Author: psgels

Ao no Exorcist – 04

by psgels, posted in Ao no Exorcist



So this episode showed that this show doesn’t necessarily have to rely on its action scenes. The episode in this episode was short, and instead it was much more about the character who I suspect is going to be the female love interest. Overall, this episode served its purpose quite well: we now have a love interest who already has a good backstory and has been nicely fleshed out.

And that’s the great thing about this series: it may not be anything new, but the things it does, it does really well. For a moment I was a bit afraid of the cliches taking over this series, but by now it has shown that it’s going to turn into one of the examples of how this kind of premise should be done well.

The main character is still a bit annoying, but I doubt that this will remain for long. Even this episode, which focused on a completely different character for once, had plenty of scenes that fleshed out the two brothers again.

Oh, and another plus of this series: I can actually see this working well in a 24 episode series: on one hand it has enough time to create a good cast, and at the same time its backstory is not way too ambitious: we have a pretty clear goal and path laid out by the first two episodes and the main character isn’t the type to beat around the bush as soon as he finds a way to kill Satan. It can be a good yet compact story that can both deliver on the action and wrap itself up without much problems, even if the manga does go on for longer. The creators have already showed that they know how to improve the storyline of the manga for the better (or so I’ve heard, of course).
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Hen Zemi – 05 & Yondemasuyo, Azazel-San – 05

by psgels, posted in Spring 2011 Kaleidoscope



This week I’d like to talk about what I’d like to call “The completely disgusting comedy block”. They air right after each other, they’re only ten minutes long and I’d run out of time to talk about the other series this season if I did both of them in a separate post. First of all, Hen Zemi.

The TV-series of Hen Zemi is not as good as the OVA. At first I thought that, if this were to happen, it’d ruin the entire series, but surprisingly it’s still worth watching. It did lead to bizarre situations as the previous episode, which… was entirely censored because of how much nudity was in it. It wasn’t just filled with black screens: it seemed like the animators outright refused to draw any of the explicit stuff.

The biggest downside of the TV-series though is that the dialogue just isn’t as good. The characterization in the OVA was so detailed and dynamic that it really got under my skin. The TV-series mainly is about the antics of a bunch of perverts, nothing more, nothing less. Whereas the OVA would go into great detail about breast sizes, this show just keeps making small boob jokes. That kind of stuff.

The characterization still is good though, and surprisingly enjoyable considering how this is a fanservice show. This episode for example was quite down to earth and actually added quite a bit to the cast of characters. Especially that mother who just keeps interrupting was hilarious, especially with that smirk on her face. The dialogue still is based around people talking to each other, and for what it does, it does this well.

As for Yondemasuyo Azazel-san: I love Tsutomu Mizushima as a director, but he’s not perfect. He is undoubtedly the king of extreme comedy: His series always have the most extreme overreactions and a sense of energy that I haven’t been able to find somewhere else. The big danger is this turning into a gimmick, though. The best example of that are Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan and Dai Mahou Touge: they’re both series that look like cute mahou shoujo, yet instead have a completely brutal and badass main character instead. The big problem with those two shows was that whey were only funny for one episode when they still had their shock value, and became completely tedious afterwards. That was my biggest fear for Azazel-San.

This fifth episode however showed that Azazel-San has enough material to remain hilarious. On top of taking comedic facial distortions to another level, it also has a lot of fun messing with demon summonings and uninspired episodic stories by subverting the hell out of them. The comedic timing in this episode in particular was excellent, but the jokes were also quite creative. I love how the ultimate weapon that any demon can have is simply violence

Apart from being ridiculously over the top I also love these small touches like Azazel continuously ranting and laughing in the background, or how the whole setting is based on something really risky (like how this episode showed what would happen when a summoning goes wrong).

Overall, this is a pretty nice season for comedies. There is nothing side splittingly funny, and yet there are quite a few inspired, well written and well paced series that are quite funny to watch. All of the series however lack something that really places them amongst the great comedies.
Rating: * (Good) (Hen Zemi) / ** (Excellent) (Azazel-San)

Deadman Wonderland – 04

by psgels, posted in Deadman Wonderland



This. Is one heck of a mind-screw. I mean, holy crap: this episode went even farther than this show already has in order to make the main characters’ life hell. Heck, this episode devolved into complete psychological torture! Even Shiro here proved that she isn’t god-moded as well, being captured like that.

This prison is completely crazy. Even the Number Pads on the security locks are scrambled up in order to confuse people. It’s so crazy that it has a badass violent inmate who is scared of breasts and an unregistered prisoner doesn’t even catch their attention.

