Holy! Flippin’! Heck!!!
Christ, I can’t believe the creators really went SO FAR IN THIS EPISODE!! I can’t believe what happened at the beginning of the episode. Obviously, it involves spoilers. DO NOT READ THIS ENTRY IF YOU HAVE NEITHER SEEN THE EPISODE NOR READ THE BOOK!!! This sentence is there to fill space in the blog aggregators.
Seriously… oh my god. I never expected the creators to actually kill off my favourite character of the entire series off so cruelly. This episode became utterly incredible because of it, but still… Eponine is really gone now… This was by FAR the best episode of the entire series. And with such an excellent series already, that HAS TO SAY SOMETHING.
I absolutely loved how Eponine managed to confess her love in the end at least. Not only was it great that she finally was released of the burden in her heart, but this also made Marius realize what he had done to her. In anime, love triangles are often forced, but the one between Cosette, Eponine and Marius was a mighty fine exception. It really featured perfect build-up and it used this build-up perfectly.
I seriously urge everyone to check out this series, and perhaps get some fansubbing group to sub beyond the fifth episode. With this episode, Les Miserables has really turned into one of the best series of the year, and it really shows the power of 52-episoded series.
And if that wasn’t enough, the upcoming attractions are looking really interesting too: Gavroche will finally meet Cosette again, and Javert has been unmasked as a spy.
(PS: apologies for the delay, but I’ve been really busy for the past days. You might expect more of these delays for the next few months. Still, this episode was SO worth the wait!)]]>
Gundam 00 – 02
Two months ago, I ran this little poll, asking which show my readers would want me to blog. In the end, Gundam won the poll, hence the reason I’m going to blog this series. Personally, I acknowledge that it’s got potential, but I’m not willing to call it a success yet. I think we need to wait a few more episodes for that.
The thing I like about this series is how the characters acknowledge how the plans of the Celestial Beings are flawed. The reasoning of the Celestial Beings is that by diverting the anger, harboured by both parties in a war towards the Gundams, the problems will be solved. Now the next thing that the creators need to do is actually use this. My prediction is that the first dozen or so episodes will focus on the building-up, where our heroes try to stop various wars. It won’t be very exciting, but after that, things could become very interesting when the Celestial Beings will run into trouble.
In this episode, we already saw that people are investigating the source of the power for the Gundams, and I’ll be darned if they don’t end up finding it at one point. Once the different nations of the world are able to build units of the same strength, the advantage of the Celestial Beings will be gone. Do they have a plan to counter that?
There are a few issues with the setting, though, and I wonder whether we’ll get explanation for that. This episode explained nicely how the fossil fuels have ran out, so people switched to solar-power, but that’s not the only thing that’s about to run out. What about the parts of the Oil that’s used for plastics? What about iron? Why haven’t all the metals ran out? Gundam Wing found a nice answer for this: asteroids. Though in this timeline, it doesn’t look like the humans have ventured that far into space.]]>
Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji – 02
For me, Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji has turned out into the best series of the season so far. There are other good series this season, but they all have their weakness: Mokke could have had better writing, the characters in Blue Drop are a tad too adolescent, Shugo Chara is too cheesy at times and Labyrinth has a few too many maids and strangely clothed females for its setting.
Kaiji, however, is perfect so far, and it’s looking really interesting. I’m seriously going to check out Akagi as soon as the series is over. I may have said it before, but I really like anime where the main characters aren’t the only ones who are special, and this is really emphasized here in this series: every single person in the game is in a worst situation possible. Everyone is a loser who somehow ended up with debt. This really is a survival of the fittest.
And the thing I love about Kaiji is how he learns of his mistakes. There are indeed a few people who look at the game in a smart way, and try to trick others into believing them, and Kaiji is one of these victims. The plan is quite simple:
– Find someone who is stupid enough to be tricked, and Kaiji fitted that role perfectly. After all, after everyone requested one million, and he was the first one to request the maximum of ten million, Kaiji was the first one to follow him. That shows that he quickly goes along with others, and that incidentally fits Kaiji’s personality perfectly. It also helps if you make this guy think that he’s smart.
