the end at last <-complete!
23. Romeo X Juliet (19) – what’s the point anymore?
24. El Cazador de la Bruja (20) – the end is in sight

Clannad 2: Two more characters are introduced in this second episode- Kotomi, a genius who spends her time in the library cutting up books, and Fuko, who likes to carve wooden stars (I know there’s a plot reason for this but I forget what it is). Meanwhile the series continues to combine the amusing (such as sidekick falling down a chute and Tomoya announcing to his class that Kyou is BI) and the dramatic (the whole issue with Tomoya and his father) and whilst watching it raw means I can’t get the most out of it directly, it remains solid enough. Don’t ask why I’m even watching it raw when it’s being subbed so quickly, I just took it into my head to make it a ‘raw project’ to assess my understanding level.

ef- a tale of memories 2: I really wish SHAFT could stop taking the mind enhancing substances for a moment and try animating something without a lots of jumps, cuts and random imagery- yes, it works for their peculiar brand of comedy, but in a more serious show like this, it isn’t doing the audience many favours. Anyway, this time around our mangaka is dragged to school purely to skip class and meet the girl from last episode, whilst Renji spends more time with Chihiro and learns that she has Sick Girl Syndrome, which in this case manifests in some kind of persistent short-term memory loss (for whatever reason, she can’t remember anything that happened more than thirteen hours ago). Yes, it’s an illness that raises many questions, but as with so many anime ailments we just have to take it at face value and not poke at the plot holes.

*NEW* Genshiken 2 1-2: I have to admit that I still haven’t got around to watching the Genshiken OVA, but never mind, I’ll get my hands on that soon and just start on the second season in the meantime. Anyway, the new season opens with Genshiken getting a place at Comiket, but now the heat is on to produce a doujin to sell there. Although it lacked some of the humour in favour of moving the story on, this was a solid enough first episode, only marred by the appearance of the irritating manga club guy and his manipulations. At least the mess he made was easily undone.

Episode two jumps ahead a month, and despite the best of intentions, neither Sasahara nor Kugayama has made any progress on the doujin- and they are both quick to blame each other. With just three days left, can Genshiken pull together and actually produce something? Even though over half this episode is basically sitting and talking, it still manages to be entertaining, but it seems that episode three will be where the story really heats up, with the doujin finally going on sale.

Gundam 00 2: Oh Sunrise, why do you even bother with all this political setup when we all know that by the end you’ll get bored and the series will turn into Gundams vs. Final Boss? Anyway, this time around Celestial Being decide to pursue their agenda of peace on earth and goodwill to all men by, er, intervening in a civil war and murdering numerous generics- surely a good example to set. In the meantime, our lead seems to be undergoing the first stages of SEED mode, whilst Haro steals the show with his “short straw!” line.

*NEW* Hero Tales 1: Even though all the promotional material indicated that it wouldn’t be any good, I knew I had to give Hero Tales a try, if only out of loyalty to FMA. Unfortunately, as expected, it was rather generic and boring, featuring a villain who wants to rule the world for some reason, and the Seven Destined Heroes led by Generic Shounen Lead. I’m not sure whether to stick with this for the sake of parody and general mockery, or whether such a thing will be too draining on the schedule.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 14: It’s Takano’s turn on “Villains: the Early Years” this time around, as we learn of the depressing childhood that put her on the path to evil- spanning everything from the death of her father, time spent in the world’s most miserable Generic Cruel Orphanage and the meeting with Adolf Hitler that led her to pursue a similar path of evil. Yes, I do feel sorry for her and regard her as more than the mere ‘gwakaka’ class of villain that she was before, but it did seem that there were some gaps in the story (is there more to be told), and just because this was more interesting than the bulk of episodes this season does not make it more than mediocre in the grand scheme of things.

“…and I am also Hitler!”

Kaiji 2: It’s time for that all-important game of Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors to begin, but in a game that’s mainly about luck, some people will take any measures to win- and our naïve young hero manages to get himself conned by one. Now backed into a corner, Kaiji must search for a way out, because if he doesn’t, then we’ll have to watch him toil away in a forced labour camp for the rest of the series. Once again (and I suspect I’ll be saying this every week), it’s very GAR and MANLY, but also highly enjoyable. Unlike Akagi, however, I don’t have the luxury of being able to watch the whole thing in one long marathon to compensate for the measured pace.

