Class has begun, but Sensei is nowhere to be seen, and in his place is a crudely made replica.

Chiri: What is this?

Kaede: I can’t be taught by a fake! I’ll sue!

[Meru: What a stupid reproduction.]

Sensei appears from nowhere!

Sensei: This is the new, automated Sensei! In an age where humans are alowly being replaced by robots, we must move with the times!

Chiri pokes at the reproduction with a stick and the head falls off.

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! This world of callous automation has left me in despair!

• Automated phone systems- press one to advance.
• Self-service checkouts.
• The possibility that many TV celebrities are just androids.
• New robot that can perform surgery.
• Computers secretly gaining sentience.
• Movies about robotic rebellions.

Shion no Ou 22

Apart from the obvious Pleasure jokes, he’s complaining about injuring his hand whilst murdering Shion’s parents- obviously she should appreciate the trouble he went through.

“Pleasure! I must have more Pleasure!”

“It’s like a drug to me!”

“I want to be a part of this orgy!”

“There’s no point in holding back and not getting satisfaction.”

“Pleasure is as much about your partner as yourself.”

Dragons’ Den

Welcome to our regular feature based on the TV program of the same name, in which anime characters try to market their great idea to five fat cats of anime! President Aria made his fortune in the gondola industry of Neo Venezia, and is now CEO of a well-known company. Mikoto started her business in the capital of Wind Bloom, and is now a trusted advisor to the queen, with business partners scattered across the world. Nyanko-sensei is a contract expert who made his fortune in the supernatural business, and whose sharp observations and ruthless manner make him a formidable businessman. Mr Tibbs started his career as a tea cat for the bank, but his sound grasp of finance saw him rise up the ranks until he became one of their most prominent managers. Finally, The Cardinal is the world’s most powerful fat cat, with a wide range of business interests that ensure that he has a paw in every pie (often literally, depending on his appetite). These five cats represent some heavyweight investment clout in every sense of the word, but is any deal attractive enough to get them to roll off their backsides and shake paws with a budding entrepreneur?

Entering the Den this week is Keiichirou Tachibana, who is looking for investment in his Antique Bakery business, offering a unique mixture of delicious cakes and HARD GAY. Is the way to a Dragon’s heart through their stomach?

Tachibana: Hello, my name is Tachibana, and I’m the proprietor of Antique, a bakery offering cakes crafted by an expert Paris-trained patissier.

Mikoto: I won’t deny that we all like a good cake, but what sets your bakery apart from the thousands of others in the world?

Tachibana: Simple- no other bakery is as HARD GAY as mine.

Aria: Punyu. [That doesn’t sound like much of a selling point to me.]

Tachibana: I assure you that we appeal to the ladies too.

Tachibana puts on his best smile, but can the hard hearts of the Dragons possibly be softened?

Mikoto: Not only do you not appeal in the slightest, but as a royal cat, I can have my food delivered. What would make me want to order from your company?

Tachibana: Here, taste this.

The Dragons are offered a selection of cakes, which quickly vanish into their stomachs.

Cardinal: Hmm, not bad.

Nyanko-sensei: It’s a bit sweet for me- do you have any savoury dishes?

Tachibana: We’re about to launch our new savoury range in the New Year.

Cardinal: To be honest, the idea of investing in a bakery is interesting, but this is too HARD GAY for my image, so I’m out.

Aria: Punyu! [We already have many good cake shops in Neo Venezia, so I don’t think there’s room in the market for this.]

Mr Tibbs: Are you planning to go down the franchise route when it comes to opening more bakeries?

Tachibana: I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.

Mr Tibbs: Wait a minute- you’ve come here to ask for money from us and you don’t even have a proper business plan!? I’m disgusted, and I’m out.

Tachibana has failed to impress the Dragons, and three are out already. Will either the sceptical Mikoto or new Dragon Nyanko-sensei bite?

Mikoto: Yours is a small business, and with any luck, it will stay small- which is why I’m out.

Tachibana: Nyanko-sensei?

Nyanko-sensei: Tell me a bit about yourself- how did you get to this point?

Tachibana: Well, to be honest, I don’t like sweet things, but many years ago I was kidnapped by a man who force fed me cake. Thanks to that experience, I quit my job in the City and opened a bakery.

Nyanko-sensei: You don’t even like cakes?

Tachibana: Uh, no, not really.

Nyanko-sensei: Well, I can’t invest in someone who doesn’t believe in his own product, and that’s why I’m out.

Tachibana has lost all the Dragons, and must leave the Den with nothing. Without a sound business, even the sweetest cake won’t go down a treat with these investors.

This Week in Anime

Kazuki loses his nerve when confronted by yet another bowl of strawberries (okay, it’s the same bowl as last week).

“We are the strawberries…of DOOM!”

“Take that, strawberries of DOOM!”

During Hyper Self Pleasure, one man hasn’t grasped that you usually call out “Yes!”

Pineapple and cherry meet in a strange blue cocktail.

“His name was…Superman!”

No strawberry shall escape divine justice!

An evil rubber duck is capsized.

Zetsubou shita!

These oranges have no idea what lies in store for them.

“I can’t help it- I hate the smug looks on their faces!”

Just stop torturing those innocent oranges!

Flash Game Review: Monkey Puzzle

A game I discovered some ten years ago on the now defunct Games Domain, Monkey Puzzle is based on the typical “connect three of the same colour” game class. As the water rises, your only hope of escape is to launch different coloured coconuts into the air in an attempt to bring down the monkeys that block your path. Although the pattern of each level is identical, precise skill and timing is increasingly required as you progress in the game, and by level ten or eleven, the water is rising continuously- so woe betide anyone who makes even the tiniest of mistakes!

