When Shin and Jun Kanzato return to their hometown to live with their elder brother Ryou, his cool welcome soon becomes the least of their worries after a series of strange events. As the mysteries continue to mount up, Shin and his brother are drawn into a world of psychic powers and powerful alter egos known as Personas, but amidst the increasing danger can they still enjoy the semblance of a normal high school life?

Much to my shame, I have yet to play Persona 3, the RPG that acts as a prequel to this series (I absolutely promise that I will, but so far time and money have conspired against me), but in order to tide me over until that time arrives, an anime series set ten years later seemed excuse enough to break my vow never to watch RPG-based series yet again. Unfortunately, whilst Persona Trinity Soul at least managed to stand out from the usual insipid fantasy world fare, ultimately it could not break the curse of the RPG to anime transition.

Having not played the original game, I was fully prepared not to understand what was going on, and indeed, the early episodes of Persona Trinity Soul were as mystifying as Mushi-Uta had been in its time. By day, our protagonists attended school like any other students, but at night their town became a world of conspiracies, monsters and, most confusingly of all, ‘whale’s feathers’. On the plus side, the whole tone and the atmosphere of the series made me desperate to play the game, but other than that it was just a mix of elements that were either underwhelming or just plain confusing. Instead of ever explaining anything, events just became more complex and twisted, with people’s consciousnesses switching bodies, Personas manifesting themselves left, right and centre, artificial humans (actually the basis for one of the few genuinely moving episodes of the series), evil factions, addiction and a mysterious universal consciousness all playing a part. Managed a little better, it could have been engrossing, but with all these things shoddily thrown together with little planning and poor pacing, it all ended up rather dull and not worth watching.

Even if the plot had been more accessible, in all likelihood it would have been let down by what are ultimately a rather dull bunch of characters. The Kanzato brothers are pretty standard personalities- we having the brooding, secretive older brother, the normal-seeming middle brother with access to destined plot brother, and an effeminate little brother who is more than he appears. Add to this a bunch of shallow friends and foes, and there’s even less incentive to care about what is going on.

Visually, Persona Trinity Soul opts for a rather understated look, using technically solid yet largely bland character designs, basic CG effects and uninspiring monsters. Background music is light, game-inspired fare, contributing to the feeling that you’d rather be playing the original than watching its animated sequel.

Final Thoughts

Not so much a notably bad anime as one that simply fails to inspire much in the way of interest, Persona Trinity Soul may be different to the average fantasy RPG adaptation, but it still fails to break the curse and offer much in the way of quality. In the end, it seems its chief worth lies only in the realms of parody.

Tier: White

Backlog catch-up is a myth.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 12-13, Antique Bakery 3-4, Blade of the Immortal 2, Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68, Detroit Metal City 1, Eve no Jikan 1, Himawari!! 6, Itazura na Kiss 17, Kaiba 11-12, Koihime Musou 4, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12, Otome S.ifr 2, Nabari no Ou 17-18, Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4, Persona Trinity Soul 22-6, Real Drive 13, Ryoko’s Case File 4, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4, Soul Eater 16-18, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15, Xam’D 3

…and in manga: .hack//Link 3, Caramel Espresso 1-2, Clannad 6-8, Claymore 82, Elfen Lied 89-101, FMA 85, MariMite 25-7, Minami-ke 34-5, Nodame 121, Rose of Versailles 9-10, Sketchbook 13-16, Slayers Aqualord 1, Slayers Revolution 3, Tsubasa 194, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, xxxHOLiC 159-161, Yotsuba&! 55

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I? <-complete!
3. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
4. Soul Eater (4) – symmetry
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – Bones does it again
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (14) – maid secrets
11. Persona Trinity Soul (11) – what did it all mean? <- complete!
12. Detroit Metal City (-) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you! <-new!
13. Koihime Musou (10) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
14. Antique Bakery (15) – Young Master!
15. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (16) – fillerific
16. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (12) – open the safe
17. Ryoko’s Case File (18) – superintendant
18. Real Drive (13) – flashback
19. World Destruction (19) – tree
20. Himitsu (21) – faceless
21. Amatsuki (20) – inconclusive <-complete!
22. Allison and Lillia (23) – plane crash is the new train wreck
23. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
24. Blade of the Immortal (22) – boring <-dropped!
25. Itazura na Kiss (24) – dislikeable cast
26. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

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

*COMPLETE* Amatsuki 12-13: At long last, the series so dull and unable to maintain a consistent plotline that I barely knew or cared what was going on has come to an end, although to call something as inconclusive as this an ending is stretching it a bit. In episode twelve, Toki manages to save Imayou from evil somehow and turn her into a cute fox once again, before episode thirteen sees Ginshu call down the Hand of God, everything turns a bit Matrix-esque and then it all ends with the announcement that Toki may have to become the next overseer of this world. I’ll go into more detail in its own specific review, but suffice to say that after a slightly promising start, Amatsuki was barely worth watching. If you haven’t tried it, don’t bother.

Antique Bakery 3-4: Two more episodes in, and the HARD GAY has gone off the scale as Tachibana’s childhood friend Chikage shows up. Chikage holds a candle for “Young Master” Tachibana, but when he takes off his sunglasses, he captures Ono’s heart leading to new extremes of lust, longing and a general HARD GAY atmosphere. At least it’s somewhat amusing.

*DROPPED* Blade of the Immortal 2: It’s been proven that I can sit through near endless amounts of mediocrity, but there inevitably comes a time when one of the worse series just goes a step too far, and this week, Blade of the Immortal has proven too dull to continue with. In this episode, we see a flashback of a generic wronged family, before we return to the present, where the one survivor has grown up and now wants to travel with our lead on the way to revenge. When you put it like that, it sounds fairly inoffensive, but there’s absolutely no reason to care about what’s going. Bee Train has really outdone themselves this time.

Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68: If the rash of average series that has infected us this season can be thought of as a kind of dull gruel, then Chi’s Sweet Home is the delicious chocolate chips in my viewing schedule, renewing my faith in the medium as a whole and refreshing my stamina for everything else. In this batch of episodes, Chi gets a return visit to the vet, plays in a storm, experiences the family getting ill, becomes addicted to snack treats and generally does all sorts of cute cat-like things. The most hilarious moment occurs when Chi gets into a net, secure in the knowledge that no one can catch her- right up until Youhei seals her in.

*NEW* Detroit Metal City 1: Negishi is a mild-mannered young man who came to Tokyo to make it big as a guitar player; but whilst he may play wholesome songs of peace and harmony by day, by night he becomes Krauzer, lead singer for Detroit Metal City, a death metal band who has built their reputation on explicit lyrics. The trouble is, Krauser has a tendency to emerge as and when he will, and as long as that happens, Negishi won’t get any girls. Thus begins a new OVA series based on the manga of the same name, and whilst this is certainly something you won’t want to watch in polite company (or perhaps any company whatsoever), there is something amusing to be found from the mismatch between the two personalities.

*NEW* Eve no Jikan 1: In a world where androids have become integrated into all walks of life (yes, another one), there is only one place where artificial intelligence and humans can be treated on the same level- a small café located in an obscure back street. Just like the café in Mizu no Kotoba (is it meant to be the same place?), humans and androids are treated equally here, as our protagonist discovers when he stumbles on it after checking his android’s movement logs. Although the overall premise may not be particularly original, this is a well animated and reasonably thought provoking piece that immediately stands out from most of the dross we’ve been subjected to lately.

Himawari!! 6: Hayato and the girls have been left alone, but whilst they try to figure out what’s going on, who should show up but Tsubaki- and this time she wants to duel Himawari to see who is worthy of Hayato-dono’s heart. As with the rest of the season, this is a pretty average episode, although at least the infamous birthmark is having some significance this time around.

Itazura na Kiss 17: Another week, another episode of Itazura na Kiss that gives us no reason to do anything but despise all of the characters. Kotoko has finally made it into nursing school (skipping straight to the second year for some reason) but in predictable fashion she is an incompetent klutz that I wouldn’t wish on any patient, whilst her new classmates are all obsessed with Naoki- first trailing him to find out the identity of his wife (since Kotoko gets into a situation where she can’t easily admit it) and the deciding that it will be easy to get Naoki to divorce her and go after them. Well, aside from the fact that he’s a complete and utter bastard, vowing to break up someone’s marriage is a bit much even when viewed in a ‘comedic’ light, whilst the one character who isn’t interested in Naoki seems likely to end up falling for Kotoko. Oh dear, what a tangle.

*COMPLETE* Kaiba 11-12: Episode eleven sees Popo ascend to the world above, but his victory is a pyrrhic one- Cheki, the one who he wanted to see his victory, no longer has any memories of their shared past, whilst a careless mistake sees his mother’s memory chip consigned to oblivion. Not that Popo’s achievements are to be long-lived, given the number of people ready and willing to snatch it all away from him- setting the stage for Kaiba-Warp to meet and battle the fake. Can Neiro and Hyo-Hyo (who contains Neiro’s original memories) help Kaiba-Warp to claim victory and defeat the plant, all without losing himself in the mass of memories he possesses? I can’t say that this series made complete sense to me, but it was still very good, and one of the few select series that deserves watching again.

