Mahou Shoujotai

What’s it about?: Alice has always believed in magic, so when she is transported to a world of witches and wizards, it should be like a dream come true. Unfortunately, contrary to her idealistic vision, the people of this world do not use magic only to bring happiness, and so Alice feels compelled to make everyone listen to her optimistic views- and, naïve as they may seem, they may be the only hope of finding a way to save a dying world and ward off a plan to use powerful black magic.
Why watch it?: A new type of magical girl show, Mahou Shoujotai may sound a bit saccharin, but in fact it proves to be a quirky and rewarding series from the minds at Studio 4^oC. Complete with a unique and oddly appealing art style, Mahou Shoujotai animates the world of magic we would all have liked to visit as children, but adds in tension, drama and challenges to pit our young heroines against.
Devil’s Advocate: The pacing and story development does feel a little too swift for its own good at times, although this can most likely be remedied with a re-watch to catch everything you missed the first time.
Final verdict: A highly unique series, Mahou Shoujotai redefines what it means to be a magical girl, and raises the bar for everything to come.

Master Keaton

What’s it about?: In his trademark suit and tie, Taichi Hiraga-Keaton may look like just another office worker, but this half-English, half-Japanese man is no ordinary person. After graduating from Oxford University, he served in the SAS, before becoming both an insurance investigator for Lloyd’s of London and a researcher and lecturer in archaeology- all the while making sure to spare some time for his daughter from a failed marriage! With a background like that, it is no wonder that both Keaton’s personal and professional life is filled with incidents and adventures, some of which he almost doesn’t make it through in one piece.
Why watch it?: As I said in my review last week, Master Keaton is a series good enough to recommend to anyone- regardless of whether or not they are an existing anime fan. Fronted by one of the most well developed characters to ever appear in anime, Master Keaton has it all- action, ingenious tricks, memorable situations and settings, and the ability to tell a fully fledged story within the space of twenty-five minutes.
Devil’s Advocate: Although it doesn’t detract from the quality and enjoyment of the show in any way whatsoever, it should be noted that there is no overall plot, and that the series remains entirely episodic throughout.
Final verdict: An excellent series through and through- don’t hesitate, just watch it.

Monster
What’s it about?: Kenzo Tenma had it all- a beautiful fiancée, a bright career as a surgeon, even the chance of one day becoming hospital director- until the day one simple decision changed his entire life. In the short term, the decision to save a young boy named Johan instead of a more prestigious patient sees him fall out of favour with the director, but the long-term cost is far more devastating- for, years later, Johan has grown up into a clever yet amoral murderer. Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Tenma is forced to go on the run, with the only hope of clearing his name being to find and confront the true killer- Johan himself.
Why watch it?: If Master Keaton is the epitome of episodic anime, then Monster sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, presenting a complex and well woven story that kicks in from episode one and barely lets up on the quality and suspense. Never short on development for both characters and plot, Monster must rank as one of only two occasions where seventy-four episodes actually didn’t feek like enough (the other being Hikaru no Go).
Devil’s Advocate: Again, there’s not really anything to say against this series, except that it slows down a little around episode twenty when the focus moves more onto one shot characters than the leads for a few episodes.
Final verdict: An excellent mystery series that sets the bar high for the rest of the genre.

Mushishi

What’s it about?: They are known as Mushi- a range of primitive life forms close to the ‘source’ of all living things. Most people cannot see them, but they exist all around us, and their effects are often labelled as supernatural or simply inexplicable phenomena. There are, however, a select few- known as Mushishi- who devote their lives to studying Mushi and dealing with the problems they cause. Ginko is one such Mushishi, and as he travels from place to place, he not only encounters many differents kinds of Mushi, but all the people whose lives have been affected by them.
Why watch it?: Another worthy episodic series, Mushishi takes a simple formula and applies it to great effect, presenting a collection of folk tales that combine drama with fantasy to great effect. The mushi and their effects are always interesting to see, and the setting for the whole series is nothing short of breathtaking.
Devil’s Advocate: Since the very best episodes are so good, it does mean that there are those that feel weaker in comparison- in any other series, they would be fine, but Mushishi’s standard is so high that anything less than perfection seems a little disappointing.
Final verdict: An excellent and immersive series that by rights should go on forever.

NieA_7

What’s it about?: It’s hard enough being a penniless college student, but Mayuko has more problems than most- for one thing, she has a freeloading alien named NieA living in her closet! Despite being an “Under Seven” (the lowest class of alien), NieA is positive and upbeat- the exact opposite of her unwilling roommate. Can NieA help to brighten up Mayuko’s life a little, or is she just an unwanted nuisance with a propensity for building UFOs out of junk?
Why watch it?: Based on a doujinshi drawn by Yoshitoshi ABe, NieA_7 proves to be a nice counterpoint to the dark themes of Lain and Texhnolyze, offering a lighter blend of comedy and slice-of-life. That being said, there are more serious character-based themes running through the series which give it more grounding than simple light, throwaway material.
Devil’s Advocate: After going to the trouble of including these more serious undercurrents, some of them remain woefully unresolved (such as a plotline about the mysterious alien mothership in the sky).
Final verdict: A bright and breezy comedy with strong, memorable characters- complete the ABe quartet by watching it.

Now and Then, Here and There
What’s it about?: Shuzo ‘Shu’ Matsutani lives a normal life in Tokyo until the day a chance encounter with a mysterious girl named Lala Ru results in him being sent billions of years into the future, to a time when the Sun has expanded and the Earth has become a desert world. Now, Shu finds himself caught up in a mad king’s quest for power, and a war that has raged so long that even children are conscripted into the army.
Why watch it?: It may not be Grave of the Fireflies level in terms of harsh realities, but NTHT is a strong and powerful series which conveys the effects of war without ever seeming forced or preachy. Brought to life by its distinctive and memorable characters, NTHT doesn’t hold back on putting its characters through hardship, and yet you cannot help but stay glued to the screen, rooting them on.
Devil’s Advocate: Like Fantastic Children, NTHT can be accused of quite simplistic character designs, but whilst it isn’t the strongest on the visual front, it more than makes up for this with the story.
Final verdict: ‘Children at war’ has never been done so well.

Ouran High School Host Club

What’s it about?: For the idle rich attending the exclusive Ouran High School, the resident Host Club offers the ideal way for beautiful ladies to while away the hours being charmed by handsome men. It certainly sounds like the last thing less well-off student Fujioka Haruhi would be interested in, but after accidentally breaking one of their expensive vases, Haruhi is forced to pay off the ensuing debt by becoming a host- the only catch being that Haruhi is actually a girl! Now, Haruhi must play the part of a gentleman in order to fulfil her obligations, but will her straightforward personality win over the Host Club’s men as well?
Why watch it?: Although it seems to have all the elements of a typical and perhaps not-too-enthralling “odd one out” comedy, Ouran carries itself off with an incredibly infectious enthusiasm that permeates most scenes and makes you want to laugh at the absurd antics of the characters.
Devil’s Advocate: Unfortunately, comedy is the most subjective of genres, and Ouran is no exception; not only will the humour not appeal to everyone, but even fans will tire at times- especially when overdone elements such as the Lobelia Girls’ School start outstaying their welcome.
Final verdict: Put simply, it’s over-the-top fun and no more.

Pani Poni Dash!

What’s it about?: Rebecca Miyamoto is a genius who graduated from MIT at the tender age of eleven, but now she’s about to face her greatest challenge- teaching at a Japanese high school. Join Rebecca, her eclectic class and the perpetually ignored rabbit Mesousa as they prove that high school life can sometimes prove to be anything but routine.
Why watch it?: The craziest and most random high school comedy and parody anime out there, PPD beats out the competition by simply not caring about plot and narrative conventions- each episode proceeds at the whim of the writers, surging at breakneck speed through character exchanges and references to other series. Rather than alienating viewers, however, the series is filled with such energy and vitality that you get swept along for the ride.
Devil’s Advocate: It does take a few episodes to adjust to the randomness and generally bizarre nature of the show, and it has to be admitted that it doesn’t take a great deal to tip the balance in certain episodes and turn the amusing into the slightly tiresome- even so, the hits largely outweigh the misses.
Final verdict: A bit of an acquired taste, perhaps, but certainly the best parody anime series out there.

Paranoia Agent
What’s it about?: An urban legend, or something more? For those who find themselves in desperate situations with no way out, Shounen Bat is their salvation- a juvenile baseball bat wielding attacker who seems to target those most in need of him. But just who or what is Shounen Bat exactly, and what relation does he have with Tsukiko Sagi, creator of iconic mascot Maromi and the first in a long chain of victims of the underage assailant?
Why watch it?: A TV series made up of the leftover ideas that Satoshi Kon couldn’t put into his films, Paranoia Agent uses the ‘relay method’ of storytelling to pass the baton of main character from one person to another as the series progresses, all the while unfolding a mystery that extends into the realms of the psychological. It won’t make sense first time round (and we can even assume it isn’t meant to), but it remains compelling nonetheless, with plenty of replay value.
Devil’s Advocate: The relay method also has a weakness in that a character you particularly like in one episode will most likely be gone or reduced to minor role in the next. Episode five also deserves note for being particularly weak, with its Millennium Actress-esque part-real, part-fantasy trip through an RPG style reconstruction of events not working very well in the context of the series.
Final verdict: Although its events extend into the realms of the bizarre, this is still a well done mystery series with some innovative storytelling ideas.

Planetes

What’s it about?: In the year 2075, humanity continues to follow its dream of branching out into space. Unfortunately, the final frontier is not as glamorous as some would believe, and among its many hazards is space debris- the accumulated junk over a hundred years of space exploration.

Hachirota “Hachimaki” Hoshino is a debris hauler living and working in space; together with his somewhat eccentric colleagues in Technora’s Debris Section, it is his job to clear up all the unwanted items floating in Earth’s orbit. As he works hard at his job, Hachimaki dreams of one day buying his own spaceship, but how will the arrival of fresh-face rookie worker Ai Tanabe affect not only his daily life, but perhaps his future as well?
Why watch it?: Unlike most space adventures, Planetes is a very human tale about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of going out into space, neglecting the grandiose in order to focus on the real problems people would face- from political issues to smaller day-to-day concerns. Rather than making it dull and pedestrian, however, this focus on realism and human drama actually makes Planetes one of the better sci-fi series out there, as you join the leads on their coming-of-age journey and learn, as they do, that space, whilst a worthy goal, isn’t all about glamour.
Devil’s Advocate: As an incredibly idealistic character, Tanabe can sometimes become irritatingly sentimental, in particular during an episode about the treatment of an astronaut’s remains. Overall, however, these moments are in the minority compared to the worthy content.
Final verdict: A strong space drama with memorable characters- another one that’s recommended for all sci-fi fans.

RahXephon

What’s it about?: Years ago, Tokyo was sealed by the alien Mu, who surrounded it with a barrier that made time run more slowly inside. For those inside, life continues much as normal, and Ayato Kamina is no exception- until the day he meets Haruka Shitow, a woman from the outside. Swept up in a series of events that involves those closest to him, Ayato becomes pilot of the mecha RahXephon and begins a new life on the outside fighting the Mu and their powerful song-controlled weapons, the Dolem.
Why watch it?: Although so many have lambasted it as a mere clone of Evangelion, RahXephon is actually strong enough to stand on its own two feet, even surpassing its predecessor in the opinions of many. Alongside straightforward mecha action and a story that will take several viewings and visit or two to wikipedia to get your head around, RahXephon manages to weave in character development and revelations for pretty much everyone in its extensive line up of personalities- not to mention an increasingly complex love polygon.
Devil’s Advocate: Yes, there are elements that are reminiscent of Eva, but as mentioned above, despite the strong early similarity, RahXephon soon moves off on its own track. The main complaint, therefore, is that the complexity of the storyline can sometimes get a bit too overwhelming for its own good, although this can be remedied with multiple viewings.
Final verdict: Not quite my favourite mecha series, but certainly in the top three.

Requiem from the Darkness
What’s it about?: Lacking the desire to work for the family business, Momosuke Yamaoka chose to become an author instead, but writing riddles for children isn’t exactly what he had in mind. Instead, Momosuke dreams of writing a book of ghost stories- the Hundred Stories- and so it is that he sets out to investigate the various strange tales and rumours of the supernatural that occur across Japan. Along the way, however, he becomes drawn into the affairs of a mysterious trio of people who use their otherworldly powers to investigate these paranormal incidents for themselves and administer their own brand of justice to any wrongdoers responsible. Time and time again, Momosuke crosses paths with this trio, but what are the consequences of spending too much time in their grey world that intersects those of the living and the dead?
Why watch it?: Solid and stylish, Requiem from the Darkness sidesteps the usual blandness or poor execution of many horror series in order to deliver some worthy episodic outings that gradually build up into an overall plot to be concluded at the end. With its striking imagery and memorable stories (each with their own unique twist), this truly is supernatural horror done right.
Devil’s Advocate: Whilst the weakest part of the series is no doubt its CG effects, these are rather insignificant in the overall picture.
Final verdict: Well planned and well executed- a strong horror series overall.

Saikano

What’s it about?: Shuji and Chise are a typical teenage couple- not even sure whether their friendship is ready to be deepened into love, but ready to give it a go and see how their relationship evolves. Theirs is not to be a normal romance, however, for whilst their sleepy Hokkaido town is untouched, the rest of the world is at war, and Chise has been chosen to become an Ultimate Weapon, a living being who can transform into a killing machine at a moment’s notice. How do you cope when your body is changing in ways you can’t understand, and what do you do when you’re the boyfriend of that person, able only to look on without comprehending?
Why watch it?: A heart-wrenching series about romance tested by unusual circumstances, Saikano focuses less on its setting than on the people affected by those events. Never short on the character drama, Saikano is more than the average coming-of-age tale, for these are young people who must face challenges greater than anything most people will ever encounter- and it is seeing them persevere and explore their feelings in the face of adversity that makes for such gripping material.
Devil’s Advocate: Although the ending will not sit well with everyone, the biggest complaint that can be levelled at the series is that key elements are left unexplained- why is Chise chosen as an Ultimate Weapon (admittedly addressed in the OVA), why aren’t more of her made, and what exactly is this whole war about anyway? Ultimately, however, such things are not what the series was ever meant to be about, and so if you can put those questions aside and focus on the story, it will be a worthy experience.
Final verdict: An excellent tale of drama and romance, with a unique and memorable setting.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

What’s it about?: In the country of Saiunkoku, the Eight Families of Colour are the most highly ranked in the land, but that doesn’t necessarily make them particularly well off. In particular, the household of Kou Shouka and his daughter Shuurei has fallen on some hard times, and so it is that Shuurei eagerly accepts a highly paid if somewhat unusual job to enter the palace and try to drum some knowledge and motivation into the current emperor, Shi Ryuuki. It will be no easy task, but little does Shuurei realise it will be only the first step on a long and arduous journey to fulfil her dream of becoming the country first female official.
Why watch it?: Much more than the mere reverse harem series it might appear to be, SaiMono is a tale of drama and politics with a splash of intrigue and fantasy, set in a world that has its own fully realised history. The true draw, however, are the strong and memorable characters, especially Shuurei herself, a strong and determined female lead who is nonetheless likable and very human in her doubts, emotions and fears.
Devil’s Advocate: Although some will initially be put off by the large number of bishies that appear from the start, the true weakness of the series comes in the second season, which, while it is still airing and has plenty of time to redeem itself, has been known to slow the pace a little too much to prevent catching up with the original novel material.
Final verdict: Get over your fear of bishounen and step into one of the best series to air in the past few years.

