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.

Oh, it’s only tear gas, is it? That’s okay then.

Reviewed this week: Blassreiter 1, Chi’s Sweet Home 5-6, Itazura no Kiss 1, Kaiji 25, Kurenai 1, Tower of Druaga 1, xxxHOLiC Kei 1, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8-9

…and in manga: .hack//Alcor 1-5. .hack//Link 2, Elfen Lied 84, REC bonus chapter, Spice and Wolf doujin, Tsubasa 187

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kaiji (2) – ざわ, ざわ…
2. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (3) – the state of modern society has left me in despair!
3. Chi’s Sweet Home (7)- litter tray
4. Kurenai (-) – Murasaki <- new!
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (-) – wow, it’s actually good <- new!
6. Persona Trinity Soul (5)- I really should catch up with this
7. Shion no Ou (6) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
8. Itazura no Kiss (-) generic so far <- new!
9. Tower of Druaga (-) – hahaha <- new!
10. Blassreiter (-) – one man, one generic quest <-new!

SLOW RANKINGS

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

*NEW* Blassreiter 1: I don’t know why, but because Gonzo’s titles happen to be streaming on crunchyroll, it makes me feel “oh, I might as well watch that”. Anyway, Blassreiter seems to be some sort of Bubblegum Crisis wannabe, featuring Amalgam machine-creatures who can absorb, assimilate and generally go on rampages, and the one man who must fight them- ex motorcyclist Gerd. After losing the ability to walk and having to quit at the top of his career, Gerd chooses to take an untested drug that will give him the ability to walk again, albeit at the cost of also enabling him to turn into a machine monster. It has mediocre stamped through it, but I may watch it until better series arrive to fill my anime viewing time.

Chi’s Sweet Home 5-6: Only four minutes or so of Chi this week, but our cute little kitty has run into a new problem- getting into the hang of using the litter tray. Having mistaken the newspaper filled tray for a bed, Chi believes she is doing the right thing by relieving herself on soft objects such as laundry- will the purchase of some proper kitty litter help the situation? Has the subject of cat toilet habits ever been of so much interest?

*NEW* Itazura no Kiss 1: Had I not heard that the latter part of the series focuses on the main couple after they get married (unique enough to warrant a look), I probably wouldn’t have bothered with Itazura no Kiss, because so far it is playing out like a generic romance. Having been rejected by Lead Male, Lead Female declares her hatred for him in public, only to end up staying with his family when her house falls down; not only is the ease with which her house collapses rather disturbing, but so far there’s nothing to mark this out from the crowd. Here’s hoping for some improvement in the coming weeks.

Then he must be HARD GAY!

Kaiji 25: It’s been a few weeks, but the penultimate episode of Kaiji has been tackled, with most of the episode dedicated to build up before Kaiji and the chairman make their first draw. Naturally, our hero is relieved when the chairman draws a blank lot, but when he reaches his hand in to cheat, the pre-placed winning lot isn’t there! With the safety net of cheating now gone, the emotion finally ramps up, and even though it seems unlikely that Kaiji would lose four fingers, I now eagerly await the outcome.

*NEW* Kurenai 1: Despite my fears that having a little girl come and live with a high school student would turn this series into Chokotto Sister mark II, Kurenai has actually made a strong opening foray. Although I can’t really pass judgement until we see how the character dynamic between the two leads pan out (I’m also getting echoes of Seirei no Moribito here), so far the series has offered drama, tears and even a touch of comedy. Hopefully it will build on this start, although I’m a little wary of getting my hopes too high before the ‘shakedown period’ is over.

*NEW* Tower of Druaga 1: Last week, Machi said this was worth a try, and so despite my pre-season fears about what the bastard son of Gonzo and generic fantasy would turn out to be, I boldly ventured into the titular Tower of Druaga. In fact, episode one was rather refreshing, because even though it turned out to be a dream sequence, it was more ‘Monty Python does generic fantasy’ than anything else. With heroes dying the moment they dared announce they wanted to get married when they went back home, and a Dark Lord who turned out to be about three feet tall, the episode was largely entertaining, and I only hope the series can keep up the comedic tone.

*NEW* xxxHOLiC Kei 1: I know I swore that I would never dip my toes into the dull seas of xxxHOLiC anime again, but when Hige claimed that the opening episode of Kei was actually rather watchable, I decided to throw caution to the winds and give it a try. Luckily, it seems that lessons have been learned from season one, with crisper animation (still not perfect, but much better than before) and the start of the Watanuki’s eye arc heralding an upturn for an anime that was once so dull it caused me to lose the will to live. Here’s hoping the rest of the anime can use the later manga material to keep on the right track.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8-9: It’s great to be in despair once again with two more episodes of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, complete with all sorts of hilarity as Nozomu is suspected of being a spy no matter what he does, promises come undone in a month and nothing is quite as 50/50 as it seems. Admittedly, parts of episode nine are a bit underwhelming, but episode eight is so amusing that it more than makes up for it. Roll on the next few episodes.

MANGA

*NEW* .hack//Alcor 1-5: The .hack franchise grinds on with this single volume manga (of which I have one chapter left to read) about a World:r2 character named Nanase who longs to be up there with the named characters of GU. As always, the artwork is nice, but after reading it I was left with the feeling that the story hadn’t really gone anywhere, with all development saved for the last chapter. Ah well, it makes for a nice diversion and I’ll read any amount of .hack manga as an alternative to watching more Roots.

.hack//Link 2: Meanwhile, in The World:rX, Tokio has a fateful meeting with none other than the legendary player Kite, who despite having God Mode skills is still lacking in one thing- unlike Tokio, he isn’t physically in the game. Due to his unique status, Tokio is now the only one who can save The World (and perhaps the world too) from the latest threat, but can he really manage it when he doesn’t have the first clue what he’s doing? Stay tuned to find out.

Elfen Lied 84: It’s showdown time as Lucy turns psychotic and goes after the Diclonius clones, with yet more blood, ripped off body parts and the realisation that I’m slowly losing my grip on what’s going on. How can there be almost three more full volumes before this series concludes?

REC special chapter: A bonus chapter from volume four in which Matsumaru and Aka believe they have been asked to record voices for a Shin Angyo Onshi anime- although the actual script seems suspiciously different to anything from that series. It’s mildly amusing, and presumably more so if you’re familiar with Shin Angyo Onshi and kanji jokes.

Spice and Wolf doujin- Wolf Road: I don’t usually read doujins, but since manga offered to send me this, I figured it was worth a look. Like most doujins, the main aim is to get the main characters to sleep with each other (albeit this time with a twist in the tale, or should that be tail in Horo’s case?), but the artwork was good and the author seemed to capture Horo’s character well. Just don’t read it if you’re not a fan of, er, bodily fluids showering everywhere.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 187: Even though it means all the generic villagers will melt away and die, Syaoran and the others have made the decision to leave Groundhog Day town and head to the ruins where Sakura awaits. Of course, at the current pace it takes the entire chapter to walk out of the village, leaving any exciting developments for next time…or the time after that.

I’m not being lazy by posting this late; I just haven’t been able to get on the internet all weekend.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 5, Clannad 15-16, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 4, Koutetsu Sangokushi 21-2, Minami-ke Okawari 5, Mokke 14, Persona 5, SaiMono II 34, Shigofumi 4, Shion no Ou 14, Spice and Wolf 5

…and in manga: Claymore 77, REC 37, Spiral 67-8, Tsubasa 182

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – the Single life
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolf in the sewers
3. Shigofumi (3) – man-hater
4. SaiMono II (4) – Ran clan
5. Kaiji (5) – zawa, zawa
6. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – mind-altering drug
7. Minami-ke Okawari (7)- not quite the same
8. Persona Trinity Soul (8)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
9. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (9) – lots of cats
10. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (10)- Pinocchio
11. Clannad (11) – the world is made of invisible harps
12. Shion no Ou (12) – die, Satoru!
13. Mokke (13)- magical staff

SLOW RANKINGS

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

Aria the Origination 5: I can’t help the fangirling, I really can’t, for I love Aria so much. In this episode, Aika becomes depressed after seeing Athena and Alicia’s godly skills in action- if that’s what it takes to be a Prima, will she ever make it? Only a Flashback Mode story from Akira (looking rather snazzy with a new hairstyle and an injection of animation budget) can allay her fears, but it also gives us viewers something to think about. There’s almost inevitably a point in your life when it becomes difficult to graduate from one thing and go onto another, so who can’t sympathise with Aika (and in the past, Akira)? Aria, I will love and worship you forever if you will just let me live and work in Neo Venezia.

