With several profitable negotiations under their belt, Lawrence and Horo have proven to be an effective team- but should they classify themselves as friends, business partners or something more? One thing’s for sure- the bond between them will be tested to the limit in their next few negotiations. Will Lawrence ever realise his dream of opening a shop? Can Horo really find clues about her distant home? And will one person’s dream involve another’s sacrifice?

Although not without its flaws, the original series of Spice and Wolf nonetheless managed to be a captivating and memorable experience, and with plenty more content available from later novels, a second season of the anime could only be a good thing. Once again, however, the series was a mixed bag- imperfect when examined up close, but entirely enjoyable if you chose to sit back and go with the flow.

Although trading and negotiation continue to play an important role in the series, this season takes the opportunity to put the relationship between the main characters under the microscope. Once again, Horo cannot help but take the spotlight; at once wise and naïve, egotistical yet insecure, her changes in mood can sometimes happen too quickly to follow- both for the audience and for the long-suffering Lawrence. Along the way, however, he inevitably comes to realise what she means to him; fear not, however, for far from marking a rut for this particular character dynamic, there is much life in it yet.

With Horo and Lawrence dominating the show, there isn’t a chance to develop much in the way of a supporting cast, with recurring characters taking highly plot motivated roles rather than being developed in their own right. Still, the world of Spice & Wolf hangs together well in its own right, although don’t expect following the twists and turns of the logic and economics of the series to become any easier. A world where a loss can apparently equate to a huge profit may be good news for politicians trying to deal with the current economic situation, but it’s unlikely to make any sense to the rest of us!

Despite some staff changes on the animation side, Spice and Wolf retains its characteristic bucolic look and feel for this season. Production values are consistent overall over both seasons, with few chances to complain.

Final Thoughts

A worthy successor to the first season, Spice and Wolf may not be perfect, but it always proves interesting and entertaining. Here’s to many more adventures with Lawrence and Horo- be they in animated, manga or novel form.

Tier: Silver+

The Stylus of Life

Nintendo DS owners will be more than familiar with using the stylus to manipulate objects on the touch screen, but here at Azure Flame, we’ve taken things one step further- with the Stylus of Life! No longer need you be restricted to virtual situations, because the Stylus of Life can let you manipulate the real world! Scrub out things you don’t like, draw new things that you’d rather have in their place, move friends and generics as you wish- all with the Stylus of Life! You can use it to cook, clean, even empty the cat litter tray! Everyday chores become a breeze with the Stylus of Life!

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

Sensei enters the classroom.

Sensei: Okay, class, let’s get started.

Chie arrives.

Chie: Itoshiki-sensei, I need to see proof of your ID before you start teaching these children.

Sensei: But you know who I am! We’ve been working together for months.

Chie: I’m sorry, but without ID nothing is certain.

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! The society that constantly needs identification for everything has left me in despair!

• Need a passport to get a driving licence, job, bank account, criminal record check.
• Need a birth certificate to get a passport.
• Proof of ID required when entering any club, TV studio, etc.
• Need to get a professional to confirm your ID photo- amateurs don’t count.
• You can’t get a credit card without sufficient ID, but a dog can.
• Still need parents’ details even when in your 20s.

Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro

“Shouldn’t someone have told them that the world was still there?”

These remind me of something- if only I could place what…

“Gwakaka, I’m so obviously evil that I’m probably not evil at all!”

“Even cats aren’t that lazy!”

“I bought these from the Jewellery Channel!”

Uh, yes…

Spice and Wolf 7

Horo inspects a case of apples to see if they are worthy enough for anime cameos.

Horo and Lawrence discuss their policy on Liangs.

“Now that I have a Pleasure partner, there’s no stopping me!”

“You’ll need it if you’re going to be doing it outside.”

“Those apples never stood a chance.”

Anime Big Brother

Our housemates have settled in, but will tempers fray thanks to their extended proximity?

Lawrence: So, if I buy a fur for ten Thoreni silver coins, and sell it for twenty, how much profit have I made?

Aoki tries to count on his fingers, but gets confused.

Aoki: Uh, can we go back to the basics? I’m still not confident with numbers.

Horo: And you say you have a job on the outside?

Lelouch: I wouldn’t be too sure of that- I tried to use my Geass on him but there’s not enough brain in there for it to work.