Harem of the week: Shinkurou Kurenai (Kurenai)

A high school student with a dangerous part-time job, Shinkurou was thrown in at the deep end when he had to become bodyguard for Murasaki, the escaped daughter of the Kuhouin family.

Harem

Murasaki: The main girl and obligatory loli. The series just about manages to make the relationship between them seem sweet rather than inappropriate.

Tamaki: Flatmate and outgoing university student with a reputation as a man-eater. Her bold personality hides deep seated insecurities.

Yamie: Goth girl who only dresses in black.

Benika: Older woman, mentor and teacher to Shinkurou.

Yayoi: Benika’s deputy, she watches over Shinkurou and Murasaki from the shadows.

Ginko: Schoolmate with a love of computers and an ability to nose out any scrap of information.

Yuno: Schoolmate and sparring partner; helps Shinkurou to train and strengthen himself.

Is it a woman? is it a man? No, it’s SuperTrap!

Eight years ago, Yasuoka Shion witnessed the bloody murder of her parents- and since that day, she has never spoken a word. Under the tutelage of her adoptive parents, however, Shion has learned to express herself through the game of shogi, even going so far as to enter the world of the professionals whilst still in middle school. But as the police continue their investigation into the death of Shion’s parents, it seems that the world of shogi might hold the answer to that particular mystery as well.

As a fan of the intense gaming action seen in Hikaru no Go and Akagi, it only seemed right that the time had come to add a similar series to my viewing in the form of the shogi-centric Shion no Ou. With a female protagonist and a brand new board game to add to my repertoire, I was certain of one thing- this series was going to fit the bill on all counts.

Unfortunately, the truth wasn’t to be quite as rosy as expected, for rather than purely being about shogi, Shion no Ou also chose to devote its time to a murder mystery, and in the end, it suffered for splitting its focus in this way. The murder side of the story was never much more than tiresome, starting off with a suspect too dislikeable to possibly be the culprit, before making it obvious who the murderer really was several episodes before a proper revelation. Worse yet, the motive for the murderer was so paper thin and ridiculous as to be laughable, based on the flawed logic that having your parents die at a young age will somehow make you a skilled shogi player. Then again, my parents are still alive and I can’t play shogi at all, so maybe there’s something in that theory after all.

Fortunately, although it didn’t start off too well, the shogi side of things was at least partially satisfying. In the early episodes, the hurried pace of the games and my general lack of idea as to how shogi is played left me floundering, but the arrival of the tried-and-true tournament arc helped matters greatly. As with Hikaru no Go and Akagi, Shion no Ou gradually learned how to compensate for the viewer’s lack of knowledge about game details by manipulating the tension and atmosphere of the match. Certainly by the end of the series I was more than ready to see Shion progress in the world of shogi.

Whilst much of the supporting cast is rather bland and one-dimensional, Shion no Ou does present us with some potentially interesting main characters, from Shion herself, a girl who cannot talk (although we hear her voice her inner thoughts) and thus communicates via a notepad to Ayumi, a young man who dresses as a woman so that he can make money out of competing in the female shogi league (the male league being much harder to get into). Unfortunately, none of the points of interest are really developed properly, with important revelations often being forgotten or resolved within the space of an episode.

Visually, Shion no Ou is rather unremarkable- character designs and animation are decent enough, but hardly eye-catching or overly appealing (after all, even the one attractive blue-haired meganekko turns out to be a trap). The same can be said of the limited but functional background music.

Final Thoughts

Although it suffers from a split focus and a general drift into mediocrity, Shion no Ou is the kind of the series that becomes an acquired taste- the more you watch of it, the more you genuinely want to see what happens next. It may not be worthy of standing beside the oft-mentioned Akagi and Hikaru no Go, but until a better shogi-based series comes along, this one will plug the gap.

Tier: Bronze

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

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

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

Allison and Lillia’s handbook for life

Do you have difficulty in social situations? Do you just not know what to do when put on the spot? Luckily, Allison and Wil have put together a convenient handbook that will sit snugly on your bookshelf right next to “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.

• When old men tell tall tales, don’t hesitate to believe them. Who knows, their wild stories of war-ending treasures might just be true, and if not, at least you got a nice cup of tea for your efforts.
• When suspicious old ladies offer you a cup of tea, drink it without reservation. Even if she locks you in her cellar, it shouldn’t be too hard to get out.
• When dictators attack, don’t leave it to the highly trained security guards. Remember, he’ll invariably flee for the roof of the nearest building, and then you can just blow him off with the wake from your plane.
• When mysterious majors order you to attack military trains and tanks, just go along without question. Remember, tanks are super-fast vehicles with a low rate of fire, whilst armoured trains are no match for a standard service revolver.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

Sensei takes his class to the canteen.

Chiri: Sensei, why are we here? It’s not lunchtime yet!

Sensei: Class, today we’re having a special lesson on how to eat difficult foods! We’ll start with spaghetti.

Sensei tries to eat some spaghetti, but it goes wrong.

Kafka: Don’t worry, Sensei- if you can’t twirl it, just cut it up.

Sensei: But that’s not acceptable in polite company! Zetsubou shita! These hard to eat foods have left me in despair!

• Precariously arranged restaurant dishes where you don’t know where to start.
• Meat that can’t be cut because the knife is too blunt.
• Unsliced bread that requires a steady hand to make a perfect slice.
• Cream puffs that leak out as you bite into them.
• Seafood and shellfish that defies access.
• Working inwards with the cutlery, only to realise it’s been mixed up to catch you out.
• Trying to spoon food on your plate and getting one bean at a time.

