Reviewed this week: Antique Bakery 8, Detroit Metal City 2-3, Gunslinger Girl- Il Teatrino 8, Hidamari Sketch x365 8, Itazura na Kiss 21, Koihime Musou 8-9, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 18, Love GetChu! 11, Nabari no Ou 20, Natsume Yuujinchou 9-10, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 9, Ryoko’s Case File 9, Sisters of Wellber Zwei 5, World Destruction 9-10, Xam’D 8

…and in manga: Doubt 14, Elfen Lied 105, Emma Bangaihen 11-12, Minami-ke 37-9, Sketchbook 19-22, Slayers Revolution 4, xxxHOLiC 164

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (2) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (3) – Krona
4. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – Humanform
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (4) – can a fat cat get too fat?
6. Detroit Metal City (6) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – tranquil aid to meditation
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (9) – cliché
10. Slayers Revolution (10) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (11) – Sun Shang Xiang
12. Antique Bakery (12) – father
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – Fantastic Voyage
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – magic can’t do everything
15. Ryoko’s Case File (17) – attack of the killer mangrove
16. Itazura na Kiss (18) – dislikeable cast
17. World Destruction (19) – some stuff happened
18. Chocolate Underground (21) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Love GetChu! (2)- voice acting isn’t easy
3. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- Claes
4. Sisters of Wellber Zwei (3) – love triangle
5. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot
6. Real Drive (15) – demoted to slow
7. Himitsu (6) – demoted to slow
8. Allison and Lillia (-) – demoted to slow

Antique Bakery 8: It’s time for an unexpected revelation and evidence of STRAIGHT as a young girl gets fed up with her mother and asks to stay with her father for the night- that father being Chikage. As it turns out, Chikage fathered a child because one of Tachibana’s friends wanted to beat the biological clock, creating a soap opera style situation that is only exacerbated by the fact that the daughter in question is a 10 year old with the body of a high school student. It almost makes you long for the days when the series was plain, simple HARD GAY.

Detroit Metal City 2-3: After covering the rest of the material from the special, DMC is finally ready to forge ahead, as Negishi tries to keep Krauser in control whilst his agent decides to visit his home and help him lead the bona fide death metal lifestyle. By all rights, this series should be puerile and offensive, but I have to admit I find the mismatch between Negishi and Krauser to be rather entertaining- I just have to make sure I watch this when no one else is around.

Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino 8: They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it even applies to anime, making one actually look forward to a rare episode of a mediocre series. This episode is basically an expanded version of a manga chapter about a day in the life of Claes, roping in minor cyborg Beatrice (who appeared very briefly in manga volume four) as she undergoes tests, plants her garden, reads her book and has her erased memories stirred by a visit to the firing range. Unfortunately, this season is never going to be able to live up to the manga, so it’s a bit of a waste of time for anyone who’s already read it.

Hidamari Sketch x365 8: In the long overdue next instalment of Hidamari Sketch, it’s time for Sports Day, which for some reason in Japan always involves throwing balls into baskets, cavalry battles and so forth. Of course, we’ve all seen more than our fair share of anime sports festivals, but when it’s Hidamari Sketch, you can’t complain because it’s just as much fun as ever.

Itazura na Kiss 21: It’s taken 21 episodes, but Naoki’s stopped acting like a complete and utter jerk- so that someone else can take his place. As I predicted, ill pop star Nobuhiro is indeed the same Non-chan who Kotoko and the Iries once befriended in hospital, but the years have transformed him into the kind of selfish and spiteful bastard this series seems to specialise in. It’s a shame that no story arc in this series can be constructed without this kind of hateful character, but at least we’re near the end- just stop Hanners if he tries to test his theories of what would happen to someone who watched the whole series in one go.

Koihime Musou 8-9: Episode eight introduces another new party member in the form of Sun Shang Xiang (aka Sun Ren), the latest in a long line of lolis that tag along with Aisha/Guan Yu. No sooner has she joined, however, than the group become embroiled in an assassination plot and have to save archer Huang Zhong from murdering the feudal lord’s new husband by rescuing her daughter from some generic archers. After this is resolved, it’s time for the obligatory hot springs episode- except that the hot springs have dried up, forcing Aisha, Cao Cao to compete against each other to find a new spring whilst Yuan Shao bumbles about looking for treasure. I am slightly confused, however- does Liu Bei play any part whatsoever in this series?

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 18: Given the kind of poor fare this series serves up, this episode didn’t actually seem too bad in comparison- at least at first. Ouka has fallen ill with a cold, and so Kyouka takes it upon herself to organise the household to compensate for his absence, only to get bored and go on an Indiana Jones style adventure to rescue an artefact that could cure him. Naturally, this only makes the situation worse, ultimately seeing the family make a Fantastic Voyage into Ouka’s brain in order to destroy an invading nanomachine. I can’t deny there were some amusing moments earlier on such as Kyouka squeezing lemons and Hyouka breaking the bath taps, but the episode packed in so many changes of direction that by around the 15 minute mark I just wanted it all to be over.

Love Getchu! 11: Now that our leads have skipped ahead of basic training, the time has come to apply for a proper voice acting role- but can Momoko and the others make an impression with just the line “I’m sorry- goodbye”? Naturally, Momoko has to go through the usual angst and finding her own path route that most main characters undertake, but loses out in the end anyway because the anime’s original creator wants a different actress (if that was the case, why didn’t he say so before they held auditions?).

Nabari no Ou 20: It’s been a while, but now more Nabari has come our way, as Miharu and Yoite decide to find Oda (yes, I thought she was out of the series, but it seems the plot needed her once more) so that they can communicate with the Shinrabanshou and find out how to use it. Unfortunately, not only does the Shinrabanshou have a personality and agenda of its own, but Kairoshuu have sent the Tategamis out to eliminate Yoite. Yes, things are actually happening now, but it’s still hard to see how the series can fill up six more episodes with content.

Natsume Yuujinchou 9-10: Natsume has been pretty much alone in his ability to see spirits, and even when he meets someone else who can just about see them, he doesn’t like to admit the truth. This time around, however, Natsume finally meets someone who not only realises his secret, but who wants assistance on a particular case. This change in pace injects some variety into the series, but the ending is nonetheless fairly predictable, whilst the high point is discovering that Nyanko-sensei has become so fat that he has to go out on walks, lest his moving around at home gets mistaken for an earthquake!

Unfortunately, episode 10 has much less Nyanko-sensei, but it does provide another interesting variation as Natsume gets possessed- by the spirit of a woman! Asagi wants just one more chance to play her koto, but can Natsume help her fulfil her dream even as his friends wonder why he seems a little more girlish than before? This series could easily go to 26 episodes, so why is it ending soon?

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 9: Now that Yuuto is working with Shiina to help out with the school festival, he has less time for Haruka- so naturally, she jumps at the chance to help him pick out reference material for the cosplay café their class will be putting on- even if it means breaking a promise to her father. Aside from the threat of further craziness from the father and a cliff-hanger ending that will almost certainly turn out to be a misunderstanding, this was actually a rather pleasant episode, plus I’m now in a position to appreciate the Onegai Teacher reference in the preview.

Ryoko’s Case File 9: When Ryoko disappears, poor Jun’ichiro is like a dog without a master, even going so far as to wait on Ryoko’s rival. Worse yet, the press has begun attacking Ryoko for her practice of poaching ex-police officers for the family company just when she isn’t around to defend herself. As it turns out, however, this episode is just a rather dull prelude to a longer arc that may actually prove to be more worthwhile than anything involving enlarged lizards, sentient plants and suicide-inducing bugs- although I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ Zwei 5: Despite his general lack of personality, Galahad has managed to end up at the centre of a love triangle as both Rita and Tina develop feelings for him (you fools, you’re meant to be HARD YURI for each other!), but since he can only reciprocate the feelings of one girl, how will it all end up? Meanwhile, Greedom and Wellber’s kings have a laugh together and Sherri falls ill, necessitating an RPG style trip to find a cure.

Love triangle summarised

Tina: Broke up with Jin because she loves Galahad, tries to confess but quickly changes what she said after blurting it out so he doesn’t realise. Later tells Rita her feelings for Galahad.

Rita: Loves Galahad, but becomes unable to admit it after Tina admits her feelings. Rejects him for Tina’s sake.

Galahad: Loves Rita and ultimately confesses to her after angsting about how Jamil was his one true love last season, only to be rejected. Has no idea about Tina’s feelings for him.

World Destruction 9-10: There are two kinds of World Destruction episode- the mediocre and the forgettable. Episode nine is definitely the latter, featuring a stop at a town where humans and beastmen live in harmony, Morte angsting over past and present, and very little else (or, if there was anything else, I can no longer recall it). Episode ten is slightly more memorable, featuring a town of robots that was clearly inspired by Wall-E, but ultimately it dragged on for so long that I had to split my viewing into two halves, separated by many hours.

Xam’D- Lost Memories 8: With the help of his newfound allies, Akiyuki manages to make it to his meeting with Haru, but whilst she still believes him, Furuichi feels otherwise. Having been cast as the anti-hero, Furuichi has no qualms about turning against the friend who believes betrayed and abandoned them, but even he is just another cog in the machinations of the authorities, who are currently interested in a giant green soulstone.

Really?

MANGA

Doubt 14: After dragging it out for as long as possible, the wolf is finally revealed, but just why did they kill everyone anyway? With his life literally hanging by a thread after he gets tied to the top of the staircase, Yuu’s only chance of survival may be to understand the motives that drive the murderer, but can anyone think straight under these circumstances? Now we’ll have to wait again to see what happens next.

Elfen Lied 105: With the realisation that she is dying, the remains of Lucy/Nyu begin lashing out at everyone around, with only a small portion of her consciousness left to protect Kohta. Can Kohta fulfil his promise to kill Lucy now that she has lost control? If so, he’d better hurry up, as the series is rapidly drawing to a close.

Emma Bangaihen 11-12: In this two-part story, we take to the theatre to follow the careers of three young singers- George, Allen and Louise. I can’t recall how or even if this relates to the original Emma characters beyond them going to the theatre at one point, but as always it’s so worthy that I wish these characters had their own series.