Clannad 15-16: I’m not sure why I forgot to write about Clannad last week; perhaps it’s some sort of side effect of trying to forget about Fuuko despite the creators’ insistence that she be shoehorned in at every opportunity (way to take away any meaning her story might have had). In the meantime, Kyou is busy ruining any potentially romantic moments between Tomoya and Nagisa, whilst the named characters use the power of destiny to challenge the basketball team to a three-on-three match- if they win, the Theatre Club can get an advisor. Somehow I can’t bring myself to care too much.

Gunslinger Girl –Il Teatrino 4: Angelica is back in action this episode, but with an uncertain recovery and an addiction to pills, can she really help out in the latest mission? I have to admit that this was a better episode than the last few, but the all-new Marco seems a little too boorish and one-dimensional compared to his previous incarnation- can this really be the same Marco who created “The Prince of the Land of Pasta”?

Koutetsu Sangokushi 21-2: Guan Yu the horse monster has been vanquished, but this isn’t the end- first Zhang Fei goes on a HARD GAY rampage to avenge his brother, before Liu Bei takes the ridiculousness to still higher levels by somehow transforming into a giant ice dragon. Angry at not being selected for Yu-Gi-Oh, the dragon freezes a Wei stronghold before assaulting Wu and effectively taking out most of the named characters- what can Lu Xun do against this God Mode boss?

Minami-ke Okawari 5: Kana and Chiaki find themselves in trouble when they break a glass rabbit pendant belonging to Haruka- can they fix it or find a replacement before she comes home and discovers what they’ve done? All in all, this was a very predictable episode that basically repeated a pattern we’ve seen many times before, rendering it fairly entertaining but still not up to the level of the first season.

Mokke 14: It’s another average tale of the supernatural in this episode as Mizuki finds a staff that she believes will give her magical power- but what are the consequences of relying on such an artefact? As ever, it’s a pretty predictable and on-the-rails piece- more something you watch to pass the time than something you must prioritise.

Wait, didn’t we already have Mushishi and Mushi-Uta?

Persona Trinity Soul 5: Things are starting to make a bit more sense as Persona moves into its fifth episode, with more named characters gaining Personas and the action content taking off. The winter setting is making all the school scenes somehow reminiscent of Kanon, but this comparison aside, the series remains watchable if not outstanding.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 34: The series is picking up again as the Ran arc gets properly underway- Shuuei is back home with the bittersweet attention from his brother’s wife, whilst Ensei is about to step up for some more screen time, even indicating that he too might have feelings for Shuurei (I see them more as a love born from admiration and respect than outright romantic feelings). It’s sad that there are only five episodes left, but better that than reams of filler.

Shigofumi 4: It seems as if nothing can top Shigofumi’s opening arc, but nonetheless this is another strong and welcome entry into the series’ logbook, revealing a little more about Fumika’s past, introducing a second mail carrier and fitting in a whole new one-off storyline about a girl who receives a Shigofumi from her estranged mother. The “my mother ran off with another man so I must turn HARD YURI” angle has perhaps been a little overdone in recent times, but I’m still enjoying the series; on an unrelated note, the soundtrack is worthy of note too.

Shion no Ou 14: I hate Satoru so much- he’s just the kind of annoyingly smug and manipulative little bastard you want to punch in the kidneys. When he’s not trying to expose traps or shed his blood all over a kifu, he’s busy mocking everyone and bullying poor Shion, and for what? Is he angry because his character design is so generic? Does he want a bigger role, maybe a bigger Liang? Either way, I hope his comeuppance is just around the corner, because the last thing I need is to punch through the screen of my laptop in an attempt to land a blow on his face.

Spice and Wolf 5: With Horo captured, Lawrence and his allies have to undertake a mission to rescue her- all the while trying to keep the upper hand with regards to their position and financial dealings. Much as I love this series, I have to admit that this instalment did suffer a little from ‘episode five syndrome’, but again there were some touching character moments as we again saw that even Horo the Wise isn’t invulnerable. Based on the preview, however, we might get to see her wolf form properly next week, which should be interesting.

MANGA

Claymore 77: With Galatea impaled and Miata deep in her own mental instability, only Clarice is still able to fight, but what sort of chance is the weakest Claymore going to have against an Awakened One? Under these conditions, the conclusion of this chapter is pretty predictable, but it’s a solid enough entry in the story nonetheless.

REC 37: As was inevitable since the beginning of her arc, Ao finally patches things up with Aka and cancels her claim on Matsumaru in this chapter, marking a predictable end to a predictable story. It’s times like this when I wonder what the true worth of reading this manga actually is- every arc follows exactly the same pattern, and no doubt it will long continue to do so.

Spiral 67-8: Volume fourteen of Spiral gets underway with these two chapters, in which the identical DNA of Kiyotaka&Ayumu and Yaiba&Hizumi is explored further whilst the endgame draws ever closer. I’ve already read what happens in this section of the story, but despite some disappointment at this whole story arc, I must continue with the series until the end.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 182: Kurogane gets a whole chapter in which to bid farewell to Tomoyo and pick up his father’s sword this time around, before everyone changes back into their initial costumes in order to visit Fei Wong in his sealed off timespace. In fact, that’s pretty much all that happens here, a sure sign that CLAMP will be dragging out every aspect of this series’ development for a long, long, long time to come. Then again, what did we expect?

Fellow anime fans, heed my words- never, ever let a massive backlog build up, for it will crush your very soul. Sadly, there is still much I have to catch up on, but in the meantime enjoy my coverage of what I have managed to get through since mid-December.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 1, Baccano! 13, Clannad 8-12, Dennou Coil 21-6, Genshiken 2 7-12, Himawari!! 1, Kaiji 7-13, Minami-ke 7-13, Oh! Edo Rocket 21-6, SaiMono II 27-31, Spice and Wolf 1, Tsubasa OVA 1

…and in manga: .hack//Link 1, Akagi 7-8+108-9, Chokotto Sister 48, Clannad 5, Claymore 75-6, Elfen Lied 79-81, HxH 267-70, Kaiji 1, MariMite 23-4, Meine Liebe 7-8, Nodame 94-9, Oniisama E… 10, REC 34-6, Risky Safety 2-3, Solanin 10-28, Spiral Alive 11-16, Spiral 60-66, Tsubasa 172-7, Yotsuba& 49-50

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – a great series from start to finish <- complete!
2. Aria the Origination (-) – PUNYU! <-new!
3. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show! <- complete!
4. SaiMono II (4) – Jyuusan-hime rocks!
5. Kaiji (3) – human racing
6. Minami-ke (6) – Ichigo Mashimaro II <- complete!
7. Baccano! (5) – the end of the line <- complete!
8. Spice and Wolf (-) –spicy wolves make for interesting chilli <-new!
9. Genshiken 2 (7) – graduation <- complete!
10. Moyashimon (8) – cute microbes
11. Shion no Ou (9) – it’s a trap
12. Sketchbook ~full color’S~ (11) – lots of cats
13. Clannad (12) – sad girls in springtime
14. Mokke (10)- magical cat

SLOW RANKINGS

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

*NEW* Aria the Origination 1: Having a new season to watch is so great that I just want to roll around like President Aria, but instead I will try to put those feelings into words. Spring is coming to Neo Venezia, and even though the snow hasn’t quite melted yet, Alicia gets a gift of sakura tea and jam which she decides to share with everyone. Cue a nice, fluffy tea party in which the amazing feats of the three Primas are discussed, from stopping an idiot falling overboard to cheering up a baby with funny faces. And as the icing on the cake, President Aria is up to his usual antics, although his poor flabby stomach has already been bitten twice.

Remember, don’t eat too fast.

*COMPLETE* Baccano! 13: The tale of immortality and numerous characters in the 1930s finally draws to a close in this episode, which ties up the insane number of plot strands in the best way it can, sees justice served to certain characters, and ends on a high in the way only Isaac and Miria can manage. Yes, it was confusing along the way, but with so much packed in it was also highly entertaining- I can’t request a second season enough times.

