By the late 21^st century, the internet has evolved into something more advanced- the Metal (“Meta Real”), an ocean-like virtual reality filled with the thoughts and emotions of all the people who use it. Awakening into this new reality is Haru Masamichi, an ocean diver who spent 50 years in a coma after an accident, and who now turns his natural talents to diving into the Metal and unravelling its mysteries. Assisting him is high school student Aoi Minamo, who, despite lacking the cyberbrain that most people use to connect to the Metal and each other, proves entirely upbeat and determined in her efforts to support Haru any way she can.

When the mind behind Ghost in the Shell turns his hand to another tale of a future where the fusion between humanity and technology has gone to the next level, you might be forgiven for thinking he would know what he was doing. You might also be forgiven for expecting something in the way of quality when he has the old team from Production IG backing him all the way. Unfortunately, despite the credentials of its creators and production crew, Real Drive turns out to be thoroughly disappointing from start to finish.

After a confusing start in which you console yourself with the fact that these things always take time to understand, Real Drive slowly becomes more transparent- but what it reveals hardly seems worth the wait. Instead of taking the opportunity to tell high concept stories, chilling morality plays or poignant character pieces, the series flounders around with tales so pointless and shallow it seems hard to see that a real plot will emerge at all. Imagine, if you will, an entire episode devoted to the idea of a dog internet, in which canines with connected paws get to dream about chasing cats and sniffing each other’s backsides. Or, if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, what about an entire twenty-five minute instalment dedicated to the process of discovering the perfect recipe for beef stroganoff? And if you find the pace of that all a bit too exhilarating, fear not, because there are two excruciatingly detailed flashback episodes to help you catch up!

All in all, the result of so much dithering is inevitable- on the rare occasions something plot-related does happen, you’re just too apathetic to really care any more. Couple that with the fact that the so-called ‘main plot’ really isn’t up to much anyway, tack on a half-hearted ending that makes no sense, and the result is that the entire ’story’ of Real Drive is completely underwhelming.

With all this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the characters are equally unexciting. The relationship between eighty-year-old Haru and fifteen-year-old Minamo cannot help but be somewhat creepy- and this isn’t helped by the fact that his lengthy coma means Haru still has the mind of a thirty-year-old. The rest of the cast is equally uninspiring- Minamo’s older brother is a bland authority figure, Haru’s old friend Kushima is the obligatory scientific genius, whilst Minamo’s friends are as shallow as they come. The most promising of the bunch is sexy android Holon, and even she is basically a standard character.

Also worth a mention is the concept of the Metal itself- a futuristic internet which resembles a giant ocean. Given that one has to mentally dive into the Metal, and that those without cyberbrains are forced to trawl it in a giant diving bell (one of the many inconveniences they have to put up with in order to keep abreast of their wired up friends), it makes for a bleak future- I prefer a world where ’surfing the net’ isn’t quite such a literal reference to water-based activities!

Visually, Real Drive has a clean, technically sound look; settings and backgrounds are well done, but characters have something of a bland and generic look- in keeping with the tone of the series, but not particularly noteworthy otherwise. The music is one of the series’ strong points; whilst the opening theme is a surprisingly catchy rock theme (shame about the vocals), the background music runs along grandiose classical themes.

Final Thoughts

Despite the big names behind this title, ultimately Real Drive proved itself unfit to be considered the sibling of Ghost in the Shell, sacrificing true plot and character development in favour of storylines that one can only imagine Shirow must have scribbled on a napkin during his lunch break. Even dedicated Production IG fans have to admit that this one is, quite simply, an utter flop.

Tier: Wood+

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.

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

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

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 7, Chi’s Sweet Home 45-6, Chocolate Underground 2-3, Himawari!! 5, Itazura na Kiss 12, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 9, Nabari no Ou 12, Real Drive 8-10, Shion no Ou 21, Slayers Revolution 1, Soul Eater 12, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 1-2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 10

…and in manga: Slayers Revolution 1-2

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (3) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (5) – black blood
4. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – Mubyou
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (7) – typhoid Himawari
6. Nabari no Ou (4) – change of side
7. Persona Trinity Soul (8) – catch-up, start!
8. Slayers Revolution (-) – Dragon Slave <- new!
9. Real Drive (9) – chat program
10. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (-) – mind-reader <- new!
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Himitsu (12) – faceless
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – those cat ears aren’t just for show
14. Toshokan Sensou (14) – library wars
15. Itazura na Kiss (10) – heart attack
16. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn
17. Chocolate Underground (16) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – oh and by the way, I did it
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!! (6) – needs less plot

Amatsuki 7: With such long gaps between episodes, it’s hard to remember what’s going on or particularly care about the mediocre world of Amatsuki. Nonetheless, the story rumbles on, with Toki spending pretty much the entire episode getting ready to head off on a search for a way to break the cross-dressing princess’ curse, and various other characters wandering around aimlessly. How did I end up watching such an incredibly average series?

Chi’s Sweet Home 45-6: As all cats owners will know, our feline friends like attention- but only if it’s on their own terms. Unfortunately, the Yamadas have yet to grasp this fact, and so it’s up to Chi to teach them that cats need attention, but they hate too much attention.

Chocolate Underground 2-3: What I want from Chocolate Underground is secret factories producing tons of sweet confections- what we’ve got so far is our two leads finding a clue to the location of the hidden chocolate traders and a not-so-subtle warning as to the dangers of not voting. Then the next episode dithers around and wastes time as our leads try to follow up on the clue, but overall there’s a feeling that the series doesn’t really want to go anywhere- it’s just content to fill each five minute episode with whatever it can.

Himawari!! 5: It’s time for another outing in the world of ninja mediocrity as the main characters head off to rescue Azami from trouble after s/he sneaks into the place where the ninjas from the boys’ school are being held. To be fair, this is slightly better than the monster-of-the-week episodes, but I still miss the days when there weren’t any evil villains lurking in the background. Meanwhile, Hayato’s attempt to get a decent meal by turning up at a VIP party after his emergency bread turns out to have gone mouldy at least prove amusing.