Koihime Musou 4: When Cao Cao shows up in town, Ma Chao decides to take revenge for the death of her father, and when she lands in prison because of it, Guan Yu must offer her body to the ambitious warlord in return for her friend’s freedom. Although the deed doesn’t actually take place, this episode takes the ecchi levels up several notches (presumably they slept together in the original game) but if you discount those moments, the series is still mildly entertaining if you view it with rose-tinted glasses.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12: Although I have occasionally complained about the family going overboard and ruining everything, what I didn’t count on was an episode in which they all but completely failed to appear. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we get here, with a filler episode about a random college student who takes in a catgirl. The catgirl is rather cute, but the episode is hardly anything to write home about- unless you want to write home to explain how you just wasted twenty-five minutes of your life.

Mai-Otome 0 S.ifr 2: Since I completely forgot to watch this raw, I ended up catching my first subbed episode of Mai-Otome since the original series, as the prequel tale of Sifr, Bruce and Rena continues. Whilst Schwarz try to convince Sifr that their dodgy haircuts and generic minions are in no way any indication that they are, in fact, evil, Rena has an angst session with a bishie and his brother Reito in the desert, Elliot gets stripped naked for some reason and various other uninteresting things happen. But the true indicator that the franchise has gone downhill is that this episode is completely lacking in fat grey cats, or indeed any cats whatsoever. Bring back the cats!

Nabari no Ou 17-18: Although you wouldn’t expect it of a series purporting to contain ninjas and action, I’ve come to realise that the best way to enjoy Nabari no Ou is to adapt oneself to its tranquil pacing- if you do this, it somehow becomes more enjoyable. Anyway, episode seventeen sees Raimei lead Yukimi to the school in an attempt to keep him away from Thobari and everyone else, but as it turns out, Thobari is there shredding documents anyway. Perhaps it’s just as well, however, as Raimei’s character has degenerated into that of a pathetic female who can’t do anything, much to my disappointment. Then in episode eighteen Yoite enters Angst Mode after learning that he has a month to live, causing him to wander the wintry streets in his pyjamas, coughing up blood. Nice.

Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5: It’s time for Natsume Yuujinchou to show lesser series how it’s done in this double bill of episodes; first up, we have a test of courage that sees Natsume and his friends wander the school at night, only to discover that there may actually be a ghost, followed by an encounter with a none-too-bright demon at the station that leads to Natsume attempting to complete a reconciliation Reiko forgot to do anything about. It may not be mind-blowingly original, but the series has a perfect trump card in the form of Nyanko-sensei, who reveals that he can also transform into an attractive young woman alongside his fat cat and Okami forms.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4: It’s time for another classic anime storyline this week on Haruka, as our intrepid main characters decide to trail Haruka’s maid in order to discover why she might have a life of her own outside the household. The entire script has basically been lifted out of the annals of anime history, and the fact that it is better than several other things I’ve watched this week is only an indictment on their low quality rather than endorsement of this.

*COMPLETE* Persona Trinity Soul 22-6: Well, the best that I can say about is that at least it’s over, because overall this last batch of episodes was as underwhelming as the rest of the series. Whilst people continue to sink into apathy, switch consciousness and all the rest, several main characters die (I must admit I felt sad for Kanaru, given her true nature) and Shin learns the hideous truth of his past before entering a persona-driven boss battle. Would I have got more out of this series if I’d played the game first? Perhaps, but I’m waiting it for reduce in price before I buy it.

Real Drive 13: Amidst all the boring and monotonous episodes to pass my eyes this week, one stands out above them all, and it is this- Real Drive’s own attempt at something even more fillerific than the average filler episode. In this episode, Haru and Minamo drag us along on their day off, in which they look at pictures and reminisce about Haru’s youth- complete with musical interludes in place of dialogue. In the annals of dull, this episode must surely deserve some sort of prize.

Ryoko’s Case File 4: The affable and none-too-bright Jun’ichiro accompanies Ryoko on another case in this episode (you don’t say!), in which they embark on a dialogue ridden investigation into a company researching the creation of artificial/genetically-engineered/whatever life forms. To cut to the chase, what they produced was a hideous green monster, but the woman who mothered it considers it her son and runs off with it in her arms. It’s a little disturbing, and I almost wish it would go back to the 90s where it belongs.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4: It’s Midorikawa’s turn in the spotlight this episode, as we learn of the predictably troubled past that made him into the moody teen he is- basically, after learning that her husband and son had mage potential, Midorikawa’s mother walked out on them, whilst his classmates rejected him. Now he must learn to face up to his situation, but in a rather unpleasant turn of events, one client wants to recapture the taste of a nostalgic drink- and the mages give her breast milk. Yes, that’s right- rather creepily, a glass full of breast milk appears out of nowhere and the woman drinks it. I guess if you want to get technical then it’s not much different to drinking something that’s come from a cow’s udder, but the thought of it is somehow far, far worse.

This isn’t Bartender, you know.

Soul Eater 16-18: Episode sixteen concludes Kid’s visit to Nidhogg and his duel with both the ship and Ragnarok (ending in an appropriately symmetric situation, of course), before we move onto the realms of complete filler with episode seventeen. Perhaps the worst episode of the series so far, seventeen sees minor character Oxford visit Excalibur and basically listen to him ramble on for twenty-five minutes. Fortunately, eighteen is quick to get things moving again, as Medusa’s plans come to fruition and it is left to the named characters to try to stop her. Hopefully this means plenty of action and lots of ‘coolness’ in the upcoming episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7: Scooby-Doo meets the 21^st century in this duet of episodes, as our heroes set off to an inn which has been plagued by ghost sightings. Could it be the work of the evil man who wants to buy the inn from the family that manages it? Is water wet? Unfortunately, where episode six can be watched with a sense of smug superiority that you know what will take the protagonists a while to discover, episode seven is entirely dull as they slowly struggle to conclusions you no longer care about. I’m toying with dropping this series.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15: It’s time for new characters and a new arc as Tohru gets a mysterious girl delivered to him by a large cat- but who is she, and why would the Oni go to such lengths as to capture Kuu-chan just to find out her whereabouts? Naturally, Kuu-chan isn’t without her tricks, even using Mubyou’s voice over a cell phone to break a sealing spell. It’s entertaining stuff, even if the conclusion of episode fifteen indicates that there might be a slightly tedious arc ahead.

World Destruction 4: World Destruction reaches new lows in this episode, as we visit a village where the frogman leader has cut down all of the sakura trees- except for one, which is purported to be cursed. What follows is a lot of running around from our leads in an attempt to maintain the illusion of the curse, resulting in so much mayhem that they really didn’t need to pretend at all. Drum this into your head once and for all- no good can come from RPG-based series.

Xam’d- Lost Memories 3: Akiyuki must adjust to his life on the ship in preparation for his Eureka Seven style adventures to come, but naturally he’s none too pleased to learn that not only is his old life over, but he’s going to have to work for a living from now on. As the obligatory “hero reluctantly settles into his new role” episode, this isn’t the best episode thus far, but I’m optimistic that it will all pay off in the future.

MANGA

.hack//Link 3: Whilst the villain group receives orders via magic CCTV (I wonder if they bought it from Yata and Pai), Tokio is demoted from hero to servant of fellow player Saika and given the mission of tracking down the Chrono Cores before the villains get them. The first Chrono Core is in the hands of familiar face Tsukasa, although given all the revisions of the World, it’s hard to know whether this has a connection to the real Tsukasa or if it’s just a data ghost. And let’s not even get into the use of the age old “collect all the special items before the enemy does” direction that the plot is taking.

*NEW* Caramel Espresso 1-2: Why do all the gay series have misleadingly intriguing names? Anyway, in this rather bizarre excuse for HARD GAY, Sayuu is a coffee shop worker and university student who wakes up one morning to find that he has suddenly become left-handed. Tracing back the origin of the switch to a customer at the café, he becomes acquainted with Aki, a quiet young man who has a HARD GAY dominant alter ego named Ao. Since Ao was produced from suppressing the painful memories of a troubled childhood and a need to hide his HARD GAY from homophobic adults, Aki seems to hope that having a relationship with Sayuu will help him to integrate his alter ego- and even though Sayuu is STRAIGHT, he finds himself oddly attracted to Aki (yeah, like we haven’t seen that happen before). It’s all a bit convoluted, but by the end of chapter two we’re already down to the sausage-fest.

Clannad 6-8: With all the excess of the other girls’ stories clipped out, the Clannad manga is moving at a fast pace down Nagisa’s track- which of course suits me just fine. First up we attend to the restoration of the drama club, which is easily achieved without resorting to baseball matches, before Tomoya’s situation with his father becomes so untenable that he moves in with Nagisa’s family. Yes, it’s familiar ground, but it’s nice to be covering it this quickly.

Claymore 82: Whilst Renee is captured by Riful and persuaded to cooperate with her in exchange for the chance to regenerate her legs, Claire’s team decide to resolve their personal issues in preparation for the final attack on North Crater the Abyssal Ones. For the lesser characters, this means visiting their hometowns, but for Claire, only tracking down Raki will be enough to set aside the last of her doubts. A fated meeting is no doubt in their future, but what will come of it? Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too many months to find out.