Shion no Ou 21

“I don’t have time for Pleasure right now!”

“…when we will have a Pleasure extravaganza!”

“I’m just going to have Hyper Self Pleasure tonight.”

“I don’t want them to catch me at it.”

“If I decide to have full Pleasure, I’ll let you know.”

“I think he did it because he was a transvestite, but everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.”

“I admit it- I practised with Hyper Self Pleasure!”

Kurenai 12

Yayoi contemplates trying a new HARD YURI technique.

“Eh? You want to get adventurous?”

“I may not be able to control it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m ready.”

“Then let me show you the heights of Pleasure!”

This Week in Anime

Thanks to loli_slayer for sending in the last two images.

Zetsubou shita! These notes have left me in despair!

Zetsubou shita! Marco’s face has left me in despair!

But which is better- small orange fruit or large green fruit? There’s only one way to find out….FIGHT!

It seems that small orange fruit has won, against all the odds.

Wide angle shots return!

From now on, Tuesday Rumble will be spotting rubber ducks as well.

World’s most athletic fat cat spotted.

“Ballroom, latin or freestyle?”

“…a Zhuge Liang?”

It was love at first sight…

…but would their relationship last?

Classic PC Games: Raptor- Call of the Shadows

Take on the role of a mercenary and battle against the forces of an evil organisation in this top scrolling shooter from 1995. With nine levels in the shareware version and additional regions to unlock in the full version, Raptor throws wave upon wave of enemies at you, from the straightforward to the fiendishly complicated. Fortunately, the more money you earn, the more you can upgrade your ship with shields and killer weapons- and if you can’t get enough first time around, then you’ll be sent back to the beginning with your bank balance intact to start saving up for the next purchase. Overall, it’s good fun, and even though it can get repetitive whilst trying to save up, it also proves addictive in brief bursts.

Harem of the week: Hino Kahoko (La Corda d’Oro)

With her magical violin, she set out to win a music competition despite having no previous experience, but along the way she would meet her fair share of musically inclined bishounen.

Harem

Tsuchiura: A good friend from the ‘normal’ section of the school, he gave up the piano and focused on soccer until the plot dictated otherwise.

Tsukimori: The cold-hearted overachiever who also studies the violin- can Kahoko melt him even a little?

Yunoki: The most popular bishounen in the school- talented, relaxed and universally adored.

Hihara: The easygoing senpai who’s a little rough around the edges.

Shimizu: The sleepy and often detached blonde-haired ‘shota’.

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

…and in manga: Slayers Revolution 1-2

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – oh and by the way, I did it
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- licensed
5. Himawari!! (6) – needs less plot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi scratches
2. Kurenai (2) – 7-5-3
3. Kaiba (3) – Patch and Quilt
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – ninjas are cool again
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. Real Drive (7) – sunglasses
8. Soul Eater (8) – Bones does shounen
9. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
10. Toshokan Sensou (11) – library wars
11. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (12) – disillusioned
12. Himitsu (10) – you’ll get a room when grandpa dies
13. Itazura na Kiss (13) – everything at or below this line is generic
14. Amatsuki (14) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – final match
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot
5. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (5)- licensed
6. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- I’ll watch the last two episodes soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

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

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

Still missing Busou Renkin? On the off-chance that you actually are, why not imagine a world where the series has its own RPG? In the style of Star Ocean, all battles are fought in real-time, with trigger buttons used to unleash special attacks from a player’s Busou Renkin. Whether you fancy stabbing the enemy with Sunlight Heart or ripping them apart with the Valkyrie Skirt, this is the game for you.

Playable characters: Kazuki, Tokiko, Bravo, Ouka, Shusui, Papillon, Gouta

Shion no Ou 19

“He was the only man I cared about.”

Satoru gets desperate for some phone sex.

“This will help me get in the mood for my later customers.”

“You know those kinky photos we took last time? I really need copies.”

“I don’t need Pleasure today, Ayumi.”

“Hani-meijin is mine now!”

“She taught us how to use these hands for Hyper Self Pleasure!”

Dragons’ Den

Welcome to our regular feature based on the TV program of the same name, in which anime characters try to market their great idea to five fat cats of anime! President Aria made his fortune in the gondola industry of Neo Venezia, and is now CEO of a well-known company. Mikoto started her business in the capital of Wind Bloom, and is now a trusted advisor to the queen, with business partners scattered across the world. The Admiral’s first business venture was to invest in a Chinese restaurant, but a meteor threat to Earth saw her buy shares in ground and space based defence technology, which she currently administers with her protégé “The General” (aka Shogun). Mr Tibbs started his career as a tea cat for the bank, but his sound grasp of finance saw him rise up the ranks until he became one of their most prominent managers. Finally, The Cardinal is the world’s most powerful fat cat, with a wide range of business interests that ensure that he has a paw in every pie (often literally, depending on his appetite). These five cats represent some heavyweight investment clout in every sense of the word, but is any deal attractive enough to get them to roll off their backsides and shake paws with a budding entrepreneur?

The latest entrepreneur to brave the Den is Taro, a generic male with a rather interesting proposal- the sale of personal harems for men and women.

Taro: Hello everyone, I’m Taro, and I’m here to show you how you can revolutionise your life with your own personal harem! Lonely men can spice up their lives with our starter pack of Lead Girl, Tsundere, Meganekko and Maid, whilst add-on such as Sports Girl, Android, Iinchou and many more are available for purchase from our website. We also cater for the female market with specialised reverse harems of bishounen.

Admiral: This is all very interesting, but we’re cats- we aren’t really interested in human mating rituals. I’m out.