Doumeki: Hey, Watanuki, is lunch done yet?

Watanuki: Shut up! Why does no one ever help me in the kitchen?

Heat: Hurry up with that meal, or I might just devour you all!

Meanwhile, Allison is with Wil.

Allison: Come on, Wil, let’s take a shower together!

Wil: Would that really be appropriate?

Allison: How am I ever going to get it through your thick head that I love you?

Wil: Hmm? Did you say something?

Big Brother: Housemates, next week one of you is going to be evicted. Readers, vote in the poll to decide who should go.

This Week in Anime

Zetsubou shita! The society that loves railroads has left me in despair!

“Gwakaka, everything’s going to plan! I even have a special chair!”

Zetsubou shita!

Bananas are one thing, but flying bananas?

Stupid filler weapon redux.

“Oh god, not those stalkers again.”

One day, I’m going to be a Broaoway star.

“Damn, they caught me in the middle of my Star Trek cosplay!”

“Yeah, but I got fed up with mah-jong.”

“Wait, is this like Pokemon?”

“No HARD GAY, nothing!”

“You have no right to hold my Zhuge Liang!”

“…Holland!”

Classic PC games: Return of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom

Having promised to talk about this a few weeks ago, I completely forgot about it until the other day, perhaps an indication that this game hasn’t captured my heart in the way the original did. Although much the same in that you shoot down wave upon wave of attacking bats, the graphics have been overhauled, there are new weapons in the form of the Zapper and Rotospike, and various other tweaks to the system. Personally, I find the first game more graphically appealing, but if you’ve played that to death then this is a good way to get another dose of retro action.

Harem of the week: Felt (Atelier Iris 2)

Although he was supposed to be travelling to the world of Belkhyde to find a way to save his home of Eden, Felt somehow proved adept in picking up girls along the way.

Harem

Viese: A fellow orphan and childhood friend of Felt- has deeper feelings which Felt has yet to notice.

Noin: An outspoken hothead who Felt meets when he first comes to Belkhyde.

Fee: A cool young woman with a hidden heritage.

Yuveria:A holographic projection that appears to Felt in the workshops due to his destined status.

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

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crossdressing aside, I want a dress like that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

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

Spice and Wolf the game

Missing Spice and Wolf? Then why not imagine what it might be like if the series had its own video game? You’ll take on the role of either Horo or Lawrence as the pair of you travel across the country trading various goods. Collect data on the best places to buy and sell different commodities and slowly build up your fortune. Spend the money on buying shops, recruiting subordinates or just unlocking extras like costumes for the world’s shapeliest wolf girl. The possibilities are endless!

Also available are several mini-games, including the chance to play as Nora and guide sheep and travellers through the wilderness, and a ‘wolf-Horo’ mode where you can fight real time battles against other wolves.

*NEW* Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

We were in so much despair over the ending of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei that we did the only thing we could- we brought everyone’s favourite despairing teacher over to Azure Flame to continue his bleak outlook on the world. So, over to you, Itoshiki-sensei!

Sensei: Doesn’t it ever get to you how people are always getting ahead of themselves?

• Deciding on a wedding ring while you’re still single.
• Buying textbooks for a course before you apply.
• Picking a name for your website before you sort out hosting.
• Spending your inheritance while your rich aunt is still alive.
• Killing husband before taking out a life insurance policy on him.
• Planning the décor before you buy a house.
• Drafting a letter of resignation before you even get the job.

Kafka: Yes, but isn’t it good to have everything prepared just in case?

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! The society that doesn’t plan properly has left me in despair!

Amatsuki 2-3

“…through the traditional method of HARD GAY!”

“Hands off my Ezo!”

“Does he prefer S…or M?”

“Will you go out with me?”

*NEW* The Jintarou Kyle Show

Welcome to a brand new feature, in which our chat show host, Jintarou Kyle, gets to the bottom of the problems that are tearing anime families apart!

Kyle: Hello and welcome to the Jintarou Kyle show; I’m your host, Jinatarou Kyle. This week, we investigate an increasingly common phenomenon in anime- children who left to live at home without their parents. First on the show we have Tenma and Yakumo from School Rumble. So, Yakumo, am I to understand that you have to look after yourself and your sister?

Yakumo: Yes, that’s right. I do all the cooking and cleaning.

Tenma: Wait a minute- I help!