Elfen Lied 89-101: A bulk catch-up on Elfen Lied takes us almost to the end of the series, and it’s a far cry from the situation we once knew. Female Researcher has developed a vaccine that could cure the Diclonius virus, but it’s only with considerable outside help that she can get it past all the Diclonii that have broken out of the research facility. Meanwhile, Lucy’s powers have levelled up significantly, but will Kouta accept her, or turn her away for all the lives she’s taken? It’s to see some real plot development- after all, so close to the end, we can’t do without it.

Fullmetal Alchemist 85: The time has come for those who oppose Bradley to make their move, but when terrorists blow up his train, Father himself comes forward out of the shadows to take control. Meanwhile, Ed is reunited with his father, but when Al shows up, something seems amiss. It seems as if the plot isn’t afraid to march forward at this stage, but what will happen next? The anticipation for the next chapter is great.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 25-7: Since the order of arcs was switched round a little, it’s now time for the Rosa Canina arc, as the third years prepare to graduate and Shimako seems reluctant to run against new character Kanina Shizuka in the Yamayurikai elections. Again, it’s enjoyable to revisit this arc in a format where I can take it at my own pace, but with these chapters only covering about half of the story, it would be nice to have the rest to hand even though I know how it will turn out.

Minami-ke 34-5: After the girls try on each other’s uniforms, Kana becomes obsessed with the effect of appearances, even going so far as to borrow Keiko’s glasses in order to become more intellectual. These chapters aren’t the best examples of the series, but they’re entertaining enough.

Nodame Cantabile 121: After a quick catch-up with Streseman in New York (where a little boy wipes dog faeces on him), we return to Paris to see Chiaki, Rui and the orchestra continue their rehearsals and field an interview from Classic Life magazine, whilst in the background, Nodame practises some Debussy. Not a particularly eventful chapter, but one that seems to indicate the manga could go on forever.

Rose of Versailles 9-10: With the passing of Louis XV, Louis XVI takes the throne and Marie Antoinette becomes Queen of France, but hopes of a new age for France are quickly dashed when the beautiful young queen seems more interested in using the country’s finances to order finery for herself than for helping the people. Meanwhile, Jeanne carries out a plan to earn herself her benefactor’s title and money, whilst poor Rosalie hits rock bottom. Of course, we all know how this particular period in history turned out, but you can’t help urging Marie Antoinette to realise the error of her ways before the guillotine starts looming.

Sketchbook 13-16: I can’t express how much better this manga is than the anime as it continues onwards into volume two, complete with fresh humour, more moments of randomness and everything you could want from this sort of light-hearted comedy. There’s only so many different ways I can express these sentiments, but I’ll keep repeating them for as long it takes to complete this series.

*NEW* Slayers- Knight of Aqua Lord 1: Another Slayers series, Knight of Aqua Lord doesn’t fit into either novel or TV series canon as we see Lina and Gourry head off to a cursed island in an attempt to find enough treasure to pay off a gambling debt. Unfortunately, things go a little pear-shaped when the fearless duo is attacked by giant water dragons, with Lina waking up in a strange land where her magic doesn’t work! How will Lina fare without her trusty Fireball and Dragon Slave? Presumably we’ll find out in the next few chapters.

Slayers Revolution 3: Much of this chapter is just a retread of episode five, and since I only wrote about that last week, I won’t bother to recount it here. There are some slight additions, however, at the end, as Xellos and Waiser team up with the goal of arresting Lina (again), and the evil Marquess dispatches a mid-boss type assassin named Zuuma to be inevitably defeated at the hands of our heroes in the near future.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 194: If you thought very little had happened in the last few chapters, then even less happens here as Sakura has some sort of premonition of danger and Syaoran decides that he must accompany her during the ceremony- which will be occurring next chapter at the earliest. Could the pace be getting slower than even that of the infamous bus arc?

*NEW* Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1: The first chapter of the Wagaya manga is actually much the same as the first episode (albeit without covering the ending) so thus far there isn’t much to say, except to comment that Kuu-chan’s female form looks younger and cuter than her anime form. Personally, I prefer the sophisticated look of the latter.

xxxHOLiC 159-161: Whilst Watanuki realises that he can live without his memories as long as he’s the main character of the series, the bulk of these chapters seems to be affirming his HARD GAY relationship with Doumeki- with a visit to Early Chapters Fortune Teller and her new apprentice Kohane indicating that they are destined to be together. At the end of 161, however, a new customer comes to the shop- could this be the long-awaited start of a new story?

Yotsuba&! 55: Dad has plans to buy some clothes for the autumn, but Yotsuba being Yotsuba means that they inevitably get sidetracked when she decides that she needs to collect some acorns. Yes, it’s another delightfully whimsical chapter in the life of everyone’s favourite green-haired five-year-old; may it last for a good while yet.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 14-15, Hidamari Sketch x365 3-4, Itazura na Kiss 16, Kaiba 10, Love GetChu! 9-10, Nabari no Ou 16, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 2-3, Persona Trinity Soul 21, Real Drive 12, Ryoko’s Case File 2-3, School Rumble San Gakki OVA 1, Slayers Revolution 4-5, World Destruction 3, Xam’D 1-2

…and in manga: next week, I promise!

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Hidamari Sketch x365 (4) – 365 times the fun
4. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (-) – Bones does it again <-new!
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (5) – Book of Friends
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Koihime Musou (10) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
11. Persona Trinity Soul (11) – catch-up, start!
12. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (13) – open the safe
13. Real Drive (12) – chat program
14. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (21) – secret otaku
15. Antique Bakery (15) – super gay demon
16. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (16) – biological weapon
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – predictable
18. Ryoko’s Case File (14) – superintendant
19. World Destruction (18) – cats
20. Amatsuki (19) – Kuchiha
21. Himitsu (20) – faceless
22. Blade of the Immortal (22) – immortal worms
23. Allison and Lillia (23) – plane crash is the new train wreck
24. Itazura na Kiss (24) – dislikeable cast
25. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

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

Allison and Lillia 14-15: The Lillia arc has finally begun in earnest, and it’s an excuse for more stupidity and copied storylines as Lillia and Treize (son of Fiona and ‘how much facial hair can I grow?’ Benedict) head go on holiday, only to be targeted by forces of evil. In the ensuing sequence of events, an innocent pilot gets left behind as a hostage, another man loses his car to our heroes and there’s a plane crash in the middle of nowhere. Hmm, that hasn’t happened before.

Hidamari Sketch x365 3-4: It’s time for more random fun with two more episodes of Hidamari; first one in which Yuno and Miyako head to a shrine in order to do some drawing, followed by a two part episode which features both a fat cat and a follow-up to last season’s culture festival episode. Whilst it’s all good, light fun, naturally the fat cat segment wins out over the rest, proving that obese felines are the way forward in anime, just as I’ve always said.

Itazura na Kiss 16: I know I harp on about this, but I really hate all the characters in Itazura na Kiss, and I especially despise the portrayal of their relationships. Having decided to switch to a nursing course, Kotoko promptly fails her exam, but she’s determined to pass next time in the hopes that Naoki will reward her with a date (wait a minute- aren’t they married? Doesn’t that imply that they should want to go on dates with each other in the normal course of things, and not just for a treat?). Meanwhile, Chris continues to pursue Kinnosuke and wear him down, whilst Kotoko briefly believes she is pregnant, which makes you wonder which is worse- the possible offspring from this hideous union, or the thought of Kotoko and Naoki getting intimate. I must rant about this series with all due haste.

You’re married! Dates shouldn’t be some kind of rare and special treat!

Kaiba 10: It’s time to fill in a few blanks as we learn how Kaiba-Warp and Neiro came to meet and develop feelings for each other, and how it resulted in Neiro’s first death. It’s good to have this gap in the past story covered, although at the same time there are so many twists and turns in this anime that I’m going to need to watch it all again in order to appreciate everything that’s going on.

Love GetChu! 9-10: At long last I’ve watched two more episodes of Love GetChu, starting with an instalment in which the girls face a promotion exam- but will Momoko’s jealousy over Yurika and Atari’s growing friendship get in the way of her work? As it turns out, Amane is the one to get the promotion, but when she still seems lacking in something, the other girls are sent to help her at a special event. Unfortunately, having taken the bold step of having one of the girls move ahead in episode nine, episode ten is basically an exercise in giving everyone enough EXP to level up, although perhaps the fact that they can now apply for actual voice acting roles will help the story step up a bit.

Nabari no Ou 16: The Banten kinjutsu scroll is the last one that Kairoshuu needs, so you might think that they’d put all their efforts into finding it- or not quite yet. First, everyone needs to talk about what they’re going to do, with Aizawa explaining that he’s an immortal desperately hoping to regain his mortality, and Miharu going on a date with Yoite. I’m not entirely sure how the story can even stretch across another ten episodes.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 2-3: Now a conspirator in Haruka’s secret, Yuuto finds himself dragged around Akihabara with her, before visiting her well-appointed mansion and taking the fall when a Natsucomi booklet nearly gives her secret away. It’s reasonably entertaining, but there’s a feeling that this is the kind of the series that belongs in the early 2000s; by this point in the decade, it just feels a bit old and clichéd.

Persona Trinity Soul 21: Sadly I only managed one more episode of Persona this week, but I swear to make an effort to complete it over the weekend. In the meantime, this episode sees the Marebito take Jun in the hopes that he can use his persona calming abilities- but with Yuki in control, the persona can’t be summoned. There’s not much more to say, really, except that the end is near.