Cardinal: Actually, I am interested if I can make money from it. I can foresee this being a nice little earner.

Taro’s proposal has already caused controversy in the Den, but can he rely on the Cardinal’s interest in the product to land an offer?

Aria: Punyu? [Do you cater for people looking to land a specific partner?]

Taro: Well, we’ve really chosen to specialise in harems at the moment.

Aria: Punyu. [That’s a shame- if it can’t help me get President Hime, I’m out.]

Mikoto: To be honest, I’ve spent some time in the company of generic characters, and the idea of flooding the market with more of them frightens me. I’m out.

Three Dragons are out already, but will either the Cardinal or Mr Tibbs throw Taro a lifeline?

Cardinal: I don’t know what the others are on about- not only can we make a killing from lonely otaku with this, but we can then make generic anime series about their lives and sell related merchandise. I’d like to make you an offer.

It’s success for Taro, but will this cause the anime market to collapse from harem overload? We can only wait and see.

This Week in Anime

“In the old days, Grandpa and I would have tomato carrying races.”

Magatama make a long-awaited return.

Jaco Daniels, not to be confused with Jack Daniels.

“Oh god, I’m losing the baby!”

The true purpose of the pyramids is finally revealed- they were meant to house giant apples.

“Could this be the fabled Strawberry Mountain I’ve heard so much about?”

“Melons! Get your watermelons, parsnips and nondescript round things here!”

“Could this be- fruit?”

“One day I will live in luxury, consuming whatever fruit I wish!”

“You didn’t mean to drink the invisibility potion?”

Little did we know how important apples were to become in Spice and Wolf.

“Am I too late for the tomato carrying race?”

Sweet juicy apples…

…you can never have enough.

Maybe that’s why shinigami like them so much.

Just for DS, we now track dango!

That basket of oranges has been in so many series.

How can I order from this Zamahzon place?

Neapolitan dango.

*NEW* Classic PC Games: Traffic Department 2192

As part of a new feature, we go back in time to investigate the PC games that shaped Karura’s formative years, starting with the surprisingly influential Traffic Department 2192. Set in the future on the distant planet of Seche, TD 2192 deposits you right in the middle of the war between the native Traffic Department and the invading Vulture army; you’ll play as Lieutenant Marta Velasquez, a pilot with a sharp tongue and a chip on her shoulder, through twenty missions in the shareware version, and a further forty in the full version.

Actual game play is rather simple- in either a hoversled or helicopter, you fly around the city accomplishing the objective of either wiping out the enemy or protecting your ally. Gunning down everything in sight is usually the way forward, and since the number of maps you use is rather limited, you won’t have to worry about finding your way around. Nonetheless, it’s good fun- but what really makes the game stand out is what happens between missions, namely, the dialogue. With a somewhat crude yet surprisingly funny set of exchanges and one-liners, TD 2192 was the kind of game you couldn’t play when your parents were in the room, although admittedly by the second and third episodes both the humour and the plot had worn a little thin.

Visually, TD 2192 uses ray trace graphics for scrolling, arcade style gameplay, whilst the music is oddly catchy- especially the three tracks used in missions. It may have not been played by many, but those who try it will always remember TD 2192 with a degree of fondness.

Mini-editorial: Should the future of DVD releases lie in boxsets alone?

In the days when I was young and reckless, I would purchase single DVDs as they came out- hungrily devouring the three to five episodes on an average disc over the course of an evening or two. It was all very exciting to be at the cutting edge of the UK and sometimes US market (which admittedly wasn’t all that cutting edge compared to the latest releases from Japan), but by the time I had amassed several hundred DVDs, it occurred to me that I had perhaps spent rather a lot of money on this pursuit.

From then on, my desire for single DVDs seemed to peter out, especially when the patient were almost always rewarded with cheap boxsets that were a relief for both the bank account and the heaving shelves. Being able to marathon a whole series without long two month gaps that ensured you’d pretty much forgotten what had happened at the beginning by the time you reached the end was something of a revelation, not to mention the series where you weren’t in any rush because you’d already seen it on fansub.

With all this in mind, it seems no wonder that the market for single DVDs has declined, to the point where some series have even been pulled due to poor sales. And with 13-26 episode sets becoming increasingly popular, wouldn’t it be better to make the switch completely and save the printing and production costs of the single DVDs? Or do they still have a role as more expensive ‘comparison products’ that actually help the boxsets to sell better?

Harem of the week: Juliet (Romeo X Juliet)

Her one true love was meant to be Romeo, but she somehow amassed many more admirers in her quest to find a plot.

Harem

Romeo: Her true love, with whom she would share an angst-filled relationship.

Tybalt: Dark brooding bishounen who always appeared during Juliet’s hours of need.

Curio: Stoic Kurogane type who secretly loves Juliet but never reveals his feelings.

Francisco: Blonde playboy who hides deep feelings for Juliet.

Antonio: Obligatory shota.

Rivals

Hermione: Romeo’s fiancée- gives up on him when the plot turns against her.

