Category: Finished Series: Action

Durarara – 09

by psgels, posted in Durarara



Wikipedia has the following to say about the so-called ‘Westermarck Effect‘:

“When two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction. This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was first formally described by Finnish anthropologist Edvard Westermarck. The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutzim (collective farms), children were reared somewhat communally in peer groups—based on age, not biological relation. A study of the marriage patterns of these children later in life revealed that out of the nearly 3,000 marriages that occurred across the kibbutz system, only fourteen were between children from the same peer group. Of those fourteen, none had been reared together during the first six years of life. This result provides evidence not only that the Westermarck effect is demonstrable, but that it operates during the critical period from birth to the age of six.”.

Someone, please go to Japan and hit the anime creators over the head with this page.

So yeah, while these two siblings are very likely my least favourite members of the Durarara cast after this episode (they’re a bunch of elitists who can’t see beyond their own ‘love’), I liked the rest of this episode. “Celty’s head” (for a lack of a better name for her at this point) running into Mikado may have been a bit forced, but I guess it’ll do to get him involved with the rest of the storyline.

The interesting thing is of course that while this episode would have been very mundane if the course of this series was only 13 episodes, it creates a ton of possibilities for a 24-episoded series. It’s a pretty nice build-up for whatever is going to happen in that second half of this series. I also loved Izaya’s role in this episode: in this episode we really get confirmed that he’s genuinely interested in people, but he just happens to have a sick mind that can easily lead to trouble.
Rating: (Enjoyable)

Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – 46

by psgels, posted in Full Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood



This episode was all about the “Promised Day”: the day at which Father is planning to put that huge transmutation circle he’s been preparing to use. We now see the rest of the cast head to Central City, but the doesn’t forget to get developed either. Plus, the start of this episode was just priceless. It was a great way for Ed and Winry to see each other again without the usual melodramatic hugging and stuff.

Oh, and poor Al. In the past few episodes hes been doing fairly well, but in this episode he got captured when father sent Pride after him. Interestingly enough, Pride’s words seem to hint at how Al isn’t needed for the Promised day, but instead they require him for something after that. Could collecting Ed, All, Izumi and that other mysterious person actually be the next step in his plan? After all, their part is the only ones that weren’t hinted at in the Hohenheim flashback.

The end of this episode was also very stylishly done, but that again brings us to the Golden rule of anime: a character isn’t dead unless this is confirmed. I doubt whether a homunculus would die that easily anyway. Considering their regenerative power and all. It also showed what a large amount of people is on Ed and Roy’s side at this point: the amount of soldiers behind the Bradley assassination plan was just huge. On top of that, this episode revealed even more allies: the Ishbal survivors. While the overall story of this series has turned out to be very impressive, I believe that the thing that truly sets this story apart from all other stories is this quest for allies.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Durarara – 08

by psgels, posted in Durarara



One of the many reasons why this series rocks is the following: even though every episode is dedicated to one particular character (in this case Celty), it never forgets that it has a huge cast, and also shows some of the lives of the other characters that don’t have anything to do with the episode’s main focus, beyond mere cameos. This is especially important early on in the series, and a lot of series seem to forget the entire rest of the cast when they decide to dedicate an episode to one or two particular characters. This is a great way to breathe life into all of your characters, rather than just one or two.

I also have to say, that this show is very good at red herrings. We finally get to see Celty’s real head confirmed. I could have sworn that it was captured by that scientist woman, but no! It was the girl with the scar after all! In any case, it’s great to finally see an episode from Celty’s perspective. This episode was mostly slice of life, but very enjoyable slice of life nonetheless. We got to see her worries and how much finding her head back means to her, and this episode managed to get much more into her character than in the Shinra-episode, at which she first was properly introduced.

The question-mark in this episode was that strange guy who blew himself up. I mean, what was up with that? We never saw him before, he just appears and then kills himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Izaya was behind it, but still, that might seem a bit extreme even for him, to suddenly command an army of suicide terrorists…

And yeah, Walker and Erika were really cute together in this episode.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – 45

by psgels, posted in Full Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood



That fight between Greed and Wrath… talk about animation! What an epic way to start off this episode. Interestingly enough, the rest of this episode was used to save some budget and the faces were off a bit. Ah well, it was well worth the eye candy.

This episode really formed the prelude to a new major arc in this series. The previous arc was really all about preparation: gathering allies, getting them to the right place and getting everything ready for the “big plan”. Right now, it seems that we’re about to start with the real stuff of this series: Mustang is back, and the characters around him are about to play a bigger role again. Ed is fully recovered and teamed up with Greed. Now everyone seems to be ready to put an end to Father’s plans.