Real Drive 12: It’s a fairly calm episode of Real Drive this time around as Minamo befriends Amy, a blind girl who has just had her sight cybernetically restored- and who, of course, ‘coincidentally’ turns out to be both an absent classmate and the Metal artist that Haru has been tasked to search for. Although it is interesting to wonder if Amy is really better off for suddenly being bombarded with images from her newfound sight, in all honesty if I want to sit down and think about this, I don’t need an anime episode to encourage me to do that. I was also disappointed at the wasted potential to discuss synaesthesia (the condition, not the band) in relation to Amy’s art.

Ryoko’s Case File 2-3: Episode two concludes the story seen in the first arc with a mixture of exploding cookery ingredients (you don’t see that on Masterchef), evil scientists and giant snakes that I couldn’t really make head nor tail of- except to decipher that I probably wasn’t missing much. Although nothing spectacular, episode three is at least slightly better than its predecessors, starting with Izumida getting a day off and ending up with Ryoko gate crashing his evening as an attempt to lead some paparazzi a merry dance. I thought something clever was going to happen at the end, but ultimately it didn’t- probably an indication of how this show is going to be throughout.

*NEW* School Rumble San Gakki 1: Well, actually this is labelled “San Gakki 25”, but since episodes 1-24 don’t exist, all we have is this underwhelming two episode OVA to work with. As per the preview at the end of Nigakki, I was expecting the next part of School Rumble to be animated would be the England field trip, but instead we’re treated to a dull segment involving a class marathon, Tenma’s depression at being unable to confess to Karasuma and various other dull relationship issues. How can anyone even like Karasuma, who has the personality of a chalkboard? Does anyone really care who ends up with who at this point?

Slayers Revolution 4-5: Episode four finally carries us as far as the second chapter of the manga, with Amelia and Zelgadis befriending Pokota right before Lina and Gourry try to lure him out with a mage tank. In episode five we finally catch up with him, only to discover that he’s a prince of a lost country whose inhabitants are resting in crystal- by one Rezo. Now, you might recall that both Rezo and his copy were defeated in season one, but apparently if he was dead, the seal would have broken, so rather disappointingly he may somehow still be alive. In the meantime, however, Xellos has teamed up with the minor villain team of Super Armoured Tiger and Redhead Marquise- come on, Xellos, you can do better than these losers.

World Destruction 3: I haven’t made time for episode four yet (some may say that’s a good thing) but I did manage to catch the third episode of the increasingly tiresome World Destruction, in which our heroes get thrown in prison, only to plan a jailbreak that was totally unnecessary because one of the guards was prepared to bust them out anyway. I suppose the anime is at least achieving its goal of making me slightly interested in the game.

*NEW* Xam’d- Lost Memories 1-2: At long last we have a decent new series to offset the mediocrity, in the form of a new Studio Bones series that seems to be cross between Eureak Seven, Last Exile, FLCL and Fantastic Children. A normal high school student ends up with the ability to transform into a bizarre monster and thus ends up on the 2008 version of the Gekko-Go, ready for all kinds of new adventures to no doubt befall him. I have high hopes for this series, so with any luck it will deliver.

When Kanaru becomes addicted to Pleasure, Megumi’s jealousy over her friend’s sex life causes her to take action- but can you really stop a Pleasure addict when she has so many generic, off-screen partners to turn to?

Kanaru gets caught up in the throes of Pleasure.

“I want more!”

“I just get so damned horny!”

“I thought I could return to a life of celibacy after this.”

“But it’s so hard to go cold turkey.”

“If you keep sleeping around, that’s it for us!”

“I agree that it isn’t good to become a nymphomaniac, but even so…”

“…isn’t casual sex useful for relieving tension?”

“The poor girl is exhausted!”

“I’ve heard of book clubs and sports clubs, but a Pleasure club is one step too far!”

“Kanaru, were you arranging Pleasure again?”

“…Yes.”

“Just how many Pleasure partners do you have?”

“I don’t know- I get drunk and just sleep with whoever.”

“I’ll wake up and not even know who’s in bed beside me.”

“Wow, I wish I had a sex life like that… er, I mean, that’s not good- you should give it up.”

“You’re not off to have Pleasure again, are you?”

“Where else would I be going?”

For some reason cooking in the Kanzato house necessitates wearing this maid’s apron.

“…have Pleasure without me?”

“But it’s the only way I can get into clubs!”

“You know, you’re not the only one who’s had Pleasure.”

Wait, it’s not like that at my dance classes!

“I saw Yumi having Hyper Self Pleasure, so I thought I’d join in.”

“Unfortunately, I was inexperienced- I didn’t know where to put my hands.”

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re bound to hurt yourself!”

“So, to help you give up, let’s see if we can sleep in the same bed all night without having Pleasure.”

“Megumi won’t give me Pleasure- you’ll have to do it!”

“Maybe we should just have a little foreplay, you know?”

“She has to go cold turkey!”

“It’s the only way to deal with Pleasure addiction!”

“Damn Pleasure addiction- it’s everywhere these days.”

“Only Pleasure can take away this pain!”

“Did someone mention Pleasure? My room’s always open, you know.”

Outside, Yamazaki is indulging in her own brand of Hyper Self Pleasure.

“You know, I’ve seen someone who’s at your level of Pleasuring ability.”

“I bet they’d be great in bed!”

“Look, kids, when it comes to Pleasure, you need to be responsible.”

“Kanaru, promise you won’t sleep with your friends.”

But by the next day, Kanaru has already been pressured by her partners into joining them for one more session.

“They’re bound to make her have Pleasure!”

“She’s been celibate for all of one night now!”

“Hey, we wanted Pleasure last night- not just a quick tease!”

“We even tried having internet sex, but it was no good!”

“My friends are jealous of my sex life, so they’ve been curtailing my activities!”

“You’re a supporting character- the last thing they want to hear is that you’re getting more than them!”

“If you ask me, there’s no harm in indulging in a bit of Pleasure now and then.”

“In fact, I’ve wanted to seduce you for quite some time now.”

“…let’s do it right here!”

“Okay, okay, I’ve had enough Pleasure! No more!”

“Don’t force me, I’ve had enough!”

“Sorry, it’s too late- I just couldn’t control myself.”

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 10-11, Clannad Tomoyo Edition, Itazura na Kiss 15, Koihime Musou 3, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11, Mnemosyne 6, Nabari no Ou 15, Natsume Yuujinchou 3, Persona 18-20, Slayers Revolution 3, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3, Soul Eater 15, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5, World Destruction 2, xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13

…and in manga: too lazy to read any!

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
4. Hidamari Sketch x365 (4) – 365 times the fun
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Book of Friends
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – not so bad <- complete!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (8) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (7) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Koihime Musou (11) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
11. Persona Trinity Soul (10) – catch-up, start!
12. Real Drive (13) – chat program
13. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – open the safe
14. Ryoko’s Case File (15) – superintendant
15. Antique Bakery (17) – super gay demon
16. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (22) – biological weapon
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (18) – predictable
18. World Destruction (12) – cats
19. Amatsuki (16) – Kuchiha
20. Himitsu (19) – faceless
21. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (20) – secret otaku
22. Blade of the Immortal (21) – immortal worms
23. Allison and Lillia (24) – Travas-ty (sorry, Hanners)
24. Itazura na Kiss (23) – dislikeable cast
25. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

Amatsuki 10-11: Although episode ten was so underwhelming that I can’t actually remember anything beyond the fact that I watched it, episode eleven is marginally more interesting, with Tsuyukusa and Imayou plotting some kind of vaguely directed revenge, whilst Kuchiha, Toki and Shamon all get locked in a cellar (and no, there’s no punch line to that). I’m not even sure why I started watching such a mediocre, dull and forgettable series, but with only two episodes left I may as well see it to its conclusion.

*SPECIAL* Clannad~ Tomoyo Edition: The long-awaited Clannad 24 is here, and it’s Tomoyo’s turn to step up to the plate as the other girls vanish to let her gain Tomoya’s heart (Tomoyo and Tomoya, isn’t that nice?). Unfortunately, dating a delinquent isn’t such a good thing when you’re running for school council president, and it seems that outside pressures could very tear their relationship apart. Unfortunately, whilst this isn’t a particularly bad instalment, my focus has always been on Tomoya X Nagisa and so other pairings just don’t interest. Plus it’s the old thing of giving up your dreams for love- being the kind of person who wants it all, I always hate to see that situation.

Itazura na Kiss 15: After the fastest nuptials in the history of man (barring celebrity weddings, which don’t really count), Kotoko and Naoki are off on their honeymoon, and naturally, trouble isn’t far behind in the form of another newlywed couple in which the wife wants nothing more than to get into Naoki’s pants. So here we have Kotoko worrying over a husband who she still addresses by his last name, Naoki completely brushing off his wife, a woman who married a man she doesn’t love and only wants an affair, and her husband, a weakling who takes charge by hitting his wife. Oh, and the Irie family somehow sneak to Hawaii to spy on the honeymoon- a rather idiotic and overused ‘joke’ if ever there was one. Are there women out there who really find this sort of storytelling romantic? Do they long to be dominated by despicable assholes of men? I hope not.