Cielo: Romeo’s HORSE, and his first lover.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 3, Chi’s Sweet Home 9-12, Himitsu 1, Itazura na Kiss 2-3, Kaiba 1, Kaiji 26, Kurenai 3, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 2, Mnemosyne 3, Real Drive 1, Shion no Ou 19, Soul Eater 1-2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 2, xxxHOLiC Kei 2-3, Zoku SZS 11

…and in manga: Chi’s Sweet Home 2-41, Roman Club 1-2, Tsubasa Chronicle 188

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kaiba (-) – memory chip <-new!
2. Kaiji (1) – ざわ, ざわ… <-complete!
3. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2) – the state of modern society has left me in despair!
4. Chi’s Sweet Home (3)- Chi
5. Kurenai (4) – Murasaki
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (5) –fox trap
7. Real Drive (-) –Meta-Real <-new!
8. xxxHOLiC Kei (6) – wow, it’s actually good
9. Himitsu (-) – a trifle problem? <-new!
10. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (7) – family frenzy
11. Amatsuki (8) – the new Tactics/Shounen Onmyouji
12. Soul Eater (-) Bones does shounen <- new!
13. Persona Trinity Soul (9)- I really should catch up with this
14. Shion no Ou (10) – Hani Meijin
15. Allison and Lillia (11) – a bit disappointing
16. Itazura na Kiss (12) generic so far
17. Tower of Druaga (13) – don’t lose the humour! <- no time for this

Allison and Lillia 3: Even though it’s still a middling series at best, I’m slightly warming to Allison and Lillia, with this week seeing Allison and Wil breaking into the enemy stronghold to rescue the old man- all in pursuit of a generic ‘treasure’ I don’t really care much about. It doesn’t seem that this series can raise itself much beyond light entertainment, but for now it’s solid enough (and yes, I’ve said that about many series right before dropping them, so it’s still touch and go).

Chi’s Sweet Home 9-12: The week is made all the better for Chi’s cute antics, with these four episodes proving that the anime is staying largely faithful to the manga whilst adding just enough spice to make it worth following both (not that I don’t love Chi enough to do so anyway). In these four segments, we see Chi finally get the hang of the litter tray (although I feel sad that she’s lost her ‘playbox’ now), before the family try to re-home her- only to realise that fate, destiny and the power of the story want her to stay with them.

*NEW* Himitsu- the Revelation 1: The first of many new series to be covered this week, Himitsu takes us to a world where technology enables named characters to dive into the brains of the deceased- a rather invasive process, to be sure, but one that enables them to solve murders. Our first case involves a man who wants to keep the secrets hidden in his wife’s brain, but when the truth comes out, a sorry love tangle is found. Provided it doesn’t do a Shigofumi, this should make for a good episodic series, although there do seem to be hints of HARD GAY between the two main characters.

Itazura na Kiss 2-3: Desperate to make Irie notice her, Kotoko decides to study extra hard for exams so that she can get into the top fifty- a first for any Class F student. As it turns out, Irie is roped into tutoring her, and for a moment it seems that he might soften- at least until an unknown party publicly reveals that they are living together. Then it’s all rivalry again as the classes compete against each other on Sports Day- the one event where Class F usually shines. Yes, it’s still generic light entertainment, but I’m sticking with it for the ‘after marriage’ part of the story.

*NEW* Kaiba 1: With all the raving over this, I was prepared not to like Kaiba, but for once I’m with the intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals- the series is great, if a little reminiscent of the infamous Dead Leaves. Anyway, beneath the simplistic yet oddly adorable character designs, Kaiba is beginning to unravel the tale of a world where memories are stored in conical chips for transfer between bodies- where disembodied personalities await their own flesh and ‘non-contributors’ can be deleted at will. This is the sci-fi world I’ve been waiting to visit, and I look forward to spending more time in it.

As good a reason as any to delete someone.

*COMPLETE* Kaiji 26: Kaiji has finally come to an end, and what a gory end it is, for in his attempts to play the chairman, Kaiji finds himself played- and the price he must play is all four of his digits. Having obeyed narrative convention throughout, I was surprised to see Kaiji fall flat on his face in the final episode (especially given the consequences), but I’m also glad that the ‘easy win through cheating’ didn’t pan out as Kaiji intended. Now, if only there was a second season to continue the story…

“Haven’t you watched any Disney films?”

Kurenai 3: Even though there was a strong element of harem-building in this episode of Kurenai, that doesn’t mean the series is beginning to disappoint- because against all expectations, I love Murasaki (in a completely legal, platonic fashion). Her exploits at school and the crossed wires with Shintaro were hilarious, whilst the later interaction between the two was worth the price of admission alone- is it better to stand up for what’s right, or just not rock the boat too much?

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 2: Episode one may have set the tone for comedy, but this week KKN injects something a little more serious in between the zaniness. It’s shakedown time for the new ‘family’, but for Yuuka, all is not well- her nervousness has earned the scorn and ridicule of her classmates. Even though this part of the story is (temporarily) resolved in a suitably crazy way, it does serve to inject a tone of poignancy into the proceedings, and although I’ve read spoilers regarding the actions of the Suigintou-like character who appears at the end, it will be interesting to see where this series goes next.

Mnemosyne 3: I actually watched this last week, but for some reason even sitting through 45 minutes of Mnemosyne wasn’t enough to remind me to write about it. Anyway, I’d like to recount what happened in this episode, but aside from noting that time has jumped ahead to 2011, I’ve completely lost what vestiges of the plot I had (did I really praise this series so much in episode one?). I must, however, comment on a rather uncomfortable and completely gratuitous HARD YURI scene with Mimi- yes, I know she’s immortal and older than she looks, but that hardly made it a welcome interlude.

*NEW* Real Drive 1: In the spring preview, I was really looking forward to Real Drive, but after episode one I have to admit I have only the barest grasp of what’s going on- yes, there’s a Meta Reality, a guy who was in a coma for fifty years and various other things, but so far it doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Could this be the Ergo Proxy of 2008? Will I ever actually finish watching Ergo Proxy?

Shion no Ou 19: At long last there’s another episode of Shion no Ou to watch, and as we all surmised, Hani Meijin seems to be the killer (although his motive remains unclear). By this point, of course, the once hateful Satoru is now a sympathetic character, and if he can rescue Ayumi from the HARD GAY clutches of his brother, they might have a chance of exposing the culprit, Poirot-style, by episode 22.