Itazura na Kiss 12: With his father in the hospital, Naoki is in danger of being forced into the company through guilt, but first, he ends up being set up with the daughter of another rich CEO- something which makes Kotoko and Yuuko united in their desire to see off this new rival. To be honest, by this point in the series I couldn’t really care less about the characters, so there’s not much incentive to be bothered one way or the other about what happens.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 9: It’s a slightly better episode of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki this time around, as Ouka, Kyouka and Shinigami-sama fight against the mysterious Odessa Ei and learn a little about Kyouka’s past. Even the usual pointless craziness is very much in evidence, these character revelations and a lack of need to force every family member into every scene does make this episode stand out above most of the others, although it’s still not enough to properly redeem this series.

Nabari no Ou 12: It’s at this point that I have to admit that for all its potential, Nabari no Ou is seriously beginning to disappoint me. Kairoushuu has been the enemy up until this point, but in this episode Rokujou just walks into their base and has a friendly dinner with them- “never mind all that massacring of generics and trying to kill my friends, I must help my boyfriend Yoite”. Admittedly he could just be playing both sides in an attempt to save the friends that Yoite has held hostage, but having such an apathetic main character seems to have cast a pall over the whole series, in which only rare moments such as Raimei versus Raikou really bring out the emotion the series needs.

Apparently this is what all the British schoolboys are wearing this summer.

Real Drive 8-10: After the disappointment of episodes 5-7, episode 8 continues the trend with another unspectacular instalment, this one an excuse for a swimsuit episode as a ‘ghost’ is seen in the school. In fact, the true cause of the problems- a company using the spare CPU cycles in people’s cyberbrains- is an interesting concept, but again it’s somewhat shoved aside in favour of the less interesting aspects of the series.

Episode nine tries to take a tone more befitting to the series as we meet Minamo’s father and learn how just one small outage in the Metal could prove disastrous- but what is more important, people’s safety or the reputation of the system? Unfortunately, it loses something in the execution, becoming more dry and dull than outright interesting.

Finally for now, we have episode ten, in which Haru becomes linked to a chat program named Eliza, but when she proves adept in exploiting the weakness of anyone with a cyberbrain, it falls to Minamo to enter a diving bell and brave the Metal to save him. This isn’t a bad episode, but again the core idea of interest is glossed over- come on, let’s explore the meat of this unique future.

Shion no Ou 21: It’s time for the penultimate episode of the series (I’ll watch the finale before the end of next week), in which Hami-meijin becomes ever more ridiculous in his near admission of his guilt. As it turns out, he killed Shion’s family to help her reach her true potential in shogi, which I’m sure must make sense to someone out there, because personally I don’t see the connection.

*NEW* Slayers Revolution 1: It feels strange to have brand new Slayers so long after the previous Slayers series were produced (although it does give me hope for a second season of Lost Universe)- is 2008 too sophisticated for good old fashioned fantasy comedy? Well, the jury’s still out on that, because while the old jokes are still amusing, and the mix of decent and simplistic animation can be forgiven, what’s up with this brand new Digimon rip-off that can cast the Dragon Slave? There’ll be more on him in my manga coverage, but for now he’s the weak link in this new series.

Soul Eater 12: Whilst the black blood continues to endanger Soul’s future, even her fellow witches are getting tired of Medusa- but as we know, one shot characters have no hope of successfully defeating her. With that in mind, this is a predictable instalment, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want the Medusa arc to be over as soon as possible, but it’s still enjoyable enough.

*NEW* Telepathy Shoujo Ran 1-2: The first wave of summer series is with us, and appropriately enough it starts with mediocrity in the form of Telepathy Shoujo Ran, a series in which our protagonist discovers her telepathic powers after a run-in with an antagonistic transfer student with the same abilities. Now everyone except her beloved cardboard cut-out Rui thinks she’s a freak, but in the meantime there’s all sorts of mysteries lining up to be solved. I can see this becoming another Mokke, only with less interesting characters.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 10: The Reversed Circle story finally comes to an end in this episode (at least, we can hope it does), as the mystery of the two Mubyous is solved, and everyone becomes friends at the end. I’m actually a little sad at the loss of the cute doll puppets, but other than that, this was a mildly entertaining arc, nothing more.

MANGA

*NEW* Slayers Revolution 1-2: Accompanying the new anime we have a companion manga, with slightly off character designs and a near-identical story. The first chapter is much the same as the first episode of the anime (albeit with Pocota the Digimon using the Sword of Light), whilst the second chapter reveals that our newest Dragon Slave user is out to destroy all anti-magic tanks.

Ouch.

Reviewed this week: Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44, Himitsu 7, Itazura na Kiss 10-11, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8, Nabari no Ou 11, Real Drive 7, Soul Eater 11, Toshokan Sensou 10, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9, xxxHOLiC Kei 11

…and in manga: Chokotto Hime 1, Sketchbook 6-7, xxxHOLiC 158

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (1) – just a mistake?
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi plays
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – clan massacre
5. Soul Eater (5) – Bones does shounen
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. xxxHOLiC Kei (7) – typhoid Himawari
8. Persona Trinity Soul (8) – catch-up, start!
9. Real Drive (9) – they’re dogs, and they’re on the internet!
10. Itazura na Kiss (12) – hospital
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Himitsu (10) – faceless
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (14) – shinigami
14. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44: What could be a better way to start the weekend than with a dose of Chi’s Sweet Home? In this set of episodes, Chi’s interest in the world around her intensifies, as she investigates all sorts of food, toys and even the dreaded bathroom. Then it’s time for the long-awaited black cat to show up, invade Chi’s territory and even eat her food. Ah, how I love this series- it’s all warm and fluffy and makes me want to hug things.

Himitsu 7: When the president of a company is burned to death, a whole new MRI investigation begins, with Aoki wondering if the fact that the victim had his face slashed open could possibly hint at murder (you think?). A delve into his mind reveals the notoriously antisocial man was actually unable to see faces, whilst the courts must decide if an MRI image of him writing a new will that leaves his estate to a woman he only met once is actually valid. It’s an interesting concept, but one that ultimately takes a back seat to the stupidity of this episode, which includes such conundrums as Maki somehow switching from sitting in a car observing the woman in question to dressing up as her to foil the murder suspect- when did they have time for the switch? Although I must admit that Maki looked quite good dressed as a woman- he should try it more often.