Koihime Musou 3: The good thing about this show is that unlike other bastions of mediocrity, I can slip on a pair of rose tinted glasses and enjoy it- just because there are beautiful girls with Three Kingdoms names. This week, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun end up working in a maid café (in ancient China) for cash, whilst Zhang Fei makes such a hash of it that she wanders off and ends up entering a tournament held by Yuan Shao. Also in the tournament is named character Ma Chao, with both girls naturally getting to the final, fighting to a draw and being invited to work for Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, Cao Cao also makes an appearance, only to take an unnatural interest in seeing if Guan Yu’s hair is just as black and lustrous ‘down there’. No, really.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11: After a long stretch of disappointment, KKN finally improve slightly in this episode, a Hyouka-centric story about the biological weapon’s first love. It may be a predictable tale, but aside from Kyouka’s inevitable attempts to turn it into a tired frenzy situation, it’s actually a pretty solid one. And I must admit to being amused when Hyouka accidentally sucked in Yuuka.

*COMPLETE* Mnemosyne 6: Mnemosyne has finally ground to a conclusion, and I have to say that it apart from being a platform for gratuitous sex and violence, it didn’t make a great of sense. In this episode, a disappointingly pathetic Rin confronts Apos, meets the previously unmentioned Guardian of Yggdrasil, and various other things happen that I probably shouldn’t spoil. Suffice to say that this OVA has been a disappointment and would have better aired way back in the 90s.

Is it wrong to want to cosplay as Apos?

Nabari no Ou 15: The Kouga arc ends in this episode, and once again I find myself wishing that I could really care about and get into this series, because it just keeps sliding superficially past my indifferent eyes. Whilst Aizawa proves to have God Mode switched on, evil eyepatch teacher attempts to murder the headmaster, but as the old guy is dying anyway, he’s already made plans to pass on the kinjutsu scroll. Oh, and some minor characters have dialogue and emotional scenes, but since they were only introduced a couple of episodes ago, no one really cares.

Natsume Yuujinchou 3: Natsume Yuujinchou picks up a little in this episode as our eponymous hero heads off to help some youkai who are being exterminated by an unknown person- complete with some Flashback Modes about a chapter in his childhood. It may not be particularly outstanding, but amidst the mediocrity of the summer season, this is a real breath of fresh air.

Persona Trinity Soul 18-20: Although I intended to marathon five episodes of Persona this week, I was only able to make it through three before my brain demanded stimulation, leaving me with six episodes to clear before the series can be deemed complete. In a confusing turn of events, Jun’s spirit has some gone to be with Ryou, leaving Yuki in charge of their body, whilst around them various things happen such Yamazaki perfecting alternate hairstyles for good and evil forms. I presume some kind of final boss confrontation is coming, but along the way not a great deal of interest is occurring.

Slayers Revolution 3: In a rather tiresome turn of events, John Smith (yes, I know his name is Weiser, but he looks like a John Smith) is here to arrest Lina for yet another crime she didn’t commit, and yet again she must search for the real culprit in order to clear her name. With that rather dull start, it takes about half the episode for the series to rev up to the usual levels of Slayers entertainment- and if this is to be the format for most episodes, it will get tired very, very fast.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3: After picking up a little in episode two, Natsu no Sora backslides somewhat in this episode as our heroine takes on her first proper job- opening a safe. Of course, just opening it wouldn’t be all that exciting, so there’s more to the story than that, but ultimately it all falls flat to me- Sora’s interference may have helped the client, but at the same time it’s a bit like Captain Kirk destroying an alien paradise- you can’t help feeling they should have just let the situation be.

Soul Eater 15: It’s time for a Kid side story as he takes Patty and Liz to a ghost ship, and whilst Patty’s immaturity is becoming a little annoying, this is generally an entertaining episode. Much as I like Soul and Maka, I’m glad that all the protagonists get their chance to shine in the series- I think I’ll be happy to see this through to 51 episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5: In case you hadn’t noticed already, something is amiss in the village, and as it turns out, it’s all tied to Evil-ish Former Teacher and a particular type of magical grass. From there, we have a conclusion to the story that just feels shallow and even stupid at points- for example, did the grass really have to go as far as ‘kill’ Midori just to make Ran summon the wind that would end its life? Couldn’t it have just asked for her to bring up a box of matches or something? How has this become even worse than the at least slightly interesting Mokke?

World Destruction 2: As I feared, World Destruction has rapidly gone downhill in this episode, as our three reluctant allies end up on a lawless ship where the Destruct Code promptly gets stolen. It’s basically the pirate ship level of the RPG, and after my hideous experience on the Zelbess in Chrono Cross, I’ve never been a fan of ships in RPG worlds. I fear I’ve taken on another lemon.

*COMPLETE* xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13: At long last, xxxHOLiC Kei can be crossed off the list, the series I never intended to watch but actually quite enjoyed. Episode twelve wraps up the Himawari arc with the hatching of her little bird, whilst episode thirteen is a coda to the series, first covering an earlier manga chapter in which Watanuki finds a thunder god in an electronics store before all the recurring characters come together for a party to

Thanks, I’ll take two.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 13, Antique Bakery 2, Blade of the Immortal 1, Hidamari Sketch x365 2, Itazura na Kiss 14, Koihime Musou 2, Natsume Yuujinchou 2, Persona 13-17, Ryoko’s Case File 1, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 2, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 4, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 12-13

…and in manga: Ayu and Mayu 1, Bartender 4-6, Claymore 81, Elfen Lied 86-8, Gunslinger Girl 51-6, Minami-ke 32-3, Nodame Cantabile 120, Sketchbook 8-12, Tsubasa Chronicle 193

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
4. Hidamari Sketch x365 (4) – 365 times the fun
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (6) – typhoid Himawari
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (5) – Book of Friends
7. Nabari no Ou (7) – change of side
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (8) – hot springs
9. Slayers Revolution (10) – Dragon Slave
10. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
11. Koihime Musou (11) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
12. World Destruction (12) – cats
13. Real Drive (13) – chat program
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (15) – slooowww start
15. Ryoko’s Case File (-) – superintendant <-new!
16. Amatsuki (14) – Kuchiha
17. Antique Bakery (16) – super gay demon
18. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – predictable
19. Himitsu (18) – faceless
20. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (-) – secret otaku
21. Blade of the Immortal (-) – immortal worms <- new!
22. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (19) – kyouran kaizoku
23. Itazura na Kiss (20) – dislikeable cast
24. Allison and Lillia (21) – Travas-ty (sorry, Hanners)
25. Chocolate Underground (22) – chocolate is forbidden

Allison and Lillia 13: Maybe I’m just getting old, but between this and Itazura na Kiss, romance and its recent depiction in anime has really angried up the blood. Hardly the bastion of worth at the best of times, the final episode of the Allison arc rejoins our protagonists now that they are living together- although aside from the wedding rings you’d be hard-pressed to realise they actually had a relationship. Still, Allison and Wil seem happy enough, until Major Stork (or whatever his name is this week) decides that Wil should join his intelligence agency, which will necessitate leaving Allison and changing his very identity. What’s a guy to do when a suspicious mass murderer with lax parenting values tells you to leave the love of your life? Apparently, you should go along with it- and worse yet, Allison supports Wil’s decision, even failing to tell him that she’s just found out she’s pregnant.

So, after saying “I love you” for the first time as he leaves on the train, we flash forward fifteen years, where Allison is now living with her daughter Lillia, and going out with one Major Travas- who happens to be Wil with different coloured hair. So, if he could be Allison’s boyfriend, why did he have to leave forever? Why couldn’t he have just said no and got an academic job at the university or something? It took Allison long enough to get Wil to go out with her, so why did he have to be taken away? Or was such an emotionally stunted man even worth it in the first place?

Antique Bakery 2: The strawberries of doom seem to have taken a backseat this week as former boxer Eiji joins the Antique team- but despite being hired as a receptionist, his love of cake sees him train under HARD GAY chef. Although not quite as parody-worthy as the opening instalment, there’s still potential amidst the banter, not to mention a scene in which our protagonists pipe cream into holes in choux pastry.

*NEW* Blade of the Immortal 1: Giving an action series to Bee Train is like asking a three-year-old to paint the Mona Lisa- you just know that what you’re going to end up with will be a mess that bears very little resemblance to what you asked for. Anyway, in this series we meet a man who has worms inside him that grant immortality (no guffawing, please), but due to his past as a killer, practically everyone is after him- forcing him to kill again and again. Unfortunately, since straightforward action might strain the animation team at Bee Train, everything has to take place either off screen between still shots, or in a darkened room so that a minimum of detail needs to be shown. It’s not terribly interesting, but the series is short enough that it shouldn’t become another El Cazador de la Roots.

Hidamari Sketch x365 2: After last episode’s prequel to season one, we jump ahead to the end of the school year, with Sae’s sister Chika taking entrance exams and everyone else reflecting on how much has happened since they first came to the Hidamari Apartments. It’s another worthy dose of slice-of-life, although I wonder whether we’ll be jumping back to familiar old territory next episode or seeing everyone moving up to the next school year.

