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

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

STILL RUNNING FROM 2006

Asatte no Houkou

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

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

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

Busou Renkin

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

Le Chevalier d’Eon

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

La Corda d’Oro

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

Death Note

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

Kanon

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

Mai-Otome Zwei

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

Red Garden

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

Saiunkoku Monogatari

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

Shounen Onmyouji

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

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

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

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

Ichigo Mashimaro OVA

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

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

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA

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

Nodame Cantabile

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

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

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

Claymore

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

Darker than Black

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

Dennou Coil

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

El Cazador de la Bruja

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

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

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

Koutetsu Sangokushi

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

Lucky Star

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

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

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

Oh! Edo Rocket

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

Romeo X Juliet

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

Saiunkoku Monogatari II

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

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

Seirei no Moribito

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

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

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

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

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

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act

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

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~

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

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

Baccano!

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

Doujin Work

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

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

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

Mononoke

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

Mushi-Uta

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

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

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

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

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

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

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

Clannad

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

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

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

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

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

Kaiji

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

Minami-ke

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

Mokke

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

Moyashimon

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

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

Shakugan no Shana II

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

Sketchbook ~full color’S~

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

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

Kaiji’s take on Rock-Paper-Scissors

Rock-Paper-Scissors is a staple of anime, but even the tournaments of Hunter X Hunter couldn’t elevate it much beyond a simple game of luck. With that in mind, could any series possibly make something more of rock-paper-scissors, and if they did would anyone actually be interested enough to watch it?

Enter Kaiji, a series that promised to once again unite the abilities of Studio Madhouse and mangaka Nobuyuki Fukumoto as the successor to last year’s Akagi. Dripping with manliness and yet oddly compulsive nonetheless, Kaiji offered a whole new angle on what was once a straightforward game- “Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors”- ensuring that instead of switching off in boredom, the game had enough twists and turns to keep you watching for episode upon episode.

How to play Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors

1. Get into serious debt with the Yakuza, and agree to spend a night gambling on their ship, the Espoir.
2. Before you even find out what you’ll be playing, borrow anything from one to ten million yen from your hosts- this money (plus interest compounded at 1.5% every ten minutes) must be paid back alongside the original debt at the end.
3. Now the game proper begins- each player receives three stars and twelve cards (four rock, four paper, four scissors). To “survive”, you must get rid of all your cards whilst retaining at least three stars within the game’s four hour period. Stars and cards can be bought and sold, but losing all your stars or destroying cards results in instant disqualification and two years spent in a forced labour camp.
4. Happily, you don’t have to just rely on luck- team up with other desperate people, manipulate or scam them, and you too can come out on top. Just be warned that everyone else will be trying to do the same to you, and pay special attention to named characters- they will pose more of a threat than generics.

So there you have it, a fun and wholesome party game that can be enjoyed by you and your friends! Join us after Kaiji’s next arc for some more gaming ideas.

How Minami-ke made beach episodes good again

Beach episodes, cross-dressing and other events in the daily life of three school age sisters inexplicably living without their parents- hadn’t we seen all this in anime before? And by now, weren’t we all more than a little fed up with the clichés they entailed? It seemed as if that must surely be the case- at least until Minami-ke came along. Just like Ichigo Mashimaro before it, Minami-ke takes everyday situations (everyday in an anime context, anyway), and uses distinctive characters, well-timed delivery and a healthy dose of humour to make them oddly interesting and addictive to watch.

Recipe for three sisters living on their own

1. Who needs older relatives? Don’t bother explaining where parents or guardians might be; everyone knows school age children can support themselves without any significant source of income- in fact, only the unluckiest ever have to take on occasional part-time jobs.
2. Get things started with a smart and sarcastic younger sister- wise beyond her years, her vanilla taste is curiously addictive, but when mixed with the other sisters, it produces an even worthier combination.
3. Flavour with a loud and boisterous middle sister; her presence will spice up any situation, but overuse can lead to a food fiasco..
4. Balance the taste with an older sister who is motherly, caring and generally unaware of her effect on other people. Her delicate flavour can only be brought out by including her with the others.
5. Finally, stir in a bunch of assorted friends, classmates and potential love interests- leave to simmer and see what happens.

Remember Kanon vs. Air? How is Clannad faring?

Hard as it is to accept that so much time has passed, a little over a year ago, I pitted Kanon against Air, and concluded that while I enjoyed the latter, the former did very little for me. Now, however, a third “KeyAni” contender has entered the ring- the much anticipated and almost constantly talked about Clannad. Forget sad girls in summer or sad girls in snow- these are sad girls in springtime, and it is once again up to one man to tie all their stories together. Seven episodes in, and Clannad has established itself as somewhere in the middle of the road- it lacks the emotional impact of Air, but somehow manages to keep me entertained far more than the underwhelming Kanon ever did. Even Tomoya, despite being something of tease and practical joker, lacks the aggressive sarcasm and browbeating of Yuuichi, making him into a far more likable lead.

Tomoya’s Harem Diary

Having read up on all the exploits of the harem masters who came before me, I’ve decided not to pursue this whole thing too aggressively- down that road lies madness and far more stress than I want to deal with right now. Besides, what none of the others realised is that the girls don’t need to be reeled in- they’ll just come to you of their own accord. Certainly it’s working for me right now, and besides, if I play things casually I can easily extricate myself from any unwelcome relationships. My only worry is that no one is going to care about my situation because it’s just a rehash of stories that have been used before- how many times can comatose girls in hospitals send out their spirits to roam the local area?

Why Shogi isn’t grabbing me the way Go and Mah-jongg did

To the unitiated, the idea of watching a board game based anime must surely sound like the last refuge of those with nothing better to watch. As it turns out, however, both Hikaru no Go and Akagi are highly regarded amongst their fans with good reason- distinctive characters, well thought out pacing and some interesting situations all came together to prove that yes, you could watch many episodes of people playing Go and Mah-jongg, and still be up for more.

As the third title in this unofficial set, Shion no Ou instantly commanded high expectations, but would a shougi anime prove to have the same appeal? So far, it would seem not.

Whilst it surely doesn’t help that I know even less about shogi than either Go (which I can actually play, albeit not well) and Mah-jongg (which Triad kindly led me through the nose with regards to the basics), Shion no Ou’s problem seems to be that it doesn’t even know exactly what it wants to be. Is it the tale of a prodigious shogi player, or a murder mystery spanning eight years? The answer seems to be both- and neither. Whilst the shogi side of things is often glossed over (one minute you’re in the middle of a match, the next thing you know it’s all been resolved off screen), the mystery elements are equally frustrating. Everything from the staid detective and all-too-nosy reporter to the creepy stalker, everything is just a little too by-the-book. Still, it’s early days yet, so perhaps Shion no Ou can still pull it out of the bag.

Some ideas for other board game based anime

1. Snakes and Ladders: a tense game with everything to play for- can our hero roll the right numbers to make it up the huge ladder, or will his dreams be crushed by a slithering snake?
2. Cluedo: our hero begins solving the whodunit murder mystery, only to realise that it echoes the mysterious death of his own father seven years ago.
3. Scrabble: join in the stress and excitement of trying to master that all-important feat of putting down all seven letters on a triple word score.

Looking for your next dose of the mystical?\

There’s something about supernatural series that always seems to draw an audience, but separating the wheat from the chaff (or at least the mildly palatable chaff from the completely dry stuff) can often be a painful process. To help you along, here’s a quick guide to some of the new supernatural series on the market this autumn.

The one to avoid- Rental Magica: With a milquetoast lead who can invoke god mode powers when the plot demands it, and a supporting cast of powerful girls with past issues and a crush on said lead, it was clear that this tale of renting magicians was never going to be much more than mildly entertaining. Unfortunately, it quickly slipped from even that mediocre position to something so unexciting that even paying attention to an episode became a chore. Don’t watch unless you have unexpectedly high amounts of time on your hands.

The one to try- Mokke: It may not be anything special, but Mokke at least has one thing to its credit- aside from the incredibly boring episode five, its episodic tales of the supernatural are at least entertaining. There’s nothing particularly ground-breaking or original here, but it’s typical bronze tier material.

