You know, my prediction might actually come true. It’s quite possible that this has been the last of the quiet episodes for a while. Either that, or the next episode is spent on the transition from the first half of the series to the second half. The reason I believe this is because of two very subtle hints that were given near the end of the episode.
Basically, this episode was about a local festival. It mainly focuses on Chaggumu’s relationship with his new friends, though the more important issue is that lots of people are attracted to this festival, and there’s no way of knowing whether some of these people have something to do with Chaggumu. Barsa, of course, forbids Chaggumu to go there, but in the end, Chaggumu remains a kid, and not to mention that he placed a bet with one of the local village kids. This kid insulted both Chaggumu and Mikado, and Chaggumu challenged him to a fight during the festival to make him apologize. If he were to lose, he and his friend would have to eat slugs.
The thing is, that for the first time in the entire anime, Barsa makes a mistake. There’s actually nothing suspicious about a bunch of kids fighting, but when Chaggumu actually wins (by use of his brains, rather than muscles), the guy refuses to apologize and uses his father, who happens to be the strongest fighter in the village to get out of things. Barsa then decides to teach this guy a lesson, and if you pay close attention to the audience after the fight (she obviously wins), e see one ronin-like person who gets surprised at the huge skills of this woman, who just beat the strongest guy in the village with ease. Something tells me that he heard about the woman with incredible skills who protected Chaggumu before he died, and I suspect he’ll go and investigate.
The second hint backed this up even more. Notice the frog and the snake at the end of the episode? Well, if that isn’t symbolic foreshadowing then I don’t know anymore. I’m looking forward to the next episode to see if my theory on this is correct.
Also, it’s great to see some actual fighting-scenes again. While they weren’t as spectacular as episode three, they were full of detail. Chaggumu may not have the largest amount of strength, he fully utilized the strength of his opponent. I also love Chaggumu’s determination. He’s not scared at all to take risks to achieve his goals, and this episode did a god job in fleshing out his character.]]>
Ayatsuri Sakon – 23
Okay, it didn’t turn out as good as episode seven, but it sure as hell was enjoyable! I’m glad to see that the past few arcs have been way less predictable, as I never really confirmed the culprit until he was revealed. I also loved his backstory and character-development. I liked how he didn’t really turned out to be evil, he just wanted to have revenge for the things that people did to him. His miserable state of two episodes ago was an act all along.
I loved both Numata and Tsukiko, and how the ending wasn’t a 100% happy one. Numata will be serving in Jail, and Tsukiko has forgotten the things that he did, in exchange for her previous memories. It’ll only remain a question whether she can forgive what he did, and whether she’ll still want to be with him after the years he served in prison.
I think the only really evil person here is the major. He’s nothing but a greedy bastard who framed his son into killing Tsukiko, and he probably made him do even more. Even Kobayashi acted because he didn’t want to disappoint his father, which probably was because of the way he was raised.
Overall, it’s either me, or the arcs are getting better and better. There’s only one arc left, and let’s hope that the creators saved the best for last. I’m intrigued as to what they were planning to do to resolve the series. Sakon will obviously be in the spotlight more than he’s ever been, and I do wonder what part of him the creators will use for this.]]>
Ooedo Rocket – 12
I have reason to believe the creators were on crack for this episode.
Seriously, though, it’d be the only explanation for such a weird yet utterly brilliant episode.
This episode also convinced me. Most anime feature battles, but for great battles, something needs to be added. The two anime with the best battles that aired in the spring-season are:
Seirei no Moribito
Ooedo Rocket
Seirei no Moribito belongs in this list because of the incredible amount of detail that’s been thrown into them. Ooedo Rocket got in because of the sheer creativity of some of the attacks. This was already showed a few episodes back, where the group of hunters unleashed their skills on the unfortunate alien, but the fight in this episode, between Ginjiro and Akai just made me cry from laughter due to its awesomeness, even though the scene was just too wrong. xD
Anyway, the rest of the episode focused on another side-character: Junpei. It’s a bit different from your usual Ooedo Rocket-episode, though, as the amount of puns, references to modern times, parodies and symbols has been increased tenfold. I’m not going to list all of them, but there are parodies on dating-sims, RPGs, Maid Cafes, porn, manga, tv-bloopers and many more. Basically, it features Anui helping Junpei to find his “Najenaje”, or the reason for his worries. Through the course of the episode, they visit various characters who can’t help them. In the end, though, Junpei realizes that his “najenaje” is “nazenaze”, as he likes to ask questions.