Itazura na Kiss 14: And now to the second romance fiasco of the week- the legendary wedding episode of Itazura na Kiss, in which all the development that didn’t happen in the first half of the series is crammed into one episode. Despite having been a complete bastard who treated her like dirt for half a series, Naoki can’t bear the thought of Kotoko marrying Kin-chan (and who could, really), and so he takes it upon himself to propose to her- because despite a large body of evidence to the contrary, he actually does have feelings for her. I assume I’m supposed to sigh and say ‘how romantic’, but come on- shouldn’t they at least go out for a while before getting engaged?

As if that wasn’t enough, however, Naoki’s mother decides it’s too dangerous for them not to get hitched straightaway, and even though a wedding costs about £20-30,000 on average, it somehow all gets arranged within the space of a week. Unreality aside, what happened to “marry in haste, repent at leisure”? Shouldn’t people get married because they want to, rather than because their mother forced them into it before they changed their mind? How can we enjoy such a poorly paced relationship? Isn’t Naoki just a bastard no matter how you look at it?

Oh, for goodness sake- get over yourself.

Koihime Musou 2: The great thing about Koihime Musou is that even though nothing momentous is ever going to happen, I love the Three Kingdoms and the character designs, I can have a fun time spotting them. This week, our heroines link up with the slightly HARD YURI Zhao Yun and Gongsun Zan in order to bust yet another den of generic looking bandits. I get the feeling that this will be the pattern for the series, but if we get to see all the Three Kingdoms favourites as beautiful women, who cares?

Natsume Yuujinchou 2: The returning of contracts is going well enough until a tiny shrine gods shows up to ask for his back, only for Natsume to realise it is stuck to another page in the Book of Friends. Since ripping the pages apart would be damaging to the spirits named within, Natsume and Nyanko-sensei must instead track down the other spirit so that they can both be released at the same time. There’s still a feeling of ‘why does it have to be this way?’ about the whole series, since it seems there must be easier ways for Natsume and Nyanko-sensei to achieve their goals, but the episode is nonetheless a solid one that builds to a decent conclusion- and let’s face it, Nyanko-sensei in cat form is worth the price of admission any day.

*NEW* Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 1: Although it sounds a lot like Kare Kano, I was immediately drawn to the idea of a ‘perfect girl’ who is a secret otaku- is it something I can identify with (well, apart from the fact that I’m far from perfect and my love of anime isn’t a secret)? Unfortunately, this episode isn’t really as exciting as I hoped, featuring a male lead who cooks for his two slobbish female flatmates for some reason, and naturally ends up discovering the perfect Nogizaka Haruka’s secret. His first job as her ‘accomplice’ is to return a manga magazine to the library after hours- hardly a terribly interesting start.

Persona Trinity Soul 13-17: During the first half of the series, I was fully prepared to accept that Persona would improve later on, but now that I’ve made inroads into the later episodes, I can’t say I’m entirely convinced. Although I admit that there are little details that would probably stand out as foreshadowing were I to go back and watch earlier episodes again, apart from Ryou’s undisclosed fate, not a great deal has actually happened. It just all feels too bland to care about- I’m more interested in buying the original game than anything this anime can offer.

*NEW* Ryoko’s Case File 1: Meet the typical detective odd couple- the beautiful and near flawless woman with a harsh personality and her loyal, long-suffering male aide. Together, they solve supernatural cases, and although there’s a lot of visual style to their antics, so far there has been little substance. In fact, aside from a humorous exchange between Ryoko and her rival, this episode wasn’t terribly interesting in terms of content- it’s only the characters that’s going to keep me watching for now.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 2: I have to admit that this is an improvement on the treacle slow first episode, but even so, there’s a lot of padding in this new series of Someday’s Dreamers- let’s face it, I don’t need to look at Photoshopped landscapes and listen to insert songs. When it gets to the story, however, this season is decent enough, with Sora attending her first magic class and meeting the usual line-up of characters- seemingly uncaring young man who probably has an ill sister, dead parents or some other family tragedy; rival magic user who aims to be class rep and top of the class and of course the amiable best friend type. There’s nothing her we haven’t seen before, but if the series can provide actual content, it should be solid enough, if not a patch on the original.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 4: I’m beginning to think about parodying this series, and only the fact that the queue already contains several other series is putting me off. This time around, our heroes go on holiday to a village where something seems amiss- indeed, they even comment that something doesn’t seem right after the villagers threaten them with pitchforks (you think?). Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the suspicious village arc, so we’ll have to wait until next week to see the thrilling conclusion.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 12-13: It’s another double bill of predictability for Wagaya, starting with the obligatory hot springs episode in which everyone kicks back and relaxes, leaving poor Tohru to get menaced by a demon, and then proceeding to the equally obligatory culture festival. Fortunately, in the latter episode we do at least meet up with a new fox- a silver one nicknamed Tama-san who I’ve been waiting to see ever since I glimpsed them in the OP- whilst Sakura’s obsession with being the only woman for Noboru continues to be highly entertaining.

MANGA

*NEW* Ayu and Mayu 1: I think we all know by now that I pick up manga based on titles that have even the vaguest connection to things I’m familiar with, and indeed, this series was chosen because of Ayu and Mayu from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (who have absolutely nothing to do with this manga, might I add). In fact, the series is more like Chokotto Sister II, featuring an older brother who tracks down two girls- one of whom is his long-lost little sister. Whilst he tries to figure out which is which, we’re treated to the usual rounds of fanservice and light entertainment, and whilst I can hardly call it good, this is a decent enough “brain lite” opening chapter.

Bartender 4-6: Although I feel I’m losing something through an imperfect translation, the Bartender manga continues to deliver what the anime couldn’t- tranquil enjoyment. First off, Ryu is asked to placate a foreign architect before he cancels an important job, but will even the promise of the oldest liquor in the world be enough after Ryu criticises the design of the bar? Next, Ryu’s friend decides to get close to the mysterious cabaret girl Akiko, but there is more to this strong and lonely young woman than meets the eye. Finally, a legendary bartender stops by Ryu’s bar, but will he be impressed with the young man’s talent? All of these chapters are calm, pleasant character pieces, with Ryu having far more personality than his more polished anime self did.

Claymore 81: Raki is back, and his newfound maturity has made him more likable, but why is he travelling with Priscilla? And what’s more, why has Priscilla forsaken eating humans to the point where her body has shrunk to that of a child, putting her at the very limits of hunger? Meanwhile, after encountering this strange pair, Claymore number six- Rene- heads off on her way, only to fall into a trap set by Awakened Beings. Thank goodness Claymore is improving all the time, whetting my appetite for more.

Elfen Lied 86-8: As volume ten ends and eleven begins, Nana is reunited with her Papa, but after Evil Scientist feels a rare moment of remorse and releases Barbara from his control, she turns on him and immediately heads off to dispatch both of them. Meanwhile, now that Main Villain has Lucy in his custody, he is free to do the obligatory explanation of his plans, telling her how the Diclonius are merely the resurgence of the powers his family once had- powers they lost and then attempted to regain by breeding near a radioactive lake where the mutation rate was high. He wants Lucy to bear his child and become the Eve of a new race, but all she wants is to go back and live with everyone. Now that the end is in sight, the pace is ramping up, but what will the outcome be? Whatever the case, there’s bound to be violence aplenty.

Gunslinger Girl 51-6: With Angelica gone, Triela knows that her time is running out- a fact that Hilshire is also well aware of. Desperate not to shorten her lifespan any longer, he takes on the next job alone, but when Triela finds out what she has done, she runs off into the night- and only the intervention of some old friends stop her from falling foul of the mafia. Now the time has come for Triela to finally learn of her connection to Hilshire’s past, but how will knowing the truth change their relationship? These are tragic times for one of my favourite characters, and it’s unlikely that there will be any sort of happy ending, but no matter how depressing it gets, Gunslinger Girl is still as excellent as ever.

Minami-ke 32-3: First up, we have the familiar segment in which Kana tries to get Chiaki to sleep in by making her stay up late, only to have them both babble for hours before falling asleep in the living room- it’s an amusing segment, but an uncomfortable reminder of how much I hate having my sleep interrupted. Next, Takeru comes over and manages to find all sorts of hidden items simply by dropping a pen in a straightforward yet utterly hilarious instalment. More of the same, please.

Nodame Cantabile 120: Whilst Chiaki spends his time practising with Rui for their upcoming performance, not being able to see him has hit Nodame hard- but at the same time, these feelings of despair might be just what she needs to bring out the best in her Beethoven. And with exams just around the corner, everyone’s going to have bring something special to their music if they want to stay in Paris- but who will succeed, and who will fail? Will this manga go on forever? Will I even mind if it does?

Sketchbook 8-12: Even though it doesn’t seem particularly long, these chapters complete the first volume of Sketchbook with more 4-koma goodness and plenty of cats; not only is this one of the most consistently funny 4-koma series I’ve read, but it also outmatches the anime by keeping things light and amusing instead of trying to inject some forced thoughtfulness. Here’s hoping for even more cats in the next volume.

Tsubasa Chronicle 193: It’s flashback extravaganza again this chapter, as Syaoran’s week with Sakura slowly draws to a close. What will happen when he goes back and Sakura finishes purification ceremony? Do we even care anymore?

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

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

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

Jun gets worried when Shin reveals that he has a date with someone else.

Worse yet, Shin is out to try some secret BI.

“You want us to have BI?”

“How’s my Liang?”

