Author: psgels

Ghost Hound – 15

by psgels, posted in Ghost Hound


There was even more talking than usual this episode, which put me in a rather disadvantage. I’d guess that apart from Saiunkoku Monogatari, Ghost Hound is the hardest to understand of the anime I currently watch raw, though so far this hasn’t caused that much problems. This also was a clear build-up episode, after the major events of the last one, though this is the first time where I felt that I missed some important information about what happened to Makoto and his mother, after his grandmother died and all.

He basically runs into Tarou in the bus, and the two of them spend the episode together as first Tarou heads to Kei to apologize for what he did to her experiment, a few episodes ago (it seems that this experiment failed because of his meddling), and afterwards they meet up with the new partner of Makoto’s mother, and for some reason Makoto decided to bring along a knife for this. Things will probably get clearer the next episode, when we see what he actually planned to do with it.

In the meantime, Michio and Masayuki are on their own investigation, to figure out what Masayuki’s father is up to. It turns out that Michio’s skills are quite useful, and at the end of the episode he probably found out the password to Masayuki’s father’s laptop. They also contact the mysterious journalist. I thought that I remember someone in the comments who noted that he might be Tarou’s father, but the two of them are different people. He’s been investigating Makoto’s family, especially how Noriko has been inviting random people to come over.

The real treat of this episode was Hirata, though. It was a really interesting way to reveal the things that Tarou’s sister said to him, right before she died. Instead of Tarou, gradually finding out by recalling his memories, it was Hirata-sensei’s semi-out-of-body experiences that brought him in a part of Tarou’s memory, and he could understand her perfectly fine. What she basically said back then was meant to comfort him. She told him not to cry and survive, as she probably thought that she’d end up dying. In any case, it was pretty interesting to see Hirata freak out like that.

Hakaba Kitarou – 06

by psgels, posted in Hakaba Kitarou


It seems that the final stories of Hakaba Kitarou will consist out of two episodes, as this episode yet again ended with a cliff-hanger. This episode was mostly unspectacular, and al it did was set the tables right for the second episode. I’ve got no worries, as episode five showed that this series can turn the entire tables with its second episode.

And there is a lot of potential in this story. Basically, in order to earn some money, Kitarou ends up collecting money from a water-spirit who hasn’t paid back its loan for fifteen years. Kitarou, as mischievous as he is, starts messing around with the spirit after paralyzing it with a special powder. The water-spirit in exchange escapes, and engulfs the entire world with water in order to take revenge on Kitarou. He then gets saved by Nezumi Otoko on a hot-air balloon, for the price of his father.

One thing that I did realize with this episode is that Kitarou’s character simply is boring if he isn’t sadistic. But I guess it does have a certain charm. Kitarou is a nice example of an anti-hero, and it’s a bit different from all those noble heroes who want to save the world and stuff. In any case, I’m curious for the next episode. We’re already past the halfway-point of this series, so it’d better have an excellent second half in store!

Piano no Mori Review – 82/100

by psgels, posted in Anime Reviews


Piano no Mori can easily be considered as the brother-movie of Miyori no Mori. Both got originally released around the same time, both are slice-of-life movies, both place a lot of emphasis on a forest, and both have a kid of about 11 years old as their main character. In Miyori no Mori, the forest was filled with spirits, in Piano no Mori, the forest has a piano in it.

Both movies have their own strengths and weaknesses. The main characters for Piano no Mori just don’t match up to Miyori, but in exchange Piano no Mori doesn’t have any cardboard-box villain that plagued Miyori. And even though the main characters aren’t as likable as Miyori, this doesn’t mean that they’re bad. This movie portrays quite an interesting rivalry between two polar opposites. Along with the side-characters, they turn into quite an interesting smörgåsbord of a cast.

The major problem with Piano no Mori is the direction. It really felt to me like the creators were going down a checklist of some sorts, to get the necessary developments set up right for the finale. Whenever the creators had to choose between a flowing story and this checklist, they went with the checklist. What’s strange about this is that the director for this movie is top-notch: he’s been behind the critically acclaimed series of Monster and Master Keaton, and his work on the first half of A Spirit of The Sun was terrific as well. While I haven’t seen the first two, I just can’t say that Piano no Mori has been his best work.