Yakumo: Nee-san, it’s best if you don’t help.

Kyle: And when was the last time you saw your parents?

Tenma: When we were in elementary school- since then we’ve been living on our own.

Kyle: And is it true that you have to sell your bodies just to afford to pay the bills and keep living in the family home?

Yakumo bursts into tears.

Yakumo: I didn’t want to tell anyone about it, but there was no other way!

Kyle: Well, we have a surprise for you today- your parents are here at the show. Come on out Mr and Mrs Tsukamoto!

The parents emerge to boos from the audience.

Kyle: As we all know, there are two sides to every story, but I think you’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do. Why did you leave your two daughters to fend for themselves?

Father: Oh I don’t know- everyone does it.

Kyle: “Everyone does it”. Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it- the most pathetic excuse I have ever heard. With all due respect, sir- and if you don’t mind my saying, that’s very little- what you need to do is get off your backside and take responsibility for your kids!

The audience cheers.

Kyle: Next up on the show, I’ll be talking to the Minami sisters. Ever since their parents vanished, older sister Haruka has had to single-handedly look after her two younger siblings Kana and Chiaki. We’ll be hearing more of her incredible story right after this.

To be continued…

This Week in Anime

Melons!

Aagh, everyone’s turned black and faceless!

“This magic CCTV is sufficient.”

I know this is live action, but who could resist screencapping a car driving through a pile of lemons?

The watermelon overlord plots revenge for all those of his kind who have been smashed open.

“These lemons look as if they’ve been run over by a car.”

Careful, now- apples are the Devil’s Fruit (and not in a One Piece sense).

Here we see strawberries in captivity.

“Yay, giant Purples!”

Okay, I definitely don’t want to eat this…

“Now we take a close up of strawberries in order to observe their social habits.”

Eggplants make a stand for more screentime.

Even Neo Venezia isn’t safe from the fruit.

“Care to try some mushrooms? A man from Sunrise Studio sold them to me.”

“This is just getting ridiculous now.”

“How can you say that? Fruit and anime go hand in hand!”

Okay, so maybe there are reasons why you wouldn’t want to go dancing…

HARD GAY corner: Star Ocean 3

After being stranded alone on an alien planet, Fayt Leingod was more than pleased to be rescued by the muscular arms of Cliff Fittir, who taught him the ways of being a real man. Even so, over time, Cliff was no longer enough, and so on the planet Elicoor II, Fayt began plotting how to recruit more lovers. Despite the interference of women, Fayt was able to catch the eyes of the manly Adray and the bishie Albel- even going so far as to permanently recruit Albel into his party by means of a late night encounter in Peterny Inn. Indeed, with his ‘Blade of Fury’ and his ‘Blazing Sword’, there were few who could match Fayt in the bedroom, but it was his raging libido that gave him the strength to save the universe.

Mini-rant: 50Hz is so damn slow!

It’s time for a bit of a gaming rant this week, as I go into one about the disadvantages of being in the gaming backwater that is the UK. Being the cheapskate that I am, I usually forego importing games in favour of picking up a cheap PAL copy, and all too often, the conversion from NTSC leaves much to be desired. I should be happy, then, that more and more games are offering a 60Hz mode, but it makes going back to 50Hz all that much more difficult.

The biggest offender is- and always has been- Square Enix (or just plain Square back in the old days), who seem to delight in creating poor conversions that make the 50Hz player feel like they’re gaming in some kind of treacle-filled universe. Even the real-time battle system of Star Ocean 3 feels a bit slow under these conditions (especially as I played SO2 at about 100 frames per second in parts), whilst turn-based RPGs like FFIX sometimes seem slow enough that you could do a bit of light reading between turns. Isn’t bad enough that we have to wait so long for games without having to put up with this?

Harem of the week: Okazaki Tomoya (Clannad)

He may not have got any ero-scenes, but Tomoya was still granted plenty of opportunities to add to his harem, as befits a Key lead.

Harem

Nagisa: The main girl and ultimate winner in the after story, her determination belies her weak constitution.

Kyou: The tsundere, and manga’s favourite.

Ryou: Kyou’s sister, the quieter and more amiable one.

Tomoyo: Aspiring school president, she tries to hide her immense strength.

Fuuko: Obligatory loli ghost/projection of a girl in a coma.

Kotomi: Genius girl with a tragic past.