*NEW* Minami-ke 1-2: I was initially reluctant to try Minami-ke- as a tale of three school-age sisters living together, it could either turn out to be good Azumanga/Ichigo Mashimaro league, or poor Binbou/Lucky Star style. Fortunately, it turned out to be the former- an enjoyable slice-of-life tale instead of a merely dull attempt. Aside from little oddities like the drop-shaped mouths of the three leads, this series has made an amusing and entertaining start with nothing more than short sketches about the daily lives of the characters- I must write about what makes series of this type work as opposed to those that fail miserably.

*COMPLETE* Mononoke 12: The medicine seller’s journey has finally come to an end with the unravelling of the mystery behind the dead reporter who triggered this series of events. All-in-all, this was a solid arc and a nice conclusion to a series that managed to deliver overall, but it just seems a shame to cut it short here- if only we could have both a second season and some insight into the character of the medicine seller himself.

*NEW* Moyashimon 1: The latest anime to air in the legendary noitaminA block, Moyashimon tells the tale of a boy who can see microbes with his naked eyes (they look like cute little chibi shapes) as he starts studying at an agricultural college in Tokyo. Naturally, his teachers are very interested in his apparent ability, but whilst one of them is ready to believe him, the other will take some convincing- and how much time does he want to spend with a pair of professors who have a taste for raw and rotting meat? Although the premise does seem a little strange, the microbes are so cute and well done that it is worth watching for them alone.

*COMPLETE* Mushi-Uta 12: It’s a CG bug extravanganza as the first season of Mushi-Uta comes to an end, complete with Kakkou facing off against Nanahoshi is giant final boss form, Shiika trying to survive being stabbed and the legendary Voracious Eater watching from the sidelines. It did seem as if they tried to pack in a few too many story threads into what turned out to be an extended final boss confrontation, but overall this has been an enjoyable series despite its tendency to cover everything from normal high school interaction to giant bug fights. Bring on season two.

Rental Magica 2: Even though it wasn’t particularly slow-paced or dull, this week’s episode of Rental Magica just seemed to drag on forever, and it certainly puts my long-term relationship with the series in doubt. This time around we seemed to jump back in time to the days when Itsuki was angsting over whether to become Astral’s president, during which time we see his first meeting with Adilisia and learn about a past connection with Honami. The hints about how he got his demonic eye were at least interesting, but the rest was a bit too standard to enthral. I must also note Gintama as an influence since the cat-user Nekoyashiki looks a lot like Gintoki.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 21: Yes, I know I’m a week behind (totally unacceptable for a series I profess to like so much), but these things happen so bear with me. In this episode, Shuurei and the others continue to investigate the art forgeries, with Santa’s laid back attitude getting on both Shuurei’s nerves and that of the audience. I must admit I’m somewhat put off by the number of new and minor characters that have taken precedence in this arc, but apparently it’s building into something worth sticking around for.

*COMPLETE* Seirei no Moribito 25-6: At last the long slog is over- the egg has hatched safely, Chagum is back in the palace, and Balsa has gone on her way for now. I have to admit that episode 25 was one of the best instalments in a way, with a tense action scene as the Eight Evil Men fight off a mass of La Lunga, but whilst it is usually welcome to have some sort of epilogue for a series, in this case it only meant that 26 was more on the dull side that we’ve come to expect (although Chagum and Balsa’s parting did raise a tiny bit of emotion).

Shakugan no Shana II 2: The raw project begins this week with the second episode of Shana II, which includes the usual harem elements, action and disappointing villain, as well as a rare chance to see a bento box entirely stuffed with melon bread. After dreading how bad this was going to be, it was actually quite a manageable episode, although the appearance of Hecate (?) in school at the end seems to indicate that the tiresome harem-go-round will only escalate.

*NEW* Sketchbook ~full color’S~ 1: Quirky capitalisation aside, Sketchbook offers a first episode that can only be called ‘nice’- as slice-of-life goes, it isn’t particularly outstanding, but it is so gentle and filled with cats that one cannot be offended by it. The series follows various members of an art club, with the lead, Sora, being the typical thoughtful and not very talkative type- she may be perfectly erudite in her head, but she does come across as somewhat bizarre thanks to her lack of communication skills. Even so, I must stick with it to see the promised glut of felines.

MANGA

Elfen Lied 78: Bandou finally meets his long-delayed end in this chapter, which is basically a tearful goodbye between him and Mayu. It should be an emotional moment, but since he’s cheated death so many times, it’s more a case of relief that he’s gone now.

Hunter X Hunter 262: It’s been over eighteen months, but Togashi has finally produced a new chapter of HxH- the question is, was it worth the wait? Sadly, not really, for whilst the artwork is better than before, backgrounds are still completely nonexistent and the story has yet to go anywhere- let’s just start end the preparations and start the attack on King before Togashi gets ‘ill’ again.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 169: CLAMP must have been reading FMA of late, because this time around Fuuma shows up with an artificial arm for Kurogane, the payment for which is the last of Fye’s magic. That aside, the time all the fanboys have been waiting for is here- after many, many volumes, Seishirou is finally back, but it remains to be seen just what he is after this time (possible Fye since he is now a vampire).