Why cats will always make anime worth watching

Aria and YKK perfected slice-of-life, and it seems hard to imagine that anything could ever top them, but even so, it’s nice to dabble in other entries from the genre from time to time. One such series is Sketchbook ~full colour’S~, a peaceful tale of quiet girl Sora and her time in the school art club. To be perfectly honest, Sketchbook does try a little too hard to recreate the gentle atmosphere of a slice-of-life series, but it does have one trump card to play- a glut of furry, huggable felines. For a cat lover like myself, seeing so many of them is a real treat, and it truly proves the old adage that “fat cats make anime better”.

Microbes can be cute too

If someone had told me a few months ago that I would ever find microbes cute, I would tell them that they must have had a bit too much to drink- surely the likes of Aspergillus oryzae could never be described as such? Then Moyashimon came along and my outlook was changed completely- unrealistic as it may seem that anyone could see microbes, if they could, at least they had a certain charm. As the latest entry in the legendary noitaminA block, Moyashimon had to live up to the likes of Honey and Clover, and whilst it isn’t quite up in that tier, it is holding its own so far.

Second seasons: the good and bad

These days, every season seems to bring a sequel to a popular (or not so popular) series, and Autumn 2007 is no exception. Given my unhealthy fascination with second seasons, it seems only right to rate the current crop.

The Good- Genshiken 2: Watching the exploits of a group of otaku university students was never as entertaining as it was in Genshiken, and after so many false starts with regards to a second season (first we had a Kujibiki Unbalance TV series, then an all too brief OVA), fans finally got what they had been waiting for. With even its filler episodes proving to be enjoyable, Genshiken 2 has managed to keep the series very much alive and well, developing characters both old and new along the way.

The Bad- Shakugan no Shana II: Whilst it seemed good enough at the time, I have to admit that in retrospect, the animation was really the only thing I loved about Shana. The villains were underwhelming, the jokes and harem elements a little too repetitive- all in all it wasn’t bad for watching once, but it wasn’t something I wanted to buy on DVD to see again and again. Nonetheless, with franchise completion at stake, I resolved to try the second season, only to discover that it was a fillerific experience with little new to offer. The action scenes that might have saved the series were nowhere in evidence, whilst the good old love polygon was beginning to tire thanks to the introduction of a “not so new really” new character stereotype and a “you didn’t hear me confess, let’s pretend it never happened” moment.

If you enjoyed this, also try…

Can’t get enough of the Autumn 2007 anime season? Well, you could of course watch more episodes, but why not spend your time reading the doubtless superior posts my fellow blogworld members have constructed instead? Here are some links to get you started.

a stone and a small ripple | Anime Diet | What is eternity doing tonight? | The End of the World | Hige Vs. Otaku | far away no where | nirai kanai | Cruel Angel Theses

This week, we have “not enough time and inclination to watch all the anime that was released edition”. Enjoy.

Reviewed this week: El Cazador de la Bruja 25-6, Clannad 3, Dennou Coil 17-18, ef 3, Genshiken 2 3, Gundam 00 3, Higurashi Kai 15, Kaiji 3, Mokke 2-3, Shana II 3, Shion no Ou 1

…and in manga: Akagi 6, Bartender 3, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 11

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

El Cazador de la Bruja 25-6: At long last it’s over and we’re free of the boredom of El Cazador, although it wasn’t about to go down without a fight. Episode 25 is the actual conclusion to the plot (such as it is), with the dull final boss fight against Rosenberg, whilst episode 26 is an excruciatingly boring epilogue in which Ellis and Nadie are living quietly until the HARD GAY guys from the first few episodes (now grossly overweight) show up and spur them to start travelling again- this time for the sake of it. What an underwhelming ending to the world’s most incredibly dull series.

Clannad 3: Since I just mindlessly take the advice of commenters, I watched Clannad episode three subbed, and whilst it made some of the humour easier to pinpoint, my lack of need to concentrate as hard rendered large sections of it quite dull. In this episode, Tomoya and Nagisa make some small effort to re-establishing the drama club, Fuko gives Tomoya a wooden star, Nagisa’s mother gets upset over bread-related matters again and comic relief Sunohara is once again the target of amusing violence. The only moment that really hit home as being better in the subbed version was the opening scene about the girl and her mechanical robot.

Dennou Coil 17-18: It’s been a while, so let me start by reaffirming my love for Dennou Coil, one of the few series that can shake off the general apathy I have been feeling towards anime lately. Anyway, this double bill continues the excellence as we inevitably knew it would, as Isako tries to use her kirabugs to create an encode that will open a portal to the mysterious other world- the place where the souls of Kanna and her brother may be trapped. Mere words cannot express how much I love this series and its central mystery, but I desperately need more, and even when the series is over I shall crave fresh exploration of its imaginative world.

*HIATUS* ef- a tale of memories 3: The somewhat distractingly extreme aspect ratio of this episode aside (seriously, what was up with that?), I’ve decided to move ef to the backburner for now- I’m struggling to fit in all this anime as it is, and after this episode, I’m in no hurry to follow this series up. Although the first half, which focused once again on Renji, Chihiro and the subject of memory loss, wasn’t too bad, once we switched over to Hirono and the other characters, I swiftly lost interest. This latter aspect of the series is not only turning into generic harem, but it is hard to see how it can possibly develop. Since the series is only 12 episodes overall, I will probably get back to it some day, but for now there’s no need to clutter up my schedule.

Genshiken 2 3: The Comi-Fes arc comes to a worthy end in this episode, as we see our intrepid team selling their doujinshi with the aid of cosplay and even some crossplay. It’s an enjoyable ‘seller’s take’ on the Comic Festival, but the preview for the next episode promises even better things to come.

*HIATUS* Gundam 00 3: What am I doing, even pretending to be a Gundam fan? I won’t deny I haven’t enjoyed selected episodes of certain series, but to religiously follow a Gundam series week by week is a step too far- especially when this instalment was so boring that I can barely remember what happened. I think I’ll let a good lot of episodes build up before I get back to this one.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai 15: As I’d hoped, we cover more of Takano’s back story in this episode, explaining how she escaped the clutches of the generically cruel orphanage and came to live with Doctor Takano Hifumi and study Hinamizawa Syndrome. Although she was quite a sympathetic and hard done by character in the past, however, it does nothing to change the fact that in the present she is a villain of gwakaka class, whilst Hinamizawa Syndrome can never be anything other than ridiculous.

Kaiji 3: Poor Kaiji- no sooner had he formed a group of three to fight the odds together than one of his new allies tries to cheat him, although as it turns out he fails and Kaiji lets him rejoin. It seems, however, that this desperate situation has honed our hero’s tactical ability, and through the fog of desperation the slimmest thread of hope appears- but will it be enough to overcome the odds? Since Kaiji is the hero, we can assume he will indeed win the star chips needed to get off the boat, but never before has the build up to a game of rock paper scissors been so absorbing. Bring on the next episode.

Mokke 2-3: Mokke continues to entertain in these next two episodes; first an instalment in which Mizuki is possessed by a being claiming to be a god- and whatever he is, he certainly seems to want to help. Next up is an instalment in which Shizuru gets worried about a being she can see attached to her best friend’s brother- both tales are fairly standard and predictable, but with a touch more thoughtfulness than the average series would give them.

Shakugan no Shana II 3: Laziness caused me to watch this episode subbed after all, but sadly it did not really enhance the experience. Hecate-a-like Konoe has joined school as a new transfer student, and whilst she immediately takes the role of shy and clueless harem member, Shana becomes determined to see if she is indeed an enemy. Naturally, all evidence points to Konoe being no more than she seems, which as we viewers could have guessed, is all part of a clever plan. I still feel compelled to stick with this series through franchise loyalty, but it will probably go on hiatus soon.

*NEW* Shion no Ou 1: In the memory of Hikaru no Go, I’ve decided to whet my appetite for Asian board games with Shion no Ou, the tale of a mute shougi genius who witnessed the bloddy deaths of her parents seven years ago. Although it doesn’t yet seem to be certain as to whether it wants to focus on the murder mystery or straight up shougi playing, this is still good enough to warrant a fair chance, especially with such unique characters as a trap who is trying to become a female pro (apparently faster than becoming a male pro) to earn money for his sick mother.