Forget Loveless, we’ve got Faceless!

Itazura na Kiss 10-11: Kotoko’s father has finally decided that they should move into their own home, robbing Kotoko of the one advantage she had over black-haired girl and of course making her the centre of all the rumours in college. ‘Fortunately’, on an impromptu stop in the Irie neighbourhood, Kotoko manages to save Yuuki when he collapses, and before you know it, she’s spending time with the family in the hospital, before ultimately moving back in. Perhaps I’m getting too old and cynical, but to move out and go back so quickly seems rather trite, whilst Kotoko’s need to phone Naoki just to find out that when someone’s sick you call an ambulance was a bit ridiculous. True, Naoki acts more like a decent human being in this episode, but I can’t really take his emotions as genuine when I know he’s such an inconsistent bastard deep down, whilst Kotoko’s friends seem to exist only to make life worse for her. To be honest, I actually like Yuuki better than Naoki- at least he’s softening up in a believable way.

In episode 11, the above events seem to have inspired Naoki to start studying to become a doctor- although initially he doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Flash forward six months, however, and for some reason the majority of the series’ named characters are taking a brief holiday away together, although naturally Kotoko’s attempts to be alone with Naoki are predictably thwarted. Overall, I felt merely indifferent to this episode, which ran along predictable lines from start to finish.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8: It’s Ouka’s turn in the spotlight this episode when he sneaks off for a day out with a childhood friend turned shinigami- causing Kyouka to overreact in fear that another woman might be stealing her husband. With some rare development for Ouka, this episode actually wasn’t too bad at first, but it quickly degenerated into senseless insanity when Kyouka and the family showed up. Another disappointing entry in a largely disappointing series.

Nabari no Ou 11: The time has come to find out the truth about the past of the Shimizu clan, and it seems that back in the days when Raikou had normal coloured hair, there was a division between his mother and uncle that led to the destruction of the clan. In the ensuing battle, Raikou did indeed kill the uncle that the innocent Raimei loved so much, but the overall clan massacre wasn’t his fault- he just chose to take the blame for it. Now, the time has come for the loyal Gau to reveal that truth to Raimei, but what will come of it? Despite the fact that this aspect of the story is fairly standard, this was still a strong episode, although for a ninja series actual action scenes seem rather thin on the ground.

Real Drive 7: I’m going to start here by saying that episode seven of Real Drive is about dogs surfing the internet- no, really, it is. You see, dogs have their own cyberbrains that give them limited communications skill, and thus they can connect to their own canine Metal, which presumably fulfils their desire to eat kibble, drink from toilets and sniff other dogs’ backsides. So far, so ‘good’, but what really drives this episode over the edge is the fact that one particular dog owner is so into his pet that he actually wants to go into the Metal and merge with him- the normal master-servant relationship between humans and dogs no longer being enough for him. It’s all very bizarre and cutesy in a creeped out way, leaving me with the feeling that the writers should stop sniffing glue and perhaps get back to the main plot. I may not have been the biggest fan of Stand Alone Complex, but at least that series left you feeling satisfied- at the moment, Real Drive is just floundering around with pointless stories about online dogs, sunglasses and book reports.

Soul Eater 11: It’s time to wrap up Tsubaki’s side story in this episode, as she faces off against her brother and demonstrates to me just why she might be my favourite character in this series. There’s action, back story, and sheer coolness oozing out of this episode- I love this series!

Toshokan Sensou 10: Kasahara and the others are off to protect an exhibition near her hometown, but while staying in the female dorm, she ends up the target of some serious hazing from the girls of the Affairs Department. I really hate hazing stories, and this one is as painfully predictable as all the rest; the sooner this series is over, the better.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9: Just as it seemed the Reversed Circle arc was over, along comes a new character claiming that it actually belongs to them! Having eaten the biscuits this mysterious owl person has brought, Kuu-chan has no choice but to help them look for Mubyou-chan, but who is the real owner of this powerful device? This episode is another dose of wholehearted fun, but with even this episode not wrapping things up, the Reversed Circle seems destined to cause at least one more episode’s worth of trouble.

xxxHOLiC Kei 11: With Kohane-chan out of the way, the time has come to concentrate on what the blogworld calls Typhoid Himawari, as Watanuki begins to learn the consequences of spending time with his beloved Himawari-chan. Compared to last episode’s lacklustre adaptation, this episode is at least in keeping with the manga for the most part, and this arc will presumably close out the series with Himawari being given her bird Tanpopo.

“Well, why didn’t you ask for it back? Or did you like being Faceless?”

MANGA

*NEW* Chokotto Hime 1: If you liked Chi’s Sweet Home and the Star of Cottonland, then this manga will also be to your tastes. A 4koma series about an abandoned kitten who gets adopted by a young man, Chokotto Hime depicts the cat alternately as a catgirl and a proper feline, offering cuteness aplenty. The first chapter doesn’t really take us very far into it, but I know I’m going to like this series.

Sketchbook 6-7: It’s been a while, but these two extra chapters of 4Koma fun are most welcome- in fact, with its skew more towards humour than pure standard slice-of-life, the manga has the edge over its anime adaptation. In these chapters, we see Sensei wondering why cats don’t seem to like her after she drops them, Asou trying to bend spoons and much more.

xxxHOLiC 158: Her story may be over in the anime, but manga-Kohane (who didn’t cut her hair) has now gone to live with fortune teller granny from an early chapter whilst she waits for her mother to return. She will

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 9, Itazura na Kiss 9, Kurenai 10, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 7, Nabari no Ou 9-10, Real Drive 6, Soul Eater 10, Toshokan Sensou 9, xxxHOLiC Kei 10

…and in manga: Claymore 80, REC 38

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (1) – just a mistake?
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi scratches
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – clan massacre
5. Soul Eater (7) – Bones does shounen
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
8. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
9. Real Drive (8) – book report
10. Himitsu (10) – everything at or below this line is poor
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Itazura na Kiss (12) – stalking
13. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
14. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (14) – senseless
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

Allison and Lillia 9: With it being a nigh impossible task to top the ridiculousness of the last episode, the writers instead decided to kick off this latest arc with an episode so bland and inoffensive that no one could have strong feelings about it. Our heroes have boarded the Trans-Continental Express for some rest and relaxation, but with generic bad guys already plotting, it seems that this will be no straightforward train ride. Wake me up when something happens.