– Then you just need to explain how the plan works: just keep cancelling each other out, and nobody loses any of the stars you need to win.
– Go along with the plan for nine rounds, until both parties have just three cards left out of the original twelve. Then claim your victory when the victim thinks that everything is going according to plan by placing down the paper-card instead of the rock-one. Repeat this, and you’ve got five stars, while the other has just one.
The beautiful thing is that if Kaiji used his brains, he wouldn’t have fallen for it, and it really seems like he’s got a plan to get out of everything: working actually together. The nasty thing about the rock-paper-scissors game is that it’s easy to win, but it’s just as easy to lose, and because of this, people will underestimate the potential of it. Because of this, the yakuza ends up with quite a few stupid slaves who won’t be smart enough to betray them.
I really wonder how he’s going to pull it off, though. Basically, he has three people, one with relatively many stars, one with relatively many cards, and one with relatively much money. Together, there are four stars, five cards and 14 million yen. How the heck is he going to get to nine stars, 0 cards and 19,6 million yen?]]>
Dennou Coil – A Circle of Children – 20
This was a truly amazing episode, probably one of the best ones of the series yet. Finally Yasako has the time to really shine. It all starts when Mega-baa and Tamako manage to save Yasako and the others, after which both Tamako and Yasako learn that Haraken ran off with Kanna’s glasses. After that, we get an interesting fact about Tamako: four years ago, she nearly went to the other side herself, if it wasn’t for Mega-baa. I like how that one explains why she works at the cyber-agency at the age of only seventeen. It seems that this is the Denou Coil that Nekome warned Haraken about in episode 14 (at least, I think it is; correct me if I’m wrong): being taken to the other side by the humanoid illegals.
When they arrive at the place where Haraken went to, he already has been “Dennou Coiled”, and it seems that Isako also went after him. Yasako then lets herself get captured by the humanoid illegals, and gets taken to the other side herself in an attempt to get Kanna back. What follows was a magnificent scene, where Haraken finally meets with the remains of Kanna, and Yasako confesses to him, before bringing his body back with some code from Isako.
And so this concludes another arc of this series, and it indeed looks like the final six episodes will centre on 4423, and Takeru will also probably return. I somehow feel that 4423 is more than just another child, taken to the other side. After all, Isako is basically trying to do something even more dangerous than what Haraken’s been doing: getting an actual Dennou Coiled person back to the normal world. I also hope Daiichi will return; I miss the guy.]]>
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni – 40
And this episode finally gives Takano her background. I was able to tolerate her evil cackling of the previous episodes because I knew that the current arc would develop her, and this episode makes a good start, showing how she came to her position. Now all that’s left is why she’s doing everything, which I think will be answered in the next episode.
This episode could have been done better, though. My biggest problem was with the owner of the orphanage Takano ended up in. What the creators basically did was make an underdeveloped character developed while using yet another underdeveloped character. Seriously, the guy just beats up the orphans in his orphanage for no apparent reason: just to be evil, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting any more screen-time, since Takano managed to run away at the end of the episode. To be honest, I expected more of Higurashi at this point.
Still, I’ve got hopes. Higurashi’s highlights never were in its first episodes, apart from the first arc, perhaps. This also promises to be the longest arc yet, so there has to happen more than just that.]]>
Saiunkoku Monogatari – 61
Well, one of my predictions came true: this arc is much more fast-paced than the previous one. In only four episodes, the case of the counterfeiters has been solved. Compare that to Eigetsu, being stuck inside that cave for roughly ten episodes. I think the largest purpose of that arc was to introduce Tantan-kun, who looks like he’s going to play a major role in the final parts of this anime. I indeed had a feeling that it was his father who was behind the counterfeiting and the abduction of Kailing’s child. It seems that someone made him do it, though, which hints to a connection with Riou.
In any case, this episode was as heart-warming as ever, and I’m really glad to see that Saiunkoku Monogatari is catching steam again. And I think that we can only expect even better things from now on, as Shouka, small Riou and big Riou should be getting some more attention again. You can especially see that in the very last scene of the episode: I’ll be darned if that wasn’t some kind of foreshadowing, with the newly sprouting flowers of the tree being subjected to a gust of wind.
