
Short Synopsis: In order to calm down the rampaging Jomie, Blue shows him memories of his own past.
Good: Omg @ those memories.
Bad: What was the meaning of that death-card, shown at the beginning of the episode?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10
Holy god, that was good. This time it’s really Toward the Terra’s turn to shine, as this episode was amazing, with as height Blue’s history. I knew that the Myu had a sad past, but I never knew that their past was this extreme. It all started when Blue went rampant, just like Jomie. After that, he got locked up, alongside other Myu. At one point, he couldn’t take it anymore, and blew up the planet, trying to escape along with the other Myu. Physis also seems to be a childhood friend of his, as we see the two together in their younger years.
Jomie will no become quite interesting, now that he seems to understand why he’s needed to guide the other Myu to earth. I’m not yet sure whether he has fully accepted this, though I believe the next episode will solve this. I also do wonder, who was the one who couldn’t manage to hold on to that final person who fell off the ship, back in Blue’s memories? I don’t recall I’ve seen the guy, and he seems a bit too old to be the antagonist for this series.
The rest of the episode also was quite a treat to see, that battle between the human forces and the Myu ship was really intense, and add that to Blue, nearly collapsing to his death, and the ever-awesome music, and you’ve got yourself a great episode. If this can continue for the rest of the anime, we’re in for something really special. :)]]>
Category: Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction
Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber – 04

Short Synopsis: When assaulted by people after her head, Rita flees into a brothel-city.
Good: Great themes, serious undertones, some hilarious moments.
Bad: Could take itself a tad more seriously. Way too much fanservice.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10
Seriously, this episode reminded me a lot of Jigoku Shoujo 19: A good episode, but why so much fanservice? The fanservice definitely wasn’t useless, and it did make sense, unlike most other anime. But really, especially at the end, the creators may have been a little too enthusiastic.
I think what strikes me about Wellber no Monogatari is that it’s got a lot of things I like, and also a lot of things I don’t like. Still, the potential is definitely there. The individual cases may goof off a bit at times; there definitely are some serious undertones. The fact does remain that these prostitutes did join the brothel because they had no choice, and this anime effectively uses it. One person in particular got introduced to the business because the war destroyed her village.
Rita also has quite a few annoying moments, but on the other side, this anime is quite busy developing her from the ignorant little princess to someone who actually knows what she’s doing. She’s currently rash and impulsive, but after all, she grew up as a princess (which reminds me, I’d love to see some scenes of her when she was little). It’ll be interesting to see her at a later stage of this anime.
I also have to say that for the first time, this anime really cracked me up when Rita ran into Sherry.]]>
Toward the Terra – 03

Short Synopsis: Jomie returns to his house, only to find that it’s been emptied. He can’t return to his former home.
Good: It’s been a long time since I saw an anime play with its characters’ mind like this.
Bad: The question, of course, remains: will this anime give a reason why Jomie is a Myu?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
In situations where a main character has to join a certain group, or fight in a specific way out of the blue, there are roughly two ways an anime can go: accept, or decline at first, get second thoughts and accept later. The first can either be done well (Bokura no), or bad (insert shounen title X). The second also doesn’t have many options, as there wouldn’t be much of an anime if the main character doesn’t even get involved in the anime.
Mai in Mai Hime, for example, first is very reluctant, but then she realizes she has to protect her brother so she fights. Mai in Ghost Hunt complains because she’s been rather forced in helping Naru, but she stays because she’s attracted to Naru. These reasons all look like each other, and Toward the Terra also had to deal with it, and I have to say that it could have gone a lot worse.
One thing I dislike about usual anime is how it displays Japanese as the good guys. Overall, most Japanese are extremely xenophobic, and in some anime it shows. Code Geass, Gigantic Formula are the best examples of this, and let’s not forget the countless number of anime situated in some kind of Japanese school. That’s why I love the more international anime (although some samurai stories are also appreciated), and the kind of anime who try to break the stereotypes around xenophobia, as Toward the Terra demonstrated in this episode.
At first sight, you can consider Jomie an arrogant brat, but on the other hand, what would you do if people tell you over and over that the Myo are bad, and that there’s nothing good about them. Especially when these very Myu ruin the entire future you had planned for yourself, obviously you’d be mad, and not open to suggestions.
This episode really wanted to go into the mind of Jomie. I only noticed this now, but this episode has probably the first time I’ve seen mind games in anime since Ergo Proxy. I quite liked this, to be honest. And if we already get to see scenes like these in the third episode, I really wonder what the rest of this anime will be about.
Well, for starters, by looking at the OP, there’s a lot that still has to happen. Jomie’s friends don’t have a detailed character-design for no reason, as it seems that they’ll play some kind of role in the rest of this anime as well. If I had to guess, then they do end up growing up, and get enlisted for the military. There’s also another guy who appears in the OP that we haven’t seen yet, I suspect that he’ll be the major antagonist.
Two final things I liked about this episode: Leo and the music. Even though Jomie said horrible things at him, he still supports the guy. And holy god… he’d better not have died at only episode three!]]>
Seirei no Moribito – 03