Minami-ke 37-9: Volume two draws to a close with these chapters, which fit in a bit of the ‘Banchou’ storyline before sending the Minami sisters off to beach with Takeru and some friends. The most amusing segment, however, is an omake chapter set in Chiaki’s school in which crossed wires lead to one boy in class getting the wrong idea about how far his female classmates have gone. An old joke, perhaps, but still amusing in the right places.

Sketchbook 19-22: It’s time for more random fun with Sketchbook, complete with the introduction of a character everyone should remember from the anime- English girl Kate. It’s not all (or even mostly) about her, though- there’s still time for oddities such as a plush screwdriver, a calendar that starts on Wednesdays and other quirks that will bring a smile to your face.

Slayers Revolution 4: The manga is quick to catch up with the anime once again as it strips away the fluff and skips straight to Lina and co having been captured by Xellos and sent to Gioconda’s castle. What follows is basically the same as episode nine, although I must say it’s easier to digest in 30 page rather than 25 minute chunks.

xxxHOLiC 164: I felt as if I was reading a cookery book in this chapter as Watanuki explained how he taught his new client how to cook potatoes (wait a minute, even I can cook potatoes), but when Doumeki gives the food the all-important taste test, something seems amiss. Am I really supposed to take Doumeki’s food criticism seriously in connection with spiritual and supernatural issues? Then again, in Ryoko’s Case File, bad cooking caused explosions, so who’s to say what imperfectly prepared food can do?

Watanuki has settled into his life of working at Yuuko’s shop and has even learned to become less bothered by the spirits he sees, but there is still much for this young man to learn. From losing his right eye after falling foul of a spider’s grudge to befriending a young spirit medium who is seen as only a moneymaking tool by her mother, Watanuki must grow as a person and learn that seeing the world from the perspectives of others can be just as importing as viewing it through your own eyes.

Despite my love of the original manga, the first season of the xxxHOLiC anime so thoroughly sucked the life out of the series that I couldn’t see myself ever wanting to watch more of the same. Nonetheless, when Hige reported back that the first episode of the new season wasn’t all that bad, I decided to take the plunge and give it a try. Remaining steadfastly pessimistic, I forged ahead- and to my surprise, it seemed that this time around Production IG had put a bit more effort in.

With some proper ongoing plots from the manga to get their teeth into, xxxHOLiC Kei is easily able to outstrip its predecessor, offering a series that, whilst far from perfect, at least is entertaining to watch. Despite erasing all references to Tsubasa and generally switching around or slightly altering the events of the manga to better fit its thirteen episode span, the general flow and coherence of the spider grudge, Kohane-chan and ‘typhoid Himawari’ arcs are preserved; purists such as myself may pick holes, but it’s certainly a solid enough series.

As far as characters go, the line up in xxxHOLiC Kei is much the same as the last series, consisting of milquetoast lead Watanuki, stoic Doumeki, cheerful Himawari and of course space-time witch Yuuko and her entourage. Naturally, various other recurring characters show up to spice up proceedings a little, but despite various character revelations and the introduction of spirit medium Kohane as a new friend for Watanuki, in retrospect everyone is pretty much the same at the end of the series as they were at the beginning. Yes, Watanuki is said to have developed a greater degree of thoughtfulness and empathy for others, but when it comes to character dynamics, everyone acts much the same as always- Watanuki gets annoyed by Doumeki’s attitude, Yuuko and Mokona demand alcohol, and so on.

Given how shoddily the first season of xxxHOLiC was animated, it would have been hard for Production IG to do any worse, but fortunately, they were able to spare a touch more budget this time around. Whilst the animation could hardly be said to be anything special, it is at least serviceable, with the long-limbed, high contrast figures actually looking reasonable instead of appearing to be deformed paper cut outs. Background music is largely the same as before, with solid themes that serve their purpose without particularly standing out, and the latest in a long line of dire retro EDs.

Final Thoughts

An immense improvement on the dull first season, xxxHOLiC Kei may not particularly shine, but it is at least a worthy enough adaptation of a much loved manga. No, it will never live up to the original, but at least it is entertaining and watchable in its own right.

Tier: Bronze+

“I’ve heard this joke before.”

Reviewed this week: Antique Bakery 5, Chi’s Sweet Home 69-76, Chocolate Underground 5, Detroit Metal City 1, Hidamari Sketch x365 7, Itazura na Kiss 19, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 14-15, Natsume Yuujinchou 7, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 6, Ryoko’s Case File 6, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 8

…and in manga: Elfen Lied 102-4, Tsubasa 197, xxxHOLiC 163

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (4) – vectors
4. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – what’s going on?
6. Detroit Metal City (12) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – tranquil aid to meditation
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (10) – Comiket
10. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (13) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
12. Antique Bakery (14) – Gaydar overload
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (15) – everything at or below this time is wasting my precious life!
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (16) – magic can’t do everything
15. Real Drive (18) – flashback
16. Himitsu (20) – faceless
17. Allison and Lillia (22) – plane crash is the new train wreck
18. Ryoko’s Case File (17) – giant lizards
19. World Destruction (19) – tree
20. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (23) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
21. Itazura na Kiss (25) – dislikeable cast
22. Chocolate Underground (26) – chocolate is forbidden

Antique Bakery 5: Antique has landed the chance to open a stall at a department store fair, but for Ono the prospect of cooking in front of members of the opposite sex is more than a little terrifying- can he and Chikage manage it? And will Eiji be able to produce the legendary cassis back at the main store? Of course they will, but can viewers take the intense combination of sweet cakes and HARD GAY?

Chi’s Sweet Home 69-76: The fat cat gods of anime are smiling down on me again, for they have provided eight more episodes of Chi, and the series just keeps getting better and better with each marathon. This time around, Chi finds out where the cat biscuits are stored and helps herself, gets a much needed grooming and plays with her own shed fur- cat owners, need I say more? Why must this series ever end?

Chocolate Underground 5: If Chi’s Sweet Home is the poster series for how much can be achieved in the space of 2-3 minutes, then Chocolate Underground must fill the opposite, because after five episodes, we’ve still barely got anywhere. Having discovered the magical chocolate buffet, our heroes are in for a rude awakening when the Chocolate Police show up- although fortunately, there are some convenient escape wagons waiting. Cue a mine cart chase scene that could have come straight out of any number of video games, and before you know it, the two leads have stumbled upon the raw ingredients needed to start their own chocolate underground by episode 13! Now excuse me whilst I go and play some Chocolatier.

Detroit Metal City 1: Okay, so the last ‘episode one’ was actually a preview special, but this time around we have the genuine episode one- and to be honest, apart from a few scene changes, it covers much the same material.

Hidamari Sketch x365 7: After spending so much time at the end of the school year, it’s time to flip back to Yuno and Miyako’s entrance ceremony, and as always, it’s good straightforward fun. From a glimpse of the infamous drying agents to Yuno and Miyako getting ready in the morning, this series just knows how to hit the mark. This may be my new favourite SHAFT series.

Itazura na Kiss 19: Another week, another week of marital bliss for our leads- or so you might say if you were deaf, blind and apathetic to the world. After spending the first half of the episode contriving an engagement between Kinnosuke and Chris, we get back to the happy couple- but Kotoko has just noticed that Naoki doesn’t treat her all that well. Frustrated and angry, she lashes out at him, causing him to admit that he is in fact a robot who was never programmed with human emotions. In the meantime, Keita is waiting to take Kotoko away from her husband, the way responsible friends should. Of course, our leads make up by the end, but next week it looks like a blonde guy will be showing up to hit on Kotoko- what fun.

“…because I am a robot!”

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 14-15: The tiresome Doctor Gebok is back in episode fourteen, and the only way to reverse the disease that has turned all generics in the city into animals is to defeat him. Cue another bout of pointless craziness that manages to remain entirely dull- if you want to see epic battles against bizarre monsters, then watch the far superior Futakoi Alternative.

Episode 15 continues the trend with an episode in which Kyouka becomes a magical girl so that she can punish Ouka for those two cardinal sins- criticising his wife’s cooking and then forgetting their anniversary. This time around I was reminded of Excel Saga, which, although it hasn’t particularly stood the test of time, was still more enjoyable than this.

Natsume Yuujinchou 7: When Natsume goes on a school trip, he attracts the attention of a little fox when he saves it from some bullying demons- but is it dangerous to form an attachment when Natsume is going home in just a few days? This was a nice, largely sedate episode which seemed to indicate how Natsume is gradually settling into his life and becoming less depersonalised from everything.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 6: Comiket is here, and in the trend of the Genshiken team before them, Haruka and Yuuto are all set to attend. Unfortunately, the aforementioned Genshiken already did this a lot better, but Haruka has a decent enough stab at it, resulting in a reasonably entertaining episode that seems to characterise the series as a whole- “decent, but nothing particularly inspiring or original”.

Ryoko’s Case File 6: I know we all have series we watch even though we find it impossible to properly absorb what’s going on, and now that Amatsuki is over, Ryoko’s Case File is occupying that role for me. This time around, some other generic bad guys are indulging in generically scandalous activity, whilst the ‘natural treasure’ of a giant salamander wanders around. To be honest, the emergence of the salamander into daylight was much like reliving the X-ATM-092 boss battle from Final Fantasy VIII (complete with music that could have been penned by Nobuo Uematsu); I appreciate not everyone will know what I’m talking about, but the feeling was so strong that I just had to mention it.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 8: As Telepathy Shoujo Ran gets ever more dull, the only way I can even make it through an episode is by playing rock music in the background- a nice contrast to the tepid contents the episode has to offer us. This week, two generic one shot characters are having trouble expressing their feelings to one another- which is a shame as one is about to move away. Cue some clumsy interference from Ran, Rui and Midori in an attempt to set everything right, and whilst I suppose I should be happy that they wanted to improve someone’s life, one can’t help feeling they should stop horning in on other people’s affairs.

MANGA

Elfen Lied 102-4: As the end approaches, Lucy goes final boss and starts destroying everything in sight, but when she sees that Kouta is injured, she uses her powers to repair his body- at the expense of her own. Now, Lucy is just a melted pile of flesh and the army is demanding that Kouta and the others hand her over- how can all this be resolved in just three chapters?