I’m also glad that I’m warming up more and more to the comedy, which has returned with the beginning of this arc. Especially Seiran’s impression of Shuurei was priceless.]]>
Shugo Chara – 02
If you’re wondering why I haven’t been picking up many shows in the past week, it’s because of three reasons:
– I am not planning to blog as many series as I did with the previous season. My studies allowed a bit more free time in the past few months, though I’m about to enter some of the busiest months of the year, so that means less time for blogging.
– This season isn’t that good in the first place.
– Nearly all of the god series are concentrated on either Wednesday or in the weekend.
Ah well, a bad season once in a while isn’t bad either. It helps lower your standards a bit. I really noticed that with the past Winter-season as well. I’ve got sorted out the shows I’m planning to blog, so they should arrive shortly. And regarding the series I’m not blogging:
– Clannad is 50% enjoyable, but 50% obnoxious.
– Shakugan no Shana II is getting really pointless right now.
– Dragonaut has the potential; it just doesn’t know how to use it.
– Kodomo no Jikan has just one major flaw: the excessive fanservice, and this flaw can potentially ruin the entire series. I want to remember this series because of the characters, not as”that pedo-show”.
– And Goshushou-sama Ninomiya-kun is just bad.
Shugo Chara is fun, though. After Master of Epic and Otogi Juushi Akazukin ended, there hasn’t really been any new worthwhile sweet series, so I’m glad that this series showed up. It is cheesy here and there, but that does fit the style. What I especially liked was the symbolism in this episode. Everyone is down-hearted once in a while, and it seems that the bad guys use that to turn the egg inside their hearts to evil eggs. It’s nothing new, but it’s solid enough. The thing this series now needs to focus on is finding interesting cases and characters, though I think we need to wait till the introductions are over until we get to see the full potential of this series.
Still, overall this series is fun enough to blog. The blue Shugo Chara that makes her appearance in this episode was really cute as well, and it seems that she symbolizes everything our heroine wants to be. I just wonder why she was the only one who got three eggs… is that because she has more worries than anyone else?]]>
Baccano! – 10
Oh my god, this was such a fun episode! THIS is exactly the power of a good mystery-series: and this episode continues to deliver revelation after revelation and everything keeps coming more and more together! I kept wondering how Firo and Isaac would be linked together, and I can’t believe that we were already shown the answer to this. Remember the time when Firo officially became an executive, and the head of the family shot a bullet in the roof: he really nearly hit Isaac back there, who was interested by the other holes in the roof, which seem to suggest that it indeed was a ritual which was performed.
This also is the episode where we see Chane and Chezlaw’s background. I hope I got them right, because there was a lot of talking involved. Chane is indeed Huey’s daughter, and it seems that she’s entirely devoted to him. It’s indeed a different relationship than your usual father-daughter relationship when the father refuses to grow up. Oh, and Chane finally talks! Apparently, she can talk telepatically to Huey. Chezlaw meanwhile planted a bomb in the train: he works for the Runorata-family! Quite ironic how he’s friends with Maiza who is friends with Firo who is friends with the Gandors. 😛
I’m not sure what the objectives of the kid are, though. If I had to guess, then he’s on a mission to stop Vino (or Rail Tracer, as it seems) from getting to New York. I’m still not sure whether the guy is an immortal as well, though if I had to guess, then he’s just a very exceptional mortal, being away from his brothers for a long time and all.
And while writing this entry, I finally realize who the guy was whose silhouette we saw in the first episode, and said how he would keep looking for a certain person, and I finally realize why Chezlaw’s companion in episode seven felt as a deja vu: they’re the same person! I finally know where I saw the guy before, and it seems that he didn’t agree with the path Chezlaw decided to take, which of course is quite reasonable, with killing everyone on the train and all. 😛
It also seems that Jacuzzi and Nice have been dating for ten years now, and it took that long for them to actually kiss. That’s quite awesome, and we also finally know why they boarded the train in the first place: it’s because of the bombs our cute little Chezlaw planted. I wonder where he hid them.