These don’t have to be criticisms, of course: we have yet to learn of Shiro’s story. It’s already been established that something is really strange about her, and people hardly seem to notice her. Also the boob phobia is a neat quirk as long as it doesn’t overtake Crow’s character (which, in this episode, it didn’t do that at all).

Four episodes in, and the characterization has been pretty consistent: neither good nor bad, but it works. This series mostly makes its characters interesting by showing the way they react when confronted with everything that goes on in Deadman Wonderland. The cast in particular makes sure that the story just keeps going on: there’s always something interesting happening. The downside to this is that the characters never have the time to really sit back and do nothing, which is especially visible in the lead character. So far though, it’s got enough to make up for it, and I can’t say that for every series that has stiff acting this quickly.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

X-Men – 05

by psgels, posted in X-Men



Well, the message at the beginning says it all: last week, an episode of the X-Men was scheduled, but it didn’t air. Madhouse too was hit hard by the quake, and this was one episode that they just couldn’t finish in time. The irony is that this episode, despite being an obvious step back, still delivered. Compared that to Iron Man, which also suffered from production issues thanks to Redline: there it didn’t even look like they were trying.

So yeah, this was a build-up episode. It’s quite early, especially compared to Wolverine, but that series also had quite a simple plot. This episode was all about developing the trust between the old X-Men and their new characters. It’s the kind of episode where you can only tell whether or not it pays off when the series is finished. At the very least though: this episode gave some really clear hints that the bad guys will indeed get some major development as well. That’s good.

The thing with Hisako is mostly that she just feels out of place. It’s great to see an entire series about adults, and the tension between Emma and Scott is just much more interesting at this point than Hisako trying to gain control over her powers. And yet, I totally understand why the creators put her in the series. The X-Men have always been about providing a stable environment for mutants to grow up in. Youth is a very big theme in the franchise, despite the main cast all being adults. And Granted, Hisako could have been a lot more annoying. She may be whining, but she’s always to the point, and… well, with the way she’s been treated, I don’t blame her in a lot of cases. Just… don’t let it go on for too long. The key to good whining is balance and granted, this episode did not have a perfect balance there. My main issue with her is just that she may have been a little too quick in becoming a part of the X-Men…
Rating: * (Good)

Gosick – 16

by psgels, posted in Gosick



Yes! That’s the right direction, Gosick! These are the stories that I want to see. This episode was once again excellent, and focused exactly on what this series is good at. This really is the right direction for this series. Now don’t lose it!

Setting aside that this was probably the first episode f anime I ever saw that took place in Lithuania, this episode also showed Kujou at his best. He may have needed a little help to find out the place that Victorique was brought to when she was taken away from the academy, but I still loved how he pretty much did everything that he was supposed to do, and did not get bogged down by stupidity.

The train journey was also wonderful. It’s a great and down to earth way to introduce the major characters, but it also was quite an interesting way for Kujou to socialize a bit with his fellow passengers. The build-up around Brian Roscoe was also excellent. Not to mention how this episode introduced a certain famous chess machine that was used: The Turk, who even defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. Sure, the time frame is a bit off, but it’s nevertheless pretty neat to consider the idea that someone (Brian Roscoe) actually rebuilt it at some point.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Hyouge Mono – 05

by psgels, posted in Hyouge Mono



A new OP? Already? For a 39-episode series? The ED also got a make-over. That certainly was… random, and yet it gave a totally different feeling, even though the visuals stayed the same. Ah well, it probably has to do with some licensing issues surrounding the break-up of the band who sung the original opening theme. And I must say, for something that had to be done on such a short notice, it works surprisingly well.

This episode wasn’t mostly about Sasuke, but he still cracks me up whenever he appears. As someone obsessive over aesthetics, he first marvels over the beauty of a horse, only to later outright steal. I must say, it’s very subtle how he did it, but especially his face as he swapped the wooden stir thingies was priceless. Bee-Train have always been really focused on non-verbal communication, but this show is on a completely different level on that. It’s both really subtle, and straight at your face.

What this show is also excellent at is keeping up its atmosphere throughout these long conversations between two people. The music obviously really helps there, but it’s also the above-mentioned characterization that’s just excellent: characters aren’t just talking with words, but also with their expressions and gestures. That makes the talking in this series much more than just exposition for the sake of exposition.

Oh yeah, and I know that I just keep repeating this and all, but I just can’t get over it that someone actually had the balls to make this series. Beyond being really good, Hyouge Mono is also the most unique series that Bee-Train made since .Hack//Sign. It probably won’t turn this way, but I really hope that this series’ mindset catches on. And with that I don’t necessarily mean make more shows that are about old dudes talking, but rather the mentality to take risks: the mentality to just immediately plan out the full length of your series, or the mentality to try something completely different for a change.