Ten years ago, the Mushi started appearing- mysterious bug-like creatures that give their hosts supernatural powers in exchange for slowly but steadily consuming their dreams. Fuelled by the power of the Mushi, different factions sprang up, each aggressively pursuing their own agenda- and often unaware that the people they fight with their Mushi are often the alter egos of their closest friends.

When I first heard of Mushi-Uta, my initial thoughts (after realising it wasn’t some kind of Mushishi/Utawarerumono fusion) were that it was going to be a supernatural series with a Mushi-of-the-week format. What I got was something rather different, and, expectations aside, it took quite a bit of getting used to.

Over the course of the first few episodes, the series offered a bizarre mix of bug-on-bug action and regular high school romance and interaction, all presented in a rather incomprehensible fashion. Just who were all these disparate factions skulking around in the shadows? Would anyone really jump across a railway track in front of a train because they saw a person who may or may not be a girl from their past? Why was there a pendulum swinging from a giant centipede?

No, it wasn’t the most auspicious or easy to follow of starts, and if you could even remember the names of the main characters, then you could be said to be doing well. Nonetheless, it was worth sitting through this early confusion, because as it settled down, Mushi-Uta began to show something in the way of quality. From the developing relationships between our three leads (each of whom is initially unaware of the others’ alter egos as Mushi users) to an arc that elevates a minor supporting character into something far more, Mushi-Uta always had something interesting to offer. Even the ending, which Hinano aptly called “End of Mushigelion”, tried to do something a little beyond the standard final boss confrontation, and although the result left something to be desired in terms of explanation, it was at least a worthy effort.

Whilst even remembering their names is often something of an effort (as mentioned above), Mushi-Uta actually has quite a varied cast, each of whom has been forced into different circumstances by their Mushi powers. Although no one really stands out on their own, the cast as a whole presents an interesting front; unsurprisingly, it is the three leads- Daisuke, Shiika and Rina- who get the most attention, but there are plenty of other characters who contribute something to the story as a whole- hopefully at least some of them will be fleshed out a bit more in season two.

As with many novel-based series, Mushi-Uta brings some strong and aesthetically pleasing character designs to the screen, and for the most part, the rest of the visuals are strong too, with only some of the more extreme CG Mushi letting the side down. Background music is largely unobtrusive but with the occasional good track that merits further attention, whilst the OP and ED are both slow starters that culminate in catchy themes.

Final Thoughts
Although there was a lot that never made sense in Mushi-Uta, somehow the series managed to pick itself up from a confusing start and present a series that was surprisingly enjoyable despite an overall lack of clarity. Although I never thought I would say this when it began, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store when season two comes along.
Tier: Bronze+

The judges’ verdict
Beige: Well, it was interesting, to say the least- I found myself fascinated even though I didn’t
Pink: I found the romantic side of it to be the best part, the rest was just silly.
Blue: I don’t like all this confusing stuff- keep it simple and straightforward, thank you very much.
Orange: A highly artistic accomplishment- I can’t wait to see more!

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

Yay, a cat.

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

“Don’t mind us, we’re naked.”

The Naruto cosplayers are out in force.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

Reviewed this week: Aria OVA, Darker than Black 22-3, Dennou Coil 14, Higurashi Kai 10-11, Koutetsu Sangokushi 13, Mushi Uta 9, Oh! Edo Rocket 7-15, SaiMono II 18, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6, Seirei no Moribito 22

…and in manga: Aria 26, REC 33, Shinigami no Ballad 3

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

*ONE-OFF* Aria the OVA ~Arietta~: Although OVA sequels to TV series are usually a disappointment, I had every faith the Aria would be different, and indeed, as usual it came up with the goods. A quietly introspective tale which sees Akari worrying about the day she will head Aria Company, and Alicia thinking back to her early days as a prima, Arietta is basically like a TV series with higher production values, so enjoyable and good looking that although I wanted to hammer the screencap key, I could do more than just sit and drink it all in.

Darker than Black 22-3: Whilst episode 22 rounds off the penultimate arc with Mao getting captured by Evening Primrose (prompting a most illogical resuce from Hei), episode 23 pushes forth into the final arc with a look into Hei’s past and various motivations revealed. The trouble is that it now feels as if all the layers of depth and mystery that once made the series seem so good have all been abandoned in favour of a conventional ending that seemingly wraps everything up without really answering anything.