MANGA

Akagi 6: Akagi continues to dominate against Ryuuzaki, but there’s a nasty surprise waiting in the wings- rep player Yagi. Will this first time player be able to stand up to a yakuza pro, or will he crumble and cause the series to end prematurely? Well, it’s hardly difficult to guess what’s coming, and reading in small graphically inferior chunks isn’t as satisfying as marathoning 26 episodes of anime, but a little bit of Akagi here and there will help keep the GAR meter ticking over.

Bartender 3: The eponymous Bartender returns for a third outing in this chapter, in which two very different people show up at his bar- one a hard-working office lady, the other a young man who has tried and failed to get into the acting scene. Could it be that the same drink will help them both find their path in life? Yes, it’s that simple, but it is the straightforwardness and brevity of this chapter that makes it far more enjoyable than the animated version was- these are just satisfyingly short vignettes rather than painfully drawn out experiences.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 11: Another short chapter, this time about tanabata wishes, prompting Sensei to reflect how they may as well write down their most hopeless desires. It’s not the nest chapter I’ve read, but again this series needs to be read in more than one chapter chunks.

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…and I am also Hitler!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

Damn you anime, I want to live! Due to an unmanageable amount of releases this week, some titles have been postponed until next round-up.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 8, Doujin Work 8-12, ef- a tale of memories 1, Gundam 00 1, Kaiji 1, Koutetsu Sangokushi 14-15, MariMite OVA 5, Mokke 1, Mononoke 10-11, Oh! Edo Rocket 19-20, Rental Magica 1, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8, Shana II 1, Shounen Onmyouji 19, Sisters of Wellber 10

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 46, Claymore ES 4, Spiral 58-9

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Dennou Coil (1) – the best of the best of the best, sir!
2. Oh! Edo Rocket (2) – I love this show!
3. SaiMono II (3) – four men in a closet
4. Baccano! (4) – eternal life
5. Kaiji (-) – gambling boat <-new!
6. Mushi-Uta (5) – best episode yet
7. Mononoke (7) – bake-neko
8. Mokke (-)- seven flowers of autumn <-new!
9. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (6) – I’m in despair!
10. Clannad (9) – sad girls in springtime
11. Gundam 00 (-) – double balls <-new!
12. Doujin Work (10) – light entertainment that was actually entertaining <- complete!
13. Rental Magica (-)- generic but new light fun <-new!
14. ef- a tale of memories (-)- three shows in one? <-new!
15. Koutetsu Sangokushi (11) – pure HARD GAY
16. Shakugan no Shana II (-)- way to reuse old events <-new!
17. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (12) – Takano meets Hitler
18. Seirei no Moribito (13) – the egg must hatch
19. Romeo X Juliet (14) – what’s the point anymore?
20. El Cazador de la Bruja (15) – the end is in sight

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Sisters of Wellber (2) – predictable but fun
3. Shounen Onmyouji (3)- mediocre
4. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment

Baccano! 8: It’s back to the train as the main focus in this episode, although there’s also plenty more going on as usual. This time around, we get another look into the exploits of the delightfully eccentric Isaac and Miria, who among other things, once robbed the Genoard house. I’m probably speaking too soon, but I’m slowly getting a handle on what’s going on, and happily, it still remains as enjoyable as ever. I want more right away, and more than that, I’d love to read the original novels, which look delightfully complex in their mix of characters and timelines.

*COMPLETE* Doujin Work 8-12: The light fun continues apace in this unprecedented five episode spree that brings this short summer series to a close. First up is an episode which sees Najimi and Nidou compete once again to sell the most copies, before everyone heads to the beach for a spot of relaxation that swiftly turns into an unproductive doujinshi drawing camp. Meanwhile, the final three episodes set up a short arc of sorts, in which Hoshi’s manga editor brother shows up, causing Hoshi to persuade him that Najimi should be given a chance to debut as a professional artist. As always, it’s on the rails stuff with a predictable outcome, but unlike most series that try to offer light comedy, Doujin Work has actually been funny. I wouldn’t actually mind a second series of this.

*NEW* ef- a tale of memories 1: I should have known it was a mistake to look forward to this one too much, for although I didn’t dislike it as much as I feared after reading Hinano’s write-up, but even so, what the hell is going on? I feel like I’m watching three different shows here, each of them populated with rip-offs from Air, Kanon, Tsukihime and Polyphonica. The animation is also rather strange; not just because of the odd visual quirks that are SHAFT’s stock-in trade, but because everyone seems to have massive eyes (even by anime standards) stuck onto thin faces. Anyway, from what I can gather, there’s a girl who hangs out at an abandoned station and randomly meets a guy there, and her two older siblings, one of whom is a secret manga artist. He too randomly meets a girl, and so the stage is set for our various story threads, wherever they may lead. And what was up with the random Touhou playing?

*NEW* Gundam 00 1: Ah, good old Gundam Double Balls, I was determined not to like you, but I have to admit the first third or so of this episode at least was actually rather good. Then of course it degenerated into the usual confusing mass of factions, mobile suit battles and an organisation who wishes to put a stop to war- by beating everyone to a pulp with their mobile suits. Still, overall this opening episode wasn’t too bad when compared to expectations, but I have to ask- does anyone else experience what I have decided to call “mecha blindness”? For sufferers of this condition, it becomes nigh impossible to understand the convoluted underlying plots of mecha series such as Gundam due to character and faction overload.

Kaiji 1: Akagi was legendary, awesome, MANLY and GAR, and now that it has long concluded we have its brother series to enjoy- Kaiji, another Madhouse production originally created by the same mangaka. This time around, our lead is Itou Kaiji, and unemployed, disillusioned bum who amuses himself by vandalising cars- at least until he gets saddled with a 3.8 million yet debt from acting as guarantor for a friend’s loan. Desperate to get it paid off quickly, Kaiji agrees to board a special boat where he can gamble against other debtors in the hopes of winning the money he needs- but what kind of unpleasant surprises await him on board? It’s obvious that this is going to be slow-paced like its predecessor, and I do hope that the entire series isn’t about this boat, but this was nonetheless a good opening episode, and I’m confident this will be one of my favourites of the season.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 14-15: It’s a double bill of HARD GAY this time around, and somehow the series is still managing to break new boundaries without ever becoming true yaoi. In episode fourteen, everyone mopes over Zhou Yu’s death and the fact that he is only good for CORPSE now, whilst fifteen sees Zhuge Liang set up the country of Shu with Liu Bei et al, whilst Lu Su plans to steal the Lord’s Cube in order to earn his idol’s affection. I guess there is a vague adherence to the broadest of historical events, but the amazing HARD GAY-ness of this show has to be seen to be believed- what other show could make Loveless, Meine Liebe and even Busou Renkin look STRAIGHT?

*COMPLETE* Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 5: Well, this has been out for ages already, but thanks to my completely failing to notice, I’ve only just got around to subjecting myself to the final fifty minutes of HARD YURI antics from the girls of Lilian. This time around, the second-years are off for a school trip to Italy, and whilst it lacks the out-and-out bizarre-ness of the school festivals, I never realised it was possible to make a visit to Italy so boring. In between all the angst, HARD YURI and hotel room scenes (not as corrupt as they sound), however, it is quite a tedious fifty minutes, with the only consolation being that this marks the end of this long and drawn out OVA. I only hope the return to TV series format in the fourth season will help this series return to form.

*NEW* Mokke 1: When I heard that Mokke was a series about a girl who can see spirits and her sister who gets possessed by them, I had high hopes for it- surely it would another Someday’s Dreamers. In retrospect, it could easily have turned out to be as awful as Yume Tsukai, but if this first episode is anything to go by, it is closer to the worthy end of the scale. In this episode, the younger sister is desperate to collect the ‘seven flowers of autumn’ for her grandma before the imminent harvest moon viewing, but in order to get the last one, she will have to venture into the mountains, home to a dark force that can suck away the life of the unwary. It’s too early to assess Mokke’s full potential, but this is a promising first episode, and if the series continues in this vein, it should be another charming magical outing. It also helps that Grandpa reminds me a lot of an older version of Mushishi’s Ginko for some reason.