Itazura na Kiss 9: I actually watched this episode last week, but so fascinating was it that I completely forgot that I was also supposed to write about it. This time around, the ever tenacious Kotoko wants to take Naoki to the movies, but he has no intention of accompanying here- on the other hand, when black-haired girl asks, he finds himself unable to refuse her. After some ‘amusing’ stalking by Kotoko and the tennis coach, Naoki does show that he isn’t a complete bastard after all, but his actions are too little, too late, and thus seem a little too false and empty to me.

Kurenai 10: With episode nine being such a tour de force, it was hard for this episode to reach the same heights- although despite its more subdued tone, it was still very good. Whilst a dejected Murasaki is taken back home, Shinkurou wallows in a mixture of despair and disbelief, but what should he do next? As far as Benika is concerned, her job was only to show Murasaki the outside world for long enough to experience love, so wouldn’t it be fine for Shinkurou to dismiss his failure to protect her as an unfortunate mistake and move on with his life? Of course, things can’t end like that, but still we have to have the obligatory soul searching and ‘friends rally round’ episode before the finale kicks in, but whilst this instalment smacks of convention, at least it still presents itself very well. I don’t want it to be over in the space of two episodes- give me a second season!

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 7: When a young assassin tries to give up his trade and become a chef, things don’t go quite as planned- for some reason, his customers all die after tasting his food. Naturally, this is the sort of situation Kyouka loves to interfere in, and whilst it is certainly a cut above the dire monkey arc, this episode is more ‘watchable’ than entertaining.

Nabari no Ou 9-10: Nabari no Ou takes a Naruto-style twist as we learn that Raimei’s brother Raikou massacred their entire clan- and now that he’s back on the scene, she must confront him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well, with Raikou defeating her and taking her sword, but although he seems to think he has his reasons for what he did, did his disagreement with the family really have to end in killing? Couldn’t they have discussed their differences over a nice pot of Earl Grey? Meanwhile, Yoite’s condition is worsening, whilst Rokujou reveals that he would rather use his ability to grant the dying young man’s wish than seal it away forever as Thobari wants. Despite the somewhat uneven pace, the series remains highly worthy, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

Real Drive 6: It’s time for another largely plotless episode of Real Drive as Minamo has to make up for her lack of cyberbrain by doing a book report- and after the first book she checks out from the library has pieces cut out, she goes for her grandmother’s recommendation of ‘Love Letter’, a book that supposedly has everything, but then leaves the ending open for the reader to write a letter to their most precious person. For some reason, Minamo becomes obsessed with finding the letter that the previous reader wrote (isn’t the point to write your own letter, not leech off other peoples?), during which time I found her quite stupid and annoying for not just writing her own letter and the report in the time it took to track the letter down. Hopefully we can get back into the Metal soon- episode five was a fun filler episode, but episode six was lacking in the charm.

Soul Eater 10: It’s time for a Black Star and Tsubaki story as the pair are sent to deal with the “Fey Blade” Masamune, who, predictably, has something of a past with Tsubaki. Even though there are standard past revelations for both characters, I remain impressed as to how Soul Eater just oozes with style- I see in it what I suspect attracted many people to its sister series Eureka Seven. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to last the course with this one, but now I’m actively looking forward to devouring more episodes.

Toshokan Sensou 9: In the last couple of episodes we’ve had interrogation and cover-ups, but now the tone has relapsed into lightness as Kasahara starts feeling awkward about Dojo being her Prince Charming, resulting in both parties coming to believe that the other hates them. This is an entirely by the numbers episodes, but I have to admit I prefer this sort of no-brain predictability to the times when the show tries to be more serious.

xxxHOLiC Kei 10: A lot has been cut out from the manga in order to wrap up the Kohane arc in this episode- gone is her mother’s breakdown on live TV, and of course the whole thing about Kohane getting some of her abilities from one of Sakura’s feathers has been snipped, leaving a rather dull and pedestrian animated conclusion in which everyone starts liking Kohane again for no real reason. Still, this series has been strong overall, and even this weaker instalment is better than season one, so I can forgive it.

MANGA

Claymore 80: Following the revelations of last month, it’s time for everyone to relax and have a drink before they get launched into the next arc, but even as the Claymores kick back, elsewhere, an older Raki and a little girl revisit his old home town- where he cuts down a Yoma. What has happened to Raki, and who is the girl who now travels with him? Can we wait to find out?

REC 38: A somewhat pointless chapter this time around, as a mangaka and closet Aka fan gets one of his series made into an anime and chooses Aka to play the lead role. Of course, there’s a somewhat predictable twist at the end that renders this more of an omake chapter than anything else- perhaps an indication that the series has run its course.

Reviewed this week: Chi’s Sweet Home 29-32, Himitsu 4, Itazura na Kiss 8, Kaiba 5, Kurenai 8, Persona Trinity Soul 10, Real Drive 5, Shion no Ou 20, Toshokan Sensou 7

…and in manga: Minami-ke 23-8, Nodame Cantabile 114-9, Potemayo 1-8, Tennai 32-3, Tsubasa Chronicle 190

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi scratches
2. Kurenai (2) – 7-5-3
3. Kaiba (3) – Patch and Quilt
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – ninjas are cool again
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. Real Drive (7) – sunglasses
8. Soul Eater (8) – Bones does shounen
9. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
10. Toshokan Sensou (11) – library wars
11. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (12) – disillusioned
12. Himitsu (10) – you’ll get a room when grandpa dies
13. Itazura na Kiss (13) – everything at or below this line is generic
14. Amatsuki (14) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
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. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot
5. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (5)- licensed
6. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- I’ll watch the last two episodes soon

Chi’s Sweet Home 29-32: When having to stay at home to watch Chi all the time becomes a little inconvenient, the Yamadas decide to try going out and leaving her to house-sit- albeit after a stressful few hours of running around trying to make sure the place is safe. Although I was a little surprised that Mother was okay with leaving Youhei at home on his own at one point, on the whole this was another entertaining slice of feline life, although I’m waiting for the black cat from the manga to make his appearance.