Tsubasa Chronicle 197: Syaoran has been sent back to Yuuko’s shop, but he isn’t content to wait in his own world- Sakura needs him, and to that end he plans to pay Yuuko to return to Clow Country. As for what the price will be, even that small detail has been reserved until next chapter.

xxxHOLiC 163: After learning from Haruka that Doumeki only eats food that he is satisfied with (and therefore has great trust in his cooking), Watanuki heads off to teach Yuuko’s new client how to cook- but why does she seem familiar? I suppose she might somehow be a relative of Watanuki’s (perhaps even his mother in some strange twist) but we’ll have to wait until September to find out the truth.

Sadly no- that’s why I dropped the series.

Reviewed this week: Hidamari Sketch x365 5-6, Itazura na Kiss 18, Koihime Musou 5, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 13, Nabari no Ou 19, Natsume Yuujinchou 6, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 5, Ryoko’s Case File 5, Slayers Revolution 6, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 5, Soul Eater 19, World Destruction 5-6, Xam’D 4-5

…and in manga: Doubt 1-13, FMA 86, Minami-ke 36, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 11, Nodame Cantabile 122, Shinigami no Ballad 4-6, Sketchbook 17-18, Tsubasa 195-6, xxxHOLiC 162

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (4) – vectors
4. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – what’s going on?
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
7. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
8. Detroit Metal City (12) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (10) – Shiina
10. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (13) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
12. Antique Bakery (14) – Young Master!
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (15) – everything at or below this time is wasting my precious life!
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (16) – magic can’t do everything
15. Ryoko’s Case File (17) – superintendant
16. Real Drive (18) – flashback
17. World Destruction (19) – tree
18. Himitsu (20) – faceless
19. Allison and Lillia (22) – plane crash is the new train wreck
20. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (23) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
21. Itazura na Kiss (25) – dislikeable cast
22. Chocolate Underground (26) – chocolate is forbidden

ANIME

Hidamari Sketch x365 5-6: It’s time for double fun with Hidamari Sketch, starting with an episode in which Chika visits during spring break- a situation in which very little of consequence happens, but it all proves to be entertaining (although for some reason I just can’t like Chika as much as the other girls). Next up, we have a two-part episode which starts with Sae using up her summer vacation to think up new storylines, with the old running joke about her not wanting to admit her lack of experience in love, before rounding off with a November segment about making choux pastry. It’s all good fun, and adding in a cooking element is just the icing on the cake (no pun intended), making for a series that is always entertaining to watch.

Itazura na Kiss 18: At the risk of sounding ever so slightly repetitive, I must note how much I hate all the characters in Itazura na Kiss. Whilst Kotoko continues being such a useless trainee nurse that I fear for the health of anyone who becomes her patient, Naoki continues to be a cold-hearted bastard who cares more for the newspaper than his wife. Understandably, Kotoko’s friends wonder how she can put up with such a husband, but after coming across as quite a sympathetic character, Keita manages to blow it by suggesting that Kotoko break up with Naoki as casually as if they were just dating. No, they shouldn’t be together, but having married you’d better be damn sure you know the situation before suggesting they break up. Maybe I’m getting too old to enjoy this sort of thing.

What a loving relationship.

Koihime Musou 5: When our heroines stumble upon a village where a mysterious monster blocks up their homes with rocks if they don’t offer it food, Zhao Yun volunteers them for the task of sorting it out. Naturally, the other two girls are scared at the prospect of a monster- although of course the explanation is far more prosaic, as it turns out to be the solitary Lu Bu (Ryofu) living alone and feeding dogs- at least until she makes some brand new friends and comes to work in the court of the surprisingly young and cute Dong Zhuo- a far cry from his fat, bearded Dynasty Warriors self.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 13: After the fillerific episode twelve, the only way for Kyouran Kazoku Nikki was up, and indeed, after episode thirteen, it’s managed to claw its way back up to the usual level of senselessness that the series specialises in. This time around, we see Chika struggling with being an outsider, whilst also dealing with disappearances at her school that lead into the introduction of a tiresome main villain for the series. Sadly, any chance of a thoughtful moment of character insight is completely spoiled by the stupidity that surrounds it- but that’s what we’ve come to expect from this series.

Nabari no Ou 19: The tranquil pace continues in this episode, as Yoite returns from walkabout to eat strawberry cake (of Doom) and Yukimi has a flashback to the days when Yoite didn’t even have his own name. There are actually hints that something might be happening soon by the end of the episode, but everything’s become so convoluted that I don’t hold out hope that anything can be settled in a timely fashion.

Natsume Yuujinchou 6: When a dammed up river dries out for the summer, the spirits that live there are free to get out- including some who’d like their names back from the Book of Friends. Also emerging from the river is a swallow spirit who wants nothing more than to see a particular person again- but can Natsume be persuaded to aid her in her quest, and if he does, what will Nyanko-sensei think of it? Although I’m still unsure as to why Nyanko-sensei has even chosen to stay with Natsume, this was a nice little character development piece for our lead as he realises that he can and does care about other people.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 5: Haruka remains in safe anime territory this week as ‘panty shot girl’ Shiina transfers into Yuuto and Haruka’s class and becomes an instant hit. What follows is the obligatory swimming pool episode, but even if this series isn’t budging from the tried-and-true storylines of anime, it still just manages to be more entertaining than the lower level series on the list. Maybe it’s just the bright colours, but it certainly has something they lack.

Ryoko’s Case File 5: Although I had heard second-hand that Ryoko’s Case File would improve in this episode, I have to say that it’s an improvement so small as to be imperceptible to me. This time around, Jun’ichirou is looking after a young relative of his when a case suddenly comes up, forcing him and Ryoko to enter a building owned by a business, get kidnapped for about two minutes, and do some other things so fascinating that I don’t even recall what they were. Meanwhile, instead of realising the wisdom of staying put, said young relative decides to walk right into danger, making the whole situation that much trickier. Oh, but she does secretly have a crush on Jun’ichirou, so I suppose that makes it all right.

Slayers Revolution 6: It’s time for the obligatory HARD GAY episode as our intrepid heroes enter ‘Gongoro’, a legendary village which devotes its time to making giant balls to roll up a mountain (no, really). What follows is the typical competition episode as Lina’s team, Pocota’s team and some minor enemies all support different factions in the ball-rolling contest- it’s reasonably entertaining, but this story was already done better between Lina and Naga in one of the OVAs.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 5: After the creepiness of the breast milk, any magic the series showed us could only be an improvement, although sadly all it does is take the series into the realms of the unbearably twee. First up, Sora uses her power to restore a treasured comb that a woman’s deceased husband clutched as he went to his death, before she awakens a mother who has been in a coma- albeit at the expense of her memories. I’m rather happy that magic couldn’t solve anything in the latter case, as if it had I might have just been overcome by the unhealthy wholesomeness of it all. In other news, we learn that Sora’s mentor likes playing the guitar, and that minor characters like screentime- which is no big surprise.

Soul Eater 19: The named characters are ready to fight their opponents, who have happily been laid in such a way that everyone gets their own personal fight. First up, the junior members must get past Medusa whilst Stein and Papa distract her- but will even the professor be a match for her vector-based attacks (with vectors and symmetry, this is turning into a surprisingly mathematical series)? Well, we know that the heroes must prevail, but watching them fight is the main attraction here- and it’s one that seems certain to keep us thoroughly entertained (see, I can give praise where it’s due).

World Destruction 5-6: If there’s one thing you can say about World Destruction, it’s that at least it’s consistent- consistently poor, that is. In episode five, we enter a town where an old friend of Toppi’s (his name is Yappi, he’s a small black bear with an eyepatch and he says ‘bear’ at the end of every sentence- but no resemblance to anyone we know, eh?) has fallen to the dark practice of selling humans to the gladiatorial arena- but don’t worry, boys and girls, because Toppi will help him see the light. Next up, our heroes enter Summerland, only for Kyrie (I remember his name now) to faint in the heat and end up under the care of an elephant beastman who is secretly trying to atone for the evils of his past. Oh well, at least the series is helping to improve my multitasking abilities, since I can now download images, watch anime and have another streaming video running all at the same time without missing out on too much.

Xam’D- Lost Memories 4-5: I have to admit that as Xam’D progresses, I’m starting to lose the thread of what’s going on- although in spite of that it remains a quality series nonetheless. Whilst Akiyuki settles into the training needed to become a postal worker who doesn’t transform into a monster, various other characters follow separate threads, with the series seemingly setting up a Dominic-style character in episode five. I get the feeling this series would be better watched as a marathon, but that’s not exactly possible right now.

MANGA

*CATCH-UP* Doubt 1-13: Inspired by both Necromancer and THAT, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon of Doubt (not to be confused with an older manga series, also called Doubt). As I’m sure you’ve heard already, Rabbit Doubt is a popular online game where the players take on the role of rabbits out to find the wolf in their midst before they all get killed; unfortunately, things go a step too far when a real life meeting of Rabbit Doubt players ends with them being locked in a Cube-esque labyrinth with barcodes that open one door each and a wolf out to kill them. Over the course of the first thirteen chapters, a tale of horror, suspense and mystery unfolds- but typically enough we’ll have to wait for the release of chapter 14 to find out the culprit. And, equally pressingly- does the series end after this case, or will there be more to it? Whatever the case, it’s been a solid experience.

Fullmetal Alchemist 86: With Al possessed by Pride, Ed and Greed might be up against more they can handle- especially when the regrown Gluttony shows up and tries to open his fake Gates of Truth. Meanwhile, there are wheels within wheels in the military, but does anyone have the power to topple Father and Bradley? Whatever the case, I cannot express enough how I want the rest of the manga here, not drip fed in monthly chapters.

Minami-ke 36: It’s another brief yet amusing segment as Kana holds an impromptu session on staying away from suspicious people- but should ‘Uncle’ Takeru be counted amongst their number? Just what is his relation to the girls anyway? And even when this question is answered, will Kana still consider him a suspicious person? These are of course rhetorical questions, but it’s amazing how the series can pack all this into a mere nine pages.

Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 11: Now that Beethoven and Czerny have found the magic flute, they are deeper into the mystery of Mozart’s death than ever before- and there are those who don’t want them to uncover any more. For whilst Salieri might have been the culprit, the conspiracy involves the might of the Freemasons, and if he continues to investigate, Beethoven’s safety can’t be guaranteed. Of course, this warning is only likely to fuel our cranky hero’s curiosity, but is that exact what they are counting on? Other than that, not a great deal happens in this chapter, but there’s the feeling that we’re being set up for bigger and better things to happen in the second half of the series.