Short Synopsis: The first big battle in the series ends with both sides getting hurt. A lot.
Good: Excellent fight, even better aftermath.
Bad: Nope. No bad points.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10
This episode convinced me. Seirei no Moribito is going to be a real treat. That fight was just excellent, both in its tension and choreography. I loved how Barsa actually managed to take on four elite fighters, if it only weren’t for her spear, breaking down, causing a nasty wound to her, and forcing her to retreat in a nearby forest. Chaggumu also showed that he isn’t an annoying brat at all. Thank goodness for that. I found myself really liking him this episode.
Another thing I loved: the fact that these guards have actual personalities, and aren’t just clones of each other, like you see in so many other anime. My favourite is the guy who offered to take Chaggumu, after he had been captured, to a certain place (not sure exactly what place that was, though), as it seems that the prince, when he was still young, made a huge impression to this guy.
But things really got interesting when Barsa appeared again. We never really see her after she ran into the forest, but we just know that she isn’t going to keep still. It seems that she first temporarily mended her wounds, to go after Chaggumu afterwards. The only problem: the point of her spear was gone, and the wound was too deep to just magically fix itself. When Chaggumu wakes up, she sends him to a number of acquaintances of her. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the place she grew up in, as they’re all using the same kind of spear that she uses. I really like how Chaggumu isn’t your average spoiled brat.
In the end, help arrived just after Barsa passed out. Obviously, she’ll live, otherwise it wouldn’t be much of an anime, but I do find myself really caring about the two main characters of Seirei no Moribito, and that already at the third episode. I just wonder… why did these two guys end up fighting each other right next to an immobilized Barsa? And what was with that wolf? Something tells me that that’s not an ordinary wolf…]]>
Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber – 03

Short Synopsis: Tina learns of a rumour which might have something to do, and decides to investigate.
Good: Very interesting battles.
Bad: Could use a bit more realism.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7/10
I admit that Wellber no Monogatari does have its flaws. Rita and Tina have less excuses to linger around than Nadie and Ellis, so seeing the two of them get involved in random cases doesn’t work as good as with El Cazador. It’s also surprising that nobody recognizes the giant tank which accompanies the princess. This probably means that vehicles like Bergerac are common in the world this anime plays in, but so far I’ve yet to see any of them. The fixing-shop did suggest, though, that Bergerac doesn’t have unique design, otherwise it wouldn’t be so easy to fix it. And yes, “decievereting” is probably the worst case of Engrish since Gonzo’s “Garally”.
Still, despite this, I like Wellber no Monogatari. Not only does it have the best OP of the season (imo, at least), the potential for a great storyline is there as well. The current episode also fleshed Tina nicely, while Rita has had a nice share of character-development, which usually is a good sign. This episode, we get some full details of Tina’s perception of her parents being murdered twelve years ago. Something tells me it’s that Galahad-guy. After all, he’s the only blonde guy in this anime. But I think there’s still a twist to this.
Accompanied by an unconventional, but actually very catchy soundtrack, the fights also were quite interesting. I like how brains have to be used to win. I’m not too sure about the ending, though. We first see Rita and Tina, in a burning building with no way out, when suddenly the screen blacks out. In the end, they got out by making a huge bell drop on top of them, protecting themselves from the fire. Cute, but why didn’t they end up with a terrible headache, due to the huge sound-waves caused by the bell, smashing into the ground? You’d also wonder why they were able to not suffocate inside of that.]]>
Towards the Terra – 02

