Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 1-2, Amatsuki 1, Chi’s Sweet Home 7-8, Crystal Blaze 1, Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino 6, Kurenai 2, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 1, Tower of Druaga 2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10

…and in manga: Akagi 10-11, Chi’s Sweet Home 1, Doujin Work 20-22, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 12

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kaiji (1) – ざわ, ざわ…
2. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2) – the state of modern society has left me in despair!
3. Chi’s Sweet Home (3)- litter tray
4. Kurenai (4) – Murasaki
5. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (-) –fox trap <-new!
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – wow, it’s actually good
7. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (-) – family frenzy <- new!
8. Amatsuki (-) – the new Tactics/Shounen Onmyouji <- new!
9. Persona Trinity Soul (6)- I really should catch up with this
10. Shion no Ou (7) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
11. Allison and Lillia (-) – a bit disappointing <- new!
12. Itazura no Kiss (8) generic so far
13. Tower of Druaga (9) – don’t lose the humour!
14. Blassreiter (10) – dropped!
15. Crystal Blaze (-) –here today, gone next week

SLOW RANKINGS

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

*NEW* Allison and Lillia 1-2: Everyone knows how eagerly I search for the next Last Exile, and this series (or rather pair of series fused together) from the author of Kino’s Journey seemed like the perfect candidate- at least until I started watching it. It seems that Lillia is on the backburner for this half of the series, which instead focuses on Allison and her friend Wil as they enter enemy territory to rescue a kidnapped young man. Unfortunately, everything from the story to the animation is as generic as it comes, putting me in mind of the likes of Pumpkin Scissors and its ilk. I’ll be sticking with it for now, but my initial high expectations have been revised downward.

*NEW* Amatsuki 1: As I said in my season preview, this series is about a high school student who fails at history and has to take up a make-up course in the form of a virtual simulation of the Edo era- only to end up really going back in time and getting stuck in the past. With that in mind, the series makes a mildly entertaining start, but ultimately it looks like it will be yet another in a long line of Edo era supernatural series. Still, unless it reaches Shounen Onmyouji levels of mediocrity, it can stay on the viewing list.

Chi’s Sweet Home 7-8: The great expedition to buy kitty litter is here, but what sort of litter should Dad buy, and even when he chooses, will Chi understand that her ‘playbox’ is a litter tray? Next up, Chi finally gets her name (which in fact means ‘wee’), and there you have it- more development in the space of five minutes than some series manage in twenty-six full episodes.

*NEW/PROBABLY DROPPED* Crystal Blaze 1: What is it with the word ‘crystal’ that makes me want to investigate a series? Truly it was a mistake this time, because what I hoped might be a follow up to the “not so bad after all” Heat Guy J actually turned out to have very little to recommend it. This season’s Rental Magica, the series sees generic Detective Agency of Bishie Leader, Little Brother and High School Assistants take on a job to protect Mysterious Young Woman With Special Powers. If I had all the time in the world and nothing to do with it, maybe I would watch this series, but as it stands I can’t be bothered.

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino 6: It’s been so long since I’ve watched an episode of this that I really don’t care anymore- the manga is so excellent that this anime seems superfluous to requirements. In this episode, a chairwoman has to be protected, whilst Henrietta’s kaleidoscope breaks and must be fixed, with both stories coming together in a mildly unexpected way.

Kurenai 2: Kurenai continues to score highly on both the content and presentation front as we move into the second episode, in which Lead and Murasaki continue to adjust to living together, complete with missed phone calls, unpredictable neighbours and a trip to the public baths. Despite some worry at the back of my mind that this could turn into another Seirei no Moribito, it’s proving to be a strong series so far, so perhaps I should just get on with enjoying myself and taking each week as it comes. After all, it even has a black cat.

*NEW* Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 1: Many years ago, the evil Enka attempted to destroy the world, and whilst it failed, its spirit lives on in various different beings. Now, all those beings must be gathered together as a family in an attempt to quench any latent desires to annihilate the planet- but what exactly happens when you put a paranormal investigator, a catgirl goddess, a jellyfish, a lion, a combat robot, a loli and a HARD GAY guy together? Presumably that’s what we’ll be finding out over the course of the series, and although I’m not entirely sure this will something I want to follow until the end, for now it looks promising- this could be what Disgaea and Kamisama Kazoku might have been like if they’d actually been funny.

Tower of Druaga- Aegis of Uruk 2: The humour is over, and Tower of Druaga is settling down into the kind of generic fantasy that makes me not really want to watch it. I’ll probably give it another episode or so, but with more series flooding in every day, it’s hardly something I want to devote a great deal of time to.

*NEW* Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1: Horo the wolf goddess is gone, but in its place we have this series about an unsealed fox god who becomes the guardian of two young members of the Miduchi clan- the only trouble being that s/he can’t even remember his/her original gender! I doubt this will be an overly complex series, but this could well be the next Tactics/Shrine of the Morning Mist, which is another series that I’ve been searching for. And of course, a nice fox-girl/guy always scores extra points.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 10: This time around, Sensei ends up in despair because of detuning (deliberate toning down), try to make the impractical work by saying “well, maybe it does” and the need to make the show friendly to first-timers. Although the second segment was a bit dull, the first and third parts were entertaining enough to make up for it, but I’m in despair that the despair will be ending soon. 