Himitsu 4: “Oh dear” is all I can say about this latest episode of Himitsu, as our heroes become even more bland and stupid than they were previously, just in time to solve a case about a man who gets rid of troublesome grandpas for families who don’t want them anymore. “Highlights” of the episode include Aoki’s father going into hospital “Hmm, my dad’s just collapsed, oh well, back to that report”, the main villain wearing a Robin Hood hat and singing “If you’re happy and you know it…[kill your grandpa]” and an exchange in which a mother tells her son he will get his own room when grandpa dies, so to pray for him to hurry up and pass on. In the meantime, the soundtrack has become particularly lazy, and indeed would sound more at home in a 16 bit game.

Itazura na Kiss 8: Kotoko and Irie’s university days have started, but in typical fashion Irie is being as much of a bastard as ever, brushing off Kotoko in favour of spending time with a ‘perfect’ witch queen from his own department. Much as I would like Kotoko to give up the fight to land this cold-hearted piece of human scum, she just won’t, leading to another episode of meaningless struggle for the heart of a man who quite frankly, just isn’t worth it.

Kaiba 5: There’s a quality of vivid nightmare in this instalment of Kaiba, in which our eponymous hero manages to lose the hippo body (I never liked that form anyway) and ends up meeting Patch, a mad inventor who designs new bodies. Patch’s mind is so crammed with memories that he just can’t form any new ones, causing him to get stuck in an endless cycle of creating useless bodies to mock the people who buy them to follow the latest fashion. There’s a lot of interesting stuff in this episode, including Patch’s dog, which he unwittingly made from the memories of the woman who loved him despite never being noticed. It’s disturbing and thought-provoking stuff at the same time.

Kurenai 8: The Kuhouins may have found out Murasaki’s location, but for now we still have time for some peaceful antics, as Shinkurou gets permission to take Murasaki to a minor shrine for her Shichi-Go-San (a celebration for children aged 3, 5 and 7). Whilst the bulk of the episode highlights how much I’ve come to like all the characters of the series, in the background giant wheels are beginning to turn, with Evil Young Man of the Kuhouin family deciding to take action and Ginko discovering that Murasaki isn’t even listed as a member of the Kuhouins. What does it all mean? How will it all turn out? Can Shinkurou really stand up to such a powerful adversary, even with Benika’s aid?

Persona Trinity Soul 10: I was slightly confused upon starting this episode to be greeted with a scene from the beginning of episode nine, but after a few indecisive minutes of not knowing what was going, I realised that this was meant to be what was happening to everything else whilst Shin was out for the day. Whilst Megumi tries to teach Takurou how to use his Persona, Yamazaki brings lunch over to the Kanzato house, only to end up staying to eat with them before taking in a movie. There’s a bit more to it than that, but the series is staying consistently average for now.

Real Drive 5: If last episode was all about orgasms, then this time around the focus switches to sunglasses, as Minamo tries to track down a rare brand known as Sous-Marin (or at least an equally rare and better quality knock-off), only to end up in the path of “Iron Schwartz” the combat android as he goes on a rampage. Aside from the inevitable pain of seeing two sets of sunglasses get ruined in the course of the episode, this is a reasonably good outing that entertains whilst adding nothing to the series- and I have to admit some of the background music and the fuss over glasses reminded me of Dennou Coil.

Shion no Ou 20: It’s time for the final match between the increasingly evil Hani Makoto and our heroine Shion, but even as everyone runs around behind the scenes trying to prove that the Meijin is the murderer, what will happen on the shogi board? I’m slightly amused as to how the Meijin is now being portrayed as a “gwakaka, I killed them for fun” villain, but of course I’m looking forward to Shion trouncing him in the game.

Toshokan Sensou 7: I found myself largely unable to pay attention to this episode of Toshokan Sensou, so uninspiring was it. Whilst Shibasaki discusses book-burning and a Library Committee cover up, Tezuka’s evil older brother decides to put some kind of villainous plan in motion, culminating in a cliff-hanger that sees Kasahara taken off for interrogation. Within the space of an episode, the library authorities have become some kind of faceless evil, but it all feels too extreme a shift for a series that had our heroine worrying about a visit from her parents just two episodes ago.

MANGA

Minami-ke 23-8: It’s time to recall the simple fun of Minami-ke with this batch of chapters, which includes Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day, as seen in the first season of the anime. It’s always refreshing to have some Minami-ke to read, but it leaves me with the desire for more.

Nodame Cantabile 114-9: When Nodame needs to practise her Beethoven, Chiaki decides to focus on helping her- a major step forward in their relationship that even includes a kiss. Then it’s back to work for Chiaki when Nodame decides she must go the last stretch alone- but jealousy rears its ugly head when she realises that means he’ll be spending time with Rui. Everyone’s come so far since the beginning, but there’s still a lot of potential for the series to stretch ahead into the future.

*CATCH-UP* Potemayo 1-8: Since the Potemayo manga is practically identical to the anime, there isn’t much to say about these eight short chapters- the content is identical, but the 4Koma format and lack of colour and movement mean that for once I prefer the anime. Nonetheless, I need to get to the point where it picks up where the anime left off.

Tenshi Nanka Janai 32-3: It took a couple of weeks to psych myself up for it (I don’t know why, but I find early Yazawa a little headache inducing to read), but I’ve finally made it through two more chapters of Tennai, in which Akira discovers that Masashi is his half brother before finally returning home to Midori’s arms. It actually feels like the series could end here, but there’s more to come.

Tsubasa Chronicle 190: It’s time for a leisurely flashback in this episode, as we see how Syaoran Jr met Sakura-hime and realised that incest is okay if the girl is from another world. That’s all, really.