Nodame Cantabile 122: At long last the time for Chiaki and Rui’s joint performance has arrived, and although it may not be the most polished of pieces, the audience cannot help but be blown away by the display of emotion therein- Nodame included. There’s not much else to say about this chapter, except that UK readers interested in conducting might be interested in ‘Maestro’, a new TV series where celebrities learn how to conduct.

Shinigami no Ballad 4-6: I don’t know how I failed to notice it, but I somehow got three full chapters behind on Shinigami no Ballad, which for this series is the best part of a volume. In these stories we see a teacher reaching out to a young girl who has become too used to being alone, a middle school student falling for a senpai who can use magic and a cat who wants only to comfort a young girl whose mother has disappeared. All of these are worthy healing tales, and even though Momo largely remains in the background as the thin thread that pulls it all together, it remains a highly enjoyable series.

Sketchbook 17-18: Summer has come to the world of Sketchbook, and despite the lack of cats, our protagonists are outside, enjoying everything from the beach to insects. In terms of amusement, this series is really going from strength to strength- even if you were underwhelmed by the anime, you must try it.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 195-6: The purification ceremony is finally here, but when Sakura and Syaoran enter the shrine, an unpleasant surprise is waiting- Fei Wong has opened a portal, and branded Sakura with a deadly curse, all because Syaoran hesitated in saving her. What does this all mean for the plot? CLAMP only knows.

xxxHOLiC 162: At long last, a new customer has come to the shop with a rather unusual request- she wants to learn how to cook. But whilst Haruka might reflect on how far Watanuki has come, for the rest of us it’s a rather strange turn of events- is xxxHOLiC about to become the new Masterchef? Has the series run out of steam?

]]> http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/08/15/weekly-round-up-august-15th/feed/ 2 http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/08/08/weekly-round-up-august-8th/ http://azureflame.dasaku.net/2008/08/08/weekly-round-up-august-8th/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:59:59 +0000 Karura http://azureflame.dasaku.net/?p=3293

Backlog catch-up is a myth.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 12-13, Antique Bakery 3-4, Blade of the Immortal 2, Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68, Detroit Metal City 1, Eve no Jikan 1, Himawari!! 6, Itazura na Kiss 17, Kaiba 11-12, Koihime Musou 4, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12, Otome S.ifr 2, Nabari no Ou 17-18, Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4, Persona Trinity Soul 22-6, Real Drive 13, Ryoko’s Case File 4, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4, Soul Eater 16-18, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15, Xam’D 3

…and in manga: .hack//Link 3, Caramel Espresso 1-2, Clannad 6-8, Claymore 82, Elfen Lied 89-101, FMA 85, MariMite 25-7, Minami-ke 34-5, Nodame 121, Rose of Versailles 9-10, Sketchbook 13-16, Slayers Aqualord 1, Slayers Revolution 3, Tsubasa 194, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, xxxHOLiC 159-161, Yotsuba&! 55

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I? <-complete!
3. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
4. Soul Eater (4) – symmetry
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – Bones does it again
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (14) – maid secrets
11. Persona Trinity Soul (11) – what did it all mean? <- complete!
12. Detroit Metal City (-) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you! <-new!
13. Koihime Musou (10) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
14. Antique Bakery (15) – Young Master!
15. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (16) – fillerific
16. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (12) – open the safe
17. Ryoko’s Case File (18) – superintendant
18. Real Drive (13) – flashback
19. World Destruction (19) – tree
20. Himitsu (21) – faceless
21. Amatsuki (20) – inconclusive <-complete!
22. Allison and Lillia (23) – plane crash is the new train wreck
23. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
24. Blade of the Immortal (22) – boring <-dropped!
25. Itazura na Kiss (24) – dislikeable cast
26. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

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

*COMPLETE* Amatsuki 12-13: At long last, the series so dull and unable to maintain a consistent plotline that I barely knew or cared what was going on has come to an end, although to call something as inconclusive as this an ending is stretching it a bit. In episode twelve, Toki manages to save Imayou from evil somehow and turn her into a cute fox once again, before episode thirteen sees Ginshu call down the Hand of God, everything turns a bit Matrix-esque and then it all ends with the announcement that Toki may have to become the next overseer of this world. I’ll go into more detail in its own specific review, but suffice to say that after a slightly promising start, Amatsuki was barely worth watching. If you haven’t tried it, don’t bother.

Antique Bakery 3-4: Two more episodes in, and the HARD GAY has gone off the scale as Tachibana’s childhood friend Chikage shows up. Chikage holds a candle for “Young Master” Tachibana, but when he takes off his sunglasses, he captures Ono’s heart leading to new extremes of lust, longing and a general HARD GAY atmosphere. At least it’s somewhat amusing.

*DROPPED* Blade of the Immortal 2: It’s been proven that I can sit through near endless amounts of mediocrity, but there inevitably comes a time when one of the worse series just goes a step too far, and this week, Blade of the Immortal has proven too dull to continue with. In this episode, we see a flashback of a generic wronged family, before we return to the present, where the one survivor has grown up and now wants to travel with our lead on the way to revenge. When you put it like that, it sounds fairly inoffensive, but there’s absolutely no reason to care about what’s going. Bee Train has really outdone themselves this time.

Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68: If the rash of average series that has infected us this season can be thought of as a kind of dull gruel, then Chi’s Sweet Home is the delicious chocolate chips in my viewing schedule, renewing my faith in the medium as a whole and refreshing my stamina for everything else. In this batch of episodes, Chi gets a return visit to the vet, plays in a storm, experiences the family getting ill, becomes addicted to snack treats and generally does all sorts of cute cat-like things. The most hilarious moment occurs when Chi gets into a net, secure in the knowledge that no one can catch her- right up until Youhei seals her in.

*NEW* Detroit Metal City 1: Negishi is a mild-mannered young man who came to Tokyo to make it big as a guitar player; but whilst he may play wholesome songs of peace and harmony by day, by night he becomes Krauzer, lead singer for Detroit Metal City, a death metal band who has built their reputation on explicit lyrics. The trouble is, Krauser has a tendency to emerge as and when he will, and as long as that happens, Negishi won’t get any girls. Thus begins a new OVA series based on the manga of the same name, and whilst this is certainly something you won’t want to watch in polite company (or perhaps any company whatsoever), there is something amusing to be found from the mismatch between the two personalities.

*NEW* Eve no Jikan 1: In a world where androids have become integrated into all walks of life (yes, another one), there is only one place where artificial intelligence and humans can be treated on the same level- a small café located in an obscure back street. Just like the café in Mizu no Kotoba (is it meant to be the same place?), humans and androids are treated equally here, as our protagonist discovers when he stumbles on it after checking his android’s movement logs. Although the overall premise may not be particularly original, this is a well animated and reasonably thought provoking piece that immediately stands out from most of the dross we’ve been subjected to lately.

Himawari!! 6: Hayato and the girls have been left alone, but whilst they try to figure out what’s going on, who should show up but Tsubaki- and this time she wants to duel Himawari to see who is worthy of Hayato-dono’s heart. As with the rest of the season, this is a pretty average episode, although at least the infamous birthmark is having some significance this time around.

Itazura na Kiss 17: Another week, another episode of Itazura na Kiss that gives us no reason to do anything but despise all of the characters. Kotoko has finally made it into nursing school (skipping straight to the second year for some reason) but in predictable fashion she is an incompetent klutz that I wouldn’t wish on any patient, whilst her new classmates are all obsessed with Naoki- first trailing him to find out the identity of his wife (since Kotoko gets into a situation where she can’t easily admit it) and the deciding that it will be easy to get Naoki to divorce her and go after them. Well, aside from the fact that he’s a complete and utter bastard, vowing to break up someone’s marriage is a bit much even when viewed in a ‘comedic’ light, whilst the one character who isn’t interested in Naoki seems likely to end up falling for Kotoko. Oh dear, what a tangle.

*COMPLETE* Kaiba 11-12: Episode eleven sees Popo ascend to the world above, but his victory is a pyrrhic one- Cheki, the one who he wanted to see his victory, no longer has any memories of their shared past, whilst a careless mistake sees his mother’s memory chip consigned to oblivion. Not that Popo’s achievements are to be long-lived, given the number of people ready and willing to snatch it all away from him- setting the stage for Kaiba-Warp to meet and battle the fake. Can Neiro and Hyo-Hyo (who contains Neiro’s original memories) help Kaiba-Warp to claim victory and defeat the plant, all without losing himself in the mass of memories he possesses? I can’t say that this series made complete sense to me, but it was still very good, and one of the few select series that deserves watching again.

Koihime Musou 4: When Cao Cao shows up in town, Ma Chao decides to take revenge for the death of her father, and when she lands in prison because of it, Guan Yu must offer her body to the ambitious warlord in return for her friend’s freedom. Although the deed doesn’t actually take place, this episode takes the ecchi levels up several notches (presumably they slept together in the original game) but if you discount those moments, the series is still mildly entertaining if you view it with rose-tinted glasses.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12: Although I have occasionally complained about the family going overboard and ruining everything, what I didn’t count on was an episode in which they all but completely failed to appear. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we get here, with a filler episode about a random college student who takes in a catgirl. The catgirl is rather cute, but the episode is hardly anything to write home about- unless you want to write home to explain how you just wasted twenty-five minutes of your life.

Mai-Otome 0 S.ifr 2: Since I completely forgot to watch this raw, I ended up catching my first subbed episode of Mai-Otome since the original series, as the prequel tale of Sifr, Bruce and Rena continues. Whilst Schwarz try to convince Sifr that their dodgy haircuts and generic minions are in no way any indication that they are, in fact, evil, Rena has an angst session with a bishie and his brother Reito in the desert, Elliot gets stripped naked for some reason and various other uninteresting things happen. But the true indicator that the franchise has gone downhill is that this episode is completely lacking in fat grey cats, or indeed any cats whatsoever. Bring back the cats!