Clannad 8-12: Episodes 8-9 see the conclusion of the Fuko arc, with everyone slowly forgetting about her in the run-up to the wedding- can they remember in time to show up? Whilst it was hardly enough to make me cry, I did feel a pang of emotion at this arc, which made going into the next one a bit of an anticlimax to start. This time around, the focus is on genius girl Ichinose Kotomi, who seems almost unbelievably socially ill-adapted to start with, but whose story is slowly picking up now. It does seem a bit of a sci-fi

*COMPLETE* Dennou Coil 21-6: I already reviewed Dennou Coil in its entirety, so all that’s left to put here is how satisfying the ending turned out to be. Yes, if there was more time some elements could have been expanded upon, but the later revelations were still a lot more substantial than many other series, and overall there was a feeling of satisfied completion rather than a need for more. A most excellent series indeed.

*COMPLETE* Genshiken 2 7-12: Genshiken 2 is over, and it’s something of a bittersweet ending- practically everyone has settled on their future career and is ready to commence life in the ‘real world’, although of course they’ll never forget their otaku roots. There’s still content here for those looking for comedy, but an almost Honey and Clover-esque feel crept into this season- university graduates should be able to identify with it.

*NEW* Himawari!! 1: At long last, the second season of Himawari!! is being subbed (yes, I could watch the raws but I’m being lazy), and although I have little hope of it proceeding at any speed, it can fill a gap here and there. Unfortunately, whilst meeting up with the characters is like slipping back into a comfortable old set of clothes, the fact that this season seems to contain a main villain with his underling monsters of the week does not fill me with optimism. I like Himawari when it’s just episodic light entertainment, but introducing low-budget enemies such as this episode’s gum-chewing boy adds an air of tedium to the whole thing.

Kaiji 7-13: The Espoir arc finally concludes in episodes 7-9, with Kaiji suffering both betrayal and the Room of Naked Men before finally coming out on top- at least until he realises the whole thing has left him with twice as much debt as before (poor guy). Then, after an episode of trying and failing to fit in with normal life, our hero is whisked off for another night of gambling, only this time he is the horse in a ‘Human Derby’. The even sees Kaiji and other debt-ridden young men walk across a thin beam suspended over a twelve foot drop, but even if you manage to get across without being pushed off, there’s worse to come when they have to do the same again across and electrified beam suspended between the twenty-second floors of two high-rise buildings. It’s addictive, MANLY stuff, but are we really halfway through already?

*COMPLETE* Minami-ke 7-13: I finally found the time to watch the second half of Minami-ke’s first season, and happily, it was everything I expected it to be. As the adventures of the Minami sisters continue, more amusing everyday antics ensue, more friends get drawn in, and they even meet another Minami family consisting of three brothers and a younger sister who Chiaki adopts as her little ‘brother’. Not since the days of Ichigo Mashimaro has everyday life been so entertaining, but I’m approaching the second season with trepidation- how will the staff changes affect the tone of the series?

*COMPLETE* Oh! Edo Rocket 21-6: Another excellent series goes out with a bang (no pun intended) as Oh! Edo Rocket draws to a close with a packed final stretch that showcases everything that is so great about the series. From comedy and hilariously out of place pop culture references to darker and more serious storylines, Oh! Edo Rocket somehow manages to have everything, and it even achieves an ending entirely appropriate to the tone of the series. Move over FLCL and Pani Poni Dash- this is how it’s done.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 27-31: The overload of new characters arc has finally come to an end as the anime moves into new territory with the arrival of Shuuei’s sister Jyuusan-hime. Jyuusan-hime has been sent to become Ryuuki’s concubine, but with assassins after her life, Shuurei ends up becoming her body double (sometimes even main characters get the short straw). Despite my aversion to having so many new characters dumped on us of late, Jyuusan-hime is a most welcome addition to the cast- she’s beautiful, tough and more mature than the still naïve Shuurei, and since she’s also adopted, her apparent feelings for Shuuei aren’t as incestuous as I first thought. Meanwhile, poor Shusui seems to have fallen under the influence of the voices in her head- what will become of her? Whatever the case, the anime is not only almost at an end but has also drawn level with the novels- so we’ll either have to have a huge break before any potential third season, or move into the realm of occasional OVAs.

SaiMono goes all Dynasty Warriors.

*NEW* Spice and Wolf 1: For a multitude of shallow and tenuous reasons, I loved this series before I even watched it, and happily I still feel the same way after episode one. Having completed Okami the night before I watched this, I was all too ready for more content about wolf goddesses, and so when trader Lawrence Craft found one in his cart, it made for interesting viewing (even with the random fanservice). Provided it doesn’t turn into the new Sisters of Wellber, this should be a great series, and since the original material is apparently about economics, it’s like entertainment’s next step from Dragons’ Den.

*NEW* Tsubasa Chronicle Tokyo Revelations 1: My relationship with the Tsubasa TV series ended in a filler fest of pain and suffering, but with Production I.G. taking over the reins for this three episode OVA covering the X-Tokyo arc, I figured it wouldn’t be so bad (let’s forget that they did that pointless movie). Happily, unlike Bee Train’s efforts, this version of Tsubasa actually has revolutionary new concepts like proper movement and animation, and whilst the story is essentially flawed, this is the fault of the original manga and not really something the studio can do much about. If the rest of Tsubasa must be animated, let’s keep it to OVA format (I notice that the final image in the closing appears to be from the Infinity arc- a sign of things to come?).

In the latest manga chapters, Mokonas’ earrings actually have previously unmentioned plot importance.

MANGA

*NEW* .hack//Link 1: Although it might sound like a .hack/Legend of Zelda crossover, the franchise’s latest cash-in manga is set in a brand new iteration of The World- R:X. Tokio is the typical annoying shounen hero who has cleared every other game around and wants to play the newly relaunched The World, but since access is restricted, he can’t get his hands on a copy of the game. Fortunately, a new transfer student at school lets him use her copy- but it proves to be an edition of the game that transfers him into The World itself! I don’t see this offering anything new, but it should be interesting enough to follow.

Akagi 7-8, 108-9: Like the anime, the Akagi manga doesn’t seem to feel the need to rush anywhere, and so we’re still on Akagi’s first match- although we’ve just reached the point when Akagi is playing rep player Yagi with their fingers at stake. For a beginner at Mah-jongg, watching this sort of thing in animated form is easier than slogging through explanatory text for each match, but even so it’s still an enjoyable manga.

Meanwhile, an anonymous scanlator has decided to pick up where the anime has left off, so I’ll be covering that as well. 108-9 commence volume 13 and cover the last part of the anime, where Akagi throws away his blood and challenges Washizu to play for the last part of his fortune. Having waited so long to see what happens next, we are now on the verge of this exciting new territory, and hopefully it will be as good as ever.

Chokotto Sister 48: When Konatsu catches mumps and falls in, it becomes a perfect opportunity for her to slip into a Flashback Mode, in which she relates a typical tragic past of being abandoned by her parents and Haruma promising to always be by her side (which she takes to be one of those standard childhood marriage proposals that have so much more meaning in fiction than real life). Everything is proceeding along the rails for the moment, but I’m becoming increasingly disturbed about Choko’s origin- just where did she come from? (Smart alecks need not respond).

Clannad 5: When I read the first four chapters of Clannad, the anime was months away from airing, but to go back and try another chapter in the middle of it run is a slightly strange experience. Fortunately, whilst Clannad the anime is nothing special to me, watching it seemed to make this chapter seem better than its predecessors, even though it only covers the early anime content of Tomoya trying to help get the drama club off the ground.

Claymore 75-6: As it turns out, the blinded Galatea wasn’t hiding from the organisation- she wanted them to send Claymores out to her so that they could help her defeat the latest Awakened Being- former number 2 Claymore Agatha. As the battle begins, however, it remains to be seen if they will offer assistance or just blindly follow orders, culminating in a cliff-hanger ending for chapter 76. As always, I’m not particularly impressed by the action scenes, but I’m still interested in seeing what happens next, and oddly having just one chapter a month helps to enjoy the series since I’m always hungry for more.

Elfen Lied 79-81: We may be getting close to the end of the series, but the story is still ready to throw us a few more twists and turns- not to mention some fresh characters. Whilst Kouta laments the loss of his harem due to the disappearance of Lucy/Nyu, Nana and Mayu, elsewhere yet more plans are being made to recapture Lucy- using obedient clones of Mariko. In charge of them is the latest eccentric scientist and his tough-as-nails bodyguard- it’s a familiar formula but hopefully this is all slowly building towards a conclusion.