Mononoke 10-11: The final arc of Mononoke begins here, and in an homage to Ayakashi, the Bake Neko is back. This time around, the feline strikes on a train journey, isolating six passengers who all have a connection to a mysterious suicide- can the medicine seller figure out the truth behind it? Although this won’t rank as my favourite arc, this has the right level of mystery and creepiness, and will ensure that I want a second season of this series as well.

Oh! Edo Rocket 19-20: Oh! Edo, in my eyes you can do no wrong- after all, who can’t love a series that’s joking around with pop culture references one minute, and then showing the villainess casually ripping out someone’s eye the next? Anyway, in this double bill, Akai’s actions are exposed and we learn the truth about the blue beast’s crimes, before that particular storyline is resolved in an appropriately flashy and completely-out-of-place-for –a-historical-drama fashion. Now all that remains is to send Sora home, but are Seikichi and his friends up to the task? In a series where even bullet-proof vests can show up, anything’s possible.

*NEW* Rental Magica 1: In the first few minutes of Rental Magica, we see magicians-for-hire Astral hunt down a dog monster in an action-packed car, broomstick and other vehicle chase, and for those few moments, I thought that maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all. Unfortunately, after a promising opening, the series lapses into something safer and more generic, with Astral taking on a new job on behalf of a girl who lost her grandfather. That’s not to say it isn’t watchable, but at the same time, everything about this series seems to have been derived from somewhere else, with such character types as the weak harem lead President of Astral, who is useless until he exposes his bizarre right eye (I’m guessing his dead father gave it to him). So far I count Ghost Hunt, Aria and Shrine of the Morning Mist amongst the show’s influences, although there must be more.

This guy uses cat shikigami.

Young Alicia from Aria lands a new role in this series.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 8: Although this was certainly better than the last episode I watched, my relationship with this series seems to have cooled a bit- it remains entertaining, but I no longer feel any need to laugh out loud the way I did with the first few episodes. This time around, Sensei ends up in despair about how deeds can so easily be overshadowed- all the while failing to notice that one of his own students is so insignificant that no one ever notices him. The second half of the series focuses on ‘criticism training’- the idea of criticising someone so that they will get used to it. I have to admit that the first half was better, whilst the second seemed rather distasteful even for dark humour.

*NEW* Shakugan no Shana II 1: It’s a new season of Shana, which means more addictively excellent animation and a whole new wave of depressingly mediocre story- which isn’t even from the novels this time around. To kick off, we have a lacklustre introduction in which Yuji gets trapped in a world that repeats events from the first season (I once joked that Friagne would be back, but I never imagined that it would actually happen); also, depressingly enough the romantic situation has been reset, and will now be put on repeat for the entire series. I think I will watch this one raw- having to concentrate and not understanding it all should improve the experience.

The animation is the only thing I like.

Shounen Onmyouji 19: After the pointless episode we had last time, I was hoping for something of a return to the main plot here, but even though we get back to the antics of Kazane and her boss, it still isn’t very exciting. Whilst Seimei provides a bit of obligatory back story on this most heinous of villains, Kazane opens a gate to the underworld and Masahiro is left to protect everyone, despite only being a junior onmyouji. It looks like this episode is starting the slow build-up to the final confrontation of the series, but worryingly, we haven’t even met three of the Spirit Summons yet. Mediocre as this may be at times, I still want to see another season.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 10: What happens after two lead characters decide to go their separate ways? If you answered “they angst about each other until a convenient series of events allows for forgiveness and reunion”, give yourself a gold star, because that’s exactly what happens in this episode. With the help of some returning characters from earlier episodes, Tina tries and fails to get on with her life doing honest work with another woman, whilst Rita learns that she mistakenly accused Tina- the only problem is, now they only have a single day to reach Greedom. Can they make it in time?

MANGA
Chokotto Sister 46: The fanservice breaks new records in this chapter, despite the inclusion of a completely useless police tape censor on one double page spread. This time around, Choko and Konatsu apprehend a thief who had made off with Kakeru’s sister’s bag (it’s a small world), thus earning themselves a free trip to her family’s bathhouse- complete with all the nipple shots and gratuitous nudity you could hope for.

Claymore ES 4: At long last, it’s the story I’ve been waiting for- Claire’s life after she first joined the organisation. Here we get to see her both in training and on the day when she took the test to become a true Claymore, and as always, these side stories interest me far more than the main series.

Spiral 58-9: In a rather bizarre turn of events, Ayumu’s destined rival Hizumi actually comes to live with him at this point, leading to a chapter of him settling in before starting at Ayumu’s school. There, Hizumi quickly gains popularity with his generic classmates, and even the usually unpopular Ayumu is able to ride the wave and enjoy being in the limelight for once. It seems like an oddly light turn for the series, but the darker undercurrents thankfully remain.

Moonlight Mile season 2

I did try to get on with the first season of Moonlight Mile, but after a barely comprehensible opening episode and warnings of extreme MANLINESS ahead, I never did continue with it. I’m not sure if anyone (other than Kryptfo?) actually watched to the end of season one, but if they did, they’ll probably be ready for more STRAIGHT adventures with the manly men of space.

Moyashimon

Also known as “Tales of Agriculture”, this may sound like some sort of Harvest Moon adaptation, but it’s actually about a boy who can see these rather cute looking bacteria and fungi with his naked eyes. It sounds quite quirky and interesting, although I’m not sure if I’m ready to believe the people who say it’s comparable to Mushishi (can it possibly duplicate Mushishi’s excellence?).

Kodomo no Jikan

So I previewed this for the summer and it got pushed back to autumn, but my comments from then still stand- it’s just not really my thing. I never did try the manga, so I’m not going to be trying this lolilicious anime.

Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun

Based on a light novel series, this series seems to be a mish-mash of elements from different harem and romance series; we’ve got the typical high school student lead, a girl whose been sent to live with him to get over her fear of men, both their sisters, and a student council head who becomes their maid for some reason. It sounds like the typical light fare I tend to steer clear of these days, but the promo picture does have a blue-haired girl (for Necromancer) and a pink/red-haired girl for manga.

BLUE DROP ~Tenshi Tachi no Gikyoku~

A series about the growing friendship between a human girl who was the lone survivor of a mysterious incident and an alien sent to infiltrate human society prior to an invasion, Blue Drop’s synopsis pushes all the right buttons in terms of sci-fi and character elements, and whilst I haven’t read the original manga, I hope this anime can deliver.

Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji

From the character designs alone, you can tell that this series was from the same creator as Akagi, although this time the focus is on gambling rather than mah-jongg. I know it will be ugly and MANLY, but if it’s at all like its brother series, it should also be very good. I just hope they have some CG gambling chips or something.

Macross Frontier

Yes, Macross is back, and I still have all those discs of the previous Macross series waiting to be watched. I’ll probably give this a go because of the “it’s a big-name franchise and everyone else will be watching it” factor, but it remains to be seen whether I’ll stick with it for the long haul. At least Yoko Kanno’s music should be worth tuning in for.

Bamboo Blade

A kendo instructor has to put together an all-female team and train them to beat his sempai’s team- surely a recipe for typical five-girl character combinations if ever there was one. Even so, I’m getting slight vibes of Shrine of the Morning Mist from it, so it may be given a chance to entertain.

Sketchbook: full color`s

Sketchbook is the coming season’s answer to 4-koma based series, this time focusing on what seems to be short vignettes into the lives of high school girls. It looks like it will tilt more towards slice-of-life than previous comedic 4-koma based series, so I’m planning to at least give this a look.

Myself; Yourself

I have to admit I like the character designs for this series, but when I read that it was about a high school student returning to his hometown after a five year absence, I couldn’t quite stifle a yawn at the thought of Kanon Mark 58. I know it’s only thirteen episodes, but I’ve been down the “only 12-13 episode” route before, and it always ends in pain. Consider this one far from my potential viewing list.

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

The latest SJ series to get an adaptation, this series features a “riddle eater” who comes to our world to eat the ultimate mystery, forcing a girl to tag along and become a detective on the way. I’m afraid I can’t think of this series without remembering how Randall Fitzgerald recommended it for people with weird dental fetishes, and I have the distinct feeling that it’s one of those series that sounds fairly interesting but turns out to be dull Ghost Hunt/Zombie Loan fare. Chances of watching it are low.