Short Synopsis: Myu are those, gifted with special powers. They’re shunned by society, and Jomi happens to be one of them.
Good: Despite his brattiness, I like Jomi.
Bad: He does have annoying points, though.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7.5/10
For Saturdays, I also planned to blog Shining Tears X Wind, but the second episode just lapsed painfully into clichés and fanservice. I’m not sure if another show is going to take its place, I’ll decide after watching the third episode of the shows with potential. Towards the Terra, on the other hand, is proving to be quite interesting. This was another one of those episodes which served as explaining the current situation.
So, with the help of Wrex’s summaries (he doesn’t seem to like the show that much, though), I managed to find out the following. The Myu are a special kind of human being. I’m not yet sure if it just appears on random humans, but the fact remains that Jomi is one of them. His parents looked like perfectly normal people, so I guess this is true. In the current society, the Myu are shunned. Probably out of fear for their powers, and they hide in a large space-ship in the clouds. If I had to guess, then they’re planning to return to earth.
The powers of the Myu are quite diverse. Most involve telepathy, though. Leo, for example, can’t talk, and has to use his thoughts to speak to others. Blue can travel through machines and virtual reality at will (or so it seems), and I suspect that Jomi has a power that will greatly work in the advantage of the Myu, we just haven’t seen it yet. The Myu also have really weak bodies, as a fight between Jomi and one of them showed. The guy was out-cold after just one punch.
Speaking of Jomi, he spends the entire episode rather causing havoc and yelling at every Myu he meets. While it was annoying, I do admit that it’s better than him agreeing with their plans immediately, after having been taken against his will, with his whole future he had in mind ruined. It’s probably a very natural reaction for him. I did like how Blue attempted to solve the problem of Jomi’s behaviour, as it’ll be very interesting to see Jomi see his parents again. After all, he’s probably got no future whatsoever, and I think that everyone in his former surroundings now knows that the guy is one of the Myu.]]>
Seirei no Moribito – 02

Short Synopsis: Barsa asks her friends to get her some supplies, while the king sends a number of assasins after her and Chaggumu.
Good: Yet again, this episode shows how much thought has been put in this anime.
Bad: Incredibly long dialogue by the king and his servant x.x
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
I just realized something. Seirei no Moribito is very similar to Sisters of Wellber. Both feature a normal person who takes care of someone of royalty. Seirei no Moribito definitely is the more realistic of the two, though Wellber no Monogatari is allowed to take more risks because of its light-hearted nature. It’ll be interesting to see which of the two ends up better. So far? Seirei no Moribito. This’ll be one of the shows I’ll be blogging for Saturday (Saturday is going to be busy!). Ooedo Rocket, meanwhile, remains hilarious, but I don’t see what’ll be worth blogging it. Kamichama Karin is cute, but it lacks the degree of mystery that mahou shoujo as Otogi Juushi Akazukin and Futago Hime did have. Koutetsu Sangokushi’s second episode was worse than its first, and I’ll be dropping Touka Gettan. Not that it’s bad, or anything, but I’ll watch it when my schedule isn’t as busy as it is now. Same with Hitohira.
Anyway, I liked this episode of Seirei no Moribito a lot. The only thing is that the dialogue between the king and his servant was really hard to follow. If I had to guess, then the king knows that a water spirit has laid an egg inside of his son’s body, which seems to be very bad for his reputation. Because of that, he sends some of his men after him. Barsa, meanwhile, spends the episode hiding, while her friends get some necessary supplies for her. Wellber no Monogatari skipped this, and went straight on with showing how Rita acted now that she doesn’t live in the castle anymore.
Chaggumu was much more silent than Rita was. While Rita chose her path herself, he probably has no choice whatsoever, and is being attacked all against his will. Because of that, he tries to be as independent as possible. It’s interesting to see, considering he’s a child (also notice that he’s carrying the majority of the supplies when they leave the city?). Next episode will start quite interesting as well, as we’ll see Barsa fight again. Another department where lots of thoughts went into, as we see Barsa actually take care of her weapon. I’ll be looking forward to it.]]>
Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber – 02