Near the end of the episode, we also see another romance starting. It starts when Junpei starts telling a story about when he was young, about how he used to play with a puppy who talked at one point. If you watch the episode, you just can’t deny that this dog was Anui, since this isn’t the first time this anime went and changed people from animals and vice versa. I’ve also got reason to believe that she was born as a dog, since her human form has so many similarities to that of a dog, instead of the opposite.
Seriously, I’m rooting for Shinsen-subs to continue subbing this series. Ooedo rocket DESERVES to be watched, and it’s definitely the funniest series that arrived in the spring-season. It’s such a huge shame that comedies like Hayate the Combat Butler, Seto no Hanayome and Nagasarete Airantou get so much attention while this gem passes by completely unnoticed!]]>
Claymore – 12
This episode, we get a proper introduction of Ophelia, the rumoured heartless number four, with an unhealthy obsession on everything awakened. Claire gets sent on another Awakened Being-hunt, though this time, the only other one recruited was Ophelia. This obviously screams that the organizations is trying to get rid of her, because something tells me they know fully well that Ophelia tends to break rules once in a while.
Basically, through the course of the episode, she tries to kill both Claire, Raki and the Awakened Being. The last one dies, while Claire and Raki escape. Raki, meanwhile, seems to have gotten more and more attached to Claire, and in this episode, we see him claiming that he’d die for her. In the end, though, they part wais after Claire scolds him.
The thing is, though, that Ophelia is in dire need of some development. Her introduction was nice and all, but I don’t really like her character yet. She’s just a fighting-machine, no more, though I do admit that some of her antics were rather disturbing. The next episode had better show something about her background. I also dislike the way Awakened Beings were portrayed. If a number 4 can take care of one so easily, why would the organization waste time sending groups of four weaker Claymores when Number One can probably take care of them with her eyes closed? It’s also interesting how that Awakened Being just stood still for minutes, allowing Ophelia to continue with her endless monologues.]]>
Death Note – 36
GOD DAMMIT!!
That’s got to be the worst cliff-hanger EVER! How can the creators expect me to wait for an ENTIRE WEEK FOR THE NEXT EPISODE?!?!
Agh, this is going to be a short entry, because I refuse to spoil what happens, but let me tell you this: THIS QUITE POSSIBLY WAS THE BEST EPISODE OF DEATH NOTE YET! It’s been a long time since an episode had so much tension as this one. If you excuse me now, I need to relieve my frustration on some unfortunate object.]]>
Bokura no – 11
Bokura no continues to impress me like no other series this season. Even though the past few episodes haven’t really introduced new elements, and they’ve just been focusing on the children whose backgrounds could be told in just one episode, I still love this series. Heck, it’s exactly what I want, seeing different people react to the same fate, when they have to say goodbye to their daily lives.
It’s interesting, the first few episodes killed off the weakest characters (especially Masaru and Isao), and the past few episodes have been eliminating the stronger ones, the ones who put other’s lives above themselves (especially Daichi and Moji, who we get to see in this episode). While this episode wasn’t as excellent as Daichi’s, it still was a really good one. In this episode, we get to see why he’s been so calm, when compared to the others. Just like Daichi, he had to be strong for someone else. In this case: a childhood friend with heart problems. For a change, this friend is male, instead of the sick female that other anime often stereotype.
What makes this case so interesting is that Moji wants to have his heart put in his friend (Nagi was his name, by the way), so that he could get better. Through especially the first half of the episode, we see Nagi get more depressed by the minute, thinking that he’ll be dying while Moji and his other friend, will live, while Moji in fact knows that it’s going to be the opposite.
I’m fearing for Kanji in the next episode, as he seems to be the strongest of the current cast, with his laid-back attitude. (If you didn’t guess already, I tend to always skip the next episode-previews due to possible spoilers.) Of course, it’ll be also interesting to see one of the two adults in the pilot’s seat.