Nevertheless, Piano no Mori is a very capable movie, which provided the satisfying ending that I missed with Miyori no Mori. Both movies (or tv-specials in Miyori no Mori’s case) are greatly recommended if you’re looking for a relaxed slice-of-life movie, just don’t expect to be blown away. The tournament at the end of the movie was nicely done, although it would have been better to see more different contestants (some who actually weren’t some kind of reincarnation of Beethoven). Still, this movie did what it set out to do, and that’s enough to make up for two hours that won’t disappoint.

Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber – 20

by psgels, posted in Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber


Last week was about the second Shinigami Bee, so like expected, this episode returns back to the love-triangle between Rita, Tina and Galahad. And what an episode it is! Romance can either work in a show’s favour, or completely ruin it, but with Wellber no Monogatari, the result has become excellent.

Basically, Rita and Galahad are now officially a couple. Tina has finally decided to confess to Galahad, only to find out that he loves Rita. Rita meanwhile knew how Tina loved Galahad, so she turned down his confession two episodes ago. Because of this, Galahad feels like he’s breaking up both Rita and Tina, so he decides to leave. It’s a theme that this series has used more often. It’s a nice touch, seeing as you’re not entirely sure whether people will make up, or remain gone (in Jin’s case). In the end though, Tina finally realizes that she’s been standing between both Galahad and Rita, and Rita finally confesses to Galahad.

What’s also interesting is that we’re nowhere near the end of this series. Usually, things like these are saved for the final episodes, but right now, there are still six episodes left for this series, and enough time for the creators do further develop Rita’s and Galahad’s relationship. I think that this episode marked the end of the first half of the second season now, though, and I think that we can expect something entirely different for the second half, now that the love-problems in the main cast have been solved. The upcoming war should take a larger focus, just as Rita’s brother’s role.

Suteki Tantei Labyrinth – 19

by psgels, posted in Suteki Tantei Labyrinth


You know, it’s clear that I had a lot of doubts when I started this series. Especially the first half with its “mystery of the week” tested my patience more than enough. But with this episode, I can finally say for sure that I’m glad that I continued to follow this series. With the second half, this series has become so much better, and the things that were the worst about the first half (ludicrous mysteries and extreme focus on TEA) have been removed entirely. Instead, Mayuki and Seiran have gotten much more attention, not to mention that the comedy has turned out hilarious.

This episode was one of the most serious ones of the series, although there was plenty to laugh at as well (Seiran in a loincloth!? Oh my god) and a lot of background information has been revealed. We get to see how Mayuki met Sanae, how he met Hatsumi, how Byakko turned up three years ago and how Seiran transformed Hatsumi and Sanae into his servants. Oh and OMG TWIST: Seiju is Seiran’s brother. I’m looking forward to find out how that all came to be, and what role Chien plays in this.

The animation also was of top-quality this episode. You can say a lot about this series, but the fights are a feast for the senses, although the choreography could have been a bit better.

Also, it was kind-of strange to see Byakko so young. And what idiot just walks into a forest, sees a strangely specked red mushroom, and EATS it?

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino – 06

by psgels, posted in Gunslinger Girl - Il Teatrino


Thanks to Windspirit, for pointing out that last week’s episode wasn’t a half-recap at all. It seems that I just had gotten a wrong file from Share, and it looks like there are no signs at all that the budget is running out. Of course, it was relatively small to begin with, but something tells me now that the creators knew exactly how to use it. After watching the first half, the second half also made much more sense, not to mention the bit of development for Triela.

This episode finally was about Henrietta again. I can’t really say that she’s my favourite member of the cast, but thankfully enough other things made this episode worthwhile enough. I especially liked the old acquaintance of Franca. He’s the member of a terrorist group, working at an antique repair shop. He originally joined the terrorist group in order to take revenge on his brother, who died a few years ago. But in this episode, he gets second doubts after meeting Henrietta, if I understood correctly. I like how he turned down Franca’s request in the end.