MANGA

Akagi 10-11: We’re into volume two now, but still on the match against Yagi, who manages to take the lead with a Baiman hand, only to be suckered in by Akagi’s bluff in the very next round. As always, we’ve already seen this in the anime, but since that was a while ago now, it’s good to refresh the memory.

*NEW* Chi’s Sweet Home 1: It may only be the first episode of the anime in eight colour pages, but I’ll take all the Chi’s Sweet Home I can get. Now, if only the manga could surge ahead of the anime.

Doujin Work 20-22: It’s time for another brief burst of Doujin Work, and again the manga is more perverted than the anime. Chapters 20-21 see Sora trying to claim Justice as her own by going on a date with him, only to end up hitting him so that he transforms from gentleman to pervert (fortunately nothing illegal happens). Then it’s on with the story as Tsuyuri persuades Najimi to draw an ero-manga, prompting Kaneru to try her hand at some adult works as well.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 12: Anime viewers will recall Commodore Perry, the man who feels compelled to open everything, and this is his chapter in the manga. For some reason, I found this segment far more hilarious second time around, so bring on more manga.

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.

Gag Manga Biyori 3
I’m still waiting for Gag Manga Biyori 2 to be subbed in its entirety, but this offbeat and random comedy series has always been a fun diversion, and hopefully it will continue to be so.

Chi’s Sweet Home
I just had to mention this one because it’s about a lost kitten who finds a new home- it will probably get totally ignored by the anime viewing world, but the artwork is cute. Should I watch it just because I’m a cat lover? Perhaps.

Nijuu-Mensou no Musume
Also known as Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief, this series is, unsurprisingly, about a girl who is the spiritual successor of a notorious phantom thief. I quite like her character design, but until someone reports otherwise, this seems like it will be a rather generic bronze-tier outing.

To Love-Ru
This is one those series that you automatically expect to have an anime adaptation already, but as it turns out, it’s only just about to get one. The series takes on the generic “alien girl lands in boy’s bathtub, leading to a series of events that ends up with him unwillingly getting engaged to her” story, presumably complete with the clichés that have been around since the days of Urusei Yatsura. Unless someone tells me that it’s good to parody, I don’t plan to waste my life on this one.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D
Yes, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for- a subpar spin-off of a card game anime, complete with new characters and a new way of playing cards- via motorcycle. I’m not sure I quite understand how that works, but this is going to be so splendidly awful that I almost feel like trying it- almost, but not quite. The insanely spiky haired character designs also remain oddly appealing in a perverse fashion.

Kyou Kara Maoh! season three
For better or worse, Kyou Kara Maoh seems to be one of those things that go on forever, and now it has thirty-nine more episodes to come. Presumably, if you’ve seen seasons one and two and still have an appetite for more, you’ll want to watch this, but for everyone else it’s just something else to ignore.

Allison to Lillia
What happens when you take two light novel series about girls named Allison and Lillia- and put them together to form one anime? The answer, of course, is Allison to Lillia, a series about both of their adventures. Although I know very little about it, it does give off a positive Last Exile vibe, and the fact that the original material was written by the author who brought us Kino’s Journey is a big plus point in its favour. I’ll be keeping my eye out for this one.

Kure-nai
On the surface, this sounds like another potentially interesting episodic light novel based series, this time about a mediator who negotiates squabbles between people. Unfortunately, there also seems to be a proliferation of seven year old characters, which makes me worried that it will either be a loli-fest or about as deep as Chokotto Sister.

xxxHOLiC: Kei
Much as I enjoy the xxxHOLiC manga (even though I haven’t bothered to read any new chapters in months), the anime was incredibly dull and poorly animated, leaving me unenthusiastic about a new season. Should I watch it for completeness? Perhaps, but then I remember the struggle of staying awake as season one progressed, and I think that I should just leave well alone.

Kanokon
Typical high school student meets a girl who is actually a fox goddess and builds up a harem with her and supporting characters- this sounds like Inukami for 2008, only probably inferior because it’s been done before. I may watch it once it’s finished airing, but it’s probably not something I’ll keep up with on a weekly basis.

Amatsuki
Boy who hates history gets caught in a historical simulation VR game- seems like a fairly standard setup that will produce a solid but not outstanding result. I may or may not watch, depending on early impressions and time available.

Druaga no To: the Aegis of Uruk
“Thus begins the story of a warrior named Gil who, finding companions along the way, embarks on a quest for the fabled Blue Crystal Rod”- is it me, or does this sound like yet another generic fantasy waiting to happen? And, given that it’s being animated by Gonzo, it seems unlikely to contain much originality or innovation.

Itazura na Kiss
Another romance series; this time about an ice-cold model student and the girl who relentlessly pursues him; it would sound like an immediate throwaway, except for apparently the story continues after they get married. For that reason, I may give it a go, in the hopes that it will at least be reminiscent of the greatness of Kare Kano.