Scrapped Princess
What’s it about?: When she was born, a prophecy claimed that Princess Pacifica would bring about the destruction of the world on her sixteenth birthday, and so the king made the terrible decision to have his own child killed. Even so, through the intervention of those who could not bear to murder a baby, Pacifica survived and grew up under the protection of the Cassul family, but when assassins come after the fifteen-year-old girl, she and her adoptive siblings are forced to go on the run. Can the princess who was scrapped at birth uncover the truth behind her own destiny?
Why watch it?: Although it quickly gains sci-fi elements, Scrapped Princess can still be considered as one of the best fantasy series out there, almost qualifying for that fabled fantasy series we all hoped for thanks to its memorable setting and characters (who are generally likable if not especially complex). If you want a tale of swords and sorcery that stretches the genre beyond the clichés of Lodoss War and its clones, then this is the one to try.
Devil’s Advocate: That being said, Scrapped Princess is far from perfect- the plotting is almost too convenient at times and certain elements remain a bit too generic, whilst the inclusion of sci-fi elements in the main plot is a little disappointing.
Final verdict: Although not without its flaws, it remains an enjoyable series overall.

Serial Experiments Lain
What’s it about?: These days, everyone’s Navi (computer) is hooked up to the Wired (Internet), but for Lain, such things have never really interested her- at least until the day a classmate who committed suicide somehow sends an email to everyone after her death. Intrigued to learn where reality ends and the virtual world begins, Lain purchases her own Navi and begins surfing deeper and deeper into the Wired- but how far will she need to go to understand the nature of existence itself?
Why watch it?: Each episode of Lain is known as a ‘layer’, and as you watch the series, it is easy to find an interpretation as to why that is- starting from base reality, every instalment takes us deeper into the internet, offering plenty of food for thought along the way. Like several of the other series listed here, it won’t all make sense first time (or perhaps ever), but it is still an interesting outing.
Devil’s Advocate: Sadly, the visuals aren’t quite up to par with other ABe series, with a rather grey-brown colour scheme washing out the beauty of the original designs. Again, it also won’t sit well with people who need definitive answers and a clear plotline.
Final verdict: An interesting look into a world where reality and the internet have blended together.

Someday’s Dreamers

What’s it about?: Yume Kikuchi is an apprentice magic user who has gone to Tokyo to finish her training under qualified mage Masami Oyamada. Under Masami’s tutelage, Yume learns how to use her powers to help people, but can she ever heal the pain that lurks in the heart of her own tutor?
Why watch it?: A sweet and charming tale that combines magic with slice-of-life, Someday’s Dreamers must be the very definition of healing anime, presenting its tales with a skill that will soften even the coldest of hearts. Complete with a breezy soundtrack and beautiful visuals based on soft watercolour designs, Someday’s Dreamers is like a breath of summer in the midst of a cold winter.
Devil’s Advocate: Compared to the original manga, the series can feel a little too saccharin and sentimental at times, and some of the changes to character back stories may annoy purists.
Final verdict: A worthy healing series whose magic will brighten anyone’s life.

Sousei no Aquarion

What’s it about?: Millennia ago, humanity did battle with the mighty Shadow Angels, and now the battle has begun anew. The only hope for humans to prevail this time around is the mecha Aquarion, comprised of three separate modules piloted by teenagers believed to be the reincarnations of those who fought in the original battle. Unfortunately, the battle has not been going well, and the latest hope for a successful comeback may lie with a feral boy named Apollo, who might just be the reincarnation of the fabled Apollonius.
Why watch it?: Aware that mecha series are all too prone to taking themselves too seriously, Aquarion lightens up enough to tell a good story whilst being able poke fun itself and its pretentious fellow mecha series. Production values are also generally high, leading to top notch animation and a worthy classical-style soundtrack from the talented Yoko Kanno.
Devil’s Advocate: The only real chink in the series’ armour is ‘experimental’ episode nineteen, which uses a simplistic and disappointing animation style to complement its bizarre, drug trip story.
Final verdict: They say it’s a long journey if you can’t learn to laugh at yourself, and Aquarion is all about teaching that lesson to the mecha genre.

Spiral

What’s it about?: Who are the Blade Children? Two years ago, Kiyotaka Narumi disappeared whilst investigating that very mystery, and now it seems as if his little brother Ayumu is about to be caught up in too. Starting with a incident in school, Ayumu finds himself drawn into the world of the ‘cursed’ Blade Children, but can he really save them from their fate?
Why watch it?: An intelligent mystery series, Spiral weaves a compelling tale as it progresses, impressing viewers with its many twists, plays and counterplays. Never has a battle of wits been so well plotted and engaging, and with strong characters and worthy designs, it just gets even better.
Devil’s Advocate: Sadly, the series does lose momentum in its final arc, and since it doesn’t cover the later revelation arcs of the manga, none of the bigger questions are really answered. Treat it as Ayumu’s coming-of-age story, however, and it doesn’t work too badly.
Final verdict: An excellent mystery series, only slightly let down by an inconclusive ending.

Tactics

What’s it about?: Kantarou Ichinomiya is a writer who specialises in folk tales, and he has a special advantage in the field- he can see goblins and spirits. Together with fox spirit Youko and “goblin eating tengu” Haruka, Kantarou investigates various supernatural stories across Japan.
Why watch it?: Although it is largely episodic and highly criticised for diverging from the manga, Tactics is simply a lot of fun- and whilst Kantarou is rather dislikeable, Haruka more than makes up for it. If you want some period fantasy and supernatural that is never too demanding, this is the series to choose.
Devil’s Advocate: Tactics is another of those “Marmite” series- you’ll either love it or find that it’s nothing special. I have to admit that most people will probably fall into the latter category, but for those who appreciate its charm, Tactics is an enjoyable little series.
Final verdict: At least give it a try, because if it takes your fancy, you’ll like it a lot.

Texhnolyze

What’s it about?: In the underground city of Lux, various factions vie for power, and in the ensuing conflicts, limbs are often lost. Fortunately, those with the luck or the means can get replacements in the form of Texhnolyze, artificial limbs whose controls are keyed into the brain. After losing both an arm and a leg, fighter and loner Ichise is given new limbs, but his struggle to adapt to his nbew limbs and find purpose in his life is but one small part of a conflict that will eventually engulf the entire city.
Why watch it?: Texhnolyze is an interesting and unique series not just because of its setting, but because of its bold and unique style of storytelling. After opening with several episodes in which barely any dialogue is used, Texhnolyze tells its story through bold and vivid scenes, leaving much to the interpretation of the individual viewer.
Devil’s Advocate: Yet again, those who clamour for definite and entirely coherent storytelling will probably not gel with this series, which largely leaves the viewer to find their own answers whilst puzzling over whether what they thought just happened was really the writers’ intent.
Final verdict: You may not have any clue as to what is going on, but you’ll enjoy yourself anyway.

Twin Spica

What’s it about?: From an early age, Asumi Kamogawa has dreamed of becoming a “rocket driver”, but if she wants to have any chance of doing so, she’ll first have to go to Tokyo and enrol in Space School. With the support of her father, teacher and the masked ghost of a deceased astronaut known only as “Lion-san”, Asumi applies to do just that, and, together with the friends she makes along the way, she takes the first steps towards achieving her dream.
Why watch it?: Like Planetes, Twin Spica is a more realistic space tale, focusing on the harsh training required to become astronaut. Character drama is plentiful, with the ‘present’ story being interspersed with flashbacks that gradually provide insights into Asumi’s past and the seeds of her ambitions.
Devil’s Advocate: Whilst the ‘evil teacher’ storyline that surfaces in places is a little pedestrian, the true disappointment is that at only twenty episodes in the length, the series is unable to cover all of the manga, and is most definitely over far too soon.
Final verdict: Another strong character-drive piece which uses its sci-fi elements to drive the story rather than dominate it.

Victorian Romance Emma

What’s it about?: Victorian England may technically be a single country, but within it dwells two worlds- that of the commoners, and that of the nobles. In an era where status and the opinion of society counts for everything, a romance that breaks class boundaries seems almost impossible to countenance- at least until it actually happens. The feelings between Emma, the maid of a retired governess, and William Jones, son and heir of a wealthy businessman, cannot be denied, but can the couple ever really hope to have a proper relationship?
Why watch it?: With its appealing historical setting and solid tale of romance and drama, Emma scores highly on two fronts, and the combined result is highly enjoyable. Brought to life with the aid of a melodic Celtic-style soundtrack and some technically accomplished animation, Emma is always worthy- in its first season, at least.
Devil’s Advocate: Now, whilst the second season isn’t exactly bad, it does have a little too much material to pack into twelve episodes, and a disappointing filler opening episode does little to help matters. Ultimately, a lot is left out or changed from the original manga, and overall it doesn’t live up to the original material the way the first season did.
Final verdict: Although let down by a weaker second season, Emma is a worthy slice of historical romance.

Windy Tales

What’s it about?: Ueshima Nao loves taking photos of the sky, all in an attempt to catch the elusive wind on camera. Imagine her delight, then, when she discovers the existence of Wind Manipulators, people who can call up the wind and control it themselves. And when Nao and her friends learn to manipulate the wind themselves, they realise how everything from the gentlest breeze to the strongest gale can affect people’s lives.
Why watch it?: Another entry in the ‘gentle and charming’ slice-of-life category, Windy Tales takes the simple concept of enjoying the wind, and with the help of a touch of magic, spins it into all sorts of entertaining tales. There’s something here to bring a smile to the face of every viewer- especially if you have a weakness for wave upon wave of flying cats.
Devil’s Advocate: Another series which is hard to fault, the only thing that may turn people off is the simplistic ‘paper cut out’ animation style, but if you can stick with it, you’ll learn to like it- and it certainly fits the series well.
Final verdict: A hidden gem that stands alongside Someday’s Dreamers in terms of simple, quiet and magical tales.

Witch Hunter Robin

What’s it about?: The job of the people at the STN-J is to hunt down witches as part of an ongoing effort to restrain those people whose supernatural powers go out of control. Their newest recruit is Robin, a craft user whose fire powers will come in extremely handy to the team- that is, if she can ever prove herself to her partner Amon. But even as Robin struggles to fit in at her new workplace, she also finds herself questioning what happens to the captured witches sent to the ‘Factory’, and just how much of a line separates her from the ones she hunts.
Why watch it?: A stylish tale that evolves from a monster of the week format into something darker, Witch Hunter Robin delivers on both the action and drama front, offering both enemies to fight and plenty of introspection moments for the lead. With skilled animation and Taku Iwasaki’s deft hand composing the score, Witch Hunter Robin is often compelling, and always atmospheric.
Devil’s Advocate: Even dedicated fans of the series have to admit that in the time allotted, the development of the series is a little uneven- supporting characters never get much of a focus, and even in the last few episodes it remains difficult to see how everything will be wrapped up in time. Fortunately, the overall product is strong enough to withstand the effects of these few flaws.
Final verdict: It could have done with more episodes to develop the story and cast even further, but what we do get is still very good.

Wolf’s Rain

What’s it about?: As the world draws to end, humanity can only spend its final days waiting for the inevitable, but for the wolves, there is still hope. Widely believed to be extinct, and possessed of the ability to pass themselves off as humans, wolf-kind has the ability to find Paradise, and although most have given up on the dream, one young wolf still believes. His name is Kiba, the white wolf, and both humans and wolves will become caught up in his seemingly impossible quest to unlock this fabled land.
Why watch it?: Wolf’s Rain is one of those series that brings a smile to my face every time I put it on- not because it is particularly cheerful (indeed, some moments are positively heart-wrenching), but because it is so well done that I love it all. Although the initial premise makes it sound as if it is going to be thirty episodes of chasing leads to Paradise and inevitably failing until the end, Wolf’s Rain is much more than that, able to invest every scene with beauty and emotion.
Devil’s Advocate: Apart from those sadly unavoidable four recap episodes (at the time, the SARS crisis prevented the studio from making any new episodes), Wolf’s Rain main issue is that it feels that there should have been more- not because the ending doesn’t wrap everything up, but because it would have been nice to have more time to explore certain characters and revelations along the way. What we have is very good, but still the urge for more of the same cannot be denied.
Final verdict: A powerful and moving story that knows just how to press viewers’ buttons, Wolf’s Rain remains one of my absolute favourites.

X TV
What’s it about?: The end of the world is nigh, and Tokyo is to be the battleground for an epic struggle between those who wish to protect the world, and those who want to scrap it in favour of a new one. Returning to Tokyo after the death of his mother, Kamui Shiro must decide which side he wants to be on, even as those who would be his potential allies and enemies gather in the city to take on their own roles in the coming battle.
Why watch it?: One of the better action series out there, X TV does its best at telling an unfinished story and investing it with plenty of grandiose battles and special effects. It even manages the amazing task of making sixteen or so named characters memorable in the space of only twenty-four episodes, surely a commendable achievement for any series.
Devil’s Advocate: Sadly, with the original manga unfinished, the director has to take liberties in coming up with his own conclusion, and certainly it does get a little cheesy by the end.
Final verdict: Ignore the ending and enjoy the drama and action along the way.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou OVAs
What’s it about?: Comprising four episodes over two OVAs, YKK takes selected chapters from the original manga and brings them to life, telling the tale of Alpha, a robot who runs a café in a quiet post-apocalyptic time known as the Twilight of Humanity.
Why watch it?: Although only possessed of a portion of the greatness of the original manga, YKK makes a worthy effort at bringing Alpha’s adventures to screen, giving prospective readers a visual taster of this, the epitome of slice-of-life series. Enjoy the simplicity of everything from brewing a cup of coffee to slowly expanding the scope of your world beyond your own backyard.
Devil’s Advocate: Since anime forces you to take it at a set pace instead of your own, there are times when the first OVA in particular feels like it could have been trimmed down a little. Nonetheless, fans of the manga will clamour for more.
Final verdict: A nice introduction to a venerable slice-of-life franchise.

Zettai Shounen

What’s it about?: Ayumu Aizawa expects to have nothing more than a quiet, boring summer when he goes to visit his father in the sleepy village of Tana, but as he gradually discovers, there is something more going on than meets the eye. Who is the mysterious little boy named Wakkun who keeps insisting that he comes to play with him in the woods? What are the bizarre mechanical creatures that most people can only see in reflections or out of the corner of their eye?
Why watch it?: A most unusual mystery series, Zettai Shounen takes a calm and tranquil setting and injects it with a touch of the supernatural. It’s unlike anything seen before, and for that reason it becomes entirely compelling and addictive, with each episode urging you on to discover what happens next. The characters are strong, and each scene is atmospheric and memorable- truly a recipe for success.
Devil’s Advocate: There’s nothing much to criticise here, except that the jump from the first arc to the second may be a little jarring and unexpected.
Final verdict: An excellent mystery series that everyone should try.