Nabari no Ou 17-18: Although you wouldn’t expect it of a series purporting to contain ninjas and action, I’ve come to realise that the best way to enjoy Nabari no Ou is to adapt oneself to its tranquil pacing- if you do this, it somehow becomes more enjoyable. Anyway, episode seventeen sees Raimei lead Yukimi to the school in an attempt to keep him away from Thobari and everyone else, but as it turns out, Thobari is there shredding documents anyway. Perhaps it’s just as well, however, as Raimei’s character has degenerated into that of a pathetic female who can’t do anything, much to my disappointment. Then in episode eighteen Yoite enters Angst Mode after learning that he has a month to live, causing him to wander the wintry streets in his pyjamas, coughing up blood. Nice.

Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5: It’s time for Natsume Yuujinchou to show lesser series how it’s done in this double bill of episodes; first up, we have a test of courage that sees Natsume and his friends wander the school at night, only to discover that there may actually be a ghost, followed by an encounter with a none-too-bright demon at the station that leads to Natsume attempting to complete a reconciliation Reiko forgot to do anything about. It may not be mind-blowingly original, but the series has a perfect trump card in the form of Nyanko-sensei, who reveals that he can also transform into an attractive young woman alongside his fat cat and Okami forms.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4: It’s time for another classic anime storyline this week on Haruka, as our intrepid main characters decide to trail Haruka’s maid in order to discover why she might have a life of her own outside the household. The entire script has basically been lifted out of the annals of anime history, and the fact that it is better than several other things I’ve watched this week is only an indictment on their low quality rather than endorsement of this.

*COMPLETE* Persona Trinity Soul 22-6: Well, the best that I can say about is that at least it’s over, because overall this last batch of episodes was as underwhelming as the rest of the series. Whilst people continue to sink into apathy, switch consciousness and all the rest, several main characters die (I must admit I felt sad for Kanaru, given her true nature) and Shin learns the hideous truth of his past before entering a persona-driven boss battle. Would I have got more out of this series if I’d played the game first? Perhaps, but I’m waiting it for reduce in price before I buy it.

Real Drive 13: Amidst all the boring and monotonous episodes to pass my eyes this week, one stands out above them all, and it is this- Real Drive’s own attempt at something even more fillerific than the average filler episode. In this episode, Haru and Minamo drag us along on their day off, in which they look at pictures and reminisce about Haru’s youth- complete with musical interludes in place of dialogue. In the annals of dull, this episode must surely deserve some sort of prize.

Ryoko’s Case File 4: The affable and none-too-bright Jun’ichiro accompanies Ryoko on another case in this episode (you don’t say!), in which they embark on a dialogue ridden investigation into a company researching the creation of artificial/genetically-engineered/whatever life forms. To cut to the chase, what they produced was a hideous green monster, but the woman who mothered it considers it her son and runs off with it in her arms. It’s a little disturbing, and I almost wish it would go back to the 90s where it belongs.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4: It’s Midorikawa’s turn in the spotlight this episode, as we learn of the predictably troubled past that made him into the moody teen he is- basically, after learning that her husband and son had mage potential, Midorikawa’s mother walked out on them, whilst his classmates rejected him. Now he must learn to face up to his situation, but in a rather unpleasant turn of events, one client wants to recapture the taste of a nostalgic drink- and the mages give her breast milk. Yes, that’s right- rather creepily, a glass full of breast milk appears out of nowhere and the woman drinks it. I guess if you want to get technical then it’s not much different to drinking something that’s come from a cow’s udder, but the thought of it is somehow far, far worse.

This isn’t Bartender, you know.

Soul Eater 16-18: Episode sixteen concludes Kid’s visit to Nidhogg and his duel with both the ship and Ragnarok (ending in an appropriately symmetric situation, of course), before we move onto the realms of complete filler with episode seventeen. Perhaps the worst episode of the series so far, seventeen sees minor character Oxford visit Excalibur and basically listen to him ramble on for twenty-five minutes. Fortunately, eighteen is quick to get things moving again, as Medusa’s plans come to fruition and it is left to the named characters to try to stop her. Hopefully this means plenty of action and lots of ‘coolness’ in the upcoming episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7: Scooby-Doo meets the 21^st century in this duet of episodes, as our heroes set off to an inn which has been plagued by ghost sightings. Could it be the work of the evil man who wants to buy the inn from the family that manages it? Is water wet? Unfortunately, where episode six can be watched with a sense of smug superiority that you know what will take the protagonists a while to discover, episode seven is entirely dull as they slowly struggle to conclusions you no longer care about. I’m toying with dropping this series.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15: It’s time for new characters and a new arc as Tohru gets a mysterious girl delivered to him by a large cat- but who is she, and why would the Oni go to such lengths as to capture Kuu-chan just to find out her whereabouts? Naturally, Kuu-chan isn’t without her tricks, even using Mubyou’s voice over a cell phone to break a sealing spell. It’s entertaining stuff, even if the conclusion of episode fifteen indicates that there might be a slightly tedious arc ahead.

World Destruction 4: World Destruction reaches new lows in this episode, as we visit a village where the frogman leader has cut down all of the sakura trees- except for one, which is purported to be cursed. What follows is a lot of running around from our leads in an attempt to maintain the illusion of the curse, resulting in so much mayhem that they really didn’t need to pretend at all. Drum this into your head once and for all- no good can come from RPG-based series.

Xam’d- Lost Memories 3: Akiyuki must adjust to his life on the ship in preparation for his Eureka Seven style adventures to come, but naturally he’s none too pleased to learn that not only is his old life over, but he’s going to have to work for a living from now on. As the obligatory “hero reluctantly settles into his new role” episode, this isn’t the best episode thus far, but I’m optimistic that it will all pay off in the future.

MANGA

.hack//Link 3: Whilst the villain group receives orders via magic CCTV (I wonder if they bought it from Yata and Pai), Tokio is demoted from hero to servant of fellow player Saika and given the mission of tracking down the Chrono Cores before the villains get them. The first Chrono Core is in the hands of familiar face Tsukasa, although given all the revisions of the World, it’s hard to know whether this has a connection to the real Tsukasa or if it’s just a data ghost. And let’s not even get into the use of the age old “collect all the special items before the enemy does” direction that the plot is taking.

*NEW* Caramel Espresso 1-2: Why do all the gay series have misleadingly intriguing names? Anyway, in this rather bizarre excuse for HARD GAY, Sayuu is a coffee shop worker and university student who wakes up one morning to find that he has suddenly become left-handed. Tracing back the origin of the switch to a customer at the café, he becomes acquainted with Aki, a quiet young man who has a HARD GAY dominant alter ego named Ao. Since Ao was produced from suppressing the painful memories of a troubled childhood and a need to hide his HARD GAY from homophobic adults, Aki seems to hope that having a relationship with Sayuu will help him to integrate his alter ego- and even though Sayuu is STRAIGHT, he finds himself oddly attracted to Aki (yeah, like we haven’t seen that happen before). It’s all a bit convoluted, but by the end of chapter two we’re already down to the sausage-fest.

Clannad 6-8: With all the excess of the other girls’ stories clipped out, the Clannad manga is moving at a fast pace down Nagisa’s track- which of course suits me just fine. First up we attend to the restoration of the drama club, which is easily achieved without resorting to baseball matches, before Tomoya’s situation with his father becomes so untenable that he moves in with Nagisa’s family. Yes, it’s familiar ground, but it’s nice to be covering it this quickly.

Claymore 82: Whilst Renee is captured by Riful and persuaded to cooperate with her in exchange for the chance to regenerate her legs, Claire’s team decide to resolve their personal issues in preparation for the final attack on North Crater the Abyssal Ones. For the lesser characters, this means visiting their hometowns, but for Claire, only tracking down Raki will be enough to set aside the last of her doubts. A fated meeting is no doubt in their future, but what will come of it? Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too many months to find out.

Elfen Lied 89-101: A bulk catch-up on Elfen Lied takes us almost to the end of the series, and it’s a far cry from the situation we once knew. Female Researcher has developed a vaccine that could cure the Diclonius virus, but it’s only with considerable outside help that she can get it past all the Diclonii that have broken out of the research facility. Meanwhile, Lucy’s powers have levelled up significantly, but will Kouta accept her, or turn her away for all the lives she’s taken? It’s to see some real plot development- after all, so close to the end, we can’t do without it.

Fullmetal Alchemist 85: The time has come for those who oppose Bradley to make their move, but when terrorists blow up his train, Father himself comes forward out of the shadows to take control. Meanwhile, Ed is reunited with his father, but when Al shows up, something seems amiss. It seems as if the plot isn’t afraid to march forward at this stage, but what will happen next? The anticipation for the next chapter is great.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 25-7: Since the order of arcs was switched round a little, it’s now time for the Rosa Canina arc, as the third years prepare to graduate and Shimako seems reluctant to run against new character Kanina Shizuka in the Yamayurikai elections. Again, it’s enjoyable to revisit this arc in a format where I can take it at my own pace, but with these chapters only covering about half of the story, it would be nice to have the rest to hand even though I know how it will turn out.

Minami-ke 34-5: After the girls try on each other’s uniforms, Kana becomes obsessed with the effect of appearances, even going so far as to borrow Keiko’s glasses in order to become more intellectual. These chapters aren’t the best examples of the series, but they’re entertaining enough.

Nodame Cantabile 121: After a quick catch-up with Streseman in New York (where a little boy wipes dog faeces on him), we return to Paris to see Chiaki, Rui and the orchestra continue their rehearsals and field an interview from Classic Life magazine, whilst in the background, Nodame practises some Debussy. Not a particularly eventful chapter, but one that seems to indicate the manga could go on forever.

Rose of Versailles 9-10: With the passing of Louis XV, Louis XVI takes the throne and Marie Antoinette becomes Queen of France, but hopes of a new age for France are quickly dashed when the beautiful young queen seems more interested in using the country’s finances to order finery for herself than for helping the people. Meanwhile, Jeanne carries out a plan to earn herself her benefactor’s title and money, whilst poor Rosalie hits rock bottom. Of course, we all know how this particular period in history turned out, but you can’t help urging Marie Antoinette to realise the error of her ways before the guillotine starts looming.

Sketchbook 13-16: I can’t express how much better this manga is than the anime as it continues onwards into volume two, complete with fresh humour, more moments of randomness and everything you could want from this sort of light-hearted comedy. There’s only so many different ways I can express these sentiments, but I’ll keep repeating them for as long it takes to complete this series.

