Nodame Cantabile – Paris Hen Review – 82,5/100

by psgels, posted in Anime Reviews


Well, it’s not fun to be harsh against a series that I originally fell in love with, but I have to be honest: The Paris Chapters of Nodame Cantabile are not as good as the original Nodame Cantabile series. It’s still a fun and engaging series, but in the end it didn’t live up to the expectations that were created by the stellar first season.

The cause of this is definitely not due to the main characters: Nodame and Chiaki are still wonderful characters, and the best jokes about them are still downright hilarious, in the same fashion as the first season. In the Paris Chapter, we can explore both of them as they try to break through in the professional classical music business. It’s a tale about young adults, just like you’d expect from Noitamina and it works wonderful.

But in the end, it feels like something is missing. To start with, the side-characters just aren’t as interesting as the side-cast of the first season. It may be because the second season was only handed half of the airtime when compared to the first one, but even then they feel really bland and one-sided when compared to the colourful side-characters of the first season. These people managed to make an impact from the first moment they appeared on screen, which is what I missed here a bit.

And then there’s also the matter that the second season just covers a bit more boring part of the life of the main characters. It’s all pretty straightforward here: you know these guys are going to break through, when compared to the first season where they had much more and bigger problems to deal with.

The animation quality also seems to have decreased: the motion-capture is even more apparent, and the regular animation feels that it was blessed with a smaller budget. Still, don’t get me wrong: this series still is very good. A rating of 82,5/100 for me is still a really enjoyable series, and it’s still really fun to watch. It just doesn’t live up to season one, which was just too good for this series. Sure, the Paris Chapters serve as a good build-up, but as a standalone series you do not want to expect the same quality as the first season.

Storytelling: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Production-Values: 8/10
Setting: 8/10

Hiatus

by psgels, posted in Special Articles

Well, it’s the time of the year again where I’m swamped with work, right before the Christmas Break. I’m having exams (or finals or whatever you call them in English) next week, and so I can’t use the distraction of blogging right now.

I’ll be back next week Friday.

Mouryou no Hako – 10

by psgels, posted in Mouryou no Hako



Short Synopsis: Akihiko goes to the box maker to confront him with the things he’s done.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10 (Awesome)
Wow… just wow. This episode was simply awesome, and it shows that the creators know exactly what they’re doing with this series. The two episodes of straight talking may have been a bit weird, but of course they were an excellent means of building up, and now that we’re finally getting to see the fruits of all this, I can safely say that this is one awesome series. I definitely can put this in my top three series that have aired in the past autumn season.

This time, I don’t even care to find out what exactly was said. The non-verbal communication, along with the few key scenes that I did understand were enough to make a huge impact, although I do suspect that I’m going to have to pay a lot of attention in the next number of episodes, when it’s explained why Kubo has done all the things he did.

So in the end, the role of the box maker and his cult was that they were involved in the whole case by Kubo Shunko: at one point, he a bloodstained box ended up on their doorstep, which turned out to contain the finger of one of Kubo’s victims. Later in the episode, the police actually finds out Kubo’s hideout, and Yoriko’s body, chopped up into pieces and stuffed into boxes. He manages to escape, though, but I’m glad that apart from our four main characters, there are lots more people searching for Yoriko and Kanako, trying to find Kubo Shunko.

The big question now still remains: what the heck happened to Kanako? Kubo Shunko’s box murders was a very good side-plot of the series, but the central matter of the series has yet to be touched on, and yet we know that the two mysteries are connected somehow, as it seems that Kubo knows about Kanako, and Kanako herself has many more mysteries than simply her death and disappearance.

In any case, it’s episodes like this one that really remind me why I’ve decided to go with raws, even though my Japanese is far from perfect. The entire episode was packed with emotion, but a lot of that emotion was found in the non-verbal communication between the characters. The phrase “a picture says more than a thousand words” really fits in with this series. Every single shot seemed to contain a very powerful emotion, and that’s exactly what sets this series apart from other series that involve lots of talking, and seen to get lost in their own exposition.