Zipang

What’s it about?: For the newly commissioned cruiser Mirai, it was meant to be a straightforward trip from Japan to Pearl Harbour, nothing more. Certainly no one on board could have anticipated the storm that would envelop them once they got out to sea- a storm that would send them sixty years into the past, right into the middle of 1942’s Battle of Midway. Now trapped in an unfamiliar era amidst a globe-spanning war, the Mirai must tread carefully, for any action they take could alter the course of history and make returning to the twenty-first century impossible.
Why watch it?: Although it may sound like a dull WWII military epic, Zipang is actually an absorbing character drama that becomes increasingly fascinating as each of the Mirai’s actions has a slow but sure ripple effect that begins altering the course of history. With careful pacing and a noteworthy attention to detail, the series always has something worthy to offer.
Devil’s Advocate: Once again, due to the length of the manga, the series ends rather abruptly with no real conclusion- a second season is sorely needed.
Final verdict: Even if you shudder at the thought of military-style WWII-based series, Zipang is good enough to be tried.

And there you have it- a list that won’t match anyone else’s tastes exactly, but might help a few people pick out what to watch next. Come back again soon(ish) to pick up some manga recommendations, not to mention find out which anime I’d prefer to have avoided entirely.

Disgaea 3…for PS3
First it was Laharl, then Adell- but now Disgaea fans can look forward a whole new adventure with the announcement of the third instalment in Nippon Ichi’s popular SRPG series. The only blot on the horizon for some of us is that the new game is coming out on a new console- the Playstation 3. Given that the series will be maintaining the same graphical style as the first two, there hardly seems any point putting it on a console whose processing power it doesn’t even need, but no matter how it pans out, I must play this game no matter what measures need to be taken (here’s at least hoping for a PSP version). For those who like their announcements official, here’s Nippon Ichi’s pdf on the matter; just don’t ask me what Prism Red is doing as a homeroom teacher.
Laharl says: A-hahahahaha! They’d give me a cameo in this series- or better yet, make all the new characters my vassals!

Maria-sama is still watching you…
Fans of Lillian Girls’ School, rejoice- once the current OVA series finishes its run, a fourth season will be making its way to you. Currently it is unknown as to whether this will be another OVA or a TV series, but it seems like the animated adaptation of the series is determined to cover as many of the 20+ original novels as it can. Whilst I found the two TV series to be enjoyable, this latest OVA and its fifty-minute HARD YURI episodes about strange school events hasn’t really done much for me, but even so, I feel like I must stick with the series just to see where the characters end up (and of course to find out who gets to be Yumi’s petite soeur).
Laharl says: Girls in love with other girls- boring! They need some demons there to liven things up a bit, a-hahahahaha!

ADV chooses MANLINESS, thievery and chibi-HiME
Or, to put it less cryptically, ADV have announced licenses for testosterone-filled space series Moonlight Mile, alongside Venus Versus Virus and the King of Bandit Jing OVA. Despite the lacklustre nature of the Jing TV series, I was actually planning to watch the OVA one day, although it’s certainly more of a rent once than buy title. Moonlight Mile, meanwhile, is something I stopped at the first episode with- not because I hated it, but because the projected MANLINESS and Zhuge Liangs scared me.
Laharl says: Nothing here worth waking up from a two-year nap from.

FUNimation licenses Ouran
Meanwhile, FUNiMation has its own licenses to announce, with popular high school comedy Ouran High School Host Club topping the list, alongside Tenchi spin-off Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club and Baldr Force EXE Resolution. Whilst the latter two titles hold no interest for me, I did enjoy Ouran, and will probably pick it up after I’ve caught up with everything else I’d eventually like to buy.
Laharl says: Call that flowery gender-bender series comedy? The real comedy starts in the Netherworld!

Bandai supports Pizza Hut
Bandai too have some licenses to announce, in the form of Code Geass, Mai-Otome Zwei, Ayakashi Ayashi and Toward the Terra. The former two are no surprise, but overall this line-up holds little interest for me (then again, I’ve yet to try Terra, so if I’m not too put off by the Towards the Eighties feel, I may enjoy it).
Laharl says: I don’t know why, but when people mention Code Geass to me, I start fancying that Pizza Shack Teriyaki Pizza that Gordon’s always going on about. Hey Etna, go and get me some pizza!

And finally…one for the Polyphonica fans
Ever since I first saw her character design, I knew I wanted a Corti figure, but sadly this wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Aside from the hair colour, nothing from this figure really grabs me, but hopefully a captivating figure of her adult form will appear someday soon.
Laharl: Adult form!? Are you kidding me!? I hate sexy bodies!

THE HITS

RahXephon

From the start, RahXephon was accused of being a poor man’s Evangelion (who hasn’t seen the obligatory “Eva vs. RahXephon” thread on numerous anime forums?), but despite the superficial similarities, anyone who made it at least halfway through the series had to admit that there were plenty of differences as well. Although it was perhaps a little confusing and convoluted in its attempts to mix high-concept sci-fi with an extensive cast, RahXephon remains one of those series that keeps you glued to the screen even during those points where you aren’t entirely clear what’s going on. Even the recap movie redeemed itself by adding some new footage and putting a fresh spin on this tale of mecha, romance, time warps and aliens.
Memorable moment: the flashback episode with the mud doll.

Wolf’s Rain

Before watching Wolf’s Rain, I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if I’d like it- after all, thirty episodes of “is it Paradise?”, “Well, it’s not the end of the series yet, so it can’t be” did not sound too enthralling. Fortunately, I couldn’t resist the DVD volume one plus artbox, CD and plushie combination, and once I actually got to see the series for myself, I was hooked. I’ll admit that from an objective viewpoint it isn’t perfect (I’m not going to get into those four recap episodes), but nonetheless when watching it, I’m utterly drawn in by this compelling and sometimes heart-wrenching tale. It’s one of the few series that just leaves grinning stupidly at the screen because I’m enjoying it so much.
Memorable moment: The weakened ‘Grandpa’ being hitched to a sled.

Scrapped Princess
Even though my true hope was for a pure fantasy series rather than one with the almost inevitable sci-fi elements, Scrapped Princess was still an enjoyable experience. With its likable cast, nice character designs and solid story, it may not live up to its full potential, but it is still very good.
Memorable moment: Raquel unleashing her magic.

Fullmetal Alchemist
Here is where I have to make a confession- even though I do feel that FMA is a good series, I’m just not inclined to as wholeheartedly sing its praises as practically everyone else. Discounting its slow start, the bulk of the series is solid enough, but it suffers from one major failing- a tendency to poorly mix the flippant and the serious. All too often the series would present some dramatic revelation that should have tugged at the heartstrings, only to ruin the moment by veering off into comedy; if not for this unfortunate tendency, I would rate it much more highly.
Memorable moment: Realising the origin of the Chimera in episode eight.

Kurau Phantom Memory

An unfairly neglected series that wallowed in ADV licensing limbo for over two years before finally being scheduled for release this April, Kurau has inevitably been overlooked by many through no fault of its own. The ultimate evolution of animated sci-fi, Kurau takes everything that was good about Texhnolyze, Zettai Shounen and Stand Alone Complex, and makes it even better; it may look like a simple story about two girls running away from evil researchers, but give it a chance and it will prove to be much more.
Memorable moment: The fate of the unpaired Rynax in episode sixteen.

Ouran High School Host Club

Having proven itself largely adept at more serious material, BONES ventured into comedy in 2006, with the animated version of a ‘reverse harem’ style series about a poor girl attending a school of wealthy student. Although it did sometimes skirt the realms of the tediously repetitive and over-the-top, Ouran’s sheer enthusiasm carried it through even the weaker moments and ensured that the bulk of the series was nothing less than entertaining.
Memorable moment: The carriage chase in the finale.

NEUTRALS

Angelic Layer

CLAMP’s venture into the shounen action formula was interesting if a little too fast-paced for its own good in manga form, but when it came to turning it into an anime, the producers took it a little too far in the other direction. By the time five volumes had been stretched across twenty-six episodes, even additional content and character development couldn’t disguise the fact that the pacing was now irritatingly slow in places. With this in mind, even the refreshing reliance on female characters and a lack of the more annoying shounen clichés could make Angelic Layer entirely successful.

THE MISSES

Jyu Oh Sei
Although the lush jungle setting briefly made it look promising, Jyu Oh Sei ended up going from weakness to weakness with each passing episode. At first, it was merely a generic and mediocre tale with dislikeable characters and a predictable plot, but unfortunately, worse was in store once the finale rolled around. A painful mixture of pointless plot revelations and cliché action elements, the conclusion was so poor that it not only left a bitter taste in the mouth, but it made the bulk of the series look as excellent as Mushishi in comparison.

Ayakashi Ayashi
To be fair, I only watched one episode of this, so maybe it does improve later on, but after experiencing twenty-five minutes of all-male bathhouse scenes, incomprehensible plot and giant monsters that looked disturbingly like penises, there seemed little point in continuing.

Final Thoughts
Even on closer inspection, BONES seems worthy of their reputation, but as with most things, they are far from infallible. Given what they’ve already delivered, it isn’t unreasonable to have high expectations for their upcoming works, but it would still be unwise to expect every single thing they produce to hit the mark.

I can now exclusively reveal that the reason my blog is so HARD GAY is because I have Lui chained up in my basement.

As the days became depressingly short and winter tightened its grip upon the land, I had the great idea of summarising all the 2006 series I watched in one great ‘Annual Round-Up’; hardly an original idea since everyone likes to do it, but nonetheless a course I became determined to take. Little did I realise that such an innocent decision would lead to a massive fifteen page document that took over a month to compile; in fact, if I had any sense, I would take the lazy route of posting this over several days in order to avoid having to write anything else for a week or so. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on your perspective), I’d rather just include it all in one guide so that I can get on with writing newer and more interesting things to spice up the inevitably dull and grey January.

I shall also take this opportunity to thank necromancer, whose screencaps made many parody posts and Tuesday Rumble sections possible, as well as my blogging ‘sempai’, who can identify himself if he wishes.

For once, red is not for generally poor series, just for the ones I dropped before the end of their run (mostly because they were generally poor). Series in blue are my top picks for the year. Links lead to earlier reviews, rants and parodies of the series in question.

STILL RUNNING FROM 2005
I’m only including series I was still watching in the New Year; several others had long since been dropped by this point.

Ginga Densetsu Weed
A bloodier canine version of a shounen action series, Ginga Densetsu Weed follows the adventures of young dog Weed as he recruits allies to fight evil dog Hougen. It ranges from dull and predictable to laughable and predictable, but the parody potential and novelty of having dogs as the main characters conspired to keep me watching this right through to the end.

Final words: It’s not good to be a generic brown dog; you always get killed.

Jigoku Shoujo
When it first started, Jigoku seemed like a compelling series, the tale of people driven to such extremes that they would accept eternal damnation in order to remove their tormenters. Unfortunately, it all became a little ridiculous and far too repetitive after about four episodes- not only did the basic concept of each episode lose a lot in the execution, but there are only so many times you can watch tales of revenge before getting thoroughly bored.

Final words: Revenge is a dish best served sparingly.

Karin
Karin is a strange series; it’s too tasteless and generic to even be mediocre, but at the same time it feels like it could be good- only I can’t really quantify just what is needed to make it better. The tale of a ‘blood-making’ vampire and her slow romance with a human boy could at least have made for light entertainment, but the inclusion of irritating supporting characters and the gimmick of having blood spurt out of Karin’s nose with alarming regularity are more than a little off-putting.

Final words: No, just no.

Mai-Otome

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when I thought Mai-Otome was actually going somewhere; an illusion that was soon dispelled as the series moved into its closing episodes. Despite the numerous flaws of this series, it somehow remains memorable, burned into the brain by hype, wasted potential and the presence of fat grey cat Mikoto.

Final words: Fat cats may improve a series, but even their furry bulk cannot compensate for a lack of plot.

Mushishi
Although I took my time starting on Mushishi, I’m glad I finally got around to watching it, since it turned out to be one of the better series of recent times. An absorbing and atmospheric folk tale-eqsue collection of stories featuring the laid-back Ginko and the myriad strange phenomena he encounters, Mushishi is recommended viewing for anyone with even a passing enjoyment of fantasy, drama and slice-of-life.

Final words: If your memory is bad, blame it on the mushi.

Noein
When it first swept onto our screens, Noein seemed to be the sci-fi series that we had all been waiting for- a mixture of complex storyline, grandiose action scenes and alternate worlds that would surely only improve as it went on…or would it? Unfortunately, the studio was so busy spending money on CG house shots that it forgot that the series actually needed a proper plot (not to mention decent animation), and so by the end, Noein became little more than a pretentious but ultimately empty series that never lived up to its early promise.

Final words: The quantum mechanics of Noein is not clever- if you want clever, then come to some theoretical physics lectures.

Rozen Maiden Traumend
Given the excellence of the first series, another season of Rozen Maiden was highly anticipated, but somehow it just couldn’t live up to what had come before. Rearranging and diverging from the manga material led to some continuity issues with the first season, whilst the plot itself had numerous pacing problems. Despite promising that the battle royale Alice Game would be getting underway right from the start, it took nine episodes to get down to business, after which the writers chickened out of going the whole way so that things could be left open for a third season. Even the new characters introduced in this season were less than inspiring, although overall the series was not a bad experience, just one that did not live up to expectations.

Final words: If you thought dolls were scary before, wait until you watch this.

Shakugan no Shana

A tale of swords and sorcery mixed with high school romance and comedy, Shana proved to be a solid enough source of light entertainment, but unfortunately turned out to be lacking beyond that. Disappointing villains and a story that proved to be flawed on close inspection ultimately prevented the Shana from reaching the heights it initially promised- whilst by no means a bad series, it was certainly in need of improvement in key areas.

Final words: urusei, urusei, urusei!

WINTER 2005/6

Ayakashi
A collection of three separate folk tales collected across eleven episodes, Ayakashi promised period horror, but in the end, it brought only contemporary boredom. What would have been perfectly enjoyable as a three episode OVA became drawn out and monotonous in TV series form, so much so that watching it was something of a struggle.

Final words: Rap OPs never work- no really, they don’t.

Binchou-tan
Having convinced myself that Binchou-tan would be sickeningly cute, I avoided watching it for a while, only to predictably regret that when it turned out to be far better than I had imagined. A series that really does embody ‘simple and sweet’ Binchou-tan is a delightful slice-of-life tale that really needs more episodes.

Final words: Unexpectedly worthy.

Ergo Proxy
To be fair, I only watched a single episode of Ergo Proxy, but I never could bring myself to continue with it. Despite the echoes of Texhnolyze, the fact I neither knew nor cared what was going on in the first episode was not much of an incentive to continue- the animation may have been slick, but that could hardly make up for the lack of comprehensibility.

Final words: When people say ‘hard sci-fi’ they must mean pretentious, nonsensical crap.

Fate/Stay Night

Admit it, you want a Caster figure too.

There was a time when Fate seemed filled with potential; yes, it had a spiky-haired hero, but it also had the incredibly worthy Rin, not to mention the prospect of a hard fought battle of wits and strength between legendary heroes and their Masters. Unfortunately, Fate never lived up to its promise, instead turning out to be a combination of insipid characters, flimsy story, and Shirou’s harem exploits.

Final words: I will make ‘True Fate’ one day.

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora
A short and sweet hospital-based tale of drama and romance, HanTsuki was an almost overlooked series that turned out to be a hidden gem. Within its six episodes, the series managed to weave a tale that was bittersweet, heart-warming and entirely worthy.

Final words: Natsumi is evil.