Suteki Tantei Labyrinth

This one seems to be popular on a lot of Spanish blogs, but I couldn’t be bothered to either apply my rusty Spanish skills or use Google translator, so I’m not entirely sure what it’s about. Given the title, the blonde tea sipping boy is probably some kind of genius detective, but since both he and his supporting characters seem rather generic, I’m not terribly interested.

Night Wizard

This one’s an RPG adaptation, which immediately sets off alarm bells in my head despite the appealing character designs (minus the main guy, who looks too much like Kanon’s Yuuichi for my liking). I may have to try it anyway despite a generally pessimistic outlook, but I’m more interested in trying the PC game.

Dragonaut: The Resonance

I don’t really know much about this one other than it’s a Gonzo series with lots of rip-off character designs, but that seems enough to give it a middling to wide berth. Let us not forget the lessons of Kiddy Grade and its brethren when it comes to Gonzo.

You’re Under Arrest: Full Throttle

I quite enjoyed the YUA OVAs, but as yet I haven’t got around to the earlier TV series- even so, I doubt the plot is complex enough for me not to be able to jump in here. The artwork certainly looks to have evolved beyond the old days, and so unless it’s another Ah! My Goddess season 2, it should be worth a look.

Shakugan no Shana II

It’s no secret that the first season of Shana disappointed me, but like a moth to our heroine’s burning flames, I shall no doubt end up at least starting the second season. Let’s hope that this time around the darker elements outweigh the harem ones, and that the villains aren’t so disappointing.

Clannad

I loved Air and hated Kanon, but where will Clannad fall in the spectrum? I did read Hinano’s lengthy post about the game, but have since forgotten most of the spoilers she mentioned- exactly how it will pan out on screen, however, is a different matter. It may be dramatic, heart-wrenching and all the rest, or it may be an excuse to post a new set of Harem Diaries.

Shugo Chara!

Another anime based on a Peach Pit series, this one sees a popular girl gains the aid of three magical Guardian Characters in her quest to unlock her true self. I can’t help feeling that Peach Pit have disappointed me too many times to take a chance on another of their series, and this one certainly has no great hook.

Gundam 00

Ah, Gundam, I never did jump on your bandwagon, and even if I had done so, Destiny would have made me jump right off again (come to think of it, I never did watch Stargazer). In any case, I must watch this in order to gauge how parody-worthy it may be, but if I get bored, it shall join Code Geass in the recycle bin.

ef – A Tale of Memories

There’s just something about this series- it sounds like a typical visual novel story and will most likely be one of those overhyped disappointments, but I can’t help really looking forward to it. There’s just something about the atmosphere that surrounds this series that makes me want to immerse myself in it as soon as possible.

Kimikiss Pure Rouge

The original game saw your character desperately trying to earn a smooch from one of six girls at school, and from this we can deduce that this will be yet another harem series. I have learned my lesson (?) about using this sort of series for light entertainment, so I will take care to avoid it.

Mokke

A seinen series about two sisters with spiritual powers, Mokke seems exactly like the series I quietly love, and so I hope it can take the place of Windy Tales and Someday’s Dreamers in providing me with charming, magical slice-of-life stories. A must-see for me.

Da Capo II

Well, this one is out as I have no familiarity with the games and I didn’t watch the first DC anime, but I feel oddly drawn to the character designs. Whether I’ll ever get around to even sampling the franchise remains to be seen.

Jyuushin Enbu: Hero Tales

I’ve already covered the run up to this anime with links to the character designs and so forth, and I have to admit that it looks pretty generic- yes, it does have the FMA mangaka behind it, but even so my hopes are distinctly low. I may try it anyway, but more to see how bad it is than out of any hope for something worthy.

Minami-ke

This one looks like another slice-of-life series, this time about three sisters and their everyday (or not so everyday) adventures. The character designs look good and I’m hoping it will be entertaining, but there’s also the fear that it could be dull Binbou style fare.

Genshiken 2

I loved Genshiken, and even though I haven’t watched the OVA yet, I’m looking forward to continuing with this enjoyable series. I should also invest in the manga at some point- you can never get enough of those otaku and their exploits.\

Prism Ark

As an eroge adaptation set in a fantasy world, it would be great if this series delivered what Utawarerumono couldn’t, but all signs seem to indicate that it will be light fluff rather than the worthy fantasy series I have been looking for. From a fanart perspective, however, I really love the character designs.

Shion no Ou

There’s a good chance this series could be to shogi what Hikaru no Go and Akagi were to Go and mah-jongg respectively, and for that reason alone, I shall certainly be giving this a try. Don’t let anyone tell you that board game anime is boring- there’s something oddly addictive about it, and the prospect of a female lead instead of the usual young man is just the icing on the cake.

Koharu Biyori

For this OVA, I just have to start by quoting AniDB:

“Set in a near future, a time where robots are common workers for their owners. Takaya Murase has just purchased a maid robot from a robotic doll distriubutor, MaidWorks. Ready to live a normal cleaning, cooking, and serving life to her owner, Yui is purchased, by Takaya but he has other plans for her…like dressing her up in dress-costumes of his fantasies and more.”

Yes, that’s right, this series goes beyond the tired old maid robot concept and introduces a robot maid whose master indulges in his fetishes. I almost have to laugh at this, but I certainly won’t be watching the actual OVA.

Ghost Hound

Based on a concept by Masamune Shirow, Ghost Hound follows three people who learn to separate their minds from their bodies and travel to an alternate world. Although I’ve never been the biggest fans of the likes of Ghost in the Shell, these sorts of ideas do intrigue me, although with Chiaki Konaka handling the script there are worries that the ending will be horribly disappointing and inconclusive.

Appleseed Saga Ex Machina

Again, I’m not the biggest Appleseed fan, but I did watch the first movie (that’s the recent film, not the twenty year old OVA), and so I may continue onwards to this one. Maybe I’ll understand it more this time.

Nasu: Suitcase no Wataridori

This one looks like a one-off OVA about cycling, which would normally put me off, but the prequel movie actually sounds somewhat interesting. I think I’ll give the original movie a go, and then perhaps sample this OVA.

Soukou Kihei Votoms: Pailsen FilesAnother one I previewed back in the summer- back then it looked too fugly and MANLY, and my feelings haven’t changed.

]]> http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/09/12/autumn-2007-preview/feed/ 11 http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/03/21/first-ever-obligatory-season-preview-post-spring-2007/ http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2007/03/21/first-ever-obligatory-season-preview-post-spring-2007/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2007 10:00:09 +0000 Karura http://azureflame.ikimashou.net/?p=129 Yes, so everyone does these and they do them a lot better than I can be bothered to, but since I’m opinionated enough to want to write this, and it turned out to be too long to be absorbed into Tuesday Rumble, a spring preview has come to exist anyway. If you want pictures and decent descriptions of these series, look elsewhere, for unlike my usual attempts to impart some kind of quality to a post, this is just me rambling on for a while- and I’m even too lazy to include those same few pictures you’ve seen several times before.

Anything in red probably won’t be touched, blue will be watched for at least a few weeks, and black is indifferent/undecided. Edit: the blue got messed up when I pasted from Word so it may not be entirely correct.