Dennou Coil 14: I’m no fan of recap, and indeed I was longing for something a little more exciting after waiting so long for the series’ return, but it’s a credit to the sheer brilliance of Dennou Coil that this is by far and away the best recap episode I’ve ever seen, and is also a lot better than non-recap episodes of many series. Anyway, this episode is framed by Fumie’s brother Akira as he collects data on his sister and her friends via his miniature cyberpet Mizzet (such a cute little cat), finishing up with some story development as Haraken encounters a mysterious boy who may well be 4423. Now roll on episode fifteen, for never again must I go without Dennou Coil for so long.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 10-11: After yet more campaigning, Satoko finally finds the courage to ask for help and is saved from Evil Uncle Teppei, but even though it seems as if fate has been cheated, disaster is just around the corner as Takano finally reveals her evil nature. Since I knew this was coming, I can’t say I really care, although I do find the whole ‘Hinamizawa Syndrome’ element of the story disappointingly ridiculous, whilst Satoko’s abuse storyline continues to annoy.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 13: There’s even more jealousy, HARD GAY love and pure cheesiness in the latest episode of Koutetsu, which sees Wu’s army idle around and do nothing whilst Zhou Yu and the Pleasure Rangers head off to fight Wei (that’s seven people against an entire army). Meanwhile, Lu Xun is having some teenage tantrums because Zhou Yu had sex with Zhuge Liang ordered Zhuge’s death, but after a whole episode of his petulant attitude, he ultimately has to accept that Zhou Yu is a destined main character when he too gains the power of the Pleasure Rangers. As you can tell, there’s no point even reviewing this series seriously- when you’ve got sentai teams in ancient China, it’s clear no one is meant to watch it with a straight face.

Mushi-Uta 9: Mushi-Uta is back, and whilst its two week hiatus has thrown the momentum off for me, this is still an enjoyable enough “it had to happen eventually” episode. Yes, Shiika has finally plucked up the courage to go out on a date with Lead, which inevitably leads not only to Rina finding out about their relationship, but sees Lead discovering that the two lead girls are both Hosts.

*CATCH-UP* Oh! Edo Rocket 7-15: Nine episodes later, and I absolutely love Oh! Edo; this is the show that has everything- comedy and craziness nestle alongside action, darker elements and surprisingly, an actual plot. From an episode where several characters accidentally get turned into cats to an enemy with a penchant for draining the blood of young women, everything about this series is memorable, enjoyable and addictive- why did I take so long to watch this series? If anyone hasn’t started this yet, clear a space in your schedule.

It’s nice to know they’re thinking of us.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 18: I waited for weeks whilst SaiMono went on hiatus and showed recaps, and now we get back to the main series just in time for a –recap episode? I thought I must have read it wrong, but even though this counts as part of the main series, it is indeed a recap, framed by Ryuuki, Shuuei and Kouyuu discussing recent events in Sa Province. I’m a little sad to see Ryuuki so completely reduced to a comic relief character here, although for the most part I just let my brain go into idle mode as the flashbacks played. At least next episode looks to be introducing Suou and Seiga, even if the ‘golden tanuki statue’ seen in the preview looks a bit fillerific.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6: At long last, another episode of Sensei is available, and whilst it isn’t up to the level of the first few, it is still very welcome. In the first half, Kafka visits the doctor, only to discover that he is Nozomu’s brother, which somehow leads to all the girls visiting the Itoshiki family home during a rather bizarre arranged marriage ceremony in which mere eye contact corresponds to tying the knot. It’s delightfully random, but somehow it just didn’t take my fancy as much as the earlier episodes.

Seirei no Moribito 22: After a touch more action in the flashback arc, Seirei returns to Sitting and Talking for the remainder of the episode, with Balsa having a nice long chat with Chagum, before Chagum almost gets trapped in a vision of Nayug and Tanda steps in to effectively confess his feelings to Balsa- oh yes, and there’s also a Chagum training montage with obligatory insert song. Unfortunately, I’m past the point of really caring, and much as I hate to admit to sloppiness, I did end up scrolling through a Makai Kingdom FAQ whilst the mid-section of the episode was playing.

MANGA

Aria 26: The sixth volume of Aria commences in style, with another segment I recall from the anime in which Alicia and Athena relate how the three senior unidines met and trained together just as their juniors do now. It’s getting hard to review Aria now, though, because what can I do every week except gush over how much I love it? The artwork is beautiful, the stories are charming, touching and all sorts of other complimentary adjectives- in short, it’s one of my favourites,

REC 33: The nascent love triangle heats up in this chapter, in which Matsumaru collapses from exhaustion in the middle of an errand for the animation studio, causing Aka to take over for him- even if this means confronting her sister Ao. Naturally, as typically happens in this situation, Ao is willing to forgive her estranged sister- but only if she hands over her boyfriend. As always, it’s a formulaic and predictable story, but just worthy enough for me to keep reading.