“It’s good- you must have been practising with another partner.”

“I definitely think you’re ready to learn the ways of advanced BI.”

“Advanced? But we only just got started!”

“Yes, but I’ve been waiting a long time for you to mature.”

(”This sexy chat hotline is a real rip-off!”)

“Are you ready for the kinky stuff, Shin?”

“…I guess not- that didn’t go so well.”

“I’m just not ready for more than the basics.”

“You’re still a bit of a klutz in the bedroom, aren’t you?”

“Oh my god- you got me pregnant!”

“What will my family think?”

“I’m sorry, but in that case I’m dumping you.”

“You have to take responsibility!”

“Anyway, I’m going to get an abortion.”

“…I’d like to have Pleasure with you!”

“By the way, have you ever seen a Zhuge Liang?”

“Yeah, when my brother was in the shower once.”

“It’s been years since I’ve seen one.”

“You know a lot about Pleasure.”

“But we’re researching it and pushing back the boundaries all the time.”

Episode 10

“Okay, I’m ready for Pleasure.”

“I need to try this new technique before I forget how to do it!”

“You haven’t even learned the technique properly yet, have you?”

“Oh well, I guess the only way to learn is by doing.”

No matter what you do, there’s always a pervert watching.

“Is this the right way to do it?”

“No- stop messing around!”

“No, no- put your Liang over there!”

“These crazy teenagers- what won’t they think of next?”

Meanwhile, Jun takes his brother and Yamazaki to a Pleasure session.

“Sorry I had to bring you along, but no one else in my class seemed to want Pleasure.”

“Is this sort of Pleasure too basic for you?”

“I don’t mind giving it a go.”

“Is he sneakily having Hyper Self Pleasure over there?”

“Hey, I heard you’re into kinky stuff- want to watch some adult movies with me?”

“You’re okay with DOG, aren’t you?”

“Have you had Pleasure with my brother before?”

Jun finds himself temporarily trapped in a world of featureless white people.

(”I wish Ryou would stop ordering CORPSE.”)

“This one’s as fresh as I could get.”

“You’ll be able to use it without it falling apart, right?”

“This’ll be fine.”

“Look- you have to learn to control your Zhuge Liang.”

“All men have difficulty with that!”

“Come on then, get your Liang out.”

“People might see us- and besides, it’s cold!”

“Can’t we find a better place for Pleasure?”

“I want a man who get his motor running anywhere!”

“Fine then, I’ll just unzip myself.”

“Hurry up and Pleasure me!”

“Shouldn’t you get undressed too?”

“I’ll get undressed once you get me aroused.”

“Okay, I’ll concentrate on my, er, head.”

Having been excluded from the Pleasure in the woods, Kanaru logs onto the phone sex hotline.

Ryou is also online.

“Hmm, which website should I check out today?”

“There’s a particularly Zhuge guy I want to look up.”

“All right, time to load up the streaming videos.”

(”Damn, he almost caught me looking at porn!”)

“This is a premium rate line! It’s costing me £1.50 per minute!”

“I’ve been caught having phone sex!”

“Were you flashing again? Cover yourself up and go home!”

“No, I’ll see it through- hopefully the police won’t show up.”

Episode 7

“I’m sure my Liang was never this small!”

“It doesn’t look any different if you ask me.”

“Yeah, wasn’t it always that size?”

“…if someone told you it was bigger, she must have been imagining it.”

“So what- now I’m too small to even stimulate you?”

“Sorry…”

“She’s had enough of disappointing Pleasure!”

“What we need is someone to play dominant!”

“Yeah, that way we’ll get the best Pleasure!”

“I prefer it when everyone in the group is equal.”

“I might be able to help, you know- just because I’m a minor character doesn’t mean my Liang isn’t Zhuge.”

“It would be too cramped in a normal car, and I’m sick of getting elbowed in the eye when things get intense!”

“The best number for group Pleasure!”

“Shin, you and I will be together, right?”

“I’m liking the sound of this.”

“Wait, what about me? Am I going to be relegated to DOG?”

“Hey, we’ve already slept together, haven’t we?”

“You shouldn’t sleep around!”

“I could hardly refuse a main character, could I?”

“It was last week! It’s in the past!”

“Do you want people thinking you’re a slut?”

“I just slept with her once!”

“I don’t care! You’re mine!”

“I don’t want the guys to know I’m BI!”

“What- you haven’t found a partner yet?”

“Well, I am married, but he isn’t interested in Pleasure.”

“In his place, I’ve become an expert at Hyper Self Pleasure.”

“Wait- you’ve had Pleasure here before?”

“Of course.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen Liangs this Zhuge!”

“…because you wanted HARD YURI with me!”

“I must admit I find you attractive.”

“I won’t cheat on you anymore, Megumi.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Last time we were together, you were a monster in the bedroom!”

“You didn’t even bother with foreplay- we just went straight to the kinky stuff!”

“I thought we had that kind of relationship!”

“I’m just not sure if I’m any good at that sort of Pleasure!”

“Would it be okay if we stuck to the basics?”

“I’ll do anything if it means we can be together.”

It’s months later, and people are still talking about the Nice Boat.

“I’m not sure if I want to be with you, or just be you!”

“Only Senpai gets to see me naked!”

“Saucy images, eh?”

Takuro is caught having secret Hyper Self Pleasure.

“I should have known you were having Hyper Self Pleasure to practise for our group session!”

“It’s not training- I’m just refining my Liang skills.”

“I wanted to hone my abilities so that I don’t hurt anyone.”

“Hyper Self Pleasure is just so wrong!”

“…a Liang?”

“I’ll never give up Hyper Self Pleasure!”

Episode 8

“I thought we could have Pleasure in the classroom…”

“…but I’m not ready to do it in public yet.”

“You want Pleasure- with me?”

“…I was, uh, planning to have WOOD with this tree!”

“I’ll have to remain celibate for the entire day!”

“Hey Shin, get over here- a woman wants to have Pleasure with me!”

“…arranging HARD GAY?”

They’re always making One Piece- it will never end!

“It can be smart, sexy and incredibly desirable!”

“Those trees, so tall and WOODY, they remind me of HARD GAY!”

“When I look at them, I really want to give into my urges!”

Meanwhile, Kanaru has found a new HARD YURI partner.

“I’ll make sure our Pleasure isn’t rushed.”

There’s a cactus in a chair!

“Are you trying to say that there’s a race of small men that have their way with us when we’re in bed? That’s more insane than finding a cactus embedded in a chair!”

“You wanted to see what Hyper Self Pleasure was like?”

“Yeah- I’ve heard so much about it that I thought I should try it.”

“I really want to improve my Pleasure skills, but no one else seems interested in doing anything other than the norm.”

“But the types of advanced Pleasure techniques you’re studying sound dangerous!”

“They’re just names- not descriptions!”

“You want to have BI with us at night?”

“Do you think that BI can really stimulate a HARD GAY man such as yourself?”

“Yes, yes I think it can!”

“I can’t have Pleasure with you, but I can let you watch my Hyper Self Pleasure!”

“You held onto your Liang all night!?”

“Yeah, if you’re going to hold onto something, you should do it properly.”

“Well, we’ve tried HARD GAY, HARD YURI and BI, so what say we have some DOG next?”

“…because quite frankly, I’m too cheap to buy her anything.”

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 8, Amatsuki 6, Baccano! OVA 3, Chi’s Sweet Home 33-6, Himitsu 5-6, Kaiba 6-7, Kurenai 9, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 6, Nabari no Ou 8, Persona Trinity Soul 11, Shounen Onmyouji 25-6, Soul Eater 7-9, Spice and Wolf 7, Toshokan Sensou 8, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 7-8, xxxHOLiC Kei 7-9

…and in manga: Chi’s Sweet Home 42, Minami-ke 29, Spiral Alive 17-18, Tsubasa Chronicle 191

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (2) – if I can’t do this much…
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi scratches
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – sayonara, Frosty-san
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. Soul Eater (8) – Bones does shounen
8. Real Drive (7) – sunglasses
9. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
10. Himitsu (12) – everything at or below this line is poor
11. Amatsuki (14) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Itazura na Kiss (13) – I hate Naoki
13. Toshokan Sensou (10) – library wars
14. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (11) – senseless
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – final match
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (5)- licensed
5. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- done and dusted after all these months <-complete!
6. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot

Allison and Lillia 8: if the stupidity of an episode ever had to be seen to be believed, then it was in this case, for this arc-ending instalment has truly broken the boundaries of sense- so much so that I now know I would be derelict in my duty if I didn’t parody it. Anyway, with the help of an engraved medallion and a cufflink, Fiona manages to persuade the crowd (who seem to represent the country’s entire population, or at least the only ones whose opinions actually mean anything) that she is Princess Francesca, and that Nihito is the one who killed her family. Our villain of the arc then decides to make his escape by kidnapping Fiona, pulling some knives out of nowhere (courtesy of the JML Insta-Knife) and heading for the roof, where escape is waiting nothing is waiting except a dead end. Nonetheless, the wake from Allison and Wil’s hastily launched plane is somehow enough to blow him off the roof and to his doom, enabling Fiona to become Princess Francesca even though she is actually Francesca’s previously unmentioned twin sister (the royal family only being allowed to have one child for some reason). To be honest, it would be easier and quicker to list all the valid plot points than it would be to point out all the holes.