Rivals

Akio: Nagisa’s father, very protective of his daughter.

Sunohara: A friend and almost harem member despite being male, but nonetheless has his designs on the girls in the non-HARD GAY scenario.

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

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

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

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

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

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

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

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

Then he must be HARD GAY!

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

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

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

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

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

MANGA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lawrence Craft is a travelling merchant who has dedicated his life to turning a profit through trading goods across the country. Even so, no matter how good an entrepreneur you are, it can be a lonely life, which is why Lawrence doesn’t complain too much when gains a rather unique travelling companion in the form of “Horo the Wise”, a wolf-goddess who has dwelt for generations in the wheat of a local village. Now freed from her duty, Horo decides to travel with Lawrence until she can return to her home in the north, but what will come of this unlikely partnership?

It’s dangerous to fall in love with a series before it even airs- aside from the clear lack of anything to justify your feelings, all too often the relationship ends in disappointment. Even so, with the title and promo artwork that this series had, I just couldn’t help it, and having just finished the Okami PS2 game, I was more than ready for more wolf-goddess action. And indeed, when it started, Spice and Wolf turned out to be just what the doctor ordered, combining my love of wolf girls, period settings, intelligent dialogue and entrepreneurial trading in one convenient package. It was as if someone knew about the anime I had been waiting for and set about creating it.

Even so, much as I enjoyed the series whilst it was airing, in retrospect, there was always a bit of nagging doubt at the back of my mind, and now that the series is over, that doubt has crystallised, ready to be written about. For whilst Spice and Wolf undoubtedly had a worthy character dynamic (more on that later) and moments of greatness that drew me in and made me crave more, it still lacked a little something in the execution. A particular scene or dialogue exchange might really spark the imagination and fire up my love for the series, but all too often the story arc itself would be just a little disappointing and anticlimactic. It was almost as if the anime wanted to show that the series had potential, but for that to realise it to its fullest extent, you would have to read the original novels instead.

Unsurprisingly for a series about trading, Spice and Wolf tries to emphasise the economic aspect of its deal, which for someone who has taken a course in financial physics and even enjoys Working Lunch should really be a boon. As it turns out, either I’m not as smart as I think or certain specifics haven’t been explained very well, because whilst the overall trades are rather simple, the logic of the details isn’t always clear or easy to follow.

One area in which Spice and Wolf does well is in the character dynamic between the two leads; Lawrence is a man who lives in a wagon that is “too big for one person, too small for two”, but no matter how irksome it can be to live in close quarters with someone else for an extended period of time, he must surely prefer it to the extended loneliness of travelling alone. Horo, meanwhile, is someone who has lived so long that humans and their strategies are mere child’s play to her, but even so, she would much rather be in the thick of things than be left behind. It’s no doubt that these two characters need each other, but where Lawrence’s automatic reaction is to keep their relationship in the bounds of ‘market norms’ by calculating what Horo owes him in financial terms, Horo seems wise enough to know they will build a more enduring relationship through ‘social norms’- not least because it means she can get away without paying Lawrence back!

As far as supporting characters go, Spice and Wolf is a little thin of the ground, with most other cast members being one shot personalities who serve their purpose and then are never seen again. The only notable exceptions are the rather disappointing Chloe, an admirer and former apprentice of Lawrence who is nothing if not predictable and Nora, a shepherdess who appears late in the series but actually has a lot of potential.

Visually, Spice and Wolf may not be working on the highest of budgets, but it is still pleasing on the eye with its soft look and rich, earthy tones- perfect for a medieval setting. The music also follows the same period style, with the help of plenty of woodwinds and similar instruments- it enhances the series and stands reasonably well on its own, although some may find it repetitive after a time. The OP is a gentle and poignant theme, whilst the more upbeat ED is memorable for its amazing Engrish.

Final Thoughts

Although it was a fun ride while it lasted, ultimately Spice and Wolf was the chocolate chip bun of anime, containing shards of greatness mixed into a less impressive surround. Even so, the likable lead duo and the potential of the series ensure that I would instantly get on board for a second season, or, better still, a translation of the original novels.

Tier: Silver+

The world of lost save data- where does it go?