Reviewed this week: Alice the Adventure 1, Allison and Lillia 6, Baccano 14, Chi’s Sweet Home 21-4, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 7, Himitsu 3, Itazura na Kiss 6, Kurenai 6, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 4, Mnemosyne 4, Nabari no Ou 6, Persona 7-8, Real Drive 4, Soul Eater 3-6, Toshokan Sensou 4-5, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 4-5, xxxHOLiC Kei 5

…and in manga: Claymore 79, Hunter X Hunter 279-80, Tsubasa 189

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi goes to the vet
2. Kurenai (3) – singing
3. Kaiba (4) – memory chip
4. Nabari no Ou (7) – ninjas are cool again
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) –fox trap
7. Real Drive (8) – a better orgasm
8. Soul Eater (10) – Bones does shounen
9. Persona Trinity Soul (12) – catch-up, start!
10. Himitsu (9) – HARD GAY and siscon
11. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
12. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (11) – disillusioned
13. Itazura na Kiss (14) – everything at or below this line is generic
14. Amatsuki (15) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
15. Allison and Lillia (16) – yawn

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – demoted to slow
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (5)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (3)- licensed
5. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot
6. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- end in sight?

*NEW* Alice the Adventure 1: I’ve finally got around to starting the Mahou Shoujotai OVA, consisting of six episodes (or rather twelve half episodes) that were meant to air with the TV series, but had to wait until DVD to see the light of day. In this first instalment, Alice, Eva and Sheila take a visit to a mobile library that travels between dimensions, but when Eva tries preparing a recipe from one of the books, the resulting spell transforms their heads into fish. Although the whole fish-head thing is a little creepy, this is an entertaining episode that only serves to remind me how much I loved the original series.

Allison and Lillia 6: Way back when, the first arc of Allison and Lillia seemed poorly plotted, but no longer, because the second arc is giving it a good run for its money. Having drugged Allison and Wil and thrown them into a cellar for being slightly suspicious, the villagers then sit back and do very little whilst our heroes escape, meet up with Benedict and recruit “Fiona” (aka Princess Francesca) to the active party. Then, for reasons which probably wouldn’t have been clear even if I was paying attention, everyone in the village decides to drop their grudge against the main characters, apologise for their harsh treatment of them and send them on their way. Yawn- next please.

Grandma: Mwahaha, these people seem slightly suspicious! Let’s invite them in for tea and then drug them. Here, have some herbal tea- the herbs are to disguise the drugs!

Allison: Thank you- I see nothing strange about this oddly bitter-tasting tea.

Allison and Wil wake up in a cellar.

Allison: Hmm, there’s an exit right above us- let’s go.

Allison and Wil leave the cellar.

Grandma: Sorry about that whole drugging you thing- it’s just our way of saying hello.

Allison: Don’t sweat it- it’s in the past.

*OVA* Baccano! 14: It’s been a while, but more of the fast-paced controlled chaos that is Baccano is always welcome. This time around, we see plenty of named characters playing dominoes, before moving onto a new psychopath who gives Ladd a run for his money is terms of sheer insanity. I’m still hoping for a second season set in one of the series’ other time periods, but for now this OVA helps me to remember why I enjoyed Baccano so much, even though I hardly ever know what’s going on.

Chi’s Sweet Home 21-4: No matter what other disappointments occur during the week, one thing you can always count on is the power of Chi’s Sweet Home to make it all better again. In this set of episodes, Dad takes Chi to the vet for a check-up, and as you might expect, she isn’t quick to forgive him once they get home again. How many times can I fangirl over the greatness of this series without sounding repetitive, yet what else can I say when it’s so cute and entertaining?

Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 7: It’s been ages since I last saw an episode of Il Teatrino, and since it was a series I didn’t much care for in the first place, the long hiatus doesn’t help. This episode delves into Franca’s past whilst also seeing her get captured in the present, and somehow fails to make it at all interesting at the same time. How have Artland sucked all the life out of what was once such a great manga? Now that FUNi have licensed the series, will anyone actually buy it? These are the mysteries of the week.

Himitsu 3: Even I wasn’t expecting the turn the episode took this week, as the writers strove to prevent me parodying the undertones in the series by making them explicit. As far as the President Reed case goes, a little more digging into his memories reveals that not only was his daughter’s boyfriend a terrorist, but that the President had HARD GAY feelings for him. Meanwhile, Maki is revealed to have killed his best friend and probable HARD GAY lover in the past, whilst Aoki moves out of his parents’ home in order to escape the illicit feelings he holds for his sister. I’m not making this up, really!

Itazura na Kiss 6: It’s another average episode of romantic comedy this week, as Irie prepares for his entrance exams whilst Kotoko tries to sweeten him up with some Valentine’s chocolate. It’s largely standard stuff, although the end of the episode does mark an important progression in the relationship between our leads.

Kurenai 6: It’s time for a break from the plot this week, as Shinkurou and the named characters all get roped into practising a play for an upcoming festival. Cue immense amounts of singing, amusing character interplay and the realisation that I absolutely need Yamie’s skirt. Yes, it’s fairly pointless overall, but at least it’s fun in the process.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 4: It’s back to craziness and Excel Saga-style insanity this week on Kyouran Kazoku Nikki as Kyouka-sama starts planning her honeymoon. There are some amusing parts, but it’s mixed up with the white noise of generic craziness, something I feel I’ve probably had enough of with the likes of Pani Poni Dash. If push comes to shove, I wouldn’t mind putting this series on hold, but whilst I have the time to watch it I’ll keep with it.

Mnemosyne 4: I still don’t really know what the whole point of Mnemosyne is, and with only two episodes to go after this one, I doubt we’ll ever find out. Anyway, this time around we jump ahead to 2025, where Maeda’s son runs into a little trouble when a girl from virtual reality somehow shows up on his doorstep and promptly gets murdered. Enter Rin, Mimi, the obligatory gratuity and a plot that doesn’t make a great deal of sense, and there you have it- another episode of Mnemosyne. In truth, this instalment wasn’t all that bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either, although the character designs remain worthy and there was nice piece of background music that I absolutely must acquire somehow.