Shinigami no Ballad 3: The first volume of SnB’s manga incarnation comes to an end here (and yes, the chapters are extra long), as Momo visits a dying grandmother who wishes to relate a tale of a young girl who waited six years for her first love to return, only to find that in the process of growing up the reality had become very different from her dream guy. It’s a storyline that’s been used before, but somehow this manga makes it good nonetheless- in fact, I think I appreciate this series and its healing qualities much more as a manga than in animated form. Hopefully the novels are even better.

Mushi-Uta second season
Fourteen novels, twelve anime episodes- it was always clear that a single season of Mushi-Uta wasn’t going to get very far with the story unless it rushed along at breakneck speed. Since the anime seemed to be doing the exact opposite with regards to pacing, it’s a relief to learn that there will be a second twelve episode season airing sometime after the first. I’ll admit that I didn’t take to Mushi-Uta straightaway, but now that I’m enjoying the series, I’m happy to have more of it forthcoming.
Ryuuki says: Two seasons just to get to twenty-four episodes? Here in the land of Saiunkoku, we can manage three times that number…although we don’t have quite as many novels.

Gundam 00 split down the middle
Like Code Geass before it, Gundam 00 is to be split into two 25 episode seasons with an unspecified break in the middle, ensuring that we won’t see the conclusion until sometime in 2009. Somehow, the thought of committing that much of my life to a mere Gundam series seems like a little too much, especially with the potential for flashback episodes that it raises.
Ryuuki says: Two seasons really do seem to be all the rages these days, but we’d rather spend those two years with Shuurei than watching a Gundam series. Mind you, ruling an empire in space might be an interesting change of pace…

Pizza Hut’s next step to world domination
They had Code Geass by the throat before moving in on Darker than Black, but now Pizza Hut has found its next victim- the Evangelion 1.0 remake movie. Customers ordering a medium sized pizza will get their meal in an Eva-themed pizza box, whilst Pizza Hut Club members (who knew there was such a club?) can also download an Eva wallpaper for their computer. Ordering online also lets customers enter a prize draw to win one of fifty life-size cardboard Rei stand-ups. This represents a major step forward in the Pizza Hut-anime alliance, going from mere animated advertisement to actual physical products. Surely the only way forward is to create a Pizza Hut anime, similar to the Gundam Pizza Hut and Disgaea: Pizza Version I suggested before?
Ryuuki says: This pizza surely cannot be as tasty as Shuurei’s manjuu buns, but if their empire poses a threat to the land of Saiunkoku, we must mount a defence.

Need new SaiMono? Just hang on a bit longer…
The weeks without new episodes of Saiunkoku Monogatari have been difficult to endure, but after a summer hiatus with only recap episodes airing, the second season is set to continue with episode 18 airing on the 15^th of September. Thanks to Impz for pointing this out.
Ryuuki says: We hope everyone will enjoy our new arc.

DBZ Live-Action…déjà vu, anyone?
Although the report cannot be confirmed, it seems as if Fox’s long-slumbering DBZ live action project may be alive again. Since rumours of this movie have been flying around for the last four to five years, however, I have little confidence in ever seeing it actually appear, and even if it did, I doubt I would care enough to watch it.
Ryuuki says: Live action could never achieve the beauty and bishiness of our world.

Reviewed this week:

…and in manga: Spiral 49-50, Tsubasa 163-4

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – recap episode? Don’t make me wait!
2. SaiMono II (2) – who will win Eigetsu’s heart?
3. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (3) – despair!
4. Darker than Black (4) – not bad, could be better
5. Baccano! (5) – I don’t know what’s going on, but I like it
6. Mushi-Uta (7) – best episode yet
7. Mononoke (6) – siscon
8. Doujin Work (9) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
9. Oh! Edo Rocket (-) – bizarre yet fun <-new!
10. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – pure HARD GAY
11. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (10) – “dull, dull, dull”
12. Romeo X Juliet (12) – what’s the point anymore?
13. Seirei no Moribito (13) – an exercise in monotony
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – useless Nadie

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shounen Onmyouji (1)- a new episode after so long
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (8)- demoted to slow
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – Rita gets a new job
4. Love GetChu! (2)- light entertainment