Kurozuka – 10

by psgels, posted in Kurozuka



Short Synopsis: This time on Kurozuka: exposition.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10
Well, I must say that, expecting nothing big out of the story for Kurozuka, this episode pleasantly surprised me. While not every mystery has yet been revealed, the complexity of the whole storyline seems to have tripled with this episode. The big bad guy works for Kuromitsu, Kuromitsu seems to be performing human experiments, with both Kuro and Kuon as her subjects. And who knows what she did with Sanniwa.

Kuon’s supposed twin brother also didn’t last long at all. He was there for like what? Five minutes? That’s probably one of the shortest amounts of airtime for a villain in like ever, but the guy did at least make an impact in providing back story for Kuon (who needed that one really badly).

Okay, so with this there are two episodes left. It would be great if this series were to finish with a great finale, but there are several things that are bound to get in the way. The next episode will focus on the fight with the big bad guy, but the guy is just a typical one-dimensional overlord. I really doubt that the creators can get an interesting fight out of him. Then next up is the big confrontation with Kuromitsu, but I fear that at that point, there will be too few characters alive to really make for an unpredictable ending. Ultraviolet for example had a final episode with lots of characters still alive, and therefore it finished with a pretty strong finale. Will Kurozuka be able to do the same?

Porfy no Nagai Tabi – 49

by psgels, posted in Porfy no Nagai Tabi



Short Synopsis: Rose takes Porfy on a date while Natalie goes out shopping with Mina.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Haha! It has begun! It has finally begun! But first: summary!

The episode starts as Porfy and Rose are sitting in a room, after Rose has just taken a shower and is drinking some wine. Porfy thinks that she shouldn’t drink so much alcohol, but Rose says that alcohol is necessary for an adult like her. When Porfy says that he’s also an adult, she notes that that’s what still makes him a child. He sneezes a bit, due to the rain of the previous episode (foreshadowing?!), and then asks again about the story between Rose and Tiffany.

When they first met, they both tried to be actresses. Tiffany first looked like a typical rich girl, but she had a surprising amount of will power. At one point, Rose successfully auditioned for a role for a certain movie, though behind the scenes, Tiffany seemed to have ordered a change at the last minute, making Rose lose her role. This had such a large impact on Rose that she quit acting, and never talked to Tiffany again.

In order to change the subject, Rose then suddenly proposes to go out on a date with Porfy. Porfy is a bit startled, but Rose assures him that she’ll explain him all about the basics of dating. Tiffany meanwhile proposes to Mina that she should go out once in a while, and she can buy whatever toy she’d like.

A bit later, we see Porfy waiting in front of a famous fountain whose name I forgot. He complements Rose on her beauty when she arrives (probably scripted by Rose beforehand), he wonders why they should go out on a date like this when they live together, but Rose convinces him that it’s a rare chance for the two of them to get together.

Porfy is obviously easily distracted by one of the cars that drives by, and Rose instructs him that during a date, your attention shouldn’t drift away from the person you’re dating. Mina meanwhile doesn’t really have anywhere to go, so they just sit on a random couch. A guy then arrives who tries to hit on Natalie, but she quickly sends him away (experience?). When the poor bugger has left, she asks Mina to simply call her by her name, instead of putting the “-san” behind everything.

Meanwhile in a cafe, Rose instructs Porfy to spoon feed her some of the treats. In a shop, she makes him buy one of the gifts, and she makes him pin on a brooch, which clearly makes Porfy uncomfortable a bit. Meanwhile, Mina doesn’t want to buy anything, although she does stop by a doll, just like the one Corrina used to have.

Later in a park, Rose reveals that she hates the winter, as it seems to reflect the coldness in her hands. They then see a young boy, being caught for stealing (but don’t do anything to help him). Rose then starts to envy him, and his eyes that always point straight forward. She herself grew up in a small village in Southern France, and left to Paris at her fifteenth, hoping to become an actress. Now that that failed, ten years later, she’s pretty much a nobody without dreams or friends.