Way back in the days of .hack//SIGN, Bear wondered if the game worlds where you lose and switch off the power actually continue somewhere, and now we must wonder the same of lost save data- do those gaming realities still exist somewhere? Are there existences where the gaming characters must continue on in their own little worlds, bereft of help from the player? If the hero character is dead, is the world of NPCs condemned to a life of oppression under the main villain? Does nothing exist until we save it, or do those worlds carry on without us even if we just reset the game? Are we being irresponsible in filling the universe with invisible gaming realities? Be sure to think of these things next time you save your game…

Shigofumi 12

“This is a good place for Pleasure.”

“That explains the high visitor numbers, then.”

“I’m just not used to having a live streaming feed of our Pleasure broadcast on the internet!”

“If you just fake it, you won’t please anyone.”

“It’s too late to say that after you had the operation!”

Spice and Wolf- giant mugs

Look at those mugs- they’re bigger than the plates!

Come on- he can almost get his head in there!

Hmm, how did they shrink back down to normal size?

This Week in Anime

The baseball team are rather shocked by Azusa’s violent approach to Pleasure.

Not to be confused with Sherlock Holmes, which it bears no resemblance to whatsoever.

Take note of the background sign and keep your ears cool at all times.

“Aagh, the watermelon people are attacking!”

“Don’t worry- I’ll defend us!”

“You were meant to smash the melon, not the melon-man!”

Shuuei is caught having some surreptitious HORSE.

Could this be…the legendary Apple Heaven?

“I have an apple brought directly from Apple Heaven!”

“Who cares about apples when we have peaches?”

“Those apple bastards are moving fast- the Orange Society needs to be ready for them!”

A secret strawberry stronghold is raided.

…but can anyone stand up to the might of the pepper army?

“Punyu!” [I’ll squeeze those lemons!”]

Kaiji takes time out of his gambling schedule for a little HARD GAY.

“You should go on Dragons’ Den.”

People are smoking them, building houses with them- they’ll be eating them next!

“The question being ‘what part of a woman do I like best?’”

Game Review: Bookworm

Before I talk more about Bookworm, I’d just like to say that there’s a new game up at Eyezmaze- Grow Nano vol 3. This time around, you have to click the right order of items to help the sick man recover all his health- the creator apologises for it being so short (he’s been ill himself), but it’s still fun for all Grow fans.

Anyway, to get back to Bookworm, this game is for all you wordsmiths out there. The aim of the game is to join up letter tiles in the grid to make words (the longer the better)- get a particularly long word and a bonus green or gold tile will drop in, but keep making short words and red tiles will appear. Red tiles burn through the letters beneath them every turn until they reach the bottom- at which point they it’s game over as they burn your entire library.

If you’re a fan of Scrabble and its ilk, then Bookworm is definitely the one for you, although admittedly it can get quite time consuming. The free version is enjoyable enough, but there’s also a full version with some expanded features for dedicated bookworms.

Mini-rant: ANN commandment “You shall not disagree!”

A while ago, I ranted about ANN’s Answerman, but sadly even this attempt to get the anger out my system was not enough, and so I am back to once again rant about one of the anime world’s best known news and review sites. You see, while I cannot deny ANN’s usefulness in the news department at least, whenever I venture onto the forums, I am left with an unfavourable impression- and it isn’t because of newbie users singing the praises of Naruto.

Instead, my problem lies with the administration, and indeed largely, once more, with Answerman himself. You see, whilst I appreciate that it can be tedious to hear users spouting out the same potentially misguided opinions again and again, on the forums, it seems that it is nigh forbidden to disagree with the gods of ANN. Such paragons of wisdom are they that if anyone dares to hold an opinion they do not approve of, they seem to consider it fair game to shoot them down in flames. The poor misguided souls who cannot appreciate the world from their hallowed viewpoint are little more than cannon fodder for their sarcasm and acid tongues, and to me it makes the forum quite an unpleasant place to venture into. Yes, a sarcastic putdown here and there can be most satisfying and effective, but surely not to the extent of attempting to browbeat every user into becoming one’s adoring sycophant. Why not try listening to differing opinions instead of steamrollering them with some pathetic attempt at wit?

Reverse Harem of the week: Yui (Fushigi Yugi)

The main character’s best friend and rival, she attempts to build a harem of her own but ultimately fails due to a lack of destined powers.

Harem

Tamahome: Temporarily falls for Yui whilst under the influence of drugs, but breaks free thanks to his feelings for Miaka.