Meine Liebe Wieder
Despite promising something in the way of a plot this time, the second season of Meine Liebe turned out to be an inferior rehash of the first, featuring increased angst, more HARD GAY, additional characters and Beruze’s latest puppet duke attempting to take the throne of Kuchen. It wasn’t bad, but it could have been so much more.

Final words: Ludwig-sama is an A-ranked bishie.

REC
An oddly addictive series about the romance between a voice actress and a salaryman, REC is enjoyable while it lasts, but is over all too quickly. In retrospect, it was perhaps a bit too angst-filled, but it made for an entertaining experience while it lasted.

Final words: Umai-ki!

Shinigami no Ballad

Yet another brief series, this time about a pure white shinigami and the people she meets, SnB was filled with character pieces, but was oddly short on death. Whilst it never really had the impact that it could have done, SnB was an enjoyable series that didn’t overstay its welcome.

Final words: The RPG episode was the best one, but the series overall gains points for the winged talking cat.

Pale Cocoon
Having been told that Pale Cocoon was somewhat incomprehensible, I went into it expecting not to understand anything, only to be pleasantly surprised at how much I could actually grasp (of course, the accompanying pdf file helped). A brief yet worthy glimpse into the far future, Pale Cocoon may be short on explanations, but is nonetheless a worthy snapshot of a distant era.

Final words: Watch it now, it won’t take long.

Hellsing Ultimate
It was the event that all Hellsing fans had been waiting for- a more accurate adaptation of the manga material that would surely blow them all away. Unfortunately, having realised that I really didn’t like Hellsing all that much, this wasn’t something I was inclined to keep following.

Final words: When are we going to get a good vampire show?

SPRING 2006

.hack//Roots
Hard as it is to believe now, I was actually looking forward to .hack//Roots- I was in the middle of my Item Completion obsession phase, and somehow I convinced myself that it would be a series that married the addictive qualities of SIGN with the action and faster pace of Legend of the Twilight. After several episodes of deluding myself, however, I came to realise that Roots was not so much a case of a train wreck as of the train simply not leaving the station in the first place. Characters came and went, but the plot never arrived- in the end, it was just too boring for me to watch anymore.

Final words: The origin of the screencap parody format.

Ah! My Goddess: Sorezore no Tsubasa
I’ve said it on more than one occasion, but a second season was just too much for the Ah! My Goddess- how much can you actually squeeze out of a harem story about a regular guy living with goddesses? Admittedly, it did seem like a bit of harmless light entertainment for the first few episodes, but it soon fell into the realms of the utterly boring, especially when Peorth arrived.

Final words: Sometimes, less is more.

Air Gear
I have to admit that Oh Great’s artwork is good, but since I’m not particularly interested in nipple shots, ridiculously oversized breasts or Bob Makihara’s penis, the actual content of his manga does very little for me. An unholy fusion of Tenjho Tenge, Ikki Tousen, Beyblade and Shaman King, Air Gear is the tale of spiky-haired Ikki, his buxom companions, and the rollerblading sport of Air Trak- or to put it more succinctly, it’s complete dross. No matter how much curiosity compels you to watch this, take my advice and give it a wide berth.

Final words: With breasts like that, those girls must get backache.

Aria the Natural

The first season of Aria was excellent, but Natural goes one better by doubling the episode count and giving us a full 26 episodes of sweet and heart-warming gondola life on the planet of Aqua. From the beautiful setting to eponymous fat cat President Aria, everything about the series is right on the money in terms of creating a simple yet absorbing world. Bring on season three.

Final words: Punyu!

Disgaea
Since RPG-based series are rarely worth watching, I wasn’t really planning to investigate Disgaea- at least until I watched the trailer. An ironically hilarious take on the RPG world, Disgaea’s trailer promised much, but the actual series itself delivered all too little. As it turned out, the reason the trailer was so good was because the entire series budget had been spent on it- meaning that the episodes themselves were poorly animated cyclical repeats of the same tired and worn jokes.

Final words: Pizza in the face? Excuse me while I try to force a laugh…oh wait, I can’t.

Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid Tessa OVA
Much as I like Tessa, this OVA didn’t really do much for me; aside from a select handful which hit the mark, most of the jokes fell completely flat. It’s something you watch for completion rather than enjoyment.

Final words: Dull, dull, dull.

The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas
The tale of the Yoshinaga family’s animated stone guardian, Gargoyle may seem like a kid’s show at first glance, but it is nonetheless a highly entertaining story. In Gargoyle’s hands, everything from battles between stone monsters to talking to flowers takes on a new vitality. It’s funny, off-kilter, and eminently worthy.

Final words: All hail Gar-san.

Gintama
I only watched the first twenty-five minutes of Gintama, but what I saw didn’t really click with me. Apparently it’s meant to be a tongue-in-cheek approach to Shounen Jump, but I just couldn’t force myself to pay attention to it.

Final words: I liked that large white animal, but nothing else drew me in.

Good Witch of the West – Astraea Testament
When it first started, Good Witch seemed to be the fantasy series we had all been waiting for; a fairytale of intrigue and romance set in a magical kingdom. Unfortunately, within the space of a few episodes, Good Witch had become so bogged down with different plotlines that it was difficult to tell where it was supposed to be going. After continuing in this manner all the way to the end, Good Witch left viewers with plenty of story threads, but not much in the way of coherence- maybe the manga is better, but I’m not about to risk wasting money on it.

Final thoughts: It’s the sample book of plot directions.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
It may have started as a tense psychological horror, but after the first few episodes Higurashi’s main draw was its sheer gore factor. A somewhat inconsistent series that mixed moments with greatness with more pedestrian sections, Higurashi may have only covered six of the eight game arcs, but spoilers revealed that the solution to the mystery was too obvious to be satisfying.

Final words: “It wasn’t me, I am not evil or suspicious at all.”

Hime-sama Goyoujin
Truth be told, I shouldn’t really be writing about Hime-sama- I only saw about eight minutes of the first episode, and I had so little clue as to what was going on that I couldn’t bring myself to watch anymore.

Final words: Utterly confusing.

Jyu-oh-sei
One of a rare few series which I picked up months after dropping it, Jyu-oh-sei made good parody material, but had little worth as far as entertainment went. The bulk of the series, which saw cycle-wear model Thor stranded on jungle planet Chimera, was average and predictable, but was nonetheless sheer excellence when compared to the laughably ridiculous ending. A rushed story with a nonsensical ending- if I hadn’t wanted to parody it, I would never have watched past episode four.

Final words: If you want to attain at least a shred of credibility, magical DNA is not the way to go.

Kamisama Kazoku

At first glance, Kamisama Kazoku looked to be the spiritual successor of Kamichu- a sweet and simple series about a youthful god. In fact, to borrow a phrase from a lecturer of mine, Kamisama was a very different animal- a series that ranged from juvenile to infantile in its fanservice laden lack of hilarity. After struggling all the way to the third story arc by virtue of the show’s worthiest character- Tenko- I realised that I simply could not take anymore and crumbled a mere four episodes before the end.

Final words: Look, Mama is naked in an apron!

Keroro Gunso: the Movie
Series-based anime movies are as formulaic as they come, and unfortunately the Keroro movie is no exception. There are a few entertaining moments, but not really enough to justify spending an hour of your life watching a story that has been done a thousand times before.

Final words: Giant Keroro is the worthiest aspect of this movie.

Kiba
Like Tokyo Underground, Kiba is one of those series that just seems like an inferior amalgam of numerous other series- there’s industrial word, pastoral world, summoning of destined monsters, and numerous other ideas that have been done better many times before. Roia was truly the only worthy aspect of this seemingly never-ending series- in fact, is anyone even watching it anymore?

Final words: Series and games ripped off by Kiba include Tokyo Underground, Ergo Proxy, .hack, Yu-Gi-Oh!, YuYu Hakusho, Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Hunter X Hunter Greed Island OVA, Mai-HiME, Dynasty Warriors and Suikoden.

Love GetChu!
Due to slow subbing, I have only watched four episodes of this series so far, but it has already proven itself a worthy source of light entertainment. The tale of a group of young girls trying to become voice actors, Love GetChu! does exactly what Kiba failed to achieve- it takes ideas used in earlier series, and combines them into a worthy whole. There’s a ditzy lead, standard personalities, a Maison Ikkoku style apartment and a hint of romance, but somehow it all comes together to make something enjoyable rather than tiresome.

Final words: Please sub more, or I’ll have to start on the raws.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Once an obscure series of novels, Haruhi catapulted to fame after its first episode captured the fandom, but as the series progressed, opinions became divided. Although there now exists a small but vocal “yay Haruhi great lol” group, still others (myself included) concluded the series with a more sceptical view on the whole franchise. The characters were insipid, the stories were disappointing and not at all helped by being aired in a random, non-chronological order, and the humour had all but dried up after episode three. It may have gained cult status, but I can’t help wondering why.

Final words: I did actually like the fourth novel.

Nana
The tale of two very different girls both named Nana, Nana was an interesting shoujo drama in manga form, but unfortunately the transition to anime turned it into something far more dull and boring. With the bulk of the series’ focus falling on ‘Hachi’, the less interesting of the two Nanas, Nana failed to engage the attention, and was eventually indefinitely put to one side.

Final words: Less Hachi, more Nana.

Ouran High School Host Club

The delightfully over the top story of one poor girl and six rich guys running a host club at the prestigious Ouran High School, Ouran delivered standard jokes with such infectious enthusiasm that it was impossible not to laugh at them. A fewer weaker instalments and too many episodes focusing on twin brothers Hikaru and Kaoru prevent this from being a pick of the year, but it is certainly worth watching.

Final words: Kyouya is god.

Ray the Animation

Ray is another series I dropped after a single episode, but unfortunately it didn’t really seem to merit any more. As someone with various family members in the medical field, ridiculous conditions like tumours that retreat into the heart when operated on are a bit too much to swallow, and thus this medical-themed series was not fated to last long.

Final words: Monster remains the only decent medicine-related anime.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

At first glance, SaiMono looked to be yet another period series featuring a girl and her attendant bishies, but how wrong I was. SaiMono is leagues beyond the likes of Fushigi Yuugi in terms of quality- this isn’t a reverse harem romance, it is an absorbing tale of political intrigue in the fictional country of Saiunkoku, blended with the the story of Kou Shuurei, a young woman dedicated to improving her country through breaking precedent and becoming a government official. Every episode of SaiMono is like an addictive drug, leaving you desperate for your next fix.

Final words: I need more! More, more more!

School Rumble Nigakki
After thoroughly enjoying the first season of School Rumble, I was looking forward to the continued antics of Tenma, Yakumo, Eri and the rest, but unfortunately, Nigakki failed to deliver. With its crazier humour and lack of plot progression, Nigakki soon grew stale, especially when it meandered into the realms of filler during the latter half of the season.

Final words: Please, let it end.

Simoun
I was actually looking forward to Simoun before it aired, but upon actually watching the first episode, all my expectations for the series were shattered. A poor woman’s HARD YURI version of Last Exile, Simoun features ugly snail-like craft that are not only powered by the pilots getting out of the cockpit and kissing whilst in mid-air, but also have special abilities like drawing pretty lines on the sky. With no discernible plot whatsoever, the series had to be dropped.

Final words: HARD YURI power is an eco-friendly solution to dwindling supplies of fossil fuels.

Tsubasa Chronicle season 2
Whatever it was that made Tsubasa season one so enjoyable (and in retrospect, was it really all that enjoyable?) seemed to have vanished by season two, which devolved into a slow and dull mix of lacklustre adaptations and mediocre filler, all animated in Bee Train’s trademark “stills only” style. When each episode started featuring no fewer than three insipid insert songs, it was time to put the series to rest.

Final words: Go, you filler bus! Drive along that road, carrying your passengers!

Utawarerumono

It started as a pastoral fantasy, only to slowly reveal its flaws and turn into a harem series with ill-fitting sci-fi elements, but nonetheless, somehow Utawarerumono merited its own addiction phase. The series itself was lacking, but it led into the game, the mini-game, the parodies, and sparked many ideas simply due to the potential the setting contained. Not a pick of the year, but notable for being integral to the life of this blog- even now “gwakakaka” is still going strong.

Final words: Karura and Touka are all.

xxxHOLiC
I love the darkly stylish xxxHOLiC manga, but when the time came to turn it into an anime, something seemed to go terribly wrong. The high contrast art style became a washed out version of its former self, stories were slow and filled with dull exposition scenes, and the overall result was none too tantalising. I completed the series out of loyalty to the manga, but in retrospect I would have been better off not to do so.

Finally words: This could have been so much better.

Yume Tsukai
At first glance, I thought that the story of three dream masters would be a touching slice of life piece in the vein of Kokoro Library. At second glance, I awoke to the fact that this was not the case; instead, this was a poorly animated and poorly constructed series of tales in which one of the main characters has a fetish for underage girls. Shrine of the Morning Mist simply blows it out of the water.

Final words: It could have been good, but let’s face it, it wasn’t.

Zegapain
Sunrise, when will you learn that churning out endless mecha series doesn’t necessarily mean that any of them will actually be worth watching? Apparently Zegapain improves later on, but the starving man’s Aquarion vibe given off by the first couple of episodes (not to mention the unnecessary nudity) was enough to ensure that I never actually reached those episodes.

Final words: The apples that appeared in episode one were the best characters.

SUMMER 2006

Binbou Shimai Monogatari
The evening before watching the first episode of Binbou, I read sixteen chapters of the manga, almost all of which began with a variation on “Mother died; Father ran up gambling debts and disappeared.” In case you hadn’t guessed, that is the setting for this anime about two sisters living in poverty, which is perhaps the most lifeless and half-hearted slice-of-life series that I’ve encountered. An angst-filled example of how poor the genre can be, Binbou went through the motions, but achieved nothing more.

Final words: I don’t know if you’ve heard this before, but Mother died and Father ran up debts and disappeared.

Bokura ga Ita
One of the first ever series to feature in my Weekly Round-Up, Bokura ga Ita’s tenure in my viewing schedule was nothing if not brief. A poor man’s version of Kare Kano, Bokura ga Ita featured all the angst and drama, but completely neglected the elements that would have made the series enjoyable. After struggling through a dull episode populated by dislikeable leads and a Nagato Yuki clone, I gave up on it.

Final words: Not my cup of angst.

Le Chevalier d’Eon

Despite treading perilously close to the realms of cheese, Chevalier consistently manages to deliver an absorbing historical fantasy despite its lack of much in the way of accuracy. The tale of d’Eon, a French knight who not only gets drawn into a shady underworld of magic and manipulation, but also ends up housing his sister’s soul, Chevalier’s only inconsistency in its animation, which starts well but soon goes downhill.

Chocotto Sister
Haruma has always wanted a little sister, and one Christmas, Santa delivers just that. Choco, as Haruma names her, is entirely devoted to her big brother, but unfortunately she is so completely lacking in life skills that she has to refer to a notebook. This could have been a passable slice-of-life series, but unfortunately it chose the route of excessive fanservice instead- when a series needs to use police tape as a censor, it is never a good sign.

Final words: What, you don’t like naked aprons?

Coyote Ragtime Show
Aside from its infamous turn as the “Great ANN Ad”, Coyote Ragtime Show is a series best forgotten- even the name serves a warning. A tale of MANLY men and gothlolis for every month of the year, Coyote Ragtime Show lacked anything even approximating worth; I went into it with low expectations and was still disappointed.