Porfy then notes that he could have just become like that boy earlier, and then comforts Rose that she also was one of the reasons why he didn’t become like that: because he received support from various people. Natalie meanwhile tells Mina that she’s been with Tiffany for a year. Mina envies Natalie, because she’s got a certain future and knows what she wants, while she herself is without a brother and family, and doesn’t even know what’s going to happen next. Natalie then comforts her a bit, and Mina asks in her turn for Natalie to stop putting the “-sama” after Mina’s name.

Rose meanwhile runs into an old friend, who was probably an old boyfriend of her. When he enthusiastically recalls the time they spent, but she just brushes it off as something from the past. The guy then gets angry and starts insulting her, after which Porfy starts yelling at him, telling him to apologize, but he quickly gets pushed aside. Rose then urges Porfy to stop before he lashes out to the guy even more. Later Rose says that normally, she would have gotten angry at the guy as well, but she was surprisingly cal this time.

When they reach Rose’s home, Rose then says that all dates end with a kiss, so Porfy kisses her on the cheek. The two of them say goodbye, Rose closes her door, and the role play ends as Rose opens the door again.

The rest of the episode shows us what happens I guess a few days later. Tiffany actually drives into Rose while she’s without Porfy. She’s clearly never knew what she did to her, and she’s actually glad to see Rose again. She gives her her number, in an attempt to keep in touch again, though Rose throws it away, I guess.

Next up, Porfy plans to go out to buy dinner, but is surprised by Rose’s cat who decides to run off. It’s where he catches the animal when he finally notices: the poster for Tiffany’s upcoming movie.

Yes! It’s finally time. Like Anne of Green Gables, the climax of this series is really surprisingly small for a series that’s taken up 52 episodes: only three episodes left, and then everything’s freaking over! Right now, Porfy KNOWS that Mina is with Tiffany. It’s going to probably take one more episode for him to collect the actual facts of what the heck is going on, and then the question is going to be whether the creators want the final episode to be an aftermath (Alecia!!), or whether they really plan to save the big event for the final episode.

And I must say that I really like it how real Rose’s grudges to Tiffany feel. It’s probably just one huge misunderstanding, judging from Tiffany’s reactions, but yet she remains someone who puts a lot of value on her past experiences, and when these experiences are bad, they have an even bigger impact on her, up to the point where the memories of this cause her to have a very negative image of herself. But the big question is going to be whether the creators can keep it real when the two of them meet up, and realize that it was all one big misunderstanding. It would be bad for the two of them to just become best friends again, because you can’t simply forget a ten year old grudge, even with all logic against you. That’s one thing that I see in man anime: large grudges simply become forgotten a bit too quickly. What I want to see is for Porfy to heal Rose, not so that she suddenly starts making tons of friends, but instead starts trying to make new friends.

Galaxy Railways Review – 77,5/100

by psgels, posted in Anime Reviews



Matsumoto Leiji once was the pioneer of space operas, even before Yoshiyuki Tomino came with Mobile Suit Gundam. His influence was huge, and so even in the 21st centuries, his adaptations are still getting themselves spin-offs every now and then. The Galaxy Railways obviously based itself around the concept of “trains in space”, and while I wouldn’t recommend this series to someone who’s looking for a good introduction to Matsumoto Leiji’s style, it nevertheless is a pretty decent action-series.

The basic set up is that there are trains who travel through space. There sometimes (read: nearly every episode) goes something horribly wrong with them, and it’s up to our main characters to save those in trouble, acting as a combination of the royal defence force and a rescue squad. While trains randomly crashed a bit too often for my liking, the individual episodes were helped by the fact that the creators tried to stuff in lots of different ideas into their stories, whether they made sense or not. The series also has a great selection of character-designs. Matsumoto Leiji’s designs have always stood out, and the creators of this series did a good job of giving them a modern and epic look.