Nakago: Pretends to be in love with Yui in order to manipulate her, even going so far as to convince her she was raped.

Suboshi: Becomes absolutely devoted to Yui and turns into a raging psychotic maniac in order to protect her and further their cause.

Tetsuya: A friend of Miaka’s brother, he starts to feel protective towards her upon reading of her adventures in the Universe of the Four Gods, and subsequently gets closer to her upon her return to the real world.

Rivals

Miaka: The main character, and thus ultimately unbeatable.

Soi: Nakago’s lover, she feels jealous of even the pretence of him loving Yui.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 12, Clannad 21-2, Darker than Black 26, Himawari!! 3, Kaiji 24, KgNE Next Season 2, Minami-ke Okawari 10-12, Mokke 19-23, Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1, Shigofumi 11, Spice and Wolf 13, Zoku SZS 6-7

…and in manga: Busou Renkin 39, HxH 274, Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Prima
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. Clannad (10) – Nagisa’s play
9. Mokke (12)- cats level up to bakeneko
10. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco

SLOW RANKINGS

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

Aria the Origination 12: I don’t care how much I’ve fangirled over Aria these past couple of months- this episode has increased my love for the series a hundredfold. When Aika shows up for practice one morning without her glove, it is plain that she has become a Prima- and upon hearing about it, Alicia decides that Akari should take the Prima exam the next day. I wasn’t actually expecting this part of the story to appear until next week, but even though I knew exactly how it would pan out from reading a manga summary, it was still wonderful to see it enacted on screen. This episode was everything anime should strive to be, and I wish to bask in its excellence forever whilst hugging a giant, squishy President Aria.

*COMPLETE-ish* Clannad 21-22: Well, the main story of Clannad is complete, at any rate- we still have the HARD GAY special episode 23 and DVD-only 24 to come, but let’s keep things simple here and call it the end. Anyway, after learning that her parents gave up their career dreams in order to raise her, Nagisa has one of those major anime crises of confidence right before she has to perform her play- can her nearest and dearest convince her not to fall at the final hurdle? It’s not a bad ending, but ultimately I’m left with mixed feelings about the series- I enjoyed it more than Kanon, but the pacing was all over the place and the story wasn’t as well executed as it could have been.

*SPECIAL* Darker than Black 26: The series has finished, but at long last the DVD only episode 26 is here, and as expected, it’s a mildly entertaining but largely pointless instalment. In this one-off story, the various factions are in pursuit of a password, but after a series of comic mishaps, everyone ends up losing their memory of the last few days- explaining why this episode has nothing to do with everything. At least there are some amusing cat shots.

Himawari!! 3: When a new teacher with a pleasing character design transfers to ninja school, she catches everyone’s eye- but could it be that she might be secretly evil? It’s another instalment of the monster of the week format that this season has adopted, but whilst the laughably stupid back story (our villainess has a hatred of okonomiyaki due to something Hayato once said to her when they were children), I’m not disliking this series as much as I expected to.

Kaiji 24: The time for Kaiji to challenge the chairman has arrived, and although IKnight has already written an excellent post about it, I too must weigh in with my thoughts. In order for our hero’s biggest gamble ever to pay off, everything must proceed as planned in episode twenty-three, but can Kaiji really succeed against a seasoned pro? Do we really want him to win via such a simple cheat when it will deprive us of any satisfaction if victory is claimed? Or would it just be better if he won, thus earning a significant sum of money and avoiding having four of his fingers sliced off? Stay tuned to find out.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next season~ 2: When I was told that this OVA would cover the Haruka route, I was expecting, oh I don’t know, for it to focus on Haruka, mayhap? In fact, this rather boring mid-section of the OVA sees Mitsuki move in with an old acquaintance and then relate the long and monotonous tale of how she and Takayuki ended up breaking up- interspersed with equally uninteresting scenes of Takayuki and Shinji having a drink together. What a waste of time.

Minami-ke Okawari 10-12: Okawari descends to new depths with the incredibly monotonous episodes 10-11, two instalments so incredibly exciting that I have to admit I’ve already forgotten much of what happened in them (except that Kana faked a cold and then ended up with a real cold- further proof of how annoying and Miu-esque her character has become this season). Although hardly of any notable quality, episode 12 is a slight improvement, not least because the hated Fuyuki finally moves away. Just one episode to go and then this parade of mediocrity will be over (and I absolutely dread the restoration of the status quo that will probably occur after the angst of next episode).