Hunter X Hunter 267-70: Having put all his efforts into getting the chapter count up to a nice round number, Togashi has retired to his deathbed once again, leaving the series on yet another indefinite hiatus. Perhaps it’s just as well, as the excruciatingly slow pace and intensely detailed narration of the first phase of the attack on King has really put me off this arc, to the extent where I have to wonder if I even care any more. All I want now is for the series to properly end, but at the current rate I could be in my thirties before that happens (a scary thought indeed).

*NEW* Kaiji 1: As with Akagi, the Kaiji anime has basically followed the manga word for word, so all this first chapter provides is a recounting of how Kaiji came to be offered a place aboard the Espoir, with less technically accomplished art. Even so, it’s an enjoyable enough way to relive the series, and hopefully more chapters will be available soon.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 23-4: We’re already at the start of season two, with Yumi, Yuuki and Rosa Gigantea spending the night at Sachiko’s house for the new year, complete with some “Kashiwagi is HARD GAY” and Sei teasing Yumi scenes that never made it into the anime. As always, this manga complements the anime nicely, but I’m increasingly noticing the poor standard of the artwork compared to the anime character designs, whilst for some reason Yuuki has black hair in this version.

Meine Liebe 7-8: First off, a big thank you to “Meine Liebe Project” for picking this up- it may not be the best manga in the world, but I at least want to read the second half of it. Anyway, chapter seven sees Erika get picked to be Orphe’s dance partner for his grandmother’s party, but much to my disappointment, no actual dancing was seen- surely a whisk or throwaway oversway wouldn’t have been too much to ask for? Wasted opportunities aside, as we go into chapter eight, it becomes clear that Erika’s feelings for Orphe are deepening, but with the likelihood that he may be her brother ever increasing, romance could turn to incest. In fact, since it’s being played so obviously, they probably aren’t related, but we’ll see in the coming chapters.

Nodame Cantabile 94-9: Chiaki’s goal is to move ever onwards and upwards, but when his father shows up at one of his performances, it puts him off guard- and proves that Chiaki isn’t as indifferent towards his parent as he might claim. Meanwhile, poor Nodame is beginning to feel like she is left behind- if Chiaki’s goal is his father, then her goal is Chiaki. Even though the “estranged parent” storyline is nothing new, I’m still intrigued by the continuing development of Chiaki and Nodame’s characters as they enter another growth phase. In particular, Chiaki seems determined to move far ahead in order to accomplish his goals, but at the same time he seems to expect Nodame to be waiting for him, even though she is busy with her own agendas. Are they just not destined to be together?

Oniisama E… 10: The second volume of the angst-driven manga continues as Kaoru gets injured during a basketball match and Nanako fangirls over Saint-Juste some more- it will all be familiar to anime viewers, but told in a much abbreviated form. Now to wait another year or so for the next chapter.

REC 34-6: If there’s one thing you can count on with REC, it’s that if something can go wrong, it will. Take Matsumaru, for example- all he wants to do is help Ao get through a cold, and the next thing he knows she’s undressed him whilst he’s asleep, taken a nude picture for Photoshop purposes, and left the door open so Aka can walk in. Naturally, Ao isn’t just your typical ‘other woman’- she has past issues, but it’s all so painfully predictable- and yet somehow I can’t just give up the series and walk away.

Risky Safety 2-3: I can’t even remember when I read the first chapter of this (memory supplies a date of around August 2006), but I’ve finally tracked down another two instalments of the series. Unlike the anime, the manga isn’t exclusively about Risky and Safety- in fact, they don’t appear at all in these two chapters. Instead, we get two stand-alone stories- one about a puppet girl named Fuzzy who will become a real human if she can just make one boy happy, the other about a mysterious new transfer student who may be attacking fellow classmates with demon blood. As short stories, they are both enjoyable (if much like various similar manga), but the chances of reading more any time soon seem slim.

*COMPLETE* Solanin 10-28: I’m happy to report that at long last I’ve been able to finish this manga, and that it was good enough to be worth the wait. With a spoilerific twist at the end of volume one that I can’t reveal, the second half of the series sees Meiko put in a position where she must make a decision about her future, but will she choose something constructive? I don’t want to give away too much here, but suffice to say that this is one series worth reading, and that a proper review to that effect will appear soon.

Spiral Alive 11-16: Whilst Kanone and Eyes step forth to make an appearance, the story continues to move on, and it all seems to be centred on a particular file that can disclose the identities of the hidden and dangerous Blade Children. It’s good stuff (although I wish Kousuke would let Ryoko help out instead of trying to protect her), even if there are a few too many feints and conflicting motives to get to grips with at the moment.

Spiral 60-66: This is the point I feared, where the series starts to lose its way, for whilst Hizumi makes a move by killing Kanone (NOOOOOO!!!!!!), the truth about Ayumu and Hizumi’s origin seems about to come to light, and it seems something of a cop out. Thanks to Hinano, I long knew it was coming, but even so it’s like that infamous spoiler from Star Ocean 3- you just don’t want to believe it until you’re confronted with it. Oh well, the artwork is still nice.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 172-7: I don’t really know what’s going on in Tsubasa anymore, and the sad fact is that I can’t even say that I particularly care (but I must keep reading, for like Macbeth I’ve come too far to go back now). After randomly showing up, Syaoran-clone decides to pick a fight with the real deal, whilst Fei Wong decides he only wants Sakura for her body (understandable, since her mind isn’t up to much). It’s just a shame that CLAMP have got so into drawing epic fight scenes (large explosions, tiny characters) that they’ve forgotten about the concept of including a plot.

Yotsuba& 49-50: Fifty chapters in and I’m still far from tired of Yotsuba- after all, we still have to see her go to school. In these two chapters, we see Yotsuba still enchanted with the farm after coming home, before she and her father head out to a restaurant for lunch, with the usual hilarious consequences.

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

Reviewed this week: Cazador 18, Darker than Black 18, Higurashi Kai 5, Mononoke 2, Mushi-Uta 5, SaiMono II 17, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 4, Seirei no Moribito 17

…and in manga: Akagi 4, Aria 21-3, Claymore ES 2, El Cazador 2, Erementar Gerad 26, Gunslinger Girl 31, REC 32, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 1-6, Spiral 44-5

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – to infinite 1337, and beyond!
2. SaiMono II (3) – who will win Eigetsu’s heart?
3. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2) – mail mail
4. Darker than Black (4) – some good, some bad
5. Baccano! (5) – intriguing
6. Mononoke (6) – good but slow paced
7. Mushi-Uta (10) – huge improvement
8. Tetsuko no Tabi (7)- train adventures
9. Doujin Work (9) – this is becoming a guilty pleasure
10. Romeo X Juliet (8) – Hermione comes, Hermione goes
11. Koutetsu Sangokushi (12) – HARD GAY
12. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (13) – interest at minimum
13. Seirei no Moribito (11) – an exercise in monotony
14. El Cazador de la Bruja (14) – El Caza-bore

El Cazador de la Bruja 18: This week on El Cazador, even Ellis has realised how useless Nadie is, leading her to ask for her own room when the pair stay at the Kokopelli inn. Naturally, Ricardo, Lirio, LA, Blue Eyes and her underlings all just happen to show up too, and after a night of random yet ultimately unimportant events, they all leave again. It’s not the worst that El Cazador has to offer (feeling more like 50 minutes in length than three hours), but that hardly makes it good.

Darker than Black 18: The somewhat pointless diversion arc comes to an end in this episode, one which offered mixed good and bad in a way not too dissimilar from a packet of dark and light chocolate sprinkles. The story itself, and the throwaway characters of the arc are somewhat frustratingly pointless, but every so often I see glimpses of the excellence that first drew me to the series. In brief scenes such as Hei stopping the generics with boxes, or the moment where we are led to question the nature of Dolls and by extension that of Contractors, I am once again drawn to the series, but it just can’t seem to hold my attention the whole way- after all, I surely shouldn’t be witnessing a fire fight in a parking lot and merely thinking “that car is an interesting shade of purple”.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 5: It’s another one of those ‘everyone dies’ episodes that Higurashi is so famous for, and if anything, the fact that such a massacre occurred only highlights how much I’ve lost interest in the franchise, for even this cannot shake my ennui towards the series. People are dying, but so what? Who really cares anymore? In fact, halfway through the episode I was ready to drop it forever, and only the glimpse of Hanyu in the preview was enough to keep me going.