The action-scenes were also some highlights of this episode. Finally we have another anime that realizes that action-scenes should be fun to watch, which was exactly the description of the fight between Chane and Ladd. Seriously, the latter is really crazy! Gustav also was awesome when both he and Eve went to the Gandors for explanation and ran into each other. I especially laughed at how the three Gandor-brothers tried to play innocent by playing a game of cards. It’s in a way so cheesy but at the same time it would be the most logical decision under time-constraints. ^^;
With this episode, there’s only one character left that feels underdeveloped: Lua! Come on, you’ve still got three episodes! Show us that you’re more than just a one-dimensional character!
There’s another thing I’m surprised about, though that’s less positive: hardly anyone talks about this series. In the past few weeks, I’ve only seen two other blogs which are covering this series as well. If this was some kind of obscure series, then I could understand, but this is Baccano! we’re talking about. How can anyone not like this series, apart from the gore, perhaps? I mean, are people really more eager to go for a mediocre series with cute girls in skimpy outfits above a well-written series like this one?]]>
Mononoke Review – 86/100
This is going to be a difficult review, simply because I want to praise this series, but at the same time it suffers from being a continuation of the third story of the anime Ayakashi ~ Japanese Classic Horror: Bake Neko. In there, a Medicine Seller exorcises the ghost of a cat that haunts a local family in feudal Japan, and it was one of the best short stories I’ve ever seen in anime. Mononoke sees the same premise, where we see five stories in which the Medicine Seller track down Mononoke (spirits) that are summoned to earth due to some grudge or regret. Obviously, it had a lot to live up to.
If you were expecting the same as Bake Neko, you’ll be disappointed. The thing that made Ayakashi ~ Japanese Classic Horror so great was its element of surprise: you never knew what was going to happen. With Mononoke, you do: Medicine Seller is going to exorcise a spirit. The amount of horror has also been toned down. Sure, it’s still there, but it’s no longer a central theme, like it was in Bake Neko. Instead, Mononoke decided to put more attention to the thought-provoking elements of its stories.
And yes, it does deliver there. All five stories are more than just ordinary ones, and a lot of attention has been put into them. The lines of good and bad are blurred in an effective way. The episodes also don’t answer every question, but assume that the viewer fills in the rest with his own common sense, and it works quite well. Especially the third and fourth story shine in this.
Another major plus in this series is that the characters are realistic, and don’t care to be moe or GAR or anything similar. Sure, there are a bunch of young girls, but by far most of the characters are all sorts of adults; quite refreshing amongst other anime, which rarely seem to have important characters above the age of 25. The dialogue is also nice and creative, and you can hear that a lot of effort has been put into it as well.
So the creators failed to trump Bake Neko. That doesn’t mean that Mononoke isn’t worth giving a look, and it’s great to see that people are still willing to go beyond the mainstream and experiment with original and different styles. Mononoke is an excellent recommendation for anyone who likes the Japanese-styled horror or similar forms of storytelling.]]>
Mononoke – 12
I’m not sure what roastedpekingduck meant when he said that the creators ran out of budget for this episode. Sure, the build-up wasn’t as good as the first Bake Neko, but this episode provided a satisfying if not a bit predictable ending. It’s not the best episode of this series, I’ll admit, though I didn’t sense any lack of budget.
So, in the end, the reporter was the culprit, with the Mayor being the mastermind behind everything. The others were just bystanders. The waitress often hung out with the victim, so I think that the cat wanted her to know what happened. The boy and the woman were actual witnesses, and I think that they refused to talk about what they saw because it had a major impact on them. After all, if you just saw a human body getting crushed under a train, in all graphic violence, while being alone, there’s a very good chance that you just don’t want to talk about it.
Ah well, even though it turned into something entirely different from what I expected, Mononoke made excellent use of the Noitamina-timeslot. I still like the initiative, and it’s good to see that among the countless high-school-anime, there still are people who welcome change and different ideas for series. Its current series, Moyashimon, also sparks with freshness.]]>