ANIME

Baccano! 4: I may still have only the faintest of ideas as to what is going on, but Baccano remains enjoyable despite its incomprehensible nature. Whilst this episode largely focuses on Ladd, a psychotic character who, as the title tells us, likes both talking and killing a lot, we continue to follow the threads of various other cast members, both on the Flying Pussyfoot and in events beforehand. Once again, Isaac and Miria remain the most memorable and likable pair, although really aside from the strange names it’s all good.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 8: After a good pair of episodes, Higurashi has become dull again, with Satoko’s evil uncle returning once again to abuse her and lead to a series of events much like the one in a previous arc. I know I should care about Satoko’s plight, but it’s hard to do so by this stage, whilst reading detailed spoilers for this arc means that there are no surprises to liven things up a bit.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 12: Koutetsu seems to fluctuate between genres with each passing episode- just last time it all turned into sentai Pleasure Rangers, and before that it was Dynasty Warriors-based and shounen, but now it’s gone back to full on HARD GAY (more so than most parodies). In this episode, Lu Xun gets desperate when Zhuge Liang skips out on a night with him to enjoy some dangerous Pleasure with Zhou Yu, leading to various declarations of love and a scene in which a half-naked Zhuge lounges on a bed and encourages Zhou Yu to take a look at something nestled in his crotch.

Mononoke 5: The second arc concludes in this episode, in which the character of the arc admits the feelings of siscon that lie at the root of the current Ayakashi. Whilst it isn’t as good as episode four, this is at least a solid conclusion to the arc with a little twist post-credits; certainly this arc has been better than the first, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next one brings.

Mushi-Uta 8: Poor Asami; she was all cut out to be an inconsequential friend of the important female characters, but instead she finds herself a target of Psychotic Blonde and her team, leading to an exciting chase through the world inside a video camera. I’m actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this episode; from its confusing beginnings this has really picked up, and I’m looking forward to watching the rest.

*SLOW CATCH-UP* Oh! Edo Rocket 1: I didn’t have time to watch 2-10, but I’ve started on the previously ignored Oh! Edo Rocket, and whilst it isn’t top tier, it’s a lot better than certain other titles on the list. Although the core story is about an era where luxuries are banned in Edo and a fireworks maker who flouts this law, there’s also a lot more going on, from strange Men in Black to battles between giant blue and white monsters (extremely well animated battles at that). It’s entirely bizarre in a way that threatens to eclipse even Futakoi Alternative, but at the same time that’s the draw- you just have to keep watching to see what happens next.

Romeo X Juliet 19: After many episodes of nothing much happening, Juliet and the others put on a play that echoes the main story and sparks a revolution- one that could have happened thirteen episodes ago. Whilst Juliet becomes the Red Whirlwind once more, allies and their pegasi show up from nowhere to help storm both a hidden fortress and the walls of Neo Verona itself, whilst Montague’s well trained soldiers come under fire from such deadly projectiles as cut roses. I should be happy that events are least moving forward now, but I’ve been so dulled by the episodes of inaction that I cannot rouse myself to care anymore.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 5-6: In an unprecedented turn of events, not one but two episodes of Wellber were on offer this week. First up, our heroines try to cross the border, but with Galahad on their tail and yet another troublemaker of the week seeking to turn them in, they will have to rely on some predictable tricks to make it past the checkpoint. Next, a blizzard separates Rita from the others, leaving her alone with Galahad and a bunch of poisonous spiders. There are no real surprises to be had here, but these two are certainly an improvement on the prostitute episode, moving the series from barely entertaining to mildly so (and on its worst day, it remains more watchable than a certain series about a bounty hunter and a witch).

A shame no one told this to the cast of Seirei no Moribito.

MANGA

Spiral 49-50: Volume ten and the Kanone saga finally come to a close here, with everything going down to the wire as the last moves in Ayumu’s plan are played out, and Kanone meets his fate. As always, the series puts in even more twists than you were expecting, and whilst this confrontation has arguably gone on for a bit longer than necessary, it remains a strong conclusion to a generally enjoyable arc. I’m approaching the next part with both anticipation for new material and a certain degree of trepidation, given both Hinano’s warnings and the spoilers I’ve read.

Tsubasa Chronicle 163-4: There are times when I wonder if it’s even worth continuing with this series anymore, and this is one of those times. In these two chapters, Ashura confronts Fye (or should that be Yuui now that we know the truth) and starts hurting his friends in an attempt to get the magician to kill him, even bringing out Sakura’s soulless body to up the stakes. The trouble is, with so many twists adding unneeded baggage to what was once a simple and straightforward story, everything threatens to collapse under the weight of its own inconsistency and unanswered questions- and worse yet, the treacle pace has become so slow that it takes weeks for anything of note to properly occur. Nonetheless, I shall continue for now (didn’t I once say this about the now abandoned School Rumble?).