The ED said so much about this subject. I love how much different parties are now working together at this point, and everyone is doing something different, meaningful, something that fits his character, doesn’t get neglected and has his own circumstances. I really have to praise the mangaka for weaving everything into one. She really did a wonderful job.

Also, @Mae Chung: I’m really glad that she’s not on a bus after all, but oh god… I really fear for her.
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Durarara – 07

by psgels, posted in Durarara



This time: Shizuo. This was a pretty straightforward background episode: we learn what drives Shizuo, we get to see his past and how he grew up, and we also see how he’s connected to some of the other characters in this series. At first I thought that he was deeply involved into the yakuza-stuff along with Izaya, but that turns out to be a bit differently.

Instead, he’s just another one of Izaya’s victims. Izaya is a strange guy: we know that he’s involved in shady business, but some of his actions are just strange, and don’t seem to have any particular merit or reward: why would he make Shizuo’s life miserable to such an extent? Why would he order some people to kidnap a random girl?

In any case, I like these series that are about all kinds of generations, like this one: we’ve got high schoolers, college students and working adults, the flashbacks are focused on kids, and on top of that we also have a bunch of people in their thirties and forties, plus an immortal one. In any case, this episode also explains why Izaya and Shizuo knew Celty. One thing that I also love about these flashbacks is that they show not just one part of a character’s background, they show all of it through all kinds of ages. It gives such a better feeling of the characters, rather than just another “flashback arc”.

Also, the references to other anime. In such a series, it’s actually pretty nice to see ads for series that are this recent: it shows that series take place right now, rather than in some ambiguous time period that could just as well be 1990 or 2000. I was surprised to see Cencoroll pop up among them, though. It’s obvious why Jigoku Shoujo and Baccano are often referenced in this series, but I like the little wink of the creators of such an independent movie. It’s not really a parody either, and instead it feels a part of the setting.
Rating: * (Good)

Full Metal Alchemist – 44

by psgels, posted in Full Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood



This show just keeps surprising me. The reunion between Al and his father was handled wonderfully well, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of everything that went on in this episode. It’s episodes like this that have a great balance between building up and actual climaxes.

It’s actually very interesting to see Al meet his father, without Ed. They probably would have gotten along a lot less if Ed was there, who has a lot of grudges against his father as we saw earlier. Ed would not have wanted to stay longer than necessary with this guy, but here Al has managed to create a bridge between the two of them. I really like how the creators chose their reunion to be subtle and not over-dramatic at all. The part where they didn’t know what to say to each other was full of subtleties.

Quite the opposite was Lin’s return, however. Talk about intense! We’ve already seen that Homunculi can break with the right amount of pressure at their weak points. Here we see Lin do it from the inside. Also, note how in his memories, Hohenheim is amongst Greed’s friends. So that explains why he got the idea to betray Father.

And again completely different: Ed’s return. Instead, that was much more of the fun kind of action scene. The “car scene” was absolutely hilarious, and I’m amazed at how much personality these two chimeras have already received. I already like them a lot, and they’ve been in like what? 2 episodes now?
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Durarara – 06

by psgels, posted in Durarara



After this episode, I’m certain: this series is brilliant!

Seriously, what an awesome episode, and we’re only six episodes in! This show just keeps getting better and better. The seemingly endless wit of this episode and the incredibly fresh pacing shined in this episode beyond belief. The narrator of this episode is Kadota Kyohei, as he again runs into the strange kidnappers of the first two episodes. A modest premise at first sight, but this episode added so many nice touches and details.

This episode really showed the difference between strange people and over-exaggerated stereotypes. The foreigner in this episode was just beyond weird in his antics, and yet the way that this episode characterized him gave him his own identity, and showed that he’s not just a paper bag but a real person. This show always manages to surprise me in characterization by the way. It always finds these brilliant things to flesh its characters out. The Nessun Dorma? Talk about awesomeness.

And that dog! I’ve become a fan of that animal after this episode, even though he only appears in one or two scenes or so, he’s so adorable: he first appeared in front of Shizuo and in this episode serves as a very subtle bloodhound. And ZOMG: Celty’s head appeared. Seriously, after only six episodes?

You also have to love the use of music in this series. It’s bold, creative and varied. Especially the background tune when the kidnappers accidentally numbed themselves was just surreal.

As for the pessimists this season who claim that there are only one or two great series this season: I’m not sure what you’re talking about. There are at least three Top Notch series that are just as awesome as the best shows from any other average season: Durarara, Full Metal Alchemist and the Armed Librarians are all wonderfully written and produced. The problem with this season is indeed quantity, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing that’s worth watching.
Rating: *** (Awesome)

Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – 43

by psgels, posted in Full Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood



The previous episode showed the Drachma army, guided by Kimblee, about to attack Briggs. Here I thought that it would be a huge battle… only for them to get slaughtered in seconds. Seriously, these guys don’t even survived past the opening credits. The big question is of course: why? Why did Kimblee go through the trouble of taking off for ten days, where he was supposed to be chasing after something much more important and dangerous. Perhaps it was part of creating that big tragedy for Briggs: instead of simply destroying the structure, one could of course kill off a bunch of people near the site. Perhaps that would work too.

