The first Gaiden series was pretty much what you’d expect it to be: small and big side-stories focusing on Reinhart’s past. The second gaiden series promised to focus on Yang Wenli’s past (who by the way was my favorite character of the main series). It however did not turn out to be as I expected.
First of all, in Yang’s past there was always one event that really kept mentioned over and over again: the things he did on the planet of El Facil. It was one of the core themes of the series as it looked at what it means to be a hero. I expected a very detailed look at it, but instead the creators end up breezing through it in one single episode.
This is just a small nit-pick, though. Spiral Lbyrinth starts off with a huge 14-episode arc, and in that arc is invaluable for Yang’s character. It shows who he was as a kid and how he ended up in the military, along with how he grew. Where the big arc in the first Gaiden Series was typical LoGH, this one is far from it, and it turns into a historical analysis that’s very interesting to watch unfold. When the arc ended, I was really looking forward to see some more small back-stories of the guy to close off the series…
… and suddenly the show goes back to Reinhart again. In fact, Yang only appears in one more episode after that. It’s like the creators were thinking “No! The people want more Reinhart!” The last number of arcs of this series are still good, but overall they don’t match up to the rest of the series, especially when you compare them to the short arcs of the first gaiden series. They’ve got nice ideas, and especially the retriever has an interesting premise, but a little too often they just deal with Reinhart trying to deal with dumb nobles and officers. It doesn’t add as much as the first gaiden season. Thankfully the final two-episode arc is a great point to end the series with, and connect everything together.
Now, this series actually has a different animation team than a Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights. The two Gaiden series were at one point actually produced right next to each other. The team behind the main series seemed to have taken care of the first, while the second has a noticeably different art style. This art style unfortunately is a bit less successful in hiding the animation flaws in the character models, and it’s also a bit too full of intrusive CG (yes, this was produced around the year 2000. 12 whopping years after the series started).
Overall LoGH can be divided into six major arcs, including the Gaiden series. Unfortunately, the final one seems the weakest one to me due to its reluctance to fully embrace its premise and how it didn’t set itself apart as much as the other arcs. I do have to say that the first half is a must-watch due to Yang’s background and I’d actually consider that one better than the big arc of the first Gaiden series.
| Storytelling: | 8/10 – The second half suffers a bit too much from repetition of morons surrounding Reinhart. |
| Characters: | 9/10 – Excellent background on Yang Wenli |
| Production-Values: | 8/10 – Flawed, but thankfully not flawed enough to really impact the storytelling. |
| Setting: | 9/10 – Still the same brilliant LoGH setting. |
I already suspected that the music in this series would be awesome when I realized that this show would have the same composer as Shion no Ou, but I’m really glad that in the end, this show did end up with an amazing and very strong soundtrack. This show is very emotional, and this soundtrack fits it perfectly.
Now, I have no idea why, but for some reason anime around board games in generally turn out to be amazing, so it took a lot of balls for Chihayafuru to try and challenge them. Overall, compared to Shion no Ou’s first four episodes it’s more exciting. However, Shion no Ou eventually turned into one of my favourite series thanks to its fantastic characterization. Compared to Hikaru no Go’s first four episodes, Hikaru no Go was better, but then again, Hikaru no Go did have some of its best episodes there, and became a bit stale in its middle part. Let’s see how this show managed to evolve once it enters its second half.
And god dammit that cliff-hanger! It wasn’t that it came from out of nowhere: you could see this twist coming based on the first episode. We don’t all stick with our childhood hobbies. That was a strong point it made here. In this episode, Taichi got pulled back in by Chihaya’s spirit. Arata however had something happen to him that made him lose interest. This episode gave no hints as to what that was, however. We’re going to have to wait a week for that?!
The big challenge for this show will still be to keep all of its matches interesting, and the relationship between the three main characters will be a key in this. This episode was still wonderful because of how it showed how Chihaya has grown. This series still needs to convince me what’s so great about Karuta. This isn’t a prerequisite: while watching Shion no Ou, Giant Killing and Hikaru no Go awakened my interest in Shougi, Football and Go, Touch, Ookiku Furikabutte and Cross Game didn’t really make me want to learn more about baseball. It would be a nice side-effect, though.
Rating: ** (Excellent)]]> 
Okay, I can see why people said that you shouldn’t pay attention to the plotholes in this series. If you’re trying to lure a terrorist bomber out of her shell, then don’t do it in a theme park full of innocent people who can get hurt!
In the first half, you could really see that this came from the same direcor as Shuffle (I have no idea why I fully watched that show). Heck, that fanservice scene was directly copied and pasted here. Here though, it was more than just a boring waste of time, because an episode like this was really needed to take a step back. The characters were nicely fleshed out, while at the same time the plot didn’t come at a stand still because enough went on with Uryuu Nenene. And holy crap that ending!
The gore in particular was disturbing, but in this episode we got confirmed what was hinted at in the first episode: that Yuno has killed before. Heck… since there is only one way in which “Happy End” could have been interpreted: if they started to live together, there is no way in whichi that room would have been unconcealed. She actually tried to kill her new boyfriend.