Mononoke 2: Poor Mononoke, if only it could escape the multi-episode arcs of its predecessor, it would be quite a good series, but as it stands, it’s a little too slow paced to be truly memorable. In this episode, we learn that the inn was once a brothel, and that the mysterious room was once an abortion room- and naturally, the spirits of the dead children are attracted to the pregnant woman. With the help of plenty of bizarre imagery, the pacing is slowed down to cover a single arc in three to four episodes, where it could really do with being concluded in a single one.

Mushi-Uta 5: Last week, the double bill of Mushi-Uta left me confused and dissatisfied, but happily, this instalment is a huge improvement. As Shiika and Rina get to know each other better as people, neither of them have any idea as to the complex tangle that links their respective alter egos as Hosts. For the first time, the lighter and more serious elements are meshing together well, and despite the distinct air of Kanon about the flashback sequence, it has turned out to be the most entertaining episode yet.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 17: With all the high drama of the arc over and done with, it’s time for everyone to sit back and relax, as Shuurei prepares to cook a feast to mark her last days in Sa Province. And even as Ryuuren shows everyone the sights, there’s even time for some romance, as Kourin tries to wrest Eigetsu from Ryuuren’s grasp and Shuurei considers her feelings for Ryuuki. Overall, this makes for a nice look into the characters’ feelings, with Shuurei especially starting to become more introspective in light of her dismissal; up until now, she has had to be entirely focused on current events, but now she finally has time to stop, think and let her inner feelings out.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 4: After a weak third episode, Sensei is back on form in this episode, which introduces another character in the form of an animal-loving tail puller, as well as focusing on Meru, the quiet girl who is entirely timid when it comes to actual speech, but is rude and abusive in her text messages. Although I’m missing Sensei’s suicide attempts, this was a thoroughly entertaining episode.

Seirei no Moribito 17: As El Cazador’s compatriot in the boredom stakes, Seirei offers another unexciting episode, in which Shuga tries to end the series prematurely by taking Chagum back to court, only for Balsa to defend her screen time by taking him on the run again. The only event of note is the burning of the water mill, and by the time you reach it, you will be so inattentive that it will be of little more than passing interest. I’m only really watching this now because, like Macbeth, I feel like I’ve come too far to stop.

MANGA

Akagi 4: Akagi’s legendary first game continues, and whilst the onlookers are sure that he is just scraping through with blind luck, there is more to his genius than mere coincidence. Since this chapter doesn’t advance the story very far, it is hard to say much about it (and indeed, it will probably be this way for most chapters of the series), but nonetheless it remains as gripping as the anime.

Aria 21-3: Volume five gets going in these three chapters, which cover stories already seen in the anime- specifically, Akari’s day with Mr Postman, Athena’s introduction and the night of the meteor shower. Regardless of whether or not you’ve seen these stories in the anime, they remain as good as ever, with beautiful artwork and charming content. I really can’t praise this series enough.

Claymore ES 2: It’s quite ironic that I find these side stories more enjoyable than the main chapters, but there you go. This time around, we delve into Miria’s past, fleshing out the brief flashback mention of her friend who turned into an Awakened Being. Although the ending reuses some content from the main series, overall this is a touching story that offers more character development than most of the actual Claymore chapters.

El Cazador 2: This manga really has everything the anime hasn’t- action, fanservice, even a semblance of quality. This chapter recreates the convent battle against the two cross-dressing bounty hunters, and whilst it isn’t exactly great, at least in this form it is a serviceable story that is over quickly (and if you ever wanted to see what nuns wear under their habits, now’s your chance).

Erementar Gerad 26: Whilst Coud finds himself a wanted criminal for illegal entry into the city, Greyarts is about to receive punishment for his failure- and it’s one that’s far more graphic than anything the anime dared show. Overall, there isn’t a great deal of story advancement in this chapter, but it’s still nice to see it stepping up a notch from the animated version.

Gunslinger Girl 31: The excellence of Gunslinger Girl is very much evident in this chapter, which is devoted entirely to the back story of Elizaveta (now Petrushka), a girl who dedicated her entire life to ballet, only to have her dreams cruelly cut short when she is diagnosed with bone cancer. In a desperate attempt to avoid having her leg amputated, Liza is sent to Italy for treatment, but ultimately she is turned into a second generation cyborg. She may have only been introduced in this volume, but the series has certainly done an excellent job of making us really care about this character.

REC 32: When Ao falls asleep after coming onto Matsumaru, he decides to take her back to the studio where she works- only to end up getting drafted into working on the Jupiter the Great anime. With this new plot development, the story picks up at long last, although the fact that Matsumaru and Ao are now in close quarters is yet another tiresome strain on his relationship with Aka. I really wish some time could be spent on developing their relationship instead of keeping it in the same loop of almost breaking up but being rescued at the last minute.

*CATCH-UP* Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 1-6: Despite the trepidation born from the quality of the Pani Poni manga, I decided to give this series a try, although ultimately it proved to be much the same as the anime. Over the course of six chapters, we are introduced to most of the characters we have met in the anime, and although the animated version has the edge in terms of art style, this is still a worthy read, even if it doesn’t offer anything in the way of new content.

Spiral 44-5: Volume nine concludes with these chapters, in which Hiyono puts her very life on the line so that Ayumu and the others can have a long exposition scene about how to capture Kanone. All the sitting and talking is a bit of a momentum-diffuser, but I’m still looking forward to seeing how this situation pans out. Also included at the end is a side story about Kiyotaka, in which he solves a case by dressing in a rabbit suit- it’s an amusing tale, but it makes me long for more in this section of the timeline.

Anime seems a bit thin on the ground this week, so to make up for it completely coincidentally, this week sees the introduction of new Rankings tables, which are of course a complete rip-off of any and all rankings ever seen in anime blogs before this point. The rankings will be divided into three tables- currently airing (including those that just finished), OVAs and slowly-subbed series. The latter two lists will only be updated whenever a new OVA or ‘slow’ series episode is released. Clear as mud? I thought so.

Reviewed this week: Aria 25-6, El Cazador 12, Nodame 21, Emma II 8-9

…and in manga: REC 31, Twin Spica 3-4

I tried to watch Polyphonica 3, but it was so dull that I stopped after a few minutes.

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil- makes 1337 look average
2. Emma II- sheer excellence
3. Darker than Black- better than good
4. SaiMono II- the pace is slowing
5. Nodame Cantabile- flashes of brilliance
6. Romeo X Juliet- where did the HORSE go?
7. Seirei no Moribito- so slow
8. Sisters of Wellber- needs more subbing
9. Koutetsu Sangokushi- HARD GAY
10. El Cazador de la Bruja- slight improvement
11. Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica- beach episode already?

OVA RANKINGS

1. Ichigo Mashimaro- a slice of enjoyment
2. Winter Cicada- actual HARD GAY
3. MariMite- more HARD YURI than ever
4. Mai-Otome Zwei- more fat cats, less nipples please

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shounen Onmyouji- ready to resort to raws
2. Love GetChu!- light entertainment
3. ROTK- hilariously bad

*COMPLETE* Aria the Natural 25-6: As I said in my review the other day, Aria is nothing short of excellent, and these closing two episodes do the series proud. First up we have a story that I read recently in the fourth volume of the manga, in which Akari, Aika and Alic are charged with making all the arrangements for the upcoming autumn Redentore festival, followed by the season finale, in which Akari and Alicia spend a day building a snowman in wintry Neo Venezia. From a beautiful fireworks display to a simple moment in which white hot chocolate is poured, every minute of these two episodes are highly enjoyable and well worth the wait. I desperately need more Aria, but at least there’s the OVA to look forward to this autumn.

El Cazador de la Bruja 12: With the utter boredom of the 7-10 era still providing a baselines against which anything else would seem good, Cazador 12 somehow manages to be watchable despite its obvious mediocrity. In the episode, gunshots are seen for the first time in a while as Nadie and Ellis take refuge in Character of the Week’s camper van when the .hack reject group chases them through the night. In any other series, it would barely be worth watching, but compared to the normal El Cazador fare, these twenty-five minutes pass mercifully swiftly.