Blassreiter: genetic
When I was reading the synopsis for this series, I thought like it sounded like the worthy successor to Persona and Mushi-Uta, containing as it does zombies and people with special powers. Then I saw that not only is it a Gonzo production, but that said people are meant to participate in a battle royale, and somehow all the potential just melted away.

Zettai Karen Children
Although the title draws me to this series (simply because it reminds me of Zettai Shounen), I feel I must resist, since it seems to centre on three young girls with ESP who are hired by the Japanese government. I sense magical girl, and whilst that doesn’t necessarily make it bad, I can’t say this particular setup is very appealing.

Kamen no Maid Guy
A masked burly maid guy- I don’t know whether to laugh or run away in fear. It will probably be amusing in a “light on the brain” fashion, but it hardly seems like something to clear a space in a packed schedule for.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
Forget Kamisama Kazoku and its family of gods, this series has a makeshift ‘family’ of beings with the potential power to destroy the world, including, for some reason, a lion and a jellyfish. It could be fun, but it could also be juvenile, so I’m remaining on the fence until it actually airs.

Da Capo II Second Season
Another one I’m just reporting in case anyone doesn’t know of its existence- as I haven’t watched season one, I won’t be seeing this any time soon.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
I can feel the Code Geass fanboys gathering around already (Hanners, are you reading this?), but since I didn’t complete season one, I won’t be picking up this one either. And what’s this I hear about Lelouch’s previously unmentioned brother showing up?

Neo Angelique Abyss
Didn’t we already have two Angelique TV series? Weren’t they more than enough? Somehow, however, another series with a new set of bishies has made it into existence, although if it’s as lacking in plot as its predecessors, it can be happily forgotten.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama
With Spice and Wolf having concluded, I need another worthy series with a furry lead, and so what better than one with an unsealed fox god who can take the form of either a man or a beautiful woman? As it’s light novel based, I’m getting good vibes already.

Special A
No, this isn’t a new type of cereal or vitamin supplement; instead, the Special A is an elite group of students who get such good grades that they don’t even have to attend classes. Nonetheless, our main character does go to classes, because her goal is, unsurprisingly, to beat the male lead. It sounds like a bit of a mishmash of other shoujo series, with little merit to watching it.

Soul Eater
Shinigami are always a popular subject, but here we have a slightly different spin on the topic, as weapon technicians try to turn their zanpakuto human weapons into proper Death Scythes by collecting the souls of evil people. Will it be an interesting take on a tried-and-true concept, or is it just the latest shounen series to star shinigami? Only time will tell.

Nabari no Ou
I almost wish that this was a spin-off of Shion no Ou, but instead it’s about a boy with destined powers and the two ninja clans who end up fighting over him. The latter sounds disturbingly similar to Basilisk (especially as the Iga clan shows up in both series), but I’m still undecided as to whether to try this.

Vampire Knight
I’ve long thought about reading the manga for this bishie vampire series, but all signs pointed to it being generally shallow and more about looks than story. I’m still oddly drawn to the series, but I can’t help feeling I should start with the manga rather than going to the anime- simply because it reminds me a little of the underwhelming Zombie-Loan.

Monochrome Factor
Having ruled out one possible Mushi-Uta/Persona successor, could this series be the destined heir instead? This time around, we have a high school student who is told he must acquire destined powers and use them to restore the balance between the human and shadow worlds- to be honest, it sounds pretty generic, but there could be a smidgen of potential hidden in there somewhere.

Crystal Blaze
A city with secrets, an ex-policeman turned detective, a woman with no memories- do they get these setups from a standard book of storylines? Nonetheless, this could be the Heat Guy J of 2008, so if it isn’t too unbearably MANLY and cyberpunk, it might actually be a solid outing.

Real Drive
I’m a sucker for series that promise to blend reality with the virtual world, especially when this one is very similar to a story idea I had several years ago (I must write that story!). Having been instantly drawn to the promo artwork, I know I must pursue this series, so my only hope is that it delivers on its potential instead of turning out to be unbearably cryptic and pretentious.

Kaiba
It may have ‘cutesy’ artwork and sound like another Yu-Gi-Oh spin-off, but again the idea of digitising memories draws me to this series like a moth to a flame. It may well be an offbeat classic, but of course there is always the chance that it’s the one that everyone wants to be an offbeat classic but isn’t actually very good. Still, I’m staying optimistic for now.

Toshokan Sensou
When the government starts getting heavy-handed with the regulation of information, who can you count on to save the day? As it turns out, the answer is the book soldiers of the local library, which is an original premise if not one that seems to hold much long-term story appeal. It could be the spiritual successor to Read or Die, but I’m going to keep my expectations reined in.

Golgo 13
Didn’t this series already have an OVA or something? Anyway, it now moves into TV series territory, with the titular Golgo 13 apparently being a womanising top assassin, who is most likely a less suave James Bond. It looks a bit too MANLY for me, although I’m not ruling it out entirely.