In this episode, Henrietta and Rico also have a small fight, after Rico accidentally breaks the Jose’s microscope. While it was enjoyable, I’d much rather see more of Angelica, Triela or Claes. Ah well, there are enough episodes left for them to shine. 🙂

Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji – 18

by psgels, posted in Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji


SO, this was clearly a building-up episode. It’s a bit disappointing, as I was hoping that Kaiji would turn the tables already with the seventh round, but instead the creators decided to use these rounds to bring Kaiji more and more in despair. Kaiji has now lost six times in a row, and due to his recklessness he will now lose his ear if he doesn’t win at least once, even while betting 1mm at a time.

It’s a bit of a pity to see Kaiji in despair this way. What I really fear is going to happen is that Kaiji is going to lose even more after this, after which he miraculously wins once on the twelfth round and saves his ear. I’d rather see a more… evenly matched battle between the two of them, and I hope that Kaiji can grab himself together early enough to not make his survival depend on the very last match.

I’m surprised that Kaiji didn’t figure out that Tonegawa can only use Kaiji’s body language when Kaiji is the first to deal his card. After Tonegawa revealed how he knows exactly when Kaiji deals his emperor, based on his body-language, you’d expect Kaiji to go for either the fourth or the second card, but instead he chose the first and the fifth. With that, Tonegawa doesn’t even have to break a sweat, and just put down his slave whenever he sees that Kaiji puts the emperor down. Come to think of it, the only time that Tonegawa really had to think was in the third round, which was the only one where he won and was the first one to deal. Come on, Kaiji. Stop being emo and realize this!

Porfy no Nagai Tabi – 06

by psgels, posted in Porfy no Nagai Tabi


I’d like to call this episode a subtle foreshadowing one. It had so many hints about what we may expect in the future of this series, after the earthquake takes place. Basically, Christopher’s car repair shop has been moving well, when at one point he gets visited by a father who travels along in a truck, along with his daughter. His next job is going to be a bit dangerous, so he decides to leave his daughter with Porfy and Mina for half a day.

At the end of the episode, this girl called Alecia (I hope I spelled this one right) leaves again, but there are many things that should be noted:
1: She appears in the OP.
2: She travels along with her father in a truck. When Porfy starts travelling, he just HAS to run into her at some point.
3: Her mother died two years ago, which is why she’s travelling around with her father.
4: As she tells this to Porfy, the creators show an image of Christ, hanging on his cross, with the nails through his hands as well.
5: Right before she leaves, she kisses Porfy.

Point 3 and 4 confirm what I’ve suspected all along: this series won’t be afraid to show death and dark scenes. Point 1 and 5 also show that she made a huge impression on Porfy for this part. She developed quite fast for a series as this one. It’s only one episode, and she went from a potential tsundere to a versatile and three-dimensional character, and it’s pretty safe to assume that Porfy made a huge impression on her as well. Porfy and Mina are probably the first friends she’s had in years, considering how reluctant she was when her father announced that he’d leave her behind for a few hours.

Like expected, Porfy no Nagai Tabi has been by far the most realistic of all 2008 anime, and it doesn’t look like anything will be kicking it from its throne. There are so many moments that feel nostalgic to me, from when I was a kid myself and the world seemed so simple. Porfy also remains an idiot, but I couldn’t be more positive with that. You just have to love how he kept ringing the church-bell, hoping that it would reach Alecia’s mother in heaven.

Gundam 00 – 18

by psgels, posted in Mobile Suit Gundam 00


Unbelievable. I don’t think that ten episodes ago, I would have expected to be glad when Setsuna showed up and acted on his own again, like he did at the end of this episode. It’s interesting how this guy has been fleshed out pretty well for the past eighteen episodes, and I hope that in the next episode, he’ll kick the Throne Gundams’ ass.

Basically in this episode we finally know why Saji and Louise have been included in this series in the first place. Louise turned out to be the victim of the first Gundam attack on civilians. She survived, but she lost her family and her hand, all at once. The culprit was basically Nena. It’s seriously been a while since I hated a character this much.