Unfortunately, the series does have a number of large and quite annoying flaws: it has both of what I’d like to call a “bad main character syndrome” and a “bad ultimate villain syndrome”. Manabu just keeps whining on and on about ethics and morals, and especially spends the first half defending his cheesy ideals. As soon as he starts developing, he thankfully matures, but as a result he becomes a bit too perfect of a character: loved by all women, perfectly skilful, no flaws left whatsoever. His female love interest is completely the opposite: completely useless throughout the largest part of the series. The side characters are the ones who end up saving this series: Bulge, Bruce and especially David are great to watch.

And regarding the villains who pop up in the final climax of the series: they’re just a cheap rip-off of the Mazone from Captain Harlock. There’s a difference between a homage and a rip-off, and in this case the creators didn’t seem to realize what made the Mazone work so well: they had firm resolutions: they considered their alternatives and went with the one that involved ending tons of lives. The villains here are somewhat stuck between good guys and “yeah, we weren’t evil; we were forced to wipe out half of the universe; have pity with us”. To be honest, it feels rather fake.

And it’s really a shame, because the rest of this finale was good stuff. It would have been epic if the main character and villains weren’t so annoying. Overall, it’s definitely not the best series, but there definitely were some good episodes in these first 26 episodes. However, the best thing that you should do if you want to get a taste of Matsumoto Leiji’s signature style is simple: check out either Captain Harlock, Queen Millenia or Galaxy Express 999.

Storytelling: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Production-Values: 8/10
Setting: 8/10

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – 35

by psgels, posted in Mobile Suit Gundam 00



Short Synopsis: Rivonze reveals a destructive death-ray from his arsenal, the final Innovators get introduced and a certain crazy deranged returns.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good)
Okay, just when you thought that those innovator names couldn’t get any weirder after Revive Revival. “Bring Stability”, “Anew Returner”, “Healing Care”… you’d wonder whether these guys are trying to prove a point or something. And the weird names are one thing; I actually think that they’re simple code names, but why doesn’t Rivonze have such a ridiculous name, I wonder? If they’re going to create a patter, why shouldn’t the leader be called something as Imake Anewworld, or whatever.

In any case, in order to create this new world, the Innovators have another typical Gundam staple on their hands: the incredibly huge death ray, this time nicknamed Memento Mori. It’s getting fired surprisingly early, though. Its power in the other Gundam series is that it couldn’t be used often due to the huge energy consumption, but when it was used, then things turned out baaaad. An overuse of such a huge weapon… well, Code Geass showed that to us. The whole thing loses impact. But then again, it would be bad for this series to follow too much into the footsteps of the other Gundams, and of course, firing it from one of the energy towers does explain why it can be fired quite easily, although I do want to see countries running out of energy in the next episode.

The cliff-hanger of this episode was a pretty bad one, simply because it was so incredibly obvious that Sergei is just going to survive. It’s a bit too predictable. On the other hand, I didn’t see Hallelujah’s return coming, even though that one was built up nicely by a few subtle hints. This also confirms that Soma Peries hasn’t completely left, and I wonder what’s going to happen if she ends up against Hallelujah.

Anew Returner obviously is a spy, having been sent by Wang Liu Mei, but the question still remains how exactly she’s related to the Innovators: is she like Nena, or instead a direct subordinate of Rivonze? I could have sworn seeing her somewhere with the other Innovators at one point, so I guess it’s the latter.

What the series now needs to do is make sure of the political repercussions of the Memento Mori death ray. Surely, people are going to doubt the good intentions of A-Laws when they’re firing at their own people and allies, and the resistance against these people should increase.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran – 24

by psgels, posted in Telepathy Shoujo Ran



Short Synopsis: Animals start acting strangely in Ran’s hometown.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good)
Well, it’s finally time for this series’ finale, and as it turns out I was wrong about the amount of novel volumes: there are just eight of them, not nine. The final arc, if I’m not mistaken, comes from the third or fourth volume, which proves that the creators really grabbed themselves the opportunity to select the most appropriate story for the series’ finale.