HORSE before HARD GAY.

Mokke 19-23: Five more episodes of Mokke have been cleared, and once again they offer fairly average entertainment. First up, we have an instalment in which Mizuki breaks her arm by falling incorrectly in judo, leading her to spend her days with a spirit in a skull that promises to help her get better at resisting possession. Next, we switch to a minor character who becomes intrigued by Shizuru’s tale of a lightning creature known as a Raiju- a creature which he may have encountered once before in his past and hopes to meet again. Then, it’s back to Mizuki as she prepares to take her green belt test in judo, but victory leaves a sour taste in her mouth when her opponent lets her win. Next, we have a more cat-orientated episode as Mike the cat goes missing, leaving the two sisters to wonder why she left, and even risk asking a bakeneko to help find her. Finally, we have our first proper Shizuru episode in a while, as a sick friend forces her to consider whether her future lies with Granpda or in Tokyo. I must admit that I like the way that judo has become a recurring theme, as it adds more cohesion to the series as a whole, and of course cat episodes are nothing to be sniffed at, but overall this series has been mediocre- and it seems unlikely that the final episode will do anything to change that.

*NEW* Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1: If you liked the microbe sections at the end of each episode of Moyashimon, you’ll eat up Microbe Theatre Deluxe, which takes us inside the human intestine to introduce us to all the bacteria that dwell within. Yes, it might sound like a particularly unpleasant biology lesson, but remember that all these microbes have been given cute and appealing forms.

Shigofumi 11: In the hospital, Fumi-chan has just awakened, and as far as Mika is concerned, this is time to finish it- by having her other self shoot her and end her existence. Naturally, the supporting characters do not want this, but will they be able to prevent the determined mail carrier from ending her own existence? It seems fairly obvious that everything will pan out and tie up nicely in episode 12, which leaves me in two minds about the series as a whole- it had its moments, but in offering such greatness it built up my expectations for a series that was ultimately silver tier rather than the gold it once appeared.

Yes, I know episode 12 has been released and I’ve even acquired it- I just forgot about watching it until this minute.

*COMPLETE-ish* Spice and Wolf 13: Well, DVD-only episode 7 may have left a gaping cavity in the middle of the series, but Spice and Wolf is effectively complete, with this episode seeing Lawrence and Horo emerge triumphant over those who tried to betray them. I’ve enjoyed this series from start to finish, but it’s left me with a desperate hunger for more- could someone get the novels to me as soon as possible, followed by news of a second season?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6-7: To get two more episodes of despair must surely be considered a blessing, especially as season two seems to be going from strength to strength. In these episodes we once again flit from one source of amusement to the next, from a dream world where everyone has the opposite personality to a delightful magical girl/Lucky Star parody- and even a sequence involving a plethora of different animation styles. Much as I’d like to call out “Zetsubou shita!” just for the sake of it, I have to admit that watching these episodes leaves me in anything but despair.

MANGA

Busou Renkin 39: The battle against the Futakoi Alternative rejects continues in this episode, with Kazuki showing off the immense destined power of a main character with a black kakugane implanted in him (oops, by the manga timeline I’m not supposed to know that yet).

Hunter X Hunter 274: Gon has finally reached Pitou, but she has no interest in fighting him- instead she must use all of her energy to heal Komugi. Watching from the sidelines, Killua can see that Pitou means no harm, but will Gon be able to see past his anger? I must admit that seeing the main characters makes this chapter better than its predecessors, but nothing can recover the quality that was lost so long ago.

Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1: In this volume’s flashback, we see Asumi’s teacher/Lion-san’s ex-fiancée lead her class out on a field trip even as she grapples with whether she is doing the right thing by sticking with a teaching career. I’ve seen all this in the anime already, so again there are no surprises, but these flashbacks are always good for fleshing out the characters.

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.