I realize how this of course is all of the creators’ intentions, but I have one major problem with the Throne Gundams, or the Trinities to be exact. In a way, they had it coming that they’d start attacking Civilians at one point, since there’s doesn’t seem to be any adult around them to keep them in check, unlike the original Gundam. Nena has basically the “dictator-syndrome”. My problem with this is that one of the reasons I came to like this series is how nearly everyone’s alignment is in sort-of a gray area. There’s nobody purely good, and nobody has been 100% evil so far.

But yeah, the Trinities are now basically portrayed as pure evil, and with this episode, they’ve also labelled the original Gundam Meisters as the good guys. This basically means that Gundam 00 is dangerously close to becoming a cheesy good vs evil-battle, instead of the political intrigue that made the previous episodes so enjoyable. I know that it’s only been three episodes since the Trinities have been introduced, but these guys seriously NEED some development! Why the heck did they end up piloting the Throne Gundams anyway?

A lot is going to depend on the next episode, and how the fight between Setsuna and the Throne Gundams will end. One major fight between them is okay, but I don’t want this series to end up with a long war between the original Gundams and the Throne ones. It’s annoying, this series was finally beginning to get developed, only to introduce some newly underdeveloped plot-devices who probably also need eight more episodes to fully unleash their potential.

Shion no Ou – 16

by psgels, posted in Shion no Ou


Oh my god. This episode was absolutely amazing, and quite probably the best of the entire series yet. And with Shion no Ou, that has to say something! Obviously with that, there are major spoilers following, because this episode turned so many tables around. You don’t want to read this entry without having seen the episode, and I’m serious about this. This sentence is meant to fill up space on the blog aggregators.

Now, the biggest shock was definitely the very first sentence on the first scene. From out of NOWHERE, we just learn that Ayumi’s mother freaking DIED. I hardly could believe my ears when I heard this, and how it came so incredibly suddenly. The first sentence was the last place I’d ever expect a twist so major as that.

Unfortunately, the only thing that wasn’t freaking awesome about this episode was the animation. Something went terribly wrong with the outsourcing this time, and some shots looked really off, even more than usual for this series. Thankfully though, the rest of the episode MORE than made up for it. Shion’s face when she found out about Ayumi’s mother was heart-wrenching. And yes, I admit that I cried a lot during this episode.

The thing also remains that Ayumi has now lost his main reason to play Shougi. Hani-meijin then comes into the picture, when he basically offers to make Ayumi his successor. With his loss against Satoru this episode, the female Ayumi has also died, and the episode ends with Hani-meijin, actually cutting off Ayumi’s hair!

And on top of that, Satoru also receives a truckload full of development. We see him this time at the apartment of a newly introduced friend of his. We receive the first clue that perhaps he wasn’t the one who killed Shion’s parents. It turns out Kazumi was indeed his lover, whom he met in high-school. She died, however, at the same time that Shion’s parents got killed. In this episode, we see how Satoru has actually asked this friend of his to investigate on the real facts of the death of Shion’s parents. Now why would he do that if he was the murderer?

We also learn why Hani-meijin and Satoru split up. Hani-meijin basically forced Satoru to stop playing Shougi, while he himself would pursue a professional carreer in Shougi. This had a major impact on Satoru, and he secretly kept playing Shougi with himself. It turns out that his ultimate goal is to have a real match with his brother, which is probably why he organized the tournament in the first place. Where Shion fits in this isn’t clear yet. But Hani-meijin is indeed the weak point for Satoru. When he finds out that Hani-meijin was late for his own match, his own game against Ayumi got a lot weaker. When the guy showed up at last, he easily won.

Seriously, this episode was all kinds of awesomeness, and to think that the creators haven’t even begun to reveal all of their trump-cards. Right now, only Shion, Hisatani, Satoru and Hani-meijin are left in the tournament. Quite an interesting line-up, if you ask me. If I understood things correctly, then Hisatani will end up against Hani-meijin if he wins his next match. Shion then has also has a match against an unknown opponent (I suspect that this is going to be the guy who beat Saori), after which she yet again has to play against Satoru, who of course wants to go to the finale where he can play against his brother (who’ll likely beat Hisatani). It turns out that there will be 22 episodes for this series, just as with Ghost Hound, and this should provide enough time to close off this series.