I’ve been awfully negligent about these introductions lately, haven’t I? To make up for it, here are links to some amusing videos- Minesweeper the movie and Facebook Off. Trust me, they’re worth clicking on.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 3, Darker than Black 20, El Cazador 20, Higurashi Kai 7, Koutetsu Sangokushi 11, Mai-Otome Zwei 4, Mononoke 4, Mushi-Uta 7, ROTK 47, RxJ 18, Seirei no Moribito 19, Sisters of Wellber 4

…and in manga: SaiMono 7, Spiral 48, Twin Spica 5+flashback

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) – despair!
4. Darker than Black (4) – not bad, could be better
5. Baccano! (5) – I don’t know what’s going on, but I like it
6. Mononoke (6) – what do you fear the most?
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 (10) – Hanyu makes it all better
11. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – pure cheese
12. Romeo X Juliet (12) – what’s the point anymore?
13. Seirei no Moribito (13) – an exercise in monotony
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – useless Nadie

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shounen Onmyouji (1)- a new episode after so long
2. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
3. Sisters of Wellber (2) – Rita gets a new job
4. ROTK (4)- done and dusted <-complete!

OVA RANKINGS

1. MariMite (2)- more HARD YURI than ever
2. Mai-Otome Zwei (3)- white cat <-complete

Baccano! 3: With this episode, I have even less of a grasp of what is going on, but much like Iroha in its day, I am enjoying myself nonetheless (in fact, I’d go so far as to say that this has the potential to be better than Iroha. In this episode, we follow the threads of various characters, as criminal activities mix in with a mysterious ability to cheat death. I may not know what’s happening, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it.

Darker than Black 20: Another arc concludes and we’re still no closer to finding out the truth about this world; instead, the episode is spent trying to rescue Shihoko and getting to Alma. Some interesting contract remunerations are revealed, but aside from that, there’s not a huge reason to care about the deaths of yet more characters we just met. Although I’m appreciative of how this arc fleshed out Huang beyond his initial shallow and dislikeable image, it once again feels like something we should have seen nearer the beginning of the series, not six episodes from the end.

El Cazador de la Bruja 20: After nineteen slow, boring and pointless episodes of El Cazador, the twentieth episode marks a change by being…slow, boring and pointless. Having succumbed to the green-eyed monster of jealousy when he sees how close Ellis and Nadie have become, L.A. decides to enlist the police to capture and kill Nadie, only to change his mind and decide to kill her himself mere minutes later. Meanwhile, Ricardo and Lirio show up to help out, Blue Eyes appears to observe and Nadie proves herself to be so useless that even a generic can cause her to trip over a dustbin lid. Whatever immunity I had last week also seems to be breaking down, as this once again felt like about fifty minutes rather than twenty-five.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 7: Unlike previous worlds, everything seems to be conspiring to make sure that none of our leads spirals off into a psychotic rampage- thanks to dream-memories of earlier tragedies, each takes the action needed to prevent disaster. Even so, Hanyu is sure that this world will end in failure as well, and even though detailed spoilers tell me how everything will turn out in this arc, it is still proving to be more satisfying than Higurashi has been in a long time.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 11: It cannot be denied anymore- Koutetsu Sangokushi is not just cheese, it is pure unadulterated mature cheddar. In this episode, our heroes condense the historical battle of Chi Bi into a battle against Wei’s implausible ship, the Red Cliff, and never have I seen something so unintentionally hilarious. After a lot of HARD GAY innuendo and predictable moves by our characters, our six main heroes actually get teleported inside the Sovereign’s Seal (or, as I call it, the Lord’s Cube), where they are each given magical Gundam Musou Dragoon Ranger powers, and the whole thing turns into a sentai show. As always, it’s not what I was expecting when I started this show, but the whole thing is a laugh riot.

*COMPLETE* Mai-Otome Zwei 4: I think it’s time to accept that Mai-Otome will never leave my life, but that doesn’t mean we have to be comfortable bedfellows. I want to leave the full shredding to its own dedicated post, but suffice to say that this final instalment in the Zwei OVA is basically a boss battle against the evil shadow Otome (now in the shape of giant Fumi), and Arika and Nina defeat it (Nina makes a contract with Mashiro) whilst Mai fights Kagutsuchi and the other Otome tackle nameless monsters off screen. It’s poor quality, senseless and largely pointless, but because it actually has fighting scenes, it is one of Otome’s better moments. And as if the wasn’t enough, a new prequel OVA(?) is said to be coming soon- Mai-Otome S.ifl. More on that this Sunday.