Short Synopsis: A princess who has lived inside a castle for her entire life obviously has to get used to not living in luxury anymore.
Good: Rita’s got a surprisingly versatile character, the OP still is brilliant.
Bad: Rather unrealistic horse movement.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7.5/10
For Wednesday and Thursday, my shows to blog will be Wellber no Monogatari and Claymore. Even though they’re both Wednesday-shows, there just isn’t anything blogworthy on Thursday, while Wednesday has an excellent line-up. This will probably one of the more laid-back shows, when compared to a series like Claymore. One thing I liked in this episode was Rita. We’ve often seen people of high stature embarrass themselves when they try to live as normal people, though not often does this happen with the main characters of a series. At the beginning of the episode, Rita is obviously clueless, she keeps standing out too much, she has to act on her own morals, no matter what and she doesn’t quite care about anything other than herself.
Obviously, this had to be annoying to some extend, but I like how her cluelessness is just one part of her personality. She knows quite well what she has to do, and at the end of the episode, we also see her take appropriate methods of altering her appearance. Still, I wonder what she’s going to do once people realize that she’s travelling with a talking tank. ^^;
Tina has shown her different sides a bit more subtle, though. Right now, she’s still a rather one-sided character, though she never really had a moment to shine yet, unlike Rita. Regarding the talking tank, he reminds me of Bogie, though a bit more clueless, energetic and random. I like how he actually has a part in this story. And I’d love to see how Sherry and Tina met each other. I’ve yet to see another thing like Sherry, which means that it’s got to be quite a special story.
There’s one thing awkward about this anime, though. The animation is good, the background art is terrific, but some of the CG is rather bad. Especially the horses. They look like a one-minute job with random galloping sounds added which don’t match their movements at all.]]>
Saiunkoku Monogatari – 39

Short Synopsis: Tadaima.
Good: A perfect moment for nostalgia.
Bad: Bad? This episode? No way. ^^
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10
Those who’ve read my entries about the latest episodes might remember my small comments about how I disliked the old characters being written out of the main plot. After this episode, there is no way for me not to fanboy. Shuurei finally has the time to relax, after she accomplished all the tasks she set out to do, and finally has the time to socialize with everyone she met in the first arcs of this anime. That was SO cute. 🙂
I loved Shuurei’s expression when she finds out that she can see Kouyuu again, and their reunion was just as good. The dinner-party with everyone was really sweet (I loved it when the old guy got drunk and started throwing people into the water), but the definite highlight was the reunion of Shuurei and Ryuuki. I can’t believe it’s been around twenty episodes since they had a talk between the two of them. And it looked perfectly. You could already see the positive influence Sakujun has had on her, and Ryuuki’s reaction to this was so cute.
The episode also really was nostalgic. Especially the scenes which referenced back to the first episode. Boy, I almost forgot that Sho Taishi started everything. Apparently, Shuurei’s manju still stick in his mind. I also nearly forgot that Ryuuki´s first gift to Shuurei was a twig he plucked from a tree. Great stuff, really great stuff. I’m really rooting for Ryuuki, Ran, Kouyuu, Shouka, Sho Taishi, Reishin, Kijin and all the others of the first seasons to play a more active role in the second season, which just started yesterday. Quite a good timing of We Suck-fansubs. I can’t wait till the second season. :)]]>
Saiunkoku Monogatari – 38

Short Synopsis: We pass one month, Shuurei heads back to the capital and presents her plans.
Good: Great to see such a large pacing.
Bad: This had to happen, though very exciting it wasn’t.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7/10
This was a surprisingly focused episode, as pretty much everything is about Shuurei’s proposal about the future of the Sa-province. Pretty straightforward everything. Shuurei presents her plans in front of a huge amount of important people and gets a bit nervous, but of course there’d be no way that Ryuuki didn’t accept her proposal. I did like Kokujun, though. He really needs to struggle now as the head of the Sa-clan. But what was that quote of Shuurei that she plans to use the transfer of the rights of the Seven-Coloured Paint of Luminescence from the Kou clan in order to take care of the funding? I didn’t quite understand that line.
Still, I’m afraid to say it, but Saiunkoku hasn’t been as good as it once was. The first half of this series shined so much, because it featured a woman, climbing up in a male-dominated society. Now that she has reached a high position, Shuurei has been doing other things. And I don’t mean that the second half didn’t have its memorable moments (Sakujun’s death was amazing), I still like the episodes in which I was cheering for Shuurei not to give up more enjoyable than her mission to restore the Sa-clan. While her plan to restore the Sa-clan definitely is insteresting, I do hope that in the second season she gets put in another situation, with all odds against her, and nobody to help her. That’s where she shines the most. There’s also the matter that the first half of the show featured a nice combination between seriousness and quirky scenes. I’ve been missing these quirky scenes a bit, mostly due to the fact that the funniest characters and combinations of characters were written out of the main plot.]]>