*NEW* Soul Eater 1-2: I hadn’t really wondered what it would be like if Studio Bones attempted an SJ-style Shaman King/Bleach fusion, but as it turns out, Soul Eater is pretty much the result. A series about weapons masters trying to turn their living weapons into certified Deathscythes, Soul Eater has thus far saved itself from shounen mediocrity by having a sense of humour and solid production values. Each episode here focuses on a different pairing, with episode three also set to introduce further new characters, and aside from the predictably of our leads failing at the last hurdle and having to collect 99 more souls in the episodes to come, it has been a generally enjoyable experience.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 2: Kuu-chan has come home to live with the boys, but if s/he wants to use her full power, she’ll have to seek out the local god first. As well as a chance to get a proper look at male Kuu in action, this episode is another entertaining slice of supernatural action, cementing the series’ place as Shrine of the Morning Mist’s spiritual successor.

xxxHOLiC Kei 2-3: To my surprise, I’m still enjoying xxxHOLiC Kei, perhaps because a) it’s just good to see these manga chapters animated and b) this part of the series has some ongoing threads instead of being entirely episodic. These two episodes pretty much wrap up the Watanuki’s eye arc, which means we’ve got the thunder god, the truth about Himawari and the spirit medium girl (already seen on TV in episode one) to come- and after that I need to catch up on the manga so I know what’s coming.

Zoku Sayonara Sensei 11: In true ZSZ style, the first two segments of this episode take us to an alternate universe- one where Sensei is a detective who only solves his cases after everyone has been murdered. Even though I usually prefer the ‘real world’ segments, this one was highly entertaining, whilst the last part about wishes coming true in the next life was also amusing. Even so, the impending end of the series has left me in despair!

MANGA

*CATCH-UP* Chi’s Sweet Home 2-41: After reading so many chapters of Chi’s Sweet Home, I can only say that I love it even more- the cuteness levels are off the scale, and every little vignette of Chi’s life is a joy to read about. From one-off escapades to ongoing threads such as the mysterious giant black cat who Chi befriends, this series is nothing short of delightful, and has fast become one of my favourites.

*NEW* Roman Club 1-2: Since I love Aria so much, I’ve been wanting to read Kozue Amano’s earlier works, and at long last the first two chapters of Roman Club have been made available. Set in a contemporary high school, the titular Roman Club is an after-school club which investigates strange phenomena. So far, we’ve met the four members- main character Katori who possesses second sight, club leader Ayano Kouji (who later appeared as Woody in Aria), stone spirit and all-round cute fairy Koron-chan and quiet girl Tsukuyo. The artwork is a bit rough around the edges when compared to Aria, but it’s still proving to be an entertaining series thus far, and I look forward to reading the rest of it.

Tsubasa Chronicle 188: We’ve finally reached the ruins, a place where time has stopped completely, and I’m more confused than ever- apparently Syaoran had to pay Yuuko by having his time turned back from adult to child some years ago, all so that he could save Sakura at some point in the past. Aagh, I think my head is going to explode- someone draw a timeline for me that shows me how it all makes sense.

Actually, this post has nothing to do with Easter- I was just too lazy to get it finished on Friday.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 11, Clannad 20, Kaiji 23, Spice and Wolf 11-12, Tsubasa OVA 3, Zoku SZS 5

…and in manga: Hunter X Hunter 273, Minami-ke 22, Shion no Ou 13-16, Tsubasa 185

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – never give up
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolves
3. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (5) – I’m out of despair!
5. Shigofumi (6) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
6. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
7. Shion no Ou (8) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
8. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
9. Clannad (10) – drop kick
10. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco
11. Mokke (12)- rainy season

Aria the Origination 11: Dear Aria, let me worship you and bask in your excellence forevermore, for once again but a single twenty-five minute episode has captured my heart. This week’s episode covers two themes- looking at the one who was promoted ahead (Alice) and her friend who was left behind (Aika). Akira knows that Aika is nearly ready to become a Prima, but at the same time she can’t help worrying that her protégée will have become demoralised by Alice’s promotion- although in fact, Aika feels inspired and energised by the progress of the “genius girl” Alice. Meanwhile, Alice’s new busy schedule has taken her away from her friends, but she feels she can’t just call them up for no reason- will Athena notice her growing loneliness? There are so many emotions and undertones in this episode, reminding me not only why I love this series so much, but developing Akira’s character in a way it never has been before. I want to see the triumphant conclusion and bask in its inevitable excellence, but at the same time I wish it would never end.

Clannad 20: I know I’m getting behind on Clannad, but bear with me- it’ll all be over soon enough anyway. Anyway, this episode sees Tomoya and Nagisa try to identify the story that Nagisa wants to turn into a play, but when it comes uncomfortably close to uncovering a skeleton in the Furukawa family closet, Akio decides to let Tomoya in on a secret. There’s a reasonable mix of drama and humour in this episode, but as always, the highlights for me are Sanae and Akio- I just love their character dynamic.

Kaiji 23: It’s a rather slow week for Kaiji, for whilst the tissue box raffle has at least made it into this season, it isn’t going anywhere fast. This instalment is basically all about Kaiji demonstrating to his generic allies how he plans to cheat at the tissue box raffle, whilst they help him refine his plan by pointing out the flaws in it. There’s something anticlimactic about the whole plan depending on cheating from the start- I suppose there’s some interest in the strategy of cheating, but it’s more enjoyable when a character is pushed to cheat after the game has begun, if they must do so at all.