Final words: ADV licensed this? They think it’s good? Where is Kurau!?

FLAG
Years ago, when my supply of anime was less plentiful, Gasaraki happened to be one of the few series that I had access to. Despite appearing to be quite bland and boring on the surface, I forced myself to keep watching the series until I finally gained something of an appreciation for its intricate politics; with that in mind, I was determined to give FLAG- a similar series from the same creators- a fair chance. Unfortunately, once the novelty of having the story told through monitor stills and the lens of a camera wore off, FLAG proved to be a dull series with bland character designs and ugly mecha. I feel slightly guilty for not giving it as much of a chance as I did for Gasaraki, but then again, there’s more to watch these days.

Final words: Gritty realism with issues relevant to today’s society? Take it back, please, and come up with a phrase that’s less overused.

Hanoka
No matter how poor it was, I was confident I could sit through a series where each episode was only five minutes long, but as Hanoka went out of its way to demonstrate, that wasn’t the case. Animated in Flash, Hanoka looked like an amateur piece, complete with a generic storyline to accompany its unimpressive looks- in the end, it had to go.

Final words: Five minutes of boredom is five minutes too many.

Honey and Clover II
I loved the first season of Honey and Clover, and perhaps it was because of that that I was secretly sceptical about a second season; the last thing I wanted was for my high opinion of the series to be ruined, but unfortunately, that’s just what happened. Although it did indeed have its moments of excellence, H&C II lost points for focusing on minor character Kaoru before turning into some kind of “who gets Hagu?” dating sim (with added “Mayama the stalker”). Yes, I understand the deeper arguments behind the resolution and the characters’ choices, but it was simply handled too flippantly for me to enjoy it.

Final words: One word- disappointing.

Innocent Venus
Innocent Venus may have looked vaguely promising before it aired, but when it turned out to be a poor rehash of ideas from numerous different series (not to mention completely unable to retain the attention), the adventures of Jo, Sana and Jin had to be put aside. Thanks to this series, however, there are various unwelcome images that will forever be burned into my mind- the irritating pirate captain and his busty first mate; the Last Exile psycho killer team; blood pooling out of a man’s smashed faceplate and those ugly, ugly mecha. After the series finished airing, I did consider giving it another chance, but happily I think I’m over that phase.

Final words: I already posted this list way back when I was watching the series, but let’s refresh our memories as to the series IV ripped off- Last Exile, Wolf’s Rain, Kurau, Hunter X Hunter, Burst Angel, Mahou Shoujotai, Arc Twilight of the Spirits, Stand Alone Complex, Gasaraki, .hack//Roots.

Kemonozume
If appreciating Kenozume’s artwork is supposed to indicate some kind of superior taste, then I’m happy to call myself inferior; yes, technically it has its strengths, but on purely visceral grounds, I find it hideous. The tale of a clan of demon hunters, one of whom falls in love with demon, the relationship between Kemonozume and I was destined to be short from the moment they showed a man losing bowel control onscreen.

Final words: Sex and defecation- how mature.

Koi Suru Tenshi Angelique
With its nine brightly coloured bishies, Angelique was clearly never going to be marvellous, but I went into believing that it would at least offer up some light entertainment. Unfortunately, what I got was an insipid mess with even less plot than its sister series Haruka 8; unless watching a dull lead wandering around a castle and chatting to bishounen sounds exciting to you, be sure to avoid it.

Final words: It’s like a computer game in which you can’t ever leave the hub world and actually play a level.

Night Head Genesis

Featuring a pair of brothers pursued due to their unique psychic abilities, NHG had the potential to be a chilling and compelling series that would have been the spiritual successor to Kurau, but as it turns out, reality was far less kind. A barely comprehensible string of scenes that seemed to thinly disguise a HARD GAY propaganda piece, NHG become downright painful by its fourth episode, and was thus swiftly removed from the viewing schedule.

Final words: Give me Kurau and Christmas any day.

Otogi-jushi Akazukin TV
It was always abundantly clearer that Akazukin was aimed at a younger audience, but in the early days it nonetheless exuded a simplistic charm that was enough to keep it watchable. Unfortunately, as the series progressed with no hint of a plot outside of our fairytale-based heroes fighting magical monsters of the week, it all started becoming a little tedious. I haven’t actually dropped it yet, but I’m only a hair’s breadth away from doing so.

Final words: I hate those damned Sweet Phones.

Tsuyokiss
Tsuyokiss was one of those series I watched just because the name got stuck in my head after the “Great Tsundere Debate of 2006”. Unfortunately, after assembling a cast that was generic beyond belief, and throwing in some awful scenes about a drama club, it managed to drop into the red after just one episode. I had originally intended to watch a little more of the series, but when the subs dried up, so did what little enthusiasm I had for the series.

Final words: It may be Cool X Sweet, but it tastes more like Generic X Dull to me.

Welcome to the NHK
Just prior to watching the first episode of NHK, I finally started on the manga, and was instantly amused at its bleak comedy. As I well knew, however, Gonzo are not the best at adapting manga series into animated form, and indeed, no amount of optimism could disguise the fact that they messed up with NHK, somehow sucking out all the humour and turning it into a bland romance instead. Apparently the series improves in its second half, but I really didn’t have the will to keep watching past episode eleven.

Final words: Damn you, Gonzo, for messing up ultimate moe!

Zero no Tsukaima
Although the novels are quite entertaining, Zero no Tsukaima takes what could have been an interesting (dare I say Harry Potter-esque?) story about an Earth boy interacting with the students of a magical school and turns it into insipid, fanservice-ridden fluff. This was yet another series that I briefly toyed with picking up again, but when every cell in my body rebelled against it, I was forced to abandon that plan.

Final words: Guiche is no Tamaki.

AUTUMN 2006

Asatte no Houkou

Despite the fact that I have yet to watch the ending (which sounds quite bland from what I’ve read), I’ve tentatively given Asatte ‘Pick of the Year’ status for the ease in which it drew me into its world. It does have its flaws, but the series certainly deserves points for taking the age-old idea of having a child suddenly become an adult (and vice versa) and turning it into a compelling drama instead of playing it just for laughs.

Final words: The manga just sounds scary.

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
The final title to earn ‘Pick of the Year’ status, Bakumatsu was not a series I could easily get into; trying to penetrate just exactly what was going in the first few episodes was pretty much beyond me. Over time, however, it began to exert an irresistible lure; from the beautiful OP and general atmosphere to the refreshing novelty of a series set in period Japan that isn’t an action or Shounen Jump title, there is much of worth here.

Final words: Like Chevalier, it takes the cheesy and transforms it into the highly worthy.

Bartender
When I first heard of a series about a bartender who helps his customers by finding their ‘destined drink’, I knew I had to watch it for the novelty alone- and I was secretly hoping that it was one of those series that sounded laughable but actually turned out to be worthy. As it turned out, Bartender was the kind of series that leads only to boredom, fidgeting and irritation- especially when you try to swallow the fact that a mere glass of a particular cocktail can radically change someone’s entire life.

Final words: I don’t even like alcohol, so I should have known I wouldn’t like this series.

Black Blood Brothers
“Oh dear” is all that can be said to the prospect of yet another series featuring a moody bishounen vampire and his unhelpful sidekicks fighting against generic evil vampires, and indeed, BBB had nothing to bring to an overworked franchise. By the third episode, it proved entirely impossible to concentrate on what was going on, and so the series had to be abandoned.

Final words: I played Go through much of episode three.

Busou Renkin

Upon learning that Busou Renkin was from the same creator as Kenshin, I was actually looking forward to it- little did I know that where Kenshin was solid and sound, BR was the dumping ground for all the mangaka’s strange and twisted ideas. A standard shounen series filled with everything from the terrifying (Papillon’s thong) to the bizarre (Moon Face), Busou Renkin is far from great, but I watch it partially for Tokiko and mostly for my parodies.

Final words: I pinned all my hopes on Moon Face, but his special technique is a big disappointment.

Code Geass- Lelouch of the Rebellion
The latest stage in the search for that elusive good mecha series, Code Geass turned out to be yet another product from the dango-addled minds at Sunrise. Despite boasting CLAMP character designs, Geass proved to be little more than Gundam Seed Destiny Remix, complete with Kira, Athrun, Lacus, Flay, Lunamaria and more (not to mention added rip-offs from various other sources). Had I known from the start that it was going to be fifty episodes, I wouldn’t have struggled with it for as long as I did.

Final words: How many times am I going to have to say that the cat was the best part of a particular series?

La Corda d’Oro

Despite my bad experiences with fellow Neoromance series Haruka and Angelique, Corda’s focus on music made it seem worthy and so it was duly tried. Despite the extreme predictability and the fact that giving the lead a magical violin amounts to little more than cheating, Corda is an enjoyable series which mixes brightly coloured bishies with an actual plot.

Final words: Behind every good natured lead are multiple bishounen backing her up.

D. Gray-man
Although there was a brief period in which D.Gray-man looked like it might be the one shounen action series I followed this season, this poor man’s FMA blew it early by killing off its most interesting character (unsurprisingly, a fat cat which I have named “Big Boss”). The series never really recovered from this loss, and by the third episode, it was clearly time to put it aside and focus on shounen series which could at least be parodied.

Final words: Why is it called D.Gray-man anyway?

Death Note
Despite my quibbles with the second half of the series, I did enjoy the Death Note manga, and therefore it might seem quite odd that I always seem so negative towards the anime. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that the battle of wits between Light, a student with a notebook that can kill people just by writing their name in it, and L, the detective appointed to stop him, is simply too exposition heavy to succeed in animated form. Excepting those laughably theatrical moments when Light and L seem to phase into a coloured ‘Justice Mode’, Madhouse have done the best job they can with the material, but this is really a series that needed to be told through straight prose, not animation.

Final words: Justice Mode, engage!

Ghost Hunt
In case you hadn’t already guessed, Ghost Hunt is about hunting ghosts…or at least, standing around and arguing over what to do about said ghosts. Featuring the by now familiar ‘eclectic bunch of heroes’, Ghost Hunt seemed to be nothing more than the autumn’s Ayakashi- a series that made mediocre stories even worse by playing them at 1/3 speed.

Final words: Generic by name, generic by nature.

Hataraki Man
When I first read about Hataraki Man, it sounded like it could easily become a pick of the season- what could be more enjoyable than the tale of an overworked journalist? Unfortunately, my hopes for a superior slice-of-life series were instantly shattered by the first episode, which portrayed the main character as just the sort of ‘I need a REAL MAN’ woman that I really dislike, and surrounded her with a group of dull and generic supporting characters. A single episode turned out to be more than enough.

Final words: It’s strikeout time for Moyoco Anno.

Kanon [2006]

Given how much I loved Air, I was expecting Kanon’s ‘sad girls in snow’ to elicit the same feelings of enjoyment, but unfortunately, after the first couple of episodes, it was clear that Kanon just wasn’t in the same lead. With an overly sarcastic lead whose main pastime seemed to be verbally abusing all the girls around him whilst they smiled and asked for more, Kanon proved that its main worth lay in parody.

Final words: Yuuichi is one of the foremost villains of the era.

Mai-Otome Zwei
Like the very dango that Sunrise subsists upon, Mai-Otome may not be good for the health, but an unhealthy fascination draws one back to it. The first episode of this OVA sees an evil Shadow Otome start petrifying and absorbing various main characters, whilst Queen Mashiro and Meister Arika’s bond is tested to the limit in preparation for the angst, forgiveness and destiny phases later on.

Final words: At least we got to see some fat cats.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA
I enjoyed the first two seasons of MariMite, but having been expecting this OVA since around March, I had pretty much lost enthusiasm by the time it finally rolled around. Episode one sees Yumi accompany Sachiko to her summer villa, only for her week of HARD YURI to be spoiled by general apathy and evil lesbians. The next episode looks like it will be better, but this one was far too standard to truly entertain.

Final words: Onee-sama!

Negima!?
Although the idea of a ten year old boy teaching a class of thirty-one junior high students was never really one that appealed to me, Negima is one of those big name titles that you have to try just to say you have. With my progress into the manga going slowly and my knowledge of the first anime season basically nonexistent, this new series seemed like an ideal place to start. Unfortunately, our relationship was never destined to be a long one- the animation may have been good, but the story left far too much to be desired. With too many insipid characters and a divergence from the very manga arcs I was interested in, Negima!? had to go.

Final words: That ferret is creepy.

Pumpkin Scissors
Gonzo series must always be watched in case they turn out to be the next Last Exile, but as Pumpkin Scissors demonstrated, most of them have no hope of ever entering the same league as Claus and Lavie’s tale. Another FMA-lite tale, this time with Blonde Heroine 10658 at its head, Pumpkin Scissors failed to inspire to such an extent that it was abandoned after the first episode. It will, however, be making a comeback in parody form.

Final words: The Pumpkin Scissors must cut through the pumpkin-esque layers of corruption like a pair of scissors. I’m not kidding.

Red Garden
Another Gonzo effort, Red Garden is effectively ‘Gantz with girls’, featuring four teenage girls who have been revived after their deaths in order to fight slavering men. Despite being drenched in angst, Red Garden looked to have an interesting mystery at its core, but with each passing revelation the truth behind it all becomes ever more laughable and ridiculous.

Final words: KEITO! KULAIR! ROSU! RACHERU!

Rozen Maiden Ouverture
Great visuals and average story were what I expected from Ouverture, and predictably, that is just what this two-part special delivered. The tale of Shinku first met Suigintou and turned her into the psychotic witch we know and love, any enjoyment Ouverture had to offer was simply overshadowed by the amount of plot holes in the Rozen Maiden story.

Final words: More explanations, less ‘wtf’, please.

Shounen Onmyouji
After a poorly subbed first episode, my time with Shounen Onmyouji seemed destined to be short, but fortunately Yoroshiku saw fight to pick up the series, and it was a given a second chance. As the title indicates, Shounen Onmyouji covers the adventures of youthful onmyouji Masahiro, grandson of Abe no Seimei. Together with his destined powers and sidekick Mokkun, Masahiro set out to battle evil foreign demons from the West, but can he prove himself worthy of being Seimei’s successor? A surprisingly fun series that is, if not gold, at least parody silver.

Final words: Imagine how good it could have been if Bishie-Seimei was the lead, and Guren wore proper clothes.

Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi
Yet another in a long line of period series, Ayakashi Ayashi is about…well, I actually can’t recall what it was supposed to be about. The only images burned into my brain are those of a disturbingly HARD GAY male bathhouse scene and a fight between two monsters, one with a head shaped like a wang, and the other which looks like three wangs joined together. With that in mind, is it any wonder I chose not to watch past the first episode?

Final words: I should have known that a series with ‘Ayakashi’ in the title was to be avoided.

Tokimeki Memorial
As the doyen of all dating sims (not to mention the one that gets parodied most often), it seemed only right to watch Tokimeki’s long overdue anime incarnation. After just a single episode, however, all such feelings of duty had long since evaporated in the face of the fact that this series was completely and utterly crazy and random- and not in a good, Pani Poni Dash sense. Apart from the chick in the first episode, there seemed little to recommend this makeshift collection of scenes, and so it was quickly swept under the carpet.

Final words: I think I’ll stick with Ukidoki Memorial.

Yoake Mae Yori Ruriiro Na ~Crescent Love~
If you discount the sex scenes, H-game CGs always look good. Anyone got any from Jingai Makyo?