*NEW* Slayers- Knight of Aqua Lord 1: Another Slayers series, Knight of Aqua Lord doesn’t fit into either novel or TV series canon as we see Lina and Gourry head off to a cursed island in an attempt to find enough treasure to pay off a gambling debt. Unfortunately, things go a little pear-shaped when the fearless duo is attacked by giant water dragons, with Lina waking up in a strange land where her magic doesn’t work! How will Lina fare without her trusty Fireball and Dragon Slave? Presumably we’ll find out in the next few chapters.

Slayers Revolution 3: Much of this chapter is just a retread of episode five, and since I only wrote about that last week, I won’t bother to recount it here. There are some slight additions, however, at the end, as Xellos and Waiser team up with the goal of arresting Lina (again), and the evil Marquess dispatches a mid-boss type assassin named Zuuma to be inevitably defeated at the hands of our heroes in the near future.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 194: If you thought very little had happened in the last few chapters, then even less happens here as Sakura has some sort of premonition of danger and Syaoran decides that he must accompany her during the ceremony- which will be occurring next chapter at the earliest. Could the pace be getting slower than even that of the infamous bus arc?

*NEW* Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1: The first chapter of the Wagaya manga is actually much the same as the first episode (albeit without covering the ending) so thus far there isn’t much to say, except to comment that Kuu-chan’s female form looks younger and cuter than her anime form. Personally, I prefer the sophisticated look of the latter.

xxxHOLiC 159-161: Whilst Watanuki realises that he can live without his memories as long as he’s the main character of the series, the bulk of these chapters seems to be affirming his HARD GAY relationship with Doumeki- with a visit to Early Chapters Fortune Teller and her new apprentice Kohane indicating that they are destined to be together. At the end of 161, however, a new customer comes to the shop- could this be the long-awaited start of a new story?

Yotsuba&! 55: Dad has plans to buy some clothes for the autumn, but Yotsuba being Yotsuba means that they inevitably get sidetracked when she decides that she needs to collect some acorns. Yes, it’s another delightfully whimsical chapter in the life of everyone’s favourite green-haired five-year-old; may it last for a good while yet.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 10-11, Clannad Tomoyo Edition, Itazura na Kiss 15, Koihime Musou 3, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11, Mnemosyne 6, Nabari no Ou 15, Natsume Yuujinchou 3, Persona 18-20, Slayers Revolution 3, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3, Soul Eater 15, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5, World Destruction 2, xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13

…and in manga: too lazy to read any!

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
4. Hidamari Sketch x365 (4) – 365 times the fun
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Book of Friends
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – not so bad <- complete!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (8) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (7) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Koihime Musou (11) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
11. Persona Trinity Soul (10) – catch-up, start!
12. Real Drive (13) – chat program
13. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – open the safe
14. Ryoko’s Case File (15) – superintendant
15. Antique Bakery (17) – super gay demon
16. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (22) – biological weapon
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (18) – predictable
18. World Destruction (12) – cats
19. Amatsuki (16) – Kuchiha
20. Himitsu (19) – faceless
21. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (20) – secret otaku
22. Blade of the Immortal (21) – immortal worms
23. Allison and Lillia (24) – Travas-ty (sorry, Hanners)
24. Itazura na Kiss (23) – dislikeable cast
25. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

Amatsuki 10-11: Although episode ten was so underwhelming that I can’t actually remember anything beyond the fact that I watched it, episode eleven is marginally more interesting, with Tsuyukusa and Imayou plotting some kind of vaguely directed revenge, whilst Kuchiha, Toki and Shamon all get locked in a cellar (and no, there’s no punch line to that). I’m not even sure why I started watching such a mediocre, dull and forgettable series, but with only two episodes left I may as well see it to its conclusion.

*SPECIAL* Clannad~ Tomoyo Edition: The long-awaited Clannad 24 is here, and it’s Tomoyo’s turn to step up to the plate as the other girls vanish to let her gain Tomoya’s heart (Tomoyo and Tomoya, isn’t that nice?). Unfortunately, dating a delinquent isn’t such a good thing when you’re running for school council president, and it seems that outside pressures could very tear their relationship apart. Unfortunately, whilst this isn’t a particularly bad instalment, my focus has always been on Tomoya X Nagisa and so other pairings just don’t interest. Plus it’s the old thing of giving up your dreams for love- being the kind of person who wants it all, I always hate to see that situation.

Itazura na Kiss 15: After the fastest nuptials in the history of man (barring celebrity weddings, which don’t really count), Kotoko and Naoki are off on their honeymoon, and naturally, trouble isn’t far behind in the form of another newlywed couple in which the wife wants nothing more than to get into Naoki’s pants. So here we have Kotoko worrying over a husband who she still addresses by his last name, Naoki completely brushing off his wife, a woman who married a man she doesn’t love and only wants an affair, and her husband, a weakling who takes charge by hitting his wife. Oh, and the Irie family somehow sneak to Hawaii to spy on the honeymoon- a rather idiotic and overused ‘joke’ if ever there was one. Are there women out there who really find this sort of storytelling romantic? Do they long to be dominated by despicable assholes of men? I hope not.

Koihime Musou 3: The good thing about this show is that unlike other bastions of mediocrity, I can slip on a pair of rose tinted glasses and enjoy it- just because there are beautiful girls with Three Kingdoms names. This week, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun end up working in a maid café (in ancient China) for cash, whilst Zhang Fei makes such a hash of it that she wanders off and ends up entering a tournament held by Yuan Shao. Also in the tournament is named character Ma Chao, with both girls naturally getting to the final, fighting to a draw and being invited to work for Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, Cao Cao also makes an appearance, only to take an unnatural interest in seeing if Guan Yu’s hair is just as black and lustrous ‘down there’. No, really.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11: After a long stretch of disappointment, KKN finally improve slightly in this episode, a Hyouka-centric story about the biological weapon’s first love. It may be a predictable tale, but aside from Kyouka’s inevitable attempts to turn it into a tired frenzy situation, it’s actually a pretty solid one. And I must admit to being amused when Hyouka accidentally sucked in Yuuka.

*COMPLETE* Mnemosyne 6: Mnemosyne has finally ground to a conclusion, and I have to say that it apart from being a platform for gratuitous sex and violence, it didn’t make a great of sense. In this episode, a disappointingly pathetic Rin confronts Apos, meets the previously unmentioned Guardian of Yggdrasil, and various other things happen that I probably shouldn’t spoil. Suffice to say that this OVA has been a disappointment and would have better aired way back in the 90s.

Is it wrong to want to cosplay as Apos?

Nabari no Ou 15: The Kouga arc ends in this episode, and once again I find myself wishing that I could really care about and get into this series, because it just keeps sliding superficially past my indifferent eyes. Whilst Aizawa proves to have God Mode switched on, evil eyepatch teacher attempts to murder the headmaster, but as the old guy is dying anyway, he’s already made plans to pass on the kinjutsu scroll. Oh, and some minor characters have dialogue and emotional scenes, but since they were only introduced a couple of episodes ago, no one really cares.

Natsume Yuujinchou 3: Natsume Yuujinchou picks up a little in this episode as our eponymous hero heads off to help some youkai who are being exterminated by an unknown person- complete with some Flashback Modes about a chapter in his childhood. It may not be particularly outstanding, but amidst the mediocrity of the summer season, this is a real breath of fresh air.

Persona Trinity Soul 18-20: Although I intended to marathon five episodes of Persona this week, I was only able to make it through three before my brain demanded stimulation, leaving me with six episodes to clear before the series can be deemed complete. In a confusing turn of events, Jun’s spirit has some gone to be with Ryou, leaving Yuki in charge of their body, whilst around them various things happen such Yamazaki perfecting alternate hairstyles for good and evil forms. I presume some kind of final boss confrontation is coming, but along the way not a great deal of interest is occurring.

Slayers Revolution 3: In a rather tiresome turn of events, John Smith (yes, I know his name is Weiser, but he looks like a John Smith) is here to arrest Lina for yet another crime she didn’t commit, and yet again she must search for the real culprit in order to clear her name. With that rather dull start, it takes about half the episode for the series to rev up to the usual levels of Slayers entertainment- and if this is to be the format for most episodes, it will get tired very, very fast.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3: After picking up a little in episode two, Natsu no Sora backslides somewhat in this episode as our heroine takes on her first proper job- opening a safe. Of course, just opening it wouldn’t be all that exciting, so there’s more to the story than that, but ultimately it all falls flat to me- Sora’s interference may have helped the client, but at the same time it’s a bit like Captain Kirk destroying an alien paradise- you can’t help feeling they should have just let the situation be.

Soul Eater 15: It’s time for a Kid side story as he takes Patty and Liz to a ghost ship, and whilst Patty’s immaturity is becoming a little annoying, this is generally an entertaining episode. Much as I like Soul and Maka, I’m glad that all the protagonists get their chance to shine in the series- I think I’ll be happy to see this through to 51 episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5: In case you hadn’t noticed already, something is amiss in the village, and as it turns out, it’s all tied to Evil-ish Former Teacher and a particular type of magical grass. From there, we have a conclusion to the story that just feels shallow and even stupid at points- for example, did the grass really have to go as far as ‘kill’ Midori just to make Ran summon the wind that would end its life? Couldn’t it have just asked for her to bring up a box of matches or something? How has this become even worse than the at least slightly interesting Mokke?

World Destruction 2: As I feared, World Destruction has rapidly gone downhill in this episode, as our three reluctant allies end up on a lawless ship where the Destruct Code promptly gets stolen. It’s basically the pirate ship level of the RPG, and after my hideous experience on the Zelbess in Chrono Cross, I’ve never been a fan of ships in RPG worlds. I fear I’ve taken on another lemon.

*COMPLETE* xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13: At long last, xxxHOLiC Kei can be crossed off the list, the series I never intended to watch but actually quite enjoyed. Episode twelve wraps up the Himawari arc with the hatching of her little bird, whilst episode thirteen is a coda to the series, first covering an earlier manga chapter in which Watanuki finds a thunder god in an electronics store before all the recurring characters come together for a party to

Ouch.