Amatsuki 6: Given all the disappointing episodes of anime that have appeared lately, this instalment of Amatsuki actually didn’t seem too bad in comparison, even if it can’t be said to be particularly good. After some exposition scenes about how being a weak person can actually be turned into a strength, Shinshu implores Toki to break the curse on the Princess, but since he can’t use his geass at will, he calls upon Bonten instead, breaking the shrine’s barrier in the process. Since Toki hasn’t yet agreed to go out with him, Bonten isn’t about to provide unconditional help, but he does offer a clue as to what to do next, thus ensuring that the plot won’t stagnate. Given the length of the series, I’m assuming the rest of it will be about breaking the curse and then going home to modern day Japan, which shouldn’t be too painful to watch.

*COMPLETE* Baccano! OVA 3: The Baccano! OVA is over, and it has brought with it as much fun and insanity as the series that preceded it. In this episode, we see the outcome of the great domino set-up (no, really, catch up with Rachel and Rail Tracer, and get back to the people who were wondering about the main character way back in the very first episode. It finally feels like everything’s come full circle, and it’s been an enjoyable ride indeed.

Chi’s Sweet Home 33-6: In this next batch of episodes, Chi takes an interest in sitting up at the window and looking outside- hardly desirable when the Yamadas live on the first floor and cats are forbidden. Having read this part in the manga, I knew what was coming, but nonetheless it’s an entertaining segment with an inspired solution.

Himitsu 5-6: After the laughable disappointment of episode four, my hopes weren’t high for the next arc of Himitsu, although as it turned out, it was at least better than its predecessor. In this arc, the team investigate the brain of a serial killer who has just died in prison, but as they delve deeper into his past, it seems that he may not have been the culprit after all. Cue a rather unpleasant series of revelations that could have come from any episode of CSI, and you have an arc that barely scrapes ‘solid enough’.

Kaiba 6-7: Kaiba is still travelling in Chroniko’s body, and when you’re a man in the body of a woman, your biological rhythm can get a bit messed up- something that Gel, a woman in the body of a man, knows all too well. Gel is immediately drawn to Kaiba, but is there more to their connection than either of them realises? And could Kaiba really be Warp, the cruel prince of this society? Whatever the case, when Kaiba and Vanilla are named as accomplices in a terrorist act, they have no choice but to go on the run on a water planet, but in the face of relentless pursuit, sacrifices will have to be made. Not only were these two episodes highly enjoyable (and thanks for the tip on rewatching episode one, Machi, I’ll give that a go this weekend), but they really added something not only to our protagonist, but to Vanilla, transforming him into something more than a hulking, intellectually challenged law enforcer.

Kurenai 9: Kurenai has always been good, but the intensity of this episode has moved it up a notch, and even secured it a place amongst my all-time favourites. The idyllic days are over, and Shinkurou and Murasaki have no choice but to leave the apartment behind, but the first the terrible truth behind Murasaki’s place in the Kuhouin family must be revealed. For reasons that could only be plausible in anime, the Kuhouins can only breed amongst themselves, and thus the women are sequestered in the Inner Sanctuary and forced to breed their relatives’ children from the age of thirteen, whilst the men take an ‘official wife’ to disguise the truth of their actions. Not only does this cast a whole new light on Murasaki’s own parentage, but it spells a terrible future for her, and one that her brother is determined to make sure she obeys. With that in mind, the tension is high in this episode as Shinkurou unwisely risks one last night at the apartment with Tamaki and Yamie, and surely than can be no one who isn’t desperate to see how things work out in the next few episodes.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 6: I should have known better than to think KKN was going to bring us an amusingly zany brand of humour, because in the vein of Kamisama Kazoku, Disgaea and all the rest before it, it has become disappointing, dull and downright juvenile (aagh, stop this alliteration!). This episode resolves Yuuka’s capture and the monkey situation by having Kyouka win them over with fine foods, leading up to the most ridiculous deus ex machina ever in the last two minutes (was that meant to be Gekka?). In the old days, I would have dropped the series at this point, but for some reason I feel chained by completion of late.

Crossdressing aside, I want a dress like that.

Nabari no Ou 8: The time has come to confront Mr Frosty and steal the technique of delicious ice lollies assassinate him, but does Thobari really have it in him to take another’s life, and what is Oda’s motivation for wanting to bring the Frost(y) Company down anyway? Although there was something slightly unrealistic about alternating between the brief bursts of action and standing around waiting for the next turn to come around, this was a strong episode overall, as well as a reminder that everyone has their own secrets and motivations that may well put them at odds by the end of the series.

Persona Trinity Soul 11: Unbeknownst to everyone else, Kanaru has become addicted to shadow-stripping/extraction, and now all her friends can do for her is try to help her break the habit. It’s nice to see Kanaru being given something to do other than hover around as a supporting character, although the addiction storyline is dealt with a little heavy-handedly, with lines such as “we just got her clean!” coming across as amusing rather than serious.

*COMPLETE* Shounen Onmyouji 25-6: Shounen Onmyouji is finally done, and as you might expect, these last two episodes wrap up the final confrontation and conclude the Chishiki no Guuji arc with the evil man defeated, Kazane dead and Guren/Mokkun left without memories. The final battle is amazingly (even refreshingly easy), and even the last three Shinshou get a couple of lines- their first contribution to the series. With only two arcs covered, I’m sure there’ll be a second season at some point, but until then we can put this mediocrity aside.

Soul Eater 7-9: Soul Eater takes a more sinister turn in episode 7-8, as Maka and Soul stumble upon a weapon who has been fused with his master, creating a being that could become a Demon God at any time- and what no one realises is that Shibusen’s Doctor Medusa is the one responsible. Whilst the end of this arc spells trouble in the future for Soul, however, in episode nine Kid and Black Star go off on a more light-hearted adventure to find the legendary sword Excalibur- only to discover just why even Stein couldn’t master it. I’m still enjoying the series at this point, which is a good sign for the future.

*SPECIAL* Spice and Wolf 7: Since this episode had too many apples for TV, it became a DVD-only release and an annoying gap in my schedule- until now. An enjoyable return to the world of Spice and Wolf, the episode sees Horo trying to eat a hundred apples, whilst Lawrence heads out to buy her some new clothes with a little trading on the side. I can’t say I understand how selling items at a loss can also be considered a massive profit (unless it’s something to do with groundwork for future transactions, or a knock-on effect on prices?).

Toshokan Sensou 8: Whilst Kasahara is whisked off for interrogation, some other things happen, but it’s hard for me to care anymore- the only thing of note is that our heroine finally discovers the identity of her Prince Charming, something we all saw coming about five minutes into the first episode. Other than that, this series has become incredibly pedestrian, but I’ll see it through since it should be ending soon.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 7-8: Episode seven ups the cuteness factor by having two young foxes come to stay with the family for a while, whilst a clam monster targets Tohru. The next episode picks up the threads from that episode as the god of the neighbouring region shows up in search of the Reversed Circle, an item stolen by the clam- only to become convinced that it has somehow become lodged in Tohru’s head. Although nothing special, it’s entertaining stuff, and like Shrine of the Morning Mist, it seems that we aren’t meant to take the antagonists too seriously.

xxxHOLiC Kei 7-9: Episode seven sees Watanuki asked to fetch water from a well, but with a strange woman looking out of a nearby window, his constant worry is that he’ll get caught. In the manga, the water was for the X world of Tsubasa, but in order to erase any connection with its bastard cousin, here it’s to rescue a drowned kitten. Meanwhile, episode eight jumps ahead in the manga, leaving the “Himawari brings bad luck” story as we turn our attention first to a girl who wants her house to stop being scary, and then to poor Kohane-chan, who is receiving abuse and hate mail. Oddly, unlike in the manga where this happened after she disagreed with other psychics, this time people start hating her for no reason, and only then does she start disagreeing with the others. Still, it’s a decent enough adaptation and much better than season one, so I’ll go with it.

MANGA

Chi’s Sweet Home 42: When the landlady drops by unexpectedly, it seems that the Yamadas might finally be caught- can they hide away Chi in time? Although I do wish that somehow the rules about keeping cats would be relaxed so that the Yamadas don’t have to worry anymore, this was an entertaining chapter, if all too short.

Minami-ke 29: It’s time to meet Mako-chan in the manga, and although Okawari generally made me tired of that joke, here it’s fresh and new again. Hopefully the manga can continue to heal the damage caused by the anime’s second season.

Spiral Alive 17-18: Whilst the villain behind the incident with Amane’s family nine years ago makes a move and the Blade Children fend off an assault at their apartment, the time has come to wonder- has Kiyotaka made a rare error in judgement, or is her playing a game too complex for anyone else to grasp (oh come on, it has to be the latter). With the plot thickening like this, this is no time for chapters to come slowly- the mangaka must be made to work on it day and night so that we can know the truth.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 191: It’s another flashback to Sakura-hime and Syaoran Jr’s early days in this chapter, before the Tsubasa manga takes a break so that CLAMP can ‘collect data’ (that’s hastily make up new plot twists for you and me). In the meantime, Syaoran Jr only has seven days to spend in Clow Country before he has to go back, but what happened to get things to the stage they were in chapter one? And can it possibly ever make sense again?