It’s good suspense and makes great use of its insane cast of characters. I also do wonder a bit about Deus ex Machina’s intentions regarding Yukiteru. I mean, from the looks of it he grabbed the most psychopatic characters he could find, and handed them the future diaries. So where does Yukiteru come in? I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually becomes some deranged mass murderer or something.
Rating: * (Good)]]> 
This show is full of nutcases!
This show pretty much concludes the introductions, for as far as the characters shown in the Promo material goes. And it’s still weird, yet undoubtedly creative and enjoyable. After this we should probably getting some more side characters (like the ones shown in the OP), and the plot is probably going to take off.
But seriously, that new character gives a new meaning to the term airhead. And in the end, her…um his biggest problem turned out to be one of the reactions she..he evoked on another member of the cast. She… he was interesting to watch. But the love triangle this ended up creating was really annoying, especially on Nonoha.
The puzzle this week convinced me that the POG is the most bizarre evil organization in existence. So we have this old widow whose late husband was a famous painter. Their butler (a member of said organization) ordered this painter to lock up his most precious painting in a safe, solvable by a puzzle. Okay, I have to give it to the creators: it’s creative.
The thing is though, that the story of the old couple DID work. When at the conclusion it was revealed what the painter’s most valuable paintings were, we got into this wave of nostalgia about the past of how the two met. The music also helped here really well.
Rating: * (Good)]]> 
Whoa. This episode was actually really well done. The creators actually nailed this episode, and despite the fast pacing, they did not rush through the running part, in order to really make it feel like a test of endurance. And the creators actually used it for the main cast to get to know each other. I actually think that this episode was better than the running part in the original series, however…
The main reason was that Donpa surprisingly didn’t do anything. Instead he got rid of the computer kid (I already found it weird that I didn’t remember this kid). This made this arc into more of a standalone story, because the part where Tonpa originally revealed himself to the main cast… just felt a bit weird and forced. It however did lead to a very interesting Donpa in one of the later arcs, because that part fleshed him out as a villain. At this point in the original series, he already changed his purpose. In this show however, he still is the same. What will the results of this be?
But yeah, the characterization here was damn enjoyable. I love how in this series, the characters don’t seem destined for each other, but instead just bump into each other and make friends. Especially Gon and Killua connected with each other in a very natural way. Leorio and Kurapica are also a wonderful duo together who play of each other wonderfully. The one person I still can not get used to however is Hisoka. In this episode too: he’s just hamming it up. His character probably changed the most compared to the first season, and I really hope that the creators know what they’re doing with him.
But yeah: how many other shounen were THIS varied and imaginative, after only four episodes? This really shows how you can build up and deliver at the same time.
Rating: ** (Excellent)]]> 
Seriously, Ben-To has a lot of elements that I at first sight often dislike. I mean, this series could have just as easily picked the path of Majikoi: I really was behind that series after its first episode, but by god… how abysmal it turned out in the end. I tried giving its fourth episode a small chance, but it was exactly the same as its third episode! The more I watch Ben-To though, the more I realize how lucky we are with this series. Three episodes in and this is still showing no signs of dulling in. But most surprisingly: I can’t believe how well acted these characters are. Just about every character in this series is really likable, and together they make for a really entertaining series.
If this show was just hilarious, it would be one thing. However, my problem with most comedies is that when they’re not funny, they feel empty. Here though, you’ve got a bunch of people who are enjoying simple dinner (the loot in this case), or doing simple things as spending time in a clubroom. I really find this show to have a charm that most other moe shows lack because they focus more on moe antics. I personally prefer this show’s more down to earth approach. It makes them much easier to relate to.
On top of that, I love how David Production says “screw it” to conventions. This also was visible in Level E, which in the end never really stated the name of its main character, even though it was a hilarious one. Here too: three episodes in and the only hint we saw to the main female lead is a random flashback. It’s delightful to see such creative ways to introduce cliches like the childhood friend. Especially after Haganai’s third episode. I also love how the beginning of this episode started with hints at what was going to happen, which only made sense at the point where the creators came with the delightfully random punchline.
Rating: ** (Excellent)]]> 
Ah, now I’m beginning to see what this show was trying to do with its long build-up: the introductions may be long, but the battles themselves take up a lot of time as well. This entire episode was about the fight between Saber and Lancer, and at the end of the episode it was hinted that things had only just begun.
With this set-up, it’s really necessary for this show to not devolve into a string of random battles, but instead give a clear meaning to all of the fights, and not just have them end with everyone retreating and restoring the status quo. A lot of people were involved in this episode: there were a bunch of spectators, and a total of four servants present. This battle needs to have a meaning besides just introducing powers: the previous episodes had enough time to do that.
The biggest reason I’m saying this is because this series’s episodes lack one important thing: variety. The individual episodes are very different form each other, but each episode so far has had a pretty homogenous mood, and this show doesn’t make use of sudden plot twists or mood changes. The result is that the fight in this episode took place at the same location for 20 minutes, while the characters stood and talked to each other for more than half of the time. That’s very easy to make boring if you’re not careful. This episode however evaded the Bleach syndrome quite nicely by having enough to make up for it.