Reviewed this week: Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44, Himitsu 7, Itazura na Kiss 10-11, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8, Nabari no Ou 11, Real Drive 7, Soul Eater 11, Toshokan Sensou 10, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9, xxxHOLiC Kei 11

…and in manga: Chokotto Hime 1, Sketchbook 6-7, xxxHOLiC 158

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (1) – just a mistake?
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi plays
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – clan massacre
5. Soul Eater (5) – Bones does shounen
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. xxxHOLiC Kei (7) – typhoid Himawari
8. Persona Trinity Soul (8) – catch-up, start!
9. Real Drive (9) – they’re dogs, and they’re on the internet!
10. Itazura na Kiss (12) – hospital
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Himitsu (10) – faceless
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (14) – shinigami
14. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44: What could be a better way to start the weekend than with a dose of Chi’s Sweet Home? In this set of episodes, Chi’s interest in the world around her intensifies, as she investigates all sorts of food, toys and even the dreaded bathroom. Then it’s time for the long-awaited black cat to show up, invade Chi’s territory and even eat her food. Ah, how I love this series- it’s all warm and fluffy and makes me want to hug things.

Himitsu 7: When the president of a company is burned to death, a whole new MRI investigation begins, with Aoki wondering if the fact that the victim had his face slashed open could possibly hint at murder (you think?). A delve into his mind reveals the notoriously antisocial man was actually unable to see faces, whilst the courts must decide if an MRI image of him writing a new will that leaves his estate to a woman he only met once is actually valid. It’s an interesting concept, but one that ultimately takes a back seat to the stupidity of this episode, which includes such conundrums as Maki somehow switching from sitting in a car observing the woman in question to dressing up as her to foil the murder suspect- when did they have time for the switch? Although I must admit that Maki looked quite good dressed as a woman- he should try it more often.

Forget Loveless, we’ve got Faceless!

Itazura na Kiss 10-11: Kotoko’s father has finally decided that they should move into their own home, robbing Kotoko of the one advantage she had over black-haired girl and of course making her the centre of all the rumours in college. ‘Fortunately’, on an impromptu stop in the Irie neighbourhood, Kotoko manages to save Yuuki when he collapses, and before you know it, she’s spending time with the family in the hospital, before ultimately moving back in. Perhaps I’m getting too old and cynical, but to move out and go back so quickly seems rather trite, whilst Kotoko’s need to phone Naoki just to find out that when someone’s sick you call an ambulance was a bit ridiculous. True, Naoki acts more like a decent human being in this episode, but I can’t really take his emotions as genuine when I know he’s such an inconsistent bastard deep down, whilst Kotoko’s friends seem to exist only to make life worse for her. To be honest, I actually like Yuuki better than Naoki- at least he’s softening up in a believable way.

In episode 11, the above events seem to have inspired Naoki to start studying to become a doctor- although initially he doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Flash forward six months, however, and for some reason the majority of the series’ named characters are taking a brief holiday away together, although naturally Kotoko’s attempts to be alone with Naoki are predictably thwarted. Overall, I felt merely indifferent to this episode, which ran along predictable lines from start to finish.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8: It’s Ouka’s turn in the spotlight this episode when he sneaks off for a day out with a childhood friend turned shinigami- causing Kyouka to overreact in fear that another woman might be stealing her husband. With some rare development for Ouka, this episode actually wasn’t too bad at first, but it quickly degenerated into senseless insanity when Kyouka and the family showed up. Another disappointing entry in a largely disappointing series.

Nabari no Ou 11: The time has come to find out the truth about the past of the Shimizu clan, and it seems that back in the days when Raikou had normal coloured hair, there was a division between his mother and uncle that led to the destruction of the clan. In the ensuing battle, Raikou did indeed kill the uncle that the innocent Raimei loved so much, but the overall clan massacre wasn’t his fault- he just chose to take the blame for it. Now, the time has come for the loyal Gau to reveal that truth to Raimei, but what will come of it? Despite the fact that this aspect of the story is fairly standard, this was still a strong episode, although for a ninja series actual action scenes seem rather thin on the ground.

Real Drive 7: I’m going to start here by saying that episode seven of Real Drive is about dogs surfing the internet- no, really, it is. You see, dogs have their own cyberbrains that give them limited communications skill, and thus they can connect to their own canine Metal, which presumably fulfils their desire to eat kibble, drink from toilets and sniff other dogs’ backsides. So far, so ‘good’, but what really drives this episode over the edge is the fact that one particular dog owner is so into his pet that he actually wants to go into the Metal and merge with him- the normal master-servant relationship between humans and dogs no longer being enough for him. It’s all very bizarre and cutesy in a creeped out way, leaving me with the feeling that the writers should stop sniffing glue and perhaps get back to the main plot. I may not have been the biggest fan of Stand Alone Complex, but at least that series left you feeling satisfied- at the moment, Real Drive is just floundering around with pointless stories about online dogs, sunglasses and book reports.

Soul Eater 11: It’s time to wrap up Tsubaki’s side story in this episode, as she faces off against her brother and demonstrates to me just why she might be my favourite character in this series. There’s action, back story, and sheer coolness oozing out of this episode- I love this series!

Toshokan Sensou 10: Kasahara and the others are off to protect an exhibition near her hometown, but while staying in the female dorm, she ends up the target of some serious hazing from the girls of the Affairs Department. I really hate hazing stories, and this one is as painfully predictable as all the rest; the sooner this series is over, the better.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9: Just as it seemed the Reversed Circle arc was over, along comes a new character claiming that it actually belongs to them! Having eaten the biscuits this mysterious owl person has brought, Kuu-chan has no choice but to help them look for Mubyou-chan, but who is the real owner of this powerful device? This episode is another dose of wholehearted fun, but with even this episode not wrapping things up, the Reversed Circle seems destined to cause at least one more episode’s worth of trouble.

xxxHOLiC Kei 11: With Kohane-chan out of the way, the time has come to concentrate on what the blogworld calls Typhoid Himawari, as Watanuki begins to learn the consequences of spending time with his beloved Himawari-chan. Compared to last episode’s lacklustre adaptation, this episode is at least in keeping with the manga for the most part, and this arc will presumably close out the series with Himawari being given her bird Tanpopo.

“Well, why didn’t you ask for it back? Or did you like being Faceless?”

MANGA

*NEW* Chokotto Hime 1: If you liked Chi’s Sweet Home and the Star of Cottonland, then this manga will also be to your tastes. A 4koma series about an abandoned kitten who gets adopted by a young man, Chokotto Hime depicts the cat alternately as a catgirl and a proper feline, offering cuteness aplenty. The first chapter doesn’t really take us very far into it, but I know I’m going to like this series.

Sketchbook 6-7: It’s been a while, but these two extra chapters of 4Koma fun are most welcome- in fact, with its skew more towards humour than pure standard slice-of-life, the manga has the edge over its anime adaptation. In these chapters, we see Sensei wondering why cats don’t seem to like her after she drops them, Asou trying to bend spoons and much more.

xxxHOLiC 158: Her story may be over in the anime, but manga-Kohane (who didn’t cut her hair) has now gone to live with fortune teller granny from an early chapter whilst she waits for her mother to return. She will

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 9, Itazura na Kiss 9, Kurenai 10, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 7, Nabari no Ou 9-10, Real Drive 6, Soul Eater 10, Toshokan Sensou 9, xxxHOLiC Kei 10

…and in manga: Claymore 80, REC 38

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (1) – just a mistake?
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi scratches
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – clan massacre
5. Soul Eater (7) – Bones does shounen
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
8. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
9. Real Drive (8) – book report
10. Himitsu (10) – everything at or below this line is poor
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Itazura na Kiss (12) – stalking
13. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
14. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (14) – senseless
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

Allison and Lillia 9: With it being a nigh impossible task to top the ridiculousness of the last episode, the writers instead decided to kick off this latest arc with an episode so bland and inoffensive that no one could have strong feelings about it. Our heroes have boarded the Trans-Continental Express for some rest and relaxation, but with generic bad guys already plotting, it seems that this will be no straightforward train ride. Wake me up when something happens.

Itazura na Kiss 9: I actually watched this episode last week, but so fascinating was it that I completely forgot that I was also supposed to write about it. This time around, the ever tenacious Kotoko wants to take Naoki to the movies, but he has no intention of accompanying here- on the other hand, when black-haired girl asks, he finds himself unable to refuse her. After some ‘amusing’ stalking by Kotoko and the tennis coach, Naoki does show that he isn’t a complete bastard after all, but his actions are too little, too late, and thus seem a little too false and empty to me.

Kurenai 10: With episode nine being such a tour de force, it was hard for this episode to reach the same heights- although despite its more subdued tone, it was still very good. Whilst a dejected Murasaki is taken back home, Shinkurou wallows in a mixture of despair and disbelief, but what should he do next? As far as Benika is concerned, her job was only to show Murasaki the outside world for long enough to experience love, so wouldn’t it be fine for Shinkurou to dismiss his failure to protect her as an unfortunate mistake and move on with his life? Of course, things can’t end like that, but still we have to have the obligatory soul searching and ‘friends rally round’ episode before the finale kicks in, but whilst this instalment smacks of convention, at least it still presents itself very well. I don’t want it to be over in the space of two episodes- give me a second season!

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 7: When a young assassin tries to give up his trade and become a chef, things don’t go quite as planned- for some reason, his customers all die after tasting his food. Naturally, this is the sort of situation Kyouka loves to interfere in, and whilst it is certainly a cut above the dire monkey arc, this episode is more ‘watchable’ than entertaining.

Nabari no Ou 9-10: Nabari no Ou takes a Naruto-style twist as we learn that Raimei’s brother Raikou massacred their entire clan- and now that he’s back on the scene, she must confront him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well, with Raikou defeating her and taking her sword, but although he seems to think he has his reasons for what he did, did his disagreement with the family really have to end in killing? Couldn’t they have discussed their differences over a nice pot of Earl Grey? Meanwhile, Yoite’s condition is worsening, whilst Rokujou reveals that he would rather use his ability to grant the dying young man’s wish than seal it away forever as Thobari wants. Despite the somewhat uneven pace, the series remains highly worthy, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

Real Drive 6: It’s time for another largely plotless episode of Real Drive as Minamo has to make up for her lack of cyberbrain by doing a book report- and after the first book she checks out from the library has pieces cut out, she goes for her grandmother’s recommendation of ‘Love Letter’, a book that supposedly has everything, but then leaves the ending open for the reader to write a letter to their most precious person. For some reason, Minamo becomes obsessed with finding the letter that the previous reader wrote (isn’t the point to write your own letter, not leech off other peoples?), during which time I found her quite stupid and annoying for not just writing her own letter and the report in the time it took to track the letter down. Hopefully we can get back into the Metal soon- episode five was a fun filler episode, but episode six was lacking in the charm.