In any case, this episode… talk about juicy plot twists! The guts and unpredictability of this series is only surpassed by the Armed Librarians. While it of course also would have been interesting if that chimera really was a traitor, it didn’t really make sense of his character: never once was it hinted that he was inclined to do this. As a method of luring in Envy however, it worked out much better than expected. That fight scene against him was nothing short of awesome.

And noooo! May Chang was put on a bus! What a shame that she had so leave, though I can understand why. Also, Hohenheim’s visit to Lior in the previous episode was more important than I imagined. To think that the creators were actually planning to meet him up with Al and Winry at that point; that promises all sorts of potential for the next episode.
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There have been a few characters who have been surprisingly absent during the past months. I mean, what happened to Greed, aka Ling? Also, I’m waiting for Roy to go back in the spotlight again. I know that it’s pretty hard for him to move around with Bradley and all, but still. I really expected him to be one of the main characters of this series. I also find it interesting: Ed has been completely gone for like two episodes now. That’s a first!

Also… the end of the episode. That put a whole new dimension to the core concepts of this show: Father had created an entire army of transmuted humans. This really begs the question: why did Ed manage to see “the truth”? Why did their research fail? And if seeing the truth is common with human transmutation, then why are Ed, Al and Izumi so special? Was it because their attempts failed or something? But then their reason for being necessary for Father’s plans would have to be really far-fetched…
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Durarara – 05

by psgels, posted in Durarara



This show has just gotten even better than it already had. Just when you think that nearly all of the important characters were introduced, this episode comes and throws in a heap more of them. The way in which this episode weaved so many different story-lines into one was just done masterfully. Masaomi got a lot of extra depth in this episode as well, and Anri too became a lot more colourful.

One thing that this series likes to do a lot is flash-forwards, without giving any indication what they’re about. This episode had those two as well: we first see two seemingly random scenes, in which Celty gets attacked by some other ghost or spirit, and Mikado and Masaomi run into some random direction. Only at the end of the episode were these two scenes explained. Things like these can really spice up an episode.

Also, Masaomi. While at first sight he was just another one of those “best friends”. You know, those paper bags you see in harem anime who play the local pervert and whose only purpose is to make the lead character look ‘good’. Well, that image got completely shattered with this episode, as it might even be that he only acts like that in front of his friends. This episode hinted at some event that happened in his past that caused an old friend of him and Izaya to end up in the hospital. I’m not exactly sure about the details, but for some reason he doesn’t visit her as often any more, so it might have been caused by something he did himself. Either that, or Izaya was just so damn scary, although that girl doesn’t seem to mind Izaya.

Then, Anri and Yagiri. In this episode it’s revealed that Anri didn’t talk so desperately in front of Yagiri because she herself was attracted to him, but rather because one of her friend, Harima, who apparently stalked him, and now mysteriously disappeared. And for some reason she looks surprisingly much like that girl that might carry Celty’s head. Coincidence? I actually doubt that.

Also, what was up with that new character who talked with random punks and has some sort of hikkikomori daughter? It was a nice way to add a bit of characterization for these people, by the way. May they rest in peace. Or at least that’s very much hinted at at the end of this episode…
Rating: ** (Excellent)

Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – 42

by psgels, posted in Full Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood



I didn’t quite understand one part in this episode. It might have been because I missed a detail in one of the earlier episodes, but even then that part in which Mai Chang grabbed that book of hers, unravelled all of the pages and laid them so precisely in such a way that they formed the transmutation circle that Father is trying to carry out… First of all, how would you even think of such a thing, and second of all: what exactly does it mean anyway?

In any case, I liked the building up that this episode did. We finally got to know a bit more about what Roy’s former subordinates have been doing, and Sloth has finally finished his tunnel, bringing Father another step closer to his plans. Also, Rose returns. Seriously, talk about an improvement over her development in the original FMA!

Hohenheim’s trip inside of Lior (in which you can still see the remains of Ed’s battle there, hehe), in which he finds the tunnel and encounters Pride. Well, so much for the strongest of all Homunculi: he can only use his full powers inside that tunnel for some reason. It’s pretty much the same as with that flask, although he did seem to have found a way somehow to go in the outside world through that boy appearance.

Also, Drachma attacked Briggs at the end of this episode. Talk about irony in which an outside force has to make use of people from inside the country in order to make their advances.
Rating: * (Good)