Regarding the other children, it seems that the girls have developed a strong bond through the episodes. Jun also causes some trouble again with his whining.]]>
Wellber no Monogatari ~ Sisters of Wellber – 12
And there’s only one episode left! The semi-final episode has two purposes: to give some last-minute fleshing out for the final two important characters who have yet to receive sufficient development: the princes of Wellber and Sangatras, and to put the chess-pieces in the right position for the finale.
Especially the bits of new information on Guernia were really appreciated, as up till now, we haven’t really seen what’s in his mind. This episode, however, revealed the reason why he was interested in Rita in the first place. After all, Rita won’t become queen once her father dies, so it wouldn’t make any sense for Guernia to marry her with the eye on world conquest. The reason he went after her was because she resembles his mother.
This perfectly explains why he tried to kill her, back in episode one if you take his twisted mind in account. He killed his own mother, and I can imagine how he’s planning to do the same thing for Rita. During this episode, he didn’t make any suspicious move on her yet, but I suspect that he first wants to make her his, before making his move.
Rita’s brother (forgot his name, sorry) also turned out to be quite interesting for the plot. It seems that he finally got fed up with how his father never does anything to counter Sangatras’s attack, and when a group of rebels, fighting against the war delivers him some blueprints for the battleship that will be forming the core of Sangatras’s army, he decides to ignore his father and sabotage it. The plan works quite well to stop the war, though it’s less unfortunate for Rita, who had been captured by Guernia earlier, as it seemed to have sped up Guernia’s moves on her.
Overall, Wellber no Monogatari turned into a fine anime. It’s not anything ground-breaking, but it sure does know how to tell a story. The only two screw-ups this anime made was the weird horse-movement and the fact that Rita just walks around a bit too much in the open for someone who’s being hunted (especially considering the talking tank that accompanies her, which indeed was quite rare). Still, those are just minor issues. It’s got some interesting characters with quite a bit of development for a 13-episode series. It wasn’t rushed, and no actions really feel that forced when compared to other 13-episode series of its kind. Overall, it’s a real recommendation if you want something light to watch. If the subs ever finish, that is.
Still, it’s now time again to ask the question: will this anime be able to end well? So far, it has compelling characters, but you really need to do something extra in order to prevent your ending from screwing up. I don’t want to, but I fear that the ending will be just a standard one with nothing added. Guernia is going to die, probably by the hands of Galahad. The only thing that can probably save it is the mysterious killer of Tina’s parents. We still have no clue who the heck he might be, which means that the creators saved this guy for last. Let’s hope that the phrase “saving the best for last” applies for this. Oh, and Rita’s brother seems to be hiding a secret from Rita as well. That can prove to add something too.]]>
El Cazador de la Bruja – 12
Quite an interesting episode this was. The people who were expecting action-packed episodes from El Cazador will probably rejoice, as it’s basically one huge gunfight, though the plot also features some nice progression (in El Cazador-terms, of course).
Usually, Nadie and Ellis would run into a random bystander and they’d end up helping him or her somehow. This time, it’s the opposite when the guy ends up helping Nadie and Ellis escape. Remember the blue guys from the previous episode? Well, let’s just say that they aren’t as passive as Ricardo and LA, as they waste no time launching an all-out attack on the couple. Nadie then runs into an armoured car, and she gets the driver to help them escape. He’s a bit of a lazy guy this time. He likes weapons and computers, but he’s basically your average armed nerd.
With this episode, I also realized that Ellis is being guided by the rock she carries. It’s also interesting to see how she reacts to the people that are after her life, she doesn’t seem to worry at all. I also liked the use of phones in this episode, when Nadie kept looking for ways to contact Blue-Eyes (did she really forget to bring something as important as a mobile phone with her? ^^;).
Also, remember the mysterious woman that appeared alongside Blue-Eyes during the OP? Well, her identity is revealed: it’s Blue-Eyes herself, with her hair down and a different outfit. LA, meanwhile, “obtained” a new hat and managed to catch up to Nadie and Ellis again, while Ricardo gets left behind, due to Lilio getting sick, which forces him to take care of her. I wonder what Rozenberg will do when he finds out about the blue guys, because I do believe that he doesn’t like to see Ellis dead.
This episode also introduces two new characters. One is an ally of Blue-Eyes, she also seems to work for her. The second is even more mysterious, as we only see one shot of her, no more.