Nodame Cantabile 21: Nodame has reached the final round of the competition, but whilst she has the first two pieces down, disaster seems certain to strike when she is unable to memorise the third piece she needs to play in time for her performance. Even though Nodame’s inconsistency is a core aspect for

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act 8-9: The greatness of Emma should never be underestimated, and indeed, somehow the series only continues to improve even at this late stage. Whilst Hans persuades Emma to come back to Molders House, the Jones family are about to endure the consequences of William’s decision to break off his engagement with Eleanor. I may have read it all in the manga, but the anime breathes fresh life into these scenes, drawing you into the characters and their situation as Emma tries to be strong, Eleanor struggles with her heartbreak and William is forced to face the music. Caught between the demands of society and the desire to follow his heart, William’s indecision has cost him almost as much as if he had defied the norm in the first place, but can we really blame him before asking what we might do in his situation. In the meantime, Hans is also developing nicely, and I find myself liking him a lot more in the manga, where he seemed slightly suspicious instead of merely stoic.

MANGA

REC 31: As volume four comes to an end, a new character is introduced in the form of Aka’s younger sister Ao. Thanks to the family resemblance, Matsumaru can’t deny that she is cute, but when he notices some awkwardness between the two sisters, it becomes clear that there is more angst in the offing. To be honest, this looks like yet another “someone tries to come between Aka and Matsumaru” arc, but so far it is less painful than those that came before, with the promise of some back story for Aka.

Twin Spica 3-4+flashback 1: It’s taken many months, but the first volume of Twin Spica is finally complete, taking us up to the end of the domino-laying exam as well as including a flashback to when Asumi first met Lion-san, and revealing the relationship between him and the local elementary school teacher. It’s basically the same content as the first five episodes of the anime, and so it remains enjoyable whilst offering nothing new.

Phantom Brave is nearly at an end, but does this mean that the ‘third’ gaming era is about to close? Far from it, for this is just the beginning of the renewed SRPG era.

In other news, I’ll probably be starting ‘SaiMono Alternative’ soon, so I can parody even in this sub-less situation.

Reviewed this week: Cazador 9, Claymore 10, Darker than Black 8, Dennou Coil 3, Nodame 19, RxJ 8, SaiMono II 9, Aquarion OVA 1, Emma II 6

…and in manga: Aria 19-20, Erementar Gerad 24, REC 30, Tsubasa 155

ANIME

El Cazador de la Bruja 9: Forget El Cazador, the series should really become El Caza-bore, due to the utterly futile monotony that each episode presents. This week, we return to the formula in order to experience a painfully tedious episode in which Nadie and Ellis run away from a nameless bounty hunter, only to end up in an abandoned mine with a woman who has committed herself to finding a silver cross. Somehow, this episode actually seems worse than last week, impossible as I would have once said that to be. What new lows will the next episode bring?

Claymore 10: There’s lots of blood and cost-cutting style action scenes in this episode of Claymore, as our four woman team takes on a male Awakened Being. Naturally, whilst Clare is the lowest level warrior off the party and inactive for much of the opening phase of the fight, once her Main Character unique abilities kick in she becomes the primary attacker in this battle of severed limbs and fast regeneration. Whilst not markedly better than the content that preceded it, this episode was at least a little more enjoyable than usual- is it an early sign of a general improvement?

Further evidence that men have only one thing on their mind.

Darker than Black 8: The ‘light’ arc comes to an end with an episode that is hardly all fun and games as our detective gets closer to the truth, and Mao desperately tries to escape his cat carrier. This may not be the best of the four arcs we have seen so far, but it is still highly worthy, with a solid mix of action, exposition and some interesting titbits of back story. Bring on episode nine.

Mao experiences internet withdrawal after forgetting his network key.

Dennou Coil 3: After its intriguing start, Dennou Coil continues in a strong fashion with this episode, which properly introduces the controller of the Mojos as she attempts to take control of Densuke and the mysterious Illegal that exists within him. What follows is a worthy showdown between the various factions that once again calls into question of just how much of this world and how much is virtual- especially when an electronic ‘megane-beam’ turns Granny’s hair into an afro. The story may be solid in its own right, but even the intriguing setting alone is enough to ensure I continue watching.

Nodame Cantabile 19: With Chiaki still paralysed by his fear of planes, Nodame decides to have another go at hypnotising him- and this time it just might work. Although it was obviously important for Chiaki to move past this stage, this episode does a feel a bit disappointingly trite with regards to his phobia, seemingly just wanting to resolve it as quickly as possible. I do hope there’s time to explore Nodame’s past a bit more, however, but with only four episodes left, will everything be tied up satisfactorily? More importantly, where have the glimpses of greatness that once tempted me into the series disappeared to?

Romeo X Juliet 8: Who needs either Romeo or Juliet when we now have Tybalt, the best character to thus far emerge from this entire series? That aside, this episode elevates the series to new heights in terms of parody, as Romeo angsts, Montague practises villainy, and Juliet just barely manages to beat shota Antonio during swordplay. Rest assured this can and will be parodied.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 9: Whilst Shuurei and the doctors rush back to Sa Province, Eigetsu’s back story is delved into further in this episode, and although I already knew the outline of the details, it is nonetheless interesting to see it onscreen (not to mention observe the chibi cuteness of little Yougetsu firsthand). After my struggle with the dialogue heavy episode eight, this one was a lot easier to follow, and whilst the cast arguably doesn’t need any more members, the new characters here certainly seem interesting.

*NEW* Sousei no Aquarion OVA 1: I love Aquarion, but when it came to watching this alternate universe OVA, I soon found myself thrust into a world of confusion (and that was after I realised it wasn’t connected to the TV series). After spending thirty-five of its fifty minutes introducing Apollo and persuading him to fight against the Shadow Angels, the legendary Aquarion is called up (until then, everyone was piloting production models) for gattai and a well-executed action scene. To be honest, the whole plot of this beyond the basic “humans vs. Shadow Angels” was somewhat beyond me, and so aside from the good quality action scenes, it just didn’t have the same appeal that the series did- the only real improvement is that Apollo now has more than half a braincell.

Why was the sun in the background?

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act 6: Emma can do no wrong, and so it that this episode is as satisfying as ever, offering us a glimpse into the early days of William’s parents’ marriage, and the events that led to Aurelia’s withdrawal from society. It doesn’t reveal anything new for readers of the manga, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy, with even simple scenes such as the Molders’ servants eating plum pudding somehow proving absorbing and memorable.

MANGA

Aria 19-20: The fourth volume of Aria comes to an end with these two chapters, the first of which sees the undines-in-training visit the legendary Grandma for advice, before moving on to see them make preparations for the Thanksgiving festival. I can’t remember if the latter chapter was in the anime, but even if you’re already familiar with the content, Aria still manages to charm and delight with its beautiful artwork and whimsical storytelling. Now where are volumes 5-11?

Erementar Gerad 24: It seems like a lifetime since I last read any EG, but we’ve finally been treated to a new chapter, in which Coud is forced to sneak into the latest city when he (unlike the rest of his party) cannot legitimately gain entrance to the latest city. To be perfectly honest, not a great deal happens in this chapter, but with the introduction of a character I don’t remember from the anime, the promise of originality lures me in.

REC 30: Apparently, Hatakeda has gotten over his Aka-obsession thanks to a brand new girl- who, as Matsumaru discovers first hand, is actually just an employee at a cosplay café. Naturally, Aka ends up at the cosplay café too and some angst ensues; overall, this is a rather throwaway chapter which doesn’t even achieve the advertised goal of showcasing a minor character. Apparently a long arc is coming up, though.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 155: Okay, I’m not even going to try to make sense of the plot anymore- what’s the point, really? In this chapter, we learn that Fye was actually one of a pair of ‘cursed twins’, with the alterna!Fye presumably being his brother. The story may have been too simplistic back in the old days, but is convoluting it this much really helping?

There still seems to be too much anime to keep on top of, with only dull and infrequently released OVAs thus far being worth the chop. Still, I must try to keep on top of it, for matters will only get worse if I get horribly behind.

Reviewed this week: Bokurano 2, Cazador 3, Chevalier 21, Claymore 4, Darker than Black 3, Heroic Age 4, Koutetsu Sangokushi 2-3, Nanoha StrikerS 3, MariMite OVA 3, Nodame 11-13, Romeo X Juliet 3, SaiMono II 3, Sakura Taisen NY 2, Emma II 1

…and in manga: Bokurano 41, Cazador 1, Meine Liebe omake, REC 29, SaiMono 6, Tennai 25, Tsubasa 151 (I successfully resisted the urge to download School Rumble)

Since I’m lazy when it comes to text parody, Seirei no Moribito 2-3 will appear next week.