• Keitai Shoujo: Five girls, one average 17 year old high school student, a mission to get a girlfriend…haven’t we been here before? It sounds like the most contrived harem ever.
• Doujin Work: It’s based on a 4-koma comedy about a girl who starts drawing doujins, so it could either be amusing in an Azumanga-esque way, or more likely, completely dull and random.
• Burst Angel OVA: I’d like to forget that I ever watched Burst Angel, but a small particle of curiosity suggests that I might like to watch this OVA. At least Meg isn’t exposing as much flesh this time, although her fashion sense is still questionable.
• Hitohira: A shy girl who gets so nervous that she can’t even speak gets recruited into the drama club- I get the feeling it’s going to be a painful procession of the main character messing up, angsting about it and occasionally getting it right when the plot allows. My ‘pain sense’ indicates that this will be about as enjoyable as a Tsuyokiss and Gokujou Seitokai marathon.
• Murder Princess: It’s a Bee Train OVA, and I should know better by now, but it won’t be the first time I’ve watched something just because I liked the promo artwork. Apparently a bounty hunter ends up in the body of a princess and takes over her role, which probably means the whole thing is just stills of her sitting in the castle.
• Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann: It has mecha, cheerfully generic looking characters, and since it’s from Gainax, there’ll probably be some blatant advertising references to Evangelion as well. I may watch the first episode out of curiosity, but I don’t see my relationship with this show being a lengthy one.
• Hayate the Combat Butler: A boy gets sold to the yakuza, and then becomes a butler; I can’t say it interests me in itself, but when a title gets mentioned a lot prior to its release I tend to end up checking it out just to see what all the fuss is about.
• Gegege no Kitaro: A remake/continuation of a series that started 14 years before I was born…I don’t think I’ll bother.
• Seto no Hanayome: Man is forced to marry mermaid, his family tries to break up the relationship whilst remaining unaware that she even is a mermaid…even if they aren’t really alike, I can’t help thinking of Urusei Yatsura, and even that vague hint of similarity is enough to keep me away.
• Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: The lolis are all grown up, but they’re back for another 26 episodes- if it’s anything like its predecessors or that dull manga that came out a while back, the story won’t be much to write home about, but somehow when the animation is this good, I don’t mind.
• Heroic Age: An age of heroes that look an awful lot like every other hero designed by Hisashi Hirai, with Eiji “KirAthruShinn” as the Destined Lead. It just sounds too generic too be worthy.
• Touka Gettan: It seems to be a spin-off of an adult OVA from 2001, and that’s about all I know. The artwork looks nice, though.
• El Cazador: It’s Bee Train’s latest girls with guns series, and even after getting burned with Madlax and to a lesser extent Avenger (not to mention the general dullness of Tsubasa season 2 and .hack//Roots), I know I’m going to end up watching it.
• Idol Master Xenoglossia: Take one game in which you turn one of ten girls into an idol, and change the story so that they are now mecha pilots. The fact that it’s produced by Sunrise makes me wary that it’s going to be another Otome/Destiny/Code Geass but I quite like the character designs, and may just be persuaded to watch the first episode.
• Saint Beast – Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan: When I first saw all the bishies I thought it was going to be something like Angelique, but it actually looks to be a prequel to a series about good angels fighting evil angels who escaped their seal. I’m guessing it will be all bishies and not much substance.
• Wellber no Monogatari- Sisters of Wellber: A princess stabs her groom in protest at an arranged marriage and goes off to have HARD YURI with her bodyguard. Just reading the synopsis of this made me fall asleep, so I don’t anticipate it being anything special.
• Ohedo Rocket: I’m not entirely sure, but this seems to be about fireworks makers in the Edo era; perhaps it should be applauded for originality, but the character designs look fairly childish and it generally lacks appeal.
• Sakura Taisen- New York: I know it isn’t great, but I have a certain fondness for what I’ve seen of the Sakura Taisen franchise, so I may as well give this OVA a go.
• Kiss Dum- Engage Planet: A destined hero fights against invading aliens and a female scientist finds a mysterious book- it’s like a cut and paste of ideas we’ve seen many times before. Even the character designs seem generic.
• Shining Tears X: I already said that no good can come of RPG adaptations, and apparently Shining Tears has been called the “worst RPG ever”. I must try to resist the lure of those character designs.
• Claymore: Last year I read a review of Claymore, and I have to admit it didn’t sound great- if it’s just going to be girls with swords having HARD YURI I’m not too interested, but if it turns out to be female Berserk, maybe it will be worthy.
• Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo: By the looks of it, this eroge adaptation is the season’s answer to YoakeNa, although hopefully not quite as awful as that. Still, I’ve learned my lesson about this kind of light entertainment (for the time being, anyway).
• Shinkyouku Soukai Polyphonica: Based on the title, I thought this was going to be about collecting polyphonic ringtones (gotta download ‘em all) but it actually seems to be a love story set in a world where fairies live on music. I may have to watch the beginning out of curiosity, but it sounds a little too sickly sweet for me.
• OverDrive: All I know is that it’s a sports anime and the lead looks like Kazuki from Busou Renkin, but since I’ve never been a fan of straight-up sports anime, I won’t be starting on this one.
• Romeo X Juliet: It may look like Romeo x Firiel from Good Witch on the promo image, but sheer curiosity drives me to try this anime adaptation of the one Shakespeare play everyone knows inside out. I have to admit that my expectations are not particularly high, however.
• Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula: Not, as you might imagine, one of New Wang’s signature products, but a series in which teenagers pilot giant robots in a post apocalyptic world in order to establish a new world order. Couldn’t they have found a less clichéd way to do it- even having chickens pecking each other would be more exciting.
• Kotetsushin Jeeg: This appears to be a spin-off of a retro robo series from 1975- shouldn’t the franchise have long been laid to rest by now?
• Nagasarete Airantou: A boy gets stranded on a tropical island with only girls- could this be the ultimate evolution of the harem genre? The character designs alone give an indication of just how many times we’ve seen this set of characters before, and there’s no real need to see them again.
• Koutetsu Sangokushi: I’m almost finished with ROTK, so maybe this should be my next stop for Three Kingdoms related material…only apart from the fact that it has Liu Bei et al in it (dammit ANN, give their Chinese names, I can’t work with the Japanese ones), I have no clue what it’s about.
• Kamichama Karin: I never did get around to reading the manga, but I have the feeling it may be almost unbearably sugary for my tastes- however the character designs look nice, and the cat may be a descendant of Mikoto. Since I periodically have to satisfy odd cravings for this kind of magical girl/romance series, I may have to give it a try.
• Darker than Black – Kuro no Keiyakusha: Hell’s Gate appears, and people gain evil powers- hopefully in the hands of Studio Bones this can be turned into something compelling instead of laughably brooding and angsty.
• Saiunkoku Monogatari series 2:Yes, this has already started airing, and yes, I haven’t even finished the first season yet, but more SaiMono can only be a good thing. If one of my favourites from 2006 can continue for even longer, all the better.
• Lovely Complex: Tall girl and short guy- are just good friends or will they develop into something more? Since I recently got my fix of generic shoujo with Tenshi Nanka Janai, I don’t think I really need to bother with this since it just looks like something along the same lines.
• Furusato Japan: A movie set in a Tokyo elementary school in 1956; I can’t say I’ll ever get round to watching it but it sounds like it might be quite charming in a Whisper of the Heart sort of way.
• Seirei no Moribito: A prince is chosen to guard a magical egg, an older woman becomes his bodyguard to protect him- nothing about the story really screams “watch me” so I’ll probably just let it fade into obscurity.
• Terra E…: A remake of an 1980 series that was itself based on a classic manga, this is classic sci-fi as we all know and love it (or not, as the case may be), complete with powerful computer systems and psychic children. The character designs are a little simplistic for my tastes, but the sci-fi fan in me wants to watch this anyway.
• Blue Dragon: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is a game adaptation with character designs by Akira Toriyama- whatever the case, it looks a little too childish for my tastes.
• Kaze no Shoujo Emily: A novel based series about a typical free-spirited girl who ends up living with her strict aunt- why do I get the feeling it’s going to be as painfully predictable as the anime version of Les Miserables?
• Kiddy Grade Ignition: And so the Kiddy Grade movies begin…character designs aside, I didn’t have much in the way of good things to say about the series, so I’ll probably let this one slip by.
• Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma- Molders Hen: Also known as Victorian Romance Emma Season Two, this is something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I first heard about it. Emma is an excellent series, and provided second season syndrome doesn’t strike, this should be the continuation we’ve all been waiting for.
• sola: Apparently it’s about a boy who likes the sky- and that’s all I know. The character designs seem to have been ripped off from several other series but that in itself is an invitation to watch, for with its undefined plot and Engrish title, it surely has to be laughably bad if nothing else.
• Bokurano: In manga form, Bokurano is one of my favourites, and so I was overjoyed when I heard it was getting an anime- right up until I learned that Gonzo were in charge. I’m fervently praying that they don’t mess up this adaptation, although with the manga still unfinished I can see it diverging at some point anyway.
• Lucky Star: Another 4-koma based series, seemingly based on the little things that make up our day to day lives. Here’s hoping for the next Azumanga.
• Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Here it is, the show we’ve all been waiting for- Bakugan Battle Brawlers! Join generic shounen hero and his friends as they persuade you to buy cheap plastic toys by battling with them! Yes, it’s the spiritual successor to Beyblade and B-Daman, yet a part of me wants to watch and have a good laugh at how hilariously bad it will inevitably turn out to be.
• Kaibutsu Oujo: A demon princess resurrects the main character and the resulting bond means he has to fight monsters on her behalf- I’m not entirely convinced this can bring us anything we haven’t seen before but I may try it out if early impressions are favourable.
• Kaze no Stigma: Could this be the next Shana? Is that even a good thing? The character designs look quite appealing but I sense a generic story lurking behind them.
• Ookiku Furikabutte: Another sports series, this one about a baseball team. I think I can live quite happily without ever touching it.
• Kino no Tabi the Beautiful World Country of Illness -For You: It’s been a while, but at last we’re getting another Kino movie. I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to it.
• Shakugan no Shana Movie: Perhaps this movie will help impart some point to the Balle Masque organisation, but even if it’s just “heroes band together to fight powerful but previously unmentioned evil”, I’ll probably watch it just for the sake of completeness.
• AIKa R-16- Virgin Mission: An OVA about a female salvager, some high school girls…and a pair of large breasts. It looks a lot like the ocean-based version of Stratos 4 (sans fat cat), and so it can probably be passed over without loss.
• Skullman: “Skullman, Skullman, does whatever a Skull can…” Self-indulgence aside, I can’t help but laugh every time I see a picture of Skullman, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to see this, or hoping that it will turn out to be worthy.