Near the end of the episode, something interesting also happens. The armoured car has stopped, and the blue guys are shooting at the vehicle from all possible sides. Then, suddenly they’re taken out, but we never see who did it. There are three possible explanations:
– Ellis used her powers in such a way that the blue guys were taken out all at once.
– The above-mentioned woman had something to do with it.
– LA went berserk again. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was hiding in the trunk of Nadie and Ellis’s new car, by the way.]]>
Highlander – Search for Vengeance Review – 72/100
Highlander is a movie that came out recently. It’s another one of these English-spoken anime, where the original voices are all in English instead of the usual Japanese. I’d like to describe this one as “Afro Samurai with personality”.
Basically, what this anime does is about the same as Afro Samurai, only a lot better. The main storyline focuses on two powerhouses, one of them is out for revenge on the other because the other killed someone important. There is the side-kick who provides your occasional commentary, and of course the female love interest. All it misses is the childhood friend, but I’m actually glad he was left out.
Anyway, on top of this, Highlander manages to add enough other elements to prevent this movie from becoming as dull as Afro Samurai. For starters, Colin, the main character actually has a bit of development up to the point where he actually becomes pitiful. I won’t spoil it, but I admit I laughed at how stupid, yet tragic his character is. The side-kick also has a sense of humour, which I quite appreciated. There is also a side-story focusing on oppression, which turned out really interesting near its climax. Overall, I wouldn’t call this a failure of a movie.
That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any flaws, though. Let’s start with the voice-acting. The cast comes with both Scottish and American ones. With the Scottish voices, there is no problem at all. Scotland and other Celtic settings are hardly touched upon by anime, which is a darn shame, since it has enough interesting background material to make for some interesting stories, and the parts of the movie that played in ancient Scotland were nice to watch, and especially the voice-acting was a delight.
I wish I could say the same about the part of the story in New York, though. The American accents just don’t fit in anime, and some particular cases of side-characters speak like a drunk Tarzan. Especially near the beginning, the dialogues just don’t flow right at all, luckily this gets better as the movie progresses.
There’s also this matter of this being an action-movie. Thank goodness it isn’t just one big excuse to display some action, but the fact remains that you can’t really get a good ending out of it, and indeed, the final scene is just one big Deus ex Machina whose only purpose is to close off the story at its climax. The major antagonist also is in dire need of some character-development.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend you to go out of your way and check this movie out as soon as possible, as it’s not really that good. If you’re bored, though, and need an hour to burn, this may be a good choice. It’s nothing special, but at least it’s entertaining.]]>
Les Miserables – Shoujo Cosette – 24
Ah, the first steps have been made towards Cosette and Marius’s relationship: in this episode, the two see each other for the first time, and it’s as if cupid himself interfered, as they both start to notice each other at that point. I suspect that in the next episode, they’ll be able to talk to each other, because due to Marius’s shyness, all they did for the entire episode was stare at each other. Now all that’s left is to wait and see how their relationship turns out.
In anime, love relationships can either strengthen an anime, or completely ruin it, depending on the amount of development put in both the characters and their relationship. That’s why I’ve got a lot of faith in this one, as there is no other anime, aired in 2007 that has better character-development than Les Miserables.
Another major part of the episode focused on the poverty in Paris, and I suspect that it’s a sign of things to come. Jean may have a lot of money, but it doesn’t seem that he has some sort of job, and the money will run out someday. In this episode, we see Jean and Cosette pass out a bunch of breads to a group of children, and only then it becomes apparent how much they’re suffering, and how much they’re longing for a loaf of bread. It seems that Cosette has adopted the need to save others from the years she spent with Jean. It’s also interesting to note that Gavroche also ended up with these children, but he actually tries to do something about this situation, like stealing a bunch of vegetables from merchants. It’ll be interesting to see how he’ll end up if he goes on like this.
Still, my favourite character remains Eponine. She really reminds me of Atori from Noein, who first started out as a nasty person as well, but then suddenly made a huge personality-shift. She’s also going to get it tough in the next episode, when it seems that Thenardier plans to use her and Azelma to scout for a dirty job that he’s got in mind. Something tells me that that isn’t going to end in her favour.]]>