Soul Eater 10: It’s time for a Black Star and Tsubaki story as the pair are sent to deal with the “Fey Blade” Masamune, who, predictably, has something of a past with Tsubaki. Even though there are standard past revelations for both characters, I remain impressed as to how Soul Eater just oozes with style- I see in it what I suspect attracted many people to its sister series Eureka Seven. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to last the course with this one, but now I’m actively looking forward to devouring more episodes.

Toshokan Sensou 9: In the last couple of episodes we’ve had interrogation and cover-ups, but now the tone has relapsed into lightness as Kasahara starts feeling awkward about Dojo being her Prince Charming, resulting in both parties coming to believe that the other hates them. This is an entirely by the numbers episodes, but I have to admit I prefer this sort of no-brain predictability to the times when the show tries to be more serious.

xxxHOLiC Kei 10: A lot has been cut out from the manga in order to wrap up the Kohane arc in this episode- gone is her mother’s breakdown on live TV, and of course the whole thing about Kohane getting some of her abilities from one of Sakura’s feathers has been snipped, leaving a rather dull and pedestrian animated conclusion in which everyone starts liking Kohane again for no real reason. Still, this series has been strong overall, and even this weaker instalment is better than season one, so I can forgive it.

MANGA

Claymore 80: Following the revelations of last month, it’s time for everyone to relax and have a drink before they get launched into the next arc, but even as the Claymores kick back, elsewhere, an older Raki and a little girl revisit his old home town- where he cuts down a Yoma. What has happened to Raki, and who is the girl who now travels with him? Can we wait to find out?

REC 38: A somewhat pointless chapter this time around, as a mangaka and closet Aka fan gets one of his series made into an anime and chooses Aka to play the lead role. Of course, there’s a somewhat predictable twist at the end that renders this more of an omake chapter than anything else- perhaps an indication that the series has run its course.

“…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?

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 7, Amatsuki 5, Baccano! 15, Chi’s Sweet Home 25-8, Himawari!! 4, Itazura na Kiss 7, Kurenai 7, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 5, Nabari no Ou 5, Persona Trinity Soul 9, Toshokan Sensou 6, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 6, xxxHOLiC Kei 6

…and in manga: Akagi 12-13, Elfen Lied 85, xxxHOLiC 121-57

OH

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

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

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – demoted to slow
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot
5. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- licensed
6. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- end in sight?

ANIME

Allison and Lillia 7: Even by A&L standards, this week’s episode is a particularly pointless instalment, in which our heroes steal a plane (not that they particularly needed to) and spend the entire episode flying to the capital so that Fiona can claim she’s the princess- even though she isn’t really the princess. Meanwhile, the Benedict X Fiona angle is predictably played upon, and next week some people question whether this random girl who has just shown up is really the princess she claims to be! How dare they!?

Benedict: I have to tell you the truth…I’m actually a woman!

(second half of sentence may not have appeared in actual episode).

Amatsuki 5: Another episode of Amatsuki comes and goes without too much fanfare, as the Princess reincarnates into her reverse trap body, Kuchiha has some flashbacks about the past, and some other stuff happens that I can’t even remember a mere day after watching it. Even the villains don’t seem to be taking their role seriously, so I’m not really sure how or even if I’m expected to.

Baccano! 15: The Baccano! OVA continues to improve in this episode, in which we get some insight into Nice and Jacuzzi’s past (including how she lost the sight in one eye), before flashing forward to just after the Flying Pussyfoot incident. Jacuzzi’s gang has taken in Chane, but when she gets kidnapped by the new character (who has mistaken her for Eve Genoard), Jacuzzi rises from his hospital bed to get her back- because that’s what friends do. It was actually refreshingly different to be able to follow what was going on for once, although that didn’t diminish the quality at all.

Boys and girls, this is why we have goggles.

Chi’s Sweet Home 25-8: When Chi starts scratching the sofa and Dad’s vintage jeans, the family decides something must be done, but in typical fashion she doesn’t understand what her newly-purchased scratching post is for. In the end, the family is forced to clip her claws, which I don’t really like to see done to cats, but other than that quibble, this is as entertaining as ever.

Himawari!! 4: Another episode of Himawari!!, another monster of the week, and this time around it’s Himeji who’s targeted- by a group of micro-ninjas. With the ninjas invading her body, it’s time for a Fantastic Voyage style trip into her body to fight them off- a story that, if not particularly good or inspiring, is at least better than the last few instalments.

Itazura na Kiss 7: It’s not like I’ve really liked Irie up to this point, but in this episode he really crosses the line- which is a shame as the series was finally ready to graduate from high school romance to, well, college romance. Anyway, trouble starts when Classes A and F end up having their graduation dinner at the same restaurant; naturally this leads to Irie insulting Kotoko in front of his classmates and Kotoko responding by showing everyone the photos of young Irie dressed as a girl. Anyway, the upshot of it all is that Kotoko finally seems to realise that Irie is a bastard who isn’t worth wasting time on, but in a manipulative turn of events, he decides to make it harder to forget him by kissing her. Kotoko, defy the story and leave him! Find a decent guy!

Kurenai 7: Each week, Kurenai brings me more reasons to love it, and this instalment was no exception. Whilst Shinkurou is away, Tamaki decides to show Murasaki a little more of the outside world by taking her into college; a place where Tamaki is well established as a man-eater who scorns women who are desperate to hang onto their boyfriends. After getting dumped by her latest conquest, however, even Tamaki has to admit that she is no different from those women. In the midst of all this, we have an interesting range of both amusing and poignant dialogue, before moving onto a flashback about Murasaki’s mother and the revelation that an ally of the Kuhouin family has finally tracked down our diminutive heroine. I’m not sure if I’m ready for this turn of events (especially if it means we have some Seirei no Moribito-esuqe Eight Evil Men coming after her), but I’ll place my trust in the series not to let me down.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 5: It’s finally time for the honeymoon, but after the obligatory family beach scenes, a troupe of evil monkeys attacks the hotel and abducts Yuuka. It’s clear the series isn’t going to live up to my early expectations for a worthy crazy comedy that could break the mould, but at least it’s watchable enough for now.

The Hakuoro look is back in this summer.

Nabari no Ou 7: We’re ready to move ahead into the next section of the story with this episode, as the head of another village approaches our heroes and offers to give them the scroll they need if they’ll just assassinate an evil CEO named Mr Frosty (no, not the crushed ice maker). And if that wasn’t a good enough deal for them, she also has a special ability that lets her read minds and expose people’s darkest secrets. Despite the lack of action, this is a worthy and indeed interesting episode, although I have a hard time believing that our heroes will actually be able to kill Mr Frosty when it comes down to it.

Persona Trinity Soul 9: Jun gets to go out with an older woman in this episode, which otherwise doesn’t see a great deal happen beyond the revelation that Jun actually has transplanted tissue from his sister’s brain, explaining his alternate personality in the way that only anime can. Still, I must forge ahead if I’m ever to catch up with and then finish this series.

Toshokan Sensou 6: When this episode started with Komaki and Kasahara in the middle of a face-off with the Media corp, I wondered if I’d missed something as the last episode certainly hadn’t ended on a cliff-hanger. Fortunately, a cut to flashback reassured me that I wasn’t going mad, and that our heroes were trying to protect the Book of Prophecy, a banned tale of a society in which books are banned (possibly Fahrenheit 451). Unfortunately, it all got a bit messy as the current story was blended with a flashback to one of Dojo and Komaki’s early missions, with the result being a ‘decent enough but nothing special’ episode.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 6: I’ve revised my expectations for the series down once again- it’s now firmly in the light entertainment category that housed MagiPoka, Himawari! season one and its ilk. Anyway, this episode takes more of a harem slant on the series, with Misaki worrying so much about Kou and Kuu living with her beloved Noboru that she decides to invite herself over to his house. Cue speeches about friendship, cooking disasters and various other anime staples, all presented in a generally entertaining but occasionally painful format (how many times do we have to see Kou and Kuu breaking things?).

xxxHOLiC Kei 6: Although the series somehow manages to make an entire episode out of mahjongg this time around, I don’t mind- after all, I did watch and enjoy Akagi. It’s all pretty predictable stuff, with Yuuko, Mokona and Doumeki completely thrashing the beginner Watanuki, but it’s still entertaining enough. Meanwhile, next episode’s water gathering was originally for the sake of the Tsubasa X world, but I hear the Tsubasa connection has been removed for the anime.

MANGA

Akagi 12-13: Well, the first arc is finally over, but Akagi is ready to plan for his second match- provided that the wager is high enough to hold his interest. After writing such a long post about Kaiji and his character, it’s interesting to go back and consider Akagi once again, a man who can win by abandoning his fear of death and putting everything on the line where others would be too afraid.

Elfen Lied 85: A surprisingly long 95 page chapter this time around, in which we get a glimpse into Lucy’s past, and how she befriended a girl, only to watch her get killed when the authorities came hunting for Diclonii (hmm, who would have guessed?). Meanwhile, in the present Nana’s “Papa” has become a little unhinged after the death of Mariko, the villains continue plotting and everyone moves into Yuka’s mother’s place (I think), although she has an instinctive mistrust of poor Nana. It’s all par for the course, really.

*CATCH-UP* xxxHOLiC 121-57: Cheer, everyone, for after many months of hiatus, I have finally caught up with xxxHOLiC, and apart from a little too much crossover with Tsubasa, it remains good. The artwork is as stylish and high contrast as ever, whilst the number of stand-alone stories has drastically reduced in favour of storylines about Watanuki’s lost memories, his link with Syaoran, and the spirit medium Kohane. Dare I say that I actually enjoy reading it, which is more than can be said for Tsubasa these days.