“That would be nice- is it like those scuba diving holidays?”

Spice and Wolf 11-12: According to Duncan Bannatyne, an entrepreneur in debt is also one that’s in business, but obviously no one wants to remain in debt forever, and so it is that Lawrence decides to go for the riskiest venture ever- smuggling gold in the stomachs of Nora’s sheep. Unfortunately, when you choose to embark on such an endeavour, problems are bound to follow, with everything from treachery to wolves threatening to derail the entire plan. Will Lawrence and Horo emerge victorious by the end of the series? Can we viewers possibly continue in a world where no new Spice and Wolf is airing? The answers will be revealed soon enough.

*COMPLETE* Tsubasa Chronicle Tokyo Revelations 3: The Tsubasa OVA is now complete, and whilst it wasn’t anything special, it was at least leagues better than the TV series that preceded it (and only really hampered in content by the original manga). This episode sees Fai become a vampire and Sakura go off for her FFX-2 adventure, the latter of which seems to have been spiced up from the basic “Antlion battle” of the manga. There are some oddities, such as the random appearance of Card Captor Sakura towards the end, but overall this has been a solid adaptation- even though the manga becomes near-nonsensical from this point onwards, I wouldn’t mind more OVAs to continue the story in animated form.

No, you don’t have to- honestly, why do criminals always make these excuses?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 5: The lack of new episodes has left me in despair, but no longer, for episode five has appeared at long last. In this episode, the randomness seems back down to season one levels as our despairing sensei and his pupils plan how to divide everything into science, liberal arts and athletics, before discussing leftovers and how people only do favours in order to look good. It’s a solid episode overall, and another chance to despair and laugh at human nature.

MANGA

Hunter X Hunter 273: What can I say this week that I haven’t said before? As always, the battles between minor characters creep ahead slowly, although at the end of this chapter Gon and Killua finally show up again. At this rate, Togashi may well pass on before this arc even finishes.

Minami-ke 22: Another short chapter, unsurprisingly, this time focusing on Kana trying to be nice to Chiaki in order to curb her violent responses. After the disappointment of Okawari, it’s nice to get back to the original source and experience the humour that made season one enjoyable.

Shion no Ou 13-16: Another four chapters of Shion no Ou bring us up to the start of the open tournament, and as before, it’s very much like the anime. If you’ve already watched these events, you probably won’t want to bother rereading them, unless of course you’re like me.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 185: Lest anyone take action too quickly, the team decides to experience another couple of cycles of their Groundhog Day-esque situation, complete with apples. It seems this isn’t even Groundhog Day but actually Groundhog Two Hours, with everyone falling asleep before the reset, and Kurogane complaining of pain in his artificial arm. Hopefully this is leading up to something.

Like all the best entrepreneurs, President Aria built himself up from nothing, with his dream of hitting the big time beginning in his early years. Whilst roaming the back streets of Neo Venezia, Aria dreamed of the day when he would be able to afford his own hat, and resolved to find a business partner to help him achieve this mighty dream. After some consideration, he selected Akino, an undine from Himeya Company, and the pair set up their first and most enduring enterprise- Aria Company.

Although it was hard to break into a market already dominated by Himeya and Orange Planet, Aria’s business acumen and his talent for hiring the best people helped Aria Company build up a legendary reputation- and all the while a steady trickle of profits began accumulating in the president’s bank account. Even so, for an entrepreneur of Aria’s level, it was not enough- he knew he would have to branch out.

With the help of Aqua’s foremost feline power, Cait Sith, Aria began to branch out his enterprises, dealing with numerous companies and even, rumour has it, allying himself with the Neo Venezian mafia. With his charming manner and inimitable ‘punyu’, Aria became a household name, with the numerous products he endorsed gaining immense popularity.

These days, Aria has risen high enough that he likes to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labours where possible, but don’t be fooled by his laid back attitude- behind the scenes this feline heavyweight is always popping into company meetings and keeping up with the latest developments in the business pages, and if there’s a good investment to add to his impressive portfolio, he isn’t one to pass it up.

Shion no Ou 18

“I’ve had to make do with night after night of Hyper Self Pleasure!”

“HARD GAY is serious now!”

“The strength to Pleasure many lovers in one night!”

“Ayumi, don’t even try to run away- you’re my bitch now.”

“We can observe some naked men from there.”

“I’m no longer a trap- I’m openly HARD GAY.”

“I had to come out of the closet.”

“Could it be that mere generics weren’t meant to have wild nights of Pleasure?”

Yasuoka’s wife catches him watching adult videos on his laptop.

Dragons’ Den
Welcome to our regular feature based on the TV program of the same name, in which anime characters try to market their great idea to five fat cats of anime! President Aria made his fortune in the gondola industry of Neo Venezia, and is now CEO of a well-known company. Mikoto started her business in the capital of Wind Bloom, and is now a trusted advisor to the queen, with business partners scattered across the world. The Admiral’s first business venture was to invest in a Chinese restaurant, but a meteor threat to Earth saw her buy shares in ground and space based defence technology, which she currently administers with her protégé “The General” (aka Shogun). Mr Tibbs started his career as a tea cat for the bank, but his sound grasp of finance saw him rise up the ranks until he became one of their most prominent managers. Finally, The Cardinal is the world’s most powerful fat cat, with a wide range of business interests that ensure that he has a paw in every pie (often literally, depending on his appetite). These five cats represent some heavyweight investment clout in every sense of the word, but is any deal attractive enough to get them to roll off their backsides and shake paws with a budding entrepreneur?

This week two brand new entrepreneurs have dared to brave the Den- merchant Lawrence Craft and his business partner Horo. Can they win over the Dragons with their confident sales pitch?