ANIME

Bokurano 2: One problem with watching any anime adaptation of a well-loved manga is the inevitable impatience, you want it to get to the ‘good stuff’ now, but the ‘good stuff’ always seems to be the next arc. This is just a general comment, but it should be noted that it may affect my impressions of the Bokurano anime in the future.

Getting back to this episode, I’m still torn between wanting to enjoy it and being scared to be too optimistic, with this instalment offering evidence for both sides. The first half seems a little slow paced, and Dung Beetle’s voice isn’t what I imagined it would be (although I can and will adapt to his actual voice), but once the action kicks in and the children fight their first proper opponent, the lure of the original manga becomes evident- and this is only the least developed character’s turn at the robot. Hopefully pacing issues won’t mar my future enjoyment of the series.

El Cazador de la Bruja 3: Cazador continues onwards in its own spectacularly dull way in this episode, which sees Nadie and Ellis stop off at an abandoned house during a rainstorm, with bounty hunters and the mysterious L.A. on their tail all the while. Much like Roots, this series seems to be more about promising that something will happen in the future than ensuring that it happens in the present, and so my interest remains low.

Le Chevalier d’Eon 21: When Teillagory reveals his true allegiance and supervises the capture of d’Eon for Orleans, it is left to Robin to rescue him, but with almost everyone now following their own secret agenda, his task will be far from easy. Despite some inconsistencies in the goals of the various antagonists, this is a solid enough episode which delivers on the action whilst setting up various threads for the finale.

Claymore 4: After leaving Claire in critical condition, the Yoma decides to withdraw until later in the episode, allowing our lead to scan everyone in the cathedral in case the Yoma is within them (why wasn’t this done in the first place?). Naturally, the beast shows up later on and battle begins, resulting in an episode that felt more contrived than it was interesting- although next time Claire’s back story arc begins, which will hopefully see an upsurge in quality. I’m starting to think about parodying Claymore- feedback on this decision would be appreciated (as in “yeah, do it” or “don’t bother, it won’t be funny”).

Darker than Black 3: Darker than Black turns in another compelling instalment in this episode, which starts a new two-part story which sees Li encounter a girl and her estranged father. Of course, there is much more to it than that, and in short order we are drawn back into the world of Contractors, mysterious powers and darker than black talking cats. Apart from SaiMono, which resides in a class of its own, this must surely be the best entry of the season.

In DtB, as in life, cats are in charge.

Heroic Age 4: As Heroic Age continues on its own inoffensive way, I don’t really care much about wherever the story is going (although I am glad to see Age wearing actual clothes even if his shirt remains open), and so apart from the emergence of some potential generals of evil, there isn’t much to say about this episode. In the future, I may look back and wonder why I wasted my time with this, but as with last week it remains watchable for now.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 2-3: Our hero of destiny Lu Xun is back for two more episodes, starting with an instalment that somehow manages to combine the monotonously dull with the utterly ridiculous. If we’re not stuck in a tedious conversation scene about minor plot trivialities, then we’re watching Lu Xun somehow magically fly through the air setting fire to thousands of physically improbable arrows. Meanwhile, episode three follows plot conventions by having the named characters undergo a trial of strength against Taishi Ci before being allowed to join the Wu army, whilst the duty of forwarding the plot is left to Zhuge Liang. Many of my early hopes for the series have already been dashed, but thanks to its parody potential it must continue to be watched.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS 3: Although it still can’t be said to be particularly worthy, the third episode of StrikerS is at least free of the complete and utter monotony that permeated its predecessor. This time around, we have a fairly standard instalment that sees the dull and pointless new characters begin their training whilst the more interesting returning personalities are sidelined yet again. The action is at least more like what I want from Nanoha, although the animation has taken an unwelcome downturn, and I’m annoyed that the characters I actually like are clearly never going to get the development they need.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 3: Ah, another fifty minutes of blatant HARD YURI (it may have been implied in the TV series, but no longer) – who could resist? I have to say that whatever attracted me to the TV series is long gone by now, with this episode split between Yumi getting followed by an obsessive first year who thinks men are more dangerous than lesbian stalkers and a visit to the terrifyingly bizarre Hanadera Boys’ School culture festival. In fact, aside from some unintentionally hilarious moments such as Sachiko running towards Yumi in a panda suit, this is all about as subtle and enjoyable as getting hit with a sledgehammer.

Nodame Cantabile 11-13: Since I didn’t realise that episode 11 was out until the amusingly named “HARD GAY fansubs” released episodes 12-13, it’s been a Nodame triple bill this week, which perfectly illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the series. Starting with Chiaki’s performance in the school festival concerto and Stresemann’s subsequent departure, Nodame turns in a rollercoaster ride of both good and bad moments, much like the rest of the series so far. There are times when I’m utterly captivated by the flashes of brilliance in the character insights and development, but unfortunately there are also moments when an irritating supporting character or an over the top piece of attempted humour will just ruin the mood. I’m also oddly distracted by the CG hands seen when Nodame and Chiaki play the piano- there’s just something fundamentally wrong about them.

Romeo X Juliet 3: RxJ shows previously untapped parody potential this week, as Romeo tries to get some quiet HORSE above the city, only to be interrupted by everything from his father crushing grapes to Juliet appearing in various guises. The series still remains entertaining, but now more than ever it seems to be begging to be put on the parody backburner.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 3: Whilst Shuurei awaits the arrival of governor Kai You (and getting exasperated with Ryuuren in the mean time), back in Sa Province, Eigetsu is having difficulties of his own- there’s a mysterious cult who counts Lin Senya amongst its members (probably the real one rather than Sakujun), a plague, and if Yougetsu is to be believed, Eigetsu’s own time is short. As always, SaiMono delivers an episode that proves to be absorbing even when I barely know what is going on, although this week I have wonder how someone with a wanderlust as strong as Ryuuren’s can ever be expected to be a stable clan leader. Hyou Riou’s actions must also be closely observed- could he even be responsible for the snow fox that seems to be spreading the plague?

*DROPPED* Sakura Taisen New York 2: Even with franchise completion nipping at my heels, I couldn’t make it past the halfway mark with this episode, which throws the light entertainment of ST out of the window in favour of throwaway harem style fun with hideously insipid characters. Let us never speak of this dire OVA again.

No, Gemini, men can’t get pregnant outside of parody and Star Trek Enterprise.

*NEW* Victorian Romance Emma Second Act 1: Finally, what all Emma fans have been waiting for is here- a continuation of this excellent series in anime form. At the end of season one, Kelly’s death saw Emma take the train back to her hometown in an attempt to leave William and their impossible romance behind forever; now, a month has passed and she has found employment as a maid for the Molders family. Oddly enough, although this season has up to five volumes of manga material to cover (the first season managed only two), it chooses to begin with a filler episode about the ladies’ maid of the house stealing items in order to keep her boyfriend interested in her- only to pin the blame on new girl Emma when she is in danger of being caught. Although it didn’t seem quite up to Emma’s usual incredibly high standards, this was still an enjoyable episode, and a solid start to the new season.

MANGA

Bokurano 41: The cameras are rolling on Zearth’s latest battle, but Anko finds it hard to put on a good show against this enemy- not only do they have the ability to fire acid filled darts, but the lasers just aren’t responding. When it proves to be all Anko can do just to defend against her opponent’s attacks, it seems as if Zearth’s hopes of winning this battle are slim indeed. As always, Bokurano delivers another gripping chapter that makes me want to have the rest of the series here with me right now.

*NEW* El Cazador 1: I don’t know how diligently I’ll follow this manga, but it must be said that only for a Bee Train series can static black and white images have more action and movement than the animated version. A compressed version of episode one, this chapter features all the blood, action and fanservice that the anime couldn’t show (Nadie even gets naked at one point), whilst taking significantly less than twenty-five minutes to get through.

Meine Liebe vol 2 extra: Concluding the second volume of Meine Liebe is this extra chapter which sees Orphe take Erika out for the day whilst the other bishies prepare a birthday surprise. Somehow, Erika fails to realise that it is for her own birthday, and assumes the surprise is for Orphe, and although it all works out in the end, I do have to question her intelligence after that. Also, since I selfishly want this manga to be finished, I must point out that Kagami need scans and a new translator in order to continue this project.