The animation was excellent. The spectators had interesting potential roles, and the battle itself was really well choreographed, considering that it just took place in one spot and the mages apparently have healing powers. Yuki Kajiura also created a good atmosphere, although I do want to elaborate a bit more on what I said after listening to the first episode: in that the soundtrack of this series isn’t among her best work.
The thing with this soundtrack is that, unlike most of Yuki Kajiura’s works in her early days, I don’t think I would listen to it as a standalone soundtrack. It’s great at creating an atmosphere, and the soundtrack definitely has a bigger budget behind it compared to her work when she was younger, but I don’t know. It lacks a bit of creativity compared to those. It’s not just this series; in fact I do consider this soundtrack better than the ones of Madoka Magica (I have to be honest here: I completely forgot what that show sounded like; that’s very unlike her). But back in her days with Bee-Train, she used to use all kinds of interesting instruments, and the contrast with her different tracks in particular made it stand out. Her new work has been much… smoother and to the background, while instead she should make more music that can stand in the foreground.
Rating: * (Good)]]> 
You know, I was about to put up this story of how this show may be more childish than the first season and how this was a bummer, but not necessarily a bad thing as long as it was handled well and all. And then this episode aired.
I’ll repeat myself here, but the key here to these shows that try to aim at a younger audience is whether or not the creators believe that kids are idiots. This episode showed that the creators understood that, and it was much better than the opening episode. It packed some gorgeous visuals, and the acting was also surprisingly solid. Even Fam showed that she can be serious when she needs to, which was really needed after the previous episode. This show still uses the fact that she’s an incredible pilot to put her in the spotlights, but for now, it’s believable enough (only just, though).
In any case though, this episode surprisingly made the plot a lot more intriguing when suddenly the princess got kidnapped and called down this gigantic moon thing that was supposed to be another Exile down to earth in order to blow everything up. The relationship between the two sisters was surprisingly genuine and well portrayed. Not to mention the girl suddenly losing her father. This really was the sign that this isn’t necessarily just a lighter version of Last Exile.
Also, the graphics. Before the start of this show, I knew that a lot of people had left Gonzo. The CG team however stayed, and it really shows in this series. Gonzo has always been un-rivalled in terms of CG. Not with combining CG with traditional 2D drawings, but in terms of CG foreground animation they were consistently putting out the best of the best in all sorts of innovative ways. Just look at the first Last Exile, Gankutsuou, Bokura no, Blassreiter and Shangri La. And they really plan to show that they still got it here. While it’s impossible to beat Guilty Crown in terms of sheer animation power this season, this series still looks gorgeous, and I’m actually willing to say that it has the most creative visuals of the entire season. The ship designs are all full of imagination, but also the way they’re used, the dogfights, the camera angles and the huge fleet battles. There’s a lot of stuff to see here to marvel at. On top of that the soundtrack also arrived and did a great job in creating its atmosphere.
Rating: ** (Excellent)]]> 
The soundtrack of this series so far has been unique. It’s still very clearly of a Bee-Train series, but Kou Otani really restrained himself this time. It had a wonderful effect, but it may have been a bit too restrained, to the point where it could really show off as much as it would have, for a Bee-Train series, whose trademark has always been absolutely fantastic soundtracks. This episode though, introduced a track that went into the right direction, though. It’s very interesting how the creators waited 27 episodes to reveal it, and especially considering the moment when it was played, it is a very interesting hint to the future of this series.
All in all this was a wonderful episode dedicated to character development. Hashiba Hideyoshi was incredibly happy after the heir news, but again Sennou Soueki sole the show, when it turned out that his views actually changed after the previous episodes. During the past episodes, he really showed more emotions than ever (and again, the music really helped with it).
What’s also surprising is that even Sasuke learned from his mistakes. He was really getting too silly during the past episodes, and he actually realized that. And we still have 12 episodes to go.
Rating: *** (Awesome)]]> 
… have I already mentioned that I love Mawaru Penguin Drum?
I mean, heck. This episode once again was just completely amazing, and yet it seems like this show has just only started. Sixteen episodes, and this show is still delightfully fresh and dynamic, and we’ve now reached the point where the really good character development comes in. At this point the characters are an absolute joy to watch.
This episode was all about Yuri’s background. Last week was all about asking questions, and this week in its turn managed to answer them. Yuri’s twisted background made a huge impact, but I especially loved how the creators managed to write Ringo’s sister in there. When we first learned of her death, it was through the eyes of Tsubaki. This episode however completely turned that around when it was revealed what kind of role the diary played in this.
Also, the storytelling in this episode was just weird. It was the kind of episode that was full of plot devices, but they were so brilliantly used that it didn’t matter at all. The fact that Shouma stayed in the same inn as Yuri and Ringo was revealed hilariously, and I also love that the creators just pulled some random friend of him from out of nowhere to accompany him. Like, he actually had a life before the beginning of this story. Only for all of that to be nullified when he slipped on a random bottle. Natsume’s part in this episode also made no common sense whatsoever, but damn, was it glorious!
Also, did I understand this correctly? Did the creators really turn Tokyo Tower into THAT?!
Rating: *** (Awesome)]]>