Lawrence: Hello Dragons, my name is Lawrence, a freelance merchant looking for a fast investment of some fifty-odd Rumione in my company. We are traders who travel across the country dealing in everything from furs and pepper to armour and even, of late, gold smuggling.

Cardinal: Gold, eh- I like the sound of that- but why do you need such a swift investment?

Lawrence: Er, well, the thing is- we’re in a bit of debt at the moment.

Mr Tibbs: Debt? Do you think the Dragons are your personal bank? I’m out!

Horo: Ah, but they do say that an entrepreneur who is in debt is also in business, don’t they?

Cardinal: Hahaha, I like your spunk!

Aria: Punyu? [Do you deliver to Neo Venezia?]

Lawrence: Not at the moment…

Horo: …but it will be easy enough to alter our trade routes.

Mikoto: What about Windbloom?

Horo: We can deliver anywhere you need.

The Admiral: Do you deal in spaceship parts?

Lawrence: I can’t say we even know what a spaceship is, but we have this armour here.

Admiral: Nice try, but I know that armour is worthless at the moment, so I’m out.

Cardinal: If I give you the money, what exactly are you going to do with it?

Lawrence: Pay off my debt, and then continue trading as normal. Of course, you’ll get a share of any future profits I make.

Mikoto: And if you go out of business?

Lawrence: I’m a main character- I can’t go out of business!

Cardinal: I have a good feeling about you two- especially the girl with the ears and tail. Please accept my investment, and may we do good business from now on.

Horo and Lawrence have managed to entice the Cardinal into investing, but will he appear in a future episode of Spice and Wolf? Tune in to find out!

This Week in Anime

Apples continue their takeover of SaiMono.

Dango and Go in the same screencap- this is just too much!

World’s largest fruit cocktail spotted.

“No apple is going to get the better of me!”

“Take heart, Shuurei- we can fight the apple invasion with the aid of these peaches!”

Shannon has a particularly disappointing HORSE session.

“Oh my god, he’s been killed by apples.”

“Here, little girl, take this delicious apple and join the revolution!”

“Now, let’s play Yu-Gi-Oh!”

“Gun may beat Knife, but Fork is the deadliest of all!”

Annual vegetable conference begins.

Tangerines are always watching us.

I have a Sony Vaio, er, I mean Avio.

Flash Game Review: The Big Red Button
All of us possess that innate desire to press the Big Red Button, and now you can do so- repeatedly. Less of a game than a clicking exercise, the idea of the Big Red Button is simply to ignore repeated warnings not to press said button, and keep on clicking it just to see what happens next. According to the game, there is also a hidden white button, but the truth of this statement has yet to be revealed.

Mini-editorial: Sticking with the formula?
When a series reaches a certain length, it gets thrust into a catch-22 situation- should it stick with the formula that got it this far, or should it try to evolve and update, possibly losing the very qualities that made it great in the first place? In order to fully examine this question, we will be delving not only into the world of anime, but also that of American TV shows, asking whether it would be better to simply cut things off in their prime.

Be it Keroro Gunso, School Rumble, Stargate SG-1 or even The Simpsons, there comes a time when you’ve used the same old format so often that the audience cannot help but tire of it. Even so, that won’t deter some of these old stalwarts; they have their setup and it’ll be a cold day in hell before they part with it. Used that joke before? Don’t worry, it was five years ago- no one will remember. Still stuck in the same old love triangle? Oh well, you can throw in a bit of development and then reset it.

Unfortunately, no matter how great something is to start with, the more you have of it, the less appealing it tastes, and indeed, those series that stick with the formula generally suffer for it, alienating their core fanbase and often turning into a tired parody of its former self. We’ve all seen it happen, but is the alternative any better?

If the static model is to be avoided, then can a series avoid death by trying to evolve and update? Old characters may be replaced with new, relationships may be developed and longstanding feuds resolved, but what are we, the viewer, left with? Gone are the very character and story dynamics that drew us to the series in the first place- instead, we have a bunch of new (and usually not very likable) characters, new adversaries and probably a few continuity errors to go with them. Did the Lead really have a previously unmentioned mother, father and brother? Was the former greatest power in the universe really a minor force compared to the new enemy? Why are we even watching this series anymore?

It seems, then, that the only answer to retaining quality is for a series to end on a high, choosing a “less is more” route. Sadly, in these days of commercialism, as long as there is money to be made, a series is more likely to simply be spun out for as long as it is profitable- regardless of the inevitable loss in quality.

Harem of the week: Samatarou (Kamisama Kazoku)
It’s hard being the son of God, and even more so when numerous women are after you- each of them possessing powers of their own.

Harem
Tenko: Samatarou’s guardian angel and main girl- has a typical on/off relationship with him.
Kumiko: The other woman at school, with more to her than meets the eye.
Meme: Samatarou’s little sister and token loli.
Misa: The sexy and troublesome older sister.
Venus: Despite being his mother, the high fanservice content of the series still qualifies her for the harem.

Rivals
Osamu: The old man still wants all the girls for himself.

The making of Azure Flame: Weekly Round-Up
In an ideal world, the Weekly Round-Up evolves naturally during the week- anime is watched when it is released, and then written about, building up an article that can be published without effort come Friday. Of course, as one can imagine, it often doesn’t work that way, with much of the viewing and writing about anime somehow accumulating until it must all be tackled on Thursday night (or, where time allows, Friday itself). Even so, once everything is finally viewed and written about (or put off until next week), the next stage is to pick out one screencap from the archives for the introduction, and then insert any amusing screencaps from the episodes themselves within the actual article.