A series that I wanted to watch purely on the strength of some promo artwork, YoakeNa follows the romance between earth boy Tatsuya and Feena, princess of the Moon. Admittedly, it did start out as light fun, but as the weeks passed both the animation and story quality deteriorated to the point where each episode was more an excuse to take a nap than anything else.

Final words: I dislike the series, but I need that figure.

Looking Ahead to 2007
I had planned to try my hand at the obligatory ‘winter season preview’ post, but when I realised that my three paragraph effort would be a firefly as compared to the moon of Hung’s multi-part season preview posts, I quickly abandoned that idea in favour of putting a few words at the end here.

To be honest, the coming winter season doesn’t really look that exciting- do we really need more episodes of Angelique, FLAG and Kamisama Kazoku, much less a remake of Ikki Tousen? Despite the danger of not enjoying the most hyped series, I can’t help looking forward to trying the Ichigo Mashimaro OVA and ‘Corda but better’ Nodame Cantabile; I’m also slightly curious about Les Miserables, although fifty episodes of that does seem a bit much. The likes of ‘chibi-HiME’ Venus Versus Virus and anything dating sim or virtual girl based will most likely be avoided.

Looking further into the year, we have the disappointing news that Bokurano’s anime adaptation is being handled by ‘let’s mess up the story’ Gonzo, as well as a Spring debut for the third season of Nanoha, now with less loli. And regardless of whatever else there is to watch, there’s always more Otome Zwei and MariMite episodes- what fun…

Join me again on Tuesday for the New Year Rumble.

From some viewpoints, this may seem a little strange- surely black and white pictures squeezed onto an A5 page cannot compared to something that has colour, movement and sound? Admittedly, this is often case for action series; trying to follow a battle via static images is often a futile cause, but most other genres seem to lose something in the transition from page to screen. Not only is manga a medium in which the audience can easily set their own pace, but a story designed to fill a certain number of pages may simply not adapt well to being squeezed into a set amount of 25 minute episodes- all too often, the pace of the anime becomes too slow at the start and too rushed towards the end. Whilst this is a general complaint, however, there are many other causes which affect specific series, some of which I will try to cover below.

• Catching up with the manga. For long running series, this may mean the inclusion of the dreaded filler arc, anime-original material which rarely lives up to the manga and often drags on forever, but which ultimately keeps the franchise warm.
• Anime original endings. If the manga is still ongoing, or the anime simply doesn’t have enough episodes to cover the whole story, it has no choice but to create its own ending, which all too often is inconclusive and unsatisfying finale that seems destined to make frustrated viewers turn to the manga.
• Sticking too close to the original. There are a number of series which are very successful examples of remaining faithful to the manga, but it can be a bit of a double-edged sword. For a series like Death Note, familiarity with the story adds a degree of impatience to the viewing experience, since there is always a sense of just wanting to get on with it. Viewers may equally not want to waste time and money on experiencing the same story twice over.
• Alternatively, diverging too much is not always wise, as Gonzo’s adaptations often seem to demonstrate. Whenever an element is changed, you run the risk of damaging the very qualities that made the series enjoyable in the first place; arguably it is a risk worth taking to see what new qualities can be brought to the franchise, but it is all too often a gamble that does not pay off.

Contradictory as these points are, they are all factors that must be considered when bringing a manga series to life, and all too often they prove to be stumbling blocks that damage the respective anime.

All that being said, I thought it would be interesting to point out the series that have broken the trend and improved on the foundations of their respective franchises.

Angelic Layer
As I pointed out in my recent review, the Angelic Layer manga isn’t bad, but it does suffer from being very fast paced. In contrast, the anime does perhaps drag on a bit, but it has more time to devote to character and story development. Since each version of the story has its own strengths and weaknesses, I find it hard to pick out which one I prefer, but both are good for some low-demand light entertainment.

Aria
As with several of the other titles to come, Aria is not so much a case of improving on the manga as simply maintaining the standard; whether brought to life by an animation studio or Kozue Amano’s beautiful artwork, the sweet and simple tale of the undines of Neo-Venezia is a touching story that will always have a special place in my heart.

Hikaru no Go
The HnG manga was a good story that could only have been improved by not ending so abruptly, and the fact that the anime was so faithful to the manga (bar some of the later material) means both are worthy of note.

Honey and Clover
Since I haven’t read far enough in the manga to compare it to the original, I won’t comment on Honey and Clover II, but both the first season and the corresponding manga chapters weave an absorbing story of a group of people making the transition (or not) from college life to the real world.

Hunter X Hunter
Whilst HxH is a worthy concept in any form, the manga suffered from rough artwork and an overly fast pace in certain arcs. The anime cleaned things up, added some filler material that was actually good, and generally created a superior product overall.

Kokoro Library
The Kokoro Library manga suffered from its very short chapters; each instalment was more like a brief snapshot of life at the library than something that told any kind of story. In animated form, we were finally able to get to know the characters and setting a lot better, and thus properly enjoy this appealing story.

La Corda d’Oro
It’s still early days for the English manga release, but so far the story hasn’t quite lived up to the animated version- with its sparse page content and less aesthetically pleasing character designs, the manga does not exert the same draw as the anime. There is still plenty of time for it to improve, however, and hopefully it will find its feet soon.

Le Chevalier d’Eon
The first chapter of the Chevalier manga was not at all what I was expecting; where the anime is a historical fantasy that manages to excel despite stepping close to the realms of cheese, the manga seems to be more of a straightforward action series featuring a magical transvestite who switches between laid back bishounen and evil-fighting Otome wannabe.

Mushishi
Be it anime or manga, Mushishi is excellent whatever form it comes in. The anime adds colour and music to the manga stories, but whilst it has superior presentation, the manga has more chapters and thus a wider selection of stories to choose from.

Ouran High School Host Club
Like many comedy series, Ouran is simply that much better in animated form- what can be static and confusing on the page becomes vibrant and enjoyable onscreen. In particular, the manga version suffered from the fact that it was not always possible to tell certain characters apart- a factor which was never a problem in the anime- whilst their respective VAs really brought some additional vitality to the lively characters of the Ouran Host Club.

Pretear
I would hardly call Pretear an especially good story under any circumstances, but the anime and manga complemented each other nicely by offering a slightly different perspective on the same events. Together, they make a mediocre story rather than two poor stories.

Read or Die
Flame me if you like, but I read the first volume of the ROD manga (Die, not Dream), and I didn’t really like it. Much as I liked the idea of seeing Nenene and Yomiko’s past, I couldn’t follow the action, and the dialogue was so heavy that it gave me a headache. I really enjoyed the OVA, but this manga did little for me.

Rozen Maiden
Despite the lack of those little inconsistencies that plagued the anime, the Rozen Maiden manga simply lacks the impact of the animated version. Where the manga has somewhat scrappy and simplistic artwork (and reputedly increased harem leanings as the series progresses), the anime has high quality visuals and music- perfect for establishing the goth-loli atmosphere. Nonetheless, I must read the later volumes to see what the story was meant to be, as opposed to what it was in Traumend.

Tactics
Most Tactics fans prefer the manga and slate the anime, but even if I stand virtually alone in this, I really enjoyed the Tactics anime- despite Kantarou’s hideous personality, it was a worthy fantasy series that filled my need for such an anime. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough- I could do with a second season.

Tokyo Mew Mew
It can’t be denied that the TMM anime is mostly filler, and while that in itself is somewhat tedious, it did give the supporting characters a chance to do something. The manga was so highly focused on Ichigo and her boyfriend that hardly anyone else got a look in, but the anime finally brought the more interesting characters to the fore, even if it was via a monster of the week format.

Final Thoughts
Adapting a story that was conceived with one medium in mind is never an easy task, and whilst most studios are up to producing an anime that is at least reasonably entertaining, more often than not, they simply cannot live up to the original. With that in mind, it isn’t likely that I’ll stop saying ‘the manga is better’ any time soon.

Coming soon: Part Two- anime based on games.

EXTRA ADDITIONS

Koi Kaze
As already mentioned in comments, the Koi Kaze does indeed improve on the manga, taking a story which is solid and turning into something where the viewer becomes completely absorbed by the characters and their situation. A quietly powerful series, Koi Kaze demonstrates just how much colour and sound can enhance a story as opposed to detracting from it.

Pani Poni Dash!
PPD and its original manga share the common trait of being completely and utterly random, but what works onscreen is not always as successful on the page. Watching a colourful and crazy anime can be entertaining, but trying to follow similar events on the page just leads to confusion and an inability to get into the series at all. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than with Pani Poni, which carries the viewer along in anime form, but leaves the reader cold as a manga.

REC
The REC anime may have been a little too short, but at least it was also a reasonably enjoyable mix of drama and romance. In principle, the manga should be better since it takes the story further, but unfortunately, it is not as desirable as it would first seem. Not only do the characters continually get stuck in endless ruts of angst, but the content verges on the uncomfortably adult at times, with everything from an attempted rape to one of the female characters spilling her drink all over her exposed crotch.

]]> http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2006/12/21/can-anime-surpass-its-source-material-part-one-manga-based-series/feed/ 12 http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2006/10/11/final-thoughts-ouran-high-school-host-club/ http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2006/10/11/final-thoughts-ouran-high-school-host-club/#comments Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:14:05 +0000 Karura http://azureflame.ikimashou.net/?p=1824

For the idle rich attending the exclusive Ouran High School, the resident Host Club offers the ideal way for beautiful ladies to while away the hours being charmed by handsome men. It certainly sounds like the last thing less well-off student Fujioka Haruhi would be interested in, but after accidentally breaking one of their expensive vases, Haruhi is forced to pay off the ensuing debt by becoming a host- the only catch being that Haruhi is actually a girl! Now, Haruhi must play the part of a gentleman in order to fulfil her obligations, but will her straightforward personality win over the Host Club’s men as well?

Comedy is often a hard thing to nail correctly, and over-the-top comedy is even more so; get it wrong, and you run the risk of wearing out a limited number of jokes, or descending into the realms of the completely random and nonsensical. Fortunately, Ouran not only largely manages to avoid this fate, but it is also one of those rare series that brings extra life and enjoyment to the original manga material.

A large quantity of Ouran’s success stems not so much from any particular originality of the jokes, as the sheer enthusiasm with which they are presented. Tamaki, the so-called “Host Club King”, is a constant source of new schemes for the club to try, whilst Haruhi and the other members are dragged along with varying degrees of interest or reluctance. It’s hard not to laugh out loud at the majority of their antics, from the latest cosplay session at the Host Cloub, to continual investigations to find out how ‘commoners’ live.

Unfortunately, whilst the majority of it is indeed very entertaining, Ouran is not without its failures. The continual reappearance of dating sim fanatic Renge (a one-shot character in the manga) is a feature that quickly wears out its welcome, whilst elements such as the nearby Lobelia Girls’ School prove to be too over-the-top to derive much amusement from.

Character-wise, Ouran’s cast falls into a selection of fairly standard types- there’s hard-working and down-to-earth Haruhi, flamboyant prince Tamaki, cool and calculating ‘shadow king’ Kyouya, loli shota Honey, strong but silent Mori, and twin brothers Hikaru and Kaoru, a pair of self-absorbed pranksters who charm the ladies with their put-on twincestuous love. Despite their seeming lack of originality, the group works well together as a team, with the more character-based episodes standing out as some of Ouran’s finer moments. Admittedly, Tamaki can sometimes come across as an annoying idiot, and the twins get far more screen time than they deserve, but such complaints are easily washed away when the scene-stealing Kyouya takes centre stage.

Visually, Ouran always remains slick and stylish, with bright colours and showers of roses to emphasise the exuberant mood. Character designs are more polished than their manga counterparts, and there is rarely an excuse to complain about the overall animation quality.

Final Thoughts
Treading so close to the line between outright hilarious and tiresomely overdone is both Ouran’s core strength and its greatest weakness. Whilst it cannot be denied that the series does trip up a few times, for the most part, it proves to be a solidly entertaining series that should provide plenty of laughs for all but the most cold-hearted of viewers.

Last night, I suddenly thought it would be a great idea to create a secondary blog for non anime and manga-related material, completely ignoring the fact that a) I may not even have the time or stamina to maintain it and b) anything posted to this blog will probably be pointless ramblings devoid of anything resembling quality. Nonetheless, it exists now, and will probably continue to do so for as long as I want to ramble about Lost and Stargate.

Meanwhile, on the anime side of things, I have decided to adopt a new, harsher policy for tackling the autumn season. Instead of subjecting myself to the usual three episodes of pain for a substandard series, I will aim to drop it after 1-2 episodes.

Reviewed this week: Chevalier, D.Gray-man, Higurashi, H&C II, Love GetChu!, Otogi-jushi Akazukin, Ouran, Pumpkin Scissors, ROTK, SaiMono

…and in manga: Kanon/Air, Mai-Otome, Mushishi, Natsu no Arashi, REC, SaiMono, Suzumiya Haruhi novel

ANIME

Le Chevalier d’Eon 4: Chevalier continues in strong form as the Four Musketeers accept a mission from the King, whilst d’Eon grapples with whether or not to accept his main character destiny and allow Lia’s spirit to use him. Hopefully it was just my imagination, but the animation seemed a little weaker in places this time; other than that, however, this was another worthy episode.

*NEW* D.Gray-man 1: I wasn’t too enthused over the prospect of watching the next incredibly generic and potentially lengthy SJ anime, but after the awfulness of Pumpkin Scissors, I thought it might seem watchable. This “poor man’s FMA” series of Exorcist Allen Walker, meganekko Moore and the weekly Akuma they must combat isn’t particularly enthralling, but I can see myself watching this to fill up the gaps until something better comes along.

OP impressions: Oh dear, the late eighties are back.

ED impressions: A lightweight dance piece that becomes somewhat half-hearted in its latter stages.

*COMPLETE* Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 26: It’s time for a showdown in the school when Rena takes her classmates hostage and somehow figures out how to set a bomb. Like the rest of this arc (past Teppei’s death), this episode didn’t do as much for me as many of the earlier episodes, and the ending smacked a little too much of the “power of friendship can make all things right”, but I’m already looking beyond the anime now, and looking forward to delving into the intriguing world of game spoilers.

*COMPLETE* Honey and Clover II 12: From fervent praise to outright ranting, my feelings about Honey and Clover have really run the gamut over the course of this second season, with this final episode taking the middle ground. The ending didn’t come anywhere near provoking the emotion I felt at some of the series’ finer hours, but nor did I feel particularly disappointed- it was simply a quiet, slightly bittersweet experience.

Love GetChu! 4: It seems as if fortune is smiling on Momoko when she gets a chance to work as a stage hand for an event featuring her beloved Minato- but naturally, when things are going well for a main character, it can only mean that disaster is sure to follow. It’s predictable, and a touch annoying, but for the most part, it’s good fun.

Otogi-jushi Akazukin 11: Our heroes make a brief stop at Shirayuki’s old magic school, and whilst Souta and the others end up taking part in the school play, Ringo decides that she no longer wants to be completely useless. Naturally, it isn’t long before the villains show up for their doomed weekly attack, and in short order everything proceeds in the usual predictable yet mildly entertaining fashion.