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.

Sometimes fate can be cruel. For example, I recently spent over £60 on single DVDs of Scrapped Princess, and now a cheap boxset has appeared for around a third of that price. I even looked for a boxset before settling on the singles, and there didn’t seem to be any sign of one. Damn you, Bandai- damn you, I say!

Reviewed this week: Iroha 13-15, Busou Renkin 21, Deltora Quest 3, Kanon 21, Les Miserables 3, Red Garden 17-18

…and in manga: Emma Bangaihen 6, Fate/Stay Night 6, Shana 9, School Rumble, Spiral Alive 2, Tsubasa 145, NHK 33-4, xxxHOLiC vol 10 c2

ANIME

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 13-15: Whilst episode thirteen sees the dramatic conclusion to the mix of stage play and real life events that Soutetsu has orchestrated, episode fourteen takes us on the aftermath, with both Kanna and Akidzuki choosing their next moves. With everything thus in place, fifteen properly commences a fresh arc, with Akidzuki and Kakunojo setting off on a journey together to seal the Lord’s Head- although Kakunojo seems in danger of becoming the stereotypical useless female tag-along at first, matters seem more promising at the conclusion of the episode.

Apart from some irritating funeral chanting at the beginning of episode fourteen (I won’t tell you who died, but suffice to say the chanting erased what little emotion I felt at their passing) and some grating singing in episode fifteen, this is a trio of highly enjoyable episodes, with some well executed action scenes and excellent background music.

Busou Renkin 21: Busou Renkin still seems to be stuck in plot limbo in this episode, resulting in a rather pointless fight between flame user Hiwatari and our heroes, whilst Victor ends up taking on a submarine. I can’t help feeling we could have done without this episode entirely and perhaps had something a bit more relevant to the plot, but then again not having read the manga I don’t really know if the remaining material would fill the last stretch of episodes satisfactorily.

Deltora Quest 3: It’s always a worrying sign when a series has to resort to budget saving stills and recap during its third episode, but that is exactly the fate that befalls Deltora Quest in this instalment. As Lief and Barda face their first real boss in the form of golden armour Gorl, the pace slows to an excruciating crawl as what was meant to be a battle turns into an extended talking session. Oh well, at least this series will be fun to parody when the time comes.

Kanon 21: With no new arcs to come, I’ve finally reached the point in the series where I can stop expecting Kanon to suddenly become good and just enjoy it on the basis of thinking up a parody explanation for what is going on. With Ayu gone, this episode sees Yuuichi finally spend some time with poor, neglected Nayuki, but can one girl ever be enough for a certified harem master? Complete with a car crash ending that initially seemed a little over the top until I saw the video of it happening in real life, Kanon 21 might promise a cliff-hanger to those unfamiliar with the franchise, but the rest of us already know how it will turn out.

Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette 3: As it moves ahead into its third episode, it becomes clear that Les Mis would be a solid and enjoyable series if not for one thing- its painful level of predictability. In this episode, Cosette’s miserable life continues, but at least she and Gavroche are able to make a new friend when they take home a puppy. Naturally, the puppy must be kept a secret from the Thenardiers, which, alongside such plot elements as having to wash Eponine’s favourite blouse which absolutely must not be damaged in any way, ensures that viewers don’t need a degree in theoretical physics to know exactly what is going to happen. Fortunately, this side of the story is at least tempered by the ongoing story of Madeleine/Valjean, who is in for a nasty surprise when old nemesis Inspector Javert becomes the chief of police in his town.

Red Garden 17-18: There are times when I have to wonder just what the entire point of Red Garden is- I call those times “the minutes spent watching Red Garden”. Whilst episode seventeen sees the others eventually find out they will lose their memories in the midst of a sea of pointless angst, eighteen is somehow even less edifying, with Hervé chatting to a restaurant billboard, Lise walking into the sea, and Rose deciding that life with her increasingly irritating siblings is better than blissful forgetfulness. There is a bit more to it than that, but it’s all so dull and needlessly convoluted that it’s actually hard to care, especially when the visuals seem to have lapsed back into ugliness.

MANGA

Emma Bangaihen 6: Bangaihen slips further and further away from the main story as this chapter focuses on minor maid Tasha as she goes home to visit her family and contemplate her future. Once again, as short and vaguely Emma-related stories go, it remains enjoyable, although the ending is a little abrupt.

Fate/Stay Night 6: With its recounting of the beginning of Rin and Archer’s relationship, this chapter certainly makes a refreshing break from the usually Shirou-centric nature of the series, but even so, giving Archer dialogue just demonstrates what an annoying character he is. A fairly innocuous chapter overall- nothing special, but not particularly poor either.

Shakugan no Shana 9: The mediocrity continues as Shana puts the PE teacher in his place (what other fate can someone who messes with the title character expect?), before the story slowly crawls onwards. Perhaps by the end of the volume there’ll actually be some action, but don’t hold your breath.

*CATCH-UP* School Rumble: For one brief, shining moment, I thought the School Rumble manga could take away the taste of the disappointing season two, but unfortunately, I was terribly wrong. Although I had hoped that many of the more pointless and tiresome segments of season two were just filler, far too many of them turned out to be manga material (Akira et al stuck in the floor springs to mind), and it only gets worse as the manga progresses past the anime. With a trip to Kyoto that involves a fight with students visiting from England, and a complete change in character for Eri, this is one series I cannot even recommend to fans of the anime.

Spiral Alive 2: Imari has just learned that Amanae, the most beautiful girl in school, is dating the boy she likes, but this no normal tale of high school romance- someone has just been murdered, and one of Amanae’s music boxes has been left at the scene of the crime. It may not yet be clear what the bigger picture is, but as a prequel to Spiral, excellent artwork and an intriguing story is all but assured.

Tsubasa Chronicle 145: Whilst Syaoran’s fight with Hikaru gets underway (fans of Angelic Layer should at least enjoy this part), we continue to uncover a little more about Sakura’s motivations- having used her slowly returning precognitive power to see a future she wishes to change, she has decided to travel to a specific world alone. Unfortunately, with the Infinity method of crossing worlds unable to determine which world the traveller ends up in, Sakura must also pay Yuuko if she wants to get to her desired destination- and the price is her extraordinary good luck. Somehow, Sakura without her good fortune (aka plot protection) doesn’t seem right, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this turns out.