For some reason, over the past week or so I have developed a renewed interest in Facebook, and so I must invite you all to come and social network with me, should you so desire. In the meantime, let’s get back to the important business of discussing anime.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 10, SaiMono II 38-9, Shigofumi 10, Shion no Ou 18, Shounen Onmyouji 24, Spice and Wolf 10, Sisters of Wellber 13

..and in manga: Busou Renkin 38, HxH 272

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Al and Aika, sitting in a well…
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – debt
3. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. SaiMono II (4) – Ryuuki <-complete!
5. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (5) – mind-altering drug
6. Shigofumi (6) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
7. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
8. Shion no Ou (8) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
9. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
10. Clannad (10) – drop kick
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco
12. Mokke (12)- rainy season

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Himawari!! (2) – needs less plot
3. Sisters of Wellber (3) – drinking tea can be dangerous <- complete!
4. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment
5. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- end in sight?

Aria the Origination 10: With Alice having become a prima, her workload dramatically increases- and whilst there is no doubt that she is good at what she does, sometimes her nerves do get the better of her. What better way to relax, then, than an evening watching the stars with Aika and Akari- at least until Aika heads out to pick up Al and ends up falling down a well with him. Having heard about this manga chapter, I was wondering when it would appear in the anime, but even though it is another solid instalment in a highly worthy series, I still can’t adjust to the idea of Aika X Al- no matter what his real age is, he still looks and talks like a shota. Still, it was a bold and unexpected move to see him grasp Aika’s hand at the end, and President Maa’s antics were highly amusing.

*COMPLETE* Saiunkoku Monogatari II 38-9: Alas, SaiMono II has finished, and what a packed season it has been- often too packed for my meagre raw viewing skills (thanks again, Impz, your summaries have been invaluable). Anyway, as the series draws to a close, Ryuuki takes the first steps towards becoming the true emperor, realising he has to rule for the people, not just Shuurei- and even taking Jyuusan-hime as a wife. It’s been a period of growth for everyone, and despite the immense volume of new characters and the sheer mind-hurting web of events the series tries to present, I’ve enjoyed myself overall.

Shigofumi 10: Fumika takes a backseat in this episode, which instead focuses on thirty-two year old cancer sufferer Takehiko, a man who has quit his job and alienated his friends and family to the point where all he has left to do is look after a neighbour’s child (also named Fumika). Although it was somewhat bizarre how Takehiko randomly ended up looking after Fumika II all the time, the largely formulaic episode saved itself with a poignant and sad ending. Still, I’m not sure what to make of the series as a whole; it’s really been all over the place in terms of atmosphere and presentation.

Shion no Ou 18: As the Shion versus Satori match heads into its closing stages, the Hani brothers undergo a strange reversal; Satoru is now less a figure of hatred than one of pathos, whilst Hani-meijin is becomier creepier by the minute, stalking around watching videos of Shion’s past whilst keeping Ayumi by his side like a chained lover. Meanwhile, Satoru sees something of his brother in Shion’s shogi, and we know that she learned vital shogi lessons from the murderer- but if the Meijin is the culprit, then what was his motive? All shall be revealed within the final four episodes- at least, one assumes it will.

Shounen Onmyouji 24: The time has come to head out and confront the evil, but meanwhile, Kazane is about to realise that her creepy, cackling master is not quite as benign as she might have thought. It’s another average instalment, but then as I said last week, the goal here is mere completion.

Spice and Wolf 10: Poor Lawrence, everything was going so well- right up until the point where he learned that armour has become massively devalued and that he now has two days to pay back a massive debt- can even Horo the Wise get him out of this, and will she want to after he takes out his frustration on her? Presumably all will come right in the end, but the interesting thing will be seeing how it pans out.

*COMPLETE* Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber 13: Ah, another mediocre series can be crossed off the list, although it does mean that the second season beckons. This episode basically wraps up Gernia’s story and indeed his life, complete with a ridiculous collapsing tower sequence that makes you wonder why you should ever be worried about being trapped in a burning building. Meanwhile, Gernia’s father is still as desperate for war as ever, which is presumably what season two is all about (I’ve been too apathetic to read any plot summaries).

MANGA

Busou Renkin 38: The assault on the school continues as it did in the anime, with Kazuki’s friends banding together to support him as he fights the Futakoi Alternative reject monsters outside. As so often happens, there’s not much more to say that I didn’t say when I was covering the animated version.

Hunter X Hunter 272: With excruciating slowness, the battle between Yupi and Shoot continues, up to the point where Knuckle decides to reveal himself. Do we care anymore? Do we even remember anything other than the names of these minor characters? Bigger fans than I do, perhaps, but I cannot bring myself to care anymore.