*COMPLETE* Ouran High School Host Club 26: In order to prepare for disappointment, I had convinced myself that the ending of Ouran would be one of the series’ weaker moments. As it turns out, however, this episode was extremely satisfying, seeing the Host Club’s dramatic and well-animated attempt to save Tamaki from the clutches of his decision to dissolve the Host Club and marry Éclair. The only real weak point is Éclair herself, as a dislikeable and undeveloped one-shot character, there is hardly much incentive to feel any sympathy for her, even when the plot seems to demand it.

*NEW/DROPPED* Pumpkin Scissors 1: Every time a Gonzo series like this comes along, I know deep down that it will most likely disappointment, but I have to watch anyway, because “you never know, it might just be the next Last Exile”. Unfortunately, to compare Pumpkin Scissors (a title that puts me in mind of a Rozen Maiden spin-off) to Last Exile would be a feat beyond the wildest of imaginations- this tale of war, tanks and chemical weapons has generic Gonzo stamped all over it. The first episode introduces a spunky blonde girl and a scar-faced man with berserker abilities who come together to track down a vaccine for some infected generic villagers. Since I could barely bring myself to care about what was going on in this episode, I won’t be continuing with it.

OP impressions: Vaguely Ali Project style, but the singer doesn’t quite seem up to the pace. The video shows off the leads and generic allies.

ED impressions: A cheerful song with a video of the series’ resident canine- unimpressive and out of place.

Am I the only one who associates “Pumpkin Scissors” with something more akin to these images?

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 24: My worst fears have come to pass- the hilarity of the ROTK subtitles is down by over 90%, and there are still 23 episodes to go. Happily, the hilarity of the episode itself more than compensates for this new lack; when you’ve got generics half-heartedly slashing at each other and Zhang Fei trying to lure a general out onto the battlefield by get his men to shout out “you’re a coward!”, any added grammatical errors are just the icing on the cake. Once again, I must highly recommend this to anyone curious to see how “it’s so awful it’s good” can be raised to an art form.

Saiunkoku Monogatari 18: No matter how many vases he broke, Sai couldn’t escape the fact that he was too fat, bald and generic looking to be more than a minor villain. This episode seems to spell his downfall (or at least a good chunk of it) whilst Shuurei rushes to get to the enquiry on time and Kijin is challenged to remove his mask. It’s not quite up to the level of earlier episodes, but since this is SaiMono, it’s still a fair way ahead of most other series.

MANGA

Kanon/Air 2: This isn’t so much a review as a plea for help- I really need guidance in the world of Kanon and Air manga, and nowhere more so than with regard to this bizarre fusion. The chapter I read seemed to consist of Makoto eating meat buns and little else.

Mai-Otome 30: To no-one’s surprise, Sergey is revealed to be an ultimate villain of evil in this episode, with catgirl Mikoto and the real Mashiro by his side. Can Manshiro and his harem of Justice stand against this new threat? As usual, it’s nothing special, but there are some well drawn scenes.

Mushishi 10: This extremely satisfying chapter of the Mushishi manga corresponds to the excellent twenty-first episode of the anime, in which a woman gives birth to a strange green gloop, only to find a succession of babies under her house over the ensuing years. To say much more would be to give away a few of the twists that make this chapter so compelling, but suffice to say that even by Mushishi’s high standards, this is an extremely worthy instalment.

*DROPPED* Natsu no Arashi 2: It’s not often that I drop a manga series so close to the beginning, but it would be no exaggeration to say that reading this chapter literally gave me a headache. I still have little clue as to what the story is supposed to be about, and in fact, I am beginning to doubt whether Jin Kobayashi has any idea either; if anything, he seems to be just making it up as he goes along and hoping for the best. School Rumble or not, promise of white-haired Yakumo look-alike or not, this one has to go.

REC 16: Eccentric anime director Sekigahara makes an unwelcome return in this chapter, which sees him inadvertently let slip that Aka has a boyfriend on national radio. Cue another “can our relationship survive” moment as Aka’s reputation as an ‘immaculate idol’ seems destined to be shattered. This ranks amongst REC’s angstier segments, and as a result is not one of its better ones.

Saiunkoku Monogatari 4: Why did no one tell me I could get this file from IRC before I joined the scanlation forum and made over 25 posts? Anyway, even though this is just covering the early episodes of the anime, the long-awaited file proves to be worthy enough to justify the wait, although the artwork seems a little off in a few panels.

NOVEL

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya vol 4, chapter 2: Kyon should really be happy about being in a world where Haruhi isn’t attending his school, but instead he’s desperate to get things back to normal. This chapter sees him making the acquaintance of the alternate Nagato, a version with enough personality to be able to smile. I have to admit that volume 4 is proving to be the most enjoyable part of the franchise so far.

The new season is almost upon us, and yet here I am, having failed to put together any kind of autumn (or, if you prefer, fall) preview whatsoever- and nor am I intending to. Aside from the fact that many people have already done a better job of it than myself, and that I’m simply too lazy to be bothered, past experience has shown that the series I look forward to the most often turn out to be utterly disappointing. After all, in previous seasons, I was foolish enough to expect something of worth from Black Cat, Jigoku Shoujo, Mai-Otome, Fate, xxxHOLiC, Tsubasa, .hack//Roots, Kamisama Kazoku, Binbou…well, the list goes on. Clearly the only way forward is to ignore the most anticipated shows, and only watch the more obscure or unappealing sounding series (does this mean that Bartender will end up being a good choice?).

Reviewed this week: Black Blood Brothers, Chevalier, Higurashi, Keroro, Ouran, ROTK, School Rumble, Tenchi Special, Utawarerumono, NHK, xxxHOLiC

…and in manga: Furuba, Mai-Otome, Melty Blood, Mushishi, Natsu no Arashi, Tsubasa, Uta, xxxHOLiC, Yotsuba, Zero no Tsukaima novel

ANIME

*DROPPED* Black Blood Brothers 3: One of the lines in the BBB ED is “So tell me, tell me the reason why”, to which the follow up should surely be “why am I watching this?”. I’m not even going to pretend that I particularly knew or cared what was going on in this episode- characters talk, evil arrives, blonde shota gets kidnapped, various other things that might have happened when I wasn’t concentrating. There isn’t even enough parody potential to keep watching on that score alone; this is pure Innocent Venus “why bother” class.

Le Chevalier d’Eon 3: It may only on its third episode, but I’m already completely in love with Chevalier. Treacherously, I can see a clear way to parody it, but at the same time that doesn’t detract from the quality; somehow, the way that the series is presented makes even the most straightforward of scenes transform into something absorbing. This time around, Callon “John Smith” opposes the hero party, whilst Durand decides to take some independent action. I’m entirely impressed at how well the action scenes are handled in this series- it’s a refreshing change from the usual run of stills and half-hearted slashes.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 25: Poor Rena- not only does she seem to believe Takano’s ‘aliens did it’ notebook, but her skin is so paper thin that a few scratches can easily make it bleed. Whilst the police continue to search for her, Keiichi admits that he used to take pot shots at little girls, and Akane Sonozaki makes her first appearance. I may seem to just be picking out random facts, but that’s just how the episode seemed- various bits and pieces here and there, but no real feeling of plot progression. I’m already lamenting the lack of the seventh and eighth arcs in anime form, and will be resorting to game spoilers once the series concludes.

Keroro Gunso 57-8: Unfortunately, the second season of Keroro still isn’t living up to the first, and episode 57 does little to change that trend. The first half sees the older brother of Viper (the first alien faced by the reunited Keroro Platoon) return for revenge against the Kerons, but even having Dororo save the day cannot elevate this beyond mediocre. Part Two follows the adventures of the now giant-sized Keroro, but whilst it begins entertainingly enough, the joke quickly becomes overused when everyone else takes on gigantic proportions.

If anything, however, episode 58 is a level below even the season 2 standard. The first half, following a plan to take over the world via vending machine sales, is reasonably entertaining, but what little promise that segment shows is quickly blown by a dull second part in which Keroro trains Tamama in preparation for a match against Paul. This episode seems to epitomise the nature of season 2- that of seeing slightly inferior copies of your favourite characters trying to recreate the hilarity of season one, but failing to grasp the essence of what made it funny.

Ouran High School Host Club 25: The Ouran Festival is here, and with it, we finally get a glimpse into Tamaki’s past when his father and ‘wicked grandmother’ make an appearance, together with a girl clearly designed to drive a wedge between Tamaki and his beloved Host Club. It’s a refreshing change to have Tamaki cast as more than a blundering buffoon (not to mention seeing Renge in a calm mood), but whilst this episode is solid enough, it doesn’t reach the level of 24.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 23: A new arc begins in the ROTK universe, this time pitting the grasping and ambitious Cao Cao against the pure and righteous Liu Bei (when Cao Cao kills someone, it is murder, but when Liu Bei does it, it is an act of justice). Following a sedate first half in which I began to wonder whether the hilarious subtitles were gone for good, the second half proves highly amusing- not just for the translation, but for the exaggerated reactions of the cast. Unfortunately, however, poor Sun Ce and the Kingdom of Wu have been relegated to the lands of off-screen.

*COMPLETE* School Rumble 2^nd Term 26: School Rumble’s downward spiral comes to a halt in its final episode, which is not so much an ending as a non-ending and almost-reset. The episode basically consists of a particularly uninspiring round of misunderstandings and running around, whilst a flashback to Yakumo’s youth proves that she really should have murdered Tenma long ago. An uninspiring ending to a series that never lived up to its first season, and according to the final screen, School Rumble will go on. If it must continue in animated form, then hopefully it will be a brief OVA at most- I doubt the franchise has enough life left in it to create a worthwhile third season.

Tenchi Muyo Ryo Ohki OVA3 “Plus One” Special: Okay, so this has been out for more than a year, but this is the first time I’ve seen a subbed version available. The special is as underwhelming as the majority of OVA3, consisting of extensive exposition that clears up all the mysteries behind Tenchi’s mother, Noike, and anything else that needed addressing.

*COMPLETE* Utawarerumono 26: The end has come, and whilst it wasn’t great, at least it wasn’t as bad as feared. Dii and Haku battle, flashback mode establishes more of the events of Iceman’s time, Hakuoro says goodbye- the end. It’s a shame Utawarerumono never really lived up to its potential, but from this one anime, my entire addiction to the franchise was born.

*DROPPED* Welcome to the NHK 11: There comes a time when even the most masochistic of viewers must admit that watching anime is not about subjecting oneself to endless and tortuous pain- or, to put it more succinctly, I’ve finally had enough of NHK. Where the manga was fast-paced and bleakly hilarious, the anime has continually replaced dark humour with dull, endless monotony.

xxxHOLiC 23: Having thought that xxxHOLiC was going to be 26 episodes, finding out that it is only 24 brings with it an accompanying feeling of relief, although I am now worried that all the unused manga material is being saved for a second season. Anyway, this episode brings with it a new dose of tedium as Doumeki saves Watanuki from the life draining clutches of the mysterious woman, thus concluding the storyline from episode 22, and opening up all sorts of HARD GAY parody possibilities.

MANGA

Fruits Basket 132: Furuba continues to crawl towards its ending in this chapter, which sees Akito reveal her true gender to all of the jyuunishi, followed by an angsty monologue before she seemingly commits to a relationship with Shigure.

Mai-Otome 28-9: Queen Mashiro’s (or rather Manshiro’s) coronation is finally here, which means it’s time for a gathering of assorted leaders and some tense exchanges between them. Where 28 acts as more of a setup chapter, 29 sees the beginning of a payoff, with the various antagonists making their move and a cliff-hanger ending. Since this is Otome we’re talking about, none of it can be said to be particularly good, but it seems to be leading up to a storyline that will be interesting by virtue of novelty alone.

*CATCH UP* Melty Blood 1-6: In manga form, Type-Moon’s fighting game becomes a sequel of sorts to Tsukihime, taking place one year later and seeing Shiki team up with Sion Eltnam, an alchemist and would-be vampire hunter. So far, little has happened outside of Shiki and Sion wandering around at night, and there’s a critical lack of substance to the story that makes it none too inspiring. Artwork is on the same level as the Fate/Stay Night manga, consisting of solid character designs, but simplistic shading and backgrounds.

Mushishi 9: Since the first 26 chapters are the same as what we’ve seen in the anime, this is yet another familiar segment, this time about a man chasing after a rainbow-like mushi. Since Mushishi can do little to no wrong, this is an enjoyable chapter, and as always I’m eagerly looking forward to more.

*NEW* Natsu no Arashi 1: Usually when I add a new series to this line-up, I try to give some idea of the plot, but to be honest I’m not entirely sure what was going on in the first chapter of Natsu no Arashi. To strip it down to the bare essentials, our 13 year old hero (presumably) comes to a café, meets up with a beautiful high school girl with strange powers, and for some reason gets invited to come and live with her- on top of that, however, there are various other elements, and it isn’t entirely clear what is and isn’t going to be important in the long run. Nonetheless, it’s from the creator of School Rumble, so for that reason alone it gets a fair chance.

Tsubasa Chronicle 129-30: Sakura equips her Gunner Dressphere and heads out to face the trials of the desert alone (can she possibly manage by herself), Kamui and Fuma discuss their plans in the hopes that their arc and existence actually have some meaning, and Fye finally wakes up. It’s all building up to something, but at the current pace, that something may not actually occur for a while.

Utawarerumono 4: Every chapter of the Utawarerumono manga is fairly pointless, and this one, in which Hakuoro visits the New Year festival and literally unmasks an impostor, is equally so. In particular, the artwork seems to have taken a turn for the worse; the mangaka can just about manage Haku and the harem, but s/he really flounders when it comes to portraying the other males- Benawi and Kurou are near unrecognisable.

xxxHOLiC vol 9, chapter 5: Picking up where the last chapter left off, this instalment sees Watanuki meet up with the youthful spirit medium once again, and begin to strike up a bond with her. An interesting enough read, but I remain cautiously hopeful that this storyline will actually lead somewhere.

Yotsuba&! 40: Having decided that Fuuka must get her fair share of the delicious milk, Yotsuba boldly follows her to school in an attempt to deliver it- cue much hilarity as our pint-sized heroine not only ventures out on her own, but ends up wandering the confines of Fuuka’s school.

NOVEL

*New* Zero no Tsukaima vol 1, chapter 1: Having heard that the novel is not as critically flawed as the anime, it didn’t seem too much effort to give the first translated chapter a try. A mercifully brief instalment, the chapter covers Saito’s summoning and the beginning of his life as a familiar- it’s too early to judge overall quality, but so far I’m not experiencing the complete and utter turn-off that the anime induced.

Another week, another round-up, another persistent feeling that I really am following more series than the handful I seem to be covering. This week seems to be an oddly unbalanced one, featuring a select handful of gems amongst a desert of tiresome, forgettable dross- some of it from series I highly praised mere months or even weeks ago. Apologies if the words ‘tedious’ and ‘dull’ have been overused.

Reviewed this week: Black Blood Brothers, Chevalier, Hanoka, Higurashi, Keroro, Mai-Otome DVD Special, Ouran, ROTK, SaiMono, School Rumble, Utawarerumono, NHK, xxxHOLiC

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister, Mai-Otome, Mushishi, REC

ANIME

Black Blood Brothers 2: It’s always worrying when you come to the end of an episode only to find yourself hard pressed to say what it was meant to be about, and it is for this reason that Black Blood Brothers ironically finds itself on the red this week. This episode sees third member Mimiko join the hero party, before vampire Kelly Wong arrives and some generic men with guns start running around. The only reason I’m planning to watch episode three is to see if it can help me determine whether a plot actually exists.