And I must say that up till now, they’ve made a pretty good choice. After all, they could just as well have gotten with the… Snake Island Arc… Yeah, that would have been exciting. Anyway, this episode definitely served its purpose as introduction. As usual with the introduction-episodes to these arcs, nothing much exciting happened, and yet this episode in particular had something ominous: you know something really bad is about to happen, and this episode did a great job of building up that feeling. Especially those crows crashing into the window were… strange to say the least. And yeah, so what if it’s nowhere explained why this evil spirit has chosen this time and space to re-awaken. This series was never famous for its brilliant introductions. ^^;

And the end of the series had another advantage: the series was planned well, and so there’s lots of nice budget left for some solid animation for that final arc. Especially the scene following the pillow thrown at Rui showed that the animators had lots of fun animating it. This episode also brought Ran’s class to life a bit by its small attention to the new teacher and one of the random classmates. So overall I’m happy.

Please, let this series end with a good climax, instead of a downer.

Jigoku Shoujo – 62

by psgels, posted in Jigoku Shoujo



Short Synopsis: A boy whose mother is nearly committing adultery calls the Jigoku Tsuushin.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good)
(A small note: I’ve decided to pull the “highlights”-bit from my entry introductions. I just have too much trouble for each episode to come up with something to say in it)

A surprisingly quiet and focused episode for this series. The whole themes of sending someone to hell who doesn’t deserve it still remains, but for once the main character spends a lot of time trying to figure out whether it’s worth it to send a random guy to hell, just because he’s toying around with his mother.

What we have here is a typical mother’s boy. His parents are starting to live apart from each other: his mother is irresponsible and only thinks off buying pretty kimonos, while his father is out all the time and takes out his frustrations on his wife. Very down to earth flaws… when compared to all the emo teenagers of the past few episodes (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, of course ^^;).

For once, I also felt that the main character in this episode was smart. At least for a Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuaganae-main character anyways. Sure, he does send a random guy he dislikes to hell, but in the end he does come out as a bad character: he feels regret, and yet is willing to move on despite the screw-up he made. He realizes that it’s his mother’s nature to want to be surrounded by guys who tell her she’s great, and I understand how Hone Onna could sympathize with the mother.

I think that at this point, Yuzuki should become the next Tsugumi. In this episode, she got enough chances at trying to save the next victim of Enma Ai, but she took none of them. Where the main guy learned from his mistakes, you should suspect that the same is going to happen to Yuzuki. In any case, it would be great for her to become more than just a simple bystander. While I’m normally in favour of main characters who simply play as bystanders, it shouldn’t be that their roles become completely oblivious. I mean, has she actually done something useful in the series?

Tytania – 09

by psgels, posted in Tytania



Short Synopsis: Lydia goes on an adventure inside the Tytania Headquarters.
Highlights: Ajman… what the…?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good)
Well, that was solved surprisingly easy, although Lydia now is officially inside Tytania. This was a very strange episode overall, especially for this series. You just wouldn’t expect the creators to just dedicate one entire episode to the escapades of a spoiled little girl. It did serve its purpose, though. The slow pacing of the series is finally beginning to pay off, and I’m beginning to warm up to the characters. It’s at least good that the characters are getting multi-dimensional and away from the stereotypes before the real action can start.

But really… Ajman was portrayed in a very disturbing way in this episode. He’s probably the most stereotypical member of the cast, but this episode portrayed him as some sort of obsessive old guy who has too much free time and likes to stalk little girls. Wtf?!

Oh, and it also seems that Lyra is about to return to the series again, and I really hope that she’s going to make a more positive impact than her first appearance. Ah well, at least I’m glad that the creators didn’t try to put in some silly love triangle or something.

There’s one thing I’m wondering, though. Is 26 episodes really the right amount of episodes for a series such as this one? I’ve read somewhere that Tytania is smaller than LoGH, but with this pace the second half is going to have to try and cram in a lot of development in order to put in a satisfying story. I think that 39 episodes for this series would have fit a series of this calibre better. Politics and short series never went together well.