Welcome to the NHK 33-4: To say that NHK is a series where every character remains stuck in their rut was perhaps a little of unfair of my past attitude, for I now realise it is actually more a case of them all getting progressively worse. By this point in the series, Satou, Misaki and Yamazaki all seem so far gone that the chances of them ever recovering are slim at best- it is certainly hard to believe that a scant few chapters ago it looked as if Satou might actually get better. Admittedly, having waited so long since the last batch of chapters makes this slightly more entertaining than it would have otherwise been, but reading entire volumes of this in one go is not recommended.

xxxHOLiC vol 10, chapter 2: After so many short chapters, it was a surprise to see this one running to fifty-three pages, although unfortunately most of those are dedicated to Watanuki and Doumeki repeatedly fetching water from a well- all the while watched by a mysterious, unchanging woman in a nearby house. Towards the end, however, things become more interesting when the duo enters the house to retrieve a cloth, and discovers the truth about the woman, leading to a cliff-hanger ending that may finally reveal a little more about Himawari.

Wireless internet certainly sounds useful, but when it comes down to taking advantage of it, certain difficulties arise. Even if, unlike me, you have a laptop with batteries that actually the work, there’s the matter of all those plugged in peripherals you’ve come to rely on. Take your laptop to another room, and suddenly you’re bereft of printer, scanner, external hard drive and a miscellaneous ‘more’- unless of course you wheel the whole setup around on some kind of trolley. Maybe I’ll just stay at my familiar computer desk for now.

Reviewed this week: Iroha 12, Busou Renkin 19, Chevalier 14, Death Note 17, Deltora Quest 2, Kanon 19, MariMite OVA 2, Red Garden 16, ROTK 41, Shounen Onmyouji 12

…and in manga: Higurashi Onikakushi 4, Shana 8, Spiral 25-6, xxxHOLiC 10.1

ANIME

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto 12: Whilst Akidzuki falls into flashback and despair over the loss of Ryouma, the troupe opens their new play in which everyone has the challenging role of playing themselves. Despite the ease with which the Lord’s Head and its effects can now be defeated, this is another solid episode which leaves me with a need for more (even if the series does change direction in its second half).

Busou Renkin 19: Why is it that every episode of Busou Renkin must attempt to top the last in terms of crudeness? After traumatising us with the continuing battle between naked Ikusabe and body-suited Papillon, the series jumps to an assault on Victor and a battle between Gouta and Negoro in which Tokiko stands around like the useless cheerleader she has become. The introduction of new characters on both sides has also led to irritating plot holes with regards to their tactics and abilities, one of which will be ranted about in the extra section below.
Extra: Negoro’s ‘byway’ only accepts his DNA to prevent foreign objects from entering, but a muffler with his hair sewn in and Gouta’s chakra (covered in Negoro’s blood) are both able to enter by virtue of being in contact with his DNA. If that is the case, why wouldn’t anything that was in contact with his DNA (the surrounding DNA, Gouta when he was holding onto Negoro) also be accepted? After all, if only the DNA itself was accepted, only the hair in the muffler or the blood coating of the chakra should have been accepted, whilst the non-Negoro parts would be rejected from the byway. Yes, I know it’s dangerous to analyse SJ too closely, but this deserved a mention.

Le Chevalier d’Eon 14: The England arc continues in this episode, which sees Guercy and the Musketeers enact a plan to look at the contents of Robert Wood’s trousers briefcase by inviting him to a dinner party. With that one objective being the prime focus of the episode, this isn’t really Chevalier’s finest hour, but it is still a solid instalment that sets the stage for the more exciting events to follow.

Death Note 17: I’ve finally put Death Note on red, simply because I can’t keep fooling myself each week that whilst I didn’t enjoy the current part of the story in anime form, the next one will be worth the wait. So far, I can’t bring myself to drop the series when I want to see Near animated, but I’m finding it more of a struggle to drag myself through each episode when the anime isn’t bringing anything new to my experience of the franchise.

Deltora Quest 2: As Deltora Quest forges ahead into its second episode, the only real question to be asked it whether the series more closely resembles a classical RPG or an S-RPG. This episode sees obligatory female Jasmine and her pet mascots join the party so that our bold heroes can beat the first dungeon in spite of their lack of EXP; as with the first instalment, its strength is in its utter predictability and unintentional hilarity.

What spelling and grammar?

Kanon 19: With all the lesser girls out of the way, the time has come for Yuuichi to turn his attention to Ayu (and to a lesser extent Nayuki) in what must be the final arc of the series. Despite my interest in seeing more of Nayuki, such a fleeting desire cannot save the series for me now, and so the setup for Ayu’s ‘big reveal’ is just as dull as pretty much everything that has preceded it. You may even wonder why I continue to watch the series, but in essence it is only a combination of a desire for completion and a need to write the Harem Diaries.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA 2: Why must this OVA insist on making fifty minute episodes when thirty minute ones could tell the same story without sending me to sleep? This instalment sees Yumi and the others resolve to help Sachiko overcome her hatred of men by having a ‘meet and greet’ with the student council of the Hanadera boys’ school; unfortunately, not only does it take an incredibly long time in getting there, but the boys are all shallow personalities- even gender-confused Alice is rather arbitrarily introduced for a character with lifelong issues over his sexuality.

Red Garden 16: Just for a change, this week sees everyone angsting over their nearest and dearest- Claire has an argument with her father after her brother is hit by a car, Rachel breaks up with Luke, Rose visits her father to update him on the family situation and Kate finally discovers that Hervé is evil. In between the melancholy and laughably over the top crying and shouting, we finally learn a bit more about what’s going on- in an ROD/Madlax-esque turn of events, both sides are apparently fighting in order to gain control over two Cursed Tomes. Coupled with this rather disappointing revelation is a fight scene between supporting characters (even the school’s headmistress gets in on the act) which raises yet more questions as to why everyone in this series seems to have special X/Matrix powers, and whether anyone ever cared about the now deceased JC (I didn’t even know he had a name, let alone that he was meant to be Lula’s brother). The end result is an increasingly ridiculous plot and far more questions that will most likely never be satisfactorily answered.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 41: As anyone who has watched the show to this point will be well aware, Shu is a heroic kingdom of justice and righteousness, and naturally, petty and small Wu cannot hope to compare. Mired in jealousy over the relative size of their ‘weapons’, Zhou Yu decides to set a trap for Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei- can our heroes outwit his plans? If you answered ‘no’ to that question, go to the back of the class.

Shounen Onmyouji 12: It took far too many episodes, and I had almost despaired of it happening at all, but at long last, the final confrontation with Kyuuki is here, complete with brief flashes of screen time for the little-used Tenitsu and Genbu. Despite the obvious questions of “where exactly will the plot go from here?” and “what is the plot anyway?”, this is an enjoyable enough episode, much improved by the fact that Kyuuki’s arc is finally over.

MANGA

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi 4: It’s back to the creepy first arc in this chapter, with Keiichi discovering that his group of friends aren’t all they seem in the aftermath of Tomitake and Takano’s disappearance. In the wake of all the came after, it’s been easy to forget that Higurashi was once a compelling and chilling tale of horror, but this chapter alone is enough to reawaken those memories and reinvigorate my interest in the series.

Shakugan no Shana 8: Given the lack of releases for this mediocre manga, I had all but dropped it, but at the eleventh hour, the first chapter of volume two has appeared. Shana has now settled down in school and terrified all the teachers- but will the gym teacher fight back by setting endless running? Even this brief section of the anime cannot be wrapped up in one chapter, so come back next time to find out the thrilling conclusion to Shana’s PE lesson.

Spiral 25-6: After wrapping up the game between Eyes and Ryoko in chapter twenty-five, twenty-six opens volume six with a new arc that sees Kanone arrive in Japan as part of his quest to hunt the Blade Children. As always, I have little else to add except praise for this excellent series (I’ll deal with the decline in later volumes when I get to them, for now I’m pretending that doesn’t happen), and hope for the swift appearance of further chapters.

xxxHOLiC vol. 10 chapter 1: Yes, I’ve finally got around to starting volume ten, with this brief chapter that sees Yuuko relax on a summer’s day (with Watanuki manning the sprinklers) before a catgirl arrives and takes him to collect some water. Presumably the water is the same liquid that is sent to X-Tokyo in Tsubasa, but aside from noting this and revelling in xxxHOLiC’s distinctive artwork, there isn’t much to say about this brief chapter.