Le Chevalier d’Eon 2: What do you do when your possessed friend starts attacking you? Simple- let the spirit of your sister take over, turn you into a woman, and start fighting back. Yes, the second episode of the historical fantasy is finally here, in which d’Eon must assemble the supporting members of the hero party and start figuring out just what exactly is going on. A refreshingly enjoyable episode amongst a week of dull offerings- all that remains is for the rest of the series to defy space and time and appear before me by tomorrow.

OP impressions: The song is only vaguely worthy, but the sheer quality of the video is impressive.

ED impressions: Unfortunately, I was concentrating more on the character stills than the music, so from this I can deduce that it wasn’t too memorable.

*DROPPED* Hanoka 4: I really thought that five minute episodes would be bearable no matter how poor the content was, but even in small doses Hanoka proved to be too much effort for too little reward. This episode sees Hanoka destroy the enemy Pokemon leader, before she and Yuuri make a three day trek to the ruins of his village. I assume we’re supposed to care, but there’s little incentive to do so.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 24: As Rena delves deeper into the truth surrounding the mystery of Oyashiro, the series comes to a point where I have to wonder ‘what the hell have I been watching?’, and not in a particularly positive sense. Everything was going fine until the religious fanatics and parasitic disease was mentioned, but unfortunately now it all becomes a little too tenuous and farfetched to swallow, even if it does turn out to be misdirection later on.

Keroro Gunso- the movie: Yes, despite my earlier reluctance, I finally sat down to watch the extended adventures of everyone’s favourite alien frogs. As expected, the movie follows the standard story of a previously unmentioned evil breaking free of its seal and having to be defeated through the powers of love and friendship- it’s not terribly exciting, but has its amusing moments.

*COMPLETE* Mai-Otome DVD Special 9: Remember the promo for Mai-Otome, the one with Mai and Arika arguing over which series was best? This is the continuation of that discussion, but with more characters getting in on the act, and events getting heated to the point where Miyu sets off a large explosion. It’s as throwaway as the majority of Mai-Otome, but worth it to see Natsuki in her robe.

Ouran High School Host Club 24: Refraining from the over-the-top themes of the last few weeks, Ouran takes us two years into the past to reveal how the Host Club began. The most welcome focus of this episode is Kyouya, the calculating third son that no one can fathom…at least until he finds a match of sorts in the completely idiotic Tamaki Suou. There are a couple of scenes that suffer from an excess of repetition, but overall this is a strong character-based episode.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 22: ROTK treats us to another mix of the tediously dire and the hilariously awful in this instalment, which finally sees an end to both Lu Bu’s story and his very life. Despite having its amusing moments, this arc has had far too many dull stretches- hopefully the next one can take the series back to its unintentionally amusing roots.

Saiunkoku Monogatari 17: It has been far too long since I got my last SaiMono fix, and whilst I’d like to have the rest of the series magically here with me now, this one episode will have to suffice. As well as properly introducing Shouka’s brother Kurou, this episode weaves together the threads of numerous characters as our protagonists prepare to combat the machinations of an evil vase fetishist. Anticipation for the rest of this arc is high.

School Rumble 25: With yet more manga pages to finish on a tight schedule, Harima calls Yakumo over to assist him- only for Tenma to show up instead. Cue yet another bout of romantic misunderstandings between Harima and the incredibly thick-witted (seemingly even more so than usual) Tenma, whilst Yakumo stays at home and looks an old picture book. Whilst nowhere near as awful as episode 24, I can’t say that this episode did a great deal for me- it just seemed so tired and dull that I could barely bring myself to pay attention.

Utawarerumono 25: With so much material to cover, and so little time to do it in, Utawarerumono 25 is basically an exercise in compression, squeezing in as many half-hearted recreations of game scenes as possible. By this point, the series’ primary worth is in parody- it deserved a better adaptation.

Welcome to the NHK 10: This episode was so painfully and tediously drawn out that I have to wonder how it strayed so far from the enjoyment of the NHK manga, and indeed why I am even watching it in the first place. In this 25 hour minute torture session, Satou becomes increasingly obsessed with Misaki, only to start fearing rejection and subsequently receive a visit from his hallucinatory talking appliance friends. Given that the preview for episode eleven looks equally uninspiring, I’m not even sure why I’m continuing to struggle onwards with this.

xxxHOLiC 21-2: Forget logic and science- as this episode of xxxHOLiC demonstrates, we really should be paying more attention to superstitions. Having chosen to take the ‘sensible’ course of ignoring them, poor Watanuki ends up on the receiving end of a couple of the more portentous omens, whilst Doumeki manages to annoy by showing up at Watanuki’s house and expecting to have dinner cooked for him. An average episode overall- it’s not particularly noteworthy, but still reasonably entertaining by xxxHOLiC standards.

Unfortunately, episode 22 then goes on to demonstrate just why I should have spared myself considerable pain by dropping the series long ago, ideally before episode one. Covering part of an arc from the sixth volume of the manga, the episode sees Watanuki come to befriend a woman who has lost her son, at the slowest and most excruciatingly painful pace possible. Worse yet, this episode is only the first of a two-parter- if not for the fact we’re getting close to the end now, xxxHOLiC would already have been removed from my viewing list.

MANGA

Chokotto Sister 33-4: In a bid to enter the Mew Mew Dance competition, Choko convinces Yurika to become the fifth member of their group, and practice for their number begins. Although Choko is unaware of it, a love triangle involving her, Yurika and Kakeru is beginning to develop, whilst Chitose continues to desire Haruma, and fanservice makes its obligatory appearance. It can’t be said that a great deal happens here, but it’s actually a solid enough read.

Mai-Otome 27: The fanservice that plagued the last couple of chapters fades into the background here, as the Mai-Otome manga briefly exhibits something that, under the right conditions, could possibly be mistaken for a plot. This time around, Manshiro and Arika enjoy a farewell party prior to becoming Queen and Otome of Wind Bloom, whilst Nina receives a letter that will change the course of her future. It’s times like these that I must bemoan the wasted potential of the Otome universe, and resolve to get back to writing my oft-promised revision of the series.

Mushishi 8, 31, 32: Continuing in the ‘whatever chapter I can find’ vein of last week, three more instalments of Mushishi are tackled out of sequence. Chapter 8 is the ‘Living God’ story from the anime, the tale of a remote island where a girl ages and dies each night, only to reawaken the next morning. 31 proves that the series has lost nothing even after so many stories, weaving a tale of a sakura tree infested with mushi, and a doctor taking advantage of its unique properties (it’s a lot more interesting than it sounds, but to say more would destroy the impact). 32 is not quite up to 31’s level, but is nonetheless still very good, covering a girl who has lost her reflection to a mushi that will eventually take her shape and replace her. A worthy trio of chapters overall.

REC 15: As if catching Matsumaru’s cold wasn’t bad enough, Aka finds her day turned upside down when his grandmother comes to visit- should she admit that she is living with Matsumaru, or just keep quiet about it for now? A simple and enjoyable chapter, let down a little by Grandma’s near-indecipherable dialect.

I meant to watch the Keroro Gunso movie in time for this round-up, I really did, but unfortunately I have this mental block about watching anything longer than about 35 minutes. Yes, I could easily watch several 25 minute episodes back-to-back, and yes, I could tackle a longer feature in several sittings, but such logic cannot overcome my natural aversion to concentrating on one thing for that long.

Anyway, with that aside, a number of notable titles remain absent from the round up yet again, but the week manages to feel busy nonetheless. It is surely only a matter of time until the full deluge arrives.

Reviewed this week: Black Blood Brothers, Higurashi, H&C II, Keroro, Otogi-jushi Akazukin, Ouran, ROTK, School Rumble, Utawarerumono, NHK

…and in manga: Erementar Gerad, Furuba, Mushishi, Tactics, Tsubasa, xxxHOLiC

ANIME

*NEW* Black Blood Brothers 1: The advance guard for the autumn season is here in the form of yet another vampire series, this one following the adventures of moody brother-abuser Alucard Jirou and his production-line blonde shota sibling Kotarou. The first episode contains the comforting familiarity of things you’ve seen many times before- ditzy policewoman, mysterious blonde, treacherous vampires- but at least the production values are good (CG bullets aside).

OP impressions: Something of a throwback to the eighties, but could become catchy over time.

ED impressions: An uninspiring and standard slow piece, seemingly written by someone who appreciates good themes but is unable to reproduce them.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 23: It’s slice-and-dice week on Higurashi as Rena whips the machete out and has a go at Rina and “uncle fugly” Teppei. As always, the blood flies thick and fast, and emotions run high- yes, it’s Higurashi just the way I like it. I’ve said it before, but there’s just something oddly absorbing and cathartic about watching people solve their problems in such an extreme fashion. Next time around, it looks like Oishi is on the trail again- what personality will he have this arc?

Keiichi is disappointed to have missed out on the killing.

Honey & Clover II 10-11: I can remember a time when Honey and Clover was good, in fact, a time when “best thing ever!” was not too far off the mark. This week, however, I realised that that time was over, and that instead of watching H&C, I was now watching H&C: the parody. Gone was any attempt at seriousness; instead, the whole thing seemed to have generated into poor jokes and a Hachimitsu to Battle-esque ‘rumble’ between Shuu, Morita and Takemoto in an attempt to take home their prized loli Hagu. In previous weeks, I have generally given H&C positive reviews, but now I must take all that back in favour of intense disappointment.

Unfortunately, having used my feelings about episode ten to fuel a Tuesday Rumble piece about a “Loli and Clover” battle game, episode eleven chooses to base itself around just such a game. Despite their efforts, both Morita and Takemoto lose out whilst Shuu gets the good ending- now all that remains is for him to enjoy his ending cut scene. Expect a more detailed rant soon.

A patient man, Shuu began working on Hagu from an early age.

Keroro Gunso 56: Although by no means bad when compared to some of this week’s offerings, this episode of Keroro can hardly be said to stand out. The first half is an average tale of a tennis match between Koyuki and Natsumi, which loses points for the return of the dreaded Dansu Masu and his afro beam, whilst part two is a bizarre yet oddly amusing tale in which swallows’ nests start appearing on everyone’s heads.

Otogi-jushi Akazukin 8-10: As fun as Akazukin can prove to be, I have to admit that the prospect of facing a triple bill was a little daunting. Naturally, as soon as the retro RPG-esque OP began to play, I felt more inclined to sit through all three episodes, featuring our heroes’ journey to Fandavale, complete with singing animals, an angry young man with a grudge against magic, a God Mode knight bound by honour and friendship, a young girl with faith in a monstrous flower, and all the usual cliché trappings. Nonetheless, I can’t help but enjoy myself when I watch this series- it does a better job of being an “RPG-based”-style anime than most series that are actually based on RPGs.

Ouran High School Host Club 22-3: Ouran pulls off a two-part story in this pair of episodes, centring on Kasunoda, a yakuza heir who longs to become more approachable. 22 covers the Host Club’s attempts to fulfil his request, and manages to be hilarious due to their infectious enthusiasm as much as any real humour. Whilst still enjoyable, however, 23 is the weaker of the pair, featuring Kasunoda’s return to the Host Club after accidentally discovering Haruhi’s true gender and realising that he has feelings for her.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 21: Another week, another episode of ROTK, another excuse for me to put together screencaps of the hilarious subtitles and call it a blog post. This time around, the episode moves from hilarious, through tedious, and finally back to hilarious again, as Lu Bu, Liu Bei and Cao Cao pit their generics against each other, and a young boy makes far too many appearances.

School Rumble 2^nd Term 23-4: The last few weeks have brought us both extremes for School Rumble- there was the hideous mess of episode 21, and the solid enjoyment of 22. 23 lies somewhere in between, combining an amusing tale about Tenma and her friends going on a skiing trip, with a less engaging story about Lala suddenly getting overcome with the desire to go ice skating (for some reason, this first involves her smashing her washing machine).

Whatever good was done in 22-3 is soon erased by 24, however, an episode on the level of 21 (if not below it). This pointless and painful filler-fest sees our cast stranded after a midwinter cruise, whilst Hanai ends up with a tribe of main character look-alikes. I cannot express how poor this episode was (although that won’t stop me from trying) – I think I would have preferred watching 25 minutes of black screen.

Utawarerumono 24: This was the part of the game that seemed to require the most explanation, and unfortunately, if not surprisingly, the anime has gone through it too quickly for it to seem anything other than laughably ridiculous. Kuuya is defeated easily (where is her Avu Kamuu gauntlet of evil?), Dii appears, Hakuoro turns into his monstrous form, and everyone else gets to stand around offscreen. The animation also seems to have taken a turn for the worse, although hopefully the finale will make up for any budget saving seen now.

Welcome to the NHK 9: The red has been absent from my round-ups for a few weeks, but now NHK teeters on the brink once again, with this dull episode about Satou’s growing feelings towards Misaki, and Yamazaki’s problems with women. Aside from the usual painfully slow pacing, the main problem here is that the changes to Yamazaki’s characters between manga and anime make his woman-hating streak that much less credible.

MANGA

Unfortunately the way to SaiMono chapter 4 is closed to me unless I become a regular member of a particular forum (or wait until it appears ‘elsewhere’), so that will have to go on hold for now.

Erementar Gerad (Elemental Gelade) 22: After Cisqua’s ill-advised attempts to defeat Greyarts by firing missiles everywhere, Rowen steps up to continue the battle, albeit in a way which involves both sides standing around chanting spells at each other. This is standard shounen action in every sense- attempted humour, giant explosions and flashbacks to important lessons learned in previous years.

Fruits Basket 122: I’m happy to announce that Fruits Basket 122 plugs one of two gaps in my reading of the series, as well as tying up the events of Tohru’s accident. Akito seems oddly out of character here, suddenly becoming concerned and afraid instead of angsty and evil.

Mushishi 11, 34: Fortunately, Mushishi is the home of standalone stories, so reading chapters out of sequence isn’t as ill-advised as my usual ventures. Chapter 11 is the “Sound of Rust” story seen in anime episode 23, and is as highly enjoyable but not quite top tier as that episode. 34 is actually the first of a multi-part story featuring a rival mushishi with a troubled backstory- I can’t say I knew exactly what was going on, but an interesting chapter nonetheless.

Tactics 8a: I’ve yet to read the end of chapter 7, but trifles like that have never stopped me before, (see above). This chapter introduces Kantarou’s rival Hasumi, a scientific scholar with no time for tales of demons and goblins as the two compete to be first to find a “Kappa’s ladle”. As always, the artwork is superior, the story is entertaining (despite the excessive swearing), and Kantarou is a cruel and selfish master.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 128: Did I say I thought X-world was finishing soon? Like Kuuya, I must change my mind, because this chapter seems to indicate that it could drag on for many months to come. This time around, we are treated to another revelation about the “X characters who aren’t the original X characters”, before Sakura heads out into the desert alone to complete some unspecified task. Unless it’s an incredibly easy mission, Syaoran etc will be along to rescue her within a few pages.

xxxHOLiC vol 9, chapter 4: Another short chapter this week, but one that seems to herald the start of a new story thread with the introduction of a youthful spirit medium and her overprotective mother. Little actually happens in this chapter, but as always I’m eager to see what happens next (although it does occur to me that xxxHOLiC could stand to develop some of the other storylines it has briefly toyed with).