My only criticism with this episode: recaps. What were they doing there, and more importantly: will they get annoying in the future?
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-Tachi wa Mada Shiranai. – 04

by psgels, posted in Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-Tachi wa Mada Shiranai



What makes an amazing 11~13-episoded series is completely different from what makes an amazing 24~26 episoded series. The latter has time to build up and flesh out characters. The former however doesn’t need that luxury, and needs to deliver right from the start. And Anohana did that wonderfully: all four episodes so far have delivered, and all have been amazing so far.

The strength of this episode was that it took the heart-wrenching formula and added even more to it: a completely weird plot twist. When Hana-Saku Iroha did this with its third episode, it lost part of its charm, but this episode retained the tension and the emotional connection, while it also showed how Jinta isn’t the only guy member of the cast who completely lost it.

The awesome thing about this episode was that just about every character shined: Matsuyuki for insulting himself, Jintan for having the guts to actually try and talk to him, Chiriko for getting tired of him, Menma for consistently encouraging Jinta, Tetsudo for joining her and trying to keep the group together and Naruko for still trying to get Jinta to go out more. These characters all have their flaws, but this show always makes them play with these flaws.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 04

by psgels, posted in The Money of Soul and Possibility Control



It’s here where this series really shows that it’s more than just another pokemon clone. At least, until Pokemon starts turning into a series about economics. I mean, first of all taking away a guy’s kids when he goes bankrupt: that’s some pretty hardcore stuff, but this episode also really looked into why people go into the financial district, plus the difficulties in raising children.

The second half of this episode meanwhile was about reliability, something you also don’t see a lot on these fighting series. The best players are often just one-sidedly strong, while here it’s a bit more nuanced: the best players are the ones who are able to minimize their losses. It’s definitely a series that’s full of interesting ideas.

I have two complaints, though. First of all this episode introduced a lot of new characters who I doubt will able to get their depth within 11 episodes. Also, I’m still not sure why Kimimaro is the main character. He lacks… motivation. I’m still not sure why I should root for him, especially when he keeps winning through either dumb luck or other people helping him.
Rating: * (Good)

Showa Monogatari – 04 – AGAIN

by psgels, posted in Showa Monogatari



Ah, finally this thing appeared. It’s about bloody time. Seriously, I have been blogging anime for a long time, but I’ve only encountered one show where the raws took even longer to show up (some of the episodes of Porfy no Nagai Tabi). This series is not a kiddie show! It actually has very good characters!

In any case, this episode mostly shed lights on what would happen to Kanako in later episodes. In terms of romance, it was actually pretty good here. I mean, in this episode she fails, but she does actively try to ask him out. It’s not like she’s in denial about her feelings. It’s refreshing to see a romance that is more about the question “when will he/she grab the courage to confess”, rather than “when will they realize they’re into each other”. It’s also interesting how in the future episodes, she still is struggling with her feelings later on with the series.

Also, in this episode Kouhei wanted to watch a show called 8 Man. Yeah, that 8 Man. Heh, I nearly forgot that this took place in the year after the debut of Astro Boy.

On a side-note: it’s ironic that Kouhei’s friends have better voice actors than him.
Rating: * (Good)

Steins;Gate – 05

by psgels, posted in Steins;Gate



In this episode: the clear hint that the main characters aren’t what they seem. Makise Kurisu apparently did something to Suzyha Amane but this was somewhere in the future so she didn’t actually do that yet. In other words this episode was foreshadowing things that are about to happen. The interesting thing is that we were promised an dimensional time conspiracy thriller, and here this series is going “screw that for now, first I want to set everything up correctly!”

Now, the people of Cern are a bunch of idiots for storing reports that could cause a public outrage… on an unencrypted mail server. I mean, all you need is one hacker who is crazy enough to try and break into a world famous organization (which, let’s face it, is very likely to happen), and you’re screwed. It’s a good thing that Okarin is such a proud idiot that he refuses to let anyone else in on his discoveries. At the same time though, the way in which this show keeps talking about them but never shows who they actually are is definitely good for the mystery in this show.

Mayuri meanwhile… got on my nerves in this episode. It’s both that her voice actress is very monotonously ditzy, as well as how she hasn’t really been useful, has she? Amongst Makise and Okarin’s banter, and the knowledge of the other characters, she feels out of place. All she has is this sad past and all, but so far the plot would be exactly the same if she was simply removed. I hope that the creators are building her up for something other than just a damsel in distress.
Rating: * (Good)