REC 29: Matsumaru has a new Nekoki picture book to show Aka, but when he gets caught short on the train and there’s no toilet paper available, he is forced to rip out the last page in order to use instead (I’m not joking here). Naturally, Aka finds the torn up picture book in the park the next day and starts reading it to a conveniently placed crying child, but what will she do when she gets to the ending? I guess you have to give the mangaka points for coming up with a storyline that you don’t see every day, but seriously, is this series ever going to swap the lowbrow and near-hentai moments for some actual story development?

Saiunkoku Monogatari 6: It feels somewhat odd to go back to the very first arc of the series at this stage, but even so, who cannot help but love SaiMono just as much the second time around? This chapter sees Seiran confront Sa Taiho whilst Ryuuki heads off to rescue Shuurei, with the only real complaint being that the artwork seems a little rushed in places.

Tenshi Nanka Janai 25: In the world of shoujo, what happens after you break up with your One True Love and try to go out with your Childhood Friend? Naturally, even though Childhood Friend is devoted to you and completely devoid of the troublesome secrets and emotional baggage that One True Love carries around, you just can’t develop feelings for him, and so it is that in this chapter, Midori breaks up with Ken shortly after developing a bad reputation at school for two-timing Akira. As before, it’s all standard stuff, but it’s still enjoyable in an easy on the brain fashion.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 151: Thought Tsubasa was pointlessly convoluted enough already? Welcome to chapter 151, in which the group learns that Sakura went into the dream to find feathers in order to avoid collecting the ones in Fye’s home world Celes, and that Syaoran-clone will be joining her to assist in the search. Meanwhile, Fye decides to offer Yuuko the sight in his right eye in exchange for being sent back to the very world he spent 151 chapters running away from, effectively rendering him blind until his left eye is recovered. Poor Fye, he’s now a blind cursed vampire…can things get any worse for him?

A while back, I mentioned wanting this figure, but as all too often happens, I’m beginning to change my mind- why have him when I can have this guy (his HARD GAY lover?) instead? I know the colour scheme isn’t as good, but the detailing on the clothes looks a lot better, even if the poor guy is bleeding to death after improperly performed HARD GAY.

Reviewed this week: Busou Renkin 22, Corda d’Oro 9, Kanon 22, Love GetChu 6, Nodame 7, Red Garden 19, ROTK 42

…and in manga: Emma Bangaihen 7, REC 28, School Rumble 215, Shana 10, Spiral Alive 3, NHK 35, Yotsuba& 44

Due to laziness with regards to parodying them, Chevalier 15-16 will appear next week.

ANIME

Busou Renkin 22: Whilst Kazuki’s party reach Newton Apple Girl’s School for an extended cutscene about Victor’s past, the black Kakugane and the possibility of a cure, the alchemic warriors that completely failed to harm Victor before go back for a second try, alongside their FMA armour/Avu Kamuu using leader. It’s rather pointless since we know that only Kazuki and his main character powers can possibly defeat Victor, but

La Corda d’Oro 9: As we fall into the dull, Haruka-esque pattern of exploring every bishie, this episode goes to Shimizu, the perpetually spaced out blonde shota who seems to be subsisting entirely on Sunrise brand dango. In between the unexciting glimpses into his life, Hino realises she must get over her fear of performing in public before the second selection begins. All in all, a generally inoffensive (if uninteresting) episode, with a cliff-hanger ending that promises a tediously painful wave of angst to come. I know I should get out now, but somehow the character designs and musical focus keep me going.

What more is there to life, really?

Kanon 22: To give you an idea of how enthralling I found this episode of Kanon, I must reveal that I paused it twice- once to take a bath, and again to watch my sister play Harvest Moon. Yes, watching someone else play a farming video game was a more interesting prospect than this exceptionally dull episode, in which Nayuki enters a depressive state over her mother’s car accident, and Yuuichi tries to cheer her up even as he remembers his past with Ayu. At least the end is close now.

Love GetChu! 6: It’s a bit sad that a series from last spring has had fewer episodes subbed than some from the winter, but whilst I continue to contemplate watching the rest raw, another episode has come along. This time around, the focus is on tomboy Tsubasa- her preference may be for male roles, but this latest lesson requires her to play the part of a girl on her first date! Fortunately, she can get some practice by going on a real date with a recently graduated seiyuu who she just happens to have feelings for. As always, it’s light entertainment and fairly predictable, but unlike some of its peers it remains enjoyable.

Nodame Cantabile 7: Hino may think she has it tough with her magical violin, but her struggles are nothing compared to those of Chiaki as he struggles to get the best results out of his orchestra in time for their performance. Once again, the shounen-like elements are in force as the underdogs find the key to working together whilst Stresemann’s orchestra inevitably falls apart. A rather predictable episode overall, but at least it kept me entertained.

Red Garden 19: Despite previous experience with other series, it is still customary to expect something to start happening by this point- although unfortunately, Red Garden has other ideas. With the bulk of this episode taken up by such fascinating character development moments as “Rachel chats with Luke/Rook” and “Claire chats with Ewan”, it all remains rather dull and tedious until the closing moments, when Kate is captured by her enemies after rather sensibly standing right outside their headquarters. It should also be noted that the two useless and ineffectual policemen have now been killed, begging the question as to what the point of including them in the first place was.

“His name was Mario.”

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 42: It’s been a while since I last saw a new episode of ROTK, but at last the slow crawl to the finishing line continues. This episode sees Cao Cao send an old classmate of Zhou Yu to the Wu camp in order to persuade him to surrender, but since Cao Cao is a bumbling villain of chaos, it naturally fails to work.

MANGA

Emma Bangaihen 7: Have you ever thought “Emma is such a great manga that it would still be good even if it turned into a series about a squirrel”? If so, then this chapter is for you- the tale of a boy who loses his squirrel on a trip, the chapter follows the fraught night spent by both boy and squirrel. Apart from the surprise of having a panel in which we see the squirrel relieve itself, this actually isn’t bad, even if we are straying further and further from the original story with each passing side chapter.

REC 28: As a refreshing change from romantic complications, this chapter focuses on Aka’s work as she realises that she doesn’t really have what it takes to play her current role. Fortunately, this is more of a learning experience than an excuse for angst, and the series would certainly benefit from more chapters like this one in place of the usual “someone’s threatening our relationship” fare. As if to remind us of the mangaka’s predilection for adult scenes, however, we are also treated to Matsumaru’s tentacle fantasy (NSFW link).

School Rumble 215: In recent chapters, we saw 2-D filming a movie starring Eri and Harima, only for Eri to take both Tenma and Harima’s manga and ask him to choose between them (naturally, Harima chose Tenma and the manga got ripped up). In the aftermath of these events, Harima must deal with the loss of his manuscript and decide what to do next, whilst Yakumo breaks down in front of Sarah as the stress finally gets to her. The good news- it finally feels as if an end is in sight (even though it probably isn’t).

Shakugan no Shana 10: Whilst Yoshida steps forward as the second member of Yuji’s harem, Shana and Yuji discuss what to do about Friagne- and readers can only hope that someday something will happen. The artwork is also starting to get a bit lazy in places; close ups are fine, but anything slightly complex usually ends up with washboard figures, whilst Shana has a disturbingly small head.

Spiral Alive 3: For Imari, it’s all about confessing to the boy she likes, but Sawamura is more interested in tracking down Amanae. Meanwhile, in the wake of the music box killings, the police decide to turn to the one person who has a chance of solving the case- Kiyotaka Narumi. A comparatively slow chapter which is more about setup for the next stage than accomplishing much in its own right- I’m now eager to get cracking with the main story.

Welcome to the NHK 35: Why is it that every time someone seems to be getting better in NHK, it only causes everyone around them to become that much worse? With Megumi’s brother having recovered enough to face the outside world again, everyone else is plunged further into despair, especially the by now irritatingly dishonest Misaki. Yes, I know she has problems- so does everyone else in the series- but that doesn’t induce me to like her.

Yotsuba& 44: Given that this episode is called “Yotsuba& the farm”, you might rightfully expect our pint-sized heroine to do something along the lines of visiting a farm, but unfortunately, it is not to be. With her continuing fascination with milk leading to talk of cows, Yotsuba’s father plans a trip to the farm, but when Yotsuba gets overexcited and ends up with a fever, it has to be called off. It may not be the series’ finest hour, nor really what I was expecting from the title, but a solid chapter nonetheless.