Mononoke 4: The good yet bizarre second arc of Mononoke continues in this episode (and yes, it’s definitely to be continued), as an Umizatou (basically a monstrous fish man with hideous smacking lips) boards the ship and asks everyone what their greatest fear, before showing them a disturbing and hideous illusion. By the end of the episode, we discover who brought the ship to this place and why, but on the way there’s plenty of creepy and borderline imagery to see- and to my surprise, I’m actually enjoying it.

Mushi-Uta 7: Whilst three new characters arrive in town to search for Fuyuhotaru, Asami continues to adjust to her new powers- and it seems certain that the various factions will be coming after her soon. I finally feel as if I have a somewhat more solid (if not complete) grasp of what is going on, although as before I am more drawn to the character interactions and their double lives than to the whole Bug Master aspect that I initially expected to be the most appealing element.

*COMPLETE* Romance of the Three Kingdoms 47: Well, it’s finally over, and with that this series can be put to rest. In this episode, the battle of Chi Bi concludes with the fire attack on the Wei ships, and although the narrator tells us that this is only the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era proper, as far as this series goes, it is the end of an era of mixed cheese, unintentional hilarity and stretches of boredom. No one else should ever attempt to watch it.

Romeo X Juliet 18: Francisco and Conrad have ordered some swords for the previously unmentioned mounted cavalry strike on Neo Verona, but since doing such a thing would advance the plot too far too fast, everyone decides to break off and perform one of Shakespeare’s plays (that’s the Shakespeare in the series, not the genuine article). Meanwhile, Romeo and his prisoner friends start making the abandoned village prosperous again- if this was some kind of simulation game, it might be enjoyable, but this is an anime, and right now it’s anime that’s going nowhere, and will probably continue to go nowhere right up until the end.

Seirei no Moribito 19: This week on Seirei no Moribito, the exciting crunch time continues as our characters try Sitting and Talking! Talking! Talking! Try not to fall off the edge of your seat as our undefeated heroine Balsa seats herself on a mat and takes on Tanda in the mightiest conversational battle you’ve ever seen! Tremble with fear as no fewer than Eight (that’s Eight, ladies and gentlemen) Evil Men skulk around the edge of a village and politely ask questions about our heroes! Feel the adrenalin flow as Chagum tries to Slowly Walk Away From Home with a village girl, only to meet Balsa in the Showdown of the Century! Will he run her through with her own spear so that he can go home to Mummy and Shuga, or will she easily deflect the untrained boy, slap him in the face and tell him to stop being so Damn Annoying? Find out by calling your cable provider and asking them to hook you up to Seirei no Moribito! Don’t watch this all in one go, because the excitement will Blow Your Mind!

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 4: It’s been a while since we had any Wellber, but now episode four has appeared, in which Rita is forced to hide in what turns out to be the red-light district. Naturally, Rita’s complete lack of understanding first sees her almost getting employed as a prostitute herself, before deciding to campaign against the evils of women selling themselves (surely a counterpart to the recent TV show Anne Widdecombe vs. Prostitution) and then ultimately leaving all the characters of the week behind to continue her mission. It’s all rather standard and not particularly exciting, but the occasionally parody-worthy nature of this show has inspired me to consider “Saturday Special”, where I parody hand-picked episodes from various series.

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Saiunkoku Monogatari 7: It’s all the way back to the first arc once again in this chapter, as Shou Taishi’s scheme is revealed and Sa Enjun takes the fall- with his life. It’s good to relive these early parts of the story in such a compact form, although it would be even better if it was getting released a bit faster. Yes, this manga may be a mere extra course to the main meals of novel and anime, but it’s still worth having around.

Spiral 48: The confrontation with Kanone is, er, still going on, but luckily for Spiral, it remains good enough that we can pretend not to notice how long this fight has been dragging on for. Ayumu and Kanone are face to face once again, but whilst Kanone is certain that nothing can deflect the predetermined future where Ayumu kills him, our hero is about to play his last few cards. Everyone will be walking an extremely thin tightrope, but if everything comes together, their plan might just come together. I’m guessing it will, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting to read.

Twin Spica 5, flashback 2: After another flashback in which Asumi nearly drowns and visits the world between life and death (complete with some familiar faces), it’s time to get on with the present story in chapter five, which sees our heroine travel to Tokyo to start her first term in Space School. I’ve seen this all before in the anime, but even so Twin Spica is good enough to make it dramatic and heart-wrenching all over again.

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.