Nabari no Ou 6: Rokujou has just been abducted by Yoite, but his captor has a strange request- he wants our lead to use his powers to erase him from existence. Since the other option is to let Yoite use his powers to kill all his friends, Rokujou agress to go along with it. I’m amazingly happy to see Yoite become more than a generic invincible bad guy, whilst this week I find myself appreciating the watercolour style backgrounds.

Persona Trinity Soul 7-8: Yes, I’ve progressed as far as watching two more episodes of this, in which our main characters first head off for an obligatory beach/inn episode, before returning to school in time to meet a new transfer student whose arrival coincides with some bizarre “twisting” at the school. Although the soundtrack of this series really makes me want to go and play some video games, the rest is generally average.

Real Drive 4: It’s time for some more explanation about the nature of the Meta-Real, and as it turns out, it’s a virtual reality that was created to allow humans to experience better sex. With that in mind, Haru is asked to rescue a pervert who was using a female avatar to enjoy multiple orgasms in virtual reality, but can he navigate the man’s powerful whirlpool of desires? This isn’t really what I was expecting from the series, but I suppose it fits in with human nature.

Soul Eater 3-6: Whilst episode three concludes the prologue by introducing us to ‘Death the Kid’, the obsessive compulsive son of the Grim Reaper and his two weapons Liz and Patty, the next three episodes forge ahead with the story. First up, Soul, Maka, Tsubaki and Black Star face investigate a zombie created from their former teacher, leading them to the home of one Doctor Franken Stein, a mad scientist. After that, Kid decides to enrol in the Shibusen school, causing Soul and Black Star to decide to pick a fight with him. This is the shounen series I always wanted, one that’s slick and stylish, but knows not to take itself too seriously.

Toshokan Sensou 4-5: Having left us on a cliff-hanger at the end of episode three, the fourth instalment of Toshokan Sensou sees Kasahara end up in the middle of a hostage situation- albeit one that is resolved rather easily over the course of the episode and doesn’t seem to have much bearing on anything. Next up we have the obligatory parental visit episode, with Kasahara desperate to keep secret the fact that she’s more than a simple librarian. Although mildly entertaining, this episode is also predictable to the point of being painful, but still I feel an odd desire to watch more.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 4-5: It’s time for more light supernatural entertainment with the next two episode of Oinari-sama, and while it isn’t the greatest thing ever, it is nice to have the next Tactics/Shrine of the Morning Mist here at last. In episode four, Kou’s painful attempts to help out at home are beginning to get her down, but can she prove her worth when a supernatural being threatens Tohru? Next up, Kuu-chan decides to perform a ceremony that will let Tohru meet his mother’s spirit- but the catch is that such an act is strictly forbidden, and it seems certain that Ebisu will be along to claim a price.

xxxHOLiC Kei 5: It’s time for xxxHOLiC Kei to move onto the next arc with this episode, which properly introduces Kohane-chan, the tragic spirit medium girl with an ‘evil’ mother. Kohane features prominently in the manga from hereon in, so whilst this may just seem like a basic character introduction episode, it’s laying the groundwork for what’s to come (including some headache inducing revelations almost as bad as those in Tsubasa).

MANGA

Claymore 79: There are important revelations in this chapter of Claymore, as we learn that the world of the series is actually just a small island in a larger continent on which a war has been raging for generations- and Awakened Ones are just experimental soldiers being tested for that war. I’m not usually a fan of revelations like these since it means that the original premise has run out of steam, but I’ll stick around for now.

Hunter X Hunter 279-80: Yawn, who cares anymore? There’s more fighting between minor characters, and Knuckle falling into his opponent’s trap- and that’s it, because the series is going on hiatus again. This arc has bitterly disappointed me, and I just want to see the series end now.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 189: Everyone, are you ready for the latest revelation to be thrown into the pot? This week, we discover that Syaoran-Tsubasa is actually the son of Sakura and Syaoran from CCS, and that in return for giving Yuuko her baton, Sakura paid for Syaoran to travel from Japan to Clow Country, in order to meet Sakura-Tsubasa. Don’t ask me why, we haven’t got to that just yet.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 4-5, Amatsuki 4, Chi’s Sweet Home 14-20, Itazura na Kiss 4-5, Kaiba 3-4, Kurenai 5, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 3, Nabari no Ou 1-5, Real Drive 3, Toshokan Sensou 1-3, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 13

…and in manga: Bokurano 48-52

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1) – the end of the series has left me in despair! <-complete!
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi
3. Kurenai (3) – Murasaki
4. Kaiba (4) – memory chip
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – wow, it’s actually good
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) –fox trap
7. Nabari no Ou (-) –ninjas are cool again <-new!
8. Real Drive (7) –Meta-Real
9. Himitsu (8) – President Reed is dead
10. Soul Eater (10) Bones does shounen
11. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (9) – family frenzy
12. Persona Trinity Soul (11)- I really should catch up with this
13. Toshokan Sensou (-) –library wars <-new!
14. Itazura na Kiss (14) – everything at or below this line is generic
15. Amatsuki (15) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
16. Allison and Lillia (13) – dogfight

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (-) – demoted to slow
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (2)- kaleidoscope
4. Himawari!! (3) – needs less plot
5. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment
6. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- end in sight?

Allison and Lillia 4-5: What with all the emphasis the first three episodes put on finding a treasure that could end a war that’s been raging for generations, I think we could all be forgiven for thinking that that was going to be the main plot for the Allison part of the series. As it turns out, however, everything is done and dusted by the end of episode four, which starts with a dogfight that, while not spectacular, was quite nice simply as a change from the generic ground-bound scenes (although like Hanners I was bemused as to how the enemies that were shot down somehow recovered all their HP for a second attack). Unfortunately, the second half was so poor that I can’t even call it laughable, as our heroes find a mural that magically ends the war in the space of about 2.5 seconds, whilst a set of random villains also looking for the treasure are crushed in a convenient rockfall.

Anyway, episode five brings us onto a new arc as Wil and Allison meet up again in the frozen north, only to get lost in a snowstorm and end up staying with a suspicious old lady. Unfortunately, despite Wil’s alleged smartness and Allison’s military training, neither of them notice that their ‘herbal tea’ is actually drugged, whilst Allison’s attempts to ask Wil to move in with her are painful in their clichéd nature. I must continue watching the series for the sake of completion and also in the hope that the Lillia arc will be an improvement on this half of the series.

Amatsuki 4: Our heroes have finally reached the Princess’ shrine, but it’s time for an unnecessarily long and involved stand-off when the resident shrine maidens decide that they must be ayakashi. Cue the emergence of bishie tengu Bonten, the inugami that dwells within Kuchiha, Toki’s “geass” powers and a princess living inside a puppet; enough to ensure you won’t get bored, but too much to make a structured and focused episode out of. At this pace, are we really going to get anywhere before the series ends?

Chi’s Sweet Home 14-20: It’s playtime for Chi, but whilst she loves to experiments with everything from plastic bags to Dad’s work tools, when she gets toys of her own, she isn’t quite sure what to do with them. And then when Mum shouts at her for knocking over a vase, Chi decides that the great outdoors is a better place to employ her talents- at least until evening comes and she realises that she’s all alone. Is it wrong to want to reach into the computer, bring out Chi and hug her? How can this series be so cute without ever being saccharine? Could this actually be the series that will bring anime to the masses? Answers on a postcard, please.

And this week on The Making of Azure Flame, we reveal how we publish posts.

Itazura na Kiss 4-5: I don’t know why, but somewhere deep in my soul I’ve come to despise beach, pool and swimsuit episodes, so it’s unfortunate that episode four sees Kotoko and friends take off to the pool to enjoy their summer vacation (naturally, Irie ‘just happens’ to be there too). Fortunately, after this rather lacklustre instalment, episode five is at least slightly more entertaining, as looming finals force all of Class F to knuckle down and start studying- with some help from genius Irie. It’s still generic stuff, but even though I don’t much like either Kotoko or Irie, I’m quite interested to see how their relationship progresses.

Kaiba 3-4: Three episodes in, and Kaiba is becoming ever more compelling; this time around, Kaiba (still in the inflatable hippo) lands on a planet and ends up befriending a girl named Chroniko. Poor Chroniko is about to sell her body in order to finance her family, but in a predictable fashion, she gets doubled crossed by said family, losing her memories and self in the process. It’s a story that’s plainly visible a mile away, but Kaiba still manages to execute it well, whilst adding extra layers to a world where bodies and memories are just commodities to be traded, no matter how precious they are to their owners.

Meanwhile, in episode four, Vanilla’s interest in Chroniko becomes so overbearing that on their next planetfall Kaiba switches back to the hippo, only to get involved in the lives of a lighthouse keeper and her two grandchildren. Again, the lesson is that life is as cheap as it is precious, and that one person’s junk is another’s treasure.

Kurenai 5: This week it’s time for Murasaki and Shinkurou to take a trip over to Yuuko’s place, but while Shinkurou and Yuuko do a little sparring, Murasaki plays with Yuuko’s sister- and promptly succeeds in breaking both her doll and her DS. Even though it isn’t perfect, there’s just something about this series that makes me love it, but we’re reaching the point where a series either continues in excellence or makes a sudden fall from grace (fingers crossed for the former). On another note, I’m impressed as to how Murasaki has learned so much from cooking shows- even though I watch them, I don’t retain most of the recipes.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 3: When Yuuka’s sister continues her hate campaign, the rest of the family decided to pitch in with their own frenzy- and even though Yuuka wants to solve her own problems, no one says no to Kyouka-sama. I must admit that this series isn’t turning out to be quite as good as I once hoped, but in the realms of light entertainment it performs admirably.

*NEW* Nabari no Ou 1-5: After Naruto made it all about orange pyjamas and never-ending filler arcs, was there anything that could make ninjas cool and respected again? Well, it was touch and go for a while, but finally Nabari no Ou has come along, and everything is okay again. Featuring an apathetic lead who contains the ultimate wisdom within his body and those who variously try to protect and pursue him, Nabari no Ou isn’t without its faults (namely the inherent flaws of the battle royale format and a tendency to switch too quickly from drama to comedy), but nonetheless it’s made a strong start with some slick action scenes and memorable characters. It doesn’t hurt that there’s plenty of parody potential there as well- not to mention the fact that our lead is rather reminiscent of Ritsuka from Loveless.

Real Drive 3: Things start to make that teensiest bit more sense in this episode, in which Haru is approached to become an official Metal diver- the only problem is, he keeps failing the test simulation. In true anime fashion, however, Minamo telling him that he needs to be safe and relaxed is all he needs to succeed on a dangerous real mission to rescue a brain-downed diver, securing his position for the rest of the series. Meanwhile, it seems the main plot is not too dissimilar from the Cursed Wave of .hack, but all I want to know is who thought that making a virtual reality like a deep, dangerous sea was a good idea.

*NEW* Toshokan Sensou 1-3: In a future that might just come to pass, censorship has gone mad- and the only people who can oppose the seizure and destruction of precious books are the Library Forces. Enter one young girl whose enthusiasm far outweighs her competence, and the stage is set for a fairly standard adventure with the same library gimmick that always makes us come back for more.

*COMPLETE* Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 13: Zetsubou shita! The ending of this series has left me in despair! Anyway, this time around we cover unwanted strays, the origin of Meru’s silence (and an attempt to rectify it with real-time dubbing of her voice) and the dangers of assumptions. It’s good stuff, and it serves to highlight just how much a third season is needed- but until it comes along, Tuesday Rumble will be keeping the spirit of despair alive with a brand new feature, hopefully to be unveiled next week.

MANGA

Bokurano 48-52: It’s the long-awaited next release of Bokurano, covering the arc of the person no one thought was contracted- Kana. Although these chapters reveal that some of the things I thought were anime-only (Tanaka being Jun’s mother, Machi not being from this earth) actually came from the manga, even the bitter taste of the anime cannot reduce the addictiveness of this manga.